Disposable mouthwash container

A disposable mouthwash container for use at a location such as a restaurant or preparatory to a meeting, for quick and easy rinsing of the user's mouth and to receive the used mouthwash back into the same container and be re-sealed for disposal. Each embodiment of the invention seals the mouthwash liquid in a reservoir in the container and has an easily openable top and spout providing access to the mouthwash, and a return opening for directing the used mouthwash back into the container, which is reclosable for disposal. A quick-release split ring connection is provided for mounting the container on a key ring for ready availability, and a reflective tape mirror is provided on some embodiments to facilitate inspection after use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a disposable mouthwash container adapted to be carried by a user and available for use in locations remote from the user's home, such as after a meal at a restaurant or preparatory to a meeting to freshen the mouth and breath, typically with a sufficient amount of liquid for a single treatment.

Disposable containers have been known for this purpose, including the one shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,258,057, wherein an elongated packet comprises a receptacle member having a mouthwash supply chamber at one end and a larger recovery chamber at the other, with membrane members and puncturing elements and relatively bulky and complex construction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention resides in a small and more easily portable mouthwash container that is very simple and inexpensive in construction and easy to use, typically with one hand, that dispenses the stored mouthwash neatly and easily into the user's mouth, and receives the used mouthwash back into the container, also neatly and easily. The invention is embodied in several different forms that are shown herein for purposes of illustration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 and 2of the drawings illustrate a first embodiment of the invention in which a quantity of mouthwash liquid can be stored in a small, tub-like elongated oval container10having an open top11and a tub-like sink insert12forming a false bottom spaced above the bottom of the tub. The insert is formed with a drain hole13in the center and carries a hollow spout or straw14at one end, passing through the insert and opening into the lower portion of the tub. The container has a generally flat, elongated cover15that is joined to the body by an integral or living hinge17and carries a central plug18for closing the hole in the insert.

The cover has a dome19at the free end, over a depending plug20for fitting into the straw14. The cover seals against the body when closed, and opens to provide access to the straw, through which the user takes in the liquid, preferably tipping the container toward the straw14. After rinsing the mouth, the user spits the liquid back into the sink insert.

The elongated generally oval open top11is sized and shaped to fit around the mouth, in a general “lip shape,” and the drain hole13permits the excess to pass from the sink into the body. The cover is reclosable for disposal of the used mouthwash. A reflective tape21on the outside of the cover forms a mirror for inspection of the mouth area after use, and a split ring22on one end forms a quick-release key ring for mounting the container on an automobile key or the like, for ready availability.

FIGS. 3 through 10of the drawings show a second embodiment of the invention, using a bellows-shaped container30composed of flexible material and having a central groove31and an open top32. The top is fitted with a dished annular mouthpiece33, having an upstanding spout34. Fitted in the mouthpiece around the spout is a ring of absorbent material35, and a circular cover37fits over the open end and seals against the body of the container, which holds a quantity of mouthwash liquid. A depending hollow sleeve38(seeFIG. 10) on the cover37fits into and seals the spout34until the cover is removed. The central bellows portion of this embodiment is compressible to dispense the liquid mouthwash, and is expandable, by pulling the lower end downwardly away from the top, to draw the used mouthwash back through the spout into the container after use, and to provide extra capacity for saliva. A key ring attachment39is formed as a split ring on the bottom of the container, and serves as a grip for expanding the bellows. The absorbent material35neatly receives any leakage around the spout, and the cover is reclosable, as in the first embodiment.

FIGS. 11 through 13show another embodiment of the invention in which a container in the form of a flexible rubber bulb or body40of somewhat flattened circular cross-sectional shape is fitted with a sink insert41, as in the first embodiment, having a drain hole42overlying a reservoir in the body, and a one-piece cover or lid43, with a depending sleeve44that seals the sink hole, when the lid is closed, retaining the mouthwash in the compartment defined between the sink and the cover. When the cover is lifted, the liquid is taken into the mouth from a mouthpiece slot or spout45(and an aligned trough46) from the reservoir under the insert, by tipping the open container toward the user. The cover is hingedly mounted on an integral strap47on one end and has a depending sealing tab46aon the opposite end for fitting into the slot45that forms the mouthpiece spout, as shown inFIG. 3. The body40also carries two squeeze-pads48on opposite sides for assisting in dispensing liquid from the flexible container. These pads are squeezed together to dispense the liquid. To facilitate the return of the mouthwash, they are released so that the resilience of the container will expand the container and draw the mouthwash into the reservoir. The cover is reclosable for disposal of the used mouthwash. A quick-release key ring connector49is formed in the hinge strap at one end of the cover.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present embodiment provides a simple and inexpensive disposable mouthwash container that has a normally closed reservoir for holding a body of mouthwash, with a dispensing opening easily accessed by opening the cover, and with a convenient and easily used sink for receiving the used mouthwash back into the container after use. The inventions is shown and described in three embodiments, which illustrate different forms the container may take. Other forms may be used without departing from the invention.