The present invention relates to a reclining foldable chair for dyeing or shampooing hair in a bath. More particularly, the shampoo chair includes an adjustable padded neck rest, a shower spray head nozzle, multiple pockets/compartments for holding bottles of soap, shampoo, conditioners and hair dyes, as well as a towel rack for towels for drying the user's hair.
Typically, shampooing or dyeing of one's hair by male and female participants may be performed over a sink or in a bath or shower. Also, in dyeing the hair, the user needs a second person to help, such that the user places his/her head over a sink or bathtub in a leaning-over position, where the second person dyes the user's hair. This position is not comfortable to the user. Also, it is not a good position for dyeing the hair most efficiently. When going to a hair salon for dyeing or shampooing an individual's hair, it is common to place the individual in a seated position, such that the individual leans his/her head back with water, dye and shampoo being applied to the individual's head. Although this is a typical position in hair salons for dyeing hair, in a user's home, this is typically not a position that is utilized.
There remains a need for a reclining foldable chair for dyeing or shampooing one's hair in a bath or shower. This shampoo chair would include an adjustable neck rest, a plurality of pockets/compartments for storing and holding bottles of soap, shampoos, conditioners, hair colorants and the like, and a towel rack for towels for drying the user's hair.
Hair washing apparatus, shampooing chairs and the like having various designs, configurations, structures and materials of construction have been generally disclosed in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,662 to ANDERSON discloses a folding shampoo chair having padded back and seat portions. The padded shampoo chair includes hingedly connected seat and back portions and having storage recesses for retaining the legs of the chair when in the folded configurations. The shampoo chair also includes a combined shoulder and headrest that spans the top of the chair back which serves to support the hair of a user on the chair above a sink or basin during the shampooing operation. This prior art patent does not disclose or teach the design, configuration and structure of a reclining foldable shampoo chair for a bathtub or shower stall of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,197 to SANSING discloses a child shampooing chair which is designed to be located within a bathing area such as a conventional bathtub. The child shampooing chair includes a conventional seat and a conventional back section with the back section being tiltable relative to the seat section to assume various inclined positions relative thereto. The legs of the child shampooing chair are to be adjustable in height. There are armrests mounted on the side edges of the seat section which include recesses within which is to be located a container such as a bottle of shampoo. This prior art patent does not disclose or teach the design, configuration and structure of a reclining foldable shampoo chair for a bathtub or shower stall of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,052,084 to GILLESPIE discloses a portable shampoo bowl and chair. This apparatus is used for dispensing shampoos in cooperation with a counter-top sink. The shampoo chair includes a chair seat, with legs hingedly attached for movement between a first extended seat supporting position and a second, folded position for portability; a seat back hingedly attached to the chair seat for movement between an erect position and a folded, portable position. The shampoo chair also includes a bowl assembly with a drain adapted for being located over the counter-top sink and at least two extensible support members attached to the bowl at the underside thereof, for movement between a first bowl supporting position and a second portable position. This prior art patent does not disclose or teach the design, configuration and structure for a reclining foldable shampoo chair for a bathtub or shower stall of the present invention.
None of the aforementioned prior art patents disclose or teach the specific design, configuration and structure of a reclining foldable and compact shampoo chair for a bathtub or shower stall of the present invention.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable reclining foldable shampoo chair for a bathtub that has an adjustable padded/cushioned neck rest, multiple pockets/compartments for holding bottles of soap, hair colorant, shampoo and hair conditioner, as well as a towel rack for towels for drying the user's hair.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable reclining foldable shampoo chair for use within a bathtub, or adjacent to the bathtub, such that the shampoo chair reclines over the bathtub, or within a shower stall.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable reclining foldable shampoo chair that opens and folds closed into a compact configuration and is easily stored in a closet or storage area when not in use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable reclining foldable shampoo chair that adjustably supports the neck of the user up to the user's neckline.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable reclining foldable shampoo chair that has an adjustable and extendible neck rest to protect and support the neck, such that the neck rest should be sufficiently wide and strong enough to comfortably support the neck and head.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable reclining foldable shampoo chair that has a showerhead retractable hook being easily reachable by a right or left-handed user while sitting in the shampoo chair.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable reclining foldable shampoo chair that is rust-resistant and waterproof having aluminum and/or plastic component parts with washable back and seat components made from pliable plastics, Naugahyde® or other waterproof materials.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable reclining foldable shampoo chair that is easy to use and is sturdy and strong enough to support a user's weight of at least 280 pounds.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a portable reclining foldable shampoo chair that can be mass-produced in an automated and economical manner and is readily affordable by the consumer.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a reclining, foldable and adjustable chair and adjustable neck support for use in a bathtub or a shower stall for shampooing or dyeing hair. The shampoo chair has a seat member hingedly connected to a back member by adjustable hinge devices. An adjustable neck rest member is connected to the back member for supporting the user's neck; and the neck rest member is connected to the back member by adjusting rods, wherein each of the adjusting rods includes a ball joint for allowing the neck rest member to pivot, which allows the neck of the user to be in a more comfortable position while the user's hair is being washed or dyed. The neck rest member also includes a neck rest extension for extending the neck rest member in order to accommodate different size necks.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon the consideration of the following detailed description of the presently-preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The portable, reclining and foldable shampoo chair 10 and its component parts of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is represented in detail by
The shampoo chair 10 includes a frame housing 20 having a front leg frame section 22, a rear leg frame section 24, a pair of opposing connector strut frame section members 26a and 26b for connecting a back member 28 to the front leg frame section 22, respectively. Each of the connector strut frame members 26a and 26b include a slot opening 27a and 27b allowing the back member 28 to recline in a backward fashion. The back member 28 is hingedly connected to a seat member 30 by a hinge connector element 32. The frame housing 20 also includes a pair of padded arm rest members 34a and 34b, each being movably atached to first and second reclining frame members 36a and 36b, respectively. Each of the first and second reclining frame members 36a and 36b include a plurality of reclining notches 38a, 38b, 38c and 38d (see
As shown in
As shown in
The back member 28 further includes an adjustable and padded neck rest member 70 (see
Adjusting rods 72a and 72b move the neck rest member 70 from a first neck position P1 to various second neck positions P2 depending upon the height of the user 16. The adjusting rods 72a and 72b are self-adjusting to any height the user 16 needs for neck rest member 70. The padded and cushioned neck rest member 70 is at least three (3) inches wide and is strong enough to support the weight of the user's head 16h, as depicted in
Arm rest member 34b includes a plurality of bottle holders 42a, 42b and 42c for holding hair colorant, hair conditioner, liquid soap and/or shampoo bottles 19b therein, as depicted in
The frame housing 20 is made from rust-resistant and waterproof aluminum tubing or from stainless steel tubing. The neckrest, back member, seat members and armrest members 70, 28, 30, 34a and 34b, respectively, are made from workable, pliable plastic materials, Naugahyde® or other waterproof materials.
As shown in
If needed, the user 16 now removes the standard showerhead (not shown) from the standard shower outlet pipe 15, and then places and attaches the quick connect release member 68 to outlet pipe 15 in order to provide the showerhead apparatus 50 ready for use, where then the retaining ring 56 is detachably connected to mounting hook 48 for the convenience of user 16 in preparation for shampooing the user's hair 17, as depicted in
In the last steps, the user 16 can place within bottle holders 42a, 42b and 42c and/or 42c the appropriate shampoo, conditioner and/or hair colorant bottles 19b therein, as shown in
After the shampooing or dyeing of the user's hair 17 is completed, the user simply removes the bottles 19b from within the bottle holders 42a, 42b and 42c, wipes the shampoo chair 10 dry and then collapses the shampoo chair 10 from its open configuration C1 to its closed folded configuration C2, as shown in
Accordingly, an advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a portable reclining foldable shampoo chair for a bathtub that has an adjustable padded/cushioned neck rest, multiple pockets/compartments for holding bottles of soap, hair colorant, shampoo and hair conditioner, as well as a towel rack for towels for drying the user's hair.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a portable reclining foldable shampoo chair for use within a bathtub, or adjacent to the bathtub, such that the shampoo chair reclines over the bathtub, or within a shower stall.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a portable reclining foldable shampoo chair that opens and folds closed into a compact configuration and is easily stored in a closet or storage area when not in use.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a portable reclining foldable shampoo chair that adjustably supports the neck of the user up to the user's neckline.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a portable reclining foldable shampoo chair that has an adjustable and extendible neck rest to protect and support the neck, such that the neck rest should be sufficiently wide and strong enough to comfortably support the neck and head.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a portable reclining foldable shampoo chair that has a showerhead retractable hook being easily reachable by a right or left-handed user while sitting in the shampoo chair.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a portable reclining foldable shampoo chair that is rust-resistant and waterproof having aluminum and/or plastic component parts with washable back and seat components made from pliable plastics, Naugahyde® or other waterproof materials.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a portable reclining foldable shampoo chair that is easy to use and is sturdy and strong enough to support a user's weight of at least 280 pounds.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a portable reclining foldable shampoo chair that can be mass-produced in an automated and economical manner and is readily affordable by the consumer.
A latitude of modification, change, and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure, and in some instances, some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope and of the invention herein.