JP2001353089A - Bathtub - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bathtub for making a bath for a person to be cared and a physically challenging person easy and comfortable. SOLUTION: The bathtub is provided with a bathtub body 1 and a supporting part 2. The bathtub body 1 is formed so as to be able to accommodate a human body 4 in such a comfortable attitude as to allow human legs to be stretched out and permit a human back to be tilted rearward while taking the stature direction of the human body 4 as a longitudinal one. The bottom surface 12 of the bathtub body 1 is provided with a seat surface 12a located centrally in the longitudinal direction, a leg part supporting surface 12c inclined from the seat surface 12a slantingly downward in a lower-extremity direction, and an upper body supporting surface 12b inclined from the seat surface 12a slantingly upward in a head direction. The supporting part 2 supports the bathtub body 1 so that an angle position can be bidirectionally changed between a seat-posture angle position where the side of the surface 12b is located in a rise position and a supination angle position where the side of the surface 12b is located in the rise position.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bathtub which makes it easier and more comfortable for elderly and physically handicapped people with impaired motor function to take a bath, and which can be used for bathing a healthy person.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Elderly or physically handicapped people with reduced motor function,
Bathing an injured person, such as an injured person, simply puts himself in and out of the bathtub with a physically handicapped person, and places a heavy burden on the body and mind, as well as heavy labor for the helper. In order to reduce the labor of the caregiver, assistance equipment such as a lifter for suspending and moving the caregiver and a vertical moving facility for moving the caregiver into and out of the bathtub are used. In addition, when the obstacle is relatively light, a device such as a transfer table is provided beside the bathtub to facilitate access.

[0003]

However, the assistance equipment requires a large space in the bathroom and bathtub, and it is extremely difficult to install it in a general house. Further, the shape of the bathtub was not much different from a general bathtub, and it was not possible for a care-requirer to take a bath in a comfortable posture.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a bathtub in which an assistant can easily enter and leave the bathtub in a comfortable posture.

[0005]

A bathtub according to the present invention for achieving the above object is formed so that a human body can be accommodated in a comfortable posture in which the height of the human body is set as a longitudinal direction and the legs are thrown out and the back is turned down. The bottom surface of the bathtub body has a seating surface at the center in the longitudinal direction, and a leg supporting surface that is inclined obliquely downward in the lower limb direction from the seating surface, and a head direction from the seating surface. An upper body supporting surface inclined obliquely upwards, and the bathtub body, from one of a sitting angle position in which the upper body supporting surface side is in the raised position and a supine position in which the leg supporting surface side is in the raised position. On the other hand, it has a supporting portion that supports the angular position changeable,
By changing the angle of the bathtub body, the person entering the bathtub body can be changed between the sitting position and the supine position. It is easy to get in and out, and the amount of hot water used can be reduced.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to provide an understanding of the present invention.
The embodiment described below is an example embodying the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a bathtub main body 1 of a bathtub according to the present embodiment is formed in a bottom shape for accommodating a human body in a comfortable posture, and has an upper edge portion 11 protruding outward in a flange shape around the upper end thereof. Corresponds to the shape of the bottom surface, so that the upper body side flat surface (upper body side linear portion) 11a and the lower body side flat surface (lower body side linear portion) 11b are bent inwardly and connected on both side walls. Is formed. The bathtub body 1 is moved from one of a sitting angle position where the lower body side flat surface 11b is substantially parallel to the installation floor surface and a supine position angle position where the upper body side flat surface 11a is approximately parallel to the installation floor surface. By changing the angular position, a person who has entered the bathtub main body 1 can take a bath in a state where the person has changed into a sitting posture and a supine posture. The sitting posture is a sitting posture in which the lower limbs are thrown out, and the supine posture is in a substantially supine state with the back down. The configuration of the bathtub that can change the angle of the bathtub body 1 will be described below.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the bathtub according to the first embodiment as a longitudinal sectional view of the bathtub body 1. The bathtub body 1 is mounted on a floor 3 by a support base (support portion) 2. 2A and the supine position as shown in FIG. 2B by the support table 2 so that the person who enters the bathtub may have a slight center of gravity. 3A, it is possible to automatically change from one of the sitting posture shown in FIG. 3A and the supine posture shown in FIG. 3B to the other.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bathtub main body 1 has an upper edge 11 on both side walls having an upper body side flat surface (upper body side linear portion) 11a and a lower body side flat surface (lower body side linear portion) 11b. Are formed so as to be bent inwardly in a V-shape, and the bottom surface 12 has a seat surface 12a at the center thereof, which is substantially parallel to the lower body side flat surface 11b. On the bottom surface 12, an upper body supporting surface 12b inclined obliquely upward from the seat surface 12a and a leg support surface 12c inclined obliquely downward from the seat surface 12a are formed. This bathtub body 1
Can be easily manufactured by resin molding using a plastic such as glass fiber reinforced polyester. Further, it can also be formed by firing ceramics or using a material that has been conventionally used for a bathtub, such as an enameled steel plate or a cypress plate. In particular, when a large distance of movement is required, a plastic coating sheet or a combination of a waterproof canvas and a metal pipe is lightweight and suitable.

The support base 2 supports and accommodates the bathtub body 1 from below, and the bottom surface thereof is configured to form a rocking chair bottom structure. That is, the support base 2 includes a sitting position supporting portion 2a formed substantially parallel to the upper body side flat surface 11a, a supine position supporting portion 2b formed substantially parallel to the lower body side flat surface 11b, and a sitting position supporting portion 2a. And an arc portion 2d which is located between the supine support portion 2b and connects the two,
A bathtub main body supporting portion 2c for supporting the lower surface of the upper edge portion 11 from four rounds is provided. This support 2 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (a), when the sitting position support portion 2b is brought into contact with the floor surface 3, the lower body side flat surface 11b
The seating surface 12a is substantially parallel to the floor surface 3, and when the supine support portion 2a is brought into contact with the floor surface 3 as shown in FIG. The part support surface 12c is substantially parallel to the floor surface 3. And in the locus angular position, the height H ₁ from the floor surface 3 of the lower body side flat surface 11b is, 55cm or less, preferably 50c
bathtub body 1 and support base 2 so as to be about m to 40 cm
Is designed to facilitate the operation of once sitting on the lower body side flat surface 11b when a person in need of assistance enters the bathtub body 1 or when an injured or physically handicapped enters the bathtub body 1 without assistance. It is easy to take care and take a bath for the disabled. The support base 2 can be constituted by a frame formed of a pipe (such as shown in FIG. 1) of aluminum or the like, a plate material, or the like.

As shown in FIG. 3 (a), when the sitting position support portion 2b of the support base 2 is brought into contact with the floor surface 3 and the bathtub body 1 is set to the sitting angle position, the person 4 entering the bathtub body 1 Seat 1
The buttocks are placed on 2a, the lower limbs are thrown out onto the lower body supporting surface 12c, and the back is in a substantially vertical posture. Elderly persons and persons with heart disease, etc., are considered suitable for bathing in a bath, and a bath position can be obtained in a sitting posture.

When the person 4 moves the center of gravity from this sitting position to the position where the person 4 leans on the back to the upper body supporting surface 12b as shown in FIG. 3B, the arc 2d acts like a rocking chair. The support base 2 rotates, and the supine support portion 2a comes into contact with the floor surface 3 and assumes the supine angular position. At this time, a part of the hot water also moves to the upper body supporting surface 12b side, and the hot water surface W soaks the whole body to obtain a whole-body bathing state, and can take a bath in a relaxed posture almost lying down. As described above, since the supine posture can be easily obtained in the state of the whole body bath, not only a person requiring assistance and a disabled person but also a healthy person can take a bath in a relaxed posture.

As described above, in the bathtub according to the present embodiment,
You can arbitrarily select the bathing state and the whole body bath state,
In addition, since the bathtub has a bathtub shape in which hot water is present only in necessary places around the body in a supine state, the amount of hot water required for a whole body bath can be reduced. The greater the degree of physical disability, the more likely it is for the care-requiring person to become dirty of the body, and the amount of hot water used can be reduced even when the dirty water is discarded after bathing. In addition, even if it is a healthy person, replacement of hot water tends to increase for each person due to a change in lifestyle, but even in such a case, the amount of hot water used is small and economical.

As shown in FIG. 3, a change in the angular position between the sitting position and the supine position in the bathtub can be made by moving the center of gravity of the bather using a rocking chair system. The movement is limited to the elderly and mildly handicapped.
It will also overflow the hot water inside. Therefore, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 2, the wedge member 6 is replaced under the sitting position support portion 2a and under the supine position supporting portion 2b to stably maintain the sitting position and the supine position. can do. Further, as shown by phantom lines in FIG. 2, support pillars 7 that move toward and away from the floor 3 are provided on the head side and the leg side of the bathtub support portion 2c, and the support pillars 7 are arranged in accordance with the sitting position or the supine position. Each position can be stably maintained by moving the support column 7 forward and backward and locking it at the advanced position. Such a change between the sitting angle position and the supine position is possible in the presence of a caregiver, but it is also possible to allow the bather to operate the bather himself. In other words, the wedge member 6 can be configured to move forward and backward on the floor 3 or to move forward and backward on the floor 3 by rotating a lever provided on the side surface of the bathtub body 1 or the like.

FIG. 4 shows a configuration of the bathtub according to the second embodiment, and shows another mode of the structure in which the position of the bathtub body 1 is changed between a sitting angle position and a supine position. In this configuration, the bathtub main body 1 itself is rotatably supported at a swing fulcrum P set on the side surface thereof,
The angle can be changed between the sitting position shown in FIG. 4A and the supine position shown in FIG. 4B.

The bathtub main body 1 is rotatably supported by a support base (supporting portion) 14 at the pivot point P. FIG.
In a state where the support arm 15 is extended straight as shown in FIG. 3A, the rounded portion 12d on the leg side of the bathtub body 1 is in contact with the floor surface 3 and the lower body side flat surface 11b is substantially parallel to the floor surface 3. Angular position. Further, in a state where the support arm 15 is bent as shown in FIG.
a protruding portion 12e which rises from the upper surface to the upper body supporting surface 12b
Is in contact with the floor surface 3 and the upper body side flat surface 11a is in the supine position where the upper body side flat surface 11a is substantially parallel to the floor surface 3. The support arm 15
The change between the straight extension position and the bending position can be manually operated by a caregiver, but can also be configured by mechanical lever operation or electric operation so that the bather himself can operate.

In this configuration, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, a height H from the floor surface 3 to the lower body side flat surface 11b is set.
Since ₁ and upper body side height H ₂ of up to the flat surface 11a is reduced, it is possible to easily perform an operation to put into the bathtub body 1 lift up the main caregiver.

In the above-described configuration, an example of installation on the floor 3 of a bathroom or the like has been described. However, by configuring the device on a table supported by wheels, the device can be moved to an arbitrary location, and You can also take a bath in a bedroom or the like.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, the bathtub main body can be changed from one of the sitting posture and the supine posture to the other, and the care-requiring person can bathe in a comfortable posture. It is possible to provide a bathtub that can also be used for bathing and can easily enter and exit. In addition, since the amount of hot water used is small, even those who need assistance who tend to get dirty are
The hot water can be replaced every time, and even if the hot water is replaced every time one person takes a bath, economical bathing is possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a bathtub according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the bathtub is changed to a sitting angle position, and FIG. 2B is changed to a supine position.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a human body posture when the bathtub is set at a sitting angle position in (a) and in a supine position in (b).

FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views of a bathtub according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is changed to a sitting angle position, and (b) is changed to a supine position.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Bathtub main body 2 Support part (support stand) 2a Sitting support part 2b Supine support part 11 Upper edge 11a Upper body side flat surface (upper body side linear part) 11b Lower body side flat surface (lower body side linear part) 12 Bottom surface 12a Seat surface 12b Upper body support surface 12c Leg support surface 14 Support base (support portion)

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A bathtub main body formed so that a human body can be accommodated in a comfortable posture in which a leg is thrown out and the back is turned down, with the height direction of the human body as a longitudinal direction, and the bottom surface of the bathtub main body is positioned at the center in the longitudinal direction. In addition to having a seating surface, a leg support surface inclined obliquely downward in the lower limb direction from the seating surface, and an upper body supporting surface inclined obliquely upward in the head direction from the seating surface, and a bathtub body, The upper body supporting surface side has a supporting portion that supports the angle position change from one of the sitting position angular position where the upper body supporting surface side is in the raised position and the supine position position where the leg supporting surface side is in the raised position. Bathtub. 2. An upper edge of each of both side walls of the bathtub body,
It consists of an upper body side straight part and a lower body side straight part that are connected in a bent shape, and the lower body side straight part is almost horizontal at the sitting angle position, and the upper body side straight part is almost horizontal at the supine position. The bathtub of claim 1, wherein the bathtub is configured to be 3. The bathtub according to claim 2, wherein the height of the lower body side straight portion from the installation floor is 55 cm or less at the sitting angle position. 4. The supporting portion supports and accommodates the bathtub body from below, and the bottom surface of the supporting portion has a rocking chair bottom structure.
4. The bathtub according to claim 1, wherein the angle of the bathtub body can be changed from one of a sitting angle position and a supine position to the other by moving the center of gravity of a human body bathing in the bathtub body. .