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Brightly Colored Tactile Cozies

For the Visually impaired (Thanks to jutta for the title)
  (+10)(+10)
(+10)
  [vote for,
against]

I was recently informed by my aunt that people who wear glasses and take them off for the shower sometime have a hard time differentiating between shampoo and conditioner bottles when the only difference between them is the text printed thereon. As my eyes and I are still young, I had never considered this problem, but here is my solution to it.

A flexible latex sleeve made of the same materials as those spikey anemone ball things. There would be two of them sold as a set. Each would be uniquely textured (one ridged vertically and one ridged horizontally or what have you) and colored. This would allow the visually impaired person to differentiate between the two similar bottles by touch or sight, however limited that may be.

As a side note, her current solution is to take a permanent marker and draw a large S and C on the bottles so they may be read without glasses.

*** Edit 8/26: title changed from "Shampoo bottle Differentiator" ***

bleh, Aug 23 2007

which bottles are shampoo? http://hairessentia...TODESIGNDISPLAY.jpg
Which are conditioner? [bleh, Aug 24 2007]

US Patent 6,367,185 (2000) http://www.google.c...nts?id=mpQJAAAAEBAJ
Sticky tactile markers. [jutta, Aug 25 2007]

US Patent 6,047,992 (1998) http://www.google.c...ts?vid=USPAT6047992
Raised Letters "S" and "C". [jutta, Aug 25 2007]

[link]






       I get shampoo and conditioner that are in different-colored bottles, even though they are the same brand.   

       Um, couldn't you just put a fuzzy sleeve on ONE of the bottles?
baconbrain, Aug 23 2007
  

       The stuff I buy also has different colored caps, but not all do (paul mitchell to name one)   

       //Um, couldn't you just put a fuzzy sleeve on ONE of the bottles?//   

       Yes, but I charge more 'cause they're sold as a set.
bleh, Aug 23 2007
  

       I added a link to demonstrate the problem of undifferentiable bottles.
bleh, Aug 25 2007
  

       There are two good patents in this space but I can't find products that would use them - perhaps because the ad-hoc solution of putting a rubber band around one of the bottles to mark it pretty much works, too.
jutta, Aug 25 2007
  

       Yes, true, but you know, there are a lot of things I see in the store where a rubber band or other ad hoc solution would work fine (and often does for me), but the "awww, isn't that adorable?" factor keeps them moving I suppose.   

       This could be one of those.
globaltourniquet, Aug 25 2007
  

       Maybe. But there's a little more to it. The flexible sleeve in this idea is actually better than the two linked-to patents because it isn't glued to the bottle, doesn't come off, and doesn't need to be thrown out when the bottle is empty.   

       As baby-boomers age, there will be a growing market in aids to visually and cognitively impaired; there are lots of things you don't want to confuse, like salt/pepper, pills, oil/vinegar, toothpaste and ointment. Brightly colored tactile cozies are a good general solution to all of these.   

       The products I use have the same color, but different shapes - a cylinder for shampoo, a squishy tube for conditioner. Hooray design!
jutta, Aug 25 2007
  

       Sham = fake
poo = poo
....and you rub this into your hair ?
xenzag, Aug 25 2007
  

       I bunned this because rather than providing a single unique invention, it's more of a rant against bad design. It should probably be [m-f-d]'d but it's quite right. In a time when every public building is being made to install ramps for the wheelchair bound, making hair products that are usable by people who wear glasses doesn't sound that unreasonable a request.
wagster, Aug 25 2007
  

       As a person of some years, my eyes aren't what they used to be. This has my vote. I'm tired of shampooing with conditioner.
Klaatu, Aug 26 2007
  

       //, it's more of a rant against bad design. //   

       While bad design does irk me a good deal, that is hardly the idea behind this posting. I personally don't experience the problem for which I have presented a solution. My aunt was telling me of her problem, and I have offered this solution. I believe there is a single invention here, though it may not be unique. I suppose, after reading [jutta]'s comments, that this is little more than a glorified rubber band, but hey, its glorified. Thanks for the vote!   

       And yay for [jutta] saying my idea is better than some others that have been patented!
bleh, Aug 26 2007
  

       Take two bottles into the shower?
theleopard, Aug 26 2007
  

       [bigsleep] me too. Thanks Bubs.
zen_tom, Aug 26 2007
  

       <inadvertently takes bottle before breakfast instead of shower>
pertinax, Aug 26 2007
  

       Isn't this addressable by the users using a rubber band or something? This is the sort of thing I do with my keys. Surely you only experience this "problem" once before figuring out a solution for yourself?
partdavid, Aug 26 2007
  

       I cannot find containers/bottles in the shape of letters at all but it must be possible to do. family members (particularly children) would love their stuff in personalised containers. this reminds me that I colour coded my children so that I knew what belonged to whom.
po, Aug 26 2007
  

       //Take two bottles into the shower? //   

       I must be missing something here. ?
bleh, Aug 26 2007
  

       //Brightly colored tactile cozies//   

       I think I'm gonna change the title to that. It sounds a lot better than mine.
bleh, Aug 26 2007
  

       //I must be missing something here.//   

       UK advertising campaign, I think. It was a few years ago, but it sticks in the head like an annoying tune.
pertinax, Aug 27 2007
  

       //UK advertising campaign//   

       That would explain why I didn't get it.
bleh, Aug 27 2007
  

       Bun, and an added bun because these might not only help with differentiating one bottle from the other, but also make the bottles easier to grip by a person with motor skill difficulties as well.
Noexit, Aug 27 2007
  

       I assume the shampoo and conditioner smell different from each other - you could smell the top of the container where the congealed unused product is.
phundug, Aug 27 2007
  

       //I assume the shampoo and conditioner smell different from each other//   

       Not always true. Tea Tree products all have a strong minty smell to them that kind of burns your eyes. I'm not denying that there are free alternatives to this solution, but there are none that do all that this idea does.
bleh, Aug 27 2007
  

       One could emerge from the shower, well conditioned, clad in nothing but brightly colored tactile cozies. No need for glasses ... or lights! Hey - is that a shampoo bottle? Cozy! Spikey! Uniquely! Ridged Horizontally!
bungston, Aug 27 2007
  

       + I could use these...simple and practical.
xandram, Aug 27 2007
  

       and that's how Bungco just got another brilliant product idea.
dentworth, Aug 27 2007
  

       //baby-boomers / cognitively impaired//   

       Heh.
BunsenHoneydew, Aug 29 2007
  
      
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