Portable bath lift

• US 3,918,108 A
• Filed: 09/06/1973
• Issued: 11/11/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raymond M. Feyerherm
• Original Assignee: Raymond M. Feyerherm
• Inventors: Feyerherm, Raymond M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huckert, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Levy, Stuart S.
• Application Number:
  US05/394,551
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 61G/702 4/185L,251 5/81R,81B,86 248/124,226R,415 297/DIG.4
• US Class Current: 4/563.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1003 mounted on or in combination with a bath-tub
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1019 Vertical extending columns or mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1044 Stationary fixed means, e.g. fixed to a surface or bed
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1059 Seats
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1076 Means for rotating around a vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1096 Knee, upper or lower leg

Abstract

A bath lift for assisting invalid persons into and out of a bathtub employs a portable hydraulic jack clamped to a rim portion of the bathtub and supported on a floor surface by a nonslip base. An open center seat is attached to the extensible portion of the jack by a suspension member. A leg support-stop attached to the seat is rotatable from a position which allows safe seating of the invalid to a position which supports the legs of the invalid while the invalid is being placed into the tub. The components are adapted for easy disassembly and reassembly.

Claims

1. A portable bath lift for assisting a person in and out of a bathtub comprising:

a columnar jack means having a vertically extensible portion and a lower non-extensible portion for positioning in a vertical Disposition alongside said tub, a floor-engaging base adapted to removable receive and support in a vertical disposition said lower non-extensible portion of said jack means, at least said vertically extensible portion of said jack means being rotatable about its vertical axis relative to said base, detachable clamp means carried by said jack means and being vertically adjustable along said jack means for connecting said jack means to rim portion of said bathtub and free to rotate relative to at least said vertically extensible portion of said jack means so that said clamp means when operative remains stationary on said rim portion when said extensible jack portion rotates annd extends, seat suspension means removably attached to and carried by said vertically extensible jack portion for vertical and rotational movement therewith, said suspension means being generally Lshaped and including a first leg portion extending generally horizontally outwardly from said extensible jack portion and a second generally vertical leg portion extending downwardly from the outer end of said first leg portion, seat means, including an annular seat ring removably connected to a lower end of said vertical leg portion of said suspension means and supported by said suspension means in a horizontal disposition and an open-centered seat supported on said seat ring, said seat means further including a removable railing member having one end detachably connected to said seat ring and its other end detachably connected to said suspension means and defining a back rest and side support for a person seated on said open-centered seat, said vertically extensible portion of said jack means when rotated about its vertical axis being operable to swing said suspension means and said seat means from a loading position along the rim portion of a bathtub to a position overlying the interior of said bathtub while said jack means remains stabilized in a vertical disposition alongside said bathtub by said base and clamp means.

2. The lift of claim 1 further including a leg support-stop removably attached to said seat ring and movable between a generally vertical stop disposition for engaging a side of said tub to restrain movement of said seat means during loading and a generally horizontal leg support disposition for supporting the legs of said person.

3. The lift of claim 2 wherein said L-shaped suspension means is hingedly attached to said extensible portion of said jack means and to said seat ring by removable pin means to thereby facilitate rapid assembly and disassembly of said lift.

4. The lift of claim 3 wherein said clamp means includes a U-shaped bracket having a hollow cylindrical sleeve attached along one leg for slidably receiving said jack therein, and means for adjusting the width of the bracket opening

5. The lift of claim 1 wherein said clamp means includes a U-shaped bracket having a sleeve means attached along one leg of said bracket for slidably and rotatably receiving said jack therein, and means for adjusting the width of the bracket opening.

6. The lift of claim 5 wherein the underside of said base and the inside surfaces of said U-shaped bracket are lined with a resilient high friction material, said base and said clamp acting together against a floor surface and tub rim respectively to resist displacement of said jack from a present vertical position.

7. The lift of claim 1 wherein said L-shaped suspension means is hingedly attached to said extensible portion of said jack means and to said seat ring by removable pin means to thereby facilitate rapid assembly and disassembly of said lift.

8. The lift of claim 1 wherein said seat ring is connected to the lower end of said vertical leg portion by a connecting bracket member having a bottom portion surfaced with a resilient high friction pad for engaging the rim portion of a bathtub to resist swinging movement of said seat means when in its loading position.

9. A portable bath Lift for assisting a person in and out of a bathtub comprising:

a columnar jack means having a vertically extensible portion and a lower non-extensible portion for positioning in a vertical disposition alongside said bathtub, a floor-engaging base adapted to receive and support in a vertical disposition said lower non-extensible portion of said jack means, detachable clamp means carried by said jack means and being vertically adjustable along said jack means for connecting said jack means to a rim portion of said bathtub, seat means for supporting said person, seat suspension means removably attached to and carried by said vertically extensible jack portion for vertical movement therewith, at least said vertically extensible portion of said jack means being rotatable about its vertical axis relative to said base to permit said means to be moved from a loading position to a position overlying said bathtub while said jack means remains stabilized in a vertical disposition by said base and clamp means, and a leg support stop removably attached to said seat means and movable between a generally vertical stop disposition for engaging a side of said bathtub to restrain movement of said seat means during loading and a generally horizontal leg support disposition for supporting the legs of said person.

10. The lift of claim 9 wherein said leg supportstop includes an open tubular frame structure.