Bathing apparatus

Abstract

A seat lift for a bath that includes a seat, a seat back hingedly connected to the seat, a torsion spring, and a guide means for guiding the seat in reversible movement between lower and upper positions. The guide means is configured so that movement between the lower and upper positions comprises both vertical and lateral movement of the seat relative to a base of the bath. The seat back may move between a first seat back position in which the seat back is substantially upright and a second seat back position in which the seat back is orientated so that a user is leaning backwards. The torsion spring biases the seat back to rotate around the hinge connecting the seat back to the seat toward the first seat back position. The torsion spring torque is smaller when the seat is in the lower position than in the upper position.

Claims

1. A seat lift for use in association with a bath comprising a bath base and at least one side wall, the seat lift comprising a seat, a seat back hingedly connected to the seat, a torsion spring, and a guide means adapted to guide the seat in reversible movement between a lower position in which the seat is close to the bath base and an upper position in which the seat is remote from the bath base characterized in that the guide means is configured so that movement of the seat between the lower and upper positions comprises both vertical and lateral movement of the seat relative to the base of the bath; the seat back may move between a first seat back position in which the seat back is substantially upright and a second seat back position in which the seat back is orientated relative to the seat so that a user sitting on the seat and with their back on the seat back is leaning backwards; the torsion spring biases the seat back to rotate around the hinge connecting the seat back to the seat toward the first seat back position; and a torque exerted by the torsion spring is smaller when the seat is in the lower position than when the seat is in the upper position.

2. A seat lift according to claim 1 in which the bath base has a longitudinal extent and the lateral movement of the seat is substantially in the direction of that longitudinal extent.

3. A seat lift according to claim 1 in which in first seat back position is such that the angle between the seat and the seat back is between around 90 and around 115, between around 90 and around 110, between around 95 and around 110, or between around 100 and around 110.

4. A seat lift according to claim 1 in which the second seat back position is such that the angle between the seat and the seat back is between around 115 and around 180, between around 110 and around 180, between around 110 and around 160, or between around 110 and around 140.

5. A seat lift according to claim 1 in which movement of the seat and seat back from the upper position to the lower position causes the torque exerted by the torsion spring to be reduced and movement of the seat and seat back from the lower position to the upper position causes the torque exerted by the torsion spring to increase.

6. A seat lift according to claim 5 in which the torsion spring interacts with the bath base when the seat is less than a predetermined distance from the bath base.

7. A seat lift according to claim 1 in which the torsion spring is a duel torsion spring.

8. A seat lift according to claim 1 in which the seat lift further comprises a tilting lever, in which the tilting lever is fixed to the seat back and a contact portion of the tilting lever extends below the seat.

9. A seat lift according to claim 8 in which the contact portion of the tilting lever is spaced from the seat when the seat back is in the first seat back position and movement of the contact portion of the tilting lever to move toward the seat causes movement of the seat back from the first seat back position toward the second seat back position.

10. A seat lift according to claim 8 in which the contact portion of the tilting lever may comprise one or more contact means adapted to contact the base of the bath without causing damage to the surface of the bath base.

11. A seat lift according to claim 1 in which the seat lift further comprises at least one arm rest.

12. A bath comprising a bath base and at least one side wall in combination with a seat lift according to claim 1.

Description

(1) The present invention will be further described and explained by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which

(2) FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a bath incorporating an embodiment of a seat lift according to the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a side view of a bath and seat lift as shown in FIG. 1 when the seat and seat back are in the upper position;

(4) FIG. 2A shows a detail of FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 3 shows a side view of bath and seat lift as shown in FIG. 1 when the seat and seat back are in the lower position;

(6) FIG. 3A shows a detail of FIG. 3; and

(7) FIG. 4 shows a schematic detail for the guide means of the bath and seat lift as shown in FIG. 1.

(8) With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a bath (2) comprising a bath base (4) and side walls (6), (8), (10) and (12). The side wall (6) includes an aperture (14) which may be sealingly closed by a door (not shown) so that the bath (2) can retain water introduced into it via a tap (16). The bath (2) is provided with a drain (not shown) through which water retained in the bath (2) may be removed from the bath if that is desired.

(9) Integral with the bath (2) is a seat lift (20) comprising a seat (22), a seat back (24), and first and second armrests (26) and (28). The seat (22) and the armrests (26) and (28) are fixed to each other via arm pillars (30) and (32).

(10) As shown in FIG. 1, the seat lift (20) is in its upper position, being a position when the seat lift (20) is furthest from the bath base (4) and, in particular, the seat (22) is sufficiently high above the bath base (4) that a user, including a user who is elderly, infirm or has mobility issues, can rest their hands or forearms on armrests (26) and (28) and sit upon the seat (22). The ability to rest their hands or arms on the armrests (26) and (28) is of significant benefit to the user because those armrests are sufficiently high that the user can use the armrests (26) and (28) to maintain stability when they sit on the seat (22).

(11) When the seat lift (20) is in the upper position as illustrated in FIG. 1, the seat back (24) is in the first seat back position, that seat back position being one in which the angle between the seat (22) and the seat back (24) is between about 90 and about 100 this is also illustrated in FIG. 2. The seat back (24) is biased by a torsion spring (44) into the first seat back position. The torsion spring exerts a torque of x Nm. When the seat lift (20) is in the lower position, the torsion spring exerts a torque of y Nm where x>y. This change of torque is caused by means not shown. In some embodiments of the invention the torsion spring (44) interacts with the bath base (4) to reduce the torque exerted by the tension spring (44) when the seat (22) is within a predetermined distance of the bath base (4).

(12) As may be seen from FIGS. 2 and 2A, when the seat lift (20) is between the upper position (illustrated in FIG. 1) and a lower position (illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 3A) the seat back (24) remains in the first seat back position. This seat back position gives a user (not illustrated) a secure and stable seating position. The user may, via control means (not shown), cause the seat lift (20) to travel between the upper and lower positions.

(13) As may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 2A, the seat lift (20) further includes a tilting lever (40). The tilting lever (40) is rigidly connected with the seat back (24) (although in alternative embodiments the seat back (24) and tilting lever (40) may be integral with each other) and the seat back (24) is hingedly attached to the seat (22) at a hinge (42). The hinge (42) is at least partially surrounded by a torsion spring (44) which acts on the tilt lever (40) biasing the tilt lever (40) in a clockwise direction as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 2A. As a result, the torsion spring (44) also biases the seat back (24) into the first seat back position.

(14) When the seat lift (20) moves from the upper position downward and backward toward the bath wall (12) it moves towards the position illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 3A. As the seat lift (20) approaches the bath base (4) a roller (46) attached to the tilt lever (40) makes contact with the bath base (4) and rolls a small distance along the surface of bath base (4) as the tilt lever (40) is forced to rotate in an anticlockwise direction against the bias of the torsion spring (44). This anticlockwise movement of the tilt lever (40) causes the seat back (24) to move into to a second seat back position as illustrated in FIG. 3 wherein the seat back is proximal to the bath wall (12). This allows a user sitting on the seat (22) to be able to lie back to a certain degree and enjoy their bath.

(15) The tilt lever (40) is provided with a stop (48) which, when the seat lift (20) reaches the lower position, bears upon the underside of the seat (22). This has the effect of preventing excess forces on the tilt lever (40) and renders the seat lift (20) more stable when in the lower position than it would otherwise be without the presence of stop (48).

(16) When the seat lift (20) moves away from the lower position and toward the upper position the torsion spring (44) pushes the tilt lever (40) in a clockwise direction so moving the seat back (24) from the second seat back position toward the first seat back position.

(17) The motive power for moving the seat lift (20) between the upper and lower position is provided by a pair of linear actuators (60) one of which is schematically illustrated in FIG. 4. The linear actuators (60) are electrically powered and controlled by control means that are not shown. Typically the control means would be incorporated in an armrest (26) or (28) or an arm pillar (30) or (32). Typically the control would be via rocker switches or the like.

(18) The mechanism associated with movement of the seat lift (20) illustrated in FIG. 4 has an equivalent arrangement of actuator and stabilising rods associated with armrest (28) but which is not illustrated.

(19) The linear actuator (60) is orientated at an angle relative to vertical with the result that when the actuator arm (62) either moves out of the actuator (60) or into the actuator (60) the armrest (26) upon which the actuator arm (62) bears moves away from the bath wall (12) or towards the bath wall (12) respectively. Alternatively expressed, the seat lift (20) moves along part of the longitudinal axis of the bath base (4) when the actuators (60) are in operation. Also provided are first and second stabiliser rods (64) and (66) which are attached to the armrest (26). A first end of stabiliser rods (64) and (66) pass through bushes (68) and (70) respectively. The bushes (68) and (70) are of a sufficient dimension in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the respective stabilising rods (64) and (66) that the bushes (68) and (70) have the effect of preventing lateral movement of the stabilising rods (64) and (66). This has the result that the armrest (26) is stable both whilst it is in movement as a result of operation of the actuator (60) and when the actuator (60) is not causing movement.

(20) The actuator (60) and bushes (68) and (70) are fixed relative to the bath wall (6) by virtue of their attachment to a rigid bath frame (not shown) onto which the bath walls are also attached. This has the result that the armrests (26) and (28) are in a fixed stable position relative to the bath (2). For aesthetic reasons the bath walls (6) and (8) can be double skinned walls and the bath frame (not shown), actuators (60) and bushes (68) and (70) may be located between the skins. Also located between the skins may be appropriate power supply means and other electronics associated with the control of the movement of the seat lift (20).