Abstract:
The invention relates to a safety bar for a bathtub to help prevent children from falling into a tub. The bar can be moved from a lower position to an upper position to form a barrier to keep children out of a tub. Alternatively, the device when it is in its extended position can be used to provide an additional support for a user when sitting in a tub, so that the user does not slide in the tub.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e)(i) the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/697,052 filed on Jul. 6, 2005 entitled “BATHTUB SAFETY BAR FOR CHILDREN” which is incorporated by reference herein. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to a bathtub safety bar which can be movable or adjustable from a first position to a second position. Other bathtub safety bars are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,771 issued on May 7, 2002 to Kelly discloses a bath safety fixture; U.S. Pat. No. 6,507,960 issued on Jan. 21, 2003 to Kelly also discloses a bath safety fixture wherein the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
   Other bathtub safety devices are known such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,365,619, to Solomon; 3,713,179 to Dubiel; 2,736,904 to Suggs; 5,249,315 to Moylan; 2,815,513 to Tilson et al; 5,231,707 to Ashley et al; 3,955,239 to Grossman; 5,771,505 to Reynolds; and 6,701,543 to Haq, wherein the disclosures of these above referenced patents are hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to a bathtub safety bar that can include a bar, and at least two side supports. Each side support can include a housing and a movable support block coupled to the housing and a spring disposed inside of the housing and coupled to the moveable support block. This spring can be used to bias the support block in an open position which either keeps the bar in a downward position or it can be used to support the bar in an upward position. 
   The support blocks can be in the form of a wedge that allows a connection element coupled to the bar to slide over the support blocks from the lower position to the upper position. The connection element can be in the form of a slidable block which slides on a track coupled to the housing. 
   The bar can be made from any known material and can be, for example, made from metal or plastic. The housing, the connection element, and the support blocks can also be made from any known material and also can be made from, for example, metal, or plastic. In at least one embodiment the connection element and the support blocks are made from a polymer or plastic material that has a relatively low coefficient of friction which allows the connection element to slide over the support block from a first position to a second position. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the drawings are designed for the purpose of illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention. 
     In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views: 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of the first embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a close-up side view of the arm; 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of another embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a close up side view of a section shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective, cross sectional view of the section V-V shown in  FIG. 2 ; and 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of the connection block shown in  FIG. 5 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Turning now in detail to the drawings,  FIG. 1  is a side view of the first embodiment of the invention. In this first side view, there is shown the device  10  which includes a bar  20 , side blocks  26   a  and  26   b  and associated springs  24   a  and  24   b  disposed inside of side blocks  26   a  an  26   b . There are also supports  22   a  and  22   b  which are disposed inside of blocks  26   a  and  26   b , wherein these supports  22   a  and  22   b  are spring loaded or biased in an open position by associated springs  24   a  and  24   b . For example, inside of block  26   a  is spring  24   a  which presses against a back end of block or support  22   a  and presses block or support  22   a  out. Block or support  22   a  is hingedly coupled to block  26   a  at a bottom section  25   a  (See  FIG. 2 ) and slidable at a top end  27   a.    
   When bar  20  is in its raised position, bar  20  rests on a top surface  29   a  of support  22   a . To lower bar  20  support  22   a  is pressed into block  26   a  against spring  24   a  so that upper end  27   a  extends inside of block or housing  26   a . At this point bar  20  can then be lowered down. 
     FIG. 2  is a close-up side view of the arm which shows top surface  29   a  on support block  22   a . This view also shows that block  26   a  is coupled to both a side wall and a top of a bathtub. 
     FIG. 3  shows a side view of another embodiment of the invention. In this view, bar  20  is shown coupled to blocks  26   a  and  26   b  wherein block  26   b  is shown coupled in a free standing manner. Block  26   b  has a bottom connector section  32  which can be in the form of a permanent connection base that can be permanently coupled to the top of a bathtub via an adhesive such as caulk or any other known silicone based adhesive or it can be coupled to the top of the bathtub via a semi-permanent coupling element such as a suction cup. 
     FIG. 4  shows a close-up view of block  26   b , wherein block  26   b  is coupled to tub with a lateral support bar  30 . Lateral support bar  30  can be coupled to plate  38  which can be fixedly coupled to tub via screws or any known means. At a top end there is also another coupling bracket  34  which can receive support bar  30  as it couples into block  26   b . This support bar  30  can be released from block  26   b  by pressing a lever or button  36  which releases bar  30  from bracket  34  and which then releases block  26   b  which allows block  26   b  to be released from the tub. 
   This view also shows that disposed inside of block  26   b  is the hinge connection  25   b  for support block  22   b.    
     FIG. 5  shows a side perspective view of a connection of bar  20  to block  26   a  or  26   b  via a track  50  taken along the line V-V. Each block  26   a  or  26   b  has a track  50  which allows a slidable block  40  to slide thereon. Slidable block  40  is coupled to bar  20  in any known manner at a central block section  41 , wherein this block includes wing blocks  42  and  44  and a central hole  45  for receiving track  50 . Block  40  can be secured to track  50  in a vertically slidable manner via additional vertical track  51  disposed in track  50 . This additional track can be used to lock block  40  from moving in a substantially horizontal manner while it is sliding up and down in a vertical manner. 
     FIG. 6  shows a side view of the device shown in  FIG. 5 . With this view there is shown a bar  20  which can be coupled to a central or center portion  41  of block  40 . This block  40  also has wings  42  as disclosed above. The back face  43  of block  40  can be formed in an angled manner so that this back face slides easily against the surface of support blocks  22   a  and  22   b.    
   This movable bar has been created so that users can adjust the bar from a lower position, adjacent to a top surface of a bathtub to an upper position. When bar  20  is in its upper position, it can be used to keep children out of a bathtub and also to help those in the bathtub in having a hand grip on the bar. Because the bar is easily movable from a first position to a second position it creates an easily adjustable bar system. 
   For example, for a user to raise the bar from a first lower position to an upper position, the user can simply pull bar  20  up. Block  40  would then slide across support blocks  22   a  and  22   b  with angled back face  43  sliding against a front face on support block  22   a  as shown in  FIG. 5 . During this time, block  40  can also be engaged in slot  51 ,  50  that block  40  slides in a substantially vertical manner. As bar  20  moves up, it presses against support blocks  22   a  and  22   b  causing blocks  22   a  and  22   b  to press in to their associated housings  26   a  and  26   b  by pressing against the associated springs  24   a  and  24   b . Support blocks  22   a  and  22   b  would rotate about hinges or axles  25   a  and  25   b  so that the upper part of support blocks  22   a  and  22   b  would be pushed inside of housings  26   a  and  26   b . Once the bar has reached its full height, support blocks  22   a  and  22   b  would snap back out away from housings  26   a  and  26   b  due to the spring forces placed on them by associated springs  24   a  and  24   b.    
   At this upper position, support blocks  22   a  and  22   b  would be in their extended out position and would therefore support bar  20  and blocks  40  in the upper position. In this upper position block  40  would rest upon top surfaces  29   a  and  29   b  of support blocks  22   a  and  22   b.    
   To lower bar  20 , a user could press in a top section of blocks  22   a  and  22   b  to drive this top section back into the associated housings  26   a  and  26   b . This pressing action would compress associated springs  24   a  and  24   b.    
   Once support blocks  22   a  and  22   b  are pressed sufficiently inside their housings, block  40  including wings  42  would clear these support blocks and then slide down to a lower position as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
   The embodiment shown in  FIG. 5  is simply one example of a design that can be used to allow the bar to slide up and down. 
   Other embodiments using slidable blocks are also possible for this invention. For example, bar  20  could slide on a track and be supported by any known support element in a single elevated position or in multiple levels or multiple positions above a tub. 
   Accordingly, while a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.