Abstract:
A basin with opposing hinged doors for providing a hospital-grade basin which can be used as either a traditional, watertight basin or a modified watertight basin that includes half-moon shaped openings disposed in its side walls to allow a patient&#39;s limb to rest comfortably while positioned across the basin. The basin with opposing hinged doors defines a tub member that includes at least one side wall with a semicircle opening extending down into it from the top of the wall. For each opening, a correspondingly shaped door is hingedly attached adjacent thereto, enabling it to move between a closed position defining the traditional, watertight basin and an open position defining a modified watertight basin with an opening for part of a limb. Each opening and door employ a locking means suitable to secure the door in place when desired.

Description:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       [0001]      FIG. 1  is a front longitudinal side perspective view of a basin with opposing hinged doors built in accordance with the present invention having its doors in a closed position. 
         [0002]      FIG. 2  is a back longitudinal elevational view of a basin with opposing hinged doors built in accordance with the present invention having its doors in an open position. 
         [0003]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the tub member of a basin with opposing hinged doors built in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0004]      FIG. 4  is a large door side elevational view of the tub member of a basin with opposing hinged doors built in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0005]      FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of a section of the side wall of the tub member of a basin with opposing hinged doors built in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0006]      FIG. 6  is a side elevational view of the small door of a basin with opposing hinged doors built in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0007]      FIG. 7  is a top plan view of the small door of a basin with opposing hinged doors built in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0008]      FIG. 8  is a side elevational view of the large door of a basin with opposing hinged doors built in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0009]      FIG. 9  is a bottom plan view of the large door of a basin with opposing hinged doors built in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0010]      FIG. 10  is a side elevational view of the fastening pin of a basin with opposing hinged doors built in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0011]      FIG. 11  is a side elevational view of a section of the side wall of the tub member and corresponding door of a basin with opposing hinged doors built in accordance with the present invention with the door in the open position. 
         [0012]      FIG. 12  is a side elevational view of a section of the side wall of the tub member and corresponding door of a basin with opposing hinged doors built in accordance with the present invention with the door in the closed position. 
         [0013]      FIG. 13  is a side perspective view of a basin with opposing hinged doors built in accordance with a round embodiment of the present invention having its doors in a closed position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    Referring now to the drawings and in particular  FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 , a basin with opposing hinged doors  100  is shown as a four sided tub member  110  that includes a first side wall  111 , a second side wall  112 , a large door side wall  113 , and a small door side wall  114 , each of which extend up from a tub floor  115 . In the preferred embodiment, the tub member  110  is defined by a rectangular shape with the first side wall  111  and the second side wall  112  defining its longitudinal sides. It is contemplated, however, that in other embodiments the large door side wall  113  and small door side wall  114  may define the longitudinal sides or the tub member  110  may be defined by an alternate shape suitable for a basin, such as a kidney shape, a round shape, or an oval shape. It is additionally contemplated that the tub member  110  may be constructed in a range of sizes, whether to accommodate different body parts or different size requirements. 
         [0015]    In the preferred embodiment, the large door side wall  113  includes a large door frame section  130  and the small door side wall  114  includes a small door frame section  140 . The large door frame section  130  outlines a semi-circular shaped large opening extending down from the top of the large door side wall  113  into the body of the large door side wall  113 . The large door frame section  130  includes a large mounting frame  131  which defines a frame structure that extends around the border of the large opening that extends into the large door side wall  113 , thereby creating a large border surface area  132  having increased thickness relative to the thickness of the large door side wall  113 . In the preferred embodiment, the large opening has a diameter of 5.5 inches, resulting in it extending 5.5 inches wide across the large door side wall  113  at the widest point and 2.75 inches into the large door side wall  113  at its deepest point. 
         [0016]    Integral with the large door frame section  130  is a large door member  150  sized to fit into the large mounting frame  131 , thereby allowing it to be moved into a closed position in the large door frame section  130 , as illustrated by  FIG. 1 , into an open position relative to the large door frame section  130  as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , as well as hinged between the closed and open positions. It is contemplated, however, that the large door frame section  130  and corresponding large door member  150  may together be constructed in alternate shapes and different sizes relative to the large door side wall  113 . 
         [0017]    The small door side wall  114  is structured in a similar manner as the large door side wall  113 , with the only substantive difference being that the small door frame section  140  is smaller than the large door frame section  130 . Accordingly, the small door frame section  140  outlines a semi-circular shaped small opening extending down from the top of the small door side wall  114  into the body of the small door side wall  114 . The small door frame section  140  includes a small mounting frame  141  which defines a frame structure that extends around the border of the small opening that extends into the small door side wall  114 , thereby creating a small border surface area  142  having increased thickness relative to the thickness of the small door side wall  114 . In the preferred embodiment, the small opening has a diameter of 4 inches, resulting in it extending 4 inches wide across the small door side wall  114  at the widest point and 2 inches into the small door side wall  114  at its deepest point. 
         [0018]    Integral with the small door frame section  140  is a small door member  160  sized to fit into the small mounting frame  141 , thereby allowing it to be moved into a closed position in the small door frame section  140 , as illustrated by  FIG. 1 , into an open position relative to the small door frame section  140  as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , as well as hinged between the closed and open positions. It is contemplated, however, that the small door frame section  140  and corresponding small door member  160  may together be constructed in alternate shapes and different sizes relative to the small door side wall  114 . 
         [0019]    It is contemplated that by including the large door frame section  130  and the small door frame section  140 , the tub member  110  provides a modified basin means for collecting debris, water, run-off materials or specimens. Further, by corresponding to the respective large door frame section  130  and the small door frame section  140 , the large door member  150  and small door member  160  each provide a door means for selectively opening and closing an entry point in the tub member  110 . 
         [0020]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 , the large border surface area  132  and small border surface area  142  each include a centrally disposed ridge member  133 ,  143  running longitudinally through it. The ridge members  133 ,  143 , along with corresponding centrally disposed recesses  151 ,  161  in large door member  150  and small door member  160 , respectively, provide a locking means for securing the large door member  150  and small door member  160  in the large door frame section  130  and small door frame section  140 , respectively, when the respective door member is in the closed position. The locking means is operative to allow the large door member  150  to snap into the large door frame section  130  when the large door member  150  is moved to the closed position. In this regard, when the large door member  150  is moved to the closed position, the ridge member  133  frictionally passes along the circumferential surface of the large door member  150  as it moves toward the closed position and engages the recess  151  once the large door member  150  is in the closed position. When secured in the closed position, the large door member  150  is operative to close the large opening outlined by the large door frame section  130  and form a watertight seal. 
         [0021]    The locking means operates in essentially the same manner with the small door member  160  and the small door frame section  140 . Thus, the small door member  160  snaps into the small door frame section  140  when the small door member  160  is moved to the closed position. When the small door member  160  is moved to the closed position, the ridge member  143  frictionally passes along the circumferential surface of the small door member  160  as it moves toward the closed position and engages the recess  161  once the small door member  160  is in the closed position. As with the large door member, when the small door member  160  is secured in the closed position, it closes the small opening outlined by the small door frame section  140  and forms a watertight seal. 
         [0022]    A small door hinge mechanism enables the small door member  160  to attach to the small door side wall  114 . The small door hinge mechanism is defined by two hinge attachment arms  162  which extend down from the bottom of the small door member  160 , a small wall receiving member (not shown, but identical to the large wall receiving member  123  discussed below) which extends out from the side of the small door side wall  114  underneath the small door frame section  140 , and a fastening pin  120 . The fastening pin  120  is structured to pass transversely through holes in both the small wall receiving member and the two hinge attachment arms  162  and remain fixed therein, thereby forming a pivot about which the small door member  160  rotates relative to the small door side wall  114 . 
         [0023]    The large door member  150  and large door side wall  113  are connected through a large door hinge mechanism, which employs the same type of components as the small door hinge mechanism. Accordingly, the large door hinge mechanism is defined by two hinge attachment arms  152  which extend down from the bottom of the large door member  150 , a large wall receiving member  123  which extends out from the side of the large door side wall  113  underneath the large door frame section  130 , and another fastening pin  120 . As with the small door hinge mechanism, the fastening pin  120  is structured to pass transversely through holes in both the large wall receiving slot member  123  and the two hinge attachment arms  152  and remain fixed therein, thereby forming a pivot about which the large door member  150  rotates relative to the small door side wall  113 . 
         [0024]    In the preferred embodiment, a secondary locking means for securing the large door member  150  and small door member  160  in the large door frame section  130  and small door frame section  140 , respectively, when the respective door member is in the closed position is present on each door and defined by identical structures. The second locking means, as illustrated on the large door side wall  113  in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , includes a locking recess  153  formed in the area between the two hinge attachment arms  152  and the large door member  150  and the abutment formed by large mounting frame  131  as it extends outward from the large door side wall  113 . The corresponding locking recess  153  and abutment engage when the large door member  150  is in the closed position relative to the large door frame section  130 , thereby providing a supplemental lock for keeping the large door member  150  in place. It is understood that the small door member  160  and small door frame section  140  include identical structures, thereby enabling such a supplemental lock in their operation. 
         [0025]    Referring now to  FIG. 13 , an alternate embodiment of a basin with opposing hinged doors  200  is shown as a circular tub member  210  with a circumferential side wall  211  that includes a large door frame section  230  surrounding a large opening  231  and a small door frame section  240  surrounding a small opening  241 . As with the rectangular embodiment, integral with the large door frame section  230  is a large door member  250  sized to fit into the large opening  231 , thereby allowing it to be moved into a closed position in the large door frame section  230  and integral with the small door frame section  240  is a small door member  260  sized to fit into the small opening  241 , thereby allowing it to be moved into a closed position in the small door frame section  240 . It is contemplated that the large door frame section  230  and large door member  250  and the small door frame section  240  and small door member  260 , respectively, are operative to move between an open and closed position in the same manner as described above for the rectangular embodiment. 
         [0026]    The present invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.