U.S. patent number 3,881,868 [Application Number 05/433,388] was granted by the patent office on 1975-05-06 for toothbrush holder and sterilizer.
Invention is credited to Edna Mae Duke.
United States Patent |
3,881,868 |
Duke |
May 6, 1975 |
Toothbrush holder and sterilizer
Abstract
A toothbrush holder and sterilizer having a cylindrical body
with an interior shoulder adjacent the upper end and a perforated
bottom wall with an annular flange extending downwardly relative to
the body. A fluid reservoir upstanding from the bottom wall, the
reservoir being open at the top and having a plurality of annularly
spaced openings spaced downwardly of the upper end of the
reservoir. There is also an exterior shoulder adjacent the upper
end of the reservoir in the same plane as the shoulder at the upper
end of the body to support an annular disk having a plurality of
spaced openings for reception of toothbrushes. A shallow cup is
disposed on the flange on the bottom of the body for reception of
condensed disinfectant or the like which will flow through the
openings or perforations in the bottom wall. Any suitable
disinfectant, antiseptic, germicide or the like in liquid form, is
disposed in the reservoir and the fumes from the disinfectant pass
upwardly and out of the upper end of the reservoir into the chamber
where the bristled ends of the toothbrushes are disposed.
Inventors: |
Duke; Edna Mae (South Gate,
CA) |
Family
ID: |
23719974 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/433,388 |
Filed: |
March 6, 1974 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/209.1;
206/486; 312/206; 206/63.5; 206/520 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61L
2/20 (20130101); A47K 1/09 (20130101); A45D
44/18 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A45D
44/00 (20060101); A47K 1/08 (20060101); A45D
44/18 (20060101); A47K 1/09 (20060101); A61L
2/20 (20060101); A61l 003/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;21/83,122
;206/63.5,485,486,515,519,520 ;312/206 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Richman; Barry S.
Assistant Examiner: Lovercheck; Dale
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Baisch; J. Carroll
Claims
I claim:
1. A toothbrush holder and sterilizing device comprising:
a wall defining a holder body; a bottom wall fixedly attached to
said holder body wall at the lower end of said body, said bottom
wall having a plurality of perforations therethrough;
a substantially imperforate tubular reservoir means for holding
sterilizing liquid extending upwardly from the bottom wall and
closed at the lower end by said bottom wall, the upper end of said
reservoir being open, the reservoir being defined by a tubular wall
of smaller cross-sectional area than the interior cross-sectional
area of the body, the space between the wall of the body and the
wall of the reservoir defining a sterilizing chamber
therebetween;
an annular disk having a plurality of spaced apart toothbrush
handle receiving openings through said annular disk, said disk
having a central opening therethrough for accommodating the upper
end of said tubular reservoir, said holder body having means for
supporting said disk adjacent the upper end of the body, the
perforations in said bottom wall acting to drain any liquid which
would otherwise accumulate within said chamber; a drainage cup
mounted at the lower end of said holder body below said
perforations in said bottom wall for collecting liquid draining
through said perforations; and
a removable cap for the upper end of the body.
2. The invention defined by claim 1, wherein the collecting cup is
removably mounted on said holder body.
3. The invention defined by claim 1, wherein the bottom wall has a
plurality of channels in the upper side thereof, said channels
communicating with the openings in the bottom wall.
4. The invention defined by claim 3, wherein said channels are
inclined downwardly toward respective openings in the bottom wall.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to toothbrush holders and relates
more particularly to toothbrush holders having means for
sterilizing the brushes.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
Various devices have been proposed for holding and sterilizing
toothbrushes but these generally are complicated in construction
and hence are difficult and expensive to manufacture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention comprises a cylindrical body having a bottom wall
with perforations therein and a tubular reservoir upstanding from
said bottom wall. The reservoir is open at the top and is provided
with a plurality of annularly spaced openings providing
communication between the interior of the upper end of the
reservoir and an annular chamber defined by the annular wall of the
body, the bottom wall and the reservoir. There is an annular
interior shoulder at the upper end of the wall of the body and
there is also an annular exterior shoulder at the upper end of the
reservoir. These shoulders are in a common plane and an annular
donut-shaped disk is removably disposed on these shoulders. A
plurality of annularly spaced openings or holes are provided in the
disk for reception of the handles of toothbrushes. The handles
depend into the annular chamber below the disk and the parts of the
toothbrushes having bristles are disposed above the disk. There is
a cap having an annular interior shoulder adjacent the free edge
and said cap is removably disposed on the upper end of the body and
provides a compartment in which the bristled parts of the
toothbrushes are disposed. At the bottom end of the body, there is
an annular flange which extends below the plane of the bottom wall
and a bottom cup is disposed on this flange to thereby provide a
collecting chamber for condensed disinfectant, antiseptic or the
like which is disposed in the lower portion of the reservoir and is
in liquidated form. These fumes are adapted to pass from the
reservoir into the compartment by way of the open end of the
reservoir and additional fumes pass from the reservoir into the
annular chamber through the openings in the reservoir wall adjacent
the upper end of said reservoir. Fumes that condense in the
compartment will flow downwardly into the chamber by way of the
openings in which the toothbrushes are disposed and hence will flow
into the collecting chamber by way of the holes in the bottom wall
of the body. There are channels in the top of the bottom wall
leading to the respective holes to facilitate drainage into said
holes and thence to the collecting chamber.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a toothbrush
holder and sterilizer that is simple in construction and relatively
inexpensive to manufacture.
It is another object of the invention to provide a device of this
character having means for supporting toothbrushes and for
subjecting them to the disinfectant, antiseptic, germicide and the
like.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of this
character wherein a liquid disinfectant, antiseptic, germicide in a
reservoir from which the fumes will pass into the compartment in
which the bristled parts of the brushes are disposed.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of
this character having a cup defining a collecting chamber into
which condensed fumes pass.
Still another object of the invention is to provide drainage means
for facilitating drainage into the collecting cup or chamber.
The characteristics and advantages of the invention are further
sufficiently referred to in connection with the following detailed
description of the accompanying drawings, which represent one
embodiment. After considering this example, skilled persons will
understand that many variations may be made without departing from
the principles disclosed and I contemplate the employment of any
structures, arrangements or modes of operation that are properly
within the scope of the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to the drawings which are for illustrative purposes
only:
FIG. 1 is a top plane view of a device embodying the present
invention;
Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2; and
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a
device embodying the present invention and having a cylindrical
body, indicated generally at 10, defined by a cylindrical wall 12.
The lower end of the body 10 is closed by a wall 14 having openings
or perforations 16 therein, there being channels 18 in said bottom
wall inclined towards the openings 16 for drainage of condensed
fumes of a disinfectant, or the like, as will be described more
fully hereinafter. A cylindrical tubular reservoir, indicated
generally at 20, is defined by cylindrical wall 22 which is
upstanding from the bottom 14. The reservoir is open at its upper
end and there are a plurality of openings 24 in the wall 22 of the
reservoir spaced downwardly of the upper end of the reservoir. Wall
12 of the body has an interior shoulder 26 and the wall of the
reservoir 22 has an exterior shoulder 28 adjacent its upper
end.
An annular donut-shaped disk 30 is removably disposed on the
shoulders 26 and 28 and said disk is provided with a plurality of
annularly spaced openings 32 for reception of the handles of
toothbrushes so that said handles depend into an annular chamber 34
defined by the walls of the body and the reservoir, it being noted
that the exterior diameter of the reservoir is substantially
smaller than the interior diameter of the body. A toothbrush is
indicated generally at 36, the bristled portion being indicated at
38 and the handle being indicated at 40.
Body wall 12 has a longitudinal extension or flange 42 below the
bottom wall 14 and there is a shallow cup 44 in which the flange 42
is received. The cup provides a collecting chamber 48 for conducted
fumes and since the cup is removable, liquid that has been
collected therein, may be disposed of after the cup has been
removed.
The upper end of the body is provided with a cap 50 having an
interior shoulder 52 which rests on the upper end of the body wall
12 when the cap is in place. A compartment 54 is defined by the cap
and the disk 30, the bristled ends 38 of toothbrushes disposed in
the device being in said compartment 54.
While only one toothbrush has been shown, it is to be understood
that a plurality of brushes may be placed in the device in the
openings 32 and when it is desired to use a toothbrush, the cap is
removed and the toothbrush removed from its opening.
When toothbrushes are not in use, they are disposed in the device
and liquid disinfectant, antiseptic, germicide or the like is
disposed in the lower portion of the reservoir as indicated at
58.
Fumes from the antiseptic or the like will pass into the
compartment 54 by way of the open upper end of the reservoir while
some of the fumes will also pass through the openings 24 in the
reservoir wall into the annular chamber 34. When these fumes
condense, they condensate in compartment 54, flow through the
openings 32 and into the chamber 34. These fumes as well as the
fumes condensed in the chamber 34, will flow onto the bottom wall
in the channels 18 and through the openings 16 into the collecting
chamber.
From the foregoing, it will be apparent that a sanitary toothbrush
holder and sterilizer is provided. The device also protects the
toothbrushes from air-carried germs, or bacteria or the like.
The device is simple and economical and relatively inexpensive to
manufacture. Also, when it is desired to use a toothbrush, it is
readily accessible by removal of the cap and is easy to remove. It
is also equally easy to replace and with the replacing of the
cover, the device is fully effective to provide the advantages
hereandabove described.
The invention and its attendant advantages will be understood from
the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various
changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of
the parts without departing from the spirit or scope thereof or
sacrificing its material advantages, the arrangement hereinbefore
described being merely by way of example and I do not wish to be
restricted to the specific form shown or uses mentioned except as
defined in the accompanying claims.
* * * * *