US3199736A - Toothpaste dispenser and brush holder - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 10, 1965 G. c. SMITH 3,199,736

TOOTHPASTE DISPENSER AND BRUSH HOLDER Filed April 21, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 5001/22 d M/fl/ 5421 M BY Aug. 10 1965 e. c. SMITH TOOTHPASTE DISPENSER AND BRUSH HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 21. 1964 I NVEN TOR. 6200;? Z f/M/fi/ United States Patent Lean! 3,199,736 TOOTHPASTE DEPENSER AND BRUSH HOLDER Grover C. Smith, 26310 Yale St., Hemet, Calif. Filed Apr. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 361,424 2 Claims. (Cl. 22293) This invention relates to a viscous material dispenser and holder for applicators of the dispensed material.

My copending application Serial No. 171,517, filed Feb. 6, 1962, for Mechanical Dispenser, now United States Patent 3,120,905, issued Feb. 11, 1964, discloses a dispenser for use in cooperation with a compressible container containing a viscous material. The dispenser disclosed in the copending application has particular utility in dispensing toothpaste from a metal foil tube and has the feature that it assures complete evacuation of the toothpaste from the tube.

This invention provides a unitary device which includes a toothpaste dispenser, for example or" the type disclosed in the above-identified copending application. The device further provides a plurality of receptacles adapted for receiving toothbrushes and, if desired, an automatic toothbrush power unit. Preferably, the toothpaste dispenser and the toothbrush holder are enclosed in a housing which is openable to present the dispenser and toothbrushes. The device is adapted for disposition either on a horizontal supporting surface or for support from a wall, for example.

Generally speaking, this invention provides a viscous material dispenser and holder for applicators of the dispensed material. The device includes a support member adapt-ed to receive and support in a predetermined manner a compressible container containing a selected viscous substance. Selectively operable means are carried by the support member and are engageable with a container carried by the support member. The selectively operable means are operable to compress the container .to dispense a selected quantity of the viscous substance from the container. The device further includes a support member and applicator support means for receiving and supporting the support member in a predetermined position relative thereto and for releasably receiving and supporting at least one viscous substance applicator.

The above-mentioned and other features of the present invention are more fully set forth in the following detailed description and explanation of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross-sectional elevation view of a toothpaste dispenser and toothbrush holder according to this invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional plan view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawings a toothpaste dispenser and toothbrush holding device includes a toothpaste dispenser 11 and a toothbrush holder 12 disposed in a housing 13. The toothbrush holder is carried by a base 14 and, in cooperation with the base, provides a mounting for the toothpaste dispenser.

Toothpaste dispenser 11 preferably is in accord with the disclosure of my copending application Serial No. 171,517, filed Feb. 6, 1962. The dispenser includes an elongated tray or support member 15 adapted for receiving a toothpaste tube 16 shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1. The tray member has a channel-like crosssectional configuration as illustrated in FIGURE 2 including a planar base or web portion 17, a pair of forwardly extending parallel flanges 18 disposed at opposite edges of the web portion, and a pair of inturned coplanar flanges 19 each of which preferably is disposed parallel to the tray web portion and which extends from the forward extent of a respective flange 18. The tray member has a lower end 20 and an upper end 21. The web portion at its lower end defines a semicircular flange 22 which extends normal to the plane of the Web past flanges 19. An aperture 23 is formed in flange 22 and is adapted to receive the neck 24 of toothpaste tube 16. At its upper end the web portion defines a flange 25 which will be described in further detail below.

A dispenser base member 30 and a dispenser cover member 31 are interconnected with one another and are slidably disposed as a unit in tray member 15 by a pair of lugs, not shown, which extend laterally from opposite sides of the cover member and which are disposed between the tray web portion and flanges 19. An operating handle 32, having a manually engageable tab portion 33 at its outer end, passes through cover member 31 and is pivotally coupled by pin 34 to the dispenser base member. Movement of the cover member toward and away from tray member 15 is restricted by the cover member flanges which secure the cover member in the tray member. The base member is pivotally connected relative to the cover member so that upon depression of the operating handle, the base member is caused to pivot away from the cover member toward the tray member to compress toothpaste tube 16 for dispensing a selected amount of toothpaste from the tube. The details of construction of the preferred toothpaste dispenser shown in the drawings are more fully set forth in the above-identified copending application.

Toothbrush holder 12 is comprised of a partially circular block 35 which has a planar upper surface 36 and a planar forward surface 37 disposed normal to the upper surface. The block is mounted to the upper surface of base 14- which preferably is of circular configuration, as shown in FIGURE 2. Adjacent the central portion of the intersection between block surfaces 36 and 37, the block defines a recess 38. The recess has parallel side walls 39 which are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the distance between the outer surfaces of tray member flanges 18. The recess also has a rear surface 49 which is inclined upwardly and rearwardly of the block. The lower end of tray member 15 is snugly engageable in recess 38 and is secured to the block by a pair of screws 41 passed through the web of the tray member.

Base 14 includes a rigid post 42 which extends vertically upwardly from a rear portion of the base. An aperture 43 is formed through the post adjacent its upper end and provides means for hanging the device against a wall 44 (see FIGURE 2) in cooperation with a hook, not shown, extending from the wall. Adjacent aperture 43 the post 42 carries a forwardly and upwardly extending lug 45, the upper end of which is threaded and passes through an aperture in flange 25 of the tray member. The upper end of lug 4-5 is engaged with a cap nut 46 to further support the upper end of the tray member in fixed position relative to the base.

Block 35 is disposed upon base 14 so that the rear extent of the block mates snugly against the forward side of post 42 as shown in FIGURE 2.

A plurality of cylindrical, vertical, upwardly opening recesses 43 are formed in block 35 and define receptacles adapted for receiving toothbrushes. An enlarged circular recess 49 is also provided in block 35 and is adapted for receiving the handle of an automatic toothbiuch. An additional rectangular recess or receptacle 59 is provided in the block between tray member 15 and post 42 for receiving a recharging unit for an automatic toothbrush.

As shown in the drawings, the base has an under surface 51 which is planar so that device 10 may be supported on a horizontal surface. Base 14 also defines a pair of projecting lugs 52 which have rear surfaces 53 coplanar with the rear side of post 42 as shown in FIG- URE 2. Lugs 52 provide for stabilizing device when the device is hung upon a wall so that the device does not move when the operating handle is depressed.

Housing 13 includes a first portion 55 which is secured to pase 14 adjacent the rear portion of the device as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. Housing portion 55 includes a planar upper wall 56 which extends forwardly from the upper end of post 43 and a pair of vertically disposed circularly curved wall portions 57 which extend laterally from the sides of post 43 toward the front of the device between wall 56 and base 14. Housing 13 also includes a pair-of doors 58, each of which is hinged to the forward vertical edge of a wall 57 by a hinge 59. Each of doors 58 includes a circularly curved wall portion 60 and a roof portion 61 which is coplanar with wall portion 56. The door walls 60 are curved to substantially the same radius as the base 14, as shown in FIGURE 2, and mate with each other along a vertical seam 62 at the front of the device. The doors cooperate with each other to define a slot 63 aligned along seam 62 and having upper and lower ends 64 and 65, respectively, see FIGURE 1. Slot 63 permits operating handle 32and tab 33 thereof to clear the housing when the tube of toothpaste engaged in the dispenser is nearly empty.

In the device illustrated in the drawings and described above, toothpaste holder block 35 not only provides receptacles for toothbrushes, an automatic toothbrush handle, or an extra container of toothpaste, but also serves as a foundation for tray member of the toothpaste dispenser. The base, including post 43, serves the double function of supporting the toothbrush holder and supporting the upper end of tray member 15. The cylindrical configuration of housing 13 permits the device to be easily cleaned. If desired, the housing may be fabricated of a transparent or tinted opaque plastic.

What is claimed is:

' 1. A combination toothpaste dispenser and toothbrush holder comprising an elongated tray member adapted to receive and support in a predetermined manner a compreSSible tube of toothpaste, selectively operable tube compressing means carried by the tray member and engageable with a tube of toothpaste disposed in the tray member and including an operating handle, the selectively operable means being operable upon actuation of the operating handle to compress the tube to dispense a selected amount of toothpast from the tube, a base including a post member extending substantially vertically upwardly from a rear portion thereof, a tray mounting block carried by the base and receiving and supporting the lower end of the tray member at a front portion thereof, the tray member extending upwardly and rearwardly from the mounting block to an upper end disposed adjacent the post member, means carried by the post member and engaged with the tray member upper end for further supporting the tray member, the mounting block defining a plurality of upwardly opening receptacles each adapted to receive a toothbrush, and a housing carried by the base and enclosing the block member and the tray member. 2. A combination toothpaste dispenser and toothbrush holder comprising an elongated tray member adapted to receive and support in a predetermined manner a compressible tube of toothpaste, selectively operable tube compressin means carried by the tray member and engageable with a tube of toothpaste disposed in the tray member and including an operating handle, the selectively operable means being operable upon actuation of the operating handle to compress the tube to dispense a selected amount of toothpaste from the tube, a base including a post member extending substantially vertically upwardly from a rear portion thereof, a tray mounting block carried by the base and receiving and supporting the lower end of the tray member at a front portion thereof, the tray member extending upwardly and rearwardly from the mounting block to an upper end disposed adjacent the post member, means carried by the post member and engaged with the tray member upper end for further supporting the tray member, the mounting block defining a plurality of upwardly opening receptacles each adapted to receive a toothpbrush, and a housing carried by the base and enclosing the block member and tray member and including a'pair of doors hinged adjacent the post member for movement from a closed position to an open position, the edges of the doors opposite from the hinged support thereof cooperating to define a slot for the operating handle when the doors are in their closed positions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,118,725 5/3 8 Craig 222-94 2,550,537 4/51 Derrick 222- 2,563,733 9/51 Meczelski 222-105 X 2,667,287 1/54 Cook 222-105 X LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

HADD S. LANE, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A COMBINATION TOOTHPASTE DISPENSER AND TOOTHBURSH HOLDER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TRAY MEMBER ADATPED TO RECEIVE AND SUPPORT IN A PREDETERMINED MANNER A COMPRESSIBLE TUBE OF TOOTHPASTE, SELECTIVELY OPERABLE TUBE COMPRESSING MEANS CARRIED BY THE TRAY MEMBER AND ENGAGEABLE WITH A TUBE OF TOOTHPASTE DISPOSED IN THE TRAY MEMBER AND INCLUDING AN OPERABLE HANDLE, THE SELECTIVELY OPERABLE MEANS BEING OPERABLE UPON ACTUATION OF THE OPERATING HANDLE TO COMPRESS THE TUBE TO DISPENSE A SELECTED AMOUNT OF TOOTHPASTE FROM THE TUBE, A BASE INCLUDING A POST MEMBER EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY UPWARDLY FROM A REAR PORTION THEREOF, A TRAY MOUNTING BLOCK CARRIED BY THE BASE AND RECEIVING AND SUPPORTING THE LOWER END OF THE TRAY MEMBER AT A FRONT PORTION THEREOF, THE TRAY MEMBER EXTENDING UPWARDLY AND REARWARDLY FROM THE MOUNTING BLOCK TO AN UPPER END DISPOSED ADJACENT THE POST MEMBER, MEANS CARRIED BY THE POST MEMBER AND ENGAGED WITH THE TRAY MEMBER UPPER END FOR FURTHER SUPPORTING THE TRAY MEMBER, THE MOUNTING BLOCK DEFINING A PLURALITY OF UPWARDLY OPENING RECEPTACLES EACH ADATPED TO RECEIVE A TOOTHBRUSH, AND A HOUSING CARRIED BY THE BASE

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