阅读说明：本技术 洗浴构造 (Bathing structure ) 是由 托马斯·赖伯格 于 2017-11-06 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种洗浴构造(100),包括洗浴外壳(110)和用于支撑人的座椅(120)。座椅可枢转地联接到洗浴构造的枢轴(130),用于使座椅围绕水平轴线枢转,使得座椅在枢轴旋转时在座椅位于洗浴外壳内的缩回位置和座椅位于洗浴外壳外部的延伸位置之间可移动。洗浴构造还包括联接到枢轴的致动系统(140),其中致动系统被配置成旋转枢轴,以用于座椅在座椅的缩回位置和座椅的延伸位置之间的移动。(A bathing configuration (100) comprises a bathing enclosure (110) and a seat (120) for supporting a person. The seat is pivotably coupled to a pivot (130) of the bathing configuration for pivoting the seat about a horizontal axis such that the seat is movable upon pivoting between a retracted position in which the seat is located within the bathing enclosure and an extended position in which the seat is located outside the bathing enclosure. The bathing configuration further comprises an actuation system (140) coupled to the pivot, wherein the actuation system is configured to rotate the pivot for movement of the seat between a retracted position of the seat and an extended position of the seat.)

1. A bathing configuration (100) comprising:

a bathing shell (110),

a seat (120), the seat (120) for supporting a person, wherein the seat is pivotably coupled to a pivot (130) of the bathing configuration for pivoting the seat about a horizontal axis such that the seat is movable upon rotation of the pivot between a retracted position in which the seat is located within the bathing enclosure and an extended position in which the seat is located outside the bathing enclosure, and

an actuation system (140), the actuation system (140) coupled to the pivot, wherein the actuation system is configured to rotate the pivot for movement of the seat between the retracted position of the seat and the extended position of the seat.

2. The bathing configuration of claim 1, wherein said pivot comprises a horizontally disposed pivot axis.

3. Bathing configuration according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said actuation system comprises a lever mechanism (180) and a telescopic element (190), said lever mechanism (180) being coupled to said pivot, said telescopic element (190) being mechanically coupled to said pivot via said lever mechanism for rotation of said pivot.

4. The bathing configuration according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one control unit (200), said at least one control unit (200) being communicatively coupled to said actuation system, wherein said at least one control unit is configured to control movement of said seat.

5. The bathing configuration of claim 4, wherein at least one of said at least one control unit is manually operable.

6. The bathing configuration of claim 5, wherein at least one of said at least one control unit is arranged on said seat and is manually operable by a person sitting on said seat.

7. The bathing configuration according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said seat comprises at least one armrest (300a, 300b) arranged in a first horizontal direction, wherein at least one of said at least one armrest is movable between said first horizontal direction and a second direction different from said first horizontal direction.

8. The bathing configuration of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said seat comprises at least one weight sensor (601), said at least one weight sensor (601) for sensing the weight of a person sitting on said seat.

9. The bathing configuration of claim 8, wherein said at least one weight sensor is communicatively coupled to said actuation system, and wherein said actuation system is configured to move said seat in accordance with the weight of a person seated on said seat.

10. The bathing configuration of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said bathing enclosure comprises a side wall (500), said side wall (500) being openable and closable, and wherein said actuation system is configured to open said side wall before said seat is moved from said retracted position in which said seat is inside said bathing enclosure to said extended position in which said seat is outside said bathing enclosure, and to close said side wall after said seat has been moved from said extended position in which said seat is outside said bathing enclosure to said retracted position in which said seat is inside said bathing enclosure.

11. The bathing configuration of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said seat is removably secured to said bathing configuration for replacement of said seat.

12. A bathing apparatus (700) comprising:

the bathing construction of any one of the preceding claims, and

a water supply system (710), the water supply system (710) for supplying water to the bathing enclosure.

13. The bathing arrangement of claim 12, comprising a product supply system (730) for supplying at least one body cleaning product to said bathing enclosure.

14. An ablutionary installation according to claim 12 or 13 wherein the ablutionary installation comprises at least one nozzle (720a-720j, 740a, 740b) arranged within the ablutionary housing for the purpose of cleaning a person sitting on the seat of the ablutionary configuration.

15. A bathing system (800), comprising:

an ablutionary installation according to claim 13 or 14, and

a control system (810), the control system (810) communicatively coupled to the water supply system and the product supply system, wherein the control system is configured to control the supply of water and body cleaning product to the bathing enclosure.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a bathing configuration, in particular for the purpose of assisting elderly, disabled, injured and/or mobility impaired persons when bathing.

Background

Bathing is often problematic for elderly and/or disabled persons for several reasons. First, it should be noted that bathing devices such as showers and bathtubs are often designed for non-handicapped persons, and in particular the entry and exit of these devices may involve serious difficulties for handicapped persons. Secondly, it will be appreciated that the bathroom environment itself may be potentially hazardous, for example, when it is considered that the bathroom floor may be hard and slippery. Thus, taking a shower or bath can be dangerous to the elderly and/or disabled and in some cases can cause physical harm. Thus, many people may be forced to bath infrequently to avoid the risks associated therewith. Alternatively, assistance must be obtained from one or more assistants in the bathroom, particularly when entering or exiting a shower or bath. However, the assistant person may thus be exposed to heavy and/or awkward lifting when assisting the person, and the person may thus also be exposed to a risk of injury. Furthermore, the need for assistance in undressing and/or attending to a person's hygiene can be embarrassing and/or stigma for the bather.

In view of the above observations, there is an increasing need for a device that can provide the elderly and/or disabled with safe and convenient assistance regarding access to the shower or bath.

US2011/0283449 describes a system and apparatus for assisting a person in entering and exiting a bath and shower. The system includes a bathtub chair system having a support member with a first end coupled to a first side of the bathtub, a base member extending through and beyond a second side of the bathtub to a second end of the support member. The system also includes a seating surface disposed on the support member, an electric motor disposed within the base member, and a drive member coupling the seating surface to the electric motor.

However, the described system does not provide convenient access to the tub for elderly and/or disabled persons. Therefore, alternative solutions are interesting, so that elderly and/or disabled persons may be provided with safe and convenient assistance regarding access to the shower or bath.

WO2016/107711 and WO2016/107712 describe bathing arrangements by which a person may be able to shower and/or bathe in a safe, reliable and convenient manner. It will be appreciated that the apparatus is configured to transport a person back and forth between a position outside the bathing enclosure and a position inside the bathing enclosure. Thus, the device supports the bathing and/or showering process of a person, as it inhibits the occurrence of accidents (such as slip and/or fall accidents) while bathing and/or showering. Due to the safe, reliable and convenient transport of the person by means of the bathing arrangement, a safe bathing and/or showering procedure may be provided, in particular for elderly and/or disabled persons.

However, there may be interest in exploring or studying the possibilities of even more improved configurations of the bath apparatus as described before. More specifically, it may be desirable to provide a construction which may be even further improved in terms of weight, stability, safety and/or strength compared to the prior art. Summary of The Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a bathing construction which enables safe and convenient bathing or showering access for a person, while at the same time having an advantageous structure in terms of stability, safety and/or strength.

This and other objects are achieved by providing a bathing construction having the features defined in the independent claim. Preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

Thus, according to the present invention, there is provided a bathing configuration comprising a bathing enclosure. The bathing configuration further comprises a seat for supporting the person. The seat is pivotably coupled to a pivot of the bathing configuration for pivoting the seat about a horizontal axis such that the seat is movable upon pivoting between a retracted position in which the seat is located within the bathing enclosure and an extended position in which the seat is located outside the bathing enclosure. The bathing configuration further comprises an actuation system coupled to the pivot, wherein the actuation system is configured to rotate the pivot for movement of the seat between the retracted position of the seat and the extended position of the seat.

The bathing configuration according to the present invention provides a safe and easily accessible device for showering, bathing and/or rinsing persons, and is particularly suitable for elderly and/or disabled persons. Furthermore, the structure of the bathing construction ensures strength and stability while being relatively light.

The seat of the bathing configuration is movable by means of an actuation system via a pivot between a first retracted position in which the seat is located within the bathing enclosure and a second extended position outside the bathing enclosure. In the retracted position of the seat within the bathing enclosure, the person may be showered, bathed and/or rinsed. In the extended position of the seat outside the bathing enclosure, the person may sit on the seat before his/her shower and/or bath, or leave the seat after the shower and/or bath. The bathing configuration is thereby configured to provide for convenient entry of the person into the seat prior to his/her showering and/or bathing procedure, and similarly convenient exit of the person from the seat after said procedure. The bathing configuration is further configured to gently and conveniently transport the person from a location external to the bathing enclosure into the bathing enclosure where the shower and/or bathing process is carried out. After the procedure, the bathing configuration is configured to gently and conveniently transport the person back into position outside the bathing enclosure.

The seat is pivotably coupled to the pivot of the bathing configuration for pivoting the seat about a horizontal axis, and the actuation system is mechanically coupled to the pivot for rotating the pivot. The seat is thereby configured to move between its retracted and extended positions upon rotation of the pivot by the actuation system.

The present invention is advantageous in that the bathing configuration provides a relatively strong and stable configuration for transporting persons into and out of the bathing configuration. It will be appreciated that the strength and stability of the bathing configuration of the present invention is particularly important and advantageous for transporting elderly and/or disabled persons. Furthermore, the strength and stability of the bathing construction may ensure a safe and reliable bathing operation, even for relatively large and heavy persons.

The present invention is further advantageous in that a person may be able to shower and/or bathe in a safe, reliable and convenient manner. It will be appreciated that the bathing configuration is configured to transport the person back and forth between a position outside the bathing enclosure and a position inside the bathing enclosure. Thus, the bathing configuration supports the bathing and/or showering process of the person, as it inhibits the occurrence of accidents (such as slip and/or fall accidents) while bathing and/or showering. The invention provides a safe bathing and/or showering procedure, particularly for elderly and/or disabled persons, since the person is transported safely, reliably and conveniently by means of a bathing configuration.

Another advantage of the invention is that a person can assist himself/herself when bathing and/or showering without the need for assistance from one or more assistants. This is understood because the bathing configuration is configured to transport the person between a position outside the bathing enclosure and a position inside the bathing enclosure and back again, wherein the bathing configuration also provides easy and convenient access to the seat for the person and easy and convenient rising from the seat. Thus, the bathing configuration of the present invention may avoid the need for one or more assistants, which is beneficial in view of economic and/or personal aspects.

Another advantage of the person's ability to assist himself/herself when bathing and/or showering without the need for assistance is that the risk of injury to the assistant staff can thereby be avoided. It will be appreciated that the bathing configuration of the present invention avoids the risk of exposing assistant personnel to heavy and/or awkward lifting when assisting a person, as it provides a means by which a person can bathe/shower autonomously.

It will be appreciated that the need for assistance in undressing and/or attending to human hygiene may embarrass and/or stigma the bather. Thus, another advantage of the present invention is that the bathing configuration provides privacy for the bather, since no human assistance is required for the person who intends to bathe and/or shower.

The bathing configuration includes a bathing enclosure. The term "bathing enclosure" is meant herein to refer to substantially any (shower) compartment (cabin), cabinet (cabin), stall (cubicle), kiosk (booth), (bath) tub or the like.

The bathing configuration further comprises a seat for supporting the person, wherein the seat is pivotably coupled to the pivot. The term "seat" means herein substantially any kind of element for supporting a person in a seated position. The term "pivotably coupled" means herein that the seat is mechanically coupled to the pivot such that when the pivot is rotated, the seat may pivot or rotate about a horizontal axis along a predetermined path in a vertical plane.

The bathing configuration further comprises an actuation system coupled to the pivot. The term "actuation system" means herein generally any system, device, and/or apparatus configured, arranged, and/or adapted to actuate, drive, move, and/or operate any element coupled thereto. The actuation system is coupled to the pivot and is configured, arranged and/or adapted to rotate the pivot for pivoting the seat about a horizontal axis such that the seat moves (back and forth) between a retracted position in which the seat is located within the bathing enclosure and an extended or extracted position in which the seat is located outside the bathing enclosure. The term "configured" means herein that the actuation system is arranged, adapted and/or capable of performing an action (e.g. rotation of the pivot), but not a mandatory action if not required and/or not desired.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the pivot may comprise a horizontally arranged pivot axis (pivot axis). The seat may thereby be pivotably coupled to a horizontally arranged pivot shaft of the bathing configuration for pivoting the seat about the pivot shaft such that the seat is movable upon rotation of the pivot shaft between a retracted position in which the seat is located within the bathing enclosure and an extended position in which the seat is located outside the bathing enclosure.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the actuation system comprises a lever mechanism coupled to the pivot and a telescopic element mechanically coupled to the pivot via the lever mechanism for rotation of the pivot. The term "lever mechanism" hereby means substantially any mechanism comprising one or more levers, mechanical arms or the like. The term "telescopic element" means herein substantially any element that is capable of becoming longer (extended) or shorter (retracted) upon actuation. The present embodiment is such that the actuation system can conveniently actuate a telescopic element which in turn can exert a moment on the pivot via a lever mechanism, so that the pivot can rotate.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the bathing configuration may further comprise at least one control unit communicatively coupled to the actuation system, wherein the control unit may be configured to control the movement of the seat. The term "communicatively coupled" means herein generally any coupling and/or link (e.g., by wire or wirelessly) through which communication may be established. The term "control unit" means herein substantially any unit, system, device and/or apparatus configured, arranged, adapted and/or capable of controlling the movement, movement and/or positioning of a seat, e.g. by feedback. Thus, the control unit of the bathing configuration may be configured to control the movement of the seat via the actuation system. This embodiment is advantageous in that the bathing configuration may adapt the movement of the seat in accordance with one or more conditions, such that the bathing configuration may even further facilitate the way in which a person may sit on the seat, move (out) of the bathing enclosure and/or leave the seat, respectively.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the at least one control unit may be manually operable. The term "manually operable" means herein that the control unit may be operable by a person using and/or intending to use the bathing configuration. Alternatively, the control unit may be operable by any other person, such as an assistant. This embodiment is advantageous in that the person and/or one or more assistants using and/or intending to use the bathing configuration may control the movement of the chair.

According to an embodiment of the invention, at least one of the at least one control unit may be arranged on the seat and may be manually operable by a person sitting on the seat. For example, the control unit may be arranged on an armrest of the seat. This embodiment is advantageous in that a person sitting on the chair in the bathing configuration can conveniently control the movement of the chair. According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the bathing configuration may further comprise a detection unit communicatively coupled to the at least one control unit. The detection unit may be configured to detect a position of the person relative to the seat, and the at least one control unit may be configured to position the seat in dependence on the detected position of the person. In other words, the detection unit is configured, arranged, adapted and/or capable of detecting the position of the person. Based on the detected position of the person, the control unit is configured, arranged, adapted and/or capable of positioning the seat in accordance with the detected position. This embodiment is advantageous in that by means of the control unit the bathing configuration is capable of positioning the seat relative to the person to further facilitate the way in which the person may sit on the seat. This embodiment is further advantageous in that the safety of the bathing configuration is even further increased, since the control unit may be configured to stop the movement of the seat in case the control unit has detected that the seat may otherwise collide with a person intending to use the bathing configuration.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the seat may comprise at least one armrest arranged in a first horizontal direction, wherein at least one of the at least one armrest is movable between the first horizontal direction and a second direction different from the first horizontal direction. The term "direction along the seat" herein means a generally horizontal direction along the seat. Accordingly, one (or both) armrests may be moved away from the first direction alongside the seat to any other second direction and back again. For example, the armrest may be configured to be movable between a side-by-side (horizontal) position with the seat and a vertical position of the armrest. Alternatively, the armrest may be configured to be movable between a side-by-side (horizontal) position with the seat to a position extending laterally outward relative to the seat. It will be appreciated that the armrest may be moved away when a person is about to sit on the seat, so that the bathing configuration thereby alleviates the obstruction created by the armrest. Thus, the present embodiment is advantageous in that the bathing configuration may further facilitate the way the person approaches the seat and/or the person may sit on and/or leave the seat.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the seat may comprise at least one weight sensor for sensing the weight of a person sitting on the seat. The at least one weight sensor may be arranged, arranged and/or distributed on and/or in the seat such that the weight sensor may determine the (actual) weight of the person and/or the distribution of the weight of the person on the seat. This embodiment is advantageous in that the bathing configuration may be configured to determine the position of the person on the seat. For example, the bathing configuration may be configured to determine whether the person is sitting correctly or incorrectly on the seat. This embodiment is further advantageous in that the bathing configuration may conveniently determine the weight of the person, for example for health registration purposes. According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the at least one weight sensor may be communicatively coupled to the actuation system, and wherein the actuation system may be configured to move the seat in accordance with the weight of a person sitting on the seat. In other words, the actuation system of the bathing configuration may be configured, arranged, adapted and/or capable of moving the seat based on (according to) the weight and/or weight distribution of the person on the seat. For example, the bathing configuration may be configured to determine that a person is properly or improperly seated on the seat, and thus may be configured to move the seat based on this information. For example, the actuation system may be configured to move the seat if the person appears to be properly seated on the seat, and to stop the movement if the person appears to be improperly seated on the seat. This embodiment is advantageous because the bathing configuration is even further improved in terms of the safety of the bather.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the bathing enclosure may comprise an openable and closable side wall, and wherein the actuation system is configured to open the side wall before the seat is moved from the retracted position in which the seat is located within the bathing enclosure to the extended position in which the seat is located outside the bathing enclosure, and to close the side wall after the seat has been moved from the extended position in which the seat is located outside the bathing enclosure to the retracted position in which the seat is located within the bathing enclosure. This embodiment is advantageous in that the actuation system may be configured, arranged, adapted and/or capable of (automatically) opening and closing the side walls in dependence of the movement and/or position of the seat without requiring a person to sit on the seat to open and/or close the side walls.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the seat is removably secured to the bathing configuration for replacement of the seat. This embodiment is advantageous in that the seat can be easily replaced for customization purposes in case the seat needs cleaning and/or in case of any damage to the seat.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the seat comprises a foot rest (foot rest) which is vertically displaceable in the extended position of the seat. This embodiment is advantageous in that the vertically displaceable footrest may even further facilitate accessibility and/or comfort of the bathing configuration seat.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the bathing configuration of the invention may be configured to rotate the seat in a horizontal plane and/or tilt the seat relative to a vertical axis in the extended position of the seat. Hereby, the bathing configuration is capable of receiving and supporting a person in a safe and reliable manner when the person intends to sit on the seat. Similarly, the bathing configuration is configured to rotate and/or tilt the seat when a person intends to leave the seat to provide safe and reliable operation. It should be noted that the ability of the actuation system of the bathing configuration to tilt the seat is particularly advantageous when a person intends to leave the seat, as moving from an otherwise substantially horizontal position when seated to a standing position can be particularly difficult for elderly and/or disabled persons. Furthermore, since the bathing configuration is capable of tilting and/or rotating the seat, the bathing configuration is particularly beneficial for persons suffering from a stroke, since mobility of the left or right side of their body may be impaired.

According to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a bathing arrangement comprising a bathing construction according to any one of the preceding embodiments and a water supply system for supplying water to the bathing enclosure. It should be understood that the water supply system may be substantially any system for supplying water to a bathing enclosure of a bathing configuration. For example, the water supply system may be arranged and/or formed as a shower system, e.g. comprising one or more (shower) nozzles. Alternatively, the water supply system may be arranged and/or formed as a bathing system, e.g. comprising one or more taps to at least partly fill the bathing enclosure with water. This embodiment is advantageous in that a person sitting on the seat within the bathing enclosure can easily and conveniently shower and/or bathe by means of the water supply system, which can be operated automatically and/or manually.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the bathing arrangement may comprise a product supply system for supplying at least one body cleaning product to said bathing enclosure. It should be understood that the product supply system may be substantially any automatically and/or manually operated system for supplying at least one body cleaning product to a bathing enclosure. The term "body cleansing product" means herein generally any product used for the purpose of cleansing and/or rinsing the body, such as soap, shampoo, (hair) conditioner, and the like. This embodiment is advantageous in that the automatic and/or manual product supply system is configured and/or arranged to easily and conveniently supply at least one body cleaning product to a person seated in a seat within the bathing enclosure.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the bathing arrangement may comprise at least one nozzle arranged within the bathing enclosure for the purpose of cleaning a person sitting on the seat in the bathing configuration. It is to be understood that one or more nozzles may be coupled to a water supply system and/or a product supply system according to one or more of the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, the at least one nozzle may be arranged at various positions within the bathing enclosure for cleaning different areas of the person using the bathing arrangement. This embodiment is advantageous in that a person sitting on the seat within the bathing enclosure can be effectively and conveniently cleaned at one or more areas of his/her body by the water and/or body cleaning product.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a bathing system comprising a bathing arrangement according to any one of the previous embodiments. The bathing system further comprises a control system communicatively coupled to the water supply system and the product supply system, wherein the control system is configured to control the supply of water and body cleaning product to the bathing enclosure. The control system may be operated manually or automatically and may also be configured to control the supply of water according to a predetermined cleaning program. The term "predetermined cleaning program" means herein a program which is preset for cleaning a person sitting on the seat. For example, the program may include a water supply that is dependent on time, amount of water, location of one or more nozzles, and the like. In other words, a predetermined cleaning program is provided, according to which the control system is configured, arranged, adapted and/or capable of controlling the supply of water and body cleaning product from the water and product supply system, respectively. This embodiment is advantageous in that a person sitting on the seat within the bathing enclosure can take a shower and/or bath without any manual intervention. Alternatively, the control system may be manually operable by a person using and/or intending to use the bathing configuration, or may be operable by any other person (e.g., an assistant) outside of the bathing enclosure. It is to be understood that the control system may be communicatively coupled to and/or integrated with a control unit according to any of the foregoing embodiments.

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent when studying the following detailed disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. Those skilled in the art realize that different features of the present invention can be combined to create embodiments other than those described in the following.