Modular staircase system

Abstract

A modular staircase system configured to form a curved staircase, support extremely heavy finishing materials, having higher design tolerances, and can be achieved at a relatively moderate cost. A plurality of stair modules are configured to secure to one another to form a complete staircase system, each which has an elaborate stringer of significant strength and moderate weight configurable to create floating staircases at an affordable cost.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention generally relates to staircase systems utilized in the building industry.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]A conventional staircase system includes a plurality of ascending / descending steps laterally extending between a pair of stringers, each of the steps include a tread portion and a riser portion. Stairs are expensive due to the high cost of the materials, as well as the skilled labor required to make and construct such systems. The labor can easily exceed the cost of the materials in even the most basic staircase systems. As the complexity of the staircase increases, including designing curves, landings, and floating stair systems, the price exponentially escalates due to the cost of the materials, the wasted materials, and the additional labor.[0003]Staircase systems area complex works of art. Stair owners have unlimited choices of material to cover their stair with. It could be as simple as oak treads, oak riser, oak skirt board...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005]The present invention achieves technical advantages as a modular staircase system which may be configured to form a curved staircase, support extremely heavy finishing materials, having high design tolerances, and which can be constructed at a relatively moderate cost. A plurality of stair modules are configured to secure to one another to form a complete staircase system, each module having an elaborate framed stringer of significant strength and moderate weight, configurable to create eloquent floating staircases at an affordable cost. The stringers may be formed of steel tread flanges and riser flanges to form a steel framed stringer. The tread flanges and riser flanges may form a rectangular frame defining an opening, adapted to receive an outer fascia member, and support a riser and tread extending therebetween. This metal framed stringer can be designed to be curved to extremely tight tolerances and support extremely heavy loads, and easily assembled as a complex staircase at the fabricator, disassembled for convenient transport, and reassembled at its intended location with moderate effort. Because the steel stringers are framed, the cost of materials is reduced without sacrificing strength, and the curve can be designed to a tight tolerance using computer aided tooling equipment. Staircases designed according to the present invention can realize up to an 40% savings in materials and 50% savings in labor compared to conventional staircase systems.

Problems solved by technology

Stairs are expensive due to the high cost of the materials, as well as the skilled labor required to make and construct such systems.

The labor can easily exceed the cost of the materials in even the most basic staircase systems.

As the complexity of the staircase increases, including designing curves, landings, and floating stair systems, the price exponentially escalates due to the cost of the materials, the wasted materials, and the additional labor.

With the complexity of building and designing stair systems, many of the stairs are fabricated off site and then transported to the job site and then installed.

In high-end staircase systems, curved stringers are often made from large expensive cold rolled steel.

These metal stringers are extremely difficult to tool given both the tooling tolerances, as well as the variations of the material over temperature.

The longer the stringer, the more likely that tolerances can lead to a staircase that fails to meet the design requirements in its intended location.

Given the extreme pricing of the tooling and the steel stock, it is an expensive task to simply scrap the stringer.

More elaborate designs include multiple landings, which increase the stair complexity and loading requirements.

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