US3579668A - Bath and shower seat - Google Patents

Abstract

THE SEAT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION COMPRISES AN EASILY INSTALLED PANEL HAVING A PLASTIC FINISH WHICH CAN BE COLORED TO MATCH ANY BATHROOM COLOR SCHEME. IN ONE EMBODIMENT THE SEAT, WHEN IN USE, IS SUPPORTED IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION BY THE EDGES OF THE SIDES OF A BATHTUB AND IS PIVOTABLE UPWARD SO AS TO BE STORED VERTICALLY AGAINST A WALL ABOVE THE TUB. WHEN STORED THE SEAT MAY BE RECESSED IN THE WALL AND PROVIDED WITH A MAGNETIC LATCH TO SECURE THE STORED SEAT. IN ANOTHER EMBODIMENT THE SEAT WHEN IN USE, IS SUPPORTED BY ITS OWN HINGE, AND IS PIVOTABLE DOWNWARD TO ITS VERTICAL STORAGE POSITION. THE LATTER EMBODIMENT IS SUITED FOR USE IN SHOWERS SINCE SUPPORT BY SIDES OF A BATHTUB IS NOT REQUIRED.

Description

May 25, 1971 M. ARONOVITZ BATH AND SHOWER SEAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 21, 1969 INVENTOR MANUEL RRINOVH'Z BY Qua. June ATTORNEYS M. ARONOVITZ BATH AND SHOWER SEAT May 25, 1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 21, 1969 MANUEL ARUNUVlTZ BY Qan- YM ATTORNEYS United States Patent Oil-ice 3,579,668 Patented May 25, 1971 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The seat of the present invention comprises an easily installed panel having a plastic finish which can be colored to match any bathroom color scheme. In one embodiment the seat, when in use, is supported in a horizontal position by the edges of the sides of a bathtub and is pivotable upward so as to be stored vertically against a wall above the tub. When stored the seat may be recessed in the wall and provided with a magnetic latch to secure the stored seat. In another embodiment the seat when in use, is supported by its own hinge, and is pivotable downward to its vertical storage position. The latter embodiment is suited for use in showers since support by sides of a bathtub is not required.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to bathroom accessories and more particularly to a retractable seat for use in a bathtub or shower.

Prior art bathtub seats have been complex in structure and required complex installation, such as recessing the bathroom wall to permit safe, out-of-the-way storage of the seat when not in use. In addition, prior art bathtub seats are not suitable for installation in many present day bath and shower facilities which have sliding glass partitions. Moreover, the materials employed in prior art bathtub seats are not readily styled and colored to match present day bathroom decors.

Where prior art seats of this type have attempted to be self-supporting, without the aid of the bathtub sides for support, they have included dangerous projections which are capable of causing injury to a bather.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a retractable seat for use in a bathtub or shower which is simply installed and readily adaptable to the construction and decor of present day bathrooms.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a pivotally retractable seat for use in a bathtub or shower which is simpler in construction than prior art seats of this type.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a pivotally retractable seat for use in a shower or bathtub which is supportable by its own hinge, and

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a plastic panel is pivotally mounted at one of its edges on a bathroom wall above one end of a bathtub. In its horizontal or in-use position the panel rests on portions of the rim of an endwall and two sidewalls of the tub. For storage the panel is pivoted upwardly through an angle of more than 90 until the weight of the panel urges its outer edge against the bathroom wall. Mounting is simply achieved in a matter of minutes by securing one or more hinges to the panel and the bathroom wall.

In another embodiment, the bathroom wall is recessed and provided with a magnet. The panel is adapted to be stored vertically in the recess, and has a magnetic latch to assure postive retention of the panel in the recess.

In still another embodiment the panel is supported, when in use, solely by its own hinge without requiring the use of bathtub walls or dangerous projecting supports.

In this embodiment, suitable primarily for use in a shower stall, the panel is pivotable downwardly from its horizontal or in-use position to its vertical storage position adjacent the bathroom wall. The hinge employed in this embodiment is a foldable hinge which rigidly locks when extended, such as a piano hinge to support the seat and the weight of the user when the seat is in use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and still further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in persepctive of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken through the lines 22 and 33 respectively in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of a second embodiment of the present invention illustrating the bathtub seat therein in its in-use position;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken through lines 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 4, illustrating the bathtub seat therein in a stored position;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are two respective views in perspective of a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is front section view of the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8, illustrating the supporting action of the hinge employed with said third embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring specifically to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 there is illustrated an alcove, in a bathroom or the like, in which a bathtub 10 is situated. The bathtub includes front and rear sidewalls 11 and 13 respectively, and head and foot endwalls 15 and 17 respectively. Head wall 15 and sidewall 13 abut respective alcove walls 19 and 21.

A solid plastic or plastic-coated panel 23 of waterresistant finish and colored to match the bathroom decor is adapted to be positioned on the rim 25 of tub 10 adjacent either end of the tub, the head end being chosen by way of example in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Panel 23 is illustrated in solid lines to designate its horizontal or in-use position and in phantom lines to designate its storage position. Panel 23 is pivotally mounted on wall 19 by means of hinges 27 so that the panel is rotatable about an axis defined substantially at the juncture of bathroom wall 19 and the rim 25 atop head wall 15 of the tub. Each hinge 27 comprises an apertured plate member 29 bolted or otherwise secured to the upper surface of panel 23 (as viewed with the panel in its in-use position) at respective corners of the head wall edge of the panel. In addition each hinge includes an arm member 31 secured to wall 19 and having an apertured projection through which a pivot pin or bolt 33 extends. Pivot pin 33 also extends through the aperture in plate member 29, permitting panel 23 to be pivoted from its horizontal or in-use position to its storage position indicated in phantom lines.

In its in-use position, panel 23 comprises a seat which is supported by the rim 25 of the tub. When pivoted upwardly, the panel rotates through an angle in excess of past the vertical plane, to a storage position in which the panel is urged against wall 19 by its own weight. In this storage position the panel is safely out of the way and in no danger of accidentally falling on an unsuspecting bather.

It will be apparent that the bathtub seat arrangement described in relation to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 is easily installed, since drilling of a few holes in panel 23 and wall 19 is all that is required. Sufiiciently strong hinges 27 to said wall, said first bracket member being of generally L-configuration with a long leg secured to the underside of said panel and a short leg extending downward from said panel along said wall when said panel is in its horizontal position, the outer end of said short leg terminating in a first projection, said second bracket member extending vertically along said wall with its upper end terminating in a second projection, said hinge further comprising means for pivotally engaging said first and second projection, and wherein said means for supporting comprises a foldable locking rod having first and second sections, said first section comprising a bar member having a first end pivotally secured to said second bracket member proximate the bottom of said second bracket member and a second end terminating in a finger-like projection, said first section having a longitudinally extending slot defined therein, said second section comprising a sleeve suitable for receiving said second end of said first section, said second section having one end pivotally secured to said first bracket member proximate the end of said long leg remote from said wall and a second end adjacent which first and second longtiudinally displaced pins extend transversely across said sleeve, said first pin being closer said second end of said sleeve than said second pin and disposed to slidably engage said longitudinally extending slot, said second pin being disposed to engage said finger-like projection when said foldable locking rod is longitudinally compressed, said sleeve having a cutaway portion to permit disengagement of said finger-like projection by said second pin when said foldable locking rod is longitudinally expanded.

4. A bathtub seat for use in a bathtub immediately adjacent a fiat wall at one end of said bathtub having an end-wall abutting said flat wall, two spaced sidewalls extending perpendicularly from said fiat Wall, and a rim defining the uppermost extremities of said endwall and sidewalls, said bathtub seat comprising: a solid plastic panel of water-resistant finish having top and bottom surfaces and having a pair of parallel edges of length greater than the spacing between said endwalls; a pair of hinges each comprising an apertured plate, an arm member having an apertured projection, and a pivot pin extending through the apertures in said plate and said projection to permit pivotal motion therebetween; means for securing the apertured plate of each of said hinges to the top surface of said panel proximate respective corners adjacent one of said parallel edges; means for securing the arm members of said hinges to said flat wall above said endwall of said bathtub at locations such that said panel is supported on said bottom surface by the rim of said bathtub when said panel is pivoted to its downward extreme position and such that the other of said parallel edges rests against said fiat wall when said panel is pivoted to its upward extreme position, said panel being rotatable through an angle of greater than 90 between said upward and downward extreme positions.

5. In combination:

a shower stall including a vertical wall;

a shower seat comprising a solid plastic panel of waterresistant finish having top and bottom surfaces of generally rectangular configuration;

a pair of hinges each including first and second arms, means for pivotally engaging said first and second arms, means for restraining pivotal separation of greater than between said first and second arms, and means for selectively locking said first and second arms at 90 pivotal separation;

means for securing the first arm of each of said hinges to the bottom surface of said panel such that said first arms are spaced and extend substantially parallel to and proximate respective opposite edges of said panel; and

means for securing said second arms of said hinges to said vertical wall to extend downwardly of said panel when the latter is disposed horizontally.

6. A bathtub seat for use in a bathtub immediately adjacent a flat wall abutting one end of said bathtub, said bathtub seat comprising a solid plastic panel of water-resistant finish, means for pivotally mounting said panel on said fiat wall above said bathtub such that said panel is pivotable upwardly from a horizontal position through an angle greater than 90 to a position wherein said panel is urged against said flat wall by its own weight and such that said panel when substantially horizontal is supported by said bathtub.

7. The seat according to claim 6 wherein said means for pivotally mounting comprises at least one hinge having a first member secured near an edge of the top side of said panel, a second member secured to said wall above said edge of said top side of said panel, and means for pivotally interconnecting said first and second members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 790,793 5/1905 Koch 248-240 1,712,704 5/1929 Kiser 248-240.1 1,923,482 8/1933 Frankenstein 4-185 2,514,537 7/1950 Cullum 4-237 2,746,664 5/ 1956 Strmic 248-240 2,813,276 11/1957 Lanza 4-185 2,965,153 12/1960 Purcell, Sr. 4-185 3,233,745 2/ 1966 Hershberger 248-240 3,312,444 4/1967 De Sena 248-300 FOREIGN PATENTS 650,216 10/1962 Canada 248-240 ST 5,575 4/ 1956 Germany 248-240 81,584 4/ 1953 Norway 248-240 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner D. B. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner

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