Patent Application
20060053547
The present invention relates to a grab bar apparatus that may be used to enable an individual the ability to improve their balance, positioning, and weight bearing status when transferring from a toilet seat or a wheelchair to a standing position. More particularly a grab bar that is foldable, improves safety when transferring in the bathroom, secure, and helps users to regain/maintain their independence.
Severe accidents often occur in the bathroom of residential homes or public restrooms. The reason for this being that many bathroom items, such as bathtubs, toilets, and floors, are made out of smooth solid material, such as porcelain, tile, marble, and metal. Complicating matters worse, these materials have a tendency of becoming slippery when wet. This factor proposes a dangerous threat to bathroom users, as slipping on such surfaces can result in serious physical injury. For the disabled, elderly, and young children the risk of serious injury increases, despite whether or not surfaces in the bathroom are wet. A main problem for such persons, especially the elderly and disabled, becomes using the bathroom. This problem is particularly cumbersome for those frail persons residing in their own residential homes that are not getting in-depth care or assistance, such as the care provided in a hospital or by a full-time nurse. Such persons are by and large capable of caring for themselves but are still fairly weak, thus simple tasks like using the bathroom become greatly burdensome.
In an attempt to lower the risk of injury in the bathroom and aid users with disabilities, an assortment of grab rails have become widespread in bathroom facilities. Handrails are mounted on the walls adjacent to toilets to provide a source of support, which a person can utilize to get into standing or sitting position. An assortment of handrails have been formed to address the need for aid, especially in the bathroom.
A popular form of handrail is the conventional straight grab bar, which is a stationary fixed rail bolted or otherwise attached to a wall that allows a user to grab with their hands in order to aid in the transition between a seated and standing position. Yet such devices are often made of rigid material that employ a tubular rail with a large diameter along the length. This configuration provides complications for people with small or frail hands who cannot grab the handrail securely, and thus the handrail becomes useless for such users and the danger of serious injury remains present.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,237 issued to Richard E. Marzee on Nov. 25, 1997 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,344 issued to Torbett B. Guenther on Sep. 5, 2000 both show forms of conventional straight grab bars that are mounted on the wall, yet unlike the present invention these devices are mounted a small distance off the wall thus making them difficult for the user to reach, as well as limit mobility for the user to obtain a strong two-handed grasp. Also given that that these devices require the user to push themselves up, which requires more upper body strength as compared with pulling with both hands, these devices may cause strain or stress in the wrists of the user as the swing or sway onto or off a toilet seat as well as in or out of a wheelchair. These forms of handrails do not provide adequate assistance in maneuvering in a bathroom stall.
Swing away grab bars are of a triangular configuration and mount to the wall and floor. These devices pivot away from the wall, and snap, lock, or drop into place. Yet unlike the present invention, such devices can become obstructive and hinder movement of the user, as they do not allow for enough legroom if the user wears a leg brace or cast.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,213 issued to Lawrence L. Sarff on Oct. 17, 2000 shows a U-shaped wall mounted hand rail, which flips down and locks in place, yet unlike the present invention this device does not allow for excessive weight bearing down. The amount of weight bearing capacity is wholly dependent upon the construction of the wall it is being installed on. If mounted on a sidewall, the apparatus does not extend far enough in front of a user to offer enough leverage. If installed on a facing wall, this device will only be functional if the facing all is in close enough proximity to the toilet to be of assistance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,440 issued to Thomas E. Pelt on Jan. 7, 1997 shows a grab bar assembly consisting of an elongated D-shaped bar, wall mounted, which folds up against the wall when not in use. Yet unlike the present invention, this device has a small mounting base, which does not allow for a great deal of force to be used in pulling the user from the toilet or a wheelchair, or in weight bearing down upon the device. This device could also be pulled from the wall quite easily. Another limitation of the device not present in the present invention is that when flipped into a storage mode, the device extends into the walkway and hinders movement of the user. Furthermore, the bottom support arm of the device poses an injury risk should a user lose their balance and fall on the sharp bottom edge.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,414,904 issued to Mike A. Provi on Dec. 10, 1968, U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,361 issued to Alfred A. Smith on Nov. 29, 1983, U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,252 issued to Rik Cuttriss on Sep. 24, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,483 issued to Robin Levien on Apr. 21, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,904 issued to Paul J. Doczy on Aug. 26, 1997, show safety handrails. Yet unlike the present invention, these devices are configured for bathtubs and Jacuzzis and therefore would not provide any assistance for a user on a toilet seat.
Thus there is a need for a handrail that provides a solid, secure lever that can withstand the forces of both pulling against and pushing to aid in the mechanism of assisted standing for a user, while also being convenient and efficient to use.
The present invention improves upon the various previous methods of assisting a user in moving between a toilet seat and standing stance, as well as cited patents by being efficient to use, convenient, space saving, all while not hindering the movement of the user.
The present invention mounts on to an existing convention grab bar and is comprised of a grip bar linked with a support leg. The grip bar is formed of a first bar and a second bar. The first bar slopes down and intersects with the extending straight second bar and a center point. The end of the grip bar has a rubber cap to seal the end of the bar, which the user may grip. In an alternative embodiment, the grip bar may be designed in an angled configuration to provide a better grip for the user.
The grip bar extends perpendicular from the wall, when pulled in a downward horizontal position for use. This configuration provides enough surrounding area to securely grip the bar in order to lower or rise from a seated position comfortably.
When the present invention is lowered into a horizontal position for use, a support leg, which is connected to the grip bar through a hinge connector, extends to the floor. Such a configuration allows the user to bear weight on the support leg safely and securely. The support leg features a height adjustment component that allows the user to adjust the support leg to a desired height, thus making the present invention user friendly.
After a user is finished using the present invention, the apparatus folds neatly out of the way by rotating the present invention upward against the wall. A bracket assembly consisting of two spring loaded ball assemblies with a steel ball projecting into an opening in a companion mating piece, is employed to secure a mating relationship when pieces are placed in suitable position to maintain the present invention in an up or down position. Also the invention employs a stopper assembly consisting of a hinge, clamp, and stop pin, which allow the present invention to pivot. The stopper assembly fully facilitates the invention in either and upward vertical storage or downward horizontal for use position, as well as permits a cease of movement when the invention reaches either one of the two desired positions.
When the present invention is not is use, the device is folded up against a wall, and held in place with a locking pin device. In order to use the present invention, the user pulls the grip bar arm down from its upward stored position, until the grip bar arm locks in its downward horizontal position. The grip bar arm acts as a secure lever that can withstand the forces of pulling and pushing against, in order to aid the user in standing up or sitting down.
The support leg may be pulled down and adjusted to a desired height in order to provide optimum support and comfort for the user. In an alternative embodiment, the support leg is non-adjustable in order to provide for less expensive manufacturing costs.
A rubber cap is located on the end of the support leg in order to seal the leg and provide non-skid support, providing security and stability for the user.
The present invention has a grip bar arm (20), a bracket assembly (30), structure attachment (40), and an extending support leg (190). The structure attachment (40) is configured to mount to an existing conventional grab bar (60). The grip bar arm (20) with an extending support leg (190) combined with the bracket assembly (30) is attached to the structure attachment (40) via a stopper assembly (70).
The present invention is configured to permit the stopper assembly (70) to shift the grip bar arm (20) in an upward position or a downward in use position. The stopper assembly (70), as shown in
The structural attachment (40) has a pair of hollow cylindrical housing units (80) which may be used to attach the structural attachment (40) to an existing conventional grab bar (60). Adjacent to the structural attachment (40) is the bracket assembly (30) which has two conventional spring loaded ball assemblies (110) with a steel ball (120) projecting into opening in a companion mating piece (130), used to secure a mating relationship when pieces are placed in suitable position to maintain the present invention is an up or down position (spring loaded ball assemblies (110), steel ball (120) and mating piece (130) are contained within bracket assembly (30) and are not shown in any of the figures). The user determines the final location of the apparatus.
Located adjacent to the bracket assembly (30) is the stopper assembly (70). The stopper assembly (70) has a hollow cylinder housing (80), clamp (90), and stop pin (100). Stop pin (100) is connected nearby to the cylinder housing (80). Stop pin (100) is utilized to prevent pivotal movement of the present invention after a certain point, thus holding the apparatus securely in a horizontal in-use position or a vertical stored position.
The grip bar arm (20) is joined to the bracket assembly in order to rotate around the stopper assembly (70). As shown in
When the present invention is lowered to an in-use horizontal position, the apparatus extends a sufficient length perpendicular from the wall, providing a sufficient area to securely grip the grip bar arm (20) and lower or rise from a wheelchair or toilet seat.
A support leg (190) extends to the floor allowing a user to bear weight on the present invention, which makes maneuvering to and from a toilet or wheelchair safe. The support leg (190) connects to the grip bar arm (20) through a hinge connection (200) with a bolt (210) and washers (220). The hinge connection (200) allows the support leg (190) to easily fall down when the grip bar arm (20) is lowered to the horizontal in-use position, as well as easily fold up when the present invention is elevated to a vertical stored position. The extending support leg (190) has a height adjustment connection (230), which allows the user to adjust the height of the extending support leg (190) in accordance to the users preference of comfort. In an alternative embodiment the support leg (190) is non-adjustable, in order to provide a less expensive manufacturing cost.
Due to the location of the extending support leg (190), ample room is available for maneuvering around the present invention. A rubber cap (240) is employed to seal the end of the support leg (190) and provide non-skid support. Thus the support leg (190) will safely and securely hold the weight of user.
To achieve simplicity, an alternative embodiment of the present invention does not have a support leg (190). Also, in a further alternative embodiment the present invention has a support leg (190) that attaches to the wall.
As shown in
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Having illustrated the present invention, it should be understood that various adjustments and versions might be implemented without venturing away from the essence of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and should be interpreted as any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
