Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Tubs – With user access means in side of the tub
Patent
1996-10-15
1997-12-30
Phillips, Charles E.
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Tubs
With user access means in side of the tub
A47K 302
Patent
active
057016143
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a bath incorporating a sealing device, and more particularly to a type of bath designed specially for use by elderly or disabled persons.
Such baths are known in which part of one side of the bath is formed by a movable door forming an opening through which the user can enter the bath without having to climb over the top of the bath. The door is then closed and the bath can be filled with water. When the user wishes to get out of the bath, the bath is first emptied of water and the door can then be opened again.
In order to prevent water leakage from the bath, it is necessary to have a water-tight seal between the door and the opening. Baths of this type generally have one of two types of door. The first type of door is rotated towards and away from the opening and accordingly sweeps a large area of the room in which the bath is situated as the door is rotated. The second type of door is slid over the opening and then clamped against the bath. Both of these types of door require separate moving and clamping arrangements, which add to manufacturing costs and overall complexity of the bath. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a bath suitable for elderly or disabled persons which overcomes the above mentioned disadvantages.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,219 (on which the pre-characterising part of claim 1 is based) discloses an invalid bath in which a door is vertically slidable from a lowered open position to a raised closed position. Parallel side edges of the door sliding channels lined with gasket material as the door is raised and lowered. Friction between the door edges and gasket material will accordingly occur as the door is raised and lowered.
Thus according to the invention there is provided a bath particularly for use by an elderly or disabled person, the bath having a body with a side shaped so as to form an opening, a movable door arranged to close the opening and a sealing arrangement for sealing between the opening and the door, which comprises confronting surfaces between which sealing means is interposed and each of which is connected to one of the body and the door and are configured to be urged sealingly together by sliding of the door into the closed position, wherein substantially the entire door is situated below a water accommodating region of the body when fully opened and translation of the door substantially within its own plane effects closure of the opening and sealing between the confronting surfaces characterised in that the confronting surfaces are constituted by a first surface connected to the bath around the opening and a second surface connected to an inwardly facing surface of the door.
By using a sliding action substantially within a plane containing the door to both close the door and seal the door over the opening considerable simplification of the mechanism required to move the door between open and closed positions is possible.
By connecting the first surface to the bath around the opening and connecting the second surface to an inwardly facing surface of the door a particularly effective seal can be achieved between the confronting surfaces. Preferably the first surface is constituted by a skirt for example connected to the bath around the opening, and the second surface is constituted by a channel, for example connected to the inwardly facing surface of the door. The skirt may alternatively be connected to the door and the channel located around the opening.
So as to facilitate insertion of the skirt into the channel the skirt preferably extends substantially parallel to a plane along or in which the door slides.
Preferably sealing means which is conveniently located in and connected to the channel is interposed between the confronting surfaces to enhance the seal therebetween. Suitable materials which allow adequate tolerance of the position of the door relative to the aperture without adversely affecting the seal therebetween include foamed materials such as closed cell foamed rubber.
So as to still further accommodate such
REFERENCES:
patent: 4993087 (1991-02-01), Roguebrune
patent: 5184358 (1993-02-01), Gruidel et al.
Appleford David E.
Lane Brian W.
Webb Alan D.
Alpha Thames Engineering Limited
Phillips Charles E.
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