Patent Description:
Generally, a bar of soap rests on the bottom of the transportable container and, if not stored horizontally, the soap contacts at least one other wall due to slipping of the soap in the container. A wet soap cannot dry completely at portions, at which the soap contacts the container. Loss of soap is caused by abrasion on the walls of the soap container of a still soft or wet soap.

It is known to hold the soap by means of a combination of a magnet attached to a soap holder and a magnetic element, for example a small plate, pressed into the soap. This allows the soap to dry and a larger portion of the soap can be used for washing.

<CIT> discloses a device, in which the magnetic holder is attached to a suction cup, which can be attached in a wash basin or to a shower wall.

<CIT> discloses a device, in which a bar of soap is directly connected to a suspension loop arranged on an anchoring part such that it can be suspended, for example, from the fittings of a shower.

<CIT> discloses a device, in which a container holding a liquid soap is connected to a suspension loop.

<CIT> discloses a soap box, including a box body and a lid, said lid is provided with a magnet, the internal bottom surface of the box body is a sloping surface, the box body side wall is provided with an opening, the opening is blocked by a plug corresponding to it. The lid is also provided with a steel plate that matches the magnet. The steel plate is provided with a knife edge.

<CIT> relates to the soap dryer, which can be detachably positioned on the top surface of a sink. The body of the adsorption plate is formed into a single body at the top of the adsorption plate. A first detachment is built into the upper side of the adsorption plate body. A second detachment is inserted into the surface of the soap and detached to the upper surface of the adsorption plate body by the magnetic force of the first detachment.

The object of the invention is to improve the drying of a bar of soap stored in a soap container and to prevent a bar of soap from becoming soft due to residual moisture and thus at least partially unusable.

The object of the invention is solved by a soap container according to claim <NUM>. The dependent claims relate to preferred embodiments.

The soap container according to the invention comprises a first housing element having an inner side and an outer side, and a second housing element having an inner side and an outer side. The first housing member may be a bottom member, and the second housing member may be a top member. The first housing member and the second housing member are releasably couplable to each other to form a housing of the soap container. The soap container is configured to hold a soap between an inner surface of the first housing member and an inner surface of the second housing member. According to the invention, the first housing element comprises a spacer element extending from the inner side of the first housing element in the closed state of the soap container towards the interior of the soap container. According to the invention, the spacer element comprises a retaining element having a first magnetic property. A coupling element having a second magnetic property is mechanically couplable to a soap. The first magnetic property and the second magnetic property are adapted to magnetically attract the retaining element and the coupling element. As a result, the coupling element is held spaced apart from the inner surface of the first housing element and from the inner surface of the second housing element.

This ensures that the bar of soap is held spaced apart from the first and second housing elements so that any residual moisture present cannot cause the bar of soap to soften, liquefy, or the like. For purposes of the present invention, soap is a soap in solid form, such as a bar of soap. The coupling element may be a mandrel, a disc having a plurality of mandrels, a disc having a plurality of protrusions, a disc having a plurality of prongs, or the like, which may be pressed into the bar of soap by the user. By magnetically holding the soap, the soap can be easily removed from the soap container by the user and easily returned to the soap container after use. The soap container is particularly suitable for use while traveling.

In one embodiment, the holding element may comprise a permanent magnet, and the coupling element may comprise a ferromagnetic material.

According to the present invention the spacer element has a suction cup on its side facing the inside of the first housing element. This allows the soap container to be easily cleaned. Further, the suction cup can be detached from the first housing element and fixed in a bathroom, for example, in a sink of a bathroom or a shower cabinet of a bathroom. Thereby, the soap bar can be held both inside the soap container and outside the soap container while traveling in such a way that the soap bar can dry after use and damage to the soap bar due to residual moisture is avoided.

The invention thus also solves the problem of providing a unit for an improved transport container for a solid detergent, for example a soap, and at the same time serving as a device for flexible attachment of the same, but by allowing the unit to be separated, locally, from the transport container. The concept presented here allows, by means of a support removably fixed inside the transport container for the solid hygienic agent, the complete and contactless residual drying inside the closed container. The second advantage is that the holder may be separated from the transport container. Usually, a transport container for soap, for example, also serves as a dish from which the soap is removed for personal hygiene, such as washing the skin or hairs. As a result, water accumulates inside the container, which has to be dried before it can be closed. By separating the holder from the transport container, the container can be stored in a dry area, while the holder can be used in a wet area, such in the shower or in or around the washbasin. Finally, the holder can be reattached to the transport container.

In one embodiment, the retaining element may be arranged on the half of the spacer element facing away from the inner side of the first housing element. Preferably, the retaining element is arranged as far as possible from the inner side of the first housing element.

According to the present invention the inner surface of the first soap container includes a receiving region having a mean roughness Ra of from approximately <NUM> to approximately <NUM> or lower, on which, in use, the suction cup is disposed by a user. The mean roughness of the receiving area may range from approximately <NUM> to approximately <NUM> or lower. The receiving area may have metal on its surface. The soap receptacle may be made of plastic.

In one embodiment, a sealing element may be arranged on the first housing element and/or on the second housing element, wherein the sealing element is arranged such that, in the closed state of the soap container, the first housing element is sealed with respect to the second housing element. This can prevent residual moisture from escaping from the soap container into the luggage.

The soap container according to the invention has the advantage that the soap can be safely stored in the closed soap container for transport without the soap touching the housing. At the destination, the soap can then either be removed from the opened soap container for use and lifted off the magnetic holder in the process, or the entire magnetic holder with the suction cup is temporarily removed from the soap container and arranged on a smooth surface, for example a wash basin or a shower wall. Thereby, the soap container can be stored in a dry place while the holder with suction cup and magnet is used in the wet area.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the connecting element is suitable and configured for forming a hinge-like connecting region between the first housing element and the second housing element.

The connecting element is particularly advantageously suitable and configured for forming a suspension loop. Consequently, as a further alternative, the entire soap container can be suspended, for example, from a shower fitting, whereby, when the soap container is open, the soap can be removed from or placed back against the magnetic holder at any time.

In an advantageous embodiment, the connecting element is formed as a flat band which is passed through a respective slot in the first housing element and in the second housing element. By at least one adjusting element arranged on the connecting element, both the length of a small loop forming a hinge-like connecting region between the first housing element and the second housing element as well as the length of the suspension loop can be adjusted by displacing the adjusting element.

Due to the adjustability of the connecting element or the hinge-like connecting area formed by it, the connecting element is also particularly advantageously suitable for maintaining an unfolded open position of the first housing element relative to the second housing element. In a suspended position in a shower cubicle, the opened second housing element thereby lies in an oblique covering position over the soap, thereby preventing an undesired contact with the water flowing downward and the prematurely softening and an undesired deterioration of the soap. Such open position of the soap container is advantageous for quick access to the soap, also if it lies at the edge of the sink.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein.

<FIG> shows a soap container <NUM>, which comprises an upper part (second housing element) <NUM>, a lower part (first housing element) <NUM> and a connecting element <NUM> connecting these two parts.

The connecting element <NUM> is formed in the manner of a flat band and passes through a slot <NUM> in the upper part <NUM> and through a slot or opening <NUM> in the lower part <NUM>. As can best be seen from <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>, the connecting element <NUM> forms a small loop inside the soap container <NUM> that serves as a hinge-like connecting portion <NUM> between the upper portion <NUM> and the lower portion <NUM>. Outside the soap container <NUM>, the connecting element <NUM> passes through an adjustment element <NUM> and forms a larger suspension loop <NUM> on the side of the adjustment element <NUM> facing away from the soap container <NUM>.

By sliding the adjustment element <NUM>, which exerts a slight clamping action, on the connecting element <NUM>, the size of the small loop forming the hinge-like connecting region <NUM> can be varied as well as the suspension loop <NUM>. In an embodiment not shown, two independently adjustable adjustment elements <NUM> may also be provided.

As shown in the embodiment, the connecting element <NUM> may be connected to each other by positive substance jointing, such as welding as an endless band (band loop) after passing through the slots <NUM> and <NUM> and through the adjusting element <NUM>. Instead of being formed as an endless band (band loop), an embodiment in which the two ends of the band-shaped connecting element <NUM> are fixedly connected to the upper part <NUM> and the lower part <NUM> of the soap container <NUM> is also conceivable. In this case, the ends of the connecting element <NUM> may be fixed, for example, by passing the ends of the connecting element <NUM> inwardly through the slots <NUM> and <NUM> and creating thickenings at the ends, for example by thermal deformation, which prevent subsequent withdrawal from the slots <NUM> and <NUM>.

The band of the connection element <NUM> seals the slots <NUM> and <NUM>, such that essentially no water can exit the soap container <NUM> but air can enter the soap container <NUM> for drying the soap <NUM>.

In one embodiment the connection element <NUM> may be a band in which the ends are not connected to each other by positive substance jointing, such as welding. The first end of the connection element <NUM> may have a first looking element, such as an opening (not shown). The second end of the connection element <NUM> may have a second looking element complimentary to the first locking element engaging into the first locking element, such as a protrusion having from which a circular nose (not shown) extends. The circular nose may pass through the opening and engage at the first end of the connection element to form a barb.

In this embodiment the ends of the connection element <NUM> may be formed tapered in the longitudinal direction and/or or the thickness of the end of the connection element <NUM> may form a tapper. A protrusion extending perpendicular to longitudinal direction may be formed to avoid inadvertent removal of an end of the connection element through the slot <NUM> or <NUM>. The protrusion may be a locally increased thickness of the band of the connection element <NUM>. The protrusion and/or locally increased thickness may be formed at the end of the tapper, where the tapper comprises the largest thickness or broadness.

The ends of the connecting element <NUM> can be pushed through the adjusting element <NUM> before the connecting element <NUM> is fixed to the upper part <NUM> or to the lower part <NUM>, or the adjusting element <NUM> can also be clipped over the two strands of the connecting element <NUM> subsequently.

An area with a flat contact surface <NUM> is formed on the bottom of the lower part <NUM>, on which a suction cup arrangement <NUM> is detachably attached. In <FIG>, the suction cup arrangement <NUM> is secured to the contact surface <NUM>. In <FIG>, the suction cup arrangement <NUM> has been temporarily removed from the soap container <NUM> and can then be placed and fixed at its destination on another smooth surface, such as a wall of a sink or a shower wall.

The suction cup arrangement <NUM> is formed by a suction cup <NUM>, which is flatly curved on its lower surface, and a magnet holder <NUM> connected thereto on its upper surface. The magnet holder <NUM> is used to receive and fix a permanent magnet <NUM>, which is connected to the magnet holder <NUM> in a force-fit manner by press-fitting or in a substance-fit manner by adhesive bonding. Alternatively, the permanent magnet <NUM> can be connected to the magnet holder <NUM> by press-fitting or joining or by adhesive bonding with or without heat application. For high holding power, even with heavier bars of soap, the use of a neodymium magnet as the permanent magnet <NUM> is particularly advantageous.

In <FIG>, a soap <NUM> is indicated into which a magnetic element <NUM>, for example a ferromagnetic platelet with a serrated edge bent backwards, is pressed. The magnetic element <NUM> serves with its front smooth holding surface to fix the soap <NUM> on the permanent magnet <NUM>.

For leak-proof transport of the soap <NUM> in the soap container <NUM>, it is advantageous if the upper part <NUM> is provided with a sealing surface <NUM> and the lower part <NUM> is provided with a sealing surface <NUM>, wherein the sealing surfaces <NUM>, <NUM> engage each other in an at least partially sealing manner when the soap container <NUM> is closed.

The soap container <NUM> preferably has an ergonomically favorable oval shape. However, rectangular shapes with rounded corners are also possible for the soap container <NUM>.

Instead of a soap <NUM>, the soap container <NUM> according to the invention can also accommodate other solid cosmetic substances, such as a hair soap or a body cream block melting on the surface under the influence of body heat.

Claim 1:
A soap container (<NUM>), comprising:
- a first housing member (<NUM>) having an inner side and an outer side; and
- a second housing member (<NUM>) having an inner side and an outer side;
- wherein the first housing member and the second housing member are releasably couplable to each other to form a housing of the soap container, and wherein the soap container is adapted to have a soap held between the inside of the first housing member and the inside of the second housing member;
- wherein the first housing member comprises a spacer element extending from the inside of the first housing member toward the inside of the soap container in the closed state of the soap container; and
- wherein the spacer element comprises a retaining member (<NUM>) having a first magnetic property;
- further comprising a coupling member (<NUM>) having a second magnetic property, the coupling member being adapted to be mechanically coupled to the soap;
- wherein the first magnetic property and the second magnetic property are adapted to magnetically attract the retaining member and the coupling member such that the coupling member is retained distant from the inside of the first housing member and the inside of the second housing member;
characterized in that spacer element comprises a suction cup (<NUM>) on its side facing the inner side of the first housing element; and
the inner side of the first soap container (<NUM>) has a receiving area (<NUM>) having a mean roughness Ra of preferably from approximately <NUM> to approximately <NUM> or lower on which, in use, the suction cup is arranged.