BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stair platform according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention in use on stairs;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the stair platform as in FIG. 1 removed from the staircase and with the first set of legs in an extended configuration;;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the stair platform as in FIG. 2 with the first set of legs in a collapsed configuration;
FIG. 4A is side view of the stair platform as in FIG. 1 illustrating a first set of legs in one height extended configuration;
FIG. 4B is a side view of the stair platform as in FIG. 1 illustrating a first set of legs in another height extended configuration;
FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a stair platform according to another embodiment of the present invention, the stair platform being illustrated in a collapsed configuration;
FIG. 5B is an isolated view on an enlarged scale taken from FIG. 5A; and
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the stair platform as in FIG. 5A illustrated in a use as a hand truck.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A portable stair platform 100 according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 through 6 of the accompanying drawings. More particularly, a portable stair platform 100 according to the current invention includes a primary member 110 (also referred to herein as a generally planar member).
The primary member 110 includes opposed first and second sides 111a, 111b, opposed first and second ends 112a, 112b, and a generally planar upper surface 113 (also referred to herein as a top portion). A plurality of siderails 114 may support the top portion 113, and additional supports (not shown) may span the siderails 114 to brace the top portion 113. The top portion 113 may include a rubberized material to prevent objects (e.g., ladder 2 shown in FIG. 1) from sliding along the primary member 110. The generally planar upper surface 113 may include plywood and the siderails 114 may be constructed of aluminum channel to keep the weight of the portable stair platform 100 low while providing sufficient material strength and considering cost factors. It should be understood that alternate or additional materials may be used, however. As shown in FIG. 5a through FIG. 6, at least one siderail 114 may include an extendable handle 115.
A first set of legs 120 extends from the first end 112a of the primary member 110. As shown throughout the drawings, one leg 120 may be adjacent the first side 111a of the primary member 110, and another leg 120 may be adjacent the second side 111b of the primary member 110. The first set of legs 120 is movable between a first position 120a generally perpendicular to the top portion 113 of the planar member 110 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and a second position 120b generally parallel to the top portion 113 of the planar member 110 (FIG. 3). A pin 125 may selectively maintain the first set of legs 120 at the first and second positions 120a, 120b, such as by passing through holes in the primary member 110 and a respective leg 120 or by being fixed to the primary member 110 and passing through a hole in a respective leg 120. The pin 125 may be spring-loaded to bias the pin 125 in a manner that imparts a locking effect, or the pin 125 may be otherwise secured so that the pin 125 is not accidentally removed.
The legs 120 may be height-adjustable, and as shown in FIGS. 2, 4A, and 4B, the legs 120 may be telescoping legs having predetermined increments of adjustability. In other words, a telescoping portion of each legs 120 may have holes 126 spaced apart a predetermined distance from one another, and a pin 127 may pass through a hole 126 to maintain the selected length of the leg 120. The legs 120 may be constructed of aluminum channel to keep the weight of the portable stair platform 100 low while providing sufficient material strength and considering cost factors.
A second set of legs 130 extends from the second end 112b of the primary member 110. One leg 130 may be adjacent the first side 111a of the primary member 110, and another leg 130 (not shown) may be adjacent the second side 111b of the primary member 110. The legs 130 may be height-adjustable, and as shown in FIGS. 2, 4A, and 4B, the legs 130 may be threaded legs continuously adjustable for a distance that is at least as long as the predetermined increment of adjustability of the legs 120.
FIGS. 5A and 6 show that a pair of wheels 140 may be operatively coupled to the primary member 110 adjacent the first end 112a to transport the primary member 110 when the first set of legs 120 is at the second position 120b. A retractable handle 145 may be operatively coupled to the primary member 110 to guide the primary member 110 as it is moved by the wheels 140.
As shown throughout the drawings, a lip 150 may extend along the first end 112a of the primary member 110 to restrain objects (e.g., ladder 2 shown in FIG. 1) from passing off the first end 112a of the primary member 110 when the first set of legs 120 is at the first position 120a (FIG. 1) and to support objects (e.g., paint cans, boxes, etc.) when the first set of legs 120 is at the second position 120b (FIG. 6). The portable stair platform 100 may be utilized as a hand truck when the first set of legs 120 is at the second position as shown in FIG. 6, and as such, the portable stair platform 100 may be referred to as a combination stair platform and hand truck.
In use, the first set of legs 120 may be placed atop a stair 5, and the second set of legs 130 may be placed atop another stair 5 (FIG. 1). The length of the first set of legs 120 and the second set of legs 130 may be adjusted as described above and shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. Because the second set of legs 130 may be continuously adjustable, the legs 120, 130 may be collectively adjusted so that the generally planar upper surface 113 is generally horizontal, regardless of the configuration of the stairs 5. A ladder 2 may then be placed atop the upper surface 113 to provide access to areas otherwise unreachable, and the rubberized characteristics of the upper surface 113 and the lip 150 may keep the ladder 2 atop the upper surface 113. To transport the portable stair platform 100, all objects may be removed from atop the upper surface 113, and the first set of legs 130 may be moved from the first position 120a (FIGS. 1 and 2) to the second position 120b (FIGS. 3, 5A, and 6) as discussed above. The extendable handle 115 or the wheels 140 may then be used to move the portable stair platform 100. Objects (e.g., paint cans, boxes, etc.) may be supported by the lip 150 while the portable stair platform 100 is being moved, and as such, the portable stair platform 100 may act as a hand truck.
It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.
Patent Application
20080035424
