US20070209132A1

US20070209132A1 - Bath utility

Info

Publication number: US20070209132A1
Application number: US11/368,474
Authority: US
Inventors: Ching Chen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-03-07
Filing date: 2006-03-07
Publication date: 2007-09-13

Abstract

A bath utility made from a plastic mesh tube. The bath utility is a spongy body having multiple stacked folds. The folds of the bath utility partially or totally have continuous fine wave or saw tooth configurations. Accordingly, the bath utility has a rougher surface for providing better rubbing effect for a user's skin. In addition, the bath utility has higher density and better rigidity.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to a bath utility made from a plastic mesh tube. The bath utility is a spongy body having multiple stacked folds. The folds of the bath utility are more rigid and rougher so as to provide better rubbing effect for a user's skin.
A bath utility such as a bath ball or bath brush is made from a plastic mesh tube. The plastic mesh tube is extended to a certain extent and crimped to form a spongy bath ball or bath brush. U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,434 of this applicant discloses a method of making a bath utility made from a mesh tube.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional mesh tube 10. The conventional mesh tube is also shown as the lower article of photograph A and left article of photograph B. Such mesh tube 10 is quite soft and has smooth surface. In addition, such mesh tube 10 has a thin thickness so that the bath ball or bath brush made from such mesh tube 10 can hardly provide rubbing effect for a user's skin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a bath utility made from a plastic mesh tube. The bath utility is a spongy body having multiple stacked folds. The folds of the bath utility have continuous fine wave or saw tooth configurations so that the bath utility has higher density, better rigidity and rougher surface to provide better rubbing effect for a user's skin.
The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional mesh tube fitted around a phantom cylinder;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mesh tube applied to the present invention fitted around a phantom cylinder;
FIG. 3 shows that the mesh tube of FIG. 2 is looped around two posts of a tool for manufacturing the bath utility;
FIG. 4 is a view according to FIG. 3, showing that the mesh tube of the present invention is tied up with a cord;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bath ball of the present invention made from the mesh tube of FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the circled area of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 shows one of the folds of the bath utility;
FIG. 8 shows that a conventional mesh tube and the mesh tube of the present invention are together looped around two posts of a tool and tied with a cord;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another bath ball of the present invention made from the mesh tubes of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of the bath utility of the present invention;
FIG. 11 shows that the mesh tube of FIG. 2 is looped around two posts of a tool and fixedly tied on a handle;
FIG. 12 shows still another embodiment of the bath utility of the present invention; and
FIG. 13 shows still another embodiment of the bath utility of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIG. 2. The bath utility of the present invention is made from the mesh tube 20 of FIG. 2. The mesh tube 20 is crimped and formed with wave or saw tooth structures 22 arranged along the axis of the mesh tube 20. The mesh tube 20 is also shown as the upper article of photograph A and right article of photograph B. The mesh tube 20 is such crimped that the wave crests of the crimps 22 outward protrude from the outer surface of the mesh tube 20, while the wave troughs of the crimps 22 inward protrude from the inner surface of the mesh tube 20. According to the crimped or waved structure, the wall of the mesh tube 20 has a thickness thicker than the thickness of the conventional mesh tube. Therefore, the mesh tube 20 has a better rigidity than the rigidity of the conventional mesh tube.
Referring to FIG. 3, when manufacturing the bath utility, a mesh tube 20 with a certain length is looped around two posts 32 of a tool 30. The mesh tube 20 is tensioned to a certain extent by the two posts 32. The axis of the mesh tube 20 is substantially parallel to the posts 32, and the mesh tube is gathered on the posts.
Referring to FIG. 4, the middle of the mesh tube 20 is tied up with a fastening member 35 such as a cord. Then, as the method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,434, the mesh tube 20 is part by part alternately pulled out from the two posts 32. After the mesh tube 20 is totally pulled out, a spongy ball-like bath utility 40 is formed as shown in FIG. 5 and photograph C.
After released from the tensioned state, the mesh tube 20 is curled to form the bath ball 40 with multiple ruffles or folds 42. The folds 42 randomly overlap each other as a stack. The folds 42 of such bath ball 40 have irregular shapes. The mesh tube 20 has wave or saw tooth configurations, accordingly, each fold 42 itself has continuous fine wave or saw tooth configurations 44 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.
Referring to FIG. 8, a conventional mesh tube 10′ and the mesh tube 20 of the present invention are together looped around the two posts 32 of the tool 30. By means of the method of U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,434, a bath ball 50 as shown in FIG. 9 can be made. Such bath ball has a first semispherical half 52 and a second semispherical half 55 apparently respectively positioned on two sides of the bath ball 50. The first semispherical half 52 is formed of the conventional mesh tube 10′, while the second semispherical half 55 is formed of the present mesh tube 20. Photograph D shows a real article of the bath ball 50, and photograph E is an enlarged photograph of photograph D, in which the green semispherical half is the first semispherical half 52, while the purple semispherical half is the second semispherical half 55. Each of the semispherical halves 52, 55 has multiple stacked ruffles or folds 53, 56 overlapping each other. The conventional mesh tube 10′ has thinner wall, while the present mesh tube 20 has thicker wall and larger volume. Therefore, the first semispherical half 52 has lower density, while the second semispherical half 55 is more compact. In addition, the folds 53 of the first semispherical half 52 are smoother without any wave configurations, while the folds 56 of the second semispherical half 55 have continuous fine wave or saw tooth configurations 58. The folds 56 of the second semispherical half 55 have higher rigidity so that the surface of the second semispherical half 54 is rougher and more suitable for rubbing a user's skin.
In the case that the mesh tube 20 of FIG. 2 is totally removed from the posts 32 of the tool 30 at one time, a pumpkin-shaped bath utility 60 as shown in FIG. 10 is obtained. Photograph F shows a real article of the bath ball 60. Such bath ball 60 has folds 62 with regular shapes of petals. The folds 62 are radially arranged about the center of the ball. Also, each fold 62 has fine wave configurations.
Referring to FIG. 11, the mesh tube 20 is looped around two posts 32 of a tool 30. Then, the middle of the mesh tube 20 is fixedly tied on a handle 75 with one or more fastening members 36 such as a cord or cords. Then, the mesh tube 20 is alternately pulled out from the two posts 32 to obtain a bath brush 70 as shown in FIG. 12. The mesh tube 20 becomes a spongy main body 72 fixed on a front face of the handle 75. The folds 74 of the main body 72 are randomly stacked without regular shape. Also, each fold 74 has fine wave configurations.
In the case that a conventional mesh tube and the mesh tube of the present invention are together looped around the two posts 32 of the tool 30 and fixedly tied on a handle 85, a bath utility 80 as shown in FIG. 13 is obtained. Photograph G shows a real article of the bath utility 80. A spongy first main body 82 and a spongy second main body 84 are respectively formed on the front face and back face of the handle 85. The first main body 82 is formed of the mesh tube 20 and the folds 83 themselves of the main body 82 have fine wave configurations. The second main body 84 is formed of the conventional mesh tube and the folds 86 of the main body 84 have no wave configurations. In photograph G, the blue main body is the first main body 82, while the white main body is the second main body 84.
The folds of the bath utility of the present invention have continuous fine wave or saw tooth configurations so that the bath utility has higher density, better rigidity and rougher surface and is thus more suitable for rubbing a user's skin in a bath.
The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. Many modifications of the above embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A bath utility made from a plastic mesh tube, the bath utility being a spongy body having multiple stacked folds, a middle of the bath utility being tied with at least one fastening member; said bath utility being characterized in that the folds of the bath utility at least partially have continuous fine wave or saw tooth configurations.

2. The bath utility as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mesh tube that the bath utility made from is crimped and formed with wave or saw tooth structures arranged along an axis of the mesh tube, whereby the wave or saw tooth structures are in the matter of alternately outward protruding from the outer surface of the mesh tube and inward protruding from the inner surface of the mesh tube.

3. The bath utility as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bath utility is substantially spherical and all the folds of the bath utility have wave or saw tooth configurations.

4. The bath utility as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bath utility is substantially spherical and includes a first semispherical half and a second semispherical half which are arranged side by side, all the folds of the first semispherical half having wave or saw tooth configurations, while the folds of the second semispherical half having no wave or saw tooth configurations.

5. The bath utility as claimed in claim 1, wherein the folds of the bath utility have regular shapes of petals and are radially arranged.

6. A bath utility comprising:

a handle; and

a first main body fixed on a front face of the handle, the first main body being a spongy body made from a plastic mesh tube, the first main body having multiple stacked folds; said bath utility being characterized in that the folds of the main body at least partially have continuous fine wave or saw tooth configurations.

7. The bath utility as claimed in claim 6, wherein the mesh tube that the main body made from is crimped and formed with wave or saw tooth structures arranged along an axis of the mesh tube, whereby the wave or saw tooth structures are in the matter of alternately outward protruding from the outer surface of the mesh tube and inward protruding from the inner surface of the mesh tube.

8. The bath utility as claimed in claim 6, wherein all the folds of the first main body have wave or saw tooth configurations.

9. The bath utility as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a second main body fixed on a back face of the handle, the second main body being a spongy body made from a plastic mesh tube, the second main body having multiple stacked folds.

10. The bath utility as claimed in claim 9, wherein the folds of the second main body at least partially have continuous fine wave or saw tooth configurations.

11. The bath utility as claimed in claim 10, wherein all the folds of the second main body have wave or saw tooth configurations.

12. The bath utility as claimed in claim 9, wherein the folds of the second main body have no wave or saw tooth configurations.