SOAP, SOAP HOLDER AND SOAP - SOAP HOLDER ASSEMBLY
20220133094 · 2022-05-05
Inventors
Cpc classification
C11D17/006
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
A47K5/05
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A45D40/00
HUMAN NECESSITIES
International classification
A47K5/05
HUMAN NECESSITIES
C11D17/00
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
Abstract
A soap holder for holding at least one bar of soap having at least one cleaning surface, a holding face and at least one lug projecting from said holding face, the soap holder comprising at least one contact face intended to be in contact with the holding face of the soap, a handling surface arranged to be held by a user, and at least one housing opening into said contact face, wherein said at least one housing is configured to receive said corresponding lug of the soap. The housing of the soap holder is arranged to allow said soap lug to be removably introduced into the housing. The invention also relates to a bar of soap suitable for the holder soap bars described above and intended for use on such a holder, as well as an assembly comprising a holder and at least one bar of soap.
Claims
1. A soap holder intended to hold at least one bar of soap having at least one cleaning surface, a holding face and at least one lug projecting from the holding face, said soap holder comprising: at least one contact face intended to be in contact with the holding face of the bar of soap; a handling surface arranged to be held by a user; and at least one housing opening into said contact face, said at least one housing being configured to receive said corresponding lug of the bar of soap; wherein said at least one housing is arranged to allow said soap lug to be removably introduced into said at least one housing.
2. The soap holder according to claim 1, wherein the housing is delimited by a wall and wherein the wall of the housing and the contact face form between them a non-acute angle.
3. The soap holder according to claim 1, wherein the housing is delimited by a wall and wherein the projection of the wall of the housing on the contact face does not protrude from the opening of the housing in the direction of the handling surface.
4. The soap holder according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a threaded zone and wherein the lug comprises a thread complementary to the threaded zone of the housing.
5. The soap holder according to claim 1, wherein said at least one housing is a through hole.
6. The soap holder according to claim 1, in which said holder has several housings.
7. The soap holder according to claim 1, wherein said holder has two contact faces.
8. A bar of soap comprising: at least one cleaning surface arranged to be in contact with a body to be cleaned when using the soap; a holding face arranged to be in contact with a soap holder; and at least a lug emerging from the holding face; wherein said at least one lug is configured to be able to be inserted in a removable manner into a corresponding housing of said soap holder.
9. The bar of soap according to claim 8, wherein said lug has a cylindrical shape having a generatrix perpendicular to the holding face.
10. The bar of soap according to claim 8, wherein said lug has a thread having a thread axis perpendicular to the holding face.
11. The bar of soap according to claim 8, in which the cleaning surface comprises at least one recess, the number of recesses, their shape and their dimensions being identical to the number of lugs, to their shape and to their dimensions.
12. The bar of soap according to claim 11, wherein said recesses and said lugs are configured so that said lugs of one bar of soap can be inserted into said recesses of another identical bar of soap.
13. A soap—soap holder assembly comprising: a soap holder; and at least one bar of soap, said at least one bar of soap having at least one cleaning surface and a holding face comprising at least one lug emerging from the holding face; said soap holder comprising at least one contact face intended to be in contact with the holding face of the bar of soap, a handling surface arranged for be held by a user, and at least one housing opening into said contact face; wherein said at least one lug is configured to be able to be inserted in a removable manner into a corresponding housing of said soap holder.
14. The soap—soap holder assembly according to claim 13, wherein said assembly comprises a soap holder and two bars of soap.
15. The soap—soap holder assembly according to claim 14, wherein the housing of said soap holder has a through hole and wherein the lugs of the two soaps are disposed in said through hole.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] The present invention and its advantages will be better understood thanks to the detailed description which follows, with reference to the enclosed figures, in which:
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0058] Several embodiments of the invention are described. References consisting of a number followed by a letter relate to a specific embodiment of an element of the invention. Similar elements of different embodiments of the invention have the same reference number, this reference number being followed by a different letter for different embodiments. Where an item is followed in the description by a reference number without a letter, the text relates to the item described, regardless of the specific embodiment. When an element is followed in the description by a reference number with a letter, the text relates to the element described according to the specific embodiment.
[0059]
[0060] The soap holder 10a further comprises a female housing 14a made in the form of a hole passing through the holder 10a and opening out on the one hand into the contact face 12a and on the other hand into the opposite face 13a opposite the contact face 12a.
[0061]
[0062] The housing 14a is delimited by a wall 114 forming an intersection with the contact face 12a. The wall 114 of the housing 14a and the contact face 12a define an angle α at their intersection, this angle α being on the side of the holder in which there is material and not on the void side of the housing, as illustrated in
[0063] The absence of any acute angles and overhangs offers two advantages. On the one hand, an acute angle can be unpleasant for the user and cause discomfort or even injury when this angle becomes accessible to the user, that is to say when the soap has reached a certain degree of wear. On the other hand, the lack of overhang allows new soap to be placed on the holder when an old soap has been consumed. This therefore makes it possible to reuse the holder. Indeed, the presence of an overhang implies that the soap must be fixed to the holder while the soap is still mushy, that is to say during its manufacture. As new soap is in principle solid, it cannot be placed in a holder, the latter therefore not being reusable. On the contrary, in the absence of an overhanging zone, it is possible to move the soap in a general movement perpendicular to the contact surface 12a, without this overhanging element retaining the soap. In this way, the soap can be seen as being able to be removably placed on the holder.
[0064] The soap holder 10a, and more specifically the handling surface 11a, is intended to be held by a user when he or she wishes to use a soap held on the holder 10a. For this purpose, the diameter and the height of the holder 10a are such that the holder can be held and handled easily.
[0065]
[0066] As in the previous embodiment, the wall of the housing forms a non-acute angle α with the contact face of the holder so that this housing does not form a sharp angle or have an overhanging element.
[0067]
[0068] Each bar of soap also comprises a male lug 23 which has a complementary shape and/or is adapted to the female housing 14 of the soap holder 10.
[0069] When a bar of soap 20 is to be mounted on a soap holder 10, the male lug 23 in the soap bar is inserted into the female housing 14 of the soap holder. The retaining face 22 of the bar of soap 20 is pressed against the contact face 12 of the soap holder 10. This has the effect of maintaining the soap on the holder, possibly by a suction effect, and of reinforcing the stability of the soap on the holder. Due to the relatively large contact surface between the contact face 12 of the holder and the retaining face 22 of the bar of soap and due to the presence of a lug 23 serving for holding and guiding, no further fastening element is necessary for the soap 20 to be held on the holder 10. Surprisingly, it suffices to wet or dampen the soap 20 and to press it against the holder 10 for the soap to hold on the holder. This method of attachment in which the soap is not retained by a housing whose walls form an acute angle with the contact face 12 or whose housing forms an overhang or in which protrusions are introduced into the soap, goes against all the soap holders which have been developed and goes against what is generally accepted and considered to be obvious and essential by those skilled in the art.
[0070] In all of the illustrated embodiments, apart from that illustrated by
[0071] In the embodiment illustrated in
[0072] In the embodiment of
[0073] The bar of soap 20c of
[0074] The bar of soap 20d illustrated in
[0075]
[0076] When a bar of soap 20 and a soap holder 10 according to the invention are used, the soap 20 wears out until it comes flush with the holder 10. At this time, only the part of the soap placed in the housing remains, namely the lug 23. In the case where the housing 14a has a through hole, as illustrated for example in
[0077] The remaining soap can be used as a bar of soap, for example. In the case where the soap has a recess 24 adapted to the shape of the lug 23, as illustrated in
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[0081] According to different possible variants, the handling surface 11 could have a shape chosen from a loop, a handle, a disc, a portion of a disc, a cylinder, a cylindrical strip, a portion of a sphere or any other suitable shape.
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[0083] The bar of soap 20e of
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[0085] To this end, the holder 10f of
[0086] The holder 10g of
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[0088] As illustrated in
[0089] In this embodiment, a first bar of soap can be placed opposite the contact face 12h of the soap holder, while a second bar of soap can be placed on the opposite face 13h. The shape of the housings 14h, 14h′ acts as a “foolproof” in the sense that a bar of soap whose lug 23 is provided to fit one of the housings of the holder can only be placed in this housing and not in the housing made in the opposite face.
[0090] Both bars of soap can be of identical composition and have an identical application. This can for example be the case with soap used for washing hands, where it makes sense for the two bars of soap to be the same. It is also conceivable to have different soaps, intended for different applications such as for example a bar of soap for the body of a user and a bar of soap for washing the hair. It is also possible to provide two bars of soap having in particular different compositions, scents or colors. The bars of soap can also be intended for two different people.
[0091] The through hole 60 connecting both housings makes it possible to easily remove the remaining tabs of the soap bars when they have been used up. As in the other embodiments, none of the housings has an overhanging area with respect to the opening of the corresponding housing. Thus, it is possible to introduce a bar of soap on the holder with a pin placed in the housing, while the soap is hard.
[0092]
[0093] In this soap—soap holder assembly 70a, the holding face 22c of each of the soap bars is in contact with the contact face 12a of the holder or with the face 13a opposite the contact face. The lug 23c of each bar of soap is placed in the housing 14a of the holder. The large contact surface between the holding and contact faces ensures good resistance of the soap bars on the holder. The handling surface 11a of the holder is easily accessible by the user and allows him or her to hold the soap—soap holder assembly firmly and conveniently, without the risk of the assembly escaping his or her hands.
[0094] The cleaning surface 21c of the soap bars is also easily accessible by the user, which allows him or her to use the soap easily. The only surface without soap is the handling surface 11a. On the one hand, when using the soap—soap holder assembly 70a, the handling surface is held by the user, which implies that there is little risk of it coming into contact with the parts of the body that the user cleans. On the other hand, even if this handling surface rubs the users body, it is soft and does not risk injuring the user.
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[0099] It is clear that a number of housings and holders other than one or three could be used, as long as a bar of soap can be placed on a holder. According to a variant, the holder could have more housings than the soap has lugs. The bar of soap could for example have two lugs while the holder has three housings. As indicated above, it suffices for a bar of soap to be able to be held in place on a holder and therefore for the contact surface between the bar of soap and the holder to be large enough.
[0100] In the embodiment illustrated by
[0101] This embodiment allows a company to affix a distinctive sign such as a trademark or any other appropriate form of its choice, on the one hand so that its soap and the corresponding holder are recognizable to the consumer and on the other hand, in order to link the holder to a particular brand of soap. For example, the company can offer a holder to its customers and ensure that they will only use its soap on the holder in question. It is also possible to associate a form of the base with a particular event such as for example a religious holiday, a media event or other.
[0102] The housing of the holder may be completely traverse the holder, as far as the logo allows, or it may partially traverse. In the latter case, it is advantageous to provide an extraction means to be able to remove the lug from the holder when the soap is consumed.
[0103] In the embodiment illustrated by
[0104] Also in this embodiment, the bar of soap 20j can be mounted on the holder regardless of when the soap is manufactured, which means that the holder is reusable. In addition, no protruding or protruding element protrudes from the holder so that the user cannot be injured or be inconvenienced.
[0105] The remaining part of the lug 23j of the soap 20j, when the soap is used up, can be extracted from the holder by rotating this lug, for example by means of a screwdriver or a coin. This remaining part can also be placed in a recess provided for this purpose in a new bar of soap.
[0106]
[0107] The lug 23k has a cylinder shape having a portion 91 of its base in the form of a portion of a circle with a diameter allowing the lug 23k to be placed in the housing 14l of the holder, and two flats 92 parallel and spaced apart so that the width of the lug 23k is less wide than the width of the groove 90.
[0108] In this embodiment, when the soap bar is to be introduced on a holder, the lug 23k is presented opposite the groove 90 so that this lug can be moved along the groove in the direction of the housing 14l. The position of the soap in relation to the holder is called the introduction position.
[0109] When the lug has been placed in the housing, the soap is pivoted so that the flats 92 of the lug are no longer in the extension of the groove 90, so that the lug 23k cannot come out of the housing 14l. This position corresponds to a so-called locking position.
[0110] Also in this embodiment, a new bar of soap can easily be placed on a holder when the soap is hard, i.e. regardless of when it was manufactured, making the holder reusable.
[0111] The absence of elements presenting claws, protrusions or forming a sharp or acute angle ensures that the holder does not risk injuring the user or causing discomfort or pain. The absence of overhanging elements also allows new soap to be placed on the holder, making the holder reusable.
[0112] When the soap bars are used up, only the lugs remain in the housings. These lugs can easily be extracted from the housings by simply pressing. The soap remaining from these lugs can be used as a small soap bar or be attached to a new bar of soap, as previously described. So no soap is wasted.
[0113] According to various embodiments of the invention, the soap holder can be made entirely or partially of wood, synthetic or biodegradable materials, or of virtually any water-resistant material.
[0114] The soap—soap holder assembly makes it possible to hold the bar or bars of soap easily and firmly, without the risk of the soap bar or soap bars slipping and escaping from the user's hands. The holder avoids any waste of soap and does not present a risk of injuring or inconveniencing the user. In addition, the holder can be reused easily to receive a new bar of soap. The holder allows the user to easily rest the soap holder assembly in a position such that the assembly does not rest on the soap. This would have the effect of leaving the soap in the humidity, the soap then disintegrating, sticking to the holder, in an unhygienic manner.
[0115] Several embodiments of the invention have been described. These embodiments are not, however, limiting. In particular, the combination of different characteristics from different embodiments is also included in the invention, as long as this combination is usable or achievable. The shape of the housing can be any as long as it allows a new soap to be placed when an old soap has been consumed. This implementation must be able to be done when the soap making is finished, when a user has acquired the soap and not during the manufacture of this soap.
[0116] In the illustrated embodiments, the holder has a circular shape when viewed from above. It is clear that other shapes are also possible. Among these shapes, there are in particular oval, ovoid, square, rectangular shapes, with rounded corners for example, but also all kinds of geometric shapes or even distinctive shapes, for example specific to a company.