Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Tubs – With user access means in side of the tub
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-06
2004-05-18
Phillips, Charles E. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Tubs
With user access means in side of the tub
Reexamination Certificate
active
06735792
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an appliance for showering and bathing, said appliance comprising a tub which stands on a floor or the like, the tub having a reclining and/or sitting surface for a bather, and the tub having a door opening through which said bather can move or be moved to or from the reclining and/or sitting surface, and a door being arranged so as to seal the door opening whenever the bather is in the tub.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Showering and bathing appliances of the aforementioned type are known by the name “Badsoffan”™ (“bathing sofa”) and are sold by a Swedish firm. According to a brochure the “Badsoffan”™ appliance is constructed in such a way that maneuvering the bather into and out of it is straightforward. To accomplish this, a door opening is arranged in the appliance and a reclining and/or sitting surface is arranged higher above the floor than normal. The appliance has a door to enable the door opening to be sealed, and this door is adapted to be lowered beneath the door opening to enable the door to be opened. However, lowering the door produces a number of crucial drawbacks. One drawback is the fact that the door must have room beneath the door opening and this has been achieved at the expense of the height of the appliance above the reclining and/or sitting surface, with the result that the water level that can be obtained in the appliance is unsatisfactory. Another drawback is the fact that when it is in its lowered position, the door prevents there from being a free space beneath the reclining and/or sitting surface into which it is for example possible to maneuver one's legs in order to more easily be able to get up from the reclining and/or sitting surface more easily, or into which the underframe of a piece of transportation equipment can be maneuvered in order to facilitate the transfer of a bather from the transportation equipment onto the reclining and/or sitting surface, or vice versa.
Another appliance of the aforementioned type is known from GB 2 029 211. This appliance has a door opening and a door that can be swung upwards to open up the door opening. The tub of the appliance is arranged on a pedestal-type stand and it can be fastened on the pedestal in a way that allows it to be tilted, with the result that some of the bathwater that is let in at the foot end of the tub can be made to flow from the foot end into the head end of the tub by tilting the tub. However, the tilting device and the pedestal-type construction has, inter alia, the drawback that the cost of manufacturing the showering and bathing appliance is high. A further drawback is the fact that the pedestal-type construction ties up substantial parts of a space beneath the tub.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the aim of the present invention to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks, and this is accomplished by virtue of the fact that the appliance primarily incorporates the characterizing features apparent from claim
1
given below.
The fact that the appliance incorporates the stated characterizing features makes it easy for a bather to move or be moved onto the reclining and/or sitting surface of the tub or out of the tub, enables a larger space to be disposed beneath the tub which can be used for various purposes, and allows the appliance to be manufactured cheaply.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2991482 (1961-07-01), Brass
patent: 4118810 (1978-10-01), Brickhouse et al.
patent: 4561160 (1985-12-01), Nicol et al.
patent: 4706311 (1987-11-01), Jarosinski
patent: 5184358 (1993-02-01), Gruidel et al.
patent: 5813062 (1998-09-01), Vago et al.
patent: 6151727 (2000-11-01), Lofquist, Jr.
patent: 0457093 (1991-11-01), None
patent: 0457093 (1991-11-01), None
patent: 0966417 (1964-08-01), None
patent: 2029211 (1980-03-01), None
Badsoffan™ Standard from Easy Bath AB.
Phillips Charles E.
Tarolli, Sundheim Covell & Tummino L.L.P.
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