Serpentine Rod Ladder Platform Attachment for Balance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ladder platform attachments require users to assume unsteady physical stances and risk physical imbalance, especially when adjusting or shifting the platform, as they often need both hands to manipulate the attachment, leaving no hand free to grip the ladder for balance, and can cause discomfort due to inadequate foot support.
Innovation Solution
A portable ladder platform attachment featuring a serpentine-shaped rod with a hook end that allows the platform to be securely hung on a ladder rung, providing a stable surface that allows one hand to grip the ladder while the other hand carries the attachment, and includes a design that supports the heels without obstructing ascent or descent, with a crossbar that automatically adjusts to settle on a rung for support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If both hands are required to adjust or shift the platform, then the platform can be positioned accurately, but the user cannot grip the ladder to maintain balance
Solution Approach 1:
The platform attachment is designed to be self-positioning through its serpentine rod configuration. The rod's geometry causes it to naturally settle onto the ladder rung when the platform is placed on the lower rung, eliminating the need for manual adjustment while maintaining user balance through one-handed operation.
2Ease of operation
If the platform is designed to be easily attached and detached, then user convenience is improved, but the structural stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The serpentine rod provides dynamic adaptability through its flexible configuration that can be easily manipulated into position, while once settled on the ladder rung, the geometry locks into a stable configuration that maintains structural integrity during use.
3Ease of operation
If the platform supports the heels adequately, then foot comfort is improved, but the platform may obstruct ascent or descent
Solution Approach 1:
The platform incorporates a rearward extension that provides localized heel support only where needed for comfort, while the overall platform dimensions and positioning are optimized to clear the ladder structure, allowing unobstructed ascent and descent.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable ladder platform attachment, for increasing a person's safety when standing on a ladder, includes a platform having a surface, a forward edge, a rear edge, and opposing side edges, and a rod having a serpentine shape confined within a vertical plane above a centerline extending between the forward and rear edges of the platform. The rod has a first end coupled to the platform closer to the forward edge than to the rear edge, a midsection that extends above and substantially parallel to the surface of the platform along the centerline, and a second end shaped as a hook sized to fit closely about an upper rung of the ladder while the platform sits on a lower rung of the ladder.