Safety bar end cap with self-draining water feature
A safety bar end cap includes a member having an exterior surface including a first recess formed therein, the first recess sized to receive an end of a safety bar therein and defining a first depth measured from the exterior surface, the exterior surface further including a second recess formed therein, the second recess extending across the first recess and defining a second depth measured from the exterior surface that is greater than the first depth of the first recess.
This application claims priority on a U.S. provisional patent application filed on Mar. 17, 2011, and assigned U.S. Patent Application No. 61/465,420.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONSafety bars may be utilized in areas where a person may need assistance balancing while moving, such as walking along a corridor, or while getting up, such as next to beds or toilets. Safety bars may also be utilized in institutions where individuals pose a threat to their own safety, such as in mental care institutions. Accordingly, it may be desirable that safety bars utilized in such institutional settings be manufactured in such a way to hinder an individual from using the safety bar to harm, or even kill, themselves.
Additionally, safety bars may be utilized in areas where water is present, such as in bathrooms, pools and shower areas. During use in such areas, water may accumulate on the safety bar or at a safety bar end cap, which may render the safety bar itself slippery and difficult to grip. Additionally, water may accumulate on the safety bar or the end cap, which may damage the wall to which the bar and/or end cap is attached. Furthermore, the accumulation of water on a safety bar or the end cap may result in mold, bacterial growth, or mildew growth on the safety bar or the end cap, which may pose a health hazard and maintenance issues. It may be desirable, therefore, to provide a safety bar that hinders an individual from using the safety bar to harm themselves, while allowing for water to drain from the safety bar.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a safety bar end cap with a self-draining water feature and ligature resistance.
Still referring to
The particular method of water drainage through water drain 12 will now be described, with reference to
The safety features of water drain 12 will now be described. Water drain 12 defines a water flow path including four approximately ninety degree turns within the flow path. In particular, water flowing into first enlarged area 40 of drain 12 will flow over the edge of bar 60 through an approximately ninety degree turn, through an approximately ninety degree turn as the water flows from area 40 and into area 42 of drain 12. The water then will then flow through another approximately ninety degree turn as the water flows from area 42 and into second enlarged area 46 of drain 12 and around another approximately ninety degree turn as the water flows around the edge of bar 60 to exit water drain 12. Water or other fluid may easily flow by the force of gravity along such a flow path. However, a ligature may not easily be forced or threaded along such a path. In particular, a flexible member such as a string or a rope is not easily pushed through the small width of clearance region 39 and through four approximately ninety degree bends. A ligature having more memory or retained shape may be forced more easily along a straight path but is not easily forced through a winding path including four approximately ninety degree turns, as is encountered in water drain path 12 of end cap 10. Furthermore, due to the small size of clearance distance 39, even if a flexible ligature such as a string, or a retained shape ligature such as a wire, is able to be forced through drain 12, clearance distance 39 would hinder a larger diameter ligature from being passed through drain 12. Moreover, if a person attempts to thread a ligature through enlarged opening 40 of drain 12, the ligature is not angled correctly to be forced through section 42 of water drain 12 due to the presence of the curved gripping region 64 of safety bar 60. In other words, the ligature would be angled at an approximately forty five degree angle downwardly into region 40 and toward the front of end plate 10 instead of being angled rearwardly so as to be threaded into region 42. If a person attempts to thread a ligature through enlarged opening 46 of drain 12, the ligature is not angled correctly to be forced through section 42 of water drain 12 due to the presence of downwardly extending region 65 of safety bar 60. In other words, the ligature would be angled at an approximately ninety degree angle with respect to axis 44, and upwardly into region 46 and toward the horizontal section of safety bar 60 instead of being angled forwardly so as to be threaded into region 42. Accordingly, in the unlikely event that a ligature is forced through drain 12, the ligature would be of a size not able to support the weight of a person, therefore hindering the ability of a person to use the safety bar system of the present invention to harm themselves.
In this manner, end cap 10 provides a self-draining water feature 12 for the end cap 10 and a safety bar secured therein, which hinders use of the end cap 10 or safety bar 60 to harm an individual in the location where the safety bar may be installed. In other words, the self draining water feature 12 of end cap 10 does not provide an exposed through-hole which may be utilized to tie a rope or a wire, or to thread a bed sheet therethrough, thereby ensuring that the safety bar cannot be used by a person to harm them self.
Corner cap 50 includes a solid top surface 56 and a solid bottom surface 58 such that when two safety bars are secured to corner cap 50 and the assembly is secured to a mounting surface, a rope, wire or a bed sheet, for example, cannot be secured around or on the corner cap 50, or the safety bars secured thereto, such that the corner cap 50 hinders an individual from using the corner cap 50, or the safety bars secured thereto, to harm themselves. Stated another way, the solid top 56 and bottom 58 surfaces of the corner cap 50 hinder an individual from looping a rope, wire or bed sheet, for example, around the safety bars or the corner cap, thereby hindering an individual from harming themselves. Top surface 56 and bottom surface 58 may each be slanted or angled with respect to a horizontal plane such that these surfaces allow gravity to pull water from these surfaces. Top surface 56 includes a channel region 78 at the front leading corner of corner cap 50 such that water falling on top surface 56 drains from the corner cap 50 at channel region 78 positioned between two hand rails (not shown) which may be secured in each of bar grooves 14 on surface 52 and 54, respectively.
Claims
1. A safety bar end cap, comprising:
- an end cap body defining a flat expanse;
- a safety bar receiving groove formed in said flat expanse, said safety bar receiving groove defining a bar depth within said body and measured from said flat expanse; and
- a fluid draining groove formed in said flat expanse, said fluid draining groove defining a drain depth within said body and measured from said flat expanse wherein said drain depth is greater than said bar depth, and wherein said fluid draining groove extends across said safety bar receiving groove.
2. The safety bar end cap of claim 1 wherein said fluid draining groove defines a first enlarged end region positioned on a first side of said safety bar receiving groove and a second enlarged end region positioned on a second side of said safety bar receiving groove.
3. The safety bar end cap of claim 2 wherein said safety bar receiving groove includes a substantially horizontal section and wherein said fluid draining groove extends across said substantially horizontal section of said safety bar receiving groove such that said first enlarged end region of said fluid draining groove is positioned above said substantially horizontal section of said safety bar receiving groove and said second enlarged end region of said fluid draining groove is positioned below said substantially horizontal section of said safety bar receiving groove.
4. The safety bar end cap of claim 1 wherein a difference between said drain depth and said bar depth is a clearance depth, wherein said clearance depth is sufficient in size to allow water to drain there through.
5. The safety bar end cap of claim 1 further comprising an aperture sized to receive a fastener there through, said fastener adapted to secure an end of a safety bar within said safety bar receiving groove.
6. The safety bar end cap of claim 1 further comprising a front edge positioned perpendicular to said flat expanse, said front edge defining an arcuate shape and a smooth, rounded surface along said arcuate shape that inhibits attachment of a ligature thereto.
7. The safety bar end cap of claim 1 wherein a difference between said drain depth and said bar depth is a clearance depth, wherein said clearance depth is sized to hinder a ligature from being passed there through.
8. The safety bar end cap of claim 3 wherein a top surface of said substantially horizontal section of said safety bar receiving groove defines an angle of less than ten degrees and greater than zero degrees with respect to a horizontal axis and wherein said first enlarged end region of said fluid draining groove is positioned at a lower end of said substantially horizontal section.
9. The safety bar end cap of claim 1 wherein said safety bar end cap comprises a corner cap further comprising:
- a second flat expanse;
- a second safety bar receiving groove formed in said second flat expanse, said second safety bar receiving groove defining a second bar depth within said body and measured from said second flat expanse; and
- a second fluid draining groove formed in said second flat expanse, said second fluid draining groove defining a second drain depth within said body and measured from said second flat expanse wherein said second drain depth is greater than said second bar depth, and wherein said second fluid draining groove extends across said second safety bar receiving groove.
10. A safety bar system, comprising:
- a safety bar comprising an elongate solid member including a first end region and a second end region, and a curved hand gripping region and a flat wall contacting region both extending without opening between said first and second end regions; and
- an end cap defining a flat expanse, a safety bar receiving groove formed in said flat expanse and adapted to receive said first end region of said safety bar therein, said safety bar receiving groove defining a bar depth within said end cap and measured from said flat expanse, and a fluid draining groove formed in said flat expanse, said fluid draining groove defining a drain depth within said end cap and measured from said flat expanse wherein said drain depth is greater than said bar depth, and wherein said fluid draining groove extends across said safety bar receiving groove.
11. The safety bar system of claim 10 further comprising a second end cap defining a second flat expanse, a second safety bar receiving groove formed in said second flat expanse and adapted to receive said second end region of said safety bar therein, said second safety bar receiving groove defining a second bar depth within said second end cap and measured from said second flat expanse, and a second fluid draining groove formed in said second flat expanse, said second fluid draining groove defining a second drain depth within said second end cap and measured from said second flat expanse wherein said second drain depth is greater than said second bar depth, and wherein said second fluid draining groove extends across said second safety bar receiving groove.
12. The safety bar system of claim 10 wherein said safety bar includes a substantially horizontal section positioned between said curved gripping region and said flat wall contacting region, wherein said safety bar receiving groove includes a substantially horizontal section adapted to receive therein and end region of said substantially horizontal section of said safety bar, and wherein said fluid draining groove extends across said substantially horizontal section of said safety bar receiving groove such that a first end region of said first fluid draining groove is positioned above said substantially horizontal section of said safety bar receiving groove and a second end region of said fluid draining groove is positioned below said substantially horizontal section of said safety bar receiving groove.
13. The safety bar system of claim 10 wherein said safety bar includes a substantially horizontal section and a substantially vertical section extending between said curved hand gripping region and said substantially horizontal section, wherein said fluid draining groove defines a first opening positioned in a corner defined by said substantially horizontal section and said substantially vertical section, wherein said curved hand gripping region extends over said first opening of said fluid draining groove such that said first opening is surrounded on three sides by said safety bar such that access to said first opening is in a direction opposite to a water flow direction through said fluid draining groove.
14. The safety bar system of claim 12 wherein a top surface of said substantially horizontal section of said safety bar and a top surface of said substantially horizontal section of said safety bar receiving groove both define an angle of less than ten degrees and greater than zero degrees with respect to a horizontal axis and wherein said first end region of said fluid draining groove is positioned at a lower end of said substantially horizontal section such that said top surface of said substantially horizontal section of said safety bar drains water falling thereon toward said first end region of said fluid draining groove.
15. The safety bar system of claim 10 wherein said first end cap comprises a corner cap further comprising:
- a second flat expanse;
- a second safety bar receiving groove formed in said second flat expanse, said second safety bar receiving groove defining a second bar depth within said body and measured from said second flat expanse; and
- a second fluid draining groove formed in said second flat expanse, said second fluid draining groove defining a second drain depth within said body and measured from said second flat expanse wherein said second drain depth is greater than said second bar depth, and wherein said second fluid draining groove extends across said second safety bar receiving groove.
16. A safety bar end cap, comprising:
- a member that includes an exterior surface, said exterior surface including a first recess formed therein, said first recess sized to receive an end of a safety bar therein and defining a first depth measured from said exterior surface, said exterior surface further including a second recess formed therein, said second recess extending across said first recess and defining a second depth measured from said exterior surface that is greater than said first depth of said first recess.
17. The safety bar end cap of claim 16 wherein said second recess includes a first bend region and a second bend region, said first bend region forcing fluid to flow in a first direction and said second bend region forcing fluid to flow in a second direction different from said first direction, said first and second bend regions allowing fluid to flow there through and hindering a ligature from being threaded there through.
18. The safety bar end cap of claim 16 wherein said first recess includes a substantially horizontal region and wherein said second recess extends across said substantially horizontal region.
19. The safety bar end cap of claim 17 wherein said second recess includes a third bend region and a fourth bend region, said third bend region forcing fluid to flow in a third direction and said fourth bend region forcing fluid to flow in a fourth direction, wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth directions each define a unique direction of flow, said first, second, third and fourth bend regions allowing fluid to flow there through and hindering a ligature from being threaded there through.
20. The safety bar end cap of claim 19 wherein said member includes an absence of apertures and an absence of corners so as to prohibit a ligature from being secured thereto.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 16, 2012
Publication Date: Sep 20, 2012
Inventors: Lorin Armstrong (Oregon City, OR), Dwight Greer (Molalla, OR)
Application Number: 13/385,954
International Classification: E04H 17/14 (20060101); E04H 17/00 (20060101);