Bath tub cushion

Abstract

A bath tub cushion for lining one end surface and a portion of a bottom surface of a bath tub includes a back portion having a number of fluid impermeable chambers formed therein. A fluid communication device is disposed in fluid communication with an interior portion of the chambers for inflating and deflating them as necessary. An anti-slip mechanism is disposed on a back surface of the back portion which engages an end of such bath tub to prevent movement during use. A bottom portion extends toward an opposed end of such tub and is connected to a bottom edge of a front portion of such back portion for supporting a person's hips during bathing. There is an additional anti-slip mechanism disposed on a bottom surface of the bottom portion which engages bottom surface of such bath tub for preventing movement of the bottom portion during use.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application is related to and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/876,009 filed Dec. 20, 2006.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates, in general, to bathtubs and, more particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus disposable in a bathtub to greatly enhance the comfort of a person taking a bath therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Prior to the conception and development of the present invention, as is generally well known in the prior art, bathtubs can be quiet uncomfortable to sit in for any extended period of time due to the hardness of the ceramic or plastic tub. This is particularly the case for the elderly persons and persons who are relatively thin and have less padding on their hips.

There have been prior attempts to solve this problem as is evidenced in the prior art. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,140,056 which teaches an inflatable pillow having a suction cup attached to the back of it to hold it against the back of the tub. However, this does not provide any comfort to the person's hips while sitting in the tub.

Another prior art reference (U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,061) teaches a bath air mattress cushion which is inflatable. This cushion includes each of an inflatable back portion, an inflatable mat portion, an inflatable back portion, a pair of inflatable side portions connected to opposing sides of the inflatable back portion and an inflatable upper pillow portion connected to the to the inflatable back portion. The back cushion portion, mat cushion portion, side cushion portions and upper pillow portion each have inflation valves and suction cups on the side facing the back and bottom. Finally, the bath air mattress is covered with a layer of fabric. As is evident from this description this bath air cushion is difficult to keep clean and maintain sanitary.

Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,168 which teaches an inflatable handicap chair which can be used in a bathtub. This device includes a base structure to be supported on the bottom of the tub and a back structure connected to the base structure and supported on the end wall of the tub. Both the back and bottom structures includes a plurality of individually inflatable chambers to accommodate the particular configuration of the patient. This makes the chair very expensive to produce due to the numerous sizes and shapes of patients and has therefore not been widely accepted in the marketplace.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided a bath tub cushion for lining at least one substantially vertically disposed predetermined end surface and a bottom surface of a bath tub to enhance comfort during bathing. The bath tub cushion will include a back portion, having each of a first predetermined width, a first predetermined length, a first predetermined shape and a predetermined number of fluid impermeable chambers formed therein. There is a first means disposed in fluid communication with an interior portion of such predetermined number of fluid impermeable chambers formed in the back portion for both inflating and deflating them as necessary or desirable. A second means is disposed on at least a portion of a back surface of such back portion and is placed into engagement with such substantially vertically disposed predetermined end of such bath tub for preventing movement of the back portion during use. The cushion has a bottom portion which extends toward an opposed end of such tub. The bottom portion is connected to a bottom edge of a front portion of the back portion for supporting a person's hips during bathing. Finally, there is a third means disposed on the bottom surface of the bottom portion which engages with the substantially horizontally disposed surface of such bath tub for preventing movement of the bottom portion during use.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a bath tub cushion which will substantially minimize slipping on the bottom surface of the tub during ingress and egress.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bath tub cushion which is easier to keep clean and sanitary when compared to prior art devices.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a bath tub cushion which is easy to remove from the tub to clean such tub after use.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a bath tub cushion which is relatively light weight as compared to other devices presently available.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a bath tub cushion which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture when compared to presently available designs.

In addition to the various objects and advantages of the present invention described with some degree of specificity above it should be obvious that additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those persons who are skilled in the relevant art from the following more detailed description of the invention, particularly, when such description is taken in conjunction with the attached drawing figures and with the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a presently preferred embodiment of the bath tub cushion manufactured according to the instant invention; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bath tub cushion illustrated in FIG. 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF A PRESENTLY PREFERRED AND VARIOUS ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Prior to proceeding to the more detailed description of the present invention it should be noted that, for the sake of clarity and understanding, identical components which have identical functions have been identified with identical reference numerals throughout the several views illustrated in the drawing figures.

Reference is now drawn, more particularly, to the drawing FIGS. 1 and 2. Illustrated therein is a bath tub cushion, generally designated 10, for lining at least one end surface (not shown) and a bottom surface (not shown) of a bath tub (not shown). Such bath tub cushion 10 includes a back portion 12, having each of a first predetermined width, a first predetermined length, a first predetermined shape and a predetermined number of fluid impermeable chambers 14 formed therein.

According to a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, there will be at least four such fluid impermeable chambers 14. Also, in this embodiment, the back portion 12 further includes a plurality of raised portions 16 having a third predetermined shape formed on a front surface 18 of back portion 12. Additionally, in this presently preferred embodiment, the first predetermined shape is each of generally rectangular when it is viewed from both the front and back of the bath tub cushion 10. Further, the back portion 12 is generally triangular when it is inflated for use and generally rectangular when it is deflated for storage as viewed from a side. The third predetermined shape of the raised portions 16 of the back portion 12 is generally rectangular and preferably they will have a rounded contour adjacent each outer corner thereof.

There is a first means, generally designated 20, disposed in fluid communication with an interior portion of the predetermined number of such fluid impermeable chambers 14 formed in the back portion 12 for inflating them when the bath tub cushion 10 is to be used and deflating them when the bath tub cushion 10 is to be stored away.

In the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the first means 20 is an air inlet valve. Preferably, the air inlet valve is a two way check valve.

The bath tub cushion 10 further includes a second means, generally designated 30, disposed on a back surface 22 of the back portion 12 which is engageable with a substantially vertically disposed predetermined end of such bath tub for preventing movement of such back portion 12 during use.

Such second means 30 for preventing movement of the back portion 12 during use is selected from the group consisting of a rubberized coating (not shown) and at least one suction cup 24. In the most presently preferred embodiment, such second means 30 for preventing movement of the back portion 12 during use is a plurality of suction cups 24.

A bottom portion 26 extends toward an opposed end of such tub and is connected to a bottom edge of a front portion of the back portion 12 for supporting a person's hips during bathing in such tub. The bottom portion 26 exhibits each of a second predetermined width, a second predetermined length and a second predetermined shape.

In the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, such second predetermined shape of the bottom portion 26 is generally rectangular. Further, such second predetermined length is less than the second predetermined width.

Finally, there is a third means, generally designated 40, disposed on a bottom surface 28 of such bottom portion 26 and engageable with a substantially horizontally disposed surface of such bath tub for preventing movement of the bottom portion 26 during use.

As with the second means 30 disposed on the back portion 12 of the bath tub cushion 10 such third means 40 for preventing movement of the bottom portion 26 during use is selected from the group consisting of a rubberized coating (not shown) and at least one suction cup 32. Preferably, there are a number of suction cups 32 provided. Additionally, it is presently preferred that the bottom portion 26 includes at least one of padding 34 disposed therein and a fluid impermeable chamber (not shown). Padding 34 is the most preferred.

Finally, each of head support and back support of said bath tub cushion 10 are adjustable by adjusting an amount of fluid pumped into such predetermined number of the fluid impermeable chambers 14.

While a presently preferred and various alternative embodiments of the present invention have been described in sufficient detail above to enable a person skilled in the relevant art to make and use the same it should be obvious that various other adaptations and modifications can be envisioned by those persons skilled in such art without departing from either the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A bath tub cushion for lining at least one predetermined end surface and at least a portion of a substantially horizontally disposed bottom surface of a bath tub, said bath tub cushion comprising:

(a) a back portion, having each of a first predetermined width, a first predetermined length, a first predetermined shape and a predetermined number of fluid impermeable chambers formed therein, disposed adjacent such predetermined end surface of such bath tub;

(b) a first means disposed in fluid communication with an interior portion of said predetermined number of said fluid impermeable chambers formed in said back portion for inflating and deflating chambers as necessary;

(c) a second means disposed on a back surface of said back portion and engageable with such substantially vertically disposed predetermined end of such bath tub for preventing movement of said back portion during use;

(d) a bottom portion extending toward an opposed end of such bath tub and connected to a bottom edge of a front portion of said back portion for supporting a person's hips during bathing in such bath tub, said bottom portion having each of a second predetermined width, a second predetermined length and a second predetermined shape; and

(e) a third means disposed on a bottom surface of said bottom portion and engageable with such substantially horizontally disposed bottom surface of such bath tub for preventing movement of said bottom portion during use.

2. A bath tub cushion, according to claim 1, wherein said back portion further includes a plurality of raised portions having a third predetermined shape formed on a front surface of said back portion.

3. A bath tub cushion, according to claim 2, wherein said first predetermined shape is each of generally rectangular when viewed from both front and back and generally triangular when inflated for use and generally rectangular when deflated for storage when viewed from a side.

4. A bath tub cushion, according to claim 3, wherein said third predetermined shape is generally rectangular and having a rounded contour adjacent each outer corner thereof.

5. A bath tub cushion, according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined numbers of fluid impermeable chambers is at least four.

6. A bath tub cushion, according to claim 1, said fluid is air and first means for inflating and deflating chambers as necessary is an air inlet valve.

7. A bath tub cushion, according to claim 6, wherein said air inlet valve is a two way check valve.

8. A bath tub cushion, according to claim 1, wherein said second means for preventing movement of said back portion during use is selected from the group consisting of a rubberized coating and at least one suction cup.

9. A bath tub cushion, according to claim 8, wherein said second means for preventing movement of said back portion during use is a plurality of suction cups.

10. A bath tub cushion, according to claim 1, wherein said second predetermined shape of said bottom portion is generally rectangular.

11. A bath tub cushion, according to claim 10, wherein said second predetermined length is less than said second predetermined width.

12. A bath tub cushion, according to claim 11, wherein said third means for preventing movement of said bottom portion during use is selected from the group consisting of a rubberized coating and at least one suction cup.

13. A bath tub cushion, according to claim 12, wherein said third means for preventing movement of said bottom portion during use is a plurality of suction cups.

14. A bath tub cushion, according to claim 1, wherein said bottom portion includes at least one of padding disposed therein and a fluid impermeable chamber.

15. A bath tub cushion, according to claim 14, wherein said bottom portion includes padding disposed therein.

16. A bath tub cushion, according to claim 1, wherein head support and back support of said bath tub cushion are adjustable by adjusting an amount of fluid pumped into said predetermined number of said fluid impermeable chambers.

17. A bath tub cushion, according to claim 16, wherein said predetermined number of said fluid impermeable chambers is at least four.