Toothbrush holder

Abstract

A toothbrush holder for a toothbrush having an enlarged handle, for example a battery operated toothbrush, is provided which comprises at least one support aperture, the or each support aperture being expandable or has at least part thereof restricted in a lateral dimension compared to a width of the enlarged handle. The support aperture is suitable to support the toothbrush vertically with a bristle-end suspended downward therefrom and spaced from a lower drainage surface. The holder may also comprise a locating aperture to locate the toothbrush within the support aperture. In one embodiment, the holder comprises a housing having a removable wall with at least one support aperture for a toothbrush having an enlarged handle on one surface of the wall and preferably at least one retainer for retaining a conventional toothbrush on an opposite surface of the wall.

1 . A toothbrush holder for a toothbrush having an enlarged handle comprising: 
 (i) one or a plurality of support apertures for holding a respective toothbrush vertically with a bristle end downward wherein the or each aperture is expandable or has at least part thereof restricted in a lateral dimension compared to a width of the enlarged handle; and    (ii) a drainage surface located below the or each support aperture;    whereby in use, the or each toothbrush is held by the expandable aperture in a resilient manner or by the restricted lateral dimension to suspend the or each toothbrush above the drainage surface and spaced therefrom.    
     
     
         2 . The toothbrush holder of    claim 1    whereby the or each support aperture is expandable.  
     
     
         3 . The toothbrush holder of    claim 1    wherein the or each support aperture has at least part thereof of said restricted lateral dimension.  
     
     
         4 . The toothbrush holder as claimed in    claim 1    wherein the toothbrush holder has an outwardly extending shelf having said plurality of support apertures.  
     
     
         5 . The toothbrush holder as claimed in    claim 1    wherein the or each support aperture has an access opening.  
     
     
         6 . The toothbrush holder as claimed in    claim 1    wherein the or each support aperture is of frusto-conical shape.  
     
     
         7 . The toothbrush holder as claimed in    claim 3    wherein each support aperture has an upper concave recess and a lower concave recess and said restricted lateral dimension is located at a junction of said upper concave recess and said lower concave recess.  
     
     
         8 . The toothbrush holder as claimed in    claim 1    wherein the holder has an upper shelf having a plurality of locating apertures for each toothbrush.  
     
     
         9 . The toothbrush holder as claimed in    claim 8    wherein each locating aperture has an access opening.  
     
     
         10 . The toothbrush holder as claimed in    claim 2    wherein the or each expandable support aperture is provided by an internal opening of a resilient clip.  
     
     
         11 . The toothbrush holder as claimed in    claim 1    comprising a housing having one or more removable walls whereby the or each removable wall has said one or more support apertures.  
     
     
         12 . The toothbrush holder as claimed in    claim 11    wherein the support apertures are located on one broad surface of the or each removable wall and there are provided retainers for retaining one or more conventional toothbrushes on another broad surface of the or each removable wall.