Folding pet staircase

An extension kit apparatus, for extending a foldable staircase for assisting pets in moving thereupon between a substantially horizontally extending lower surface and a substantially horizontal horizontally extending elevated surface disposed at a vertical distance from one another, wherein:

• the foldable staircase comprises;
• a plurality of existing stair treads operatively connected by articulating links in such a manner that the existing stair treads are pivotable in unison from a stowed position of the staircase, in which the existing treads are substantially stacked upon one another, to a plurality of extended positions, in which the articulating links position the treads in a spaced parallel relationship to one another with one of the existing stair treads forming a top stair tread and another of the existing stair treads forming a bottom stair tread when the foldable staircase is deployed in one of the extended positions for assisting the pet in moving between the elevated and lower surfaces;
• the plurality of existing treads having respective front and rear edges thereof, and also having opposite side surfaces thereof joined by existing articulating links that are operatively connected to and disposed adjacently outward from the opposite side edges of the treads;
• the plurality of existing treads further including one or more intermediate treads, disposed between the top and bottom treads, with each intermediate tread including three attachment points for the existing articulating links disposed along the opposite side edges, and the top and bottom treads each including at least two attachment points for the existing articulating links;
• the three attachment points on each intermediate tread including a front tread attachment point disposed adjacent the front edge of the tread, a rear tread attachment point disposed adjacent the rear edge of the tread, and an intermediate tread attachment point disposed substantially halfway between the front and rear tread attachment points along each of the opposite side edges of the tread;
• the two attachment points on the top tread including a front tread attachment point disposed adjacent the front edge of the tread and an intermediate tread attachment point disposed substantially halfway between the front and rear edges of the top tread along each of the opposite side edges of the top tread;
• the two attachment points on the bottom tread including a rear tread attachment point disposed adjacent the rear edge of the tread and an intermediate tread attachment point disposed substantially halfway between the front and rear edges of the bottom tread along each of the opposite side edges of the bottom tread;
• each stair tread having a respective underside thereof, with at least portion of the underside of the bottom stair tread being adapted to rest upon the lower surface and at least a portion of the underside of the top tread being adapted to rest upon the elevated surface;
• each stair tread having a respective top surface joined by the respective opposite side edges thereof;
• the opposite side edges of the top and bottom stair treads defining a thickness of the top and bottom stair treads that is substantially smaller than de minimus in comparison to the vertical distance between the elevated and lower surfaces, such that, when the portions of the undersides of the top and bottom stair treads are resting on the elevated and lower surfaces respectively, the top surfaces of the top and bottom stair treads are substantially coplanar with the elevated and lower surfaces respectively and are offset therefrom by substantially only the thickness of the stair treads which is substantially smaller than the vertical distance between the elevated and lower surfaces, so that the top surfaces of the top and bottom stair treads extend over and substantially coplanar with the elevated and lower surfaces respectively whereby the pet perceives the top surfaces of the top and bottom stair treads to be essentially extensions of the elevated and lower surfaces respectively;
• the existing stair treads of the foldable staircase being further operatively connected by the existing articulating links in such a manner that as the existing treads are pivoted in unison from the stowed position of the staircase, to the plurality of extended positions, the existing articulating links position the existing treads in a spaced parallel and horizontal relationship to one another, with the extended positions including an original maximum vertical distance in which the existing treads are substantially horizontal and beyond which the existing treads can no longer be positioned horizontally, and
• the extension kit apparatus comprises;
• at least one additional tread, and a corresponding pair of additional articulating links;
• the at least one additional tread being operatively attachable to the existing treads by the corresponding additional articulating links and two or more of the existing articulating links of the staircase, in such a manner that once the at least one additional tread is operatively attached the existing and at least one additional treads are pivotable in unison from a stowed position of the staircase, in which the existing and at least one additional treads are substantially stacked upon one another, to an augmented plurality of extended positions, in which the existing and additional articulating links position the existing and at least one additional treads in a spaced parallel relationship to one another, with the augmented plurality of extended positions including at least one augmented extended position whereat the extended foldable staircase spans an augmented maximum vertical distance, greater than the original vertical distance, at which the existing and at least one additional treads are substantially horizontal and beyond which the existing and at least one additional treads cannot be positioned horizontally.

A foldable pet staircase, comprising:

• a plurality of treads including a top tread, a bottom tread and one or more intermediate treads, the bottom tread securely placed on a first substantially horizontally flat surface and the top tread securely placed on a second substantially flat surface, the second surface being at a vertically elevated position from the first surface, wherein the top and bottom treads are not physically hooked or attached to the first and second surfaces respectively, whereby a pet travels on the first surface or the second surface toward the bottom tread or the top tread, ascends or descends on the plurality of treads to the other surface, and travels on the other surface;
• the top tread and the bottom tread having a thickness less than about 1″ such that when the top tread and bottom treads are placed on the first and second surfaces respectively, the top tread and the bottom tread are substantially coplanar with the first and second surfaces respectively, and are offset therefrom by less than about 1″;
• the plurality of treads having respective front and rear edges thereof, and also having opposite side surfaces thereof joined by articulating links that are operatively connected to and disposed adjacently outward from the opposite side edges of the treads;
• the plurality of treads including attachment points for the articulating links disposed along the opposite side edges;
• and
• each of the plurality of treads includes a multi-piece composite core bonded between a top skin and a bottom skin having composite pieces of the multi-piece composite core bonded with a filler between the composite pieces, wherein the filler is configured to house a rod for providing the attachment points.

A method for assisting pets in moving between a substantially horizontally extending lower surface and a substantially horizontal elevated surface disposed at a vertical distance from one another using a portable foldable staircase that is not attached to either the lower or elevated surface and includes at least a top stair tread and a bottom stair tread operatively connected by articulating links with the top and bottom stair treads each having a respective top, underside and thickness thereof, with the thickness of the treads being substantially de minimus in comparison to the vertical distance between the elevated and lower surfaces, the method comprising:

• deploying the foldable staircase between the elevated and lower surfaces by resting portions of undersides of the top and bottom stair treads on the elevated and lower surfaces respectively in such a manner that top surfaces of the top and bottom stair treads are substantially coplanar with the elevated and lower surfaces respectively, being offset therefrom by substantially only the thicknesses of the top and bottom stair treads, so that the top surfaces of the top and bottom stair treads extend over and substantially coplanar with the elevated and lower surfaces respectively;
• leading the pet along one of the lower and elevated surfaces to a location on the one of the lower and elevated surfaces adjacent the foldable staircase;
• urging the pet to step off of the one of the lower and elevated surfaces onto a respective one of the top and bottom stair treads resting on the one of the lower and elevated surfaces;
• urging the pet to traverse the foldable staircase from a respective one of the top and bottom stair treads onto the respective other of the top and bottom stair treads resting on the other of the lower and elevated surfaces;
• urging the pet to step off of the other of the top and bottom stair treads onto the other of the lower and elevated surfaces;
• and
• removing the foldable staircase by moving the undersides of the top and bottom stair treads of the foldable staircase out of contact with the lower and upper surfaces.