Wall-mounted back brush

Abstract

Described is a wall-mounted back brush comprising a base having a front surface and a back surface. A plurality of bristles are disposed on the front surface and extend outward therefrom. The bristles may be used to scratch, massage, or scrub a user's back as desired. The present invention further comprises an attachment means, such as suction cups, for securing the device to a wall or other surface. One or more grooves are disposed on the front surface of the base and are adapted to receive a plurality of massage nodules that can be removably secured within the grooves. The device may be mounted to a door by means of a plurality of loops of elastic cable having an anchor disposed thereon. The loops of elastic cable can be secured to the base and may be stretched around the corners of a door.

Claims

1. A wall-mounted brush, comprising: a base having a back surface and a front surface; a plurality of apertures, wherein each aperture of the plurality of apertures is disposed at a corner of the base; each of the plurality of apertures including an elastic loop threaded therethrough, the elastic loop including an anchor sized to not pass through the plurality of apertures; a plurality of bristles disposed centrally on said front surface such that a portion of the base on said front surface forms a border around the plurality of bristles; one or more grooves disposed on said front surface adapted to receive one or more massage nodules; and one or more massage nodules that are adapted to be removably inserted into said one or more grooves, wherein said one or more massage nodules extend outward from said one or more grooves when inserted therein, wherein each of the one or more massage nodules comprises a lower cylindrical portion connected to an upper conical portion, wherein a lower surface of the upper conical portion makes flush contact with the base when inserted in one of the one or more grooves; wherein said base is securable to a door via attachment of each elastic loop to a corner of the door.

2. The wall-mounted brush of claim 1, wherein said base is flexible such that it can be rolled up for storage and placed within a cylindrical sheath.

3. The wall-mounted brush of claim 1, wherein said base is rectangular.

4. The wall-mounted brush of claim 1, wherein said base is elliptical.

5. The wall-mounted brush of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of suction cups disposed on said back surface of said base.

6. The wall-mounted brush of claim 1, wherein said plurality of bristles are positioned centrally on said base, and wherein said grooves are positioned on a portion of said base adjacent to said plurality of bristles.

7. The wall-mounted brush of claim 1, wherein said one or more massage nodules are hemispherical.

8. The wall-mounted brush of claim 1, wherein said plurality of bristles are absorbent such that said plurality of bristles can be used for washing a user's back.

9. The wall mounted brush of claim 1, wherein the one or more massage nodules comprises a first grouping of massage nodules disposed on a first side of the base and a second grouping of massage nodules disposed on a second side of the base, wherein the plurality of bristles are disposed between the first grouping and the second grouping.

10. The wall mounted brush of claim 9, wherein the first grouping includes three massage nodules arranged to form a first triangular perimeter, wherein the second grouping includes three massage nodules arranged to form a second triangular perimeter, wherein the first triangular perimeter and the second triangular perimeter are symmetrical.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

(2) FIG. 1A shows a front view of an embodiment of the wall-mounted brush of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 1B shows a back view of an embodiment of the wall-mounted brush of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the wall-mounted brush of the present invention as mounted on a wall.

(5) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the wall-mounted brush of the present invention and the massage nodules thereon.

(6) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the wall-mounted brush of the present invention as mounted to a door by loops of elastic cable.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the wall-mounted brush. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for scrubbing, scratching, or massaging a user's back in a hands-free manner without the assistance of another person. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

(8) Referring now to FIG. 1A, there is shown a front view of an embodiment of the wall-mounted brush of the present invention. The wall-mounted brush comprises a base 12 that is flat, flexible, and lightweight. The base 12 may be composed of rubber or a similar flexible, lightweight material. The base 12 is flexible such that it can be easily rolled up into a cylindrical shape for storage or travel when the device is not in use. When rolled up, the base 12 can be placed in a flexible, cylindrical sheath that helps to maintain the base 12 is maintained in a compact, rolled up configuration.

(9) The base 12 comprises a front surface 21 on which a plurality of bristles 13 are disposed. The bristles 13 extend outward from the front surface 21 and form a brush-like surface. The bristles 13 may be arranged in a single cluster, or may be arranged in several clusters. In some embodiments the bristles cover the entire surface of the base and in other embodiments the bristles are located centrally on the base. The bristles 13 form a brush-like surface that a user may use to scrub, massage, or scratch his or her back. The bristles may have any of a variety of densities so as to suit the preferences of the particular user.

(10) The front surface 21 of the base 12 further comprises one or more grooves 16 disposed thereon that are adapted to receive massage nodules. Further, some embodiments of the present invention include a plurality of apertures 14 disposed on the base 12 that are adapted to receive a hanging device. The apertures 14 may be used to assist in hanging or mounting the device and can engage with a variety of hanging devices such as hooks or cables as desired by the user.

(11) Referring now to FIG. 1B, there is shown a back view of an embodiment of the wall-mounted brush of the present invention. In some embodiments of the present invention, the back surface 22 of the base 12 comprises a plurality of suction cups 15 adapted to secure said base 12 to a wall or other surface. The suction cups 15 may be used alone to secure the wall-mounted brush 11 to a surface, or may be used in combination with other hanging devices to better maintain the device in position on a wall or other surface.

(12) Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the wall-mounted brush of the present invention as mounted on a wall. The base 12 is mounted on a wall at a suitable height for a user to utilize the bristles 13 on the base 12 for scrubbing or scratching the user's back. The wall-mounted brush 11 may be mounted on the wall of a shower or bathtub and can be used to clean or scrub a user's back. The user may wet the bristles 13 and put soap or lather on the bristles 13 so that the user can wash his or her back by moving his or her body against the bristles. The bristles may be composed of an absorbent material that will hold the water and soap thereon. In this way, the user can clean his or her back in a hands-free manner, without twisting and turning, simply by moving his or her body against the bristles as desired.

(13) Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the wall-mounted brush of the present invention and the massage nodules thereon. The wall-mounted brush comprises one or more grooves 16 disposed on the front surface 21 of the base 12 adapted to receive one or more massage nodules 17 therein. When inserted into the grooves 16, the massage nodules 17 extend outward therefrom. The massage nodules 17 may have any of a variety of shapes including a conical shape, a rounded or hemispherical shape, or a square shape. A user may press his or her back against the massage nodule in order to apply pressure to an area of soreness and to help massage a particular area. The massage nodules are adapted to aid a user in performing shiatsu massage or acupressure techniques. The massage nodules may be interchanged as desired by the user and can be easily inserted and removed into the grooves by snapping the nodules into place. In some embodiments of the present invention, the grooves 16 are disposed on an area of the base 12 adjacent to said bristles 13.

(14) Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the wall-mounted brush of the present invention as mounted on a door by means of loops of elastic cable. The wall-mounted brush 11 comprises a base 12 having a plurality of apertures 14 disposed thereon. The apertures 14 are shown as being positioned at the corners of the base 12, but may be arranged in other locations in other embodiments of the present invention. The device further comprises loops 19 of elastic cable having an anchor 18 disposed thereon. The anchors 18 are sized such that they are unable to pass through the apertures 14. In order to mount the wall-mounted brush using loops of elastic cable, the loops can be threaded through the apertures 14 from the front surface towards the back surface, and pulled through until the anchor 18 catches on the aperture 14. Then, the loops can be stretched over the corners of the door 20. By securing the loops of elastic cable around the four corners of the door, the base 12 can be mounted on the door 20 without the use of suction cups or other hanging means. This hanging arrangement may be desirable where the use of suction cups is not appropriate. For example, if the door has an uneven surface as result of carvings or decorative indentations on the surface of the door, suction cups would not be able to be able to grip the uneven surfaces of the door.

(15) In order for a person to scrub or scratch his or her own back, the person must twist and strain in order to reach various locations on his or her back. Many people are simply unable to reach certain portions of their backs and require the assistance of another person to clean or scratch their backs. Hand-held brushes provide a user with a longer reach, but still require the user to twist their arms in order to scrub his or her back. Further, when using the hand-held brush the user is unable to use his or her hands for other purposes. Thus, a device that allows for hands-free scrubbing or scratching of a user's back is desired.

(16) The present invention provides a wall-mounted brush comprising a base with a plurality of bristles disposed on the front surface thereof. The wall-mounted brush comprises an attachment means, such as suction cups, for securing the brush to a wall or other surface. The base comprises one or more grooves that are adapted to receive massage nodules having various shapes. Thus, the present invention provides users with a device that allows for hands-free scratching, scrubbing, or massaging of a user's back without the assistance of another person.

(17) It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

(18) Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.