GB2174355A

GB2174355A - Dispensing tool for use with deformable tubes

Info

Publication number: GB2174355A
Application number: GB08511434A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Timothy Shorrock
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-05-04
Filing date: 1985-05-04
Publication date: 1986-11-05
Also published as: GB8511434D0

Abstract

A tool comprises an elongate slot 7,37 defined between two parallel portions into which the closed end of a tube 9 may be inserted whereby rotation of the tool about its longitudinal axis then causes the tube to be wound up onto the tool for the purposes of assisting expulsion of materials from a dispensing nozzle 8 of the tube 9, the tool being formed with at least one member 15, 19 39 forming a second slot 13 between one or both of the portions and the member such that a side of the coiled tube can be releasably held in position in the second slot to prevent uncoiling. The second slot preferably tapers longitudinal. The member may be slidably mounted on the tool or be pivotably mounted (Fig. 4). When the member comprises an integrally formed tongue 19 the coiled tube is slid towards the handle part 1 of the tool when it is desired to prevent uncoiling. The handle part may include a spike 5 for piercing a sealed nozzle of the tube. The tube may be of plastics material or metal and the tool of rigid plastics material. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Dispensing tool The present invention relates to tools for dispensing material from deformable storage tubes, for example from toothpaste tubes.

When materials such as paint and toothpaste were first sold in tubes, the tubes were always made of a deformable metallic material. These had the disadvantage that, if they were deformed in the middle, any material between the sealed end and the deformed portion became difficult to extract. Furthermore the sides of the tubes had a tendancy to crinkle, leaving material in the wrinkles.

In order to overcome these problems, a special dispensing key was sometimes used.

The key comprised an elongate body portion having a longitudinally extending slot therein, and a handle portion. In use, the closed end of the tube was passed through the slot and the key was rotated, thus flattening the tube adjacent the closed end, displacing material in the tube and forcing material out of the open end of the tube. As more material was required, the key was further rotated, thus flattening the tube further, dispensing the material and rolling up the empty portion of the tube on the key.

Metal tubes are now often replaced by cheaper tubes made of resiliently deformable plastics material, and the materials dispensed from such tubes are many and various, ranging from toothpaste, shampoo and face creams to food syrups. However problems are encountered with these tubes due to their resiliently deformable nature. After material has been squeezed from the tube the tube tends to return to its original shape, this leading to the inconvenience of having to deform fully the tube every time material is dispensed.

This reformation of shape results in the material being distributed throughout the tube and not remaining at the nozzle end of the tube as in the metallic tubes. This gives rise to the inconvenience of guiding the material towards the nozzle each time dispensing is required.

When a dispensing key as described above is used with plastics tubes, the flattened portions of the tube do not remain tightly rolled up on the key, due to the resiliency of the tube. It is thus necessary to rotate the key be a considerable amount each time in order to wind the flattened portions onto the key and hence to allow dispensing of material from within the tube.

It is therefore apparent that there is a need for enabling the gradual evacuation of a filled deformable tube whilst preventing it from returning to its original shape and whilst retaining material within the tube in the end nearest the nozzle.

According to the present invention in its broadest aspect, there is provided a tool for assisting in the dispensing of material from a deformable tube the tool comprising an elongate slot into which the closed end of the tube may be inserted whereby rotation of the tool about its longitudinal axis then causes the tube to be wound up onto the tool for the purposes of assisting expulsion of materials from a dispensing nozzle on the open end of the tube, the tool being formed with at least one tongue which extends in a direction generally parallel to said elongate slot and which, by relative displacement of the coiled tube and said tongue, is capable of being brought into engagement with the coiled tube, such as to retain the tube in its coiled state.

When further material is to be dispensed from the tube, the tube and tongue are relatively displaced in an opposite directionso as to disengage the tongue from the cell of the tube and enable the tube to be coiled further by additional rotation of the tool.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a tool for dispensing material from a deformable tube, comprising two substantially parallel portions defining an elongate space into which may be placed a sealed end of the tube, whereby rotation of the tool about its longitudinal axis then causes the tube to be coiled around the tool for the purposes of assisting expulsion of materials from a dispensing nozzle on the open end of the tube, and a member which forms a second space between one or both of said parallel portions and said member, in which second space a portion of said tube may releasably be positioned for retaining the tube in its coiled state.

Preferably, the tool further comprises a second member which forms a third space between one said parallel portion and the second member in which third space a further portion of said tube may releasably be positioned for further assisting in retaining the tube in its coiled state. This third space may be used as an alternative to or in addition to said second elongate space.

More preferably, the second space, and/or the third space, is tapered longitudinally.

Preferably, the tool further comprises a handle from which extends two said substantially parallel portions.

In one embodiment of the present invention, said member or members is/are contiguous with and extend from the handle. In another embodiment said member or members is/are pivotably mounted on the handle and in a further embodiment said member or members is/are slidably mounted on the handle.

Preferably the tool further comprises a pointed projection for use in piercing a sealed nozzle of the tube.

The tool is preferably made of a plastics material.

By way of example only, specific embodi ments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a plam view of a first embodiment of a tool according to the present invention, in use; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a second embodiment of a tool according to the present invention; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a third embodiment of a tool according to the present invention; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of a fourth embodiment of a tool according to the present invention.

Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of the tool according to the present invention comprising a flat handle 1 made of a rigid plastics material from which extends a substantially rectangular blade 3. The plastics is cut away at the end remote from the handle to provide a point 5. An elongate slot 7, parallel to the long edges of the blade 3 is formed along most of the length of the blade. The tool also has two projecting tongues 15 and 19 which define respective longitudinally divergent spaces 17 and 13 between themselves and the blade 3.

A resiliently deformable tube 9 from which material is to be dispensed has a sealed end 11 and a nozzle 8 through which material may be dispensed.

To dispense material from the tube 9, pressure is placed on the sealed end 11 which forces material from the nozzle 8 and flattens the tube 9 in the region of the sealed end 11.

A sealed nozzle may first be pierced and opened with a spike 5. The sealed end 11 is then placed into the slot 7 in the blade 3 such that the tube is positioned in the end of the slot remote from the handle 1, i.e. outside the longitudinal extent of the projections 15, 19.

The flat portion of the tube 9 is wound tightly around the blade 3, forcing the material in the tube towards, and eventually through, the nozzle 8.

When no more material is required the tube 9 is slid towards the handle of the tool, to roughly the position illustrated in Figure 1, so that the coiled portion 10 of the tube 9 is held in spaces 13 and 17 between the projections 15 and 19 and the blade 3. This has the effect of preventing the resilient tube 9 from uncoiling, thus preventing material from moving back towards the sealed end 11 and being trapped in the wound portion 10. To dispense more material the tube 9 is slid away from the handle again, wound further around the blade 3, and then pushed back to re-position it in the gaps 13, 17.

Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention in which the tool comprises a handle 21 extending from which is a blade 23 containing a slot 25. A spike 27 for piercing sealed nozzles is provided on the handle 21. There is a single projection 29 forming a divergent gap 31 between it and the blade 23. The operation of the device is the same as that in Fig. 1, the sealed end of the tube being placed in slot 25 and the tube being coiled round the blade 23, being gripped in space 31 between projection 29 and the blade 23 to prevent it uncoiling when necessary.

In Fig. 3 the tool comprises a handle 33, a blade 35 and a slot 37 in the blade. A projection 39 comprises a plate portion 41, contiguous with a sloping portion 43 which is inclined upwardly, away from the handle 33, between which portion 43 and the blade 35 is formed a gap in which the coiled tube may be gripped, as will be explained. The projection 39 is slidably mounted in the slot 37 by means of a projecting rib (not shown) which fits into the slot, where it is held by a rivet 45 connected to a plate (not shown) on the other side of the blade. When the tube has been coiled around blade 35 the projection 39 may be slid along the slot 37 to a position above the blade 35 so as to grip the coiled tube between the blade 35 and the portion 43. Instead of a plate on the opposite side of the blade, a second projection 39 may be provided.

In Fig. 4 the tool comprises a handle 51, a blade 47 and a slot 49 in the blade. The projection piece 53 comprises a horizontal plate portion 55, extending from which is a portion 59 sloping away from the plate portion 55. Contiguous with the sloping portion 59 is a horizontal extension 57 which is thereby disposed apart from and parallel to the blade 49 and handle 51. The projection piece 52 is pivotably mounted on the handle 51, being secured to the handle 51 by a rivet 61 which passes through the handle 51 and the horizontal plate portion 55 of the projection piece 53. When the tube has been coiled around the blade 49 the projection piece 53 may be rotated to a position (shown in dotted lines) above the blade 49, so that the tube is gripped between the blade 49 and the horizontal projection 57. A second projection piece similar to the projection piece 55 may be pivotably mounted on the other side of the handle 51.

Although primarily for use with plastics tubes, the present device can of course equally well be used with traditional metallic tubes.

Although in the described embodiments the spaces for receiving the coiled tube, such as the spaces 13, 17 and 31, are described as being divergent, this is not essential and they could be parallel-sided, or indeed any other convenient shape adapted to grip the tube in its coiled state.

Claims

1. A tool for assisting in the dispensing of material from a deformable tube, the tool comprising an elongate slot into which the closed end of the tube may be inserted whereby rotation of the tool about its longitudinal axis then causes the tube to be wound up onto the tool for the purposes of assisting expulsion of materials from a dispensing nozzle on the open end of the tube, the tool being formed with at least one tongue which extends in a direction generally parallel to said elongate slot and which, by relative displacement of the coiled tube and said tongue, is capable of being brought into engagement with the coiled tube, such as to retain the tube in its coiled state.

2. A tool for dispensing material from a deformable tube, comprising two substantially parallel portions defining an elongate space into which may be placed a sealed end of the tube, whereby rotation of the tool about its longitudinal axis then causes the tube to be coiled around the tool for the purposes of assisting expulsion of materials from a dispensing nozzle on the open end of the tube, and a member which forms a second space between one or both of said parallel portions and said member, in which second space a portion of said tube may releasably be positioned for retaining the tube in its coiled state.

3. A tool as claimed in claim 2, in which a second member forms a third space between one said parallel portion and the second member.

4. A tool as claimed in claim 2 or 3, in which said second space is tapered longitudinally.

5. A tool as claimed in claim 3, in which said third space is tapered longitudinally.

6. A tool as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, in which said two substantially parallel portions extend from a handle.

7. A tool as claimed in claim 6, in which said member or members is/are contiguous with and extend from the handle.

8. A tool as claimed in claim 6, in which said member or members is/are pivotally mounted on the handle.

9. A tool as claimed in claim 6, in which said member or members is/are slidably mounted on the handle.

10. A tool for use in dispensing material from a deformable tube, constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.