GB2449302A

GB2449302A - Stair rail with sliding safety handle

Info

Publication number: GB2449302A
Application number: GB0709564A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Austin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-05-18
Filing date: 2007-05-18
Publication date: 2008-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 2027-05-18
Also published as: GB2449302B; GB0709564D0

Abstract

An aid is provided for use by persons when walking or when ascending or descending stairs. The aid comprises an elongate, hollow rail 2 that defines a longitudinally extending slot 6 along its length. One or more brackets 10 are used to attach the rail to an adjacent support surface such that the interior of the rail 2 and the slot 6 are not obstructed. A handle 1 extends through the slot 6 at one end where it terminates in an enlarged head 18. The head 18 of the handle 1 is rotatable relative to the longitudinal axis of the rail 2 between positions wherein opposing sides 20 of the slot 6 prevent further rotational movement relative to the rail 2. The handle 1 is also movable longitudinally along the rail 2 but only movable in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail 2.

Description

A WALKING AND STAIR AID

The present invention relates to an aid for use in assisting infirm and handicapped persons to walk and to ascend and descend stairs.

Infirm and handicapped persons often have difficulty in ascending and descending stairs because the nature of the stairs themselves makes it difficult to use a walking aid. Also, such persons are often afraid that they will fall. Conventional hand rails do not provide a solution to this problem as they can only be gripped by one hand and users still have to release their grip on the rail to enable the hand to slide along the rail as each step is negotiated. They also offer no protection against falling. Stair-lifts can be used by such persons but they are expensive and can be difficult to fit where the staircase is narrow or winding. They may also impede access to the stairs for other users.

The object of the present invention is to provide an aid that overcomes or substantially mitigates the aforementioned problems.

According to the present invention there is provided an aid for use by persons when walking and when ascending or descending stairs comprising an elongate, hollow rail defining a longitudinally extending slot along its length; means adapted for attachment of the rail to an adjacent support surface such that the interior of the rail and the slot are not obstructed; and a handle which extends through the slot at one end where it terminates in an enlarged head that is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the rail between positions wherein opposing sides of the slot prevent further rotational movement of the handle relative to the rail and that is only movable longitudinally with respect to the rail in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail.

Preferably, the slot is located in the lower portion of the rail when the latter is in use. This means that the rail can be located within a banister handrail for use in the normal way by persons who do not need to use the aid. The banister handrail also disguises the rail and therefore makes the aid more aesthetically pleasing.

Preferably also, the rail is formed from a plurality of short sections of rail that are fitted together. This means that the aid can be fitted in any stairwell as appropriate lengths of rail can be chosen as desired. The aid is also capable of being fitted with the rail horizontal or in any inclination to walls or other supporting structures both inside and outside buildings to assist persons walking along flat and inclined surfaces in addition to assisting persons ascending and descending stairs.

Other preferred but non-essential features of the various aspects of the present invention are described in the dependent claims appended hereto.

The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:-Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an aid according to the present invention with two handles, one shown in an in use position and the other shown in a rest position; Fig. 2 is a transverse cross-section through a rail of the aid shown in Fig. 1 showing the location of a handle therein and the fitment of a banister hand rail thereto; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the arrangement shown in Fig. ; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a tubular section of the rail; Fig. 5 is an exploded, perspective view, to an enlarged scale, of part of the aid shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is an end view of the central rail portion and bracket shown in Fig.5; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a rail portion adapted for travelling around a corner; and Figs. 8a and 8b are perspective views in two different orientations respectively of a rail portion for use at the end of the aid.

Fig. 1 shows an aid in accordance with the invention for use by persons when ascending or descending stairs. The aid comprises a handle i that runs inside a rail 2. When in use, the handle i extends substantially horizontally outwards from the rail 2 and is only movable longitudinally with respect to the rail 2 in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail. Should the user fail to move the handle in this way, the handle i locks with respect to the rail 2 and can therefore provide a secure handhold which the user can grip to prevent falling. The handle 1 is rotatable with respect to the rail 2 in order that in certain parking' areas of the rail 2, such as at the end of the rail or at a suitably located intermediate position, the handle i can be rotated from the substantially horizontal in-use position into a substantially vertical rest position, as illustrated by a handle iA which is shown in a rest position at one end of the rail 2. This means that when not in use, the aid does not impede use of the stairs by able-bodied persons. The construction of the aid will now be described in further detail.

Although the rail 2 can be made in one piece, it preferably comprises a plurality of elongate tubular sections 3 together with some connecting sections 4, as described below, that all join together such that the rail 2 defines a central elongate channel 5 with a substantially circular cross-sectional profile and a longitudinally extending slot 6. The slot 6 is preferably located at the underneath the rail 2 when the aid has been installed. This enables a wooden banister handrail 7, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, to be fitted over the top of the rail 2 in order that the aid can also serve as a conventional handrail and is not obtrusive.

It is important that the channel 5 and the slot 6 in each section 3 of the rail 2 align with one another to ensure smooth running of the handle i along the rail 2. To this end, therefore, the ends of each section 3 are provided with complementarily shaped cut-outs 8a and projections 8b in order that two appropriately formed sections 3 can interlock with each other such that they cannot be rotated about their longitudinal axis relative to one another. Preferably, as shown in Fig. 4, the cut-outs 8a and projections 8b are in the form of complementarily shaped castellations, which may be laser cut and which obviate the use of any fasteners, which could provide weak points in the construction of the aid. A plurality of sections 3 with appropriately formed cut-outs 8a and projections 8b at their ends can be provided so that so that a complete rail 2 can be built up from a plurality of interlocking sections 3.

The aid is capable of being fitted around corners and sections 9 can be provided that are curved, as shown in Fig. 7. To enable the handle 1 to negotiate round these curved sections 9, as is described in more detail below, these sections 9 are provided with a cross-sectional area which is increased in the curving portion over that of straight sections 3 of the rail 2.

The means by which the rail 2 is attached to an adjacent support surface is one or more brackets io which are located at spaced intervals along a stretch of wall where the rail 2 is to be installed. Each bracket io comprises a back plate ii adapted for attachment to a wall or similar and a projecting portion that is welded or otherwise firmly secured to a connecting section 4 of the rail 2. As it is important for the rail 2 to be well supported by the bracket io, preferably, the projecting portion comprises a stirrup 13 is that is connected to the back plate ii and a swan neck 14 that is connected to the connecting section 4, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The stirrup 13 is adapted to be vertically orientated when in use and therefore provides a strong support to reduce the likelihood of the bracket io being pulled away from the supporting surface or the rail 2 from the bracket io should an accident occur in use. The swan neck 14 also adds strength to the bracket 10 and is arranged to curve downwards before curving upwards to define a projecting nose 12 that is welded into a slit 15 formed at the top of the connecting section 4.

Each connecting section 4 is tubular but has a larger internal diameter than the exterior diameter of the sections 3 in order that two sections 3 can be inserted therein, one into each end of the section 4. These two sections 3 abut one another inside the section 4 on each side of the nose 12, which projects into the interior of the connecting section 4 and fits into the cut-outs 8a of the two sections 3. In this regard, the ends of the sections 3 that are inserted into a connecting section 4 secured to a bracket 10 should both be provided with cut-outs 8a. The other ends of these sections 3 can be provided with either cut-outs 8a or projections 8b dependent on the adjoining section 3 of the rail 2 to which it must fit. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, for example, where single sections 3 are located between a series of connecting sections 4, the sections 3 are provided with cut-outs 8a at both ends. The projecting nose 12 of the connecting section 4 does not impede movement of the handle 1 along the channel 5 and the slot 6 is not obstructed. Fitment of the banister handrail 7 will assist in the securement of the rail 2 to the bracket 10 as the handrail 7 will generally be fitted over the top of the nose 12 and part of the swan neckl4.

As shown in particular in Figs. 2 and 3, the handle 1 which is used in conjunction with the rail 2 comprises an elongate bar i6 with a swan neck portion 17 at one end that extends through the slot 6 into the tubular channel of the rail 2 where it terminates in an enlarged head 18. The swan neck portion 17 enables the bar 16 to extend substantially horizontal relative to the rail 2 when in use. Spaced hand grips 19 are provided on the bar i6 so that the handle 1 can be conveniently gripped by a user when in this orientation.

Within the channel 5, the enlarged head i8 is formed by a substantially cylindrical insert orientated such that its longitudinal axis is parallel with that of the rail, as shown in Fig. 2. The handle 1 is therefore rotatable up and down about the longitudinal axis of the head 18 relative to the longitudinal axis of the rail 2 between positions wherein opposing sides 20 of the slot 6 prevent further rotational movement. Preferably, a stop 21 is provided on each side of the head i8 that contacts the side 20 of the rail 2 as the handle 1 is rotated. The size of the stops 21 controls the degree of rotation in this position and also helps to guide the handle i along the rail 2 when the handle 1 is in use. In addition, it will be appreciated that diameter of the head 18 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the channel 5 in order that the handle i can be readily moved longitudinally with respect to the rail 2 in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail 2. However, should any force be applied to the handle 1 which would tend to move the handle in a direction other than one substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail 2, the head i8 will be inclined within the channel 5 and jam against the walls of the rail 2. The handle 1 will therefore lock with respect to the rail 2 and cannot be moved. The degree to which the head 18 can incline relative to the channel 5 before locking occurs can be controlled by varying the length of the head i8 and the size of the gap 22 between the head 18 and the wall of the channel 5. This gap 22 is usually relatively small as it is important for the handle i to lock quickly if a force is applied in a direction other than one parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail 2. Where the head 18 of the handle 1 has to negotiate a bend in the rail 2, then it is important for the head 18 to have sufficient play within the channel 5 to pass around the bend. It is for this reason that the cross-sectional area of the curved sections 9 is increased over that of the straight sections 3 of the rail 2. However, the head 18 of the handle 1 could be made sufficiently small to negotiate shallow curves without any need for an increase in cross-sectional area of the channel 5 in some applications of the aid.

It will be appreciated that it is important for the handle 1 to be strong as it may have to support the weight of a heavy person if such a person falls or collapses over the handle i when in use. Such a weight will impart a considerable turning moment to the handle 1, which must, therefore, be capable of supporting the weight without breaking. To this end, preferably at least the swan-neck portion 17 of the handle i is forged or cast in one-piece.

The handle i may also be fitted with a safety harness, wrist strap or similar to prevent a user falling if his grip on the handle is released.

As mentioned above, it is convenient if the handle i can be folded down into a substantially vertical rest position, as illustrated by the handle iA in Fig. 1. To enable this to occur at the ends of the rail 2 and at any other convenient position, a section 23 of the rail i at these positions is provided with a slot 6 which is enlarged by an additional portion 24. Such a section 23 is shown in two different orientations in Figs. 8a and 8b and although shown curved in these illustrations could be straight. The increased cut-away portion 24 in the rail 2 enables the head i8 of the handle 1 to rotate through 900 at this position and therefore allows the handle i to be rotated into a vertical rest position. It will be appreciated that at any suitable position along a rail one or more cut-away portions 24 can be provided to allow an aid to accommodate a plurality of handles 1. This is important in buildings such as residential homes or nursing homes as it means that the top or bottom or a staircase, for example, will rarely be left without a handle in an at rest position and available for use.

Alternatively or in addition, the ends of the rail 2 can be left open in order that one or more handles 1 can be inserted into or removed from the rail 2 as required.

In use, it will be appreciated that the user will rotate an at-rest handle LA from its depending vertical position into a horizontal position as indicated by the handle 1 in Fig. 1. By gripping the handle at the hand grips 19, the user can then slide the handle i along the rail 2 provided the handle i moves in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail 2. The handle 1 is therefore moved along the rail 2 at the pace of the user. However, should the user slip or stumble whilst gripping the handle 1, a force will be applied to the handle 1 that is not in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail 2 and the head i8 of the handle 1 will jam within the rail 2 preventing the handle 1 from being moved. At this juncture, the handle i acts as a safety handgrip for the user and may also act as a barrier which prevents the user from falling down. Once the user has recovered, the handle i can be readily moved back into a position wherein it can run along the rail 2. When the user has finished with the aid at the end of the rail 2, the handle i can be rotated downwards into its vertical at rest position at the appropriate parking section 23 of the rail 2.

It will be appreciated that the aid of the invention has several advantages over conventional safety aids. First, the aid can be fitted to any existing stair well as it can cope with bends and corners in the well that many conventional aids are unable to handle. The aid is also suitable for use outdoors wherever a supporting wall or similar surface is available to which it can be attached. As mentioned above, the aid can be used in conjunction with a conventional banister hand rail. This is a considerable advantage as it means that a separate banister hand rail is not required and the aid is also unobtrusive after it has been fitted. Also, the handle of the aid can be folded away and does not pose a danger to other stair-users and any number can be accommodated by the aid so that the aid is suitable for use in residential homes or the like where it can be used by several persons. The aid is also inexpensive when compared to stair lifts and similar apparatus and it also enables infirm persons to remain as active and independent as possible unlike these forms of apparatus.

Claims

1. An aid for use by persons when walking and when ascending or descending stairs comprising an elongate, hollow rail defining a longitudinally extending slot along its length; means adapted for attachment of the rail to an adjacent support surface such that the interior of the rail and the slot are not obstructed; and a handle which extends through the slot at one end where it terminates in an enlarged head that is rotatable relative to the longitudinal axis of the rail between positions wherein opposing sides of the slot prevent further rotational movement of the handle relative to the rail and that is only movable longitudinally with respect to the rail in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail.

2. An aid as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the slot is located in the lower portion of the rail when the latter is in use.

3. An aid as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim2 wherein the rail defines a substantially circular cross-sectional profile.

4. An aid as claimed in any of Claims i to 3, wherein the handle comprises an elongate bar with a swan neck portion at the end adjacent to the enlarged head in order that the bar can extend relative to the rail in a substantially horizontal in-use position.

5. An aid as claimed in Claim 4, wherein portions of the rail define a slot at least part of which is wider than the rest such that when the enlarged head is in this part of the slot the bar can be rotated relative to the rail into a substantially vertical rest position.

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6. An aid as claimed in any of Claim 1 to 5, wherein the enlarged head of the handle comprises a substantially cylindrical insert orientated such that its longitudinal axis is parallel to that of the rail.

7. An aid as claimed in any of Claims i to 6, wherein the handle comprises a stop on each side thereof adjacent to the enlarged head which can contacts the adjacent edge of the slot when the handle is rotated relative to the rail.

8. An aid as claimed in any of Claims i to 7, wherein the handle is provided with a pair of hand-grips.

9. An aid as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 8 when dependent on Claim 4, wherein at least the swan-neck portion of the handle is forged or cast in one-piece.

10. An aid as claimed in any of Claims i to 9, wherein the rail is formed from a plurality of short sections of rail that are fitted together.

11. An aid as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the ends of each section of rail are provided with complentarily shaped cut-outs and/or projections in order that two sections of rail can interlock with each other such that they cannot be rotated about their longitudinal axis relative to one another.

12. An aid as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim ii, wherein the ends of adjoining sections of rail are provided with complementarily shaped castellations.

13. An aid as claimed in any of Claims io to 12, wherein one or more sections of rail are curved and these sections have a cross- sectional area which is increased in the curving portion to enable the enlarged head of the handle to travel around the curve.

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14. An aid as claimed in any of Claims 10 to 13, wherein one or more short sections of rail each comprises a tubular connecting section into which two other sections of the rail are fitted.

15. An aid as claimed in Claim 14, wherein one or more connecting sections of rail are connected to the means for attachment of the rail to an adjacent support surface.

i6. An aid as claimed in any of Claims i to 15, wherein the means for attachment of the rail to an adjacent support surface comprises one or more brackets each of which comprises a plate for attachment to the support surface and a projecting portion which is secured at its end to the rail.

17. An aid as claimed in Claim i6, wherein the projecting portion of the bracket comprises a stirrup which is connected to the plate and a swan neck that is connected to the rail.

i8. An aid as claimed in Claim 15 or Claim i6 when dependent on Claim 15, wherein the projecting portion of the bracket terminates in a nose that is secured in a slit formed in the connecting section of the rail.

19. An aid as claimed in Claim 18, wherein the two sections of the rail that fit within the connecting section of the rail abut each other and the nose within the connecting section.

20. An aid as claimed in any of Claims i to 19, wherein the rail is located within a banister handrail.

21. An aid for use by persons when walking and when ascending or descending stairs substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.