GB2071602A - Tube squeezing device - Google Patents

Abstract

A device (1) for squeezing a toothpaste tube comprises a carrier (2) rotatably supporting a spindle (3) which is held by a cover (4). The closed end of a toothpaste tube is inserted into a longitudinal slit (38) in the spindle which is turned slightly to hold the tube hanging from the device and resting against a protruding lip (39). When finger pressure applied to the tube has flattened it, the spindle is turned to squeeze toothpaste from the closed end of the tube towards the nozzle to return the tube to its fattened profile. Alternatively, the spindle can be used instead of applying finger pressure. The spindle comprises two parts, one of which has a pair of bored rods 11 which receive respective pins 14 on the other part. Rotation may be effected either by knobs 12, 13 or by grasping the tube, in which case a unidirectional clutch is provided. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tube squeezing device This invention relates to a device for squeezing a dispensing tube containing extrudable material.

A large number of extrudable products in the cosmetic and other fields are packaged in dispensing tubes, from the nozzle of which extrudable material can be dispensed in the form of an extruded ribbon by applying inward pressure to the side walls of the tube. A very common example in everyday usage is a tube of toothpaste which is picked up and squeezed for use as required, and then put down again until next needed. Many users habitually squeeze the fattest part of the tube each time, rather than rolling the tube up from its closed end, and so over a period of time the tube becomes increasingly distorted which makes it difficult to dispense the remaining toothpaste towards the end of the life of the tube.

This results in wastage of toothpaste. In addition, the toothpaste tube, with increasing distortion over a period of use, is prone to localised rupture in the tube walls resulting in unwanted leakage.

The present invention is concerned with providing a device for use with a dispensing tube containing extrudable material, to enable that material to be dispensed in a more convenient manner with a minimum of unused extrudable material left in the expended dispensing tube.

According to the invention from a first aspect there is provided a device for squeezing a dispensing tube containing extrudable material, comprising a carrier provided with manually operable means for progressively squeezing the tube walls together from the tail end of the tube towards its dispensing nozzle.

When the dispensing tube has been used a few times with the application of external squeezing pressure to the tube, and the tube has thereby become partially flattened, it is merely necessary to operate the manually operable means, with the cap firmly secured on the nozzle of the tube, so as to squeeze extrudable material from the tail end of the tube towards the dispensing nozzle so as to expand the tube fully once more for subsequent use.

In an alternative mode of use, the manually operable means can be used for the actual dispensing of extrudable material.

According to the invention from a second aspect, there is provided a device for squeezing a dispensing tube containing extrudable material, comprising a spindle provided at one end with a handle for rotating the spindle, the spindle having formed therein an axially extending slit through which the closed end of the dispensing tube may be inserted to enable the tube walls to be progressively squeezed together by rotating the spindle, the slit being open at the other end of the spindle to permit the tube, when wound around the spindle, to be axially removed therefrom.

This construction avoids the necessity to unwind the expended dispensing tube from the spindle before the tube tail end can be released from the slit.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a generally exploded view of one embodiment of the invention; FIGURE 2 is a sectional view through a wall mounted squeezing device with dispensing tube ready for use; FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section through a spindle assembly; and FIGURE 4 is a view, corresponding to Figure 2, of a modification.

The description given below refers to a wall mounted dispensing device for use with a tube of toothpaste, but it will of course be appreciated that the device could be used for other dispensing tubes containing any kind of extrudable material, such as adhesive.

Referring to the figures generally and Figure 1 in particular, the wall-mounted tube squeezing device 1 comprises essentially a carrier 2 for mounting on a wall or other upright surface, a spindle assembly 3 rotatably supported by the carrier and a cover 4 fitted over the carrier. The carrier in this constructional example comprises essentially a rear wall 5 and two forwardlyextending side walls 6, 7. The carrier also has a narrow bottom wall 8 which imparts rigidity to the carrier 2 and from the forward edge of which protrudes downwardly a lip 39, for a purpose to be described below. A slot 9, 10 is formed in each side wall and extends from an upper region of the side wall in a downwardly inclined direction, terminating in a vertically downwardly extending portion 9a, 1 Oa.The carrier can be mounted on the wall in any suitable way such as with mounting screws or an adhesive bond.

The spindle assembly 3 comprises a spindle taking the form of a pair of parallel, mutually spaced-apart rods 11 which are secured at one end to a turning handle in the form of a knurled knob 12 and define between them an axial slit 38.

At the opposite end of the spindle assembly, a further knurled knob 13 is provided with two pegs 14 which protrude axially of the knob 13 and are inserted into corresponding bores 1 5 in the free ends of the rods 11. The pegs 14 are preferably of unequal length to facilitate this. The spindle assembly is mounted on the carrier by introducing it into the open mouths of the slots 9, 10 and resting it in the closed ends of the slots. As best shown in Figure 3, collars 16, 17, on the knobs 12, 1 3 are positioned on the insides of the side walls 6, 7 of the carriers to prevent the knob 13, and the assembly of the knob 12 with its rods 11, from being axially separated from one another.

The purpose of the cover 4 is primarily to lock the spindle assembly 3 in position in the carrier, but it also serves to give the tube squeezing device a neat appearance and can bear pattern or ornamental features. The cover comprises a hood 18, downwardly extending side walls (one of which, 19, is shown), and a front wall 20. The side wall 19 is formed with a slot 21 extending from the back edge of the side wall in a forward direction in a slightly upwardly inclined arcuate path. A locating lug 22 projects inwardly from the inside surface of the side wall 1 9. The opposite side wall is correspondingly constructed.

To position the cover 4 on the carrier it is necessary that the cover 4 is initially orientated such that the rear edges of its two side wall are kept in a position forwardly of the spindle assembly while the locating lugs on the side walls are introduced into rearwardly extending slots 23,24 in the side wall 6, 7, these slots terminating in upturned end portions 23a, 24a.

The cover 4 is then lifted slightly upwardly to locate the lugs at the upper ends of the slot portions 23a, 24a. The slots 21 are now in register with a spindle portion 25, 26 of the knobs 12, 13, so that the cover can be pivoted downwardly until the spindle portions of the two turning knobs are located at the forward ends of the slots in the side walls of the cover 4. It will be appreciated that the spindle assembly is then held rotatably captive in the carrier.

In use of the squeezing device, the tail end of an unused toothpaste tube 27 is introduced into the slit between the rods 11 and the spindle assembly rotated slightly to secure the tail end of the toothpaste tube to the spindle. Preferably, as shown, the rods 11 are flattened on opposite sides of the slit to facilitate introduction of the toothpaste tube tail end. It is usually more convenient to secure the toothpaste tube in the spindle assembly with the cover 4 removed or even with the spindle assembly separated from the carrier 2. With the cover 4 in its locking position, the toothpaste tube will hang generally downwardly resting against the protruding lip 9 (see Figure 2). When the user wishes to dispense a ribbon of toothpaste onto his tooth brush, he merely squeezes the tube 27 in the normal way with the tube cap 28 removed.After the tube has been used a few times, the tube will start to become flattened, typically as illustrated by the dotted lines 27' in Figure 2. At this time, with the tube cap tightened on the nozzle, by turning one of the knobs 12, 13 in the clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2, a short further length of tube will be wound around the spindle assembly, thereby squeezing toothpaste near the bottom of the tube in the direction towards the tube nozzle and so restoring the tube to its full-line profile. It will be seen that the lip 9 holds the toothpaste tube 27 stationary when the spindle assembly is turned. By periodically operating the tube squeezing device in this way, substantially all the toothpaste in the tube will eventually be used up with minimum risk of local rupture to the tube walls.

When no more toothpaste can be squeezed from the tube, it is merely necessary to remove the spindle from the carrier 2 after the cover 4 has been lifted off, separate the knob 13 axially from the remainder of the spindle assembly, and then slide the expended tube off the rods 11 in an axial direction. This avoids having to unwind the expended toothpaste tube from the spindle.

With reference to Figure 4, the spindle assembly could be modified by omitting the turning knobs 12, 1 3 and rotatably supporting the spindle assembly within the carried by means of at least one unidirectional clutch 30. By moving the nozzle end of the toothpaste tube forwards and backwards about the axis of the spindle assembly as indicated by the double arrow 29, the toothpaste tube will become progressively wound around the spindle assembly.

In both cases, the toothpaste tube hangs downwardly from the squeezing device but it could equally be arranged with the spindle axis upright and the toothpaste tube extending horizontally.

Furthermore it is not essential that the squeezing device be mounted on an upright surface. For example, the carrier could be adapted for use on a table top. The carrier could take the form of a compact, portable rectangular box for travelling purposes.

Lastly, it is possible for the spindle assembly to be used on its own, with or without the removable knurled knob. This would generally require the use of two hands, one to hold the tube and one to turn the spindle assembly. Nevertheless it does have the advantage mentioned above that the expended tube, due to the open-ended axial slit in the spindle, can be slipped off the spindle assembly (with prior removal of the second knurled knob, if fitted). Usually, the removable knob would be a tight fit on the spindle, or held in position by some releasable fixing device, to prevent it become removed from the rest of the spindle assembly in normal use.

Claims (13)

1. A device for squeezing a dispensing tube containing extrudable material, comprising a carrier provided with manually operable means for progressively squeezing the tube walls together from the tail end of the tube towards its dispensing nozzle.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the manually operable means comprises a spindle formed with an axial slit therein for receiving the tail end of the dispensing tube, the spindle being rotatably carried by side walls of the carrier and being provided with a turning handle at each end of the spindle outside the side walls.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein each side wall is formed with a slot which is open at one end and terminates in a downwardly extending portion, the downwardly extending portions rotatably supporting the spindle and the spindle being held there by a removable cover fitted over the carrier and held in position by releasable locking means.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the locking means comprises a further slot formed in each side wall which extends generally rearwardly and terminates in an upturned end portion in which a locating lug on the inner surface of a corresponding side wall of the cover is engaged to enable the cover to be pivoted about the lugs into its locking position in which the spindle is engaged within further locating slots in the side walls of the cover.

5. A device according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein one handle is removably connected to the spindle so that, on removal of said one handle with the spindle itself removed from the carrier, the slit is open at its corresponding end to permit the dispensing tube, when wound around the spindle, to be axially removed therefrom.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the spindle comprises a pair of parallel, mutually spaced-apart, rods defining said slit between them, the removable handle having a pair of pegs thereon which locate in axial bores formed within said rods.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said pegs are'of different lengths.

8. A device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the rods are flattened on opposite sides of said slit.

9. A device according to any one of claims 2 to 8 and adapted for mounting on a wall, wherein the carrier is provided with a protruding lip against which the dispensing tube can bear when the spindle is rotated.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein the manually operable means comprises a spindle having an axial slit therein, the spindle being rotatably carried by side walls of the carrier by means of at least one unidirectional clutch so that on displacing the nozzle end of the dispensing tube to and fro about the axis of the spindle, the tail end of the dispensing tube is progressively wound around the spindle.

11. A device for squeezing a dispensing tube containing extrudable material, comprising a spindle provided at one end with a handle for rotating the spindle, the spindle having formed therein an axially extending slit through which the closed end of the dispensing tube may be inserted to enable the tube walls to be progressively squeezed together by rotating the spindle, the slit being open at the other end of the spindle to permit the tube, when wound around the spindle, to be axially removed therefrom.

1 2. A device according to claim 11, wherein a further handle is fitted to said other end of the spindle to close the open end of the slit, the further handle being removable from the spindle so as to permit axial removal of the tube from the spindle.

13. A device for squeezing a dispensing tube, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.