Detachable pod and kayak
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a kayak type boat and the like wherein the boater may be seated in a watertight pod which may be detached from the kayak to permit escape under adverse conditions. 
     Heretofore, kayaks have been proposed with certain portions of the hull which may be broken away such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,480 which discloses a break away cockpit wherein a portion of the forward section of the hull and cockpit rim may be broken away to permit escape of the boater under adverse conditions. 
     United Kingdom Patent Application No. GB 211,915 discloses a canoe of the kayak type having a longitudinal strengthener alongside which the canoeist sits. A rip away deck panel is provided forward of the cockpit section so that the legs of the canoeist are not trapped about the strengthener, or should the canoeist slip into the foresection of the canoe during adverse conditions (e.g. fast water running abeam in a canoe trapped against a rock). 
     Although the above features may be suitable in a number of situations, it is also desirable that the boater be protected after escape from a kayak or canoe. 
     It has also been known to fasten a bag about the rim of a cockpit and invert the bag inside the interior of the hull. Bags constructed from a fiberglass material have been connected about the rim of a cockpit and inverted inside the hull interior to provide a watertight pouch in which a boater may be accommodated. The hull interior does not fill up with water when the kayak is swamped. 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a kayak from which escape may be had in a well protected manner. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a kayak in which the boater may be seated in a protective pod unit which may be detached from the kayak to permit escape from the hull under adverse conditions. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a kayak having a detachable pod unit which is tailored to fit the needs of an individual boater and may be interchanged among different kayak hulls. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a pod unit for a kayak which is watertight and isolates the boater from the hull interior to prevent swamping of the kayak and which pod unit may be buoyant to maintain the boater afloat after detachment from the kayak when trapped. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide an interchangable pod unit having a pod deck and compartment customized for a specific person&#39;s body fit including his hips, knees, and feet which may be interchanged among different kayak hulls. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The above objectives are accomplished according to the invention in a kayak having an elongated hull with a fore and aft section and a hull interior wherein a hull flange is carried about a perimeter of an upper portion of the hull defining a deck opening. A detachable pod unit is carried by the hull which includes a pod deck carried in the deck opening and a pod compartment carried below the pod deck within the hull interior. A pod deck rim is carried by the pod deck mating with the hull flange in a manner that the hull and the pod unit may be connected together. A cockpit opening is formed in the pod deck adapted for accommodating a boater in a seated position within the pod compartment. The hull flange and pod deck rim are secured together in a releasable and waterproof manner so that the pod unit may be detached from the hull to permit detachment and escape from the hull. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The construction designed to carry out the invention will hereinafter be described, together with other features thereof. 
     The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a kayak having a detachable pod unit constructed in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an elevation with parts cut away and in section illustrating a detachable pod unit for a kayak constructed in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a section view illustrating the releasable attachment of a detachable pod unit and kayak hull constructed in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is an elevation of a retaining band for retaining a detachable pod unit and kayak hull together in accordance with the invention; and 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5. 
     FIG. 7 is a section view of of an alternate embodiment of the releasable attachment of the detachable pod unit and kayak hull; 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8--8 of FIG. 7. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now in more detail to the drawings, a kayak is illustrated at 10 having, a hull 12 formed of a suitable material such as a flexible skin material disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,272 identified therein as a crosslink polyethylene material such as Marlex brand polyethylene manufactured by Phillips Chemical Company. The hull is typically made by molding in a conventional rotational molding machine or may be made by vacuum molding to provide a continuously enclosed hull having a fore section 14 and an aft section 16, cockpit 18, and a hull interior 20. 
     A hull flange 22 is formed in an upper portion of hull 12 to define a deck opening 24. Deck opening 24 is much larger than the conventional cockpit opening found in most kayak structures. A detachable pod unit A is illustrated which includes a pod deck 26 and a pod compartment 27. The pod deck 26 includes a pod deck rim 28 which mates with hull flange 22 as can best be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. A cockpit rim 30 formed in pod deck 26 defines a cockpit opening 32 through which a boater may have access to a cockpit seat 34 carried in pod unit A. 
     Pod unit A may be rotationally molded from a crosslink polymeric material such as the Marlex brand polyethylene material described from which hull 12 is made of and is sufficiently rigid to be of a self-supporting form. 
     Referring in more detail to the construction of pod unit A, it can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 that the pod unit comprises a side wall 36, bottom wall 38, and opposing side wall 40. The interior of the pod compartment 27 may be customized to a particular boater&#39;s size, fitting of his hips, thighs, and feet for bracing. In this manner, the individualized and customized pad unit may be interchangably placed in different kayaks. Pod support means 42 are included between the bottom 38 of compartment 27 and a bottom surface 12b of hull 12. Referring further to FIGS. 2 and 3, it can be seen that the interior 27a of pod compartment 27 is isolated from the remainder of the interior of the kayak hull and encloses boater 44. 
     Hull flange 22 has a generally S-shaped form which includes a first outwardly curved surface 46 and a second inwardly curved surface 48. Pod deck rim 28 includes a nesting surface 50 which is correspondingly curved to the contour of inwardly curved surface 48 for mating of the flange and rim. Cockpit rim 28 terminates in a retaining lip 52, the purpose of which will be described in more detail hereinafter. 
     Attachment means for sealing, attaching, and interlocking together detachable pod unit A and hull 12 includes an elastic retaining band 54 which includes an elastic web 52 which joins a pair of bulbous retaining elements 56 and 58. Bulbous retaining elements 56 and 58 may be hollow and compressible as illustrated or may include elastic elements such as an elastic cord. There is a compressible sealing ring 60 compressed between hull flange surface 22 and nesting surface 50 of pod deck rim 28. Sealing ring 60 provides means for sealing and assuring that water does not enter into the hull interior. With sealing ring 60 in place, retaining means in the form of elastic retaining band 54 may be fitted about flange 12 and rim 28 about the entire perimeter thereof. In its retaining position, retaining band 54 has first retaining element 56 retained by outwardly curved surface 46 of hull flange 22. Second retaining element 58 of retaining band 54 is retained by retaining lip 52 of pod rim 28. 
     In this manner, pod unit A is detachably and releasably connected and attached to hull 12. Either under impact force, or force encountered by the kayak being trapped against water, or by force of the boater, pod unit A may be released. It will be noted that with retaining band 54 and sealing ring 60 inserted and attached in place, a generally waterproof seal will be provided to prevent the entry of water into the interior 20 of hull 12. In this manner swamping of the kayak is prevented should the kayak be trapped in a position where oncoming water is forced against or into the kayak. Further, with a conventional spray skirt fastened about cockpit rim 30 and the waist of the boater, when pod unit A is detached and separated from the hull, interior 27a of pod unit A will be virtually waterproof and the cockpit unit will be buoyant so that the boater is maintained afloat once the unit is detached. 
     Attachment means further includes a lock means formed of a strap 66 which is strapped across the hull 12 and pod deck 26 of pod unit A. A snap type toggle release connector 68 may be provided for quickly releasing the straps in case of an emergency so that pod unit A may be released and detached. Locking straps 26 may not be necessary under all conditions, but may be under some. 
     As can best be seen in FIGS. 3 and 8, brace means 70 braces opposing sides of pod unit A laterally between hull 12. Brace means 70 may include rigid cellular foam blocks 72 attached to the sides of hull 12 by conventional fasteners 74. An interlocking joint 76 is provided between brace blocks 72 and pod compartment 27 in the form of a dovetail edge 78 along the vertical edge of brace blocks 72 and a dovetail groove 80 formed vertically in walls 40 and 36 of the pod compartment. In this manner, pod compartment 27 may slide into the hull interior vertically over dovetail edges 78 and may likewise slide out of the hull for detachment during an emergency. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates an alternate arrangement for attachment means for attaching pod unit A and kayak hull 12 together integrally. There is a generally S-shaped hull flange 82 having an outwardly curved surface 84 and an inwardly curved surface 86. Top flange 82a of flange 82 will flex to allow pod unit A to be inserted under the flange. There is a pod deck rim 88 having a nesting surface in the form of a flange 90 bearing against sealing ring 60 forcing same against curved surface 86. Flange 82 and pod rim 88 are semi-rigid polyethylene. Rim 88 includes a curved downwardly depending leg 92 covering flange 82 assisting in a waterproof seal and joint. Leg 92 is flexible and may flex inwardly into interlocking engagement with hull flange surface 84 and bond surface 86a under force of a releasable belt means 94. Belt means 94 may be any suitable belting, strapping, or elastic band and provides a retaining means similar to band 54. Preferably belt means 94 is a belt or strap (webbing or stainless steel) with a quick release buckle such that the belt may be tightened while buckled but released quickly, i.e. a seat belt and buckle. 
     Thus it can be seen that an advantageous construction can be had for a detachable pod unit. Retaining band 54, or leg 92 at belt 94 and sealing ring 60 keep the pod unit and hull attached together in a waterproof manner. With straps 60 unlocked, elastic retaining band 54, 94 may be rolled or snapped off of flange 22 and rim 28, manually or under force, to allow pod unit A to detach from kayak 10. The pod unit may be quickly released under impact forces or manually by the boater. The attachment and sealing arrangement between the hull and pod unit keeps water from entering the hull interior preventing the kayak from becoming swamped should the kayak become trapped against the water flow. Pod unit A may be customized to fit a particular boater and interchanged between kayak hulls. Further, should the pod unit A become detached with a boater seated, the pod unit is buoyant and maintains the boater afloat. If the boater has a spray skirt on, water is prevented from entering the interior of the pod unit so that a highly buoyant and floating unit is provided. 
     Should the kayak undergo high impact forces or become trapped and under extreme forces from water pressure, pod unit A may release and pop out of the kayak hull. 
     While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.