US3295146A

US3295146A - Bathtub support device

Info

Publication number: US3295146A
Application number: US354280A
Authority: US
Inventors: Martin Alfred; Mildred J Martin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-03-24
Filing date: 1964-03-24
Publication date: 1967-01-03
Anticipated expiration: 1984-01-03

Description

Jan. 3, 1967 A. MARTIN ETAL 3,295,146

BATHTUB SUPPORT DEVI CE Filed March 24, 1964 ALFRED MARTIN MILDRED II. MARTIN United States Patent Office 3,295,146 Patented Jan. 3, 1967 3,295,146 BATHTUB SUPPORT DEVICE Alfred Martin and Mildred J. Martin, both of 3694 Normandy Ave., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Filed Mar. 24, I964, Ser. No. 354,280 6 Claims. (Cl. 41$5) This invention relates to a support device for use in a bathtub.

It is an object of the invention to provide a support device which may be detachably mounted on the rim of a bathtub adjacent one end thereof to provide a comfortable support for the head or head and upper body portions of a person reclining in the tub.

lt is a further object of the invention to provide a support device for use in a bathtub, which is of simple construction, which may quickly and easily be attached to or removed from a bathtub and which will not damage the tub or mark the surface finish thereof in any way.

In accordance with these objects, the present invention contemplates the provision of a support device for mounting on a bathtub, comprising a panel adapted to extend transversely of the bathtub, said panel formed with a central section extending inwardly from a longitudinal edge thereof and ccncaved upwardly of the panel for supporting the head of a person reclining in the tub, and means adjacent each end of said panel for detachably mounting said panel on the opposite side walls of said bathtub.

In another form of the invention the support device includes a downwardly inclined extension projecting forwardly from the longitudinal edge of the central portion of said panel and shaped so as to receive and support the shoulders and upper part of the body of a person reclining in the bathtub.

Other features which may be included in accordance with the invention will be described hereinafter and referred to in the appended claims.

The invention will now be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings which show by way of example embodiments of the invention, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view showing one form of support device according to the invention mounted on a bathtub ready for use,

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation view of the device of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view on the line 33 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of an alternative form of the invention,

FIGURE 5 is a view in front elevation of the device of FIGURE 4,

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5, and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional view showing one form of detachable mounting means for the support device.

Referring to the drawings, the support device consists of a flat rectangular panel 10 of sufiicient length so that when mounted transversely over the bathtub 12, the end portions thereof rest on and are supported by the upper edge or rim 14 of the bathub. The panel 10 may be formed of any suitable material which should of course preferably be non-corrosive material. Preferably, the panel is formed of a suitable plastic material which provides strength with lightness and which is easy to keep clean. If desired, the whole panel may be formed of a suitable resilient material, such as rubber. The panel is formed with a central dished or recessed portion 16 extending inwardly from the front longitudinal edge 18 of the panel 10 and inclined upwardly and inwardly from said front longitudinal edge to form a support for the back of the head of a person reclining in the bathtub. In applications where the panel is formed of a plastic or other stiff material, it may be desirable to provide a pad of resilient material which may be permanently or detachabiy mounted within the dished central portion 16 to provide a comfortable cushion for the head of the user.

The panel 10 is formed adjacent each end thereof with suitable means for detachably connecting the panel to the upper edge of a bathtub. As shown in FIGURES 1 to 3 of the drawings, the detachable mounting means comprises suction cups 20 having bolts 22 engageable with slots 24 formed adjacent the ends of panel 10. The bolts 22 are slidably adjustable in the slots 24 and are provided with nuts 26 for releasably locking the suction cups 20 in an adjusted position. The suction cups 20 are thus movable along the panel 10 enabling the spacing therebetween to be varied in accordance with the width of the tub. In use, the suction cups 2% are pressed downwardly into contact with the upper edge of the rim 14 of the bathtub and are effective to retain the panel 10 in its assigned position extending transversely over the tub near the head end thereof. When it is desired to remove the support device from the bathtub, it is merely necessary to exert an upward pressure on the panel 10 to release the grip exerted by the suction cups 20. In this manner, therefore, the support device may be quickly and easily mounted on or removed from the bathtub.

In an alternative form of the invention shown in FIG- URES 4 to 6, the support device consists of a panel 30 formed with a central dished portion 32. A downwardly inclined extension 34 is formed integral with panel 36 and projects forwardly from the front longitudinal edge 36 of the dished portion 32. With the device mounted on a bathtub, the extension 34 forms a support for the shoulders and upper body portions of a person reclining in the bathtub, whilst the dished portion 32 forms a support for the back of the head of said person. The panel 30 is provided adjacent each end with a series of parallel grooves 38 extending transversely thereof. Detachable mounting means each consisting of a rod member 4% provided at each end with a suction cup 42 are selectively engageable with said grooves for securing the panel to the upper edge of the bathtub. As shown, each of the rod members 40 is provided with a threaded portion 4 4 at each end thereof and is adapted to be inserted through holes 46 formed in the upper ends of the stem portions 48 of suction cups 42. Preferably, the rod members 40 each comprise a rigid, for example, metallic rod 50 provided with a tight fitting sleeve 52 made of a resilient noncorrosive material, such as plastic, and the rod members are secured to the cup members by means of nuts 54 preferably formed of plastic which are screwed on to the threaded portions 44 thereof. In use, a pair of rod members 4d are laid in selected ones of grooves 38, the grooves being selected in accordance with the width of the bathtub and the rod members are mounted one on each end of the panel. With the rod members 40 thus disposed in the selected grooves, the associated suction cups 42 are then pressed downwardly into contact with the rim 56 of the bathtub, thereby firmly though releasably to secure the panel 30 in its assigned position over the bathtub. To remove or relocate the support, it is merely necessary to pull the cups upwardly to release their suction grip on the rim of the bathtub.

The present invention thu provides a support for use in bathtubs which is easily and quickly mounted on or removed from the tub and which affords positive and comfortable support for the head or head and upper body portions of the user. It will be appreciated that the foregoing description details only exemplary embodiments of the invention, and that many variations in detail can be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What We claim as our invention is:

1. A support device for mounting on a bathtub comprising a panel adapted to extend transversely over the tub with its ends extending over the rim of the tub, said panel having a central dished portion extending inwardly from a longitudinal edge thereof for supporting the back of the head of a person reclining in said tub and a downwardly inclined extension fixedly secured to and projecting forwardly from said longitudinal edge of said central dished section, said extension concaved upwardly for supporting the upper portions of the body of said person, and means secured to the panel adjacent each end thereof for detachably mounting said panel on the rim of said tub.

2. A head rest for mounting on a bathtub comprising a panel adapted to extend trasversely of the tub and over the rim thereof and having a central dished portion extending inwardly from a longitudinal edge thereof, said dished portion inclined upwardly and inwardly from said longitudinal edge and forming a support for the back of the head of a person reclining in said tub, a downwardly inclined extension fixedly secured to and projecting forwardly from said longitudinal edge of said central sec tion, said extension concaved upwardly for supporting the upper portions of the body of said person, and a plurality of suction cups connected to said panel adjacent opposite ends thereof and depending downwardly therefrom, said suction cups adapted to be pressed against the upper surface of the rim of the tub firmly though releasably to retain said panel in its position over said tub.

3. A support device for mounting on a bathtub comprising a panel adapted to extend transversely over the tub with its ends extending over and supported by the rim of the tub, said panel having a central dished portion extending inwardly from a longitudinal edge thereof for supporting the back of the head of a person reclining in said tub and a downwardly inclined extension fixedly secured to and projecting forwardly from said longitudinal edge of said central dished portion, said extension concaved upwardly for supporting the upper portion of the body of said person, a plurality of parallel grooves extending transversely of said panel adjacent each end thereof, and means engageab-le with a selected one of said grooves at each end of the panel for releasably mounting said panel on the rim of said tub.

4. A support device for mounting on a bathtub comprising a panel adapted to extend transversely over the tub with its ends extending over the rim of the tub, said panel having a central dished portion extending inwardly from a longitudinal edge thereof for supporting the back of the head of a person reclining in said tub and a downwardly inclined extension integral with said panel and projecting forwardly from said longitudinal edge of said central dished section, said extension concaved upwardly for supporting the upper portions of the body of said person, a plurality of parallel grooves extending transversely of said panel adjacent each end thereof, and a pair of rod members each provided at each end thereof with a suction cup, each of said rod members adapted to fit within a selected one of said grooves at opposite ends of the panel with their associated suction cups depending downwardly therefrom, said suction cups effective to grip the rim of the tub thereby to hold said rod members and said panel in position over the tub.

5. A support device for mounting on a bathtub comprising a panel adapted to extend transversely over the tub with its ends extending over the rim of the tub, saidpanel being formed with a central concave section opening upwardly therefrom near a longitudinal ed e thereof for supporting the head of a person reclining in the tub and a downwardly inclined extension fixedly secured to and projecting forwardly from said longitudinal edge of said central section, said extension being concaved upwardly for supporting the upper portions of the body of said person, supporting extensions attached to the ends of said panel and extending forwardly therefrom in the same genera-l direction as said inclined extension and beside the latter, and means adjacent the ends of the panel and outer ends of said supporting extensions for detachably mounting said supporting device on the upper edges of the opposite side walls of the tub.

6. A support device for mounting on a bathtub comprising a panel adapted to extend transversely over the tub with its ends extending over the rim of the tub, said panel being formed with a central concave section opening upwardly therefrom near a longitudinal edge thereof for supporting the head of a person reclining in the tub and a downwardly inclined extension fixedly secured to and projecting forwardly from said longitudinal edge of said central section, said extension being concaved upwardly for supporting the upper portions of the body of said person, supporting extensions attached to the ends of said panel and extending forwardly therefrom in the same general direction as said inclined extension and beside the latter, and suction cup means adjacent the ends of the panel and outer ends of said supporting extensions for detachably mounting said supporting device on the upper edges on the opposite side walls of the tub.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,523,447 9/1950 Reagan et al. 4185 2,604,637 7/1952 Moore 4-l85 2,744,263 5/1956 Kraft 4-l85 2,825,069 3/1958 Jorgensen et al 4l85 FOREIGN PATENTS 833,105 3/1952 Germany.

LAVERNE D. GBIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. K, ARTIS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A SUPPORT DEVICE FOR MOUNTING ON A BATHTUB COMPRISING A PANEL ADAPTED TO EXTEND TRANSVERSELY OVER THE TUB WITH ITS ENDS EXTENDING OVER THE RIM OF THE TUB, SAID PANEL HAVING A CENTRAL DISHED PORTION EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM A LONGITUDINAL EDGE THEREOF FOR SUPPORTING THE BACK OF THE HEAD OF A PERSON RECLINING IN SAID TUB AND A DOWNWARDLY INCLINED EXTENSION FIXEDLY SECURED TO AND PROJECTING FORWARDLY FROM SAID LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF SAID CENTRAL DISHED SECTION, SAID EXTENSION CONCAVED UPWARDLY FOR SUPPORTING THE UPPER PORTIONS OF THE BODY OF SAID PERSON,