GRAB BAR MOUNT SYSTEM

Abstract

A grab bar mounting system includes a bar mount, a grab bar coupled to the bar mount, and a mount anchor including a mount plate coupled to a wall. The mount anchor is configured to inhibit movement of the bar mount relative to the wall.

Description

This application claims priority under U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/827,996, filed Oct. 3, 2006, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to mount systems, and particularly, to mount systems for coupling bars to a wall surface. More particularly, the present disclosure is related to mount systems for coupling a grab bar to a wall surface.

SUMMARY

According to the present disclosure, a grab bar mount system includes a grab bar, a bar mount, a grab bar anchor, and a mount anchor. The mount anchor is configured to retain the bar mount on a wall.

In illustrative embodiments, the mount anchor is enclosed in a hollow portion of the bar mount. The mount anchor is coupled to the wall and is configured to inhibit axial movement of the bar mount with respect to the wall. The mount anchor includes a mount plate, plate fasteners, and an anchor pin.

Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description particularly refers to the following figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the grab bar mount system in accordance with the present disclosure showing a grab bar coupled to first and second bar mounts retained on a wall and suggesting that a first bar anchor is provided to anchor the grab bar to the first bar mount and that a first mount anchor is enclosed in a hollow portion of the first bar mount and provided to anchor the first bar mount to a stud supporting the wall;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of components included in a right-hand side of the grab bar mount system of FIG. 1 showing a sleeve included in the first bar mount and configured to receive therein a right end of the grab bar, a right end cap adapted to be coupled to the right end of the grab bar, a base included in the first bar mount and appended to the sleeve, a first bar anchor comprising a second set screw located under the sleeve, and a first mount anchor comprising a mount plate, fasteners for coupling the mount plate to a stud in the wall, an anchor pin coupled to the mount plate and the base of the first bar mount, and a first set screw located under the base;

FIG. 3 is perspective view of an underside portion of the first bar mount showing an anchor pin receiver formed in the base of the first bar mount to receive the anchor pin included in the first mount anchor, a first threaded aperture formed in the base and adapted to receive the first set screw, and a second threaded aperture formed in the sleeve and adapted to receive the second set screw; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1 showing the second set screw located in the second threaded aperture formed in the sleeve to secure the grab bar in a fixed position relative to the sleeve and the first set screw located in the first threaded aperture formed in the base and extending into a notch formed on the anchor pin of the first anchor mount to secure the base to the first anchor mount.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A grab bar mount system 10 is configured for mounting a grab bar 12 to a first bar mount 16 and a second bar mount 18 retained on a wall 14 as shown in FIG. 1. A first bar anchor 20 is provided to anchor grab bar 12 to first bar mount 16 and a first mount anchor 24 is enclosed in a hollow 64 formed in first bar mount 16 and provided to anchor first bar mount 16 to a stud 50 supporting wall 14, as suggested in FIG. 1 and shown in FIG. 4.

As suggested in FIGS. 2 and 3, first bar mount 16 includes a base pin receiver 62 formed in a base 38 of first bar mount 16 to receive an anchor pin 52 included in first mount anchor 24. First mount anchor 24 includes mount plate 46, fasteners 48, anchor pin 52, and a first set screw 56. First mount anchor 24 and a second mount anchor 26 are similar to one another in structure and function so that the description of first mount anchor 24 applies to second mount anchor 26 as well. First mount anchor 24 provides a rigid mounting structure to support first bar mount 16 and also inhibits axial movement of first bar mount 16 relative to wall 14 along axis 74.

Mount plate 46 includes an annular portion 72 formed to include apertures 78. Fasteners 48 extend through apertures 78 to couple mount plate 46 to stud 50. Anchor pin 52 is coupled to annular portion 72 to extend away from stud 50 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. In an illustrative embodiment, anchor pin 52 and annular portion 72 are monolithic. In other embodiments, anchor pin 52 may be coupled to annular portion 72 with adhesives or by welding, or any other suitable attaching means.

Apertures 78 are positioned to lie around a circumference of mount plate 46 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In illustrative embodiments, six apertures 78 are provided. One pair of apertures 78 cooperate to define a vertical axis such that at least two fasteners 48 can be secured in stud 50 along the vertical axis.

Anchor pin 52 includes a shaft 55, support flanges 53 coupled to shaft 55 and annular portion 72, and a distal end 54 as shown in FIGS. 2-4. In illustrative embodiments, as shown best in FIG. 4, anchor pin 52 is further formed to include an notch 76 formed around a circumference of shaft 55. When anchor pin 52 is received by base pin receiver 62, notch 76 aligns with a first threaded aperture 66 formed in first bar mount 16 to allow at least a portion of first set screw 56 to engage notch 76 to inhibit axial movement of first bar mount 16 along horizontal axis 74 extending through and along the length of anchor pin 52 as shown in FIG. 3. In some embodiments, anchor pin 52 may be formed without notch 76 such that first set screw 56 engages shaft 55 to inhibit axial movement of first bar mount 16 along horizontal axis 74. In some other embodiments, anchor pin 52 may be integral with mount plate 46.

First bar mount 16 and second bar mount 18 arc similar to one another in structure and function so that the description of first bar mount 16 applies to second bar mount 18 as well. First bar mount 16 includes a sleeve 36 and base 38 appended to sleeve 36 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4. Sleeve 36 is annular in shape and slightly larger in diameter than grab bar 12. Sleeve 36 is formed to include an aperture 37 configured to receive therein at least a portion of grab bar 12 to hold grab bar 12 in a fixed position. Sleeve 36 is slidable along the length of grab bar 12 so that first bar mount 16 can be positioned by the user to accommodate alignment of first bar mount 16 with stud 50.

Sleeve 36 is further formed to include a second threaded aperture 42 configured to receive a second set screw 44 therein to engage grab bar 12 to inhibit lateral and axial movement of grab bar 12 relative to sleeve 36 as shown best in FIG. 4. Second set screw 44 and second threaded aperture 42 cooperate to define first bar anchor 20. First bar anchor 20 and second bar anchor 22 are similar to one another in structure and function so that the description of first bar anchor 20 applies to second bar anchor 22 as well.

Base 38 includes a generally frustoconical wall 58 having an annular lip 60 and base pin receiver 62 as shown in FIGS. 2-4. Frustoconical wall 58 extends between sleeve 36 and annular lip 60. Frustoconical wall 58 and annular lip 60 cooperate to define hollow 64 formed in base 38. Hollow 64 is configured to enclose first mount anchor 24 when first bar mount 16 is coupled to first mount anchor 24. Thus, first bar mount 16 also provides an aesthetic cover to enclose at least a portion of first mount anchor 24.

Base pin receiver 62 is generally annular in shape and extends from sleeve 36 into hollow 64 as shown in FIG. 3. Brackets 65 extend between base pin receiver 62 and an interior surface of frustoconical wall 58 to support base pin receiver 62. As suggested in FIG. 6, first threaded aperture 66 extends through frustoconical wall 58 into base pin receiver 62 to receive first set screw 56.

Grab bar 12 includes a tube 28 and a pair of end caps 32 as shown in FIG. 1. Tube 28 is generally hollow and may be constructed of aluminum, steel, plastic, or any other suitable material. In an illustrative embodiment, as suggested in FIG. 4, a rib 30 is formed in an inner portion of grab bar 12 and is positioned to lie longitudinally along the length of grab bar 12 to provide rigidity. End caps 32 are coupled to an end 34 of tube 28 for closing each end 34 of tube 28.

Claims

1. A grab bar mounting system comprising

a bar mount including an anchor pin receiver,

a grab bar coupled to the bar mount, and

anchor means for mounting the bar mount on a wall and including an anchor pin cooperating with the anchor pin receiver to limit movement of the bar mount relative to the wall when the anchor means is mounted to the wall.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the anchor means includes a mount plate to be mounted to the wall and the anchor pin extends from the mount plate into the anchor pin receiver.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the bar mount includes a base and a sleeve coupled to the base, the sleeve receives a portion of the grab bar, and the base receives and covers the anchor means.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a first set screw extending through a first threaded aperture in the sleeve and engaging a portion of the anchor means and a second set screw extending through a second threaded aperture in the sleeve and engaging a portion of the grab bar.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the mount plate includes apertures positioned to lie around a circumference of the mount plate to receive fasteners to mount the mount plate to a wall stud.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein two of the apertures cooperate to form a vertical axis and are arranged such that two fasteners can be secured in the wall stud through the apertures.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the anchor pin includes a notch formed on a distal end of the anchor pin.

8. A grab bar mounting system comprising

a bar mount formed to include an anchor pin receiver,

a grab bar coupled to the bar mount,

a mount anchor including a mount plate coupled to a wall stud and an anchor pin having a shaft formed to include a notch, the shaft extending from the mount plate into the anchor pin receiver, and

a first set screw extending through the bar mount into the notch formed in the anchor pin shaft.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the bar mount includes a base and a sleeve coupled to the base, the sleeve receives a portion of the grab bar, and the base receives and covers the mount anchor.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a second set screw and wherein the second set screw extends through a second threaded aperture in the sleeve and engages a portion of the grab bar.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the notch is formed on a distal end of the anchor pin.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the mount plate includes apertures positioned to lie around a circumference of the mount plate to receive fasteners to mount the mount plate to a wall stud.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein two of the apertures cooperate to form a vertical axis and are arranged such that two fasteners can be secured in the wall stud through the apertures.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the mount plate and the anchor pin are monolithic.

15. A grab bar mounting system comprising

a bar mount including a sleeve and a base coupled to the sleeve, the base includes an anchor pin receiver,

a grab bar extending into the sleeve,

a mount anchor including a mount plate coupled to a wall stud and an anchor pin having a shaft formed to include a notch, the shaft extending from the mount plate into the anchor pin receiver, and

a first set screw extending through the base to engage the anchor pin notch, and a second set screw extending through the sleeve to engage the grab bar.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the notch is formed on a distal end of the anchor pin.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the second set screw extends through a second threaded aperture in the sleeve and engages a portion of the grab bar.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the mount plate includes apertures positioned to lie around a circumference of the mount plate to receive fasteners to mount the mount plate to the wall.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein two of the apertures cooperate to form a vertical axis and are arranged such that two fasteners can be secured in the wall stud through the apertures.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the mount plate and anchor pin are monolithic.