JP7530633B2 - Bathing equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a bathing device that allows a bather to take a bath while remaining seated on a movable seat.

Bathing devices that allow bathers to take a bath while seated on a movable seat have been proposed. As shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, these bathing devices have a door that opens and closes the front opening, which is one of the longitudinal sides of the bathtub body, and when the door is open, the bather can enter the bathtub body from behind while remaining seated on the seat.

However, there are several different door configurations, and in the bathing device of Patent Document 1, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of Patent Document 1, the door is roughly plate-shaped, with the front and back surfaces of the door roughly parallel, and the door itself as a whole inclines outward from the bathtub body from the top downwards, closing the front opening of the bathtub body in an openable and closable manner.

The door of the bathing device in Patent Document 2 has the same appearance and arrangement as in Patent Document 1, but has a recess on the back side, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of Patent Document 1.

Furthermore, as shown in the explanatory diagram of an example of a cross section of a conventional bathing device in Figure 7, the door 120 has a roughly bowl-shaped cross section and covers the front opening 114 of the bathtub body 110 of the bathing device 100 so as to be able to open and close freely to close the front opening 114. In this case, the recess 122 of the door 120 is completely filled with hot water.

JP 2016-41159 A JP 2018-57738 A

However, with conventional bathing devices, when a caregiver wants to care for the area around the bather's toes while bathing, the top of the door gets in the way, making it difficult for the caregiver to reach the area around the toes, and the caregiver may not be able to adequately care for the bather.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide a bathing device that allows a caregiver to adequately care for the entire body of the bather while bathing.

The bathing device described in claim 1 has a door that opens and closes the front opening, which is one of the longitudinal sides, and is equipped with a bathtub body into which a bather can enter from behind while seated on the seat when the door is open, and the door is composed of a vertical wall that faces the front opening and stands vertically from bottom to top , side walls that protrude from the left and right sides of the vertical wall toward the front opening of the bathtub body, with the right-angled portion located upward and the hypotenuse located on the front opening side of the bathtub body, and an upper flange portion that protrudes from the entire upper edge of the vertical wall toward the front opening of the bathtub body, and the opening surface of the front opening of the bathtub body is inclined so as to protrude from the top to the bottom, the left and right inclined hypotenuses of the opening surface of the front opening of the bathtub body are in close contact with the hypotenuses of the side walls of the door, and the lower edge of the opening surface of the front opening of the bathtub body is in close contact with the lower part of the vertical wall of the door, so that the front opening of the bathtub body is blocked by the door.

The bathing device described in claim 2 is characterized in that the upper opening of the door, which is formed by the upper edge of the vertical wall of the door and the upper edge of the side wall of the door, is open by 50% or more in terms of the length ratio from the upper edge of the side wall of the door to the upper edge of the opening surface of the front opening, although a part of the upper opening is blocked by the upper flange of the door.

The bathing device described in claim 3 is characterized in that the upper flange of the door protrudes 50 mm to 150 mm from the outer surface of the vertical wall of the door toward the opening surface of the front opening.

The bathing device described in claim 4 is characterized in that the door opens while rising diagonally upward when viewed from the side of the bathtub body.

The bathing device described in claim 5 is characterized in that the left and right oblique sides of the front opening of the bathtub body are inclined 18 degrees to 45 degrees downward in the direction protruding from the bathtub body.

The bathing device described in claim 6 is characterized in that the upper edge of the side wall of the door is inclined downward in the opposite direction from the front opening of the bathtub body.

The bathing device described in claim 7 is characterized in that the inclination angle of the upper edge of the side wall of the door is between 8 degrees and 45 degrees.

The bathing device described in claim 8 is characterized in that the height from the floor to the top edge of the vertical wall of the door is 800 mm to 900 mm.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and provides a bathing device that allows the caregiver to adequately care for the entire body of the bather while bathing.

1 is a perspective view showing an example of a bathing apparatus according to the present invention; An explanatory diagram showing an example of the inclination of the front opening of the bathtub body of the bathing device. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing in cross section the degree of opening of the upper flange of the bathing device. FIG. An explanatory diagram showing in cross section the length of protrusion of the upper flange portion of the bathing device. An explanatory diagram showing the inclination of the upper edge of the door of the bathing device in cross section. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section of the bathing apparatus in use. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a cross section of a conventional bathing apparatus.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is an explanatory perspective view showing an example of a bathing device according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is an explanatory view showing an example of the inclination of the front opening of the bathtub body of the bathing device. Fig. 3 is an explanatory view showing in cross section the degree of opening by the upper flange of the bathing device. Fig. 4 is an explanatory view showing in cross section the length of protrusion of the upper flange of the bathing device. Fig. 5 is an explanatory view showing in cross section the inclination of the upper edge of the door of the bathing device. Fig. 6 is an explanatory view showing in cross section how the bathing device is used.

The bathing device 1 of the present invention is a bathing device that allows a bather B to take a bath while remaining seated on a movable seat 32. Specifically, the bathing device 1 has a door 20 that opens and closes a front opening 14, which is one of the longitudinal sides, and is composed of a bathtub body 10 into which bather B can enter from behind together with the seat 32 while remaining seated on the seat 32 with the door 20 open.

The seat 32 is actually a part of the bath wheelchair 30 as shown in FIG. 6, and the bath wheelchair 30 has a wheelchair shape composed of the seat 32, back 34, legs 36, footrest 38, and a cart (not shown). The bath wheelchair 30 may be in a form in which the part consisting of the seat 32, back 34, legs 36, and footrest 38 is separate from the cart, or may not be separate.

The door 20 is formed from a vertical wall 22, a side wall 24, and an upper flange 26. Each of the vertical wall 22, the side wall 24, and the upper flange 26 must be thick and have a certain strength so that they will not break even if hot water is stored inside the bathtub body 12 with the door 20 blocking the front opening 14 of the bathtub body 10, but they are not limited by their material, and may be solid plate material or may be hollow and formed into a thick plate shape as shown in each figure. In addition, in the example of each figure, the vertical wall 22, the side wall 24, and the upper flange 26 are molded together as a single door 20 as a preferred form, but it is also possible to form the door 20 by combining the vertical wall 22, the side wall 24, and the upper flange 26 as separate members.

The vertical wall 22 of the door 20 forms a surface facing the front opening 14 of the bathtub body 10 so that the outer surface 22a is approximately vertical when the door 20 closes the front opening 14 of the bathtub body 10. The side walls 24 protrude from the left and right sides of the vertical wall 22 toward the front opening 14 of the bathtub body 10, and form a surface in the shape of an approximately right-angled triangle with a right angle portion located upward and a hypotenuse 24a located on the front opening 14 side of the bathtub body 10. The upper flange 26 protrudes from the entire upper side 22b of the vertical wall 22 toward the front opening 14 of the bathtub body 10. Note that the upper flange 26 does not protrude to the end of the upper side 24b of the side wall 24 on the front opening 14 side of the bathtub body 10.

The opening surface 14a of the front opening 14 of the bathtub body 10 is inclined so as to protrude from the top to the bottom, the left and right inclined oblique sides 16 of the opening surface 14a of the front opening 14 of the bathtub body 10 are in close contact with the oblique sides 24a of the side walls 24 of the door 20, and the bottom edge of the opening surface 14a of the front opening 14 of the bathtub body 10 is in close contact with the bottom edge 22c of the vertical wall of the door 20, so that the front opening 14 of the bathtub body 10 is closed by the door 20.

A hinge (not shown) is provided on either the left or right oblique side 16 of the opening surface 14a of the front opening 14 of the bathtub body 10 and on the oblique side 24a of one of the side walls 24 of the door 20, so that the door 20 can be opened and closed freely relative to the opening surface 14a of the front opening 14 of the bathtub body 10. However, when taking a bath, the inside of the bathtub body 12 is filled with hot water, so at this time, the door 20 is fixed to the opening surface 14a of the front opening 14 of the bathtub body 10 by a mechanism (not shown) so that the door 20 does not open.

In the figure, the lower edge 22c of the lower vertical wall 22 of the door 20 is bent toward the lower edge of the opening surface 14a of the front opening 14 of the bathtub body 10. This is merely a structure to make it easier for the toes of the caregiver assisting bather B to get under the bathing device 1, making it easier for the caregiver to care for bather B. There is no restriction on the shape of this part, but it is preferable to have it in this shape.

With the bathing device 1 configured as described above, the upper opening of the door 20, which is formed by the upper edge 22b of the vertical wall 22 of the door 20 and the upper edge 24b of the side wall 24 of the door 20, is partially blocked by the upper flange 26 of the door 20, but only partially, and the upper flange 26 ensures the rigidity of the door 20, and when a caregiver wants to care for the area around the toes T of the bather B, the caregiver's hands can reach the area around the toes T without being obstructed by the upper part of the door 20, allowing the caregiver to adequately care for the bather B.

Furthermore, although a portion of the upper opening of the door 20, which is formed by the upper edge 22b of the vertical wall 22 of the door 20 and the upper edge 24b of the side wall 24 of the door 20, is blocked by the upper flange 26 of the door 20, it is desirable that the length ratio from the upper edge 24b of the side wall 24 of the door 20 to the upper edge of the opening surface 14a of the front opening 14 (length B2 to length B1 in Fig. 3) is 50% or more open, which makes it easier for the caregiver to care for the bather B. Also, it is preferable that the upper flange 26 of the door 20 protrudes 50 mm to 150 mm (length B in Fig. 4) from the outer surface 22a of the vertical wall 22 of the door 20 toward the opening surface 14a of the front opening 14.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the upper edge 24b of the side wall 24 of the door 20 be inclined downward in the opposite direction from the front opening 14 of the bathtub body 10. Specifically, it is preferable that the inclination angle of the upper edge 24b of the side wall 24 of the door 20 (angle β in Figure 5) be 8 degrees to 45 degrees. This inclination makes it easier for the caregiver to care for the bather B.

Furthermore, to make it easier for the caregiver to care for bather B, it is preferable that the height from the floor surface to the upper edge 22b of the vertical wall 22 of the door 20 (length A in Figure 3) be 800 mm to 900 mm.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the door 20 opens while rising diagonally upward when viewed from the side of the bathtub body 10, and for this reason, it is desirable that the left and right oblique sides 16 of the opening surface 14a of the front opening 14 of the bathtub body 10 are inclined 18 degrees to 45 degrees (angle α in Figure 2) in the direction protruding downward from the bathtub body 10. By opening the door 20 while rising diagonally upward, the turning radius of the door 20 when it is open is reduced in plan view, making it possible to reduce the area of the installation location for the bathing device 1.

The present invention allows for various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention. In other words, the scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not the embodiments. Furthermore, various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the scope of the meaning of the invention equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

As described above, the present invention provides a bathing device that allows a caregiver to adequately care for the entire body of a bather while bathing.

1. Bathing device 10. Bathtub body 12. Bathtub body interior 14. Front opening 14a. Opening surface 16. Oblique side 20. Door 22. Vertical wall 22a. Outer surface 22b. Upper side 22c. Lower side 24. Side wall 24a. Oblique side 24b. Upper side 26. Upper flange 30. Bathing wheelchair 32. Seat 34. Back 36. Legs 38. Footrest

Claims (8)

A bathing device that allows a bather to take a bath while remaining seated on a movable seat,
The bathtub has a door that opens and closes a front opening, which is one of the longitudinal sides, and when the door is open, the bather can enter the bathtub from behind while sitting on the seat.
The door is made up of a vertical wall that faces the front opening and stands vertically from bottom to top , side walls that protrude from the left and right sides of the vertical wall toward the front opening of the bathtub body and are shaped like a roughly right-angled triangle with a right-angled portion located upward and a hypotenuse side located on the front opening side of the bathtub body, and an upper flange that protrudes from the entire upper side of the vertical wall toward the front opening of the bathtub body,
The opening surface of the front opening of the bathtub body is inclined so as to protrude from the top to the bottom,
The left and right inclined oblique sides of the opening surface of the front opening of the bathtub body are in close contact with the oblique sides of the side walls of the door,
The lower side of the opening surface of the front opening of the bathtub body is in close contact with the lower side of the vertical wall of the door,
The bathing apparatus is characterized in that the front opening of the bathtub body is closed by the door. The bathing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper opening of the door, which is formed by the upper edge of the vertical wall of the door and the upper edge of the side wall of the door, is open by 50% or more in terms of the length ratio from the upper edge of the side wall of the door to the upper edge of the opening surface of the front opening, although a part of the upper opening is blocked by the upper flange of the door. The bathing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the upper flange of the door protrudes 50 mm to 150 mm from the outer surface of the vertical wall of the door toward the opening surface of the front opening. The bathing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the door opens while rising diagonally upward when viewed from the side of the bathtub body. The bathing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the left and right oblique sides of the opening surface of the front opening of the bathtub body are inclined at 18 degrees to 45 degrees in the direction protruding downward from the bathtub body. The bathing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the upper edge of the side wall of the door is inclined downward in the opposite direction from the front opening of the bathtub body. The bathing device according to claim 6, characterized in that the inclination angle of the upper edge of the side wall of the door is between 8 degrees and 45 degrees. The bathing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the height from the floor to the upper edge of the vertical wall of the door is 800 mm to 900 mm.

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