US3528111A - Device for holding and positioning a baby within a bathtub - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 15, 1-970 D. w. CHOU 3,528,111

DEVICE FOR HOLDING AND POSITIONING A BABY WITHIN A BATHTUB Filed March 4, 1968 I 2, Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR. Dav W. 0404/ D. W. CHOU Sept. 15, I970 DEVICE FOR HOLDING AND POSITIONING A BABY WITHIN A BA'I'HTUB Filed March 4, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V1\ 0 8w w 3 2 Z 2 f G. H x z \55 -Z WA w 65 N I C O 7 W w NW wNgV/LL INVENTOR. DOA/ MA CHOU a MM W N (a f r 1 07 g. 2 4 8 8 f 8 5 a 2 .3. MW 4 i w w, a a

United States Patent 3,528,111 DEVICE FOR HOLDING AND POSITIONING A BABY WIT A BATHTUB Don W. Chou, 1121 Brightwood Sh, Monterey Park, Calif. 91754 Filed Mar. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 709,971 Int. Cl. A47k 3/074, 3/12 US. Cl. 4185 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Generally speaking, the device of the present invention comprises a seat and carrier structure having a substantially upright back portion, a subtsantially transversely directed bottom seat portion, and a pair of laterally spaced side-enclosing portions (usually having effective arm rests at the top thereof) which, together, define a body-receiving chair-type enclosure in which a baby is adapted to be seated. The seat and carrier structure is provided (usually removably) with a transversely extendable and retractable locking bar member having opposite end portions provided with bathtub-surface-engaging means which, in one form, comprise deflectable, outwardly hollow suction cup means, adapted to be forced into vacuum-secured locked engagement with respect to corresponding inside surface portions of side wall parts of the bathtub for temporarily securing both the locking bar member and the seat and carrier structure attached thereto within abathtub in a desired position for the purpose of facilitating a bathing operation. The seat and carrier structure, in a preferred form, is provided with body-retaining means taking the form of strap fastener means which may be placed around the babys body to positively hold him in the chair-type enclosure of the seat and carrier structure. The extendable and retractable locking bar member is provided with manually operable extension and retraction actuator means, usually positioned at a substantially central position, and usually of an effective lead screw type, adapted to be manually operated so as to cause the forcible outward extension of the bathtub-surface-engaging means (usually outwardly hollow suction cup means) into the previously mentioned vacuum-secured engagement with inside surfaces of opposite side wall portions of a bathtub. Said manually operable actuator means is also arranged to be conveniently manually operated for causing retraction of said bathtubsurface-engaging means from the bathtub side walls so as to completely free the transversely extendable and retractable locking bar member from the bathtub and thus allow it and/or the seat and carrier structure attached thereto (usually removably) to be removed from the bathtub.

In one specific form of the invention where the seat and carrier structure may be intended to be used under certain circumstances in an inclined position rather than an upright position, it is further provided with a positionally adjustable and lockable, effective rear extension chair-back-simulating bracket member which can be moved between a non-extended, effectively inactivated,

normal position into an extended and angularly oriented position suitable to support the chair in a correspondingly inclined relationship, either in a bathtub or outside of a bathtub with respect to either a horizontal or vertical auxiliary supporting surface.

In one preferred form of the invention, each of the two engagement means at the outer ends of the transversely extendable and retractable locking bar member may comprise eifectively outwardly concave suction cup means having controllably overridable effective one-way valve means permitting the suction cups to be easily forcibly collapsed with the valve means open and to thereafter have the vacuum engagement of the suction cup means with respect to an inside surface wall part of a bathtub be positively and strongly maintained by reason of the closure of the valve means. However, when it is desired to disengage each of the suction cup means from the bathtub surface, the valve means may be effectively manually opened, which will completely break or release the vacuum and allow the two suction cup means to be moved out of engagement with the previously engaging smooth inside surface portions of the opposite side wall parts of the bathtub with very little effort, occasioned mainly by operating the actuator means and not by any effort needed to forcibly disengage the suction cup means from the bathtub side wall surfaces.

With the above points in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel device for holding and positioning a baby. either exterior of a bathtub or, in a preferred form, within a bathtub, so as to facilitate the maintaining of the baby in a desired position which, in the preferred form where this desired position is within a bathtub enclosure, greatly facilitates the subsequent bathing of the baby, since the baby will not be free to move around in a manner making bathing difficult or even dangerous to the baby.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device having any or all of the advantages referred to herein, and including any or all of the features referred to herein, generically and/ or specifically and individually or in combination, and which is of extremely simple, inexpensive construction suitable for mass manufacture, either of molded or, in some cases, extruded plastic, or otherwise formed plastic, or suitable for such inexpensive construction from various other materials and by various other techniques, and requiring a relative minimum of tooling and, therefore, of capital costs, and adapated for production at an extremely low cost per unit such as to facilitate large-scale and widespread manufacture, sale, and use of the invention for the purposes outlined herein or other substantially equivalent purposes.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel device for holding and positioning a baby which is not limited entirely to holding the baby within a bathtub, but which may be used independent of a bathtub for general baby-holding and positioning purposes, and which will function to properly hold and position a baby on or with respect to one or more auxiliary supporting surfaces, either horizontal or vertical or otherwise, such as various seat bottoms, seat backs, or the like, in automobiles, on furniture, or elsewhere, and which makes it much easier to manage the baby since he will be maintained in a selected position as along as desired, and when a mother or other person caring for the baby wishes to move him it will be possible to easily move the baby by moving the entire seat and carrier structure, and the baby along with it. This is a safer way of handling the baby than to move him directly and has the further advantage that when the new resting location is reached, the baby is still in the seat and carrier structure which can be directly placed in supported relationship with respect to an underlying, substantially horizontal supporting surface or with respect to 3 an adjacent, vertical or substantially vertical supporting surface.

It is a further object to provide a device of the character referred to in the preceding object wherein such outside-of-the-bathtub use of the seat and carrier structure is additionally facilitated by the provision of a positionally adjustable and lockable effective rear extension chairback-simulating bracket member which can be adjusted so as to provide an effectively modified engagement with an auxiliary supporting surface of either an underlying or adjacent type, whereby to cause the seat and carrier structure to be not only firmly supported but to be angularly inclined from its normally substantially upright position.

Further objects are implicit in the detailed description which follows hereinafter (which is to be considered as exemplary of, but not specifically limiting, the present invention), and said objects will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after a carefully study of the detailed description which follows hereinafter, and all such implicit objects are intended to be included and comprehended herein as fully as if particularly defined and pointed out herein.

For the purpose of clarifying the nature of the present invention, several exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the hereinbelow-described drawing figures and are described in detail hereinafter.

FIG. 1 is an upper front perspective view of one exemplary embodiment of the invention showing it in mounted, fastened relationship within a bathtub (shown fragmentarily in phantom) and also showing (in phantom) a baby fastened in the device and thereby firmly held and positioned in a desired position within the bathtub.

FIG. 2 is an upper rear perspective view of the device of FIG. 1.

PEG. 3 is a side view in section taken substantially along the planes and in the direction indicated by the arrows 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional view, taken substantially along the plane and in the direction indicated by the arrows 44 of FIG. 2, and shows the transversely directed, extendable and retractable locking bar member in fully extended relationship, with the bathtub-surface-engaging suction cup means carried at outer ends thereof in fully vacuum-engaged andsec-ured relationship with inside surfaces of opposite, upstanding side wall parts of the bathtub.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, partially broken away and sectional view, similar to FIG. 4, but shows the manually operable actuator means for causing outward extension of the locking bar member in retracted relationshi such as to effectively retract and shorten the locking bar member and also shows the two outer suction cup means in disengaged relationship relative to the inside surfaces of the corresponding side wall parts of the bathtub.

FIG. 6 is a greatly reduced-size, side elevational view of the seat and carrier structure, removed from the bathtub, and also having the transversely extendable and retractable locking bar member removed, and showing the operation of the positionally adjustable, effective rear extension chair-back-simulating bracket member which is operable for the purpose of allowing the entire seat and carrier structure to be firmly supported in any of various different inclined angles.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, partially broken away, perspective view, showing one exemplary modification of the two locking means for firmly rotatably immobilizing the chair-back-simulating bracket member so that it will be structurally strong in any of its various adjusted positions.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentar partly broken away view illustrating a slight modification of an exemplary one of the two suction cup engagement means, it being under stood that the one shown in this view is representative of the other one also. ln this modification, controllably overridable one-way valve means is provided for facilitating the suctional engagement of the suction cup means with a bathtub wall surface and for inhibiting the release thereof until manually operated in a releasing manner which brings about the immediate release thereof.

Generally speaking, the present invention may be said to comprise a seat and carrier structure, such as is generally designated by the reference numeral 20, which, in the exemplary first form of the invention illustrated, has a substantially upright back portion 22, a substantially transversely directed bottom or lower seat portion 24, and a pair of laterally spaced side-enclosing portions 26, the upper edges of which effectively comprise arm rest portions 28. The bottom edges of the side-enclosing portions 26 are connected to opposite sides of the bottom seat portion 24 which, in turn, has its rear portion connected to the bottom edge of the upright back portion 22 whereby to effectively define a body-receiving chair-type enclosure, such as is generally designated by the reference numeral 30, which is adapted to receive, in turn, a childs body such as is shown in phantom at 32.

The bathtub-mountable form of the invention also includes a transversely extendable and retractable locking bar member, such as is generally designated by the reference numeral 34, having opposite end portions 36 effectively provided with bathtub-surface-engaging means, such as indicated generally at 38, which, in the exemplary first form of the invention illustrated, in each case comprises a compressible, defiectable, elastomeric, outwardly hollow suction cup 40 adapted to be manually forcibly placed in secure locking engagement with respect to corresponding inside surfaces 42 of opposite side wall portions or parts, such as indicated at 43, of a bathtub, such as is shown fragmentarily in phantom in FIGS. 1 and 2 and indicated by the reference numeral 44, for temporarily firmly securing the locking bar member 34 in transversely directed relationship extending across the hollow chamber-defining portion, indicated generally at 46, of the bathtub 44 between the opposite side wall portions 43 thereof as is clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The two suction cups 40 are shown in disengaged relationship in FIG. 5, wherein each is effectively outwardly concave and effectively forms a concave recess or chamber 48 which will be effectively collapsed when the locking bar member 34 is forcibly extended from its retracted relationship shown in FIG. 5 into its fully extended relationship shown in FIG. 4. This is accomplished by manual operation of the extension actuator means, indicated generally at 50, which, in the example illustrated, is of what might be termed a lead screw type carried by an intermediate, substantially centrally positioned portion of the locking bar member 34 for manual operation thereof whereby to cause effective outward extension of the opposite ends 36 of the locking bar 34 for causing the kind of vacuum-caused engagement of the rubber suction cups 40 clearly shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, or for causing retraction of opposite ends 36 of the locking bar 34 whereby to cause disengagement of the suction cups 40 from the bathtub wall inner surfaces 42 in the manner best shown in FIG. 5.

In the exemplary first form of the invention illlustrated, the lead screw type of manually operable extension actuator means 50 effectively comprises male and female multiple-element lead screw means, also generally desig nated by the reference numeral 50, and takes the form of a longitudinal, inner actuating member 52 having a pair of opposite end portions 54 horizontally laterally spaced apart and provided with exteriorly mounted male lead screw type of actuating threads 56 mounted within a pair of laterally aligned, similar, hollow, outer sleeve members 58 having two corresponding mating sets of female lead screw type of actuating threads 60 therein.

The central portion of the longitudinal inner actuating member 52 has a knurled operating knob 62, and it will be understood that rotation of same in one direction will cause similarly directed rotation of each set of exterior male lead screw actuating threads 56 relative to the non-rotatable mating female actuating thread portions 60, which will, thus, cause both of the outer sleeve members 58 to either be moved away from each other in an extension manner in response to said rotation of the operating knob 62 in one direction, or to cause said sleeves 58 to be moved toward each other in a retraction manner in response to oppositely directed rotation of said operating knob 62. This, of course, requires that both of the male lead screw threads 56 carried by the two opposite end portions 54 of the longitudinal inner actuating member 52 be oppositely threaded and that the corresponding mating female actuator or lead screw threaded portions 60 carried by the two different sleeve members 58 be oppositely threaded. All such arrangements are included and comprehended within the broad scope of the present invention.

The locking bar 34 is adapted to be attached with respect to the seat and carrier structure 20 and, in the exemplary first form of the invention, said attachment is of a removable type and is accomplished by the provision of attachment means, indicated generally at 64, comprising a pair of resilient, defiectable, downwardly open engagement books 66 carried by the rear surface of the upstanding back portion 22 of the seat and carrier structure 20 for slip-over resilient engagement with respect to corresponding portions of the locking bar member 34 in the manner perhaps best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

It should be clearly understood that the arrangement illustrated in the exemplary first form of the invention is such that the locking bar 34 may be first locked against opposite inside surfaces 42 of side wall parts 43 of the bathtub 44, and then the hooks 66 may be resiliently forcibly slipped downwardly over the locking bar 34 into firm, retained engagement therewith. This may be done with the baby 32 already positioned within the body-receiving chair-type enclosure 30 or may be done before the baby is placed therein. In any event, after the hooks 66 are firmly resiliently hooked over the locking bar 34, it will be found that the entire seat and carrier structure 20' is firmly positioned within the hollow chamber-defining portion 46 of the bathtub 44.

The above-mentioned firm, supported engagement of the seat and carrier structure 20 is further enhanced by the provision of resilient, frictional slide-stopper means such as is indicated at 68, which is adapted to rest upon the surface 70 of the bottom wall 71 of the bathtub 44 and, thus, to firmly support the bottom of the entire device in a manner which prevents slidable movement thereof along the bottom wall upper surface 70 of the bathtub 44. This is in part facilitated by reason of the fact that the bottom surface of the resilient compressible slide-stopper means 68 may be fluted, corrugated, or ribbed, and sufficiently compressible to form a very firm, non-slipping engagement with the bottom Wall upper surface 70 of the bathtub 44 and may, in effect, comprise vacuum-forming suction means operable under pressure to enhance the non-slipping engagement thereof with respect to the bottom wall upper surface 70 of the bathtub 44. On the other hand, various frictional means may be incorporated in said slide-stopper means 68 for the same slide-stopping purposes, if desired, and all such arrangements are intended to be included and comprehended within the broad scope of the present invention.

In the preferred exemplary first form of the invention illustrated, the retention of the baby 32 within the bodyreceiving chair type enclosure 30 is further enhanced by the provision of body-retaining means, which, in the example illustrated, takes the form of strap fastener means, indicated generally at 72, having opposite ends attached to attachment slots 74 at the sides of the seat and carrier structure 20 and having a fastening buckle means, or the like, 76 provided for the purpose of fastening free ends together after the strap fastener means 72 has been placed around the babys body 32 in a manner firmly fastening the baby in place. The strap fastener means 72 and the buckle 76 may be modified substantially within the broad scope of the present invention and, in certain forms of the invention, other body-retaining means may be employed in lieu thereof if desired. It is also possible that, under certain circumstances, said body-retaining means may be removed or eliminated if desired.

When the entire seat and carrier structure 20 is removed from the bathtub 44, it may be placed upon an auxiliary supporting surface and used as an independent babyholding and positioning device. Under such circumstances, the transverse locking bar 34 is, of course, removed, and the seat merely rests upon it bottom or may be inclined in a desired angular relationship by reason of the provision of controllably adjustable and lockable effective rear extension chair-back-simulating bracket means, such as is indicated generally at 78, which, in the exemplary first form of the invention illustrated, comprises a substantially inverted U-shaped structural rod member 80 provided with outwardly extending, substantially horizontally aligned, effective pivot pin and axis portions 82 at the bottom of the substantially inverted U-shaped structural rod member or bracket structure 80 and rotatably mounted in a pair of transversely horizontally aligned, laterally spaced, rotatable bearing means 84 attached to the lower rear surface of the chair back 22 so as to allow the U-shaped bracket 80 to move between its normal, inactivated position immediately behind and against the rear surface of the back 22 of the seat and carrier structure 21 into an outwardly extended and angularly oriented position such as is clearly shown in FIG. 6. This kind of inclined mounting of the entire seat and carrier structure 20 on an underlying auxiliary supporting surface 86 is made possible by the controllably operable locking means indicated generally at 88 and comprising, in the exemplary first form of the invention, a pair of wing nuts 90 fastened on exterior threated end parts 92 of the previously mentioned axis portions 82 and adapted to be threadedly tightened inwardly so as to firmly abut the outer ends of the corresponding rotatable bearing means 84 whereby to positively lock the inverted U-shaped bracket 80 in any selected adjusted position. Of course, the unlocking and movement of the inverted U-shaped bracket 80 into its normal, inactivated position is accomplished in substantially the reverse manner from that just described.

FIG. 7 illustrates fragmentarily a slight modification of the U-shaped bracket locking means 88 of the first form of the invention, and, because it is a modification, parts which are structurally or functionallly similar or analogous to those of the first form of the invention are indicated by similar reference numerals, followed by the letter 0, however. In this modification, it will be noted that the outer axis part 82a of the inverted Ushaped bracket 80a longitudinally slidably but non-rotatably carries an inwardly serrated disc-shaped clutch face 94 (splined thereto) in direct opposition to a similar, outwardly serrated, disc-shaped clutch face 96 carried by the outer end of the corresponding rotatable bearing member 84a and, thus, when the wing nut 90a is tightened, it will force the two serrated clutch faces 94 and 96 into engagement with the serrations positively interlocked in any of a plurality of different, angularly related positions. This provides a structurally strong engagement such that a very considerable amount of load can be placed upon the adjusted, inverted U-shaped bracket member 80a without any possibility whatsoever of slippage occurring. This great strength is provided by reason of the great angular slippage resistance provided by the positive, interlocked engagement of the two radially serrated clutch faces 94 and 96. However, it should be noted that the invention is not specifically so limited, and various other types of locking means may be employed in lieu thereof.

FIG. 8 fragmentarily illustrates a slight modification of the invention with respect to each of the two suction cup means 40 of the first form of the invention. Because this view does illustrate a modified form of the invention, parts which are structurally or functionally similar or analogous to those of the first form of the invention are indicated by similar reference numerals, followed by the letter b, however. It will be noted that, in this modification, each of the suction cup means 4% is provided with a controllably overridable, effective one-way valve means, such as is indicated generally at 98, which is of a type which will freely allow the passage of air therethrough in a direction such as that indicated by the arrows 100, but which normally prevents the reverse flow of air therethrough unless manually overridden. In other words, it comprises a one-way check value of a manually overridable type, of which there are many well-known embodiments which have been invented and developed in the past and which are well known in the art, and any or all of which may be employed as the one-way valve means 98 exemplified in part in the fragmentary showing of the modified form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 8.

It Will be understood that when the suction cup 4% is forced outwardly against the inside surface 42b of the upstanding bathtub side wall part 43b by operation of an actuator means such as previously described and illustrated, the previously concave recess or chamber 48a formed between the concave outer end of the suction cup 40a and the bathtub wall surface 42a will be effectively collapsed very easily because of the fact that the air which would normally tend to be trapped therein can very easily pass outwardly through the one-way valve means 98 to ambient atmosphere. As soon as this is accomplished, the one-way valve means 98 effectively closes and will not allow the reverse flow of air, and, thus, the suction engagement of the suction cup 40b with respect to the bathtub wall surface 42b will remain substantially unaltered and providing a very strong engagement therebetween until disengagement thereof is to be manually accomplished, which can be done very easily by manually overriding the one-way valve means 98 by merely operating the overriding actuating portion 102 thereof. This will break the vacuum and allow air to flow in the reverse direction through the valve means 98 into a position between the outer end of the collapsed suction cup 40b and the bathtub Wall surface 42b which will then allow the suction cup 40b to then immediately return to its pre-engagement, normal, outwardly concave configuration as shown in FIG. 8.

From the above description, it will be readily understood that the modification of FIG. 8 provides for a very quick and easy engagement and disengagement of each of the two suction cup engagement means 40b, a representative one of which is illustrated in FIG. 8.

However, various other means for accomplishing, enhancing, and/or facilitating the engagement and disengagement operation may be employed in lieu of the specific arrangement disclosed, and all such within the broad teachings of the present invention are intended to be included and comprehended within the scope hereof.

It should be noted that, in certain cases, the inside surfaces 43 of the side walls 42 of the bathtub 44, such as fragmentarily illustrated in the first form of the invention, may slope slightly in a downwardly inwardly converging manner, in which case the initial positioning of the suction cups 40 on the ends 36 of the locking bar member 34 may be initially correspondingly sloped or adjustably mounted so as to be capable of being correspondingly sloped for proper engagement therewith. If desired, in certain forms of the invention, the suction cups 40 may be attached to the locking bar means ends 36 by swivel-type mounting means to provide for full adjustment of the suction cups 40 so as to be capable of direct opposition to bathtub side wall surfaces such as those shown at 42 in the first form of the invention but which have virtually any inclination or no inclination at all. However, in other forms of the invention where the inside surfaces 42 of the bathtub side walls 43 are substantially vertical, no provision need be made for such adjustment. All of these arrangements are Well known in the art and are intended to be included and comprehended within the broad scope of the present invention.

It should be understood that the figures and the specific description thereof set forth in this application are for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention to the precise and detailed specific structure shown in the figures and specifically described hereinbefore, Rather, the real invention is intended to include substantially equivalent constructions embodying the basic teachings and inventive concept of the present invention.

I claim:

:1. A device for holding and positioning a baby within a bathtub, comprising: a seat and carrier structure having a back portion and a lower seat portion effectively defining above said seat portion and in front of said back portion a body-receiving chair-type enclosure; body-retaining means attached with respect to said seat and carrier structure and adapted to be placed in body-retaining relationship with respect to a babys body when seated in said body-receiving chair-type enclosure, a bottom, downwardly directed portion of said seat and carrier structure being provided with resilient, frictional, slide-stopper means adapted to rest upon the top surface of a bottom wall of a bathtub for firmly supporting said seat and carrier structure with respect to a bottom wall of a bathtub in a manner which prevents slidable movement therealong even when wet; and a transversely extendable and retractable locking bar member having opposite ends provided with bathtub surface engaging means adapted to be manually placed in secure locking engagement With respect to corresponding side wall portions of a bathtub for temporarily securely locking said locking bar member in transversely directed relationship extending across a hollow chamber-defining portion of a bathtub between opposite side wall portions thereof, said bathtub-engaging means at opposite ends of said locking bar member comprising flexible compressible deflectable elastomeric outwardly concave and hollow suction cupmeans adapted to be manually effectively placed in said secure locking engagement with respect to corresponding side Wall portions of a bathtub by being forced against oppositely positioned, transversely spaced, inside surfaces of side wall portions of a bathtub for temporarily firmly securing said locking bar member in said transversely directed relationship extending across a hollow chamber-defining portion of a bathtub between opposite side wall portions thereof, and manually operable actuator means carried by an intermediate portion of said locking bar member in a conveniently manually accessible location for manual operation thereof whereby to cause extension of said outer end mounted suction cup means with respect to inside surfaces of side Wall portions of a bathtub or to cause retraction and shortening of said locking bar member whereby to cause disengagement of said opposite end mounted suction cup means from such oppositely positioned inside surfaces of side wall portions of a bathtub when the locking bar member is to be disengaged and removed therefrom, said actuator means effectively comprising male and female threaded multiple-element lead screw actuator means taking the form of a longitudinal inner actuating member having a pair of opposite end portions horizontally laterally spaced apart and provided with exteriorly mounted lead screw type of male actuating threads and a pair of laterally aligned, similar hollow outer sleeve members receiving therewithin said opposite end portions of said inner actuating member and having corresponding mating inner female actuator threads threadedly cooperable with the corresponding male actuator threads in directions such that similar rotation of each of said male exteriorly threaded end portions will cause oppositely directed relative telescopic extension of said two laterally aligned outer sleeve members away from each other in an extension manner in response to rotation of said inner actuating member in a first direction and toward each other in a retraction manner in response to rotation of said inner actuating member in the opposite direction; said back portion of said seat and carrier structure being provided with controllably fastenable and unfastenable attachment means cooperable for attachment with respect to said locking bar member between said engaging means at opposite ends thereof whereby to firmly attach and effectively mount said seat and carrier structure with respect to said locking bar member in a manner adapted to be immobilized with respect to a bathtub when said locking bar member has said opposite end mounted engaging means securely engaged with respect to corresponding side wall portions of a bathtub, said attachment means comprising resilient defiectable engagement hook means carried by said back portion of said seat and carrier structure and normally positioned in resilient slipped-over engagement with respect to said locking bar member for positively attaching said seat and carrier structure with respect to a center portion of said locking bar member in a manner controllably removable by relative upward movement of said seat and carrier structure away from and out of engagement with the fixed locking bar member.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said seat and carrier structure is further provided with an effective rear extension chair back simulating bracket member capable of being adjusted into any of various different selected rearwardly extending positions relative to the back portion of said seat and carrier structure and cooperable for correspondingly supporting the seat and carrier structure at a correspondingly inclined angle with respect to an auxiliary supporting surface.

3. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein said chair back simulating bracket member comprises a substantially inverted U-shaped structural rod member having outwardly extending substantially horizontally aligned effective axis portions at the bottom of the substantially inverted U-shaped bracket member provided with and effectively attached to transversely horizontally aligned, laterally spaced rotatable bearing means attached to similar lower portions of the back portion of said seat and carrier structure and there being provided with controllably unlockable locking means for rotatably immobilizing said axis portions with respect to said rotatable bearing means when it is desired to lock the chair pack simu 5 lating bracket member in any selected rearwardly and angularly displaced relationship from and with respect to its normal at-rest position immediately behind said back portion.

4. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said engaging means at outer ends of said locking bar member comprise outwardly concave, flexible elastomeric suction cup means provided with controllably overridable effective one-way valve means for permitting the forcible collapsing of the outwardly concave portion thereof against a smooth fiat inside surface of a corresponding side wall part of a bathtub by communicating an effective chamber formed therewith by said outwardly concave portion of said suction cup means initially with ambient atmosphere so that, upon the forcible collapsing thereof, air initially contained therein can be readily exhausted to ambient atmosphere, said overridable effective one-way valve means being adapted to be closed after such effective collapsing of the outwardly concave portion of said suction cup means whereby to cause the firm adherence thereof to a smooth bathtub side wall surface and being controllably overridable to allow the return flow of ambient air into the previously concave region defined between the initially concave suction cup outer surface and a smooth flat side wall surface of a bathtub to release the vacuum causing the firm engagement therebetween.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 145,116 12/1873 McKiernan 28760 200,299 2/1878 Hotchkiss 24137 479,092 7/1892 Julian 248-206 X 657,858 9/1900 Cornelius 248206 X 41,029,807 6/1912 Hinsky 4185 1,663,609 3/1928 Peabody 4-l85 2,175,941 10/1939 Keays 4185 2,382,002 8/1945 Cones 28760 2,460,308 2/1949 Pribil 4185 2,671,908 3/1954 Tronic 4185 2,724,124 11/1955 Whitten 4185 2,728,920 1/1956 Hylton et al. 4185 X 3,162,864 12/1964 Ouellette 4185 3,340,546 9/1967 Moore et al. 4-239 FOREIGN PATENTS 701,519 1/1965 Canada.

673,554 3/1937 Germany.

240,759 1/11946 Switzerland.

382,400 11/ 1964 Switzerland.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner D. B. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner

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