This invention relates to devices for use in dispensing from squeezable tubes.

Toothpastes and other pastes, as well as creams and gels, are commonly supplied in a squeezable tube of flexible, resilient plastics material. The tube has a dispensing nozzle at one end and is sealed at the other end so that squeezing of the tube causes some of the toothpaste or other content to be dispensed by forcing through the nozzle. However, there is the disadvantage that as dispensing is progressed through successive steps of squeezing, the effectiveness of the squeezing process may become less certain and irregular unless carried through in an orderly manner. Attempts to overcome this disadvantage by flattening the tube and rolling it up from the sealed end (which was the practice for effective and tidy dispensing from earlier tubes constructed of soft, malleable metal), are in general frustrated by the tendency of the present-day construction of tube to unroll under its own resilience. Various devices for overcoming the problem and enabling dispensing to be more effectively and tidily performed have been proposed, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a device that is simple and effective in overcoming the problem and has advantage over known devices.

According to the present invention there is provided a device for use in dispensing content from a squeezable tube, the device comprising the combination of a winding spindle onto which the tube is to be progressively wound by application of winding torque to the spindle in squeezing the tube to dispense content from it, and a restraining clip into which the winding spindle is adapted to be entered longitudinally to be embraced by the clip, wherein the restraining clip has a pair of jaws between which the tube is to be drawn into the clip for winding onto the embraced spindle, and the jaws are urged resiliently towards one another to grip the tube between them tightly in resisting regressive movement of the tube from between the jaws outwardly from the clip in the absence of winding torque applied to the spindle.

The winding spindle may comprise an elongate body with a

longitudinal slot therein for engagement by a tail-end of the tube, and a twist-grip attached to the body for application of torque for winding the tube onto the body.

The jaws of the clip may be interconnected via a spring-section of the clip that urges the jaws towards closure onto one another.

A dispensing device in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the

accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view at an intermediate stage of use, of the dispensing device of the present invention assembled with a squeezable tube for step-wise dispensing of content from the tube ;

Figures 2 and 3 are respectively end- and side-elevations of a winding spindle that forms part of the dispensing device of Figure 1;

Figures 4 and 5 are respectively side- and end elevations of a restraining clip of the dispensing device of Figure 1 ; Figures 6 and 7 are, respectively, side-elevations of the assemblage of Figure 1 at initial and final stages of use; and

Figure 8 is illustrative of a manner in which the assemblage of Figure 1 may be conveniently retained between uses. For the purposes of the following description it will be assumed that the device shown in the drawings is for use for the

dispensing of toothpaste from a squeezable tube. Referring to Figure 1, the device of the invention comprises two components of moulded plastics material, an elongate winding- spindle 1 onto which the toothpaste tube T is to be progressively wound flattened as the toothpaste is dispensed from it, and a restraining clip 2 for embracing the spindle 1 and the part W of the tube T for the time being wound on it, and restraining the wound-part from unwinding.

As shown in more detail in Figures 2 and 3, the winding-spindle 1 has an elongate, hoilow-tubular body 3 with a closed end 4. A twist-grip 5 having finger-pads 6 of wedge-shape spaced radially outwards from the closed end 4, is secured to the body 3 for use in winding the toothpaste tube T onto the body 3 of the spindle 1. A longitudinal slot 7, which opens from the opposite end 8 of the body 3, extends lengthwise of the body 3 of the winding- spindle 1 towards the twist-grip 5, and it is into the slot 7 that the sealed tail-end S (see Figure 6) of the toothpaste tube T is threaded in order to trap it for winding the tube T onto the spindle 1. Initial threading of the tail-end S into the slot 7 is facilitated by a widening 9 of the slot 7 at the end 8.

As illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the restraining clip 2, is of moulded, resilient plastics material having jaws 10 and 11 interconnected via a curved spring-section 12. The jaw 10 is defined by an upstanding projection 13 from an elongate, cylindrical foot 14 that extends from one, retained end of the spring-section 12, whereas the jaw 11 is defined by the other, free end of the section 12 which is urged resiliently by the spring-section 12 towards closure onto the projection 13 defining jaw 10. If a stronger spring action is required, this may be achieved by forming the section 12 as a metal spring. Once the tail-end S of the toothpaste tube T has been inserted fully into the slot 7 of the spindle 1, the clip 2 is clipped onto it. For this the clip 2 is pushed sideways over the end 8 of the spindle 1 to embrace the spindle 1 and enter the flattened part of the tube T adjacent the tail-end S, between the jaws 10 and 11. In this condition as illustrated in Figure 6, the tube T is gripped tightly between the jaws 10 and 11 and is flattened down under the jaw 11 against a second upstanding abutment or projection 15 of the foot 14 spaced forwardly of the projection 13.

Turning of the twist-grip 5 in the direction of the arrow R of Figure 6, is effective to wind the tube T onto the spindle 1 within the clip 2. As the tube T is drawn further into the jaws 10 and 11 it is squeezed in its passage over the projection 15 under the jaw 11, flattening it and exerting pressure on the toothpaste within the tube T. On relaxation of the torque on the spindle 1 the wound-part W of the tube T tends to unwind from the spindle 1, but the extent to which this and any movement of the tube T outwardly of the clip 2 is possible, is limited

significantly primarily by the grip of the jaws 10 and 11 on the tube T. In this condition, a hemispherical, downward projection 16 of an upwardly-inclined flat-extension 17 from the jaw 11 presses down onto the filled-out part of the tube T just in front of the retention clip 2.

When dispensing of toothpaste is required from the tube T, the cap C (Figure 1) screwed on the nozzle N of the tube T is removed and the twist-grip 5 turned in the direction of the arrow R of Figure 6. The turning draws more of the tube T through the jaws 10 and 11 to be wound on the spindle 1 after flattening, or partial flattening, between the jaw 11 and the projection 15. The pressure applied to the toothpaste within the tube T by the squeezed flattening and winding onto the spindle 1, causes an increment of toothpaste to be dispensed through the nozzle N. When torque on the twist-grip 5 is relaxed at the end of the dispensing operation, the grip on the tube T exerted between the jaws 10 and 11 and between the jaw 11 and projection 15 precludes any regressive movement of the tube T outwardly from within the clip 2 that might otherwise occur as a result of unwinding from the spindle 1. The grip of the jaws 10 and 11 on the tube T also significantly limits the extent of any possible unwinding.

Following repeated, stepwise dispensing operations of the device, more and more of the tube T will have been squeezed and wound flattened onto the spindle 1; this is the condition illustrated in Figure 1. Eventually, with the content of the tube T

virtually spent, the rounded leading-edge of the extension 17 and the rounded leading-end of the foot 14 abut the tube T under the moulded flange F of the nozzle N, as illustrated in Figure 7. This precludes turning of the spindle 1 in any attempt to dispense further from the tube T.

The dispensing device may be re-used for dispensing simply by removal of the clip 2 from the tube T by sliding it sideways from the wound-up tube T and spindle 1, and then sliding the spindle 1 out from within the wound-up tube T. The wound-up tube T is by this freed from the dispensing device for disposal, allowing the device to be re-used with a fresh, replacement tube for further incremental dispensing.

Figures 1, 6 and 7 are illustrative of the situation in which the dispensing device is assembled for right-handed use in turning the twist-grip 5. Where left-handed use is required, this is simply achieved by reversing the direction of entry of the tail- end S of the tube T into the spindle 1.

An advantage of the dispensing device, in addition to its simplicity, is that as the process of dispensing progresses step by step, the progressively flattened tube is not only wound up and retained wound up on the winding spindle 1, but is retained in this condition embraced within the retention clip 2 to give a compact and tidy assemblage.

Although reference has been made throughout the description to the dispensing of toothpaste, it is to be understood that the present invention, whilst especially applicable to the dispensing of toothpaste, is applicable in a wider context than this and extends to where the content of the squeezable tube is another form of paste, or is a gel or cream.