Foldable ladder

A foldable ladder, comprising:

• a first ladder portion;
• a second ladder portion hingedly attached to the first ladder portion, each of the first and second ladder portions comprising
• a first stile,
• a second stile, the first and second stiles each having a plurality of columns disposed along an axis of the plurality of columns, and
• a plurality of rungs extending between the first stile and the second stile, each rung connected to a column of the first stile and a column of the second stile;
• and
• a pair of hinge mechanisms hingedly connecting the first ladder portion to the second ladder portion about a hinge axis, each hinge mechanism adapted to lock the first and second ladder portions such that the first ladder portion and the second ladder portion form an angle therebetween;
• the plurality of columns being disposed in a nested arrangement for relative axial movement in a telescopic fashion such that the ladder is extendable or collapsible along the axis of the plurality of columns;
• each rung being connected to a column of the plurality of columns by a connector assembly, the connector assemblies of one or more rungs of at least one of the first and second ladder portions having first and second release buttons,
• the first release button being slidable along a first surface of the rung, the second release button being slidable along a second surface of the rung,
• the first surface being oppositely oriented to the second surface,
• the sliding of the first release button and/or the second release button along respective surfaces of the rung permitting unlocking or selectively locking the relative axial movement between two adjacent columns of the plurality of columns.

A foldable ladder, comprising:

• a first ladder portion;
• a second ladder portion hingedly attached to the first ladder portion, each of the first and second ladder portions comprising
• a first stile,
• a second stile, the first and second stiles each having a plurality of columns disposed along an axis of the plurality of columns, and
• a plurality of rungs extending between the first stile and the second stile, each rung connected to a column of the plurality of columns of the first stile and a column of the plurality of columns of the second stile;
• and
• a pair of hinge mechanisms hingedly connecting the first ladder portion to the second ladder portion about a hinge axis, each hinge mechanism adapted to lock the first and second ladder portions such that the first ladder portion and the second ladder portion form an angle therebetween, each hinge mechanism comprising,
• a first hinge member operably connected to the first ladder portion,
• a second hinge member operably connected to the second ladder portion, the first and second hinge members rotatable with respect to each other about the hinge axis, the second hinge member having an end, wherein a portion of the end is semi-circular about the hinge axis,
• a locking pin being elongate and terminating in an end having a non-circular cross-section having a first edge and a second edge, the locking pin defining a central axis passing through the end having the non-circular cross-section,
• the locking pin mounted to the first hinge member for movement along its central axis radially away from and towards the hinge axis, the locking pin spring biased radially towards the hinge axis,
• the locking pin being rotatable about its central axis by a ladder angle selector, the ladder angle selector permitting manual selection of the desired angle between the first and second ladder portions,
• a plurality of recesses each directed radially inward towards the hinge axis from the end of the second hinge member,
• the plurality of recesses spaced angularly about the hinge axis, the angular position about the hinge axis of each recess corresponding to a predetermined angle between the first and second ladder portions,
• each recess having a corresponding ladder angle opening defined on the end of the second hinge member, each ladder opening having an opening size so as to permit insertion of the locking pin therethrough only when locking pin is rotated about its central axis to a rotation where the first edge or the second edge of the locking pin is in line with the corresponding ladder angle opening.