Abstract:
A wall mounted back scrubbing and washing device that has a scrubbing element with bristle like projections is disclosed that is removably mounted to a wall so that a person can wash their back against the device when in a shower or bathtub. A supply of soap can be applied to the washing device from a separate soap container when desired. The soap may be applied to the washing device from a pressurized soap container, or by manually pumping the soap, or by gravity feed.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention related to bathroom aids and more particularly to devices for both washing and scrubbing the back.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Numerous bathing implements have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to aid people when washing in the shower or bathtub, such as brushes, scrubbers or the like. While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as described hereinafter.  
           [0003]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,259 issued Sep. 13, 1977 to Leonard L. Lotis and entitled “Body Washing Apparatus” discloses a flexible, rubber-like mat having a plurality of suction cups affixed to one surface thereof for fastening the apparatus to a shower wall. The opposite or outer surface of the mat is covered with a pile fabric-like material having cut pile ends and against which a user of the apparatus may move themselves to scrub their back. Attached to the outer surface is a sponge-like container having a pocket in which is placed a bar soap, and the soap within the pocket is fluidly communicated with the exterior porous surfaces of the container. The soap container also has cut pile ends that join to the cut pile ends of the mat and is easily attached to and the detached from the mat. When shower water strikes the soap container penetrates the sponge-like material and dissolves so therein which is then carried to the exterior of the container to be applied to the back of a person using the body washing apparatus. Because the release of soap from the soap container is dependent upon the water striking the container, soap passing through the sponge-like container is erratic and not very controlled. In addition, the soap is only applied to a small portion of the mat and is not uniformly applied to the back of a user of the apparatus.  
           [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,068 issued Sep. 29, 1987 to Mary B. Kenner and entitled “Shower Wall and Bathtub Mounted Back Washer” discloses a foam plastic pad having a plurality of suction cups affixed to one surface thereof for fastening the apparatus to a shower wall. Over the opposite surface a terry cloth or similar fabric cover is detachably mounted. The cover has a pocket on its interior surface to receive soap scraps in a net bag. Because the release of soap from the net bag is dependent upon the water striking the cover, soap passing through the cover is erratic and not very controlled. In addition, the soap is only applied to a small portion of the cover and is not uniformly applied to the back of a user of the apparatus.  
           [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,352 issued Jan. 2, 1990 to George E. Stowers and entitled “Backwasher” discloses a backwasher that consists of a flat, flexible rubber base element or base plate that is removably mounted to a shower wall via a plurality of suction cups. A sponge rubber washing member is affixed to the front surface of the baseplate. Each suction cup has a hollow chamber into which liquid soap is placed. When a person presses their back against washing member the liquid soap is squeezed out of chambers of the suction cups into the washing member to help wash the back of the person. There is inherent difficulty in filling the hollow chamber of each suction cup. There is no way for a person to easily alternate between pressing their back against the washing member to squeeze out liquid soap, and to just scrub their back without additional soap.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,705 issued May 21, 1996 to Horace L. Jackson and entitled “Back Scrubbing Device” discloses a back scrubbing device is adapted to be secured to or adjacent to a shower wall primarily by replacing a tile of the shower wall with a tile to which is attached a soap dispenser, or alternatively by using one or more expandable spring rods that reach to and press against opposing walls in a shower. The device has a complex, double compartment container into one compartment of which liquid soap is inserted and is dispensed with a manually operated pump that is well known in the art and used for dispensing such things as hand lotions. One or more brushes are affixed to a side of the soap dispenser that is furthest from the wall, and when the pump is operated soap is dispensed and falls onto the nearest brush. If the pump of the soap is operated to vigorously the dispensed liquid soap can miss the brush and fall on the bottom of the shower or tub in which the scrubbing device is mounted. In addition, with a liquid soap is properly dispensed it only contacts one brush. A supply of water is continuously input into the second compartment of the container and exits via a plurality of small holes into the bristles of a brush.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The present invention is designed to improve on the prior art discussed above. In accordance with the illustrative embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a back scrubbing and washing device that has a flat scrubbing element that can be removably attached to a shower wall via a plurality of suction cups. A separate container, adapted to hold and dispense a supply of liquid soap, is also mounted on the shower wall via suction cups adjacent the scrubbing element. The soap container is easily and quickly filled.  
           [0008]    The flat scrubbing element is large enough to cover a substantial portion of a user&#39;s back and comprises a large plurality of outwardly extending, resilient and deformable polymeric projections or fingers projecting substantially vertically from the surface of the scrubbing element. Within the scrubbing element are channels having a plurality of exits or holes spaced about the scrubbing element, and an input that is connected to the separate soap dispenser that is mounted in proximity to the scrubbing element. When the soap dispenser is manually actuated the soap is dispensed through the plurality of holes about the surface of the scrubbing element to uniformly apply soap to the back of a user of back scrubbing and washing device. If a user of the device only wishes to scrub their back without soap the soap dispenser is not actuated.  
           [0009]    To clean the back scrubbing and washing device the soap may be easily I quickly removed from its dispensing container, the container rinsed, filled with water and used to force water through the soap dispensing channels to clean them out. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0010]    Other features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a frontal view of the back scrubbing element with the outwardly extending, resilient and deformable polymeric projections used to scrub user&#39;s back;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a rear view of the back scrubbing element showing the suction cups used to affixed to a shower wall, how the liquid soap container is connected to describing element, and how liquid soap is dispensed into various points of the back scrubbing element;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the liquid soap container;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the liquid soap container;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 shows a pre-pressurized container of liquid soap in use;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 is a side view of an alternate assembly of the back scrubbing element;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 7 shows another view of the alternate assembly of the back scrubbing element; and  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 8 is a cutaway view of the pre-pressurized container of liquid soap in a receptacle used for dispensing the soap. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 shows a frontal view of the back scrubbing and washing element  10  with outwardly extending, resilient, deformable polymeric projections  11  that is used to scrub and wash a user&#39;s back. Projections  11  may be an arrangement of intermixed soft and relatively stiff projections or bristles. Also shown are two representative holes  12  through element  10  through which soap is applied to the scrubbing projections  11 . Only two holes  12  are shown, but there may be any number of holes. Scrubbing element  10  is preferably fabricated from a flexible plastic material and many types of plastic are suitable.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 shows a rear view of the back scrubbing element  10  showing a plurality of suction cups  13  used to removably affix element  10  to a shower wall in a manner well known in the art. Also shown are two representative elbow shaped, fluid connector elements  14  through which liquid soap  19  is dispensed through scrubbing element  10  to holes  12  on its front side as shown in FIG. 1. How the liquid soap  19  is carried to and dispensed through element  10  is described further in this description. Suction cups  13  space scrubbing element  10  just far enough from the surface of a shower wall on which element  10  is mounted that there is clearance room for fluid connectors  14 . Soap may be applied to scrubbing element  10  as and when the user wishes it.  
         [0021]    A container  15  with a cap  19  is used to hold the liquid soap. Container  15  has two suction cups  13  affixed to its side and they are used to removably affix container  15  to a shower wall. As shown in FIG. 2 liquid soap container  15  is alongside scrubbing element  10 . In this position container  15  would have to be manually squeezed to force soap to flow out of container  15  via a fluid connector  16 , through flexible tube  21 , Y connector  22  and flexible tubes  23  to fluid connectors  14  to be dispensed through holes  12  onto scrubbing projections  11  on the front side of scrubbing element  10 . For the squeeze operation cap  10  must be a screw on cap with a seal in its lid to permit container  15  to be squeezed to dispense liquid soap without the soap escaping around cap  19 . While only two fluid connector elements  14  are shown in FIG. 2, more connectors  14  may be utilized to provide liquid soap to more areas on the front surface of scrubbing element  10 .  
         [0022]    The user of the novel back scrubbing element  10  may also position liquid soap container  15  at different positions vertically with respect to element  10 . When container  15  is moved upward from the position shown in FIG. 2 liquid soap in container  15  may be fed by gravity through tubes  21  and  23  and connectors  14  to the front side of scrubbing element  10 . The rate of flow of liquid soap to scrubbing element  10  is thereby determined by the position of soap container  15  on the wall of a shower. When gravity feed is utilized, cap  19  must be loosened to keep pressure inside and outside container  15  equalized so that the liquid soap will flow.  
         [0023]    In an alternative embodiment of the invention a separate, flat mounting piece (not shown) is provided that is mounted to the shower wall with the suction cups  13 . This separate mounting piece has side lips (not shown) that snugly engage lips (not shown) formed on container  15 . The lips on the separate mounting piece (not shown) and on container  15  permit the user of scrubbing element  10  to manually move container  15  up and down. When container  15  with its separate mounting piece are position on the shower wall for gravity feed of liquid soap in container  15  to scrubbing element  10 , the user may easily adjust the vertical position of container  15  to adjust the flow rate of the liquid soap to scrubbing element  10 . As described in the previous paragraph cap  19  must be loosened for gravity feed of the liquid soap.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of liquid soap container  15  showing the suction cups  13  affixed to its side, connector  14   a  at the bottom of container  15  to which flexible hose  21  is attached and through which liquid soap exits container  15  via fluid connector  16  into flexible hose  21 . Further description of these elements are found elsewhere in this description so are not repeated here.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the liquid soap container  15 , showing suction cups  13  affixed to the side of container  15 , and fluid connector  16  through which soap exits container  15 .  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 5 shows a pre-pressurized container of liquid soap used to dispense soap to scrubbing element  10  in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention.  
         [0027]    Pre-packaged, pre-pressurized containers of liquid soap container  17  may be purchased and used with the invention to eliminate the need for manually filling soap container  15  in FIG. 2. To allow this a hollow receptacle  18  with an open top is provided that has suction cups  13  affixed to its side for use in mounting receptacle  18  to a shower wall. The bottom of receptacle  18  is closed and has fluid connector  16  mounted hereto for connecting container  17  and receptacle  18  to flexible tube  21 .  
         [0028]    The packaged soap container  17  has a dispensing nozzle  20  that is co-axial with the axis of soap container  17 . Container  17  is inserted upside down into receptacle  18 . The tip of nozzle  20  is pushed into a seal at the bottom of receptacle  18 . The seal prevents liquid soap from escaping up around container  17 . This seal is described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 8. As container  17  normally sits in receptacle  18  as described its nozzle  20  is not depressed and no liquid soap is dispensed. When the user presses downward on the bottom of soap container  17 , as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5, nozzle  20  is depressed and soap flows from container  17  as a result of the pressurization of the container. The operation of a pressurized container with a nozzle such as this is well known in the art so is not described further. While container is depressed downward the pressure causes the liquid soap to flow through tube  21  to the front surface of scrubbing element  10  as previously described.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 6 shows a top, side view of an alternative embodiment of the invention where back scrubbing element  10  is comprised of two layers. A first layer  10   a  is identical to element  10  in FIGS. 1 and 2, but may be a little thinner. A second layer  10   b  has suction cups  13  affixed to its backside as shown. In the front side of layer  10   b  is a recessed channel  17  that extends to the edge of layer  10   b  on one side, but does not extend to the edge of the other side. At the entrance of channel  17  on the one side of layer  10   b  is fastened a connector  18  to which the flexible hose  21  shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is connected to introduce liquid soap into channel  17 .  
         [0030]    Although in FIG. 6 second layer  10   b  is shown separated slightly from first layer  10   a , this is only done for the sake of presentation, and in reality layers  10   a  and  10   b  our fashion together by any one of a number of methods known in the prior art, including a rubber adhesive. When finished together the backside of layer  10   a  encloses and seals the open side of channel  17 . Holes  12  through first layer  10   b  are in registration with a communicate with channel  17 .  
         [0031]    When liquid soap under pressure travels through the flexible hose  21  into channel  17  the channel is first filled and the soap then exits through holes  12  into scrubbing projections  11  for the purpose of washing the back of the user.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 7 shows another view of the alternate assembly of the back scrubbing element. This view is a rear view of the back scrubbing and washing device showing the rear of second layer  10   b  with suction cups  13  thereon. In dotted line form recessed channel  17  is seen in registration with holes  12 . As described in previous paragraphs flexible hose  21  is connected to connector  18 . As soap flows into channel  17  it exits through holes  12  into scrubbing projections  11  on the front side of first layer  10   a.    
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 8 shows a cutaway view of the pre-pressurized container of liquid soap  17  mounted in receptacle  18  for dispensing the soap. Receptacle  18  has a flat, annular shaped rubber member  24  attached to the bottom of the receptacle as shown. In addition, receptacle  18  has a tapered extension  26  inside of which is attached another rubber member  25 . When liquid soap container  17  is inserted into receptacle  18  it sits on rubber member  24 , and its nozzle  20  rests against a hard rubber member  25 . The normal resiliency of rubber member  24  lets container  17  rest in a position where its nozzle  20  barely rests against member  24 . In this rest position nozzle  20  is not depressed and no soap flows from pressurized soap container  17 . Rubber member  25  provides a seal around nozzle  20  that presents soap released from pressurized soap container  17  from flowing upward around nozzle  20 . All released liquid soap flows through connector  16  into flexible hose  21 .  
         [0034]    When a user presses down on soap container  17 , as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5, rubber member  24  compresses and nozzle  20  has pressure placed against it by hard rubber member  25 . The result is that nozzle  20  is depressed enough to release pressurized liquid soap from soap container  17 . When the manually applied pressure is released from soap container  17 , the combination of the resiliency of rubber member  24  and the normal spring pressure of nozzle  20  moves soap container  17  upward enough to allow nozzle  20  to return to its normal state where no liquid soap is released from soap container  17 .  
         [0035]    While what has been described herein is the preferred embodiment of the invention and some alternative embodiments of the invention, it will be appreciated by those skilled the art that numbers changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, if a person wishes to only massage their back without washing it, they will not dispense any soap from soap container  17 .