US 4,589,365 AGranted

Open-cockpit kayak

OwnerWilliam E. Mastersinventor

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Abstract

An open pit kayak (10) is illustrated having an open cockpit (A) in which a boater (22) sits. The boater is effectively interbraced in the open cockpit by foot braces (38), thigh braces (68), and a rear hip brace surface (60) against which the boater braces himself during boating. The thigh brace (38) includes a pair of wing members (70) and (72) which extend over an open-cockpit deck (30) at a position above the deck so that the legs of the boater may be received in the thigh braces. The thigh braces extend from side support and thrust extension (64) and (66) of the cockpit which extend vertically on opposing sides of the cockpit. The wing members extend inwardly toward the center of the open cockpit and terminate to define a space (90) in which the boater's legs may be received for engagement underneath the thigh braces. The open cockpit includes a cockpit deck (30), a lower cockpit floor (34), and a cockpit seat (54) which is below the level of the cockpit deck (30) and includes contoured surfaces for supporting and interlocking the buttocks of a person during boating.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An open-cockpit kayak comprising:

an elongated buoyant hull having an upper deck,
an elongated open cockpit formed in said upper deck continuously open about a cockpit perimeter for receiving a person in an open sitting position;
a cockpit deck included in said open cockpit having a generally horizontal surface;
a cockpit floor lying below said cockpit deck;
a contoured cockpit seat having a first contoured surface sloping generally downwards from said cockpit deck terminating in a contoured seat portion below the level of said cockpit deck and a second contoured surface sloping upwardly and rearwardly from said contoured seat portion providing a rear hip brace surface for bracing a hip portion of a person seated in said cockpit seat;
a pair of opposed side thrust and support extensions extending longitudinally along a length of said cockpit on opposing sides thereof and upwardly above the level of said cockpit deck;
thigh brace means carried by said side extension projecting inwardly of said opposing sides, said brace means including concavely contoured thigh engaging surfaces projecting over said cockpit deck at a position spaced above the level of said cockpit deck so that brace means may be engaged by an upper outside portion of the thighs of a person seated in said cockpit seat;
foot brace means carried adjacent ends of said cockpit floor at a position below the level of said cockpit deck for engaging the feet of said person seated in said cockpit seat;
and
said contoured hip brace surface, said thigh engaging brace means, and said foot brace means cooperating with one another to interbrace said person seated in said cockpit seat in such a manner that said person is effectively secured within said open cockpit for retention and transmitting thrusts effectively from manual paddle strokes to propel and guide said kayak.

7 more elements

An open-cockpit kayak comprising:

an elongated hull having an upper deck with a generally closed forward and aft section;
an elongated open cockpit formed in the upper deck of said hull being continuously open about a perimeter of said hull between said closed forward and aft sections for receiving a person in an open seated position unenclosed by said forward and aft sections;
a cockpit deck formed in said open cockpit generally below the level of said forward and aft sections and upper deck of said hull;
a contoured cockpit seat formed as a contoured depression in said cockpit below the level of said cockpit deck, said cockpit seat including a rear hip brace surface sloping upwards from a lower contoured seat portion towards said cockpit deck for bracing a person seated in said cockpit seat against rearward forces encountered during bracing and paddling of said kayak;
said thrust and support extensions extending vertically on opposing sides of said cockpit into an open area over and above the level of said cockpit deck and said contoured cockpit seat;
thigh brace means carried by said side extensions projecting inwardly toward the center of said kayak in an opposing manner terminating short of one another to define a leg receiving space by which the legs of said seated person may be received underneath said thigh brace means;
and
said thigh brace means and contoured seat means providing bracing forces between one another against a person seated in said open cockpit to effectively secure and retain said person in said cockpit during paddling and movement of said kayak through the water and to transmit thrusts for propelling the kayak.

5 more elements

An open-cockpit kayak comprising an elongated kayak hull having an upper deck with a forward and aft section, an elongated open cockpit formed in the upper deck of the kayak being continuously open about a perimeter of said cockpit for receiving a person in a seated position, a cockpit deck formed in said cockpit, a cockpit floor included in said open cockpit, foot brace means carried adjacent a front end of said cockpit floor against which the feet of said person engage, hip brace means carried adjacent a rear of said open cockpit against which a rear hip portion of said person is braced when the feet are braced against said foot brace means, and thigh brace means carried by opposing sides of said open cockpit and projecting over said cockpit deck at a position above the deck so that the thighs of a person braced between said foot brace means and hip brace means are urged against said thigh brace means so that said person is interbraced between said foot brace means, hip brace means, and thigh brace means for retention in said open cockpit and for transmitting paddle thrusts for propelling said kayak;

and
side thrust and support extensions extending vertically from opposing sides of said open cockpit, said thigh brace means including thigh braces carried by said side extensions which extend over said cockpit deck and project inwardly of said open cockpit at a position spaced above the cockpit deck so that the thighs of the person sitting in the cockpit are engaged in said thigh braces.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.