Patent Application
20240352792
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The disclosure relates to ladder apparatuses and more particularly pertains to a new ladder apparatus for reaching high areas and playing audio files.
The prior art includes myriad examples of ladder apparatuses. However, the prior art fails to address a ladder apparatus which is combined with an audio file player so that a user can listen to played audio files while using or being positioned near the ladder apparatus. The prior art also fails to address a ladder apparatus with mounting features for holding tools on the ladder and a light emitter mounted to the ladder as described by the present application.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a ladder assembly comprising a cap, a front support, and a rear support. The cap has a top wall and a perimeter wall is coupled to and extends away from the top wall. The front support is coupled to the cap and comprises a pair of front rails and a plurality of rungs. The pair of front rails is coupled to and extends from the cap, and the plurality of rungs is coupled to and extends between the pair of front rails. The rungs are spaced from each other. The rear support is coupled to the cap and comprises a pair of rear rails and a plurality of crossbars. The pair of rear rails is coupled to and extends from the cap, and the plurality of crossbars is coupled to and extends between the pair of rear rails. The rear support is pivotally coupled to the cap such that the rear support is movable toward and away from the front support. An audio file player is coupled to the ladder assembly and is configured to audibly emit selected audio files. The audio file player is mounted to the cap.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The front support 16 is coupled to the cap 14 and comprises a pair of front rails 50 and a plurality of rungs 52. The pair of front rails 50 is coupled to and extends from the cap 14, and the plurality of rungs 52 is coupled to and extends between the pair of front rails 50. The rungs 52 are spaced from each other. The rear support 18 is also coupled to the cap 14. The rear support 18 comprises a pair of rear rails 54 and a plurality of crossbars 56. The pair of rear rails 54 is coupled to and extends from the cap 14, and the plurality of crossbars 56 is coupled to and extends between the pair of rear rails 54. The rear support 18 is pivotally coupled to the cap 14 such that the rear support 18 is movable toward and away from the front support 16.
The pair of braces 20 is coupled to and extends between the front support 16 and the rear support 18. Each brace 20 comprises a pair of pivotally interconnected links 58 which are aligned to retain the front support 16 and the rear support 18 in a use condition 60. The pivotally interconnected links 58 of each brace 20 are foldable to permit the rear support 18 to pivot toward the front support 16 to a collapsed condition 62.
An audio file player 64 is coupled to the ladder assembly 12 and is configured to audibly emit selected audio files. The audio file player 64 is mounted to the cap 14. The audio file player 64 includes a control circuit 66 and a plurality of sound emitters 68. The plurality of sound emitters 68 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 66 and is coupled to the ladder assembly 12. The plurality of sound emitters 68 includes a pair of cap sound emitters 70 and a pair of rail sound emitters 72. The cap sound emitters 70 are mounted to the perimeter wall 24 of the cap 14, and each rail sound emitter 72 of the pair of rail sound emitters 72 is mounted to a respective one of the pair of front rails 50 of the front support 16.
A transceiver 74 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 66 and is configured to wirelessly communicate with an electronic device 76 having access to audio files. The transceiver 74 may communicate with the electronic device 76 through a wireless network using a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, or like standard. An input 78 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 66 and is operable to control the control circuit 66. The input 78 is positioned on the perimeter wall 24 of the cap 14 and comprises a plurality of buttons. The input 78 may comprise a touchscreen, a voice command system, or the like. A power supply 80 is coupled to the control circuit 66 and mounted to the cap 14 and comprises a battery 82. The control circuit 66 also may receive power from an external electrical power source.
A light emitter 84 is coupled to the ladder assembly 12. The light emitter 84 is positioned on the cap 14 and is configured to emit light away from the cap 14. A magnet 86 is coupled to the cap 14 for magnetically retaining objects on the magnet 86. The magnet 86 is positioned on the top wall 22 of the cap 14. The objects to be retained on the magnet 86 may include metallic tools, fasteners, and the like. A tray 90 is pivotally coupled to and extends away from the rear support 18. The tray 90 has a cavity 92 extending into an upper surface 94 of the tray 90 which is configured for holding another paint can 38 therein. The tray 90 has at least one groove 96 extending into the upper surface 94 which is configured for holding a beverage container 98 therein. At least one arm 100 is coupled to the tray 90 and extends toward the front support 16. The at least one arm 100 engages the front support 16 to retain the tray 90 in a deployed condition 102. The front support 16 engages the at least one arm 100 to pivot downwardly and toward the rear support 18 when the rear support 18 pivots toward the front support 16, thereby causing the tray 90 to pivot upwardly and toward the rear support 18.
A tool holder 104 is coupled to one of the pair of rear rails 54. The tool holder 104 comprises a closed loop 106 has a horizontal orientation and is configured for holding a drill 116 in the closed loop 106. A tool hook 108 is coupled to one of the pair of front rails 50 and is configured for engaging a grip 112 of a tool 110. The tool 110 with the grip 112 may be, for example, a handsaw 114. A plurality of reflective members 118 is attached to the ladder assembly 12. Each rung 52 of the plurality of rungs 52 has one of the reflectively members 118 attached thereto. The reflective members 118 reflect light such that the rungs 52 are more easily viewed.
A plurality of feet 120 is attached to the ladder assembly 12. Each front rail 50 of the pair of front rails 50 and each rear rail 54 of the pair of rear rails 54 has a free end 122 positioned opposite of the cap 14. Each of the free ends 122 has one of the feet 120 attached thereto. Each foot 120 of the plurality of feet 120 is frictionally enhanced to facilitate friction between the ladder assembly 12 and a support surface 124.
In use, the ladder assembly 12 is used as a conventional step ladder. A user 126 may climb the rungs 52 of the ladder assembly 12 to reach areas too high to reach without the ladder assembly 12. The rear support 18 may be pivoted toward the front support 16 to collapse the ladder assembly 12 for storage. The audio file player 64 may be operated to play the audio files. Items such as hammers 42, screwdrivers 28, paint cans 38, and the like may be held by the various elements described more fully above.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
