Sanitary insert

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6268040
  • Patent Number
    6,268,040
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, April 7, 1999
    25 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, July 31, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Watkins, III; William P.
    Agents
    • Rodgers & Rodgers
Abstract
A sanitary insert comprising a base panel, multiple apertures formed in the base panel, a sanitary band extending around the periphery of each aperture and downwardly therefrom, and a locking band integrally joined to the base panel.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




In hotels, hospitals and other similar types of facilities intended for overnight or extended stays, local laws and ordinances typically prohibit permanent fixtures intended for storage of personal care items. For example, common bathroom wall mounted combination toothbrush and tumbler or glass holders are not allowed in public accommodation facilities because of the unsanitary nature of these holders due to bacterial buildup. As a result, a patron of a hotel, motel or other like establishment must place his or her personal care items on the sink top, in a drawer and the like wherein such items are disorganized and are more likely to become contaminated or discarded.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




A sanitary insert for use in combination with a conventional wall mounted or free standing toothbrush holder comprising a base panel, multiple apertures formed in the base panel, a sanitary band integrally joined to the base panel around the periphery of each aperture and extending downwardly therefrom, and locking means joined to the base panel and extending downwardly or upwardly therefrom.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




In the drawings,

FIG. 1

is a perspective view of a wall mounted toothbrush and tumbler holder in combination with a sanitary insert according to this invention;





FIG. 2

is an exploded view of the holder and insert shown in

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 3

is a pedestal-type holder in combination with a sanitary insert according to this invention;





FIG. 4

is an exploded view of the holder shown in

FIG. 3

;





FIG. 5

is a perspective view of the upper side of one form of the insert shown in

FIGS. 3 and 4

;





FIG. 6

is a side elevational view of a tumbler with an insert attached thereto;





FIG. 7

is a top plan view of the insert shown in

FIG. 6

;





FIG. 8

is a cross-sectional view taken along the line


8





8


in

FIG. 7

;





FIG. 9

is a cross-sectional view taken along the line


9





9


in

FIG. 71







FIG. 10

is a cross-sectional view taken along the line


10





10


in

FIG. 11

; and





FIG. 11

is a partial view of a modified form of the insert shown in FIG.


7


;











DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




In the drawings, and with particular reference to

FIGS. 1 and 2

, the numeral


1


designates a conventional wall mounted toothbrush and tumbler holder. More specifically, holder


1


includes aperture


2


for receiving a tumbler or glass and also includes multiple generally rectangular apertures


3


-


8


.




According to one form of this invention, a sanitary insert is provided and is generally indicated by the letter A.




More specifically, insert A includes base panel


9


with side panels


10


integrally joined to each outer edge of base panel


9


and extending downwardly therefrom. In addition, center aperture


11


and multiple generally rectangular apertures


12


-


17


are formed in base panel


9


. Aperture


11


includes wall


18


which is integrally joined to base panel


9


around the periphery of aperture


11


and extends downwardly therefrom, of course, aperture


11


can be omitted, if desired.




Each of t he apertures


12


-


17


is of identical construction and includes side walls


19


integrally joined respectfully to base panel


9


at the peripheral edges of apertures


12


-


17


and extending downwardly therefrom. Each end of side walls


19


is integrally joined to the adjacent end of each associated side wall


19


to form a continuous sanitary band which overlaps the associated edges of holder


1


and extends into the respective apertures


3


-


8


, as shown in FIG.


1


.




In

FIGS. 3 and 4

, a modified form of the invention is shown for use in connection with a free standing pedestal-type holder


20


. Pedestal


20


includes top


21


having toothbrush receiving apertures


22


,


23


,


24


and


25


formed therein together with circular glass-receiving indention


26


.




The sanitary insert shown in

FIGS. 3 and 4

includes circular base panel


27


with rectangular apertures


28


,


29


,


30


and


31


formed therein. Each of the apertures


28


-


31


includes sanitary band


32


extending downwardly from the panel


27


around the peripheral edges thereof as previously described in connection with side walls


19


of the insert shown in

FIGS. 1 and 2

.




In addition, the insert shown in

FIGS. 3 and 4

is provided with a generally concave locking band


33


and which is integrally joined to the outer peripheral edge of circular base panel


27


and extends downwardly therefrom such that when the insert is placed on top


21


of pedestal


20


, it is in effect locked in position whereby locking band


33


is snapped into an overlapping and interlocking relationship with outer lip


34


formed around the periphery of top


21


.




In

FIG. 5

, the upper side of the insert, shown in

FIGS. 3 and 4

, includes the additional feature of strengthening ribs


35


,


36


,


37


and


38


which interconnect adjacent ones of apertures


28


,


29


,


30


and


31


.





FIGS. 6-9

show a further alternative form of the invention wherein a conventional glass or tumbler


39


or pedestal


20


is utilized as the holder or stand for sanitary insert


40


. The construction of insert


40


is similar to that shown and described in connection with the insert shown in

FIGS. 3

,


4


and


5


with the additional feature of tabs


41


,


42


,


43


and


44


formed in each aperture and being integrally joined to insert


40


at the associated edge of each aperture. Therefore, when a toothbrush is inserted into an aperture, as shown in

FIG. 8

, it is held in place by the biasing action of the inner ends of tabs


41


-


44


against the toothbrush.




Further, insert


40


, in one form, is held in position by means of locking band


45


which is joined to the outer periphery of insert


40


and extends downwardly therefrom in an overlapping relationship with the top edge of glass


39


as best shown in FIG.


8


. Locking band


45


is provided with a contiguous flared edge


46


as a convenient means to grasp and remove the insert from glass


39


and additional locking capability is provided in the form of multiple dimples


47


formed around band


45


.




In

FIG. 10

, a locking mechanism for use in combination with a holder having an indentation, such as indentation


26


shown in

FIG. 4

is provided in the form of locking band


48


which is integrally joined to the inner edge of ring


49


and extends downwardly therefrom. Band


48


is adapted to overlap the outer edge of indentation


26


.




A further modified form of the invention is shown in

FIG. 11

wherein a plurality of offsets


50


are formed around band


48


. By this means, the sanitary insert is held in place by the interlocking relationship, for instance, in connection with indentation


26


, the edge of which is slightly bowed and the upper edge of offset


50


.




Also, shown in

FIGS. 7 and 10

, is inner panel


51


which is integrally joined to insert


40


and provides a means for printing advertising and other like material thereon.




In

FIG. 9

, the insert is held in position by means of upwardly extending locking means which comprises continuous band


52


and multiple scalloped tabs


53


disposed therebelow. As shown in

FIG. 9

, the upper surfaces of tabs


53


engage the lower edge of lip


34


in a locking relationship.




Therefore, by this invention, a sanitary insert is provided wherein conventional wall mounted toothbrush and tumbler holders, pedestal-type holders and the like are protected from bacterial accumulation. The sanitary inserts are inexpensive and generally manufactured of paper or plastic and are quickly and easily placed on conventional holders for single customer usage and then simply discarded and replaced.



Claims
  • 1. A flexible and disposable sanitary cover comprising a base panel, at least a pair of apertures formed in said base panel, a sanitary band integrally joined to said base panel around the periphery of each of said apertures and extending downwardly therefrom, and a strengthening rib formed in said base panel and extending between said pair of apertures.
  • 2. A sanitary cover according to claim 1 wherein a locking band is integrally joined to the outer peripheral edge of said base panel and extends downwardly therefrom.
  • 3. A sanitary cover according to claim 2 wherein said locking band is of a concave configuration.
  • 4. A sanitary cover according to claim 2 wherein multiple dimples are formed on said locking band.
  • 5. A sanitary cover according to claim 1 wherein an inner edge is formed in said base panel.
  • 6. A sanitary cover according to claim 5 wherein a sanitary band is integrally joined to said base panel around said inner edge and extends downwardly therefrom.
  • 7. A sanitary cover according to claim 5 wherein multiple offsets are formed around said inner edge.
  • 8. A sanitary cover according to claim 5 wherein a locking band is integrally joined to said base panel around said inner edge and extends upwardly therefrom.
  • 9. A sanitary cover according to claim 5 wherein said inner edge is circular.
  • 10. A sanitary cover according to claim 5 wherein a locking band is integrally joined to said base panel around said inner edge and extends downwardly therefrom.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Number Name Date Kind
D. 228271 Tecner Sep 1973
D. 283961 Doyle May 1986
D. 294093 Tegner Feb 1988
D. 309840 Estvold Aug 1990
D. 341510 Lieberman Nov 1993
1465627 Fisher et al. Aug 1923
1972532 McMillan Sep 1934
2956851 Merendino Oct 1960
3048317 Cochrane Aug 1962
5301799 Gurba, Jr. Apr 1994
5690214 Gaines et al. Nov 1997