GB2199740A

GB2199740A - Improvements relating to baths bath hand grip

Info

Publication number: GB2199740A
Application number: GB08625786A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Irene Quigley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-10-28
Filing date: 1986-10-28
Publication date: 1988-07-20
Also published as: GB8625786D0

Abstract

A bath hand grip comprises a sheet (1) of flexible material one end of which may be moulded round a reinforcing bar (4), to form hooked gripping means (5). One face of sheet (1) is provided with suckers (9) to attach to the bath while the other side is ridged (10) to reduce slippage of hand. The sheet may be preformed over suitably shaped reinforcing members corresponding in shape to the bath. <IMAGE>

Description

DESCRIPTION IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO BATHS.

The present invention relates to a hand grip for use on a bath.

In particular the present invention relates to a hand grip which can be selectively positioned on the side of a bath to best aid a person getting into or out of a bath. Conventional baths generally have a curved lip which a person grips to help pull himself or herself out of the bath. This lip can be wet and therefore slippy and dangerous, especially with soap being possibly still on a person's hands. Further, the person's fingers can become at least briefly trapped under the lip, leading to injury to the fingers and also to the body if the person should as a result, fall. To facilitate entry and exit from a bath certain baths are provided with one or more handles. However, these handles are fixed in position and thus not suited to all persons, it being dependent upon a person's size where he or she wishes to grip the side lip of the bath.Further, these handles can also be wet and slippy.

Handles fixed to baths are usually unsuitable for a person with arthritic joints or any other disability where the joints and knuckles swell, as the handle can be a trap. Even if a person can fit swollen or disjointed knuckes into the handle at a certain point, the knuckes can jam painfully between the handle and the bath sIde as the person rises, even where the bath is scopped to allow for the handles. Further, some people eve coDpliants where the hand is claw-like and cannot curve around a handle. With such cases the palm of the hand rests dangerously on the side of the bath.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a simple hand grip which can be securely located in any desired position on the side of a bath, to suit a particular person.

According to the present invention there is provided a hand grip for use in a bath, the hand grip comprising a member which can be engaged over the side of a bath with gripping means for engaging around the edge of the lip of the bath.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention said member is a flexible, rectangular sheet-like member, preferably made of rubber. Alternatively, the member may be made of a suitable plastics material. One end edge of the said sheet-like member is curved to form hook-like gripping means.

Preferably this hooked end edge is moulded and preferably reinforced by being formed around a suitable-reinforcinO bar. Further, the face of the sheet-like member, to which the hooked end edge curves, is preferably provided with further gripping means, e.g. small suckers; the other face being ridged or provided with an upstanding design to facilitate a person's grip.

In use, the flexible sheet-like member is located in a desired position along the side of a bath with the hooked end edge engaged under the outer lip of the bath, the sheet-like member extending over the side of the bath and depending down into the bath. The suckers and hooked end edge hold the grip in the desired position and the more pressure a person applies to the grip as he or she uses the grip, the more securely the grip holds the side of the bath.

In an alternative embodiment the grip may be premoulded to snugly engage over the side edge of a bath- with the hooked end edge gripping the lip of the baths.

The present invention thus provides a simple to use hand grip which is especially useful for disabled persons.

The present invention will now be further described, by way of exa:ple, with reference to the acconanyin dravings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig.2 shows the embodiment of Fig.l in crosssection and in use; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a premoulded embodiment of the present invention.

The hand grip constructed according to the present invention and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, comprises a generally rectangular sheet-like member 1 made of a flexible rubber material. Alternatively the member 1 can be made of any other suitable flexible material, e.g. a plastics material.

One end edge region 3 of the sheet-like member is premoulded around a reinforcing bar 4, to form hooked gripping means 5. These gripping means 5 extend along the full length of said one end edge region 3.

However, alternatively two or more spaced apart hooks (not shown) could form said gripping means. Further, if desired the reinforcing bar 4 can be omitted.

One face 7 of said sheet-like member 1 is provided with further grippin > means in the form of suckers 9, the suckers being equi-spaced apart over said one face 7. The other face 8 is ridged as at 10 to reduce the chance of a person's hand slipping on the grip.

In use, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, the hooked end edge 5 is engaged over the edge of the lip 11 of a bath-with the sheet-like member 7 extending over and moulding to the side edge region 13 of the bath. By applying pressure to the sheet-like member the suckers 9 grip the surface of the bath and together with the hooked end edge 5 hold the hand grip in position whilst a person enters or exits from the bath. The more pressure that is applied to the hand grip, the more securely it grips the side of the bath.

In an alternative embodiment (see Fig. D) the sheet-like member 1 is pre-moulded to fit snugly over the side of a bath. Such an embodiment can be formed by being moulded over suitably shaped reinforcing members 15.

The present invention thus provides a hand grip for use on the side of a bath, which hand grip is both simple in construction and simple to use; the hand grip being especially useful to the old, inform and disabled.

Ib In a further embodiment (see Fig 4) the sheet-like member has double sided heavy duty sticky tape running along top and bottom.

Claims

1.

A bath grip comprising a sheet like member to which the hooked end curves to form a hook like gripping means for engaging around the edge of the lip of the bath. Preferably this hooked end edge is moulded and preferably reinforced by being formed around a suitable reinforcing bar. Further the sheet like member to which the hooked edge curves, is preferably provided with further gripping means, eg, small suckers the other face being ridged or provided with an upstanding design to facilitate a persons grip, member No. 1 to be made of a flexible rubber material, alternatively a moulded plastic base.