U.S. patent number 3,864,762 [Application Number 05/230,639] was granted by the patent office on 1975-02-11 for elevated safety bathtub.
Invention is credited to Eve B. Finch, Sheila A. Finch.
United States Patent |
3,864,762 |
Finch , et al. |
February 11, 1975 |
ELEVATED SAFETY BATHTUB
Abstract
An elevated safety bathtub for use both by invalids and by
persons without physical handicaps. The tub has a floor supported
approximately at normal chair height and a side opening serving as
an entryway through one of the walls of the tub, the bottom of the
entryway being substantially at the same elevation as the floor of
the tub. The entryway is provided with a water-tight barrier which
may be moved out of the way to permit a person to enter the tub,
and replaced once the person is inside the tub. The fact that the
bottom of the entryway and floor of the tub are supported at
approximately chair height enables the person to enter the tub by
simply seating himself on the floor of the tub through the entryway
as if he were seating himself in a chair. The person need not stand
on the slippery tub floor. Several embodiments of the invention
comprise adapter assemblies for converting existing conventional
bathtubs to elevated bathtubs having the features of the present
invention. These latter embodiments provide a tub shell for
mounting on top of the existing tub so that the floor of the tub
shell is approximately at chair height. Means are provided for
securing the tub shell to the existing tub to prevent any
horizontal slippage between the two, and provision is also made for
adapting the existing plumbing for use with the elevated tub
shell.
Inventors: |
Finch; Eve B. (Beaverton,
OR), Finch; Sheila A. (Beaverton, OR) |
Family
ID: |
22865999 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/230,639 |
Filed: |
March 1, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
4/555 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K
3/024 (20130101); A47K 3/006 (20130101); A47K
3/20 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47K
3/022 (20060101); A47K 3/20 (20060101); A47K
3/00 (20060101); A47K 3/024 (20060101); A47k
003/00 (); A47k 003/024 () |
Field of
Search: |
;4/173,183,145,146,173 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Hornsby; Harvey C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Chernoff & Vilhauer
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An improved safety bathtub comprising a tub having a floor
supported at chair height and a surrounding wall for holding a
quantity of water, said tub wall having an opening therein
extending from the top of said wall downwardly toward said tub
floor for permitting a person to seat himself on said tub floor
through said opening preparatory to positioning himself wholly
within said tub for bathing and a water-tight barrier associated
with said opening for sealingly closing said opening after said
person has positioned himself wholly within said tub, wherein the
improvement comprises arm rest means formed in said tub wall
adjacent to the sides of said opening at a height lower than the
top of said wall for supporting the arms of said person seated on
said tub floor and for use in entering and leaving said tub.
2. An adapter assembly for an existing, floor-supported bathtub
comprising:
a. a bathtub shell having a floor and a surrounding wall for
holding water;
b. support means attached to said shell for mounting said shell on
top of said existing bathtub with the floor of said shell supported
at a height substantially no lower than the top of said existing
bathtub;
c. said shell wall having an opening therein extending from the top
of said shell wall downwardly toward said shell floor for
permitting a person to seat himself on said shell floor through
said opening preparatory to positioning himself wholly within said
bathtub shell for bathing;
d. water-tight barrier means associated with said opening for
sealingly closing said opening after said person has positioned
himself wholly within said bathtub shell; and
e. arm rest means formed in said shell wall adjacent the sides of
said opening at a height lower than the top of said shell wall for
supporting the arms of said person seated on said shell floor.
3. An adapter assembly for an existing, floor-supported bathtub
comprising:
a. a bathtub shell having a floor and a surrounding wall for
holding water;
b. support means attached to said shell for mounting said shell on
top of said existing bathtub with the floor of said shell supported
at a height substantially no lower than the top of said existing
bathtub;
c. said shell wall having an opening therein extending from the top
of said shell wall downwardly toward said shell floor for
permitting a person to seat himself on said shell floor through
said opening preparatory to positioning himself wholly within said
bathtub shell for bathing;
d. water-tight barrier means associated with said opening for
sealingly closing said opening after said person has positioned
himself wholly within said bathtub shell;
e. means defining an outwardly facing recess in said shell wall
positioned so as to correspond with the locations of the hot and
cold water controls of said existing bathtub when said shell is
mounted atop said existing bathtub, said recess permitting manual
access to said hot and cold water controls when said shell is in
mounted position; and
f. means for conducting said water from the spigot of said existing
tub into said bathtub shell.
4. An adapter assembly for an existing, floor-supported bathtub
comprising:
a. a bathtub shell having a floor and a surrounding wall for
holding water;
b. support means attached to said shell for mounting said shell on
top of said existing bathtub with the floor of said shell supported
at a height substantially no lower than the top of said existing
bathtub;
c. said shell wall having an opening therein extending from the top
of said shell wall downwardly toward said shell floor for
permitting a person to seat himself on said shell floor through
said opening preparatory to positioning himself wholly within said
bathtub shell for bathing;
d. water-tight barrier means associated with said opening for
sealingly closing said opening after said person has positioned
himself wholly within said bathtub shell;
e. means defining a passageway in said shell wall positioned so as
to be adjacent the water spigot of said existing tub when said
shell is mounted atop said existing tub; and
f. means for coupling said spigot to said passageway in order to
conduct water from said spigot into said bathtub shell.
5. The adapter assembly of claim 4 wherein said means for coupling
said spigot of said existing tub to said passageway comprises a
flexible hose having means for coupling one end of said hose to
said spigot and the other end of said hose to said passageway.
6. The adapter assembly of claim 4 wherein said bathtub shell is
constructed of a substantially rigid material and includes
downwardly facing surfaces for engaging upwardly facing surfaces of
said existing bathtub to support said bathtub shell atop said
existing bathtub.
7. The adapter assembly of claim 4 wherein said bathtub shell
includes means for coupling said shell to said existing bathtub to
prevent relative horizontal movement between said bathtub shell and
said existing bathtub.
8. The adapter assembly of claim 7 wherein said coupling means
includes suction cups for engaging the inner surface of said
existing bathtub.
9. The adapter assembly of claim 4 wherein the floor of said shell
is substantially at normal chair height when said shell is mounted
atop said existing bathtub.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a bathtub having features which insure
the safe and convenient ingress and egress of a person into and out
of the tub, whether the person be an invalid or one having no
physical handicaps whatsoever.
In invalid or safety bathtubs known to the prior art, as shown for
example in Fowler U.S. Pat. No. 2,570,053, a bathtub is provided
with a water-tight side door for purposes of easier ingress and
egress from the tub. The problem with the Fowler tub, and with
other tubs employing a side door, is that a person must stand on
the slippery floor of the tub while entering or leaving. In
addition, once having entered the tub, he must crouch down and then
slide his legs forward in order to assume a normal bathing
position, i.e., seated with legs extended on the tub floor. Since
numerous deaths and injuries are caused by slipping while entering
and exiting a bathtub in a standing position, the Fowler tub and
those similar to it fail to eliminate the major personal danger
involved in bathing. The dangers are further magnified if the
bather is an invalid. Furthermore, the fact that an invalid using
the Fowler tub would have to crouch down to assume a normal bathing
position, and rise to a standing position in order to leave the
tub, hardly offers sufficient convenience for an invalid having
limited bending capability in his back or legs.
A second generation of bathtub inventions is illustrated by Hanson
U.S. Pat. No. 3,380,078, which provides a seat within the bathtub
and an entrance door at the end of the tub opposite the seat. As in
the case of the Fowler tub, however, the type of tub depicted by
this patent requires the bather to stand on the slippery tub floor
while entering and leaving the tub. Moreover, even though a seat is
provided in the tub which allows a person to assume a seated
position without having to crouch down, this position is not the
normal bathing position seated with legs extended on the floor of
the tub, and the ability of the person to comfortably soak and wash
in the tub in the conventional manner is therefore greatly
limited.
In order to solve the above deficiencies of prior art bathtubs,
elaborate mechanical means have been employed in order to provide
both safety and convenience in the use of bathtubs. For example, in
Moran U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,018, a rotatable drum is provided in the
tub wall with an open segment to provide an entrance into the
bathtub. The bather sits on the seat within the drum and the drum
is rotated by a motor until the open segment faces the interior of
the bathtub. The seat is then lowered by another motor to the
bottom of the tub so that the person can bathe. To get out of the
tub, the procedure is reversed. In order to construct and maintain
a bathtub of this type, a considerable expenditure of money is
necessary because of its complex system of motors and moving parts.
For most individuals or families such a tub is probably beyond
their economic means.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a safety bathtub of the
general type described wherein a bathtub is supported at an
elevation so that the tub floor is substantially at chair height.
One basic embodiment of the invention comprises an original
installation tub with integral structure supporting the elevated
tub floor, while another embodiment comprises an adapter assembly
which can be used to convert a standard, existing floor-supported
bathtub into an elevated safety bathtub. The latter embodiment
comprises a bathtub shell with means for mounting the shell on the
existing bathtub so that the shell floor is supported above the top
of the existing bathtub at approximately chair height. All of the
embodiments of the invention include a sealable opening or entryway
in the tub or shell wall, with its bottom substantially at the same
level as the floor of the tub or shell, through which a person may
enter or exit conveniently and safely.
The novel constructional features of the safely bathtub of the
present invention provide it with several important advantages.
First, when the sealable entryway is open, a person entering the
bathtub may seat himself on the elevated tub floor through the
opening, with his feet resting on the bathroom floor outside and
below the tub. He then adjusts his position, all the time sitting
on the floor of the tub, until his body is wholly within the tub in
normal bathing position, i.e., seated with legs extended on the tub
floor. The sealable entryway is then closed and the tub filled with
water. After bathing, the process is reversed and the person exits
from the tub by adjusting his position, while seated on the tub
floor, until his feet are positioned on the bathroom floor or other
surface located outside and below the tub. At no time during the
ingress or egress procedure is the person forced to stand or walk
on the slippery tub floor, nor is he forced to bend his back or
legs to an extent greater than that necessary to sit down in a
chair.
In addition, the safety bathtub of this invention provides a
person, and even more importantly an invalid, with the above safety
and convenience advantages without requiring any expensive,
mechanically complex structure, such as that set forth in the Moran
patent. Rather the present invention, due primarily to the
elevation of the complete tub floor, provides a relatively
inexpensive, virtually repair-free structure for bathing, with a
minimum of movable parts and no requirement for motors or other
power devices. As a result, both original installation and
maintenance costs will be minimal. The orginal installation cost
can be further reduced by employing the adapter assembly of the
invention in conjunction with a presently existing bathtub.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to
provide a new and improved safety bathtub which allows persons to
enter and leave the tub without having to stand or walk on the
slippery and dangerous floor of the tub.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
bathtub which enables a bather to assume a normal bathing position,
i.e. seated on the floor of the tub with legs extended, without
requiring him to bend his back or legs to an extent greater than
that necessary to sit down in a chair.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a
safety bathtub as described above which can be procured for a
reasonable investment and which has a minimum number of movable or
powered parts so that maintenance costs are minimized.
The foregoing and other objectives, features and advantages of the
present invention will be more readily understood upon
consideration of the following detailed description of the
invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the safety
bathtub of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the
invention, showing a shower stall coupled with the safety
bathtub.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a partial cross sectional view taken along line 4--4 of
FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a third embodiment of the
invention featuring an adapter assembly for existing bathtubs.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 6--6 of FIG.
5.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged side sectional view of the coupling device of
FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is an extended detail view of a hose connector assembly
employed in the embodiment of FIG. 5.
FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a fourth embodiment of
the invention showing an inflatable adapter assembly for existing
bathtubs.
FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a fifth embodiment of
the invention showing an infant adapter assembly for existing
bathtubs.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The safety bathtub, designated generally as 10 in FIG. 1, comprises
a bathtub floor 12 with a surrounding wall 14 for holding a
quantity of water. Although the preferable configuration for the
perimeter of the tub is essentially rectangular, any shape may be
employed in the practice of this invention such as a round or oval
configuration. The bathtub 10 is adjacent to a surface 16, which
may merely comprise a portion of the bathroom floor, and the tub
floor 12 is supported by the structure of the bathtub at a distance
above the surface 16 approximately equal to normal chair
height.
In the wall 14 directly above the surface 16 is an opening 18
extending downwardly from the top of the wall 14 approximately to
the level of the bathtub floor 12. The opening 18 is fitted with a
movable water-tight barrier 22, to be described hereafter in
greater detail, capable of sealingly closing the opening 18 after
the person has positioned himself within the tub 10 for bathing.
Although any of a large variety of water-tight barriers may be
employed, a simple manually operated door or movable screen is
preferred for purposes of economy. The wall 14 may optionally
include an outwardly projecting seat 24 and arm rests 26 adjacent
the opening 18 for the comfort of the bather and to aid him in
entering and leaving the tub. Moreover, in order to provide
additional safety for the bather, the surface 16 is preferably
provided with a skid-resistant covering, comprising for example a
rough finished, non-skid synthetic polymer, upon which the person
can stand. The surface may consist of a grating 28 with a drain
underneath for collecting any water which may leak or overflow from
the opening 18.
A person wishing to use the bathtub 10 stands on the surface 16 and
opens the water-tight barrier 22. He then turns and, with his back
to the opening 18, seats himself upon the tub floor 12 through the
opening 18, with his feet resting on the surface 16. He positions
himself lengthwise within the tub by lifting his legs, pivoting his
body, and swinging his legs over the tub wall so that he is sitting
on the tub floor 12 with his legs extended. Thereafter he closes
the water-tight barrier 22 and fills the tub with water by means of
the hot and cold water controls 32 which are conveniently located
at a position near the end of the tub opposite the spigot 33 so
that the bather can readily reach them without having to lean
forward from his normal bathing position. After bathing, he
reverses his movements in order to exit from the tub.
A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4,
which illustrate a safety bathtub 10a communicating with a shower
stall 34 through an opening 18a located in the end, rather than the
side, of the tub. A grating 28acovered with a suitable non-skid
material, comprises the shower stall floor. The shower wall 36 is
connected to the tub wall 14a so that, when the shower stall door
38 is closed, a complete unit is formed comprising both the tub and
the shower which allows a person either to bathe or shower within
the confines of the single unit. As in FIG. 1, the floor 12a of the
bathtub portion 10a is supported at substantially normal chair
height above the grating 28a, and the opening 18a in the wall 14a
allows ingress and egress into and out of the tub 10a from the
shower stall 34. A movable water-tight barrier 22a is provided in
the opening, and a seat 24a may be included extending outwardly
from the tub floor 12a into the shower stall 34. The hot and cold
water controls 40 for the shower stall 34 are placed conveniently
near the opening 18a and seat 24a so that a person taking a shower
while seated on the seat or in the opening can regulate the
temperature and rate of flow of the water. In addition, the
controls 40 are located on a wall other than that containing the
shower head 41 so that a person standing in the shower can easily
make adjustments while avoiding the spray from the shower head.
Beneath the grating 28a is a conventional, mechanically closable
drain 42, best illustrated in FIG. 4. Since the shower door 38 is
water-tight, the drain 42 can be closed and water confined within
the periphery of the shower walls 36 so that the floor of the
shower stall 34 can be used as a foot soaking basin by the
bather.
The bathtub 10a is sufficiently large to permit a person to assume
a normal bathing position within the tub by simply standing in the
shower stall with his back to the opening 18a, sitting down on the
elevated tub floor 12a, sliding himself back from the opening until
his legs are inside the tub, and closing the water-tight barrier
22a behind him. It should be noted that the opening 18a and shower
stall 34 need not necessarily be located at the end of the tub 10a,
but could instead be located on the side of the tub, as in FIG. 1,
if space considerations so dictated.
The two embodiments of the invention discussed so far are primarily
intended for original installation in new homes, or for inclusion
in re-designed bathrooms. A third embodiment provides for an
adapter assembly to be mounted on top of an existing
floor-supported bathtub, the resultant product being a simple,
low-cost safety bathtub having the basic advantageous features of
the previously described embodiments. Referring to FIG. 5, the
adapter assembly comprises a bathtub shell, generally designated as
50, having a shell floor 52 and a surrounding wall 54 for holding a
quantity of water. Although the configuration of the shell 50 will
generally be rectangular, any shape shell may be employed to
correspond to the shape of the existing bathtub. In its mounted
position, the shell 50 is supported by the existing bathtub 62 at
an elevation such that the shell floor 52 is substantially no lower
than the top 63 of the existing bathub. Although the height at
which the shell floor 52 is supported may vary depending on the
height of the existing bathtub 62, it is preferred that this height
be approximately equal to chair height.
As in the embodiment of FIG. 1, an opening 56 in the shell wall 54
extends downwardly from the top of the wall substantially to the
level of the shell floor 52, the opening being wide enough to
permit a person to seat himself on the shell floor 52 through the
opening 56 when the shell 50 is mounted on top of the existing
bathtub 62. The opening 56 is fitted with a movable water-tight
barrier 64, which preferably comprises a simple, manually operated
water-tight door or movable screen. One such type of barrier, which
could be employed with any of the embodiments of the invention
discussed so far, is illustrated in FIG. 6. The barrier 64
comprises a substantially rigid plastic screen with its sides
slidably mounted within a pair of vertical grooves 65 in the shell
structure. The portions of the grooves 65 above the shell floor 52
are lined on either side with a gasket material 66 to prevent
leakage, as is the slot 67 in the shell floor 52 through which the
screen passes. The height of the screen 64 is short enough that it
may be manually pushed down into the area below the shell floor 52
until its top is flush with the shell floor. This allows a person
to enter the shell 50 in the same manner that he enters the tub 10
of FIG. 1, after which he simply raises the screen 64 into its
closed position. A small recessed or retractable handle 68 is
preferably provided at the top of the screen 64 to aid the bather
in lifting the screen. During bathing the frictional engagment of
the screen with the gasket material 66 will probably be sufficient
to retain the screen in its elevated position, but if not any
conventional type of latching mechanism (not shown) can be used.
Any leakage which may pass the gasket material on the inner side of
the screen will simply flow into the cavity beneath the shell floor
52 and be drained into the existing bathtub 62 through drain holes
69.
A horizontally reciprocating screen or a hinged door might
alternatively be employed in place of the vertically sliding screen
64 of FIG. 6. In the embodiments of FIGS. 1-4, mechanically
actuated screens or doors could also be used, but at added
expense.
Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the bathtub shell 50 is supported on
top of the existing tub 62 by the engagement of its downwardly
facing bottom surfaces with the top of the walls of the existing
tub 62. In addition, a coupling device is attached to the bottom of
the bathtub shell 50 for purposes of securing the shell to the
existing bathtub. The coupling device comprises two members 70
protruding downwardly from the bathtub shell 50 and positioned so
as to fit wholly within the existing bathtub 62. A plurality of
adjustable couplers 74 are transversely mounted in the members 70
for engaging the interior of the wall 72 of the existing bathtub 62
so that relative horizontal movement between the shell 50 and the
existing bathtub 62 is prevented. As shown more specifically in
FIG. 7, the adjustable coupler 74 comprises a tubular housing 76,
preferably constructed of aluminum or rigid plastic, having an
inner fixed retaining wall 80 with a keyed aperture 78. A movable
rod assembly, comprising a rod 82 with a keyed spline 84 to prevent
axial rotation of the rod, fits slidably within the keyed aperture
78 of the retaining wall 80. The exterior end of the rod 82 passes
slidably through one end of the housing 76 and includes a rubber
roller 86 journaled for rotation about a horizontal axis. A
disc-shaped shoulder member 88, which fits slidably within the
tubular housing 76, is affixed to the rod 82, and separated from
the retaining wall 80 by a coil spring 90. The coil spring 90,
acting through the shoulder member 88, yieldably urges the roller
86 outwardly from the tube 76 for purposes to be explained
hereafter. The opposite end of the tube 76 is provided with a
threaded aperture 79, which receives a bolt 92 held tightly in
place by a lock nut 94. Affixed to the outer end of the bolt 92 is
a suction cup 96.
To install the bathtub shell 50 on top of the existing tub 62, the
suction cup 96 of each coupler 74 is adjusted in or out so that it
can readily engage the inner surface 72a of the existing tub wall
72 (FIG. 6) on the side of the tub which is adjacent the bathroom
wall. The shell 50 is positioned on top of the tub 62 and the
suction cups 96 are pressed tightly against the inner surface 72a,
while the side of the shell having the rollers 86 is tipped
upwardly. Once the suction cups are engaged, the side of the shell
having the rollers 86 is pushed down and, as the rollers engage the
inner surface 72b of the tub wall 72, the springs 90 allow the
respective rollers to yield inwardly, thereby permitting the shell
50 to assume its level mounted position on top of the existing tub
62. The frictional engagement of the suction cups and rollers with
the inner surfaces of the existing tub wall 72 prevents the shell
50 from sliding horizontally in any direction, while the vertically
positioned rollers 86 permit the shell to be pulled upwardly and
removed if desired.
Any number of systems can be employed to provide plumbing for the
tub shell 50. In FIG. 5 a recess 97 is provided in one end of the
shell wall 54 positioned to correspond with the locations of the
hot and cold water controls of the existing tub 62, thus permitting
manual access to the water controls when the shell is in mounted
position atop the tub 62. A fitting 98, best illustrated in FIG. 8,
communicates through the shell wall and is coupled with a flexible
hose 99. The hose 99 includes a quick-disconnect coupling 100 at
its opposite end for attaching to the existing tub's spigot.
Alternatively, coupling 100 could simply comprise a flexible sleeve
for fitting over the spigot, of the type commonly employed in
bathtub spray hoses. For drainage, a simple orifice and stopper may
be provided in the shell floor 52 to allow bath water to drain into
the existing tub 62.
A fourth embodiment of the invention is an inflatable adapter
assembly which can be manufactured at low cost and is useful
particularly for traveling. Referring more specifically to FIG. 9,
the inflatable adapter assembly comprises a foldable rubber or
plastic bathtub shell, designated generally as 110, having a shell
floor 102, a surrounding wall 104 with an opening 106, and a
water-tight barrier 114. Since all of the components of the shell
110 should be foldable for convenience, the barrier 114 preferably
comprises a foldable water-tight curtain sealingly attached at its
sides and bottom to the perimeter of the opening 106. The curtain
has an excess of material at its top which allows it to be laid
flat to allow entry to the tub. The curtain may be secured in a
raised position by tightly fastening a cord 115, which passes
through the upper folds of the curtain, across the opening 106.
In the embodiment of FIG. 9, an inflatable chamber 118, which fits
inside and rests on the bottom of the existing tub 112, provides
the principal support for the shell 110, and particularly for the
shell floor 102. A pair of air passageways 120 and 122 are provided
to inflate the shell wall 104 and the supporting chamber 118
separately. Each of the passageways is provided with a one-way
valve fitting so that the passageway into each chamber is closed
except when air pressure is applied through the fitting.
A group of flexible, resilient tubular sleeves 124 extend inwardly
from apertures located at positions in the wall 104 corresponding
to the locations of the existing tub's water controls and spigot
respectively. The sleeves are designed to fit tightly around the
controls and spigot so that they may sealingly communicate with the
interior of the shell 110 through the wall 104. Alternatively, a
hose may be passed from the existing tub spigot over the top of the
wall 104, and the water controls manipulated exterior of the shell
as in the previous embodiment. The shell floor 102 is provided with
an orifice and stopper assembly 128 which allows the inflatable
shell 110 to be drained. To avoid interference with the chamber
118, the orifice is located at a point between the interior of the
shell wall 104 and the perimeter of the area formed by the
attachment of the chamber 118 to the shell floor 102.
A fifth embodiment of the invention is an adapter assembly for
bathing infants, as shown in FIG. 10. The adapter assembly is
similar in many respects to that of FIG. 5, the principal
differences being that the shell floor 132 and inner surrounding
walls 134 of the shell 136 are substantially smaller than those
provided previously since an infant requires a much smaller bathing
area. In addition, the shell 136 is higher and has a shorter
longitudinal dimension than the adapter shells previously
described, and the height of the shell floor 132 is at counter
height (approximately three feet) for convenience in bathing the
infant, rather than chair height (approximately 18 inches). An
exterior drain spigot 139 communicates with an orifice in the shell
floor 132 and drains directly into the excess length of the
existing tub 142. The shell 136 is also provided with a plurality
of drawers 144 which provide storage for the equipment and supplies
needed for bathing the infant.
The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing
abstract and specification are used therein as terms of description
and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of
such terms and expressions, of excluding equivalents of the
features shown and described or portions thereof, it being
recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited
only by the claims which follow.
* * * * *