Aft-facing transom seating for a boat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11027795-B2
Application number	US-202016804394-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2020
Priority date	Sep 5, 2014
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A boat, having a transom, includes one or more aft-facing seats. Each aft-facing seat is positioned proximate to the transom and includes a seat bottom that is inclined at a downward angle in a direction extending from aft to fore, a seatback, a headrest, a seat support structure having at least one hidden compartment therein, and at least one pivot mechanism attached to the seatback and the headrest and configured to allow the seatback to move between a first position in which the seatback is capable of supporting the back of a person seated in the seat and a second position in which the seatback is pivoted upwardly to allow access to the compartment and the headrest to move between an upright position and a folded position. A plurality of handles may be provided for each aft-facing seat, with one at an outboard side and another at an inboard side.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inboard watersports boat comprising:
a hull including a bow, a stern, a transom, and port and starboard gunwales;
a motor positioned in the stern of the boat, forward of the transom and along a centerline of the boat;
a propeller operatively connected to the motor, the propeller being located under the hull and forward of the transom;
a tow point for towing a watersports performer; and
a plurality of aft-facing seats positioned in the stern of the boat, aft of the tow point, the plurality of aft-facing seats including an aft-facing seat positioned port of the centerline of the boat and an aft-facing seat positioned starboard of the centerline of the boat, each of the port and starboard aft-facing seats including:
(i) a seat bottom that is inclined at a downward angle, the downward angle extending in a direction from aft to fore such that an aft portion of the seat bottom is higher than a forward portion of the seat bottom;
(ii) a seatback that joins the seat bottom at a location forward of the transom and below the gunwales; and
(iii) a headrest that is movable with respect to the seatback.

2. The boat of claim 1 , further comprising a floor, wherein the downward angle of the seat bottom of each of the port and starboard aft-facing seats is from 5 degrees to 20 degrees relative to the floor.

3. The boat of claim 1 , wherein, for each aft-facing seat, an angle between a top surface of the seat bottom and an aft-facing surface of the seat back is from 95 degrees to 135 degrees.

4. An inboard watersports boat comprising:
a hull including a bow, a stern, a transom, and port and starboard gunwales;
a motor positioned in the stern of the boat, forward of the transom and along a centerline of the boat;
a propeller operatively connected to the motor, the propeller being located under the hull and forward of the transom;
a tow point for towing a watersports performer;
a plurality of aft-facing seats positioned in the stern of the boat, aft of the tow point, the plurality of aft-facing seats including an aft-facing seat positioned port of the centerline of the boat and an aft-facing seat positioned starboard of the centerline of the boat, each of the port and starboard aft-facing seats including:
(i) a seat bottom that is inclined at a downward angle, the downward angle extending in a direction from aft to fore such that an aft portion of the seat bottom is higher than a forward portion of the seat bottom; and
(ii) a seatback that joins the seat bottom at a location forward of the transom and below the gunwales; and

a plurality of compartments, including a compartment associated with the port aft-facing seat and a compartment associated with the starboard aft-facing seat, the compartment associated with the port aft-facing seat being positioned on a port side of the motor and the compartment associated with the starboard aft-facing seat being positioned on a starboard side of the motor,
wherein each of the port and starboard aft-facing seats is movable to allow access to the compartment associated with that aft-facing seat.

5. The boat of claim 4 , wherein each compartment is accessible by pivoting the associated aft-facing seat upwardly.

6. The boat of claim 5 , wherein each compartment is accessible by pivoting both the seat bottom and the seatback of the associated aft-facing seat upwardly.

7. The boat of claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of pneumatic cylinders configured to assist upward movement of each of the port and starboard aft-facing seats and configured to hold each of the port and starboard aft-facing seats in a raised position.

8. The boat of claim 4 , wherein each compartment extends forward of a forward-most part of the associated aft-facing seat.

9. The boat of claim 4 , further comprising a floor, wherein the downward angle of the seat bottom of each of the port and starboard aft-facing seats is from 5 degrees to 20 degrees relative to the floor.

10. The boat of claim 4 , wherein, for each aft-facing seat, an angle between a top surface of the seat bottom and an aft-facing surface of the seat back is from 95 degrees to 135 degrees.

11. An inboard watersports boat comprising:
a hull including a bow, a stern, a transom, and port and starboard gunwales;
a motor positioned in the stern of the boat, forward of the transom and along a centerline of the boat;
a propeller operatively connected to the motor, the propeller being located under the hull and forward of the transom;
a tow point for towing a watersports performer;
a plurality of aft-facing seats positioned in the stern of the boat, aft of the tow point, the plurality of aft-facing seats including an aft-facing seat positioned port of the centerline of the boat and an aft-facing seat positioned starboard of the centerline of the boat, each of the port and starboard aft-facing seats including:
(i) a seat bottom that is inclined at a downward angle, the downward angle extending in a direction from aft to fore such that an aft portion of the seat bottom is higher than a forward portion of the seat bottom;
(ii) a seatback that joins the seat bottom at a location forward of the transom and below the gunwales; and
(iii) a headrest that is movable with respect to the seatback; and

a plurality of compartments, including a compartment associated with the port aft-facing seat and a compartment associated with the starboard aft-facing seat, the compartment associated with the port aft-facing seat being positioned on a port side of the motor and extending forward of a forward-most part of the port aft-facing seat and the compartment associated with the starboard aft-facing seat being positioned on a starboard side of the motor and extending forward of a forward-most part of the starboard aft-facing seat,
wherein each of the port and starboard aft-facing seats is movable to allow access to the compartment associated with that aft-facing seat, each compartment being accessible by pivoting both the seat bottom and the seatback of the associated aft-facing seat upwardly.

12. The boat of claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of pneumatic cylinders configured to assist upward movement of each of the port and starboard aft-facing seats and configured to hold each of the port and starboard aft-facing seats in a raised position.

13. The boat of claim 12 , further comprising a floor, wherein the downward angle of the seat bottom of each of the port and starboard aft-facing seats is from 5 degrees to 20 degrees relative to the floor.

14. The boat of claim 13 , wherein, for each aft-facing seat, an angle between a top surface of the seat bottom and an aft-facing surface of the seat back is from 95 degrees to 135 degrees.

Assignees

• Mastercraft Boat Co Llc

Inventors

• Curts Chadrick E
• Vieira Daniel P
• Bennett Rosemary M
• Ekern David F

Classifications

• B63B32/70

  Accessories not specially adapted for a particular type of board, e.g. paddings or buoyancy elements · CPC title

• B63B3/54 Primary

  Hatch openings · CPC title

• B63H21/12

  the vessels being motor-driven (B63H21/175, B63H21/18 take precedence; {cooling circuits with liquid-to-liquid heat-exchange relative to marine vessels F01P3/207}) · CPC title

• B63H1/14

  Propellers (pitch changing B63H3/00) · CPC title

• B63B27/14

  of ramps, gangways or outboard ladders {; Pilot lifts} · CPC title