EP0288149A2

EP0288149A2 - Improvements in or relating to soap tablets

Info

Publication number: EP0288149A2
Application number: EP88302382A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Geoffrey Thomas Collett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-03-20
Filing date: 1988-03-18
Publication date: 1988-10-26
Also published as: EP0288149A3; GB8706663D0

Abstract

A soap tablet in its unused state has two opposed parallel faces (10,12) one of which has a protrusion (14), the other a complimentary shaped recess (22) so that a similar tablet can be nested therein. The face (10) having the protrusion (14) is coated with a water impervious layer (30) to ensure it maintains its shape during use, the layer being removable when the tablet is almost finished to enable it to be nested with a fresh tablet and further used with this tablet.

Description

The present invention concerns improvements in or relating to soap tablets.
According to the present invention there is provided a soap tablet having two opposed substantially parallel major faces one of which has a protrusion therefrom the other of which has a complimentary recess therein said one face and its protrusion being coated with a layer of material which is impervious to water.
Preferably said layer is attached to said one face in such a manner that it can be peeled therefrom. The layer may be formed from a plastics material sheet, the plastics of which may be foamed. The layer may be preformed prior to coating the tablet.
Preferably said protrusion and recess each extend over the major portion of their respective faces, leaving only a peripheral rim of the face at their outer edges.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan of a soap tablet;
Fig. 2 a front elevation;
Fig. 3 an end elevation;
Fig. 4 an elevation on the line A A of Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 an elevation on the line B B of Fig 1: and
Fig. 6 a section elevation on the line A A of a new and used tablet combined.

A soap tablet has a generally rectangular form and has parallel opposite major faces 10 and 12. A protrusion 14 is provided from face 10 and extends over a major portion of the area of the face leaving only a peripheral rim 16 which follows the edge of the face and is of constant width. The outer face 18 of the protrusion 14 is parallel to the major face 10 and the sides 20 of the protrusion are inclined relative to the faces 10 and 18. A recess 22 is formed in the opposite major face 12, the recess corresponding in shape and dimensions to the protrusion 14, that is it has a face 24 parallel to the major face 12 and inclined side walls 26. There remains a peripheral rim 28 of the major surface 12, the rim being of constant width. It will be realised therefore that if a further similar tablet with its recessed major face 12 uppermost is stacked on top of the tablet shown, for example in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the protrusion 14 of the upper tablet will next within the recess 22 of the lower tablet.
As best observed from Figs. 4 and 5, an impervious coating 30 is provided on the lower face 10, extending over the rim 16, the inclined walls 20 and the surface 18 of the protrusion 14. Various materials can be used to provide the impervious layer, for example impermeable paper, plastics sheet material, metal foil. Plastics sheet material probably provides the most effective coating. Any suitable plastics sheet can be employed but for comfort and to enhance the user's grip on the tablet it is preferable that a sheet of foamed plastics is used. A sheet which has been preformed to the shape of the tablet face it will coat has advantages over a planar sheet which is subsequently moulded to the containers of the face. Not only are creases eliminated but also as there are no tensile forces in the preformed sheet the tendency for it to peel away from the tablet at its edges is greatly reduced. It is important that the sheet 30 remains bonded to the surface of the soap during use but that it can be peeled off the major face 10 of the tablet by the user at the user's discretion.
In use, a soap tablet of the type shown in Fig. 1 to 5 is used in the normal manner and it will be appreciated that a tablet of this nature exhibits a number of advantages over existing tablets. For example, in view of the impervious layer 30, there remains a major face of the tablet which is not slippy and consequently the tablet can be more easily gripped by the user. In use only one face of the tablet is operative and this is rubbed over the area to be washed; consequently the non-operative area is not worn away and a greater economy can be expected. This economy can be increased if the impermeable layer is of a magnetic material so that the tablet, when not in use, can be stored under a magnet fixed to a wall and it is well known that soap stored in a dry state (not for example in a soap dish containing some water) does not soften while in temporary storage between use and consequently lasts longer.
In a further modification, if a magnetic impermeable layer is not used and it is desired that the soap can be hung when not in use suitable attachment means, for example loops, can be formed from the impermeable layer. Indeed these loops could be used to provide an additional hand hold for the soap.
The impermeable layer can be attached to the tablet during the tablet forming operation and the nature of the soap of the tablet and the characteristics of the layer may be such that additional adhesive means may be unnecessary. It may, however, be desirable to incorporate adhesive means between the impermeable layer and the major face 10 of the tablet and its protrusion to ensure that the layer adheres to the tablet at all times until the user chooses to remove the layer.
It is on removal of the layer that a further major advantage of the tablet of the invention is obtained. It is well known that when a soap tablet reduces in size by a particular amount, it becomes unuseable and it is normally discarded. This is a waste of unused soap.
According to the present invention when the user decides that the tablet has reduced in size by an amount which would normally render the tablet unuseable, he can peel off the impermeable layer 30 thereby exposing the major face 10 and its protrusion 14. This face and protrusion, during prior use of the soap, have been protected from water and consequently remain unchanged from new so that the remainder of the tablet, designated in Fig. 6 by the reference numeral R, can be nested within a new tablet N (the dotted lines in Fig. 6 showing the profile of the tablet R before use). Normally it is sufficient merely to wet the mating faces of the tablets R and N and apply pressure thereto to ensure their permanent adhesion but, if desired, the adhesive which may be employed to fix the impermeable layer 30 to the tablet R may be so chosen that it remains on the face 10 of the tablet R and serves to fix the tablet R to the tablet N. It is readily apparent that the tablet R becomes part of the tablet N and consequently is completely used, thereby totally eliminating waste.
Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example the shapes and dimensions of the protrusion and recess may be varied. The layer 30 may carry decorative or advertising matter or it may be transparent.

Claims

1. A soap tablet having two opposed substantially parallel major faces characterised in that one of said faces (10) has a protrusion (14) therefrom the other face (12) having a complimentary recess (22) therein said one face (10) and its protrusion (14) being coated with a layer (30) of material which is impervious to water.

2. A soap tablet as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said layer (30) is attached to said one face (10) in such a manner that it can be peeled therefrom.

3. A soap tablet as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the layer (30) is formed from a foamed plastics material sheet.

4. A soap tablet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the layer (30) is preformed to a shape corresponding to the shape of the face (10) prior to coating said face.

5. A soap tablet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that said protrusion (14) and recess (22) each extend over the major portion of their respective faces, (10,12) leaving only a peripheral rim (16,28) of the face at their outer edges.

6. A soap tablet as claimed in any one of claims 1,2 and 5, characterised in that the impervious layer (30) is magnetic or includes a magnet.

7. A soap tablet as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the impervious layer (30) is fixed to the tablet by adhesive.

8. A soap tablet as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that after removing the impervious layer (30) from the tablet the adhesive remains on the tablet.