Patent Grant
11800956
The present invention relates to shower seats and more particularly to a lift-assist shower seat assembly which is designed to be secured to a wall or other structure within a shower or bath enclosure to allow an individual to sit while showering and/or bathing.
For the physically impaired and the elderly, standing unaided in a shower can be a daunting task. While these individuals want to maintain their independence, potential injury from fatigue or unsteadiness in a bathing environment is something that no one should underestimate or ignore. Falls which occur while bathing have a high likelihood of injury which may lead to hospital stays, loss of independence, and even a need to move to an assisted living facility.
Shower chairs can provide much needed stability for individuals in the shower. Shower chairs provide a user with a comfortable resting place while they shower, which can prevent slips and falls. Shower seat designs which require a user to lift and place a free-standing shower chair onto the floor of a shower or bath enclosure can be heavy, cumbersome, awkward, and even dangerous. These designs also add to the clutter in a bathing environment, creating both an issue with where to store the device when it is not in use, and an issue with an additional tripping hazard.
Accordingly, there is clearly a need for an improved shower seat assembly for allowing an individual to sit while showering and/or bathing, while also being easy to operate and store conveniently.
A shower seat assembly comprising a first mounting bracket with a front side and a back side, a second mounting bracket with a front side and a back side, a first support rod hingedly connected to the first mounting bracket, a first tube stop secured to the first mounting bracket, a second support rod hingedly connected to the second mounting bracket, a second tube stop secured to the second mounting bracket, a first spring operationally associated with the first mounting bracket and the first support rod, a second spring operationally associated with the second mounting bracket and the second support rod, and a seat with an upper surface and a lower surface secured by its lower surface to the first support rod and the second support rod; wherein the back side of the first mounting bracket and second mounting bracket are each engaged to a vertical or near vertical surface.
The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter in the following detailed description of the invention, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are described. Indeed, this invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
In describing the invention, it will be understood that a number of techniques and steps are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefit and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed techniques. Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, this description will refrain from repeating every possible combination of the individual steps in an unnecessary fashion. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the invention and the claims.
The instant invention includes a shower seat assembly 5 comprising a first mounting bracket 10A with a front side 12 and a back side 13, a second mounting bracket 10B with a front side 12 and a back side 13, a first support rod 30A hingedly connected to the first mounting bracket 10A, a first tube stop 50A secured to the first support rod 30A, a second support rod 30B hingedly connected to the second mounting bracket 10B, a second tube stop 50B secured to the second support rod 30B, a first spring 70A operationally associated with the first mounting bracket 10A and the first support rod 30A, a second spring 70B operationally associated with the second mounting bracket 10B and the second support rod 30B, and a seat 65 with an upper surface 66 and a lower surface 67, secured by its lower surface 67 to the first support rod 30A and the second support rod 30B, wherein the back side 13 of the first mounting bracket 10A and the second mounting bracket 10B are each engaged to a vertical or near vertical surface, wherein the first spring 70A and second spring 70B act to maintain the seat 65 in a vertical 77 or near vertical position when the seat 65 is not in use, and wherein the first spring 70A and second spring 70B are bent and deformed when the seat 65 is moved from the vertical 77 or near vertical position to a horizontal 78 or near horizontal position during use.
Looking to
Looking to
A shower seat assembly 5 of the instant invention comprises a first mounting bracket 10A with a front side 12 and a back side 13, a second mounting bracket 10B with a front side 12 and a back side 13, a first support rod 30A hingedly connected to the first mounting bracket 10A, a first tube stop 50A secured to the first support rod 30A, a second support rod 30B hingedly connected to the second mounting bracket 10B, and a second tube stop 50B secured to the second support rod 30B. A first spring 70A with a first end 71 and a second end 72, wherein the first end 71 is secured to the front side 12 of the first mounting bracket 10A and the second end 72 is secured to the first support rod 30A, and wherein the first spring 70A is operationally associated with the first mounting bracket 10A and the first support rod 30A. A second spring 70B with a first end 71 and a second end 72, wherein the first end 71 is secured to the front side 12 of the second mounting bracket 10B and the second end 72 is secured to the second support rod 30B, and wherein the second spring 70B is operationally associated with the second mounting bracket 10B and the second support rod 30B. A seat 65 with an upper surface 66 and a lower surface 67 is secured by its lower 66 surface to the first support rod 30A and the second support rod 30B, wherein the back side 13 of the first mounting bracket 10A and the backside 13 of the second mounting bracket 10B are each engaged to a vertical or near vertical surface, wherein the first spring 70A and second spring 70B act to maintain the seat 65 in a vertical 77 or near vertical position when the seat 65 is not in use, and wherein the first spring 70A and second spring 70B are bent and deformed when the seat 65 is moved from the vertical 77 or near vertical position to a horizontal 78 or near horizontal position during use.
A shower seat assembly 5 of the instant invention includes a pair of mounting brackets (10A and 10B) which can be either identical to one another or mirror images of one another. Each mounting bracket 10 includes a center plate 11 with a front side 12 and a back side 13. An outer side support plate 17 is secured to one side of the center plate 11 and an inner side support plate 15 is secured to an opposite side of the center plate 11 wherein the outer side support plate 17 and the inner side support plate 15 form a U-shaped groove 22 within each mounting bracket 10. A through-hole 18 passes through the body 16 of the inner side support plate 15 and the body 16 of the outer side support plate 17. A hinge rod 24 passes through the through-hole 18 of the outer side support plate 17 of the first mounting bracket, through the support rod 30, and through the through-hole 18 of the inner side support plate 15 of the mounting bracket 10. An arcuate track groove 19 is located on the body 16 of the inner side support plate 15 wherein a guide rod 23 passes through the arcuate track groove 19 of the mounting bracket 10 and engages the tube stop 50. The mounting brackets 10 can be made from any material strong enough to be used to secure a seat to a vertical or near vertical surface including metal, plastic, wood, ceramic, carbon fiber, or a combination thereof.
The shower seat assembly 5 can further include connecting rod 40 secured at one end 43 to a first support rod 30A, secured at its opposite end 44 to a second support rod 30B, and secured to the lower surface 67 of the seat 65. The shower seat assembly can also be assembled so that the first tube stop 50A is secured to the first support rod 30A and the second tube stop 50B is secured to the second support rod 30B and each tube stop rotates with each rod as it moves from a vertical 77 position to a horizontal 78 position and engages with the front side 12 of each center plate 11 to stop the rotation and maintain the seat in the horizontal 78 position.
The support rod 30 illustrated in the various figures is generally fabricated from square tubing, but may be fabricated from other shapes of tubing (i.e., circular, rectangular, hexagonal, oval, etc.). Each support rod 30 includes a first end 33 which extends away from the mounting bracket 10 and a second end 34 which is engages to the mounting bracket 10. One or more mounting holes 35 can be included to aid in using one or more fasteners to secure the support rod 30 to a seat 65. A through-hole (not illustrated) can be included near the second end 34 of the support rod 30 to accommodate a hinge rod 24 which passes through a through-hole 18 on the outer support plate 17, through the through-hole of the support rod, and through a through-hole 18 on the inner support plate 15. Each shower seat assembly 5 includes a pair of support rods which are secured to the underside of the seat 65 and set parallel or about parallel to one another. The pair of support rods have a connecting rod secured between and to the support rods (see
The connecting rod 40 illustrated in the various figures is generally fabricated from square tubing, but may be fabricated from other shapes of tubing (i.e., circular, rectangular, hexagonal, oval, etc.). Each connecting rod 40 includes a first end 43 which engages with one support rod 30 and a second end 44 which is engages to a second support rod 30. One or more mounting holes 45 can be included to aid in using one or more fasteners to secure the connecting rod to a seat 65 and/or to the support rods.
The tube stop 50 illustrated in the various figures is generally fabricated from square tubing, but may be fabricated from other shapes of tubing (i.e., circular, rectangular, hexagonal, oval, etc.). Each tube stop 50 includes a first end 53 which extends away from the mounting bracket 10 and a second end 54 which is engages to the mounting bracket 10 when the seat is in a horizontal position. One or more mounting holes (not illustrated) can be included to aid in using one or more fasteners to secure the tube stop 50 to a support rod 30. A through-hole (not illustrated) can be included near the second end 54 of the tube stop 50 to accommodate a guide rod 23 which passes through an arcuate track groove 19 on the inner support plate 15, and through the through-hole of the tube stop to aid in guiding the seat 65 from the vertical position 77 to the horizontal position 78 or vice/versa. The support rods 30, connecting rods 40, and tube stops 50 can be made from any material strong enough to be used to withstand use as a component to a shower seat assembly including metal, plastic, wood, ceramic, carbon fiber, or a combination thereof. The materials can be solid, semi-solid, hollow, or any combination thereof.
The shower seat assembly includes springs 70 with a first end 71, a second end 72, a pair of bending sections 73, and a deformation section 74. Each spring 70 is generally made of metal, including alloys, but any material known in the art may be used to create the spring. Each spring is made of a flat material in a thin U-shaped structure (see
The shower seat assembly 5 includes a seat 65 having an upper surface 66, a lower surface 67, a body 69, and one or more drainage holes 68. The seat 65 can be made from any material strong enough to be used to withstand use as a component to a shower seat assembly including metal, plastic, wood, ceramic, carbon fiber, or a combination thereof. The materials can be solid, semi-solid, hollow, or any combination thereof.
As illustrated in the figures, a variety of fasteners 25 are used to secure the various components of the invention to one another. The fasteners can be any fastener known in the art and include, but are not limited to, rivets, screws, bolts, adhesives, and welds. The fasteners can be used in conjunction with any type of washer 26 or nut 27.
In describing the invention, it will be understood that a number of techniques and steps are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefit and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed techniques. Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, this description will refrain from repeating every possible combination of the individual steps in an unnecessary fashion. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the invention and the claims.
The present invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit and the essential attributes thereof, and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention. The invention illustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element which is not specifically disclosed herein.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6807690 | Satterfield | Oct 2004 | B1 |
| 9844272 | Vetter | Dec 2017 | B1 |
| 20130161463 | Toms | Jun 2013 | A1 |
| 20210307519 | Masiero | Oct 2021 | A1 |
| 20220192432 | Robertson | Jun 2022 | A1 |
