IP Library Granted Patent US 6,974,191
Granted Patent B2
US 6,974,191 · App. 10/772,614 · Granted Dec 13, 2005

Shower chair with interlocking arms

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,974,191
App. No.
10/772,614
Granted
Dec 13, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

A bath chair having elongated slots on opposite sides, legs secured to the seat, and a backrest mounted on two opposed L-shaped backrest support tubes, is provided with a pair of handrails secured to the seat by the horizontal segments of the backrest support tubes. Pairs of connecting tubes are mounted on opposite sides of the bottom face of the seat, each connecting tube having a cylindrical opening sized and disposed to receive respective horizontal segments of the backrest support tubes. The handrails are inserted through respective seat slots, each carrying a cylindrical member at its end disposed between and aligned with opposed connecting tubes. The horizontal segments of the backrest support tubes are inserted through the connecting tubes and the handrail cylindrical members therebetween so as to secure the handrail to the seat. Each handrail is formed with a sigmoidal segment between a vertically directed upper segment and a horizontally directed lower segment, to facilitate insertion through the respective elongated slot. In particular embodiments, the handrails are each formed of opposed tubular members and have grips that are either fixed or telescopically mounted with spring-loaded snap buttons and corresponding position holes to adjust their height.

Claims (32)

1. A bath chair, comprising:

a seat having top and bottom faces, a front and a rear and two sides, each side formed with an elongated slot;

legs secured to the seat;

a backrest;

two opposed L-shaped backrest support tubes, each having a vertically directed segment and a horizontal segment, the backrest being mounted across the two vertically directed segments;

pairs of connecting tubes mounted on opposite sides of the bottom face of the seat, each connecting tube having a cylindrical opening sized and disposed so that cylindrical openings of each pair are aligned with and spaced from each other whereby each pair can receive respective horizontal segments of the backrest support tubes; and

a pair of handrails, each formed with a hand grip, an insertion member having an upper end connected to the hand grip and a lower end connected to a cylindrical member of a length equal to or shorter than the distance between opposed connecting tubes of each pair of connecting tubes, the cylindrical member having an opening sized to receive a horizontal segment of one of the backrest support tubes, the insertion member of the handrail being inserted through one of the elongated slots so that the cylindrical member is disposed between and aligned with opposed connecting tubes, the horizontal segment of one of the backrest support tubes being inserted through the opposed connecting tubes and the cylindrical member therebetween whereby to secure the handrail to the seat.

2. The bath chair of claim 1 in which the connecting tubes are mounted spaced from the elongated seat slots.

3. The bath chair of claim 2 in which the insertion member of each handrail has a vertically directed upper segment connected at its upper end to the hand grip, and a horizontally directed lower segment secured to the cylindrical member to align the cylindrical member with respective connecting tubes when fully inserted through the elongated slots.

4. The bath chair of claim 3 in which each handrail is formed with a sigmoidal segment between each vertically directed upper segment and horizontally directed lower segment to facilitate insertion through the respective elongated slot.

5. The bath chair of claim 1 in which each handrail insertion member is formed of a pair of opposed tubular members.

6. The bath chair of claim 5 in which the connecting tubes are mounted spaced from the elongated seat slots, the tubular members of each handrail having vertically directed upper tubular segments connected at their upper ends to the hand grip, and horizontally directed lower tubular segments secured to the cylindrical member to align the cylindrical member with respective connecting tubes when fully inserted through the elongated slots.

7. The bath chair of claim 6 in which each handrail is formed with a sigmoidal segment between each vertically directed upper segment and horizontally directed lower segment to facilitate insertion through the respective elongated slot.

8. The bath chair of claim 5 in which the hand grip of each handrail is fixed to the handrail's opposed tubular members.

9. The bath chair of claim 6 in which the hand grip is formed with vertically directed tubes in telescopic relation with the handrail's tubular members, the handrail having a plurality of position holes on the outer tube and a spring-loaded snap button on the inner tube for snap insertion into a position hole to secure the handrail at a desired height.

10. The bath chair of claim 1 in which the horizontal segment of each backrest support tube has at least one spring loaded snap button, at least one of the respective connecting tubes and handrail cylindrical member having a position hole for the snap button to secure the backrest at a desired distance from the rear of the seat.

11. The bath chair of claim 10 in which the position hole is on one of the respective connecting tubes.

12. The bath chair of claim 10 in which the horizontal segment of each backrest support tube has a plurality of spring loaded snap buttons along its length to secure the backrest at one of a plurality of distances from the rear of the seat.

13. The bath chair of claim 1 in which the legs are formed from two inverted U-shaped foot tubes, each having a horizontal segment between opposed vertically directed legs, the horizontal segments of the foot tubes being mounted crosswise to the bottom seat face whereby vertically directed legs of one foot tube are disposed opposite respective vertically directed legs of the other foot tube on each side of the seat.

14. The bath chair of claim 13 in which the pairs of connecting tubes comprise two connecting tubes mounted on opposite undersides of the horizontal segment of each foot tube, each connecting tube having a cylindrical opening sized and disposed so that cylindrical openings of the connecting tubes mounted on the horizontal segment of one foot tube are aligned with and spaced from the cylindrical openings of the connecting tubes mounted on the horizontal segment of the other foot tube whereby opposed pairs thereof can receive respective horizontal segments of the backrest support tubes.

15. A bath chair, comprising:

a seat having top and bottom faces, a front, rear, and two sides, each side formed with an elongated slot;

two inverted U-shaped foot tubes, each having a horizontal segment between opposed vertically directed legs, the horizontal segments of the foot tubes being mounted crosswise to the bottom seat face whereby vertically directed legs of one foot tube are disposed opposite respective vertically directed legs of the other foot tube on each side of the seat;

a backrest;

two opposed L-shaped backrest support tubes, each having a vertically directed segment and a horizontal segment, the backrest being mounted across the two vertically directed segments;

two connecting tubes mounted on opposite undersides of the horizontal segment of each foot tube, spaced from respective elongated seat slots, each connecting tube having a cylindrical opening sized and disposed whereby cylindrical openings of the connecting tubes mounted on the horizontal segment of one foot tube are aligned with and spaced from the cylindrical openings of the connecting tubes mounted on the horizontal segment of the other foot tube whereby opposed pairs thereof can receive respective horizontal segments of the backrest support tubes; and

a pair of handrails, each formed with a hand grip, vertically directed upper tubular segments connected at their upper ends to the hand grip, sigmoidal middle segments, and horizontally directed lower tubular segments, the lower segments secured to a cylindrical member of a length equal to or shorter than the distance between opposed pairs of connecting tubes and having an opening sized to receive a horizontal segment of one of the backrest support tubes, the lower segments of the each handrail being inserted through one of the elongated slots, the sigmoidal segments facilitating insertion through the respective elongated slot so that the cylindrical member is disposed between and aligned with opposed connecting tubes, the horizontal segment of one of the backrest support tubes being inserted through the opposed connecting tubes and the cylindrical member therebetween whereby to secure the handrail to the seat.

16. The bath chair of claim 15 in which each leg is formed with telescoping tubes with a plurality of position holes on the outer tube and a spring-loaded snap button on the inner tube for snap insertion into a position hole to secure the leg at a desired height.

17. The bath chair of claim 15 in which the horizontal segment of each backrest support tube has at least one spring loaded snap button, at least one of each respective pairs of connecting tubes having a position hole for the snap button to secure the backrest at a desired distance from the rear of the seat.

18. The bath chair of claim 17 in which the horizontal segment of each backrest support tube has a plurality of spring loaded snap buttons along its length to secure the backrest at one of a plurality of distances from the rear of the seat.

19. The bath chair of claim 15 in which the hand grip of each handrail is fixed to handrail's vertically directed segments.

20. The bath chair of claim 15 in which the hand grip is formed with vertically directed tubes in telescopic relation with the vertically directed upper tubular segments, the handrail having a plurality of position holes on the outer tube and a spring-loaded snap button on the inner tube for snap insertion into a position hole to secure the handrail at a desired height.

Assignments (12)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (041455/0589) Recorded Nov 9, 2025
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MEDICAL DEPOT, INC.
Reel/Frame 073512/0410 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (041458/0927) Recorded Nov 9, 2025
From: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
To: MEDICAL DEPOT, INC.
Reel/Frame 073512/0360 →
NOTICE AND CONFIRMATION OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS - FIRST LIEN Recorded Jan 20, 2017
From: MEDICAL DEPOT, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 041455/0589 →
NOTICE AND CONFIRMATION OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS - SECOND LIEN Recorded Jan 20, 2017
From: MEDICAL DEPOT, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 041458/0927 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 3, 2017
From: HEALTHCARE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS, LLC
To: MEDICAL DEPOT, INC.
Reel/Frame 040832/0544 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2016
From: SERHAN, MICHAEL
To: DR. K. HEALTH CARE PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 040710/0973 →
ASSIGNMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 18, 2015
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS RETIRING AGENT
To: HEALTHCARE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS, LLC, AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 037145/0518 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2013
From: WEBSTER BUSINESS CREDIT CORPORATION
To: MEDICAL DEPOT, INC.
Reel/Frame 031310/0274 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 27, 2013
From: MEDICAL DEPOT, INC.
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 031307/0117 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 12, 2011
From: MEDICAL DEPOT, INC.
To: WEBSTER BUSINESS CREDIT CORPORATION, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 026108/0674 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 24, 2004
From: MEDICAL DEPOT, INC.
To: WEBSTER BUSINESS CREDIT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 015017/0865 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 19, 2004
From: DR. K. HEALTH CARE PRODUCTS, INC.
To: MEDICAL DEPOT, INC.
Reel/Frame 015574/0607 →