Abstract:
This invention relates to the field of dispensing systems for the extraction of paste from squeezable tubes. Its features include puncturing the tube and forcing air pressure into same and apparatus for removal of predetermined amounts of paste. It is intended primarily as a dispenser for toothpaste to limit communicable disease transmission.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a manually controllable material dispenser and more particularly, to a device adapted to dispense pastes and creams and even more particularly, to such devices which extract the paste or cream in predetermined amounts. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     A number of devices have been produced which use various methodologies for dispensing pastes, but none employ the novel concept of the present invention. The solution described herein is thought to be unique and novel and is expected to have a lower cost for its implementation than those devices in the prior art. 
     Existing devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,841,275; 3,417,902; 4,234,104; 2,001,983; and 2,623,659; which show the use of mechanical compression to extract paste from tubes. U.S. Pat. No. 2,792,856 discloses the use of negative air pressure in a two stroke device. None disclose the concept employed by the present invention which uses a pneumatic pump to create positive air pressure to urge paste from a tube. 
     Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problems in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the main object of the present invention to provide a paste dispenser that is capable of dispensing a predetermined amount of toothpaste on a toothbrush without requiring the use of both hands by the user. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a dispenser that is clean and prevents contact from one toothbrush to the tube, thereby eliminating the transmission of bacteria. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a device that will easily squeeze out all the paste of a tube. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel method for tube paste extraction. 
     Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     With the above and other related objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of the preferred embodiment. 
     FIG. 2 depicts a side view of the puncture assembly of the preferred embodiment. 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of the preferred embodiment of the invention with the screw-mounted cap removed. 
     FIG. 5 depicts an angular view of the carrier stage assembly. 
     FIG. 5 depicts a cut-away side view of the preferred embodiment cut at line 5--5 from FIG. 3. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings wherein the dispenser is generally referred to with numeral 10, the details of construction will be shown. 
     In FIGS. 1 and 2, a side view of dispenser 10 and puncture assembly 90 are shown. In general, it comprises a housing assembly 20, a pneumatic assembly 30, a carrier assembly 40, including carrier stage 70 a linkage assembly 50 and a screw mounted cap 80 with attached puncture assembly 90. Basically, the user inserts toothbrush T into carrier assembly 40, at and into toothbrush guide 71 on carrier stage 70, pushing inwardly, and this motion is transmitted through linkage assembly 50 to pneumatic assembly 30 thereby creating a positive air pressure that urges the paste out of the tube. 
     Housing assembly 20 is formed, in the preferred embodiment, by upright walls 21, 22 and 23 as shown in FIG. 3. Wall 21 is behind and parallel to wall 22 and so is not seen in FIG. 1, but is depicted in FIG. 3. Wall 22 is provided with pivot pin 24, as shown in FIG. 1, around which arm 25 pivots. One end of arm 25 is engaged to movable carrier stage 70, which is inside carrier assembly 40, through headed pin 41 which is guided along a horizontal path by longitudinal aperture 42 formed in carrier assembly wall 45. Enough leeway is provided to pin 41 by opening 43 to accommodate the vertical displacement of arm 25 with respect to aperture 42 as it rotates. The rotational motion of arm 25 is thus transmitted to linkage assembly 50 throug the other end of arm 25 which is engaged to protrusion 53 of axle ring 51 which is in turn rigidly mounted on axle 52 through set screw 55. 
     As it can be observed in FIG. 5, in broken lines, actuator 54&#39; is in the lowest position responding to the motion transmitted by arm 25&#39;. Actuator 54 is shown in its resting, or upper, position when it is brought back by the action of spring 44&#39; when the force applied by the user is released. Actuator 54 is rigidly mounted on axle 52 and in rotatable connection to pin 60. Pin 60, held in place by pin caps 61 and 62 confers the motion of actuator 54 to piston 37, as shown in FIG. 3. On the downstroke of piston 37 in cylinder 36, piston face 31 compresses air in chamber 32, forcing same out through aperture 33 into tube chamber 34, as shown in FIG. 5. On the upstroke of piston 37, air is drawn into the chamber 32 through opening 26, thence by way of one-way-valve 35 into chamber 32. In the preferred embodiment, one-way-valve 35 is a flexible rubber flap 66 which is held at one end to the floor of chamber 32 by gluing. Air forces its way past the flap when piston 37 is raised but the flap 66 does not allow air to flow the other way. 
     Tube chamber 34 is sealed at the upper end by screw mounted cap 80. This cap 80 screws over support member 27 which is attached to chamber wall 29 by support member 28. Spring 82 presses puncture assembly 90 against the tube of paste P and is held therebetween by spring buttons 91 and 81. To operate puncture assembly 90, a tube of paste P is inserted into the open tube chamber 34, and rests on collar 19 in filler 18. Screw mounted cap 80 and attached puncture assembly 90 is then screwed over support member 27, forcing puncture points 94 and 95 on fork 93 against the wall of the paste filled tube. These points 94 and 95 remain oriented downwardly by virtue of stabilizing plate 92, and puncture the walls of the paste filled tube P, thus allowing the air pressure in tube chamber 34 into said tube P to urge said paste within, out. 
     Referring now to FIG. 4, in which the carrier stage assembly 70 is depicted, it can be seen that it is constructed from three pieces; base 72, motion transfer block 73 and a cutting block 77. Toothbrush guide 71, cutter edge 74 and top plate 75 are formed from the cutting block 77. As shown in FIG. 5, spring 44 is in contact with inner wall 69 of cavity 78 in block 77 on one end and the other other end to spring button 79 which in turn is attached to wall 57 in carrier assembly 40 as shown in FIG. 5. A hole 76 is cut completely through motion transfer block 73 for the attachment to headed pin 41. Headed pin 41 is connected to carrier stage 70 by hole 76 in motion transfer block 73. The pieces 72, 73 and 77 are glued or formed together as shown in FIG. 4 in the preferred embodiment and the whole carrier stage 70 is slidably inserted into carrier assembly 40 and attached thereto by spring 41. The mounting is most clearly seen in FIG. 5 in which the carrier stage is depicted in its two extreme positions as 70 and 70&#39;. 
     Thus, employing the combination of parts described, paste is extracted from tube P as described above and as follows. Pressure created by piston 37 being forced into cylinder 36 forces the air pressure in chamber 32 to enter tube chamber 34 through aperture 33. Said air pressure enters tube P through the apertures therein formed by puncture points 94 and 95, thus forcing said paste from said tube P into repository chamber 49. As carrier stage 70 reaches its backmost position, paste begins to extrude from dispensing nozzle 47 formed in upper wall 46, and continues to do so as toothbrush T is withdrawn and until on the return stroke of carrier stage 70 cutter edge 74 cuts it flow and top plate 74 seals dispensing aperture 47, leaving the device ready for the following operation. Headed pin 41 is connected to carrier stage 70 by hole 76 in motion transfer block 73. 
     It is believed the foregoing description conveys the best understanding of the objects and advantages of the present invention. Different embodiments may be made of the inventive concept of this invention. It is to be understood that all matter disclosed herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense, except as set forth in the following appended claims.