Bathtub seat (26-Nov-2009)

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Priority is claimed to Provisional Application 61/055,985, filed on May 24, 2008.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a seat for use on the bottom surface of a bathtub that is used as a stop member to prevent the user from sliding along the bottom surface of the bath tub while reclining therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional bath tubs are formed with a bottom surface portion and an upright wall extending circumferentially around the bottom surface to define a cavity into which a person can be seated to take a bath. Typically, at least one portion of the upright wall is formed in a reclined angle to facilitate the user's reclined lounging in the bath water, such as for purposes of relaxation, reading, etc. Modern bath tubs are typically much larger than the old fashioned standard bath tubs and are equipped with Jacuzzi jets to provide the ability to have a more relaxing experience while using the bath tub. Such modern bath tubs can be deeper, wider and longer than conventional standard bath tubs and, thus, have a substantially larger bottom surface. Nevertheless, the upright wall will have at least one portion that is reclined to facilitate a reclined lounging in the bath tub.

When the user of a bath tub desires to reclined into a lounging position against the reclined wall of the bath tub, the change in the user's center of gravity, as opposed to an upright seated position, will urge a movement of the user along the bottom surface and the reclined upright wall such that the user will often brace against some other structure within the bath tub to prevent submersion into the bath water. This bracing action detracts from the enjoyment of the lounging bath experience.

The prior art discloses structures that could be applied to stabilizing the position of a user while taking a bath in a bathtub hot tub or Jacuzzi. These examples are exemplified by the following:

• The patent to Yang, (U.S. Pat. No. 6,993,797) discloses an inflated pillow having a compliant and frictional bottom surface for contact with the side of a bathtub also having a frictional protrusion. Yang lacks a continuous bottom surface and a zero buoyancy (due to the foam insert) Yang also lacks a long, narrow, steep open ended, steep sided, self supporting and hollow protrusion that allows air to freely escape when submerged to reduce buoyancy and water to freely escape (from the foam insert) when the water level is reduced for cleanliness reasons.
• The patent to Taylor, (U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,070) discloses a bathtub seat apparatus and a continuous, compliant and frictional bottom surface for contact with the bottom of a bathtub. Taylor, however lacks a long, narrow, open ended, steep sided, protrusion that allows air to freely escape when submerged to reduce buoyancy.
• The patent to Wright, (U.S. Pat. No. 3,341,866) discloses a baby bath pad structure having a continuous, compliant and highly frictional bottom surface. However Wright lacks a zero buoyancy to maximize resistance to lateral slippage when in contact with the bottom of a bathtub. Wright also lacks a long, narrow, open ended, hollow protrusion that allows air to freely escape when submerged to reduce buoyancy.

None of the prior art structures by themselves nor combinations of prior art structures were found to duplicate the unique combination of features of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention is a seat for controlling the position of a person taking a bath in a bathtub, hot tub, Jacuzzi or similar device. In its simplest form, it is a short partition that sits on the bottom of the empty bathtub a foot or two from the base of the backrest. Although suction cups are optional on the bottom of the seat they are often ineffective because modern tubs often have a textured surface that creates leaks in the suction cups. Although rubber like compounds that are heavier than water are commonly employed in bathtub accessories a sculptured device presents the problem of trapping air which would cause the accessory to float out of position when the tub is filled or when the user shifts position in the tub. The present invention will stay in contact with the bottom because the air, which is a fluid, in any cavities formed by the seat is displaced by water as the water level increases. Optional provisions are made for more than one protrusion for use as a foot, head or lumbar back rest.

Optionally a bath mat can be added to the perimeter of the seat. Such a mat can add to the safety of the user when getting into or out of the bathtub as well as adding to the stability of the seat if the user sits on a portion of the mat while taking a bath. The geometry of the seat is key to effectively keeping the user from sliding over the seat. Experimentation shows that the seat should be about the diameter of a soda can, higher than it is wide and over three times as long as its width and having flat ends. It has also been found that textures and upward facing protrusions in the surface of the mat and textures in the surface of the seat are further aids to effective operation as a seat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages of this invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed disclosure of the invention, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a bath mat incorporating the principles of the instant invention, the shade lines indicating the raised cushion relative to the generally flat adjacent areas of the bath mat;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the bath mat shown in FIG. 1, depicting a first embodiment of the instant invention;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the bath mat shown in FIG. 1, but depicting a second embodiment of the instant invention;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the bath mat shown in FIG. 1, but depicting a third embodiment of the instant invention utilizing a separate cushion member co-operable with a standard bath mat;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged elevational view of a first embodiment of the separate cushion member depicted in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged elevational view of a second embodiment of the separate cushion member depicted in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the separate cushion member depicted in FIG. 6, the shade lines indicating the curved surface of the cushion member and the phantom lines indicating the location of the internal open core, the central portion of the cushion member being broken away for purposes of clarity;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged side elevational view of a fourth configuration of the instant invention utilizing a pair of bath mats and a simplified independent cushion member;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged side elevational view of the configuration of the instant invention shown in FIG. 8, but utilizing a cylindrical cushion member having a hollow core;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the configuration of the instant invention shown in FIGS. 8 and 9; and

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a bath tub having a bath mat incorporating the principles of the instant invention placed on the bottom surface of the bath tub and a second neck roll bath mat placed on the reclined upright wall portion to provide support for the head and neck of the user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a bath mat incorporating the principles of the instant invention can best be seen. The bath mat 10 is formed of silicone rubber, polyurethane foam or other rubberized material, as is found in standard bath mats, and includes a first generally planar portion 12 and a second generally planar portion 14 defined by a peripheral boundary 11 forming a preferably rectangular bath mat 14. The bath mat 10 is also formed with a raised cushion barrier 15 that presents a substantial barrier against lateral movement from one planar portion 12 to the other planar portion 14. Preferably, this barrier 15 rises approximately four inches above the adjacent generally planar portions 12, 14. Also, the raised barrier 15 is also preferably located at a position that is approximately one-third of the distance from one longitudinal end of the bath mat 10 to the other. Thus, for a bath mat 10 that has a length of 24 inches and a width of 14 inches, the raised cushion barrier 15 would be located at a distance of about 8 inches from one longitudinal end and about 16 inches from the other longitudinal end.

In the first embodiment of the instant invention depicted in FIG. 2, the raised cushion barrier 15 is a solid body, which provides very little flexible movement toward either longitudinal end of the bath mat 10. Such a configuration of the raised cushion barrier 15 presents a very solid stop member to prevent sliding across the bath mat 10. The underside of the bath mat 10 is provided with a plurality of rows of suction cups 19 to provide adequate adherence to the bottom surface of the bath tub when placed thereon to prevent the bath mat 10 from sliding along the bottom surface when the user is reclined against the stop member 15, as will be described in greater detail below. For smaller sized bath mats 10, such as the 14×24 inch bath mat referred to above, the utilization of suction cups 19 along the entire underside of the bath mat 10 is needed to provide adequate adherence to the bottom surface of the bath tub.

In FIG. 3, a second configuration of the instant invention can best be seen. While the solid raised cushion member 15 depicted in FIG. 1 provides a positive stop member to prevent sliding across the bath mat 10, the solid raised cushion 15 may present an uncomfortable obstacle to a user stepping into or out of the bath tub. The raised cushion member 15 in the second configuration shown in FIG. 3 is formed with a hollow core 17 that enables some flexibility in movement in the longitudinal direction and also yields somewhat when stepped on by the user. Furthermore, the hollow core 17 would eliminate the use of a corresponding amount of material and, therefore, should be less expensive to manufacture.

As can be seen in FIGS. 4-10, the raised cushion member 15 can be provided by a separate cushion member 20 that is provided independently and can be used in conjunction with a standard bath mat 30 having a plurality of suction cups 19 along the entire underside of the bath mat 30. The cushion member 20 can be formed as a solid member, as is depicted in FIG. 5, or with a hollow core 22 as depicted in FIG. 6 that would provide the same benefits as noted above with respect to the bath mat 10 shown in FIG. 3. The bottom side of the cushion member 20 is preferably provided with several rows of suction cups 29 so that the cushion member 20 will not detract from the ability of the bath mat to adhere to the bottom surface of the bath tub.

As depicted in FIG. 4, the cushion member 20 is co-operable with a standard flat bath mat 30 having a plurality of suction cups 19 on the underside thereof. The cushion member 20 can be positioned on the bottom surface of the bath tub at the desired location to provide a stop member that keeps the user from sliding along the bottom surface of the bath tub. The standard bath mat 30 can then be placed overtop of the cushion member 20 with the suction cups 19 extending along the bottom surface of the bath tub and over the top of the cushion member 20. The combination of the suction cups 19 on the underside of the bath mat 30 and the suction cups 29 on the underside of the cushion member 20 provide adequate adherence to the bottom surface of the bath tub to prevent the bath mat 30 from sliding along the bottom surface due to the forces exerted by the reclined user. The few suction cups 19 of the bath mat 30 passing over the top of the cushion member 20 will help hold the cushion member 20 in place relative to the bath mat 30.

Preferably, the transverse width of the cushion member 20 is substantially the same as the transverse width of the bath mat 30. However, matching transverse widths of the cushion member 20 and the bath mat 30 are not necessary. If the cushion member 20 has a greater transverse width than the bath mat 30, the combination would still work satisfactorily. Preferably, the shape of the cushion member 20 will be somewhat of a bell-shape, as best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, so that the cushion member 20 will substantially fill in the void that will be created by the flexible bath mat 30 be placed over top of the cushion member 20. However, other shapes for the cushion member 20 are also acceptable, such as the circular or cylindrical shape depicted in FIG. 9, or an oval shape. Furthermore, the bell-shaped cushion member 20 will provide a greater resistance to movement underneath the bath mat 30 than a circular shape or other shapes that do not fully, or substantially fully, fill the void underneath the bath mat 30.

As shown in FIGS. 8-10, an acceptable bath mat configuration 40 can be created from a pair of bath mats 30, 35 and a cushion member 20, even if the cushion member 20 is not formed with suction cups on the underside thereof. The configuration 40 is formed by a first small bath mat 30 (or a standard bath mat that has been cut down) that is placed on the bottom. The second bath mat 35 has a standard size to provide sufficient suction cups for engagement with the bottom surface of the bath tub, and can be placed on top of the first bath mat 30 with the cushion member 20 positioned between the first and second bath mats 30, 35. The two bath mats are then joined together, such as via the use of a pair of plastic fasteners 36 at each lateral end of the overlapped cushion 20 so that the fasteners 36 pass through the two bath mats and are interconnect the two bath mats so that they will not separate. The configuration 40 is particularly adapted for use when the cushion member 20 is not formed with suction cups on the underside thereof. The interaction between the first and second bath mats 30, 35 and the bottom surface of the bath tub will maintain the position of the configuration when a reclined user is positioned against the cushion member 20.

As noted above, and depicted specifically in FIG. 9, the shape of the cushion member 20 can be other than the bell-shaped cushion member shown in FIG. 8. For example, a circular or cylindrical cushion member 20 would also provide an acceptable function to stop the sliding movement of a reclined user, particularly when used in the configuration 40 with a pair of interacting bath mats 30, 35. Using a simple cushion member 20, i.e. a cushion member 20 that is not formed with suction cups on the underside thereof, can provide acceptable performance even if used in a configuration with only one bath mat 30 that passes over top of the cushion member 20, provided that the bath mat 30 is sufficiently large and the user sufficiently small that the number of suction cups engaging the bottom surface of the bath tub will retain the position of the bath mat 30 when engaged by a reclining user.

The deployment of the bath mat 10 is best seen in FIG. 11. The bath mat 10 with the cushion member 15, 20 is positioned on the bottom surface 52 of the bath tub 50 such that the cushion member 15, 20 is located at the desired location to provide proper support to a reclined user leaning back on the reclined upright wall 53, and the short planar portion 12 is located where the user will sit upon it. The longer planar portion 14 will be located so that the user's legs or feet will be able to engage the longer planar portion 14.

A neck roll embodiment 60 of the bath mat 10 configuration described above can be provided to provide support and comfort to the neck and head of the reclined user. The neck roll embodiment 60 will preferably have smaller planar portions 62, 64 and a smaller cushion member 65 than the bath mat counterpart 10. Preferably, the neck roll embodiment 60 will have an overall longitudinal length of about 10 inches with the cushion member 65 located at the center thereof so that the first generally planar member 62 and the second generally planar member 64 have substantially equal dimensions. Preferably, the cushion member 65 will project approximately two and a half inches above the top surface of the planar members 62, 64 so as to provide proper support for the user's neck and head. As with the bath mat 10, the neck roll embodiment 60 will have suction cups 69 formed on the underside thereof so that the neck roll 60 can be stuck to the reclined upright wall 53 and the top surface 54 of the bath tub 50.

Accordingly, the positioning of the bath mat 10 on the bottom surface 52 of the bath tub 50 and the neck roll 60 on the reclined upright wall 53 and the top portion 54 will provide support for the user so that the user will not slide across the bottom surface 52. The user will sit on the short planar portion 12 of the bath mat 10 resting against the cushion member 65 on the neck roll 60 and relax in a reclined position without sliding across the bottom portion 52 and underneath the surface of the water within the bath tub 50.

Both the bath mat 10 and the neck roll 60 can be removed easily from the bath tub 50 simply by pulling up on one end of the bath mat 10 or neck roll 60 and pulling upwardly to release the grip of the suction cups 19, 69 on the respective surface 52, 53 of the tub 50. The tub can then be cleaned without the bath mat 10 and/or the neck roll 60 being engaged with the bath tub 50, after which the bath mat 10 and/or the neck roll 60 can be reinstalled on the surfaces 52, 53 of the bath tub 50. Furthermore, since users of bath tubs 50 come in many different sizes and shapes, the detachable nature of the bath mat 10 and the neck roll 60 enable either of these devices to be re-positioned on the tub 50 at will.

It will be understood that changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangements of parts which have been described and illustrated to explain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made by those skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure within the principles and scope of the invention. The foregoing description illustrates the preferred embodiments of the invention; however, concepts, as based up the description, may be employed in other embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention.

1. A bathtub seat for limiting a position of a user for user comfort during a bath, comprising: a base for resisting a lateral motion of the base with respect to a surface of the bathtub; one or more protrusions extending upward from the base for resisting a body part of the user from passing over the one or more protrusions; wherein a resistance to lateral motion of the base with respect to the surface of the bathtub is inherent in a frictional characteristics of a construction material of the base; wherein the resistance to a body part of the user from passing over the protrusion is inherent in the frictional characteristics of the construction material of the base; wherein the construction material of the base and the protrusion is rubber or a rubber like material; wherein a weight of the bathtub seat including a trapped fluid exceeds a weight of a displaced water for staying submerged while filling the bathtub.

2. The bathtub seat of claim 1, wherein: a cavity in at least one of the one or more protrusions is open in least one location for letting water to freely flow into the cavity to further increase the weight of the bathtub seat for staying submerged while filling the bathtub.

3. The bathtub seat of claim 1, wherein: the base extends horizontally from the one or more protrusions in one or more directions for additional resistance of the lateral motion of the one or more protrusions with respect to the surface of the bathtub.

4. The bathtub seat of claim 1, wherein: the construction material of the base is the same material as the construction material of at least one of the one or more protrusions.

5. The bathtub seat of claim 3, wherein: wherein at least one of the one or more protrusions is removably attached to the base for re-positioning.

6. The bathtub seat of claim 1, wherein: wherein at least one of the one or more protrusions is self supported solely by a structure and a material strength of at least one of the one or more protrusions.

7. The bathtub seat of claim 1, wherein: the base and at least one of the one or more protrusions is integral in one piece.

8. The bathtub seat of claim 3, wherein: at least one of the one or more protrusions is located adjacent to the center third of the long edge of the base.

9. The bathtub seat of claim 3, wherein: the surface of at least one of the one or more protrusions has one or more surface profiles to further resist a body part of the user from passing over the at least one of the one or more protrusions.

10. The bathtub seat of claim 1, wherein: one or more surface profiles on the bottom surface of the base apply suction between the base and the surface of the bathtub for further increase of the resistance to lateral slippage between the base and the surface of the bathtub.

11. The bathtub seat of claim 1, wherein: a top half of at least one of the one or more protrusions is essentially cylindrical in shape.

12. The bathtub seat of claim 1, wherein: one or more of the one or more protrusions has a height that exceeds a width of the one or more of the one or more protrusions.

13. The bathtub seat of claim 1, wherein: a ends of one or more of the one or more protrusions are essentially flat.

14. The bathtub seat of claim 1, wherein: a length of the one or more of the one or more protrusions is three or more times the width of the one or more of the one or more protrusions.

15. The bathtub seat of claim 2, wherein: the base has an essentially rectangular perimeter.

16. A method of use of a bathtub seat for limiting a user position for user comfort while taking a bath, comprising the steps: laying a base having a protrusion with the protrusion facing upwards in the bathtub; placing the base with a length of a protrusion parallel to a backrest of the bathtub with an edge of the base in proximity to a bottom of a backrest of the bathtub; filling the bathtub with water; displacing a fluid from the protrusion cavity with the water, without user intervention, to keep the seat from floating, sitting between the protrusion and the backrest of the bathtub for taking a bath.

17. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step: prior to sitting, stepping onto a top surface of the base with one foot on at least one side of the one or more protrusions for increasing the resistance of the lateral motion of the base with respect to the surface of the bathtub and to resist the users foot from lateral slipping.

18. A kit for providing a user with a bathtub seat for limiting a user position for comfort while taking a bath, comprising: a bathtub seat further comprising: a base for resisting a lateral motion of the base with respect to a surface of the bathtub; one or more protrusions extending upward from the base for resisting a body part of the user from passing over; wherein a resistance to lateral motion of the base with respect to the surface of the bathtub is inherent in a frictional characteristics of a construction material of the one or more protrusions; wherein the resistance to a body part of the user from passing over the protrusion is inherent in the frictional characteristics of the construction material of the base; wherein the construction material of the base and the protrusion is rubber or a rubber like material wherein a weight of the bathtub seat including a trapped fluid exceeds a weight of a displaced water for staying submerged while filling the bathtub; a instruction further comprising: laying a base having a protrusion with the protrusion facing upwards in the bathtub; placing the base with a length of a protrusion parallel to a backrest of the bathtub with an edge of the base in proximity to a bottom of a backrest of the bathtub; filling the bathtub with water; displacing a fluid from the protrusion cavity with the water, without user intervention, to keep the seat from floating, sitting between the protrusion and the backrest of the tub for taking a bath.

19. A bathtub seat for limiting a position of a user for comfort while taking a bath, comprising: a seat having a bottom surface with a multiplicity of suction cups, steep sides and an essentially cylindrical about the diameter of a soft drink can the ends of which are open so the seat sinks in the bathtub of water.

20. The bathtub seat of claim 20, further comprising: a rectangular rubber bath mat having a long edge essentially twice as long as a short edge and a top, pebbled, surface that is further textured by a multiplicity of hemisphere shaped, ping pong ball sized protrusions, and oriented with the axis of the seat parallel to and essentially the same length as the short edge of the rectangular bath mat and located adjacent the center third of the long edge.