Infant shampoo head support salon

Abstract

An apparatus for washing a baby or a young child's head safely. The apparatus is formed of two tubes or pole-like structures, adjustable in height and connected at a base by a horizontally aligned base strip. The structure has a flexible mesh structure suspended and connected to the two posts into which the child's head can be placed in order to shampoo the child's hair while at the same time safely securing the child's head in place while washing the child's head.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an apparatus for washing a baby or a young child's head safely. In particular, the present invention provides an apparatus formed of two tubular or pole-like structures, each at least partially housing an inner tube wherein each inner tube is adjustable in height. The outer tubes are connected at a base by a horizontally aligned base strip. The structure has a flexible mesh structure suspended and connected to the two inner tubes into which net a child's head can be placed in order to shampoo the child's hair while at the same time safely securing the child's head in place while washing the child's head.

2. The Related Art

U.S. Design Patent D170860 to Harris discloses a child head support for use in bathtubs. As seen in FIG. 3, this structure provides for an inclined surface for the child's body and a single support post. The head rest provides for a relatively small support surface area.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,532 to Modica discloses a reclining shampoo support for children. In this structure, the head rest can be rotated as seen in FIG. 5.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,620 to Boyhan relates to a child hair washing device in which a child's body is supported in a supine position on a counter top adjacent a sink and secured to the device by straps.

It would be desirable to provide an apparatus for washing a young child or infant's head that is easy to manufacture, can be adjusted for height to accommodate different sized children and has a secure head rest area that is ample in size and comfortable and yet can be adjusted with respect to the supporting inner tubes for the head rest to adjusting the child's head when required without moving the child. It would be desirable if additional structure was available to ensure that the inner tubes are firmly secured in place to insure the safety of the child when the apparatus was in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an apparatus for washing an infant or young child's hair while providing a safe environment during this washing. The present invention relates to an apparatus having two inner tubes that are adjustable in height and housed at least partially within corresponding outer tubes that are connected at a base by a horizontally aligned base strip. The base strip has a longitudinal extending strip along its longitudinal axis in which a portion of a rod for each of the two outer tubes can slide. This portion has a hinged connection to the rest of the rod so that the hinged portion can be removed from the base slit and the rod can either be pulled out of the hole of each outer tube to permit the inner tube on each outer tube to be moved up or down to adjust for height. The rod can then be placed back within one of the holes of the outer tube and the hinged portion bent to slide back into the base slit.

A flexible mesh structure is suspended and connected to the two posts. The mesh can be rotated at an angle with respect to the two posts for adjusting the angle at which the child's head is located for washing. The posts can be telescopically raised or lowered to adjust the height for the child's sizes. The child's head can be placed in the net in order to shampoo the child's hair while at the same time safely securing the child's head in place while washing the child's head. The base of the two posts can have suction cups to hold them firmly in place with the surface e.g. the floor that they are located upon. The posts can also include triangularly shaped supports, located on each of two sides for each of the two posts, to firmly keep the posts vertically in place. Each post is preferably formed of an outer cylinder having holes on the sides and an inner tube with complimentary holes on the sides that can move up or down within the outer cylinder. Pegs or rod-like elements can be placed within the holes of the outer cylinders and inner tubes to lock the inner tubes in place at a given located height. In this manner, the height of the posts can be adjusted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A-D show front, top, side and perspective views of an embodiment of the present disclosure with the poles or tubes in the lowest position;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG, 1 with the poles or tubes in the highest position;

FIG. 3A-E shows front, top, side, bottom and perspective views of one of the caps on top of one of the tubes of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 shows the net of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 shows the base of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows the pole of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 shows the suction cups located at the base of the baby salon of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 8 shows the lock pin of the baby salon of the present disclosure; and

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

Referring to the drawings of FIGS. 1A-9, FIGS. 1A-D show an embodiment of the present disclosure of a baby salon 5 in which two posts 6 are preferably formed of an upper hollow tube 7 (see FIG. 4) having a cap 9 (see FIG. 2) on top. The tubes 7 are each inserted into tubular receptacles 8 that are attached to a base 10 to provide ground support for the baby salon apparatus. A net 11 is attached and suspended between the two tubes as shown FIGS. 1A-D. The net (FIG. 1B) provides support for a baby or child's head during washing. The net has support ends 12 on each side preferably formed as pin like inserts adapted to slide into the slots 13 of the tubes 8 as seen in FIG. 1D. In FIGS. 1A-D that tubes 7 are at its lowest level but can be raised to various other levels higher than that level as shown in FIG. 12. The tubes 9 each have one hole 14 so that when moved up or down within the tube receptacle 8 the hole of each tube 7 can be aligned with anyone of the holes 15 on the outer tubes so that the tubes and the net are adjusted for different height levels when placing the locking pins 16 into the aligned inner tube holes and the outer tube hole it is aligned with. As shown on FIGS. 1 and 2, the tubes 7 can raised to its highest level by moving the tubes 7 up and placing the locking pins 16 into the receiving tubes 8 opening at it highest level. As shown in FIG. 1C, the receiving tubes 8 preferably have five openings arranged vertically so that the locking pin 16 can be adjusted accordingly. The tubes 7 have one opening in a side to receive the inserts and thereby moving the top tube 7 up or down so that it openings align with the holes 15 of the receiving 8 tubes so that the height of the tubes 7 and of the net 11 can be determined. The adjustment is for the particular size of the child whose head is being washed.

FIGS. 3A-3E show the cap 9 preferably circular and hollow within that fits over the top of the tubes 7.

The net 11 (FIG. 4) can preferably be made of a soft canvas material with padding for cushioning a child's head.

As shown in FIG. 4, the net 11 has a grid like pattern.

The base 10 (see FIG. 5) has the two hollow tubes 8 and a bottom base portion 10 with slits 21 on each side to accommodate the locking pin 16 shown in FIG. 8.

The top tube 7 shown in FIG. 6 is preferably hollow and can be made of plastic material. Suction cups 22 (FIG. 7) can be placed under the base to better secure the baby salon when affixed of its intended surface such as inside a sink.

The locking pin 16 shown in FIG. 8 has a pivotal leg 16a that can be removed and adjusted for different locking positions when adjusting the height of the tubes 7.

While certain embodiments have been shown and described, it is distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A baby salon apparatus comprising:

a frame formed of two sets of tubes, each of said set of tubes including an outer tube for at least partially housing an inner tube, each of said outer tubes to be at least partially inserted into a base;

a base having a bottom portion and two upward hollow legs attached thereto each of said legs being adapted to at least partially receive a portion of one of said two posts therein; and

a net adapted to be attached to a side of each of said two tubes and suspended there-between so that child's head can be placed in said net to be washed.

2. The baby salon according to claim 1 wherein said tubes are hollow;

3. The baby salon wherein said tunes are adapted to slide partially up or down and in and out of the two legs to adjust the height of the tubes and of the net accordingly.

4. The baby salon according to claim 1 wherein said net is made of a flexible material.

5. The baby salon according to said claim 4 wherein said net has a mesh like structure.

6. The baby salon according to claim 5 wherein said net includes soft padding to cushion a child's head.

7. The baby salon according to claim 1 further including suction cups located under said base of said salon.