EP0941920A2 - Treppe für ein Wasserfahrzeug - Google Patents

Treppe für ein Wasserfahrzeug Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0941920A2
EP0941920A2 EP99104788A EP99104788A EP0941920A2 EP 0941920 A2 EP0941920 A2 EP 0941920A2 EP 99104788 A EP99104788 A EP 99104788A EP 99104788 A EP99104788 A EP 99104788A EP 0941920 A2 EP0941920 A2 EP 0941920A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
members
stair assembly
extended
step members
deployed position
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP99104788A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0941920A3 (de
Inventor
Horacio E. Bozzo
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP0941920A2 publication Critical patent/EP0941920A2/de
Publication of EP0941920A3 publication Critical patent/EP0941920A3/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
    • B63B27/00—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers
    • B63B27/14—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of ramps, gangways or outboard ladders ; Pilot lifts

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a stair assembly for a watercraft and, more specifically, to a stairway having hinged step members fitted within a cavity formed in the bow, side walls or transom of a watercraft, wherein the stair assembly is movable between a compact, stowed position within the cavity and a deployed, outboard extending position to thereby permit boarding and deboarding of the watercraft.
  • stairways and ladders are well known in the marine industry to permit passage between a watercraft and a dock, body of water, adjacent vessel and the like.
  • gangways which are normally used on larger vessels to permit boarding and deboarding when the vessel is tied up along side a pier or dock.
  • swim ladders are extensively used on boats of all sizes to enable passengers to climb aboard the boat from within the water.
  • a stair assembly which is structured to permit easy passage when boarding and deboarding a watercraft. More particularly, there exists a need for a stair assembly which accommodates people of all ages and sizes, permitting easy boarding and deboarding from the watercraft into the water, onto a beach or onto an adjacent structure such as a dock or another vessel.
  • the present invention is directed to a star assembly for use on a watercraft to permit easy boarding and deboarding between the watercraft and a body of water, a beach, or a rigid structure such as a dock or adjacent vessel.
  • the stair assembly includes one or more step members hingedly fixed to one another and to the watercraft.
  • the step members are collapsible into a compact, stowed position so that the assembly fits within a cavity formed in the bow, side walls or transom of the watercraft.
  • the stair assembly When in the stowed position, the stair assembly is integral with the surrounding bow, side wall, or transom structure.
  • a joint between the star assembly and hull structure is watertight, thereby providing a seaworthy structure which prevents water from entering the watercraft when travelling on the water.
  • the stair assembly swings open, in a rolling movement, from the stowed position to an extended, deployed position.
  • the stair assembly In the deployed position, the stair assembly extends outboard of the watercraft to expose step surfaces which may be provided with a non-skid texture or paint.
  • the stair assembly In the deployed position, the stair assembly can be extended into the water so that a distal free end of the stair assembly is positioned below the surface of the water. In this manner, a person swimming in the surrounding water can easily climb aboard the watercraft by walking up the stairway.
  • the stairway can be extended to an adjacent shoreline, a dock, or another vessel.
  • handrails may be fitted along the opposite sides, extending the length of the star assembly.
  • the stair assembly is specifically structured and configured for installation on a rigid hull inflatable watercraft.
  • the under side of the step members are provided with a radius so that when the stair assembly is collapsed to the stowed position, the assembly assumes a cylindrical configuration which is congruent with the inflatable tube sections surrounding the watercraft.
  • the diameter of the formed cylinder of the stair assembly is the same as the diameter of the inflatable tubes of the watercraft thereby providing an integral structure.
  • the stair assembly 10 includes one or more step members 12 that are hinged together.
  • the uppermost step member 12 hinges to the hull structure 110 of a marine craft 100 along edge 15.
  • the star assembly 10 be mounted to the hull structure 110 of the marine craft 100 within a cavity or opening formed in the bow, side walls, or transom of the marine craft 100.
  • the stair assembly 10 is shown fitted to the bow of a rigid hull inflatable marine craft.
  • an opening is formed along a segment of the inflatable tubes 120 of the marine craft 100, providing a cavity to accommodate the star assembly 10 when the stair assembly is in its compact, stowed position and permitting passage through the cavity to traverse the stair assembly 10 when the stair assembly is in its extended, deployed position.
  • each of the step members 12 include an upper portion having at least one top step surface 20, opposite sides 22, 22', and a bottom side 24, and upper and lower transverse edges 14 between the top and bottom portions.
  • the step surfaces 20 of each of the step members 12 may be provided with a non-skid texture and/or a non-skid paint or coating material.
  • the bottom side 24 is specifically shaped and configured to conform with the structure of the bow, side walls, or transom of the marine craft 100, in accordance with the location of installation.
  • the bottom sides 24 of the step members 12 are provided with a rounded configuration, in accordance with a specific radius, so that when the stair assembly 10 is rolled up in a compact, stowed position, as seen in Figures 1, 4 and 6, the stair assembly 10 conforms generally with the configuration 106 of the hull structure 110, as well as the tubes 120 on opposite sides of the stowed stair assembly. More specifically, the configuration of the stowed stair assembly 10 is at least partially cylindrical to conform to the configuration of the cradle configuration 106 of the hull and cylindrical shape of the inflatable tube sections 120 on each side of the stair assembly 10.
  • the star assembly is mounted within cavity 125, between the inflatable tubes 120 of the marine craft with the use of a mounting assembly 90.
  • the mounting assembly 90 includes cap means 91 mounted to an end of the tube 120, facing the cavity, and including a first portion 94 and a second portion 96.
  • a shoulder 92 is formed between the first portion 94 and the second portion 96, defining an abutment shoulder which mates with the top step surface 20 of the first step member when the stair assembly is folded into the stowed position. More specifically, the first and second step members collapse to form a semi-cylindrical configuration adjacent the first portion 96 of the cap means 91 and disposed in abutting engagement with the shoulder 92.
  • the third and fourth step members are narrower in width and collapse between the second portions 94 of the opposing cap means 91 facing inwardly towards the cavity.
  • the abutment shoulder 92 serves to provide a water tight seal between the stair assembly and the cap means 91.
  • the abutment shoulder 92 may be provided with a rubber strip or another type of sealing membrane material.
  • Each of the cap means 91 are mounted to the cradle portion 106 of the hull 110 with through bolts 108, as seen in Figure 6.
  • the outer configuration of the cap means 91 is specifically structured to be congruent with the configuration of the cradle portion 106, to provide mating, sealing engagement therewith.
  • a silicone or other watertight sealing material should be placed between the mating surfaces of the cap means 91 and the cradle portion 106 to provide a watertight attachment thereto.
  • the stair assembly 10 When the stair assembly 10 is opened to one of various deployed positions, as seen in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5, the stair assembly 10 extends outboard of the marine craft 100.
  • the stair assembly 10 In Figure 1, the stair assembly 10 is shown extending down below the surface 40 of the water, enabling a person 50 to walk up the stair assembly 10 and into the marine craft 100.
  • the cavity 125 formed through the bow, side walls or transom of the marine craft 100 provides a walk-through passage. This enables persons traversing the stair assembly 10 to board and de-board the marine craft 100 without having to climb over the gunwale 130 of the marine craft 100.
  • the lowermost step member may further be provided with a folding ladder 80 formed of aluminum, stainless steel, polyvinyl chloride, fiberglass, or other like corrosion resistant material.
  • the folding ladder 80 is hingedly attached to the lowermost step member and is movable between a collapsed, stowed position against the bottom of the step member and an operable position (as shown in Figure 1) extending beyond the lower transverse edge of the lowermost step member, and generally downward therefrom.
  • FIG. 4A-4D a sequence of movements of four step members 12 is shown, moving from the compact, stowed position to an extended, deployed position.
  • the movement of the step members 12 is in a generally rolling motion, wherein each of the step members 12 rotates through a predetermined arc (limited by rope 70, stop members 60, or articulated hinge 66, as described more fully hereinafter) about the respective hinge 30 connecting adjacent step members 12 until reaching the desired deployed position.
  • FIG. 6A-6D a sequence of movements of three step members 12 is shown and being deployed from a compact, stowed position to an extended, deployed position in a generally rolling motion
  • the stair assembly 10 is shown extending outward above the water 40 to a dock 42, thereby enabling persons to traverse the stair assembly 10 and board and de-board from the dock 42.
  • Means are provided for releasably locking the step members 12 into folded or unfolded positions as required.
  • the upper most and lower most step members 12 are locked in an unfolded, extended position and the middle step member 12 is locked in a folded position against the upper most step member 12, thereby creating a traversable bridge between the marine craft 100 and the dock 42.
  • the step members 12 may be manufactured of many suitable composites such as fiberglass reinforced plastic, kevlar, carbon, plastic, PVC, aluminum, steel, or rubber (similar to the inflatable tubes of the illustrated marine craft). Furthermore, the interior of the step members 12 may be hollow and may utilize grates over the step surfaces to support the weight of a person 50 while also permitting water to fill the interior of the step members so that they sink when deployed overboard in the extended, operable position.
  • Hinges 30 are used for attaching adjacently positioned step members to one another along the upper and lower transverse edges 14 for permitting hinged movement of the step members in a generally rolling motion between the compact, stowed position, and the extended, deployed position as shown in Figures 1, 4 and 6.
  • Hinges 32 are utilized to attach the uppermost step member 12 along its upper transverse edge 14 to the deck 104 or the hull 110 of the marine craft 100.
  • Means are also provided for releasably locking the step members 12 into the stowed, compact position.
  • step members Various means are available for stopping the hinged movement of the step members beyond the extended, deployed position.
  • the fully extended position is reached when the attached step members form a stairway that extends away from the marine craft with the step surfaces positioned and maintained horizontal.
  • FIG. 2 and 7A One such means for stopping the hinged movement is shown in Figures 2 and 7A and uses ropes threaded through holes 72 in the step members 12 with knots 76 at fixed spaced intervals along the ropes 70.
  • Each of the knots 76 are structured and disposed to engage an under side surface of the respective step members 12 upon the respective step member 12 reaching the extended, deployed position, and thereby preventing further, hinged, opening movement of the respective step member 12 beyond the extended, deployed position.
  • an elastic cord 74 is attached between each respective step member 12 and a location on the rope 70 midway between the knot 76 engaging the respective step member 12 and the knot 76 engaged to the next lower step member 12.
  • the elastic cords 74 pull the rope 70 inside the step members 12 when the stair assembly 10 is retracted to a stowed position.
  • the ropes 70 are further used as a means for lifting and retracting the step members 12 from the extended, deployed position to stowed position.
  • FIG. 7B An alternate embodiment for stopping hinged movement of the step members is shown in Figure 7B wherein opposing stop members 60 are positioned on the bottom 24 of the step members 12.
  • the stop members 60 are positioned and disposed to mate in abutting engagement upon adjacently positioned step members 12 reaching the extended, deployed position, thereby preventing further hinged, opening movement of the adjacently positioned step members 12 beyond the extended, deployed position.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Vehicle Step Arrangements And Article Storage (AREA)
  • Steps, Ramps, And Handrails (AREA)
EP99104788A 1998-03-12 1999-03-10 Treppe für ein Wasserfahrzeug Withdrawn EP0941920A3 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US7776598P 1998-03-12 1998-03-12
US77765P 1998-03-12

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0941920A2 true EP0941920A2 (de) 1999-09-15
EP0941920A3 EP0941920A3 (de) 2002-01-16

Family

ID=22139919

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP99104788A Withdrawn EP0941920A3 (de) 1998-03-12 1999-03-10 Treppe für ein Wasserfahrzeug

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0941920A3 (de)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2834689A1 (fr) * 2002-01-17 2003-07-18 Wauquiez Internat Sa Coque de bateau de plaisance dont la poupe est equipee d'une trappe formant une plate-forme d'acces a la mer
CN107298155A (zh) * 2017-05-16 2017-10-27 成都协恒科技有限公司 一种应急折叠登船梯
CN113895585A (zh) * 2021-10-15 2022-01-07 沪东中华造船(集团)有限公司 一种船舶锚链舱踏脚装置的安装方法

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2493639A (en) * 1945-07-30 1950-01-03 Pellegrini Phillip Folding vehicle step
DE3301179A1 (de) * 1983-01-15 1984-07-19 Reinhold Dipl.-Ing. Speck (FH), 7700 Singen Rettungsleiter fuer wasserfahrzeuge
DE3925033A1 (de) * 1989-07-28 1991-02-07 Deere & Co Leiter mit einem oberen und einem unteren sprossenteil
FR2689085A1 (fr) * 1992-03-24 1993-10-01 Briand Philippe Partie arrière de bateau, en particulier de voilier.
US5537949A (en) * 1995-02-24 1996-07-23 Outboard Marine Corporation Diver's boarding ladder

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
None

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2834689A1 (fr) * 2002-01-17 2003-07-18 Wauquiez Internat Sa Coque de bateau de plaisance dont la poupe est equipee d'une trappe formant une plate-forme d'acces a la mer
CN107298155A (zh) * 2017-05-16 2017-10-27 成都协恒科技有限公司 一种应急折叠登船梯
CN113895585A (zh) * 2021-10-15 2022-01-07 沪东中华造船(集团)有限公司 一种船舶锚链舱踏脚装置的安装方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0941920A3 (de) 2002-01-16

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