Abstract:
A baby bathtub supporter for supporting a baby bathtub above a basin having an inner surface and an upper lip, the baby bathtub supporter comprising a board with a top surface and a bottom surface and an outer edge, and a stopper extending from the bottom surface and which contacts the inner surface of the basin.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to an infant bathing apparatus and, more specifically, to support apparatus for allowing an infant bathtub to rest near or above a rim on a bathtub.  
           [0002]    The predominate product in the market today for bathing infants is a small bathtub that is placed in sinks or bathtubs to bathe infants. While infant bathing trays, or bathtubs, are designed to fit on a flat surface, these products are not designed to fit on top of a sink or regular bathtub, but must be placed inside the bathtub or sink, resting on the bottom of the bathtub or sink. With respect to a bathtub, an individual washing a baby where the infant bathtub is placed within a bathtub, the individual usually must bend over in order to wash an infant. Bending over can put undue strain on the individual&#39;s back.  
           [0003]    Thus, individuals who wash infants using infant bathtubs would benefit from an infant bathtub that is positioned near or above a rim of a bathtub so that less stress is exerted on the individual&#39;s back due to bending over the bathtub.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    Towards this end, a baby bathtub supporter for supporting a baby bathtub above a basin having an inner surface and an upper lip is disclosed. The baby bathtub supporter comprises a board with a top surface and a bottom surface and an outer edge, and a stopper extending from the bottom surface and which contacts the inner surface of the basin. In another preferred embodiment, a baby bathtub system is disclosed. The baby bathtub system comprises a baby bathtub, a basin with an inner surface and an upper lip, a board with a top surface and a bottom surface and an outer edge a stopper extending from the bottom surface and which contacts the inner surface of the basin. The board is positioned on the basin where the bottom surface of the board contacts the upper lip of the basin and the stopper contacts the inner surface of the basin. The baby bathtub is placed on the top surface of the board. In another embodiment, a baby bathtub apparatus for use over a basin is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a baby bathtub with a side wall and a base, a board having an outer edge and a bottom surface,  1  connected to the baby bathtub, extending from the base of the baby bathtub beyond the side wall, and a stopper extending from the bottom surface of the board. The board, connected to the baby bathtub, is placed across the basin and is held in place by the stopper. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]    The features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when read with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of a baby bathtub supporter in place over a basin;  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a preferred embodiment of a baby bathtub supporter;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of a baby bathtub supporter illustrating pivotal suction cups;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a preferred embodiment of a baby bathtub supporter illustrating rods;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the stand or base for the baby bathtub supporter; and  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the baby bathtub supporter integrated with an infant bathtub. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]    With reference to the figures, exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described. The scope of the invention disclosed is applicable to a plurality of supporter devices, which can be used to support an object over a basin, such as a bathtub or a sink. Thus, even though this invention is disclosed specific to an infant or baby bathtub, this invention is applicable to other apparatus that can be placed on or near an upper lip of a basin in general.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of a baby bathtub supporter placed on a basin, such as a bathtub. As illustrated, the present invention  5  is a flat board  10 , made of wood, plastic, or some other non-bendable material. In a preferred embodiment, the board has a top surface  12  and a bottom surface  14  and an outer edge  16 . In a preferred embodiment, the board  10  has a rectangular shape with two side edges, a front edge, and a back edge, with rounded corners. In other embodiments, the invention can have any shape, such as, but not limited, more rounded or oval in shape as well as circular or square in shape. The top surface  14  of the board  10  is flat so that a baby bathtub placed upon the surface will remain level with respect to the ground. The top surface  12  is a non-skid surface. In a preferred embodiment, non-skid strips or another non-skid material is applied to the top surface, not shown.  
         [0014]    As further illustrated in FIG. 1, in a preferred embodiment, the invention is placed across the shortest length of the basin  20  where the bottom of the board  14 , near its outer edge  16 , rests on the lip, or upper lip, of the basin  20 . If the basin  20 , such as a bathtub or sink, in which the invention is used has a faucet  24  that would prohibit the baby bathtub supporter  5  from resting in a level position relative to the ground, a cutout, or passage  26 , is provided in the board  10  to allow the faucet  24  not to interfere with the baby bathtub supporter  5 . If the faucet  24  is sufficiently above the baby bathtub supporter, the cutout  26  will allow water from the faucet  24  to reach the bathtub or sink  20  without being obstructed by the baby bathtub or the baby bathtub supporter  5 .  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the present invention. On the bottom surface  14  of the board  10  are stoppers  30  to hold, or secure, the baby bathtub supporter  5  in place. In a preferred embodiment, the stoppers  30  are stationary. In a preferred embodiment four stoppers are used, but any number of stoppers may be utilized. In another preferred embodiment, the stoppers  30  are adjustable so that each stopper  30  can be adjusted to make contact with the sides of the bathtub or sink  20  to secure or hold the invention  5  in place. In one preferred embodiment, the stoppers  30  are round legs. The stoppers are made out of rubber or plastic. In another preferred embodiment, the stoppers  30  are suction cups  32 . The suction cups face outward towards the sides of the sink or bathtub. The suction part of the suction cups  32  nearest the front edge of the board  10  face toward the front of the board  10 , and the suction part of suction cups  32  nearest the back edge of the board  10  face toward the back edge of the board  10 . In another embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 3, the suction cups  32  are mounted so that they are pivotal, where a user can pivot the suction cups  32  to face in any desired direction so that if the bathtub  20  has an arcuate side wall, the suction cups  32  may be position to best allow each suction cup to form a secure seal with the bathtub inner wall  21 . If the basin  20  is sufficiently narrow enough, the present invention can be placed across the longest length of the basin  20 , not shown, and the suction cups  32  are then positioned accordingly to secure the supporter  5 .  
         [0016]    Similarly, in another preferred embodiment, not shown, the suction cups  32  are mounted on tracks where the suction cups  32  may be moved to various locations on the bottom surface  14  of the board  10  to best fit within the bathtub  20 . Thus, if a preferred embodiment of the present invention is to work with a garden-sized or Jacuzzi™-style bathtub, the board  10  may be over sized to reach across the bathtub and where the suction cups  32  can be adjusted to move along the bottom of the board  10  so that they are placed in positions where they are most secured to the inner surface  21  of the bathtub  20 , or make the best contact with the inner surface to insure a secure attachment. Thus, the same oversized board can then be applied to a standard sized bathtub where the suction cups  32  are further adjusted to secure the suction cups  32  to the inner wall of the standard sized bathtub. In another preferred embodiment, the board is an expandable board where its length can be extended or shortened to sufficiently extend beyond the inner walls of a bathtub, using the edge to hold or support the board, in addition to the suction cups.  
         [0017]    In another preferred embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 4, extension rods  40  are the stoppers, where the extension rods are attached to the bottom surface  14  of the board and are then extended in opposite directions from the rod base  42 , in a preferred embodiment, along the length of the board where the ends of the rods  44  are extended until they make contact with the sides of the sink or bathtub  20  to secure the invention  5  in place. The rods  40  can be either the type of rods, which are extended by rotating the extension part of the rod, or extension rods, where a lever or some other component is moved to allow a user to pull the rod out to a desired length (not shown). In another preferred embodiment, the rods  40  can be rotated to either extend along the length of the board  10  or along the width of the board, where a user makes a determination based on the size of the basin to which the present invention is being connected.  
         [0018]    Also illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, openings, or lifting connections  50 , are located at the two most distant ends of the board  10 . These openings  50  are for lifting and holding, or handling the present invention  5 . Though illustrated at specific locations in FIGS. 1 and 2, these openings  50  may be placed at a plurality of locations on the present invention to assist in handling the present invention  5 . As further illustrated in FIG. 2, the openings  50  can also be used to attach a strap, or some other connecting apparatus  52  such as a chain, which has a cup or another device attached to one end which can be used to assist with washing a child. In a preferred embodiment, the strap has Velcro™ at the end distant from the cub so that the cup and strap can be removed from the board. Other components which can be attached to the board, include, but are not limited to, a brush, comb, play toy, etc.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 illustrates a stand for the baby bathtub support. In a preferred embodiment, the stand has an opening in which one end of the baby bathtub support can fit within. As further illustrated in FIG. 2, once in the stand, the baby bathtub support will stand in an upright position.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the baby bathtub supporter  5  integrated with an infant bathtub  60 . As illustrated, the board  10  is part of the base of the infant bathtub  60 . In a preferred embodiment, the ends of the integrated board  10  are extendable so that they can reach across a bathtub  20  and rest on its upper lip  22 . The bottom  14  of the integrated bathtub  62  may comprise any of the configurations disclosed above. The shape of the integrated infant bathtub may take on a plurality of shapes as discussed previously, with respect to the board.  
         [0021]    While the invention has been described in what is presently considered to be a preferred embodiment, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the specific illustrative embodiment but be interpreted within the full spirit and scope of the appended claims.