Closed and deformable soap case

Abstract

A soap case (1) including an elongated hollow body (1a) to accommodate a block of soap and having a closed rear longitudinal end (1b) and a front longitudinal end (1c) that is deformable between closed and open positions for using the block. The front end (1c) has a through-slot (2) with two lips (2a, 2b) extending parallel to each other, with a distance of 1 to 20 mm between them in the closed position of the front end (1c) and diverging from one another. The opposite front longitudinal end (1c) is deformable between a closed position and an open position for using the block of soap, the hollow body having connecting faces without any perforations and being made of a material having a hardness on the Shore scale between 30 and 60.

1 . A soap case ( 1 ) comprising:
 an elongated hollow body ( 1   a ) to accommodate in its interior a block of soap, the body ( 1   a ) having a closed rear longitudinal extremity ( 1   b ) and an opposite front longitudinal extremity ( 1   c ) which are deformable and connected by connecting faces, having a through-slot ( 2 ) emerging at the front longitudinal extremity ( 1   c );   a mouth extending over a major portion of a length of the front longitudinal extremity ( 1   c ), the mouth comprising two lips ( 2   a,    2   b ) that extend toward the rear extremity ( 1   b ) parallel to each other with a distance of 1 to 20 mm between them in a closed position of the front extremity ( 1   c ), and diverging from each other in an open position of the front extremity ( 1   c );   wherein one of the two lips ( 2   a,    2   b ) called the free lip ( 2   a ) is flexible so that it can be separated from the other lip ( 2   b ) by pressure against the free lip ( 2   a ), while returning into the closed position of the front extremity ( 1   c ) when no pressure is exerted on the free lip ( 2   a ); and   wherein the opposite front longitudinal extremity is deformable between a closed position and an open position for use of the block of soap, the hollow body ( 1   a ) having connecting faces without any perforations and made of a material having a hardness on the Shore scale between 30 and 60.   
     
     
         2 . The soap case of  claim 1 , wherein the material of the body ( 1   a ) is silicone, natural rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer, in particular a fluoroelastomer. 
     
     
         3 . The soap case of  claim 1 , wherein in the closed position of the front extremity ( 1   c ), a gap between the two lips ( 2   a,    2   b ) is smallest at the final extremities of the two lips ( 2   a,    2   b ) at the mouth of the through-slot ( 2 ). 
     
     
         4 . The soap case of  claim 1 , wherein a through-slot ( 2 ) extends into the body ( 1   a ) with a length extending in an inclined manner in relation to a length of the body ( 1   a ). 
     
     
         5 . The soap case of  claim 4 , wherein the through-slot ( 2 ) extends over at least one-fifth of the length of the body ( 1   a ) forming an angle of 20 to 70° in relation to a median longitudinal axis of the body ( 1   a ). 
     
     
         6 . The soap case of  claim 4 , wherein the through-slot ( 2 ) ends, opposite the mouth, in a final portion ( 2   c ) that has a circular section. 
     
     
         7 . The soap case of  claim 1 , wherein the rear extremity ( 1   b ) comprises at least one opening ( 3 ) that is just sufficient for the passage of at least one retaining cord through the rear extremity ( 1   b ), said at least one retaining cord having a portion outside the body ( 1   a ) of the soap case ( 1 ). 
     
     
         8 . The soap case of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one retaining cord forms a loop having two strands traversing the rear extremity ( 1   b ) via one of two respective openings ( 3 ). 
     
     
         9 . The soap case of  claim 1 , wherein the body ( 1   a ) has a parallepiped shape with front ( 1   c ) and rear ( 1   b ) longitudinal extremities that are convex toward the outside. 
     
     
         10 . A kit consisting of a soap case ( 1 ) and a block of soap accommodated in the interior of the soap case ( 1 ), characterized in that the soap case ( 1 ) is according to  claim 1 , the soap case ( 1 ) being designed with a shape and dimensions so that the block of soap can slide in the body ( 1   a ) between a position in which it is fully retracted into the body ( 1   a ) and at least one position in which a portion of the block of soap projects outside the body ( 1   a ), the lips ( 2   a,    2   b ) of the through-slot ( 2 ) pressing against the block of soap and blocking it in this at least one projecting position when no force is applied to the block of soap by a user to push it farther outside the body ( 1   a ) or back into the body ( 1   a ), an inside width and an inside height of the body ( 1   a ) of the soap case ( 1 ) being respectively greater than an outside width and an outside height of the block of soap with barely sufficient clearance between these widths on one hand and these heights on the other hand, so that the block of soap can slide inside the body ( 1   a ), an internal length of the body ( 1   a ) being greater than a length of a new block of soap. 
     
     
         11 . The kit according to  claim 10 , in which the user induces the sliding of the block of soap so that it projects outside the body ( 1   a ) by pressing near the rear extremity ( 1   b ) of the soap case ( 1 ), at the level of the edge of the soap farthest inside the body ( 1   a ), the body ( 1   a ) being made of a material that is sufficiently deformable to transmit the pressure to the block of soap.