Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6247618
-
Patent Number
6,247,618
-
Date Filed
Friday, October 22, 199925 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, June 19, 200123 years ago
-
Inventors
-
-
Examiners
- Kaufman; Joseph A.
- Buechner; Patrick
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 222 98
- 222 99
- 222 100
- 222 103
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
An apparatus including a pair ofhousing halves cooperating, when together, to define a take up compartment with nesting bores and flattening edges to compress a flexible wall tube as it is drawn into the housing through operation of a knob attached to a reel resting in the nesting bores and connected to the closed end of the tube and rotatably mounted to the housing. Breaking elements are also provided to inhibit unreeling of the emptied portions of the tube.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to dispensers for extruding the contents of flexible walled tubes, and more specifically to an improved roll up tube dispenser having a shell housing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Flexible dispensing containers provide advantages over other forms of product packaging, because such tubes are relatively clean and manually squeezable to controllably expel small amounts of the stored product outwardly through an orifice or nozzle. These tubes also provide a convenient means for expelling contents having significant viscosity.
These collapsible containers are generally formed by an integral, flexible wall configured on one end with a conventional outlet and cap. The opposite end of the tube is generally left unsealed to form a wide opening to be filled with a paste-like product and closed.
The contents of such a tube are then generally ejected at the time of use by removing the cap and then manually squeezing the tube walls. This method generally results in a random movement of the stored contents. The movement of the contents is in response to the compression of the tube walls caused by the squeezing. While a relatively full tube may be easily manipulated to orderly expel the paste product, as the tube approaches empty, manipulation of the flexible walls thereof may only serve to manipulate the remaining product back and forth in the tube itself. Efforts to squeeze the final remnants of the product often results in the user locating a flat edged apparatus to forcefully flatten the tube from the rear end towards the tube nozzle, thereby urging the contents in one direction only, and ultimately out of the tube.
Another common approach is to roll up the tube by hand starting at the closed end to force the contents from the substantially emptied portion toward the dispensing end of the tube. This may provide a temporarily satisfactory result but because the tube unwinds when the manipulating forces are removed, the process has to be repeated each time. This drawback is amplified as the length of the tube increases and is especially prevalent in tubes biased to retain a straightened configuration, such as those constructed from plastics.
Additionally, the consumer, faced with the difficulty of dispensing the final remnants of product from a relatively empty tube, often disposes of the tube with such remnants left therein. Premature disposal of consumer product packaging not only results in undue waste but is believed to contribute greatly to the rapid filling of available landfills. Collapsible tubes in particular, often contain a measurable percentage of the original product when disposed. Use of the typically wasted product by consumers would thus have a substantial impact on the environment through conservation of available landfill space by reducing the number ofprematurely disposed collapsible tubes.
One alternative proposed to dispense the contents of a collapsible walled tube involves attaching a narrow elongated rod, commonly called a key, to the crimped end of a conventional metallic tube. Examples of these devices can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 955,530 to Morrison; U.S. Pat. No. 1,770,946 to Rostiser; U.S. Pat. No. 1,986,409 to Redmer; U.S. Pat. No. 2,545,773 to Gonzalez; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,670 to Kendrick. While devices of this nature aid in rolling up the tube they do not prevent unwinding of the tube, particularly tubes made from plastics.
Other devices proposed to deal with these problems provide a means for enabling consumers to incrementally control the flow of material from a tube and enable the use of substantially all of the available contents. These rotatable reel type dispensers generally include a housing having a slot for receiving a portion of the tube and internally dimensioned to accommodate a reeling assembly containing a slot for insertion of one end of the tube. The reel is turned by some means such as a wheel and the tube is drawn through the housing slot which forces the contents toward the dispensing end and ultimately out of the tube. These devices typically rely on friction between the housing and the tube or the inherent flexibility of the tube to prevent the tube from unwinding. Plastic tubes, in particular, however, typically have great resiliency and tend to unwind unless secured in place. Therefore, reliance solely on frictional forces between the housing and the tube may not provide satisfactory results.
Other devices have been proposed to reel the tube and resist unwinding. Examples of these devices can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,314 to Elias et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,828 to Wood; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,457 to applicant. While applicant's invention shown in his U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,457 has enjoyed success, manufacturers sensitive to both the environment and their customers' preference for a collapsible tube prohibited from unwinding, continue to search for devices facilitating the assembly of a dispenser constructed to allow incremental flow of the material while resisting unreeling of the tube.
Due to the widespread use of collapsible tubes and problems inherent in preventing the tubes from unwinding, manufacturers prefer to permanently mount the dispenser on the collapsible walled tube and sell the combined unit as a package to offer convenience to their customers. This provides consumers with a pre-assembled package in a ready to use condition. Mass assembly of these dispensers is generally discouraged, however, due to the problems faced when initially mounting the reel to the tube. Typically, a length of the tube is inserted into a reel shaft and the reel is wound several times to satisfactorily secure the tube to the reel in a manner as to prevent the tube from being pulled off the reel. This winding process adds additional time to the assembly process and discourages mass assembly of dispenser.
The initial assembly of the tube to the reel adds assembly time in another manner. Assembly of these pre-assembled packages is generally accomplished in one of two manners. One method is to attach the tube to the reel and then the tube-reel assembly is inserted into a housing with an open ended slot thereby completing the assembly. Typically, the closed end of the tube must be precisely aligned with the narrow retainer opening in the reel. The second manner of assembly is to attach the reel to the housing and then insert the tube into a slot in the housing and then into the reel. This method requires even more precision than the first one because the reel and housing openings must be aligned. U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,987 to applicant provides an indicator that has proven successful in addressing the alignment problem but manufacturers faced with assembling an incremental dispenser constantly search for dispensers capable of saving the time and cost associated with assembling the tube and the dispenser in permanent fashion. It was this apparatus to which my application U.S. Ser. No. 09/246,681 filed Feb. 8, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,994, was directed.
As noted in my prior application, there are advantages to providing a number of ways for assembling such a device to reduce manufacturing time and the apparatus of my prior application addresses several different means of assembly. In some cases, however, the manufacturer or assembler prefers to use a housing that can be separated or opened up to a significant width allowing easier placement of the reel and tube end within the housing prior to final assembly of the housing. Thus, there remains a need for alternative means for assembling a roll up tube dispenser that is tailored to specific manufacturing needs. It is that alternate assembly to which this application is directed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a dispensing apparatus is provided to uniformly extrude the contents of flexible wall tubes and includes ahousing comprised of upper and lower shell halves abutting at one edge and terminating in flattening edges at the opposing surface. The two halves cooperate when together to form a take up compartment and nesting bores for receiving portions of a transverse reel mounted to a rolled up portion of the tube. The assembly process is facilitated by the use of such housing which may be hinged or two discrete halves providing a greater placement space for more rapid positioning of the reel and tube portions on one of the housing halves. Breaking surfaces are incorporated to interact with the reel to prevent the reel from unwinding in one direction and allowing the tube to unwind.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a dispenser apparatus incorporating the present invention;
FIG. 2
is an exploded cross sectional view, in enlarged scale of a dispenser apparatus as shown
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is a right hand end view of the housing taken along lines
3
—
3
of
FIG. 2
;
FIG. 4
is a front view of the reel and knob shown in
FIG. 2
;
FIG. 5
is cross sectional view taken along lines
5
—
5
of
FIG. 4
;
FIG. 6
is a cross sectional front view showing a modified reel of
FIG. 4
;
FIG. 7
is a reduced scale cross sectional front view of the reel shown in
FIG. 6
in an unfastened state;
FIG. 8A
is a reduced scale front view of an alternative reel to
FIG. 4
having a pair of clips;
FIG. 8B
is a transverse cross sectional view taken along lines
8
B—
8
B of FIG.
8
A.
FIG. 9
is a reduced scale front view of another alternative reel to
FIG. 4
having a transversely extending clip;
FIG. 10
is a transverse sectional view of a modified reel of
FIG. 4
;
FIG. 11
is a cross sectional view taken along lines
11
—
11
of FIG.
10
and illustrating a commonly manufactured tube including apertures;
FIG. 12
is a longitudinal sectional front view of a second embodiment of the dispenser apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 13
is a cross sectional end view taken along lines
13
—
13
of
FIG. 12
;
FIG. 14
is an enlarged detail view taken from the oval
14
in
FIG. 12
;
FIG. 15
is a sectional view similar to
FIG. 14
depicting an alternative braking system;
FIG. 16
is an exploded front view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention with a cut away housing;
FIG. 17
is a cut away longitudinal cross section view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 18
is an exploded perspective view of a further embodiment of the dispenser apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 19
is aperspective view of
FIG. 18
showing the housing partially closed without the reel;
FIG. 20
is a reduced top view of a modified housing shown in
FIG. 1
having a peg opening; and
FIG. 21
is a reduced top view of another modified housing shown in
FIG. 1
having a stand.
Numerous advantages and aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description which generally provides illustrations of the invention in its presently preferred embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings where common elements retain the same reference numbers throughout the description for purposes of clarity,
FIGS. 1-5
illustrate a first preferred embodiment of an improved roll up tube dispenser apparatus, generally referred to as
60
, for dispensing the contents of a flexible walled tube
61
. The dispenser apparatus includes a housing
62
for compressing and storing portions of the tube, a reel
64
mounted on the housing for connecting to the tube to provide a circumferential winding surface for the tube, a knob
66
for rotating the reel, and a first braking element
68
and a second braking element
70
cooperative with the first to prevent unreeling of the reel. For purposes of this description, the extension of the housing generally defines the transverse direction.
The housing
62
is in the form of a cylindrical shell
72
defining an interior take up compartment
74
that is dimensioned to house the reel
64
and enable the tail of the tube
61
to be rolled up therein until the tube is substantially emptied. While the interior of the housing is preferably circular in cross section, the present invention is not so limited but, rather, may include a housing formed into a variety of shapes. Formed in the forward side of such shell is a transversely elongated slit
78
configured with a pair of transversely running elongated flattening edges
76
constructed to slidably engage the flexible walls of the tube as it is drawn into the take up compartment. The flattening edges may be formed of a more rigid materials to assist the compression process. The slit also has an open end
79
to accommodate assembly of the dispenser apparatus and lateral positioning of the tube.
The housing is closed on one end by an end wall
80
for providing structural integrity to the shell
72
. The end wall is formed centrally with an axial through bore
82
configured with annularly arranged braking teeth
86
to engage a second braking element, generally designated
70
, formed at the end of the reel to resist unreeling of the reel.
The shell
72
is formed with an open end
90
configured with a reduced in diameter annular flange
94
defining an axially outwardly facing shoulder
92
. With continued reference to
FIG. 2
, the knob
66
is formed on its inside surface with an axially inwardly opening annular groove
136
that slidably receives the annular flange
94
for rotation thereof. The knob
66
is generally cylindrically shaped to form a cylindrical hand gripping portion
130
which may be serrated.
The reel
64
is configured so the knob
66
is formed integrally with an axial shaft
100
having a connector slot
102
formed therein for receipt of the flattened closed end of the tube
61
(FIG.
1
). The slot preferably projects through the reel but may also terminate within the reel. The slot extends substantially along the reel shaft and is open at one end
104
for receipt of the flattened end of the tube.
The reel shaft
100
is preferably cylindrically shaped to provide an efficient surface for winding the tube thereon and is configured in form of a fork defining a pair of spaced apart tines
116
, each formed with radially outwardly projecting resilient flanges
120
cooperating to define a fastener boss, generally designated
110
. In the preferred embodiment the fastener boss is sufficiently resilient and so shaped as to form a permanent attachment to the housing once the flanges are disposed against the outer wall of the housing. However it must be appreciated that a less resilient fastener boss offers the possibility of releaseable engagement with the housing. The flattened end of the tube may be inserted in a transverse direction between the tines and into the slot
102
which frictionally retains the tube. The slot is dimensioned to accommodate the flattened end of the tube and the reel is resilient enough to compress the flattened end of the tube and prohibit the removal of the tube from the slot once assembly is complete and the reel is snapped into end wall of the housing. To facilitate assembly of the tube with the connector, the free open end
104
of the reel includes a portion in which the interior surfaces of the tines diverge away form one another in a smooth contour for transverse receipt of the flattened end of the tube. This enlarged opening and gradual transition improves assembly time and lowers costs because less precision is required to align the closed end of the tube with the slot during assembly. The remaining interior portion of the reel may be solid or can be hollowed out to save material.
Formed behind the boss
110
is a journal
112
configured with a pawl defining a braking element
70
to releasably engage the teeth
86
. Multiple pawls are also contemplated by the present invention with each pawl spaced equidistantly around the circumference of the journal. Alternatively, the braking elements may be transposed such that a series of ratchet teeth projects from the journal and a pawl or series of pawls is disposed around the margin of the bore.
A variety of reels and connectors may be used in the present invention as exemplified in
FIGS. 6-11
. Referring now to
FIGS. 6-7
a reel, generally designated
180
, is formed with a forked reel shaft
182
having a pair of resilient elongated outwardly diverging flexible tines
184
. Each tine terminates at its free extremity in ajournal portion
186
and a laterally outwardly projecting locking tab
188
having a rearwardly facing shoulder
190
for abutting against the closed end wall of the housing. Respective barbs
192
project inwardly from one of the tines
184
and terminate in close proximity with the interior surface of the opposing tine thereby forming a retaining area for the closed end of the tube within the reel shaft. The reel is preferably integrally formed with a knob
194
which has an axially opening annular groove
196
on its interior surface
198
.
In the unfastened state, as shown in
FIG. 7
, the outwardly biased tines
184
define a converging path for receipt laterally therein of the closed end of the tube during assembly. This feature affords enhanced ease of assembly over that required for those devices formed with a linear closed end slot which improves assembly time and lowers costs. The closed end of the tube may be received in between the tines and the free ends of such tines drawn together to clamp the tube therebetween. The ends of the tines include an interlocking snap
199
to secure the tines together and provide structural integrity to the reel unit at the free end. Alternatively, each tine could include an inwardly projecting spacer that abuts the opposing spacer on the other tine to space the tines apart. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the number, form, and placement of the barbs between the tines can be varied and remain within the scope of the invention.
The reel shown in
FIGS. 6-7
provides for a flattered tube end to be slid in between the tines transversely from the free extremity to the knob end. The flexibility of the tines also provides retention of tube ends that are not substantially flattened by providing a connector capable of differently contoured openings. Referring for example to
FIG. 7
, after a closed end of a tube is slid in between the tines, the tines are then forced together and interlocked by the snapping device
199
such that the tabs
188
are in close proximity relative to one another as shown in FIG.
6
. The shoulders
190
of the tabs are then forced through a bore in the housing similar to the bore
82
shown in
FIG. 1
until the journal
186
resides within the bore thereby forming a rotational coupling between the housing and the reel. It is preferred to permanently affix the connector with the tube to prohibit the tube from being pulled from the dispenser.
Referring now to
FIGS. 8A and 8B
, another example of a reel of the present invention is illustrated. The reel, generally designated
200
, includes a reel shaft
201
transversely projecting from a knob
202
and terminating at its free end in a fastener boss
203
. The fastener boss includes a resilient shoulder
204
for permanent attachment with a housing as described in the first embodiment. A pair of transversely spaced apart retention clips
205
is provided to retain the closed flattened end of the tube. The arcuately shaped clips are cantileverly mounted on the reel shaft. Each clip includes a resilient portion
206
that circumferentially extends around a portion of the reel shaft from a secured end
207
and terminates in a free end
208
. Projecting radially interiorly of the free end is a bulbous stop
209
that abuts the outer diameter of the reel shaft. The closed flattened end of the tube may be inserted between the reel shaft and the bulbous stop of both resilient clips and retained on the reel. It is preferable to use this reel in conjunction with a tube having corresponding holes such as that shown in FIG.
11
. The bulbous stops reside with the corresponding hole and prevent the tube from being withdrawn from the reel. Use of the clips decreases assembly time by removing the requirement of winding the tail end of the tube on the shaft to retain it thereon.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, another reel, generally designated
210
, having a reel shaft
211
projecting transversely from a knob
212
and terminates in a fastener boss for attachment with the housing as described herein above. Cantileverly mounted from the knob and projecting transversely along the reel shaft is a resilient retaining clip
213
. The clip may be alternatively secured at one end to the reel shaft near the knob. At the free end of the clip
214
is a rounded stop
215
that projects radially inwardly from the clip to abut the reel shaft. A knoblike stud
216
projects radially outwardly from the reel shaft and abuts the interiorly disposed surface of the clip. The closed end of the tube may be inserted transversely along the reel shaft and beneath the clip to engage both the stop and the stub which cooperate to retain the tube on the reel shaft. The tube is held in place between the reel shaft and the retaining clip by the resilience of the clip. A tube such as that shown in
FIG. 11
is preferably used in conjunction with this dispenser because the openings provide additional security to the tube and reel assembly in both the transverse and longitudinal directions. Additionally, assembly time is decreased because no winding is required to secure the tube to the reel shaft.
Referring now to
FIGS. 10-11
another modification of the reel
220
is shown. A tube
221
may be inserted from either longitudinal side of the open slot
222
that projects diametrically through the reel shaft
224
. This enhances assembly of the dispenser unit by reducing the time to align the connector slot with the housing slot because of the provision of two entry points for the end of the tube. The connector includes oppositely projecting stubs
226
that allow the closed end of the tube to be inserted into the slot openings from either direction and be retained therein. The stubs are constructed within the slot with a space therebetween to allow the closed end of the tube to slide over one pair of stubs and once clear of the stubs, the tube would be inhibited from being withdrawn as the rearwardly projecting stub relative to the tube would engage the closed end of the tube. As shown in
FIG. 11
, a conventional tube having a pair of stub receiving openings
228
could be used for increased retention strength. While a tube approaching from only one side is shown in
FIG. 11
, it is to be understood that the configuration is constructed to accept a tube from either opposing side of the reel through only a 180 degree rotation of the knob.
A second embodiment of the present invention, generally referred to as
300
, is illustrated in
FIGS. 12-15
wherein the braking elements are disposed in an alternate location. The second embodiment includes a hollow cylindrical housing
302
and a reel
304
having a reel knob
306
. The housing
302
is formed with a generally cylindrical outer shell
308
defining a storage compartment
310
. A slot with flattening edges (not shown) is constructed as shown in FIG.
1
.
With continued reference to
FIGS. 12-15
, the housing
302
is closed on one end with an end wall
312
formed with an axial through bore
314
for receipt of one end of a reel shaft. The shell
308
is formed at its opposite end with an opening configured with a reduced in diameter annular flange
322
defining an axially outwardly facing annular shoulder
320
. With continued reference to
FIG. 12
, the knob
306
is formed on its inside surface with an axially inwardly opening annular groove
332
that slidably receives the annular flange
322
for rotation thereof. At the outer extremity of the annular flange is a first braking element
326
in the form of an axially projecting resilient pawl
328
. The pawl may be singular or may include several pawls spaced along the lip. The second braking element
330
is formed with a series of teeth and is located in an annular groove
332
facing the pawl
328
and located on the interior surface
334
of the knob
306
as shown in
FIGS. 12-14
. The annular flange
322
is constructed to receive the flange
322
and the first braking element
326
to interact with the second braking element to resist unreeling of the tube secured to the reel by cooperate to form a one-way rachet device for restraining rotation of the reel in one direction. At the same time, the groove and flange provide additional structural integrity to the shell of the housing. The braking elements could be also be transposed.
FIG. 15
depicts an alternate braking configuration wherein a first braking element
340
in the form of a pawl projecting radially inwardly from the flange
342
engages a second braking element
344
formed by annularly arranged teeth facing radially outwardly from the radially interior surface of a slot
346
.
Referring now to
FIG. 12
, in either braking embodiment shown in
FIGS. 14 and 15
, the reel
304
includes a spindle
350
that projects laterally from the knob
306
to extend laterally through the storage compartment
310
and terminate in a journal
352
that turns within the bore
314
. Extending past the journal is a mounting shoulder
354
that is flexible to snap into the bore
314
but resilient enough to permanently secure the reel to the housing. The reel further includes a retainer (not shown) that may take the form, for example of the connector illustrated in
FIG. 10
to receive and retain the closed flattened end of a tube.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in
FIG. 16
, a dispenser apparatus, generally designated
370
, includes a cylindrical housing
372
having an elongated peripheral shell
374
defining a take-up compartment
376
. An elongated compression slot (not shown), is constructed as shown in FIG.
1
and enables access for a tube from the exterior of the housing into the take up compartment and compresses the tube as it is drawn into the compartment. At one end of the housing is an end wall
378
defining a through bore
384
for receipt of one end of a reel
386
. The opposite end of the housing is open to terminate in a circular abutment edge
388
. Formed on the interior surface of the end wall
378
is an inwardly facing annular groove
392
surrounding and concentric with the through bore
384
. Formed in such groove is an arrangement of axially outwardly gear teeth
396
.
Still referring to
FIG. 16
, a reel
386
includes a reel shaft
398
projecting axially from a cylindrical knob
414
. A connector (not shown) such as the one exemplified in
FIG. 10
attaches to the closed end of the tube and retains it therein. The reel shaft terminates on its free extremity in a reduced in diameter journal
404
constructed to rotate within the through bore
384
and a resilient circular flange
406
defining an axially enlarged shoulder facing the end wall of the shaft body and spaced therefrom for sandwiching therebetween the thickness of the end wall
378
. The reel shaft is constructed with an enlarged diameter in relation to the journal to locate an axially directed braking pawl
408
at the outer circumference of the reel to engage the teeth
396
in the groove
392
. Formed on the axially inside wall of the knob
414
is a bearing disc
412
constructed to nest inside the open end of the housing and rotate relative thereto.
In another embodiment of the present invention a transposition of braking elements is illustrated in FIG.
17
. In this embodiment, the end wall
434
of the housing includes a recessed circular seat
436
formed interiorly of a through bore
437
. Projecting radially inwardly into such seat is a resilient braking pawl
438
. A reel
442
includes at its free extremity an enlarged radially projecting disc
444
that resides partially within the seat and terminates in a fastener boss
445
, preferably constructed for permanent engagement with the end wall of the housing. The disc and boss are rotatably coupled to the seat. This disc includes a second braking device
440
on its circumference in the form of gear teeth constructed to engage the pawl and resist rotational movement of the reel in one direction.
In an alternative embodiment, a dispensing apparatus, generally designated
500
, as exemplified in
FIGS. 18-19
, the housing
502
may take the form a clam shell having a first half
504
and a second half
506
connected together along one side by a transversely projecting hinge
508
. The housing is constructed with laterally disposed confronting edges
510
that abut when the housing is closed. The hinge enables the first and second halves to rotate and close on one another to form a take up compartment
512
. The flattening edges
514
oppose the hinge when the housing is closed. These edges are disposed at one end of a series of ribs
515
, shown here on the one half only. The ribs project into the housing toward the reel shaft and are formed with a tapered edge to proximate the contour of the collapsible tube to maintain compressive forces on the tube to push the flowable material toward the opening of the tube. The interior portion of each respective rib abuts a compressing wall
517
which cooperates with a second wall on the opposing half (not shown) to form a narrow slot for compressing the tube internal to the housing. The internal compressing wall may provide the forces required to flatten the tube walls and thereby allow an alternate configuration in which the space formed between flattening edges
514
is enlarged or contoured to provide an aesthetic transition onto the tube walls. The ribs additionally allow excess material to be removed thus reducing cost of the dispenser. While the ribs and the wall are only shown on one half of the housing for illustrative purposes, in the preferred embodiment, a set of ribs and a compressing wall would be located on both halves of the housing.
The first and second halves include forwardly disposed extended surfaces
514
to locate the flattening edges further away from the reel and increase the size of the take up compartment. Varying degrees of curvature may be introduced into the flattening edges to complement the contour of the tube and provide a more aesthetic blended singular unit appearance between the tube and the dispenser unit. The hinge may formed of a thin piece of flexible plastic material connecting the two halves or a conventional pinned hinge may be used. The first half and second half are held together by plastic locking tabs
516
in one of the halves cooperating with recesses
518
on the other half.
The reel shaft
520
includes a connector
522
in the form of any of the connectors previously described, such as
FIG. 10
, for engaging the closed flattened end of the tube and enabling the tube to be drawn into the take up compartment
512
. Each half of the hinged housing
502
contains a pair of centrally disposed semi-circular cut outs
524
cooperating, when the first half and
504
second half
506
are locked together, to form nesting bores
526
to receive cylindrically shaped opposite extremities of the reel shaft
520
which terminates at opposite ends in a pair of knobs
528
fixed to the reel shaft. As is understood by those skilled in the art, the knob reel assembly could be one piece or could be made up of discrete components that snap together. The nesting bores are dimensioned to allow rotation of the reel shaft and include a peripheral mounted first braking element
532
in the form of ratchet teeth similar to the embodiment of FIG.
3
. The reel shaft includes a second braking element
536
in the form of a pawl extending from the reel shaft for engaging the first braking element to resist rotation in one direction. Either knob can be turned to wind the tube into the take up compartment
512
.
FIG. 20
shows another feature of the present invention in the form of a fin
600
projecting from the exterior surface of the housing
601
. Formed centrally in the fin is a peg hook opening
602
for engaging a hook mounted to a vertical surface to hang the device in a convenient location at home or from a shelf in a store. The attached tube
604
hangs down from the housing allowing gravity to assist dispensing the contents within if the dispenser is operated while in the hanging position.
FIG. 21
illustrates another useful modification of the present invention. One side of the housing is configured with a base
610
having a planar surface such as the foot shown opposing the slot in the housing so that the entire assembly may be placed upright in a storage position for display in the marketplace or at home on a countertop. The slot of the housing acts to center the tube over the base to keep the unit upright when placed on a flat surface.
The housing, reel, knob and braking elements described herein are preferably constructed of lightweight rigid plastic. Components that are frictionally engaged such as the braking elements may be formed of a sturdier plastic to resist wear. Other materials known in the art and suitable for such use, such as metals, that are capable of being formed in the above recited manner may also be used. In addition, some of the components may be constructed from different materials than the other components.
The components described herein may be integrally formed or may constitute discrete components or a combination thereof. For example, the reel and knob assembly in
FIG. 4
is shown as in integral unit with a discrete housing member. In practice the dispenser could be made up of multiple components such as a discrete reel and a discrete knob or the housing could include two discrete halves snapped together. More than one knob could be used such as that shown in FIG.
18
and the shapes of the knobs could vary considerably. A housing having two open ends may be used in conjunction with a knob or cap abutting the housing and providing an interiorly facing surface formed with the end wall features recited herein. Other braking elements that prohibit rotation in one direction may also be used in the present invention. The braking elements may also be transposed between components or may be recessed into their respective components as opposed to projecting from the component. Other variations are available to those skilled in the art that would fall within the scope of this invention.
In operation, the dispenser apparatus of the present invention provides for incremental flow control of the contents of a flexible walled tube while resisting unwinding of the tube
61
. For purposes of this example, a reel as shown in
FIG. 4
is used and is integrally formed with the knob. Referring to
FIGS. 1-5
, the operation of an unassembled dispenser apparatus
60
is initiated by inserting the closed flattened end of a flexible walled tube
61
into the slot
102
of the reel
64
. The reel, knob
66
, and tube combination is then slid into the housing
62
with the tube walls sliding transversely through the open end
79
of the slit
78
and between the flattening edges
76
of the housing. The reel is then preferably permanently engaged with the housing by pushing the fastener boss
110
through the bore
82
until the radial outward flanges
120
of the flexible tines
116
are abutting the exterior surface of the end wall
80
. The resilience of the tines ensures a permanent fit with the housing. The insertion of the reel into the end wall also aligns the teeth
86
with pawl of the second braking element
70
in interlocking relation to one another and completes the assembled unit.
If the tube has a cap or other lid it is removed and the tube is manually squeezed to dispense the contents therein. After squeezing the tube and dispensing a portion of the contents, the collapsible tube may be wound up as needed by the dispenser to force the contents toward the opening and take up the used portions into the housing.
To wind up the tube
61
, the knob
66
is grasped by the hand grip portion
130
and turned in either a clockwise direction or counterclockwise direction depending on the one-way rotational restriction enforced by the cooperating braking elements. The rotation of the knob rotates the adjoining reel
64
to wind the tube initially around the outer surface of the reel and then upon itself. This rotation also draws the tube between the flattening edges
76
of the housing
62
which compress the tube walls and force the contents of the tube toward the opening. The winding of the tube around the reel and the flattening edges prevent the contents of the tube from moving away from the open end. The rotation of the knob is generally continued until the used portion of the tube is taken up into the take up compartment
74
. The tube may then be capped or sealed until the next use.
Although it is preferable to permanently attach the tube end to the reel and the reel to the housing, if a less permanent device is assembled, removing a tube
61
requires the knob
66
to be engaged by the user and pulled in a transverse direction away from the housing
62
. A less resilient fastener boss
110
used for releasable engagement will converge and release from the bore
82
and the entire reel
64
, knob and tube can be removed out of the take up compartment
74
of the housing. The tube is then unwound and the closed flattened end is slid from the slot
102
of the reel which is then ready to receive a different tube.
It is also within the scope of the present invention to incorporate a tube having an elongated tail to provide a releasably engageable attachment between the reel and the tube. The end of the elongated tail of the tube may be slid into the slot of the reel and then the reel is manually or mechanically turned a sufficient number of turns to wind the tail of the tube upon itself thereby preventing the tube from being pulled away from the reel. The slot would not have to be narrowly dimensioned to compress the sides of the tube and some material may be saved through the use of this structure. Use of this reel and tube assembly is less preferred because of the additional step required to wind the tube onto the reel to prohibit the tube from slipping off the reel. The braking elements of the present invention would still provide an effective means of resisting the unwinding of the tube and controlling the contents of the tube.
An alternate method of assembly could also be employed. The knob
66
and reel
64
could be placed within the housing
62
and snapped into place. The flattened end of the tube
61
is then inserted into the slit
78
of the housing and into the slot
102
of the reel with a connector such as illustrated in FIG.
10
. The winding of the tube into the housing is performed as described above.
While several forms of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will also be apparent that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
- 1. Apparatus for mounting on the flattened closed end of an elongated collapsible wall tube to dispense the contents therefrom and comprising:an elongated housing formed with a take up compartment and transversely elongated flattening edges spaced apart to form a slit for a sliding receipt of the opposite sides of the wall of the tube, said housing being formed with a pair of clam shell halves connected together along one side by hinge, said halves being rotatable about said hinge to close on one another and form said compartment; a plurality of tapering support ribs originating proximate said flattening edges and extending into said take up compartment; a first brake element mounted on said housing; a transverse reel in said compartment rotatably mounted from said housing and including a reel shaft having a connector for connecting with the closed end; a second brake element on said reel and engageable with said first brake element to break against rotation thereof; and a knob on said reel for rotation thereof whereby said closed end may be inserted through said slit and engaged with said connector so that said knob may be rotated to reel said closed end up on said shaft to draw said tube progressively through said slit to engage the opposite side of the tube wall and said brake elements cooperating to brake said reel against unreeling.
- 2. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein:said connector is constructed to be permanently affixed to said tube.
- 3. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein:said first brake element is in the form of ratchet teeth; and said second brake element includes at least one pawl for releasably engaging said ratchet teeth.
- 4. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein:said halves being formed with opposite lateral end walls configured to terminate in edges contacting one another when said clam shell halves are in their closed position; and said edges being configured medially with semi-circular cut outs cooperating to form respective nesting bores receiving the opposite extremities of said shaft.
- 5. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein:said reel is configured with the transverse slot defining said connector.
- 6. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein:said housing includes a base constructed to hold said tube in an upright position.
- 7. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein:said housing includes a surface defining a hook opening.
- 8. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein:said first break element includes at least one pawl; and said second brake element is in the form of a series of ratchet teeth configured to inhibit rotation in one direction of said reel and permit rotation in opposite direction.
- 9. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein:said shell halves include complementary fasteners for snapping said halves together.
- 10. Apparatus for mounting on the flattened closed end of an elongated collapsible wall tube to dispense the contents therefrom and comprising:a housing formed with an upper half and a lower half constructed to abut one another and cooperating at their free extremities to form a compression slit, said halves being formed with opposite lateral end walls configured to terminate in edges contacting one another when said halves are in abutting relation, said edges being configured medially with semi-circular cut outs cooperating to form respective nesting bores; a plurality of inclined compression ribs originating proximate said free extremities and extending into said take up compartment; a first braking element mounted within at least one of said nesting bores; a reel including a reel shaft including a connector for connecting with the closed end and having a second braking element constructed to engage said first braking element to inhibit one way directional rotation of said reel, said reel shaft further configured on its opposite extremities to nest in said nesting bores and be rotatably received therein; and a knob mounted on one extremity of said reel.
US Referenced Citations (17)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
125349 |
Mar 1927 |
CH |
238430 |
Jul 1945 |
CH |
798687 |
May 1936 |
FR |
370204 |
Apr 1931 |
GB |