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US RE38,302 E1Granted
Retractable handle for marine craft
AssigneeTriton Boat Company, L.P.
InventorPaul J. Rieger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A retractable handle apparatus is grasped and extended by an occupant of a marine craft to restrain motion of the occupant during sudden movement of the vessel. The apparatus includes a hand grip, a retracting mechanism, and a flexible member interconnecting the hand grip and retracting mechanism. The hand grip is pulled by the occupant to unwind the flexible member from the retracting mechanism. In the fully extended position, the apparatus provides resistance which the occupant uses to restrain against motion. When the hand grip is released, the retracting mechanism retrieves the flexible member.
Claims40
An apparatus for restraining movement of an occupant of a marine craft, the apparatus comprising:
- a hand grip;
- a tensile retraction device having:
- a rotating member for being rotated in opposed first and second directions;
- and
- an actuator with force for urging said rotating member in the first direction;
- and
- a flexible member interconnecting the hand grip and the rotating member and being wound about said rotating member such that when the hand grip is grasped and pulled by an occupant of the marine craft with sufficient force to overcome the force applied to said rotating member by said actuator, the rotating member is rotated in the second direction to unwind the flexible member from the rotating member, and when the force applied to the rotating member by the occupant is less than the force applied to the rotating member by said actuator, the rotating member is rotated in the first direction to wind said flexible member about the rotating member;
- wherein said tensile retraction device is configured to enable an occupant seated in the marine craft to extend the hand grip a limited distance such that, when extended to said limited distance, the hand grip serves as a handle for being used by the marine craft occupant to restrain the occupant's movement within the marine craft when the marine craft is in motion.
5 more elements
A seat for supporting an occupant of a marine craft, the seat comprising:
- a bottom;
- a back connected to said bottom;
- a hand grip sufficiently proximate the seat to allow an occupant of the seat to grasp the hand grip from a sitting position;
- a tensile retraction device attached to said bottom or said back having:
- a rotating member for being rotated in opposed first and second directions;
- and
- an actuator with force for urging said rotating member in the first direction;
- and
- a flexible member interconnecting the hand grip and the rotating member and being wound about said rotating member such that when the hand grip is grasped and pulled by an occupant of the marine craft with sufficient force to overcome the force applied to said rotating member by said actuator, the rotating member is rotated in the second direction to unwind the flexible member from the rotating member, and when the force applied to the rotating member by the occupant is less than the force applied to the rotating member by said actuator, the rotating member is rotated in the first direction to wind said flexible member about the rotating member;
- wherein said tensile retraction device is configured to enable an occupant seated in the marine craft to extend the hand grip a limited distance such that, when extended to said limited distance, the hand grip serves as a handle for being used by the marine craft occupant to restrain the occupant's movement within the marine craft when the marine craft is in motion.
7 more elements
A marine craft having a seat for transporting an occupant of the marine craft across water, the marine craft comprising:
- a seat comprising:
- a bottom;
- and
- a back connected to said bottom;
- a hand grip sufficiently proximate the seat to allow an occupant of the seat to grasp the hand grip from a sitting position;
- a structural support member;
- a tensile retraction device attached to said structural support member having:
- a rotating member for being rotated in opposed first and second directions;
- and
- an actuator with force for urging said rotating member in the first direction;
- and
- a flexible member interconnecting the hand grip and the rotating member and being circularly wound about said rotating member such that when the hand grip is grasped and pulled by an occupant of the marine craft with sufficient force to overcome the force applied to said rotating member by said actuator, the rotating member is rotated in the second direction to unwind the flexible member from the rotating member, and when the force applied to the rotating member by the occupant is less than the force applied to the rotating member by said actuator, the rotating member is rotated in the first direction to wind said flexible member about the rotating member;
- wherein said tensile retraction device is configured to enable an occupant seated in the marine craft to extend the hand grip a limited distance such that, when extended to said limited distance, the hand grip serves as a handle for being used by the marine craft occupant to restrain the occupant's movement within the marine craft when the marine craft is in motion.
10 more elements
An apparatus for restraining movement of an occupant of a marine craft, the apparatus comprising:
- a hand grip capable of being grasped by an occupant of a marine craft, said hand grip including a loop with an inner circumference sufficiently large to enable the occupant to insert a substantial portion of the occupant's hand through the loop and sufficiently small to prevent insertion of the occupant's torso through the loop;
- a tensile retraction device having:
- a rotating member for being rotated in opposed first and second directions;
- and
- an actuator with force for urging said rotating member in the first direction;
- and
- a flexible member interconnecting the hand grip and the rotating member and being wound about said rotating member such that when the hand grip is grasped and pulled by an occupant of the marine craft with sufficient force to overcome the force applied to said rotating member by said actuator, the rotating member is rotated in the second direction to unwind the flexible member from the rotating member, and when the force applied to the rotating member by the occupant is less than the force applied to the rotating member by said actuator, the rotating member is rotated in the first direction to wind said flexible member about the rotating member;
- wherein said tensile retraction device is configured to enable an occupant seated in the marine craft to extend the hand grip a limited distance such that, when extended to said limited distance, the hand grip serves as a handle for being used by the marine craft occupant to restrain the occupant's movement within the marine craft when the marine craft is in motion.
5 more elements
An apparatus for restraining movement of an occupant of a marine craft, the apparatus comprising:
- a hand grip for being grasped by an occupant of a marine craft;
- a tensile retraction device anchored to the marine craft and having:
- a rotating member for being rotated in opposed first and second directions;
- and
- an actuator with force for urging said rotating member in the first direction;
- a flexible member having a first end in opposed relation to a second end and defining a length therebetween, said first end being attached to said hand grip and said second end being attached to said rotating member, said flexible member being wound about the rotating member such that when the hand grip is grasped and pulled by an occupant of the marine craft with sufficient force to overcome the force applied to said rotating member by said actuator, the rotating member is rotated in the second direction to unwind the flexible member from the rotating member and thereby extend the hand grip, and when the force applied to the rotating member by the occupant is less than the force applied to the rotating member by said actuator, the rotating member is rotated in the first direction to wind said flexible member about the rotating member and thereby retract the hand grip;
- and
- wherein the length of the flexible member is sufficiently small to enable an occupant seated in the marine craft to fully extend the hand grip such that, when fully extended, the hand grip serves as a handle for being used by the marine craft occupant to restrain the occupant's movement within the marine craft when the marine craft is in motion.
5 more elements
An apparatus for restraining movement of an occupant of a marine craft, the apparatus comprising:
- a hand grip;
- a retracting mechanism;
- and
- a flexible member operatively associated with the hand grip and the retracting mechanism such that when the hand grip is grasped and pulled by an occupant of the marine craft the flexible member is extended from the retracting mechanism, and when the hand grip is released by the marine craft occupant the flexible member is retracted by the retracting mechanism;
- wherein said retracting mechanism is configured to enable an occupant seated in the marine craft to extend the hand grip a limited distance such that, when extended to said limited distance, the hand grip serves as a handle for being used by the marine craft occupant to restrain the occupant's movement within the marine craft when the marine craft is in motion.
2 more elements
An apparatus for restraining movement of an occupant of a marine craft, the apparatus comprising:
- a hand grip;
- a retracting mechanism having an actuator with force;
- and
- a flexible member operatively associated with the hand grip and the retracting mechanism and being configured such that when the hand grip is grasped and pulled by an occupant of the marine craft with sufficient force to overcome the force of the actuator, the flexible member is extended from the retracting mechanism, and when the force applied by the occupant to the hand grip is less than the force of the actuator, the flexible member is retracted by the retracting mechanism;
- wherein said retracting mechanism is configured to enable an occupant seated in the marine craft to extend the hand grip a limited distance such that, when extended to said limited distance, the hand grip serves as a handle for being used by the marine craft occupant to restrain the occupant's movement within the marine craft when the marine craft is in motion.
2 more elements
An apparatus for restraining movement of an occupant of a marine craft, the apparatus comprising:
- a hand grip;
- a retracting mechanism having:
- a movable member for being moved in opposed first and second directions;
- and
- an actuator with force for urging said movable member in the first direction;
- and
- a flexible member operatively associated with the hand grip and the retracting mechanism such that when the hand grip is grasped and pulled by an occupant of the marine craft with sufficient force to overcome the force applied to the movable member by said actuator, the movable member is moved in the second direction to extend the flexible member from the retracting mechanism, and when the force applied to the hand grip by the marine craft occupant is less than the force applied to movable member by said actuator, the movable member is moved in the first direction to retract said flexible member into the retracting mechanism;
- wherein said retracting mechanism is configured to enable an occupant seated in the marine craft to extend the hand grip a limited distance such that, when extended to said limited distance, the hand grip serves as a handle for being used by the marine craft occupant to restrain the occupant's movement within the marine craft when the marine craft is in motion.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.