Display holder for dental articles

• US 4,140,222 A
• Filed: 06/28/1976
• Issued: 02/20/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vincent J. Francavilla
• Original Assignee: Vincent J. Francavilla
• Inventors: Francavilla, Vincent J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US05/700,509
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 248/DIG. 8, 248/108, 248/109, 248/110, 248/111, 248/113, 248/114, 248/125, 211/65, 211/66, 211/69.1, 211/69.2
• US Class Current: 211/65
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 1/09 Holders for drinking glasses, tooth brushes, hair brushes, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0084 Dental hygiene
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/908 Simulation of diverse device

Abstract

A display holder, useful as a children'"'"'s dental hygiene teaching aid and adapted to hold three or more different but related functional articles, such as toothbrushes, tubes of toothpaste and dispensers for dental floss, includes a display surface having a scene depicted thereon such that parts of the scene relate to and are adapted to include the functional articles, when held in place therein, to participate in and complete the scene, and has means for holding the functional articles in place with respect to the display surface so that they participate in and complete the scene depicted. Preferably the display holder is made of a pair of three dimensional film plastic forms, such as may be made by vacuum forming of sheet materials (although other pressing operations may also be employed) which are held together, the scene is that of a tooth, representing a castle, and includes as parts of the scene means for holding a toothbrush, tube of toothpaste and dispenser of dental floss, all of which represent decay fighters or weapons used to protect against tooth decay.

Claims

1. A display holder in combination with a toothbrush, a container of dentifrice and a dispenser of dental floss held at particular locations therein, said holder comprising a three-dimensional synthetic organic polymeric plastic front member of formed sheet material, a backing member of sheet material, each of said members having first areas which conform with and contact similar areas on the other member, said members being fastened together at said first areas, said members having second areas which are spaced from each other and form a plurality of compartments therein between them for at least a toothbrush and container of dentifrice, said front member having a plurality of openings therein to allow for insertion of said toothbrush dentifrice into said compartments, which compartment for the dentifrice supports the container thereof resting on its bottom, the front member having a scene depicted thereon including a representation of a fighter against tooth decay and a weapon for use in such fight wherein the container of dentifrice participates and represents at least a part of said fighter against tooth decay and the toothbrush participates and represents at least a part of said weapon when the container of dentifrice and toothbrush are held in the display holder at their particular locations.

2. A display holder according to claim 1, adapted to be held vertically in use, holding and displaying a toothbrush, a container of dentifrice and a dispenser of dental floss at particular indicated locations therein, which comprises a pair of unitary synthetic organic polymeric plastic three-dimensional front and back members of sheet material of a thickness between five and fifty mils, inclusive.

3. A display holder according to claim 1, which is adapted to be held vertically in use, which holds and displays a toothbrush, a container of dentifrice and dispenser of dental floss at particular indicated locations therein, in which the front member is unitary and of a thickness between five and fifty mils, inclusive and the back member includes a plurality of strips of synthetic organic polymeric material which strengthen the display holder and with the front member produce means for supporting at least some of the functional articles held by the display holder.

4. A display holder according to claim 3 wherein the scene depicted on the front member is one related to the defense of the teeth against tooth decay in which a moated castle represents a tooth, the container of dentifrice is a tube of toothpaste which represents a knight, a portion of the front member for supporting the tube of toothpaste represents a shield, a toothbrush represents a part of a lance, a portion of the front member supporting the toothbrush represents a lance handle, the dental floss in the container represents a rope and a holder in the front member for holding the dispenser of dental floss represents an aperture in the wall of the castle, so that proper return of the tube of toothpaste, toothbrush and dispenser of dental floss to the display holder after use thereof is facilitated by identification of each of said items with its respective portion of the scene.