The tub includes side, end and bottom walls and a false bottom spaced above the bottom wall and defining with the bottom, side and end walls a lower chamber and with the side and end walls an upper bathing chamber. The false bottom at one end of the tub includes an inclined surface sloping toward a recessed horizontal surface adjacent the other end of the tub. Above the recessed surface is a perforated platform hinged at one end and spring biased upwardly into a generally horizontal position. A valve normally closes an opening in the recessed horizontal surface of the false bottom and is coupled to the platform to open in response to downward pivotal movement of the platform to drain water from the upper bathing chamber into the lower chamber. The spring has sufficient tension to support two or three pounds but will compress under the weight of an infant should the infant slide down or fall forward from the inclined surface of the false bottom onto the platform whereby the valve opens and water is quickly dumped from the upper bathing chamber into the lower chamber to prevent drowning of the infant.
A bathenette seat for bathing a baby is provided where the seat has a headrest with an opening which is sized and shaped to accept the back of the head of the baby being bathed so as to allow the washing of the back of the baby's head without allowing soap to get into the baby's eyes or ears. The bathenette further includes a leg support spaced from the headrest and a sprayer located on the leg support. The sprayer is positioned to spray water on the baby reclining in the seat. The bathenette also includes a height adjustment mechanism to vary the position of the headrest and a band around the opening of the headrest to further support the baby's head.
A bathing unit which includes a vertically adjustable bottom portion and fluid receiving channels. The lift mechanism includes a spring and manual spring tension adjuster. The user is able to adjust the spring so that the platform moves when the weight of the user plus the weight of the water in the channels is greater or less than the preset spring force.
A collapsible baby tub for attachment to a conventional bath or its surround. The baby tub includes a generally rectangular sheet, made of a flexible material that is impervious to water, for example, a vinyl, a plasticized material or a rubberized fabric. Support structures brace the sheet within the conventional bathtub. The supporting means include nylon cords and rods; a swivelling suction cup assembly or bracket hooks are used to fasten the rods onto the bathtub or its surround. Two embodiments of the rod fasteners are disclosed.
A bathing apparatus, for use by disabled bathers, comprises a bathtub and a banister. The bathtub has a ramp and a floor. The ramp descends to the bathtub floor, which slopes gradually toward a drain. The ramp's top is approximately level with the seat of a wheel chair. The banister is coupled to the bathtub and extends over the ramp and floor of the bathtub. The banister has a sloped portion for descending into the bathtub that descends to level portion. The level portion is substantially horizontal for sitting or lying on while bathing. The level portion of the banister is over the floor and its height relative to floor increases as the floor slopes toward the drain. A bather may choose a seat height that is most comfortable by sitting on the level portion farther or closer to the drain. While bathing the bather is stabilized by the banister, feet or knees on the floor of the bathtub.
