Safety Device For Ladder
Patent No. US12366117 (titled "Safety Device For Ladder") was filed by Ikamper Co Ltd on Dec 23, 2020.
What is this patent about?
’117 is related to the field of ladder safety devices. Ladders, while useful for accessing elevated locations, present inherent risks of falls due to missed steps or loss of grip. Existing safety devices are often complex, cumbersome to install, and difficult to store, creating a need for a more convenient and user-friendly solution to prevent accidents.
The underlying idea behind ’117 is to provide a simple, easily deployable guard that extends behind the ladder rungs to prevent a user's foot from slipping off the back. This is achieved using a flexible guard member with strategically placed folding lines that allow it to be compactly stored when not in use, and quickly deployed to provide a safety barrier.
The claims of ’117 focus on a safety device comprising a guard member and fixing members. The guard member has connection portions for attaching to the ladder and cover portions with folding lines. When mounted, the connection portions are on the front of the ladder's horizontal supports, and the cover portions extend rearward, past the supports. The guard member can also be mounted in an alternate configuration, extending forward, and can be folded for storage.
In practice, the user unfolds the cover portions of the guard member and attaches it to the ladder using the fixing members, which wrap around the ladder rungs. The cover portions then extend behind the rungs, creating a barrier that prevents a foot from slipping backwards. The flexible material and folding lines allow the guard to be easily adjusted and stored when not needed.
This design differentiates itself from prior art by offering a balance of safety and convenience. Unlike bulky, permanently installed safety cages, ’117 provides a lightweight, easily removable, and foldable guard. The use of flexible material and folding lines allows for compact storage and quick deployment, addressing the limitations of existing ladder safety solutions.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the early 2020s when ’117 was filed, ladders were typically implemented using standardized materials and construction techniques, at a time when safety devices for ladders commonly relied on mechanical attachments or bracing systems. When hardware or software constraints made complex sensor integration and active control systems non-trivial for widespread consumer applications, ladder safety solutions often focused on passive mechanisms and ergonomic designs to minimize user error and prevent falls.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner allowed the claims because they include specific limitations related to the connection portion's placement on the ladder's front surface, the fixing members extending towards the rear, and the guard member's extension in a rear direction such that the folding line is farther back than the horizontal support. The guard member is also movable between use and alternate mounted configurations while remaining mounted on the ladder. These limitations, both individually and in combination, clearly distinguish the claimed safety device from the prior art, which does not anticipate or render obvious this particular arrangement of components and multiple mounting configurations.
Claims
This patent contains 10 claims, with claims 1 and 9 being independent. The independent claims are directed to a safety device for a ladder, comprising a guard member and fixing members. The dependent claims generally elaborate on specific features and configurations of the guard member, cover portion, connection portion, and fixing members described in the independent claims.
Key Claim Terms New
Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.
Patent Family
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Date
Description
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US12366117
- Application Number
- US17257010
- Filing Date
- Dec 23, 2020
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Feb 8, 2044
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents