Patent Application
20250221577
Sanitary maintenance and storage of personal toiletry articles such as toothbrushes and razors is important to most individuals. While most people use a type of a holder for storing such articles at home, many such toiletry holders are too large and/or too heavy to be used as portable devices. As a result, when people are traveling, they are often in need of a sanitary solution for temporary storage of their toiletry articles. However, most hotels and other hospitality facilities prefer not to use toiletry holders such as toothbrush stands, as toothbrushes typically drip water and toothpaste. As a result, a permanent toothbrush holder would need substantial cleaning on a regular basis, which can be expensive. This leaves travelers with limited options for temporary storage of their personal toiletry articles when traveling. Current solutions include laying the personal toiletry article on a bathroom counter, leaving the article in a disposable cup or leaving the article in their own toiletry bag. However, most people are hesitant to lay their toiletry articles on counter surfaces. Moreover, disposable cups are often too light to hold personal toiletry holders and do not provide enough support. Furthermore, leaving a wet toiletry article in a toiletry bag can result in leaking water and/or toothpaste into the bag and on its contents. Thus, current solutions do not provide a convenient cost-effective mechanism for safe and sanitary temporary storage of personal toiletry articles.
Hence, there is a need for a portable personal toiletry article holder that provides a cost-effective, convenient and sanitary mechanism for temporary storage of personal toiletry articles.
In one general aspect, the instant disclosure presents a portable personal toiletry article holder, the portable personal toiletry article holder including a one-piece flexible card, having one or more openings, each of the one or more openings designed for temporary support of a personal toiletry article. The one-piece flexible card includes space for displaying at least one of instructions for use of the portable personal toiletry article holder or marketing information for a business, and the one-piece flexible card has a size within a range of 1.5 inches to 2.5 inches by 2.5 inches to 4 inches and 0.02 inches to 0.04 inches in thickness.
In yet another general aspect, the instant disclosure presents a method for manufacturing a portable personal toiletry article holder. In some implementations, the method includes providing a sheet of material used for manufacturing a durable card, cutting the sheet into a desired shape for a portable personal toiletry article holder via a computer-aided manufacturing machine, the desired shape corresponding to a one-piece card, the portable personal toiletry article holder configured for temporary support of one or more personal toiletry articles, and cutting one or more openings into the portable personal toiletry article holder at one or more locations on the one-piece card, each of the one or more openings being of a size suitable for insertion of a personal toiletry article.
In yet another general aspect, the instant disclosure presents a wall mount bracket system for temporary support of a portable personal toiletry article holder. The wall mount bracket system includes a wall mount bracket configured for permanent attachment to a wall, the wall mount bracket including a slit, the slit being oriented horizontally and designed for insertion of a portable toiletry article holder, wherein upon insertion, the portable toiletry article holder is extended horizontally outward from the wall mount bracket. The portable personal toiletry article holder comprises a one-piece card having one or more openings, each of the one or more openings designed for temporary support of a personal toiletry article.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.
The drawing figures depict one or more implementations in accord with the present teachings, by way of example only, not by way of limitation. In the figures, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. Furthermore, it should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale.
Most people stay at hotels or other rental facilities while traveling and many such places do not offer easy to use articles such as holders or stands for sanitary storage of personal toiletry articles. That is because currently available holders and stands are often too expensive and/or difficult to clean and as such not feasible to use in a hospitality setting. For example, most currently available holders and stands are three dimensional and/or require support collars to use. In example, some holders require support collars to keep the holder at a 90-degree angle with respect to the handle of the personal toiletry article. The need for the support collar results in increased manufacturing costs, leading to more expensive products, which are often not appropriate or financially feasible for hospitality facilities to use. The use of a support collar or a guard may also make the use of the product more challenging as a guard remains on the toiletry item while it is being used thus complicating the use of the product. As a result, most travelers are left with less-than-ideal solutions for sanitary storage of their personal toiletry articles while they are away from home. Thus, there exists a problem of lack of adequate mechanisms for efficient, convenient and safe temporary storage of personal toiletry articles.
Hotels and other hospitality facilities have an interest in providing not only a positive and comfortable experience for their guests, but also some degree of marketing for their own product to those guests. This is often provided through the use of hotel branded pens, notepads, sewing kits and/or printing of the hotel logo, often with attractive design or imagery, on the room key card. In some cases, the room key also displays the hotel website information and/or a QR code which provides more information about amenities offered and the like. However, hotel pens generally do not carry enough ink to last very long, and the room key, serving no purpose after the guest checks out, is either returned at checkout or discarded. Thus, there exists another problem of lack of a branded item which improves the quality of the guests' stay while on premises and remains in their possession for some duration after their stay, and functions as a marketing tool which reminds the guests of their positive experience with the hospitality provider. Other businesses such as dental or orthodontic clinics can also benefit from simultaneously providing a positive reach back and contact information for the business, while providing an easy to use inexpensive and durable product that enables sanitary storage of personal toiletry items while away from home. For example, a business card for a dentist's office which is also a durable, useful tool for the patients' travel toiletries, solves a marketing and promotional problem for a dental practice.
Moreover, most manufacturing businesses face a significant obstacle, in particular with low price point products, in overcoming the costs of individual packaging, distribution, product marketing, and/or retail sales, while maintaining a retail price point appropriate to the product. Most currently available personal toiletry holders/stands (e.g., toothbrush holders), suffer from this problem in that even if these items are inexpensive to produce, the combined costs of production, and then packaging each product individually, in addition to marketing, distribution, and retail sales necessitate a final price point that is too high for the holders to remain commercially viable in a retail setting. As such, there exists another problem of current personal toiletry holders/stands being too expensive to use on a mass scale for the hospitality industry and/or as marketing materials.
To address these technical problems and more, in an example, this description provides technical solutions for an easily produced, relatively inexpensive, portable and durable personal toiletry article holder that can also display marketing information. The personal toiletry article holder can be a light, portable and easily storable item. In an example, the personal toiletry article holder is a stiff but flexible one-piece card that includes one or more openings that allow the handle of a personal toiletry item such as a toothbrush (or similarly shaped implement) to pass through. The shape and configuration of the personal toiletry holder enables the personal toiletry item(s) to lie on a counter with the posterior end of the item(s) on the counter and the top end (e.g., brush head) raised off the counter and supported by the holder such that the top end does not touch any surfaces. The personal toiletry article holder is a two-dimensional item that does not require the use of support collars, thus simplifying the manufacturing processes and reducing costs. In an example, the personal toiletry article holder is designed to display the logo, name and/or desired imagery of a service provider such as a hotel, dental practice, and the like. Thus, the card may have a surface on which to present the marketing information of the service provider (e.g. hotel). The marketing information of the service provider is clearly displayed on the front side (or both sides) of the card. Brief instructions for use in the form of simple line drawings may also be provided on one or two sides of the card. In some implementations, one or more of the openings on the personal toiletry article holder are connected to an aperture on an edge of the personal toiletry article holder to enable the use of the personal toiletry article holder with articles that have thick handles but narrower sections (e.g., narrow necks). The apertures enable an article having a thick handle but a narrower upper portion to be passed through the aperture and into the opening where the opening can hold and provide support for the entirety of the handle. In some implementations, the personal toiletry article holder can also be used for organizing/storage of cords (e.g., earphone cords, cell phone charger cables, etc.). To provide for easier use of the personal toiletry article holder as a cord organizer, the card may include two openings, and each opening may be connected to an aperture that enables the cord to pass through the openings. In an example, one or more of the apertures may be connected to an indentation designed for holding back the slightly larger plug end of the cord. The cord can be wrapped around the personal toiletry article holder with the distal end of the cord tucked into the same openings as would hold the toothbrush or other personal toiletry article. In this manner, the same device can be used for multiple purposes. This encourages the end user (e.g., hotel guest) to hold onto more marketing material for the hospitality provider. This provides an easy to use, inexpensive and sanitary means for temporary storage of personal toiletry items, while providing an inexpensive marketing material for a business.
As will be understood by persons of skill in the art upon reading this disclosure, benefits and advantages provided by such implementations can include, but are not limited to, a solution to the problems of lack of mechanisms and inexpensive devices for hygienic temporary storage of personal toiletry articles. The solutions disclosed herein provide an easy to use, easy to carry and easy to store, hygienic, and inexpensive device for temporarily supporting a personal toiletry item while not in use, which keeps one end of the personal toiletry item (e.g., toothbrush head) off the counter and allows the top end to dry when needed. This holder enables hospitality providers such as hotels to improve the experience of their guests during their stay, while providing a physical, durable, and useful item that carries their marketing material (e.g., hotel logo) once guests leave the premises. This personal toiletry item holder can also be used by other types of businesses and service providers instead of a regular business card, thus rendering the business card not only informational, but also useful, thus more likely to be used and remembered. The personal toiletry item holder further solves issues with manufacturing expenses, as it is easy and inexpensive to manufacture using already available manufacturing mechanisms. Moreover, when provided wholesale to the hospitality industry, the solution eliminates or dramatically reduces the costs of retail packaging, product marketing, distribution, and/or retail sales that would be faced by a manufacturer trying to sell the product in a retail setting to the end user. Instead, the disclosed personal toiletry item holder creates a product which provides an advantage to the hospitality market that can buy the product on a mass scale in order to make their customers (i.e., travelers) feel better about their stay.
The terms “personal toiletry article”, “personal toiletry item” or “toiletry item” as used herein refer to any personal objects used for toiletry purposes and having a handle that can fit through an opening. Examples of personal toiletry articles include but are not limited to a toothbrush, razor, makeup brush and the like.
The size and/or shape of the personal toiletry article holder 100 may vary, as needed and desired depending on the needs and design requirements of each business. For example, while the personal toiletry article holder 100 is rectangular in shape, square, circular or oval shaped personal toiletry article holders are also possible. In an example, the personal toiletry article holder 100 has the shape of a one-piece card having the same form factor as a standard identification card, hotel room key, credit card, or loyalty club card (these sizes are often expressed as CR80 or CR50). In an example, the personal toiletry article holder 100 measures approximately 2.125 inches in height and 3.375 inches in width, which is a standard size for card-sized ID cards. In another example, the size is 1.5 inches by 2.5 inches. In other examples, the size can have a range of 1.5 inches to 2.5 inches by 2.5 inches to 4 inches. Using the same size as a standard identification card enables the personal toiletry article holder to be easily produced in the same manufacturing process and using the same type of manufacturing equipment as other standard cards, thus reducing manufacturing costs and rendering the personal toiletry article holder easy to carry and/or store in a normal wallet or toiletries kit. The personal toiletry article holder may be manufactured from any of the standard materials used for manufacturing standard type flexible cards which may include, but are not limited to plastic, polymers, PVC, PETG, PLA, cellulose, natural materials, and the like. The material may also receive printing (or laser etching, or any other method of producing the desired imagery commonly in practice) of the marketing or promotional messaging.
In some implementations, the personal toiletry article holder 100 is a multi-purpose item that servers as a personal identification card such as a credit card, bank card, loyalty card, electronic key card and/or business card, while also enabling a user to utilize the device as a personal toiletry article holder. For example, the personal toiletry article holder may include a magnetic strip or electronic chip that enable the use of the card as an electronic key (e.g., hotel room key) or other type of identification card or facility key (e.g., gate key, etc.).
In some implementations, to provide assurance to end users that a personal toiletry article holder has not been used before and/or to prevent direct contact between the head of the personal toiletry item (e.g., toothbrush head) and the personal toiletry article holder 100, a thin removable film 108 may be placed over the face of the card. Before the first use, the film 108 would be removed, leaving clear evidence that the personal toiletry article holder 100 had been used. This feature would provide more assurance of sanitation and hygienic use of the personal toiletry article holder 100. In another example, the thin film 108 is not removable or is not removed but can be punctured to allow a personal toiletry item to pass through the opening. This provides a clear indication to a user that the product has been used since the film is punctured. In alternative implementations, each personal toiletry article holder 100 is wrapped individually in a plastic or other type of removable packaging, which can be removed before its first use. In yet another alternative implementation, to ensure the openings remain sanitized before the first use, a precision cutting equipment such as a laser cutter may be used to perforate the opening(s) but leave the centers of the opening(s) in place until they are easily removed by the initial user of the personal toiletry article holder. In this manner, assurance is provided to the user that the article holder has been unused and remains sanitized.
While displayed as a rectangular item in
After cutting the sheet into the desired shape, one or more openings are cut into the personal toiletry article holder at one or more desired locations, at 806. The openings are cut in a size that allows for passage of a handle of a desired size personal toiletry article through the opening, while maintaining enough space on the portable personal toiletry article holder to be used as a marketing tool. In some implementations, the openings are not cut but perforated to enable removal of the material by the end user. In different implementations, once of the openings are cut or perforated, a removable film layer is positioned on one or both sides of the portable personal toiletry article holder for sanitary purposes. In another example, other types of removable packaging are used to wrap the portable personal toiletry article holder after it has been manufactured. In some examples, cutting the sheet into a desired shape and cutting the openings into the desired shape occur concurrently. In some implementations, in addition to cutting or perforating openings, marketing information for a business and/or instructions for use of the holder is printed on at least one side of the portable personal toiletry article holder, at 808. The marketing material may be printed before of after the sheet is cut into a desired shape.
While various embodiments have been described, the description is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting, and it is understood that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the embodiments. Although many possible combinations of features are shown in the accompanying figures and discussed in this detailed description, many other combinations of the disclosed features are possible. Any feature of any embodiment may be used in combination with or substituted for any other feature or element in any other embodiment unless specifically restricted. Therefore, it will be understood that any of the features shown and/or discussed in the present disclosure may be implemented together in any suitable combination. Accordingly, the embodiments are not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Also, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the attached claims.
While the foregoing has described what are considered to be the best mode and/or other examples, it is understood that various modifications may be made therein and that the subject matter disclosed herein may be implemented in various forms and examples, and that the teachings may be applied in numerous applications, only some of which have been described herein. It is intended by the following claims to claim any and all applications, modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the present teachings.
Unless otherwise stated, all measurements, values, ratings, positions, magnitudes, sizes, and other specifications that are set forth in this specification, including in the claims that follow, are approximate, not exact. They are intended to have a reasonable range that is consistent with the functions to which they relate and with what is customary in the art to which they pertain.
The scope of protection is limited solely by the claims that now follow. That scope is intended and should be interpreted to be as broad as is consistent with the ordinary meaning of the language that is used in the claims when interpreted in light of this specification and the prosecution history that follows, and to encompass all structural and functional equivalents. Notwithstanding, none of the claims are intended to embrace subject matter that fails to satisfy the requirement of Sections 101, 102, or 103 of the Patent Act, nor should they be interpreted in such a way. Any unintended embracement of such subject matter is hereby disclaimed.
Except as stated immediately above, nothing that has been stated or illustrated is intended or should be interpreted to cause a dedication of any component, step, feature, object, benefit, advantage, or equivalent to the public, regardless of whether it is or is not recited in the claims.
It will be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.
Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” and any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element preceded by “a” or “an” does not, without further constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.
The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly identify the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various examples for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that any claim requires more features than the claim expressly recites. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed example. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63639889 | Apr 2024 | US | |
| 63617966 | Jan 2024 | US |
