U.S. patent application number 12/355751 was filed with the patent office on 2009-05-21 for dual use wall mounted child safety banister.
Invention is credited to Glenn Gorab.
Application Number | 20090127533 12/355751 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40640940 |
Filed Date | 2009-05-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090127533 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gorab; Glenn |
May 21, 2009 |
DUAL USE WALL MOUNTED CHILD SAFETY BANISTER
Abstract
A banister that mounts on a stair wall comprising two parallel
handrails and a plurality of balusters, each baluster being
embedded within both rails. The stand-alone banister resembles a
ladder where the rungs are not perpendicular to the two parallel
side members. The banister is mounted to a wall rather than to the
stairs or the floor at the landing or the opening of the stair
well. It is mounted such that the balusters are vertical, and the
handrails are angled so as to be parallel to the staircase angle.
Therefore, one handrail will be higher than the other when mounted
on the wall. The upper handrail will be positioned at a height
convenient for gripping by an adult, while the lower handrail will
be positioned at a height convenient for gripping by a child. When
a child ascends or descends a staircase, he or she will either grip
the lower handrail or the balusters to provide support and
balance.
Inventors: |
Gorab; Glenn; (Franklin
Lakes, NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STANLEY H. KREMEN
4 LENAPE LANE
EAST BRUNSWICK
NJ
08816
US
|
Family ID: |
40640940 |
Appl. No.: |
12/355751 |
Filed: |
January 16, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
256/65.03 ;
256/65.02 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04F 11/1863
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
256/65.03 ;
256/65.02 |
International
Class: |
E04F 11/18 20060101
E04F011/18 |
Claims
1. A banister comprising at least two essentially parallel
handrails connected together by a plurality of essentially parallel
balusters positioned transverse to the handrails.
2. The banister of claim 1 wherein the number of handrails is
two.
3. The banister of claim 1 wherein the balusters are not
perpendicular to the handrails.
4. The banister of claim 2 comprising a plurality mounting brackets
for attaching the banister to a surface.
5. The banister of claim 4 wherein the plurality of mounting
brackets are attached to a single handrail.
6. The banister of claim 4 wherein some of the plurality of
mounting brackets are attached to one handrail and others of the
plurality of mounting brackets are attached to the other
handrail.
7. The banister of claim 1 wherein the plurality of balusters
penetrate at least one of the at least two handrails.
8. The banister of claim 1 wherein the banister is mounted and
attached to a stairway wall adjacent to a staircase comprising
stairs, said staircase having an angle of ascent or descent, such
that the at least two handrails run parallel to the angle of ascent
or descent.
9. The banister of claim 8 wherein all of the at least two
handrails run parallel to the angle of ascent or descent.
10. The banister of claim 8 wherein the plurality of balusters are
essentially vertical.
11. The banister of claim 8 wherein one of the at least two
handrails is an uppermost handrail that is positioned at a height
that may be grasped by a hand of an adult ascending or descending
the staircase.
12. The banister of claim 11 wherein the uppermost handrail is
positioned at a height between 34 and 38 inches above the
stairs.
13. The banister of claim 11 wherein one of the at least two
handrails is a lowermost handrail that is positioned lower than the
uppermost handrail at a height that may be grasped by a hand of a
small child ascending or descending the staircase.
14. The banister of claim 13 further comprising at least one
additional handrail of the at least two handrails, said at least
one additional handrail being positioned between the uppermost
handrail and the lowermost handrail.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The Present Invention relates to the field of stairway
handrails.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Handrails are installed in stairways to prevent injury to
occupants and to assist in ascending and descending the stairways.
They are mounted so as to be in easy reach for persons ascending
and descending the stairs. When the handrails are mounted on stair
walls, they are normally merely single rails. However, where no
wall exists, a complete banister is required comprising a handrail
and balusters mounted to the stairs or landing and supporting the
handrail. The standards for a banister are governed by the "stair
building code" promulgated by the International Code Council and
the Stairway Manufacturers' Association. A banister comprises an
easily gripped rake rail positioned between 34 to 38 inches high
and a plurality of balusters, each of which are inserted both into
a stair or landing and into the handrail. One end of the banister
is secured to a wall. Therefore, the balusters mount to the stairs,
and the handrail mounts to the balusters. The balusters are
positioned close enough together so as not to allow passage of a
43/8-inch sphere between them.
[0003] When an adult ascends or descends a staircase, he or she
will grip the handrail at approximately waist height. However, a
small child must usually reach up to grab the handrail. Very small
children must sometimes reach above their heads. This generates an
unsafe condition. Children can easily fall down a flight of stairs
and suffer severe injuries. Furthermore, the size or diameter of
the handrail is often too large to be securely gripped by a child's
hand. It is optimized for an adult sized hand.
[0004] The problem to be solved is how to construct a banister that
has a dual use for adults and for small children. Merely
positioning a handrail at the proper height for children does not
necessarily solve the problem. Children do not always hold on a
handrail for support and balance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The Present Invention is a banister that mounts on a stair
wall. It comprises two parallel handrails and a plurality of
balusters, each baluster being embedded within both rails. The
stand-alone banister resembles a ladder where the rungs are not
perpendicular to the two parallel side members. The banister is
mounted to a wall rather than on the stairs, the landing, or the
floor at the opening of the stair well. It is mounted such that the
balusters are vertical, and the handrails are angled so as to be
parallel to the staircase angle. Therefore, one handrail will be
higher than the other when mounted on the wall. The upper handrail
will be positioned at a height convenient for gripping by an adult,
while the lower handrail will be positioned at a height convenient
for gripping by a child. Here, the purpose of the balusters is not
to maintain the upper handrail in position. Instead, they provide
an additional grip location for a child because the size of the
balusters is more suitable for a smaller hand to grip. When a child
ascends or descends a staircase, he or she will grip either the
lower handrail or the balusters for support and balance.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is an isometric view showing how the banister mounts
to a staircase wall.
[0007] FIG. 2 is an isometric view showing details of a section of
the banister mounted on the staircase wall.
[0008] FIG. 3 is an isometric view showing details of a section of
the banister where a baluster is embedded in the lower
handrail.
[0009] FIG. 4 is an isometric view showing details of a section of
the banister where two balusters are embedded in the upper
handrail.
[0010] FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the banister
positioned vertically so as to illustrate that the banister
resembles a ladder.
[0011] FIG. 6(A) shows a first embodiment of a hand gripping a
prior art handrail.
[0012] FIG. 6(B) shows a second embodiment of a hand gripping a
prior art handrail.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] Referring to FIG. 1, banister 1 is mounted to a staircase
wall. The banister comprises two parallel handrails and a plurality
of balusters that are not perpendicular to the handrails. The
banister is mounted so that the balusters are vertical. Both
handrails are manufactured so as to be parallel to each other and
at the staircase angle when the balusters are positioned
vertically. The banister is mounted to the wall using standard
banister mounting brackets. The lower banister is optionally
smaller than the upper banister. The plurality of balusters makes
it easier for a child to grip in multiple locations. FIG. 2 shows
details of a section of the banister mounted to the wall. Upper
handrail 2 is maintained in a position parallel to lower handrail 3
by the plurality of balusters 4. Standard mounting brackets 5 and 6
fasten the underside of rails 2 and 3, respectively, to the
wall.
[0014] FIG. 3 shows a section of the lower handrail 3. Baluster 4
is embedded within the lower handrail at its upper surface.
Mounting bracket 6 is shown in the drawing. FIG. 4 shows a section
of the upper handrail 2. Baluster 4 is embedded within the upper
handrail at its lower surface. Mounting bracket 5 is shown
fastening the lower surface of the upper handrail to the wall.
[0015] FIG. 5 shows a stand-alone banister 1 with parallel
handrails 2 and 3 vertical. The balusters 4 are embedded in both
handrails. The balusters are not perpendicular to the
handrails.
[0016] Any commercially available handrail can be used. The
specific type will probably be chosen according to its
desirability. FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B) are examples of how the
commercially available handrails might be gripped.
* * * * *