Boat Lift with Inflatable Air Bags for Floating Dock

Abstract

A boat storage device including a floating boat dock and a floatable boat lift connected to the floating boat dock. The floatable boat lift has an inflatable and deflatable air bag. The air bag may be inflated with air to raise the boat relative to the floating boat dock and the air bag may be deflated to lower the boat relative to the floating boat dock for launching of the boat. The air bag collapses when deflated to enable use in very shallow water.

1 . A boat storage device, comprising:
 a floating boat dock floatable on a body of water;   a floatable boat lift connected to the floating boat dock and configured to hold a boat for raising the boat and lowering the boat relative to the floating boat dock, the floatable boat lift comprising:
 a frame, a connector connecting the frame to the floating boat dock and enabling the frame to move relative to the floating boat dock, an inflatable and deflatable air bag attached to the frame, an air blower in flow communication with an interior of the air bag, and a controller operatively associated with the air blower for controlling the air blower to selectively inflate air into the air bag or to deflate air from the air bag, 
   wherein the air bag may be inflated with air to raise the boat relative to the floating boat dock and the air bag may be deflated to lower the boat relative to the floating boat dock for launching of the boat, and   wherein when an upper surface level of the body of water is low such that the air bag is in contact with a solid bottom surface of the body of water underneath the floating boat dock, deflation of the air bag collapses the air bag relative to the solid bottom surface to further lower the boat.   
     
     
         2 . The boat storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a rigid frame. 
     
     
         3 . The boat storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the inflatable air bag includes projections on an upper surface of the air bag that engage the frame. 
     
     
         4 . The boat storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the connector connecting the frame to the floating boat dock enables the frame to move vertically relative to the floating boat dock. 
     
     
         5 . The boat storage device of  claim 1 , further comprising three additional connectors connecting the frame to the floating boat dock, with a first pair of the connectors on one side of the frame and a second pair of the connectors on the other side of the frame, each pair of the connectors being pivotally connected by a pivot connector spanning between them. 
     
     
         6 . A floatable boat lift connectable to a floating boat dock floatable on a body of water and configured to hold a boat for raising the boat and lowering the boat relative to the floating boat dock, the floatable boat lift comprising:
 a frame, a connector configured for connecting the frame to the floating boat dock and enabling the frame to move relative to the floating boat dock, an inflatable and deflatable air bag attached to the frame, an air blower in flow communication with an interior of the air bag, and a controller operatively associated with the air blower for controlling the air blower to selectively inflate air into the air bag or to deflate air from the air bag,   wherein the air bag may be inflated with air to raise the boat and the air bag may be deflated to lower the boat, and   wherein when an upper surface level of the body of water is low such that the air bag is in contact with a solid bottom surface of the body of water, deflation of the air bag collapses the air bag relative to the solid bottom surface to further lower the boat.