Boat dock bumper and method of using the same
OwnerThomas R. Martininventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A boat dock bumper assembly configured for mounting on a boat dock and protecting a boat against damage from impacts with a side surface and a lower surface of the dock. The bumper assembly includes a clamp frame, an upper jaw, and a bumper. The upper jaw is movably coupled to the clamp frame for clamping a boat dock between the upper jaw and a lower jaw of the clamp frame. The bumper is joined to the clamp frame and has an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper and lower portions of the bumper may be integral or separable. The bumper is configured to absorb impacts from collisions between the boat and the dock. A method of protecting a boat against damage from impacts with a side surface and a lower surface of a boat dock using the bumper assembly.
Claims20
A boat dock bumper assembly configured for mounting on a boat dock and protecting a boat against damage from horizontal and vertical impacts, the bumper assembly comprising:
- a clamp frame comprising an upright portion and a lower jaw coupled to the upright portion;
- an upper jaw movably coupled to the clamp frame for clamping a boat dock between the lower jaw and the upper jaw;
- and
- a bumper coupled to the clamp frame, the bumper comprising a lower portion extending outward from the lower jaw to cushion vertical impacts and an upper portion extending outward from the upright portion of the clamp frame to cushion horizontal impacts, the upper portion and the lower portion each comprising a resilient material configured to absorb the impact of a collision with a boat and subsequently return to substantially its original shape;
- wherein the lower portion is configured to cushion vertical impacts between a boat and the lower portion when a boat dock is clamped between the lower jaw and the upper jaw, and the upper portion is configured to cushion horizontal impacts between a boat and the upper portion when a boat dock is clamped between the lower jaw and the upper jaw.
A boat dock bumper assembly configured for mounting on a boat dock and protecting a boat against damage from horizontal and vertical impacts, the bumper assembly comprising:
- a clamp frame comprising an upright portion and a lower jaw coupled to the upright portion;
- an upper jaw movably coupled to the clamp frame for clamping a boat dock between the lower jaw and the upper jaw;
- and
- a bumper coupled to the clamp frame, the bumper comprising a lower portion extending downward from the lower jaw to cushion vertical impacts and an upper portion extending outward from the upright portion of the clamp frame to cushion horizontal impacts, the upper portion and the lower portion each comprising a resilient material configured to absorb the impact of a collision with a boat and subsequently return to substantially its original shape;
- wherein the lower portion of the bumper is configured for absorbing impacts from a portion of a boat moving upward toward a lower surface of the dock, and
- wherein the upper portion of the bumper is configured for absorbing impacts from a portion of a boat moving laterally toward a side surface of the dock.
A method of protecting a boat against damage from horizontal and vertical impacts when the boat is moored to a boat dock, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a bumper assembly comprising a clamp frame comprising an upright portion and a lower jaw coupled to the upright portion, the bumper assembly further comprising an upper jaw movably coupled to the clamp frame, and a bumper comprising a lower portion extending outward from the lower jaw and an upper portion extending outward from the upright portion of the clamp frame, the upper portion and the lower portion each comprising a resilient material configured to absorb the impact of a collision with a boat and subsequently return to substantially its original shape;
- positioning the bumper assembly on the boat dock such that the lower jaw is adjacent a lower surface of the dock and the upright portion is adjacent a side surface of the dock;
- and
- moving the upper jaw with respect to the clamp frame to clamp a portion of the dock between the upper jaw and the lower jaw in a position such that the lower portion of the bumper extends outward from and covers at least a portion of the lower surface of the dock to cushion a boat against damage from vertical movement relative to the boat dock and the upper portion of the bumper extends outward from and covers at least a portion of the side surface of the dock to cushion the boat against damage from lateral movement relative to the boat dock.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.