Ladder Handle with Hooked Fingers and Biasing Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ladders are bulky and difficult to carry due to their size and slippery rails, requiring users to grip the side rails directly, which can cause discomfort and instability.
Innovation Solution
A handle assembly with hooked ends and a compressible biasing member that clips onto the ladder rails, allowing for secure and comfortable carrying without the need for removal or latching, suitable for both A-frame and extension ladders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a user grips the side rails of the ladder directly with one or both hands, then the ladder can be carried, but the user experiences discomfort and instability due to concentrated pressure and slippery surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a handle assembly as an intermediary device between the user's hand and the ladder rail. The handle assembly includes a base that contacts the rail and a handle portion that extends for user grip, distributing the contact area and eliminating the need to grip the thin, slippery rail directly. This mediator resolves the contradiction by providing a comfortable, stable grip surface while maintaining secure attachment to the ladder.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle assembly extends the interaction interface from a point contact (fingertips on the rail) to a larger surface area by adding a handle portion that protrudes from the base. This dimensional extension creates a broader contact area for the user's hand, improving comfort and stability while the base maintains the secure attachment to the rail through the hooked ends.
2Reliability
If the handle assembly clips onto the ladder rails using hooked ends, then secure carrying is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The handle assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: a base portion with hooked ends for attachment to the rail, a handle portion for user grip, and optionally a biasing member for maintaining contact. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while keeping the overall design relatively simple. The base, handle, and biasing member can be manufactured separately and assembled, reducing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle assembly incorporates a biasing member (spring or flexible element) that provides dynamic adjustment of the contact force between the base and the ladder rail. This dynamic element allows the handle to maintain secure attachment through elastic deformation rather than rigid mechanical interlocking, simplifying the attachment mechanism while ensuring reliable connection. The biasing member automatically adjusts to accommodate variations in rail position and user applied force.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the fingers are hinged to the base, then the handle assembly can adapt to different rail positions, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hinged fingers provide a dynamic adjustment mechanism that allows the handle assembly to adapt to variations in rail position, thickness, and curvature. The hinge enables the fingers to flex and position themselves optimally on different rail configurations without requiring precise manufacturing tolerances. This dynamic flexibility compensates for manufacturing variations and ensures reliable attachment across different ladder types.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinged finger design allows changes in the geometric parameters of the attachment interface. When the hinge is actuated, the fingers can change their angle and position relative to the base, adapting to different rail positions. This parameter change capability provides versatility across different ladder types while the hinge mechanism itself can be manufactured with standard tolerances, reducing manufacturing precision requirements compared to rigid fixed-angle designs.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy and secure carrying of ladders by distributing the weight and reducing pressure on the user's hands, ensuring stability and ease of use without interfering with the ladder's functionality.
Implementation Method 1
A compressible biasing member on the base at least partially extends toward the hooked ends to bias a ladder against the hooked ends when the fingers clip around the ladder
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for carrying a ladder includes a base, a handle connected to the base, and fingers spaced from one another on the base and generally extending away from the handle. Each of the fingers has a hooked end. A compressible biasing member on the base at least partially extends toward the hooked ends to bias a ladder rail against the hooked ends when the fingers are placed around the ladder rail. The compressible biasing member may be a spring, a flexible tab, a foam pad, or other compressible member. A method of modifying a ladder is also provided.