Abstract:
The present invention is a handheld and highly mobile device with paddle extensions adapted to be comfortably inserted at the same time between a user&#39;s toes. The paddle extensions can be moved in an up and down sliding motion for massage or cleaning of inter-toe surfaces. The paddle extensions provide massage in one embodiment and scrubbing or cleansing in another embodiment. In a cleansing embodiment, the invention device incorporates a readily cleaned or disposable glove that form-fits over the paddles. The glove is made of absorbent material with a smooth to coarse outside surface to facilitate cleaning and/or scrubbing.

Description:
[0001]     This application is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 11/013,730 filed Dec. 17, 2004. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The invention relates to a device for cleaning between a human user&#39;s toes. More particularly, the invention relates to such a scrubbing device capable of being easily cleaned and stored.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     One of the most neglected areas of the body, in terms of personal hygiene, is the surfaces between the toes of a person&#39;s feet. Because of the inconvenience of reaching them while showering or bathing, many people fail to properly cleanse the inter-toe surfaces, thus resulting in numerous fungal diseases, as well as discomfort, to the feet.  
         [0004]     Many people find it difficult to effectively clean their inter-toe surfaces while taking a shower or bath. To wash one&#39;s inter-toe surfaces properly in a shower, it is necessary to stand on one foot and can be quite dangerous. It is possible to end up slipping and falling as a result of trying to so clean inter-toe surfaces. Most persons would prefer to deal with fungal infection than tolerate that risk. There has been a long recognized need for a device that can easily and comfortably clean the surfaces between a user&#39;s toes.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,078 describes a shower foot washer. The device is a suction cup attached platform supporting an open ended box. Towards the open ended side of the box are a number of dividers or partitions with bristled leading edges. These leading edges are separated in a way that allows a user to scrub between their toes while in a shower. The device is without benefit outside of a shower. A stream of water and soap from outside the box must be delivered to the user&#39;s toes to provide washing facilitated by the bristled leading edges. Outside of a showering water stream from above that then drains from the bristles, the device provides little cleansing action.  
         [0006]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,525 describes what amounts to a bathtub version of the &#39;078 patent. A box is divided in two to receive a user&#39;s feet, each divided section further divided with bristled partitions for scrubbing between a user&#39;s toes. The device is quite large and, in contrast to its intended purpose, difficult to clean or sanitize. The prior art devices for scrubbing between a user&#39;s toes appear to have met with very limited commercial interest because of their size and difficulty in cleaning and storing. There is a need for a device that overcomes these aspects of prior art devices.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The present invention is a handheld and highly mobile device with paddle extensions adapted to be comfortably inserted at the same time between a user&#39;s toes. The paddle extensions can be moved in an up and down sliding motion for massage or cleaning of inter-toe surfaces. The paddle extensions provide massage in one embodiment and scrubbing or cleansing in another embodiment. In a cleansing embodiment, the invention device incorporates a readily cleaned or disposable glove that form-fits over the paddles. The glove is made of absorbent material with a smooth to coarse outside surface to facilitate cleaning and/or scrubbing.  
         [0008]     In general, the invention device comprises a handle adapted to be handheld at one end and attached to a paddle supporting body at another end. In a preferred embodiment, the handle is removable from the paddle supporting body. The paddle supporting body supports four parallel paddles adapted to be inserted between a user&#39;s toes. The surface texture, composition, dimensions, and spacing of the paddles are the subject of specific embodiments described below.  
         [0009]     In one form, the invention comprises a single outside paddle wider than the other three to be inserted into the inter-toe space between the big toe and its adjacent toe.  
         [0010]     In another form of the invention, the paddles are formed of a sufficiently stiff polymer rubber or foamed rubber so that a user experiences a pleasant sensation when the paddles are move back and forth in their inter-toe spaces.  
         [0011]     In another form of the invention, the paddles&#39; opposing surfaces are undulating or comprise bumps or peaks and valleys to provide a massaging surface when moved back and forth across a user&#39;s inter-toe surfaces.  
         [0012]     In the glove-type embodiments of the invention, the glove can be made of one of a range of materials and or surface textures depending on the intended use of the invention device. A relatively smooth and thin absorbent material (such as a single layer of cotton fabric or gauze) is used to lightly cleanse or apply essential or massage oils to the inter-toe surfaces. A soft, raised surface can be incorporated into the glove if is formed from terrycloth, a material well known in washcloths and towels. The terrycloth glove can be used to absorb soap and water which is then applied gently or vigorously to the inter-toe surfaces. The terrycloth glove can alternately be used as a highly effective cleaning means, i.e., for tar or treatment of fungal infection between the toes, the terrycloth surface can respectively carry a solvent or medication and both apply the remedial material as well as carry away undesirable materials. Further, the glove can be formed from a cotton or polymer fabric and bear short bristles or a similar scrubbing surface for cleaning the inter-toe surfaces more deeply. The glove is adapted to be pulled on and off the paddles in the same manner as a human would apply or remove a glove from their hand. The glove is adapted to be tied or secured to the paddle supporting body or handle to prevent its become dislodged during use.  
         [0013]     It is an object of the invention to provide a handheld device for cleaning or massaging inter-toe surfaces.  
         [0014]     It is an object of the invention to provide a set of four parallel paddles supporting a glove covering and adapted to comfortably be inserted between a user&#39;s toes to clean or apply materials to inter-toe surfaces.  
         [0015]     It is an object of the invention to provide a device with a set of four parallel paddles formed substantially of a yielding but structurally stiff polymer foamed rubber which is further adapted to comfortably be inserted between a user&#39;s toes for sliding back and forth to accomplish a massage function. It has been found that this form of inter-toe massage has substantial benefits for a user and improves blood flow and muscle relaxation thereat.  
         [0016]     The present invention also includes a variable width embodiment of the paddle extensions. In this embodiment, one to four paddle extensions extend downward and away from a paddle supporting body. A first paddle extension comprises two wide width sections separated by a narrow width section. A second paddle extension comprises two narrow width sections separated by a wide width section. Adjacent paddle extensions alternate between first and second paddle extensions. Thus, the first and second paddle extensions are spaced apart in a parallel arrangement by the width of a human toe and are adjacently fixed to the paddle supporting body. In this structure, wide width sections of one paddle extension are always opposite narrow width sections of an adjacent paddle extension. Consequently, narrow width sections of one paddle extension are always opposite wide width sections of an adjacent paddle extension.  
         [0017]     An individual paddle extension with variable width sections has been found to dramatically improve the cleaning and massage abilities of said paddle extension. It is well known that human toes are urged together in their side by side alignment. This is at least in part due to modern human&#39;s use of closed toe shoes which cause the toes and musculature to grow into a compact and crowded anatomical arrangement. As such, there is almost no inter-toe space when a person&#39;s toes are in a relaxed position. The present embodiment achieves in improvement in inter-toe cleansing and massage.  
         [0018]     Consider the paddle extension with two wide-width sections is to be moved up and down between almost non-existent inter-toe space. In such a case, a leading wide width section cleanses or massages adjacent toes to a greatest degree with increased surface area and is followed by a narrow width section that allows the adjacent toes to partly relax together. As a final wide width section moves into the inter-toe space, the toes are once again moved apart to a greatest degree.  
         [0019]     Consider the paddle extension with two narrow-width sections is to be moved up and down between almost non-existent inter-toe space. In such a case, a leading narrow width section cleanses or massages adjacent toes to a lesser degree with reduced surface area and is followed by a wide width section that moves the adjacent toes apart more than the narrow width section. As a final narrow width section moves into the inter-toe space, the toes are once again allowed to partly relax together.  
         [0020]     The present embodiment with two or more paddle extensions thereby moves into adjacent inter-toe spaces (i.e., of three adjacent toes) a narrow width section in one inter-toe space and a wide width section into a second inter-toe space. The set of three toes effectively massaged in a side to side swaying motion as alternating narrow and wide width sections on adjacent paddle extensions are moved into the adjacent inter-toe spaces. The present embodiment comprises one to four such paddle extensions. A user may desire to massage or cleanse fewer than all a user&#39;s inter-toe spaces.  
         [0021]     The present embodiment provides the user with a flexible approach to inter-toe massage or cleansing. A user may have fungal infection between only one inter-toe space and not want to risk spreading it by using a multi-paddle device. In the present embodiment, a single removable handle can be provided with one to four pieces, where the respectively comprise one to four of this embodiment&#39;s paddle extensions from a paddle support body adapted to be fixed to the handle. Because of the low cost of the separate pieces, a single kit can be formed and sold to the user comprising a handle and one or more of the separate pieces.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0022]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention device.  
         [0023]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the paddle supporting body and paddles, with the paddles inserted between a user&#39;s toes.  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the invention device.  
         [0025]      FIG. 4  is a side cross section  114  view of the device of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 5  is the device of  FIG. 3  showing the handle separated from the paddle supporting body.  
         [0027]      FIG. 6  is the device of  FIG. 3  with an invention glove applied to the paddles and the paddle supporting body.  
         [0028]      FIG. 7  is the device of  FIG. 1  with an invention glove applied to the paddles and the paddle supporting body.  
         [0029]      FIG. 8  is the device of  FIG. 1  with an abrasive piece attached to the paddle supporting body.  
         [0030]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a variable width embodiment of the invention comprising a separable piece comprising a paddle support body and two paddle extensions with variable widths.  
         [0031]      FIG. 10  are right and left side views of a first paddle extension broken away from the paddle support body.  
         [0032]      FIG. 11  are right and left side views of a second paddle extension broken away from the paddle support body.  
         [0033]      FIGS. 12, 13  and  14  are respectively front views of variable width embodiment pieces having, respectively, three, two and one paddle extensions.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0034]     The invention is now discussed with reference to the figures.  
         [0035]      FIG. 1  shows that inter-toe device  100  comprises a handle  101  attached to a paddle supporting body  102 , wherefrom paddles  107  and  108  extend parallel to each other. Handle  101  comprises a hand held part  103  with an optional hanging hole  104 . Handle  101  extends from part  103  to a shaft ending in a connection to the paddle supporting body  102 . Paddle supporting body  102  extends from its connection with the handle  101  to support of paddles  105  and  106 . Paddles  105  and  106  have a thickness of about no more than 5-7 millimeters, and preferably in the range of from 1 to 5 millimeters.  
         [0036]     A user&#39;s toes are usually of uniform width. Although not all different user&#39;s toes are the same width, toe widths for most humans are surprisingly uniform where obesity or edema has not intruded. Separation of the paddles is preferably around 10 to 20 millimeters for adults and proportionately less for children and infants. Paddles  105  and  106  are preferably formed integral with paddle supporting body  102  for rigid support therefrom. Paddles  105  preferably have a uniform width and length and are secured parallel to each other so that their leading edges  105 A lie substantially in the same plane, but are generally adapted to comfortably inserted between a user&#39;s toes and moved in an up and down motion as in directions  110  shown in  FIG. 2 . Paddle  106  has a thickness and length substantially the same as paddles  105  and are parallel to them. However, the width of paddle  106  is in one form of the invention substantially greater than that of paddles  105 . Paddle  106  is optionally adapted to be inserted in the space between the big toe and its adjacent toe. In order for a leading edge  106 A to reach the vertex base of the that space (i.e., the base of each adjacent toe), it should extend farther in a forward direction and out of the plane formed by leading edges  105 A. So paddle  106  is preferably wider than paddles  105  so that its leading edges  106 A (on both sides of device  100 ) extend beyond the plane formed by leading edges  105 A of paddles  105 . Leading edges  106 A extend more widely than the leading edges  105 A on both sides of device  100  so that it can be rotated for use on the toes of both feet to accomplish the same cleaning and massaging functions along the entire lengths of the big toe and its adjacent toe in the same manner that paddles  105  accomplish the same function. In a preferred embodiment, the alignment of leading edges  105 A and  106 A are critical to the use of the invention device where reaching the entire lengths of inter-toe surfaces is important. In cleansing for removal of tar or other contaminants or in application of antifungal medication, such complete reach of the paddles  105  and  106  are important.  
         [0037]      FIG. 2  shows that paddles  105  and  106  can be moved up and down in direction  110  to accomplish the objects of the invention. A user&#39;s foot  109  comprises smaller toes  107  and big toe  108 . As an example of the reach of the width of the paddles into the inter-toe spaces, a nearest paddle  105  with leading edge  105 A reaches the joining vertex  112  of the little toe and its adjacent toe.  FIG. 2  shows that device  100  may be rotated in directions  111  to apply greater or lesser force at paddle  106  or a lateral end paddle  105 .  
         [0038]      FIGS. 3, 4  and  5  show that device  100  can be made with a detachable paddle supporting body  101 . This can be critical to use of this device among several users. Most humans have very little chance of contaminating even a close living partner with their inter-toe fungus or bacteria. However, use of the invention device could cause such inter-partner contamination. To prevent that from happening, each user of the invention device  100  can maintain their own paddle supporting body  102  or remove it to sanitize it with high temperatures or chemical solutions. The removal and replacement is easily accomplished without detracting from the effective and rigid connection between the handle  101  and the paddle supporting body  102 . In one embodiment, handle  101  comprises a notched end  114  adapted to be latchingly received into notched cavity  113  of paddle supporting body  102  to form the latch interface  112 . Notched end  114  can be inserted into and removed from notched cavity  113  in directions  115 .  
         [0039]      FIGS. 6 and 7  show device  100  with a glove  119  with fingers  120  adapted to be applied to or removed from paddles  105  and  106  in directions  118 . A top neck  117  elastically or by ties is secured to the paddle supporting body  102  or to handle  101  to keep glove  119  in place during use. As described above, the material of glove  119  may be smooth or coarse on its surface, but is sufficiently non-elastic so that when device  100  is moved up and down between a user&#39;s toes, the material of glove  119  also moves up and down with the paddles to massage, clean, or apply materials to the inter-toe surfaces.  
         [0040]      FIG. 8  is the device of  FIG. 1  with an abrasive piece  122  attached to the paddle supporting body  102 . Abrasive piece  122  comprises an abrasive surface typical for use in smoothing toenails or removing corns or calluses. A user can use the abrasive piece  122  on a user&#39;s feet without the requirement of bending to an extreme position to reach the feet. Abrasive piece  122  may also be attached by adhesive or other means to an external surface of paddles  105  or  106 , i.e., those non-opposed surfaces lateral and openly accessible to a user.  
         [0041]      FIGS. 9 through 12  show a variable width embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 9  shows a perspective view of a separable piece  126  comprising a side  129  defining a notched cavity (not shown) similar to notched cavity  113  (as shown in FIGS.  3  to  5 ) for receiving an end of a handle for a user to releasably engage a separable piece of this embodiment. Referring again to  FIG. 9 , separable piece  126  further comprises two variable width paddle extensions  131  and  132 . Extensions  131  and  132  extend from a proximal connection  130  to terminal ends in a parallel and spaced apart arrangement. Paddle extensions  131  and  132  are spaced apart by distance  133  in a dimension approximating a distance between inter-toe spaces in a human. Referring now to  FIGS. 9, 10  and  11 , paddle extensions  131  and  132  are seen to have substantially different variable width patterns.  
         [0042]     A first paddle extension is shown as paddle extension  131  which comprises two wide width sections  137  and  139  at, respectively proximal and distal parts of the paddle extension, and separated by an intervening narrow width section  138 . In contrast, A second paddle extension is shown as paddle extension  132  which comprises two narrow width sections  134  and  136  at, respectively proximal and distal parts of the paddle extension, and separated by an intervening wide width section  135 . As a preferred embodiment, lengths of the paddle extensions are about 100 millimeters at a thickness of about 1.5 millimeters. Wide width sections are preferably about 20 millimeters and narrow width sections are about 10 millimeters.  
         [0043]      FIG. 9  demonstrates clearly that separable piece  126  comprises a paddle support body  128 , variable width paddle extensions  131  and  132  being rigidly fixed in a downward orientation from the paddle support body  128 , said paddle extensions being located opposite a side  129  of the paddle support body  128  adapted to releasably engage a second end of a user handle, said paddle extensions  131  and  132  comprising a flattened, variable width length extending from the paddle support body  128 , and said paddle extensions  131  and  132  being spaced apart by distance  133  from each other in a parallel arrangement where paddle extensions  131  and  132  are fixed to a paddle support body  128  at location  130 . Further, each paddle extension  131  and  132  has about the same length, wherealong said length, moving proximal to distal to the paddle support body, the width of the paddle extension:  
         [0044]     (1) for the first paddle extension is relatively wide in a wide width section, relatively narrow in a narrow width section, and is, at a terminal part, relatively wide in a second wide width section and  
         [0045]     (2) for a second paddle extension is relatively narrow in a narrow width section, relatively wide in a wide width section, and is, at a terminal part, relatively narrow in a second narrow width section.  
         [0046]      FIGS. 12, 13 , and  14  show front views respectively of separable pieces  125 , 126  and  127 , supporting, respectively 3, 2 and 1 paddle extensions as shown and described in  FIG. 9 .  
         [0047]      FIG. 12  shows paddle support body  140  having a side  141  similar to side  129  of piece  126  of  FIG. 9 . Referring again to  FIG. 12 , paddle extensions  132  bracket paddle extension  131 , where all paddle extensions are fixed to said paddle support body in a manner similar to that shown and described for piece  126  in  FIG. 9 . Alternately, paddle extensions  131  may bracket paddle extension  132 .  
         [0048]      FIG. 13  shows piece  126  as previously shown and described.  FIG. 14  shows paddle support body  142  having a side  143  similar to side  129  of piece  126  of  FIG. 9 . Referring again to  FIG. 14 , paddle extension  131  is fixed to said paddle support body in a manner similar to that shown and described for piece  126  in  FIG. 9 .  
         [0049]     The above design options will sometimes present the skilled designer with considerable and wide ranges from which to choose appropriate apparatus and method modifications for the above examples. However, the objects of the present invention will still be obtained by that skilled designer applying such design options in an appropriate manner.