Pontoon Protection System
A pontoon protection system for protecting pontoons from being damaged. The pontoon protection system generally includes a protective device having an elongated structure and at least one securing device adapted to secure the protective device to the side of a pontoon of a pontoon boat. The protective device includes a plurality of channels and ribs that are parallel with respect to a longitudinal axis of the protective device.
Latest Patents:
- METHODS AND THREAPEUTIC COMBINATIONS FOR TREATING IDIOPATHIC INTRACRANIAL HYPERTENSION AND CLUSTER HEADACHES
- OXIDATION RESISTANT POLYMERS FOR USE AS ANION EXCHANGE MEMBRANES AND IONOMERS
- ANALOG PROGRAMMABLE RESISTIVE MEMORY
- Echinacea Plant Named 'BullEchipur 115'
- RESISTIVE MEMORY CELL WITH SWITCHING LAYER COMPRISING ONE OR MORE DOPANTS
Not applicable to this application.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot applicable to this application.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to pontoon protector and more specifically it relates to a pontoon protection system for protecting pontoons from being damaged.
2. Description of the Related Art
Any discussion of the related art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such related art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
Pontoon boats have two or more buoyant pontoons that support a deck. During usage of a pontoon boat, the outside portions of the pontoons become damaged after engaging various types of objects (e.g. a dock, a boat, a personal watercraft). The damage to the pontoon by an object may not only diminish the appearance of the pontoon boat (e.g. small dents, scratches, scuff marks) but may also interfere with the operation of the boat (e.g. large dents, a hole in the pontoon).
Because of the inherent problems with the related art, there is a need for a new and improved pontoon protection system for protecting pontoons from being damaged.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention generally relates to a pontoon protector which includes a protective device having an elongated structure and at least one securing device adapted to secure the protective device to the side of a pontoon of a pontoon boat. The protective device includes a plurality of channels and ribs that are parallel with respect to a longitudinal axis of the protective device.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, some of the features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction or to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:
Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views,
The protective device 20 is attached to the outside wall of the pontoon 12 of the pontoon boat 10 as illustrated in
The protective device 20 has an elongated structure with a longitudinal axis extending between a first end and a second end opposite of the first end. The protective device 20 is preferably attached to the side of the pontoon 12 in a single unitary structure as illustrated in
The protective device 20 has a length substantially equal to the length of a side of a pontoon 12 as illustrated in
The protective device 20 may be provided in a spool or other suitable delivery system that has a length sufficient to protect the two outside pontoons 12 of the pontoon boat 10. For example, for a 29 foot pontoon boat 10 the length of the protective device 20 provided would be 50 feet, for a 25 foot pontoon boat 10 the length of the protective device 20 provided would be 42 feet and for a 22 foot pontoon boat 10 the length of the protective device 20 provided would be 36 feet to provide sufficient coverage for both of the outside pontoons 12 of the pontoon boat 10.
As shown in
The protective device 20 further includes an upper edge 21 and a lower edge 23 opposite of the upper edge 21 forming a height for the protective device 20. The upper edge 21 and the lower edge 23 are preferably parallel with respect to one another as best illustrated in
The protective device 20 may be a rigid and non-flexible material. However, the protective device 20 is preferably comprised of a flexible material to allow for spooling of the protective device 20 and accommodating the curvature of the side of the pontoon 12 when attached. The protective device 20 is preferably comprised of a water resistant material such as a plastic material, however, the protective device 20 may be constructed of other types of materials such as composite, wood, metal and the like. The inventor has found that polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is particularly useful for the protective device 20 because of the strength and flexibility of PVC. It is further preferable that the PVC is extruded to form the protective device 20.
The protective device 20 may be constructed of a solid structure as illustrated in
The protective device 20 is preferably comprised of a base 26 and a plurality of ribs 28 extending outwardly from the base 26 as illustrated in
At least one securing device 30, 40 is attached to the inner surface 22 of the protective device 20 to secure the protective device 20 to a side of a pontoon 12. The securing device is preferably comprised of a non-removable securing device to prevent accidental removal of the protective device 20 from the pontoon 12. However, it can be appreciated that the securing device allows for removal of the protective device 20 if the protective device 20 should become damaged.
The securing device is comprised of at least one adhesive strip that is preferably comprised of pressure sensitive tape (e.g. pressure sensitive acrylic foam tape). Since the lower portion of the protective device 20 is the most likely to be submerged in water, the present invention includes a plurality of lower adhesive strips 40 attached to the middle portion to lower portion of the inner surface 22 of the protective device 20 as best illustrated in
The upper adhesive strips 30 each include a removable upper backing 32 and the lower adhesive strips 40 each include a removable lower backing 42 that are removed at the time of installation as illustrated in
To install the protective device 20, the outside surface of the pontoon 12 is cleaned with a cleaning solutions (e.g. a 50/50 mixture of rubbing alcohol and water) using a cloth (e.g. a micro-fiber cloth) to ensure proper adhesive of the adhesive strips 30, 40. After the surface of the pontoon 12 is completely dry, the user marks the desired location of the protective device 20 on the pontoon 12 in several locations and then using masking tape connects these points along the entire side of the pontoon 12 to ensure a straight line application of the protective device 20 to the pontoon 12. A liquid primer for enhancing the adhesive of the adhesive strips 30, 40 is applied to the surface of the pontoon 12 where the protective device 20 will be attached (e.g. 3M ADHESION PROMOTER manufactured by 3M. The user then rolls out the protective device 20 on a table or other flat surface to cut to the desired length for each side of the pontoon boat 10. The user then removes approximately 8 inches of the backing 32, 42 starting at one end of the protective device 20 and then positions the protective device 20 with the adhesive strips 30, 40 facing the desired location of attachment on the pontoon 12 as illustrated in
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although methods and materials similar to or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, suitable methods and materials are described above. All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the extent allowed by applicable law and regulations. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Any headings utilized within the description are for convenience only and have no legal or limiting effect.
Claims
1. A protective device for a pontoon on a pontoon boat, comprising:
- a protective device having an elongated structure, a longitudinal axis, an inner surface, an outer surface, a first end, a second end opposite of said first end, an upper edge and a lower edge opposite of said upper edge, wherein said protective device is substantially flat; and
- at least one securing device attached to said inner surface of said protective device, wherein said at least one securing device is adapted to secure said protective device to a side of a pontoon of a pontoon boat to protect said pontoon from damage.
2. The protective device for a pontoon of claim 1, wherein said protective device has a length substantially equal to the length of a side of a pontoon.
3. The protective device for a pontoon of claim 2, wherein said protective device has a height less than a height of said pontoon.
4. The protective device for a pontoon of claim 1, wherein said protective device has an elongated rectangular shape having a length of at least eighteen feet and a height of at least 4.5 inches.
5. The protective device for a pontoon of claim 1, wherein said protective device is flexible.
6. The protective device for a pontoon of claim 1, wherein said protective device is comprised of a plastic material.
7. The protective device for a pontoon of claim 6, wherein said protective device is comprised of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
8. The protective device for a pontoon of claim 6, wherein said protective device is comprised of an extruded polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
9. The protective device for a pontoon of claim 1, wherein said protective device is comprised of a base and a plurality of ribs extending outwardly from said base.
10. The protective device for a pontoon of claim 9, wherein said protective device includes a plurality of channels between said plurality of ribs.
11. The protective device for a pontoon of claim 10, wherein said plurality of ribs and said plurality of channels are parallel with respect to said longitudinal axis.
12. The protective device for a pontoon of claim 10, wherein said plurality of ribs and said plurality of channels extend between said first end and said second end of said protective device.
13. The protective device for a pontoon of claim 9, wherein said plurality of ribs are parallel with respect to said longitudinal axis.
14. The protective device for a pontoon of claim 1, wherein said upper edge and said lower edge are parallel with respect to one another, and wherein said upper edge and said lower edge are each comprised of a tapering structure.
15. The protective device for a pontoon of claim 1, wherein said protective device has a thickness of less than 0.2 inches.
16. The protective device for a pontoon of claim 1, wherein said at least one securing device is comprised of at least one adhesive strip.
17. The protective device for a pontoon of claim 16, wherein said at least one adhesive strip is comprised of a pressure sensitive tape.
18. The protective device for a pontoon of claim 16, wherein said at least one adhesive strip is comprised of a pressure sensitive acrylic foam tape.
19. The protective device for a pontoon of claim 16, wherein said at least one adhesive strip is comprised of at least one upper adhesive strip attached along an upper portion of said protective device and a plurality of lower adhesive strips attached along a lower portion of said protective device.
20. The protective device for a pontoon of claim 19, wherein said at least one upper adhesive strip is parallel with respect to said longitudinal axis, wherein said plurality of lower adhesive strips are parallel with respect to said longitudinal axis, and wherein said plurality of lower adhesive strips are distally spaced apart from one another.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 20, 2015
Publication Date: Jul 21, 2016
Applicant:
Inventor: Ross M. Solwold (Moorhead, MN)
Application Number: 14/600,260