The invention relates to a back-cleansing unit or apparatus for attaching to the side wall of a shower or bath.
Showering is a daily activity for most people. Most body parts can be cleaned easily because they are within the reach of the showering person. However, one body part that has been traditionally difficult to reach, and thus, to wash, is the back. As a result, this part of the body is not generally cleansed as well as the rest of the body.
There are various devices commercially available to remedy this problem. Most common is the use of a hand-held back washer which is usually a brush on the end of a stick or other such handle. This device however, is insufficient to provide a thorough cleaning of the back because it is manually operated. Another method of cleaning the back has involved the use of a detachable showerhead. Again, this device needs to be manually operated. Devices for attaching to the side of a shower wall are also known. However, these devices can be very complex to install and operate.
The present invention provides an improved means of reaching and cleansing the back area.
According to the invention there is provided a back-cleansing unit, comprising: a housing section; a head receiving section; wall mounting means; and power producing means; wherein the head receiving section comprises gear teeth to engage with a plurality of rotating heads on a rotating disk section. In one embodiment of the invention the rotating disk section comprises a drive shaft attached to a drive gear.
In one embodiment of the invention the housing section is molded and comprises integrally molded or separately mounted gear teeth for engagement with the drive gear on the rotating heads.
In one embodiment of the invention when the rotating disk section rotates in a clockwise direction the rotating heads rotate in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction.
In one embodiment of the invention the rotating heads are interchangeable and comprise any one or more of rotating brushes, exfoliation heads, massage heads and/or applicator heads. Most preferably each rotating disk comprises six interchangeable rotating heads.
In one embodiment of the invention the rotating head comprises a brush carrier section comprising a central mushroom shaped projection, a flat plate section and an elongated stem section which engages with the drive gear. Preferably the interchangeable brush head is of an elastic material and attaches to the brush carrier section by stretching over the central mushroom shaped projection.
In one embodiment of the invention the power producing means comprises motors with integrated gearboxes mounted on an integrated frame at the rear of the housing section. Preferably the integrated gearbox reduces the speed of the motor from high to low.
In one embodiment of the invention the power producing means may be driven by any one or more of an electric motor, hydraulic motor, pneumatic motor and/or wind-up/spring mechanism.
In one embodiment of the invention the power producing means comprises an electric motor powered by a battery located in a watertight housing in a lower part of the housing section. In one embodiment of the invention the back-cleansing unit comprises user controls mounted on the outside of the unit to control the unit. In one embodiment of the invention the gear ratio is adjustable to set the speed of the rotating disk sections and the plurality of rotating heads.
In one embodiment of the invention the back-cleansing unit comprises a soap reservoir in an upper part of the housing section to dispense liquid soap, gel or cream down onto the plurality of rotating heads.
In another embodiment of the invention soap is dispensed through the rotating heads.
In one embodiment of the invention the mounting means comprises suction cups for attaching the housing section to the wall of a shower or bath. Alternatively, the mounting means may comprise fixings for permanently fixing the housing section to the wall of a shower or bath.
The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and is provided n the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
The back-cleansing unit of the present invention is an electrically powered unit that is fixed to the wall of a shower cubicle or bath to allow people to effectively wash their backs while showering or bathing. The unit may be detachably attached to the wall of a shower using suction cups or it may be permanently fixed to the wall using any suitable fixing means.
As shown in
The rear of the main housing 12 as shown in particular in
The rotating disk sections 16 comprising the rotating heads 18 are mounted on a shaft 32 preferably engaging stainless steel ball bearings (not shown). The shaft 32 is connected to a first drive gear 34 inside the main housing 12. The first drive gear 34 engages each shaft 32 to rotate with the rotating disk sections 16 and the rotating heads 18. The main housing 12 is molded and the receiving sections 14 have integrally molded or separately mounted gear teeth 36 for engagement with a second drive gear 38 on each of the rotating heads 18. The gear ratios may be adjusted by changing the size of the first drive gear 34 and second drive gears 38 and thus the relative speed of the rotating disk sections 16 and the rotating heads 18. The speed of rotation of the rotating heads 18 can be changed either by means of fitting new gears (not shown) with different gear ratios or using an electrical motor controller (not shown) to adjust the speed of the drive motor 40. Such a motor controller may be used to cause the gears to rotate in a counter clockwise direction or to reciprocate between clockwise and counter clockwise rotation. In one embodiment such a motor controller may be a printed circuit board mounted inside the main housing 12 and connected to an on/off switch. The rotating disk sections 16 preferably rotate in a clockwise direction, causing the rotating heads 18 to also rotate in a clockwise direction.
The rotating heads 18 comprise a brush carrier section 42 which is connected to each second drive gear 38 on the rear of the rotating heads 18. In one embodiment as shown in
In another embodiment of the invention as shown in
The first drive gear 34 is integrated with a small low voltage DC high torque drive motor 40. The integrated first drive gear 34 and drive motor 40 are mounted on the base frame 20 on the rear of the main housing 12. The speed of the drive motor 40 may be reduced through the use of the integrated gear box 68 which reduces the speed but not the torque of the drive motor 40. The integrated gearbox 68 is connected to each shaft 32, and the drive motor 40 may be an electric motor, hydraulic motor, pneumatic motor and/or wind-up/spring mechanism.
In the illustrated embodiment, the power producing means is an electric drive motor 40 powered by a sealed battery 30 located within a watertight compartment 28 in the lower end of the main housing 12. Preferably the compartment 28 is a plastic housing used for housing the battery 30 in the lower end of the main housing 12. The battery 30 can easily be removed for charging by removing it from the watertight compartment 28. The battery 30 or other power producing means is controlled and operated by a switch on the outside of the main housing 12.
When the rotating heads 18 are brushes, a reciprocating brush drive mechanism can be used to produce the effect of a massage. Preferably the back-cleansing unit 10 has a detachable liquid soap reservoir 26 in an upper part of the main housing 12, and the detachable liquid soap reservoir 26 operates using a pump action mechanism 70. When pumped, liquid soap (not shown) is dispensed down onto the rotating heads. Alternatively the soap may be dispensed directly through a nozzle (not shown) in each of the brush heads using an electrically operated dosing pump integrated into the housing and controlled from a dosing button on the outside of the cover.
The back-cleansing unit 10 is easy to install. It is also easy to detach from the suction cups 22 or other permanent wall fixings in order to thoroughly clean all the components of the unit 10.
The foregoing descriptions of embodiments of the present invention have been presented only for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the forms disclosed. Accordingly, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. Additionally, the above disclosure is not intended to limit the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1419600.0 | Nov 2014 | GB | national |
This application claims the benefit of the priority filing date of international application number PCT/IB2015/058496, entitled “A Back Cleansing Unit,” which was filed on 3 Nov. 2015, and which claims the benefit of the priority filing date of British domestic application no. GB1419600.0, filed 3 Nov. 2014.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/IB2015/058496 | 11/3/2015 | WO | 00 |