U.S. patent application number 10/123145 was filed with the patent office on 2003-10-23 for bath ball.
Invention is credited to Chen, Kuo-Chin.
Application Number | 20030196287 10/123145 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29214454 |
Filed Date | 2003-10-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030196287 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen, Kuo-Chin |
October 23, 2003 |
Bath ball
Abstract
A bath ball includes a corrugated annular body being formed by
axially squeezing a long sleeve-shaped elastic net woven or knitted
from artificial fibers and having an extent of elasticity. The
corrugated annular body is tied at two diametrically opposite
points with fastening means so that outer peripheral portions of
the corrugated annular body naturally loosely expand about the tied
points toward two outer sides to form a puffy body close to a ball.
The corrugated annular body includes a plurality of valleys, into
which one or more types of cleaning elements may be selectively
embedded to extend in a direction parallel with the valleys. The
cleaning elements enable the bath ball to hold more bubbles and
provide enhanced cleaning effect.
Inventors: |
Chen, Kuo-Chin; (Taipei,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
RABIN & BERDO, P.C.
Suite 500
1101 14th Street, N.W.
Washington
DC
20005
US
|
Family ID: |
29214454 |
Appl. No.: |
10/123145 |
Filed: |
April 17, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/118 ;
15/209.1; 15/229.11 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K 7/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/118 ;
15/209.1; 15/229.11 |
International
Class: |
A47K 007/02 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A bath ball comprising a corrugated annular body being formed by
axially squeezing a long sleeve-shaped elastic net woven or knitted
from artificial fibers and having an extent of elasticity, said
corrugated annular body being tied at two diametrically opposite
points with fastening means so that outer peripheral portions of
said corrugated annular body naturally loosely expand about the
tied points toward two outer sides to form a puffy body close to a
ball; and said corrugated annular body including a plurality of
valleys, into which at least one cleaning element may be
selectively embedded.
2. The bath ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cleaning
element is embedded in each said valley at one side of said
corrugated annular body.
3. The bath ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cleaning
element is embedded in each said valley at both sides of said
corrugated annular body.
4. The bath ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cleaning
element is embedded in every said valley on said corrugated annular
body.
5. The bath ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two said
cleaning elements of different materials are embedded in one said
valley of said corrugated annular body.
6. The bath ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two said
cleaning elements are embedded in one said valley of said
corrugated annular body.
7. The bath ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cleaning
element is selected from the group consisting of non-woven cloth,
sponge, foam rubber, and loofah.
8. The bath ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cleaning
element is an elongated member.
9. The bath ball as claimed in claim 8, wherein said elongated
cleaning element has a cross section selected from the group
consisting of round, rhombic, triangular, and square shapes.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a bath ball, and more
particularly to a bath ball having a plurality of embedded cleaning
elements to produce enhanced skin cleaning and bubble-holding
effects.
[0002] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional bath ball
that is formed by weaving or knitting artificial fibers into a long
sleeve-shaped elastic net providing an extent of elasticity,
axially squeezing and corrugating the sleeve-shaped net to provide
a corrugated annular body 1, tightening the corrugated annular body
1 at two diametrically opposite points with fastening means 2, and
letting an outer periphery of said corrugated annular body 1
naturally loosen and expand from the tightened points to form a
loose body close to a ball. The above-described bath ball has the
following disadvantages:
[0003] 1. Since the corrugated annular body 1 is formed by axially
squeezing and corrugating the elastic net, the bath ball formed
from the naturally loosened corrugated annular body 1 is too puffy
too effectively hold sufficient amount of bubbles. Extra amount of
cleaning agent must be added to the bath ball when cleaning a
user's skin.
[0004] 2. Since the elastic net forming the bath ball fails to
effectively hold sufficient amount of bubbles for a prolonged time,
the bath ball does not effectively clean the user's skin.
[0005] It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop an improved
bath ball having a plurality of embedded cleaning elements to
provide better skin-cleaning and bubble-holding effects.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A primary object of the present invention is to provide a
bath ball having a plurality of embedded cleaning elements. The
bath ball includes a corrugated body being formed by axially
squeezing a long sleeve-shaped net woven or knitted from artificial
fibers and having an extent of elasticity. The corrugated body is
tied at two diametrically opposite points with fastening means so
that outer peripheral portions of the corrugated body naturally
loosely expand about the tied points toward two outer sides to form
a puffy body close to a ball. The corrugated body includes a
plurality of valleys, into which one or more cleaning elements may
be selectively embedded to extend in a direction parallel with the
valleys. The cleaning elements enable the bath ball to hold more
bubbles and provide enhanced cleaning effect.
[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a bath
ball having a plurality of different types of cleaning elements
embedded in valleys formed on the bath ball. The bath ball includes
a corrugated body being formed by axially squeezing a long
sleeve-shaped net woven or knitted from artificial fibers and
having an extent of elasticity. The corrugated body is tied at two
diametrically opposite points with fastening means, so that outer
peripheral portions of the corrugated body naturally loosely expand
about the tied points toward two outer sides to form a puffy body
close to a ball. The corrugated body includes a plurality of
valleys, into which one or more types of cleaning elements made of
different materials maybe selectively embedded to extend in a
direction parallel with the valleys. These cleaning elements made
of different materials provide different coarseness for scrubbing
different areas of a user's body and can therefore effectively
remove dirt from pores to clean and freshen the user's skin.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The structure and the technical means adopted by the present
invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best
understood by referring to the following detailed description of
the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings,
wherein
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional bath
ball;
[0010] FIGS. 2 to 4 shows the manner of producing a corrugated
annular body for forming a bath ball according to the present
invention;
[0011] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bath ball according to an
embodiment of the present invention; and
[0012] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a bath ball according to
another embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0013] Please refer to FIGS. 2 to 4 that shows the manner of
forming a bath ball according to a first embodiment of the present
invention, and to FIG. 5 that shows a bath ball formed from the
manner shown in FIGS. 2 to 4. As shown in FIG. 2, a long
sleeve-shaped elastic net 3 providing an extent of elasticity is
woven or knitted from artificial fibers and put around two posts on
a tabular mold 4. The sleeve-shaped elastic net 3 is axially
squeezed from two ends toward a middle point thereof so that a
corrugated annular body 5 having a plurality of valleys is formed.
An elongated cleaning element 6 having a square cross section is
embedded in each valley to extend in a direction parallel with the
valley. Thereafter, the corrugated annular body 5 with the embedded
cleaning elements 6 is tied at a middle point with a fastening
means 7 to form two loops at two sides of the tied point, as shown
in FIG. 3, or tied at two diametrically points with fastening means
7 to form a single loop, as shown in FIG. 4. The fastening means 7
may be knotted to form a small ring so that a user may conveniently
grip the bath ball formed from the corrugated annular body 5 at the
ring or hang the bath ball by attaching the ring to a suitable
place. When the corrugated annular body 5 is let to loosen
naturally, outer peripheral portions of the corrugated annular body
5 automatically expand about the tied positions toward two outer
sides, forming a bath ball having a plurality of embedded elongated
cleaning elements 6, as shown in FIG. 5.
[0014] The mold 4 for forming the bath ball of the present
invention is not necessarily limited to that shown in FIG. 2. A
mold 4 with one single column or similar supporting means instead
of two separated posts may also be used, so long as the elastic net
3 could be put around the column or the supporting means and
squeezed to form the corrugated annular body with a plurality of
valleys.
[0015] FIG. 6 shows a bath ball according to first embodiment of
the present invention. As in the first embodiment, the bath ball of
the second embodiment is formed from the long sleeve-shaped elastic
net 3 woven or knitted from artificial fibers, put around two posts
of the tabular mold 4, and axially squeezed from two ends toward
middle to form the corrugated annular body 5 with a plurality of
valleys. The second embodiment is different from the first one in
that two or more different types of elongated cleaning elements 6
having a square cross section are embedded in the plurality of
valleys before the corrugated annular body 5 is tied at a middle
point or two diametrically points with the fastening means 7.
Similarly, the fastening means 7 may be knotted into a ring, and
the corrugated annular body 5 is allowed to naturally and loosely
expand at two sides of the tied positions to form a puffy bath ball
having two or more different types of cleaning elements 6 embedded
in the valleys. The cleaning elements 6 may be made of, for
example, general loofah and sponge.
[0016] It can be easily understood from the previously described
embodiments that the present invention may includes cleaning
elements made of different materials that provide scrubbing effect,
such as sponge, foam rubber, non-woven cloth, loofah, etc. And, the
cleaning elements may otherwise have a triangular, a round, or a
rhombic cross section. Moreover, the cleaning elements may be
embedded only in the valleys at one side of the corrugated annular
body, in the valleys at both sides of the corrugated annular body,
or in some of selected valleys. And, each valley of the corrugated
annular body may include different numbers of cleaning elements. In
brief, the material, the shape, and the number of the cleaning
elements are selected to achieve the best bubble-holding and
skin-cleaning effects.
[0017] With the above-described arrangements, the bath ball of the
present invention has following advantages:
[0018] 1. The cleaning elements embedded in the valleys of the
corrugated body enable the bath ball to have enhanced
bubble-holding ability and hold the bubbles for a prolonged time.
Reduced cleaning agent is possible while good cleaning effect can
be achieved with the bath ball of the present invention.
[0019] 2. Different material, shape, and number of combinations can
be selected for the cleaning elements, so that only one bath ball
can provide different coarseness to effectively clean the skin at
different areas of the user's body.
* * * * *