Tower for a boat
AssigneeMasterCraft Boat Company, LLC
InventorsBenjamin D. Schallhorn, James P. Bradbury, Frederick C. Herrington, Matthew J. Blew
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A top shade assembly for a boat. The top shade assembly can be a convertible top shade assembly and/or part of a tower and shade assembly. The top shade assembly includes a top shade, and the top shade can be moved between a raised position and a lowered position with the top shade maintaining a generally horizontal orientation as the leg rotates between the raised position and the lowered position. The top shade can be supported by one or more legs, and the legs can be part of a tower, such as a tower equipped with a towline attachment structure for watersports.
Claims20
A convertible top shade assembly for a boat, the convertible top shade assembly comprising:
- a base;
- a leg having an upper portion, a lower portion, and an interior volume, the lower portion of the leg being pivotably attached to the base at a leg pivot to rotate between a raised position and a lowered position;
- a top shade pivotably attached to the upper portion of the leg at a shade pivot;
- and
- a linkage provided within the interior volume of the leg, the linkage being pivotably connected to the base at a linkage base pivot and pivotably connected to the top shade at a linkage top shade pivot to connect the top shade with the base and rotate the top shade about the shade pivot to maintain the top shade in a generally horizontal orientation as the leg rotates between the raised position and the lowered position.
A tower and shade assembly for a boat, the tower and shade assembly comprising:
- a tower including:
- a left base;
- a left leg having an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion of the left leg being pivotably attached to the left base at a left leg pivot to rotate between a raised position and a lowered position;
- a right base;
- a right leg having an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion of the right leg being pivotably attached to the right base at a right leg pivot to rotate between a raised position and a lowered position;
- and
- a header spanning between the left leg and the right leg and attached to the upper portion of each of the left leg and the right leg, the header having a towline-attachment structure;
- and
- a top shade pivotably attached to the upper portion of the left leg at a left shade pivot and to the upper portion of the right leg at a right shade pivot, the top shade pivotably attached to the upper portion the left leg and the right leg separately from the header, the top shade pivoting at the left shade pivot and the right shade pivot to maintain the top shade in a generally horizontal orientation as the left leg and the right leg rotate between the raised position and the lowered position.
A tower and shade assembly for a boat, the tower and shade assembly comprising:
- a tower, including:
- a left base;
- a left leg having an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion of the left leg being pivotably attached to the left base at a left leg pivot to rotate between a raised position and a lowered position;
- a right base;
- a right leg having an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion of the right leg being pivotably attached to the right base at a right leg pivot to rotate between a raised position and a lowered position;
- and
- a header spanning between the left leg and the right leg and attached to the upper portion of each of the left leg and the right leg, the header having a towline-attachment structure, wherein the tower includes a tower upper portion with the header, the upper portion of the right leg, and the upper portion of the left leg being provided in the upper portion of the tower;
- a top shade pivotably attached to the upper portion of the tower and extending therefrom;
- and
- a linkage pivotably connected to one of the left base or the right base at a linkage base pivot and pivotably connected to the top shade at a linkage top shade pivot to connect the top shade with one of the left base and the right base and rotate the top shade to maintain the top shade in a generally horizontal orientation as the left leg and the right leg rotate between the raised position and the lowered position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.