Molded-in boat grip

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12258102-B2
Application number	US-202418662919-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2024
Priority date	Aug 26, 2016
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

In one example, a method includes positioning, within a mold, a device with a movable element that defines a portion of a volume, and the volume is contained within the mold, as part of a molding process, at least partly defining a molded watercraft by introducing plastic into the mold, disposing the plastic about the movable element, and with the movable element, excluding the plastic from the portion of the volume that is defined by the movable element so as to define a recess and an undercut that are integral with the watercraft and extend lengthwise with respect to a centerline of the watercraft, and the recess and undercut are integral, and communicate, with each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A watercraft, comprising:
a hull made of plastic and comprising a unitary, single-piece structure; and
a grip that is integral with the hull, the grip being located such that it straddles a fore-and-aft center of gravity of the hull, and the grip comprising:
a recess that is formed in, and is integral with, the hull; and
an undercut that is integral with the hull and communicates with the recess, and the undercut is configured and arranged to accommodate portions of one or more fingers of a hand of a user.

2. The watercraft as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an additional undercut formed in the hull and communicating with the recess, and the undercut and the additional undercut are disposed on opposite respective sides of the recess.

3. The watercraft as recited in claim 1 , wherein the recess has an elongate configuration with first and second sides extending lengthwise and the undercut is located along one of the sides of the recess.

4. The watercraft as recited in claim 1 , wherein part of the undercut is located below an outer edge of the recess.

5. The watercraft as recited in claim 1 , wherein a distance from a center of the recess to a sidewall of the undercut is less than a distance from the center of the recess to an edge of the recess.

6. The watercraft as recited in claim 1 , wherein an upper surface of the undercut is below a surface of the watercraft in which the recess is defined.

7. The watercraft as recited in claim 1 , wherein a wall height of the undercut is less than a wall height of the recess, and both the wall of the undercut and the wall of the recess terminate at a floor of the recess.

8. The watercraft as recited in claim 1 , wherein the undercut extends around less than an entire perimeter of the recess.

9. The watercraft as recited in claim 1 , further comprising another grip that is integral with the hull.

10. The watercraft as recited in claim 1 , wherein the grip is located on a centerline of the watercraft.

11. The watercraft as recited in claim 1 , wherein the grip is centered on a centerline of the watercraft.

12. The watercraft as recited in claim 1 , wherein the undercut has an elongate configuration that extends fore-and-aft.

13. The watercraft as recited in claim 1 , wherein the undercut is offset from a centerline of the watercraft.

14. The watercraft as recited in claim 1 , wherein the watercraft comprises a sit-on-top kayak.

15. The watercraft as recited in claim 1 , wherein the undercut opens toward a centerline of the watercraft.

16. A watercraft, comprising:
a hull made of plastic and comprising a unitary, single-piece structure; and
a first grip and a second grip that are integral with the hull, and one, or both, of the first grip and the second grip comprise:
a recess that is formed in, and is integral with, the hull; and
an undercut that is integral with the hull and communicates with the recess, and the undercut is configured and arranged to accommodate portions of one or more fingers of a hand of a user.

Assignees

• Lifetime Prod Inc

Inventors

• Robbins Samuel S
• Norman Dennis Jay

Classifications

• B63B34/20 Primary

  Canoes, kayaks or the like · CPC title

• B63B32/40

  Twintip boards; Wakeboards; Surfboards; Windsurfing boards; Paddle boards, e.g. SUP boards; Accessories specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• B63B34/21

  characterised by constructional features · CPC title

• B63B34/26

  Accessories for canoes, kayaks or the like (effecting propulsion by muscle power B63H16/00; outboard propulsion units B63H20/00) · CPC title

• B63B32/57

  Boards characterised by the material, e.g. laminated materials · CPC title