Enclosure system for a pontoon boat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11858592-B2
Application number	US-202117475621-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2021
Priority date	Sep 17, 2020
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

A rail system for a pontoon boat is provided. The rail system allows for the addition and removal of a pontoon boat skin, as well as additional features and attachments without dismantling the rail system. The system may include detachable rail caps and/or rail attachments that hold the skin against the rail. The rails also include features to attach exterior attachments such as accents, bumpers, and inserts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An enclosure system for a pontoon boat comprising:
a skeletal system comprising a plurality of rails and a skin that spans between the plurality of rails forming a wall around or within the pontoon boat, the plurality of rails including an upper rail and a lower rail, each of the upper rail and lower rail having a respective interior void and a respective first wall including an opening therethrough to the respective interior void;
the skin positioned against a first side of the upper rail and extending downward to a first side of the lower rail;
an upper rail coupler extending along the upper rail, the upper rail coupler including an upper rail coupler protrusion and an upper rail coupler interface portion unitary with the upper rail coupler protrusion, wherein the upper rail coupler protrusion is received through the opening in the first wall of the upper rail into the interior void of the upper rail to secure the upper rail coupler to the upper rail, the skin being captured between the upper rail coupler interface portion and the first side of the upper rail; and
a lower rail coupler extending along the lower rail, the lower rail coupler including a lower rail coupler protrusion and a lower rail coupler interface portion unitary with the lower rail coupler protrusion, wherein the lower rail coupler protrusion is received through the opening in the first wall of the lower rail into the interior void of the lower rail to secure the lower rail coupler to the lower rail, the skin being captured between the lower rail interface portion and the first side of the lower rail thereby securing the skin to the skeletal system at the lower rail.

2. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein each or the upper rail coupler and lower rail coupler are removably coupled to the skeletal frame.

3. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the respective protrusions of the upper rail coupler and lower rail coupler have respective flange-like portions for retaining the respective protrusions in the respective openings of the respective first walls.

4. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the first wall of the upper rail is a vertical wall and the upper rail further has a second wall that extends horizontally and faces upwardly and wherein the upper rail coupler interface portion extends along the upper rail first wall and the upper rail second wall.

5. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the first side of the upper rail is vertically oriented and a second side of the upper rail is horizontally oriented and is an upper wall and the upper rail coupler extends along the first side and the second side.

6. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the upper rail coupler is a rail cap, and wherein the rail cap overlaps a plurality of exterior sides of the upper rail including the upper rail first side.

7. The enclosure system of claim 6 , wherein the rail cap includes an attachment feature to receive an accessory to couple the accessory to the upper rail.

8. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the rail cap is made of a flexible material.

9. An enclosure system for a pontoon boat comprising:
a skeletal system comprising a plurality of rails and a skin forming a wall around or within the pontoon boat, the skeletal system including an upper rail;
the skin positioned against a first side of the upper rail; and
a rail coupler having a first leg extending along the first side of the upper rail, a second leg extending along a second side of the upper rail opposite the first side, and a connecting portion connecting the first leg and the second leg and extending along a third side of the upper rail, the third side being between the first side and the second side, the skin being captured between an interface portion of the rail coupler and the first side of the upper rail, the rail coupler coupling the skin to the skeletal system.

10. The enclosure system of claim 9 , wherein the rail coupler is removably coupled to the skeletal frame.

11. The enclosure system of claim 9 , wherein the rail coupler includes a first interactive member which cooperates with a first external coupling feature of the upper rail at the first side and a second interactive member which cooperates with a second external coupling feature of the upper rail at the second side.

12. The enclosure system of claim 11 , wherein the first interactive member is a first protrusion and the first external coupling feature of the upper rail is a first recess to receive the first protrusion and the second interactive member is a second protrusion and the second external coupling feature of the upper rail is a second recess to receive the second protrusion, wherein first protrusion is removably insertable into the first recess and the second protrusion is removably insertable into the second recess.

13. The enclosure of claim 9 , wherein the upper rail has a first width and the rail coupler includes a first leg and a second leg spaced apart from the first leg and a connecting portion, the first leg, the second leg, and the connecting portion defining a void wherein the upper rail is positioned, the first leg and the send leg having a separation prior to receiving the upper rail, the separation of the first leg and the second leg being less than the first width of the upper rail.

14. The enclosure system of claim 9 , wherein the rail coupler is made of a flexible polymer material and the first leg, second leg, and connection portion are all unitary with one another.

15. A method for adding a skin onto a pontoon boat for forming a wall around or within the pontoon boat, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a skeletal frame including an upper rail supported by a deck of the pontoon boat;
placing the skin against an outer surface of the upper rail with the skin extending downwardly from the upper rail; and
attaching a resilient polymer rail cap onto the rail such that the rail cap presses the skin against the rail, thereby securing the skin to the upper rail forming the wall of the pontoon boat.

16. A method for replacing a skin on a skeletal frame of a pontoon boat that forms a wall around or within the pontoon boat, the method comprising the steps of:
moving a rail cap relative to an upper rail of the skeletal frame of the pontoon boat from a first position to a second position, wherein in the first position the rail cap secures the skin relative to the upper rail of the skeletal frame by pressing the skin toward the rail, and wherein and in the second position the rail cap does not secure the skin relative to the upper rail;
removing the skin from a position against the upper rail;
positioning a new skin along the upper rail; and
moving the rail cap back to the first position wherein the rail cap is pressing the new skin against the rail thereby securing the new skin relative to the upper rail of the skeletal frame.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein in the second position the rail cap is completely spaced apart from the upper rail of the skeletal frame.

18. A method for replacing a skin on a pontoon boat, the skin forming a wall of the pontoon boat, the method comprising the steps of:
removing a rail cap relative to an upper rail of a skeletal frame of the pontoon boat from a first attached position to a second removed position, wherein in the first position the rail cap holds and presses the skin onto and along the upper rail of the skeletal frame;
removing the skin from a position against the upper rail;
positioning a new skin along the upper rail of the skeletal frame; and

Assignees

• Polaris Inc

Inventors

• Renaud Benoit J
• Rupp Brian M
• Ross Walter B

Classifications

• B63B17/04 Primary

  Stanchions; Guard-rails {; Bulwarks or the like} · CPC title

• B63B1/02

  deriving lift mainly from water displacement (B63B1/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B63B17/02

  Awnings {, including rigid weather protection structures, e.g. sunroofs; Tarpaulins; Accessories for awnings or tarpaulins} · CPC title