Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Tubs – Convenience accessories
Reissue Patent
1998-09-18
2001-09-04
Phillips, Charles E. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Tubs
Convenience accessories
C004S580000
Reissue Patent
active
RE037346
ABSTRACT:
The invention disclosed and claimed herein deals with a seating and kneeling appliance which is suitable for use on a bathtub for providing support for a person clearing a bathtub or assisting another person in the bathtub.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention deals with a means of providing support to a person cleaning a bathtub or providing assistance to another person in a bathtub and is intended to ease the effort of this kind of activity. Just about every person who has been confronted with the tasks set forth above has wished at one time or another that there was available a device that would lend support and aid in relieving the uncomfortable kneeling or bending position required to carry out the above-described activities. Many kneeling devices or pads have been developed to alleviate the uncomfortable kneeling or bending position with an intention of relieving such condition, even to the extent that pain associated with this type of activity can be eliminated from the shoulders, neck, and back of the person giving assistance.
One such device which has been incorporated into the structure of the bathtub can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 35,304, issued on Nov. 19, 1901 to Pendergast. This device is fabricated from the cast iron that the tube is fabricated from. This device does not have a fold up construction, and does not have a seating arrangement in combination with the kneeling bench, and further does have any pads.
A second device is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,140,902, issued on Dec. 20, 1938 to Fischer, in which an absorbent bath mat with an apron is used for a kneeling pad at the side of a modern bathtub.
Yet another device is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,356,575, issued Nov. 2, 1982 to Terry, which shows a cushioned or padded kneeling appliance which is adaptable to the side of a modern bathtub. The device is padded at the top to provide support and comfort to the assisting persons forearms and elbows and pads are provided which are supported by the floor, which are useful to provide comfort and support for the assisting persons knees.
Still another device that is adaptable to the outside wall of a modern bathtub is that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,897, which issued Jul. 3, 1990 to Barnabie. This device is very similar to the Terry device in that it provides comfort and support for both forearms and elbows, and for knees. The device is comprised of cushions secured to a sheeting at spaced portions to provide a foldable device and also to provide a pocket for holding articles used in the bath.
On the other hand, there are also prior art devices that show the use of chairs having back supports and seats for persons which are orthopedically or ergonomically designed so as to prevent pain in the waist or back of the user.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,590, which issued Aug. 13, 1985 to Yamamura, et al, shows a chair which is orthopediacally improved. The device is characterized by a seat that is freely forwardly, downwardly inclinable to a point about 20° below the horizontal, and is further characterized by a forwardly protruding cross-bar portion that provides support for the lumbar region of the spine. This chair can be a regular chair or it can be a squat chair, the latter chair being useful alongside the front wall of a bathtub. However, there is not provided a front support for the device.
There is further described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,249, which issued Mar. 17, 1987 to Serber, an ergonomic seating assembly system with a front chest support component, a pelvis tilt seat component, and related attachments. This seating assembly is designed so as to be adaptable to a table top, counter or the like.
Finally, the applicants are aware of the disclosure in U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,078, which issued on Mar. 28, 1995, to Riach, in which a unitary, portable, foldable and adjustable therapy chair is provided.
None of the devices of the prior art provide the benefits of the device of the instant invention.
THE INVENTION
The invention herein deals with a seating and kneeling appliance which is adaptable to and is useful for providing comfort and support to a person who is cleaning a bathtub or assisting another person in the bathtub.
Thus, the invention is a seating and kneeling appliance comprising in combination a forward unit of unitary construction having a T-shaped configuration. The T-shaped configuration is comprised of a top rest and an upper support shaft. The top rest has a bottom, a top surface, a near wall, a distal wall, and two essentially identical opposing ends.
The upper support shaft has a seat side, a forward side, a bottom, a top end, and two identical side walls wherein the top rest is integrally surmounted on the top end of the upper support shaft such that the near wall of the top rest is essentially centered on the upper support shaft.
Further, the top rest has an inverted L-shaped construction to provide a deep channel in the bottom of the top rest, wherein the deep channel is formed from the top rest near wall and the top rest distal wall.
The support shaft has an enlarged opening in the seat side which extends through the forward side and near the upper support shaft bottom end. The enlarged opening has, obviously, side interior walls. Each of the side interior walls has a side interior wall top end and a side interior wall bottom end and a slotted opening therein that extends essentially from the side interior top end to the side interior bottom end, wherein each slotted opening passes through the support shaft side walls.
There is a second, or lower unit of unitary construction having a flat T-shaped configuration comprised of a central support shaft having a U-shaped configuration, a central support shaft front end and a central support shaft back end having a central support shaft top surface, a central support shaft top surface, and identical central support shaft side walls.
The central support shaft has essentially identical pad rests mounted integrally, laterally thereon, near the central support shaft front end, and each pad rest is surmounted by pads.
The central support shaft has a seat surmounted on the central support back end on the central support top surface, the seat being surmounted by a pad. The seat also has a seat front end.
The central support shaft has an enlarged opening therethrough, beginning at the seat front end and extending through the central shaft front end, to form two, essentially identical side shafts having front terminal ends.
Each of the front terminal ends is integrally surmounted by a pin block, and each pin block has a pin block inside surface.
Also, each said pin block has essentially centered, and securely anchored therein, a pin, such that when the components are combined, one of the pins is insertable in each of the respective slotted openings in the interior side walls of the upper support shaft, such that the components are connected together, and each is rotational with respect to the other.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 35304 (1901-11-01), Pendergast
patent: 2140902 (1938-12-01), Fischer
patent: 3976155 (1976-08-01), Esch
patent: 4356575 (1982-11-01), Terry
patent: 4385408 (1983-05-01), Rhodes
patent: 4534590 (1985-08-01), Yamamura et al.
patent: 4630323 (1986-12-01), Sage et al.
patent: 4632410 (1986-12-01), Bainbridge et al.
patent: 4650249 (1987-03-01), Serber
patent: 4746167 (1988-05-01), Palmer et al.
patent: 4913487 (1990-04-01), Breckel et al.
patent: 4937897 (1990-07-01), Barnable
patent: 5313675 (1994-05-01), Tinen
patent: 5401078 (1995-03-01), Riach
patent: 5496247 (1996-03-01), Anderson
patent: 5577800 (1996-11-01), Earl
Frawley Deidre M.
Frawley Mark A.
Flanagan John K.
Flanagan John R.
Flanagan & Flanagan
Phillips Charles E.
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