Patent Application
20150102278
In known wall-protecting handrails, rail members are mounted on brackets in a manner such they can deflect and deform under impacts from objects to prevent damage to the underlying wall. The rail members protect the underlying walls and provide support for persons walking through the building. These handrails are widely used in hospitals and nursing homes, where carts, wheelchairs and the like are moved through hallways and are likely to strike the walls.
Known handrails are supported in spaced-apart relation to the walls to allow space between the handrail and the user's fingers. The supports are individual brackets that are strongly attached to the walls and to the handrails. In some cases a single bolt is used that passes through a hole in a portion of the handrail, a corresponding hole in the bracket, and through the wall. Such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,048.
Also known is a handrail installation in which single bolts are used at each support point for the rail and in which the rail need not be drilled to fasten it to the support. The rail and supports permit covers and/or other components to be pre-assembled to the rail before the rail is attached to the supports. All of the supports for the rail can be installed onto the wall or post system (or other supporting structure) before the rail is installed. The rail is then installed onto the supports using a tool. Such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,458.
The present inventors have recognized the need for a handrail assembly that allows the handrail supports to be first installed onto the wall and then the handrail installed onto the supports. The present inventors have recognized the need for supports that eliminate the requirement for using a tool to install the handrail to the supports and that constituted an easily installed and cost effective assembly.
Embodiments of the invention provide a handrail assembly, and a method of installing the assembly, that reduces the installation time for installing handrails, particularly in an institution like a hospital. The exemplary assembly also reduces parts, the requirement for special tools for installation, and the overall cost of the assembly and installation.
A handrail system includes an elongated rail member, a plurality of attachment elements carried by the elongated rail member on the back side thereof, a plurality of brackets, each attachable at a base end to a wall via an attachment hole in the bracket; and a plurality of pins wherein each pin is engageable through an intermediate portion of a bracket to fix the attachment element to the bracket.
Preferably, the attachment elements are slidably adjustable along the length of the rail member.
Preferably, the distal end of each of said brackets is an open end and partially receives one of said attachment elements within the open end, and one of said pins penetrates through the bracket and the attachment element to fix the attachment element to the bracket.
Preferably, the bracket includes a first through hole and the attachment element includes a second through hole, and when the attachment element is inserted partially into the bracket, the first and second through holes align and the pin is tightly received within both first and second through holes.
Preferably, the attachment element includes a T-shaped retaining element and the rail member includes a T-shaped slot such that the retaining element can slide along a portion of a length of the T-shaped slot without being separated from the rail member.
Preferably, each bracket has a tubular body having the open end and having a portion of an inside perimeter of the open end defined by a flat surface, and the attachment element has a corresponding shape to be snugly inserted into the open end and prevented from rotating therein by the flat surface.
The invention provides a method of attaching a handrail to a wall comprising the steps of:
mounting brackets onto the wall spaced apart horizontally;
providing that a handrail has a connecting slot that slidably receives attachment elements along the slot, the slot configured to prevent separation of the attachment elements from the handrail;
positioning the attaching elements along the slot to register with each of the brackets;
inserting each of the attaching elements into a corresponding bracket;
installing through pins which lock each attaching element to the corresponding bracket.
The invention also provide a bracket system that is applicable to other articles to be mounted, wherein the bracket system includes a bracket mountable to a surface, such as a wall, and an attachment element that is carried by the article to be mounted. The attachment element is attachable to the bracket by use of a pin that penetrates through the bracket and the attachment element. Preferably, the attachment element is slidable along the article, particularly when the article is long and multiple brackets are used for mounting the article to the surface. Preferably, the attachment element is inserted into a tubular open end of the bracket and the pin penetrates through both the attachment element and the bracket to fix the attachment element to the bracket. Preferably, the attachment element includes a T-shaped formation that fits into a T-shaped slot along a back side of the article to be mounted.
Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will be become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, and from the accompanying drawings.
While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.
As shown in
The distal end 20d of each of said brackets is an open end and partially receives one of said attachment elements 18 within the open end 20d, and one of said pins 28 penetrates through an intermediate portion 20c of the bracket 20 and the attachment element 18 to fix the attachment element 18 to the bracket 20.
The bracket 20 includes a first through hole 20e and the attachment element 18 includes a second through hole 18e, and when the attachment element 18 is inserted sufficiently into the bracket 20, the first and second through holes 20e, 18e align and the pin 28 is tightly received within both first and second through holes 20e, 18e.
The pin 28 includes an enlarged head 28a and an inclined opposite end 28b. The through hole 20e is countersunk to accommodate the head flush with the upper contour of the bracket when installed completely. The inclined end 28b is shaped to be flush with the lower contour of the bracket when installed completely.
Between the head and the inclined end, on only one side of the pin, is a rib or key 28c that tightly fits into a keyway 18f in the through hole 18e and a keyway 20f in the through hole 20e. This key and keyway ensures that the pin is properly oriented such that the inclined end terminates flush with the lower contour of the bracket.
The attachment element 18 includes a substantially cylindrical body 18b and a prone T-shaped retaining formation 18a. The rail member 14 includes the T-shaped slot 14c which closely receives the formation 18a, slid into the slot 14c from an open end of the slot 14c. Once installed into the slot, the retaining element 18 can slide longitudinally along the T-shaped slot 14c without being separated from the rail member 14.
Preferably, the bracket 20 has a tubular body with the open end 20d defining the beginning of a cylindrical void 20g which terminates at an end wall 20i. The cylindrical void 20g is sized to snugly receive the body 18b of the element 18. The hole 20b is countersunk into the end wall 20i to allow for a fastener head 25a to be located below the surface of the end wall 20i when the bracket is mounted to the wall 24. The void 20g has a portion of an inside perimeter defined by a flat surface 20g, and the attachment element body 18b has a corresponding flat surface 18g to be snugly inserted into the void 20g and prevented from rotating therein by the flat surfaces 18g, 20g.
As shown in
According to exemplary embodiments of the invention, the rail member 14 can be composed of aluminum 6063. The bracket 20 can be composed of copolyester or ABS. The pin 28 can be composed of copolyester or ABS. The retaining element 18 can be composed of ABS. The cover 15 can be composed of copolyester or PVC and the bumper 16 can be composed of copolyester or PVC. Other materials of construction of these parts are also encompassed by the invention.
The invention provides a method of attaching a handrail to a wall comprising the steps of:
mounting brackets 20 onto a wall 24, the brackets 20 spaced apart horizontally;
providing that a rail member 14 has a connecting slot 14c that slidably receives attachment elements 18 along the slot 14c, the slot 14c configured to prevent separation of the attachment elements 18 from the rail member 14;
positioning the attaching elements 18 along the slot 14c to register with each of the brackets 20 mounted on the wall;
inserting each of the attaching elements 18 into a corresponding bracket 20;
installing through pins 28 which lock each attaching element 18 to the corresponding bracket 20.
The invention also provide a bracket system that is applicable to other articles to be mounted, wherein the bracket system includes a bracket mountable to a surface, such as a wall, and an attachment element that is carried by the article to be mounted. The attachment element is attachable to the bracket by use of a pin that penetrates through the bracket and the attachment element. Preferably, the attachment element is slidable along the article, particularly when the article is long and multiple brackets are used for mounting the article to the surface. Preferably, the attachment element is inserted into a tubular open end of the bracket and the pin penetrates through both the attachment element and the bracket to fix the attachment element to the bracket. Preferably, the attachment element includes a T-shaped formation that fits into a T-shaped slot along a backside of the article to be mounted.
From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred.
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein, to the extent that the references are not inconsistent with the present disclosure.
