GB2034179A - Improved soap holder - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a soap holder comprising a base member (1) and a soap-support bracket (2) attached thereto, the soap-support bracket being formed from horizontally extending arm pieces (3, 4) and the soap-engaging regions being localised projections (5, 5') formed on the upper edges of the arm pieces. The soap holder facilitates drying of a soap tablet between uses. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improved soap holder This invention relates to a holder for supporting a tablet of soap between washings.

It is known that a tablet of soap softens when wet and that the softer the soap, the more rapidly it is removed from the surface of the tablet during a washing operation. It has been proposed to support the soap tablet between washings, in such wise that the surface of the soap can dry, thus reducing the extent to which the soap softens between washings and effecting substantial economies in the use of soap.

A wide range of different soap holders are known and this invention relates to soap holders of the type in which the tablet is substantially completely surrounded by air, the soap holder making only minimal contact with the tablet. One form of soap holder of this general type employs a magnet in the soap holder and utilises a small magnetic cup which is pressed into the tablet, the cup subsequently serving to depend the tablet from the soap holder. Soap holders of this particular design have the disadvantage that the cup must be removed from a spent tablet of soap and retained for insertion into a new tablet and that the holder is useless if the cap is lost.

A modified form of soap holder of the general type under consideration is that illustrated in Registered Design Application 983987 and utilises a plurality of upwardly directed prongs on which the soap tablet is rested between washings.

Because it is only the tips of the prongs which engage the tablet, the maximum surface of the tablet is exposed for air drying and since the tablet rests by gravity on the tips of the prongs, there is no need to associate any component of the holder with the tablet and their is therefore no component to lose or to transfer from tablet to tablet. However, the prongs since they are upwardly directed and of necessity, must be relatively sharp, represent a hazard and can cause injury if inadvertently banged by a user during a washing operation.

The present invention relates to an improved form of soap holder which overcomes the disadvantages of the known types.

According to the invention a soap holder comprises a base member and a soap-support bracket attached thereto, the soap-support bracket providing at least three spaced-apart soap engaging regions on which a tablet of soap is supported, and is characterised in that the bracket is formed from horizontally extending arm pieces, the soap-engaging regions being localised projections formed on the upper edges of the arm pieces.

Suitably the arm pieces are represented by a cruciform arrangement of plate-like members with the soap-engaging regions being small triangular projections formed on the upper edges of the plate-like members. The cruciform arrangement can be obtained by the interengagement of two mutually perpendicular plate-like members.

The base member can be arranged to rest on a horizontal surface and thus support the bracket above it, but preferably is a wall-mounted structure and is provided with means to adhere it to a vertical wall surface. The base member can thus be provided with apertures for fixing screws, suction feet, an area of pressure-sensitive adhesive or a suitably prepared surface for adhesive securement to the wall.

To indicate the correct location of the tablet on the bracket, a strip-formed perimeter guard can surround the bracket. The upper edge of such a guard can be situated above the level of the soap engaging regions when the soap holder is in use (i.e. to define a recess in which the tablet is placed) or can be below such regions to serve as a visual guide for correct location.

One embodiment of soap holder in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the completed soap holder, Figure 2 is a side elevation of the soap holder of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a rear view of the base member of the soap holder of Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a side elevation of the two component parts of the soap-support bracket employed in the soap holder of Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1, the soap holder shown comprises a generally triangular base member 1 and a two-part soap support bracket 2 made up of interengaged plates 3 and 4 which slot together into a cruciform arrangement. The plates 3 and 4 are provided on their upper edges with triangular projections 5 and when the two plates are slotted together in the manner shown in Figure 1 these define four soap-engaging regions to engage the lower surface of a soap tablet and support it during air drying. Although only four projections 5 are shown in Figure 1 it will be noted from Figure 4 that the plate 4 can be provided with a central projection 5' and this would provide five projections in the completed soap support bracket.

From Figures 3 and 4 it will be seen that the base member 1 includes centrally-located slots 6 into which tongues 7 of the plate 3 locate to secure the bracket 2 in place on the base member 1.

In the embodiment of soap holder shown, the base member 1 is secured to an adjacent wall by means of three suction pads 8 but it will be appreciated that other means can be provided for fixing the base member to a wall.

Since the projections 5 (5') are small projections formed in the upper edge of generally horizontally extending arm pieces, they are less likely to cause injury should they be inadvertently contacted by the user of the soap during a washing operation, than would be the case with an array of upwardly projecting sharp points.

Further, the proximity of the large surface areas of the plates 3 and 4 (which narrow in a downward direction away from the upper edges thereof), provide drying surfaces on which moisture drawn from tablet of soap supported on the bracket can dry. These large surface areas prevent dripping from the bracket even when a fully wet tablet of soap is placed on the bracket. This is a further advantage over the type of soap holder shown in Design 983987, which does tend to drip.

Although the embodiment illustrated employs a pair of plates interengaged to form a cruciform structure and one of those plates is slotted into the base member, it should be appreciated that this is only one convenient way of constructing the soap holder.

The plates 3 and 4 and the base member 1 can be of metal or plastic material and in the case of plastics material a one-piece construction is feasible.

Figures 1 and 2 show in dashed lines a perimeter guard 9 which surrounds the bracket 2 and defines a correct location for a soap tablet resting on the holder. The upper edge of the guard 9 is shown lying below the plane containing the upper tips of the projections 5 (5') and with this arrangement it would not contact a tablet of soap resting on the holder. By raising the level of the upper edge of the guard 9 appreciably above the level of the upper tips of the projections 5 (5'). the guard serves as a positive location for a tablet of appropriate size.

Claims (10)

1. A soap holder comprising a base member and a soap support bracket attached thereto, the soap-support bracket provided at least three spaced-apart soap engaging regions on which a tablet of soap is supported, characterised in that the bracket is formed from horizontally extending arm pieces, the soap-engaging regions being localised projections formed on the upper edges of the arm pieces.

2. A'soap holder as claimed in claim 1, in which the arm pieces are represented by a cruciform arrangement of plate-like members with the soapengaging regions being small projections formed on the upper edges of the plate-like members.

3. A soap holder as claimed in claim 2, in which the cruciform arrangement is obtained by the interengagement of two mutually perpendicular plate-like members.

4. A soap holder as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, in which the projections are of triangular shape.

5. A soap holder as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the base member is adapted to rest on a horizontal surface and thus support the bracket above it.

6. A soap holder as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, in which the base member is provided with means to secure it to a vertical wall surface.

7. A soap holder as claimed in claim 6, in which the base member is provided with apertures for fixing screws or suction feet for fixing it to a wall.

8. A soap holder as claimed in claim 6, in which the base member is provided with an area of pressure-sensitive adhesive or a suitably prepared surface for adhesive securement to the wall.

9. A soap holder as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a perimeter guard surrounds the bracket to indicate the correct location of a soap tablet thereon.

10. A soap holder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.