Patent US4471524A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3685660A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3685660A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Toothbrush holder
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1970-11-23
•
Granted: 1972-08-22
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Expires: 1990-11-23
Abstract
Abstract A device for holding articles such as toothbrushes in easily accessible position under sanitary conditions. An initially flat, flexible plate formed with pairs of openings is provided with a removable sanitary film layer covering the openings. The plate is bowed outwardly and inserted in a mounting bracket enabling a user to strip off the film and insert a toothbrush handle in yieldable engagement through a pair of aligned openings.
Inventors
- 👤 John H Saunders
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 10:48
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47F; A47F7/00; A47F7/0021; A47F7/0028; A47K; A47K1/00; A47K1/08; A47K1/09
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
A device for holding one or more articles such as toothbrushes, each article having a handle, comprising the combination of a flexible plate formed with at least one pair of upper and lower openings, the plate being adapted to be bowed from an initially flat configuration to an outwardly convex configuration with the openings in substantially vertical registry, the bowed plate yieldably gripping said handle with the latter inserted through the openings, a sanitary layer of film removably bonded to the outer convex surface of the plate and initially covering the openings whereby removal of the film by a user exposes the openings for insertion of said handle, and bracket means to releasably hold the plate in upstanding position and in said outward convex configuration.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
125 words
A device for holding one or more articles such as toothbrushes, each article having a handle, comprising the combination of a flexible plate formed with at least one pair of upper and lower openings, the plate being adapted to be bowed from an initially flat configuration to an outwardly convex configuration with the openings in substantially vertical registry, the bowed plate yieldably gripping said handle with the latter inserted through the openings, a sanitary layer of film removably bonded to the outer convex surface of the plate and initially covering the openings whereby removal of the film by a user exposes the openings for insertion of said handle, and bracket means to releasably hold the plate in upstanding position and in said outward convex configuration.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein the layer of film comprises a synthetic polymer material, and said bonding comprises electrostatic forces holding the film to the plate whereby removal of the film exposes the plate outer surface in a sanitized condition free of objectionable bonding residue.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein the upper opening defines a vertically elongate configuration having upwardly converging sides spaced apart to engage opposed sides of said handle to accommodate varying widths, thicknesses or shapes of selected article handles.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein the mounting bracket comprises upper and lower vertically spaced flanges, each flange formed with a laterally extending slot adapted to receive a respective edge of the plate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
54 words
The invention of claim 4 wherein each flange comprises a laterally extending lip and a laterally extending bead spaced from its respective lip to define a gap of a width substantially equal to the thickness of said plate to hold the plate ends therebetween and preclude unintended withdrawal of the plate from the flanges.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein at least one of the openings of each pair is circular and the remaining opening is elongate in the vertical direction whereby said plate can be selectively inserted in the bracket means with either of the elongate or circular openings uppermost to retain and hold articles of varying configurations.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein a side edge of said plate is formed with a cut-out portion with a segment of the film stretching across the cut-out portion to accommodate manual gripping of the film.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein indicia means is provided on the film layer to convey instructional or promotional information to a user.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein the film is transparent, and indicia means is provided on the outwardly convex surface of the plate to convey instructional or promotional information to a user.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-08-22 | 1976-02-21 | 1976-08-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-08-22 | 1980-02-21 | 1980-08-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-08-22 | 1984-02-21 | 1984-08-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |