EP0064965B1

EP0064965B1 - Lavatory arm support

Info

Publication number: EP0064965B1
Application number: EP82850106A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Tom Ahlström; Hans Ehrich
Original assignee: RFSU S Forsaljningsorganisation AB
Current assignee: RFSU S Forsaljningsorganisation AB
Priority date: 1981-05-12
Filing date: 1982-05-11
Publication date: 1985-09-04
Also published as: EP0064965A1; SE8102981L; FI821518L; DK152603B; FI73876C; DK210582A; NO821453L; FI73876B; FI821518A0; DK152603C; ATE15319T1; SE426353B; DE3265997D1

Abstract

A lavatory arm support adapted to be stationarily mounted on a support such as a wall adjacent a lavatory comprises a wall attachment (10, 12) and, pivotally mounted (at 20) thereon, an arm support structure comprising, in a lowered position, an upper arm portion (2, 3), a lower arm portion (4) and portions (6, 23) connecting said arm portions. The arm support (1) is provided with a latching structure comprising latching recesses (13) in the wall attachment (12) and shiftable latches (14) movably mounted in a support element (15) at the upper arm portion (2), said latches (14) being controllable via a link structure (22, 16, 17) by means of sturdy operating handle (19), enabling even persons of reduced muscular strength to operate the arm support between the raised and lowered positions. The latching structure comprises as return spring (21) urging the latches (14) towards latching position.

Description

The invention relates to a lavatory arm support in accordance with the pre-chararacterising part of the claim. The invention is specifically directed to an arm support for persons of reduced mobility or considerably reduced muscular strength needing a strong and reliable arm support which at the same time is simple to operate between a raised position in which the arm support is securely latched against lowering and a lowered position.
Nowadays certain lavatories are required to be equipped in a way facilitating use by physically afflicted persons, which means that an arm support has to be provided laterally of the lavatory. As provided now such arm supports have certain drawbacks such as insecure attachment, uncomfortable support surface, excessive distance to toilet-paper holder, the latching structure, in particular, not being sufficiently strong to enable the arm support to form a steady hand grip for men during urination, said latch structure also in many cases being difficult to operate in particular for persons having reduced muscular strength.
A lavatory arm support in accordance with the pre-characterising part of the claim is shown e.g. in Fig. 23 of Deutsche Bauzeitschrift, No. 2, 1976.
A prior art lavatory arm support is also known from French specification No. 2.364.648. This known arm support is of a type having a single pipe as support member and a latching structure which is less reliable. Accordingly the latching structure is such that in case the spring is broken or the levers are bent, the arm support will not be locked in upright position, which will be a great obstacle for a disabled person.
It is the purpose of the present invention to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages in connection with lavatory arm supports, the invention providing an arm support having a very steady attachment, a comfortable support surface, a toilet paper holder at a comfortable distance and in particular a latch structure of great strength which at the same time is extremely easily operated by persons of reduced muscular strength.
Accordingly the present lavatory arm support is characterised by the features in the characterising part of the claim.
A particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention will be described hereafter by reference to the attached drawings in which

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the arm support according to the invention, and
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the embodiment according to Fig. 1 with certain invisible portions illustrated by broken lines.

The lavatory arm support 1 comprises an upper steel tube 2 on which a support surface 3 is mounted. The support surface 3 is both wide and soft offering a very comfortable support surface for the arm. A lower steel tube 4 extends forwardly from a wall attachment and a handle portion 5 with good gripping properties is provided below the support surface 3. A transverse portion 6 connects the lower and upper tubes with each other, the lower tube 4 comprising a forwardly extending portion 8 adapted to serve as a centre support for a toilet-roll to be supported in toilet-paper holder 7. At its free end tube 4 is terminated by a terminal socket 9.
The wall attachment comprises two rear mounting plates 10 in which mounting screw holes 11 are provided. In addition, the attachment has two perpendicular mounting flanges 12, in which the tube construction is pivotally supported as at 20. In the lowered position the arm support abuts the attachment wall at a downwardly directed portion 23 extending from the pivot 20 to the lower tube 4 (and suitably forming a part of this tube). The mounting flanges 12 of the attachment are provided with latching recesses 13.
The latching structure is attached to the upper tube 2 by means of a mounting device 15. Latches 14 are provided on a shiftable stud 22 slidably mounted in the mounting device 15. Stud 22 at its opposite end is attached to link structure 16, 17, the links of which are attached to each other and extend at an angle to each other. Link 17 is adapted to swing about a pivot 18 and is connected to a strong operating handle 19. The mounting device 15 also comprises a return spring 21 adapted to urge the latches towards their latching position.
In the drawings the preferred embodiment is shown in the lower position. To raise the support to the substantially vertical position (into which the arm support is moved in order to increase the free space around the lavatory and to serve as a handle during a man's urination) the arm support is simply pivoted about pivot 20 causing the latches 14 to enter into the latching recesses 13 (after passage over the bevelled edge surface) to be retained there under the action of spring 21 (see Fig. 2). In this position the arm support will constitute a very stable handle. If subsequently the arm support 1 is to be lowered, the user simply grasps the very strong operating handle 19 which by a grasping movement is moved towards the handle portion 5 to release the latches 14 from the recesses 13 enabling the arm support to be easily lowered.
The wide and soft support surface 3 forms a comfortable support surface for the user, the handle portion 5 forms a steady grippable handle in the raised position, and the latching structure operated by the large operating handle 19 is easily actuated also by persons of reduced muscular strength. By providing the toilet-paper holder 7 on the arm support proper the user has easy access to the toilet-paper and due to the sturdy construction the arm support according to the invention is reliable and satisfies the above mentioned purpose of the invention.
The expert in the art will realise that the invention can be modified and varied within the scope of the attached claim.

Claims

Arm support comprising a wall attachment (10, 12) adapted to be stationarily mounted on a wall or the like adjacent a lavatory and an arm support structure pivotally mounted (at 20) on the wall attachment and comprising in a lowered position an upper arm portion (2, 3), a lower arm portion (4) and portions (6, 23) connecting said arm portions, characterized by a latching structure comprising latching recesses (13) in the wall attachment (12) and shiftable latches (14) mounted at the upper arm portion (2) of the arm support (1), a return spring (21) urging the latches (14) towards their latching position, said latches (14) being controllable via a link structure (22,16, 17) by means of a sturdy operating handle (19) enabling even persons of reduced muscular strength to operate the arm support between the raised latched and the lowered free positions, said lower arm portion (4) being provided with a grip (5) which in the raised latched position of the arm support forms a handle having good gripping properties.