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The disclosure relates to attic walkway systems and more particularly pertains to a new attic walkway system for creating a walkway across attic joists. The modular attic walkway system allows a semi-permanent or permanent walkway to be placed across attic joists to allow safe traverse. Each of the modular panels interlock with adjacent ones thereof to secure and extend the walkway as needed.
The prior art relates to attic walkway systems. Some systems include pre-attached segments that can be rolled out or unhinged to extend across the attic joists.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a plurality of attic joists each has a top face. A plurality of platforms is removably attached to the top faces such that each of the platforms traverses an open space positioned between adjacent ones of the attic joists. Each of the platforms is releasably interlocked with an adjacent one of the platforms. Each of the platforms include a panel. The panel has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a perimeter surface which extends between the top surface and the bottom surface. The top surface is textured to improve traction. The perimeter surface includes a first mating edge, a second mating edge, a first lateral edge, and a second lateral edge. The first mating edge includes a tongue cutout which extends inwardly from the first mating edge toward the second mating edge. A tongue extension extends outwardly away from the second mating edge and releasably interlocks with an adjacent tongue cutout of an adjacently positioned one of the panels.
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
A plurality of platforms 16 is removably attached to the top faces 14 such that each of the platforms 16 traverses an open space 18 positioned between adjacent ones of the attic joists 12. Each of the platforms 16 is releasably interlocked with an adjacent one of the platforms 16. Each of the platforms 16 includes a panel 20 which has a top surface 22, a bottom surface 24, and a perimeter surface 26 extending between the top surface 22 and the bottom surface 24. The top surface 22 is textured to improve traction and prevent slipping when in use. The texture may be integral to the top surface 22, a textured coating attached to the top surface 22, or another layer applied to all or a portion of the top surface 22. The perimeter surface 26 includes a first mating edge 28, a second mating edge 30, a first lateral edge 32, and a second lateral edge 34. The first mating edge 28 and the second mating edge 30 are positioned opposite each other between 17.0 inches and 27.00 inches apart. The first lateral edge 32 and the second lateral edge 34 are positioned opposite each other between 14.00 and 24.00 inches apart. The top surface 22 and the bottom surface 24 are typically separated between 0.50 inch and 1.50 inches apart. The plurality of platforms 16 is made of a structurally rigid material capable of withstanding the force of a person carrying a light load across the plurality of platforms. Suitable materials may include rigid plastics, wood, metals, and the like.
The first mating edge 28 includes a tongue cutout 36 which extends inwardly from the first mating edge 28 toward the second mating edge 30. The tongue cutout 36 extends through the top surface 22 and the bottom surface 28. The tongue cutout 36 is positioned between the first lateral edge 32 and the second lateral edge 34. A pair of foot extensions 38 extends outwardly away from the first mating edge 28. The first lateral edge 32 and the second lateral edge 34 each abut one of the foot extensions 38. The first mating edge 28 includes a pair of foot notches 40 which extends inwardly from the first mating edge 28 toward the second mating edge 30. Each of the foot notches 40 extends through the top surface 22 and the bottom surface 24. Each of the foot notches 40 is positioned between the tongue cutout 36 and each of the foot extensions 38.
A tongue extension 42 extends outwardly away from the second mating edge 30 and releasably interlocks with an adjacent tongue cutout 36 of an adjacently positioned one of the panels 20. The tongue extension 42 releasably engages the adjacent tongue cutout 36 of the adjacent panel 20 such that the adjacently placed platform 16 is unable to laterally or longitudinally disengage from the second mating edge 30. The tongue extension 42 is positioned between the first lateral edge 32 and second lateral edge 34. A pair of foot protrusions 44 extends outwardly away from the second mating edge 30. Each of the foot protrusions 44 is positioned to extend into the foot notches 40 on the adjacently positioned one of the panels 20.
A plurality of legs 46 is attached to and extends downwardly from the bottom surface 24 and abuts a corresponding one of the top faces 14 of the attic joists 12. Each of the plurality of legs 46 has a bottom face 48. Each of the foot extensions 38 and each of the foot protrusions 48 has one of the plurality of legs 46 extending downwardly therefrom. Each of the plurality of legs 46 has a sufficient height to allow the platform 16 to span over any ducts, wiring, insulation, or other commonly found construction materials that may be found in the open space 18 between the attic joists 12. The legs 46 should have a height minimally equal to 2.00 inches. A plurality of securing tacks 50 is attached to and extends downwardly from the bottom faces 48 of the legs 46. Each of said plurality of legs 46 has at least one of said plurality of securing tacks 50. Each of the securing tacks 50 extends into one of the top faces 14 to removably secure the platform 16 to the top faces 14 of the attic joists 12. Each of the plurality of securing tacks 50 is positioned to align with a central axis 52 of an associated one of the attic joists 12. The lateral distance between the securing tacks 50 positioned on the legs 46 adjacent to the first mating edge 28 and those securing tacks 50 positioned on the legs 46 adjacent to the second mating edge 30 is either 16.00 inches or 24.00 inches apart, depending on which attic joist 12 spacing is used. Each of the securing tacks 50 extends away from each of the bottom faces 48 a distance between 0.125 inch and 0.5 inch.
A plurality of mounting apertures 54 extends vertically through the panel 20. Each of the mounting apertures 54 is configured to receive a fastener such that the fastener is extendable into one of the top faces 14 to secure the panel 20 to the attic joists 12. Each of the foot extensions 38 and each the foot protrusions 44 have one of the mounting apertures 54 extending therethrough. Each of the mounting apertures 54 is aligned with the associated one of the central axes 52 found on the associated attic joists 12. The fasteners used may include nails, screws, bolts, or any other conventionally used fasteners.
In use, the first of the plurality of platforms 16 is placed across the pair of attic joists 12 such that the securing tacks 50 are aligned with the central axis 52 of an associated one of the top faces 14 of the attic joists 12. The platform 16 is then pressed downwardly to seat the securing tacks 50. The fasteners may be inserted into each of the mounting apertures 54 and secured to permanently secure the first platform 16 to the attic joists 12 if desired.
The adjacently placed one of the plurality of platforms 16 is positioned adjacent to the first platform 16 orientated such that the adjacent tongue cutout 36 is interlockable with the tongue extension 42 of the first platform 16. The adjacent platform 16 is pressed downwardly into place with the adjacent tongue cutout 36 engaged with the tongue extension 42 of the platform 16. The adjacently placed one of the platforms 16 may then be permanently secured using the fasteners through the mounting apertures 54 of the adjacent platform. Additional platforms 16 may be added using the same process described for the adjacent platform 16 until the desired length of walkway has been placed and secured. When not in use, the plurality of panels 20 are stackable.
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.
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