Bath system, particularly for wheel-chair constrained disabled persons

[57] ABSTRACT

A bath system is provided for domestic bathrooms especially designed for wheel-chair constrained disabled persons whereby the wheel-chair seat can be moved into a sit-down type bath tube and removed thereby by controls on a tub-side panel. Means are provided for filling and emptying the tub and generally for enabling a disabled person to bathe without aid.

Claims, 1 Drawing Figure

R25J07 6/1959 Medlock....................................4/147

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PATENTEDMAY 1 6 1972

3,662,409

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3,662,409

BATH SYSTEM, PARTICULARLY FOR WHEEL-CHAIR CONSTRAINED DISABLED PERSONS

The present invention relates to a bath system intended primarily for use in domestic bathrooms and particularly for use by wheel-chair constrained disabled persons, and compris- 5 ing a general-duty wheel-chair and, adapted to be installed in the bathroom, a sit-down bath tub associated with control equipment adapted to be manipulated with a minimum of manual effort and mobility, i.e. for supplying temperate water for bath and shower and for discharging the bath-water. 10

The object of the invention is to enable old people having weak legs, as well as other persons, particularly wheel-chair constrained persons, completely without any assistance or only with slight assistance, to enter a bath and all by themselves, in a simple and effort-saving manner by the aid of con- · 5 trols disposed within convenient reach, to carry out bathing and douching procedure in a satisfactory manner, and thereafter conveniently to leave the bath tub again, thus without any need of lifting the person in question into and out of the bath. 20

This object, according to the invention, is accomplished by the arrangements generally defined in the appended claims.

One specific embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing the single FIGURE of which is a perspective view of a bath system according to this embodiment.

The bath system illustrated in the drawing is intended, primarily, for use at home by wheel-chair constrained motiondisabled persons. It consists of two separate main components, viz. (a) a wheel-chair 1 of an essentially conventional design and adapted for general use in the home, and (b) a sit-down bath tub 2 adapted to be installed in the domestic bathroom. The bath 2 is provided with a control equipment, the major portion of which is installed within a control box 3, the latter being, preferably, mounted on lateral top edge of the bath tub 2 and having on its front panel readily accessible and easily operable controls 4,5,6, inter alia for supplying temperate water for bath and shower. The control equipment also includes means for tapping off the bathwater, such means, in this case, being in the form of a conventional bottom valve 7 manually operable by a draw-chain 8. Tap-water pipes 9,10 for hot and cold water are connected to the control box 3 which latter is provided with a suitably thermostat-controlled mixing valve 4. Also connected to the mixer 4 is a flushing 45 ramp 11 which is mounted on a horizontally pivoted tubular carrier arm 12 and can be used for filling the bath 2 and at the same time douching the bathing person. Suspended from control box 3 is also a conventional hand-shower 13 with its hose

14. Further, the sit-down bath is provided with a stationary 50 seat 15 enabling the same to be used as a conventional sitdown bath by non-disabled or non-wheel-chair constrained persons.

The bath tub 2 is suitably made of reinforced plastic material and is carried on a steel-tubing chassis (not shown) having 55 adjustable legs. The tub is built into an outer shell 2a made of enamel led sheet-metal.

In accordance with the present invention, the front or foot end of the bath 2 is provided with an opening 16 extenting from its top edge down to its bottom and throughout the internal width of the tub the width of this opening being slightly larger than that of the set portion 17 of the wheel-chair between the outer edges of the arm rests 18, 19 thereof. This end opening 16 can be closed off in a watertight manner by means of a door 20 hinged at one side of the tub end so as to be horizontally swingable. To ensure watertight sealing of the opening 16 in the closed position of the door 20, the open end of the bath tub 2 is provided outwardly of the edge of the opening 16 with a tubular, hose-like seal 21 adapted, after closing the door 20, to be inflated with a pressurized fluid, preferably water under pressure from the tap water pipes 9,19 through the medium of a manually operated relief valve (not shown). The door 20 is arranged to be locked in its closed position by a suitably automatic locking device which in the present case is shown to comprise a plurality of spring-loaded latches 22 spaced along the vertical outer edge of the door and co-operating with corresponding latching notches 23 formed in the opposed end edge of the bath tub 2. An unlatching rod (not visible) provided with an operating handle 2 is mounted within the outer shell 2. Thus, the locking device for the door 20 is of espagnolette type and can readily be released by means of the control handle 24 projecting above the bath-tub edge. If desired, the locking device 22,23 and 24 may be provided with a safety arrangement (not shown) which is so devised as not to be releasable for enabling the door to be opened until the bath-water in the tub 2 has been tapped off.

The wheel-chair 1 is composed of a movable chassis 25 of an essentially conventional construction, and a seat portion 17 which is detachably mounted on said chassis and comprises the aforementioned two arm rests 18 and 19. The arm rests 18 and 19 may be provided on their undersides with respective ones of two parallel horizontally extending rows of bearing rollers (not visible), and provided within the bath-tub 2 are two corresponding roller tracks 26 and 27, respectively, extending along either sides of the tub and adapted to carry the chair seat 17 after the latter has been released from the chair chassis 25 and has been transferred on its bearing rollers onto the bearing tracks 26, 27 within the tub 2. The transfer of the seat into the tub is effected by the disabled person, sitting in the chair 1, moving the latter backwards to a position close to the open end of the tub 2, after which , by a coupling device not shown, the occupant of the chair connects the chassis 25 to the tub, then releases the seat 17 from the chassis, and finally moves the seat into the tub, until the back rest of the seat will abut the rear end wall of the bath tub, the seat thus having reached the correct sitting position within the tub. After this, the bathing person will disconnect the chair chassis 25 from the tub 2, the chassis being then, by any suitable mechanism, not shown, pushed away from the tub, or, alternatively, the chassis 25 will merely be swung aside from the door opening while remaining connected to the tub, after which the door 20 is closed and locked in place and the tubular sealing member 21 is inflated with fluid under pressure. Then the bathing procedure can be carried out by operating the different controls, as required.

After bathing and tapping off the bath-water, the bathing person will release the locking device 22, 23 by operating the control hand 24, open the door 20, operate the mechanism for returning the chair chassis 25 and for interconnecting the latter with the bath tub 2, and move the seat 17 forward within the tub and over onto the chassis 25 by the aid of an ejector rod 28 (indicated diagrammatically). In this connection, the seat is preferably arranged to lock automatically to the chassis 25 of the wheel-chair 1 and to be releasable therefrom only when the chassis has been connected in the correct position to the open end of the bath tub 2. After the seat 17 has thus again become connected to the chassis 25, or simultaneously with such interconnection, the chassis is disconnected from the bath tub 2, after which the chair can be wheeled away and utilized in the conventional manner.

The control equipment 3 of the bath 1 should be so designed as to be operable in the simplest and most con60 venient way possible by the bathing person, and for this purpose, according to the invention such equipment preferably comprises automatic means: (a) for disconnecting and ejecting the chair chassis 25 from the tub 2 after the seat 17 has been released from the chassis 25 and has been transferred to 65 the sitting position within the tub 2; (b) for returning the chassis to the tub and again interconnecting these components, after the door 20 has been opened after bathing, and (c) for transferring the seat 17 into and out of the tub 2. Such automatic means are not specifically illustrated in the drawing 70 because the same may take many different forms, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is suitable, however, that the automatic operating system — in essential items, at least — be hydraulic in nature, using the tap-water pipes 9, 10 as the source of fluid under pressure. Further a major portion, at 75 least, of the operating members for automatic and other

3,662,409 devices of the control equipment, also, for reasons of convenience, and in a manner known per se, should be collected to the control box 3 mounted on one longitudinal top edge of bath tub 2.

The coupling arrangement for interconnecting the chair 5 chassis 25 with the bath tub 2 is suitably by latching elements which are arranged to latch automatically upon moving these parts together, and to be released by a preferably, hydraulically operated actuator.