Patent Publication Number: US-9895030-B1

Title: Seat

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a new seat. The seat is lightweight, flexible, and water resistant, such that it may be used in a bathtub, shower, or other aquatic environment to provide a safe place to sit without risk of injury. The seat is characterized by concave projections that are both functional and decorative. The projections grip the surface on which the seat is placed and also provide a cushioned seating area for the user. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Bathroom seats and footstools are well-known in the prior art. For example, Tones teaches a shaving foot support for use in a bathtub or shower in U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,926. In this reference, a four-legged foot-support with a contoured recess for a foot is shown. The recess helps prevent the foot from slipping while the bather is shaving a leg. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,723 by Stanek, a portable shower stool with a storage compartment is disclosed. In this reference, a four-legged structure is provided with compartments for storing shaving and bathing supplies. This shower or bath stool has non-skid legs and a moveable seating surface with storage space within the structure. Another example of the prior art in the field is the invention of Sultzbaugh as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,528. In this reference, a rigid, triangular foot rest for use in a shower is taught. The invention comprises an elongated body portion with a cross-sectional shape of a triangle for convenient placement of the support device in the corner of a shower. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,070, Soma discloses a leg shaving plate that is mounted in the corner of a shower stall as a fixture. The shaving plate body has a downward inclined foot portion of 15 to 20 degrees for receiving the foot of a person shaving a leg. Another example of prior art in the field is U.S. Pat. No. 7,310,837 by Reynolds et al. In this reference, Reynolds teaches a bathtub or shower seat that is formed to fit around the side wall of a bathtub. In one embodiment, the Reynolds invention disclosure teaches of a screw-type clamp for securing the seat to the sidewall of the bathtub. Yet another example of bathroom seats and footstools is U.S. Pat. No. 4,472,844 by Mace. Here, Mace teaches of a removable seat that may be mounted in a bathtub. The seat is adjustable in height to accommodate a variety of users. 
     The above-described references are representative of inventions designed for meeting the objective of providing comfortable seating or leg or foot support in a bath or shower environment. However, the prior art is lacking in any disclosure of a seat or foot rest that provides cushioned seating support while offering the safety feature of surface-gripping action. Further, the prior art fails to disclose a bath or shower seat that offers substantial planar contact with a variety of surfaces. In addition, the prior art is deficient in any teaching of a bath seat or leg support that offers the cushioned seating and surface grip support regardless of the orientation of the seat. 
     There exists a need in the art for a shower or bathtub seat that provides the comfort of cushioned seating while also offering the safety feature of surface gripping action. There further exists a need in the art for a shower or bathtub seat that provides substantial planar contact with the underlying support surface. There is also a need in the art for a seat that flexibly absorbs a user&#39;s weight for extra comfort and ease of use during typical hygiene functions performed during a shower or a bath. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a seat with concave projections that offer cushioned seating for a user on a top surface and gripping action on a bottom surface through deformation of projections. The seat is generally shaped as a cube with the gripping and cushioning projections formed on each of the six cube surfaces for ease of use and placement. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention showing the top surface and two side of the seat of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 3 a  and 3 b    are a side view of a preferred embodiment of the invention showing the concave projections on a bottom surface before applying weight ( FIG. 3 a   ) and after applying weight ( FIG. 3 b   ) to the seat of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the seat of the present invention supporting a user&#39;s foot. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the seat of the present invention supporting a user&#39;s body. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the seat of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     It will be appreciated that the drawings are illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims. The embodiments shown accomplish various aspects and objects of the invention. It is appreciated that it is not possible to clearly show each element and aspect of the invention in a single figure, and as such, multiple figures are presented to separately illustrate the various details of the invention in greater clarity. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a seat with cushioned grip-control. The seat is useful in showers and bathtubs, but may also be used in both aquatic and non-aquatic environments. In one embodiment of the invention, referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is a seat body  1  having a top surface  2  and a bottom surface  3 , the bottom surface  3  being located in a position opposite top surface  2 . Top surface  2  and bottom surface  3  are substantially planar. Projections  10  extend distally from top surface  2  and bottom surface  3 , away from the body of seat  1 .  FIG. 2  shows a side view of an embodiment of the invention, where projections  10  extend distal from the planar surfaces of top surface  2  and bottom surface  3 . Projections  10  are made from an elastic-type material that may be deformed with applied pressure and then return to their original shape when the pressure is released. In this fashion, when seat  1  is set on a supporting surface such as a bathtub floor, any force applied to top surface  2  will deform the projections  10  of top surface  2 , providing a cushion effect to the force. In addition, the applied force to top surface  2  is transferred through seat  1  to bottom surface  3 , where the projections  10  of bottom surface  3  provide a gripping function on the floor. The dual cushioning and gripping functions of projections  10  provide seat  1  with both comfort to the user and safety from accidental sliding or movement of the seat. 
       FIG. 3 a    illustrates projections  10  extending distally from the body of seat  1 . When a force is applied to the seat, the projections  10  that are in contact with the supporting surface are flattened and spread out in a gripping fashion.  FIG. 3 b    shows projections  10  engaged in gripping a supporting surface. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, projections  10  are formed into a concave shape. When a force or weight is applied and then released from seat  1 , the concave-shaped projections  10  will first grip and then provide a loosening suction force to the supporting surface. In this manner, seat  1  can be safely presented on a supporting surface but not become rigidly affixed thereto. 
     Seat  1  can be made of a solid or a hollow material. If made of a solid material, it is preferred that the material be lightweight for easy portability. Suitable materials include but are not limited to fabric acrylic, polyester, nylon, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride. Non-absorbent foam materials are also suitable. It is preferred that seat  1  be made of a soft, semi-flexible material such that bottom surface  3  can conform to a variety of mildly constraining shapes, such as the more narrow end of a bathtub. By forming seat  1  of a flexible or soft material, the user may more comfortably engage in personal hygiene practices that may require the user to bend at the waist while sitting, such as washing the feet or shaving the legs. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention, seat  1  is shaped as a cube measuring  14  inches on a side. Seat  1  may be formed with a hollow core such that the seat may be inflated or deflated with air. Projections  10  are provided on each side of seat  1  such that any pair of opposing sides may function as the cushioning surface and the gripping surface. 
     In a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, seat  1  is shaped from a hollow material that can be inflated with air into the shape of a cube. Projections  10  are formed onto each face of the cube so that the seat may be set on any side and still provide a cushioning top surface and a gripping bottom surface. When formed into a six-sided cube with projections  10  on all sides, the user can place the cube into a bathtub or shower without regard to which particular side should be up. In addition to the convenience of multi-side placement, the six-sided cube with projections  10  on all sides also is also more aesthetically pleasing. 
     According to the present invention, projections  10  can be formed from any number of geometric and non-geometric configurations. The projections  10  of top surface  2  and bottom surface  3  may also be of different configurations to provide increased cushion to the top and selectable gripping function on the bottom of seat  1 . In one embodiment, projections  10  are formed of concentric patterns of a general concave shape around a central point, such as flower petals or annular disks or saucers. It is found that the concentric patterns enhance both the cushioning ability of projections  10  as well as the overall effectiveness of projections  10  to releasably grip the supporting surface. In one variation of the present invention, projections  10  may be smaller and numerous or larger and less numerous, the primary requirement being that they both cushion and grip. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the present invention may also be used as a leg or foot support. Referring to  FIG. 5 , it can be seen that projections  10  form a cushioning surface for the user to sit on. 
     To provide increased gripping function without compromising comfort, the center of projections  10  may feature a more textured surface and also a more exaggerated extrusion from the surface of planar surface  5 , such as with the center of a daisy. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates another embodiment of the seat of the present invention with projections  10  forming annular, concave disks or saucers. 
     In another variation on the present invention, seat  1  may also include indentations of various sizes and shapes for securing or storing various bathing implements and supplies, such as razors, scrubs, soaps, and shampoos. 
     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.