US 9,849,946 B1 · Wake tower apparatus and methods of making same

Abstract

A wake tower assembly for use with a watercraft, including an arch portion extending across a width of the watercraft, first and second pivoting structures coupled to first and second ends of the arch portion, the first and second pivoting structures configured to attach to port and starboard portions of the watercraft to facilitate rotational movement of the arch portion between a lowered position and an upright position, and a first locking mechanism provided to the first pivoting structure including a biased pin member configured to engage an opening of the first end such that when the arch portion is rotated from the lowered position to the upright position, a biasing force of the biased pin member causes the biased pin member to engage the opening to mechanically lock the arch portion in the upright position.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A wake tower assembly for use with a watercraft, comprising:

an arch portion configured to extend across a width of a watercraft;
first and second pivoting structures respectively coupled to first and second ends of the arch portion, the first and second pivoting structures being configured to attach to port and starboard portions of the watercraft to facilitate rotational movement of the arch portion between a lowered position and an upright position relative to the watercraft, the first pivoting structure including an opening formed therein;
and
a first locking mechanism located at the first pivoting structure, the first locking mechanism including a movable pin member biased towards the first pivoting structure and configured to engage the opening of the first end such that when the arch portion is rotated from the lowered position to the upright position, a biasing force of the biased pin member causes the biased pin member to engage the opening such that the biased pin member and the opening cooperate to mechanically lock the arch portion in the upright position at the first pivoting structure.

1 more element

A locking mechanism to facilitate locking of a reciprocal device between first and second positions comprising:

a first handle portion configured to drive a first locking member between a disengaged, pre-loaded, and fully engaged position relative to a first end of a reciprocal device;
a second handle portion configured to drive a second locking member between a disengaged and fully engaged position relative to a second end of a reciprocal device;
wherein when the first locking member is in the preloaded position and the second locking member is in the disengaged position as the reciprocating device is transitioning between first and second positions, the first locking member is biased against an arcuate surface of the first end of the reciprocal device such that the first locking member rides along the arcuate surface as the reciprocating device is transitioning from the first position to the second position, and wherein when the reciprocating device reaches the second position, a biasing force of the first locking member drives the first locking member into a first receptacle of the arcuate surface to lock the reciprocal device in the second position, and wherein when the reciprocal device is locked in the second position, the second locking member is configured to be aligned with a second receptacle of the second end such that the second handle drives the second locking member into the second receptacle.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Wake tower apparatus and methods of making same

Life of this patent

Wake tower apparatus and methods of making same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10