The present invention relates to doors which have means to allow unlocking and opening in an emergency. In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to cubicles having a door which allows unlocking and outward opening in an emergency, wherein the door may freely pivot until being reset.

In public and commercial buildings, toilets cubicles are typically provided with inwardly opening doors (the door pivots into the cubicle space). However, in a medical emergency, a cubicle occupant may collapse, become immobile and/or lose

consciousness. A person responding to the emergency may find, even if they are able to unlock the door from the outside, that the occupant is an obstacle to the door opening inwards. It may even be necessary to break through or remove the door. This can significantly increase the time that elapses before the responder can commence treatment.

It is desirable to provide a cubicle which provides easy access in the event of an emergency.

For some arrangements, the mechanism can automatically reset when the door is outwardly open which prevents the door from closing.

It is desirable to provide a cubicle with emergency access in which the outwardly opened door cannot automatically reset.

Also, in many commercial applications, property owners desire an aesthetic design for a series of cubicles in which the doors and cubicle panels are all flush. Also, preferably no hinges or the like are visible. This places a design restraint on how a door with emergency access can be achieved.

It is desirable to provide an arrangement of cubicles in which the doors and cubicle panels are all flush but which still provides emergency access. According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a cubicle comprising:

a structural frame;

a door which is pivotably attached to the frame;

a stop member which is movable between a normal use configuration in which the door is prevented from pivoting outwards from a closed position and an emergency use configuration in which the door is free to pivot outwards from the closed position; and

a concealing member adapted to conceal a first line of sight between the door and the frame,

wherein the concealing member is movable to a retained position in which it is clear of the door and thus does not interfere with pivoting of the door.

Optionally, the concealing member extends vertically substantially the full height of the door. Optionally, the concealing member is pivotably connected to the frame.

Optionally, the concealing member is moved towards the retained position by the door when the door is pivoted outwards from the closed position.

Optionally, the concealing member is provided at the hinged vertical side of the door. Optionally, the concealing member is moved towards the retained position by the heel of the door.

Optionally, the cubicle includes a latch device which engages with the concealing member when it is moved to the retained position. Optionally, the latch device is manually releasable.

Optionally, the vertical edge of the door which is adjacent to the concealing member has a stepped profile which defines a recess. Optionally, the concealing member extends into the recess.

Alternatively, the vertical edge of the door may be chamfered or the like. Optionally, the stop member is arranged to conceal a second line of sight between the door and the frame when the stop member is at the normal use configuration.

Optionally, the stop member extends vertically substantially the full height of the door.

Optionally, the cubicle includes a lever arm for rotating the stop member. Optionally, a handle of the lever arm is located at a bottom surface of the door. Optionally, the handle is not visible to a standing or sitting person in normal use.

Optionally, the cubicle door is flush with the frame.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of providing a cubicle which is accessible in an emergency, the method comprising:

providing a structural frame and a door which is pivotably attached to the frame; providing a stop member which is movable between a normal use configuration in which the door is prevented from pivoting outwards from a closed position and an emergency use configuration in which the door is free to pivot outwards from the closed position; and

providing a concealing member which is adapted to conceal a first line of sight between the door and the frame,

wherein the concealing member is movable to a retained position in which it is clear of the door and thus does not interfere with pivoting of the door.

Optionally, the method includes providing a latch device which engages with the concealing member when it is moved to the retained position.

The invention will be described below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of a portion of a cubicle according to the invention with the door at a closed position; Figure 2 is a top view of the cubicle of Figure 1 with the door pivoted to a position within the interior of the cubicle;

Figure 3 is a top view of the cubicle of Figure 1 with the door at a closed position and the stop member disengaged; and

Figure 4 is a top view of the cubicle of Figure 1 with the door pivoted to a position exterior of the cubicle.

Figure 1 shows some components of a cubicle 10. Other components have been omitted for clarity.

The cubicle 10 comprises a structural frame 20 and a door 30 which is pivotably attached to the frame 20 using a hinge. The door 30 pivots about a pivot point 32 which is a short lateral distance inwards from one vertical edge of the door 30.

A concealing member or fin 40 is mounted to the frame 20. The fin 40 extends vertically the full height of the door 30. The fin 40 is adapted to conceal a first line of sight between the door and the frame (at the hinged vertical edge of the door 30. The door 30 has a stepped profile at this edge which defines a recess 34. From the exterior, the door 30 and frame 20 are flush. On the interior side, the fin 40 extends from the frame 20 into the recess 34 until it nearly reaches the edge of the door 30. Thus, the door 30 and frame 20 also appear flush from the interior and the fin 40 has concealed the first line of sight.

In normal use, whether the door is closed or pivoted inwards (Figure 2), the fin 40 does not interfere with the movement of the door 30. However, in an emergency use configuration (Figure 4) it is desirable that the door 30 is free to pivot outwards from the closed position. When the door 30 is pivoted outwards, the heel 36 of the door 30 will contact the fin 40. To accommodate this, the fin 40 is pivotably mounted to the frame 20. During outward pivoting of the door 30, the heel 36 of the door 30 pivots the fin 40 in a direction towards the interior of the cubicle 10. This is shown in Figure 4.

When the fin 40 has been sufficiently pivoted, it engages with a latch 42 provided at the frame 20. The latch 42 maintains the fin 40 at this retained position so that it is clear of the door 30 and does not interfere with any further pivoting of the door 30. The latch 42 is manually releasable and will not automatically reset of the door 30 is closed.

At the other vertical edge of the door 30, the door 30 again has a stepped profile which defines a first half of a second recess 38. The frame 20 also has a stepped profile and defines a second half of the second recess 38 (see Figure 3). A stop member 60 is provided in this second recess 38. The stop member 60 extends vertically the full height of the door 30.

The stop member 60 has a normal use configuration in which the door 30 is prevented from pivoting outwards from a closed position to the emergency use configuration. Specifically, the stop member 60 would come into contact with the step 22 of the frame 20 and prevent further rotation.

The stop member 60 also conceals a second line of sight between the door 30 and the frame 20 when the door 30 is closed.

The stop member 60 is pivotably mounted to the door 30 about a second pivot point 62. A lever arm 64 is provided for rotating the stop member 60. When the lever arm 64 is rotated anticlockwise in Figure 1, the stop member 60 is also rotated and moves into the first half of the second recess 38 as shown in Figure 3. In this position, the door 30 is free to rotate outwards as shown in Figure 4.

In normal use, the stop member 60 is in its normal position (Figure 1). The door 30 can only be opened inwardly (Figure 2). In an emergency, it may be necessary to open the door 30 from outside the cubicle 10. A first responder, such as a member of staff, can operate the lever arm 64 to rotate the stop member 60 (Figure 3). The door 30 is now free to pivot outwards.

Outward pivoting of the door 30 causes the heel 36 of the door 30 to pivot the fin 40 until it engages with the latch 42 where it is maintained at that position (Figure 4).

The present invention provides a cubicle 10 and door assembly which provides easy access in the event of an emergency. Nevertheless, the door 30 is flush with the frame 20 to provide a pleasing aesthetic look.

There are no lines of sight between either vertical edge of the door 30 and the frame 20.

Various modifications and improvements can be made to the above without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the stop member 60 could be provided at the hinged edge of the door (on the exterior side) and the fin 40 at the other edge of the door (also on the exterior side). In this example, the stepped profile of the door 30 would be reversed. This arrangement would be functionally equivalent but it would be difficult to maintain the aesthetic appearance of the cubicle 10. In another example, the fin 40 may not be pivotably mounted to the frame 20 but rather laterally slide relative to the frame 20. A cam member may be provided so that the force applied to the fin 40 continues to be a lateral force as the door 30 is pivoted outwards.