ACCESSORY FOR A DEFORMABLE PACKAGING TUBE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an accessory for a deformable packaging tube of the type widely used for packaging pastes, gels, creams, and others semi-liquids and liquids (herein referred to as the packaged product, or simply the product) wherein typically small amounts of product are dispensed as and when required by squeezing the tube. Such deformable packaging tubes are particularly widely used for packaging cosmetics, medicinal preparations, personal hygiene preparations most notably toothpaste, adhesives and components of playthings.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Packaging tubes are an extremely convenient and cost-effective means of packaging numerous different products. One major drawback of such packaging tubes is that, once an appreciable proportion of the contents of the tube has been dispensed, there is a tendency for at least some product to move towards the closed end of the tube when it is squeezed to dispense some more product. It is therefore difficult to effectively dispense the entire contents of a tube unless it is made of permanently deformable material having substantially no plastic memory or resilience, as in the case of old- fashioned collapsible metal tubes.

The problem is particularly pronounced in the instance of tubes made of some types of plastics material having appreciable resilience or a plastic memory that tends to cause the tube to revert to a distended condition irrespective the proportion of product that has been dispensed. Moreover,

this tendency tends to draw air into contact with product within the tube and this may be undesirable.

Many different proposals have been put forward to overcome this difficulty. Many of the prior art devices operate on the basis of rolling the tube up from its closed end and the device, in each instance, includes means for maintaining it in its rolled-up condition.

Others pinch the tube between a pair of rollers or skids biased towards each other so that as the rollers or skids proceed from the straight closed end of the tube towards the discharge end, the tube is flattened and its contents urged towards the discharge end. Many of these have costly, and in some instances complicated, operating mechanisms.

Yet another variety seeks to squeeze the tube between a pair of surfaces extending along a major part of the length of the tube and that are urged towards each other. United States patent 5,897,030 is an example of the latter.

As a totally different problem, deformable packaging tubes, unless they have a cap large enough to act as a base for supporting the tube in an upright condition in the manner of a bottle, are generally packaged in individual boxes for convenience of transport, storage and display. The latter raises the cost of the combined package will stop

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is one object of this invention to provide a simple yet effective alternative device to those indicated above for assisting in effectively dispensing the contents of a deformable packaging tube.

It is another object of the invention to provide a holder for locating and optionally displaying a plurality or deformable packaging tubes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of this invention there is provided a dispensing device for a flexible packaging tube having a dispensing end of generally cylindrical shape with a discharge aperture and closure therefor, and a closed opposite end of generally flat shape extending transversely across the tube, the dispensing device comprising a generally flat elongate base having dimensions generally commensurate with the size of a deformable packaging tube to be used in association therewith, the dispensing device being characterized in that it has anchoring means that are adapted for anchoring the generally flat closed end of a deformable packaging tube to inhibit movement of the tube longitudinally on the base and a manually movable roller held captive relative to the base and movable along the length thereof such that a deformable packaging tube fitted to the base may be squeezed between the roller and the adjacent surface of the base.

Further features of this aspect of the invention provide for the anchoring means to be a slot in the surface of the base at generally right angles thereto with the slot being dimensioned to accommodate the generally flat closed end of a deformable packaging tube in a plane at generally right angles to the surface of the base; for the edge of the slot remote from the adjacent end of the base to be formed as a retaining jaw, conveniently by sharpening the edge at least to some extent; for the roller to have a fitting at each end engaging in a longitudinally extending groove in the base, preferably in one of two opposite side edges of the base, for a shaped former to be associated with the roller for exerting trust on the wall of a tube adjacent its delivery end to squeeze product from the shoulder region of a tube; and for the base to be

adapted to be secured to a vertical surface, preferably with the end corresponding to the anchoring means uppermost.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention there is provided a holder for locating and optionally displaying a plurality of deformable packaging tubes, the holder being in the form of an elongate support member and being characterised in that it has extending along substantially the entire length thereof, a slot in a surface of the support member at generally right angles thereto with the slot being dimensioned to accommodate the generally flat closed end of a plurality of juxtaposed deformable packaging tubes in a plane at generally right angles to said surface of the support member with the deformable packaging tubes extending at generally right angles to the length of the support member.

Further features of this aspect of the invention correspond to relevant features of the preferred slot in the base of the dispensing device defined above.

In order that the above and other features of the invention may be more fully understood one embodiment of each aspect thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is an isometric illustration of a deformable packaging tube;

Figure 2 is an isometric illustration of such a tube fitted to one embodiment of dispensing device according to the invention;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the assembly illustrated in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the operatively upper end of the assembly illustrated in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an end elevation from the upper end of the assembly illustrated in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is similar to Figure 4 but illustrates a former carried by the roller fitting for expelling product from the shoulder region of a tube;

Figure 7 is a front elevation of one embodiment of the second aspect of the invention supporting a plurality of deformable packaging tubes suspended therefrom; and,

Figure 8 is an enlarged end elevation of the operatively upper part of the assembly illustrated in Figure 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 illustrates a typical deformable packaging tube (1) having a generally cylindrical dispensing end (2) the generally circular shape of which is maintained by a squat truncated conical shoulder (3) with a discharge aperture and closure (4) therefor and a closed opposite end (5) of generally flat shape extending transversely across the tube.

In the instance of the illustrated embodiment of the invention, a dispensing device for such a flexible packaging tube comprises a generally flat elongate base (6) having dimensions generally commensurate with the size of the tube to be used in association therewith, typically slightly wider than the flat closed end of the tube with a length allowing the discharge end to project beyond

the corresponding discharge end (7) of the base as shown most clearly in Figure 3.

The dispensing device has anchoring means in the form of a transverse slot (8) in the surface of the base at generally right angles to its length with the slot being dimensioned to accommodate the generally flat closed end of a dispensing tube in a plane at generally right angles to the surface of the base. The slot is, accordingly, located adjacent a distal end (9) of the base.

As will be quite apparent from a reference to Figures 3 and 4 the arrangement is such that the flat closed end of the packaging tube will extend at approximately right angles to the adjacent part (10) of the tube that in use becomes flattened against the base.

In order to ensure proper retention of the flattened end of the packaging tube in the slot, and as shown most clearly in Figure 4, the edge (11) of the slot remote from the distal end (9) of the base, that is the edge nearer the discharge end of the base, is formed as a retaining jaw in the form of a somewhat sharpened edge of a flat metal strip (12) secured to the otherwise plastics base. This slot arrangement effectively anchors the generally flat closed end of a packaging tube to inhibit movement thereof longitudinally on the base.

A manually movable roller (13) extending across the width of the base is held captive relative to the base by means of a fitting (14) at each end of the roller wherein the fittings each engage in one of two longitudinally extending grooves (15) in two opposite side edges (16) of the base. The arrangement is such that the roller is held close to the surface of the base and is movable along the length thereof such that a tube fitted to the base may be squeezed between the roller and the adjacent surface of the base by manually urging the roller towards the base and along the length thereof towards the discharge end of a tube, in use.

For use, it is preferred, although not essential, that the base be secured to a supporting vertical surface with the distal end (9) uppermost, as illustrated in Figure 3, and for this purpose, adhesive mounting pads (not shown) could be used or a fastener could be passed through a hole (17) provided in the base.

As will be apparent from a reference to Figure 4, in order to install a tube on the dispensing device, the flat closed end (5) is introduced into the slot with the roller mechanism moved out of the way at the adjacent distal end of the base, as illustrated in dotted lines. The tube is then folded so that it hangs downwards or, in any event, extends in a plane at generally right angles to the flat closed end that is now retained in the slot and acts as an effective anchor against movement of the tube longitudinally on the base. The roller mechanism can then be manually moved to its operate a position as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 and the roller can then be activated to squeeze the tube between the roller and base to dispense product from the dispensing end of the tube progressively, as will be quite apparent to those skilled in the art.

In order to assist in squeezing product from the interior of the squat truncated conical shoulder portion of a tube, and as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, a former (18) may be carried by, and optionally made integral with, the fittings

(14). The former is a generally central domed formation that is shaped to engage the wall of a tube when the roller assembly is near the discharge end of the base to deform with tube wall and cause expulsion of product that may otherwise be retained in the tube in the general confines of the shoulder.

Turning now to the second aspect of the invention, and with reference to Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings, one embodiment of holder for locating and optionally displaying a plurality of deformable packaging tubes (1) comprises an elongate tubular rectangular cross-sectioned support member (19) that is suitable for support in a horizontal orientation with a vertical front face (20).

Extending along substantially the entire length of the support member is a slot (21) through the wall in the front face with the slot being formed along the top of the vertical face with the operatively lower edge (22) of the slot being sharpened as described above in relation to the flat metal strip fixed to the base of the dispensing device.

This being so, it will be understood that a plurality of juxtaposed deformable packaging tubes may be hung from the support member in a plane at generally right angles to said front face of the support member with the dispensing tubes extending at generally right angles to the length of the support member, as illustrated clearly in Figure 7.

The holder described above may be used to display deformable packaging tubes for sale in stores or other vending situations in a rather unique manner. Use of such a holder may well obviate the necessity to package at least some deformable packaging tubes in individual boxes, as is the practice in the prior art. Also, it is envisaged that inexpensive holders could be produced and utilised as part of the packaging of a multitude of deformable packaging tubes. A series of spaced parallel holders may be installed in a rack so that multiple rows of tubes may be arranged one behind the other and optionally vertically offset.

They holder as described above, of course, be most simply produced by extruding either plastics or aluminium to be required shape and severing appropriate lengths of the extrusion.

It will be understood that numerous variations may be made to the embodiments of the two aspects of the invention described above without departing from the scope hereof.