US2965109A - Utility kit - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 20, 1960 J. E. BORAH 2,965, 09

UTILITY KIT Filed Dec. 30, 1957 2 SheetsSheet 1 FIG. I

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INVENTOR.

JOHN E. BORAH ATTORNEY J. E. BORAH UTILITY KIT Dec. 20, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 30, 1957 hill IN VENTOR.

B ORAH 7y 4 74% JOHN E BY ATTOR NEY United States Patent UTILITY KIT John E. Borah, South Bend Modern Molding Inc., 815 E. Mishawaka Ave., Mishawaka, Ind.

Filed Dec. 30, 1957, Ser. No. 706,130

2 Claims. Cl. 132-80) The present invention relates to a utility or toilet kit and more particularly to a kit of this type especially adapted for use in traveling. One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide a compact, easily handled utility kit which contains all the essential toilet articles arranged in a fully visible array and in an easy to remove and replace form.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a utility kit which retains the toilet articles in place and which grips the surface on which it is placed so that it will not become dislodged or overturned by vibration, jarring, jostling, jerking and rocking of the train, plane or boat on which the kit is used.

Another object of the invention is to provide a utility kit including a full size drinking receptacle and the common toilet articles assembled in a compact, sanitary and convenient arrangement.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a travelers utility kit containing among other toilet articles a tooth brush and dentifrice and having a cover which fully encases the aforesaid articles and which can be readily converted to a receptacle for drinking water, mouth wash or denture cleaning fluid.

A further object is to provide a kit of the aforesaid type which can be used in public washrooms and the like without permitting the toilet articles contained therein to come in contact with the public lavatory, shelf or stand.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toilet kit which can easily and thoroughly be washed in water and the toilet articles thereafter promptly reassembled in place, and the kit closed and placed in the luggage with only the external surface first being dried.

Another object of the invention is to provide a versatile toilet kit which can be used either as a mans shaving kit or a womans make-up kit and which can be converted from one to the other without making any substantial changes in either.

An additional object is to provide a kit for toilet articles including a drinking receptacle, in which all the articles except the receptacle are retained in a sealed compartment.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of my utility kit;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of my utility kit with the cover removed showing the toilet articles mounted in the base of the kit;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the base of my kit with the cover and toilet articles removed therefrom;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional view of the base shown in the preceding figures, taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical cross sectional view of the base with the position of the article holding recesses rearranged to better show the manner in which the toilet articles are held in place in the base; and I Figure 6 is an elevational and partial cross sectional 2,965,109 Patented Dec. 20, 1360 view of my utility kit showing the cover and drinking receptacle mounted on the base.

The utility kit shown in Figures 1 through 4 consists of a base 20 having mounted thereon a cover 22 extending downwardly over the sides of the base and gripping the base to form an effective seal between the base side Walls and the internal wall of the cover. A water drinking receptacle 24 of substantially the same shape of a slightly larger size may be mounted over the cover in the manner illustrated in Figure 6.

Base 20 is constructed of rubber, rubber-like material or plastic and consists of a disc-shaped body 25 having a number of deep recesses 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38 in the upper surface and a concave lower surface 40 terminating in an outwardly and downwardly extending flange 42. The upper external wall 44 of the base is tapered upwardly and inwardly and is adapted to extend into the lower open end of cover 22 which slips downwardly over the base until it seats on annular shoulder 46. The respective dimensions of the external wall 44 and the lower opening of the cover are such that the cover will compress the resilient material of the base slightly as it is pressed downwardly into place on shoulder 46 to hold the cover firmly on the base. Cover 22 consists of side walls 48 tapered upwardly and inwardly and a disc-shaped top member 49 closing the upper end. If desired, the side walls of the cover may be cylindrical; however, if drinking receptacle 24 is to be included in the kit, tapered side walls resembling those of the receptacle are preferably used. The cover and receptacle are preferably of plastic, either clear or colored, although other materials such as rubber or glass may be used if desired.

Recesses 26, 28 and 30 are similar in size and shape, each being cylindrical in shape, and are designed to hold collapsible tubes of tooth paste, shaving cream, hair grooming preparations and the like, such as are shown at numerals 50 and 52in Figure 2. The manner in which the tubes are held in the recesses is shown in Figure 5, the cap 54 resting on the bottom of the recess and the sides of the recess retaining the tube in a generally vertical position. The rectangular shaped recess 32 receives a tooth brush'container 56 which fits snugly in the recess and is held in vertical position by the side walls of the recess. Container 56 for brush 57 is preferably closed at the top and open at the bottom so that the brush will be completely enclosed when the container with the brush is placed in recess 32. Recess 34 is cylindrical and receives the lower end of a plastic or metal hollow stem 58 which is firmly seated in the recess and held in vertical position by the side walls of the recess. The top end of the tube is open and is adapted to receive the handle of a safety razor 59 and to support the razor in the manner shown in Figure 5, with the under side of the head resting on the top end of the tube. Recess 36 is an elongated rectangular shaped slot designed to receive a standard razor blade box or dispenser 60 such as the one shown in Figure 2. Recess 38 is cylindrical in shape and approximately the same depth as the other cylindrical recesses and is used to hold bottles of lotion, perfume, aspirin or a tube for a styptic pencil. As seen in Figures 2 and 5 all the foregoing articles are held in vertical position and when in place in their respective recesses are fully enclosed by cover 22.

The lower concave surface 40 of body 25 together with flange 42 forms a suction cup 62 for retaining the base 20 either with or without the cover on a supporting surface, such as a shelf, table, stand or the drain surface of a lavatory, and prevents the base or the assembled kit from sliding or toppling off the supporting surface when the train, boat, plane or other vehicle on which the toilet articles of the kit are being used jerks suddenly. The

suction cup is made effective by the annular groove in the peripheral wall of body 25 near the lower edge thereof which renders the flange highly flexible so that it forms an effective seal with the-surface on which the 'kit is placed. The center portion 66 of the body is relatively thin and can be pressed downwardly to a'ssis'tin expelling the air from thecup to cause it to grip the supporting surface. Pressing of the center portion downwardly can easily be accomplished by pressing downwardly on stem 58. An effective gripping'action can be obtained without depressing the center of the body since downward pressure on the base depresses flange 42 and partially expels the air from cup 62. 7

Receptacle 24 slips over cover 22 and'is'held in 'place by the internal wallsof the cover gripping an external surface on the cover with a 'snug'fit either at the lower portion of the receptacle or throughout its entire internal surface. Either the external surface of the cover or the internal surface of the receptacle is preferably provided with vertical flutes 68 or spaced ribs and grooves so that the facing surfaces of the receptacle and cover will be spaced apart permitting air to circulate in the receptacle and readily dry the two surfaces after the receptacle has been assembled in place over the cover. The flutes, ribs and/or grooves arepreferably placed on the external surface of the cover to provide a good gripping surface for the users hand in removing the cover from base 20. To facilitate removal of the receptacle from the cover the receptacle is substantially shorter leaving an annular surface 70 exposed on the cover below the lower edge of the receptacle. The aforementioned flutes, ribs and grooves preferably extend downwardly across this surface or a substantial distance into the surface so that water can readily drain from and air can easily enter the receptacle. Although the above mentioned flutes, ribs or grooves are desirable, smooth surfaces on the water drinking glass and cover may be used.

Various modifications and changes may be made and different combinations of toilet article recesses can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

I claim:

1. A utility kit comprising a generally cylindrical base of rubber-like material, said base being greater in diameter than in height and having in its upper surface a recess for a toothbrush, a' recess for 'dentrifricea recess for cream tube, a slot for a razorblade container and an integral cylindrical surface in the proximity of the center, a hollow cylindrical stern contacting and supported by said surface and projecting vertically above the upper surface of said base, said base having side walls tapering inwardly toward said upper surface, a concave lower surface o nsaid base, a flexible downwardly and outwardly extending flange encircling said lower surface, said concave lower surface being of approximately the same diameter as said cylindrical base, a shallow annular groove in the periphery of said base, the lower side of said groove being defined by said flange and the plane thereof intersecting said concave lower surface, and a frusto-conical, cover extending downwardly over a portion of said base and engaging said tapered side walls.

2. A utility package comprising a generally cylindrical base of rubber-like material, said base being greater in diameter than in 'height'a'nd having in its upper surface a recess with'a tooth brush, a recess with adentrifice, a recess witha shaving cream tube and a recess in the proximity of the center, a stern-like means seated in said last-mentioned recess and projecting vertically above the upper surface of said base and supporting a razor with the handle thereof projecting downwardly in spaced relation to the base, said base having side walls tapering inwardly toward said upper surface, a concave lower surface on said base, a flexible downwardly and outwardly extending flange encircling said lower surface, said concave lower surface being of approximately the same diameter as said cylindrical base, a shallow annular groove in the periphery of said base, the lower side of said groove being defined bysaid Iflange and the plane thereof intersecting said concave lower surface, and a generally cylindrical-shaped cover extending downwardly over a portion of said base and engaging said side walls.

References Cited in the as was patent H UNITED STATES PATENTS 942,484

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