CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to diving boards for use while swimming.

2. Description of the Related Art

[0002] Conventional diving boards typically include a fixed base which is mounted to an immovable object, such as the concrete decking surrounding a pool. The board itself is then mounted to the top of the fixed base in a cantilevered manner such that one end of the board extends a predetermined distance away from the base, and over the water. The resilient properties of the material from which the board is made (e.g., fiberglass), allow the board to flex to a limited extent and propel the swimmer out into the water.

[0003] The road block for years in designing and manufacturing a diving board for boats is that traditional diving board designs exert incredible forces on the frame to which they are installed, in this case, resulting in a violent shaking of the vessel (the term "frame" as used herein is intended to mean any type of structural component of a boat, such as a hull, structural members, flooring, pontoon tubes, etc.). The pressures created using a fixed mounting system on a conventional diving board are directly reflected by the weight of the person jumping. For example, if a 200 pound person jumps on the end of the 30" board, it will create up to 2,400 pounds of pressure at the first fixed mounting point. In the case of a pontoon boat, the board would be mounted to the flooring and frame which would not be able to withstand this type of force.

[0004] What is needed in the art is a diving board which may be mounted to a boat and used without substantial movement of the boat or forces being imparted on the structural framework of the boat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The diving board of the present invention provides an "energy canceling" diving board, designed specifically for mounting to a boat. The diving board is configured such that downward forces generated by a person jumping on the end of the board are "canceled" by equal and opposite forces within its framework. The result is a much more stable boat.

[0006] The invention in one form is directed to a boat including a frame and a diving board mounted to the frame. The diving board includes a base and a board coupled to the base at a pivot location. The board extends from the pivot location to a distal end. An axial spring is interconnected between the base and the board for cancelling out forces which are imparted by a user jumping on the board at the distal end.

[0007] The invention in another form is directed to a diving board including a base and a board coupled to the base at a pivot location. The board extends from the pivot location to a distal end. An axial spring is interconnected between the base and the board for cancelling out forces which are imparted by a user jumping on the board at the distal end.

[0008] An advantage of the present invention is a user can enjoy diving from a boat without compromising the boat's stability. Without this invention, the occupants in a boat are disturbed as a result of the unsteadiness experienced when a person jumps off a boat into the water, as the boat rather abruptly moves up and down in the water. The invention cancels out the effects of a person jumping and provides for a more enjoyable and steady boating experience. [0009] Another advantage of the present invention is the diving board can be easily folded down into a stowed position. This lets the boat be transited and docked without damaging the diving board and/or the boat. As a byproduct of being easily stored, it can be easily and conveniently raised when ready for use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0011] Fig. 1 is a side perspective view of an embodiment of the diving board of the present invention;

[0012] Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of a portion of the diving board shown in Fig. 1 ;

[0013] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the diving board shown in Fig. 1;

[0014] Fig. 4 is a side view of the diving board shown in Fig. 1 with a swimmer at a distal end of the board preparing to jump into the water;

[0015] Fig. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the diving board shown in Fig. 1;

[0016] Fig. 6 is a side perspective view showing the board in a folded state alongside the railing of the boat shown in Fig. 1;

[0017] Fig. 7 is a bottom perspective view showing the reinforcement plates below the flooring of the boat shown in Fig. 1 ;

[0018] Fig. 8 is a side cross-sectional view of the axial spring shown in Figs. 1-6;

[0019] Fig. 9 is a top view of a urethane disk;

[0020] Fig. 10 is a rear view of a second embodiment of a diving board in accordance with the invention;

[0021] Fig. 11 is a side view of the diving board shown in Fig. 10; and

[0022] Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the diving board shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

[0023] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplification set out herein illustrates an embodiment of the invention, in one form, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1-7, there is shown a boat

10 to which is mounted an embodiment of a diving board 12 of the present invention. Boat 10 includes a frame 14, which is generally defined to include any supporting structure to which the diving board 12 may be mounted. For example, the frame 14 may include flooring 16, or a hull, structural members, pontoon tubes, etc. (not shown).

[0025] Diving board 12 generally includes a base 18, a board 20 and an axial spring 22. Base 18 includes generally upright supports 24, steps 26 positioned rearwardly from upright supports 24, and cross members 28 interconnecting the upright supports 24 with steps 26. A mounting plate 29 interconnects between the bottom ends of upright supports 24, and includes holes or the like through which fasteners may be inserted to fasten diving board 12 to the frame 14 of boat 10. A tube 30 interconnects the upright supports 24 and provides a pivot surface at its outer circumference about which the board 20 can be pivoted to a stowed position lying alongside the railing 32 of the boat 10 (see Fig. 6). At the top end of upright supports 24 there are outwardly extending stub members 34 which position tube 30 such that board 20 can be pivoted to the stowed position alongside the railing 32.

[0026] Steps 26 include a pair of generally vertical side rails 36 and horizontal treads 38. A handrail 40 is adjustably connected by a sleeve 41 on one of the side rails 36 to allow for height adjustments for different swimmers (Fig. 5). A pair of mounting plates 42 are respectively positioned at each bottom end of the side rails 36 to provide a larger surface area in contact with flooring 16, and include holes or the like through which fasteners may be inserted to fasten diving board 12 to the frame 14 of boat 10. Reinforcement plates 43 are positioned at the bottom side of the flooring 16, and have threaded holes through which the fasteners extending through the holes in the mounting plates 42 may be threaded (Fig. 7). In circumstances when it is not advantageous to use mounting plates 42 at the bottom side of the flooring 16, for example if it is difficult to access the underside of the boat frame or swim platform, the diving board 12 can be attached to the frame 14 via top surface mounting plates (not shown).

[0027] Base 18 is made entirely of aluminum in the illustrated embodiment, but could be made from a different material depending upon the application (e.g., steel, fiberglass, wood, etc.).

[0028] Board 20 is coupled to base 18 via a pair of couplers 44 with plastic bearings 45, which pivot about tube 30 (Fig. 6). Couplers 44 are preferably configured as bushings with a friction reducing liner material at the inside diameter, such as nylon or Teflon ®, but could also be configured without the liner or with a bearing. Board 20 extends outwardly a predefined distance from the pivot location 47 defined by tube 30 to a distal end 46 from which a swimmer jumps. In the illustrated embodiment, the overall length of board 20 is approximately 38 inches, with 30 inches extending outwardly from the pivot location 47.

[0029] Axial spring 22 is interconnected between base 18 and board 20 for canceling out forces which are imparted by a user jumping on board 20 at distal end 46. Axial spring 22 includes a cylinder 48 containing a urethane spring assembly with a plurality of urethane disks 54 with a central opening 56 separated by washers 62 (Figs. 8 and 9). The washers 62 can be made of any suitably strong material such as stainless steel or aluminum. The stack of urethane disks, functioning as a spring, are designed to complement steel wire springs where such conditions as confined space; corrosion, vibration and magnetism prevent the use of

conventional steel springs. Urethane spring material is a polyether-elastomer that reacts similarly to an incompressible fluid. As such, urethane springs bulge when compressed, and the inside diameter of cylinder 48 is sized to accommodate such bulging. The bottom end of cylinder 48 is connected to the mounting plate 29 at an approximate mid-location between the upright supports 24. A rod 50 extends from the top of cylinder 48. The bottom end of rod 50 extends through the central openings 56 of the urethane disks, creating a stack of urethane disks with a threaded nut 60 at the bottom end of the rod 50 adjacent the bottom urethane disk 54A. The top end of the rod 50 is connected to the upper shock mount 52 on the board 20. Although axial spring 22 is shown as including an internal urethane spring assembly as described above, it is also possible that axial spring 22 can be differently configured. For example, the axial spring 22 can be configured as a coil spring (compression or tension) or a gas spring.

[0030] During use, the diving board 12 of the present invention captures the energy created by the person jumping on the end of the diving board in the following process. The construction may be visualized by thinking of a "V". The left side of the "V" is the upright supports 24 with the pivot location 47 at the top, and the right side is the axial spring 22. Across the top is the board 20 with 30" in front of the pivot location 47 and 8" behind the pivot location. It connects to the compression spring via a pin at the upper shock mount 52 attached at the end of the board 20 (Fig. 2). The amount of force created and contained varies drastically depending on the weight of the person and how hard they push on the board when jumping.

[0031] The forces are transmitted from the board into the left side of the "V" which directs the force down the upright supports 24 to the bottom of the "V". Before it is transmitted into the boat, it is counteracted by the equal forces being "pulled" through the axial spring 22. This drastically reduces the force felt by the boat.

[0032] Utilizing a strong set of steps 26 the V-configuration is stabilized and kept in the upright position. The steps 26 are also utilized in the design process to "pull up" on the boat when the person jumps off the board. This helps counteract the motion created simply due to the weight of the person leaving the boat. Thus, the total force experienced by the remaining boaters is roughly equivalent to the "jumper" simply stepping off the boat.

[0033] The diving board 12 of the present invention is designed to get the jumper up and over the side railing 32 of the boat, which positions them roughly 4-5 ' above the water. The person climbs 3 steps, with a stabilizer bar or handrail 40 on one side, to get to the 38" aluminum diving board 20. However, the diving board 12 may be altered to have a taller base 18 with more than 3 steps to accommodate a larger vessel and/or higher guard railing.

[0034] In addition to the functionality, the diving board of the present invention may optionally be lowered or folded into a vertical stowed position by pulling the pin connecting the compression spring to the board - this nests the board next to the side railing of a pontoon boat, which allows the boat to dock normally without the diving board protruding from the side of the vessel (Fig. 6).

[0035] The diving board of the present invention includes an easy to remove mounting system which allows the entire diving board to quickly and easily be removed, broken down and stowed.

[0036] The diving board of the present invention utilizes quality components, welded construction, traction materials, and a handrail 40 which provide families with years of safe enjoyment.

[0037] The diving board of the present invention is built to last. Designed with heavy wall aluminum extrusions, stainless steel hardware and urethane spring components. The effects of corrosion and component failure are absolutely minimal.

[0038] A second embodiment of a diving board 70 in accordance with the invention is illustrated in Figs. 10, 11 and 12. The diving board 70 is substantially similar to the diving board 12, except the second embodiment includes a circular handrail 72, a bellows 74, and urethane disks of two different diameters and thickness 76 (Fig. 12). A top portion 72A of the handrail 72 is cylindrical in shape, as to more ergonomically accommodate the diver. The bellows 74, acting as a protective covering, substantially encases the rod 50 (Fig. 10). The bellows 74 is made of a resilient material (e.g., rubber) and is able to extend or compress with the movement of the rod 50. The urethane disks of two different diameters and thickness 76 provide a variable counterbalance force, correlating to the weight of the diver. For instance, the urethane disks of two different diameters and thickness 76 may provide the diving board 70 to be preset for distinct weight limits. To attain a distinct weight limit, the sizing and placement, along the rod 50, of the urethane disks of two different diameters and thickness 76 may be altered within the scope of the invention.

[0039] While this invention has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains.