Hydraulic marine vessel door assembly
OwnerRobert Lathaminventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A deployable platform is disposed at a side of the hull of a marine vessel and is movable between a raised position in which the platform is substantially vertically oriented, and a first lowered position in which the platform is in a horizontal orientation. Further, at least a portion of the platform can be lowered to a second lower position that is below the first lowered position. In the second lowered position the platform will normally be submerged when the vessel is afloat in water. In the raised position the platform forms a portion of the side of the hull and acts to exclude water from entering the vessel.
Claims20
A deployable step for a marine vessel, comprising:
- a platform;
- a first linkage operably coupled between a hull of the marine vessel and the platform;
- a first actuator in the marine vessel coupled to the first linkage that operates on the first linkage to move the platform between a raised position in which the platform is vertically oriented and a first lowered position in which the platform is horizontally oriented;
- a second linkage operably coupled between the hull and the platform;
- a second actuator coupled to the second linkage that operates on the second linkage to move the platform from the first lowered position to a second lowered position that is below the first lowered position while maintaining the platform horizontally oriented.
A marine vessel, comprising:
- a hull;
- a platform disposed at a side of the hull;
- a first linkage operably coupled between the hull the platform;
- a first actuator in the marine vessel coupled to the first linkage that operates on the first linkage to move the platform between a raised position in which the platform is vertically oriented and a first lowered position in which the platform is horizontally oriented;
- a second linkage operably coupled between the hull and the platform;
- a second actuator coupled to the second linkage that operates on the second linkage to move at least a portion of the platform from the first lowered position to a second lowered position that is below the first lowered position while maintaining the at least a portion of the platform horizontally oriented.
A method for operating a deployable platform for a marine vessel, comprising:
- providing a platform at a side of the marine vessel in a raised position in which the platform is vertically oriented, wherein in the raised position the platform has a portion that is an uppermost point;
- lowering the platform to a first lowered position in which the uppermost point of the platform in the raised position becomes an outermost point, wherein lowering the platform to the first lowered position is performed using a first actuator that is coupled to a first linkage, the first linkage being operably coupled between the marine vessel and the platform;
- and
- lowering at least a portion of the platform to a second lowered position in which the at least a portion of the platform is in a horizontal orientation and below the first lowered position, wherein lowering the at least a portion of the platform to the second lowered position is performed using a second actuator that is coupled to a second linkage, the second linkage being operably coupled between the marine vessel and the at least a portion of the platform.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.