GB2153329A

GB2153329A - Wind up key

Info

Publication number: GB2153329A
Application number: GB08430840A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Norman Thomas William Wilcox
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-01-28
Filing date: 1984-12-06
Publication date: 1985-08-21
Also published as: GB8402307D0; GB8430840D0

Abstract

A wind up key 10 to assist in the rolling up of flexible plastics tubes 34 comprises a slotted shank 20, a handle 30 and locking means 32. The tube 34 is slidably displaceable along the slotted shank so that it is engageable with the locking means 32 to prevent the tube unrolling. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Wind up key This invention concerns a wind up key.

Flexible tubes made of soft metal have been used for a long time as containers for various products for example toothpaste, cream cheese and antiseptic creams. Contents are dispersed from such flexible tubes by the application of pressure to the tube. The pres sure deforms the tube and reduces its internal volume thereby forcing the contents out of the tube e.g. through a nozzle at one end of said tube.

An advantage in the use of soft metal for the tube is that the tube tends to retain its deformed shape after the pressure has been released. This enables the tube to be rolled up, starting from its end distant from the nozzle. This ability to retain the rolled configu ration is important, as it makes it difficult for the contents of a partially filled tube, when subjected to pressure, to flow away from the nozzle and thereby refill a previously-emptied part of the tube.

However, the rising cost of metal has forced manufacturers to use plastics which are cheaper than the soft metals commonly used.

However, plastics tubes do not have the ability to retain a rolled or deformed configuration and the tendency is always for the tube to resume its original shape when the pressure on it is released. This prevents the tube from being rolled up effectively and will allow the contents of such a tube to refill the previously emptied portions. Thus it may be difficult to get the contents out of a partially emptied plastics tube.

Previously it has been known to provide a wind up key to assist in the rolling up of a flexible metal tube. However, such a device would not prove to be of use with a plastics tube as it has no means to prevent the tube from un-rolling.

An object of the present invention is to provide a wind up key for use with a flexible tube and which has the advantage that it can be locked in position to prevent un-rolling of said tube. and therefore is particularly advantageous when used with a plastics tube in that it prevents such tube from unrolling.

Pursuant hereto the present invention provides a wind up key comprising a handle having a slotted shank and locking means which prevent a flexible tube, wound around the slotted shank and engaged with said locking means, from unwinding.

Preferably the locking means are two members projecting from the handle on either side of the slotted shank. These members are shorter than the slotted shank to allow the flexible tube to be slideably displaced along the shank to engage with or disengage from said members.

Advantageously the slotted shank is open at one end to allow a flexible tube's flattened end to be slideably inserted into said slot.

Preferably the wind up key is a single strip of suitable material. The strip of material has a 180 bend at its midpoint so that it is substantially U-shaped with elongate uprights and thus provides the slotted shank. The uprights of the U-shape have 90 bends to form the handle and can have further bends to provide the locking means.

Advantageously the ends of each of the two members projecting from the handle are angled away from the respective uprights.

This arrangement will serve to assist the tube engaging the locking means.

The invention will be described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of the wind up key; Figure 2 is an end elevation of the preferred embodiment of the wind up key shown in Fig.

1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the wind up key and an unrolled flexible tube: and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the wind up key and a rolled flexible tube engaged with the locking means.

Referring firstly to Figs. 1 and 2 the preferred embodiment of the wind up key conforming to the invention, referred to generally by the reference numeral 1 0, comprises a single length of metal approximately 1 8 cm long and of circular cross-section. The length of metal has a 180 bend at its mid point 1 2 thus providing a U-shape having elongate uprights 14, 16. These uprights 14, 16 are of similar length and are disposed parallel to each other with a gap 1 8 therebetween thus providing a slotted shank 20 conforming to the invention.

A handle part 22, 24 is provided by a section of the upright 14. 1 6 which is bent so that it is disposed at substantially 905 to the slotted shank 20. The respective handle parts 22, 24 thus provided together provide a handle 30. A member 26, 28 projecting from each handle part 22, 24 is provided by a section of the handle part 22, 24 that has been bent so that the section is disposed at substantially 904 to said handle part 22, 24 and mutually opposes the upright 14, 1 6.

The respective members 26, 28 together provide locking means 32.

The wind up key 10 described above can be used with a known flexible tube 34 having one flattened end 36 and having a nozzle 38 at the other end. In order to operate the wind up key 10 the flattened end 36 of the flexible tube 34 is inserted in the slotted shank 20 (see Fig. 3). The handle 30 is rotated about the axis of the slotted shank 20. As the flattened end 36 of the flexible tube 34 is trapped in the slotted shank 20 this rotation of the handle 30 causes the flexible tube 34 to be wound around the slotted shank 20.

The length of the slotted shank 20 is such that the flexible tube 34 can be wound around the slotted shank without being wound around the locking means 32. When the tube 34 has been wound up as far as desired it can be slideably displaced along the slotted shank 20 so that the rolled part of the flexible tube 34 is trapped by the projecting locking means 32 and is thereby prevented from unrolling. If it is desired to further wind the tube 34 around the shank 20 it its necessary to reverse the aforementioned procedure to disengage the tube 34 from the locking means 32.

The invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing example and variations may be made thereto. Thus it is not necessary to have the invention as a single length of metal. Instead some or all of the components may be separate and attached together using suitable means. The slot in the shank does not have to have an open end and the two uprights may have their ends joined together. The handle may be formed from a single piece instead of being formed from two handle parts. Although the example described is of metal having a circular cross-section any suitable material or cross-section may be used. In particular, it is possible to have the members projecting from the handle parts at an angle other than 90 or to have the ends of said members at a different angle relative to the handle parts than the rest of the members. This has the advantage that the rolled part of the tube 34 is more easily engageable with the locking means 32. Other variations may also be possible.

Claims

1. A wind up key comprising a handle having a slotted shank and locking means which prevent a flexible tube, wound around the slotted shank and engaged with said locking means from unwinding.

2. A key as claimed in claim 1 wherein the locking means are two members projecting from the handle on either side of the slotted shank, these members being shorter than the slotted shank to allow the flexible tube to be slideably displaced along the shank to engage with or disengage from said members.

3. A key as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the slotted shank is open at one end to allow a flexible tube's flattened end to be slideably inserted into said slot.

4. A key as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein the key is a single strip of material having a 180" bend at its mid-point so that is is substantially U-shaped with elongate uprights thus providing the slotted shank, the uprights having respective 90 bends to provide respective handle parts and each handle part having respective further bends to provide respective members projecting from the handle on either side of the slotted shank.

5. A key as claimed in claim 2 or 4 wherein respective ends of the two projecting members are angled away from their respective uprights.

6. A wind up key substantially as herei- before described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.