Abstract:
A backscratcher for relieving itches includes a head portion having a claw element in an end thereof; and a handle portion; wherein the handle portion is active connected with the head portion in the other end thereof. The backscratcher as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handle portion is hinged with the head portion. The backscratcher further includes a receptacle for receiving the handle portion, the handle portion is slidable in the receptacle.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a backscratcher, and more particularly relates to a backscratcher with a foldable and telescopic handle portion.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     In usual life, a physical tool commonly called a backscratcher is used to relieve itches generated from hard-to-reach areas of the person body. A conventional backscratcher  1  shown in  FIG. 5  has an integral structure which comprises a handle portion and a claw portion extending from the handle portion. For effectively scratching and relieving itches, the backscratcher  1  must have a long length. However, this will increase the volume of the backscratcher so that the backscratcher  1  is difficult to be stored, taken or transported.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     A main feature of the present invention is to provide a backscratcher which has a collapsible handle portion.  
         [0004]     Another feature of the present invention is to provide a backscratcher the length of which is changeable according to individual need.  
         [0005]     According to one embodiment of the invention, a backscratcher for relieving itches comprises a head portion having a claw element in an end thereof; and a handle portion; wherein the handle portion is active connected with the head portion in the other end thereof. The handle portion is hinged with the head portion.  
         [0006]     In an embodiment, a resilient piece is attached to the inner wall of the claw element of the head portion. Said head portion has a pair of pivoting blocks at one end adjacent the handle portion, each of pivoting block having a central hole; said handle portion has a tubular portion with a central hole defined therein at one end adjacent the head portion for being disposed between the two pivoting blocks; and a lock element is provided to extend through the central holes of the pivoting blocks and the tubular portion to hinge the head portion with the handle portion. In the invention, the lock element may be a pin or a spindle element. In an embodiment, the spindle element is an elastic element having a central opening formed therein. Said head portion further comprises an engage portion having a cavity defined therein; said tubular portion has a protrusion corresponding to the cavity of the engage portion.  
         [0007]     In the invention, the backscratcher further comprises a receptacle for receiving the handle portion, the handle portion is slidable in the receptacle. Two railes are formed at both lateral sides of the handle portion in a longitudinal direction; the receptacle has two extrusions provided in its inner side, said extrusions being engaged with the railes of the handle portion; a pair of stopping tabs are respectively formed at the rails at the end of the handle portion adjacent the receptacle; and two notches are respectively formed on the protrusions of the receptacle to engage with the two stopping tabs. A rectangular pad is formed upon the top surface of the handle portion in an end thereof adjacent to the head portion, a containing room is formed in one end of the receptacle for receiving said rectangular pad. The receptacle includes a racket-shaped opening formed at one end adjacent the head portion and a spring element extending upwardly from a bottom inner surface of the receptacle into the racket-shaped opening; the handle portion has a plurality of slots formed along a longitude direction of the handle portion; a switch button is provided to engage with the racket-shaped opening of the receptacle; wherein the switch button has a protruding block, to selectively engage with the slots in the handle portion. The switch button comprises a pressing button and a neck portion connected to the pressing button, the protruding block is formed on said neck portion.  
         [0008]     For the purpose of making the invention easier to understand, several particular embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the appended drawings in which: 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, perspective view of the backscratcher according to one embodiment of the invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the backscratcher  FIG. 1 , in which the handle portion is extended to it&#39;s largest length;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the backscratcher  FIG. 1 , in which the handle portion is retracted within the encasing body;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the backscratcher  FIG. 1 , in which the handle portion is folded against the head portion, thus the volume of the backscratcher is reduced greatly;  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a conventional backscratcher;  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is an exploded, perspective view of the backscratcher according to another embodiment of the invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the backscratcher of  FIG. 6 , in which the handle portion is extended to it&#39;s largest length;  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  is a bottom elevational view of the backscratcher  FIG. 6 , in which the handle portion is retracted within an encasing body and achieving it&#39;s minimal length;  
         [0017]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the backscratcher  FIG. 6  but viewed in a different direction, in which the handle portion is folded against the head portion, thus the volume of the backscratcher is reduced greatly. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0018]     Referring to  FIG. 1-4 , according to one embodiment of the invention, a backscratcher comprises a head portion  1  with a claw element  11 , a handle portion  2  pivotablly secured to said head portion  1  via a thin pin  3  at one end, and an receptacle  4  into which the handle portion  2  can be slidablly secured. A resilient piece  100  is attached to the inner wall of the claw element  11  of the head portion  1  for touching skin of a person, preventing skin injury from hard portion of the backscratcher due to unexpected force.  
         [0019]     Two pivoting blocks  12  are formed at lateral sides of one end portion of the head portion  1 , each having a central hole defined therein respectively. Said end portion is adjacent to the handle portion  2  and each pivoting block  12  is higher than horizontal surface of main body of the head portion  1 . A narrow slot  13  is defined on the head portion  1  at position between two pivoting blocks  12 . A tubular portion  21  with a central hole (not labelled) defined therein and engagable with the pivoting blocks  12  of the head portion  1  is extended upon one end of the handle portion  2  adjacent the head portion  1 , the tubular portion  21  is higher than horizontal surface of main body of the handle portion  2 . A protrusion  25  (best shown in  FIG. 4 ) is provided corresponding to the slot  13  of the head portion  1  and which can be received into the slot  13  completely is extended downwardly from the bottom side of the tubular portion  21 . The head portion  1  and handle portion  2  are hinged together by inserting the pin  3  into the central holes of the pivoting blocks  12  and tubular portion  21 . When in use, there forms an angle of 180 degree between the head portion  1  and the handle portion  2 , and the protrusion  25  of the handle portion  2  is contained in the slot  13 , thus preventing the handle portion  2  from rotating about the pin  3  when in use.  
         [0020]     Two railes  24  are formed at both lateral sides of the handle portion  2  in a longitudinal direction by removing portion material of the handle portion  2 . The receptacle  4  has a cavity  41  defined along it&#39;s longitudinal length. Corresponding to the railes  24  of the handle portion  2 , the cavity  41  has two extrusions (not labeled) in it&#39;s both inner sidewalls, by engagement of the railes  24  with the extrusions, the handle portion  2  can get a stable sliding movement against the receptacle  4 . A rectangular pad  22  with a suitable thickness is formed upon the top surface of one end of the handle portion  2  near to the head portion  1 , and correspondingly, a containing room  42  is formed at one end of the receptacle  4  adjacent the handle portion  2 . When the handle portion  2  slides within the cavity  41  toward the receptacle  4 , the rectangular pad  22  approaches the containing room  42  and finally is received into the containing room  42 , thus preventing further movement of the handle portion  2  toward the receptacle  4 . For preventing the handle portion  2  disengaged from the receptacle  4 , a pair of stopping tabs  23  formed at respective rail  24  at the other end of the handle portion  2  adjacent the receptacle  4  are locked into respective notches  43 , which is formed on both inner sidewalls of the containing room  42  of the receptacle  4 . Such sliding structure of the handle portion  2  and the receptacle  4  makes an important contribution to volume reduction of the backscratcher when in storage and enough length when in use.  
         [0021]     When in use, the backscratcher may get it&#39;s maximal length as shown in  FIG. 2  and illustrated above; when in storage, the backscratcher may be retracted and folded as shown in sequential  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 .  
         [0022]     Now referring to  FIG. 6-9 , another embodiment of the invention will be described. In this embodiment, a backscratcher comprises a head portion  10  with a claw element  130  for scratching the skin of a person formed at one end and two pivoting blocks  120  parallel to each other formed at the other end thereof. The pivoting block  120  is provided with a central hole  140 , a handle portion  20  hinged to the head portion  10  by a spindle element  30  and an receptacle  40  connected to the handle portion  20  by a switch button  50 . The handle portion  20  has a tubular portion  210  corresponding to the pivoting block  120  of the head portion  10  with a central hole  212  formed therein through the whole length of the tubular portion and a plurality of slot  202  defined along the length of the handle portion  20 . The receptacle  40  has a cavity  410  along it&#39;s longitudinal direction and a racket-shaped opening  430  formed at one end of thereof adjacent the handle portion  20 , the opening  430  communicates the cavity  410 . A spring element  420  stretches from a bottom inner surface of the receptcle  4  and extends upwardly into the opening  430 . The switch button  50  is shaped corresponding to the opening  430  of the receptacle  40 , and comprises a pressing button  52  and a neck portion  54  connected to the pressing button  52 . The neck portion  54  has a protruding block  56  extended from the back side of the neck portion  54 .  
         [0023]     The spindle element  30  has a hole  32  formed on a central portion thereof. The handle portion  20  is hinged with the head portion  10  as follows: disposing the tubular portion  210  between two pivoting blocks  120  firstly making the central holes  140 ,  212  being aligned each other, then inserting the spindle element  30  into the central holes  140 ,  212 . In this inserting process, the hole  32  is compressed, and when the spindle element  30  is fully positioned, the hole  32  tries to come back to it&#39;s original shape and thus produces an outward force against the inner walls of the central holes  140 ,  212 , thus making the spindle element  30  firmly retained in the central holes.  
         [0024]     The handle portion  20  is encased in the cavity  410  of the receptacle  40  and can slide along the cavity  410 . The switch button  50  is placed into the opening  430  of the receptacle  40  and presses the spring element.  420  downwardly, the protruding block  56  is inserted into one of the slots  202  of the handle portion  20 .  
         [0025]     When in use, the handle portion  20  and the head portion  10  form a 180 degree. The length of the backscratcher may be changed according to individual need by selectively engaging the switch button  50  with one of the slot  202  of the handle portion  20 . Namely, it is performed by pressing the pressing button  52  of the switch button  50  downwardly first, thereby resulting in the protruding block  56  disengaged from one of the slot  202 , then drawing the handle portion  20  back or forth from the receptacle  40  for a distance, making another slot  202  positioned under the protruding block  56 , finally releasing the switch button  50  and thus the protruding block  56  being locked into the slot  202 .  
         [0026]     When not in use, the handle portion  20  may be fully inserted into the cavity  410  of the receptacle  40 , and then be folded toward the head portion  10  and finally overlaps with the head portion  10 . In this case, the volume of the backscratcher is reduced greatly and adapted to be stored.  
         [0027]     It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit thereof Thus, the present examples and embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.