Stair assembly for marine craft
OwnerHoracio E. Bozzoinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A stair assembly to enable easy boarding and deboarding of a watercraft includes one or more step members hingedly fixed within a cavity formed with the bow, side walls or transom of the watercraft to permit the step members to swing, in a rolling movement, from a compact stowed position to an extended, deployed position wherein the stair assembly extends outboard of the watercraft. The step members are specifically shaped and configured to conform with the bow, side walls and/or transom when in the stowed position to thereby fill the cavity and provide an integral, seaworthy structure.
Claims8
A stowable stair assembly in combination with a marine craft having an outer side wall structure with a cavity formed therein, said stair assembly comprising:
- a plurality of step members each including a top portion, a bottom portion, opposite sides and upper and lower transverse edges between said top and bottom portions, and said top portion including at least one step surface;
- hinge means for attaching adjacently positioned step members to one another and for permitting hinged movement of said step members in a generally rolling motion between a compact, stowed position and an extended, deployed position;
- means for stopping hinged movement of said step members beyond said extended, deployed position;
- means for mounting said stair assembly to said marine craft and including cap means on opposite sides of the cavity for receiving said plurality of step members in said compact, stowed position, said cap means including an abutment shoulder structured and disposed for mating engagement with at least one of said plurality of step members when in said compact, stowed position,
- means on said abutment shoulder for providing a water tight seal between said plurality of step members and said cap means, and
- said plurality of step members being structured and disposed to fill the cavity and conform with the configuration of the outer side wall structure of the marine craft when in said compact, stowed position.
A stair assembly in combination with a marine craft having an outer side wall structure with a cavity formed therein, said stair assembly comprising:
- a plurality of step members each including a top portion, a bottom portion, opposite sides, and upper and lower transverse edges between said top and bottom portion, and said top portion including at least one step surface;
- hinge means for attaching adjacently positioned step members to one another and for permitting hinged movement of said step members in a generally rolling motion between a compact, stowed position to fill said cavity and an extended, deployed position extending outboard of the marine craft and thereby permitting passage through said cavity to traverse said stair assembly;
- means for stopping hinged movement of said step members beyond said extended, deployed position;
- means for mounting said stair assembly to said marine craft;
- means for providing a water tight seal between said stair assembly and said surrounding wall structure of the marine craft when said plurality of step members are in said compact, stowed position;
- and
- said plurality of step members being structured and disposed to fill the cavity and conform with the configuration of the outer side wall structure of the marine craft when in said compact, stowed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.