US3706690A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Lather making apparatus
Assignee: Sunbeam Corp
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Filing: 1970-06-11
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Granted: 1972-12-19
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Expires: 1990-06-11
Abstract
Abstract A motor driven appliance for making soap lather by rotating a cylindrical brush in contact with a bar of soap in the presence of water. The lather is generated in a chamber nested beneath a water reservoir having means for dispensing the water into the chamber simultaneously with the actuation of the motor which rotates the brush. The vertically extending passageway for receiving the bar of soap is disposed within the water reservoir and connects to the top of the generating chamber. The chamber is sloped away from the lather discharge opening and a dam is provided to prevent the discharge of accumulated liquid along with the lather.
Inventors
- 👤 John P Duve
- 👤 Stanton H Petry
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 04:37
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47K; A47K5/00; A47K5/14; A47K5/16; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S366/00; Y10S366/604
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
201 words
A lather making appliance comprising a housing supporting a water reservoir assembly in the upper portion thereof and a lather generating assembly in the lower portion thereof, said reservoir being formed with a soap passageway open at the top of said housing and extending vertically through said reservoir into said generating assembly, said generating assembly including an elongated horizontally extending cylindrical enclosure having a motor at one end drivingly connected to a cylindrical brush positioned within said enclosure, said brush having bristles disposed in a helical row to cause lather generated in said enclosure to move axially therein for discharge through an opening at one end thereof, valve means controlling the flow of water from said reservoir into the other end of said enclosure, said enclosure having a bottom wall which is angled downwardly away from said discharge opening to drain water residue away from the discharge end of said enclosure, said enclosure includes a frame member closing said one end thereof, and internally facing volute channel of increasing depth formed in said frame member, said channel extending beyond said one end of said cylindrical enclosure to discharge lather formed therein, the bristles on said brush terminating short of said channel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
192 words
A lather making appliance comprising a housing supporting a water reservoir assembly in the upper portion thereof and a lather generating assembly in the lower portion thereof, said reservoir being formed with a soap passageway open at the top of said housing and extending vertically through said reservoir into said generating assembly, said generating assembly including an elongated horizontally extending cylindrical enclosure having a motor at one end drivingly connected to a cylindrical brush positioned within said enclosure, said brush having bristles disposed in a helical row to cause lather generated in said enclosure to move axially therein for discharge through an opening at one end thereof, valve means controlling the flow of water from said reservoir into the other end of said enclosure, said enclosure having a bottom wall which is angled downwardly away from said discharge opening to drain water residue away from the discharge end of said enclosure, said enclosure includes a frame member closing said one end thereof, an annular abutment formed in said enclosure at said frame member to engage the end bristles on said brush to inhibit said bristles from throwing water out through said opening.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
64 words
The lather making apparatus of claim 3 having an elongated basket for supporting soap bar within said soap passageway, said basket being telescopically received in said soap passageway and being open at one end and having spaced soap supporting ribs at the other end, said ribs conforming to the cylindrical contour of said brush to support soap in slight interferring engagement with said brush.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
115 words
In a lather making appliance of the type in which a rotary brush engages a bar of soap in the presence of water to generAte lather, the combination comprising a water reservoir connected to supply water to a foam generator, said generator including a motor driven cylindrical brush, a soap delivery soap passageway extending into said generator normal to the axis of said brush, a soap supporting basket telescopically received within said soap passageway, soap supporting ribs in said basket curved to conform to the outer periphery of said brush, the bristles of said brush extending a small amount into said basket and beyond said supporting ribs to have an interferring engagement with said soap.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
The combination of claim 5 wherein said generator includes a cylindrical enclosure having said brush mounted coaxially therein and having ribs extending parallel to the axis of said enclosure to engage in the ends of said bristles and aid in the generation of lather, said supporting ribs on said basket extending transversely with respect to the axis of said enclosure.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
73 words
The combination of claim 6 including valve means to control the flow of water from said water reservoir to one end of said enclosure and the other end of said enclosure is formed with a lather discharge opening located above the bottom of said enclosure and beyond the end of the bristles on said brush, and means for simultaneously rotating said brush and opening said valve means to supply water to said enclosure.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
71 words
The combination of claim 7 including a heater for heating the water in said reservoir, said motor having a sealed switch which is adapted to be closed simultaneously with the opening of said valve means, said motor being an induction motor with encapsulated and sealed field, said heater and all the electrical connections being sealed against moisture so that the appliance may be immersed in water without risk of electrical shock.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
162 words
A lather making appliance comprising a water reservoir, a lather generating chamber arranged to receive water from said reservoir, a motor drivingly connected to a cylindrical brush positioned within said generating chamber, a soap passageway communicating with said chamber to permit a bar of soap to be fed into said chamber for engagement with said brush, said generating chamber being formed by a cylindrical enclosure having transverse walls at either end thereof, one said wall being formed with an internally facing volute channel of increasing cross section which at its deepest point extends beyond the cylindrical wall of the enclosure, said brush having bristles arranged in a helical pattern to transport lather formed in said enclosure toward said one wall and into said channel, a discharge passageway connected to the channel portions extending beyond said cylindrical wall of the enclosure, said discharge passageway being of increasing cross sectional area moving from said enclosure to eliminate any restriction to the discharge of lather.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
56 words
The lather making appliance of claim 9 wherein said motor includes a shaft extending through said one wall into supporting engagement with said brush, said brush having a flared skirt which is positioned in closely spaced relation to said one wall and cooperates with said one wall to provide baffling to prevent leakage around said shaft.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
69 words
The lather making appliance of claim 9 wherein said enclosure is provided with a top opening through which said soap passageway extends, said opening being of a width substantially equal to the diameter of said enclosure and of a length substantially equal to the length of said enclosure, said brush being coextensive with said top opening and said bristles extending into said soap passageway to engage said bar soap.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
72 words
The lather making appliance of claim 9 having a soap basket telescopically received in said soap passageway, said basket comprising a tubular member open at the upper end and having spaced arcuate ribs extending across the lower end to support the bar soap thereon, said ribs having substantially the same curvature as the surface defined by the tips of the bristles, said bristles extendinG between said ribs into engagement with said soap.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
85 words
The lather making appliance of claim 9 wherein said soap passageway is defined by walls extending vertically within said water reservoir, said water containing portions being between the outer walls of said reservoir and the walls defining said soap passageway, a flat distributed heater secured to and overlying a substantial portion of the outer walls of said reservoir, and valved conduit means formed in part by said reservoir and in part by said chamber for providing controlled water flow from said reservoir to said chamber.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
44 words
The lather making appliance of claim 13 wherein said valved conduit means includes a threaded inlet opening at the bottom of said reservoir, a water flow control threadedly received in said opening and having an operating portion extending to the top of said reservoir.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
179 words
A lather generating apparatus comprising an open water reservoir having side walls and a bottom wall, a lather generator comprising a horizontal elongated cylindrical enclosure having a motor at one end drivingly connected to a cylindrical brush positioned within said enclosure, said reservoir and generator being supported in a housing with said reservoir nested above said generator, projecting portions of said reservoir and generator forming a valve housing, integrally formed openings in said reservoir and said generator to provide for water flow from said reservoir to said valve housing and from said valve housing to said enclosure, a movable valve member engageable with a valve seat to obstruct flow through said valve housing, said valve member having an operating portion extending outwardly from said valve housing with a rubber boot engaging said operating portion and said generator to prevent leakage from said valve housing, a switch for operating said motor, and manually controlled means for simultaneously closing said switch and moving said valve member operating portion and boot to a position to permit water flow through said valve housing.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
131 words
The lather generating apparatus of claim 15 wherein said switch is supported on the bottom wall of said reservoir, said enclosure being provided with a discharge means on the forward portion of said housing to discharge lather, said valve housing being at one corner of said reservoir and said switch being at another corner, said switch comprising a sealed enclosure having two spaced contacts and an operating rod for closing said contacts, said operating rod extending downwardly in spaced parallel relation to said valve operating member, said manually controlled means including a pivotally mounted lever having a trip portion at its inner rear end in engagement with said operating rod and said boot engaging said operating portion and a forward portion outside of said housing and positioned beneath said discharge means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
101 words
The lather generating apparatus of claim 15 wherein said manually controlled means comprises a lever pivotally mounted on trunnion means formed on said housing and said lever, said housing having a front wall provided with a recess formed therein, a lather discharge duct being positioned in said front wall above said recess and connected by a passageway to discharge lather produced in said enclosure, said lever having an actuating bar positioned within said recess below said discharge, depression of said actuating bar causing said lever to close said switch and move said valve member to said position to permit water flow.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
170 words
A lather making appliance comprising an upright housing enclosing a water reservoir and a lather generator, said reservoir being positioned at the top of the housing and having an open top whereby it may be filled with water, a soap bar delivery passageway formed within said reservoir and extending vertically through the water receiving portions thereof, said generator including an elongated cylindrical enclosure having a motor mounted at one end in driving connection with a cylindrical brush within said enclosure, said gEnerator being secured against the bottom of said reservoir with valved conduit means for supplying water from said reservoir to said enclosure and said soap passageway opening into said enclosure, a forwardly facing recess in the front wall of said housing extending beneath said enclosure, a lather discharge duct extending from said enclosure and opening through said front wall above said recess, and control means in said recess whereby a user inserts a hand into said recess to actuate the lather generator and to receive lather in said hand.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
61 words
The lather making appliance of claim 18 wherein the upright walls of said housing are positioned closely adjacent the walls of said reservoir and said enclosure to minimize the space occupied by said appliance, said control means including a lever pivoted on the rear wall of said recess and extending into said housing, said lever being positioned below said lather generator.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
54 words
The lather making appliance of claim 19 wherein said motor is controlled by a switch mounted on the bottom of said reservoir, said valved conduit means including a valve having an actuating member extending downwardly into engagement with said lever, and said switch including an actuating member extending downwardly into engagement with said lever.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-12-19 | 1976-06-19 | 1976-12-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-12-19 | 1980-06-19 | 1980-12-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-12-19 | 1984-06-19 | 1984-12-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |