Patent Application
20150129522
The present invention relates generally to as toothbrush holder. More specifically, the present invention provides a two element toothbrush holder including a flexible mat upon which is supported a divider element including a plurality of notched recesses for supporting an equal number of toothbrushes in a substantially lay flat condition in which the bristle ends are elevated at an acute angle relative to the surface of the mat.
The prior art is documented with examples of toothbrush holders. One such type of a holder provides for supporting any number of toothbrushes in a vertically supported fashion, such as within a cup or like container. A shortcoming of such holders is the tendency of water and the like puddling at the base of the container, thus resulting in unsanitary conditions.
Additional prior art references are known for supporting toothbrushes in an angled fashion. These include such as the one piece toothbrush holder of Root D504,587 and the neck supporting splashguard and support assembly for a toothbrush depicted in Blue, U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,516.
The present invention is a two piece toothbrush holder which provides the combined benefits of sanitary support of one or more brushes and its bristles, combined with convenient transportability. A flexible mat exhibits a synthetic polymeric or plasticized construction (such as in particular an anti-bacterial or sanitary plastic) and is converted between a lay flat (use) position and roll up (storage) position.
A divider element is provided, such exhibiting a rigid constructed synthetic polymer (one example of which being a nylon or like material which can also exhibit suitable anti bacterial properties). The divider element can, in one non-limiting embodiment, exhibit a generally three dimensional rectangular configuration with a flat bottom surface and which allows the divider element to be supported in width-wise fashion upon the flexible mat, such as in a selected end proximate location.
A plurality of notched recesses or channels are formed into an upper surface of the divider element and winch are adapted for supporting an angled neck associated with up to an equal number of toothbrushes. In this fashion, the toothbrushes can be supported in a substantially lay flat condition in which the bristle ends are elevated at an acute angle relative to the surface of the mat. Additional to the ease of, use and portability for travel, the present design also avoids the unsanitary advantages of prior art toothbrush holders, in particular in such instances where dirty water and other contaminants tend to run down from the bristles to the base of the brush and pool within the holder, such often creating bacteria and the like.
Reference will now be made to the attached drawings, when read in combination with the following detailed description, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:
Referring now to each of
A flexible mat 12 exhibits a substantially flattened rectangular shape, such as corresponding in general length and width dimensions of up to several inches apiece (as well as a further thickness dimension of typically a 1/16″ to ⅛″ of an inch). The mat 12 exhibits a synthetic polymeric or plasticized construction (such as in particular an anti-bacterial or sanitary plastic) and is converted between a lay flat (use) position, for supporting within its outer defined perimeter the toothbrushes, and a roll up (storage) position. Without limitation, the mat 12 can include any synthetic polymer or other flexible material which can also possess anti-bacterial properties.
A divider element 14 is provided, such exhibiting a resiliently rigid constructed synthetic polymer (one example of which being a nylon or like material which can also exhibit suitable anti-bacterial properties). The divider element can, in one non-limiting embodiment, exhibit a generally three dimensional rectangular configuration (as shown) with a flat bottom surface 16 and which allows the divider element to be supported in width-wise fashion upon the flexible mat 12, such as in a selected end proximate location as depicted in order to correspond to the dimension and placement of the individual brushes, see at 2, 4, 6 and 8.
A plurality of notched recesses or channels, see substantially semi-circular shaped concave recesses at 18, 20, 22 and 24, are formed into an upper surface (collectively referenced by spaced apart locations 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34) of the divider element 14. As further shown, the recesses 18-24 are adapted or otherwise dimensioned for supporting an angled neck associated with up to an equal number of toothbrushes 2, 4, 6 and 8 and, along with the intervening spaced locations 26-34, are dimensioned with a given thickness consistent with the divider element 14 in order to support a generally neck location of each toothbrush 2-8 while retaining the overall acute angular relationship of the toothbrush with the surface of the flexible mat.
In this fashion, and as shown in each of
Additional to the ease of, use and portability for travel, the present design also avoids the unsanitary advantages of prior art toothbrush holders, in particular in such instances where dirty water and other contaminants tend to run down from the bristles to the base of the brush and pool within the holder, such often creating bacteria and the like.
Finally,
Additional variants can include the mat and divider element being produced as a single piece, this including injection molding or otherwise forming a composite article with one or more different synthetic materials. It is also envisioned that the configuration and dimensions of the mat or the divider can be modified within the scope of the invention. This can include such as redesigning the notches in the divider to exhibit any angled or other recess profile, as well as redesigning the overall profile of the divider element from the three dimensional rectangular shape as shown.
Having described my invention, other and additional preferred embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains, and without deviating from the scope of the appended claims.
