Inflatable drift boat

Abstract

An inflatable hull fabricated from a drop stitch material is configurable to either a dory or drift boat. The inflatable hull has oarlocks which may be placed within urethane mounts, which are glued or thermally bonded to the fabric making up the gunnels of the boat, thereby eliminating any need for a stiff frame for attachment of oars to the craft. The inflatable hull may have internal structures, such as seats, thigh braces and panels, which are also fabricated from drop stitch material as an integral unit with the hull. Alternatively, the seats, thigh braces and panels may be fabricated as attachable and detachable components which allow a single hull to be utilized either as a dory or a drift boat.

Claims

1. A water craft comprising: an inflatable hull comprising a pointed bow, a stern, a port side and a starboard side and a bottom extending between the port side to the starboard side and from the bow to the stern, the bottom flat and having an arc extending from the pointed bow to the stern; wherein the hull is fabricated of a plurality of cells, wherein the plurality of cells comprise a drop stitch material, the drop stitch material comprising a first layer and a second layer wherein the first layer and the second layer are attached together by a plurality of spaced-apart connecting members to form the plurality of cells; an air-tight coating applied to the first layer and the second layer; wherein a vessel interior is defined between a port side gunnel and a starboard side gunnel; an oarlock disposed within an oarlock base set within the port side gunnel or the starboard side gunnel; and a cast-in bronze bushing for disposition of the oarlock.

2. The water craft of claim 1 wherein the inflatable hull comprises a seat member fabricated from the drop stitch material.

3. The water craft of claim 2 wherein the seat member is fabricated as an integral structure with the inflatable hull.

4. The water craft of claim 2 wherein the seat member is selectively attachable and detachable from the inflatable hull.

5. The water craft of claim 1 further comprising a dory having a removable inflatable deck member fabricated from the drop stitch material.

6. The water craft of claim 1 further comprising a dory having an integral deck member fabricated from the drop stitch material.

7. The water craft of claim 1 further comprising a reinforcement structure into which the oarlock base is disposed, the reinforcement structure comprising a urethane base.

8. The water craft of claim 7 wherein the urethane base has a hardness of 90 durometer.

9. A water craft comprising: an inflatable hull comprising a pointed bow, a stern, a port side and a starboard side and a bottom extending between the port side to the starboard side and from the bow to the stern, the bottom flat and having an arc extending from the pointed bow to the stern; wherein the hull is fabricated of a plurality of cells, wherein the plurality of cells comprise a drop stitch material, the drop stitch material comprising a first layer and a second layer wherein the first layer and the second layer are attached together by a plurality of spaced-apart connecting members to form the plurality of cells; an air-tight coating applied to the first layer and the second layer; wherein a vessel interior is defined between a port side gunnel and a starboard side gunnel; a seat member disposed within the vessel interior, the seat member fabricated from a drop stitch material; an oarlock disposed within an oarlock base set within the port side gunnel or the starboard side gunnel; and a cast-in bronze bushing for disposition of the oarlock.

10. The water craft of claim 9 wherein the seat member is selectively attachable and detachable from the inflatable hull.

11. The water craft of claim 9 wherein the seat member is fabricated as an integral structure with the inflatable hull.

12. The water craft of claim 9 further comprising a dory having a removable inflatable deck member fabricated from the drop stitch material.

13. The water craft of claim 1 further comprising a dory having an integral deck member fabricated from the drop stitch material.

14. The water craft of claim 9 further comprising a reinforcement structure into which the oarlock base is disposed, the reinforcement structure comprising a urethane base.

15. The water craft of claim 14 wherein the urethane base has a hardness of 90 durometer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 depicts a sectional side view of an embodiment of an inflatable drift boat (dory) for whiter water applications fabricated in accord with the disclosures herein.

(2) FIG. 2A shows a sectioned view of a portion of a drop stitch cell utilized to fabricate the components of the inflatable drift boat.

(3) FIG. 2B shows a small portion of a drop stitch material.

(4) FIG. 3 depicts a top view of the embodiment of the inflatable drift boat shown in FIG. 1.

(5) FIG. 4 depicts a sectional view of an inflatable drift boat along its width showing a detailed view of an oarlock attached on a gunnel.

(6) FIG. 5 depicts a detailed elevational view of the oarlock depicted in FIG. 4, viewed looking toward the gunnel of the drift boat.

(7) FIG. 6 depicts a detailed side view of the oarlock depicted in FIG. 4.

(8) FIG. 7 depicts a top view of the oarlock depicted in FIG. 4.

(9) FIG. 8 depicts a perspective view of an inflatable seat member manufactured from a drop stitch process which may be utilized in embodiments of the disclosed inflatable drift boat.

(10) FIG. 9 depicts a perspective view of a second inflatable seat member manufactured from a drop stitch process which may be utilized in embodiments of the disclosed inflatable drift boat.

(11) FIG. 10 depicts a front view of an inflatable thigh brace member manufactured from a drop stitch process which may be utilized in embodiments of the disclosed inflatable drift boat.

(12) FIG. 11 depicts a plan view of an embodiment of an inflatable drift boat, used for calm water service, which may be formed either as a single structure or formed as separate components, such as a hull structure which is inflated and then completed by the insertion of the inflatable seat members of FIGS. 8 and 9 into a hull.

(13) FIG. 12 depicts a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 11.

(14) FIG. 13 depicts a sectioned view of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 11.

(15) FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of an inflatable drift boat of unitary construction, where the seats and hull are configured as a single structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(16) Referring now to the figures, FIG. 1 shows a sectioned side view of an inflatable dory 100 fabricated from a drop stitch material. The dory 100 has a unitary hull 10 having a pointed bow 2, a pointed stern 4, a port side 6, a starboard side 8, and a flat bottom which extends from the bow 2 to the stern 4. It is to be noted from the figures that the bottom has an arc or rocker which extends from bow 2 to stern 4. Dory 100 is suitable for use in white water service because of the various water tight storage compartments provided by walls 12, 14, 16 and 18, which are closed by deck members 20.

(17) The structural members forming the water tight storage compartments may either be fabricated as a solitary matrix along with the hull, where the different panels of drop stitch material are joined by glue, thermal bonding, or other joining methods known in the art. Alternatively, the internal structures may be fabricated separately from the hull as detachable units, which are light and easily removable, with the structural members secured in place by a variety of fasting devices such as hook and loop fasteners, straps and plastic buckles, and other known light weight devices having no sharp edges. Thus, the inflatable dory 100 depicted in FIGS. 1 and 3 may be easily transformed into the inflatable drift boat 200 depicted in FIGS. 11-13 by removal of the internal structural members 12, 14, 16 and 18 and insertion of the seat members 60 and 70 discussed below.

(18) FIGS. 2A and 2B show a close up sectioned view of a portion of a drop stitch cell 102 a plurality of which is utilized to fabricate the various components of the inflatable drift boat. The drop stitch cell 102 comprises a first layer 22 and a second layer 24. The first layer 22 and the second layer 24 are attached together by a plurality of spaced-apart connecting members 26, leaving void space for inflation. The first layer 22 and the second layer 24 are typically fabricated from polyester fabric. The plurality of connecting members 26 are typically lengths of thread or wire. First layer 22 and second layer 24 are treated with an air tight coating 30 so that, upon inflation through a valve 32, the drop stitch cell 102 retains air. When inflated, each drop stitch cell utilized to form the structural components of the inflatable drift boat 100 will have a strong and hard surface.

(19) FIG. 4 depicts a sectional view of an inflatable drift boat 100 along its width showing how an oarlock 32 may be attached to a gunnel 34 of port side 6 or starboard side 8. Oarlock 32 is set within a urethane base 34 which is glued to the fabric which makes up gunnel 34. The urethane base 36 wraps around the fabric forming gunnel 34 following the natural curve of the boat. The urethane base 36 forms an additional layer of protection from the oar wear against the top of the tunnel. FIGS. 5-7 show a detailed view of how the urethane base 36 provides a reinforcement structure 40 which is utilized to support oarlock 32. A cast-in bronze bushing 42 is set within the reinforcement structure 40, where oarlock 32 sets within the bronze bushing. The reinforcement structure 40 is sufficiently wide so that the drop stitch forming the cell adjacent to the oarlock 32 does not flex or distort. The oar locks are set at an angle of approximately 12 to 15 degrees, such that the hole pin is at a right angle to the boat when rowing the boat.

(20) It is to be appreciated that the utilization of the urethane base 34 in the manner described above eliminates the need for a stiff frame otherwise utilized with drift boats, where the oarlocks are set on the tops of the gunnels. The inventors herein have found that a urethane base having a hardness of 90 durometer provides sufficient stiffness to prevent flexing of the surrounding drop stitch forming the cell adjacent to the oarlock 32, but soft enough that the material of the urethane base will conform to the shape of gunnel 34.

(21) FIGS. 8-10 show a variety of inflatable structural members which may be utilized in transforming the same basic hull from a dory 100 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 to a drift boat 200 as shown in FIGS. 11-14. FIG. 8 depicts an inflatable front seat member 60 manufactured from a drop stitch process which may be utilized in embodiments of the disclosed inflatable drift boat 200. FIG. 9 depicts an inflatable rear seat member 70 which may likewise be utilized in embodiments of the disclosed inflatable drift boat 200. FIG. 10 shows an inflatable thigh brace member 80 manufactured from a drop stitch process which may be utilized in embodiments of the disclosed inflatable drift boat 200 shown in FIGS. 11-14. As with the structural members utilized in forming the dory 100, the structural members utilized in forming drift boat 200 may be secured by as hook and loop fasteners, straps and plastic buckles, and other known light weight devices having no sharp edges.

(22) As shown in FIG. 14, unitary hull 10 will typically be configured to have three main air chambers in each of sides 11 and floor 13. The embodiment shown in FIG. 14 is a drift boat in which the hull 10 is fabricated with seats 60 and 70 as integral units.

(23) Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following: