Abstract:
A cleaning apparatus capable of holding soap or other cleansers is described. The apparatus includes a washcloth for scrubbing and abrasion and a pouch or pocket made of relatively more permeable material for holding soap. The soap is held on both sides by relatively more permeable fabric and is not obscured by the more permeable material of typical washcloths, and yet the apparatus includes a washcloth for comfortable bathing. The pouch may include a closure for retaining the soap.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to bath accessories, specifically an apparatus for the improved handling of soap or cleanser with the simultaneous advantages of improving the flow of water over the soap and improving the ability of a person who is bathing to grasp or handle the soap. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Soap in bar form is an extremely common and convenient bath accessory. It has several well-known disadvantages, such as becoming slippery when wet, becoming difficult to grasp as it becomes small, and remaining wet when placed in a sealed soap dish. These problems become more serious as persons with impaired physical abilities, such as elderly persons or persons with arthritis, attempt to use soap. 
         [0003]    There are several approaches which have been taken to overcome these disadvantages. One approach has simply been to add a handle or rope to the bar (so-called “soap on a rope”). However, this makes each bar of soap more expensive and does not provide a surface for scrubbing, such as found with a washcloth. 
         [0004]    Another approach has been to provide a sponge or puff-shaped article which can contain a bar of soap, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,242 or U.S. Pat. No. 2,588,773. However, puffs and sponges are difficult to launder and more expensive than washcloths and provide less surface area. 
         [0005]    Another approach has been to provide a long apparatus with handles for holding soap against one&#39;s back, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,130,441; U.S. Pat. No. 4,672,707; U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,456; or U.S. Patent Application 2013/0098381. However, this form factor is relatively large and unsuitable as a general-purpose wash cloth. 
         [0006]    Another approach has been to provide a bag or pouch for holding soap, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,378; U.S. Pat. No. 7,473,044; or U.S. Pat. No. D413,477. However, such bags do not provide extra surface area for scrubbing and do not provide the same type of scrubbing surface as a wash cloth. 
         [0007]    Another approach has been to construct a mitten or mitt with an additional pouch or holder for soap, such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,668,309; U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,407; or U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,596. However, these do not provide the same type of scrubbing surface as a washcloth and require removal from the hand before rinsing can commence. 
         [0008]    Another approach has been to attach a pocket, pouch, or holder to a conventional washcloth, such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,669,737; U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,610; or U.S. Pat. No. 6,644,881. A similar approach is to construct a cloth from two layers of material and sew a pouch or pocket into one end, such as U.S. Patent Application 2006/0280547. 
         [0009]    None of these have the combined advantages of a conventional wash cloth, such as ease of laundering, ability to scrub, and convenient amount of surface area, with a relatively porous material that permits the easy flow of water. For example, the puffs, bags, and mittens do not provide the conventional wash cloth. The conventional washcloths all present at least one layer of conventional wash cloth material to at least one side of the soap, partially blocking the flow of water. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,644,881 discusses the advantages of a tulle material to provide a thinner fabric to permit water flow, but then attaches the tulle pocket to a conventional washcloth, obscuring one side of the soap bar. 
         [0010]    What is needed is an invention that combines a soap-holding pocket or pouch with a conventional wash cloth in a way that permits the free flow of water over the soap. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    In view of the background, it is the object of the invention to provide an apparatus for bathing that combines the advantages of a conventional washcloth with a permeable holder for soap or cleanser that permits free flow of water over the soap. By combining a washcloth with a permeable holder for soap, the apparatus will provide improved cleaning ability. 
         [0012]    In one embodiment, a hole is placed in a conventional washcloth, or the cloth is assembled into a structure with a hole, and a permeable pouch or bag for holding soap is sewn over the hole. 
         [0013]    In another embodiment, the permeable pouch or bag for holding soap is assembled from two pieces of material, one larger and one smaller, and the larger piece is used to attach to the washcloth. 
         [0014]    In another embodiment, the permeable pouch or bag for holding soap is assembled from one or two pieces of material and placed between two washcloths. Such an arrangement obscures the stitching that attaches the pouch to the washcloth. 
         [0015]    In another embodiment, the washcloth is manufactured with a region that is more permeable and has relatively fewer threads per unit area. A piece of material or pouch is sewn over this region to create a pouch for holding soap. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a view of one embodiment of the invention, showing a permeable pouch or bag attached to a hole in a conventional washcloth. 
           [0017]      FIG. 1A  is an example of more permeable and less permeable fabric. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a view of another embodiment of the invention, showing a bag constructed from pieces of material of different sizes and then attached to a conventional washcloth having a hole. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a view of another embodiment of the invention, showing the pouch located between two pieces of washcloth material. 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a view of another embodiment of the invention, showing a washcloth manufactured with a more permeable region and a pouch attached to it. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    The following description is presented in order to enable persons of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art, and the principles disclosed herein are applicable to other embodiments of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Specifically, certain elements of the invention, such as the shape or location of the hole or the pouch, or the shape of the washcloth, can be varied. The washcloth may be made from a variety of materials used for scrubbing or abrasion. The ordering of layers of fabric can be varied as well. The substance used for cleaning may be soap, a liquid detergent inside a semi-permeable membrane, or any desirable cleaner. (Note that the term “soap” will be used to describe the cleaner in general, and should be considered non-limiting.) The invention explicitly discloses that there are numerous combinations of locations of invention elements, and all combinations are therefore disclosed herein. 
         [0022]    Washcloths have been used for centuries. The texture of the washcloth is purposefully rough to increase abrasion to remove dead skin and dirt. Soap is designed to dissolve oils and grease and to dissolve in water, and so can be used to increase the grease-removing ability of the cloth. Typically soap comes in bar form, with concomitant disadvantages such as being slippery, being easily dropped, and becoming mushy if left in water. For persons with limited mobility or dexterity, such as the elderly and children, handling soap can be troublesome. 
         [0023]    As noted in the background of the invention, what is needed is a combination of washcloth and soap holder that can provide the benefits of a washcloth while permitting the free flow of water around the soap. 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  illustrates one example of such a washcloth. A washcloth  100  has in it a hole  101 . Note that the washcloth  100  and hole  101  need not be rectangular, and the hole  101  need not be centered in the washcloth  100 . In fact, the hole  101  may even extend to one or more sides of the washcloth. The washcloth  100  may be a rectangle with a hole  101  cut in it or it may be assembled from smaller pieces of fabric to create a structure with a hole  101 . 
         [0025]    A pouch or pocket  102  is attached to the washcloth  100 . The pouch  102  may be made from one piece of material folded over or from two pieces of material sewn together. Alternatively, the washcloth  100  and two pieces forming the pouch  102  may be assembled together in one step. Optionally, the pouch  102  may have a closure  103  to hold it shut and hold in the soap. 
         [0026]    Closure  103  may be made of, for example, elastic, a mechanical snap or catch, a pair of magnets, a magnet and a piece of metal, or hook-and-loop tape. One example of hook-and-loop tape is Velcro® manufactured by Velcro Industries B.V. In any case, soap is placed inside the pouch  102  for use. 
         [0027]    The pouch  102  is preferably made from a more permeable fabric, such as a netting or basket weave material. That is, the threads of the fabric may be spaced farther apart to permit larger holes and increased permeability. This permits the ready flow of water around the soap so that it dissolves faster and provides more soap and more lather to the washcloth and to the one who is bathing. 
         [0028]    The advantage conferred by the hole is that both sides of the pouch, with its more permeable fabric, are exposed directly to the water. Thus both sides of the bar of soap are so exposed. The relatively less permeable fabric of the washcloth does not obscure the soap or the pouch. 
         [0029]    Note that the washcloth might have an extra hole  104  or a loop  105  so it might be hung up for drying. 
         [0030]      FIG. 1A  illustrates examples of more permeable and less permeable fabric. More permeable fabric may be of a fabric  110  such as netting, nylon netting, basket weave, or any loosely woven fabric. The loose weave permits free flow of water. Less permeable fabric may be of a fabric like terrycloth  120 , microfiber, or other fabric suitable for washcloths or for bathing or scrubbing. Many variations of the two fabrics are possible and are anticipated in the scope of this invention. 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  illustrates an alternate embodiment of the invention. A smaller pouch  102  is sewn onto a larger piece of fabric  201 . The pouch is a single piece of material, possibly folded on the sides for a smooth seam. The larger piece of fabric  201  can then be sewn onto the washcloth  100 . (Alternatively, the washcloth  100 , pouch  102 , and larger piece of fabric  201  may be assembled in a single step.) The larger piece of fabric  201  is larger than the hole  101  so that there is an overlap that can be sewn. Note that the pouch  102  may be the same size as the larger piece of fabric  201  or smaller. 
         [0032]    Both the larger piece of fabric  201  and the pouch  102  are made of more permeable fabric. Soap can then be placed into the structure formed by the pouch  102  and the larger piece of fabric  201 . The pouch  102  may have an optional closure  103  as discussed above. Note that if the closure is made from hook and loop tape, one piece of tape will be attached to larger piece of fabric  201  and the other piece on pouch  102 . The pieces may be assembled in any chronological order and the pouch  102  may be on the same side of the larger piece of fabric  201  as the washcloth  100  or the opposite side. The pouch  102  may be smaller than the hole so that it fits on the front of the washcloth if that is the preferred orientation of the pouch  102 . 
         [0033]    As with the previous example, the washcloth might have an extra hole or loop of fabric (not shown) for hanging up for drying. 
         [0034]      FIG. 3  illustrates an alternate embodiment of the invention. A pouch  102  is sewn onto a larger piece of fabric  201 . As noted above, the pouch  102  is the same size or smaller than the larger piece of fabric  201 . Alternatively, the pouch  102  and larger piece of fabric  201  may be made from a single piece of material folded over. Both the larger piece of fabric  201  and the pouch  102  are made of more permeable fabric. The pouch  102  may have an optional closure  103  as discussed above. Soap may be inserted into the structure formed by pouch  102  and larger piece of fabric  201 . 
         [0035]    A second washcloth  300  with its own hole  301  is stacked so that the two washcloths are on the outside of the final structure, obscuring the stitching holding in the pouch  102  and larger piece of fabric  201 . As is the case with washcloth  100 , second washcloth  300  may also be a single piece of fabric or assembled from multiple pieces. The second washcloth  300  and the second hole  301  need not be the same shapes as the respective first washcloth and hole. Alternatively, instead of a second washcloth  300  formed from a separate piece of fabric, the first washcloth  100  and the second washcloth  300  may be formed from a single piece of fabric folded over. 
         [0036]    The pieces may be assembled in any chronological order and with any internal combination of attachments. For example, the pouch  102  might be attached to the washcloth  100  and the larger piece of fabric  201  might be attached to the second washcloth  300  before final assembly. Alternatively, the pouch  102  might be attached to the larger piece of fabric  201  and then the washcloth  100 , sewed combination of pouch  102  and larger piece of fabric  201 , and second washcloth  300  assembled as a unit. 
         [0037]    As with the previous example, the washcloth might have an extra hole or loop of fabric (not shown) for hanging up for drying. 
         [0038]      FIG. 4  illustrates an alternate embodiment of the invention. Washcloth  100  has a region  401  that is relatively more permeable, using any method known in the art by which a less permeable fabric may be woven into a more permeable fabric. 
         [0039]    Pouch  102  is then sewn onto region  401 . Soap may be inserted into the structure formed by the pouch  102  and region  401 . Since the pouch  102  and region  401  are both made from more permeable fabric, the soap is surrounded by more permeable fabric. The pouch  102  may have an optional closure  103  as discussed above. Note that if the closure is made from hook and loop tape, one piece of tape will be attached to washcloth  100  and the other piece on pouch  102 . The region  401  may be smaller than the pouch  102 , the same size as the pouch  102 , or larger than the pouch  102 . 
         [0040]    As with the previous example, the washcloth might have an extra hole or loop of fabric (not shown) for hanging up for drying. 
         [0041]    The embodiments and examples described above are presented to illustrate and explain the present invention and to enable persons of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention. However, such persons will recognize that the embodiments and examples are for illustration and example only, and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope and spirit of the invention or of the following claims.