Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SAFETY BATH AND SHOWER MAT
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a safety mat used
in a bathtub or shower stall, and more particularly to a
safety mat having multi-functional features to provide
satisfaction for users.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] It is well known that bathtubs and shower stalls
are slippery and present a great risk of injury to users
standing therein, and entering or leaving the bathtub or
shower stall, especially in the presence of water and soap.
This is because bathtubs and shower stalls are generally
made of materials, such as acrylic, cast iron porcelain,
steel and polymer, etc, which do not have a high
coefficient of friction with human skin. In attempts to
compensate for this problem, various safety mats or safety
strips are available which provide an increased resistance
to slipping while standing in the bathtub or shower stall,
and thus minimize the risk of slippage of a person standing
thereon.
[0003] It is also known in the art to use foot massage
mats which include a multiplicity of conical protrusions
having rounded apexes in order to massage a user's feet,
thereby stimulating the feet and enhancing blood
circulation of the user.
[0004] People using a bathtub or shower stall,
particularly elderly and handicapped people, sometimes
require seating aids to be placed in bathtubs or shower
stalls, which help to prevent the inherent risks and
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difficulties involved in positioning themselves on the
floor of a bathtub or shower stall by permitting the user
to be seated at a relatively higher position than if they
were seated on the floor of the bathtub or shower stall or
on a safety mat placed therein. However, the floor of
bathtubs and shower stalls, particularly in the presence of
water and soap is also very slippery to a seating aid such
as a bath or shower bench having its legs supported on the
floor of a bathtub and shower stall, and thereby presents
the risk of the user slipping and falling while sitting on
such a seating aid during a bath or shower.
[0005] It is also undesirable to have the seating aids
stand on the bath or shower mats directly, due the
stability concern. When a seating aid stands directly on a
bath or shower mat, pressing forces are unevenly applied to
the mat, which compromises the stable attachment of the mat
on a wet and soapy floor of a bathtub or shower stall,
particularly in instances of mats having a limited number
of suction cups on the bottom surface thereof.
[0006) Conventional bath or shower mats present other
disadvantages. For example, the thin layer construction of
conventional bath or shower mats does not allow frequent
machine washing and thus mildew and bacteria may grow on
these mats over time.
[0007] Therefore, there is a need for a safety apparatus
overcoming the disadvantages of the conventional mat in
order to provide comfortable and safe conditions for users
during a bath or shower.
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SU1~IA,RY OF THE INVENTION
[0008) One object of the present invention is to provide a
safety apparatus for use in bathtubs and shower stalls.
[0009] In accordance with one aspect of the present
invention, there is a safety mat provided for use in
bathtubs and shower stalls to prevent slippage of a user
while standing thereon or while sitting on a seating aid
positioned thereabove, which comprises a bottom surface and
a top surface thereof. The bottom surface has a plurality
of suction cups for releasably securing the mat on a
supporting surface. The top surface has at Least one
pattern of elements raised therefrom for preventing
slippage of the user standing thereon. There are also
provided means for permitting side legs of said seating aid
to be supported on the supporting surface while preventing
same from substantial movement on the supporting surface.
[0010] In accordance with another aspect of the present
invention, there is a safety mat provided for use in
bathtubs and showers, which comprises a bottom surface and
a top surface thereof. The bottom surface has a plurality
of suction cups for releasably securing the mat on a
supporting surface. The top surface defines a comfort
zone, an acupressure zone and a soothing massage zone. The
comfort zone has a plurality of elements in a flat and low
profile raised from the top surface. The acupressure zone
has a plurality of nipple-shaped elements raised from the
top surface. The soothing massage zone has a plurality of
longitudinal ridges in a high profile raised from the top
surface.
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(0011] In accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention, a safety mat is provided for use in bathtubs and
shower stalls to prevent slippage of a user standing
thereon or sitting on a seating aid positioned thereabove,
which comprises a bottom surface, a top surface and a
periphery thereof. The periphery includes opposed sides
defining therebetween a transverse dimension of the mat and
opposed ends defining therebetween a longitudinal dimension
of the mat, the longitudinal dimension being greater than
the transverse dimension. The bottom surface has a
plurality of suction cups for releasably securing the mat
on a supporting surface. The top surface defines a comfort
zone, an acupressure zone and a soothing massage zone. The
comfort zone includes a major area of the top surface and
has a plurality of elements in a flat and low profile
raised from the top surface. The acupressure zone includes
areas adjacent to the opposed ends of the mat and has a
plurality of nipple-shaped elements raised from the top
surface. The soothing massage zone includes areas adjacent
to opposed sides of the mat and has a plurality of
longitudinal ridges in a high profile raised from the top
surface. Said periphery further defines two lateral
recesses at each of the opposed side of the mat, permitting
respective four legs of said seating aid to be supported on
the supporting surface of the bathtub or shower stall while
preventing same from substantial movement on the supporting
surface .
[0012] The safety mat in accordance with another
embodiment of the present invention preferably further
comprises a flexible thermal-indicia on the top surface
thereof.
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[0013] The present invention advantageously provides a
safety apparatus for use in bathtubs and shower stalls to
prevent slippage of a user either standing thereon or
sitting on a seating aid placed in bathtubs or shower
stalls, optionally providing additional massage functions
and hot water temperature warning. Other features and
advantages of the present invention will be better
understood with reference to the preferred embodiments
described hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(0014] Fig. 1 is a top plane view of a safety mat in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention,
showing a top surface thereof;
[0015] Fig. 2 is a bottom plane view of the safety mat of
Fig. 1 showing a bottom surface thereof;
[0016] Fig. 3A is a partial cross-sectional view of the
safety mat of Fig. 1 taken along line 3A-3A, showing the
profiles of the various zones on the top surface and
suction cups on the bottom surface thereof;
[0017) Fig. 3B is a partial cross-sectional view of the
safety mat of Fig. 3A taken along line 3B-3B, showing a
high profile, longitudinal ridge in a soothing zone of the
top surface of the mat;
(0018] Fig. 4 is a top plane view of a safety mat in
accordance with another embodiment of the present
invention, showing the top surface thereof having a
flexible temperature indicator thereon; and
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[0019] Fig. 5 is a top plane view of the safety mat of
Fig. 1 placed together with a bath bench in a bathtub.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0020] Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3A-3B and 5, a safety mat
referred to as a "bath mat" 10 hereinafter for convenience
of description, is provided for use in bathtubs 60 or
shower stalls (not shown). The bath mat 10 can be of
multiple layers but according to this embodiment is a
single layer configuration, and is made of any known
material suitable for this type of product, such as rubber,
plastics, etc. The thickness of the bath mat 10 is
variable. In accordance with this preferred embodiment of
the present invention, a sturdy construction with body
thickness at 2.5 mm is provided to allow for convenient
machine washing and longer lifespan. Such a sturdy
construction is also beneficial to secure attachment of the
bath mat 10 to the floor of the bathtub or shower stall,
preventing the bath mat 10 from floating and getting loose.
Furthermore, the bath mat 10 preferably includes an
antimicrobial formulation that helps control the growth of
mildew and bacteria on the mat.
[0021] The bath mat 10 includes a body having a top
surface 12, a bottom surface 14 and a periphery 16
therearound. The periphery 16 includes opposed sides 18,
20 defining therebetween a transverse dimension of the bath
mat 10, and opposed ends 22, 24 defining therebetween a
longitudinal dimension of the bath mat 10. The
longitudinal dimension is preferably greater than the
transverse dimension.
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[0022] The bottom surface 14 includes a plurality of
suction cups 26. Each suction cup 26 has a circular
contacting edge 28 (see Fig. 3A) which makes contact with
the supporting surface on which the bath mat 10 rests.
Upon an initial force being applied on the bath mat 10,
such as a foot step, the suction cup 26 is deformed and air
is forced out of the suction cup, which creates a low
pressure area or near vacuum inside the suction cup 26,
thereby providing a force acting to adhere the bath mat 10
to the supporting surface and assisting in retaining the
bath mat 10 in its original position.
[0023] The particular size and shape of the suction cups
26 can vary and they can be positioned in a variety of
arrangements. In this embodiment, over four hundred
suction cups 26 are substantially evenly distributed over
the entire area of the bottom surface 14 of the bath mat
10, and are provided to ensure an active, secure grip that
conforms to the bathtub 60, making it safer for users.
[0024] The top surface 12 includes at least one pattern of
elements raised therefrom for preventing slippage of the
user standing thereon, which will be further described in
detail below.
[0025) The top surface 12 preferably defines a comfort
zone 3 0 including a maj or area of the top surface 12 , for
example, as shown in Fig. l, and having a plurality of
elements in a flat and low profile raised from the top
surface 12, for example rectangular protrusions 32 having a
flat top thereof (see Fig. 3A) according to this
embodiment. The flat, rectangular protrusions 32 have a
low profile, for example, approximately 1 mm in this
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embodiment, which provide a secure grip and comfortable
feel to a user's feet when standing thereon because the
user's feet contact not only the flat top of the low
profile protrusions 32, but also a portion of the top
surface 12 between the flat, low profile protrusions 32.
Thus, the entire soles of the user's feet substantially
evenly bear the user's weight.
[0026] The comfort zone 30 preferably takes up a majority
of the longitudinal length in a mid-portion of the bath
mat 10. Thus, whenever a user enters or leaves the
bathtub 60 having the bath mat 10 resting on the floor
thereof, or moves from a sitting position thereon to stand
up, or slightly moves his/her body position in the bathtub
60 during a shower, it is convenient for the user to locate
his/her feet within the comfort zone 30 of the bath mat 10.
[0027] Optionally, the comfort zone 30 further includes a
number of product indicia elements 34 which have flat tops
and low profiles similar to the flat, low profile
protrusions 32, such that the product indicia elements 34
together with adjacent flat, low profile protrusions 32,
provide a secure grip and comfortable feeling to the user's
feet. The product indicia elements 34 can, for example,
represent a trademark, logo, text, or other message.
[0028] The top surface 12 includes an acupressure zone 36
preferably including areas adjacent to the opposed
ends 22, 24. These two areas of the acupressure zone 36
are generally spaced apart by the comfort zone 30
therebetween. The acupressure zone 36 includes a plurality
of nipple-shaped elements 38 which preferably have a
conical body with a rounded top, raised from the top
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surface 12 (see Fig. 3A). The concept of acupressure,
which is also referred to as "reflexology massage" and
utilizes the thumb, knuckles or some other external
mechanical or electrical massaging implement to apply
pressure to the selected meridian points. In the
methodology of acupressure, as in acupuncture, it is
thought that various organs, nerves and glands in the body
are connected with certain "reflex areas" located on the
bottom of the feet, the hands and other meridian related
areas of the body. By massaging these reflex areas and
through the resulting stimulating response, therapeutic
help for various body ailments and pain reduction is
considered to be achieved.
[0029] Therefore, the nipple-shaped elements 38 are
preferably sized and distributed in a manner so as to
provide effective stimulation to the user's feet which
helps to work away knots and relieve tension. The nipple-
shaped elements 38 preferably have a height greater than
the flat, low profiled protrusions 32, but are determined
by the properties of the material of the bath mat 10 in
order to maintain a relative hardness thereof for the
effective stimulation to the user's feet standing thereon.
[0030] Location of the acupressure zone 36 at the opposed
longitudinal ends of the bath mat 10 allow the user to
control access to the acupressure zone 36 by stepping back
and forth from the comfort zone 30 of the bath mat 10 to
the nipple-shaped elements 38, for foot acupressure massage
when desired. In this embodiment, a narrow strip (not
indicated) of the acupressure zone extends inwardly from
each of the end areas thereof to meet a central region of
the top surface 12 having the product indicia elements 34
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of the comfort zone 30. Thus the narrow strips of the
acupressure zone 38 substantially divide the comfort zone
30 into two major longitudinal areas except for the central
region having the product indicia elements 34. Such a
design of the comfort zone 30 and acupressure zone 36
provides more flexibility and convenience for a user to
select acupressure massaging in the bathtub 60 and does not
compromise the convenience fox the user to use the comfort
zone 30.
[0031] The top surface 12 of the bath mat 10 preferably
further includes a soothing massage zone 40 including areas
adjacent to opposed sides 18, 20 of the bath mat 10, and
having a plurality of longitudinal ridges 42 in a high
profile raised from the top surface 12 (see Fig. 3B). The
longitudinal ridges 42 are positioned parallel one with
another and spaced in a manner such that a certain number
of the longitudinal ridges 42 contacts the sole of a user's
foot in order to provide a massaging effect thereto when
the foot is placed in an area of the soothing massage zone
40.
[0032] Each longitudinal ridge 42 preferably has a width
equal to or somewhat narrower than the diametrical
dimension of the bottom of the nipple-shaped element 38 and
a height greater than the nipple-shaped element 38, for
example, about 4-4.5 mm. Such dimensions and profile make
the longitudinal ridges 42 possess a property thereof
softer than the nipple-shaped elements 38 in order to
provide less stimulation than the nipple-shaped elements
38, but are still hard enough to provide a relatively
comfortable soothing massage to the user's feet.
Optionally, each longitudinal ridge 42 preferably has a
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rounded top (see Fig. 3A) and a smooth transition 44 in
height at ends thereof (see Fig. 3B) in order to further
ensure the comfortable feel to the user's feet. It is also
optional to have the longitudinal ridges 42 slightly
different in height. For example, the ridges in the middle
are higher than those at the sides in each area.
[0033] Because of the curved shape of the periphery 16 of
the bath mat 10 which will be further described below, the
soothing massage zone 40 is divided, for example, into four
end areas, each being located at one corner of the top
surface 12 of the bath mat 10. Optionally, two side areas
of the soothing massage zone 40 can be additionally located
at the middle of the longitudinal length of the bath mat 10
outside of the comfort zone 30, when the sides 18, 20 of
the bath mat 10 are conf figured as in Fig . 1 . With such a
design of area distribution of the soothing massage zone
40, the user standing on the comfort zone 30 can
conveniently access a pair of areas of the soothing massage
zone 40 at a forward end, middle position or backward end
of the bath mat 10, for a selective relaxing, therapeutic
effect which will help to improve circulation during a
shower in a bathtub 60.
(0034] In accordance with this embodiment, the bath mat 10
preferably further defines two lateral recesses 46, 48 at
one side 18 and two lateral recesses 50, 52 at the other
side 20, preferably symmetrical about a longitudinal axis
(not shown) of the bath mat l0, which together define a
means for permitting side legs of a seating aid 62 (see
Fig. 5) to be supported on the floor of the bathtub 60
while preventing same from substantial movement on the
floor of the bathtub 60.
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[0035] The periphery 16 of the bath mat 10 optionally
includes a ridge 54 raised from the top surface 12 thereof
(see Figs. 3A and 3B) , at least along each of the opposed
sides 18, 20, but preferably being continuous around the
edges of the bath mat 10. The peripheral ridge 54 helps
maintain a flat condition when the bath mat 10 rests on the
floor of the bathtub 60, and further helps restrain
movement of the seating aid 62 supported on the floor of
the bathtub 60.
[0036] The shape of the lateral recesses of the bath mat
can vary, such as being narrower than the lateral
recesses 46-52 as shown in the drawings. Nevertheless, the
wide open lateral recesses 46-52 with smooth curved
peripheries thereof provide a more pleasing visual
presentation. The wide open lateral recesses 46-52 with
smooth curved peripheries may not be enabled to completely
restrict a slight motion of the legs of the seating aid 62
about a standing position, but do prevent substantial
movement of same away from the standing position, thereby
preventing the user of the seating aid 62 from falling.
(0037] Alternatively, the lateral recesses 46, 48, and 50,
52 respectively, can be replaced by a single recess (not
shown)at each side 18, 20 of the bath mat 10. The single
lateral recess, for example has a flat bottom and defines a
lateral opening for suitably accommodating two of the legs
of the seating aid 62 at each side of the bath mat 10. In
a further alternative configuration, the bath mat can have
a pair of straight sides without lateral recesses but has
four openings (not shown) located adjacent to the opposed
straight sides to allow the individual legs of the seating
aid to extend therethrough to be supported on the floor of
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the bathtub 60. All the alternative configurations which
are preferably symmetrical about the longitudinal axis of
the bath mat, define means for permitting side legs of the
seating aid to be supported on the floor of the bathtub 60
while preventing same from substantial movement on the
floor of the bathtub 60.
[0038] Referring to Fig. 5, the bath mat 10 has at least
one of the ends 22, 24 but preferably both ends 22, 24
according to this embodiment, centrally and longitudinally
recessed in order to better cover the floor of the bathtub
60 without blocking the drain 66.
[0039 Referring to Fig. 4, there is a safety mat for use
in a bathtub or a shower stall referred to as bath mat 10'
for the purpose of convenience of description. The bath
mat 10' is similar to the bath mat 10 of Figs. l, 2, 3A, 3B
and 5, and similar components and features are indicated by
similar numerals, and will not therefore be redundantly
described herein. Bath mat 10' in contrast to bath mat 10
of Fig. 1, has an additional feature with the purpose of
warning of approximate water temperature in a "too hot
range" in order to allow the user to avoid the risk of
scalding. This additional feature is achieved by means of
a flexible temperature indicator 56 which is placed within
a slot 58 in the bath mat 10' on the top surface 12
thereof. The flexible temperature indicator 56 is printed
in liquid crystal technology preferably for a thermo-
indicia of cool, warm and hot ranges. A thermochromic ink
is preferably selected to indicate a dangerous temperature
range which reaches above 50°C (122°F). The flexible
temperature indicator 56 can be located not only in one end
area of the acupressure zone 36 as shown in Fig. 4, but
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also in any location of the top surface 12 of the bath mat
10'.
[0040] Modifications and improvements to the
above-described embodiments of the present invention may
become apparent to those skilled in the art. The foregoing
description is intended to be exemplary rather than
limiting. For example, the particular locations of the
comfort zone, acupressure zone, and soothing massage zone
as well as the product indicia elements can vary in various
layout configurations. The scope of the present invention
is therefore intended to be limited solely by the scope of
the appended claims.
