U.S. patent application number 10/191263 was filed with the patent office on 2003-01-09 for disposable basin liner.
Invention is credited to Vinokur, Genya, Zolotnik, Vladimir.
Application Number | 20030005515 10/191263 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26886905 |
Filed Date | 2003-01-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030005515 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Zolotnik, Vladimir ; et
al. |
January 9, 2003 |
Disposable basin liner
Abstract
A sanitary liner for a manicure or pedicure soaking basin. The
sanitary liner is formed from a plastic or rubber which is light
and inexpensive so that it can hold soaking solution when necessary
and dump out the solution when necessary. It is disposable so that
customers of beauty salons can each have soaking solution held in a
different liner and thereby avoid the possibility of soaking in a
basin that is contaminated with pathogens from a prior customer. It
fits smoothly inside the reservoir of a common commercial salon
soaking basin. It may be rigid or it may be pliable so that fluid
pressure causes it to conform to the inside of the reservoir.
Inventors: |
Zolotnik, Vladimir; (West
Hills, CA) ; Vinokur, Genya; (West Hills,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHARLES R. SUTTON
14507 SYLVAN ST., STE. 208
VAN NUYS
CA
91411
US
|
Family ID: |
26886905 |
Appl. No.: |
10/191263 |
Filed: |
July 5, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60303728 |
Jul 6, 2001 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
4/622 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45D 29/00 20130101;
A45D 19/06 20130101; A61H 35/006 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
4/622 |
International
Class: |
A47K 003/022 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A liner for a human extremity soaking reservoir having an inside
and an outside; the liner being impermeable to water so that when
the outside is placed against the reservoir, aqueous solutions can
be placed against the inside where they will be held free of
contamination by pathogens from the reservoir.
2. The liner of claim 1 being pliable and having a shape determined
by a concavity of said reservoir.
3. The liner of claim 2 further comprising propellant and a
canister; the liner and the propellant being inside the canister;
the liner being forced from the canister onto the reservoir by
pressure exerted by the propellant; the liner adhering to itself to
form a water impermeable sheet against the reservoir; and the liner
being removable from the reservoir after use.
4. The liner of claim 1 the liner being rigid.
5. The liner of claim 4 in which the liner is molded plastic.
6. The liner of claim 1 in which the liner is heat resistant and
conducts heat.
7. The liner of claim 1 in which the liner is sterilized and is
provided in packaging which will maintain sterility until the
packaging is removed.
8. A foot spa having a base, a vibrating means and a platform; said
base having a flat bottom adapted to rest against a floor; said
platform being substantially planar and adapted to receive a basin;
said platform and said base being connected by said vibrating means
so that said vibrating means can vibrate said platform.
9. A rigid disposable sanitary liner for a nail salon spa
comprising an inside and an outside; said outside being
substantially convex and adapted to conform closely to the shape of
said spa when said liner is placed against said spa; said liner is
composed of a substance impermeable to water and is unitary so that
said inside is connected to said outside; and said inside being
substantially concave so that aqueous solutions will be held
therein by gravity when said outside is placed against said spa,
and said aqueous solutions are placed against said inside.
10. The sanitary liner of claim 9 in which said sanitary liner is
sterilized and said sanitary liner is enclosed in packaging to
preserve the sterility of said sanitary liner until said packaging
is removed.
11. The sanitary liner of claim 9 in which said liner is heat
resistant and conducts heat.
12. The sanitary liner of claim 9 in which said liner is
sufficiently durable to withstand oscillation imparted to said
aqueous solutions by said spa.
13. The sanitary liner of claim 9 in which said liner is molded
plastic.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application incorporates provisional patent application
No. 60/303,728 by this reference. Provisional patent application
No. 60/303,728 has an application filing date of Jul. 6, 2001.
Applicant claims the benefit of the filing date of that provisional
application by reason of this incorporation by reference.
STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY-SPONSORED
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
[0002] This invention was not made under federally sponsored
research and development. All rights are retained by the
inventors.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] 1. Field of the Invention
[0004] Persons receiving a pedicure customarily have their feet
soaked, among other reasons so that the skin and nails will be
softened. This soaking takes place in a special basin at the nail
salon. The form of the special basins is described below in
description of the related art. The problem in the field is that
multiple customers use these basins, and so certain infectious
organisms can be transmitted from one customer to the next customer
who uses the basin. Commonly, these infectious organisms are fungi,
which can be especially difficult to eradicate once they have
gotten a toehold. Bacteria and certain other transmissible
pathogens have proven a problem as well.
[0005] Persons receiving a manicure similarly soak their hands in a
basin at the beauty salon. In theory, there is also a risk of
disease transmission from this practice, although the pedicure
basin is currently the most likely source of pathogen transmission
as between the two.
[0006] 2. Description of Related Art Including Information
Disclosed Under 37 CFR Sections 1.97 and 1.98.
[0007] In the related art are several devices containing a
germicidal fluid, into which one immerses the feet prior to
swimming. There are anti-contamination liners for hospital
bathtubs. There are a large number of footwash systems involving
brushes in the basin or conduits and jets to cause water flow or
direct water flow. The brushes, jets, and conduits can all harbor
contaminating organisms which increase the likelihood of
contracting a foot infection from a basin at a salon. Usually, the
bathtub liners have a drain, even if they are disposable. This is
because of the special problem that a bathtub holds too much water
to be lifted by a normal person. The liner must have a drain or be
bailed out after the bath.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] This invention is a disposable liner which is shaped to
conform to the interior of a commercially available salon soaking
basin. The liner is used to contain the soaking solution and the
extremity being soaked and a different liner is used for each
customer. Since the liner is light, inexpensive, and disposable,
beauty salon customers can gain assurance by use of the liner, that
their extremities will not come into contact with pathogenic
organisms left by previous customers. There is no need for a drain
since the liner holds a small enough amount of liquid that it can
be emptied over the rim once the customer is finished soaking. This
helps keep the liner inexpensive enough for routine use in beauty
salons. In combination with commercially available salon soaking
basins, the liner is a foot spa or hand spa which permits salon
customers to enjoy a safe but enjoyable soaking experience at the
salon.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is an exploded diagram of a sanitary liner and the
soaking basin to whose shape it conforms.
[0010] FIG. 2 is an exploded diagram of a sanitary liner and the
soaking basin to whose shape it conforms.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0011] The preferred embodiment of this invention is a disposable
basin (1) with an inside (2) and an outside (3). The inside (2) of
the basin (1) is concave and adapted to hold a suitable amount of
water or other liquid for purposes of soaking a human extremity
prior to or during a nail care operation at a beauty salon. The
basin is lightweight, inexpensive, and preferably rigid (although
not necessarily rigid). It is probably molded plastic such as
polycarbonate or PET plastic.
[0012] The outside of the basin is shaped so that it closely
conforms to the shape of a reservoir (4) of a common commercial
salon washbasin (5). The basin fits down into the reservoir and is
then filled with the soaking solution. In the case of a basin that
is not rigid, it is the pressure of the soaking solution which
causes the basin to be shaped to conform to the reservoir. At FIG.
1 a pedicure footwashing basin is shown as an example of the salon
washbasin (5). In washbasins of this type it is common for the
reservoir (4) to be an elongate heart shape so that the two feet
can fit comfortably into the basin side by side. These commercial
washbasins will commonly have a control (6) for the purpose of
changing the temperature or flow of the water or other liquid, or
possibly to engage a vibrating mechanism. In the case of a
commercial washbasin that can vibrate or alter temperature, an
appropriate embodiment of this invention can be used in combination
with such features. The control is shown for descriptive purposes
only as it is not part of the instant invention. This invention
does include a vibrating stand adapted to be used as a vibratory
foot spa or to be used with one of the disposable liners placed on
it containing foot soaking solution. Thus either a dry foot massage
or a vibratory foot soaking massage is possible with this platform.
At FIG. 3 the platform can be seen with its base (7), its vibrating
means (8), and its platform (9). The instant invention is the basin
(1) with its inside (2) and outside (3). This is not a design
patent, and the specific shape shown will not be the only shape
which a disposable salon liner might have which could be used to
prevent infection. It is merely an illustrative example of the
shape of a disposable liner for one of the common commercial
washbasins being used. In the case of a basin that is not rigid, it
will have a different shape depending on the shape of the reservoir
in which it is used. An oblong shaped salon washbasin is also
common on the market as shown in FIG. 2. The invention is again
shaped to conform closely to the shape of the inside (2) of the
basin (1). A manicure basin does not need to have the
characteristic heart shape since hands are smaller and shaped
differently. Of course, the disposable liner would be shaped to fit
the interior of the manicure basin, possibly by the pressure of the
soaking solution itself.
[0013] The inside (2) does not necessarily need to have the same
concave shape as the reservoir (4), although this would probably be
the most economical shape, since it would minimize the amount of
plastic needed to mold the invention. In a rigid embodiment, it is
possible to make a basin whose inside is not the same shape as the
outside, but more plastic would be needed than would be the case in
a basin that conforms closely to the shape of the reservoir.
[0014] A second embodiment of the invention would be a spray-on
liner which is non-toxic, flexible, and leak-proof when it dries. A
spray-on latex or silicone rubber substance is suitable for this
purpose as long as it is non-toxic. It would be sprayed from a
pressure canister in much the same way that other substances are
sprayed, ranging from paint to cooking oil. To use it, the operator
would spray the reservoir (4) of the salon washbasin and allow the
liner to dry (forming the basin (1)). Soaking liquid can then be
placed inside and the customer's extremity can be soaked. When the
soaking is finished, the fluid is dumped and the liner (or basin
(1)) is peeled away. It can then be discarded. This second
embodiment is an example of a basin that is not rigid and not
pre-shaped.
* * * * *