DEVICE FOR FACILITATING REMOVAL OF FLOWABLE MATERIAL FROM COLLAPSABLE TUBE

Abstract: A device for facilitating removal of a flowable material, such as toothpaste, from a collapsable tube. The device (1) has first and second parts (2) defining therebetween a slot. Each slot may be generally Y-shaped in cross-section transverse to the major axis of the slot. The end (6) of the tube (7) is inserted into the slot and the device is pushed along the tube so as to squeeze material out of the nozzle (8). The leading portions (2a and 3a) defining a tapered part of the slot may be pressed together in order to provide dispensing with the device being progressively moved along the tube. The tubes may therefore be substantially completely emptied without material moving to the part of the tube behind the device. Dispensing is therefore facilitated and waste substantially eliminated. The device may conveniently be made from resilient plastics material and is therefore relatively cheap.

Description: DEVICE FOR FACILITATING REMOVAL OF FLOWABLE MATERIAL FROM COLLAPSABLE TUBE The present invention relates to a device for facilitating removal of a flowable material from collapsable tube. The flowable material may be a paste, a cream, a jel, or the lifce and the device is particularly useful for dispensing toothpaste or toothcream from a collapsable tube. Flowable materials have been dispensed from collapsable tubes for many years. In order to dispense the material, the tubes are squeezed or compressed so that the material flows out of a nozzle forming part of the tube. The simplest method of squeezing the tube is by hand, but this tends to be inconvenient or ineffective when the tube has been partially or almost totally exhausted of the material. In particular, as the tube collapses, squeezing by hand from an end of the tube distant from the nozzle tends to become ineffective for dispensing the material, whereas squeezing at a middle portion tends to drive the material back along the tube towards the end distant from the nozzle. It therefore becomes difficult to dispense all of the material from the tube, which leads to waste of material or to inconvenience. Various techniques have been tried so as to overcome these problems. For instance, tubes have been inserted, starting with the end distant from the nozzle, between rollers which progressively squeeze the tube along its length so as to drive material towards the nozzle. However, such devices have been comparatively expensive to produce and are not very convenient to use. More recently. "Keys" in the form of partially split pins having a handle have been used to squeeze such tubes. In particular, the end of the tube distant from the nozzle is inserted into the slit in the pin and the pin is turned so as to roll up the tube progressively from the end distant from the nozzle. In the case of tubes made from aluminium, this has caused problems in that, as the tube becomes flattened, the longitudinal edges which form can be split because of the relatively tight turns caused by rotation of the key. In the case of more recent laminated tubes, made from a laminate of alluminium foil and a plastics material which is on the exterior of the tube, the key has a tendency to slip of the end of the tube. Also, the presence of the outer plastic layer causes the tube to tend to unroll According to the invention, there is provided a device for facilitating removal of a flowable material from a collapsable tube, comprising first and second parts defining therebetween a slot for sliding over an end of and along the collapsable tube. In use. the device is slid over the end of the tube distant from a nozzle thereof and. by exerting a force on the device tending to slide it along the tube toward the nozzle, material is dispensed while leaving the part of the tube behind the device substantially empty. Thus, substantially complete removal of the material is made possible by a device which is relatively simple and cheap to make and which overcomes all of the problems of the previously known devices. Preferably the first and second parts define therebetween a cross-section of the slot perpendicular to a major access of the slot, which cross-section tapers inwardly in a direction of insertion of the tube. By providing such a tapered cross-section, sliding of the device along the tube is substantially eased leading to greater convenience of use. Preferably the first and second parts define therebetween a cross-section of the slot perpendicular to a major access of the slot, which cross-section has a leading portion tapering inwardly in a direction of insertion of the tube and a trailing portion of substantially constant width. Preferably the first and second parts have leading portions defining therebetween the leading portion of the cross-section, the leading portions of the first and second parts being movable towards each other. When the leading portions of the first and second parts are moved towards each other, for instance by being squeezed between the fingers, material is conveniently and easily dispensed from the tube without being forced behind the device into a rear portion of the tube which has previously been evacuated. Partial removal of material from in front of the device allows the device to be slid forward more easily without any substantial risk of material being forced into or trapped in the rear portion of the tube. The first and second parts are preferably made of resilient material, which facilitates the movement of the leading portions thereof. Preferably the first and second parts have respective trailing portions defining therebetween the trailing portion of the cross-section, the trailing portions of the first and second parts being convex toward each other and being made of resilient material. These trailing portions thus squeeze the part of the tube along which the device slides so as to reduce the risk of material remaining in the rear portion of the tube or being forced into the rear portion when the device is used to dispense material. The trailing portions of the first and second parts may be connected together by an end portion at one end of the slot. This allows the device to be clipped over the end of a tube, or possibly an intermediate portion of the tube if it is partially empty, so as to begin dispensing by means of the device. However, it is preferable for the trailing portions of the first and second parts to be connected together by respective end portions at both ends of the slot. This improves the rigidity of the device and thus reduces the risk of materials being forced or left behind the device during dispensing. Preferably the first and second parts are made of resilient plastics material. The device may therefore be constructed cheaply and easily, for instance by moulding of the plastics material. The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a top view of a device for facilitating the removal of a flowable material from a collapsable tube, constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the device in the direction of arrow II of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a cross-section taken on the line III of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a rear view of the device taken in the direction of arrow IV of Figure 1; Figure 5 illustrates use of the device of Figure 1; and Figure 6 shows a cross-section taken on the line VI of Figure 5. The device 1 shown in Figures 1 to 4 comprises a first part 2 and a second part 3 which define therebetween a slot which has a generally Y-shaped cross-section, as shown in Figure 3, in the direction of insertion of a collapsable tube. The first and second parts have leading portions 2a and 3a which taper towards each other in the direction of insertion of the tube so as to define a tapered part of the slot. The first and second parts have trailing portions 2b and 3b which define a portion of the slot of substantially fixed transverse cross-sectional area. The trailing portions 2b and 3b are joined at their sides by end portions 4 and 5. As shown in Figure 4, the trailing portions 2b and 3b are convex towards each other so that the portion of the slot therebetween is narrower in the middle than at the edges. The device is made of resilient plastics material, for instance by moulding. Lips 2σ and 3c are formed at the leading edges of the leading portions so as to strengthen the leading edges. The slot defined by the trailing portions 2b and 3b is of a size and shape such as to allow the passage of the flattened substantially empty tube whereas the size and shape of the slot at the leading edges of the leading portions 2a and 3a is sufficient to accommodate the tube and its contents for dispensing. In use, the device 1 is applied over the flattened end 6 of a collapsable tube 7 opposite a dispensing nozzle 8. In order to dispense the flowable material, the leading portions 2a and 3a are pressed so as to exert pressure on the surface of the tube, thus easing out the material. As the portion of the tubes between the leading portions of the device is emptied, the device as a whole is pushed along the tube. The part of the slot within the trailing portions 2b and 3b fully compresses the tube and thus ensures that substantially all of the contents are removed. The trailing portions are bent outwardly from the convex position shown in Figure 4 and this exerts additional pressure on the rear part of the tube which has been exhausted. The risk of material being forced to the rear part of the tube is thus substantially eliminated. Although the device is shown in Figures 5 and 6 as being used with a substantially full tube, it may be applied to a tube which has already been partly used. The device may be used with any collapsable tube which has a size such that, when completely flattened, it fits between the end portions 4 and 5 within the slot. Thus, the device may be used for tubes of different sizes provided the width is less than or equal to the spacing between the end portions 4 and 5. In an alternative embodiment, one of the end portions is omitted so that * the device may be clipped over a tube, for instance a partially empty tube, at a middle portion thereof. Also, such an embodiment may be used for tubes which, when flattened, are wider than the device, although such use may not ensure complete exhaustion of the material within the tube. In general, the arrangement with both end portions 4 and 5 is preferred, as the presence of both end portions improves the rigidity of the device and its efficiency of use. The device may be used on all types of tubes including metal, plastics, and laminated tubes. One or more of the major external surfaces of the first and second parts 2 and 3 may carry printing or embossing, for instance identifying the manufacturer or the product name.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A device for facilitating removal of a flowable material from a collapsable tube, comprising first and second parts defining therebetween a slot for sliding over an end of and along the collapsable tube. 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the first and second parts define therebetween a cross-section of the slot perpendicular to a major axis of the slot, which cross-section tapers inwardly in a direction of insertion of the tube. 3. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the first and second parts define therebetween a cross-section of the slot perpendicular to a major axis of the slot, which cross-section has a leading portion tapering inwardly in a direction of insertion of the tube and a trailing portion of substantially constant width. 4. A device as claimed in claim 3, in which the first and second parts have respective leading portions defining therebetween the leading portion of the cross-section, the leading portions of the first and second parts being movable towards each other. 5. A device as claimed in claim 4, in which the first and second parts are made of resilient material. 6. A device as claimed in claim 3, in which the first and second parts have respective trailing portions defining therebetween the trailing portion of the cross-section, the trailing portions of the first and second parts being convex toward each other and being made of resilient material. 7. A device as claimed in claim 6. in which the trailing portions of the first and second parts are connected together by and end portion at one end of the slot. 8. A device as claimed in claim 6. in which the trailing portions of the first and second parts are connected together by respective end portions at both ends of the slot. 9. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which. the first and second parts are made of resilient plastics material.

Inventors: BIRCH PETER DONALD WALLACE, BIRCH, PETER, DONALD, WALLACE
Applicants: BIRCH PROD, BIRCH PRODUCTS LIMITED
Application year: 1985
Main classification: B65D35
IPC codes: B65D35