U.S. patent application number 11/368474 was filed with the patent office on 2007-09-13 for bath utility.
Invention is credited to Ching Chen Chen.
Application Number | 20070209132 11/368474 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38477430 |
Filed Date | 2007-09-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070209132 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen; Ching Chen |
September 13, 2007 |
Bath utility
Abstract
A bath utility made from a plastic mesh tube. The bath utility
is a spongy body having multiple stacked folds. The folds of the
bath utility partially or totally have continuous fine wave or saw
tooth configurations. Accordingly, the bath utility has a rougher
surface for providing better rubbing effect for a user's skin. In
addition, the bath utility has higher density and better
rigidity.
Inventors: |
Chen; Ching Chen; (Chang Hua
Hsien, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TROXELL LAW OFFICE PLLC
SUITE 1404
5205 LEESBURG PIKE
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22041
US
|
Family ID: |
38477430 |
Appl. No.: |
11/368474 |
Filed: |
March 7, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/209.1 ;
15/229.11 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K 7/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/209.1 ;
015/229.11 |
International
Class: |
A47K 7/02 20060101
A47K007/02 |
Claims
1. A bath utility made from a plastic mesh tube, the bath utility
being a spongy body having multiple stacked folds, a middle of the
bath utility being tied with at least one fastening member; said
bath utility being characterized in that the folds of the bath
utility at least partially have continuous fine wave or saw tooth
configurations.
2. The bath utility as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mesh tube
that the bath utility made from is crimped and formed with wave or
saw tooth structures arranged along an axis of the mesh tube,
whereby the wave or saw tooth structures are in the matter of
alternately outward protruding from the outer surface of the mesh
tube and inward protruding from the inner surface of the mesh
tube.
3. The bath utility as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bath utility
is substantially spherical and all the folds of the bath utility
have wave or saw tooth configurations.
4. The bath utility as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bath utility
is substantially spherical and includes a first semispherical half
and a second semispherical half which are arranged side by side,
all the folds of the first semispherical half having wave or saw
tooth configurations, while the folds of the second semispherical
half having no wave or saw tooth configurations.
5. The bath utility as claimed in claim 1, wherein the folds of the
bath utility have regular shapes of petals and are radially
arranged.
6. A bath utility comprising: a handle; and a first main body fixed
on a front face of the handle, the first main body being a spongy
body made from a plastic mesh tube, the first main body having
multiple stacked folds; said bath utility being characterized in
that the folds of the main body at least partially have continuous
fine wave or saw tooth configurations.
7. The bath utility as claimed in claim 6, wherein the mesh tube
that the main body made from is crimped and formed with wave or saw
tooth structures arranged along an axis of the mesh tube, whereby
the wave or saw tooth structures are in the matter of alternately
outward protruding from the outer surface of the mesh tube and
inward protruding from the inner surface of the mesh tube.
8. The bath utility as claimed in claim 6, wherein all the folds of
the first main body have wave or saw tooth configurations.
9. The bath utility as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a
second main body fixed on a back face of the handle, the second
main body being a spongy body made from a plastic mesh tube, the
second main body having multiple stacked folds.
10. The bath utility as claimed in claim 9, wherein the folds of
the second main body at least partially have continuous fine wave
or saw tooth configurations.
11. The bath utility as claimed in claim 10, wherein all the folds
of the second main body have wave or saw tooth configurations.
12. The bath utility as claimed in claim 9, wherein the folds of
the second main body have no wave or saw tooth configurations.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is related to a bath utility made from
a plastic mesh tube. The bath utility is a spongy body having
multiple stacked folds. The folds of the bath utility are more
rigid and rougher so as to provide better rubbing effect for a
user's skin.
[0002] A bath utility such as a bath ball or bath brush is made
from a plastic mesh tube. The plastic mesh tube is extended to a
certain extent and crimped to form a spongy bath ball or bath
brush. U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,434 of this applicant discloses a method
of making a bath utility made from a mesh tube.
[0003] FIG. 1 shows a conventional mesh tube 10. The conventional
mesh tube is also shown as the lower article of photograph A and
left article of photograph B. Such mesh tube 10 is quite soft and
has smooth surface. In addition, such mesh tube 10 has a thin
thickness so that the bath ball or bath brush made from such mesh
tube 10 can hardly provide rubbing effect for a user's skin.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a bath utility made from a plastic mesh tube. The bath
utility is a spongy body having multiple stacked folds. The folds
of the bath utility have continuous fine wave or saw tooth
configurations so that the bath utility has higher density, better
rigidity and rougher surface to provide better rubbing effect for a
user's skin.
[0005] The present invention can be best understood through the
following description and accompanying drawings wherein:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional mesh tube
fitted around a phantom cylinder;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mesh tube applied to the
present invention fitted around a phantom cylinder;
[0008] FIG. 3 shows that the mesh tube of FIG. 2 is looped around
two posts of a tool for manufacturing the bath utility;
[0009] FIG. 4 is a view according to FIG. 3, showing that the mesh
tube of the present invention is tied up with a cord;
[0010] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bath ball of the present
invention made from the mesh tube of FIG. 2;
[0011] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the circled area of FIG.
5;
[0012] FIG. 7 shows one of the folds of the bath utility;
[0013] FIG. 8 shows that a conventional mesh tube and the mesh tube
of the present invention are together looped around two posts of a
tool and tied with a cord;
[0014] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another bath ball of the
present invention made from the mesh tubes of FIG. 8;
[0015] FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of the bath utility of the
present invention;
[0016] FIG. 11 shows that the mesh tube of FIG. 2 is looped around
two posts of a tool and fixedly tied on a handle;
[0017] FIG. 12 shows still another embodiment of the bath utility
of the present invention; and
[0018] FIG. 13 shows still another embodiment of the bath utility
of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0019] Please refer to FIG. 2. The bath utility of the present
invention is made from the mesh tube 20 of FIG. 2. The mesh tube 20
is crimped and formed with wave or saw tooth structures 22 arranged
along the axis of the mesh tube 20. The mesh tube 20 is also shown
as the upper article of photograph A and right article of
photograph B. The mesh tube 20 is such crimped that the wave crests
of the crimps 22 outward protrude from the outer surface of the
mesh tube 20, while the wave troughs of the crimps 22 inward
protrude from the inner surface of the mesh tube 20. According to
the crimped or waved structure, the wall of the mesh tube 20 has a
thickness thicker than the thickness of the conventional mesh tube.
Therefore, the mesh tube 20 has a better rigidity than the rigidity
of the conventional mesh tube.
[0020] Referring to FIG. 3, when manufacturing the bath utility, a
mesh tube 20 with a certain length is looped around two posts 32 of
a tool 30. The mesh tube 20 is tensioned to a certain extent by the
two posts 32. The axis of the mesh tube 20 is substantially
parallel to the posts 32, and the mesh tube is gathered on the
posts.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 4, the middle of the mesh tube 20 is tied
up with a fastening member 35 such as a cord. Then, as the method
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,434, the mesh tube 20 is part by
part alternately pulled out from the two posts 32. After the mesh
tube 20 is totally pulled out, a spongy ball-like bath utility 40
is formed as shown in FIG. 5 and photograph C.
[0022] After released from the tensioned state, the mesh tube 20 is
curled to form the bath ball 40 with multiple ruffles or folds 42.
The folds 42 randomly overlap each other as a stack. The folds 42
of such bath ball 40 have irregular shapes. The mesh tube 20 has
wave or saw tooth configurations, accordingly, each fold 42 itself
has continuous fine wave or saw tooth configurations 44 as shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7.
[0023] Referring to FIG. 8, a conventional mesh tube 10' and the
mesh tube 20 of the present invention are together looped around
the two posts 32 of the tool 30. By means of the method of U.S.
Pat. No. 5,709,434, a bath ball 50 as shown in FIG. 9 can be made.
Such bath ball has a first semispherical half 52 and a second
semispherical half 55 apparently respectively positioned on two
sides of the bath ball 50. The first semispherical half 52 is
formed of the conventional mesh tube 10', while the second
semispherical half 55 is formed of the present mesh tube 20.
Photograph D shows a real article of the bath ball 50, and
photograph E is an enlarged photograph of photograph D, in which
the green semispherical half is the first semispherical half 52,
while the purple semispherical half is the second semispherical
half 55. Each of the semispherical halves 52, 55 has multiple
stacked ruffles or folds 53, 56 overlapping each other. The
conventional mesh tube 10' has thinner wall, while the present mesh
tube 20 has thicker wall and larger volume. Therefore, the first
semispherical half 52 has lower density, while the second
semispherical half 55 is more compact. In addition, the folds 53 of
the first semispherical half 52 are smoother without any wave
configurations, while the folds 56 of the second semispherical half
55 have continuous fine wave or saw tooth configurations 58. The
folds 56 of the second semispherical half 55 have higher rigidity
so that the surface of the second semispherical half 54 is rougher
and more suitable for rubbing a user's skin.
[0024] In the case that the mesh tube 20 of FIG. 2 is totally
removed from the posts 32 of the tool 30 at one time, a
pumpkin-shaped bath utility 60 as shown in FIG. 10 is obtained.
Photograph F shows a real article of the bath ball 60. Such bath
ball 60 has folds 62 with regular shapes of petals. The folds 62
are radially arranged about the center of the ball. Also, each fold
62 has fine wave configurations.
[0025] Referring to FIG. 11, the mesh tube 20 is looped around two
posts 32 of a tool 30. Then, the middle of the mesh tube 20 is
fixedly tied on a handle 75 with one or more fastening members 36
such as a cord or cords. Then, the mesh tube 20 is alternately
pulled out from the two posts 32 to obtain a bath brush 70 as shown
in FIG. 12. The mesh tube 20 becomes a spongy main body 72 fixed on
a front face of the handle 75. The folds 74 of the main body 72 are
randomly stacked without regular shape. Also, each fold 74 has fine
wave configurations.
[0026] In the case that a conventional mesh tube and the mesh tube
of the present invention are together looped around the two posts
32 of the tool 30 and fixedly tied on a handle 85, a bath utility
80 as shown in FIG. 13 is obtained. Photograph G shows a real
article of the bath utility 80. A spongy first main body 82 and a
spongy second main body 84 are respectively formed on the front
face and back face of the handle 85. The first main body 82 is
formed of the mesh tube 20 and the folds 83 themselves of the main
body 82 have fine wave configurations. The second main body 84 is
formed of the conventional mesh tube and the folds 86 of the main
body 84 have no wave configurations. In photograph G, the blue main
body is the first main body 82, while the white main body is the
second main body 84.
[0027] The folds of the bath utility of the present invention have
continuous fine wave or saw tooth configurations so that the bath
utility has higher density, better rigidity and rougher surface and
is thus more suitable for rubbing a user's skin in a bath.
[0028] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the
present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. Many
modifications of the above embodiments can be made without
departing from the spirit of the present invention.
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