The present invention relates generally to sources of illumination for residential and institutional bathrooms or other areas where grab bars, handrails and floor mats may be employed, whereby illumination of such equipment, fixtures or objects can provide a safe environment for users without needing to turn on primary electrical lighting fixtures during night-time use of such facilities. Other applications include the use of disclosed illumination solutions on bed rails, or on mobility equipment such as walkers, canes, wheelchairs, etc.
Grab bars are commonly employed in bathrooms for added safety to those that may require auxiliary support when accessing and departing bathroom fixtures such as bathtubs, showers and toilets.
It has been previously recognized that such grab bars can become slippery when exposed to moisture, potentially leading to injury should one's hand inadvertently slip free of the grab bar during use.
On prior art solution to this issue is a product being marketed as the Med-Grip grab bar accessory (http://www.secure-grip.com), which is a non-slip cover that is secured in place around a bathroom grab-bar by way of a zipper in order to provide an improved gripping surface. A similar product referred to as the Secure-Grip is available for other handrail applications. However, the product provides no illumination functionality for improved night-time visibility.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,934,701 discloses handrail safety devices in which luminescent material is provided within a longitudinal channel on the exterior of either a tubular handrail member, or a semi-circular cap that is placed over an existing handrail. The reference describes the semi-circular cap is being securable to the handrail by screws, adhesive, clamps, or interference fit. Accordingly, the device requires use of separate fastening elements to secure it in place, or a customized interference fit according to the specific handrail on which it is to be used.
Accordingly, there is a desire for a more flexible solution that is easier to install without requiring separate fasteners or specialized manufacturing dependent on the particular installation being contemplated.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2014/0134358 discloses a safety grip with a luminescent, textured exterior surface to improve handrail safety. However, the finished grip is created by end-to-end mating of a plurality of cylindrical grips slid into the place over the hand rail. Accordingly, installation requires access to a free end of the handrail by which the grips can be slid onto the handrail. Accordingly, installation on a previously installed handrail or grab bar would require disassembly of same.
Applicant has invented a new illuminating cover solution for grab-bars and handrails that provides easy tool-free installation, and that is also applicable to other fixtures or objects to similarly provide added safety thereto. A safety illumination solution for floor mats and toilet lid covers is also disclosed, which also improve on bathroom safety during night time use.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a safety cover for fitting over a bar or rail shaped piece of safety equipment, such as a handrail or grab bar, or for fitting over a peripheral edge of another type of fixture or object, the safety cover comprising:
a split tubular member of resiliently flexible material having a longitudinal axis that defines a lengthwise dimension measured between opposing ends of said split tubular member, a circumferential span in cross-sectional planes lying normal to said longitudinal axis that continuously spans a substantial majority of a circumference around said longitudinal axis, and a longitudinal split that extends an entirety of the lengthwise dimension from one of said opposing ends of the split tubular material to the other and forms an only break in the otherwise continuous circumferential span of the tubular member around the longitudinal axis; and
an illumination source carried by the split tubular member and operable to emit light therefrom to provide at least partial illumination of a darkened location at which the safety equipment, fixture or object resides;
wherein the circumferential span of the split tubular member has a circumferential resiliency that biases two free edges of the circumferential span toward one another from opposing sides of the break in the otherwise continuous circumferential span and thereby acts to automatically close up or reduce a width of the longitudinal split measured between said two free edges.
Preferably the illumination source is a photo-luminescent material.
Preferably the photo-luminescent material is embodied within the split tubular member.
Preferably the split tubular member has a longitudinal resiliency acting to bias the split longitudinal member into an arc-shaped configuration between the opposing ends thereof.
Preferably the split tubular member has a uniform wall thickness and uniform material composition throughout the circumferential span of the split tubular member.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of installing a safety cover of the type recited in the first aspect of the invention, by prying apart the free edges of the circumferential span of the split tubular member and thereby enlarging the width of the longitudinal split to an amount exceeding a width of either the bar or rail shaped piece of safety equipment or the peripheral edge of the fixture or object, and slipping the enlarged longitudinal split over the piece of safety equipment or over the peripheral edge of the fixture or object.
The method may include slipping the enlarged longitudinal split over the bar or rail shaped piece of safety equipment so as to receive the bar or rail shaped piece of safety equipment fully inside the split tubular member, and releasing the free edges of the circumferential span and allowing the free edges to resiliently abut into contact with one another in order to fully close the split tubular member around the bar or rail shaped piece of safety equipment, thereby retaining the safety cover in place thereon.
Alternatively, when the width of the piece of safety equipment or the width of the peripheral edge of the fixture or object exceeds a diameter of the split tubular member, the method may include releasing the free edges of the circumferential span and allowing the circumferential resiliency of the split tubular member to frictionally engage an interior surface of the split tubular member against the piece of safety equipment, fixture or object, thereby retaining the safety cover in place thereon.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an illuminating floor mat or toilet lid cover comprising:
a floor mat or toilet lid cover having an outer perimeter delimiting a shape of the floor mat or toilet lid cover; and
at least one longitudinally-shaped illumination member running longitudinally along at least one peripheral edge of the mat or cover with one or more light-emitting areas of said longitudinally-shaped illumination member in a visually detectable position left unconcealed by the mat or cover.
Preferably the longitudinally-shaped illumination member is a photo-luminescent member running longitudinally along the peripheral edge of the mat in the unconcealed visually detectable position.
Preferably the longitudinally-shaped illumination member has an attachment flange that extends laterally therefrom into a position lying over or under the mat or cover, and the longitudinally-shaped illumination member is affixed to the mat by way of said attachment flange.
Preferably the attachment flange is sewn to the mat.
The longitudinally-shaped illumination member may comprise a photo-luminescent core, and a sheath that closes around the core and to which the attachment flange is coupled.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a safety cover for fitting over a bar or rail shaped piece of safety equipment, such as a handrail or grab bar, or for fitting over a peripheral edge of another type of fixture or object, the safety cover comprising:
a split tubular member of resiliently flexible material having a longitudinal axis that defines a lengthwise dimension measured between opposing ends of said split tubular member and a circumferential span in cross-sectional planes lying normal to said longitudinal axis that continuously spans a substantial majority of a circumference around said longitudinal axis, said split tubular member being split longitudinally over an entirety of the lengthwise dimension from one of said opposing ends of the split tubular material to the other;
wherein the split tubular member comprises a uniform material composition fully throughout an entirety of the split tubular member, and said uniform material composition comprises a transparent or translucent, and resiliently flexible, material, within which photo-luminescent material is incorporated and dispersed, whereby the transparent or translucent material admits external light to said photo-luminescent material for charging thereof in illuminated environments and transmits irradiated light from said photo-luminescent material to illuminate the safety cover in darkened environments; and
wherein the circumferential span of the split tubular member has a circumferential resiliency that biases said split tubular member toward a fully closed state around said longitudinal axis to perform a self-gripping action on the safety equipment, fixture or object when said split tubular member is pried open and fitted over a bar-shaped, rail-shaped, or edge feature of said safety equipment, fixture or object.
One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.
Turning to
The tubing has resilient character in both its circumference and length, whereby the longitudinal resiliency will bias the length of the tubing into an arcuate shape like that of
While the forgoing process describes forcing the cover downwardly onto the hand rail from the topside thereof, the same installation process can be performed in other directions, for example forcing it upwardly onto the hand rail from below, or laterally onto the hand rail from the side thereof. The flexibility of the tubing allows the normally arcuate tubing to conform to the linear shape of the hand rail or grab bar by repetition of this prey-push-release action at sequential points moving along the length of the tubing. The normal curvature of the tubing also allows better kink-free conformation of the tubing with equipment of non-linear shape, such as the generally inverted U-shape or inverted V-shape of the illustrated tub-mounted grab bar 12. Even if the diameter of the hand rail 10 is greater than the normal diameter of the split-tubing, the cover 22 will still provide a self-gripping action on the hand rail 10, so long as the tubing is large enough so that the longitudinal slot can be enlarged to a width exceeding the hand rail diameter so that the two free edges can still effectively hook partially around the hand rail without closing entirely therearound.
Installation of the tubing on a shower/tub hand rail, grab bar, toilet seat arm rest, bedrail, etc. provides a more resilient surface for the user to grasp, thereby improving the grip of the rail, bar, or armrest. If the primary material of the tubing is transparent or translucent, then dispersing of a photo-luminescent material into the primary material during manufacture of the tubing will cause the tubing to emit light in a darkened bathroom or other unlit environment once the photo-luminescent material has been suitably charged by another light source (e.g. sunlight exposure through a window during the daylight, ambient light through an open doorway, charging with a bathroom light fixture before the user goes to sleep, etc.). Other means of carrying photo-luminescent material on the tube may be employed, for example by attachment of a sheet-style photo-luminescent product to the exterior surface of the tubing. Applicant found that a commercially available glow in the dark vinyl sheet called LunaGel Glow Sheet by Lunabrite Light Technology of Mountain Lakes, N.J. (http://www.lunabrite.com) was easily attached to split tubing by way of heat transfer, and provided suitable results. Alternatively, photo-luminescent material may be provided on the split tubing by other means. Illumination sources other than photo-luminescent material may alternatively be employed to provide the split tubing with its illumination functionality, but photo-luminescent material may be advantageous in order to avoid the need for battery-powered or mains-powered electrical lighting components.
A self-gripping split-tube illumination device like that described above may be slipped on and frictionally engaged to a bath-side floor mat 32 or toilet-embracing floor mat 34, like those shown in
The floor mat may use a photo-luminescent member other than the particular construction described in the incorporated Lunabrite Patent. For example, a coupling flange on an elongated illumination member may be used to sew, adhere or otherwise affix it to the mat, regardless of whether the illumination member uses the particular core and sheath configurations described and illustrated in the incorporated Lunabrite Patent. For example, glow-in-the-dark rope or tubing is commercially available from a number of existing suppliers, and could be modified to include a suitable attachment flange. An illumination member may similarly be sewn or otherwise attached to an exterior of a toilet lid cover at the perimeter thereof, where it externally wraps under the perimeter edge of the toilet seat and connects to the underlying elasticized rim at the open bottom of the toilet seat cover.
The disclosed embodiments of the invention include a non-slip, safety cover formed of soft rubber, acrylic, silicone, or any other resiliently flexible material that can incorporate photo luminescent materials dispersed within and incorporated into the material in a manner providing visually detectable illumination when charged. The disclosed covers are suitable for attachment to all manner of existing bathroom safety items including shower handrails, bathroom grab bars, tub rails and toilet armrests, as well as medical institution grab bars, handrails, and beds. As well, the glow-in-the-dark safety covers would be applicable for assisted mobility devices such as canes, walkers, rollators, and wheelchairs. The covers are slit down the middle to allow their placement over bathroom safety items and assistive mobility devices. In some embodiments, the covers may be capable of recharging in 5-30 minutes from ambient light, sunlight, or powered light bulb, and provide subsequent glowing action for 8 or more hours until recharged. These performance specifications are provided as examples only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
As mentioned above, conventional grab bars can be slippery when wet, potentially leading to injuries. The covers disclosed herein help prevent accidents from hands slipping off of the grab bar and can be placed over existing grab bars/handrails. The glow-in-the-dark component can provide lighting sufficient to see objects in the bathroom without the need to turn on a light and incur visual problems (e.g., bright light splits rhodopsin, making it difficult for eyes to detect light properly), including lowering the chemicals serotonin and melatonin, and disrupting the circadian rhythm. The covers make it easier to locate/pinpoint the toilet, grab bars, edge of the bathtub, etc., when walking to the bathroom at night, and may be especially helpful for people with poor vision who can't quite make out the shape of the toilet in the dark. The covers also offer a practical solution for those who don't want to turn on the light and awaken their spouse. Another potential target market is for consumers who don't want to “waste electricity” by turning on the light, whether for financial or environmental reasons.
Older hands can attach the covers without difficulty, by just slipping the flexible, waterproof covers over any suitable bathroom safety product or other object. The glow-in-the-dark material will absorb indoor light during the day, and provide an intense locator glow, for example in green or other colors, all night long. The glow-in-the-dark items disclosed herein may also contain antimicrobial agents to prevent the growth of bacteria.
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without department from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/027,455, filed Jul. 22, 2014.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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1969958 | Alder | Aug 1934 | A |
4890355 | Schulten | Jan 1990 | A |
5637378 | Hensler | Jun 1997 | A |
7771070 | Tarlton | Aug 2010 | B2 |
7934701 | Kay | May 2011 | B2 |
20140134358 | Hart | May 2014 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20160025271 A1 | Jan 2016 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62027455 | Jul 2014 | US |