Antiseptic toothbrush cover

Abstract

An antiseptic toothbrush cover is designed for safety, ease of manufacture, and increased functionality by providing an exterior receptacle which is easily filled, covered and tenaciously sealed. The exterior receptacle is filled with an outgassing, antiseptic media. A field of throughholes extending substantially throughout the area beneath the receptacle may provide fluid communication from the receptacle to the interior of the holder adjacent a toothbrush head. The interior surfaces of the holder are desirably smooth and unbroken except for the throughholes, in order to minimize bacteria-friendly spaces.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention provides improvements to structure and manufacturability of antiseptic toothbrush covers.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

Several kinds of toothbrush holders or covers are known in the art, including those with antiseptic outgassing media such as one described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,801, to Vermooten et al. However, improvements are desired over the structures of the known art in order to achieve improved safety, functionality and ease of manufacture for toothbrush holders or covers of the antiseptic type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An antiseptic toothbrush cover according to the present invention may generally comprise a case divided between a first portion and a second portion, with a hinge connecting the first portion and the second portion whereby the first portion and the second portion can be positioned to form a substantially enclosed void for holding a head of a toothbrush. On an exterior surface of the case a receptacle is located, preferably formed by at least one wall extending from the exterior surface of the case. A plurality of throughholes may provide fluid communication between an inner surface of the case and the receptacle thereby allowing an outgassing, granular, antiseptic media contained within the receptacle to provide antiseptic vapors to a toothbrush enclosed within the case. The granular antiseptic media is sized to extend beyond a diameter of the throughholes; and a covering is tenaciously engaged in an airtight manner with an exterior of the receptacle to securely enclose the granular antiseptic media within the receptacle and prevent contact therewith.

In some embodiments an antiseptic toothbrush cover according to the present invention may comprise a so-called “clamshell” case, i.e., a one-piece molded case, the case divided between a first portion and a second portion; with a living hinge connecting the first portion and the second portion. The case has an open position and a closed position with a clasp mechanism formed in the case for holding the. case in the closed position. The case will form a substantially enclosed void in the closed position for holding a head of a toothbrush, but have an opening therein for the passage of a toothbrush handle therethrough. Desirably, the case will have substantially smooth unbroken inner surfaces for easy cleaning and to discourage bacterial entrapment and growth in nooks and crannies.

A receptacle integrally molded on an exterior surface of the first portion of the case, and formed by a receptacle-wall portion of the case and contiguous walls extending from the case, will contain an outgassing, granular, antiseptic media. A plurality of perforations or throughholes located within the receptacle-wall portion and distributed over a preponderance of the receptacle-wall portion provide a sufficient volume of fluid communication between the interior of the case and the receptacle to permit the antiseptic vapors from the outgassing media to reach the adjacent toothbrush held within the interior void of the case. A covering tenaciously engaged with the contiguous receptacle walls to seal the exterior of the receptacle and enclose the antiseptic media prevents access to the antiseptic media.

Words of degree, such as “about”, “substantially”, and the like are used herein in the sense of “at, or nearly at, when given the manufacturing, design, and material tolerances inherent in the stated circumstances” and are used to prevent the unscrupulous infringer from unfairly taking advantage of the invention disclosure where exact or absolute figures are stated as an aid to understanding the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The aspects of this invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exterior front perspective view of a closed toothbrush cover with the receptacle covering in place and an opaque receptacle wall.

FIG. 2 is an exterior side view of a first portion of the toothbrush cover with the receptacle covering removed and the case in the closed position.

FIG. 3 is an exterior side view of a second portion of the toothbrush cover with the case in the closed position.

FIG. 4 is an interior perspective view of the case in the open position.

FIG. 5 is an exterior perspective view of the case in the open position with the receptacle covering in place and a translucent receptacle wall showing the antiseptic media within the receptacle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring also to the drawing figures, an exemplary antiseptic toothbrush cover according to one embodiment of the invention comprises a one-piece molded case 11, sometimes referred to as a “clamshell” case, such as may be molded or pressed from plastic, laminated paperboard, or other suitable material. The case 11 is divided between generally bowl-shaped portions being a first portion 13 and a second portion 15. Referring especially to FIG. 4, while shown as contoured, the first and second case portions 13, 15 may alternatively be generally be described as each being a substantially open-faced parallelepiped with five walls, and with a major surface, i.e., wall of greatest area, referred to as a lid 12, 14, and four side walls, 53, 55, 57, 59 and 61, 63, 65, 67; respectively, with the open faces being opposite the lids 12, 14. In either event, the case portions desirably have a majority of smooth, rounded, and uninterrupted interior surfaces to minimize nooks and crannies where bacteria may hide. It will occur to the person of skill in the art that other general case configurations for creating a central void for containing a toothbrush, or the head thereof, may be utilized within the scope of the current invention.

A hinge, desirably such as living hinge 17, (FIGS. 2-4) connects the first portion 13 and the second portion 15 and allows the case 11 an open position, as in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, for easy removal and insertion of a toothbrush (not shown) and a closed position, as in FIGS. 1-3, whereby the first portion 13 and the second portion 15 are positioned to form a substantially enclosed void for holding at least a head of the toothbrush (not shown), i.e. the part with bristles. A clasp mechanism 18 is desirably integrally formed in the case 11 for holding the case 11 in the closed position. Opposing cutouts, collectively 20, (FIG. 4) are formed on corresponding surfaces of the first portion 13 and the second portion 15 to permit exit of a toothbrush handle (not shown) from the case 11, if the case is desired to enclose only the head of the toothbrush.

A receptacle 21 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 5) for holding antiseptic media 31 is desirably integrally molded from the same material as the case 11 on the major exterior surface 22 of the first portion 13 for ease of manufacture and placement of the antiseptic media 31 in the receptacle 21. It will be appreciated that arrangements other than integral molding of receptacle may be accomplished within the spirit of some embodiments of the present invention. The receptacle 21 has a bottom, or first wall formed by a receptacle-wall portion 23 (FIG. 2 and FIG. 4) of the first portion 13 of the case 11. The receptacle 21 is further defined by at least one wall 25 extending from the exterior surface 22 of the first portion 13 to form the side wall, or walls, as desired, of the receptacle 21. The at least one wall 25 has a top surface 26 being that surface of the receptacle 21 generally farthest from the exterior surface 22.

A plurality of throughholes 27 (FIG. 2 and FIG. 4) are integrally formed during molding, or by later piercing, to be located within the receptacle-wall portion 23 of the first portion 13 and distributed over a preponderance of the receptacle-wall portion 23 of the first portion 13. The throughholes 27 provide a sufficient volume of fluid communication between an inner surface 29 of the case, and more particularly the void formed by the case portions to contain an adjacent toothbrush (not shown), and the interior of the receptacle 21 containing the outgassing antiseptic media. It is preferred that the receptacle 21 and throughholes 27 are located at that portion of the void intended to receive the wet bristles of the brush. Alternatively, the means for providing fluid communication may include a gas permeable material of the first case portion 13, or at least the receptacle-wall portion 23 thereof. Selection of suitable gas permeable polymers or the like for construction of the case 11, or suitable receptacle portions thereof, are considered to be within the skill of the art.

The antiseptic media 31 is then safely contained within the receptacle 21 by a covering 33 which is tenaciously engaged, such as by ultrasonic welding, heat sealing, adhesives, or the like, to the receptacle, and particularly the top surface 26 of the at least one wall 25, to enclose the antiseptic media 31 within the receptacle 21 in an airtight and tamper-resistant manner. The tenacious engagement of the covering 33 ensures the receptacle contents are resistant to tampering or removal by children.

The antiseptic media 31 is an outgas sing solid containing absorbed oils and is designed to emit antiseptic vapors into the void of the case in order to suppress the growth of bacteria on the head of the toothbrush (not shown). The antiseptic media 31 is preferably granular in order to present a large surface area and sufficiently granular as to be sized to extend beyond a diameter of the throughholes to keep the grains of the media from entering the void and making direct contact with the toothbrush (not shown). In some embodiments the antiseptic media may be in the form of a pad, tablet or the like. The composition of the antiseptic media 31 may include an inert carrier such as porous, absorbent plant material or clay, for the retention of natural, safe, antiseptic outgassing compounds such as cinnamon oil, clove oil, peppermint oil, tea tree oil, thyme oil, and the emission of their vapors over time. Desirably, the porous absorbent plant material comprises corn solids, which have been found to be particularly resilient, stable and efficacious for the absorption and release of the antiseptic compounds in the environment of repeated wetting and drying of the toothbrush cover.

While in the foregoing specification this invention has been described in relation to certain preferred embodiments thereof, and many details have been set forth for purpose of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described herein can be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention.

Claims

1. An antiseptic toothbrush cover, comprising

a) first and second case portions, at least one of the first and second case portions being substantially an open-faced parallelepiped with five walls, including one wall serving as a lid and four side walls connected to said lid, with the open faces of the parallelepipeds being opposite the lid surfaces;

b) a receptacle located on the lid of one of said case portions, the receptacle formed by a receptacle-wall portion of the lid and at least one wall extending from the exterior surface of the lid;

c) means for providing fluid communication between an inner surface of the case and the receptacle;

d) an outgassing antiseptic media contained within the receptacle; and

e) a covering tenaciously engaged with the at least one wall to enclose the antiseptic media within the receptacle.

2. An antiseptic toothbrush cover, comprising:

a) a case divided between a first portion and a second portion;

b) the case having a closed position whereby the first portion and the second portion are positioned to form a substantially enclosed void for holding at least a head of a toothbrush;

c) a receptacle located on an exterior surface of the first portion, the receptacle formed by a receptacle-wall portion of the first portion and at least one wall extending from the exterior surface of the first portion;

d) means for providing fluid communication between an inner surface of the case and the receptacle;

e) an outgassing antiseptic media contained within the receptacle; and

f) a covering tenaciously engaged to the at least one wall to enclose the granular antiseptic media within the receptacle.

3. The antiseptic toothbrush cover of claim 2 wherein the covering is tenaciously engaged in an airtight manner.

4. The antiseptic toothbrush cover of claim 3 wherein the covering is tenaciously engaged by at least one of ultrasonic welding, heat sealing and adhesives.

5. The antiseptic toothbrush cover of claim 2 wherein the receptacle is integrally molded with an exterior surface of the first portion.

6. The antiseptic toothbrush cover of claim 2 wherein the means for providing fluid communication includes a plurality of throughholes located within the receptacle-wall portion of the first case and distributed over a preponderance of the receptacle-wall portion of the first case.

7. The antiseptic toothbrush cover of claim 6 wherein the antiseptic media is granular and the granular antiseptic media is sized to extend beyond a diameter of the throughholes.

8. The antiseptic toothbrush cover of claim 2 wherein the means for providing fluid communication includes a gas permeable material of the receptacle-wall portion.

9. The antiseptic toothbrush cover of claim 2 wherein the antiseptic media contained within the receptacle is granular.

10. The antiseptic toothbrush cover of claim 2 wherein the case is a one-piece molded case.

11. The antiseptic toothbrush cover of claim 2 wherein the case has substantially smooth unbroken inner surfaces.

12. The antiseptic toothbrush cover of claim 2 further comprising a hinge connecting the first portion and the second portion.

13. The antiseptic toothbrush cover of claim 12 wherein the hinge is a living hinge connecting the first portion and the second portion.

14. The antiseptic toothbrush cover of claim 2 wherein the case has a closed position whereby the first portion and the second portion are positioned to form a substantially enclosed void sized to primarily hold only a head of a toothbrush.

15. A antiseptic toothbrush cover, comprising:

a) a one-piece molded case divided between a first portion and a second portion with a living hinge between the first and second portions;

b) the case having a closed position whereby the first portion and the second portion are positioned to form a substantially enclosed void for holding at least a head of a toothbrush;

c) a receptacle integrally formed with an exterior surface of the first portion;

d) throughholes for providing fluid communication between an inner surface of the case and the receptacle;

e) an outgassing granular antiseptic media contained within the receptacle, the antiseptic media granules being sized to extend beyond a diameter of the throughholes; and

f) a covering tenaciously engaged to the at least one wall to enclose the granular antiseptic media within the receptacle; and

g) the case having substantially smooth unbroken inner surfaces.

16. The antiseptic toothbrush cover of claim 15 wherein the antiseptic media comprises corn solids.

17. The antiseptic toothbrush cover of claim 16 wherein the antiseptic media further comprises a compound selected from the group including cinnamon oil, clove oil, peppermint oil, tea tree oil, and thyme oil.