Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bathroom
structure for the physically impaired, such persons confined
to wheelchairs, or have the limited use of their arms and
legs. The bathroom structure is designed to be accommodated
in small areas, like powder rooms located on the first floor
of a house. This is known as a convertible bathroom.
There has been concern in recent years for making
public facilities more user friendly for the impaired. Ramps
are provided at street corners so the impaired can move about
puhlic streets. Many stores provide ramps so that the
impaired do not have to climb steps, and more importantly,
public bathrooms have been modified to include larger stalls
with hand rails, with wash basins being more accessible to
wheelchair users and other handicapped persons. However, most
homes have not been modified to accommodate physically
impaired persons. In most homes, the height of the commode
and wash basin are such that an impaired person can not use
the facilities without the fear of an accident. Generally,
when hand rails are provided, they are the clamp-on type which
mount on bath tubs or they are add-on wall mounts, which may
not provide adequate support. The most often reason given for
not providing physically impaired bathrooms in houses is the
expense at a time when the need is not foreseen. It is only
necessary to have such a facility when there has been a
debilitating injury, or infirmities due to age require it.
A majority of modern built houses have a powder room
or pantry on the first floor. In many newly built houses
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there is also a bedroom or den on the same first floor as the
powder room. The problem is how to provide a bathroom
structure for a physically impaired person, one whicll has a
toilet and wash basin at the proper height, and a shower which
an impaired person can use. Also, there is a problem on how
to provide such a bathroom and have it functional and
appealing to other users. Another problem is how to provide
such a bathroom which is sealed against possible water damage
to other portions of the house.
The problems listed are now the object of the
present invention, namely; to provide a bathroom for the
physically impaired which has a commode and wash basin
adjustable to an impaired person's height and a shower, to
provide such a bathroom and have it functional and appealing
to other people, and to provide such a bathroom that is sealed
against possible water damage to other areas of the home.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The bathroom structure of the present lnvention
overcomes the stated problems of existing bathrooms by
providing a comfortable and appealing, yet functional,
bathroom that can be installed in limited spaces on the main
or other floor of an existing house, without too much
disruption. The bathroom design is structured to fit in the
space of an existing powder room, or at most, slightly
enlarged, if the present powder room does not allow for the
use of wheelchairs. The walls will either be ceramic tile,
tile board or some other waterproof bathroom wall board.
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Tl~le is ~ tile floor and a floor drain so that the entire
l~atllroom space becomes a shower. The bathroom will have a
pooket door so that the door slides into a pocket formed in
the wall. To ensure that water does not run out of the
batllroom on to an ad~oining floor, there is a raised door sill
havillg an accurate shape for accommodating wheelchairs, or to
prevent tripping on a square shaped door sill edge. A
telescoping sink pedestal adjusts the height of the bathroom
sink. The sink faucet is connected to a flexible lnlet water
hose so that the faucet can be removed from the basin and hung
on a wall to be used as a shower. The basin has an overhang
which serves as a storage place for various items such as a
shower head and a tollet paper holder, to protect the paper
from getting wet while showering and to hide the items from
view. There are grab bars placed at conveniently located
spots, which also serve as towel bars, anchored securely to
the wall.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bathroom of the
invention.
Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the walls and pocket
door of the present invention.
Fig. 3 is a cross-section view, taken along the line
3-3 of Fig. 1 of a sink base.
Fig. 4 is a cross-section view taken along the line
4-4 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a partial cross-sectlon of a door and door
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sill of -the present invention.
Fig. 6 is a front cross-section taken along the line
6-6 of Fig. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to the drawings, Flgs 1-6, there is shown
a bathroom 10 for physically impaired people. There are
sidewalls 12, 12a, 12b, and 12c, vertically surrounding a
ceiling 14 and a floor 16. One of the sidewalls 12 has an
opening 26 in it for ingress and egress, and a pocket 18 for
housing a pocket door 20. A vertically telescoping basin 22
and a toilet 24 are installed in the bathroom 10. Under
normal conditions, the bathroom i8 used as a powder room.
When it is necessary for a physically impaired person to use
the bathroom either as a powder room or a bathroom, the basin
22 can be adjusted to the proper height to accommodate a
wheelchair or some other physical aid. The toilet 24 is of a
height usable by the physically impaired or elderly, for this
purpose grab bars 25 are provided.
Side walls 12j 12a, 12b, and 12c and floor 16 can be
decorative ceramic tile, and in the case of the side walls,
they can be prefabricated tile board with ceramic tile,
plastic tile or plain colored plastic covering over a
waterproof sheet. An important feature of the walls 12, 12a,
12b, and 12c and floor 16 is that they are waterproof with
waterproof joints. The entrance opening 26 has a door sill 28
tllat has an arcuate top surface 30 to prevent water from
flowing out of the bathroom onto an ad~oining floor, not
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sll(!wn. Fig. 5 shows a cross-section of the door sill 28,
wl~ete t:h~ arcllate top surface 30 tapers upwardly from edge 32
to a top height 34 at an angle between 10 to 20 degrees where
the ~rcuate top surface 30 declines at a sharp angle of
hetween 45 to 80 degrees, maintaining an arcuate curve. By
having inclines and an arcuate curve, the door sill 28 is easy
to roll a wheelchair over, while reducing the possibility of
someone tripping up. Door sill 28 cooperates with floor 16 to
prevent water from flowing from bathroom 10. The sidewall 12
having a pocket 18 for housing a door 20 has a pocket width
sufficient to allow door 20 to slide in and out of the pocket
18. There is a vertical seal 36 on edge 38 of wall 12
extending the length of entrance opening 26 to press against
door 20 forming a moisture seal. Additionally, a second
vertical seal 40 on edge 42 seals door 20 when it is in the
closed position. Further, to ensure that water does not
escape the bathroom, the bottom edge of door 20 has a flexible
rubber seal 43 which presses against the surface of door sill
28. Tile floor 16 slopes toward vertically telescopic basin
22 to direct water to a drain at the basin 22. The floor
slope is between 2 to 5 degrees.
Telescopic basin 22 has a base 46 and sleeve 48
which moves vertically on base 46. Base 46 is mounted on
floor 16 and covers a draln 50. A sewage pipe 52 is connected
to the drain 50 to dispose of any water. There are several
openings 54 surrounding the bottom of base 46 which water
passes through to reach drain 50. Sleeve 48 is mounted on the
bottom of a basin bowl 56 to support it and has the sleeve
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reciprocatillg on hase 46. There are several mechanical means
for telescoping the basin 22, the one shown, as an example, is
a rack 58 and pinion 60 operated by reversible electric motor
62. Rotating pinion 60 in one direction ralses basin 22,
while rotation in the other direction lowers the basin.
Therefore, a physically impaired person can vertically adjust
the basin 22 to a comfortable height. It is possible to
provide a mechanical means with a timer to return the basin to
a prearranged position so that the next person to use the
ba~in will find it in a normal position.
The plumbing for the basln 22 includes a sink drain
64, Fig. 4, that is flexible so as to follow the vertical
travel of the basin. Tap water lines 66 and 68 are connected
to the basin 22 and control valve 70, which has a control 72.
Knob 72 is adjusted so as to mix hot and cold water, before
sendlng it to a single faucet 74 through line 76. Water lines
66, 68 and 76 are flexible and of a length to follow the
travel of basin 22. The faucet water line 76 is extra long so
that the portable faucet can be used as a shower, which can be
hung on a wall, as shown. A shower head 78 is stored in a
compartment 80, formed by basin skirt 82. When needed, the
shower head 78 is screwed on faucet 74, otherwise lt is kept
in compartment 80. A similar compartment 84 that is formed by
basin skirt 82, houses a toilet paper rack 84 which pivots up
into the compartment during showering. The shower head and
faucet can be hand held, or as stated, hung on a wall, for
example behind the toilet, where a person could sit while
showering. A spring clamp, not shown, is mounted under the
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si l~k to hol 1 shower head 78.
In use, a physically impaired individual enters
b~throom 10, either with or without a wheelchair or some other
aid. The door 20 is shut to seal the bathroom 10 against
water leaving the room through the entrance 26. The wash
basin 2 is adjusted to the proper height for washing by
pressing a control switch, not shown. If a person wishes to
wash their hair, the basin can, for example, be lowered, or if
they neecl to they can raise the basin to wash their face
without having to bend over. Once they are finished with the
basin and the water has been removed, and a period of time has
passed, the electrically operated basin will return to a
preset position for others to use. If a person needs to
shower, faucet 74 is removed from the basin 22 and showerhead
78 is attached. The combination faucet/showerhead is then
handlleld or hung on a wall and water valve 70 is turned on. A
person can either stand to shower or sit on the toilet 24. In
either case, grip rails 25 can be used for support.
While only one embodiment of the invention has been
shown, it is understood that others may reallze other
embodiments without departlng from the present lnventlon. One
should study the dlsclosure, drawlngs and clalms for a
complete understandlng of the inventlon.
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