Multiple bar soap storage dispenser

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6343845
  • Patent Number
    6,343,845
  • Date Filed
    Friday, September 29, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, February 5, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Wilkens; Janet M.
    Agents
    • Homburg; Ronald D.
Abstract
A wall mounted multiple bar soap storage dispenser allowing for the storage and drainage of multiple soap bars in the bath or shower area in which multiple soap bars are placed in individual pivoting soap compartments accessible by opening the pivoting compartment, removing the bar soap and replacing the bar soap in the container for drainage and drying of the bar soap until its next use.
Description




CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS




None




I. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of Invention




The invention is a wall mounted multiple bar soap storage dispenser allowing for the storage and drainage of multiple soap bars in the bath or shower area in which multiple soap bars are placed in individual pivoting soap compartments accessible by opening the pivoting compartment, removing the bar soap and replacing the bar soap in the container for drainage and drying of the bar soap until its next use.




2. Description of Prior Art




The following United States patents are disclosed herein and incorporated into this application for utility patent. All relate to soap dispensers and containers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,440 to Watson discloses a soap bar holder with a tray for cleaning, the invention comprising a singular housing with a partitioned interior, a sliding tray in the bottom of the housing and a singular cover on the front of the housing. A bar soap holder and dispenser is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,794 to Ross, wherein the bar soap is deposited in the top of the holder, directed towards a draining tray and dispensed by pushing on the front of the holder, forcing the bar soap to an opening in the bottom of the holder and releasing the bar soap to a user's hand below. An ornamental design for an apparent multiple soap bar dispenser and holder is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. D 359,867 to Elldrege, et al.




II. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The primary objective of the invention is to provide a device to hold multiple bars, individually, and to provide a means of storage and dispensing within the device to allow easy access to the separate compartments containing different soap bars, and to provide easy replacement of the bar soap in an individual compartment which stores and provides drainage to the bar soap until further use. This is most appropriate for use with multiple designer fragrance and scented soaps or for use with different cosmetic soaps in bath or shower stalls used by several household residents.











III. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The following drawings are submitted with this utility patent application.





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of the invention.





FIG. 2

is a rear and bottom perspective view of the invention.





FIG. 3

is a perspective view of a pivoting drawer component.





FIG. 4

is a perspective view of the invention with an open pivoting drawer component.











IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




The invention is a multiple bar soap storage dispenser


10


providing storage and drainage of multiple bar soaps


100


in the bath or shower area, the invention


10


, as shown in

FIGS. 1-5

of the drawings, comprising a plurality of pivoting drawers


50


and a cabinet


20


having a top segment


22


, a perforated bottom segment


24


, two side segments


26


, and a back segment


28


which together form a box. The cabinet


20


also includes interior


30


having multiple partitions


32


dividing the interior


30


into a plurality of rectangular compartments


40


. Each compartment


40


has a front opening


42


and a pair of horizontally aligned pivot holes


44


located within each compartment


40


in the partitions


32


. The cabinet


20


is preferably a single molded unit made of a water proof material.




Each pivoting drawer


50


, as shown in

FIG. 4

of the drawings, is an L-shaped component having a perforated floor


60


with a front portion


62


and a rear portion


64


, a rear lip


70


and a front face


80


. The rear lip


70


has a lower portion


72


attached to and extending perpendicular from the rear portion


64


of the perforated floor


60


. The front face


80


has an upper portion


82


and a lower portion


84


, the lower portion


84


attached to and extending perpendicular from the front portion


62


of the perforated floor


60


. The perforated floor


60


is the location whereupon the bar soap


100


is placed, the bar soap


100


being retained on the perforated floor


60


of the pivoting drawer


50


by the front face


80


and the rear lip


70


. The front face


80


also includes an exterior surface


86


. Extending from the perforated floor


60


is a pair of horizontally extending pivot pins


66


. These pivot pins


66


engage the pivot holes


44


in the compartment


40


, providing a pivotal attachment for each of the pivoting drawers


50


within each compartment


40


. Also on each pivoting drawer


50


is a pivot stop


68


attached to the rear portion


64


of the perforated floor


60


which prevents the pivoting drawer


50


from pivoting completely open by engaging a pivot catch


34


located in the partitions


32


, allowing each pivoting drawer


50


to individually pivot approximately 60 degrees from a closed position to access the contained bar soap


100


within.




When the pivoting drawers


50


are pivotally placed in each compartment


40


, as shown in

FIG. 5

of the drawings, the exterior surfaces


86


of the front faces


80


of the pivoting drawers


50


completely cover the front openings


42


of each of the compartments


40


with the upper portion


82


of the front face


80


extending just above the top segment


22


of the cabinet


20


. Thus, a user will open the pivoting drawer


50


by pulling outward upon the upper portion


82


of the front face


80


, pivoting the pivoting drawer


50


outwards from the cabinet


20


until the pivot stop


68


engages the pivot catch


34


, allowing access to the bar soap


100


resting on the perforated floor


60


. In a preferred embodiment, the pivot pins


66


attached to the perforated floor


60


and the pivot holes


44


in the partitions


32


are arranged in such relation as to allow each pivoting drawer


50


to remain open while empty or remain closed while empty, but causing such pivoting drawer


50


to automatically close when the bar soap


100


is placed upon the perforated floor


60


of the pivoting drawer


50


, the weight of the bar soap


100


upon the perforated floor


60


causing the pivoting drawer to return to a closed position with the front face


80


being brought to an upright position. When the wet bar soap


100


is place within the pivoting drawer


50


, any moisture or lather on the bar soap


100


drains through the perforated floor


60


upon which the bar soap


100


is placed and further drained from the perforated bottom


24


of the cabinet


20


. The perforated floor


60


and perforated bottom


22


also provide air flow to the bar soap


100


to allow for drying of the bar soap


100


and the interior


30


of the cabinet


20


and pivoting drawer


50


.




The invention


10


is to be attached to a wall in the bathroom near the bathtub, shower or sink using either adhesive tape or by permanent attachment using screws, adhesive tape or glue. The invention


10


may be provided in an opaque, colored material, or it may be provided as transparent or partially transparent to enable the user to view the bar soaps


100


within the invention


10


.




While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.



Claims
  • 1. A multiple bar soap storage dispenser providing storage and drainage of multiple bar soaps attaching to a wall within a bath or shower area, the dispenser comprising at least:a cabinet having a perforated bottom; a plurality of independently pivoting drawers having a perforated floor pivotally attached within the cabinet wherein each pivoting drawer may be pivotally opened allowing access to bar soaps placed within the pivoting drawers, the weight of the bar soap causing the pivoting drawer to pivot to a closed position, with the perforated bottom and perforated floor providing air flow and drainage to the bar soaps within the dispenser.
  • 2. A multiple bar soap storage dispenser providing storage and drainage of multiple bar soaps attaching to a wall within a bath or shower area, the dispenser comprising:a. a cabinet having a top segment, a perforated bottom segment, and two side segments forming a box, the cabinet also having an interior divided into multiple rectangular compartments by a plurality of partitions, each partition having a pivot catch and each compartment having a front opening and horizontally aligned pivot holes; and b. a plurality of L-shaped pivoting drawers having a perforated floor, a rear lip and a front face, the perforated floor having a front portion, a rear portion, horizontally emanating pivot pins and a pivot stop, a lower portion of the rear lip perpendicularly attaching to the rear portion of the perforated floor, and a lower portion of the front face perpendicularly attaching to the front portion of the perforated floor, the pivot pins of each pivoting drawer pivotally engaging the pivot holes in respective ones of the compartments, with an upper portion of the front face extending just above the top segment of the cabinet in each compartment and the pivot stop of each pivoting drawer preventing each pivoting drawer from fully opening by engaging the pivot stop in the partition.
  • 3. The dispenser, as disclosed in claim 2, wherein the pivot stop and the pivot catch of each pivoting drawer prevent the pivoting drawer from opening beyond 60 degrees from the vertical position of the front face, and the pivot pins and the pivot holes arranged in such relation as to allow each pivoting drawer to remain open while empty or remain closed while empty, but causing such pivoting drawer to automatically close when the bar soap is placed upon the perforated floor of the pivoting drawer, the weight of the bar soap upon the perforated floor causing the pivoting drawer to return to a closed position with the front face being brought to an upright vertical position.
  • 4. The dispenser as disclosed in claim 2, wherein the cabinet is made of a water proof material and the pivoting drawers are made of a transparent material enabling the user to view the bar soaps contained therein.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Number Name Date Kind
1057541 Gettins Apr 1913 A
2801737 Derman Aug 1957 A
2808306 Schilling Oct 1957 A
4392630 Moontasir Jul 1983 A
4630794 Ross Dec 1986 A
D359867 Elldrege et al. Jul 1995 S
5570938 Butler Nov 1996 A
5984440 Watson Nov 1999 A
6062416 Smillie May 2000 A