Powered Back Scrubbing System

Abstract

A powered back scrubbing system includes a scrubber assembly, a power unit, a control system, and a housing with legs to support the housing on a shower wall. The scrubber assembly includes a scrubbing head and a drive unit designed to rotate the scrubbing head. The power unit is operatively connected to the drive unit. The control system is operatively connected to the scrubber assembly to control the operation thereof. The legs are designed to support the housing and the scrubber assembly a distance from a shower wall with the scrubbing head facing away from a shower wall to permit a user to engage the user's back against the scrubbing head. The scrubber assembly is movable while the scrubbing head rotates.

Claims

1. A powered back scrubbing system comprising: a scrubber assembly comprising a scrubbing head and a drive unit configured to rotate said scrubbing head; a power unit operatively connected to said drive unit; a control system operatively connected to said scrubber assembly to control the operation thereof; and a housing containing said drive unit and legs being configured to support said housing and said scrubber assembly a distance from a shower wall with said scrubbing head facing away from a shower wall to permit a user to engage the user's back against said scrubbing head.

2. The powered back scrubbing system of claim 1, wherein the powered back scrubbing system further comprises a movement assembly disposed in said housing, and said movement assembly is connected to said scrubber assembly to move said scrubbing head back and forth along a front wall of said housing.

3. The powered back scrubbing system of claim 2, wherein said front wall comprises a guide opening to guide movement of said scrubbing head.

4. The powered back scrubbing system of claim 3, wherein said movement assembly is configured to move said scrubbing head up and down along a user's back.

5. The powered back scrubbing system of claim 4, wherein said movement assembly comprises a motorized drive screw assembly operatively connected to said power unit.

6. The powered back scrubbing system of claim 1, wherein said drive unit comprises a drive motor and a drive shaft connecting said drive motor to said scrubbing head; said drive motor is disposed in said housing; said drive shaft projects through said housing; and said scrubbing head comprises a support platform connected to said drive shaft and a scrubbing structure mounted on said support platform.

7. The powered back scrubbing system of claim 1, wherein said legs comprise suction cups to detachably connect said legs to a shower wall by suction.

8. The powered back scrubbing system of claim 1, wherein said legs are adjustable in length to permit a user to adjust the distance between said housing and a shower wall.

9. The powered back scrubbing system of claim 1, wherein said power unit comprises batteries disposed in said housing.

10. The powered back scrubbing system of claim 9, wherein said batteries are rechargeable batteries and said power unit comprises a charging port projecting through said housing and configured to receive a power cord.

11. The powered back scrubbing system of claim 1, wherein said control system is configured to control at least one of duration, speed, intermittence, and direction of rotation of said scrubbing ahead; and said control system comprises a control panel disposed in said housing and configured to permit a user to input control commands.

12. The powered back scrubbing system of claim 1, wherein said scrubber assembly comprises at least one additional scrubbing head interchangeable with said scrubbing head.

13. The powered back scrubbing system of claim 12, wherein each of said scrubbing heads comprises a different size or type of scrubbing structure.

14. The powered back scrubbing system of claim 1, wherein the powered back scrubbing system further comprises a refillable container containing cleaning medium and a dispenser system connecting said container to said scrubbing head to dispense cleaning medium to said scrubbing head.

15. The powered back scrubbing system of claim 14, wherein: said scrubbing head comprises a passage to permit flow of cleaning medium to said scrubbing structure; said dispenser system comprises a pump to pump cleaning medium out of said container and tubing connecting said pump to said passage in said scrubbing head; and said container and said dispenser system are disposed in said housing.

16. The powered back scrubbing system of claim 2, wherein the powered back scrubbing system comprises a pair of scrubber assemblies, and said movement assembly is operatively connected to said pair of scrubber assemblies to move said scrubbing heads.

17. A powered back scrubbing system comprising: a scrubber assembly comprising a scrubbing head and a drive unit configured to rotate said scrubbing head; said drive unit comprises a drive motor and a drive shaft connecting said drive motor to said scrubbing head; said drive motor is disposed in said housing; said drive shaft projects through said housing; said scrubbing head comprises a support platform connected to said drive shaft and a scrubbing structure mounted on said support platform; said scrubber assembly comprises at least one additional scrubbing head interchangeable with said scrubbing head; each of said scrubbing heads comprises a different size or type of scrubbing structure; said scrubbing head comprises a passage to permit flow of cleaning medium to said scrubbing structure; a housing containing said drive unit and legs being configured to support said housing and said scrubber assembly a distance from a shower wall with said scrubbing head facing away from a shower wall to permit a user to engage the user's back against said scrubbing head; said legs comprise suction cups to detachably connect said legs to a shower wall by suction; said legs are adjustable in length to permit a user to adjust the distance between said housing and a shower wall; a power unit operatively connected to said drive unit; said power unit comprises batteries disposed in said housing; said batteries are rechargeable batteries and said power unit comprises a charging port projecting through said housing and configured to receive a power cord; a control system operatively connected to said scrubber assembly to control the operation thereof; said control system is configured to control at least one of duration, speed, intermittence, and direction of rotation of said scrubbing ahead; said control system comprises a control panel disposed in said housing and configured to permit a user to input control commands; a refillable container containing cleaning medium and a dispenser system connecting said container to said scrubbing head to dispense cleaning medium to said scrubbing head; said dispenser system comprises a pump to pump cleaning medium out of said container and tubing connecting said pump to said passage in said scrubbing head; said container and said dispenser system are disposed in said housing; and a movement assembly disposed in said housing; said movement assembly is connected to said scrubber assembly to move said scrubbing head back and forth along a front wall of said housing; said movement assembly comprises a motorized drive screw assembly operatively connected to said power unit; said front wall comprises a guide opening to guide movement of said scrubbing head; said movement assembly is configured to move said scrubbing head up and down along a user's back.

18. The powered back scrubbing system of claim 17, wherein the powered back scrubbing system comprises a pair of scrubber assemblies.

19. The powered back scrubbing system of claim 18, wherein said movement assembly is operatively connected to said pair of scrubber assemblies to move said scrubbing heads; said refillable container is connected by a pair of dispenser systems to said scrubbing heads; and said power unit and said control system are operatively connected to said pair of scrubber assemblies.

20. The powered back scrubbing system of claim 18, wherein said pair of scrubber assemblies is operatively connected to a pair of refillable containers, a pair of dispenser systems, a pair of power units, and a pair of control systems, each disposed in an individual housing to form a pair of individual scrubbing units; and the powered back scrubbing system comprises a support frame connected to said legs and on which each of said scrubbing units is adjustably mounted to permit manual adjustment of the position of said scrubbing units.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

[0011] The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

[0012] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a powered back scrubbing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 6 is a front cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 7 is a top cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 8 is a view of an embodiment of the disclosure in use.

[0020] FIG. 9 is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure in use.

[0021] FIG. 10 is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure in use.

[0022] FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of a powered back scrubbing system according to another embodiment of the disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 12 is a side cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the disclosure shown in FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 12 thereof, a new powered back scrubbing system embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

[0025] As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 12, the powered back scrubbing system 10 generally comprises a scrubber assembly 12, a power unit 14, a control system 16, and a housing 18 with legs 20 to support the housing 18 on a shower wall 70, as shown in FIGS. 8 through 10. In the embodiments shown, there are two scrubber assemblies 12 as discussed further below, but for convenience of description, one scrubber assembly 12 will be discussed in the following. In addition, identical parts identified in one of the figures may not be marked in the other figures for ease of viewing. As best seen in FIGS. 5 and 7, the scrubber assembly 12 includes a scrubbing head 22 and a drive unit 24 designed to rotate the scrubbing head 22. The drive unit 24 includes a drive motor 26 and a drive shaft 28 connecting the drive motor 26 to the scrubbing head 22. The drive motor 26 is positioned in the housing 18. The drive shaft 28 projects through the housing 18. The scrubbing head 22 includes a support platform 30 connected to the drive shaft 28 and a scrubbing structure 32 mounted on the support platform 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the scrubber assembly 12 can include at least one additional scrubbing head 22 interchangeable with the scrubbing head 22. Each of the scrubbing heads 22 can include a different size or type of scrubbing structure 32. For example, one scrubbing head 22 could be a brush having hard or soft bristles, as shown in FIG. 1, whereas another scrubbing head 22 could be a sponge, as shown in FIG. 3, or pumice stone.

[0026] The housing 18 contains the drive unit 24 and legs 20 are designed to support the housing 18 and the scrubber assembly 12 a distance from a shower wall 70 with the scrubbing head 22 facing away from the shower wall 70 to permit a user 72 to engage the user's back against the scrubbing head 22, as shown in FIGS. 8 through 10. The legs 20 comprise suction cups 34 to detachably connect the legs 20 to the shower wall 70 by suction, though other connection means could be used such as hooks or clips to hang off of parts of a bath or shower. The legs 20 are adjustable in length to permit a user 72 to adjust the distance between the housing 18 and the shower wall 70. The legs 20 could be telescoping with a spring-loaded locking pin 36, as shown in FIG. 7, but other designs are within the scope of the disclosure. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the legs 20 can be used to mount the powered back scrubbing system 10 in different locations in a shower or bath.

[0027] A power unit 14 is operatively connected to the drive unit 24 to supply power to it. The power unit 14 includes batteries positioned in the housing 18. The batteries may be rechargeable batteries and the power unit 14 includes a charging port 38, as shown in FIG. 5, projecting through the housing 18 and designed to receive a power cord. As shown in FIG. 2, a plug 40 could be used to cover the charging port 38 against entry of water.

[0028] A control system 16 is operatively connected to the scrubber assembly 12 to control the operation thereof. The control system 16 is designed to control at least one of duration, speed, intermittence, and direction of rotation of the scrubbing ahead, as well as possibly other operating functions of the powered back scrubbing system 10. The control system 16 includes a control panel 42, as shown in FIG. 1, positioned in the housing 18 and designed to permit a user 72 to input control commands.

[0029] The powered back scrubbing system 10 also includes a movement assembly 44 positioned in the housing 18, best seen in FIG. 6. The movement assembly 44 is connected to the scrubber assembly 12 to move the scrubbing head 22 back and forth along a front wall 48 of the housing 18. The movement assembly 44 shown in FIG. 6 is in the form of a motorized drive screw assembly operatively connected to the power unit 14. The front wall 48 includes a guide opening 46 to guide movement of the scrubbing head 22. The movement assembly 44 is designed to move the scrubbing head 22 up and down along a user's back. This movement can be done while the scrubbing heads 22 are rotating. FIG. 6 shows one possible example of a movement assembly 44 for moving the scrubber assemblies 12, though other designs, such as servomotors, sliding drives on guide rods, and other devices that can move the scrubber assemblies 12 along a path of movement are within the scope of the disclosure.

[0030] The powered back scrubbing system 10 also can include a refillable container 50 containing cleaning medium, such as liquid soap or body wash. A dispenser system 54 connects the container 50 to the scrubbing head 22 to dispense cleaning medium to the scrubbing head 22. The scrubbing head 22 includes a passage 52, as seen in FIGS. 5 and 7, to permit flow of cleaning medium to the scrubbing structure 32. The dispenser system 54 includes a pump 56 to pump cleaning medium out of the container 50 and tubing 58 connecting the pump 56 to the passage 52 in the scrubbing head 22. The container 50 and the dispenser system 54 are positioned in the housing 18. A cap 60 can be used to open and close the container 50. A pump button could be included in the control panel 42 to permit a user 72 to manually activate the pump 56 to dispense cleaning medium, or the control system 16 could control the pump 56 to automatically dispense cleaning medium.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 1 through 10, the powered back scrubbing system 10 includes a pair of scrubber assemblies 22. The movement assembly 44 is operatively connected to the pair of scrubber assemblies 22 to move the scrubbing heads 22. The refillable container 50 is connected by a pair of dispenser systems 54 to the scrubbing heads 22. The power unit 14 and the control system 16 are operatively connected to the pair of scrubber assemblies 22.

[0032] FIGS. 11 and 12 show an alternative embodiment of the powered back scrubbing system 10 in which the pair of scrubber assemblies 12 is operatively connected to a pair of refillable containers 50, a pair of dispenser systems 54, a pair of power units 14, and a pair of control systems 16, each positioned in an individual housing 18 to form a pair of individual scrubbing units 64, rather than using a single housing 18 as in FIGS. 1 through 10. The powered back scrubbing system 10 of FIGS. 11 and 12 includes a support frame 62 connected to the legs 20 and on which each of the scrubbing units 64 is adjustably mounted to permit manual adjustment of the position of the scrubbing units 64. In the embodiment shown, a user 72 could slide the individual scrubbing units 64 up and down along the support frame 62.

[0033] FIGS. 9 and 10 show how to use the powered back scrubbing system 10. Once the user 72 has positioned the powered back scrubbing system 10 in a desired location, the user 72 simply activates the powered back scrubbing system 10 and engages his or her back against the scrubbing heads 22. The scrubbing heads 22 are rotated and scrub the user's back. The user 72 can either manually adjust the position of the scrubbing heads 22, as in the embodiment of FIGS. 11 and 12, or allow the scrubbing heads 22 to be moved up and down automatically, as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 8. If the user 72 finds that the powered back scrubbing system 10 is not in a desired position, he or she may disconnect the suction cups 34 and move the powered back scrubbing system 10 to a different location on the shower wall 70, and also may adjust the length of legs 20.

[0034] With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, 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 an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0035] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure 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 disclosure. In this patent document, the word comprising is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article a does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.