Patent Application
20250176698
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
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Not Applicable
The disclosure relates to toothpaste holder devices and more particularly pertains to a new toothpaste holder device for storing and dispensing toothpaste and storing a toothbrush. The device includes a box which has a toothbrush chamber and a toothpaste chamber which can each store a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste. The device includes a dispensing unit movably integrated into the box which urges toothpaste out of the tube of toothpaste. Additionally, the device includes a pair of doors for opening or closing the toothbrush chamber and the toothpaste chamber.
The prior art relates to toothpaste holder devices including a variety of toothbrush holding devices that each includes a storage space for a toothbrush and a manually operated dispensing mechanism for dispensing toothpaste from a tube of toothpaste and a variety of toothbrush holding devices for holding and storing a toothbrush. In no instance does the prior art disclose a toothbrush and toothpaste storage device that has storage space for a toothbrush and storage space for a tube of toothpaste and an electronic dispensing unit for automatically dispensing toothpaste from the tube of toothpaste.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a box that has a toothbrush chamber and a toothpaste chamber for storing a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste. A pair of doors is each of the pair of doors is hingedly coupled to the box for opening or closing a respective toothbrush chamber or toothpaste chamber. A dispensing unit is movably integrated into the box and the dispensing unit is positioned in the toothpaste chamber to facilitate the dispensing unit to engage the tube of toothpaste. The dispensing unit is actuatable in a dispensing condition to urge toothpaste to flow outwardly from the tube of toothpaste.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The front side 28 has a notch 36 extending downwardly from a top edge 38 of the front side 28 toward the bottom wall 22 to accommodate a nozzle 40 of the tube of toothpaste 20 when the tube of toothpaste 20 is positioned in the toothpaste chamber 16. The notch 36 is centrally positioned between the second lateral side 34 of the perimeter wall 24 and the dividing wall 26. Additionally, the notch 36 has a lower bounding surface 42 that is concavely arcuate with respect to the top edge 38 of the front side 28 to conform to curvature of the nozzle 40. The front side 28 has a recess 44 extending from the second lateral side 34 toward the first lateral side 32. Each of a rear bounding surface 46 of the toothbrush chamber 14 and a rear bounding surface 48 of the toothpaste chamber 16 is spaced from the back side 30 of the perimeter wall 24 such that a control surface 50 is defined which extends between the back side 30 and each of the rear bounding surface 46 of the toothbrush chamber 14 and the rear bounding surface 48 of the toothpaste chamber 16.
A pair of doors 52 is provided and each of the pair of doors 52 is hingedly coupled to the box 12. Each of the pair of doors 52 is aligned with a respective one of the toothbrush chamber 14 and the toothpaste chamber 16 for opening or closing the respective toothbrush chamber 14 or toothpaste chamber 16. The pair of doors 52 includes a first door 54 and a second door 56; the first door 54 has a coupled edge 58 hingedly coupled to a top edge 60 of the first lateral side 32 of the perimeter wall 24 of the box 12 and the second door 56 has a coupled edge 62 hingedly coupled to a top edge 64 of the second lateral side 34 of the perimeter wall 24 of the box 12. Each of the doors 52 may be comprised of a translucent material, including but not being limited to tempered glass or polycarbonate, to facilitate light to pass through the doors 52.
A front door 66 is included which has a lower edge 68 that is hingedly coupled to an intersection between the bottom wall 22 of the box 12 and the front side 28 of the perimeter wall 24 of the box 12. The front door 66 is aligned with the recess 44 in the front side 28 such that the front door 66 lies in the recess 44 when the front door 66 is closed. In this way the front door 66 covers the nozzle 40 of the tube of toothpaste 20 when the front door 66 is closed. Conversely, the recess 44 is exposed when the front door 66 is opened. The front door 66 is comprised of a translucent material, including but not being limited to tempered glass or polycarbonate, to facilitate light to pass through the doors 52.
A dispensing unit 70 is provided and the dispensing unit 70 is movably integrated into the box 12. The dispensing unit 70 is positioned in the toothpaste chamber 16 and the dispensing unit 70 engages the tube of toothpaste 20. The dispensing unit 70 is actuatable in a dispensing condition having the dispensing unit 70 travelling in a dispensing direction in the toothpaste chamber 16. In this way the dispensing unit 70 can urge toothpaste 72 to flow outwardly from the tube of toothpaste 20.
The dispensing unit 70 comprises a pair of motors 74 and each of the pair of motors 74 is attached to front bounding surface 75 of the toothpaste chamber 16. Each of the pair of motors 74 is spaced from a respective one of the dividing wall 26 and the second lateral side 34 of the perimeter wall 24 of the box 12. Additionally, each of the pair of motors 74 is actuatable to rotate in a first direction or a second direction. Each of the pair of motors 74 may comprise a two direction electric motor or the like.
The dispensing unit 70 includes a pair of screws 76 and each of the screws 76 has a first end 78 that is attached to an output 80 of a respective one of the pair of motors 74. Each of the pair of screws 76 is twisted in a primary direction when the pair of motors 74 is actuated to rotate in the first direction. Each of the pair of screws 76 is twisted in a secondary direction when the pair of motors 74 is actuated to rotate in the second direction. Additionally, each of the screws 76 may comprise a worm gear or other type of threaded shaft. The dispensing unit 70 includes a pair of bearings 82 each attached to the rear bounding surface 46 of the toothpaste chamber 16. Each of the bearings 82 is aligned with a respective one of the pair of motors 74 and a second end 84 of a respective one of the pair of screws 76 is rotatably attached to a respective one of the pair of bearings 82.
The dispensing unit 70 includes a member 86 that has a pair of blocks 88 each extending downwardly from the member 86. Each of the pair of blocks 88 is positioned adjacent to opposing ends of the member 86 with respect to each other. The dispensing unit 70 includes a pair of sleeves 90 and each of the pair of sleeves 90 extends through a respective one of the pair of blocks 88 on the member 86. Each of the pair of sleeves 90 has an inside bounding surface 92 that is threaded and each the pair of sleeves 90 is oriented to extend between a front side 94 and a back side 96 of the respective block 88.
Each of the pair of screws 76 extends through a respective one of the pair of sleeves 90 having each of the screws 76 threadably engaging the inside bounding surface 92 of the respective sleeve 90. In this way the member 86 is spaced from the bottom wall 22 of the box 12 to compress the tube of toothpaste 20 between the member 86 and the bottom wall 22. The member 86 travels toward the front bounding surface 75 of the toothpaste chamber 16 when the pair of motors 74 is actuated to rotate in the first direction. In this way the member 86 urges the toothpaste 72 to flow outwardly from the nozzle 40 in the tube of toothpaste 20. The member 86 travels toward the rear bounding surface 46 of the toothpaste chamber 16 when the pair of motors 74 is actuated to rotate in the second direction. In this way the member 86 facilitates the tube of toothpaste 20 to be removed from the toothpaste chamber 16 when the tube of toothpaste 20 is depleted of toothpaste 72.
The dispensing unit 70 includes a forward button 98 that is movably positioned on the control surface 50 defined on the box 12. The forward button 98 is electrically coupled to each of the pair of motors 74 and each of the pair of motors 74 is actuated to rotate in the first direction when the forward button 98 is depressed. The dispensing unit 70 includes a rear button 100 that is movably positioned on the control surface 50 defined on the box 12. The rear button 100 is electrically coupled to each of the pair of motors 74 and each of the pair of motors 74 is actuated to rotate in the second direction when the rear button 100 is depressed.
A power supply 102 is integrated into the box 12 and the power supply 102 is electrically coupled to each of the pair of motors 74. The power supply 102 comprises at least one battery 104 that is integrated into the box 12 and the at least one battery 104 is electrically coupled to each of the pair of motors 74. The power supply 102 includes a power button 106 that is movably positioned on the control surface 50 defined on the box 12 and the power button 106 is electrically coupled to each of the pair of motors 74. The power button 106 actuates each of the pair of motors 74 when the power button 106 is depressed into an on position. Conversely, the power button 106 de-actuates each of the pair of motors 74 when the power button 106 is biased into an off position.
A plurality of suction cups 108 is each attached to a lower surface 110 of the bottom wall 22 of the box 12. Each of the suction cups 108 can be compressed against a support surface 112, such as a mirror for example or other type of smooth and rigid surface. Each of the suction cups 108 flares outwardly between a coupled end 114 and a free end 116 of the suction cups 108 and each of the suction cups 108 is comprised of a deformable material. In this way the suction cups 108 suctionally engage the support surface 112 when the suction cups 108 are compressed against the support surface 112 for mounting the box 12 to the support surface 112. As is shown in
In use, the toothbrush 18 is stored in the toothbrush chamber 14 and the tube of toothpaste 20 is stored in the toothpaste chamber 16 such that the tube of toothpaste 20 is positioned between the member 86 and the bottom wall 22 of the box 12. In this way the toothbrush 18 and the tube of toothpaste 20 can be stored or transported in carryon luggage during air travel, for example. The front door 66 is opened and the forward button 98 is depressed for a sufficient duration of time to dispense a preferred amount of toothpaste 72 from the tube of toothpaste 20. In this way the toothpaste 72 can be dispensed onto the toothbrush 18 automatically. Furthermore, the front door 66 can be closed to inhibit the toothpaste 72 from escaping the box 12 and making a mess. The tube of toothpaste 20 can remain in the box 12 until the tube of toothpaste 20 is depleted and replaced with a new tube of toothpaste 20.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, device and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
