SITTING BATHTUB

Abstract: Sitting bathtub (10) with one lateral wall almost completely open and with a hatch (15<1>) is placed over an opening (11) in the sidewall so that one of its lower corners by the weight of the hatch rests against the sidewall of the tub and that a handle (35) is arranged to press the rest of the lower part of the hatch against the sidewall obtaining an initial seal. As then water is filled into the tub the hydrostatical pressure against the hatch climbes upwards forcing the sealing function successively to climb in advance upwards over the rising water level. The handle (35) can be operated from inside as well as from outside of the tub. The force with which the handle press against the inside of the hatch is proportional to the turning angle. The sitting bath tub facilitates the taking of shower and bath for wheelchair users as well as other movement-restricted persons but can also be used in hospitals and alike for muscle-training in particular of legs and arms.

Description: SITTING BATHTUB This invention concerns a sitting bathtub with one side of the bathtub almost entirely open from rim to bottom and from front to back and an inwards curved hatch. The side ope¬ ning of the bathtub is covered from the inside with this hatch after the entrance of the person that is to take a bath via this big lateral opening. Between hatch and the side of the bath tub is arranged a highly elastic seal. The type of sitting bathtub in question (Fig 1) is primarily intended for disabled, wheelchair users and others with similar movement restrictions. For muscle training in water it is for instance for a physical therapist essential to be able to see into the bathtub' from the side in order to study and instruct the bathing and/or training person. The lateral hatch should for this reason among others be made from thinnest possible transparent or clear material for instance acrylic (plexiglass) . The bathtub should further have a great depth (80-100 cm) so that the bathing person can be surrounded by water up to shoulders and neck and almost float in the water. The desirable big depth results in a high hydrostatic pressure at the lower part of the hatch and will result in bending outwards of the hatch. For instance it can be mentioned that a flat hatch of acrylic with the dimensions 90 x 100 cm and the thickness 6 mm will have an arching outwards in the size of 15-20 mm horizontally as well as vertically. An outward curvature of this size is very apparent and experienced as a great factor of uncertainty in combination with the relatively big water volume (300-400 litres) of the bath when the tub is filled. A smaller curvature is however considered natural. The problem of the great curva- ture outwards results in a hatch that is precurved or arched inwards. Single or double curved hatch as well as the size of the curvature depends for instance on the material used and the material thickness. Shape and location of the curvature can be varied. Different cases are possible and may influence the shape of the lateral opening of a bathtub in the lateral direction in the sealing zone. A. If the side of the bathtub at the opening lies in a plane.or a single curved surface and the edge zone of the hatch at the sealing follows this plane (this surface) this case is already known from the Swedish patent 8400091-8. The rest of the curvature inwards of the hatch does not con¬ cern the sealing function. The described embodiment can be achieved by vaccum shaping. B. If the hatch is curved inwards in two directions (one direction) and this curvature extends out over the sealing zone at the sealing the following two different cases can be separated: a. The side of the bathtub is at the sealing zone made to follow the curvature that the single or double curved hatch has in the sealing zone in particular in view of the initial seal of the bottom part of the hatch. The basic principal according to the Swedish patent 8400091-8 is also applicable!, to this case. b. The hatch is simple or double curved out over the edge zone at the seal and the side of the bathtub lies at the sealin zone in a common flat plane. In this case a gap is established, se Fig 3, extending from the front lower corner B of the hatch (se Fig 3) through the corner points C, D, E to F. The gap has it's maximum in the area at D in the shown embodiment. In this case it is initially required that this gap is eliminated, at least along the line BC. This can be achieved by applying a force on the inner side of the hatch at D and directed out¬ wards. The area D lies in the close vicinity, of the straight line between the points B and F. The force outwards can for instance be achieved by means of a handle (Fig 4) having an axle extending through the side of the bath tub (rim, inver¬ ted U-sha e) and which thus, easily can be operated from in- as well as from outside of the bath tub. The nob in the end of the handle is in direct contact with the inner surface of the hatch pushing this part of the hatch outwards. The axle of the handle is placed in a certain angle relative the normal to the inner side of the bathtub, so that the angle of the handle -determins the force influencing the hatch. The initial seal at the bottom part of the hatch is in this case obtained by combination of the weight of the hatch and the force of the handle. When water is filled in the bath tub the wedge-like gap is successi¬ vely closed at A-B-C simultaneously with the remaining gap C-D- E-F. The handle will when the bathtub is filled loose it's con tact with the inner side of the hatch but has at this time already fulfilled it's function. The handle is in the described embodiment very easy to operate and psychologically important since all of us prefer to be active in some way with some kind of mechanism to " feel saf The above said is in principal applicable regardless of the material of the hatch. The handle in the described embodi- ment can of course be substituted by other types of devices, yes even handforce, filling the same function. The main prin¬ cipal however remains. Further advantages and features of the invention are apparent from the following description of a preferred embodi- ment with reference to the drawings. In the drawing Fig 1a.is a rear view of the bath tub, Fig 1b a lateral view, Fig 2a and 2b shows a hatch whereas Fig 3 illustrates the curvature of the hatch and Fig 4 is a section showing a part of the bath¬ tub. In Fig 1a is shown a rear view of a bathtub 10 provided with an outlet 12, drain.ing chutes 13 and a seat 14, seen inthe direction of the arrow 0 in Fig 1b. In Fig 1b the bathtub 10 of Fig 1 is shown in a lateral view with it's opening 11, the outlet 12 the draining chutes 13 and the seat 14 and an outer handle 36, the use of which will be described in greater detail below. In Fig 2 a plane hatch 15 is shown with a sealing strip 16 and a lifting nob Hk fitted to the hatch 15. In Fig 2a a rear view is shown of a freely suspended hatch 15 where UP is the point or line of suspension at the outer part of the rim. When the hatch 15 is hooked over the rim of the bathtub 10 against an inclined or sloping wall it will receive a position that is shown dashed and excert a pressure (a sealing pressure) on the lateral wall via the sealing strip 16. Fig 2b shows the lateral view of the hatch 15 with it's sealing strip 16. The area round the sealing strip is the sealing zone. In Fig 3ABCDEFA is the outer conture of the hatch 15 . The hatch is a part of the paralleltrapetsoid ABGF. Horisontal (x) and vertical (y) straight lines over the surface of the hatch re- presents a plane or flat hatch and the corresponding plane lateral wall. The bent or arched lines represent curvature inwards for a hatch. The curvature can be single-curved (cor¬ responding to cutting points between the curved and straight lines) or double-curved corresponding to cutting points between vertical and hori¬ sontal lines. The arrows at D represent the curvature (free camber) of the hatch according to the above away from the plane of the drawing. From Fig 3 it is apparent that with a doublecurved hatch 15 and a plane lateral wall and when the hatch in an initial moment is in contact at B a gap is established along BC, which continues towards D, E to F. The area at D is situated close to the straight line BF. Fig 4 is a partsection of the tub opening at the front edge of the seat 14 (see Fig 1b). Furthermore Fig 4 shows the hatch 15 with sealing strip 16. A draining chute 13 is partlyvisible The handles 35 and 36 the inner and outer respevtively are unturnably fitted on to a shaft that is inclined an angle re¬ latively to the normai No of a sidewall of the bathtub. The passa¬ ge of the shaft through the sidewall of the bathtub 10 is watertight, not shown. The handle 35 is shown dashed turned downwards corresponding to the position of the hatch 15 when it is first locatdd on it's place. The handle 35 does in this position not prevent the location of the hatch 15 on it s intended place. The handle 35 (and thus also the handle 36) is then turned, so that the gap BCD, see Fig 3, is closed. The gap Sp (definition see Fig 3) is then successively closed as the bathtub 10 is filled with water forcing the hatch 15 towards the inner sidewall of the bathtub 10.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Sitting bath tub (10), which in one lateral wall is provided with an opening (11 extending from the rim of the tub (10) essentially all the way to it's bottom and with a width enclosing the major part of the side-wall and thereby allowing comfortable lateral movement in or out of the tub (10) through the opening (11), which opening (11) when ι the tub (10) is used is covered by a hatch (15 ) applied on the inner side of the tub (10), which hatch when the tub is filled is sealed by an intermediate sealing strip (16), c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the lateral wall provided with the opening (11) is flat and that the hatch (15 ) is arched inwards in one or two directions and arranged to be hooked over the rim of the tub (10) so that the bottom front corner part first come in contact with the inner side of the tub (10) and that then an inner handle (35) in the lateral wall at the front edge of the seat (14) is operated to excert a pressure on the hatch (15 ) so that initially the lower part of the hatch (15 ) is in contact with the side-wall of the tub (10) establishing an initial seal at the lower part of the hatch (15 ) and that this sealing function by the water pressure then at continued filling of the tub (10) successively is established upwards so that a full sealing all the time exists up to at least the existing water level. 2. Sitting bath tub (10) according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that on the same shaft as the inner handle (35) is unturnably fitted an outer handle (36) so that a pressure can be applied on the hatch (15 ) by operating from inside as well as outside of the tub (10). 3. Sitting bath tub according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e¬ r i z e d i n that the shaft of the handle (35, 36) is in¬ clined in such an angle relative the normal of the side-wall of the tub (10) that the force outwards from the handle (35) against the hatch (15 ) is proportional to the turning angle after contact has been established between the handle (35) and the hatch (15 1 ).

Inventors: SCHENSTROEM STURE, SCHENSTROEM, STURE
Applicants: SCHENSTROEM STURE, SCHENSTROEM, STURE
Application year: 1986
Main classification: A47K3
IPC codes: A47K3, A61H33