U.S. patent number 3,851,340 [Application Number 05/401,866] was granted by the patent office on 1974-12-03 for plastic container for footbath.
Invention is credited to Andreas Keusch.
United States Patent |
3,851,340 |
Keusch |
December 3, 1974 |
PLASTIC CONTAINER FOR FOOTBATH
Abstract
The disclosure teaches a novel molded plastic footbath
container. The container includes two cavities, each one of which
is a receptacle for the feet of a user. A third cavity, which is in
fluid communication with both of the receptacles, is included in
the container and is used as a fluid mixing chamber. Any footbath
mixture can therefore be mixed in the mixing cavity and distributed
to the feet receptacles with the novel container. To perform the
distribution function, the container is tilted to permit the fluid
to flow from the mixing chamber to the receptacles. Fluid
communication is preferably provided by a channel connecting the
mixing chamber to the receptacles.
Inventors: |
Keusch; Andreas (Brossard,
Quebec, CA) |
Family
ID: |
23589549 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/401,866 |
Filed: |
September 28, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
4/622; D24/205;
220/555; 607/86; D23/280.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K
3/022 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47K
3/022 (20060101); A47k 003/022 () |
Field of
Search: |
;4/1,4,6,165,182,183,239,254 ;128/66,368,369,370 ;D23/48,51,55
;229/2.5,3.5MF ;220/1C,20,23.86,DIG.28 ;206/210 ;D83/1U ;D7/38 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
117,379 |
|
Jul 1918 |
|
GB |
|
360,473 |
|
Apr 1962 |
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CH |
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Primary Examiner: Huckert; John W.
Assistant Examiner: Levy; Stuart S.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Swabey; Alan Mitchell; Robert
E.
Claims
I claim:
1. A molded plastic footbath container comprising:
a molded body portion;
an interior cavity formed in said molded body portion and
surrounded by an external wall;
a first wall means in said cavity enclosing a first portion of said
cavity, said first portion comprising a fluid mixing chamber;
second wall means in said cavity extending from said first wall
means to said external wall separating a second portion of said
cavity from a third portion of said cavity, said second and third
portions being separated from said first portion by said first wall
means, said second and third portions comprising feet
receptacles;
a groove extending from the mixing chamber along a portion of said
second wall means;
the floor of said groove diverging upwardly in a direction away
from said mixing chamber and merging with the top surface of said
second wall at the end of the groove remote from said mixing
chamber;
the portion of the top surface of said second wall means between
said first wall means and said external wall being above the top
surfaces of said second and third cavity portions;
the top surface of said second wall being below the top surface of
said external wall;
said groove forming channel means in said second wall means, said
channel means being in fluid communication, at one end thereof,
with said first portion and, at another end thereof, with said
second and third portions;
whereby fluid will communicate between said first portion and said
second and third portions when said container is tilted about the
end of the container opposite said mixing chamber.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel footbath container. More
specifically, this invention relates to a footbath container
comprising a fluid mixing cavity and two separate feet receptacle
cavities, and means for providing fluid communication between the
mixing cavity and the two receptacle cavities.
2. Statement of the Prior Art
It is known to provide footbaths with separate feet receptacle
cavities as is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,060,236,
Dodge. However, with such containers, if the feet must be soaked in
a fluid mixture, the mixture must be prepared outside of the
footbath container. This is inconvenient and can lead to undue
spillage of the fluid mixture when pouring the mixture into the
container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, a footbath container
comprises:
AN INTERIOR FOOTBATHING PORTION;
TWO CAVITIES IN SAID INTERIOR PORTION COMPRISING RECEPTACLES FOR
FEET;
A MIXING CAVITY IN SAID INTERIOR PORTION FOR PREPARING A FLUID
MIXTURE;
AND MEANS IN SAID INTERIOR PORTION FOR PROVIDING THE FLUID
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID MIXING CAVITY AND SAID TWO
RECEPTACLES.
Preferably, the means for providing fluid communication comprises a
channel in said interior portion, said channel being in fluid
communication at one end thereof, with said mixing cavity.
Preferably again, the other end of the channel is in fluid
communication with each of said two receptacles.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be better understood by an examination of the
following description, together with the accompanying drawings, in
which:
FIG. 1 is a top view of one embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a front view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a section along line 3--3 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a section along line 4--4 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a right side view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG.
1;
FIG. 6 is a section along line 6--6 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a section along line 7--7 of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 8 is a top view of a second embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to FIG. 1, the footbath container is designated
generally at 1 and comprises an interior portion, designated
generally at 3. The interior portion comprises two separate feet
receptacles 5 and 7, and a mixing cavity 9 at the top end 10 of the
container. The mixing cavity is separated from the feet receptacles
5 and 7 by separator walls 11 and 13 respectively. Wall 15 is a
continuation of the joinder of walls 11 and 13 and comprises a feet
receptacle separator wall.
A channel, or groove, 17 extends from the bottom end of the mixing
cavity 9 and is in fluid communication with the mixing cavity. As
can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the floor 23 of the mixing cavity 9
slopes upwardly in the direction towards the bottom end of the
container. The floor 25 of the channel 17 extends from the floor 23
along a continuous line to the top of the wall 15. Thus, a
continuous fluid path is provided from the interior of the cavity 9
to the top of the wall 15.
Ridges 35 and 37 are so positioned in the container that they will
engage with the insteps of the feet of a user of the container when
the container is in use. As can be seen in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the
ridges 35 and 37 can be formed by forming indentations in the
bottom of the container. As it is contemplated to make the
container of a synthetic material, such as plastic, by a molding or
forming process this would be the preferred way of forming the
ridges.
In a like manner, and as can be seen in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the
separator walls 11, 13 and 15 are formed by indentations 29, 31 and
27 respectively in the bottom of the container.
In operation, the container works as follows: the components of a
foot bathing mixture, including water or some other fluid, are
placed in the mixing cavity 9 and mixed as required. After the
mixture has been thus prepared, the container is tilted by raising
the top end of the container 10 with the bottom end of the
container 12 being used as a pivot point. Because of the upward
slope of the cavity and channel floors, the fluid in the cavity
will flow out of the cavity and down through the channel 17. As the
floor of channel 17 meets with the top of the wall 15, when the
fluid exits from the bottom of the channel, it will flow along the
top of the wall 15. As more fluid exits from the channel, the fluid
will overflow the edges of the wall 15 and flow into the cavities 5
and 7. In this manner, the entire contents of the cavity 9 can be
emptied into the cavities 5 and 7 so that the footbath mixture can
be prepared in the container and then distributed into the feet
receptacles.
By holding the container in such a manner that the right and left
sides are at even levels, the fluid of the cavity will be equally
distributed in the right and left receptacles. If it is necessary
to provide more fluid in, for example, the right receptacle, then
the container would be tilted to the right, as well as up and down,
during the distribution process so that the distribution, vis-a-vis
right and left receptacles, can be controlled.
When the fluid has been distributed in the feet receptacles, the
user's feet are placed in the receptacles with the toes facing the
top end 10 of the container. The insteps of the user's feet will
engage the ridges 35 and 37 so that, by a reciprocating, rocking
motion of the feet, a massaging and exercising of the feet is
provided. In addition, because the feet are raised somewhat from
the floors of the receptacles by the ridges, the fluid can pass
under the feet and swirl about in the receptacle when the feet are
being moved back and forth.
FIG. 8 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 8,
like references with the addition of an a denote similar parts, to
the references in FIGS. 1 to 7.
The container is advantageously shaped so as to fit on the top rim
of a toilet seat. When the container is so shaped, it is possible
to use it for treating the genital organs or the thighs of a
user.
To treat the genital organs, a medicant mixture is prepared in the
cavity 9a after the container is placed on the toilet seat. The
cavity is placed adjacent the back of the toilet seat. The user
then sits on the container and, as the cavity is adjacent the rear
of the toilet seat, the genital organs will be adjacent the cavity
9a. The genital organs can thus be washed or soaked in the
mixture.
It can also be seen that the thighs of the user will fit into the
receptacle cavities 5a and 7a. Thus, to treat the thighs, the
mixture would first be distributed to these receptacles, as above
described, and the user would then be seated.
The cavity will be of such a size that a small amount of medicant
can be mixed. This use would be especially appropriate in
hospitals.
In the FIG. 8 embodiment, there are, as before, feet receptacle
cavities 5a and 7a, and a mixing cavity 9a. However, in the FIG. 8
embodiment, the mixing cavity is placed between the receptacles
midway along the length of the receptacles so that the channel 17a
extends to the left and right of the mixing cavity.
To distribute the fluid from the mixing cavity into the feet
receptacle cavities with the FIG. 8 embodiment, the container is
tilted about the top end 10a by lifting the bottom end 12a. While
the FIG. 8 embodiment is a feasible and workable embodiment, it is
more difficult to produce and manipulate than the FIG. 1 embodiment
and is therefore less preferred than the FIG. 1 embodiment.
Although several embodiments have been described in the foregoing,
this was for the purpose of describing, but not limiting, the
invention. Various modifications, which will come readily to the
mind of one skilled in the art, are within the scope of the
invention as defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *