Stair climber

Abstract

Stair climber (1) for lifting / lowering at least one load (100, 100', 100") along a staircase (200), comprising a first frame (2), lifting / lowering means (3) to lift / lower said stair climber (1) along said staircase (200) and at least one wheel (20) rotatably constrained to said first frame (2) about a first horizontal axis (X) for displacing said stair climber along a flat surface (L), characterised by further comprising a second frame (4) for integrally housing said lifting / lowering means (3) and distancing / approaching means (5) for moving away / closer said second frame (4) from / to said first frame (2) in such a way as to vary the centre of gravity of said stair climber (1).

Description

[0001] STAIR CLIMBER

[0002] &&&&&&&

[0003] Technical field of the invention

[0004] The present invention concerns a stair climber. In particular, such stair climber is used for lifting / lowering loads of different sizes along a staircase.

[0005] Known prior art

[0006] According to prior art, there are stair climbers which ensure the displacement of loads along a staircase.

[0007] For example, patent EP2275067 describes a stair climber with wheels which comprises a frame constituted by a side pair of plates of vertically elongated shape, which delimit an intermediate compartment inside which a motor, which rotates a drive shaft having horizontal axis which comes out on the outside of the plates with its end lengths, is housed. Two identical cranks are mounted and specularly fastened on the ends of such end lengths, one on the right and the other on the left, each of which supports, at its free end, a pin facing the outside and on which one of the two identical side wheels, which allow the movement of the stair climber, rotates idly. In practice, for each movement of the motor, the shaft drives the pair of cranks in a complete rotation of 360°, after which the cranks always return to their starting and at rest position coinciding with the position in which the stair climber rests on the ground by means of the two wheels.

[0008] Such solution allows, through a very simple structure, to lift loads along a staircase.

[0009] In any case, such solution is not without drawbacks. In fact, whenever the stair climber must lift loads of very different sizes and weight along a staircase, the operator is forced to change the inclination with respect to a horizontal plane so that the centre of gravity given by the stair climber and the load is as inward as possible, i.e. as close as possible to the staircase. In fact, this makes the lifting of the stair climber less risky, thus avoiding possible losses of balance for the operator and consequent possible dangerous falls with regard to both the safety of the operator himself and the integrity of the load being transported.

[0010] Documents EP1476343B1, EP3145849B1, WO2019003172A1 and EP3758662B1 describe a stair climber for lifting a load along a staircase. Object of the present invention is to implement a stair climber which allows to facilitate the lifting / lowering operations along a staircase whenever different loads of different sizes and weight must be lifted.

[0011] Further object of the present invention is to achieve the above through a stair climber which has a simple structure and which can anyhow quickly and effectively lift / lower loads also of very different sizes and weight along a staircase.

[0012] Finally, object of the present invention is to implement a method which simply and quickly allows to lift or lower different types of loads along a staircase, also whenever such loads are of different size and weight, i.e. have different centre of gravity.

[0013] Summary of the invention

[0014] The objects mentioned above are achieved thanks to a stair climber for lifting / lowering at least one load along a staircase, comprising a first frame, lifting / lowering means to lift / lower said stair climber along said staircase and at least one wheel rotatably constrained to said first frame about a first horizontal axis for displacing said stair climber along a flat surface, characterised by further comprising a second frame for integrally housing said lifting / lowering means and distancing / approaching means for moving away / closer said second frame from / to said first frame in such a way as to vary the centre of gravity of said stair climber.

[0015] Such solution thus allows to change the position of the lifting / lowering means so as to change the centre of gravity of the stair climber, consequently facilitating the transport operations of a load along the staircases.

[0016] In fact, depending on the characteristics of the load to be transported, the operator can vary the centre of gravity of the stair climber so as to make the transport of that particular load along the staircase safer, simpler and easier.

[0017] Furthermore, said approaching / distancing means comprise constraining means for rotatably constraining said second frame with respect to said first frame about a second horizontal axis.

[0018] The distancing / approaching of the second frame is thus achieved through the rotation of the second frame with respect to the first frame.

[0019] In particular, said rotation of said second frame with respect to said first frame is limited to an angular range between 0 and 30°, preferably between 0 and 12°.

[0020] Moreover, said approaching / distancing means further comprise locking means for locking said second frame with respect to said first frame in a plurality of reversible positions, preferably within said angular range. According to the embodiment described herein, the angular adjustment positions are three in number.

[0021] Still, the aforementioned reversible locking means are arranged above said means of rotatable constraint between said second frame and said first frame.

[0022] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, said second frame comprises, at the bottom, a box-like portion; said constraining means comprise at least one pin rotatably constrained to said first frame along said second axis and said box-like portion comprises, at its free ends, a pair of holes which can be combined, i.e. which can be integrally constrained, with / to said pin for rotating said second frame with respect to said first frame.

[0023] Moreover, said locking means comprise at least one spindle mounted at least horizontally translatable along a third horizontal axis on said first frame between an engagement position and a disengagement position with one or more holes formed on said second frame. According to a preferred aspect of the invention, said one or more holes are arranged along an arc of a circle having as its centre said at least one second rotation axis.

[0024] Advantageously, said first frame is substantially L-shaped and said second frame is arranged on the rear side of said first frame.

[0025] According to a particular aspect of the invention, said second frame comprises a side pair of plates delimiting an intermediate compartment, inside which said lifting / lowering means are housed. Moreover, said lifting / lowering means comprise a motor which rotates a drive shaft having horizontal axis which comes out on the outside of said plates of said second frame with its end lengths on which two cranks are mounted and specularly fastened, for each motor start, wherein said shaft drives said pair of cranks in a complete rotation of 360°.

[0026] Finally, said first horizontal axis is different from said second horizontal axis.

[0027] The objects are also achieved by means of a method of operating a stair climber according to one or more of claims 1 to 11, characterised by comprising the steps of: a) positioning said at least one load on said first frame; b) operating said lifting / lowering means for lifting / lowering said stair climber along a staircase; said method being characterised in that, prior to said step b), it comprises the step c) of moving said second frame away / closer with respect to said first frame in such a way as to vary the centre of gravity of said stair climber.

[0028] Furthermore, said step c) comprises the step of rotating said second frame with respect to said first frame about a second horizontal axis, preferably said rotation of said second frame with respect to said first frame being limited to an angular range between 0 and 30°, preferably between 0 and 12°.

[0029] Still, said step c) further comprises the step of locking said second frame with respect to said first frame in a plurality of reversible positions, preferably within said angular range.

[0030] Brief description of the figures

[0031] Reference will be made to the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0032] - Figure 1A shows a front axonometric view of the stair climber according to the invention:

[0033] - Figure IB shows a rear axonometric view of the stair climber of figure 1 A according to the invention:

[0034] - Figure 2A shows a sectional side view of the stair climber in which said second frame is in a first position with respect to said first frame;

[0035] - Figure 2B shows a detailed view of the side section of figure 2A;

[0036] - Figure 3A shows a sectional side view of the stair climber in which said second frame is in a second position from said first frame;

[0037] - Figure 3B shows a detailed view of the side section of the stair climber of figure 3 A;

[0038] - Figure 4A shows a sectional side view of the stair climber in which said second frame is in a third position with respect to said first frame;

[0039] - Figure 4B shows a detailed view of the side section of the stair climber of figure 4A;

[0040] - Figures 5A and 5B respectively show a front axonometric view of the stair climber of figure 1 A and a detailed view of the stair climber of figure 5 A; - figure 6a is a side view of the stair climber of figure 1 A;

[0041] - figure 6B is a sectional view of the stair climber of figure 1 A;

[0042] - figure 6C is a detailed view of the constraining means of the stair climber according to the invention, in which the two spindles are in their engagement position with the first frame;

[0043] - figure 7 is an axonometric view of the second frame and of the lifting / lowering means integral therewith;

[0044] - figures 8A, 8B and 8C are side views of the stair climber according to the invention, adapted for transporting three different loads, in which the second frame is in three positions different from the first frame.

[0045] Detailed description of preferred embodiments

[0046] Various embodiments and variants of the invention will be described hereunder, and this with reference to the figures set forth above. In particular, the stair climber according to the invention has 1 as a reference.

[0047] According to the embodiment shown herein, the stair climber 1 for lifting / lowering different loads 100, 100’, 100” along a staircase 200 comprises a first frame 2, lifting / lowering means 3 to lift / lower the stair climber 1 along the staircase 200 and two wheels 20 rotatably constrained to the first frame 2 about a first horizontal axis X for displacing the stair climber 1 along a flat surface L. It should be observed that the two wheels 20 are arranged on opposite sides of the first frame 2 and that they are thus coaxial to the first axis X. Moreover, the plane L is depicted in figures 8A-8C as one of the landings of the staircase 200.

[0048] Advantageously, the stair climber 1 further comprises a second frame 4 for integrally housing said aforementioned lifting / lowering means 3. Moreover, the stair climber 1 further comprises distancing / approaching means for moving away / closer said second frame 4 from / to the first frame 2 in such a way as to vary the centre of gravity of the stair climber itself. The possibility of varying the position of the centre of gravity, by displacing a second frame 4 with respect to the first frame 2 of the stair climber 1, allows an operator to be able to transport loads of different sizes and weight, i.e. having different centre of gravity, more easily along the staircases 200. In fact, whenever a load 100” has a higher centre of gravity with respect to another load 100, the operator will have to change the overall centre of gravity given by the stair climber 1 and that of the load itself, in such a way as to move it more closely to the staircases 200 themselves, i.e. by moving further away the second frame 4 with respect to the first frame 2, so as to make the lifting and lowering of the load along the staircase 200 more stable. In figures 8A, 8B and 8C, it is possible to see how it is necessary to move further away the second frame 4 with respect to the first frame 2 at the increasing of the height of the overall center of gravity given by the stair climber 1 and the respective load transported by the stair climber 1. In figure 8A, the second frame 4 is at the minimum distance from the first frame 2, whereas the second frame 4 is at the maximum distance from the first frame 2 in figure 8C.

[0049] In detail, the approaching / distancing means comprise constraining means 6 for rotatably constraining the second frame 4 with respect to the first frame 2 about a second horizontal axis Y. In particular, the rotation of the second frame 4 with respect to the first frame 2 is limited to an angular range between 0 and 30°, preferably between 0 and 12°, as shown in the embodiment described herein.

[0050] Still, said approaching / distancing means further comprise locking means 7 for locking the second frame 4 with respect to the first frame 2 in a plurality of stable and reversible positions Pl, P2 and P3 within the aforementioned angular range of 12°. In particular, such stable positions shown in the embodiment described herein are three in number Pl, P2 and P3 (see figures 2A, 2B, 3 A, 3B and 4A, 4B). Position Pl corresponds to the closest position between the first frame 2 and the second frame 4, whereas position P3 corresponds to the furthest position between the first frame 2 and the second frame 4. Still more in detail, the reversible locking means 7 are arranged above the means of rotatable constraint 6 between the second frame 4 and the first frame 2.

[0051] Still according to the embodiment described herein, the second frame 4 comprises, at the bottom, a box-like portion 4a. The constraining means 6 comprise a pin 60 rotatably constrained to the second frame 2 along the second axis Y. The box-like portion 4a comprises, at its free ends 41, 42, a pair of holes 43,44 which can be combined with the pin 60 for rotating the second frame 4 with respect to the first frame 2. Such pin 60 crosses two holes 61,62 made on the first frame 2. Such holes 61,62 allow the pin 60 to rotate freely about the axis Y. Such second axis Y is also the longitudinal axis of the pin 60. The rotation range of the second frame 4 with respect to the first frame 2 is achieved by two end stops 70,71 which prevent the further travel of the second frame 4 in the two rotation directions.

[0052] According to the particular embodiment, the reversible locking means 7 comprise two spindles 7a mounted one opposite the other on the first frame 2. Each spindle 7a is at least translatable in horizontal direction along a third horizontal axis Z with respect to the first frame 2, between an engagement position SI and a disengagement position (not visible here in the accompanying figures) with three holes 80, 81, 82 formed on the second frame 4. In particular, the holes 80, 81, 82 are arranged along an arc of a circle having as its centre the second rotation axis Y of the second frame 4 with respect to the first frame 2. When the two spindles 7a are inside one of the three holes 80, 81, 82, the second frame 4 cannot rotate with respect to the first frame 2, the spindles 7a are thus in their engagement position SI, whereas when the two spindles 7a are in their disengagement position, the second frame 4 is thus free to rotate about the second axis Y, limited only by the two end stops 70 and 71. It should be observed that an embodiment which comprises only one spindle 7a anyhow falls within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0053] It should be observed that the number of holes 80, 81, 82 (or pairs of holes 80, 81, 82) can also be different, for example two or five, depending on the angular range traveled by the second frame 4 with respect to the first frame 2 and on the number of different locking positions which the manufacturer desires to achieve in order to meet the needs of the end user.

[0054] As shown in the accompanying figures, the first frame 2 is substantially L-shaped and the second frame 4 is arranged on the rear side of the first frame 2. In practice, the rear side of the first frame 2 is the one on the side opposite the one that is generally in the forward direction during the normal movement of the stair climber 1. In practice, the rear side of the frame 2 is the one opposite the one in direct contact with the load 100, 100’ or 100”.

[0055] Still, the second frame 4 comprises a side pair of plates 45,46 delimiting an intermediate compartment 47, inside which the lifting / lowering means 3 are housed. The three pairs of holes 80, 81, 82 formed on the second frame 4 are made on the two plates 45 and 46.

[0056] Such lifting / lowering means 3 comprise a motor 90 which rotates, at each start, a drive shaft having horizontal axis S which comes out on the outside of the plates 45,46 of the second frame 2 with its end lengths 91a, 91b on which two cranks are mounted and specularly fastened, each crank having two small wheels 95,96 at its free ends. The drive shaft drives the pair of cranks 93a, 93b in a complete rotation of 360°, after which the cranks 93a, 93b always return in their starting and at rest position.

[0057] A reduction gear 99 is also present between the motor 90 and the motor shaft.

[0058] As shown in the accompanying figures, the first horizontal axis X is different from the second horizontal axis Y.

[0059] The method of operating the stair climber 1 as described above and anyhow according to one or more of claims 1 to 11 is described hereunder.

[0060] Such method comprises the steps of: a) positioning a load 100, or 100’, 100” on the first frame 2; b) operating the lifting / lowering means 3 for lifting / lowering the stair climber 1 along a staircase 200; and, advantageously, prior to said step b), the method further comprises the step c) of moving the second frame 4 away / closer with respect to the first frame 2 in such a way as to vary the centre of gravity of the stair climber 1. The decision concerning how far to move the second frame 4 away from or closer to the first 2 depends on the type of load 100, 100’ or 100” which must be transported along the staircase 200.

[0061] For such purpose, the stair climber 1 can also comprise a horizontal level sensor (not shown herein) which allows the user to understand, depending on the load to be transported, the most proper distance at which the second frame 4 should be positioned with respect to the first frame 2 to allow the same user to make less effort when transporting the load.

[0062] According to the invention, step c) comprises the step of rotating the second frame 4 with respect to the first frame 2 about a second horizontal axis Y, preferably such rotation of the second frame 4 with respect to the first frame 2 is limited to an angular range between 0 and 30°, preferably between 0 and 12°.

[0063] Finally, step c) further comprises the step of locking the second frame 4 with respect to the first frame 2 in a plurality of stable and reversible positions Pl, P2, P3, preferably within the angular range mentioned above.

Claims

CLAIMS1) Stair climber (1) for lifting / lowering at least one load (100, 100’, 100”) along a staircase (200), comprising a first frame (2), lifting / lowering means (3) to lift / lower said stair climber (1) along said staircase (200) and at least one wheel (20) rotatably constrained to said first frame (2) about a first horizontal axis (X) for displacing said stair climber along a flat surface (L), characterised by further comprising a second frame (4) for integrally housing said lifting / lowering means (3) and distancing / approaching means (5) for moving away / closer said second frame (4) from / to said first frame (2) in such a way as to vary the centre of gravity of said stair climber (1).2) Stair climber according to claim 1, characterised in that said approaching / distancing means (5) comprise constraining means (6) for rotatably constraining said second frame (4) with respect to said first frame (2) about a second horizontal axis (Y).3) Stair climber according to claim 2, characterised in that said rotation of said second frame (4) with respect to said first frame is limited to an angular range between 0 e 30°, preferably between 0 e 12°.4) Stair climber according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that said approaching / distancing means (5) further comprise locking means (7) for locking said second frame (4) with respect to said first frame (2) in a plurality of reversible positions (Pl, P2, P3), preferably within said angular range.5) Stair climber according to claim 4, characterised in that said reversible locking means (7) are arranged above said means (6) of rotatable constraint between said second frame (4) and said first frame (2).6) Stair climber according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that said second frame (4) comprises, at the bottom, a box-like portion (4a), said constraining means (6) comprising at least one pin (60) rotatably constrained to said second frame (2) along said second axis (Y), said box-like portion (4a) comprising, at its free ends (41,42), a pair of holes (43,44) which can be combined with said pin (60) for rotating said second frame (4) with respect to said first frame (2).7) Stair climber according to one or more of claims 4 to 6, characterised in that said locking means (7) comprise at least one spindle (7a) mounted at least horizontallytranslatable along a third horizontal axis (Z) on said first frame (2) between an engagement position and a disengagement position with one or more holes formed on said second frame (4), said one or more holes of said second frame (4) being arranged along an arc of a circle having as its centre said at least one second rotation axis (Y).8) Stair climber according to one or more of claims 4 to 7, characterised in that said first frame (2) is substantially L-shaped and said second frame (4) is arranged on the rear side of said first frame.9) Stair climber according to one or more of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that said second frame comprises a side pair of plates (45,46) delimiting an intermediate compartment (47), inside which said lifting / lowering means are housed (3).10) Stair climber according to claim 9, characterised in that said lifting / lowering means (3) comprise a motor (90) which rotates a drive shaft having horizontal axis (S) which comes out on the outside of said plates (45,46) of said second frame (4) with its end lengths (91a, 91b) on which two cranks (93a, 93b) are mounted and specularly fastened, for each motor start, said drive shaft driving said pair of cranks (93a, 93b) in a complete rotation of 360°.11) Stair climber according to one or more of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that said first horizontal axis is different from said second horizontal axis.12) Method for operating a stair climber according to one or more of claims 1 to 11, characterised by comprising the steps of a) positioning said at least one load (100, 100’, 100”) on said first frame (2); b) operating said lifting / lowering means (3) for lifting / lowering said stair climber (1) along a staircase (200); said method being characterised in that, prior to said step b), it comprises the step c) of moving said second frame (4) away / closer with respect to said first frame (2) in such a way as to vary the centre of gravity of said stair climber (1).13) Method according to claim 12, characterised in that said step c) comprises the step of rotating said second frame (4), with respect to said first frame (2), about a second horizontal axis (Y), preferably said rotation of said second frame (4) with respect to said first frame being limited to an angular range between 0 and 30°, preferably between 0 and12°.14) Method according to claim 13, characterised in that said step c) further comprises the step of locking said second frame (4) with respect to said first frame (2) in a plurality of reversible positions (P1,P2,P3), preferably within said angular range.

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