Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Tubs – With user access means in side of the tub
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-30
2004-10-12
Fetsuga, Robert M. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Tubs
With user access means in side of the tub
C004S574100, C004S575100, C004S584000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06802088
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to portable bath devices and, more specifically, to a portable bathing unit fabricated of a sturdy, rigid, lightweight material wherein said portable bathing unit comprises a base member having a horizontal bottom surrounded by vertical walls with an open top forming a basin in which to bathe a person that is infirm, injured or otherwise in need of assisted bathing.
The present invention further comprises a means for introducing water into the basin for washing the person therein and a means for draining the water therefrom. A removable side panel is incorporated in at least one sidewall of said base member to ease the transferal of a patient therein and therefrom and is secured to said base member by latching mechanisms that in conjunction with an EPDM seal assure a watertight seal. The latching mechanisms may also be adjustable to allow the user to increase the tension accordingly to compensate for any deformities occurring to the sidewall or base member after a period of use to maintain the water tight seal.
Furthermore, an adjustable backrest/footrest element is provided which can be selectively placed within said basin according to the needs of the individual within. A tongue and groove fastening method is the preferable means for adjustably retaining said backrest/footrest element in a specific position within the basin although other suitable backrest retaining means may be utilized. A headrest may be removably fastened by an attachment means such as hook and loop fasteners to the backrest/footrest element or the top of the end sidewalls to provide comfort and safety to the patient depending upon the needs of the patient and the type of bath they are receiving.
The means for introducing water into the basin comprises a flexible conduit, a means for fastening said flexible conduit to a pressurized water source, and a means for manually restricting and controlling the flow of fluid from said flexible conduit. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the water source is a conventional household shower head and the water source fastening means is a threaded diverter element that threads onto the shower neck when the shower head is removed therefrom. The flexible conduit is a shower hose connected to said diverter element on one end and to the fluid restricting means on the other with said fluid restricting means being a hand-held shower head. The hand-held shower head comprises a means for connecting to said shower hose, a handle member, a plurality of dispersion recesses for diffusing the ejaculation of the fluid as it passes therethrough and a means for manually regulating the pressure and quantity of water introduced to the patient. The showerhead may also be equipped with a trickle drip system that will prevent the water regulating means from completely restricting the flow of water through the shower head thereby preventing backpressure from causing undue stress to the internal components therein.
The drainage means comprises a drain assembly and a discharge hose that could thread onto the drain assembly, said drain assembly comprising a passage communicating between the floor of the internal basin portion of said base member and a spigot incorporated with the base member threaded to correspond with the threads of said discharge hose. The discharge line could be run to a bathtub, shower enclosure or any other suitable area to receive waste water that is at a level lower than that of the drain assembly. The spigot may be completely open during washing thereby providing more of a shower as the water is drained from the basin as rapidly as it is introduced or it may be partially closed to allow the patient to remain immersed while the shower head is continually introducing water therein. The spigot may also be closed to allow the basin to be filled to a selected depth and used strictly as a bath. Once the bathing is complete the drain is fully opened, the water is drained completely, the patient rolled back onto the bed, and the tub is removed.
A gurney is provided for supporting the bathing unit when it is not feasible or allowed to bathe the patient on the bed. The top portion of the gurney's frame fits inside corresponding cannels located on the underside of the bathing unit to maintain it securely.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other portable bath devices. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 2,576,623 issued to Mclaughlin on Nov. 27, 1951.
Another patent was issued to Kyte on Feb. 2, 1971 as U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,216. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,045 was issued to Estes on Oct. 9, 1979 and still yet another was issued on Jun. 17, 1980 to Kagawa as U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,629.
Another patent was issued to Marcanio on Dec. 4, 1984 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,502. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,850 was issued to Flaherty et al. on Dec. 22, 1987 and still yet another was issued to Rhines on Jun. 25, 1991 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,515 and Inagaki was issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,136 on Oct. 8, 1991. U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,526 was issued on Aug. 30, 1994 to Kennedy and on Feb. 4, 1997 Crawford et al. was issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,590. Appleford et al. was issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,614 on Dec. 30, 1997 and on Oct. 13, 1998 Coleman was issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,333.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,576,623
Inventor: Bernard E. McLaughlin
Issued: Nov. 27, 1951
A bathing apparatus comprising a portable and collapsible tub stand, a tub hingedly secured to said stand and one of the side walls of said tub being hinged so that a patient may be moved into the tub through the opening formed in the tub by the opening formed in the tub by opening the side of the tub.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,216
Inventor: Dorothy F. Kyte
Issued: Feb. 2, 1971
A portable bathtub for use with bed patients that comprises a basin with a bottom wall and an upstanding end and longitudinal side walls surrounding the bottom wall, the bottom wall the bottom wall and one longitudinal side wall being joined by an externally convex, curved wall section of relatively large radius forming a rocker support along the corresponding lower longitudinal corner portion of the tub whereby the tub can be rotated transversely on the rocker support afforded by said curved wall to place a patient in the tub without lifting the patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,045
Inventor: Judith K. Estes
Issued: Oct. 9, 1979
A contoured inner bathing tub or litter having a multiplicity of perforations or apertures formed therein is removably positioned within a complementarily contoured outer tub. The outer tub is supported on a mobile frame. The present invention permits a patient to be easily positioned on the litter and, then, bathed while resting stationary and in a natural position within the inner tub. The perforations enable the bathing liquid to enter the litter for washing the patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,629
Inventor: Hideo Kagawa
Issued: Jun. 17, 1980
A tub-bathing equipment for bedridden old people, physically-handicapped people and so on, in which a bathtub fitted into a rectangular frame of a carriage from above is slanted by a crane disposed under the bathtub so that the side of the shallowest portion of the bathtub is lowered to the floor to allow ease in helping the patient into or out of the bathtub.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,502
Inventor: Louis Marcanio
Issued: Dec. 4, 1984
A portable bathing tub for invalids, especially bed-ridden persons. There is a large waterproof sheet which is laid on one half of the width of the bed, while the person rolls to the other half Then the person rolls onto the half where the sheet has been placed, and the remainder of the sheet is extended over the second half of the bed, and the margins are gathered up close to or onto the person when the person is approximately centered on the bed. A frame of four L-shaped members, preferably made of plastic material, is erected to form a rectangular enclosure of low walls around the person. The edges of the waterproof sheet are then placed against these low walls and extend up t
Fetsuga Robert M.
Kroll Michael I
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