Folding stepladder with upper frame

Abstract

To provide a folding stepladder with an upper frame that can be folded into a shape that is easy to carry. When folded, the support legs 50L and 50R, the top plate 20, the steps 30, and the bars 44 of the upper frame 40 are all parallel to each other. Furthermore, the top plate 20 and the steps 30 are stored in the hollow part of the support legs 50L while being aligned in the extension direction (vertical direction) of the support legs 50L. Furthermore, the bars 44 of the upper frame 40 do not protrude in the vertical direction from the support legs 50L and 50R.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a folding stepladder with a top frame. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a folding stepladder in which the stepping legs can be folded inside the supporting legs has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-349612 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The folding stepladder described in Patent Document 1 can be folded so that the steps are stored inside the support legs. This allows it to be more compact than when it is in use. However, the folding stepladder described in Patent Document 1 has support legs that are shifted vertically even when the folding stepladder is folded. This makes the length of the stepladder longer than before it is folded.

[0005] Furthermore, there is known a stepladder with an upper frame to prevent a user from becoming unstable when standing on the top of the stepladder, etc. However, a stepladder with an upper frame is longer when folded than a stepladder without an upper frame.

[0006] To provide a folding stepladder with an upper frame that can be folded into a shape that is easy to carry and whose length when folded is not longer than that before folding. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to an aspect of the present invention, A folding stepladder with an upper frame, Two ladders, a hinge that pivotally connects the two ladders; The two ladders are: a hollow first support leg extending in a first direction, the first support leg having a first pin and a second pin spaced apart from each other from one side to the other in the first direction; a hollow second support leg extending in the first direction, the second support leg having a third pin and a fourth pin spaced apart from each other from one side to the other side in the first direction; a top plate pivotably connected at one end to the first pin of the first support leg, the top plate having a first rail slidably connected to the third pin of the second support leg; a step pivotally connected at one end to the third pin of the first support leg and having a second rail slidably connected to the fourth pin of the second support leg; The tabletop and the step are movable in conjunction with each other between a storage position in which the tabletop and the step are stored in the hollow portion of the first support leg in a state parallel to the first direction, and a use position in which the tabletop and the step are connected to each other in a state parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, One of the two ladders further comprises: a first support pillar pivotally connected at one end to the first support leg; A second support post pivotally connected at one end to the second support leg; an upper frame including a bar member rotatably connected to one of the first support column and the second support column; the upper frame is rotatable between a first position in which the other end of the first support pillar and the other end of the second support pillar protrude in the first direction beyond the first support leg and the second support leg, and a second position in which the other end of the first support pillar and the other end of the second support pillar do not protrude in the first direction beyond the first support leg and the second support leg, A folding stepladder with an upper frame is provided, characterized in that when the upper frame is in the second position, the bar member is movable between a first position parallel to the first direction and a second position connecting the first support and the second support in a state parallel to the second direction. Effect of the Invention

[0008] In the folding stepladder with upper frame of the present invention, when folded, the first support leg, the second support leg, the top plate, the steps, and the bar members of the upper frame are all parallel. This allows the length in the second direction to be compact when the folding stepladder with upper frame is folded. Furthermore, the top plate and the steps are accommodated in the hollow part of the first support leg while being aligned in the extending direction of the first and second support legs. The upper frame is also folded so as not to protrude from the first and second support legs. This makes it easy to carry the folding stepladder with upper frame. Furthermore, when the folding stepladder with upper frame is folded, the length in the first direction of the folding stepladder with upper frame is the same as the length in the first direction of the first support leg, so the folding stepladder with upper frame can be folded compactly. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a folding stepladder 1 with a top frame in use. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the folding stepladder 1 with upper frame in a folded state. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the second shape of the folding stepladder 1 with upper frame. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining an intermediate state between the second shape and the third shape of the upper frame-attached foldable stepladder 1. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the third shape of the folding stepladder 1 with upper frame. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining a folding stepladder 1 with an upper frame according to a modified embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] A folding stepladder 1 with an upper frame according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, directions are defined based on the front-rear direction, the up-down direction, and the left-right direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, and the left-right direction and the up-down direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a folding stepladder with an upper frame 1 in use. Fig. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the folding stepladder with an upper frame 1 in a folded state.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the folding stepladder with upper frame 1 according to this embodiment includes a first ladder 11 having an upper frame 40, and a second ladder 12. The second ladder 12 has the same structure as the first ladder 11, except that the second ladder 12 does not have an upper frame 40. The first ladder 11 and the second ladder 12 correspond to the two ladders of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the first ladder 11 is disposed in front of the second ladder 12. The first ladder 11 and the second ladder 12 are connected by a hinge 13. This allows the folding stepladder with upper frame 1 to be folded in the front-rear direction so that the first ladder 11 and the second ladder 12 come into contact with each other (see FIG. 3). FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the state in which the folding stepladder 1 with upper frame is folded in the front-rear direction so that the first ladder 11 and the second ladder 12 are in contact with each other with the upper frame 40 folded downward.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, a locking mechanism 14 for preventing the first ladder 11 and the second ladder 12 from opening too wide is provided between them when in use. The locking mechanism 14 includes a long, plate-like hook plate 14a with a U-shaped groove at one end, a pin 14b for rotatably fixing the other end of the hook plate 14a to the second ladder 12, and a locking pin 14c provided on the first ladder 11 and fitted into the U-shaped groove of the hook plate 14a. The opening angle between the first ladder 11 and the second ladder 12 can be fixed by fitting the locking pin 14c into the U-shaped groove of the hook plate 14a.

[0014] Next, we will explain the structure of the first ladder 11. Note that the structure of the second ladder 12 is the same as that of the first ladder 11, except for the presence or absence of the upper frame 40, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0015] 1, the first ladder 11 includes a top board 20, a step 30, an upper frame 40, and a pair of support legs 50. In the following description, of the pair of support legs 50, the left support leg is referred to as support leg 50L, and the right support leg is referred to as support leg 50R.

[0016] <Tabletop 20> The top plate 20 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped member that is spanned across the upper end portions of the pair of support legs 50. A rail 121 (an example of a first rail of the present invention) that extends in the left-right direction is provided on the front outer wall portion of the top plate 20 (see FIG. 3). The rail 121 is fitted with a rail pin 151 (an example of a third pin of the present invention) fixed to the support leg 50L. This allows the top plate 20 to be slidably connected to the support leg 50L. Furthermore, the right end portion of the top plate 20 is rotatably attached to the support leg 50R by a rotation shaft pin 152 (an example of a first pin of the present invention) fixed to the support leg 50R.

[0017] <Stomp 30> As shown in FIG. 3, the step 30 is a hollow member of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is spanned across the substantially central portion of the pair of support legs 50. As with the tabletop 20, a rail 131 (an example of a second rail of the present invention) extending in the left-right direction is provided on the outer wall portion on the front side of the step 30. The rail 131 is fitted with a rail pin 153 (an example of a fourth pin of the present invention) fixed to the support leg 50L. This allows the step 30 to be slidably connected to the support leg 50L. The right end of the step 30 is rotatably connected to the support leg 50R by a rotation shaft pin 154 (an example of a third pin of the present invention) fixed to the support leg 50R.

[0018] <Top Frame 40> As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the upper frame 40 includes a pair of posts 42 and a bar 44. The left post of the pair of posts 42 is called post 42L, and the right post is called post 42R. The bar 44 is a hollow member having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is hung across the upper ends of the pair of posts 42. A rail 141 (an example of a third rail of the present invention) extending in the left-right direction is provided on the outer wall portion on the rear side of the bar 44. The rail 141 is fitted with a rail pin 143 (an example of a sixth pin of the present invention) fixed to the post 40L. This allows the bar 44 to be slidably connected to the post 42L. The right end of the bar 44 is rotatably connected to the support leg 50R by a rotation shaft pin 144 (an example of a fifth pin of the present invention) fixed to the post 40R.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the lower end of the support column 42L is rotatably fixed to the support leg 50L via the pivot part 46, and the lower end of the support column 42R is rotatably fixed to the support leg 50R via the pivot part 46. The upper frame 40 is rotatable between a first position (see FIG. 1) in which the pair of support columns 42 are substantially parallel to the pair of support legs 50 and the bar 44 protrudes above the top plate 20, and a second position (see FIG. 3) in which the pair of support columns 42 are substantially parallel to the pair of support legs 50 and the bar 44 does not protrude from the support legs 50. In addition, in order to prevent the upper frame 40 from accidentally rotating when the upper frame 40 is in the first position as shown in FIG. 1, a lock mechanism 15 for preventing rotation is provided between the support leg 50 of the first ladder 11 and the support column 42 of the upper frame 40. The structure of the lock mechanism 15 is similar to that of the lock mechanism 14 described above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0020] <How to fold the folding stepladder with upper frame 1> Next, a method of folding the folding stepladder with upper frame 1 will be described. When the folding stepladder with upper frame 1 is in use, as shown in FIG. 1, the opening angle between the first ladder 11 and the second ladder 12 is fixed by the locking mechanism 14. Also, the upper frame 40 is fixed to the first ladder 11 by the locking mechanism 15 so that the upper frame 40 remains in the first position, that is, so that the upper frame 40 does not rotate from the first position to the second position. Such a shape is called the first shape of the folding stepladder with upper frame 1 (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 1, in the first ladder 11 in the first shape, the top plate 20, the steps 30, and the bar 44 of the top plate 40 are all horizontal. Such a position of the top plate 20 and the steps 30 is called the use position.

[0021] When folding the upper frame folding stepladder 1 in the first shape, first, the hook plate 14a is removed from the lock pin 14c to release the lock of the lock mechanism 14. Similarly, the lock mechanism 15 is also released. After that, the upper frame 40 is rotated downward so that the upper frame 40 is in the second position. Furthermore, the upper frame folding stepladder 1 is folded forward and backward so that the rear end of the first ladder 11 and the front end of the second ladder 12 come into contact with each other. At this time, the upper frame folding stepladder 1 is in a state where the upper frame 40 is folded downward and is folded forward and backward so that the first ladder 11 and the second ladder 12 come into contact with each other (see FIG. 3). Such a shape is called the second shape of the upper frame folding stepladder 1 (see FIG. 3). When changing the folding stepladder 1 with upper frame from the first shape to the second shape, the order of rotating the upper frame 40 and folding the first ladder 11 and the second ladder 12 does not matter. In the second shape, the upper frame 40 is folded downward and does not protrude in the vertical direction from the support legs 50. Also, the bar 44 of the upper frame 40 is horizontal (parallel to the top board 20 and the steps 30). Such a position of the bar 44 of the upper frame 40 is called the first position.

[0022] The subsequent process of folding the folding stepladder with upper frame 1 is performed by interlocking the first ladder 11, the second ladder 12, and the upper frame 40 with the first ladder 11 and the second ladder 12 overlapping in the front-to-rear direction and with the upper frame 40 in the second position. Therefore, the following description will focus on folding the first ladder 11 with reference to Figures 3 to 5.

[0023] 4, the support leg 50R is moved upward so as to rotate the tabletop 20, the step 30, and the upper frame 40 counterclockwise about the rail pins 151, 153, and 143 and the rotation shaft pins 152, 154, and 144. As a result, the support leg 50R is positioned higher than the support leg 50L, and the left-right distance between the support legs 50L and 50R is shorter than in the second shape described above.

[0024] The support leg 50R is moved further upward so that the top plate 20, the step 30, and the upper frame 40 are rotated counterclockwise around the rail pins 151, 153, and 143 and the rotation shaft pins 152, 154, and 144. As a result, the support legs 50L and 50R, the top plate 20, the step 30, the support posts 42L and 42R, and the bar 44 are all parallel to the vertical direction. At this time, the rail 121 of the top plate 20, the rail 131 of the step 30, and the rail 141 of the upper frame 40 are also parallel to the vertical direction. At this time, the rail pin 151 of the support leg 50L is located at the lower end of the rail 121 of the top plate 20. Similarly, the rail pin 153 of the support leg 50L is located at the lower end of the rail 131 of the step 30, and the rail pin 141 of the support post 40L is located at the lower end of the rail 141. The upper end of the support leg 50R is located higher than the upper end of the support leg 50L. In this case, the vertical length of the folding stepladder 1 with upper frame is longer than the vertical length of the folding stepladder 1 with upper frame in the second shape.

[0025] Then, the support leg 50R is slid downward so that the rail pin 151 of the support leg 50L slides upward along the rail 121 of the top board 20. At this time, the rail pin 153 of the support leg 50L slides upward along the rail 131 of the step 30, and the rail pin 141 of the support column 40L slides upward along the rail 141 of the bar 44. This allows the first ladder 11 and the second ladder 12 to be changed into the third shape (see FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 5, in the third shape, the positions of the upper end of the support leg 50L and the upper end of the support leg 50R in the vertical direction are the same, and the positions of the lower end of the support leg 50L and the lower end of the support leg 50R in the vertical direction are the same. In other words, the vertical length of the folding stepladder 1 with an upper frame in the fourth shape is the same as the vertical length of the folding stepladder 1 with an upper frame in the second shape. Note that the expression that the lengths (or positions) are the same does not mean that they are strictly the same. Although not shown in Fig. 5, in the third shape, the tabletop 20 and the step 30 are arranged in the vertical direction in Fig. 5 while being accommodated in the cavity of the hollow part of the support leg 50L. The position of the tabletop 20 and the step 30 in the third shape is called the accommodated position. Also, the bar 44 is accommodated in the cavity of the hollow part of the support 42L. The position of the bar 44 at this time is called the second position.

[0026] <Effects of this embodiment> When the folding stepladder 1 with an upper frame of this embodiment is folded, the support legs 50L, the support legs 50R, the top plate 120 of the top plate 20, the steps 30, and the upper frame 40 are all parallel to each other. Furthermore, the top plate 20 and the steps 30 are stored in the hollow part of the support leg 50L in a state where they are aligned in the extension direction (vertical direction) of the support legs 50L and 50R. Furthermore, the upper frame 40 is folded downward, and the upper frame 40 does not protrude in the vertical direction from the support leg 50. This makes it easy to carry the folding stepladder 1 with an upper frame. When the folding stepladder 1 with an upper frame is folded, the positions of both ends of the support legs 50L and 50R are aligned. Furthermore, since the upper frame 40 is also folded downward, the vertical length of the folding stepladder 1 with an upper frame is the same as that of the support legs 50L and 50R. Since the upper frame 40 is folded, the vertical length is shorter than the length in the vertical direction when the upper frame-equipped folding stepladder 1 is in use. In this way, the upper frame-equipped folding stepladder can be folded compactly.

[0027] <Modification form> The configuration of the folding stepladder with upper frame 1 according to the present invention is not limited to the configuration in the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made. For example, in the above embodiment, the first ladder 11 and the second ladder 12 of the folding stepladder with upper frame 1 are each provided with one step 30. However, the arrangement and number of steps are not limited to such a configuration. For example, the first ladder 11 and the second ladder 12 of the folding stepladder with upper frame 1 may each be provided with two steps, or each may be provided with three or more steps. In addition, the number of steps provided on the first ladder 11 and the second ladder 12 may not be the same.

[0028] In the above embodiment, the bar 44 of the upper frame 40 was slidably connected to the support 42L. The rail pin 141 of the support 40L slid along the rail 141 of the bar 44, so that the bar 44 moved to be accommodated in the cavity of the hollow part of the support 42L. The present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, one end of the bar 44 may be rotatably connected to the support 40L via a rotation shaft pin 146. The other end of the bar 44 may be provided with a hook portion 48 configured to engage with an engagement portion 49 provided on the support 40R. In this case, the bar 44 can be positioned horizontally by engaging the hook portion 48 of the bar 44 with the engagement portion 49. In this case, a lock mechanism (not shown) may be provided so that the hook portion 48 and the engagement portion 49 do not easily come off. In this embodiment, the operation of accommodating the bar 44 in the cavity of the hollow portion of the support column 40L and the operation of sliding the tabletop 20 and the step 30 to accommodate them in the cavity of the hollow portion of the support leg 50L can be performed independently. Therefore, compared to the case where the bar 40, the tabletop 20, and the step 30 are slid simultaneously as in the above embodiment, the number of components that must be slid simultaneously is reduced, and therefore the operation of sliding the tabletop 20 and the step 30 to accommodate them in the cavity of the hollow portion of the support leg 50L can be easily performed.

[0029] The above-mentioned embodiments and their modifications can be combined as appropriate. The shape, material, etc. of the folding stepladder with upper frame 1 according to the present invention are not limited to a specific one and can be changed as appropriate. For example, the folding stepladder with upper frame 1 may be made of iron or aluminum. It does not necessarily have to be made of a metal material, and can be made of a non-metallic material such as wood or plastic. Metallic materials and non-metallic materials can also be combined as appropriate.

[0030] 1 Folding stepladder with upper frame 11 First Ladder 12 Second Ladder 20 Tabletop 30 Trample 40 50 Support feet

Claims

1. A folding stepladder with an upper frame, Two ladders, a hinge that pivotally connects the two ladders; The two ladders are respectively: a hollow first support leg extending in a first direction, the first support leg having a first pin and a second pin spaced apart from each other from one side to the other in the first direction; a hollow second support leg extending in the first direction, the second support leg having a third pin and a fourth pin spaced apart from each other from one side to the other side in the first direction; a top plate pivotably connected at one end to the first pin of the first support leg, the top plate having a first rail slidably connected to the third pin of the second support leg; a step pivotally connected at one end to the third pin of the first support leg and having a second rail slidably connected to the fourth pin of the second support leg; the tabletop and the step are movable in conjunction with each other between a storage position in which the tabletop and the step are stored in the hollow portion of the first support leg in a state parallel to the first direction, and a use position in which the tabletop and the step are connected to each other in a state parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, One of the two ladders further comprises: a first support post pivotally connected at one end to the first support leg; a second support post pivotally connected at one end to the second support leg; an upper frame including a bar member rotatably connected to one of the first support column and the second support column; the upper frame is rotatable between a first position in which the other end of the first support pillar and the other end of the second support pillar protrude in the first direction beyond the first support leg and the second support leg, and a second position in which the other end of the first support pillar and the other end of the second support pillar do not protrude in the first direction beyond the first support leg and the second support leg, A folding stepladder with an upper frame, characterized in that when the upper frame is in the second position, the bar member is movable between a first position in which the first support and the second support are connected in a state parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a second position parallel to the first direction.

2. the one of the first support pillar and the second support pillar has a fifth pin, and the other of the first support pillar and the second support pillar has a sixth pin; The bar of the upper frame is pivotally connected at one end to one of the first support column and the second support column by the fifth pin, The folding stepladder with upper frame as described in claim 1 , wherein the bar of the upper frame has a third rail slidably connected to the sixth pin.

3. The folding stepladder with upper frame according to claim 1 , wherein the other of the first support and the second support has an engagement portion that engages with a hook portion provided at one end of the bar.

4. A folding stepladder with an upper frame as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that when the upper frame is in the second position, the first support pillar and the second support pillar of the upper frame face the first support leg and the second support leg of the one of the ladders in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.