US2534498A - Cap for collapsible tube dispensers - Google Patents

Description

Decv 1950 M. BROUSSARD 2,534,498

CAP FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE DISPENSERS Filed Oct. 17, 1949 MA YO BROUSSA RD IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEK Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES t rhtEN'l OFFICE CAP FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE DISPENSERS Mayo Broussard, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application October 17, 1949, Serial No. 121,761

My invention relates to an improved closure for compressible tubes, and particularly to an improved closure for use in dispensing semi-fluid materials, such as tooth-paste, cream, salve and other pastes or pasty materials.

Self-sealing closures for use with compressible tubes for dispens ng pastes have been employed heretofore. In all of those known to me, an internal valve has been provided for opening and closing a discharge orifice that is always in contact with the atmosphere. Such arrangements are unsanitary in that the discharge opening itself remains exposed to the atmosphere even when the valve is in closing position. Furthermore, in some such prior closures, the discharge ports themselves retain a small portion of the paste even when the valve is in closed position, thereby directly exposing a portion of the paste to the contaminating eifects of the atmosphere.

It is therefore the main purpose of my invention to provide such a closure with a discharge port which is exposed to the atmosphere only when paste is being discharged therefrom,

The manner in which I accomplish the foregoing and other objects of my invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein one embodiment of my invention is illustrated.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a tooth-paste dispenser employing my improved closure;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged part fragmentary side elevational view showing the improved closure in closed position with half the casing member removed; and

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view of the improved closure shown ingopen position;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the plane 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the plane 5-5 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of an alternative embodiment of my invention.

In Fig. 1 there is illustrated a compressible tube 8 having a. cosure 89 connected to one end thereof. The closure H3 employs an elongated casing or body member i2 and a hollow discharge member l4 movable therein between an innermost position illustrated in Fig. 2 and an outermost position illustrated in Fig. 3. The discharge member I4 is provided with a lateral opening or port It which is covered by the casing member [2 when the discharge member I4 is in its innermost position and which is accessible, or exposed to 3 Claims. (01. 222-492) the atmosphere, when the discharge member [4 is in its outermost position. The casing member 52 and the discharge member [4 are provided with fluid-passage defining means through which fluid flows to the discharge port It only when the discharge member is in its outer position. The casing member [2 is preferably formed of pastic material and the discharge member M of metal.

The casing member I2 is of circular construction and is provided with an inlet 28 at its inner end which inlet is threaded internally so that it may be screwed firmly onto the externally threaded discharge nipple 22 usually provided at the outlet of the compressible tube 8. An enlarged chamber 25 is formed within the casing member 52 commencing at a position directly above the threaded inlet 2i] and continuing outwardly therefrom. A reduced outlet passage 2% is formed in the casing member !2 at the upper end of the cylindrical chamber 24. The outlet passage 26 and the chamber 24 are both of cylindrical configuration and they are coaxial with the threaded inlet 2!). In order to simplify the construction of my closure member the chamber 2A is made of circular cross-section and the outlet passage is of ircular cross-section except for a flat surface 28 formed on one side thereof as indicated in Fig. 4.

The discharge member It comprises a hollow tubular stem portion 3i; which is slidably arranged within the outlet passage 24 and also a piston portion 32 which is slidably arranged within the chamber 26. It has the same cross-section as the outlet passage 39 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 in order to prevent the discharge member Hi from rotating within the casing l2. The discharge port it for dispensing paste from the collapsible tube is in the form of a lateral opening arranged adjacent the outer end of the stem portion. This port It is most easily formed in the fiat portion of the side wall or the stem portion 30.

Lateral openings 3d provided in the side or cylindrical surface of the piston portion 32 are provided in order to establish communication with the interior of the stem portion 30. As will become clear hereinafter these lateral openings 34 together with the piston portion 32 constitute valving means for controlling the flow of fluid through the discharge member 14.

A helical compression spring 35 is arranged concentrically with and outside of the stem portion 32'] engaging the wall of the chamber 2% at its outermost end and the piston portion 32. The spring 35 is normally open and normally urges t d t firge member 3| 2 into its innermost position where the piston 32 engages the inner wall of the chamber 24, thereby sealing off the threaded inlet 20. A tubular skirt 38 extending outwardly from the outer side of the piston 32, assists in guiding the movement of the pisto within the chamber 24. The skirt 38 also isolates the spring 36 from the space below the piston in order to prevent paste from seeping into the space in which the spring works. The skirt 38 also acts as a stop in order to limit the outward movement of the discharge member M. In the outermost position, the outermost edge of the skirt 38 seats in an annular groove 40 formed in the outermost wall of the chamber.

The passages for facilitating the flow of paste from the interior of the collapsible tube into the interior of the stem portion and thence out the discharge port, are completed by means of bypass or lateral passages 32 formed in the side wall of the chamber. In the particular form of my invention here illustrated these passages are in the form of holes 42 formed within the casing member l2. The axes of the holes are semi-circular but their cross-sections are circular. These semi-circular holes are formed most conveniently by manufacturing the casing member i2 in two parts and securing these parts together to form a single member as indicated in Fig. 5.

The inlets 44 to the passages 42 are covered by the piston 32 when the piston is in its innermost position. When the stem portion 44 is in its outermost position the inlets 44 are exposed to the space in the chamber 24 below the piston 32 and the outlets 46 register with the ports 34 in the side of the piston. Thus, when the discharge member i4 is in the innermost position the passages 42 are closed by the piston and are sealed off from the interior of the compressible tube 3 but when the discharge member i4 is in the upper position the inlets 44 communicate with the interior of the compressible tube through the space in the chamber 24 below the piston and the outlets 46 of these passages register with the openings 34 in the side of the pistons.

In order to facilitate complete cleaning of the discharge port it, it is so located on the stem portion that it stands beyond the upper end of the casing member at the time that the piston 32 just seals oil the inlets 44 of the lateral passages $2. In this way the fluid flow passagesare sealed off or closed while the discharge orifice i6 still remains in a position where it may be wiped clean prior to moving into its closed position within the casing member l2.

In operation, the discharge member i4 is normally held by the spring 35 in its innermost position in which the discharge port It lies within the outlet passage 30 in the upper portion of the easing member i2, thus being protected from atmospheric contamination. Also in the innermost position the piston 32 seals the inlet 2! and also the lateral passages 42.

When paste is to be discharged the compressible tube 8 is compressed. This action forces paste under pressure through the nipple 22 against the piston 32, forcing it outwardly toward its outermost position, finally opening the inlets 44 of the lateral passages 62 and at the same time exposing the discharge port it to the atmosphere. With the construction described the inlets 44 of the lateral passages 42 are so positioned that the pressure of the paste in the chamber beneath the piston is relieved only when the discharge port it is beyond the outer end of the casing member l2. As compression of the. be

continues, paste is forced through the lateral passages 42 into the ports 34, thence through the space within the piston 32 into the interior of the stem portion 35 and thence laterally through the discharge port it, onto a tooth brush or other article to which the paste is to be applied.

After the desired amount of paste has been discharged, the pressure on the tube is relieved, permitting the spring 3%: to force the piston 32 inwardly thereby covering the inlets M of the lateral passages 22. At this time, if desired, any residual paste that is projecting from the discharge orifice l6 may be wiped off. As the pressure on the compressible tube 8 is further relieved, the paste standing in the lowermost part of the chamber 24 beneath the piston 32 is forced to return into the collapsible tube and at this time the discharge port it moves to its inner osition where it is covered by the side wall of the outlet passage 38.

In the alternative embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 6, the closure i0 is of similar construction to that previously described except for the construction of the means for attaching it to a, compressible tube 8. In this embodiment of the invention the inner end of the closure is threaded externally so that it may be screwed into an internally threaded nipple 22' connected to the tube 8. In this construction, a flange til encircling the inlet 20 provides a shoulder 62 upon which the piston 32 bears when in its innermost position. As indicated, the piston 32 and the remaining parts of this closure are the same as those in the closure Ill described above. The advantage of this alternative type of construction lies in the fact that the casing member l2 may be made somewhat shorter for a given size discharge member [4.

Although only two particular forms of my invention have been specifically d sclosed, it will be obvious that the invention is not limited thereto but is capable of a variety of mechanical embodiments. Various changes, which will not suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, may therefore be made in the material, form, details of construction, and arrangement of the elements without departing from the spirit of the invention. Reference is, therefore, to be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a closure for a compressible tube, a casing member having an inlet at the inner end thereof and having an o tlet pa sage at the outer end thereof and havin an enlarged cylindrical chamber interconn cting said inlet and said outlet: a dischar e member comprising a piston m mber slidablyarranged within said chamber and a hollow stem member slidably arran ed within said outlet passage, said piston member having a first opening therein communic ting with the interior of said stem member, said stem member having a second, lateral openin adiacent the outer end thereof; resilient mean for urging said dischar e member inwardly into an inner position wherein said second lateral opening is covered by the side wall of s id outlet passage, said stem member being movable outwardly againstthe force of said resilient means b the pressure of fluid forced into said casing inlet into an outer position in which said second lateral opening is ex osed to the atmosphere; and valvin means for maintaining said first opening open to establish communication between said first opening and said inlet only when said discharge member is forced outwardl beyond a, predetermined point.

2. In a closure for a, compressible tube, a casing member having an inlet at the inner end thereof and having a cylindrical outlet passage at the outer end thereof and having an enlarged cylindrical chamber interconnecting said inlet and said outlet passages, the axes of said outlet passage and said chamber being substantially parallel; a hollow discharge member comprising a piston portion slidably arranged within said chamber and a stem portion slidably arranged within said outlet passage, said piston portion having a first latera1 opening in the side thereof, said stem portion having a second lateral opening adjacent the outer end thereof, passages within said piston portion and said stem portion establishing communication between said two openings; a helical spring encircling said stem portion for urging said discharge member inwardly into an innermost position wherein said second lateral opening is covered by the side wall of said outlet passage, said stem portion being movable outwardly by the pressure of fluid force into said casing inlet against the force of said spring into an outermost position in which said second lateral opening is exposed to the atmosphere; and a cylindrical skirt extending outwardly from the periphery of said piston portion and enclosing said spring; said casing member having a by-pass passage in the side wall of said chamber, said by-pass passage being so positioned and arranged as toestablish communication between the portion of said chamber on the inlet side of said piston when said discharge member is in its outermost position and as to be sealed oif by said piston from said cas ing inlet when said discharge member is in its innermost position.

3. In a closure for a compressible tube, 2. casing member having an inlet at the inner end thereof and having an outlet passage at the {outer end thereof and having an enlarged cham- ;;ber interconnecting said inlet and said outlet, said inlet being connectible to a discharge open- 1 1 comprising a piston portion slidably arranged ing in said tube; a hollow discharge member within said chamber and a stem portion slidably arranged within said outlet passage, said piston portion having a first lateral opening in the side thereof communicating with the interior of said .stem portion, said stem portion having a second latera1 opening adjacent the outer end thereof;

and resilient means for urging said discharge member inwardly into an innermost position wherein said second lateral opening is covered by the side wall of said outlet'pas'sage, said stem portion being movable outwardly against the force of said resilient means by the pressure of fluid forced into said casing inlet into an outermost position in which said second lateral open ing is accessible; said casing member having a .by-pass passage in the side wall of said chamber,

.said by-pass passage being so positioned and arranged as to establish communication between the portion of said chamber on the inlet side of said piston when said discharge member is in its outermost position and as to be sealed off by said piston from said casing inlet when said discharge member is in its innermost position.

MAYO BROUSSARD.

No references cited.

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