| US2034777A | 1936-03-24 | |||
| US1654549A | 1928-01-03 |
| 1. | A toothpaste tube holder comprising: an upper surface, a base surface, an outer surface and an inner surface, said inner surface including: a central core, said central core opening at said upper surface and defining a noncontinuous cylindrical surface therein; and a pair of opposing slotdefining edges, positioned between said core and said outer surface. |
| 2. | The toothpaste tube holder of claim 1, wherein the central core further comprises a noncontinuous conical surface positioned below said noncontinuous cylindrical surface. |
| 3. | The toothpaste tube holder of claim 1, wherein the slotdefining edges converge toward said base surface. |
| 4. | The toothpaste tube holder of claim 2, wherein a notch includes and extends between the slotdefining edges. |
| 5. | The toothpaste tube holder of claim 1 , wherein the slotdefining edges include parallel upper edges and parabolic lower edges. |
| 6. | The toothpaste tube holder of claim 5, wherein the parallel edges are curvilinear. |
| 7. | A toothpaste tube holder comprising: an outer surface; a base surface adapted for positioning said toothpaste tube holder in an upright position; an upper surface having a toothpaste tube receiving cavity therein, said cavity including: a core having upper and lower side walls defining opposing concave inner surfaces; and a plurality of slots positioned between said outer surface and said core. |
| 8. | The toothpaste tube holder of claim 7, wherein the concave surfaces on the upper portion of said core are spaced equidistance apart and the concave surfaces on the lower portion converge. |
| 9. | The toothpaste tube holder of claim 8, wherein the lower end of said slots is a notch extending through said holder. |
| 10. | The toothpaste tube holder of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the upper edges of the slots are parallel and the lower edges of the slots are parabolic. |
| 11. | A toothpaste tube holder comprising: an upper surface, a base surface, an outer surface, and an inner surface, said inner surface including: a core having opposing upper parallel concave surfaces and opposing lower concave surfaces, said lower concave surfaces converging toward said base surface; and a slot, positioned between said core and said outer surface, said slot including a Vshaped lower portion having a notch positioned below said lower concave surfaces and diverging outwardly above said lower concave surfaces. |
| 12. | The toothpaste tube holder of claim 11 , wherein said slot further includes an upper parallel portion. |
This invention relates generally to a holder for collapsible tubes. In particular, this invention relates to a holder for a toothpaste tube. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The prior art discloses collapsible tube or toothpaste tube holders having various features for holding the tube when not in use. A difficulty with these prior art devices is that they do not address holding the tube in a full and collapsed condition. As the material, such as toothpaste, is squeezed from the collapsible tube, the bottom of the tube is rolled-up. If the holder does not have inner side walls to conform to a rolled-up tube, the tube unravels when it is returned to the holder. Sussman, U.S. patent D293.532 discloses a combined toothbrush tumbler and toothpaste holder. The portion of the holder for holding the toothpaste in this prior art reference has inner sidewalls which do not compensate for a toothpaste tube which has been rolled. A rolled tube would fit loosely within the holder and thus would unravel. Additionally, in a rolled condition, the tube may only be accessed through a top opening which does not provide convenient access for the user.
Goldenberg, U.S. patent D312,546 discloses a toothpaste tube holder having a front downwardly extending slot, this tube holder has the drawback of a nonconforming inside thus allowing the tube to unravel.
United States patent D88,288 to Gunnison shows a
collapsible tube support with a tapered receiver for holding a tube in what appears to be a sideways position.
United States patent D225,497 to Smith shows a tapered toothpaste tube holder having an open bottom and a plurality of hooks for attachment to a vertical support such as a wall. United States patent 1,252,051 to Stone discloses a carton case made of a cardboard or a fiber board blank and used as an outer covering for collapsible tubes containing pastes, creams and other semi-liquids. The carton case assists in maintaining its shape due to its stiffness when exerting pressure upon the faces of the wedge. United States patent D256,411 discloses a tube holder having a plurality of vertically offset parallel sheets with rounded openings for toothpaste tubes or other squeezable tubes. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention includes all the advantages of the prior art references while overcoming the aforesaid disadvantages. In particular, the present invention includes a collapsible tube support having interior surfaces which are adapted for holding a full toothpaste tube and also compensating for variations in size as the tube is collapsed by rolling. More specifically, the core of the present invention includes opposing concave surfaces which conform to the sides of a full toothpaste tube. Between the outer surface of the holder and the core are a plurality of opposing slots. The slots permit the end of the tube opposite the cap to slide in and out of the holder
5 in either a full or rolled condition. At the bottom of the slots and the core is a notch which conforms to the end of a tube in a full or rolled condition.
Another advantage of the present invention is providing a toothpaste tube which permits easy access to 10 the user. Tapered slots in the side of the holder are provided for ease of access of a toothpaste tube (e.g, with a thumb and finger) . The slots also assist in wedging the sides of the rolled toothpaste tube so that it does not become unraveled. The difficulty with the toothpaste tube 15 unravelling is that the user must roll the tube before each use to squeeze the toothpaste therefrom.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The character of the invention may be best understood by reference to one of its structural forms, as illustrated 20 by the accompanying drawings:
FIG. 1 is a side view of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a top view of the toothpaste tube holder of the present invention.
Fig. 3 is a section view taken through lines 3-3 of 25 Fig. 1 of the present invention.
Fig. 4 is a section view taken through lines 4-4 of Fig. 1 of the present invention.
Fig. 5 is a sectional side view of the toothpaste tube
ยป holder of the present invention.
,30 Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the toothpaste tube holder of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Fig. 1 shows a side view and Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of the toothpaste tube holder 10 of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 1, the toothpaste tube holder 10 includes an upper surface 30, an outer surface 26 and a base surface 40 for supporting the holder 10. The outer surface 26 includes a first face 35 and a second face 36. The first 35 and second 36 face are shown as having rounded convex surfaces, however other shapes, such as polygonal, abstract or fanciful, are contemplated as being within the spirit of the present invention.
The upper surface 30 includes a toothpaste tube receiving cavity. The cavity includes a central core having inner side walls 12, 13, 16, 17 and opposing slots 20. The central core side walls 12, 13 define opposing concave surfaces or a noncontinuous cylindrical surface having vertically parallel side walls. The concave surfaces 12, 13 are described as noncontinuous cylindrical surfaces because they are interrupted by the opposing slots 20. Positioned below the core side walls 12, 13, are diverging noncontinuous cone shaped side walls 16, 17. As shown in Figs. 2-4 a notch 28 is positioned below the cone shaped side walls 16, 17. The notch 28 extends the diameter the tube holder 10. The side walls 12, 16 are mirror images of the side walls 13, 17 and conform to a full or partially full toothpaste tube.
As shown in Figs. 1-3 and 5-6, a slot 20 is positioned
between the central core 12, 13, 16, 17 and the outer surface 26. The slot 20 includes parallel upper edges 21, 22. The surfaces are curvilinear when viewed from the top as shown in Fig. 2. The lower edges 23, 24 of the slot 20 are V-shaped or parabolic and end in notch 28. Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view as taken through line ^3-3 of Fig. 1. The distance between the concave inner surfaces 12, 13 of the core and the first 35 and second face 36 is constant.
Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view as taken through line 4-4 of Fig. 1. The cross-sectional area of the distance between 35 and 16 and between 17 and 36 varies with vertical height.
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view as taken through lines 5-5 in Fig. 2. As shown in phantom in Fig. 5, the V- shaped or parabolic slot 20 assists in wedging a rolled toothpaste tube 50.
The embodiments disclosed herein have been discussed for the purpose of familiarizing the reader with the novel aspects of the invention. Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown, many changes, modifications and substitutions may be made by one having ordinary skill in the art without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims.