Indoor stair slide for transporting the handicapped between floors and/or for joyful rides

• US 7,494,419 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2006
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bezalel Katz, Dov Katz
• Original Assignee: Bezalel Katz, Dov Katz
• Inventors: Katz, Dov, Katz, Bezalel
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIEN T
• Application Number:
  US11/330,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20070161460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 472116-117, 472/128, 472/129, 472/134, 182/48, 182/49
• US Class Current: 472/116
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 21/00 Chutes; Helter-skelters
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/12 with inflatable and movable substructures connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 9/08 associated with stairways, e.g. for transporting disabled persons facilitating access of invalids to vehicles A61G3/02

Abstract

A stair slide having a longitudinally extending inflatable body with an upper surface and a lower surface. The body is configured so that when inflated, the lower surface conforms to steps of a stairway and the upper surface is substantially flat. A mounting device is attached to an upper end of the body for securing the body at the stairway. A lower end of the body opposite the upper end is formed as a flat landing area.

Claims

1. A stair slide comprising:

a longitudinally extending and inflatable slide body having an upper inflatable body which defines a sliding surface;

a mounting device attached to an upper end of the slide body for securing the slide body at a top of a stairway; and

a seat for sliding on the upper surface of the body; and

a winch attached to the seat for lowering and raising the seat along the upper surface of the body.

2. The stair slide of claim 1, wherein:

the longitudinally extending and inflatable slide body has an upper inflatable body which defines a sliding surface and a lower body below the sliding surface, the lower inflatable body being located on a plurality of inflatable expansion chambers, which expansion chambers, when inflated, have at least a portion thereof which conforms to steps of a stairway and which support the sliding surface thereabove; and

a mounting device attached to an upper end of the slide body for securing the slide body at a top of a stairway.

3. The stair slide of claim 1, further comprising a lower end of the body opposite the upper end that is formed as a flat landing area.

4. The stair slide as in claim 3 wherein an inflatable wall surrounds the flat landing area.

5. The stair slide as in claim 4, wherein the body forms a single inflatable chamber.

6. The stair slide as in claim 1, and further comprising handles mounted on the body to facilitate climbing up the body.

7. The stair slide as in claim 1, and further comprising a pump connectable to the body and operative to inflate the body.

8. The stair slide as in claim 7, wherein the body has at least one air inlet, the pump being connected to the inlet by a conduit.

9. The stair slide as in claim 8, wherein the body has a plurality of air inlets connected to the pump by the conduit.

10. The stair slide as in claim 9, and further comprising an air pressure sensor provided so as to sense air pressure in the body, the sensor putting out a start signal to actuate the pump when the air pressure is below a predetermined value, and a stop signal to stop the pump when the air pressure reaches a predetermined value.

11. The stair slide as in claim 7, wherein a plurality of pin-holes are provided in the upper surface of the body so as to create an air cushion on the upper surface.

12. The stair slide as in claim 7, and further comprising a remote control for actuating the pump.

13. The stair slide as in claim 1, wherein the mounting device includes an elongate rigid member that extends laterally beyond the body so as to be engageable behind a fixed structure.

14. The stair slide as in claim 1, wherein the body is formed by a plurality of compartments that are individually inflatable.

15. The stair slide as in claim 1, wherein the body has at least one air outlet valve.

16. The stair slide as in claim 1, wherein the lower body in a region of at least one of the steps has an additional inflatable chamber to compensate for variances of step heights of the stairway.

17. The stair slide as in claim 1, wherein the body is formed so that when deflated, the body can be folded or rolled into a relatively compact shape.

18. The stair slide as in claim 1, wherein the seat has a slanted bottom surface so that a sitting area of the seat is horizontal when on the upper surface of the body.

19. The stair slide as in claim 1, wherein the body comprises several, connectable sections.