Field of Search:
4/113,171,185R,185B,185AB,185HB 297/DIG.3,456 272/1B,1R D34/41,43,15DD 9/2A,11A,301,311,333,336,340,347,348 46/87,88,90-92
Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a bathing device, and more particularly to a floating bathing device for a baby adapted for safety use in a bathing tank.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a bathing device which may not only bath safely a baby, but emancipate a mother from a baby in a bath and allow the mother to comfortably take a bath.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a bathing float device which may stabilize the bathing of the baby.
It is further object of the invention to provide a bathing float device which is very handy.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bathing float device which comprises an annular float having upper and lower ends, top and bottom surfaces and opposed sides and having a horizontal partition wall therethrough for dividing the float into upper and lower chambers. A hollow pillow is provided at the front upper edge of the annular float. Hollow arms are provided on the annular float in the vicinity of said pillow and extending over the center of the annular float. A back sheet longer than the diameter of the annular float is mounted at the front and rear portions of the float in such a manner as hung in arcuate state. A flexible stripe bridges the sides of the vicinity of the rear portion for hanging up the back sheet. A pair of strings are bridged longitudinally on the back of the back sheet along the side edges of the back sheet. A balancer are provided at the rear portion of the back sheet adjacent the lower end. Means are provided in said upper and lower chambers, said hollow pillow and said hollow arms; and means are provided for attaching said flexible stripe and said strings to said annular float and said back sheet, respectively.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the bathing float device constructed according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bathing float device seen from back in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal side secctional view of the device seen from the line III--III in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the bathing float device used in the bath; and
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal side sectional view seen from the line V--V in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Reference is now made to the drawings, which show one embodiment of the bathing device float constructed according to the present invention.
The bathing float device of this invention comprises an annular float 1 which has a horizontal partition wall 1a for dividing the annular float 1 into upper and lower chambers 1b and 1c, a back sheet 2 which is longer than the diameter of the annular float 1 and is mounted at the front and rear portions of the annular float 1 in such a manner as hung in arcuate state from the annular float 1, a flexible strip 3 bridging the sides of the annular float 1 in the vicinity of the rear portion of the annular float 1 and underlying the back sheet 2 at the center thereof to hold back sheet 2 in the vicinity of the rear side at the level of the bottom surface of the annular float 1-A pair of strings 13 extend longitudinally beneath the back of the back sheet 2 along the side edges of the back sheet 2 and are connected at one end to the annular float 1 and at their other ends are fixed to strip 3, at points underlying back sheet 3. A balancer 10 is provided at the rear portion of the back sheet 2. Plugs or valves 11 and 12 attached to the annular float 1 at the positions corresponding to the upper and lower chambers 1b and 1c, respectively, act as the means for adjusting air quantities in the annular float 11 by charging or discharging into or from the upper and lower chambers 1b and 1c of the annular float 1.
The bathing device of this invention further comprises a hollow pillow 4 provided at the front upper edge of the annular float 1 for supporting the bather's head. Hollow arms 5 provided on the annular float 1 in the vicinity of the pillow 4 and extending over the center of the annular float 1 for holding the bather's body. The hollow arms 5 communicate with the upper chamber 1b. The pillow 4 has also a plug or valve 14 for charging or discharging the air thereinto or therefrom, respectively. Thus, the bathing device of this invention is very handy since it becomes compact when the air therein is discharged through the plugs or valves 11, 12 and 14 and it may be folded.
Numeral 6 represents pieces mounted to annular float for mounting the flexible strip 3 such as, for example, band string. Other pieces 7 mount the strings 13 for supporting the back sheet 2 from the back similarly to the pieces 6, and as thus supported the flexible strip 3 and strings 13 are become more stable.
Though omitted from the drawing, it will be apparent that if pouches are provided for inserting reinforcing pieces at the right and left bottom portions of the annular float 1 and the reinforcing pieces are inserted into the pouches, they prevent the annular float 1 from excessively bending when a baby lies on the bathing device.
As shown in FIG. 3, the back sheet 2 contains foamed material 9 therein so as to improve its cushion and floating buoyancy, and it also has pads 2 having through holes for receiving the flexible strip 3 on the back thereof. Though the strings 13 for supporting the back sheet 2 from the back are fixed by the way of the pieces 7 and the pads 2' and 2' in this embodiment, the ends of the strings 13 may also be mounted directly to the strip 3.
In the bathing device thus constructed, when a person takes a bath with a baby, the upper and lower chambers 1b and 1c of the annular float 1 are inflated under pressure as is also, the other pillow 4, arm 5 so as to enlarge them in advance. Then, the annular float 1 is placed on the floor, and a baby is rested on the annular float 1 on his back in such a manner that the head of the baby lies on the pillow 4 and the back and waist thereof are on the back sheet 2 and legs inside of the knee thereof are placed on the strip 3 so as to stabilize the attitude of the baby. As a result, the person who takes a bath with the baby may take off the clothes at rest, and after taking off the clothes, he may take a bath by lifting the entire bathing device with the baby together with himself.
At this time the annular float 1 supports the weight of the baby so as to float on the hot water of the bath with about 20 percent of the float above the water surface of the bath. More particularly, the water enters into the interior of the annular float 1 between the back sheet 2 and the float 1 with the result that the water levels inside and outside of the annular float 1 reach the same height so that 20 percent of the annular float 1 is exposed above the water surface when the baby lies on the bathing device with the result that the baby is sufficiently immersed in the hot water in the bath except the head thereof. Furthermore, since the buoyancy of the bathing device owing to the annular float 1 may be adjusted by varying air quantities in the annular float 1 by charging or discharging the air into or from the upper chamber 1b and lower chamber 1c thereof, respectively, through the plugs or valves 11 and 12, the water level relative to the annular float 1 is adjustable. In such state, the back sheet 2 supports the back and the waist of the baby on the bottom, the strip 3 supports the legs at the knees of the baby, the strings 13 hold up the back sheet 2 from the back thereof, so as to prevent the baby from bending the body thereof in order to stabilize the baby and to prevent the baby from sinking under the water. More particularly, the bathing device holds the baby from underneath so as to take a bath very safely.
It should be understood from the foregoing description that since the bathing device has the balancer 10, even if the head of the baby is heavier, the bathing device prevents the baby from sinking at the head side so as to stably float the baby with the result that the baby is safe in the bath. When the baby is picked up from the bath together with the bathing device and is placed on the washing field together with the bathing device, the baby may play safely therewith. On the other hand, the person who takes a bath together with the baby such as the mother thereof, may stably and safely take a bath together with the baby even on the washing field, and therefore she is emancipated from the attention to the baby, and becomes free therefrom so as to easily and slowly wash herself to provide easy and comfortable feelings. In addition, when she finishes the bath and put on her clothes, she may wear her clothes and may then clothe the baby subsequently at her convenience, and if the air is discharged from the annular float 1 in respective chambers 1b and 1c, pillow 4 and arms 5 and 5, the annular float 1 and the other components being flexible may be folded to compact configuration so as to easily carry them to a predetermined place.
It should also be understood from the foregoing description that since the bathing device thus constructed has an annular float having upper and lower chambers with a balancer, it may stably and safely take a bath with the baby, and accordingly it may emancipate the person taking a bath with the baby from watching and paying attention the baby so as to pleasantly take a bath and also to take off the clothes, replace the clothes with easiness to facilitate easy bathing together with the baby.