GB2277442A

GB2277442A - Baths

Info

Publication number: GB2277442A
Application number: GB9308951A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roy Parker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-04-30
Filing date: 1993-04-30
Publication date: 1994-11-02
Also published as: FR2704414A1; GB9308951D0; DE4414916A1

Description

Baths 2277442 This invention relates to baths.

It is known to provide a bath having a bath tub and a bathing platform for supporting a user, the bath tub having a well for receiving water and being movable between an upper, bathing position in which the bathing platform is disposed within the bath tub well and a lower position below the bathing platform to enable the user to mount and dismount. The bathing platform is supported at a fixed height by supports which pass through openings in the bottom wall of the bath tub well. Since these openings are provided at the bottom of the bath tub well, which is immersed in water in normal use, it is necessary to provide them with seals which permit the up and down movement of the bath tub, for example seals of a bellows type.

Viewed from one aspect, the invention provides a bath for use by elderly or disabled persons, comprising a bath tub and a bathing platform for supporting a user, the bath tub having a well for receiving water and being movable between an upper, bathing position in which the bathing platform is disposed within the bath tub well and a lower position below the bathing platform to enable the user to mount and dismount, and the bathing platform having a plurality of supports which, in the upper position of the bath tub, extend downwardly from above the top of the bath tub well, outside of the said bath tub well.

Viewed from another aspect, the invention provides a bathing platform for use by elderly or disabled persons, in order to support a user within a bath tub well, the bathing platform comprising a plurality of supports which are arranged such that, in use, they extend downwardly from above the top of the bath tub well, outside of the said bath tub well.

With such arrangements, the supports do not require openings to be formed in the bottom wall of the bath tub well and thus no special sealing arrangements are required for the openings.

The supports may be arranged to pass outwardly of the rim or other outwardly extending portion or portions of the bath. Thus the bathing table can be provided as an addition to an existing up-and-down movable bath tub. Preferably, the supports pass through respective openings in a portion or portions of the bath extending outwardly of the bath tub well at or near the top thereof. This allows the supports to be partly concealed if the bath has an outside covering wall disposed outwardly of the bath tub well, as is usually the case. The outwardly extending portion(s) may be generally flat or may have a stepped or other profile. In a preferred embodiment, an elongate bath has an outwardly extending portion at each end thereof, each such portion being formed with two openings through which two supports pass.

The openings may be sized to correspond closely to the size of the supports which pass therethrough. It is preferred to provide collars around the supports substantially to prevent water splashes passing through the openings.

The supports may extend all the way down to the floor. Preferably, however, the supports engage legs on which the bath tub is movably mounted. Thus the legs of the bath advantageously serve both to mount the bath and to mount the supports of the bathing platform. The engagement of the supports on the bath tub legs may take various forms. For example the supports may have downwardly facing recesses which fit over the tops of the legs. In a preferred arrangement, however, the supports are received in recesses at the top of the legs. The recesses may typically be 5-10 cm deep. A simple drop fit into the recesses will generally be sufficient to ensure that the bathing platform is securely positioned on the legs, under its own weight and when in use, also under the weight of a user. The downwardly extending supports will generally have a certain amount of resilience in lateral directions, so that if their positions do not correspond exactly to those of the recesses (which in practice is likely to be the case), the supports may have to be urged laterally in order to engage in the recesses. This also contributes to providing a secure fit.

In a preferred embodiment the supports are removable from the legs and the bath further comprises caps for closing the openings in the outwardly extending bath portion(s) when the supports are removed. This enables the bath to be used without the bathing platform, the caps then ensuring that splashed water does not pass through the openings. The bath may initially be provided without the bathing platform but with the openings and caps, so that the bathing platform can be subsequently acquired and attached to the bath.

Thus, viewed from a further aspect, the invention provides a bath for use by elderly or disabled persons, comprising a bath tub having a well for receiving water and being movable between an upper position and a lower position, a portion or portions extending outwardly of the bath tub well at or near the top thereof and being formed with a plurality of openings, and a plurality of caps for closing the openings. Such a bath can be adapted for use with the bathing platform of this invention by removing the caps and passing the bathing platform supports therethrough.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bath in an upper position; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the bath in a lower position; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of part of the bath showing the support arrangement with the bath in an upper position; 5 Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but with the bath in the lower position; and Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3, but with the bathing platform removed. A bath 1 comprises a bath tub 2, having a well 30 defined by a peripherally extending side wall 3 and a bottom wall 4, and a bathing platform 5. The bath tub 2 is secured to four sleeve-shaped leg guides 7, one at each corner, which are arranged to slide up and down respective vertical legs 6 and are driven by an electric actuator or an electro-hydraulic ram (not shown) connected to the leg guides 7. At the top of the bath tub well 30, at each end thereof, there is an outwardly extending portion 16 formed with a pair of laterally spaced openings 20.

The bathing platform 5 is supported on the legs 6 at a fixed height from the floor. The bathing platform comprises a seat 8 formed with drainage holes 9, a back rest 10, a head rest 11 and pivotally mounted arm rests 12. The bathing platform is provided with four supports 13 each having a top portion 14 located above the bath tub well 30 and a downwardly extending portion 15 located outside of the bath tub well. The seat 8 of the bathing platform is positioned below the top portions of the supports, so that when the bath is in the upper position (see Figures 1 and 3) the seat is near the bottom wall 4 of the bath tub well 30, so as to immerse at least the bottom half of the user's body, whilst the top portions 14 are above the outwardly extending portions 16 of the bath. At the end of the bath where the user's feet are located, each support 13 consists of a member having a generally inverted U-shape, there being a top portion 14, an inner downwardly extending A ir 1 portion 17 and the outer downwardly extending portion 15. When the bath is in the upper position, the Ushaped support straddles the peripheral side wall 3 of the bath tub well 30, the inner limb of the U extending within the tub and the outer limb of the U extending outwardly thereof. At the end of the bath where the user's head is located the back rest 10 of the bathing platform 5 extends downwardly from the top portions 14 of the supports 13, into the bath tub well 30. Thus, the side wall 3 of the bath tub well 30 is again straddled, this time by the downwardly extending support portion 15 which is located outwardly thereof and by the back rest 10 located inwardly thereof.

The downwardly extending portions 15 of the supports 13 have lower ends 18 which are received in upper recesses 19 formed at the top of the legs 6. The vertical height of the ends 18 is below the height of the seat 8 of the bathing platform 5. The recesses 19 in the legs 9 are funnel- shaped at the top in order to assist location of the ends 18 therein. Each support passes through a respective opening 20 in the outwardly extending portions 16 of the bath and a collar 21 is fitted in the opening to prevent water splashes from passing therethrough. The collar 21 may be formed of an elastomeric material such as rubber or the like. The collar permits relative sliding movement between itself and the support 13 when the bath moves between its lower and upper positions.

The supports 13 of the bathing platform 5 are removably fitted on the legs 6. Figure 5 shows the bath with the bathing platform removed, when a cap 22 is fitted in the opening 20 to prevent splashed water passing therethrough. The bath may be supplied with the caps 22 and the bathing platform to provide the options of using the bath either with or without the bathing platform. Alternatively the bath may be supplied initially with the caps 22 and the bathing platform 6 might be supplied separately as an accessory.

Whilst the preferred embodiment has four supports 13 for the bathing platform, it is possible to provide other numbers of supports, for example three or two.

Claims

1. A bath for use by elderly or disabled persons, comprising a bath tub and a bathing platform for supporting a user, the bath tub having a well for receiving water and being movable between an upper, bathing position in which the bathing platform is disposed within the bath tub well and a lower position below the bathing platform to enable the user to mount and dismount, and the bathing platform having a plurality of supports which, in the upper position of the bath tub, extend downwardly from above the top of the bath tub well, outside of the said bath tub well.

2. A bath as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supports pass through respective openings in a portion or portions of the bath extending outwardly of the bath tub well at or near the top thereof.

3. A bath as claimed in claim 2, comprising collars around the supports substantially to prevent water splashes passing through the openings.

4. A bath as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the supports engage legs on which the bath tub is movably mounted.

5. A bath as claimed in claim 4, wherein the supports are received in recesses at the top of the 'Legs.

6. A bath as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the supports are removable from the legs and wherein the bath further comprises caps for closing the openings in the outwardly extending bath portion(s) when the supports are removed.

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7. A bath for use by elderly or disabled persons, comprising a bath tub having a well for receiving water and being movable between an upper position and a lower position, a portion or portions extending outwardly of the bath tub well at or near the top thereof and being formed with a plurality of openings, and a plurality of caps for closing the openings.

8. A bathing platform for use by elderly or disabled persons, in order to support a user within a bath tub well, the bathing platform comprising a plurality of supports which are arranged such that, in use, they extend downwardly from above the top of the bath tub well, outside of the said bath tub well.

9. A bath for use by elderly or disabled persons, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A bathing platform for use by elderly or disabled persons, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.