Watercraft port canopy assembly with flexible joints

Abstract

One example provides a canopy assembly including a canopy frame to support a flexible cover to form a canopy, the canopy frame including at least a first beam and a second beam and a plurality of trusses to extend between the first beam and the second beam. A plurality of columns is to support the canopy frame, each column including a leg having a lower end to couple to a floating watercraft port, a gusset to connect to an upper end of the leg, the gusset to engage the corresponding one of the first beam and the second beam, and at least one binding device to hold the corresponding one of the first beam and the second beam to the gusset to form a flexible joint there between to enable the canopy frame and the column to move relative to one another at the flexible joint.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A canopy assembly for a floating watercraft port comprising:
 a flexible cover;   a canopy frame to support the flexible cover to form a canopy, the canopy frame including at least a first beam and a second beam; and   a plurality of columns to support the canopy frame, each column including:
 a leg having a lower end to couple to the watercraft port and an opposing upper end; and 
 a gusset to connect to the upper end of the leg, the gusset to engage the corresponding one of the first beam and the second beam; and 
 at least one binding device to non-interconnectedly hold the corresponding one of the first beam and the second beam to the gusset to form a non-rigid flexible joint there between to enable the canopy frame and the column to move relative to one another at the flexible joint. 
   
     
     
         2 . The canopy assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each gusset includes a u-shaped channel in which the corresponding one of the first and second beams is to be seated. 
     
     
         3 . The canopy assembly of  claim 1 , the second beam to oppose and be spaced from the first beam, and the canopy assembly further including:
 a plurality of center trusses to extend transversely between the first beam and the second beam, each center truss including end brackets at opposing ends, each end bracket to rest on a corresponding one of the first beam and the second beam, and wherein each end bracket has at least one corresponding binding device to non-interconnectedly hold the end bracket to the corresponding one of the first beam and the second beam to form a non-rigid flexible joint there between to enable the center truss and the corresponding one of the first and second beams to move relative to one another at the flexible joint.   
     
     
         4 . The canopy assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the gussets and at least the end brackets of the center trusses comprise a polymeric material, and wherein the first and second beams and the legs of the columns comprise metal such that the gussets eliminate metal-to-metal contact between the column legs and the first and second beams, and the end bracket eliminate metal-to-metal contact between the center trusses and the first and second beams. 
     
     
         5 . The canopy assembly of  claim 4 , wherein an entirety of the center truss is a polymeric material. 
     
     
         6 . The canopy assembly of  claim 3 , wherein each flexible joint is characterized by an absence of a direct rigid interconnection fixedly joining the gusset or the end bracket to the corresponding one of the first beam and the second beam. 
     
     
         7 . The canopy assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the binding devices contact only exterior surfaces of the gussets, center trusses, and the first and second beams. 
     
     
         8 . The canopy assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the least binding device comprises a clamp. 
     
     
         9 . The canopy assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the clamp comprises a worm gear clamp. 
     
     
         10 . The canopy assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one binding device comprises a strap. 
     
     
         11 . The canopy assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the strap comprises a tensioner strap. 
     
     
         12 . The canopy assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the strap comprises a hook and loop fastener. 
     
     
         13 . The canopy assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the strap comprises a cinch belt. 
     
     
         14 . The canopy assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one binding device comprises a lashing. 
     
     
         15 . The canopy assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of columns includes a first pair of columns to support the first beam and a second pair of columns to support the second beam. 
     
     
         16 . The canopy assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the first beam is a starboard beam to extend longitudinally along a starboard edge of the floating watercraft port, and the second beam is a port beam to extend longitudinally along a port edge of the floating watercraft port, with the first pair of columns to be spaced apart along the starboard edge and the second pair of columns to be spaced apart on the port edge of the floating watercraft port. 
     
     
         17 . The canopy assembly of  claim 1 , further including a pair of end trusses, each end truss to be disposed at opposing ends of the first and second beams, and each end truss having end caps as opposing ends including beam inserts extending therefrom which are to insert into a hollow end of the corresponding one of the first beam and the second beam and be fastened thereto, at least the end caps of each end truss comprising a polymeric material. 
     
     
         18 . The canopy assembly of  claim 17 , wherein an entirety of each end truss comprises the polymeric material. 
     
     
         19 . The canopy assembly of  claim 1 , wherein flexible cover comprises an elastic material having a plurality of mounting clips disposed about a perimeter thereof which are configured to insert into and be retained within a plurality of clip retainer slots on the canopy frame. 
     
     
         20 . A flexible canopy assembly for a watercraft port comprising:
 a flexible cover comprising an elastic material;   a canopy frame to support the flexible cover to form a canopy, the canopy frame including:
 a first beam and a second beam opposing and spaced from the first beam; and 
 a plurality of trusses to extend transversely between the first beam and the second beam, each center truss including end brackets at opposing ends, each end bracket to rest on a corresponding one of the first beam and the second beam; and 
   a plurality of columns to support the canopy frame, each column including:
 a leg having a lower end to couple to the watercraft port and an opposing upper end; and 
 a gusset to connect to the upper end of the leg, the gusset including a channel to receive a corresponding one of the first beam and the second beam; and 
   a plurality of binding devices, at least one binding device to non-interconnectedly hold each end bracket and each gusset to a corresponding one of the first and second beams to form a non-rigid flexible joint there between to enable the first and second beams to move relative to the trusses and relative to the columns at the flexible joints.   
     
     
         21 . The flexible canopy of  claim 20 , wherein each gusset is non-interconnectedly held to the corresponding one of the first and second beams by a corresponding pair of binding devices, and each end bracket is non-interconnectedly held to the corresponding one of the first and second beams by a corresponding single binding device. 
     
     
         22 . The canopy system of  claim 20 , wherein each binding device is to compressively hold together the corresponding gusset or end bracket to the corresponding one of the first and second beams. 
     
     
         23 . The canopy system of  claim 22 , wherein a compressive force provided each binding device is adjustable. 
     
     
         24 . The canopy system of  claim 20 , wherein the watercraft port comprises a floating watercraft port.