US2697480A - Child's shampoo chair - Google Patents

Description

1.954 E. M. DU BOIS ETAL CHILD'S SHAMPOO CHAIR 2 Sheeis-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 17, 1951 INVENTOR. FAMA M. 008015 BY For PAUL s' olv 7 W 1954 E. M. DU BOIS ETAL CHILD'S SHAMPOO CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 17, 1 951 INVENTOR. FAMA M. 005015 By Roy PAUL so/v W United States Patent() CHILDS SHAMPOO CHAIR Erma M. Du Bois, New York, N. Y., and Roy Paulson, Tacoma, Wash.; said Paulson assignor to said Du Bois Application February 17, 1951, Serial N 0. 211,478

7 Claims. (Cl. 155-117) This invention relates to a reclining childs shampoo chair or the like to support an infant or older child comfortably in a position enabling its hair to be washed conveniently by another person.

The improved chair is so constructed that it may be set up and used with equal advantage in a bathtub, on a table, kitchen counter, or in any other convenient place for hair washing, and further may be adjusted to accommodate comfortably children of widely different heights. In any instance it will be held firmly in place during use. Not only does the chair enable hair washing to be accomplished quickly and easily, but the child is afforded a feeling of security which is usually lacking during the process of hair washing.

Another object is to provide a chair of the type indicated which is of rugged, durable construction, and which may be folded compactly for storage purposes and set up quickly and adjusted for use.

More specifically it is an object to devise a chair of the kind mentioned having a very effective, yet simple and inexpensive seat and back connection, permitting ready removal and heightwise adjustment of the seat relative to the back. Still another specific object is a correspondingly simple and inexpensive detachable and adjustable headrest mounted upon the chair back.

To those who have attempted washing the hair of an infant or small child it will be well appreciated that the difiiculties of holding the child still, and with its head in a position such that soapy water will run ofl Without getting into the eyes and ears, are considerable. For this purpose much depends upon making the child comfortable and also confident that it will not slip from the grasp of the older person during the washing, and protecting its eyes and ears.

Moreover, towash the hair of a child on a kitchen counter, for example, is far more convenient than in the bathtub, since the person washing the hair may stand erect to work instead of bending over in a tiring and uncomfortable attitude. Thus washing the childs hair may be a pleasure instead of a chore. The devices heretofore proposed to support a child in sitting posture during bathing were for use in bathtubs.

With these considerations in view the present reclining chair briefly comprises a generally straight unitary back and adjustable legs to maintain such back at a desired angle of inclination to the supporting surface on which the chair rests. Supported by the back is a removable seat having a back-engaging rear edge flange and hook or cantilever anchor elements projecting from its rear edge for insertion into a set of retaining apertures of a series of such apertures at opposite sides of the chair back, the particular set of apertures selected for engagement depending upon the height of the chair seat along the back desired. Such edge flange, anchor elements and apertured chair back cooperate to provide cantilever support for the seat. Because the chair back will normally be established at a relatively small acute angle of inclination to the horizontal supporting surface, such back and its leg supports will carry the principal part of the childs weight, whereas the seat will serve mainly as a locating means by which the height of the childs head relative to the back may be established so as to rest upon a headrest carried by the upper end of the back.

Further features of the invention reside in the support for adjusting the headrest in a direction transversely of the back, such support comprising an elongated cantilever I 2,697,480 Patented Dec. 21, 1954 arm the lower end portion of which under the chair back is formed to hook partly around a transverse retaining pin, and its upper end is formed to carry a swivel-type headrest. With the retainer pin engaged by its lower end as a horizontal fulcrum, the headrest supporting arm may be swung about the normally horizontal axis defined by such fulcrum between a lowered position, displaced downward away from the chair back, as established by a transverse stop pin engaged by an intermediate portion of the arm, and a raised position disposed immediately beneath the chair back. The headrest support may be maintained in such raised position by a generally L- shaped swinging stop latch pivoted on said stop pin. With such stop pin removed, as may be accomplished by a simple disconnecting operation, the support arm end may be unhooked from its fulcrum and the entire headrest and support arm may be withdrawn completely from the chair back, if desired.

These and other features, objects and advantages of the invention, including preferred details of construction of the childs shampoo chair, will become more fully evident from the following detailed description thereof based upon the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a perspective view of the shampoo chair erected ready for use.

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section through the same.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the chair in folded position, with its back turned upside down.

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the upper portion of the chair with parts broken away to show the construction and adjustment operation of the headrest structure.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional detail taken on a vertical plane to show the manner of engagement of the chair seat cantilever hook elements.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation view of a portion of the chair showing a drip receptacle mounted on it.

As shown, the chair back structure 10 is of one-piece sheet metal construction. Such back, appropriately dished for comfort as desired, is flanged around its entire periphery for stiffness, and its lower end turned inward or generally horizontally to form a pocket and provide a footing 10a, to which the suction cups 12 are attached. The suction cups will hold the chair against slipping on a smooth supporting surface such as the bottom of a bathtub or the like. In its position of use the back 10 is supported at an incline to the supporting surface (Figure 2) by means of the inclined legs 14. These legs are interconnected by a stiffener channel 16, shown in Figure 3, for conjoint pivoting about pins 18 secured in the respective side flanges of the back 10 near their upper ends and at corresponding locations along the flanges of the back generally centrally between the upper and lower ends of the back.

Preferably the legs 14 are of channel cross section for lightweight rigid construction, and their inner vertical flanges are notched at corresponding locations to provide a series of sockets 20 adapted to receive the horizontal or base portion of the U-shaped swinging strut or prop bail 22 (Figure 2). The upper ends of the bail side portions are turned sharply inward at right angles to pivotally engage the apertured ears of angle brackets 24 secured to the bottom face of the back 10 at side locations generally centrally between the leg pivot pins 18 and the upper or head end of the back. Because the prop bail 22 and the legs 14 are pivoted independently, the chair back may be adjusted to different angles of inclination relative to the supporting surface S by selecting the set of sockets 20 in the legs in which the bail base is to be lodged. The lower ends of the legs 14 carry suction cups 26 similar to-the suction cups 12 on the chair back itself and for the same purpose.

As shown in Figure 3, when the chair is folded for storage purposes the prop bail 22 is swung close alongside the back 10, and the legs 14 are swung into substantially parallel overlapping relationship therewith. Also the removable seat 28 may be nested conveniently in the open space provided in the lower portion of the back between the pivoted ends of the legs and the flanges on received in' the pocket behindthe footing plate- 10a; as

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of the seat 28 suitably formed foncomfort and adapted for removable and adjustable connection to the? chair back 10. FOF-PUI'POSESzOf stitfnessrand: comfort the'zsheet metal seat appearing in the'drawings; is: flanged around its entire periphery, and in particular: has a: wide flange 28a, at its rear edge; This rear edgefiange isturnedtransversely downward at such an angle. to the general plane of the seatthat when the flange is inface-to-face. contact with the upper surface of the chair back- 10 the seat will assume a comfortable angle with. relation to; the back. Inthe illustration the seat and the upper portion of the back subtend an angle of about 110 degrees;

The seat is fixedly maintained in:v this. relationshipto theback by means of hooks or cantilever'anchorelements whichI comprise generally L-shaped rods 30 having one leg fastened, as by tack welding, (Figure to the-bottom side of the-seat, and having; another leg projectingfrom the rear edge of the seat oppositely from and generally parallel to the edge flange 28a. Two such: anchor. elements are employed, one near eachside of the seat, in positions for insertion through corresponding retaining apertures 32 arranged in series along opposite side; portions, respectively, of the back near its lower end. When the transversely projecting legs of the anchor elements are booked through corresponding apertures 32 in the seat back and the seat allowed to swing downward until the flange 28a engages the back, as shown in Figures 2 and 5, not only do the anchor elements prevent downwardsliding of the seat on the; backbut their projecting legs press upwardly against the lower side of the back to complete a. cantilever support connection for the seat on the back. Thus the aperture rims and adjoining metal of the back serve as holds, for the anchor elements. Simply by swinging. the seatv upward and simultaneously withdrawingthe anchor elements from the retaining apertures 32 the seat is-completely; disconnected from the back. By a reverse, procedure it may be installed at any desired heightwise position along, the back for which there is a set of retaining apertures 32 provided.

A further feature of theinvention resides in the headrest means, and more particularly in the detachable-and adjustable headrest support mounted on the chair. back. In the illustrated case the headrest comprises a pair of spherically concave cups 34 carried by a cross bar- 36 of a suitable length and shape to position the cups comfortably for reception of the occupants head. The intermediate portion of the round cross bar 36 is received pivotally in the upper looped end of a folded strip metal cantilever arm 38. A pair of bolts 40' and'complemental wingnuts 42 apply clamping pressure to-squeeze together the folded parts of the arm at its upper end, forholding the headrest cross bar 36 in various angular positions of adjustment. For example, in Figure 4 the-solid-lineposition of the headrest with relation to the arm 38 may-represent the position for supportingthe. head,of. a, particular child, whereas the dotted-line position may. represent that to which the headrest is swung at a timewhenthe childs head is being washed in. the area normally engaged by the cups 34, ora position adjustedxtowreceive the head of a larger child. In Figure3 the'headresthas been swung to placethe bent supporting bar 36-in1the plane of the adjacent portion of: the arm 38 for compact storage purposes. t In its solid-line position shown in Figure 4 the lower end of the headrest supporting arm 38 is'received between an anchor strap or bar 44.and the lower, face of. the chair back. To prevent withdrawal of suchlowerend of-the arm by longitudinalupward pullon;the.=latter;1its lower end is curved downward slightly in the; form of a hook 38 which extends partway around" the bar 44 as a retaining connection. Such a connection permits limited vertical pivoting of the arm relative-to the. back, as between the solid-line and dotted-line positionsappean ing in that figure. The arm. extends upwardly along-the back to. its upper flange. 1011; at which the=armisdownwardly offset, permitting it. to-pass under such fiange as shown. Just below this offset, the arm passes-between the earsof a bracketmember 46 fixed to thel'ower side of the chair back.

A: generally L-shaped'latch element 48"iscarriedpivotally by a horizontal pin 50 extending between the ears ofthebracket 46; Inits solid-line-positionof- Figure 4 this latch is swung upward into engagement with the under side of the arm 38 and maintains the latter in an elevated position relative to the chair back, as shown. By swinging the latch 48 downward into 1ts dotted-line position in the same figure the: arm 38 may swing downward until arrested by the pin 50. Such pin can be withdrawn from the-bracketapertures by. removing a retaining wing nut 52 threaded on one end of it (Figure 3), so that" the arm- 38v may'be free to swing downward belowits dotted-line position in' Figure 4 far enough to permit complete withdrawal. of the curved lower end of such armfrom between" the pin- 44' and the back 10.

The correct position. for the seat- 28 1S determined by the height of the child, and' is established such that the childs head will receive support from the headrest 34. When the seat is correctly positioned along the back 10, the childshead will-project appreciably above the upper end: of the chair back, so that rinse water poured over the childshead will dropfreelyinto-asuitable receptacle 50 placed below, and will not run down the chairback under the child. The headrest not onlyiscomfortable, but does. not interfere to any appreciable extent. with the; hairwashing operation.

Thesdrip panor receptacleSO- may have one end supported by a bail 52, and the other end may be carried by a;second bail 54; arranged to hook over the headrest supporting arm- 38; Preferably this receptacle is taperedi andfianged: about three sides,. so-that when. supported. with the upper edge-of: the fiangelevel, as shown in Figure 6, the pan will retain an appreciable amount of water. Alternatively, the bail 54 may be slidoff the arm, so: thatsthe pan will-assume the-downwardly inclinedz-positionshow-n-in Figure 6, having its deeper end only suspended by the bail 52'; In this-positionthe'pan willserve as a troughtodirect water. dripping from the childs head 'into a sink 56; for-example.

Weclaimasour invention:

1. A childs. shampoo chaircomprising-a back, means supporting said: backinclined at an acute angle to the horizontal, aquickly detachable seat panel; seat retaining meanson said back including-apluralityof separate means: arranged; inseries: lengthwise of' saidback, and a plurality of: hook mounting: means carried fixedly on said. seatpanel in positions: spaced lengthwise along an edge. thereof, selectivelyengageable with said-seat retaining means: to mountthe: seat for occupancy projecting from. saidback: in any of a-pluralityof positionsheightwise along said' back. asdesired=to= seatachild of given height-occupying the chair, and quickly and" completely disengageable from said seat retaining means for removal of; said seat fronr said back.

2. The:childsshampoo-chair defined in claim 1, in which the-hook mounting-meansinclude-two =hookmembers; located; respectively; near opposite ends of the seat panelfs; rear. edge: and projecting upwardlytherefrom, and: the separate means include a series of paired, hookreceiving: apertures spaced along'each edge of' the back, each pair of apertures beingopera-ble to receivesaid'hook members.

32 Thechilds shampoo chair defined in claim 2; and a flange integral" with and projecting downwardly from therearedge offth'e seat paneland. operable to engage the back, when thehookl members. are received'in any selectedv pair of apertures. in the. back, and bearing on the. back. to limit swinging of the. seat panel about the hook members relative. to the back in adesired angular position relative to'r-the baekh 4. A childss shampoo-.chair comprising: a back, means supporting-said-back.at;an acute-anglerto the horizontal, aseat, seat retaining means on ;said:.baclc, mountingmeans on said seat-cooperating ,withtsaid; seatretainingmeans to mount.- the-seat for. occupancy projecting from said back, arr, arm extendingzl'engthwise .of said a backandzlocated behind it,:a:. headrestcarriedi by the upper end of saidrarm, retaining meanscarriedby' saidback and'engaged bytherlower end ofisaid' arm, and adjustablemeans carried-by said back nearits upperend, engaging'an intermediateportionof said armand operable to secure said arm in various positions spaced different distances fromthe upper end ofisaid" back;

5; The childsshampodchairdefinedin-claim 4,. iu

55 which-theretaining means constitutes a socket; and the lowlfr end of the arm has a hook engageable in such soc et.

6. The childs shampoo chair defined in claim 5, in which the adjustable means includes a swingable latch element operable in one position to support the arm close to the upper end of the back, and in another position operable to support the arms intermediate portion spaced farther from the back.

7. A childs shampoo chair comprising a back, means supporting said back at an acute angle to the horizontal, a seat, seat retaining means on said back, mounting means on said seat cooperating with said seat retaining means to mount the seat for occupancy projecting from said back, an arm extending lengthwise of said back and located behind it, a headrest supported upon the upper end of said arm, and means supporting said arm from said back in position to locate said headrest beyond the upper end of the back including retaining means carried by said back and operable to support the lower end of said arm and upper means operable to support an intermediate portion of said arm and including a swingable latch element operable in one position to support the arm with such intermediate portion close to the back, and in another position operable to support the arm with such intermediate portion spaced farther from the back.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 318,368 Gitt May 19, 1885 428,664 Briggs May 27, 1890 786,935 Wright Apr. 11, 1905 1,176,667 Else Mar. 21, 1916 2,005,593 Onions et a1. June 18, 1935 2,200,247 Haas May 14, 1940 2,463,049 Onsa Mar. 1, 1949 2,466,553 McDonald Apr. 5, 1949 2,527,868 Wilson Oct. 31, 1950

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