Stair Tread

Abstract

A stair tread has a generally planar member that is supported by a horizontal surface of a step. The planar member has a top surface, a bottom surface, a back edge, and a leading edge. The leading edge extends beyond a front edge of the step when the stair tread is positioned on the step. A bull nose is formed on the leading edge of the planar member and extends below the horizontal surface of the step. An adhesive layer disposed on the bottom surface of the planar member adheres the stair tread to the top surface of the step. A face plate may adhere to a riser associated with the step and extend behind the stair tread.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

The application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/533823 filed Sep. 13, 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to stairs, and particularly, to molded plastic treads for concrete stairs and concrete-filled pan stair systems.

BACKGROUND

Concrete-filled pan stair systems are commonly used in commercial buildings, offices, hotels, school buildings, hospitals, apartment buildings, and other building structures. In concrete-filled pan stair systems, stair treads are formed by attaching shallow metal pans to stair stringers, which are then filled with concrete. These types of stair systems are relatively inexpensive to construct and are mandated by the American Disabilities Act for many public buildings. However, this construction technique results in an industrial appearance, which is not suitable for some applications.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a stair tread for poured concrete stairs and concrete-filled pan stair systems. The stair tread is molded from a thermoset polyester to imitate wood, stone, or some other visually appealing material. The stair tread comprises a planar member with a bull nose. A pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) may be disposed on a surface of the underside of the stair tread. Upon the application of pressure, the PSA bonds with a horizontal surface of the step to affix the stair tread to the step.

Of course, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is not limited to the above contexts or examples, and will recognize additional features and advantages upon reading the following detailed description and upon viewing the accompanying drawings

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a set of stairs as viewed from the side with a tread according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a section view illustrating a stair tread according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a section view illustrating a stair tread according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a section view of a face plate for use with the stair tread in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 illustrates the stair tread of FIG. 3 and face plate of FIG. 4 installed on a stair.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides a stair tread for a step. As seen in FIG. 1, a set of stairs 10 has a plurality of steps 12. Each step 12 is formed by a horizontal surface 14 and a riser 16. In this embodiment, the riser 16 comprises a closed riser; however, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the riser 16 may be open. The steps 12 may, for example, comprise a poured concrete stair system or concrete-filled pan stair system.

The stair tread 20 according to the present invention is designed to attach to the horizontal surface 14 of the step 12. The stair treads 20 are manufactured separately from the stairs 10, and may comprise, for example, a thermoset polyester material, such as plastic, that is molded as a unitary piece. Additionally, the stair treads 20 may be designed to imitate wood, stone, or other natural materials.

FIG. 2 is a close up view illustrating a stair tread 20 in more detail. Each stair tread 20 comprises a generally planar member 22 with a bull nose 24 along the leading edge. The back edge 28 of the planar member 22 is inclined to match the angle of the risers 16. As previously described, the planar member 22 and the bull nose 24 are preferably manufactured as a single piece; however, this is not required. In some embodiments, the planar member 22 and the bull nose 24 may be manufactured separately and then joined together using glue or epoxy or any means known in the art.

The bull nose 24 comprises a smooth, rounded edge that extends the length of the stair tread 20 as seen in FIG. 1. When installed, the bull nose 24 extends beyond and below the horizontal surface 14 of the step 12 on which it is installed. The bull nose 24 has a rearwardly facing surface 26 that butts against the riser 16. In this embodiment, the riser 16 is slightly angled relative to the vertical. The surface 26 of the bull nose 24 is preferably inclined to match the inclination of the riser 16. In this embodiment, for example, the surface 26 forms an acute angle a of about 82° with respect to the underside of the stair tread 20.

A pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) 30 is applied to the underside of the planar member 22 for securing the stair tread 20 to the horizontal surface 14 of a step 12. The PSA 30 bonds the tread 20 to the horizontal surface 14 when pressure is applied. A peel-away cover protects the PSA 30 prior to installation. To install the stair tread 20, the peel-away cover is removed just prior to attaching the stair tread 20 to the horizontal surface 14 of the steps 12. Optionally, a PSA 30 may be applied to the surface 26 of the bull nose 24 to adhere the bull nose 24 to the exterior surface of the riser 16.

The stair tread 20 according to the present invention can be pre-manufactured in desired lengths. The stair tread 20 may have an aluminum oxide coating to prevent slipping. A sealer and clear coat can be applied over top of the aluminum oxide coating.

FIG. 3 illustrates a stair tread 40 according to another exemplary embodiment. The stair tread 40 is designed to be used in conjunction with a face plate 60 as shown in FIG. 4. The face plate 60 is designed to cover the riser 16 on a step 12 and the stair tread 40 is designed to cover the horizontal surface of the step 12 as shown in FIG. 5. Although not required, the face plate 60, such as seen in FIG. 5, extends behind the stair tread 40 such that the stair tread 40 abuts the face plate 60.

The stair tread 40 comprises a generally planar member 42 with a bull nose 44 along the leading edge. The back edge 48 of the planar member 42 is inclined to match the angle of the risers 16. The planar member 42 and the bull nose 44 may be manufactured as a single piece. In other embodiments, the planar member 42 and the bull nose 44 may be manufactured separately, and then joined together to form a unitary member.

The bull nose 44 comprises a smooth, rounded edge that extends the length of the stair tread 40. When installed, the bull nose 44 extends below the horizontal surface of the step 12 to which it is installed. The bull nose 44 has an interior surface 46 that butts against the face plate 60. The interior surface 46 is inclined to match the inclination of the riser 16. The interior surface 46 includes a channel 50 formed therein to receive a protrusion 68 on the upper end of the face plate 60 as hereinafter described. A pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) 52 is applied to the underside of planar member 42 for securing the stair tread 40 to the horizontal surface 14 of a step 12. The PSA 52 bonds the tread 40 to the horizontal surface 14 when pressure is applied. A peel-away cover protects the PSA 52 prior to installation.

Referring to FIG. 4, the face plate 60 is shown in more detail. The face plate 60 includes a generally planar member 62. The bottom end 64 and top end 66 of the face plate 60 are angled to match the angle of the risers 16. The top end 66 includes a rounded protrusion 68 that is configured to engage the interior channel 50 on the stair tread 40. A pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) 70 is applied to the backside of face plate 60 for securing the face plate 60 to the riser 16 of a step 12. The PSA 70 bonds the face plate 60 to the riser 16 when pressure is applied. A peel-away cover protects the PSA 70 prior to installation.

FIG. 5 illustrates the stair tread 40 and face plate 60 installed on a stair. The face plate 60 is disposed against the surface of a riser 16 with the protrusion 68 facing outward. The stair tread 40 is then installed on the horizontal surface 14 of the step such that the back edge 48 of planar member 42 butts up against the surface of the face plate 60. As the stair tread 40 is slid into position, the protrusion 68 on the face plate 60 engages the interior channel 50 of the stair tread 40. When fully engaged, the protrusion 68 prevents the leading edge of the stair tread 40 from lifting.

The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other ways than those specifically set forth herein without departing from essential characteristics of the invention. For example, the previous embodiments describe the stair tread as being installed on stairs disposed in commercial buildings. However, the stair tread of the present invention is not so limited. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the stair tread of the present invention may also be installed on stairs that are associated with residential buildings such as houses, for example. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

Claims

1. A stair tread comprising:

a generally planar member configured to be supported by a horizontal surface of a step, said planar member having a top surface, a bottom surface, a back edge, and a leading edge that extends beyond a front edge of the step when the stair tread is positioned on the step;

a bull nose formed on the leading edge of the planar member, said bull nose extending below the horizontal surface of the step; and

an adhesive layer on a bottom surface of the planar member for adhering the stair tread to the step.

2. The stair tread of claim 1 wherein the bull nose includes a rearwardly facing surface configured to engage a riser of the step when the stair tread is positioned on the step.

3. The stair tread of claim 2 wherein the rearwardly facing surface is disposed at an angle.

4. The stair tread of claim 1 wherein the back edge of the planar member is configured to engage a riser of a step adjacent to the step on which the stair tread is positioned.

5. The stair tread of claim 1 wherein the planar member and bull nose are formed as a unitary member.

6. The stair tread of claim 5 wherein the planar member and bull nose are made of a thermoplastic material.

7. The stair tread of claim 1 wherein the top surface includes a pattern imitating a natural material.

8. The stair tread of claim 7 wherein the pattern comprises a wood grain pattern.

9. A stair tread assembly comprising:

a stair tread configured to be installed on a horizontal surface of a step, said stair tread comprising a generally planar member including a bottom surface, a top surface, a back edge, and a leading edge that extends beyond the step when the stair tread is positioned on a step;

a bull nose formed on the leading edge of the planar member of the stair tread and configured to extend below the horizontal surface of the step when the stair tread is positioned on the step, said bull nose including a rearwardly facing surface having a channel formed therein;

a face plate configured to be installed on a riser of the step, said face plate comprising;

a generally planar member having a front surface, a back surface, a top edge, and a bottom edge; and

a protrusion formed on the top edge of the planar member of the face plate, said protrusion configured to engage within the channel formed in the stair tread when the face plate and stair tread are positioned on a step.

10. The stair tread assembly of claim 9 further comprising a first adhesive layer on a bottom surface of the planar member of the stair tread for securing the stair tread to the horizontal surface of the step, and a second adhesive layer on a back surface of the face plate for securing the face plate to the riser of the step.

11. The stair tread assembly of claim 9 wherein the stair tread and face plate are each unitary members.

12. The stair tread assembly of claim 11 wherein the stair tread and face plate are each made of a thermoplastic material.

13. The stir tread assembly of claim 9 wherein a top surface of the stair tread include a pattern imitating a natural material.

14. The stair tread assembly of claim 13 wherein the pattern comprises a wood grain pattern.