US3519568A

US3519568A - Rope soap

Info

Publication number: US3519568A
Application number: US627714A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lawrence Needleman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1967-04-03
Filing date: 1967-04-03
Publication date: 1970-07-07
Anticipated expiration: 1987-07-07

Description

July 7, 1970 1.. NEEDLEMAN ROPE SOAP Filed April 5. 1967' /N MENTOR LAW/?NC IVEEDLEMAN United States Patent O 3,510,568 ROPE SOAP Lawrence Needleman, 1300 N. Larrabee St., Los Angeles, Calif. 90069 Filed Apr. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 627,714 Int. Cl. Clld 17/04 US. Cl. 25293 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rope soap consisting of a bar of soap having at least one loose loop of rope extended from one side thereof. The bar defines a plurality of interconnected rope-accommodating grooves in which the loose rope is wound about the bar to form an integrally packaged unit therewith. The depths of the grooves may be chosen to form protective belts about the bar. Soap and rope of contrasting colors and/or complementing textures may be chosen to enhance the appearance of the integrally packaged unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention generally relates to soap and like solid cleansing devices and, more particularly, to a bar of soap with a rope which is wrappable about the bar to form an integrally packaged unit therewith.

Description of the prior art Various combinations of bars or cakes of soap with strings attached to them are presently known. Basically, a string or rope has a portion embedded in the bar to form one or more loops which extend therefrom. These loops are used to suspend the bar at an accessible position while in use, or use them as handles to apply the bar to an otherwise less accessible part of a body, such as a bathers back. Such bars of soap, often referred to as rope soap, are becoming increasingly popular with the competition for the consumer market increasing in direct proportion.

Though the various presently known rope soaps, now available, fulfill their intended functions, they are characterized by a common disadvantage which relates particularly to their handling and packaging, as well as affects the rope soap as a display item before the soap is sold to the consumer. Though the bars of soap have been designed in various shapes to produce aesthetic effects, the ropes extending therefrom generally spoil such effect because they extend from the bars as unrelated appendages.

Generally, the extending ropes are twisted up to hang as unattractive disorganized appendages which spoil the effect of the bars when displayed. Also, the size of the box or container in which the bar is placed must be increased to accommodate the twisted rope, as Well as extraneous elements, about which the rope is wrapped or to which it is anchored. The rope, as well as the bar of soap tend to soil which affects the products marketability. Furthermore, it has been found that bars of soap are often damaged or scraped during packing and shipment not only by the knotted ropes in their respective containers or wrappings, but by the extraneous elements as well.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new improved rope soap which overcomes the disadvantage of prior art rope soaps.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rope soap in which the bar of soap and the rope extending therefrom, form an integrally packaged unit.

Patented July 7, 1970 is packagable to protect the soap and form an integral unit therewith.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved by providing a loop of rope extending from a bar of soap, which is provided with a plurality of interconnected grooves about selected sides thereof. The basic function of these grooves is to accommodate the loose part of the rope extending from the bar of soap, so that rather than tie the loose rope as an appendage of the bar of soap, the rope is wrapped around the bar within the grooves to form an integrally packaged unit therewith.

The number and locations of the grooves about the bar depend on the size and shape of the bar, as well as on the number of loose rope loops which extend from the bar and the desired overall appearance of the bar with rope wrapped about it. However, irrespective of the specific groove combination, it is significant that each bar define grooves or channels so that the loose rope could be wrapped tightly around it to form a unitary element. The grooves may be controlled to be sufiiciently deep so that the rope therein does not extend about the outer bar surface. However, if desired, shallower grooves may be employed so that when the rope is wrapped therein, portions of the rope form protective belts about selected sides of the bar. Such belts are useful in protecting the bar from being accidentally dented or otherwise damaged.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of this invention, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will best be understood from the following description, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference is now made to FIG. 1, which is an isometric view of an embodiment of the invention exemplary of the teachings thereof. There is shown a rope soap 10 consisting of a bar of soap 12 in which the ends of a rope 14 are embedded with the rest of the rope extending through side 16 of the bar to form a loose loop 18. I

The loop is made sufficiently large to be looped over a fixture or a limb of the soap user, so that the soap is suspended at a convenient location while in use. Bar 12 which has a cross-sectional configuration, best described as arcuate or kidney-shaped, defines a concave groove 20 which extends along the backside of the bar from end 16 to an opposite end 22. The bar defines a second relatively wide groove 24, which encircles the bar preferably near end 22. Groove 24 opens into or is in communication with groove 20 at the backside of the bar of soap.

As previously generally indicated, the function of these grooves is to accommodate the loose rope 14, forming loop 18, during handling display and shipping, so that the soap and the rope form an integrally packaged unit. FIG. 2 represents such a unit for the particular rope soap 10, shown in FIG. 1. As may be seen from FIG. 2, the rope is not packaged as a separate knotted appendage, but rather is wrapped around portions of the bar within

grooves

20 and 24.

To achieve the wrapping arrangement, shown in FIG. 2, the loose rope 14 is pulled downwardly along groove 20 with one side of the loop wrapped around the bar within groove 24. At the point of intersection of the two grooves at the back of the bar, the remaining portion of the rope may be pulled under the rope convolutions in groove 24 and thereafter placed in the section of groove 20 between the point of intersection of the two grooves and end 22. If desired, a decorative pin may be used at the point of intersection to secure the end of the rope to the bar with the rest of the rope snuggly held within the grooves.

The entire unit may be protected from soiling by inserting it into a suitable transparent plastic cover 28 (FIG. 2), shaped to accommodate the bar and rope therein. Preferably, the depth of groove 24 is controlled with respect to the rope cross-section, so that the outer surfaces of the rope convolutions in groove 24 extend above the front surface of the bar. These rope surfaces provide sufiicient friction to the cover to securely maintain it in place, until the cover is deliberately removed.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional View of the arrangement shown in FIG. 2 along lines 3-3 with the cover 28 over the integrally packaged unit.

The depths of the grooves may be controlled to be deep enough relative to the rope thickness so that the rope is completely accommodated therein. Alternatively, some or all of the grooves may be shallower than the rope thickness so that portions thereof extend above the outer bar surface, forming a protective band thereabout. Such an arrangement may be most useful to protect some or all of the sides of the bar of soap from being dented during shipment.

FIG. 4 to which reference is made herein, is an isometric view of such a unit. In FIG. 4, elements like those previously described are designated by like numerals. As may be seen from FIG. 4, the rope 14 encircles the bar 12 about its periphery 12, forming a protective ring thereabout, as well as protecting the front and back faces by the pair of rope convolutions wrapped around the two faces. Though such a unit may be deemed sufliciently protected, if desired it may be covered by a plastic cover, held in place by the friction between its inner surface and the protruding rope. To further enhance the marketability of the unit, the rope and bar may be of different colors and/or texture to produce a highly pleasing product.

There has accordingly been shown and described herein a novel rope soap. It includes a bar of soap which defines a plurality of grooves accommodating the loose portion of the rope extending from the bar, and thereby results in an integrally packaged unit. It should be appreciated that differently sized and shaped bars may be used. The bars may be of soap or any similar solid soluble cleanser. Also, the number and locations of the grooves on the bar are subject to choice. The only basic requirement being that the grooves be so arranged and interconnected that the loose rope can be conveniently and easily wrapped around the bar and tightly accommodated within the grooves to integrate with the bar of soap.

It is appreciated that those familiar with the art may make modifications and/or substitute equivalents without the arrangements as shown without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, all such modifications and/or equivalents are deemed to fall within the scope of the invention as claimed in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A rope soap consisting essentially of:

a 'bar of solid soluble soap; and

a rope having its ends embedded in said bar of soap to form a rope loop extending from said bar at one end thereof, said loop being ubstantially longer than the largest circumference of said bar and long enough to accommodate a limb of the bar user therein, said bar defining a plurality of rope-accommodating grooves in selected sides thereof, with substantially all the rope extending from said bar being woundable in said grooves to form an integral unit with said bar during shipment and display, with the size of said unit being substantially equal to the size of said bar of soap.

2. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein the depth of some of said grooves is less than the thickness of said rope whereby when said rope is accommodated in said grooves at least a portion thereof extends therefrom to form a protective surface about said bar.

3. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein said bar comprises a bar of soap with front and back sides and defining interconnected rope-accommodating grooves, at least one circumferential groove extending around the body of said bar, whereby said rope when wound about the bar and accommodated in said circumferential groove, defines at least one rope belt around said bar, and another of said grooves extending substantially the full length of said bar along its back side for accommodating a portion of the rope extending from said one end and the rest of the rope which is not wound in said at least one groove.

4. The device as recited in claim 4 further including a plastic cover snugly covering said bar and the rope wrapped thereabout with the depth of some of said grooves being less than the rope thickness so that a portion of the rope extends beyond the bar surface to frictionally engage said plastic cover to inhibit its accidental remo-val from said bar.

5. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein said bar comprises a bar of soap with front and back sides parallel to a longitudinal axis which is perpendicular to said one end, said bar defining a continuous groove about the entire periphery thereof between said front and back sides, said continuous groove being shallow with respect to the rope thickness whereby the rope in said continuous groove extends beyond the bar surface to form a protective belt about the bar of soap.

6. The device as recited in claim 5 further including a plastic cover snugly covering said bar and the rope wrapped thereabout with the rope which extends beyond the bar surface frictionally engaging said plastic cover to inhibit its accidental removal.

7. The method of fabricating a rope soap the steps consisting essentially of:

forming a bar of soap of a selected shape with only the ends of a rope embedded in said bar, the rope extending from one side thereof to form a loose rope loop, which is longer than the largest bar circumference and which is sufiiciently long to accommodate a part of a user body therein, said bar being formed with rope-accommodating grooves extending about selected sides thereof; and

wrapping the loose rope in said grooves about said bar to form a unit therewith for shipping and display purposes, the size of the unit being substantially equal to the size of said bar.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein some of said grooves are shallower than the rope cross-section, whereby the rope, when wound about the bar, forms at least one protecting belt thereabout to protect the bar surface during shipment and display.

(References on following page) 6 References Cited 838,181 6/ 1960 Great Britain.

1 22 f fi LEON D- ROSDOL, Primary Examiner 311365 P5256; .1111111111111 252292 s SCHULZ, Asssssssss FOREIGN PATENTS C1. X'R 8/1933 Austria. 252-92, 174

10/ 1924 Great Britain.