Technical field

The invention relates to a paste tube squeezer.

Prior art

It is known to use different kinds of aids to squeeze a paste tube or to keep a paste tube compressed from its emptied portion. Aids are used, for example, to turn the tube into a roll starting from its bottom end. Publications US 20060043107 and WO 2006035250 disclose these kinds of aids. They both have an elongated slot, into which the bottom end of the paste tube is placed and around which the emptied portion of the tube is rolled. Publication WO 2006035250 also has an elastic band, which is used to prevent the paste from moving back into the emptied portion. Also known is the use of a clip to squeeze and keep the rolled portion of a paste tube rolled in order that it is not free to open. Publication US 6749087 discloses this kind of solution.

The rolled portion of a paste tube attempts thus to open and a part of the paste can move back into the already emptied portion. Use of the above said elastic band is awkward. Additionally, many paste tubes can be kept in an upright position, if there is adequate space for this. However, the height difference between the shelves of many bathroom cabinets is so small that the paste tube will not fit there in an upright position, which would be, however, the solution saving the most space on the shelf.

Brief description of the invention

The object of the invention is to obviate above said disadvantages of prior art. The invention is based on the idea that the emptied portion of the paste tube is not rolled together, but is instead folded, wherein the paste is not free to move back into the emptied portion of the tube. Further, the fold can be done such that the emptied portion is double-folded, wherein the height of the paste tube decreases, and it can be stored handily in an upright position. A paste tube squeezer according to the invention comprises a frame having an elongated slot for the paste tube. The frame also has a projection, which is in connection with the frame from the first end of the projection. The orientation of the projection is parallel with the slot such that between the projection and the frame remains a second slot. The second slot separates the shaft of the projection and the other end of the projection from the frame, and the longitudinal line of the second slot comprises at least one turn.

List of figures

In the following, the invention is described in more detail by means of the accompanying figures, in which

Figs. 1 - 4 show an example of a paste tube squeezer according to the invention and its use,

Figs. 5 - 8 show an example of an embodiment according to the invention, and Figs. 9 - 1 1 show an example of another embodiment according to the invention.

Description of the invention

Figs. 1 - 4 show by way of example, how a paste tube according to the invention is used. Figs. 5 - 8 again show in more detail an embodiment according to the inven- tion. Figs. 9 - 11 show another example of an embodiment according to the invention. As can be seen from the figures, a paste tube squeezer 2 according to the invention comprises a frame 3, 30 having an elongated slot 4 for the paste tube 1. The frame 3, 30 has a projection 5, which is in connection with the frame 3, 30 from its first end 5A. The orientation of the projection 5 is parallel with the slot 4 such that between the pro- jection 5 and the frame 3, 30 remains a second slot 6. The second slot separates the shaft 5B of the projection and the other end 5C of the projection from the frame 3, 30. In other words, the second slot is open from its other end and the bottom 6A of the second slot is sealed near the first end 5A of the projection. The longitudinal line 7 of the second slot 6 comprises at least one turn. By line 7 is meant, in this connection, the midline of the second slot in its longitudinal direction. As can be observed, the second slot 6 is also elongated and it is parallel with the slot 4 such that between these remains a neck 12, 120 formed from the frame 3, 30. The longitudinal orientation of both slots is thus similar.

The paste tube squeezer 2 is threaded onto the paste tube 1 from its bottom end 1A. The threading occurs through the slot 4, wherein the frame 3 of the squeezer is around the tube. The emptier the paste tube is, the closer to the front end 1 B and cork 1 C of the paste tube the squeezer 2 can be moved without paste coming out from the front end, when the cork 1 C is not in place. However, if the squeezer 2 is moved even further downwards while the cork is twisted off, paste will begin to come from the front end 1 B of the tube.

The paste tube squeezer 2 can be locked at a desired site on the tube by threading the emptied portion of the tube 1 through the second slot 6. Because there is at least one turn in the second slot, the emptied portion of the tube folds at the second slot and thus at the squeezer to some extent. Due to this, the squeezer 2 remains in place at the desired site. Fig. 2 shows this kind of situation. Because the other end of the second slot near the other end 5C of the projection 5 is open, threading the paste tube through the second slot is easy. The squeezer prevents the paste from moving from the full portion of the tube into the emptied portion of the tube. The paste tube can be squeezed from the full portion by hand in order to get the paste out from the tube to a brush. As can be observed, a paste tube squeezer 2 according to the invention is easy to use and prevents the paste from moving back into the emptied portion of the tube 1.

If it is desired to have the emptied portion of the paste tube gathered, for example, in order that the tube fits in an upright position to a shelf of the bathroom cabinet, the usability of the tube is perceived as more pleasant or, for reasons of outward appearance, the emptied portion can be folded double and the second layer of emptied tube 1 can again be threaded through the second slot 6, as Figs. 3 and 4 show. Now, the second layer of emptied tube is threaded in the opposite direction than the first layer (Fig. 2).

The turn or turns of the longitudinal line 7 of the second slot 6 can be achieved by the shapes of the frame and/or projection. As Figs. 5 - 11 show, the surface 3A, 30A of the frame 3, which is facing towards the projection 5, has at least one bend 10, 10A and/or the surface 5D, 50D of the shaft 5B of the projection, which is facing towards the frame 3, 30, has at least one bend 11 , 11 A. The bend or bends 10, 10A, 11 , 11A can be sharp or curved. Into the longitudinal line 7 of the second slot 6 can thus be achieved at least one bend using either the shape of the projection 5 or the shape of the frame 3, 30. For example, the surface 5D of the projection, which is facing towards the frame 3, could be straight, but the surface 3A of the frame 3 on the opposite side of the second slot 6 could comprise a bend, which hence would then form a turn in the longitudinal line 7 of the second slot 6.

In order that use of the squeezer 2 would be easier, the second slot 6 can be widest 9 at the other end 5C of the projection and narrowest near the first end 5A of the projection. The second slot does not necessarily need to be as long as the slot 4 of the frame, rather it can also be somewhat shorter.

In the examples of the figures, the frame 3, 30 forms a neck 12, 120 between the slot 4 and the second slot 6. The neck provides sturdiness and solidity. However, it is possible that the slot 4 and the second slot 6 are connected to each other by a connecting slot (not shown in the figures). The connecting slot can be, for example, at the bend 10 of the surface 3A of the frame. The surface shapes of the frame form nonetheless at least one turn in the line 7 of the second slot 6.

The projection 5 is shown as curved in the examples of the figures, from which can also be noted that the squeezer 2, 2A can be shaped in various ways. The projection can be, for example, straight, the side surface of which facing towards the frame is shaped curved. The frame 3, 30 of the squeezer is shown in the examples as platelike, but it can also be of some other shape, for example, the shape of a cylinder, through which is an elongated slot and, on the outer surface, an elongated projection oriented parallel with the slot. A plate-like frame is easy and inexpensive to produce, and into it can be formed the desired shapes. To facilitate usability, it can have, for example, frame ends 3B, 3C, 30B, 30C, which are thicker than the middle area of the frame 3, 30, where the slot 4 is located. The thicker ends are located, for example, in the longitudinal direction of the slot 4, outside the ends of the slot as viewed from the slot, as shown in Figs. 5 - 11. The slot 4 is through the frame 3, 30, and the frame forms the end surfaces 4A, 4B of the slot at both ends of the slot.

The frame 3, 30 can also have a lateral projection 8, 91 , the height direction H of which is transverse in relation to the longitudinal directions of the slot 4 and the pro- jection 5. The lateral projection facilitates emptying the front end 1 B of the paste tube 1 , because the squeezer and its lateral projection can be used as an aid, when the front end 1 B is squeezed empty. The lateral projection 8 can be implemented in various ways. It can be convex in shape. The lateral projection 91 can also be in the shape of an elongated ridge, which is widest and highest in the middle part 91 A of the ridge and narrowest and lowest at the ends 91 B, 91 C of the ridge.

The paste tube can be, for example, a toothpaste tube, a hand lotion tube, a hair colouring tube, some other tube containing cosmetics paste, or, for example, a tube containing a food substance, such as mayonnaise. The tube can thus be intended for different kinds of contents.

In light of the examples presented above, it is obvious that an embodiment according to the invention can be provided by various solutions, and thus it can be implemented by a plurality of various embodiments within the scope of the main claim.