Bath lifting system
AssigneeFreedom Bath, Inc.
InventorsMary Frances Sherlock, Rainer Kuenzel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bath lifting system comprises a seat which is raised and lowered inside of a bath by a lifting device positioned inside the bath. The lifting device provides an aesthetically appealing system with the seat substantially covering the lifting device, thus obscuring its view. The guiding assembly guides the seat from a lowered position to a raised position to facilitate ingress and egress to a bather. A composite bath embodiment and a retrofit embodiment, each with either straight up or laterally offset lifting, are disclosed. All the embodiments can use a closed self-pressurized system.
Claims54
A system for moving a seat in a bath, the bath having a side wall and a wall behind the seat, comprising:
- a guiding assembly disposed within the bath and between the wall behind the seat and the seat;
- a hydraulic fluid;
- a pressure generation mechanism to control pressure of said hydraulic fluid;
- and
- a lifting device in association with said guiding assembly for moving the seat between a raised position and a lowered position, wherein
- said raised position is laterally offset from said lowered position,
- said guiding assembly guides the seat in a straight line between said lowered position and said raised laterally offset position from said lowered position towards the side wall of the bath, and
- said lifting device uses said hydraulic pressure to move the seat.
A system adapted for use with a bath having a side wall and a seat back, and for moving a seat, comprising:
- a guiding assembly disposed within the bath while the seat moves between a lowered position and a raised position, wherein
- said guiding assembly is substantially covered by the seat back when the seat is in said lowered position, and
- said raised position is laterally offset from said lowered position, and
- said guiding assembly moves the seat in a straight line between said lowered position and said raised laterally offset position from said lowered position towards the side wall of the bath;
- a hydraulic fluid;
- a source for generating a constant pressure on said hydraulic fluid;
- and
- a lifting device in association with said guiding assembly, wherein
- said lifting device moves the seat between said lowered and said raised position, and
- said lifting device uses said hydraulic fluid to move the seat.
A system adapted for use with a bath having a side wall, comprising:
- a seat having a seat back;
- a guiding assembly for guiding movement of said seat in a straight line between a lowered position and a raised laterally offset position from said lowered position towards the side wall of the bath;
- a lifting device in association with said guiding assembly for moving said guiding assembly;
- a hydraulic fluid;
- and
- a pressure generation mechanism to control pressure of said hydraulic fluid, wherein
- said lifting device uses said hydraulic fluid for moving said seat,
- said seat back substantially covers said guiding assembly and said lifting device, and
- said seat back is movable between an operating position and an access position to allow access to said guiding assembly and said lifting device.
A system adapted for use with a bath having a side wall, comprising:
- a frame sized to be received in the bath;
- a seat having a seat back;
- a guiding assembly connected to said frame and for guiding movement of said seat in a straight line between a lowered position and a raised laterally offset position from said lowered position towards the side wall of the bath;
- a lifting device in association with said guiding assembly for moving said guiding assembly;
- a hydraulic fluid;
- and
- a source for generating a constant pressure on said hydraulic fluid, wherein said lifting device uses said hydraulic fluid for moving said guiding assembly.
A system for a bath having a side wall, comprising:
- a seat;
- a hydraulic fluid;
- a closed hydraulic system for maintaining said hydraulic fluid;
- a pressure generation mechanism to control pressure of said hydraulic fluid;
- a guiding assembly for guiding movement of said seat in a straight line between a lowered position and a raised laterally offset position from said lowered position towards the side wall of the bath;
- and
- a lifting device in association with said guiding assembly for moving said seat between said raised laterally offset position and said lowered position, wherein said lifting device uses said hydraulic fluid to move said seat.
A system for moving a seat in a bath, the bath having a side wall and a wall behind the seat, comprising:
- a guiding assembly disposed within the bath and attached to the wall behind the seat, wherein said guiding assembly moves in a straight line between a lowered position and a raised laterally offset position from said lowered position towards the side wall of the bath
- a hydraulic fluid having a pressure;
- a pressure generation mechanism to control said pressure of said hydraulic fluid;
- and
- a lifting device in association with said guiding assembly for moving the seat between said raised laterally offset position and said lowered position, wherein said lifting device uses said hydraulic fluid to move the seat.
A system for moving a seat in a bath, the bath having a side wall and a wall behind the seat, comprising:
- a guiding assembly, disposed within the bath and between the wall behind the seat and the seat, for guiding movement of the seat in a straight line between a lowered position and a raised laterally offset position from said lowered position towards the side wall of the bath
- a hydraulic fluid having a pressure;
- a pressure generation mechanism to control said pressure of said hydraulic fluid;
- and
- a lifting device in association with said guiding assembly for moving the seat between said raised position and said lowered position, wherein said lifting device uses said hydraulic fluid to move the seat.
A system for moving a seat in a bath, the bath having a side wall and a wall behind the seat, comprising:
- a guiding assembly disposed within the bath and between the wall behind the seat and the seat;
- a lifting device in association with said guiding assembly for moving the seat between a raised position and a lowered position, wherein
- said raised position is laterally offset from said lowered position, and
- said guiding assembly moves in a straight line between said lowered position and said raised laterally offset position from said lowered position towards the side wall of the bath;
- and
- a remote control system, wherein said remote control system electronically activates said lifting device.
A system for moving a seat in a bath, the bath having a side wall and a wall behind the seat, comprising:
- a guiding assembly;
- a hydraulic fluid;
- a lifting device in association with said guiding assembly for moving the seat between a raised position and a lowered position, wherein
- said lifting device uses said hydraulic fluid to move the seat,
- said raised position is laterally offset from said lowered position, and
- said guiding assembly moves the seat in a straight line between said lowered position and said raised laterally offset position from said lowered position towards the side wall of the bath;
- and
- a pressure generation mechanism to control said hydraulic fluid, wherein said pressure generation mechanism comprises:
- a pump for pressurizing said hydraulic fluid, and
- a pump check device.
A system adapted for use with a bath having a side wall and for moving a seat, comprising:
- a guiding assembly for guiding movement of the seat in a straight line between a lowered position and a raised laterally offset position from said lowered position towards the side wall of the bath;
- a lifting device in association with said guiding assembly for moving the seat;
- a hydraulic fluid;
- and
- a source for generating a constant pressure on said hydraulic fluid, wherein
- said lifting device uses said hydraulic fluid for moving the seat, and
- said hydraulic fluid is water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.