IL301430A

IL301430A - A home escalator device

Info

Publication number: IL301430A
Application number: IL301430A
Authority: IL
Inventors: Eisenman David; Eisenman Orna
Original assignee: Eisenman David; Eisenman Orna; Climber O D E Ltd
Priority date: 2020-09-23
Filing date: 2021-09-19
Publication date: 2023-05-01
Also published as: EP4200242A1; WO2022064341A1

Description

A HOME ESCALATOR DEVICE TECHNICAL FIELD id="p-1" id="p-1" id="p-1" id="p-1" id="p-1" id="p-1"

[001] Embodiments of the invention relate to a home escalator device, in particular for lifting and lowering people along stairs, e.g. mobility challenged people.

BACKGROUND id="p-2" id="p-2" id="p-2" id="p-2" id="p-2" id="p-2"

[002] People reaching advanced age and/or suffering from disability resulting in reduced mobility, may encounter less ability to get up and down stairs in their home environment. This may result in a necessity to either re-locate to a new home where stairs do not pose a mobility problem or install expensive mobility solutions such as an elevator. Therefore, there is a growing need for solutions to improve the movement for individuals having difficulty in using stairs or the like, without need to perform substantial construction or changes to an existing staircase and that can be easily removed from the staircase if not needed anymore. id="p-3" id="p-3" id="p-3" id="p-3" id="p-3" id="p-3"

[003] WO2018092125 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a home escalator device for supporting upward and downward movement of people along stairs of the staircase. The home escalator device in one of its examples includes supports that can be fitted to the stairs and rails that can be pivotally coupled to the supports to permit adjustment of the device for use with staircases of different steepness.

SUMMARY id="p-4" id="p-4" id="p-4" id="p-4" id="p-4" id="p-4"

[004] The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described and illustrated in conjunction with systems, tools and methods which are meant to be exemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. id="p-5" id="p-5" id="p-5" id="p-5" id="p-5" id="p-5"

[005] In an embodiment there is provided a home escalator device for transferring users up or down along stairs of a staircase, the device comprising a plurality of rests each comprising a base member and an axially extending rod member that is coupled to the base member, wherein the coupling is of an axial end region of the rod member with the base member while a remainder of the rod member extends sideways away from the base member towards an opposing axial end region of the rod member, and wherein the device further comprises at least one rail that is coupled to the base members of all rests. id="p-6" id="p-6" id="p-6" id="p-6" id="p-6" id="p-6"

[006] Provision of base members that act as interfaces to moving parts of the escalator (e.g. rail and platform) along one lateral side of the staircase, while the rod members extend snugly along intersections between treads and risers of the stairs towards the opposing lateral side of the staircase (to stabilize the device) – leave the staircase substantially free of obstructions to users wanting to advance along the staircase without the use of the escalator. id="p-7" id="p-7" id="p-7" id="p-7" id="p-7" id="p-7"

[007] In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the figures and by study of the following detailed descriptions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES id="p-8" id="p-8" id="p-8" id="p-8" id="p-8" id="p-8"

[008] Exemplary embodiments are illustrated in referenced figures. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative, rather than restrictive. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with objects, features, and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying figures, in which: id="p-9" id="p-9" id="p-9" id="p-9" id="p-9" id="p-9"

[009] Fig. 1 schematically shows embodiments of base members placed on treads of a typical staircase for supporting a home escalator device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; id="p-10" id="p-10" id="p-10" id="p-10" id="p-10" id="p-10"

[010] Fig. 2 schematically shows base members such as those shown in Fig. coupled each to respective rod members of a home escalator device embodiment; id="p-11" id="p-11" id="p-11" id="p-11" id="p-11" id="p-11"

[011] Fig. 3 schematically shows an embodiment of a home escalator device of the present invention with rails fixed to base members such as those shown in the former figures and a platform that is adapted to move along the rails; id="p-12" id="p-12" id="p-12" id="p-12" id="p-12" id="p-12"

[012] Fig. 4 schematically shows a platform embodiment; id="p-13" id="p-13" id="p-13" id="p-13" id="p-13" id="p-13"

[013] Fig. 5 schematically shows escalator device embodiments such as those shown in the former figures (with their respective platforms removed), used in a possible formation for bridging a series of staircases; and id="p-14" id="p-14" id="p-14" id="p-14" id="p-14" id="p-14"

[014] Figs. 6A and 6B schematically show a further platform embodiment. id="p-15" id="p-15" id="p-15" id="p-15" id="p-15" id="p-15"

[015] It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated within the figures to indicate like elements.

Claims

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1.CLAIMS: 1. A home escalator device for transferring users up or down along stairs of a staircase, the device comprising a plurality of rests each comprising a base member and an axially extending rod member that is coupled to the base member, wherein the coupling is of an axial end region of the rod member with the base member while a remainder of the rod member extends sideways away from the base member towards an opposing axial end region of the rod member, and wherein the device further comprises at least one rail that is coupled to the base members of at least some of the rests, possibly all the rests.

2. The home escalator device of claim 1, wherein a rest is adapted to be placed upon a tread of a stair, possibly without positively attaching it to the stair by a fastener or the like.

3. The home escalator device of claim 2, wherein rod members are adapted to extend away from their respective base member along an intersection of the tread and a riser that extends above the tread.

4. The home escalator device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein each rod member is pivotally coupled to its base member.

5. The home escalator device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base member comprises a hollow bar and coupling of the rod member with the base member comprises placing the end region of the rod member through the hollow bar.

6. The home escalator device of claim 5, wherein a base member comprises a plate that is coupled to the hollow bar, and wherein the plate is adapted to connect to the at least one rail. - 9 -

7. The home escalator device of claim 6, wherein each base member comprises at least one side support for connecting between the hollow bar and the plate, and wherein preferably the number of side supports corresponds to the number of rails connected to the plate to provide support for each rail from beneath.

8. A method for transferring users up or down along a staircase comprising the steps of: providing a staircase within or associated with a dwelling, providing a home escalator device comprising a plurality of rests each comprising a base member and an axially extending rod member that is coupled to the base member, and placing all base members along a first lateral side of the staircase while a rod member of each rest extends sideways away from its associated base member towards an opposing second lateral side of the staircase.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the home escalator device further comprises at least one rail coupled to at least some of the base members, possibly to each one of the base members.

10. The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein coupling between a base member and its associated rod member is of an axial end region of the rod member with the base member.

11. The method of any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein different rests are adapted to be placed upon treads of different stairs. - 10 -

12. The method of any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein each rod member is adapted to extend sideways away from its respective base member along an intersection of a tread and a riser that extends above the tread.

13. The method of any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein each rod member is pivotally coupled to its base member.

14. A staircase fitted with a home escalator device for transferring users up or down along stairs of the staircase, the home escalator device comprising at least one rail and a plurality of rests each being fitted to a different stair of the staircase, each rest comprising an assembly of a base member and a rod member, wherein all base members are located along a first lateral side of the staircase with the rod member of each rest extending away from its associated base member towards an opposing second lateral side of the staircase, and wherein the at least one rail being fixed to at least some of the base members to thus extend along the first lateral side of the staircase.

15. The staircase of claim 14, wherein the assembly of each base member and its associated rod member is such that the rod member is pivotally coupled to its base member to permit adjustment of the home escalator device to staircases of different steepness and/or size.

16. The staircase of claim 14 or 15, wherein each rest is fitted to its associated stair such that the rod member of the rest extends along an intersection between a tread and a riser of the stair it is fitted with, to thereby occupy only a small portion of the tread adjacent the intersection leaving a remainder of the tread substantially free for passage of users advancing along the staircase without need of the home escalator device. - 11 -

17. The staircase of any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein each rod member is adapted to stabilize the home escalator device, e.g. during use, against moment forces acting to tilt the device e.g. sideways.