Stairs

Abstract

Staircase comprising a plurality of step elements (2) on the upper side of which a tread surface (4) is formed and which are each mounted to tilt about a first fixed horizontal tilting axis (6), and a switching device (12) by means of which the step elements (2) can be tilted between a staircase orientation and a ramp orientation, wherein in the staircase orientation the switching device (12) fixes the step elements (2) so that the tread surfaces (4) are horizontally aligned at different heights as in a conventional staircase, and wherein in the ramp orientation the step elements (2) are inclined and fixed so that the tread surfaces (4) of the step elements (2) together form an inclined plane or a ramp.

Description

The invention relates to a staircase according to claim 1, which can be used both as a conventional staircase and as a ramp.Conventional stairs still present a nearly insurgeable obstacle to wheelchair riders. Mobile or permanently installed ramps or elevators are often not available.It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a staircase which also enables a wheelchair user to use this staircase.This object is achieved by the features of claim 1.The staircase of the invention provides stair alignment and ramp alignment. By means of the switching device, the tiltably mounted step elements can be switched into a stair or a ramp orientation. In the ramp orientation, a wheelchair user can travel on the "staircase" or ramp. The switching between the two orientations of the step elements occurs manually or by motor "on button pressure". The slope of the ramp can be determined by the width of the tread-extending in the direction of use of the staircase in the direction of ramp. The slope of the staircase in the ramp orientation is determined so that a wheelchair user can drive on it without any outside assistance.According to the preferred embodiment of claim 2, the individual step elements are rigidly connected to the support element and can be brought into the stair or ramp orientation by a lever device.According to the preferred embodiment of claim 3, a simple construction of the lever device for manually or motor-operated switching of the staircase between stair and ramp alignment is concerned.In the advantageous embodiments according to claim 4 or 5, the switching over of the staircase elements takes place by motor by means of an actuator.According to the advantageous embodiment of claim 6, the actuators are electrically driven, e.g. in the form of servomotors.Further details, features and advantages will become apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of the staircase in staircase orientation; and FIG. 2 shows the exemplary embodiment in a ramp orientation.FIGS. 1 and 2 each show three step elements 2 on the top side of which a tread surface 4 is formed and which are each mounted in a tiltable manner about a first fixed horizontal tilting axis 6. Each step element 2 is rigidly connected to support elements 8 of different height with an upper and a lower end 9, 10. The step elements 2 are arranged in staircase form by the different length or height of the support elements 8, and the first stationary horizontal tilting axis 6 passes through the upper end 9 of the support elements 8, and the step elements 2 can be switched into the staircase and ramp orientation by means of a switching device 12 in the form of a lever device. The lever device 12 comprises a horizontal leg 14 with a first and a second end 15, 16 and a vertical leg 18 with a first and a second end 19, 20, wherein the lower ends 10 of the support elements 8 are rotatably connected to the horizontal leg 14. The second end 20 of the vertical leg 18 is rotatably connected to the first end 15 of the horizontal leg 14.The vertical leg 18 is rotatably mounted between its first and second ends 19, 20 on a second fixed horizontal tilting axis 22. The second fixed horizontal tilting axis 22 is oriented parallel to the first fixed horizontal tilting axis 6. The region of the first end 19 of the vertical leg 18 is designed as a lever handle 24. The directional arrows 26 show the direction of movement of the lever handle 24 and of the horizontal leg 14 when the staircase is switched into the staircase orientation--FIG. 1--and when it is switched into the ramp orientation--FIG. 2. the lever device 24 is designed such that, in the ramp orientation, the tread surfaces 4 of the step elements 2 lie in an inclined plane and thus form the ramp for wheelchair users. The step elements 2 have a width B in the direction of the staircase. The greater the width B, the flatter the staircase becomes and also the ramp in the ramp orientation becomes flatter and longer. The stationary frame of the staircase is symbolized by a rectangle 28.Instead of manual actuation via the lever handle 24, actuators can also be used to perform the switching between stair and ramp alignment by motor.List of reference characters2 Support elements 4 tread surface of 2 6 first fixed horizontal tilting axis 8 support elements 9 upper end of 8 10 lower end of 8 12 changeover device, lever device 14 horizontal leg of 12 15 first end of 14 16 second end of 14 18 vertical leg 19 first end of 18 20 second end of 20 22 second fixed horizontal tilting axis 24 lever handle on 18 26 direction arrows 28 rectangle as symbol for the fixed frame of the staircase B width of the step elements

Claims

Staircase, having a plurality of step elements (2) on the top side of which a tread surface (4) is formed in each case and which are mounted in each case such that they can be tilted about a first fixed horizontal tilting axis (6), and having a switching device (12) by means of which the step elements (2) can be tilted between a stair alignment and a ramp alignment, wherein in the stair alignment the switching device (12) fixes the step elements (2) in such a way that the tread surfaces (4) are aligned horizontally at different heights, as in a conventional staircase, and wherein in the ramp alignment the step elements (2) are set obliquely and fixed, such that the tread surfaces (4) of the step elements (2) together form an inclined plane or a ramp.Staircase according to claim 1, characterised bya plurality of support elements (8) of different heights with an upper and a lower end (9, 10), wherein the switching device (12) is formed as a lever device, wherein the support elements (8) are rigidly connected with their upper end (9) to the step elements (2) and with their lower end (10) to the lever device (12), and wherein the first stationary horizontal tilting axles (6) pass through the step elements (2) or the upper end (9) of the support elements (8).Staircase according to claim 2, characterised in that the lever device (12) comprises a horizontal leg (14) with a first and a second end (15, 16) and a vertical leg (18) with a first and a second end (19, 20), wherein the lower ends (10) of the support elements (8) are rotatably connected to the horizontal leg (14), wherein the second end (20) of the vertical leg (18) is rotatably connected to the first end (15) of the horizontal leg (14), wherein the vertical leg (18) is rotatably mounted between its first and second end (19, 20) on a second fixed horizontal tilting axis (22), which runs parallel to the first fixed horizontal axis (6), and wherein the region of the first end (19) of the vertical leg (18) is designed as a lever handle (24).Staircase according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the lever device (12) is connected to an actuator.Staircase according to claim 1, characterised bya plurality of actuators which are associated with the individual step elements (2) and which switch the individual step elements (2) into the staircase or ramp orientation.Staircase according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the actuator is an electrically driven actuator.

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