GB2247495A - Pivot assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A pivot assembly e.g. for a grab rail (10) that is pivotable between a stowed position (X) and an in use position (V) assisting a user to enter or leave a bath is constructed so that the rail (10) may only be separated from the wall-mounted component (1) by passing the rail (10) out through an aperture (7) in a base portion (2) of the first component (1) so as to prevent accidental disassembly, the rail (10) having a pair of transversely-projecting pin portions (13) which engage in opposed grooves (6) in the socket part (4) of the component (1) to define the pivot axis. A lower portion of the grooves serves to retain the rail in its stowed position (X). After inserting the rail through the aperture (7) so that the pin portions engage in the grooves, the aperture is closed by a plate (16). <IMAGE>

Description

PIVOT ASSEMBLY The present invention relates to a pivot assembly. It is particularly, but not exclusively, suited for use as a folding rail assembly that is positionable over a bath to assist a user of the bath to get into and out of the bath.

GB-A-2,209,659 discloses a pivot assembly in which the pivotable rail is secured in a socket by means of a pin which is passed through the socket and the base of the pivotable rail once the rail has been inserted into the socket. The pin is then held in position by means of locking washers which are clipped over the ends of the pin. A disadvantage of this arrangement is that it is possible for persons, such as mentally confused residents of rest homes and the like, to fiddle with the ends of the pin and inadvertently release the locking washers. If this happens, the pin may work loose and suddenly slip out or break when pressure is applied to the pivotable rail, such as when a person is applying weight to the rail in order to get out of a bath. Failure of the pivotable rail may cause injury to the person.

According to the present invention, there is provided a pivot assembly comprising a first component having a base portion arranged to be secured to a support surface and a socket projecting from the base portion and containing a pair of opposed, inwardly-facing recesses; and a second, elongate component projecting out of the socket and having a pair of transversely outwardly projecting pivot pins each engaged with a respective one of the recesses of the socket, so as to permit the second component to be moved between first and second angularly spaced positions, the base portion of the first component having an aperture extending therethrough, the aperture communicating with the bottom of the socket and the recesses, whereby the second component may be inserted and removed through the aperture in order respectively to engage the pivot pins with and disengage the pivot pins from the recesses.

In order to remove the need for a separate pivot pin, a pair of transversely outwardly projecting pivot pins are provided on the second component (e.g. folding grab rail). Recesses are provided on the opposed, inwardly-facing walls of the socket in order to receive the pivot pins.

The first and second components are assembled by inserting the second component through the aperture in the base portion of the first component. When, in use, the first component is mounted on a support surface such as a wall, the aperture will be inaccessible by virtue of facing the support surface. Thus, it is not possible to disassemble the pivot assembly without first removing the first component from the wall or other support surface on which it is mounted. This arrangement means that, when the first component is mounted on a support surface, fiddling with the assembly will not accidentally cause the second component to separate frorn the first component.

Preferably, the recesses comprise grooves, the pivot pins are slideably engaged in the grooves, a stub length of the second component separates the pivot pins from the adjacent end of the second component, and each groove has (i) a first length extending substantially parallel to the base portion and spaced therefrom by a distance less than the length of the stub length of the second component and (ii) a second length diverging from the base and terminating at a point spaced from the base portion by a distance greater than the length of the stub length of the second component, whereby when the second component is in its first position, with its pivot pins in the first lengths of the grooves, the second component extends substantially parallel to the base portion and longitudinal but not pivoting movement of the second component is possible and when the second component is in its second position, with its pivot pins at the termination points of the second lengths of the grooves, the second component extends substantially perpendicularly from the base portion and movement of the second component past its second position is prevented by an abutment provided on the first component. The stub length of the second component serves the useful purpose of preventing unwanted pivoting when the second component is in its first position.

Preferably, each groove is substantially V-shaped with the included angle between the arms of the V being in the range from 90 to 1500. Preferably, the included angle is substantially 1300.

Preferably, the first component further comprises a cover fixed in the aperture by fastening means. The cover prevents the second component from sliding out of the aperture before the first component has been mounted on a support surface such as a wall.

Preferably, the aperture communicates with the recesses in the socket via respective channels and the cover has a pair of projections each of which substantially fills a respective one of the channels. The projections on the cover prevent the pivot pins from accidentally entering the channels as the second component is moved between its first and second positions.

Preferably, the first component comprises a housing having an opening within which the socket is located and part of the opening acts as the abutment for preventing the second component from moving past its second position. The provision of such a housing provides the overall assembly with a pleasing visual appearance.

The invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a pivot assembly in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is longitudinal sectional view similar to that of Figure 1 but showing only the first component; Figure 3 is a top-plan view of the first component; Figure 4 is a bottom-plan view of the first component; Figure 5 is an end elevation of the first component as viewed in the direction A of Figure 2; and Figures 6, 7 and 8 are top-plan, side elevation from one direction and side elevation from another direction of a cover plate of the first component.

A first component 1 is made out of metal and comprises a rectangular base portion 2 from the front face of which projects a rounded housing 3. The housing 3 is hollow so as to define therein a socket 4. The socket has an elongate arcuate opening 5.

The socket 4 has a pair of V-shaped grooves ó which face one another across the width of the socket. In Figures 1 and 2, only one of the two grooves 6 is visible. The two grooves 6 lie in planes which are parallel to one another and, when viewed in the direction perpendicular to the planes containing the grooves, appear to be superimposed.

Each groove 6 has a first length 61 which runs parallel to the base portion 2 and a second length 62 which diverges away from the base portion 2.

As most easily is seen in the bottom-plan view of Figure 4, the base portion 2 has an aperture 7 which provides access from the rear of the base portion 2 into the socket 4. The aperture 7 also exposes channels 8 which provide access from the aperture 7 to respective ones of the grooves 6.

A plastic liner 9 is provided to line the opening 5.

The pivot assembly also comprises a second component 10 in the form of a grab rail. The grab rail 10 comprises a tubular pipe 11 with a handle 12 at one end and a transverse pin 13 adjacent to the other end.

The pin 13 projects right through the pipe 11 so as to provide on either side thereof a pair of pivot pins. A stopper 14 is inserted up the end of the pipe 11 and is held in place by having the pin 13 pass therethrough.

The first and second components are assembled by inserting the handle 12 through the apertures 7 in the base portion 2. The handle 12 is then passed out of the opening 5. When the grab rail 10 has been almost entirely passed through the aperture 7, the pivot pins provided by the pin 13 are aligned with respective ones of the channels 8. The pivot pins are moved along the channels 8 until they enter respective ones of the grooves 6. The pivot pins have nylon bushes so that they run smoothly in the grooves 6.

The first component 1 also comprises a cover plate 15 which is inserted in the aperture 7 and held in place by rivets so as to close the aperture and thereby prevent the grab rail 10 from slipping back out of the aperture. The cover plate 15 has a pair of projections 16 which fill the channels 8 so as to confine the pivot pins to moving only along the grooves 6.

When assembled as described above, the pivot assembly appears as shown in Figure 1. The base portion 2 has six mounting holes 17 so that the pivot assembly may be screwed or otherwise fixed onto a support surface such as a wall. If being fixed to a wall, the pivot assembly of Figure 1 would be arranged so that the top of the assembly as viewed in that Figure points up the wall and the bottom of the assembly as viewed in that Figure points down the wall. The grab rail 10 is moved between a first position X shown in outline in Figure 1, and a second position Y, shown in full lines in Figure 1.

Position X has the grab rail 10 in a stowed position in which it points vertically up the wall and position Y is an "in use" position in which the grab rail 10 projects horizontally from the wall, for example out over a bath.

When moving the grab rail 10 from position Y to position X, each pivot pin slides along the second length 62 of its groove 6 and then enters the first length 61. Because the first length 61 runs substantially parallel to the base portion 2 and because the first length is spaced from the base portion 2 by less than the length L of a stub portion 11' of the pipe 11, the grab rail 10 is in its first position X only able to move longitudinally and is not able to rotate. This means that the grab rail 10, when stowed in position X, will not inadvertantly topple over to position Y. In order to move to position Y, the grab rail 10 must be lifted up to bring each pivot pin out of the first length 61 of its respective groove 6 and into the second length 62.

The terminal end of each second length 62 is spaced from the base portion 2 by more than the length L of the stub portion 11'. This ensures that, when the pivot pin reaches the terminal end of the second length 62, the grab rail 10 is not constrained to remain in the vertical position that it has when in position X. Instead, the grab rail 10 is free to rotate through 900 to adopt position Y. When in position Y, the grab rail 10 is prevented from rotating further by an abutment lip 18 of the opening 5.

Because the pivot assembly may only be disassembled by passing the grab rail 10 back out through the aperture 7, the fact that the aperture 7 is inaccessible when the first component 1 is mounted on a support surface such as a wall means that it is not possible to separate the first and second components when the first component is mounted on a support surface.

Claims (8)

1. A pivot assembly comprising: a first component having a base portion arranged to be secured to a support surface and a socket projecting from the base portion and containing a pair of opposed, inwardly-facing recesses; and a second, elongate component projecting out of the socket and having a pair of transversely outwardly projecting pivot pins each engaged with a respective one of the recesses of the socket, so as to permit the second component to be moved between first and second angularly spaced positions; the base portion of the first component having an aperture extending therethrough, the aperture communicating with the bottom of the socket and the recesses, whereby the second component may be inserted and removed through the aperture in order respectively to engage the pivot pins with and disengage the pivot pins from the recesses.

2. A pivot assembly according to claim 1, wherein the recesses comprise grooves, the pivot pins are slidably engaged in the grooves, a stub length of the second component separates the pivot pins from the adjacent end of the second component, and each groove has (i) a first length extending substantially parallel to the base portion and spaced therefrom by a distance less than the length of the stub length of the second component and (ii) a second length diverging from the base and terminating at a point spaced from the base portion by a distance greater than the length of the stub length of the second component, whereby when the second component is in its first position, with its pivot pins in the first lengths of the grooves, the second component extends substantially parallel to the base portion and longitudinal but not pivoting movement of the second component is possible and when the second component is in its second position, with its pivot pins at the termination points of the second lengths of the grooves, the second component extends substantially perpendicularly from the base portion and movement of the second component past its second position is prevented by an abutment provided on the first component.

3. A pivot assembly according to claim 2, wherein each groove is substantially V-shaped with the included angle between the arms of the V being in the range from 900 to 1500.

4. A pivot assembly according to claim 3, wherein the included angle is substantially 13i00.

5. A pivot assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first component further comprises a cover fixed in the aperture by fastening means.

6. A pivot assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the aperture communicates with the recesses in the socket via respective channels and the cover has a pair of projections each of which substantially fills a respective one of the channels.

7. A pivot assembly according to at least claim 2, wherein the first component comprises a housing having an opening within which the socket is located and part of the opening acts as the abutment for preventing the second component from moving past its second position.

8. A pivot assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.