Simple, attractive, functional method to hide a pull down mechanism; for example, a hidden attic staircase for access to a storage area

Abstract

The present invention uses magnets and a wand to create a simple, attractive and functional way to get rid of the hanging cord and handle in an attic staircase. We call it the Magnetic Pulldown. It has an attractive fixture with magnets in the ceiling above and a three-foot wand with a powerful magnet nearby. The ceiling fixture houses the conventional rope and handle for pulling down the attic staircase. The handle is in a pocket and is visible from the floor below. The handle has weak magnets pointing up to keep it in place and a powerful magnet pointing down, awaiting the wand's powerful magnet to pull it out. To access the attic the user gets the wand and snaps it into the powerful magnet in the handle above. The user easily pulls the handle and rope down, snaps the bond between the magnets, z and uses the rope and handle to pull the attic staircase down. The Magnetic Pulldown needs no motor or electrical components. There is a prototype for this invention in the home of one of the inventors.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An elongated box, the magnetic pulldown (MP)  1 , is firmly attached to the under side of a 4 foot long by 2 foot wide platform  3 , which will be pivoted down as part of the attic ladder. This box stores a rope  12 ,  13  and part of a handle. The handle  2  is nestled in a cutout  5  in the middle of the MP and it has a ½ inch magnet  14  pointed directly down towards the floor. The handle also has two ¼ inch magnets  8  on the sides pointing up. Those smaller magnets and the rope are not visible. So the MP has a clean, even elegant, look. The magnets keep the handle and rope in place until a user wants to access the attic. 
     
     
         2 . The invention uses a 36 inch wand  4  with a ½ inch magnet on its tip to connect with the ½ inch magnet in the handle  14  to pull it down. The wand is made of a light material like wood because there is very little force needed to pull the handle and rope out of the MP. The wand also has a rubber cap glued to its bottom, covering about ½ inch to give the user some traction when a pulldown is underway. 
     
     
         3 . The MP  1  also has two metal screws  7 , on the left and right sides of the handle's cutout  5 . They serve two functions. They are screwed into the platform  3  to give the device some extra rigidity and they are targets for the ¼ inch magnets  8  on the back side of the handle  2 . The small metallic attraction is what keeps the handle in its nest when no pulldown is underway. The rope  12 ,  13  is attached to the back of the handle with a washer and screw. There is a ½ inch hole  6  in the back center of the MP. That hole continues through the platform and through a box which resides above the platform. That hole allows the rope to be stored in the second box, as described in  claim 4 . 
     
     
         4 . The invention has another box  11  about 3 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 2 inches high. It is attached to the platform  3  from the storage space and it houses the rope  12 , 13  which will be pulled out and down when a pulldown is started. The rope is anchored to the platform with a screw  9  just outside the box. It passes through a small hole  10  into the box and lies there curled around 12 until a pulldown is started. At that time the rope exits the box through the ½ inch hole  6  in the box, platform, and MP  1 . The passage of rope from inside the box and the passage of rope and handle is smooth and easy. 
     
     
         5 . The size of the magnets,  8 ,  14 , and the placement of screws  7  is very carefully calibrated. Note that the two small magnets  8  in the internal side of the handle  2  have a small diameter of ¼ inch. When the handle is in its pocket  5  it stays there by a weak attraction. When a pulldown is activated the ½ inch magnets in the wand and the handle easily overcome the weaker magnets  8  in the hidden side of the handle. The handle and rope are pulled, smoothly, into the room below.