Hinge, leaf and associated methods
AssigneeSafehinge Primera Limited
InventorShaun Ridley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An anti-ligature hinge for a door and associated methods and systems are provided. The anti-ligature hinge has a hinge bracket operatively associable with a support and a hinge member operatively associable with a leaf. The hinge member is connectable to the hinge bracket and rotatable relative to the hinge bracket about an axis of rotation. The hinge member can disconnect from the hinge bracket in response to a threshold force acting along or transverse to the axis or rotation. This hinge is for eliminating ligature points in doors where vulnerable individuals are to be left unsupervised.
Claims19
An anti-ligature hinge for a door, the hinge comprising:
- a hinge bracket operatively associable with a support;
- and
- a hinge member operatively associable with a leaf;
- wherein the hinge is configured so that the hinge member is connectable by an inter-engaging coupling arrangement to the hinge bracket, with the hinge member being rotatable relative to the hinge bracket about an axis of rotation;
- wherein the hinge is configured so that the hinge member is disconnectable from the hinge bracket in response to at least one threshold force, the at least one threshold force being less than a force required to create or support a ligature, the at least one threshold force being selected from one or more of:
- a transverse threshold force comprising a transverse force component transverse to the axis of rotation, the transverse threshold force being the same in at least two directions transverse to the axis of rotation;
- and/or
- an axial threshold force comprising a force component acting along the axis of rotation.
A leaf system comprising:
- (i) at least one anti-ligature hinge for a door, the hinge including:
- a hinge bracket operatively associable with a support;
- and
- a hinge member operatively associable with a leaf;
- wherein the hinge is configured so that the hinge member is connectable by an inter-engaging coupling arrangement to the hinge bracket, with the hinge member being rotatable relative to the hinge bracket about an axis of rotation;
- wherein the hinge is configured so that the hinge member is disconnectable from the hinge bracket in response to at least one threshold force, the at least one threshold force being less than a force required to create or support a ligature, the at least one threshold force being selected from one or more of a transverse threshold force comprising a transverse force component transverse to the axis of rotation, the transverse threshold force being the same in at least two directions transverse to the axis of rotation, and/or an axial threshold force comprising a force component acting along the axis of rotation;
- and
- (ii) at least one leaf.
A method of hinging a leaf, the method comprising
- operatively associating a hinge bracket with a support;
- operatively associating a hinge member with the leaf;
- connecting the hinge member to the hinge bracket by an inter-engaging coupling arrangement, with the hinge member being rotatable relative to the hinge bracket about an axis of rotation;
- disconnecting the hinge member from the hinge bracket in response to at least one force threshold, the at least one threshold force being less than a force required to create or support a ligature, the at least one threshold force being selected from one or more of:
- a transverse threshold force comprising a transverse force component transverse to the axis of rotation, the transverse threshold force being the same in at least two directions transverse to the axis of rotation;
- and/or
- an axial threshold force comprising a force component acting along the axis of rotation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.