Removable, Adjustable Padded Bar for Bathtub

Abstract

A padded bathtub bar has resilient gripping feet and is adjustable in length by turning an actuating wheel. The pad is removable, and the bar may be washed in the dishwasher, as it has no metal parts. The bar may be placed in a variety of locations to allow various comfortable and stable bathing positions. The removable pads may come in a variety of sizes and configurations. The bathtub bar is lengthened and shortened by converting rotational movement of a hand rotation wheel into translational movement of an inner translation cylinder. As the hand rotation wheel is turned in one direction an attached threaded actuation rod turns as well. As it rotates within a threaded translation nut, the nut, the attached inner translation cylinder and one of the feet are caused to translate outward. Turning the hand wheel in the other direction retracts these elements and shortens the bathtub bar. A removable foot assembly is inserted into an end of the inner translation cylinder. After the removable foot assembly has been removed, the removable pillow slides off the end of the bathtub bar from which it was removed. The feet swivel slightly to accommodate slanted or uneven bathtub walls. The removable pillows may be removed and used separately for neck support and the like.

1 . An adjustable bathtub bar comprising:
 a pillowed outer static cylinder;   an inner translation cylinder disposed within the outer static cylinder;   a hand rotation wheel turnably disposed at a first end of the bathtub bar;   a mechanism for translating the inner translation cylinder away from the hand rotation wheel when the hand rotation wheel is turned in a first direction, in order to lengthen the bathtub bar, wherein the mechanism further translates the inner translation cylinder toward the hand rotation wheel when the hand rotation wheel is turned in a second direction, in order to shorten the bathtub bar;   a foot attached to the hand rotation wheel at the first end of the bathtub bar; and   a foot attached to the inner translation cylinder at the second end of the bathtub bar;   wherein none of the elements are formed of metal.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the mechanism comprises:
 a threaded rod disposed within the inner translation cylinder and attached to one of either the inner cylinder or the outer cylinder;   a threaded nut attached to the other of either the inner cylinder or the outer cylinder and engaged with the threaded actuation rod;   such that when the hand rotation wheel turns, the threaded rod and the threaded nut turn with respect to each other, and   such that when the threaded rod and the threaded nut turn with respect to each other the inner translation cylinder translates with respect to the outer static cylinder.   
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 the pillowed outer cylinder comprises a rigid cylinder surrounded by a removable pillow;   the foot attached to the inner translation cylinder is removable; and   the pillow slides off of the outer static cylinder when the removable foot is removed.   
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the feet include resilient ends for gripping bathtub walls. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the feet swivel. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the inner translation cylinder further forms a groove, and wherein the outer static cylinder includes an attached linear guide pin for engaging with the groove and maintaining the alignment between the inner translation cylinder and the outer static cylinder as the inner translation cylinder translates. 
   
   
       7 . A method of fabricating an adjustable bathtub bar comprising the steps of:
 placing an inner translation cylinder within an outer static cylinder;   disposing a pillow around the outer static cylinder;   attaching a hand rotation wheel at a first end of the bathtub bar;   providing a mechanism for translating the inner translation cylinder away from the hand rotation wheel when the hand rotation wheel is turned in a first direction, in order to lengthen the bathtub bar, wherein the mechanism further translates the inner translation cylinder toward the hand rotation wheel when the hand rotation wheel is turned in a second direction, in order to shorten the bathtub bar;   attaching a foot to the hand rotation wheel; and   attaching a foot to the inner translation cylinder at the second end of the bathtub bar;   wherein none of the elements are formed of metal.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the step of providing the translating mechanism further comprises the steps of:
 attaching a threaded actuation rod to the hand rotation wheel such that the rod turns when the wheel is turned;   placing the threaded actuation rod within the inner translation cylinder;   attaching a threaded translation nut to the inner translation cylinder; and   engaging the threaded translation nut with the threaded actuation rod, such that when the actuation rod turns, the translation nut and the inner translation cylinder translate with respect to the outer static cylinder.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , further including the step of making the foot attached to the inner translation cylinder removable, such that the pillow slides off of the outer static cylinder when the foot attached to the inner translation cylinder is removed. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7  further including the step of including resilient ends on the feet for gripping bathtub walls. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  further including the step of allowing the feet to swivel by:
 attaching a swivel joint loosely within a depression in each foot, such that the swivel joint can shift within the depression;   attaching the hand rotation wheel to the swivel joint at the first end of the bathtub bar; and   attaching the inner translation cylinder to the swivel joint at the second end of the bathtub bar.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 7  further including the steps of:
 forming a groove in the inner translation cylinder; and wherein the   attached linear guide pin to the outer static cylinder; and   engaging the linear guide pin to the groove such that the alignment between the inner translation cylinder and the outer static cylinder is maintained as the inner translation cylinder translates.   
   
   
       13 . An adjustable bathtub bar comprising:
 an outer static cylinder;   an inner translation cylinder disposed within the outer static cylinder;   a pillow disposed around the outer static cylinder;   a hand rotation wheel turnably disposed at a first end of the bathtub bar and extending into the outer static cylinder;   a mechanism for translating the inner translation cylinder away from the hand rotation wheel when the hand rotation wheel is turned in a first direction, in order to lengthen the bathtub bar, wherein the mechanism further translates the inner translation cylinder toward the hand rotation wheel when the hand rotation wheel is turned in a second direction, in order to shorten the bathtub bar;   a foot attached to the hand rotation wheel; and   a foot attached to the inner translation cylinder at the second end of the bathtub bar;   wherein none of the elements are formed of metal.   
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the mechanism comprises:
 a threaded actuation rod disposed within the inner translation cylinder and attached to the hand rotation wheel such that the rod turns when the wheel is turned; and   a threaded translation nut attached to the inner translation cylinder and engaged with the actuation rod, such that when the actuation rod turns, the translation nut and the inner translation cylinder translate with respect to the outer static cylinder.   
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the foot attached to the inner translation cylinder is removable and wherein the pillow slides off of the outer static cylinder when the foot attached to the inner translation cylinder is removed. 
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the feet include resilient ends for gripping bathtub walls. 
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the feet swivel. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the inner translation cylinder further forms a groove, and wherein the outer static cylinder includes an attached linear guide pin for engaging with the groove and maintaining the alignment between the inner translation cylinder and the outer static cylinder as the inner translation cylinder translates. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the outer static cylinder, the inner translation cylinder, the hand rotation wheel and the translating mechanism are formed of plastic. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the pillow comprises a foam enclosed in a waterproof cover