Patent Grant
11125014
The disclosure generally relates to methods and apparatuses for suspending an object using a ladder to support the object. More particularly the disclosure relates to attaching a rug or floor mat to a hanger assembly attachable to an upright ladder. The hanger assembly may be used to suspend the rug or floor mat on the ladder in order to clean and disinfect the rug or floor mat, such as with a pressurized fluid or applicable disinfectants.
Doormats are generally placed immediately outside or inside an entrance to a home or business which allows people to wipe their shoes on the mat before entering the building. However, doormats can quickly become covered with ground-in dirt and bacteria. Area rugs are often used in the home or office to add to the decor while also providing other benefits, such as protecting the floor, noise reduction, and adding comfort and warmth. Even though an area rug may be used on the interior of a building, they require regular cleanings to extend the life and beauty of the rug and remove harmful germs and bacteria.
There are many other types of floor mats in use today that can be found anywhere people work and live. Car mats are designed to protect a vehicle's carpeted floors by collected dirt, salt, sand, and other grime from destroying the vehicle's carpet. Anti-slip mats are used in kitchens or other locations where a smooth floor may cause someone to fall and become injured. Anti-fatigue mats are located in many offices and factories where workers may be required to be on their feet for prolong periods of time. Similar to the door mats and the area rugs, these types of mats experience foot travel that require the mats to be properly cleaned on a regular basis.
The current methods and techniques for cleaning rugs and other floor mats are inefficient, damaging to the cleaning equipment, and potentially harmful to the person cleaning the rug. For many years, people have attempted to clean their rugs by holding the rug in one arm while repeatedly striking the rug with a carpet rod or rattan rug beater. This method is not only physically exhausting for the person who is holding the heavy rug in the air while swinging a carpet rod, but it also exposes the person to harmful dust and allergens being released into the air with each strike.
One of the more common methods of cleaning rugs/mats is with the use of a vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner creates a suction effect that is intended to lift dust, dirt, and debris off a rug/mat and collect the dirt in a canister or vacuum bag that requires disposal. The majority of the inexpensive vacuum cleaners only provide enough power to remove surface dust, dirt, and debris and are ineffective at removing any type of stain. Even expensive industrial-grade vacuum cleaners are incapable of removing all the dirt trapped in the deeper parts of the rug.
If the rug is small enough, the rug may be put into a traditional home washing machine in an effort to clean the rug. However, attempting to clean a rug in the washing machine can have serious negative consequences for both the machine and the rug. The viscous gravel and abrasive debris can be dislodged from the rug/mat which can harm washing machine seals and scratch sealed surfaces. The washing machine can damage or potentially destroy the rug during the machine's wash cycle.
Without a proper device for suspending a dirty rug off the ground, some rugs/mats are laid on the ground in a horizontal position and sprayed with water or cleaning fluid. Unfortunately, there is nowhere for the fluid to flow with the rug arranged in this position and the dirt/debris merely gets moved around the rug. Worse yet, the water-logged rug may become difficult to move after it has been sprayed and is often left in place to dry against the ground leading to mold and mildew buildup within and underneath the rug.
There exists a need for an improved apparatus for cleaning objects such as rugs and floor mats efficiently and effectively. It is to such apparatus that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed.
Ladder hanger systems and methods are disclosed. The problem of positioning an object, such as a rug, to allow the object to be adequately cleaned is addressed through a hanger assembly configured to receive and suspend the object on a ladder.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more implementations described herein and, together with the description, explain these implementations. The drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale, and certain features and certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated, to scale or in schematic in the interest of clarity and conciseness. Not every component may be labeled in every drawing. Like reference numerals in the figures may represent and refer to the same or similar element or function. In the drawings:
The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.
As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by anyone of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).
In addition, use of the “a” or “an” are employed to describe elements and components of the embodiments herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the inventive concept. This description should be read to include one or more and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.
Further, use of the term “plurality” is meant to convey “more than one” unless expressly stated to the contrary.
As used herein, qualifiers like “substantially,” “about,” “approximately,” and combinations and variations thereof, are intended to include not only the exact amount or value that they qualify, but also some slight deviations therefrom, which may be due to manufacturing tolerances, measurement error, wear and tear, stresses exerted on various parts, and combinations thereof, for example.
The use of the term “at least one” or “one or more” will be understood to include one as well as any quantity more than one. In addition, the use of the phrase “at least one of X, V, and Z” will be understood to include X alone, V alone, and Z alone, as well as any combination of X, V, and Z.
The use of ordinal number terminology (i.e., “first”, “second”, “third”, “fourth”, etc.) is solely for the purpose of differentiating between two or more items and, unless explicitly stated otherwise, is not meant to imply any sequence or order or importance to one item over another or any order of addition.
Finally, as used herein any reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to
Nonexclusive examples of the ladder 16, 16a include step ladders, extension ladders, orchard ladders, Christmas tree ladders, and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the ladder 16 may comprise a first side rail assembly 30 having a pair of first spaced apart rails 32a-32b, a first rung 34, and a second rung 36. The first rung 34 and the second rung 36 may extend between and/or across the first spaced apart rails 32a-32b, attaching to the first spaced apart rails 32a-32b, and connecting the first spaced apart rails 32a-32b to one another. The first rung 34 and second rung 36 each has a top 35 and a bottom 37. In one embodiment, the first rung 34 and the second rung 36 may be substantially perpendicular to the first spaced apart rails 32a-32b. In one embodiment, each of the first spaced apart rails 32a-32b has a front surface 38, and the first rung 34 and the second rung 36 are coupled to the front surfaces 38. The first rung 34 has a length and a diameter or width. The second rung 36 has a length and a diameter or width.
As shown in
In one embodiment, the ladder 16 may further comprise a second side rail assembly 50. The second side rail assembly 50 may comprise a pair of second spaced apart rails 52a-52b and one or more rung 54 that extend across and/or are coupled to the second spaced apart rails 52a-52b. Each of the one or more rung 54 has a top 56 and a bottom 58.
In one embodiment, the ladder 16, 16a may include one or more hinge 80. The one or more hinge 80 may rotatably connect the first side rail assembly 30 to the second side rail assembly 50. In one embodiment, the one or more hinge 80 may rotatably connect the third side rail assembly 60 to the fourth side rail assembly 70. The one or more hinge 80 may be configured to allow the first side rail assembly 30 to be rotated relative to the second side rail assembly 50, such as from a folded position to an extended position. In one embodiment, the ladder 16, 16a may include a locking mechanism 84 to lock the ladder 16 in a plurality of fixed positions, such that the first side rail assembly 30 is unable to be rotated relative to the second side rail assembly 50. In one embodiment, in use with the ladder hanger system 10, the ladder 16, 16a may be locked into a standing configuration having an acute angle between the first side rail assembly 30 and the second side rail assembly 50.
In one embodiment, the ladder 16, 16a may be constructed of metal, such as aluminum. The ladder 16, 16a may be constructed of one or more other lightweight, corrosion resistant, strong, and durable materials. The ladder 16, 16a may be constructed of any suitable material, or combination of materials, capable of supporting the hanger assembly 12, such as, steel, fiberglass, wood, and plastic. The ladder 16, 16a may have a corrosion resistant coating applied to reduce the likelihood of corrosion and extend the life of the ladder 16, 16a.
As shown in
The plate 90 may be a substantially-flat, rigid, structural member. The plate has a front 110, a back 112, a top portion 114, and a bottom portion 116. The plate 90 may have a substantially rectangular shape with a length along a longitudinal axis and a height along a lateral axis and a thickness between the front 110 and the back 112. In one embodiment, the plate 90 may have a length of approximately forty-eight inches, a height of approximately six inches, and a thickness of approximately one-eighth of an inch. In one embodiment, the plate 90 may have a length in a range of approximately twenty-four inches to approximately forty-eight inches, a height in a range of approximately three inches to approximately eighteen inches, and a thickness of approximately one-eighth of an inch to approximately one-half of an inch. It will be understood that the shape and size of the plate 90 may be varied without substantially effecting the functionality of the hanger assembly 12.
In one embodiment, the plate 90 may have at least one sloped edge 118 extending at least partially along the bottom portion 116 between the front 110 and the back 112, configured to reduce resistance when sliding the plate 90 underneath the object 14.
In one embodiment, the plate 90 may be constructed of one or more of aluminum, fiberglass, plastic, or other light-weight material such that the plate remains substantially rigid as forces are applied to the plate 90, such as while the object 14 is being cleaned. In one embodiment, the plate 90 may include one or more structural supports to increase the rigidity of the plate 90, which may be positioned along the longitudinal axis. Nonexclusive examples of structural supports include ribbing, gussets, bends, offsets, beads, flared holes, or combinations thereof.
In one embodiment, the front 110 of the plate 90 may have texturing 120. The texturing 120 may provide traction to, and restrict movement of, the object 14 while attached to the plate 90. The texturing 120 may be formed on the front 110 of the plate 90. For example, the plate 90 may be a diamond plate aluminum with diamond texturing. In one embodiment, the one or more structural supports may be arranged to serve as the texturing 120. In one embodiment, the texturing 120 may be attached to, or processed into, the front 110 of the plate 90 by mechanical or chemical means, such as with perforation, adhesive backed texture strip(s), and anti-slip paint, for example.
Turning now to
The first track 92 may be substantially aligned with the second track 96 along the longitudinal axis of the plate 90. In one embodiment, the first track 92 may be spaced longitudinally from the second track 96 a distance greater than the width W1 of the first side rail assembly 30 at the first location where the first rung 34 attaches to the first side rail assembly 30, such that the first track 92 and the second track 96 are located outside and on opposite sides of the first side rail assembly 30 when the hanger assembly 12 is attached to the ladder 16, 16a.
The first track 92 and the second track 96 are configured to receive and moveably retain the first clamp 94 and the second clamp 98 respectively, while allowing the first clamp 94 and the second clamp 98 to be selectively positioned along the first track 92 and the second track 96, respectively. In one embodiment, each of first track 92 and the second track 96 may form an interior space 122 having a width and a height. In one embodiment, the interior space 122 having a shape of a “T”, though it will be understood that other shapes may be utilized.
The first clamp 94 and the second clamp 98 each have a first arm 130 that has a distal end 134 and a proximal end 136. The distal end 134 is moveably engaged with the first track 92 and the second track 96 of the plate 90, such that the first clamp 94 is longitudinally adjustable along the first track 92 and the second clamp 98 is longitudinally adjustable along the second track 96. The proximal end 136 may extend from the distal end 134 to a position past and/or above the top portion 114 of the plate 90.
In one embodiment, the distal end 134 may have a track insert 138. The track insert 138 may have a cylindrical shape with a diameter that is larger than the distal end 134 of the first clamp 94 and the second clamp 98, but that is smaller than the width and the height of the interior space 122. The track insert 138 may be moveably engaged with the first track 92 and the second track 96 of the plate 90, such that the first clamp 94 is longitudinally adjustable along the first track 92 and the second clamp 98 is longitudinally adjustable along the second track 96. In one embodiment, the track insert 138 may permit rotation of the first clamp 94 and second clamp 98 about the top portion 114 of the plate 90, such as through an angle 139 (see
The first clamp 94 and the second clamp 98 each has a second arm 140 that has a proximal end 142 and a distal end 144. The proximal end 142 of the second arm 140 is pivotally connected to the proximal end 136 of the first arm 130 such that the distal end 144 of the second arm 140 is rotatably adjustable in relation to the distal end 134 of the first arm 130. The distal end 144 of the second arm 140 extends from the proximal end 142 of the second arm 140 to a position in front of the front 110 of the plate 90. The first clamp 94 and the second clamp 98 each have an open position and a clamped position. In the open position, the distal end 144 of the second arm 140 is pivoted away from the front 110 of the plate 90 such that a gap is formed between the front 110 of the plate 90 and the distal end 144 of the second arm 140. In the clamped position, the distal end 144 of the second arm 140 is pivoted to the front 110 of the plate 90 such that the object 14 is clamped to the front 110 of the plate 90, between the distal end 144 of the second arm 140 and the front 110 of the plate 90.
In one embodiment, the distal end 144 of the second arm 140 may include a swivel jaw pad 146. The swivel jaw pad 146 may have a front surface 148. That swivel jaw pad 146 may be rotatably adjustable such that the front surface 148 may be adjusted to be substantially parallel with the front 110 of the plate when the first clamp 94 and/or the second clamp 98 are in the clamped position. In one embodiment, the front surface 148 of the swivel jaw pad 145 may have a surface area of approximately one square inch.
In one embodiment, the first clamp 94 and/or the second clamp 98 may be attached in other locations on the plate 90. In one embodiment, the first clamp 94 and/or the second clamp 98 may be stationary, without longitudinal adjustability. Additional or alternative components of the first clamp 94 and/or the second clamp 98 clamp are also contemplated.
In one embodiment, the first clamp 94 and the second clamp 98 may further comprise a locking mechanism 150 to lock the first clamp 94 and the second clamp 98 in the clamped position.
In one embodiment, the first clamp 94 and the second clamp 98 may be substantially similar to the locking C-clamp vise-grips made by Irwin Tools, headquartered in Huntersville, N.C.
In one embodiment, the hanger assembly 12 may include one or more additional clamp and/or one or more additional track.
As shown in
In one embodiment, the proximal portion 160 of the mounting hook 100 may be substantially perpendicular to the back 112 of the plate 90. The angled portion 162 may form an obtuse angle with the proximal portion 160 and the distal portion 164 may form an obtuse angle with the angled portion 162. In one embodiment, the distal portion 164 may be substantially parallel to the back 112 of the plate 90. In one embodiment, the distal portion 164 may have a length L of at least approximately two inches.
The proximal portion 160, the angled portion 162, and the distal portion 164 of the mounting hook 100 cooperate to form a receiving space 170 for the first rung 34 or the second rung 36. The receiving space 170 may be larger than the diameter/width of the first rung 34 or the second rung 36. In one embodiment, the receiving space 170 may be substantially the same size as the diameter/width of the first rung 34 or the second rung 36. In one embodiment, as illustrated in
In use, the mounting hooks 100 may be engaged with the first rung 34 or the second rung 36 and are positioned between the pair of first spaced apart rails 32a-32b of the first side rail assembly 30. In one embodiment, the mounting hooks 100 may engage the first rung 34 or the second rung 36 from above the first rung 34 or the second rung 36, such that the angled portion is in contact with the top 35 of the first rung 34 or the second rung 36. In one embodiment, the mounting hooks 100 may engage the first rung 34 or the second rung 36 from below the first rung 34 or the second rung 36, such that the angled portion is in contact with the bottom 37 of the first rung 34 or the second rung 36. In one embodiment, when the mounting hooks 100 are engaged with the first rung 34 or the second rung 36, the first rung 34 or the second rung 36 may be in contact with the back 112 of the plate 90 and the angled portions 162 of the mounting hooks 100 (see
In use, the length L of the distal portion 164 of the mounting hook 100 may prevent the hanger assembly 12 from unintentionally coming off of the ladder 16, 16a. For example, if the hanger assembly 12 becomes unbalanced along the longitudinal axis, the length L of the distal portion 164 of the mounting hook 100 maintains engagement of the hanger assembly 12 with the ladder 16, 16a.
Referring now to
A method of use of the ladder hanger system 10 will now be described. In use, a user may position the ladder 16, 16a upright with the first rung 34 being substantially horizontal relative to the ground and the first side rail assembly 30 being either perpendicular to the ground or at an angle relative to the ground. If the ladder 16, 16a includes the locking mechanism 84, the user may engage the locking mechanism 84 to fix the ladder 16, 16a in the upright position. The user may grip the handle 102 and lift the hanger assembly 12 above the first rung 34 and position the hanger assembly 12 so that the mounting hooks 100 are located directly above the first rung 34 and centered between the first spaced apart rails 32a-32b. Next, the hanger assembly 12 may be lowered over the top 35 of the first rung 34, until the first rung 34 occupies at least a portion of the receiving space 170 of the mounting hooks 100 and the top 35 is in contact with at least the angled portions 162 of the mounting hooks 100. The back 110 of the plate 90 may engage with the first rung 34, the second rung 36, and/or the first spaced apart rails 32a-32b.
In one embodiment, the user may grip the handle 102 and lift the hanger assembly 12 below the first rung 34 and position the hanger assembly 12 so that the mounting hooks 100 are located directly below the first rung 34 and centered between the first spaced apart rails 32a-32b. Next, the hanger assembly 12 may be raised below the bottom 37 of the first rung 34, until the first rung 34 occupies at least a portion of the receiving space 170 of the mounting hooks 100 and the bottom 37 is in contact with at least the angled portions 162 of the mounting hooks 100. The back 110 of the plate 90 may engage with the first rung 34, the second rung 36, and/or the first spaced apart rails 32a-32b.
The user may adjust the first clamp 94 and the second clamp 98 to the open position. The user may move the first clamp 94 along the first track 92 and/or move the second clamp 98 along the second track 96, depending on the size of the object 14, so as to clamp the object 14 in a portion of the edges of the object 14. The user may attach the object 14 to the hanger assembly 12 by placing the object 14 against the front 110 of the plate 90 and adjusting the first clamp 94 and the second clamp 98 to the clamped position. The user may center the object 14 along the longitudinal axis of the plate 90, with the first clamp 94 clamping a first corner portion of the object 14 to the front 110 of the plate 90 and the second clamp 98 clamping a second, opposite, corner portion of the object 14 to the front 110 of the plate 90. The user may selectively lock the first clamp 94 and/or the second clamp 98 in the clamped configuration with the locking mechanism 150 for the first claim 94 and/or the second clamp 94.
The user may attach the object 14 to the hanger assembly 12 before or after attaching the hanger assembly 12 to the ladder 16, 16a. In one embodiment, the user may grasp the handle 102 of the hanger assembly 12 and move the sloped edge 118 of the plate 90 underneath at least one edge of the object 14 before adjusting the first clamp 94 and the second clamp 98 to the clamped position.
With the object 14 securely attached to the hanger assembly 12 and the hanger assembly 12 securely engaged with the ladder 16, 16a, the user may apply a pressurized fluid to wash the object 14. Nonexclusive examples of the pressurized fluid may include air, water, aqueous solutions, chemical solutions, or combinations thereof. The pressurized fluid may be applied within a range of pressures, such as, for example, the pressure may be in a range of approximately 20 psi to approximately 5,000 psi. It will be understood that the pressure of the pressurized fluid may be limited to minimize damage to the object 14 caused by the pressurized fluid. The pressurized fluid applied to the object 14 loosens dirt and debris associated with the object 14, and gravity causes the fluid to carry the loosened dirt and debris downward and away from the object 14. The object 14 may remain attached to the hanger assembly 12 for a predetermined period of time to allow the object 14 to air dry in order to avoid the growth of mold and mildew. Or the object 14 may be dried mechanically while attached to the hanger assembly 12.
In some embodiments, it may be desirable to ensure the object 14 is taut between the first clamp 94 and the second clamp 98, and forming a substantially flat area while the object 14 is attached to the hanger assembly 12, which may maximize the exposed surface area of the object 14 and promote flow of the pressurized fluid across and through the object 14. In some embodiments, the object 14 may extend beyond the bottom portion 116 of the plate 90. The second rung 36 and the first spaced apart rails 32a-32b of the first side rail assembly 30 may provide support for at least a portion of the object 14 that extends beyond the bottom portion 116 of the plate 90, which may further promote maintaining a substantially flat area of the object 14.
In one embodiment, as shown in
The user may release the object 14 from the hanger assembly 12 by adjusting the first clamp 94 and the second clamp 98 to the open position and/or and removing the hanger assembly 12 from the ladder 16, 16a.
In one embodiment, the hanger assembly 12 may be attached to a two-by-four wooden structure that is horizontally secured between two vertical studs at a construction location. It will be understood that the hanger assembly 12 may be attached to any type of ladder 16, 16a or similar structure having a rigid horizontal member substantially similar to the first rung 34.
In one embodiment, the hanger assembly 12 may be used at a construction site of a home or apartment complex with vertical studs (such as standard vertical studs that may be separated by approximately sixteen inches), such that the mounting hooks 100, the first track 92, and second track 96 are positioned between the vertical studs. The hanger assembly may be used to display informational documents at the construction site, such as building plans, blueprints, lists of building material, work schedules, and combinations thereof, for example.
Conventionally, it has been difficult to position an object, such as a rug, in a manner that allows the object to be adequately cleaned. In accordance with the present disclosure, a hanger assembly is configured to receive and suspend the object on a ladder.
The foregoing description provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the inventive concepts to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the methodologies set forth in the present disclosure.
Even though particular combinations of features are recited in the claims and/or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure. In fact, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically recited in the claims and/or disclosed in the specification. Although each dependent claim listed below may directly depend on only one other claim, the disclosure includes each dependent claim in combination with every other claim in the claim set.
No element, act, or instruction used in the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such outside of the preferred embodiment. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise.
The present patent application claims priority to the U.S. patent application identified by Ser. No. 16/881,183, filed on May 22, 2020, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF USE OF HANGER ASSEMBLIES FOR A LADDER,” which claims priority to the provisional patent application identified by U.S. Ser. No. 62/972,030, filed on Feb. 9, 2020, entitled “Ladder Suspended Attachment Device,” the entire content of each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4182431 | Wing | Jan 1980 | A |
| 4850254 | Burney | Jul 1989 | A |
| 7364017 | Moss et al. | Apr 2008 | B2 |
| 8186481 | Moss et al. | May 2012 | B2 |
| 8365865 | Moss et al. | Feb 2013 | B2 |
| 8997930 | Moss et al. | Apr 2015 | B2 |
| 9663989 | Moss et al. | May 2017 | B2 |
| 10487578 | Smith et al. | Nov 2019 | B2 |
| 20050061118 | Heacock | Mar 2005 | A1 |
| 20160024845 | Coe | Jan 2016 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20210246726 A1 | Aug 2021 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62972030 | Feb 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16881183 | May 2020 | US |
| Child | 17035146 | US |
