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Modular kayak

Modular kayak description/claims

The present invention relates to kayaks and, in particular to modular kayaks.

Kayaks and other small boats that can be assembled from separate sections are well known it the art.

A foldable kayak is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,865 of Trautwein, filed on Jun. 30, 1976. Trautwein taught a rigid bottom foldable on a central transverse hinge that has a removable tubular skeleton frame at each end supporting the skin. A pneumatic tubular member carried by the bottom sections serves to expand and tightly support the skin in use, thereby retaining the frame in assembled relation to the bottom FIG. 1a is a side view of the kayak 400 according to Trautwein. FIG. 1b is a section taken on line a-a of FIG. 1a. The illustration shows a tube 1 that needs to be inflated prior to use of the kayak and be deflated prior to folding the kayak.

Another foldable boat with light weight hull construction system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,615,762 of Scott, filed on Aug. 23, 2001. Scott taught a boat of simple ultra light construction with few numbers of parts that can be easily assembled without tools, and when disassembled provides a compact lightweight package suitable for long range or rough terrain portage or back-packing. A plastic coated nylon waterproof cover or like skin can be conveniently slid onto, and off of the assembled hull and quickly fastened in place to provide waterproofing for the hull.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the monocoque kayak 500 hull according to Scott without the waterproof cover taken from the rear and above.

A breakdown sit-on and sit-in plastic paddleboat is described in Australian patent application No. AU 2004100379 A4 of Stattery filed on May 20, 2004. Stattery taught a breakdown kayak that has multiple hollow-form sections that can be coupled together in a detachable manner.

FIG. 3a is a perspective illustration of a top view of a prior art rotationally molded, hollow-form, sit-in, one person, marine kayak 300, having three-sections, the stem section 301, the center section 302, and the bow section 303, according to Stattery.

FIG. 3b is a perspective illustration of a prior art joint 310 between the center section 302 and the stem section 301 of the marine kayak 300 of FIG. 3a after the sections have been separated.

In spite of years of experience in development of kayaks and additional small folding and collapsing vessels, there is still thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have a folding kayak that can be folded or disassembled and reassembled quickly and easily for use, without any need for tools or inflation, that can by carried easily by hand or on the back, while maintaining the performance & strength of the one piece kayaks, and especially for a kayak that can easily be stored in the trunk of a small family car.

Small boating vessels have been known from the dawn of time. One of the most popular vessels is the kayak, an Eskimo canoe made of a frame of bones covered with skins with an opening in the center enabling the kayaker to enter the kayak and sit inside it.

The kayak is propelled by a double-bladed paddle. The kayak originally served as a hunting vessel, with the kayaker/hunter equipped with a harpoon.

Today kayaks are considered a recreational and/or sport vehicle, in various models, usually suitable for one or two kayakers, suitable for boating in rivers, lakes, seas, oceans and whitewater models.

Kayaks are commonly made of Fiberglass, fiberglass with foam core or from a verity of plastics. There are presently two predominate types of kayaks, the first is the sit-in kayak. In this kayak, the kayaker sits inside the kayak casing, and there is a risk of incoming water sinking the kayak, therefore, in many kayaks, there is a sheet sealing the gap between the kayaker's body and the casing.

The second type is the sit-on kayak. In this kayak, the kayaker sits on the kayak, even if there is an indentation in the kayak that can serve as a seat, and draining holes while the kayak is waterproof. The main advantage of this kayak is that there is no place for water to accumulate, thus avoiding the risk of sinking. Its main disadvantage is the usually loose seating of the kayaker on the kayak, if he is not strapped in, resulting in a rather high center of gravity.

As used herein the specification and in the claims section that follows, the term “kayak” and the like refer to a boating vessel that is substantially moved independently by means of at least one bladed paddle, when the kayaker (or kayakers) is inside or upon it, seated, standing, or in any other position, has a bow (the front end), and a stem (the back end).

This term also includes vessels known to boaters as: Kayak, Sit-On-Top WaveSki, Dinghy, WaterCraft, and Canoe.

Typical lengths of kayaks are within the range of 2 to 5 meters, weighing between 8 to 50 kilograms, with the typical dimensions of a wave kayak are approximately 3 meters long, 65 cm wide, and 30 cm high.

The present invention relates to a modular kayak composed of several main parts, for example two, three, or four main parts. The kayak can be in different configurations suited for specific situations such as:

a. A unified configuration for storage and carrying, as a single compact package that is efficient in space consumption and has additional qualities that will be described later.

b. A dismantled configuration, suitable for carrying and storing each part separately.

c. A unified configuration for kayaking, as a kayaking vessel.

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• Utility Patent

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