Human body washing device

Abstract

A device for washing a user with a washing liquid, including a longitudinally extending, open topped vessel having a mat member for supporting the user lying thereon. The mat member is provided with a multiplicity of openings for permitting the washing liquid to pass therethrough. A cover member defining an open space is rotatably secured to the vessel and is displaceable between an open position and a closed position where the cover member engages with the vessel such that the body of the user lying on the mat member is accommodated within the open space of the cover member. The cover member has a front opening such that, when the cover member is in the closed position, the neck of the user lying on the mat member is loosely fitted in the front opening with the head of the user being projected from the cover member. Upper and lower liquid injection nozzles are disposed above and below the mat member for injecting the washing liquid toward the user lying on the mat member.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A device for washing a user with a washing liquid, comprising: 
 a longitudinally extending, open topped vessel;    a longitudinally extending mat member having front and rear ends and generally horizontally received in said vessel to define a lower space therebelow, said mat member having a longitudinal length sufficient for supporting said user lying thereon along the longitudinal direction thereof with the head of said user being placed near said front end thereof, said mat member being provided with a multiplicity of openings for permitting the washing liquid to pass therethrough;    a cover member having a longitudinally extending top wall member, a pair of opposing front and rear wall members and a pair of opposing side wall members, said top wall, front wall, rear wall and side wall members being connected to define an upper space therebetween;    said cover member being displaceable between an open position and a closed position where said cover member engages with said vessel such that the body of said user lying on said mat member is accommodated within said upper space of said cover member;    said front wall member having a front opening such that, when said cover member is in said closed position, the neck of said user lying on said mat member is loosely fitted in said front opening with the head of said user being projected from said cover member; and    upper and lower liquid injection means disposed within said upper and lower spaces, respectively, for injecting the washing liquid toward the user lying on said mat member.    
     
     
         2 . A device as claimed in    claim 1   , wherein each of said upper and lower liquid injection means includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart injection nozzles.  
     
     
         3 . A device as claimed in    claim 1   , further comprising a hand shower for washing the head of said user lying on said mat member, said hand shower having a shower head connected to an end of a flexible washing liquid feed tube extending through and protruding from said vessel.  
     
     
         4 . A device as claimed in    claim 1   , wherein said cover member is formed of a foamed resin.  
     
     
         5 . A device as claimed in    claim 1   , wherein said vessel has a front detachable section at a location in front of said front wall of said cover member located in said closed position.  
     
     
         6 . A device as claimed in    claim 1   , wherein said cover member has a longitudinally extendible and shrinkable structure.  
     
     
         7 . A device as claimed in    claim 1   , wherein said mat member includes generally rectangular frame means having a pair of opposing longitudinally extending side frames and a pair of opposing front and rear frames, and a net supported by said frame means for supporting said user thereon.  
     
     
         8 . A device as claimed in    claim 7   , wherein said cover member is pivotally connected to said frame means.  
     
     
         9 . A device as claimed in    claim 8   , wherein said cover member is pivotally connected to said rear frame.  
     
     
         10 . A device as claimed in    claim 1   , further comprising a pair of laterally spaced apart brackets secured to rear portions of said vessel and each provided with a vertically extending slot, a laterally extending rod inserted in and secured to desired position of said slots, a pair of extendible and retractable supporting arms each having one end rotatably secured about said rod and the other end fixed to rear portions of said cover member, so that said cover member is rotatable about said rod between said open and closed positions.  
     
     
         11 . A device as claimed in    claim 1   , further comprising a cover supporting frame member including a vertical rod extending from one corner of said vessel, a lateral rod extending horizontally from a top end of said vertical rod and terminating at the lateral center of said vessel, and a longitudinal rod extending horizontally from said terminal end of said lateral rod, wherein said cover member is longitudinally divided into halves each rotatably supported by said longitudinal rod.  
     
     
         12 . A device as claimed in    claim 1   , wherein said top wall member and a pair of side wall members of said cover member form a smooth curved surface having a semicircular cross-section.  
     
     
         13 . A device as claimed in    claim 12   , wherein said cover member is rotatable about an axis coinciding with the center of said smooth curved surface between said closed position and said open position where said cover member is received in said vessel.  
     
     
         14 . A device as claimed in    claim 13   , further comprising a pair of drive gears provided adjacent longitudinal end portion of said cover plate, wherein said smooth curved surface has both longitudinal ends provided with threads which are meshed with said drive gears, so that said cover member is rotated by rotation of said drive gears.  
     
     
         15 . A device as claimed in    claim 1   , wherein at least one of said side wall members of said cover member is provided with at least one side opening, wherein said side opening is covered with a pair of first and second flexible sheets overlapping each other, wherein each of said first and second flexible sheets has a periphery supported by an endless resilient string which in turn is supported with a tension by a plurality of pins fixed along an edge portion of said side opening, so that an assisting person can insert an arm of said person through the overlapping portion of said first and second flexible sheets to touch the user lying on said mat member within said washing chamber even when said cover member is in said closed position.  
     
     
         16 . A device as claimed in    claim 1   , further comprising means for supporting and maintaining a leg of said user at an elevated position to facilitate the flow of the blood of said user.  
     
     
         17 . A device as claimed in    claim 1   , further comprising first pump means to be connected to a water source for increasing the pressure of water supplied thereto, first controlling means connected to said first pump means for controlling the pressure of the water fed from said first pump means, second pump means to be connected to a hot water source for increasing the pressure of hot water supplied thereto, second controlling means connected to said second pump means for controlling the pressure of the hot water fed from said second pump means, a mixer connected to said first and second controlling means for mixing the water having a controlled pressure with the hot water having a controlled pressure to obtain warm water having a predetermined temperature, and pipe means for feeding the warm water having the predetermined temperature to said upper and lower nozzles as said washing liquid.  
     
     
         18 . A device as claimed in    claim 17   , further comprising a high temperature sensor connected to said pipe means for detecting the temperature of the warm water, and a shut off valve disposed in said pipe means and coupled to said high temperature sensor for stopping the passage of the warm water therethrough when the temperature detected by said high temperature sensor exceeds a predetermined temperature.  
     
     
         19 . A device as claimed in    claim 18   , further comprising a low temperature sensor connected to said pipe means at a position downstream of said high temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the warm water, and a switching valve disposed in said pipe means and coupled to said low temperature sensor for directing the passage of the warm water to said plurality of nozzles when the temperature detected by said low temperature sensor is not lower than a predetermined temperature and to a discharge side when the temperature detected by said low temperature sensor is below said predetermined temperature.  
     
     
         20 . A device as claimed in    claim 17   , further comprising an automatic discharging valve connected to said main tube and adapted to automatically operate to release the warm water from said main tube when the pressure within said main tube is below a predetermined pressure.