Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Tubs – Convenience accessories
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-21
2003-04-01
Fetsuga, Robert M. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Tubs
Convenience accessories
C004S575100, C004S577100, C004S584000, C362S101000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06539561
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bath tab with a built-in illumination device, and in particular to a bath tab with a built-in illumination device which illuminates inside the bath tab by indirect lighting (viewed from the bathing person) and enables the bathing person to watch images from inside the bath tab, thereby realizing a bathing feel that improves a mental relaxation effect as well as improving attraction.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional bath tab unit has an appearance as shown in
FIG. 1
, for example, of which cross-section structure along the line Y—Y is shown in FIG.
2
. That is, a bath tab
100
having a rectangular shape is adapted to be embedded in a floor surface
110
; the bath tab
100
is adapted to be supplied with hot water or water from a feed water port
101
; and on the bottom surface of the bath tab
100
is provided a bench portion
102
having a semi-circular shape for a bathing person to sit thereon. In addition, on each side of the bath tab
100
is provided a handle
103
for the bathing person to rest his/her hand thereon, and on one end portion of the bath tab
100
is provided a head rest
104
made of rubber or the like for the bathing person to lay his/her head thereon in contact state.
In an European style bath tab of a relatively shallow depth, an inclined surface (so-called back rest) which inclines from the upper part to the lower part is provided on the inner surface of the bath tab in order to make the bathing position of a bathing person comfortable. In such a general bath tab structure, it is impossible to improve the attraction and to give an upscale image.
In view of the above, a bath tab with an illumination device which illuminates inside the bath tab by a direct light source has appeared in recent years.
FIG. 3
shows a bath tab unit
120
in which inside of a bath tab
121
is illuminated, the bath tab unit
120
being so configured that inside of the bath tab
121
is illuminated by a light source
122
by providing the light source
122
such as lamp on the side surface part of the bath tab
121
, hollowing a part of wall surface or bottom surface of the bath tab
121
for allowing light transmission, and providing a transparent material (such as lens or glass)
123
on the front side thereof, and that a rigid sealing structure for preventing water (hot water) in the bath tab
121
from causing a leakage of current in the light source
122
. When the light source
122
is turned ON with a switch (not shown), the inside of the bath tab
121
is brightly illuminated.
In the above-described conventional bath tab with the built-in illumination device
120
, however, since there is a hollowed part in the wall of the bath tab for enabling light transmission, it is necessary to provide sealing means for protecting the light source
122
from a leakage of current, and even if such sealing means is provided, the possibility of leakage of current and water due to fatigue with time or the like remains, and constant maintenance inspections are necessary for confirming the safety. Furthermore, because of the direct lighting, there is a problem that eyes of the bathing person are fatigued so that the relax feeling is reduced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a bath tab with a built-in illumination device which illuminates inside the bath tab by indirect lighting of soft feeling (such as monochromatic light, color light, image), thereby improving a mental relax feel of a user and giving an upscale image.
The present invention relates to a bath tab with a built-in illumination device, and the above-mentioned object of the present invention is achieved by providing an illumination device on the back surface side of a bath tab vessel for receiving water formed of a transparent material or a translucent material.
Also, the present invention relates to a bath tab unit of double-hulled structure consisting of an inner vessel and an outer vessel, and the above-mentioned object of the present invention is achieved by forming the inner vessel of a transparent material or a translucent material, and providing an illumination device in a space between the inner vessel and the outer vessel.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2604579 (1952-07-01), Deneboudes
patent: 3585991 (1971-06-01), Balamuth
patent: 3788306 (1974-01-01), Eberhard
patent: 4364132 (1982-12-01), Robinson
patent: 4535489 (1985-08-01), Elkins
patent: 5553735 (1996-09-01), Kimura
Fetsuga Robert M.
Ladas & Parry
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