Integrated Wall Ladder Assembly for Safe Building Escape
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ladders are inconvenient and pose a risk of injury when used for escaping from buildings, particularly for children and adults, and do not integrate seamlessly with building structures, impeding daily use.
Innovation Solution
A ladder assembly integrated into a vertically-extending wall assembly of a building, featuring a housing assembly fixedly mounted to the wall and a support assembly that bisects the housing to provide a handhold and foothold, allowing safe and easy escape without obstructing daily use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate ladder is installed outside the building, then escape functionality is provided, but it obstructs daily use and poses injury risks
Solution Approach 1:
The ladder assembly is merged with the wall assembly by integrating it into the housing structure. The support assembly extends into the housing assembly and is fixedly attached to it, creating a unified structure that serves both as a wall component and an escape ladder, eliminating the need for separate external ladders that obstruct daily use.
Solution Approach 2:
The support assembly is nested within the housing assembly, with the support assembly extending into the housing assembly and being fixedly attached to it. This nesting arrangement allows the ladder to be concealed within the wall structure during normal conditions while remaining accessible for escape purposes.
2Reliability
If a traditional ladder is used for escape, then escape functionality is provided, but it is inconvenient to deploy and may cause injury or confusion
Solution Approach 1:
The ladder assembly is pre-installed and integrated into the wall assembly before any emergency occurs. The support assembly is already fixedly attached to the housing assembly and positioned to provide handholds and footholds, eliminating the need for complex deployment actions during an emergency escape situation.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated ladder assembly serves itself by being permanently installed as part of the building structure. It automatically provides escape functionality without requiring external deployment mechanisms, complex assembly steps, or additional equipment, thereby reducing deployment complexity to minimal user action.
3Reliability
If an integrated ladder assembly is installed in the wall, then escape safety is improved and daily use is not impeded, but the housing assembly must be precisely integrated into the wall structure
Solution Approach 1:
The housing assembly is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides structural integration with the wall assembly, conceals the support assembly during normal conditions, and facilitates easy installation through universal mounting features. This multi-functionality reduces the need for highly precise custom fittings while maintaining structural integrity and escape functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes a ladder assembly configured to be used with a vertically-extending wall assembly of a building having a window assembly installed to the vertically-extending wall assembly. The ladder assembly includes a housing assembly configured to be fixedly received (at least in part) in the vertically-extending wall assembly, to be mounted to the vertically-extending wall assembly, and to extend (at least in part) into the vertically-extending wall assembly of the building. A support assembly is configured to be fixedly attached to the housing assembly, and to extend (at least in part) into the housing assembly in such a way that the support assembly bisects the housing assembly. The support assembly, in use, provides any one of a handhold and a foothold configured for usage by a user.