1. Field of the Invention
This application claim benefit to provisional Application 60/009,323 Dec. 28, 1995.
The instant invention relates generally to toothbrushes, but may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described herein. More specifically it relates to an assembly which may contain a combination of appealing qualities.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are various advantages in storing a toothbrush in an upright position, and numerous patents have disclosed holders or stands for retaining a toothbrush in a vertical position when placed on a horizontal surface. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,889 (Barre) discloses a toothbrush assembly including a toothbrush and a stand for holding the brush. The stand includes a cup portion having a cavity within, wherein the brush handle can be inserted. A pair of legs separate and unattached to one another support and are connected to the cup portion. Further included is a foot for each leg, each foot being connected to the lower end of the leg opposite the cup portion. The feet are also separate and unattached from one another. U.S. Pat. Des. 369,932 and U.S. Pat. Des. 370,147 (Petronio) discloses a toothbrush holder in the shape of a torso having a front and rear portion. The front portion includes a recess extending therethrough, wherein a brush handle can be inserted, Further included, extending from the front portion, is a pair of feet which are separate and unattached from one another. A tail section extends from the rear portion. While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.
A first object of the present invention is to provide an assembly that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
A second object is to provide an assembly, comprising a toothbrush having a first and second end, and a stand for receiving the second end of the brush handle therein, thereby retaining the handle in a vertical position when the stand is placed on a horizontal surface.
A third object is to provide an assembly, in which the stand is releasably connected to the toothbrush handle.
A forth object is to provide an assembly, in which the stand is a pair of feet which are positioned together to form a continuous bottom supporting surface and a single heel portion, wherein the single heel portion includes a recess for selectively receiving the second end of the toothbrush handle therein.
A fifth object is to provide an article assembly, in which a base is connected to the bottom side of the foot stand for providing additional stability to the foot stand.
A sixth object is to provide an article assembly, in which the base includes a recess extending therethrough and in alignment with the recess in the foot stand for additionally receiving the receivable end of the article therein, for providing additional stability to the foot stand and article.
A seventh object is to provide an article assembly, that is simple and easy to use.
An eight object is to provide an article assembly, that is economical in cost to manufacture.
Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.
With regard to
If desired, a base 9 could be connected to a bottom side of stand 5 as shown in
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two together, may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described are pointed out in the annexed claims, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the sprit of the present invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic aspects of this invention.
This application is a continuation of U.S. Utility Application 08/777,032, filed on Dec. 30, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,532. The earlier filing date of this application is hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C 120.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
D155668 | Zandberg et al. | Oct 1949 | S |
2539035 | Scanlon et al. | Jan 1951 | A |
D197309 | Feverbacher | Jan 1964 | S |
3138813 | Kaplan | Jun 1964 | A |
3140782 | Schulte | Jul 1964 | A |
D209574 | Zandberg et al. | Dec 1967 | S |
D279248 | Oliver | Jun 1985 | S |
5269420 | Harrison et al. | Dec 1993 | A |
5353464 | Atkins et al. | Oct 1994 | A |
5444889 | Barre | Aug 1995 | A |
D363166 | Perrine | Oct 1995 | S |
D369932 | Petronio | May 1996 | S |
D370146 | Petronio | May 1996 | S |
D370147 | Petronio | May 1996 | S |
5590436 | Wright | Jan 1997 | A |
5675859 | Barre | Oct 1997 | A |
D388254 | Schiffer | Dec 1997 | S |
D392464 | Jesiolowski | Mar 1998 | S |
D395757 | Schiffer | Jul 1998 | S |
6015328 | Glaser | Jan 2000 | A |
6026532 | Catanzaro | Feb 2000 | A |
6141815 | Harrison et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 08777032 | Dec 1996 | US |
Child | 09505791 | US |