U.S. patent number 3,569,689 [Application Number 04/737,422] was granted by the patent office on 1971-03-09 for continuously illuminated grab bar.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Union Manufacturing Company. Invention is credited to Frederick Leonard Nestrock.
United States Patent |
3,569,689 |
Nestrock |
March 9, 1971 |
CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED GRAB BAR
Abstract
A grab-bar or handrail system not only incorporates its own
spaced directional illumination sources but also its complete
electrical cabling. Thus, installation of the system requires
virtually no special electrical cabling or conduit within the wall,
such ducting being limited to that required for a single end
connection, or to bridge a discontinuity in the handrail, as where
the wall is interrupted for a doorway, window, or the like opening.
Illumination sources are provided within and as part of each
supporting bracket, and individual electrical connection thereof to
the supply cabling is made adjacent each support and within the
grab-bar. Provision is made for automatic transfer from house
voltage supply to standby storage supply, in the event of power
failure, thus assuring the maximum safety that constant
illumination can provide.
Inventors: |
Nestrock; Frederick Leonard
(Avon, CT) |
Assignee: |
Union Manufacturing Company
(New Britain, CT)
|
Family
ID: |
24963858 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/737,422 |
Filed: |
June 17, 1968 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
362/146;
362/249.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F21V
33/006 (20130101); E04F 11/1808 (20130101); E04F
11/1804 (20130101); E04F 11/1802 (20130101); F21W
2111/08 (20130101); E04F 2011/1872 (20130101); F21S
9/022 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F21V
33/00 (20060101); F21v 033/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;240/2,2 (W)/ ;240/9
;315/86 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Matthews; Samuel S.
Assistant Examiner: Harris; Michael
Claims
I claim:
1. A grab bar or the like as a combined electrical conduit and
light source, comprising an elongated bar element, longitudinally
spaced mounting-structure elements for spaced parts of said bar
element for mounting the same in clearance relation relation with
the face of a wall or the like, a source of light contained within
each of a plurality of said mounting-structure elements each of
which is also capacitated to externally and directionally transmit
light from its respective source in a general direction normal to
the elongation axis of said bar element, and electric-supply means
including an elongated flexible cable extending within said bar
element for at least the combined length comprehended by the
spacings of said mounting-structure elements, said respective light
sources being connected to said cable at the locations of adjacency
thereto, said supply means including a bar member connected at one
end to one of said mounting-structure elements and including at its
other end cover-plate-connection means removably securable to an
electric-supply junction box, with said cable extending through
said bar member to said junction box.
2. A grab bar or the like as a combined electrical conduit and
light source, comprising an elongated tubular bar open at both
longitudinal ends, two bar-support bracket members having bases
adapted for mounting at spaced locations along a wall or the like,
each bracket member including a tubular bar support and an offset
arm connecting said tubular support to said base, each tubular
support being open at both longitudinal ends and being adapted for
telescoping interfit with a bar end, each offset arm having a
locally transparent opening and carrying an electric-light source
positioned to transmit light through said transparent opening, the
respective ends of said bar being telescopically fitted to adjacent
ends of said tubular bar supports, electric-supply cable means
extending through said bar and bar supports, and separate bridging
connections to said light sources from adjacent portions of said
cable, said bridging connections being contained within tubular
parts of said bar and brackets.
3. A grab bar according to claim 2, in which ends of said bars are
telescopically received within said tubular bar supports.
4. A grab bar according to claim 2, in which said bridging
connections for each light source comprise flexible-lead means
connected at one end to its light source and connected at the other
end to a bridging connector, said bridging connector including
first and second clamp parts of electrically insulating material
capacitated to receive and clamp separate conductors of said cable
means in locally spaced relation, a first conductive element
carried by one clamp part and projecting between said parts for
conductive interception of a first clamped cable conductor, a
second conductive element carried by a clamp part and projecting
between said parts for conductive interception of a second clamped
cable conductor, said conductive elements being connected by
flexible conductor means including separate leads to said light
source, and means retaining said clamp parts in clamped
relation
5. A grab bar or the like as a combined electrical conduit and
light source, comprising plural elongated tubular bars each open at
both longitudinal ends, plural bar-support brackets having bases
adapted for mounting at spaced locations along a wall or the like,
each bracket including a tubular bar support and an offset arm
connecting said tubular support to said base, each tubular support
being open at both longitudinal ends and being adapted at both
longitudinal ends for telescoping interfit with a bar end, each
offset arm having a locally transparent opening and carrying an
electric-light source positioned to transmit light through said
transparent opening, the respective ends of each bar being
telescopically fitted to adjacent ends of adjacent tubular bar
supports, electric-supply cable means extending through said bars
and bar supports, and separate bridging connections to said light
sources from adjacent portions of said cable, said bridging
connections being contained within tubular parts of said bars and
brackets.
6. A grab bar according to claim 5, and including a cover plate for
the open face of a wall-outlet receptacle box, said cover plate
including a short tubular bar member having an open end extending
away from the plane of the open face, said last-mentioned open
bar-member end having telescoping interfit with an open end of one
of said elongated bar and bracket members, and said cable extending
through said short tubular member for splicing connection within
the receptacle box to which said cover plate is fitted.
7. A grab bar according to claim 6, in which said short tubular
member is telescopically fitted within the adjacent end of the
adjacent bar support.
8. A grab bar according to claim 6, in which said short tubular
member telescopically receives the adjacent end of the adjacent one
of said bars.
9. In combination, a grab-bar support bracket having a
light-transmitting opening in a localized wall part thereof, said
bracket containing light-source means in the region of said
opening, wall-mounting means for support of said bracket in a
direction offset from the surface of wall support, bar-support
means forming part of said bracket and having a bar-receiving
opening offset from said surface and communicating within said
bracket to the region of said light-source means, and electrical
supply means for said bracket including conduit means having
telescoping fit at one end with said brackets at the bar-receiving
opening, said conduit means at its other end including a
cover-plate element removably securable to an electric-supply
junction box.
10. The combination of claim 9, in which said cover-plate element
has a central opening and said conduit means includes a conduit
element secured to said plate element at said opening.
11. The combination of claim 10, in which said conduit element is
straight on an axis generally normal to said plate element.
12. The combination of claim 10, in which said conduit element has
opposed ends on substantially perpendicular axes, the end secured
to said plate element being substantially normal thereto.
13. The combination of claim 12, in which the axis of the other end
of said conduit element is offset from the general plane of said
plate element, by substantially the same extent as the axis of said
bar-support opening is offset from the wall-support surface of said
bracket.
Description
This invention relates to an illuminated grab-bar or handrail
system and incorporates modifications beyond the structures
disclosed in my copending application, Ser. No. 646,112, filed Jun.
14, 1967, now abandoned.
In said application, I described a restful illumination system for
institutional use, whereby wall-mounted grab-bar systems are the
source of light for localized nighttime illumination of floor
areas, as in halls, bathrooms and corridors.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved device of
the character indicated.
Another object is to provide an illuminated grab-bar construction
wherein electrical wiring is materially simplified and rendered
more reliable.
A specific object is to provide a construction of the character
indicated wherein wiring is flexibly adapted to installation
requirements, with minimum involvement of wall penetration.
Still another specific object is to provide such a construction in
which electrical supply to an entire multiple-unit installation is
readily accommodated by a minimum of electrical-supply outlet boxes
and in which the cover plate for each such outlet box functionally
serves both the mechanical structure of the grab bar and the
efficient supply of electric power throughout the installation.
Other objects and various further features of novelty and invention
will be pointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from
a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings. In said drawings, which show various
illustrative forms of the invention:
FIG. 1 is a simplified view in elevation of a wall, stair and door
development to which an illuminated grab bar of the invention has
been installed;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of parts of the
installation of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary exploded perspective view of an
electrical clamp connector which may be used in making an
installation of my invention;
FIG. 4 is an electrical diagram schematically indicating wiring
connections for the installation of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 5 is a simplified plan view of an alternative structure for
one end of the system of FIG. 1.
Briefly stated, the invention contemplates a grab-bar or handrail
system which not only incorporates its own spaced directional
illumination sources but also the complete electrical cabling
necessary to supply the same. Thus, installation of the system
requires virtually no special electrical cabling or conduit within
the wall, such ducting being limited to that required for a single
end connection, or to bridge a discontinuity in the handrail, as
where the wall is interrupted for a doorway, window, or the like
opening. Illumination sources are provided within and as part of
each supporting bracket, and individual electrical connection
thereof to the supply cabling is made adjacent each support and
within the grab bar. Provision is made for automatic transfer from
house voltage supply to standby storage supply, in the event of
power failure, thus assuring the maximum safety that constant
illumination can provide.
FIG. 1 shows a typical length of a grab-bar or handrail system of
the invention, installed along the length of wall 10 of a
pedestrian passage, running from a corner wall 11 at a lower floor
level 12, up a flight of stairs 13, to an upper floor level 14. At
the level 14, a doorway 15 interrupts the continuity of wall 10.
The grab-bar system employs spaced bracket light sources 16,
secured to the wall 10 and positioning tubular bars or rail
lengths, such as those at 17--18, suitably offset from the wall
surface; similar bent tubular bars 18' adapt the rail alignment to
the changing passage slope at stairs 13. At the wall 11, a
wall-mounted bracket or fitting 19 supports one end of the bar 20
which extends to the nearest light-source bracket 16. Special
tubular bracket fittings 21--21' provide wall termination of the
interrupted ends of the handrail, adjacent the respective sides of
the doorway 15.
Electric cabling for supply to the spaced bracket light sources is
effectively continuous within the successive grab-bar lengths,
extending from wall 11 to the fitting 21 and, therefore, requiring
no special wall-conduit provision for this great span. A local wall
conduit detours around the doorway 15 and connects the cabling to
the next major span of the handrail, beginning at fitting 21';
again, no special wall-conduit provision is needed. A single supply
for the entire rail system is provided from a supply box 22 on the
back side of wall 11, via short conduit 23 to a wall junction box
24, to which the fitting 19 is removably secured.
Greater detail is presented in FIG. 2 which shows each bracket
light source 16 to comprise a base 30 with provision at 31 for
secure mounting to the wall. A tubular bar-support portion 32 is
connected by an offsetting bracket arm 33 to the base 30; in the
form shown, the offset arm 33 positions the axis of alignment of
bar support 32 generally above the base 30 and in parallel spaced
relation to the wall surface. A part of the underside of the offset
arm 33 is cut away and fitted with a glass, plastic or the like
window 34, to provide a locally transparent opening in the
otherwise opaque tubular wall of arm 33. A low-wattage electric
lamp 35 (not shown in FIG. 2 but schematically indicated in FIG. 4)
is retained within arm 33, as in the manner described in said
copending application. The general downward directional
distribution of lamp light at the brackets 16 is suggested by
phantom lines, as at 35, in FIG. 1; it will be understood that by
reason of the upward and outward orientation of arms 33, this light
distribution also extends substantially over the adjacent areas of
floor or stairs, as the case may be.
Mechanically, the tubular rail or bar sections 17 have telescoping
end fit with corresponding adjacent ends of the bar-support members
32 at each bracket; in this connection, I indicate preference for
bars 17 to fit within the ends of the bar-support members 32. In
the case of the exposed open end of one support member 32 in FIG.
2, an internal stop or shoulder 36 is visible; stop 36 will be
understood to limit bar insertion so that interior space within arm
33 may communicate with that in the rail bars 17, 18, 18', 20. The
bar 20 which connects the last bracket light 16 to fixture 19 is
shown having telescoping fit within the tubular bar-support element
37 of fixture 19; element 37 forms a fixed part of the base or
plate 38 of fixture 19. Preferably, bar 20 is sized to telescope
into the bar-support part 37 to a limited extent, suggested by
dotted outline in FIG. 2; a setscrew 37' threaded in the body of
part 37 projects radially inwardly into interfering and, hence,
retaining relation with the inserted axial end of bar 20.
Electric cable from the wall splice box 24 is shown as two flexible
insulated buslines 39--39' effectively running the length of the
grab-bar system. Each individual lamp 35 has its own associated
support and supply leads 40--41 which are bridge-connected or
tapped to bus 39-- 39' at a location adjacent each lamp. For the
case of the exposed open fitting 32 in FIG. 2, the bridging
connector 42 is shown in phantom outline as establishing adjacent
connection of the leads 40--41 to lamp 35. In FIG. 3, connector 42
is shown as comprising an insulating body part 43 having parallel
spaced elongated grooves 44--44' at a clamp face 45, for local
guided reception of the insulated bus cable lines 39--39'.
Sharp-edged, upwardly projecting conductive elements 46--46' in the
respective grooves 44--44' provide means for conductive branch
connection to the lines 39--39' , by piercing the insulation of
lines 39--39' and biting the central conductors 39--39' when clamp
42 is set. The upper part of the clamp body is shown as a
substantial insulating washer 47, sized to span conductors 39--39'
at their overlap with elements 46--46'; and a clamping screw or
bolt 48 passing through washer 47 and threaded at 49 into body 43
provides adequate clamp action to establish the bridge connection.
It will be understood that each bracket-light assembly 16 may be
complete with its lamp 35 and flexible insulated supply leads
40--41 to the clamp body 43; body 43 and its associated leads
40--41 are preferably preassembled in a position drawn through the
interior of arm 33 and out one end, say the left end, of each
bracket 16.
To make an installation of exposed parts of the grab-bar system of
my invention, the junction box 24 is installed, with supply
connection 23 thereto, at the desired offset from wall 10 and
elevation above floor 12. The bar-support cover plate or fixture 19
is then located on box 24 and flush with wall 11, as by securing
screws 50. The first, i.e., the adjacent bracket-light assembly 16
is then mounted to wall 10 at the correct elevation for horizontal
bore alignment of the bar-support members 32--37. Fixture 19 may
now be removed, with screw 37' backed off, to permit preassembly of
bar 20 in member 37. An adequate length of flexible insulated bus
39-- 39' is cut and passed (left-to-right) through the first
bar-support member 32 and bar 20 (with fixture 19 preassembled
thereto), so that bus-cable ends project toward the splice box.
Access for splicing is available by sliding the fixture 19 back
over bar 20. After splicing is complete, fixture 19 is returned to
its position flush with wall 11. Setscrew 37' may then be driven
into interfering relation with the end of bar 20, and mounting is
secured by screws 50.
At this point in the assembly, a large length of bus cable extends
beyond the open end of the bar-support member of the first bracket
16; in FIG. 2, this open end location is designated 51. At this
open end location 51, the tap assembly 42 hangs loosely from its
preassembled flexible leads; and the tap connection should be set
to establish the connection of the first one (52, FIG. 4) of the
series of lamps.
The next bracket-light assembly 16 should be suitably mounted to
the wall 10, with its tubular support 32 aligned with the installed
bar 20; and just before finally securing the mount of this second
assembly 16, the connecting bar 17 should be preassembled thereto,
and the bus cable 39--39' should be drawn through the preassembly,
so as then to project beyond the open end location designated 53 in
FIG. 2. After the cable is drawn through, the other end of bar 17
is telescoped into the open end 51, and the second bracket assembly
16 finally secured in mounted position. At this point, the tap
assembly 42 is suspended out open end 53, and the second bridge-tap
connection should be made (for lamp 35).
The described cycle of assembly is of course repeated for each
successive section of grab-bar rail or tubing to be installed.
Preferably, the initial supply of bus cable 39--39' is adequate for
the entire length, at least to the next junction box 54 (FIG. 5),
at fitting 21, but in the event of cable runout before reaching
this point, a splice of bus cable can conveniently be made and
retained within the conduit formed by the described grab-bar
structure.
FIG. 5 illustrates the fitting 21 for enabling bus-cable splicing
at junction box 54 to continuing cable within conduit 25 at the
doorway 15. This fitting is shown to comprise a tubular elbow, of
mitred connecting arms 55--56, one of which 56 forms a fixed part
of a base or cover plate 57 for the box 54, and the other of which
55 has telescoping fit within the adjacent support end of the
adjacent bracket-light 16. Fixture 21 is assembled to bus cable
39--39' after the bridge-tap connection for lamp 58 (FIG. 4) is
established at the then-open end 59 of bracket 16 (FIG. 5);
splicing at box 54 is accomplished; and finally, fixture 21 is
secured as a cover plate for box 54.
The supply at box 22 (FIG. 1) to the installed grab-bar system may
be various, depending upon particular requirements. In
institutional applications, this supply should be such as to assure
constant operation of all bracket lights, even in the event of
house power-supply failure. A system for accomplishing full-time
operation is shown in FIG. 4 wherein a relay 60 having double-pole
double-throw contacts 61--62 serves to transfer houseline supply 63
to a standby or storage supply 64, in the event of line failure.
Thus, the coil 65 of relay 60 is shown continuously connected for
line excitation, to determine line supply via upper-position
connections of contact arms 61--62 to bus cable 39--39' as long as
line voltage is available. Failure of line voltage drops the
contact arms 61--62 to their lower positions, establishing
connection of bus cable 39--39' to the storage or standby voltage
source 64. In the preferred employment of my lighting system, all
lamps are of the low-voltage, low-wattage variety, the reduced
voltage being normally available from the line via suitable
transformer means 66. The storage means may conveniently be a
nickel-cadmium battery.
It will be seen that the invention provides a readily installed
system to assure efficient and soft illumination of vital passages
and safety structures in institutions for the physically
handicapped. The illumination is provided at minimum power
consumption and it is extremely unobtrusive, assuring soft but
positive definition of vital features including all passages and
stairs. These results are achieved with minimum need for breaking
into a wall, inasmuch as the grab-bar system is at the same time
both the source of distributed light and the electrical conduit for
supply of such light.
Although the invention has been described in detail for the
preferred system shown, it will be understood that modifications
may be made within the scope of the claimed invention.
* * * * *