[0001] The invention relates to a lavatory arm support and 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.
[0002] Nowadays certain lavatories are required to be equiped in a way fascilitating use
by physically afflicted persons, which means that an arm support is 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 muscullar strength.
[0003] It is the purpose of the present invention to eliminate the ahove-mentioned disadvantages
in connection with lavatory arm supports, the invention providina 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 also by persons of reduced muscular
strength.
[0004] The specific characteristic features of inn appear from the claims.
[0005] 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.
[0006] 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 the attachment
10 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
center support for a toilet-paper roll to be supported in toilet-paper holder 7. At
its free end tube 4 is terminated by a terminal socket 9.
[0007] The 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 constituting the arm support 1 is pivotally supported
as at 20. In the lowered position the arm support abuts against 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.
[0008] 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
structure 15. Stud 22 at its opposite end is attached to a 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 latch towards latching position.
[0009] In the drawings the preferred embodiment is shown in the lower position. To raise
the device to the substantially vertical position (in which the arm support is moved
apart 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 bewelled
edge surface) to be retained there under the action of spring 21 (cp. 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 gripping portion 5 to
release latching device 14, 13 from the latched state enabling the arm support to
be easily lowered.
[0010] The wide and soft support surface 3 forms a comfortable support surface for the user,
the gripping handle 5 forms a steady 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 acess to the toilet-paper and due to the steady construction
the invention provides a reliable arm support satisfying the above- mentioned purposes
of the invention.
[0011] The expert on the field will realize that the invention can be modified and varied
within the frame of the attached claims broadly defining the invention.
Arm support adapted to be stationarily mounted on a wall or the like adjacent a lavatory
and comprising 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, characterized
by a latching structure comprising latching recesses (13) in the wall attachment (12)
and shiftable latches (14) movably mounted at the upper arm portion (2) of the arm
support (1), a return spring (21) urging the latches (14) towards 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.
