In particular this invention relates to a brush used to massage various parts of the body, both for therapeutic and hygienic reasons.

BACKGROUND ART Brushes are used for numerous roles from hairbrushes to body brushes, through to cleaning brushes. Body brushes are generally used to clean various parts of the body by rubbing the brush over the surface of the skin.

This process of cleaning the skin can be aided by the use of soaps, be they liquid or solid. These soaps need to be manually applied either to the surface of the skin or to the brush. This creates unnecessary frustration due to the possibility of dropping the soap, or by having to constantly pick up and put down soap being applied to the skin or brush.

These brushes, although useful for the hygienic purposes of cleaning, are not often effective in providing the necessary stimulation for a therapeutic massage. The reason for this is that there is no variation in pressure applied to the skin, across the surface of the brush. Brushes of this sort cannot easily perform dual roles. The result is that cleaning has to be undertaken as a separate exercise from massaging.

With the growing recognition of reflexology it would be desirable to be able to have a brush that could both clean and massage simultaneously.

Existing brushes also create difficulties in reaching all the areas of the body, and can easily be dropped. This forces the user to reach down while taking a shower and

pick up the brush, which can be awkward and potentially dangerous, for example, people suffering stiff joints, arthritis or obesity find it difficult to manoeuvre.

Existing brushes only perform a single function, they are either brushes for your feet, and therefore are attached to the floor with suckers, or those which are hand held. A search revealed some design registrations that illustrate this fact. New Zealand Design Registration Nos. 24520,23718, and 25446 all illustrate the use of suckers as their means of attachment.

These designs while adequate for their specified tasks, can be problematic when required to perform another role.

Brushes that are hand held are not good for cleaning feet. When cleaning a foot one is required to stand on one leg and raise the other, so that the sole is facing upwards while bending down and scrubbing simultaneously. While this maybe possible for the young and those who are steady on their feet, for the elderly and infirm it causes a multitude of problems. The result, feet either do not get cleaned or if they do there is a real danger of slipping and falling causing, in some circumstances, various injuries.

Brushes designed specifically for foot cleaning are adequate for this purpose. They cannot however, be used for other purposes, such as cleaning shoulders or backs.

The major reason is they have no handles allowing for a secure grip while cleaning body parts other than your feet. This could readily lead to the brush being dropped again by the elderly, or infirm particularly arthritis suffers who cannot contain the firm grip. This results in the need to bend down and pick up the brush, which again causes unnecessary risk of injury, or pain.

All references, including any patents or patent applications, cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference

constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinency of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents forms part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country.

It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a brush for external use on a person's body, including a base, a bristle bed, brush bristles and a gripping means connected to the base, characterised in that the top surface of the brush bristles combine to create an undulating surface and the gripping means enables the brush to be readily secured to a surface.

In preferred embodiments the bristles will be of various lengths, creating an undulating surface, or wave effect.

In other embodiments, the undulating surface may be created by varying the height of the brush bristle base.

This undulating contour allows for varying pressure to be exerted upon the object that comes into contact with it. The varying pressure has the advantage of creating a

massaging effect, allowing for stress release, simply by moving the brush across the surface of the skin. This can improve muscle tone and the blood circulation to the area being massaged, resulting in greater health. In particular such an action is particularly therapeutic on feet.

The degree of resilience of the brush bristles is important as it defines the amount of pressure that can be applied by the foot to give a massage. If the bristle is too soft it will fold under the pressure exerted and therefore no massage would be obtained. If the brush bristle is too firm, it would not flex at all and again, no massage would be obtained.

Preferably the bristles can be constructed from a material such as nylon, but this is by way of example only and is not intended to be limiting in any way.

The brush includes a gripping means, enabling the brush to be readily secured to a surface such as a floor, wall or spa pool, for example. The method of attaching the brush to a surface may be by the use of nitrole rubber, enabling frictional engagement to the surface it is placed upon.

In some other embodiments the method of attaching the brush to the surface may be by the use of suckers. However, it should be appreciated that these methods of attachment to the surface are listed by way of example only and are not intended to be limiting in any way.

It is envisaged that the base could be made up of either a component to grip to a surface, for example a shower, spa pool or bath floor. By attaching the brush to the floor of a shower, the brush cannot be dislodged or kicked around in the bottom of the shower, spa pool or bath. It will stay where it is positioned and will therefore not become a hazard in the base of the shower. The brush could also be attached to the wall of a bathing facility, thereby keeping it out of the way until it is required or

alternatively, be used in that position.

By enabling the brush to be readily secured to a surface, a user gains a number of advantages. The user has the ability to choose the position of attachment of the brush. For example, the brush could be secured to the base of a shower containing handrails. The position of the brush can be adjusted to allow a user to grip the handrails and apply an amount of pressure to the brush required to impart a massaging effect to the feet. Balance is not compromised. As such, the elderly, the infirm, or those with limited movement can achieve a massage to their feet without needing assistance.

Diseases such as diabetes can cause poor circulation to the extremities. Any process that improves circulation to those extremities has the advantage of reducing the possible detrimental effects such as, in extreme cases, amputation due to lack of circulation.

Specifically, the invention enables the maximum effect to be gained from massaging with a brush having an undulating bristle surface by securing that brush into position so the user can apply optimal pressure to the brush.

By enabling the brush to be secured to a surface, the user can apply the correct amount of pressure needed to gain the massage imparted by the wavy surface of the brush without the brush sliding away or dislodging. This is a distinct advantage as applying the correct amount of pressure is essential. If insufficient pressure is applied, then the bristles will not exert the correct amount of pressure back to the extremity that creates the massage.

The brush can also be secured to other surfaces, for example, in the shower, so that a massage can be imparted to other areas of the body. If this brush is positioned at shoulder blade height, then a massage can be imparted to areas of the body that are

difficult to reach without assistance. This is an advantage over other brushes, where the current practice is to have a brush positioned at the end of a long handle. This can be limiting for someone with limited movement.

In some embodiments the bristle bed can be detached from the base. The interface between the two major components could be by way of a snap lock mechanism, or by other standard attachment means such as squeeze tabs. This has the advantage of allowing firm engagement between the two components, yet allowing for easy release and interchange, or removal of the base. This allows even those who are weak or infirm to be able to use the brush for multiple roles, due to the easy interchange of base attachments.

It is also envisaged that the brush bristles could be attached to different bases. For example, a different base could include a padded surface with at least one strap allowing it to be attached to the hand. The base could also include a contoured shape that fits into the hand to allowing for people with limited hand movement, for example, someone with arthritis, to use the brush. These bases are given by way of example only, and are not intended to be limiting in any way.

Another embodiment could have a'hand brush' (say with a strap) fitting directly into the base and being removable there from.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of introducing a flowable substance to the bristles of a brush characterised by the step of feeding the substance through the brush from a reservoir so that the substance emerges from at least one exit opening at the base of the bristles.

The term'flowable substance'in accordance with the present invention includes a

substance with a viscosity that will coat the brush bristles without flowing away, or remain stuck in the exit opening at the base of the bristles. The exit pores connect to the region containing the flowable substance. Pressure applied to the brush bristles is enough to squeeze the region containing the flowable substance. This allows the flowable substance to move out of the exit openings by hydraulic pressure.

In some embodiments the flowable substance may have cleansing or therapeutic properties, for example the substance could be liquid soap or cleansing agent, essential oil gel, exfoliating scrub, or anti-fungal gel. These however, are given by way of example only and are not intended to be limiting in any way.

In preferred embodiments the brush has a pack containing a flowable substance installed between the base and the bristle bed. The pack containing the flowable substance would be pierced upon placement between the base and the bristle bed by a puncturing means, once the brush was reassembled. This allows for the cleansing or therapeutic substance to diffuse through pores in the bristle bed and reach the surface.

This embodiment has the advantage of allowing the cleansing or therapeutic substance to be easily introduced to the active area. This allows for ease of use for those who might not be able to manually apply these cleansing or therapeutic substances. If the brush is currently being used for cleaning feet then the introduction of the cleansing or therapeutic substance means there is no reason to bend over or balance whilst cleaning and massaging.

It should be appreciated however, that the methods of introducing cleansing or therapeutic substances are by way of example only and are not intended to be limiting in any way.

It should be appreciated that a brush of this type can have applications in a number of

different areas. For example, the brush could be attached, by its gripping means, to the base of a spa pool. This would allow users to not only gain therapeutic benefit from the spa but also gain a foot massage that is imparted by the brush at the same time. Following this idea the brush could also be attached to the end of the bath so that a person can obtain a foot massage while bathing.

Again, it should be appreciated that the maximal benefit of the undulating bristles is achieved as a consequence of the brush base being held in position and being able to resist pressure exerted by the user.

Each of these different placements of the brush is made possible by the gripping means. The brush can be removed at any time and taken on holiday, or whilst travelling. The combination of an attachment means and the undulating surface of the brush bristle means that a massage can be imparted wherever a user chooses to take the brush. This also has benefits for air travel. For example, it is common for feet to swell on long flights. By taking the brush travelling, the user has the ability to massage their feet upon arrival at their destination.

Another application of this type of brush would be an antibiotic foot cleaner in a public pool facility. The brush is secured in place by its attachment means at the exit from the changing rooms to the pool area and the massage that the brush imparts encourages users to use the brush for an extended length of time. The brush could be impregnated with an antibiotic foot cleaner or disinfectant. This would minimise the amount of fungal growths that are often prevalent in public pools and the like. The brush bristles could be changed every hour, or the brush moved to different areas as required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following

description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a brush in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the base of a brush in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the brush shown in Figure 1 showing the snap lock mechanism in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION With respect to the drawings, there is provided a brush.

The brush portion has bristles (1), extending from the bristle bed (2) configured in such a manner to form an undulating surface as seen in Figure 1, and more clearly illustrated in Figure 2.

It should be appreciated that the bristle bed (2) may also be configured to provide the undulating surface of the bristles.

The bristle bed (2) and the base (3) engage each other by means of a squeeze tab mechanism (4).

The use of guide rails (5) as shown in Figure 2 ensures the correct orientation and engagement between the bristle bed (2) and the base (3).

In some embodiments, the base (3) is attached to a surface by means of suction cups (6).

In other embodiments the brush can have a flowable substance which can be introduced from an external source and channelled into the bristle bed (2) where it can exit through at least one opening or openings (7), as shown in Figure 3.

To use the brush, a user attaches the brush by the suction cups (6) to a surface.

Once the brush is secured, a user can move a portion his/her body over the surface of the bristles (1) while the base of the brush is held by the suction cups (6).

To gain the desired effect of a massage, pressure must be applied to the bristles (1) by the body part.

To change the base (3) of the brush, or to insert a flowable gel pack into the brush, the squeeze tabs (4) are pressed and the bristle bed (2) is slid out.

The flowable gel, once positioned, then flows out of the brush through the pores (7) as pressure is applied by the user.

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.