Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Tubs – Convenience accessories
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-06
2003-01-21
Phillips, Charles E. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Tubs
Convenience accessories
Reexamination Certificate
active
06507960
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the general bath and shower art, and to the particular field of safety devices for use in a bath or shower.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Each year hundreds, if not thousands, of people are injured in falls in the shower or bathtub. These injuries range from slight bruises to broken bones and even death. The injured range in age from young children to elderly people and the injuries are often caused by slipping or simply losing balance. As is well documented, elderly people are far more likely to fall in the bathtub than are young people and are far more susceptible to serious injury than young people.
For these reasons, many hotels and motels install some sort of support bar on a wall near a shower so people using the shower have a hand hold when entering or exiting the shower or tub.
While these support bars work well for some people entering or exiting the shower or tub, they are not always located in the most advantageous position. For example, a person seeking to enter or exit a shower or tub near the center of the shower of tub will not have ready access to a support bar located on one end of the shower of tub. Even if the support bar is located near the center of the tub, if it is mounted on a wall someone entering the tub will have to reach across the tub to grasp the bar. This is awkward, especially for an elderly person.
Therefore, there is a need for a safety fixture that is located for easy access by someone entering or exiting a tub.
Still further, the support bars presently in use are generally firmly fixed in one position with respect to the bath or tub. While this is convenient for installation, it is not always conveniently used by the user. A perfect height for one person may be too high or too low for another person. If a safety bar is not in a convenient location, it may not be used at all or it may be inefficient, and hence ineffective, for use. Thus, most if not all known safety bars do not fully account for the user's needs.
Therefore, there is a need for a safety fixture that is amendable to meeting a wide variety of user needs.
Most presently known safety bars are designed for easy installation and maintenance as much as for ease of use. Therefore, there is a need for a safety fixture that takes more account of user needs than presently known safety fixtures.
Still further, many known safety bars have smooth finishes. Again, while this presents an attractive aesthetic appearance and is easy to clean, it is not the most efficient design for the user. A smooth finish may be slippery and a user, especially an elderly user who is falling, may grasp the safety bar and still suffer a nasty fall because he or she had their grip slip from the safety bar. As above, the user's needs have not been fully accounted for or made subservient to installation and/or maintenance requirements.
Therefore, there is a need for a safety fixture that has a surface that provides a slip-free surface.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is a main object of the present invention to provide a safety fixture that is located for easy access by someone entering or exiting a tub.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a safety fixture that is amendable to meeting a wide variety of user needs.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a safety fixture that takes more account of user needs than presently known safety fixtures.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a safety fixture that has a surface that provides a slip-free surface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These, and other, objects are achieved by a safety fixture that is mounted near a tub or shower to extend along the full length of the tub or width of a shower at a location where it is most likely to be used to enter or exit the tub or shower or to be most accessible in the event of a fall. The fixture is movable into a position most advantageous for a user, and once in such position, will be securely mounted. The fixture also has a non-slip surface so once grasped, the grasp is not likely to slip.
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patent: 2689103 (1954-09-01), Ackerman
patent: 2923013 (1960-02-01), Wasserman
patent: 3430908 (1969-03-01), Kowalczyk
patent: 4361915 (1982-12-01), Siewert
patent: 4461056 (1984-07-01), Solinski
patent: 4775056 (1988-10-01), Inglis
patent: 5345623 (1994-09-01), Dearman
patent: 5351739 (1994-10-01), Levy
patent: 5810180 (1998-09-01), Chan
patent: 5970535 (1999-10-01), Wayne
patent: 6112344 (2000-09-01), Guenther
Phillips Charles E.
Schoonover Donald R.
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