Tooth brush holder

Abstract

A toothbrush holder that includes, among other features and capabilities, a holder base plate mountable on a planar surface such as a wall or a mirror and that is formed with a plurality of toothbrush retaining troughs. The troughs project generally outwardly from the holder base plate and are each preferably formed with a distal retaining bulwark that is spaced apart from the holder base plate defining a receiver that is sized large enough to retain an over sized handle of a toothbrush. More specifically, the receiver can be sized to receive and releasably capture the over sized handle, which can have an average dimension in the range of at least about 20 to 50 millimeters or larger. In a variation of the instant invention, a table top version of the toothbrush holder incorporates a holder base that is formed with a plurality of spaced apart bristle receivers and a handle retainer that is superiorly supported from the holder base. The handle retainer is formed with a plurality of spaced apart apertures that are registered with a respective one of the plurality of spaced apart bristle receivers. The handle retainer and the bristle receivers cooperate to define a receiver sized to retain the toothbrush having the over sized handle. In yet another modification, the over sized handle of the toothbrush is releasably captured with a modified handle retainer that incorporates adjustable, eccentric cams fixed in the handle retainer proximate the apertures to adjust their size.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A toothbrush holder, comprising: 
 a holder base plate adapted to be mountably received against a substantially planar mounting surface;    a plurality of troughs projecting generally outwardly from the holder base plate and each formed with a distal retaining bulwark spaced apart from the holder base plate a distance sufficient to define a receiver sized to retain at least a handle portion of a toothbrush adapted with an oversized handle.    
     
     
         2 . The toothbrush holder according to  claim 1 , wherein the generally outwardly projecting troughs are formed to have a substantially arcuate lateral cross sectional profile terminating in the retaining bulwark.  
     
     
         3 . The toothbrush holder according to  claim 1 , wherein the generally outwardly projecting troughs are formed to have a substantially non-curvilinear lateral cross sectional profile terminating in the retaining bulwark.  
     
     
         4 . The toothbrush holder according to  claim 1 , wherein the receiver is adapted to have an average cross sectional lateral dimension in the range of approximately at least 20 millimeters.  
     
     
         5 . The toothbrush holder according to  claim 1 , wherein the receiver is adapted to have an average cross sectional lateral dimension in the range of approximately at least 50 millimeters.  
     
     
         6 . The toothbrush holder according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of troughs are configured to releasably capture the oversized handle portion of the toothbrush with a frictional spring grip configuration, which oversized handle portion has a cross sectional lateral dimension in the range of approximately at least 20 millimeters.  
     
     
         7 . The toothbrush holder according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of troughs are configured with a substantially arcuate lateral cross sectional profile shaped to releasably capture the oversized handle portion of the toothbrush with a frictional spring grip configuration, which oversized handle portion has a cross sectional lateral dimension in the range of approximately at least 20 millimeters.  
     
     
         8 . A toothbrush holder, comprising: 
 a holder base formed with a plurality of spaced apart bristle receivers;    a handle retainer superiorly supported from the holder base and formed with a plurality of spaced apart apertures each being registered with a respective one of the plurality of spaced apart bristle receivers to cooperate therewith to define a receiver sized to retain a toothbrush adapted with an oversized handle.    
     
     
         9 . The toothbrush holder according to  claim 8 , wherein each of the apertures is adapted to have an average cross sectional lateral dimension in the range of approximately at least 20 millimeters.  
     
     
         10 . The toothbrush holder according to  claim 8 , wherein each of the apertures is adapted to have an average cross sectional lateral dimension in the range of approximately at least 50 millimeters.  
     
     
         11 . The toothbrush holder according to  claim 8 , wherein the handle retainer is superiorly supported from the holder base with an upstanding retainer wall formed with at least one evaporation aperture.  
     
     
         12 . The toothbrush holder according to  claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality handle retainer apertures open into respective inferiorly projecting guide troughs that are sized to have an average lateral cross section dimension in the range of approximately at least 50 millimeters.  
     
     
         13 . The toothbrush holder according to  claim 8 , wherein each of the bristle receivers is further formed with respective generally superiorly projecting bristle protector cups.  
     
     
         14 . A toothbrush holder, comprising: 
 a handle retainer formed with a plurality of apertures;    a plurality of eccentric cams rotatably captured in the handle retainer and positioned respectively proximate the apertures whereby an average lateral cross sectional dimension of the apertures is adjustable for releasable receipt of a toothbrush having an oversized handle, wherein the cams are rotatable between a deployed capture position and a withdrawn release position.    
     
     
         15 . The toothbrush holder according to  claim 14 , wherein each of the apertures is adapted to have, when the respective cam is fully withdrawn, an average cross sectional lateral dimension in the range of approximately at least 20 millimeters.  
     
     
         16 . The toothbrush holder according to  claim 14 , wherein each of the apertures is adapted to have, when the respective cam is fully withdrawn, an average cross sectional lateral dimension in the range of approximately at least 50 millimeters.  
     
     
         17 . The toothbrush holder according to  claim 14 , wherein each of the cams is further configured for actuation about a thumb wheel portion that extends laterally outward from a lateral edge of the handle retainer.  
     
     
         18 . The toothbrush holder according to  claim 14 , wherein the handle retainer further incorporates a tooth paste tube aperture adapted to receive a tube of a dentifrice.  
     
     
         19 . The toothbrush holder according to  claim 14 , further comprising a mount portion supporting the handle retainer and adapted to be received against a substantially vertically extending surface.  
     
     
         20 . The toothbrush holder according to  claim 14 , further comprising a mount portion supporting the handle retainer in a substantially free standing configuration about a substantially horizontally extending surface.  
     
     
         21 . The toothbrush holder according to  claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of rotatable cams is adapted to retain a selected position except when subjected to a rotationally applied adjustment force.