Under-gunnel locker door

Abstract

An articulated door which slides along a track. The track is arcuate so as to extend a distance equal to the height of the door. The track is curved up underneath the gunnel of a boat. The tracks are formed as an opposed facing pair so as to support the door as it slides up and along the track to open access into the storage locker formed between the door when in its closed position and the side wall of the boat hull.

1 . For mounting under a boat gunnel in a gunnel cavity defined by and under the boat gunnel, wherein the gunnel cavity has a gunnel height, and a gunnel width between an interior sidewall of the gunnel and a corresponding sidewall of the boat hull, a gunnel locker door comprising: 
 a parallel, spaced-apart pair of rails lying in corresponding parallel vertical planes,    an articulated door having horizontal slats pivotally mounted to one another and supported in sliding engagement between said pair of rails for sliding between a closed position wherein said door is substantially vertical so as to close-off a locker aperture defined between said pair of rails, and an open position wherein said door is translated on said pair of rails so as to stow said door hidden underneath and substantially inside the boat gunnel, and so as to expose said locker aperture,    wherein each rail of said pair of rails has an upper portion adapted for mounting underneath, so as to be substantially contained by, the boat gunnel so as to hold, and said upper portion sufficiently long to hold in said sliding engagement, generally the entire height of said door when in said open position.    
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said upper portion of said each rail is curved in a loop so as to define a vertex of said loop and a distal end of said upper portion which extends downwardly from said vertex, and wherein said loop extends a height not exceeding the gunnel height, and wherein said distal end when said rail is mounted closely adjacent under the gunnel extends from said vertex so as to be adjacent the corresponding sidewall of the boat hull, and wherein the length of said upper portion is such that, when stowed in said loop, the length of said upper portion does not exceed the width of the boat gunnel.  
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2  wherein said distal end of said upper portion is longer than an intermediate segment of said upper portion which extends from said vertex to a lower vertical portion of said rail adjacent said locker aperture.  
     
     
         4 . A gunnel locker system for a boat comprising: 
 a boat gunnel defining gunnel cavity under said boat gunnel, wherein the gunnel cavity has a gunnel height, and a gunnel width between an interior sidewall of the gunnel and a corresponding sidewall of the boat hull,    a parallel, spaced-apart pair of rails lying in corresponding parallel vertical planes,    an articulated door having horizontal slats pivotally mounted to one another and supported in sliding engagement between said pair of rails for sliding between a closed position wherein said door is substantially vertical so as to close-off a locker aperture defined between said pair of rails, and an open position wherein said door is translated on said pair of rails so as to stow said door hidden underneath and substantially inside the boat gunnel, and so as to expose said locker aperture,    wherein each rail of said pair of rails has an upper portion adapted for mounting underneath, so as to be substantially contained by, the boat gunnel so as to hold, said upper portion sufficiently long to hold in said sliding engagement, generally the entire height of said door when in said open position.    
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein said upper portion of said each rail is curved in a loop so as to define a vertex of said loop and a distal end of said upper portion which extends downwardly from said vertex, and wherein said loop extends a height not exceeding the gunnel height, and wherein said distal end when said rail is mounted closely adjacent under the gunnel extends from said vertex so as to be adjacent the corresponding sidewall of the boat hull, and wherein the length of said upper portion is such that, when stowed in said loop, the length of said upper portion does not exceed the width of the boat gunnel.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein said distal end of said upper portion is longer than an intermediate segment of said upper portion which extends from said vertex to a lower vertical portion of said rail adjacent said locker aperture.  
     
     
         7 . For mounting under a boat gunnel in a gunnel cavity defined by and under the boat gunnel, wherein the gunnel cavity has a gunnel height, and a gunnel width between an interior sidewall of the gunnel and a corresponding sidewall of the boat hull, a gunnel locker door comprising: 
 a parallel, spaced-apart pair of rails lying in corresponding parallel vertical planes,    an articulated door having horizontal slats pivotally mounted to one another and supported in sliding engagement between said pair of rails for sliding between a closed position wherein said door is substantially vertical so as to close-off a locker aperture defined between said pair of rails, and an open position wherein said door is translated on said pair of rails so as to stow said door hidden underneath the boat gunnel, and so as to expose said locker aperture,    wherein each rail of said pair of rails has an upper portion mountable underneath the boat gunnel, said upper portion sufficiently long to hold in said sliding engagement generally the entire height of said door when in said open position,    wherein said upper portion of said each rail is curved in a loop so as to define a vertex of said loop and a distal end of said upper portion which extends downwardly from said vertex, and wherein said loop extends a height not exceeding the gunnel height, and wherein said distal end when said rail is mounted closely adjacent under the gunnel extends from said vertex so as to be adjacent the corresponding sidewall of the boat hull, and wherein the length of said upper portion is such that, when stowed in said loop, the length of said upper portion does not exceed the width of the boat gunnel.    
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7  wherein said distal end of said upper portion is longer than an intermediate segment of said upper portion which extends from said vertex to a lower vertical portion of said rail adjacent said locker aperture.  
     
     
         9 . A gunnel locker system for a boat comprising: 
 a boat gunnel defining gunnel cavity under said boat gunnel, wherein the gunnel cavity has a gunnel height, and a gunnel width between an interior sidewall of the gunnel and a corresponding sidewall of the boat hull,    a parallel, spaced-apart pair of rails lying in corresponding parallel vertical planes,    an articulated door having horizontal slats pivotally mounted to one another and supported in sliding engagement between said pair of rails for sliding between a closed position wherein said door is substantially vertical so as to close-off a locker aperture defined between said pair of rails, and an open position wherein said door is translated on said pair of rails so as to stow said door hidden underneath the boat gunnel, and so as to expose said locker aperture,    wherein each rail of said pair of rails has an upper portion mountable underneath the boat gunnel, said upper portion sufficiently long to hold in said sliding engagement generally the entire height of said door when in said open position,    wherein said upper portion of said each rail is curved in a loop so as to define a vertex of said loop and a distal end of said upper portion which extends downwardly from said vertex, and wherein said loop extends a height not exceeding the gunnel height, and wherein said distal end when said rail is mounted closely adjacent under the gunnel extends from said vertex so as to be adjacent the corresponding sidewall of the boat hull, and wherein the length of said upper portion is such that, when stowed in said loop, the length of said upper portion does not exceed the width of the boat gunnel.    
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein said distal end of said upper portion is longer than an intermediate segment of said upper portion which extends from said vertex to a lower vertical portion of said rail adjacent said locker aperture.