Patent Application
20220034095
The present invention relates to an extendable railing that extends and retracts along a staircase from a heliport.
Because of the inherent dangers when traversing a flight of stairs, the recommended way to ascend or descend is with a three point contact protocol. This typically involves grabbing a railing, or pair of railings, and taking steps one at a time. The three points of contact ensure balance and maintain safety when climbing the stairs. This way the person always has a foothold or hand grab in case they slip or miss a step.
Heliports are increasingly being used in buildings like hospitals and hotels. They are useful because they provide a safe landing platform for a helicopter in locations where the helicopter typically cannot land; like a downtown or urban area where the flat open spaces or not readily available. The heliports typically have an opening that leads to a staircase beneath the platform. Because of helicopter safety, the railing does not extend above the heliport platform. Although their availability is growing, their safety protocols are lacking. While the three point protocol is the preferred method to walk safely down stairs, these new heliports do not have the proper provisions for the beginning the descent down the stairs. Many times the stairs include a railing that the person is only able to grab once they've traversed the first few stairs, therefore creating a nerve racking experience until the railing is reached.
Therefore it would be beneficial in the art to provide a railing for heliport stairs that remains beneath the heliport until needed. It would also be desirable for the railing to be easily accessible as the user approaches the stairs.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the prior art, the general purpose of the present invention is to provide an extendable rail system for a flight of stairs to exit a heliport, configured to include all of the advantages of the prior art, and to overcome the drawbacks inherent therein.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an extendable rail system for a heliport, where a rail extension moves along a railing to provide a safety rail as a user initiates their descent from the heliport.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an extendable rail system with a motorized rail extension that is activated with a foot pedal positioned at the top of the stairs.
To achieve the above objects, in an aspect of the present invention, an extendable rail system for a flight of stairs is described comprising a railing positioned along the flight of stairs, where the railing includes a handrail; a plurality of anchors attached to the railing, where the plurality of anchors support the handrail; a rail extension attached to a top portion of the railing, where the rail extension moves between a first position and a second position; a motor coupled to the rail extension, where the motor moves the rail extension between the first position and the second position; a first actuator positioned on the heliport, where the first actuator activates the motor; and a second actuator positioned at a base of the railing, where the second actuator activates the motor.
These together with other aspects of the present invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the present invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and form a part of this present invention. For a better understanding of the present invention, its operating advantages, and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:
The present invention relates to an extendable railing that extends and retracts along a staircase from a heliport. The present invention provides an extendable rail system for heliports to offer a user a device which affords support when traversing stairs that lead to and away from the heliport. The extendable rail system includes a 32-inch handrail coupled with a motor. The motor may utilize a pedal actuator to raise and lower the handrail thereby providing a readily available balance structure to the user as they descend the steps.
In reference to
Adjacent to the moveable rail 10b is a second stationary rail 12. This rail 12 provides a brace for the movement of rail 10b, which is powered by a motor 41. This motor 41 receives power from a power supply 40 shown at the bottom of the staircase 30. The power supply 40 may receive AC or DC power or may be powered through a solar panel 43 as shown attached to the second stationary rail 12.
The stairwell 30 is show from a descending view in
The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
This application is a continuation in part to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/225,106 filed on Apr. 8, 2021 and further continuation in part to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/925,647 filed on Mar. 19, 2018.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17225103 | Apr 2021 | US |
| Child | 17503336 | US | |
| Parent | 15925647 | Mar 2018 | US |
| Child | 17225103 | US |
