Patent Publication Number: US-6209854-B1

Title: Suspended stair railing for children

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention herein resides in the field of home products and, more particularly, to stair railings. Specifically, the invention relates to a stair railing adapted to be suspended beneath a standard railing, with the suspended railing being so positioned and secured to accomodate use by children and toddlers. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     As a child develops, one of the most challenging experiences encountered is that of negotiating stairs. While crawling and walking are generally learned without great difficulty and without significant harm to the child, learning to move up and down stairs is not only difficult, but somewhat dangerous. While stair railings are typically provided in association with most stairways, these railings are typically positioned sufficiently above the stairs to accomodate adults. As such, they are out of the reach of youngsters, and provide little if any assistance in their learning to negotiate the stairs. Indeed, standard handrails are so positioned that any attempts by a toddler to reach a handrail actually compromises his or her ability to climb or descend the stairs. 
     In the past, it has been known to actually affix a lower rail to a wall or other permanent structure in order to accomodate youngsters. However, such attachments have generally been of a semi-permanent nature and have required repair, such as patching of screw holes and the like, when removed. The prior art has also suggested other approaches to securing lower handrails in association with stairs, but such approaches have generally not been of a sufficiently secure nature to provide the child with the necessary confidence to negotiate the stairs in a safe manner and they have typically been of a complex and expensive design, not given to ease of application. Accordingly, there remains in the art a need for a temporary suspended stair rail for children which may be easily and securely attached to and suspended from a standard stair railing. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     In light of the foregoing, it is a first aspect of the invention to provide a suspended stair railing for children which may be securedly attached to an existing standard stair railing. 
     Another aspect of the invention is the provision of a suspended stair railing for children which is easy to install and remove. 
     Yet a further aspect of the invention is the provision of a suspended stair railing for children which is adapted for application to both spindle and wall mounted railings. 
     Still a further aspect of the invention is the provision of a suspended stair railing for children which is lightweight, durable, not given to damaging of walls or other portions of the stairway, and which is easy to implement within the state of the art. 
     Another aspect of the invention is the provision of a suspended stair railing which is modular in nature, accommodating stairway portions or flights of various lengths. 
     The foregoing and other aspects of the invention which will become apparent as the detailed description proceeds are achieved by a children&#39;s handrail assembly for secured suspension beneath a standard handrail, comprising: a first plurality of connector brackets; a second plurality of cable ties securing said connector brackets to the standard handrail; and a third plurality of tubes interposed between and interconnected with said connector brackets. 
     Yet other aspects of the invention which will become apparent herein are attained by a child&#39;s handrail for interconnection with and suspension from a standard handrail, comprising: a plurality of tubes interconnected by a plurality of connector brackets, each said connector bracket being secured to the standard handrail by a cable tie, and wherein each said connector bracket comprises: a web-like body portion encompassed by a flange, said flange defining an enlarged head portion; a cradle positioned at a top edge of said enlarged head portion, said cradle adapted for engaging the standard handrail; a bumper interposed between said cradle and standard handrail; and a plurality of apertures passing through said enlarged head portion for receiving said cable ties and nesting said cradle against said standard handrail. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a complete understanding of the objects, techniques and structure of the invention reference should be made to the following detailed description and accompanying drawing wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an illustrative view of the children&#39;s handrail of the invention, showing the same connected to and suspended from a standard hand railing; 
     FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of a connector bracket as employed in accordance with the invention, showing the same receiving a tubing defining the railing; 
     FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a connector bracket of the invention, showing the same attached to a wall mounted standard hand railing; and 
     FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the connector bracket of the invention, showing the same secured to a spindle mounted standard hand railing. 
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings and more particularly FIG. 1, it can be seen that a bannister or handrail assembly made in accordance with the invention is designated generally by the numeral  10 . Children&#39;s hand railing assembly  10  is adapted for connection to a permanent standard handrail  12 , which would typically be fixed to a wall by mounting supports, or maintained atop spindles. The child&#39;s handrail  14  is attached to and suspended from the standard handrail  12 . A plurality of connector brackets  16  are attached to the standard handrail  12  by means of cable ties  18 . A plurality of tubes  20  are interposed between and secured to the connector brackets  16 , as illustrated. While it will be appreciated that the specific structure and configuration of the child&#39;s hand railing assembly can be of various configurations, it will be noted that according to the preferred embodiment of the invention there are included four substantially identical connector brackets  16 , with three plastic tubes  20  of equal length interposed therebetween. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the child&#39;s handrail  14  is positioned beneath the standard handrail  12  by a distance determined by the height of the connector brackets  16 . Accordingly, it win be appreciated that the child&#39;s handrail  14  is maintained parallel to and suspended beneath the standard handrail  12 . 
     With continued reference to FIG.  1  and additional reference to FIG. 2, it can be seen that each of the connector brackets  16  includes a pair of collars  22 , axially aligned and extending in opposite directions from the connector bracket  16 . Each collar  24  includes a receptacle or bore  24  for receiving the plastic tubing  20 . Screw holes  26 ,  28  are provided respectively in the tube  20  and collar  22  receiving a screw  30  to securedly nest the tube  20  within the receptacle  24 . 
     The connector brackets  16  include a web-like body portion  32  having edge flanges  34 ,  36  encompassing the same. Inner ribs  38 ,  40  extend across the web  32  and between the flanges  34 ,  36  or the flange  36  and collar  22  for purposes of strengthening and securing the plastic molded connector brackets  16 . 
     The flanges  34 ,  36  expand into a broadened head portion  42  at a top end of connector bracket  16  opposite the lower end receiving the collars  22 . At the top of the broadened head portion  42  is a cradle  44  particularly adapted for engagement with the underside of a standard hand railing. A plurality of apertures  46  pass through the broadened head portion  44  and beneath a crescent-shaped recess  48  positioned beneath the cradle  44 . It will be appreciated that a plurality of recesses are defined within the connector bracket  16  by virtue of the web-like body portion  32 , having flanges  34 ,  36  extending from the periphery thereof and the ribs  38 ,  40  traversing the body thereof. 
     With additional reference now to FIGS. 3 and 4, further appreciation of connector brackets  16  can be obtained, with particular reference to such connector brackets being secured to a wall mounted handrail  52  (FIG. 3) and to a spindle supported standard handrail  66  (FIG.  4 ). As shown, the connector bracket  16  further includes a pair of apertures  50  opposite the apertures  46  for receiving the cable ties  18  which are adapted for securing the connector brackets  16  to one of the handrails  5 , 2   66 . In FIG. 3, the handrail  52  is mounted upon a wall  54  by appropriate brackets (not shown). A cable tie  18  passes through the apertures  46 ,  50 , around the standard handrail  52 , through a cable tie lock  56 , and pulled tight for nesting securing engagement of the cradle  44  against the underside of the railing  52 . The tail  58  of the cable tie  18  which extends beyond the lock  56  may then be passed back through the aperture  56  to be received within the recess  60  defined between the flanges  34 ,  36  and ribs  38  and beneath the crescent-shaped recess  48 . The back end of the bracket  16  is configured in a generally L-shaped manner to abut against the wall  54 . 
     In accordance with the invention, a foam pad or bumper  62  is attached at the bend of the L-shaped back portion of connector  16  for contacting engagement with the wall  54 . The bumper  62 , being preferably of foam construction, prevents the bracket  16  from marring or otherwise damaging the wall  54 . A similar foam pad or bumper  64  is interposed between the cradle  44  and the bottom side of the railing  52 . The bumper  64  is compressively engaged between the cradle  44  and the railing  52  and thereby provides frictional engagement that precludes rotation or sliding movement of the connector  16  with respect to the railing  52 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the foam pads or bumpers  62 ,  64  are preferably adhesively attached to the connector bracket  16  in the positions shown. While the invention also contemplates that the foam pads or bumpers  62 ,  64  may comprise a double backed adhesive foam member, it is contemplated that only a single surface will receive adhesive for attachment to the connectors  16 . 
     With specific reference to FIG. 4, it can be seen that a handrail  66  is adapted to be maintained atop a plurality of spindles  68 . For implementation of a children&#39;s handrail in association with such a standard handrail, the mounting follows that shown in FIG.  4 . Here again, cable ties  18  pass through the sets of paired apertures  46 ,  50  beneath the crescent-shaped recess  48  and pass around the standard railing  66  and are securedly locked into engagement by tightening of cable tie  18  in the lock  56 . The tail  58  is passed back through the aperture  46  for concealed receipt in recess  60 . Of course, as with the embodiment of FIG. 3, two such cable ties are used, one in each set of the paired apertures  46 ,  50 . Also, the foam pad or bumper  64  is maintained in the cradle  44  for engagement with the underside of the rail  66  for frictional nonslipping engagement. 
     Further secured engagement can be achieved with the spindle mounting technique by employing yet another cable tie  18  which passes through the aperture  70  in the web-like body portion  32  of the connector bracket  16 . Accordingly, in the spindle mounted embodiment, both horizontal and vertical connections are made between the connector bracket  16  and the spindle mounted handrail. 
     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the locking cable ties  18 , plastic tubes  20 , screws  30  and bumpers  62 ,  64  are readily available items. Only connector brackets  16  are uniquely devised for implementation with the invention. The connector brackets  16  are, as mentioned above, readily formed by a plastic molding operation. 
     It will also be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that the assembly and installation of the children&#39;s handrail made in accordance with the invention can be easily attained. In general, the tubes  20  are interconnected with connector brackets  16  by means of the screws  30  with those elements being maintained upon the floor. The appropriate bumpers  62 ,  64  are then adhesively attached, as necessary, to cradle  44  and to the knee of L-shaped flange  36 , as needed. Cable ties  18  are also passed through corresponding apertures  46 ,  50 , two such cable ties being used for each such connector. The assembly is then lifted and placed in association with the permanent standard hand railing  52 ,  66  and secured engagement is made by simply passing the end of each of the cable ties  18  through its associated lock  56 . In the event that a spindle mount is employed, additional ties  18  are passed through the apertures  70  for locking engagement. 
     It has been found that the children&#39;s hand railing made in accordance with the invention provides a safe and secure device for allowing children and toddles to have the security of a hand railing while ascending and descending a stairway. It has further been found that the system is easy to install, reliable and durable in operation, and easy to remove by simply following the reverse steps of installation. 
     Thus it can be seen that the objects of the invention have been satisfied by the structure presented above. While in accordance with the patent statutes only the best mode and preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented and described in detail, the invention is not limited thereto or thereby. Accordingly, for an appreciation of the true scope and breadth of the invention reference should be made to the following claims.