Anchor device and method

Abstract

An anchor device is provided for securing a watercraft via an improved anchor. The anchor device may include a spine component, rotation members rotatable about the spine component, slats, and additional features. During operation, the anchor device advantageously provides increased contacting edges to grip an uneven anchoring surface, such as a rocky lakebed or river bottom. A method for securing a watercraft via an improved anchor using the anchor device is also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An anchor device comprising:
 a spine component comprising an elongated spine component member extending from a mounting spine component end to a distal spine component end;   rotation members comprising:
 a rotation member edge, 
 a rotation member face, and 
 a rotation member opening through which the spine component is installed, the rotation members operatively rotating about the spine component at the rotation member opening substantially independently of each other; and 
   wherein when deployed, the rotation members selectively rotate about the spine component to engage an anchoring surface.   
     
     
         2 . The anchor device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a slat installed to the spine component between the rotation members, the slat comprising:
 a slat opening through which the spine component is installed, and 
 a slat face to interface with the rotation members installed to the spine component adjacent to the slat; 
   wherein the slat face contacts the rotation members by having a slat face surface area that is less than a rotation member face surface area of the rotation member face to reduce friction and facilitate dynamic rotation of the rotation members.   
     
     
         3 . The anchor device of  claim 2 , wherein the slats are constructed using a slat material producing the friction that is less than produced by the rotating members. 
     
     
         4 . The anchor device of  claim 1 , wherein the rotation members comprise:
 a first rotation member; and   a second rotation member that differs in dimensions from the first rotation member.   
     
     
         5 . The anchor device of  claim 4 , wherein the rotation members installed to the spine component alternate between the first rotation member and the second rotation member. 
     
     
         6 . The anchor device of  claim 4 , wherein the first rotation member comprises:
 a first rotation member length edge defined by a first rotation member length; and   a first rotation member width edge defined by a first rotation member width.   
     
     
         7 . The anchor device of  claim 6 , wherein the second rotation member comprises:
 a second rotation member length edge defined by a second rotation member length that is different than the first rotation member length; and   a second rotation member width edge defined by a second rotation member width that is different than the first rotation member width.   
     
     
         8 . The anchor device of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a slat installed to the spine component between the first rotation member and the second rotation member.   
     
     
         9 . The anchor device of  claim 8 , wherein the slat further comprises:
 a slat opening through which the spine component is installed;   a first slat face to interface with the first rotation member installed to the spine component adjacent to the slat;   a second slat face to interface with the second rotation member installed to the spine component adjacent to the slat; and   wherein the first slat face contacts the first rotation member;   wherein the second slat face contacts the second rotation member; and   wherein the first slat face and the second slat face are defined by a slat face surface area that is less than a first rotation member face surface area or a second rotation member face surface area to reduce friction between the first rotation member and the second rotation member and facilitate dynamic rotation of the rotation members about the spine component.   
     
     
         10 . The anchor device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a tether mounting component removably installed to the mounting spine component end of the spine component; and   wherein a tether is operatively installable to the spine component via the tether mounting component.   
     
     
         11 . The anchor device of  claim 10 , wherein the spine component further comprises:
 an eyebolt located at the mounting spine component end of the spine component to receive the tether mounting component.   
     
     
         12 . The anchor device of  claim 1 , wherein the spine component further comprises:
 an eyebolt located at the mounting spine component end of the spine component to receive a tether.   
     
     
         13 . The anchor device of  claim 1 , wherein when deployed in a body of water having the anchoring surface that is uneven, the rotation members selectively rotate about the spine component to engage the anchoring surface that is uneven;
 wherein the rotation members that are rotated to correspond with the anchoring surface that is uneven increase grip by the rotation members to the anchoring surface to facilitate maintaining an anchored position of a watercraft with respect to the body of water; and   wherein the rotation members that are rotated to correspond with the anchoring surface that is uneven dig into the anchoring surface to facilitate maintaining the anchored position of the watercraft with respect to the body of water.   
     
     
         14 . The anchor device of  claim 1 , wherein the rotation member edge is substantially linear. 
     
     
         15 . An anchor device comprising:
 a spine component comprising an elongated spine component member extending from a mounting spine component end to a distal spine component end;   rotation members comprising:
 a rotation member edge, 
 a rotation member face, and 
 a rotation member opening through which the spine component is installed, the rotation members operatively rotating about the spine component at the rotation member opening substantially independently of each other; and 
   wherein the rotation members comprise:
 a first rotation member comprising a first rotation member length edge defined by a first rotation member length and a first rotation member width edge defined by a first rotation member width, and 
 a second rotation member comprising a second rotation member length edge defined by a second rotation member length that is different than the first rotation member length and a second rotation member width edge defined by a second rotation member width that is different than the first rotation member width; and 
   wherein the rotation members installed to the spine component alternate between the first rotation member and the second rotation member.   
     
     
         16 . The anchor device of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a slat installed to the spine component between the rotation members, the slat comprising:
 a slat opening through which the spine component is installed, and 
 a slat face to interface with the rotation members installed to the spine component adjacent to the slat having a slat face surface area that is less than a rotation member face surface area of the rotation member face to reduce friction and facilitate dynamic rotation of the rotation members. 
   
     
     
         17 . The anchor device of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a slat installed to the spine component between the first rotation member and the second rotation member;   wherein the slat further comprises:
 a slat opening through which the spine component is installed, 
 a first slat face to interface with the first rotation member installed to the spine component adjacent to the slat, and 
 a second slat face to interface with the second rotation member installed to the spine component adjacent to the slat. 
   
     
     
         18 . An anchor device comprising:
 a spine component comprising an elongated spine component member extending from a mounting spine component end to a distal spine component end;   rotation members comprising:
 a rotation member edge, 
 a rotation member face, and 
 a rotation member opening through which the spine component is installed, the rotation members operatively rotating about the spine component at the rotation member opening substantially independently of each other; and 
   a slat installed to the spine component between the rotation members, the slat comprising:
 a slat opening through which the spine component is installed, and 
 a slat face to interface with the rotation members installed to the spine component adjacent to the slat; 
   wherein the slat face contacts the rotation members by having a slat face surface area that is less than a rotation member face surface area of the rotation member face to reduce friction and facilitate dynamic rotation of the rotation members; and   wherein the slats produce the friction that is less than produced by the rotating members.   
     
     
         19 . The anchor device of  claim 18 , wherein the rotation members comprise:
 a first rotation member comprising a first rotation member length edge defined by a first rotation member length and a first rotation member width edge defined by a first rotation member width, and   a second rotation member comprising a second rotation member length edge defined by a second rotation member length that is different than the first rotation member length and a second rotation member width edge defined by a second rotation member width that is different than the first rotation member width; and   wherein the rotation members installed to the spine component alternate between the first rotation member and the second rotation member.   
     
     
         20 . The anchor device of  claim 19 :
 wherein the slat is installed to the spine component between the first rotation member and the second rotation member.