Patent Application
20190153781
The invention described herein relates to window construction and more specifically to escape ladders for windows.
Having readily accessible escape routes from a home in the case of fire or other emergency can make the difference between life and death. It is not simply fires that are of concern. Having an escape ladder available for children and other members of a family can provide safe and simple egress in the case of home invasion, gas leaks, and other situations that require quick exit of a building other than through the doors. Numerous attempts to incorporate escape ladders for two- and more story homes in windows have been attempted in the past, but each has drawbacks leaving a need for a new solution to emergency building egress.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,889 to Longenecker for a Window Assembly Including a Storable Fire Escape, issued May 1, 1984 (the “'889” patent), a window assembly with a fire escape ladder contained within a compartment under a swing-out window is disclosed. The ladder is attached to a pipe within the compartment, and the entire window assembly is swung out and away from the house prior to pulling out the ladder and dropping it to the ground. There are several drawbacks to this design. First, swinging the entire window assembly out and away from the building is not a normal window operation. During an emergency, remembering how to operate the window to use the fire escape ladder could cause significant and life-threatening delays in being able to escape the building. In addition, the storage compartment is on the side of the window away from the user, thereby making it difficult to see the ladder while deploying it. And the swing-out design of the window assembly creates vulnerability to moisture damage around the swing-out mechanism. By its very nature, the device creates a large opening to seal increasing maintenance and moisture concerns. Finally, the pipe is attached to the frame members of the window itself, rather than to the underlying structure of the house, reducing the load that the device is capable of holding and introducing the risk of mechanical failure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,841 to Krumal for an Escape Window Frame Assembly, issued Nov. 21, 1995 (the “'841” patent), suffers from similar flaws as the '889 patent. The '841 patent further complicates exiting the window in an emergency by requiring a user to exert enough force outwardly on the window to break a shear pin before the window can swing outward and allow egress. This is a significant drawback to the design, in that it is of significant concern that small children be able to utilize an escape system. Requiring a child to remember how to operate the '841 and '889 patent designs adds complexity to the means of escape that is unnecessary and dangerous. Additionally, a child attempting to operate the '841 invention would be required to exert enough force to break a shear pin before being able to exit the building.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,105 to Jacobson for an Escape Ladder, issued Oct. 26, 1999 (the “'105” patent) teaches an escape ladder stored in an interior wall of a building, beneath a window. The '105 invention teaches modifications to an existing structure, with a storage container mounted flush or recessed to the interior wall of a building beneath a window. The '105 invention, however, is not integral to the window itself, adding complicating steps to the installation of the device in new construction. Further, the '105 invention is a separate device from a window assembly, so that it cannot be provided as an integral part of a replacement window structure without being installed separately.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,155 to Hood et al. for a Combined Window and Emergency Escape Ladder, issued Aug. 15, 2000 (the “'155” patent) teaches an escape ladder stored in an interior wall of a building, beneath a window. In particular, the ladder storage is positioned within a window frame with a portion of the window sill being removed in order to deploy the ladder. The '155 invention, however, is undesirable in that it introduces an opening (the top of the storage) in the window sill itself, with a cover positioned over the opening. This configuration creates a significant risk of water leakage and damage into the structural portion of the house underneath the window sill, an area that is already at significant risk for water damage if not sealed adequately against the weather. In addition to the extra unwanted water exposure, that additional exposure increases the risk of structural failure around and particularly underneath the window, destabilizing the house and window, thereby increasing the risk of the failure of the escape ladder in the event that it needs to be used. Finally, a configuration for storage of an escape ladder underneath a window with the opening in the window sill makes it difficult to access the storage and ladder for inspection and repair, thereby hampering maintenance and increasing the risk of failure of the ladder in the event it is used.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,845,844 to Williams for a Fire Escape Apparatus, issued Jan. 25, 2005 (the “'844” patent) teaches a fire escape ladder apparatus that is intended to be built into the structure of a building. The '844 patent suffers from a similar drawback to the '155 patent in that the '844 apparatus requires an opening in the window sill, thus exposing the house and window structure to the same potential water damage and structural failure as the '155 patent. Further, the '844 apparatus requires significant structural changes to a building to install. Finally, access to the '844 apparatus for inspection and repair is hampered by the location and vertical storage.
The same flaws in the '155 and '844 inventions are inherent in U.S. Pat. No. 7,004,287 to Barbara for a Hidden Fire Escape, issued Feb. 28, 2006 (the “'287” patent). As with the '155 and '844 inventions, the '287 patent teaches a storage for an escape ladder positioned under the window sill, with the opening for use of the ladder located in the window sill itself which, as noted above, is highly undesirable and can create additional risks for the user.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,595,075, 6,382,352, and 8,162,105 teach escape ladders attached the exterior of structures, adding unsightly devices to the exteriors of buildings as well as exposing the escape apparatus to the weather, increasing the likelihood of failure when used.
Additionally, exterior and escape ladders with hidden or out-of-sight access increases the risk of a user, especially a child, either not thinking of the available escape ladder or being able to find it during the panic involved with trying to escape a life-threatening emergency.
It is important to provide the maximum possible load bearing for the escape ladder and reduce the possibility of failure due to overloading the ladder. This is best accomplished by affixing the ladder to the structure of the building rather than the structure of the window. The prior art does not provide a simple but effective means of attaching the escape ladder to the strong structural framework of a building.
There have been numerous attempts to perfect a method and device for providing egress from a window in a building to escape from fire or other potential life-threatening circumstances. No prior effort, however, provides the benefits attendant with the present invention. Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed and claimed herein.
What is needed is a building window escape ladder that is integral with a window and frame structure that can be provided as a single unit, and mounted within window openings in new and old construction. The device should not create any additional weather exposure to the window or underlying structure. The device should also be aesthetically pleasing, but visible at all times and easily identified and accessed during an emergency that requires escape through a window rather than a door.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a window that includes an integral escape ladder.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a window that includes an integral escape ladder, the window being configured such that it can be installed in new construction in a similar manner as currently available window frame assemblies that are installed in new construction buildings.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a window that includes an integral escape ladder, the window being configured such that it can be installed as a replacement window in existing structures.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a window that includes an integral escape ladder, the window being configured such that it does not create additional risk for water leakage above that of current window construction.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a window that includes an integral escape ladder, the escape ladder being affixed to the structure of the building rather than the structure of the window, providing the greatest load-bearing possible.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a window that includes an integral escape ladder, the window being configured such that the escape ladder is easily accessible for use, inspection, maintenance, repair, and replacement.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a window that includes an integral escape ladder, the window being configured such that access to the escape ladder is visible and readily identifiable at all times such that it is easily identified and accessed in the event of an emergency.
These and other embodiments are described by the following figures and detailed description.
Referring now to
Referring now to
The compartment 201 contains a ladder 205, consisting of rungs 206, straps 208 connecting the rungs 206 at the ends 209 of the rungs 206. The straps 208 pass through slots 210 in the rungs 206, such that the straps 208 are positioned under the rungs 206 when the ladder 205 is in use, providing weight-bearing support for the rungs 206. While contained within the compartment 201, the rungs 206 are stacked and held together as a bundle by a restraining means 207, such as hook-and-loop fastening (Velcro®) or the like.
Referring now to
Referring now to
The invention as described herein should not be construed as limiting, and there are modifications that would be obvious to one skilled in the art that fall within the scope of the invention. It will also be understood that the window as shown herein may be constructed of any proper material, including but not limited to wood, metal, or plastic. It will also be understood that, while the invention as described herein shows a ladder with rungs and straps, that should not be considered limiting. The present invention may be utilized with other escape means, such as ropes, rope ladders, cables, webbing, cargo nets, and other means of egress from a window to the outside of a structure without changing the scope and nature of the invention.
