Patent Publication Number: US-11396755-B2

Title: Handrail system for ramp assembly and handrail adaptor having angled interface

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/575,930 filed Oct. 23, 2017, the disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Ramps and platforms are becoming increasingly common, due primarily to the recent passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requiring public buildings to be designed or modified to provide wheel chair access. These ramps and platforms assist those people confined to wheelchairs or who use walkers by providing a suitable pathway or rampway to the entrances of public and private buildings and stores, which may be at elevations above or below ground level. Since each site may be generally different from other sites, there is a need for ramp and platform assemblies that are modular in construction, and designed to minimize the cost and assembly time of at-site assembly. 
     Modular ramp and platform assemblies generally include deck surfaces, support posts, and handrails. These modular assemblies can be configured to provide ramping and horizontal deck surfaces to provide access, for example, if a user needs to travel from elevation A to elevation B, but is not able to traverse stairs or a steep slope to get there. 
     SUMMARY 
     This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a handrail system for a ramp assembly is provided. The handrail system includes first and second handrail posts oriented substantially perpendicular to a ground surface; a handrail portion having first and second ends extending between the first and second handrail posts, wherein the handrail portion is substantially parallel to a ramping surface ramping from a first elevation to a second elevation at a grade; and first and second interfaces at the first and second ends of the handrail portion for interfacing with the first and second handrail posts. 
     In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, an adaptor for a handrail portion configured to extend between first and second handrail posts oriented substantially perpendicular to a ground surface is provided. The handrail portion has first and second ends configured to extend between the first and second handrail posts, wherein the handrail portion is substantially parallel to a ramping surface ramping from a first elevation to a second elevation at a grade and the handrail portion including an inner bore. The adaptor includes a body for being received with the inner bore of the first end of the handrail portion; an outer surface extending from the body configured to interface with one of the first and second handrail posts; and a nutsert disposed in the body of the adaptor for receiving a fastener for attachment of the first end of the handrail portion to one of the first and second handrail posts, wherein the nutsert is configured to receive a fastener that is non-parallel to a longitudinal axis of the handrail portion. 
     In accordance with any of the embodiments described herein, the first and second interfaces may be configured at an angle relating to the grade of the ramping surface. 
     In accordance with any of the embodiments described herein, each of the first and second interfaces may include a nutsert for receiving a fastener for attachment of the handrail portion to each of the first and second handrail posts. 
     In accordance with any of the embodiments described herein, the nutsert may be configured to receive a fastener that is non-parallel to a longitudinal axis of the handrail portion. 
     In accordance with any of the embodiments described herein, the first and second interfaces may be coupled to the first and second ends of the handrail portion. 
     In accordance with any of the embodiments described herein, the first and second interfaces may be received within the first and second ends of the handrail portion. 
     In accordance with any of the embodiments described herein, the first and second interfaces may include first alignment members for aligning with corresponding second alignment members at the first and second ends of the handrail portion. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this disclosure will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a ramp assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is side view of the ramp assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of a handrail system of the ramp assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional, partial side view of the handrail system of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an isometric view of a handrail post joiner of the handrail system of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the handrail post joiner of  FIG. 5 ; and 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional, partial side view of the handrail post joiner of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings where like numerals reference like elements is intended as a description of various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter and is not intended to represent the only embodiments. Each embodiment described in this disclosure is provided merely as an example or illustration and should not be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. The illustrative examples provided herein are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the claimed subject matter to the precise forms disclosed. 
     The following description sets forth one or more examples of a ramp and/or platform assembly and components thereof. Generally, embodiments described herein relate to modular ramp and platform assemblies that may include deck surfaces, support posts, and handrails. Additional embodiments relate to interfaces between components of the platform assembly, including, for example, the interface between the ramp section and the deck or platform section, the interface between the platform support posts and the handrail posts, etc. 
     As described in greater detail below, many of the components of the ramp and platform assembly may be formed from metal, for example, from extruded aluminum. Extruded aluminum construction generally reduces parts in the overall system, thereby reducing manufacturing and assembly costs, as well as operational noise generated by rattling part couplings. Moreover, extruded aluminum parts can be designed to achieve the same strength and stiffness requirements as steel construction, while having reduced weight over steel parts or parts made from other materials, allowing for improved ease of assembly and optimized part design. 
     In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that many embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without some or all of the specific details. In some instances, well-known process steps have not been described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure various aspects of the present disclosure. It will be appreciated that embodiments of the present disclosure may employ any combination of features described herein. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an example of a ramp assembly, generally designated  20 , formed in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the ramp assembly  20  includes a decking system  22 , a handrail system  24  configured to couple with the decking system  22 , a support system  26  configured to couple with the decking system  22 , and an interface  28  between the handrail system  24 , the support system  26 , and the decking system  22 . 
     In accordance with ADA requirements, the grade of the ramp must be within a certain rise to run ratio. Such ratio may vary for ramping deck surfaces depending on the rise and the distance between the desired high and low elevation points of the ramp. Therefore, interfaces in the handrail system are needed to properly align the handrail system  24  with the decking system  22 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the handrail system  24  includes upper and lower handrail portions  32  and  34  coupled to handrail posts  36  and  38 . The lower handrail portion  34  extends between the handrail posts  36  and  38 , coupling at each end to each post  36  and  38 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 2 , the upper and lower handrail portions  32  and  34  of the handrail system  24  generally incline at the same grade as the decking system  22  for the user to have consistence handrail positioning as the user traverses the decking system  22  of the ramp assembly  20 . However, the handrail posts  36  and  38  are generally positioned parallel to the legs  50  of the support system  26  of the ramp assembly  20  and perpendicular to a ground surface. Therefore, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, the lower handrail portion  34  includes an angled interface for coupling with the handrail posts  36  and  38 . 
     In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the lower handrail portion  34  may have an angled interface to enable a 5 degree grade from the first handrail post  36  and to the second handrail post  38 . Other angled interfaces are also within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the angled interface may enable a grade in the range of 2 to 8 degrees from the first handrail post  36  and to the second handrail post  38 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5-7 , the lower handrail portion  34  includes a tubular section  40  having first and second ends  42  and  44 . First and second end portions  52  and  54  can be inserted into or otherwise attached to the ends  42  and  44  of the tubular section  40 . In one embodiment, the first and second end portions  52  and  54  are adaptors. Each of the first and second end portions  52  and  54  includes a nutsert  56  for coupling with a fastener  58 , which is received through holes  60  the first and second handrail posts  36  and  38 . 
     While the nutserts  56  may be centrally located in the respective ends  42  and  44  of the tubular section  40 , the nutsert  56  is offset from the longitudinal axis of the tubular section  40  by the desired angled interface. For example, the nutsert  56  may be offset from the longitudinal axis of the tubular section  40  by a certain angle to receive a fastener at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the tubular section  40 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the tubular section  40  generally has a circular cross-section. However, other cross-sectional shapes of the tubular section and the corresponding inserts are within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the tubular cross-sectional shape may be rectangular or polygonal. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second end portions  52  and  54  are inserted into the tubular portion  40 , which is a tubular portion having a circular cross-section shape. A first alignment portion  70  is configured in the tubular portion  40  to mate with a second alignment portion  72  in the first and second ends portions  52  and  54  to prevent the first and second end portions  52  and  54  from spinning in the tubular portion  40  when a fastener  60  is being inserted into the nutsert  56 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the handrail posts  36  and  38  have a rectangular cross-section to provide a planar face to which the first and second end portions  52  and  54  of the lower handrail portion  34  attach. However, it should be appreciate other cross-sectional shapes of the handrail posts  36  and  38  and the corresponding first and second end portions  52  and  54  are within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the tubular cross-sectional shape may be rectangular or polygonal, and the corresponding first and second end portions  52  and  54  may be designed and configured for interfacing with a non-planar face on the handrail posts  36  and  38 . 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, the tubular section  40  may be manufactured from suitable metal or plastic materials. Likewise, the first and second ends portions  52  and  54  designed to attach to the ends  42  and  44  of the tubular section  40  may be manufactured from suitable metal or plastic materials. In one embodiment, the tubular section  40  may be metal, such as extruded aluminum, and the first and second ends portions  52  and  54  may be plastic to provide some elasticity when inserted into the ends  42  and  44  of the tubular section  40 . 
     In previous designs, the nutsert was configured to receive a fastener along a longitudinal axis of the tubular section of the lower handrail portion. When the lower handrail portion was connected between upright handrail posts (generally perpendicular to a ground surface), the threads of the nutsert could become stripped as a result of the angle of the fastener. Even if the threads did not become stripped, there would likely be some play between the coupling between the lower handrail portion and the upright handrail posts, creating a loose and rattling connection. Therefore, advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure include less risk of stripping fastener threads and a more reliable and secure attachment of handrail portions to handrail posts in ramp assemblies. 
     While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.