US20030196287A1

US20030196287A1 - Bath ball

Info

Publication number: US20030196287A1
Application number: US10/123,145
Authority: US
Inventors: Kuo-Chin Chen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-04-17
Filing date: 2002-04-17
Publication date: 2003-10-23

Abstract

A bath ball includes a corrugated annular body being formed by axially squeezing a long sleeve-shaped elastic net woven or knitted from artificial fibers and having an extent of elasticity. The corrugated annular body is tied at two diametrically opposite points with fastening means so that outer peripheral portions of the corrugated annular body naturally loosely expand about the tied points toward two outer sides to form a puffy body close to a ball. The corrugated annular body includes a plurality of valleys, into which one or more types of cleaning elements may be selectively embedded to extend in a direction parallel with the valleys. The cleaning elements enable the bath ball to hold more bubbles and provide enhanced cleaning effect.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a bath ball, and more particularly to a bath ball having a plurality of embedded cleaning elements to produce enhanced skin cleaning and bubble-holding effects.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional bath ball that is formed by weaving or knitting artificial fibers into a long sleeve-shaped elastic net providing an extent of elasticity, axially squeezing and corrugating the sleeve-shaped net to provide a corrugated annular body 1, tightening the corrugated annular body 1 at two diametrically opposite points with fastening means 2, and letting an outer periphery of said corrugated annular body 1 naturally loosen and expand from the tightened points to form a loose body close to a ball. The above-described bath ball has the following disadvantages:

1. Since the corrugated annular body 1 is formed by axially squeezing and corrugating the elastic net, the bath ball formed from the naturally loosened corrugated annular body 1 is too puffy too effectively hold sufficient amount of bubbles. Extra amount of cleaning agent must be added to the bath ball when cleaning a user's skin.

2. Since the elastic net forming the bath ball fails to effectively hold sufficient amount of bubbles for a prolonged time, the bath ball does not effectively clean the user's skin.

It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop an improved bath ball having a plurality of embedded cleaning elements to provide better skin-cleaning and bubble-holding effects.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a bath ball having a plurality of embedded cleaning elements. The bath ball includes a corrugated body being formed by axially squeezing a long sleeve-shaped net woven or knitted from artificial fibers and having an extent of elasticity. The corrugated body is tied at two diametrically opposite points with fastening means so that outer peripheral portions of the corrugated body naturally loosely expand about the tied points toward two outer sides to form a puffy body close to a ball. The corrugated body includes a plurality of valleys, into which one or more cleaning elements may be selectively embedded to extend in a direction parallel with the valleys. The cleaning elements enable the bath ball to hold more bubbles and provide enhanced cleaning effect.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bath ball having a plurality of different types of cleaning elements embedded in valleys formed on the bath ball. The bath ball includes a corrugated body being formed by axially squeezing a long sleeve-shaped net woven or knitted from artificial fibers and having an extent of elasticity. The corrugated body is tied at two diametrically opposite points with fastening means, so that outer peripheral portions of the corrugated body naturally loosely expand about the tied points toward two outer sides to form a puffy body close to a ball. The corrugated body includes a plurality of valleys, into which one or more types of cleaning elements made of different materials maybe selectively embedded to extend in a direction parallel with the valleys. These cleaning elements made of different materials provide different coarseness for scrubbing different areas of a user's body and can therefore effectively remove dirt from pores to clean and freshen the user's skin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein [0008]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional bath ball; [0009]
FIGS. [0010] 2 to 4 shows the manner of producing a corrugated annular body for forming a bath ball according to the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bath ball according to an embodiment of the present invention; and [0011]
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a bath ball according to another embodiment of the present invention. [0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIGS. [0013] 2 to 4 that shows the manner of forming a bath ball according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and to FIG. 5 that shows a bath ball formed from the manner shown in FIGS. 2 to 4. As shown in FIG. 2, a long sleeve-shaped elastic net 3 providing an extent of elasticity is woven or knitted from artificial fibers and put around two posts on a tabular mold 4. The sleeve-shaped elastic net 3 is axially squeezed from two ends toward a middle point thereof so that a corrugated annular body 5 having a plurality of valleys is formed. An elongated cleaning element 6 having a square cross section is embedded in each valley to extend in a direction parallel with the valley. Thereafter, the corrugated annular body 5 with the embedded cleaning elements 6 is tied at a middle point with a fastening means 7 to form two loops at two sides of the tied point, as shown in FIG. 3, or tied at two diametrically points with fastening means 7 to form a single loop, as shown in FIG. 4. The fastening means 7 may be knotted to form a small ring so that a user may conveniently grip the bath ball formed from the corrugated annular body 5 at the ring or hang the bath ball by attaching the ring to a suitable place. When the corrugated annular body 5 is let to loosen naturally, outer peripheral portions of the corrugated annular body 5 automatically expand about the tied positions toward two outer sides, forming a bath ball having a plurality of embedded elongated cleaning elements 6, as shown in FIG. 5.
The [0014] mold 4 for forming the bath ball of the present invention is not necessarily limited to that shown in FIG. 2. A mold 4 with one single column or similar supporting means instead of two separated posts may also be used, so long as the elastic net 3 could be put around the column or the supporting means and squeezed to form the corrugated annular body with a plurality of valleys.
FIG. 6 shows a bath ball according to first embodiment of the present invention. As in the first embodiment, the bath ball of the second embodiment is formed from the long sleeve-shaped [0015] elastic net 3 woven or knitted from artificial fibers, put around two posts of the tabular mold 4, and axially squeezed from two ends toward middle to form the corrugated annular body 5 with a plurality of valleys. The second embodiment is different from the first one in that two or more different types of elongated cleaning elements 6 having a square cross section are embedded in the plurality of valleys before the corrugated annular body 5 is tied at a middle point or two diametrically points with the fastening means 7. Similarly, the fastening means 7 may be knotted into a ring, and the corrugated annular body 5 is allowed to naturally and loosely expand at two sides of the tied positions to form a puffy bath ball having two or more different types of cleaning elements 6 embedded in the valleys. The cleaning elements 6 may be made of, for example, general loofah and sponge.
It can be easily understood from the previously described embodiments that the present invention may includes cleaning elements made of different materials that provide scrubbing effect, such as sponge, foam rubber, non-woven cloth, loofah, etc. And, the cleaning elements may otherwise have a triangular, a round, or a rhombic cross section. Moreover, the cleaning elements may be embedded only in the valleys at one side of the corrugated annular body, in the valleys at both sides of the corrugated annular body, or in some of selected valleys. And, each valley of the corrugated annular body may include different numbers of cleaning elements. In brief, the material, the shape, and the number of the cleaning elements are selected to achieve the best bubble-holding and skin-cleaning effects. [0016]
With the above-described arrangements, the bath ball of the present invention has following advantages: [0017]
1. The cleaning elements embedded in the valleys of the corrugated body enable the bath ball to have enhanced bubble-holding ability and hold the bubbles for a prolonged time. Reduced cleaning agent is possible while good cleaning effect can be achieved with the bath ball of the present invention. [0018]
2. Different material, shape, and number of combinations can be selected for the cleaning elements, so that only one bath ball can provide different coarseness to effectively clean the skin at different areas of the user's body. [0019]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A bath ball comprising a corrugated annular body being formed by axially squeezing a long sleeve-shaped elastic net woven or knitted from artificial fibers and having an extent of elasticity, said corrugated annular body being tied at two diametrically opposite points with fastening means so that outer peripheral portions of said corrugated annular body naturally loosely expand about the tied points toward two outer sides to form a puffy body close to a ball; and said corrugated annular body including a plurality of valleys, into which at least one cleaning element may be selectively embedded.

2. The bath ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cleaning element is embedded in each said valley at one side of said corrugated annular body.

3. The bath ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cleaning element is embedded in each said valley at both sides of said corrugated annular body.

4. The bath ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cleaning element is embedded in every said valley on said corrugated annular body.

5. The bath ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two said cleaning elements of different materials are embedded in one said valley of said corrugated annular body.

6. The bath ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two said cleaning elements are embedded in one said valley of said corrugated annular body.

7. The bath ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cleaning element is selected from the group consisting of non-woven cloth, sponge, foam rubber, and loofah.

8. The bath ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cleaning element is an elongated member.

9. The bath ball as claimed in claim 8, wherein said elongated cleaning element has a cross section selected from the group consisting of round, rhombic, triangular, and square shapes.