Toothbrush kit

Abstract

A toothbrush kit is disclosed comprising a package, a toothbrush, one or more removable end caps adapted for engaging an end of the toothbrush, and one or more emblems that may be adhesively attached to the toothbrush. Also disclosed are methods for selectively customizing a toothbrush by use and selection of components contained in the kit. Additionally disclosed are methods for manufacturing and packaging the components of the toothbrush kit. Furthermore, a strategy is disclosed for specifically tailoring the toothbrush kit for particular markets, geographic regions, or consumer groups.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A toothbrush kit, comprising: 
 a package;    an electric toothbrush having an elongated hollow body, a head, and a neck disposed therebetween; and    a plurality of decorative end caps, each of which is attachable to said hollow body to thereby customize the appearance of said electric toothbrush, wherein each of said end caps is distinct from other end caps of said plurality.    
     
     
         2 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of end caps includes from about 2 end caps to about 10 end caps.  
     
     
         3 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 1 , wherein said hollow body of said electric toothbrush further defines an internal compartment adapted for receiving a battery, said body further defining an opening providing access into said internal compartment, and wherein each of said plurality of decorative caps are adapted to close said opening.  
     
     
         4 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 3 , wherein said opening is defined opposite said head.  
     
     
         5 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 1 , wherein each of said end caps is provided in the shape of an item of sports equipment.  
     
     
         6 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 5 , wherein said sports equipment is non-apparel sports equipment.  
     
     
         7 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 6 , wherein said non-apparel sports equipment is a ball.  
     
     
         8 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 7 , wherein said ball is selected from the group consisting of a football, a baseball, a basketball, a bowling ball, a tennis ball, a golf ball, a soccer ball, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         9 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of emblems, wherein each emblem is distinct from other emblems of said plurality.  
     
     
         10 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 9 , wherein each emblem represents a country.  
     
     
         11 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 9 , wherein each emblem represents an athletic team.  
     
     
         12 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 9 , wherein said plurality of emblems further include an adhesive for attaching said emblems to said electric toothbrush.  
     
     
         13 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 12 , wherein said elongated hollow body has an outer a portion adapted for receiving at least one of said emblems.  
     
     
         14 . A toothbrush kit, comprising: 
 a package;    an electric toothbrush having an elongated hollow body, a head, and a neck disposed therebetween; and    a plurality of decorative emblems which can be attached to said hollow body to customize the appearance of said electric toothbrush, wherein each of said emblems is distinct from emblems of said plurality.    
     
     
         15 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 14 , wherein each emblem represents an athletic team.  
     
     
         16 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 14 , wherein said kit comprises between about 2 and about 10 emblems.  
     
     
         17 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 14 , wherein said emblems further include an adhesive for attaching said emblems to said electric toothbrush.  
     
     
         18 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 17 , wherein said elongated hollow body has an outer portion adapted for receiving at least one of said emblems.  
     
     
         19 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 14  further comprising a plurality of decorative end caps, each of which is attachable to said hollow body to thereby customize the appearance of said electric toothbrush, wherein each of said end caps is distinct from other end caps of said plurality of end caps.  
     
     
         20 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 19 , wherein each of said end caps is provided in the shape of an item of sports equipment.  
     
     
         21 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 20 , wherein said sports equipment is a ball.  
     
     
         22 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 21 , wherein said ball is selected from the group consisting of a football, a baseball, a basketball, a bowling ball, a tennis ball, a golf ball, a soccer ball, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         23 . A toothbrush kit for use with an electric toothbrush having a hollow body, said kit comprising: 
 a package; and    a plurality of decorative end caps, each of which is attachable to said hollow body to customize the appearance of the electric toothbrush, wherein each of said end caps is distinct from other end caps of said plurality.    
     
     
         24 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 23 , wherein each of said end caps is provided in the shape of an item of sports equipment.  
     
     
         25 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 24 , wherein said sports equipment is non-apparel sports equipment.  
     
     
         26 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 25 , wherein said non-apparel sports equipment is a ball.  
     
     
         27 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 26 , wherein said ball is selected from the group consisting of a football, a baseball, a basketball, a bowling ball, a tennis ball, a golf ball, a soccer ball, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         28 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 23 , further comprising a plurality of emblems, wherein each emblem is distinct from other emblems of said plurality.  
     
     
         29 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 28 , wherein each emblem represents an athletic team.  
     
     
         30 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 28 , wherein said plurality of emblems comprises between about 2 emblems and about 10 emblems.  
     
     
         31 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 28 , wherein said plurality of emblems further include an adhesive for attaching said emblems to said electric toothbrush.  
     
     
         32 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 28 , wherein each emblem represents a country.  
     
     
         33 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 32 , wherein each emblem contains a flag.  
     
     
         34 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 28 , wherein said plurality of emblems are provided on a common substrate.  
     
     
         35 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 34 , wherein said substrate is provided in the form of a roll.  
     
     
         36 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 28 , wherein each of said emblems of said plurality of emblems is provided on separate substrate.  
     
     
         37 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 28 , wherein each of said emblems of said plurality of emblems share a common characteristic with other emblems of said plurality of emblems.  
     
     
         38 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 37 , wherein said common characteristic is a distribution region.  
     
     
         39 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 37 , wherein said common characteristic is a language associated with said emblems.  
     
     
         40 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 37 , wherein said common characteristic is a geographical region associated with said emblems.  
     
     
         41 . A toothbrush kit comprising: 
 an electric toothbrush including a body having a first end and a second end opposite from said first end, and a brush head disposed proximate said first end, said body defining an interior battery chamber accessible at said second end;    at least one end cap, said end cap having a planar bottom surface and a generally arcuate outer surface extending from said bottom surface to an upper region of said end cap, said end cap defining an interior receiving chamber and an aperture along said upper region of said end cap, said receiving chamber and said aperture adapted to receive and engage said second end of said toothbrush;    at least one label assembly including a decorative polymeric layer removably attached to a backing layer, said polymeric layer being adapted for selective placement and retention on said body of said toothbrush; and    a package containing said toothbrush, said at least one end cap, and at least one label.    
     
     
         42 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 41  wherein said at least one end cap includes a cap representative of a sports playing ball, said at least one label assembly includes a label containing a country flag.  
     
     
         43 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 42  wherein said package includes English language text.  
     
     
         44 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 42  wherein said end cap is representative of a soccer ball.  
     
     
         45 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 41  wherein said end cap contains a planar rear wall.  
     
     
         46 . The toothbrush kit of  claim 41  wherein said at least one label assembly is loose in said package.  
     
     
         47 . A method for customizing the appearance of a toothbrush and base assembly, said method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a toothbrush kit including a toothbrush, a plurality of bases each adapted to engage an end of said toothbrush and each containing markings or colorings different than the markings or colorings of other bases of said plurality of bases, and a plurality of adhesive labels each containing markings or colorings different than the markings or colorings of other labels of said plurality of labels;    selecting a base having a particular marking or coloring from said plurality of bases;    selecting a label having a particular marking or coloring from said plurality of labels; and    applying said selected label to said toothbrush.    
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47  further comprising a step of: 
 engaging an end of said toothbrush with said selected base.  
 
     
     
         49 . A method for packaging and tailoring a toothbrush kit comprising a toothbrush, one or more end caps, one or more emblems, and a package, for a particular market, said method comprising: 
 identifying a region in which said toothbrush kit is intended to be sold;    identifying a primary language of said region;    identifying at least one marketing characteristic of said region;    providing a source of toothbrushes;    providing a source of end caps;    providing a package having text in said primary language of said region;    providing a source of emblems;    selecting said one or more end caps and said one or more emblems based upon said at least one marketing characteristic of said region;    obtaining a toothbrush from said source of toothbrushes;    placing said obtained toothbrush with said selected one or more end caps and one or more emblems in said package, wherein said one or more emblems are loose within said package; and    sealing said package.    
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49  wherein said marketing characteristic of said region is sports and said source of end caps includes end caps representing sports playing balls.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50  wherein said sports playing balls are selected from the group consisting of a football, a baseball, a basketball, a bowling ball, a tennis ball, a golf ball, a soccer ball, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 49  wherein said region includes a group of countries, said marketing characteristic of said region is said primary language of said region, and said source of emblems includes emblems representing countries having their primary language the same as said primary language.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52  wherein said emblems represent said countries by containing a flag of a respective country.  
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 49  wherein said region includes a group of countries, said marketing characteristic of said region is geographical proximity of said group of countries, and said source of emblems includes emblems representing countries within said region.  
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54  wherein said emblems represent said countries by containing a flag of a respective country.  
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 49  wherein said region is a group of countries, said marketing characteristic of said region is a distribution network, and said source of emblems includes emblems representing countries within said region.  
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56  wherein said emblems represent said countries by containing a flag of a respective country.  
     
     
         58 . A method of manufacturing a plurality of toothbrush kits, said method comprising: 
 providing a packing station having a source of a plurality of first emblems, a plurality of second emblems, and a plurality of third emblems;    conveying at least a first toothbrush kit package and at least a second toothbrush kit package to said packing station;    associating one of said plurality of first emblems and one of said plurality of second emblems with said first toothbrush kit package; and    associating only one of said plurality of first emblems, said plurality of second emblems, and said plurality of third emblems with said second toothbrush kit package.    
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58  further comprising a step of incorporating an electric toothbrush in said first toothbrush kit.  
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59  further comprising a step of incorporating an electric toothbrush in said second toothbrush kit.  
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 58  further comprising a step of shipping said first toothbrush kit to a first distribution center.  
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61  further comprising a step of shipping said second toothbrush kit to a second distribution center.  
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 62  wherein said first distribution center services a first country associated with said plurality of first emblems and a second country associated with said plurality of second emblems.  
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63  wherein said second distribution center services a third country associated with said plurality of third emblems.  
     
     
         65 . A method of producing a plurality of toothbrush kits comprising: 
 providing a source of toothbrushes;    providing a source of sealable packages;    providing a source of at least one end cap; and    providing a source of a plurality of label sets, each set being distinct from other sets in said plurality of label sets, each label set including at least one label removably adhered to a backing layer;    selecting a toothbrush from said source of toothbrushes;    selecting at least one end cap from said source of end caps;    selecting at least one label set from said source of label sets;    incorporating said selected toothbrush, said selected at least one end cap, and said selected at least one label set into said selected package, wherein said selected label set is incorporated loosely in said selected package; and    sealing said package.    
     
     
         66 . A method of configuring a toothbrush kit for a particular market, said method comprising: 
 identifying a region in which said toothbrush kit will be sold;    identifying a primary language of said identified region;    identifying a marketing factor of said identified region; and    selecting components of said toothbrush kit associated with said identified marketing factor.