Shower device and low temperature sauna device for physically handicapped person

Abstract

To safely and efficiently support the shower / sauna bathing of a physically handicapped person.SOLUTION: In this shower room, a seat frame 3 on which a user A who is a physically handicapped person is seated so as to be movable back and forth or right and left is pivotally supported on a floor surface so as to be horizontally rotatable. An upper body support 4 for receiving and supporting the upper body of a sitting user A in a sitting posture is erected on a seat frame 3, a shower head 1214 for showering the body of the sitting user A is installed in the vicinity of the seat frame 3, and the seat frame 3 is composed of a pipe material 3a formed in a lateral or longitudinal frame shape for guiding the lateral or longitudinal sliding movement of the sitting user A. The sauna room is a low temperature sauna device in which the shower device for the physically handicapped person is installed in the sauna room 21 provided with a low temperature sauna facility.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a shower device for physically disabled persons with disabilities in the limbs, upper or lower body, waist, etc., which can be used by such persons or can receive assistance when bathing or using a sauna, and a low-temperature sauna device equipped with such a device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Documents 1 and 2 have proposed inventions as toilets that assist physically disabled people who use wheelchairs to get in and out of their wheelchairs and to use the toilet.

[0003] Of these, Patent Document 1 assists in boarding and disembarking by tilting the floorboard with an air cylinder while the wheelchair is stopped or returning it to a horizontal position, while the invention of Patent Document 2 provides a handrail on the toilet side to guide users as they transfer from the wheelchair to the toilet (toilet bowl) side, and an upper body support device is installed on the toilet bowl side to elastically support the upper body of the user in a toilet position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-13543 [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7040789 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Although the invention of Patent Document 1 is useful for assisting physically disabled people in getting on and off wheelchairs, it cannot be used to enable users to smoothly shift positions or maintain a safe posture when using a shower or sauna.

[0006] Furthermore, the invention of Patent Document 2 can be used to help users move from their wheelchair to toilets for both urination and urination and to maintain a safe and stable posture while using the toilet, but it has the problem that it cannot be used to assist users in taking showers or using saunas.

[0007] Furthermore, the type and level of support required when using the shower or sauna varies depending on the location and degree of physical disability, and the number of support staff allocated to multiple users also differs, so it is necessary to respond flexibly to these issues. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The shower device of the present invention, which solves the above problems, is characterized by having a seat frame 3 on the floor surface on which physically disabled user A sits, allowing him or her to move forward and backward or left and right, and which is supported horizontally and rotatably; an upper body support 4 is erected on the seat frame 3 to receive and support the upper body of the seated user A in a seated position; and shower heads 12, 14 are installed near the seat frame 3 to direct a shower toward the body of user A in a seated position.

[0009] Secondly, the seat frame 3 is characterized in that it is made of a pipe material 3a formed in the shape of a frame in the left-right or front-back direction, which guides the sliding movement of the seated user A in the left-right or front-back direction.

[0010] Thirdly, the upper body support 4 is provided at one end of the seat frame 3 in the longitudinal direction so as to be elastic and swingable in the direction in which the upper body of the user A is supported.

[0011] Fourthly, the upper body support 4 is formed in a mannequin-like shape that resembles the upper half of a human body, and is attached to the seat frame 3 in a position facing the user.

[0012] Fifthly, the upper shower head 14 is installed above the head of user A seated in a fixed position, facing downward, and the lower shower head 12 is installed below the buttocks, facing upward.

[0013] Sixth, the lower shower head 12 is provided so that it can be adjusted to swing left and right or back and forth.

[0014] Similarly, the low-temperature sauna apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the above-mentioned shower apparatus for physically disabled persons is installed in a sauna room 21 equipped with low-temperature sauna facilities.

[0015] Secondly, the above-mentioned multiple shower devices for physically disabled people are installed in a sauna room equipped with low-temperature sauna facilities, with assistance spaces S on both sides where caregivers B can enter and exit and perform assistance work. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] With the device of the present invention configured as described above, physically disabled users can transfer from a wheelchair or the like when using the shower or sauna, move along the length of the frame-shaped seat frame to the appropriate position, and then lean their upper body safely and stably in a seated position against the upper body support device, or even hold on to it, thereby maintaining a stable posture.

[0017] This allows physically disabled people to shower or sauna with peace of mind, and users who require assistance in these activities can receive assistance with rinsing, wiping, and other tasks while being stably supported in a seated position by the upper body support device, which also has the advantage that caregivers can perform their assistance work safely and with peace of mind without having to worry about tripping or falling.

[0018] The upper body support also has the advantage of making it safe and easy to rest the upper body by elastically swinging back and forth when the user leans or embraces the upper body, and since the shower can be sprayed upward from under the buttocks of the user seated on the seat frame, the entire body can be showered as well as the upper body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing the device of the present invention in a state where use is first started. [Figure 2]FIG. 1 is a side view showing the device of the present invention in use. [Figure 3] 3 is a side view of the state in which the user and the seat frame are facing backward from the state in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the use of the shower device of the present invention when installed in a private sauna room. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the use of multiple shower devices of the present invention installed in a shared shower room. [Figure 6] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the installation state of a shower device in a shower room or sauna room. [Figure 7] (A) is a plan view of the lower showerhead, and (B) is a side view of the lower showerhead. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a shower device showing a hot water tank for a shower and part of a hot water supply pipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The drawings show one embodiment of the device of the present invention, and Figures 1 to 3 are side views illustrating the process in which user A, who is physically disabled, transfers from wheelchair 1 to seat frame 3 of a swivel chair and places his or her upper body in a seated position on upper body support device 4 (having it supported by embracing it).

[0021] As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the swivel chair 2 has a seat frame 3 made of horizontal pipe material 3a that is parallel to the left and right front and rear directions, and the seat frame 3 is supported on the floor surface by a rotation axis 7 via a V-shaped support rod 6 at a midpoint between the front and rear so that it can rotate horizontally.

[0022] The rear end of the pipe material 3a of the seat frame 3 is closed in a Y-shape, and an upper body support 4 is pivotally supported in an upright state at one end thereof via a vertical support shaft 8 so as to be swingable back and forth. An elastic means (not shown), such as a coil spring or helical spring, is inserted between the pivotal support fulcrum shaft 9 and the lower end of the support shaft 8, and the support shaft 8 and upper body support 9 are substantially upright in an unloaded state, but as will be described later, when a load is applied by user A clinging to them or leaning on them, they are designed to swing elastically at least in the front-to-back direction within a certain range.

[0023] This mechanism absorbs the impact when the user leans their upper body against the chair, and allows a certain amount of flexible movement even after the user is supported.

[0024] Furthermore, the front ends of the pipe material 3a of the seat frame 3 may be open ends on the left and right as shown in the figure, or both ends may be closed into a continuous U-shaped loop to form an integrated unit, and it is desirable that this front end side has a height, width and structure that allows user A to smoothly transfer from the wheelchair 2.

[0025] The upper body support device 4 may be, for example, a basket-shaped device that user A can hold in both arms or hug, or a columnar member with an elastic surface, but in the example shown, it has a mannequin-like shape modeled after the human body, making it easy for user A to hug when leaning against it and similar to the support provided by a human being without feeling uncomfortable.

[0026] Furthermore, upper body support 4 is fitted with arms 11 on either the left or right side that can swing up and down to create a position where user A is held in the same way as a person. The entire surface of upper body support 4, including arms 11, is desirably made of a material with elasticity to protect the user. Arms 11 have a mechanism that swings up and down or bends and rotates when a predetermined load is applied, and are configured to be able to change and adjust their posture so that the posture of seated user A can be adequately maintained.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1, 4, and 6, a donut-shaped lower shower nozzle 12 faces upward around the ground-facing end of the rotating shaft 7 that supports the swivel chair 2, and is designed to spray shower water upward toward the buttocks of user A who is seated in a fixed position. This lower shower nozzle 12 is equipped with a mechanism that allows it to tilt and swing left and right or front and back, as shown in Figures 1 and 7. The upper surface of the lower shower nozzle 12 is drilled with numerous spray holes 13, and although the swinging shaft faces front and back and tilts left and right in the illustrated example, a mechanism that allows it to tilt back and forth may also be used.

[0028] On the other hand, when user A is seated in a fixed position (on the axis of the rotating shaft 7), an upper shower nozzle 14 is attached above the user (above the user's head) facing downward so that the shower spray direction (shower angle) can be adjusted, and hot water heated by a heater 17 in a hot water tank 16 is supplied to the upper and lower shower nozzles at any time by a pump 18 (see Figure 8).

[0029] As shown in the figure, a mist generator / supply device 19 consisting of hot water, disinfectant or medical liquids, fragrances, etc., or a mixture of these, is located on the lower rear side of the seat frame 3 of the swivel chair 2, and this mist can be sprayed from the rear of the seated user A, or the sauna room or shower room can be made to have a humid atmosphere.

[0030] 4 to 6 all show an example of the shower device of the present invention installed inside a low-temperature sauna chamber 21, with upper shower nozzle 14 installed on the ceiling 22 of sauna chamber 21, hot water tank 16 installed outside, and lower shower nozzle 12 installed below swivel chair 2 on floor 23 of sauna chamber 21, and hot water is supplied to each shower nozzle 12, 14 as needed from hot water tank 16 via hot water supply pipes 24, 26, respectively. In this example, sauna chamber 21 is a wet-type low-temperature sauna chamber with a room temperature of, for example, 40 to 60°C.

[0031] Figure 4 shows a configuration in which a shower device including an upper body support device 4 is installed in a private sauna room 21, and one caregiver B assists one user A in showering and sauna bathing. On both sides of the shower device, there are assistance spaces S where the caregiver B can enter and exit and perform assistance tasks.

[0032] In contrast, the example shown in Figure 5 shows a large shower room 21 with multiple (four in this example) shower units installed, with assistance spaces S provided at the outermost left and right positions in the room and within the space between each shower unit to allow for movement and assistance by caregivers B. Here, multiple users A take showers and sauna baths; in this example, the sauna room has a capacity of four people, but is assisted by two caregivers.

[0033] This means that the number of assistants can be increased or decreased as needed depending on the degree and type of physical disability of the four users A. By making this type of use possible, the shower device of the present invention can be used by one person to the extent possible, thereby satisfying both the efficiency of functional recovery for the users and the work efficiency of the equipment provider. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1. Wheelchair 2 swivel chairs 3 Seat frame 3a Pipe material 4 Upper body support 7 Rotation Axis 8 Support Axis 9 Branch Axis 11 Arms 12 Lower shower nozzle 14 Upper shower nozzle 21 Sauna Room 22 Ceiling 23 Floor A User B Caregiver S Assistance space

Claims

1. This shower device for the physically disabled comprises a seat frame (3) on which a physically disabled user (A) sits, movable forward / backward or left / right, and supported on the floor surface so as to be horizontally rotatable, an upper body support (4) that receives and supports the upper body of the seated user (A) in a seated position and is erected on the seat frame (3), and shower heads (12), (14) that direct a shower toward the body of the seated user (A).

2. 2. A shower device for physically disabled persons as described in claim 1, wherein the seat frame (3) is made of a pipe material (3a) formed in the shape of a frame in the left-right or front-back direction to guide the sliding movement of the seated user (A) in the left-right or front-back direction.

3. 2. A shower device for physically disabled persons as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper body support (4) is erected at one end of the seat frame (3) in the longitudinal direction so as to be elastically and swingably movable in the direction of receiving the upper body of the user (A).

4. 4. A shower device for physically disabled persons as claimed in claim 3, wherein the upper body support (4) is formed in a mannequin-like shape resembling the upper half of a human body and is attached and supported on the seat frame (3) in a position facing the user.

5. 2. The shower device for the physically disabled according to claim 1, wherein the upper shower head (14) is installed above the head of the user (A) seated in a fixed position, facing downward, and the lower shower head (12) is installed below the buttocks, facing upward.

6. 6. A shower device for physically disabled persons according to claim 5, wherein the lower shower head (12) is adjustable to swing left and right or forward and backward.

7. A low-temperature sauna device in which the shower device for physically disabled persons according to any one of claims 1 to 3 or claim 5 is installed in a sauna room (21) equipped with low-temperature sauna facilities.

8. A low-temperature sauna device in which a plurality of shower devices for physically disabled persons as described in any one of claims 1 to 3 or claim 5 are installed in a sauna room equipped with low-temperature sauna facilities, with assistance spaces (S) on both sides where an assistant (B) can enter and exit and perform assistance work.

Images