US 12,256,872 B2
Foldable bath tub
Martin Mutch, New York, NY (US); Elizabeth Kaye Steenwyk, Detroit, MI (US); Sunny Kim, Douglaston, NY (US); and Thomas Chia Hanson, New York, NY (US)
Assigned to HELEN OF TROY LIMITED, St. Michael (BB)
Filed by Helen of Troy Limited, St. Michael (BB)
Filed on Jun. 12, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/208,503.
Application 18/208,503 is a continuation of application No. 17/730,655, filed on Apr. 27, 2022, granted, now 11,759,059.
Application 17/730,655 is a continuation of application No. 17/387,318, filed on Jul. 28, 2021, granted, now 11,412,897, issued on Aug. 16, 2022.
Application 17/387,318 is a continuation of application No. 16/412,858, filed on May 15, 2019, granted, now 11,122,938, issued on Sep. 21, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/831,878, filed on Apr. 10, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0320534 A1, Oct. 12, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A47K 3/06 (2006.01); A47K 3/064 (2006.01)
CPC A47K 3/064 (2013.01) 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A foldable bath tub comprising:
a base;
a rim;
a basin wall disposed between and interconnecting the base and the rim, the basin wall configured to be positioned in one of a folded condition in which the basin wall is folded into itself and an extended condition in which the bath tub is configured to receive an associated child, the basin wall including first and second creases each having a reduced thickness allowing the basin wall to fold into itself at each of the first and second creases when in the folded condition,
when in the extended condition, the basin wall defines a first back rest adjacent a first end of the bath tub along a length dimension of the bath tub and a second back rest adjacent a second end of the bath tub along the length dimension,
when in the extended condition, the first back rest extends at a first angle relative to an associated subjacent surface supporting the bath tub and the second back rest extends at a second, larger, angle relative to the associated subjacent surface when measured in cross-section taken along the length dimension of the bath tub,
when in the extended condition, at the first end of the bath tub an inner surface of the basin wall in the cross-section taken along the length dimension of the bath tub extends a first distance from the base to the rim and at the second end of the bath tub the inner surface of the basin wall in the cross-section taken along the length dimension of the bath tub extends a second greater distance from the base to the rim,
when in the extended condition, opposing sides of the basin wall nearest to the first end of the bath tub are offset a greater width distance in a direction perpendicular to the length dimension as compared to the opposing sides of the basin wall nearest to the second end,
when in the extended condition, the first and second creases extend circumferentially around the basin wall, and a distance from at least one of the base and the associated subjacent surface to at least a portion of at least one of the first crease and the second crease in a height direction that is perpendicular to the length direction of the bath tub increases along the length direction from the first end of the bath tub to the second end of the bath tub,
when in the extended condition, the first and second creases extend approximately parallel to one another around the basin wall; and
a support assembly for supporting the bath tub on the associated subjacent surface, the support assembly including:
a leg member pivotally connected to the rim, and
an engaging member including a locking tab movably received in an opening in the leg member, the engaging member is movable is between a locked state where the locking tab is engaged to the leg member to maintain the leg member in an extended state and an unlocked state where the locking tab is disengaged from the leg member allowing the leg member to pivot toward a folded state.