US20110198153A1

US20110198153A1 - Modular platform

Info

Publication number: US20110198153A1
Application number: US13/010,853
Authority: US
Inventors: Yvon Dufour; Steeve Lapointe; Sebastien Gagne
Original assignee: GE Leblanc Inc
Current assignee: GE Leblanc Inc
Priority date: 2010-02-17
Filing date: 2011-01-21
Publication date: 2011-08-18
Also published as: CA2693345A1

Abstract

Disclosed is a modular platform comprising a horizontal frame that is made of four angle irons and is devised and sized to receive and support a grid on which one or more persons can stand. Four supporting legs, each made of an angle iron, are respectively connected to the four corners of the frame, and extend below the same in order to maintain it at a distance from the ground. Reinforcing pieces are positioned below the frame and connected to the supporting legs for reinforcing the platform. The platform also comprises at least two thin holding bars extending horizontally between two opposite sides of the frame, in order to support the grid on the frame while preventing it from staying directly on the angle irons forming the frame. Each supporting leg has a lower end provided with a supporting foot that is adjustable in height, and has a lower end of a round shape to reduce the contact surface with the ground. The platform structure makes the platform very easy to clean.

Description

INTRODUCTION

The present invention relates to a modular platform that is intended to be used for allowing one or several persons to work at a given height and is also devised so as to make the cleaning of its structure easier to carry out, when such is necessary.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

Modular platforms allowing persons to work at a given height close to a table or to a conveyor, are well known. These known modular platforms usually have, as a basic structure, a horizontal frame provided with corners, which frame is devised and sized to support a grid onto which one or several persons may stay. The frame stays on supporting legs that are respectively connected to the corners of the frame and extend below the same in order to maintain it at a distance away from the ground. Usually, reinforcing pieces are positioned under the frame and connected to the supporting legs in order to reinforce the whole structure. Of course, for security reasons, a modular guardrail can be fixed onto the supporting legs of the platform. Such a guardrail can extend on several sides of the platform and leave a place for a stair or any other means to have access to the grid.
It is also known that the supporting legs and the other elements used to manufacture the guardrail of this type of modular platform, are usually made of iron angles connected to each other in a rigid manner. Iron angles are interesting in that they allow to receive, support and retain the grid on the horizontal frame.
If the existing modular platforms are well known to be efficient, they however present a problem of maintenance, in particular when they are used in places such as industrial meat processing houses where the platforms are positioned close to the cutting table provided with conveyors on which pieces of meat are moved. In such a case, the platforms are usually devised to receive persons who work on the pieces of meat while the same are moving onto the cutting table.
The problem in this particular industrial application, is that it is necessary, for obvious hygienic reasons, to clean in a very efficient manner the whole equipment, including not only the cutting table but also the modular platforms positioned close to the same. To do so, it is necessary to reduce as much as possible, the contact between the elements, and to allow an easy access to all the sides and angles of each platform in order to clean it, generally with a water jet. It is also necessary to make sure that the water does not remain in the iron angles and that the platform dries quickly after cleaning. The same hygienic problem also exists at the level of contact between the supporting legs of the horizontal frame and the ground.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a modular platform which, thanks to its structure, fully responds to the above-mentioned need, namely to make it easier to clean.
The modular platform according to the invention basically comprises:

- a horizontal frame made of four angle irons, said frame having four corners and being devised and sized to receive and support a grid on which one or more persons can stand;
- a set of four supporting legs, each made of an angle iron, said supporting legs being respectively connected to the four corners of the frame, and extending below the same in order to maintain it at a distance from the ground, the angle irons forming the supporting legs and those of the frame being fixed to one another in a rigid manner; and
- reinforcing pieces positioned below the frame and connected to the supporting legs for reinforcing the platform.

According to the invention, this platform is characterized in that it also comprises:

- at least two thin holding bars extending horizontally between two opposite sides of the frame, said holding bars acting as a support for the grid onto the frame while preventing said grid from staying directly on the angle irons forming said frame; and
- each of said supporting legs has a lower end provided with a supporting foot adjustable in height, each of said supporting foot having a lower end of a round shape to reduce the contact surface with the ground.

Thanks to the fact that the grid on which one or more persons may stand, is positioned onto thin holding bars instead of standing on the surface of the iron angles forming the frame, the modular platform is much easier to clean whenever such is necessary.
The fact also that each supporting leg is provided with a supporting foot, adjustable in height and having a lower end of a round shape, is also particularly advantageous not only to facilitate installation, but also maintenance of the modular platform and its neighbourhood, since the surface of contact of the lower ends of the supporting legs onto the ground is reduced.
According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention:

- the number of holding bars is equal to three, two of said holding bars being positioned close to two opposite sides of the frame, the third one being positioned parallel between the two first holding bars in the center of the frame; and
- the supporting foot at the lower end of each supporting leg is adjustable in height by screwing inside a hole provided in a horizontal recess made at the bottom of the angle iron forming said supporting leg.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing pieces are equal to four, and are and are positioned in pairs on two lateral faces of the platform, the pieces of each pair having an extremity fixed to the frame and another extremity fixed to one of the supporting legs, in order to extend at an angle in opposite positions from each other and thus to facilitate access under the frame and grid.
The fact that the reinforcing pieces extend at an angle, once again permits to facilitate cleaning of the modular platform, since water that is sprayed, will easily flow to the ground.
Of course, the modular platform according to the invention may also comprise a modular guardrail fixed directly to the supporting legs of the platform, in order to retain persons standing on the platform.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the guardrail comprises vertical legs and horizontal retaining bars all made of angle irons, the angle irons that form the retaining bars, each having a modified angulation in order to facilitate a flow toward the ground of any liquid that would be projected onto it.
Once again, the fact that the angle irons forming the retaining bars are folded with a special angulation adapted to them, facilitates the flow toward the ground of water or any other cleaning liquid projected onto it, and thus facilitates maintenance of the modular platform.
As it may be understood, the modular platform according to the invention, has the great advantage of making its maintenance extremely simple to carry out by means of a water spray without having to lift or remove the grid or any other element.
Of course, the modular platform as disclosed hereinabove, can also be connected to one or more other platforms of similar structure, in order to form a unit having a length adapted to a specific use.
The invention and its numerous advantages will be better understood upon reading the following non-limitative description of a preferred embodiment thereof, made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a modular platform according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, provided with a stair giving access to its grid.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to the one of FIG. 1, showing the modular platform when the grid positioned onto its frame, is removed.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the modular platform shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an opposite side elevational view of the modular platform shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a modular platform similar to the one shown in FIG. 1, but comprising also a modular guardrail fixed onto its structure.

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view showing the modular platform shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the way that several modular platforms similar to those illustrated in the previous Figures, may be combined to form a longer unit for utility purposes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As previously indicated, FIGS. 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings, illustrate a modular platform 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
This platform 1 comprises a horizontal frame 3 made of four angle irons 5 and having four corners. This frame 3 is devised and positioned to receive and support a grid 7 on which can stand one or more persons.
The platform 1 also comprises a set of four supporting legs 9 each made of an angle iron. The legs 9 are respectively connected to the four corners of the frame and extend below the same, in order to maintain it at a given distance from the ground. Of course, the angle irons forming the legs 9 and those of the frame 3 are connected to each other in a rigid manner.
The platform 1 further comprises reinforcing pieces 11 located under the frame and connected to the legs 9 to reinforce the platform.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the reinforcing pieces 11 are equal to four and are positioned in pairs on two lateral sides of the platform. The pieces 11 of each pair have an extremity fixed to the frame 3 and another fixed directly to a leg 9, so as to extend at an angle in opposite directions with respect to each other and thus to give access under the frame and the grid in order to facilitate their cleaning, inasmuch as the water sprayed onto these pieces, automatically flows to the ground.
Of course, other reinforcing pieces 11 may also be used if need be, onto one or both of the other lateral sides of the platform 1.
According to an important feature of the invention, the platform 1 disclosed hereinabove, also comprises at least two, and preferably three, thin holding bars 13 that extend horizontally between two opposite sides of the frame, two being located close to two opposite sides of the frame, the third one being positioned in parallel between the first and second holding bars, in between the same. These bars 13 act as a support for the grid 7 directly onto the frame 3 while preventing the same from staying on the surface of the iron angles 5 forming the same. The fact that the supporting grid 7 on which one or several persons may be standing, rests on the holding bars 13 instead of being directly on the surface of the angle irons 5 forming the frame, makes the maintenance and cleaning of the modular platform easier, whenever such is required.
According to another important feature of the present invention, each supporting leg 9 has a lower end provided with a supporting foot 15 adjustable in height. Each foot 15 has a lower end 17 with a rounded shape, in order to reduce the contact surface with the ground.
The adjustment of each foot 15 in height can be made by merely screwing it into a hole 19 provided with a horizontal fold made to the lower end of the angle iron forming the corresponding leg 9. Any other kind of system for adjusting the height could however also be used.
The fact that each leg 9 is provided with a supporting foot 15 adjustable in height and whose extremity is of a rounded shape, has the advantage of facilitating not only the installation, but also the maintenance of the modular platform 1 and its neighbourhood inasmuch as the contact surfaces of the lower ends of the legs with the ground, are reduced.
As shown in the accompanying Figures of the drawings, the modular platform 1 according to the invention, can advantageously comprise a stair 21 and/or a modular guardrail 23 fixed to the frame 3 or to the supporting legs 9 of the platform, so as to allow one or more persons to climb onto the grid and stay on it.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the guardrail 23 comprises vertical legs 27 and horizontal retaining bars 29 all made of angle irons. Advantageously, the angle irons forming the retaining bars 29 are each of a modified angulation as shown by number 31 in the drawings, in order to facilitate the flow toward the ground of any liquid that would be projected onto it. The fact that the angle irons forming the retaining bars 29 are folded thanks to this particular angulation, facilitates once again the flow toward the ground of any water or liquid projected onto it, and thus facilitates maintenance.
As may be noticed, the modular platform 1 according to the invention has the great advantage of having its maintenance facilitated by washing in a very simple manner without having to lift or remove the grid or any other element.
As shown in FIG. 7, the modular platform 1 disclosed hereinabove, can be connected to one or more similar other platforms 1′ and 1″, in order to form a unit having a length adapted to a specific use.
As previously mentioned, the modular platform 1 according to the invention, is particularly well adapted for the use as a support for one or several persons working close to one side of a meat-cutting table. This is due to the fact that its structure is very stable and of easy maintenance.
Of course, modifications could be made to the preferred embodiment that has been disclosed hereinabove with reference to the accompanying drawings, without departing from the scope of the present invention as claimed hereinafter.

Claims

1. A modular platform, comprising:

a horizontal frame made of four angle irons, said frame having four corners and being devised and sized to receive and support a grid on which one or more persons can stand;

a set of four supporting legs, each made of an angle iron, said supporting legs being respectively connected to the four corners of the frame, and extending below the same in order to maintain it at a distance from the ground, the angle irons forming the supporting legs and those of the frame being fixed to one another in a rigid manner; and

reinforcing pieces positioned below the frame and connected to the supporting legs for reinforcing the platform;

characterized in that said platform also comprises:

at least two thin holding bars extending horizontally between two opposite sides of the frame, said holding bars acting as a support for the grid onto the frame while preventing said grid from staying directly on the angle irons forming said frame; and

each of said supporting legs has a lower end provided with a supporting foot adjustable in height, each of said supporting foot having a lower end of a round shape to reduce the contact surface with the ground.

2. The modular platform according to claim 1, comprising four reinforcing pieces positioned in pairs on two lateral faces of the platform, the pieces of each pair having an extremity fixed to the frame and another extremity fixed to one of the supporting legs, in order to extend at an angle in opposite positions from each other and thus to facilitate access under the frame and grid.

3. The modular platform according to claim 1, which comprises:

three holding bars, two of said holding bars being positioned close to two opposite sides of the frame, the third holding bar being positioned parallel between the two first holding bars in the center of the frame; and

the supporting foot at the lower end of each supporting leg is adjustable in height by screwing inside a hole provided in a horizontal recess made at the bottom of the angle iron forming said supporting leg.

4. The modular platform according to claim 1, further comprising:

a modular guardrail fixed directly to the supporting legs of the platform, said guardrail comprising vertical legs and horizontal retaining bars all made of angle irons, the angle irons forming the retaining bars each having a modified angulation in order to facilitate a flow toward the ground of any liquid that would be projected onto it.

5. The modular platform according to claim 1, wherein the platform is connected to at least one other platform of similar structure, in order to form a unit having a length adapted for a specific use.

6. A support for one or several persons working on one side of a meat-cutting table comprising the modular platform according to claim 1.

7. The modular platform according to claim 2, which comprises:

three number of holding bars, two of said holding bars being positioned close to two opposite sides of the frame, the third holding bar being positioned parallel between the two first holding bars in the center of the frame; and

8. The modular platform according to claim 2, comprising:

9. The modular platform according to claim 8, comprising:

10. The modular platform according to claim 9, wherein the platform is connected to at least one other platform of similar structure, in order to form a unit having a length adapted for a specific use.

11. A support for one or several persons working on one side of a meat-cutting table comprising the modular platform according to claim 10.