Patent Application
20220183270
The present disclosure relates to portable tree stands.
The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Stands (e.g., tree stands) have been used to afford a high vantage point. Such tree stands must be stable and repositionable.
Conventional tree stands require substantial effort for erecting the tree stand from object (e.g., tree) to object. Moreover, conventional tree stands are not particularly mobile and may require use of a vehicle (e.g., an all-terrain vehicle) to transport the tree stand from vantage point to vantage point. Further, care must be taken to ensure a user does not fall while attempting to erect a platform for use with the tree stand.
These issues related to portable stands are addressed by the present disclosure.
This section provides a general summary of the disclosure and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.
In a form, a portable stand includes a telescoping ladder and a plurality of straps secured to the telescoping ladder. A platform is removably secured to a top rung of the telescoping ladder, and a strap located near a top rung of the telescoping ladder includes an attachment interface. The platform further includes a mounting bracket, and the attachment interface and the mounting bracket are configured for matingly securing the platform in a weight-bearing position.
In a variation, the portable stand further includes a self-arrestor device.
In another variation, the platform includes a seat.
In a further variation, the platform includes at least one of a restraining member and a tension cable.
In yet another variation, the plurality of straps each include a rachet mechanism and are self-retractable.
In a yet further variation, the attachment interface includes at least one of a mounting bracket and a pin-and-hole arrangement.
In a still further variation, the portable stand includes a plurality of brackets, and each pair of brackets corresponds to a respective strap.
In another form, a portable stand includes a height-adjustable ladder. The height-adjustable ladder includes a plurality of brackets, and each bracket of the plurality of pairs of brackets include eyelets. Each of the plurality of brackets and eyelets are affixed to the ladder and the plurality of brackets and eyelets each correspond to a respective strap. Each strap includes a retractable rachet mechanism.
In a variation, the height-adjustable ladder is telescoping.
In another variation, the height-adjustable ladder further includes a platform removably secured to the height-adjustable ladder. In other such variations, the platform includes at least one of a restraining member and a tension cable. In still further such variations, the platform includes a seat.
In still another variation, the height-adjustable ladder includes a plurality of straps, each of which include a rachet mechanism and are retractable. In other such variations, a strap near a top rung of the height-adjustable ladder includes an attachment interface. In still other such variations, the attachment interface includes at least one of a mounting bracket, a pin-and-hole arrangement, and an attachment rod.
In yet another form, a method of using a portable stand includes extending a telescoping ladder having a platform in a non-weight-bearing position and securing the telescoping ladder to an object. The platform is detached from the telescoping ladder and secured to the telescoping ladder in a weight-bearing position.
In a variation, the method further includes securing the telescoping ladder to the object with a plurality of brackets.
In another variation, the method further includes attaching a user to a self-arresting device.
In yet another variation, securing the platform to the telescoping ladder in a weight-bearing position includes securing the platform to the object with at least one of a restraining member and a tension cable.
In a further variation, securing the platform to the telescoping ladder in a weight-bearing position includes securing an attachment interface located on the platform to a mounting bracket located on the telescoping ladder.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.
The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.
Referring to
In some variations, the telescoping ladder 100 may be extended or shortened manually, pneumatically, or electronically, among others. As the telescoping ladder 100 is extended, the rungs 110 secure to the telescoping ladder 100 (e.g., with pin-and-hole arrangements formed at predetermined locations) to prevent the ladder from collapsing while in use.
As noted above, the platform 130 is removably secured to at least one of the rungs 110 of the telescoping ladder 100. Turning to
The platform 130 may include a seat 185. To stabilize the platform 130, the platform 130 can further include tension cables 190, restraining members 200, among others.
In accordance with a variation, one or more of the plurality of straps 120 may be retractable, and in some variations, self-retractable, such as via a rachet mechanism 220 (
Referring to
Referring again to
Spatially relative terms, such as “up”, “down”, “side to side”, “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above or below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example forms only and is not intended to be limiting. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
Unless otherwise expressly indicated herein, all numerical values indicating mechanical/thermal properties, compositional percentages, dimensions and/or tolerances, or other characteristics are to be understood as modified by the word “about” or “approximately” in describing the scope of the present disclosure. This modification is desired for various reasons including industrial practice, material, manufacturing, and assembly tolerances, and testing capability.
As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean “at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.”
The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the substance of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
