Usage management system for a ladder

Abstract

A device for managing the use of a ladder (1) extending between a lower and an upper level, comprising a means for prohibiting or preventing the use of at least some of the rungs of this ladder, formed by a panel (5) and means for connecting it to the ladder which maintain the panel, in a first state, against a face of the ladder opposite its access face and in a second state, away from this face of the ladder. The means for connecting the panel to the ladder include a hinge (10) with an axis parallel to the rungs (2) of the ladder (1) and away from the transverse edge (5b) of the panel (5) that is closest to it. FIGURE IN ABRIDGED DIAGRAM: Fig. 2

Description

Title of the invention: Device for managing the use of a ladder

[0001] The present invention relates to the management of the use of a ladder, inclined or not, to prevent its use by any unauthorized person. Technological background

[0002] It is known to prevent the use of a ladder, particularly a caged ladder, by means of a panel folded down over its lower rungs. Generally, this panel is fitted with an upper cover intended to block the entrance to the cage, thus increasing the preventative effect.

[0003] It is also known to prohibit the use of a ladder, particularly one inclined, by means of a panel attached to the rear of the ladder (DE202011102506U1). It should be noted that this prohibition is quite rudimentary and does not meet the conditions for using a ladder as prescribed by several standards and regulations concerning labor law, user safety and protection, and employer liability.

[0004] Object of the invention

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a device for locking access to a ladder which can not only effectively prevent use by any unauthorized person but also ensure that the authorized user can use the ladder safely and with the greatest possible comfort.

[0006] Brief description of the invention

[0007] To this end, the invention relates to a device for managing the use of a ladder extending between a lower level and an upper level, comprising a panel and means for connecting the panel to the ladder which hold the panel, in a first state, against a face of the ladder opposite its access face and in a second state, away from this face of the ladder. The panel has a first transverse edge and a second transverse edge, and, between these, a plurality of front walls extending, when the panel is in its first state, each in the vicinity of a rung of the ladder to prevent its use.The means for attaching the panel to the ladder include a hinge with an axis parallel to the ladder rungs. The front walls comprise a first front wall adjacent to the first transverse edge, and this first front wall is hinged to a panel support structure so that its lower portion is movable between a forward position near the ladder and a rearward position away from the ladder. The first front wall has an upper portion equipped with a lever arranged to bear against the ladder when the panel is in its first position, so as to maintain the lower portion of the first front wall in its forward position and which is detached from the ladder. the ladder when the panel is in its second state to release the pivoting of said lower part of the front wall towards its rearward position.

[0008] When the panel is in its first state, it is pressed against the ladder, making it difficult for an unauthorized user to place their feet on the rungs to climb up the ladder, or even preventing the user from placing their feet on the rungs altogether. When the panel is in its second state, the spacing of the panel from the ladder and the movement of the first front wall into a retracted position allows the first front wall of the panel to be positioned so far from the adjacent ladder rung that the user can place their foot correctly, safely, and comfortably on said ladder rung.

[0009] The panel can take different forms. The simplest is a simple sheet of metal mounted on a frame or box to give it sufficient rigidity. It can take a more complex form, in particular to constitute at least a partial closure of the space between the bars, either by stamping, or by cutting a panel into a box shape or curved (folded) lengthwise for the passage of the bars, etc...

[0010] According to a particular feature, each of the front walls is of a shape such that it constitutes at least a partial obturation of the inter-bar space.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the axis of the hinge of the panel to the ladder is located below the lower transverse edge of the panel. Tests have shown that this position is the most convenient for the user, both for locking and unlocking access to the ladder and for being able to comfortably place their foot on the first rungs.

[0012] Advantageously, when the ladder is equipped with a crinoline, the panel is provided in the upper part with a cover, of a width less than the spacing of the ladder uprights, capable of at least partially closing the internal passage of the crinoline.

[0013] It has been observed that, surprisingly, it is more comfortable for the user resting on the platform, for example during descent or when using it as a resting platform, if this platform, when engaged in the safety cage, is substantially parallel to the ground, regardless of the ladder's inclination, so as to provide the user with the same sensation as when standing at the foot of the ladder. This characteristic can be achieved either by a flat platform mounted at the top of the panel at an angle slightly less than 90 degrees, depending, of course, on the angle of inclination of the ladder, or by a "cylindrical" platform whose upper surface is centered substantially on the hinge axis.

[0014] In certain embodiments, the locking mechanism can be held in the open position, the device in which the panel is hinged to the scale in part lower, is equipped for this purpose with a return device for said panel against the rear face of the ladder and a mechanism for retaining the panel in its state away from the ladder, carried by the end of the cover away from the panel to cooperate with an element of the ladder, preferably a rung, under which the cover passes through the plane of the ladder.

[0015] In this embodiment, the envisaged retention mechanism consists of a retractable stop normally projecting above the free end of the panel, which can be erased either by a rung of the ladder when passing under this end, or under the latter, when the locking mechanism is opened, against the effect of a return device, or by an operating linkage comprising, at the level of the foot of the ladder, a manual actuation device for erasing this stop to allow the panel to be lowered under the effect of its return device.

[0016] It is also advantageous for the panel to be locked in its locked position, that is, when it is folded down against the ladder. To this end, the invention proposes equipping the panel with a quarter-turn bolt which is normally engaged in a strike plate mounted on the ladder. To release the bolt, a bolt operating key will be provided, acting either directly on the bolt or via a transmission, if the strike plate (and any locking mechanism) is located on the ladder at a level inaccessible to the user at the foot of the ladder, and a pedal, located on the cover, connected to the bolt by a transmission linkage.

[0017] Thus, the user at the foot of the ladder, authorized to climb it, can release the bolt from its strike plate using a personal key, possession of which signifies their authorization. They then push the panel to pivot it around its lower hinge until the retaining stop engages. After climbing the lower rungs of the ladder, they activate the release mechanism with their foot. The panel is then automatically returned to the ladder, and the bolt is again engaged in the strike plate.

[0018] During descent, the user uses their foot to activate the pedal to release the bolt from its strike plate and simultaneously pushes the latch towards the rear of the ladder until the retaining stop engages, allowing them to continue descending to the ground. Finally, they activate the stop's operating mechanism to retract it, enabling it to pass under the rung and fold down against the rear face of the ladder.

[0019] The invention also relates to an access installation comprising a ladder having uprights between which rungs extend, separated in pairs by an inter-rung space, and a usage management device comprising at least one front panel having dimensions substantially equal to the inter-rung space and articulated to a support about a substantially horizontal axis between a position advanced position in which the front wall has a lower part close to one of the rungs of the ladder and a rearward position in which the lower part of the front wall is away from said rung to allow a user to properly place their foot on said rung, the locking device comprising a device for locking the front wall in the advanced position.

[0020] According to a first particular characteristic, the usage management device comprises a plurality of front walls articulated to the support.

[0021] According to a second particular feature, the support is a load-bearing structure for a panel of such a scale usage management device.

[0022] The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description of an embodiment and certain variants thereof. Brief description of the drawings

[0023] Reference will be made to the attached drawings in which:

[0024] [Fig-1] [Fig.1] is a partial perspective view of an access installation of a first type, comprising a ladder equipped with a usage management device according to a first embodiment, the panel being in its first state;

[0025] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a partial perspective view of this ladder equipped with the device, the panel being in its second state;

[0026] [Fig.3a] [Fig.3a] is a partial side view of this ladder with the panel in its first state;

[0027] [Fig.3b] [Fig.3b] is a partial side view of this ladder with the panel in its second state;

[0028] [Fig.4] [Fig.4] is a side view of this ladder equipped with the device according to the invention;

[0029] [Fig.5] [Fig.5] is a perspective view illustrating the means of controlling the device of the invention for an authorized user;

[0030] [Fig.5a] [Fig.5a] is a partial detail view extracted from [Fig.5];

[0031] [Fig.5b] [Fig.5b] is another partial detail view extracted from [Fig.5];

[0032] [Fig.6] [Fig.6] is a perspective view of a ladder equipped with a device according to a second embodiment;

[0033] [Fig.7] [Fig.7] is a perspective view of a ladder equipped with a device according to a third embodiment;

[0034] [Fig.8] [Fig.8] is a perspective view of a ladder equipped with a device according to a fourth embodiment;

[0035] [Fig.9] [Fig.9] is a perspective view of a ladder equipped with a device according to a fifth embodiment of the invention;

[0036] [Fig. 10a] [Fig. 10a] is a partial perspective view of an access installation of a second type with a usage management device in a first state;

[0037] [Fig. 10b] [Fig. 10b] is a partial perspective view of this second-type access installation with the usage management device in a second state. Detailed description of the invention

[0038] The inclined ladder 1 shown in figures 1 to 4 and 6 to 10b to which the invention applies, comprises horizontal rungs 2 between two lateral uprights 3 and 4. Between each pair of rungs 2 adjacent to each other, there is an inter-rung space.

[0039] With reference to figures 1 to 9, the invention is in the form of an access installation of a first type comprising the aforementioned ladder and a usage management device according to the invention.

[0040] With reference to figures 1 to 4 and 6 to 9, the device of the invention comprises a panel 5 whose length is sufficient to cover several rungs 2 of the ladder 1 and whose width is at least substantially that of the ladder taken between the uprights 3 and 4. The panel 5 is hinged on the ladder 1 to extend behind it and to be movable between a first state in which the panel 5 is applied against a rear face of the ladder 1 opposite its access face or front face and a second state, in which the panel 5 is away from this rear face of the ladder 1.This panel 5 is shaped so that its current cross-section has a central portion which, when the panel 5 is in its initial state, passes through the mid-plane of the ladder 1 (the mid-plane being the plane parallel to the rungs 2 and the stiles 3 and 4, and passing through the midpoint of the rungs 2 and the stiles 3 and 4). In other words, this central portion of the panel 5 passes between the rungs 2 and extends beyond the mid-plane of the ladder 1. The function of this configuration is to render the rungs 2 of the ladder 1 inaccessible by making it impossible to place a foot on them or to grip them. Indeed, the central portion of the panel 5 then occupies enough of the space between the rungs 2 to prevent the user's foot or hand from entering this space to properly place a foothold on the lower rung or to grip it.The bars 2 are then housed in slots here in the form of cutouts 6 made in this central part, when the panel 5 is folded down onto the ladder, which allows the central part to partially occupy the space between the bars.

[0041] In Figures 1 to 4 and 6 to 8, the panel 5 is hinged to the ladder around an axis 7 parallel to the rungs 2, at its lower part and more precisely by means of arms 8 and 9 extending the panel 5 downwards beyond its lower transverse edge 5a. It is understood that the arms 8 and 9 allow for a panel in which the axis 7 is positioned away from the lower transverse edge 5a along a longitudinal direction of the panel 5 (and of the ladder 1 when the panel 5 is folded against the ladder 1). Thus, when the panel 5 is moved away from ladder 1, as shown, the lower part of panel 5 is moved away from ladder 1 so that the user's foot can rest on the first exposed rung 2.

[0042] It should be noted that panel 5 is located at the rear of ladder 1 so that the effect of gravity tends to move it away from the ladder.

[0043] More specifically, the panel 5 has the shape of a box whose front face 13 has cutouts 6 delimiting between them front walls 13', 100 intended to occupy the inter-bar space when the panel 5 is in its first state.

[0044] The front walls 13', 100 have dimensions substantially equal to the inter-bar space and comprise fixed front walls 13' and a movable front wall here the lower front wall 100 located between the lower transverse edge 5a and the adjacent cutout 6.The lower front wall 100 is articulated on a supporting structure 101 of the panel 5 (such as longitudinal stiffening edges extending on each side of the panel 5) so as to have a lower part 100a movable between an advanced position near the ladder 1 and a rearward position away from the ladder 1, the lower front wall 100 having an upper part 100b provided with a lever 102 arranged to bear against the ladder 1, and more particularly a rung 2 thereof, when the panel 5 is in its first state, so as to maintain said lower part 100a of the lower front wall 100 in its advanced position and which is detached from the ladder 1 when the panel 5 is in its second state to free the pivoting of said lower part 100a of the lower front wall 100 towards its rearward position.

[0045] It is understood that, when the panel 5 is in its first state, it is pressed against the ladder 1 and prevents an unauthorized user from placing their feet on the rungs 2 to climb up the ladder 1. When the panel 5 is in the second state, the movement of the panel 5 in combination with the movement of the lower front wall 100 into a retracted position makes it possible to obtain a spacing of the lower front wall 100 from the neighboring rung 2 such that the user can place their foot correctly, safely and comfortably on said rung 2.

[0046] It is understood that here two features combine to provide sufficient space for the user to comfortably place their foot on the bar 2 previously covered by the lower front wall 100: - the distance of the articulation axis 7 from the lower transverse edge 5a provided by the arms 5, 6 which increases the distance between the lower transverse edge 5a compared to a solution in which the articulation axis 7 is closer to the lower transverse edge 5a; - the retracted position of the lower part 100a of the lower frontal wall 100 in which the lower part 100a of the lower frontal wall 100 is separated from this bar 2 by a greater distance than when the lower part 100a of the lower front wall 100 is in the forward position.

[0047] A tension spring 103 extends here between the lower part 100a of the front wall 100 and the supporting structure 101 to return the lower part 100a to a retracted position. This tension spring 103 is entirely optional, as the operator can push back the lower part 100a with the tip of their foot when placing said foot on the bar 2, which was previously covered by said lower part 100a.

[0048] The housing defines an interior space between the cut-out front face 13 and a solid rear face, which accommodates control mechanisms as illustrated below. The panel includes an upper opening 14, substantially perpendicular to the face 13, and whose width is less than the spacing of the uprights 3, 4 of the ladder 1. This opening is designed to pass between two rungs 2 to form an obstacle to accessing the ladder, particularly if it is a caged ladder, and to constitute a resting platform for a user of the ladder 1 located above the panel 5. It should be noted that this upper opening 14 has, at its free end, a pedal 15 and a retractable stop 16, which will be described in more detail below.

[0049] In [Fig. 4], we see the panel 5 associated with a ladder 1 equipped with a safety cage 1a. The panel 5, in addition to the hinge 7, is pulled back against the ladder by a return mechanism 17, here a pair of gas springs, against the effect of gravity. The return force will be adjusted so that the user exerts only minimal effort to manually detach the panel 5 from the ladder 1, aided in this by the effect of gravity.

[0050] It will be noted, on this [Fig.4], that the upper surface of the lid 14 is not strictly perpendicular to the panel 5. It has an angle A with respect to this panel 5 which depends on the angle of inclination B of the ladder 1 with respect to the horizontal (to the ground), so that when the panel 5 is folded down against the ladder 1, the user who is resting on the lid 14 has a feeling similar to that which he has when he is at the foot of the ladder 1 at the end of the descent or at the beginning of the ascent. Thus, for example, when the inclination B of ladder 1 is 80 degrees, the angle between panel 5 and the upper surface of lid 14 is 84 degrees, to within a few degrees, in particular to take into account the proximity that the end of the lid must maintain with the rung 2 of ladder 1 under which it passes, in order to implement a stop to maintain the offset state of panel 5 as described below.

[0051] In the figures, we have also represented, on the one hand, a push button 18 and on the other hand, a barrel 19, for example that of a key lock.

[0052] These two elements can be found in figures 5, 5a and 5b.

[0053] Fig. 5 is therefore a diagram that shows the different mechanisms allowing the user to maneuver the device of the invention in order to meet the requirements the most recent regulations in terms of safety and ergonomics. More specifically, the mechanisms shown are transmission elements, connecting on the one hand a locking bolt P to the lower cylinder 19 and to the upper pedal 15 for operating this bolt P and, on the other hand connecting the retractable stop 16 to the push button 18. These mechanisms are housed in a box panel such as the one referenced 5 in figure 3, the face 13 of which is turned towards the ladder (of which only one rung 2 is shown in [Fig.5b]) and in the cover 14 also made in the form of a box.

[0054] On a common support 21 housed in the cover 14, the pedal 15 and the stop 16 are pivotally mounted, the former so that it can be pressed against a return mechanism and the latter so that it is held in protrusion above the end of the cover by its own return mechanism. The return mechanism of the pedal 15 is, for example, dimensioned so that the pedal 15 can only be pressed by the application of a relatively significant force (for example, about twenty daN) in order, in particular, to prevent accidental depressment of the pedal 15 (and therefore unintentional opening of the cover 14) by the user when descending the ladder or to prevent any attempt to open it manually from the bottom of the ladder.

[0055] In Figures 5 and 5a, which isolates the locking mechanism, it can be seen that the pedal 15, when pressed, pivots upwards, around a fixed axis 22, a lever 23 which acts on the end of a pivoting lever 24, the other end of which pushes downwards a rod 25 which acts on another lever 26, itself coupled in a lock 27 to the bolt P, which it raises to disengage it from a strike plate (not shown) carried by a rung 2 of the ladder. Upon releasing the pedal, internal return mechanisms bring the mechanism back to its locked state.

[0056] The quarter-turn bolt P, which normally protrudes from the lock, can be retracted by operating the cylinder using a key specific to the authorized user. This operation of the bolt via the cylinder is achieved by a linkage 28 and is independent of the operation of the bolt P by the pedal 15.

[0057] With reference to figures 5 and 5b, which isolate the locking panel 5 retaining mechanism, the pusher 18 is pivotally mounted around the fixed axis 20 and acts on the rod 29, which rotates the pusher 30 around a fixed axis 31. The pusher 30 slides a rod 32 which rotates the stop 16 around an axis 33. Internal return elements in this transmission position the stop 16 in projection relative to the cover 14.

[0058] The authorized user, with the lock engaged, operates the cylinder 19 using their key or any other operating device. The associated rod 28 retracts the bolt P into the lock 27. The panel 5 can then be manually opened. The user ascends the ladder until the stop 16, sliding and retracting under a rung 2 (hereafter referred to as the stop bar to distinguish it from the others) thanks to its upper slope, protrudes behind this rung and holds the panel against its return mechanism 17. The user then comfortably steps over the exposed rungs until reaching a rung 2 above the stop bar, which engages with the stop. The user can then easily press (directly or via an intermediary mechanism) their foot on the stop 16, which can then slide back under the stop bar, allowing the panel to be folded down by the return mechanism 17. The locking mechanism is then re-engaged, preventing access to anyone without the appropriate means of operating the lock cylinder 19.

[0059] Upon descending, the user finds the locking mechanism engaged and the catch 14 locked between the bars 2. By pressing the pedal 15, which pivots around a fixed axis of the support 21 located at its outermost end relative to the catch 14, the user releases the bolt P from its strike plate as described above and thus unlocks the panel 5, which can then be moved aside with their foot by pushing the catch 14 through the ladder 1 until the stop 16 is engaged at the rear of the locking bar. The user can then continue their descent to the ground. At this moment, by acting on the push button 18, it activates the transmission described above in the direction of an erasure of the stop 16 inside the cover 14. The panel 5, thus freed from its restraint, returned by the return mechanism 17, comes back to press against the ladder and the bolt P engages in its strike plate behind a bar 2.

[0060] Figures 6 to 8 show a 1-scale model, without a crinoline, equipped with a panel 5 formed of a box and articulated to the 1-scale model via arms 8, 9 as in figures 1 to 4.

[0061] In these embodiments, the panel 5 has an upper part connected to each of the uprights 8, 9 by a compass 40 comprising a first connecting rod 40.1 having one end articulated to the upright 8, 9 and an opposite end articulated to one end of a second connecting rod 40.2 having an opposite end articulated to one side of the upper part of the panel 5.

[0062] The first connecting rod 40.1 is extended beyond its articulation to the second connecting rod 40.2 by a lever to the free end of which is attached one end of a return member 41 having an opposite end attached to a lug integral with the end of the second connecting rod articulated to the panel 5. The return member 41 tends to fold the panel 5 against the ladder 1.

[0063] With reference to [Fig.6], and according to the third embodiment, the upper end of the panel 5 is provided with a lid 14 as in Figure 3. On the other hand, the ladder is vertical and no longer inclined.

[0064] In embodiments of figures 7 and 8, the panels 5 do not have a lid 14 and implement a slightly different mechanism for manipulating the panel 5 when the user is on the ladder 1 above the panel 5.

[0065] This mechanism includes a rod 42 mounted to slide along the upright 8 of the ladder 1 parallel to said upright. The rod 42 includes a first end 42.1 articulated to a first end of a third connecting rod 43 having a second end articulated at a midpoint of the first connecting rod 40.1. The rod 42 includes a second end 42.2 associated with an operating member.

[0066] In the embodiment of [Fig.7], the operating member is a pedal 44 actuated by the user's foot when his feet are on a bar 2 located above the upper edge 5b of the panel 5.

[0067] In the embodiment of [Fig.8], the operating member is a handle 45 operable by the user's hand when his feet are on a bar 2 located above the upper edge 5b of the panel 5.

[0068] In the embodiments of Figures 7 and 8, the stop preventing the panel 5 from folding down against the ladder 1, against the force of the return mechanism 41, is not shown. This stop may, for example, consist of a lock, a rotational indexing of the handle or the pedal...

[0069] In [Fig. 9], panel 5 is hinged to ladder 1, which has a crinoline la, also around a transverse axis 10 by the two arms 11 and 12 which extend its upper part beyond its upper transverse edge 5b. It is understood that the arms 11, 12 allow a panel 5 in which the axis 10 is away from the upper transverse edge 5b in a longitudinal direction of panel 5 (and of ladder 1 when panel 5 is folded against ladder 1).

[0070] The front walls 13', 200 comprise fixed front walls 13' and a movable front wall here the upper front wall 200 located between the upper transverse edge 5b and the adjacent cutout 6.The upper front wall 200 is hinged to the support structure of the panel 5 so that a lower part 200a is movable between an advanced position near the ladder 1 and a rearward position away from the ladder 1, the upper front wall 200 having an upper part 200b mounted on an articulation axis to the support structure of the panel 5 and provided with a lever 202 arranged to bear against the ladder 1, and more particularly a rung 2 thereof, when the panel 5 is in its first state, so as to maintain said lower part 200a of the upper front wall 200 in its advanced position and which is detached from the ladder 1 when the panel 5 is in its second state to free the pivoting of said lower part 200a of the upper front wall 200 towards its rearward position.

[0071] It is understood that, when the panel 5 is in its first state, it is pressed against ladder 1 and prevents an unauthorized user from placing their feet on the rungs 2 to pull themselves up ladder 1. When panel 5 is in the second state, the distance of the hinge axis 10 from the upper transverse edge 5b in combination with the movement of the upper front wall 200 into the rearward position allows for a spacing of the upper front wall 200 from the neighboring rung 2 such that the user can place their foot correctly, safely and comfortably on said rung 2.

[0072] Figures 10a and 10b show an access installation of a second type.

[0073] The ladder 1 includes uprights 3, 4 between which rungs 2 extend and inter-rung spaces in which boxes 300 are mounted, each having dimensions substantially identical to those of the inter-rung space to occupy it.

[0074] Each box 300 comprises a lower part 300a and an upper part 300b. The upper part 300b is connected to the ladder 1 by a hinge axis extending between the uprights 3, 4 in such a way that the box 300 pivots between: - an advanced position ([Fig. 10a]) in which the box 300 has a front wall flush with the front face of the ladder 1 and the lower part 300a extends above the adjacent rung 2; - a rearward position ([Fig. 10b]) in which the box 300 is tilted backwards beyond the rear face of the ladder 1 so that the lower part 300a is away from the neighboring rung 2 and allows a user to properly place his foot on said rung.

[0075] A rod 301 is articulated at the rear of the lower part 300a to connect the boxes 300 together and ensure simultaneous pivoting of the boxes 300 between their two positions.

[0076] A lock block 302 is fixed to the upright 3 to receive a lug 303 attached to the rod 301 when the rod 301 is near the upright 3. The lug 303 includes an opening into which a bolt engages when the lug 303 is inserted into the lock block 302, thus locking the boxes 300 in their forward position. The lock block 302 can be replaced by a padlock system.

[0077] Of course the invention is not limited to the embodiments described but includes any variant falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

[0078] In particular, it is possible to have a panel according to Figures 1 to 4 which is without a lid

[0079] The locking mechanism may be different from that shown in figures 5, 5a, 5b.

[0080] Regardless of the embodiment, the ladder can be inclined or vertical, with or without a crinoline. In the case of a vertical ladder, a roughly horizontal operculum should preferably be used.

[0081] The bolt can be connected to a locking latch or a lock or any other locking means.

[0082] The return member can be arranged to hold the panel 5 in the open position, in particular when the hinge axis is above the panel 5.

[0083] The operculum may occupy all or part of the cross-section of the crinoline. The operculum may be arranged to extend to the lower end of the crinoline or within it.

[0084] In certain embodiments intended in particular to satisfy regulatory or normative safety requirements such as, for example, the requirement that the lock be kept in the open position, the device, in which the panel is articulated to the ladder at the bottom, is equipped with a mechanism for returning said panel to a position away from the rear face of the ladder.

[0085] It is possible to provide a means of locking the panel in the open position, for example a padlock that can be engaged in the compass, articulated on one side to the ladder and on the other to the panel, to keep the compass in its unfolded state.

[0086] The stop can be arranged to be retractable into a housing in the lid so as not to injure an operator who would fall on the lid.

[0087] The means for connecting the panel 5 to the ladder may be without arms: the articulation axis is then close to the lower or upper transverse edge of the panel depending on whether we are in the embodiment of figures 1 to 8 or in the embodiment of [Fig.9].

[0088] The panel may include one or more movable front walls.

[0089] The panel may comprise several sections assembled to form the panel complete. For example, one can plan for a section comprising only movable front walls and a section comprising only fixed front walls.

[0090] The front walls can be flat, vertical or inclined, or have a dihedral or curved shape.

[0091] The panel may be provided or not with means of its return to its first state and / or its second state.

[0092] The panel may include a fixed front wall in the form of a flat sheet applied against the rear face of the ladder without extending into the inter-rung space of the ladder.

[0093] The panel can be made in a different way than described, for example: by deformation of sheet metal, and / or by machining of sheet metal and / or plates, by detachable or non-detachable assembly...

[0094] The recesses in panel 5 formed by the cutouts 6 can be made by de- plastic formation in the form of recesses in panel 5.

[0095] The angular displacement of the movable front walls between their two positions can be between a few degrees and 90 degrees or more (for example, for a ladder inclined at 90°, plus the inclination of the ladder).

Claims

Claims

1. Device for managing the use of a ladder (1) extending between a lower level and an upper level, comprising a panel (5) and means for connecting the panel (5) to the ladder (1) which maintain the panel (5), in a first state, applied against a face of the ladder (1) opposite its access face and in a second state, distant from this face of the ladder (1); the panel (5) comprising a first transverse edge (5a, 5b) and a second transverse edge, and, between these, a plurality of front walls (13', 100, 200) extending, when the panel (5) is in its first state, each in the vicinity of a rung (2) of the ladder (1) to prohibit its use; characterized in that the means for connecting the panel to the ladder comprise an articulation (7, 10) with an axis parallel to the bars (2) of the ladder (1), the front walls comprise a first front wall (100, 200) close to the first transverse edge (5a,5b) and the first front wall (100, 200) is articulated on a supporting structure of the panel (5) to have a lower part (100a, 200a) movable between an advanced position near the ladder (1) and a retracted position away from the ladder (1), the first front wall (100, 200) having an upper part (100b, 200b) provided with a lever (102, 202) arranged to bear against the ladder (1) when the panel (5) is in its first state so as to maintain said lower part (100a, 200a) of the first front wall (100, 200) in its advanced position and which is detached from the ladder (1) when the panel (5) is in its second state to release the pivoting of said lower part (100a, 200a) of the front wall (100, 200) towards its rearward position.,

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the lever (102, 202) is positioned to bear on a rung (2) of the ladder (1) extending above the first front wall (100, 200) when the panel (5) is in its first state.

3. Device according to claim 1 or claim 2, each of the front walls (13', 100, 200) is of a shape such that it constitutes at least a partial closure of the inter-bar space.

4. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first transverse edge (5b) is the upper transverse edge of the panel (5) and the axis of the hinge (10) of the panel (5) to the scale (1) is located above the first transverse edge (5b).

5. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first transverse edge (5a) is the upper transverse edge of the panel (5) and the axis of the articulation (7) of the panel (5) to the scale (1) is located below the first transverse edge (5a).

6. Device according to claim 5, in which the panel (5) is provided in the upper part with a cover (14), of width less than the spacing of the uprights (3, 4) of the ladder (1).

7. Device according to claim 6, in which the upper surface of the cover (14), when engaged in the ladder (1), is substantially parallel to the ground so as to provide the user with the same feeling as when he is at the foot of the ladder (1).

8. Device according to claim 6 or claim 7, in which the panel (5) is equipped with a member (17) for returning it against the rear face of the ladder (1) and with a mechanism (16) for retaining the panel (5) in its state separated from the ladder (1), carried by the end of the cover (14) remote from the panel (5) to cooperate with an element (2) of the ladder (1) in the vicinity of which the cover crosses the plane of the ladder (1).

9. Device according to claim 8, in which the element of the ladder (1) in the vicinity of which the cover crosses the plane of the ladder (1) is a bar (2) under which the cover (14) passes.

10. Device according to one of claims 6 to 9, in which the panel (5) is equipped with a quarter-turn bolt (P) which is normally engaged in a strike plate carried by the ladder (1), a key for operating the bolt acting on the latter via a transmission (19, 28), if the strike plate is located on the ladder at a level inaccessible to the user at the foot of the ladder and a pedal (15), carried by the cover (14), connected to the bolt by a transmission linkage (23, 24, 25, 26).

11. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising several front walls (110, 200, 300) articulated on the supporting structure to have a lower part movable between an advanced position close to the ladder (1) and a retracted position away from the ladder (1).

12. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the hinge is remote from the transverse edge (5a, 5b) of the panel (5).

13. Access installation comprising a ladder having uprights (3, 4) between which extend rungs (2) separated two by two by a inter-rung space, and a usage management device comprising at least one front wall (100, 200, 300) which has dimensions substantially equal to the inter-rung space and which is articulated to a support around a substantially horizontal axis between an advanced position in which the front wall (100, 200, 300) has a lower part close to one of the rungs (2) of the ladder (1) and a retracted position in which the lower part of the front wall (100, 200, 300) is distant from said rung (2) to allow a user to correctly place his foot on said rung (2), the locking device comprising a locking device (102, 202, 302) of the front wall (100, 200, 300) in the advanced position.

14. Installation according to claim 13, in which the usage management device comprises a plurality of front walls (300) hinged to the support.

15. Installation according to claim 13 or 14, in which the support belongs to the ladder (1).

16. Installation according to one of claims 13 to 15, in which the front wall belongs to a box (300) mounted in one of the inter-bar spaces by a hinge axis extending between the uprights of the ladder.

17. Installation according to claim 16, in which the usage management device comprises a plurality of boxes (300) each connected to the ladder by a hinge axis and connected to each other by a rod to ensure simultaneous pivoting of the boxes (300) between their two positions.

18. Installation according to claim 13 or 14, in which the support is a structure carrying a panel (5) of a device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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