US2938297A

US2938297A - Soap cake holder

Info

Publication number: US2938297A
Application number: US783833A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lloyd C Greene
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-12-30
Filing date: 1958-12-30
Publication date: 1960-05-31
Anticipated expiration: 1977-05-31

Description

y 1, 1960 L. c. GREENE 2,938,297

SOAP CAKE HOLDER Filed Dec. 30, 1958 jiwziii figy/M'flw/ze SOAP CAKE HOLDER Lloyd C. Greene, Rye Farm, South Road, Rye Beach, N.H.

Filed Dec. 30, 1958, Ser. No. 783,833

2 Claims. (Cl. 45-28) This invention relates to an improved form of soap cake container which is useful in such conventional places as a bath tub, shower bath, lavatory, and the like.

The invention provides a soap cake container which seldom requires cleaning and which keeps a soap cake therein smooth, firm and clean by inhibiting the formation of messy soap gel on mutually related surfaces of the soap cake and the soap cake holder.

To accomplish these desirable results, the invention embodies a unique structure which unstably supports a soap cake in contradistinction to familiar soap cake receptacle structures which stably support a soap cake.

Conventional soap cake receptacle structures employ many elements which of themselves and in their combinations are conducive to the formation of objectionable soap gel. Common among such elements are those having points, ridges, rims, edges, elevations, depressions, apertures, projections, corrugations, etc., often having sharp contours which come into contact repeatedly with a softened soap cake in the course of its normal use. Such undesirable structural elements quickly roughen the soap surfaces, obstructing water drainage therefrom, and thus provide prime conditions for the formation of soap gel.

It is also common practice in conventional soap cake receptacles to employ structures which cause a soap cake therein to be so positioned that large areas of the soap cake always are proximate and parallel to correspondingly large areas of the receptacle. The more nearly horizontal in such relationship the more conducive are such conditions to the formation of soap gel because water on the lower proximate soap surface cannot run freely therefrom and, thus stagnated, dissolves surface soap particles into the objectionable oozy soap gel so long associated with the common soap dish.

To inhibit the formation of soap gel in respect to a soap cake receptacle and a soap cake therein, it is essential, among other provisions, that their mutually related surfaces be dried rapidly after wetting and that surfaces of the soap cake be maintained in smooth condition. To this end, it is essential: that in aggregate the areas of contact between the receptacle and the soap cake be insignificantly small; that the largest possible air spaces separate the receptacle walls or other major surfaces from the soap cake; that any surfaces of the receptacle having contact with the soap cake be smooth convex surfaces of adequate radius of curvature; and that the receptacle be so constructed that a soap cake is unstably supported therein as a means of preventing undesirable parallelism between their proximate surfaces.

It is an object of the invention to provide a soap cake container so constructed as to promote rapid drying of wet surfaces of the holder and a soap cake therein so as to inhibit the formation of soap gel on said surfaces, the purpose being to maintain the holder and the soap cake in clean condition and the soap cake smooth and firm.

It is an object of the invention to provide a soap cake container which unstably supports a soap cake therein, the purpose being to cause the soap cake to tilt in diverse oblique angular relationships in respect to the interior surfaces of the soap cake holder.

It is an object of the invention to provide a soap cake container such that a soap cake entering therein is caused to assume diverse positions any of which establishes substantial air spaces between surfaces of the soap cake and interior plane surfaces of the soap cake holder.

It is an object of the invention to provide a soap cake container such that physical contacts between surfaces of said container and surfaces of a soap cake therein aggregate an insignificant area.

It is an object of the invention to provide a soap cake container having interior support elements so disposed as to position a soap cake therein in spaced relationship to the interior plane surface of the soap cake holder.

It is an object of the invention to provide a soap cake container whose physical areas of contact with a soap cake therein are smooth, convex surfaces, each having a radius of curvature proportioned to bear the weight and pressure imposed on it by the soap cake without objectionably denting and roughening the soap cake surfaces.

It is an object of the invention to provide a soap cake container having a flexible support means resiliently re-.

sponsive to variations in weight and impact of a soap cake deposited therein, such support means being integrally formed with a suction cup for attaching said container to a suitable wall surface, and such support means affording angular adjustments of the soap cake holder around the axis of said support means.

It is an object of the invention to provide a soap cake container which supports a soap cake therein on a spherical pivotal axis below the center of gravity of the soap cake, the purpose being to cause the soap cake to tilt diversely on said axis as when entering said container.

It is an object of the invention to provide a soap cake container which supports a soap cake therein but which does not support the center of gravity of said cake, the purpose being to cause said cake to topple haphazardly in seeking neutral equilibrium within said container.

To attain these and other desirable objects, the container embodying the invention is so made as to support a cake of soap on end in a slightly tilted position in such a manner that there are minimum areas of mutual contact between the cake of soap and the container which supports it. The container is also'made with a bottom which is mostly open to provide a free flow of air upward through the interior thereof to evaporate surface moisture from the soap and from the interior surfaces of the container. The interior of the container is designed so that none but spherically or cylindrically convex surfaces come into contact with the cake of soap when it is inserted therein. The curvature of these surfaces of contact is selected to correspond to the pressure with which the soap bears against the surface area within the holder. For example, as hereinafter described in more detail, the surface on which the lower end of a cake of soap in the holder rests has a much greater radius of curvature than that'of the surface elements of the holder touched by one or more sides of the soap cake since the weight of the soap while of material size is borne almost entirely by the bottom element of the holder so that it is there that the weight of the soap tends to cause the supporting element to press into the surface of the lower end of the soap, especially if such surface has been softened by prolonged contact with bath water.

According to the invention, convenient removal and replacement of the soap cake is provided by the manner in which the soap container itself is supported. For this purpose I employ a suction cup device by which the con-t device. has in thissequence a small knob or conical head with a neck of smaller diameter and a shoulder of larger diameter, all on a common axis. The knob is thrust through a hole in the back wall of. the holder until the neck rests in the hole. As the neck is flexible the. weight of the soap cake will cause the holder and the cake itself to tilt downward and outward thus presenting the soap at a more convenient angle for grasping. The neck of the suction cup device is circular in cross-section so that the holder can readily be angularly adusted about the axis ofthe cup device to present the soap at a more convenient angle to the bather.

The soap conjtainer itself is made of a suitable molded synthetic resin material such as low density polyethylene or the like if a non-rigid structure is preferred. An acrylic resin may be employed if a greater degree of rigidity is desired.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description thereof and to the drawing, of which:

Figure l is a plan view of a soap holder embodying the invention;

Figure'Z'isa front elevation of the same;

Figures 3 and 4 are sectional views on the lines 33 and 44, respectively, ofFigure 1; and

Figures 5', 6 and 7 are fragmentary detail sectional views, on an enlarged scale, taken on the lines 5,.5, 6'6 and 77, respectively of Figure 3.

The soap holder illustrated on the drawing is approximately rectangular in shape and comprises a front wall 10, a rear wall 12, and

side walls

14 and 16. These walls converge slightly downward so that the dimensions of the holder at the top are slightly'greater than at the bottom. The holder has an open bottom as well as an open top to promote air flow therethrough to hasten the drying of moisture on the interior surfaces of the soap holder and the surfaces of the soap within the holder.

When in the holder, the soap, until it wears thin, normally rests on a circular spherical segment 20 which is supported near the middle of the bottom opening by

support bars

22, 22a, 24, and 24a. Support bar 22 extends from the midpoint of the bottom. of the front Wall to the closest point of the spherical segment 20. Support bar'22a extendsfrorn the midpoint of the bottom of the rear wall to the closest point of the spherical segm'ent 20. Support bar 24 is a transverse bar which runs from an intermediate point at the bottom edge of the side wall 14 to the closest point of the spherical segment 20. The support bar 24a is a transverse bar which runs from an intermediate point at the bottom edge of the side wall 16 to the closest point of the spherical segment 20. I

The spherical segment 20 is at the inward extremities of the

support bars

22, 22a, 24, and 24a and may conveniently be molded integral with them, the spherical segment being hollow underneath as indicated at 26 in Figure 6. The top surface of the spherical segment is convex with a substantial radius of curvature as is evident from Figure 7.

Until the soap cake wears thin, nearly all of its weight is carried by the spherical segment 20. Hence the top of the spherical segment is made with a gentle convexity so that it will not penetrate appreciably into the surface of the soap cake resting thereon even when the surface of the cake has been softened by more or less prolonged contact with water. 'To promote drying of the soap cake, minimum areas of contact with the holder are. desirable, but if such areas are too small (as would be the case if the soap rested on a point) the supporting area would penetrate into the soap cake, a result which isdefinitely undesirable. The surface of the spherical segment 20 which carries almost the entire weight of the soap is therefore shaped with a relatively long radius of curvature. The

support bars

22, 22a, 24, and 24a are at a slightly lower level than the top of the spherical segment 20 so that the soap cake will not bear on either of them until it has worn so thin that its weight is more or less negligible. The upper surfaces of these bars are cylindrically curved as indicated in Figure 7, but with a smaller radius of curvature than that of the spherical segment 20.

The holder is preferably'suppor-ted by a suction cup device 30 of resilient material such as soft rubber. This device has a conical head 32 with a rounded apex projecting into the interior of the holder through an aperture 12a in the rear wall 12. Next to the head 32 is a neck 34 which occupies the aperture in the rear wall and is circular in section so that the holder can be adjusted angularly about the axis of the cup device 30. This is convenient when, for example, the bather is sitting in a bath tub. The holder will then best be mounted on the inner. surface of the tub. at a point forward of the bather where it may be. inclined toward the bather instead of being in the upright position shown in Figure 2. This will facilitate removal of the soap from the holder and the insertion of the soap into it.

A notch 40 is provided in the front wall 10 to facilitate gripping the soap. cake. within. the. holder. The thumb thus has accessto the front face of the soap cake while the first two fingers can beinserted behind. the cake.

The neck of the suction cup device is flexible so that when a cake of soap is in the holdenthe weight of the soap will swing the holder downward until the lower edge of its rear wall 12 bears. against the supporting wall to which the suction cup device. clings. This tilts the soap cake forward so that it bears lightly against the rounded edge at the top. of the front wall 10. To increase the space between the soap cake and the front wall, the dihedral angles. between the front wall 10 and the

side walls

14 and 16 are made re-entrant, as indicated at 42 and 44 in Figure 1, so that there are only two small areas of. contact between the soap and the front wall 10 even when the cake of soap is full size and presents a greater area of contact than at any other time. These areas of contact with the re-entrant corners provide clearance between the soap and the frontwall for the passage of air for drying themutually opposed surfaces of the soap and the container.

The head.32 of thesuction cup, device keeps the soap away from the surface of the rear wall 12, and inwardly projecting arcuate' elements 58 keep the soap away from the surfaces of the

side walls

14 and 16, in all instances providing clearances between. mutually opposed surfaces of the cake of soap and the container for the transverse medium of the holder.

passage of air for drying all of said surfaces. Since the spherical segment 20 supports the soap cake above other areas of the container bottom (see Figures 4 and 7), a substantial clearance. is established between the surface of the bottom end of the soap cake and the open bottom of the container for the passage of air for drying the proximate surfaces within the container. Hence, when the areas of soap cake surfaces are greatest, the soap cake stands almost entirelyin air within the container, and, as the cake of soap becomes progressively smaller with use, the air space around the soap increases and drying of the soap and the interior of the container is accelerated. As can be seen in Figure 1, the supoprt bars 22, 22a, 24, and 24a define four openings in the bottom of the holder. When the soap cake has worn narrow and thin, the diagonal dimensions of these openings determine the. width of the cake at which it is liable to fall through one of the apertures. The transverse support bars 24 and 24a are slightly to the rear of the Hence the longest diagonal dimensions of the apertures in the bottom of the holder are those from the junction of the bar 24 with side wall 14 to the junction of the bar 22 with the front wall and those from the junction of the bar 24a with side wall 16 to the junction of the bar 22 with the front wall. To reduce these diagonal dimensions I provide

convex fillets

46 and 48 where the

bars

24 and 24a meet the side walls.

Similar fillets

50 and 52 may be formed on the other side of the bar 24 for a similar purpose. The container is so proportioned in respect to the dimensions of a cake of soap of conventional shape that it is impossible for the soap to assume a horizontal position within the container. In normal use the soap wears thinner and narrower so much faster than it becomes shorter that the soap will fall through the orifices provided at the bottom of the container before the height of the soap is diminished sufliciently to allow the soap to assume a horizontal position in the container in which position it would be ditficult to pick up. But when the soap cake has diminished sufiiciently to fall through one of the apertures in the bottom of the container, it usually breaks into fragments and loses its identity as a cake of soap.

To reinforce the top edge of the container and to avoid angular edges along the top, the top is rolled outward as at 56 to form a radial rim. Inwardly projecting arcuate elements 58 are also provided at intermediate points of the top of the

side walls

14 and 16 so as to provide a convex area of support for either or both side surfaces of the soap cake therein and so as to maintain the plane wall surfaces of the container in spaced relationship with any proximate soap surface.

I claim:

1. A soap container having a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls which are slightly convergent downward; a circular support element near the center of the bottom of said container, said support element having a spherically convex top face with a relatively long radius of curvature; support bars at the lower end of said container, each extending from a different one of said walls to said support element, said bars presenting smooth convex top surfaces of relatively short radius of curvature and said spherical segment extending above the level of said bars; convex fillets on both sides of the said support bars at their junctures with the said side walls; and a suction cup device attached to said container in order to support the same.

2. A soap container having a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls which are slightly convergent downward; the dihedral angles between the front wall and the side walls being re-entrant, the side walls each having an arcuate projection near the top on the interior face thereof, the rear wall having a conical projection near the top on the interior face thereof; a circular support element near the center of the bottom of said container, said support element having a spherically convex top face with a relatively long radius of curvature; support bars at the lower end of said container, each extending from a different one of said walls to said support element, said bars presenting smooth convex top surfaces of relatively short radius of curavture and said spherical segment extending above the level of said bars; and a suction cup device attached to said container in order to support the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 455,846 Hain July 14, 1891 644,513 Hall Feb. 27, 1900 816,860 Howard Apr. 3, 1906 970,485 Frey Sept. 20, 1910 1,227,318 Kiker May 22, 1917 1,468,917 Osburn Sept. 25, 1923 1,784,155 Monineau Dec. 9, 1930 2,704,907 Durkee Mar. 29, 1955 2,723,487 Mardre Nov. 15, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 217,689 Great Britain June 26, 1924