While watching an ad for yet another "new" toothbrush design I set myself the task of finding an unexploited angle for the obviously struggling designers.

The overnight stay of a distant relative who never brings his own toothbrush or announces his arrival, provided "a" solution ... lockable toothbrushes for the rest of the household ... and the market, with hygienic overtones in these days of resistant bugs?

That is, how many cases of whatever are generated by careless use of toothbrushes eh?

Of course it's another "rayfo" [a useless idea for improving an everyday object and already 99$ baked] ... by lockable cabinets and personal washbags etc etc.].
-- rayfo, Jun 26 2001

Bluetooth brush http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/BLUBRU.htm
Cute little logo. [jutta, Oct 04 2004]

waugs- how bout one of those wireless rings that they have that allow only the owner to fire a gun. That way the whole thing would be transparent to the user. They can only pick up their toothbrush, but they don't have to do anything special.
-- MuddDog, Jun 26 2001


Or perhaps something analogous to those car theft defeating devices like The Club - a big heavy graphite attachment that renders the object unfeasible for use. The acetylene welding torch needed to break through it would alert you to the attempted misappropriation of the toothbrush.

Or a *very* loud alarm would work too.
-- snarfyguy, Jun 26 2001


This could be done. In my bathroom, I have a toothbrush holder that consists of a platform with a hole large enough for the handle to fall through but too small for the head to fall though. One could manufacture a toothbrush with a hole large enough to insert a padlock in the middle of the shaft. Whenever one feels that his toothbrush may be in jeopardy, he drops the toothbrush in the holder locks the padlock in place. The toothbrush cannot lift out of the hole due to the padlock and cannot be pulled out from underneath due to the bristles. The security can be further enhanced further by a toothbrush cap described by waugsqueke, to prevent an angry girlfriend from pouring a vile substance on it. In the event of a lost key, the plastic toothbrush would be more easily broken than a metal padlock, alerting you to purchase another troothbrush.
With that said, is anyone really that paranoid? Other than me?
-- juan2003, Jun 27 2001


I've invented dental hygiene security - duh - so henceforth all transport regulations will apply to toothbrushes because they transport infection.

Each brush will have a BlueTooth chip in it which will report "unauthorised use of vehicle" to .................... [snore]
-- rayfo, Jun 27 2001


I am reminded of the Garfield strip where Jon complains that everything in the house is covered with cat hairs 'except my toothbrush', at which point Garfield says, 'Ah, my ear groomer.'
-- angel, Jun 27 2001


Suround your toothbrush with laserbeams...
-- RobertKidney, Jun 27 2001


Such a lockable toothbrush cache could disinfect and clean the brush while it is being held securely.
-- Aristotle, Jun 27 2001



random, halfbakery