Collapsible handrails for a bulkheaded staircase

Abstract

A collapsible staircase-handrail system includes an elongated primary rail extending lengthwise between primary-rail upper and lower ends. The primary rail is pivotably mounted adjacent the staircase for angular displacement about a spatially-fixed primary-rail pivot axis between primary-rail deployed and storage positions. The handrail system further includes a primary post extending between primary-post top and bottom ends, with the primary post being pivotably mounted adjacent the staircase for angular displacement about a spatially-fixed primary-post pivot axis that extends parallel to the primary-rail pivot axis. The primary-rail deployed and storage positions are such that the primary-rail upper end is disposed at, respectively, higher and lower elevations. Similarly, the primary-post pivots between deployed and storage positions defined such that the primary-post top end is disposed at, respectively, higher and lower relative elevations. The primary rail and primary post can selectively couple in order to mutually maintain one another in their respective deployed positions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A collapsible handrail system configured for mounting to a wall adjacent a staircase extending upwardly from a staircase bottom to a staircase top and having stair treads and stair risers with widthwise extents oriented perpendicularly to the wall, the handrail system comprising:
 an elongated primary rail having primary-rail top and bottom surfaces extending between primary-rail upper and lower ends, the primary-rail lower end being pivotably mounted to the wall such that the primary rail can be angularly displaced between primary-rail deployed and storage positions about a fixed primary-rail pivot axis that extends perpendicularly to the wall and substantially parallel to the widthwise extent of the stair treads, the primary-rail pivot axis furthermore being fixed in a location more proximate to the staircase bottom than to the staircase top; and   a primary post having primary-post top and bottom ends, the primary-post bottom end being pivotably mounted to the wall such that the primary post can be angularly displaced between primary-post deployed and primary-post storage positions about a fixed primary-post pivot axis that extends substantially parallel to the primary-rail pivot axis, wherein   (i) the primary-rail deployed and storage positions are such that the primary-rail upper end is disposed at, respectively, higher and lower relative elevations;   (ii) the primary-post deployed and storage positions are such that the primary-post top end is disposed at, respectively, higher and lower relative elevations;   (iii) the primary rail and primary post can selectively couple such that, when in, respectively, the primary-rail and primary-post deployed positions, the primary-post top end supports and maintains the primary rail in the primary-rail deployed position; and   (iv) the deployed primary rail and primary post can selectively decouple such that they can be angularly displaced into, respectively, the primary-rail and primary-post storage positions.   
     
     
         2 . The handrail system of  claim 1 , wherein
 (i) the staircase adjacent the wall to which the primary rail and primary post are mounted is a basement staircase situated below a bulkhead including at least a first bulkhead door;   (ii) the first bulkhead door is pivotable between open and closed positions;   (iii) when the first bulkhead door is in the closed position, it extends along a closure plane that is spatially disposed over the basement staircase;   (iv) when the primary rail and primary post are in, respectively, the primary-rail and primary-post storage positions, neither the primary rail nor the primary post extends above the closure plane; and   (v) when the primary rail and primary post are in, respectively, the primary-rail and primary-post deployed positions, and selectively coupled, at least the primary-rail upper end is disposed above the closure plane.   
     
     
         3 . The handrail system of  claim 2  further comprising a secondary rail having secondary-rail top and bottom surfaces extending between secondary-rail first and second ends, wherein
 (i) the secondary-rail first end is pivotably attached to the primary-rail upper end for angular displacement relative to the primary rail about a secondary-rail pivot axis between secondary-rail deployed and storage positions; 
 (ii) the secondary-rail storage position is such that the secondary rail is folded back over the primary rail such that the secondary-rail top surface is disposed above the primary-rail top surface; and 
 (iii) the secondary-rail deployed position is such that, when the primary rail is in the primary-rail deployed position, and the secondary rail is in the secondary-rail deployed position, the secondary rail (a) is disposed above the closure plane, (b) extends away from the primary-rail upper end, and (c) defines a secondary-rail deployment angle with the primary rail such that at least a portion of the secondary rail is substantially parallel to the stair treads. 
 
     
     
         4 . The handrail system of  claim 3  further comprising a secondary post having secondary-post top and bottom ends, the secondary-post bottom end being pivotably mounted to the wall for angular displacement of the secondary post between secondary-post deployed and storage positions about a fixed secondary-post pivot axis that extends substantially parallel to the primary-rail and primary-post pivot axes, wherein
 (i) the secondary-post deployed and storage positions are such that the secondary-post top end is disposed, respectively, above and below the closure plane; 
 (iii) the secondary rail and secondary post can selectively couple such that, when in, respectively, the secondary-rail and secondary-post deployed positions, the secondary-post top end supports and maintains the secondary rail in the secondary-rail deployed position; and 
 (iv) the deployed and mutually coupled secondary rail and secondary post can selectively decouple such that they can be angularly displaced into, respectively, the secondary-rail and secondary-post storage positions. 
 
     
     
         5 . The handrail system of  claim 4  wherein at least one of
 (i) selective coupling of the primary rail and primary post is facilitated by a primary-rail pin extending from one of the primary rail and the primary post and a primary-rail-pin socket configured for removably receiving the primary-rail pin and defined within the other of the primary post and the primary rail; and 
 (ii) selective coupling of the secondary rail and secondary post is facilitated by a secondary-rail pin extending from one of the secondary rail and the secondary post and a secondary-rail-pin socket configured for removably receiving the secondary-rail pin and defined within the other of the secondary post and the secondary rail. 
 
     
     
         6 . A collapsible staircase handrail system comprising:
 an elongated primary rail extending lengthwise between primary-rail upper and lower ends, the primary rail being pivotably mounted adjacent the staircase for angular displacement about a spatially-fixed primary-rail pivot axis between primary-rail deployed and storage positions, the primary-rail deployed and storage positions being such that that the primary-rail upper end is disposed at, respectively, higher and lower elevations; and   an elongated primary post extending lengthwise between primary-post top and bottom ends, the primary post being pivotably mounted adjacent the staircase for angular displacement about a spatially-fixed primary-post pivot axis between primary-post deployed and storage positions, the primary-post deployed and storage positions being such that the primary-post top end is disposed at, respectively, higher and lower relative elevations, the primary post being furthermore selectively couplable to the primary post such that the primary post and primary rail are maintained in, respectively, the primary-post and primary-rail deployed positions.   
     
     
         7 . The handrail system of  claim 6  further comprising a secondary rail extending between secondary-rail first and second ends, the secondary-rail first end being pivotably attached to the primary-rail upper end for angular displacement relative to the primary rail about a secondary-rail pivot axis between secondary-rail deployed and storage positions, the secondary-rail storage position being such that the secondary rail is folded over the primary rail. 
     
     
         8 . The handrail system of  claim 7  further comprising a secondary post extending lengthwise between secondary-post top and bottom ends, the secondary-post being pivotably mounted adjacent the staircase for angular displacement about a spatially-fixed secondary-post pivot axis between secondary-post deployed and storage positions, the secondary-post deployed and storage positions being such that the secondary-post top end is disposed at, respectively, higher and lower relative elevations, the secondary post being furthermore selectively couplable to the primary post such that the secondary post and secondary rail are maintained in, respectively, the secondary-post and secondary-rail deployed positions. 
     
     
         9 . The handrail system of  claim 8  wherein the primary-rail, primary-post, and secondary-post pivot axes are mutually parallel. 
     
     
         10 . The handrail system of  claim 9  wherein primary-rail, primary-post, and secondary-post are independently mounted to a vertical staircase wall adjacent the staircase, and wherein the primary-rail, primary-post, and secondary-post pivot axes extend perpendicularly to the staircase wall.