Bed mats and portable toilet facilities, referred to as bedpans, are used extensively when people find themselves bed-ridden through disease, disability or the effects of old age. In this context they are used frequently within hospitals, nursing homes, or in private residences. Bed mats are predominately employed to keep bedding clean when patients are required to be washed, while bedpans provide a means for using the toilet without having to leave the bed area. The conventional devices used in these environments are frequently unsuitable and often uncomfortable for the user. One present alternative to a bedpan is the use of catheters. In the past these have proved to be unpopular and embarrassing for patients, as well as resulting in an increased likelihood of them developing infections.

Traditionally bedpans have consisted of rigid metallic structures that require cleaning out and sterilisation before they can be reused. This is far from an ideal situation for use as a toilet facility within a sterile medical environment. There are a number of reasons why these bedpans are so problematic.

Initially it is required that the user is physically capable of lifting themselves onto the toilet facility from a bed. If the user is a patient suffering from paralysis, heart conditions, bed sores or other serious illness or they are simply too weak to accommodate this device they will then require help in order to manoeuvre themselves onto the bedpan. This requires one or more attendants, who are physically strong enough, to be on hand in order to lift the patients hips clear of the sides of the bedpan. This can be an extremely uncomfortable operation for the patient as well as being both physically demanding and time consuming on the attendants. Similar problems arise when trying to position bed mats under a patient in order to carry out ablutions.

Once positioned on a bedpan the patient often experiences further discomfort. Being made of metal they are cold and rigid which often aggravates patients ailments as well as doing little to maintain the patients dignity.

A second problem area with traditional style bedpans comes when the user has finished using the device. At this stage they must be manoeuvred clear of the bedpan in order that it can be removed and emptied without spilling the contents on the patient, bed or attendants. A

significant design fault with this bedpan is highlighted at this stage. The device is designed with sides high enough to retain the contents but not too high as to make lifting the patient anymore strenuous than need be.

However, often as a patient is being removed from a bedpan they accidentally come into contact with the by- product contents. Such an occurrence can produce understandable distress to the patient, and requires attendants to spend time cleaning both the patient and the bed.

Cleaning and disposing of the contents of a bedpan is a third area of annoyance. As well as the discomfort of the sight and smell of the contents it must be disposed of without splashing on the attendant. Since the bedpans must be reused they have to be cleaned out and sterilised. If this is not carried out thoroughly then cross contamination between patients can result.

If this whole process could be simplified such that the physical strain required by either the user or the attendant for these washing and toilet facilities could be reduced, then more patients could be treated residentially. This not only makes economic sense but would also allow patients to recover in the confines of their own home instead of in the more stressful hospital environment.

US Patent No. 5,394,571 teaches of one possible embodiment for circumventing some of the problematic features outlined above. It teaches of an inflatable horseshoe member, that incorporates a disposable liner, via a specially designed and manufactured crimped over C-

shaped groove. The ends of the horseshoe member are held together with a strap to improve the stability of the device. This strap has specially manufactured notches, through which, the drawstring of the disposable liner pass.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a hygienic toilet facility that may also be used as a bed mat and that can be put in situ with minimal fuss or discomfort to the user or attendant.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a hygienic toilet facility that employs the same characteristics that allows it to be easily put in situ when employed as a bed mat.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a hygienic toilet facility that can be used by both children and adults when engaged on long journeys or on camping trips.

A yet further object of the present invention is to meet the above objectives with a simple and cost effective design that is easy to manufacture.

The present invention provides a hygienic bathing and toilet facility comprising an inflatable tubing, a backing board, and an absorbent support, wherein the inflatable tubing and absorbent support are secured to the backing board such a that when the tubing is in its inflated state it forms a horseshoe shape, with a central cavity enclosed on one side by the absorbent support.

Preferably the backing board is flexible such that, with the inflatable tubing deflated, the facility moves between a closed compact position and an open position.

Preferably, when the backing board is in the open position the facility forms a rigid structure suitable for sliding under a user.

Preferably, the bathing and toilet facility includes a valve associated with the tubing, wherein the passing of a pressurised gas or liquid through said valve acts to inflate the tubing.

Preferably the valve provides an exhaust for the inflatable tubing enabling the tubing to return to its deflated state.

Preferably the hygienic and bathing toilet facility further comprises locators, wherein the locators act to locate a disposable tray within the central cavity such that on inflation of the tubing the disposable tray forms a disposable receptacle for collecting toilet by- products.

Most preferably the disposable tray is made from a flexible material that allows the tray to be compressed so as to lie substantially flat for ease of storage.

Preferably the flexible material is biodegradable.

Alternatively the flexible material is plastic.

Most preferably the disposable tray has a sealing means for sealing the contents of the tray after use.

Optionally the sealing means may be a combination of a sleeve and drawstring mechanism.

After use as a toilet the sleeve and drawstring means may be pulled removing the disposable tray from the cavity area while simultaneously sealing the by-product within.

Thereafter the disposable tray along with the by-product contents is easily and hygienically disposed.

Also pertaining to the present invention there is provided a bed mat adaptable for use as a bedpan.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a three dimensional perspective of an inflated toilet means with the disposable tray in situ; Figure 2 illustrates a front elevation of the inflated toilet means with the disposable tray in situ ; Figure 3 illustrates a front elevation of the deflated toilet means highlighting the folding sections of the backing board ; and Figure 4 illustrates a top elevation of the inflated toilet means with the disposable tray in situ.

Referring initially to Figure 1 a hygienic bathing and toilet facility 1 is depicted in its inflated state. The

bathing and toilet facility 1 consists of three main elements: an inflatable horseshoe tube 2, a rigid backing board 3, and an inner disposable tray 4. Placed in the base of the disposable tray 4 is an absorbent pad 5 that is employed to soak up the by-product produced when the device is used as a toilet facility. Around the circumference of the open end of the disposable tray is a sleeve means 6 through which is threaded a drawstring mechanism 7. The opening 8 in the horseshoe tube 2 provides the means for removing the disposable tray 4 once the device has been used.

Further detail of the device is highlighted with reference to Figure 2. A valve 9 is positioned on the outer surface of the horseshoe tube 2. This valve means 9 is adapted to allow inflation of the horseshoe tube 2 by different media for example, pressurised gas, air or water. Located on the inner surface of the horseshoe tube 2 is a plurality of fixing pads 10. These fixing pads 10 are employed to locate and hold the disposable tray 4 in situ when the device is used as a toilet facility. These fixing pads 10 provide a far more elegant and cost effective means for locating the disposable tray 4 in the horseshoe tube 2 than other methods described in the prior art.

Figure 3 presents the bathing and toilet facility 1 with the horseshoe tube 2 in its deflated state. The backing board 3 can be seen to consist of two elements. The first is a flexible board 11, the second being an absorbent support pad 12 that is fastened to the flexible board 11. The flexible board 11 is symmetrical about its centre. It is comprised of five sections, a central

section 13, two edge sections 14 and two top sections 15, each of which is separated by a flexible hinge 16.

Figure 4 presents a top view of the bathing and toilet facility 1 showing the flexible board 11 fully extended.

However, the device can be easily folded up via the hinges 16 into a far more compact state for ease of carriage and storage. This is achieved by rotating the two edge sections 14 through 90 degrees so that they lie in the vertical plane. The top edges are then rotated a further 90 degrees in order to return them to the horizontal plane, thus coming to rest on top of the absorbent support pad 12.

When the tubing is not inflated the bathing and toilet facility 1 can be used as a bed mat. On unfolding the flexible board means 11 the device becomes rigid in the horizontal plane. This allows one person to be able to slide the devise under the hips of the patient with far more ease than with a traditional bed mat. At this stage the device is employed, without the disposable tray unit 4, as a hygienic bed mat that aids in keeping both the patient and the bedding clean when it is required to give a patient a bed bath.

The bathing and toilet facility can be further employed as a hygienic bedpan. The device is slid under the patient as previously described. However, on this occasion the disposable tray unit 4 is in situ. The sealing sleeve 6 of the disposable tray 4 rests on top of the fixing pads 10 of the horseshoe tube 2. When the device is appropriately place under the buttocks of the patient the horseshoe tube 2 is inflated. This creates a

cavity within the inner surface of the horseshoe tube 2 that is filled by the disposable tray unit 4. The patient is then able to use the invention as a bedpan.

When finished the disposable tray unit is removed via the opening 8 at the front of the horseshoe tube 2. This is achieved by pulling on the drawstring mechanism 7 which simultaneously acts to gather the sleeve means 6 tightly together. Thus on removing the disposable tray the attendant ends up with the deposit hygienically sealed and therefore the disposable tray unit 4 and by-product contents can be easily disposed of with a minimum of inconvenience. If any spillage does result then the absorbent support pad 12 would absorb it. The absorbent support pad 12 can then be easily removed and disposed of after use. Once the disposable tray unit 4 has been removed the horseshoe tube 2 can be deflated via the valve 9. The device is then removed from under the patient, folded up and stored away until further required.

In this embodiment the disposable tray unit 4 is formed from a flexible plastic. However, an alternative embodiment incorporates a disposable tray unit 4 that is formed from biodegradable material based on paper pulp.

Such materials remain waterproof for several hours before degrading. They are readily made from recycled paper and so are more suitable for disposal in the environment than plastic materials.

A third area where the bathing and toilet facility can be employed is as a portable toilet facility. The design can be easily modified to be on a smaller scale such that

it can be used by a child and therefore may be used whilst on long car journeys or camping trips.

An advantage of the present invention is that it is more convenient to use than traditional bed mats or bedpans hence, it does not require the same effort on the part of the patient or attendant to position. It is more hygienic to use than traditional bedpans and does not require sterilisation after every use.

A further advantage is that this invention is more compact and simpler in design that previous inventions.

These facts make the invention easier to set up, particularly with reference to the locating of the disposable tray, and economically more viable to produce.

A yet further advantage is that the invention can simultaneously be used as a bed mat, bedpan or as a portable travel toilet facility.

Further modifications and improvements may be added without departing from the scope of the invention herein intended.