BACK SCRUBBER AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION

Abstract: A back scrubber (30) has two pieces of plastic tubular scrim (32, 34) cinched together by a cinching cord. The two pieces (32, 34) when cinched together have a first end and a second end that are movable apart as the two pieces of plastic tubular scrim are stretched. The back scrubber (30) also has a first tether cord (26) connected to the first end and a second tether cord (28) connected to the second end. The first and second tether cords (26, 28) each have a knotted loop portion into which a user's hand may be placed in order to stretch the back scrubber (30) to a dimension which permits a two-handed toweling motion.

Description: BACK SCRUBBER AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to personal cleansing implements and more particularly to such implements made of plastic scrim wherein a cleansing fluid is applied to the user's body or to the scrim, and motion of the scrim against the body causes the cleansing fluid to lather for optimum cleaning. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to such plastic scrim implements wherein the construction enables the user to effectively scrub his/her back. The present invention also relates to the method of constructing such implements. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Back scrubbing is difficult with one hand reaching behind the back or over the shoulders because a large surface area must be reached. Flexibility in one's shoulders is often lacking to eanble one reach all areas of his/her back, especially as one grows older. In response, brushes with long handles have been marketed for back scrubbing use, wherein one hand may gain access to a greater area of the back. However, brushes are expensive, heavy, and difficult to clean of flakes of skin and hair that may become embedded in the bristles. Thus, back scrubbing brushes have both a convenience and sanitation problem. People have found that the length of a towel is such that they can hold the ends of a towel and oscillate the towel back and forth behind their back to reach all back surfaces in order to dry their back. Some people may even rely on such toweling to scrub their wet backs. However, the absence of a cleansing fluid limits their ability to clean their backs. Even if a long wash rag or towel is used in the shower with a cleansing fluid, lathering is not nearly as effective as with an open celled cleansing implement. Moreover, like a brush, the large wet rag is heavy and cumbersome and therefore not conducive to convenient back scrubbing. What has been missing is a method for back scrubbing using the light wieght plastic scrim recently developed to optimize personal cleansing, but with a construction which will permit use similar to that of a towel, wherein the implement may be held by both hands and oscillated against all surfaces of the back. What has also been missing is a back scrubbing implement which may easily be rinsed and dried for sanitary reuse, and which may also be conveniently shaped for cleaning the rest of one's body with one hand. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect of the present invention, a back scrubber comprises at least one stretchable piece of material having a substantially open and hydrophobic structure and a first end and a second end. The first and second ends are movable apart as the stretchable material is stretched. The back scrubber further comprises a first tether cord connected to the first end and a second tether cord connected to the second end. The first and second tether cords each have a knotted loop portion into which a user's hand may be placed in order to stretch the back scrubber to a dimension which permits a two-handed toweling motion. Preferably, the back scrubber further comprises a second stretchable piece of material cinched to the at least one piece of material between the at least one piece of material and the second tether cord. In another aspect of the present invention, a back scrubber comprises two pieces of laterally stretched and longitudinally gathered plastic tubular scrim cinched together by a cinching cord. The two pieces when cinched together have a first end and a second end. The first and second ends are stretchable apart laterally. The back scrubber further comprises a first tether cord connected to the first end and a second tether cord connected to the second end. The first and second tether cords each have a knotted loop portion into which a user's hand may be placed in order to stretch the back scrubber to a dimension which permits a two- handed toweling motion. In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of making a back scrubber comprises the steps of stretching laterally a first piece of tubular scrim to fit over a first pair of spaced apart posts such that a dimension of the first pair of posts provides a first opening in the first piece of tubular scrim. Another step is gathering longitudinally the first piece of tubular scrim on the first pair of posts to form a first group of pleats. Similarly, there are steps of stretching laterally a second piece of tubular scrim to fit over a second pair of spaced apart posts such that a dimension of the second pair of posts provides a second opening in the second piece of tubular scrim; and gathering logitudinally the second piece of tubular scrim on the second pair of posts to form a second group of pleats. The second pair of posts are located adjacent and in line with the first pair of posts. Yet another step includes inserting a cinching cord into the first and second openings and knotting it around the first and second groups of pleats such that the first and second pieces of tubular scrim are cinched together at a cinch point. Still other steps includes connecting a first tether cord to the first piece of tubular scrim at an end opposite the cinch point, and connecting a second tether cord to the second piece of tubular scrim at an end opposite the cinch point. The first and second tether cords each have a knotted loop portion into which a user's hand may be placed in order to stretch the back scrubber to a dimension which permits a two- handed toweling motion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS While the specification concludes with claims which particularly point out and distinctly claim the present invention, it is believed that the present invention will be better understood from the following description of preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify identical elements and wherein: FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the back scrubber and method of construction of the present invention, disclosing two pieces of tubular scrim being stretched laterally about their vertical axes to enable each piece of scrim to fit over two spaced-apart posts; FIG. 2 is a front elevation view thereof, showing each piece of tubular scrim stretched over the posts and gathered thereon while a cinching cord connects the two pieces of scrim together and tether cords are attached around the outer ends of the two pieces of stretched and gathered scrim; FIG. 3 is a front elevation view thereof disclosing the removal of the posts and the resulting cleansing implement, which contracts into the shape of two adjoining balls having pleats of scrim around them and the cinching cord buried between them; and FIG. 4 is a front elevation view thereof, showing the cleansing implement when the two tether cords are pulled in opposite directions to stretch the contracted implement to a length useful for two-handed back scrubbing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the present invention, which provides an apparatus and method of constructing a back scrubbing implement generally indicated as 10. Apparatus 10 has a base 12 and four upright posts 14, 15, 16, and 17 located in a linear orientation. Two similar pieces of plastic tubular scrim 18 and 19, having vertical axes 20 and 21, respectively, are stretched such that piece of scrim 18 is placed around posts 14 and 15 and piece of scrim 19 is placed around posts 16 and 17. Pieces of scrim 18 and 19 are then gathered while stretched around their respective posts to form pleats 22 and 23. Posts 14, 15, 16, and 17 are preferably circular in cross-section and have a diameter which provides an opening (not seen) within each of stretched and gathered pleats 22 and 23 of pieces of tubular scrim 18 and 19. A cinching cord 24 is inserted through the openings within the stretched and gathered pleats 22 and 23 while the pieces of scrim remain stretched around the posts. Cinching cord 24 is then tied tightly to cinch the two pieces of scrim together. At the opposite ends of each of gathered pleats 22 and 23 are tether cords 26 and 28 inserted in the openings created in the scrim between the posts. Tether cords 26 and 28 are also cinched tight around stretched and gathered pleats 22 and 23, respectively. Tether cords 26 and 28 are then tied at their outer ends 27 and 29, respectively, to form loops sufficiently large for a user to place a hand therethrough. Tether cords 26 and 28 may be elasticized or non-stretchable. They may be attached to the plastic tubular scrim by velcro, snap, or clip fasteners, or via cinching. Further details concerning pieces of plastic tubular scrim 18 and 19 may be found in copending patent application serial no. 08/694,144, entitled "Improved Washing Implement Comprising An Improved Open Cell Mesh", filed on 8/8/96 , and assigned to the assignee of the present application, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. FIGS. 3 and 4 show an assembled back scrubber, generally indicated as 30, when base 12 and posts 14, 15, 16, and 17 are removed. Back scrubber 30 is shown contracted in FIG. 3 and stretched in FIG. 4. Back scrubber 30 has two substantially spherical balls of scrim 32 and 34 held together by cinching cord 24, which is buried between balls 32 and 34 and not visible. Pleats 22 and 23 are curved around the balls and give the balls their spherical shape. Tether cords 26 and 28 extend from opposite ends of back scrubber 30. Tether cords 26 and 28 may be looped together to form one larger ball for a single-handed personal cleansing implement or they may be pulled apart to enable a user to scrub his/her back as one would do by toweling — an oscillating motion of the implement held by two hands at either side of one's back or above and below a shoulder. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, two pieces of plastic tubular mesh scrim 18 and 19 are made of polyethylene and each have an unstretched diameter of approximately 15 cm and an ungathered length of approximately 20 cm. Each piece of scrim 18 and 19 has a preferred basis weight ranging from 6.5 to 9.8 grams per meter of axial length. Posts 14 and 15 and posts 16 and 17 are preferably spaced about 19 cm apart and have a diameter of about 13 mm. Posts 15 and 16 are preferably spaced as close as reasonable to enable gathering of pleats 22 and 23. This distance is typically about 13 cm. Cinching cord 24 is preferably cotton twine. Tether cords 26 and 28 are preferably 53-56 cm long pieces of braided polypropylene tied to form a loop about 18 cm long. The resulting back scrubber 30 is about 20 cm in length unstretched (excluding tethers) and may be stretched to about 56 cm long (excluding tethers). As an alternative to the preferred embodiment, a back scrubber could be made by stretching and gathering one piece of tubular scrim over posts 14 and 17 and then cinching the center of the single stretched and gathered piece of scrim around the outside thereof, and tying tethers to the opposite ends of the single piece of scrim similar to what is done for the two pieces of scrim. Additionally, to gain greater stretchability of the back scrubber, three or more stretched and gathered pieces of scrim could be interconnected in a chain fashion, using additional posts in a linear orientation and multiple cinching cords. A significant benefit of plastic scrim is the softness and openness of the structure, which is essentially hydrophobic and therefore easy to rinse and dry for reuse. However, other stretchable materials could be used instead of plastic scrim, such as elasticized non-woven materials or knitted materials. While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications that are within the scope of the invention.

Claims: What is claimed is: 1. A back scrubber characterized by: a) at least one stretchable piece of material having a substantially open and hydrophobic structure and a first end and a second end, said first and second ends being movable apart as said stretchable material is stretched; and b) a first tether cord connected to said first end and a second tether cord connected to said second end, said first and second tether cords each having a knotted loop portion into which a user's hand may be placed in order to stretch said back scrubber to a dimension which permits a two-handed toweling motion. 2. The back scrubber according to Claim 1 further characterized by a second stretchable piece of material cinched to said at least one piece of material between said at least one piece of material and said second tether cord. 3. A back scrubber characterized by: a) two pieces of laterally stretched and longitudinally gathered plastic tubular scrim cinched together by a cinching cord, said two pieces when cinched together having a first end and a second end, said first and second ends being stretchable apart laterally; and b) a first tether cord connected to said first end and a second tether cord connected to said second end, said first and second tether cords each having a knotted loop portion into which a user's hand may be placed in order to stretch said back scrubber to a dimension which permits a two-handed toweling motion. 4. A method of making a back scrubber characterized by the steps of: a) stretching laterally a first piece of tubular scrim to fit over a first pair of spaced apart posts such that a dimension of said first pair of posts provides a first opening in said first piece of tubular scrim; b) gathering longitudinally said first piece of tubular scrim on said first pair of posts to form a first group of pleats; c) stretching laterally a second piece of tubular scrim to fit over a second pair of spaced apart posts such that a dimension of said second pair of posts provides a second opening in said second piece of tubular scrim; d) gathering longitudinally said second piece of tubular scrim on said second pair of posts to form a second group of pleats, said second pair of posts being located adjacent and in line with said first pair of posts; e) inserting a cinching cord into said first and second openings and knotting it around said first and second groups of pleats such that said first and second pieces of tubular scrim are cinched together at a cinch point; f) connecting a first tether cord to said first piece of tubular scrim at an end opposite said cinch point; and g) connecting a second tether cord to said second piece of tubular scrim at an end opposite said cinch point, said first and second tether cords each having a knotted loop portion into which a user's hand may be placed in order to stretch said back scrubber to a dimension which permits a two-handed toweling motion.

Inventors: CIPRA ANDREW RAYMOND, GIRARDOT RICHARD MICHAEL, CIPRA, ANDREW, RAYMOND, GIRARDOT, RICHARD, MICHAEL
Applicants: PROCTER & GAMBLE, THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY
Application year: 1998
Main classification: A47K7
IPC codes: A47K7