BESENZONI Giovanni (B. FINANCIAL S.r.l, Via Molere 2, SARNICO, 24067, IT)
| CLAIMS 1. Ascent structure (1), especially for boats characterized in that it comprises: - housing means (2) incorporated in a support structure which can be available to the user; - at least a bearing rod (3) operatively connected with said housing means (2) and provided with one or more trampling steps (4) projecting laterally from said bearing rod (3) in order to be accessible to said user during the ascent from a position below to the top of said support structure; - sliding means (5), interposed between said housing means (2) and said bearing rod (3), suitable to move said bearing rod (3) to/from a rest position, in which said bearing rod (3) is contained in said housing means (2), to/from an use position in which said bearing rod (3) protrudes from said housing means (2) and becomes available to said user for the ascent from said position below said top of said support structure. 2. Structure (1) as claim 1) characterized in that said housing means (2) include a box body (6) defining a main longitudinal axis (Y) and suitable to be contained in a blind space made in said support structure and delimited by a side wall with which said box body (6) is firmly coupled by fastening means (7). 3. Structure (1) as claim 2) characterized in that said box body (6) is provided at a first end (6a) with a first closure bottom (8), suitable to be coupled by said fastening means (7) with said side wall delimiting said blind space, and present at a second end (6b) an inlet (9), axially opposite to said first bottom (8), suitable to allow the exit/re-entering of said bearing rod (3) from/into said box body (6). 4. Structure (1) as claim 2) or 3) characterized in that said bearing rod (3) mainly develops according to an auxiliary longitudinal axis (X) which, in said rest position, coincides with said main longitudinal axis (Y) and, in said use position, defines an acute angle (a) with said main longitudinal axis (Y). 5. Structure (1) as any of the claims from 2) to 4) characterized in that said sliding means (5) are contained into said box body (6), cooperate with the inner wall (6c) of said box body (6) and are movable along said main longitudinal axis (Y) of said box body (6). 6. Structure (1) as any of the previous claims characterized in that said sliding means (5) are coupled with said bearing rod (3) through pivot means (10) suitable to allow to said bearing rod (3) to pass by sliding and subsequent rotation from said rest position to said use position and by rotation and subsequent sliding from said use position to said rest position. 7. Structure (1) as any of the claims from 2) to 6) characterized in that said sliding means (5) include: - a tubular truck (11) having a length less than the length of said box body (6) and coupled through said pivot means (10) with said bearing rod (3) whose first end (3a) is contained into said tubular truck (11) in said rest position; - a plurality of guide pads (12), protruding from the outer surface (11a) of said tubular truck (11) on which they are uniformly distributed and interfering with said inner wall (6c) of said box body (6). 8. Structure (1) as claim 7) characterized in that said tubular truck (11) presents at a first end (11b) an access opening (13), facing towards the outer environment, and a pair of axial grooves (14, 15) with open profile, opposite each other and passing through the thickness of said tubular truck (11), suitable to allow the rotation of said bearing rod (3). 9. Structure (1) ad claim 7) or 8) characterized in that said tubular truck (11) is provided at a second end (11c) with second closure bottom (16), facing towards said first bottom (8) of said box body (6) with which, in said rest position rest of said bearing rod (3), is firmly but removably coupled through constraint means (17). 10. Structure (1) as claim 9) characterized in that said constraint means (17) include a male element (18), axially projecting from the outer face (16a) of said second bottom (16), and a female element (19) axially projecting from the inner face (8a) of said first bottom (8), into which said male element (18) is snap engaged in said rest position of said bearing rod (3). 11. Structure (1) as any of the claims from 6) to 10) characterized in that said pivot means (10) are placed at said first end (3a) of said bearing rod (3) and said first end (11b) of said tubular truck (11). 12. Structure (1) as any of claims from 8) to 11) characterized in that said pivot means (10) include a cross pin (48) defining a longitudinal rotation axis (Z) orthogonal to said auxiliary longitudinal axis (X) and said main longitudinal axis (Y), provided with ends inserted into two first through holes (20, 21) coaxial each other, made in two side shoulders (22, 23) opposite each other of said tubular truck (11), and a central hub inserted into at least one first through opening (24, 25) coaxial to said first through holes (20, 21) and made in said bearing rod (3). 13. Structure (1) as any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes a pair of tubular spacers (26, 27), each interposed between said bearing rod (3) and one of said side shoulders (22, 23) of said tubular truck (11) and surrounding an intermediate portion of said cross pin (48). 14. Structure (1) as any of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact it comprises exit end-of-stroke means (28), suitable to stop the exit movement of said bearing rod (3) from said housing means (2) in order to place it in said use position holding it firmly integral with said housing means (2). 15. Structure (1) as claim 14) characterized in that said exit end-of-stroke means (28) include a pair of laminar plaques (29, 30), fixed from opposite parts to said inner wall (6c) of said body box (6) near said inlet (9), against which components of said sliding means (5) mechanically contrast. 16. Structure (1) as claim 15) characterized in that it includes curvature means (33), arranged at said inlet (9) of said box body (6), suitable to favour the rotation of said bearing rod (3) around said longitudinal rotation axis (Z). 17. Structure (1) as claim 16) characterized in that said curvature means (33) include a sloping draft wall (34) made in a pair of laminar strips (35, 36), fixed from opposite parts to said inner wall (6c) of said box body (6) and interposed between said inlet (9) and said laminar plaques (29, 30). 18. Structure (1) as any of the previous claims characterized in that each of said trampling steps (4) is coupled with said bearing rod (3) through rotation means (37) suitable to define for said trampling steps (4) an active position in which the linear direction (Z-i) defined by each of them is orthogonal to said auxiliary longitudinal axis (X) and said trampling steps (4) project laterally from said bearing rod (3) resulting available to said user for said ascent, and a passive position in which said linear direction (Z-i) is parallel to said auxiliary longitudinal axis (X) and said trampling steps (4) are arranged close to said bearing rod (3) resulting unusable. 19. Structure (1) as claim 18) characterized in that said rotation means (37) comprise an interconnection peg (38), defining a linear rotation axis (Z2) orthogonal to said longitudinal rotation axis (Z) and said auxiliary longitudinal axis (X), inserted into a pair of second through holes (39, 40) coaxial one to another and made in two shaped fins (41 , 42) opposite and spaced apart each other, protruding from the bound end (4a) of each of said trampling steps (4), and into at least one second through opening (43, 44) coaxial to said second through holes (38, 39) and made in said bearing rod (3) according to said linear rotation axis (Z2). 20. Structure (1) as any of the previous claims characterized in that it comprises a front cap (45) accessible to said user from said position below, coupled with the outer edge (3c) and at the second end (3b) of the said bearing rod (3), placed close to an entry end-of-stroke flange (46), coupled with the outer edge (6d) and at said inlet (9) of said box body (6) when said bearing rod (3) assumes said rest position. |
The present invention concerns an ascent structure, typically a ladder, especially for boats.
5 Still more in particular, the invention concerns an ascent structure, such as exactly a ladder, of rectractile type, permanently coupled with support structure, for instance a boat, even in non use conditions during which it however remains hidden, not visible outside, and minimizes it own encumbrance.
0 As known, the boats, regardless their type, sizes and use, include ascent means on board, in particular ladders, which allow the passengers to go back up the boats from the water.
The persons, the pleasure boats for example, have the necessity to use the ladder or a generic ascent structure when they have5 completed a bathe or an immersion, undergone an accidental fall into the water or to assist persons in trouble in the water itself.
In particular, the ladder results essential when the bathe, it is both voluntary (that is of pure pleasure or amusement) or accidental (that is due to a fall), or the immersion occur in water far away from the cost or o the wharf and however deep, or in case of very high boats.
According to the common operative general rule widely used nowadays, the ladder is a structure apart which, when needed, is placed projecting, even in removable way, at stern or on the broadside (rising out of water part of the broadsides) of the hull of the boat so as to be 5 accessible to people who are into the water.
If of removable type, the ladder is generally and properly removed from the position and placed in a special area defined in the boat when it is no longer needed to the use.
The traditional ladders used in the known art for the ascent from o the water are not in any case free from some recognized drawbacks.
A first drawback derives, in particular, from the fact that when the boats are used in marine waters, as it usually happens, these ascent structures are exposed to corrosive action of the brackish water even when not actually used: this involves the use of appropriate constructive materials, such as stainless steel, which are very expensive or, alternatively, the periodic replacement of the ladder.
A second drawback of the prior art in question is due to the fact that, in most cases, the ladders provided in the boats of any type represent an obstacle and encumbrance for sailors and pleasure boaters on board.
A further drawback of the traditional ladders of known type is related to the fact that they break the aesthetic balance of the modern boats, as well as, in some cases, their fluid dynamics, essential requirement when assessing the efficiency of these floating vehicles, both when they are coupled in a fixed way and in a removable way with the boat.
At the current state of the art there thus persists the need for the use of a more efficient ascent structure (or ladder), which is able on one hand to ensure the specific functions of a traditional ladder, on the hand to overcome the drawbacks of the above mentioned known technique.
The present invention aims, therefore, to overcome the drawbacks of the known technique just mentioned.
In this context, main purpose of the present invention is to propose an ascent structure, in particular for boats, which is in absolute way or at least to an extent greater than the prior art protected from the corrosive action of brackish water or other (even atmospheric) agents, especially in relation to the non-use conditions.
In other words, primary purpose of the present invention is to develop an ascent structure, in particular for boats, which is able to preserve its own structural and functional integrity more effectively and for longer times than the equivalent structures of known type.
Within this purpose, it is task of the invention to devise an ascent structure, in particular for boats, which can be theoretically produced with any material or however with materials less expensive than the structures of known type. It is a further purpose of the present invention to provide an ascent structure, in particular for boats, which has a minimal footprint and however clearly lower than that one of the prior art structures, at least as regards the non-use conditions.
It is another purpose of the present invention to create an ascent structure, in particular for boats, which allows to minimize the presence of dangerous obstacles or impediments for sailors or pleasure boaters on board.
It is a last but not least purpose of the invention to provide an ascent structure, in particular for boats, which, mostly in use conditions, keeps the aesthetic and fluid dynamics balance of the floating vehicle on which is mounted more efficiently than the prior art.
The aforesaid purposes are achieved by an ascent structure, in particular for boats, as to the attached claim 1 , as hereinafter referred for the sake of brevity.
Further technical features of detail of the ascent structure of the invention are indicated in the corresponding dependent claims.
Advantageously, the ascent structure (or ladder) of the invention is substantially invisible from the outside, hidden inside a support structure, such as a boat, when it assumes the non-use condition, in which it then takes nearly null encumbrance and does not represent in no way an obstacle to the sailors or pleasure boaters.
This thanks to the fact that the ladder subject of claim includes housing means, incorporated in a support structure, and a bearing rod operatively connected with the housing means through sliding means allowing to position the bearing rod from/to a position in which is contained in the housing means, to/from an use position in which the bearing rod itself protrudes from the housing means in order to become available to the user for the ascent from the position below, for instance the free surface of the water where the user is partly submerged and floating, to the top of the support structure.
When necessary, the ascent structure object of the present invention is easily accessible by the user and quickly and conveniently adjustable in the use condition, without the help of other people, from the position below the upper zone to be reached through it.
Still advantageously, the ascent structure of the present invention maintains its structural integrity in a more effective way than the ascent structures of similar use, at least in the non-use condition, in which, as mentioned, the bearing rod re-enters in the support structure and is not exposed to the corrosive action of chemicals and/or atmospheric agents such as sea water, wind, rain or heavy sun and so on.
Equally advantageously, the ascent structure of the invention does not represent at all an obstacle for people present on the support structure, both in use conditions and, for what most distinguishes it from the known art, in non-use conditions.
Moreover, in advantageous way, the construction design of the ascent structure of the invention allows to keep unchanged the aesthetic and fluid dynamics balance of the floating vehicle on which it is installed, in absolute line when the structure is unused and in a manner more effective than the prior art when the ascent structure takes the use condition.
Said purposes and advantages will appear to a greater extent by the following description, referring to a preferred embodiment of the ascent structure of the invention given by indicative and illustrative, but not limiting, way with the help of the attached tables of drawing in where:
- figures 1 and 2 are two assonometric views of the ascent structure of the invention, in the rest position of the bearing rod;
- figure 3 is a view of the ascent structure of figures 1 and 2, in an intermediate operating position;
- figure 4 is a view of the ascent structure of figures 1-2, in the use position;
- figure 5 is the view of figure 4 according to a cross section plane;
- figure 5a is a first enlarged detail of figure 5;
- figure 5b is a second enlarged detail of figure 5;
- figure 5c is a third enlarged detail of figure 5;
- figure 6 is the enlarged assonometric view of a first constructive detail of the structure of figures 1-4; - figure 7 is the enlarged assonometric view of a second constructive detail of the ascent structure of figures 1-4;
- figure 8 is the enlarged assonometric view of a third constructive detail of the ascent structure of figures 1-4;
- figure 9 is the enlarged assonometric view of a fourth constructive detail of the ascent structure of figures 1-4;
- figure 10 is the enlarged assonometric view of a fifth constructive detail of the ascent structure of figures 1-4.
The ascent structure, especially for boats, is shown in figures 1- 4 where it is globally numbered with .
In accordance with the invention, the structure 1 includes:
- housing means, reported in the complex with 2, incorporated in a support structure which can be used by the user, fro instance a boat;
- a bearing rod 3, operatively connected with the housing means 2 and provided with a series of trampling steps 4 projecting laterally from the bearing rod 3 in order to be accessible to the user to climb towards the top of the support structure from a position below, for instance the water of a lacustrine basin such as the sea or lake;
- sliding means, as a whole indicated with 5, interposed between the housing means 2 and bearing rod 3, which allow to move the bearing rod 3 from/to a rest position, in which the bearing rod itself 3 is contained in the housing means 2, to/from an use position in which the bearing rod 3 protrudes from the housing means 2 in order to become available to the user for the ascent from the position below the top of the support structure.
In this case, the housing means 2 includes a box body 6 defining a main longitudinal axis Y and suitable to be contained in a blind space, obviously not visible, made in the support structure and delimited by a side wall with which the box body 6 itself is firmly coupled through fastening means, overall numbered with 7.
In particular, the box body 6 is provided at a first end 6a with a first closure bottom 8, which is coupled through the fastening means 7 with the side wall delimiting the blind space. In addition, the box body 6 presents at a second end 6b an inlet 9, axially opposite to the first bottom 8, suitable to allow the exit (and reentering) of the bearing rod 3 from (and in) the box body 6.
The bearing rod 3 mainly develops according to an auxiliary longitudinal axis X which, in the rest position shown in figures 1 and 2, coincides with the main longitudinal axis Y while, in the use position, defines with such a main longitudinal axis Y an acute angle a as well as with a vertical reference axis (not shown) an acute angle β, lower than the acute angle a and which assumes, for example, a value of 13°.
Preferably but not necessarily, the bearing rod 3 is made of metallic material, for instance stainless steel, and presents a tubular structure, well visible in the enlargement of figure 6, as well as sizes that, in cross section, are smaller than the sizes of the box body 6, made of metallic material too.
In the light of the above, the sliding means 5 are contained into the box body 6, cooperate with the inner wall 6c of the latter and are movable along the main longitudinal axis Y defined by the box body 6 itself.
The sliding means 5 are also coupled with the bearing rod 3 through pivot means, indicated overall with 10, which allow the bearing rod 3 to pass by sliding and subsequent rotation from the rest position to the use position and, conversely, by rotation and subsequent sliding from the use position to the rest position.
In a preferred but non-binding way, the sliding means 5 comprise:
- a tubular truck 11 having a length lower than the length of the box body 6 and coupled through the pivot means 10 with the bearing rod 3 whose first end 3a is still contained into the tubular truck 11 in the rest position firstly introduced;
a series of guide pads 12, protruding from the outer surface 11a of the tubular truck 11 on which they are uniformly distributed and interfering with the inner wall 6c of the box body 6.
More precisely, the length of the tubular truck 11 is, usually though not limiting, not greater than 1/3 of the length of the box body 6: for instance, the box body 6 presents a length of 1 ,565 mm, while the tubular truck 11 and bearing rod 3, respectively, present a length of 350 mm and 1 ,200 mm.
As pure example title, moreover, the tubular truck 11 has a rectangular profile, better seen in the enlargement of figure 7.
Each of the guide pads 12 has a substantially mushroom- shaped profile and is made of polymeric material with low coefficient of friction.
Preferably, the guide pads 12 are six in number for each major side face 11d, 11e of the tubular truck 11 , two by two side by side each other along two mutually parallel reference directions, and there in number for each minor side face 11f, 11g of the tubular truck 11.
Figures 3-5 and 7 highlight that the tubular truck 11 presents at a first end 11b an access opening 13, facing towards the external environment, and a pair of axial grooves 14, 15 with open profile, opposite each other and passing through the thickness of the tubular truck 11 , suitable to allow the rotation of the bearing rod 3 in the transition from the rest position to the use position and vice versa.
Furthermore, the tubular truck 11 is provided at a second end 11c with a second closure bottom 16, facing the first closure bottom 8 of the box body 6 with which, in the rest position of the bearing rod 3, is firmly but removably coupled through constraint means, overall marked with 17 and visible in figure 5.
The detail of figures 5a and 5b shows that, in a preferred but not exclusive manner, the constraint means 17 include a male element 18, axially projecting from the outer face 16a of the second bottom 16, and a female element 19, axially projecting from the inner face 8a of the first bottom 8, into which the male element 18 is snap-engaged in the rest position of the bearing rod 3.
As far as the pivot means 10 are concerned, they are arranged at the first end 3a of the bearing rod 3 and the first end 11b of the tubular truck 11. Preferably but not exclusively, the pivot means 10 comprise a cross pin 48 defining a longitudinal rotation axis Z orthogonal to the auxiliary longitudinal axis X and main longitudinal axis Y.
Such a cross pin 48 is provided with ends inserted into two first through holes 20, 21 coaxial each other (see figure 7), made in two side shoulders 22, 23 opposite each other of the tubular truck 11 , and a central hub inserted into two first through openings 24, 25 (visible in figure 6) coaxial to the first through holes 20, 21 and made in the bearing rod 3.
Advantageously, the ascent structure 1 also includes a pair of tubular spacers 26, 27, for example made of aliphatic synthetic polyamide, also known with nylon as brand name, particularly suitable for the application and/or use field here considered, which provides the presence and need for contact with water.
As shown in figures 3 and 4, each of these tubular spacers 26, 27 is interposed between the bearing rod 3 and one of the side shoulders 22, 23 of the tubular truck 11 and surrounds an intermediate portion of the cross pin 48 in order to protect it.
In proper manner, the ascent structure 1 of the invention comprises exit end-of-stroke means, as a whole indicated with 28, suitable to stop the exit movement of the bearing rod 3 from the housing means 2 in order to effectively place it in the use position holding it firmly integral with the housing means 2 themselves.
More in detail, figures 1-3 show that the exit end-of-stroke means 28 comprise in this case a pair of laminar plaques 29, 30, fixed from parts opposite each other to the inner wall 6c of the box body 6 near the inlet 9, against which components of the sliding means 5 mechanically contrast.
The enlargement of figure 8 brings out the preferred embodiment of each single laminar plaque 29, 30: it is noted, in this respect, the intermediate through openings 31 , 32 useful for the application of the fastening means, such as screws 49, through which the laminar plaques 29, 30 themselves are firmly coupled with the box body 6.
In preferred but optional manner, the ascent structure 1 includes curvature means, in the complex numbered with 33, arranged at the inlet 9 of the box body 6 and adapted to favour the rotation of the bearing rod 3 around the longitudinal rotation axis Z.
Specifically, the curvature means 33 comprise a sloping draft wall 34 made in a pair of laminar strips 35, 36 made of plastic material, such as an acetylic resin known under the brand name DERLIN®), both visible in figures 2, 5 and 5a and, each apart, in the enlargement of figure 9.
Even the laminar strips 35, 36 are fixed from opposite parts to the inner wall 6c of the box body 6 so as to interpose between the inlet 9 and laminar strips 29, 30.
By way of option, the curvature means 33 also comprise, in this case, an auxiliary pad 50, protruding from the first end 3a of the bearing rod 3, with which is firmly coupled, and cooperating by contact with the sloping draft wall 34 of the laminar strip 35.
The auxiliary pad 50 is preferably and advantageously made of the same polymeric material with low coefficient of friction with which the guide pads 12, are made, such as polyethylene.
According to the preferred embodiment of the invention described herein, each of the trampling steps 4 is coupled with the bearing rod 3 through rotation means, overall marked with 37, which define for the trampling steps 4 themselves an active position in which the linear direction Zi defined by each of them is orthogonal to the auxiliary longitudinal axis X and the trampling steps 4 project laterally from the bearing rod 3 resulting available to the user during the ascent, and a passive position in which the linear direction Zi is parallel to the auxiliary longitudinal axis X and the trampling steps 4 are arranged close to the bearing rod 3 resulting unusable.
By virtue of this, the trampling steps 4 take the passive position not only, inevitably, when they are contained into the box body 6 and the bearing rod 3 is in the rest position, as it can be observed in figures 1 and 2, but also immediately after the bearing rod 3 has been extracted from the housing means 2 in order to be used for the ascent or in the stages prior to the reintroduction of the bearing rod 3 itself into the housing means
2 when it is no longer necessary for the intended use.
As shown in figures 1-5, the trampling steps 4 are five in number, by pure way of illustration.
In preferred but non-binding manner, the rotation means 37 includes an interconnection peg 38, defining a linear rotation axis Z2 orthogonal to the longitudinal rotation axis Z and auxiliary longitudinal axis X.
The interconnection peg 38 is inserted into a pair of second through holes 39, 40 coaxial one to another and made in two shaped fins 41 , 42 opposite and spaced apart each other, protruding from the bound end 4a of every trampling step 4, and in two second through openings 43, 44 coaxial to the second through holes 39, 40 and made in the bearing rod
3 according to the linear rotation axis Z 2 .
The technical features just described are shown in figure 10 which shows in assonometric view the shape of the trampling step 4.
Properly, the ascent structure 1 comprises a front cap 45 accessible to the user from the position below, preferably coupled with the outer edge 3c and at the second end 3b of the bearing rod 3, placed close to an entry end-of-stroke flange 46, coupled with the outer edge 6d and at the inlet 9 of the box body 6, when the bearing rod 3 takes the rest position.
In particular, the front cap 45 and entry end-of-stroke flange 46 show in front view the same profile, for instance circular, as well as the same overall sizes.
Operatively, the user, for example a bather who wants to come out after some amusement and relax moments spent in the water in open or in any case deep sea and at a given distance from the coast, approaches by swimming the zone of the hull of the boat in which the ascent structure 1 of the invention is mounted, for example at stern.
At that time, the ascent structure 1 of the invention is in the non- use condition of figures 1 and 2, with the bearing rod 3 in the rest position, completely inside the housing means 2 arranged in the blind space made in the hull of the boat.
In the non-use condition of the ascent structure 1 , moreover, the bearing rod 3 is firmly hold in the rest position by the snap engagement of the male element 18 in the female element 19 of the constraint means 17 and the trampling steps 4 are in the passive position firstly cited.
To be able to ascent on board, the user, acting on the front cap 45 and in particular by inserting a few fingers of his own hand into the manoeuvre holes 47, firstly exerts a strong pull on the rod bearing 3 which in this way, thanks to the sliding means 5 and together with these ones, slides along the main longitudinal axis Y in order to gradually and completely come out, through the inlet 9, from the box body 6 of the housing means 2 and, consequently, from the hull of the boat.
The sliding of the bearing rod 3 along the main longitudinal axis Y towards the outside of the box body 6 of the housing means 2 stops when some component parts of the sliding means 5, for instance, the guide pads 12 and first end 11b of the tubular truck 11 , mechanically contrast with the laminar plaques 29, 30 of the exit end-of-stroke means 28 and laminar strips 35, 36 on which the curvature means 33 are made.
At that point, the bearing rod 3 fully protrudes from the housing means 2 according to an intermediate operative configuration, shown in figure 3, such that the auxiliary longitudinal axis X of the bearing rod 3 coincides again with the main longitudinal axis Y of the box body 6 of the housing means 2 and the ascent structure 1 remains unusable for going up again on board.
The user, then, exerts a further traction, in the specific case anticlockwise, of the bearing rod 3 which in this way, thanks to the pivot means 10, rotates around the longitudinal rotation axis Z up to the point where the bearing rod 3 mechanically contrasts with the entry end-of- stroke flange 46 and the auxiliary longitudinal axis X defines the acute angle a with the main longitudinal axis Y.
After this manoeuvre has come to an end, the user, always with the body partly submerged in the water, rotates each of the trampling steps 4 around the linear rotation axis Z 2 and places it in the active position, whereby it the linear direction Zi defined by it is perpendicular to the auxiliary longitudinal axis X.
The ascent structure 1 thus takes the operating configuration of figure 4 and is definitely ready to use, allowing the user to reach the top of the support structure, such as a boat, placing the feet on the trampling steps 4 laterally projecting from the bearing rod 3.
The ascent structure 1 appears clearly practical to be placed in the use condition, even and mostly in emergency situations, when, for various reasons, it is necessary to access the top of the support structure with a certain urgency.
When the ascent structure (or ladder) 1 of the invention is no longer necessary for use, the user moves the component parts substantially in reverse to what just explained; first of all he handles the bearing rod 3 and rotates it clockwise until to place the auxiliary longitudinal axis X coincident with the longitudinal axis Y of the box body 6.
Thereafter, the user, while brings back one by one the trampling steps 4 in the passive position (linear direction Z \ parallel to the auxiliary longitudinal axis X), re-inserts the bearing rod 3 inside the box body 6 of the housing means 2 up to place the front cap 45 close to the entry end-of- stroke flange 46 and to engage the male element 18 with the female element 19 inside the box body 6 in order to firmly keep the bearing rod in the rest position.
On the basis of what just explained, it is, therefore, understood that the ascent structure (or ladder) of the invention reaches the purposes and achieves the advantages mentioned above.
In execution phase, changes could be made to the ascent structure (or ladder) of the invention consisting, for example, in housing means different from those ones described above.
In this case, the housing means may also include a notch of appropriate shape and sizes directly made in the support structure, such as the hull of a boat. Moreover, in other embodiments of the invention, here not accompanied with reference figures, the ascent structure could comprise more than one bearing rod operatively connected with the housing means.
In addition, other embodiments of the ascent structure of the invention may provide that the bearing rod includes a number of trampling steps different from that one shown, as said by way of mere example, in the figures that follow, that number varying at will and according to the applicative requirements starting from one.
Finally, in further embodiments, still not shown, the ascent structure here exclusively claimed may include sliding means of different design from that one described above, which does not impair the advantages brought by the present invention.
It is, finally, clear that many other variations may be made to the ascent structure at issue, without departing from the principle of novelty intrinsic in the inventive idea expressed here, as it is clear that, in the practical implementation of the invention, materials, shapes and sizes of the illustrated details can be changed, as needed, and replaced with others technically equivalent.
Where the constructive features and techniques mentioned in the following claims are followed by reference numbers or signs, those reference signs have been introduced with the sole objective of increasing the intelligibility of the claims themselves and therefore they have no limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified, by way of example only, by these reference signs.
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