Tubular toothpaste tube stand with brushing timer

Abstract

A rigid material, preferably recycled plastic, Tubular Toothpaste Tube Stand with Brushing Timer is a countertop dental hygiene appliance. It is comprised of a vertically arranged, open top and open bottom, tubular toothpaste tube stand with an attached, stationary, sand/oil liquid timer hourglass to provide the user a visual gauge to determine elapsed brushing time. The appliance also assists with concentrating toothpaste, within the toothpaste tube, toward the tube's nozzle end. Also, the appliance can be made into various decorative shapes, and, can employ decorative graphics to attract users. It can be easily assembled as well.

Claims

1. A tubular tooth paste Tube Stand with Brushing Timer appliance comprising; the tubular toothpaste tube stand having a circular open top and circular open bottom, the stand being capable of receiving an object placed therein in either an upright vertical position or when fully rotated 180 degrees, said stand having two protruding upper and lower mounting tabs on an outer side of the tubular stand for receiving a stationary and affixed sand/oil liquid timer hourglass which is enclosed within a clear plastic protective safety canister; and Said two protruding mounting tabs are positioned at vertically spaced and horizontally offset locations, relative to the horizontal axis of said stand, to provide for user viewing of said timer hourglass, from positions above and below said stand, with respect to the horizontal axis of said stand; and Said two protruding mounting tabs are further positioned to provide front, rear and side views of said timer hourglass, with respect to said mounting tabs on said stand.

2. The appliance of claim 1 wherein said stand and said timer provides for an assembly kit for interactive learning comprising the steps of: While holding the tubular toothpaste tube stand, adhesively affixing the timer hourglass between the upper and lower mounting tabs, Adhesively affixing the clear plastic protective safety canister between the upper and lower mounting tabs, Placing decorative designs on the tubular toothpaste tube stand.

3. The appliance in claim 1 wherein said stand's open bottom allows interior cleaning thereof.

4. The appliance in claim 1 wherein said stand's open bottom allows water, loose toothpaste, and other debris within said stand to pass through said stand to a countertop surface, on which said stand resides.

5. The appliance in claim 1 wherein the upper and lower mounting tabs each include a facing surface oriented at an approximate 10 degree vertical angle with respect to a horizontal axis of the tubular stand.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is shown on sheet numbered 1-6 as a front page perspective view of the Tubular Toothpaste Tube Stand with Brushing Timer with a vertically standing toothpaste tube; and

(2) FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5 are shown on sheets numbered 2-6, 3-6, 4-6 and 5-6 as plan view top, elevation view front, elevation view side, and perspective view, respectively, of the Tubular Toothpaste Tube Stand with Brushing Timer; and

(3) FIG. 6 is shown on sheet numbered 6-6 as a perspective view of the Tubular Toothpaste Tube Stand with Brushing Timer with a vertically standing toothpaste tube.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) FIG. 1 shows the toothpaste tube 1, the open top and open bottom tubular toothpaste tube stand 2 formed of one piece construction, preferably recycled plastic, (but may be constructed of other rigid materials including new resin plastic, ceramic, glass and metal), a sand/oil liquid 8 timer hourglass 3 brushing timer completely enclosed within a clear plastic protective safety canister 4, adhesively attached to, and stationary between a protruding upper mounting tab 5 and protruding lower mounting tab 6, and said tubular stand 2 is intended to be vertically placed on the top surface of a bathroom countertop 7 where people routinely brush and clean their teeth.

(5) FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 show in detail the open top and open bottom tubular toothpaste tube stand 2 formed of one piece construction, preferably recycled plastic, (but may be constructed of other rigid materials including new resin plastic, ceramic, glass and metal), which may have varying tubular shapes, is vertically arranged, with an approximate 2 inch tubular diameter, an approximate inch tubular wall thickness, and is of varying tubular heights to accept a plurality of toothpaste tubes 1. Manufactured toothpaste tubes range in length from approximately 3 inches to approximately 8 inches, all of which can fit within this appliance.

(6) The design allows for the vertical placement of a toothpaste tube 1 within the opened top tubular stand 2, so the said toothpaste tube's nozzle end is placed downward within the tubular stand 2 with said tube's nozzle resting on the countertop 7. This placement facilitates the gravitational concentration of the toothpaste, within the toothpaste tube 1, toward the tube's nozzle end. This also positions the toothpaste tube 1 with its heat-fused end vertically upward within the tubular stand 2 and allows the user to apply grasping pressure to the toothpaste tube 1 near the heat-fused tube end, further concentrating the toothpaste, within the toothpaste tube 1, toward the tube's nozzle end.

(7) A sand/oil liquid timer hourglass 3 is completely enclosed within a clear plastic protective safety canister 4, and has an approximate diameter of inch, and an approximate height of 3 inches, and is adhesively attached to the protruding upper mounting tab 5 and the protruding lower mounting tab 6, and is therefore stationary on the side of the tubular stand 2. The sand/oil liquid 8 timer hourglass 3 and protective safety canister 4 are mounted at an approximate 10 degree vertical angle with respect to the horizontal axis of the tubular stand 2. This angular placement facilitates the user's view of the sand/oil liquid 8 timer hourglass 3 when viewed from a position either higher or lower than the direct horizontal view of the said tubular stand 2. The sand/oil liquid 8 timer hourglass 3 is actuated when the user picks up the open top and open bottom tubular stand 2 from the countertop 7 and rotates the entire appliance vertically 180 degrees, thereby placing the tubular stand 2 on its opposite end on top of the countertop 7. Performing this rotational movement allows the previous open bottom of the tubular stand 2 becomes the open top of the tubular stand 2, and vise versa.

(8) Decorative designs may be placed on the front exterior surface and rear exterior surface of the tubular toothpaste tube stand 2. The decorative graphics should be displayed upward facing on the front side of the tubular stand 2, and upside-down (inverted) facing on the rear side of the tubular stand 2, so when the appliance is rotated 180 degrees vertically, a readable and/or understandable graphic image will face the user.

(9) FIG. 6 shows the open top and open bottom tubular toothpaste tube stand 2 with a sand/oil liquid 8 timer hourglass with a vertically standing toothpaste tube. Hidden lines are shown of the vertically positioned toothpaste tube 1 to depict how the said toothpaste tube 1 rests within the said tubular stand 2 and on said countertop 7.

(10) In practice, the user grasps the heat-fused end of the toothpaste tube 1 with their fingers and removes the toothpaste tube 1 from the top of the tubular stand 2. The user applies toothpaste from the toothpaste tube 1 to their toothbrush. The user picks up the tubular stand 2 in its entirety from the countertop 7, and vertically rotates the appliance 180 degrees, placing the tubular toothpaste tube stand 2 on its opposite open end on the countertop 7. This rotational movement actuates the attached, and stationary, sand/oil liquid 8 timer hourglass 3 causing the sand/oil liquid 8 to sift or flow within the timer hourglass 3 over a set duration.

(11) The user then returns the toothpaste tube 1 into the open top of the tubular stand 2, nozzle end downward, while applying pressure to the toothpaste tube 1 near its heat-fused end. This act helps to concentrate the toothpaste within the toothpaste tube 1 toward the tube's nozzle end. The user brushes their teeth while occasionally glancing at the sand/oil liquid 8 timer hourglass 3 gauging the elapsed time. When the sand/oil liquid 8 has completely sifted or flowed within the timer hourglass 3 from its upper glass bulb into its lower glass bulb, the teeth-brushing and teeth-cleaning process is complete.