Components and methods for renovating stairs by installing a covering

Abstract

A stair tread covering designed to be mounted on a single step of a staircase composed of multiple steps separated by risers. It has a plate configuration comprising a main flat panel (1) intended to cover a step. This panel (1) is extended along its longer sides (1), oriented perpendicular to the line of travel, by two lateral panels (2, 3) perpendicular to the main panel (1): an upper panel (2) and a lower panel (3). See Fig. 1 in the abstract.

Description

Title of the invention: Part and method for renovating stairs by applying a covering

[0001] The invention relates to the field of stairs, and it relates more particularly to the repair and restoration of stairs according to a process which consists of covering in order to renovate any type of existing staircase by installing a set of parts specifically designed for this purpose.

[0002] Conventional staircases, such as those found in many residential buildings, are subject to the effects of time and the resulting wear and tear. The consequences of aging can be numerous, sometimes requiring simple renovation or, in extreme cases, replacement. In the former case, many techniques are known for renovating old staircases, the diversity of solutions resulting in particular from the choice of materials to be used for this purpose: the most commonly used are tiles, natural stone materials, solid wood, CPL and HPL laminates, wood composite panels, composite materials based on plastic, glass, etc.Renovations based on concrete plaster, stair carpets, or requiring the application of paints, fine sandblasting, or the installation of various types of coverings such as linoleum, cork, or resins, giving the steps, for example, the appearance of tumbled marble, are also quite common. Many other renovation techniques are known; they are numerous and listing them all would be tedious.

[0003] Each of these techniques requires specific expertise, sometimes linked to the use of specialized equipment. Some of the materials mentioned are also available at high costs: this is the case, for example, for renovations involving natural stone and / or solid wood. When less refined materials are chosen, a durability issue may arise: the investment / lifespan ratio of the work undertaken must be considered, given that for some of the solutions mentioned, the renovation cannot be expected to last beyond ten to fifteen years. Among the points to consider, one should also note the need for regular, even demanding, maintenance of some of the existing and commonly used solutions.

[0004] On the more fundamental level of the physical properties and characteristics of the materials used, many known renovation techniques exhibit insufficient resistance to impact and abrasion, or even deformation, and consequently age rather poorly and relatively quickly. Fire resistance or humidity are other points on which most of these materials, the cheap ones, do not perform well.

[0005] From an economic standpoint, an initially affordable price can therefore quickly "skyrocket" over time if occasional repairs due to breakage or premature wear prove frequent, costly, and / or complicated. For some solutions that may initially seem attractive from a purely economic perspective, deterioration can also mean and necessitate the complete refurbishment of the staircase, effectively doubling the costs. The initial investment is then completely absorbed by the overall expenses subsequently required to maintain the chosen renovation configuration in good condition. Finally, it should also be noted that some of the available technologies offer only a limited choice of decorations and / or finishes.

[0006] The present invention aims to remedy these various shortcomings and to implement a stair cladding solution for renovation projects that offers, firstly, a high degree of standardization, thereby significantly reducing manufacturing and installation time and costs, which is doubly advantageous from an economic standpoint. One of the objectives of the solution of the invention is also to offer a durable design, so that when the renovation investment is decided upon, it corresponds to a long-lasting technical configuration.

[0007] For these purposes, and with a view to other advantages which will be explained in more detail later, the invention consists of a stair tread covering piece, classically intended to be mounted on a step of a staircase composed of a plurality of steps separated by risers, which is such that it has a plate configuration comprising a main flat panel intended to cover a step, said panel being extended, along the long sides of the panel oriented perpendicularly to the line of travel, by two lateral panels perpendicular to the main panel, an upper panel and a lower panel.

[0008] The design is standardized, simple, and robust, and essentially the same piece is installed, step by step, along virtually the entire length of the staircase. The assembly thus involves a repetitive operation, resulting in a significant reduction in the installation cost of the renovation structure. Each panel of the invention covers one tread and partially the adjacent risers, the main rectangular panel being oriented with its longest side perpendicular to the line of travel, that is, the theoretical line followed when ascending or descending a staircase, and which is generally located in the center of the treads. It can be a single rectangular panel for straight treads or, for staircases with curved sections, panels of varying widths to cover radiating treads. or balanced ones located in these turning parts. To cover a step located in the middle of a 90° turn of a staircase attached to two perpendicular walls, the central panel can also be a pentagon.

[0009] Such a covering, based on a thin sheet metal design (see below), is easily adaptable to the stair structure, durable, and requires minimal maintenance. Furthermore, it allows for a wide variety of designs, resulting in very diverse aesthetics. All these characteristics make the invention highly versatile in both its design and application, making it suitable for a multitude of private and professional uses.

[0010] Preferably, this part can therefore be made of sheet metal. This provides a coating that is highly resistant to impact, deformation, breakage, and abrasion. Similarly, the sheet metal configuration has the advantage of being fire-resistant and moisture-resistant. It is also a type of material that is easily workable (cutting, bending, etc.). Finally, as will be detailed below when discussing preferred materials, the selected metallic material is 100% recyclable, reusable, and natural. It can be aluminum, galvanized steel, or other steel, stainless steel, and / or have different plate and finish characteristics (tread pattern, pickled steel, rolled steel, etc.).

[0011] According to one possible configuration, the upper panel may include, at its free end, an upper edge extending parallel to the main panel, forming a sort of horizontal return. In fact, this upper panel can be considered, in stair terminology, as a riser, or rather, in this case, as a portion of a riser. Optionally, said upper edge may include at least one light fixture, so that the very configuration of the invention can enable the development of stair renovation solutions incorporating new functions, such as step lighting via, for example, LED (light-emitting diode) lights, which are inexpensive to power and whose intensity can be easily adjusted if necessary. This option significantly enhances the design aspect of the stair renovation proposed by the invention.

[0012] To enhance the overall aesthetic, it can be provided – according to the invention – that when the cladding pieces are installed, the upper and lower lateral edges of two adjacent cladding pieces overlap at least partially. The visible surfaces of the old staircase to be renovated are therefore, in all cases, no longer visible at all.

[0013] In this regard, assuming the existence of an upper edge extending parallel to and above the main panel at the free end of the upper panel, said main panel is then provided to be wider than the width of a step by a value at least equal to the width of the upper edge. A space then remains between the riser of the staircase and the vertical side panel that descends from the upper step, which has been called the lower panel, a space which can be used, as we have seen, to install and manage lighting devices.

[0014] According to one possible configuration, the lower face of each piece can further be separated from the main face by a folded portion in contact with the main face. This fold, with two strips of sheet metal in contact, constitutes, in a way, a stair nosing that overhangs the step immediately below, as well as the vertically oriented lower face that covers the riser in the direction of said step immediately below.

[0015] The invention also relates to a staircase in which each step is covered with cladding pieces according to the characteristics explained above, whereas the cladding pieces further comprise an upper cladding piece covering the upper landing step, consisting of a main face and a lower side face, and a cladding piece for the lowest riser of the staircase, consisting of an upper face. The entire original staircase is therefore covered by cladding pieces, from the first riser at the very bottom to the last landing step at the top of the staircase.

[0016] Finally, the present invention relates to a method of covering the steps of an existing staircase using the covering pieces described above, and which comprises the following steps:

[0017] - Modeling of the existing stair covering;

[0018] - Cutting and bending of the sheets corresponding to the modeling;

[0019] - Drilling fixing holes in each riser;

[0020] - Application of at least one layer of glue to the steps of the existing staircase;

[0021] - Installation of the cladding pieces and fixing by screwing the upper panel to the counter steps.

[0022] The implementation of the standardized parts of the invention, for the renovation or repair of a staircase, using this method, is quick and allows all the renovation operations to be carried out in a few hours, under controlled technical conditions.

[0023] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, which presents a preferred embodiment of the invention. This is given, however, only by way of illustration and not limitation.

[0024] Understanding this description will be facilitated by referring to the drawings attached in the appendix, in which:

[0025] Fig. 1 represents a sectional view of a fraction consisting of two steps of a staircase, covered with pieces according to the present invention;

[0026] [Fig.2] reproduces the view of [Fig.1], with a variant of parts of the invention equipped with a fold constituting a step nose; and

[0027] Fig. 3 shows a sectional view of a complete staircase equipped with the parts of the invention.

[0028] With reference to [Fig. 1], the plate configuration (based on a metal sheet) of the cladding piece of the invention is clearly visible, comprising, on a stair stringer L, a main rectangular panel 1 intended to cover a step, with two lateral panels 2, 3. These latter extend panel 1 towards the immediately adjacent steps of the staircase, said two lateral panels 2, 3 being perpendicular to the main panel 1, and constituting in practice an upper panel 2 extending towards the upper step and a lower panel 3 oriented towards the lower step. The upper panel 2 has a free edge 20 extending parallel to the main panel 1 in a kind of return, edge 20 which may be fitted with at least one light fixture 21.The dimension of the lower panel 3 in the direction of the line of travel of the staircase is such that it covers the upper part of the upper panel 2, and in particular completely masks said free edge 20 and its luminaire(s) 21. .

[0029] The horizontal width of the main panel 1, in the direction of the stair tread, must also be greater than that of the stair tread it covers, so that the lower panel 3 can extend beyond the free return edge 20 of the immediately lower step. A space therefore remains above this edge 20, which is defined on the one hand by the distance between the edge and the lower face of the main panel 1 – in a vertical direction – and on the other hand between the inner face of the lower panel 3 and the stair riser – in a horizontal direction.

[0030] The version in [Fig. 2] is identical, except for a nosing 10 that overhangs the step immediately below the stair and is formed by a fold in the single plate constituting the part of the invention. This fold is made at the contact point with the main face 1, between the latter and the lower vertical face 3. Such a configuration is easy to manufacture because the part is preferably made of sheet metal, and is therefore pliable. It should be noted that the representations in Figures 1 and 2 artificially, but usefully for explaining the various aspects of the invention, show two steps in which a first step, i.e., the lowest step, and a last step, i.e., the highest step, of a staircase have been combined. In reality, a plurality of steps separate them.

[0031] In these figures 1 and 2, therefore, there appears an upper cladding piece covering the upper landing step, also consisting of a main panel 1' and a lower lateral panel 3', and a cladding piece for the lowest riser of the staircase, actually consisting only of an upper panel 2'. In this In this case, the upper landing piece does not have an upper panel, which is in practice cut out and positioned at the bottom of the staircase. The upper 20' edge of the 2' panel is, in this scenario, not fitted with any light fixture(s). In terms of the manufacturing process, this configuration of the end pieces is very advantageous, since a single manufacturing protocol for a standard cladding piece can be followed for the entire staircase; one of the manufactured pieces can then be separated by simple cutting into two distinct pieces intended to equip the top and bottom of the staircase.

[0032] According to the invention, the cladding part can be made of any type of steel, for example stainless steel, carbon steel, or Corten steel, which is a self-protecting steel with induced surface corrosion whose raw appearance is aesthetically sought after for its currently popular industrial look. The standardized part of the invention can also be made of aluminum or zinc.

[0033] The assembly of the complete stair cladding shown in [Fig.3] can be carried out by following a manufacturing process conforming to the following characteristics:

[0034] 1: Preparation of the existing support;

[0035] a) By removing the old coatings (if necessary)

[0036] b) By sanding and dusting (also only if necessary);

[0037] 2: Start of the renovation from the bottom of the staircase;

[0038] 3: Distribution, where applicable, of power supplies for LED luminaires 21, and installation of the ignition equipment (switch and / or detector) to complete the electrical installation;

[0039] 4: Implantation of the adhesive on the first riser, at the lower end of the staircase;

[0040] 5: Installation and fixing of panel 2' on the lower riser of the existing staircase;

[0041] 6: Bonding of an LED strip under the 20' return border, at the free end of the upper pane 2' (return which can advantageously be around 20 mm);

[0042] 7: Bonding of a flexible joint to the upper part of the riser.

[0043] 8: Distributing the glue on the first step.

[0044] 9: Installation on the existing staircase of the first part according to the invention: sheet metal part in steel comprising a main face 1 and two lateral faces, upper 2 and lower 3;

[0045] 10: Fixing said part by screwing, for example by screwing the upper plate 2 on the riser of the existing staircase.

[0046] 11: Repetition of the same set of operations over the entire staircase.

[0047] 12: Installation of the landing step, fixing by gluing supplemented by a fixing flush finish by screwing onto the step;

[0048] 13: Finishing with silicone sealant.

[0049] More specifically, for each piece of cladding according to the invention, once the cladding has been modeled on the future staircase, the cutting is carried out Sheet metal is cut using a hydraulic press or laser cutting. Then, it is bent using a hydraulic press. Finally, fixing holes are drilled in the upper panel 2, 2', for subsequent screwing into the risers, for example with lag bolts.

[0050] Unlike the methods used today, which require a combination of cutting, installation and adaptation techniques for the different configurations at the level of the treads and risers, including the management of the nosings and stringers, methods which must be adapted step by step, the invention proposes on the contrary a single design of part, resulting in a high standardization and a great simplification of the covering of the whole staircase.

[0051] The process effectively allows for the workshop fabrication of a single piece by cutting and folding, and therefore enables implementation that is automatically adaptable to any type of step and size (rise height and tread depth). Each piece is both standardized in its design and specific to each staircase due to the adjustment of dimensions, and it is completely duplicable across the entire staircase.

[0052] The method allows, on the one hand, considerable time savings in the standardized manufacturing process specific to each staircase, and on the other hand, considerable time savings in the renovation itself, thanks to its ease of assembly. Furthermore, this method, which involves interlocking the lower face of one piece onto the upper face of the piece installed on the step immediately below, allows for the integration of motion-activated or switchable lighting into the nosing. This feature, which gives an undeniable aesthetic appeal to the staircase renovated using the covering pieces of the invention, also ensures much greater safety for users ascending or descending the stairs in the dark.

[0053] The design modalities illustrated by the figures are of course not exhaustive of the invention, which on the contrary includes variants of form for its different components.

Claims

Demands

1. A stair tread covering piece intended to be mounted on a step of a staircase composed of a plurality of steps separated by risers, characterized in that it has a plate configuration comprising a main flat panel (1) intended to cover a step, said panel (1) being extended, along the long sides of the panel (1) oriented perpendicularly to the line of travel, by two lateral panels (2, 3) with a perpendicular appearance to the main panel (1), an upper panel (2) and a lower panel (3).

2. Stair tread covering piece according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it is made of sheet metal.

3. Stair tread covering piece according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper panel (2) has, at its free end, an upper edge (20) extending parallel and above the main panel (1).

4. Stair tread covering piece according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the upper edge (20) comprises at least one luminaire (21).

5. Stair tread covering piece according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, when the covering pieces are laid, the respective upper (2) and lower (3) lateral faces of two adjacent covering pieces overlap at least partially.

6. Stair tread covering piece according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the main face (1) is wider than the width of a step by a value at least equal to the width of the upper edge (20).

7. Stair tread covering piece according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower face (3) is separated from the main face by a portion (10) folded in contact with the main face (1).

8. Staircase in which each step is covered with covering pieces according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the covering pieces further comprise an upper covering piece covering the upper landing step consisting of a main face (1') and a lower lateral face (3')

9. and a piece of covering for the lowest riser of the staircase, consisting of an upper panel (2'). A method for covering the steps of an existing staircase using the covering pieces according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - Modeling of the existing stair covering; - Cutting and bending of the sheet metal according to the model; - Drilling fixing holes in each riser; - Application of at least one layer of glue to the steps of the existing staircase; - Installation of the covering pieces and fixing by screwing the upper panel (2) to the risers.