JPH0363055A - Bathtub furnished with body supporting plate - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform easily for a person having trouble in his body to take a bath by providing a water path where warm water in a bathtub can be freely moved between an upper part and a lower part of a body supporting plate, an elevating member supporting the body supporting plate and a driving means driving the body supporting plate up and down through this elevating member. CONSTITUTION:For taking a bath, at first, a motor 29 is driven and a rotating force is transmitted to a screw shaft 26 and an elevating frame 24 is guided and elevated by rails 32 on four corners. As a body supporting plate 3 is accordingly elevated up to the upper part of a bathtub main body 1, the surface of the bathtub turns to just like a bench or a bed on which a person having a trouble in a body and taking a bath can sit or lay himself down. When the body supporting plate 3 is lowered, warm water in the bathtub main body makes a round above the body supporting plate 3 through a water path with a punching metal shape and the body of the person taking a bath laid on the body supporting plate is sunk in the warm water. In addition, when a normal person takes a bath, he can take a bath on the body supporting plate 3, which has been lowered to the bottom of the bathtub main body 1 and it is not necessary to move up and down the body supporting plate 3.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a bathtub intended for people with physical disabilities such as the elderly and sick people. By providing a support plate, even people who have difficulty lifting their body by themselves can easily sink their body into the bathtub or get out of the bathtub. be.

[Conventional technology]

BACKGROUND ART Several bathtubs have been proposed for people with physical disabilities such as sick people. However, conventional bathtubs have a wide washing area, handrails around the bathtub, and even benches around the bathtub to make it easier for caregivers to help people with disabilities inside the bathtub. It was nothing more than a shaped part to support the body and make washing easier. Therefore, when bathing someone who is unable to raise or lift their body using their own power,
It was necessary to lift the bather's body up to the bottom of the bathtub, which is lower than the edge of the bathtub, and also to take the bather out of the bathtub. However, lifting a bather in his arms and giving him a bath in this way is extremely burdensome for the caregiver, and is not something that a housewife or the like could ever accomplish. In addition, even men with physical strength could not avoid getting their bodies wet when holding a baby, so it was not an easy task.

In order to improve this situation, it is necessary to use a care robot with a crane-like arm or a lift device to mechanically lift the bather, as has traditionally been used in hospital treatment rooms. One idea is to suspend your body from a net that is raised and lowered by a lift installed on the ceiling of the bathroom. However, such technology was not desirable because it required major construction work on the ceiling of the building in addition to the bathtub, and it required large installations such as lifts and robots in the bathroom. In addition, the ropes and wires extending from the ceiling and the lift inside the room interfere with bathing, and the bathers are treated like luggage, which does not make the bathers feel good.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The present invention solves the problems of the prior art as described above, and by devising the bathtub itself, there are no large installations on the ceiling or floor of the bathroom, and the appearance is almost the same as a regular bathtub. To provide a bathtub that allows a person with physical disabilities to easily take a bath.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a body support plate that is arranged to be movable up and down between the bottom and the top of the bathtub inside the bathtub, and a body support plate that allows hot water in the bathtub to flow freely between the top and bottom of the body support plate. The present invention is characterized in that it is provided with a water flow part that can be moved in a direction, an elevating member that supports the body support plate, and a drive means that moves the body support plate up and down via the elevating member.

[Effect]

In the bathtub of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration, when a person with physical disabilities takes a bath, the lifting member is moved by the driving means so that the body support plate supported by the lifting member is raised to approximately the same level as the edge of the bathtub. raise to a height. At this time, since the bathtub of the present invention is provided with a water passage part that allows the hot water in the bathtub to move freely between the upper and lower parts of the body support plate, the hot water inside the bathtub will not spill even if the body support plate is raised. Instead, only the body support plate rises.

The bather sits on this elevated body support plate,
After the body is laid down, the elevating member is moved again by the drive means to lower the body support plate to the bottom of the bathtub with the bather still on it. Then, as the body support plate descends, the hot water in the bathtub flows from the water flow part onto the body support plate, and as a result, the body of the bather sitting on the body support plate is immersed in the hot water in the bathtub. It's sinking.

Furthermore, when the bather is taken out of the bathtub, the body support plate is raised by the driving means, so that the bather's body that has been submerged in the bathtub can be automatically raised to the edge of the bathtub. . As a result, the caregiver does not have to pull the bather out of the low position at the bottom of the bathtub, which reduces the burden on the caregiver. In addition, for bathers who have been lifted out of the bath by the body support plate, caregivers can wipe and dry the body while sitting or lying on the body support plate. There is no need for the caregiver to pull the bather up by putting their body in the bather, so the caregiver does not get wet.

Furthermore, when the present invention is applied to a jet bath or an ultrasonic bath in which bath salts, soap, etc. are put into the whirlpool, after washing the body inside the bathtub, the body support plate is raised and the user takes a shower with clean water. By using this system, caregivers no longer have to wash the bather's body while getting wet in the bathroom washing area, and can provide comfortable bathing with simple care.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

(1) First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention, in which reference numeral 1 indicates a bathtub body, and 2 indicates a mechanism box provided at the bottom of the bathtub. A body support plate 3 having approximately the same size as the bottom plate is housed inside the bathtub body 1 so as to overlap with the bottom plate.

In this embodiment, the body support plate 3 is a punched metal member having a large number of small hole-shaped water passages, but it may also be made of a metal plate with slits, a synthetic resin plate, a net-like member, etc. Even if there are no water holes on the surface of the wooden drainboard or even the body support plate, a water passage through which hot water can flow is formed between the body support plate 3 and the inner wall of the bathtub body 1. things are used.

For example, four through holes 4 are provided at the bottom of the bathtub body 1, and a rod-shaped lifting member 5 extending from the mechanism box 2 is inserted into the through holes 4 so as to be slidable up and down. . A slide bearing 6 having watertight performance is provided between the elevating member 5 and the through hole 4, and the elevating member 5
This prevents hot water from leaking out from the gap when sliding. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the slide bearings are provided in the recess 7 provided at the bottom of the bathtub body 1, and when the elevating member 5 is lowered, the slide bearings are provided at the tip of the elevating member 5. A flange-shaped stopper 8 is housed in the recess 7, and the tip of the lifting member 5 is connected to the bathtub body 1.
It is constructed so that the drawer does not come out from the bottom.

A recess 9 is formed at the tip of the elevating member 5, and a protrusion 1 formed at the bottom of the body support plate 3 is inserted into the recess 9.
0 is removably fitted. That is, the body support plate 3 is supported at the tips of the four columnar lifting parts tr)i5, but when the body support plate 3 is removed from the tips of the lifting member 5 when the lifting member 5 is lowered,
The tip of the elevating member 5 is configured to be flush with the bottom surface of the bathtub body 1. Note that the means for fixing the tip of the elevating member 5 and the body support plate 3 is not limited to the above-mentioned fitting structure, but may be fixed using a screw, a button bushing type, or an elastic material made of synthetic resin. It can be used as appropriate, such as one that utilizes fitting.

Inside the mechanism box 2, drive means for four elevating members 5 are housed. The mechanism box 2 is constructed to be strong because the bathtub body 1 containing hot water is installed on the top thereof. That is, in this embodiment, a frame is formed by assembling channel-shaped frame members, and a hollow mechanism box 2 is formed by fixing a top plate and side plates to this frame. A door 23 for inspecting each mechanism inside the mechanism box 2 is provided on the side surface of the mechanism box 2 so as to be openable and closable.

The mechanism box 2 houses a drive means for vertically moving the four elevating members 5.

In this embodiment, a screw shaft rotated by an electric motor is used as this driving means. That is, the four elevating members 5 have their lower portions fixed to the four corners of the rectangular elevating frame 24, and move up and down together with the elevating frame 24. A nut 25 is fixed to the center of the elevating frame 24, and a screw shaft 26 is screwed into the nut 25. This screw shaft 26 is rotatably supported by bearings 27 provided above and below the mechanism box 2. A bevel gear 28 is fixed to the lower part of the screw shaft 26.
8 meshes with a bevel gear 30 fixed to the output shaft of a motor 29 provided inside the mechanism box 2. Guides 31 made of a material with low slip resistance, such as synthetic resin, are provided at the four corner ends of the lifting frame 24, and the guides 31 are inserted into rails 32 provided vertically at the four corners of the mechanism box 2. It is fitted so that it can slide freely.

Note that the means for stopping the motor 29 when the body support plate 3 reaches the raised or lowered position is provided in the mechanism box 2.
A limit switch for stopping the motor may be provided at the top of the interior, and the motor 29 may be stopped when the lifting frame 24 comes into contact with the limit switch, or a timer may be set so that the motor automatically stops when a predetermined number of rotations is reached. or a step motor.

The bathtub of this embodiment has the above-mentioned configuration. Next, a method of using this bathtub will be explained.

When taking a bath, first, the motor 29 is driven to transmit its rotational force to the screw shaft 26, and when this is rotated, the lifting frame 24, which is connected to the screw shaft 26 via nuts 25, is moved to the rails 32 at the four corners. You will be guided up. Then, the elevating members 5 fixed to the four corners of the elevating frame 24 also rise, and the body support plate 3 supported at the upper part of the elevating member 5 rises to the upper part of the bathtub body 1. When the body support plate 3 reaches the top of the bathtub in this way, the body support plate 3 and the edge of the bathtub make the bathtub surface look like a bench or a bed.
A physically challenged bather can sit or lie down on it. After the bather is placed on the body support plate 3, the motor 29 is driven in the opposite direction to lower the elevating frame 24, the elevating member 5, and the body support plate 3 supported thereto to the bottom of the bathtub body 1. let When the body support plate 3 is lowered, the hot water in the bathtub body 1 passes through the perforated metal-like water flow part and goes around above the body support plate 3, and the body of the bather sitting on the body support plate sinks into the bath. I'll go.

In this way, the bather's body sinks into the bathtub, and after the bath is finished, the motor 29 is rotated again to raise the body support plate 3 to the edge of the bathtub body 1 with the bather still on it.

Then, after wiping your body in that state, or washing your body with soap or a shower if necessary,
The bathing is completed by lowering the bather from the body support plate 3.

Note that the bathing method can be freely selected, and if another person will take a bath later, it is preferable to wash the body first in the washing area and then take a bath in the bathtub of this embodiment.

In addition, if you use something like an ultrasonic bath or jet bath as the bathtub, you can expect the ultrasonic wave and water flow to have a cleaning effect on your body, so you can put bath salts or soap in the bathtub to clean your body. All you have to do is wash your body and take a shower on the elevated body support plate 3. Of course, the caregiver may manually wash the bather's body in the bathtub, then raise the body support plate 3 and use the shower.

In addition, when a normal person takes a bath, the body support plate 3 should be lowered to the bottom of the bathtub body 1 and the body support plate 3 should be lowered to the bottom of the bathtub body 1 and the body support plate 3 can be lowered and lowered by driving the motor 29. There's no need to do it.

Furthermore, when the body support plate 3 is not used at all or when cleaning the inside of the bathtub, the body support plate 3 can be moved to the lifting member 5.
When the body support plate 3 is lifted up against the body support plate 3, the convex portion 10 provided at the bottom of the body support plate 3 is removed from the concave portion 9 at the tip of the elevating member 5.
The body support plate 5 can be removed from the bathtub body 1. In that case, if the lifting member 5 is lowered to the bottom of the bathtub, the tip of the lifting member 5 will not protrude to the bottom of the bathtub, and the bathtub can be used in exactly the same way as a normal bathtub.

■Second Embodiment FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, in which a doglegged link 40 is used as a driving means for the elevating frame 24, and
A hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 41 is used to expand and contract the link 40.

In this embodiment, the body support plate 3 includes a back plate 3a and a handle 3 that also serves as a support member for the back plate 3a.
I am using one with b.

This back plate 3a is provided integrally with the body support plate 3, but is rotatably attached to the body support plate 3 at the connection part, and the handle 3b is also attached to the back plate 3a by screws or screws. It may be attached removably using a hook or the like.

The bathtub of this embodiment Ho 11 having such a configuration has the first
Similar to the bathtub of the embodiment, the body support plate 3 is raised to the edge of the bathtub body 1 during bathing, but in this embodiment, the lift frame 24 is moved by driving the cylinder 41 to extend and contract the link 40. and an elevating member 5 supported by this
to raise and lower.

On the other hand, placing the bather on the body support plate 3 that has reached the raised position is carried out in the same manner as in the previous embodiment, but in this case, since the back plate 3a and handle 3b are provided in this embodiment, The person can easily support the body, and the body support plate 3
The body does not become unstable even when going up and down.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the back plate 3a is rotatably connected to the body support plate 3, the body support plate 3
When not in use, the back plate 3a can be folded over the body support plate 3 removed from the tip of the elevating member 5, so that it can be stored in a small space.

■Third Embodiment The third embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG.
The cylinder rods of four cylinders 50 that are driven synchronously are used as they are. In this embodiment, since the elevating member 5 can be directly raised and lowered without providing an elevating frame within the mechanism box 2, the internal structure of the mechanism box 2 is simplified. Note that the other configurations and effects are the same as those in the first and second embodiments.

■Fourth Embodiment In the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the body support plate 3 is
It is approximately half the size of the bottom of the. In this embodiment, the body support plate 3 is supported by a second cylinder 50 so as to be able to rise and fall as in the third embodiment.

In this embodiment having such a configuration, when the body support plate 3 rises to the edge of the bathtub body 1, the bather's feet remain on the washing area side and the body support plate 3 is placed on top of the body support plate 3. Have her sit down, then lift her legs and turn her body towards the inside of the bathtub.
Then, submerge your feet into the bathtub. After that, by lowering the body support plate 3, the bather can sink into the bathtub while sitting on the body support plate 3. Moreover, if the lowering position of the body support plate 3 is set higher than the bottom of the bathtub body 1, there is no need to bend your legs or hips significantly in the bathtub.
You can take a bath easily.

■Other Embodiments The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments.In addition to providing a drive mechanism at the bottom of the bathtub body, as a driving means for the elevating member 5, a drive mechanism may be provided inside the wall of the bathtub body. It is also possible to raise and lower the body support plate from above by incorporating a drive mechanism into a pillar provided between the edge of the bathtub and the ceiling. In this case, there is no need to provide a driving means at the bottom of the bathtub as in the above-mentioned embodiments, so maintenance is easy and the bathtub can be easily installed in an existing bathtub.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, even a person with a physical disability can easily submerge his or her body in a bathtub or pull his or her body out of the bathtub. As a result, when taking a bath, the effort of not only the physically disabled person but also their caregivers is greatly reduced.

It also has the advantage of being easy to install, since there is no need to incorporate a crane or the like into the ceiling.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the first embodiment of the bathtub of the present invention;
The figure is a sectional view of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the invention, FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a third embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the invention. FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Bathtub body, 2... Mechanism box, 3... Body support plate, 4... Through hole, 5... Lifting member, 6... Slide bearing, 7... Recess, 8 ...Stopper, 9...
・Concave portion, 10...Convex portion, 21...Frame, 22・
...Side plate, 23...Door, 24...Elevating frame, 25...
・Natsuto, 26...Screw shaft, 27...
Bearing, 28... Bevel gear, 29... Motor, 30.
...Bevel gear, 31...Guide, 32...Rail. 4
0...Link, 41...Cylinder, 50...Cylinder. Dou (asaki 2 hindi) 5 imperial edict

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A body support plate arranged inside the bathtub so that it can be moved up and down between the bottom and the top of the bathtub, a water passage part that allows hot water in the bathtub to move freely between the top and bottom of the body support plate, and a body support plate. 1. A bathtub equipped with a body support plate, characterized in that the bathtub is equipped with an elevating member for supporting the body support plate, and a driving means for raising and lowering the body support plate via the elevating member.