Abstract:
The invention relates to securing means for a height-adjustable platform on a watercraft. The aim of the invention is to secure said platform from erroneous manipulations, thus protecting humans, the watercraft and the height-adjustable platform against an accident.

Description:
[0001]    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. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    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 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    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. 
         [0004]    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. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    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&#39;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. 
         [0006]    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. 
         [0007]    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. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Various exemplary aspects of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings wherein: 
           [0009]    It shows 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  A schematic functional view of a simple handling mean for a drop down platform with a switch and a control light, a controller, a sensor fixed to a technical mean, a steering wheel mean and a steering wheel 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  A schematic functional view of the safety elements for a drop down platform, consisting of a manual controller, sensors, rpm gauge, locking element, transmitter, which are all connected to a controller and comprises a manual pressure release mean of the system 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  A schematic 3D view of a drop down platform on a watercraft transom with coercion controlled cover lids, electric safety edges and integrated bathing ladder 
       
    
    
       [0013]    Only essential elements of the invention are schematically shown to facilitate immediate understanding. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0014]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic functional view of a simple handling of a dropdown platform  17  with a switch  1  and a control lamp  1   a,  which allows, by slightly touching the key sensor or toggle switch, the platform  17  to activate. Thereby all the necessary systems for getting into operation to lift or to lower the platform  17  and all safety measures  24 , which include means  1 , 1   a,   3 , 4 , 5 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 23 , are set ready. A blinking of the integrated control lamp  1   a  in switch  1  indicates that the activation of the system is not yet ready, at the same time the appropriate measures take place to eliminate the hindrances: collision endangered technical means  2  e.g. rudder, jet drive or as shown here a stern drive, are set by means of operator  5  into an appropriate height position which has been previously programmed into the controller  3  by use of a sensor  4 . On the steering wheel  6  is attached an additional sensor  4 , which gives information of the set steering angle. The user only has to turn the steering wheel  6  until the control lamp  1   a  continually lights and shows that the system is ready to lift or lower the platform  17 . Instead of turning the steering wheel by hand, this can be achieved by adding on a drive  7 . Instead of automatically setting the stern drive into position this can be activated manually by using a trim switch. Only when the correct height and correct steering wheel position of the stern drive are set, the control lamp  1   a  will change from a blinking to continuous light mode and thus the drop down platform  17  is ready for use. Additionally, an acoustic mean informs about the alignment situation. 
         [0015]      FIG. 2  shows a schematic functional view of a safety element for a drop down platform  17 . This consists of a water tight manual control  8 , sensors  4 , rpm gauge  9 , locking device  10 , gear setting  11 , transmitter  12 , which all are connected to a controller  3 . The manual control  8  is the intersection point between human and machine and requires additional attention in regard to size, handling, feeling and time to control. The manual control  8  must be a familiar element for the user; therefore the user should use this part as often as possible in his spare time, so that the key board becomes absolute routine. Nevertheless certain set procedures take place so as to ensure that an incorrect operation is avoided. The manual control for lowering or lifting the platform  17  must be effectuated firstly by pressing key  8   a,  which is responsible for activating the aplatform  17 . Within a time window the key  8   b  for a lowering or  8   c  for a lifting has to be pressed, and for an appropriate lift H the key has to be pressed continually otherwise the lifting process will be stopped. 
         [0016]    A gangway can also be controlled by using the same procedure with key controls  8   d,   8   e,   8   f.  In addition the radio  8   g,  telephone  8   h  can also be handled and also the temperature  8   i  can also be measured, although it is of advantage if the temperature sensor  13  is on the manual control  8  where the indicator  13   a  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. 
         [0017]    Before a command, which has been initiated from the manual control  8 , can be executed, e.g. in series  8   a  then  8   b,  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&#39;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  8   x  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. 
         [0018]    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. 
         [0019]    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. 
         [0020]      FIG. 3  shows a schematic 3 D view of a drop down platform  17  on a watercraft transom  18  with a coercion controlled cover lid  19  here shown on a twin motor vessel whereby the cover  19  lid is connected to a guided and thus telescopic bathing ladder  20  placed under the cover lid  19 . The bathing ladder  20  is hinged and attached to the watercraft&#39;s transom  18  and as long as the platform  17  is above and on the watercraft&#39;s transom  18 , the bathing ladder  20  is not visible from outside. If the platform  17  is pulled out horizontally or directly lowered as indicated by arrow H, the bathing ladder is pulled out accordingly and when lowering the platform  17  forces the cover lid  19  to open itself so avoiding a collision with any technical means. On the cover lid  19  is also a synchronisation mean  21 , e.g a bar, connected to the second cover lid  19 , so that the second cover lid  19  in the case of a twin drive of a watercraft is opened at the right time collision free, without the need to fix a second bathing ladder  20 . On both sides of the cover lid  19  a set of flexible side cover strips  22  are placed with the function to warn, respectively an electric safety edge  23  is mounted so as to stop the platform  17  immediately in case of contact with a foreign body. This function of stopping to prevent limb trapping can also be placed on the side of the platform  17  toward the transom of the watercraft  18 . The side cover strip  22  can also have a triangular shape so that, when the cover lid  19  is opened, there is no gap to the platform  17 . 
         [0021]    Of course the invention is not only applicable on shown and described examples 
       DRAWING LIST 
       [0022]      1  switch 
         [0023]      1   a  control lamp 
         [0024]      2  technical mean 
         [0025]      3  controller 
         [0026]      4  sensor 
         [0027]      5  operator 
         [0028]      6  steering wheel 
         [0029]      7  add on drive 
         [0030]      8  manual control 
         [0031]      8   a - 8   i  keyboard 
         [0032]      9  rpm gauge 
         [0033]      10  locking device 
         [0034]      11  gear setting 
         [0035]      12  transmitter 
         [0036]      13  temperature sensor 
         [0037]      13   a  indicator 
         [0038]      14  cylinder 
         [0039]      15  valve controller 
         [0040]      16  hydraulic system 
         [0041]      17  platform 
         [0042]      18  transom 
         [0043]      19  cover lid 
         [0044]      20  bathing ladder 
         [0045]      21  synchronisation mean 
         [0046]      22  cover strip 
         [0047]      23  electric safety edges 
         [0048]      24  safety mean  1 , 1   a , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 23   
         [0049]    H lift