Affordable bath lift and method therefor

Abstract

A bath lift for easily transferring a user into and out of a bathtub. The bather inflates the bath lift with liquid from a liquid source in order to raise the bath lift to a height of a chair. By inflating the bath lift with liquid, the bath lift conforms to the sides of the bathtub and provides a safe and secure seat for a bather to sit on. After inflating the bath lift and sitting onto the bath lift, the bather releases the liquid from the bath lift into the bathtub. As a result, the bather is safely and slowly lowered into the bathtub. Once the bather has finished bathing, the bather inflates the bath lift once again to raise the bath lift to the height of a chair. The bather then exits from the bathtub, thereby making the task of bathing oneself simple again.

1 . A bath lift comprising: 
 a flexible liquid-tight container for holding and storing a liquid; and    a valve assembly coupled to the flexible liquid-tight container for inflating the flexible liquid-tight container with liquid to a height for a bather to enter and exit from a bathtub and for releasing the liquid into the bathtub to lower the bather into the bathtub.    
   
   
       2 . A bath lift in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the flexible liquid-tight container comprises: 
 a vertical column;    a top section connected to a top area of the vertical column; and    a bottom section connected to bottom area of the vertical column.    
   
   
       3 . A bath lift in accordance with  claim 2  wherein the flexible liquid-tight container comprises a plurality of reinforcing strips coupled to the vertical column to reinforce and preserve a shape of the flexible liquid-tight container container.  
   
   
       4 . A bath lift in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the flexible liquid-tight container is made of a washable flexible polymer film.  
   
   
       5 . A bath lift in accordance with  claim 4  wherein the flexible liquid-tight container is made of at least one of heavy gauge polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, or a heavy gauge plastic film.  
   
   
       6 . A bath lift in accordance with  claim 3  wherein the plurality of reinforcing strips is made of at least one of plastic foam, fiberglass, or metal.  
   
   
       7 . A bath lift in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the flexible liquid-tight container has a width approximately a size of a width of the bathtub, the flexible liquid-tight container expanding to press against the bathtub to secure the liquid-tight container from tipping and tilting.  
   
   
       8 . A bath lift in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the flexible liquid-tight container has a length approximately a size of a length of the bathtub.  
   
   
       9 . A bath lift in accordance with  claim 8  wherein the flexible liquid-tight container further comprises a headrest coupled to a top surface of the flexible liquid-tight container.  
   
   
       10 . A bath lift in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the bath lift further comprises a backrest coupled to a top section of the flexible liquid-tight container.  
   
   
       11 . A bath lift in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the flexible liquid-tight container comprises a support device coupled to a bottom section of the flexible liquid-tight container for preventing the flexible liquid-tight container from tipping over.  
   
   
       12 . A bath lift according to  claim 1  wherein the valve assembly comprises: 
 a first valve for coupling a liquid source to the valve assembly, wherein the first valve has an attachment device for coupling the first valve to the flexible liquid-tight container;    a conduit for coupling a liquid source to the flexible liquid-tight container;    a second valve for releasing the liquid stored in the flexible liquid-tight container and for stopping the liquid from flowing out of the valve assembly;    a handle connecting the second valve opening and closing the second valve.    
   
   
       13 . A bath lift according to  claim 12  wherein the liquid source comes from at least one of a plumbing fixture or a faucet.  
   
   
       14 . A bath lift according to  claim 12  wherein the handle is a raised handle.  
   
   
       15 . A bath lift comprising: 
 a flexible liquid-tight container for holding and storing a liquid, wherein the flexible liquid-tight container comprises: 
 a vertical column;  
 a top section connected to a top area of the vertical column;  
 a bottom section connected to bottom area of the vertical column;  
 a plurality of reinforcing strips coupled to the vertical column to reinforce and preserve a shape of the flexible liquid-tight container; and  
   a valve assembly coupled to the flexible liquid-tight container for inflating the flexible liquid-tight container with liquid to a height for a bather to enter and exit from a bathtub and for releasing the liquid into the bathtub to lower the bather into the bathtub wherein the valve assembly comprises: 
 a first valve for coupling a liquid source to the valve assembly, wherein the first valve has an attachment device for coupling the first valve to the flexible liquid-tight container;  
 a conduit for coupling a liquid source to the flexible liquid-tight container;  
 a second valve for releasing the liquid stored in the flexible liquid-tight container and for stopping the liquid from flowing out of the valve assembly; and  
 a handle connecting the second valve opening and closing the second valve.  
   
   
   
       16 . A bath lift in accordance with  claim 15  wherein the flexible liquid-tight container is made of a washable flexible polymer film.  
   
   
       17 . A bath lift in accordance with  claim 15  wherein the plurality of reinforcing strips is made of at least one of plastic foam, fiberglass, or metal.  
   
   
       18 . A bath lift in accordance with  claim 15  wherein the flexible liquid-tight container has a width approximately a size of a width of the bathtub, the flexible liquid-tight container expanding to press against the bathtub to secure the liquid-tight container from tipping and tilting.  
   
   
       19 . A bath lift in accordance with  claim 15  wherein the flexible liquid-tight container has a length approximately a size of a length of the bathtub.  
   
   
       20 . A bath lift in accordance with  claim 15  wherein the flexible liquid-tight container further comprises a headrest coupled to a top surface of the flexible liquid-tight container.  
   
   
       21 . A bath lift in accordance with  claim 15  wherein the bath lift further comprises a backrest coupled to a top section of the flexible liquid-tight container.  
   
   
       22 . A bath lift in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the flexible liquid-tight container comprises a support device coupled to a bottom section of the flexible liquid-tight container for preventing the flexible liquid-tight container from tipping over.