Portable canopy cover for fishing boats

Abstract

A portable canopy for use with a boat having a covered helm and at least two fishing rod holders mounted thereto. The portable canopy employs a first tubular shaped support member having a proximal end securable to a rod holder found on a fishing boat. A second tubular shaped support member having a proximal end is secured to a second rod holder, adjacent to, but spaced apart from, the first support member. The first and second support members are secured to the rod holders by use of locking pins. A spreader bar is attached to the distal end of each said support member, forming a rigid frame between the support members and the rod holders. A fabric cover extends between the support members, providing shade to the occupants beneath the canopy.

Claims

1. A portable canopy for use with a boat having a helm covered with a T-top and at least two angular positioned fishing rod holders mounted along the rear corners of the T-top, said portable canopy comprising: a first tubular shaped single piece rigid support member having a proximal end and a distal end defining a length therebetween, said proximal end constructed and arranged to be releasably secured to a first fishing rod holder, said proximal end extending through an upper end of a first rod holder and past a lower end, said first support member including a first angular bend to position a substantial portion of said first support member in a similar horizontal plane; a first locking pin securable to said proximal end of said first support member at a position beneath said first lower end, said first locking pin securing said first support member to said first fishing rod holder by preventing said first support member from removal from said first fishing rod holder; a second tubular shaped single piece rigid support member having a proximal end and a distal end defining a length therebetween, said proximal end constructed and arranged to be releasably secured to a second fishing rod holder, said proximal end extending through an upper end of a second rod holder through a lower end, said second support member spaced apart from said first fishing rod holder, said second support member including a second angular bend to position a substantial portion of said second support member in a horizontal plane; a second locking pin securable to said proximal end of said second support member at a position beneath said lower end of said second rod holder, said second locking pin securing said second support member to said second fishing rod holder by preventing said second support member from removal from said second fishing rod holder; a spreader bar hingedly attached to said distal end of said first support member and releaseably secured to the distal end of said second support member, said spreader bar is telescoping having a first end slidably insertable into a second end with a clamp adjuster maintaining said first end in a fixed position to said second end positioning said first support member distal end at a fixed distance from said second support member distal end; a fabric cover extending between said first angular bend and said first distal end of said first support member, and said second angular bend and said second distal end of said second support member.

2. The portable canopy for use with a boat having a helm covered with a T-top according to claim 1 wherein said fabric cover is attached to said first and second support members to form a tubular shaped pocket by use of a hook and loop fastener.

3. The portable canopy for use with a boat having a helm covered with a T-top according to claim 1 wherein a portion of said fabric cover is sewn together to form a tubular shaped pocket, wherein said tubular shape is constructed and arranged to fit over a portion of said first and second support members.

4. The portable canopy for use with a boat having a helm covered with a T-top according to claim 1 wherein a portion of said fabric cover is welded together to form a tubular shape, wherein said tubular shaped pocket is constructed and arranged to fit over a portion of said first and second support members.

5. The portable canopy for use with a boat having a helm covered with a T-top according to claim 1 wherein said spreader bar is releasably secured to said first support member by a locking pin.

6. The portable canopy for use with a boat having a helm covered with a T-top according to claim 1 wherein said spreader bar first end is hingedly secured to said first support member and said spreader bar second end is releasably secured to said second support member by a locking pin insertable through an aperture on said spreader bar second end for attachment to a boss mounted on said second support member.

7. The portable canopy for use with a boat having a helm covered with a T-top according to claim 6 wherein said locking pin is interchangeable with said first or said second locking pin.

8. The portable canopy for use with a boat having a helm covered with a T-top according to claim 1 wherein said cover includes a zippered pocket constructed and arranged to conceal said spreader bar.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the portable canopy cover on the vessel;

(2) FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the support members and the cover of the instant invention;

(3) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the support members and spreader bar;

(4) FIG. 4 is a plane view of an telescoping spreader bar;

(5) FIG. 5 is a plane view of the bottom of the canopy cover;

(6) FIG. 6 is a plane view of the canopy cover of FIG. 5 in the folded position

(7) FIG. 7 is a plane view of the bottom of the canopy cover having a zipper pocket for the spreader bar; and

(8) FIG. 8 is a plane view of the canopy cover of FIG. 7 in the folded position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(9) Detailed embodiments of the instant invention are disclosed herein, however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific functional and structural details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representation basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.

(10) Referring to the Figures in general, set forth is a vessel 100 having a hull 102 with a centrally disposed helm 104 depicted with a T-top 106 mounted thereto. The T-top 106 includes conventional rod holders 108 located along the rear 110 of the T-top 106. The rod holders 108 each have a first open end 112 and a lower open end 114. The portable canopy 10 of the instant invention consists of a first tubular shaped support member 12 having a proximal end 14 and a distal end 16. The support member 12 has a length which is the distance between the proximal end 14 and the distal end 16, and includes an angular bend 18 that allows positioning of a substantial portion of the support member 12 to be on the same horizontal plane as the cockpit 116 of the vessel 100. A first locking pin 20 is located along the proximal end 14 of the first support member 12, and is preferably a conventional locking pin having a pushbutton release 23 to disengage a locking ball 21 on the locking pin. A second tubular shaped support member 22 has a proximal end 24 and distal end 26. Similar to the first tubular shaped support member 12, the second tubular shaped support member 22 includes an angular bend 28 to provide a matching angular positioning of a substantial portion of the support member 22 to equal support member 12 for placement over the cockpit 116 of the vessel 100. A canvas or the like flexible top 30 is placed over support members 12, 22, and a spreader bar 40 positions the distal ends 16 and 26 in a pre-determined spaced apart position.

(11) In a preferred embodiment, the spreader bar 40 is hingedly attached 42 to the distal end 16 of the first support member 12 and is rotated in position, wherein a second end 46 of the spreader bar 40 engages the second tubular shaped support member 22 along the distal end 26, having a boss 48 with aperture 50. In a preferred embodiment the spreader bar 40 is telescoping having a first end 41 that is slidably insertable into a second end 43. Clamp adjuster 45 maintains the first end 41 and second end 43 in a fixed position. The telescoping spreader bar provides a benefit of compact storage, wherein the first end 41 can be placed substantially within the second end 43. Further, the telescoping spreader bar allows for the adjustment of the cover 30 to correct stretching which naturally occurs as the fabric cover ages, as well as allows the use of single element that can be used on various sized assemblies. Spreader bar aperture 52 is aligned with the support member aperture 50 located in the boss 48 for receipt of a locking pin 60. Locking pin 60 is similar to locking pins 20 and 29, wherein mounting apertures have a tolerance to receive a displaceable ball to prevent unwanted removal of the locking pin. The locking pin 60 is used to secure the spreader bar 40 in a fixed spacing position between the first tubular shaped support member 12 and second tubular shaped support member 22. When the flexible canopy 30 is secured to the first and second support members 12 and 22, occupants beneath the canopy are shaded. The simplicity of the design makes the sun shade easy to manufacture, store and install. It should be noted that the locking pin 29 is similar to locking pin 20, namely having a push button release 25 for locking tab 27.

(12) To secure installation, the proximal ends 14 and 24 are placed through rod holders 108 as depicted in FIG. 1, by extending the leading edge of each proximal end through the upper end 112 of the rod holder slightly to a point past the lower end 114, wherein locking pins 20 and 29 secure the support members 12 and 22 from dislodgement should the vessel encounter high seas. The shape of the proximal ends 14 and 24 are configured to fit within the rod holders with the leading edges projecting through the bottoms of the rod holders. In one embodiment, depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cover 30 is preferably made from a rectangular piece of material having Velcro hook and loop pieces. The beneath section 70 of the cover 30 has a front edge 72, rear edge 74, and side edges 76 and 78. Hook patches 80, 81 and 82 are along edge 78, and are securable to loop patches 83, 84 and 85, respectively. Similarly, along edge 76, hook patches 86, 87 and 88 are available for attachment to loop patches 89, 90 and 91, respectively. In this manner, the bottom 70 is placed over the support members with the first support member 12 positioned along alignment line 92, wherein hook patches 86, 87 and 88 are attached to loop patches 89, 90 and 91, creating a cylindrical enclosure 93 for securement to the support member. Similarly, second support member 22 is placed along alignment line 94 with hook patches 80, 81 and 82 wrapped around the support member 22 to engage loop patches 83, 84 and 85, respectively, creating a cylindrical holding section 95 for securement to the second support member 22. The use of hook and loop attachment allows for ease of adjustment as the canopy stretches due to age, or for adjustment when the rod holders are not spaced in accordance with a pre-determined position. The use of hook and loop further allows a wider range of adaptation to different rod holder placements. It should be noted that sizing of the rod holders and spreader bar would eliminate the need for hook and loop attachment, and allow the edges 76 and 78 to be sewn directly to the cover for further ease in manufacturing or custom fit applications.

(13) In an alternative embodiment, depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8, the cover 30 is made from a rectangular piece of material. The beneath section 110 of the cover 30 has a front edge 113, rear edge 115, and side edges 116 and 118. Side edge 116 is sewn and/or welded along seam 120. Side edge 118 is sewn and/or welded along seam 122. Upon installation, the support members 12 and 22 are inserted into the cylindrical enclosure formed by the material attachment. Rear edge 115 includes a material break 124 which allows the material to adjustably folded around the angular bend 18 of support member 12 and angular bend 28 of support member 22. An adjustable strap 126 includes a male connector 128 secureable to a female connector 130. The adjustable strap 126 can be made out of nylon or the like material, and allows the rear edge 115 to be adjusted to accommodate material size differences. A zippered pocket 132 is positioned near the front edge 113 of the cover 30 consisting of a first panel 134 having a base edge secured to the cover and a second panel 136 having a base edge secured to the cover. A zipper 138 is placed along an extended edge adjoining the first and second panel wherein the spreader bar 40 can be concealed within a pocket formed between the panels and the cover.

(14) Disassembly can be quickly accomplished by removing the pin 51 from the spreader bar and sliding the cover 30 off the first and second support members 12 and 22. The support members 12 and 22 can then be released from the rod holders 108 by disengagement of locking pins 20 and 29, and all items can be easily stored in a bag for re-use. In a preferred embodiment, the support members are made from anodized aluminum and the canopy can be made of most any flexible material currently used for boat covers, including canvas, as well as polyester, nylon, and well known specialty materials, such as Sunbrella, which are specifically treated to resist UV degradation and moisture rot degradation.

(15) The terms comprise (and any form of comprise, such as comprises and comprising), have (and any form of have, such as has and having), include (and any form of include, such as includes and including) and contain (and any form of contain, such as contains and containing) are open-ended linking verbs. As a result, a device that comprises, has, includes or contains one or more steps or elements, possesses those one or more steps or elements, but is not limited to possessing only those one or more elements.

(16) All patents and publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings/figures included herein.

(17) One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended to be exemplary, and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.