U.S. patent application number 11/914937 was filed with the patent office on 2008-11-27 for hand rail with light source inside the mounting bracket and back up power supply.
Invention is credited to John D'Arcy, Robin Day, Robert Harrison, Robert Trundle.
Application Number | 20080289294 11/914937 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34708327 |
Filed Date | 2008-11-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080289294 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Harrison; Robert ; et
al. |
November 27, 2008 |
Hand Rail with Light Source Inside the Mounting Bracket and Back Up
Power Supply
Abstract
There is provided a hand rail comprising a balustrade defining a
hollow tubular cavity; and plural mounting brackets for mounting
said balustrade to a support surface of a building. At least one of
said plural mounting brackets is provided with at least one light
source for emitting guide light therefrom and wherein, a back up
power supply for said at least one light source is provided within
said hollow tubular cavity. The hand rail is suitable for use in
providing emergency lighting for stairways and/or corridors of
buildings.
Inventors: |
Harrison; Robert;
(Berkshire, GB) ; D'Arcy; John; (Arborfield,
GB) ; Day; Robin; (Surrey, GB) ; Trundle;
Robert; (Berkshire, GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Muncy, Geissler, Olds & Lowe, PLLC
P.O. BOX 1364
FAIRFAX
VA
22038-1364
US
|
Family ID: |
34708327 |
Appl. No.: |
11/914937 |
Filed: |
March 16, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
March 16, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB06/50106 |
371 Date: |
May 28, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/832 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F21S 9/022 20130101;
E04F 11/1804 20130101; F21V 33/006 20130101; F21W 2111/08 20130101;
F21Y 2115/10 20160801; E04F 2011/1872 20130101; G08B 5/36
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/832 |
International
Class: |
E04F 11/18 20060101
E04F011/18 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 18, 2005 |
GB |
0510079.7 |
Claims
1. A hand rail comprising: a balustrade defining a hollow tubular
cavity; and spaced along said balustrade, plural mounting brackets
for mounting the balustrade to a support surface of a building,
wherein at least one of said plural mounting brackets is provided
with at least one light source for emitting guide light therefrom
and wherein, a back up power supply for said at least one light
source is provided within said hollow tubular cavity.
2. A hand rail according to claim 1, wherein all of the plural
mounting brackets are provided with the at least one light
source.
3. A hand rail according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light
source comprises one or more LED lamps.
4. A hand rail according to claim 1, wherein each of the plural
mounting brackets defines a cavity for housing the at least one
light source.
5. A hand rail according to claim 1, wherein each of the plural
wall mounting brackets comprises a mounting plate for mounting to
the support surface of a building; an arm for holding up the
balustrade; and a cavity housing for housing the at least one light
source.
6. A hand rail according to claim 5, wherein said cavity housing is
shaped to direct such as in use, to guide light generally
downwards.
7. A hand rail according to claim 1, wherein the hollow cavity of
the balustrade houses mains supply cabling.
8. A hand rail according to claim 1, wherein the back up power
supply comprises a rechargeable battery arranged for recharging by
a mains power supply.
9. A hand rail according to claim 1, additionally comprising a
scheduler for scheduling regular timed periods of operation of the
back up power supply.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a hand rail for use in
stairways and corridors, the hand rail including an emergency
lighting system.
[0002] It is well known to provide a hand rail (e.g. wall-mounted)
to stairways and corridors of buildings, which provide a means of
hand grip and guidance for persons using these spaces. It is also
known to provide emergency lighting systems to stairways and
corridors that provide illumination thereto in the event of an
emergency, which illumination acts to guide persons to assist their
exit from the building. Such emergency lighting systems are
typically mains powered, but often include battery back up power
units that are triggered in the event of a failure of mains power.
Emergency lighting may thus, be provided even where the mains power
supply fails.
[0003] Applicant has now realized that it is desirable to
incorporate the emergency lighting system directly into the hand
rail so that guide illumination may be directed most effectively to
assist exit from the building. In particular, Applicant has
realized that light elements of the lighting system (e.g. LED
lamps) are most effectively housed within a wall mounting of the
hand rail. Applicant has also realized that from the standpoint of
safety, space saving and aesthetics, the battery back up pack is
most effectively housed within a hollow cavity of the balustrade of
the hand rail.
[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention there is
provided a hand rail comprising
a balustrade defining a hollow tubular cavity; and plural mounting
brackets for mounting said balustrade to a support surface of a
building, wherein at least one of said plural mounting brackets is
provided with at least one light source for emitting guide light
therefrom and wherein, a back up power supply for said at least one
light source is provided within said hollow tubular cavity.
[0005] There is provided a hand rail suitable for mounting within
buildings, for example in stairways or corridors thereof.
[0006] The hand rail comprises a balustrade. The exterior of the
balustrade suitably has a conventional form and is shaped to
provide a hand support/guide for a person (e.g. for use as they
proceed along a corridor or down a stairway of the building). The
balustrade defines a hollow tubular cavity, the purpose of which
will become clearer from the later description.
[0007] The hand rail also comprises plural mounting brackets for
mounting said balustrade to a support surface of a building. In
use, the plural mounting brackets are spaced along the balustrade.
The exact number of mounting brackets present will to an extent,
depend upon the length of the balustrade. In general terms,
sufficient mounting brackets will be needed to enable secure
mounting of the balustrade to the support surface of the building.
The support surface is most usually either a wall of the building
or a mounting framework (e.g. in the form of a metal frame) such as
is often found running centrally down the inner part of a stair
well in a building. The mounting includes means for fixing to that
support surface, which normally comprise screw holes for receipt of
screw fixing means received by the building support surface.
[0008] At least one of the plural mounting brackets is provided
with at least one light source for emitting guide light therefrom.
Suitably, all of the plural mounting brackets are provided with
such at least one light source. Preferably, all of the mounting
brackets include at least one light source and the mounting
brackets are spaced at regular intervals along the balustrade to
provide a regularly spaced arrangement of guide lights.
[0009] Suitable light sources include lamps such as LED lamps,
which are preferred because of their relatively low power
consumption and good lighting capability. The precise form of each
mounting bracket will be determined by its functional requirements
to enable mounting to a support surface of a building; to support
the balustrade; and to suitably accommodate the light source for
providing guide light.
[0010] Suitable, the at least one light source is housed within a
cavity defined by the mounting bracket. Suitably, the form of that
cavity is arranged to guide the light emitted by the light
source.
[0011] In one aspect, the wall mounting bracket comprises a
mounting plate for mounting to the support surface of a building;
an arm for holding the balustrade up; and a cavity housing for
housing the at least one light source. Suitably, the arm projects
away from the support surface of a building and in one aspect is
L-shaped. Suitably, the cavity housing for the at least one light
source is shaped to direct light generally downwards (i.e. towards
the floor of the building), and thus to guide the footsteps of a
person, when mounted (e.g. wall-mounted) in normal use.
[0012] In normal use, the light sources are powered by mains power
supply and/or low voltage (converted) power inputs. Cabling is
suitably housed as much as possible within the hollow cavity of the
balustrade.
[0013] A back up power supply for said at least one light source is
provided within said hollow tubular cavity. Suitably, the back up
power supply is shaped (e.g. tubular from) for ready receipt within
the cavity. The back up power supply typically comprises a
rechargeable battery that is arranged for continual recharge by the
mains power supply. In the event in an emergency of failure of that
mains power supply, the back up power supply is engaged and acts to
power the at least one light source to provide emergency guide
lighting. The rechargeable battery typically has a 5 year lifetime
of operation.
[0014] Suitably, operation of the hand rail involves regular timed
periods of operation of the back up power supply to exercise the
battery and maintain it in good condition. A scheduler/timer may be
provided for this purpose.
[0015] Suitably, all of the light sources are powered by a single
back up power supply, although variations may be envisaged in which
additional back up power supply units are also incorporated.
Suitably, all of the rechargeable battery, mains power supply
cabling and charger are included within the hollow tubular cavity
of the balustrade.
[0016] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be
described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 shows a perspective front view of part of a hand rail
in accord with the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 shows a perspective rear view of part of a hand rail
in accord with the present invention; and
[0019] FIG. 3 shows a cutaway view along Section X'-X' of FIG.
2.
[0020] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown part of a
hand rail in accord with the present invention comprising
balustrade 10 defining a single hollow tubular cavity 12 running
along the length thereof. The balustrade 10 associates with
mounting bracket 20 arranged for mounting the balustrade 10 to a
support surface of a building (not shown).
[0021] Mounting bracket 20 comprises flat mounting plate 22
provided with plural holes 24 for screw mounting the plate 22 to a
building surface (e.g. wall) and support arm 26 extending
horizontally from the plate 22. As may be better seen in FIG. 3,
the support arm 26 has an L-shaped from and is provided at its far
end with a generally U-form support 28 arranged for receipt of the
balustrade 10. It will be appreciated that the overall hand rail
comprises plural similar mounting brackets 20 arranged in spaced
fashion for overall mounting of the balustrade 10 to the building
support surface.
[0022] Referring particularly to FIG. 2, the rear of the plate 22
may be seen to include cable input apertures 30, 32 for receipt of
respectively low voltage cable 34 and mains voltage cable 36. The
front of the plate may be seen to include a lighting aperture 40
for enabling projection of light from a light source 50 comprised
within the mounting bracket 20, the details of which may be better
seen with reference to FIG. 3.
[0023] Light cavity 42 provided to the mounting bracket 20 acts to
house light source 50 in the form of an LED lamp arranged adjacent
to guide reflector 52. In use, the light source projects light 54
away from the mounting bracket 20 and generally in downwards
fashion, as shown.
[0024] Low voltage cable 34 provides power to the light source 50.
Both the low voltage cable 34 and mains cable 36 may also be seen
to feed through the interior of the mounting arm 26 and into
tubular cavity 12 of the balustrade 10 to the back up power supply
60, which comprises a tubular form rechargeable battery 60.
[0025] In typical usage mode, the battery 60 is continually
recharged by power from the mains power supply 36. In the event of
a mains power supply failure, low voltage 34 power is transferred
to the light source 50, which illuminates to provide guide light as
shown. Again, it will be appreciated that the overall hand rail
comprises plural mounting brackets 20 arranged in spaced fashion
along the length of the balustrade 10 and hence, that plural light
sources 50 will illuminate to provide a lighted guide pathway in
the event of mains power failure.
* * * * *