US20040016665A1

US20040016665A1 - Portable toothbrush storage device

Info

Publication number: US20040016665A1
Application number: US10/201,821
Authority: US
Inventors: Pamela Kellaway
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-07-25
Filing date: 2002-07-25
Publication date: 2004-01-29

Abstract

A toothbrush storage device is disclosed which is both surface mountable and portable. A mounting bracket is first secured to the surface. The mounting bracket includes a first mating means. A portable housing is then mated to the mounting bracket via a second mating means disposed the housing. The first and second mating means are easily releasable which allows for portablilty of the housing. The housing includes a pair of opposing blades which supports the toothbrush. Finally, the housing substantially encloses the toothbrush head and bristles.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to toothbrushes and, more particularly, to a portable toothbrush storage device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Toothbrush storage devices are commonly found in many sizes and shapes. Most household bathrooms have wall mountable toothbrush storage dishes.

Of the wall mountable toothbrush storage dishes, there are one piece and two piece storage dishes. One piece storage dishes are permanently wall mountable and include a plurality of openings for holding a toothbrush. Sometimes these storage dishes also include a soap dish centrally disposed so that a number of exposed toothbrushes surrounds the soap dish. Oftentimes, the toothbrush bristles contacts the storage dish, thereby creating an unsanitary environment.

It is not uncommon for soap residue to splash or otherwise come into contact with the bristles. Furthermore, other airborne particles invariably stick to the often moist bristles.

Two piece toothbrush storage dishes are similar in design to one-piece storage dishes except that a base portion and dish portion are easily separable so that the dish portion can be periodically sanitized. However, the same residual contacting, splashing and airborn transfer of soap debris and other particles is all too common.

Portable toothbrush containers are also known in the art. These tubelike designs incluse a mating top and bottom. A toothbrush is packed into these designs and stored in a suitcase for vacations.

However, there are two drawbacks with this design. First, the portable toothbrush container is not wall mountable. Therefore, a separate wall mountable toothbrush storage device is still required around the house.

Secondly, the portable storage device must be stored horizontally thereby causing the bristles to contact its own debris.

Finally, once the traveler arrives at his destination, he must lay the toothbrush onto the sink top, wherein several of the above mentioned unsanitary conditions will once again be encountered.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to improve the field of toothbrush storage devices.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a portable toothbrush storage device.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a sanitary toothbrush storage device.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a sanitary toothbrush storage device that can be easily transported as required.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a toothbrush storage device that is wall mountable and substantially houses the toothbrush bristles.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a wall mountable toothbrush storage device that is portable.

It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a sanitary wall mountable toothbrush storage device that is portable.

It is still yet a further object of the present invention to provide a sanitary wall mountable toothbrush storage device that is portable and substantially houses the toothbrush bristles.

These and other objects are provided in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention in which there is provided a toothbrush storage device which houses a toothbrush both fixedly and portably, wherein the toothbrush includes a head portion, a neck and a handle. The toothbrush storage device further includes a mounting bracket and mounting means for securing the mounting bracket to a supporting structure, such as a wall. The housing stores at least the head of the toothbrush, and further includes a bottom, a top, a pair of opposing sidewalls and a door. The door is partially rotatable about a sidewall. Releasable securing means secure the housing to the mounting bracket and include a first mating means disposed on the mounting bracket and a second mating means disposed on the housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The above and other objects of the present invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: [0019]
FIG. 1 shows a side elevation view of the toothbrush storage device of the present invention; [0020]
FIG. 2 is a backside view of a removable housing of the toothbrush storage device of FIG. 1; [0021]
FIG. 3 is a perspective front view of the removable housing of the toothbrush storage device of FIG. 1; [0022]
FIG. 4 is a perspective front view of the removable housing of the toothbrush storage device of FIG. 3 showing a pair of inwardly disposed arms; [0023]
FIG. 5 is a partial front view of the housing of FIG. 4 having a toothbrush disposed therein; [0024]
FIG. 6 shows a side elevational view of an alternative embodiment of a base for the removable toothbrush housing; [0025]
FIG. 7 shows a perspective backside view of the removable toothbrush housing to be used in conjunction with the base of FIG. 6; and [0026]
FIG. 8 shows a side elevation view of the toothbrush holder in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention.[0027]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIG. 1 there is shown a [0028] toothbrush storage device 10 in accordance with a preferred embodiment. The toothbrush storage device 10 consists of a mounting bracket 12 that releasably mates with a toothbrush housing 14.
The [0029] mounting bracket 12 comprises a base support 16 integrated with a track member 18. The base support 16 includes a mounting surface 20 that abuts a wall, cabinet or other supporting structure 22 when installed. To install the mounting bracket 12 to the supporting structure 22, a surface cover 24 is removed thereby exposing an adhesive layer 26 disposed on the mounting surface 20. The mounting bracket 12 is then adhered to the supporting structure 22 via the adhesive layer 26. The surface cover 24 prevents the adhesive layer 26 from drying up before installing the mounting bracket 12. It is important that the support structure 22 is free from dirt and other foreign matter prior to installation so that the adhesive layer 26 contacts as much surface area as possible. The surface cover 24 also provides a barrier so that no foreign particles are trapped by the adhesive layer 26.
Adhesive layers such as the above described are well known. For instance, one type of applicable adhesive layer is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,395,389 which is hereby incorporated by reference. There are many other adhesives that work just as well if not better. [0030]
Other types of mounting methods can be equally effective. For example, and with reference to FIG. 6, a [0031] mounting bracket 28 is secured to the wall via a plurality of screws 30. For easy installation, the screws 30 can be wood screws that are mountable to a wall 22 or a wall stud. Various other mounting methods known in the art are sufficient for securing the mounting bracket 28 to the supporting structure 22.
Turning back to FIG. 1 the toothbrush housing [0032] 14 mates with the mounting bracket 12 simply by fitting a housing jacket 32 over the vertically disposed track member 18. The retaining jacket 32 extends from a rear surface 34 of the housing 14 as can be seen more clearly in FIG. 2.
The retaining [0033] jacket 32 includes a pair of opposing upright L-shaped members 36. An L-shaped cross member 38 connects the uprights 36, although it is not necessary for the cross member 38 to connect the upright members 36.
An [0034] inner surface 40 of the jacket 32 is sized and shaped to fit snugly over the track member 18. It is desirable that the depth of the track member 38 be roughly similar to the depth of the retaining jacket 32 so that the housing 14 is not loose with respect to the mounting bracket 12.
To connect the retaining [0035] jacket 32 to the track member 18, the lower ends 42 of the retaining jacket 32 are slid over the upper ends 44 of the track member 18 until a bottom surface 46 of the cross member 38 engages the track member 18. At this point the housing 14 becomes securely mated with the mounting bracket 12.
An alternative mating technique, depicted by FIGS. 6 and 7, utilizes a projecting [0036] head 48 disposed in the mounting bracket 28 and an oblong opening 50 disposed in a housing retaining surface 52. The projecting head 48 extends from the mounting bracket 28 via a shank 54. The shank 54 can be riveted or otherwise secured to the mounting bracket 28. The oblong opening 50 comprises a lower larger opening 56 and an upper smaller opening 58.
After the mounting [0037] bracket 28 is secured to the supporting structure 22, as previously described, the housing 14 is manipulated so that the projecting head 48 slides through the larger opening 56.
The larger opening [0038] 56 must be at least the size of the projecting head 48. Once inside the larger opening 56 the housing retaining surface 52 is slid down so that the top 60 of the oblong opening 50 rests on the shank 54.
Here it is imperative that the smaller opening [0039] 58 be smaller than the projecting head 48 so that the housing 14 can only be removed by lifting and allowing the projecting head 48 to once again slide through the larger opening 56.
Alternatively, the [0040] housing 14 can contain the projecting head 48 and the mounting bracket 28 contain the oblong opening 50 to provide proper mating.
Another obvious specification of the this embodiment is that the exposed [0041] length 62 of the shank 54 be approximately similar to the thickness of the oblong opening wall 64 so that the housing is tightly fitted to the mounting bracket 28 when installed.
A number of [0042] stops 69 superpositioned from the back of the housing retaining surface 52 adjacently fit against the sidewall 63 of the mounting bracket 28. The stops prevent the housing 14 from rotating about the shank 54.
Turning now to FIG. 3, a front view of the housing shows a [0043] door 66 having a releasable catch 68. The releasable catch 68 fits over a protruding rib 70 when the door 66 is closed. To open the door 66, one simply pulls the releasable catch 68 away from the rib 70 and moves the door 66 to an open position. The door 66 and housing 14 are interconnected via a hinge 72 or a number of spaced hinges.
A [0044] floor 74 in the housing 14 contains an opening 86 which allows a toothbrush handle 76 to be slid therethrough.
Turning now to FIG. 5, some important features of a [0045] toothbrush 78 will now be described. Typically, the toothbrush 78 contains a head 80 and the handle 76 that are interconnected by a neck 82. A plurality of bristles 84 are perpendicularly disposed from the head 80.
Looking at FIGS. 4 and 5, a pair of opposing [0046] blades 88 are angularly disposed from inner walls 90 of the housing 14 so that their tips 92 lie at a predetermined distance apart over the bottom of the housing 14. The toothbrush 78 is inserted into the housing 14 by sliding the handle 76 through the opening 86. The blade tips 92 catch a portion of the neck 82 thereby supporting the toothbrush 78.
Angularly slanting the tips [0047] 92 allows for drainage of excess fluid that invariably falls from the bristles 84 after using the toothbrush 78. The angular opposing blades 88 are somewhat flexible which further allows the tips 92 to accommodate toothbrush necks 82 of differing sizes.
The [0048] housing 14 is sized to substantially enclose the toothbrush head 80 and bristles 84. Therefore, the closed door 66 effectively prevents foreign matter from reaching the head 80 and bristles 84. As an added feature, the housing 14 comes in a variety of colors and designs to provide a decorative look in any bathroom.
Many people like to take their toothbrush with them when they travel or go on vacation. Therefore, one simply removes the [0049] housing 14 from the mounting bracket 12 for sanitary storing of the toothbrush 78 in their luggage during travel.
In a preferred embodiment, the [0050] housing 14 is one piece molded from a suitable plastic material. The height of the housing 14 is two inches with a one and one eighth inch width and depth. The mounting bracket 12 is separately one piece molded from the suitable plastic material so that the track member 18 snugly mates with the retaining jacket 32. Using methods known in the art, the adhesive layer 26 is applied to the mounting surface 20 and then covered with the surface cover 24 prior to packaging.
To install the portable [0051] toothbrush storage device 10, one simply removes the surface cover 24 and presses the base support 16 to the supporting surface 22. After waiting a few moments for the mounting bracket 12 to become adhered to the supporting structure 22, the housing 14 is mated to the mounting bracket 12 by sliding the retaining jacket 32 over the track member 18. Finally the toothbrush 78 is slid into position inside the housing 14.
In still another embodiment, the [0052] housing 14 is mated to the mounting bracket 12 via velcro 96, 98 shown in FIG. 8.
Various changes and modifications, other than those described above in the preferred embodiment of the invention described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. While the invention has been described with respect to certain preferred embodiments and exemplifications, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention thereby, but solely by the claims appended hereto. [0053]
[0054] 10 Toothbrush storage device
[0055] 12 Mounting bracket
[0056] 14 Housing
[0057] 16 Base Support
[0058] 18 Track member
[0059] 20 Mounting surface
[0060] 22 Supporting structure
[0061] 24 Surface cover
[0062] 26 Adhesive layer
[0063] 28 Second mounting bracket
[0064] 30 Screws
[0065] 32 Retaining jacket
[0066] 34 Rear surface of housing
[0067] 36 L-shaped uprights
[0068] 38 L-shaped cross member
[0069] 40 Inner surface
[0070] 42 Lower ends
[0071] 44 Upper ends of track member
[0072] 46 Bottom surface of cross member
[0073] 48 Projecting head
[0074] 50 Oblong opening
[0075] 52 Housing retaining surface
[0076] 54 Shank
[0077] 56 Larger opening
[0078] 58 Smaller opening
[0079] 60 Top
[0080] 62 Exposed shank length
[0081] 63 Sidewalls
[0082] 66 Door
[0083] 68 Releasable catch
[0084] 69 Stops
[0085] 70 Rib
[0086] 72 Hinge
[0087] 74 Floor
[0088] 76 Toothbrush handle
[0089] 78 Toothbrush
[0090] 80 Toothbrush head
[0091] 82 Toothbrush neck
[0092] 84 Bristles
[0093] 86 Opening
[0094] 88 Opening blades
[0095] 90 Inner walls
[0096] 92 Tips
[0097] 96 Velcro
[0098] 98 Velcro

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A toothbrush storage device which houses a toothbrush both fixedly and portably, wherein the toothbrush includes a head portion, a neck and a handle said toothbrush storage device comprising:

a mounting bracket;

mounting means for securing the mounting bracket to a supporting structure;

a housing for storing at least the head of the toothbrush, said housing comprising a bottom, a top, a pair of opposing sidewalls and a door, said door being partially rotatable about a sidewall; and

releasable securing means for releasably securing the housing to the mounting bracket, said securing means comprising a first mating means disposed on the mounting bracket and a second mating means disposed on the housing.

2. The toothbrush storage device of claim 1, wherein said bottom includes an opening therethrough.

3. The toothbrush storage device of claim 2, further including a pair of opposing blades extending inward from said opposing sidewalls.

4. The toothbrush storage device of claim 3, wherein said pair of opposing blades extend angularly downward from said opposing sidewalls.

5. The toothbrush storage device of claim 4, wherein each of opposing blades includes a tip, said tips being separated by a distance less than the width of the toothbrush head, so that the tips can support the toothbrush without the head falling between their separation.

6. The toothbrush storage device of claim 1 further including hinging means which allow partial rotation of the door about said sidewalls.

7. The toothbrush storage device of claim 5 further including hinging means which allow partial rotation of the door about said sidewalls.

8. The toothbrush storage device of claim 1 further including securing means for securing the door in the closed position.

9. The toothbrush storage device of claim 5 further including securing means for securing the door in the closed position.

10. The toothbrush storage device of claim 2, wherein said opening extends from the front edge of the bottom towards the rear end of the bottom.

11. The toothbrush storage device of claim 5, wherein said distance includes a width of between one quarter and one half inch.

12. The toothbrush storage device of claim 1 further including velcro disposed on said housing and velcro disposed on said mounting bracket for mating said housing to said mounting bracket.

13. The toothbrush storage device of claim 1 wherein said housing includes a width of between {fraction (3/4)} inch and 2 inches.

14. A toothbrush storage device which houses a toothbrush both fixedly and portably, wherein the toothbrush includes a head portion, a neck and a handle said toothbrush storage device comprising:

a mounting bracket;

mounting means for securing the mounting bracket to a supporting structure;

a housing for storing at least the head of the toothbrush, said housing comprising

a bottom, wherein said bottom includes an opening therethrough,

a top,

a pair of opposing sidewalls, and

a door, said door being partially rotatable about a sidewall;

hinging means which allow partial rotation of the door about said sidewalls;

securing means for securing the door in the closed position;

a pair of opposing blades extending inward from said opposing sidewalls; and

15. The toothbrush storage device of claim 14, wherein said pair of opposing blades extend angularly downward from said opposing sidewalls.

16. The toothbrush storage device of claim 15, wherein each of opposing blades includes a tip, said tips being separated by a distance less than the width of the toothbrush head, so that the tips can support the toothbrush without the head falling between their separation.

17. The toothbrush storage device of claim 16, wherein said distance includes a width of between one quarter and one half inch.

18. The toothbrush storage device of claim 17 wherein said housing includes a height of between one and three inches.

19. The toothbrush storage device of claim 18 wherein said housing includes a width of between {fraction (3/4)} inch and 2 inches.

20. The toothbrush storage device of claim 14, wherein said opening extends from the front edge of the bottom towards the rear end of the bottom.