GB2425719A

GB2425719A - Personal cleaning apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2425719A
Application number: GB0608614A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James William Tansley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-05-06
Filing date: 2006-05-02
Publication date: 2006-11-08
Also published as: GB0509299D0; GB0608614D0

Abstract

Personal cleaning apparatus for use in bathrooms or shower cubicles comprises a brush means 11 mounted on a holder 12 and operatively connected by drive means to a motor 15 for causing movement of the brush means 11 relative to the holder. The holder may be demountable for holding in the hand and the motor 15 may be battery-powered and activated by a fail-safe switch. The brush 11 may be cylindrical and may rotate alternately between clockwise and anti-clockwise rotational directions. The fail-safe switch may be biassed to the "off" position in the absence of pressure and connected to the motor by a trailing lead. The brush means may be connected to a water or soap supply.

Description

P106702GB-i Personal Cleaning Apparatus This invention relates to personal

cleaning apparatus for use in association with baths or showers.

People who are elderly, infirm or who suffer from particular physical disabilities frequently experience difficulty in reaching parts or zones of their bodies for cleaning purposes while taking a bath or a shower. For example, they may experience difficulty or discomfort in standing on one foot while manually reaching down to the other foot, or in manually reaching behind themselves to clean their backs.

In one aspect, the present invention provides personal cleaning apparatus for use in bathrooms or shower cubicles, the apparatus comprising a brush means mounted on a holder and operatively connected by drive means to a motor for causing movement of the brush means relative to the holder.

In one embodiment, the holder is demountable from a storage support means attached to the wall of the bathroom or shower cubicle, the apparatus then being held in the hand for application of the brush means to a selected body part or region. In another embodiment, the holder is attached to the wall of the bathroom or shower cubicle, or other support element, the brush means being operatively connected by the drive means to a motor for causing movement of the brush means about a reference line defined by the holder. In the latter embodiment, the holder may optionally be demountable from the support element to provide a hand-held device.

Preferably, the reference line comprises an axis about which the brush means rotates, in use, the brush means being connected to the output shaft of an electric motor, optionally via suitable reduction gear means. In either embodiment, the brush may be arranged to rotate in one direction only or to alternate between clockwise and anti-clockwise rotational directions. However, the reference line may define for example a median line about which the brush means vibrates or oscillates. The brush means may be mounted in the holder, or the holder may be attached to the wall or other supporting element, with the reference line in any desired orientation. In most cases, however, the reference line will be parallel with and spaced apart from the wall and disposed in a substantially vertical orientation, especially for use in cleaning the back. However, for cleaning the feet, for example, the reference line may be disposed in a substantially horizontal orientation or may alternatively be disposed at an acute angle to the wall. The brush means includes abrasive cleaning elements which may, for example, comprise bristles attached to a core element and extending outwardly therefrom. The core element is preferably mounted in the holding means for rotational movement about a reference line defined by the longitudinal axis of the core element, the bristles being attached so as to extend radially from the core element, at least at or towards their root portions. The bristles may be flexible whereby they hang downwardly when the apparatus is at rest and are urged radially outwardly under centrifugal force in use, or are sufficiently stiff (while preferably still being resilient) that they extend radially outwardly from the core element over at least a preponderant extent of their length even with the apparatus at rest.

The motor, which is preferably electrically-powered, is for reasons of electrical safety mounted in a location where it is insulated from water in the bath or shower, the drive means passing through an insulating wall or membrane for connection to the brush means.

Alternatively, the demountable embodiment may be cordless or electrically connected to a power supply remote from the bathroom or shower cubicle. Preferably, however, the demountable embodiment is battery-powered and activated by a fail-safe manual switch which is biassed to the "off' position in the absence of pressure. The switch may be connected to the motor by a trailing lead, whereby pressure on the switch can be maintained irrespective of whether the holder itself is also hand-held or is mounted on the support element. In an alternative embodiment, the motor may be remotely controlled by a hand-held wireless switch operating for example by radio or infra-red waves.

The brush means may optionally itself be connected to a water supply or may carry or be connected to a soap supply, preferably via an on/off switch to enable the user firstly to cause soap to flow for cleaning purposes and secondly to isolate the soap supply to admit water only, for rinsing purposes.

The brush means, or at least the cleaning elements thereof attached to the core element, is preferably demountable from the holder, for cleaning, servicing or replacement thereof.

The brush means may comprise two (or more) cleaning elements which may be arranged for contra-rotation about parallel axes. Optionally, the core elements are resilient, whereby the cleaning element or elements will yield on application of pressure by a body part or, in the case of separate, parallel-mounted cleaning elements, they will yield respectively outwardly on insertion of a leg or arm between them. Alternatively or additionally, the respective cleaning elements may be mounted so that their core elements are laterally displaceable, preferably against a return biassing force urging them towards one another.

In another aspect, the invention provides a shower or bath cubicle, or a prefabricated wall element therefor, on which is mounted personal cleaning apparatus (as hereinbefore described).

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 shows a side view of a rotatable brush mounted for use above a bath; Figure 2 is a cutaway front view of the assembly of Figure 1; Figure 3 show a system comprising of a pair of contra-rotatable brushes mounted for use in a shower cubicle; and Figure 4 shows a cut-away view of a hand-holdable device.

With reference firstly to Figure 1, a cylindrical brush (II) is mounted with its axis of rotation orientated vertically in a housing (12) affixed to a wall (13) above a bathtub (14).

As shown in more detail in Figure 2, an electric motor (15) is mounted within the housing (12) and has an output drive shaft (16) connected to the brush (11), journalled in upper and lower bearings, (17, 18). A reduction gearbox (19) is provided between the output shaft (16) of the motor (15) and the brush (11).

With reference to Figure 3, a pair of brushes, (21, 22) are mounted on respective rotatable shafts (23, 24) journalled in upper and lower bearings (25, 26). The lower bearings (26) are contained in a housing block which may be adjustable towards or away from the wall of the shower unit, to ensure that the shafts are in the correct alignment with the upper bearings (25). An electric motor (27) is mounted above the roof (28) of the shower cubicle; the output shaft (29) of the motor (27) carries a pulley (30) operatively connected by drive belt (31) to a larger-diameter pulley (32), to effect a reduction in the rotational speed of shaft (33) which carries the pulley (32). At its lower end, shaft (33) carries a pinion (not shown in the drawings) which meshes with pinions carried on respective shafts (23, 24) above bearings (25), to drive the brushes (21, 22) rotationally.

In each of the embodiments as illustrated in the drawings, the brushes each consist of an array of radially-disposed plastics filaments or bristles attached to a core member mounted on the respective shaft. In use and with the user standing in the bathtub or the shower tray, it is possible to apply a body part to the rotating brushes to effect cleaning of the body part without the need to make difficult physical movements.

With reference to Figure 4, the device as shown is battery-powered and can be demountably attached via a suitable lug or bracket (not shown) either to a shower head fitting for adjustment purposes or to a suitable static fitting. On removal from the shower head or other fitting, the device can be held in the hand to wash the legs or feet or the back.

The device consists essentially of a waterproof housing 41 containing batteries 42, which may be rechargeable and connectable to a charger via connector 43, on removal or screw-threaded end cap 44. A motor 45, typically of 3.5v, has a reduction gear train 46 connected to an output drive 47 for the brush 48. A pressure switch unit 49 is connected to the motor via a trailing flex 50, the switch 51 being biassed to the "off' position, whereby the brush (whether hand-held or attached to the shower head fitting) operates only under constant thumb pressure against the bias.

Claims

Claims I. Personal cleaning apparatus for use in a bathroom or shower

cubicle, the apparatus comprising a brush means mounted on a holder and operatively connected by drive means to a motor for causing movement of the brush means relative to the holder.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the holder is demountable from a storage support means attachable to the wall of the bathroom or shower cubicle, the apparatus being holdable in the hand for application of the brush means to a selected body part or region.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the holder is attached to the wall of the bathroom or shower cubicle, or other support element, the brush means being operatively connected by the drive means to a motor for causing movement of the brush means about a reference line defined by the holder.
4. Apparatus according to claim 3, in which the reference line comprises an axis about which the brush means rotates, in use, the brush means being connected to the output shaft of an electric motor, optionally via suitable reduction gear means.
5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which the brush is arranged to rotate alternately between clockwise and anti-clockwise rotational directions.
6. Apparatus according to claim 2, or claim 5, in which the motor is battery-powered.
7. Apparatus according to claim 6, in which the motor is activated by a fail-safe manual switch which is biassed to the "off' position in the absence of pressure and connected to the motor by a trailing lead.
8. A shower or bath cubicle, or a prefabricated wall element therefor, on which is mounted personal cleaning apparatus according to any of claims I to 7.
9. Personal cleaning apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any of the accommodating drawings.