Abstract:
A ball and socket arrangement for aiding the handicapped or persons having limited reach or mobility and including one of a plurality of socket elements secured to an object which is to be moved and which is engageable by means of a manually grippable wand including an elongated handle having a ball at one end which is adapted to engage the socket to apply either a pulling or a pushing force thereto and wherein the angle and orientation of the sockets varies depending upon the object to which the socket is attached and which may be, for example, a drawer, door, slidable shelf, or the like.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to apparatus for providing a mechanical advantage, and more particularly to manually gripped apparatus for aiding persons having limited reach and mobility, such as the handicapped, to move an object such as a drawer, a movable shelf, a door, or the like. 
     Various types of implements for extending the reach of a person are generally known and cover a wide spectrum of tools and mechanical devices depending upon their intended use. One group of implements is directed to cooking utensils which, for example, have detachable handles for lifting and moving a cooking utensil from one place to another. Another group includes those having a relatively long handle with a manipulator at one end, such as tools for enabling a driver of an automobile, for example, to operate a door lock or turn a window crank. Also known are such devices as farm tool implements and mechanic&#39;s tools which include interchangeable tools at one end thereof. However, none of the prior art teaches or suggests apparatus for aiding people in wheelchairs or who are handicapped in ways which impede their reach or mobility to gain access to a drawer, door, window, or the like. 
     It is a primary object of the subject invention, therefore, to provide a system of mechanical components for aiding the handicapped. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus for aiding persons with limited reach or mobility. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a system of mechanical components for enabling people in wheelchairs or who are handicapped in ways which impede their reach or mobility to gain access to an otherwise inaccessible location. 
     Briefly, the foregoing and other objects are achieved by a ball and socket arrangement including one of a plurality of socket elements secured to an object which is to be moved and which is engageable by means of a manually grippable wand including an elongated handle having a ball at one end which is adapted to engage the socket to apply either a pulling or a pushing force thereto and wherein the angle and orientation of the sockets varies depending upon the object to which the socket is attached and which may be, for example, a drawer, door, slidable shelf, or the like. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The details of the invention will be more readily understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view generally illustrative of an arrangement of furniture utilizing the subject invention; 
     FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are perspective views generally illustrative of three preferred embodiments of a socket member forming one part of the subject invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a wand for engaging the socket members shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 and which forms the other part of the subject invention; 
     FIGS. 6 and 7 are illustrative of the wand shown in FIG. 5 and the socket member shown in FIG. 2 for use as a drawer pull and which is further shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 8 is a variation of the arrangement shown in FIG. 6 for use as a door opener; 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrative of a pair of socket members shown in FIG. 3 arranged back to back and utilized in combination with the wand shown in FIG. 5 for actuating an elevated slidable shelf as shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIGS. 10 and 11 are side elevational views further illustrative of the configuration shown in FIG. 9 being pushed and pulled, respectively; 
     FIG. 12 is a side elevational view partially in phantom illustrating a modified version of the configuration shown in FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 13 is a side elevational view partially in section of the members shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 for pulling out and pushing back a desk panel as shown in FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 14 is a perspective view further illustrative of the configuration shown in FIG. 12. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawing figures wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout, attention is first directed to FIG. 1 where there is shown a modular assembly of furniture including the preferred embodiments of the invention and which are designed to be used by persons who are handicapped, such as by persons restricted to wheelchairs or the like. 
     FIG. 1, for example, depicts the combination of a trundle type bed structure 10 having a pair of pull-out drawers 12 and 14 located below a bed frame 16, a backboard 18, including an upper storage compartment 20, and an adjoining open closet area including an upper pull-out shelf member 22 which may, when desired, include a hanger rack, not shown. Also shown are a pair of lower vertically oriented storage spaces 24 and 26, a generally rectangular upper storage compartment 28 and a lower desk or work area 30 including a pull-out shelf 32. 
     What is significant about the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 is that the pull-out drawers 12 and 14 include respective socket members 34 which are shown in FIG. 2, the upper pull-out shelf 22 includes a pair of back to back socket members 36 as shown in FIG. 3, and the pull-out desk shelf 32 includes a socket member 38 as shown in FIG. 4. While the socket members 34, 36 and 38 thus comprise three separate embodiments, what they all have in common is a recessed socket 46, 46&#39; and 46&#34; in a slotted bore 54, 54&#39; and 54&#34; which is sized to fit and be engaged by the ball 42 of the wand 40, shown in FIG. 5. 
     Considering now the details of the socket members 34, 36 and 38, the member 34 shown in FIG. 2 is particularly adapted to be used as a drawer pull and is comprised of a generally rectangular block type body member 48 having a circular opening 50, sized to accept the ball 42 of a wand 40, formed through one end surface 52. A circular cylindrical bore 54, is formed in the body of the block to a predetermined depth where it terminates in the socket 46. A linear slot 56 into the bore 54 extends lengthwise from the opening 50 to the socket 46. The width of the slot 56 is less than the diameter of the ball 42 so that the wand 40 cannot be pulled therefrom, but can only enter and be removed from the opening 50. This also applies to the slots of other socket members 36 and 38 to be subsequently described. 
     The opposite end of the block 48 comprises a relatively narrow end region 60 having a rounded end surface 62 which extends into a curved surface 64 which terminates in a rear surface portion 66. The narrow upper region 60 permits the member 34 to be manually grasped in addition to its engagement with the wand 40. 
     As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the rear surface 66 of the socket member 34 (FIG. 2) is fastened or otherwise secured to the front surface 68 of, for example, the front panel 70 of a drawer 14 as shown in FIG. 1, or it may be applied to the front surface 72 of a hinged door 74, or the like as shown in FIG. 8. FIGS. 7 and 8 depict two mutually orthogonal orientations and thus two separate uses of the socket member 34 shown in FIG. 2. 
     Considering now the socket member 36 shown in FIG. 3, it is comprised of a generally wedge-shaped body 76 having an enlarged rounded front end region 78 and smaller rear end region 80 and which includes a cylindrical bore 54&#39; of relatively shorter depth formed therein which is open on the front and top faces 82 and 84, and which terminates at the socket 46&#39;. The body 76 additionally includes a substantially flat rear mounting surface 86. 
     As shown in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11, a pair of socket members 36 1  and 36 2  are arranged in back-to-back relationship on a panel member, which may be, for example, the slidable shelf 22 shown in FIG. 1. The two members 36 1  and 36 2  are positioned so that their respective enlarged end portions 78 face one another, with the end surfaces 82 abutting one another. 
     As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the respective bores 54&#39; of the socket member 36 1  and 36 2  intersect each other providing a pair of mutually opposed sockets 46&#39;. Thus, as depicted in FIG. 10, when the wand 40 is inserted in the rear member 36 1  and a pushing motion is imparted thereto, the shelf 22 is forced to move to the left or to the rear as shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively, when the wand 40 is placed in the front pull 36 2  and a pulling motion is exerted on the wand shaft 44 as shown in FIG. 11, the member 22 will be moved to the right or outwardly as shown in FIG. 1. 
     A modification of the configuration of the two socket members 36 1  and 36 2 , as shown in FIG. 9, may be resorted to when desirable by utilizing a composite socket member 36&#39; (FIG. 12) which is comprised of a unitary body member 88 having a common opening 90 and a pair of opposing bores 54 1  and 54 2  which terminate in respective sockets 46 1  and 46 2 . With the positioning of the ball element 42 of the wand 40 in either socket 46 1  or 46 2 , fore and aft or left or right motion can be imparted to the member 22 as before. 
     Considering now the third socket member 38, it comprises a generally square or rectangular body 92 as shown in FIG. 4. It includes a circular cylindrical bore 54&#34; having a front opening 50&#34; formed in the relatively flat front end wall surface 94 and which is open to the side wall 96 by the slot 56&#34; and terminating in a rearwardly located socket 46&#34; as in the other embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. 
     The depth of the bore 54&#39; is substantially the same as that in the socket member 34 of FIG. 2. The opposite or rear end wall surface 98 is slightly angulated relative to the front wall surface 94 such that when it is mounted on the bottom surface of a slidable member such as the sliding desk panel 32 shown in FIG. 1, it can pulled out and pushed in by means of the wand 40. 
     Referring briefly to FIGS. 13 and 14, the socket member 38 is shown mounted on the bottom surface 100 of the desk panel 3 such that it tilts slightly to the rear, with the ball element 42 of the wand 44 entering and leaving the bore 54&#34; and the slot 56&#34; from the bottom. 
     It should be noted that the mounting surfaces 66 and 98 of the socket member 34 (FIG. 2) and socket member 38 (FIG. 4) need not be angulated with respect to its opposing wall surface and can, when desirable, be parallel therewith or even tilted forward. Also, the elements shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 can be applied to other types of movable furniture components as well as windows and doors. 
     Thus, what has been shown and described is a relatively simple yet effective access arrangement comprised of a plurality of socket elements which are engageable with a single ball element located at the end of a wand and where the angle and orientation of the sockets varies and is dependent upon the object to which the socket is attached. 
     Having thus shown and described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be noted that the same has been made by way of illustration and not limitation. Accordingly, all modifications, alterations and changes coming within the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims are meant to be included.