AU2014101420A4 - "Support Platform" also known as a bath chair or bath bench to support a person over a bathtub. - Google Patents

Abstract

H:\knh\Intrwovn\NRPortbl\DCC\KMH\5283768_I.doc- 1/07/2013 A support platform (1), adapted to be positioned across the top of a bath. The support platform includes a pair of wall engaging members (2, 3), each wall engaging member (2, 3) adapted to engage a respective opposed side wall of said bath, each member (2, 3) including a plurality of support arms (6, 7) extending outwardly therefrom in a manner so as to engage with the support arms (6, 7) of the opposed member; and, an adjustment mechanism (8), for adjustment of the spacing between said pair of wall engaging members (2, 3). Figure 1

Description

INTERNATIONAL PCT PATENT APPLICATION SCOTT FULVIO LARUFFA "SUPPORT PLATFORM" Filed 11 July 2013 Document4 - 11/7/13 H:\knh\Intrwovn\NRPortbl\DCC\KMH\5283768_I.doc- 1/07/2013 SUPPORT PLATFORM FIELD OF THE INVENTION [001] The present invention relates to a support platform, and in particular, to a support platform for supporting a person or an object over a bathtub. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [002] The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or admission or any form of suggestion that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates. [003] Bathing infants in regular bath tubs is dangerous and wasteful given the amount of water that is required to fill the tub to a reasonable level. If the water level is too high, there is a risk of drowning. If the water level is too low, adequate bathing of the infant can be difficult. Further, the infant must be lowered down into the tub, which can be difficult for parents, especially those with back injuries or limited mobility. [004] Infant tubs are small portable tubs for bathing infants. However, in use, movement and splashing by the infant can cause considerable displacement of water from the infant tub as the walls of the infant tub tend to be quite low. Accordingly, the infant tub is typically placed in an environment where the displaced water can easily drain away, such as in a regular bath tub. However, as the infant tub sits on the bottom of the bath tub, this still requires the parent or carer to bend down in order to attend to the infant. [005] Other items such as indoor pot plants that need to be watered and are prone to leaking water are sometimes kept in a bath tub during and after watering. If the plants are placed on the bottom of the bath tub, they are often too low to receive any sunlight or to be seen. [006] Many elderly or disabled people have great difficulty getting into or out of regular bath tubs due to the high walls. Pregnant women and others also have difficulty sitting down in bath tubs or standing in bath tub showers.

H:\knh\Intrwovn\NRPortbl\DCC\KMH\5283768_I.doc- 1/07/2013 -2 [007] Various attempts have been made at providing a seat for positioning atop a bath tub. Examples are shown in various patent documents, including US 5887297 by Sutor, US 5373591 by Myers, US 6240577 by Worthy, US 4150445 by Bailey, US 5740563 by Gaddy, and US 2007/0083990 by Werschmidt. Various attempts have been also made at positioning a baby bath atop a conventional bath tub, such as shown in DE 2856168 by Eubel. [008] All these prior art devices are quite cumbersome and bulky, and, whilst they all have various useful features, none are particularly portable. None can be easily disassembled into a 'flat-pack' type configuration where they take up minimal space for transportation in the back of a car along with other luggage, and as such, none can be readily moved from place to place as and when required without requiring excessive luggage requirements. [009] The Applicant has herebefore designed a support frame for supporting a person or object over a bathtub, as described in the Applicants earlier Australian Patent Application No. 2001900074, and the Applicant's earlier International Patent Application No. PCT/AU2012/000017. The disclosures of these two earlier patent applications should be considered to be incorporated within this specification, by this reference thereto. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] The Applicant's earlier invention overcomes many of the problems of the prior art, however, the Applicant has now invented further improvements to the earlier device which, at least in some applications, provide a useful alternative to the earlier device. [0011] The present invention seeks to overcome or at least ameliorate one or more disadvantages, or provide a useful alternative, to the prior art devices, including those hereinbefore described. [0012] The present invention also seeks to provide a support platform which may be positioned across the top of a bath, which is easily adjustable by a user. [0013] In one broad form, the present invention provides a support platform, adapted to be positioned across the top of a bath, the support platform including: a pair of wall engaging members, each wall engaging member adapted to engage a respective opposed side wall of said bath, each member including a plurality of support H:\knh\Intrwovn\NRPortbl\DCC\KMH\5283768_I.doc- 1/07/2013 -3 arms extending outwardly therefrom in a manner so as to engage with the support arms of the opposed member; and, an adjustment mechanism, for adjustment of the spacing between said pair of wall engaging members. [0014] Preferably, said adjustment mechanism includes a rod associated with a first of said members and a cooperating shaft associated with a second of said members. [0015] Also preferably, each of said rod and said shaft include cooperating screw threads. [0016] Preferably, said adjustment mechanism includes a rotatable handle, adapted to rotate one of said rod or said shaft. [0017] Also preferably, said adjustment mechanism further includes a gear adapted to rotate said rod or said shaft when said handle is rotated. [0018] Preferably, each support arm extends substantially perpendicular to the wall engaging members, and is adapted to slidably engage with an adjacent support arm. [0019] Also preferably, said adjustment mechanism includes a draft screw, rotatable by user operation of said rotatable handle, said draft screw driving said rod via a draft gear. [0020] Also preferably, each support arm includes an end cap attached to the end thereof, the end cap being secured to the support arm, and including a slide rod which is adapted to slidably engage a slide channel of an adjacent support arm, if applicable. [0021] Also preferably, each wall engaging member includes a moulded rubber pad, preferably ribbed, to provided a non-slip engagement with a side wall of said bath. [0022] Also preferably, said adjustment mechanism may be operated to reduce the spacing between said wall engaging members, such that said support platform may be compacted for storage or portability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0023] The present invention will become more fully understood from the following detailed description of specific examples thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 illustrates a top view of the support platform in an extended position, in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 illustrates a bottom view of the support platform; H:\knh\Intrwovn\NRPortbl\DCC\KMH\5283768_I.doc- 1/07/2013 -4 Fig. 3 illustrates an end view of the support platform; Fig. 4 illustrates a side view of the support platform; Fig. 5 illustrates a top view of the support platform, in its contracted position; Fig. 6 illustrates a perspective view of the support platform in use over a bath; Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the support platform of the present invention; Fig. 8 shows a top view of the embodiment of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 shows a bottom view of the embodiment of Fig. 7; Fig. 10 shows a side view of the embodiment of Fig. 7; Fig. 11 shows various views of another preferred embodiment of the support platform of the present invention; Fig. 12 shows perspective views of the embodiment shown in Fig. 11; Fig. 13 shows an exploded view of the embodiment of Fig. 11; Fig. 14 shows the draft gear component used in the embodiment of Fig. 11; Fig. 15 shows the draft screw component used in the embodiment of Fig. 11; and, Fig. 16 shows perspective views of the end cap components used in the embodiment of Fig. 11. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0024] As shown in the drawings, the support platform, generally designated by the numeral 1, includes a pair of wall engaging members 2 and 3. [0025] Each wall engaging member 2 and 3 is adapted to engage a respective opposed side wall of the bath, shown in Fig. 6. Each member 2, 3 includes an elongate portion 4 which is preferably provided with shaped engaging surface 5, such as shown in Fig. 4, such that it fits over the top inner edge of a respective side wall of a bathtub, shown in Fig. 6. Each wall engaging member 2 is also provided with a plurality of support arms 6 and 7, which extend outwardly or transversely from the elongate members 4, so as to interleave with the support arms 6 and 7 of the opposed member, such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The interleaving support arms 6 and 7 may slidably engage with each other, via an appropriate sliding mechanism, as will be understood by persons skilled in the art. [0026] The support platform of the present invention also incorporates an adjustment H:\knh\Intrwovn\NRPortbl\DCC\KMH\5283768_I.doc- 1/07/2013 -5 mechanism 8, for adjustment of the space between the pair of wall engaging members. The adjustment mechanism 8 preferably includes a rod 9, which may typically be threaded, associated with a first member 4, and a cooperating shaft 10, also typically threaded in a manner to cooperate with the threaded rod, associated with a second of the members 4. By appropriate adjustment of the rod 9 and the shaft 10, each of the wall engaging members 4 may be moved together, as shown in Fig. 5 or apart, as shown in Fig. 1 in the directions of arrow 11. The adjustment of the adjustment mechanism 8 may be facilitated by a user operated handle 12. Any alternative user-operated or automatic adjustment mechanism, such as being operated by a switch and motor, may alternatively be used. [0027] In the illustrated embodiment, the handle 12 is connected via an axle 13 and then by a gear 14 to the threaded rod 9 such that, by rotating the handle 12, the threaded rod 9 rotates within the threaded shaft 10 to achieve adjustment of the support platform 1. [0028] It will be understood that the various components of the support platform 1 may be constructed of a variety of materials. Obviously, as the support platform 1 is prone to get wet, it is preferably constructed of materials which are not prone to rust. Plastics, timber, and/or aluminium or other non-corrosive metals are suitable materials. Also, the engaging surfaces 5 are preferably formed of a material which would not scratch the upper edges of the bathtub upon which it is placed. Rubber or appropriate plastic material may typically be preferable. [0029] Material should be chosen such that appropriate strength is achieved, strong enough for a person to sit on or the like, whilst being as lightweight as possible, for ease of installation and removal into position. A handle 15 may optionally be provided on one or both sides of the wall engaging members, which may be useful to assist in carrying and installing/removing the platform into position. [0030] A preferred embodiment of the support platform of the present invention is shown in Figs. 7 to 10, Fig. 7 showing a perspective view, Fig. 8 showing a top view, Fig. 9 showing a bottom view, and, Fig. 10 showing a side view. [0031] Another preferred embodiment is shown in Figs. 11 to 15, with Fig. 11 showing top, bottom, left, right, and end views, together with an enlarged view of the elongate member 4 which houses the draft gear and draft screw which are illustrated in Figs. 14 and 15, respectively. Fig. 12 illustrates upper and lower perspective views of the assembled H:\knh\Intrwovn\NRPortbl\DCC\KMH\5283768_I.doc- 1/07/2013 -6 support platform, whilst Fig. 13 shows an exploded view of the platform and its various component parts. [0032] The embodiments illustrated in Figs. 11 to 15 also detail the sliding engagement mechanism of the present invention. [0033] As is perhaps best shown in Fig. 13, the free end of each support arm 6, that is, the end which is not attached to the wall engaging member 2 or 3, is adapted to receive an end cap 16. The end cap 16 is shown in the drawing to include various tubular mouldings. The two inner tubular mouldings are adapted to be received in the respective slots of the support arm, whilst the outer two tubular mouldings are adapted to slidably engage with adjacent tubular mouldings on the adjacently positioned support arm, if applicable. In this way, the free ends of the support arms 16 are each slidably engaged with the corresponding support arms extending from the opposed wall engaging member to provide good strength and rigidity of the support platform when in use. It will be appreciated that when a person sits on the support platform, as in intended with the present invention, quite high strength is required. The end caps 16 associated with the support arms of the present invention are therefore able to sustain such weight and forces if a person stands or sits on the support platform, when installed across a bath. [0034] Fig. 16 illustrates the two versions of the end caps 16, Fig. 16(a) showing a version which is adapted to interconnect with support arms on both sides thereof, whilst Fig. 16(b) shows a version which is adapted to interconnect with a single adjacent support arm. [0035] It will be appreciate that the present invention is suitable for a variety of uses. For example, it may be used by a person, including a disabled person to sit on whilst bathing. It may also be useful for placement of a baby bath thereon, which may be readily strapped to the platform, for bathing a baby above a bath such that any spillage falls directly into the bath. Also, it may be useful for placement of pot plants or other objects over the bath. [0036] It will be appreciated that the device of the present invention is capable of being compactly stored and/or carried from place to place, but then also, because of its adjustability, capable of being used on a bath of a variety of widths. [0037] Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in a variety of other forms. All such variations and modifications should be H:\knh\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\KMH\5283768_l.doc- 1/07/2013 -7 considered to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as broadly hereinbefore described.

Claims (10)

1. A support platform, adapted to be positioned across the top of a bath, the support platform including: a pair of wall engaging members, each wall engaging member adapted to engage a respective opposed side wall of said bath, each member including a plurality of support arms extending outwardly therefrom in a manner so as to engage with the support arms of the opposed member; and, an adjustment mechanism, for adjustment of the spacing between said pair of wall engaging members.

2. A support platform as claimed in claim 1, wherein said adjustment mechanism includes a rod associated with a first of said members and a cooperating shaft associated with a second of said members.

3. A support platform as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of said rod and said shaft include cooperating screw threads.

4. A support platform as claimed in claim 3, wherein said adjustment mechanism includes a rotatable handle, adapted to rotate one of said rod or said shaft.

5. A support platform as claimed in claim 4, wherein said adjustment mechanism further includes a gear adapted to rotate said rod or said shaft when said handle is rotated.

6. A support platform as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each support arm extends substantially perpendicular to the wall engaging members, and is adapted to slidably engage with an adjacent support arm.

7. A support platform as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein said adjustment H:\knh\Intrwovn\NRPortbl\DCC\KMH\5283768_I.doc- 1/07/2013 -9 mechanism includes a draft screw, rotatable by user operation of said rotatable handle, said draft screw driving said rod via a draft gear.

8. A support platform as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein each support arm includes an end cap attached to the end thereof, the end cap being secured to the support arm, and including a slide rod which is adapted to slidably engage a slide channel of an adjacent support arm.

9. A support platform as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein each wall engaging member includes a moulded rubber pad, preferably ribbed, to provided a non-slip engagement with a side wall of said bath.

10. A support platform as claimed in any one of claim 1 to 9, wherein said adjustment mechanism may be operated to reduce the spacing between said wall engaging members, such that said support platform may be compacted for storage or portability.