Step Adaptor for Extension Ladder Offset Transition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Extension ladders with overlapping sections create an offset area that is difficult to traverse, increasing the risk of missing steps and interfering with leg movement, which compromises safety.
Innovation Solution
A step adaptor with graduated steps that fits onto the base section of an extension ladder below the transition area, providing a gradual depth change to ease the transition between ladder sections without affecting the locking mechanism, using uprights and steps that engage with rungs to stabilize and secure the adaptor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If extension ladder sections are slid apart to extend the fly section, then the ladder reaches greater heights, but an offset area is created that increases the likelihood of missing steps and impedes leg movement
Solution Approach 1:
A step adaptor is introduced as an intermediary device between the base section and fly section of the extension ladder. The adaptor includes multiple steps with graduated depths that bridge the offset area created when sections are extended, providing a smooth transition zone that eliminates the abrupt depth change and makes the ladder easier to traverse safely.
2Length of moving object
If the fly section overlaps the base section significantly, then the ladder can be extended further, but the recessed area under the fly section becomes deeper and more difficult to climb over
Solution Approach 1:
The step adaptor applies local quality by providing steps with graduated depths specifically in the offset area where the depth change occurs. The top step has greater depth to match the base section, while lower steps progressively decrease in depth, creating a localized transition zone that addresses the climbing difficulty without affecting the overall extension capability of the ladder.
3Ease of operation
If a step adaptor is added to provide a gradual transition, then ease of traversal is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The step adaptor is segmented into multiple discrete steps with graduated depths, allowing the complex transition function to be broken down into manageable, simple components. Each step is a separate element that can be independently positioned and secured to the ladder rungs, making the overall device simpler to construct and maintain despite its multifunctional purpose.
Data Source
AI summary
The problem of traversing the offset area between the fly section and the base section of an extension ladder is solved by a step adaptor of the subject invention. A step adaptor can have two or more steps which can be progressively narrower in depth. The step adaptor can be placed on the first available rung just below the fly section. The progressively narrower depth of the steps of a step adaptor create a transition zone in the offset area that reduces the abrupt change in distance between the rungs in the fly section and the rungs in the base section.