Abstract:
A portable, walk in type bathtub includes an entrance and a door attached thereto to allow someone to walk into the bathtub without stepping over a wall. A replaceable water tank is attached to the tub such that clean water is directed from the water tank to the tub. Once the water has been used, the dirty or black water is directed to a separate tank within the water tank attachment. Once all of the clean water from the water tank has been used, the water tank is detached from the tub housing and a new tank containing clean water is attached to the tub to further facilitate bathing. The tub and water tank include wheels attached to the bottoms thereof to facilitate movement of the tub and water tank. The wheels may be raised and lowered to facilitate movement and locking of the tub in place.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to portable bathtubs. More specifically, but not exclusively, the invention relates to portable walk-in type bathtubs featuring a walk-in entrance and a door to provide access into the bathtub. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Personal hygiene is important to people. It is especially a concern in situations where people do not have access to permanent bath or shower facilities. For instance, after national disasters, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, etc., many people are left without water and electricity, therefore making it difficult for the people to find a place to take a bath or clean any of their belongings. In the alternative, health problems make it difficult for some people to bathe or shower. As most common bathtubs have a wall to climb over, and walk-in showers require people to stand, health problems may prevent the people from taking a bath or shower. When the health issue is temporary, it would be too expensive to replace their baths or showers with permanent walk-in type bathtubs. Therefore, it would be beneficial for the injured or recovering individual to have access to a bathtub with an easy entrance, while not having to pay the expenses of completely renovating their bathroom. 
         [0003]    Portable bathtubs have been around for some time. The portable tubs have generally included wheels, or castors, attached to the bottom of the tubs to provide for simplified moving of the bathtubs from one location to another. The tubs generally consist of two types: having a refillable tank for storing water; or being connected to an external source of water. The former variety includes holding tanks being part of the bathtub that are filled with water from an external source. For instance, a water truck or other source of water may fill the tanks When the water from the truck or other source runs out, the bathtubs may not be used. In addition, when the portable tub is used inside of a building, it is difficult to fill the permanent container. 
         [0004]    Bathtubs connected to an external source of water include hoses or other means of connecting the tubs to external sources of water. For instance, hoses may be used to connect the portable bathtubs to a faucet within a building, or a hose hookup outside of a building. In either case, the bathtub requires a connection to some source of running water. When a disaster or other situation occurs that contaminates or stops the running water, the bathtubs may not be used, as they do not have a viable water source to fill the tubs. 
         [0005]    Therefore, there is a need in the art for a portable, walk-in type bathtub that can be used without having to permanently replace a tub in a bathroom, and that can be refilled without the use of running water connections or another source of water to fill up a permanent tank built into the bathtub. 
         [0006]    It is therefore a primary object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to overcome deficiencies in the art. 
         [0007]    It is another object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to provide an improved portable bathtub that allows a person to walk in to the tub through an entrance. 
         [0008]    It is yet another object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to provide a portable bathtub that can be used in times of emergency. 
         [0009]    It is still another object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to provide an improved portable bathtub that can be temporarily used by people with health conditions. 
         [0010]    It is yet another object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to provide an improved portable bathtub that includes a removable water compartment that can be easily attached and detached from the bathtub. 
         [0011]    It is yet a further object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to provide an improved portable bathtub having a detachable water compartment with a clean water ballast and a gray water ballast. 
         [0012]    It is still a further object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to provide an improved portable bathtub that includes a tankless water heater to warm the water. 
         [0013]    These and/or other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The present invention is not to be limited to or by these objects, features and advantages. No single embodiment need provide each and every object, feature, or advantage. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    According to one aspect of the present invention, a portable, walk-in type bathtub is provided. The bathtub includes a bathtub housing having an entrance for providing access to an interior of the housing. A plurality of wheels is attached to a bottom of the housing. A water compartment is operably attached to the housing, with the compartment comprising a first ballast for holding clean water and a second ballast for holding gray water. A pump is operatively connected to the water compartment for pumping water between the bathtub housing and the water compartment. 
         [0015]    According to another aspect of the present invention, a portable, walk-in type bathtub is provided. The bathtub includes a housing comprising an inner wall defining an interior, an outer wall spaced away from the inner wall, and an entrance through the outer and inner wall for providing access to the interior of the housing. The inner and outer walls of the housing are connected at a top and a bottom of the housing. A door is positioned at the entrance of the housing. A plurality of wheels is positioned at the bottom of the housing. A removable water compartment is operably attached to the bathtub housing, the water compartment comprising a first ballast for holding clean water and a second ballast for holding gray water. A pump is operatively connected to the water compartment for pumping water between the bathtub housing and the water compartment. 
         [0016]    According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of providing a bath is provided. The method includes the step of taking a bathtub housing having an interior. A removable water compartment is attached to the housing, with the compartment having a first ballast and a second ballast. The interior of the bathtub housing is filled with water from the first ballast. Water is drained from the interior of the bathtub housing to the second ballast. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary portable bathtub of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the portable bathtub of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a front sectional view of the portable bathtub of  FIG. 2  according to line  3 - 3 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is an end sectional view of the portable bathtub of  FIG. 2  according to line  4 - 4 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the portable bathtub of  FIG. 1  with the lid and shelf removed from the water tank attachment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a portable bathtub  10  according to the present invention. The portable bathtub  10  shown in  FIG. 1  is a walk in type bathtub having an entrance  15  to a housing  12 . The entrance  15  is closed off by a door  14  attached to the housing  12 . Preferably, the housing  12  comprises a fiberglass shell that is made of sheets of fiberglass lying on top of one another and finished with a gel coating. The door  14  is also comprised of the fiberglass material and is hingeably attached to the housing  12 . The door also includes a seal (not shown) to ensure that water inside the housing  12  of the bathtub  10  does not leak or otherwise disperse through the entrance  15  when the door is closed. The housing has an interior wall  18  and an exterior wall  20 , which are connected at the top  64  and the bottom  62  of the housing. In the interior of the housing  12  are a seat  16  and a slip resistant floor  17 . 
         [0023]    Shown in  FIG. 1  attached to the housing  12  is a detachable water tank attachment  40 . The water tank attachment  40  provides a removable water supply that may be attached to the housing  12  of the portable tub  10  such that the tub is used without the need of a permanent water source. Therefore, the portable tub  10  may be used in areas that have experienced natural disasters or as a temporary bathtub for people having health conditions that do not allow them to climb over a standard tub wall. The water tank attachment  40  is also preferably comprised of fiberglass, similarly to the bathtub housing  12 . 
         [0024]    The portability of the tub  10  is further enhanced by the inclusion of a plurality of wheels  22  positioned on the bottom  62  of the tub housing  12  and the water tank attachment  40 . The wheels are casters that can be lowered and raised relative to the ground to move the bathtub to different locations. When the wheels are raised, the bathtub will be locked temporarily in place such that the bathtub will not roll away from its intended location. Furthermore, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the water tank attachment includes a water tank lid  41  covering a clean water tank or ballast  42  and a black or gray water tank or ballast  44 . For purposes of the present invention, the used water of the bathtub may be referred to as “black water” or “gray water.” The clean water tank  42  may also be called a first ballast, and the black water tank  44  may be known as a second ballast. 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the portable bathtub  10  of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 2  further shows the interior of the tub housing  12 , including the seat  16 , floor  17 , interior wall  18 , jet system or plurality of jets  24 , and drain  34 . The door  14  at the entrance  15  of the housing  12  includes a lock (not shown) and a door drain. The lock works with the seal to ensure that the door will not open when the housing  12  of the bathtub  10  is filled with water. The door drain works along with the drain  34  of the housing to speed up drainage of the water from the bathtub housing  12 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the interior of the housing  12  includes a plurality of jets  24  positioned throughout the interior. For instance, the jets may be located around the seat  16 , as well as below the seat adjacent the floor  17  of the housing  12 . The jets  24 , which may also be nozzles, are used to fill the interior of the housing  12  with water from the clean water tank  42  of the water tank attachment  40 . The jets may also be used to massage, circulate, or otherwise provide comfort to a user of the portable tub  10 . One example of a jet system that may be used with the portable tub  10  of the present invention may be purchased from Sanijet, 6200 Maple Avenue, Dallas, Tex. However, it should be appreciated that other models and manufacturers of jets may be used with the present invention. The present invention is not limited to one type of jet system. 
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is a side sectional view of the portable tub of  FIG. 2  along the line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 3  shows parts of the interior of the walls of the tub housing  12  and the water tank attachment  40 . For instance,  FIG. 3  shows the inlet pipes  26  and outlet pipes  30  of the portable tub  10 . The inlet pipes  26  are connected to a clean water pump  36  in the clean water tank  42  of the water tank attachment  40 . The inlet pipes connect to more inlet pipes  26  between the interior wall  18  and the exterior wall  20  of the tub housing  12 . The pipes of the water tank  40  and the housing  12  may be connected by a quick connect attachment or connector. The quick connector  28  should be sufficient to connect the pipes so they will not leak. However, the quick connection at the inlet  28  should allow an operator to quickly disconnect the pipes such that a new water tank attachment  40  containing a new tank of clean water in the clean water tank  42  may replace the previous water tank attachment  40 . The inlet pipes further connect to a circulating water heater  48 . The circulating water heater  48  includes pipes that are further extended to the jets  24 . Therefore, the water in the interior of the housing  12  may be circulated through the jet system and through the water heater  48  to maintain the temperature of the water in the tub at a sufficient or predetermined temperature. 
         [0027]      FIG. 3  also shows the drainage or outlet pipes  30  of the portable tub  10 . The outlet pipes are connected to a drain  34  in the floor  17  of the tub housing  12 . The pipes are connected to a black or dirty water pump  38 , which aids in draining the water from the interior of the housing. The pump further directs the water through an outlet connection  32 , which may also be known as a second attachment. The outlet connection  32 , similarly to the inlet connection  28 , is a quick connect pipe fitting to connect the outlet pipes  30  to the black water tank  44  of the water tank attachment  40 . The outlet connection  32  should be quickly connectable and disconnectable such that the water tank attachment  40  may be replaced when the clean water has been used and the black water tank  44  is full. 
         [0028]    Further shown in  FIG. 3  is a telescoping shower post  52 . The telescoping shower post  52  includes four posts located at the corners of the top  64  of the housing  12 . The posts  52  are telescoped from an area within the housing  12  between the interior wall  18  and the exterior wall  20 . While four telescoping shower posts  52  are shown in the present invention, it should be appreciated that fewer or a greater number of posts  52  may be used to support a shower pole and curtain, as needed. Connected to the top of the shower post  52  is a shower pole  54 . The shower pole  54  is connected to each of the shower posts and is generally aligned with the periphery of the tub housing  12 . Connected to the shower pole  54  and extending downwardly is a shower curtain  55 . The shower curtain  55  is connected to the shower pole  54  such that the curtain  55  will rise with the shower pole when the telescoping posts  52  are raised. Therefore, the portable bathtub  10  may be converted into a portable shower. In such case, an extendable showerhead (not shown) may be included to the interior of the housing  12  such that a user may stand and shower within the tub, while still maintaining privacy. 
         [0029]    A power inverter  60  is also shown in  FIG. 3 . The power inverter  60  may connect the power supply  50  to the pumps, heater and optional temperature control (not shown) of the portable tub  10 . The power inverter  60 , inlet pipes  26 , outlet pipes  30 , heater  48 , and black water pump  38  are all located between the interior wall  18  and the exterior wall  20  of the housing. Furthermore, the pumps, heater, inverter, and pipes may be accessible through the walls of the housing  12  by the use of easy access panels (not shown). The panels may be removed to allow access to the area between the interior wall  18  and the exterior wall  20  of the housing  12 , while still being sealably shut such that water is not able to leak into the area between the interior and exterior walls of the housing. 
         [0030]      FIG. 4  is an end sectional view of the bathtub of  FIG. 2  taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 4  is an end view showing the interior of the water tank attachment  40 . As mentioned previously, the interior of the water tank attachment  40  includes a clean water tank  42  and a separate black water tank  44 . The clean water tank may be a ballast containing unused, treated, or other water, which has not been used to cleanse another person. The black water tank  44  may include a second ballast, which is used to receive water, which has been used to clean or bathe a user of the portable tub  10 . A lid  41  encloses the top of the water tank attachment. Also included within the attachment  40  in both the clean water tank  42  and black water tank  44  is a shelf  46 . The shelf  46  separates the water in the tanks from an area below the shelf. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the shelf  46  in the clean water tank  42  separates the water from the clean water pump  46 . The shelf  46  in the black water tank  44  separates the water or ballast from a power supply  50 . The power supply may be one or a plurality of batteries that is connected to the power inverter  60 . Furthermore, while a shelf  46  is shown in the clean water tank  42 , it may not be necessary such that the clean water in the tank may surround the clean water pump  36 . 
         [0031]    Also shown in  FIG. 4  is a plurality of wheels  22  on the bottom of the water tank attachment  40 . Also discussed above, multiple telescoping shower posts  52  are extending generally upwardly from the portable tub  10 . The shower posts  52  are connected at the top by a shower pole  54 . As also discussed above, a shower curtain extends generally downwardly from the shower pole  54  and between the two shower posts  52  and generally extends from one shower post to the other. 
         [0032]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the portable bathtub  10  of  FIG. 1  with the water tank lid  41  and the water tank shelf  46  removed from the water tank attachment  40 . Thus, one is able to view the full interior of the water tank attachment  40 . As discussed in relation to  FIG. 4 , the battery packs  50  are placed under the shelf  46  in the black water tank  44  of the water tank attachment  40 . As the water tank attachment  40  is replaced when the water in the clean water tank has all been used up, a new set of batteries  50  will be connected to the portable tub  10  when the water tank attachment is replaced. A plug in or other electrical connection may be used between the water tank attachment  40  and a portion of the housing  12 . For instance, a plug in may extend from the power supply  50  (plurality of battery packs) to the power inverter  60  housed within the interior and exterior walls of the housing  12 . Furthermore, the power inverter may be a 3000-watt power inverter with a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) breaker located thereon. Therefore, an electrical wire having a male plug in may extend from the power supply or tank attachment to the power inverter and plug into the female receptacles of the power inverter at the GFCI to provide power to the portable tub  10 . This portable power system negates the need for any permanent power source, which further increases the possibilities for use of the portable bathtub  10 . For example, when the tub or a plurality of tubs are used in areas affected by a natural disaster, other sources of power may be used for cooking food, providing light, and other clean up, while the portable power supply in the water tank attachment  40  may be used to power the portable bathtubs  10 . 
         [0033]    Other options may be added to the portable tub  10  as needed. For instance, a grab bar may be included to the interior wall  18  of the portable tub  10  to aid in seating and standing from the seat  16  within the tub. Furthermore, a hydro or air jetted system (or combination of both) with rigid PVC piping may be used within the housing  12  of the tub. As discussed above, when the Sanijet system is used with the portable tub  10 , piping will not be required as the Sanijet jets are pipe free. Cushions may be added to the seat and interior wall around the seat of the housing  12  of the portable tub  10 . Furthermore, an aromatherapy system may be included, a UV purification system may be included, and chrome fixtures, anti-scalding valve, massage systems, or ozone purification systems may also be incorporated within the housing  12  of the portable tub  10 . In addition, an electronic control panel (not shown) may be included and connected to the water heater to adjust the temperature of the water in the portable tub, as well as the amount of flow into the tub. The amount of flow may be adjusted to adjust the amount of water within the tub to accommodate both children and adults of different sizes. The control panel may also be used to adjust the other optional components of the tub. 
         [0034]    The general description of the present invention as well as the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been set forth above. Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will recognize and be able to practice additional variations in the methods and systems described which fall within the teachings of this invention. For instance, variations in the size, shape, and capacity of the water tank attachment may be varied according to different sizes of tubs and situations. Furthermore, the amount of jets and method of filling the bathtub may also be varied. Accordingly, all such modifications and additions are deemed to be within the scope of the invention, which is to be limited only by the claims appended hereto.