Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TOILET ACCESSORIES
  • A47K3/00—Baths; Douches; Appurtenances therefor
  • A47K3/006—Doors to get in and out of baths more easily

Definitions

• the subject of this invention is a bathtub designed especially for the use by the sick or disabled persons who may face with difficulties while entering the normal bathtub because of vertical walls used in such bathtubs and this may be a obstacle difficult to overcome for such persons
• the door opening is provided in one of the vertical bathtub body walls
• the door leaf is secured by means of hinges to one of the vertical edges of the door opening
• the door leaf is opened inwards the bathtub and its movement is effected in the horizontal plane
• the door leaf rabbet or the door frame rabbet is provided with at least one flat magnetic gasket around the leaf
• the door leaf In the open position the raised door leaf can be turned around the then-vertical beam and the user may enter the bathtub.
• the door leaf is provided with lugs that operate in conjunction with the door opening edges and protect the door leaf against being swung inside the bathtub, which can lead to the unsealing of the bathtub.
• the bathtub is provided with a seat to enable the user to sit down while taking a bath.
• the bathtub door closing mechanism is an essential element in this bathtub.
• the bathtub door is arranged in the vertical side wall of the bathtub body.
• One of the vertical door edges operates through the hinges with a suitable vertical door opening edge.
• the door opening rabbets are provided with channel-shaped gaskets mating with the door rabbets.
• the second of the vertical door edges is provided with at least one lock mechanism with a withdrawable bolt mating with its corresponding opening in the vertical door wall edge.
• the bolt is withdrawably seated in the horizontal guide sleeve in the vertical door edge.
• the working end of the bolt forms an arrow-head seated in the sleeve opening.
• the opposite, rounded end of the bolt is supported on the race of the cam fitted on the vertical pivot.
• the aim of the said pivot is to control, through the handle above the upper bathtub door edge and by turning the above- mentioned cams, the movement of the withdrawable bolts mating with the opening in the corresponding vertical wall of the door opening.
• the objective of the invention is to develop a new design of the bathtub provided for the sick and disabled persons so as to enable them to enter the bathtub and maintain their equilibrium inside the bathtub.
• the invention is to enable the bathtub walls to be provided with nozzles for hydropneumatic massage as this procedure is of great importance in treatment and rehabilitation.
• the aim of the invention is also attain water saving by reducing the horizontal section of the bathtub interior section.
• the bathtub is made as a deeply moulded body with a profiled seat inside
• the bathtub is provided with a water discharge opening in the lowermost position of the body and a door opening in one of the vertical walls
• the door leaf provided with a sealing element around the joint with the door opening edge is secured to the vertical edge of the door opening
• the sealing element in the working position operates in conjunction with the door rabbet
• the upper end of the vertical pivot, above the upper bathtub wall edge is provided with a handle with lever
• the bathtub according to this invention is characterized by the fact that the angle ⁇ between the horizontal bathtub base and the vertical inner side walls of the bathtub body is within 90° - 100°
• the bathtub is at least 85 cm high and its door is opened outwards
• the water discharge groove is arranged around the seat moulded inside the bathtub body
• the vertical inner walls of the bathtub body can be provided with a system of nozzles for hydropneumatic or pneumatic massage
• the vertical door leaf edge opposite to the hinge one is provided with at least one eye
• the eye is arranged in the vertical plane perpendicular to the door surface
• the bolt of the vertical pivot seated inside the vertical edge of the bathtub wall door opening is used as a catch to operate in conjunction with the door leaf eye
• the catch is fitted on the vertical pivot by means of a flange More than one such hinges can be fitted on the vertical pivot
• the said vertical pivot according to the invention is a polygonal bar, whilst the flange has a polygonal opening
• the cross-section of the bar and the size of the opening in the catch flange or catches correspond to each other
• the vertical pivot is an element provided to control the movement of the catch or catches, which according to the invention are executive elements to execute the bathtub door closing operation
• the handle lever is made in the form of a horizontal bar whose one end is fitted on the top end of the vertical pivot, above the top edge of the bathtub body
• the horizontal handle lever bar over its length has a flat articulated joint with a horizontal axle of rotation
• the horizontal axle of rotation of the handle lever articulated joint is positioned at a distance equal to at least the half of the bathtub body wall thickness, from the symmetry axis of the vertical pivot.
• the catch is made in the form of a hook whose inner working surface constitutes a race in the form of a cam.
• the working hook race mates with the door leaf eye.
• the catch is joined with the flange fixedly fitted on the vertical pivot.
• the inner race of the catch in its end part has a seat for locking the door eye in the "closed" position.
• the vertical pivot is a bar having a cross-section of a polygon, for instance, hexagon or dodecagon.
• a suitable polygonal or dodecagonal opening is provided in the flange through which the vertical pivot is linked with the catch.
• the vertical pivot is used to control the turning of the catches in the form of the above-mentioned one or more hooks.
• the afore-said handle with lever in the form of a horizontal bar with the flat articulated joint is fitted on the vertical pivot above the horizontal top edge of the bathtub body edge.
• a gasket made of sealing material in the form of a ribbon having a cross-section of a cylinder secured to the horizontal foot through the unsymmetrically fitted vertical leg.
• a sealing element is secured with its foot to the bathtub door rabbet.
• the sealing element can be secured to the door opening rabbet in the bathtub body.
• the door leaf is composed of an inner shell and a protective outer shell.
• the inner shell can be moulded so as to have vertical folds in the vicinity of vertical door leaf edges. The folds are to be used as an inner handle by the user in the bathtub.
• the proposed bathtub interior shape allows finding a place on the vertical inner walls for mounting of nozzles.
• the outward opened door facilitates the user to enter the bathtub and limits the horizontal bathtub interior section because no space is required for door movement inside the bathtub. This leads to saving of water so needed for bath.
• the proposed bathtub solutions according to this invention allow closing of the bathtub in a reliable and stable way as it is easily to pull up the door leaf rabbet to the door opening rabbet.
• the pulling up, thereby the sealing of the joint is the easier as the vertical pivot is controlled by a lever with arm of significant length as compared with the arm length of the catch in the form of a hook.
• the lever is divided into two unequal parts by an articulated joint, which causes that the significant part of its length, following the bathtub door closing operation, automatically drops to the vertical position, hanging along the wall inside the bathtub. In this position of the lever it is impossible to accidentally open the bathtub door by any unintentional movement of the user's hand.
• a vertical pivot of polygonal cross-section has been used as a main bolt control element in the form of catches.
• One or more flanges with catches are fitted on the said vertical pivot as described above, owing to the use of a suitable polygonal opening in each flange.
• Having such a design of the executive elements it is possible to secure the catch together with a flange at a suitable height on the vertical pivot. It allows to obtain an appropriate torque at the beginning and at the end of operation of the catch with the eye during the vertical turning of the pivot using the above-mentioned lever.
• In the "closed" position the door eye position is set in the seat of the working catch race.
• the use of a polygonal section will also enable the appropriate lever position to be set in the open and closed positions.
• Both the handle with lever and the flange with catch can be moved on the vertical pivot polygon through a predetermined angle, which usually is sufficient to obtain the desired movement parameters both for the catch and the lever with handle used to control the pivot.
• the above-described design of the sealing element has been proposed to seal the slot between the door opening rabbet and the door leaf rabbet
• By securing the sealing element shaft to its foot on the unsymmetncal leg it was possible to obtain the sealing with a wide range of the permissible slot sizes Owing to the proposed depth of the bathtub it is possible to fit in its vertical inner walls a row of nozzles for massage of particular parts of the user's body and the whole portions of the user's back or legs
• the bathtub is made from the deeply moulded body 1 profiled from an acrylic sheet However, it does not mean that the bathtub cannot be made from other plastics, for instance, from laminate
• the body 1 forms the bathtub interior together with its upper horizontal wall in which cavities for bath accessories can be profiled, whilst armrests for a bathtub user can be profiled in the vertical side walls inside the bathtub
• the panel walls 2 encase the bathtub body 1
• the body 1 inside has the vertical walls 3,4,5 joined with each other with gentle curvatures
• the body 1 is also provided with the profiled seat 6 under which the vertical wall 7 joined with floor 8 is arranged
• the water outflow opening 9 is located in the lowermost position of floor 8
• the profiled water discharge groove 10 is arranged along the seat 6
• Provided in the face wall of bathtub body 1 is the door opening to which the door leaf 12 is secured by hinge 11
• the door leaf 12 of body 1 opens outwards, which is shown in Fig 1
• the edge 13 of door leaf 12 and suitable edge 14 of the door opening are provided with mating
• Figure 2 herein shows the top view of the bathtub according to this invention in the version that allows to move it with its rear wall to the bathroom wall
• the figure shows the arrangement of nozzles 17 in discharge groove 10 around the seat 6
• Figure 3 shows the same bathtub, but in other version of the outside wall contour
• the bathtub is provided to be located in a bathroom corner
• Figure 4 schematically shows the hinges 11 and elements 16 of the bolt lock
• Figure 5 shows the bathtub interior looking at door opening - front view
• the figure shows the proposed arrangement of nozzles 17 in rear wall 4 and in vertical wall 7 under seat 6 Nozzles 17 are also arranged in water discharge groove 10 around seat 6
• the water outflow opening 9 is situated in the lowermost position of the bathtub floor 8
• the horizontal bottom edge of the door opening is located slightly above the level of the bathtub floor 8
• the vertical bathtub walls are inconsiderably only deflected from the vertical and they form the angle with the base 18 equal to 93°
• Rows of hydropneumatic massage nozzles can be arranged on vertical walls 3,4,5 with
• the sealing element 20 in the form of a ribbon, mating in the working position with rabbet 22 of the door opening, is arranged around the rabbet 22.
• the bathtub door can be provided with more than one sealing element 20 and these elements 20 can be arranged parallel to each other.
• the sealing elements 20 may also be secured to the rabbet 22 of the door opening and at that time they mate with the rabbet 21 around the door leaf 12.
• Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 show only the upper lock bolt having the shape of catch 25 in the form of the hook fitted on pivot 24.
• the catch 25 is visible in the window 26 of vertical edge 27 of the door opening in the bathtub wall.
• the top end of pivot 24 above the upper bathtub edge is provided with swivelling handle 28 with lever 29 used to control the turning of pivot 24 with catches 25 which are executive elements of the lock of door leaf 12.
• Steel eyes 30 secured to adequate vertical edge 31 of door leaf mate with the locks in the form of catches 25.
• Steel eyes 30 are located in the vertical plane, in principle, perpendicular to the plane of door leaf 12.
• the eye 30 secured to the edge 31 of door leaf 12 corresponds to each catch 25 on the vertical pivot 24.
• Fig. 9 shows the bolt of pivot 24 in the shape of catch 25.
• the inner race 32 of the catch 25 mates with eye 30 of door leaf 12.
• the race 32 of catch 25 has a form of a cam with locking seat 33. While the pivot 24 with catch 24 is turned clockwise the inner race 32 of catch 25 takes and pulls the eye 30 up to the bathtub wall together with door leaf 12 attached to it. This causes that the rabbet 22 of the door opening and the rabbet 21 of door leaf 12 will move close to each other and that the joint will be sealed by clamping of the sealing element 20 between rabbets 21 ,22.
• the catch 25 is secured to the flange 34 fitted on the pivot 24. In the "closed" position, the eye 30 of door 12 is locked in the seat 33 of catch 25
• the catch 25 with seat 33 is shown
• the handle 28 used to control the pivot 24 has a shape of the lever 29 fitted on the top end of pivot 24
• the lever 29 constitutes a piece of horizontal bar provided with the flat articulated joint 35 with horizontal axle of rotation 36
• the axle of rotation 36 of the articulated joint passes perpendicular to the symmetry axis of the lever 29 and is located on the lever 29 at a distance from the axle of pivot 24 equal to at least the half of the bathtub wall thickness
• the lever 29 of catch 28 in the "open” position rests in the seat 27 on the upper horizontal edge 37 of the bathtub wall Catches 25 of the lock are concealed in the window 26 of vertical edge 14 of the bathtub wall
• the catch 25 of the lock conceals in the window 26 and pulls rabbet the 21 of the door to the rabbet 22 of the door opening
• the lock passes in the "closed” position
• the bar of lever 29 of handle 28 bends in the articulated joint and hangs inside the bathtub thus preventing
• the lever 29 is put onto the top edge 37 of the bathtub wall, which is shown in Fig 7 in the "open" position
• the sealing element 20 is a ribbon in the shape of shaft 38 in the cross-sectional view
• the shaft 38 is secured to horizontal foot 39 unsymmetrically, through the vertical leg 40.
• the whole ribbon of sealing element 20 is made from a homogenous flexible sealing material.
• the door leaf 12 of the bathtub has the vertical fold 41 near the vertical edge of door leaf 12. Similar fold is moulded near the other vertical edge of door leaf 12. These folds 41 are used as handle to facilitate the bathtub user to move inside the bathtub.
• the height of body 1 is 85 cm as measured from the bathroom floor to the upper horizontal edge 37 of the bathtub.
• the bathtub height is sufficient to provide the inner bathtub walls with a system of nozzles 17 for the supply of water or air jets inside the bathtub to provide treatment or rehabilitation procedures for the bathtub user such as hydropneumatic or pneumatic massages.
• the bathtub height can be higher so as to use a greater number of nozzles 17 in one row.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Epidemiology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Devices For Medical Bathing And Washing (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=26652696

Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (9)

Families Citing this family (4)

Citations (7)

• 1999
  • 1999-12-14 ES ES99958533T patent/ES2251245T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-12-14 EP EP99958533A patent/EP1139839B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-12-14 WO PCT/PL1999/000047 patent/WO2000035324A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1999-12-14 DE DE69928004T patent/DE69928004T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (7)

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