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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a sitz bath, and more particularly to an
adjustable seat member for a sitz bath.
Sitz baths are, of course, well-known in the art for supporting a patient
in a sitting posture to bathe the hips, thighs and posterior area of the
patient with hot water or other bathing or therapeutic solution.
Portable sitz baths are also well-known in the art as disclosed in the
Gaston U.S. Pat. No. 2,139,951; the Osborn U.S. Pat. No. 2,872,686 and the
Strouse U.S. Pat. No. 3,132,349. The Osborn and Strouse patents also
disclose flexible seat members supported upon a frame above a liquid
receptacle or tub, and having an opening therein for bathing the posterior
area of a patient seated upon the flexible seat member.
However, none of these prior patents disclose flexible seat members adapted
to be positively raised and lowered, in order to lower a seated patient
into the bathing solution, and to raise the patient from the solution
after the bath is completed.
Furthermore, none of the prior patents, or any other known sitz baths,
include detachable fastening means for removing the flexible seat member
from its supporting frame for cleansing and sterilization.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a sitz bath having a
flexible seat member with its ends detachably connected to a supporting
frame, and with means for raising and lowering the seat member relative to
the support frame and the tub or liquid receptacle.
More specifically, this invention contemplates a sitz bath including an
elongated flexible seat member of sheet material, such as a cloth or
plastic fabric having an opening in the middle thereof and detachably
connected at its front and rear ends to corresponding portions of a
supporting frame. The rear end portion of the seat member is supported
higher than the front end portion to provide a back rest for the seated
patient, and to permit the legs of the patient to hang over the front end
portion of the frame.
The supporting frame may be formed integrally with, or detachably connected
to, a liquid receiving receptacle beneath the seat member for containing
hot water or a cleansing or medicated solution for treating the posterior
area of the patient seated in the seat member within the receptacle.
One end portion, and preferably the front end portion, of the flexible seat
member is wrapped, or wound, upon a transverse rotary spindle, forming a
part of a windlass mechanism. The windlass mechanism may be rotated
manually, or by power means, to wind and unwind the front portion of the
fabric member about the spindle, and to correspondingly raise and lower
the seat member relative to the supporting frame and the receptacle. In
this manner, a patient seated in the seat member can be lowered into the
receptacle for immersion within the heated or cleansing solution within
the receptacle, and can then be positively raised from the receptacle,
after the bath is completed.
In a preferred form of the invention, the seat-supporting frame may be
detachably connected to the receptacle, and may be further provided with
wheels or casters to render the entire bath assembly portable. Moreover,
the receptacle can be detached from the portable seat-supporting frame,
and the supporting frame and seat, with or without a seated patient, can
be moved to a site different from the location of the receptacle.
The maneuverability options are several. The patient may be transported to
and from the receptacle. The receptacle may be transported to the bathing
area, and subsequently to an area for emptying and cleaning the
receptacle. The patient and the receptacle may be transported from the
patient's living area to a bathing area.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a left-side elevation of the sitz bath made in accordance with
this invention;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, top plan view of the sitz bath disclosed in FIG.
1;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, rear elevation of the left-hand portion of the
sitz bath taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, front elevation of the right-hand portion of the
sitz bath taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, top front, left-side perspective view of the sitz
bath, disclosing the windlass mechanism;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, top rear, left-side perspective view of the sitz
bath, disclosing the lever latch;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary section taken along the line 7--7 of
FIG. 2; and
FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary section taken along the line 8--8 of
FIG. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings in more detail, the sitz bath, or sitz bath
assembly, 10, disclosed in the drawings, includes an elongated, flexible
seat member 12 having its front and rear ends supported upon a frame
device including a support frame 13 and a liquid receptacle or tub 14. The
support frame 13 may be detachably connected to the receptacle 14, as
disclosed in the drawings, or the support frame 13 may be integrally
formed with the receptacle 14.
The receptacle 14 may be of any desired shape, so long as it is large and
deep enough to receive the posterior area of the patient seated in the
seat member 12, and adapted to receive a sufficient volume of liquid for
immersion of the posterior area of the seated patient. The liquid, of
course, may be hot water, a cleansing solution, a mixture of hot water and
a cleansing solution, or a medicated solution mixed with either the hot
water or the cleansing solution, or both, or neither.
In a preferred form of the invention, the receptacle 14 is provided with
outward directed lateral ledges or flanges 15 projecting from the top edge
of the walls of the receptacle 14.
As disclosed in the drawings, the support frame 13 includes a rear
transverse frame member or bar 17, terminating in depending and diverging
bars 18, which in turn merge with rear support legs 20. At the lower
extremity of each of the legs 20 is journaled a rear caster or wheel 22.
Fixed to each rear leg 20, by welding or other convenient means, is an
arcuate, forwardly extending, side frame bar 24, the front portion of
which is substantially straight. A curved reinforcing bar 25 connects each
side frame bar 24 to the depending bar 18, for strength and rigidity. All
of these frame bars may be constructed of any desired material, but are
disclosed in the drawings as being made from round tubular steel stock.
The front end of each side frame bar 24 is fixed to a hook-shaped,
cup-shaped, or pocket-shaped, attachment member 26 adapted to fit over and
receive the intersecting flanges or ledges 15 forming the front corners of
the receptacle 14. When the frame 13 is moved forward relative to the
receptacle 14, the cup-shaped attachment members 26 move away from, and
disengage the front corner ledges 15, to disconnect the frame 13 from the
receptacle 14.
In order to hold the frame 13 in its assembled position connected to the
receptacle 14, after the pocket-shaped attachment members 26 engage the
corresponding front corners of the ledges 15, a latch lever 28, pivotally
connected by pin 29, to each of the upper portions of the legs 20, is
rotated clockwise, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 6, to thrust the hook-shaped
latch element, at the bottom end of the latch lever 28, into engagement
beneath the intersecting ledges 15 at the rear corners of the receptacle
14. When the latch lever 28 is thrust forward or counter-clockwise, as
viewed in FIG. 1, the hook-shaped latch end 30 is removed from the rear
ledge corners 15, to permit the front cup-shaped attachment members to be
released from the front ledge corners of the receptacle 14.
The flexible seat member 12 is preferably an elongated piece of sheet
material, which is not only flexible, but which is strong enough to
support the seated patient in a suspended position from the frame 13 and
within the receptacle 14. Furthermore, the sheet material from which the
seat member 12 is made is adapted to be easily cleaned and sterilized,
such as a piece of cloth fabric, or a sheet of plastic material. A cloth
fabric seat member 12, when detached from the support frame 13 can be
easily laundered with other cloth fabric articles, such as clothing, or
bed clothing, by conventional laundry methods within a hospital or the
home.
The seat member 12 is also provided with a hole or opening 32 in the middle
portion thereof, adapted to register with the posterior area of the seated
patient, and expose the posterior area to the hot water or other bathing
solution within the receptacle 14.
The rear end portion 33 (FIG. 8) of the flexible seat member 12 is
detachably connected to the rear transverse bar 17 of the support frame
13. As disclosed in FIG. 8, a grommet 34 is formed in the rear end portion
33 for engagement with a hook 35 fixed to and projecting from the
transverse bar 17. Although only one grommet 34 and hook 35 may be seen in
FIG. 8, nevertheless it will be understood that a plurality of such mating
grommets 34 and hooks 35 will be spaced across the length of the
transverse bar 17. The hooks 35 are so located that they will not
penetrate the fabric of the seat member 12, or punch or prick, the skin of
the patient seated in the seat member 12. As disclosed in FIG. 8, the
hooks 35 are located along the bottom of the transverse bar 17, and the
rear end portion 33 is wrapped around the bar 17 in frictional engagement
for additional support.
The front end portion 37 of the seat member 12 may also be provided with a
plurality of transversely spaced grommets 38 for registering with and
receiving corresponding hooks 39 formed in an elongated concealed notch 40
upon a windless drum or spindle 41, as disclosed in FIG. 7. The front end
portion 37 of the seat member 12 is also wrapped about the spindle 41 in
frictional engagement. The drum or spindle 41 is mounted coaxially upon a
shaft 42, the opposite ends of which are journaled through bearig holes in
the front portions of the side frame bars 24. Fixed to the outer ends of
the spindle shaft 42 are hand wheels 43, for manually rotating the shaft
42 and the spindle 41 in order to wind and unwind the front portion 37 of
the seat member 12, thereby raising and lowering the seat member 12
relative to the frame 13 and the receptacle 14.
Fixed coaxially upon the spindle shaft 42 between either, or both hand
wheels 43, and the corresponding side frame bar, or bars, 24 is a ratchet
wheel 44 adapted to be engaged by pivotal pawl 45 mounted upon the side of
the cup-shaped attachment member 26. Preferably, the pawl 45 is biased
into engagement with the ratchet wheel 44 so that the drum 41 will be
latched against unwinding by the weight of the seated patient within the
seat member 12. The pawl 45 may be manually pivoted against the action of
a biasing spring, not shown, in order to release the pawl 45 from the
ratchet 44, when it is desired to turn the hand wheel 43 in either
direction for winding or unwinding the seat member 12 upon the drum 41.
It will also be understood that the windlass spindle 41 may be driven in
either direction by power means, such as an electrical motor drivingly
connected to the spindle shaft 42 in place of the hand wheel 43.
Timer means could also be connected to an electric motor to drive the
spindle 41 in one direction in order to lower the patient into the
solution within the receptacle 14, and after the patient has been bathed
for a predetermined time, the timer mechanism would actuate the motor to a
reverse mode for winding the seat member 12 upon the spindle 41 in order
to raise the patient from the bath within the receptacle 14.
The notch 40 is provided within the windlass drum 41 in order to protect
the overhanging legs of the patient from the projecting hooks 39.
In the operation of the sitz bath 10, a clean and sterilized seat member 12
is suspended from the frame 13 by attaching the upper rear end portion 33
upon the hooks 35, and attaching the front end portion 37 to the hooks 39.
The spindle 41 is then rotated by the hand wheel 43 to raise the seat
member 12 to an elevated position above the level 47 of the bathing
solution within the receptacle 14 (FIG. 1). The receptacle 14 is, of
course, filled with the desired bathing solution, such as pure hot water,
or a cleansing or medicated solution. The support frame 13 is connected to
the receptacle 14 by engaging the front cup-shaped attachment members 26
and the latch levers 28 with the respective front and rear corners of the
ledges 15.
The patient is then positioned so that he is seated upon the seat member 12
with his posterior area registering with the hole 32. The seated patient's
back leans against the inclined rear portion of the seat member 12, while
his legs hang over the front portion 37 of the seat member supported by
the spindle 41. The patient, or the operator or attendant, then releases
the pawl 45. The weight of the patient causes the seat member 12 to unwind
from the rotating spindle 41, to lower the patient into the solution
within the receptacle 14. The unwinding may be controlled by grasping and
braking the hand wheel 43. When the seat member 12, including the
posterior area of the patient, has been lowered below the solution level
47, (FIG. 1), the patient or attendant holds the hand wheel 43, while he
re-engages the pawl 45 with the ratchet wheel 44 to lock the seat member
12 in its lowered position in the bathing solution.
After the bath is completed, the hand wheel 43 is then counter-rotated in a
counter-clockwise direction to wind up the front end portion 37 of the
seat member 12, until the patient has been lifted to an elevation above
the bathing solution level 47. The pawl 45 automatically holds the ratchet
wheel 44, spindle 41 and seat member 12 in the corresponding elevated
position.
After the patient is removed from the seat member 12, frame 13 may be
disconnected from the receptacle 14, by pivoting the latch lever 28 to
disengage the latch hook 30 from the rear corner flanges 15, and then
moving the frame 13 forward to disengage the cup-shaped attachments 26
from the front corners of the flanges 15. The receptacle 14 is then
emptied, cleaned and disinfected. Of course, if the receptacle 14 is to be
cleansed in a different location, the operator may push the frame 13 to a
cleansing station, before the frame 13 is disconnected from the receptacle
14.
The seat member 12 is then removed by unwinding the spindle 41 until the
grommets 38 may be released from the hooks 39. Then the grommets 34 on the
rear portion 33 of the seat member 12 are released from the rear hooks 35.
The seat member 12, then being completed disconnected from the frame 13,
is cleaned, laundered or disposed of in the desired manner. A clean seat
member 12 is then re-connected to the transverse support bar 17 and to the
spindle 41, in preparation for the next sitz bath.
Because of the detachable connection between the frame 13 and the
receptacle 14, the receptacle 14 could remain in a bath room or a bathing
area, while the disconnected frame 13 could be employed for transporting
the patient from his room or hospital room to the bathing area, where the
frame 13 would be re-attached to the receptacle 14.
The sitz bath 10 made in accordance with this invention has marked
advantages over previous sitz baths, some of which have already been
described. The sitz bath assembly 10 is not only portable and easily
cleaned, but safe and simple to use, convenient, not only for the patient,
but also for the attendant or operator, and completely sanitary and
comfortable.
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