Hammock Assembly for Boats and Related Methods

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 63/632,648 filed Apr. 11, 2024, which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

The present disclosure relates to boats, and more particularly to accessories for boats and related methods.

Various types of accessories are commonly used on boats. One such accessory is hammocks, which allow boaters to rest or relax on deck as weather conditions allow.

Some configurations allow for hammocks to extend beyond the side of the boat out over the water. One example is set forth in U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2023/0047397, which discloses a system for attaching accessories to a boat that is moveable between a first, stored configuration and a second, expanded configuration. The system includes a first leg frame member, a second leg frame member, an attachment device, a first support member, and a second support member. The first leg frame member has a proximal first end attached to the boat such that a portion of the first leg frame member is pivotable relative to the boat. The second leg frame member has a proximal second end attached to the boat such that a portion of the second leg frame member is pivotable relative to the boat. The attachment device is mounted to the first leg frame member and the second leg frame member. The first support member is attached to the first leg frame member and the second support member is attached to the second leg frame member.

Despite the existence of such configurations, further developments for attaching accessories such as hammocks to boats may be desirable in various applications.

A hammock assembly for a sailboat may include a hull with a plurality of sides and a mast connected to the hull. The hammock assembly may include a frame comprising first and second frame members each having a proximal end and a distal end, respective first connectors connecting the proximal ends of the first and second frame members to at least one of the sides of the sailboat in spaced apart relation, and a second connector connecting the distal ends of the first and second frame members together so that the first and second frame members define a “V” shape. A halyard may be connected between the mast and the frame adjacent the distal ends of the first and second frame members, and a hammock may be suspended between the first and second frame members.

In an example implementation, the first and second frame members may comprise telescoping frame members. In one configuration, the hammock assembly may further include a hammock support member coupled between the proximal ends of the first and second frame members, and a first end of the hammock may be coupled to the hammock support member. By way of example, the hammock support member may comprise a chain. Furthermore, in some implementations the hammock assembly may further include a hammock attachment bracket coupled to the second connector and having a hammock attachment point at a first end thereof coupled to a second end of the hammock. Moreover, the hammock attachment bracket may further include a halyard attachment point at a second end thereof opposite the first end in an example configuration.

In some implementations the hammock assembly may further include a cover connected to the first and second frame members above the hammock. In another example implementation, the first and second frame members may be pivotable about the first connectors, and the halyard may be configured to pivot the frame about the first connectors to raise and lower the distal ends of the first and second frame members between stowed and deployed positions.

A related method may include connecting proximal ends of first and second frame members of a hammock frame to at least one side of a sailboat in spaced apart relation using respective first connectors, and connecting distal ends of the first and second frame members together with a second connector so that the first and second frame members define a “V” shape. The method may further include connecting a halyard between a mast of the sailboat and the hammock frame adjacent the distal ends of the first and second frame members, and suspending a hammock between the first and second frame members.

The present disclosure is provided with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which various implementations are shown. However, other implementations in many different forms may be used, and the disclosure should not be construed as limited to the particular implementations set forth herein. Rather, these implementations are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the claim scope to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

Referring initially to, a hammock assemblyfor a boat (a sailboatin the illustrated example) in accordance with an example implementation is first described. As shown in, the hammock assemblyattaches to a side of the sailboatand extends outward over the water. A hammockis secured to a frameof the hammock assemblyso that a person in the hammock hangs over the water.

In the illustrated example of the hammock assembly, a first memberand a second memberare connected together to form a V, as shown in. The proximal ends of the first and second members,at the wide part of the V are connected to a side of the sailboat, which in the present example is the starboard side. It should be noted that the hammock assemblymay be connected to other sides (port, bow, stern) of a vessel, and could event straddle two sides of the vessel in some configurations (e.g., at a corner between sides). The opposite distal ends of the first and second members,at the point of the V are secured to the sailboatusing a rope (e.g., halyard)from the top of a maston the sailboat.

In particular, a pair of spaced apart bracketsare coupled to the sailboat, as shown in. Each bracketis coupled to a respective proximal end of the first memberor the second member. A boltand nutare used in the present example to secure the ends of the first and second members,to the respective brackets, although other suitable attachment hardware may also be used, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. A chainor other suitable support member is coupled to the distal ends of the first and second members,and optionally secured to the sailboatas well. One endof the hammockis coupled to a midpoint of the chain() using a snap hook (not shown), although other suitable hardware (e.g., an eyelet, etc.) may also be used for connecting the endof the hammockto the boat.

In some implementations, multiple hammocksmay be used with the frame, e.g., one underneath each of the first and second members,. In this implementation, the connection point for the endsof the hammocksmay be on the first and second members,(e.g., an eyelet extending downward from each section), or the connection points may be at the boat as described above (chain, eyelets, etc.).

The other endof the hammock(s)is coupled to a bracketthat is positioned between the distal ends of the first and second members,, which are coupled together at the connection point of the V by a connector(e.g., a through bolt, etc.), as shown in. The ropefrom the mastis also coupled to the bracket. A snap hook may be used to secure a second end of the hammockto the bracket, although other suitable attachments or direct tie to the bracket may be used as well.

The ropeadvantageously helps distribute the weight of the user between the mast and the attachment brackets, which results in less torque on the brackets. In some implementations, the bracketsmay be hinged so that the first and second members,may be raised and lowered by the ropebetween stowed and deployed positions, if desired. The V-shaped configuration of the first and second members,allows for relatively easy access from the boat, and this also helps to keep the hammock assemblypointed straight out from the boat, whether its position is offset from the mast or not.

In the illustrated implementation, the frameis collapsible for removal and storage. This may be particularly advantageous on certain boats like sailboats, where storage space is relatively limited. In the present example, the first and second members,are each telescoping in length. As seen in, the first memberincludes telescopic sections() and(). Similarly, the second memberincludes telescoping sections() and(). However, it should be noted that the first and second members,, need not be telescopic in all implementations. By way of example, the first and second members,may be fabricated out of a suitable material such as steel or aluminum. The boltsand nutsare removeable from the bracketsso that the first and second members,no longer extend over the water.

Referring additionally to, the hammock assemblyalso allows an optional sun coverto be secured to the first and second members,, as shown. The sun covermay be attached with various types of fasteners, such as hook and loop fasteners, snaps, etc., and may be fabricated out of cloth, canvas, or other suitable materials, for example.

Many modifications and other implementations will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is understood that the foregoing is not to be limited to the example implementations, and that modifications and other implementations that will be apparent to those skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.