Description of Invention

This invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing predetermined amounts of a liquid or a soft extrudable material.

In particular, the invention is concerned with a dispenser of the kind, hereinafter referred to as the kind specified, which is adapted to hold a. collapsible or deformable container which contains a liquid or a soft extrudable material and has a nozzle through which material can be discharged by squeezing the container, the dispenser being operable to squeeze the container to .dispense predetermined amounts-of liquid or material.

The dispenser of the invention has. been devised for dispensing toothpaste from a container in the form of a collapsible tube which is closed at one end and has a discharge nozzle at its other end, and- the following description will therefore be confined to this applica¬ tion of the invention. However, it is to be understood that there is no limitation in this regard since the dispenser may be used to dispense other soft extrudable materials such, for example, as grease, sealing compound and adhesive as well as liquids such, for example, as i liquid soap.

"^ According to the invention there is provided a dispenser of the kind specified which is operable to dispense a liquid or a soft extrudable material from a container held by the dispenser, by subjecting the con¬ tainer to hydraulic pressure thereby to squeeze the container. .

The dispenser preferably comprises a housing defin¬ ing a chamber to receive the container, the chamber having an opening for the discharge of liquid or material from the nozzle of the container and being connected to means operable to supply hydraulic fluid under pressure to the chamber. These means preferably comprise a reservoir of hydraulic fluid and a piston operable to force fluid from the reservoir into the chamber.

The dispenser may be designed for mounting in a fixed position, for example on a wall, or it may be hand¬ held.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a vertical section, partly cut away, of one form of dispenser embodying the invention.

The dispenser illustrated in the drawing has been designed for dispensing predetermined amounts of tooth¬ paste from a collapsible tube T whic is closed at one end ^' E and ^" has a nozzle N at its other end through which toothpaste can be discharged by squeezing the tube. The nozzle is screw-threaded to receive a closure cap (not shown) which is removed before the tube is placed in the dispenser.

The dispenser comprises an elongate, cylindrical housing 10 formed to provide a chamber 11 at one end in which the tube is mounted, and a chamber 12 at the other end to contain a reservoir of water, the two chambers being separated by a partition 13 formed with two bores 14, 15.

The housing 10 is provided with a mounting plate 16 enabling the dispenser to be mounted in a vertical position, as shown in the drawing, on, for example, a wall in a bathroom, the plate being fixed to the wall by, for example, adhesive or screws. The housing 10 is provided with a longitudinally extending tongue 17 of T shape in cross-section, the limb of the tongue being connected to the housing and the cross-piece being

engaged in a longitudinally extending, complementarily shaped groove formed in the mounting plate. The groove is open at its upper end to enable the lower end of the tongue to be engaged in it whereupon the tongue is slid downwardly into position, the lower end of the groove being closed to provide a stop for the lower end of the tongue. The lower end of the tongue is tapered and the lower part of the groove is similarly shaped so that the tongue becomes a tight fit in the groove when it reaches the end of its downwards movement. The mounting plate may be formed to hold a tumbler and tooth brushes.

The lower end of the housing is in the form of a screw-threaded cap 18 formed with a central opening through which the nozzle N of the tube T extends, the opening being provided with an annular seal 19 for sealing engagement with the nozzle so as to prevent water escaping from the chamber 11 through the opening.

A lever 20 is. pivotally mounted on the mounting plate 16 and carries a cup 21 and a closure element 22. The lever is movable between a closed position as shown in the drawing in which the closure element 22 closes the orifice of the nozzle N and the cup 21 encloses the nozzle, and an open position in which it is clear of the nozzle so that a quantity of toothpaste can be discharged from the nozzle on to a tooth brush. The lever is held in each position by a spring or other means (not shown) and it has a finger piece at its free end enabling it to be flipped from one position to the other. In a modifica¬ tion the lever 20 is mounted on the housing.

The dispenser is fitted with an initially separate pump unit 23 comprising a body 24 having two cylindrical portions 25 and 26 containing one-way valves 27 and 28 respectively, and a further cylindrical portion 29 which forms a cylinder for a piston 30 formed integrally with a cap 31 mounted for vertical sliding movement on the upper end of the housing 10. The piston is provided at its lower end with a sealing element 32 in sealing engagement

with .the cylinder. The cap 31 is ^' guided in its vertical movement by two or more projections 33 provided on the cap at a regular circumferential spacing, the projections being engaged in vertical grooves formed in the upper part of the housing.

The cap 31 is movable between a lower position, as shown in the drawing, and an upper position the limit of which is determined by abutment of the projections 33 with stops 3 provided at the upper ends of the grooves in the housing. The cap is urged towards its upper position by a spring 35 interposed between the top of the cap and an annular projection 36 formed inside the housing. The housing is formed at the lower ends of the grooves with shallow bayonet slots with which the projections 33 can be engaged by turning the cap 31 to lock the cap in its lower position.

The cap 31 is formed with an opening 37 to facilitate filling of the chamber 12 with water. This opening may be provided with a removable closure.

The pump unit 24 is mounted in the reservoir chamber 12 with its cylindrical portion 25 extending into the bore 14. The lower end of a vent pipe 38 the upper end of which communicates with the interior of the chamber, extends into the bore 15 and contains a one-way valve 39. The portion 25, the pipe 38 and the bores 14, 15 may be screw threaded or the portion and the pipe may be a friction fit in their respective bores.

The dispenser is arranged to operate as follows.

To prepare the dispenser for use, the housing 10 is detached from the mounting plate 16 and the cap 18 is removed. The cap is fitted to the tube by screwing the nozzle of the tube into the seal 19 until the shoulder around the nozzle abuts the seal. If necessary a plug may be inserted into the nozzle to prevent toothpaste escaping from the tube during fitting of the tube. The tube is then inserted into the chamber 11 and the cap is screwed tightly onto the housing 10, clamping a sealing

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ring -39 between the cap and the housing. The screw thread of the cap is a multi-start thread which affords strength and requires only minimum turning of the cap so that the cap can be easily removed and refitted. The external circumferential surface of the cap is knurled or ribbed to facilitate turning of the cap. The housing 10 is then secured to the mounting plate 16 and the lever 20 is moved to its closed position.

The cap 31 is locked in its lower position and the chamber 12 is then filled with water through the opening 37 to a level just beneath the upper end of the pipe 38. During filling, water flows into the chamber 11 via valves 28 and 27 and air is vented from the chamber through the valve 39 and the pipe 38. A small quantity of water also flows into a pump chamber 40 of a predeter¬ mined volume provided in the pump unit 23-

The top o-f the chamber 11 is domed with its highest point at the bore 15 to ensure that all the air is expelled from the chamber and no air bubbles are formed which could affect the hydraulic pressure.

When the user requires to dispense a predetermined quantity of toothpaste, he or she flips the lever 20 to its open position and simply depresses the cap 31 against the action of the spring 35, the cap having previously been released from its locked lower position. The resultant downward movement of the piston 30 in its cylinder 29 in performance of one stroke forces the quantity of water in the pump chamber 40 through the valve 27 into the chamber 11. The hydraulic pressure in the chamber 11 is therefore increased and this has the effect of squeezing the tube T to cause an amount of toothpaste to be discharged from the nozzle N. The valve 39 prevents water escaping from the chamber 11 into the vent pipe 38. The hydraulic pressure in the chamber 11 acting on the tube also presses the tube into sealing engagement with the seal 19.

"The cap 31 automatically returns to its upper position under the action of the spring 35 and as the piston 30 moves upwardly in performance of the -other stroke, it draws more water from the reservoir 12 through the valve 28 into the pump chamber 40 ready for the next operative stroke. The cap therefore operates as a manually operable plunger. The valve 27 prevents water being drawn from the chamber 11.

It has been found that successive operations of the dispenser result in the tube T being collapsed gradually in a direction from its closed end E towards the nozzle N. One advantage of the invention is that the total amount of toothpaste extruded from the tube by the dispenser is greater than the amount which would usually be extruded if the tube were simply squeezed by hand, and in tests it has been found that only a small amount of toothpaste remains in the nozzle. As compared with this conventional way in which a tube of toothpaste is used, there is a saving of time in that it is not necessary to pick up the tube, remove its screw cap, squeeze the tube and then replace the cap whenever toothpaste is required. The dispenser also avoids the annoyance caused by a tube of toothpaste leaking or its cap being left off, result¬ ing in a mess in the wash-hand basin. The dispenser is hygenic and economical since it may be designed to hold a large tube of toothpaste. The novelty of using the dispenser will encourage children to clean their teeth.

The dispenser is of a simple and inexpensive design. Its component parts may be moulded of a suitable plastics material.

Of particular importance to the suppliers of tooth¬ paste is that the dispenser can be used with tubes made of plastics materials instead of metal tubes as are usually provided, plastics tubes being cheaper than metal tubes.

'BUREA

OMPI