COLLAPSIBLE BATHS

Abstract: A portable collapsible bath unit comprising a container having a base and flexible side walls (16) and a framework, the side walls (16) being detachably connectable to the framework to form an erected container, the arrangement being such as to allow a person to be placed on the base of the container and the framework to be placed over the person such that when sidewalls (16) are connected to the framework the person is located within the erected container which is capable of retaining water therein such that the person within the container can be bathed.

Description: - 1 - . " " .- - . COLLAPSIBLE BATHS This invention relates to a portable, collapsible bath unit which is particularly useful for hospital or bedridden patients who are unable, for any reason, to utilize the normal bathroom facilities. However, the invention is in no way limited to such an application and can be used to advantage where no bathroom facilities exist, e.g. in caravans, tents, and in 'bed-sitter' accommodation. One object of the invention is to provide a portable collapsible bath unit which can be used in hospitals, or in the home by persons who cannot take advantage of the normal bathroom facilities, and which is so constructed that it is unnecessary for that person to be removed from the bed in order to be bathed. A further object of the present invention is to provide a portable, collapsible bath unit, which can be folded when not in use for convenient storage. According to the invention there is provided a portable, collapsible bath unit comprising a container having a base and flexible side walls and a framework, the side walls being detachably connectable to the framework to form an erected container, the arrangement being such as to allow a person to be placed on the base of the container and the framework to be placed over the person such that when the sidewalls are connected to the framework the person is located within the erected container which is capable of retaining water therein such that the person within the container can be bathed. According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of bathing a person by means of the. bath unit described above including the steps of placing the base of the container beneath a person to be bathed, placing the framework over the person to be bathed and connect ing the sidewalls of the container to the framework to form a container for the receipt of liquid. Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a framework according to the present invention shown in a erected condition. Figure 2 is a plan view of the framework shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the framework shown in a collapsed condition; Figure 4 is a schematic side view of a bath unit accordi to the present invention; Figure 5 is a section along line V-V in Figure 4; Figure 6 is an axial section through a hinge connection according to the present invention; Figure 7 is an axial section through the hinge connectio shown in Figure 6 but taken along a plane which is at right angles to the sectional plane of Figure 6; Figure 8 is an end view of one of the connection members making up the hinge connection shown in Figures 6 and 7. Referring initially to Figures 1 to 5 the bath unit 10 includes a framework 12 which supports a flexible containe 14. The container 14 has a base 15 and side walls 16 all of which are conveniently formed from a flexible waterproof material such as a plastics sheet or a plastics impregnated cloth. The upper marginal portions 16a_ of the sidewalls 16 are preferably folded over to define a circumferentially extending pocket 16b for the receipt of the upper frame members 20 of the framework 12. Press studs (not shown) or other means may be provided for attaching the marginal portion 16«a to the remainder of the sidewalls so as to close the pocket at discrete locations. It will be appreciated that the sidewalls 16 may be detachably attached to the framework 12 in other ways if desired. The framework 12 includes an upper pair of U-shaped frame members 20 and a lower- pair of U-shaped frame members 22. _ The terminal ends of the frame members of each pair are hingedly connected to one another by hinge connections 30. The upper and lower pairs of frame members 20,22 are connected to one another by struts 24 each of which is pivotally connected at either end to a respective"frame membe 20,22. As shown particularly in Figure 1, when the framework 12 is in its erected condition the struts are positioned so that they are inclined in an opposite sense on opposite sides of the hinge connections 30 so that downward loadings on the upper frame members 20 tend to move the lower members 22 toward their hinged connections and tend to move the upper members 20 away from their hinged connections . Accordingly the erected framework 12 is rigid. However, by arranging in the struts 24 so that the framework 12 is symmetrical about a centre plane ___ containing the hinged connections, it is possible to fold the framework about the hinge connections by moving the end portions upwardly and toward one another as viewed in Figure 1. The width of the frame members 22 is chosen to be less than that of frame members 20 so that the framework may be folded to form a substantially flat and compact structure as illustrated in Figure 3. Conveniently the framework 12 when in a collapsed condition may be stored in a carrier bag which also contains the collapsible container 14. Advantageously the frame members are formed from a tubular rigid material such as tubular steel . aluminium or a plastics material. When the bath unit is to be used for bathing an invalid the container 14 is placed on a level surface and then the person to be bathed is placed upon the base of the container. The framework 12 is unfolded into an erected condition and the framework is placed onto the level surface to surround the person. The sidewalls 16 are then attached to the upper frame members 20 so that the container 14 is then in a condition to be filled. It will be appreciated that if desired a closable drainage part (not shown) may be provided in the container 14 to facilitate emptying. ~ A " hinge construction 50 suitable for forming the hinge connections 30 is illustrated in Figures 6 to 8. The hinge connection 50 comprises a pair of hinge asse - blies 51 which are identical in construction. Each hinge assembly 51 includes a hinge element 53 which has a terminal end formation 54 for co-operative abutment with the terminal end formation of the other hinge assembly. As seen in Figure 6, the end formation 54 includes an upper flat abutment surface 55 which-in co-operation with the abutment surface 55 of the other end formation 54 serves as a pivotal stop. The end formation 54 also includes a lower guide formation 56 which co-operates with the guide formation 56 of the other hinge element to provide a controlled rolling motion whereby the abutting hinge elements 53 may be pivoted from the position shown in full lines in Figure 6 wherein they are in axial alignment to the position shown in dotted lines wherein they are aligned with their axes parallel. Each guide formation 56 preferably includes a series of arcuate ribs 58 and grooves 59 which co-operate to provide the desired relative rolling motion and also prevent relative lateral displacement in a direction parallel to the pivoting motion. Preferably some of the ribs are provided with teeth 60 which co-operate with teeth on the opposing end formation 54 to restrain relative slip between the guide formations 56 during relative rolling motion. In the construction illustrated, when the hinge elements 53 are in axial alignment, the intermeshing teeth 60 serve to prevent lateral movement in a direction perpendicular to the pivoting motion. This is important wheri the hinge connection is used in the bath unit of Figures 1 to 5 since the hinge elements 53 of each hinge connection 50 between frames 20 prevent relative downward movement therebetween when the frames 20 are supporting downward loads. The hinge elements 53 need to be maintained in mutual abutment and each hinge assembly 51 is provided with biasing means 70. The biasing means 70 includes an elongate tie member 71 which is pivotally connected at one end to the tie member 71 of the other hinge assembly 51 by means of a rivet 71a. Each tie member 71 is resiliently deflectable and prefer- ably is formed from a resilient wire. At each end the tie member 71 includes a loop formation 73. The end of the tie member 71 remote from the pivotal connection extends through a cap 76 which abuts against a loop formation 73. The tie member 71 also extends through a second cap 77, which is conveniently identical in construction to cap 76. The cap 5 76 abuts against the end of hinge element 53 and a spring 78 is located between the caps 76,77 to urge them apart. Accordingly, due to the pivotal connection between the tie members 71, the hinge elements 53 are resiliently urged into abutment by springs 78 when in the axially aligned i0 position. When the hinge elements 53 are pivotally displaced to assume the position whereat they are located with their axes parallel, the tie members deflect laterally from a pos¬ ition where they project from respective cap members 77 and thereby provide a resilient bias to urge the hinge elements i5 53 toward one another. The fully deflected position of one of the tie members 71 is illustrated in broken lines in Figure 6. During pivoting motion between the two extreme positions, the biasing force urging the hinge elements into abutment derives from a combination of the springs 78 and tie members 20 71. Each end formation 54 is provided with a slot 79 to provide for unhindered movement of the tie members 71 during their deflection. It will be appreciated that by locating stop face 55 25 at a different position angular deflection between members 53 may be varied as desired. Additionally if stop faces 55 were omitted angular deflection through 180° may be achieved. In order to enable assembly of the hinge connection the caps 76,77 are provided with slots 80 which as seen in ~ Q Figure 7 are wide enough in one direction to permit the loop formations 73 to pass through but in the direction perpendicular thereto are substantially the same dimension as the thickness of the tie member 71 to thereby provide a fulcrum for deflection of the tie member as illustrated ~ in Figure 6. In order to prevent rotation of the cap 77 after assembly, the cap is provided with lugs 77 (not shown) which engage in grooves (not shown) in the hinge element. Conveniently, - the hinge assemblies 51 are constructed so as to be capable of hingedly connecting tubular members 90 to one another. In this respect caps 76,77 are of a diameter suitable for reception within the tubular member 90. Additionally, the hinge element 53 is conveniently provided with an annular groove 95 which enables the tubular member 90 to be deformed radially inwardly in order to secure the hinge element thereto. The hinge elements 51 are preferably identical in construction and are conveniently moulded from a suitable plastics material.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A portable collapsible bath unit comprising a container having a base and flexible side walls and a framework,, the side walls being detachably connectable to the framework to form an erected container, the arrangement being such as to allow a person to be placed on the base of the container and the framework to be placed over the person such that when the sidewalls are connected to the framework the person is located within the erected container which is capable of retaining water therein such that the person within the container can be bathed. 2. A bath unit according to Claim 1 wherein the framework includes a pair of upper frame members hingedly connected to one another and a pair of lower frame members hingedly connected to one another, and struts connecting the upper and lower frame members to one another. 3. A bath unit according to claim 2 wherein the struts are rigid and are pivotally connected at each end to respective upper and lower frames. 4. A bath unit according to Claim 2 or 3 wherein the struts are arranged symmetrically on either side of the hinge connections, the struts being inclined relative to the frame members. 5. A method of bathing a person by means of the bath unit described above including the steps of placing the base of the container beneath a person to be bathed, placing the framework over the person to be bathed and connecting the sidewalls of the container to the framework to form a container for the receipt of liquid. 6. A hinge connection including a pair of hinge elements having opposed end formations in abutment, the end formations being arranged to provide a rolling motion therebetween to define a pivotal movement between said hinge elements, and biasing means for maintaining the opposed end formations ° in abutment during said pivotal movement. 7. A hinge connection according to Claim 6, wherein the end formations include arcuate ribs and grooves which co-operate to provide said rolling motion and present lateral 5 separation of said hinge elements in a direction parallel to the direction of the pivotal movement. 8. A hinge connection according to Claim 7 wherein some~ ribs are provided with teeth for meshing with teeth on the opposed end formation. Id 9 . A hinge connection according to Claim 8 wherein the biasing means includes a pair of opposed springs which act upon tie means extending along the hinge elements. 10. A hinge connection according to Claim 9 wherein the tie means are resiliently detectable and serve to bias the j _5 hinge elements toward one another.

Inventors: FOSTER JAMES WILLIAM, FOSTER, JAMES, WILLIAM
Applicants: FOSTER JAMES WILLIAM, FOSTER, JAMES, WILLIAM
Application year: 1983
Main classification: A47K3
IPC codes: A47K3