Patent ID: 6397410
Filing Date: 2002-06-04
Classification: A61G

Abstract:
A bath lift (10), the lift (10) comprising a housing (12) locatable to a first side (18) of a bath (20), a flexible band (72) which is selectively extendable from the housing (12) across the bath (20) to a second side (86) of the bath (20), the lift (10) comprising means for selectively feeding the band (72) out or in of the housing (12) such that when the band (72) is fed out a person sitting thereon is lowered into a sitting position to the bottom of the bath (20), and when the band (72) is fed in, a person sitting thereon is raised off the bottom of the bath (20), the lift (10) being arranged to be selectively movable between an in use position with the band (72) extending from the housing (12) across the bath (20), and an out of use condition with the band (72) located at least substantially within the housing (12), characterised in that in the out of use condition the bath lift (12) lies in a generally flat configuration to said first side (18) of the bath (20), further characterised in that the bath lift (10) is arranged such that a free end (74) of the band (72) is selectively mountable on said second side (86) of the bath (20), and a first guide (66) is provided in or adjacent a lower part of a housing (12) such that, from said free end (74), the band (72) extends across the bath (20), a second movable guide (36,38) being provided in the housing (12) above the first guide (66), with the band (72) extending around the second guide to a fixed end below the second guide (36,38), means being provided for moving the second guide (36,38) relative to the first guide (66) so as to feed the band (72) past the first guide (66) and therefore into or out of the housing (12) to selectively tighten or loosen the band (72) extending across the bath (20), to raise or lower a person sitting on the band (72).