Abstract:
A mechanism for moving into and out of an enclosure having in wall has a support having a first column for disposal inside of the enclosure on a first side of the wall and a second column for disposal outside of the enclosure on a second side of the wall. A platform for straddling the wall is disposed on the support. A seat is slidingly and rotatably arranged on the platform and has a first position on the platform for loading, a second position for allowing the user to lift a leg, and a third position wherein the user is in position for washing. A lock is disposed between the seat and the platform for locking or unlocking the seat in each of the first, second and third positions.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     An individual who may require a wheelchair, a walker or other assist device to facilitate movement, may find it difficult to enter, exit and be supported within a bathtub or shower. A caretaker, nurse or family member may be necessary to assist a user in getting into, out of a bathtub or shower. Seating devices assist and support individuals within a bathtub or shower. 
     Some bathtub seating devices take the form of a bench that is positioned between the sidewalls of the bathtub. These benches may be supported by plurality of legs extending to a bottom of a bathtub. Such benches provide a seating surface on which an individual may be placed. Some bench type seats are designed to be more simply supported on the top of the sidewalls of the bathtub and may include devices for engaging opposing sidewalls of the bathtub. 
     To facilitate the manner in which an individual may be positioned on a bath chair or seat, other types of bench supports may include a portion that is either mounted directly over a sidewall of the bathtub or cantilevered outwardly therefrom to provide initial support for an individual being assisted. By initially seating an individual on a cantilevered seat, the individual may thereafter be moved so that his or her legs are brought inwardly to the bathtub while their weight is supported by the seat thereafter. The individual may then be shifted along the bench within the confines of the bathtub. 
     Some types of prior art structures are permanently installed adjacent the bathtub or shower enclosure. Other types of portable seating devices are supported both along the bottom of the bathtub and by an adjacent floor structure. In one application, a slidable seat is mounted on a frame having a pair of legs in the bathtub and a pair of legs that engage the floor exteriorly of the bathtub. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an embodiment disclosed herein, a mechanism for moving a into and out of an enclosure having in wall has a support having a first column for disposal inside of the enclosure on a first side of the wall and a second column for disposal outside of the enclosure on a second side of the wall. A platform for straddling the wall is disposed on the support. A seat is slidingly and rotatably arranged on the platform and has a first position on the platform for loading, a second position for allowing the user to lift a leg, and a third position wherein the user is in position for washing. A lock is disposed between the seat and the platform for locking or unlocking the seat in each of the first, second and third positions. 
     According to a further embodiment, a mechanism for moving into and out of an enclosure having in wall has a support having a first column disposed inside of the enclosure on a first side of the wall and a second column disposed outside of the enclosure on a second side of the wall. A platform straddling the wall is disposed on the support. A seat is slidingly arranged on the platform and has a first position on the platform for loading a user wherein the seat rotates, a second position for allowing the user to lift a leg over the wall, and a third position wherein the user is in position for washing within the enclosure. A lock is disposed between the seat and the platform for locking or unlocking the seat in each of the first, second and third positions and wherein the seat slides laterally between the second and third positions. 
     According to a still further embodiment, a method for entering a bathing area having a wall includes the steps of locking a bath seat in a first position outside of the area to load a user thereon, rotating and locking the bath seat in a second position over the wall wherein the user may lift a leg over the wall and sliding to and locking the seat in a third position in which the user may bathe. 
     These and other features of the multiple embodiments disclosed herein can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a sliding shower and bath seat. 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of the sliding bath and shower seat of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIGS. 2 and 2A  provide a view of an underside of a sliding seat and an underside of a sliding seat that is partially exploded. 
         FIG. 3  is an underside of the bottom of the shower schematic view. 
         FIG. 4  is another perspective view of the shower seat of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 1A , a sliding bench device  10  for an enclosure  15  such as a bathtub/shower as shown. It should be noted that the sliding bench device  10  is useable in any situation where a user (not shown) is seated, passed over an impediment such as a wall  20 , and passed back over the impediment. The user&#39;s seat  25  may be turned while passing over the impediment and the user may be treated (i.e., showered or bathed) while in the enclosure  15 . 
     The device  10  includes the seat  25 , a slide table  30 , a support section  35  for holding the slide table  30 , legs  40  depending from the support section  35 , and a clamp mechanism  41  (see  FIG. 1A ) depending from the support section  35  and for clamping the device  10  to the wall  20 . 
     The seat  25 , which is rotatable within the slide table  30 , has a contoured seat bottom  26  and a seat back  45 , a locking mechanism  50  (see  FIG. 2A ) for locking the seat  25  in position for the user and unlocking the seat  25  so that the seat  25  may be rotated and slid along the slide table  30  to the proper position for use and loading or unloading by a user. 
     The slide table  30  has a molded-in grab bar  55 , an accessory plate  60  for holding items (not shown) such as a shower head or a tooth brush, and a groove  75  that may hold a portable shower head  80 . 
     The legs  40  (e.g., support columns) are adjustable upwardly and/or downwardly from the slide table  30  and form a first pair of legs  85  disposed inside of and a second pair of legs  90  disposed outside of the enclosure  15 . The second pair of legs  90  outside the tub is covered by a skirt  95  that has several functions; to act a decorative cover, to minimize a probability that the user might knock against the second pair legs  90  and either dislodge them or hurt themselves; and to minimize clothing entanglements with the second pair legs  90  outside of the enclosure  15 . The skirt  95  has an upper panel  100  and a lower panel  105  fitting closely within the upper panel  100  so that they form an interference fit with each other to allow the lower panel  105  to be pulled upwardly and downwardly to cover the second pair of legs  90  as may be required. Each of the pairs of legs telescope within themselves and are held by pegs  110 , or the like, that fit in holes  115  to allow adjustment of the length of the legs as is known in the art. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the support section  35  includes an inside channel  120  and an outside channel  125  that connect, by brazing or gluing, to the first pair of legs  85  and the second pair of legs  90  respectively. Each of the channels  120  and  125  also attach to a pair of reinforcing rods  130  that also extend into holes  135  in the first pair of legs  85  and the second pair of legs  90  respectively. 
     The pair of reinforcing rods  130  also provides support and snaps into the sliding table  30  outwardly from a lower glide recess  140  within grooves  145  as is shown in  FIG. 2  and as will be discussed herein. The rods have holes  131  for receiving screws  133  as will be discussed infra. The legs provide support for the device  10 . The first pair of legs  85  and the second pair of legs  90  are to be placed within and without the enclosure  15  respectively. The adjustable nature of each of the first pair of legs  85  and the second pair of legs  90  permits a user to level the device  15  to provide the sliding of the seat  25  within the slide table  30  as will be discussed hereinbelow. 
     A U-shaped bracket  150  of the clamp mechanism  41  is conventionally attached to the pair of reinforcing rods  130  of the support section  35 . The U-shaped bracket  150  has a first pad  155  affixed to an outside leg  160  thereof, several second pads  165  on a top surface  170  thereof and a third pad  175  that attaches to an axially moveable screw  180  on an inside leg  185  thereof. The bracket  150  has a plurality of openings  171  for admitting screws  131  therethrough to anchor the bracket  150  to the reinforcing rods  130  via holes  131 . The number of holes  131  allows a user to place the device  10  in a desired location. Rotation of the screw  180  clamps a wall  20  of an enclosure  15 , such as a tub or a raised shower wall therebetween to anchor the device  10  within the enclosure  15  from movement. The screw  180  moves through a nut  187  extending through the inside leg  185  and is driven by a rotatable knob  190  as is known in the art to clamp or unclamp the device  10  from the wall  20 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 2A , a lower surface  200  of the slide table  30  and a bottom surface  205  of the seat  25  are shown. The slide table  30  has a lower glide recess  140  in which a bearing  210  from the seat  25  is disposed. A slot  215  in the slide table  30 , guides a roughly rectangular flange  220  depending from the seat  25  bottom that has rounded edges  225  at distal ends thereof. The slot  215  allows rotation of the chair and the guide turn section  230  which has a diameter that is roughly analogous to a length of the flange  220 . The slot  215  has a width that is roughly analogous to the width of the flange  220  so that the seat  25  slides guided by flange  220  the slot  215  but will not turn unless the seat  25  is above the guide turn section  230  is which the flange  220  has room to rotate. In essence, the slot  215  and its guide turn section  230  form a key hole slot to allow the rectangular flange  220  to act as a key that enters in and may turn in the guide turn section  230  and may slide in the slot  215 . 
     The seat  25  has an upper glide bearing  235  attached to the bottom surface  205 , a plurality of slots  240  extending through the bottom surface  205  to allow water to drain therethrough, a seat back  245 , and a pair of supports  250  that attach the seat back  245  to the seat  25  as is known in the art. The guide bearings  235  and  210  are made of a plastic material that is slippery relative to the material in the slide table  30  so that rotation of the seat  25  and sliding of the seat  25  on the slide table  30  is relatively easily achieved. 
     The slide table  30  has a groove  255  in which a plurality of inner lock holes  260  and a plurality of outer lock holes  263  are disposed therein so that if the seat  25  is not in axially or rotatably in transition along the slide table  30 , the seat  25  may be locked into position for loading, unloading, and/or washing. The number of holes shown is illustrative only and the number of holes may vary. 
     Each seat  25  has an anti-rotation/lock pin  265  that is disposed within the lock holes of the seat  25  if not in transition as stated hereinabove. The user may pull handle  270  upwardly on either side of the seat  25  to free the seat  20  for movement. Referring to  FIG. 2B , if the handle  270  is lifted upwardly against the force of spring  272  that is mounted in the seat  20 , the lever  275 , or the like, rotates about an axis  280  to move the pin  265  out of a lock hole  260 ,  263 ,  264 . If lifted, the lever drives an end  285  of an intermediate lever  290  against a flange  295  attaching to the pin  265 . The flange  295  then drives the pin  265  upwardly in opening  297  against the force of spring  300 , out of lock holes  260 ,  263 ,  264 . If the lever is not lifted, the pin  265  is urged downwardly in the slot to the lock hole  260 ,  263 ,  264  by the spring  300  and the lever  270  is driven to its initial state by the spring  272 . Other mechanisms to lift the pin  265  via a manipulated lever  275  are contemplated herein. 
     In operation, the seat  25  is disposed outside the enclosure with the seat  25  facing outwardly and away from the enclosure  10  (See  FIG. 1 ). This is position  1 . The pin  265  is disposed in one of the lock holes  263  that are disposed along a circumference to accommodate any special needs, or supports like crutches or wheelchairs (not shown) of the user. The user is then seated on the seat  25 . Depending on the direction a user or an aid wishes the user to face, the handle  270  is manipulated to raise the anti-rotation lock pin  265  out of the lock hole  263  to allow the flange  220  to rotate so that the length of the flange  220  is aligned for sliding in slot  215 . Because the lever  275  is spring driven or springy acting on the anti-rotation lock pin  265  each time a user reaches a point where the length of the flange  220  is aligned for sliding in slot  215 , the pin falls into a lock hole  264  stabilizing the seat to allow a user to manipulate his or her legs over the wall  20  (see  FIG. 3 ). This is position  2 . Once a user is within the enclosure, the anti-rotation lock pin  265  falls into a hole  260  and locks the seat  25  in the proper position for washing (see  FIG. 3 ). This is position  3 . 
     To remove a user, the process is reversed. The lock pin  265  is lifted to allow the seat  25  to be moved axially towards the outside of the enclosure from position  3  to position  2 . Once the seat  25  is in the position  2  in which a user&#39;s legs may be lifted over the tub wall, the pin drops into a lock hole  264  after which the user removes his legs from the enclosure  15 . The user then lifts the lock slot again and aligns the seat  25  within so that the flange is within the slot guide turn section  230  and the lock pin  265  falls in one of the holes  263  to allow the seat  25  to turn outwardly and allow a user to exit from the seat  25  now in position  1 . 
     Although a combination of features is shown in the illustrated examples, not all of them need to be combined to realize the benefits of various embodiments of this disclosure. In other words, a system designed according to an embodiment of this disclosure will not necessarily include all of the features shown in any one of the Figures or all of the portions schematically shown in the Figures. Moreover, selected features of one example embodiment may be combined with selected features of other example embodiments. 
     The preceding description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed examples may become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not necessarily depart from the essence of this disclosure. The scope of legal protection given to this disclosure can only be determined by studying the following claims.