NON-SLIP ATTACHMENT DEVICE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to a device for the non-slip attachment of an article on a slippery, optionally wet attachment surface, and comprises a support structure having a fastening side facing the attachment surface and a plurality of suction cups on the fastening side.

The present invention also relates to a bristle-equipped foot cleaning device.

PRIOR ART

Upon the use of different articles in a wet room, these articles are sometimes only affixed using suction cups against the surface. Examples are such articles are soap dishes, hooks, non-slip mats, stools, shower chairs etc.

Articles that are secured by suction cups have the ability to effect good grip against a surface which is relatively clean and dry against forces directed in a direction from and along the surface. However, in a wet room such as a shower, the surfaces are seldom dry and clean, but are often damp and covered with residues from shower products such as soap, shampoo and hair conditioner. The shower product residues contribute to the formation of a slippery film on the surface, a film that functions as an excellent lubricant. In particular, hair conditioners containing silicons have a highly negative affect on the grip of the suction cups against the surface.

Suction cups placed on a surface with a slippery film have good resistance to forces acting in a direction from the surface, but the suction cups have a poorer resistance to forces acting in a direction with the surface. This means that when the article is subjected to external forces, it slides along the surface and comes out of its position of use, which is not desirable.

A recurrent problem associated with showering in the case of disabled persons is that it is difficult for them to bend down to soap and wash their feet. The problem occurs also in connection with the soaping or washing of feet in the case of tall people in small wet rooms such as narrow shower cabinets in which it is difficult to have enough room.

To facilitate the cleaning and massage of feet, there is used in the aforementioned cases a bristle-equipped foot cleaning device, more specifically a shower sandal as taught in US-D 439 016 S. The shower sandal comprises a rigid foot plate and a strap. The strap extends in an arch over the top of the foot plate and is secured in the longitudinal edges of the foot plate. The underside of the strap and the top of the foot plate are equipped with bristles for scrubbing the top and bottom of the foot. The foot plate is provided with drainage holes to allow the shower water to drain away. On the underside of the foot plate there is a plurality of suction cups arranged in two rows along the longitudinal edges of the foot plate.

The foot plate suction cups are relatively large and few in number, which means that if some of the cups do not fasten to the surface, the shower sandal will lose its grip. It is particularly difficult to get large suction cups to seal tightly against a surface that is uneven, for example in the grout joints between tiles, tiles with a rough finish etc. It must also be taken into account that at least some parts of the floor in a shower room slope towards the drain, to facilitate the draining away of water. Large suction cups also have low surface pressure against the surface, which is why the lubricant-like effect of water, soap, shampoo etc. becomes extra troublesome. The lack of grip or poor grip of the suction cups results in the whole shower sandal becoming loose during use or sliding along the attachment surface during use, which, in the worse case, may cause a slipping accident.

In the event that the shower sandal with its rigid foot plate is placed against a wet surface, it is difficult to cause all the suction cups to grip, as the plate cannot conform to the surface and is thus also unable to cause gripping of the suction cups, which are above the attachment surface. Another problem that arises with a rigid foot plate is that if all the suction cups have maximum grip, it is very difficult to loosen the shower sandal as, in principle, it must be pulled straight up by the user with great force in order to release it from the surface.

Another problem with the shower sandal as described above is that all the suction sups are arranged along the longitudinal edges of the foot plate. The foot plate thus does not have any suction cups in the centre area for support of the person showering, and thus there is a risk of the sandal buckling or breaking when a person's weight is placed thereon.

THE PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED

The object of the present invention is to so design the device described in the introduction that it eliminates the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, the invention relates to designing the device so that it prevents sliding of a support structure on a slippery and possibly wet surface in a wet room.

THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM

The object underlying the invention is achieved if the device described in the introduction is characterised in that on the fastening side, in addition to the suction cups, there is provided a plurality of support bodies for bearing against the attachment surface.

The object underlying the invention is also achieved if the bristle-equipped foot cleaning device is characterised in that it comprises an attachment device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention will now be described with reference to the attached figures, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a support structure with suction cups and support bodies;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of a support structure according to Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a bristle-equipped foot cleaning device; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the device according to Fig. 3.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Figs. 1 and 2 show a device 1 for non-slip attachment of an article on an attachment surface 2, which may be flat or curved, vertical, horizontal or angled at an angle between the horizontal and the vertical plane. The attachment surface 2 is preferably located in a wet room such as a bathroom, a shower etc.

The device 1 comprises a support structure 3, which has a fastening side 4 facing the attachment surface 2. On the fastening side 4 there is provided a plurality of suction cups 5, which act to secure the device 1 to the attachment surface 2. In addition to the suction cups 5 on the fastening side 4, there is provided a plurality of support bodies 6 for bearing against the attachment surface 2.

The support bodies 6 have on their outer ends 8, provided for cooperation with the attachment surface 2, friction means 7, which are there to prevent the device 1 from slipping along the attachment surface 2 during use. The friction means 7 are projections which may be in the form of nodules, ridges etc. The friction means 7 may also be recesses such as notches etc. The friction means 7 produce a high pressure against the attachment surface 2, and thus cut through a lubricant-like film on the attachment surface 2, caused by soap, shampoo, hair conditioner etc.

The suction cups 5 are arranged on pin-shaped elements 9 and the support bodies 6 are also in the form of pin-shaped elements. Both the suction cups 5 and the support bodies

6 are made of a substantially elastic material. In the preferred embodiment, both the pin-shaped elements 9 of the suction cups 5 and the support bodies 6 have a core of a stiffer material, for example, a polymer. The stiffer core makes them less likely to be bent sideways. At the same time, the stiffer material is more difficult to compress. As the cores in the preferred embodiment do not extend throughout the pin-shaped elements 9 of the suction cups or the support bodies 6, the compression that takes place on loading will be concentrated at the outer ends of the pin-shaped elements 9 or the support bodies 6. In these areas, they consist solely of the elastic material.

The support bodies 6 also have a length which results in the pin-shaped elements 9 and the suction cups 5 being under tension when the support bodies 6 rest against the attachment surface 2, and the suction cups 2 are affixed thereon. Li this way, a pressure is obtained which forces water, soap, shampoo etc. out from between the friction means

7 and the attachment surface 2.

In an unloaded state, the total length of a suction cup 5 together with its pin-shaped element 9 is greater than the length of a support body 6. The application of an external force to secure the device 1 to an attachment surface 2 will cause the suction cups 5, their pin-shaped elements 9 and the support bodies 6 to be compressed, whereby the air is pressed out of the actual suction cups 5 thus creating a vacuum that seals the suction

cups 5 against the attachment surface 2. Li this compressed state, the length of a suction cup 5 and its pin-shaped element 9 is equal to the length of the support bodies 6. When the external force on the support structure 3 is removed, both the suction cups 5 and the support bodies 6 are in engagement with the attachment surface 2, whereby the support bodies 6 attempt to press the support structure 3 away from the attachment surface, in order to create maximum suction force in the suction cups 5. After affixing the support structure 3 to the attachment surface, the contact surface area of the suction cups 5 against the attachment surface 2 is greater than the contact surface area of the support bodies 6.

The support structure 3 is made of a plurality of lamellae 10 which are substantially flexibly connected to each other at their outer portions 11. The lamellae 10 are spaced apart, thereby providing drainage openings 12 between the lamellae 10. With the aid of the lamellae 10, the support structure 3 can follow the contours of a curved or uneven attachment surface 2, and also facilitate the release of the device 1 from the attachment surface 2. The lamellae 10 extend preferably in the width direction of the device 1, but may also extend in the longitudinal direction of the device 1.

The support structure 3 with suction cups 5 and support bodies 6 as described above may be used for securing a number of articles. Just one example of an area of application will be described below, namely a bristle-equipped foot cleaning device 13, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The bristle-equipped foot cleaning device 13, or, as it is referred to in everyday language, the shower sandal, has a support structure 3, as described above. The support structure 3 is made of two different materials, for example, by injection moulding in two stages. The fastening side 2 of the support structure 3 is made of an elastic and flexible material, preferably rubber-based, upon which the suction cups 5 and support bodies 6 are distributed. The suction cups 5 and the support bodies 6 are preferably most numerous under the ball and heel of the foot, as the contact of the foot is greatest there. The fastening side 4 may to a certain extent be curved in conformity with the shape of the sole of the foot. The top of the support structure 3 is made of a rigid material, preferably a polymer, and the support structure 3 has an upper side 14 that is curved and shaped in conformity with the essential form of the foot sole. The outer surrounding periphery of the support structure 3 is essentially shaped in conformity with the outer contour of a foot.

In the event that also the fastening side 2 is partly shaped in conformity with the form of the foot sole, the length of the suction cups 5 and their pin-shaped elements 9 or the support bodies 3 may also vary in length in order to provide a substantially evenly distributed contact area of the suction cups 5 and the support bodies 6 against the attachment surface 2.

On the support structure 3 there is provided a strap 15 which is secured on two longitudinal edges 16. The strap 15 has snap fasteners 17 at its ends, which are arranged in openings 18 in the two longitudinal edges 16. On the top 14 of the support structure 3 there are provided upright bristles 19, against which the foot sole can be scrubbed. The bristles on the upper side 14 of the support structure are of two different lengths. Bristles 21 in a forward area 20, i.e., where the toes of the foot are positioned during scrubbing, are longer than the rest of the bristles on the support structure, so as to enable the bristles 21 to come in between the toes. The bristles 21 on forward area 20 of the support structure 3 are also angled at an angle, to ensure effective scrubbing. The bristles 19, 21 on the upper side 14 of the support structure 3 are arranged in recesses 22 which are evenly distributed over the length of the lamellae 10.

The lamellae 10 in the area of the attachment of the strap 15 are rigidly arranged in relation to each other so as to prevent the attachment of the strap 15 from becoming disengaged from the support structure 3.

Bristles 23 are also arranged on the underside 25 of the strap 15 for cleaning the upper side of the foot and for cleaning the nails, toes or space between the toes. The bristles 23 on the underside 25 of the strap 15 are also fastened thereto by snap fasteners 24, which are secured in holes 26 on the strap 15.

As the bristle-equipped foot cleaning device 13 is used for washing dirty feet, deposits of soap residue and the like will build up on the whole of the device 1, whereupon the whole device 1 can be washed and cleaned in a washing machine when the user feels there is a need.