EP0574428B1

EP0574428B1 - Mounting device for armrests

Info

Publication number: EP0574428B1
Application number: EP92904924A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Kurt Francke; Göran WERNQVIST
Original assignee: RFSU Rehab AB
Current assignee: RFSU Rehab AB
Priority date: 1991-02-13
Filing date: 1992-02-12
Publication date: 1995-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 2012-02-12
Also published as: JPH06505173A; NO932781L; EP0574428A1; DE69205276T2; SE9100435D0; FI933475A7; DE69205276D1; SE468072B; WO1992014388A1; NO932781D0; ES2089500T3; FI933475A0; DK0574428T3; SE9100435L; ATE128613T1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an arrangement for pivotally attaching an armrest (3), this arrangement including an attachment (2) which is formed integrally with or which can be attached to a chair or like furniture. The armrest (3) has a part (13) which is mounted for limited pivotal movement in the attachment (2). At least that part (13) of the armrest (3) which projects into the attachment (2) has a circular cross section. A part of this circular part (13) has at least one depressed region (16, 17) and located within the attachment (2) is at least one ridge (21-24) which projects into the depressed region (16, 17). The ridge, or ridges (21-24) acts/act as stop means against the end walls (18, 19) of the depressed region or regions (16, 17) such as to restrict pivotal movement of the armrest part (13). The depressed region or regions (16, 17) in the circular part (13) and the ridge or ridges (21-24) have generally the same length and function to lock the circular part (13) against axial movement. Journals for the circular part (13) are provided in the wall through which the circular part (13) projects into the attachment (2) and also in one or more intermediate walls provided within the attachment (2). The attachment (2) is comprised of two halves (11, 12), of which one half (11) can be attached to or is formed integrally with the chair or like furniture, and of which the other half (12) is detachably connectable to the first mentioned half (11).

Description

The present invention relates to an arrangement for the attachment of armrests, and more particularly, although not exclusively, to an arrangement which will enable armrests to be pivoted to a limited extent. Although the invention can be applied to many different designs of armrests, it is primarily intended for use with chairs, lavatory basins and the like that are meant for handicapped people.
Armrests mounted on chairs and like seating furniture intended for handicapped people can normally be swung between a generally horizontal position, which is the normal arm-resting position, and a generally vertical position, which will enable a person to seat himself/herself on the chair from one side thereof. This latter, vertical arm position is essential when a handicapped person moves from a wheelchair to a conventional chair, which is often accomplished by moving sideways.
Many solutions are known to the art for pivotally mounting armrests to chairs and like furniture. These solutions include various types of stop pins and grooves which limit pivotal movement of the armrest. These known solutions, however, are encumbered with certain drawbacks. For example, in the case of the more simple designs, which are relatively common in practice, the person seated in the chair, the clothing worn by said person, is liable be clamped or pinched between the pin and the groove. More expensive constructions include the provision of separate guards. The pins and grooves also require separate machining processes and fitting processes, and since equipment of the kind to which the present invention relates include plastic-coated tubing in the majority of cases, it is difficult to retain the plastic material on the wear surfaces around the pins. Those areas from which the plastic has loosened are liable to become rusty, resulting in loosening of the plastic over progressively larger areas.
The object of the present invention is to solve the aforesaid problem. This object is achieved by an arrangement of the kind defined in the claims, which also set forth the special characteristic features of the invention.
The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

FIGURE 1: is a perspective view of an inventive armrest arrangement intended to be fitted to a lavatory basin;
FIGURE 2: is a sectional view of the actual attachment for a pivotal armrest;
FIGURE 3: is a perspective top view of one of the two elements which hold the pivotal armrest secured to a lavatory basin; and
FIGURE 4: is a perspective view from beneath of the other element which holds the pivotal armrest secured to a lavatory basin.

The armrest arrangement 1 illustrated in Figure 1 is intended for a lavatory basin or or toilet bowl and is comprised of an attachment 2 and two armrests 3 and 4 which are pivotally connected individually to the attachment 2. Projecting from the underside of the attachment 2 is a pair of screws S, each being provided with a respective nut 6 at the bottom thereof. These screws 5 are intended to be inserted through corresponding holes in the lavatory basin, in that part thereof which is located between the water tank and the actual basin or bowl, i.e. in the manner conventional when fitting a toilet seat and toilet seat-cover to the basin, the nuts 6 functioning to securely lock the attachment 2. As will be seen from Figure 1, the attachment 2 has a relatively elongated configuration and the armrests 3, 4 project out from respective short ends of the attachment. The attachment 2 is also provided with two pairs of lugs 7, 8 which project out towards the lavatory basin when the attachment 2 is in position, and which is intended for the pivotal attachment of a lavatory seat, and optionally also a seat cover. In the case of the illustrated embodiment, the attachment 2 is also provided with a pair of disc- like projections 9, 10 which are intended to rest on the rim of the lavatory basin and therewith form a support for the attachment 2 against the breaking forces to which the attachment is subjected when a load is exerted on the armrests 3, 4.
The attachment 2 comprises two parts, an upper part 12 on which the aforesaid pairs of lugs 7, 8 are disposed, and a lower part 11 which is intended to rest against the lavatory basin and which is provided with both the projections 9, 10 and the fastener screws 5.
The two armrests 3, 4 are made of round tubing and are a mirror image of one another and include a straight part 13 which extends from within the attachment 2 and terminates a short distance therefrom, a substantially vertical part 14, and a substantially horizontal part 15 which extends forwardly, at the side of the person seated on the lavatory basin. The horizontal part 15 is upholstered in some way or another, so as to feel comfortable to the person resting his/her arms on the armrests. It will be understood, however, that the armrests may have different configurations to that just described, the described configuration simply being one of a number of possible configurations.
Figure 2 illustrates the manner in which an armrest, in this case the armrest 3 shown in Figure 1, is attached to the attachment 2 in a manner which restricts the extent to which the armrest 3 can pivot between two extreme positions, one in which the armrest 3 is in its horizontal position of use, shown in full lines, and one position in which the armrest 3 is swung back to a position in which it does not cause an obstruction, as shown in broken lines. That part of the armrest part 13 which is located within the attachment 2 has been subjected to a pressing operation at two diametrically opposed regions 16, 17, to form hollows or sunken, these regions being mutually separated by two ridges 18, 19 located diametrically opposite one another. The tubular part 13 retains its original shape and size axially on either side of the depressed regions or hollows 16, 17.
Provided in the lower part 11 of the attachment 2 is an element 20 which, when seen from above, has a generally rectangular shape with two upwardly-projecting ridges 21, 22, one on each long side of the element 20 and thus parallel with the armrest part 13. The length of the ridges 21, 22 is practically the same as the length of the depressed regions 16, 17 and projects in to one, 16, of said regions.
Located in the upper part 12 of the attachment 2 is a pair of ridges 23, 24 which lie generally opposite the ridges 21, 22 in the lower part of said attachment, these ridges projecting in to the other depressed region 17. The positions of the ridges 18, 19 on the armrest part 13 is such in relation to the armrest 3 and to the ridges 21-24 in respective attachment parts 11, 12 as to enable the armrest 3 to be swung solely between said two extreme positions.
Figure 3 illustrates the construction of the lower or bottom part 11 of the attachment 2. This lower part comprises, in principle, a wall 25 which defines in part a rectangular area and against which the upper part 12 of the attachment 2 is intended to rest. Formed in respective short sides 26 of said lower attachment part is a semi-circular recess 27 whose radius corresponds to or is somewhat larger than the radius of the armrest part 13 and thus forms part of a journal bearing for said armrest part. Located slightly inwards of the short side 26 is the element 20 provided with ridges 21, 22. The element 20 has essentially a box-like shape. Slightly inwards of the element 20 is an inner transverse wall 28 which also has a semi-circular recess corresponding to the earlier mentioned recess 27. An elongated, penetrating hole 29 extends from the element 20 to a further transverse wall 30 which is located somewhat inwardly of the transverse wall 28 and which is also provided with a semi-circular recess corresponding to the aforesaid recesses. The hole 29 is intended to receive an attachment screw 5 by means of which said hole can be moved to locations at different distances between the attachment holes provided in the lavatory basin. The lower part 11 of the attachment 2 is also provided with penetrating holes 31 in the vicinity of the end walls and transverse walls, for securing said parts with the aid of screws.
Figure 4 illustrates the construction of the upper attachment part 12. The outer shape of the upper attachment part 12 corresponds to the shape presented by the wall 25 on the lower attachment part 11. The end walls 32 are provided with semi-circular recesses 33 of the same radius as the radius of the corresponding recess 27 in the lower attachment part 11, while transverse walls 34, 35 provided with semi-circular recesses are located in positions which register with corresponding transverse walls 28, 30 in the lower attachment part. The earlier mentioned ridges 23, 24 are located between the end walls 32 and the transverse walls 34. Provided adjacent the end walls and transverse walls are blind, threaded holes 36 into which screws are screwed when the attachment 2 is assembled, these screws extending through the holes 31 provided in the lower attachment part 11.
It will be seen that when the armrest part 13 is in position in the assembled attachment 2, the end walls 26, 32 and the transverse walls 28, 30, 34, 35 will form for the armrest 3 journals which allow the armrest to be swung in the aforedescribed manner. Because the ridges 21-24 project into the depressed regions 16, 17 in the armrest part 13 and have generally the same length as said part, the part 13 will be locked, and therewith also the armrest 3, so as to prevent said armrest from being withdrawn from or pushed into the attachment 2.
It will be understood from the above description that the armrests 3, 4 may have any design whatsoever within the scope of the present invention, with the exception of the armrest part 13 which must coact with the attachment 2 in order to allow the armrest to swing to said limited extent between these extreme positions. It will also be understood that the attachment may have different configurations, to suit different usages, and that the invention is therefore not restricted to use only with lavatory basins. The essential feature in this respect is that the component parts of the arrangement are simple and reliable and afford an inexpensive and satisfactory solution to the problems recited in the introduction and solved by means of the present invention.

Claims

An arrangement for pivotally mounting armrests (3, 4), comprising an attachment (2) which is formed integrally with or can be mounted on a chair or like furniture, wherein the armrests (3, 4) have a part (13) which is mounted for limited pivotal movement in said attachment (2), characterized in that the attachment (2) is comprised of two halves (11, 12), of which one half (11) can be attached to or is formed integrally with the chair or like furniture, and of which the other half (12) is detachably connectable to the first mentioned half (11); in that at least that part (13) of the armrests (3, 4) which projects into the attachment (2) has a circular cross-section; in that a part of the circular part (13) includes at least one hollow or indent (16, 17); in that at least one ridge (21-24) which projects into one hollow or indent (16, 17) is provided within the attachment (2), said ridge or ridges (21-24) functioning as stop means against the end walls (18, 19) of the hollow or hollows (16, 17) such as to restrict pivotal movement of said armrest part (13); in that the hollow or hollows (16, 17) in the circular part (13) and the ridge or ridges (21, 24) has/have generally the same length; and in that journal bearings for the circular part (13) are provided in the wall (32) through which the circular part (13) extends into the attachment (2) and also in one or more intermediate walls (34, 35) located within the attachment (2).
An arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized in that the stop-forming ridges (21-24) are provided in both attachment halves (11, 12).
An arrangement according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the circular part (13) is tubular; in that said circular part is provided with two mutually opposing depressed regions which form said hollows or indents (16, 17); and in that two ridges (18, 19) which define said hollows or indents (16, 17) form the devices which coact with the ridges located in the attachment (2), for the purpose of restricting pivotal movement of the armrests (3, 4).