SOAP DISPENSER

DISTRIBUTEUR DE SAVON

English Abstract

A soap dispenser (10) includes retaining
means (20) for supporting solid soap (30), the
retaining means (20) being provided with an
aperture (40). The arrangement is such that,
in use, when water is caused to flow into the
retaining means (20), soap dissolves into the
water, and the water and the dissolved soap is
thereby dispensed through the aperture without
physical contact between a user and the solid
soap (30).

French Abstract

L'invention concerne un distributeur de savon (10) qui comporte un récipient (20) à savon solide (30), muni d'une ouverture (40). Le dispositif est conçu de sorte que l'écoulement de l'eau dans le récipient (20) entraîne la dissolution du savon dans l'eau. L'eau et le savon dissous sont ainsi distribués par l'ouverture sans contact physique entre l'utilisateur et le savon solide (30).

Claims

6
CLAIMS
1. A soap dispenser for dispensing soap into a flowing stream of water from an
open
end of a water tap, the dispenser comprising retaining means for supporting
solid
soap, the retaining means having at least one aperture arranged to receive
water from
the tap and to deliver water containing dissolved soap, respectively, from the
dispenser through the at least one aperture without physical contact between a
user
and the solid soap, the dispenser further comprising attachment means for
attaching
the retaining means to the tap, the attachment means having an outer end for
attachment to the tap and an inner end, a downwardly depending shank being
attached
to the inner end of the attachment means, the shank having a lower end, and
wherein
the dispenser includes a single retaining means, said retaining means being
pivotally
mounted about the lower end of the shank, the retaining means and the
attachment
means remaining stationary relative to the tap at all times, the retaining
means being
directly mounted to be the lower end so as to enable the retaining means to
pivot into
and out of the water stream whilst locating the retaining means adjacent to
the tap in
all positions.
2. A soap dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the retaining means has an
external
projection mounted to and extending outwardly therefrom, the external
projection
defining a handle to facilitate pivotal movement of the retaining means into
and out of
the flowing stream of water from the tap.

7
3. A soap dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the retaining means
includes
an internal spigot, and wherein the soap is generally cylindrical and
configured to be
supported by the spigot.
4. A soap dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the retaining means is
arranged to
rotate axially relative to the shank.
5. A soap dispenser according to claim 4, wherein the retaining means rotates
axially
about a substantially vertical axis.
6. A soap dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the retaining means is
substantially
cup shaped.
7. A soap dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the attachment means and the
downwardly depending shank form an L-shaped member.
8. A soap dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the outer end of the
attachment
means comprises jaws arranged to grip opposing sides of the tap.

Description

CA 02360341 2007-07-12
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TITLE
"SOAP DISPENSER"
This invention relates to a soap dispenser.
Generally, it is known to provide soap dispensers, in the vicinity of a wash
basin, bath
or shower including a container of liquid soap wherein a pump action mechanism
is
utilised to deliver a measured dose of liquid soap through a length of tubing.
It is also
known to provide holders for cakes of soap in the vicinity of a wash basin,
bath or
shower, whereby a user may locate and use a piece of soap.
Where there is frequent use and traffic around known soap dispensers,
particularly in
industrial workshop areas, the very vicinity designated for users to clean
themselves
can become soiled. Pump action mechanism liquid soap dispensers leak liquid
soap,
and cakes of soap become grimy and sludgy from constant handling.
The present invention seeks, therefore, to provide a soap dispenser where
there is no
need to handle the cake of soap, and the user may wash under a flow of water
containing dissolved soap.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a
soap
dispenser characterised in that the soap dispenser includes retaining means
for
supporting solid soap, the retaining means being provided with at least one
aperture,
the arrangement being such that, in use, when water is caused to flow into the
retaining means, soap dissolves into said water, and said water and said
dissolved
soap is thereby dispensed through said at least one aperture without physical
contact
between a user and said solid soap.

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la
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a soap
dispenser for dispensing soap into a flowing stream of water from an open end
of a
water tap, the dispenser comprising retaining means for supporting solid soap,
the
retaining means having at least one aperture arranged to receive water from
the tap
and to deliver water containing. dissolved soap, respectively, from the
dispenser
through the at least one aperture without physical contact between a user and
the solid
soap, the dispenser further comprising attachment means for attaching the
retaining
means to the tap, the attachment means having an outer end for attachment to
the tap
and an inner end, a downwardly depending shank being attached to the inner end
of
the attachment means, the shank having a lower end, and wherein the dispenser
includes a single retaining means, said retaining means being pivotally
mounted about
the lower end of the shank, the retaining means and the attachment means
remaining
stationary relative to the tap at all times, the retaining means being
directly mounted
to be the lower end so as to enable the retaining means to pivot into and out
of the
water stream whilst locating the retaining means adjacent to the tap in all
positions.
The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with
reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which:

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2
Figure 1 is a side plan view of the soap dispenser in accordance with the
present
invention with a cup aligned with a tap;
Figure 2 is a side plan view of the soap dispenser of Figure 1 with the cup in
non-
vertical alignment with the tap; and
Figure 3 is a top plan view of the soap dispenser of Figure 1.
Referring to the Figures, in Figures 1 to 3 there is shown a soap dispenser 10
having
retaining means for holding solid soap 30 which may be a single relatively
large piece
of solid soap or a plurality of relatively small pieces of solid soap. In this
example,
the retaining means is in the form of a cup 20. However, it will be
appreciated that the
retaining means could alternatively take the form of a platform, a basket or
any other
suitable retaining means which functions, in use, to hold a piece of soap
relative to a
tap. A lower portion of the cup 20 is provided with at least one aperture,' in
this
example a plurality of apertures 40 disposed on a lower portion of the cup 20.
However, it will be understood that the at least one aperture may be disposed
on other
portions of the cup 20, for example on a side portion of the cup 20.
The soap dispenser 10 also includes an attachment means 50 and a downwardly
depending vertical shank 60 interconnecting the cup 20 and the attachment
means 50,
the cup 20 being pivotally mounted about a lower end 62 of the downwardly
depending vertical shank 60. Also provided is a spigot 64 of cross-shaped
transverse
cross section, the spigot 64 extending upwardly of a lower portion of the cup
20. The
spigot 64 serves to receive a generally cylindrical soap pellet and
facilitates
impingement of water on both an interior cylindrical surface and an exterior
cylindrical surface of the soap pellet during use. In this way, during use, as
the

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3
diameter of the interior cylindrical surface increases, the diameter of the
exterior
cylindrical surface simultaneously decreases. The spigot 64 may be provided
with a
generally conical cap at an end of the spigot 64 remote from the lower portion
of the
cup 20. The cap serves to restrict water from immediately contacting the soap
pellet
as the water enters the cup 20 during use. The cap also serves to restrict
splashback
of water from the cup 20. To further reduce the risk of splashback, the cup 20
is
provided with an annular lip member 66 which may be integral with or separable
from a body portion of the cup 20, the lip member 66 being provided with a
curved
inwardly extending surface 68 which serves to urge upwardly moving water to
travel
inwardly of the cup 20.
The attachment means 50 includes opposing fixed and movable jaws 51, 52
arranged
in use to laterally grip opposing sides of a downwardly depending end 72 of a
tap 70.
The opposing fixed and movable jaws 51, 52 of the attachment means 50 may be
tightened or loosened about the downwardly depending end 72 of the tap 70 by
tightening or loosening, respectively, a screw 54 interconnecting the opposing
fixed
and movable jaws 51, 52.
It is envisaged that in alternative embodiments of the present invention, the
opposing
fixed and movable jaws 51, 52 of the attachment means 50 may be arranged to
grip
opposing sides of a shank 74 of the tap 70. It is also envisaged that the
attachment
means 50 could alternatively be adapted to attach to other objects such as a
portion of
an adjacent sink, a wall portion or a tile, the important aspect being that,
in use, the
attachment means 50 of the dispenser is fixed in position relative to a tap.

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An end 53 of the attachment means 50 is provided with a downwardly depending
vertical shank 60. The cup 20 is pivotally mounted about a lower end 62 of the
downwardly depending vertical shank 60, such that in use the cup may be
pivoted to a
position where the cup 20 is in vertical alignment with the downwardly
depending
end 72 of the tap 70, as shown in Figure 1.
The cup 20 is provided with an outwardly protruding handle 22 to aid pivotal
movement of the cup 20 about the lower end 62 of the downwardly depending
vertical shank 60. The cup 20 may also be provided with a projection (not
shown)
extending downwardly of the cup 20 below the apertures 40, the projection
serving as
an alternative handle for effecting pivotal movement of the cup 20. Such a
projection
is useful where the user has particularly dirty hands since the projection is
cleaned by
passing water during use.
In use, when the tap 70 is turned on, a flow of water is generated into the
cup 20 and
around the piece of soap 30, a portion thereof dissolving in the flow of
water. The
flow of water including the dissolved portion of the soap 30 flows through the
apertures 40 of the cup 20, for example into an underlying receptacle, to
produce
"soapy" water.
When not in use, the cup 20 may be pivoted about the lower end 62 of the
downwardly depending vertical shank 60 to a position where the cup is not in
vertical
alignment with the downwardly depending end 72 of the tap 70, as shown in
Figure 2.
The tap 70 may be turned on to generate a flow of water, for example into an
underlying receptacle, without producing "soapy" water.

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It will be appreciated that instead of providing a cup which is adapted to
pivot relative
to a vertical shank, the cup could be fixed relative to the vertical shank and
a
pivotable tap provided such that the outlet of the tap is moveable into and
out of
alignment with the cup.
5 It will also be appreciated that instead of providing retaining means which
is
pivotable about a substantially vertical axis, the soap dispenser could be
arranged so
that the retaining means is pivotable about other axes, the important aspect
being that
the retaining means is pivotable from a location wherein water flows through
the
retaining means to a position wherein water does not flow through the
retaining
means.
Furthermore, it will be appreciated that as an alternative to the cup of the
above
described specific embodiment, a retaining means having a plurality of
compartments
could be provided. With such an alternative embodiment, the retaining means
would
be rotatable such that each compartment is selectively alignable with a tap
outlet. One
of the compartments could be a hollow cylinder through which water may pass
unhindered, and the other two compartments could contain soap, each respective
soap
being for a particular use.
Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are
deemed
to be within the scope of the present invention.

Representative Drawing