Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Tubs – Convenience accessories
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-07
2002-06-25
Fetsuga, Robert M. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Tubs
Convenience accessories
C004S579000, C004S611000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06408456
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a swivel tub and shower chair system and more particularly pertains to facilitating the cleaning of a physically handicapped person or invalid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of devices to assist in the cleaning of invalids is known in the prior art. More specifically, devices to assist in the cleaning of invalids previously devised and utilized for the purpose of facilitating the cleaning of people with physical handicaps through known methods and apparatuses are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
In this respect, the swivel tub and shower chair system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of facilitating the cleaning of physically handicapped persons or invalids and for relieving the stress and strain on caregivers.
The shower and bathtub benches, chairs and stools on the markets for helping handicapped people take a shower are lacking in the following ways:
1. A safe way for a person that has limited use of legs and arms to be assisted in getting over the bathtub wall and into the bathtub and back out again after the shower is finished.
2. Many do not have arms and a back to help steady a person by providing something to hold on to.
3. Most do not have a hygiene access to facilitate washing personal parts of the body.
4. The benches, stools and chairs available do not provide an easy and safe way to move a person needing to be assisted by a caregiver into and out of a bathtub or shower. When sitting a patient on a transfer bench, the caregiver has to lift patients little by little across said bench until the patient is inside the bathtub if the patient is unable to lift their weight. Sometimes it is a process of lifting, scooting and dragging the patient across the bench and then reversing the process to get the patient out of the bathtub or shower.
5. Some patients have very delicate skin therefore, scooting on or being dragged across a bench by a caregiver there is a chance of tearing the skin on the buttock.
6. When a caregiver has to lift and drag a patient across a transfer bench there is always a chance caregiver will be injured by straining their back, injuring a vertebra, or getting nerves pinched.
7. Patient lacks complete support during the entire process of getting into and out of the bathtub or shower. The patient that is week in their legs are in danger of falling, even while being helped by a caregiver. This also puts the caregiver at risk as described in sections 4, 5 and 6, above
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved swivel tub and shower chair system which can be used for facilitating the cleaning of physically handicapped persons or invalids and for relieving the stress and strain on caregivers. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of devices to assist in the cleaning of invalids now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved swivel tub and shower chair systems. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved swivel tub and shower chair systems which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a swivel tub and shower chair system with an oval hygiene access to facilitate the cleaning of physically handicapped persons or invalids and for relieving the stress and strain on caregivers. The system comprises, in combination, a bathing assembly positionable adjacent to a room wall and having a bath tub. The bath tub has a horizontal bottom at its lower extent and an upwardly extending interior wall adapted to abut the room wall and an upwardly extending exterior wall parallel with and laterally spaced with respect to the interior wall. The exterior wall terminates at an upper horizontal edge about 12 inches higher than the horizontal bottom of the bath tub. The system also includes a plastic base assembly having a vertically disposed support pedestal in a hollow cylindrical configuration with a diameter of about 2 inches and having an upper end and a lower end. The base assembly further has four radially positioned stabilizing legs in a cross-like configuration 90 degrees from each other. Each leg is about 12 inches in length formed in a cylindrical configuration with an interior end rigidly coupled to the exterior of the lower end of the pedestal and a second end receiving a nonskid rubber cap to prevent slippage of the base assembly as well as to prevent marring of the bottom of the tub. The base assembly is adapted to rest on the bottom of the tub with the pedestal and legs being sized such that they fit between the interior and exterior walls of the tub. The system further includes a plastic chair assembly having a horizontal seat with an oval hygiene access aperture located there through providing increased access to a bather's private areas to be cleaned. The seat has an upper face, lower face, front edge, rear edge and a pair of side edges there between. The seat further has a contoured back having a top edge and a lower edge. The back has a plurality of radially spaced generally rectangular slots. The chair assembly also has a pair of arm rests coupled between the top edge of the back region and the side edges of the seat region in proximity of the front edge forming a forward portion whereby the front edge extends forwardly past arm rests. The aperture is spaced closer to the front edge of the seat than the rear edge. The chair assembly also has an angled imperforate floor with an upper face and lower face and a pair of vertical side extensions coupling the floor and the seat at their sides. The floor and the seat and the side extensions there by form a front opening and a rear opening with the front opening beneath the front edge of the seat for venting water. The chair assembly further has a coned region with an enlarged upper end coupled to the lower side of the floor and a lower post extending downwardly from the lower tapered end and being adapted to be received in the upper end of the hollow support pedestal of the base assembly. The chair assembly is offset forwardly from the center of the base assembly so when the chair is rotated, the front edge of the seat extends over the exterior wall of the tub. Lastly, the system includes a cylindrical bearing positionable upon the upper end of the pedestal and adapted to receive the post to facilitate the rotational movement of the seat with respect to the base assembly.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in t
Fike Gilmour J.
Fike Kathleen A.
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