GB2097667A

GB2097667A - A device for cleaning the surface of a body of water

Info

Publication number: GB2097667A
Application number: GB8113798A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-05-06
Filing date: 1981-05-06
Publication date: 1982-11-10
Also published as: GB2097667B

Abstract

A device is disclosed for cleaning the surface (7) of a body of water, for example the water in a bath, which comprises a plug (1) adapted to be received in a water outlet (2) and having an aperture (4) therethrough, and a tubular structure (5,6) having a lower end which communicates with the aperture (4) and an open, upper end which remains located substantially at or just below the surface (7) of the water. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Device for cleaning the surface of a body of water This invention relates to a device for cleaning the surface of a body of water. The device is particularly, though not exclusively, designed to clean the surface of water in a bath.

It is well known that the surface of bath water tends to acquire a thin floating layer of soap and dirt.

This layer is objectionable to the person taking a bath, and also produces a line of dirt around the bath after the water has been emptied. It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which is capable of removing the layer of soap and dirt in a substantially continuous fashion while the bath is being taken.

According to the present invention there is provided a device for cleaning the surface of a body of water, which comprises a plug adapted to be received in a water outlet and having an aperture therethrough, and a tubular structure having a lower end which communicates with the said aperture and an open, upper end which is adapted to remain located substantially at or just below the surface of the water.

An embodiment of the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawing. This comprises a plug 1 which is received in the outlet 2 of a bath which is shown in part at 3. The plug 1 has an aperture 4 therethrough in which is inserted the lower end of a tubular member 5. The member 5 is formed of a plurality of sections telescopically connected to one another, the upper end of the member 5 being open.

Atube 6 is slidably received on the tubular member 5. The tube 6 is open at both its upper and its lower ends. At its upper end the tube 6 carries a flotation member 7, which in the illustrated example is in the form of a thin disc. The tubular member 5 may be made of metal, the tube 6 of a rigid plastics material, and the disc 7 of a plastics material of fairly low specific gravity, but other materials could be used instead if required.

In use, the tubular member 5 is adjusted so that the upper end thereof is about 5cm below the water surface, with the bather sitting in the bath, and the combination of tube 6 and disc 7 slides up and down on the tubular member 5 with the upper end of tube 6 remaining substantially at or just below the surface of the water. Accordingly, water from the top surface of the bath is able to trickle continuously down the upper portion of the tube 6 and thence through the tubular member 5, and so through the outlet 2. This water carries with it soap and dirt which may be floating on the surface of the water. In this way, the water in the bath is continuously cleaned.This procedure necessarily involves a gradual loss of water from the bath, but the rate at which the water is lost can be sufficiently low for the loss not to be significant over the period for which a person might normally take a bath.

Various modificatons may be made to the device described above. The illustrated embodiment shows the use of a telescopic member 5, in order to increase the range of depths of bath water which can be coped with. However, if this proves not to be of signifcance in a particular context the telescopic member could be replaced by a simple tube. This would be appropriate, for example, if the device were intended to be used for the removal of shaving soap and shaved-off whiskers from the surface of water in a hand basin. Yet another possible modification would be to replace the tubular member 5 and the tube 6, both of which are substantially rigid, by a single flexible tube, the upper end ofwhich would be kept in a position adjacent the surface of the water by a flotation member similar to the member 7.

CLAIMS (Filed 13.4.82) 1. A device for cleaning the surface of a body of water, which comprises a plug adapted to be received in a water outlet and having an aperture therethrough, and a tubular structure having a lower end which communicates with the said aperture and an open, upper end which is adapted to remain located substantially at or just below the surface of the water.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the tubular structure is telescopic.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the tubular structure is a flexible tube.

4. A device according to claim 2, wherein the tubular structure includes a tube freely slidably at the upper end thereof, the tube being arranged to float with its upper end adjacent the surface of the body of water.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the said tube is of plastics material and has a flotation member in the form of a plastics disc secured thereto.

6. A device for cleaning the surface of a body of water, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Device for cleaning the surface of a body of water This invention relates to a device for cleaning the surface of a body of water. The device is particularly, though not exclusively, designed to clean the surface of water in a bath. It is well known that the surface of bath water tends to acquire a thin floating layer of soap and dirt. This layer is objectionable to the person taking a bath, and also produces a line of dirt around the bath after the water has been emptied. It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which is capable of removing the layer of soap and dirt in a substantially continuous fashion while the bath is being taken. According to the present invention there is provided a device for cleaning the surface of a body of water, which comprises a plug adapted to be received in a water outlet and having an aperture therethrough, and a tubular structure having a lower end which communicates with the said aperture and an open, upper end which is adapted to remain located substantially at or just below the surface of the water. An embodiment of the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawing. This comprises a plug 1 which is received in the outlet 2 of a bath which is shown in part at 3. The plug 1 has an aperture 4 therethrough in which is inserted the lower end of a tubular member 5. The member 5 is formed of a plurality of sections telescopically connected to one another, the upper end of the member 5 being open. Atube 6 is slidably received on the tubular member 5. The tube 6 is open at both its upper and its lower ends. At its upper end the tube 6 carries a flotation member 7, which in the illustrated example is in the form of a thin disc. The tubular member 5 may be made of metal, the tube 6 of a rigid plastics material, and the disc 7 of a plastics material of fairly low specific gravity, but other materials could be used instead if required. In use, the tubular member 5 is adjusted so that the upper end thereof is about 5cm below the water surface, with the bather sitting in the bath, and the combination of tube 6 and disc 7 slides up and down on the tubular member 5 with the upper end of tube 6 remaining substantially at or just below the surface of the water. Accordingly, water from the top surface of the bath is able to trickle continuously down the upper portion of the tube 6 and thence through the tubular member 5, and so through the outlet 2. This water carries with it soap and dirt which may be floating on the surface of the water. In this way, the water in the bath is continuously cleaned.This procedure necessarily involves a gradual loss of water from the bath, but the rate at which the water is lost can be sufficiently low for the loss not to be significant over the period for which a person might normally take a bath. Various modificatons may be made to the device described above. The illustrated embodiment shows the use of a telescopic member 5, in order to increase the range of depths of bath water which can be coped with. However, if this proves not to be of signifcance in a particular context the telescopic member could be replaced by a simple tube. This would be appropriate, for example, if the device were intended to be used for the removal of shaving soap and shaved-off whiskers from the surface of water in a hand basin. Yet another possible modification would be to replace the tubular member 5 and the tube 6, both of which are substantially rigid, by a single flexible tube, the upper end ofwhich would be kept in a position adjacent the surface of the water by a flotation member similar to the member 7. CLAIMS (Filed 13.4.82)

1. A device for cleaning the surface of a body of water, which comprises a plug adapted to be received in a water outlet and having an aperture therethrough, and a tubular structure having a lower end which communicates with the said aperture and an open, upper end which is adapted to remain located substantially at or just below the surface of the water.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the tubular structure is telescopic.