US3326419A

US3326419A - Toothpaste tube holder and dispenser

Info

Publication number: US3326419A
Application number: US483935A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lowell A Zentner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-08-31
Filing date: 1965-08-31
Publication date: 1967-06-20
Anticipated expiration: 1984-06-20

Description

June 20, 1967 L. A. ZENTNER 3,326,419

TOOTHPASTE TUBE HOLDER AND DISPENSER Filed Aug. 31, 1965 2 FIG.

INVENTOR.

EEK NTNER BY 1 m I A TORNE United States Patent 3,326,419 TOOTHPASTE TUBE HOLDER AND DISPENSER Lowell A. Zentner, Rte. 1, Box 74, Scappoose, Oreg. 97056 Filed Aug. 31, 1965, Ser. No. 483,935 Claims. (Cl. 222-101) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in toothpaste tube holders and dispensers.

A primary objective of the present invention is to pro vide a holder for toothpaste tubes which receives the tube and furthermore which employs novel means engageable with the tube for dispensing toothpaste therefrom.

A further object is to provide a toothpaste tube holder which has manually operable ball means engageable with the tube for squeezing a quantity of paste from the tube, and more particularly employing ball means operable by a push lever guide-d longitudinally in the holder.

Another object is to provide a toothpaste tube holder employing manually operable ball means engageable with a tube in the holder and a push lever for the ball means associated with structure which holds the push lever forwardly to maintain the ball in engagement with the unused portion of the tube.

Still another object is to provide a toothpaste tube holder employing dispensing means which is adapted to be readily re-set when a new tube of toothpaste is to be installed in the holder.

Briefly stated, the present toothpaste tube holder and dispenser comprises a tubular body member for receiving a tube of toothpaste or the like therein. Disposed within the housing is a ball arranged to be moved longitudinally of the housing and engageable with the tube of toothpaste for dispensing toothpaste from said tube. Engageable with the ball is a push lever which is arranged to move longitudinally of the housing and which is associated with means for maintaining the ball forwardly against the unused portion of the tube. The invention will be better understood and additional objects will become apparent from the following specification and claims, considered together with the accompanying drawings, wherein the numerals of reference indicate like parts.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a foreshortened, longitudinal sectional view taken through a first form of the toothpaste tube holder and dispenser of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a foreshortened elevational view of the present holder with certain parts thereof being broken away;

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view taken through a second form of the invention.

Referring now in particular to the drawings and first to FIGURES 1-4 which show a first form of the invention, the numeral designates a tube of toothpaste or the like having the usual threaded neck portion 12 and bottom end 14. As is well known, the bottom end 14 is fiattened and the lower portion of the tube tapers into said end. Although the invention is illustrated herein as comprising a holder and dispenser for toothpaste tubes, it is to be understood that it may be utilized as a holder and dispenser for any material packaged in this type of tube, such as hand cream, hair cream, and the like.

The holder and dispenser comprises a tubular housing 16 of a selected diameter to receive the tube 10. Housing 16 has a fiat, integrated wall 18 on the rearward end and a removable, cone-shaped end or cover 20 on the forward end. Cover 20 has a central aperture 21, and the removable connection of the cover 20 with the housing 16 comprises a threaded connection 22.

Housing 16 has a longitudinal slot 24 which extends from the end 18 to a point short of the forward end. Movable in the slot 24 is a push lever 26. As best seen in FIGURE 3 the push lever 26 is generally wider than the slot 24 but has side grooves 28 for receiving portions of the tube on opposite sides of the slot 24, whereby the push lever has a slidable guided connection with the housing.

Provided on the inner surface of the holder in longitudinal relation and adjacent One side of the slot 24 are forwardly angled rack teeth 30, and a corresponding shoulder 32 which partly defines one of the grooves 28 in the lever 26 has opposing rack teeth 34, FIGURE 4, engageable with the rack teeth 30, the teeth being shaped to permit only forward movement of the push lever in the slot.

Referring in particular to FIGURE 1, the push lever comprises a top finger engaging portion 36 with a rear, inclined, serrated edge 38 and a tube confined portion 40 having a forwardly facing arcuate edge 42 for engagement with a ball 44. This ball is of slightly smaller diameter than the diameter of the housing 16, or more specifically of a diameter whereby it can move freely in the housing and compress the tube as shown in FIGURE 1. In fact, the ball is of sufficient lesser diameter than the internal diameter of the housing to permit the push lever to be disposed inwardly to disengage

teeth

30, 34. The rearward end of portion 40 of the push lever is shaped suchthat it extends a substantial distance downwardly on the ball, for example to a point below the center of the latter, to provide a good pushing engagement thereon. The forward end of the portion 40 extends only a part way down on the ball but sufi'iciently far to confine the ball in the arcuate portion of the push lever.

Provided in the arcuate edge 42 of the push lever 26 at the upper portion thereof is a recess or pocket 46 in which is mounted a compression spring 48 having surface engagement with the ball 44. The spring is of a selected force and arranged to urge the push lever upwardly, as viewed in FIGURE 1, and therefore it is apparent that said spring normally maintains the

teeth

30 and 34 in engagement with each other.

Referring to FIGURE 3, it will be seen that the side slots 28 in the push lever 26 are of a greater width, vertically as seen in FIGURE 3, than the thickness of the holder Wall to provide a clearance 50 between the outer portion of the push lever and the holder. This clearance permits the teeth 34 to ride over the teeth 30 when the push lever is advanced, and also permits the push lever to be fully retracted for the purpose of installing a new tube, as will now be described.

In the operation of the present holder and dispenser, the top wall 20 of the housing is removed and the tube of toothpaste 10 inserted in the housing bottom end first, it being assumed that the push lever 26 and ball 42 are located adjacent the rearward wall of the housing. The cover 20 is installed on the housing with the neck portion 12 of the toothpaste tube projecting through the opening 21 therein. When installing the toothpaste tube in the holder, the usual cap 52 on the toothpaste tube is removed, and may be reinstalled on the neck portion 12 during those times when the dispenser is not being used.

Thus, to dispense a quantity of toothpaste, the cap 52 is removed and forward pressure is applied to the rearward portion 38 of push lever 26. This causes the ball to compress the tube and eject a quantity of toothpaste. The

rack teeth

30 and 34 prevent any retracting movement of the push lever and therefore the ball will always be in en- 3 gagement with the unused portion of the toothpaste tube.

When material from the tube has been completely dispensed and it is desired to install a new tube, the cover 20 is removed and the old tube taken out. Thereupon the push lever 26 is returned to its staring position first by depressing it inwardly against the action of the spring 48 an amount sufiicient to disengage the

teeth

30, 34 and then sliding it to a position adjacent the end wall 18. A new tube of toothpaste is then inserted in the holder, and, the top wall 20 reinstalled with the neck portion of the tube projecting through the opening in said top wall.

FIGURE 5 illustrates a modified form of the invention. In this embodiment the parts are similar to the embodiment of FIGURE 1 with the exception that the push lever and the holder donot have the interengaging

rack teeth

30 and 34, respectively. The numeral 26a designates the push lever and the numeral 48 designates the compression spring confined in the recess or pocket 46 and engageable with the ball 44. Since the spring urges the portion 40 of the push lever forcibly against the inner surface of the housing 16, the frictional engagement between said push lever and housing has sufficient braking effect to hold the push lever up against the unused portion of the tube. Similar to the FIGURE 1 embodiment, the push lever is returned to the rearward end of the housing by depressing the said lever as it is moved back.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A toothpaste tube holder and dispenser comprising a tubular housing arranged to receive a tube of toothpaste, means in said housing defining a longitudinal slot, a push lever slidable in said slot having a housing engageing portion, ball means interiorly of said housing engageable by said push lever, said ball means being arranged to engage and compress a tube of toothpaste mounted in said housing and to dispense said toothpaste upon forward movement of said push lever, and spring means interengaged between said push lever and said ball means to urge the housing engaging portion of said lever into a non-retracting frictional engagement with said housing.

2. The toothpaste tube holder of claim 1 wherein said ball means is of lesser diameter than the internal diameter of said housing to permit said lever to be moved to disengage said housing engaging .porti-on from said housing.

3. The toothpaste tube holder of claim 1 including in- 5 terengageable teeth means on said housing and on said lever arranged to allow movement of said lever in a forward direction only, said ball means being of lesser diameter than the internal diameter of said housing to permit said lever to be moved sufficiently to disengage said teeth means.

4. A toothpaste tube holder and dispenser comprising a tubular housing arranged to receive a tube of toothpaste, means in said housing defining a longitudinal slot, a push lever slidable in said slot having a housing engaging portion, ball means interiorly of said housing engageable by said push lever, said ball means being arranged to engage and compress a tube of toothpaste contained in said housing and to dispense toothpaste upon forward movement of said push lever, and means interengaged between said push lever and said ball means urging the housing engaging portion of said push lever into a non-retracting frictional engagement with said housing.

5. A toothpaste tube holder and dispenser comprising a tubular housing arranged to receive a tube of toothpaste, means in said housing defining a longitudinal slot, a push lever slidable in said slot having a housing engaging portion, ball means interiorly of said housing having a disconnected engagement with said push lever, said ball means being arranged to engage and compress a tube of toothpaste mounted in said housing and to dispense said toothpaste upon forward movement of said push lever, interengaging teeth means on said housing and on said lever arranged to allow movement of said lever in a forward direction only, and spring means interengaged between said push lever and said ball means, said spring means urging the housing engaging portion of said push lever away from said ball means to cause engagement of said teeth means on the housing and lever, said ball means being of lesser diameter than the internal diameter of said housing to permit said push lever to be moved toward said ball means an amount suificient to disengage said teeth means for returning said lever.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,353,747 9/1920 Harwood 222-101 2,009,761 7/1935 Calderara 222--101 X 2,261,877 11/1941 Erikson et a1 222-101 FOREIGN PATENTS 481,261 5/1953 Italy.

97,578 12/ 1939 Sweden.

F. R. HANDREN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

4. A TOOTHPAST TUBE HOLDER AND DISPENSER COMPRISING A TUBULAR HOUSING ARRANGED TO RECEIVE A TUBE OF TOOTHPASTE, MEANS IN SAID HOUSING DEFINING A LONGITUDINAL SLOT, A PUSH LEVER SLIDABLE IN SAID SLOT HAVING A HOUSING ENGAGING PORTION, BALL MEANS INTERIORLY OF SAID HOUSING ENGAGEABLE BY SAID PUSH LEVER, SAID BALL MEANS BEING ARRANGED TO ENGAGE AND COMPRESS A TUBE OF TOOTHPASTE CONTAINED IN SAID HOUSING AND TO DISPENSE TOOTHPASTE UPON FORWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID PUSH LEVER, AND MEANS INTERENGAGED BETWEEN SAID PUSH LEVER AND SAID BALL MEANS URGING THE HOUSING ENGAGING PORTION OF SAID PUSH LEVER INTO A NON-RETRACTING FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID HOUSING.