Soap container

Abstract

A container for a bar of soap which is so constructed as to maintain a bar of soap in dry condition is disclosed. The container includes a removable support plate member which rests on flanges attached to the inner surface of the side walls of the container. The support plate is perforated with a series of holes which allow water to drain off the bar of soap into the bottom of the container. Vent holes may be provided in either or both of the container lid and the side walls. Various additional decorative features may be added to the outer surface of the container to provide an attractive and useful item for the home or other area in which bars of soap are utilized.

Description

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a soap container. More particularly, the present invention relates to a container which is adapted for holding a bar of soap, and which prevents the soap from standing in water which may be present in the container, while providing a decorative item which is attractive for use in the bathroom or other areas of the home.

In the use of containers for holding bars of soap in the bathroom or other areas of the home, it has been a common occurrence that water will find its way into the container, such as when splashed into the container as the soap is returned to the container by the user of the soap. As a result, the soap is left standing in the water so that, over a period of time, the soap dissolves in the water, leaving a sticky mass in the container.

By the present invention, there is provided a soap container which overcomes the previously mentioned disadvantages. The soap container of the present invention is provided with a removable support plate which rests upon a plurality of flanges located on the inner surface of each wall of the container, and with a series of detent studs to hold down the plate. The support plate is perforated with a series of holes to allow water which may be initially present on the exterior of the bar of soap when it is placed in the container to drain into the lower portion of the container as the bar of soap rests upon the support plate. A series of studs is provided on the surface of the support plate to allow the bar of soap to be elevated above the drain holes. Indentations are also provided in the support plate to allow the plate to be readily removed from the container. Additional features are provided for ventilation and for disposing of water which collects in the bottom of the container. The soap container of the present invention may be formed in any of various shapes, and decorative features may be imparted to the outer surface of the container to provide an attractive item for use in the home or other area in which bars of soap are utilized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features of the soap container of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the soap container of the present invention with the lid thereof in a raised or open position and with the support plate having been removed;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the soap container of FIG. 1, with the lid having been removed in order to show the features of the inner portion of the soap container;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the removable support member which rests within the soap container shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the embodiment of the soap container of the present invention as shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, there is provided a soap container 10 having a base 11 and four side walls 12. Approximately one-half way up the inner surface of each side wall 12 there is attached a flange 13 which projects inwardly a short distance from the side wall 12. These four projections or flanges 13 are located at approximately the mid-point of the length of each wall 12 and provide contact points upon which rests a removable support plate 14 for a bar of soap (not shown). While the flanges 13 are shown in the drawings as being semi-circular in shape, the flanges 13 may be of any shape which will provide a suitable platform for support of the support plate 14 in a substantially level, stationary position within the container 10. A detent stud 22 is provided directly above the flange 13 at each end of the container to hold down the ends of the support member 14. In addition, a corner flange 27 is provided, together with a detent stud 28, at each corner of the interior of the container, as additional support points for the support plate 14.

The support plate 14, as shown in FIG. 3, is provided with holes 15 which allow water to drain through to the bottom of the container 10. Recessed indentations 23 are located in the opposite sides of the plate 14 to allow easy access for the fingers in removing the support plate 14 from the container 10. A series of ridges or raised studs 24 are also provided in the upper surface of the support plate 14 to allow the bar of soap to be elevated somewhat above the drain holes 15, thus providing improved drainage of water through the holes 15.

The container 10 is provided with a lid 16 which is connected by hinges 21 or other conventional means to the upper edge of the adjacent side wall 12. The lid 16 includes a tab 17 for lifting the lid 16 when it is desired to open the container 10. The container 10 may be mounted on the wall, if desired, and in such a case the lid 16 may be removed from the hinges 21 if such an arrangement is advantageous. The tab 17 is provided with a curved end portion which rides over the lip 20 in the upper edge of the side wall 12 adjacent said tab 17 when the lid 16 is closed, so that the tab 17 serves as a clasp for maintaining the container 10 in a closed condition. The lip 20 is useful in removing accumulated water when the container 10 is tipped on its side for this purpose.

In an alternative means of removing water from the container 10, as shown in FIG. 4, the base 11 is provided at one end with a suitable drain hole 25 and the container 10 is provided with a heel member 26 at the opposite end, thus raising the container 10 at one end, so that any water reaching the end of the container 10 adjacent the drain hole 25 will drain out into the surrounding area, such as the bathtub, for example.

It is desirable to provide ventilation for the soap container 10 of the present invention, to assist in maintaining the bar of soap in a dry condition. Such ventilation may be provided by means of holes 18 in the lid or vent holes 19 in the side walls 12 of the container 10, or by a combination of holes in the lid and side walls 12, as shown in FIG. 1. As a means of decorating the container, the holes 18 in the lid could be shaped in a pattern or design, or formed so as to spell out a word such as "SOAP," as shown in FIG. 1.

The shape of the soap container 10 may be rectangular as shown in FIG. 1 or, alternatively, the soap container 10 may be formed in any of various shapes such as round, square, egg-shaped or in such forms as a pair of sea shells or a cluster of grapes. The material of which the container is formed may be any of various suitable materials, including plastic, alabaster, and metals such as aluminum and the like. The upper surface of the lid of the present soap container can be made attractive for use in the bathroom or other area by the application of designs such as different colored gems and insets to match the bathroom.

In use, the soap is placed upon the support plate 14 within the soap container 10 when the soap is not in use. The container 10 may be placed upon the sink, mounted on the wall or located in any other convenient position. Any water which may have accumulated upon the bar of soap will pass through the holes 15 in the support plate 14 down into the lower portion of the container. The holes 18, 19 provided in the lid 16 or side walls 12 will provide ventilation which will result in drying of the bar of soap and subsequent evaporation of water in the bottom of the container 10. The lip 20 at the top of one of the side walls 12 may also be employed in order to drain out any accumulated water. In this way, the soap will remain dry upon the support member 14 for use as a bar of soap in solid form.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the forms hereinbefore described being merely preferred embodiments thereof.

Claims

It is claimed:

1. A container for a bar of soap, comprising: a base member and a plurality of side walls attached to said base member; a flange mounted on the inner surface of each side wall, each of said flanges being located equidistant from said base member; a removable support plate for supporting the bar of soap, said support plate being perforated with a series of holes and being of a size which allows said support plate to rest on said flanges within the interior of said container, said support plate being provided with recessed indentations in opposite sides thereof to allow access for the fingers of a person removing the support plate from the container, and wherein a series of raised studs are provided on the upper surface of said support plate to elevate the bar of soap above the holes in said support plate; a detent stud for holding down an edge of said support plate located directly above the flanges on at least two of the side walls; and a hinged lid mounted on the upper edge of one of said side walls and having means for securing said lid to the side wall opposite to that upon which said lid is mounted.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein corner flanges for support of said support plate are located in the corners formed by said side walls, including a detent stud located above each corner flange.

3. The container of claim 1 wherein vent holes are provided in said side walls.

4. The container of claim 1 wherein vent holes are provided in said lid.

5. The container of claim 4 wherein said vent holes in said lid are arranged to spell out a word.

6. The container of claim 1 wherein one of said side walls is provided at its upper edge with a lip for use in emptying liquid materials from said container.

7. The container of claim 1 further including a drain hole in one end of the base member and a heel member attached to the base at the opposite end thereof for elevating said opposite end of the base.