EP0610047A1

EP0610047A1 - Bidet accessory for bath

Info

Publication number: EP0610047A1
Application number: EP94300702A
Authority: EP
Inventors: William Dennis Gillespie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-02-05
Filing date: 1994-01-31
Publication date: 1994-08-10
Also published as: ZA94547B

Abstract

A seat assembly (10) for use in washing the anal or genital area of a person in a bath (34) while the person is seated on the seat assembly (10). The seat assembly (10) comprises a seat (12) having an aperture (14) in it and an engagement formation (16) in the form of a downwardly extending lip (21) for engaging a wall (36) of the bath (34), and a support means in the form of two legs (18) depending from the seat (12). Each leg (18) comprises an upper tubular member (43) and a lower tubular member (45) which are telescopically displaceable with respect to one another via a threaded bar inside the tubular members for adjusting the length of the leg (18). The seat assembly (10) includes a holding clip (62.2) for holding of a shower head in an arrangement in which a stream of water can be directed towards the anal or genital area of a person seated on the seat (12).

Description

THIS INVENTION relates to a seat assembly for a bath and has particular application for enabling the utilisation of a hand held shower head as a bidet.
In certain medical conditions, for example haemorrhoids or other conditions causing itching of the anal or genital area of a person, discomfort can be relieved by the use of a bidet for application of cool water to the affected area. Where there is no bidet installed, this treatment must be effected in a shower or bath. Whilst taking a bath will relieve the discomfort, it is more convenient to use a hand held shower head to wash the affected area. The utilisation of such a shower head in this treatment will often entail the person having to crouch, which when being effected in a bath could result in the person sustaining injury from slipping. Where the person is elderly, infirm, or perhaps suffering from rheumatism or arthritis, the dangers of effecting such a treatment unaided, are increased.
Any reference hereinafter to an affected area of a person must be interpreted to mean the anal or genital area of the person.
It is an object of this invention to provide a seat assembly to minimise the aforementioned dangers.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a seat assembly for use in washing an affected area of a person in a bath, comprising a seat having an aperture therein, the seat having an engagement formation along one edge thereof for engaging a wall of the bath, and having support means depending therefrom adjacent another edge of the seat which is opposed to said one edge of the seat.
The engagement formation may include an operatively downwardly extending lip which can operatively engage a portion of the bath at the operative top end of the wall of the bath in an arrangement in which lateral displacement of the seat assembly with respect to the bath, in a direction towards said another edge of the seat, is restricted.
The support means may comprise two legs disposed in spaced relationship to one another and depending from a portion of the seat adjacent said another edge thereof.
Each of the legs may comprise two leg portions which are telescopically displaceable with respect to one another, thereby permitting adjustment of the length of the legs.
Each leg may include a screw arrangement which permits the leg portions of each leg to be screwed with respect to one another for adjusting the length of the leg.
The seat may have a horseshoe-like configuration in plan view, with the aperture of the seat opening out along said another edge between the legs.
Each leg may include a foot member which is connected thereto and which is pivotally displaceable with respect to the leg to permit secure location of the leg on surfaces which are obliquely disposed with respect to the leg.
The seat assembly may include holding means for operatively holding a shower head in a position which permits a stream of water to be directed via the shower head towards the affected area of a person seated on the seat assembly, in use.
Further features of the seat assembly of the invention, including the mode of use thereof, are described in more detail hereinafter with reference to an example of the invention, illustrated by way of drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of a seat assembly, in accordance with the invention, in an extended configuration;
Figure 2 shows a side view of the seat assembly of Figure 1, showing hidden detail in dotted lines;
Figure 3 shows a partially sectioned front view of the seat assembly of Figure 1;
Figure 4 shows a three-dimensional view of the seat assembly of Figure 1, in its extended, in use configuration in a bath; and
Figure 5 shows a plan view of the operative underside of the seat assembly of Figure 1, in a folded configuration.

With reference to the drawings, a seat assembly for use in washing an affected area of a person in a bath, in accordance with the invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The seat assembly 10 comprises, broadly, a seat 12 having an aperture 14 therein, the seat 12 having an engagement formation 16 (not visible in Figure 1 of the drawings) for engaging a wall of the bath, and support means in the form of two legs 18 depending from the seat 12.
In use, the seat assembly 10 can be used as a bidet.
The seat 12 has a seat surface 13 of a horseshoe-like configuration. The seat 12 has one edge 20 which is disposed at an operative front end of the seat 12 and an opposed edge 22 which is disposed at an operative rear end of the seat 12. The aperture 14 of the seat 12 opens out along the edge 22 of the seat 12 between the legs 18.
The engagement formation 16 of the seat 12 comprises an integrally formed downwardly extending lip 21.
The seat 12 has two opposed side edges 24 which are disposed substantially perpendicularly to the edges 20 and 22 of the seat 12. The edges 24 each include a downwardly extending lip 26. Each downwardly extending lip 26 has a forward extent 28.
With particular reference to Figure 4 of the drawings, the operative underside of the seat 12 provides a surface for engaging the upper lip 32 around the edge of a bath tub 34, the edge of the bath tub 34 being defined at the operative top end of a wall 36 of the bath tub 34. The downwardly extending lip 21 restrains the seat 12 from movement in a rearward direction.
Rubber strips 35 are provided on the operative underside of the seat 12, adjacent the downwardly extending lip 21. In use, the rubber strips 35 prevent the seat 12 from damaging the finish of a bath on which it is placed. The rubber strips 35 also provide for frictional engagement of the underside of the seat 12 with the upper lip 32 of the bath 34 as depicted in Figure 4 of the drawings.
The seat 12 has a downwardly extending lip 38 formed integral therewith adjacent the end of the aperture 14 proximate the end of the seat 12. The downwardly extending lip 38 prevents any large movement of the seat 12 in a frontward direction. The seat 12 has an inwardly sloping profile adjacent the edge of the aperture 14 thereby preventing injury, to a user, caused by sharp edges and ensuring that a person operatively seated on the seat assembly 10 is securely located on the seat 12 of the seat assembly 10.
The legs 18 are mounted adjacent to the edge 22 of the seat 12 on a hinge assembly 40, so that the legs 18 may be folded flush with the underside of the seat 12 for stowing of the seat assembly 10, as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings. A hinge strap assembly 42 is provided for each leg 18 to limit pivotal movement of each leg 18 with respect to the seat 12, when the legs 18 are extended.
The legs 18 each comprise an upper tubular member 43 and a lower tubular member 45. A 6mm threaded bar 47 having a thread formed along its entire length, is provided inside and along the axial extent of the upper tubular member 43, and is immovably fixed in relation to the upper tubular member 43 at a fixing point 49.
The lower tubular member 45 has a mounting point 51 which comprises an annular disk having a female thread adapted to mate with the thread of the 6mm threaded bar 47. The lower tubular member 45 is telescopically receivable within the upper tubular member 43. By rotating the lower tubular member 45 relative to the upper tubular member 43, the mounting point 51 is caused to advance along the 6mm threaded bar 47. The upper limit of movement is determined by the mounting point 51 reaching the fixing point 49. The lower extent of the movement of the lower tubular member 45 relative to the upper tubular member 43 is determined by the position of a lock nut 53 fixed on the 6mm threaded bar 47, at such a position that the lower tubular member 45 is sufficiently supported to avoid being forced out of axial alignment with the upper tubular member 43, by any off-axis force applied thereto, when the lower tubular member 45 is at its lower extent of movement relative to the upper tubular member 43. The upper tubular members 43 of the legs 18 are joined to each other by a bar 55, to provide further transverse stability.
With reference to Figure 3 of the drawings, the upper tubular members 43 of each leg 18 has a locking arrangement 30 at its operative lower end. Each locking arrangement 30 comprises a pair of spaced opposed legs which are engageable by means of a screw with the lower end portion of each upper tubular member 43 having a slit therein. In use, the legs are operatively forced towards one another by means of the screw thereby partly collapsing the lower end portion of the upper tubular member 43 to thereby grip the lower tubular member 45. In this way when a leg 18 has been adjusted to its required length, the leg 18 can be locked in position via the locking arrangement 30 whereby the upper and lower tubular members 43 and 45, respectively, are locked with respect to one another.
The seat 12 is of a moulded synthetic plastic material. Ribs 57 are provided along the underside of the seat 12 to provide for strengthening and torsional stability of the seat 12. Fixing points are provided on the underside of the seat 12, for fixing of the hinge strap assemblies 42 and of the hinge assemblies 40 for the legs 18. Similarly, a fixing point is provided on the upper tubular member 43 for attaching the respective hinge strap assemblies 42.
Each lower tubular member 45 of each leg 18 is provided with a foot member 58 which comprises a ball joint 59 and a rubber foot 60 connected to the ball joint 59 in order to avoid causing damage to the finish of a bath in which the seat assembly 10 is used. The ball joint 59 operatively permits pivotal displacement of the foot member 58 with respect to the leg 18 to which it is operatively connected, thereby permitting secure location of the leg 18 on surfaces in the bath which are obliquely disposed with respect to the leg 18.
The seat assembly 10 includes holding means in the form of holding clips 62 for operatively holding a hand held shower head. More particularly, the seat assembly 10 includes two holding clips 62, a first holding clip 62.1 being mounted along one of the sides 24 of the seat 12 of the seat assembly 10 for holding a shower head in a position which is readily accessible to a person seated on the seat 12, and a second holding clip 62.2 being slidably mounted on the bar 55. The holding clip 62.2 permits a shower head to be held therein in an arrangement in which a stream of water can be directed towards an affected area of a person seated on the seat assembly 10, in use.
Any metal components of the structure are of stainless steal in order to provide corrosion protection.
In use, the seat assembly 10 can be located in a bath, in the operative configuration of the seat assembly 10 as depicted in Figure 4 of the drawings and a person can sit on the seat 12 with his or her legs outside the bath, forward of the edge 20 of the seat 12, while washing an affected area with a hand held shower.
The use of the invention obviates the necessity for installing a bidet, by providing a seat assembly which is universally adaptable to fit any bath, or shower having a wall. The provision of legs which are independently adjustable allows the seat assembly to be safely installed in baths having an inclined surface in the tub thereof. More particularly, the legs can be operatively independently adjusted in a bath of varying depth to ensure that the seat of the seat assembly remains substantially horizontal.
It should be appreciated that the scope of the invention should not be limited to the scope of the embodiment described herein.

Claims

A seat assembly for use in washing an affected area of a person in a bath, characterized in that it comprises a seat having an aperture therein, the seat having an engagement formation along one edge thereof for engaging a wall of the bath, and having support means depending therefrom adjacent another edge of the seat which is opposed to said one edge of the seat.
A seat assembly as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the engagement formation includes an operatively downwardly extending lip which can operatively engage a portion of the bath at the operative top end of the wall of the bath in an arrangement in which lateral displacement of the seat assembly with respect to the bath, in a direction towards said another edge of the seat, is restricted.
A seat assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterized in that the support means comprises two legs disposed in spaced relationship to one another and depending from a portion of the seat adjacent said another edge thereof.
A seat assembly as claimed in Claim 3, characterized in that each of the legs comprises two leg portions which are telescopically displaceable with respect to one another, thereby permitting adjustment of the length of the legs.
A seat assembly as claimed in Claim 4, characterized in that each leg includes a screw arrangement which permits the leg portions of each leg to be screwed with respect to one another for adjusting the length of the leg.
A seat assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the seat has a horseshoe-like configuration in plan view, with the aperture of the seat opening out along said another edge between the legs.
A seat assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 6, characterized in that each leg includes a foot member which is connected thereto and which is pivotally displaceable with respect to the leg to permit secure location of the leg on surfaces which are obliquely disposed with respect to the leg.
A seat assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the seat assembly includes holding means for operatively holding a shower head in a position which permits a stream of water to be directed via the shower head towards the affected area of a person seated on the seat assembly, in use.