Dual use wall mounted child safety banister

Abstract

A banister that mounts on a stair wall comprising two parallel handrails and a plurality of balusters, each baluster being embedded within both rails. The stand-alone banister resembles a ladder where the rungs are not perpendicular to the two parallel side members. The banister is mounted to a wall rather than to the stairs or the floor at the landing or the opening of the stair well. It is mounted such that the balusters are vertical, and the handrails are angled so as to be parallel to the staircase angle. Therefore, one handrail will be higher than the other when mounted on the wall. The upper handrail will be positioned at a height convenient for gripping by an adult, while the lower handrail will be positioned at a height convenient for gripping by a child. When a child ascends or descends a staircase, he or she will either grip the lower handrail or the balusters to provide support and balance.

1 . A banister comprising at least two essentially parallel handrails connected together by a plurality of essentially parallel balusters positioned transverse to the handrails. 
   
   
       2 . The banister of  claim 1  wherein the number of handrails is two. 
   
   
       3 . The banister of  claim 1  wherein the balusters are not perpendicular to the handrails. 
   
   
       4 . The banister of  claim 2  comprising a plurality mounting brackets for attaching the banister to a surface. 
   
   
       5 . The banister of  claim 4  wherein the plurality of mounting brackets are attached to a single handrail. 
   
   
       6 . The banister of  claim 4  wherein some of the plurality of mounting brackets are attached to one handrail and others of the plurality of mounting brackets are attached to the other handrail. 
   
   
       7 . The banister of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of balusters penetrate at least one of the at least two handrails. 
   
   
       8 . The banister of  claim 1  wherein the banister is mounted and attached to a stairway wall adjacent to a staircase comprising stairs, said staircase having an angle of ascent or descent, such that the at least two handrails run parallel to the angle of ascent or descent. 
   
   
       9 . The banister of  claim 8  wherein all of the at least two handrails run parallel to the angle of ascent or descent. 
   
   
       10 . The banister of  claim 8  wherein the plurality of balusters are essentially vertical. 
   
   
       11 . The banister of  claim 8  wherein one of the at least two handrails is an uppermost handrail that is positioned at a height that may be grasped by a hand of an adult ascending or descending the staircase. 
   
   
       12 . The banister of  claim 11  wherein the uppermost handrail is positioned at a height between 34 and 38 inches above the stairs. 
   
   
       13 . The banister of  claim 11  wherein one of the at least two handrails is a lowermost handrail that is positioned lower than the uppermost handrail at a height that may be grasped by a hand of a small child ascending or descending the staircase. 
   
   
       14 . The banister of  claim 13  further comprising at least one additional handrail of the at least two handrails, said at least one additional handrail being positioned between the uppermost handrail and the lowermost handrail.