US3389418A - Applicator and massage device - Google Patents

Description

June 1953 D. M. SENCABAUGH 3,3

APPLICATOR AND MASSAGE DEVICE Filed Oct. 1, 1965 INVENTOR. DWIGHT M. SENCABAUGH ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,389,418 APPLICATOR AND MASSAGE DEVICE Dwight M. Sencabaugh, 15319 Edgewater Drive, Lakewood, Ohio 44107 Filed Oct. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 492,029 3 Claims. (Cl. 15-244) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An applicator has a body member for holding a compressible applicator member. The body member has a slot therethrough with at least one enlarged portion and restricted portion and a barb for retaining the applicator member.

The present invention relates to applicators or massagers and more particularly to applicators having compressible absorbent applicator members connected to man- I ually operable body members.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved applicator or massaging device, preferably one suitable for applying a soap lather to the skin preparatory to shaving, and including an applicator member detachably carried by a body member and which is simple in construction and easily manufactured and which is so constructed and arranged that the applicator member may be easily connected and disconnected from the body member and yet is firmly connected to the body member during use.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved applicator device including a body member having a slot therein, an applicator member extending through the slot and compressed by the sides of the slot and providing an applicating surface on at least one side of the body member.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved applicator device including a body member having slot means therein and an applicator member extending through the slot means and compressively engaged with sides of the slot means and providing an applicating surface on at least one side of the body member and which includes means for detachably securing one end of said applicator member to said body member.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved applicator device including a body member having slot means therein and an applicator member extending through the slot means and compressively engaged with sides of the slot means to provide an applicator surface on at least one side of the body member and wherein the slot means also includes an enlarged portion through which the applicator member may be insert ed and removed when desired.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the detailed description thereof and of the drawings which form a part of the specification and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an applicator embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the applicator holder shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken approximately at line 33 of FIG. 1.

The present invention relates to applicators or massaging devices and is particularly useful for applying a lather to the skin for shaving purposes. As shown in the drawings, the applicator includes a body member 11 and an applicator member 12. The body member is formed from a sheet of relatively rigid, corrosion resistant metal or plastic material. The body member of the 3,389,418 Patented June 25, 1968 "ice applicator shown is formed of aluminum. The body member includes a handle portion 13 and a support portion 14 to which the applicator member is detachably connected. In the preferred embodiments the handle portion 13 is spaced longitudinally from the support portion, but the body member may be formed in any desired shape depending upon the intended use of the applicator, for example, the body member may be bent into a generally U-shaped configuration so that the handle portion will coextend with the support portion.

As shown in FIG. 1, the support portion 14 is continuous with the handle portion 13 and includes a first part 15 integral with the handle and a second projecting part 16 integral with and projecting from the part 15. The part 16 is generally parallel with but offset from the handle portion 13 by the part 15 which is at an obtuse angle to the handle portion 13 and the part 16. The applicator member 12 is carried by the support portion 14 and extends through a slot means 17 formed in the support portion. Slot means 17 extends through the material of the body member and longitudinally of the support portion.

The applicator member 12 is preferably composed of a resiliently compressible porous material such as sponge rubber, or similar material, and is detachably connected to the support portion 14 of the body member. When connected to the support member, as illustrated, the applicator member includes applicator pads 22 and 23 at opposite sides of the support portion 14 which are integrally connected by a web portion 24 composed of the sponge material in a compressed condition.

An important feature of the present invention is the ease with which the applicator member may be connected to the body member and removed therefrom whenever replacement of the applicator member becomes desirable. As shown in the drawings, the slot means 17 includes straight parallel sided portions 25 and 26 which are separated by an enlarged slot portion 27 located adjacent the intersection between the first and second parts of the support portion. The enlarged slot portion 27 permits passage of that portion of the applicator member 12 which forms the applicator pad 22 therethrough so that the web portion 24 of the applicator member may be fed along the straight sided portion 25 of the slot means 17 while the aforementioned portion which forms the applicator pad 22 is fed through the enlarged portion 27. This enlarged portion constitutes a relieved section in the slot means so that the portion of the applicator 12 which forms the applicator pad 22, as it is inserted therethrough, need only be slightly compressed. The enlarged slot portion also prevents laceration and permanent deformation of the applicator pad as the applicator .member is being inserted into the slot means 17.

The applicator member is preferably inserted into the slot means from the bottom of the body member 11, as viewed in the drawings, and the entire applicator member is fed onto the second support part 16 so that the web portion 24 is held in the portion 25 of the slot means. When the applicator member has been completely assembled in the body member with that portion thereof which for-ms the pad 22 having been fed through the enlarged portion 27 of the slot means, and with web portion 24 positioned in portion 25 of the slot means, the end 30 of the applicator member is then fed, or pulled, back into the portion 26 of the slot means located on the first part 15 of the support portion. When the applicator and body members are thus assembled, the straight sided portions 25 and 26 of the slot means compressively and frictionally engage the web portion 24 of the applicator member and hold the applicator member against sliding with respect to the body member while the applicator is being used.

The end of the slot means 17 nearest to the handle portion 13 of the body member is provided with a secnd enlarged portion 31 into which an end of the web 24 moves as the applicator member is moved or pulled back toward the end of the slot means. When the web portion 24 slides into enlarged portion 31, the compression of the web member is relieved permitting the web member to expand. When the web portion expands, barb members 32 and 33 in the second enlarged portion 31 of the slot means engage the material of the applicator member to detachably secure the end 30 of the applicator member against movement in the slot means toward enlarged portion 27.

Removal of the applicator member from the support portion is accomplished by releasing the end 30 of the applicator member from the barbs 32 and 33 and sliding it along the first part of the support portion toward the second projecting part 16 to a position where the end is located in the enlarged slot portion 27. When the applicator member is in this position the portion of the applica tor member which forms either of the applicator pads 22 or 23 is pushed through the enlarged slot portion 27 and the applicator member is slid from the body member in reverse manner from which it was placed thereon. In order to prevent the barb members 32 and 33 from tearing the material of the applicator member during its removal from the body member, the end of the web portion, located in the enlarged portion 31 of the slot means, is manually compressed as the end 38 of the applicator member is moved toward enlarged portion 27 of the slot means.

An applicator member of the type shown by FIG. 1 may have various shapes in its relaxed condition. The applicator member, for example, may be a square parallelopiped and compression of the portion of the parallelopiped in the slot means forms the web portion 24 be tween the pad members 22 and 23 and causes the surfaces 34 and 35 of the applicator pad portions to assume a curved shape as shown in the drawings. In the preferred embodiments, the applicator member 12, in its relaxed condition is of greater length than slot means 17 so that when the applicator member is connected to the support portion, the ends 30 and 41 of the applicator member extend beyond the ends of slot means 17 and form generally spherical sections which curve toward the support portion 14 in the manner illustrated. Side edges 36 and 37 and end edge 40 of the projecting part 16 are of such dimension that the end 41 of the applicator member Will be supported by the projecting part 16 but are configured so that the projecting part will not protrude from between the applicator pads.

From the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent that the objects heretofore enumerated and others have been accomplished and that there has been provided a novel and improved applicator or massage device. While a specific applicator member has been shown and described in relation to a particular applicator body member it should be appreciated that the applicator member may be satisfactorily used in conjunction with other types of applicator body members. Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in considerable detail, the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown. My intention is to cover hereby all adaptations, modifications and uses of the applicator shown which come within the practice of those skilled in the art to which the invention relates and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In an applicator of the character described, a body member comprising a manually engageable handle portion and a projecting portion having slot means having a pontmuous periphery therethrough, said slot means includmg a restricted portion and an enlarged portion, an applicator member composed of a resiliently compressible porous material and having first and second opposed pad portions extending longitudinally of said applicator member and extending oppositely from said projecting portion, said applicator member including a compressed web portion connecting said first and second portions and integral therewith, said web portion and sides of said slot means being in tight frictional engagement whereby said applicator member is held against movement relative to said slot means during use and barb means on said body member for engaging the material of said web portion to resist movement of a portion of said applicator member in one direction relative to said slot means, said barb means being located in the enlarged portion of said slot means.

2. In an applicator of the character described, a body member comprising a manually engageable handle portion and a projecting portion having slot means with a continuous periphery therethrough, an applicator member composed of a resiliently compressible porous material and having first and second opposed pad portions extending longitudinally of said applicator member and extending on opposite sides of said projecting portion, said applicator member also including a compressed web portion connecting said first and second portions and integral therewith, said web portion and sides of said slot means being in tight frictional engagement whereby said applicator member is held against movement relative to said slot means, said slot means including a first enlarged portion located intermediate opposite ends thereof and a second enlarged portion forming barb members engageable with said web portion to resist movement of a portion of said applicator member in one direction relative to said slot means during use of said applicator and first and second restricted portions the first of which is located near an end of the slot means and the second of which is located between said first and second enlarged portions.

3. In a device of the character described: a body member comprising a manually engageable handle portion and a projecting portion having longitudinally extending slot means with a continuous periphery therethrough, said slot means including a first enlarged portion located intermediate opposite ends thereof, a second enlarged portion forming barb members, and first and second restricted portions the first of which is located near an end of said slot means and the second of which is located between said first and second enlarged portions; and an elongated applicator member comprised of a resiliently compressible porous material disposed in said slot means and in tight frictional engagement with the walls thereof and having portions providing first and second opposed pad portions extending longitudinally of said projecting portion of said body on opposite sides thereof; said barb members of said second enlarged portion engageable with said compressed portion of said applicator member in said slot means to resist movement of said applicator member in one direction relative to said slot means, and said projecting portion of said body member being deformed in the vicinity of said first enlarged portion of said slot means so that at least a part of said first enlarged portion of said slot means and one of said first and second restricted portions of said slot means lie in generally intersecting planes to facilitate assembly of said applicator member with said body member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 153,309 9/1949 Morrison.

723,462 3/1903 Hart.

938,421 10/1909 Hakins 15244 1,291,131 1/1919 Radel 15-147 2,479,131 8/1949 Pari 15209 2,697,241 12/1954 Oishei 15-25042 2,886,840 5/1959 Spratlin 15-143 X FOREIGN PATENTS 679,610 2/1964 Canada.

56,907 7/1952 France. 1,016,589 8/1952 France. 1,076,916 4/1954 France.

884,945 7/ 1953 Germany.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner.

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