Cake of soap fitted with a support to prevent it from spoiling

Abstract

 At the time of manufacturing the cake of soap, a support (21) to prevent spoiling is exposed or inserted and makes a solid union with the inner mass of the soap. The said support is shaped like a stem which protrudes (23) out from the cake, where it is formed with a stand base (22) for the set.

Description

[0001] The invention refers to a cake of soap which houses inside it a support to prevent it from spoiling, forming a unit. It also refers to the said support as a separate piece or as being able to be incorporated into a block or cake of soap.

[0002] The spoiling process, due to the softening and adhering which a block or cake of soap suffers from when it remains in contact with a surface in a damp condition, is well known. To avoid this spoiling various solutions have been put forward, some consisting in reducing the potentially damp surface in contact with a cake of soap, and others in keeping the cake of soap away from contact on its external surface.

[0003] Several devices which rely upon the above mentioned solutions are known of and are available in the market. For example, plastic or metal plates with a raised surface which are attached by means of prongs to one of the larger faces of the cake of soap. Such plates suffer the disadvantages that they make one of the larger surfaces of the cake useless for employment by the user; they fall off easily and also it is necessary to keep a stock of them since they are scarcely re-usable.

[0004] On the other hand, the use has also been proposed of pieces which are inserted by penetration into a conventional cake of soap and which are provided with a hole or ring which allows it to be hung on a bracket during the times when the soap is not in use. Such pieces have the disadvantage that they are difficult to attach or to insert in the cake, while with time they also tend to fall out very easily. Moreover, that means that they depend on a bracket or hook from which to hang.

[0005] Amongst the devices based on hanging brackets, those formed by a plate and an arm which are screwed to the wall or fixed to it by some other means, are well known. The supporting arm can be fitted with a magnetic piece to which a metal plate attached to the cake of soap can stick, or otherwise it can consist of a rod provided with means of retention at one of its ends, inserting a previously drilled block or cake of soap onto the said rod which holds it in place. This type of bracket has become more and more expensive as it has been made more complex and sophisticated in the way it is fixed to the wall, in the type of holding the cake of soap in place or in the way to replace it. Moreover, they are by their concept not suitable for households and private places. Finally, they make necessary to keep a stock of blocks or cakes with the size corresponding to the specific dimensions of each bracket; they tend to be cakes of soap which are not available in the usual shops or only come in a small variety of qualities and scents.

[0006] The invention differs from the above mentioned state of the art and serves to overcome some of the disadvantages which have been indicated, inasmuch as the element to prevent spoiling which it incorporates forms a single whole piece or unit with the cake of soap, since the latter is manufactured with or over the element itself, in such a way that it remains solidly mounted during the whole useful life of the cake of soap, this element being the support itself for the cake to prevent it from coming into superficial contact with damp, and it is to be placed preferably on one of the faces or zones of lesser surface area of the cake of soap.

[0007] It is then an objective of this invention to provide a block or cake of soap which, inside it and forming a single piece with it from the time it is manufactured, comprises a stem which protrudes out from it through one of the faces or zones of the block or cake and in that said outer end of the stem becomes broader, or it forms a stand base for the cake.

[0008] In a preferable embodiment of the cake of soap of the invention, the surface of the stem which is solidly in contact with the inner body of the cake presents an embossing, grooving or relief arrangement. Also in a preferable embodiment, the stem is located in accordance with the largest dimension of the cake, or rather it protrudes out through one of the faces or zones of the block or cake with lesser surface area.

[0009] In another preferable form of embodiment, the end of the stem which protrudes, in the zone between the stand base and the cake, it is provided with a thickening or abutment piece which helps to avoid a further accidental insertion or penetration of the stem into the body of the cake of soap.

[0010] The invention also refers to a supporting element with the above mentioned characteristics being used independently and supplied as an accessory to be inserted or attached to a conventional block of soap or to one specially prepared with a hole drilled in it.

[0011] The invention will be better understood by the following description of examples of practical execution illustrated on the attached sheet of drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view of a cake of soap according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a view of an example of supporting element according to the invention.

Figure 3 is a view from above of another supporting element in accordance with the invention.

[0012] In Figure 1 reference numeral (10) corresponds to a conventional block or cake of soap, for example the flattened prismatic shape which is shown, or otherwise the parallelepipedic or ovoid which are common in this type of object, which at the time of its manufacture or production has become joined to a supporting element (20) basically made up of a cylindrical stem (21) and a stand base (22).

[0013] As indicated with a dotted line in Figure 1, the stem (21) is firmly embedded in the inner mass of the cake of soap (10) and protrudes out through an end, which is the one joined to the stand base (22). Also it can be seen in Figure 1, in accordance with the invention, that location of the stem (21) coincides with the largest dimension of the cake of soap (10), or rather protrudes out through a face or zone (11) of lesser surface area of the cake of soap, in such a way that the latter presents the majority of its external surface in a usable form.

[0014] With the scope of preventing, during abusive usage of the cake or if it is dropped, a further insertion of the stem (21) into the body of the cake of soap (10), an abutment piece (23) has been provided, with a diameter or wideness greater than the stem (21), interposed between the stand base (22) and the zone (11) of the cake of soap (10).

[0015] The supporting element (20) to prevent spoiling can be manufactured from a great variety of materials, although for reasons of economy plastics providing enough strength are the most suitable, while also wood could be employed. The abutment piece (23) can be a part of the supporting element (20) or can be added as an accessory before being joined the supporting element to the cake of soap.

[0016] To increase the effectiveness of the embedding or insertion of the stem (21) into the body of the cake of soap (10), it has been foreseen that some embossing, grooving or low-relief should be made on its surface, in vertical sense (24), or horizontal (25), or both as shown, although other solutions could be possible such as screw threads, knurling and the like.

[0017] The dimensions and shape of the stand base (22) will be suitably selected for each size and weight of block or cake of soap (10), although the circular cross section of Figures 1 and 2, or the polygonal indicated by (26) in Figure 3 will be preferable.

[0018] It should be also understood that the supporting element (20) to prevent spoiling can be supplied as a separate piece to be inserted into a conventional block of soap which has preferably been prepared with a drilled hole with a slightly smaller diameter than the width or diameter of the stem part (21).

Claims

1.- Cake or block of soap fitted with a support to prevent it from spoiling, wherein inside the block or cake and forming a single piece with it from the time it is manufactured, comprises a stem which protrudes out by an end through one of the faces or zones of said cake or block of soap, and in that end the said stem becomes broader so as to form a stand base for the whole set.

2.- Cake of soap, according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the stem in contact with the inner mass of the block or cake of soap comprises an embossing, grooving or relief arrangement.

3.- Cake of soap, according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the stem is located according to the largest dimension of the block or cake of soap.

4.- Cake of soap, according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the stem protrudes out of the block or cake through one of the faces or zones with lesser surface area of said block or cake of soap.

5.- Cake of soap, according to claims 1 to 4, wherein the end of the stem which protrudes out of the block or cake, in the zone between the stand base and the block or cake of soap, presents a thickening of greater diameter or width than the said stem.

6.- Cake of soap, according to claims 1 to 4, wherein the end of the stem which protrudes out of the block or cake, in the zone between the stand base and the cake or block of soap, comprises a separate abutment piece of greater diameter or width than the said stem.

7.- Supporting element, to prevent spoiling of cakes or blocks of soap, characterized in that it comprises a stem provided with an embossing, grooving or relief arrangement on its surface to be inserted into the body of the soap, and in the end which remains outside the block or cake forms a stand base or broadening to support the block or cake of soap.

8.- Supporting element, according to claim 7, characterized in that close to the stand base comprises a thickening of greater diameter or width than the stem.

9.- Supporting element, according to claim 7, characterized in that close to the stand base comprises a separate piece of greater diameter or width than the said stem.

Drawing