Back to results
US 11,920,397 B1Granted
Hatch lift assist device
AssigneeTie Down, Inc.
InventorsCharles J. MacKarvich, Mohammed Aamir, Troy Daniel Hayden
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hatch actuating device can include a housing; a sliding portion received within the housing; a gear assembly at least partially received within the housing and movably coupled to the sliding portion; and a flexible drive element coupled to the gear assembly; wherein the gear assembly is configured to open a hatch lid of a hatch through rotation of a portion of the gear assembly by pulling of the drive element.
Claims36
A hatch actuating device comprising:
- a support portion defining a device axis, the support portion configured to rotate about the device axis during operation of the hatch actuating device;
- a sliding portion slideably coupled to the support portion;
- a gear assembly fixably coupled to the support portion and movably coupled to the sliding portion;
- a drive element;
- and
- a linkage portion rotatably coupled to the sliding portion, the linkage portion configured to be connected to a hatch lid of a hatch assembled to an elevated structure;
- wherein:
- the gear assembly is configured to open the hatch lid through a first rotation of a portion of the gear assembly with respect to the support portion;
- and
- the portion of the gear assembly is engaged with and driven by the drive element, the drive element being flexible.
7 more elements
A hatch actuating device comprising:
- a housing;
- a sliding portion received within the housing;
- a gear assembly at least partially received within the housing and movably coupled to the sliding portion, the gear assembly comprising a gear and an actuator coupled to the gear, the gear received with the housing;
- and
- a drive element coupled to the gear assembly, the drive element being flexible;
- wherein the gear assembly is configured to open a hatch lid of a hatch through rotation of the gear of the gear assembly by pulling of the drive element.
3 more elements
A hatch actuating device comprising:
- a sliding portion;
- a hand post;
- and
- a gear assembly movably coupled to each of the sliding portion and the hand post, the gear assembly comprising:
- a first gear coupled to an actuator of the hatch actuating device and configured to rotate with the actuator about a device axis;
- a second gear movably coupled to the first gear, the second gear being a first rack gear secured to or defining a portion of the sliding portion;
- a third gear;
- and
- a fourth gear movably coupled to the third gear, the fourth gear being a second rack gear secured to or defining a portion of the hand post;
- wherein the gear assembly is configured to open a hatch lid of a hatch through a first rotation of a portion of the gear assembly with respect to a remaining portion of the gear assembly and a second rotation of the hatch actuating device with respect to a stationary structure, the hatch actuating device configured to be mounted to the stationary structure during operation of the hatch actuating device.
7 more elements
A hatch access system comprising:
- a ladder;
- and
- a hatch actuating device secured to one of the ladder and a stationary structure positioned proximate to the ladder, the hatch actuating device comprising:
- a housing;
- a sliding portion;
- a gear assembly movably coupled to the sliding portion, the gear assembly comprising a gear and an actuator coupled to the gear, the gear received with the housing;
- and
- a drive element coupled to the gear assembly, the drive element being flexible;
- wherein the gear assembly is configured to open a hatch lid of a hatch through rotation of the gear of the gear assembly by pulling of the drive element.
6 more elements
A method of using a hatch actuating device, the method comprising:
- rotating an actuator of the hatch actuating device with a flexible drive element;
- converting rotational motion of the actuator into translational motion of a sliding portion of the hatch actuating device;
- converting the translational motion of the sliding portion into rotational motion of a linkage portion of the hatch actuating device;
- and
- converting rotational motion of the linkage portion into rotational motion of a hatch lid of a hatch access system to thereby open the hatch lid.
2 more elements
A hatch actuating device comprising:
- a support portion defining a device axis, the support portion configured to rotate about the device axis during operation of the hatch actuating device;
- a sliding portion slideably coupled to the support portion;
- a gear assembly fixably coupled to the support portion and movably coupled to the sliding portion;
- and
- a linkage portion rotatably coupled to the sliding portion, the linkage portion configured to be connected to a hatch lid of a hatch assembled to an elevated structure;
- wherein the gear assembly is configured to open the hatch lid through a first rotation of a portion of the gear assembly with respect to the support portion and a second rotation of the support portion with respect to the elevated structure.
3 more elements
A hatch access system comprising:
- a ladder;
- and
- a hatch actuating device secured to one of the ladder and a stationary structure positioned proximate to the ladder, the hatch actuating device comprising:
- a housing;
- a sliding portion;
- a gear assembly movably coupled to the sliding portion;
- and
- a drive element coupled to the gear assembly, the drive element being flexible;
- wherein the gear assembly is configured to open a hatch lid of a hatch through rotation of a portion of the gear assembly by pulling of the drive element;
- and
- a system lock comprising:
- a bracket;
- a first engagement portion received at least partially within and extending through a width of the bracket;
- and
- a second engagement portion secured to the first engagement portion and configured to lockably receive a portion of the drive element therein, at least one of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion defining a slot sized to receive the portion of the drive element but not allow continuous movement of the drive element past the system lock.
12 more elements
A hatch access system comprising:
- a ladder;
- and
- a hatch actuating device secured to one of the ladder and a stationary structure positioned proximate to the ladder, the hatch actuating device comprising:
- a housing;
- a sliding portion;
- a gear assembly movably coupled to the sliding portion;
- and
- a drive element coupled to the gear assembly, the drive element being flexible;
- wherein the gear assembly is configured to open a hatch lid of a hatch through rotation of a portion of the gear assembly by pulling of the drive element;
- and
- a hand post lock comprising:
- a first member fixably secured to a portion of the hatch actuating device;
- a second member rotatably coupled the first member and defining an opening configured to receive a hand post of the hatch access system therethrough;
- and
- a biasing member configured to bias the second member towards engagement with the hand post.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.