TUBE SQUEEZER
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to product dispensers. More specifically, this invention relates to an improved product dispenser for compelling a product from a container. Background
Product dispensers for compelling a flowable product from a deformable container are known in the art and are generally seen in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,125,206 issued to Wilson on a toothpaste dispenser; and 4,508,242 issued to Wolfe on a toothpaste extractor. Certain prior art product dispensers include a screw or worm gear retained within a frame having a squeezing member received upon the screw to travel from a first end of the screw to a second end of the screw to compel a flowable product from a container. Once the squeezing member has reached the end of its travel at the second end of the screw, a user must actuate the squeezing member and, therefore, the screw in a reverse direction so that the squeezing member travels along the screw back towards the first end. ,
These prior art product dispensers require the squeezing member to travel along the length of the screw first to dispense product from a container and then reverse its direction along the screw without any work performed other than to return the squeezing member back to its origin. This requires unproductive time on the part of the user to re-configure the dispenser for subsequent use. Further, this type of mechanism is inefficient and causes undue fatigue upon a user's fingers with manually actuated product dispensers and undue stress upon mechanical and electrical parts in an automatically actuated product dispenser, leading to accelerated mechanical and/or electrical failure of prior art product dispensers. In addition, these prior art product dispensers are generally complex in order to accommodate both forward and reverse travel of the squeezing member retained within the frame. These product dispensers have many moving parts and are not economical to manufacture or repair.
Objective of the Invention
It has therefore been an objective of the present invention to provide an improved and relatively inexpensive apparatus to manufacture for compelling a product from its container. It has been a further objective of the present invention to provide an apparatus for dispensing product from a container that is of simple and reliable construction.
It is another objection of the present invention to provide an apparatus for dispensing product from a container which is manually and efficiently operated and less prone to excessive wear and premature mechanical failure than prior art product dispensers. Summary of the Invention
These and other objectives of the present invention are achieved with a product dispenser which has a frame with opposed first and second end walls defining first and second sockets and a dispensing hole through which a container nozzle may be received. The first and second sockets are preferably axially aligned to receive an elongate drive member releasably engaged therein. The drive member has a bearing member threadably received thereupon positioned proximate the second end wall opposite the dispensing hole when in an initial position. A product container positioned within the frame is acted upon by a user forcing the bearing member to travel along the drive member towards the dispensing hole while bearing against the product container so as to compel the product f om the container. Once the bearing member has reached a terminal position proximate the dispensing hole, the user may remove the drive member from the frame and thereafter re-engage the drive member within the frame so that the bearing member is once again at the initial position opposite the dispensing hole to allow a user to once again actuate travel of the bearing member towards the dispensing hole.
The present inventive product dispenser has very few moving parts, is simply constructed and manually operated, thereby reducing costs and enhancing ease of manufacture. A user compels product from a container by simple mechanical actuation of the bearing member traveling along the drive member and, once the container has been emptied, the user simply removes the drive member from the frame, turns it around, re-engages the drive member with the frame after a new product container has been inserted and continues to use the product dispenser
without having to reverse travel of the bearing member along the drive member away from the dispensing hole.
The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention shall be made apparent from the accompanying drawings and the description thereof.
Brief Description of the Figures
Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway side view of a product dispenser in accordance with the principles of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is an exploded side view of the product dispenser of Fig. 1 ;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of a drive member according to this invention;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of one end of the drive member being coupled to an insert; and
Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of an opposite end of the drive member being coupled to another insert according to one embodiment of this invention.
Detailed Description
A presently preferred embodiment of the present inventive product dispenser 10 is seen in Figs. 1 and 2. It will be understood by those in the art that while the product dispenser 10 as described herein is used to dispense toothpaste 12 from a toothpaste tube 14, the product dispenser 10 may be used to dispense any other desired flowable product from a deformable container suitable for use with the present invention.
The product dispenser 10 has a frame 16 with a base 18, first and second opposed end walls 20, 22 and first and second opposed side walls 24, 26. The first and second opposed end walls 20, 22 and first and second opposed side walls 24, 26 are preferably integral with the base 18 and define a cavity 28 in which the tube 14 is held. The first end wall 20 defines a dispensing hole 30 in which a tube nozzle 32 is positioned to dispense toothpaste 12 from the tube 14 upon a toothbrush 34.
The first and second opposed end walls 20, 22 have respective first and second opposed sockets 36, 38 which are preferably axially aligned. The first socket 36 receives a first insert 40 therein which is secured in place by a washer 42 received in an insert groove 44 in order to prevent the first insert 40 from being pushed out of the first socket 36. The second socket 38 receives a second insert 46 therein and is
resiliently retained in place by a biasing member, e.g., a spring 48, acting upon a circumferential bearing surface 50 in order to continually bias the second insert 46 against the second end wall 22. Preferably, the spring 48 allows a user to exert light force to pull the second insert 46 partially out of the second socket 38. The first insert 40 and the second insert 46 have respective bearing surfaces 52, 54 and define respective pin holes 56, 58 therein. Received in pin holes 56, 58 are pins 60, 62 integral with respective first and second ends 64, 66 of an elongate drive member 68. The drive member 68 is of a screw or worm-type having threads 70. The drive member 68 carries a bearing member 72, preferably configured as a block, and defining a socket 74 through which the drive member 68 is threadedly received.
Referring to Figs. 3-5, the pins 60, 62 each include a number of dimples 61 projecting from the respective faces of the pins 60, 62 in one embodiment of this invention. Additionally, the pin hole 58 in an alternative embodiment may be in the form of a slot 58a in bearing surface 54 on insert 46 (Fig 5). The slot 58a is adapted to receive each of the pins 60, 62 through the open mouth 59 of the slot 58a. The mouth 59 of the slot 58a may include beveled or chamfered surfaces 63 to assist in guiding the pins 60 or 62 into the slot 58a. The slot 58a may include depressions or sockets (not shown) to mate with the dimples 61 to releasably retain the pin 60 or 62 in the slot 58a. Similarly, the pin hole 56 may be bordered by a generally V-shaped channel 57 projecting from the bearing surface 52 (Fig 4). The channel 57 guides and assists the installation of the pin 60 or 62 into alignment with and insertion into the pin hole 56.
The second insert 46 includes an integral actuating member 76 which allows a user to rotate the second insert 46 and, therefore, the drive member 68 as indicated by arrow R (Fig. 2). As the drive member 68 is rotated, the bearing member 72 travels from an initial position I proximate the first end 64 to a terminal position P proximate the second end 66 of the drive member 68 as indicated by arrow T. Once the bearing member 72 reaches the terminal position P proximate the second end 66 the toothpaste 12 has been expelled from the tube 14. The drive member 68 then may be disengaged from the frame 16, as seen in Fig. 2, by manually pulling the second insert 46 outwards against the second end 22 with actuating member 76, thereby disengaging the drive member 68 from the frame 16. Once the drive member 68 is disengaged from the frame 16, the tube 14 is removed from the cavity 28 and replaced by a second tube 14 full of toothpaste 12. The drive member 68 is thereafter re-
engaged with the frame 16, whereby the second pin 62 on the second end 66 is received in the first pin hole 56 and the first pin 60 on the first end 64 may be received in the second pin hole 58 or slot 58a, thus, repositioning the bearing member 72 at the initial position I without having to reverse rotation of the drive member 68. Once the drive member 68 has been re-engaged with the frame 16, the user once again turns the drive member 68 as indicated by arrow R in order to cause travel of the bearing member 72 towards the terminal position P to expel the toothpaste 12 from the second tube 14a.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a roller 78 is carried by the bearing member 72 in order to travel over and exert pressure upon the tube 14 to compel toothpaste 12 out of the nozzle 32 and onto the toothbrush 34. A window 80 is advantageously defined in the first side 24 so that a user may monitor the travel of the bearing member 72 along the tube 14. The second side 26 advantageously defines eyelets 82 adapted to receive mounting studs (not shown), for example, nails or screws, therethrough to facilitate mounting of the frame 16 to a mounting surface (not shown) such as a bathroom wall or the like.
In another aspect of the present invention, the frame 16 includes embossments 84 in order to facilitate a friction fit between the frame 16 and a cover 86. The cover 86 includes dimples 87 which cooperate with embossments 84. The cover 86 preferably includes a lid 88 attached thereto with a hinge 90. The lid 88 includes a cap 92 which releasably seals the container nozzle 32 when the product dispenser 10 is not in use. The cap 92 is removable so that it may be cleaned or replaced as desired or required for health and safety considerations.
In use, the tube 14 holding toothpaste 12 is inserted into the frame 16 so that the nozzle 32 is positioned through the dispensing hole 30. The bearing member 72 is located at the first position I upon the drive member 68 with the first and second pins 60, 62 releasably received within first and second pin holes 56, 58, respectively. A user manually actuates the actuating member 76, rotating the drive member 68 as indicated by arrow R which causes the bearing member 72 to travel along the drive member 68 towards the dispensing hole 30. As the bearing member 72 travels along the drive member 68, the roller 78 deforms the tube 14 and compels toothpaste 12 out of the nozzle 32 onto the toothbrush 34.
Once the bearing member 72 reaches the terminal position P proximate the dispensing hole 30, the user removes the cover 86 from the frame 16 and pulls
upon the actuating member 76 which draws the second insert 46 partially out of the second socket 38, thereby, disengaging the drive member 68. The user disengages the drive member 68 and bearing member 72 from pin holes 56, 58, and turns the drive member 68 around. The tube 14 is removed from the frame 16 and a second tube 14a is inserted in the cavity 28. The second tube 14a is positioned to expel toothpaste 12 through the dispensing hole 30 and the drive member 68 is thereafter re-engaged so that the second pin 62 is received within the first pin hole 56. The user then aligns the first pin 60 coaxially with the second pin hole 58 so that when the actuating member 76 is released and the second insert 46 is resiliently biased to its engaged position, the second pin hole 58 receives the first pin 60 therein. The bearing member 72 is thereby advantageously repositioned from its location upon drive member 68 proximate the dispensing hole 30 back to the second end 22 of the frame 16 without the user having to reverse motion of the actuating member 76 in order to move the bearing member 72 in a reverse direction along the drive member. While he present invention has been illustrated by a description of various embodiments and while these embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and method, and illustrative example shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept.
Having described the invention, I CLAIM: