Hand-wash assisting tool

Abstract

To provide a hand-wash assisting tool capable of widely corresponding to hands of various shapes, and facilitating washing of the hand-wash assisting tool itself.SOLUTION: A hand-wash assisting tool comprises: a cylindrical part 10 presenting a cylindrical shape with opened both ends in an axial direction A, and having a washing space 11 in which a hand 50 of a user is inserted from one of openings 12 formed therein; and a plurality of flexible projections 20 provided so as to project from an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical part 10 to the washing space 11. A cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the axial direction A in the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical part 10 is a flat shape in which a dimension corresponding to a width direction of the hand is larger than a dimension corresponding to a thickness direction of the hand 50 to be inserted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hand-washing aid, and more particularly to a hand-washing aid capable of easily and appropriately assisting hand-washing of one hand. [Background technology]

[0002] Hand washing is a simple and habitual method of infection control. In particular, in recent years, the importance of hand washing as an infection control measure has been reconsidered due to the spread of viruses and pathogens. On the other hand, some people have difficulty washing their hands in this way. In addition, hand washing brushes that can be fixed to washbasins have been developed as aids to assist hand washing with one hand, but the burden on the user has not been fully considered. For example, when trying to wash the entire hand with a conventional hand washing brush, the area that can be washed at one time is small, so the direction of the hand must be changed several times to wash, which takes a lot of time and effort to wash one hand. In addition, there is also the problem that some parts are easily left unwashed because the hand is rubbed against the brush while changing the direction of the hand.

[0003] For this reason, conventionally, living body washing tools that enable easy washing of hands and feet have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3111158 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The body cleaning tool described in Patent Document 1 is made of sponge, sea sponge, pile fabric, or other material for body cleaning, with cavities formed to fit the shape of a hand or foot. The body cleaning tool described in Patent Document 1 is said to make it possible to easily wash hands and feet by inserting hands or feet into the cavities formed in the sponge or other material.

[0006] However, the cleaning tool with a cavity that fits the hand shape as in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that the shape of the hand of each user is different, and therefore cleaning tools of various hand shapes are required according to the shape of the hand. In addition, the living body cleaning tool described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it requires a lot of effort to sanitize the cleaning tool after washing hands and feet. That is, since the living body cleaning tool described in Patent Document 1 has cavities that fit the hand and foot shapes, it is difficult to clean the deep parts of the cavities where the fingers and toes are inserted, and it sometimes requires a lot of effort to sanitize (clean) the cleaning tool after use.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a hand washing aid that can be adapted to a wide variety of hand shapes and that allows the aid itself used for hand washing to be easily washed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following hand washing aid.

[0009] [1] A hand-washing aid comprising a tubular portion having a cylindrical shape with both axial ends open, with a cleaning space formed through one of the openings into which a user's hand can be inserted, and a plurality of flexible protrusions arranged to protrude from the inner surface of the tubular portion toward the cleaning space.

[0010] [2] The hand-washing aid described in [1], wherein the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the axial direction on the inner surface of the tubular portion is a flat shape whose dimension corresponding to the width of the hand is larger than the dimension corresponding to the thickness of the hand being inserted.

[0011] [3] A hand washing aid as described in [1] or [2], comprising a base portion arranged on the inner surface of the tubular portion, and the plurality of flexible protrusions are provided on the base portion.

[0012] [4] A hand-washing aid as described in [1] or [2], wherein the tubular portion is provided with an installation portion for installation on a fixed object.

[0013] [5] The hand washing aid described in [4], wherein the installation portion has a base portion that is fixed to a fixed object, and a detachable portion that is attached to the tubular portion and is removably mounted to the base portion. Effect of the Invention

[0014] The hand washing aid of the present invention has the advantage that it can be widely adapted to various hand shapes and the hand washing aid itself can be easily washed. The hand washing aid of the present invention can easily and appropriately assist hand washing of one hand. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a state in which a hand washing aid according to a first embodiment of the present invention is used. FIG. [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view showing another example of the hand washing aid of the first embodiment of the present invention in use; FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a top perspective view of the external appearance of a hand washing aid according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 4 is an external perspective view of the hand washing aid shown in FIG. 3, seen from below. [Diagram 5] 4 is an external perspective view showing a state in which the base part and the detachable part are separated from each other in the installation part of the hand washing aid shown in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a partial side view of the hand washing aid shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a partial side view of a hand washing aid according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a partial side view of a hand washing aid according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a partial side view of a hand washing aid according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and that appropriate design changes, improvements, etc. may be made based on the ordinary knowledge of a person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a state in which a hand-washing aid according to a first embodiment of the present invention is used, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing another example of a state in which the hand-washing aid is used. Fig. 3 is an external perspective view from above of the hand washing aid according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 4 is an external perspective view from below of the hand washing aid shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an external perspective view showing a state in which the base part and the detachable part are separated from each other at the installation part of the hand washing aid shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a partial side view of the hand washing aid shown in Fig. 3.

[0018] As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the hand-washing aid E1 is cylindrical with both ends open in the axial direction A, and comprises a tubular portion 10 in which a cleaning space 11 is formed through one of the openings 12 into which a user's hand 50 (see Figure 1) is inserted, and a plurality of flexible protrusions 20 arranged to protrude from the inner surface of the tubular portion 10 toward the cleaning space 11.

[0019] Hand washing aid E1 washes hands 50 (in other words, assists in washing hands 50) by inserting user's hands 50 (see FIG. 1, the same below) into washing space 11 and moving the hands back and forth in axial direction A of tubular part 10. A plurality of flexible protrusions 20 protruding from the inner peripheral surface of tubular part 10 are provided in washing space 11, and function as brushes for washing hands 50. Hereinafter, in this specification, unless otherwise specified, a user refers to a person who actually washes hands 50 with the assistance of hand washing aid E1 (i.e., a person who inserts hands 50 into washing space 11 of tubular part 10).

[0020] The hand-washing aid E1 can be installed on a fixed object such as a washbasin 40 where hand-washing is performed, as shown in FIG. 1. More specifically, the hand-washing aid E1 can be installed on a washbowl 41 of the washbasin 40 as shown in FIG. 1, and the hand-washing aid E1 can be fixed to the washbowl 41. When the hand-washing aid E1 is installed on a fixed object, the user inserts his / her hand 50 into the washing space 11 of the cylindrical part 10 installed on the fixed object, and washes his / her hand by moving the inserted hand 50 back and forth. Here, the fixed object means a member to which the hand-washing aid E1 is fixed, and means an object that is not easily moved by the force generated by the human body (for example, an object whose position is fixed), such as the washbowl 40 as shown in FIG. 1, the sink 43 as shown in FIG. 2, or the wall of the bathroom (not shown). In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the reference numeral 42 denotes a faucet 42 that discharges water. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, when the hand-washing aid E1 is installed in a kitchen or the like, the hand-washing aid E1 can be fixed to the sink 44 of the sink 43 for use.

[0021] The cylindrical part 10 is formed in a cylindrical shape that envelops the user's hand 50, so that when the hand 50 is moved back and forth in the washing space 11, the multiple flexible protrusions 20 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical part 10 are configured to contact all of the spaces between the fingers, the palm, and the back of the hand. Therefore, in a series of hand-washing actions, it is not necessary to change the direction of the hand 50 inserted into the washing space 11 of the cylindrical part 10, and the entire hand 50 can be washed very easily and appropriately just by moving the hand 50 back and forth in the axial direction A. The above-mentioned "series of hand-washing actions" refers to an action of inserting the hand 50 to be washed into the washing space 11 of the cylindrical part 10 and moving the cylindrical part 10 or the hand 50 to be washed back and forth in the axial direction A (for example, an action of moving the hand 50 back and forth between one opening 12 and the other opening 12 of the cylindrical part 10). In addition, according to the hand-washing aid E1, the entire hand 50 can be washed by a series of hand-washing actions, so that the time required for hand-washing can be significantly reduced compared to hand-washing using a conventional hand-washing brush or the like.

[0022] Since the cylindrical portion 10 is cylindrical with both ends open in the axial direction A, it is easy to clean the cylindrical portion 10 after use, and hygiene can also be improved. For example, after hand washing using the hand washing aid E1 is completed, the hand washing detergent and transfer dirt remaining on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 10 and on the flexible protrusions 20 can be washed away very easily by introducing running water from one of the openings 12 of the cylindrical portion 10. Note that, although the cylindrical portion 10 is made of hard plastic in this embodiment, it may be made of other materials such as metal.

[0023] There is no particular restriction on the length of the axial direction A of the cylindrical part 10, and the length of the axial direction A of the cylindrical part 10 may be appropriately selected so that the hand 50 to be washed can be moved back and forth in the axial direction A to achieve appropriate hand washing. For example, although not particularly limited, in order to ensure a sufficient number of flexible protrusions 20 that simultaneously contact the hand 50 inserted into the cylindrical part 10, it is preferable that the length of the axial direction A of the cylindrical part 10 is at least longer than the length from the tip of the middle finger to the second joint of the hand 50. For example, a cleaning tool having a cavity according to the hand shape as in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 requires a cavity portion to insert the entire hand of the user, which makes the entire cleaning tool longer. In this embodiment, the inserted finger of the cylindrical part 10 comes out from the opening 12 on the opposite side to the side where the hand 50 is inserted, so that the length of the axial direction A of the cylindrical part 10 can be shortened and can accommodate various shapes of the hand 50. Furthermore, in a cleaning tool such as that in Patent Document 1, the entire cleaning tool needs to be made longer in order to adequately clean the wrist, but in this embodiment, the wrist of the inserted hand 50 can be thoroughly cleaned regardless of the length of the axial direction A of the tubular portion 10.

[0024] There are no particular limitations on the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the axial direction A on the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 10, but it is preferable that the cross-sectional shape be a flat shape in which the dimension corresponding to the width direction of the hand 50 to be inserted is greater than the dimension corresponding to the thickness direction of the hand 50. This configuration allows the size of the tubular portion 10 to be made compact, and makes it easy to wash the palm and back of the hand simultaneously in the cleaning space 11. Hereinafter, the "cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the axial direction A on the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 10" may be simply referred to as the "cross-sectional shape on the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 10."

[0025] Examples of cross-sectional shapes on the inner surface of the tubular portion 10 include an ellipse, an oval shape, a bow shape (e.g., a shape in which both ends of the longitudinal axis direction of the flattened shape are inclined downward), a crescent shape (e.g., an approximately triangular shape in which a portion of the longitudinal axis direction of the flattened shape bulges in a direction intersecting the longitudinal axis direction (e.g., in the short axis direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis direction)), and an approximately trapezoidal shape.

[0026] In the hand-washing aid E1 shown in Figures 3 to 6, the cross-sectional shape of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 10 is arched. With this configuration, a raised portion 13 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 10, and by inserting a hand 50 into the washing space 11 with the palm facing the raised portion 13 side of the cylindrical portion 10, washing of the palm can be easily performed. In particular, as in the hand-washing aid E1 shown in Figure 6, by configuring the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 10 to rise into the washing space 11 (i.e., forming a raised portion 13 on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 10), it is possible to make it easier to wash the palm.

[0027] The flexible protrusions 20 protruding from the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 10 function as brushes for washing the hands 50. A plurality of such flexible protrusions 20 are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 10 in both the circumferential direction and the axial direction A. The flexible protrusions 20 are not particularly limited as long as they are made of a flexible material. The hardness of the flexible protrusions 20 is not particularly limited as long as they are flexible enough to wash the hands 50 without causing abrasions on the skin. For example, the material of the flexible protrusions 20 can be silicon, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, etc.

[0028] There is no particular limitation on the length of the flexible protrusion 20 (the length from the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 10). For example, the length of the flexible protrusion 20 may be set according to the shape and size of the cleaning space 11 defined by the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 10. The cleaning space 11 defined by the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 10 may be of a size that allows the user's hand 50 to be inserted through the opening 12 of the tubular portion 10. For example, the length of the flexible protrusion 20 is preferably such that when the hand 50 is inserted into such cleaning space 11, the flexible protrusion 20 appropriately comes into contact with the spaces between the fingers, the palm, and the back of the hand.

[0029] 6, the flexible protrusions 20 protruding from the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 10 may have substantially the same length, or the lengths of the flexible protrusions 20 may differ partially. There is no limitation on the thickness of the flexible protrusions 20, and the thickness of the flexible protrusions 20 may be the same, or flexible protrusions 20 of different thicknesses may be mixed. For example, flexible protrusions 20 of different thicknesses may be arranged alternately.

[0030] The hand-washing aid E1 includes a base portion 21 disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 10, and a plurality of flexible protrusions 20 are provided on the base portion 21. The base portion 21 serves as a base for the plurality of flexible protrusions 20, and the plurality of flexible protrusions 20 are integrally formed via the base portion 21. The base portion 21 may be a band-shaped portion attached to the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 10. In this embodiment, the base portion 21 is bonded to the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 10, but the plurality of flexible protrusions 20 may be configured to be detachable by making the base portion 21 detachable. This configuration allows the flexible protrusions 20 to be replaced when the flexible protrusions 20 are damaged or deteriorated. Also, a member in which multiple flexible protrusions 20 and base portion 21 are integrated may be used as an attachment for hand-washing aid E1, and multiple types of members with different lengths or thicknesses of flexible protrusions 20 may be prepared so that flexible protrusions 20 can be selected according to the shape or size of the user's hand 50 or the user's preference for the hardness of flexible protrusions 20. Also, for example, tubular portion 10 may be composed of multiple detachable parts so that base portion 21 can be easily attached and detached to tubular portion 10.

[0031] The base portion 21 only needs to have a thickness capable of supporting a plurality of flexible protrusions 20, and the thickness of the base portion 21 may be constant or may vary in the circumferential direction of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 10. For example, by adjusting the thickness of the base portion 21, the cross-sectional shape of the cleaning space 11 of the cylindrical portion 10 can be made into a desired shape.

[0032] The cylindrical portion 10 of the hand-washing aid E1 is provided with an installation portion 30 for installation on a fixed object. The hand-washing aid E1 can be held by the user or a caregiver assisting the user, but if the user is unable to use one hand due to injury or has difficulty using one hand due to paralysis (e.g., one-handed paralysis due to cerebrovascular disease), the user can wash the injured hand using the healthy hand, but conversely, it becomes difficult to wash the healthy hand. For this reason, by providing the installation portion 30 on the cylindrical portion 10 and installing the hand-washing aid E1 on a fixed object, even a user who cannot use one hand or has one missing hand can easily wash his or her hands.

[0033] The installation unit 30 may be any unit that can be installed on a fixed object such as a washbasin 40. In this embodiment, the installation unit 30 has a base unit 31 that is fixed to a fixed object, and a detachable unit 32 that is attached to the cylindrical unit 10 and detachably attached to the base unit 31. For example, in FIG. 1, the hand-washing aid E1 is installed on the washbowl 41 of the washbasin 40 with the opening 12 of the cylindrical unit 10 tilted toward the user so that the hand 50 can be easily inserted into the opening 12. On the other hand, in FIG. 2, the hand-washing aid E1 is installed in front of the sink 44 with the opening 12 of the cylindrical unit 10 facing directly upward so that both the left and right hands 50 can be easily washed. In addition, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, taking into consideration that force is likely to be applied to the palm side portion of the inner surface of the tubular portion 10 during hand-washing, a raised portion 13 is formed on the installation portion 30 side of the tubular portion 10 to prevent the suction cup 38 of the installation portion 30 in the hand-washing aid E1 from coming off the fixed object.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 4, the base 31 has an attachment means such as a suction cup 38 on the back side thereof for attachment to a fixed object. Using such a suction cup 38, the hand-washing aid E1 is adsorbed and fixed to an installation location such as a wall surface of a fixed object such as a washbasin 40 (for example, the surface of a washbowl 41). The attachment means is not limited to the above-mentioned suction cup 38, and may be any means capable of attachment to an installation location such as a wall surface of a fixed object such as a washbasin 40. The attachment means preferably has a holding force such that the installation part 30 does not easily come off the fixed object when washing hands 50. By having such an attachment means, the hand-washing aid E1 can be installed, used, and maintained all with one hand, and even a user who can only wash hands with one hand can wash hands very easily. Although not shown in the figures, other attachment means include a clamping type that clamps the edge of the washbasin 40 from inside and outside, and a hanging type that hangs the edge of the washbasin 40 using a hook or other hook.

[0035] The base 31 has a base recess that accommodates the detachable part 32 mounted on the cylindrical part 10, and the detachable part 32 is detachably accommodated in the base recess of the base 31. The detachable part 32 mounted on the cylindrical part 10 can be attached and detached, for example, by sliding along the lower surface of the base 31 that is fixed to a fixed object. For example, a groove 36 is provided on the side surface of the detachable part 32 as an attachment / detachment mechanism for sliding the detachable part 32 to attach and detach, and a protrusion 37 is provided on the inner surface of the base recess of the base 31 as an attachment / detachment mechanism that engages with the groove 36 of the detachable part 32. By providing the installation part 30 having such an attachment / detachment mechanism, the detachable part 32 can be easily removed from the base 31, making it easier to clean the cylindrical part 10. In addition, the attachment / detachment mechanism between the base portion 31 and the detachable portion 32 is not limited to the sliding mechanism described above, but may be any mechanism that allows the detachable portion 32 mounted on the tubular portion 10 to be detachably attached to the base portion 31.

[0036] The installation section 30 may have a holding means for maintaining the state in which the base section 31 is attached to the detachable section 32. In this embodiment, the holding means includes a rod-shaped holding member 33 connected to the base section 31 by a connecting string 35, and the base section 31 and the detachable section 32 are provided with holes 34, 39 that communicate with each other when the base section 31 is attached to the detachable section 32. With this configuration, the rod-shaped holding member 33 can be inserted into the holes 34, 39 of the base section 31 and the detachable section 32 when the base section 31 is attached to the detachable section 32, and the attached state of the base section 31 and the detachable section 32 can be maintained. When the detachable section 32 is to be removed, the rod-shaped holding member 33 can be pulled out of the holes 34, 39 to release the attachment of the detachable section 32. With this configuration, even a user who is disabled in one hand can easily fix and release the detachable section 32 to the base section 31. In addition, the retaining means for maintaining the attached state between the base portion 31 and the detachable portion 32 is not limited to inserting the rod-shaped retaining member 33 described above into the holes 34, 39, but may be anything that can fix the position of the detachable portion 32 so that it does not move from the base portion 31 when the hand washing aid E1 is in use.

[0037] In this embodiment, the installation section 30 has a base section 31 and a detachable section 32, but this is just one example, and in the present invention, for example, it is also possible for the installation section to have the base section and the detachable section formed integrally, making the hand-washing aid a stationary type.

[0038] The hand-washing aid E1 described above can be used by, for example, a user or a caregiver assisting the user. For example, when the hand-washing aid E1 is used by holding it in the hand, the user holds the hand-washing aid E1 in the hand opposite to the hand 50 to be washed, inserts the hand 50 to be washed into the washing space 11 of the cylindrical part 10, and moves the cylindrical part 10 or the hand 50 to be washed back and forth in the axial direction A to wash the hand. When the hand-washing aid E1 is used by holding it in the hand, the caregiver also inserts the hand 50 of the user (in this case, the person being assisted) into the washing space 11 of the cylindrical part 10 in the same manner as described above to assist the user in washing the hand. When the hand-washing aid E1 is used by holding it in the hand, it does not need to have an element for installation on a fixed object such as the installation part 30 described above. When the hand-washing aid E1 is used by holding it in the hand, for example, a grip part (not shown) that serves as a handle may be provided on the cylindrical part 10 to make it easier to grasp with the hand.

[0039] In the first embodiment described above, the cross-sectional shape of the inner circumferential surface of cylindrical portion 10 is arched, and the inner circumferential surface of cylindrical portion 10 is configured to rise into washing space 11, but below, another embodiment of the hand-washing aid of the present invention will be described in which the cross-sectional shape of the inner circumferential surface of cylindrical portion 10 is different. Here, Fig. 7 shows a partial side view of a hand-washing aid that is a second embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 8 shows a partial side view of a hand-washing aid that is a third embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 9 shows a partial side view of a hand-washing aid that is a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] In the hand-washing aid E2 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the cross-sectional shape of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 10 is semicircular, and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 10 corresponding to the chord of the semicircular shape is flat. In the second embodiment, the base portion 21 that abuts against the flat inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 10 has a raised portion 23 that causes the inner peripheral surface of the base portion 21 to rise into the cleaning space 11. In the second embodiment, a hollow portion 22 is provided in a part of the thickness direction of the base portion 21 that constitutes the raised portion 23, and the thickness of the base portion 21 is increased. By configuring in this manner, for example, the hollow portion 22 of the base portion 21 can also function as a cushion, and the flexible protrusion 20 protruding from the range where the hollow portion 22 is provided can be improved in contact with the user's hand 50. In the second embodiment, the palm of the hand can be easily washed by inserting the hand into the cleaning space 11 with the palm facing the raised portion 23 of the base portion 21. It is also possible to form protruding portions 23 in base portion 21 by partially increasing the thickness of base portion 21 without providing hollow portion 22 in base portion 21.

[0041] In the hand-washing aid E3 of the third embodiment shown in Fig. 8, the cross-sectional shape of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 10 is crescent-shaped, and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 10 corresponding to the chord of the crescent shape is configured to be flat. In the third embodiment, some of the multiple flexible protrusions 20 are configured to extend long toward the cleaning space 11. That is, in the third embodiment, the flexible protrusions 20 protruding from the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 10 corresponding to the chord of the crescent shape are configured to extend long toward the cleaning space 11, and the tip portions of the flexible protrusions 20 are raised into the cleaning space 11. In the third embodiment, the palm of the hand can be easily washed by inserting the hand into the cleaning space 11 with the palm facing the side of the flexible protrusions 20 that is raised into the cleaning space 11.

[0042] 9, the hand-washing aid E4 of the fourth embodiment has an elliptical cross-sectional shape on the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 10. In the fourth embodiment, a plurality of flexible protrusions 20 are provided so as to protrude toward the washing space 11 from the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 10 having such an elliptical cross-sectional shape.

[0043] According to the hand washing aid of the present invention described above, it is possible to easily and appropriately assist the user in washing his / her hands. In particular, the hand washing aid of the present invention can be adapted to a wide variety of hand shapes, and the hand washing aid itself can be easily washed.

[0044] The hand washing aid of the present invention can provide extremely effective hand washing assistance, particularly for users who have difficulty washing their hands sufficiently by themselves (for example, users who can only wash their hands with one hand). For example, it can be suitably used as an aid to assist hand washing for users who cannot use one hand due to injury, users who have difficulty using one hand due to paralysis or loss, and users who need the help of a caregiver to wash their hands. For users who need the help of a caregiver to wash their hands, hand washing takes time and effort, and they may lose motivation to wash their hands. However, the hand washing aid of the present invention is expected to eliminate the inconvenience of hand washing for such users and improve their awareness of hand washing. However, the hand washing aid of the present invention does not prevent use by users who can use both hands. [Industrial Applicability]

[0045] The present invention is useful as a hand washing aid. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 10: Cylindrical part, 11: Cleaning space, 12:Aperture, 13: Ridge, 20: Flexible protrusion, 21: Base, 22: Cavity part, 23: Ridge, 30: Installation part, 31: Base part, 32: Detachable part, 33: holding member, 34: Hole part, 35: Connecting cord, 36: Groove, 37: Convex part, 38: Sucker, 39: hole part, 40: Washbasin, 41: Wash basin, 42: Faucet, 43: Sink, 44: Sink, 50: Hand (user's hand) E1, E2, E3, E4: Hand washing aids, A: Axial.

Claims

1. A cylindrical portion having a cylindrical shape with both ends open in the axial direction and a cleaning space through which a user's hand is inserted from either of the openings; A hand-washing aid comprising: a plurality of flexible protrusions arranged to protrude from the inner surface of the cylindrical portion toward the cleaning space.

2. The hand-washing aid according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the axial direction on the inner surface of the tubular portion is a flat shape having a dimension corresponding to the width direction of the hand that is inserted therethrough that is larger than the dimension corresponding to the thickness direction of the hand.

3. The hand washing aid according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a base portion disposed on an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion, the plurality of flexible protrusions being provided on the base portion.

4. The hand washing aid according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cylindrical portion is provided with an installation portion for installation on a fixed object.

5. The hand washing aid according to claim 4 , wherein the installation portion has a base portion which is fixed to a fixed object, and a detachable portion which is attached to the cylindrical portion and detachably mounted to the base portion.

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