FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an elevator cabin, in particular for a watercraft
or ship, with free standing structure.
[0002] The present invention is advantageously used in the sector of elevators or lift platforms
in general, in particular mounted and in use in watercraft, such as ships, boats or
motor yachts with more than one bridge, to which the description below will explicitly
refer without loss of generality.
PRIOR ART
[0003] In general, on watercraft or yachts of medium or large size with more than one bridge,
the use is known of internal elevator cabins or lift platforms, for example provided
with direct hydraulic or roped traction, with winch, etc., through which it is possible
to rapidly access, from inside the boat, bridges in higher position, such as the command
bridge, known with the term "flybridge".
[0004] As these watercraft are very often equipped with high range ornamental interior and
even exterior furnishings and fitted with highly prestigious and sophisticated materials,
the various components and structure of the aforesaid elevator cabins are also required
to have aesthetics and materials in keeping with the degree of luxury and sophistication
expressed in the fittings.
[0005] Currently, prior art elevator cabins have the drawback of being relatively large
in size, with a large part of the volumes occupied by mechanical components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The object of the present invention is to produce an elevator cabin with free standing
structure, in particular for watercraft or ships, which has very limited bulk and
volumes, without penalizing operation of the electromechanical components thereof.
[0007] Another object of the present invention is to produce an elevator cabin with free
standing structure, in particular for watercraft or ships, which together with its
structure is perfectly compatible and adaptable to the stylistic context of the prestigious
furnishings and fittings of the surrounding environments.
[0008] According to the present invention, there is produced an elevator cabin, in particular
for watercraft or ships, characterized by comprising a free standing structure with
a substantially circular section, said structure being formed by first vertical uprights
and by cross member means fastened to said first uprights; and a lift platform with
a substantially circular flat horizontal section, said lift platform being formed
by second vertical uprights with hollow profile suitable to support a floor and a
ceiling; said lift platform being mounted, with said first uprights of said structure
housed inside said second hollow uprights of the platform, to slide with respect to
said structure in vertical direction under the thrust of drive means.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0009] The technical features of the invention, according to the aforesaid objects, can
clearly be found in the content of the appended claims, and the advantages thereof
will be more apparent in the detailed description below provided with reference to
the accompanying figures which schematically show a preferred but non-limiting embodiment
of the elevator cabin in question, wherein:
- Fig. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the elevator cabin with free standing structure
in question, represented in a perspective view with parts removed for clarity;
- Figs. 2A and 2B are flat cross sectional views of two constructional elements of the
cabin shown in Fig, 1;
- Figs. 3A and 3B are respective perspective views in enlarged scale of some components
of the cabin shown in Fig. 1;
- Figs. 4A, 4B and 4C show, in respective perspective views and in enlarged scale, other
components of the cabin of Fig. 1: and
- Figs. 5A and 5B show, in respective perspective views and in enlarged scale, further
components of the cabin of Fig. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0010] With reference to Fig. 1 and to Figs. 2A and 2B, CA indicates as a whole an elevator
cabin suitable to be mounted and in use in a watercraft, such as a ship, a boat or
a motor yacht (known and not illustrated).
[0011] The cabin CA is of the type comprising a free standing structure S with circular
section, in turn formed by two structural vertical uprights 1 and 2 and two horizontal
cross members 2 with semi-circular section, each of which is fastened by means bolted
to a respective upright 1, at an upper end thereof; the two cross members 2 are mutually
coupled in a fixed manner through two respective bracket connection elements 3 (Figs.
2A and 3A).
[0012] According to what is shown in Figs. 2A and 3B, each bracket element 3 carries mounted
known hydraulic drive means indicated for simplicity with a block 4, suitable to move,
vertically and with respect to the uprights 1, a lift platform 6 incorporated in the
structure S, as will be explained in more detail below; moreover, each upright 1 supports,
in an external portion thereof (i.e. facing the outside of the structure S) removable
sliding pad means 5 (Fig. 3B).
[0013] According to what is shown in Figs. 1 and 2B, the aforesaid lift platform 6 comprises
a metal frame with substantially circular flat horizontal section and is formed by
four vertical uprights 7, which are suitable to support on opposite sides a horizontal
floor P and a horizontal ceiling or roof T, and also a first semi-circular wall 8
fastened to two adjacent uprights 7 and a second semi-circular transparent or panoramic
wall 9 made of glass or crystal glass, also fastened to two adjacent uprights (Fig.
2B). The wall 8 supports known push button means PU.
[0014] According to what is shown in Figs. 1 and 2B, each upright 7 has a hollow rounded
form 7', with concavity facing the outside of the platform 6 so that the bulk of the
curved perimeter 7" of each upright 7 is contained inside the platform 6.
[0015] Each upright 1 of the above-described structure S is suitable to be housed in a respective
cavity 7' of two opposed uprights 7 of the platform 6, which is therefore suitable
to ascend/descend sliding vertically through the sliding pad means 5 and under the
thrust of said hydraulic means, housed substantially in the cavities 7' of the remaining
two uprights 7.
[0016] According to what is shown in Figs. 4A and 4C, each upright 1 of the structure S
defines a vertical support element for two transparent semi-circular surfaces 10 made
of glass or crystal glass, arranged on the opposite sides of the upright 1, and is
advantageously covered at least externally or visible from the outside with a covering
element R, which is suitable to be appropriately and easily coupled with interlock
and/or through guided sliding vertically on the upright 1.
[0017] This element R is produced with various materials and with high range aesthetic and
ornamental features chosen specifically to be in keeping and perfectly compatible
with the aesthetic features of the interior furnishings and fittings of the aforesaid
watercraft.
[0018] For example, the element R can be made of stainless steel, or covered in gold, leather,
fabric or other similar prestigious and luxury materials.
[0019] Cross member elements 11 to support the surfaces 10 and fastened to the uprights
1 can also be covered with a covering element analogous to the aforesaid covering
R for the same aesthetic and ornamental purposes: in this case, according to the Figs.
5A and 5B, glazing bead elements 12 are provided, covered analogously to the element
R, and provided with magnetic connection means 13 at least on the inner part thereof,
i.e. the part facing the platform 6 (arrow K, Fig. 4A).
[0020] According to a variant, not shown, the uprights 7 of the lift platform 6, i.e. the
portion 7" facing the inside of the platform 6 can also be covered with a covering
element analogous to the element R and defined for the same aesthetic purposes.
[0021] Finally, it must be stressed that the cabin CA in question has the characteristic
that it can be mounted even in small spaces, such as those of watercraft of medium
size, due to the limited size of its components, which are not bulky and are easy
to handle, and without the use of screws visible from the outside.
[0022] The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variants,
all falling within the inventive concept; moreover all details can be substituted
by other technically equivalent details.
1. An elevator cabin (CA), in particular for a watercraft or ship, characterized in that it comprises a free standing structure (S) with a substantially circular section,
said structure (S) being formed by first vertical uprights (1) and by cross member
means (2) fastened to said first uprights (1); and a lift platform (6) with a substantially
circular flat horizontal section, said lift platform (6) being formed by second vertical
uprights (7) with hollow profile (7') suitable to support a floor (P) and a ceiling
(T); said lift platform (6) being mounted, with said first uprights (1) of said structure
(S) housed inside said second hollow uprights (7) of the platform (6), to slide with
respect to said structure (S) in vertical direction under the thrust of drive means
(4).
2. The cabin according to claim 1, characterized in that at least said first uprights (1) comprise external covering means (R) made of various
prestigious material suitable to be applied by means of interlocking and/or guided
sliding on the first uprights (1).
3. The cabin according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least said second uprights (7) comprise covering means (R) made of various prestigious
material suitable to be applied solely by means of interlocking and/or guided sliding
on the second uprights (7).
4. The cabin according to one or more of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said cross member means (2) of said structure (S) comprise two horizontal cross members
(2) with semi-circular section mutually coupled through bracket connection means (3)
and fastened to two said first uprights (1).
5. Cabin according to claim 4, characterized in that said platform (6) comprises four said second uprights (7), two of which define the
housing of said two first uprights (1); and also a first semi-circular lateral wall
(8) fastened to two said second uprights (7) mutually adjacent, and a second transparent
semi-circular wall (9) fastened to other two said second adjacent uprights (7).
6. The cabin according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said first uprights (1) also comprise cross member elements (11, 12) to support and
fasten, without the use of visible screws, together with the uprights (1) the transparent
surfaces (10) with semi-circular profile.
7. The cabin according to claim 6, characterized in that said cross member elements (11, 12) comprise covering means (R) made of various prestigious
material suitable to be applied solely through magnet fastening means (13).
8. The cabin according to one or more of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said first uprights (1) comprise sliding pad means (5).
9. The cabin according to one or more of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said drive means (4) comprise hydraulic thrust means (4).