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United States Patent Application	20080216734
Kind Code	A1
CZIPRI; JOHN	September 11, 2008

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Claims

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1. A boat grab bar assembly, comprising:an upright tubular base having a longitudinal axis;upper and lower mounting flanges on the base, each flange having a planar mounting surface substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the base so that the base is mountable on a substantially vertical boat surface;a bar telescopically mounted within the base for movement between a lower storage position and a raised gripping position; anda lock to maintain the bar in the raised position.

2. The boat grab bar assembly of claim 1 wherein the lock is a spring biased detent.

3. The boat grab bar assembly of claim 1 wherein the bar is hollow and the lock is located substantially within the bar.

4. The boat grab bar assembly of claim 3 wherein the lock is a slide pin.

5. The boat grab bar assembly of claim 1 wherein the base and the bar have holes extending therethrough which receive the lock when the holes are aligned to lock the bar in the raised position.

6. The boat grab bar assembly of claim 5 wherein the base includes a second hole for selective receipt of the lock to lock the bar in an intermediate position between the raised and lowered positions.

7. The boat grab bar assembly of claim 1 further comprising mounting hardware to secure the mounting flanges to the boat surface.

8. The boat grab bar assembly of claim 7 wherein the mounting flanges are at opposite ends of the base.

9. The boat grab bar assembly of claim 1 wherein the bar has an upper end, and further comprising a cap on the upper end of the bar.

10. The boat grab bar assembly of claim 1 wherein the bar has an enlarged upper end to limit downward movement within the base.

11. In combination, a boat and a telescoping grab bar, comprising:an upstanding wall on the boat, the wall having an upper edge;a vertically oriented base for mounting on the wall of the boat, below the upper edge;mounting flanges at the upper and lower ends of the base defining a substantially vertical mounting plane, and being secured to the boat wall below the upper edge;a bar slidably mounted to the base for movement between an extended position above the upper edge for gripping by a person and a retracted position below the upper edge; anda lock to selectively retain the bar in the extended position.

12. The combination of claim 11 wherein the bar slides within the base.

13. The combination of claim 12 wherein the bar has an enlarged upper end to limit downward movement within the base.

14. The combination of claim 13 wherein the enlarged end is a cap on the bar.

15. The combination of claim 11 wherein the bar is hollow and the lock is located substantially within the bar.

16. The combination of claim 15 wherein the lock is a spring biased detent.

17. The combination of claim 11 wherein the lock extends through aligned holes in the base and the bar.

18. The combination of claim 11 further comprising hardware to secure the base-mounting flanges to the boat surface.

19. The combination of claim 18 wherein the mounting flanges include upper and lower arms at opposite ends of the base.

20. A method of providing a grab bar for gripping by a person standing in a boat, the boat having a substantially vertical wall with an upper edge, comprising:mounting a base to the wall of the boat so as to extend upwardly;telescopically mounting a bar to the base;moving the bar from a retracted position within the base below the upper edge of the wall to an extended position the upper edge of the wall; andreleasably locking the bar in the extended position.

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Description

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001]It is common for a passenger in a boat to stand while the boat is moving, particularly when the operator or driver is also standing. The smoothness of the ride depends upon the water conditions and the skill of the driver. While the driver has the boat's steering wheel to grip while standing, which helps the driver's balance, many boats do not have any handle or other object for gripping by the standing passenger, for instance, when the boat hits a wave, or there is a sudden change in movement in the boat, such as a change of direction, acceleration, or deceleration.

[0002]Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of a boat grab bar for use by a standing passenger in a moving boat.

[0003]Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a telescoping boat grab bar which can be moved between raised and lowered positions.

[0004]A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a boat grab bar which can be locked in an extended use position for grasping by a person and which can be retracted to a non-use position.

[0005]Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a boat grab bar which slidably mounts within a base secured to an upright wall or surface of the boat.

[0006]Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of a boat grab bar which is economical to manufacture, easy to install, and durable in use.

[0007]These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008]The boat grab bar of the present invention includes a tubular base which is mounted to a substantially vertical surface of the boat, such as side wall of the steering console, such that the base is oriented in an upright position. The base includes mounting flanges adapted to receive mounting hardware to secure the base to the boat surface. The bar is telescopically mounted within the base for movement between a lower retracted storage position and a raised, extended gripping position. A spring biased detent is provided for locking the bar in the raised position relative to the base. The upper end of the bar is covered by a cap, which limits the downward movement of the bar relative to the base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a boat having the grab bar of the present invention, and showing the grab bar in the retracted lower position.

[0010]FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the grab bar in an extended raised position.

[0011]FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the components of the grab bar assembly of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0012]A boat is generally designated in FIGS. 1 and 2 by the reference numeral 10. The boat 10 includes a driving console 12 with a steering wheel 14 for the boat operator. While a flat style boat is shown in the drawings, it is understood the present invention can be used with many different types of boats.

[0013]The present invention is directed towards a grab bar assembly 16. The assembly 16 includes a base 18 which is mounted to a substantially vertical surface of the boat, such as the side wall 20 of the console 12. The base 18 includes mounting flanges or arms 22 at opposite ends of the base, which are adapted to receive mounting hardware for securing the assembly 16 to the wall or vertical surface 20. Screws (not shown) or other mounting hardware may be extended through holes 24 in the flanges 22 so as to mount the base 18 to the wall 20.

[0014]The assembly 16 further includes a bar 26 which is slidably mounted within the base 18 so as to be telescopically moveable between a retracted lower position, shown in FIG. 1, and an extended raised position, shown in FIG. 2. Preferably, when the bar 26 is in the retracted position, the upper end of the bar is at an elevation below the top surface 28 of the console 12, which defines an upper edge of the wall 20. The bar 26 resides above the top surface 28 of the console 12 when moved to the raised position, so as to be easily grasped by a person standing next to the console 12. The upper end of the bar 26 includes a cap 30, which limits the downward movement of the bar 26 relative to the base 18. The cap 30 also provides a gripping area or surface for raising the bar 26 to the extended position. As an alternative to the cap 30, the upper end of the bar 26 may be provided with an enlarged area or other projection which will preclude the upper end of the bar 26 from being pushed downwardly beyond the upper end of the base 18.

[0015]A lock member 32 is provided in the grab bar assembly 16 so as to lock the bar 26 in the raised position relative to the base 18. As best seen in FIG. 3, the lock member 32 preferably is in the form a spring biased detent or slide pin which fits within the hollow bar 26. The lock member 32 includes a flexible U-shaped spring 34 having opposite ends with a button or tab 36 on each end. The bar 26 includes a hole 38 extending therethrough, with the buttons 36 protrude outwardly through the hole 38 beyond the outer surface of the bar 26. The base 18 includes a hole 40 extending therethrough. When the hole 38 of the bar 26 is aligned with the hole 40 in the base 18, the buttons 36 automatically spring outwardly into retentive engagement with the hole 40 so as to lock the bar 26 in the raised position. The base 18 may be provided with one or more additional holes 42 for releasable retentive engagement by the buttons 36 when the bar hole 38 is aligned therewith, so as to lock the bar in an intermediate position between the raised and lowered positions. A person can easily depress the buttons 36 so as to allow the bar 26 to be moved from a locked position when desired.

[0016]In use, the bar 26 can be stored in the lowered, retracted position, and raised to the extended position when needed for gripping by a boat passenger. A person can simply pull up on the upper end of the bar 26 until the lock or detent 32 engages the desired hole 40, 42 in the base so as to retain the bar 26 in a selected position. Similarly, a person can manually depress the spring buttons 36 on the lock member 32 and then push downwardly on the bar cap 30 to move the bar from a locked position to the retracted position.

[0017]From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all of the stated objectives.

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