Abstract:
A stairs assistance device is provided for assisting persons attempting to ascend or descend a staircase. The device is configured to be mounted on an existing staircase handrail and includes, inter alia, a handgrip and a drive member for advancing the device upwardly or downwardly along the handrail.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     1. Technical Field The present disclosure relates to a device for assisting disabled or elderly people ascend or descend a staircase. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a device which can be fitted onto an existing handrail of a staircase to assist a person ascending or descending the staircase.  
         [0002]     2. Background  
         [0003]     The use of elevators or lifts to transport the elderly or disabled up or down a staircase are well known. Such lifts or elevators typically include a platform upon which a person, with or without a wheelchair, is supported. Such lifts or elevators are expensive, require professional installation and may be obtrusive within ones home. Although elevators and/or lifts are necessary for those incapable of walking or supporting their own weight, such a complex heavy duty system may not be required for those merely needing some degree of assistance in traversing a staircase.  
         [0004]     Accordingly, for those merely requiring some assistance in traversing a staircase, a low cost, easily installable, less obtrusive device for assisting a person in traversing a staircase would be desireable.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0005]     A stairs assistance device is disclosed which includes a body defining a handgrip and a recess dimensioned and configured to slidably receive a staircase handrail. The body supports at least one drive member, which may be in the form of a drive roller, and a motor for driving the drive member. In one embodiment, the device includes at least one guide member which is positioned to guide the device along the handrail and retain the device on the handrail. One or more guide members and/or drive members may be provided, e.g., two or three. Both the at least one drive member and the at least one guide member are positioned to engage the handrail to facilitate movement of the device along the handrail.  
         [0006]     In one embodiment, the motor is reversible and the device includes at least one switch for selectively operating the motor in a forward or rearward direction to effect movement of the device either up a handrail or down a handrail. Preferably, the device includes a pair of switches which are positioned adjacent the handgrip.  
         [0007]     In one embodiment, the body includes a rear body portion and a forward body portion which are pivotally connected. The pivotal connection facilitates movement of the device along non-linear handrails.  
         [0008]     In one embodiment, the motor is battery powered. The batteries can be supported on the device and can be rechargeable. A battery charger can be supported at a top and/or bottom of the handrail to facilitate automatic recharging of the battery when the device is at the top and/or bottom of the handrail.  
         [0009]     In another embodiment, the device includes a two way control button for operating the motor in the forward and reverse directions. The handgrip is configured for left hand and right hand use.  
         [0010]     In yet another embodiment, the device includes an anti-rollback device for preventing accidental movement of the device down a handrail.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     Various embodiments of the presently disclosed stairs assistance device are disclosed herein with reference to the drawings, wherein:  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a side view of one embodiment of the presently disclosed stairs assistance device positioned on a handrail;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a transverse cross-sectional view through a portion of the body of the stairs assistance device shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a side view of another embodiment of the presently disclosed stairs assistance device positioned on a handrail;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a transverse cross-sectional view through a portion of the body of the stairs assistance device shown in  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of the stairs assistance device and handrail with a battery charger positioned at one end of the handrail;  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a side perspective view of another embodiment of the presently disclosed stairs assistance device positioned on a handrail;  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is a transverse schematic view of the stairs assistance device shown in  FIG. 6 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 8  is a side view of yet another embodiment of the presently disclosed stairs assistance device positioned on a handrail shown during left hand operation;  
         [0020]      FIG. 9  is a side view of the stairs assistance device shown in  FIG. 8  during right hand operation; and  
         [0021]      FIG. 10  is a schematic drawing of an anti-rollback device usable with any of the presently disclosed stairs assistance devices.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS  
       [0022]     Embodiments of the presently disclosed staircase assistance device will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings in which like numerals designate identical or corresponding elements in each of the several views.  
         [0023]      FIG. 1  illustrates a first embodiment of the presently disclosed stairs assistance device shown generally as  10 . Stairs assistance device  10  includes a handgrip assembly  12  adapted to be mounted on an existing handrail  14  of a staircase (not shown). Handgrip assembly  12  includes a body  16  having a grip portion  18 , at least one drive member or roller  20 , and one or more guide members or rollers  22 . A battery powered motor assembly  24  is provided to drive driven roller  20 .  
         [0024]     Referring also to  FIG. 2 , in one embodiment, body  16  is configured to be mounted on a handrail  14  having an oval or circular cross-section. Body  16  includes forward and rear portions  16   a  and  16   b  having substantially U-shaped configurations which are interconnected by grip portion  18 . A recess  23  ( FIG. 2 ) defined by forward and rear U-shaped portions  16   a  and  16   b  is dimensioned to receive handrail  14 . At least one of forward and rear portions  16   a  and  16   b  supports driven roller  20  in a position to engage a top surface of handrail  14 . In one preferred embodiment, a driven roller  20  is supported on both forward and rear portions  16   a  and  16   b.    
         [0025]     Guide rollers  22  are positioned to extend across a bottom of recess  22  of forward and rear portions  16   a  and  16   b  and engage a bottom surface of handrail  14 . Guide rollers  22  prevent stairs assistance device  10  from becoming disengaged from handrail  14 . Stops (not shown) may be provided on each end of handrail  14  to prevent device  10  from rolling off the ends of handrail  14 .  
         [0026]     Motor assembly  24  is a battery driven reversible motor which is preferably driven by a rechargeable battery. A pair of switches  30   a  and  30   b  are mounted on body  16  to facilitate operation of device  10  in two directions, i.e., up the staircase and down the staircase. Switch  30   a,  which is preferably labeled “UP” is positioned adjacent one end of grip portion  18  and is actuable by pressing or sliding the switch to operate driven roller  20  to advance device  10  up handrail  14 . Switch  30   b  is positioned on an opposite side of grip portion  18  to operate driven roller  20  to move device  10  down handrail  14 . In one embodiment, switches  30   a  and  30   b  are of the type which must be continually depressed to operate the driven roller. The exact location of switches  30   a  and  30   b  and the particular configuration of the body of device  10  may be selectively altered to provide a more ergonomic device which can be operated easily with a single hand and mounted to any handrail configuration.  
         [0027]      FIGS. 3-5  illustrate a second embodiment of the presently disclosed stairs assistance device shown generally as  100 . Stairs assistance device  100  is similar to stairs assistance device  10  in that it includes a body  116  having a grip portion  118 , at least one driven roller  120 , at least one guide roller  122  and a battery powered motor assembly  124 . Body  116  includes forward and rear portions  116   a  and  116   b  which are pivotally secured together about a pivot member  117 . Pivot member  117  allows device  100  to move around bends or curves in handrail  114 . Body  116  defines a U-shaped recess  122  dimensioned and configured to receive a handrail  114 . As illustrated, driven roller(s)  120  and guide roller(s)  122  are positioned to engage a handrail  114  having an irregular shape. Preferably, driven roller  120  is positioned to engage a top surface of handrail  114  and guide rollers  122  are positioned within concavities  115  formed in the sidewalls of handrail  114 . Guide rollers  122  function to guide stairs assistance device  110  along handrail  114  and to prevent disengagement of stairs assistance device  110  from handrail  114 . Alternately, the positions of guide rollers  122  and driven roller(s)  120  can be reversed or changed without departing from the scope of the invention.  
         [0028]     As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , a battery charger  150  may be provided on one or both ends of handrail  114 . Stairs assistance device  110  includes contacts  152  which engage battery charger  150  whenever stairs assistance device  110  is positioned at either or both ends of handrail  114 . Stair assistance device  110  also includes switches  130   a  and  130   b  for operating motor assembly  124  and driven roller  120  to move stairs assistance device  100  either up a staircase or down a staircase.  
         [0029]      FIG. 6  illustrates another embodiment of the presently disclosed stairs assistance device shown generally as  200 . Stairs assistance device  200  is similar to devices  10  and  100  but also includes a grip portion  218  which can be grasped by both hands of a person using stairs assistance device  200 . It is noted that grip portion  218  (or grip portions  18  and  118 ) may include non-slip or textured surfaces  260  to prevent a user&#39;s hand from slipping off the grip portion.  
         [0030]      FIGS. 7-9  illustrate yet another embodiment of the presently disclosed stairs assistance device shown generally as  300 . Stairs assistance device  300  is mounted on a handrail  314  which is supported by a baluster  315 . Stairs assistance device  300  includes a housing  312  having a cover  316  and a handle  318 . A two way control button  330  is provided adjacent handle  318  and is actuable to operate a motor  324 .  
         [0031]     Motor  324  drives stairs assistance device  300  via a transmission  332  and a friction pulley or drive member  334 . In one embodiment, friction pulley or drive member  334  is formed from a soft and/or flexible material, e.g., rubber, polyethylene, or porous or spongy material, etc., which may be solid or hollow. A concave stabilizer guide member  336  is provided to guide assistance device  300  along rail  314 . An adjuster device  340  supports stabilizer member  336  and urges stabilizer member into rail  314 . By doing so, drive member  334  is pulled into frictional engagement with rail  314 . As shown, this may cause partial deformation of drive member  334 . This deformation increases the contact area of drive member  334  with handrail  314 . Although not shown, two or more stabilizer members  336  and drive members  334  may be provided to assure good reliable contact between handrail  314  and stairs assistance device  300 . Further, an adjustable side support roller  344  may be provided to increase the stability of device  300 .  
         [0032]     Stairs assistance device  300  may also include a rechargeable battery  350 . Battery  350  may be removable to facilitate recharging. Alternately, as discussed above with respect to device  100 , a battery charger may be provided on each end of rail  314 .  
         [0033]     As illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , control button  330  is ergonomically positioned adjacent a top portion of handle  318  to facilitate operation of button  330  by the thumb  360  of an operator  370 . Actuation of button  330  from left to right, as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , causes stairs assistance device  300  to move to the right along rail  314 . Actuation of button  330  from right to left, as illustrated in  FIG. 9 , causes stairs assistance device  300  to move to the left along rail  314 . In one embodiment, control button  330  will only operate motor  324  only when control button  330  is held in one of its two actuated positions. In another embodiment, the speed of the motor, and, thus, the speed of device  300  along rail  314 , can be controlled by varying the pressure applied to control button  330 , i.e., increased actuation pressure increases the speed of device  300  along rail  314 .  
         [0034]      FIG. 10  illustrates a schematic drawing of an anti-rollback device  400  which can be incorporated into any of the presently disclosed stairs assistance devices to prevent the stairs assistance devices from accidentally rolling down a handrail (“accidental rollback”). Accidental rollback may occur as a result of an uneven or worn handrail or a worn roller. Anti-rollback device  400  includes a latch module  403 , a latch member  401  and a solenoid  406 . A first end  401   a  of latch  401  is pivotally supported to a body of latch module  403  about a pivot member  404 . A second end  401   b  of latch member  401  includes a slip resistant pad  402  positioned to engage a surface of handrail  14 . Pad  402  may be formed of rubber or the like and is secured to latch member  401  using any known fastening technique, e.g., molding, adhesives, screws, etc. Alternately, latch member  401  can be formed with an integral slip resistant surface. A biasing member, e.g., spring  405  is positioned between an inner wall of module  403  and latch member  401  in tension to urge latch member  401  to a position in which pad  402  engages handrail  14 . A solenoid  406  or the like is attached to latch member  401  directly or via a link  410  and is actuable to urge latch member  401  to a position in which pad  402  is moved off of handrail  14 .  
         [0035]     In use, when a user is moving up a staircase, latch member  401  is maintained in sliding contact with an exterior surface of handrail  14 . If for any reason stairs assistance device  10  begins to slide downwardly along handrail  14  during upward operation of stairs assistance device  10 , pad  402  wedges against handrail  14  to prevent downward movement of stairs assistance device  10  along handrail  14 .  
         [0036]     When stairs assistance device  10  is operated to move down a staircase handrail  14 , solenoid  406  is actuated to disengage pad  402  from handrail  14  to allow device  10  to move down the handrail. In one embodiment, solenoid  406  is powered in response to operation of switch  30   b  which actuates motor assembly  24  for driving driven roller  20  (See  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). As such, when switch  30   b  is released, whether accidentally or intentionally, solenoid  406  is de-energized and releases latch member  401 . When latch member  401  is released by solenoid  406 , spring  405  pivots latch member  401  to move pad  402  into engagement with handrail  14  to prevent further downward movement of device  10  along handrail  14 .  
         [0037]     In one embodiment, solenoid  406  is connected in parallel with motor assembly  24 . A diode  407  is provided to allow energizing of solenoid  406  only when device  10  is operated to move down a handrail.  
         [0038]     Anti-rollback device  400  can be formed independently of the presently disclosed stairs assistance devices and secured to a side, front or rear thereof using known securement techniques. Alternately, anti-rollback device  400  can be integrally formed with any one or all of the presently disclosed stairs assistance devices.  
         [0039]     It will be understood that various modifications may be made to the embodiments disclosed herein. For example, the body of the stairs assistance device may be reconfigured to engage any handrail configuration. Also, although not disclosed herein, gearing or a gear arrangement will have to be provided to connect the motor assembly to the driven roller or rollers. Many different gear arrangements suitable for use in this device will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. Further, the materials used to form this device may be selected from plastics, metals or any other materials meeting the requisite strength requirements. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the claims appended hereto.