Portable Pet Stairs

DESCRIPTION:

Human beings have enjoyed the companionship of pets for thousands of years and perhaps tens of thousands of years. The company of a pet has been proven to extend the lifespan of pet owners, and the comfort and camaraderie are invaluable for maintaining a contented lifestyle. Pets are all susceptible to illness, injury and of course old age. As responsible pet owners, people want to care for their pets and provide for them all the things they require for a fulfilling and happy life.

Caring for a pet that is unwell or has aged to the point where their mobility is compromised sometimes requires some adjustment to lifestyles. The addition of supplemental items that will help the pet maintain some independence and mobility is essential to the owner as well as the pet. Assisting a large heavy pet enter or exit an automobile is difficult and awkward for both the pet and the owner. Getting up in the middle of the night to help a pet down from or up onto the bed can be disruptive to essential sleep patterns and inconvenient for both owner and pet.

The Portable Pet Stairs is an innovative and significant product designed to be both convenient and advantageous for pet owners with animal companions who require assistance negotiating vertical elevation changes. Consisting of lightweight modular blocks, the Portable Pet Stairs can be configured for almost any height to assist animals entering or exiting vertical areas that they cannot negotiate on their own. Each module has groves on the back and front sides that will interlock with each other. The grooves secure the module blocks for a stable and horizontal platform.

Interlocking grooves present the most stable and lightweight method for a safe and secure connection. The vertical construction of the modules is interlocked together utilizing a Velcro fastening system located on the top and base of each module. The Velcro is inset into the bottom of each block on two areas on the underneath side of the block. The top location of the Velcro strip is on a raised section that will mate up to the lower section for a secure a firm fit. Removing the modules from each other requires merely a steady pull on either module. The modules are stacked to form almost any configuration of stair height that is desired to assist the pet in descending or ascending to whatever the elevated surface is. The Portable Pet Stairs can be easily broken down and stored when not in use. Each module supports a fabric handle that can be folded flat and out of the way. The Portable Pet Stairs will provide the pet owner a simple and effective assistance for their pet to negotiate vertical climbs regardless of the type of pet that needs support. The product will provide years of support for pet owners and keep their pet’s independence intact and worry-free.

SPECIFIC, UNIQUE FUNCTIONS OF INVENTION:

• Easy to assemble to any height
• Good for any type of pet needing assistance climbing
• Attractive designs that can be color coordinated for differing interior décor
• Stable and secure connecting points
• Grooved connection for horizontal modules
• Inset Velcro connections for vertical connections
• Fabric handles for ease of transport and storage
• Breaks down easily for storage and transport
• Weather proof and stain resistant
• Additional modules available

PRODUCT COMPONENT CLARIFICATION:

The “Portable Pet Stairs” is an innovative pet product that has been designed to allow the pet owner or caretaker to easily create a lightweight but incredibly strong pet stairway so the pet can climb them to get into bed, into the SUV, look out the window, etc. The molded plastic steps are easy to stack as they lock together and the honeycomb-like interior reinforcements provide strength without adding significant weight. The front and back edges of the blocks slide together, locking them into place and the hook and loop (H&L) fasteners secure them top to bottom. After setup and use, the blocks can quickly be dis-assembled and stored until the next use.

Currently, if the pet is older or has some physical problems, they can find it difficult to get into and out of vehicles, get up on furniture or beds, or even look out the window. There are many solutions to this problem but they are fixed in shape and are typically very heavy, making them hard for the pet owner or caretaker to use. Additionally, they are bulky and can be difficult to store. There are some lightweight pet stairs commercially available, but they have a small weight limit so they cannot be used for larger pets.

The “Portable Pet Stairs” resolves most of these problems by providing a series of lightweight molded plastic blocks that slide together and lock into place. These blocks can be separated and transported with the animal and then quickly be set up for their use. The blocks strength allows up to a 250-pound pet to safely use them even when stacked 5 high. The blocks employ mating H&L fasteners on the top and bottom surfaces to secure them in place. The top of the block has a molded in, textured surface that enhances ‘grip’ for the pet’s paw pads, minimizing slippage during use. Each block is 12” wide by 9” deep by 8” tall, which is a typical USA stair dimension standard and will weigh about 5 pounds after assembly. The ends of the blocks have flexible plastic handles and they can be compressed and stored in the cavities molded into the ends of the blocks. The plastic blocks are easy to clean using soap and water, followed by a clear water rinse and air dry.

• As an option: The blocks can be made using high density EVA foam in the same outline but they will weigh nearly twice as much and will not support large animal loads without deflection.

The blocks: These blocks are injection molded from polypropylene plastic. This plastic is very durable, is highly resistant to household chemicals and ultraviolet light, and is typically used in this type of application. The blocks can be supplied in almost any vibrant color, so a distinctive color may be chosen to enhance the product recognition factor, which can dramatically improve the market adoption of the product. The blocks are assembled from the 2 sections as follows. It is anticipated that the blocks will be manufactured in several basic colors, like black, gray, and beige, but will be made in any requested color on larger orders.

• The blocks: The blocks are molded in 2 sections, which are slipped together and are adhesively bonded to make one permanent assembly. The stepped outer edge of the housing junction makes alignment very easy.
• Texture: The top surface is textured as molded, to provide the optimum in traction for the pet yet allow easy cleaning.
• Ribs and receptacles: The front surface of the 12” wide by 9” deep by 8” tall block has 5 trapezoidal ribs and the back has 5 mating trapezoidal receptacles. These allow the front ribs of an adjacent block to slide into the back receptacles, clasping the 2 blocks together.
• H&L fasteners: The bottom of the block has loop fasteners adhesively bonded to it and the top of the block has the mating hook fasteners adhesively bonded to it. When pressed together, they have a holding power of about 100 pounds, insuring that the blocks stacked on top of the lower blocks remain in position. In fact, after the blocks are set up, the whole assembly can be moved around without separating until the user begins to remove a block at a time.
• Lifting straps: The ends of the blocks have water jet machined 0.125” thick translucent vinyl straps that are pressed into the retention straps. These straps can be pushed back into the cavity molded in the end, making the end flush, or can be pulled out to make a handle for lifting the block. The vinyl strap is very strong and will resist tears much better than fabric handles.
  • As an option: The vinyl strap can be replaced with fabric handles. These have ends sewn on the them that can compress when being passed under the retention straps and expand out to prevent them from being pulled out from under the retention strap during lifting.

The Portable Pet Stairs are designed to be aesthetic and effective in the application. The relative ease of manufacture and the moderately inexpensive components provide good marketability for the manufacturer. The user benefits from improved pet mobility and independence, plus easy breakdown, setup and storage, which should provide considerable market interest in the product.

The invention is illustrated in the following drawings of the essential points as explained to us in the documentation.

Drawing 1, Block 1: Product Pet Stairs – Front, Side, And Top Views

(1) The blocks slide together to make a conjoined assembly upon which the next blocks can be placed to make a series of steps that lead to higher areas like beds, back of SUVs, looking out of house or office windows, etc.

(2) The blocks are 12” wide by 9” deep by 8” tall, approximating standard USA step dimensions.

(3) The reinforcing ribs inside the blocks provide considerable strength while not contributing to the weight of the block.

(4) During assembly, the adhesive is spread along the top of the ribs adhering them together and transmitting the load from the top surface to the bottom of the block.

(5) The top surface of the block has 2 strips of hook fabric, which mates with the loop fabric on the bottom of the block with each strip providing a parting strength of over 50 pounds after being pressed together. The 2 strips then have a retaining strength of over 100 pounds.

(6) The top surface of the block has a textured surface that allows the pads of the pet feet better traction than a smooth surface. The texture is not raised significantly, permitting easy cleaning when required.

(7) The inward trapezoidal surfaces allow the mating protrusions to slide into them, locking the two blocks together quite tightly while allowing quite easy disassembly when the steps are to be torn down.

(8) The plastic strip handle normally bulges outward but can be pressed inward toward the block and slips outward at the ends to allow it to be stored within the recess molded into the block.

(9) The upper outer edge is shaped to slip into the recessed lower edge, positioning it optimally for adhesive bonding of the 2 block sections.

(10) The lightweight molded plastic block can support up to a 250-pound pet while each block weighs less than 5 pounds each. The light weight and compact size allows easy set up behind a vehicle and easy disassembly and storage within the vehicle after the pet uses them. (6 blocks provide a very easy access to most SUVs, 3 on the bottom layer, 2 on the next layer, and one on top).

(11) The molded plastic steps are easy to clean using soap and water followed by a clean water rinse and air dry.

(12) The blocks can be used to build steps up to 5 layers high while still maintaining the load bearing capability of 250 pounds on the upper step. Higher units will degrade the load bearing capability somewhat but not significantly.

Although a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the above detailed description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment developed herein, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, substitutions of parts and elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

This document has been prepared for the manufacturer’s elucidation. The manufacturer’s decision makers should consider this product for licensing (providing intellectual property protection for their sales of the product in return for a royalty payment for a period of years) or an outright purchase of the patent for a negotiated fee. The inventor and her team are standing by to consider offers for licensing or outright purchase of the patent.