The present invention relates to the area of body washing devices, and more particularly to those suited to cleanse and massage the back of the user by use of a loofah pad. Loofah, or loofah cylindrical, is the fibrous part of a gourd which is commonly available in the marketplace. It is generally used as a skin stimulating or cleansing material, much like a natural sponge.
Loofah has the unique ability to cleanse with minimal retention of water. Because it is fibrous in nature, it has great ability to cleanse and exfoliate skin.
Several prior art patents disclose the use of loofah in back washing devices; U.S. Pat. No. 2,544,216 and 1,488,332, but neither of these patents disclose a simple loofah pad attached to an elongated strap with handles for washing the back of a user. These patents disclose devices utilizing loofah in either an elongated form with simple handles or where loofah is simply strung on a rope. The present invention also anticipates that the pad can be made with hook and loop fasteners or snaps so that it can be readily replaced. Hook and loop fasteners are commonly sold under the trademark VELCRO in the marketplace and are readily available with a variety of backing materials.
According to the present invention, a portion of loofah may be either sewn or secured either directly to the elongated strap with handles for permanent attachment thereto, or it may be sewn or glued with adhesive to a backing pad which is provided with hook and loop fasteners or snaps for easy removal from the strap. Although the natural formation of a loofah gourd is long and cylindrical in shape, the outer cylindrical portion can easily be cut and shaped into either a rectangle or oval or other desireable shape for attachment to an elongated support strap by either stitching it in place or with an adhesive.
The present invention also anticipates that the elongated handles of the strap may be provided with integral open loops at either end so that the user's fingers can be easily placed therethrough and the loofah pad will then be easily manipulated. Several U.S. Patents disclose the use of separate loops or rings such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,936,198, 4,016,622, 4,196,490, etc., but because it is anticipated that the elongated strap will be made of a thin sheet of plastic or vinyl or bound plastic fibers, commonly sold under the trademark TYVEK which is very tough in nature, the open loops may be integral with the handles of the strap so the device may be economically produced.