The invention involves the safeguarding and handling simplification for a drop down platform, for picking up tenders and persons onto a watercraft according to the preamble of the initial claim
Drop down platforms, especially for swimmers, divers and tenders are well-known as described in patents DE 196 02 331, U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,045. These allow persons or material to be comfortably let down into the water or to be taken on board.
Specific safety elements such as the locking device of the platform and remote control are well-known and among others are described in patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,992.
The invention involves that, on a watercraft with a drop down platform enabling a tender or persons to be picked up from the water or to be lowered into the water enables the very best possible safety precautions, bearing in mind that certain procedures can only take place when certain conditions are fulfilled beforehand. Also not too many indicators should confuse the user but with the simplest information the offering or a certain position can be displayed or automatically positioned to. In the case of lowering the platform should there be a stem drive on the watercraft's transom, then the stern drive should not be in the tilted up position and the steering angle has to be as small as possible, so that the platform can be lowered without collision. Also for e.g. in case the platform is lowered the watercraft can only be operated at low rpm or not at all. In addition the platform should not be lowered further or not less than the set points, e.g. the platform is lowered automatically to the proper position to pick up a tender by means of a preset point.
In addition to the recess in the platform and at the same time a coverage of the stern drive or jet drive or rudder by a cover lid with side cover lids or electric safety edges which, when coming into contact with a foot or a limb with the cover lid, the platform will stop immediately, which is a security feature of the whole system as well as a simple and logical operation and comfort element. A remote control with a range beyond the vision range of the platform is critical from a safety point of view. An integrated radio via bluetooth in the remote control is neat and represents a direct, recurring handling of the control unit, which ensures a confident and in the subconscious mind a fine motoric memorized handling.
Quintessence of the invention is, to provide a dropdown swimplatform with improved safety components so as simplify the handling of the system so that certain procedures can only take place using compelled and previously terminated functions and thereby increasing the comfort as well, which reduces thereby the possible handling stress and at the same time creating a clear safety feature.
Various exemplary aspects of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings wherein:
It shows
Only essential elements of the invention are schematically shown to facilitate immediate understanding.
A gangway can also be controlled by using the same procedure with key controls 8d,8e,8f. In addition the radio 8g, telephone 8h can also be handled and also the temperature 8i can also be measured, although it is of advantage if the temperature sensor 13 is on the manual control 8 where the indicator 13a is, as a temperature sensor under the keel gets warm when driving and takes a relatively long time before it can show the surrounding temperature properly, and as well the temperature under the keel is not necessarily the one that is of interest to the bathers who only want to have their feet in the water with the platform 17 only slightly lowered.
Before a command, which has been initiated from the manual control 8, can be executed, e.g. in series 8a then 8b, the rpm gauge 9 and gear setting 11 are checked whereby, using the gear setting 11, it will be controlled whether the propeller shaft is engaged or not to the watercraft's motor. The shipyard may decide if, whether or at what speed it is allowed to drive with the platform 17 lowered, as having the platform 17 underwater creates a resistance, resulting that the fixation of the platform 17 to the transom of a watercraft may no longer withstand the pressure. Also the position of the platform 17 controlled by means of sensor 4, shown here attached to a cylinder 14, in case the platform is lowered, in such instance the platform can be raised at any speed, without considering the rpm gauge 9 or the gear setting 11. In addition, by means of the controller 3, according to the rpm gauge 9, gear setting 11, information from sensor 4, the locking device 10 is opened so as to allow the platform 17 to be lowered whereby the lifting mechanism through cylinder 14 preferably relieves the locking device 10 first of all, i.e. helps to open or just opens. By means of keys 8x it is also possible to enter a programmed special lifting function for e.g. the quick and easy picking up of a tender on the platform 17 with a second platform 17 quickly and simply to attain a precise equal lifting height.
Is a remote control available, then this one has a control range which equals the visibility to the platform 17 so that from the concealed bow area of a watercraft or from the cabins, an operation of the platform 17 is not possible.
The hydraulic system 16 which by means of the hydraulic pressure lifting mechanism has a valve controller 15 so as to make the system if necessary manually pressureless, so that in case of an electric or hydraulic system failure, by means of the attached lifting bodies at the platform 17 or the attached gas springs on the lifting device, the platform 17 can thus be lifted and automatically locked by the locking device 10 and thereby ensuring that the platform 17 stays secured even when the watercraft is not in use for a time.
Of course the invention is not only applicable on shown and described examples
1 switch
1
a control lamp
2 technical mean
3 controller
4 sensor
5 operator
6 steering wheel
7 add on drive
8 manual control
8
a-8i keyboard
9 rpm gauge
10 locking device
11 gear setting
12 transmitter
13 temperature sensor
13
a indicator
14 cylinder
15 valve controller
16 hydraulic system
17 platform
18 transom
19 cover lid
20 bathing ladder
21 synchronisation mean
22 cover strip
23 electric safety edges
24 safety mean 1,1a,3,4,5,7,8,9,10,11,12,23
H lift
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1141/07 | Jul 2007 | CH | national |
This application claims priority of PCT application PCT/CH2008/000317 having a priority date of Jul. 16, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/CH2008/000317 | 7/16/2008 | WO | 00 | 1/13/2010 |