AU599472B2 - Soap holder - Google Patents

Description

S F Ref: 25950 S F Ref: 25950 FORM COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE

SPECIFICATION

LODGED AT SUB-OFFICE 2 9 MAR 1988 Sydney Tsis docth I amend a 8 made under I ection 49 and is correct for jrn~tifg.

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int. Class 4' f (9, oa o 3 0 00 0 0 00 a* 00 S 0 i o o o 3 o 0 0e Application Number: PI1990 Lodged: 19 May 1987 Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: Name and Address of Applicant: George Tihanyi 3 Pendrill Street Glebe New South Wales 2037 AUSTRALIA I* s3 II 33 q 3* 0 4a 33r Actual Inventor: Address for Service: George Tihanyi, Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys, Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street, Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia

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Complete Specification for the invention entitled: SOAP HOLDER The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us 5815/2 j Ij I: 1; i: j -2- The present invention relates to a soap holder, and more particularly to a pilfer-proof soap holder.

The process of washing hands with soap in a washroom has in the past been catered for by a limited number of alternatives. The main restriction encountered is the form in which the soap is provided, wherein the most common forms include a solid soap cake or a liquid soap.

The major disadvantage of a liquid soap is that it requires storage/dispensing means which are invariably expensive to manufacture.

Further disadvantages include: relatively large quantities of soap are required to avoid constant refilling or replacement; I"tor users of liquid soap dispensers of often dispenses more soap than is necessary, thereby increasing the cost; V r liquid soap dispensers are usually mounted on a wall adjacent to, and not directly over the wash basin, and in use spillage onto the counter or floor of the washroom can, and usually does, occur; liquid soap dispensers can be awkward to use.

Solid cakes of soap represent a cheap and efficient means for facilitating the washing of hands in a washroom. However, in washrooms for public convenience, soap cakes are easily pilfered and as such the costs of rce^ providing solid soap cakes can also become uneconomical. Further, soap b: e cakes, being soluable, can become soggy and unpleasant to handle if not stored between use in a manner which allows the cake to dry.

Therefore, if a solid cake of soap can be readily safeguarded against pilfering, while being efficiently stored, it would provide a more economical alternative to liquid soap "Li It is the objecf of the presenf'iveition to providbe o l'id c'akei of' 'es' soap in such a form.

In one broad form of the invention there is provided a soap and soap support assembly comprising; a mounting means including a bracket for fixing to a mounting surface, and an elongate member attached at one end of sa''d',brFcket'; a soap cake assembly including a central ,core member adapted to slidably receive and accommodate said elongate member, and a cake of soap molded substantially around said core member; wherein said elongate member and said core member, in combination, further comprises a securing means whereby, upon insertion of the other end f said elongate member into said core member, said soap cake assembly is i ii 4 i; 2a automatically secured to said mounting means, and said soap cake causes said securing mea ns to be inaccessable to a user of said soap cake, ~4 6 0 04* 006.f at~ ft. ft ft ft ft ftft

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1661 b i A preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a soap support means; Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view of a soap cake assembly; and Figures 3, 4 and 5 are detailed schematic sectional view of the soap cake assembly of Figure 2, depicting the operation of the soap cake assembly securing means.

In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a soap cake and soap cake assembly holder 10 comprising in combination a soap cake assembly 11 lockably mounted on one end of a spindle 12 which is pivotally attached at its other end to a bracket 13 adapted for mounting to a rigid surface wall, vanity, rim of basin) adjacent to a hand-wash basin.

The spindle 12 rigid elongate member) is of sufficient length J 15 to allow the soap cake assembly 11 to be swung between an operative position above the wash basin and a retracted position for storage. Also limit stops (not shown) can be provided to limit the pivotal movement of the spindle between these positions.

The soap cake assembly 11 comprises a central moulded plastic core 14 and a block, or cake, 15 of germicidal soap which is moulded around the plastic core 14. The elongate plastic core 14 integrally comprises a first tubular section 16, a flange section 17 and aperture 17a at one end thereof, a plurality of projections 18 located on the external surface of said first tubular section 16 to prevent relative movement between the moulded soap material and the core 14, and securing means 19 at the other end thereof adapted to prevent pilfering of the soap cake assembly 11.

The plastic core 14 additionally comprises a cap 23 to enclose the vc t securing means 19. The securing means 19 comprises at least two elastically deformable arms 20. Each arm 20 is integral with the first tubular section 16, and have a form, and a;e arranged in combination so as to form a further tubular section 21 longitudinal axially aligned with the first tubular section 16. Each arm 20 has a ridge 22 projecting inwards, and when the arms 20 are arranged to form the further tubular section 21, these ridges 22 co-operate to effectively reduce the internal diameter of the furthertubular section 21 along a portion of its length to form an annular projection). The cap 23 is adapted to be I detachably mounted onto the plastic core 14 to enclose the further tubular section 21 the securing means 19), so that when soap is SAR/830b 3 .I 4: ii; I

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moulded around the plastic core 14, the recess in the cap 23 and consequently the recess in the first and further tubular sections (16 and 21) are not filled with soap.

The soap 15 is moulded around the first tubular section 16 and the cap 23 of plastic core 14, leaving the flange 17 and aperture 17a exposed. Therefore the plastic core provides an internal bore in the moulded soap cake assembly 11 having a closed end distal from the aperture 17a, and which is adapted to accommodate a end portion of the spindle 12.

In Figures 3 to 5 the free end of the spindle 12 is depicted at progressive points of insertion into the core 14 so as to co-operate with the soap cake securing means 19. The spindle 12 is provided with an annular recess 24 and an inclined leading edge 25. The annular recess 24 S. accommodates the ridges 22 of the securing means 19 when the spindle 12 '5 is fully inserted thereon.

In use, the soap cake assembly 11 is mounted onto the spindle 12 wherein the spindle passes through the aperture 17a and the recess in the first tubular section 16, and thence passes into the recess of the I further tubular section 21, where upon the inclined leading edge 25 of the spindle 12 pushes the ridges 22 radially outwards causing elastic deformation of the arms 20. The spindle 12 is further inserted into the plastic core 14 of the soap cake 11 until the ridges 22 of the arms r align with the annular recess 24 in the spindle 12. At this point the arms 20 reciliently return to their original configuration aligned with the tubular section 16, as the ridges 22. are positioned and accommodated within the annular recess 24 in the spindle 12.

Preferably both the annular recess 24 in the spindle 12, and the ridges 22 of the arms 20 have square edges. Therefore, when the ridges 22 are positioned within the annular recess 24, the said surfaces 30 of the ridges 22 and ainular recess 24 oppose each other and hence prevent longitudinal movement and hence removal of the soap cake 11 from the spindle 12.

In order to remove the soap cake 11 from the spindle 12, it is first necessary to expose the cap 23 of the plastic core 14 to allow its detachment therefrom and thereby expose the securing means 19. The arms of the securing means 19 can be manually deformed to move the ridges 22, radially outwards to disengage the surfaces 30 and allow the soap cake 11 to move freely on the spindle 12, allowing removal of the soap cake assembly 11.

:i SAR/830b 4 i -;i -C.L i In order to expose the cap 23 of the plastic core 14, the soap material 15 must first be removed. It is envisaged that normal use of the soap will eventually expose the cap 23 at a time when it is necessary to replenish the soap. The soap is replenished by removal of the worn out soap cake assembly 11 with a new soap cake assembly 11. To remove the soap cake assembly at any other time except when it is necessary to replenish the soap, the moulded soap material 15 must first be removed, generally by destructive means, in order to expose the cap 23.

In this preferred form of the invention, the soap cake assembly 11 is mounted onto the spindle 12 in a pilfer-proof manner, that is, in a manner which would not allow the removal of a solid cake of soap. An added advantage of this preferred construction is that it allows the soap cake assembly 11 to rotate freely on the spindle 12, to allow for even o wear of the soap material in use. Further, as the soap cake assembly is 15 supported in mid-air, the soap material is not allowed to sit in a pool a o49 of water and become soggy, but rather is allowed to drain and dry more easily, and hence be used more efficiently.

The foregoing describes only one embodiment of the present 0 invention, and modifications which are obvious to those skilled in the art may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

4o In this regard an alternative form of securing means 19 may be o O provided which does not require the shielding cap 23. In this form, a similar arrangement to that defined above wherein the inward projections 18 are themselves deformable and the further tubular section 21 is substantially rigid.

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Claims (9)

1. A s;oap and soap support assembly comprising; a mounting means including a bracket for fixing to a mounting surface, and an elongate member attached at one end to said bracket; a soap cake assembly including a central core member adapted to slidably receive and accommodate said elongate member, and a cake of soap moulded substantially around said core member; wherein said elongate member and said core member, in combination, further comprise a securing reans whereby, upon insertion of the other end of said elongate member into said core member, said soap cake assembly is automatically secured to said mounting means and said soap cake causes said el securing means to be inaccessible to a user of said soap.

2. A soap and soap support assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said securing means comprises a resilient securing mechanism on said core 'I member adapted to engage a cooperating portion of said elongate member.

3. A soap and soap support assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein said core member comprises an elongate hollow tubular section having an aperture at one end, and said securing mechanism at the other end, and wherein said cake of soap is moulded around said core member so as to generally enclose said resilient securing mechanism and said tubular section, and to expose said aperture.

4. A soap and soap support assembly as defined in claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein said soap cake assembly is removable from said mounting means only upon substantial removal of said cake of soap from said core member so as to expose said securing means.

5. A soap and soap support assembly as defindi n ieo c amsT' 1 to 4, wherein said securing means comprises at least one resilient -projection adapted to engage a recess provided on said elongate member to thereby secure the soap cake assembly on said mounting means.

6. A soap and soap support assembly as defined in claim 5, wherein said projections resiliently deform to allow said core menlbef to s:'idably receive said elongate member, and upon reaching a predetermined relative position therebetween, said projections cooperate with and hence engage said recess.

7. A soap and soap support assembly as defined in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said soap cake assembly is rotatably secured to said QI ongate member. _KLN/1661b I lil c 6a

8. A soap and soap support assembly as defined in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said elongate member is rotatably mounted to said bracket, and movable between an operative position wherein said soap cake assembly is conveniently positioned for use, and a retracted position. I I II Cr I IC 0 Ct CI V c -t C- Cs- I II s i-i-l l~* a 1; i r i;; Ir ~r;~i:is I' 1 1 I I_ -i ~ii i i; i. :1

9. A soap and soap support assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein said mounting means further comprises stop means for restricting the rotating movement of said elongate member between said positions. A soap and soap support assembly as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings. DATED this TWENTY-FIFTH day of MARCH 1988 GEORGE TIHANYI '9 p 9 44( 4 .9 9 9 8i* 9r rr*3 *94*4 Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON p g. 9* 9. 4 9* 4 9 *9 -i .e ~I ~~i~ll i. ri: SAR/830b -7- ,*I