Combinable ligature-resistant grab bar for vertical and horizontal application

A ligature-resistant grab bar for supporting a person at a wall or door, comprising:

• a hollow extrusion that has a flange disposed at a planar rear surface of the hollow extrusion and extending from the hollow extrusion on a first side and a second side thereof, and curved side channels for drainage of water that extend from an inner edge of the flange toward a central longitudinal axis of the hollow extrusion to a gripping profile forming a front of the hollow extrusion and having an elliptical profile extending around a front half of the gripping profile and has rear surfaces that extend parallel to the planar rear surface of the hollow extrusion to provide flat surfaces for finger-gripping, and wherein the curved side channels extend inward between the front of the hollow extrusion body and the planar rear surface to form concavities on an exterior of the hollow extrusion on the first side and the second side thereof and that extend from the inner edge of the flange to the gripping profile on each side of the elongate body, wherein the flange includes a plurality of voids for mounting the hollow extrusion to a wall on the first side and the second side thereof;
• a bottom end cap attached to a bottom end of the hollow extrusion via fasteners extending into circular profiles formed on an inner surface of the hollow extrusion;
• and
• a top end cap attached via fasteners to a top end of the hollow extrusion via fasteners extending into circular profiles formed on the inner surface of the hollow extrusion, wherein the top surface of the top end cap is inclined inward toward the hollow extrusion at an angle of forty-five degrees from a direction perpendicular to the planar rear surface of the hollow extrusion from a rear surface of the top end cap that extends over the flange to a front surface of the top end cap that conforms to the curved side channels of the hollow extrusion and covers the gripping profile of the hollow extrusion at a top end thereof, wherein ends of the hollow extrusion are cut at an angle extending inward forty-five degrees from the planar rear surface of the hollow extrusion to a front edge of the hollow extrusion, and wherein a top surface of the bottom end cap and a bottom surface of the top end cap are also inclined inward at an angle of forty-five degrees to mate with the corresponding ends of the hollow extrusion, and whereby the ends of the hollow extrusion form interchangeable ends that will accept either of the top end cap and the bottom end cap, wherein a bottom surface of the bottom end cap has a partially hemispherical profile extending from a junction between the bottom surface of the hollow extrusion around the gripping profile, wherein sides of the bottom end cap and sides of the top end cap that abut the curved side channels of the hollow extrusion have a curvature that matches the curved side channels of the hollow extrusion, and, wherein the curvature of the side of the bottom end cap extends to a bottom surface of the bottom end cap so that water flow from the side channels of the hollow extrusion is not interrupted by the bottom end cap, and wherein the top surface of the top end cap is parallel to a bottom surface of the top end cap along an area of contact between the top end cap and the elongate body so that the top end cap conforms to and makes a sealed connection with the hollow extrusion, and wherein no portion of the elongate body extends beyond a top face of the top end cap, so that two of the ligature-resistant grab bars are joinable in a horizontal configuration such that the planar surface of the top end cap substantially abuts another planar surface of a top end cap of another grab bar when the two of the ligature-resistant grab bars are joined in a horizontal configuration.

A method of providing self-support of a person at a wall or door, the method comprising:

• providing an elongate body of a grab bar;
• attaching a bottom end cap to a bottom end of the elongate body, the elongate body having a flange disposed at a planar rear surface of the elongate body and extending from the elongate body on a first side and a second side thereof, and curved side channels for drainage of water that extend from an inner edge of the flange toward a central axis of the elongate body to a gripping profile forming a front of the elongate body, wherein the curved side channels extend inward between the front of the elongate body and the planar rear surface to form concavities on an exterior of the elongate body on the first side and the second side thereof and that extend from the inner edge of the flange to the gripping profile on each side of the elongate body, wherein the flange includes a plurality of voids for mounting the elongate body to a wall on the first side and the second side thereof, and wherein a top end of the elongate body is inclined at an angle of forty-five degrees from a direction perpendicular to the planar rear surface of the elongate body from the planar rear surface to the front of the elongate body, and wherein the bottom end cap has concave sides that conform to a bottom end of the curved side channels of the elongate body, wherein the concave sides of the bottom end cap extend to a bottom surface of the bottom end cap so that water flow from the curved side channels of the elongate body is not interrupted by the bottom end cap;
• attaching a top end cap at a top end of the elongate body, wherein a top surface of the top end cap is inclined inward toward the elongate body at an angle of greater than thirty degrees from a direction perpendicular to the planar rear surface of the elongate body from a rear surface of the top end cap that extends over the flange to a front surface of the top end cap that conforms to the curved side channels of the elongate body and covers the gripping profile of the elongate body at a top end thereof, and wherein the top surface of the top end cap is parallel to a bottom surface of the top end cap along an area of contact between the top end cap and the elongate body so that the top end cap conforms to and makes a sealed connection with the elongate body, and wherein no portion of the elongate body extends beyond a top face of the top end cap, so that two of the ligature-resistant grab bars are joinable in a horizontal configuration such that the planar surface of the top end cap substantially abuts another planar surface of a top end cap of another grab bar when the two of the ligature-resistant grab bars are joined in a horizontal configuration;
• and
• mounting the elongate body to the wall or door with fasteners extending through the flange;
• wherein the attaching a top end cap and the attaching a bottom end cap attach fasteners that extend from the bottom surface of the top end cap and the top surface of the bottom end cap into corresponding mating profiles formed on an inner surface of the elongate body.