Abstract:
There is provided an extendable baluster assembly for use with a handrail, the extendable baluster assembly comprising a baluster comprising an inner member and an outer member circumscribing a portion of the inner member in a telescopic relation, the outer member being fixable to the inner member; and a railing connector having a tubular body defining a cavity for receiving a top end of the baluster. There is also provided an extendable baluster assembly for use with a handrail, the extendable baluster assembly comprising a telescopic baluster; a ground connector adapted to be attached to a ground surface; a railing connector adapted to be attached to a handrail; and rotational joints between the baluster and the railing connector, and between the baluster and the ground connector, whereby the baluster is rotatable.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority of Canadian patent application 2,687,925 filed Dec. 23, 2009. 
       FIELD OF THE APPLICATION 
       [0002]    The technical field relates generally to railings, and more particularly to extendable balusters and installation of railings with such balusters. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE ART 
       [0003]    Railings may be used in a number of different locations, such as on a porch, on a stairway, or in any area where fencing or additional support for one&#39;s hand may be advantageous and/or convenient. In railings, balusters are used with handrails in order to support the handrail and/or to provide additional aesthetic appeal. Railings may be constructed at an angle and may be provided at different heights and so, it may often be necessary to adapt the corresponding balusters to accommodate for these different heights. 
         [0004]    In order to provide for handrails having different elevations from the ground, certain balusters of the prior art have been known to use telescopic members for additional extension. These balusters with telescopic members often comprise handrail connectors. Such connectors may be bulky and thus lack aesthetic appeal. Moreover, some handrail connectors include various joints (e.g., pivots, sliding joints) to interface the baluster to given angles of handrails. Railings including balusters may often be installed by handymen or normal workers, without specialized carpentry skills. As such, it may be desirable to provide a baluster requiring little or no adjustment in order to simplify railing installation procedure. 
       SUMMARY OF THE APPLICATION 
       [0005]    In accordance with one aspect, there is provided an extendable baluster assembly for use with a handrail, the extendable baluster assembly comprising: a baluster comprising an inner member and an outer member circumscribing a portion of the inner member in a telescopic relation, the outer member being fixable to the inner member; and a railing connector having a tubular body defining a cavity for receiving a top end of the baluster, with an inner annular wall in the tubular body, the tubular body having an upper rim and a bottom rim, the inner annular wall being positioned radially with respect to the tubular body such that the inner annular wall is perpendicular to a central axis of the tubular body, the inner annular wall having a fastener bore located therethrough, a fastener being inserted through the fastener bore and into the handrail, such that the railing connector is fixed to the handrail. 
         [0006]    In accordance with a further aspect, there is provided an extendable baluster assembly for use with a handrail, the extendable baluster assembly comprising: a baluster being telescopic with ends each having a generally circular cross-section; a ground connector adapted to be attached to a ground surface, and defining a cavity of generally circular cross-section to receive a bottom end of the baluster; a railing connector adapted to be attached to a handrail, and defining a cavity of generally circular cross-section to receive a top end of the baluster; and rotational joints between the baluster and the railing connector, and between the baluster and the ground connector, the rotational joints having a coincident rotational axis normal to the ground when the baluster is vertical, whereby the baluster is rotatable about the rotational axis with respect to the ground and railing connectors. 
         [0007]    In accordance with another further aspect, there is provided A method for installing an extendable baluster assembly comprising: attaching a ground connector to a ground surface, attaching a railing connector to a handrail, inserting a telescopic baluster into a cavity of the ground connector, extending the telescopic baluster to the railing connector until a top end of the telescopic baluster enters a cavity of the railing connector, and fixing the length of the telescopic baluster using a fastener. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view, partly fragmented, of an extendable baluster assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of a railing connector of the extendable baluster assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the railing connector of  FIG. 2 , attached to a handrail; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of a ground connector of the extendable baluster assembly of  FIG. 1 , attached to the ground. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0012]    The extendable baluster assembly  10  may generally be used as a connection element between a handrail and a ground surface, such as the steps in a staircase.  FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of an extendable baluster assembly  10 . The extendable baluster assembly  10  comprises a baluster  12  which serves to support a handrail  13  ( FIG. 3 ), a railing connector  14  for receiving the baluster  12  and which is attached to the handrail  13 , and a ground connector  16  for receiving the baluster  12  and which is attached to a ground surface  17  ( FIG. 4 ), such as a step of a staircase or a floor. 
         [0013]    The baluster  12  is telescopic and comprises an inner tubular member  18  and an outer tubular member  20  which circumscribes a portion of the inner tubular member  18 . The inner and outer tubular members  18  and  20  may translate relative to one another in the direction shown by A, and so the baluster  12  may extend in order to comprise different lengths. Moreover, due to a generally circular cross-section of the tubular members  18  and  20 , the tubular members may rotate with respect to one another until they are locked together. The baluster  12  may therefore extend and be sized so as to support handrails at different elevations from the ground. 
         [0014]    The inner and outer tubular members  18 ,  20  may have a generally circular cross-section, which is of a diameter smaller than that of the railing connector  14  and of the ground connector  16 , such that an upper end of the inner tubular member  18  may be received inside at least a portion of the railing connector  14  and a bottom end of the outer tubular member  20  may be received inside at least a portion of the ground connector  16 . Alternatively, in another embodiment, the inner tubular member  18  may be received inside the ground connector  16  and the outer tubular member  20  may be received inside the railing connector  14 . Other cross-sectional shapes are considered for the tubular members  18 ,  20 . Also, the inner member  18  may be solid and thus not tubular. 
         [0015]    The outer tubular member  20  has a collar portion  22  at an upper end thereof. The collar portion  22  has a fastener hole  24  therethrough. A fastener (not shown) may be inserted through the fastener hole  24  and against or into the inner tubular member  18 , so as to lock the inner tubular member  18  to the outer tubular member  20  at a desired height, and so limit rotational and translational movement of the tubular members  18 ,  20  relative to one another. The fastener may comprise various types of fasteners, such as a screw, setscrew, bolt, nail, etc. 
         [0016]    In another embodiment, the collar portion  22  may be located at another position along the outer tubular member  20  and therefore not necessarily be at an end thereof. In another embodiment, the collar portion may comprise a plurality of fastener holes  24 , such that a plurality of fasteners may be used to fix the outer tubular member  20  to the inner tubular member  18 . 
         [0017]    In one embodiment, the inner tubular member  18  may comprise an aesthetic portion  26 . The aesthetic portion  26  may include a number of different artistic elements, so as to improve or customize the appearance of the extendable baluster assembly  10 . The embodiment of  FIG. 1  shows only one example of a possible aesthetic portion  26 . However, in other embodiments, the aesthetic portion  26  may comprise different artistic elements. 
         [0018]    As seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the railing connector  14  comprises a tubular body  28  defining a cavity  29  therein for receiving an end of the inner tubular member  18 . The tubular body  28  has a bottom rim  30  at a lower extremity thereof and an upper rim  32  at an opposite top extremity thereof. When used with a substantially vertical baluster  12 , the upper rim  32  is inclined at an angle ranging between 38 and 46 degrees from the ground. In an embodiment, the angle of the upper rim  32  is 42 degrees from the ground, having an upper rim  32  angled at 42 degrees allows the extendable baluster assembly  10  to be attached to most handrails with little or minimal gap between the upper rim  32  and a bottom surface of the handrail  13 . As the railing connector  14  is positioned on a bottom surface of the handrail  13 , the upper rim  32  may generally be coplanar with the bottom surface of the handrail  13 , and as such, may be attached without requiring additional positioning adjustments. 
         [0019]    The railing connector  14  also comprises an inner annular wall  34  which is positioned radially with respect to the tubular body  28 , such that the inner annular wall  34  is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the tubular body  28 . As seen in  FIG. 2 , the inner annular wall  34  may be longitudinally offset from the upper rim  32 . The inner annular wall  34  has a fastener bore  36  located therethrough. A fastener  38  may be inserted through the fastener bore  36  and into the handrail  13 , in order to attach the railing connector  14  to the handrail  13 , with the head of the fastener  38  cooperating with the annular wall  34  to hold the railing connector  14  captive. As seen in  FIG. 3 , the fastener  38  may be inserted through the fastener bore  36  and into the handrail  13 , from a bottom vantage point. This allows for a rapid installation, in comparison to balusters where the baluster must be attached to the handrail through the handrail itself. The installation may be simplified if the fastener  38  is a self-tapping fastener. 
         [0020]    In addition, the upper rim  32  may include a relatively pointy tip  40  at an upper extremity thereof. More specifically, by the combination of the inclination of the upper rim  32  and the circular section, the upper rim  32  defines the pointy tip  40 . In one embodiment, the pointy tip  40  may be used to indent and penetrate into the handrail  13  if the material is relatively soft (e.g., wood, plastic), in order to provide additional stability to the railing connector  14  and the baluster  12 , as desired. Accordingly, the pointy tip  40  may reduce any gap between the upper rim  32  and the handrail  13  if any. 
         [0021]    The ground connector  16  comprises a tubular body  42  and a cavity  43  therein for receiving the outer tubular member  20 . The tubular body  42  has an inner annular wall  44  located radially with respect to the tubular body  42 . The inner annular wall  44  includes a fastener bore  46  located therethrough. A fastener  48  may be inserted through the fastener bore  46  and into the ground  17 , so as to attach the ground connector  16  to the ground  17 , with the head of the fastener  48  cooperating with the annular wall  44  to hold the ground connector  16  captive. 
         [0022]    As mentioned, the inner and outer tubular members  18 ,  20  may have a generally circular cross-section, and therefore the baluster  12  may also have a generally circular cross-section. Accordingly, rotational joints are formed between the baluster  12 , and the connectors  14  and  16 , with a rotational axis being normal to the ground when the baluster  12  is installed vertically. In addition, although the inner and outer tubular members  18 ,  20  may be received inside the railing connector  14  and the ground connector  16 , the inner and outer tubular members  18 ,  20  may not be attached to said connectors  14 ,  16 . Therefore, the baluster  12  is free to rotate inside the connectors  14 ,  16 , relative to said connectors  14 ,  16 , the handrail  13  and the ground  17 . The baluster  12  is rotatable as desired, for example to hide any fasteners visible from the outside, to prevent injuries to young children who may get caught inside the baluster&#39;s aesthetic portion  26 , or simply for aesthetic purposes. For example, the aesthetic portion  26  may look differently depending on the angle or the position at which a person is looking at it, and so the baluster  12  may be rotated in order to present a particular view to a certain position, as desired. 
         [0023]    Now that the components of the extendable baluster assembly  10  are described, an installation thereof is set forth. The extendable baluster assembly  10  may be installed by either first attaching the railing connector  14  or the ground connector  16  to the handrail  13  or ground surface  17 , respectively. The railing connector  14  is attached to the handrail  13  by positioning the railing connector  14  on the handrail  13  and by inserting the fastener  38  through the fastener bore  36  and into the handrail  13 . A direction of insertion of the fastener  38  is thus essentially normal to the ground. 
         [0024]    If necessary, the railing connector  14  may be pressed against a bottom surface of the handrail  13  to make an indent and thus reduce any gap between the upper rim  32  and the handrail  13 . 
         [0025]    The ground connector  16  is attached to the ground surface  17  by positioning the ground connector  16  on the ground  17 , and by inserting the fastener  48  through the fastener bore  46  and into the ground  17 . In a preferred embodiment, the railing connector  14  and the ground connector  16  may be positioned with respect to each other, such that the baluster  12  located therebetween is substantially vertical, i.e. straight. 
         [0026]    Having attached the railing connector  14  and the ground connector  16 , the baluster  12  may be received inside a portion of one of the connectors  14 ,  16 , and the inner and outer tubular members  18 ,  20 , may be translated relative to one another, such that the baluster  12  is received inside both of the connectors  14 ,  16 , and is extended therebetween to the desired height. The fastener (not shown) may then be inserted through the fastener hole  24  of the collar portion  22  of the outer tubular member  20 , such that relative movement between the inner and outer tubular members  18 ,  20  is minimized, and the length of the baluster  12  is fixed. 
         [0027]    An orientation of the baluster  12  may be adjusted by the rotation of the baluster  12  with respect to the connectors  14 ,  16 . The axis of rotation of the baluster  12  is normal to the ground when the baluster  12  is vertical. 
         [0028]    This installation method should not be limited to this specific order of steps, i.e. the steps are interchangeable, for example, the ground connector  16  may be attached to the ground  17  and the baluster  12  may be inserted into the ground connector  16 , prior to attaching the railing connector  14  to the handrail  13 . 
         [0029]    The extendable baluster assembly  10  is generally made of metal, although in other embodiments, a number of different types of metals, plastics or woods may also be used. The extendable baluster assembly  10  may generally be used with handrails on stairways, or with handrails on other types of inclined surfaces. 
         [0030]    The above description is meant to be exemplary only, and one skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the scope of the invention disclosed. For example, the extendable baluster assembly may also be used with a handrail on a flat surface, by simply having the pointy end of the upper rim of the railing connector perforate and penetrate into the handrail. Still other modifications which fall within the scope of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in light of a review of this disclosure, and such modifications are intended to fall within the appended claims.