Ladder Work Platform With Tripod Support for Clear Tool Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ladder systems lack a stable and convenient means to support tools and materials, often causing balance issues and safety concerns due to the obstruction of pathways and potential tipping, as prior devices either rely on the ladder for support or obstruct the user's access.
Innovation Solution
An elevated work platform with a tripod base, adjustable vertical support, and a user platform that can be positioned alongside the ladder, featuring a trolley with wheels and support arms to maintain stability and allow for easy movement, independent of the ladder's support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If materials and tools are placed on the ground below the ladder, then they are easily accessible, but the user must bend down frequently which reduces productivity and increases time loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension by placing the platform adjacent to the ladder at elevated height, allowing tools and materials to be accessed at the same level as the user without requiring downward movement. This spatial reconfiguration resolves the contradiction by making materials accessible while maintaining the user's elevated working position.
2Ease of operation
If a platform is attached to the ladder to hold tools and materials, then accessibility is improved, but the ladder's balance is upset and it becomes tipsy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the support function from the ladder itself by introducing an independent tripod base with wheels. The platform is no longer dependent on the ladder for structural support, eliminating the imbalance problem while maintaining tool and material accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The independent tripod base acts as an intermediary support structure between the ground and the platform. It provides the necessary support for holding tools and materials without transferring weight to the ladder, thus preserving ladder balance while improving accessibility.
3Ease of operation
If trays or bucket hangers are used to hold materials and tools, then accessibility is improved, but they obstruct the path up the ladder and clutter the area around the user
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the platform in the horizontal dimension adjacent to the ladder rather than hanging it vertically on the ladder structure. This placement allows the path up the ladder to remain clear while providing easy access to tools and materials from the side.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the platform is fixed to the ladder, then it moves with the ladder, but it cannot be easily moved independently when the ladder needs to be repositioned
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic elements through the wheeled tripod base that can independently navigate the floor. The platform can remain attached to the ladder when needed for stability, or be detached and moved independently on its own wheels, providing adaptability for different operational scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
The elevated work platform for use with a ladder comprises a tripod base having an adjustable vertical support, a brace and a trolley. The trolley comprising wheels and a tongue on the tripod base. The tripod base further comprising three legs wherein one leg may be disposed between the front and back legs of a step ladder and another of the three legs adjacent to the front legs of the ladder with the third leg adjacent to the back leg of the ladder. The vertical support comprises a multi-piece pole having an adjustable coupling at each junction for adjusting the height of the platform. The brace is attached between the front and back legs of the ladder to hold the work platform in spaced relation to the ladder. The legs may fold up to a generally parallel orientation to the vertical support for transport by wheels like a two wheel dolly or storage.