Brush holder

Abstract

This invention relates generally to an apparatus for a convenient concealment of a toilet bowl brush, generally in a corresponding sized hole in a wall into which the apparatus is inserted.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to brush holders. More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus and method for toilet brush holders using a recessable cabinet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Traditionally, a well equipped bathroom has a toilet brush located therein for periodically cleaning a toilet bowl. Although a toilet brush is very useful, it is not considered to be aesthetically attractive. Most homeowners will sacrifice either convenience or aesthetics. In particular, convenience may be sacrificed for the sake of aesthetics by storing the toilet bowl brush at a remote inconspicuous location. Alternatively, aesthetics may be sacrificed by storing a toilet brush in visually obtrusive positions near the bowl. A common compromise is to have a toilet brush in a portable container that substantially hides the toilet brush from view. This may be accomplished by having a top to the portable container or by having an open back to the portable container

However, present devices suffer from several drawbacks. The portable containers take up floor space and add to the clutter around the toilet. Additionally, the portable containers may appear attractive to inquisitive small children who may remove the toilet brush and who may touch the bristles of the toilet brush—perhaps even chew on the toilet brush bristles.

While these and other approaches are a good start, improvements are needed to provide an apparatus to hold a toilet brush which conserves floor space and which is enabled to be more esthetically pleasing. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a brush holder apparatus that overcomes these and other obstacles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aforementioned and other objects were achieved, and the above-mentioned disadvantages overcome, by the present invention, by providing a brush holder apparatus designed to be recessed into a wall, that can be painted or wallpapered, and which can keep the toilet brush hidden from sight, yet conveniently accessible.

In general the present invention designed to be inserted into a corresponding sized hole in a wall, generally near the toilet and is held in place by securing means. The brush holder cabinet assembly portion of the present invention is generally inserted first, followed by the brush holder door assembly of the present invention. After insertion into the brush holder cabinet assembly, the brush holder door assembly goes from an open position to an closed position via door open-closing means. The toilet brush is inserted brush-end first into the brush holder door assembly and is held in a substantially upright position via brush holding means.

In general, the brush holder cabinet assembly is comprised of one roughly rectangular box shaped structure that has a groove track on the inside of the box formed into sidewalls of the box. The door assembly is comprised of one roughly rectangular piece of molded plastic with a receptacle molded inside and the male half of the hinge molded onto the bottom edge of the door assembly. The box is formed with the corresponding female half of the male half of the hinge. The receptacle molded onto the door has two pins extending from the sides that fit into the groove track inside the box. The grooves in the box also have a key slot at one end of the groove to allow for insertion and removal of the door assembly. The door is held in place by gravity and the grooves align the door and give the door a path of travel inside the box. There is at least one fin inside the door receptacle that holds a brush in place, once the brush is inserted into the door receptacle. At the top of the inside of the box there are two L-shaped flanges that face each other to create a slot that holds a latch, generally a magnetic latch. The magnetic latch latches to a small piece of steel either embedded or glued to the inside top of the door assembly.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be obtained by means of instrumentalities in combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate a complete embodiment of the invention according to the best modes so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a partial perspective view of an installed brush holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the wall cabinet portion of a brush holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of one possible placement of a brush holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a right side plan view according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a front plan view of the wall cabinet portion of a brush holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a top plan view of the wall cabinet portion of a brush holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a back plan view of the wall cabinet portion of a brush holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows a right side perspective view of the wall cabinet portion of a brush holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows a sectional view of a section of the wall cabinet portion of a brush holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 shows a left back perspective view the wall cabinet portion of a brush holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows a right plan view of the door portion of a brush holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 shows a front plan view of the door portion of a brush holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 shows a back left side perspective view of the door portion of a brush holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 shows a sectional view of the door portion of a brush holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 shows a cutaway view of the door portion of a brush holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 shows a top plan view of the door portion of a brush holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 shows a front left perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing interior detail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The drawings show aspects of the invention. As the drawings are described, reference will be made to the present preferred embodiments of the invention. The terminology used herein to describe the present preferred embodiments is for the purpose of clarification. The invention, however, is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology used. Terminology used to describe each element should be understood to include all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish similar functions.

The present invention is described in relation to a toilet brush holder apparatus. Nonetheless, the characteristics and parameters pertaining to various embodiments the apparatus and methods described herein may be applicable to a holder for other objects.

Referring to FIG. 1 through FIG. 17, brush holder 1 is comprised of wall cabinet 100 and cabinet door 200. The wall cabinet 200 is further comprised of recessed cabinet 105, flange 110, and inset lip 115, female hinge groove 120, recess 125 disposed for receiving adhesives, preferably caulk, tracking grove 130, key-in 135, double L slot 140 and latch 145, preferably a magnetic latch. The cabinet door 200 is further comprised of step down lip 205, door receptacle 210, a least one receptacle fin 215, tracking pin 230 and strike plate 245.

Wall cabinet 100 inserts into a corresponding sized hole in a wall, preferably a bathroom wall in the proximity of a toilet. Wall cabinet 100 is held in place with adhesive, e.g. double-stick tape or adhesive caulk, which is placed in recess 125 of cabinet flange 110. Cabinet door 200 fits snugly into wall cabinet 100. The cabinet door 200 is comprised of male door hinge 220 which is formed to fit into corresponding female hinge groove 120 formed on wall cabinet 100. Door receptacle 210 has one tracking pin 230 disposed on both sides of door receptacle 210. These tracking pins 230 insert into key-in 135 on tracking groove 130 inside wall cabinet 100. The cabinet door 200 is held in by gravity and the combination of cabinet door 200 fitting into and pivoting in female hinge groove 120, and also tracking with tracking pin 230 in tracking groove 130. Latch 145, preferably a magnetic latch, fits into double L-slot 140 on the inside top center of wall cabinet 100. Strike plate 245 is affixed to cabinet door 200, either by molding or gluing. Latch 145 is activated by pushing in at the top center of cabinet door 200 to release latch 145. Latch 145 opens cabinet door 200 approximately ½″, then the cabinet door 200 is released from the magnet with the hand of the user. The cabinet door 200 will open at approximately 20 degrees from vertical and come to rest by means of tracking pins 230 in tracking groove 130. Cabinet door 200 can be removed by lifting up cabinet door 200 when cabinet door 200 is in the open position which causes the tracking pins 230 to register and pull through key-in 135 in tracking groove, 130. Cabinet door 200 can be reinserted by reversing the above process.

The preferred dimensions for wall cabinet 100 is 18.54″ in front height, 17.00″ in back height, 4.375″ in width, 3.750″ in depth with an opening for the door being 4.375″ in width. The preferred dimensions for the cabinet door 200 is 16.95″ in front height, 4.26″ in width and 0.21″ in depth. The preferred dimensions for the door receptacle 210 is 5.69″ in front height, 4.25″ in back height, 3.09″ in depth and 3.50″ in width. The preferred dimension for receptacle fin 215 is 3.09″ in back height, 1.88″ in front height and 1.44″ in depth.

In an alternate embodiment brush holder 1 is further comprised of a brush 300, preferably a toilet brush. Brush 300 is inserted into door receptacle 210 when the cabinet door 200 is in the open position. Brush 300 is held in place by receptacle fins 215, preferably four receptacle fins disposed for holding brush 300 as shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16.

In alternate embodiments of the present invention cabinet door 200 may close in a variety of ways other than illustrated above e.g., from the left side, from the right side, a central pivot, etc.

The above description and drawings are only illustrative of preferred embodiments which achieve the objects, features and advantages of the present invention, and it is not intended that the present invention be limited thereto. Any modification of the present invention which comes within the spirit and scope of the following claims is considered part of the present invention.

Other embodiments, uses and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. The specification and examples should be considered exemplary only.

Claims

1. A recessable storage assembly for a brush comprising:

a wall cabinet; and

cabinet securing means.

2. The recessable storage assembly for a brush of claim 1, further comprising:

door receiving means disposed in said wall cabinet;

a door, wherein said door is further comprised of a brush receptacle;

door engaging means;

door open-closing means; and

brush holding means.

3. The recessable storage assembly for a brush of claim 2, wherein said wall cabinet is further comprised of a cabinet flange having a recess;

wherein said cabinet securing means is an adhesive;

wherein said door receiving means is comprised of a female hinge groove, a set of key-ins and a set of tracking grooves;

wherein said door engaging means is comprised of a male door hinge and a set of tracking pins;

wherein said open-closing means is comprised of a magnetic cabinet latch assembly; and

wherein said brush holding means is comprised of a plurality of substantially vertical fins disposed at the bottom of said brush receptacle.

4. The recessable storage assembly for a brush of claim 3, further comprising a toilet brush.

5. A method of making a recessable storage assembly for a toilet bowl brush comprising the steps of:

a. obtaining plastic material,

b. forming a wall cabinet disposed for insertion into a wall hole for securing to a wall, for removably receiving a door, and for opening and closing a door,

c. forming a door disposed for removably attaching to said wall cabinet from said plastic material,

d. installing door closing means, and

e. affixing brush holding means.

6. A recessible storage assembly for a brush comprising:

a wall cabinet assembly, wherein said wall cabinet assembly is further comprised of a recessed cabinet, a flange, an inset lip, a female hinge groove, a recess disposed for receiving adhesives, preferably caulk, a tracking grove, a key-in, a double L slot and a magnetic latch;

a cabinet door assembly, wherein said cabinet door assembly is further comprised of a step down lip, a door receptacle, four receptacle fins, a tracking pin and a strike plate.

7. A recessed cabinet in a bathroom wall, wherein said recessed cabinet contains a toilet brush.