Tower for a boat

Abstract

A top shade assembly for a boat. The top shade assembly can be a convertible top shade assembly and/or part of a tower and shade assembly. The top shade assembly includes a top shade, and the top shade can be moved between a raised position and a lowered position with the top shade maintaining a generally horizontal orientation as the leg rotates between the raised position and the lowered position. The top shade can be supported by one or more legs, and the legs can be part of a tower, such as a tower equipped with a towline attachment structure for watersports.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A convertible top shade assembly for a boat, the convertible top shade assembly comprising:
 a base;   a leg having an upper portion, a lower portion, and an interior volume, the lower portion of the leg being pivotably attached to the base at a leg pivot to rotate between a raised position and a lowered position;   a top shade pivotably attached to the upper portion of the leg at a shade pivot; and   a linkage provided within the interior volume of the leg, the linkage being pivotably connected to the base at a linkage base pivot and pivotably connected to the top shade at a linkage top shade pivot to connect the top shade with the base and rotate the top shade about the shade pivot to maintain the top shade in a generally horizontal orientation as the leg rotates between the raised position and the lowered position.   
     
     
         2 . The convertible top shade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the leg includes an upper slot and the linkage top shade pivot includes a linkage top shade pin connecting the linkage with the top shade, the linkage top shade pin extending through the upper slot, the linkage top shade pin moving within the upper slot and being guided by the upper slot as the leg rotates between the raised position and the lowered position. 
     
     
         3 . The convertible top shade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the leg includes a lower slot and the linkage base pivot includes a linkage base pin connecting the linkage with the base, the linkage base pin extending through the lower slot, the linkage base pin moving within the lower slot and being guided by the lower slot as the leg rotates between the raised position and the lowered position. 
     
     
         4 . The convertible top shade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the base includes an actuator operatively coupled to the lower portion of the leg to pivot the leg about the leg pivot and rotate the leg between the raised position and the lowered position. 
     
     
         5 . The convertible top shade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the base includes a biasing member operatively coupled to the lower portion of the leg to exert a biasing force on the leg in a direction of rotation that is from the lowered position to the raised position. 
     
     
         6 . The convertible top shade assembly of  claim 5 , wherein further comprising a lock operable to be in a locked state or an unlocked state,
 wherein, in the locked state, the lock secures the leg in the raised position, the lowered position or both, and   wherein, in the unlocked state, leg is free to rotate about the leg pivot.   
     
     
         7 . The convertible top shade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the leg includes a forward strut and a rear strut defining the interior volume therebetween. 
     
     
         8 . The convertible top shade assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the leg includes one or more cover panels to enclose the interior volume within the leg. 
     
     
         9 . The convertible top shade assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the linkage base pivot is spaced apart from the leg pivot in a first direction, the first direction being one of a forward direction or a backward direction relative to the top shade, and the linkage top shade pivot is spaced apart from the shade pivot in the first direction. 
     
     
         10 . The convertible top shade assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the top shade includes a support arm extending from the upper portion of the leg, the support arm including the linkage top shade pivot and the shade pivot. 
     
     
         11 . A tower and shade assembly for a boat, the tower and shade assembly comprising:
 a tower including:
 a left base; 
 a left leg having an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion of the left leg being pivotably attached to the left base at a left leg pivot to rotate between a raised position and a lowered position; 
 a right base; 
 a right leg having an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion of the right leg being pivotably attached to the right base at a right leg pivot to rotate between a raised position and a lowered position; and 
 a header spanning between the left leg and the right leg and attached to the upper portion of each of the left leg and the right leg, the header having a towline-attachment structure; and 
   a top shade pivotably attached to the upper portion of the left leg at a left shade pivot and to the upper portion of the right leg at a right shade pivot, the top shade pivotably attached to the upper portion the left leg and the right leg separately from the header, the top shade pivoting at the left shade pivot and the right shade pivot to maintain the top shade in a generally horizontal orientation as the left leg and the right leg rotate between the raised position and the lowered position.   
     
     
         12 . The tower and shade assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising at least one of a left linkage or a right linkage,
 wherein the left linkage is pivotably connected to the left base at a linkage left base pivot and pivotably connected to the top shade at a linkage left top shade pivot to connect the top shade with the left base and rotate the top shade about the left shade pivot as the left leg rotates between the raised position and the lowered position, and   wherein the right linkage is pivotably connected to the right base at a linkage right base pivot and pivotably connected to the top shade at a linkage right top shade pivot to connect the top shade with the right base and rotate the top shade about the right shade pivot as the right leg rotates between the raised position and the lowered position.   
     
     
         13 . The tower and shade assembly of  claim 12 , wherein each of the left leg and the right leg includes one or more load bearing struts supporting the header and the towline-attachment structure, at least one of the left linkage or the right linkage being separate from the one or more load bearing struts. 
     
     
         14 . The tower and shade assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the top shade includes a left support arm and a right support arm, the left support arm extending from the left leg and having the left shade pivot, the right support arm extending from the right leg and having the right shade pivot. 
     
     
         15 . The tower and shade assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the top shade includes a top shade cover spanning from the left support arm to the right support arm. 
     
     
         16 . The tower and shade assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the top shade includes a top shade frame having a plurality of transverse supports spanning from the left support arm to the right support arm, the top shade frame supporting a flexible top shade cover thereon. 
     
     
         17 . A tower and shade assembly for a boat, the tower and shade assembly comprising:
 a tower, including:
 a left base; 
 a left leg having an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion of the left leg being pivotably attached to the left base at a left leg pivot to rotate between a raised position and a lowered position; 
 a right base; 
 a right leg having an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion of the right leg being pivotably attached to the right base at a right leg pivot to rotate between a raised position and a lowered position; and 
 a header spanning between the left leg and the right leg and attached to the upper portion of each of the left leg and the right leg, the header having a towline-attachment structure, wherein the tower includes a tower upper portion with the header, the upper portion of the right leg, and the upper portion of the left leg being provided in the upper portion of the tower; 
   a top shade pivotably attached to the upper portion of the tower and extending therefrom; and   a linkage pivotably connected to one of the left base or the right base at a linkage base pivot and pivotably connected to the top shade at a linkage top shade pivot to connect the top shade with one of the left base and the right base and rotate the top shade to maintain the top shade in a generally horizontal orientation as the left leg and the right leg rotate between the raised position and the lowered position.   
     
     
         18 . The tower and shade assembly of  claim 17 , wherein one of the left leg or the right leg is a hollow structural leg that includes an interior volume, and the linkage is provided within the interior volume of the hollow structural leg. 
     
     
         19 . The tower and shade assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the hollow structural leg includes one or more cover panels to enclose the interior volume within the hollow structural leg. 
     
     
         20 . A boat comprising:
 a hull, including a seating area formed therein; and   the tower and shade assembly of  claim 17 , wherein, in the raised position, the top shade is positioned over the seating area.