Abstract:
An antiseptic toothbrush cover is designed for safety, ease of manufacture, and increased functionality by providing an exterior receptacle which is easily filled, covered and tenaciously sealed. The exterior receptacle is filled with an outgassing, antiseptic media. A field of throughholes extending substantially throughout the area beneath the receptacle may provide fluid communication from the receptacle to the interior of the holder adjacent a toothbrush head. The interior surfaces of the holder are desirably smooth and unbroken except for the throughholes, in order to minimize bacteria-friendly spaces.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention provides improvements to structure and manufacturability of antiseptic toothbrush covers.  
         [0003]     2. Discussion of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Several kinds of toothbrush holders or covers are known in the art, including those with antiseptic outgassing media such as one described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,801, to Vermooten et al. However, improvements are desired over the structures of the known art in order to achieve improved safety, functionality and ease of manufacture for toothbrush holders or covers of the antiseptic type.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     An antiseptic toothbrush cover according to the present invention may generally comprise a case divided between a first portion and a second portion, with a hinge connecting the first portion and the second portion whereby the first portion and the second portion can be positioned to form a substantially enclosed void for holding a head of a toothbrush. On an exterior surface of the case a receptacle is located, preferably formed by at least one wall extending from the exterior surface of the case. A plurality of throughholes may provide fluid communication between an inner surface of the case and the receptacle thereby allowing an outgassing, granular, antiseptic media contained within the receptacle to provide antiseptic vapors to a toothbrush enclosed within the case. The granular antiseptic media is sized to extend beyond a diameter of the throughholes; and a covering is tenaciously engaged in an airtight manner with an exterior of the receptacle to securely enclose the granular antiseptic media within the receptacle and prevent contact therewith.  
         [0006]     In some embodiments an antiseptic toothbrush cover according to the present invention may comprise a so-called “clamshell” case, i.e., a one-piece molded case, the case divided between a first portion and a second portion; with a living hinge connecting the first portion and the second portion. The case has an open position and a closed position with a clasp mechanism formed in the case for holding the. case in the closed position. The case will form a substantially enclosed void in the closed position for holding a head of a toothbrush, but have an opening therein for the passage of a toothbrush handle therethrough. Desirably, the case will have substantially smooth unbroken inner surfaces for easy cleaning and to discourage bacterial entrapment and growth in nooks and crannies.  
         [0007]     A receptacle integrally molded on an exterior surface of the first portion of the case, and formed by a receptacle-wall portion of the case and contiguous walls extending from the case, will contain an outgassing, granular, antiseptic media. A plurality of perforations or throughholes located within the receptacle-wall portion and distributed over a preponderance of the receptacle-wall portion provide a sufficient volume of fluid communication between the interior of the case and the receptacle to permit the antiseptic vapors from the outgassing media to reach the adjacent toothbrush held within the interior void of the case. A covering tenaciously engaged with the contiguous receptacle walls to seal the exterior of the receptacle and enclose the antiseptic media prevents access to the antiseptic media.  
         [0008]     Words of degree, such as “about”, “substantially”, and the like are used herein in the sense of “at, or nearly at, when given the manufacturing, design, and material tolerances inherent in the stated circumstances” and are used to prevent the unscrupulous infringer from unfairly taking advantage of the invention disclosure where exact or absolute figures are stated as an aid to understanding the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     The aspects of this invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is an exterior front perspective view of a closed toothbrush cover with the receptacle covering in place and an opaque receptacle wall.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is an exterior side view of a first portion of the toothbrush cover with the receptacle covering removed and the case in the closed position.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is an exterior side view of a second portion of the toothbrush cover with the case in the closed position.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is an interior perspective view of the case in the open position.  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is an exterior perspective view of the case in the open position with the receptacle covering in place and a translucent receptacle wall showing the antiseptic media within the receptacle. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0015]     Referring also to the drawing figures, an exemplary antiseptic toothbrush cover according to one embodiment of the invention comprises a one-piece molded case  11 , sometimes referred to as a “clamshell” case, such as may be molded or pressed from plastic, laminated paperboard, or other suitable material. The case  11  is divided between generally bowl-shaped portions being a first portion  13  and a second portion  15 . Referring especially to  FIG. 4 , while shown as contoured, the first and second case portions  13 ,  15  may alternatively be generally be described as each being a substantially open-faced parallelepiped with five walls, and with a major surface, i.e., wall of greatest area, referred to as a lid  12 ,  14 , and four side walls,  53 ,  55 ,  57 ,  59  and  61 ,  63 ,  65 ,  67 ; respectively, with the open faces being opposite the lids  12 ,  14 . In either event, the case portions desirably have a majority of smooth, rounded, and uninterrupted interior surfaces to minimize nooks and crannies where bacteria may hide. It will occur to the person of skill in the art that other general case configurations for creating a central void for containing a toothbrush, or the head thereof, may be utilized within the scope of the current invention.  
         [0016]     A hinge, desirably such as living hinge  17 , ( FIGS. 2-4 ) connects the first portion  13  and the second portion  15  and allows the case  11  an open position, as in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , for easy removal and insertion of a toothbrush (not shown) and a closed position, as in  FIGS. 1-3 , whereby the first portion  13  and the second portion  15  are positioned to form a substantially enclosed void for holding at least a head of the toothbrush (not shown), i.e. the part with bristles. A clasp mechanism  18  is desirably integrally formed in the case  11  for holding the case  11  in the closed position. Opposing cutouts, collectively  20 , ( FIG. 4 ) are formed on corresponding surfaces of the first portion  13  and the second portion  15  to permit exit of a toothbrush handle (not shown) from the case  11 , if the case is desired to enclose only the head of the toothbrush.  
         [0017]     A receptacle  21  ( FIGS. 1, 2  and  5 ) for holding antiseptic media  31  is desirably integrally molded from the same material as the case  11  on the major exterior surface  22  of the first portion  13  for ease of manufacture and placement of the antiseptic media  31  in the receptacle  21 . It will be appreciated that arrangements other than integral molding of receptacle may be accomplished within the spirit of some embodiments of the present invention. The receptacle  21  has a bottom, or first wall formed by a receptacle-wall portion  23  ( FIG. 2  and  FIG. 4 ) of the first portion  13  of the case  11 . The receptacle  21  is further defined by at least one wall  25  extending from the exterior surface  22  of the first portion  13  to form the side wall, or walls, as desired, of the receptacle  21 . The at least one wall  25  has a top surface  26  being that surface of the receptacle  21  generally farthest from the exterior surface  22 .  
         [0018]     A plurality of throughholes  27  ( FIG. 2  and  FIG. 4 ) are integrally formed during molding, or by later piercing, to be located within the receptacle-wall portion  23  of the first portion  13  and distributed over a preponderance of the receptacle-wall portion  23  of the first portion  13 . The throughholes  27  provide a sufficient volume of fluid communication between an inner surface  29  of the case, and more particularly the void formed by the case portions to contain an adjacent toothbrush (not shown), and the interior of the receptacle  21  containing the outgassing antiseptic media. It is preferred that the receptacle  21  and throughholes  27  are located at that portion of the void intended to receive the wet bristles of the brush. Alternatively, the means for providing fluid communication may include a gas permeable material of the first case portion  13 , or at least the receptacle-wall portion  23  thereof. Selection of suitable gas permeable polymers or the like for construction of the case  11 , or suitable receptacle portions thereof, are considered to be within the skill of the art.  
         [0019]     The antiseptic media  31  is then safely contained within the receptacle  21  by a covering  33  which is tenaciously engaged, such as by ultrasonic welding, heat sealing, adhesives, or the like, to the receptacle, and particularly the top surface  26  of the at least one wall  25 , to enclose the antiseptic media  31  within the receptacle  21  in an airtight and tamper-resistant manner. The tenacious engagement of the covering  33  ensures the receptacle contents are resistant to tampering or removal by children.  
         [0020]     The antiseptic media  31  is an outgas sing solid containing absorbed oils and is designed to emit antiseptic vapors into the void of the case in order to suppress the growth of bacteria on the head of the toothbrush (not shown). The antiseptic media  31  is preferably granular in order to present a large surface area and sufficiently granular as to be sized to extend beyond a diameter of the throughholes to keep the grains of the media from entering the void and making direct contact with the toothbrush (not shown). In some embodiments the antiseptic media may be in the form of a pad, tablet or the like. The composition of the antiseptic media  31  may include an inert carrier such as porous, absorbent plant material or clay, for the retention of natural, safe, antiseptic outgassing compounds such as cinnamon oil, clove oil, peppermint oil, tea tree oil, thyme oil, and the emission of their vapors over time. Desirably, the porous absorbent plant material comprises corn solids, which have been found to be particularly resilient, stable and efficacious for the absorption and release of the antiseptic compounds in the environment of repeated wetting and drying of the toothbrush cover.  
         [0021]     While in the foregoing specification this invention has been described in relation to certain preferred embodiments thereof, and many details have been set forth for purpose of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described herein can be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention.