GB2285487A

GB2285487A - Dispensers for viscous substances

Info

Publication number: GB2285487A
Application number: GB9400071A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Earl Bovel-Henry
Original assignee: BOVEL HENRY E; MIDDLESEX SERV Ltd, University of
Current assignee: BOVEL HENRY E; MIDDLESEX SERV Ltd, University of
Priority date: 1994-01-05
Filing date: 1994-01-05
Publication date: 1995-07-12
Also published as: GB9400071D0

Abstract

A dispenser for dispensing a viscous substance comprises a container 3 fillable with a viscous substance, the container having a closed end provided with a plug 5 and a dispensing end provided with an elastic diaphragm 8 and an outlet opening 10, the plug being movable from the one end to the other end, the diaphragm being biassed into a first position from which it is elastically deformable into a second position (as shown), to dispense a dose of the substance through the outlet opening. Return of the elastic diaphragm to the first position causes the plug to move towards the diaphragm. The diaphragm may be deformed by a lever mechanism 4, 20, and the outlet may extend to toothbrush bristles 30. <IMAGE>

Description

Improvements in or relating to dispensers for viscous substances.

THIS INVENTION relates to a dispenser for viscous substances, such as toothpaste, and more particularly to a combined toothpaste dispenser and toothbrush.

Known toothpaste dispensers which dispense toothpaste through an open nozzle onto the head of a conventional toothbrush are notoriously inconvenient and messy to use, whilst it is difficult using a conventional toothpaste tube to provide a predetermined measure of toothpaste for application to a toothbrush. Furthermore, known toothpaste dispensers having a pump action require the use of a spring loaded piston which is undesirable due to the number of mechanical component parts and the cost thereof.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a dispenser for viscous substances which enables the provision of a toothpaste dispenser which mitigates the problems associated with known toothpaste dispensers.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a dispenser for dispensing a viscous substance comprising a container fillable with a viscous substance, the container having a closed end provided with a plug and a dispensing end provided with an elastic diaphragm and an outlet opening, the plug being movable from the one end to the other end, the diaphragm being biassed into a first position from which it is elastically deformable into a second position, in which dispenser deformation of the diaphragm from the first position to the second position dispenses a dose of the substance through the outlet opening and the return of the elastic diaphragm to the first position causes the plug to move towards the diaphragm.

In order that the present invention may be more readily understood, embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cross-section through a toothpaste dispenser embodying the present invention combined with a toothbrush, a plug and pump handle of the dispenser being shown in elevation; Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the toothpaste dispenser shown in Figure 1 in a first position; Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the same portion of the toothpaste dispenser shown in Figure 2 in a second position; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a lower portion of a toothpaste container for use with the toothpaste dispenser of Figure 1, parts of the container being shown in phantom; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of a different plug from that shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment of a toothpaste dispenser in accordance with the present invention. The toothpaste dispenser is shown in combination with a toothbrush, the combination comprising the following five basic components: a toothpaste dispenser outer housing 1, a toothbrush 2 attachable to the housing 1, a toothpaste container 3 disposed inside the housing 1, a pump operating handle 4 pivotally mounted on the dispenser housing 1 and a plug 5 located within the toothpaste container 3.

The toothpaste container 3 comprises a cylindrical tube 3 of plastics material filled with toothpaste and having an open discharge end 6 and an opposite end 7 which is sealingly closed by the plug 5. The discharge end 6 of the tube 3 is fitted with an elastic diaphragm 8 provided with an upstanding central cylindrical collar 9 which defines an opening 10 of the discharge end 6. The collar 9 thus has an upper annular surface.

The plug 5 in the closed end 7 of the toothpaste container 3 is of generally cylindrical construction and has gripping means 11 to engage an inside surface 12 of the toothpaste container 3 such that the plug 5 can only move in one direction, i.e. towards the diaphragm 8, in the toothpaste container 3. In the illustrated embodiment, the gripping means comprises an annular projection 11 for cooperating with annular ribs 13 formed on the inside surface 12 of the container 3. The space between the plug 5 and the open discharge end 6 in the toothpaste container 3 is totally filled with toothpaste.

The plug 5 is formed at the end thereof nearest the open discharge end 6 of the container 3 with an annular scoop 14 which engages the inside surface 12 of the container 3 and serves to remove residual toothpaste from the inside surface 12 as the plug moves towards the diaphragm 8.

The toothpaste container 3 is disposed coaxially in the outer housing 1 which is also of a generally cylindrical configuration. The housing 1 has a base end 16 and a top end 17. A base closure element 15 is fixed inside the outer housing 1 and closes the base end 16 of the outer housing 1, the base closure element 15 and the base end 16 having cooperating screw threads. The toothpaste dispenser may be stood upon the base 15.

The top end 17 of the outer housing 1 tapers into a boss 18 having a central cylindrical bore 19.

The pump operating handle 4 which is hingedly mounted on the outer housing 1 near the base end 16 of the outer housing 1 extends substantially along the length of the outer housing 1 and terminates in a bifurcated portion 20 which extends substantially perpendicular to the pump operating handle 4. The bifurcated portion 20 terminates in a pair of fork arms 21, 22.

The bifurcated portion 20 projects into the outer housing 1 through an aperture 23 located near the top end 17 of the outer housing 1. The pair of fork arms 21, 22 each have an end surface extending parallel to the fork arm and a curved cam surface 24 extending downwardly from the end surface. The pump operating handle 4 is movable between two positions. In a first or rest position shown in Figure 2, the end surfaces of the fork arms 21, 22 sit upon the upper annular surface of the collar 9 and the diaphragm 8 remains in an undeformed rest condition. In a second or depressed position, shown in Figure 3, the cam surfaces 24 engage the upper annular surface of the collar 9 so that the collar 9 is downwardly displaced, thereby deforming the elastic diaphragm 8 into the container 3.

The depressed position of the pump operating handle 4 is also shown in Figure 1.

A hollow cylindrical outlet member 25, which in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1 comprises a bottom part of the toothbrush 2, is rigidly mounted in the bore 19 of the outer housing 1 and is sealingly and slidably mounted in the opening 10 of the collar 9 such that the collar 9 is free to slide along a length of the hollow cylindrical outlet member 25.

In the specific embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1, the hollow cylindrical outlet member 25, which comprises a bottom part of the toothbrush 2, has a shoulder portion 26 which projects from the body of the toothbrush 2 to form a cuff 27 around the main body of the toothbrush 2 thus defining a space between the cuff 27 of the shoulder portion 26 and the main body of the toothbrush 2. The inside surface of the cuff 27 is threaded.

The boss 18 formed with the bore 19 has an outer cylindrical surface which is threaded to cooperate with the thread of the threaded inner surface of the cuff 27 such that the toothbrush 2 and the toothpaste dispenser outer housing 1 can be tightly screwed together.

The hollow cylindrical outlet member 25 defines a passage 29 which leads from the end of the hollow cylindrical outlet member 25 located inside the toothpaste container 3, through the handle of the toothbrush 2 to the head of the toothbrush 2 which is provided with bristles 30. The passage 29 terminates at the bristled end of the toothbrush 2 and communicates with a plurality of outlet apertures 31 which allow toothpaste to be dispensed from the passage 29 to the bristles 30 of the toothbrush 2.

In operation, the pump operating handle 4 is depressed from the rest position (shown in Figure 2) to the depressed position (shown in Figures 1 and 3). The cam surfaces 24 of the bifurcated portion 20 engage the collar 9 and push the collar 9 towards the base 15 of the toothpaste dispenser housing 1. The downward movement of the collar 9 causes the elastic diaphragm 8 to deform downwardly into the toothpaste container 3, thereby increasing the pressure within the toothpaste container 3.

The plug 5 is prevented from moving away from the diaphragm 8 by the gripping means 11 which engage the inside surface 12 of the toothpaste container 3 and, therefore, toothpaste is displaced from the toothpaste container 3 through the passage 29 running through the hollow cylindrical output member 25. The toothpaste is pushed along the passage 29 and arrives at the nozzles 31. Thus, the toothpaste is pushed out of the nozzles 31 onto the bristles 30 of the toothbrush 2.

When the pump operating handle 4 is released, there is no longer any pressure exerted on the collar 9 by the cam surfaces 24 but the collar 9 is subject to a restoring force imparted to it by the elastic diaphragm 8 which has been deformed into the toothpaste container 3. The elastic diaphragm 8 begins to return to its original shape thereby forcing the collar 9 to slide back up the outer surface of the hollow cylindrical member 25. Since the ascending collar 9 contacts the cam surfaces 24 of the bifurcated portion 20, the bifurcated portion 20 is pushed back out of the toothpaste dispenser housing 1 through the aperture 23 thereby restoring the pump operating handle 4 to its rest position as shown in Figure 2.

The return of the elastic diaphragm 8 to its original configuration exerts suction on the toothpaste remaining in the toothpaste container 3, thereby drawing the plug 5 further into the toothpaste container 3 as the elastic diaphragm 8 reverts to its original configuration.

This operation is repeated each time the toothbrush 2 is required to be used until all the toothpaste has been expelled from the container 3.

The depression of the pump handle 4 into the toothpaste dispenser housing 1 causes a predetermined dose of toothpaste to be pushed up the passage 29 and out onto the bristles 30 of the toothbrush 2. The amount of the dose of toothpaste can be controlled by the amount the pump operating handle 4 is depressed into the toothpaste dispenser housing 1.

In the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 1, the plug 5 is provided with an annular projection 11 which engages with a plurality of annular ribs 13 formed on the inside surface 12 and located at regular short intervals along the length of the toothpaste container 3.

The plug 5 shown in Figure 5 has gripping means 11 for engaging the inside surface 12 of the toothpaste container 3, which gripping means 11 comprises a plurality of barbs 33 located around the outer lower edge of the plug 5 which bite into the inside surface 12 of the toothpaste container 3. In this embodiment, it is not necessary to provide any ribs on the inside surface 12 of the toothpaste container 3.

The inside surface 12 of the toothpaste container 3 shown in Figure 4 is provided with two opposite strips of ribs which extend outwardly into the container 3 from the inside surface 12 to allow movement of the plug 5 towards the diaphragm 8 and collar 9 but not in the reverse direction.

As the plug 5 moves up the toothpaste container 3, a space 35 is created between the plug 5 and the base closure element 15. The element 15 is provided with a small hole to allow the pressure within the space 34 to be equalised, thereby allowing the plug 5 to ascend freely in the toothpaste container 3.

In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the toothbrush 2 is fixedly mounted on the toothpaste dispenser housing 1 and the provision of a predetermined dose of the toothpaste from the toothpaste container is provided by pressing the pump handle 4. It is envisaged that, in another embodiment of the present invention which is not illustrated, a toothbrush 2 having a passage 29 may be pushed down directly onto the collar 9 thereby deforming the elastic diaphragm 8 and dispensing toothpaste directly into the passage 29 without requiring the use of a pump operating handle 4.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a toothpaste container 3, when empty, can be released from the toothpaste dispenser housing 1 by unscrewing the base closure element 15, extracting the toothpaste container 3 from the toothpaste dispenser housing 1, the collar 9 sliding from the toothbrush 2. The collar 9 of a fresh full toothpaste container 3 is then slid over the end of toothbrush 2 and the base closure element 15 is replaced.

Whilst the foregoing description refers specifically to toothpaste, the dispenser can be used to dispense other viscous substances, such as liquid soap, shoe polish, detergent liquid, oil and cosmetic creams.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A dispenser for dispensing a viscous substance comprising a container fillable with a viscous substance, the container having a closed end provided with a plug and a dispensing end provided with an elastic diaphragm and an outlet opening, the plug being movable from the one end to the other end, the diaphragm being biassed into a first position from which it is elastically deformable into a second position, in which dispenser deformation of the diaphragm from the first position to the second position dispenses a dose of the substance through the outlet opening and the return of the elastic diaphragm to the first position causes the plug to move towards the diaphragm.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the container is housed within an outer housing, an outlet passage for the disposed viscous substance extending to the outside of the outer housing from the outlet opening through the outer housing.

3. A dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the passage comprises a portion of a toothbrush, which toothbrush is fixedly mounted on the outer housing, the passage running through the toothbrush and terminating at a bristled portion of the toothbrush.

4. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the diaphragm is provided with a collar which defines the outlet opening.

5. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein actuating means are provided to deform the diaphragm from the first position to the second position.

6. A dispenser according to claim 5, wherein the actuating means to deform the diaphragm from the first position to the second position comprise a pivotable lever provided with a cam surface for engaging and deforming the diaphragm upon movement of the lever.

7. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the plug is provided with gripping means, which gripping means engage an inner surface of the container to prevent movement of the plug away from the diaphragm.

8. A dispenser according to claim 7, wherein the gripping means comprises at least one barb which bites into the inner surface of the container.

9. A dispenser substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

10. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS: 1. A dispenser for dispensing a viscous substance comprising a container fillable with a viscous substance, the container having a closed end provided with a plug and a dispensing end provided with an elastic diaphragm and an outlet opening, the plug being movable from the one end to the other end, the diaphragm being biassed into a first position from which it is elastically deformable into a second position, in which dispenser deformation of the diaphragm from the first position to the second position dispenses a dose of the substance through the outlet opening and the return of the elastic diaphragm to the first position causes the plug to move towards the diaphragm, wherein an outlet passage for the dispensed viscous substance extends from the outlet opening, the passage comprising a portion of a toothbrush, the passage running through the toothbrush and terminating at a bristled portion of the toothbrush.

2. A dispenser according to Claim 1, wherein the container is housed within an outer housing, the outlet passage for the dispensed viscous substance extending to the outside of the outer housing from the outlet opening through the outer housing.

3. A dispenser according to Claim 2, wherein the toothbrush if fixedly mounted on the outer housing.