Bathtub with hand folding device

Abstract

To provide a bathtub handrail device that has improved workability when installing, removing, or changing an installation position of the handrail device, and has improved convenience.SOLUTION: In a bathtub handrail device Z equipped with a base 2 and a handrail unit 1 disposed and erected on the base 2, the handrail unit 1 includes a handrail body 10 attached to supports 3 and 6 erected on the base 2, and a fixing mechanism X fixed to an inner wall surface of a bathtub 50, which is provided at the tip part of the handrail body 10. Since the handrail device Z is disposed on an outer surface side of a side wall of the bathtub 50, and the fixing mechanism X is fixed to the inner wall surface of the bathtub 50, stable installation of the handrail device Z can be achieved. Also, since the handrail body 10 extends in a direction facing the side wall of the bathtub 50, a user can move more safely along the handrail body 10 in a posture that his or her body faces the bathtub 50 or with his or her back turned to it, thereby providing a bathtub handrail device with a higher level of safety.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bathtub handrail device that is installed in a bathtub to ensure the safety of a bathtub user when walking, moving, and entering and exiting the bathtub. [Background technology]

[0002] Known bathtub handrail devices include, for example, one that is intended primarily to ensure safety when entering and exiting the bathtub, as shown in Patent Document 1, and one that is intended not only to ensure safety when entering and exiting the bathtub, but also to ensure safety when walking outside the bathtub, as shown in Patent Document 2.

[0003] The device shown in Patent Document 1 consists of a relatively small, annular handrail attached to a resilient portion that is fastened to the edge of the bathtub. When users get in or out of the bathtub, they grasp the handrail portion to ensure safety when entering or exiting the bathtub.

[0004] The device shown in Patent Document 2 is a bathtub handrail device applied for by the same applicant, which is configured by attaching a handrail unit with a handrail body that extends forward onto a base placed on the floor, and fastening and fixing the tip of the handrail body to the wall of the bathtub with the tip inserted into the bathtub. When walking outside the bathtub, safety is ensured by gripping the extended part of the handrail body, and when entering or exiting the bathtub, safety is ensured by gripping the tip of the handrail body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-173700 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-065889 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the handrail devices shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are both designed to be firmly fastened to the wall of the bathtub mainly using a screw mechanism when installed, which means that the operation is cumbersome and difficult to work with when installing, removing, or changing the installation position.

[0007] Furthermore, the handrail device in Patent Document 2 is composed of a base for installation on the floor and a handrail unit that is attached to the base in an upright position, so the device is relatively large, and when installing or removing the handrail device, or when changing its location, it must be handled as a whole, leaving room for improvement in terms of workability.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention has been made with the aim of improving the workability and convenience of a handrail device consisting of a base for installation on the floor and a handrail unit attached to the base in an upright position, particularly when installing or removing the handrail device or changing its installation position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In the present invention, the following configuration is adopted as a specific means for solving the above problems.

[0010] In the first aspect of the present invention, a handrail device for a bathtub is provided with a base that is placed on the floor near the bathtub and a handrail unit that is arranged upright on the base. The handrail unit is provided with a handrail body that is attached to the upper end of a support that is arranged upright on the base, and the tip of the handrail body is provided with The bathtub is provided with a bathtub inner wall surface facing the bathtub with a predetermined gap therebetween, or in contact with the bathtub inner wall surface. The bathtub is characterized by having a hook mechanism that is hooked onto the inner wall surface of the bathtub.

[0011] The second invention of the present application is characterized in that in the bathtub handrail device according to the first invention, the hanging mechanism is configured with a hanging arm that is rotatably attached to the tip of the handrail body around its axis and is held in a hanging position by its own weight, and a contact member that is swingably attached to the tip of the hanging arm.

[0012] In the third invention of the present application, in the bathtub handrail device according to the first or second invention, the handrail body is provided with a fixing member fixed to the upper end of the support pillar erected on the base and extending from the outside of the bathtub toward the bathtub, and a fixing member provided at the tip side of the fixing member. To The locking mechanism is characterized in that the locking mechanism is configured to be movable in an axial direction relative to the movable member, and the locking mechanism is provided at the tip of the movable member.

[0013] A fourth invention of the present application is characterized in that in the bathtub handrail device according to the first, second or third invention, the support pillar is configured to be height adjustable.

[0014] The fifth invention of the present application is characterized in that in the bathtub handrail device according to the first, second, third or fourth invention, the mounting position of the handrail unit can be changed between a right side position and a left side position facing the bathtub with respect to the base.

[0015] The sixth invention of the present application is characterized in that in the bathtub handrail device according to the first, second, third, fourth or fifth invention, the handrail units are provided facing each other on both the left and right sides of the width direction of the base. Effect of the Invention

[0016] The present inventions provide the following effects.

[0017] (a) First Invention of the Present Application According to the first aspect of the present invention, the bathtub handrail device includes a base that is placed on the floor near the bathtub and a handrail unit that is arranged upright on the base. The handrail unit includes a handrail body that is attached to the upper end of a support that is arranged upright on the base, and a handrail unit that is attached to the tip of the handrail body. The bathtub is opposed to the inner wall surface of the bathtub with a predetermined gap therebetween, or is abutted against the inner wall surface of the bathtub. Since the handrail device is equipped with a hanging mechanism that is hung on the inner wall surface, stable installation of the handrail device can be achieved by placing the handrail device on the outer surface of the side wall of the bathtub and hanging the hanging mechanism on the inner wall surface of the bathtub.

[0018] Therefore, in this state, if you wish to move from the bathroom to the bathtub and enter the hot water in the bathtub, you should walk in the bathroom to the front of the bathtub, then grasp the handrail while keeping your body facing the bathtub, move along the handrail in a normal walking position to the bathtub, and then, still holding on to the handrail, climb over the side wall of the bathtub from the outside to the inside to enter the bathtub.

[0019] Conversely, when exiting the bathtub, the user stands up in the bathtub, grasps the tip of the handrail to maintain his / her position, climbs over the side wall of the bathtub from the inside to the outside, and moves out of the bathtub. Then, while moving his / her body forward in the direction of movement and in a normal walking position, he / she moves along the handrail to leave the bathtub.

[0020] That is, with this bathtub handrail device, the handrail body can maintain posture not only when a person straddles the side wall of the bathtub to enter or exit the bathtub, but also when moving outside the bathtub. This means that the handrail body can maintain posture only when a person enters or exits the bathtub, unlike conventional handrail devices. Show This provides a much better protection for bathtub users than when the bathtub is heated in a non-slip manner.

[0021] Furthermore, since the handrail body extends in a direction opposite the side wall of the bathtub, a bathtub user can move more safely along the handrail body with their body facing or facing away from the bathtub (i.e., in a normal walking position), thereby providing a bathtub handrail device that is safer.

[0022] Furthermore, according to the bathtub handrail device of the first invention, the handrail device is hung on the bathtub side by the hanging mechanism provided on the handrail unit side of the handrail device, thereby stabilizing the handrail device, and the hanging and unlocking operations are extremely easy. Therefore, compared to, for example, conventional handrail devices in which the handrail device is fastened to the side wall of the bathtub with bolts, it is easy to install, remove, or change the installation position of the handrail device, greatly improving convenience, and the effect is particularly remarkable when the work is performed by physically weak persons such as elderly people or women.

[0023] (b) The second invention of this application In addition to the effect described in (a) above, the second invention of the present application provides the following unique effect. That is, in this invention, the above-mentioned hook mechanism is configured to include a hook arm that is attached to the tip of the handrail body so as to be rotatable about its axis and is held in a hanging state by its own weight, and a contact member that is swingably attached to the tip of the hook arm. Therefore, for example, when installing the handrail device in the bathtub or removing it from the bathtub, the hook arm can be rotated and pulled up to a nearly horizontal position, allowing the hook arm to be moved from the outside to the inside of the bathtub or from the inside of the bathtub without interfering with the sidewall of the bathtub. mosquito Therefore, compared with the case where the whole handrail device is lifted to make the hanging arm 14 go over the side wall of the bathtub, the installation and removal work of the handrail device can be easily performed.

[0024] In addition, the above-mentioned locking arm is set in a hanging state by a rotation moment due to its own weight, so that the tip of the locking arm 1 To Established was The abutment member is always capable of abutting or approaching the inner surface of the bathtub in an appropriate state, so that the handrail device can be reliably hooked by the hook arm.

[0025] (c) The third invention of this application In addition to the effects described in (a) or (b) above, the third invention of the present application provides the following unique effects. That is, in this invention, the handrail body comprises a fixing member fixed to the upper end of the support pillar erected on the base and extending from the outside of the bathtub toward the bathtub, and a fixing member provided at the tip side of the fixing member. To Since the hanging arm is composed of a movable material that can be displaced back and forth in its axial direction relative to the bathtub, and the hooking mechanism is provided at the tip of the movable material, by increasing or decreasing the advance / retract position of the movable material, the distance between the abutment member provided at the tip of the hooking arm and the opposing inner wall surface of the bathtub can be easily adjusted and maintained at an appropriate distance, making the hooking effect of the handrail device to the bathtub by the hooking arm even more reliable, which in turn improves the reliability of the handrail device in use.

[0026] (d) The fourth invention of this application In addition to the effects described in (a), (b) or (c) above, the fourth invention of the present application provides the following unique effect: In other words, since the height of the support pole can be adjusted in this invention, it is easy to set the height of the hook arm and the abutment member relative to the side wall of the bathtub to an appropriate state, and coupled with the forward and backward adjustment of the movable member of the handrail body, the hooking effect of the handrail device on the bathtub by the hook arm becomes even more reliable.

[0027] (e) The fifth aspect of the present invention In addition to the effects described in (a), (b), (c) or (d) above, the fifth invention of the present application provides the following unique effect: In other words, in this invention, the mounting position of the handrail unit on the base can be changed between the right side and the left side when facing the bathtub, so that the installation position of the handrail unit with respect to the bathtub can be selected depending on the installation position of the bathtub in the bathroom, the arrangement of the fixtures near the bathtub, and other conditions, making it possible to provide a layout that is more convenient for the user.

[0028] (f) The sixth aspect of the present invention In addition to the effects described in (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e) above, the sixth invention of the present application provides the following unique effect: In other words, in this invention, the handrail units are provided on both the left and right sides of the base in the width direction in an opposing relationship, so that the user of the bathtub moves while holding both handrail units simultaneously or selectively holding either one of them, thereby improving the protection effect for the bathtub user and improving usability, compared to, for example, a case in which the handrail unit is provided only on one side of the base in the width direction. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall perspective view of a bathtub handrail device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a view taken along the line AA in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is an explanatory diagram of the bathtub handrail device during installation in a bathtub. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is an overall perspective view of a bathtub handrail device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is an overall perspective view of a bathtub handrail device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] "First embodiment" 1 and 2 show a state in which a handrail device Z1 for a bathtub according to a first embodiment of the present invention is installed close to a side wall 51 in front of a bathtub 50.

[0031] "Configuration of handrail device Z1" The handrail device Z1 is configured by attaching the handrail unit 1 described below to a base 2 having a substantially rectangular planar shape placed on the floor surface in front of the bathtub 50. In addition, what is indicated by the reference numeral 20 in the figure is a step stool, and this step stool 20 is installed as necessary.

[0032] The handrail unit 1 is configured with a support pillar 3 and a support pillar 6 respectively erected at two positions, the front and the back, of one side edge 2a of the base 2, and a handrail body 10 attached across the upper ends of the supports 3, 6, the tip of which protrudes further forward from the support pillar 6.

[0033] The support 3 is composed of a base material 4 fixed upright on the base 2 and a column body 5 inserted into the base material 4 in an expandable manner. The height of the support 3 can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of expansion and contraction of the column body 5, and the height position is fixed and held by an appropriate locking mechanism not shown.

[0034] Like the support 3, the support 6 is composed of a base material 7 fixed upright to the base 2 and a column body 8 inserted into the base material 7 in an expandable manner, and the height of the support 6 can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of expansion and contraction of the column body 8, and the height position is fixed and held by an appropriate locking mechanism not shown.

[0035] Furthermore, pillar mounting portions 19 are provided at the front and rear positions of the other side edge portion 2b of the base 2, and the handrail unit 1 can be adapted to change its upright position relative to the base 2 by using these pillar mounting portions 19 (see Figure 5).

[0036] The handrail body 10 has an expandable structure consisting of a fixed member 11 fixed across both the support posts 3 and 6, and a movable member 12 inserted in an expandable manner into the end of the fixed member 11 on the support post 6 side, and the expansion length (the amount of extension of the movable member 12 from the fixed member 11) is fixed and held by a locking portion 13 provided at the end of the fixed member 11 (see FIG. 3). The locking portion 13 can be structured to have a function of fixing and holding the amount of extension of the movable member 12 as described above (in this case, the expansion and contraction of the movable member 12 is performed manually), or it can be structured to expand or contract the movable member 12 by rotating the locking portion 13, and hold the amount of expansion or contraction at that time by releasing the operating force.

[0037] 1 and 3, a hook arm 14 consisting of a rod body of a predetermined length is attached to the tip of the movable member 12 via a rotation support part 15. Furthermore, a roughly semi-cylindrical abutment member 16, at least the surface of which has an appropriate elastic structure, is attached to the tip of the hook arm 14 so as to be able to swing via a pivot pin 17 having an axis in a direction along the rotation surface of the hook arm 14. In this embodiment, the movable member 12 of the handrail body 10, the hook arm 14, and the abutment member 16 constitute the hook mechanism X in the claims.

[0038] The swing range of the contact member 16 is restricted by an appropriate swing restricting portion (not shown) so that the angle α is downward from the horizontal position when the locking arm 14 is hanging down from the rotation support portion 15 as shown in Fig. 4. This is to prevent the contact member 16 from swinging (rotating) excessively downward due to its own weight moment, resulting in an inappropriate contact state of the contact member 16 against the inner peripheral surface 51b of the side wall 51 of the bathtub 50. On the other hand, the upward swing range of the contact member 16 is restricted by the contact of the contact member 16 with the locking arm 14.

[0039] As described above, the hook arm 14 has a cantilever structure, and the abutment member 16 is attached to the tip of the hook arm 14. Therefore, the hook arm 14 is always biased and held in a hanging state from the tip of the movable member 12 by its own weight moment, and when an external force is applied to the hook arm 14, the position can be changed from the hanging position to any rotation position (in FIG. 1, reference numeral 14 A (See the posture indicated by ).

[0040] In addition, since the hook arm 14 is attached to the movable member 12 of the handrail body 10, the position of the hook arm 14 in the axial direction of the movable member 12 changes with the expansion and contraction of the movable member 12 (in FIG. 1, the reference numeral 14 B (See the posture indicated by ).

[0041] "Handrail device Z1 usage status" When using the handrail device Z1, as shown in FIG. 1, the base 2 is placed close to the side wall 51 at the front side of the bathtub 50, the tip of the handrail body 10 of the handrail unit 1, i.e., the movable material 12 portion, is extended further forward beyond the side wall 51 of the bathtub 50, and the hanging arm 14 provided on the tip side of the movable material 12 is positioned on the inner side of the side wall 51 and is suspended from the movable material 12.

[0042] That is, when installing the handrail device Z1 on the bathtub 50 side, as shown in FIG. 4, the hanging arm 14 is rotated sideways against the biasing force of its own weight moment toward the hanging position (i.e., the hanging arm 14 is raised to a height where it does not interfere with the bathtub 50), and in this state, the entire handrail device Z1 is By moving the handrail body 10 along the axial direction, The hook arm 14 is positioned inside the bathtub 50, and the restraining force on the hook arm 14 is released to cause the hook arm 14 to hang down from the movable member 12.

[0043] Thereafter, the height of the handrail unit 1 is adjusted and the amount of expansion and contraction of the movable material 12 is adjusted so that the abutment member 16 provided at the tip of the hanging arm 14 is at a predetermined height position relative to the inner surface 51b of the side wall 51 of the bathtub 50 and at a predetermined distance from the inner surface 51b, as shown in Figure 2.

[0044] In addition, since the handrail device Z1 includes the base 2, has a predetermined weight as a whole, and is stable in its installation state, as described above, a predetermined gap is provided between the abutment member 16 and the inner peripheral surface 51b of the side wall 51, and the abutment member 16 abuts against the inner peripheral surface 51b of the side wall 51 and enters a latched state only when an excessive force is applied to the handrail unit 1 to pull it forward (in the direction away from the bathtub 50), thereby ensuring the stability of the handrail device Z1. Therefore, from the viewpoint of further increasing reliability, it is also possible to have the abutment member 16 abut against the inner peripheral surface 51b of the side wall 51 from the beginning. In other words, the latching action of the latch mechanism X in the present invention does not only refer to a state in which the abutment member 16 is always in contact with the inner circumferential surface 51b of the side wall 51, but is a broad concept that also refers to a state in which the abutment member 16 is spaced from the inner circumferential surface 51b of the side wall 51 but moves toward the inner circumferential surface 51b of the side wall 51 due to the load of an excessive external force, and comes into contact with and is latched.

[0045] According to the handrail device Z1 arranged in the vicinity of the bathtub 50 as described above, for example, when a person moves from inside the bathroom to the bathtub 50 side and wants to enter the hot water in the bathtub 50, the person moves in the bathroom to the front of the bathtub 50, and then, while facing the bathtub 50 side, grips the handrail body 10 and moves along the handrail body 10 to the bathtub 50 in a normal walking state. Then, while still holding the handrail body 10, the person moves to the bathtub 50. 50Since the handrail device Z1 is equipped with the base 2, has a certain weight as a whole, and is stable in its installation state, as described above, a certain gap is provided between the abutment member 16 and the inner peripheral surface 51b of the side wall 51, and the abutment member 16 abuts against the inner peripheral surface 51b of the side wall 51 and enters a latched state only when an excessive force is applied to the handrail unit 1 to pull it forward (in the direction away from the bathtub 50), thereby ensuring the stability of the handrail device Z1. Therefore, from the viewpoint of further increasing reliability, it is also possible to have the abutment member 16 abut against the inner peripheral surface 51b of the side wall 51 from the beginning. In other words, the latching action of the latch mechanism X in the present invention does not only refer to a state in which the abutment member 16 is always in contact with the inner circumferential surface 51b of the side wall 51, but is a broad concept that also refers to a state in which the abutment member 16 is spaced from the inner circumferential surface 51b of the side wall 51 but moves toward the inner circumferential surface 51b of the side wall 51 due to the load of an excessive external force, and comes into contact with and is latched. 51 Simply step over it from the outside to the inside and enter the bathtub 50.

[0046] Conversely, when exiting the bathtub 50, one stands up in the bathtub 50, grasps the tip of the handrail body 10 to maintain one's position, climbs over the side wall 51 of the bathtub 50 from the inside to the outside, and moves out of the bathtub 50. Then, one moves one's body forward in the direction of movement, and walks along the handrail body 10 to leave the bathtub while maintaining a normal walking position.

[0047] In other words, with this handrail device Z1, the handrail body 10 can maintain posture not only when entering or exiting the bathtub 50 by straddling the side wall 51 of the bathtub 50, but also when walking outside the bathtub 50, thereby providing even greater protection for bathtub users than conventional handrail devices that only maintain posture when entering or exiting the bathtub.

[0048] On the other hand, this handrail device Z1 is configured to be stabilized by hanging the handrail device Z1 on the bathtub 50 side using the hanging mechanism X provided on the handrail unit 1 side, so that the hanging and unlocking operations are extremely easy. Therefore, compared to, for example, conventional handrail devices in which the handrail device is fastened to the side wall of the bathtub with bolts, the installation, removal, and change of the installation position of the handrail device Z1 are easy, and the convenience is greatly improved, and the effect is particularly remarkable when the related work is performed by physically weak persons such as elderly people or women.

[0049] Second Embodiment FIG. 5 shows a state in which a handrail device Z2 for a bathtub according to a second embodiment of the present invention is installed close to a side wall 51 in front of a bathtub 50.

[0050] This handrail device Z2 has the same basic configuration as the handrail device Z1 according to the first embodiment, and differs from it in the mounting position of the handrail unit 1 relative to the base 2. That is, the mounting position of the handrail unit 1 relative to the base 2 can be changed between the right side and the left side when facing the bathtub 50, and while the handrail unit 1 is set on one edge 2a side of the base 2 in the handrail device Z1 of the first embodiment, this is set on the other edge 2b side of the base 2. According to this setting, a space for people to move is secured on the left side of the handrail unit 1, so that it is suitable for cases where it is difficult to secure a space for people to move in this area because, for example, there is some incidental equipment on the right side of the bathtub 50 or the bathroom wall is close by.

[0051] The configuration and effects other than those described above are similar to those of the first embodiment, so the relevant explanations in the first embodiment are incorporated herein and will not be repeated here.

[0052] "Third embodiment" FIG. 6 shows a state in which a handrail device Z3 for a bathtub according to a third embodiment of the present invention is installed close to a side wall 51 in front of a bathtub 50.

[0053] This handrail device Z3 has the same basic configuration as the handrail device Z1 of the first embodiment and the handrail device Z2 of the second embodiment, but differs from them in that, while in the handrail device Z1 of the first embodiment the handrail unit 1 is arranged on one side edge 2a of the base 2 and in the handrail device Z2 of the second embodiment the handrail unit 1 is arranged on the other side edge 2b of the base 2, in this embodiment the handrail unit 1 is arranged on one side edge 2a of the base 2 and on the other side edge 2b, respectively, and the space between these two handrail units 1 is used as a space for people to move around.

[0054] Therefore, a user of the bathtub 50 can move while holding both handrail units 1 simultaneously or selectively holding either one of them, thereby improving the protective effect for the user and improving usability compared to, for example, a case in which the handrail unit 1 is provided on only one side of the base 2 in the width direction.

[0055] The configuration and effects other than those described above are similar to those of the first and second embodiments, so the relevant explanations in the first and second embodiments are incorporated herein and will not be repeated here. [Industrial Applicability]

[0056] The bathtub handrail device according to the present invention is widely used mainly in the field of nursing care. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1 Handrail unit 2. Base 3 · Prop 4 · Base material 5 · Column body 6 · Prop 7 · Base material 8 · Column body 10 Handrail body 11 ·Fixing material 12 · Movable material 13 Lock section 14 ··Latching arm 15 Rotation support part 16 Contact member 17 Pivot pin 19 Support mounting part 20. Stepping stool 50 Bathtub X · Latching mechanism Z ·· Handrail device

Claims

1. A bathtub handrail device comprising a base placed on the floor near the bathtub and a handrail unit arranged upright on the base, The handrail unit includes a handrail body attached to an upper end of a support pillar erected on the base, The handrail device for a bathtub is characterized in that the tip of the handrail body is equipped with a hooking mechanism that is arranged to face the inner wall surface of the bathtub with a predetermined gap or to abut against the inner wall surface of the bathtub and is hooked onto the inner wall surface.

2. In claim 1, The above-mentioned hanging mechanism is characterized in that it comprises a hanging arm that is rotatably attached to the tip of the handrail body around its axis and is held in a hanging position by its own weight, and a contact member that is swingably attached to the tip of the hanging arm.

3. In claim 1 or 2, The handrail body is composed of a fixed member fixed to the upper end of the support pillar erected on the base and extending from the outside of the bathtub toward the bathtub, and a movable member located on the tip side of the fixed member and capable of moving forward and backward in the axial direction relative to the fixed member, A bathtub handrail device characterized in that the above-mentioned hook mechanism is provided at the tip of the movable member.

4. In claim 1, 2 or 3, The bathtub handrail device is characterized in that the support pillar is height adjustable.

5. In claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, The handrail unit is attached to the base in a position that can be changed between a right side position and a left side position when facing the bathtub.

6. In claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, A bathtub handrail device characterized in that the handrail units are provided facing each other on both the left and right sides of the base in the width direction.

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