GB2355021A - Stowable walkway - Google Patents

Abstract

A walkway (10) comprises a number of sections (12) which are interconnected such that the walkway may be folded or rolled into a compact shape (Figure 3a) for storage or transportation. Preferably the sections are identical and are connected together by means of a pin passing through an aperture (34) in a number of inter-engaged projections (16, 20). An end section is allowed to pivot downwards relative to an adjacent section, upwards pivoting being prevented by abutment with the adjacent section.

Description

2355021 WALKWAY This invention relates to a walkway.

A previous type of walkway has consisted of a rigid board which is arranged to be laid over a soft or broken surface or a surface with spaced supports, such as a loft. Due to the rigid nature of the walkway, it has been f ound to be very dif f icult to lay such a walkway in a place where there lo is restricted access, such as a lof t. Also, it has been found to be very difficult to transport such a walkway given that, by its nature, it must extend over a reasonable length.

It is an object of the present invention to address the above mentioned disadvantages.

According to a first aspect of the present invention a stowable walkway comprises:

a plurality of interconnected sections which are movable relative to each other, the walkway having a first, extended configuration in which adjacent sections are located substantially one in front of another and in which downward flexure of the walkway is resisted by abutment of adjacent interconnected sections; and a second, stowable configuration achievable by upward flexure of the walkway causing adjacent sections to move relative to one another giving a compact arrangement of the interconnected sections.

2 In the second configuration the compact arrangement may be achievable by a downward movement, preferably a downward pivoting movement of end sections relative to at least one 5 intermediate section.

The sections may be interconnected by means of interengaging projections and recesses of adjacent sections. The interengaging projections and recesses may lo be held in position by an elongate pin which may be received in apertures of the projections. The elongate pin may be a pivot pin that enables adjacent sections to pivot relative to one another. The elongate pin may be removable. The elongate pin may be sufficiently long to enable at least two sections to be joined substantially side by side.

The walkway may comprise at least two lengths of interconnected sections, the lengths being arranged substantially side by side, to thereby create a wider walkway.

The or each projection of one section may extend away from, preferably laterally away from, a body portion of that section, to facilitate interengagement with the or each corresponding recess of an adjacent section. one or more further projections of a section may extend beneath the section.

The sections may comprise one set of projections and recesses at a first end thereof and a corresponding set of projections and recesses at a second end thereof. The first end may comprise three projections, which may define 3 two recesses. The second end may comprise two projections which may define, at least partially, three recesses.

The abutting ends of adjacent sections may have stepped profiles, which may be corresponding stepped profiles, to assist the resistance of downward flexure of the walkway in the extended configuration.

The sections may be substantially identical to one another. 10 The length of the walkway may be adjustable, preferably by the addition or removal of one or more sections.

The invention extends to a section of the walkway according 15 to the above aspect.

A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a stowable walkway; Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view from beneath of a section of the stowable walkway; and Figures 3A and 3B are schematic views of the stowable walkway in a stowed configuration and an extended conf iguration respectively.

A stowable walkway 10 comprises a number of sections 12 which are intercoftne:ted by hinges 14. In an extended configuration the walkway 10 provides a surface which resists downward flexure and which can be placed over the 4 joists of a loft for instance. The walkway 10 can be rolled up (see figure 3A) to form a compact package, which can easily be transported to and from its intended location.

The sections 12 may be moulded from plastics material, or other such suitably strong material. Each section 12 is approximately 25 cm wide and about 45 cm long with a depth of approximately 3 cm. Other dimensions are envisaged also however.

The sections 12 are all identical, each having three moulded projections 16 formed at a first end 18 of the section to form part of the hinge 14 and two moulded projections 20 at a second end 22 to form part of an adjacent hinge 14.

The three moulded projections 16 at the first end 18 are symmetrically arranged, with one projection 16 in the centre and two peripheral projections 16. Two spaces 24 between the three moulded projections 16 are arranged to receive the two moulded projections 20 of the second end 22 of an adjacent section 12. The two moulded projections 20 of the second end 22 are suitably located to receive the three projections 16 of another adjacent section.

The three moulded projections 16 at the first end 18 project away from the body of the section 12 towards an adjacent section 12, so that they can more easily be received between the two moulded projections 20 at the second end 22 of the adjacent section 12.

The first end 18 of the section 13 has an upper lip 26 which is arranged to be received in a corresponding cutaway section 28 in the second end 22 of an adjacent section.

The second end of the section 13 comprises a lower lip 30 which is arranged to be received in a corresponding groove 32 of the first end 18 of an adjacent section (not shown), which groove 32 is located between the lower lip 26 and the moulded projections 16 of the first end 18 of the section 13.

Each of the moulded projections 16 and 20 has an aperture 34 extending laterally therethrough, which is arranged to receive a hinge pin 36 (shown in figure 2).

The hinge pin may be suf f iciently long to be used to hold two or more lengths of walkway together side by side.

In order to secure two sections together, the first end 18 of a first section 13 is butted up to the second end 22 of a second section 12, so that the lower lip 30 of the second end 22 of the second section 12 is received in the groove 32 in the first end 18 of the first section 13. Also, the upper lip 26 of the first end 18 of the first section 13 is received in the corresponding cut away section 28 of the second end 22 of the second section 12. In this position the openings 34 of each of the moulded projections 16 and are in alignment so that the hinge pin 36 can be inserted through the openings 34 to hold the first and second sections 13, 12 together, as shown in figure 1. The first and second sections 13, 12 are freely movable about the hinge 14, so that a f lat upper surf ace 3 8 can be f ormed 6 by the adjacent upper surfaces 40 of the first and second sections 13, 12.

The length of the walkway 10 can be adjusted easily by 5 adding or removing sections, as required. To allow the adjustment the hinge pin 36 is removable.

The walkway 10 may be stored in its stowed configuration, as shown in figure 3A. In this configuration, the sections 12 are pivoted about the hinges 14. For example the first section 13 in figure 1 is pivoted clockwise (or downwards) about the hinge 14 by which it is joined to the second section 12. Arranging the walkway 10 in the stowed configuration allows the walkway to be taken into locations with restricted access, such as a loft. Furthermore, the transportation of the walkway 10 in the stowed configuration is significantly easier than if the walkway could not be stowed. Also, a large amount of working length can be transported in a car boot for instance.

In use, the walkway 10 is rolled out from its stowed configuration so that the upper surface 38 faces upwards. In this way the upper lip 26 of the first end 18 of the first section 13 is received in the corresponding cut-away section 28 of the second end 22 of the adjacent second section 12 and the lower lip 30 of the second end 22 of the adjacent second section 12 is received in the groove 32 of the first end 18 of the first section 13. In this configuration, the walkway are prevented from flexing downwards by the abutment of the lower and upper lips 30 and -26 with their corresponding cut away sections and grooves 28 and 32. In this way, if the walkway 10 is rolled out over the joists of a loft for instance then a 7 user can walk across the walkway, which will not collapse under the user's weight because of the abutment of adjacent sections mentioned above, the sections being held together by the pins 36.

The stowable walkway 10 described above has significant advantages in that it gives considerably improved working/safety conditions in areas with soft or broken surfaces or surfaces having spaced supports because the stowable walkway can be extended between the spaced supports or over the soft or broken surface. Furthermore, there are significant advantages arising from the stowable nature of the walkway in relation to the transport of the walkway between different locations and also storage of the walkway.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same,

8 equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment (s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

9

Claims (11)

CLAIMS:

1. A stowable walkway comprises:

a plurality of interconnected sections which are movable relative to each other, the walkway having a'first, extended configuration in which adjacent sections are located substantially one in front of another and in which downward flexure of the walkway is resisted by abutment of adjacent interconnected sections; and a second, stowable configuration achievable by upward f lexure of the walkway causing adjacent sections to move relative to one another giving a compact arrangement of the interconnected sections.

2. A stowable walkway as claimed in claim 1, in which in the second configuration the compact arrangement is achievable by a downward pivoting movement of end sections relative to at least one intermediate section.

3. A stowable walkway as claimed in either claim 1 or 25 claim 2, in which the sections are interconnected by means of interengaging projections and recesses of adjacent sections.

4. A stowable walkway as claimed in any preceding claim, 30 which comprises at least two interconnected sections, the sections being arranged substantially side by side, to thereby create a wider walkway.

S. A stowable walkway as claimed in claim 3, in which the or each projection of one section extends away from a body portion of that section, to facilitate interengagement with the or each corresponding recess of an adjacent

5 section.

6. A stowable walkway as claimed in either claim 3 or claim 5, in which the sections comprise one set of projections and recesses at a first end thereof and a corresponding set of projections and recesses at a second end thereof.

7. A stowable walkway as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the abutting ends of adjacent sections have 1 stepped profiles, to assist the resistance of downward flexure of the walkway in the extended configuration.

8. A stowable walkway as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the sections are substantially identical to one another.

9. A stowable walkway as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the length of the walkway is adjustable, by the addition or removal of one or more sections.

10. A section of a stowable walkway according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A stowable walkway substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.