Patent Publication Number: US-2007094786-A1

Title: Bathtub floor pad

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This patent application claims priority to co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application having Ser. No. 60/732,723 filed Nov. 2, 2005 entitled “Bath Buddy”, having a common applicant herewith and being incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE  
      The disclosures made herein relate generally to accessory items for use in the bath and shower and, more particularly, to compliant articles for use on a floor of a bathtub while bathing.  
     BACKGROUND  
      Bathtubs are designed to support the weight of a person. Accordingly, their floor structure is substantially rigid. While such rigidity is desirable for supporting the weight of a person, it is less than desirable for providing comfort while lying in a bathtub. Furthermore, a floor surface of a bathtub can become slippery when wet which greatly increases the chance of an injury resulting from slipping. Therefore, a bathtub floor pad that can be placed on the floor surface of a bathtub, that provides for comfort of a person laying on the bathtub floor pad while bathing and that enhances safety by reducing the potential for slipping on a floor surface of is desirable and useful.  
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE  
      Embodiments of the present invention are configured for improving comfort and safety of a person taking a bath in a bathtub and/or a person being bathed in a bathtub. More specifically, a bathtub floor pad in accordance with the present invention is placed on the floor surface of a bathtub for providing comfort of a person laying on the bathtub floor pad while bathing and for reducing the potential for slipping on a floor surface of the bathtub. In doing so, embodiments of the present invention offer desirable and useful function.  
      In one embodiment of the present invention, a bathtub floor pad comprises a compliant body, a support structure and a temperature sensing device. The compliant body includes end faces, a top face, a bottom face and side faces. The support structure includes a horizontally extending portion engaged with the bottom face of the compliant body. The support structure exhibits substantial rigidity with respect to compliance of the compliant body. The temperature sensing device is attached to the compliant body and is visibly exposed at one of the faces of the compliant body. The temperature sensing device provides for a visual indication of temperature of water in contact therewith.  
      In another embodiment of the present invention, a bathtub floor pad comprises a compliant body, a support structure, a plurality of anti-slip members and a temperature sensing device. The compliant body includes a first end, a second end, a top face, a bottom face and side faces. The compliant body includes a uniform thickness segment and a tapered thickness segment. The uniform thickness segment extends a portion of a distance from the first end to the second end. The tapered thickness segment extends a remainder of the distance to the second end. The tapered thickness segment extends in increasing thickness at least a portion of the remainder of the distance to the second end. The support structure includes a horizontally extending portion engaged with the bottom face of the compliant body and a vertically extending portion engaged with the second end face of the tapered thickness segment at the second end of the compliant body. The support structure exhibits substantial rigidity with respect to compliance of the compliant body. The plurality of anti-slip members are attached to the horizontally extending portion of the support structure. The temperature sensing device is attached to the compliant body and is visibly exposed at one of the faces of the compliant body. The temperature sensing device provides for a visual indication of temperature of water in contact therewith.  
      In another embodiment of the present invention, a bathtub floor pad comprises a foam pad, a polymeric support structure, a plurality of suction cups, a reinforcement member and a temperature sensing device. The foam pad includes a first end face, a second end face, a top face, a bottom face and side faces. The first end face, the top face and the side faces each include a generally smooth contiguous layer of material that acts as a barrier against liquid being readily absorbed into the foam pad. The foam pad includes a uniform thickness segment and a tapered thickness segment. The uniform thickness segment extends a portion of a distance from the first end to the second end. The tapered thickness segment extends a remainder of the distance to the second end. The tapered thickness segment extends in increasing thickness at least a portion of the remainder of the distance to the second end. The polymeric support structure includes a horizontally extending portion engaged with the bottom face of the foam pad and a vertically extending portion engaged with a second end face of the tapered thickness segment at the second end of the foam pad. The polymeric support structure exhibits substantial rigidity with respect to compliance of the foam pad. A water resistant interface is provided between the polymeric support structure and the foam pad. The plurality of suction cups is attached to the horizontally extending portion of the polymeric support structure. The reinforcement member extends between the horizontally extending portion of the polymeric support structure and the vertically extending portion of the polymeric support structure for limiting deflection of the vertically extending portion of the polymeric support structure with respect to the horizontally extending portion of the polymeric support structure. The temperature sensing device is attached to the foam pad and is visibly exposed at one of the faces of the foam pad. The temperature sensing device provides for a visual indication of temperature of water in contact therewith.  
      These and other objects, embodiments, advantages and/or distinctions of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification, associated drawings and appended claims.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a top perspective view showing a bathtub floor pad in accordance with the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view of the bathtub floor pad shown in  FIG. 1   
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 1 .  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES  
       FIGS. 1-3  show various aspects of a bathtub floor pad in accordance with the present invention, which is referred to herein as the bathtub floor pad  10 . The bathtub floor pad  10  provides for improved comfort and safety of a person taking a bath in a bathtub and/or a person being bathed in a bathtub. More specifically, the bathtub floor pad  10  is placed on a floor surface of a bathtub for providing comfort of a person laying on the bathtub floor pad while bathing and for reducing the potential for slipping on the floor surface of the bathtub.  
      The bathtub floor pad  10  includes a foam pad  12 , apolymeric support structure  14 , a plurality of suction cups  16 , a reinforcement member  18  ( FIG. 3 ) and a temperature sensing device  20  ( FIG. 1 ). The polymeric support structure  14 , the plurality of suction cups  16 , the reinforcement member  18  and the temperature sensing device  20  are integrated with each other in a manner that provides for the improved comfort and safety discussed above. In the ensuing discussion, specific details are disclosed with respect to elements of the bathtub floor pad  10 . However, is it disclosed herein that the present invention is not limited to elements constrained by such specific details and that such specific details represent examples of more broadly construed design and construction considerations in view of the present invention.  
      The foam pad  12  includes a first end face  22 , a second end face  24 , a top face  26 , a bottom face  28  and side faces  30 . The first end face  22 , the second end face  24 , the top face  26  and the side faces  30  each include a generally smooth contiguous layer of material that acts as a barrier against liquid being readily absorbed into the foam pad  12 . In one embodiment, the foam pad  12  is made from a polymeric foam material and the layer of material is an integral exterior surface of the polymeric foam material. Latex rubber foam, EPDM synthetic foam, and other forms of polymeric foam are examples of foam materials that can be formed in a manner (e.g., cast) whereby a resulting. foam pad includes end faces, a top face and side faces having a ‘skin layer’ of material from which the foam pad is made. In one embodiment, this skin layer is a generally smooth contiguous layer of material that-was in contact with a mold for the foam pad and that acts as a barrier against liquid being readily absorbed into the foam pad. The foam pad  12  is an embodiment of a compliant pad in accordance with the present invention. It is disclosed herein that a compliant pad in accordance with the present invention may be made from other materials than foam in accordance with manufacturing techniques other than casting.  
      The foam pad  12  includes a uniform thickness segment  32  and a tapered thickness segment  34 . The uniform thickness segment  32  extends a portion of a distance from the first end  22  to the second end  24  (i.e., extends only partway from the first end  22  to the second end  24 ). The tapered thickness segment  34  extends a remainder of the distance to the second end  24 . Thus, at some distance between the first end  22  and the second end  24  of the foam pad  12 , the uniform thickness segment  32  transitions into the tapered thickness segment  34 . The tapered thickness segment  34  extends in increasing thickness at least a portion of the remainder of the distance to the second end  24 . Optionally, tapered thickness segment  34  may be omitted and the uniform thickness segment extends the entire distance between the first end  22  and the second end  24 . The uniform thickness segment  32  and/or the tapered thickness segment  34  may be configured such that the top face  26  of the foam pad  12  has contoured portions (e.g., shaped to conform to the back of a person) or is substantially flat.  
      The polymeric support structure  14  includes a horizontally extending portion  36  engaged with the bottom face  28  of the foam pad  12  and a vertically extending portion  38  engaged with the second end face  24  of the foam pad  12  (i.e., a vertically extending end face of the tapered thickness segment  34  of the foam pad). The polymeric support structure  14  exhibits substantial rigidity with respect to compliance of the foam pad  12 . For example, the polymeric support structure  14  exhibits limited, minimal or essentially no deflection under weight of a person whereas the foam pad exhibits significant deflection (e.g., compression) under weight of the same person. A water resistant interface is provided between the polymeric support structure  14  and the foam pad  12 . Such an interface can be provided by any number of means. Examples of such means include, but are not limited to, a sealant, an integral sealing feature of the polymeric support structure  14 , an integral sealing feature of the foam pad  12  and/or a discrete sealing device (e.g., an gasket).  
      Each one of the suction cups  16  is attached to the horizontally extending portion  38  of the polymeric support structure  14 . The suction cups  16  may be arranged in uniform rows or any other uniform or non-uniform arrangement. The suction cups  16  are examples of anti-slip members in accordance with the present invention. The purpose of such anti-slip members is to limit unintentional movement of the polymeric support structure  14  with respect to an underlying support surface of a bathtub. Other embodiments of anti-slip members in accordance with the present invention include, but are not limited to, anti-slip strips of material. It is disclosed herein that anti-slip members in accordance with the present invention may be discrete components that are attached to the polymeric support structure  14  or integrally-formed components of the polymeric support structure  14 .  
      The reinforcement member  18  ( FIG. 3 ) extends between and is connected to the horizontally extending portion  36  of the polymeric support structure  14  and the vertically extending portion  38  of the polymeric support structure  14 . In this manner, the reinforcement member  18  limits deflection of the vertically extending portion  38  of the polymeric support structure  14  with respect to the horizontally extending portion  36  of the polymeric support structure  14 . Such limited deflection enhances durability of the polymeric support structure  14  and/or controls deformation of the foam pad  12 . Through incorporation of the reinforcement member  18 , the thickness of the polymeric support structure  14  can be maintained relatively thin. The reinforcement member  18  may be an integrally formed component of the polymeric support structure  14  or a discrete component attached to the polymeric support structure  14 .  
      The temperature sensing device  20  is attached to the foam pad  12  and is visibly exposed at the top face  26  of the foam pad  12 . Optionally, the temperature sensing device  20  may be exposed at a different face of the foam pad  12 . The temperature sensing device  20  provides for a visual indication of temperature of water in contact therewith. In a preferred embodiment, the temperature sensing device  20  includes a color changing portion that turns from a first color to a second color when exposed to water exceeding a prescribed temperature.  
      In the preceding detailed description, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. These embodiments, and certain variants thereof, have been described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood that other suitable embodiments may be utilized and that logical, mechanical, chemical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of such inventive disclosures. To avoid unnecessary detail, the description omits certain information known to those skilled in the art. The preceding detailed description is, therefore, not intended to be limited to the specific forms set forth herein, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as can be reasonably included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.