Soap dispenser

A soap dispenser comprising:

• a housing having an opening through which a bar of soap can be inserted into the housing, the housing having threads on an inside surface of the housing;
• a grating element configured for shaving particles of soap from the bar;
• a driving mechanism configured for both rotating the bar of soap about an axis of rotation and urging the bar of soap downwards onto the grating element to generate soap particles which are ejected from the bottom of the soap dispenser, wherein the driving mechanism includes a rotatable feeder legs element and a circular feeder element engaged with the feeder legs element, the circular feeder element having threads which engage with the threads on the inside surface of the housing;
• and
• a centring element for maintaining the bar of soap centred on the axis as it rotates and as it wears, the centring element including a nipple protrusion located at the centre of the grating element for engaging a hole in the bar of soap,
• wherein the circular feeder element has a flat bottom undersurface which is arranged to contact against the bar of soap when it is in position in the housing to push the bar of soap downwards in the housing onto the grating element as the circular feeder element rotates and the threads of the circular feeder element are engaged with the threads on the inside surface of the housing.

A soap dispenser suitable for containing a bar of soap, the soap dispenser comprising:

• a housing having a front opening closeable by a door allowing insertion of a bar of soap into the housing, when the door is an open position;
• a grating element configured for shaving particles of soap from the bar of soap;
• a driving mechanism configured for both rotating the bar of soap about an axis and urging the bar of soap downwards onto the grating element to generate soap particles which are ejected from the bottom of the soap dispenser;
• and
• a centring element for maintaining the bar of soap centred on the axis as it rotates and as it wears, wherein the driving mechanism is configured so that it is slidable between a first position inside the housing and a second position toward the front opening, whereby, when in the second position, a bar of soap may be inserted through the front opening into the housing of the soap dispenser.

A system comprising:

• a soap dispenser comprising:
• a housing having an opening for inserting a bar of soap;
• a grating element for shaving particles of soap from the bar of soap;
• a driving mechanism for both rotating the bar of soap about an axis and urging the bar of soap downwards onto the grating element to generate the soap particles which are ejected from the bottom of the soap dispenser;
• and
• a centring element for maintaining the bar of soap centred on the axis as it rotates and as it wears;
• and
• a bar of soap having a substantially cuboid shape having a length, a thickness and a width and having a clear hole of at least 5 mm diameter running centrally through the length of the bar of soap from a first end having a top surface to a second end having a bottom surface, the clear hole arranged to cooperate with the centring element to maintain the bar of soap centred on the axis.