US1212335A - Tooth-brush holder and sterilizer. - Google Patents

Description

A. FEINBERG.

TOOTH BRUSH HOLDER AND STERILIZER.

APPLICATION FILED .IULY25, 1916.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917'.

ARTHUR FEINIBERG, 'OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TOOTH-BRUSH HOLDER AND STERILIZEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. id, ifiil't.

Application filed July 25, 1916. Serial No. 111,120.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR FEINBERG, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Tooth- Brush Holders and Sterilizers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a tooth-brush holder and sterilizer, and the object of the invention is to provide a device adapted to house a toothbrush when not in use to keep it clean, and, at the same time, to sterilize the same, so that between each successive use of the brush, the brush is thoroughly sterilized, and danger of infection is obviated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be compact in form and can be readily carried about in a handbag or grip when traveling, and may be expeditiously operated to release the brush to allow of its use, and as expeditiously reassembled to rehouse the brush in sterilizing position.

A salient figure of the invention resides in the fact that a chamber, cotiperating with the chamber which houses the brush, is provided for the reception of the sterilizing agent, means being provided to preclude the water deposited from the brush after use from coming into contact with the sterilizing agent, and means being also provided for precluding the sterilizing agent from coming into direct contact with the brush. Moreover, in the preferred form of the invention, valvular means is positioned be tween the chamber which contains the sterilizing material and the chamber in which the brush is positioned so that when the latter chamber is opened to withdraw the brush, the valve between said chambers is closed, and vice versa to preclude useless wasteful evaporation of the sterilizing agent, yet to allow it to thoroughly sterilize the brush containing chamber when the parts are assembled with the brush positioned therein.

Features of the invention, other than those specified, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying. drawings, I have illustrated different practical embodiments of the present invention, but the constrgctions shown therein are to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through the preferred form of brush-holder and sterilizer of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of a coupling member, which I prefer to employ, the coupling member of this figure being shown as detached from the main parts of the device. Fig. 4 is an annular plan view of the device, as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal section through a modified form of the invention, illustrating a combined sterilizer and holder, adapted for the reception of a plurality of brushes, and Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing, A indicates an elongated tubular sleeve which is closed at its lower end, except for a small outlet hole a: with which is adapted to cooperate a smaller hole a formed in a rotatable cap A.

from. Cap A is normally in such position v as to bring the aperture axout of register with aperture a so as to seal the base of the sleeve in a substantially air tight'manner.

Sleeve A is of a length adapted to readily receive a tooth-brush B, and to house said brush in the manner shown in Fig. 1, wherein the bristle end of the brush is at the lower portion of the casing, or in an inverted manner, as may be desired. It is well-known that after use, the bristles of the brush contain more or less moisture which, if the brush is immediately placed in sleeve A, will be deposited interiorly of the sleeve. To preclude this fluid from flowing past the upper end of the sleeve A when said sleeve is inverted or laid in a horizontal position, a frusto-conical bafile plate a is formed in the upper portion of sleeveA and converges downwardly. Thus, even though the sleeve is inverted, this bafiie plate will preclude the liquid contents of the sleeve A from passing out of the top of the sleeve, and the only way in which said liquid content may be withdrawn is by manipulating the rotatable plate A in the manner described to allow said liquid to fiow through the apertures a; a.

The upper or open end of the sleeve A is normally closed by a disk 0 which, in the preferred form of the invention, is in the form of a central partitionpositioned within an annular ring C, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The interior face of the annular ring C, below the partition 0 is threaded and the exterior face of the upper portion of sleeve A is complem'entarily threaded so that said sleeve may be screwed into the threaded portion of ring C, the partition 0 of which serves, in effect, as a cover of the sleeve A.

Within the portion of ring C, above the partition 0, is adapted to be seated a thimble-like container D which is secured for rotation within said ring by means of a centrally disposed rivet (.Z passing through the base of the-thimble and through the partition 0. Rivet d holds the parts tightly together but allows of relative rotation for the purpose of bringing an aperture 0? in the base of the thimble into and out of alinement with a similar aperture 0' formed in the partition 0. When these apertures are in alinement, communication will be opened between the interior of the sleeve A and the interior of the thimble D, whereas, when the parts are rotated to bring said apertures out of alinement, such communication will be precluded. Ring C and its partition 0 thus serves as a coupling member for detachably securing thimble-like container D to the sleeve A.

Positioned within thimble D are a plurality of projections d on which is adapted to seat a container E for the sterilizing agent. As shown, the container E is preferably entirely closed, except at its bottom 7, which is of upwardly tapering frusto-conical form, and in which is provided an opening 7, serving as an outlet for the fumes or vapor from the sterilizing agent adapted to be contained within the interior of container E, and preferably within absorbent-cotton or other wick material f which is saturated with the sterilizing or antiseptic agent. The top of the thimble D is closed by a suitable cover D.

lhe particular form of sterilizing container E is such that the device may be placed in horizontal or even inverted posi' tion without spilling thesterilizing' agent through the opening 7. However, to absolutely preclude such sterilizing agent from passing through the openings a? c and coming into contact with the brush B, an upwardly converging frusto-conical bafile plate 9 is preferably positioned between the base of the thimble D and the projection 01 of the aperture 0' in registration with the apertured, and the upper end of the sleeve screwed into the coupling a, that the fumes from the disinfecting, antiseptic or sterilizing agent contained within the wick i will be free to circulate through said alined apertures and downwardly into the chamber of the sleeve A in which the brush B is contained, thereby thoroughly sterilizing said brush. The positions of the parts shown in Fig. 1 are those which are normally occupied, i. e., Fig. 1 shows the assembled elements of the construction in the positions which they partake when the brush is not in use. With this relation of the parts, the brush may be packed in a suit case or grip for traveling purposes, or may be laid in a bureau drawer. In either case, irrespective of the position which the device may occupy, the frusto-conical bottom f of the sterilizing chamber E, and the bafiie plate 9, preclude the passage of the sterilizing agent into the chamber occupied by the brush while the frusto-conical bafiie plate a on the other hand, precludes the passage of water, deposited by the brush within the tubular sleeve A, from flowing into the interior of the thimble D when the device is in horizontal or inverted position.

l have found that a very elficient construction results if the coupling member and thimble are so associated that the operation of screwing the sleeve A into its closed posi: tlon, or unscrewing it for the removal of the brush, automatically closes or opens the valve formed by the apertures 01 c. As hereinbefore stated, the thimble D is rotatably mounted onto the coupling by the.

rivet (l, and its relative rotation between the parts about the axis of said rivet with the opening and closing of the valve results. Accordingly, a circumferential slot it is formed in the wall of the upper portion of the wall C, and into this slotextends a in or other projection h fixed on the outer ace of thimble D, as clearly shown in Figs. 1', it and 3. The positions of said pin and slot are such that, when the pin is rotated to one end of the slot, the apertures d a will be in registration, but, when. the pin is rotated to the'other end of the slot, the said aper--' tures will be out of registration. It will thus be manifest that if the thimble D is gripped in one hand, while the sleeve A is unscrewed from the coupling C by the other hand, that said unscrewing operation will serve to rotate the coupling member until the pin it goes to the end of the slot b, thereby bringing the apertures d 0 out of alinement. A continued rotation of the sleeve A will cause said sleeve to be unscrewed from the coupling to allow of the removal of the toothbrush. Thus, the operation of detaching the sleeve A for the removal of the brush, automatically closes the valve at the base of the thimble D and precludes evaporation or wasteful dispensation of the disinfecting or sterilizing agent.

It will be apparent, moreover, that after the brush is used, deposited within the sleeve A and said sleeve again screwed into the coupling C, the valvular operations described will be reversed, the pin h moving to the other end of the slot, leaving the valve in an open condition until the sleeve is unscrewed to allow of the subsequent use of the brush. I

In Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings I have illustrated a slightly modified form of the invention, wherein, in contra-distinction to the structure of Fig. 1, two chambers I I are provided for the reception of different tooth-brushes. An antiseptic container E is inserted through a door i into a chamber 17, beneath the chamber I and the sterilizing or antiseptic fumes circulate into chamber I through an opening 2 and from chamber 1 into chamber I through an openin i Openings 2' 2' are provided with b.%le plates j which preclude the passage of liquid, deposited by one of said brushes, into the chamber in which the other brush is located, as well as into the chamber 2" in which the antiseptic or sterilizing agent is contained. Moreover bafile plate 7' pre eludes any leakage of the sterilizing agent from entering the chamber I. Chambers I I are provided with suitable covers i It will be apparent from the foregoing description that a structure is provided wherein a tooth-brush may be housed in a substantially air-tight compartment which is automatically placed in communication with a sterilizing chamber, when the parts are assembled, whereas, the sterilizing chamber is automatically sealed when the parts are dismantled to allow of the removing of the brush, this being true particularly in the preferred construction. In either the preferred or modified forms the construction is simple, compact and may be readily manipulated in the carrying out of its functions, it is highly sanitary, and the tooth-brush is thoroughly sterilized between the successive uses thereof. The structure is such as to preclude the disinfecting, antiseptic or sterilizing agent from coming into contact with the brush, which would be apt to produce a disagreeable taste in the operation of brushing the teeth. Moreover, water dripping from the brush after use cannot come into contact with the sterilizing agent.

It will, of course, be manifest that because of the movable cover d of the preferred embodiment of Fig. l, and the pivoted door 1' of the modified form of Figs. 5 and 6. the sterilizer containing chambers E E may be readily removed from the device to allow the replenishing of the sterilizing agent, or to further allow of 'the cleansing of the parts associated therewith.

It will be obvious that the specific structure described may be modified within reasonable limits without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that the device may be used for other purposes analogous to those described.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a brush containing casing, a casing for containing a sterilizing agent, a rotatable coupling between said two casings for detachably securing them together, and valvular means coiiperating with the coupling and automatically operable to open communication between the interiors of said casings when the casings are in assembled relation, but to shut off such communication when the casings are separated.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a brush containing casing, a casing for containing a sterilizing agent, a coupling rotatably secured to the sterilizer casing and provided with a threaded female portion adapted to receive the threaded portion of the brush containing casing, said coupling being adapted for rotation when the brush containing casing is screwed into engagement with or out of engagement of the threaded portion of the coupling, said coupling and sterilizer casing being provided with complementary apertures adapted to be brought into and out of alinement automatically by the attaching and detaching operations of the brush containing casing.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of two chambers, one of which houses a brush and the other of which contains a disinfectant, means for detachably assembling said chambers, and valvular means operable, upon the removal of the brush chamber from the disinfectant chamher, to seal the disinfectant chamber and, by the assembling operation, to unseal said chamber and allow the fumes of the disinfectant to enter the other chamber.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of two relatively movable chambers, one of which contains a disinfectant and the other a brush, means for securing the chambers in juxta osition, means for sealing the brush cham er; and means for governing the passage of disinfecting fumes from the disinfectant chamber into the brush chamber, said governing means beingcontrollable by relative movementbetween the chambers, toseal or unseal the chamber containing the disinfectant;

5. In a device of the class described, the

combination of two chambers, one of which contains a disinfectant and the other a brush, means for sealing the brush chamber,

means forggovepni g the passage of fdisinfecting fumes from the disinfectant chain ber into the brush chamber," and means independent of the means for governingthe passage of disinfecting fumes" from the disin- 'fecta'nt chamber intothebrushchamber, for precluding the disinfectan't'from entering thebrush chamber.

6Q In a device of the class described, the combination of two chambers", one of which contains a disinfectant and I the other a brush, means for sealing the brush chamber, means for governing the passage of disinfecting fumes from the disinfectant chamber into the brush chamber, and means independent of the means" for governing the passage of disinfecting fumes from the disinfectant chamber into the brush chamber, for precluding water, deposited by the brush within its chamber, from, entering the disinfectant chambe n' 7. In a: device of the class described, the combinationof two chambers, one'of which contains a disinfectant and the other a brush, means for sealing the brush chamber,

means for governing the passage of disin-' fecting fumes from the disinfectant chamher into the brush chamber, means, independent of the means for governing the passage of disinfecting fumes from the disinfectant chamber into the brush chamber,

for precluding the disinfectant from entering the brush chamber," and means for precluding water, deposited by the brush within its chamber, from entering the disinfectant chamber.

8. In a device of the class described, the

- combination of two chambers, one of which contains a disinfectant and the other a brush, means for sealing thebrush chamber,

9. In a device of the'class described, the

combination of a receptacle for a tooth brush, a disinfectant containing chamber cooperating therewith, and a frusto-conical' flange on the inner walls of the disinfectant chambenwhich flange converges toward the v disinfectant containing" portion of' said chamber for precluding the disinfectant from comin into contact with the brush, 7 10. In a evi'ce' of the class described, the

combination of a receptacle fora toothbrush, a disinfectant containing chamber cooperating therewith, means-positioned with in said chamber for precluding the disinfectant from coming into contact with the brush, and independent. and additional means positioned within the brush containing receptacle forprecluding water, deposited by the brush within its receptacle, from coming into contact with the disinfectant.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination of' a receptacle for a toothbrush, a disinfectant containing chamber cooperating therewith, a frusto-conical flange on the inner walls of the disinfectant cham her and converging toward the disinfectant containing portion of said chamber for precluding the disinfectant from coming into contact with the brush, and a second frustoconical flange, positioned on the inner walls of the brush receptacle and converging in the opposite direction from the flange in said chamber, for precluding water, deposited by the brush within its receptacle, from coming into contact with the disinfectant.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ARTHUR FEINBERG.

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