AU2002229422B2 - A soap bar - Google Patents

Description

A SOAP BAR

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION THIS INVENTION relates to an improved soap bar for use in washing body parts. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Soap bars known to the applicantare generally in a substantially rectangular shaped block and are sized for grasping wholly in a hand. In use, one grasps a soap bar with one hand and applies it to body parts that need washing. Due to its shape and size, fingers or part of the palm of the hand grasping the soap bar will come in contact with the body parts during washing.

Touching one's private body parts is unacceptable to believers of certain religions such as Islam. For these believers it is extremely difficult to avoid contacting their private parts when washing with a bar soap.

People who need to wash young children or older people who cannot wash themselves also have difficulty in avoiding contact with body parts when washing with a soap bar.

The known soap bars also can not reach small crevices and gaps of the human body such as the area between buttocks, between fingers, between toes, in or behind ears, etc. Persons with long finger nails can cause injury when applying known soap bars to body parts during washing. Contacting body parts while washing may also spread bacteria from fingers to the body parts.

Soap bars are slippery when wet and they tend to slip out of the hands onto the floors during use. Old or frail persons, and certain disabled persons can fall when attempting to pick them up.

OBIECT OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a soap bar which al leviates or reduces to a certain level one or more of the above prior art disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect therefore the present invention resides in a soap bar comprising a body having a first member and a second member arranged to diverge from the first member. At least one of the first and second members is formed of a soap material. The first and second members are configured so that when the body is held by a person's hand said one of the first and second members extends from the hand so that said one member can be applied for washing body parts. The firstand second members are preferably formed integral ly. Alternatively they may have mating end surfaces that can be joined together.

The other of said first and second members may be formed of a soap material or a non soap material.

In preference, said other of the first and second members is configured so that it can be grasped by certain fingers against the palm of the person's hand while applying said one of the firstand second members for washing the body parts. More preferably the first and second members are configured so that said other member is grasped with the thumb on one face thereof and with at least one of the middle finger and the ring finger on the opposite face thereof. It is further preferred that the forefinger extends over the one member to press the body into the palm.

The configuration of the first and second members allows the soap bar of the present invention to be securely held even in the wet condition. This helps in reducing the tendency of the bar to slip out of the hand.

The angle of divergence between the first and second members can be any angle within the range of 45° to 1 70°. In one specific form the angle of divergence is 145°.

At least said one of the first and second members is advantageously shaped so that it has a relatively narrow width at its free end and the width increases progressively towards its opposite end. Typically both said first and second members are shaped so that each of them has a relatively narrow width at its free end and the width increases progressively towards its opposite end. In an example the body is shaped substantially in the form of a shallow V. In another example the body is shaped substantially in the form of a boomerang.

It is further preferred that at least said one of the first and second members has an oval or half oval shaped cross section. Desirably said oval or half oval shaped cross section has a large section and an opposite narrow section. The narrow section is sized so that it can be used to wash certain crevices and gaps in the human body.

Desirably, the soap bar has means for enhancing rion-slip of the forefinger. The enhancing means may be a substantially flat surface or ridges for the forefinger to rest thereon.

In preference, each of the first and second members have a first side section and a second side section opposite to the first side section. The enhancing means includes a relatively flat region on said first section of at least one of said first and second members so that a finger of a user of the soap bar can rest on the flat region while using the soap bar.

Preferably, the enhancing means includes a further relatively flat region on said second side section of at least one of said first and second members so that a finger of a user of the soap bar can rest on the further flat region while using the soap bar. More preferably, said first and second members are arranged to diverge outwardly from the mid point of the soap bar, and said flat region and/or said further flat region extends from said mid point along the first member and/or the second member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OR THE DRAWINGS In order that the present invention can be more readily understood and be put into practical effect reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate embodiments of the present invention and wherein:-

Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of an embodiment of the soap bar according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a bottom view of the soap bar shown in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a side view of the soap bar shown in Figure 1 ; Figure 4 is an end view of the soap bar shown in Figure 1 ; Figure 5 is a schematic plan view of another embodiment of the soap bar according to the present invention; Figure 6 is a bottom view of the soap bar shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a side view of the soap bar shown in Figure 5; Figure 8 is an end view of the soap bar shown in Figure 5;

Figure 9 is a drawing illustrating use of the soap bar shown in Figures 1 to 4.

Figure 10 is a schematic top view of an embodiment of the soap bar according to the present invention;

Figure 1 1 is a side view of the soap bar shown in Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a plan view of the soap bar shown in Figure 10; and

Figure 1 3 is a plan view of a further embodiment of the soap bar according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the Figures and initially to Figures 1 and 2 there is shown an embodiment of the soap bar 10 according to the present invention. The soap bar 10 comprises a body 10 having a first member 14 and a second member 1 6 formed integrally with the first member 14. The members 14 and 16 form a top face 1 8 and a bottom face 20, and as can be seen in the drawing the members 14 and 1 6 diverge from each other at an angle of about 145°. As such the body 12 is substantially boomerang shaped.

The members 14 and 16 have a width that increases progressively from their respective free ends towards the middle of the body 12. Turning to Figure 3, it can be seen that the body 12 also has a thickness that increases progresses from their respective ends towards the middle.

The end view of Figure 4 shows that the body 12 has a large curved side section 22 and a narrow curved side section 24. The section 24 is sized so that it can reach small crevices, the areas behind ears, the gaps between fingers or toes, in or under genital, etc. of the human body.

The embodiment of the soap bar 10 shown in Figures 5 to 8 is substantially similar to the embodiment described above. The only difference is that this embodiment has a substantially flat bottom face 20 as shown clearly in Figures 7 and 8. In Figure 9 there is shown the soap bar 10 according to the present invention being held by a hand 50 of a person. The soap bar 10 is grasped in the hand 50 with the thumb on the top face 18, the middle and the ring fingers on the bottom face 20 of the member 16, and the forefinger extending over and onto the side section 22 of the member 14.

The soap bar 10 can thus be grasped firmly even when the bar 10 is wet. It also allows a user to easily control movement and application of member 14 of the bar 10 over any part of the user's or other's body without contacting the body parts.

Either the large side section 22 or the narrow side section 24 can be used to wash the body parts. The narrow section 24 is specially sized to wash smal l crevices and gaps in the human body. Referring to Figures 10 and 1 1 there is shown a soap bar 10 having body 12 with a first member 14 and second member 16, and a first side section 22 and a second side section 24 as shown.

Figure 10 is a top view of the soap bar 10 and it shows a relative flat region 52 on the first side section 22. The flat region 52 extending into the first member 14 and the second member 16, from the mid point 54 (see Figure 1 1 ) of the body 12.

Figure 1 1 shows a side view of the soap bar 10 shown in Figure 10. As can be seen, the flat region 52 extends from the mid point 54 partly along the first member 14. While not shown, it should be understood that the flat region 52 also extends partly along the second member 1 6.

In use, a user can grasp the soap bar 10 and rest the forefinger on the flat region 52. Accordingly, the forefinger is on a relatively flat surface and this minimises the tendency for a soap bar to sl ip from a user's hand.

The soap bar 10 as shown in Figure 12 has cambered corners 54 between each of the faces 18 and 20 , and the flat region 52. The cambered corners 54 allow a user's fingers to bent therearound and rests comfortably on one of the corners 54.

In Figure 13, the soap bar 10 has a substantially ridged region 546extending from the mid point 52 into the first and second members 14 and 1 6. The ridges 58 on the ridged area 56 allow a user to positively grip onto the soap bar 10 and thereby enhancing the non-slip gripping effect provided by the soap bar of the invention. Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the present invention many variations and modifications thereto will be apparent to those skil led in the art without departing from the broad ambit and scope of the invention as herein set forth.

Claims (16)

1 . A soap bar comprising a body having a first member and a second member arranged to diverge from the first member, at least one of the first and second members being formed of a soap material and configured so that when the body is held by a person's hand, said one of the first and second members extends from the hand so that said one member can be applied for washing body parts.

2. The soap bar according to claim 1 wherein the first and second members being formed integrally or having mating end surfaces that are joined together.

3. The soap bar according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the other of said first and second members being formed of a soap material or a non soap material.

4. The soap bar according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said other of the first and second members is configured so that it can be grasped by certain fingers against the palm of the person's hand while applying said one of the first and second members for washing the body parts.

5. The soap bar according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the first and second members are configured so that when said other member is grasped with the thumb on one face thereof at least one of the middle finger and the ring finger can rest on the opposite face thereof.

6. The soap bar according to claim 5 wherein when grasping the forefinger extends over the one member to press the body into the palm.

7. The soap bar according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the angle of divergence between the first and second members being within the range of 45° to 170°.

8. The soap bar according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein at least said one of the first and second members being shaped so that it has a relatively narrow width at its free end and the width increases progressively towards its opposite end.

9. The soap bar according to claim 8 wherein both said first and second members being shaped so that each of them having a relatively narrow width at its free end and the width increases progressively towards its opposite end.

10. The soap bar according to claim 8 or 9 wherein at least said one of the first and second members having an oval or half oval shaped cross section.

1 1 . The soap bar according to claim 10 wherein said oval or half oval shaped cross section having a large section and an opposite narrow section, and the narrow section is sized so that it can be used to wash relatively smaller crevices and gaps in the human body.

1 2. The soap bar according to any one of claims 1 to 1 1 wherein the body having non-slip enhancing means to reduce slipping of the body from the user's hand.

13. The soap bar according to claim 12 wherein the enhancing means is a substantially flat surface or a series of ridges for the forefinger or any other finger or fingers to rest thereon.

14. The soap bar according to claim 1 3 wherein each of the first and second members having a first side section and a second side section opposite to the first side section, and the enhancing means including a relatively flat region on said first section of at least one of said first and second members so that a finger of a user of the soap bar can rest on the flat region while using the soap bar.

1 5. The soap bar according to claim 14 wherein the enhancing means including a further relatively flat region on said second side section of at least one of said first and second members so that a finger of a user of the soap bar can rest on the further flat region while using the soap bar.

16. The soap bar according to claim 1 5 wherein said first and second members are arranged to diverge outwardly from the' mid point of the soap bar, and said flat region and/or said further flat region extending from said mid point along the first member and/or the second member.