Support Block for a Watercraft

Abstract

A support block for a watercraft which can include a pontoon having a keel strip, comprises a curved upper surface for accommodating the bottom of the watercraft, wherein upper surface has a radius of curvature that is larger than the radius of curvature of the bottom of the watercraft, and the block is made from a material that will deform when loaded such that the upper surface will conform to the radius of the bottom of the watercraft. The upper surface of the block can have a notch for accommodating the keel strip.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 61/057,526, filed May 30, 2008, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is often necessary to take watercraft out of the water for storage. The watercraft can be placed on a support structure so that it does not rest directly on the ground. Watercraft such as pontoon boats have at least one, usually two, pontoons that are cylindrical in shape and have a thin keel strip running along the bottom-most portion of the pontoon. Previously, supports for pontoon boats have been made from hard materials such as concrete, wood, or hard plastic have been used to support pontoon boats. When using a hard support, all of the weight of the boat is concentrated on the contact point between the keel strip and the support. This support arrangement can damage the bottom of the pontoon.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, a support block for a watercraft comprises a curved upper surface for accommodating the bottom of the watercraft, wherein upper surface has a radius of curvature that is larger than the radius of curvature of the bottom of the watercraft, and the block is made from a material that will deform when loaded such that the upper surface will conform to the radius of the bottom of the watercraft. The watercraft can have at least one pontoon with a keel strip, and the upper surface of the block can have a V-shaped notch for accommodating the keel strip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a boat supported by a support system comprising a set of support blocks according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a support block according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the support block from FIG. 2 in an unloaded configuration.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the support block from FIG. 2 in a loaded configuration.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a support block according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the support block from FIG. 5 in an unloaded configuration.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the support block from FIG. 5 in a loaded configuration.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a support block according to a third embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a support system 10 is illustrated for supporting a watercraft 100 when the watercraft 100 is out of water, such as when it is on a ground surface G. The support system 10 includes at least one support block 12 on which the watercraft 100 rests, and which is in turn intended to rest on a ground surface. The support block 12 can support many different types of watercrafts 100, including watercrafts having at least one pontoon, such as a pontoon boat, watercrafts having a V-shaped hull, non-powered watercrafts such as canoes and kayaks, and personal watercrafts such as Jet Skis. As illustrated, the support system 10 can support a watercraft 100 comprising a pontoon boat having two pontoons 102, each having a keel strip 104.

Referring to FIG. 2, a first embodiment of the support block 12 is shown, and comprises a rectilinear base 14 defining the effective lower surface of the support block 12, and a peripheral wall having a pair of generally parallel front and rear walls 16, 18 joined with a pair of angled lateral walls 20, 22. The walls 20, 22 are angled to extend inwardly toward each other stating at the base 14. The support block 12 further comprises an upper wall 24 defining the effective upper surface of the support block 12 which is joined to the base 14 by the peripheral wall. The upper wall 24 includes a concave portion or surface 26 extending between two generally planar portions or surfaces 28, 30 which join the upper wall 24 to the lateral walls 20, 22. As illustrated herein, the upper wall 24 comprises a channel in the form of a V-shaped notch 32 formed along the nadir of the concave surface 26 and extending from the front wall 16 to the rear wall 18.

Referring to FIG. 3, the support block 12 can receive a pontoon 102 having a keel strip 104. As illustrated, the radius of curvature R of the concave surface 26 can be deliberately shallower than the effective radius of curvature R_P of the bottom of a known watercraft 100. In the case of a pontoon boat having one or more pontoons 102, the effective radius of curvature R_P is the radius of curvature of the pontoon 102, not taking the keel strip 104 into account. In the case of other watercrafts having a hull, the effective radius of curvature R_P is the approximate radius of curvature of the bottom portion of the hull that will rest on the support block 12. An exemplary radius of curvature R of the concave surface 26 can range from 21 to 27 inches. For pontoon boats, it has been found that a radius of curvature R of approximately 25 inches will effectively support a pontoon boat having a pontoon 102 of typical size. While the radius of curvature R of the concave surface 26 can be equal to or slightly less than the effective radius of curvature R_P of the bottom of the watercraft 100, it is preferred that the radius of curvature R is greater than the effective radius of curvature R_P.

Referring to FIG. 4, the support block 12 is loaded with the pontoon 102, with the pontoon 102 resting on the upper surface 24 and its keel strip 104 received in the notch 32. Under the weight of the pontoon 102, the support block 12 will compress and conform to the contours of the pontoon 102 and the ground surface G. The upper surface 24 will contour to the shape of the pontoon 102, with the center of the concave surface 26 deflecting downward and the planar surfaces 28, 30 deflecting toward each other to effectively cradle the pontoon 102. The planar surfaces 28, 30 may also deform and contour to the shape of the pontoon 102. The radius of curvature R of the concave surface 26 will become essentially equal to the radius of curvature R_P of the pontoon 102. The notch 32 can also contour to the shape of the keel strip 104. The base 14 can also contour to the shape of the ground surface G. For purposes of illustration, the deformation of the support block 12 has been exaggerated in FIG. 4. While not shown, the lateral walls 20, 22 can also bow out slightly under the weigh of the pontoon 102.

Referring to FIG. 5, a second embodiment of the support block 12 is shown. The second embodiment is substantially similar to the first embodiment, except that instead of a V-shaped notch 32, the upper wall 24 comprises a channel in the form of a wider notch 34 formed along the nadir of the concave surface 26 and extending from the front wall 16 to the rear wall 18. As illustrated, the wider notch 34 is trapezoid-shaped, and comprises a generally planar bottom surface 36 extending between two angled surfaces 38, 40 which join to the concave surface 26.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the wider notch 34 makes it easier to lower the keel 104 of the pontoon 102 into the cut-out area of the support block 12. The narrow width of the V-shaped notch 32 can make it difficult to properly align the keel 104 with the support block 12. The wider notch 34 reduces the precision requires to place the pontoon 102 on the support block 12.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the support block 12 is loaded with the pontoon 102, with the pontoon 102 resting on the upper surface 24 and its keel strip 104 received in the notch 34. Under the weight of the pontoon 102, the support block 12 will compress and conform to the contours of the pontoon 102 and the ground surface G, in a similar manner as described for the first embodiment with reference to FIG. 4. The notch 34 can also contour to the shape of the keel strip 104, with the planar bottom surface 36 bowing under pressure from the keel strip 104. For purposes of illustration, the deformation of the support block 12 has been exaggerated in FIG. 7. While not shown, the lateral walls 20, 22 can also bow out slightly under the weigh of the pontoon 102.

Referring to FIG. 8, a third embodiment of the support block 12 is shown. Like the second embodiment, the third embodiment comprises the wider notch 34. However, the height H₂ of the third embodiment the support block 12 is less than the height H₁ of the second embodiment, where the height of the support block 12 is defined as the distance between the base 14 and the planar surfaces 28, 30. An exemplary height H₁ of the second embodiment is about 10.75 inches, while an exemplary height H₂ of the third embodiment is about 6 inches. Thus, the third embodiment the support block 12 can be considered a “low-profile” support block 12. A low profile support block 12 is required for a boat trailer with a lower ground clearance. Further, a low profile support block 12 reduces the height of the boat above the ground surface, making it easier for users to look into the boat. This may be especially beneficial in showrooms, where customers can look into a boat without climbing steps or standing on a platform. There is also a slightly lower material cost for the low profile support block.

The support block 12 of any of the embodiments can be fabricated from a resilient polymeric material, such as expanded polystyrene foam. The density of the support block 12 can be configured to compress or deform when loaded, such as with the watercraft 100 (FIG. 1). For pontoon boats, it has been found that the density of the support block 12 can range from 1.1 lbs/ft³ to 1.5 lbs/ft³. It has been discovered that a density of 1.0 lbs/ft³ is too spongy to support a pontoon boat and have the desired functionality.

Testing performed in accordance with ASTM C578-07 entitled “Specification for Rigid, Cellular Polystyrene Thermal Insulation” and ASTM D1621-04a entitled “Method for Compressive Properties of Rigid Cellular Plastics” has shown that the support block 12 made from a polystyrene foam having a density within the given range of 1.1 lbs/ft³ to 1.5 lbs/ft³, an upper wall 24 with a surface area of approximately 76 in², a base 14 with a surface area of approximately 96 in², and a height between the base 14 and the planar surfaces 28, 30 of approximately 10.75 inches is capable of withstanding a compressive force of approximately 20 psi. Therefore, each such support block 12 is capable of supporting a load of approximately 1,520 lbs (76 in²×20 psi). Therefore, four such support blocks 12 can support a load over 6000 pounds, with some distortion. This is more the sufficient to support many types of watercraft 100 on the market. For example, a pontoon boat having a length of 21 ft. with a 50 hp motor weights approximately 2,300 lbs. A pontoon boat having a length of 25 ft. with a 90 hp motor weights approximately 3,500 lbs.

The invention provides a support system for a watercraft 100 comprising at least one support block 12 is lightweight, provides stability, evenly distributes the weight of the watercraft 100, reduces stress on the watercraft 100, and can fit watercrafts of many different sizes. The compression of the support block 12 evenly distributes the weight of the pontoon 102 over a larger surface area than if the support block 12 did not compress or conform. Moreover, the compression of the support block 12 increases the stability of the pontoon 102 on the support block 12 because the pontoon is cradled by the deflection and deformation of the upper surface 24 and lateral walls 20, 22. Furthermore, the support block 12 further reduces stress on the pontoon 102 by providing a stable surface even on uneven ground through the contouring ability of the support block 12. The radius of curvature R of the concave surface 26 can be deliberately shallower than the radius of curvature R_P of known pontoons 102 to enable the support block 12 to fit any size pontoon 102.

While the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation. Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the forgoing disclosure and drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A support block for a watercraft having a bottom having an effective radius of curvature comprising:

a deformable body having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a peripheral wall connecting the upper and lower surface; and

a concave portion provided in the upper surface and having a radius of curvature that is greater than the effective radius of curvature of the bottom of the watercraft;

wherein the body is made from a material that will deform when loaded such that the concave portion will conform to the bottom of the watercraft.

2. The support block according to claim 1, wherein the material comprises expanded polystyrene foam.

3. The support block according to claim 1, wherein the material comprises a density of approximately 1.1 lbs/ft3 to 1.5 lbs/ft3.

4. The support block according to claim 1, wherein the concave portion has radius of curvature of approximately 21 to 27 inches.

5. The support block according to claim 1, wherein the concave portion has radius of curvature of approximately 25 inches.

6. The support block according to claim 1 and further comprising a channel formed in the upper surface for accommodating a keel strip on the bottom of the watercraft.

7. The support block according to claim 6, wherein the channel is formed in the nadir of the concave portion.

8. The support block according to claim 6, wherein the channel is V-shaped.

9. The support block according to claim 6, wherein the channel is trapezoid-shaped.

10. The support block according to claim 1, wherein upper surface further comprises a pair of planar portions that join the concave portion to the peripheral wall.

11. The support block according to claim 1, wherein the body further comprises a rectilinear base defining the lower surface and the peripheral wall comprises a pair of opposing parallel walls and a pair of opposing angled walls joined to the base.

12. The support block according to claim 1, wherein the watercraft is a pontoon boat having at least one pontoon, and the effective radius of curvature is the radius of curvature of the pontoon.

13. A support block system for a pontoon boat having at least two pontoons, each with a predetermined radius of curvature, the system comprising:

a plurality of support blocks, each support block comprising a deformable body having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a peripheral wall connecting the upper and lower surface, and a concave portion provided in the upper surface and having a radius of curvature that is greater than the predetermined radius of curvature of the at least two pontoons, wherein the body is made from a material that will deform when loaded such that the concave portion will conform to the at least two pontoons.

14. The support block system according to claim 13, wherein the material comprises expanded polystyrene foam.

15. The support block system according to claim 13, wherein the material comprises a density of approximately 1.1 lbs/ft3 to 1.5 lbs/ft3.

16. The support block system according to claim 13, wherein the concave portion has radius of curvature of approximately 21 to 27 inches.

17. The support block system according to claim 13, wherein the concave portion has radius of curvature of approximately 25 inches.

18. The support block system according to claim 13, wherein each support block further comprises a channel formed in the upper surface for accommodating a keel strip on the at least two pontoons.