GB2333699A

GB2333699A - Outwardly opening door in side of a bath

Info

Publication number: GB2333699A
Application number: GB9813295A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Lomas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-01-29
Filing date: 1998-06-22
Publication date: 1999-08-04
Anticipated expiration: 2018-06-22
Also published as: GB2333699B; GB9801774D0; GB9813295D0

Abstract

A bath comprises a bath tub (1) and a door (10) larger than the door aperture (7) in which it can be positioned, said door opens outwardly and away from the bath tub. The door is hinged to one wall of the bath (3D) by a pair of hinges (16, 17) which allow the door to be raised vertically and swung horizontally. The hinges consist of a curved plate (16A, 17A) pivoted or hinged at one end (16B, 17B) to the wall (3D). The other end of each hinge (16C, 17C) slides vertically on, and is pivoted or hinged to, a shaft (16D, 17D) mounted on the door. A flange (9) supports a seal such as a rubber strip (11) around the entire door aperture. When the door is closed it rests against the inside of the tub wall against the flange (9 and horizontal sections of the base of the door rest in grooves (12A, 12B) situated on the edge (8) of the door aperture. Grooved blocks (15A, 15B) cam against projections (13A, 13B) on the upper part of the door to bias the door against the flange (9).

Description

BATH The present invention relates to a novel bally for the elderly or infirm, and particularly for those dependent on wheelcbairs.

Walk in bnllls are known. They are designed for people who cannot get in and out of a conventional bath. Usually they are in the foml of a tub with an outward opening door. A disadvantage with such baths is that because the door opens outwards, they are prone to leakage as the pressure of waler inside when they are filll is biasing the door into an open position. Water can find a way through the seals which are present unless the door is secured by a strong locking mechanism to keep the seal comprcssed between the door and its frame.

Also if tile locking mechanism is accidentally opened, the water will flood out onto the floor.

A solution to such known baths are described in co-pcnding application no which has an inward opening door. A main advantage of this bath is that the water pressure seals the door against the bath wall. A disadvantage is that the door aperture is not wide enough to accept persons from a wheelchair. If it wore attcmpted to widen this aperture, the door size would be too large to nllow the door to open inwards.

The invention secks to provide a bath which has ti large door aperture and door which opens outwards and which I)ns, inter alia, thc main advantage of the co-pcnding application nientioned above.

According to the present invention there is provided a bath comprising: a) a bath tub having a floor and wall, and a door aperture in the wall thereof; b) a door aperture door larger than thc door aperture, in use the periphery of the door resting against the inside of the tub wall adjacent the aperture, and c) hinge means allowing the door to open through the aperture out and away from the bath tub. lirefcrably the hinge means includes at least one hinge, the or each hinge allowing thc door to be raised vertically and swing horizontally. Preferablycaclltingc includes a plate having opposing ends each pivotcd to the wall and the door, each hinge allowing the pivoting position of the door to be moved inside the bath. Preferably the plate is curved.

Prcfcrably one end of the plate moves vertically relative to the door or wall. In one embodiment one end of the plate moves vertically relative to the door. The plate may slide on a shaft mounted on the door.

Prcfcrably the door aperture is defined by a peripheral flange against will), in use, the periphery of the door rests.

Preferably at least one groove is provided in the wall adjacent the aperture to receive the door.

The groove niay include an angled face to bias the door against the flange.

Connection means may be provided to connect the wall to the top of the door to help prevent distortion of the door frame. The connection means may be at least one projection on the door cach with widened shouldcrswhich each engage with a corresponding grooved block on the top of the wall adjacent the door franlc. The or each block may also be shaped to bias the door frame against the flange.

The invention will now he described with reference io the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the inside of a bath, Figure 2 shows a perspective view of part of the bath from the outside with the door half open, and Figure 3 shows a part perspeelive view of part of the bath from tulle outside with the door closed.

Keferring to Figure 1 there is shoal a bath tub 1 Bath I has a floor 2 and side walls 3A,3B,3C,3D. Also shown are laps 4, drain holes 5 and a scat 6. Wall 3D includes a door aperture 7 defined by an edge s supporting a flange 9. A door 10 is hinged to the wall 3D by hinge means as more filly described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. As more clearly shown in the inset, flange 9 supports a seal such as a rubber sealing Strip 11 around the entire door aperture, and horizontal grooves 12A, 12B along the horizontal sections of edge 8 (the horizontal grooves may be slightly inclined and/or include drain holes so that any watcr thcrcin will drain out). As shown grooves 12A,12B have a surface inclined downwards towards the outside of the bath tub I.

When the door is closed (Figure 3), the door rests against the inside of the tub wall against flange 9 adjacent the door aperture and the hinge means allows the door to open through the aperture out and away from the bath tub as shown in Figure 1.

Mounted on top of the door are two projections 13A,13B supporting widened shoulders 14A,14B respectively. Mounted on top of the wall 3D either side of the door aperture are a pair of grooved blocks 1 5A, 1513. The inner side of we groove of each block is shaped to forum a curved ("cam") surfacc.

In use, as the door is closed, the horizontal sections of the base of the door rest in the grooves 12A, 1213. Because the groves have the inclined face, this biases the door against the flange 9 and hence the sealing strip 11. Also as the door is closed, the projections 13 A, 1313 rest on the curvcd "cam" sections of the blocks 15A,15B. As the door slides down into the grooves l2A,12B, the projections 13A,13B follow the cutted "cam" section of the blocks into the groove of cach block, thus also biasing the top of the door against the flange 9 and sealing strip ii. Also the shoulders 14A,14B engage with the blocks 15A,15B. The projections with shoulders engaging with the grooved blocks form connection mcans to prevent distortion of the door frame, and in particular to prevent the distance between the blocks 1 5A, I SB being inch eased by the pressure of water in the bath widening the door aperture.

Refcrring now to Figures 2 and 3 there is shown more clearly the hinge means with a pair of hinges 16 and 17 allowing the door to be raised vertically and swing horizontally. Hinge 16 includes a curved plate l6A pivoted or hinged at end 16B (c.g by a hinge pin) to the wall 3D.

The other end 16C of plate 16A slides vertically on, and ispivoted or hinged to, a shaft 16D mounted on the door. Hingc 17 includes a curved plate 17A pivoted or hinged at end 17B (e.g by a hinge pin) to the wall 31). 'I'he other end 17C of plate 17A slides vertically on, and is pivoted or hinged to, a shaR 1 7D mounted on the door.

Figure 3 shows the door closed abutting the inside of the flange 9. When the door lowers into the groove, so. the plates 16A117A slidc up the shafts 16D,17D respectively.

When il is desired to open the door alter a bath and the bath watcr has drained away, the door is first raised vertically so that the plates slide down the shafts 16D, 17D. In this position, the bottom lQA of the door 10 is higher than the door sill 18. The left hand side of the door with projection 1313 is then moved into the bath (each hinge thus allowing the pivoting position of the door to be moved inside the bath) which allows the right hand side of the door with projection 13A to swing through the aperture 7 and open. This process is reversed to close the door.

In use, a person with a wheel chair can position the whorl chair along wall 3D with the chair seat adjacent the bath seal 6. With the door open, that person can slide sideways through the aperture 7 onto the bath seat 6. Once in the bath, the door can be closed and the bath fillcd with water. A handle/ towel rail 19 may be provided on the outside of the door. The hinge means allows the door to open outwards yct with the benefit water-scaling benefits of an inward opening door.

The bath tub of the invention make take a different form to that specifically described above.

For example the door corncrs and corners of the edge 8 with flange 9 could be more radiused than shown to facilitate scaling of the door against the flangc.

1 he bath of the invention may be made of any suitable material such as fibreglass, and of any desired colour.

Further niodifleations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Clearly, the embodiment described could be modified by allowing vertical movement of the hinge plates relative to the bath wall rather than relative to the door. In this case it is not necessary that the hinge plates be pivoted on the door as, if the upright edges of the door and the door aperture are inclined outwardly towards the sides of the aperture then the raising of the door ensures that it clears the periphery of the opening and can move outwardly through the opening.

In a preferred modification of the embodiment the hinges are fixed to the door and are pivotally mounted on a member which is movable vertically in a channel, means being provided to hold the door in its raised position.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A bath comprising a bath tub having a floor, a wall, a door aperture in the wall, and a door larger than the door aperture, the periphery of the door in use resting against the inside of the tub wall adjacent the aperture, and hinge means allowing the door to open through the aperture out and away from the bath tub.
2. A bath as claimed in claim 1, in which the hinge means includes at least one hinge allowing the door to be raised vertically and swung horizontally.
3. A bath as claimed in claim 1, in which each hinge includes a plate having opposing ends at least one of which is pivoted to the wall or to the door, each hinge allowing the connection of the hinge to the door to be moved inside the bath.
4. A bath as claimed in claim 3, in which the hinges are fixed to the door and are pivotally mounted on a member which is vertically movable on the wall.
5. A bath as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, in which the plate is curved.
6. A bath as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5, in which one end of the plate moves vertically relative to the door or wall.
7. A bath as claimed in any of claims 3 to 6, in which the plate slides vertically on a shaft mounted on the door.
8. A bath as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the door aperture is defined by a peripheral flange against which, in use, the periphery of the door rests.
9. A bath as claimed in any preceding claim, in which at least one groove is provided in the wall adjacent the aperture to receive the door.
10. A bath as claimed in claim 9, in which the groove includes an angled face to bias the door against the flange.
11. A bath as claimed in any preceding claim, in which connecting means are provided between the wall and the top of the door to mitigate distortion of the door frame.
12. A bath as claimed in claim 1l, in which the connection means comprises at least one projection on the door, the or each projection having widened shoulders which each engage a corresponding grooved block on the top of the wall adjacent the door frame,
13. A bath as claimed in claim 12, in which each block is shaped to bias the door frame against the flange.
14. A bath substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.