AN INFANT BATHING SYSTEM

Abstract

The present invention is concerned with a bathing system for an infant, and in particular a bathing system for an infant which can be located in a conventional sink or the like and which simplifies the filling and emptying of the bathing system in order to provide an improved bathing experience, the bathing system comprising a receptacle adapted to receive and retain an infant, the receptacle comprises a plurality of apertures to permit the flow of water into and out of the receptacle, the receptacle also preferably being displaceable between a collapsed and an expanded state.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a bathing system for an infant, and in particular a bathing system for an infant which can be located in a conventional sink or the like and which simplifies the filling and emptying of the bathing system in order to provide an improved bathing experience.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

While the birth of a child is considered by many to be one of the most significant and enjoyable periods in a person's life, there are practical considerations and complications which can make the life of a parent significantly more complex and labour intensive, which when combined with the inevitable lack of sleep that normally accompanies the arrival of a new child, can reduce the enjoyment and increase the stress associated with this time.

Day to day activities which as an adult are taken for granted become exponentially more complicated and time consuming, for example feeding, dressing, and bathing, all of which must be undertaken with great care and consideration. The ability of a parent or carer to apply the necessary care and consideration is often hampered by tiredness or time constraints, and it is therefore of significant interest to parents to find solutions that can ease the burden of the many daily task to be undertaken in caring for a new infant.

Bathing an infant is often considered one of the more stressful of these tasks, with many people opting to use a dedicated baby bath, due to the unsuitability of a conventional bath, which is too large for the purpose of bathing child, and in addition, requires significant time to suitably fill, time being a precious commodity when caring for a young infant. However, the tasks of filling the baby bath and subsequently emptying heavy volumes of water after washing the infant are additional awkward and time consuming tasks, and a suitable location is not always readily available to locate the filled baby bath while washing the child. Manoeuvring the infant into the bath, ensuring the infant remains safely positioned in the bath during bathing, and removing the wet infant from the bath are all tasks which must be performed with great care and attention. Once removed from the bath it is then generally necessary to apply a nappy and then dress the infant, with little or no time to empty the water from the baby bath, which can then become an issue, particularly if there are for example other young children such as toddlers in the household, for which a bath full of water can pose a significant safety risk.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an infant bathing system which addresses the above-mentioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention there is provided an infant bathing system comprising a receptacle adapted to receive and retain an infant; wherein the receptacle comprises a plurality of apertures to permit the flow of water into and out of the receptacle.

Preferably, the infant bathing system comprises one or more supports extending laterally of the receptacle at a position above a base of the receptacle, to permit the receptacle to be suspended over a fluid reservoir.

Preferably, the one or more supports each comprise a handle.

Preferably, the one or more supports are retractably extendable relative to the receptacle.

Preferably, the one or more supports at least partially comprise a non slip material on a contact face of the support.

Preferably, the receptacle is displaceable between a collapsed state and an expanded state such as to permit the depth of the receptacle to be altered.

Preferably, the receptacle is displaceable in stages between the collapsed state and the expanded state.

Preferably, the receptacle comprises a base and a sidewall.

Preferably, the sidewall is displaceable between a collapsed state and an expanded state.

Preferably, the sidewall comprises an array of circumferentially extending ribs with adjacent ribs stepped relative to one another in a radial direction.

Preferably, each rib comprises an array of the apertures therein.

Preferably, the base comprises a plurality of the apertures therein.

Preferably, the receptacle comprises an abutment on an interior surface of the base.

Preferably, the receptacle is at least partially formed of a flexible material.

Preferably, the bathing system comprises a rigid rim provided about a mouth of the receptacle.

Preferably, the receptacle comprises an integrated head rest.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an infant bathing system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention and with a receptacle in an expanded state;

FIG. 2 illustrates an end elevation of the bathing system with the receptacle in the expanded state;

FIG. 3 illustrates a side elevation of the bathing system;

FIG. 4 illustrates a plan view of the bathing system from above;

FIG. 5 illustrates a plan view from below of the bathing system;

FIG. 6 illustrates an end elevation of the infant bathing system with the receptacle in a collapsed state;

FIG. 7 illustrates a side elevation of the arrangement shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 illustrates a plan view from below of the bathing system with the receptacle in the collapsed state;

FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of the bathing system with the receptacle again in the collapsed state;

FIG. 10 illustrates an alternative perspective view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 illustrates the infant bathing system in the collapsed state and with a pair of handles extended outwardly;

FIG. 12 illustrates an alternative perspective view of the bathing system with the handles of the system extended.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the accompanying drawings that is illustrated an infant bathing system, generally indicated as 10, for use in simplifying the process of bathing a young infant (not shown) and which is designed to be collapsed into a flattened state for storage between uses. It is a well known issue that the arrival of a new child results in a proliferation of often large items of equipment such as buggies, cots, changing units, toys, etc., all of which take up significant space, and the ability to collapsed an item for storage is of significant benefit. The collapsible characteristic is also beneficial for the packaging, transport, commercial storage and sale of the bathing system 10.

The bathing system 10, in the preferred embodiment illustrated, comprises a receptacle 12 which is shaped and dimensioned to receive an infant therein when in an expanded state, for example as illustrated in FIG. 1, and which incorporates a number of features described in detail hereinafter to ensure the comfort and support, and therefore safety of the infant during the bathing process. The receptacle 12 comprises a base 14 and a side wall 16 which in the embodiment illustrated is formed integrally with the base 14, but could equally be formed separately therefrom and suitably joined. The exact shape and configuration of both the base 14 and sidewall 16 may be widely varied once maintaining the underlying functionality described hereinafter. For example the base 14 could be more concave in shape, effectively forming a continuous curved surface with the sidewall 14

In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the base 14 and side wall 16 are formed from the same flexible or resilient material in order to both provide comfort to an infant when supported thereon, and to allow the receptacle 12 to be displaced between an expanded state as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 and a collapsed state as illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 12 in which the bathing system 10 may be more easily stored and/or transported. In the preferred embodiment illustrated the receptacle 12 is formed from rubber but any other suitable material or combination of materials may be employed, for example a plastic, or a plastic or rubber coated substrate or the like. The use of rubber provides a comfortable and non slip surface while also providing the necessary flexibility to facilitate displacement of the receptacle 12 between the expanded and collapsed states. The base 14 and or sidewall 16 could also be provided with reinforcing elements (not shown) for example one or more annular elements encased in or secured to the sidewall 16 to provide improved support.

The bathing system 10 additionally comprises a rigid rim or frame 18 about a mouth of the receptacle 12 and to which the receptacle 12 is secured, the frame 18 preferably being formed from a moulded plastic material and providing rigidity and therefore structural integrity to the overall bathing system 10. The receptacle 12 may be secured to the frame 18 in any suitable conventional fashion. It will of course be appreciated that the frame 18 could be formed integrally with the sidewall 16, and that the shape and configuration of the rim 18 may be widely varied.

The sidewall 16 comprises a nestable array of ribs 20 with adjacent ribs 20 reducing in size in a radial direction between the frame 18 and the base 14. The flexible nature of the side wall 16, in combination with the array of stepped ribs 20, allows the receptacle 12 to be displaced in concertina fashion between the expanded state as illustrated for example in FIG. 1 defining an enclosure for receiving an infant, and the collapsed state as illustrated for example in FIG. 9 in which the system 10 is essentially of flattened or planar form and can thus easily be stored in any number of suitable locations. Thus it will be appreciated that each rib 20 effectively forms a layer which may be collapsed and nested into the immediately adjacent upper layer or rib 20, in order to achieve a very low profile when the receptacle 12 is displaced into the collapsed state. The ribs 20 could be formed from a rigid material such as plastic, with a flexible hinge such as a live hinge connecting adjacent ribs 20, thereby allowing the above functionality while providing a more rigid and therefore supporting sidewall 16 if desired. It is also envisaged that the receptacle may be only partially collapsible, for example being formed from two or three sections which are displaceable relative to one another. It will of course be appreciated that any other functional alternative configuration for the side wall 16 and/or base 14 may be employed in order to achieve this reversibly collapsible capability.

The receptacle 12 is additionally provided with a large number of through apertures 22 therein, preferably being located along each of the ribs 20 and in addition in the base 14, which apertures 22 allow water to both enter into the receptacle 12 from the exterior, and to drain quickly and easily from the receptacle 12 when bathing has been completed, as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. The receptacle 12 is preferably additionally provided with an protrusion or abutment 24 located on the base 14 and arranged and dimensioned to effectively define a seat or ledge against which the buttocks of the child can rest in order to reduce the likelihood of the child slipping downwardly such as to lie completely flat, which obviously raises the risk of the child's head being submerged in the water in use. This can free up both of the parents hands to more quickly and easily undertake the bathing of the infant. The abutment 24 may be formed integrally with the base 14 or my be detachably secured thereto. The abutment 24 is again preferably but not essentially formed from a resiliently deformed or cushioned material in order to provide comfort to an infant when located in the expanded receptacle 12.

A headrest 26 is preferably additionally provided on an elevated first end 28 of the receptacle 12 and/or frame 18 and which is preferably formed of the same resilient material as the receptacle 12 in order to provide a comfortable cushion against which the infant's head may be rested during bathing. It will of course be understood that the shape, configuration, and location of the headrest 26 may be altered.

Finally, the bathing system 10 comprises a pair of supports in the form of handles 30, one located at either end of the frame 18, and preferably reversibly displaceable outwardly from a retracted position beneath/within the frame 18 as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, and an extended position as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12. The supports or handles 30 may however be fixed in position, but this is less preferred as the adjustable nature enables the bathing system 10 to be used with a range of sink sizes as hereinafter described. In the preferred embodiment illustrates the pair of handles 30 are infinitely adjustable in length from the fully retracted position to the fully extended position. Each handle 30 preferably comprises a pair of struts 32 which are telescopically received in the frame 18 and joined together by a curved cross member 34 which serves as a handhold for lifting and manoeuvring the bathing system 10. The handles 30 could however be rotatably or otherwise displaceable between the retracted and extended positions. Located on an underside of each of the cross members 34 are a pair of non-slip pads 36 which prevent or reduce movement of the bathing system 10 during use and as hereinafter described in detail.

Turning then to the operation of the bathing system 10, one of the benefits of the system 10 is in allowing an infant to be bathed within a conventional kitchen sink (not shown) or the like, which provides a ready-made and physically secure or stable location into which the receptacle 12 may be located and at which a dedicated supply of water is already available via the one or more taps provided at a conventional sink. The bathing system 10 is thus initially left with the receptacle 12 in the collapsed state and the pair of handles 30 are drawn outwardly of the frame 18 to a distance greater than the width of the sink (not shown) into which the bathing system 10 is to be deployed. The bathing system 10 is then placed such that the collapsed receptacle 12 is located overlying the sink with the pair of handles 30 extending beyond either side of the sink in order to support the receptacle 12. At this point the receptacle 12 may be displaced into the expanded state, for example by lightly pressing on the base 14 in order to extend the sidewall 16. Depending on the depth of the sink being utilised, the sidewall 16 may be partially or fully expanded, for example until either the base 14 contacts the bottom of the sink or the sidewall 16 is fully expanded with the base 12 suspended over the bottom of the sink.

At this point the sink may then be filled with water directly from the existing taps (not shown) provided at the sink, with the large array of apertures 22 in the sidewall 16 and/or base 14 allowing the water filling the sink to simultaneously enter into and thus fill the receptacle 12. When the water has reached a desired height within the receptacle 12, the taps are simply turned off, and the infant may then be lowered into the receptacle 12 to rest against the stop 24 and headrest 26. Alternatively, it will be appreciated that the infant may be placed into the receptacle 12 before the water is introduced into the sink, and the sink and receptacle 12 then filled with water, although with this sequence it is obviously more difficult to ensure that the temperature of the water is correct as it fills the sink and receptacle 12.

The infant may then be bathed in conventional fashion and once bathing has been completed the sink can be emptied as normal while the infant is left safely located in the receptacle 12. The array of apertures 22 will therefore result in the water within the receptacle 12 draining therefrom as the sink empties. By leaving the infant within the receptacle 12 during this procedure, a secure location is provided at which the infant is contained while the water is emptied and the infant can then also be partially dried within the receptacle 12 once completely drained, providing an additional level of support, before the infant is withdrawn from the receptacle 12 for final drying and dressing as appropriate. The receptacle 12 may then be quickly and easily displaced into the collapsed state and the bathing system 10 stored in an appropriate location for re-use. The use of plastic and rubber components also ensures that the bathing system 10 does not need to be dried prior to storage, further reducing the ancillary tasks associated with the bathing process.

It should be understood that the filling and emptying benefits provided by the array of apertures 22 in the receptacle 12 may be realised in the absence of the ability of the receptacle 12 to be displaceable between the expanded and collapsed state and the present invention thus envisages such embodiments in which a substantially rigid or fixed form receptacle is employed.

It will therefore be appreciated that the bathing system 10 of the present invention provides a simple yet practical means of safely bathing a child in an existing sink or the like while providing an improved level of comfort and support for the infant, and also avoiding the requirement for filling and emptying heavy loads of water from a conventional baby bath or the like.

Claims

1. An infant bathing system comprising a receptacle adapted to receive and retain an infant; wherein the receptacle comprises a plurality of apertures to permit the flow of water into and out of the receptacle.

2. An infant bathing system according to claim 1 comprising one or more supports extending laterally of the receptacle at a position above a base of the receptacle, to permit the receptacle to be suspended over a fluid reservoir.

3. An infant bathing system according to claim 2 in which the one or more supports each comprise a handle.

4. An infant bathing system according to claim 2 in which the one or more supports are retractably extendable relative to the receptacle.

5. An infant bathing system according to claim 2 in which the one or more supports at least partially comprise a non slip material on a contact face of the support.

6. An infant bathing system according to claim 1 in which the receptacle is displaceable between a collapsed state and an expanded state such as to permit the depth of the receptacle to be altered.

7. An infant bathing system according to claim 6 in which the receptacle is displaceable in stages between the collapsed state and the expanded state.

8. An infant bathing system according to claim 6 in which the receptacle comprises a base and a sidewall.

9. An infant bathing system according to claim 8 in which the sidewall is displaceable between a collapsed state and an expanded state.

10. An infant bathing system according to claim 9 in which the sidewall comprises an array of circumferentially extending ribs with adjacent ribs stepped relative to one another in a radial direction.

11. An infant bathing system according to claim 10 in which each rib comprises an array of the apertures therein.

12. An infant bathing system according to claim 8 in which the base comprises a plurality of the apertures therein.

13. An infant bathing system according to claim 8 in which the receptacle comprises an abutment on an interior surface of the base.

14. An infant bathing system according to claim 1 in which the receptacle is at least partially formed of a flexible material.

15. An infant bathing system according to claim 1 comprising a rigid rim provided about a mouth of the receptacle.

16. An infant bathing system according to claim 1 in which the receptacle comprises an integrated head rest.