US 2013/0152844 A1Published application

Floating dock system

AssigneeE-Z-Dock, Inc.

InventorsDustin Imel, Curtis Downs, Dan Guthrie

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Abstract

A connector for a assembling members of a floating dock system comprises at least one post and a brace extending from the post. The post is shaped generally complimentarily to the shape of the socket, and comprises a generally convex midsection connected between a pair of generally falcate end portions. The post and brace define a flat, generally horizontal top surface to the connector. The dock system also includes a supplemental floatation system having a hollow floatation member body defining a chamber. The body includes a water port positioned to place the body interior in communication with water. An air port positioned vertically above the water port is placed in communication with a pump. A valve can be positioned between the chamber and the pump to selectively place the chamber in communication with the pump or to place the chamber in communication with the atmosphere.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A floating dock system, comprising:

a first dock member including an upper surface, a bottom surface, and a side wall;
at least one connector receiving socket formed in said side wall;
said connector receiving socket comprising a socket main portion spaced inwardly from the side wall and a socket entrance portion extending from the side wall to said socket main portion;
said socket main portion and said socket entrance portion both opening at the bottom of said member;
said socket main portion having a side-to-side width greater than the side-to-side width of said entrance portion;
said socket entrance portion being defined by side walls;
said socket main portion being defined by a back wall, opposed side walls, and a front surface;
said socket entrance portion opening into said front surface of said socket main portion;
and
a connecter;
said connector comprising at least one post and a brace extending from said post;
said post having a side-to-side width greater than the side-to-side width of said brace;
said post being sized to be received in said connector socket main portion;
said connector brace having a side-to-side width sized to extend through said connector socket entrance portion;
whereby, when said connector is received in said socket, said connector post engages said front surface of said socket main portion to prevent said connector from being pulled horizontally from said connector receiving socket.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/711,339Filed 11 Dec 2012
Priority: 14 Dec 2011
Published: 20 Jun 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B63B 3/08
Hulls assembled from prefabricated sub-units: with detachably-connected sub-units
B63B 35/00
Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not
B63B 35/38
Pontoons: rigidly-interconnected pontoons
B63B 2241/10
Design characterised by particular shapes: by particular three dimensional shapes

Family

Application61/570,519Us provisional application · filed 14 Dec 2011
US 9,079,641 B2Related patent
US 2013/0152844 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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