Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Tubs – Convenience accessories
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-22
2001-05-08
Douglas, Steven O. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Tubs
Convenience accessories
C004S578100, C004S447000, C004S448000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226810
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to bath seats which are utilized to support an individual in a bathtub and more particularly to bath seats which are designed to be compactly folded for portability and storage and which are light weight thereby facilitating handling and use.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
There are many people who because of age or physical disability require assistance when using a shower or bathtub. often, such individuals must be supported on a seating unit which is provided specifically for use with a bathtub or shower enclosure. Because of this, it often becomes necessary for an aide, nurse or family member to exert a great deal of physical effort to lift and lower an individual into a bathtub or to lift an individual onto a seating unit position within the bathtub or shower. A number of prior art seating devices have been designed to alleviate such physical effort.
Some prior art structures have been designed to be permanently installed adjacent to a bathtub or shower enclosure. Unfortunately, such permanently installed structures are often not practical especially when individuals travel, visit with friends or family or when the size of the bathroom does not permit such permanent installation. Examples of this type of seating unit or support device are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,076,808 to Arborg, U.S. Pat. No. 2,052,629 to Higgins and U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,207 to Gilbert.
Other bathtub seating units include very basic structures which are designed to include bench-like surfaces for supporting an individual within a bathtub. Unfortunately, such bench-type seats require that an individual either seat themselves on the bench within the bathtub or be lifted and placed on the bench. If an individual does not have the physical ability to seat him or herself, it is generally not practical to use a fixed bench-type seating unit for a bathtub or shower enclosure.
To facilitate the positioning of an individual on a bath chair or seat, some bench-type supports have been designed which include cantilevered portions which extend from the sidewall of the bathtub or enclosure. Such portions provide initial support for an individual being assisted. After an individual is seated on a cantilevered seat, the individual may thereafter be moved so that they are positioned between the sidewalls of the bathtub or shower enclosure. Examples of such bathing support devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,006 to Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 4,472,844 to Mace and U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,505 Hatala.
Some seating devices for use with bathtubs have been designed to be more portable in nature. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,791 to Thomas, a slidable seat is disclosed which is mounted on a frame having a pair of legs supported by a bathtub and a pair of legs which are engageable with a floor exteriorly of the bathtub. The overall structure, however, is not securely positioned on the bathtub and can be displaced when in use. Additional examples of bathtub seating devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,549 to Davies, U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,591 to Myers and U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,445 to Bailey.
An improvement over prior art portable bath seating units is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,728 to Weddendorf et al. The bathing unit disclosed includes a frame which is designed to be mounted to the upper walls of a bathtub or shower enclosure. A carriage is moveably mounted to the frame such that a chair carried by the carriage may be moved from a first position which allows an individual to be seated upon the chair above the outer sidewall of bathtub and, thereafter, the chair pivoted on the carriage and the carriage moved so that the seat is positioned within the bathtub or shower enclosure. The frame is stabilized by a pair of foldable legs which engage a bottom wall of the bathtub and a pair of front clamps which engage over the outer sidewall of the bathtub. Although the seating unit disclosed in this patent exhibits an improvement over prior art portable bath seating units, the use of the carriage for supporting the seat and the support structure for the main frame add both to the cost of the unit as well as the bulk and weight of the unit which in some degree, has an effect on portability and handling of the seating unit.
In view of the foregoing, there remains a need to provide lightweight, sturdy, and portable bath chairs or seats which may be easily and compactly transported and stored when not in use but which may be readily and securely mounted to a bathtub or bathtub enclosure to provide a safe support for an individual requiring the use of a seating device when bathing or showering.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a lightweight portable seating unit for use with a bathtub or shower enclosure which includes a platform having an outer or first end portion which is designed to be seated upon an outer sidewall of a bathtub while an inner or second end is supported by a pivotably leg assembly which is engageable with a bottom wall of the bathtub. The platform is secured to the bathtub by an adjustable clamp assembly including oppositely oriented clamp members which are pivotal from a stored position beneath the platform to a deployed position engageable with opposite surfaces of the outer wall of the bathtub. The pivotable leg assembly is moveable between a first stored position beneath the platform to a deployed position wherein the legs provide support for the inner end of the platform. A lock is provided for retaining the leg assembly in either the stored or deployed position. A carrying handle for the seating unit is pivotably mounted to the platform adjacent the clamp assembly and, when moved from a toting or carrying position to a position beneath the platform, is operative to cam one of the clamp members of the clamp assembly tightly against a side wall of the bathtub.
The invention further includes a seat which is slideably supported on roller bearings on the platform and is guided within a slot formed in the platform. The seat may be rotated at an inner portion of the slot. An individual may be seated on the seat exteriorly of the bathtub, afterwhich, the seat is moved along the platform such that the individual is seated between the sidewalls of the bathtub. Thereafter, the seat is rotated to reorient the seat relative to the platform. The invention may include a locking device to retain the seat in a deployed position when in use so that the seat cannot shift relative to the platform on which it is supported.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, a bidet-like device may be attached to a modified seat to further provide for a thorough cleansing of an individual on the seating unit. The first modified seat includes recesses in a base and backrest into which the bidet device is frictionally fitted.
In some embodiments of the invention, a tray is detachably mounted to the inner end of the platform so as to be situated generally over an inside wall of the bathtub. The tray may include openings for draining water during use.
A further seat modification is provided which is designed to permit varying degrees of patient reclining as well as patient head support. In this embodiment, the seat includes a backrest which is adjustable to vary its tilt angle. When not in use, the backrest is folded against the seat bottom. A head rest is telescopically mounted to the backrest and may include a strap for securely retaining a patient's head to the headrest. To provide additional stability to the seating unit when the modified seat is in use, a bracket is provided which is engageable with the platform and which extends therefrom to engagement with an endwall of a bathtub in the direction of the tilt angle of the backrest.
It is the primary object of the invention to provide a portable bath seat which is extremely lightweight and compact thereby facilitating portability and deployment for use and yet which is sturdy enough to support larger individuals requiring assistance when bathing or shower
Helmes, Sr. Gary J.
Weddendorf Bruce
Douglas Steven O.
Dowell & Dowell , P.C.
Huynh Khoa
Patent/Marketing Concepts, L.L.C.
LandOfFree
Portable bath seat does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Portable bath seat, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Portable bath seat will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2545738