2338648 1 HYGIENE PRODUCT This invention relates to hygiene products.
In the bathroom, for example, it is usual for an indMdual to have a variety of different de-vices which they can use for personal hygiene purposes. In a family. environment, it is also often the case that each member of the family has their own set of hygiene products. Purchasing a large number of indMdual products can be rather expensive, and can require a relatively large amount of storage space.
In addition, whilst most persons can easily- use commonly available hygiene products, it has been noted that the elderly and disabled can often experience difficulties when trying to use these detices. These difficulties can result from various ailments such as arthritis, for example, where an individual can find it difficult to pick up and hold the de-,ice. This particular problem is further compounded when the device is wet or covered in a cleaning fluid such as a body lotion of some kind.
A further serious problem is that elderly or disabled persons often experience difficulties reaching all the necessary, pails of their bodies with existing hygiene products. In addition, it can also be difficult for the user easily. to exert the required amount of pressure on the area of skin to be cleaned - particularly when the area that they are trying to clean is not readily accessible.
An eu-rnple of one such prer%4ouslv proposed dexice is the pun-Lice stone. An elderly person using such a stone can find it difficult to reach their feet easily, for example, with the stone and can find it difficult to hold the stone when wet. In addition, it is not particularly easy for the user to vary the load exerted on the skin without undue difficulty.
300 It has furthermore been noted that existing de%ices can be difficult to clean, and thus are not particularly, well suited for use by different persons. It would therefore be desirable for the device to be easily disassemblable in order to allow for easy cleaning.
2 It is an object of the invention to alleviate at least some of these and other problem associated with these previously proposed dexAces.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a product comprising a head portion and a handle portion. The head portion includes a cleaning element. The handle portion includes one or more resilient flexible elements to enable the head portion to be moved with respect to the handle. In this way, the product enables the user to easily vary the load brought to bear upon a surface simply by varying the angle between the head portion and the handle portion.
Whilst the present invention was originally conceived to alleviate at least some of the problems associated with the above mentioned previously proposed devices, the applicant has also found that the invention has great utility in a variety of different circumstances. For example, the invention can find utility in the kitchen where it can substantially reduce utensil storage space. Accordingly, it should be understood that the disclosure given herein is not fin-dted to any one particular application, and that the description of the product in relation to personal hygiene products for use in a bathroom is given purely by way of illustrative example.
Preferabb,, the one or more resilient flexible elements are covered with a sleeve. Preferably, at least one of the one or more resilient flexible elements are provided between the head and the handle.
Preferably. the one or more resilient flexible elements each comprise a flexible member mateable with complementary interlocking formations provided on the head and handle. Each end of 2 5 the flexible member can be fitted between couplings provided on respective ends of the head and handle portions. Alternatively, respective ends of the head and handle portions can each be fitted between couplings provided on either end of the flexible member. As a further alternative, the one or more resiEent flexible portions may each comprise a flexible member fitted at either end to locating formations on the mating, surfaces of the head and handle portions.
3 Preferably, the accessory includes one or more high friction areas incorporated in the handle. 'Me high friction areas may be of rubber. 71e high fliction areas may comprise a plurality of projections.
Preferably, the head portion comprises a fixing element adjoining the one or more flexible elements and a cleaning element. The cleaning element may be a brush, a sponge, a pun-dce stone, a loofah massage element or other abrasive element. The cleaning element may include a backing element.
Preferably, the cleaning head and fixing element are provided with complementary engaging formations to enable the cleaning head portion to be easily detached from the fL3dng element. The complementary engaging formations may comprise an arm projecting from the handle and a slot in the head portion, the arm being engageable with the slot. Alternativeb,, the complementary engaging formations may comprise an arm projecting from the head portion and a slot in the handle, the arm being engageable with the slot.
use; Preferably, the head portion and handle portion are of plastics material.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a set comprising a product as described herein, wherein the cleaning element is detachable from the rest of the product, and the set comprises one or more further cleaning element portions each capable of replacing the cleaning element detached from the rest of the product. Preferabbi each of the cleaning clen.ents are provided with a different cleaning material or configauration of cleaning material.
Mustrative ernbodiments of the invention will now he described, by way of example onb,, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a -view of a hygiene product according to the invention; Figures 2a and 2b show illustrative representations of the hygiene product of Figure 1 in 4 Figure 3 comprises plan and side -views of a plurality of different cleaning element portions each suitable for use with the hygiene product of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a perspective iiew of part of the hygiene product of Figures 1 and 2 illustrating the one or more flexible elements; and Figures Sa and 5b are,,ed,,iews of the hygiene productof Figures 1 to 4 illustrating the cleaning element respectively decoupled and coupled from the rest of the product.
Figure 1 is a -view of a hygiene product 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. The product may be of plastic, metal, wood or any other suitable material. The product comprises a head portion and a handle portion 11 interconnected by one or more flexible elements 7. In Figure 1 die flexible elements are covered with a sleeve. The head portion comprises a cleaning element 5 releasably attached to a fixing element 9. The cleaning element may include a backing.
71e resilient flexible elements 7 enables the fixing element of the head portion 9 to be resiliently movable with respect to the handle 11. This pro-vides an arrangement, so that the user is not required to exert a great effort to clean themselves effectively. Furthermore, the flexible element allows the user to vary the load exerted on the skin.
v 0 For example, if the head portion 5 is placed, in use, against a user's skin, then the handle 3 can be rotated away from the skin surface whilst keeping the head portion substantially in contact with it. As the handle 3 is rotated away, so the load exerted on the skin by the head portion 5 is increased. In this way. it is possible to control the degree of ffiction between the skin and the head portion 5. If only light contact is desired, then the handle 3 may be maintained nearly parallel with the surface of the skin. Alternatively, if heaiy contact is required, then the handle 3 can be rotated away from the skin to increase the pressure exerted by the head portion 5.
Figures 2a and 2b show an illustrative representation of the accessory according, to an embodiment of the invention when the handle has been rotated with respect to the head portion (Fig= 2a) to apply greater load, and when the handle is maintained substantially, parallel with the head portion (Figure 2b) to reduce the applied load.
Returning to Figure 1, the handle 3 is preferably provided with one or more gripping regions 13 which may comprise strips of high ffiction material attached to the handle 3. For example, the gripping regions 13 could be of rubber or any other suitable material. 71c gripping regions 13 may also be formed with a plurality of projections or other projecting formations to improve the user's grip on the handle.
The cleaning element 5 generally comprises a backing 15 upon which one of a ludety of difIerent elements 17 may be mounted. The elements 17 may have a large variety of configurations depending upon the use to which the accessory is to be put and the location in which it is to be used. Similarly,, the head portions 5 may have different shapes depending upon the iLse to which the product is to be put. For example, the head portion may comprise an elongated forrn, a circular body? or an elliptical body, for example.
Figure 3 shows an illustrative selection of some cleaning element portions which may be used for personal hygiene purposes in the bathroom, for example. In the illustrative example of Figure 3, one cleaning element 5 could include an abrasive surface 19, such as a pumice stone, as the element. Another head portion 5 could include a sponge 21 as the element and yet another head portion 5 could include a massage element 23. In Figure 1 the element 17 is a brush. Other types of element or elements for other purposes such as a loofah could be provided.
2% 5 Figure 4 is a perspective -view of part of the preferred embodiment of the product, showing a construction of the resilient flexible element 7 in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 4, the flexible portion is comprised of a flexible member 30, which in this embodiment is a cubold of rectangular cross-section, that mates with a coupling 31 formed in respective facing ends of the fixing element of the head 9 and handle 11. In the preferred embodiment, each coupling, 31 is defined by. an upper arm 32 and a lower arm 33 with a gap 34 between. As a further alternative, 6 the coupling could be formed in either end of the resilient elerneg and could be mateable with a projection on respective ends of the fixing element of the head 9 and the handle 11.
The handle is not intended to be easily dismouritable from the head.
To assemble the handle, the flexible member 30 is interference fitted into the gap 34 between the arms 32 and 33 of each coupling 3 1. As shown, it is preferred that the resilient member 30 is covered with a sleeve 35 which is slipped over the resilient member before' it is Joined to the handle portions.
The flexible member 30 may be of rubber, or mkv be of any other suitable material such as steel.
Figures 5a and 5b are enlarged detailed views of a portion of the product where the cleaning element is secured to the rest of the produc and wherein the complementary engaging means provided on the cleaning element 5 and the fixing element of the head portion 9 may be seen. With reference to Figures Sa and 5b, the preferred complementary engaging means 25 comprises a projecting arm 27 provided on the cleaning element 5 and a groove 29 on the fixing portion 9. As shown, the arm 27 and groove 29 are both L-shaped and are complementary to -O enable the arm to be slid into the groove and then rotated with respect thereto to lockinehengage the arm with the groove, and hence lockingly engage the cleaning element 5 with the fixing element 9. A variety of different complementary engaging means could instead be provided. Preferably, the groove 29 is formed at a shoulder in the cleaning element, with the cleaning element extending part way within the fixing elern t when a ched > en tta thereto. As an alternative, the groove could be provided in the fixing element, and the arm could be proMed on the cleaning element - once again, it is preferred that the cleaning element extends part way into the fixing element when attached thereto.
From the above, it is apparent that aspects of the invention pro-Me a hygiene product which enables storage space to be reduced by obviating the need for a number of handled devices to be kept in storage. Further aspects of the invention provide a hygiene product 7 whereby the use thereof is greatly facilitated, particularly for those persons who might have difficulty in using conventional devices.
It will be understood that the invention has been described above by way of example 5 oiib,, and that modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.
8 CLALMS 1. A hygiene product comprising a handle portion, a head portion and one or more resilient flexible elements to enable the head portion to be moved with respect to the handle.
2.
product.
A hygiene product wherein the cleaning element is removably attached to the rest of the