EP1878865A1

EP1878865A1 - Guardrail joint structure

Info

Publication number: EP1878865A1
Application number: EP06117061A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sung-Tsun Wu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-07-12
Filing date: 2006-07-12
Publication date: 2008-01-16

Abstract

A guardrail joint structure comprises: an upper arm (10) having a pivotal connection means on one end thereof, a coupling device (121) on the other end thereof and a projecting lug (113) on the pivotal connection means; and a lower arm (20) having a pivotal connection means correspondingly on one end thereof, a coupling device (221) on the other end thereof and a rib (212) on the pivotal connection means, wherein the pivotal connection between the pivotal connection means of the upper arm and the pivotal connection means of the lower arm makes the guardrail joint structure rotatable and foldable, and wherein the upper arm and the lower arm can be positioned by using the projecting lug and the rib.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a rotatable and positionable guardrail joint structure for particularly use in a guardrail structure of a bed such as a baby bed, a sickbed or the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The guardrail structures are usually mounted beside baby beds and sickbeds to protect young children or patients from the risk of fall. The guardrail structure is previously made of iron tubes and fixed securely by welding process. However, the welding process results in high production cost. In order to overcome the drawback of the welding-type structure, a composite-type guardrail structure is thus disclosed. In this composite-type structure, a joint structure and a rod are formed integrally, and these integrally formed joint structure and rod are then coupled with other integrally formed joint structures and rods. But, this composite-type structure takes much time for assembly in spite of reducing the production cost. Besides, after being detached from the bed, the required storage space of the composite-type guardrail structure cannot be reduced without completely detaching the joint structures from the rods. As a result, there is still a need to make an improvement to meet the requirement for use.
Whereas the foregoing description, the present inventor makes diligent studies in providing the consumers with a completely new guardrail joint structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a main object of the present invention to provide a guardrail joint structure consisting of upper and lower arms, wherein the guardrail joint structure is rotatable and positionable by using the pivotal connection means that pivotally couple with each other, the corresponding shaft and shaft hole, and the projecting lug and rib that block each other. As a result, the convenience of using and storing the guardrail structure is increased.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, a guardrail joint structure comprises: an upper arm having a pivotal connection means on one end thereof, a coupling device on the other end thereof and a projecting lug on the pivotal connection means; and a lower arm having a pivotal connection means correspondingly on one end thereof, a coupling device on the other end thereof and a rib on the pivotal connection means, wherein the pivotal connection between the pivotal connection means of the upper arm and the pivotal connection means of the lower arm makes the guardrail joint structure rotatable and foldable, and wherein the upper arm and the lower arm can be positioned by using the projecting lug and the rib.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional, assembled view of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional, exploded view of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional, assembled view of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the use of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the operation of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a guardrail joint structure of the present invention comprises an upper arm 10 and a lower arm 20.
The upper arm 10 has a disk-shaped pivotal connection means 11 having a shaft 111 on the center. The shaft 111 has a through hole 112 on the center. A projecting lug 113 is located on the pivotal connection means 11 beside the shaft 111, wherein the projecting lug 113 may be hollow inside depending on requirements. A projecting flange 114 is located circularly on the periphery of the pivotal connection means 11. Besides, a cylindrical coupling device 12 is extended from the pivotal connection means 11. A rod 121 is extended from the coupling device 12. The rod 121 has a smaller diameter than the coupling device 12. In addition, a hole 122 is formed on the rod 121.
The lower arm 20 has a disk-shaped pivotal connection means 21 having a shaft hole 211 on the center corresponding to the shaft 111 of the upper arm 10. A rib 212 is located on the pivotal connection means 21 beside the shaft hole 211. Besides, a cylindrical coupling device 22 is extended from the pivotal connection means 21. A rod 221 is extended from the coupling device 22. The rod 221 has a smaller diameter than the coupling device 22. In addition, a hole 222 is formed on the rod 221.
Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, in the assembling process of the guardrail joint structure of the present invention, the upper arm 10 is coupled with the lower arm 20 by pivotally coupling the pivotal connection means 11 with the pivotal connection means 21, wherein the shaft 111 of the pivotal connection means 11 is inserted into the shaft hole 211 of the pivotal connection means 21, and wherein the projecting flange 114 of the pivotal connection means 11 is wedged in the inner wall of the pivotal connection means 21. In addition, the upper and lower arms 10 and 20 can be positioned by the projecting lug 113 and the rib 212 that is able to block each other to prevent rotation. Next, these two arms 10 and 20 including the pivotal connection means 11 and 21 can be securely screwed or riveted together by inserting a screw or a rivet into the through hole 112, and thus the assembling process of the present invention is completed. When the guardrail joint structure is in use, the coupling devices 12 and 22 of the upper and lower arms 10 and 20 are rotated to allow the rotation of the shaft 111 in the shaft hole 211 and the rotation of the projecting flange 114 of the pivotal connection means 11 along the inner wall of the pivotal connection means 21. When the pivotal connection means 11 and 21 are rotated 90 degrees from each other, the projecting lug 113 of the pivotal connection means 11 is blocked by the rib 212 of the pivotal connection means 21, and thus the purpose of positioning the arms 10 and 20 is achieved.
Referring further to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, several rods 30 are fixedly connected to the coupling devices 12 of the upper arms 10 and the coupling devices 22 of the lower arms 20 via first ends thereof, and screwed or riveted thereon by inserting screws or rivets into the holes 122 of the coupling devices 12 and the holes 222 or the coupling devices 22. Next, the rods 30 are coupled with rotation shafts 40 or foldable devices 50 via second ends thereof. As a result, by combination of the guardrail joint structures, the rotation shafts 40 and the foldable devices 50, a complete guardrail structure is formed. As a result, in the process of detaching the guardrail structure from the bed, the rods 30 are detached from the rotation shafts 40 first. Next, the pivotal connection means 11 and 21 of the upper and lower arms 10 and 20 including the rods 30 screwed or riveted thereon are rotated toward each other to separate the projecting lugs 113 from the ribs 212 such that the inclined angle between the upper arm 10 and lower arm 20 is less than 90 degrees. In addition, the rods 30 can be arranged parallel to each other by using the foldable devices 50 coupled therebetween. As a result, the size of the guardrail structure can be reduced to provide the convenience of storing the guardrail structure.
In accordance with the foregoing description, it is apparent that the present invention provides the advantage as follows:
The guardrail joint structure is composed of the upper and lower arms, wherein the guardrail joint structure is rotatable and positionable by using the pivotal connection means that pivotally couple with each other, the corresponding shaft and shaft hole, and the projecting lug and rib that baffle each other. As a result, the convenience of using and storing the guardrail structure is increased.
In summary, the present invention indeed achieves the expected objects by disclosing a guardrail joint structure that is convenient to carry and easy to use. Accordingly, the present invention meets the requirement for patentability and is therefore submitted for a patent.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiment of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments, which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

A guardrail joint structure comprising:
an upper arm having a pivotal connection means on one end thereof, a coupling device on the other end thereof and a projecting lug on said pivotal connection means; and

a lower arm having a pivotal connection means correspondingly on one end thereof, a coupling device on the other end thereof and a rib on said pivotal connection means, wherein the pivotal connection between said pivotal connection means of said upper arm and said pivotal connection means of said lower arm makes said guardrail joint structure rotatable and foldable, and wherein said upper arm and said lower arm can be positioned by using said projecting lug and said rib.
The guardrail joint structure of claim 1, wherein said pivotal connection means of said upper arm is a disk-shaped device having a shaft on the center thereof, said projecting lug located beside said shaft and a projecting flange located circularly on the periphery of said pivotal connection means, wherein said pivotal connection means of said lower arm is a disk-shaped device having a shaft hole on the center thereof and said rib located beside said shaft hole, and wherein said pivotal connection means are pivotally coupled with each other by inserting said shaft into said shaft hole and by wedging said projecting flange in an inner wall of said pivotal connection means of said lower arm.
The guardrail joint structure of claim 2, wherein said upper and lower arms can be positioned by said projecting lug and said rib that block each other to prevent rotation.
The guardrail joint structure of claim 1, wherein said coupling device of said upper arm is a cylindrical device, and a rod having a smaller diameter than said coupling device is extended from said coupling device for coupling with a hole of a guardrail rod.
The guardrail joint structure of claim 1, wherein said coupling device of said lower arm is a cylindrical device, and a rod having a smaller diameter than said coupling device is extended from said coupling device for coupling with a hole of a guardrail rod.