| WO2021013492A1 | 2021-01-28 |
| US11084646B1 | 2021-08-10 | |||
| GB2564851A | 2019-01-30 |
| Claims 1 . A freestanding toothpaste dispenser comprising: a housing for receiving a replaceable cartridge of toothpaste; a nozzle defining an opening; and a dispensing arrangement configured to draw toothpaste out of the replaceable cartridge and expel the toothpaste out of the nozzle. 2. The freestanding toothpaste dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the dispensing arrangement is configured to be operated by a user moving a first portion of the toothpaste dispenser towards a second portion of the toothpaste dispenser. 3. The freestanding toothpaste dispenser of claim 2, wherein the first portion of the toothpaste dispenser includes the nozzle, and wherein the second portion of the toothpaste dispenser includes the housing. 4. The freestanding toothpaste dispenser of any preceding claim, wherein the dispensing arrangement is configured to draw toothpaste out of the replaceable cartridge by suction. 5. The freestanding toothpaste dispenser of any preceding claim, wherein the dispensing arrangement comprises a compressible member defining a compressible chamber and a one-way valve positioned between the compressible chamber and the nozzle, configured to restrict flow of toothpaste from the nozzle back towards the compressible chamber. 6. The freestanding toothpaste dispenser of claim 5, wherein the housing defines therein an upper port in fluid communication with the compressible chamber, and wherein the housing is configured to facilitate a close fit between a boundary of the upper port and the replaceable cartridge to restrict air drawn into the compressible chamber. 7. The freestanding toothpaste dispenser of any preceding claim, wherein the housing is arranged to entirely enclose the cartridge. 8. The freestanding toothpaste dispenser of any preceding claim, wherein the housing is configured to slidably receive the cartridge therein. 9. The freestanding toothpaste dispenser of any preceding claim, further comprising the cartridge. 10. The freestanding toothpaste dispenser of claim 9, wherein the cartridge is formed from a material being at least one of recyclable and biodegradable. 11. The freestanding toothpaste dispenser of claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the cartridge is formed from a water-soluble material. 12. The freestanding toothpaste dispenser of any of claims 9 to 11 , wherein the cartridge and housing are sized such that there is a tolerance fit of the cartridge into the housing. 13. The freestanding toothpaste dispenser of any preceding claim, wherein the nozzle is provided at an upper end of the toothpaste dispenser. 14. The freestanding toothpaste dispenser of any preceding claim, wherein the cartridge is cylindrical. 15. The freestanding toothpaste dispenser of claim 9 or any claim dependent thereon, wherein the cartridge is substantially rigid. 16. The freestanding toothpaste dispenser of claim 9 or any claim dependent thereon, wherein the cartridge comprises a scraper seal. 17. A kit of parts for forming the toothpaste dispenser of any preceding claim, the kit of parts comprising: a housing for receiving a replaceable cartridge of toothpaste; a nozzle defining an opening; and a dispensing arrangement configured to draw toothpaste out of the replaceable cartridge and expel the toothpaste out of the nozzle. 18. The kit of parts as claimed in claim 17, further comprising at least one replaceable cartridge of toothpaste. 15 19. The kit of parts as claimed in claim 17 or claim 18, wherein the housing is provided by a housing first portion and a housing second portion, the housing first portion to be removably secured to the housing second portion, and the housing first portion and the housing second portion together defining a cavity for receiving the replaceable cartridge of toothpaste. |
Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a paste dispenser, a kit of parts for assembling the same and a paste refill. In particular, the paste is typically toothpaste.
Background to the invention
Typical modern toothpaste tubes are single-use items formed from multi-layered plastics material and are difficult, if not impossible to recycle. Accordingly, large numbers of toothpaste tubes end up in landfill sites every year.
Modern toothpaste tubes were a replacement for aluminium toothpaste tubes, the original versions of which were sometimes prone to splitting when rolled or folded to try to extract the last bit of toothpaste.
It is in this context that the present inventions have been devised.
Summary of the invention
In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a toothpaste dispenser comprising: a housing for receiving a replaceable cartridge of toothpaste; a nozzle defining an opening; and a dispensing arrangement configured to draw toothpaste out of the replaceable cartridge and expel the toothpaste out of the nozzle.
Thus, toothpaste can be provided in replaceable cartridges which are the only components needing to be replaced when used. The rest of the toothpaste dispenser is re-usable. Accordingly, wastage is kept particularly low.
The toothpaste, when drawn out of the replaceable cartridge by the dispensing arrangement is output from the toothpaste dispenser via the opening of the nozzle. In other words, the opening of the nozzle is arranged to be in fluid communication with the replaceable cartridge when the replaceable cartridge is installed in the toothpaste dispenser.
The toothpaste dispenser is typically freestanding. In other words, the toothpaste dispenser need not be secured to a wall or other surface for operation. Thus, the toothpaste dispenser is easy to move around.
It may be that the toothpaste dispenser is suitable for one-handed operation. In some examples, the toothpaste dispenser is sized such that a user can hold and operate the toothpaste dispenser with one hand.
The dispensing arrangement may be configured to be operated by a user moving a first portion of the toothpaste dispenser towards a second portion of the toothpaste dispenser. Thus, the toothpaste can be expelled from the toothpaste dispenser by squeezing the portions of the toothpaste dispenser, not by squeezing a tube of toothpaste.
The first portion of the toothpaste dispenser may include the nozzle. The first portion of the toothpaste dispenser may be the nozzle. The second portion of the toothpaste dispenser may include the housing. The second portion of the toothpaste dispenser may include a distal portion of the housing, being distal to the nozzle. The second portion of the toothpaste dispenser may be the distal portion of the housing. Thus, the nozzle can be pushed down to expel toothpaste from the toothpaste dispenser, via the nozzle.
The toothpaste dispenser may be configured to dispense the toothpaste onto a toothbrush that is separate from the toothpaste dispenser. In other words, the nozzle may be provided on the toothpaste dispenser so as to expel the toothpaste away from the toothpaste dispenser when the replaceable cartridge is filled with toothpaste. Thus, the toothpaste dispenser may be used to apply toothpaste to a toothbrush that is separate from the toothpaste dispenser, allowing for many different angles of application of the toothpaste onto the toothbrush.
It will be understood that a toothbrush is an elongate member configured to clean teeth comprising two main portions. The first portion comprises a handle and the second portion comprises a head comprising a plurality of bristles. The first and second portions of the toothbrush are directly connected to one another.
The first portion of the toothpaste dispenser is typically movably mounted to the second portion of the toothpaste dispenser. The first portion may be removably mounted to the second portion. Thus, the first portion can be removed from the second portion for cleaning, for example when the nozzle becomes clogged or partially clogged with dried toothpaste, and/or when the replaceable cartridge is changed.
The dispensing arrangement may be configured to draw toothpaste out of the replaceable cartridge by suction. In other words, the dispensing arrangement may cause a negative pressure to be applied to the toothpaste in the replaceable cartridge, to thereby draw the toothpaste from the replaceable cartridge towards the nozzle.
The dispensing arrangement may comprise a compressible member defining a compressible chamber. The dispensing arrangement may further comprise a one-way valve positioned between the compressible chamber and the nozzle. The one-way valve may be configured to restrict flow of toothpaste from the nozzle back towards the compressible chamber. The compressible member may be resiliency deformable. It may be that the compressible member is configured to impart a restoring force, when compressed, sufficient to cause toothpaste to be drawn from the replaceable cartridge into the compressible chamber. It will be understood that as the compressible member is compressed, a volume of the compressible chamber defined thereby is reduced. Similarly, when the compression action is removed, the volume of the compressible chamber increases again. The one-way valve ensures that with toothpaste in the compressible chamber, toothpaste is allowed to be expelled from the compressible chamber to the nozzle and out of the opening of the nozzle on compression of the compressible member, but that when the compressible chamber is allowed to increase in volume again, the one-way valve restricts or even substantially prevents flow of any material from the nozzle into the compressible chamber, forcing the compressible chamber to be replenished with toothpaste from the replaceable cartridge. The compressible member is typically formed from a flexible material. The compressible member may be arranged to have a concertina shape.
In some examples, the dispensing arrangement may be provided with a resiliency deformable member, in addition to the compressible member, configured to urge the compressible member in a direction so as to expand a volume of the compressible chamber. The resiliency deformable member may be a spring.
A volume of the compressible chamber may be greater than 0.5 millilitres. A volume of the compressible chamber may be less than 2 millilitres. A difference between a maximum volume of the compressible chamber and a minimum volume of the compressible chamber may be greater than 0.5 millilitres. A difference between a maximum volume of the compressible chamber and a minimum volume of the compressible chamber may be less than 2 millilitres. A difference between a maximum volume of the compressible chamber and a minimum volume of the compressible chamber may be less than 1 millilitre. Thus, operation of the dispensing arrangement may cause an amount of toothpaste to be dispensed corresponding to a dentist’s recommendation for an amount of toothpaste to be used. It will be understood that the amount of toothpaste to be dispensed may sometimes be referred to as a pea-sized amount, this corresponding to a dentist’s typical recommendation for an amount of toothpaste to be used.
In some examples, there may be a one-way flow restrictor provided in the toothpaste dispenser and/or the replaceable cartridge to prevent toothpaste flowing from the compressible chamber back into the replaceable cartridge.
The one-way flow restrictor may be in the form of a slidable plug provided as part of the replaceable cartridge. The slidable plug may be provided with a scraper seal to contact an internal surface of the replaceable cartridge. It will be understood that a scraper seal can sometimes be referred to as a wiper seal. Thus, the replaceable cartridge may comprise an outer portion and the slidable plug. An internal cavity of the replaceable cartridge is defined by the internal surfaces of an outer portion and the slidable plug having the scraper seal provided therewith. Thus, the slidable plug can be drawn up the internal surface of the outer portion, with the scraper seal functioning to scrape all toothpaste in the replaceable cartridge up the internal surface to retain the toothpaste in the internal cavity of the replaceable cartridge. An opening is defined in an upper portion of the replaceable cartridge for allowing toothpaste to be drawn therefrom through the opening. It may be that the opening is covered by a seal member (such as a metallic foil cover) prior to use of the replaceable cartridge. It will be understood that as toothpaste is drawn from the upper portion of the replaceable cartridge, through the opening, a negative pressure is created in the internal cavity, causing the slidable plug to move up the internal surface of the replaceable cartridge.
In another example, the one-way flow restrictor may be in the form of a one-way valve positioned in the toothpaste dispenser, between the compressible chamber and the replaceable cartridge. The one-way valve may be configured to restrict flow of toothpaste from the compressible chamber back towards the replaceable cartridge.
In some examples, the replaceable cartridge may be provided with the slidable plug in addition to the toothpaste dispenser comprising the one-way valve between the compressible chamber and the replaceable cartridge.
The housing may define therein an upper port in fluid communication with the compressible chamber, and wherein the housing is configured to facilitate a close fit between a boundary of the upper port and the replaceable cartridge to restrict air drawn into the compressible chamber. Thus, the toothpaste dispenser can function effectively, with toothpaste being drawn effectively from the replaceable cartridge into the compressible chamber and thereafter being expelled from the toothpaste dispenser via the opening of the nozzle. In some examples, it may be that a sealing member is provided to surround a fluid communication pathway between the compressible chamber and the replaceable cartridge to ensure a substantially air-tight fluid communication pathway.
The housing may be arranged to entirely enclose the cartridge. In other words, the housing may be arranged to support an upper portion of the cartridge and a lower portion of the cartridge. In some examples, the cartridge is therefore entirely surrounded by the housing. Thus, a material can be used for the replaceable cartridge which might otherwise degrade in the external environment, for example a bathroom environment. The housing may comprise a housing first portion and a housing second portion. The housing second portion may be movably mounted to the housing first portion. The housing second portion may be removably mounted to the housing second portion. The housing first portion and the housing second portion may together define a cartridge cavity for receiving the replaceable cartridge therein. It may be that the housing second portion is configured to be secured to the housing first portion via a screw connection.
The housing may be configured to slidably receive the cartridge therein. Thus, it may be that cartridge is inserted into the housing by sliding.
The freestanding toothpaste dispenser may further comprise the cartridge.
The cartridge may be formed from a material being recyclable. Thus, the cartridge can be recycled and need not be disposed of in landfill. The cartridge may be formed from a material being biodegradable. Thus, the cartridge may be degradable by bacteria. In some instances, the cartridge may be formed from a material being compostable, such as industrially compostable. The material may be a bioplastic. The material may be polylactic acid (PLA).
The cartridge may be formed from a material being soluble. The solvent may be water. In other words, the cartridge may be formed from a water-soluble material. Thus, the cartridge can be easily disintegrated in hot water. The material may comprise polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH). The material may be polyvinyl alcohol.
The cartridge and housing may be sized such that there is a tolerance fit of the cartridge into the housing. Thus, by virtue of the tolerance fit, it may be that little or even substantially no air can pass into the compression chamber via a spacing between the cartridge and the housing. The tolerance fit may be less than 1 millimetre. The tolerance fit may be less than 0.5 millimetres.
The nozzle may be provided at an end of the toothpaste dispenser. The end may be an upper end.
The cartridge may have a substantially uniform cross-section. Thus, the cartridge is easily handled, manufactured, and inserted into the housing. The cartridge may be substantially cylindrical in cross-section.
The cartridge may be substantially rigid. Thus, toothpaste is not typically expelled from the cartridge accidentally by squeezing. The present disclosure extends to a kit of parts for forming the toothpaste dispenser as described hereinbefore. The kit of parts comprises: a housing for receiving a replaceable cartridge of toothpaste; a nozzle defining an opening; and a dispensing arrangement configured to draw toothpaste out of the replaceable cartridge and expel the toothpaste out of the nozzle.
The kit of parts may further comprise at least one replaceable cartridge of toothpaste. In some examples, the kit of parts comprises a plurality of replaceable cartridges of toothpaste. Indeed, the present disclosure extends to a replaceable cartridge of toothpaste for use with the toothpaste dispenser described herein. The replaceable cartridge may be provided as part of a multipack of replaceable cartridges.
A capacity of the cartridge may be greater than 10 millilitres. The capacity of the cartridge may be greater than 50 millilitres. The capacity may be less than 500 millilitres. The capacity may be less than 200 millilitres. The capacity may be approximately 100 millilitres. Thus, the cartridge can be taken on board a commercial flight.
It will be understood that the present disclosure further extends to a water-soluble cartridge for storing toothpaste therein, the cartridge being optionally as described herein. Thus, there is provided a cartridge which, when emptied can be disposed of sustainably by dissolving in water. Specifically, the cartridge may be formed of polyvinyl alcohol.
Description of the Drawings
An example embodiment of the present invention will now be illustrated with reference to the following Figures in which:
Figure 1 is an exploded schematic view of an example of a toothpaste dispenser as described herein;
Figure 2 is a cross-section through an assembled version of the toothpaste dispenser shown in Figure 1 ; and
Figures 3A to 3C show different views of the toothpaste dispenser shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Detailed Description of an Example Embodiment Figure 1 is an exploded schematic view of an example of a toothpaste dispenser as described herein. Figure 2 is a cross-section through an assembled version of the toothpaste dispenser shown in Figure 1. Both Figures 1 and 2 will be described together for convenience. The toothpaste dispenser 100 is a freestanding toothpaste dispenser 100, and comprises a nozzle cap 102 including a nozzle 104 and defining a nozzle opening 106. The toothpaste dispenser 100 further comprises a housing including a housing first portion 108 and a housing second portion 110. The nozzle cap 102 is slidably relative to the housing first portion 108. The housing first portion 108 and the housing second portion 110 are together configured to receive a cartridge 112 therein. The cartridge 112 is a replaceable cartridge 112 which can be slidably inserted into the housing first portion 108, with the housing second portion 110 to be secured to the housing first portion 108 to retain the replaceable cartridge 112 in the housing. Typically, the cartridge 112 is formed to be substantially rigid. In this example, the housing second portion 110 comprises an externally threaded portion and the housing first portion 108 comprises an internally threaded portion configured to be mutually engaged for securing the housing first portion 108 to the housing second portion 110.
The cartridge 112 contains a supply of toothpaste 114 therein. In this example, the cartridge 112 contains approximately 100 millilitres of toothpaste 114. The cartridge 112 further comprises a sliding plug 116 formed to define a scraper seal against an internal surface of the cartridge 112. The sliding plug 116 is configured to move only in a direction to reduce the volume of the cavity in which the toothpaste 114 is stored, as the toothpaste 114 is consumed.
The toothpaste dispenser 100 further comprises a dispensing arrangement 118 for operation by a user to draw toothpaste 114 out of the cartridge 112 and expel the toothpaste 114 out through the nozzle 104, specifically out of the nozzle opening 106.
The dispensing arrangement 118 comprises a compressible member 120 defining a compressible chamber 122. The compressible member 120 is resiliency deformable, such that when compressed, a restoring force is provided to urge the compressible member 120 towards its original shape. The dispensing arrangement 118 further comprises a one-way valve 124 which operates passively to allow paste to flow from the compression chamber 122 into the nozzle 104, but prevents flow of paste or air back from the nozzle 104 into the compression chamber 122. The toothpaste 114 in the cartridge 112 is in fluid communication with the compression chamber 122 via a cartridge conduit 123 defined in the housing first portion 108.
A protective cap 126 is provided for covering the nozzle cap 102, including the nozzle opening 106. Accordingly, dust, dirt or other contaminants are prevented from entering the nozzle opening 106 when not in use, and unintentional operation of the dispensing arrangement 118 can also be avoided.
The toothpaste dispenser 100 is further provided with a non-slip pad 128 provided at a lower end of the toothpaste dispenser 100. In particular, the non-slip pad 128 is typically formed from rubber and secured at a lower end of the housing second portion 110. Accordingly, the toothpaste dispenser 100 can remain in position, even when placed on a wet surface, such as in a bathroom, which might otherwise be slippery.
An operation of the toothpaste dispenser 100 will now be explained in detail. If the toothpaste dispenser 100 is provided without a replaceable cartridge 112 installed, this must be done before the toothpaste dispenser 100 can be used. The housing second portion 110 is unscrewed from the housing first portion 108 to reveal the cavity into which the replaceable cartridge 112 is to be inserted. If a cartridge opening at an upper end of the replaceable cartridge 112 is covered by a sealing member, such as a foil film, this must be removed before the replaceable cartridge 112 can be used. To install the cartridge 112, the upper end thereof (opposite the sliding plug 116) is inserted into the cavity defined in the housing first portion 108, to abut against a port of the cartridge conduit 123. The cartridge 112 is enclosed within the housing by securing the housing second portion 110 to the housing first portion 108 via the hereinbefore-described screw connection. The tolerance fit between the cartridge 112 and the walls of the cavity defined by the housing first portion 108 together with the housing second portion 110 ensures a good seal between the upper end of the cartridge and the port of the cartridge conduit 123. Thus, the cartridge 112 is installed within the toothpaste dispenser 100.
To operate the toothpaste dispenser 100, the protective cap 126 is removed to expose the nozzle cap 102. The nozzle cap 102 is depressed towards the housing first portion 108, causing compression of the compression member 120, thereby causing a volume of the compression chamber 122 to decrease. If there is no toothpaste in the compression chamber 122, the excess air from the compression chamber 122 is directed out of the nozzle cap 102 via the one-way valve 124, the nozzle 104 and the nozzle opening 106. The air does not flow into the cartridge 112 due to the presence of the viscous toothpaste 114, as well as the sliding plug 116.
When the nozzle cap 102 is released, the compression member 120 presses against and urges the nozzle cap 102 away from the housing first portion 108, to thereby expand the volume of the compression chamber 122. The one-way valve 124 prevents flow of any substance from the nozzle opening 106 back into the compression chamber 122. Accordingly, the urging of the nozzle cap 102 away from the housing first portion 108 causes a negative pressure within the compression chamber 122, which acts to draw toothpaste 114 from the cartridge 112 into the compression chamber 122 via the cartridge conduit 123 of the housing first portion 108 until the nozzle cap 102 has fully returned to the initial equilibrium position. In this way, the compression chamber 122 will now be at least partly filled with toothpaste 114 from the cartridge 112. It may be that the nozzle cap 102 would need to be depressed more than once to completely fill the compression chamber 122 with toothpaste 114.
Once the compression chamber 112 is filled (or substantially filled) with toothpaste 114, subsequent depressing of the nozzle cap 102 causes toothpaste to be pushed through the one-way valve 124, into the nozzle 104 and ultimately to be expelled via the nozzle opening 106. Typically, the compression member 120 is sized such that a single complete depression of the nozzle cap 102 will cause a pea-sized amount of toothpaste to be dispensed through the nozzle opening 106.
As the toothpaste is consumed, the sliding plug 116 progresses up the inside of the cartridge 112 until there is no further toothpaste in the cartridge 112. At this point, the cartridge 112 can be replaced by removing the housing second portion 110 from the housing first portion 108 by unscrewing, removing the empty cartridge 112 and replacing with a new cartridge, as described hereinbefore.
Typically, the cartridge, including the sliding plug 116, when emptied of toothpaste, is formed from materials such that the cartridge can be disposed of sustainably. In this example, the cartridge is formed from a material which can each be dissolved in a solvent, in this case water. The material is polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH). In other examples, the cartridge is formed from a material which can be composted, such as industrially composted, for example polylactic acid (PLA). The skilled person will be aware of suitable formulations for toothpaste to be used with the toothpaste dispenser described herein. Where the cartridge 112 is formed from PVOH, the toothpaste typically has a low water content, such as less than 5% water, to ensure that the cartridge 112 does not start to disintegrate before or during use for retaining the toothpaste therein.
Figures 3A to 3C show different views of the toothpaste dispenser shown in Figures 1 and 2. In particular, in Figure 3A, the toothpaste dispenser 100 is shown with the protective cap 126 removed from the nozzle cap 102, viewed from an upper perspective view. In Figure 3B, the toothpaste dispenser 100 is shown without any protective cap, viewed from a lower perspective view. In Figure 3C, the toothpaste dispenser 100 is shown including the protective cap 126 in place, viewed from a lower perspective view.
The components of the housing can be formed by injection molding, for example, to ensure a tolerance fit can be reliably achieved during manufacture.
Typically, the toothpaste dispenser 100 has a height of around 15 centimetres, and a diameter of around 4.5 centimetres, providing a compact size which is comfortable to handle.
In summary, there is provided a freestanding toothpaste dispenser (100). The toothpaste dispenser (100) comprises a housing (108, 110) for receiving a replaceable cartridge (112) of toothpaste (114), a nozzle (104) defining an opening (106), and a dispensing arrangement (120, 122, 124) configured to draw toothpaste out of the replaceable cartridge (112) and expel the toothpaste (114) out of the nozzle (104).
Although the present disclosure relates to toothpaste and dispensers for toothpaste, it will be understood that the present disclosure may also extend to dispensers for other types of pastes and other flowable mediums, such as gels and other viscous substances.
Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the words “comprise” and “contain” and variations of them mean “including but not limited to”, and they are not intended to and do not exclude other components, integers or steps. Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the singular encompasses the plural unless the context otherwise requires. In particular, where the indefinite article is used, the specification is to be understood as contemplating plurality as well as singularity, unless the context requires otherwise.
Features, integers, characteristics or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example of the invention are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described herein unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. The invention is not restricted to the details of any foregoing embodiments. The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.