Patent Document

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary stair safety apparatus; 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a possible use for the exemplary stair safety apparatus; 
       FIG. 3  is an overhead view of the stair safety apparatus in use; 
       FIG. 4  is an oblique perspective view of the illustration of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a second exemplary embodiment of the stair safety apparatus; 
       FIGS. 6A  &amp; B depicts use of one possible alarm device for use with the stair safety apparatus of  FIG. 5 ; and 
       FIGS. 7A &amp; 7B  show a further exemplary embodiment of the stair safety apparatus. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The various embodiments of the present invention and their advantages are best understood by referring to  FIGS. 1 through 7  of the drawings. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention. Throughout the drawings, like numerals are used for like and corresponding parts of the various drawings. 
     This invention may be provided in other specific forms and embodiments without departing from the essential characteristics as described herein. The embodiments described above are to be considered in all aspects as illustrative only and not restrictive in any manner. The following claims rather than the foregoing description indicate the scope of the invention. 
       FIG. 1  depicts an exemplary stair safety apparatus  10  comprising a bar member  11 , a wrist band  13 , and an elastic or stretchable cord  15  connecting the bar member  11  and the wrist band  13  so the apparatus is worn around a user&#39;s wrist. The bar member  11  comprises a rigid core with an outer surface of a high friction material, for example, rubber or similar polymeric substance. Preferably, the outer surface further comprises a plurality of circumferential ribs  12  that lay roughly perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bar member  11 . The cord  15  may be a helical stretch cord, as depicted, or may be any suitable elastic line. 
       FIGS. 2 through 4  illustrate the use of the stair safety apparatus  10  where the apparatus  10 , worn by a user  14 , is suspended between a stair rail  16  and the wall  18  to which the stair rail is mounted. If a user falls as he or she transits the stair way, the bar member  11  becomes wedged between the wall and the stair rail ( FIG. 4 ), and the cord is pulled tight by the weight of the user. The friction between the outer surface of the bar member  11  and the wall helps to prevent the bar member  11  from disengaging from is wedged position. It will be appreciated that the bar member  11  should be long enough to engage both the wall and the stair rail, and the cord  15  should be long enough, in a stretched position, to prevent a user from toppling when a stumble occurs. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 5 , an embodiment of the stair safety apparatus includes a hollow bar member  21  defining a chamber  22  in which is retained an alarm device  23 . The alarm device  23  may be connected to a line  25  having an end attached to the cord  15 . When a user falls and the cord  15  is pulled tight, the line  25  is also pulled and triggering activation of the alarm device  23 . An alai device  23  suitable for use in this embodiment is exemplified by the personal keychain alarm device Model No. 51208 offered by General Electric Co. As shown in  FIGS. 6A &amp; 6B , such an alarm device  23  may include a pin  27  attached to the line  25 , which is configured to activate an audible alarm when removed from the alarm device  23 , which occurs when the line is pulled along with the cord  15  when a user falls on the stairs as described above. 
     In another embodiment, shown with reference to  FIGS. 7A and 7B , the bar member  31  comprises two pieces  33   a, b , wherein a first piece  33   a  is formed to include a boss  35 . The second piece  33   b  is formed with a chamber  32  for receiving the boss  35 . In this way, the bar member  31  may be separated into pieces for convenient storage and re-attached for use. 
     As described above and shown in the associated drawings, the present invention comprises a stair safety apparatus. While particular embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited thereto, since modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings. It is, therefore, contemplated by the appended claims to cover any such modifications that incorporate those features or those improvements that embody the spirit and scope of the present invention.

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