Patent GB-1299165-A (GB)
Title: Bathing apparatus
Inventor: BILL HUGO
IPC: A47K3/00
Filed: 1970-08-25
Abstract: 1299165 Bathing apparatus H BILL 25 Aug 1970 [5 Sept 1969] 40807/70 Heading A4N A bathing apparatus, particularly for physically handicapped persons, includes a tub-like vessel 10 for containing the bath liquid, a seat 25 dimensioned to accommodate at least one bather and rigidly suspended from at least one load supporting part 24 carried by a support arrangement 14, said vessel being at least partly mounted on the support arrangement so as to be pivotable about a horizontal axis 16 at a level higher than the seat surface, to allow a portion of the vessel to pass underneath the seat, said vessel being pivotally movable between an operative position in which the seat is located inside the vessel and an inoperative position 10<SP>1</SP> in which the seat is freely accessible in a horizontal direction. The tub-like vessel 10 is constructed as a rigid unit and is made from for example, glass fibre reinforced plastics. The vessel is open at its top and has two bearing lugs 12 located on its front wall through which passes a load supporting shaft 13, the shaft being a part of the support framework 14, The seat 25 is supported by struts 24 and a backrest 28 is arranged on the struts. A locking device 17 is provided to lock the vessel in either its operative or inoperative position, and the vessel is provided at its lowest point 27 with a discharge connection 30. In an alternative embodiment, Figs. 3, 4 (not shown), the pivot axis passes through the vessel 10, and the vessel is mounted on the support framework 14 by means of two relatively short coaxial shafts (31) protruding from the two side walls (18), (19) of the vessel, and engaging in bearing bores arranged at the upper ends of tubular members (32) which telescopically receive the upper ends of the support arms 21. Compression springs (33) are provided in the tubular members (32) such that when the vessel is partly filled the springs compress sufficiently to allow the lowest point 27 of the vessel to come to rest on the floor 15. A foot rest (35) is suspended from the seat 25 by means of struts (34), the foot rest being approximately the same distance from the pivot axis as the back rest 28. In a further embodiment, Figs. 5, 6 (not shown), the two coaxial shafts (31) engage in respective longitudinal slots (36) in the arms 21 of the support arrangement 14. Respective compression springs (38) are located in the slots (36) to support the shafts (31) in a similar manner as in the latter embodiment. The upper portions of the arms 21, i.e. above the slots (36), are joined by a stirrup (40) which may be used as a hand grip by the bather. A further preferred embodiment, Fig.7 (not shown), differs in its construction from the above described embodiments in that the pivot axis and the load supporting struts are arranged on the same side of the vessel and not on opposite sides of it. A motor drive may be provided to pivot the vessel 10, the apparatus may include several seats so that a number of persons may bathe in the vessel simultaneously, and the vessel itself may be constructed as a foldable bath, e.g. of an accordion bellows arrangement.