JP2003319994A - Bathing assisting apparatus, and seat for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bathing assisting apparatus to be arranged without altering a bathtub and a bathroom structure. <P>SOLUTION: The apparatus includes a support frame 1 to be placed on the floor surface 6 of a washing place arranged at one side of the bathtub 5, and the bathtub 5, and a seat 4 to be supported by the support frame 1 so as to be reciprocated and elevated/lowered over the upper parts of the washing place and the bathtub 5. The support frame 1 is only placed on the floor surface 6 of the washing place, and the edge of the bathtub 5, so that there is no need to alter the bathroom structure and the bathtub 5. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bathing assisting device and a seat for a bathing assisting device used for bathing by a person who is unable to enter and leave a bathtub by himself / herself, and more particularly to a bathing assisting device that can be installed without modifying the bathtub and bathroom structure. And a seat for a bathing assistance device that can support the legs so that the bather can feel at ease, reduce the burden on the caregiver, and improve the workability of the assistance.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to assist a person who cannot take a bath alone, he or she sits on a seat at a washing place, moves the seat from the washing place into the bathtub for bathing, and returns to the washing place after bathing. Bathing assistance devices have already been put to practical use.

This conventional bathing assisting device has a structure in which a rail is fixed to a bathroom wall of a so-called unit bath, and a seat is liftably supported by a slide frame which slides by using the rail as a guide.

In addition, in a seat used for this kind of bathing assistance device, the height of the seat is lowered when it goes over the edge of the bathtub, and the front end of the seating surface on which the bather sits in order to protect the legs of the bather. The leg rests are installed on.

This leg support is hinged to the front part of the seat surface for facilitating the seating and leaving of the bather. When seating or leaving the seat, the leg receiver hangs down below the seat surface or It is folded down.

[0006]

By the way, according to the prior art in which the seat is supported on the bathroom wall of the unit bath,
If an attempt is made to install a bathing assistance device, it is necessary to modify the entire bathroom, which has the drawback of significantly increasing the economic burden. For this reason, it is the fact that it is not widely used in ordinary households.

A bathing auxiliary device according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the device of the present invention) solves the problems of the prior art and provides a bathing auxiliary device which can be installed without modifying the existing bathroom structure. To aim.

In addition, the above-mentioned conventional bathing assistance seat is located at 25c from the floor of the washing basin in order to sit in and leave the washing basin.
It is necessary to position the seat surface at a height of m.

For this reason, in the conventional one in which the leg rest is hung, the length of the leg rest becomes shorter than 25 cm, and the leg sticks out beyond the leg rest, which causes a problem of anxiety for the bather. .

In the conventional one in which the leg rest is folded to the lower side of the seat surface, the length of the leg rest can be made longer than 25 cm, so that the bather can hold the leg up to the bottom of the leg rest. Although it can give you a sense of security, it is necessary to stop at a position higher than the leg rest and put the leg rest in and out, and the bather may feel anxious because it is stopped at a halfway position, There is a drawback that the workability of assistance deteriorates.

The bathing assistance seat according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the present invention seat) solves the problems of the prior art and can support the legs so that the bather can feel at ease. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a bathing assistance seat that can improve the workability of a caregiver.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above object, the apparatus of the present invention has a washing place provided at least on one lateral side of the bathtub and / or a support frame supported by the bathtub, and a washing place on the support frame. It is characterized in that it is provided with a seat that is supported so as to be able to reciprocate over the above and above the bath and to be able to move up and down.

According to this, since the support frame is placed on the bathtub and / or the floor of the washroom, the support frame is installed without any modification of the bathtub or the floor of the washroom, and the seat is mounted on the support frame. By supporting it, it is possible to obtain an effect that it can be installed.

By the way, the bathtub of the device of the present invention is not particularly limited, and may be a new bathtub such as a bathtub of a so-called unit bath, which is already installed even when it is newly built, expanded or rebuilt. It may be. The material of this bathtub is not particularly limited, and for example, generally-used wood, metal such as cast iron and stainless steel, FRP, and tiled concrete may be used. The plane shape and the three-dimensional shape of this bathtub are not particularly limited.

The washing place of the apparatus of the present invention is a space in the bathroom provided around the bathtub for entering and leaving the bathtub, except for the upper side of the bathtub. It doesn't matter whether you wash it or not. Of course, this washing place may be provided on at least one lateral side of the bathtub, and may be provided over the entire lateral side of the bathtub.

Further, the height relationship between the floor surface of the washing room and the bathtub edge is not particularly limited, and even if the bathtub edge is located above the floor surface of the washing station, it is positioned at the same height as the floor surface of the washing station. It may be located lower than the floor of the washroom.

Further, the height relationship between the floor surface of the washing room and the bottom of the bathtub is not particularly limited, and even if the bottom of the bathtub is located higher than the floor surface of the washing room, the height of the bathtub bottom is the same as that of the floor of the washing room. Or the bottom of the bathtub may be located lower than the floor surface of the washing area.

The support frame of the device of the present invention is supported in the bathtub and / or the washing room, and friction caused between the floor surface of the bathtub and the washing room and the support frame due to its own weight and the weight of parts supported by the support frame such as seats. The force prevents sliding on the floor of the bathtub and washroom.

The supporting frame may be formed of a plate frame, but in order to reduce the weight and improve the workability of installation, a molding material such as an extrusion molding material, a drawing molding material, a rolling molding material, or a pressing molding material is used. It is preferable to use a bone frame to be used, and it is particularly preferable to use a so-called pipe frame that uses a circular or rectangular pipe-shaped material that is unlikely to cause cuts due to contact.

The support frame can be stored or transported as an integral body, but it is necessary to disassemble the support frame into a plurality of parts of appropriate size for storage or transportation. It is preferable because the cost can be reduced. Here, what kind of parts are to be disassembled may be appropriately designed in consideration of physical distribution costs and assembling workability at the time of installation.

By the way, the support frame needs to be supported on the bathtub and / or the floor of the washroom at at least two points in order to movably support the seat above the bathtub and above the washroom. The point is formed so that it is supported only in the bathtub, or at least the shape that is supported only in the floor surface of the washroom, at least one point is supported by the bathtub, and at least one point is supported by the washroom floor surface. It can be formed into a shape.

Among these, it is preferable to adopt a shape in which at least one point is supported by the bathtub and at least one point is supported by the floor surface of the washing basin, the point of action of the load supported by the support frame (load point). It is preferable because the support frame can be surely prevented from tilting regardless of the movement of the vehicle and the size of the load, and the seat can be stably supported.

Here, the support frame may be supported by the bathtub at at least one point, and may be formed in such a shape that it is supported by the bathtub at at least one point, but the support frame is supported at two or more points on the bathtub and / or the floor of the washroom. It is preferable that the contact pressure is dispersed so as to prevent the deformation and damage of the bathtub or the floor of the washroom.

In this case, the plurality of points to be brought into contact with the bathtub and / or the floor of the washroom may be arranged so as to be aligned in the direction in which the bathtub and the washroom are lined up in a plan view. It is preferable to dispose at a suitable distance in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the bathtub and the washing place are arranged, and to prevent the support frame from tilting in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the bathtub and the washing place are arranged.

Further, in the case of supporting the support frame on the bathtub or the floor of the washroom, if the support frame is provided with an abutting portion which comes into line contact with the bathtub or the floor of the washroom over a predetermined distance, the contact pressure is further dispersed. Therefore, it is more preferable that the deformation or damage of the floor surface of the bathtub or the washing area can be surely prevented, and if the support frame is provided with an abutting portion for supporting the surface in a contact manner over a predetermined area, the contact pressure can be further widened. It is more preferable because it can be dispersed to surely prevent the deformation or damage of the floor surface of the bathtub or the washing area.

By the way, the height of the bathtub edge, the bathtub bottom, the floor of the washroom, etc. is not always uniform. For example, the bathtub edge may be inclined due to a construction error at the time of installation or it may be easy to enter and exit. There may be a step-down part. In addition, the bottom of the bathtub and the floor of the washroom are usually inclined to facilitate drainage, and the inclination is not constant due to design and construction errors.

Therefore, in a support frame provided with three or more abutting portions, a gap is created between each abutting portion and the bathtub or the washing floor except for the two abutting portions. , The support frame may rattle. In particular, when the support frame formed to have a certain shape and size is installed in an unspecified bathroom, the bath frame and the floor surface of the washing room cannot be specified until the time of installation, so that the possibility that the support frame will rattle is extremely high.

Therefore, in the apparatus of the present invention, in order to prevent the rattling, at least one of the abutting portions of the support frame supported in a point contact manner on the bathtub or the floor of the washing room is provided so that the height can be adjusted. Preferably.

Here, as a concrete structure for providing the height of the contact portion so that the height can be adjusted, a structure in which the support frame main body is partially expandable and contractible, and the contact portion is provided on the support frame main body such as an adjusting bolt. There is a structure in which they are connected via a height adjusting means.

Further, in a support frame having an abutting portion which comes into line-contact with the bathtub and / or the floor of the washing floor, and an abutting portion which comes into abutting contact with the bathtub and / or floor of the washing floor in a surface-contact manner, The inclination of the part does not match the inclination of the bathtub or the floor of the washroom, and the load may be concentrated to deform or damage the abutting part, the bathtub, or the floor of the washroom.

Therefore, in the device of the present invention, when the abutting portion of the support frame is linearly supported on the bathtub or the washing floor, the abutting portion is made of an elastic material such as foamed resin, rubber or sponge. It is preferable to cover or to connect the contact portion to the main body of the support frame in a tiltable manner so that the contact portion conforms to the bathtub or the washing floor.

Further, it is preferable that the abutting portion has a function of preventing the tread from rising from the bathtub and / or the floor of the washroom. For example, a suction cup is provided on the tread, and the tread is attached to the bathtub by the vacuum suction force of the suction cup. And / or it is preferable to prevent it from rising from the floor of the washroom. In this case, it is preferable to provide a releasing means for releasing the vacuum suction force of the suction cup in preparation for fine adjustment or removal of the installation position of the device of the present invention.

Of course, the support frame must have a shape that does not hinder people from entering and leaving the bathroom, and a shape that does not hinder the movement of the bather between the washing room and the bathtub.
It is preferable to have a shape that does not hinder the work of a caregiver who assists the bather in the bathtub, for example, a circular groove shape in which one side is open in a plan view, a square groove shape, and two sides are open in a plan view. It may be formed in an L shape, a single letter shape in a plan view, or the like. Further, even if it is formed in a closed line figure such as a rectangle in plan view, one or more of the
For example, the opening facing the bathroom entrance may be provided so that the figure can enter and exit.

With any of these shapes, it is possible to stably support the load such as the weight of the seat and the bather seated on the seat on the support frame. For example, the support formed in the shape of a square groove in plan view. When the frame supports the seat arranged in the groove, the load can be supported very stably, and these loads act downward at all bearing points, so that the contact pressure of the support frame is reduced. This is preferable because the anti-slip effect is very effective.

That is, a portion extending from above the end of the edge of one of the bathtubs opposite to the washroom to above the end of the bathtub opposite to the bathtub in the surface direction of the bathtub edge, and from both ends thereof to the bathtub edge. When the seat is arranged in a space surrounded by these portions in a plan view, the support frame is above the bathtub and in the space of the washing tub. It is more preferable because it does not hinder the entrance / exit and the assistance work of the bather.

However, in this structure, it is arranged lower than the seat raised along the edge of the bathtub on the washbasin side,
It does not prevent the provision of the handrail that extends from the guide support portion in the same direction as the tilt prevention portions.

The seat on which the bather sits may be supported by the support frame so as to be able to reciprocate between the upper part of the floor of the washing room and the upper part of the bathtub and to be able to move up and down. Seen from a right angle, by moving through a route such as a gate shape, an inverted U-shape, an inverted J-shape, etc., the entrance and exit position set at a predetermined height above the floor surface of the washroom and the position in contact with the bath bottom It suffices if it is supported by a support frame so that it can move between them.

As a path for reciprocating between the upper part of the floor of the washing place and an upper part of the bathtub, an arcuate path reciprocating 180 ° about a predetermined longitudinal axis or a circular path revolving 360 ° may be adopted. However, in order to accommodate small bathrooms and bathtubs and to eliminate the fear of bathers when moving between the bathtub and the washroom, for example, a straight route along the edge of one bathtub is adopted. It is preferable.

By the way, this seat has a height to be set so that a bather can sit in or leave the washing room,
It is preferable to be able to ascend / descend to a position higher than the bathtub rim by an operation of an assistant and / or a bather. Therefore, in the device of the present invention, it is preferable to provide an elevator for elevating / lowering the seat.

The elevator is provided with, for example, a slider which is slidably supported between the upper part of the bathtub and the washing room by a support frame and supports the seat so that the seat can be moved up and down, and an elevating drive means for elevating the seat with respect to the slider.

The structure for slidably supporting the slider on the support frame is, for example, a guide rail for guiding the movement of the slider from above the edge of the slider on the side opposite to the bath basin to the corner on the side opposite the bath tub of the wash basin. A structure may be adopted in which guide means such as a guide bar is fixed, and the slider is slidably supported on this guide rail via a slide bearing or directly. The guide means may be a separate part from the support frame, and a horizontal beam of the support frame provided from above the edge of the slider on the side opposite to the bath basin to the corner on the side opposite the bath tub of the wash basin is used. You may

The structure for supporting the seat so that it can be raised and lowered by the slider is not particularly limited, and for example, the seat may be supported by the slider so that it can be raised and lowered by the raising and lowering drive means. The seat may be supported by a slider so as to be able to move up and down through a guide means such as a guide rail or a guide bar.

As the lifting / lowering drive means, for example, a jack such as a rack jack, a screw jack, an electric jack, a hydraulic jack, a water pressure jack or a pneumatic jack is used.

When a rack jack or a screw jack, which is typical as a manual jack, is used, an operation lever (jak lever) operated by an assistant and / or a bather to swing, a handle rotated by an assistant and / or a bather An operating tool such as a (jack handle) and a switching means such as a lever or a dial for switching the direction in which the seat moves by operating the operating tool are provided. When using this manual jack, the descending speed limiting means for limiting the descending speed of the seat to a certain level or less in order to prevent the natural falling of the seat, and the buffer for absorbing the shock when the seat descends to the lower limit of descending. Means are preferably provided.

When the electric jack is used, a control circuit having a switch and a sensor for controlling the on / off and rotation directions of the motor of the electric jack is provided.

As a hydraulic jack, a water pressure jack, or a pneumatic jack, one provided with a manual pump and a pressure relief valve that are manually operated by an assistant and / or a bather, and the flow direction of the pressure fluid supplied from the power unit are switched. Some include a direction switching valve, and in the latter case, a flow rate control valve for controlling the flow rate of the pressure fluid is provided as necessary.

As the power unit, there are a unit equipped with a manual pump and an accumulator manually operated by a caregiver and / or a bather, a unit equipped with an electric pump, and a unit equipped with an electric pump and an accumulator. A control circuit for controlling on / off of the electric motor is required for the equipment.

As the directional switching valve, a three-position directional switching valve capable of supplying the pressurized fluid to the jack cylinder in the forward direction, the reverse direction and shutting off the supply may be used. The directional switching valve may be an assistant and / or a bath. It may be a manual valve manually operated by a person or an electromagnetic valve. In the case of a solenoid valve, a control circuit including a switch and a sensor for turning on / off a switching drive solenoid is required.

The flow rate control valve may be a fixed flow rate control valve having a fixed flow rate or a variable flow rate control valve capable of changing the flow rate.

As the elevating and lowering drive means, other than this, there may be conceived means for elevating and lowering the seat by swinging a chain body such as a chain, a belt or a rope for suspending the seat with a ring body such as a sprocket or a pulley. In this case, in order to prevent the seat from dropping naturally due to the weight of the seat or the bather seated on it, for example, a manual operation of an assistant and / or a bather, or a worm gear and a worm that is interlocked with a chain rotated by an electric motor. The wheels may be meshed with each other so that the seat and the seat do not move due to the weight of the seat acting on the seat or the bather seated on the seat and the seat can be freely moved by the rotation of the worm gear. The strip may be endless or endless. Further, even if this type of lifting drive means is of a manually operated type, electricity, pressure oil,
It may be a power-operated type that uses pressurized water, pressurized air, or the like as a power source.

By the way, in the device of the present invention, it is possible to provide traverse driving means for moving the elevator in order to reduce the labor of the caregiver and to enhance the self-help motivation of the bather. As the traverse drive means, a cylinder such as an electric cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an air cylinder, a rack / pinion mechanism, a screw shaft / nut mechanism, or the like can be adopted.
Strokes such as chains, belts and ropes with sprockets,
It is possible to employ one that moves through a wheel body such as a pulley.

As a matter of course, the traverse driving means may be a manually operated type in which a bather or a caregiver drives it by himself, but a power unit using electricity, pressure oil, pressurized water, pressurized air or the like as a power source. It may be a power-operated type driven by.

By the way, in the apparatus of the present invention, the seat is a seat surface on which the bather sits and a back rest for receiving the back of the bather seated on the seat surface so that the bather can easily hold the sitting position. And a seat belt for preventing the bather from falling if necessary. Further, in order to keep the lift of the seat low, a leg support is provided for supporting the legs of the bather seated on the seat at a high position when the seat passes over the edge of the bathtub on the side of the washroom.

This leg rest is supported so that it can be erected at a front end portion of the seat surface, for example, from a suspended position that hangs vertically via a hinge to a horizontal position that is horizontally flipped up to the front of the seat surface so that it can be erected. It is also preferable that the bather can easily take a seat or leave the seat by moving it to the suspended position when leaving the seat.

However, in the case where the leg rest is thus constructed so as to be raised and lowered between the suspended position and the horizontal position, the seat surface is washed in order to facilitate assistance when sitting or leaving the seat. Considering that the length is about 25 cm to 25 cm, the length of the leg rest needs to be 25 cm or less. For this reason, the legs largely protrude from the leg rests, which is disadvantageous in enhancing the safety and security of the bather when crossing the edge of the bathtub on the washroom side.

Therefore, in the device of the present invention and the seat of the present invention, in order to solve this problem and enable the bather to support the legs so that the bather can feel secure, the leg support is attached to the seat surface. The length of the leg support is rotatably provided at the front end through a hinge, for example, between a folded position that is folded under the seat surface and a horizontal position that is flipped up horizontally in front of the seat surface. It is conceivable to adopt a configuration in which the length is made equal to the length of the seat surface.

However, in this case, the seat surface is temporarily stopped at a suitable height from the height at which the bather sits or leaves the seat, and the leg rests are flipped up to the horizontal position or the folded position. They have to fold them in, and bathers feel anxious about their legs hanging down from their seats during their ups and downs.
In particular, when lowering the seat, the bather feels anxiety that his legs may get caught between the seat and leg rests and the floor of the washroom, and in order to eliminate this anxiety, the caregiver supports the legs of the bather from below. However, it is necessary to lower the seat, which increases the burden on the caregiver and deteriorates the workability of the caregiver.

Therefore, in the device of the present invention and the seat of the present invention, it is possible to solve this problem, enhance the safety of the bather when crossing the edge of the bathtub, and deepen the sense of security of the bather. It is more preferable to adopt a structure in which the leg receiver is slidably provided below the seat surface and in front of the seat surface in order to improve the workability of the above.

According to this structure, the leg rest is pulled out under the bather's leg in front of the seat surface at a height at which the bather sits down, and the bather's leg is almost entirely received in this state. The seat can be raised, and in this state, it can go over the edge of the bathtub, or after returning to the washing area, the seat can be lowered in this state to a height at which the bather can leave the seat. This eliminates the anxiety that the bather feels when moving up and down the seat, reduces the burden on the caregiver, and improves the workability of the caregiver.

By the way, in the case of providing the leg support projecting long in front of the seat surface as described above, there is a problem that the leg support may hang down in front and contact the bathtub edge when crossing the bathtub edge.

Therefore, in the device of the present invention and the seat of the present invention, a reinforcing frame connected to the front end of the customer receiver and the backrest pulled out to the lower front of the seat surface is provided, and the front end of the leg receiver hangs down. It is preferable to surely prevent the above.

As described above, in the bathing seat provided with the seat surface, the backrest, and the leg rests protruding and retracting from below the seat surface so as to be able to reciprocate between the washing room and the bathtub, A leg receiver is slidably provided from the lower side of the seat surface to the front thereof, and is provided with a reinforcing frame connected to a front end portion of a customer receiver drawn out forward and downward of the seat surface and a backrest. According to the seat of the present invention, it is possible to achieve the above-mentioned object, that is, to eliminate the anxiety of the bather, reduce the burden on the caregiver, and improve the workability of the caregiver.

If the reinforcing frame is also used as a handrail gripped by a bather seated on the seat surface, the bather can be prevented from falling off the seat surface to enhance safety and move the seat. It is preferable that the bather grips the reinforcing frame that also serves as the handrail while the bath is being taken, because the bather's sense of security can be further enhanced.

Further, if the reinforcing frame is detachably provided to the leg support and the backrest, for example, when the seat is positioned in the bathtub, the reinforcing frame can be removed to facilitate bathing in the bathtub of the bather. It is more preferable that the reinforcing frame can be removed when the user is sitting or leaving the seat to facilitate the seating and leaving of the bather.

Furthermore, the reinforcing frame includes a pipe supported by one of the leg support and the backrest, and a pipe or bar supported by the other and slidably fitted in or out of the pipe. When it is provided, it is preferable that the size of the leg receiver protruding in front of the seat surface can be adjusted according to the length of the bather's leg.

An embodiment of the device of the present invention and the seat of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front view of a bathing assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a plan view thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3,
The bathing assistance device according to one embodiment of the device of the present invention includes a support frame 1
And a seat 4 according to an embodiment of the seat of the present invention supported by a guide panel 2 and an elevator.

The support frame 1 is composed of, for example, a pipe frame made of stainless steel, and is formed in a rectangular groove shape in a plan view. The support frame 1 is provided on the bathtub 5 and the floor surface 6 of the washing room provided on one side of the bathtub 5. Supported.

The support frame 1 may be manufactured and distributed as an integral body, but it is divided into appropriate parts in order to reduce the storage cost and the distribution cost and facilitate the installation in the bathroom. It is formed so that it can be assembled in the bathroom.

Here, each part may be appropriately designed so as to have a shape and size that can be carried in from a bathroom entrance or a bathroom window, and may be appropriately determined in accordance with the actual situation of the installation site of the assembly sequence. For example, as shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 4, it may be configured such that it is divided into 12 parts 8 to 19 and carried into the bathroom and assembled in the bathroom.

That is, in this embodiment, the three contact portions 8, 9 which are individually supported on the three consecutive bathtub edges of the bathtub 5,
10, a bathtub corner post 11 that is raised above the contact portion 8 at one corner opposite to the washroom of the bathtub 5, a washroom corner post 12 that is launched at one corner opposite to the bathtub of the washroom, and a bathtub corner post 11 13, which connects the upper end of the and the upper end of the washbasin corner post 11,
At one corner of the bathtub 5 on the side of the washing area, a stud 14 that is erected above the contact portion 10, another stud 15 that is erected above the other abutment portion 9, and an upper end portion of the bathtub corner post 11 are The inverted L-shaped left support frame 16 connected to the contact portion 8 on the side opposite to the washroom at an appropriate position with a proper distance from the corner post 11, and connected to the upper end of the washroom corner post 12, The right supporting frame 17 supported on the floor 6 of the washing room at a position spaced from 12 by the position 12, the left handrail 18 spanning the bathtub corner post 11 and the vertical axis of the left supporting frame 15, the stud 13, and the washing room 12 of the right handrail 19 mounted across the contact portion 10 on the side
The support frame 1 is installed in the bathroom by dividing it into parts and carrying them into the bathtub, and assembling these parts in the bathtub.

In this construction, for example, the abutting portion 9, the abutting portion 10, the beam 13, the stud 14, the stud 15, the left handrail 18, the right handrail 19 and the like can be omitted.
In addition, the bathtub corner pillar 11, the washing area corner pillar 12, the stud 14, 1
Another beam connecting the 5 and the washbasin 12 and the right support frame 17
It is also possible to add parts other than the illustrated parts such as a reinforcing frame for connecting the intermediate height portions of the above and a reinforcing frame for connecting the left and right supporting frames 16 and 17.

The structure for connecting these parts is not particularly limited, but as shown in the sectional view of FIG. 5, one part A is provided with a hollow or solid joint shaft a, and the other part B is provided with an end portion. A structure in which the joint shaft a is inserted and the overlapping portions are screwed to the other component B, for example, a bolt b is tightened to the joint shaft a, or as shown in the sectional view of FIG. A joint shaft a is provided for the other part B
A slit or a slit c is formed at the end of the other part B
The joint shaft a is inserted into the end of the joint, and the overlapping portions are tightened with, for example, a band d. As shown in the sectional view of FIG. 7, one part A is provided with a hollow or solid joint shaft a, and the other is provided. The joint shaft a is inserted into the end of the component B, and the small screw or bolt b inserted in the other component B is screwed into the joint shaft a from the radial direction, or as shown in the sectional view of FIG. A hollow or solid joint shaft a is provided in one part A, the joint shaft a is inserted into a hole e formed in the peripheral surface of the other part B, and a small screw or bolt is inserted from the opposite side of the hole e. A structure in which b is screwed onto the end surface of the joint shaft a may be adopted.

In the structure shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 7 or FIG. 8, the head of the machine screw or bolt b is formed in a butterfly shape, or a knob is provided so that it can be manually turned without using a tool. You may be able to tighten it. Also, the joint shaft a is
For example, it may be fixed to one component A in advance by welding, forging, crimping, screwing, or the like, or may be assembled to the one component A by, for example, screws or bolts at the assembly site.

By the way, the washing corner column 12 and the right supporting frame 17 are cut to an appropriate height according to the site alignment, and as shown in the sectional view of FIG. 9, for example, the end piece 20 is provided at the lower end of the washing corner column 12. Insert this end piece 20
Fine adjustment is possible with the adjusting screw 21 screwed into the. The same applies to the lower end of the vertical axis of the right support frame 17.

Further, a skirt 22 is fitted on the lower end portions of the washbasin corner post 12 and the right supporting frame 17 so as to be able to move up and down, and after the height is adjusted by the adjusting screw 21, the skirt 22 is placed on the floor 6 The adjustment screw 21 is hidden to improve the appearance of the outer fitting, and the feet and clothes of the caregiver are prevented from being caught on the lower corner of the washroom corner post 12 or the right support frame 17 as well.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 1, the guide panel 2 is fixed to the front surface of the base plate 23, which is bolted to the bathtub corner posts 11, the studs 15, the studs 14, and the washroom corner posts 12, and is fixed to the front surface of the base plate 23. And two upper and lower guide rails 24. The guide rails 24 may be attached to the board 23 before they are brought into the bathroom or after they are brought into the bathroom. The substrate 23 may be attached to the support frame 1 before bringing it into the bathroom.
In order to reduce parts storage costs, parts transportation costs, etc.,
It is preferable to assemble the support frame 1 after bringing it into the bathroom.

As shown in FIG. 1 and the side view of FIG. 10, the elevator 3 is provided with sliders 26 slidably supported by the guide rails 24 via slide bearings 25, and the sliders 26. Left and right guide rails 27 fixed to the front side, and these guide rails 27
A mounting plate 29 which is supported by a slide bearing 28 so as to be able to move up and down, and a mounting plate 29 for the slider 26.
And a manually-operated lifting drive means 30 for lifting and lowering.

As shown in the side view of FIG. 11, the elevating and lowering drive means 30 is externally fitted to the screw shaft 31 so as to be screwed forward and backward and to the screw shaft 31 of the vertical axis which is non-rotatably supported by the slider 26. A ball nut 32, a holder 33 that rotatably supports the ball nut 32 around the screw shaft, and a gear 34 that is rotatably supported by the holder 33 around a horizontal axis and meshed with the screw shaft 31. An operating lever 36 for rotating the gear 34 via a reversible ratchet mechanism 35, and a gear 34 allowed by the ratchet mechanism 35.
And a direction switching lever 37 for switching the rotation direction of the seat 4, and the holder 33 is fixed to the back surface of the seat 4.

When the caregiver switches the direction switching lever 37 to the up side and swings the operation lever 36 up and down, the gear 34
Rises along the screw shaft 31, which raises the seat 4 with respect to the slider 26. The helper turns the direction lever 3
When 7 is switched to the descending side, the seat 4 descends due to the weight of the seat 4 and the bather seated on it, and the descending speed is that the ball circulates in the ball nut 32 and rotates around the screw shaft 31. The seat 4 does not suddenly fall naturally because it is limited to a constant low speed depending on the speed at which the seat 4 moves. Therefore,
The bather sitting in the seat does not feel anxious, and the seat 4 can be softly lowered to a predetermined height.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG.
The seat 4 has a seat surface 38 on which the bather sits, a backrest 39 on which the bather sitting on the seat surface 38 brings his back, and the seat surface 38.
Leg support 4 that slides in and out from the lower side of the seat surface 38
0, a detachable handrail / reinforcing frame 41 for connecting the tip end portion of the leg receiver 40 advanced to the front of the seat surface 38 and the intermediate height portion of the backrest 39, and a seat belt (not shown). .

The elevator 3 and the seat 4 are located above the floor surface of the washing room, and the seat surface 38 is located from the washing floor surface 6 to 25c.
The bather is seated on the seat with the leg rest 40 positioned below the seat surface 38 after being lowered to a height of about m, and the bather is fixed to the seat 4 with a seat belt as necessary. , The leg rest 40 is pulled out in front of the seat surface 38, and the legs of the bather are placed on the leg rest 40.

As a result, most of the bather's legs are supported by the leg support 4.
Since it is accepted as 0, there is no anxiety that the bather may drop the leg protruding from the leg rest 40 and hit the edge of the bathtub 5 when crossing the edge of the bathtub 5. Thereafter, when the handrail / reinforcement frame 41 is attached, the handrail / reinforcement frame 41 prevents the front end portion of the leg receiver 40 from hanging down. Therefore, the footrest 40 may hang down and hit the edge of the bathtub. The anxiety of is gone. Therefore, the bather can enter the bathtub 5 from the washroom and return to the washroom from the bathtub 5 with a great sense of security.

Also, after returning to the washing room, the leg rest 40 is kept out with the leg rest 40 kept at a certain height without lowering the seat 4 with the legs hanging below the seat surface 38. By lowering the seat 4 to a height at which the user can leave the seat, it is possible to eliminate the anxiety that the bather may have his legs caught between the seat 4 and the floor of the washing room while descending. Further, since the caregiver does not need to have the legs hanging from the seat 4 when lowering the seat 4, the burden on the caregiver is reduced and the workability of the caregiver is improved.

Here, the structure for connecting the handrail / reinforcement frame 41 to the backrest 39 and the leg rests 40 may be any structure as long as the handrail / reinforcement frame 41 is detachably connected to the backrest 39 and the leg rests 40. For example, as shown in the side view of FIG. 12, a keyhole-shaped through hole 42 consisting of a circular hole 42a and a groove hole 42b extending upward from the circular hole 42a is formed at both ends of the handrail / reinforcing frame 41. The through hole 4 is provided at the tip of the pad 39 and the leg receiver 40.
Head portion 43a having a diameter smaller than that of the second round hole 42a and larger than the groove width of the groove hole 42b, and the leg 4 having a diameter smaller than 42b in the groove hole.
3b and a mushroom-shaped hook 43 provided with the circular hole 42
The head 43a may be inserted into a, the handrail / reinforcing frame 41 may be lowered, and the leg 43b may be fitted into the slot 42b to connect the handrail / reinforcing frame 41 to the backrest 39 and the leg rest 40. .

The handrail / reinforcement frame 41 can be removed when the bather is seated to facilitate the seating of the bather, or removed when the bather is left to facilitate the leaving of the bather. Besides, it can be removed in the bathtub 5 to facilitate bathing for the bather.

As described above, the bathing assistance apparatus according to this embodiment is provided with the floor 6 of the washing area provided on one side of the bathtub 5, the support frame 1 placed on the bathtub 5, and the support frame. 1 is provided with a seat 4 which is supported so as to be able to reciprocate above and below the washing basin and above the bathtub and to be able to move up and down, so that it can be installed without touching the wall of the bathroom or the bathtub. A seat 4 supported on the wall so as to be able to reciprocate above and below the washing room and above the bathtub and to be able to move up and down.
It is possible to obtain the effect that each stage can be installed at a lower cost than the conventional one that supports the.

Particularly, in this embodiment, the support frame 1, the guide panel 2, the elevator 3 and the seat 4 are formed by being divided into parts of a size that can be carried in from the entrance of the bathroom, so these parts are carried into the bathroom. In order to do so, there is no need to modify the indoor corridor or the house such as forming an opening in the wall of the bathroom, and it is possible to obtain the effect of being able to install at a lower cost.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a modified example of the apparatus of the present invention described above. In this modified example, the contact portions 8, 9, 10 supported by the bath 5 are vacuum-adsorbed to the edge of the bath. It is characterized by having done.

For example, as shown in FIG. 13, a seal member 44 having elasticity and airtightness, such as rubber, is attached over the entire periphery of the back surface of the contact portion 8 on the opposite side to the washing area. The space 4 defined by the contact portion 8, the seal member 44 and the bath 5 by pressing the pipe against the edge of the bath 5.
The volume of 5 is contracted to eliminate the air in this space 45,
After that, the elastic restoring force of the seal member 44 increases the volume of the space 45 to make the internal pressure of the space 45 negative, and the contact portion 8 is moved to the bath 5 by the atmospheric pressure acting on the surface of the contact portion 8. It is configured to prevent lifting from above.

The contact portion 8 has a check valve 4 made of rubber, for example.
6 is attached to allow the outflow of air from the space 45 to the atmosphere, but to prevent the inflow of air from the atmosphere to the space 45. When the check valve 45 is forcibly opened from the outside, the negative pressure is broken, the internal pressure of the space 45 becomes equal to the atmospheric pressure, and the contact portion 8 can be easily lifted from the bath 5. Become.

A cap 47 is provided to cover the check valve 46 in order to prevent the check valve 46 from being accidentally opened during bathing. Also, the other contact portions 9, 10
Similarly, a seal member 44, a check valve 45, and a cap 46 are provided. Further, the seal member 44 is attached to the contact portions 8, 9, 1
It may be provided not on the entire separation surface of 0 but only on the portion of the back surface facing the upper surface of the bathtub rim.

[0093]

As described above, the device of the present invention is
A floor of a washing room provided on one side of the bathtub and / or a supporting frame placed on the bathtub, and supported by the supporting frame so as to be capable of reciprocating over the washing room and above the bathtub, and capable of moving up and down. Since it is characterized by having a seat, the effect that it can be installed without any modification of the bathtub or bathroom structure can be obtained. It is possible to obtain the effect that the cost can be reduced.

Further, the seat of the present invention is provided with a seating surface, a backrest, and leg rests that project from the bottom of the seating surface to the front thereof, and is provided so that it can be reciprocated between the washing room and the bathtub. In the reinforcing frame, the leg receiver is slidably provided from the lower side of the seat surface to the front of the seat surface, and is connected to the front end portion of the customer receiver drawn to the lower front of the seat surface and the backrest. According to this, since it is characterized by including
The length of the leg rests is about the same as the length of the seat surface, so that the legs of the bather seated on the seat surface can be supported as a whole, and the height at which the bather can sit and leave In addition, the leg surface can be moved in and out with the seat surface positioned, and the legs can be moved up and down while supporting the legs of the bather who sits on the seat surface when moving up and down. It is possible to obtain the effect of preventing the front end of the receiver from hanging down for a long period of time.

As a result, according to the seat of the present invention, the bather's legs can be reliably held higher than the bathtub rim and passed over the bathtub rim, and the safety can be improved.

Further, according to the seat of the present invention, it is feared that the leg may hit the edge of the bathtub when crossing over the edge of the bathtub, or the leg may be caught between the seat and the floor of the washroom when lowering the seat. It is possible to obtain the effect of eliminating anxiety from the bather and giving the bather a sense of trust and safety regarding safety.

Furthermore, according to the seat of the present invention, the seat is lowered from the height at which the bather sits in the bather's seat to the height at which the seat is raised, or the height at which the caregiver leaves the seat at a height at which the assistant leaves the seat. It is not necessary to lift the legs of the bather during the time, and the burden on the caregiver is reduced and the workability of the caregiver can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a side view of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a side view of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 support frame 4 seats 38 Seat 39 Back support 40 leg rest 41 Handrail and reinforcement frame

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A floor surface of a washing place provided on one side of a bathtub and / or
Alternatively, a bathing assistance device comprising: a support frame placed on the bathtub; and a seat supported by the support frame so as to be capable of reciprocating above and below the washing basin and above the bathtub and capable of moving up and down. 2. A bathing seat provided with a seat surface, a backrest, and a leg rest that extends from the bottom of the seat face to the front thereof, and is provided so as to be able to reciprocate between a washing room and a bathtub. Is provided slidably from the lower side of the seat surface to the front thereof, and is provided with a reinforcing frame which is connected to the front end of the customer receiver and the backrest that are drawn out to the lower front of the seat surface. Equipment seat.