US2544856A - Toothbrush holder - Google Patents

Description

Mmh 13,1951 M, PERUN 2,544,856

TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER Filed July 30, 1948 Patented Mar. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER Maurice Perlin, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 30, 1948, Serial N 0. 41,680

3 Claims.

cilitate the positioning of the brushes therein. 1

' The holder is provided with a plurality of air vents and means to guide the flow. of air across *the faces of the brushes when the front wall is -'closed, to cause the bristles of each brush to be dried soon after it i replaced in the holder afte use.

The holder of the present invention may be 'made from metal, but it is preferably made from a suitableplastic material, for example a synthetic resinous material either in a thermoset or thermoplastic state. Examples of the former resin are unsaturated alkyds and resins of the Bakelite type such as phenol-formaldehyde resin, and'examples of the latter resin are polystyrene,

polyethylene, polymethacrylate, a copolymer of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate, etc.

The structure by which the above advantages are attained will be described in the following I specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tooth brush -;holder embodying the invention, shown with the front wall open and a single brush positioned "therein;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken generally along the line 22 of Fig. 1, but

omitting the tooth brush and showing the front wall in closed position;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross sect onal view through the hinge portions of the holder, showing them in disassembled relationship; and

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view, taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 2 indicates a back wall having integral flanges 3, 4, 5 and 6 extending rearwardly from its edges. Each flan e is of the same depth so that the flanges will fit flush against the wall upon which the holder is supported and will space the back wall of the holder from the supporting wall to form an air space therebetween. A pair of hollow cylindrical projections 1 also projects. rearwardly from back wall 2 a distance equal to the depth of flanges 3, 4, 5 and 6. The opening in each projection l registers with an aperture 8 (Fig. 3) in back wall 2, .so that screws 9, having their heads seated in apertures 8, may be driven into the supporting wall to secure the holder in place. Preferably the apertures 8 are counterbored to permit the heads of screws 9 to fit flush against back wall 2.

A bottom wall l0, integral with back wall 2, curves forwardly from. a line substantially intermediate the height of back wall 2, as shown in Fig. 3. A plurality ofrectangular apertures l I is provided in bottom wall it! in transversely spaced alignment. Each aperture H is large enough to freely'receive the handle H of one tooth brush,

but is not large enough to permit the bristle end B to pass therethrough. Apertures I I are located adjacent the bottom of the curved portion of bottom wall ill to facilitate entry of each brush handle into one of the apertures. Even in the dark the user may hold a tooth brush handle against back wall 2 and when the tooth brush is moved downwardly the curve of bottom wall I!) will guide the handle to apertures I I'. In order to facilitate the seeing of apertures H in the dark, the edge portions around each aperture maybe coated with any suitable luminescent material, as indicated at H.

Flange 6 has a pair of vertically spaced projec- I tions l2 and is extending towards the left, as seen in Fig. 1. The lower wall M. of projection 52 and the upper wall 15 of projection I3 are notched, as indicated at E6 and I1, respectively, to form a hinge sleeve for supporting the front cover. A side wall l8 of the front cover, extending rearwardly from front wall l9, has a hinge lug 28 projecting therefrom. The length of lug 2% is slightly less than the vertical distance between walls M and i5 so that it will fit therebetween. A pair of pins 2| projects vertically from the top and bottom of lug 20 and fit into notches I6 and I! to hinge front wall l9 to back wall 2. Although the singe structure described is preferred, the specific hinge does not constitute part of the invention, and front wall l9 may be hinged to back wall 2 in any suitable manner.

Inaddition to side wall l8, front wall It! also has a similar side wall 22 and a top wall 23 in tegral therewith. An integral flange 24 extends rearwardly from the lower edge of front wall 19 and inwardly from side walls It and 22. When front wall I 9 is closed, as shown in Figsj2 and 3, the rear edges of side walls I8 and 22 and top wall 23 abut the exposed face of back wall 2.

Side wall 22 has an ear 25 projecting therefrom. Ear 25 frictionally engages flange 4 to hold the front of the holder in closed position. Flange 6 is provided with a pair of reinforcing ribs 26 spaced adjacent opposite edges of car 25 to stillen the area of flange 4 engaged by ear 25 and to guide the ear to the proper closing position of the front cover. A finger piece 21 projects outwardly from side wall 22 at right angles to to facilitate opening the front of the holder.

When the front of the holder is in closed position the portion of flange 24 extending rearwardly from the lower edge of front wall l9 does not reach the forward edge of curved bottom'wall i and thus leaves an air space therebetween. Flange 2:1 is also spaced below the forward edge of bottom wall 40. Flange 3,..extending rearwardly from the top edge of back wall 2, is notched to provide a plurality of air 'vents 28. Back wall 2 is also provided with a plurality of .slots .29 forming air vents positioned above the area normally occupied by the bristle ends of the tooth brushes housed in the holder. A fin 30 extends rearwardly from back wall 2 a distance equal to the depth of flanges 3, 4, and 6. Fin $0 is located below air vents 29 and extendstransversely across the entire width of back wall 2.

In addition to reinforcingback 'wall 2, fin 30 closes the air space behind back wall 2 and forces air entering vents 28 to flow through vents. 29

and across the faces of brusheshoused inthe holder when the front of the holder is closed.

'The air flowing through vents 2B and 29 also flows through apertures l l and the airspace between flange 24 and bottom wall or the flow of air may be in a reverse direction. Thecirculation of air caused by the ventilation of the holder constantly serves to dry the bristles and thereby keeps the tooth brushes in better condition for use.

Although I have described a preferredembodi- I ment of my invention in considerable detail, it

will be understood that the description is intend- 'ed to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, as

many details may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact structure described.

I claim:

1. A tooth brush holder comprising a back wall, rearwardly extending flanges adapted to fit against a wall upon which theholder is supported, an apertured bottom wall projecting forwardly from said back wall, a front wall, 'a pair of side walls projecting rearwardly from said front wall, one of said side walls being. hinged to said back wall, said front wall leaving an air space between its lower edge and the forward edge of said bottom wall when in closed position, a fin projecting rearwardly from said back wall and extending substantially across the width of said back wall, said fin being of the same depth as said flanges, and a plurality of air vents extending through said back wall above said fln.

2. A tooth brush holder comprising a back wall, rearwardly extending flanges adapted to fit against a wall upon which the holder is supported, an apertured bottom Wall projecting forwardly from said back wall, a front wall, a pair .of. sidewalls projecting rearwardly from said front wall, one of said side walls being hinged to said back wall, said other side wall being fric- -tionally engageable with said back wall to hold said front wall in closed position, said front wall leaving an air space between its lower edge and the forward edge of said bottom wall when in closed position, a fin projectingrearwardly from said back Wall and extending substantially across the width of said back wall, said fin being ofpthe :rearwardly from said back wall and extending across the width of said back wall, the flange extending rearwardly from the upper edge ofsaid back wall being notched to provide a plurality of air vents, and a plurality of air vents extending through said back wall above said fin.

MAURICE PERLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 577,204 Patten Feb.,16,-.1897 735,700 Bonney Aug. 11, 1903 1,303,884 Goodnow May 20, :1919 1,727,176 Phillips Sept. 3;.1929 1,803,602 Dey May 5, 1931 2,422,051 Swanson June 10,1947 2,472,058 Artley June 7,1949

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