IP Library Granted Patent US 9,205,896
Granted Patent B2
US 9,205,896 · App. 14/423,307 · Granted Dec 8, 2015

Platform stairs

Inventor: Peter A. Mueller (Gattikon, CH)
B63B27/14B63B1/22B63B27/146
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,205,896
App. No.
14/423,307
Granted
Dec 8, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to stairs that are attached under the platform and can be swung out and are distinguished in that the steps remain positionally stable horizontally when the stairs are swung out, and the bottom steps form a cover and optionally a flow body, and once the stairs are swung out, they form means for climbing in and out of the water, a seat element, function as a trim tab and damping means and, when the swinging arms are swung out further, constitute an additional platform, and the swinging ladder consists of ladder elements and can be folded by means of a cam and a bracket, and the stairs and swinging ladder as a stairway can have a handrail which can be swung out manually or automatically.

Claims (46)

1. A stairway

wherein

the stairway has a chassis which is attached under the

platform, and

the stairs have swinging arms which can be swung out by means of an operating cylinder with a positionally constant horizontal step and at least one positionally constant horizontal step on which a pivot bearing is attached,

the swinging ladder has ladder elements that can be swung out by means of an operating cylinder connected to hinge, and a cam is attached to the ladder element and positively controls the ladder element upon contacting the bracket in order to swing it up to the ladder element,

a pin is attached to the swinging arm or the ladder element and the handrail is mounted thereupon by being pivoted, and a spring acts between the handrail and swinging arm or ladder element, and a rope is attached directly or indirectly by means of the pulley on the handrail, and the other rope end is attached to the chassis, and

when the stairway is in a closed state, the swinging arms relative to the steps and the platform, or the ladder element relative to the ladder element and to the platform, are more-or-less parallel to each other and are accessible when swung out.

2. The stairway according to claim 1 ,

wherein

a foldable ladder is attached to the pivot bearing of the stair and can be unfolded manually or positively controlled by means of an adjusting rod and ladder grip.

3. The stairway, according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the step can be folded up, moved longitudinally, or has a backrest.

4. The stairway according to claim 1 , wherein

the step has a hydrodynamics shape or a buoyancy element on the bottom side which generates static or dynamic buoyancy.

5. The stairway according to claim 4 ,

wherein

the buoyancy body has steps, or a recess, or a V-shaped deadrise.

6. The stairway according to claim 1 ,

wherein

LED lamps are integrated in the step or in the buoyancy body and automatically shine when traveling backwards.

7. The stairway according to claim 1 ,

wherein

a pressure switch, or an emergency switch, or a contact switch or a safety switch, or an angle or stroke sensor is attached under the platform.

8. The stairway according to claim 7 ,

wherein

the contact switch generates contact only when pressure is relieved and moves the stairway back upward, and this function is overlooked when intentionally swinging out the stairway.

9. The stairway according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the step or the buoyancy body also serves as a trim tab and wave suppressor.

10. The stairway according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the stairs which can be swung out have a controller which detects the position of the stairs by means of the safety switch under the platform and, when the stairs are not in a fully elevated position, the watercraft motor can only achieve a maximum, predetermined engine speed, or a warning tone sounds when the watercraft engine starts, or the stairs cannot be lowered when the stern drive is tilted upward or when the stern drive assumes a steering angle.

11. The stairway according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the operating cylinder functions hydraulically or electrically.

12. The stairway according to

wherein

the parallelogram consists of the two swinging arms, and one of the swinging arms has a correspondingly dimensioned U-profile so that the other swinging arm can fit within it, or a separate cover encloses the parallelogram, or the distance of the two swinging arms relative to each other prevents body members from being clamped.

13. The stairway according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the locking pin locks the handrail when the stairway is closed.

14. The stairway according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the pressure switch is a piezo switch.

Priority Claims (3)
CH 1436/12 · Aug 21, 2012 · national
CH 1802/12 · Oct 1, 2012 · national
CH 1292/13 · Jul 19, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150203177A1 · Jul 23, 2015