GB2370761A

GB2370761A - Bidet accessory for bath

Info

Publication number: GB2370761A
Application number: GB0127570A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martine Schroeder; Harald Arnold
Original assignee: Aquatec GmbH
Current assignee: Aquatec GmbH
Priority date: 2000-11-18
Filing date: 2001-11-16
Publication date: 2002-07-10
Also published as: GB0127570D0

Abstract

A seat assembly is provided with a holder for fixing to the edge of a bath 11 to be used as a bidet. The bidet comprises two leg support sections 2 interconnected by an annular rest 4, the leg support sections lying on the front 12 edge of a bath 11, and a support 7 situated behind the annular rest 4 supported on the rear edge 10 of the bath.

Description

237076 1

Title: Bidet The invention relates to a bidet particularly for persons with faecal incontinence, with a holder for fixing to the edge of a bath.

5 Faecal incontinence is a frequent and serious problem when patients are cared for at home. The incontinent person has to be cleaned several times a day. The bed cover or pad accordingly has to be changed and the anal and private parts freed from excrement. The excrement is often spread over a large area - according to the bed cover or pad - and not infrequently hardened. Consequently the cleaning 10 process is physically and ethically very troublesome both for the incontinent person and the cater. The patient is usually cleaned either lying in bed with the aid of washing foam or in the bath or under the shower. The first alternative is only appropriate under certain conditions, as it is often impracticable from the hygienic point of view or impossible or at least difficult to carry out. With the 15 second alternative the patient has to take off all his/her clothes, which involves a large amount of work for the caret as the incontinent person is often unable to do this himself/herself.

A bidet to facilitate cleaning in the bath is already known. In the known, generic bidet a sitting surface inclined to the front of the bath is provided. The underside 20 of its front edge region lies on the front edge of the bath, with the support extending along the underside of the sitting surface and being arranged on the rear edge of the bath.

The known bidet has the drawback that unimpeded access cannot be obtained to the parts of the body to be cleaned, and owing to the inclination of the sitting 25 patient, surface water can run from the bath over the seat and the patient and has to be collected in a separate container. For this reason it is also necessary to undress the patient completely. Another considerable drawback of the known

washing device is that the seat is not ergonomically designed and the patient does not therefore have a secure sitting position which is optimal for cleaning.

On this basis the problem of the invention is to construct a bidet of the above type so as to permit simple, optimal cleaning without the patient having to be 5 completely undressed, with mobile use in particular being made possible.

According to the invention the problem is solved, in that the bidet comprises two leg support sections interconnected by an annular rest, the underside of the leg support sections being shaped to lie on the front edge of a bath, and a support shaped to lie on the rear edge of the bath being arranged at the rear of the annular 10 rest.

The effect of the construction according to the invention is that the cleaning process is made considerably easier and more pleasant than with known apparatus of this type, both for the carer and the patient. In particular water is prevented from running off towards the patient's legs, so complete undressing of the patient 15 is not necessary.

The water is further encouraged to run towards the inside of the bath by the fact that the leg support sections are slightly inclined towards the inside of the bath.

Further according to the invention, shoulders are arranged at the underside of the leg support sections and project into the inside of the bath, engaging behind the 20 edge of the bath.

This ensures that the bidet cannot slip off forwards under the weight of the patient.

Provision may further advantageously be made for the support to have a substantially horizontal, telescopic section which, together with a telescopic attachment engaging in that section, enables the width to be adjusted, so that the 25 bidet can be adapted to different bath widths within the normal size ranges.

Fixing means, particularly flying screws, may advantageously be arranged at the rear of the support in the region below the rear edge of the bath, so that clamping

against the lugs at the front is possible and secure positioning is thereby ensured.

The fixing means may of course be in a different form, e.g. suction cups or the like. In an advantageous embodiment, the shoulders arranged at the underside of the 5 leg support sections are adjustable in position, enabling the bidet to be fixed particularly well by a fixing section of the support projecting into the bath.

It is desirable to provide the support with a substantially horizontal guide section which, together with a guide attachment guided in that section, enables the width to be adjusted, the guide attachment being fixable in its position in the guide 10 section by means of toothing.

Particularly user-friendly width adjustment is obtained with the construction according to the invention.

The leg support sections and annular rest are beneficially shaped anatomically at the inside to fit the lower part of a patient's body with the patient's bottom 15 projecting, exposed, into the interior space within the annular rest. On the one hand this gives the patient a pleasant sitting feeling, while on the other hand it provides particularly good access to the bottom area.

The leg support sections and annular rest are advantageously injection moulded from plastic in one piece. This is beneficial for the production process and also 20 allows a smooth, continuous surface to be formed, which facilitates the cleaning of the bidet itself.

Handles are advantageously formed on the annular rest, enabling the patient to hold them and giving him a secure feeling, while also facilitating the transporting of the bidet by the cater.

25 The bidet may be constructed so that it can be provided with a changeable support, so that the bidet can be used for different patients in turn without any major intermediate cleaning.

The bidet advantageously comprises laterally projecting supporting members to prevent it from tipping.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, in connection with the drawings in which: 5 Fig. 1 is a perspective view from the front of a first embodiment of a bidet according to the invention on a bath; Fig. 2 is a perspective view from obliquely behind it, Fig. 3 is a plan view; Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken along the line B-B in Fig. 3; 10 Fig. 5 is a cross-section through a second embodiment of a bidet according to the invention on a bath; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the Fig. 5 bidet from obliquely below it; Fig. 7 is a perspective fragmentary view of a guide section and a guide shoulder of the bidet shown in Fig. 5 from obliquely below it; 15 Fig. 8 is a cross-section through the guide section and guide shoulder of the bidet shown in Fig. 5; and Fig. 9 is a cross-section through a shoulder guide of the bidet shown in Fig. 5, showing a shoulder.

A bidet 1 shown in the drawings comprises two leg support sections 2 joined at 20 the front by a web 3 and with an annular rest 4 extending away from them, the annular rest interconnecting the leg support sections 2 at the rear and also acting as a kind of back rest. Handles 5 are formed on the annular rest 4, injection moulded integrally with it from plastic. They facilitate the carrying and manipulation of the seat 1 and enable the patient to hold onto them.

s A support 7 is mounted at the rear 6 of the annular rest 4, comprising a supporting arm 8 and an angled supporting strip 9 which can be placed on the rear edge 10 of a bath 11. The leg support sections 2 in turn lie on the front edge 12 of the bath 11 and are prevented from slipping by downwardly projecting lugs 13 which engage 5 behind the front edge 12. Fastening screws 14 are provided on the strip 9 of the support 7, the screws bearing against the rear, inner edge 10 of the bath so that the seat 1 and support 7 can be clamped to the bath. The fastening means 14 interact with the strip 13 to enable the seat to be clamped and fixed.

A horizontal, telescopic section 15 is formed on the supporting arm 8 and a 10 telescopic shoulder 16 joined to the annular rest 4 engages into it so that the width can be adjusted by means of a sleeve 17 and grooves.

As can be seen particularly from Figs 1 and 4 the leg support sections 2 and annular rest 4 are shaped anatomically so that the lower part of the patient's 18 body (cf. Pig. 2) is readily accessible from all sides. The support sections 2 are 15 slightly inclined downwardly to the rear at an angle cc, so that water runs off towards the inside of the bath and clothing in the leg region of the patient 18 does not become wet.

A second embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to Figs 5 to 7. Parts which are identical will be given the same references as in the 20 first embodiment, and readers are referred to the description thereof. Parts which

are structurally different but have a similar function will be given the same references with an apostrophe.

In this embodiment the bidet 1 is provided with two lateral handles 5', made integrally with the annular rest 4 in the form of a bead.

25 A support 7' is mounted at the rear 6 of the annular rest 4 and includes a supporting arm 8 which can be placed on the rear edge 10 of the bath 11. The arm 8' also has a fixing section 20 which projects into the bath and is in contact with the arm. The lugs 13 arranged at the underside of the leg support sections 2 can be moved perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the bath in a lug guide 21 of

C-shaped cross-section and fixed in position. A hexagon screw 29 is driven into each of the lugs 13', the screw heads 30 being guided in the lug guide 21. The head 30 acts as both a guiding and a fixing member. The lugs 13' engage behind the front edge 12 of the bath 11. The bidet 1' also has two laterally projecting 5 supporting members 22 which lie on the front edge 12 of the bath 11 and thus prevent the bidet 1 from tipping sideways. The supporting members 22 each comprise a downwardly extending projection 23 in contact with the front, outer edge 12 of the bath 11. The bidet 1' can be clamped to the bath 11 by the adjustable lugs 13' and the fixing section 20 of the support 7'. It is additionally 10 fixed by the projections 23.

A guide section 15' is formed on the supporting arm 8' and a guide attachment 16' joined to the annular rest 4 is guided in it, so that the width can be adjusted by moving the attachment 16' in the guide section 15'. The guide section 15 is formed by a guide rail 26 of C-shaped crosssection. The guide attachment 16' is 15 provided at its underside with a rail 27 which is guided movably in the rail 26.

The attachment 16' has toothing 19 at its underside, into which locking members 24 of the supporting arm 8' engage, thereby enabling the adjusted width to be fixed. The supporting arm 8' comprises two lateral locking members 24, each having an operating projection 25 to allow vertical displacement of the locking 20 members 24. The locking members 24 are guided in a swallow tail guide (not shown) formed in the supporting arm 8' and each is pushed into its uppermost position by a compression spring 28. In the Fig. 7 position the locking member 24 is in its uppermost position, engaging in the toothing 19 of the guide attachment 16' and thereby fixing the attachment 16. In its lowermost position (not shown) 25 the locking member 24 is not in engagement with the guide attachment 16' and thereby allows the width of the bidet 1' to be adjusted.

Claims

1. A bidet particularly for persons with faecal incontinence, with a holder for fixing to the edge of a bath, wherein the bidet comprises two leg support sections 5 interconnected by an annular rest the underside of the leg support sections being shaped to lie on the front edge of a bath, and a support shaped to lie on the rear edge of the bath being arranged at the rear of the annular rest.

2. A bidet according to claim 1, wherein the leg support sections are slightly inclined towards the inside of the bath.

10 3. A bidet according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein shoulders are arranged at the underside of the leg support sections and project into the inside of the bath, engaging behind the edge of the bath.

4. A bidet according to claim 3, wherein the positions of the shoulders are adjustable.

15 5. A bidet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support has a substantially horizontal, telescopic section which, together with a telescopic attachment engaging in the section, enables the width to be adjusted.

6. A bidet according to any one of Bairns 1 to 4, wherein the support has a substantially horizontal guide section which, together with a guide attachment 20 guided in the section, enables the width to be adjusted, the guide attachment being fixable in its position in the guide section by means of toothing.

7. A bidet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein fixing means, particularly fixing screws, are arranged at the rear of the support in the region below the rear edge of the bath.

25 8. A bidet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support has a fixing section which projects into the bath.

9. A bidet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the leg support sections and annular rest are shaped anatomically at the inside to fit the lower part of a patient's body with the patient's bottom projecting, exposed, into the interior space within the annular rest.

5 10. A bidet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the leg support sections and annular rest are injection moulded from plastic in one piece.

11. A bidet according to claim 10, wherein handles are formed on the annular rest. 12. A bidet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bidet is 10 provided with a changeable support.

13. A bidet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bidet comprises laterally projecting supporting members.

14. A bidet substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.