The invention is in the field of collapsible ladders, and in particular, such ladders that have independently collapsible ladder portions and in some embodiments at least one seating position.
Ladders are used by people who need to work efficiently and conveniently and in a variety of different structural environments.
One embodiment is a ladder with independently collapsible ladder portions, comprising a first ladder portion; and a second ladder portion attached to the first ladder portion and rotatable away from the first ladder portion, each of the first ladder portion and second ladder portion comprising multiple ladder portion segments situated one adjacent another, each ladder portion segment, in an extended position, having a top surface higher than a top surface of its adjacent segment and a bottom surface lower than the top surface of its adjacent segment, wherein the ladder is configured to be usable as a ladder in a stable manner in a first position in which both the first and second ladder portions are extended and in a second position in which one of the first and second ladder portions is extended and one other of the first and second ladder portions is at least partially retracted, the first and second positions being stable.
In some embodiments, the ladder is configured to be used as a stool when both the first ladder portion and the second ladder portion are in a fully retracted position. In certain embodiments, the ladder is configured to be adjustable for use in two different states as a stool: in a first state in which top surfaces of all ladder portion segments of the ladder are substantially flush with one another and the seat of the stool is flat and in a second state in which a surface of a first portion of the seat is inclined relative to a surface of a second portion of the seat. In certain embodiments, the substantially v-shaped seat comprises an oblique angle of between about 150 and about 160 degrees.
In certain embodiments, a top surface of each ladder portion segment of the one of the first and second ladder portions that is fully retracted are substantially flush with one another.
In certain embodiments, the ladder further comprises two rubber rings projecting from an external ladder portion segment and configured to contact a wall when the ladder is in use in a position such that one of the first and second ladder positions is in an at least partially retracted position.
In certain embodiments, the second ladder portion is rotatable away from the first ladder portion on an axis of rotation adjacent an innermost top edge of each of the innermost ladder portion segments.
In certain embodiments, the ladder is configured to be usable as a ladder in a stable manner in the second position in which one of the first and second ladder portions is extended and one other of the first and second ladder portions has at least two ladder portion segments that are retracted.
In certain embodiments, the ladder is configured to be usable as a ladder in a stable manner in the second position in which one of the first and second ladder portions is extended and one other of the first and second ladder portions has at least three ladder portion segments that are retracted.
In certain embodiments, a retraction of each of the ladder portion segments of a particular one of the first and second ladder portions is independent of a retraction of any of the other ladder portion segments of the particular one of the first and second ladder portions.
A further embodiment is a multi-purpose collapsible ladder usable as a stool, comprising a first ladder portion; and a second ladder portion attached to the first ladder portion and rotatable away from the first ladder portion, each of the first ladder portion and second ladder portion comprising multiple ladder portion segments situated one adjacent another, each ladder portion segment, in an extended position, having a top higher than a top of its adjacent segment and a bottom lower than the top of its adjacent segment, wherein the ladder is configured to function as a stool when both the first ladder portion and the second ladder portion are in a fully retracted position, wherein a seat of the stool comprises top surfaces of the multiple ladder portion segments of each of the first and second ladder portions.
In certain embodiments, the ladder is configured to be adjustable for use in two different states as a stool: in a first state in which top surfaces of all ladder portion segments of the ladder are substantially flush with one another and the seat of the stool is flat and in a second state in which a surface of a first portion of the seat is inclined relative to a surface of a second portion of the seat. In certain embodiments, in the second state the surface of the first portion of the seat comprises top surfaces of the multiple ladder portion segments of the first ladder portion that are substantially flush with one another and the surface of the second portion of the seat comprises top surfaces of the multiple ladder portion segments of the second ladder portion that are substantially flush with one another. In some embodiments, in the second state the stool is balanced equally such that a first angle that the surface of the first portion makes with a ground is substantially equal to a second angle that the surface of the second portion makes with the ground. In some embodiments, the first angle is between 20 and 30 degrees. In some embodiments, the first state is when both the first ladder portion and the second ladder portion are in a fully retracted position.
In certain embodiments, the ladder is configured to be usable as a ladder in a stable manner in a first position in which both the first and second ladder portions are extended and in a second position in which only one of the first and second ladder portions is extended and the other one of the first and second ladder portions has at least some of its ladder portion segments in a retracted position.
In certain embodiments, for each of the first and second ladder portions each of the ladder portion segments are rigidly affixed to or released from an adjacent ladder portion segment depending upon a position of a pin that is accessible to a user.
A still further embodiment is a ladder and stool combination, comprising a first ladder portion having an extended position and a retracted position; and a second ladder portion having an extended position and a retracted position and attached to and rotatable away from the first ladder portion, the first ladder portion and the second ladder portion each comprising multiple ladder portion segments situated one adjacent another, wherein a retraction of each of the ladder portion segments of a particular one of the first and second ladder portions is independent of a retraction of any of the other ladder portion segments of the particular one of the first and second ladder portions, and wherein a retraction of one of the first and second ladder portions is independent of a retraction of another of the first and second ladder portions, wherein the ladder is configured to be adjustable for use in two different states as a stool: in a first state in which top surfaces of all ladder portion segments of the ladder are substantially flush with one another and the seat of the stool is flat and in a second state in which a surface of a first portion of the seat is inclined relative to a surface of a second portion of the seat, in both the first and second states the first and second ladder portions are in a fully retracted position, wherein the ladder is configured to be usable as a ladder in a stable manner in a first position in which both the first and second ladder portions are extended and in a second position in which one of the first and second ladder portions is extended and another one of the first and second ladder portions is at least partially retracted.
In some embodiments, the ladder further comprises a projecting element projecting from the at least partially retracted other one of the first and second ladder portions and made of a material configured to increase friction between the ladder and a substrate that the ladder leans against.
In certain embodiments, in the first state in which top surfaces of all ladder portion segments of the ladder are substantially flush with one another and the seat of the stool is flat, the ladder and stool combination is still configured to be used a ladder with a single step.
These and other features, aspects and advantages will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, descriptions and claims.
Various embodiments are herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
The invention generally provides a ladder that includes a first ladder portion and a second ladder portion, each of which have multiple ladder portion segments configured to be situated one adjacent the other, each segment, in an extended position, having a top higher than a top of its adjacent segment and a bottom lower than the top of its adjacent segment, and having tops that are substantially flush with one another in a folded or retracted position. The innermost ladder portion segment of the first ladder portion and of the second ladder portion may be configured to rotate away from each other for example on an axis of rotation between them. In certain embodiments, in a collapsed position the ladder is configured to form a seat, which is flat when both the first and second ladder portions are retracted. The seat can be slightly folded on itself when substantially half of the seat is rotated relative to the substantially other half of the seat for example on an axis of rotation to adjust the seat from a flat position to a substantially v-shaped position, also for sitting. The first and second ladder portions can both be extended but in another mode only one of them is extended and the other is retracted or has at least some of its ladder portion segments in a retracted position for certain uses in which the collapsed ladder portion can be leaned against a wall. The ladder may be a compact lightweight adjustable ladder that is a multi-purpose ladder in certain embodiments. The ladder may be made using machining technology. In certain embodiments, the ladder is a multi-purpose ladder.
The principles and operation of a Ladder With Independently Collapsible Ladder Portions and a Seat may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description.
As seen from
As shown in
Each ladder portion segment, for example ladder portion segment 22, may comprise two vertical rods and one horizontal rod for standing (or sitting). The horizontal bar has a top surface which is the top surface of the segment (for example top surface 22A of ladder portion segment 22).
As seen at least from
Accordingly, ladder 10 is configured to be usable as a ladder in a stable manner (such that for example someone can walk on the rungs of the ladder) in a second position in which one of the first and second ladder portions is extended and one other of the first and second ladder portions has at least one or at least two or at least three (or all) ladder portion segments that are retracted, as seen for example in
In certain embodiments, as seen from
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In some embodiments, in the second state (
In the position shown in
In
As seen from
As seen from
Furthermore, when ladder portions 20, 30 are in fully retracted position and each of the outer locks 27 are rotated as in
In an extended position of a ladder portion 20, 30, as seen from
Ladder 10 is configured to be usable as a ladder in a stable manner (sturdy enough to hold the weight of an adult climbing the ladder) in a first position in which both the first and second ladder portions are extended and also in a second position in which only one of the first and second ladder portions is extended and the other one of the first and second ladder portions has at least some of its ladder portion segments in a retracted position.
The internal parts within a segment will now be described. It should be understood, however, that other connection, locking and release structures or mechanisms may be used to implement the invention other than those described herein.
In certain embodiments, as seen from
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In some implementations, as shown in
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In use from the stored position of ladder 10 to a fully extended position of both ladder portions, open the outer locks 27, separate the two ladder portions 20, 30 from one another and then press in the buttons 25 on each side of each of the segments other than the two innermost segments 21, 31 which in one embodiment shown in the drawings means each of segments 22, 23, 24, 32, 33, 34 (12 buttons in all in one embodiment). The segments will then naturally pop up but one will want to pull them fully up by pulling on the hole in the middle of the top surface of the ladder segments 21, 31 which hole forms a handle for this pulling. After fully extending the ladder portions 20, 30 fully, or as much as desired, one should then check each of the areas around the latches 26 to make sure the safety warning indicator or marker (such as a green circle 92) is exposed indicating the latch 26 had the hooks 20A, 29B caught and the segment is in a locked position. In some embodiments, as shown in
To close the ladder 10, for example from its fully extended position, move the ladder portions 20, 30 towards one another until they are substantially parallel to one another, lock outer locks 27 and then pull all the latch tabs 26 of all the ladder portion segments whose adjacent (in the more radially inner direction) ladder portion segments you want to retract. For example, to retract ladder portion segments 22, 32 pull latches of ladder portion segments 24, 34. This may result in ladder 10 being in the state depicted in
Although the illustrated embodiments have been implemented using latches and pins, one skilled in the art would understand that other connecting and lock means may be utilized.
It should be understood that while the number of ladder portion segments depicted in the drawings and discussed is four, this is by no means required—the number of segments may be fewer than four and may be more than four.
Another embodiment is a ladder and stool combination, comprising a first ladder portion having an extended position and a retracted position; and a second ladder portion having an extended position and a retracted position and attached to and rotatable away from the first ladder portion, the first ladder portion and the second ladder portion each comprising multiple ladder portion segments situated one adjacent another, wherein a retraction of each of the ladder portion segments of a particular one of the first and second ladder portions is independent of a retraction of any of the other ladder portion segments of the particular one of the first and second ladder portions, and wherein a retraction of one of the first and second ladder portions is independent of a retraction of another of the first and second ladder portions, wherein the ladder is configured to be adjustable for use in two different states as a stool: in a first state in which top surfaces of all ladder portion segments of the ladder are substantially flush with one another and the seat of the stool is flat and in a second state in which a surface of a first portion of the seat is inclined relative to a surface of a second portion of the seat, in both the first and second states the first and second ladder portions are in a fully retracted position, wherein the ladder is configured to be usable as a ladder in a stable manner in a first position in which both the first and second ladder portions are extended and in a second position in which one of the first and second ladder portions is extended and another one of the first and second ladder portions is at least partially retracted.
In any of the embodiments described herein, when the ladder is retracted such that the top surfaces of all ladder portion segments of the ladder are substantially flush with one another and the seat of the stool is flat, the ladder and stool combination is still configured to be used a ladder with a single step, as shown in
While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications of the invention may be made. Therefore, the claimed invention as recited in the claims that follow is not limited to the embodiments described herein.