TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER

Abstract

A sanitary toothbrush holder is disclosed that is assembled from a single piece of sheet material to form a stable holder which positions the bristles of the toothbrush away from all parts of the toothbrush holder as well as away from the surface on which the toothbrush holder rests. Further, said toothbrush holder provides a surface onto which water and other liquids may drip from the toothbrush bristles while the toothbrush is drying, to protect said surface underneath the toothbrush holder from contamination.

Claims

1. A toothbrush holder for supporting at least one toothbrush comprising: a sheet material comprising at least one opening and a plurality of fold lines, wherein the toothbrush holder, when folded, comprises a base surface and a toothbrush engaging surface, wherein the toothbrush engaging surface comprises a raised surface extending upwardly from the base surface, and wherein the raised surface comprises at least one opening in the raised surface.

2. The toothbrush holder of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fold lines of the sheet material comprises four fold lines.

3. The toothbrush holder of claim 2, wherein the four fold lines are substantially parallel to each other.

4. The toothbrush holder of claim 3, wherein of the four fold lines there is a grouping of three fold lines that, when folded, form a tented surface extending upwardly from the base surface.

5. The toothbrush holder of claim 4, wherein the tented surface that is flanked by substantially horizontal surfaces on each side of the tented surface.

6. The toothbrush holder of claim 5, wherein the tented surface is defined by surfaces which are angled upwardly from the substantially horizontal surfaces and inwardly toward each other.

7. The toothbrush holder of claim 6, wherein the surfaces defining the tented surface extend upwardly from the horizontal surfaces and angle inwardly toward each other until they meet at an apex or peak of the raised surface.

8. The toothbrush holder of claim 7, wherein the sheet material is folded along another fold line to form an underlying base or support surface under the horizontal surfaces and tented surface.

9. The toothbrush holder of claim 8, wherein the substantially horizontal surfaces flanking the tented surface may be affixed to the underlying base or support surface with an adhesive to form a secure isosceles triangle defined by the tented surface and a portion of the underlying base or support surface.

10. The toothbrush holder of claim 9, wherein the opening is disposed in the center of one of the fold lines.

11. The toothbrush holder of claim 1, wherein the sheet material of the toothbrush holder is selected from cardboard, paper, flexible polymer sheets, rigid polymer sheets, composite material sheets and combinations thereof.

12. The toothbrush holder of claim 11, wherein the sheet material of the toothbrush holder comprises paper.

13. The toothbrush holder of claim 11, wherein the sheet material of the toothbrush holder comprises a flexible polymer sheet.

14. The toothbrush holder of claim 11, wherein the sheet material of the toothbrush holder comprises a rigid polymer sheet.

15. The toothbrush holder of claim 14, wherein the rigid polymer sheet has areas of weakness that constitute fold lines to achieve the final folded configuration of the toothbrush holder.

16. The toothbrush holder of claim 11, wherein the sheet material treated with a coating selected from the group consisting of air resistant coatings, moisture resistant coatings, and water resistant coatings.

17. A kit comprising at least one toothbrush holder and at least one toothbrush, wherein the toothbrush holder comprises a sheet material comprising at least one opening and a plurality of fold lines, wherein the toothbrush holder, when folded, comprises a base surface and a toothbrush engaging surface, wherein the toothbrush engaging surface comprises a raised surface extending upwardly from the base surface, and wherein the raised surface comprises at least one opening in the raised surface.

18. The kit of claim 17, wherein the kit further comprises at least one oral care product selected from the group consisting of tooth gels, tooth pastes, tooth powders, tooth whitening compositions, mouth washes, mouth rinses, dental floss, dental picks, anti-plaque compositions, anti-gingivitis compositions, and combinations thereof.

19. The kit of claim 18, wherein the at least one oral care product comprises a tooth paste.

20. The kit of claim 19, wherein the at least one oral care product comprises a tooth paste and one of a mouth wash, a mouth rinse, or an anti-plaque composition.

21. The kit of claim 17, wherein the at least one toothbrush holder, the at least one toothbrush and the at least one oral care product are sealed in a flexible water-resistant packaging material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a toothbrush holder;

[0012] FIG. 2 is a top view of an illustrative embodiment of the toothbrush holder.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a front view of an illustrative embodiment of the toothbrush holder.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a left side view of an illustrative embodiment of the toothbrush holder.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a right side view of an illustrative embodiment of the toothbrush holder.

[0016] FIG. 6 is a rear view of an illustrative embodiment of the toothbrush holder.

[0017] FIG. 7 is a bottom view of an illustrative embodiment of the toothbrush holder.

[0018] FIG. 8 is an isometric view of an illustrative embodiment of the toothbrush holder supporting a toothbrush.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] According to one illustrative embodiment, the toothbrush holder is configured to support at least one toothbrush. The toothbrush holder may be formed from a single piece of sheet material comprising at least one opening and at least one fold line.

[0020] According to certain embodiments, the sheet material includes a plurality of fold lines. According to certain embodiments, the sheet material comprises four fold lines. According to certain embodiments, the four fold lines are substantially parallel to each other. An opening is disposed in the center of one of the fold lines. According to certain embodiments, there is a grouping of three fold lines that, when folded, form a raised or tented surface. The sheet material is folded along these three fold lines to define a raised surface that is flanked by substantially horizontal surfaces on each side of the raised surface. The raised surface is defined by surfaces which are angled upwardly from the substantially horizontal surfaces and inwardly toward each other. According to certain embodiments, the surfaces defining the raised surface extend upwardly from the horizontal surfaces and angle inwardly toward each other until they meet at an apex or peak of the raised surface. The sheet material is folded along another fold line to form an underlying base or support surface under the horizontal surfaces and raised surface. According to certain embodiments, substantially horizontal surfaces flanking the raised surfaces may be affixed to an underlying surface with an adhesive in order to form a secure isosceles triangle defined by the raised surfaces and a portion of the underlying surface.

[0021] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the toothbrush holder disclosed herein, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings depict various illustrative embodiments of the toothbrush holder disclosed herein, but are not intended to limit the specification or claims in any manner whatsoever.

[0022] According to one illustrative embodiment, the present toothbrush holder is formed from a single piece of sheet material containing opening 5 in the center of fold line 7, and is folded along its fold lines 6, 7, 8 and 9 to define surfaces 1 and 4, which are aligned and parallel with each other, surfaces 2 and 3, which are angled in a raised direction relative to surfaces 1 and 4, and surface 10, which is folded in the opposite direction as raised surfaces 2 and 3, and is positioned parallel to surfaces 1 and 4, and may be affixed to surfaces 1 and 4 with an adhesive in order to form a secure isosceles triangle comprising surfaces 2, 3 and a portion of surface 10.

[0023] According to further embodiments, the present toothbrush holder may include a plurality of distinct and unconnected openings along fold 7 for supporting a plurality of toothbrushes simultaneously.

[0024] According to further embodiments, all embodiments described previously may be formed from sheet material which has rounded corners to minimize the likelihood of minor injury to persons handling and using said toothbrush holder.

[0025] Without limitation, and only by way of illustration, the sheet material of the toothbrush holder may be selected from cardboard, paper, flexible polymer sheets, rigid polymer sheets, composite material sheets, and the like. According to certain embodiments, the sheet material of the toothbrush holder comprises paper. According to certain embodiments, the sheet material of the toothbrush holder comprises a flexible polymer sheet. According to certain embodiments, the sheet material of the toothbrush holder comprises paper. According to certain embodiments, the sheet material of the toothbrush holder comprises a flexible polymer sheet. According to certain embodiments, the sheet material of the toothbrush holder comprises a rigid polymer sheet. The rigid polymer sheets have areas of weakness that constitute fold lines to achieve the final configuration of the toothbrush holder.

[0026] The cardboard, paper, flexible polymer sheets, rigid polymer sheets, and/or composite material sheets may be treated with an air, moisture, and/or water resistant coating. The coating could be continuous or discontinuous.

[0027] Also provided is a kit that comprises the disclosed toothbrush holder and at least one toothbrush. According to certain embodiments, the kit comprises the toothbrush holder, at least one toothbrush and at least one oral care product. Without limitation, the oral care product may be selected from tooth gels, tooth pastes, tooth powders, tooth whitening compositions, mouth washes, mouth rinses, dental floss, dental picks, anti-plaque compositions, anti-gingivitis compositions, and the like. The toothbrush holder, at least one toothbrush, and optionally at least one oral care product may be sealed in flexible water-resistant packaging material.

[0028] It will be understood that the illustrative embodiments described herein are merely exemplary, and that one skilled in the art may make variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as described and claimed herein. Further, all embodiments disclosed are not necessarily in the alternative, as various embodiments of the invention may be combined to provide the desired result.