US2503924A

US2503924A - Folding toothbrush and container therefor

Info

Publication number: US2503924A
Application number: US665237A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ted R Stacery; Roy H Lesner
Original assignee: TOTEBRUSH Inc
Current assignee: TOTEBRUSH Inc
Priority date: 1946-04-26
Filing date: 1946-04-26
Publication date: 1950-04-11
Anticipated expiration: 1967-04-11

Description

April 11, 1950 T. R. sTAcEY ETAL.

FOLDING TOOTHBRUSH AND CONTAINER THEREF'OR Filed April 26, 194e IHIL Patented Apr. l1, 1950 t FQLDLINGLTDD'THBRUSILAND CONTAINER l "THEREFDR -Te'd ReSrtacei/taax-idiloy H.:Lesner,i(lhicago,lill., nf assignorseby inesne` alssignmentso ,to Totebrush, findencorporaltnmf Illinois i'lihis invention a:` relates tto irxoothbrushes, iand 'particularly folto tra rfoldingfLtocithl'lrush :rcornbind 'with a, `receptacle to receivethe tolthbrush in .ioldedntcondition;'thefessemblyzben gsmllend compactaridi` henceradaptedifor: use: yytravelers 'and scthersf towiwhomwcompactnessaand 'ease' of .sportialollity` are .important f: considerations.

fOne .wprincipal object :not `:the l invention :fis tto iprovlde "a, f folding toothbrush 'zzhavin'g fifa, :handle portion tendra?ibrushxportion Ifoldable @with :re- `specti.ltoione` another,iiandinovelemeansfor locking?J the' Vportions ine extended* p'o'sitiomiWherebrazol :brushhaving wsubste ntiaillyfthel."samer` rigidityrL-as 1a. iconvention'alr toothbrush l results ,n suchazrneans fincludingfimembers slidble iwith= respectvto the ifhandlewportionif and engageble'ioverrtwo `opposed Idees ofY the brushzportion.

' AAnother f 'objecti isflto i lprovideeai folding?J `tooth-v brush 'having f ai handle @portioni and allbrushwportion hinged together and including a, latchtfor loclzingftlie @parts in extended, li. te.. `ioperetive, lpos'itionithey actuating `aperti of'rtheilatchhbeing soformed asltoiconstitute e; convenient=zand comifort able-fp art. of the han die.

1"`;Sti1l tanotherfr object 'is l@ toothbrush as :aforesaid: and: afcasef-therfonithe Llatter shaving `portsy snuglytting'ztheffoldedibrush tor prevent :i foreign-:matterrvfrommcontamineting the -rbrush, the .bris"tles `ivvherec'af are sfaconcea'led "within the oase.

Afu'rther object isto provides atoldingxltooth- :fbrush endroits@` las aforesaid; thexcaseihavingm ,flosed spece ftherein'lfto receivers.V powdered-i dentifriceiorf wntainer 1thereof,t: Lthe:siteceivbengi` ac- -'cessible'f by means-sofi a du'stprodffclosure.

"'Other objects will 'z appear :asia-,theedescription @proceeds fthe ytoothbrush 1in-partially fuiolded'iposition;the

formi of'iscase.

-`and` yI 2 mayfbe liiolcledsinto thencompact'lforntin- :dicated inf dottediflines :in Figi; 2.

To :maintain operative:` alignmentof aparts ff I' I and I2,'fthereis aprovidedl: latclrimeans including a pad 2;I ,'rarnger 22 ,-rendi:alsex-'ew` 23, allfslidable zasaa,runtwth'respect.. tozfbodyzportlonf I 5. '.ifFinger `2 2 is: preferably of, 'stainless'steel for? strengthI and resistancertor. rusting, and'y is "slidabletzinr aligned and is threaded therenttherrhedoftherscrew be noted i thatf-byzsinking thefngerfnWithin the recess@ 24,;amush'i surface; is' provided oxrithe rearflface fof tithe :unfolded brush, andvwiththis 'the 'absence vfof objectionableprojectionsy f which wouldiprovef:uncon'lfortable'lto: the :usen f More- 'over -it is tofbe-:noted I that theiatch operating* `Ddd is curvilinear fion .zut :exterior "face'iato fit :Scomifortablywwithin' th fnggersr the-:.user. #To-atefford'zclearanceazf their'slfninl offxthe-fscrewlthe Llongitudnliyf lottedzteataialamd litsc/m'cmrenmntltd:flocking-positionmwoldxitttketup a position intermediate the pivot and the bottom of the recess 24 thereby to supplement the locking action by restraining tendency of the latch to bend upon application of excessive force by the user.

Accordingly, when pad 2| is to the right, as seen in -'=Fig. y7, the pad and nger 22 lie against opposite faces of the brush portion I3 to retain the same in extended position with respect to the handle portion I2; and when pad 2| is moved to the left, the pad and finger are freed from engagement with portion I3 to permit the latter to be folded about handle portion I5 and into the position of Fig. 2. If desired, the outer convex face of pad 2I may be corrugated or knurled for more positive engagement by the fingers.

One of the outstanding advantages of the instant construction resides in utilizing both the latch and the latch operating pad to render the unfolded brush rigid while in use. Thus, referring to Fig. '7- it is noted that the finger 22 and pad 2l, when in locking position; embrace between them the brush portion I3, and by careful fitting of the parts, i. e., providing minimum sliding clearance, the brush portion I3 may be made quite rigid with respect to the handle portion I5.

The case (Figs. 2 and 4) for receiving the folded brush and the dentifrice comprises a boxlike housing,l preferably of molded plastic composition, having side walls 4I, a bottom wall 42, atop wall 43, -a front wall 44, and a rear wall 45. Side' walls 4I and front wall 44 extend upwardly beyond wall 43 to provide with the same a compartment into which the folded brush may be 1 snugly fitted (Figs. 2 and 3). By allowing the hinged connection to protrude beyond the wall 45, manual engagement of the brush for removal thereof from the case is facilitated. In order to receive the bristles I4 of the brush, wall 43 is offset for a portion of its length (Fig. 2) and wall 44 is extended upwardly to meet handle portion I5 whereby the bristles are confined in a space which is closed except for the Ventilating perforations 45 iny walls 4I whereby consequent drying of the damp bristles may be accelerated.

`To secure the brush more rmly intermediate the walls 4 I, the latter may be provided With shallow depressions 41 with which corresponding protrusions 48 (Fig. 6) on the handle portion I5 may engage, the inherent elasticity of the walls 4I permitting such engagement and subsequent easy disengagement. f Itis to be noted particularly from Fig. 2 tha when the brush is in assembled position, the

ears II-I and I'I-II protrude beyond the side walls 4 I--4I thereby providing a handle orngerpiece for dislodgment of the brush from its com'- partment when it is to be removed for use.

Walls

4I, 42, 44, and 45 together dene a compartment 5I for the reception of powdered or liquid dentifrice, access to such compartment being by way of a knurled screw plug 52 threadedly inserted in an aperture -53 in wall 44.

vAs an alternative form of case, the embodiment of Fig. 10 maybe provided. In so far as the relationship of the folded brush and case are concerned, the description hereinbefore is deemed suicient. However, for use by those Awho prefer paste dentifrice in a tube, the front wall 44 is modified as shown. Thus the walls 4I are grooved at ISI- 6I to receive the corresponding tongues B2 of the sliding closure 63, the latter forming with the

walls

4I, 42, 43, and 45 a compartment 64 for the reception of a tube of denti- 4 frice 65. A recess 6G in the outer face of the closure 63 permits engagement by a, nger to slide the closure from closed to open position for removal and insertion of the tube 65 in the compartment 64. When closure 63 is moved to closing position, an integral projection 61 therein will abut wall 43 to limit movement there-of, and when closure B3 is moved to open position, the inwardly curved extremity 68 will abut the wall `43 to limit movement in that direction. It will be understood that projection 61 will be assembled with closure 53 after the latter has been engaged with the grooves 6I.

While we have shown particular embodiments of our invention, it will be understood, of course, that we do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made, and we therefore contemplate by the appended claims to cover any'such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of our invention.

Having thus' described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A folding toothbrush or the like and a receptacle therefor, the receptacle comprising `a body having a dentifrice-holding chamber and a brush-receiving compartment, the body having side Walls, end walls and top and bottom walls, the side walls being extended beyond said top wall to dene said compartment, the toothbrush including a brush part and a handle part and hinge means interconnecting said parts to enable said brush to be folded for insertion in said compartment, the said side walls having pro- `iections extending interiorly thereof, and at least one of said brush parts having depressions adapted -to be engaged by said projections, the said extended portions of said side walls being comprised of resilient material to facilitate engagement'of said projections with said depressions.

2. A foldingtoothbrush or the like and a receptacle therefor, the receptacle comprising a body havingy a pair of side walls, a pair` of end walls, a bottom wall and a partition wall spaced below the top of the side walls to dene With the side walls, end walls and bottom Wall a dentifricereceiving chamber, said chamber having an aperture and a closure therefor for access to the ln'- terior thereof, the extension `of said side walls beyond said partition wall forming a brush-receiving compartment, said brush including a brush part and a handle part and hinge means interconnecting said parts to enable said brush to be folded for insertion in said compartment, the width of said brush being equal to the distance between said extended side walls, and-.said side walls being comprised of resilient material whereby upon assembly of the folded brush intermediate said side walls frictional engagement ofthe brush results.

3. A.folding toothbrush or the like and a receptacle therefor, the receptacle comprising a body having a pair of side Walls, a pair of end walls, a bottom wall, and a partition wall spaced below the top of said side walls to define a dentifrice-receiving chamber, the extension of said side walls beyond said partition wall forming a brush-receiving compartment, said brushincluding a brush part and a handle part and hinge means interconnecting said parts to enable said brush to be folded for insertion in said compartment, the folded length of said brush being-equal to the length of said side walls, and the hinge means, when the folded brush is assembled in Y said receptacle, protruding exteriorly of said side walls to provide a finger piece for removal of said brush from said receptacle, and frictional means common to said brush and side Walls for maintaining the folded brush in assembled position in the compartment.

4. A folding toothbrush or the like and a receptacle therefor, the receptacle comprising a body having a dentifrice-holding chamber and a brush-receiving compartment, the body havingr side walls, end Walls and top and bottom walls, the side Walls being extended beyond said top Wall to define said compartment, the toothbrush including a brush part and a handle part and hinge means interconnecting said parts to enable said brush to be folded for insertion in said compartment, the said side Walls having projections extending interiorly thereof, at least one of said brush parts having depressions adapted to be engaged by said projections, the said extended portions of said side walls being comprised of resilient material to facilitate engagement of said projections with said depressions, the outer surface of the folded brush and the outer edges of the Walls being so constructed and arranged as to be coterminous and to form one substantially unbroken surface when the brush is inserted into the compartment.

5. A folding toothbrush or the like and a receptacle therefor, the receptacle comprising a body having a pair of side walls, a pair of end Walls, a bottom wall and a partition wall spaced below the top of the side Walls to define with the side walls, end walls and bottom wall a denti- Hice-receiving chamber, said chamber having an aperture and a closure therefor for access to the .brush results, the brush and extended side Walls each being provided with interengagng means for locking the brush in position in the compartment.

TED R. STACEY. ROY H. LESNER.

REFERENCES CITED The fo11owing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 846,058 Schmidt Mar. 5, 1907 1,546,219 Enzer et al July 14, 1925 1,914,240 Caldwell June 13, 1933 2,111,181 Findley Mar. 15, 1938 2,228,679 Tedesco 1 Jan. 14, 1941 2,399,660 Boulicault May 7, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 786,811 France Sept. 10. 1935