Abstract:
An ergonomic shower chair with built in bidet, comprising an ergonomic seat portion, an ergonomic back portion with lumbar support, and a bidet portion. Water enters the bidet portion by holding a hand-held showerhead against the main opening of the bidet portion, and is sprayed towards the user&#39;s perineal area through bidet nozzles positioned within holes along a longitudinal groove in the seat portion. Because these holes have inner diameters that are wider than the outer diameters of the bidet nozzles, water is drained away through the interstices between the hole walls and the bidet nozzles. The seat portion includes additional drainage holes for fast drainage.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No.60/418,625“Water Spraying Shower Chair” by applicant Moser, filed on Oct. 15, 2002. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
         [0002]    Shower chairs and shower stools have become increasingly popular in recent years and are presently available in different shapes and materials. In the present specification “shower chairs” will be understood to include “shower stools,” which are only a category of shower chairs where the back portion is missing.  
           [0003]    The main advantages of shower chairs are the safety and comfort provided to users that are unable to remain in a standing position for extended amounts of time or that simply enjoy prolonged showers. Among these types of users are persons of limited mobility or strength, for instance, elderly users; arthritic users; users that have undergone surgeries; or users that are otherwise affected by various medical or age related conditions. Other users instead are healthy persons that enjoy long, warm showers for relief in cold climates or for general physical well-being.  
           [0004]    No shower chairs are available at present that are ergonomically designed to provide optimal interfaces with the user&#39;s body. In particular, no shower chairs are available today that offer both ergonomic design and, at the same time, a built in bidet through which the user can clean and soothe the perineal region of her body.  
           [0005]    Historically, shower chair designs have been dominated by utilitarian or aesthetic considerations. For instance, the seat and back portions of presently available shower chairs exhibit flat or U-shaped profiles, but not profiles that reflect body curvatures or that provide optimal weight distribution on the spine of the user. Some of the presently available shower chairs have been disclosed in U.S. and international applications; among others, U.S. Pat. No. D355,985 by Karten et al., issued on Mar. 7, 1995, discloses an integrally molded, stackable shower chair where the seat and back portions exhibit a shallow U-shape.  
           [0006]    “Ergonomic” is a scientific term that relates to the interaction between humans and artifacts. Specifically, scientific research during the 20th century has shown that typical sitting postures reduce the static muscular efforts of legs and hips, but also increase physical loads on inter-vertebral discs, in particular in the lumbar (mid-back) region of the spine. Such scientific research is outlined in several articles and treatises, for instance, Gavriel Salvendy, Editor, HANDBOOK OF HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS (John Wiley &amp; Sons, 1997, 2nd ed.).  
           [0007]    Therefore, an ergonomic shower chair must contain features that minimize stress on the users&#39; bodies while maximizing comfort, and at the same time must exhibit design and construction features that are suitable for a shower environment.  
           [0008]    The use of bidets for personal hygiene has also become increasing popular. In particular, a number of inventions have been disclosed recently that involve bathroom fixtures including bidet attachments.  
           [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,825“Bidet Shower Seat” by Honsvald, issued on Dec. 10, 1996, discloses a stool upon which a user can seat or which can be positioned under a support chair, and which includes nozzles on its upper surface directing water onto the genital region of the user. This stool has no specific ergonomic features, and includes an interior bowl mounted on the outer body and a number of spray nozzles positioned in the forward and rearward portions of such interior bowl. Water is supplied by attaching a conduit (such as a hose) to a valve and the discharge water is drained through an opening in the central part of the interior bowl.  
           [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,810“Portable Bath Seat” by Weddendorf et al., dated May 8, 2001, discloses instead a platform supported by and clamped to the sidewalls of a bathtub, on which a seat is slideably carried. In one embodiment, this seat may include a bidet attachment essentially consisting of a perforated tube which is snapped into an opening on the seat. Water flows into such tube through a valve connected to a conduit such as a hose and is then drained through holes in the seat.  
           [0011]    In summary, prior art does not include a shower chair designed to meet the ergonomic requirements of the user. In addition, the supply of water into any optional bidets is laborious and requires auxiliary water supply devices, such as a hose.  
           [0012]    One of the objects of the present invention is an ergonomic shower chair that provides the user with optimal comfort and convenience by matching the shapes and characteristics of such chair with the physical shapes and load distributions of a typical user, and that incorporates ergonomic features aimed at reducing spinal disc pressure and at improving blood circulation to the thighs and feet.  
           [0013]    Another object of the present invention is an ergonomic shower chair with a bidet function that is comfortable, effective, and that does not require any specific attachments or set-ups beyond the availability of a typical hand-held showerhead.  
           [0014]    Additional advantages and novel features of the invention will be described in part in the description that follows and may be realized and attained by means of the individual design and manufacturing features and by combinations thereof.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0015]    According to the present invention, the foregoing and other advantages and features are attained by a shower chair that comprises an ergonomic seat portion, an ergonomic back portion and a bidet portion, which is activated by holding a hand-held shower head against the main opening of such bidet portion.  
           [0016]    The seat portion of the present invention is designed to reduce loads on the spine of a seated user, particularly in the lumbar section, and at improving blood circulation in the thighs and feet. Accordingly, the upper surface of the seat portion exhibits double curvatures, with an overall curved surface that includes concave, shallow cavities corresponding to the user&#39;s buttocks. This design maintains the user safely into position, but at the same time allows the user to sit comfortably with some “wiggle” room, without being pushed toward the center of the seat.  
           [0017]    A longitudinal perineal groove is located in the central part of the seat portion and houses a series of holes, from which water is discharged from bidet nozzles positioned coaxially within such holes, and at the same time water is drained in the interstices between the bidet nozzles and the inner diameters of such holes. This groove extends to the area corresponding to the coccyx (or “tailbone”) of the user for maximum comfort.  
           [0018]    The front edge of the seat portion extends forward in a curved, “waterfall” shape, in order to reduce pressure on the underside of the thighs and to facilitate blood flow to legs and feet. Anatomically-contoured hand grips are also carved in each side of the seat, as well as recesses to rest the hand-held showerhead when not in use.  
           [0019]    In one embodiment, the seat portion has a hollow structure, with supporting columns positioned longitudinally in the central area, in order to provide rigidity but also produce an effect under the user&#39;s buttocks similar to that of a padded seat, further reducing pressure on the user&#39;s spinal discs. Handgrips, and showerhead holders to rest the hand-held showerhead when not in use, are optionally included in the seat portion.  
           [0020]    The back portion exhibits a front surface with double curvatures, to provide an ergonomic contour corresponding to that of a human back and at the same time relieve disc pressure by re-establishing lumbar curvature. The front surface of the back portion is slightly inclined backwards, in order to transfer some of the user&#39;s weight against the backrest, further reducing inter-vertebral disc pressure. A spinal groove runs longitudinally in the central area, in order to accommodate user&#39;s spine.  
           [0021]    In one embodiment, the back portion also has a hollow structure, which compresses slightly to provide a comfort level similar to that of a padded chair. Optionally, an anatomically contoured handle is also included in the back portion.  
           [0022]    The bidet portion comprises a main body of tubular form with an elliptical cross-section and a main opening of conical shape. Discharge nozzles protrude from the main body of the bidet portion and are coaxially inserted in some of the drain holes in the seat portion, causing a water spray in the user&#39;s perineal area.  
           [0023]    Water enters the bidet portion from a hand-held showerhead, held by the user against the main bidet opening. A rubber gasket covers such main opening, in order to eliminate water loss and to relieve pressure on the user&#39;s hand. Different embodiments of the present invention include means for affixing the hand-held showerhead to the main opening of the bidet portion, or for affixing the hand-held showerhead to the seat portion while the showerhead discharges water into the bidet portion, thereby freeing the hands of the user while water is being sprayed onto the user&#39;s perineal area.  
           [0024]    The back portion and the seat portion are connected by backrest pipes.  
           [0025]    In one embodiment, the ergonomic shower chair with built in bidet comprises means for adjusting the height of the back portion.  
           [0026]    In another embodiment, the present invention includes legs that are telescopically extendable.  
           [0027]    In still another embodiment, the ergonomic shower chair includes a bidet portion discharging water both from the seat and from the back portions of the chair.  
           [0028]    In another different embodiment, the ergonomic shower chair has no bidet portion.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0029]    [0029]FIG. 1 illustrates the ergonomic shower chair with built in bidet.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 2A shows a top view of the seat portion, while FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C show cross-sections illustrating some of key features of the seat portion.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 3 illustrates the assembly of the seat portion with the bidet portion.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 4A depicts the holes running longitudinally along the perineal groove in the seat portion, while FIG. 4B depicts one of the seat handles and one of the showerhead holders.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 5 illustrates a bottom view of the assembly of the seat portion with the bidet portion.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 6A illustrates a top view of the assembly of the seat portion with the bidet portion; FIG. 6B illustrates a cross-section of the assembly of the seat portion with the bidet portion; FIG. 6C illustrates the assembly of one bidet nozzle with one seat hole; and FIG. 6D illustrates the assembly of one bidet nozzles, inclusive of a flow constrictor, with one seat hole.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 7 illustrates the bidet portion.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 8 illustrates the application of a hand-held showerhead to the bidet portion.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 9A illustrates the back portion, while FIG. 9B and FIG. 9C show cross-sections illustrating some of he key features of the back portion.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 10 illustrates the backrest pipes and their assembly with other portions of the ergonomic shower chair with built in bidet.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 11 A illustrates the underside of the ergonomic shower chair with built in bidet, while FIG. 11B illustrates a telescopying leg.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 12 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the ergonomic shower chair, wherein no bidet portion is present.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 13 illustrates another alternative embodiment of the shower chair with built in bidet, wherein the bidet portion extends to the back portion.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0042]    With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 11A, the present invention concerns an ergonomic shower chair with built in bidet  20  comprising seat portion  22 , back portion  24 , bidet portion  38 , backrest pipes  26  and  28 , and legs  30 ,  32 ,  34  and  36 .  
         [0043]    As further shown in FIGS.  2 A, FIG. 2B, FIG. 2C and FIG. 3, seat portion  22  has an essentially oblong shape. The upper surface of seat portion  22  exhibits a multi-curvature effect, with middle section  42  having a shallow, concave and roughly cylindrical curvature, and with a central axis running longitudinally from rear section  44  through front section  40 . Rear section  44  instead has a shallow and concave curvature, originating from middle section  42  and rounding in spherical fashion towards the rear end of seat portion  22 . Instead, front section  40  is rounded forward in a waterfall shape, in order to reduce pressure on the underside of the user&#39;s thighs and to improve blood circulation to user&#39;s legs and feet.  
         [0044]    Two shallow cavities  46  and  48  are imprinted longitudinally in the right and respectively left areas of seat portion  22 , mimicking the shapes of human buttocks when seated and generating superior comfort to the user as compared to a flat surface, due both to the anatomical contours of cavities  46  and  48 , which provide support to the buttocks, but also because the user is provided with some “wiggle” room and thereby avoids the constrained sitting posture of conventional U-shaped seats.  
         [0045]    Perineal groove  50  runs longitudinally in the middle of seat portion  22 , ending at one end in the proximity of front section  40  and extending at the opposite end into rear section  44 , in order to accommodate the coccyx, or “tailbone”, of the user.  
         [0046]    With further reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B, handgrips  52  and  54  are situated on each side of seat portion  22  and are of essentially tubular shape. Through-hole  56  delimits handgrip  52  on one side and has a roughly oval shape, enlarged at end  58  to allow proper fit with the user&#39;s thumb. Lower surface  60  of handgrips  52  is also anatomically contoured, carrying impressions resembling human fingers.  
         [0047]    Showerhead holders  62  and  64  are also carved on each side of seat portion  22 . Each one of showerhead holders  62  and  64  is semicircular in shape and provides the user with a place to rest a hand-held showerhead when not in use.  
         [0048]    A number of holes run longitudinally along perineal groove  50 . In the preferred embodiment, water is sprayed through bidet/drain holes  66 ,  68 ,  70  and  72  and is drained both through bidet/drain holes  66 ,  68 ,  70  and  72  and is also drained through drain holes  74 ,  76  and  78 .  
         [0049]    As further illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6A,  6 B,  6 C,  6 D and  7 , bidet portion  38  is positioned on the underside of seat portion  22  and fastened to seat portion  22  by bolts  80 ,  82  and  84 , which are affixed to matching nuts embedded in seat portion  22 . Bidet portion  38  has an elongated shape, with main opening  86  of conical shape and covered by rubber ring  88  while main body  90  of bidet portion  38  has a roughly elliptical cross-section. Bidet nozzles  92 ,  94 ,  96 , and  98  extend parallel from main body  90  and are assembled into bidet/drain holes  66 ,  68 ,  70  and  72 , so that, after assembly, the highest point of each nozzle is positioned below the top surface of each bidet/drain hole, and so that each nozzle is coaxial with each bidet/drain hole. The assembly of bidet portion  38  with seat portion  22  is further illustrated in FIGS. 6A, 6B and  6 C, which depict the assembly of nozzle  94  with bidet/drain hole  68 . Because the outer diameter of nozzle  94  is narrower than the inner diameter of bidet/drain hole  68 , a coaxial interstice remains available, within which drain water flows away from seat portion  22  after performing a cleansing function on the perineal region of the user. Additionally, T-shaped flow constrictor  1   58  can be inserted into nozzle  94 , in order to reduce the inner diameter of nozzle  94  and increase water velocity.  
         [0050]    As further shown in FIG. 8, water enter bidet portion  38  when the user holds hand-held showerhead  100  against rubber ring  88 , so that water flows into bidet main body  90  and is discharged from nozzles  92 ,  94 ,  96  and  98 . When not in use, hand-held showerhead  100  can be rested in showerhead holder  62  or  64 . In a different embodiment, bidet main opening  86  comprises affixing means to attach hand-held showerhead  100  to bidet main opening  86 , thereby freeing the user&#39;s hands while handheld showerhead  100  discharges water into bidet portion  38 . In a still different embodiment, seat portion  22  comprises affixing means to attach hand-held showerhead  100  to seat portion  22 , thereby freeing the user&#39;s hands while hand-held showerhead  100  discharges water into bidet portion  38 .  
         [0051]    In the preferred embodiment, seat portion  22  is manufactured in a resilient plastic material, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, and is hollow in the center. Each one of bidet/drain holes  66 ,  68 ,  70  and  72  and each one of drain holes  74 ,  76  and  78 , serve as columns within the hollow construction of seat portion  22 , providing torsional rigidity. At the same time, the user&#39;s buttock rest over cavities  46  and  48 , which can flex up to 1 cm because the underlying structure is hollow, thus providing the user with a comfort similar to that of a padded seat and insuring a more evenly distributed pressure on thighs and buttocks.  
         [0052]    Back portion  24  also exhibits an ergonomic shape, as shown in FIGS. 9A, 9B,  9 C and  10 . Specifically, the front surface of back portion  24  has a curved shape, essentially resembling the underside of a hyperbolic paraboloid (commonly referred to as a “horse saddle”) and matching the shape of a human back, with lower section  104  having a convex curvature at its lower end to provide lumbar support. Further, back portion  24  has a backrest angle of approximately 15 degrees from a vertical axis, in order to transfer some of the weight of the user&#39;s body onto back portion  24 , thereby reducing inter-vertebral disc pressure and also static strain of the back and shoulder muscles.  
         [0053]    Spinal groove  106  runs vertically in the middle of back portion  24  and serves as a housing for the spine of the user.  
         [0054]    Back portion  24  is also made of a resilient plastic material, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, and is hollow in the center, giving the user a “padded” feel. In one embodiment, back portion  24  further includes height-adjusting means, in order to slide back portion  24  upwards or downwards for the convenience of users of different sizes.  
         [0055]    Back portion  24  also includes back handgrip  108 , which is carved into the upper edge of seat portion  24  and is of essentially tubular form, delimited by back through-hole  110 . Back handgrip  108  exhibits an anatomical contour  102  on its underside that resembles human fingers.  
         [0056]    Backrest pipes  26  and  28  connect back portion  24  to seat portion  22 . For instance, backrest pipe  28  is affixed to back portion  24  by first being positioned in back housings  112  and  114 , and then by inserting bolts  116  and  118  into holes in backrest pipe  26  and successively into matching nuts embedded in back portion  24 . Similarly, as shown in FIG. 11A, backrest pipe  28  is affixed to seat portion  22  first by being positioned in seat housings  120  and  122 , and then by inserting bolts  124  and  1   26  into holes in backrest pipe  28  and successively into matching nuts embedded in seat portion  22 .  
         [0057]    U-shaped pipes  128  and  130  (forming legs  30 ,  32 ,  34  and  36 ) are overlapped cross-wise over backrest pipes  26  and  28 , and are fastened to seat portion  22  by bolts  116 ,  118 ,  132  and  134 . Depression  136  in U-shaped pipe  128  allows for proper nesting of U-shaped pipes  128  and  130 . Optional rubber caps  138 ,  140 ,  1   42  and  144  provide anti-slip properties to legs  30 ,  32 ,  34  and  36 , and at the same time prevent scratching of the shower surface.  
         [0058]    Legs  30 ,  32 ,  34  and  36  can extend telescopically to increase the height of the ergonomic shower chair. As shown in FIG. 11B, leg  36  consists of one end of U-shaped pipe  128 , of spring-loaded detent  160  and of perforated pipe section  162 , which is optionally covered by silencing rubber collar  164 . When U-shaped pipe  128  is assembled with perforated pipe section  162 , spring loaded detent  160  snaps within one of the holes in perforated pipe section  162 , thereby determining the overall length of leg  30 .  
         [0059]    [0059]FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate different embodiments of the present invention. In embodiment  146  shown in FIG. 12, there is no bidet portion attached to seat portion  22 . Therefore, all holes in seat portion  22  operate only as drain holes.  
         [0060]    Instead, in embodiment  148  shown in FIG. 13, bidet portion  150  extends from seat portion  152  to back portion  154 . Seat portion  152  in this embodiment is different from seat portion  22  in the preferred embodiment due to the need to accommodate the more extended shape of seat/back bidet  150  on the underside of seat portion  152 . In this embodiment, bidet portion  150  carries additional nozzles, such as nozzle  156 , that are housed within the bidet/drain holes in back portion  154 .  
         [0061]    While the preferred and alternate embodiments have been shown and described, there is no intention to limit the invention to such disclosure, but rather all modifications and alternate constructions are covered that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.