Patent ID: 7587866

Claim:
A housing system adapted to selectively cover an opening in a building floor accessible by a pull down stairway of a type pivotally movable between a stored position and a deployed position, said housing system comprising: a cover movable between a first position covering the opening and a second position exposing the opening, said cover having an inverted construction defining an interior compartment for at least partially receiving the pull down stairway within said interior compartment when the housing system is installed to selectively cover the opening and the pull down stairway is in the closed position; an actuator assembly connected to the cover and attachable to the pull down stairway, said actuator assembly causing movement of said cover from said first position to said second position in response to movement of the pull down stairway from the stored position to the deployed position when the housing system is installed to selectively cover the opening; said actuator assembly having one or more handrail members, each of said one or more handrail members having a first end rigidly attached to the pull down stairway when the housing system is installed to selectively cover the opening and a second end pivotally linked to said cover; and said one or more handrail members movable in response to movement of the pull down stairway such that movement of the pull down stairway to the deployed position causes movement of said one or more handrail members to a position proximate and above the opening; the handrail being pivotally connected to the cover such that in a closed position the handrail extends above the cover.