Patent ID: 8375478

Claim:
A walk-in bathtub comprising: a bathtub frame defining a threshold and an interior bathing area; a door jamb within the threshold, the door jamb having a pin receiving passageway, the door jamb including an outward facing surface facing away from the bathing area; a door hingedly attached to the door jamb for rotation around a hinge between an open position and a closed position, the door including an inward facing surface; a gasket disposed between the inward facing surface of the door and a portion of the outward facing surface of the door jamb; a movable handle adjustable between a latching position and an unlatching position and operably connected to a latching pin to selectively extend the latching pin when in the latching position and retract the latching pin when in the unlatching position, wherein the handle is pivotally connected to an upper portion of the door to pivot about a first pivot member, the handle having a grip portion located generally above the first pivot member and a lower portion located generally below the first pivot member; a pivoting bar pivotally connected at a central portion of the pivoting bar to the door to pivot about a second pivot member, the pivoting bar having a first portion generally above the central portion with a slot to pivotally and slidingly connect the pivoting bar to the lower portion of the handle, and having a second portion on an opposite side of the second pivot member from the first portion operably connected to the latching pin; and wherein the latching pin has a tapered face that engages the pin receiving passageway as the handle is adjusted towards the latching position when the door is near the closed position to draw the door towards the door jamb and compress the gasket between the inward facing surface of the door and the outward facing surface of the door jamb.