Toothbrush holder

Abstract

An apparatus for receiving a plurality of toothbrushes includes a plurality of toothbrush holders and a toothbrush holder organizer. Each toothbrush holder includes a base and a cover. The base has a top and a bottom and includes a cylindrical core and an outer wall. The cylindrical core defines a cavity and includes a top end and a bottom end. The top end of the cylindrical core is open. The outer wall has a bottom end coincident with the bottom of the base and a top end attached to the cylindrical core. The cover has a hole and is operable to engage the top end of the base and retain bristles of a toothbrush in the cavity defined by the cylindrical core while allowing a handle of the toothbrush to pass through the hole. The toothbrush holder organizer includes a plurality of receptacles, each operable to receive a toothbrush holder.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus operable to receive a plurality of toothbrushes, said apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of toothbrush holders, each toothbrush holder comprising:
 a base having a top and a bottom, said base comprising:
 a cylindrical core defining a cavity, said cylindrical core having a top end coincident with the top of the base and a bottom end opposite the top end, wherein the top end of the cylindrical core is open; and 
 an outer wall having a bottom end coincident with the bottom of the base and a top end attached to the cylindrical core; and 
 
 a cover having a hole therethrough, wherein the cover is operable to engage the top end of the base and retain bristles of a toothbrush in the cavity defined by the cylindrical core while allowing a handle of the toothbrush the pass through the hole in the cover; and 
   a toothbrush holder organizer comprising a plurality receptacles, each receptacle the plurality receptacles operable to receive a toothbrush holder.   
     
     
         2 . A toothbrush holder comprising:
 a base having a top and a bottom, said base comprising:
 a cylindrical core defining a cavity, said cylindrical core having a top end coincident with the top of the base and a bottom end opposite the top end, wherein the top end of the cylindrical core is open; and 
 an outer wall having a bottom end coincident with the bottom of the base and a top end attached to the cylindrical core; and 
   a cover having a hole therethrough, wherein the cover is operable to engage the top end of the base and retain bristles of a toothbrush in the cavity defined by the cylindrical core while allowing a handle of the toothbrush the pass through the hole in the cover.   
     
     
         3 . The toothbrush holder of  claim 2 , wherein the cover further comprises an insert extending substantially perpendicularly from a top portion of the cover, said insert operable to frictionally engage an inside surface of the cylindrical core when the cover is engaging the top end of the base and retain the cover in engagement with the base. 
     
     
         4 . The toothbrush holder of  claim 2 , wherein the cover is attached to the base via a hinge comprising:
 a first mating portion integral with the cover;   a second mating portion integral with the base; and   a hinge pin interlocking the first mating portion with the second mating portion.   
     
     
         5 . The toothbrush holder of  claim 2 , wherein the bottom end of the cylindrical core is coincident with the bottom of the base. 
     
     
         6 . The toothbrush holder of  claim 2 , wherein the bottom end of the cylindrical core has a bottom cap and the bottom cap has a plurality of holes therethrough. 
     
     
         7 . The toothbrush holder of  claim 2 , wherein the outer wall is tapered in from the bottom end of the outer wall to the top end of the outer wall such that the outer wall is substantially conical. 
     
     
         8 . The toothbrush holder of  claim 2 , wherein the outer wall is curved with respect to a longitudinal axis of the toothbrush holder. 
     
     
         9 . The toothbrush holder of  claim 2 , wherein the toothbrush holder further comprises a spool of floss located between the cylindrical core and the outer wall. 
     
     
         10 . The toothbrush holder of  claim 2 , wherein the toothbrush holder further comprises a floss cutter attached to the outer wall of the base, said floss cutter comprising an attachment portion that substantially conforms to and is attached to the base of the toothbrush holder and a protrusion extending therefrom. 
     
     
         11 . The toothbrush holder of  claim 2 , wherein the toothbrush holder further comprises a metallic floss cutter attached to the outer wall of the base, said floss cutter comprising an attachment portion that substantially conforms to and is attached to the base of the toothbrush holder and a protrusion extending therefrom. 
     
     
         12 . The toothbrush holder of  claim 2 , wherein the toothbrush holder further comprises a hole through the outer wall, wherein the hole is adjacent a floss cutter attached to the outer wall of the base. 
     
     
         13 . The toothbrush holder of  claim 2 , wherein the bottom end of the cylindrical core comprises a barb operable to retain a spool of floss between the cylindrical core and the outer wall. 
     
     
         14 . A toothbrush holder organizer comprising:
 a plurality receptacles, each receptacle the plurality receptacles operable to receive a toothbrush holder, wherein each toothbrush holder comprises:
 a base having a top and a bottom, said base comprising:
 a cylindrical core defining a cavity, said cylindrical core having a top end coincident with the top of the base and a bottom end opposite the top end, wherein the top end of the cylindrical core is open; and 
 an outer wall having a bottom end coincident with the bottom of the base and a top end attached to the cylindrical core; and 
 
 a cover having a hole therethrough, wherein the cover is operable to engage the top end of the base and retain bristles of a toothbrush in the cavity defined by the cylindrical core while allowing a handle of the toothbrush the pass through the hole in the cover. 
   
     
     
         15 . The toothbrush holder organizer of  claim 14 , wherein the toothbrush holder organizer is a slot organizer, and each receptacle of the plurality receptacles comprises:
 a base plate operable to support a bottom of a base of a received toothbrush holder; and   a rim extending upwardly from the base plate, wherein the rim is operable to surround approximately 270° of the received toothbrush holder and a top edge of the rim extends inwardly over a portion of the outer wall of the base of the received toothbrush holder.   
     
     
         16 . The toothbrush holder organizer of  claim 15 , wherein the slot organizer is expansible, and the rim of each receptacle comprises a female interlock and a male interlock opposite the female interlock such that a rim of a first receptacle of the plurality of receptacles is operable to interlock with a rim of a second receptacle of the plurality of receptacles when the first receptacle is adjacent the second receptacle and the female interlock of the first receptacle is receiving the male interlock of the second receptacle. 
     
     
         17 . The toothbrush holder organizer of  claim 14 , wherein the toothbrush holder organizer is a ring organizer, and each receptacle the plurality receptacles comprises:
 a band having a hole therethrough, wherein a diameter the hole is less than a diameter of the bottom the base of the received toothbrush holder and greater than a diameter of the top of the base of the received toothbrush holder, and the hole has an outcropping for receiving a hinge of the received toothbrush holder, said hinge attaching the cover to the base of the received toothbrush holder.   
     
     
         18 . The toothbrush holder organizer of  claim 17 , wherein the ring organizer is expansible, and each receptacle further comprises a female interlock and a male interlock opposite the female interlock such that a band of a first receptacle of the plurality of receptacles is operable to interlock with a band of a second receptacle of the plurality of receptacles when the first receptacle is adjacent the second receptacle and the female interlock of the first receptacle is receiving the male interlock of the second receptacle. 
     
     
         19 . The toothbrush hold organizer of  claim 17 , wherein the hole in the band has a taper matching a corresponding taper of the base of the received toothbrush holder.