US2121488A - Tooth brush holder - Google Patents

Description

June 2%, 1938.

H. NOFZ TOOTH BRUSH HOLDER Filed Dec. 26, 1935 INVENTOR. HENRY Iva/=2 7 2 2?. z ATTORNEY.

June 21, was

5 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE TOOTH BRUSH HOLDER,

Hem-y Nofz, Berkeley, Calif. Application December 26, 1935, Serial No. 56,127 6 Claims. (01. cos-15.1

The invention relates to a tooth brush holder which is arranged .to support a plurality of brushes with their head portions enclosed.

An object of the invention is'to provide for the selective and ready removal of a tooth brush from the holder.

;'Another object is to effectively protect the heads of the mounted brushes from dust and other contamination.

A further object is to provide a particularlysimple and compact holder of the character described. I

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth or be apparent in the following description of a typical embodiment thereof, and in the accompanying drawing, in whic a p Figure 1 is a front elevationof the holder mounted on a wall, and with atooth brush supportedly engaged therein.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the holder, a transparent cover member thereof being partly broken away. 1 I

Figure 3 is an underneath plan view of the holder, a shutter element thereof being disposed in an inoperative position. Figure 4 is a vertical section of the holder mounted in inverted position with relation to its disposal in Figure 1, the section being taken generally at the broken line 4-4 in Figure-3.

In its present embodiment, the holder of my invention essentially comprises a base element 6 arranged to provide a support for a plurality of tooth brushes and carrying a transparent cover element 1 which extends transversely from one side thereof to cooperate with the base for pro viding an enclosure for the heads of brushes mounted on the base. As particularly shown, the element 6 is shaped of a single piece of sheet material to provide a planar support plate 8 having a major and forward portion of circular outline and provided with a flange 9 at its periphery for receiving the rim of the cover member 1.

The cover element 1 is shown as having a conically tapered side wall 10 extending from a closed circular end ll, said cover being 'widest at its open end where it engages the plate 8. The lip portion of the cover I is arranged for tight and releasable engagement within the. flange 9, and the inner face of said flange'is conically tapered in generally complementary relation to the outer face of the cover wall l0 whereby the free edge portion of the flange may circumferentially .grip the outer cover face for holding the cover to the base. It will be noted that the cover element. 1 is shaped as a usual drinking glass or tumbler, and preferably comprises such an article for minimizing the cost of the present holder.

, At the portion thereof rearwardly of the ends of the flange 9, the base plate 8 extends to a straight edge from which a flange l2 extends transversely of the plate and oppositely of the {6 flange 9. Double key-hole slots l3 are provided in the flange l2, said slots extending in perpendicular relation to the line of juncture of the flange with the plate 8, and being arranged to simultaneously engage the shanks oil headed 15 I screws M which are engaged in any upright supporting wall for mounting the assembly on the wall.- I

Interiorly thereof, the plate 8 is provided with an opening l5 for receiving the head of a toothbrush i6 therethrough. Notches H are provided in the plate 8 to extend from the edge of .the opening l5, said notches being somewhat larger 09 than the shank of the tooth brush handle adjacent the toothbrush head; A generally U- shaped member ID is suitably flxed, as by gluing, against the face of the plate 8 at the same side thereof as the fiangell, said memberoverlying g the notches l1 and extending slightly into the opening I5 .opposite and between the notches.

The member I8 is preferably formed of resilient sheet rubber or the like, and is provided with T-shaped slots at the notches l9, said slots having or the stem portions thereof extending from the edge of the interior opening of the member 18 toward a common point centrally of the plate 8.

" The head, or cross, portions of the slots l9 are arranged to receive and grip the shanks of toothgs brushes for support thereat, with the bristles of the brushes mounted in the different slots being directed inwardly from the plate edge in such manner that the heads of the mounted brushes do not contact one another. Since the shanks 0g of most toothbrushes are generally elliptical in cross-section, the present disposal of the slots I9 is operative to position the mounted brushes in the desired position.

It will now be noted that a brush l6 which is 95 mounted in a slot 19, as is shown in Figure 1, may be dismounted by moving it laterally through the stem portion of the slot which receives it to the central plate opening l5, and then moving the brush longitudinally through 03 and from said opening, the brush being held at its handle portionand the cover element remaining in its mounted position on the base element in unitary association therewith. The arragement is such that any brush may be removed or replaced with respect to a given slot without interference with other brushes mounted in the holder.

For hygienic purposes, it is most desirable that the holder space which receives the brush heads be generally closed for protecting said brush heads from dust and other contamination. Accordingly, means are provided for closing the plate opening ll except while a brush is being mounted or dismounted on the holder. As particularly shown, a shutter plate II is mounted on the plate 8 for movement in its plane to and from an operative position with respect to the opening ll. Said shutter II is mounted at the opposite side of the plate 0 from the cover ele-, ment and the flexible member ll, and is of such form that it extends between the handles of the brushes in the holder when it is operatively dis- As illustrated, the shutter 2! is eccentrically .pivoted to the base plate 0 at one side thereof by means of a pivot pin 22 for its swinging to and from its operative position. An extension 23 of the shutter 2| is provided with a notch 24 for receiving the shank of a headed pin 25 mounted in the plate when the shutter II closes the opening ll, and an integral handle extension 28 is provided on the shutter for facilitating its manipulation. When the shutter it engages the pin 28, it closes the holder space and is spaced from the member ll opposite the opening I! and the notches il in the plate 8, whereby the holder space is not completely sealed and a limited circulation of outside air is permitted for said space. The permitted circulation has been found suflicient to dry the head of a brush which is damp when mounted in the holder, yet prevents a free circulation of dust-laden air through the space or the entrance of all but the smallest of flying insects.

It will now be noted that the described holder assembly is arranged to be mounted on the screws It with the closed cover element 1 above the plate 8, as in Figure 1, whereby the handles of the mounted brushes will depend from said plate and the member is thereabove, thebrush heads being fully enclosed in a dry condition. If, on the other hand, the assembly is mounted on the support screws it in the inverted position shown in Figure 4, the element 1 may contain a sterilizing liquid for temporarily or constantly receiving the brush heads. Or, if desired, the inverted unit may contain a tooth-treating or cleaning material for application by a brush dipped therein. In this manner, a single unit having the described structure may be utilized in several useful ways.

As shown, that portion of the shutter 2i which is arranged to lie opposite the opening II when the shutter is operatively disposed is outwardly offset to provide a cup-like receptacle 2.. Said receptacle is arranged to receive a material I! which includes one or more volatile constituents having antiseptic and/or insect-repellent properties, whereby, when the holder space is closed, said space may receive and retain the vapors of said materials and so sterilize the brush heads therein. Many suitable volatile substances are available for the present purposes, pine oil and peppermint oil and Wintergreen 011 being noted as examples of substances which are usable to accomplish the desired results, including. if

desired, a pleasantscenting of the brushes. The material 1! may be fully volatile, or may comprise a porous body carrying a volatile material; in the latter case, the material 29 may be in the form of a relatively solid wafer for placement in the receptacle 2.. Since the provision of the material 28 would generally be of use only when the holder is disposed as in Figure 1, the said material may be gravitationally held in the cup 2!. If, however, the assembly is to be invetted, as in Figure 4, the material 2! would .elther be fixed in the cup "or removed before the assembly is inverted.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. the advantages of the construction and method of use will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains. While I have described the features and the use of the device which I now consider to be a preferred embodiment of my invention, I desire to have it understood that the showing is primarily illustrative, and that such changes may be made as fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a holder for tooth brushes, a casing defining a space for containing the head portions of a plurality of tooth brushes and having an opening in a flat side thereof for the movement of the heads of the brushes longitudinally therethrough into and from the casing space, means at the edge of said opening for laterally receiving and resiliently and sealedly gripping the handles of the inserted brushes having their heads disposed in said space, and a shutter plate mounted on the aforesaid casing side at its outer face and for movement in a plane parallel to that of the side to sealedly close or to open said opening while one or more brushes are mounted in the holder.

2. In a holder for tooth brushes, a casing defining a space for containing the head portions of tooth brushes and having an opening in a flat side thereof for the movement of the heads of the brushes longitudinally therethrough into and from the casing space, means at the edge of said opening for laterally receiving and resiliently and independently gripping the handles of the inserted brushes having their heads disposed in said space, and a shutter plate mounted on the aforesaid casing side at its outer face and arranged for movement in a plane parallel to that of the side to close or open said opening while one or more brushes are mounted in the holder and providing a depression for carrying a charge of a volatile antiseptic material, said depression registering with the casing opening when the shutter is in operative position and being accessible from without the casing when the shutter is inoperatively disposed.

3. In a holder for tooth brushes, a casing defining a cylindric space for containing the head portions of a plurality of tooth brushes and having an interior opening in an end thereof for the movement of the brushes longitudinally therethrough into and from the casing space, means at different edge points of said opening for laterally receiving and resiliently and sealedly embracing the handles of the inserted brushes having their heads disposed in said space, and a shutter plate pivoted to the aforesaid casing end at its outer face and eccentrically of the casing axis and for movement in a plane parallel to that of the end to close or open said opening while one or more brushes are mounted in the holder with their handles engaged by the aforesaid handle-embracing means.

4. In a holder -for a tooth brush, a casing defining a space for containing the head portion of a tooth brush and having an opening in a lower side thereof for the movement of the head of the brush longitudinally therethrough into and from the casing space, means at the edge of said opening for laterally receiving and sealedly gripping the handle of the inserted brush, and a closure plate operative at the outer face of said casing side to sealedly close or to open said opening while the brush is mounted in the holder and provided with a depression for carrying a, charge of a volatile antiseptic material, said depression registering with said casing opening when the shutter is in operative position and being accessible from without the casing when the shutter is inoperatively disposed.

5. In a holder for a tooth brush, a supporting plate of relatively unyielding material and pro-' videdwith an interior opening having one portion thereof arranged to permit the free movement of a tooth brush head longitudinally therethrough and a connected second portion arranged to laterally receive the handle portion of an inserted tooth brush when the tooth brush head is above the plate and the tooth brush handle extends through the plate, a member of resiliently yielding sheet material fixed to the plate at its upper side and spanning said second portion of the opening and provided with a Ir-shaped slit extending from an interior point of the second portion .to the first portion of the opening and arranged to receive the handle of the brush by its lateral movement into the slit from the first portion of the opening to embrace the handle and support the brush by simultaneously engaging the handle by and between sheet member portions which define the sides of both slit parts.

6. In a holder for a tooth brush, a supporting plate of relatively unyielding material provided with a transverse opening having an open side and arranged to laterally and freely receive the handle of a tooth brush from its said open side when the tooth brush head is at one side of the plate and the handle extends transversely through the plane of the plate, and a member of resiliently yielding sheet material fixed to the plate and spanning the opening and provided with a T-shaped slit therethrough having one 7 part thereof extending from an interior point of the opening to the edge of the member at the open side of the opening for the lateral movement of the handle into and through said slit part to embrace the handle and support the tooth brush by simultaneously engaging the handle by and between sheet member portions which define the sides of both slit parts.

HENRY NOFZ.

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