This invention relates to a bar that is utilized in bathrooms, such as a grab bar for example, where the bar is installed to have an unobstructed front face.
Grab bars are utilized in bathroom applications to provide support for an individual during exit or entry in a bathtub or shower, for example. Typical grab bars include a linear/straight body member that is spaced apart from, and parallel to, a wall. The grab bar has end mounts that extend toward the wall such that the grab bar can be mounted to the wall. In some configurations, the linear/straight body member may include angled portions such that the grab bar can be gripped at different orientations.
These known grab bars are typically installed using an end mount assembly at each end of the bar to provide a two-point mount configuration. In one known example, in order to securely attach the grab bar to the wall, through holes are machined at each end of the body member. The through holes extend entirely through the body member from a front facing side to a wall facing side. The end mount assemblies include fasteners, which are installed in these through holes to secure the body member to the wall. Covers or caps are then used to cover the through holes on the front facing side. Such caps and covers do not provide a smooth, uninterrupted surface, and as such, are not aesthetically pleasing.
Thus, there is a need to provide a more aesthetically pleasing two-point mount configuration that can still securely attach the grab bar to the wall without adversely affecting overall cost.
A grab bar for use in a bathroom structure such as a shower or tub, for example, includes a mount assembly having a sleeve, a base flange, and a set screw. The mount assembly is generally hidden from view from a front side and allows the grab bar to be secured to a wall mount surface without affecting a front facing surface of the grab bar.
In one example, the sleeve is attached to a wall facing side of the grab bar. The base flange has a base portion to be associated with the wall mount surface and a wall portion extending outwardly from the base portion. Once the sleeve is attached to the grab bar, and once the base flange is attached to the wall mount surface, the sleeve is then received over the wall portion of the base flange in an overlapping relationship. The set screw is then used to secure the sleeve to the base flange.
In one example, the sleeve includes a first central bore and the base flange includes a second central bore that is aligned with the first central bore. The wall portion of the base flange comprises a first wall that extends partially around the second central bore and a second wall that extends partially around the second central bore. The first and second walls are separated from each other by an air gap.
In one example, each of the first and second walls includes a threaded hole. The set screw is inserted through a wall of the sleeve and into the first and second threaded holes to secure the sleeve and the base flange together.
In one example, only one of the first and second walls includes a threaded hole. The set screw is inserted through a wall of the sleeve and into the single threaded hole to secure the sleeve and the base flange together.
In one example, the first wall includes a threaded hole and the second wall includes an opening that receives an insert. The set screw is inserted through a wall of the sleeve and into the threaded hole until a distal end of the set screw is received within the insert.
The subject grab bar mount assembly and method of attaching the grab bar to a bathroom wall surface provides a secure attachment interface while additionally providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance for a front facing side of the grab bar. These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.
A grab bar 10 for attachment to a bathroom wall structure 12 is shown in
The grab bar 10 is formed from a body structure that includes a wall facing side 20 and a front facing side 22 that is opposite the wall facing side 20. Each mounting assembly 18 is attached to the wall facing side 20 such that the front facing side 22 comprises a continuous, uninterrupted and unobstructed surface. As such, the mounting assemblies 18 are generally hidden from view from a front side such that the front facing side 22 of the grab bar 10 provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Each mounting assembly 18 includes at least a base flange 24, a sleeve 26, and a set screw 28. The set screw 28 is used to secure the sleeve 26 to the base flange 24. This will be discussed in greater detail below. Before the set screw 28 is installed, the sleeve 26 is first attached to the wall facing side 20 of the grab bar 10 to form a grab bar and sleeve assembly. The sleeve 26 is installed onto the wall facing side 20 of the grab bar 10 by inserting a fastener 30 into a threaded post portion 32 of the sleeve 26 as shown in
Next, the base flange 24 is attached to the wall structure 12 with a fastener 34 and washer 36 as shown in
Once the base flange 24 is attached to the wall structure 12, and once the sleeve 26 is attached to the grab bar 10, the sleeve 26 is then slid over the base flange 24. Finally, the set screw 28 is inserted through an access hole 40 in the sleeve 26 and is threaded into the base flange 24 to secure the sleeve 26 and grab bar 10 to the base flange 24.
The sleeve 26 and base flange 24 are shown in greater detail in
As shown in
The sleeve 26 also includes a central bore 60 that is aligned with the central bore 50 of the base flange 24, and as such, also has an axis A2 that is perpendicular to a surface of the wall structure 12. The sleeve 26 includes a wall with an outer surface 62 and an inner surface 64 that defines the central bore 60. When the sleeve 26 is installed onto the base flange 24, the first 46a and second 46b walls are inserted into the central bore 60 of the sleeve 26 in an overlapping relationship, such that an outer surface of the wall portion 46 contacts or abuts against the inner surface 64 of the sleeve 26. The access hole 40 extends through the wall of the sleeve 26 as shown in
In the example of
During assembly, reaction forces are such that the first wall 46a is forced against the inner surface 64 of the sleeve 26. Conversely, the set screw 28, which is being threaded through the first threaded hole 70, is forced against a conical shaped inside face 78 (
In one example, the insert 74 (
Another example of a wall portion configuration of the base flange 24 is shown in
The reaction forces are such that the first wall 46a is forced against the inner surface 64 of the sleeve 26. Further, during assembly, while the set screw 28 is being threaded through the first 70 and second 90 threaded holes, the distal end 76 is forced against the inner surface 64 of the sleeve 26 as indicated at 92. In one example, the point style of the set screw 28 is oval in shape to eliminate high stress concentrations on the inner surface 64 of the sleeve 26 that would be generated by using other point styles. As the set screw 28 is tightened, the second wall 46b flexes slightly toward the first wall 46a and locks the set screw 28 in place, which prevents set screw movement during normal use.
Each mounting configuration allows the grab bar 10 to be installed into a wet environment with a two-point mount configuration. The concentrically placed mounting fastener 34 provides even pressure on the o-ring seal. Further, the use of the separate sleeve and base flange combination allows for a clean, obstruction free front face of the grab bar, which is aesthetically pleasing. Additionally, the use of two walls separated by an air gap provides a cost saving without adversely affecting strength of the assembly.
Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.