TACO Marine introduced 5 new products at the IBEX show: LED top lighting, a shock absorbing pedestal, flex-bright rub rail insert, a fender locking device and a ratchet hinge that won an IBEX Innovation award. The ratchet hinge is the focus of this blog. At the International Boat Builders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) announced the 2014, IBEX Innovation Awarded winners.
NMMA created the Innovation Awards program to recognize significant contributions to marine technology. The winning products were selected from over 90 entries by a panel of experienced technical boating journalists from Boating Writers International (BWI) .
The 2014 IBEX Innovation Award for Deck Equipment & Hardware went to Taco Marine for its innovative Ratchet Hinge
TACO Marine's newly patented stainless steel ratchet hinge is designed to provide boaters the ability to easily adjust the sitting angles for sun-pads, loungers, and many other types of boat seats. The ratchet hinge automatically locks securely into place every 15 degrees – adjustable depending on the seating application. It’s easy to adjust by simply pulling up on the seat back to engage or past 90 degrees to release the hinge.
In applications such as the transom seat, you only need one locking and release position, and it can be adjusted based on the draft in the boat. What’s more, while most armrests have to fold upward, TACO Marine's versatile ratchet hinge provides additional flexibility by allowing the armrests to fold down and out-of-the-way.
