Height Adjusting Child Bath Seat
By Czechowski, Holly M.; Mollendorf, Joseph C.; NSF 2008 Engineering Senior Design Projects to Aid Persons With Disabilities, pp. 126-129Publication Date: 2011
Description of a bath seat designed for children with little or no muscle control. Developed by an engineering student at the State University of New York at Buffalo, the Height Adjusting Child Bath Seat provides a support system for the child in order to make it easier for the parent or caregiver to bathe him or her. The bath seat, which is made of a PVC pipe frame with a strong mesh material, can hold children weighing 30 to 100 pounds. The seat is about 10 inches off the ground at its lowest position and can reach a height of 16 inches. It can be operated by one person using a bicycle foot pump to pump it up and a simple shut-off valve to release the pressure and lower it down into the bath tub. Attached to the bath seat are 4 air cylinders, also made of PVC piping: 2 under the leg portion, and 2 under the back portion of the chair. The seat also features a safety strap that provides extra support to the upper half of the child’s body. The ability to raise and lower the seat acts as a preventative measure to reduce back and muscle injuries, a common result of repetitive lifting for the caregiver. Total project cost was 110 dollars, not counting some material that was donated.
Published by: Creative Learning Press, Inc. (Website:http://www.creativelearningpress.com)
Link to text: http://nsf-pad.bme.uconn.edu/2008/Chapter%208,%20State%20University%20of%20New%20York%20at%20Buffalo.pdf
ISBN: 1-931280-15-0
