Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Description
UPPER BODY SUPPORT APPARATUS FOR TOILETS
Technical Field
[1] The present invention relates to an upper body support apparatus for
supporting the
upper body of a user who sit on a toilet.
Background Art
[2] Generally, when most users sit on toilets and have bowel movements, they
bend their
upper bodies forwards and place the arms on the legs.
[3] However, such a posture makes the users develop bad habits, in other
words, assume
bad posture unconsciously in daily life. Furthermore, such a posture has a bad
influence on bowel evacuation.
[4] Furthermore, in the case where the users strain to evacuate their bowels
in the above
posture, there is a problem in that blood pressure is increased, thus
negatively affecting
the body.
[5] Recently, the number of constipated persons has markedly increased
attributable to
excessive stress and attempts to lose weight. In the case of such constipated
persons,
due to anxiety when having bowel movements, it becomes still more difficult to
have
smooth bowel movements.
[6] In particular, if there were a separate apparatus which enabled people to
conduct
other routine work for the several minutes for which the persons have bowel
movements, it would be a great help to people with busy lives.
[7] To achieve this purpose and overcome the above-mentioned problems, an
upper body
support board for toilets was proposed in Korean Utility Model Registration
No.
390267 (application date: Apr. 14, 2005, registration date: July 11, 2007),
which was
filed by the applicant of the present invention. The conventional upper body
support
board includes a support board to support the arms of a user thereon, a
support rod,
which is coupled to the support board to support the support board, and a
mounting
rod, into which the support rod is inserted so as to be rotatable relative to
the mounting
rod within a predetermined angular range, and which is installed in a lavatory
to
position the support board and the support rod at a predetermined position in
the
lavatory.
[8] In the case of the upper body support board disclosed by the applicant of
the present
invention, samples have already been developed, and the commercialization
thereof
has been conducted. Furthermore, there was a very positive response.
Particularly, the
upper body support board evoked a good response from the old and the weak.
However, in the case of the conventional upper body support board, the support
board
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WO 2008/147144 PCT/KR2008/003063
is relatively heavy, so that it is difficult for the old or the weak to lift
or push the
support board. Furthermore, there is a disadvantage in that, in the winter,
when a user
places his/her arms on the upper body support board, the user may feel a chill
due to
the cooled support board. Therefore, a solution to these problems is required.
Disclosure of Invention
Technical Problem
[9] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above
problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is
to provide
an upper body support apparatus for toilets which enables a user to place
his/her arms
thereon when having a bowel movement, and is constructed such that free
movement
of the user in a lavatory having limited space is ensured, opening or closing
of a door
of the lavatory is not impeded, and the operation of washing the floor of the
lavatory is
not impeded, and which has a function of providing heat to maintain the body
tem-
perature of the user in the winter and a vibration function to stimulate the
abdomen of
the user to promote bowel evacuation.
Technical Solution
[10] In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides
an upper
body support apparatus for toilets provided at a predetermined position
adjacent to a
toilet to support the upper body of a user sitting on the toilet, the upper
body support
apparatus including: a support board to support the arms of the user thereon,
the
support board being rotated upwards or downwards around the first end thereof
between a wall and the front of the upper body of the user.
Advantageous Effects
[11] In an upper body support apparatus for toilets according to the present
invention, a
user can place his/her arms on a support board while having the bowel
movement, thus
maintaining correct posture such that the upper body of the user is prevented
from
leaning too far forwards, thereby preventing an increase in blood pressure
attributable
to the bowel movement.
[12] Furthermore, under normal conditions, the support board is inserted into
and stored
in a wall in the upright state. Hence, in a lavatory having limited space,
free movement
of the user is ensured, and the upper body support apparatus is prevented from
impeding the opening or closing of a door of the lavatory. In addition, when
washing
the floor of the lavatory, the upper body support apparatus is prevented from
impeding
the washing operation. Water is prevented from being applied to the interior
of the
upper body support apparatus, so that metal elements thereof are prevented
from
rusting, and the upper body support apparatus is prevented from being covered
with
scale. Moreover, electronic components of the upper body support apparatus are
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prevented from absorbing moisture or from directly contacting water.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[13] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an upper body support apparatus
built in a
wall in a lavatory according to the present invention;
[14] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a downward extracted state of
the upper body
support apparatus built in the wall in the lavatory according to the present
invention;
[15] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the construction of the upper body
support
apparatus in the downward extracted state, according to an embodiment of the
present
invention;
[16] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the construction of the
upper body
support apparatus in the downward extracted state according to the embodiment
of the
present invention;
[17] FIG. 5 is a plan sectional view showing the construction of the upper
body support
apparatus in the downward extracted state according to the embodiment of the
present
invention;
[18] FIG. 6 is a partial side sectional view showing the construction of a
hinge unit
according to the embodiment of the present invention;
[19] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a control unit integrated with a
main body of
the upper body support apparatus according to the present invention;
[20] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the upper body support apparatus
mounted to
the wall surface according to the present invention;
[21] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the upper body support
apparatus mounted
to the wall surface according to the present invention;
[22] FIG. 10 is a partial plan sectional view of the upper body support
apparatus mounted
to the wall surface according to the present invention; and
[23] FIG. 11 is a partial side sectional view showing a vibration unit mounted
to the upper
body support apparatus according to the present invention.
Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[24] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with
reference to the
attached drawings.
[25] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an upper body support apparatus
built in a
wall in a lavatory according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective
view il-
lustrating a downward extracted state of the upper body support apparatus
built in the
wall in the lavatory according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a
perspective view
showing the construction of the upper body support apparatus in the downward
extracted state, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4
is an
exploded perspective view showing the construction of the upper body support
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apparatus in the downward extracted state according to the embodiment of the
present
invention. FIG. 5 is a plan sectional view showing the construction of the
upper body
support apparatus in the downward retracted state. FIG. 6 is a partial side
sectional
view showing the construction of a hinge unit according to the embodiment of
the
present invention. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a control unit
integrated with a
main body of the upper body support apparatus. FIG. 8 is a perspective view
showing
the upper body support apparatus mounted to the wall surface. FIG. 9 is an
exploded
perspective view of the upper body support apparatus mounted to the wall
surface.
FIG. 10 is a partial plan sectional view of the upper body support apparatus
mounted to
the wall surface. FIG. 11 is a partial side sectional view showing a vibration
unit
mounted to the upper body support apparatus.
[26] As shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, the upper body support apparatus 10
according to
the present invention is provided at a predetermined position adjacent to a
toilet 1 to
support the upper body of the user. The upper body support apparatus 10
includes a
support board 11, which supports the arms of the user thereon, and is
constructed such
that the support board 11 is rotatable around a first end thereof between a
wall 2 and
the front of the upper body of the user.
[27] In the present invention, a receptacle 11a, a cover of which is closed so
as to be
openable using a hinge, is provided in a medial portion of the upper surface
of the
support board 11. Transparent windows are disposed in the support board 11 on
opposite sides of the receptacle 11a. Far infrared lamps 11b, which are
operated using
power transmitted from the outside and are controlled by a control unit 19 for
providing an operating signal, are provided in the respective transparent
windows. Fur-
thermore, a cushion member l ld is adhered to the upper surface of the support
board
11. A support block 13 is provided under the lower surface of the support
board 11
when seen in the state in which it is rotated downwards and extracted from the
wall 2.
The support block 13 is brought into contact with the wall 2 when the support
board 11
is extracted, thus serving to support a load applied to the support board 11.
A hinge
unit 15, which is coupled to the opposite sidewalls of a lower end of a main
apparatus
body 30 recessed in the wall 2, is provided on the opposite sides of the first
end of the
support board 11.
[28] Here, the far infrared lamps 11b serve to emit light and heat outside the
apparatus
through the transparent windows, thus taking off the chill in the winter.
[29] Furthermore, an ultraviolet lamp may substitute for the far infrared lamp
11b. In this
case, the transparent windows are preferably made of semitransparent material
to
partially intercept ultraviolet rays such that the skin of the user is
prevented from being
injured by excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays.
[30] In addition, a substance, which is made of rubber, silicone or sponge and
is covered
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with a leather cover, may be used as the cushion member l ld.
[31] The support block 13 is a support such as a bracket. The support block 13
may be in-
tegrally formed on the support board 11 into a single body, or, alternatively,
it may be
separately provided and fastened to the support board 11 by bonding or
bolting. When
the support board 11 is rotated downwards and disposed ahead of the upper body
of the
user, one end of the support block 13 is brought into contact with the wall 2,
thus
supporting the load applied to the support board 11 on the wall 2, thereby
realizing the
stable support function of the upper body support apparatus.
[32] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the hinge unit 15 includes hinge shafts 15a,
which are
provided on the respective opposite sides of the first end of the support
board 11, and
an elastic member 15b, which is fitted over one of the hinge shafts 15a to
elastically
support the hinge shaft 15a using a spring.
[33] Here, the remaining one of the hinge shafts 15a is coupled to the output
shaft of a
motor 15c, such that the support board 11 can be automatically opened or
closed in
response to the manipulation of the control unit 19.
[34] The control unit 19, which has a block shape, may be disposed on the wall
at a
position spaced apart from the support board 11. Alternatively, the control
unit 19 may
be integrally provided with the main apparatus body 30, as shown in FIG. 7.
The
control unit 19 includes a control pad 19a and a control circuit 19b, which
conducts the
operation, corresponding to a command selected by manipulating key buttons of
the
control pad 19a, using power transmitted from the outside.
[35] The control unit 19 is connected to the far infrared lamps 11b, which are
installed in
the support board 11, the motor 15c, a vibration unit 20 and a light 34, which
will be
explained later herein, through power wires and control signal supply wires,
thus
supplying driving power and control signals to the components.
[36] Here, the power wires and the control signal supply wires of the control
unit 19 may
be connected to the motor 15c and the light 34 of the main apparatus body 30
through
a separate molding pipe, or, alternatively, they may be connected to the
components in
a wall-embedded state.
[37] Furthermore, the control unit 19 may transmit control signals to the
components
through Bluetooth communication or RF (radio frequency) communication, in
place of
using the control signal supply wires.
[38] Meanwhile, the main apparatus body 30 has therein a receiving space 31
for
receiving the support board 11, and insert holes 32, to which the hinge unit
15 of the
support board 11 coupled, and which are formed at lower positions in the
respective
opposite sidewalls of the receiving space 31. The main apparatus body 30
further has a
stopper 33, which is provided at an upper position in the receiving space 31
and
prevents the support board 11, which is received in the receiving space 31,
from being
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undesirably rotated downwards and extracted from the receiving space 31 due to
its
own weight. The main apparatus body 30 further has the light 34, which is
provided at
an upper position on a front surface in the receiving space 31 to radiate
light onto the
support board 11, which is extracted downwards, and onto the area around the
support
board 11.
[39] Here, the main apparatus body 30 may be embedded in the wall 2, or,
alternatively, it
may be fastened to the wall 2 using screws, as shown in FIGS. 8 through 10.
[40] The stopper 33 may be an elastic hook corresponding to a locking
protrusion, which
is provided on a second end of the support board 11.
[41] The light 34 may be an angle adjustable type light, which is configured
such that the
light is fitted into a circular block embedded in the main apparatus body 30.
[42] In the case of a newly constructed building, an installation method in
which the main
apparatus body 30 is embedded in the wall 2 can be used. The installation
method in
which the main apparatus body 30 is fastened to the wall 2 using screws can be
applied
to an existing building. The installation methods can be selectively used in
con-
sideration of efficiency in connection of the power wires and the control
signal supply
wires.
[43] Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 11, the present invention may further include
the
vibration unit 20, which is provided under the lower surface of the support
board 11,
when seen in the downward extracted state, at a position adjacent to the user.
[44] The vibration unit 20 may be a vibrating body, which is eccentrically
rotated by the
rotation of a motor.
[45] The vibration unit 20 serves to massage the abdomen of the user. That is,
the user
brings his/her abdomen into contact with the vibration unit 20 and pushes a
control
button of the control pad 19a corresponding to the vibration unit 20. Then,
the
vibration unit 20 massages the abdomen of the user. In particular, in the case
of a con-
stipated user, the vibration unit 20 stimulates the large intestine of the
user, thus
enabling easy evacuation of the bowels.
[46] Here, the vibration unit 20 may be coupled to the support board 11 in a
fitting
manner or a screw coupling manner. As well, the vibration unit 20 may be
constructed
such that the inclination angle thereof relative to the forward direction can
be adjusted.
[47] In the present invention having the above-mentioned construction, the
support board
11 can be extracted downwards by a manual method or an automatic method.
Herein,
the automatic extraction of the support board 11 will be explained.
[48] First, when the user, who sits on the toilet, manipulates an extraction
button of the
control pad 19a of the control unit 19, the motor 15c is operated, so that the
support
board 11 is rotated downwards ahead of the upper body of the user by the
rotating
force transmitted from the motor 15c through the corresponding hinge shaft
15a.
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[49] Thereafter, the user can place his/her arms on the support board 11 and
have a bowel
movement. In addition, while having the bowel movement, the user may be able
to
carry out other routine work such as reading or applying makeup.
[50] In this state, if the user manipulates a button of the control pad 19a
that pertains to
the far infrared lamps 11b, the control circuit 19b operates the far infrared
lamps 11b,
thus enabling maintenance of the body temperature of the user in the winter or
heat
therapy. In the case where the ultraviolet lamps are used in place of the far
infrared
lamps, a sterilizing function can be conducted.
[51] Furthermore, when it is desired to read a book, the light 34 may be used
for illu-
mination.
[52] In addition, when the user brings his/her abdomen into contact with the
vibration unit
20 and pushes the corresponding control button of the control pad 19a, the
abdomen
massage can be implemented by the vibration of the vibration unit 20.
Particularly, in
the case of a constipated user, the vibration unit 20 stimulates the large
intestine of the
user, thus guiding smooth bowel evacuation.
[53] After stool is evacuated, when a retraction button of the control pad 19a
of the
control unit 19 is manipulated, the motor 15c is reversely rotated, so that
the support
board 11 is rotated upwards and retracted into the main apparatus body 30 by
the
rotating force transmitted from the motor 15c through the corresponding hinge
shaft
15a.
[54] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been
disclosed for
illustrative purposes, the present invention is not limited to the
construction and
operation of the illustrated embodiment. Those skilled in the art will
appreciate that
various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without
departing from
the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.
[55] Therefore, such modifications, additions and substitutions must also be
regarded as
falling within the bounds of the present invention.
Industrial Applicability
[56] As described above, an upper body support apparatus of the present
invention
enables a user to place his/her arms on a support board while having a bowel
movement, thus maintaining correct posture such that the upper body of the
user is
prevented from leaning too far forwards, thereby preventing an increase in
blood
pressure attributable to the bowel movement.
[57] Furthermore, under normal conditions, the support board is inserted into
and stored
in a wall in the upright state. Hence, in a lavatory having limited space,
free movement
of the user is ensured, and the upper body support apparatus is prevented from
impeding the opening or closing of a door of the lavatory. In addition, when
washing
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the floor of the lavatory, the upper body support apparatus is prevented from
impeding
the washing operation. Water is prevented from being applied to the interior
of the
upper body support apparatus, so that metal elements thereof are prevented
from
rusting, and the upper body support apparatus is prevented from being covered
with
fur. Moreover, electronic components of the upper body support apparatus are
prevented from absorbing moisture or from directly contacting water.
[58] As well, in the present invention, the support board can be automatically
rotated
downwards or upwards and is thus opened or closed by manipulating control
buttons.
Therefore, even the old and the weak can easily use the upper body support
apparatus.
[59] Furthermore, a heat generating means or a sterilization means is provided
in the
support board, thus enabling maintenance of the body temperature of the user
in the
winter, and improving personal sanitation in a lavatory in which it is hard to
con-
tinuously maintain a sanitary state.
[60] In addition, in the case where the upper body support apparatus of the
present
invention is used for the old and the weak, in particular, the old, having
poor
metabolism, the upper body support apparatus of the present invention can
promote the
bowel movement, thus guiding smooth bowel evacuation.
[61] Moreover, the present invention enables the user to place his/her arms
thereon and, as
well, enables a book or cosmetics to be placed thereon, thus making it
possible to
conduct other routine work as well as the bowel evacuation.
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