Patent Publication Number: US-7585284-B2

Title: Body rubbing device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to body rubbing devices. 
   Body rubbing devices are known in the art. They are usually used for applying an action on a body part of a user. The existing devices, include an action means provided on the housing to act on a body part of the user. It is believed that the existing body rubbing devices can be further improved. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a body rubbing device which is a further improvement of the existing shampoo brushes. 
   In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in a body rubbing device which has a housing having a lower side adapted to face a body part of a user to be acted upon and an upper side, said housing having an upper surface which is upwardly convex and is elongated in a longitudinal direction to define a substantially oval outer edge having two ends spaced from one another in a longitudinal direction and two ends spaced from one another in a transverse direction, said upper concave surface being formed so that a palm of a user&#39;s hand can rest on said upper concave surface; a handle placeable between fingers of the user&#39;s palm and extending in the longitudinal direction, said housing further having a lower surface at said lower side; and acting means provided on said lower surface of said housing for acting on a body part of a user. 
   When the body rubbing device is designed in accordance with the present invention, it constitutes a further improvement of the existing body rubbing devices. 
   The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  3  are a plan view, a side view, and a front view of a body rubbing device in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a transverse cross-section of an upper part of the housing of the inventive body rubbing device; 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  are a transverse cross-section and a view from below of a lower part of the housing of the inventive body rubbing device; 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-section of one of action elements of the inventive body rubbing device; 
       FIGS. 8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11 , and  12 , are views showing modifications of the lower part of the body rubbing device in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIGS. 13 ,  14 , and  15  are a side view, a bottom view and a bottom view on a lower part only of a body rubbing device in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, while  FIG. 16  is a partial cross-section of this device. 
       FIG. 17  is a view showing a section of a lock nut of the inventive device; and 
       FIG. 18  is a view showing a section of a fixator of the inventive device. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   A body rubbing device in accordance with the present invention has a housing which is identified as a whole with reference numeral  1 . The housing  1  has an upper part with an upper side and a lower side as seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The housing  1  has an upper surface which is identified with reference numeral  2  and is formed as an upwardly concave surface as can be seen in  FIG. 2 , so that a palm of a user  3  can be placed on the upper surface  2  of the body rubbing device as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
   The body rubbing device further has a handle which is identified with reference numeral  4 . The handle extends from one end of the housing, which is a left end in  FIG. 2 , toward the other opposite end of the housing, in a longitudinal direction and over a part of the length of the housing  1 , measured in direction from the one to the other ends in  FIG. 2 . The handle  4  has a lower narrow part  5  and an upper wide part  6 . When the user&#39;s palm  3  is placed on the convex surface  2 , the narrow part  5  can be located between two fingers of the user&#39;s hand, and the upper part  6  is located on top of the fingers. 
   A throughgoing opening  7  is provided in the housing, so that a rope  8  can extend through the opening  7  to suspend the body rubbing device when not in use. The opening  7  is provided in the handle  4  in its region close to the upper surface  2 . 
   As can be seen from  FIG. 1 , the housing  1  has a substantially oval shape on a plan view with an oval peripheral edge, having two longitudinal ends which are spaced from one another in a longitudinal direction (a vertical direction in  FIG. 1 ), and two transverse ends which are spaced from one another in a transverse direction (a horizontal direction in  FIG. 1 ). 
   The housing  1  is composed of an upper portion  9  and a lower portion  10  together forming a hollow interior. The lower portion  10  is removably connectable to the upper portion  9 . The connecting means for connecting the portions  9  and  10  with one another can be formed for example by a circular groove  11  provided in the upper portion  9 , and at least one, preferably two projections  12  provided in a lower portion  10  and engageable into the groove  11 . For this purpose at least the projections  12  can be made elastic so as to snap into the circular groove  11 . 
   The lower part  10  has action means which are identified as a whole with reference numeral  13  and formed to act on a body part of a user, as will be explained in detail herein below. When the upper part  9  and the lower part  10  are assembled with one another, they form a hollow interior  14 . 
   In accordance with the present invention, a plurality of color insert plates are provided. One of such cover insert plates is shown in  FIG. 4 . It is inserted in the interior  14  of the housing  1  and lies on an inner surface of an upper wall of the part  9 . The color plate can be held against the inner surface by elastic properties of the color plate  15 , or can be glued by a transparent glue. The above mentioned plurality of the color plates are provided preferably for identifying the device in accordance with its applications for specific purposes, and additionally for increasing attractive look of the device. The color plates can have different colors, which are selected for example to correspond to the body rubbing devices designed for a specific use. In order to visualize the color, at least the upper wall of the upper part  9  is formed transparent, for example from a clear plastic. In accordance with a preferable embodiment, both the upper part  9  and the lower part  10  are composed of clear plastic. Also, the upper part  9  and the lower part  10  can be each formed as one-piece integral element. 
   The lower part  10  has a lower wall  16 , which can be elastic so that when the body rubbing device is used for applying corresponding action to the body part of a user, the lower wall  16  flexibly deflects to provide a fine, delicate action. 
   The lower part in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  6  is designed as a brush having the wall  16  provided with a plurality of cushion-like elastic spikes for acting on a user&#39;s scalp. As shown in  FIG. 6 , some of the spikes which are identified with reference numeral  17  are arranged on the periphery of the lower surface of the wall  16 , while other spikes which are identified with reference numerals  18  are provided in the center of the lower surface of the wall  16 , and formed so that the spikes  18  are thicker than the spikes  17 . Also, the spikes  18  can be provided with small tooth-like projections  19 . The spikes  17  preferably are elastic. 
     FIG. 8  illustrates the lower portion in which the action means are designed for body massaging. Here, the action means include a plurality of relatively thick projections  21  which are designed so that when the body rubbing device applies an action to a body part of the user, the projections  21  produce a massaging action. 
     FIG. 9  shows the lower portion of the body rubbing device in which the action means include an abrasive pad attachment with an abrasive layer  22  attached to the lower wall  16  for example by an adhesive layer or by a VELCRO connection  23 . The abrasive pad attachment provides abrasive action, for example abrasively removing foot calluses, for skin exfoliation, etc. 
     FIG. 10  shows the lower part of the body rubbing device in which the action means is formed as a pumice stone attachment, including a pumice stone  24  and an adhesive layer  25  which connects the same to the lower wall  16 . The pumice stone can be glued directly into the upper portion  9 . The pumice stone attachment is used for example for removing foot growth, such as calluses, etc. 
     FIG. 11  shows the lower portion of the body rubbing device which is formed as a brush attachment including a plurality of bundles  26  of bristles, which are connected to the lower wall  16 , for example by inserting the bundles into small holes provided in the lower wall  16 . The brush attachment is used for applying cleaning action to a user&#39;s body. 
     FIG. 12  shows the lower part of the brush which is formed as a finger nail body rubbing device attachment including a plurality of thin plastic projection  27  connected in one piece with the lower wall  16  The attachment is utilized as a finger nail brush. 
     FIGS. 17 and 18  show a side view and a plan view of a removable extension handle  28 . The removable extension handle  28  has a distal end  29  designed to be held by a user, and a proximal end  30  connectable with the handle  4 . For this purpose the proximal end  30  of the handle  28  can be provided with a slot  31  into which the lower narrow part  5  of the handle  4  can be insertable, for example with elastic action, so that the handle  4  is held in the proximal end of the extension handle  28 . The proximal end  30  of the extension handle  28  can have an inner concave surface which substantially corresponds to the upper convex surface  2  of the housing  1 , so that in the assembled condition the above mentioned surfaces are in contact with one another. 
   When the extension handle  28  is attached to the housing  1  of the body rubbing device, the body rubbing device can be used for applying an action in situations which require an extra reach, for example for action on a user&#39;s back, user&#39;s feet, etc. 
     FIGS. 13 ,  14 ,  15  and  16  are views showing a further modification of the body rubbing device. The body rubbing device shown in these figures has an upper portion  122  and a lower portion  123 . The lower portion  123  has a plurality of downwardly extending annular projections  124 , which can have for example a conical shape. A plurality of elements, for example balls  125  are held by the projections  124  rotatably in the lower portion  123 . The device further has an intermediate wall  128  which can be also clamped in the groove  127  of the upper part  122 . In particular the intermediate wall  128  has lateral extensions  126  which are retained in the groove  127 . 
   The intermediate wall  128  is substantially spring-elastic. When the device is applied to a part of the body with its balls  125  and is rolled over the part of a body with a force applied from above downwardly, the balls  125  not only rotate but also slightly move upwardly because of the spring-elastic properties of the intermediate portion  128 , so that the balls  125  during the operation of the device move elastically upwardly and downwardly to provide a special massaging action. 
   It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above. 
   While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in shampoo brush, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 
   Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention. 
   What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.