[0001] This invention relates to an elevating mechanism for a bath and to a bath equipped
with an elevating mechanism.
[0002] It is known to provide elevating mechanisms for baths. Such mechanisms are used to
raise the bath so that an attendant can wash an invalid while the bath is in an elevated
position and, therefore, without the discomfort of having to kneel or bend over. Baths
equipped with these known mechanisms are usually found in nursing homes and hospitals
where a number of invalids may have to be bathed on any one day.
[0003] The known elevating mechanisms comprise a power operated lifting device housed in
a cabinet located at one end of the bath and cantilevered arms connected to the lifting
device and extending beneath the bath. It will be readily appreciated that with this
arrangement the arms have to be very strong in order to support the combined weight
of a water filled bath and an invalid, not to mention the weight of an attendant leaning
on the bath. Also, the cabinet requires a space at the end of the bath and this is
not always available. The cabinet is also unsightly.
[0004] In seeking to mitigate these drawbacks, the invention in one aspect provides a bath
elevating mechanism comprising a mounting frame forming part of a bath-tub or arranged
to receive a bath-tub thereon, two ground engageable supports at or adjacent to opposite
ends or sides of the frame, respectively, and means for raising and lowering the frame
relative to the supports.
[0005] Preferably, the frame has parts slidable relative to the ground engageable supports
to guide the frame as it is raised or lowered relative to the supports.
[0006] Advantageously, the lifting means comprises two power operated lifting devices mounted
between the frame and the respective supports, the two lifting devices being arranged
to operate in unison so as to keep the frame at a constant attitude to the ground
as it is raised or lowered relative to the supports.
[0007] Conveniently, the ground engageable supports each include a hollow upstanding column
and the lifting devices are at least in part accommodated in respective columns.
[0008] Conveniently, the lifting devices are hydraulically operated piston and cylinder
units, in which case one of the units may be a master unit extendable by pressurised
fluid supplied by a motor driven pump and the other unit may be a slave unit extendable
by pressurised fluid supplied by the master unit.
[0009] Conveniently, each ground engageable support has adjustable feet for levelling the
bath elevating mechanism.
[0010] Preferably, the elevating mechanism is arranged to occupy no greater floor area than
the area bounded by the peripheral edge of a bath-tub for which it is designed.
[0011] In another aspect, the invention provides a bath equipped with an elevating mechanism
according to said one aspect of the invention.
[0012] Preferably, the elevating mechanism is disposed entirely beneath a tub of the bath
and is concealable at least for the most part behind bath panels when in a lowered
position.
[0013] In yet another aspect, the invention provides an elevatable bath comprising a bath-tub,
two ground engageable supports at or adjacent to opposite ends or sides of the bath-tub,
respectively, and means for raising and lowering the bath-tub relative to the supports.
[0014] Preferably, the bath-tub has parts slidable relative to the ground engageable supports
to guide the bath-tub as it is raised or lowered relative to the supports.
[0015] In a further aspect, the invention provides a bath equipped with an elevating mechanism,
wherein the elevating mechanism is disposed entirely beneath a tub of the bath.
[0016] The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a bath equipped with one embodiment of
an elevating mechanism according to said one aspect of the invention, and
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the bath shown in Figure 1 in a lowered position,
and
Figure 3 is a diagram showing the hydraulic circuit of the elevating mechanism of
Figure 1.
[0017] Figures 1 and 2 show a bath-tub 10 equipped with an elevating mechanism 11. The elevating
mechanism 11 comprises a frame 12, two ground engageable supports 13 and 14, two hydraulic
piston and cylinder units 15 and 16, and a motor driven pump 17.
[0018] The frame is of rectangular shape and has side members 12
a, end members 12
b, cross members 12
c and a connecting member 12
d between one of the cross members 12
c and the adjacent end member 12
b.
[0019] A slider block 18 is secured to or formed integrally with each end member 12
b. Each slider block 18 has a vertically extending guide passage 19 of T-shaped cross-section
and two upstanding posts 20
a joined at their upper ends by a bridge piece 20
b.
[0020] Each ground engageable support 13, 14 has an elongate base 21 of angled section,
a hollow, upstanding column 22 of T-shaped cross-section, and two adjustable feet
23. The central limb 22
a of each column 22 is hollow.
[0021] The slider blocks 18 are mounted on respective columns 22, so that the columns 22
extend through respective guide passages 19 and guide the slider blocks 18 in upward
and downward movement.
[0022] The hydraulic units 15 and 16 are mounted in respective hollow limbs 22
a of the upstanding columns 22, the lower ends of the piston rods of the units 15 and
16 being connected to the lower ends of respective columns 22 and the upper ends of
the cylinders of the units 15 and 16 being connected to respective bridge pieces 20
b.
[0023] Thus, by extending the piston and cylinder units 15 and 16, the frame 12 will be
raised.
[0024] The bath-tub 10 is mounted on and secured to the frame 12 with the bridge pieces
20
b lying just below the rim 24 of the bath-tub 10, and the motor driven pump 17 is secured
to the upper face of connecting member 12
d.
[0025] The frame 12 together with the slider blocks 18 has an overall length which is approximately
the same as, but not greater than, the length of the bath-tub 10 and the width of
the frame 12 is approximately equal to, but not greater than, the width of the bath-tub
10. The elevating mechanism 11 therefore occupies no greater floor area than the area
bounded by the peripheral edge of the bath-tub and for the most part is concealable
behind bath panels (not shown) when in a lowered position.
[0026] The piston and cylinder unit 15 is a master unit and the piston and cylinder unit
16 is a slave unit. As shown in Figure 3, the pump 17 communicates with the upper
chamber of the cylinder of the unit 15. The lower chamber of the cylinder of the unit
15 communicates with the upper chamber of the cylinder of the unit 16 and the lower
chamber of the cylinder of the unit 16 communicates with a reservoir 25. The internal
cross-sectional area of the cylinder of the unit 16 is equal to the internal cross-sectional
area of the cylinder of the unit 15 less the cross-sectional area of the piston rod
of the unit 15. Thus as the pump 17 draws fluid from the reservoir 25 and supplies
this to the upper chamber of the unit 15 to extend the unit 15, the fluid forced out
of the lower chamber of the unit 15 will extend the unit 16 at an equal rate to maintain
the frame 12 at a constant attitude. To lower the frame 12 from an elevated position,
a valve 26 can be opened so that fluid in the upper chamber of the cylinder of the
unit 15 is drained to the reservoir 25 whilst fluid is drawn from the reservoir into
the lower chamber of the cylinder of the unit 16.
[0027] The bath-tub 10 may be fitted with taps (not shown) connected to hot and cold water
supplies
via flexible hoses. Alternatively, the bath-tub may be supplied with water from wall
mounted taps. The bath-tub 10 has a drain hole connected to a drain pipe by a flexible
hose.
[0028] As shown in Figure 1, the base 21 of the ground engageable support 14 is not as long
as the base of the ground engageable support 13. This is to allow a chassis of a mobile
invalid hoist to straddle the support 14.
[0029] The embodiment described above is given by way of example only and various modifications
will be apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of
the invention. For example, the slider blocks could be secured to or integral with
the bath in which case a frame as such may not be necessary. The ground engageable
supports could be provided at or adjacent to opposite sides, and not ends, of the
frame or bathl. The ground engageable supports could be connected together. Any other
appropriate lifting means could be provided between the ground engageable supports
and the frame or bath.
1. A bath elevating mechanism comprising a mounting frame (12) forming part of a bath-tub
(10) or arranged to receive a bath-tub (10) thereon, two ground engageable supports
(13, 14) at or adjacent to opposite ends or sides of the frame, respectively, and
means (15, 16, 17) for raising and lowering the frame relative to the supports.
2. A bath elevating mechanism as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the frame has parts (18)
slidable relative to the ground engageable supports to guide the frame as it is raised
or lowered relative to the supports.
3. A bath elevating mechanism as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the raising/lowering
means comprises two power operated lifting devices (15, 16) mounted between the frame
and the respective supports, the two lifting devices being arranged to operate in
unison so as to keep the frame at a constant attitude to the ground as it is raised
or lowered relative to the supports.
4. A bath elevating mechanism as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the ground engageable
supports each include a hollow upstanding column (22) and the lifting devices are
at least in part accommodated in respective columns.
5. A bath elevating mechanism as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein the lifting
devices are hydraulically operated piston and cylinder units (15, 16).
6. A bath elevating mechanism as claimed in Claim 5, wherein one of the piston and
cylinder units is a master unit (15) extendable by pressurised fluid supplied by a
motor driven pump (17) and the other piston and cylinder unit is a slave unit (16)
extendable by pressurised fluid supplied by the master unit.
7. A bath elevating mechanism as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein
the elevating mechanism is arranged to occupy no greater floor area than the area
bounded by the peripheral edge of a bath-tub (10) for which it is designed.
8. A bath equipped with an elevating mechanism (11) according to any one of the preceding
claims.
9. A bath as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the elevating mechanism (11) is disposed
entirely beneath a tub (10) of the bath and is concealable at least for the most part
behind bath panels when in a lowered position.
10. An elevatable bath comprising a bath-tub (10), two ground engageable supports
(13, 14) at or adjacent to opposite ends or sides of the bath-tub, respectively, and
means (15, 16, 17) for raising and lowering the bath-tub relative to the supports.
11. A bath equipped with an elevating mechanism, wherein the elevating mechanism is
disposed entirely beneath a tub of the bath.