Pivoting Hand Rail Knuckle for Sway and Free-Fall Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drop-down hand-rails for elderly or infirm persons suffer from poor lateral stability and hazardous free-fall movement due to their weight and inertia, causing insecurity and anxiety during use.
Innovation Solution
A vertically pivotable surface-mountable hand-rail design featuring a separate pivotable clamping knuckle with damping means, including flexible beams and spring-biased frictional projections, which engages with the hand-rail and base elements to reduce sway and control the lowering movement, along with an optional clampable toilet-roll holder.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the hand-rail is made heavy using dip-coated steel, then strength and durability are improved, but lateral stability deteriorates and the hand-rail sways when gripped
Solution Approach 1:
The hand-rail system is divided into separate components: a lightweight hand-rail member, a base element, and a knuckle mechanism. This segmentation allows the hand-rail member to be lightweight while the base element provides stability, resolving the contradiction between weight and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The knuckle acts as an intermediary mechanism between the hand-rail member and base element. It includes damping means that control the movement and provide stability, allowing the hand-rail to be lightweight while maintaining lateral stability through the intermediary control mechanism.
2Strength
If the hand-rail is made heavy, then strength is improved, but safety deteriorates due to hazardous free-fall movement under gravity
Solution Approach 1:
The knuckle with damping means serves as an intermediary that controls the hand-rail member's movement. The damping means include frictional elements that provide controlled resistance, preventing hazardous free-fall while allowing smooth operation. This mediator mechanism ensures safety by controlling the motion regardless of the hand-rail's weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping means change the motion parameters of the hand-rail member by introducing frictional resistance. This controls the speed and acceleration of movement, transforming the hazardous free-fall into a controlled, safe operation.
3Ease of operation
If the hand-rail is made lightweight, then ease of operation is improved, but lateral stability deteriorates and the hand-rail sways
Solution Approach 1:
The knuckle mechanism with damping means acts as an intermediary that provides lateral support and stability control. This allows the hand-rail member to remain lightweight for ease of operation while the intermediary mechanism compensates for the lack of inherent stability.
4Ease of operation
If the hand-rail is allowed to fall freely under gravity, then ease of operation is improved, but safety deteriorates due to uninhibited movement
Solution Approach 1:
The damping means in the knuckle mechanism serve as an intermediary control system that allows smooth operation while preventing uninhibited free-fall. The frictional projections and flexible beams provide controlled resistance, enabling ease of operation within safe parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping means modify the motion parameters by introducing controlled friction, transforming uninhibited free-fall into controlled movement that maintains ease of operation while ensuring safety.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design significantly reduces side-to-side sway and provides a controlled, predictable descent of the hand-rail, enhancing user safety and stability while allowing for easy installation and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
The damping means includes one or more frictional projections. In this case, one or more said frictional projections may be provided on the pivotable clamping knuckle and frictionally engage with the base element, or vice versa.
Implementation Method 2
The or each frictional projection may be spring-biased. In this case, the said spring-biasing may be provided by a flexible beam on which the frictional projection is provided.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A vertically pivotable surface-mountable hand rail (10) for supporting an elderly or infirm person, comprises a surface-mountable base element (12), an elongate hand-rail member (14), and a pivotable clamping knuckle (16) which interconnects the hand-rail member (14) and the base element (12) for in use vertical pivotable movement of the hand-rail member (14). The clamping knuckle (16) projects laterally to a longitudinal extent of the hand-rail member (14) for preventing or limiting in use horizontal movement of the hand-rail member (14). A toilet-roll holder (172) is also provided.