Water sports equipment storage rack

Abstract

A water sports equipment storage rack includes first and second seats configured to receive a water sport device, an first engagement member aligned with the first seat and a second engagement member aligned with the second seat where each engagement member is configured to linearly move outward and inward with respect to the seat between an extended and retracted positions and to rotatably move about a pivot axis between an open position where the engagement member is spaced from the water sport device and a closed position where the engagement member abuts the water sports device thereby securing the water sport device within the storage rack, and a first drive mechanism configured to linearly move the first engagement member between the extended and retracted positions and rotatably move the first engagement member between the open and closed positions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A water sports equipment storage rack, comprising:
 a first seat and second seat laterally spaced from one another and each configured to receive a first portion of a water sport device;   an first engagement member aligned with the first seat and a second engagement member aligned with the second seat where each engagement is configured to linearly move in an outward direction away from the seat and in an inward direction toward the seat between an extended position and a retracted position and to rotatably move about a pivot axis between an open position where the engagement member is spaced from a second portion of the first water sport device thereby securing the first waster sport device within the water sports equipment storage rack; and   a first drive mechanism configured to at least one of linearly move the first engagement member between the extended and retracted positions and rotatably move the first engagement member between the open and closed positions.   
     
     
         2 . The water sports equipment storage rack of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first arm and a first hook portion that cooperate to define the first seat; and   a second arm and a second hook portion that cooperate to define the second seat.   
     
     
         3 . The water sports equipment storage rack of  claim 2 , wherein the first arm, the first hook and the engagement member cooperate to define an upwardly disposed first opening configured to receive the first water sport device when the first engagement member is in the open position. 
     
     
         4 . The water sports equipment storage rack of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a third seat and a fourth seat laterally spaced from one another and each configured to receive a first portion of a second water sport device;   an third engagement member aligned with the third seat and a fourth engagement member aligned with the fourth seat where the third and fourth engagement members are each configured to linearly move in an outward direction away from the third and fourth seats and in an inward direction toward the third and fourth seats between an extended position and a retracted position and to rotatably move about a pivot axis between an open position where the third and fourth engagement members is spaced from a second portion of the second water sport device and a closed position where the third and fourth engagement members abut the second portion of the second water sport device thereby securing the second water sport device within the water sports equipment storage rack.   
     
     
         5 . The water sports equipment storage rack of  claim 4 , wherein the third seat is vertically aligned with the first seat and the fourth seat is vertically aligned with the second seat. 
     
     
         6 . The water sports equipment storage rack of  claim 1 , where the drive mechanism is configured to linearly move the first engagement member between the extended and retracted positions and rotatably move the first engagement member between the open and closed positions. 
     
     
         7 . The water sports equipment storage rack of  claim 1 , wherein the first water sport device includes a wakeboard. 
     
     
         8 . A water sports equipment storage rack, comprising:
 a recess configured to receive a water sport device;   an engagement member configured to move between a first position where the engagement member abuts the water sport device thereby preventing the water sport device from being removed from the recess and a second position where the engagement member is spaced from the water sports device thereby allowing removal of the water sport device from the recess; and   a lock member configured to move between a locked position wherein the lock member engages the engagement member thereby preventing the engagement member form moving from the first portion to the second position and an unlocked position where the lock member is disengaged from the engagement member thereby allowing the engagement member to move from the first position to the second position.   
     
     
         9 . The water sports equipment storage rack of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 an actuator including a housing, a first rod and a second rod, wherein the first second rods are each telescoping received within the housing and operably coupled to the engagement member and the lock member, wherein first rod has a first length of full travel from within the housing and the second rod has a second length of full travel this is less than the first length of full travel.   
     
     
         10 . The water sports equipment storage rack of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a first spring configured to bias the engagement member from the second position toward the first position.   
     
     
         11 . The water sports equipment storage rack of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a second spring configured to bias the lock member from the unlocked position toward the locked position.   
     
     
         12 . The water sports equipment storage rack of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a seat which forms a portion of the recess and is configured to receive a portion of the water sport device, wherein the engagement member is configured to linearly move in an outward direction away from the seat and in an inward direction toward the seat between an extended position and a retracted position.   
     
     
         13 . The water sports equipment storage rack of  claim 12 , wherein the engagement member is configured to rotatably move between the first and second positions. 
     
     
         14 . The water sports equipment storage rack of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a drive mechanism configured to move the engagement member both linearly and rotatably.   
     
     
         15 . A water sports equipment storage rack, comprising:
 a seat configured to receive a first portion of a water sport device;   an engagement member that is configured to linearly move between a first position where the engagement member is spaced from a second portion of the water sport device and a second position where the engagement member abuts the second portion of the water sports device thereby securing the water sport device within the water sports equipment storage rack;   an elastically deformable cover overmolded onto at least one of a portion of the seat and a portion of the engagement member such that the elastically deformable cover abuts at least one of the first portion of the water sport device and the second portion of the water sport device when the engagement member is in the second position.   
     
     
         16 . The water sports equipment storage rack of  claim 15 , wherein the elastically deformable cover comprises foam. 
     
     
         17 . The water sports equipment storage rack of  claim 15 , wherein the elastically deformable cover is overmolded onto the seat and the engagement member. 
     
     
         18 . The water sports equipment storage rack of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the seat and the engagement member includes a plurality of reliefs, and wherein the elastically deformable cover is molded to the plurality of reliefs. 
     
     
         19 . The water sports equipment storage rack of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 an arm and hook portion that cooperate to define the first seat, where the arm extends between the hook portion and the engagement member; and   where the elastically deformable cover is overmolded onto at least one of the portion of the seat, the portion of the engagement member and a portion of the arm such that the elastically deformable cover abuts at least on of the first portion of the water sport device and the second portion of the water sport device when the engagement member is in the second position.   
     
     
         20 . The water sports equipment storage rack of  claim 19 , wherein at least one of the seat, the engagement member and the arm includes a plurality of reliefs, and wherein the elastically deformable cover is molded to the plurality of reliefs. 
     
     
         21 . The water sports equipment storage rack of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 an arm and hook portion that cooperate to define the first seat, where the arm extends between the hook portion and the engagement member; and   where the elastically deformable cover is overmolded onto the seat, engagement member and the arm such that the elastically deformable abuts at least one of the first portion of the water sport device and the second portion of the water sport device when the engagement member is in the second position.   
     
     
         22 . A water sports equipment storage rack, comprising:
 a receiver configured to receive a water sport device therein;   an engagement member movable between a first position where the engagement member is spaced from the water sport device and a second position where the engagement member abuts the water sport device thereby preventing the water sport device from being removed from within the receiver;   a drive mechanism configured to move the engagement member between the first and second positions, wherein the drive mechanism includes an electric motor; and   a controller configured to activate the electric motor to move the engagement member between the first and second positions, wherein the controller is configured to deactivate the electric motor in response to an increase in current draw by the electric motor when the engagement member reaches at least one of the first position and the second position.   
     
     
         23 . The water sport equipment storage rack of  claim 22 , wherein the controller is configured to deactivate the electric motor in response to an increase in current draw by the electric motor when the engagement member reaches the first position and the second position. 
     
     
         24 . The water sport equipment storage rack of  claim 22 , wherein the engagement member is configured to move in a linear path between the first and second positions. 
     
     
         25 . The water sport equipment storage rack of  claim 24 , wherein the engagement member is configured to rotatably move about a pivot axis between an open position where the engagement member is spaced from the first water sport device and a closed position where the engagement member abuts the first water sport device. 
     
     
         26 . The water sport equipment storage rack of  claim 25 , where the drive mechanism is configured to rotate the engagement member about the pivot axis. 
     
     
         27 . The water sport equipment storage rack of  claim 26 , wherein the electric motor is configured to rotate the engagement member about the pivot axis.