Patent ID: 6715584
Filing Date: 2004-04-06
Classification: E06C

Abstract:
An emergency escape ladder comprising:a) a first leg having (1) a first end, (2) a second end, (3) a longitudinal dimension extending between the first end of said first leg and the second end of said first leg, (4) a length dimension measured along the longitudinal dimension of said first leg from the first end of said first leg to the second end of said first leg, (5) a first side, (6) a second side, (7) a transverse dimension extending from the first side of said first leg to the second side of said first leg, b) said first leg being U-shaped in transverse cross section and further including (1) a first arm adjacent to the first side of said first leg, (2) a second arm adjacent to the second side of said first leg, (3) a bight section connecting the first arm of said first leg to the second arm of said first leg, (4) an inner surface on the first arm and on the second arm and on the bight section of said first leg, (5) an outer surface on the first arm and on the second arm and on the bight section of said first leg, (6) a width dimension measured from the inner surface on the first arm of said first leg to the inner surface on the second arm of said first leg along the transverse dimension of said first leg, (7) a channel being defined by the inner surface, and (8) a first rim on the first arm of said first leg, (9) a second rim on the second arm of said first leg, and (10) a thickness dimension measured between the first rim on the first arm of said first leg to the bight section of said first leg; c) the outer surface on the bight section of said first leg being fixedly attached to a support surface; d) a plurality of rungs attached to said first leg at locations that are spaced apart from each other in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said first leg, each rung including (1) a first end, (2) a second end, (3) a longitudinal axis extending between the first end of each rung and the second end of each rung, (4) a length dimension measured along the longitudinal axis of each rung from the first end of each rung to the second end of each rung, (5) an outer surface on each rung, and (6) an outer dimension; d) the outer dimension of each rung being smaller than the width dimension of said first leg; e) a hinge unit hingeably connecting each rung to the inner surface of said first leg adjacent to the bight section of said first leg, each hinge unit including (1) an L-shaped plate having a first leg section, a second leg section, a corner connecting the first leg section to the second leg section at a right angle, the first leg section including a first surface, a second surface, a first end and a second end, with the first surface on the first leg section of the L-shaped plate of each hinge unit being fixedly mounted on the inner surface of said first leg adjacent to the bight section of said first leg and the second leg section of the L-shaped plate extending outwardly from the inner surface of said first leg adjacent to the bight section of said first leg, the second leg section of the L-shaped plate including a first surface, a second surface, a first end and a second end, with the second end of the second leg section of the L-shaped plate being spaced apart from the inner surface of said first leg adjacent to the bight section of said first leg, (2) a second plate having a first surface, a second surface, a first end and a second end, (3) a hinge coupling hingeably connecting the second end of the second leg section of the L-shaped plate of each hinge unit to the first end of the second plate of each hinge unit; f) each hinge unit being movable from a first orientation in which the first surface of the second plate is co-planar with the first surface of the second leg of the L-shaped plate and extends outwardly therefrom and a second orientation in which the second plate of each hinge unit is oriented at a right angle with respect to the second leg section of the L-shaped plate; g) a second leg (1) a first end, (2) a second end, (3) a longitudinal dimension of said second leg extending between the first end of said second leg and the second end of said second leg, (4) a length dimension measured along the longitudinal dimension of said second leg from the first end of said second leg to the second end of said second leg, (5) a first side, (6) a second side, (7) a transverse dimension extending from the first side of said second leg to the second side of said second leg, h) said second leg being U-shaped in transverse cross section and further including (1) a first arm adjacent to the first side of said second leg, (2) a second arm adjacent to the second side of said second leg, (3) a bight section connecting said first arm of said second leg to the second arm of said second leg, (4) an inner surface on the first arm of said second leg and on the second arm and on the bight section of said second leg, (5) an outer surface on the first arm of said second leg and on the second arm of said second leg and on the bight section of said second leg, (6) a width dimension measured from the inner surface on the first arm of said second leg to the inner surface on the second arm of said second leg along the transverse dimension of said second leg, (7) a channel being defined by the inner surface of said second leg, and (8) a first rim on the first arm of said second leg, (9) a second rim on the second arm of said second leg, and (10) a thickness dimension measured between the first rim on the first leg of said second leg to the bight section of said second leg; i) said first leg being interposed between said second leg and said support surface; j) a plurality of joints mounted on the inner surface of said second leg, each joint being associated with a rung; k) the second end of each rung being attached to one joint of said plurality of joints to be attached via the one joint to the inner surface of said second leg adjacent to the bight section of said second leg; l) said plurality of rungs being interposed between said first leg and said second leg; m) the outer dimension of each rung being less than the width dimension of said first leg, n) the width dimension of said first leg being equal to the width dimension of said second leg; and o) said second leg being movable with said rungs between a first position corresponding to the first orientation of each hinge unit in which the first end of said second leg is congruent with the first end of said first leg and the second end of said second leg is congruent with the second end of said first leg and in which the first rim of said second leg is in abutting contact with the first rim of said first leg and the second rim of said second leg is in abutting contact with the second rim of said first leg and said rungs are located in the channels on said first and second legs, and a second position corresponding to the second orientation of each hinge unit in which the first end of said second leg is spaced apart from the first end of said first leg in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said first leg and the second end of said second leg is spaced apart from the second end of said first leg in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said first leg and the first rim of said second leg is spaced apart from the first rim of said first leg in the direction of the direction of the thickness dimension of said first leg.