Patent Publication Number: US-9850664-B2

Title: Handrail mounting system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In known wall-protecting handrails, rail members are mounted on brackets in a manner such they can deflect and deform under impacts from objects to prevent damage to the underlying wall. The rail members protect the underlying walls and provide support for persons walking through the building. These handrails are widely used in hospitals and nursing homes, where carts, wheelchairs and the like are moved through hallways and are likely to strike the walls. 
     Known handrails are supported in spaced-apart relation to the walls to allow space between the handrail and the user&#39;s fingers. The supports are individual brackets that are strongly attached to the walls and to the handrails. In some cases a single bolt is used that passes through a hole in a portion of the handrail, a corresponding hole in the bracket, and through the wall. Such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,048. 
     Also known is a handrail installation in which single bolts are used at each support point for the rail and in which the rail need not be drilled to fasten it to the support. The rail and supports permit covers and/or other components to be pre-assembled to the rail before the rail is attached to the supports. All of the supports for the rail can be installed onto the wall or post system (or other supporting structure) before the rail is installed. The rail is then installed onto the supports using a tool. Such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,458. 
     The present inventors have recognized the need for a handrail assembly that allows the handrail supports to be first installed onto the wall and then the handrail installed onto the supports. The present inventors have recognized the need for supports that eliminate the requirement for using a tool to install the handrail to the supports and that constituted an easily installed and cost effective assembly. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the invention provide a handrail assembly, and a method of installing the assembly, that reduces the installation time for installing handrails, particularly in an institution like a hospital. The exemplary assembly also reduces parts, the requirement for special tools for installation, and the overall cost of the assembly and installation. 
     A handrail system includes an elongated rail member, a plurality of attachment elements carried by the elongated rail member on the back side thereof, a plurality of brackets, each attachable at a base end to a wall via an attachment hole in the bracket; and a plurality of pins wherein each pin is engageable through an intermediate portion of a bracket to fix the attachment element to the bracket. 
     Preferably, the attachment elements are slidably adjustable along the length of the rail member. 
     Preferably, the distal end of each of said brackets is an open end and partially receives one of said attachment elements within the open end, and one of said pins penetrates through the bracket and the attachment element to fix the attachment element to the bracket. 
     Preferably, the bracket includes a first through hole and the attachment element includes a second through hole, and when the attachment element is inserted partially into the bracket, the first and second through holes align and the pin is tightly received within both first and second through holes. 
     Preferably, the attachment element includes a T-shaped retaining element and the rail member includes a T-shaped slot such that the retaining element can slide along a portion of a length of the T-shaped slot without being separated from the rail member. 
     Preferably, each bracket has a tubular body having the open end and having a portion of an inside perimeter of the open end defined by a flat surface, and the attachment element has a corresponding shape to be snugly inserted into the open end and prevented from rotating therein by the flat surface. 
     The invention provides a method of attaching a handrail to a wall comprising the steps of: 
     mounting brackets onto the wall spaced apart horizontally; 
     providing that a handrail has a connecting slot that slidably receives attachment elements along the slot, the slot configured to prevent separation of the attachment elements from the handrail; 
     positioning the attaching elements along the slot to register with each of the brackets; 
     inserting each of the attaching elements into a corresponding bracket; 
     installing through pins which lock each attaching element to the corresponding bracket. 
     The invention also provide a bracket system that is applicable to other articles to be mounted, wherein the bracket system includes a bracket mountable to a surface, such as a wall, and an attachment element that is carried by the article to be mounted. The attachment element is attachable to the bracket by use of a pin that penetrates through the bracket and the attachment element. Preferably, the attachment element is slidable along the article, particularly when the article is long and multiple brackets are used for mounting the article to the surface. Preferably, the attachment element is inserted into a tubular open end of the bracket and the pin penetrates through both the attachment element and the bracket to fix the attachment element to the bracket. Preferably, the attachment element includes a T-shaped formation that fits into a T-shaped slot along a back side of the article to be mounted. 
     Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will be become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, and from the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a handrail assembly of the present invention in an assembled state with a front cover and bumper removed to see underlying parts; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view taken generally along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1  with the front cover and bumper installed; 
         FIG. 3  is a exploded perspective view of the handrail assembly of  FIG. 1  in a disassembled state with a front cover and bumper removed to see underlying parts; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken generally along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3  with the front cover and bumper included; 
         FIG. 5  is an end view taken generally along line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 4 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is an end view taken generally along line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated. 
       FIGS. 1-6  illustrate an embodiment of a handrail assembly  10 . The handrail assembly  10  includes an elongated rail member  14 , such as an extrusion, an overlying cover  15  and an impact absorber or bumper  16 . The elongated rail member includes upper and lower hand-gripping profiles  14   a ,  14   b , a prone T-shaped slot  14   c  on a back side and bumper assembly slots  14   d ,  14   e  on a front side. The slots  14   c ,  14   d ,  14   e  are formed in a central body  14   f  between the upper and lower hand-gripping profiles. The assembly  10  also includes a plurality of attachment elements  18  carried by the elongated rail member  14  on the back side thereof, a plurality of standoffs or brackets  20 , and a plurality of pins  28 . Each bracket is attachable at a base end  20   a  to a wall  24  via a threaded fastener  25  through an attachment hole  20   b  in the bracket  20 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the bumper  16  has a generally C-shaped cross-section and edges thereof snap fit into the slots  14   d ,  14   e  to retain the bumper to the rail member  14 . The cover  15  has arcuate portions  15   a ,  15   b  that partially surround the hand-gripping formations  14   a ,  14   b  to snap fit the cover  15  onto the rail member  14 . The bumper and cover can be installed onto the rail member  14  before the rail member  14  is mounted to the installed brackets  20 . 
     The distal end  20   d  of each of said brackets is an open end and partially receives one of said attachment elements  18  within the open end  20   d , and one of said pins  28  penetrates through an intermediate portion  20   c  of the bracket  20  and the attachment element  18  to fix the attachment element  18  to the bracket  20 . 
     The bracket  20  includes a first through hole  20   e  and the attachment element  18  includes a second through hole  18   e , and when the attachment element  18  is inserted sufficiently into the bracket  20 , the first and second through holes  20   e ,  18   e  align and the pin  28  is tightly received within both first and second through holes  20   e ,  18   e.    
     The pin  28  includes an enlarged head  28   a  and an inclined opposite end  28   b . The through hole  20   e  is countersunk to accommodate the head flush with the upper contour of the bracket when installed completely. The inclined end  28   b  is shaped to be flush with the lower contour of the bracket when installed completely. 
     Between the head and the inclined end, on only one side of the pin, is a rib or key  28   c  that tightly fits into a keyway  18   f  in the through hole  18   e  and a keyway  20   f  in the through hole  20   e . This key and keyway ensures that the pin is properly oriented such that the inclined end terminates flush with the lower contour of the bracket. 
     The attachment element  18  includes a substantially cylindrical body  18   b  and a prone T-shaped retaining formation  18   a . The rail member  14  includes the T-shaped slot  14   c  which closely receives the formation  18   a , slid into the slot  14   c  from an open end of the slot  14   c . Once installed into the slot, the retaining element  18  can slide longitudinally along the T-shaped slot  14   c  without being separated from the rail member  14 . 
     Preferably, the bracket  20  has a tubular body with the open end  20   d  defining the beginning of a cylindrical void  20   g  which terminates at an end wall  20   i . The cylindrical void  20   g  is sized to snugly receive the body  18   b  of the element  18 . The hole  20   b  is countersunk into the end wall  20   i  to allow for a fastener head  25   a  to be located below the surface of the end wall  20   i  when the bracket is mounted to the wall  24 . The void  20   g  has a portion of an inside perimeter defined by a flat surface  20   g , and the attachment element body  18   b  has a corresponding flat surface  18   g  to be snugly inserted into the void  20   g  and prevented from rotating therein by the flat surfaces  18   g ,  20   g.    
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the bracket  20  has a surrounding base wall  20   j  at the base end  20   a  that terminates at the end wall  20   i . A vertical rib  20   k  and a horizontal rib  20   l  intersect at a cylindrical boss  20   m  that surrounds the hole  20   b . The base wall  20   j , the ribs  20   k ,  20   l  and the boss  20   m  are formed with the end wall  20   i  and the remainder of the bracket  20 . 
     According to exemplary embodiments of the invention, the rail member  14  can be composed of aluminum  6063 . The bracket  20  can be composed of copolyester or ABS. The pin  28  can be composed of copolyester or ABS. The retaining element  18  can be composed of ABS. The cover  15  can be composed of copolyester or PVC and the bumper  16  can be composed of copolyester or PVC. Other materials of construction of these parts are also encompassed by the invention. 
     The invention provides a method of attaching a handrail to a wall comprising the steps of: 
     mounting brackets  20  onto a wall  24 , the brackets  20  spaced apart horizontally; 
     providing that a rail member  14  has a connecting slot  14   c  that slidably receives attachment elements  18  along the slot  14   c , the slot  14   c  configured to prevent separation of the attachment elements  18  from the rail member  14 ; 
     positioning the attaching elements  18  along the slot  14   c  to register with each of the brackets  20  mounted on the wall; 
     inserting each of the attaching elements  18  into a corresponding bracket  20 ; 
     installing through pins  28  which lock each attaching element  18  to the corresponding bracket  20 . 
     The invention also provide a bracket system that is applicable to other articles to be mounted, wherein the bracket system includes a bracket mountable to a surface, such as a wall, and an attachment element that is carried by the article to be mounted. The attachment element is attachable to the bracket by use of a pin that penetrates through the bracket and the attachment element. Preferably, the attachment element is slidable along the article, particularly when the article is long and multiple brackets are used for mounting the article to the surface. Preferably, the attachment element is inserted into a tubular open end of the bracket and the pin penetrates through both the attachment element and the bracket to fix the attachment element to the bracket. Preferably, the attachment element includes a T-shaped formation that fits into a T-shaped slot along a backside of the article to be mounted. 
     From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. 
     All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein, to the extent that the references are not inconsistent with the present disclosure.