US2947995A - Sitz bath - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 9, 1960 S. SAULSON SITZ BATH Filed April 10. 1959 ATTORNEY able sitz bath for use in therapy and other care of the types set forth, c'onstructed to meet the above-mentioned requirements and otherwise to avoid the shortcornings and disadvantages of the stationary, mobile and portable sitz baths heretofore proposed. v

The invention also aims to provide a sitz bath of this character, which will lend itself t use in hopsitals as well as in homes, and which may be inexpensively fabricated frorn various materials suitable for the purpose.

According to the invention, there is provided a sitz bath consisting essentially of a basin configured and dimensioned so as to enable it to be supported at its upper marginal edge, upon laterally opposed portions of the rim of the standard or conventional toilet bowl, in a position such that the body of the basin extending down into the toilet bowl is spaced several inches from the rim of the toilet bowl at the fro i1t and rear thereof. The side Wall of the basin is provided adjacent its upper margin with one or more openings to perrnit liquid from the basin to overflow into the toilet bowl, and also with an enlarged opening dimensioned and arranged for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

Wl1en the bowl thus constn1cted is positioned on the toilet bowl, With the afore-mentioned elongated opening facing the freut of the toilet bowl, a atient occupying a sitting position over the basin will be enabled to have at band means for selectively flowing water into the basin or for diverting it directly into the toilet bowl during the soaking period in which the perineal regions are immersed in the basin. T0 that endwith the basin of proper dimensions, the outlet of a flexible hose connected with a relatively remote water faucet of a lavatory or other bathroorn fixture may be extended down through the space between the upper edge of the basin and the inner' periphery of the toilet bowl and inserted through the aforer'rientioned elongated opening so that water from the faucet Will flow directly into the basin, or the outer.

end of the hose may be withdrawn from the opening and pointed downwardly in said space so that the flow of water from the faucet may be diverted directly into the toilet bowl.

Thus, the temperature of the Water in the basin may be adjusted from tirne to time, according to the patients needs, during the period in which the patient is in the sitting position occupied during the immersion and soaking of the perineal regiolls of the body in the water contained in the basin. Also, by providing for the entry of the water into the basin at a point adjacent its bottom, the patient is enabled, by continuing the flow of water into the basin while seated thereon, to gain the soothing and other beneficial efiects of having the perineal areas immersed in Water that is in a state of motion, as compared to a quiescent body of water.

As indicated, the flexible hose may be connected to a Water faucet of a lavatory at a more or less rernote distance from the toilet bowl. In order to comply with the sanitary codes in effect in many communities with respect to the connection of plumbing fixtures to the water supply system, a suitable antisiphoning device may be interposed between the faucet and the inlet end of the flexible hose, to insure against back -siphonage of water from the sitz bath to the water supply system.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood fron1 the detailed illustrating means for connecting the same With a faucet of a lavatory o1 other bathroom fixture;

Fig. 2 is a view in cross-section, partly broken away, taken alonglines 22 of Figure 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the-basin per se; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating a modified form of the basin.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings, numeral 10 designates a conventional toilet bowl having an upper portion 11 with an inwardly extendingrim 12 having itsuppermost surface 13 disposed in a substantially horizontal plane, though usually rounded off at the edges there0f as shown. The conventional seat for the toilet bowl, usually hinged adjacent the rear end of the toilet bowl, is not illustrated in the drawing. The sitz bath of the invention is prferably designed to be supported in its operative position 011 the uppermost surface of the bowl, with the seat in fully raised'position away from the bowl. However, the sitz bath may be coufigured and dimensioned so as to be selectively supported either on the seat or on the rim of the bowl.

The sitz bath proper, indicated generally'bynumeral 20, comprises a basin having a flange orrim 22 at, its upper margii1. The basin niay be made of stanless steel, alurninum{or other suitable metal, o1 of inolded synthetic plastic resin of suitable type, porcelain or enamel ware, or, in certain instances, of molded fibrous material.

The basin may be either of perfectly round or of oval shape in its horizontal c0nfiguration so as to be usable with the conventional oval-shaped toilet bowls. If the basin is formed in a wund shapeit should have an 'outside diameter atits flange, substantially in excess of the minor axis of conventional toilet bowls, but suflicientlyless than the major axis of such conventional toilet bowls so that while enabling the basin to be supiis indicated bynumeral 25. T0 the same end, if the basin is oval shape, the minor axis of the oval, measured 'al: themarginal flange 22, will be sornewhat greater than the minor axis of the conventional oval-shaped toilet bowls, Whereas the major axis of the oval-shaped basin will be substantially less than the major axis of the couventional toilet bowls.

An opening oropenings 30 are formed in the wall of the basin adjacent the upper margin thereof, desirably at diametrically opposite locations. These openings may be of any desired shape and size, to provide for overflow of water from the basin into the toilet bowl at a rate consonant with the rate at which water may be flowe 'into the basin by the patient. V

In the specific form illustrated in the drawing, four of such openings are illustrated at each of diametrically opposite locations.

Also formed in the Wall of the basin, adjacent its upper margin, is anelongated opening 33, dimensioned to perrnit ready insertion, withdrawal, and free sliding or rocking movement of the outlet end portion of a flexible hose 38 whose opposite end is attached to afaucet 40 of. a lavatofy or other bathroom fixture.

As best illustrated in Fig. 2, the outlet end portion of thehose 36, o1 of a fitting connected thereto, may be extended down through thespace 25 and inserted through theelongated opening 33 so that the disCharge opening 42 of the hose o1 fitting may be disposed as close to thebottom 44 of the basis as desired, Thus, With theb'asin positioned as shoWn, ie. with theopening 33 facing the 7 freut of the bowl, a patient seated on thebasin with legs spread slightly apart, Will have the hose disposed between the thighs and closeat band for readily moving the outlet end portion of the hose,* either to insert or withdraW it from the opening 33, orte slide 'or rock it therein.

Assurning that water of the desired temperatureis flowing from thefaucet 40 into the flexible hose positioned as shown in ful1 1ines in Fig. 2, water will flow int the basin. When the water 1eve1 in the basin reaches theopening o1 openings 30, it wi1l overflow from these openings into the toilet bowl. flow of water into the basin to continue during the time the patient is soaking the perineal regions, the discharge and of the hose may be held within the basin in the position shown in Fig. 2, or it may be slid from side to side o1 swung upward of downward, as permitted by theopening 33. On the other band, should the patent, while sitting With the perineal regions submerged in the bath, desire to discoutinue the flow of water into the basin, it may be diverted o1 by-passed directly :into the toilet bowl merely by withdrawing the outlet end ortion of the hose through theopening 33 and positioning it so that it extends dovvnwardly inspace 25 with itsdischarge opening 42 pointed into the bowl as illustrated, for example, in dotted 1ines in Fig. 2.

As will be observed, when the outlet and of the hose is disposed on the interior of the basin, with its discharge opening 42 adjacent the bottom thereof, rapid mixing of incoming water with the water already in the basin is facilitated, direct impingement of a stream of the incoming Wa ter npon the buttocks of the patient 1's avoided, and the body of water in the basin may be kept in a state of motion. At the Same time, splashing of any water over the top of the basin and 011 to the clothing of the patient is avoided.

A1: the conclusion of the desired per-iod of soaking of the perineal regions in the sitz bath, the atient may an'se "from the sitting osition occupied during the soaking period, turn off the flow of water atfaucet 40, remove the hose from the basin, and pour the contents of the basin into the toilet bowl.

Reference has been hereinabove made to the samtary codes in many communities with regard to connecting plumbing fixtures to the water supply system. It is another advantage of the present invention that in compl.iance with such codes, anti-siphoning devices may readi- 1y be interposed between the faucet and the in1et end of the flecible hose 38. One such device is illustrated in the companion joint application of the present applicant and Stanley H. Saulson, filed concurrently with the instant apph'cation. Manifestly, other suitable forms of anti-siphoning devices may be similarly employed in connection with the sitz bath cf the present invention.

Fig. 4 illnstrates an embodiment of the invention wherein thebasin 20 is provided in thebottom Wall 44 thereof with a drain opening 51 which may be closed by asuitable plug 52, to which a chain or the like 53 may be Should the atient desire the connected. The upper or free end of the chain may b 1ed eitner tnmugh one of the.openings 30 er through separate guide s1ot or the 1ike formed on the beisin sb' as extend over the rim of the toilet bowl for grasping by the patient while in seated position over the basin,- to permit direct draining of the contents of the basin into the toilet bowl.

What is claimed is: v

l. A sitz bath for the purposes set forth, comprising a basin formed at its upper perirneter with an outwa1dlY extending flange, said basin being dimensioned at its upper margin to permit the flange to support the basin in depending position interiorly of a conventional ovalshaped toilet bowl while leaving the basin spaced from the inner periphery of the rim cf such toilet bowl at the forward end of the latter, said basin having in the wall thereof, adjacent said upper margin, an overflow opening and an elongated opening, said last-named opening being' disposed at said forward end when the basin is positioned as aforesaid on a toilet bowl, and being larger than the overflow opening whereby one and cf a flexible hose in said space between the basin and the inner periphery of the rim of the toilet bowl may be inserted into and withdrawn from the interior of the basin through said elongated opening.

2. A sitz bath as defined in claim l, wherein said basin is of circular shape.

3. A sitz bath as defined in claim 1, wherein said basin is oval-shaped and the elongated opening is substantially in alignrnent With the major axis of the oval.

4. A sitz bath as defined in claim l, wherein said basin has a drain opening in the bottom Wall thereof, said drain opening having a rernovable closure plug, said plug havfing one end of a flexible member connected thereto for removing the same from said drain opem'ng, and means formed below the upper margin of the basin to receive the opposite end of said flexible member.

References Cited in the fi1e of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France Feb. 15, 1950

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