Abstract
An open staircase is provided comprising a flight of stair treads and an uncut stringer. The treads have free opposing ends positioned on the stringer in a stepped apart relationship relative to one another and each are fixed to the uncut stringer at a position along the horizontal length of the tread such that the tread is cantilevered from the stringer.
Claims
1. A staircase comprising an uncut stringer and a plurality of steps comprising a tread having a horizontal length with a top and bottom planar surface and free opposing ends, said steps positioned on said stringer in a stepped apart relationship to one another, the improvement wherein: said tread is secured to said uncut stringer by means consisting essentially of a pin extending down from the bottom planar surface of said tread, said pin dimensioned to fit in an aperture on the tread-facing surface of said stringer, such that said tread contacts said stringer tread-facing surface and is cantilevered over said stringer without apparent visual means of support.
2. The staircase of claim 1 comprising two uncut stringers.
3. The staircase of claim 1 wherein said step further comprises a riser.
4. The staircase of claim 1 wherein said step further comprises a stepping surface mounted on at least a portion of the top planar surface of said tread.
5. The staircase of claim 1 wherein said pin extends down from said bottom planar surface at an angle.
Description
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this disclosure will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where like-numbered parts reference like-membered components and wherein:
(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a staircase according to the present disclosure;
(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a stair tread according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;
(4) FIGS. 3A and 3B are a side view of a tread according to one embodiment of the present disclosure and secured to a stringer;
(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a stair tread according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;
(6) FIG. 5 is an illustration of a stringer of the present disclosure;
(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a tread according to one embodiment of the present disclosure secured to a stringer;
(8) FIG. 7 is view looking up a staircase of the present disclosure from below;
(9) FIG. 8 is a perspective side view of a staircase of the present disclosure;
(10) FIG. 9 is a perspective back view of a staircase of the present disclosure;
(11) FIG. 10 is a perspective front view of a staircase of the present disclosure;
(12) FIG. 11 is a view from above of a staircase of the present disclosure;
(13) FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a portion of a staircase according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, comprising a single stringer;
(14) FIG. 13 is a side view of staircases connecting multiple floors according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and
(15) FIG. 14 is a front view of staircases connecting multiple floors according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(16) Embodiments of the present disclosure provide staircases, components, and methods of production of these. In particular, embodiments of the present disclosure provide open staircases that include stair treads with free opposing ends and uncut stringers attached to a portion of the bottom planar surface of a horizontal stair tread so as to provide a cantilevering surface from which the tread can extend to provide a load bearing surface for stepping on and moving between floors.
Terms and Definitions
(17) As used herein, open staircase refers to staircases having horizontal stair treads with free, unattached opposing ends, and fixed to at least one stringer along the planar length of the tread. The terms opening and aperture are used interchangeably and refer to a hole or gap extending at least partway into a stringer from the tread-facing surface of the stringer.
(18) FIG. 1 illustrates an open staircase 5 according to the present disclosure. The staircase 5 is configured to provide a stairway or path that connects one floor to another, and/or to a landing between floors. Staircase 5 includes a flight or set of horizontal steps 10 from the bottom to the top of staircase 5. Horizontal steps 10 are positioned on a plurality of stringers 30 in a stepped apart relationship relative to one another. Referring also to FIGS. 2-4, embodiments of a horizontal stair step 10 in accordance with the present disclosure are shown. The step can include a tread 20 which is the horizontal member of step 10 and, optionally, a riser 22 which, if present, is the vertical member of step 10. The tread can include a front or nose edge 21, and a rear or riser edge, 25. It also can include horizontal opposing edges 23, a top planar surface 13, and a bottom planar surface 15. The step further can include a pin 28 extending down from the stringer-facing or bottom planar surface 15 of the tread. In one preferred embodiment, illustrated here, pin 28 can be positioned near the rear or riser edge 25 of the tread. In another embodiment, pin 28 is positioned such that only riser edge 25 of bottom planar tread surface 15 touches or substantially touches stringer 30. As will be appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art, pin 28 may be made of the same material as the tread, or it may be different. It also can be made integral to the tread bottom planar surface or attached separately. In one example, both the tread 20 and pin 28 are made of a structural metal.
(19) As illustrated in FIGS. 3A, 3B and 5, stringers 30 of the present disclosure include apertures or openings 32 dimensioned and positioned to receive a pin 28. When tread pin 28 is in stringer aperture 32, step 10 is effectively cantilevered out from stringer 30 along tread 20's horizontal length or bottom planar surface 15, providing the illusion of steps floating out from uncut centrally spaced stringers, as illustrated in FIGS. 7-10, and 13. In one embodiment, aperture 32 is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal plane 34 of stringer 30. In another embodiment, pin 28 extends down at an oblique angle relative to the tread horizontal planar surface 15. In another embodiment the oblique pin angle is greater than about 90 degrees. In another embodiment, the angle is greater than about 100 degrees.
(20) In the example presented herein in FIGS. 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 14, a pair of stringers are provided, spaced about the central span of horizontal step 10. Also contemplated are examples comprising a single stringer (FIG. 12), or a plurality of three or more stringers, as desired for aesthetic or structural effect. In all examples, the stringers are fixed to the tread at positions along the planar bottom surface of tread 20, and the free opposing tread ends 23 are free. In one embodiment, stringers are positioned along the central spanning portion of a tread. In the case of a single stringer it is positioned at substantially the center of the tread's horizontal length. In the case of a pair of stringers, the stringers are substantially equidistant from the stair tread's horizontal center. In another embodiment, treads and stringers can be constructed such that stringers can be positioned at other locations along the tread horizontal length, including off center, provided both opposing tread ends 23 remain free.
(21) As will be appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art, tread 20 and stringer 30 can be made of any material that provides the desired structural support for a functional staircase. Wood, metal, concrete, stone, ceramic, glass and glass laminate are some of the well-known and well-characterized materials that can be used to advantage. Similarly, the materials and dimensions chosen for tread pin 28 can be selected using standard means for ease of construction and desired structural support. Simply by way of illustration, useful tread pins can have diameters in the range of about 0.5-2.0 inches, and lengths in the range of about 1-3 inches. As will be appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art, preferred dimensions can vary from these ranges, depending on, for example, choice of materials selected, number of stringers, step dimensions, staircase pitch and desired weight-bearing loads.
(22) As illustrated in FIGS. 3-6, step 10 can include components in addition to tread 20. For example, features to enhance structural stability of a step can be included. One example of such a feature is illustrated in FIG. 4 where a plurality of fins 26 are shown. In addition, a stepping surface 24 can be placed over part or all of the top planar surface of the tread. Examples of useful materials include, without limitation, wood, wood laminates, carpet, synthetic or natural rubber, cushioning materials, and the like.
(23) Also as will be appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art, risers 22 can optionally be included. These can be integral to the tread, as illustrated in FIG. 2, or can be constructed separately.
(24) FIGS. 8-14 show various perspectives of an open staircase according to the present disclosure, by way of illustration. As will be appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art, any desired tread width of step 10 can be selected. In one example, the nose end of each tread 20 extends over or noses over the riser edge of the tread below. Alternatively, the tread width can just meet the riser edge of the tread below, or even be narrower. FIGS. 8 and 11 show side and top views, respectively, of an embodiment where the tread nose substantially meets the riser edge of the tread below.
(25) Embodiments of this disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the disclosure being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein. While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
