AU2009101230A4 - An Improved Access Bath - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 INNOVATION PATENT SPECIFICATION AN IMPROVED ACCESS BATH The following statement is a full description of this invention: 1 AN IMPROVED ACCESS BATH 5 TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a bath which is arranged to be readily accessible for people having reduced mobility, such as elderly and injured persons. 10 BACKGROUND The bathing of elderly and mobility-reduced persons poses a problem for health care providers because it can be difficult to help a bather into a bath. 15 One approach is for the bather to lie on a sling which is then lifted by three or four attendants in order to place the sling and the bather into the bath. Of course, there is a risk of the attendants losing their grip on the sling, which can result in injury for the bather. Furthermore, such an arrangement may be viewed as immodest or undignified by the bather, which is undesirable. 20 A further problem that is faced by elderly and mobility-reduced persons is that they may suffer from reduced circulation and in some circumstances contact sores or the like may develop. It would therefore be advantageous if some form of therapy might be applied to such persons to assist in stimulating their 25 circulation. It is an object of the present invention to provide a bath that addresses one or more of the above problems or which is at least a useful alternative to baths that are hitherto known in the art. 30 2 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a bath assembly including: 5 a stand for supporting a bath; a bath pivotally coupled to the stand and having a number of water inlets formed there-through; an arrangement to maintain the bath in a first horizontal position for bathing and in a second position, wherein the bath is pivoted relative to the 10 stand, for a bather to alight from the bath; a storage tank for storing water for the bath; and a pump to force water from the storage tank through said water inlets into the bath. 15 Preferably at least one overfill outlet port is formed through the bath and is in communication with the storage tank to prevent overfilling of the bath in the horizontal position. In a preferred embodiment a cover is provided that has one or more ports or 20 nozzles for applying water to the bather. Preferably the bath is formed with a number of drains in communication with the storage tank for draining water of the bath thereto. 25 The arrangement to maintain the bath in a first horizontal position for bathing and in a second tilted position for a bather to alight from the bath may include an actuator. For example, an electric or hydraulic actuator may be provided with an arm that retracts and extends as desired. 30 Preferably a floor of the bath is shaped to complement a bather with knees bent. An air pump may be provided which is arranged to force air through inlet ports formed in the bath in order to dry a bather.

3 The air pump may be arranged to aerate water for the inlet ports. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 5 Preferred features, embodiments and variations of the invention may be discerned from the following Detailed Description which provides sufficient information for those skilled in the art to perform the invention. The Detailed Description is not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the preceding Summary of the Invention in any way. The Detailed Description will make 10 reference to a number of drawings as follows: Figure 1 is a side view of a bath assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention including a bath in a first position for bathing. Figure 2 is a side view of the bath assembly with the bath in a second 15 position for a bather to enter and alight from the bath. Figure 3 is a diagram of the bath assembly illustrating components for filling, and re-circulating water through, the bath. Figure 4 is a further diagram of the bath assembly illustrating components for draining the bath. 20 Figure 5 is a side view of the bath assembly indicating the position of a bath cover of the assembly in an open configuration. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to Figure 1, there is depicted a side view of a bath assembly 25 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The bath assembly includes a bath 2, which is mounted to a frame 4. The frame 4 is pivotably connected to stand 6 at pivot point 10. In the configuration shown in Figure 1 the bath can be filled with water, as will be described shortly, for use by a bather. It will be observed that in the presently described preferred 30 embodiment the bath is formed in a somewhat "W" shaped profile to accommodate a bather's body with legs bent at the knee over apex 54. The bather's feet rest in trough 50 between apex 54 and the foot 44 of the bath 2, with the bather's hips located in trough 52. Preferably the bath is formed of fiberglass, acrylic or another suitable, lightweight material for bath fabrication.

4 An actuator 8, shown in a retracted state, is disposed between one end of the frame at point 12 and a base point 14, which is a point on the floor 15 of the bathroom that houses the bath assembly. Alternatively a point on stand 6 5 might also be selected. Referring now to Figure 2, upon extending the actuator 8, frame 4 and so bath 2, pivots clockwise on stand 6 about pivot point 10, until the bath is tilted so that the foot 44 of the bath 2 abuts the floor as shown in Figure 2. 10 Referring now to Figure 3, the bath assembly further includes a water storage tank 38, a pump 32 for pumping water from the tank 38 and a filter 30 for filtering water from the pump 32 prior to it entering inlet jet manifolds 16, 18, 19 and 20. The inlet jet manifolds feed an array of inlets formed through the 15 wall of bath 2 in order to fill the bath and provide a water massage to the bather's body during use. Providing a water massage is beneficial to the bather's circulation. An air pump 54 is coupled via a valve 40 to an output side of filter 30 so that 20 the water entering the bath through the manifolds can be aerated. As will be described, the air pump 56 can also be used to dry the bather after the bath 2 has been drained. A gravity feed return line 34 is provided between an upper level overfill outlet 25 port 58, formed through the wall of bath 2, and storage tank 38 to prevent overfilling of the bath 2 and provide for recycling of water during bathing. With reference to Figure 4, in order to drain the bath, drainage lines 36 are provided between outlets formed at the bottom of troughs 50 and 52 and 30 storage tank 4. The drainage lines 36 are each fitted with drain control taps 46. A drainage line with drainage tap (not shown) is also provided between manifolds 16, 18, 19, 20 and storage tank 38 to allow the manifolds to drain back into the holding tank 38.

5 Referring now to Figures 3 and 5, the bath 2 may be fitted with a cover 26 that is attached to the bath by hinges 28 so that it may assume either a closed configuration, as shown in Figure 3 or an open configuration as shown in dashed line in Figure 5. Shower heads 24 are mounted inside the cover 26 5 and fed water through a flexible line 22 that is coupled to the output side of filter 30. The shower heads provide water to those parts of the bather's body not immersed in the bath water. In use, the empty bath 2 is pivoted to the position shown in Figure 2 by 10 extending actuator 8. A bather may then simply walk into the bath, i.e. onto the foot 44 of the bath 2 and sit with hips positioned in trough 52 and feet in trough 50. Cover 26 is then closed and actuator 8 is retracted so that the bath 2 assumes the horizontal position shown in Figure 1. 15 Referring now to Figure 3, pump 32 is then activated so that water is pumped from storage tank 38, through filter 30, non-return valve 40 and into manifolds 16, 18, 19, 20 from whence it enters the bath 2 via jet inlets. Water is also pumped through shower heads 24. The bath then fills until the water level reaches the height of outlet port 58 at which point water drains through line 34 20 and back into storage tank 38 from which point the process repeats. Air pump 56 may also be activated while water is flowing through manifolds 16, 18, 19, 20 in order to aerate the water that passes out of the jet inlets. At the conclusion of the bathing process, pump 32 is switched off and the 25 drain control taps 46 are opened allowing water to drain back into the holding tank 38 through the drainage lines 36. The air pump 56 may be operated after the bath has been drained to provide warm air through the manifolds 16, 18, 19, 20 and their associated inlet jets 30 and also through shower heads 24, to dry the bather. Once the bather has been dried the air pump 54 may then be switched off. The actuator 8 is then operated so that the frame 4, bath 2, which is now emptied of water, and the dried bather are pivoted to the tilted position shown in Figure 2. The cover 26 is then opened to allow the bather to alight. After the bather has alighted 6 cover 26 is then opened and the actuator 8 retracted in order to return the bath to the horizontal position shown in Figure 1. If necessary, the bath may have disinfectants poured into it and the pump 32 switched on to circulate the water and disinfect the bath. The holding tank 38 can then be drained to the 5 local drainage system and refilled with fresh water. While it is preferred that a power actuator 8 be provided, for example an electric or hydraulic actuator, to bring the bath from a tilted position to a horizontal position, it is also possible to tilt the bath manually. Where the bath 10 is tilted manually then another arrangement, other than actuator 8 must be provided to maintain the bath in the horizontal position for bathing or in the tilted position for a bather to alight. For example, stays or a catch might be provided to keep the bath firmly in either the horizontal position or the tilted position. Alternatively, a clamp or the like might be arranged about pivot 10 to 15 maintain the bath in either of the desired positions, i.e. horizontal for bathing or tilted for alighting from or entering the bath. It will be realised that while the preferred shape of the bath is "W" shaped with twin troughs to respectively support the bather's feet and hips, baths of other 20 shapes might also be employed. In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. The term "comprises" and its variations, such as "comprising" and "comprised of" is 25 used throughout in an inclusive sense and not to the exclusion of any additional features. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific features shown or described since the means herein described comprises preferred forms of putting the invention into effect. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope 30 of the appended claims appropriately interpreted by those skilled in the art.

Claims (5)

1. A bath assembly including a stand for supporting a bath; a bath pivotally coupled to the stand and having a number of water inlets formed there-through; an arrangement to maintain the bath in a first horizontal position for bathing and in a second position, wherein the bath is pivoted relative to the stand, for a bather to alight from the bath; a storage tank for storing water for the bath; and a pump to force water from the storage tank through said water inlets into the bath.

2. A bath assembly according to claim 1, including at least one overfill outlet port formed through the bath and in communication with the storage tank to prevent overfilling of the bath in the horizontal position.

3. A bath assembly according to any one of the preceding claims including a cover having one or more ports or nozzles for applying water to the bather.

4. A bath assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, including a number of drains in communication with the storage tank for draining water of the bath thereto.

5. A bath assembly substantially as described herein with reference to the Figures.