Abstract:
A bathing device with at least one armrest having an air or water emitting opening therein is disclosed. The bathing device may be a bath tub, hot-tub, spa, whirlpool, or pool which may have jets or other fluid emitting features for conducting water and/or air to give the user pleasure or relief from pain. The jets or other fluid emitting features have as their primary purpose to massage a user&#39;s hand, fingers, or forearms.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates generally to bathing devices and their production.  
           [0003]    More specifically, this invention relates to a novel form of bathing device, and in particular, to a whirlpool tub having at least one armrest with air and/or water therapy jets on an upper armrest surface. The armrests may also be undercut so as to maximize the seating volume within the tub.  
           [0004]    2. Discussion of the Related Art  
           [0005]    It is well-known in the art that tubs can be created with recirculating hot water emitted through orifices and jets under pressure. These tubs go by various names which may be distinguished on the basis of design or function or otherwise by those of ordinary skill in the art. Common names are hot-tub, spa, and whirlpool bath.  
           [0006]    The therapeutic advantage achieved by the use of a stream of water expelled under pressure from a jet in a whirlpool tub or the like, as well as from air emitted through orifices in the tub are well known. However, it has not been heretofore proposed to place such jets or orifices in an armrest on the surface that the bather can rest his or her forearm, wrist and/or hands.  
           [0007]    In conventional tubs, often made of plastic or metal, either no armrests are included or whatever armrests that are provided are limited. This results from disadvantages of standard and common molding techniques. Presently, to accomplish de-molding, that is, removal of the tub from the mold, the tub must be made so that the smallest part of the tub is at the bottom and the tub must be made progressively larger from bottom to top. The terms “draft” and “leave” are used in arts such as metallurgy to describe the slight taper imparted to a molded object to permit removal of the object from the mold without damaging the mold. Present methods, because they depend on one-piece molding design, prevent creating molds in which any part of the tub is narrower than any part below it. As a result of the limitations on molds, present tubs do not have undercut armrests integral with the tub. Any armrests come at the expense of the seating area because, as noted above, no part of the tub can be wider than any part above it. Whatever space is taken by integral armrests comes at the sacrifice of seating space.  
           [0008]    Conventional tubs may have armrests added after freeing the tub from the mold or by using some secondary manufacturing technique. Conventional methods must overcome the problem of leaking which results from add-on components which are attached by some method requiring breaching the watertight integrity of the tub. Over time, multipart tubs spring leaks around joints. Often, added components take up valuable space intended for seating or for feet and legs. A reduced seating area, in turn, limits mounting of additional therapeutic devices.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    It is therefore, a principle of this invention to provide a whirlpool tub or similar device having armrests with therapeutic air and/or water orifices and/or jets disposed therein to expose the user to the therapeutic benefits of air and/or water under pressure. The contemplated invention includes armrests which protrude from at least one exterior wall of the tub and either terminate in a substantially vertical wall ending at the tub bottom or seating surface, or which taper into the side wall in a so-dash called “undercut” arrangement so as to open up a volume for the user&#39;s lower body to have additional room. In the embodiment having an undercut armrest, by extending and protruding the armrest and by opening up a volume below the armrest, greater comfort, space and room is afforded the bather using the tub.  
           [0010]    By providing removable mold components, these armrest features can be formed or cast into the finished goods at molding time. By following this technique and techniques well-known to those of ordinary skill in the art, greater comfort is afforded the bather. One reason for this greater comfort is that, in freeing the manufacturing process from the need for drafting, the bottom and seating area can be made wider than parts above them. This allows for greater foot, leg, and posterior room. At the same time, the armrests provide greater comfort by giving the bather something to rest upon.  
           [0011]    The invention preferably includes air bubbling orifi known to the art on the upwardly facing armrest surface of the armrest.  
           [0012]    The invention may also include waterjets to direct the flow of water either upwardly out of the upwardly facing armrest surface or generally horizontally out of a forward facing surface of the armrest. Such jets are well-known to those of ordinary skill in the art and may include a variety of features such as directional and flow rate adjustability. A common form of these movable jets has a cylindrical base portion which can be inserted into an orifice in an armrest. Water flows through the cylindrical base portion and from there through a jet or nozzle. The cylindrical base portion can be turned about the linear axis of the cylinder. Directionally adjustable jets can be angled through a wide range of angles, usually around 150 degrees, although with some designs ranges of motion can exceed 180 degrees. By moving the cylindrical base portion and changing the jet angle, the flow of water can be directed wherever the user desires. In some forms of the jets, a ring around the cylindrical portion can be loosened or tightened. This loosening or tightening varies the effective size of the jet nozzle and, through principles well known to physics, i.e., Bernoulli&#39;s Principle, varies the pressure and volume of the water inversely.  
           [0013]    One advantage of the invention is that the tub provides for greater comfort for one or more bathers.  
           [0014]    An additional advantage of the invention is that the tub is sufficiently large to hold at least one bather, has a bottom, has an approximately horizontal surface above the bottom of the tub upon which the bather can sit, has at least one armrest to support an arm of the bather, and has at least one orifice for conducting water under pressure onto some body part or parts of the bather, thereby giving the bather a massage which can prove pleasurable as well as therapeutic. By combining single-user seating areas, tubs capable of holding any number of bathers can be created. Three or four bather tubs are quite common. The techniques for stringing single-user seating areas into multiple-user tubs are well-known within the art.  
           [0015]    Another advantage of the invention is that the tub can be a hot tub, spa, whirlpool bath, or pool.  
           [0016]    A further advantage of the invention is that the tub can have a control unit which can control the temperature, pressure, and timing of the flow of water. Control units with these functions are commodities.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional elevational view of one seating area of a bathing device in accordance with this Invention with a bather seated therein.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 is a top view of one seating area of a bathing device in accordance with this Invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 is a front view of a bathing device which shows a portion of the armrests with therapeutic devices installed herein.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 is a top view of a tub in accordance with this Invention with multiple seating areas.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectioned elevation view of an armrest portion of a tub employing my invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0022]    While this specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures. Variations between and among the figures reveal different embodiments.  
         [0023]    Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates one section of a tub  110  in use wherein  10  is the shell of the tub and  120  is an armrest molded into the tub  110 . The user is shown resting one arm on each armrest  120 . It will be noted that there are armrests  120  on either side of the user. The left and right armrests  120  illustrated in this embodiment are mirror images of one another. In alternate embodiments, the left and right armrests might be different from one another or only one armrest may be used For purposes of this description, only the armrest  120  on the user&#39;s right side is described. However, all that applies to the right side armrest  120 R applies as well to the left side armrest  120 L.  
         [0024]    It is not necessary that the user rest either or both arms on the armrests  120  for the tub  110  to be effective. However, resting one or both arms on the armrests  120  can provide additional therapeutic benefits to the hands, fingers, and forearms rested on the armrests  120 . The upright seating position of the user is just one of many ways the user can gain benefit. The user may select any body position which the user finds comfortable or therapeutic. In addition, the tubs which employ this invention may take any form, so long as they have armrests with air and/or water therapy features.  
         [0025]    The armrests  120  are undercut at  135  to expand the seating area  140  available to the user. Inside the curve forming the armrest  120  is a duct  130  for carrying water under pressure. This duct  130  can be tubing or any other effective means for carrying water, which means are well-known to those of ordinary skill in the art. In FIG. 4, multiple seating areas are shown. FIG. 4 shows that tubing  130  can be routed to provide for continuous flow of water through the tub  110 .  
         [0026]    The user is seated on a horizontal or nearly horizontal surface  140 . This surface can be flat or can be curved to fit the body contours of users. For some users, curving gives additional comfort.  
         [0027]    Orifices  150  are shown in the armrest  120 . These orifices  150  permit air to flow under pressure from the duct  130  so that, if the user positions his or her body in certain ways, the air bubbles will be emitted onto the user&#39;s hands, fingers, or forearms. This provides a soothing and therapeutic massage to the user.  
         [0028]    A wall portion extending from the seating area  140  to the floor  170  is shown at  160 . Additional orifices  165  are built into the wall  160 . The wall  160  need not be vertical and may be sloped from the vertical to meet the needs of users and to provide additional comfort and can be drafted. The floor  170  of the tub  110  is the lowest part In a preferred embodiment of a complete tub, the floor extends between and among all the seating areas  140  and forms part of the watertight integrity of the tub  110 . The bottom may have a drain or there may be a drain in another part of the tub. These drains are not illustrated. A handle  180  gives the user something to grasp when entering or exiting the tub.  
         [0029]    A control unit  190  gives the user the ability to set a desired water temperature and/or air and water flow rates. The control unit  190  may have a timer which will shut off the flow of air or water after a desired period of time.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 2 shows a view of a seating area in an embodiment slightly different from that shown in FIG. 1. The tub itself is shown as  210 . This embodiment has built-in headrests  220  to add to user comfort. Orifices  230  direct water under pressure onto the user&#39;s body parts. If the user is seated as in FIG. 1, the water from these orifices provides a soothing back massage. Here, three columns of orifices  230  are shown but there can be any number of orifices and these orifices can be of any size. The seat  240  is shown flat, but the seat could be given almost any contour consistent with comfort of the user. Orifices  250  in the seat  240  permit air under pressure to be emitted at the user providing soothing massage or therapy to the user&#39;s back. The two armrests  260  are shown with air orifices  270  which provide air under pressure to the user&#39;s hands, fingers, and forearms depending on how the user is positioned.  
         [0031]    The control unit  280  conforms to the same description as that of control unit  190 .  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 3 shows one seating area of a tub  310  having orifices  320 . Armrests left and right  330  with enclosed ducts  340  give the user a place for resting arms and permit water under pressure to be forced onto the user&#39;s fingers, hands, or forearms depending on how the user is positioned. The seat is shown at  350  and the bottom at  360 . In this embodiment, no orifices are shown on the vertical or nearly vertical wall between the seat  350  and floor  360 .  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 4 shows a tub  410  with three seating areas  420 . All parts thereof are shown in other figures. The significance of this embodiment is that single-seating areas are shown joined so that the water flows through the ducts  440  in a continuous path. Water escapes the ducts through the orifices such as those specified for FIG. &#39;s  1 ,  2 , and  3 .  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 5 shows a detail of one embodiment of a jet  510 . The jet has a nozzle  520  and body  530 . Jets are commodities. Jets are fitted into orifices and vary pressure and volume of water flow according to well-known principles of physics.  
         [0035]    In all embodiments of the invention, water is forced under pressure through tubing or ducts or other passages through outlets such as jets. The water then returns to the lower area of the tub where it is again forced under pressure through tubing or ducts or other passages through orifices so long as the system is turned on. There are many ways well known to persons of ordinary skill in the art of forcing water to flow under pressure. Those ways are not a part of the invention and are omitted here. These ways could include a gravity fed water tower, pumps, downhill flow, or even simply using city water pressure if such pressure is sufficient for the user&#39;s purposes. Commonly, the user fills the tub from a standard waters supply and pumps, then recirculates the water in the tub through the various conduits and jets/orifices.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional elevational view of a portion of a tub and armrest having one or more air orifices  270  and at least one water jet  263  which discharges water at a therapeutic flow rate through an opening in substantially vertical side wall  262  of armrest  260 . The upper armrest surface  264  of armrest  260  defines openings  265  therein. The air jets  270  receive a supply of air via any suitable means such as conduits  266 , and the water jet  263  receives a flow of forced water through conduit  267  or any other suitable means. The flow of water emitted out of water jet  263  may be aerated via any suitable means such as an air intake  282  having a check valve  284  associated with an upper opening thereof. Water flowing through a narrowing section (not shown) of jet  263 , by virtue of the lower pressure therein, draws air through intake  282  from within the confines of the tub body into the flow of water.  
         [0037]    Alternatively, armrest  260  may be provided with air jets  270  only, such that water jet  263  is omitted. Conversely, armrest  260  may be provided with a water jet  263  only, either in the side wall  262  or the armrest surface  264 . Any combination of air and/or water jets at any positions on armrest  260  is contemplated to be within the cope of my invention, since it has not been heretofore proposed to provide armrests in tubs of this nature having water and/or air therapy features incorporated therein.  
         [0038]    Various modifications and alterations of this inventions will become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention, and it is understood that this invention is not limited to the illustrative embodiments set forth hereinbefore.