Purpose of the invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a leisure boat, defined as a small boat intended
for one or two crew members and intended to be propelled by the wind, this is a sailboat.
[0002] The object of the invention is to provide a structure for a boat that folds away
to drastically reduce its volume in the inoperative position, providing easy storage
and transport our of the water.
Background of invention
[0003] There are leisure boats of small size, provided and designed for a small number of
crew, which are usually driven by an outboard motor with the obvious polluting effects.
[0004] Also are known small sailboats with the classic configuration of a mono hull. Even
though they may be in small size, it is practically impossible to remove manually
form the water, nor transport and store easily during periods of inactivity.
[0005] This means, in practice, that for the maintenance of these boats, despite their small
size, is needed to be carried out at a port jetty or otherwise employ the use of cranes,
as well as special vehicles for transport to the place of storage, with an obvious
economic cost.
[0006] Among the boats are known there are foldable boats, small size boats or expandible
boats, with the possibility of adding accesories. In this sense, Spanish Utility Model
No.
200701791 refers to a "Two Floats Folding boat, transportable over ground by wheels, coupled
with various accesories and interchangeable accesories", with the possibility of incorporating,
for example, a slide or a seat accesories, but very bulky, despite its pliability.
[0007] Also Spanish Utility Model 9800712 for "Folding Boat" has characteristics that allow
for its storage and transport, but is designed pimarily as a dinghy built on a ship.
[0008] It is also known a folding boat, such as described in Spanish Utility Model No. 266.512
characterized by consisting of two halves joined by hinges to both sides, located
on the edges, which allows folding one over the other so that the boat could be transported
on a small trailer.
[0009] Finally, the patent
WO100330ES describes a demountable trimaran convertible in sailing catamaran and mono-hull
with motor. The trimaran is achieved from the assembly of two boats: a sailing catamaran,
with side runners, rudders and keels, and a mono-hull with motor.
[0010] The boat proposed in this invention improves and completes what is previously known,
describing an original boat, with new features, achieving a significant reduction
in the volume of the boat and the possibility to be easily transported out of water.
Description of invention
[0011] The leisure boat proposed by the invention resolves in a fully satisfactory way the
afore mentioned problems previously exposed.
[0012] More specifically, this boat has a hull with two-seater hull or cockpit, preferably
buoyancy compartments to ensure flotation against any problem that may arise in the
port or starboard flotation compartments. The main hull has a locked down bow beam
arm that extends to support the fold out on mountable arms that the out runner flotation
modules are attached to. The two out runner flotation modules, when in the fixed position,
provide a solid stable boat in conjunction with the main hull.
[0013] It is also characterized because the mast foot mounting telescopic is located at
the front end of the bow beam. Here the bayonet fixture for the mast foot is connected.
The mast foot is constructed with a foldable nuckle to facilitate ease on attaching
the mast in a horizontal position than elevate the mast with sail to its vertical
position. The mast is in two pieces which makes transportation and storage easy. A
camber inducer is used to connect the lower sail batten providing a fexible batten
boom to orientate the position of the sail.
[0014] It is also characterized the out runner supporting arms are folded back on the bow
beam with a pivot point placed at the front of the bow beam. The supporting arms are
also folded in two with a pivot join half way down the arms. The bow beam and folded
supporting arms are then all folded back over the top of the main hull seating area
to provide an extremely compact package ready for transportation or storage.
[0015] In keeping with the compact and ease of handling features of the invention provitions
have been made to facilitate the movilization of the boat. The main hull has two built
in sockets in the lower central hull area where wheels on stub shafts can be inserted.
This allows the folded up package to be transported on the ground or rolled down the
beach or ramp to launch the boat when it is folded out, rigged up and ready to sail.
[0016] Other characteristic is at the front of the hull there is the tension bar to be used
to attache the hull to the bow beam. When the boat is folded up ready for transport
this tension bar is used as a hand grip to manually pull the package along.
[0017] The invention is also characterized because support for the pilot is movable along
the longitudinal axis of the capsule two-seater and in areas corresponding to the
footrest, the pilot stears the boat using the rudder activated by foot pedals.
[0018] The resulting design achieved a boat that has the aceptable dimensions for a utility
boat. A lenght that does not exceed three meters and mast hight that is preferably
no more than two metters and sixty centimeters high preferably. The folded away package
therefore drastically reduces the overall size making it an easy manually transportable
leisure boat.
Description of drawings
[0019] To complement the description and in order to provide a better understanding of the
features of invention a set of drawings are included, according to a preferred embodiment
thereof. Following is a description of the drawings and the components that are included
in the realisation of the before mentioned invention, by way of illustration and no
limitation:
Figure 1: shows a schematic side elevation of the leisure boat made according to the
objective of the present invention;
Figure 2: shows a plan view of the asembly shown in the figure above.
Figure 3: shows a front elevation view of the same leisure boat.
Figure 4: shows a representation similar to Figure 1, in which two occupants are properly
positioned on the encapsulated hull.
Figure 5: shows another schematic side elevation of the boat in adequate position
folded for transport.
Preferred embodiment of invention
[0020] In accordance with invention proposed, the leisure boat proposed by the invention
is formed from a two-seater encapsullated hull or cockpit (1) of adequate size to
accomodate minimal but comfortably a couple of occupants, as shown in Figure 4, which
rest on a continuous longitudinal seat (2) equiped with a pair of back rests (3),
(4), fixed, while half way along is the second back rest (4) moving for the pilot,
sliding on guides (5) and consequently positioning control complementing this set
with a footrest (6) for the pilot and (6') for the passenger.
[0021] As shown particularly in Figure 1, said hull (1) having mounted on its front end
a nose-piece (7) of considerable lenght, pivot point mounting is attached to the upper
hull (1) by way of a pin and bushings that provide the foldable beam (8) lockable
in the working rigged up position shown in Figure 1 with the help of a second pin
(9) removable, so such releases (7) is capable of being thrust forward or folded down
onto the hull or capsule tandem (1).
[0022] The nose-piece (7) receives at its front end and through a spreader (10) a pair of
articulated and foldable side arms (11), also with corresponding tilt pins and locking
pins, both supporting arms being attached to the out runner floating modules (12)
that cooperates with the main hull (1) to the total buoyancy of the boat.
[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the folding side arms (11) are the supports for the out floating
runners (12) also through respective guides (13) and locking pins (14). On the other
part, the folding side arms (11) are mounted on the edge of the nose-piece (7) through
a pin or a common tilt axis (16), while the lock /unlock the same with respect to
the nose-piece (7) is carried out in collaboration with independent pins (15).
[0024] As also shown in Figure 1, the edge of the nose-piece (7), also mounts an extractable
telescopic mast (17) which support the sail, not shown, the mast is removable and
has a two piece structure as shown in sections (17, 17'...) that allow the aforementioned
turn pliability, being in turn associated with the extractable telescopic mast (17)
the boom (18) which receives the lower edge of the sail.
[0025] The boat is provided with a rudder later (19), which has the characteristic of being
manipulated by means of cable or other suitable transmision, for example, a pair of
foot pedals (20) located on the footrest (6) of the pilot.
[0026] After folding of the boat shown in Figure 5 and in order to facilitate transport
or handly pulling of boat, in the back of the hull or two-seat capsule (1), centrally
placed , is disposed a wheel or roller (21) mounted on a support (22), pivoting on
a central axis, the wheel or roller is integrated into the hull, situated at the rear,
and which is capable of adopting two positions: the position of juggling shown in
Figure 1, with does not affect the seaworthiness of the boat, and a reverse position,
shown in Figure 5, which provides rear support and rolling of the boat easily transported
along by the aid of an extensible bar (23), removable from the hull (1) and finished
with a manual pulling handle (24) as also seen in Figure 5.
1. Leisure boat, intended for use by one or two crew members, being of the sailing type,
characterized by comprising of three floating elements, a main two-seater hull or cockpit (1) and
a pair of out runner flotation modules (12) both spaced substantially among themselves
and with respect to said hull which is attached by a pair of foldable side arms (11),
topped by its free end with the flotation out runners that are attached to the nose-piece
(7) which provides support for the extractable telescopic piece mast (17), and which
is tiltable with respect to the hull (1), upon which hinged top is when the arms swing
above are properly folded and the mast retracted with a minimal footprint in its inoperative
situation, incoporating in addition in the rear and located centrally, wheels or rollers
that allows movement on the floor and anterior superior bar (23) removable from inside
the capsule hull (1) and finished with a handle (24) for manual grip.
2. Leisure boat according to claim 1, wherein in the tandem capsule hull (1) is placed
a continuous longitudinal seat (2), capped by a back rest in (3) for the passenger,
and on which is mounted a mobile support (4) for the pilot, being such support (4)
adjustable along guides (5), while incorporating the hull capsule (1) footrest (6)
for the pilot and (6') for the passenger.
3. Leisure boat, according to previous claims, wherein on the footrests (6) corresponding
to the pilot pedals are set (20) to control the rudder (19) of the boat by use of
the pilot's feet.
4. Leisure boat, according to previous claims, wherein the nose-piece (7) is attached
to the two-seater hull capsule (1) through a shaft or pin fixed (8) which cooperates
with fixed pin (9) removable to lock/unlock the bow beam.
5. Leisure boat according to previous claims, wherein the nose-piece (7) is finished
with the right angle pilot fixture (10) with an articulated joint assisted by fixed
pins and mobile folding side arms (11), linking the different sections together in
similar fashion that are coupled by its free end to guides (13) in the out flotating
runners (12), holding fast with pins (14).
6. Leisure boat, according to previous claims, wherein the said wheel or roller (21)
with the corresponsing support (22), is usually built into the hull capsule (1) of
the boat in the rear, in the centre, so as not to affect the navigability of the same,
and is susceptible of reverse swing to a position in which the wheel or rollder rests
on the ground for transportational movement with the aid of a front manual pulling
handle (24).