Patent Publication Number: US-6665891-B1

Title: Portable hair washing apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to portable hair washers and more particularly pertains to a new portable hair washing apparatus for allowing the shampooing of the hairs of the physically disabled. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The use of portable hair washers is known in the prior art. More specifically, portable hair washers heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
     Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,255; U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,043; U.S. Pat. No. 3,192,537; U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,306; U.S. Pat. No. 5,966,751; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 333,343. 
     While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new portable hair washing apparatus. The prior art includes basins and tank units for cleaning people&#39;s hair. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new portable hair washing apparatus which has many of the advantages of the portable hair washers mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new portable hair washing apparatus which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art portable hair washers, either alone or in any combination thereof. The present invention includes a tank member having side, front, back, and bottom walls, and also having a tabletop; and also includes wheels upon which the tank member is mounted; and further includes a hair washing support assembly being attached to the tank member and including a headrest member; and also includes a hair washing assembly being supported by said tank member and including a semi-rigid hose. None of the prior art includes the combination of the elements of the present invention. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the portable hair washing apparatus in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a new portable hair washing apparatus which has many of the advantages of the portable hair washers mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new portable hair washing apparatus which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art portable hair washers, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new portable hair washing apparatus for allowing the shampooing of the hairs of the physically disabled. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new portable hair washing apparatus that is easy and convenient to set up and use. 
     Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new portable hair washing apparatus that is fully self-contained and can be maneuvered about to where the user is located. 
    
    
     These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention 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: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a new portable hair washing apparatus according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a lateral cross-sectional view of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 4 thereof, a new portable hair washing apparatus embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, the portable hair washing apparatus  10  generally comprises a tank member II having side, front, back, and bottom walls  12 - 16 , and also having a tabletop  17 . The tank member  11  also includes an upper compartmental and a lower compartment  19  being separated by one or more impermeable walls  20  being conventionally disposed between the tabletop  17  and the bottom wall  16 . The upper and lower compartments  18 ,  19  are adapted to store water therein. The tank member  11  further includes a water outlet port  21  being disposed through the front wall  15  and into the upper compartment  18 , and also includes a water drainage port  22  being disposed through the front wall  15  into the lower compartment  19  for draining water therefrom, and further includes a valve  30  being conventionally connected to the water drainage port  22  for controlling drainage of water from the lower compartment  19 . The tank member  11  also includes a towel rack  25  being conventionally attached to an exterior of the back wall  14  for supporting towels. The tank member  11  further includes an elongate tubular water fill hopper  26  being conventionally mounted to the tank member  11  and through which water is entered into the upper compartment  18  of the tank member  11 . The elongate tubular water fill hopper  26  includes a main portion  27  which extends parallel and adjacent to one of the side walls  12  of the tank member  11 , and also includes a bottom end portion  28  which is conventionally disposed through the side wall  12  and into the upper compartment  18 , and further includes a flared open top end  29  through which water is entered into the tank member  11 . The tabletop  17  includes elongate handhold slots  23 ,  24  being disposed therethrough near ends thereof with the tabletop  17  extending outwardly beyond the front and back walls  14 , 15 . The tank member  11  is conventionally mounted upon wheels  31 . 
     A hair washing support assembly is conventionally attached to the tank member  11  and includes a headrest member  32 . The hair washing support assembly further includes a drainage pipe  36  being conventionally mounted to the tank member  11 , and having a main portion  37 , and also having a first end portion  38  being angled relative to the main portion  37  and being conventionally disposed through the front wall  15  into the lower compartment  19  of the tank member  11 , and further having a second end portion  39  being angled relative to the main portion  37  and upon which the headrest member  32  is mounted. The headrest member  32  is generally a basin having a drainage hole  33  being disposed through a wall thereof with the headrest member  32  having a boss  34  which is securely mounted in an open second end of The drainage pipe  36  and which has a bore  35  disposed therethrough. 
     A hair washing assembly is conventionally supported by the tank member  11  and includes a semi-rigid hose  40  being conventionally attached over the water outlet port  21  of the tank member  11 . The hair washing assembly further includes a water pump member  41  being conventionally disposed in the upper compartment  18  of the tank member  11 , and also includes a conduit  42  being conventionally attached to the water pump member  41  and to the water outlet port  21  of the tank member  11 , and further includes a battery  43  being disposed in a battery compartment  44  in the tank member  11  and being connected with wires  49  to the water pump member  41 , and also includes a pump activation switch  45  being connected with wires  49  to the battery  43 , and further includes a spray nozzle  48  being conventionally attached to a free end of the semi-rigid hose  40  for spraying water onto a user&#39;s hair. The pump activation switch  45  includes a housing  46  and a foot pedal  47  being depressibly and conventionally mounted upon the housing  46 . 
     In use, the user pushes or pulls the tank member  11  to the desired location where a particular person wants or needs to have one&#39;s hair shampooed, and the user situates the person&#39;s head upon the headrest member  32 , and grasps and positions the semi-rigid hose  40  over the person&#39;s hair, and then presses upon the foot pedal  47  which energizes the water pump member  41  which pumps water contained in the upper compartment  18  of the tank member through the conduit  42  and through the semi-rigid hose  40  and through the spray nozzle  48  onto the person&#39;s hair. The waste water drains from the headrest member  32  through the drainage pipe  36  and is stored in the lower compartment  19  of the tank member  11 . The waste water is emptied through the water drainage port  22  using the valve  30 . 
     As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, 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 the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the portable hair washing apparatus. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention 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 invention.