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United States Patent	3,720,963
Zakaski	March 20, 1973

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Current U.S. Class:	4/628 ; 108/26; 4/646
Current International Class:	A47K 1/00 (20060101); A47K 1/04 (20060101); A47k 001/04 ()
Field of Search:	4/167,166,168,169,170,187,188 108/26 248/146,150,155,156

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References Cited

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U.S. Patent Documents

1834144	December 1931	Coderre et al.
2520450	August 1950	Austin, Jr.
2607648	August 1952	Metcalf
2603440	July 1952	Vesconte et al.
3203007	August 1965	Olson
3327324	June 1967	Marsch
3591871	July 1971	Segal
2584283	February 1952	Oliver et al.

Primary Examiner: Artis; Henry K.

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Claims

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What is claimed is:

1. A portable washing stand comprising:

A. a standard having a lower end portion and an upper end portion,

B. means carried by said lower end portion for anchoring said standard in a vertical position,

C. a supporting member, adapted to seat on said upper end portion of said standard, which is a flat plate having a peripheral rim portion with a radially projecting integral block, said block having opposing apertured ends and a split ring having spring legs terminating in inturned ends, said inturned ends being releasably and rotatably socketed in the apertures in said aperture ends of said block,

D. means for detachably lockingly anchoring said supporting member to said upper end portion of said standard, and

E. a wash basin adapted to be seated on said supporting member and supported thereby.

2. The portable washing stand of claim 1 wherein said anchoring means carried by the lower end portion of the standard includes said end portion terminating in a free pointed terminal portion adapted to be driven into the ground.

3. The portable washing stand of claim 1 wherein said means for anchoring said supporting member to said upper end portion of said standard includes a finger rigidly depending from said member and said upper end portion being tubular and in which said finger is releasably socketed.

4. The portable washing stand of claim 1 wherein said plate is formed at its rim portion with a second radially projecting integral block, said second block having an outer face formed with an elongated slot, and a soap dish having a side wall provided with a locking key adapted to lockingly fit in said slot.

5. The portable washing stand of claim 4 wherein said first and second blocks are in diametrically opposing placement on the rim portion of the plate.

6. The portable washing stand of claim 5 wherein said blocks have flat substantially coplanar upper faces.

7. The portable washing stand of claim 4 wherein said first and second blocks are formed integral with the plate and said plate and its appurtenances are formed in one-piece from plastics.

8. The portable washing stand of claim 1 wherein said plate has an underside formed centrally with a depending integral finger adapted to be snugly socketed in said upper end portion of said standard with the flat central portion of said underside of said plate resting on the edge of said upper end portion.

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Description

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally appertains to camping or outdoor-living equipment, and, more specifically, is directed to new and novel improvements in washing structures for toilet purposes in an outdoor campsite environment.

2. Description of Prior Art

Outdoor living, particularly involving the utilization of portable, easily erected tents, has become increasingly more popular. In many instances, desired vacation spots for the whole family or hunting and fishing locations are in remote hard-to-reach, geographical areas where cabins or any quasi-permanent living structures have not or cannot be built and maintained and where mobile campers and trailers cannot be utilized because of the remoteness of such areas and the lack of access thereto.

Consequently, it has become a very popular mode of outdoor living to utilize very easily transported shelter and living equipment whereby the rigors of out-of-door life can be considerably lessened to the extent that most of the advantages of modern living can be enjoyed. Also, such equipment has become popular because of its ease of handling, even where access to tent sites can be easily had, and because of its inexpensive nature when compared with trailers and campers.

While recent inventions in this field and modern technology and materials have enabled the vast majority of known modern conveniences to be formed in an easily transportable and erectable condition so as to complement the high standard tent structures available, one drawback to outdoor camping has continued to be the lack of facilities for toilet purposes. Unless the chosen campsite adjoins a lake, stream or other body of water, it is most inconvenient for campers to perform rudimentary bathing tasks. Even where a body of water is close at hand, the necessity to kneel on the ground while washing or to carry water in a bucket to a basin setting on a table does not appeal to most people and represents a major inconvenience in the first instance and an involved and overloaded equipment arrangement in the second instance. Thus, the desirability of a compact but effective and efficient water containing receptacle or basin arrangement has not been satisfied by the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a dismantable and easily portable wash basin and appurtenant accessory stand which can be transported in a compact, knocked-down condition and which can be erected at a camping site in a manner so that it will function as a wash basin and accessory structure to afford all of the advantages and luxuries of an indoor sink or basin.

The present invention comprehends the provision of an outdoor toilet basin unit which is small, light-weight and very compact in nature but which is a self-sufficient unit whereby one can wash and perform other toilet duties in a manner most comparable to utilization of an indoor modern toilet facility.

The unit essentially comprises a tubular standard having a lower pointed end for easy insertion into the ground and an upper open end portion in which a solid finger lockingly fits with such finger rigidly depending from the the underside of a plate that is thereby releasably mounted on the standard to assume a secure horizontal position. The plate is preferably circular and has an upstanding rim so that it provides a secure seat for a wash basin which is held against tilting or shifting even when holding water and anything most likely to be placed in the water.

The plate is formed at diametrically opposed points on its circumference with radial projections that are preferably in the form of integral blocks. One of the projection blocks has apertured end walls which support the free spring ends of a ring which thus is swivelly supported by the projection block and which is adapted to hold wash clothes, towels and the like face and hand washing accessories. The other projection block has an outer face provided with a slot for interlockingly receiving an anchoring key formed on one side of a soap dish.

Preferably, the plate and its projection blocks are formed in a one-piece form and operation from a plastic material while the basin is of a similar strong but inexpensive material. Also, the standard may be formed in a simple way from a suitable light-weight but very sturdy material.

The entire structure is of a detachable nature so that it can be broken down into pieces which can be easily transported or stored in a knock-down condition and which can be easily assembled and lockingly erected without using any fasteners or tools.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the portable washing stand in an erected and assembled ground supported placement, such as it assumes when in use.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view with all of the parts of the stand in detached relation.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 3--3 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the portable washing stand, generally designated by the reference numeral 10, includes a tubular standard 12 formed from metal or plastic material and having a faired or pointed lower end 14 which is adapted to be driven into the ground so as to be embedded in the ground, as shown in FIG. 1. The upper end portion 16 of the standard is hollow and open-ended so as to lockingly receive a solid finger or lug 18. The finger 18 depends from the underside of a plate 20 formed from plastics.

The plate 20 is preferably flat and has its circumference bounded by an upstanding rim portion 22 which is rolled down, so as to be finished off and reinforced. The finger 18 fits snugly in the tubular upper end portion 16 of the standard and supports the plate against wobbling or tilting. The finger depends from the center of the plate and the central portion of the underside of the plate sets on the upper end of the standard, as shown in FIG. 3, so that the plate is stabilized in its anchored placement on the standard.

The flat upper side of the plate provides a seat for a wash basin 24 which has its side wall 26 engaging the rim 22 so that the basin, while easily placed on and lifted from the supporting plate 20, is held against shifting or tilting while seated on the plate.

The plate is formed at diametrically opposing points on the circumference of its rim with integral radial projections or blocks 28 and 30. The projection block 28 has opposing straight ends 32 which have apertures 34 to receive the inturned ends 36 of the spring legs 38 of a towel ring 40. The ring 40 is detachably mounted on the block 28 by virtue of the spring legs 38 and the apertured ends 32 of the block while such mounting arrangement also permits free and easy vertical swinging movement of the ring about a horizontal axis.

The opposite projection block 30 has an outer straight face 42 which is formed with an elongated longitudinal slot 44 that is adapted to receive a key 46 formed on one side of a soap dish 48 whereby the dish can be detachably secured to the plate 20. The adjoining faces of the block 30 and dish 48 are straight in complementary abutting fashion, as shown in FIG. 3.

The opposite formation and disposition of the blocks 28 and 30 serves to dispose the towel holder and soap holder means on the plate at opposite sides of a user standing and facing the plate supported, water containing basin 24. The basin and the complementary soap dish and towel ring can be disposed at any height as can be best appreciated from a consideration of FIG. 1. The flat, substantially coplanar upper faces 28a and 30a of the blocks 28 and 30 provide very convenient ledges for supporting washing accessories, like brushes, razors, tubes of ointment and the like.

The entire interlocking arrangement and the use of the device 10 in its erected condition, as shown in FIG. 1, are believed to be easily understood from the drawing which also, as in FIG. 2, shows how simply and easily the whole device can be broken down into separate parts for easy transportation in a compact manner.

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