Abstract:
The invention comprises of a tenderlift ( 1 ) for watercraft with a high safety standard, such as the safe picking up of the tender ( 7 ) by means of guide sticks ( 9   a, b ), curved elements ( 9   c ), deadrise elements ( 10 ), tender locking ( 11 ) as well as for an easier positioning of the tender on the platform ( 8 ) with an integrated revolving plate ( 12 ) which) can be accordingly turned by coercion adjustment or by means of an operating cylinder ( 19 ). In addition the swivel arms ( 3   a , b) are concealed, so that no gap ( 3   c ) can occur and no bruising of limbs or other means can occur. When the tenderlift ( 1 ) goes down, the integrated ladder ( 25 ), lying under the platform ( 8 ), automatically extends with the stroke (H), which has release elements ( 28 ) on the pivot bearing ( 27 )

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The invention is based on a tender lift for watercraft, which serves as a lifting platform for persons, but especially as a lift for tenders and similar enabling them to be taken up, to be parked and to be locked, according to a high safety standard, which also includes the lifting mechanism and the connecting stair, according to the generic name of the first claim. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Height adjustable carrier platforms are being used more and more to collect tender boats, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,596, GB 2319014, DE 199 63 057 C1, or WO 03/106254 A1, but also for the convenient boarding and deboarding of bathing guests and divers. Besides this, height adjustable carrier platforms are also being used for commercial purposes, as for e.g. in rescue operations. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The invention involves that, at the transom of a watercraft, a height adjustable platform is fixed, which, at the same time, can be a swim platform and a tender platform with the aim being the controlled pick up of tenders and similar and which places these in a space-saving manner on the platform or in an adjacent garage and fixes these in a manner fit for travelling on the sea. Furthermore the mechanism is designed in such a way that the swivel arms safely avoid cutting and bruising. So as not to use the lift continually when this is in the down position, for e.g. to bring something quickly on board or to cast off, there is a simple, integrated and in case of overload releasable connecting stair available so that one can move quickly and easily from the watercraft to the platform and vice versa. 
         [0004]    The pickup of a tender boat or jetski, here called in the abbreviated form tender, is not easy to accomplish in choppy sea as the yacht has a different rolling and pitching movement compared to the small tender. For this reason means have been provided so that the tender driver can take course to the lifting platform in a simple way and can drive onto it in a concentrated manner and will be automatically stopped at the right place, so that the driver then only has to give the order for the platform to be lifted, and while doing so, respectively time delayed, the tender brings itself into position so as to be parked in a space saving manner on the yacht deck or on the platform in the home position. The safe lifting of the tender is guaranteed by already placing it in an appropriate clasp so that the tender cannot slip off the lifting platform in heavy seas. The positioning, the securing and finally the locking of the lifting platform with the tender is executed without the help of third parties; as in this regard this is a further precautionary measure as people on the lifting platform trying to turn and rig the tender are risk factors especially on leisure craft yachts as often no professional crew is on board. 
         [0005]    As far as the invention is concerned this is dealt with by the features of the first claim 
         [0006]    Core of the invention is a lift, fixed to the transom of a watercraft, which serves as a bathing and tender platform and which guarantees a high safety standard with regard to reliable and space-saving picking up of a tender without the assistance of third parties, as well as having a built in safety mechanism to avoid cutting and bruising, as well as having a smart, self-unfolding ladder integrated between the watercraft&#39;s transom and the lift 
         [0007]    Further advantageous features of the invention are listed in the subclaims. 
     
    
     
       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 side view of a platform lift with the constructive cover of the swivel arm parallelogram 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  a schematic front view of the swivel arms in cross-sections 
           [0012]      FIGS. 3   a, b, c  a schematic sideview of motion sequences when picking up a tender and placing it on the platform 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  a 3D view of the revolving plate with the holding and locking elements 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  a schematic sideview of the platform with the revolving plate and a mechanical coercion steering 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  a schematic overhead view of the platform with the revolving plate and with a cylinder and a controller 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  a schematic sideview of the elevated platform with a rail mean positioned on the revolving plate and with a tender 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  a schematic sideview of an extendable and releasable connecting ladder between the transom of the watercraft and the platform. 
       
    
    
       [0018]    Only essential elements of the invention are schematically shown to facilitate immediate understanding. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0019]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic sideview of a tenderlift  1 , which is fixed to the transom  2  of a watercraft, with both swivel arms  3   a ,  3   b , which form a parallelogram. It is known that with a parallelogram the corresponding gap sizes of both swivel arms  3   a ,  3   b  do change according to stroke position H 1 , H 2  and thereby can cause bruising to third parties. Because of the constructive overlapping by a suitable profile and an accurate positioning of the swivel arms  3   a, b  to each other, the gap  3   c  can be therewith covered so at the same time increasing the stability of the swivel arms  3   a ,  3   b . Conceivable is a covering of the swivel arms  3   a ,  3   b  with plastic elements, but the one part solution, namely to protect the swivel arms  3   a ,  3   b  from the open gap  3   c , and at the same time to increase the stability of the arms, is evidently an ideal combination. The forms of the support  4  are also designed in such a way, for e.g. roundings  4   a  with large radiuses, but also by constructive inclusion and integration of the support  4  into the swivel arms  3   a ,  3   b , so that also in these places foreign objects, whether it be limbs, deadwood or anchor ropes and similar getting stuck is practically eliminated. In addition the lift cylinder  5  is integrated as much as possible into the swivel arms  3   a, b  and where this is not feasible, it is wrapped separately with a casing  5   a , so that the stroke movement and swiveling of the lift cylinder  5  cannot lead to injuries to third parties or malfunction of the equipment. 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  Shows a schematic front view of the swivel arm cross-section of the swivel arms  3   a ,  3   b , whereby as an example only the swivel arm  3   a  has a U profile whereas the swivel arm  3   b  has a closed profile, whereby with the characteristic that both of the swivel arms  3   a ,  3   b  drift apart no more than the measurement a at the lift stroke H, which means that the construction of the tenderlift  1  is so designed that, in the worse scenario, both of the swivel arms  3   a  to swivel arms  3   b  are in line to each other, in normal cases are nested in each other. As an example through the design of the sheet metal a more rigid design is recognizable which can more easily pick up technical mean  6  such as torsion tube or bearings or lift cylinder  5 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  Shows a schematic stem view of movement sequences when taking up a tender  7  onto the platform  8 . The problematic of collecting a tender  7  on board within a reasonable time even in slight choppy sea is not easy and generally needs a second or even a third person to place the tender  7  properly. Afterwards this has to be raised and tied down fast. 
         [0022]      FIG. 3   a  Shows now how the tender  7  can be driven in between the guiding sticks  9   a, b , which not only easily and comfortably help to drive on the tender  7  but both of the front guiding sticks  9   a , corresponding to the tender&#39;s hull shape also are nearer together, so that the tender  7  can only be driven in to a predetermined place and is halted there by the narrowing of the front guiding sticks  9   a . In addition, the guiding sticks  9   a, b  have an upper bracket in form of for e.g. a curved element  9   c  so that this can prevent the tilting out of the tender  7 . Hence the tender  7  is quickly and safely brought into position. Under the hull of the tender  7  are deadrise elements  10 , which make sure that the tender  7  lies in a stable position. Through the tender locking  11 , which is activated manually by means of a catch lock or by motor, it is guaranteed that the tender  7  cannot involuntarily glide out backwards out of the enclosure of the guiding sticks  9   a, b.    
         [0023]    The guiding sticks  9   a, b  and the deadrise elements  10  are fixed on a revolving plate  12 , which with the tender  7  fixed onto it, can be pivoted by 90 degrees by the corresponding mean, so that the tender  7  is finally held on the transom  2  crosswise to the driving direction of the yacht. 
         [0024]    The rotation of the tender on the revolving plate is carried out either synchronously with the lifting of the tenderlift  1 , or coercion controlled or by means of a cylinder and a controller or independently from lift stroke H of the tenderlift  1  controlled by means of corresponding electronics. 
         [0025]      FIG. 3   b  Shows the lifted, already partly pivoted tender  7  over the waterline WL. The rotation is necessary as the platform  8  does not have the appropriate depth which corresponds to the length of a tender  7 . Yachts, however, have enough width to also take up fairly large tenders  7  and are therefore usually fixed crosswise to the yacht. 
         [0026]      FIG. 3   c  Shows the tenderlift  1  completely driven up and the crosswise placed tender  7 , which is fixed on the platform  8  in a seaworthy position by means of deadrise elements  10 , guide sticks  9   a, b , curved element  9   c , tender locking  11 , without the help of third parties. In principle the tender  7  can also be driven on the platform  8  sideways should the watercraft not have any design enclosure on the platform  8 , this is only in heavy seas less easier to accomplish, but with the guiding sticks  9   a, b , curved element  9   c , deadrise elements  10  and tender locking  11  this form of tender pick is also possible. 
         [0027]      FIG. 4  Shows a 3D view of the revolving plate  12  which is embedded in the platform  8 , with the guiding sticks  9   a, b , the curved element  9   c , the deadrise elements  10  and the tender locking  11 . The deadrise elements  10  and the guide sticks  9   a, b  fixed onto it and the tender locking  11  have hinges  13 , which enable these parts to sink into the opening hatch means  14  of the revolving platform  12 , so that the platform  8  forms an area with the revolving plate  12  and no interfering parts rear up when a tender  7  is not on the platform. The platform can be pivoted in both directions according to arrow T. 
         [0028]      FIG. 5  Shows a schematic sideview of the platform  8  with the revolving plate  12 , which by means of a pivot bearing  15  and a bracket  16  can be pivoted easily on the platform  8  as well as being fixed with no backlash. On one of the swivel arms  3   a, b  a rod  17  is rotationally mounted, which is connected to a cam  18 , which again is fixed and hinged to the revolving plate  12 . Thereby a simple but efficient coercion control is produced, as via the lift stroke H of the swivel arms  3   a, b , respectively of the platform  8 , the rod  17  is pressed into arrow position Z and executes thereby a forced pivoting of the revolving plate  12 . By means of a suitable distance of the cam  18  from the centre of the platform  8 , the rotation T can be configurated in such a way that at a corresponding diving depth the tender  7  is watered and thereby the rotation T is exactly at 90 degrees or at any other required setting. 
         [0029]      FIG. 6  Shows a schematic sideview of the platform  8  with the revolving plate  12 , which by means of a pivot bearing  15  and a bracket  16  is fixed smoothly, pivotable and as well as with no backlash. On one of the pivoting arms  3   a, b  an operating cylinder  19  is fixed instead of the rod  17 , which based on the command of the corresponding programmed controller  20 , activates the revolving plate  12  which turns according to arrow T. Thereby the tender  7  can for e.g. firstly be turned by 90 degrees before the tenderlift  1  gets lifted, or any other configuration, which is advantageous for the tender  7  and the lifting procedure. 
         [0030]      FIG. 7  shows a schematic sideview of an elevated platform  8  with a rail mean  21  positioned on the revolving plate  12 , which has respective gliding elements  22 , for e.g. in the form of wheels or carriage which sit on a rail set  23 . On the rail mean  21  are the guiding sticks  9   a, b  with the curved element  9   c , the deadrise elements  10  and the tender locking  11 . The rail mean  21  on the platform  8  can be driven in the elevated position of the tenderlift  1  according to arrow R in the direction of the transom support  2   a  and the tender  7  can be driven away from tenderlift  1 , so that this can be used purely as a bathing platform lift, or the tender  7  can be pushed into a garage inside the watercraft. After shifting the rail mean is locked safely in the desired position by means of the rail locking  24 . The shifting of the rail mean  21  can be done manually or by motor. 
         [0031]      FIG. 8  shows a schematic sideview of a retractable and releasable connecting ladder  25  which is hinged on the one hand to the transom  2  of the watercraft and on the other hand to the platform  8 , hinged and mounted flexibly lengthways in a guide tube  26 . The connecting ladder  25  when lifting up the tenderlift  1  thus comes to lie under the platform  8  like a telescopic ladder. Instead of a ladder a stairway can also be used. In addition the pivot bearing  27  of the connecting ladder  25  has release elements  28 , so that should there be a buckling or jamming of foreign bodies on or in the connecting ladder  25 , this is released and thus safeguarding any damage to the jammed object as well as the tenderlift  1 . The release can be a clip or a power operated mean by hydraulics or pneumatic load operated mean. 
         [0032]    Of course the invention is not only applicable on shown and described examples. 
       DRAWING LIST 
       [0000]    
       
           1  tenderlift 
           2  transom 
           2   a  transom support 
           3   a ,  3   b  swivel arms 
           3   c  gap 
           4  support 
           4   a  rounding 
           5  lift cylinde 
           5   a  casing 
           6  technical mean 
           7  tender 
           8  platform 
           9   a ,  9   b  guiding stick 
           9   c  curved element 
           10  deadrise element 
           11  tender locking 
           12  revolving plate 
           13  hinge 
           14  hatch mean 
           15  pivot bearing 
           16  bracket 
           17  rod 
           18  cam 
           19  operating cylinder 
           20  controller 
           21  rail mean 
           22  gliding element 
           23  rail set 
           24  rail locking 
           25  connecting ladder 
           26  guide tube 
           27  pivot bearing 
           28  release element 
         H lift stroke 
         T rotations 
         a gap stroke 
         R rod stroke 
         Z rod