RELATED APPLICATION(S)

The present application claims priority from Australian provisional patent application no. 2022901463, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a soap holder, and in particular, to a soap holder for containing soap is a state that conserves soap and minimises unwanted breakdown of soap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Soap has been used as a cleaning and/or moisturising product since ancient times. Soaps generally comprise a mixture of fat/oil, water and an alkali or basic salt, and are generally provided in a bar or “cake” form for use. When used as a cleaning product, the bar of cake of soap is typically rubbed in the user’s hands or against the user’s skin to form a lather. The soap molecules forming the lather function as a type of surfactant that bind with water and oil molecules to remove grease, dirt and germs that may be present on the user’s skin.

Many individuals, especially those with sensitive skin or skin conditions, may have an adverse reaction with conventional soaps. For this purpose medicated soaps have been developed that contain ingredients that can provide a medicinal effect and may include essential oils and other ingredients that are less reactive with the skin. Such soaps may be medicated to be effective against acne or eczema and may considerably softer than conventional all-purpose soaps.

As such, medicated soaps typically break down more easily in the presence of water to act more gently on the effected skin surface. Such that a lather can be simply created in the absence of friction. Due to their configuration, medicated soaps are often more expensive than conventional soaps and generally require more care in storage than conventional soaps due to their ability to break down more effectively in the presence of water. Thus, such soaps typically require storage in a dry area when not in use as they will tend to breakdown when exposed to water. Therefore, placing such soaps in conventional soap dishes or on the edge of a basin when not being used may cause the soaps to breakdown, especially if the soap dish or basin is exposed to water and the soap is suspended in the water. Furthermore, by storing soap in used or contaminated water, unhygienic conditions can result.

Thus, there is a need to provide a soap holder that can be used to support the soap in a manner that is located above any potential water source to minimise premature breakdown of the soap and which enables any accumulated water to drain away.

The above references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not intended to be, and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the above prior art discussion does not relate to what is commonly or well known by the person skilled in the art, but assists in the understanding of the inventive step of the present invention of which the identification of pertinent prior art proposals is but one part.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

The invention according to one or more aspects is as defined in the independent claims. Some optional and/or preferred features of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention there is provided a soap holder comprising: a holder member having a contact surface configured to support a bar of soap thereon; a tray member configured to receive the holder member such that the contact surface of the holder member is located above a base surface of the tray member; wherein the contact surface of the holder member comprises an upper surface of a plurality of arms that extend in an upwardly angular manner from a central point and the tray member has one or more internal walls that extend below the holder member with each internal wall angled towards an egress hole formed in the base surface of the tray member such that any water entering the soap holder is directed away from the bar of soap and towards the egress hole to be released from the tray member.

In one embodiment, the holder member may be removably supported by the tray member.

In another embodiment, the holder member may be formed integral with the tray member.

The holder member may comprise at least three arms extending in an upwardly angular manner from the central point and the bar of soap is supported in each of the upper surface of the arms. In a preferred form, the holder member may comprise four arms extending in an upwardly angular manner from the central point with each arm equispaced from each other arm to support the bar of soap on an upper surface thereof.

The tray member may have a plurality of grooves formed in the internal walls thereof to receive the arms of the holder member to secure the holder member in position within the tray member.

The soap holder may further comprise a container member upon which the tray member is mounted.

In one form, the container member may comprise a rectangular prism having an open top onto which the tray member may be mounted such that the holder member is able to receive the bar of soap during use. The container member may receive water exiting the egress hole of the tray member and retain the water therein during use of the soap.

In another form, the container member may comprise a rectangular prism having an open top onto which the tray member may be mounted such that the tray member is inverted to form a lid for the container member to store the bar of soap when not in use. In this form, when the tray member is inverted to form the lid for the container member, the tray member may substantially prevent water from entering the container member and contacting the bar of soap contained therein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a soap holder in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention in a first orientation;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the soap holder of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the soap holder of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the soap holder of Fig. 1 in a second orientation;

Fig. 5 is a side view of the soap holder of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a top view of the soap holder of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a side view of the soap holder of Fig. 1 in use;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the soap holder of Fig. 4 in use;

Fig. 9 is a side view of the soap holder of Fig. 1 mounted to a conventional fixture in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 10 is a side view of the soap holder of Fig. 4 mounted to a conventional fixture in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of an insert for a soap holder in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 12 is a top view of an alternative embodiment of a soap holder utilising the insert of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a side view of the soap holder of Fig. 12, in use;

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a soap holder of the present invention;

Fig. 15 is a side view of the soap holder of Fig. 14 in use;

Fig. 16 is a front view of yet another embodiment of a soap holder in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 17 is a top view of the soap holder of Fig. 16;

Fig. 18 is a side view of the soap holder of Fig. 16 in use;

Fig. 19 is a top perspective view of a drip tray for use with a soap holder in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 20 is a side view of the drip tray of Fig. 19;

Fig. 21 depicts a soap holder used in combination with the drip tray of Fig. 19;

Fig. 22 is a top view of the arrangement of Fig. 21;

Fig. 23 shows the arrangement of Fig 22 positioned within a container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 24 is a perspective view of the arrangement of Fig. 23; Fig. 25 shows a self-drainage arrangement of a receptacle in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 26 is a top view of the arrangement of Fig. 25;

Fig. 27 shows a front perspective view of a mounting bracket for mounting a drip tray and soap holder arrangement of the present invention for use;

Fig. 28 is a side view of the arrangement of Fig. 27;

Fig. 29 is a front perspective view of the arrangement of Fig. 28;

Figs 30A and 30B show the combined drip tray and soap holder being employed to form a cover of the container for storing the soap; and

Figs. 31 A and 3 IB show the combined drip tray and soap holder supported within the container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be construed as limiting on the scope of the invention.

The present invention will be described below in relation to its ability to hold and/or support a bar or cake of soap having a traditional rectangular body shape or a disc shape. However, it will be appreciated that the soap holder of the present invention could be equally adapted to hold and/or support a variety of different shaped soaps of varying sizes, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Referring to Figs. 1 - 3, a soap holder 10 depicted in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is depicted in a first orientation. The soap holder 10 comprises a body having a first portion 11 comprising a pair of end arms 12 and a pair of side arms 14 that project in an outward and vertical manner. The arms 12, 14 each project from a central area that forms a base 13 of the soap holder 10.

The arms 12, 14 define an open structure formed therebetween for receiving a bar of soap 5 in the manner as depicted in Fig. 7. In this arrangement, each of the arms 12, 14 have an exposed surface 12a, 14a that supports an edge of the bar of soap 5, when the bar of soap 5 is positioned thereon. The soap 5 is then supported above the base 13 of the soap holder and any surface upon which the soap holder 10 is supported. In the embodiment as depicted, there are four arms 12, 14; however, the number of arms may vary together with the spacing between arms and the angle of slope of the exposed surfaces 12a, 12b with respect to the horizontal plane.

In the arrangement as shown in Figs 1-3 and Fig. 7, the first portion 11 is supported on the support surface, by way of a second portion 15. The second portion 15 comprises a plurality of projections 16 that project from the base 13 in a direction opposite to the arms 12, 14. The projections 16 act to support the soap holder 10 on the support surface such that the soap holder 10 is elevated above the support surface. In the embodiment as depicted, there are four (4) projections 16; however, the number of projections 16 may vary.

A central hole 18 is formed in base 13 so as to extend through the central region of the soap holder 10. The hole 18 functions as a drainage port as well as a means for attaching the soap holder 10 within a conventional soap dish fixture 3 that may be mounted to a wall 2 of a shower or basin, as depicted in Fig. 9. In this regard, the soap holder 10 can be readily mounted to an existing fixture 3 by passing a bolt 19 through the hole 18 and the drainage hole of the fixture 3 and securing it in place with a nut or the like. In this manner, the soap holder 10 can be retrofitted to an existing soap dish 3 to provide a means for holding the soap above the soap dish, which typically fills with water during normal use as the drainage hole clogs with soap particles and residue.

As is shown in Fig. 7, due to the configuration of the arms 12, 14 of the soap holder 10, the soap 5 is maintained in an elevated position, above the support surface 6. As the soap 5 becomes consumed during use, it will diminish in size as shown in Fig. 7 as soap 5’. Due to the angular aspect of the surfaces of the arms 12a, 14a, as the soap 5’ diminishes in size, it will continue to be supported in an elevated manner by the arms 12, 14 until it completely dissolves. By using the soap holder 10, the soap 5 is elevated above any water collection point so as to maximise the useful life of the soap. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention as depicted in Figs. 4 - 6 and Fig. 8, the soap holder 10 an be used in a second orientation. In this orientation, the soap holder is shown in a position that is flipped 180° to that shown in Figs 1 - 3. In this orientation the arms 12, 14 extend from the base 13 to the support surface 6 to support the base 13 in an elevated position. The projections 16 then function to provide a surface for receiving the soap 5 such that it is retained in the elevated position as shown in Fig. 8. As the ends of the projections 16 are close together, the projections 16 form a support surface for the soap 5 that does not collect water such that the soap is not retained in a pool of water where it may prematurely dissolve.

When the soap holder 10 is in this orientation, it can also be mounted to an existing soap dish fixture 3 that may be mounted to a wall 2 of a shower or basin, as depicted in Fig. 10. In this regard, the soap holder 10 is mounted to the existing fixture 3 by passing a bolt 19 through the hole 18 and the drainage hole of the fixture 3 and securing it in place with a nut or the like. In this manner, the soap holder 10 can be retrofitted to an existing soap dish 3 to provide a means for holding the soap above the soap dish, which typically fills with water during normal use as the drainage hole clogs with soap particles and residue.

A variation of the soap holder 10 of Figs. 1 - 10 is shown in Figs 14 and 15 as reference numeral 30. In this embodiment, soap holder 30 comprises a plurality of equi-spaced arms 32 that of substantially the same configuration and which extend in an upwardly angular manner from a common point or source 31. The common point or source 31 defines a substantially flat surface upon which the soap holder 10 can be position upon a support surface for use.

Each of the arms 32 have an upper surface 33 for supporting a cake of soap 5 in the manner as depicted in Fig. 15. Due to the angular configuration of the arms 32, the edges of the soap 5 are able to be supported by the upper surfaces 33 of the arms 32 in an elevated position above a support surface, even as the soap diminishes in size through use. This ensures that the soap is maintained above any surface water that may collect on the support surface supporting the soap holder to avoid any contamination of the soap or further unwanted dissolution of the soap. As is shown in Fig. 23 and 24, the soap holder 30 can be configured to be mounted within container 60.

As is clearly shown in Fig. 15, the soap holder 30 can be affixed to an L-shaped bracket 35. To secure the soap holder in position for use, the L-shaped bracket 35 can be attached to a vertical wall by way of a suction cup 36 or a screw or similar mechanical fastener (not shown). Such a mounting system enables the soap holder 30 to be used in a shower environment. Alternatively, the L-shaped bracket can be secured to a horizontal surface in a similar manner for use in association with a basin or vanity.

Yet another embodiment of a soap holder of the present invention is depicted in Figs. 16 - 18 as reference numeral 40. In this embodiment, the soap holder 40 is configured for use in a vertical position or where horizontal space is limited. The soap holder 40 comprises a pair of upper arms 42 that project laterally and in a forward direction. The front surface 43 of the arms 42 is substantially flat to receive the body of the soap 5, as is depicted in Fig. 18.

A pair of leg members 44 project from the upper arms 42 at a central region thereof and extend in a divergent manner. The leg members 44 have foot projections 45 extending in an outward manner, from a distal end thereof . The foot projections 45 project in an upwardly angled manner to provide a ledge upon which the soap 5 is supported in the manner as shown in Figs 16 and 18. It will be appreciated that the soap holder 40 supports the soap 5 in an elevated manner above a support surface such that the soap 5 is not exposed to any moisture that may pool.

As is shown in Fig. 18, the soap holder 40 may be mounted to an L-bracket 46 to facilitate attachment to a wall or vertical surface by way of a suction cup 47, or any other suitable mechanical fastener. Equally the horizontal portion of the L- bracket 46 may be secured to a horizontal surface as required.

The soap holders of the present invention may be used in combination with a tray or container configured to cooperate with the soap holder to retain the soap in a dry location when not in use. The manner in which this is achieved will be described in more detail below.

Another embodiment of a soap holder 20 in accordance with the present invention is depicted in Fig. 12 and 13. In this embodiment, the soap holder comprises two parts: a tray 22, and an insert 25 that is to be inserted into the tray 22.

The tray 22 is in the form of a conventional open rectangular container commonly used to store soap. The insert 25 is shown in isolation in Fig. 11 and comprises a pair of planar wing members 26 that are arranged in an orthogonal manner as shown. An upward facing edge 27 of the wing members 26 is configured to extend in an angular manner in a downward direction from a distal end 29 to a common central cross-over region 28. The insert 25 is positioned within the tray 22 such that the distal end 29 is positioned about the upper periphery of the tray 22 as is shown in Fig. 13. In this position the distal ends of each of the wing members 26 are able to support a bar of soap 5 thereon such that the soap 5 is elevated above the tray 22. Due to the graduated angular nature of the upward facing edges 27 of the wing members 26, as the soap 5 is consumed and becomes smaller, the wing members 26 still support the soap 5 in the elevated position away from any water that may collect in the tray 22.

It will be appreciated that whilst the insert 25 is shown as being separate to the tray 22, the insert could be formed integral with the tray 22 to form a single piece. Both the insert 25 and the soap holder 10 can be used by itself, or in combination with some additional elements such as a drip tray, water catchment container and wall attachment. In one embodiment, the soap holder 10 hay have a suction cup or similar attachment means mounted thereto for securement to a wall of a shower or the like. Such an attachment means may be detachable or permanently affixed to the soap holder 10.

In accordance with another embodiment, the present invention provides for a drip tray 50 that may be used with a soap holder 30 as described above in relation to Figs 14 and 15. An embodiment of such a drip tray 50 is depicted in Figs. 19 and 20.

The drip tray 50 comprises a body having an upper rim 52 having notches 51 formed therein for receiving the soap holder 50. The body of the drip tray 50 comprises four walls 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d that project from an underside of the rim 52 in a downward manner to meet at a flat base portion 55 as is depicted more clearly in Fig. 20. The base portion 55 has a plurality of drain holes 56 formed therein to facilitate drainage of any water or fluid present in the drip tray 50. One or more plugs (not shown) may be provided to close off the drain holes 56 to prevent water drainage from the tray 50, when required. This can allow the drip tray 50 to be positioned over a basin or the like for controlled release of water into the basin from the tray 50. This can ensure that the tray 50 will not leak or release water when positioned on a surface that has no drainage facilities.

A plurality of grooves 58 are provided in the surface of the walls 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d that extend from the notches 51 towards the base portion 55. In the embodiment as depicted, there are four grooves 58 that are arranged to extend orthogonally from the base portion 55. It will be appreciated that the number of grooves 58 and their orientation will depend upon the type of soap holder that is to be used with the drip tray 50. It will be appreciated that the rim 52 of the drip tray 50 could take any variety of shapes, such as circular, square or a combination of both as would be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Fig. 21 and Fig. 22 depict the soap holder 30 in use with the drip tray 50. As is shown, the soap holder 30 is securely received within the grooves 58 and the notches 51 of the drip tray 50 with the flat central portion of the soap holder received on the base portion 55. In this arrangement as is shown in Fig. 22, a cake of soap 5 can be placed on the soap holder 30, to be supported thereon. Any water present on the soap 5 will drain from the soap and travel along the walls 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d of the drip tray 50 towards the drain holes 56 and out of the system. It will be appreciated that whilst the soap holder 30 and the drip tray 50 are shown as separate pieces, in an alternative embodiment the soap holder 30 and the drip tray 50 could be formed as an integral piece.

As is shown in Figs 31A and 3 IB, the combined soap holder 30 and drip tray 50 could be mounted within a container 60 to collect water dripping from the soap when used on a benchtop. The combined soap holder 30 and drip tray 50 can also be used as a lid for the container 60 for storing and transporting soap. This can be achieved by rotating or flipping the soap holder 30 and drip tray 50 combination as shown in Fig. 30A and Fig. 30B through 180°. In this position, the soap holder 20 and drip tray 50 form a lid that can function to substantially prevent water from entering the container 60 during use, and for securely storing the soap when not in use. In such a configuration, the container 60 may have one or more drainage holes (not shown) formed therein to facilitate release of the water from the container 60 following use. A plug may be used to close the one or more drainage holes such that following use, the container 60 can be simply positioned above a basin to selectively release the water therefrom into the basin. This can ensure that the soap stored therein is retained in a substantially dry environment to maintain the integrity of the soap contained therein. It will be appreciated that the shape of the container 60 could vary to accommodate a variety of different shaped soap holder and drip tray combinations.

The container 60 and drip tray 50 can be configured to have a hidden or concealed drainage so as to be self-draining to drain any water or fluid present into a basin or the like. In this regard, the bottom surface of the container 60 may be configured to have an uneven or angled floor 62 that directs water to hole 64 formed therein. The hole 64 may be positioned along an edge of the container 60, as shown in Figs 25 and 26, or in a comer of the floor 62 of the container 60. The hole 64 may be closed by a plug (not shown) such that a user can control when the water is released from the container 60 to prevent unwanted leakage of the container 60 when used.

Another embodiment of the present invention is depicted in Figs. 27 - 29. In this embodiment, a mounting bracket 70 is configured to be fastened to a wall to support the soap for use. The mounting bracket 70 may be attached to a wall or the like by a mechanical fastening means such as a screw or suction cup. The mounting bracket 70 has a horizontal support having angled walls for receiving the soap and allowing any water to be directed away from the soap and into a basin or the like. The mounting bracket 70 can be used in isolation or may be used in combination with a drip tray 60 such as that shown in Figs 28 and 29.

It will be appreciated that the soap holding systems of the present invention are able to perform in a variety of applications, such as, in a vertical/horizontal placement, a shower wall or on a bench top. Conventional soap dishes are typically used on the bench, however they do not function as effectively in a shower, as they are not able to be mounted to the shower wall. This results in water collecting in the soap trays, which keeps the soap wet and ruins the integrity of the soap. Similarly, soap holders that are dedicated for use in the shower, are not configured to be placed on a counter as they tend to be bulky and there is no mechanism to capture the water flowing through.

The arrangements of the present invention can be readily used on a counter in combination with the container/drip tray to catch any dripping water. Such arrangements have the versatility to be used mounted on a wall in the shower whilst keeping the soap dry, and can be transported easily between a variety of wet areas for use. The arrangement of the present invention also converts into a storage container for storage of the soap when no in use.

The present invention is configured to keep soap dry in use, due to the manner in which the soap is supported by the edges of the supporting arms of the soap holder. The soap is supported by the arms of the soap holder in a manner that provides minimal contact of the soap bar with the soap holder. The soap bar is merely held by the edges of the holder. Such minimal surface area contact between the soap and the soap holder minimises the likelihood of water pooling about the soap and the soap’s integrity becoming compromised.

Throughout the specification and claims the word “comprise” and its derivatives are intended to have an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. That is, the word “comprise” and its derivatives will be taken to indicate the inclusion of not only the listed components, steps or features that it directly references, but also other components, steps or features not specifically listed, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise.

Orientational terms used in the specification and claims such as vertical, horizontal, top, bottom, upper and lower are to be interpreted as relational and are based on the premise that the component, item, article, apparatus, device or instrument will usually be considered in a particular orientation, typically with the soap holder uppermost.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made to the methods of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.