Technical field

The invention concerns a watercraft and/or sleigh, which can be used as a rigid cover of a standard trailer.

Prior art

The invention is a monolithic (single piece) and rigid trailer cover, which can be used as a watercraft and/or sleigh and is easy to manufacture and use with standard passenger car trailers available on the market. The invention requires no special trailer or a rear load bed adapted to it, and is readily usable in all three different functions. The invention has been designed to provide it with a high degree of seaworthiness and conformity with the seaworthiness category C or D valid for watercrafts in the European Union.

Known are monolithic and rigid (plastic) car trailers

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A watercraft is known from a solution (EP0483030, Gallion Jets, published April 29, 1992), where it is placed on a special-purpose trailer or on the roof of the vehicle for road transportation. It comprises two boxes with similar shapes, which can be unfolded (folded on top of one another) from the centre by means of hinges, and which in the unfolded position can be used as a boat hull (in such case the boxes are separated from one another by means of a partition wall) and in the folded position as a storage room transported with a vehicle. In this solution, the cubic capacity of the box in a transportation position is smaller than with trailers or roof boxes normally used, due to blunt box ends.

In a known solution (FR2698824, Claye Invest, published June 10, 1994), a watercraft is formed by a special trailer folded at two ends, which is also adapted for use as a watercraft when unfolded from the centre (in such case the different parts are separated by a partition wall). The front end of the trailer is the rear end of the boat and includes a cut-out, which is reinforced for a motor. The common disadvantage of both solutions is that these are watercrafts adapted as special trailers for land transportation. When transported as a trailer on a road, it is necessary to procure the whole set (a special trailer and a compatible trailer box solution that can be used as a watercraft), while the trailer specially manufactured under the solution cannot be used individually as a normal trailer of a car and vice versa, the solution specially developed under the solution for use as a trailer box and watercraft cannot be used as a cover of most common vehicle trailers. Moreover, the watercraft consists of two separately assembled parts, which affects the travelling properties and comfort of the watercraft and such watercraft also fails to meet the safety requirements prescribed for category C or D watercrafts in the EU. These solutions are also not intended for use as a sleigh.

Closest to this invention by its technical nature is an invention (US4474131 , Cat a Van Associates, published October 2, 1984), where an inverted boat/load bed cover is adapted for use either as a boat hull or a load bed cover of a vehicle, while a pick- up truck is used (i.e. using the solution requires a pick-up truck with a load bed of a specific size), where the rear part bears the load and the rear section of the load bed has two side walls and a rear wall. Panels, which are adapted to the cover or inverted boat are placed on the walls. The panels are attached to the walls of the load bed by means of mounting clamps. In the invention, the cover of a pick-up truck load bed is also used as a watercraft, while the watercraft is built of various parts, making it time-consuming, inconvenient for the user and also having adverse effects on the travelling performance of the watercraft. The measurements of such watercraft are also limited by the measurements of the load bed. Furthermore, the watercraft used as a cover of a load bed does not comply with the safety requirements prescribed for D or C category watercrafts in the EU. The solution is also not intended for use as a sleigh. A solution used as a load bed cover and watercraft specially developed for a respective load bed under this solution cannot be used additionally as a cover of a trailer of a vehicle.

Description of the invention This invention is a trailer cover usable as a watercraft and/or sleigh and is suitable for use as the cover of a standard passenger car trailer available on the market and is also intended as a readily usable watercraft and/or sleigh; it includes a bottom/roof, side walls, front and rear walls, various lifting and mounting devices, detachable seats/storage compartments that are moved on rails, a built-in storage compartment, while the cover is a monolithic rigid structure and the bottom/roof and walls have double walls. The technical solution of a product corresponding to the invention has a catamaran- type bottom (when used as a watercraft or sleigh) or roof (when used as a trailer cover), which is flat to a substantial degree and provides it with increased cubic capacity and comfort when used in the inverted position. The bottom/roof can also be of a trimaran-type. The invention has been designed with consideration of a high degree of seaworthiness and conformity with design category C or D applicable to watercrafts in the European Union, when used as a watercraft.

List of figures

Figure 1 is a side view of a trailer with a cover corresponding to the invention; Figure 2 shows the interior of the inverted watercraft/sleigh (together with a separately installed boat motor);

Figure 3 is a rear view of a trailer with a cover corresponding to the invention (section B-B);

Figure 4 is a side view of a trailer with a cover corresponding to the invention, with the cover in an open position;

Figure 5 shows the lifting and mounting element (detail A) of the cover;

Figure 6 shows the handle/fixing element (detail C) of the cover.

Embodiment of the invention

A product corresponding to the invention includes a bottom/roof 1 flat to a substantial degree, side walls 2, rear wall 3, curved front wall 4. The upper edge of side walls 2 is a level edge covered with a protective coating. The outer perimeter of the upper edge of side walls 2 is surrounded with a rubber border 6. A cover corresponding to the invention has double bottom/roof and sides, providing it with necessary rigidity. The intermediate space between the inner and outer layer of the double bottom/roof and sides is filled with a special foam for the purpose of providing the cover with better floating performance and increased stability when used as a watercraft.

The central part of rear wall 3 has a reinforced cover so that a boat motor could also be used when used as a watercraft.

The device corresponding to the invention is mounted to the trailer, using fasteners and lifting mechanisms with a functioning logic similar to those used in a standard trailer cover available on the market.

The lifting and fixing device 7 of the cover in this invention is similar to the lifting and fixing devices of existing covers of car trailers. These are lifting cylinders, which are located at the front end of the cover and make it possible to lift the cover to an acute angle on a trailer. In this invention the cylinders are together with reinforcement bars that are bolted to the inner side wall, while the cylinders are installed between the double side walls (embedded in the wall of the cover) and can be removed from the cover without using auxiliary devices (tools) (the cover can be lifted up so that the cylinders slide out from the partition wall), see also Figure 4 and Figure 5. When removing the cover from the trailer, threaded plugs are installed into the openings of the lifting and fixing device 7 in the cover (when used as a watercraft).

The cover is lifted to an acute angle, using at least one handle/lifting device 12 (not shown in Figures) located on the rear wall 3.

The handle/fixing element 8 is a device on the sides at the rear of the cover, to which a mounting bracket on the railing of the trailer can be attached (see Figure 6). With this mounting bracket, the cover can be locked to the trailer with a separate lock when needed. The handle/fixing element 8 also allows mooring the watercraft to a quay or attaching fenders to the watercraft.

Rubber border 6 is a protection measure normally used on small watercrafts in order to protect the watercraft hull against quay abrasion. On the outer side of front wall 4 is a fixing point 9, which can be used for attaching the watercraft to the trailer and/or for transporting (towing) it on a road and/or water and/or for tying the anchor line.

When using the invention as a watercraft and/or sleigh, seats 10 with storage compartments and storage compartment 11 at the front end are mounted to the interior. For the purposes of increasing the cubic capacity under the cover of the car trailer, seats 10 can be easily removed.

The seat at the rear of the watercraft is integrated with the storage compartment, while the detachable seat supported on the bottom of the watercraft (canister-type seat, which includes, for example, a folding handle and a storage compartment, which can also be separately locked) can also be removed and mounted to the trailer drawbar into a transportation position, against the front end of the trailer and in such way used, for example, as a toolbox. The central, also detachable seat that is equipped with a storage compartment can be moved along rails 5 running along the inner walls of the sides of the watercraft. The storage compartment of the central seat is attached underneath the seat and is not supported on the bottom of the watercraft. The seats together with storage compartments are of light material (floating material).

The invention has a flat (e.g. catamaran or trimaran) bottom/roof, which provides it with a streamline form when used as a watercraft (cover inverted) and with a larger cubic capacity when used as a cover of a car trailer. In order to increase the capacity of the trailer, elevations can be installed to the railing structures of the trailer. Together with the elevations of the railing structures, the internal vertical dimension of the trailer is approx. 1.5 m. A product corresponding to the invention as well as a normal trailer cover can also be mounted to the elevations of the railing structures of the trailer.

In order to use the invention as a sleigh, it is possible to install stainless steel reinforcements under its base, for example to protect the pontoons at the base of the watercraft against ground friction and wear. A product corresponding to this invention is supported on the edges of the trailer railing structure by means of a planar edge of the sides (see Figure 6). The width of the edge is approximately 7 cm, the width of the railing structure of the trailer is approximately 2-2.5 cm, which means that in its width the cover partially extends over the side edges of the railing structure of the trailer. In such manner the invention can be used as a trailer cover on trailers of various lengths, insofar as standing only on the lateral railing structures of the trailer will suffice.

The flat surface supported on the edge of the trailer is covered with a durable protective rubber coating, which protects the device corresponding to the invention when used as a trailer cover in a closed position, against friction with metal trailer edges and impacts, which can occur when travelling with the trailer on an uneven road. The protective coating also reduces the noise from bumps between the cover and trailer. All the metal parts of the device corresponding to this invention are made of stainless steel (AISI 316).

The total height of a device corresponding to the invention is approximately 60 cm, but a more precise measurement depends on the length and width ratio, since in overall it is important that its measurements had proportions suitable for a watercraft. The width of the trailer cover derives from the measurements of a normal trailer, since the cover stands on the edges or edge elevations of the trailer railing structure. In its length the invention is also suitable for trailers longer and/or shorter than the invention itself. A part of the trailer will simply remain uncovered or the cover reaches over the trailer, if necessary.

The weight (unladen weight) of the watercraft is similar to the weight of a normal trailer cover (approximately 60 kg).

The invention has been designed to provide it with a structural category C or D valid for watercrafts in the European Union, when used as a watercraft. For travelling with the watercraft, both oars and a boat motor can be used.

A device corresponding to the invention is produced from ABS plastic, which is durable and suitable for use both in a trailer cover, sleigh and a watercraft.

An important useful feature to be pointed out is that a device corresponding to this invention is a standalone monolithic and multifunctional product, which can be used immediately (requires no separate mounting) in the function of a car trailer cover, watercraft or sleigh, and is compatible with standard car trailers available on the market, i.e. the product itself does not constitute also a trailer bed of a vehicle and no special-purpose vehicle trailer is necessary in order to use it. It is also a watercraft that is in conformity with the watercraft design category D or C valid in the European Union.