U.S. patent application number 13/812371 was filed with the patent office on 2013-05-23 for apparatus and method for storing and reusing remnants of soap.
This patent application is currently assigned to JOE SOAP LIMITED. The applicant listed for this patent is John Newbould, Thomas James Newbould. Invention is credited to John Newbould, Thomas James Newbould.
Application Number | 20130125321 13/812371 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42752787 |
Filed Date | 2013-05-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130125321 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Newbould; John ; et
al. |
May 23, 2013 |
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STORING AND REUSING REMNANTS OF SOAP
Abstract
A soap-saving apparatus (10, 110) for storing and reusing
remnants of soap is disclosed. The soap-saving apparatus (10, 110)
comprises first and second surfaces (14, 16) for receiving remnants
of soap, and at least one through-hole (18) connecting the first
and second surfaces (14, 16). Soap remnants can be pressed on to
the first and second surfaces (14, 16) and adhered to each other
through the through-hole (18). A rim (22, 122) further helps to
retain the soap in place, and dimples (20) on the first and second
surfaces (14, 16) help to prevent the soap sliding from side to
side in its early stages of adherence.
Inventors: |
Newbould; John; (Hamburg,
DE) ; Newbould; Thomas James; (Rushyford,
GB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Newbould; John
Newbould; Thomas James |
Hamburg
Rushyford |
|
DE
GB |
|
|
Assignee: |
JOE SOAP LIMITED
Rushyford
GB
|
Family ID: |
42752787 |
Appl. No.: |
13/812371 |
Filed: |
July 11, 2011 |
PCT Filed: |
July 11, 2011 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2011/051290 |
371 Date: |
January 25, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/104.001 ;
156/245 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K 5/05 20130101; A47K
7/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/104.001 ;
156/245 |
International
Class: |
A47K 7/00 20060101
A47K007/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 27, 2010 |
GB |
1012503.7 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for storing and reusing remnants of soap,
comprising: first and second surfaces for receiving remnants of
soap; and at least one through-hole connecting the first and second
surfaces.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a rim
along an edge of the first and/or second surfaces.
3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the rim has an inner
surface substantially perpendicular to the first and/or second
surfaces.
4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an inner surface of
the rim is recessed.
5. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the rim has a convex
outer surface.
6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and/or
second surface further comprises one or more dimples and/or
protrusions.
7. An apparatus according to any claim 1, wherein the first and
second surfaces are provided by opposing surfaces of a
substantially sheet-like body.
8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the body is
substantially circular or oval.
9. A method for storing and reusing remnants of soap, comprising:
providing a body comprising at least one through-hole; pressing at
least one first remnant of soap onto a first surface of the body;
and pressing at least one second remnant of soap onto a second
surface of the body, such that the first and second soap remnants
adhere to each other through the through-hole.
10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising: soaking the
first and/or second soap remnants prior to pressing, onto the
body.
11. A method according to claim 9, further comprising: adhering
further remnants of soap to the first and/or second remnants of
soap,
12. A method according to claim 9, further comprising: moulding the
adhered remnants of soap so that the adhered soap remnants resemble
a bar of soap.
13. A method according to claim 9, wherein the body is an apparatus
according to claim 1.
14. (canceled)
15. (canceled)
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for
storing and reusing remnants of soap.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] When a bar of soap is used, it gradually becomes smaller and
smaller until it is too small for practical use as it can no longer
be easily grasped. It may even break into a number of such small
pieces. These remnants of soap are generally discarded as they are
difficult to use. This is a problem because the unused remnants
soap are wasted.
[0003] The present invention seeks to overcome these problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] According to a first aspect of the invention, there is
provided an apparatus for storing and reusing remnants of soap,
comprising: [0005] first and second surfaces for receiving remnants
of soap; and [0006] at least one through-hole connecting the first
and second surfaces.
[0007] The advantage of this invention is that the apparatus
provides a convenient means for reusing remnants of soap which have
become too small for practical use, thereby reducing waste of
unused soap remnants. The through-hole allows the soap remnants on
the first and second surfaces to adhere to each other, thereby
helping to form the soap remnants and apparatus into a single unit,
and thereby holding the soap in place on the apparatus.
[0008] Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a rim along an
edge of the first and/or second surfaces.
[0009] This helps to hold the soap in place when pressing or
moulding the remnants onto the apparatus.
[0010] The rim may have an inner surface substantially
perpendicular to the first and/or second surfaces.
[0011] An inner surface of the rim may be recessed.
[0012] Advantageously, this helps to secure soap remnants to the
apparatus.
[0013] Preferably, the rim has a convex outer surface.
[0014] This makes the apparatus more comfortable to handle.
[0015] Preferably, the first and/or second surface further
comprises one or more dimples and/or protrusions.
[0016] These help to prevent the soap sliding from side to slide on
the first and second surfaces.
[0017] Preferably, the first and second surfaces are provided by
opposing surfaces of a substantially sheet-like body.
[0018] Preferably, the body is substantially circular or oval.
[0019] With this configuration, the soap remnants can be built up
on the apparatus to form a solid shape similar to that of a
conventional bar of soap, so that it can conveniently be used in
the same way as a normal bar or soap.
[0020] According to a second aspect of the invention, there is
provided a method for storing and reusing remnants of soap,
comprising: [0021] providing a body comprising at least one
through-hole; [0022] pressing at least one first remnant of soap
onto a first surface of a body; and [0023] pressing at least one
second remnant of soap onto a second surface of a body; [0024] such
that the first and second soap remnants adhere to each other
through the through-hole.
[0025] The method may further comprise soaking the first and/or
second soap remnants prior to pressing onto the body.
[0026] This makes the soap remnants easier to press and mould onto
the body.
[0027] The method may further comprise adhering further remnants of
soap to the first and/or second remnants of soap.
[0028] The method may further comprise moulding the adhered
remnants of soap so that the adhered soap remnants resemble a bar
of soap.
[0029] The body may be an apparatus as defined above.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be
described, by way of example only and not in any limitative sense,
with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
[0031] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a soap-saving apparatus
according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
[0032] FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the soap-saving apparatus of
FIG. 1;
[0033] FIG. 3a shows an end view of the soap-saving apparatus of
FIGS. 1 and 2;
[0034] FIG. 3b shows an enlargement of the encircled portion of
FIG. 3a labelled "A"; and
[0035] FIGS. 4 to 6 show corresponding views of a soap-saving
apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0036] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a soap-saving apparatus or soap-saver 10
according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The
soap-saver 10 comprises a flat body 12 having a first surface 14
and a second surface 16 for receiving remnants of soap. Two
through-holes 18 connect the first and second surfaces 14, 16.
[0037] As a remnant of soap becomes too small to be of practical
use, it can be soaked overnight and moulded into the soap-saver 10.
Initially, three or four slithers may be needed to start off the
soap-saver 10, but then more remnants of soap can be added as
required. Once the soap has been moulded and formed onto the
soap-saver 10, it can be allowed to dry and be used as a normal bar
of soap would be used.
[0038] More soap can be added as and when required. The soap-saver
10 allows for remnants of soap to build up to a useful practical
size for continual use. There is no limit to the number of soap
remnants that can be added as the soap naturally reduces in size
with use.
[0039] The through-holes 18 take advantage of soap's natural
propensity to adhere to itself on either side of the soap-saver 10.
This locks the soap remnants firmly to the soap-saver 10. A
suitable diameter for the through-holes 18 is 2.5 cm, although
different sizes and non-circular shapes may be used.
[0040] The first and second surfaces 14, 16 of the soap-saver 10
are dimpled, the dimples 20 giving a degree of stability and
helping to prevent the soap sliding from side to side in its early
stages of adherence to the soap-saver 10. In a different
embodiment, the surfaces may include protrusions instead of or in
addition to dimples.
[0041] The soap-saver 10 also comprises a rim 22 around the edge of
the first and second surfaces 14, 16. This rim 22 has an inner
surface 24 substantially perpendicular to the first and/or second
surfaces 14, 16, and a smoothly curved, convex outer surface 26.
Thus the rim 22 creates an angled edge which also helps retain the
soap in place.
[0042] In this embodiment, the flat body 12 has an oval shape
typical of the cross-section of a conventional bar of soap. As
shown in FIG. 2, the flat oval body 12 may have an overall length
and breadth of about 8 cm by 5 cm. Therefore, as soap is built up
on the soap-saver 10, it gradually resembles a conventional bar of
soap, having a size and shape which is convenient to handle.
However, different shapes are possible.
[0043] The soap-saver 10 can be made from various different
material, but plastic is preferable in order to manufacture the
soap-saver cost-effectively and to provide flexibility of design
shape and the use of different colour finishes.
[0044] FIGS. 4 to 6 show a second embodiment of a soap-saving
apparatus 110 according to the present invention, in which features
corresponding to those of the first embodiment described above are
labelled with the same numbers. In the second embodiment, the
soap-saver 110 has a rim 122 which has a recessed inner surface
124. The recess 125 helps soap remnants to be secured to the
soap-saver 110. However, a non-recessed rim may be preferable for
ease of manufacture.
[0045] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a
method for storing and reusing remnants of soap according to the
present invention comprises: providing a body 12 comprising at
least one through-hole 18; pressing at least one remnant of soap
onto a first surface 14 of the body 12; and pressing at least one
remnant of soap onto a second surface 14 of the body 12, such that
the soap remnants adhere to each other through the through-hole
18.
[0046] In order to facilitate pressing, moulding and adhesion of
the soap remnants on to the body 12, the soap may first be soaked
in water. The soap may be then be left to dry.
[0047] Further remnants of soap can be added, by adhering them to
the soap already held by the soap-saver 10. As the amount of soap
on the soap-saver 10 increases, the soap may be moulded into the
shape of a bar of soap.
[0048] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that
the above embodiments have been described by way of example only,
and not in any limitative sense, and that various alterations and
modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the
invention as defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *