Folding handrail for bathroom

Abstract

To provide a handrail for bathrooms even when a curvature degree of a tub wall changes variedly, allowing a person to reliably firmly attach front / rear clamp tools constituting a clamp structure along a curved surface of the tub wall.SOLUTION: A handrail for bathrooms comprises a clamp structure including a front clamp tool 26 for clamping a tub wall 2 to a handrail base 3, a clamping arm 27, a rear clamp tool 28 and an adjusting structure for adjusting a clamp interval between both clamp tools 26 and 28. The rear clamp tool 28 includes a clamping plate 56 supported tiltably in all directions with respect to the clamping arm 27. The front clamp tool 26 includes a base frame 29 fixed to a base body 7, a plurality of front support structures 34 provided on the base frame 29, and a clamping block 30 coming into contact with a front face 2a of the tub wall 2, being tiltable in all directions with respect to the base frame 29 via the front support structures 34 and supported longitudinally-slidably with respect to the base frame 29 via the front support structures 34.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bathroom handrail that is attached to the tub wall on the washing area side of a bathtub. [Background technology]

[0002] The present applicant has previously proposed this type of handrail (Patent Document 1). The handrail of Patent Document 1 is composed of a handrail base attached to a tub wall facing the washing area, a handrail body supported by the handrail base, and a leg column that contacts the floor surface of the washing area. The handrail base is provided with a clamp structure for fixing the handrail base to the tub wall, and this clamp structure includes a pair of left and right fixed clamp bodies fixed to the base body and contacting the outer surface of the tub wall, a clamp arm supported by the base body so as to be freely movable forward and backward, a pair of left and right movable clamp bodies supported by the clamp arms and contacting the inner surface of the tub wall, and an adjustment structure for moving the clamp arms forward and backward. The joint surface of the fixed clamp body is formed of a curved surface that curves outward toward the outer surface of the tub wall. In addition, the movable clamp body is supported by a universal joint provided on the clamp arm so as to be tiltable forward and backward and left and right.

[0003] When the bathroom handrail of Patent Document 1 is attached to a tub wall, the joint surfaces of the pair of left and right fixed clamp bodies are received at two points on the left and right of the outer surface of the tub wall. Also, the joint surfaces of the pair of movable clamp bodies, which can tilt in different directions, are received at two points on the inner surface of the curved tub wall. Therefore, not only when the tub wall is flat, but also when the tub wall is curved to either the inward or outward direction, the handrail base can be stably attached to the tub wall. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6868672 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, the exterior appearance of bathtubs has tended to emphasize design, such as a shape with multiple curved surfaces that are irregularly continuous. Therefore, even with the bathroom handrail of Patent Document 1, depending on the degree of curvature of the tub wall, the handrail base may not be stably and firmly fixed to the tub wall. This is because, while a movable clamp body with a large degree of freedom can easily follow the changes in the curved surface of the tub wall and bring the joint surface of the clamp body into close contact with the curved surface of the tub wall, a fixed clamp body with no degree of freedom can easily reduce the contact area of ​​the joint surface with the tub wall, such that only two points of the joint surface that are curved outwardly come into contact with the curved surface of the tub wall, and as a result, the fixed clamp body shifts and the handrail cannot be firmly fixed to the tub wall.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a bathroom handrail equipped with a clamp structure that clamps the tub wall of a bathtub from the front and back, which can reliably bring the front and rear clamping devices that make up the clamp structure into close contact with the curved surface of the tub wall even when the degree of curvature of the tub wall varies widely, and can be firmly fixed to the tub wall in a stable manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The bathroom handrail of the present invention comprises a handrail base 3 fixed to a tub wall 2 facing the washing area of ​​a bathtub 1, and a handrail support post 4 attached to the handrail base 3 and supported on the floor of the washing area. The handrail base 3 comprises a base body 7 that holds and fixes the handrail support post 4, and a clamp structure provided on the base body 7 to clamp the tub wall 2 from the front and rear. The clamp structure comprises a front clamp device 26 provided on the base body 7 and abutting the front surface 2a of the tub wall 2, a clamping arm 27 supported on the base body 7 so as to be able to move forward and backward in the front-rear direction while straddling the tub wall 2, a rear clamp device 28 supported by the clamping arm 27 and abutting the rear surface 2b of the tub wall 2, and an adjustment structure that adjusts the clamping distance between the clamp devices 26 and 28 by moving the clamping arm 27 back and forth relative to the base body 7. The rear clamp 28 comprises a plurality of rear support structures 52 provided at the rear of the clamp arm 27, and a clamp plate 56 that abuts against the rear surface 2b of the tab wall 2 and is supported so as to be tiltable in all directions relative to the clamp arm 27 via each rear support structure 52. The front clamp 26 is characterized by comprising a base frame 29 fixed to the base body 7, a plurality of front support structures 34 provided on the base frame 29, and a clamp block 30 that abuts against the front surface 2a of the tab wall 2 and is supported so as to be tiltable in all directions relative to the base frame 29 via each front support structure 34 and to be slidable in the front-rear direction relative to the base frame 29 via each front support structure 34.

[0008] The front support structure 34 includes a shaft 37 provided on either the base frame 29 or the clamping block 30, a hole 40 provided on the other of the base frame 29 and the clamping block 30 to allow the shaft 37 to be inserted, a clamping spring 43 that urges the clamping block 30 to move rearward, and a stopper 44 that prevents the shaft 37 from falling out of the hole 40. The shaft 37 is guided and supported by the hole 40, allowing the clamping block 30 to slide forward and backward relative to the base frame 29, and the shaft 37 is tilted relative to the hole 40, allowing the clamping block 30 to tilt in all directions relative to the base frame 29.

[0009] An indicator 46 is provided on either the base frame 29 or the clamping block 30 to indicate whether the clamping force of the front and rear clamping devices 26, 28 against the tab wall 2 is appropriate.

[0010] The base frame 29 includes a pedestal portion 31 connected to the base body 7, and a block receiving frame 32 that protrudes from the pedestal portion 31 and opens backward, and a hole portion 40 is formed in a pedestal wall 39 facing the inner surface of the block receiving frame 32. The clamping block 30 includes a block base 36 that opens forward, a shaft portion 37 that protrudes forward from the inner surface of the block base 36, and a joint mat 38 made of an elastic material that is fixed to the rear of the block base 36. The clamping block 30 is assembled to the base frame 29 with the block base 36 overlapping the outer periphery of the block receiving frame 32. An indicator 46 is formed on the outer periphery of the block receiving frame 32, and a clamping spring 43 is arranged around the shaft portion 37.

[0011] Four clamping blocks 30 are provided on the base frame 29 .

[0012] Grooves 41 are engraved in a lattice pattern on the joint surface of the joint mat 38. The joint surface is composed of a group of divided joint surfaces 42 partitioned by the grooves 41. Effect of the Invention

[0013] In the bathroom handrail of the present invention, rear clamp device 28 comprises a plurality of rear support structures 52 provided at the rear of clamp arm 27, and a clamping plate 56 that abuts against rear surface 2b of tub wall 2 and is supported so as to be tiltable in all directions relative to clamping arm 27 via each rear support structure 52. Front clamp device 26 comprises a base frame 29 fixed to base body 7, a plurality of front support structures 34 provided on base frame 29, and a clamping block 30 that abuts against front surface 2a of tub wall 2 and is supported so as to be tiltable in all directions relative to base frame 29 via each front support structure 34 and to be slidable in the front-rear direction relative to base frame 29 via each front support structure 34. With this bathroom handrail, even if the degree of curvature of the tub wall 2 varies widely, the clamping plate 56 of the rear clamp device 28 and each of the clamping blocks 30 of the front clamp device 26 can be tilted to fit along the curved surface of the tub wall 2 and brought into close contact, allowing the handrail base 3 to be fixed more stably and firmly to the tub wall 2 than with conventional bathroom handrails. In particular, the multiple clamping blocks 30 of the front clamp device 26 can be curved to fit along the curved surface of the front surface 2a of the tub wall 2 and brought into close contact, allowing the handrail base 3 to be fixed more stably and firmly to the tub wall 2 than with conventional bathroom handrails.

[0014] The front support structure 34 includes an axis 37 provided on either the base frame 29 or the clamping block 30, a hole 40 provided on the other of the base frame 29 and the clamping block 30 to allow the axis 37 to be inserted, a clamping spring 43 that urges the clamping block 30 to move rearward, and a stopper 44 that holds the axis 37 in the hole 40 so as to prevent it from coming out. The axis 37 is guided and supported by the hole 40, so that the clamping block 30 can slide forward and backward relative to the base frame 29, and the axis 37 tilts relative to the hole 40, so that the clamping block 30 can tilt in all directions relative to the base frame 29. With the above-mentioned configuration, the clamping block 30 can be supported so as to be tiltable in all directions relative to the base frame 29 and to be slidable in the forward and backward directions relative to the base frame 29. Therefore, each of the multiple clamping blocks 30 of the front clamp device 26 can be curved to fit the curved surface of the front surface 2a of the tub wall 2 and made to adhere closely to the surface, so that the handrail base 3 can be fixed firmly to the tub wall 2 in a stable state compared to conventional bathroom handrails.

[0015] An indicator 46 can be provided on either the base frame 29 or the clamping block 30 to indicate whether the clamping force of the front and rear clamping tools 26, 28 against the tab wall 2 is appropriate. With this, the visible state of the indicator 46 changes according to the relative movement of the base frame 29 and the clamping block 30 when the front and rear clamping tools 26, 28 are tightened. Therefore, by tightening the clamping tools 26, 28 with an adjustable structure while checking the visible state of the indicator 46, the handrail base 3 can be fastened and fixed to the tab wall 2 with the appropriate tightening force, neither too much nor too little.

[0016] The base frame 29 has a base portion 31 connected to the base main body 7, and a block receiving frame 32 that protrudes from the base portion 31 and opens rearward, and a hole portion 40 is formed in a base wall 39 facing the inner surface of the block receiving frame 32. The clamping block 30 has a block base 36 that opens forward, an axis portion 37 that protrudes forward from the inner surface of the block base 36, and a joining mat 38 made of an elastic material that is fixed to the rear of the block base 36. The clamping block 30 is assembled to the base frame 29 with the block base 36 overlapping the outer periphery of the block receiving frame 32, and a display body 46 is formed on the outer periphery of the block receiving frame 32 and a clamping spring 43 is arranged around the axis portion 37. When the indicator 46 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the block receiving frame 32 in this way, the handrail base 3 can be fastened to the tub wall 2 with just the right amount of fastening force by tightening the front and rear clamping devices 26, 28 with the adjustment structure while making sure that the entire indicator 46 is covered by the block base 36. This prevents the handrail base 3 from slipping along the tub wall 2 due to insufficient fastening force of the tub wall 2 by the front and rear clamping devices 26, 28, and prevents the tub wall 2 from being damaged due to excessive fastening force of the front and rear clamping devices 26, 28.

[0017] By providing four clamping blocks 30 on the base frame 29, each of the four clamping blocks 30 can be tilted along the curved surface of the tub wall 2 to make close contact with it, so that the front clamp 26 can be made to be in close contact with the tub wall 2 in a more stable state, and the handrail base 3 can be more firmly fixed to the tub wall 2.

[0018] Since grooves 41 are engraved in a lattice pattern on the joining surface of the joining mat 38 and the joining surface is composed of a group of divided joining surfaces 42 partitioned by the grooves 41, each divided joining surface 42 can be elastically deformed independently, so that the joining mat 38 can be more reliably attached along the curved surface of the front surface 2a of the tab wall 2. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of the front clamp device that constitutes the bathroom handrail in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a bathtub and handrail, showing an example of how the handrail can be used in a bathroom. [Diagram 3] This is a side view of a bathroom handrail. [Figure 4] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 6. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 5. [Figure 9] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE in FIG. [Figure 10] This is an exploded oblique view showing the support structure of the rear clamp device that constitutes the bathroom handrail. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a fixing structure of the clamping arm. [Figure 12] 4 is a partially cutaway plan view showing the relative structure between a base frame and a clamping block. FIG. [Figure 13] A side view showing a bathroom handrail according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] A cross-sectional view of the main parts of a bathroom handrail relating to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] (First embodiment) Figures 1 to 12 show a first embodiment of the bathroom handrail according to the present invention. In the present invention, front, back, left, right, and up and down refer to the arrows shown in Figures 2, 3, and 6 and the indications of front, back, left, right, and up and down written near each arrow. In Figure 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a bathtub, reference numeral 2 denotes a tub wall facing the washing area, and a bathroom handrail is installed on the tub wall 2. Note that Figure 2 shows the case where the handrail is installed in the center of the tub wall 2, but it can also be installed near the corner of the tub wall 2 as shown by the two-dot chain line. The bathroom handrail is composed of a handrail base 3 fixed to the tub wall 2, a handrail support post 4 assembled to the handrail base 3 and supported by the floor surface of the washing area, and an upper frame 5 installed between the ceiling of the washing area and the handrail support post 4.

[0021] In Figure 4, the handrail base 3 is composed of a base body 7 that holds and secures the handrail support 4, a clamp structure provided on the base body 7 that clamps the tab wall 2 from the front and rear, a front upper block 8 and a rear upper block 9 that are fixed to the front and rear upper surfaces of the base body 7, a rear lower block 10 that is fixed to the rear lower surface of the base body 7, a body cover 12 that covers these components from the underside, and a lid cover 13 that covers the top surface of the base body 7.

[0022] The front upper block 8 and the rear upper block 9 are provided to fasten the main body cover 12, the rear lower block 10, and a front clamp 26 (described later) to the base main body 7, and each block 8, 9 is provided with nuts 15 corresponding to three bolts (hexagon socket head bolts) 14 inserted from the underside of the main body cover 12 and the rear lower block 10 (see FIG. 4). A cushioning material 16 that is received by the upper surface of the tab wall 2 is fixed to the underside of the rear lower block 10. The base main body 7, the front and rear upper blocks 8, 9, the rear lower block 10, the main body cover 12, and the lid cover 13 are all made of plastic molded products. As shown in FIG. 5, arm through holes 11 that support the front and rear mid-portions of the clamping arms 27 (described later) are provided on the left and right of the rear end surface of the rear lower block 10.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 7, a boss 18 for assembling the handrail post 4 is formed near the center of the base body 7, and a post hole 19 is formed in the center of the boss 18, penetrating vertically. In addition, a guide groove 20 with a convex cross section that supports an adjustment structure described later is formed on the left and right sides of the boss 18 (see Fig. 8), and a front frame 21 and a rear frame 22 are formed to protrude from the front and rear of the boss 18, and the front and rear upper blocks 8 and 9 and the rear lower block 10 are fastened to the top and bottom surfaces of these two frames 21 and 22. A connecting hole 23 for assembling the tube wall 13a of the lid cover 13 is formed in the upper part of the boss 18 (see Fig. 4). A connecting recess 24 for assembling a front clamp 26 described later is formed in the front part of the lower surface of the rear frame 22.

[0024] The clamping structure of the handrail base 3 comprises a front clamping device 26 that is provided on the base body 7 and abuts the front surface 2a of the tab wall 2, a clamping arm 27 that is supported by the base body 7 in a state spanning the tab wall 2 from front to back, a rear clamping device 28 that is supported by the clamping arm 27 and abuts the rear surface 2b of the tab wall 2, and an adjustment structure that adjusts the clamping distance between the two clamping devices 26, 28 by operating the clamping arm 27 back and forth relative to the base body 7.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the front clamp 26 includes a base frame 29 fixed to the base body 7, and four clamping blocks 30 supported by the base frame 29 via a front support structure 34 and in contact with the front surface 2a of the tub wall 2. The base frame 29 is a plastic molded product that is integrally provided with a base portion 31 connected to the base body 7, a square-frame-shaped block receiving frame 32 that protrudes from four locations on the rear surface of the base portion 31 and opens backward, and a fastening seat 33 that protrudes from the center of the front surface of the base portion 31. The clamping block 30 is a plastic molded product that includes a square-frame-shaped block base 36 that opens forward, and a shaft portion 37 that protrudes forward from the inner surface of the block base 36, and a joining mat 38 made of an elastic material is fixed to the rear of the block base 36. The base frame 29 is fixed to the base body 7 with the bolts 14 with the fastening seat 33 connected to the connecting recess 24 of the base body 7 (see FIG. 4). The block base 36 is formed to be slightly larger than the block receiving frame 32 , and when the clamping block 30 is attached to the base frame 29 , the block base 36 overlaps the outer periphery of the block receiving frame 32 .

[0026] The front support structure 34 is composed of an axis 37 provided on the clamping block 30, a hole 40 provided in the base frame 29, a clamping spring 43 for biasing the clamping block 30 to move backward, and a stopper 44 for holding the axis 37 in the hole 40. More specifically, the base frame 29 and the clamping block 30 are connected via the axis 37 provided on the clamping block 30 and the hole 40 provided in the base frame 29, and the axis 37 is guided and supported by the hole 40, so that the clamping block 30 can slide back and forth relative to the base frame 29. The hole 40 is formed in the base wall 39 facing the inner surface of the block receiving frame 32 (see FIG. 12). As shown in FIG. 4, the joint mat 38 is formed in a square shape, and the joint surface has deformation promotion grooves (grooves) 41 formed in a lattice pattern, and the joint surface is composed of a group of divided joint surfaces 42 partitioned by the deformation promotion grooves 41.

[0027] In order to bring each clamping block 30 into close contact with the curved front surface 2a of the tub wall 2, increase the contact area between the joint mat 38 and the front surface 2a, and stably and firmly fix the handrail base 3 to the tub wall 2, each clamping block 30 is supported by the base frame 29 so as to be tiltable in all directions. In more detail, assuming a central axis P of each hole 40 as shown in FIG. 12, the shaft portion 37 is supported by each hole 40 so as to be tiltable in all directions around the central axis P, and further, the diameter of the shaft portion 37 is set larger than the diameter of the hole 40, so that each clamping block 30 is supported by the base frame 29 so as to be tiltable in all directions. Naturally, the diameter of the hole 40 is set larger than the diameter of the shaft portion 37, so that each clamping block 30 can be tilted within the range of the difference between the diameters of the two to bring the joint mat 38 into close contact along the curved surface of the tub wall 2. In this way, if each clamping block 30 is supported tiltably relative to the base frame 29, even if the degree of curvature of the tub wall 2 varies widely, each clamping block 30 can be tilted along the curved surface of the tub wall 2 to make close contact as shown in Fig. 1, so that the handrail base 3 can be fixed more stably and firmly to the tub wall 2 than with conventional bathroom handrails. Also, as explained above, if the joint surface of the joining mat 38 is composed of a group of divided joint surfaces 42, each divided joint surface 42 can be elastically deformed independently, so that the joining mat 38 can be more reliably fitted along the curved surface of the front surface 2a of the tub wall 2.

[0028] As described above, in a handrail in which the handrail base 3 is clamped and fixed to the tab wall 2 by the front and rear clamps 26 and 28, it is sometimes impossible to fasten the handrail base 3 to the tab wall 2 with the correct tightening force, without being excessive or insufficient. In order to eliminate such problems and always fasten the handrail base 3 to the tab wall 2 with the correct tightening force, a clamping spring 43 that urges the clamping block 30 to move in a direction away from the base frame 29 and a stopper 44 that holds the shaft 37 in the hole 40 are provided between the base frame 29 and the clamping block 30. The stopper 44 is fixed with a screw 45 screwed into the shaft 37. The clamping spring 43 is disposed around the shaft 37 between the base frame 29 and the clamping block 30. Indicators 46 that indicate whether the clamping force of the front and rear clamps 26 and 28 against the tab wall 2 is appropriate are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the block receiving frame 32 located on both the left and right sides of the base frame 29. The indicator 46 is formed by attaching a plastic sheet of a conspicuous color such as red or orange to the outer peripheral surface of the block receiving frame 32.

[0029] As described above, when the clamping block 30 is biased to move by the clamping spring 43, the spring force of the clamping spring 43 gradually increases in proportion to the clamping force acting on the tab wall 2, even if the front and rear thicknesses of the tab wall 2 are different. Also, the indicator 46 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the block receiving frame 32 is gradually covered by the block base 36 and becomes difficult to see as the clamping spring 43 is compressed and deformed. Therefore, by adjusting the spring force of the clamping spring 43 so that the entire indicator 46 is covered by the block base 36 when an appropriate clamping force is applied to the tab wall 2, the handrail base 3 can be fastened and fixed to the tab wall 2 with just the right amount of tightening force, neither too much nor too little. In other words, the indicator 46 is gradually covered by the block base 36 and its visibility changes in accordance with the relative movement of the base frame 29 and the clamping block 30 when the front and rear clamping devices 26, 28 are tightened with the adjustment structure, so that by tightening both clamping devices 26, 28 with the adjustment structure until the indicator 46 is covered by the block base 36 and cannot be seen, the tightening force of the clamping structure attached to the tab wall 2 can always be optimized. In this way, by tightening both clamping devices 26, 28 with the adjustment structure while checking the visibility of the indicator 46, the tightening operation of the adjustment structure can be stopped when the visibility of the indicator 46 reaches a specified state, and the handrail base 3 can be fastened and fixed to the tab wall 2 with an appropriate tightening force, neither too much nor too little.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 5, the clamping arm 27 is formed by applying a plastic coating to a recumbent L-shaped press fitting, and the front end of the horizontal arm is fastened to a metal arm connection frame 49 by two screws 48. The arm connection frame 49 is fastened to the upper surface of a slide block 50 of an adjustment structure described later by two screws 51. A clamping plate 56 constituting the rear clamping device 28 is supported by a cross-shaped universal joint (rear support structure) 52 at the lower front surface of the vertical arm of the clamping arm 27. In detail, as shown in FIG. 10, a pair of left and right brackets 53 provided on the vertical arm of the clamping arm 27 support the left and right shafts of the universal joint 52, and a pair of upper and lower brackets 54 provided on the rear surface of the clamping plate 56 constituting the rear clamping device 28 support the up and down shafts of the universal joint 52. In this way, by supporting the clamping plate 56 of the rear clamping device 28 by the universal joint 52, the clamping plate 56 can be tilted left and right and forward and backward according to the curvature and inclination of the rear surface of the tab wall 2. In this embodiment, the clamping plate 56 can be tilted left and right by 10 degrees each when viewed from the top, and can be tilted forward by 15.5 degrees and backward by 9.5 degrees when viewed from the side. The joint surface 55 of the clamping plate 56 is formed of a cushioning material such as rubber.

[0031] The adjustment structure includes a metal slide block 50 with a convex cross section, which is guided and supported by a guide groove 20 provided in the base body 7 so as to be slidable forward and backward, and an adjustment bolt 58 which is screwed into the slide block 50 to move the block 50 forward and backward. As shown in FIG. 5, the operation head of the adjustment bolt 58 is supported by the front wall of the guide groove 20, and the screw shaft is screwed into a screw hole 59 of the slide block 50 so as to penetrate forward and backward. The operation head of the adjustment bolt 58 is covered by the front upper block 8 which is assembled to the base body 7, and wrench holes 60 for screwing and operating the adjustment bolt 58 are formed on the left and right sides of the front upper block 8 (see FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 11, four screw holes 61 are formed at a fixed pitch in the arm connecting frame 49, and the clamping interval between the front clamp 26 and the rear clamp 28 can be adjusted by changing the fastening position of the clamping arm 27 relative to the arm connecting frame 49.

[0032] The handrail post 4 is formed by coating a round metal pipe with resin, and a floor-contacting cap 62 is fixed to its lower end. The upper frame 5 is made of a round metal pipe with a smaller diameter than the handrail post 4, and a ceiling presser 63 is attached to its upper end. The lower part of the upper frame 5 is housed inside the handrail post 4 and is fixed by a lock handle 64 attached to the top of the handrail post 4. When the lock handle 64 is swung from the state shown in Figure 3 to a horizontal position around the upper handle shaft 65, the upper frame 5 can be moved up and down relative to the handrail post 4.

[0033] In order to support the handrail post 4 on the handrail base 3 so that its vertical position can be adjusted, as shown in Fig. 7, a semicircular holding seat 67 is provided below the post hole 19 of the base body 7, and a holding block 69 equipped with a semicircular holding seat 68 is disposed facing the rear of the holding seat 67, so that the handrail post 4 can be clamped and fixed between the two holding seats 67, 68. The two holding seats 67, 68 are positioned by positioning shafts 70 provided on the left and right of the holding block 69 and positioning holes 71 provided on the left and right of the base body 7, and are fastened and fixed by bolts 72 provided on the left and right of the base body 7 and nuts 73 provided on the left and right of the holding block 69. In Fig. 7, reference numeral 74 denotes a restricting cap that prevents the bolt 72 from loosening unnecessarily.

[0034] In the bathroom handrail constructed as above, the handrail base 3 is temporarily assembled to the tub wall 2, the handrail post 4 is adjusted in height, and the bolt 72 is tightened to fix the handrail post 4 with the holding seats 67 and 68. Next, the adjustment bolt 58 is tightened to bring the rear clamp 28 into close contact with the rear surface 2b of the tub wall 2, and the tub wall 2 is clamped by the pair of front and rear clamps 26 and 28. Finally, the upper frame 5 is locked by swinging the lock handle 64 to the position shown in FIG. 3 while the ceiling pressing body 63 of the upper frame 5, which has been temporarily assembled to the handrail post 4, is pressed against the ceiling wall. In this way, in the handrail of this embodiment, the handrail base 3, the handrail post 4, and the upper frame 5 are fixed and supported by the tub wall 2, the floor, and the ceiling, so that the handrail post 4 and the upper frame 5 can be firmly fixed in a stable state. Therefore, the user can safely move between the washing area and the bathtub 1 while holding onto the handrail post 4, and can also safely change posture while holding onto the handrail post 4.

[0035] As described above, in the handrail of this embodiment, the base frame 29 includes the base portion 31 connected to the base body 7, and the block receiving frame 32 that protrudes from the base portion 31 and opens backward, and a hole 40 is formed in the base wall 39 facing the inner surface of the block receiving frame 32. The clamping block 30 includes the block base 36 that opens forward, the shaft portion 37 that protrudes forward from the inner surface of the block base 36, and the elastic joint mat 38 that is fixed to the rear of the block base 36. Furthermore, the clamping block 30 is assembled to the base frame 29 with the block base 36 overlapping the outer periphery of the block receiving frame 32. Then, the indicator 46 is formed on the outer periphery of the block receiving frame 32, and the clamping spring 43 is arranged around the shaft portion 37. With this clamp structure, the handrail base 3 can be fastened to the tub wall 2 with just the right amount of tightening force by tightening the front and rear clamping devices 26, 28 with the adjustment structure while making sure that the entire display body 46 is covered by the block base 36. This prevents the handrail base 3 from slipping along the tub wall 2 due to insufficient tightening force of the front and rear clamping devices 26, 28, and prevents the tab wall 2 from being damaged due to excessive tightening force of the front and rear clamping devices 26, 28.

[0036] In addition, in this handrail, four clamping blocks 30 are provided on the base frame 29, so these four clamping blocks 30 can be tilted at four points along the curved surface of the tub wall 2 to make close contact. Therefore, the front clamp 26 can be brought into close contact with the tub wall 2 in a more stable state, and the handrail base 3 can be fixed to the tub wall 2 more firmly.

[0037] (Second embodiment) FIG. 13 shows a second embodiment of the bathroom handrail according to the present invention. The handrail of this embodiment is significantly different from the handrail of the first embodiment in that a handrail frame 77 is attached to the upper part of the handrail support 4. The handrail support 4 is composed of an upper support 78 that is held and fixed by the base body 7 of the handrail base 3, and a lower support 79 that is housed and connected inside the upper support 78, and the height of the floor cap 62 can be adjusted by rotating the lower support 79. The handrail frame 77 is formed in a racetrack shape in a plan view with a pair of long sides and a curved part that continues to the end of the long sides, and a connecting part 80 provided on the underside of the middle part of each long side is connected to a bracket 81 fixed to the upper part of the upper support 78 via a connecting shaft 82 and a bolt 83. In the handrail configured in this way, the handrail frame 77 can be rotated and displaced around the central axis of the handrail support 4, and the handrail frame 77 can also be rotated and displaced around the central axis of the bolt 83. Since the rest of the handrail is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same components are given the same reference numerals and their explanation is omitted.

[0038] As described above, with a bathtub-type handrail in which a handrail frame 77 is attached to the top of the handrail support 4, compared to a pillar-type handrail in which an upper frame body 5 is provided on the top of the handrail support 4, the ceiling presser 63 and lock handle 64 can be omitted, thereby simplifying the overall structure of the handrail and reducing costs.

[0039] (Third embodiment) Figure 14 shows a third embodiment of the bathroom handrail of the present invention. In this third embodiment, the shape of the hole 40 is different from that of the first embodiment. That is, in the first embodiment, the hole 40 formed in the base frame 29 is formed as a generally straight hole, but this is not necessary, and the cross section of the hole 40 may be formed in a hyperbola shape consisting of an arc surface, as shown in Figure 14(a). Also, as shown in Figure 14(b), the cross section of the hole 40 may be formed in a hyperbola shape consisting of a tapered surface. When the hole 40 is formed in a hyperbola shape in this way, there is no need to increase the diameter difference between the shaft 37 and the hole 40, and the shaft 37 can be tilted relative to the hole 40.

[0040] In addition to the above, the base frame 29 may be provided with a shaft portion 37, and the clamping block 30 may be provided with a hole portion 40. The clamping block 30 can be assembled to the base frame 29 with the block base 36 overlapping the inner periphery of the block receiving frame 32, and in this case the indicator 46 can be provided on the outer periphery of the block base 36. It is preferable to provide four clamping blocks 30 in order to bring the front clamp 26 into close contact with the tab wall 2 in a stable state, but it is sufficient to provide at least three. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1. Bathtub 2. Tab Wall 2a front 2b Rear 3 Handrail base 4 Handrail Post 7 Base body 26 Front clamp 27 Clamping arm 28 Rear clamp 29 Base Frame 30 Clamping block 34 Front support structure 37 Shaft 40 Hole 42 Segmented joint surface 43 Clamp spring 44 Stopper 52 Rear support structure (universal joint) 56 Clamping plate

Claims

1. The bathtub (1) includes a handrail base (3) fixed to a tub wall (2) facing the washing area of ​​the bathtub (1), and a handrail post (4) assembled to the handrail base (3) and supported on the floor surface of the washing area, The handrail base (3) includes a base body (7) that holds and fixes the handrail support (4), and a clamp structure that is provided on the base body (7) and clamps the tab wall (2) from the front and rear. The clamp structure includes a front clamp device (26) provided on the base body (7) and abutting against the front surface (2a) of the tab wall (2), a clamping arm (27) supported on the base body (7) so as to be movable forward and backward in the front-rear direction while straddling the tab wall (2), a rear clamp device (28) supported by the clamping arm (27) and abutting against the rear surface (2b) of the tab wall (2), and an adjustment structure for adjusting the clamping distance between the two clamp devices (26, 28) by operating the clamping arm (27) forward and backward relative to the base body (7), The rear clamping device (28) includes a plurality of rear support structures (52) provided at the rear of the clamping arm (27), and a clamping plate (56) that contacts the rear surface (2b) of the tub wall (2) and is supported via each rear support structure (52) so as to be tiltable in all directions relative to the clamping arm (27); The front clamp device (26) comprises a base frame (29) fixed to the base body (7), a plurality of front support structures (34) provided on the base frame (29), and a clamping block (30) that abuts against the front surface (2a) of the tub wall (2) and is supported so as to be tiltable in all directions relative to the base frame (29) via each of the front support structures (34) and to be slidable in the front-rear direction relative to the base frame (29) via each of the front support structures (34); This bathroom handrail is characterized in that an indicator (46) is provided on either the base frame (29) or the clamping block (30) to indicate whether the clamping force of the front and rear clamping devices (26, 28) against the tub wall (2) is appropriate.

2. The front support structure (34) includes a shaft portion (37) provided on either the base frame (29) or the clamping block (30), a hole portion (40) provided on the other of the base frame (29) or the clamping block (30) to allow insertion of the shaft portion (37), a clamping spring (43) that biases the clamping block (30) backward, and a stopper (44) that holds the shaft portion (37) in place against the hole portion (40); The shaft portion (37) is guided and supported in the hole portion (40), so that the clamping block (30) can slide back and forth relative to the base frame (29); 2. The bathroom handrail according to claim 1, wherein the shaft portion (37) is configured to tilt relative to the hole portion (40), so that the clamping block (30) can tilt in all directions relative to the base frame (29).

3. The base frame (29) comprises a pedestal portion (31) connected to the base body (7) and a block receiving frame (32) protruding from the pedestal portion (31) and opening rearward, and a hole portion (40) is formed in a pedestal wall (39) facing the inner surface of the block receiving frame (32), The clamping block (30) includes a block base (36) that opens forward, a shaft portion (37) that protrudes forward from the inner surface of the block base (36), and a joint mat (38) made of an elastic material that is fixed to the rear part of the block base (36). The clamping block (30) is assembled to the base frame (29) in a state in which the block base (36) overlaps the outer periphery of the block receiving frame (32), 3. A bathroom handrail as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the indicator (46) is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the block receiving frame (32), and the clamping spring (43) is arranged around the shaft portion (37).

4. A bathroom handrail as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein four clamping blocks (30) are provided on a base frame (29).

5. A groove (41) is engraved in a lattice pattern on the joining surface of the joining mat (38), 4. The bathroom handrail according to claim 3, wherein the joint surface is composed of a group of divided joint surfaces (42) partitioned by grooves (41).

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