1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to portable bath devices and, more specifically, to a portable bathing unit fabricated of a sturdy, rigid, lightweight material wherein said portable bathing unit comprises a base member having a horizontal bottom surrounded by vertical walls with an open top forming a basin in which to bathe a person that is infirm, injured or otherwise in need of assisted bathing.
The present invention further comprises a means for introducing water into the basin for washing the person therein and a means for draining the water therefrom. A removable side panel is incorporated in at least one sidewall of said base member to ease the transferal of a patient therein and therefrom and is secured to said base member by latching mechanisms that in conjunction with an EPDM seal assure a watertight seal. The latching mechanisms may also be adjustable to allow the user to increase the tension accordingly to compensate for any deformities occurring to the sidewall or base member after a period of use to maintain the water tight seal.
Furthermore, an adjustable backrest/footrest element is provided which can be selectively placed within said basin according to the needs of the individual within. A tongue and groove fastening method is the preferable means for adjustably retaining said backrest/footrest element in a specific position within the basin although other suitable backrest retaining means may be utilized. A headrest may be removably fastened by an attachment means such as hook and loop fasteners to the backrest/footrest element or the top of the end sidewalls to provide comfort and safety to the patient depending upon the needs of the patient and the type of bath they are receiving.
The means for introducing water into the basin comprises a flexible conduit, a means for fastening said flexible conduit to a pressurized water source, and a means for manually restricting and controlling the flow of fluid from said flexible conduit. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the water source is a conventional household shower head and the water source fastening means is a threaded diverter element that threads onto the shower neck when the shower head is removed therefrom. The flexible conduit is a shower hose connected to said diverter element on one end and to the fluid restricting means on the other with said fluid restricting means being a hand-held shower head. The hand-held shower head comprises a means for connecting to said shower hose, a handle member, a plurality of dispersion recesses for diffusing the ejaculation of the fluid as it passes therethrough and a means for manually regulating the pressure and quantity of water introduced to the patient. The showerhead may also be equipped with a trickle drip system that will prevent the water regulating means from completely restricting the flow of water through the shower head thereby preventing backpressure from causing undue stress to the internal components therein.
The drainage means comprises a drain assembly and a discharge hose that could thread onto the drain assembly, said drain assembly comprising a passage communicating between the floor of the internal basin portion of said base member and a spigot incorporated with the base member threaded to correspond with the threads of said discharge hose. The discharge line could be run to a bathtub, shower enclosure or any other suitable area to receive waste water that is at a level lower than that of the drain assembly. The spigot may be completely open during washing thereby providing more of a shower as the water is drained from the basin as rapidly as it is introduced or it may be partially closed to allow the patient to remain immersed while the shower head is continually introducing water therein. The spigot may also be closed to allow the basin to be filled to a selected depth and used strictly as a bath. Once the bathing is complete the drain is fully opened, the water is drained completely, the patient rolled back onto the bed, and the tub is removed.
A gurney is provided for supporting the bathing unit when it is not feasible or allowed to bathe the patient on the bed. The top portion of the gurney""s frame fits inside corresponding cannels located on the underside of the bathing unit to maintain it securely.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other portable bath devices. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 2,576,623 issued to Mclaughlin on Nov. 27, 1951.
Another patent was issued to Kyte on Feb. 2, 1971 as U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,216. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,045 was issued to Estes on Oct. 9, 1979 and still yet another was issued on Jun. 17, 1980 to Kagawa as U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,629.
Another patent was issued to Marcanio on Dec. 4, 1984 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,502. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,850 was issued to Flaherty et al. on Dec. 22, 1987 and still yet another was issued to Rhines on Jun. 25, 1991 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,515 and Inagaki was issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,136 on Oct. 8, 1991. U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,526 was issued on Aug. 30, 1994 to Kennedy and on Feb. 4, 1997 Crawford et al. was issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,590. Appleford et al. was issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,614 on Dec. 30, 1997 and on Oct. 13, 1998 Coleman was issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,333.
A bathing apparatus comprising a portable and collapsible tub stand, a tub hingedly secured to said stand and one of the side walls of said tub being hinged so that a patient may be moved into the tub through the opening formed in the tub by the opening formed in the tub by opening the side of the tub.
A portable bathtub for use with bed patients that comprises a basin with a bottom wall and an upstanding end and longitudinal side walls surrounding the bottom wall, the bottom wall the bottom wall and one longitudinal side wall being joined by an externally convex, curved wall section of relatively large radius forming a rocker support along the corresponding lower longitudinal corner portion of the tub whereby the tub can be rotated transversely on the rocker support afforded by said curved wall to place a patient in the tub without lifting the patient.
A contoured inner bathing tub or litter having a multiplicity of perforations or apertures formed therein is removably positioned within a complementarily contoured outer tub. The outer tub is supported on a mobile frame. The present invention permits a patient to be easily positioned on the litter and, then, bathed while resting stationary and in a natural position within the inner tub. The perforations enable the bathing liquid to enter the litter for washing the patient.
A tub-bathing equipment for bedridden old people, physically-handicapped people and so on, in which a bathtub fitted into a rectangular frame of a carriage from above is slanted by a crane disposed under the bathtub so that the side of the shallowest portion of the bathtub is lowered to the floor to allow ease in helping the patient into or out of the bathtub.
A portable bathing tub for invalids, especially bed-ridden persons. There is a large waterproof sheet which is laid on one half of the width of the bed, while the person rolls to the other half Then the person rolls onto the half where the sheet has been placed, and the remainder of the sheet is extended over the second half of the bed, and the margins are gathered up close to or onto the person when the person is approximately centered on the bed. A frame of four L-shaped members, preferably made of plastic material, is erected to form a rectangular enclosure of low walls around the person. The edges of the waterproof sheet are then placed against these low walls and extend up the inside surfaces of the walls and are folded over the top edges of the walls, held there by spring clips. Water is then added to this shallow tub, so the person may bathe or be bathed. An outlet conduit allows the water to be drained when the bath is completed. A by-pass around a valve in the outlet conduit rises to an elevation slightly below the top edge of the tub walls, so as to retain water (up to this elevation) when the valve is closed, but to allow excess water to pass out through the by pass if the tub is accidentally filled too close to the top edge of the tub walls. The L-shaped members are easily disassembled for storage between baths.
An improved portable bathing apparatus useful for washing toxic substances from a patient in a prone position includes a support platform mounted on a support frame, a circumferential rail with a sheet attached to the rail, the rail being movable between a position parallel with the table to a position above the table to define a vessel. Specialized liners may be positioned within the vessel for use when bathing a patient to wash toxic substances therefrom. A stretcher with a special stainless steel construction and configuration is provided for support of a patient within the vessel.
A portable bath tub apparatus 10 is provided for facilitating the bathing of bedridden persons. The portable bath tub apparatus 10 includes an inflatable bath tub 16. An air pump 60 and tank 61 are provided to inflate the bath tub 16. A movable water storage tank 40 is coupled to the bath tub 16 by a water pump 46 which facilitates the movement of water from the tank to the bath tub 16. A heat dispenser 56 is provided to heat the water in the tank 40 so that the water in the bath tub 16 can be maintained at a desired temperature.
A bed capable of allowing a patient such as the aged confined in a bed to take a bath easily and without much trouble to a nurse attending to the patient. According to a feature of the bed, a bath-tub is slidably mounted at the lower portion of the bed, the bath-tub having a mat disposed therein, said mat being movable up and down within the bath-tub with a human body laid thereon. The bed is provided with a tilting mechanism for easily transferring a patient from the bed to the mat, the mat also capable of being tilted by a suitable mechanism so that the human body may be easily transferred from the mat to the bed.
An apparatus for the hygiene care of a person confined to a bed, comprising an inflatable tub with two cavities therein that is easily placed under a person and inflated. The device is equipped with separate drains and aprons which create pockets that contain disposable waste water bags which retrieve all waste water from the bed. The inflatable bed is supplied with water and air from a free-moving service apparatus. The inflatable bed and service apparatus are integral parts and together provide a practical and convenient method to administer personal hygiene care to a person confined to a bed.
A portable bath tub (20, 20A, 20C) and a supporting frame (46, 17A, 200) for the bath tub (20, 20A, 20C) are positioned alongside a bed (10, 10A, 10C). The bath tub (20, 20A, 20C) has a front side (76) which overlaps a mattress (12, 12A, 12C) on the bed (10, 10A, 10C) and is supported thereby. The tub (20, 20A, 20C) bridges the bed (10, 10A, 10C) and the supporting frame. The bed (10B) has a bed frame (14B) which is movable vertically for raising and lowering the bath tub (20) which is partially supported on the mattress (12B).
A bath (1) for use by an elderly or disabled person. The bath (1) includes a side opening (3) which extends over the full width and height of the bath (1) and is surrounded by and outwardly and downwardly extending skirt (8). A door (4) with a channel (9) on its inner surface is upwardly translatable in its own plane to bring the door (4) over the opening (3) and force the skirt (8) into sealing engagement with a seal (11, 40) in the channel (9) which may be a foamed rubber seal or a part fluid-filled flexible tube up which the fluid is squeezed to effect sealing in upper portions of the tube as closing is completed.
A portable, inflatable, one-person vessel for recumbent, weightless, therapeutic flotation of a sufferer features a plurality of substantially vertical inflatable compartments attached to a waterproof floor. Each of the inflatable compartments is interconnected in pneumatic communication with the other inflatable compartments. Each inflatable compartment is in contact with adjacent inflatable compartments. The portable, inflatable vessel can be erected around a person suffering from pathology such as back spasm, sciatic nerve pain, arthritis, etc., and who cannot or should not be moved, or for a person who does not have access to a therapeutic pool. The flotation vessel provides a weightless environment for relief of pain caused by weight of body, constriction of joints, pressure, muscle spasm or tension, nerve pain, and etc.
While these portable bath devices may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.
The present invention discloses a portable bed device comprising a horizontal bottom surrounded by vertical walls with an open top forming a basin for holding water therein in order to wash a person. The tub has a removable side panel incorporated into at least one sidewall wherein a latching mechanism is used to attach the removable side panel to the tub. An adjustable backrest/footrest is provided in order to rest the patient""s head thereon wherein the backrest/footrest element is attached by tongue and groove fastening means to the sidewalls of the tub. A headrest may also be removably attached to the backrest/footrest element. A means for introducing water into the tub comprises a flexible inlet conduit and a flexible outlet conduit wherein water may be supplied from a conventional household showerhead and diverted back for discharge into, for example, the shower itself. The patient may be washed using the showerhead attached to the end of the inlet line. The showerhead may also be equipped with a trickle-drip system. The tub may be placed onto a gurney when it is not feasible to bathe the patient in the bed.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a portable bed bath unit that will permit the infirm, elderly or otherwise incapacitated person in need of assistance to receive a full bath on their bed or on a gurney.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable bed bath unit that is rigid and lightweight to allow a single caregiver to put the present invention on the bed and transfer the patient therein.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable bed bath unit having a removable sidewall for easy patient transferal between the bed or a wheelchair and the present invention.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable bed bath unit wherein the bathing area may be sized accordingly for children and different sized adults through the use of an adjustable backrest that may be secured within a plurality of positions within the tub.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable bed bath unit having a hand-held shower head having a substantially long hose for receiving water from a water source such as a conventional shower head and a drain assembly and discharge hose for removing water therefrom.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable bed bath unit having a gurney to support the bathing unit, the height of the gurney could be the height of a bed or of a wheelchair.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable bed bath unit that is inexpensive to manufacture and operate.
One more object of the present invention is to provide a portable bed bath unit that is simple to use.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a portable bed bath unit that is lightweight and rigid and has a removable sidewall that when removed provides an accessible entryway for transferal of a patient therethrough. The shower head connects to a water source and has a pressure release trickle system to prevent excessive back pressure. A gurney is provided to support the bathing unit when unable to bathe the patient on the bed.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.