GB2458993A

GB2458993A - Edging member

Info

Publication number: GB2458993A
Application number: GB0806583A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Harris
Original assignee: Tray Tech
Current assignee: Tray Tech
Priority date: 2008-04-11
Filing date: 2008-04-11
Publication date: 2009-10-14
Also published as: GB0806583D0

Abstract

An edging member for aiding wheelchair access over a raised lip, particularly for use with level access shower trays. It is an elongate strip with; a longitudinally extending channel 2 formed in the upper face, a cover element 4 over the channel, a ramp surface 11 and a location surface 14. The cover element may be hinged 5 over the channel and/or realisably located, possibly with a nib 6. There may be a longitudinally extending V shaped groove 9 in the base of the channel. There may also be ridges 15 on the underside of the member to serve as feet. It may be formed as a one piece plastics extrusion. Also disclosed is a combination of a level access shower tray and the edging member.

Description

Edging Member The present invention relates to an edging member and more particularly one intended for facilitating passage of a wheelchair over a raised edge, e.g. one on the floor of a building.

There are many instances where raised edges hamper wheelchair access to a particular location. A particular example is a shower cubicle intended for use by a person confined to a wheelchair. In these instances, the wheelchair may need to be moved into the shower cubicle itself. It is for this reason that so-called "level access" shower trays have been developed. The term "level access" derives from the fact that the side at which the wheelchair is intended to enter the shower has a relatively shallow lip -with an upper edge perhaps about 1cm above floor level -over which the wheelchair only needs to travel to enter the cubicle. Such a lip is, of course, considerably shallower than in the case of shower trays intended for use by able bodied people where the upper edge of the shower tray may be several centimetres above floor level.

However even the relatively shallow lip of a level access shower tray can pose problems in the case of wheelchairs with only small diameter wheels (e.g. 8Omm-125mm), as is the case for many wheelchairs produced today. It will be appreciated that a lip of a even only 1cm deep can be considerable obstacle to such wheelchairs gaining entry to a cubicle provided with a "level access" shower tray.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the above mentioned disadvantages.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an edging member for facilitating wheelchair access over a raised lip, the member being an elongate strip having (i) a longitudinally extending channel formed in one face (the upper face in use) of the strip, (ii) a cover element adapted to be located across the top of the channel to allow a wheelchair to ride over the channel, (iii) a ramp surface along the length of the member and inclining upwardly from one longitudinal edge of the strip to the level of the cover element when the latter is located in position, and (iv) a location surface formed along the other longitudinal edge of the strip for location against said lip.

The edging member of the invention provides a convenient means for facilitating wheel chair access over a raised lip, particularly for the case where the lip is at the edge of a level access shower tray. The edging member may be positioned along, and against, the lip. The device may conveniently be fixed in position on to the surface on which the lip is located by means of screws or similar fastening means located through the base of the channel and engaging into the surface so as securely to locate the edging member in position. The fixing means may then be covered by the cover element. With the edging member located in position, a ramp is provided to allow wheelchair access over the raised lip. More particularly the wheels of the wheelchair are able to ride (in a direction transverse to the longitudinal edge of the strip) firstly up the ramp the along the upper surface of the cover element and over the lip.

Preferably the cover element is releaseably locatable across the top of the channel, e.g. by being pivotally connected along one of its longitudinal edges to an upper portion of a first side wall of the channel. Preferably the cover element is provided, along its other longitudinal edge, with a nib for location beneath a ledge on the other one of the channel walls whereby the cover element may be releaseably located in position across the top of the channel.

To assist in securing the edging member to a surface, the base of the channel may be provided with a longitudinally extending groove (e.g. or V-shaped section).

With the edging member at the desired position on the surface on which it is to be securely located holes may be drilled along the length of the groove (which serves as a guide for a drill bit) into the surface. If necessary, these holes may then be plugged. With the edging member positioned so that the holes drilled in the base thereof register with those in the surface fixing elements (e.g. screws) may be used for securely locating the edging member in position.

As indicated above, the edging member of the invention is particularly suitable for use in assisting wheelchair travel over a lip formed by an edge of a level access shower tray. The invention therefore extends to provide, in a further aspect, a shower assembly comprising a level access shower tray located in position in or on the floor of a room, the shower tray having an edge providing a lip on the floor, the assembly further comprising an edging member in accordance with the invention positioned with its location surface against the lip of the shower tray and secured in position on said floor.

The invention will now be further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of edging member in accordance with the invention shown to a much enlarged scale; Fig 2 is a sectional view illustrating location of the edging member in Fig 1 at an edge of a level access" shower tray; Fig 3 is a plan view of one type of shower cubicle showing location of the edging member of Fig 1 along one edge of the shower tray; Fig 4 is a plan view of a further type of shower cubicle showing location of the edging member of Fig 1 along two edges of the shower tray; and Fig 5 is a detail of the arrangement shown in Fig 4.

Fig 1 illustrates, in perspective view, one embodiment of edging member 1 in accordance with the invention in the form of a elongate strip and being intended to provide a ramped entry to a level access shower tray 20 (see Fig 2). Conveniently edging member 1 is formed as a one-piece plastics extrusion and the purposes of the following description the edging member 1 is considered to be sub-divided across its width into a frontal section F, a mid-section M and a rear section R, all as referenced in Fig 1.

Mid-region M is formed, in the upper face thereof, with a channel 2 extending along the length of the strip and being defined by a basal surface 2b and left and right (as viewed in Fig 1) side edge walls 21 and 2r respective. Additionally provided for the mid-region M is a cover element in the form of a flap 3 (having an upper surface 4) which is flexibly connected to the upper part of the left hand wall 21 of channel 2 by means of a flexible hinge 5 whereby the flap 4 forms a removable cover for the channel 2. Additionally flap 4 is formed along its right hand edge with a nib 6 which is releasably engageable beneath a ledge 7 formed along the upper portion of the right hand wall 2r of the channel 2. As shown, mid-region M also has a narrow, longitudinally extending surface 8 which is co-planar with the surface 4 of flap 3 when the latter is in the closed position.

Provided along the base 2b of the channel 2, and again in parallel with the edging member 1, is a V-shaped groove 9, the purpose of which will be described below.

Frontal section of edging member 1 is formed as a ramp 10 with a ramp surface 11 inclining upwardly from the frontal longitudinal edge 12 of the edging member 1 to the level of the surface 8 and therefore also to the level of surface 4 of flap 3 when the latter is in the closed position.

Rear-region R of the edging member 1 has an upper planar surface 13 is generally co-planar with the upper surface 4 of flap 3 when the latter is in the closed position. The rear-region 4 also provides the left hand longitudinal edge 14 for the edging member 1 which will be seen to be of generally arcuate configuration for the purpose of marrying to the shower tray 20, as described below.

As further illustrated in Fig 1, the lower portions of the rear-, mid-and frontal-regions (R, M and F) of the edging member I are formed with generally rectangular section ridges 15 extending in parallel along the length of the edging member 1 and serving as support feet when the edging member 1 is located in position on a floor (see below) or other surface.

Fig 2 shows the fixing of the edging member 1 along an edge of a level access shower tray 20 that has previously been located on the floor 21 of a bathroom. As shown, tray 20 has a relatively thin peripheral flange 22 with a rounded edge 23 which, although relatively shallow, still provides a raised lip on the floor 21. As clearly shown in Fig 2, the edging member 1 is initially located in position by juxtaposing the arcuate longitudinal edge 15 (of edging member 1) against the rounded edge or lip 23 of shower tray 20. It will be appreciated that the height of the edging member 1 at its rear longitudinal edge corresponds with the height of the lip 23 of the shower tray 20.

With the edging member 1 located in the position shown in Fig 2 (and with the flap 3 in a open raised position) holes may be drilled along the length of the V-shaped groove through the base of the edging member and into the floor 21, as clearly depicted in Fig 2. During this operation, the V-shaped groove serves as an initial guide for the tip of the drill bit. The holes (referenced as 24) in the floor 21 may be plugged as necessary and the edging member then located in position by means of screws 25.

Flap 3 may now be pressed closed so that the nib 6 engages beneath the ledge 7.

It will be appreciated that a wheelchair may now be easily pushed on to the shower tray 20. More particularly, the wheels of the wheelchair can ride up the ramp surface 11 and across the upper surfaces 8, 4 and 13 (in that order) so that the wheelchair may easily travel onto the shower tray 20, particularly since as clearly seen in Fig 2 the surface 13 is level with the top of the lip 23.

Consequently propelling a wheelchair with small diameter wheels on to the shower tray 22 is relatively easy with the edging member 1 present. In comparison this operation would be rather more difficult if the edging member 1 were not present since the small diameter wheels would need to be ride up and over the edge 23 of the shower tray 20.

Reference is now made to Fig 3 which shows a shower cubicle 30 formed by three walls 31 and closed by a folding frontal door 32. In this case, the edging member us provided along the frontal edge of the shower tray 33.

Reference is now made to Fig 4 showing a shower cubicle 40 formed by two walls 41 and completed by two folding doors 42 and 43. In this case, strips 1 may be provided along each of those sides of the shower cubicle 40 along which the doors 42 and 43 are also provided. Two separate strips may be used for this construction with the strips having a mitred joint as shown in Fig 5 which illustrates the same type of shower tray 20 as shown in Fig 2.

It should be appreciated that a number of modifications may be made to the illustrated construction. Thus, for example, the rear longitudinal edge 15 may have a different shape than that indicated, e.g. planar for the case where the edging member 1 is to be juxtaposed to a lip with a planar vertical edge.

Although the invention has been described with specific reference to provision of the edging member 1 at the edge of a shower tray, it will be appreciated that the edging member 1 may be used for facilitating access over raised lips on floors in other situations.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An edging member for facilitating wheelchair access over a raised lip, the member being an elongate strip having (i) a longitudinally extending channel formed in one face (the upper face in use) of the strip, (ii) a cover element adapted to be located across the top of the channel to allow a wheelchair to ride over the channel, (iii) a ramp surface along the length of the member and inclining upwardly from one longitudinal edge of the strip to the level of the cover element when the latter is located in position, and (iv) a location surface formed along the other longitudinal edge of the strip for location against said lip.
2. An edging member as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cover element is releasably locatable across the top of the channel.
3. An edging member as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the cover element is pivotally connected along one of its longitudinal edges to an upper portion of a first side wall of the channel.
4. An edging member as claimed in claim 3 wherein the cover element is provided, along its other longitudinal edge, with a nib for location beneath a ledge on the other one of the channel walls whereby the cover element may be located in position across the top of the channel.
5. An edging member as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the base of the channel has a longitudinally extending groove.
6. An edging member as claimed in claim 5 wherein said groove is V-shaped.
7. An edging member as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 provided with ridges extending longitudinally along its underside to serve as feet.
8. An edging member as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 formed as a one-piece plastics extrusion.
9. The combination of a level access shower tray having a lip along at least one side edge and an edging member as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.
10. The combination as claimed in claim 9 wherein the location surface of the edging member and the lip of the tray are configured to match together.
11. A shower assembly comprising a level access shower tray located in position in or on the floor of a room, the shower tray having an edge providing a lip on the floor and an edging member as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 positioned with its location surface against the lip of the shower tray and secured in position on said floor.