Draining Soap Dish

Abstract

A soap dish is disclosed, the soap dish comprising a tray having a drain, a floor surface, and at least one rib projecting upward from the floor surface, the floor surface being angled in a direction extending towards the drain, the drain defining an opening in the tray so that a liquid can travel along the floor surface and exit the tray by way of the drain. The tray is removably secured to a base, and the base has at least one leg that is movable relative to the base from a first position to a second, different position, the first position arranging the base at a first height, and the second position arranging the base a second, different height. The soap dish is usable in a variety of settings, and is effective to drain water from the dish to increase the life cycle of the soap and the dish.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/768,501, filed Feb. 24, 2013 and titled “Two-Piece Draining Soap Dish with Adjustable Legs,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a soap dish, which has self-draining aspects. The design of the soap dish is shown in U.S. Design application Ser. No. 29/481,931 (owned by the Applicant), filed Feb. 12, 2014 and titled “Draining Soap Dish,” the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

Common soap dishes frequently retain water due to their construction, and thus cause soap placed in the dish to degrade and the dish itself to become messy. The dish can also become corroded. As an example, many soap dishes are constructed for use on countertops or other flat surfaces (e.g., shower or bath ledges), and include a closed perimeter, which ends up trapping water within the dish. A user typically grasps soap from the dish, uses the soap in combination with water, and then places the saturated soap back into the dish. Because the dish has a closed perimeter that does not provide for drainage, the soap sits in a pool of water and becomes degraded or otherwise soft. Thus, the soap's useful life is decreased, as is the dish since the dish itself can become filthy and/or corroded.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a soap dish with self-draining aspects that is usable in a variety of settings.

A first aspect of the invention includes a soap dish. The soap dish comprises a tray having a drain, a floor surface, and at least one rib projecting upward from the floor surface, the floor surface being angled in a direction extending towards the drain, the drain defining an opening in the tray so that a liquid can travel along the floor surface and exit the tray by way of the drain, wherein the tray defines a perimeter adapted to receive a bar of soap. The tray is also removably secured to a base, the base having at least one leg that is movable relative to the base from a first position to a second, different position, the first position arranging the base at a first height, and the second position arranging the base a second, different height.

In some embodiments of this first aspect, the base has multiple legs, each being movable relative to the base from a first position to a second, different position, the first position arranging the base at a first height, and the second position arranging the base a second, different height. Also, the base may have at least one fixed leg.

A second aspect of the invention comprises a soap dish, which includes a tray having a drain, a floor surface, and at least one rib projecting upward from the floor surface, the floor surface being angled in a direction extending towards the drain, the drain defining an opening in the tray so that a liquid can travel along the floor surface and exit the tray by way of the drain, wherein the tray defines a perimeter adapted to receive a bar of soap, and the tray is associated with at least one movable leg effective to move the tray from a first position to a second, different position, the first position arranging the tray at a first height, and the second position arranging the tray a second, different height.

In an embodiment of the second aspect, the base includes an opening, and the at least one movable leg is movable in and out of the opening from the first position to the second position. The tray may also be associated with multiple movable legs effective to move the tray from a first position to a second, different position, the first position arranging the tray at a first height, and the second position arranging the tray a second, different height.

A third aspect of the invention includes a soap dish comprising a tray having a drain, a floor surface, and multiple ribs projecting upward from the floor surface, the floor surface being angled in a direction extending towards the drain, the drain defining an opening in the tray so that a liquid can travel along the floor surface and exit the tray by way of the drain, wherein the tray defines a perimeter adapted to receive a bar of soap. The tray is removably secured to a base, the base being engaged with a series of legs movable relative to the base from a first position to a second, different position, the first position arranging the base at a first height, and the second position arranging the base a second, different height, the base including at least one fixed leg arranged adjacent the drain for supporting the base.

Certain embodiments of this third aspect include a base with an opening for each movable leg, the movable legs being movable in and out of the openings from the first position to the second position to move the base from the first height to the second height. Also, in this and other aspects, the tray may include a back wall and the multiple ribs can extend along and project outward from the back wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the subject matter of the present invention and of the various advantages thereof can be realized by reference to the following detailed description in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a soap dish, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the soap dish of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3-4 are cross-sectional side views of the soap dish of FIG. 1 with its legs in retracted and extended states.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional back view of a tray of the soap dish of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In describing particular embodiments of the present invention, specific terminology will be used for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to any specific terms used herein, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents, which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

A soap dish 10 is shown in perspective in FIG. 1, and in an exploded view in FIG. 2. It generally comprises a removable tray 20 and a base 40 that receives the tray 20. Tray includes a drain 32 that allows for efficient drainage of water from tray 20, and base 40 includes a series of feet 60, 80, some of which are adjustable, for stabilizing base 40 and thus soap dish 10. These and other aspect of soap dish 10 allow dish 10 to be used in a variety of settings, such as on a counter top with a raised sink, in a shower, or a bath, so that soap dish 10 can easily drain water out of dish 10. Soap dish 10 therefore keeps soap within dish 10 from becoming degraded, and it also prevents destruction of dish 10 itself.

Tray 20 of soap dish 10 includes a floor 22, that in some cases may be angled or sloped towards a front of tray 20, and a series of ribs 24 projecting from floor 22. Alternatively, floor 22 may be flat and not angled. Ribs 24 project upward from floor 22, and in one embodiment are angled towards the front of tray 20. As with floor 22, however, ribs 24 may not be angled in one embodiment, and are rather level. Any combination of angled/level floor 22 and angled/level ribs (e.g., level ribs 24 with an angled floor 22) is contemplated.

Ribs 24 hold a bar of soap elevated above floor 22 and also allow for draining of water along floor 22 to a drain 32. Ribs 24, in one embodiment, each has a projection 26 at one end for contacting a bar of soap to prevent the soap from sliding off of ribs 24. In an alternate embodiment, one or more ribs 24 may not include a projection (e.g., the middle rib 24). Ribs 24 are spaced apart from one another by a sufficient distance so that a user can easily clean between ribs 24, for example by sweeping the user's finger(s) between ribs 24 to remove any debris. Ribs 24 may also extend up a back wall 28 of tray 20 to keep a bar of soap spaced from back wall 28. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-2, three (3) ribs 24 are provided on tray 20, although more or less ribs 24 may be present on tray 20. Tray 20 also includes a perimeter, which has a lip 30 with a channel 31 arranged within lip 30, as shown in FIG. 5. In one embodiment, tray 20 has no sharp transitions, edges, or grooves for soap to get caught in to provide for easy cleaning solely by hand without the need to use an external device (e.g., a tool(s)).

Referring to FIGS. 1-2, base 40 of soap dish 10 includes a cavity 41 for receiving tray 20, and a perimeter 42 with a protrusion 43 extending from it for engaging with lip 30 of tray 20. In particular, protrusion 43 arranged on perimeter 42 of base 40 is engageable with channel 31 of lip 30 of tray 20 (FIG. 5) so that tray 20 may be firmly seated on base 40 once it is placed within cavity 41. Tray 20 is therefore easily removable from base 40 for cleaning or other purposes. Protrusion 43 is configured such that, when engaged with channel 31 of lip 30 of tray 20, water cannot easily enter cavity 41 of base 40.

Base 40 also includes a set of bored cylinders 44, as shown in FIG. 2, for housing adjustable legs 60 associated with base 40. Referring to FIGS. 3-4, bored cylinders 44 include an opening 50 and an upper step adjacent opening 50, as well as a lower step 70 at a bottom of each bored cylinder 44. Positioned within each bored cylinder 44 may be an adjustable leg 60, which has a top section with a flange 68 and a recess 66, and a bottom section with a peripheral recess 72. Adjustable legs 60 may translate within bored cylinders 44. In one embodiment, a threaded bolt 47 and nut 64 combination are used to cause translation of legs 60. Indeed, separate nuts 64 may be positioned within each recess 66 of adjustable legs 60, such that each nut 64 is stabilized within the recesses 66 (e.g., due to recesses 66 having the same shape as nut 64, which in some cases may be hexagonal). To prevent nut 64 from moving vertically out of recesses 66, nut 64 may be inset molded, adhered, press fit, or otherwise secured within recesses 66. Threaded bolt 47 may then be threaded into nut 64 so that, when adjustable leg is rotated, it causes translation of adjustable leg 60 along the length of bolt 47 (e.g., due to the interaction between the threading on bolt 47 and nut 64). In one embodiment, each bolt 47 is received within a bore 62 through adjustable legs 60 during translation of legs 60.

A seat 46 may also be provided for stabilizing bolt 47 during movement of adjustable leg 60. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3-4, seat 46 includes an opening 59 for receiving a head of bolt 47, and a decreased diameter section 49 that prevents bolt 47 from moving beyond section 49. A channel 48 is also arranged around opening 59 for receiving a cap 56. Cap 56 includes a flange 58 arranged to be positioned within channel 48, and an opening 57 defined by flange 58 for overlying the head of bolt 47. Bolt 47 is inset molded with seat 46, in one embodiment.

At a bottom section of adjustable legs 60 is a peripheral recess 72 for optionally engaging with a vinyl foot 74. Vinyl foot 74, in one embodiment, includes an inwardly-extending flange 76 for engaging with peripheral recess 72 so that foot 74 is securely positioned on the relevant adjustable leg 60. Foot 74 may also be made of other materials besides vinyl, of course, such as a soft silicone rubber.

A front foot 80 is also provided on base 40, front foot 80 including a channel 81 for engaging with a vinyl cover 82, in particular its inwardly extending flange 83. Again, vinyl cover 82 may be made of other materials besides vinyl, of course, such as a soft silicone rubber.

In use, tray 20 of soap dish 10 may be positioned within cavity 41 of base 40, and secured by way of the engagement between tray 20's lip 30 and perimeter 42 of base 40. In particular, protrusion 43 extending from perimeter 42 may lie within channel 31 of lip 30, as shown in FIGS. 3-4. In addition, adjustable legs 60 may be positioned within bored cylinders 44, and nuts 64 arranged within recesses 66 of legs 60. Nuts 64 may be inset molded, adhered, or otherwise press fit within recesses 66. Then, bolts 47 may be inserted through seats 46 and into nuts 64 and legs 60. While bolts 47 are threaded through nuts 64 and into legs 60, seats 46 can be pulled into bored cylinders 44 until engaged with the step adjacent openings 50 of cylinders 44 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 3). The head of bolt 47 may therefore rest within opening 59 of seat 46 with seat 46 in contact with the step. Caps 56 and vinyl feet 74 complete the construction of legs 60. In particular, caps 56 are inserted over bolts 47 so that flanges 58 are arranged within channels 48 of seats 46, and openings 57 are positioned over the head of each bolt 47. And, feet 74 are press fit over the bottom of adjustable legs 60, such that each inward flange 76 of feet 74 engages with peripheral recess 72 of legs 60. Feet 74 act to provide a non-slip surface for legs 60.

In this condition, feet 74 may be rotated by a user, as shown in FIGS. 3-4, to cause legs 60 to move in or out of bored cylinders 44. Indeed, when a user rotates a foot 74, it causes its associated leg 60 and nut 64 to rotate along threaded bolt 47. This action results in movement of adjustable leg 60 either into or out of bored cylinder 44, since nut 64 is fixedly associated with the applicable leg 60. When a particular leg 60 is extended to a maximum distance, as shown in FIG. 3, its flange 68 contacts lower step 70 to prevent further movement of the leg 60. In one embodiment, legs 60 can be moved in and out of bored cylinders 44 by about approximately one and one-eighths of an inch (1⅛ of an inch).

Because of soap dish 10's adjustable legs 60, its front foot 80, and its particular drain 32, soap dish 10 is able to be used in a variety of settings and provide effective drainage during use. For instance, in some residential or other applications, a sink is provided with a raised lip. With soap dish 10, a user is able to position front foot 80 on the lip so that drain 32 extends into the sink's basin. Also, the user may adjust any of legs 60, as described above, such that legs 60 firmly contact a countertop next to the sink's lip. This is described and taught in detail in Applicant's provisional application, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/768,501 (“the '501 Application”), incorporated by reference herein above. As also taught in the '501 Application, the vertical rise of drain 32 may be such that it extends past the lip of the sink and does not allow for sliding of soap dish 10 off of the sink's lip. In other words, drain 32 may extend a ways into the sink's basin so that, if soap dish 10 is moved laterally (e.g., by accident or otherwise), drain 32 contacts the lip of the sink to prevent disassociation between drain 32 and the sink. The '501 Application depicts this in detail at FIG. 6.

An additional aspect of soap dish 10, specifically its front foot 80, allows dish 10 to be placed in a variety of settings. As an example, on a sink with a radiused or curved lip, which is raised above the counter, foot 80 may be placed anywhere along the radius. This is not the case with other designs. Foot 80, in particular its vinyl cover 82, also provides a non-slip surface for contacting the lip of the sink. Soap dish 10 may alternatively be positioned at a straight edge and supported at the edge by foot 80. As another example, soap dish 10 can be utilized with a sink having a lip flush with the counter, and legs 60 can be adjusted to fit that setting. Put simply, soap dish 10 is versatile in that it can be used and adjusted to fit almost any setting. Other environments in which soap dish 10 can be used include, for example, at an edge of a free-standing or drop-in tub. In this instance, foot 80 may be situated at an edge of the tub and legs 60 may be adjusted downwards so that they extend beyond the edge and hook in to stabilize soap dish 10.

In all settings, soap dish 10 allows for efficient draining of water from dish 10. In particular, after a user uses soap and places it back within dish 10 (e.g., on its ribs 24), water is allowed to run off of the soap, between ribs 24, and to floor surface 22 of tray 20 where it is directed to drain 32. In the case of an angled floor surface 22, water is quickly directed to drain 32 where it is emptied out of dish 10. Also, when the user places the soap back into dish 10, it may engage with projections 26 on ribs 24 and be stabilized at that location. For instance, if ribs 24 are angled towards a front of soap dish 10, a bar of soap contacting ribs 24 will be forced towards projections 26 simply by way of gravity. This effectively causes the bar of soap to be spaced from back wall 28 of tray 20 so that water is not trapped in that area, and a user can easily grasp the bar of soap during use. In particular, the user's fingers can reach behind the bar of soap since it is spaced from back wall 28 of tray 20, thus allowing the user to easily remove the bar from soap dish 10. Alternatively, if ribs 24 are level, the bar of soap may be spaced from back wall 28 due to certain sections or ribs 24 extending up back wall 28 and spacing the bar apart from wall 28. After multiple uses, the user may clean tray 20 either in the dishwasher and/or by wiping tray 20 with his/her fingers between ribs 24. Since tray 20 is removable from base 40, it is easy to clean.

Due to the removability of tray 20, it is also possible to provide a system in which a base 40 is provided, and multiple different trays 20 are included with base 40 to fit different settings. For instance, trays 20 having differently-sized drains 32 may be included with a particular base 40 in a system. Each tray 20 may be designed for a particular use (e.g., a raised-sink setting, a shower setting, a flush sink setting, etc.), and the user may elect which tray 20 to use depending on the setting.

The aforementioned components of soap dish 10 may be composed of a variety of materials, including different plastics and/or metals. It is likely that bolts 47 should be composed of stainless steel or another rust-proof metal due to the settings in which soap dish 10 is used. In addition, base 40 may be made of a plastic material, either with or without a metal decorative coating (e.g., a brass finish). Base 40 may also itself be made of a metallic, decorative material, such as brass or an aluminum material that is decoratively finished. Tray 20 may be composed of a plastic material, which optionally comes in different colors and/or aesthetic designs. Due to the removability of tray 20, it would therefore be easy for a user to purchase a number of different trays having different aesthetic designs. The user could, if needed, then remove a particular tray 20 and place it in the dishwasher and substitute in another tray 20 of the same or a different design while the first tray 20 is being cleaned.

Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A soap dish comprising:

a tray having a drain, a floor surface, and at least one rib projecting upward from the floor surface, the floor surface being angled in a direction extending towards the drain, the drain defining an opening in the tray so that a liquid can travel along the floor surface and exit the tray by way of the drain, wherein the tray defines a perimeter adapted to receive a bar of soap; and

a base removably secured to the tray, the base having at least one leg that is movable relative to the base from a first position to a second, different position, the first position arranging the base at a first height, and the second position arranging the base a second, different height.

2. A soap dish according to claim 1, wherein the base has multiple legs, each being movable relative to the base from a first position to a second, different position, the first position arranging the base at a first height, and the second position arranging the base a second, different height.

3. A soap dish according to claim 2, wherein the base has at least one fixed leg.

4. A soap dish according to claim 3, wherein the at least one fixed leg is arranged adjacent the drain of the tray, such that a front of the base is supportable by way of the fixed leg.

5. A soap dish according to claim 1, wherein the tray includes multiple ribs projecting upward from the floor surface of the tray.

6. A soap dish according to claim 5, wherein the tray includes a back wall and the multiple ribs extend along and project outward from the back wall.

7. A soap dish according to claim 6, wherein one or more of the ribs has a projection adapted to engage the bar of soap and prevent it from sliding off of the rib.

8. A soap dish according to claim 1, wherein a lip is arranged along the perimeter of the tray and the base includes a perimeter surface, the lip being engageable with the perimeter surface to removably secure the tray to the base.

9. A soap dish comprising:

a tray having a drain, a floor surface, and at least one rib projecting upward from the floor surface, the floor surface being angled in a direction extending towards the drain, the drain defining an opening in the tray so that a liquid can travel along the floor surface and exit the tray by way of the drain, wherein the tray defines a perimeter adapted to receive a bar of soap, and the tray is associated with at least one movable leg effective to move the tray from a first position to a second, different position, the first position arranging the tray at a first height, and the second position arranging the tray a second, different height.

10. A soap dish according to claim 9, wherein the tray is removably secured to a base, and the at least one movable leg is attached to the base.

11. A soap dish according to claim 10, wherein the base includes an opening, and the at least one movable leg is movable in and out of the opening from the first position to the second position.

12. A soap dish according to claim 9, wherein the tray is associated with multiple movable legs effective to move the tray from a first position to a second, different position, the first position arranging the tray at a first height, and the second position arranging the tray a second, different height.

13. A soap dish according to claim 12, wherein the tray is associated with at least one fixed leg.

14. A soap dish according to claim 9, wherein the tray includes multiple ribs projecting upward from the floor surface of the tray.

15. A soap dish according to claim 14, wherein the tray includes a back wall and the multiple ribs extend along and project outward from the back wall.

16. A soap dish according to claim 9, wherein the drain has a vertical rise sufficient to extend past a top edge of a sink.

17. A soap dish comprising:

a tray having a drain, a floor surface, and multiple ribs projecting upward from the floor surface, the floor surface being angled in a direction extending towards the drain, the drain defining an opening in the tray so that a liquid can travel along the floor surface and exit the tray by way of the drain, wherein the tray defines a perimeter adapted to receive a bar of soap; and

a base removably secured to the tray, the base being engaged with a series of legs movable relative to the base from a first position to a second, different position, the first position arranging the base at a first height, and the second position arranging the base a second, different height, the base including at least one fixed leg arranged adjacent the drain for supporting the base.

18. A soap dish according to claim 17, wherein one or more of the legs includes a non-slip surface for providing traction between the base and another surface.

19. A soap dish according to claim 17, wherein the tray includes a back wall and the multiple ribs extend along and project outward from the back wall.

20. A soap dish according to claim 17, wherein the base includes an opening for each movable leg, and the movable legs are movable in and out of the openings from the first position to the second position to move the base from the first height to the second height.