US3085678A

US3085678A - Toilet brush holder

Info

Publication number: US3085678A
Application number: US89871A
Authority: US
Inventors: Moore Charles Gregg
Original assignee: Rubbermaid Inc
Current assignee: Rubbermaid Inc
Priority date: 1961-02-16
Filing date: 1961-02-16
Publication date: 1963-04-16
Anticipated expiration: 1980-04-16

Description

April 16, 1963 c. G. MOORE 3,085,678

TOILET BRUSH HOLDER Filed Feb. 16, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

' CHARLES GREGG MOORE ATTORNEYS April 16, 1963 c. G. MOORE 3,085,578

TOILET BRUSH HOLDER Filed Feb. 16, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. P16. 6 CHARLES GREGG MOORE ATTORNEYS maid incorporated, Wooster, Ohio, a corporation of (Ehio Filed Feb. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 89,371 3 Claims. (Ci. 266-153.)

The invention relates generally to a sanitary holder for storing a toilet brush when not in use, and more particularly to a self-closing holder which facilitates inserting and removing the brush.

The customary use of a toilet brush for cleaning bathroom fixtures and the like with soap or cleaning compounds involves the problem of storing the wet brush in a sanitary manner while allowing the brush to dry out, and catching the drip water therefrom. Brush holders have been proposed having an ornamental front cover and an open back side, but these are not sanitary and are apt to be turned to expose the back side and present an unsightly appearance.

Other prior brush holder constructions have been expensive to make, awkward to operate and easily tipped over.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved toilet brush and holder which is inexpensive to make, easy to operate, and which overcomes the disadvantages of prior constructions.

Another object is to provide an improved brush holder which closes automatically when the brush is inserted and which presents a pleasing appearance from an angle.

A further object is to provide an improved brush holder which is sanitary and yet permits a wet brush stored therein to dry out while catching the drip therefrom.

A still further object is to provide abrush holder which stores the brush in such a way as to expose the handle, and permits opening the holder by manipulating the exposed handle.

These and other objects are accomplished by the parts, improvements, combinations and arrangements comprising the invention, a preferred embodiment of which is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, and herein described in detail. Various modifications and changes in details of construction are comprehended within the scope of the appended claims.

The invention may be defined in general terms as comprising an upright housing having a non-skid base for resting on the floor and a closure tiltably mounted on the housing and having an enclosed drip reservoir, said closure adapted to be held in closed position lay a brush supported in said reservoir with the brush handle projecting out of the top of the housing, and said closure being openable by tilting said handle.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional View of the improved holder in closed position, the position of the brush being shown in phantom lines.

FIG. 2 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of the holder in open position with the brush in phantom lines.

FIG. 3 is a back elevation, partly in section, of the holder in closed position with the brush in phantom lines.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the holder with parts broken away.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the improved brush with the handle shown fragmentarily.

FIG. 6 is a cross section of the brush handle on line 6--6, FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of the bristle side of the brush.

The improved holder comprises an upright housing, indicated generally at 10, having a back wall 11 and ts are 3,935,578 Fatented Apr. 16, 1963 curved side walls 12, the front edges 13 of which define an opening in the front side of the housing. A housing ski-rt 15 underlies the opening and forms the, lower end thereof, and the side walls of the skirt merge with the side wall-s 12 to form a closed housing below the front opening.

The bottom periphery of the housing is preferably provided with a flange or bead 16 which is frictionally received in a continuous groove 17 in a non-skid base plate 18 adapted for resting on the floor or aflatsurface. The base plate 18 is preferably made of resilient material such as soft rubber, so that it provides a nonskid surface en-' gaging the floor, which dampens noise resultingfrom setting the housing on the floor or moving it about, and adds extra weight to the base of the housing to prevent tipping.

A closure indicated generally at 20 is provided for close ing the opening in the front side of the housing, and the closure preferably has a front wall 21 and side walls 22 adapted in closed position to overlap the edges 13 of side walls 12, as indicated in the drawings. The

walls

21 and 22 have a continuous peripheral shoulder 23 at their lower ends resting on the upper edge 24 of the skirt 15, whereby the closure may be tilted on the front edge of the skirt to the open position shown in FIG. 2.

A drip reservoir or basin 25 extends laterally from said shoulder 23 within the skirt and housing and a pin 26 projecting from the rear of said reservoir extends ,slidably through a vertical slot 27 in the back wall 11 of the. hous-.

ing opposite the skirt. The upper end of the slot ,27 acts as a stop to limit the opening movement of the closure, as shown in FIG. 2.

The housing 10 and closure 2% may be made of any suitable material such as a rigid or semi-rigid plastic which may be transparent or translucent if desired. Preferahly, the walls of the housing and closure taper or converge npwardlyas shown. The upper endof the-housing may have an angularly disposed flange or top portion 28 extending toward the closure and having a notch 29 in its outer edge for accommodating a brush handle 30 (FIG. 5).

The upper end of the closure 20 is provided with an outturned recessed lip 31 which in closed position abuts the outer end of said notch 29 and forms therewith a brush handle opening. The outturned recessed lip extends above the top flange 28 and facilitates opening the closure 'by pressing outwardly against the lip. Projections 32 extend inwardly from opposite sides of the lip 61 to center the brash handle within the lip in open position so that in closed position it will register with the notch 29, in which latter position the projections 32 extend below the top flange 28 of the housing.

As indicated in FIG. 2, in the open position of the closure 20, the portion thereof above the skirt counterbalances the reservoir portion so that the closure will remain in open position if desired. However, a slight inward push will cause it to close and the reservoir portion will maintain it closed by gravity.

The brush shown in FIGS. 5-7 preferably has a head 34' of rubber with rubber bristles 35 projecting therefrom. An angularly opening socket 36 is provided on the head 34 for receiving a complementary pointed end 37 on the handle 30. Preferably, the end 37 is enlarged with respect to the opening 38 of the socket so as to obtain a resilient fit of the socket around the end 37. The handle 30 may be made of suitable plastic material and is grooved on its underside so as to be O-shaped in cross section, as shown in FIG. 6. The lower portion of the handle may be hollow as seen in FIG. 5.

The brush head 34 is preferably elliptical in outer configuration, and is made to fit the inner contour of the res ervoir 25, as seen in FIG. 3, with the bristles 35 facing the back wall 11 of the housing. The handle 30 is of a 3 size to fit between the projections 32 on the closure and to extend through the notch 29 at the top of the housing.

In the operation of the improved brush and holder, asssuming the holder to be in closed position enclosing the brush, as in FIG. 1, the user grasps the upper projecting end of the handle 30 and presses outwardly against the lip 31 to open the closure to the position of FIG. 2, and then lifts out the brush. The closure may be left in open position or closed by a slight inward push. After using the brush, if the closure has been left open, the brush is placed in the closure with the head in the reservoir and the handle between the centering projections 32, and upon releasing the handle the weight of the head will tilt the closure to the closed position of FIG. 2. Should the holder be closed when the brush is returned, the closure is easily opened by pressing outwardly on the lip 31 with the tip of the brush or with the fingers.

Once the brush is placed in the closure the drip from the bristles is caught in the reservoir 25, and the circulation of air through the slot 27 and through vent holes 40 in the back wall 11 of the housing will dry out the brush Without exposing it to view and creating unsanitary conditions. The substantially smooth upwardly tapered walls of the housing present a pleasing and ornamental appearance.

The improved brush and holder is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to operate, is maintained in open or closed position by gravity, and provides a sanitary and ornamental device for storing a toilet brush.

What is claimed is:

1. A brush holder comprising an upright housing having a front open side and an underlying skirt, a closure for said open side tiltably supported on said skirt and having a laterally extending drip reservoir enclosed within said housing and skirt, the upper end of said housing having an angular flange'portion provided with a handle notch, said closure having an outturned lip at its upper end forming with said handle notch a brush handle opening in the closed position of said closure, and said drip reservoir acting by gravity to maintain said closure in closed position.

2. A brush holder comprising an upright housing having a front open side and an underlying skirt, a closure for said open side tiltably supported on said skirt and having a laterally extending drip reservoir enclosed within said housing and skirt, the upper end of said housing having an angular flange portion provided with a handle notch, said closure having an outturned lip at its upper end forming with said handle notch a brush handle opening in the closed position of said closure, and said drip reservoir acting by gravity to maintain said closure in closed position, and interengaging elements on said drip reservoir and housing to limit the opening movement of said closure, the upper portion of said closure in open position counterbalancing said drip reservoir.

3. A brush holder comprising an upright housing having a front open side and an underlying skirt, the back wall of the housing having a vertical slot opposite the top of said skirt, a closure for said open side tiltably mounted on said skirt and having a laterally extending drip reservoir enclosed within said housing and skirt, the upper end of said housing having an angular flange portion provided with a handle notch, said closure having an outturned lip at its upper end forming with said handle notch a brush handle opening in the closed position of said closure, said drip reservoir acting by gravity to maintain said closure in closed position, and a pin on said reservoir slidable in said vertical slot to abut the top thereof and limit the opening movement of said closure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,418,615 Barna Apr. 8, 1947 2,977,175 Bonomo Mar. 28, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 510,900 Great Britain Aug. 10, 1939

Claims

1. A BRUSH HOLDER COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT HOUSING HAVING A FRONT OPEN SIDE AND AN UNDERLYING SKIRT, A CLOSURE FOR SAID OPEN SIDE TILTABLY SUPPORTED ON SAID SKIRT AND HAVING A LATERALLY EXTENDING DRIP RESERVOIR ENCLOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND SKIRT, THE UPPER END OF SAID HOUSING HAVING AN ANGULAR FLANGE PORTION PROVIDED WITH A HANDLE NOTCH, SAID CLOSURE HAVING AN OUTTURNED LIP AT ITS UPPER END FORMING WITH SAID HANDLE NOTCH A BRUSH HANDLE OPENING IN THE CLOSED POSITION OF SAID CLOSURE, AND SAID DRIP RESERVOIR ACTING BY GRAVITY TO MAINTAIN SAID CLOSURE IN CLOSED POSITION.