handrail

Abstract

To provide a handrail that prevents infants and children from climbing over a handrail and falling outdoors.SOLUTION: A handrail includes a front wall portion 21 arranged toward an indoor side. The front wall portion 21 has an inclined surface sloping downward toward the indoor side from its upper edge to its lower edge. The inclined surface prevents fingers from getting caught.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a handrail, and particularly to a handrail for preventing infants and children from climbing over the handrail installed on a balcony or a veranda of a building and falling outdoors.

Background Art

[0002] Handrails are installed on balconies and verandas of buildings to prevent people from falling. However, in recent years, accidents have occurred where infants and children climb over the handrail and fall outdoors. Therefore, in order to prevent such falling accidents, conventionally, as described in Patent Document 1, a fence structure with a protruding portion for preventing climbing has been known.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The fence structure described in Patent Document 1 is configured such that a protruding portion protruding inward from the upper end of a fence post supporting a facing material prevents children from climbing over the facing material. However, the handrail portion provided at the tip of the protruding portion has a structure that allows children to grasp and hang, so there is room for improvement in terms of safety.

[0005] Also, as a problem separate from safety, due to the structure in which the protruding portion protrudes inward, the effective space of a balcony or a veranda is narrowed, and when drying laundry, there is a possibility of interference with the protruding portion when moving the arm up and down, which may also impair the function in daily use. Furthermore, the number of members increases, which may lead to an increase in cost.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and in particular aims to provide a handrail that prevents infants and children from climbing over it and falling outdoors. Furthermore, regarding the installation of handrails, a challenge is to provide handrails that do not impair the everyday functionality of spaces such as balconies and verandas, can be installed as replacements for existing handrails, and can avoid high costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In view of these challenges, one aspect of the present invention comprises the following configuration. Front wall section positioned facing the interior And a rear wall portion positioned facing the outdoors, and an upper wall portion connecting the upper edges of the front wall portion and the rear wall portion, The front wall portion has an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the interior from its upper edge to its lower edge, and this inclined surface prevents fingers from gripping it. The rear wall portion has an upper wall and a lower wall, the upper wall is formed with a downward slope toward the indoor side, and the lower wall is formed with a downward slope toward the outdoor side, and its upper edge is connected to the lower edge of the upper wall, and the dihedral angle formed by the upper wall portion and the upper wall of the rear wall portion is set to an acute angle. A handrail characterized by the following features. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a handrail according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of the handrail viewed from the side. [Figure 3] This is a side view of the main part of the handrail. [Figure 4] This is a side view showing a modified version of the support column used in Figure 2. [Figure 5] Figures 5(a) to 5(e) are side views showing a handrail body according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figures 6(a) and 6(b) are schematic side views showing a handrail according to another modification of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a six-view drawing of a handrail body according to one embodiment of the present invention, using orthographic projection. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a handrail according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the handrail viewed from the side, and Figure 3 shows a side view of the main part of the handrail.

[0010] [Embodiment 1] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a handrail 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention has a handrail body 2 and a base 3, and is installed, for example, on a wall A that rises from the floor surface FL of a veranda or balcony via a plurality of support columns 4, 4. In this embodiment 1, a plurality of support columns 4, 4 are provided on a coping B that is attached and fixed to the upper surface of the wall A, and the handrail 1 is arranged on the upper surface of these support columns 4, 4. The following describes the specific configuration of the handrail body 2 and the base 3.

[0011] (Handrail body) The handrail body 2 is a handrail capping piece installed on the upper end of the support column 4, and as shown in Figure 3, it has a front wall portion 21, a rear wall portion 23, an upper wall portion 22 connecting the upper edges of the front wall portion 21 and the rear wall portion 23, a front engaging portion 24 formed on the lower part of the front wall portion 21, and a rear engaging portion 25 formed on the lower part of the rear wall portion 23. The handrail body 2 is formed as a continuous, straight, and elongated member with a cross-sectional shape (see Figure 3), and is set to the required length as a handrail 1 to correspond to the veranda, balcony, etc. on which it will be installed. The handrail body 2 is formed, for example, by extruding an aluminum alloy, but it can also be integrally molded from other materials such as synthetic resin.

[0012] <Front wall> As shown in Figure 3, the front wall portion 21 has an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the interior from its upper edge to its lower edge, and is positioned so that its surface faces the interior. This inclined surface forms a smooth, continuous plane without any irregularities, and its length in the direction of inclination is longer (larger) than the fingers of infants and children.

[0013] The inclination angle of the front wall portion 21 (the angle formed by the inclined surface of the front wall portion 21 with respect to the horizontal plane) is preferably in the angular range of 25° to 75°, and more preferably in the angular range of 40° to 50°, considering functional surfaces such as suppressing finger catches described later. Note that the inclination angle of the front wall portion 21 is not limited to these angular ranges.

[0014] When an infant or child makes an action such as climbing up by hanging on the handrail 1 or a hanging-down action, the fingers of the infant or child (for example, the four fingers of the index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger) will be placed on the front wall portion 21 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. However, the length in the inclination direction on the inclined surface of the front wall portion 21 is configured to be longer (larger) than the fingers of an infant or child. Further, since the inclination angle of the inclined surface is set in the angular range of 25° to 75°, the fingers placed on the front wall portion 21 will be pulled back indoors (in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 3) along the inclined surface, and it will not be possible to strongly grip the handrail 1. Therefore, the infant or child will leave the hand from the handrail 1 and give up actions such as climbing up or hanging down, and can prevent falling outdoors over the handrail.

[0015] If the inclination angle of the front wall portion 21 is about 25°, a sufficient pulling-back effect indoors along the inclined surface can be expected, and the greater the angle, the greater the effect. However, the greater the inclination angle of the front wall portion 21, the larger the size (height dimension) of the handrail body 2 will be accordingly. Therefore, considering the size and cost aspects, it is preferable to set the inclination angle of the front wall portion 21 to about 75° at most. Also, if the inclination angle of the front wall portion 21 is set in the angular range of 40° to 50°, the height H and width W of the handrail body 2 will have a similar size feeling, and thus the design property of the handrail body 2 can also be improved.

[0016] <Upper wall portion> The upper wall portion 22 connects the upper end edges of the front wall portion 21 and the rear wall portion 23 respectively, and forms the top of the handrail body 2. This upper wall portion 22 forms a flat surface extending substantially horizontally, enhancing the rigidity of the handrail body 2.

[0017] Furthermore, the width of the upper wall portion 22 (width in the left-right direction in Figure 3) is preferably formed to be narrower than the area between the first and second joints of the second finger (index finger) of an infant or child. This width is set, for example, by considering the average finger size of the infant or child to be protected.

[0018] By making the width of the upper wall portion 22 narrow in this way, it is possible to make it more difficult to grip. Even if a toddler or child extends their fingers along the inclined surface of the front wall portion 21 and manages to hook the first joint of their fingers into the dihedral angle formed by the upper surface of the upper wall portion 22 and the inclined surface of the upper side wall 231, the fingers will float and it will be difficult to grip because the upper wall portion 22 is narrow, and even if they try to readjust their grip, their fingers will not be able to get a good hold.

[0019] Furthermore, as will be explained later, since the dihedral angle is set to an acute angle, if a child or infant places their fingers on it and performs actions such as climbing or hanging, a corresponding pressure will be applied to their fingers, causing pain. Therefore, infants and children will be discouraged from letting go of the handrail 1 and attempting to climb or hang from it, thus preventing them from climbing over the handrail and falling outdoors.

[0020] <Back wall> As shown in Figure 3, the rear wall portion 23 has an upper wall 231 formed on its upper side and a lower wall 232 formed on its lower side, with the upper edge of the upper wall 231 connected to the outdoor-side edge of the upper wall portion 22. The surface of the rear wall portion 23 is positioned to face the outdoors. The upper wall 231 is formed as an inclined surface with a downward slope toward the indoor side, and the lower wall 232 is formed as an inclined surface with a downward slope toward the outdoor side. The lower edge of the upper wall 231 and the upper edge of the lower wall 232 are connected.

[0021] Furthermore, the dihedral angle formed by the upper surface of the upper wall portion 22 and the inclined surface of the upper side wall 231 is set to an acute angle. Therefore, even if an infant or child were to place their fingers on the connection point between the upper wall portion 22 and the upper side wall 231 of the handrail body 2 and perform actions such as climbing or hanging, the fingers placed on the connection point would experience a corresponding pressing force, causing pain. Therefore, infants and children will be discouraged from letting go of the handrail 1 and attempting to climb or hang from it, thus preventing them from climbing over the handrail and falling outdoors.

[0022] <Front engagement part, rear engagement part> As shown in Figure 3, a front engaging portion 24 and a rear engaging portion 25 are provided on the lower part of the front wall portion 21 and the lower part of the rear wall portion 23 (lower wall 232) of the handrail body 2, respectively, with a space between them and facing each other. The front engaging portion 24 and the rear engaging portion 25 are formed with protrusions 24a and 25a that engage with the engagement groove 31a of the front engaged portion 31 and the engagement groove 32a of the rear engaged portion 32, respectively, which are formed in the bottom portion 3, which will be described later.

[0023] (bottom) The base portion 3 forms the base of the handrail 1 and is formed to be straight and elongated, similar to the handrail body 2. Front engaged portion 31 and rear engaged portion 32 are formed at both ends of the base portion 3 in the width direction, which engage with the front engaged portion 24 and rear engaged portion 25 of the handrail body 2, respectively. The front engaging portion 31 has an engaging groove 31a that engages with the protrusion 24a of the front engaging portion 24 of the handrail body 2, and the rear engaging portion 32 has an engaging groove 32a that engages with the protrusion 25a of the rear engaging portion 25 of the handrail body 2. Such a bottom portion 3 can be formed, for example, by extruding an aluminum alloy, but it can also be integrally molded from other materials such as synthetic resin.

[0024] Furthermore, a roughly U-shaped groove 33 is bent and formed in the central part of the bottom 3 in the width direction (left-right direction in Figure 3), which is continuous in the longitudinal direction and has a predetermined width, projecting upward. This groove 33 increases the rigidity of the bottom 3 and is also used, for example, for positioning when installing an additional fence (not shown) between the support posts 4.

[0025] Next, the installation configuration of the handrail 1 in the above embodiment will be described. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the handrail 1, which has a handrail body 2 and a base 3, is installed on a coping B fixed to a wall A such as a veranda or balcony via a plurality of support posts 4, 4. The support posts 4 are, for example, elongated bodies formed in the shape of square pipes with a hollow rectangular cross-section, and are provided on the inside along their longitudinal direction with screw receiving parts (not shown) for receiving screws 6, 7 as fixing means.

[0026] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the base 3 of the handrail 1 is placed across each of the support posts 4, 4, and screws 7 are screwed into the screw receiving parts (not shown) of each of the support posts 4, 4 via the mounting holes (not shown) of the base 3. Furthermore, a support 5 is placed on the base 3, and screws 6 are screwed into the screw receiving parts (not shown) of the support posts 4 via the support 5 to attach the base 3 to each of the support posts 4, 4. After that, the front engaging part 24 and rear engaging part 25 of the handrail body 2 are engaged with the front engaging part 31 and rear engaging part 32 of the base 3, respectively, to install the handrail 1.

[0027] Furthermore, the base portion 3 also functions as the base of an existing handrail body (not shown). For example, if an existing handrail body (not shown) is installed on the base portion 3 attached to each support column 4, 4, and is formed of a straight, elongated member with a cross-sectional shape that is approximately square, approximately elliptical, approximately circular, etc. (the front engaging portion 31 and rear engaging portion 32 of the base portion 3 engage with the front engaging portion and rear engaging portion formed on the existing handrail body, respectively), it is possible to remove such an existing handrail body from the base portion 3 and replace it with the handrail body 2 according to the present invention. In this case, by simply replacing the existing handrail body with the handrail body 2 according to the present invention, a handrail can be easily installed that prevents infants and children from climbing over the handrail and falling outdoors, while also avoiding the high costs associated with installing handrails.

[0028] Furthermore, regarding the installation of handrails, the Building Standards Act Enforcement Order stipulates that a handrail wall, fence, or wire mesh with a height of 1.1 meters or more necessary for safety should be installed around rooftop plazas, balconies on the second floor or higher, or other similar structures. Therefore, in this embodiment, the height h1 of the wall portion A (including the coping B) of a veranda or balcony (the height from the floor surface FL shown in Figure 2 to the top surface of coping B) is set to, for example, 800 mm, and the height h2 from the top surface of coping B to the top surface of the handrail 1 (the top surface of the upper wall portion 22) is set to, for example, 400 mm. In addition, the handrail body 2 is set to have a width W of 69 mm and a height H of 70 mm, and the inclination angle of the front wall portion 21 is set to approximately 45°. Furthermore, the width W and height H of the handrail 1, and the inclination angle of the front wall 21 are not limited to those dimensions and angles, but can be set to appropriate dimensions and angles.

[0029] Here, for example, assuming that the average height h3 of a boy around 7 years old (shown by the dashed line in Figure 2) is around 123 cm and the acromion height h4 (vertical distance from the floor FL to the acromion point) is around 95 cm, the positional relationship between the handrail 1 installed on the veranda or balcony and this child will be as shown in Figure 2.

[0030] In this case, the child can consciously reach out and grab onto the handrail 1, but because the child's shoulder height h4 (approximately 95 cm) is lower than the height to the top of the handrail 1 (h1 + h2: 1200 mm), the child's hands and arms will be extended diagonally upward towards the handrail 1. In this state, even if a person attempts to climb or hang from the handrail 1, the front wall portion 21 of the handrail 1 has an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the indoor side from its upper edge to its lower edge, forming a smooth, continuous plane without any irregularities. Therefore, fingers placed on the front wall portion 21 will be pulled back toward the indoor side (in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 3) along the inclined surface. Furthermore, the length of the inclined surface of the front wall portion 21 in the direction of inclination is longer (larger) than that of a child's fingers, so it is not possible to bend the fingers placed on the front wall portion 21 to firmly grip the handrail 1. Therefore, infants and children will be discouraged from letting go of the handrail 1 and attempting to climb or hang from it, thus preventing them from climbing over the handrail and falling outdoors.

[0031] Furthermore, since the width of the upper wall portion 22 is formed to be narrower than, for example, the area between the first and second joints of the second finger (index finger) of an infant or child, it can exacerbate the difficulty in gripping. Therefore, infants and children will be discouraged from letting go of the handrail 1 and attempting to climb or hang from it, thus preventing them from climbing over the handrail and falling outdoors.

[0032] Furthermore, the dihedral angle formed by the upper surface of the upper wall portion 22 and the inclined surface of the upper side wall 231 is set to an acute angle. Therefore, even if an infant or child were to place their fingers on the connection point between the upper wall portion 22 and the upper side wall 231 of the rear wall portion 23 of the handrail body 2 and perform actions such as climbing or hanging, the fingers placed on the connection point would experience a corresponding pressing force, causing pain.

[0033] Furthermore, even if an infant or child were to use a step stool or similar to place their abdomen on the handrail body 2, their abdomen would be pressed against the apex of the dihedral angle formed by the upper surface of the upper wall portion 22 and the inclined surface of the upper side wall 231, resulting in considerable pressure on the abdomen and causing pain. Moreover, if they reflexively bend their abdomen away from the apex of the dihedral angle, they would slide down towards the interior of the room due to the inclined surface of the front wall portion 21. Therefore, infants and children will be discouraged from climbing or hanging onto the handrail 1, thus preventing them from climbing over the handrail and falling outdoors.

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the handrail 1 has a front wall portion 21 and a bottom portion 3, and the inner edges of these portions are connected, forming a roughly V-shape in side view. When infants or children grasp such a handrail 1, for example, the index, middle, ring, and little fingers placed on the front wall portion 21 and the thumb placed on the bottom portion 3 will grip the handrail 1 with their first and second joints extended. In such a hand position, it is not possible to firmly grip the handrail 1. Therefore, infants and children will be discouraged from letting go of the handrail 1 and attempting to climb or hang from it, thus preventing them from climbing over the handrail and falling outdoors.

[0035] Furthermore, the support column 4 that supports the handrail 1 can also be configured to be height-adjustable. Figure 4 shows a side view of a modified example of the support column used in Figure 2. This support column 40 has an upper support column 41 and a lower support column 42, and the lower end of the upper support column 41 is fitted into the upper end of the lower support column 42 so as to be slidable (extendable) in the vertical direction, and its height can be adjusted by fixing it at an appropriate height position with a fastener 43 such as a screw.

[0036] By using these height-adjustable support posts 40, the height of the handrail 1 can be adjusted to accommodate the height of infants and children. Therefore, it can also be adapted as infants and children grow taller.

[0037] Next, another embodiment of the handrail according to the present invention will be described. The handrail body embodiments shown in Figures 5(a) to 5(e) are modified versions of the handrail body 2 shown in Figure 3. Therefore, the modified parts will be explained primarily, and components identical to those of the handrail body 2 will be given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0038] [Embodiment 2] The handrail body 2a shown in Figure 5(a) is the same as the handrail body 2 shown in Figure 3, but with a reinforcing piece 26 provided in the space between the front wall portion 21 and the rear wall portion 23 as a reinforcing member. This reinforcing piece 26 is formed to extend horizontally, for example, to connect the inner surface of the connection portion between the upper wall 231 and the lower wall 232 of the rear wall portion 23 and the inner surface of the front wall portion 21. This reinforcing piece 26, together with the front wall portion 21, the upper wall portion 22, the rear wall portion 23, the front engaging portion 24, and the rear engaging portion 25, can be integrally molded, for example, by extruding an aluminum alloy, or from other synthetic resin materials. Furthermore, the placement of the reinforcing piece 26 is not limited to the position described above, but can be placed at an appropriate position in the space between the front wall portion 21 and the rear wall portion 23.

[0039] The handrail body 2a of this embodiment 2 also has the same effects and advantages as the embodiment 1. Furthermore, the handrail body 2a is provided with reinforcing pieces 26, increasing its rigidity. Therefore, even if excessive pressure is applied from above the front wall 21 or the upper wall 22, deformation of the handrail body 2a can be reliably prevented.

[0040] [Embodiment 3] The handrail body 2b shown in Figure 5(b) is a modified version of the handrail body 2 shown in Figure 3, in which the front wall portion 21 is changed to a curved front wall portion 21b that protrudes toward the rear wall portion 23 (outdoor side). This curved front wall portion 21b forms a smoothly continuous curved surface from its upper edge to its lower edge.

[0041] In this embodiment 3, the handrail body 2b has a front wall portion 21b that curves and inclins downward from its upper edge to its lower edge, projecting outwards towards the outside. Therefore, similar to embodiment 1 described in Figures 1 to 3, this curved inclined surface can prevent fingers from gripping the handrail. In addition, in this handrail body 2b, as in the second embodiment described above, a reinforcing piece can be provided in the space between the front wall portion 21b and the rear wall portion 23 as a reinforcing member.

[0042] [Embodiment 4] The handrail body 2c shown in Figure 5(c) is the same as the handrail body 2 shown in Figure 3, but with the front wall portion 21 changed to a curved front wall portion 21c that protrudes toward the opposite side (indoors) from the rear wall portion 23. This curved front wall portion 21c forms a smoothly continuous curved surface from its upper edge to its lower edge.

[0043] In this embodiment 4, the handrail body 2c also has a front wall portion 21c that curves and inclins downward from its upper edge to its lower edge, projecting toward the indoor side. Therefore, similar to embodiment 1 described in Figures 1 to 3, this curved inclined surface can suppress finger gripping. In addition, in this handrail body 2c, as in the second embodiment described above, a reinforcing piece can be provided in the space between the front wall portion 21c and the rear wall portion 23 as a reinforcing member.

[0044] [Embodiment 5] The handrail body 2d shown in Figure 5(d) is the same as the handrail body 2 shown in Figure 3, but with the rear wall portion 23 changed to a curved rear wall portion 23d that protrudes toward the front wall portion 21 side (indoor side).

[0045] The handrail body 2d of this embodiment 5 also has the same effects and advantages as in embodiment 1. In addition, in this handrail body 2d, as in the second embodiment described above, a reinforcing piece can be provided in the space between the front wall portion 21 and the rear wall portion 23d as a reinforcing member.

[0046] [Embodiment 6] The handrail body 2e shown in Figure 5(e) is the same as the handrail body 2 shown in Figure 3, but with the rear wall portion 23 changed to a flat plate-shaped rear wall portion 23e that extends vertically.

[0047] Similar to Embodiment 1, the handrail body 2e of this Embodiment 6 also has an inclined surface on the front wall portion 21 that slopes downward toward the indoor side from its upper edge to its lower edge, and the width of the upper wall portion 22 is formed to be narrower than the area between the first and second joints of the second finger (index finger) of an infant or child, thus having the same effects and advantages as Embodiment 1 in this respect. Furthermore, in this handrail body 2e, as in the second embodiment described above, a reinforcing piece can be provided in the space between the front wall portion 21 and the rear wall portion 23e as a reinforcing member.

[0048] The handrail bodies 2a to 2e in the above embodiments 2 to 6 can also be configured to be attached to the height-adjustable support column 40 described above, similar to the handrail body 2 in embodiment 1.

[0049] Furthermore, while the handrails 1 in embodiments 1 to 6 described above are configured to be attached by engaging the handrail bodies 2, 2a to 2e with the bottom portion 3 which is attached and fixed to the support columns 4, 40, the handrails of the present invention are not limited to such configurations.

[0050] The following describes a handrail according to another modification of the present invention. Figures 6(a) and 6(b) show schematic side views illustrating other modifications of the present invention. [Example 1] As shown in Figure 6(a), the handrail 100 of Modified Example 1 of the present invention has a front wall portion 110 and a bottom portion 120, and the front wall portion 110 and the bottom portion 120 are in the shape of a V-shape (approximately V-shape in side view) when viewed from the side, and are formed as a continuous straight and elongated member.

[0051] As shown in Figure 6(a), the front wall portion 110 has an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the interior from its upper edge to its lower edge, and is positioned so that its surface faces the interior. This inclined surface constitutes a smooth, continuous plane without any irregularities.

[0052] The angle of inclination of the front wall portion 110 (the angle made by the inclined surface of the front wall portion 110 with respect to the horizontal plane) is preferably in the range of 25° to 75°, and more preferably in the range of 40° to 50°, considering the functional aspects such as suppressing the grip of fingers as described above. Furthermore, the inclination angle of the front wall portion 110 is not limited to these angular ranges.

[0053] The base portion 120 forms the base of the handrail 100, is formed in a flat plate shape, and its indoor-facing edge is connected to the lower edge of the front wall portion 110. This base portion 120 is fixed to the upper end of the support column 4 by fastening means such as screws or bolts.

[0054] In this modified example 1, the handrail 100 also has an inclined surface on the front wall portion 110 that slopes downward toward the indoor side from its upper edge to its lower edge. Therefore, similar to Embodiment 1 described in Figures 1 to 3, this inclined surface can prevent fingers from gripping the handrail.

[0055] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(a), the handrail 100 has a base portion 120 fixed to the support column 4 and a front wall portion 110, and the inner edges of these portions are connected to form a V-shape (approximately V-shape in side view) when viewed from the side. When an infant or child grasps such a handrail 100, for example, the index, middle, ring, and little fingers placed on the front wall portion 110 and the thumb placed on the base portion 120 will grip the handrail 1 with their first and second joints extended, making it impossible to firmly grip the handrail 100 with such a finger position. Therefore, infants and children will be discouraged from letting go of the handrail 100 and giving up on climbing or hanging from it, thus preventing them from climbing over the handrail and falling outdoors. Furthermore, in this handrail 100, a reinforcing piece can be provided in the space between the front wall portion 110 and the bottom portion 120 as a reinforcing member.

[0056] [Differentiation 2] As shown in Figure 6(b), the modified handrail 200 of the present invention has a flat front wall portion 210, and this front wall portion 210 is formed as a continuous, straight, and elongated member.

[0057] As shown in Figure 6(b), the front wall portion 210 has an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the interior from its upper edge to its lower edge, and is positioned so that its surface faces the interior. This inclined surface constitutes a smooth, continuous plane without any irregularities.

[0058] The angle of inclination of the front wall portion 210 (the angle made by the inclined surface of the front wall portion 210 with respect to the horizontal plane) is preferably in the range of 25° to 75°, and more preferably in the range of 40° to 50°, considering the functional aspects such as suppressing the grip of fingers as described above. Furthermore, the inclination angle of the front wall portion 210 is not limited to these angular ranges. This front wall section 210 is fixed to the upper part of a support column 4', which is constructed with its upper part inclined downwards toward the interior of the room, by fastening means such as screws or bolts.

[0059] In this modified example 2, the handrail 200 also has an inclined surface on the front wall portion 210 that slopes downward toward the indoor side from its upper edge to its lower edge. Therefore, similar to Embodiment 1 described in Figures 1 to 3, this inclined surface can prevent fingers from gripping the handrail.

[0060] Furthermore, the handrails 100 and 200 in the above-described modified examples 1 and 2 can also be configured to be attached to the height-adjustable support column 40 described above.

[0061] (Note) Figure 7 is a six-view drawing of the handrail body 2 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, using orthographic projection. The handrail body 2 is a handrail capping piece installed on the upper ends of multiple support posts 4, 4, and is formed as a continuous, straight, and elongated member with a continuous cross-sectional shape. The handrail body 2 is also set to the required length for the handrail 1 (for example, 100cm, 150cm, 200cm, 250cm, 300cm, etc.) corresponding to the veranda or balcony where it will be installed. In the plan view (the leftmost view) in the six-view drawing of Figure 7, it is continuous only in the left-right direction.

[0062] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the specific configurations described above, and can be modified as appropriate without altering the essence of the invention.

[0063] <Summary> As described above, the above embodiment discloses the following invention. (1) A handrail characterized by having a front wall section positioned facing the indoors, the front wall section having an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the indoors from its upper edge to its lower edge, and this inclined surface suppresses the grip of fingers (see Figures 3, 5(a) to (e), and 6(a) and (b)). (2) The handrail according to (1) (see Figures 3, 5(a) to (e)) further comprises a rear wall portion positioned facing the outdoors and an upper wall portion connecting the upper edges of the front wall portion and the rear wall portion, respectively. (3) The rear wall portion has an upper wall and a lower wall, the upper wall is formed with a downward slope toward the indoor side, and the lower wall is formed with a downward slope toward the outdoor side, and its upper edge is connected to the lower edge of the upper wall, and the dihedral angle formed by the upper wall portion and the upper wall of the rear wall portion is set to an acute angle, as described in (2) (see Figures 3, 5(a) to (c)). (4) A reinforcing piece is provided in the space between the front wall and the rear wall, and the reinforcing piece is formed to connect the inner surface of the front wall and the inner surface of the rear wall, as described in (2) or (3) (see Figure 5(a)). (5) A handrail as described in any of (1) to (4) (Figures 3 and 6(a)), characterized in that it has a base fixed to a support column, and the front wall portion and the base portion are connected at their indoor-facing edges to form a roughly V-shape in side view. (6) The handrail according to any one of (1) to (4) (see Figures 3, 5(a),(d),(e), and 6(a)(b)) is characterized in that the inclined surface of the front wall portion forms a smoothly continuous plane from its upper edge to its lower edge. (7) The handrail according to any one of (1) to (4) (see Figures 5(b) and (c)) is characterized in that the inclined surface of the front wall portion forms a smoothly continuous curved surface from its upper edge to its lower edge. (8) The front wall portion is provided on a height-adjustable support column, as described in any of (1) to (6) (see Figure 4). [Explanation of Symbols]

[0064] 1: Handrail 2, 2a~2e: Handrail body 21, 21b, 21c: Front wall 22: Upper wall part 23, 23d, 23e: Rear wall 231: Upper wall 232: Lower wall 26: Reinforcement piece 3: Bottom 4, 4', 40: Post 100: Handrail 110: Front wall 200: Handrail 210: Front wall

Claims

1. The front wall section is positioned facing the interior, The rear wall section is positioned facing the outside, It comprises an upper wall portion connecting the upper edges of the front wall portion and the rear wall portion, The aforementioned front wall portion has an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the interior from its upper edge to its lower edge, and this inclined surface is intended to prevent fingers from gripping it. The aforementioned rear wall portion has an upper wall and a lower wall, The aforementioned upper wall is formed with a downward slope toward the interior side, The lower wall is formed with a downward slope toward the outdoors, and its upper edge is connected to the lower edge of the upper wall. A handrail characterized in that the dihedral angle formed by the upper wall portion and the upper side wall of the rear wall portion is set to an acute angle.

2. It has a base that is fixed to a support column, The handrail according to claim 1, characterized in that the front wall portion and the bottom portion are connected at their indoor-facing edges, forming a roughly V-shape in side view.

3. The handrail according to claim 1, characterized in that the inclined surface of the front wall portion forms a smoothly continuous plane from its upper edge to its lower edge.

4. The handrail according to claim 1, characterized in that the inclined surface of the front wall portion forms a smoothly continuous curved surface from its upper edge to its lower edge.

5. The handrail according to claim 1, characterized in that the front wall portion is provided on a height-adjustable support column.

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