Abstract:
A bathtub seat structure is disclosed, having an continuous, compliant and highly frictional bottom surface, and a zero buoyancy to maximize resistance to lateral slippage when in contact with the bottom of a bathtub also having, a long and narrow rest for a users seat that also has steep open ended ends, steep sides and highly frictional surfaces. The seat is also self supporting and of hollow construction that allows air to freely escape when submerged to stop the seat from floating and also allows water to freely escape when the water level is reduced for cleanliness reasons.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Priority is claimed to Provisional Application 61/055,985, filed on May 24, 2008. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a seat for use on the bottom surface of a bathtub that is used as a stop member to prevent the user from sliding along the bottom surface of the bath tub while reclining therein. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Conventional bath tubs are formed with a bottom surface portion and an upright wall extending circumferentially around the bottom surface to define a cavity into which a person can be seated to take a bath. Typically, at least one portion of the upright wall is formed in a reclined angle to facilitate the user&#39;s reclined lounging in the bath water, such as for purposes of relaxation, reading, etc. Modern bath tubs are typically much larger than the old fashioned standard bath tubs and are equipped with Jacuzzi jets to provide the ability to have a more relaxing experience while using the bath tub. Such modern bath tubs can be deeper, wider and longer than conventional standard bath tubs and, thus, have a substantially larger bottom surface. Nevertheless, the upright wall will have at least one portion that is reclined to facilitate a reclined lounging in the bath tub. 
         [0004]    When the user of a bath tub desires to reclined into a lounging position against the reclined wall of the bath tub, the change in the user&#39;s center of gravity, as opposed to an upright seated position, will urge a movement of the user along the bottom surface and the reclined upright wall such that the user will often brace against some other structure within the bath tub to prevent submersion into the bath water. This bracing action detracts from the enjoyment of the lounging bath experience. 
         [0005]    The prior art discloses structures that could be applied to stabilizing the position of a user while taking a bath in a bathtub hot tub or Jacuzzi. These examples are exemplified by the following:
   The patent to Yang, (U.S. Pat. No. 6,993,797) discloses an inflated pillow having a compliant and frictional bottom surface for contact with the side of a bathtub also having a frictional protrusion. Yang lacks a continuous bottom surface and a zero buoyancy (due to the foam insert) Yang also lacks a long, narrow, steep open ended, steep sided, self supporting and hollow protrusion that allows air to freely escape when submerged to reduce buoyancy and water to freely escape (from the foam insert) when the water level is reduced for cleanliness reasons.   The patent to Taylor, (U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,070) discloses a bathtub seat apparatus and a continuous, compliant and frictional bottom surface for contact with the bottom of a bathtub. Taylor, however lacks a long, narrow, open ended, steep sided, protrusion that allows air to freely escape when submerged to reduce buoyancy.   The patent to Wright, (U.S. Pat. No. 3,341,866) discloses a baby bath pad structure having a continuous, compliant and highly frictional bottom surface. However Wright lacks a zero buoyancy to maximize resistance to lateral slippage when in contact with the bottom of a bathtub. Wright also lacks a long, narrow, open ended, hollow protrusion that allows air to freely escape when submerged to reduce buoyancy.   
 
         [0009]    None of the prior art structures by themselves nor combinations of prior art structures were found to duplicate the unique combination of features of the present invention. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0010]    The present invention is a seat for controlling the position of a person taking a bath in a bathtub, hot tub, Jacuzzi or similar device. In its simplest form, it is a short partition that sits on the bottom of the empty bathtub a foot or two from the base of the backrest. Although suction cups are optional on the bottom of the seat they are often ineffective because modern tubs often have a textured surface that creates leaks in the suction cups. Although rubber like compounds that are heavier than water are commonly employed in bathtub accessories a sculptured device presents the problem of trapping air which would cause the accessory to float out of position when the tub is filled or when the user shifts position in the tub. The present invention will stay in contact with the bottom because the air, which is a fluid, in any cavities formed by the seat is displaced by water as the water level increases. Optional provisions are made for more than one protrusion for use as a foot, head or lumbar back rest. 
         [0011]    Optionally a bath mat can be added to the perimeter of the seat. Such a mat can add to the safety of the user when getting into or out of the bathtub as well as adding to the stability of the seat if the user sits on a portion of the mat while taking a bath. The geometry of the seat is key to effectively keeping the user from sliding over the seat. Experimentation shows that the seat should be about the diameter of a soda can, higher than it is wide and over three times as long as its width and having flat ends. It has also been found that textures and upward facing protrusions in the surface of the mat and textures in the surface of the seat are further aids to effective operation as a seat. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    The advantages of this invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed disclosure of the invention, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a bath mat incorporating the principles of the instant invention, the shade lines indicating the raised cushion relative to the generally flat adjacent areas of the bath mat; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the bath mat shown in  FIG. 1 , depicting a first embodiment of the instant invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the bath mat shown in  FIG. 1 , but depicting a second embodiment of the instant invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the bath mat shown in  FIG. 1 , but depicting a third embodiment of the instant invention utilizing a separate cushion member co-operable with a standard bath mat; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged elevational view of a first embodiment of the separate cushion member depicted in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged elevational view of a second embodiment of the separate cushion member depicted in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a front elevational view of the separate cushion member depicted in  FIG. 6 , the shade lines indicating the curved surface of the cushion member and the phantom lines indicating the location of the internal open core, the central portion of the cushion member being broken away for purposes of clarity; 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is an enlarged side elevational view of a fourth configuration of the instant invention utilizing a pair of bath mats and a simplified independent cushion member; 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is an enlarged side elevational view of the configuration of the instant invention shown in  FIG. 8 , but utilizing a cylindrical cushion member having a hollow core; 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  is a top plan view of the configuration of the instant invention shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 ; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 11  is a schematic cross-sectional view of a bath tub having a bath mat incorporating the principles of the instant invention placed on the bottom surface of the bath tub and a second neck roll bath mat placed on the reclined upright wall portion to provide support for the head and neck of the user. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0024]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a bath mat incorporating the principles of the instant invention can best be seen. The bath mat  10  is formed of silicone rubber, polyurethane foam or other rubberized material, as is found in standard bath mats, and includes a first generally planar portion  12  and a second generally planar portion  14  defined by a peripheral boundary  11  forming a preferably rectangular bath mat  14 . The bath mat  10  is also formed with a raised cushion barrier  15  that presents a substantial barrier against lateral movement from one planar portion  12  to the other planar portion  14 . Preferably, this barrier  15  rises approximately four inches above the adjacent generally planar portions  12 ,  14 . Also, the raised barrier  15  is also preferably located at a position that is approximately one-third of the distance from one longitudinal end of the bath mat  10  to the other. Thus, for a bath mat  10  that has a length of 24 inches and a width of 14 inches, the raised cushion barrier  15  would be located at a distance of about 8 inches from one longitudinal end and about 16 inches from the other longitudinal end. 
         [0025]    In the first embodiment of the instant invention depicted in  FIG. 2 , the raised cushion barrier  15  is a solid body, which provides very little flexible movement toward either longitudinal end of the bath mat  10 . Such a configuration of the raised cushion barrier  15  presents a very solid stop member to prevent sliding across the bath mat  10 . The underside of the bath mat  10  is provided with a plurality of rows of suction cups  19  to provide adequate adherence to the bottom surface of the bath tub when placed thereon to prevent the bath mat  10  from sliding along the bottom surface when the user is reclined against the stop member  15 , as will be described in greater detail below. For smaller sized bath mats  10 , such as the 14×24 inch bath mat referred to above, the utilization of suction cups  19  along the entire underside of the bath mat  10  is needed to provide adequate adherence to the bottom surface of the bath tub. 
         [0026]    In  FIG. 3 , a second configuration of the instant invention can best be seen. While the solid raised cushion member  15  depicted in  FIG. 1  provides a positive stop member to prevent sliding across the bath mat  10 , the solid raised cushion  15  may present an uncomfortable obstacle to a user stepping into or out of the bath tub. The raised cushion member  15  in the second configuration shown in  FIG. 3  is formed with a hollow core  17  that enables some flexibility in movement in the longitudinal direction and also yields somewhat when stepped on by the user. Furthermore, the hollow core  17  would eliminate the use of a corresponding amount of material and, therefore, should be less expensive to manufacture. 
         [0027]    As can be seen in  FIGS. 4-10 , the raised cushion member  15  can be provided by a separate cushion member  20  that is provided independently and can be used in conjunction with a standard bath mat  30  having a plurality of suction cups  19  along the entire underside of the bath mat  30 . The cushion member  20  can be formed as a solid member, as is depicted in  FIG. 5 , or with a hollow core  22  as depicted in  FIG. 6  that would provide the same benefits as noted above with respect to the bath mat  10  shown in  FIG. 3 . The bottom side of the cushion member  20  is preferably provided with several rows of suction cups  29  so that the cushion member  20  will not detract from the ability of the bath mat to adhere to the bottom surface of the bath tub. 
         [0028]    As depicted in  FIG. 4 , the cushion member  20  is co-operable with a standard flat bath mat  30  having a plurality of suction cups  19  on the underside thereof. The cushion member  20  can be positioned on the bottom surface of the bath tub at the desired location to provide a stop member that keeps the user from sliding along the bottom surface of the bath tub. The standard bath mat  30  can then be placed overtop of the cushion member  20  with the suction cups  19  extending along the bottom surface of the bath tub and over the top of the cushion member  20 . The combination of the suction cups  19  on the underside of the bath mat  30  and the suction cups  29  on the underside of the cushion member  20  provide adequate adherence to the bottom surface of the bath tub to prevent the bath mat  30  from sliding along the bottom surface due to the forces exerted by the reclined user. The few suction cups  19  of the bath mat  30  passing over the top of the cushion member  20  will help hold the cushion member  20  in place relative to the bath mat  30 . 
         [0029]    Preferably, the transverse width of the cushion member  20  is substantially the same as the transverse width of the bath mat  30 . However, matching transverse widths of the cushion member  20  and the bath mat  30  are not necessary. If the cushion member  20  has a greater transverse width than the bath mat  30 , the combination would still work satisfactorily. Preferably, the shape of the cushion member  20  will be somewhat of a bell-shape, as best shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , so that the cushion member  20  will substantially fill in the void that will be created by the flexible bath mat  30  be placed over top of the cushion member  20 . However, other shapes for the cushion member  20  are also acceptable, such as the circular or cylindrical shape depicted in  FIG. 9 , or an oval shape. Furthermore, the bell-shaped cushion member  20  will provide a greater resistance to movement underneath the bath mat  30  than a circular shape or other shapes that do not fully, or substantially fully, fill the void underneath the bath mat  30 . 
         [0030]    As shown in  FIGS. 8-10 , an acceptable bath mat configuration  40  can be created from a pair of bath mats  30 ,  35  and a cushion member  20 , even if the cushion member  20  is not formed with suction cups on the underside thereof. The configuration  40  is formed by a first small bath mat  30  (or a standard bath mat that has been cut down) that is placed on the bottom. The second bath mat  35  has a standard size to provide sufficient suction cups for engagement with the bottom surface of the bath tub, and can be placed on top of the first bath mat  30  with the cushion member  20  positioned between the first and second bath mats  30 ,  35 . The two bath mats are then joined together, such as via the use of a pair of plastic fasteners  36  at each lateral end of the overlapped cushion  20  so that the fasteners  36  pass through the two bath mats and are interconnect the two bath mats so that they will not separate. The configuration  40  is particularly adapted for use when the cushion member  20  is not formed with suction cups on the underside thereof. The interaction between the first and second bath mats  30 ,  35  and the bottom surface of the bath tub will maintain the position of the configuration when a reclined user is positioned against the cushion member  20 . 
         [0031]    As noted above, and depicted specifically in  FIG. 9 , the shape of the cushion member  20  can be other than the bell-shaped cushion member shown in  FIG. 8 . For example, a circular or cylindrical cushion member  20  would also provide an acceptable function to stop the sliding movement of a reclined user, particularly when used in the configuration  40  with a pair of interacting bath mats  30 ,  35 . Using a simple cushion member  20 , i.e. a cushion member  20  that is not formed with suction cups on the underside thereof, can provide acceptable performance even if used in a configuration with only one bath mat  30  that passes over top of the cushion member  20 , provided that the bath mat  30  is sufficiently large and the user sufficiently small that the number of suction cups engaging the bottom surface of the bath tub will retain the position of the bath mat  30  when engaged by a reclining user. 
         [0032]    The deployment of the bath mat  10  is best seen in  FIG. 11 . The bath mat  10  with the cushion member  15 ,  20  is positioned on the bottom surface  52  of the bath tub  50  such that the cushion member  15 ,  20  is located at the desired location to provide proper support to a reclined user leaning back on the reclined upright wall  53 , and the short planar portion  12  is located where the user will sit upon it. The longer planar portion  14  will be located so that the user&#39;s legs or feet will be able to engage the longer planar portion  14 . 
         [0033]    A neck roll embodiment  60  of the bath mat  10  configuration described above can be provided to provide support and comfort to the neck and head of the reclined user. The neck roll embodiment  60  will preferably have smaller planar portions  62 ,  64  and a smaller cushion member  65  than the bath mat counterpart  10 . Preferably, the neck roll embodiment  60  will have an overall longitudinal length of about 10 inches with the cushion member  65  located at the center thereof so that the first generally planar member  62  and the second generally planar member  64  have substantially equal dimensions. Preferably, the cushion member  65  will project approximately two and a half inches above the top surface of the planar members  62 ,  64  so as to provide proper support for the user&#39;s neck and head. As with the bath mat  10 , the neck roll embodiment  60  will have suction cups  69  formed on the underside thereof so that the neck roll  60  can be stuck to the reclined upright wall  53  and the top surface  54  of the bath tub  50 . 
         [0034]    Accordingly, the positioning of the bath mat  10  on the bottom surface  52  of the bath tub  50  and the neck roll  60  on the reclined upright wall  53  and the top portion  54  will provide support for the user so that the user will not slide across the bottom surface  52 . The user will sit on the short planar portion  12  of the bath mat  10  resting against the cushion member  65  on the neck roll  60  and relax in a reclined position without sliding across the bottom portion  52  and underneath the surface of the water within the bath tub  50 . 
         [0035]    Both the bath mat  10  and the neck roll  60  can be removed easily from the bath tub  50  simply by pulling up on one end of the bath mat  10  or neck roll  60  and pulling upwardly to release the grip of the suction cups  19 ,  69  on the respective surface  52 ,  53  of the tub  50 . The tub can then be cleaned without the bath mat  10  and/or the neck roll  60  being engaged with the bath tub  50 , after which the bath mat  10  and/or the neck roll  60  can be reinstalled on the surfaces  52 ,  53  of the bath tub  50 . Furthermore, since users of bath tubs  50  come in many different sizes and shapes, the detachable nature of the bath mat  10  and the neck roll  60  enable either of these devices to be re-positioned on the tub  50  at will. 
         [0036]    It will be understood that changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangements of parts which have been described and illustrated to explain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made by those skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure within the principles and scope of the invention. The foregoing description illustrates the preferred embodiments of the invention; however, concepts, as based up the description, may be employed in other embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention.