US20200029671A1

US20200029671A1 - Heel Scrubbing Device

Info

Publication number: US20200029671A1
Application number: US16/518,039
Authority: US
Inventors: Fredrick Onwumbiko
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-07-26
Filing date: 2019-07-22
Publication date: 2020-01-30

Abstract

A heel scrubbing device, having as the operational component an exfoliating member formed from an exfoliating pumice stone or other natural materials into a firm shape, is supported on a mounting apparatus for placement in a manner to be convenient for use by the user during the bathing process. The mounting apparatus can be a bent mounting member having a handle portion engaged by a receiver, and a mounting plate formed with fastener openings. A receiver pan having upright walls can be mounted on the mounting plate between the mounting member and the scrubbing component to constrain any movement of the scrubbing component. In operation, the heel scrubbing device is placed and positioned at the convenience of the user who during bathing can rub the user's heels and the underside of the user's feet over the surface of the scrubbing component to clean and exfoliate.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims domestic priority on co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/703,803, filed on Jul. 26, 2018, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to a hand tool for scrubbing a human heel, and, more particularly, to a hand tool that can be mounted in a bath tub or shower enclosure for convenient access while bathing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Scrubbing one's heels can be a difficult task, particularly when the person requiring the cleaning of the heel or heels has a physical infirmity. By scrubbing the heel, not only is dirt removed but the skin can be exfoliated, leaving a smooth clean surface. Numerous devices have been provided in the known prior art to rub and clean the foot and the heel. Such known devices are typically brushes or sponges that are fastened to the floor or wall of the bath tub through suction cups. One disadvantage of the suction cup design is that many cups are required over the bottom surface of the device to enable the device to be held in a steady and stable manner relative to the bath tub. Another disadvantage of the suction cup design is that the person using the device has to bend over to remove the device from the surface of the bath tub, which is counter-intuitive to the need for such a device.
Many known prior art devices are limited in operative function. For example, a prior art device formed with a flat surface and with brushes placed for engaging the surface of the foot operate like bristles on the inside of a shoe and, thereby, limit the areas of the foot where rubbing pressure can be exerted. Bristled brush surfaces do not effectively smooth the dry callused or scaly surfaces of the heel, either on the rear surface of the heel or on the side surfaces thereof. Furthermore, the brushes, whether motorized or stationary, are generally unattractive and hold dirt and debris therein if not cleaned adequately.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,548,439, granted on Dec. 22, 1970, to Clinton G. Berst, a device for cleaning the bottom surface of the foot and the rear and sides of the heel is disclosed. The heel scrubbing portion of the Berst apparatus is a curved stationary brush mounted on the interior side of a U-shaped heel receiving structure. The shape of the heel receiving structure enables the stationary brush to rub against the sides and the rear of the heel as the person's foot is moved up and down to encourage a cleaning action for the heel.
The foot cleaning apparatus depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,286, granted to Corrigan D. Logan on Aug. 10, 1976, provides a soap supply and a brushing action affected by two vertically spaced rotatable brush cylinders to permit a cleaning of the toes or digit regions of the foot by placing the toes into a gap between the rotatable cylindrical brushes. The Logan apparatus does not teach or suggest that this device is to be used to scrub the operator's heels. Similarly, a motorized foot scrubbing apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,609,984, granted on Apr. 4, 2017, to Jonathan C. Kelly, in which a series of parallel cylindrical scrubbing brushes are disposed in an open container that permits a human foot to be placed thereon and cleaned accordingly.
A foot scrubber consisting of a D-shaped device that is held in position by one foot while the other foot is scrubbed by rubbing across a dome-like structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,740,052, granted to Roger Regner on May 25, 2004. The Regner device is constructed of a rigid plastic frame covered with a fabric scrubbing material. Operation is accomplished by placing one foot into the opening of the D-shaped device to clamp the device temporarily to the floor of the shower stall, and then rubbing the other foot over the top and sides of the dome portion of the D-shaped device. In this manner, the sides of the foot and heel can be scrubbed and at least partially exfoliated, although this D-shaped member does not appear to be conducive to the scrubbing of the rear of the heel except possibly through a contorted positioning of the feet of the operator of the device.
It would be desirable to provide a better manner in which to scrub and exfoliate the heels of a person while bathing or showering.

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

It is an object of this invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a heel scrubbing device that can be used in a steady and stable manner to clean and exfoliate the heels of the user.
It is another object of this invention that the heel scrubbing device can be deployed in a bath tub, in a shower, or in a separate enclosure for convenient utilization.
It is a feature of this invention that the scrubbing member is held by a retention apparatus that can be deployed in multiple configurations for convenient use thereof.
It is an advantage of this invention that scrubbing the heels and the underside of a person's foot is facilitated through the use of the instant invention.
It is another feature of this invention that the heel scrubbing device can be deployed in a bath tub or in a shower enclosure to provide convenient access during the process of bathing.
It is still another feature of this invention that the scrubbing component can be formed from an exfoliating material, such as an exfoliating stone, including pumice stone, or from other natural materials, including loofah sponge, ground almonds embedded into a base, raffia fabric, meshes, and plastic polymers.
It is another advantage of this invention that the scrubbing component is replaceable.
These and other objects, features and advantages are accomplished according to the instant invention by providing a heel scrubbing device having as the operational component an exfoliating member formed from an exfoliating pumice stone or other natural materials into a firm shape that is supported on a mounting apparatus for placement in a manner to be convenient for use. The mounting apparatus can be a bent mounting member having a handle portion engaged by a receiver, and a mounting plate formed with fastener openings. A receiver pan having upright walls can be mounted on the mounting plate between the mounting member and the scrubbing component to constrain any movement of the scrubbing component. In operation, the heel scrubbing device is placed and positioned at the convenience of the user who during bathing can rub the user's heels and the underside of the user's feet over the surface of the scrubbing component to clean and exfoliate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages of this invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed disclosure of the invention, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a scrubbing member incorporating the principles of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a base member for receiving a scrubbing member as depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the assembled heel scrubbing device readied for deployment in a bath tub or shower stall;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the assembled heel scrubbing device with the scrubbing member having a slightly different configuration;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a different configuration of the base member;

FIG. 5A is an end view of the base member depicted in FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a portion of a representative mounting member incorporating latching devices in engagement with the base member configuration shown in FIG. 5, the remainder of the mounting member and the scrubbing member being removed for purposes of clarity;

FIG. 6A is an end view of the engagement of a representative mounting member with the base member as is depicted in FIG. 6;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the assembled heel scrubbing device, as depicted in FIG. 3 or in FIG. 4, mounted on a shaped pan;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the assembled heel scrubbing device, as depicted in FIG. 3 or in FIG. 4, mounted to the upright wall of a bath tub, the potential alternate positioning of the heel scrubbing device being depicted as duplicate mountings of the heel scrubbing device;

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a shower stall having an assembled heel scrubbing device mounted on a representative upright wall of the shower stall for access thereto;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the mounting member formed in a U-shape for deployment in the support of the heel scrubbing component in a convenient manner;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the base member in which the receiver is formed as a slot in the back side of the base member to allow a flush mounting of the handle portion of the mounting member;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of the mounting member formed in an L-shape with fastener openings formed in the mounting plate for attachment of a receiver pan and scrubbing component;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the receiver pan having upright walls around the perimeter thereof to constrain movement of the scrubbing component mounted therein;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the scrubbing component formed into a brick shape and showing the fastener openings formed in the underside of the scrubbing component to receive fasteners or pins projecting upwardly from the receiver pan;

FIG. 14 is an assembled hell scrubbing device having the receiver pan mounted on an L-shaped mounting member, which is mounted to the base member, the scrubbing member is shown in phantom for purposes of clarity;

FIG. 15 is an exploded view of the assembled scrubbing device shown in FIG. 14; and

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a pan-like container for placement of the assembled heel scrubbing device incorporating the U-shaped mounting member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, a heel scrubbing device incorporating the principles of the instant invention can best be seen. The scrubbing member 10 is shown in FIG. 1 in an isolated condition. The scrubber component 12 is mounted on a mounting member 15 formed with an arched portion 16 that is an extension of a backing portion affixed to the scrubber component 12 by being molded onto the scrubber component 12 or by being attached through fasteners or adhesive to the back side of the scrubber component 12. The mounting member 15 also includes a handle portion 17 extending from the arched portion 16 in a manner spaced from the scrubber component 12. This handle portion 16 enables the scrubbing member 10 to be detachably mounted into a base member 20, as is described in greater detail below, or to be used in a manual manner by holding the handle portion 17 in the operator's hand and rubbing the scrubber component 12 directly against the heel of the operator to clean and exfoliate the operator's heel. Preferably, the mounting member 15 is formed of a rigid plastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride, but could be formed of stainless steel or other highly rigid materials, as well.
The scrubber component 12 is preferably formed from an exfoliating stone, such as pumice stone, or from other natural materials, including loofah sponge, ground almonds embedded into a base, raffia fabric, meshes, plastic polymers and many other exfoliating materials. The shape of the scrubber component 12 is preferably a three-dimensional oval, with upright sides and a relatively flat top surface, which accommodates the engagement of the scrubber component with the side and rear portions of the heel. The handle portion 17 of the mounting member 15 is spaced from the scrubber component 12 to enable the scrubber component 12 to be elevated above the base member 20 to facilitate access thereto by the heel or to enable the handle portion 17 to be grasped manually for operation.
A preferred configuration of the base member 20 is depicted in FIG. 2. The base member 20 is preferably formed from a rigid plastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride, that will permit the base member 20 to be secured to the floor or upright wall of a bath tub or shower stall without becoming an impediment to the use of the bath tub or shower stall. One skilled in the art will recognize that other materials would certainly be appropriate in the manufacturing of the base member 20, including stainless steel plate, in the event a more durable sturdiness is required in the base member 20. Preferably the base member 20 will have an adhesive layer on the back side of the base member 20, preferably a releasable adhesive so that the base member 20 could be easily removed from the bath tub or shower stall surface when desired. The base member 20 is formed with a receiver 22 molded into the front surface of the base member 20 to receive the handle portion 17 of the scrubbing member 10. The receiver 22 can be formed with just an opening that permits placement of the handle portion 17 into the interior of the base member 20. However, a latching device (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) would be operable to secure the handle portion 17 to the base member in a detachable manner that permits the scrubbing member 10 to be exchanged or replaced.
In FIGS. 3 and 4, the assembled heel scrubbing device 25, incorporating the principles of the instant invention, can be seen. The primary differences between the assembled devices 25 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is the shape of the arched portion 16 with the arched portion 16 being a curved shape in FIG. 3 and an angular shape in FIG. 4. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the placement of the handle portion 17 into the receiver 22 positions the scrubber component 12 at a location elevated above the base member 20. Thus, when the base member 20 is attached to the floor or upright wall surfaces of either a bath tub or shower stall, the scrubber component 12 is located in a position that is accessible along the sides of the foot and heel and along the rear of the heel, as well.
An alternative configuration for the base member 20 and the handle portion 17 of the mounting member 15 is best seen in FIGS. 5, 5A, 6 and 6A. The base member 20 does not necessarily have to be as large, relative to the handle portion 17, as is depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4. An alternative configuration of the base member 30, as seen in FIGS. 5 and 5A, would be formed with a flat back portion 31 that can be secured to the floor, or more appropriately the upright wall, of a bath tub or shower stall through releasable adhesives so that the base member 30 can be detached and removed when desired. The receiver 32 is formed as an arch that projects away from the back portion 31 to create a pass through pocket that is open at the top and at the bottom of the pocket for the passage of the handle portion 17, which is depicted in FIGS. 6 and 6A.
Preferably, as is depicted in FIGS. 6 and 6A, the handle portion 17 and pocket formed by the receiver 32 have mating widths so that the handle portion 17 snuggly fits within the receiver 32 from side to side. The overall thickness of the handle portion 17 can be mated with the depth of the receiver 32 so that there is a snug fitting of the handle portion 17 fore and aft as well as side to side. The configuration of the handle portion 17 shown in FIGS. 6 and 6A is formed with opposing stop members 33 molded into the body of the handle portion 17 to engage the sides of the receiver 32 when the handle portion has been placed into the proper depth within the receiver 32. Latch members 35 are formed at or near the bottom of the handle portion 17 to engage the bottom surface of the receiver 32 when the handle portion 17 has been inserted into the receiver 32 to the proper depth. In FIG. 6, the latch member 35 on the left side is depicted in the engagement position, while the latch member 35 on the right side is depicted in a retracted position as the latch member 35 would be while passing through the receiver 32, the engagement position of the right latch member 35 being shown in phantom.
The latch members 35 are representatively shown in FIG. 6 as being spring-loaded projection latches 35. However, one skilled in the art will recognize that a number of different configurations for the latch members 35 would be appropriate in this situation, including plastic spring members and others. In operation, the latch members 35 have tapered lower surfaces that force a retraction of the latch members 35 against the internal spring 36 while passing through the receiver 32. Once the latch members 35 clear the bottom edge of the receiver 32, the internal springs 36 will push the latch members 35 outwardly from the retracted position needed for passing through the receiver 32 to engage the bottom surface of the receiver 32 while at the same time the stop members 33 engage the top surface of the receiver 32, causing a snug engagement with the receiver 32. If needed, the handle portion 17 could also incorporate spacers 39 that keep the handle portion 17 in a stable position when inserted into the receiver 32.
The deployment of the assembled heel scrubbing device 25 is preferably on the surface of the floor or upright wall of a bath tub or shower stall. However, as is reflected in FIG. 7, the assembled heel scrubbing device 25 can be mounted on the floor 43 of a small pan-like container 42 that can be utilized in a location other than the bath tub or shower stall. In such a configuration, the heel scrubbing device 10 can be used as the person is soaking his or her feet. The mounting of the assembled heel scrubbing device 25 on the upright wall of a bath tub 45 is depicted in FIG. 8 wherein the assembled heel scrubbing device 25 could be mounted by releasable adhesives to the side wall 46 or to the rear wall 47 of the bath tub 45. The same placement can also be affected on the upright walls 49 of a shower stall 48, as is depicted in FIG. 8A.
Referring now to FIGS. 9-12, a different configuration of the components forming the heel scrubbing device 25 can best be seen. In FIGS. 9 and 11, the mounting member 15 can be formed in a U-shape, as seen in FIG. 9, or into an L-shape, as is seen in FIG. 11. Each of these mounting members 15 includes a mounting plate 18 in which is formed a plurality of fastener openings 14 for the mounting of the components together with fasteners (not shown). FIG. 10 depicts a revised base member 20 in which the receiver 22 is formed as a slot in the back wall thereof, rather than in the front wall, as is shown in FIG. 2. This configuration of the base member 20 will enable the handle portion 17 of the mounting member to fit within the base member 20 without protruding in an unsightly manner.
In addition, the base member 20 includes a hole that aligns with a corresponding opening in the handle portion 17 to allow a short fastener to be inserted to secure the mounting member 15 to the base member 20. An added component is a receiver pan 50 that is formed with fastener openings 54 that correspond to the fastener openings 14 in the mounting member 15. The receiver pan 50 is preferably formed with upright walls 58 around the perimeter of the receiver pan 50 to help restrain the scrubbing component 12 from lateral movement during use. As can then be seen in FIG. 13, the scrubber component 12 is also provided with fastener openings 14a that align with the corresponding fastener openings 14 in the mounting member and in the receiver pan 50 to allow appropriate fasteners to secure the scrubber component 12 to the receiver 50 and in turn to the mounting member 15.
The scrubbing component 12 can be formed in any desired shape, such as, for example, the ovoid shape shown in FIG. 1, or the brick shape shown in FIG. 13. However, the underside of the scrubbing component should be formed with an attachment means, such as the fastener holes as depicted in FIG. 13, to enable the scrubbing component to be secured to the mounting member 15. In the assembled embodiment of the heel scrubbing device depicted in FIGS. 14 and 15, the L-shaped mounting member depicted in FIG. 11 is utilized to support the scrubbing component 12 in an orientation that is perpendicular to the base member 20. Alternatively, the use of the U-shaped mounting member, as depicted in FIG. 9, would result in the scrubbing member being oriented generally parallel to the base member 20. One skilled in the art will note that the scrubbing component 12 can be secured in place on the receiver pan 50 by fasteners extending through both the mounting member 15 and the receiver pan 50, or alternatively by pins secured on either the mounting member 15 or on the receiver pan 50 to engage the openings 14 a in the underside of the scrubbing component 12.
The configuration of the heel scrubbing device 25 mounted in a pan-like container 42 that can be deployed in locations outside of a bath tub or shower enclosure and still be utilized to clean and exfoliate the heels and feet of the user. This configuration utilized the U-shaped mounting member 15 as depicted in FIG. 9 to locate the scrubbing component 12 in a horizontal orientation parallel to the base member 20 affixed to the floor of the container 42. Similar mountings of the heel scrubbing device 25 can be provided for shower enclosures and also on bath tubs.
In operation, with the assembled heel scrubbing device 25 mounted on the floor of a bath tub or shower stall, the person using the device 25 would be engaging the heel of the foot against the scrubber component 12 and rubbing the heel against the scrubbing component 12. If sitting, the person using the device 25 could directly rub the rear of the heel over the top surface of the scrubber component 12 and also rub the sides of the heel against the side surfaces of the scrubber component 12. If standing, the converse would be used wherein the rear of the heel would be rubbed along the sides of the scrubber component. If the assembled heel scrubbing device 25 is mounted on the upright wall of a bath tub or shower stall, the person using the device 25 would rub the rear of the heel against the flat top surface of the scrubber component 25 to clean and exfoliate the rear of the heel, and could rub the sides of the heel against the side surfaces of the scrubber component 12.
It will be understood that changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangements of parts which have been described and illustrated to explain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made by those skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure within the principles and scope of the invention. The foregoing description illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention; however, concepts, as based upon the description, may be employed in other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A heel scrubbing device, comprising:

a base member attachable to a surface, said base member incorporating a receiver; and

a scrubbing member including a scrubber component supported on a mounting member, said mounting member having a handle portion and a mounting plate on which the scrubber component is mounted in a manner to be spaced from the handle portion, said handle portion being engagable with said receiver to deploy said scrubber component in a manner to be accessible by the user.

2. The heel scrubbing device of claim 1 wherein said mounting member can be configured to position the scrubber component either perpendicular to the base member or parallel to said base member.

3. The heel scrubbing device of claim 2 wherein said handle portion of said mounting member is formed with stop members that engage a top surface of the receiver when the handle portion is inserted into the receiver to a predetermined depth.

4. The heel scrubbing device of claim 2 wherein said handle portion of said mounting member is also formed with latch members that engage a bottom surface of said receiver when the handle portion is inserted into the receiver to a predetermined depth.

5. The heel scrubbing device of claim 4 wherein said latch members are spring-loaded to be biased toward an engagement position, said latch members being movable between said engagement position and a retracted position that enables the latch members to pass through said receiver.

6. The heel scrubbing device of claim 1 wherein said surface is one of a floor surface of a bathing enclosure, a wall portion of a bathing enclosure and a floor surface of a pan-like container.

7. The heel scrubbing device of claim 2 wherein said mounting member is formed in an L-shaped configuration to position the scrubber component perpendicular to said base member, or in a U-shaped configuration to position the scrubber component parallel to said base member.

8. The heel scrubbing device of claim 7 wherein said mounting plate of said mounting member is formed with fastener openings.

9. The heel scrubbing device of claim 8 further comprising:

a receiver pan having upright walls around a perimeter thereof and being connected to said mounting plate of said mounting member to receive the scrubber component therein.

10. A heel scrubbing device, comprising:

a base member attachable to a surface, said base member incorporating a receiver;

a mounting member having a handle portion sized for placement into said receiver, and a mounting plate spaced from said handle portion; and

a scrubber component supported on said mounting plate in an orientation to be accessible by the user.

11. The heel scrubbing device of claim 10 further comprising:

12. The heel scrubbing device of claim 11 wherein said mounting member is formed in an L-shaped configuration with said mounting plate being oriented perpendicularly to said handle portion.

13. The heel scrubbing device of claim 11 wherein said receiver is formed as a slot in a back wall of said base member for receipt of said handle portion of said mounting member.

14. The heel scrubbing device of claim 13 wherein said mounting plate, said receiver pan, and an underside surface of said scrubber component are formed with openings therein for the passage of fasteners that assemble the mounting member, the receiver pan and said scrubber component together.

15. The heel scrubbing device of claim 11 wherein said mounting member is formed in a U-shaped configuration with said mounting plate being oriented parallel and spaced from said handle portion.

16. The heel scrubbing device of claim 11 wherein said scrubber component is formed from one of pumice stone, loofah sponge, ground almonds embedded into a base, raffia fabric, meshes and plastic polymers.

17. The heel scrubbing device of claim 11 wherein said receiver defines a pocket having an open top and an open bottom to permit said handle portion to pass through said receiver, said handle portion of said mounting member being formed with stop members that engage a top surface of the receiver when the handle portion is inserted into the receiver to a predetermined depth.

18. The heel scrubbing device of claim 17 wherein said handle portion of said mounting member is also formed with latch members that engage a bottom surface of said receiver when the handle portion is inserted into the receiver to a predetermined depth, said latch members being spring-loaded to be biased toward an engagement position, said latch members being movable between said engagement position and a retracted position that enables the latch members to pass through said receiver.