Patent Application
20220401200
The present invention relates generally to the field of electric toothbrushes. More specifically, the present invention relates to a safety cover or liner for an electric toothbrush base. The safety cover or liner is placed on top/charging surface of an electric toothbrush charger for acting as a barrier between the charger and base of the electric toothbrush. The cover can include designs and prints to match the toothbrush and can have an antimicrobial layer. A continuous hole or cutout in the cover or space can be used for receiving and circumscribing the charging pin(s) of the charger. The cover can be placed on the top of a charger surface to eliminate contact of the base of the toothbrush with the sink surface. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices and methods of manufacture.
Everyone is aware that brushing teeth is necessary for adding to the health and longevity of the teeth, and also necessary for a pleasant appearance, oral health and pleasant smelling breath. In fact, dentists recommend that one's teeth be brushed once in the morning, after every meal and once prior to retiring to bed at night. Typical electric toothbrushes comprise a handle section accommodating a motor, a power source and a switch to control the motor. The electric toothbrushes are recharged using a charging unit that is portable and is generally kept on a bathroom sink. Users also generally keep the electric toothbrushes directly on the sink in an upright position, mounted on the charger.
However, bacteria such as Streptococcus, Campylobacter and Escherichia coli (E. coli) are present in the bathroom, and specifically near the sink area where the users generally keep their toothbrushes and electric toothbrush chargers. These bacteria can cause painful symptoms such as stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. Further, the used toothbrush and the toothbrush chargers also attract bacteria, as the bacteria thrive more in damp areas. Therefore, damp toothbrushes and chargers are a source of bacteria and other pathogens which can accumulate on the toothbrush and potentially spread to the mouth area of the user.
Currently available devices and solutions cover and protect the bristles of the toothbrush from pathogens, but no device is available that protects the handle, base and other portions of the toothbrush from the pathogens. These pathogens can then reach the mouth from subsequent use of the components.
Specifically, for electric toothbrushes the chargers are a great source of contamination, as the charging surface can be contaminated with bacteria. The chargers are generally not washed, and the bacteria and other pathogens keep accumulating and are transferred to the toothbrush when the toothbrush is charged using the charger.
Therefore, there exists a long felt need in the art for a toothbrush safety device that ensures that the base of the toothbrush remains clean and contaminate free. There is also a long felt need in the art for a toothbrush safety device that provides safe storage of the electric toothbrush and the charger unit. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for a toothbrush safety device that eliminates transmission of pathogens from the charger unit to the electric toothbrush. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for a toothbrush safety device that is cost-effective and disposable. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for a toothbrush safety device that can be used with any conventional electric toothbrush and charger unit. Furthermore, there is a long felt need in the art for a toothbrush safety device that eliminates contact of a toothbrush with the sink area. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a toothbrush safety device that enables a user to quickly secure and store the toothbrush immediately after use.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a liner or protective cover for a base of an electric toothbrush to prevent the toothbrush from contamination. The liner or protective cover is disposable, and is designed to be placed on the top of a charging surface of the electric toothbrush charger or on a sink surface, and acts as a protective barrier for the base of the electric toothbrush. More specifically, the toothbrush charger base liner comprises a single-unit disposable cover made up of a soft material and includes a top surface, a bottom surface and at least one continuous hole or cut-out for receiving and circumscribing a charging pin(s) of the charger. The cover can be placed on the charging surface of the charger with the bottom surface touching the charging surface of the charger and the top surface touching the base of an electric toothbrush, placed on the charger for charging or secure storage. The continuous cut-out opening enables the charging pin to insert into the charging slot disposed in the base of the electric toothbrush. Thus, the cover prevents the base of the toothbrush from touching the charging surface of the charger.
In this manner, the novel safety cover or liner for electric toothbrush chargers and holders accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives, and provides a relatively safe, cost-effective, easy to use, and disposable device to ensure that the base of the toothbrush remains clean and contaminate free. The cover prevents contamination by eliminating contact of the toothbrush base with the sink surface and with the top surface of a charger. The cover is disposable and enables a user to quickly secure and store the toothbrush immediately after use.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a disposable cover or liner for protecting a base of an electric toothbrush from contamination. The disposable cover or liner is designed to be placed on a top charging surface of the electric toothbrush charger, and acts as a protective barrier for the base of the electric toothbrush. More specifically, the disposable cover or liner comprises a single-unit disposable cover or liner made up of a soft material and includes a top surface, a bottom surface and at least one continuous hole or cut-out for receiving and circumscribing a charging pin(s) of the charger. The cover is placed on the charging surface of the charger with the bottom surface touching the charging surface of the charger, and the top surface touching the base of an electric toothbrush placed on the charger for charging or secure storage. The continuous cut-out hole or opening enables the charging pin to insert into the charging slot disposed in the base of the electric toothbrush. Thus, the cover prevents the base of the toothbrush from touching the charging surface of the charger.
In yet another embodiment, the disposable cover or liner includes a layer or coating of antimicrobial agent to kill microbes, and can include a logo or a trademark on the top surface for advertising and branding purposes.
In yet another embodiment, the cover is made up of one or more of cotton, nylon, or any other similar material, and preferably made up of triclosan and silver-based finished cotton including antimicrobial properties.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, an electric toothbrush kit is disclosed. The kit includes an electric toothbrush, a charging unit and one or more disposable covers or liners for protecting the base of the electric toothbrush from pathogens. The disposable cover or liner is configured to be placed on top of the charging unit before placing the electric toothbrush thereon, and thus acts as a barrier to eliminate contact between the base of the electric toothbrush and the top of the charging unit.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the kit can include a package of disposable covers or liners having a quantity from about six to about twelve disposable covers or liners.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method for protecting a base from an electric toothbrush from pathogens is described. The method includes placing a disposable cover or liner on a sink surface, then placing the base of the electric toothbrush on the cover in an upright manner to eliminate contact of the base with the sink surface.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, another method for protecting a base from an electric toothbrush from pathogens is described. The method includes selecting a liner or cover based on the dimensions and design of an electric toothbrush charger, then sliding the hole or cut-out of the cover over the charging pin(s) of the charger and placing the cover on the charging surface, thereafter placing the electric toothbrush on the cover such that the charging pin of the cover is inserted into the charging slot at the base of the toothbrush, wherein the cover acts a barrier between the charger and the base of the electric toothbrush.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:
The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.
As noted above, there exists a long felt need in the art for a toothbrush safety device that ensures that the base of the toothbrush remains clean and contaminate free. There is also a long felt need in the art for a toothbrush safety device that provides safe storage of the electric toothbrush and the charger unit. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for a toothbrush safety device that eliminates the transmission of pathogens from the charger unit to the electric toothbrush. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for a toothbrush safety device that is cost-effective and disposable. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for a toothbrush safety device that can be used with conventional electric toothbrushes and charger units. Furthermore, there is a long felt need in the art for a toothbrush safety device that eliminates contact of a toothbrush with the sink surface area. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a toothbrush safety device that enables a user to quickly secure and store the toothbrush immediately after use.
The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, includes a novel disposable cover or liner for protecting a base of an electric toothbrush from contamination. The disposable cover or liner is designed to be placed on a top charging surface of the electric toothbrush charger and acts a protective barrier for the base of the electric toothbrush. More specifically, the disposable cover or liner comprises a soft material and includes a top surface, a bottom surface and at least one continuous hole or cut-out for receiving and circumscribing a charging pin of the charger. In use, the cover is placed on the charging surface of the charger, with the bottom surface touching the charging surface of the charger and the top surface touching the base of an electric toothbrush placed on the charger for charging or secure storage. The continuous cut-out opening of the cover enables the charging pin(s) to be inserted, at least partially, into the charging slot disposed in the base of the electric toothbrush. In this way, the protective cover prevents the base of the toothbrush from touching the charging surface of the charger, and prevents the toothbrush from being contaminated with germs, etc.
Referring initially to the drawings,
The cover 100 can include a thickness 110 in the range from about 0.25 cm to about 1.00 cm. The diameter of the cover 100 can be configured to fit and cover the top surface of the conventionally available electric toothbrush chargers. Further, the cover 100 can come in multiple colors and designs. The cover 100 can be coated with a layer of antimicrobial agent to kill any germs that may stick to it. The cover 100 can be disposable and can be replaced after a certain duration such as a week, in order to reduce toothpaste residue that runs down the handle of the electric toothbrush and settles on the cover 100.
The cover 100 can also be used for placing the electric toothbrush or any conventional toothbrush on a sink surface. The cover 100 provides a stable and safe standing platform for the users to place an electric toothbrush.
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “electric toothbrush base protector”, “disposable cover for electric toothbrush base protector”, “electric toothbrush charger cover”, “disposable cover or liner”, “disposable fabric” and “cover” are interchangeable and refer to the disposable cover for electric toothbrush base protector 100, 600, 700 of the present invention.
Notwithstanding the forgoing, the disposable cover for electric toothbrush base protector 100, 600, 700 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above-stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size, configuration, and material of the disposable cover for electric toothbrush base protector 100, 600, 700 as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the disposable cover for electric toothbrush base protector 100, 600, 700 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the disposable cover for the electric toothbrush base protector 100, 600, 700 are important design parameters for user convenience, the disposable cover for electric toothbrush base protector 100, 600, 700 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.
Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.
What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/211,456, which was filed on Jun. 16, 2021 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63211456 | Jun 2021 | US |
