GB2348600A

GB2348600A - A height adjustable bath support

Info

Publication number: GB2348600A
Application number: GB9903445A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Walter Bennett
Original assignee: BENDZ Ltd
Current assignee: BENDZ Ltd
Priority date: 1999-02-16
Filing date: 1999-02-16
Publication date: 2000-10-11
Also published as: GB9903445D0

Abstract

A bath support has an upper section (11) which engages underneath the rim of a bath and a lower ground engaging section, in the form of a foot (22), where the height of the support can be adjusted. The foot (22) is preferably connected to the support by a threaded shank (21) which engages a captive nut (20). The foot (22) can also include a number of apertures (24) by which the foot (22) can be secured to the floor. A boss (15) may engage the upper section of the support and be provided with a flange (12) incorporating apertures (13) by which the support may be secured to a reinforcement underneath the rim of the bath. Preferably the supports co-operate with a transverse member which can be secured to a base board under the bath. A further support can be present beneath the base board of the bath and may include an inverted top hat section bracket (fig 6).

Description

Title: Bath Support Description of Invention The present invention relates to a new or improved bath support adapted for use on baths of the type which require support additional to the structure of the bath itself, either to provide stability for the bath and/or to provide a support structure that enables the bath to be supported in a level position.

The type of bath which needs additional support is normally made from a plastics material which may be provided with some reinforcement. In particular, underneath the bath there is normally provided a base board typically made from a wood fibre material which extends along all, or at least the majority, of the length of the base of the bath.

The upper rim of the bath is normally provided on its underside with at least two elongate pieces of wood, one each side, to which a supporting leg may be secured. At present it is normal to provide a pair of support legs, each leg extending across the width of the bath and being generally of W-form. The legs each have an upper end which is secured to the wood reinforcement provided under the rim on one side of the bath, and a portion which extends downward to form a first ground engaging portion and then upwardly so that the leg can be secured to the base board of the bath. The legs are then directed downwardly again to form a second ground engaging portion and then upwardly so that they may be secured to the wood reinforcement under the rim on the other side of the bath.

Two legs as described above are provided in spaced relationship with each other and such an arrangement may provide in certain circumstances satisfactory support for the bath.

Problems occur however because baths are available in different sizes, and in particular the width of the bath may vary as may the vertical distance between the wood reinforcement provided under the rim and the base board.

Such variations mean that many different sizes and forms of leg have to be manufactured, each to fit specific baths. Fwthermore, if the bath is not able to rest on a even surface, which is not at all uncommon, it is difficult to support the bath in its correct level position and any unevenness of the support surface necessitates packing with pieces of wood or other packing members.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved bath support that overcomes or reduces the problems mentioned above.

According to one aspect of the present invention we provide a bath support member having an upper end adapted for securing to the bath underneath the rim thereof and a lower end adapted for engaging the ground and wherein means are provided to enable the distance between the upper end and the lower end to be adjusted to a desired length.

Preferably the means for adjustment comprises a foot portion adapted for engagement with the ground and wherein said foot portion is threadedly engaged with the remainder of the support member to enable lengthwise adjustment of the support member to be achieved.

Preferably said support member may be tubular and the lower end thereof may be provided with a captive nut or other nut-like formation, with which is threadedly engaged a ground engaging foot member.

Conveniently the upper end of the support member may be provided with a bush-like part adapted to be inserted in said tube like member so as to be secured thereto. Said bush-like part may carry a flange provided with apertures whereby fixing means may pass therethrough to secure the leg to a reinforcement provided under the rim of the bath.

As an alternative to the above mentioned part, the upper end of the support member may be provided with a cylindrical bush having a central through bore. The bush may then be secured to the reinforcement provided under the rim of the bath by passing a threaded fastener therethrough and into the wooden reinforcement.

The tubular support member may then be engaged on the bush and it is envisaged that the bush-like member may be provided with an external groove and the tubular support member with an indentation adapted to engage within the groove to firmly secure the tubular support member to the bush.

The bush-like member has the duel advantage of not only securing the support member to the bath but because of engagement over its length with the tubular support member also ensures that when the tubular member is affixed thereto it extends in the correct direction.

Preferably said foot member may also be provided with apertures to permit the passage of fasteners theretlurough to secure the foot to the surface on which the bath is to be supported.

The support member may be co-operable with an additional fixing part comprising a transverse member adapted to engage with or be secured to said support member at any position along its length. The transverse member may be securable to the base board underneath the bath.

Such a transverse member enables the support member to be secured to the bath, normally when the bath is in an inverted position and to ensure that the support member is located in the correct (usually upright) position. The transverse member may thereafter maintain the support member in its correct upright position.

After the leg has been so secured, the bath may be turned over so that it adapts its"in-use"position, and the legs may then be adjusted in length by rotation of the feet so that it may take up its correct level position.

Whereas the support members of the present invention provide an excellent means for maintaining the bath in its correct level position and are suitable for many different sizes and forms of bath in view of the adjustability of the support members, additional or alternative support may also be provided underneath the base board.

The additional or alternative support may be in the form of an inverted top-hat section bracket, having outwardly extending flanges which may be secured to the base board, with a downwardly depending central part being provided with an adjustable foot member. The adjustable foot member may threadedly engage the top-hat bracket or alternatively may be provided with a nut or nuts whereby the height of the foot may be adjusted as desired.

Preferably the bath support means comprises four support members as afore described and a pair of inverted top-hat brackets as afore described.

Such an arrangement of support members and top-hat brackets enables the bath to be properly supported at six different locations so that the weight of the bath which, when full of water and an occupant is considerable, is properly and safely supported.

It will be appreciated that any suitable support member, as an alternative to the inverted top-hat bracket described above, may be provided under the base board, however, any such support member or members should be provided with some height adjustment facility.

The present invention will now be described in more detail by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a view of the support member of the present invention Figure 2 illustrates an inverted top hat support member Figure 3 is a side elevation of the transverse member for attachment to the support member Figure 4 is a plan view of the transverse member Figure 5 is a view of an inverted bath having the support member secured thereto and Figure 6 is a view of the bath in its in use supported position.

Referring first to Figure 1, the support member comprises a leg portion 10 at an upper end of which is provided an upper fixing member 11 which comprises a flange-like part 12 provided with a pair of through bores 13 and a boss like part 15 which is provided with an angled channel 16.

The upper end of the leg 10 is provided with an inwardly extending indentation 17 to enable location and securement of the fixing member 11.

In order to secure the fixing member 11 to the leg 10 the boss part 15 is inserted into the tubular leg 10 such that the lower part 16a of the channel 16 is vertically above the indentation 17 and the fixing member 11 is then moved in a downwards direction. When the indentation 17 comes in to register with the transverse part 16b of the channel 16, the fixing member 11 is rotated to the position as shown in Figure 1 where it is firmly located in the leg 10.

At the lower end of the leg 10 a captive nut 20 is secured which may be secured by crimping the lower end of the leg 10, welding, brazing or any other suitable means, and engaged within the nut 20 is a threaded shank 21 of a foot member generally indicated at 22.

Secured to the threaded shank 21 is a floor engaging part 23 which is provided with through bores 24 to enable fasteners to pass therethrough and to be secured in the surface which is adapted to support the bath.

In order to adjust the height of the support member, the foot part 22 is rotated relative to the leg 10 to either increase or decrease the length of the support member.

Referring to Figure 2, an inverted top hat bracket is shown which is adapted to be secured to the base board on a bath to support the central portion of the bath.

The inverted top hat bracket comprises two flange portions 25 and 26, each having a through bore 27 and 28 through which fasteners 29 and 30 may pass to secure the inverted top hat bracket to the base board of the bath.

Extending downwardly from the flanges 25 and 26 are respective downwardly extending portions 31 and 32 which are connected by a transverse portion 33. The portion 33 has a through bore therein and a foot portion 34 is provided similar to the foot portion 22. However, in this case, a pair of nuts 35 and 36 are provided so that the height of the ground engaging part 37 of the foot 34 may be altered by rotation of nut 36 and then nut 35 may be tightened to secure the foot in its desired position. Once again, the ground engaging portion 37 may be provided with through bores 38 through which fasteners may pass to secure the ground engaging portion 37 to the surface adapted to support the bath.

Referring now in addition to Figures 3,4 and 5, Figures 3 and 4 show a transverse member which comprises a first part 40 and a second part 41. The first part is provided with a through bore 42 which has a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the leg portion 10 of the support member. The second part 41 is provided with through bores 43.

Referring now in addition to Figure 5, mounting of the support members on to a bath is shown. The bath 45 is shown in an inverted position and as is usual, is provided with a base board 46 and wooden elongate support members 47 and 48 secured under the rim 49 of the bath.

Four support members are secured to the bath, two of which can be seen at 50 and 51. First of all the fixing members 11 are secured at suitable positions to the reinforcing elongate members 47 and 48 via screws 52, passing through the through bores 13 and into the reinforcing members 47 and 48. The leg portion 10 may then be secured to the fixing member 11 by pushing down over the boss part 15 and then rotating.

The transverse members may then be lowered over the leg 10 to the position shown and when the support members are in an upright position, fasteners 55 are passed through the bores 43 and into the base board 46 so that the support members are all held in the correct position. Two or more inverted top hat brackets may then be secured to the base board as shown at 56, and the bath 45 may then be turned over into its in use position and the feet 22 and 34 all suitably adjusted so that the bath may be supported in the level in use position as shown in Figure 6.

It will be appreciated that the support members and the height adjustment shown in the accompanying drawings illustrate merely one method of achieving the support member of the present invention and alternative means of height adjustment may be provided.

The support member of the present invention not only firmly supports the bath in its proper in use level position, but has the additional advantage that it may be used with baths of different dimensions, both widths and height, to avoid the need to provide different sizes of support member.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilise for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A bath support member having an upper end adapted for securing to the bath underneath the rim thereof and a lower end adapted for engaging the ground and wherein means are provided to enable the distance between the upper end and the lower end to be adjusted to a desired length.
2. A bath support member according to Claim 1 wherein the means for adjustment comprises a foot portion adapted for engagement with the ground, which foot portion is threadedly engaged with the remainder of the support member to enable lengthwise adjustment of the support member to be achieved.
3. A bath support member according to Claim 2 wherein said support member is tubular and the lower end thereof is provided with a captive nut or other nut-like formation, with which is threadedly engaged a ground engaging foot member.
4. A bath support member according to Claim 3 wherein the upper end of the support member is provided with a bush-like part adapted to be inserted in said tubular member so as to be secured thereto.
5. A bath support member according to Claim 4 wherein said bush-like part carries a flange provided with apertures whereby fixing means may pass therethrough, to secure the leg to a reinforcement provided under the rim of the bath.
6. A bath support member according to Claim 3 wherein the upper end of the support member is provided with a cylindrical bush having a central through bore which can be secured to a reinforcement provided under the rim of the bath by passing a threaded fastener therethrough and into the reinforcement.
7. A bath support member according to Claim 6 wherein the bush is provided with an external groove and the tubular support member with an indentation adapted to engage within the groove firmly to secure the tubular support member to the bush.
8. A bath support member according to any one of Claims 3 to 7 wherein said foot member is provided with apertures to permit the passage of fasteners therethrough for securing the foot to the surface on which the bath is to be supported.
9. A bath support member according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the support member is co-operable with an additional fixing part comprising a transverse member adapted to engage with or be secured to said support member at any position along its length.
10. A bath support member according to Claim 9 wherein said transverse member is securable to a base board underneath the bath.
11. An installation of a bath, supported by support members according to any one of the preceding claims, and further support means beneath a base board of the bath.
12. An installation according to Claim 11 wherein said further support means is height-adjustable.
13. An installation according to Claim 12 wherein said further support means comprises an inverted top hat section bracket, having outwardly extending flanges secured to the base board and a downwardly extending central part provided with an adjustable foot member.
14. An installation according to Claim 13 wherein said adjustable foot member threadedly engages the top hat bracket or has a nut or nuts providing for height adjustment of the foot member.
15. An installation according to any one of Claims 11 to 14 comprising four of said support members and two of said further support means.
16. A bath support member, or an installation including same, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
17. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.