US20060168749A1

US20060168749A1 - Bendable bathing scrubber

Info

Publication number: US20060168749A1
Application number: US11/046,776
Authority: US
Inventors: Jone Chang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-02-01
Filing date: 2005-02-01
Publication date: 2006-08-03

Abstract

A bendable bathing scrubber includes a scrubber and a stem which contains a flexible metal strip. The metal strip is covered by a foamed outer layer to facilitate safety grasping without slipping. The scrubber is fastened to the stem to provide scrubbing and cleaning function. The stem may be bent to any desired angle and maintained a fixed condition after bent to meet the cleaning requirements of individual users.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a bathing scrubber and particularly to a bathing scrubber equipped with a bendable stem.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are a wide variety of bathing articles on the market to assist in cleaning the body, such as bathing towels, bathing scrubbers, and bathing sponges, and the like. These auxiliary articles provide consumers simple and comfortable methods to clean the body. However, these bathing articles have a common problem when in use, namely users cannot clean their back with them easily. As user's arms have a limited length and bending angle, cleaning the back is awkward and difficult.
To remedy this problem. R.O.C. Patent Publication No. 384685 discloses a bathing scrubber with an adjustable angle. It mainly includes a scrubber, an adjusting stem, a handgrip and a button. The handgrip has a head with a retaining member on one side. The adjusting stem is coupled to the head of the handgrip and has an annular gear with a retaining trough. There are movable wedging teeth coupled with a spring located between the head and the annular gear. By pushing the button, the angle between the adjusting stem and the handgrip may be adjusted in multiple stages.
However, the bathing scrubber mentioned above relies the retaining member extended from the head and the retaining trough tilted at a selected angle from an upper side of the annular gear to adjust the angle, includes 0 degree, 30 degrees, 60 degrees and 90 degrees. It cannot be adjusted to other angles to suit user's requirements. Moreover, it consists of the gear, retaining trough, retaining member and spring. After used for a period of time, wearing or elasticity fatigue occurs. The coupling condition deteriorates, and positioning and retaining become less effective.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore the present invention aims to provide a bendable bathing scrubber to meet different requirements of users and has a stem bendable to varying angles to suit individual users.
In order to achieve the foregoing object, the bathing scrubber according to the invention includes a scrubber and a stem. The scrubber is an element for scrubbing and cleaning. The stem includes a foamed outer layer to enable users to grasp without slipping away to enhance safety. It contains a flexible metal strip inside. Users can bend the stem to an angle desired according to individual requirements and locations to be cleaned. The bent angle of the stem can be maintained without altering during bathing and cleaning.
The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the bendable bathing scrubber of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the embodiment of the bendable bathing scrubber in a use condition.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the embodiment of the bendable bathing scrubber of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Please refer to FIG. 1 for an embodiment of the bendable bathing scrubber 10 of the invention. It includes a scrubber 20 and a stem 30.
The scrubber 20 is an element to provide scrubbing and cleaning function. It may be fastened to the stem 30 through a scrubber pad 40. The scrubber may be made of, but not limit to, sponge, bristles and elastic mesh tubes.
The stem 30 has a handgrip section 32 on a rear end that is formed with an indented outer surface to facilitate grasping by user's hands and to conform to ergonomics and increase grasping friction when held by hands. Thus it is less likely to slip away from the hand when water or cleaning agent such as bathing cream is presented. The stem 30 may also have a hanging hole 34 to be threaded by a hanging rope 36 to hang the bendable bathing scrubber 10.
Refer to FIG. 3 for an embodiment of the stem 30. It includes a metal strip 200 and a foamed outer layer 202. The metal strip 200 is a flexible metal (such as a steel strip, a aluminum strip or a metal serpentine tube). Thus it may be bent as desired to suit user's requirements and maintained at a fixed shape after bent without altering during bathing and cleaning. The metal strip 200 is preferably to be formed in a polygonal cross section. FIG. 3 shows an example of a rectangular cross section. Such a design can resist twisting so that it is less likely to be twisted to different directions to withstand the reaction force of user's body when in use. The foamed outer layer 202 covers the metal strip 200 to form the elongated stem 30. In addition, the foamed outer layer 202 is made from material other than the conventional plastics to prevent slipping when in contact with water or cleaning agents such as bathing cream so that safety may be enhanced for users during use.
When the embodiment of the invention is in use, the cleaning agent such as the bathing cream may be dispensed on the scrubber 20, or the scrubber 20 may be wetted by water; then the handgrip section 32 may be grasped by user's hands and the stem 30 may be bent to an angle desired as shown in FIG. 2. The bent bathing scrubber 10 may be used to clean any portions of user's body easily. The metal strip 200 in the stem 30 is flexible, and can maintain the bent shape without altering during use. When there is a desire to do adjustment to scrubbed and cleaned easily, including the back which is usually the most difficult portion to reach and clean.
In summary, the bendable bathing scrubber of the invention consists of a scrubber and a stem. The stem may be bent to any angle desired to clean any portions of user's body.
While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures

Claims

1. A bendable bathing scrubber, comprising:

a scrubber for scrubbing and cleaning; and

a stem coupled with the scrubber including a flexible metal strip and a foamed outer layer covering the metal strip, the foamed outer layer being resistant to slipping to enhance safety of grasping.

2. The bendable bathing scrubber of claim 1, wherein the stem is coupled with the scrubber through a scrubber pad.

3. The bendable bathing scrubber of claim 1, wherein the metal strip has a polygonal cross section.

4. The bendable bathing scrubber of claim 3, wherein the metal strip has a rectangular cross section.

5. The bendable bathing scrubber of claim 1, wherein the scrubber is sponge.

6. The bendable bathing scrubber of claim 1, wherein the scrubber is a brush made of bristles.

7. The bendable bathing scrubber of claim 1, wherein the scrubber is made of elastic mesh tubes.

8. The bendable bathing scrubber of claim 1, wherein the stem has a handgrip section on a rear end.

9. The bendable bathing scrubber of claim 8, wherein the handgrip section has an indented outer surface to facilitate grasping by user's hands and conform to ergonomics.

10. The bendable bathing scrubber of claim 1, wherein the stem has a hanging hole on a read end to be threaded by a hanging rope.

11. The bendable bathing scrubber of claim 1, wherein the foamed outer layer is made from blowing polyurethane.