Expandable pontoon boat with expandable flooring system and expandable structure

Abstract

An expandable pontoon boat includes an expandable flooring system with an expandable pontoon structure. The expandable pontoon structure includes at least two pontoon members and at least one expandable connection. The expandable connection is configured to expand and contract. Each connection includes a first and second connection member. The first connection member has a first distal end and a first proximal end rotatably connected to a base pontoon member at a first connection point. The second connection member has a second proximal end, a second distal end, and a second mid-point. The first distal end is rotatably connected at the second mid-point. The second connection member is connected between the base pontoon member and an extendable pontoon member. The second proximal end is slidably affixed to the base pontoon member and the second distal end is rotatably affixed to the extendable pontoon member at a second connection point.

1 . An expandable pontoon boat comprising:
 an expandable flooring system with an expandable pontoon structure comprising:
 at least two pontoon members; 
 at least one expandable connection between each of the at least two pontoon members, the at least one expandable connection is configured to expand and contract a distance between the pontoon members, each of the at least one expandable connection including:
 a first connection member with a first proximal end and a first distal end; 
 the first distal end is rotatably connected to a base pontoon member at a first connection point; 
 a second connection member with a second proximal end, a second distal end, and a second mid-point; 
 the first distal end of the first connection member is rotatably connected at the second mid-point of the second connection member; and 
 the second connection member is connected between the base pontoon member and an extendable pontoon member, 
 where the second proximal end is slidably affixed to the base pontoon member and the second distal end is rotatably affixed to the extendable pontoon member at a second connection point. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The expandable pontoon boat of  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one expandable connection is configured to expand and contract the distance between each of the at least two pontoon members while maintaining each of the at least two pontoon members parallel to one another and at a fixed longitudinal orientation to one another. 
     
     
         3 . The expandable pontoon boat of  claim 1 , wherein the expandable pontoon structure includes two expandable connections between each of the at least two pontoon members. 
     
     
         4 . The expandable pontoon boat of  claim 1 , wherein the expandable pontoon structure includes three pontoon members. 
     
     
         5 . The expandable pontoon boat of  claim 4 , wherein the expandable pontoon structure including:
 at least one first expandable connection between the base pontoon member and a first extendable pontoon member on a first side of the base pontoon member; and   at least one second expandable connection between the base pontoon member and a second extendable pontoon member on a second side of the base pontoon member.   
     
     
         6 . The expandable pontoon boat of  claim 5 , wherein the expandable pontoon structure including:
 two of the first expandable connections between the base pontoon member and the first extendable pontoon member on the first side of the base pontoon member; and   two of the second expandable connections between the base pontoon member and the second extendable pontoon member on the second side of the base pontoon member.   
     
     
         7 . The expandable pontoon boat of  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one expandable connection including:
 the first connection member including a first upper connection member and a first lower connection member positioned at a first space apart, where the first distal end interconnects the first upper connection member and the first lower connection member and rotatably connects them to the base pontoon member at the first connection point;   the second connection member including a second upper connection member and a second lower connection member positioned at a second space apart; and   the first connection member is positioned at a vertical offset from the second connection member, where the first distal end of the first connection member is rotatably connected at the second mid-point of the second connection member, where the first upper connection member or the first lower connection member is positioned in between the second upper connection member and the second lower connection member at the second mid-point.   
     
     
         8 . The expandable pontoon boat of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one expandable connection includes a drive mechanism configured for moving the second proximal end along the base pontoon member for expanding and contracting the distance between each of the at least two pontoon members. 
     
     
         9 . The expandable pontoon boat of  claim 8 , wherein the drive mechanism including:
 a track positioned along the base pontoon member;   a motor affixed to the second proximal end of the second connection member; and   wherein, the motor is configured to move the second proximal end of the second connection member along the track positioned along the base pontoon member for expanding and contracting the distance between each of the at least two pontoon members.   
     
     
         10 . The expandable pontoon boat of  claim 1 , wherein the expandable pontoon structure including a positioning bracket positioned along the extendable pontoon member, the positioning bracket is configured to rotatably affix the position of the second connection point of the second distal end of the second connection member to the extendable pontoon member. 
     
     
         11 . The expandable pontoon boat of  claim 1 , wherein the expandable flooring system is positioned on top of the expandable pontoon structure, where the expandable flooring system is configured to expand and contract with the expansion and contraction of the expandable pontoon structure. 
     
     
         12 . The expandable pontoon boat of  claim 11 , where the expandable flooring system including a base flooring section and at least one expandable flooring section, where each of the at least one expandable flooring section are configured to telescope out from and in toward the base flooring section with the expansion and contraction of the expandable pontoon structure. 
     
     
         13 . The expandable pontoon boat of  claim 11  further including an expandable structure on top of the expandable flooring system, the expandable structure includes walls configured to expand with a large footprint created with the expandable flooring system. 
     
     
         14 . The expandable pontoon boat of  claim 13 , wherein the expandable structure being a houseboat structure. 
     
     
         15 . The expandable pontoon boat of  claim 1  being configured to expand and collapse to be towable and road worthy. 
     
     
         16 . The expandable pontoon boat of  claim 1  being designed or configured with abilities to:
 expand from a standard width pontoon up to 3 times the standard width pontoon; 
 contract to haul on a trailer on local roads; 
 expand up to 24 feet wide; 
 be pulled by the trailer and is of a legal width to travel roads and highways without a permit; 
 be of legal height to be less than a 13.2 feet bridge law height requirements; 
 have an expandable structure with slide-outs that are configured to be stable from weight being spread throughout the expandable flooring system; 
 have the slide-outs equipped with rollers that ride on a slide-out track to create an easy expansion; 
 have a desired length configured to meet any DOT or DMV restrictions; 
 support a covered deck on a rooftop of the expandable structure; 
 provide the expandable structure, where the expandable structure is a house boat, a microhome, or a camper, where the expandable structure incorporates the slide-outs for expanding and contracting with the expandable flooring system; or 
 combinations thereof. 
 
     
     
         17 . An expandable pontoon boat comprising:
 an expandable flooring system with an expandable pontoon structure comprising:
 at least two pontoon members; 
 at least one expandable connection between each of the at least two pontoon members, the at least one expandable connection is configured to expand and contract a distance between each of the at least two pontoon members, each of the at least one expandable connection including:
 a first connection member with a first proximal end and a first distal end; 
 the first distal end is rotatably connected to a base pontoon member at a first connection point; 
 a second connection member with a second proximal end, a second distal end, and a second mid-point; 
 the first distal end of the first connection member is rotatably connected at the second mid-point of the second connection member; 
 the second connection member is connected between the base pontoon member and an extendable pontoon member, where the second proximal end is slidably affixed to the base pontoon member and the second distal end is rotatably affixed to the extendable pontoon member at a second connection point; 
 
   wherein each of the at least one expandable connection is configured to expand and contract the distance between each of the at least two pontoon members while maintaining each of the at least two pontoon members parallel to one another and at a fixed longitudinal orientation to one another;   each of the at least one expandable connection including:
 the first connection member including a first upper connection member and a first lower connection member positioned at a first space apart, where the first distal end interconnects the first upper connection member and the first lower connection member and rotatably connects them to the base pontoon member at the first connection point; 
 the second connection member including a second upper connection member and a second lower connection member positioned at a second space apart; 
 the first connection member is positioned at a vertical offset from the second connection member, where the first distal end of the first connection member is rotatably connected at the second mid-point of the second connection member, where the first upper connection member or the first lower connection member is positioned in between the second upper connection member and the second lower connection member at the second mid-point; 
 wherein at least one of the at least one expandable connection includes a drive mechanism configured for moving the second proximal end along the base pontoon member for expanding and contracting the distance between each of the at least two pontoon members, wherein the drive mechanism including: 
 a track positioned along the base pontoon member; 
 a motor affixed to the second proximal end of the second connection member; 
 wherein, the motor is configured to move the second proximal end of the second connection member along the track positioned along the base pontoon member for expanding and contracting the distance between each of the at least two pontoon members; 
   wherein the expandable pontoon structure including:
 two first expandable connections between the base pontoon member and a first extendable pontoon member on the first side of the base pontoon member; 
 two second expandable connections between the base pontoon member and a second extendable pontoon member on the second side of the base pontoon member; 
   wherein the expandable pontoon structure including a positioning bracket along the extendable pontoon member, the positioning bracket is configured to rotatably affix the second connection point position of the second distal end of the second connection member to the extendable pontoon member;   wherein the expandable flooring system is positioned on top of the expandable pontoon structure, where the expandable flooring system is configured to expand and contract with the expansion and contraction of the expandable pontoon structure, where the expandable flooring system including a base flooring section and at least one expandable flooring section, where each of the at least one expandable flooring sections is configured to telescope out from and in toward the base flooring section with the expansion and contraction of the expandable pontoon structure;   an expandable structure on top of the expandable flooring system, the expandable structure including walls configured to expand with a large footprint created with the expandable flooring system;   wherein the expandable structure being a houseboat structure; and   wherein, the expandable pontoon boat is configured to expand and collapse to be towable and road worthy.   
     
     
         18 . The expandable pontoon boat of  claim 17  being designed or configured with abilities to:
 expand from a standard width pontoon up to 3 times the standard width pontoon; 
 contract to haul on a trailer on local roads; 
 expand up to 24 feet wide; 
 be pulled by the trailer and is of a legal width to travel the roads and highways without a permit; 
 be of legal height to be less than a 13.2 feet bridge law height requirements; 
 have the expandable structure with slide-outs that are configured to be stable from weight being spread throughout the expandable flooring system; 
 have the slide-outs equipped with rollers that ride on a slide-outs track to create an easy expansion; 
 have a desired length configured to meet any DOT or DMV restrictions; 
 support a covered deck on a rooftop of the expandable structure; 
 provide the expandable structure, where the expandable structure is a house boat, a microhome, or a camper, where the expandable structure incorporates the slide-outs for expanding and contracting with the expandable flooring system; or 
 combinations thereof. 
 
     
     
         19 . An expandable connection for an expandable pontoon structure comprising:
 a first connection member with a first proximal end and a first distal end;   the first distal end is rotatably connected to a base pontoon member at a first connection point;   a second connection member with a second proximal end, a second distal end, and a second mid-point;   the first distal end of the first connection member is rotatably connected at the second mid-point of the second connection member;   the second connection member is connected between the base pontoon member and an extendable pontoon member, where the second proximal end is slidably affixed to the base pontoon member and the second distal end is rotatably affixed to the extendable pontoon member at a second connection point; and   wherein, when the expandable connection is between two pontoon members, the expandable connection is configured to expand and contract a distance between the two pontoon members.   
     
     
         20 . The expandable connection of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the first connection member including a first upper connection member and a first lower connection member positioned at a first space apart, where the first distal end interconnects the first upper connection member and the first lower connection member and rotatably connects them to the base pontoon member at the first connection point;   the second connection member including a second upper connection member and a second lower connection member positioned at a second space apart; and   the first connection member is positioned at a vertical offset from the second connection member, where the first distal end of the first connection member is rotatably connected at the second mid-point of the second connection member, where the first upper connection member or the first lower connection member is positioned in between the second upper connection member and the second lower connection member at the second mid-point.