Patent Application
20060163280
This invention relates to opening cylindrical tubes having a closed and sealed dispensing tip such as the type utilized for packaging and dispensing caulk or other sealants or adhesives, and, more particularly, relates to a cutter/opener for such tubes.
Sealants such as caulk and adhesives are commonly provided in and dispensed from cylindrical tubes having a monolithic tapering (elongated conical, for example) plastic dispensing tip that is closed at its outermost tapered end upon delivery to an end user. Such tubes also commonly include a plastic/foil seal at the interface between the tube and dispensing tip. The dispensing tip must be cut and the foil seal punctured before any product can be dispensed from the device (typically using a mechanical device that applies pressure at the back of the cylindrical tube opposite the tip, often referred to as a “caulk gun”).
For aesthetic reasons, application of caulking or other sealants at various surfaces (around masonry, plumbing fixtures, windows and the like) requires precision to provide a bead of material having consistent width and/or depth and without surface blemishes. A properly cut dispensing tip on a caulk tube, for example, is preferably cut at a 45° angle at a location along the tip selected to provide a predetermined opening diameter. The cut must be without burrs to avoid striations or changes in shape of the applied bead. The foil seal must then be punctured to allow dispensing of the material in the tube.
Heretofore, such cuts were most often accomplished utilizing various knives, utility knives for example. Obtaining the desired tube cut (at the proper angle, linearity and without burrs) using such tools is difficult at best, and thus the desired degree of perfection in the application of the material bead is compromised. Such operations utilizing a utility knife is also hazardous for the worker.
Dedicated cutting tools or cutting markers for such purposes have heretofore been suggested and/or utilized, and have often been deployed together with a caulking gun (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,910, Des.414,665, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,158,914, 4,802,607, 6,056,156, 4,135,644and 4,493,437. Such heretofore suggested dispensing tube cutting tools, however, have not always improved user safety or provided for selected tube tip opening diameter, angle precision or consistency and smoothness of cuts. Moreover, some such tools are often bulky and inconvenient or difficult to use (particularly when made part of a caulking gun). Further improvements could thus still be utilized.
This invention provides an opener for accessing contents of a dispensing tube having a monolithic dispensing tip that requires cutting to allow dispensing of material from the tube. The opener is user safe and allows for user selected tube tip opening diameter, cut angle precision and cut consistency and smoothness. The opener is compact (fitting in the user's palm and storing readily in a pocket or pouch) and thus more convenient and simple to use.
The opener of this invention includes a housing with first and second elongated passageways intersecting therein at an angle. The first passageway has a span selected to receive and stabilize a length of the dispensing tip at a cutting location. A cutting utility is mounted for movement in the other passageway and has a cutting end preferably maintained substantially entirely within the housing, a user contactable portion thereof extending from the housing. The cutting end is located adjacent to the intersection with the first passageway, the user contactable portion being engageable by a user to move the cutting end across the first passageway.
The housing includes a matable structure adjacent to a first end of the first passageway. A locating collar (or collars) is receivable at the first end of the first passageway, a mating structure thereof engageable at the matable structure of the housing and configured for stabilization of the dispensing tip received in the first passageway at different user selected cutting locations along its length. A mechanism is maintained in the housing for returning the cutting utility to a position with the cutting end substantially withdrawn from the first passageway after a cut is made.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved opener for accessing contents of a dispensing tube having a monolithic dispensing tip that requires cutting to allow dispensing of material from the tube
It is another object of this invention to provide an opener for accessing contents of a dispensing tube that is user safe and allows for user selected tube tip opening diameter, cut angle precision and cut consistency and smoothness.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an opener for accessing contents of a dispensing tube that fits into a user's palm and stores readily in a pocket or pouch.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an opener for accessing contents of a dispensing tube that is convenient and simple to implement.
It is another object of this invention to an opener for accessing contents of a dispensing tube having a monolithic dispensing tip that requires cutting to allow dispensing of material from the tube, the opener including a housing defining first and second elongated passageways intersecting at an angle in the housing, the first passageway having a span to receive a length of the dispensing tip and stabilize the dispensing tip at a cutting location when received therein, and a cutting utility mounted for linear movement in the second passageway of the housing and having a cutting end maintained substantially entirely within the housing and a user contactable portion extending from the housing.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an opener for accessing contents of a dispensing tube having a monolithic dispensing tip that requires cutting to allow dispensing of material from the tube, the opener including a housing defining first and second elongated passageways intersecting at an angle in the housing, the first passageway having a span to receive a length of the dispensing tip between first and second ends of the first passageway and configured for stabilizing the dispensing tip at a selected relative cutting location when received therein, the housing including a matable part adjacent to the first end of the first passageway, a cutting utility mounted for movement at the second passageway of the housing and having a cutting end maintained substantially entirely within the housing and a user contactable portion extending from the housing, and locating means receivable at the first end of the first passageway and having a mating part engageable at the matable part of the housing for stabilization of the dispensing tip received in the first passageway at different user selected cutting locations along the length of the dispensing tip.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an opener for accessing contents of a dispensing tube having a monolithic dispensing tip that requires cutting to allow dispensing of material from the tube, the opener including a housing defining first and second elongated passageways meeting at an intersection in the housing, the first passageway having a span to receive a length of the dispensing tip and stabilize the dispensing tip at a selected cutting location when received therein, a cutting utility mounted for linear movement in the second passageway of the housing and having a cutting end maintained entirely within the housing adjacent to the intersection with the first passageway and a user contactable portion extending from the housing and engageable by a user to move the cutting end across the first passageway, and a return mechanism maintained in the housing and operatively associated with the cutting utility for returning the cutting utility to a position with the cutting end substantially withdrawn from the first passageway.
With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent to one skilled in the art as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention are meant to be included as come within the scope of the claims.
The accompanying drawings illustrate a complete embodiment of the invention according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:
Referring to
Opener 11 includes a housing 17 formed from upper and lower housing sections 19 and 21, respectively, the housing sections secured by threaded connectors 23, 25 and 27. First and second elongated passageways 29 and 31, respectively, are defined through housing 17 by the interior configurations of housing sections 19 and 21 and meet at intersection 33 within the housing (see especially
Length of span of passageway 29 is selected to receive a selected length of dispensing tip 15 therethrough and stabilize the dispensing tip at a cutting location at intersection 33. Housing section 21 includes abutment 41 having guides 43 positioned laterally thereof (similar guides are correspondingly positioned at housing section 19, but without a corresponding abutment). Both housing sections 19 and 21 are configured to provide finger engageable housing extensions 45 and 47 at each side of housing 17 which are engageable by a user's finger during use as will become apparent. Opening 49 from housing 17 is formed at one end of passageway 31 by the configuration of housing sections 19 and 21 (the other end of passageway 31 terminating at or near intersection 33). Openings 51 and 53 from housing 17 (at each end of passageway 29) allow movement of dispensing tip 15 through the passageway as shown in
Channel 61 along the length of the exterior of housing section 19 is provided for storage of lance 63 when lance 63 is not in use. Lance 63 is provided for puncturing the foil seal internal of may dispensing tubes, and includes an enlarged collar 65 at puncture end 67 thereof to enhance puncture efficacy. Lance 63 includes integral pivot 69 held at hub structure 71 formed by structure at each of housing sections 19 and 21. Leg 71 of lance 63 accommodates pivoting of lance 63 into and out of channel 61.
As shown in
Cutting utility 105 is mounted for linear movement in at passageway 31 of housing 17, and includes slide 107 having a cutting end 109 (preferably having a concave cutting surface thereat, the concavity substantially matching arc 110 defined by the entry at intersection 33 of passageway 29) thereat and plunger 111 having a user contactable portion 113 thereat. Cutting end 109 is maintained entirely within housing 17 thus enhancing user safety. One end of plunger 111 including portion 113 extends through opening 49 from said housing 17. Plunger 111 and slide 107 are friction fit to one another with spread fork 117 receivable into slot 118 at end 119 of plunger 111. Slot 121 at fork 117 and slot 123 in plunger 111 are provided to receive connector 27 therethrough to further secure plunger 111 within the opener and define the extent of travel of utility 105 in passageway 31 (see
Slide 107 of cutting utility 105 has slot 131 therein receivable over abutment 41. Slide 107 is smoothly transported between corresponding guides 43 and guide surfaces 101 at housing sections 19 and 21 in gap 102 thus maintaining, in cooperation with the stable location of fork 117 in slot 118 of plunger 111, alignment of slide 107 and thus the cutting surface of cutting end 109 thereof. Return spring 133 is maintained in slot 131 with one end thereof contacting abutment 41 and the other end contacting the end of slot 131 (other means of biasing cutting utility 105 could be utilized at would be apparent). In use, this arrangement assures return of cutting utility 105 to a position with plunger 111 fully extended from housing 17 and with cutting end 109 substantially withdrawn from passageway 29 after movement by a user to cut a dispensing tip (with the user engaging contactable portion 113 to move cutting end 109 across passageway 29 having a dispensing tip selectively located thereat).
Turning now to
Engagement (as shown in
It should be realized that the use of protuberances and notches as shown could be reversed (with a notch of notches located at housing 17 and a protuberance of protuberances located at collar 137. Moreover, as an alternative to collars having multiple, different depth notches, plural collars could be provided each one having a single notch pair at a different depth with respect to others of the plural collars.
A first alternative embodiment of this invention is illustrated by
This means limits extent to which a tapered dispensing tube tip 15 is allowed entry into passageway 39 (different amounts for different ones of the collars) thereby defining different cutting locations along the length of an inserted dispensing tip 15 (for tips of the same size) depending on the collar selected. The three collars preferred, when used in association with commonly sized dispensing tube tips, have internal diameters corresponding to a dispensing tip opening size after cutting of approximately 0.375″, 0.25″ or 0.125″ depending upon the collar selected.
A second alternative embodiment of this invention is illustrated by
Thus by threading collar 175 to move the collar up or down relative to indicator 177 a different distance is achieved to between intersection 33 and dispensing tip receiving opening 159181, thus effectively adjusting the length of passageway 29 and defining a new cutting location along the length of an inserted dispensing tip 15 (for tips of the same size).
The openers of this invention of preferably of a size selected so that contactable portion 113 is engageable in a hand of the user and moveable thereby in cooperation with fingers of the same hand engaging housing extensions 45 and/or 47, thereby to effect cutting movement of cutting end 109 of cutting utility 105. The preferred dimensions are thus about 5″ long and 2″ or less wide (at angled portion across finger grip extensions 45 to 47), with housing 17 at passageway 31 being less than about 1″ in diameter,
As may be appreciated, the angle of cut made be the openers of this invention depends upon the angle of intersection of elongated passageways 29 and 31. Thus various models of the openers configured to accommodate different cutting angles could be provided to allow cut angles (from 15° to 80°, for example). Alternatively, an opener could be configured having two housings each housing a different one of the passageways and pivotably connected with each other, and indexed, at the passageways' intersection for user setting of angle of cut.
The openers of this invention can be variously shaped and may have many parts unitarily cast and assembled. the openers may be made of selected materials including various metals, plastics, composites, or combinations thereof.
