TELESCOPIC LADDER ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A telescopically extendable and collapsible ladder assembly includes a top ladder section, a bottom ladder section, and one or more intermediate ladder sections. The assembly may include sliding automatic release actuators, having a slanted actuating surface for interaction with actuator surfaces of spacers provided at each end of a rung of an adjacent ladder section, such that, when a rung is moved towards the rung of an adjacent lower ladder section, the activation surfaces of the spacers push the release actuators into an unlocking position and subsequently position the rung at an anti-finger pinching distance. The top rung of the bottom ladder section may be provided with a centrally arranged grip element that forms a housing for manually operable release actuators provided at the bottom side of the rung.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A telescopically extendable and collapsible ladder assembly having at a top ladder section, a bottom ladder section, and one or more intermediate ladder sections, wherein the top ladder section and each of the one or more intermediate ladder sections have two tubular stile members arranged parallel to each other and interconnected at a top end by a ladder rung to form a U-shaped ladder section, and wherein the bottom ladder section has two tubular stile members arranged parallel to each other and interconnected by an top ladder rung and a bottom ladder rung, wherein the ladder rungs are made from an aluminium tubular profile, the profile including a top wall, a bottom wall, as well as a front and a back wall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall, wherein the stile members of the top ladder section and the one or more intermediate ladder sections are telescopically inserted into the stile members of an adjacent lower ladder section, so that the one or more intermediate ladder sections and the top ladder section can be collapsed in a collapsing direction towards the bottom ladder section, wherein the top rung of the bottom ladder section and the rung of each of the one or more intermediate ladder sections are provided at each end with an automatic latch mechanism, said automatic latch mechanisms being adapted for automatically locking the stile members of the adjacent higher ladder section in a fully extended position of said adjacent higher ladder section, wherein the automatic latch mechanisms of the intermediate ladder sections are each associated with a release actuator for unlocking the stile members of an adjacent higher ladder section in order to allow for automatic release and collapsing of the ladder assembly, wherein the automatic latch mechanisms of the bottom ladder section are each associated with a manually operable release actuator for unlocking of the stile members of the adjacent higher ladder section by a user in order to allow for a manually release and collapsing of the ladder assembly, wherein the top rung of the bottom ladder section is at its bottom side provided with an centrally arranged grip element, the grip element including a front wall, a back wall, as well as a bottom wall extending between a bottom end of the front wall and a bottom end of the back wall, wherein the bottom wall of the grip element extends substantially parallel to the bottom wall of the top rung and provides a grip surface at a distance from the bottom wall of the top rung, which grip surface allows for engaging the collapsed ladder by hand using said grip surface; wherein the grip element forms a housing for the manually operable release actuators of the bottom ladder section, wherein said manually operable release actuators are accessible at lateral sides of the grip element, wherein said manually operable release actuators extend through a slot in the bottom wall of the rung into the interior of the rung, each of said actuators being connected to a linkage member, which extends inside the rung to a latch mechanism at the outer end of the rung, and wherein said manually operable release actuators are each movable, parallel to the front wall and the back wall of the grip element and along the bottom wall of the rung, between a rest position and an actuated positon, to allow for manually operating the latch mechanisms and unlocking the stile members of the adjacent higher ladder section by pushing the manually operable release actuators towards each other and into the grip element.

15. The ladder assembly according to claim 14, the manually operable release actuators are bar-shaped, having a longitudinal axis extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the top rung, and have a grip surface at an actuating end for pushing the actuator into the grip element.

16. The ladder assembly according to claim 15, wherein the grip surface of the manually operable release actuators is curved towards the front and the back of the grip element, such that, when seen in bottom view, the actuating end for pushing the actuator has a semi circular or semi oval shape.

17. The ladder assembly according to claim 14, wherein the front wall and a the back wall of the grip element overlap with the front wall and the back wall of the rung, such that the grip area provided by the grip element overlaps with the front and back of the rung.

18. The ladder assembly according to claim 17, wherein the manually operable release actuators are bar shaped and have a width in a direction perpendicular to the front wall and the back wall of the grip element, and wherein the width of the bar shaped release actuator is substantially similar to the width of the rung to which the grip element is mounted.

19. The ladder assembly according to claim 14, wherein the grip element is an injection moulded essentially U-shaped element.

20. The ladder assembly according to claim 14, wherein the slot, or slots, through which the manually operable release actuators extend into the interior of the rung are located in the central area of the rung that is covered by the grip element and the release actuators when in their actuated position.

21. The ladder assembly according to claim 14, wherein the manually operable release actuators each have a an extension for coupling the actuator with the linkage member.

22. The ladder assembly according to claim 14, wherein the latch mechanisms and/or the actuators are provided with one or more spring elements, that bias the release actuators towards their respective rest positions.

23. The ladder assembly according to claim 14, wherein the grip element extends between 10 mm and 25 mm below the bottom wall of the top rung.

24. The ladder assembly according to claim 14, wherein the grip element, more in particular the grip surface provided by the grip element, has a length parallel to a longitudinal direction of the rung, which length is between 50 mm and 80 mm.

25. The ladder assembly according to claim 14, wherein the manually operable release actuators have a height between 10 mm and 25 mm.

26. The ladder assembly according to claim 14, wherein the manually operable release actuators have a width in a direction perpendicular to the front wall and the back wall of the grip element, and wherein the width of the bar shaped release actuator is between 15 mm and 40 mm.

27. The ladder assembly according to claim 14, wherein the manually operable release actuators, at the end facing the rung, have a grip surface for engagement by a user, and wherein the distance between those grip surfaces, when the release actuators are in their rest position, is between 90 mm and 140 mm.

28. The ladder assembly according to claim 14, wherein the manually operable release actuators, when the release actuators are each in their rest position, protrude at lateral sides of the grip element between 12 and 20 millimetres.

29. The ladder assembly according to claim 14, wherein all the latch mechanisms provided at each end of the rungs of the intermediate ladder sections are automatic latch mechanisms, of which the release actuators are arranged for cooperating with an actuator pin provided on the rung of an adjacent lower ladder section for automatically unlocking the automatic latch mechanism when the ladder section is moved in a collapsing direction towards the adjacent lower ladder section.

30. The ladder assembly according to claim 14, wherein the rung of each intermediate ladder section is provided with one or more manually operable release actuators connected to the latch mechanisms of the rung to allow for manual unlocking of the stile members of said adjacent higher ladder section by a user in order to allow for a section-by-section manually release and collapsing of the ladder assembly.

31. A loft ladder including a ladder assembly according to claim 14.

32. A stepladder having a first stepladder assembly and a second stepladders assembly hinged to one another so as to be in a storage position folded against one another and an operative position similar to an inverted V at least one of the stepladder assemblies being a ladder assembly according to claim 14.

33. A work platform including a ladder assembly according to claim 14.

34. The ladder assembly according to claim 14, wherein the latch mechanisms and the actuators are provided with one or more spring elements that bias the release actuators towards their respective rest positions.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0093] In the drawings

[0094] FIG. 1 shows a frontal view of a telescopic extendable and collapsible ladder assembly according to the first aspect of the invention, in an extended condition;

[0095] FIG. 2 shows a frontal view in close up of two ladder rungs, each connected to a stile member via a connector, of the ladder assembly of FIG. 1;

[0096] FIG. 3 shows perspective view from below of a top rung of a bottom ladder section and an adjacent upper ladder section a partially inserted in said bottom ladder section,

[0097] FIG. 4 shows a further perspective view from below of the bottom ladder section and an adjacent upper ladder section of FIG. 3,

[0098] FIG. 5 shows a frontal view of the bottom ladder section and an adjacent upper ladder section of FIG. 3, with the adjacent upper ladder section further inserted in the bottom ladder section,

[0099] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view from below of the bottom ladder section and an adjacent upper ladder section of FIG. 5,

[0100] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view from above of a connector of a ladder assembly according to the first aspect of the invention,

[0101] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view from below of a connector of the connector of FIG. 7,

[0102] FIG. 9 shows a perspective view from below of a connector of automatic release actuator of a ladder assembly according to the first aspect of the invention,

[0103] FIG. 10 shows a perspective top view from above of the automatic release actuator of FIG. 9,

[0104] FIG. 11 shows a frontal view in cross section of the bottom ladder section and the adjacent upper ladder section of FIG. 5;

[0105] FIG. 12 shows a frontal view of a telescopic extendable and collapsible ladder assembly according to the second aspect of the invention, in an extended condition;

[0106] FIG. 13 shows a perspective view in close up of a top rung of a bottom ladder section of the ladder assembly of FIG. 12;

[0107] FIG. 14 shows partial frontal view in cross section of the top rung of FIG. 13;

[0108] FIG. 15 shows frontal view in cross section of the top rung of FIG. 13; and

[0109] FIG. 16 shows a frontal view in cross section of the top rung of FIG. 13 with manual operable actuators in an actuated position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0110] FIG. 1 shows a frontal view of a telescopic extendable and collapsible ladder assembly 1 according to the first aspect of the invention, in an extended condition. The ladder assembly 1 has a top ladder section 2, a bottom ladder section 3, and multiple intermediate ladder sections 4.

[0111] The stile members of the top ladder section 2 and of the one or more intermediate ladder sections 4 are telescopically inserted into the stile members of an adjacent lower ladder section, so that the multiple intermediate ladder sections and the top ladder section can be collapsed in a collapsing direction towards the bottom ladder section.

[0112] The top ladder section 2 and each of the multiple intermediate ladder sections 4 have two tubular stile members 5 arranged parallel to each other and interconnected at a top end by a ladder rung 6 to form a U-shaped ladder section. The bottom ladder section 3 has two tubular stile members 5 arranged parallel to each other and interconnected by a top ladder rung 6′ and a bottom ladder rung 6″.

[0113] The ladder rungs 6,6′,6″ are made from an aluminium tubular profile, the profile including a top wall, a bottom wall, as well as a front and a back wall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall.

[0114] FIG. 2 shows a frontal view in close up of two ladder rungs 6 of the ladder assembly of FIG. 1. Each ladder rung is connected to a stile member 5 via a connector 7. Each ladder section 2,3,4 includes a connector 7 at each end of a rung 6,6′,6″. FIG. 7 shows a perspective view from above of a connector 7 of a ladder assembly according to the first aspect of the invention. FIG. 8 shows a perspective view from below of a connector of the connector of FIG. 7. The connector 7 has a rung portion 8, in use connected to the end of a ladder rung, and a stile member portion 9, in use connected to one of the stile members of a ladder section.

[0115] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the connector is at it's stile member portion 9 provided with a ring shaped section for receiving the stile member 5 of a ladder section, which is to be inserted into the ladder rung.

[0116] The top rung 6′ of the bottom ladder section 3 and the rung 6 of each of the multiple intermediate ladder sections 4 are all provided at, each end of the ladder rung 6′,6, with a spacer 10 for, when the ladder assembly 1 is in a collapsed condition, supporting the adjacent upper ladder rung 6 at a predetermined anti-finger pinching distance from the ladder rung 6′ ,6″ on which the spacer has been provided. This, to prevent fingers from getting pinched between the ladder rungs when the ladder assembly is brought into its collapsed position. In an embodiment, this anti-finger pinching distance is for example 2 cm measured between the top wall of a ladder rung and the bottom wall of an adjacent upper ladder rung.

[0117] The top rung 6′ of the bottom ladder section 3 and the rung 6 of each of the multiple intermediate ladder sections 4 are provided at each end with an automatic latch mechanism 11. The automatic latch mechanisms 11 are adapted for automatically locking the stile members 5 of the adjacent higher ladder section in a fully extended position of said adjacent higher ladder section. FIG. 11 shows a frontal view in cross section of the bottom ladder section 3 and the adjacent upper ladder section 4, also shown in FIG. 5, in which the automatic latching mechanism 11 provided at the end of the ladder rung of the intermediate ladder section is visible.

[0118] The automatic latching mechanisms in the ladder rungs of the ladder assembly 1 are typically all substantially similar in design. The automatic latch mechanisms 11 comprise a locking pin 12, which locking pin is moveably supported for movement along a rung 6′,6 , i.e. in a longitudinal direction thereof, between a locking positon, in which an end of the locking pin 12 is inserted in an opening provided in the stile member 5 of the adjacent upper ladder section to lock the stile members 5 relative to each other, and an unlocking position, depicted in FIG. 11, in which said end of said locking pin 12 is retracted from said opening. Each locking pin 12 is biased towards the stile member, i.e. towards the locking position, preferably by way of a spring element, for example a helical spring 13 as depicted in FIG. 11. A manually operable release actuator and/or an automatic release actuator are/is provided for moving the locking pin into its unlocking position.

[0119] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the sliding automatic release actuators 14 are provided below the rungs 6,6′, i.e. on the outside thereof, and extend through a slot in the bottom wall of the rung and connector, see FIG. 11, into the interior of the rung and connector. In this embodiment, the slanted actuating surface 21 of the automatic release actuators 14 is thus also provided outside the ladder rung and the connector. In the particular embodiment shown, the automatic release actuators 14 each have an extension, entering the rung 6 and connector 7, for coupling the automatic release actuator 14 with the locking pin 12. In the embodiment shown, the extension includes a snap provision 23 adapted to snap around the rod-shaped locking pin 23, see FIGS. 9 and 10.

[0120] The skilled person will appreciate that the body of the connector includes a passage for the locking pin (which can form an extension of or be connected to the automatic release actuator) and allows to accommodate the spring 13 for biasing said locking pin 12 towards it's locked position (the stile member having an associated locking pin opening to receive said locking pin in extended state of the ladder section).

[0121] The automatic latch mechanisms 11 of the bottom ladder section 3 each comprise a manually operable release actuator 13, which manually operable release actuators are coupled with the locking pin of the automatic latch mechanisms for unlocking the stile member of an adjacent higher ladder section by moving the locking pin into its unlocking position, in order to allow for collapsing of the ladder assembly.

[0122] In the ladder assembly 1 shown, the manually operable release actuators 13 are located centrally on the top ladder rung 6′ of the bottom ladder section. In an alternative embodiment, the manually operable release actuators are for example provided at the ends of the ladder rung, or a single manually operable release actuator, connected with both latching mechanisms, is provided at the centre of the rung.

[0123] The automatic latch mechanisms 11 of the intermediate ladder sections 4 each comprise an automatic release actuator 14. These automatic release actuators 14 are coupled with the locking pin 12 of the automatic latch mechanisms 11, for unlocking the stile member of an adjacent higher ladder section by moving the automatic release actuator from its rest positon, shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, into its actuated position, shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 11, and thus moving the locking pin from its locking position into its unlocking position, in order to allow for collapsing of the ladder assembly,

[0124] According to the first aspect of the invention, the spacers 10 of the ladder assembly 1 are each located at the top side of their ladder rung 6,6′ and against a stile member 5 of the adjacent upper ladder section. For example in FIG. 11 it is clearly shown that the spacer rests against the outer surface of the stile member of the adjacent upper ladder section. Thus, when the adjacent upper ladder section is moved towards its collapsed position, it slides along the spacer. The spacers 10 each extend along the stile member in an upward direction between a base 15, which base 15 is located at the top of the rung, and a top end 16, which top end is provided with a slanted actuating surface 17. The slanted actuating surface 17 is at its top end 18 located adjacent the stile member and veers away from the stile member 5 in the downward direction.

[0125] According to the first aspect of the invention, the ladder rung 6, e.g. the part of a connector that forms part of the rung, of an intermediate ladder section is at its bottom side at both ends provided with a slanted support surface 19, extending parallel to and vertically above, i.e. in a vertical projection or directly above, the slanted actuating surfaces 17 of the spacers 10 of the adjacent lower ladder section, such that when the ladder assembly is in its collapsed positon, the support surfaces 19 rest against the actuating surfaces 17 of the spacers 10 of the adjacent lower ladder section, as shown in FIG. 11, to keep the ladder rungs at a predetermined anti-finger pinching distance.

[0126] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the connector 7 is at its top provided with a spacer 10, and at its bottom side provided with the slanted support surface 19. Furthermore, the connector 7 is made out of plastic using the injection moulding technique, and the spacer 10 and support surface 19 form an integral part with the connector.

[0127] Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment shown, the rung is provided with a recess comprising the support surface 19. The recess is a one side open chamber 20 in the bottom of the connector 7. The support surface 19 forms the top wall of the chamber 20, and one sidewall of the chamber 20 is formed by the stile member 5, see FIG. 8 and FIG. 11.

[0128] According to the first aspect of the invention, the automatic release actuators 14 are sliding actuators which are moveably supported for movement along a rung, in a longitudinal direction thereof.

[0129] Furthermore, the automatic release actuators 14 are each provided with a slanted actuating surface 21 extending parallel to the slanted actuating surface 17 of the spacer 10 of the adjacent lower ladder section. When the automatic release actuator 14 is in its rest position, the actuating surface 17 of the release actuator 14 is located vertically above, i.e. in a vertical projection or directly above, the slanted actuating surface 17 of the spacer 10 of the adjacent lower ladder section, see for example FIGS. 2-4.

[0130] When a ladder rung 6 is moved towards the ladder rung 6′ of an adjacent lower ladder section 3, compare FIGS. 3 and 4 with FIGS. 5 and 6, the slanted activation surfaces 17 of the spacers 10 of the ladder rung 6′ of the adjacent lower ladder section 3 first contacts the slanted actuating surfaces 21 of sliding automatic release actuators, pushing the sliding automatic release actuators into their unlocking position, and subsequently contact the slanted support surfaces 19 of the ladder rung 6, positioning the ladder rung 6 at a predetermined anti-finger pinching distance from the ladder rung 6′ of the adjacent lower ladder section 3.

[0131] Thus, according to the first aspect of the invention, the spacers 10 are each arranged such that—during collapse of the ladder assembly 1—they cooperates with an automatic release actuator 14 of an automatic latch mechanism 11 arranged on an adjacent upper ladder section 4, the locking pin 12 of that locking mechanism being initially biased into its locking position and being moved by said cooperation with the slanted actuating surface 21 against said bias into an unlocking position, said locking pin in said unlocking position allowing for the passage of the stile member of the adjacent ladder section during collapse of the ladder section assembly.

[0132] It is observed that in the exemplary embodiment shown, the slanted support surfaces 19 of a ladder rung are located below the locking pins 12 of the latching mechanism of the ladder rung, more in particular are located centrally below the locking pins, see for example FIG. 8.

[0133] By providing a sliding release actuator with an activation surface located below the support surface, the first aspect of the invention enables to provide the support surface below the pin and thus locate the spacer at the center of the rung, which in turn provides a compact configuration of the spacer, automatic release actuator, latch mechanism assembly.

[0134] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the ladder stile members 5 each have a circular cross section comprising with a flat section 22 facing the ladder rung 6,6′,6″. The flat section 22 extends perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the ladder rung 6,6′,6″. The flat wall section 22 of the stile members 5 provides an optimal lateral support for the spacers 10, which are each positioned against this flat section of the ladder stile members. This is beneficial since the spacers 10, during the collapse of the ladder assembly, are subjected to a substantial load when they block the adjacent upper ladder section at a predetermined anti-finger pinching distance from further advancing. Because both the actuating surface of the spacer and the support surface of the adjacent upper ladder rung extend at an angle with the stile members of the ladder, a substantial part of the compressive forces exerted onto the spacer, either on impact when the ladder sections are moved into their collapsed position or when the ladder is in its collapsed positon, is directed in a lateral direction towards the stile member. This reduces the chance that the spacer gets damaged. When the stile member is provided with a flat contact surface, this load can be optimally transferred from spacer to stile member.

[0135] It is observed that the first aspect of the invention allows for providing the actuating surface of the automatic release actuator and the support surface of the adjacent upper ladder rung below the locking pin, see FIG. 11, which is typically provided in the center of the rung. Thus, the first aspect of the invention allows for a providing the spacers in a central position on a rung, i.e. directly below the locking pin when seen in top view. This positon of the spacer allows for providing a narrow spacer, and thus or providing the stile member with a relative narrow flat support surface for said spacer.

[0136] FIG. 12 shows a frontal view of a telescopically extendable and collapsible ladder assembly 101 according to the second aspect of the invention, in an extended condition. The ladder assembly 101 comprises at a top ladder section 102, a bottom ladder section 103, and multiple intermediate ladder sections 104.

[0137] The top ladder section 102 and each of the one or more intermediate ladder sections 104 each have two tubular stile members 105 arranged parallel to each other and interconnected at a top end by a ladder rung 106 to form a U-shaped ladder section. The bottom ladder section 103 has two tubular stile members 105 arranged parallel to each other and interconnected by a top ladder rung 106′ and a bottom ladder rung 106″.

[0138] The bottom ladder section 103 is the ladder sections configured for, during use of the ladder, assembly, forming the base of the extended ladder 101. Typically, the bottom end of the tubular stile members 105 of the bottom ladder section 103 are provided with plastic or rubber “feet” that provide a non slippery contact with the support surface onto which the ladder has been mounted.

[0139] In the embodiment shown, the ladder rungs 106,106′,106″ are each made from an extruded aluminium tubular profile, the profile including a top wall 107, a bottom wall 108, as well as a front wall 109 and a back wall 110 extending between the top wall and the bottom wall

[0140] The stile members 105 of the top ladder section 102 and the intermediate ladder sections 104 are telescopically inserted into the stile members of an adjacent lower ladder section, so that the one or more intermediate ladder sections and the top ladder section can be collapsed in a collapsing direction towards the bottom ladder section 102.

[0141] The top rung 106′ of the bottom ladder section 103 and the ladder rung 106 of each of the multiple intermediate ladder sections 104 are provided at each end with an automatic latch mechanism 111. The latch mechanisms are provided inside the ladder rungs, and are therefore not visible in FIG. 12 but is depicted in the cross sectional views of FIGS. 14 and 15. The automatic latch mechanism 111 is adapted for automatically locking the stile members 105 of the adjacent higher ladder section in a fully extended position of the adjacent higher ladder section. It is observed that these types of latch mechanisms are as such known in the prior art, and therefore are not discussed in great detail herein.

[0142] The automatic latch mechanisms 111 of the multiple intermediate ladder sections 104 are each associated with a release actuator 112 for unlocking the stile members 105 of an adjacent higher ladder section in order to allow for automatic release and collapsing of the ladder assembly 101.

[0143] The automatic latch mechanisms 111 of the bottom ladder section 103 are each connected with a manually operable release actuator 113 for unlocking of the stile members 105 of the adjacent higher ladder section, i.e. an intermediate ladder section 104, by a user in order to allow for a manually release and collapsing of the ladder assembly 101

[0144] According to the second aspect of the invention, the top rung 106 of the bottom ladder section 103 is at its bottom side provided with a centrally arranged grip element 114. The grip element 114 including a front wall 115, a back wall 116, as well as a bottom wall 117 extending between a bottom end of the front wall and a bottom end of the back wall of the grip element.

[0145] The bottom wall 117 of the grip element 114 extends substantially parallel to the bottom wall 108 of the top rung 106′ and provides a grip surface 118 at a distance from the bottom wall 108 of the top rung 106′, which grip surface 118 allows for engaging the collapsed ladder assembly 101 by hand using said grip surface. The grip element 114 furthermore forms a housing for the manually operable release actuators 113 of the bottom ladder section 103.

[0146] The manually operable release actuators 113 extend at opposite sides out of the grip element 114. The manually operable release actuators 113 are each movable, parallel to the front wall 115 and the back wall 116 of the grip element 114 and along the bottom wall 108 of the rung 106′, between a rest position, shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, and an actuated positon. At the end facing the rung, the manually operable release actuators 113 have a grip surface 120 for engagement by a user. The grip surface, at least at a central area thereof, extends substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the rung of the ladder. In the embodiment shown, the two manually operable release actuators 113 are operable simultaneously with a single hand of the user.

[0147] The manually operable release actuators 113 extend through a slot in the bottom wall 108 of the ladder rung 106′ into the interior of the rung. Each of the actuators 113 is connected to a linkage member, in the embodiment shown a linkage rod 119, which extends inside the ladder rung 106′ to a latch mechanism 111 at the outer end of the rung. Thus, by pushing the manually operable release actuators 113 towards each other and into the grip element 114, the latch mechanisms 111 are operated and the stile members 105 of the adjacent higher ladder section 104 are unlocked.

[0148] In the embodiment shown, the latch mechanisms 111 provided in the top rung 106′ each include a spring biased locking element, in particular a locking pin 121, which is configured for locking the tubular stile members relative to each other and thus secure the ladder assembly 101 in its extended position. Since the latch mechanisms 111, more in particular the locking pin 121 of the latch mechanisms, are coupled to the manually operable actuators 113 via a linkage member, in the embodiment shown linkage rods 119, the spring elements 122 also biases the release actuators 113 into their rest positions. Thus, a release actuator 113 is moved back into it's extend position by the spring elements 122, after it has been pushed into the grip element 14 by the user to unlock the stile members 105 of the adjacent higher ladder section.

[0149] In an alternative embodiment, the actuators are provided with one or more spring elements, instead off or in addition to spring elements provided in the latch mechanisms, to bias the release actuators towards their respective rest positions. For example, a biased spring element can be provided in the grip element, with its opposite ends contacting the respective manually operable release actuators, to push them out of the housing into their rest positions.

[0150] The second aspect of the invention provides manually operable actuating means with a contact surface that extends substantially perpendicular to the movement of the actuator, which provides optimal grip. In practice, the manually operable release actuators thus function as push buttons provided at opposite ends of the grip element.

[0151] The second aspect of the invention furthermore allows for providing the actuators with a large contact area, which reduces the peak pressures in the fingers when pushing the actuators in their actuating direction. This is possible because the actuators are provided below the rung, instead of at the front of the rung, and are integrated in the grip element. The protruding actuators thus do not obstruct movement of a person climbing the ladder and are at the same time protected against accidental contact with the feet of a user.

[0152] In an embodiment each ladder rung is connected at each end thereof to the stile member via a connector member, the locking pin being reciprocally supported in the connector member, e.g. with a spring between the locking pin and the connector member to bias the pin toward its locking position.

[0153] The skilled person will appreciate that the body of the connector can be provided with a passage for a locking pin (which can form an extension of or be connected to the mentioned rod attached to the slide actuators) and allows to accommodate a spring for biasing said locking pin towards a locked position (commonly the stile member having an associated locking pin opening to receive said locking pin in extended state of the ladder section).

[0154] In an embodiment the one or more actuators are arranged on the front side of the rungs of the intermediate ladder sections, e.g. two actuators, each connected to a corresponding locking pin, arranged centrally on the front side of the rung so as to be operable simultaneously with a single hand.

[0155] The tubular stile members may have a circular cross-section, but other cross-sectional shapes, e.g. square, rectangular (rounded), triangular, delta shaped, oval, elliptical, etc. are also possible.

[0156] In the particular embodiment shown, the manually operable release actuators 113 are bar-shaped, having a longitudinal axis extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the top rung 106, the bar shaped manually operable release actuators 113 have a grip surface 120 at an actuating end for pushing the release actuator into the grip element 114.

[0157] In the particular embodiment shown, the grip surface 120 of the manually operable release actuators 113 is curved towards the front and the back of the grip element 114, such that, when seen in bottom view, the actuating end for pushing the actuator has a semi circular or semi oval shape.

[0158] in the embodiment shown, see FIGS. 13 and 15, the front wall and the back wall of the grip element overlap with the front wall and the back wall of the rung, such that the grip area provided by the grip element overlaps with the front and back of the rung.

[0159] In the embodiment shown, the manually operable release actuators 113 extend though slots into the interior of the rung 106,106′, which slots are located in the central area of the rung. The slots and the grip element, including the manually operable release actuators are dimensioned such that the slots are covered by the grip element and the release actuators when in their actuated position, see for example FIG. 14 and FIG. 16.

[0160] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the manually operable release actuators 113 each have a an extension 123 for coupling the actuator with the linkage member, for example includes a snap provision adapted to snap around a rod-shaped linkage member.

[0161] Ladder assembly according to the second aspect of the invention, wherein the latch mechanisms and/or the actuators are provided with one or more spring elements, such as helical springs, that bias the release actuators towards their respective rest positions.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0162] 01 ladder assembly [0163] 02 top ladder section [0164] 03 bottom ladder section [0165] 04 intermediate ladder sections [0166] 05 stile member [0167] 06 ladder rung [0168] 06′ top ladder rung [0169] 06″ bottom ladder rung [0170] 07 connector [0171] 08 ladder rung portion connector [0172] 09 stile member portion connector [0173] 10 spacer [0174] 11 automatic latch mechanism [0175] 12 locking pin [0176] 13 manually operable release actuators [0177] 14 automatic release actuators [0178] 15 base of spacer [0179] 16 top end of spacer [0180] 17 slanted actuating surface spacer [0181] 18 top end slanted actuating surface of spacer [0182] 19 slanted support surface ladder rung [0183] 20 one side open chamber in bottom side connector [0184] 21 slanted actuating surface of automatic release actuators [0185] 22 flat section stile member [0186] 23 extension automatic release actuator [0187] 24 spring element [0188] 101 ladder assembly [0189] 102 top ladder sections [0190] 103 bottom ladder section [0191] 104 intermediate ladder sections [0192] 105 tubular stile members [0193] 106 ladder rung [0194] 106′ top ladder rung bottom section [0195] 106″ bottom ladder rung bottom section [0196] 107 top wall ladder rung [0197] 108 bottom wall ladder rung [0198] 109 front wall ladder rung [0199] 110 back wall ladder rung [0200] 111 latch mechanism [0201] 112 release actuator [0202] 113 manually operable release actuator [0203] 114 grip element [0204] 115 front wall grip element [0205] 116 back wall grip element [0206] 117 bottom wall grip element [0207] 118 grip surface grip element [0208] 119 linkage rod [0209] 120 grip surface manually operable release actuator [0210] 121 locking pin [0211] 122 spring element latch mechanism [0212] 123 extension