Abstract:
A method and device for retaining, in a rolled-up configuration, a portion of a collapsible container that holds a quantity of a product. The method includes forming a roll of a collapsible container holding a quantity of a product. The opening of a U-shaped clip is then urged into engagement with the roll of the collapsible container until the opening passes about the roll, and the roll becomes disposed between arms of the U-shaped clip. Thus arranged, an layer of a resilient, open-cell foam material lining the inside of the U-shaped clip is juxtaposed with and compressed by the roll of the collapsible container.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to collapsible containers for dispensing a product, and, more particularly, to a method for retaining a portion of such containers in a rolled-up configuration. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Dispensing a paste product, such as toothpaste, from a collapsible tube frequently, if not invariably, requires rolling-up, or folding-up, an end of the tube that is located furthest from an end of the tube which dispenses the paste. Years ago, such tubes were made exclusively from a soft metal that would take and hold a &#34;set.&#34; Once one end of such a soft metal tube had been rolled-up or folded, the tube would retain the rolled-up configuration. Presently, many such tubes are made from a polymeric material that is more resilient than the material used for metal tubes. That is, such plastic tubes do not take and hold a &#34;set&#34; as well as the metallic tubes. 
     For certain individuals, the resiliency of present tubes presents an insurmountable problem. Specifically, a physically handicapped individual who has the use of only one hand may be unable to dispense a paste from a partially empty, resilient, polymeric material tube. While such an individual may, using only one hand, be able to roll-up or fold-up a resilient, polymeric material tube, upon releasing the tube it immediately unrolls thereby frustrating an attempt to dispense the product from the tube. 
     While the preceding problem may be most exacerbating when dispensing a paste from a tube, an analogous problem arises in holding closed plastic product bags, such as snack food bags, that are also made from a resilient polymeric material. In both instances, resilient, polymeric material must be retained in a rolled-up configuration. The most significant difference in retaining a roll of resilient, polymeric material of a tube or of a bag is that, a bag must be unrolled and rerolled each occasion product is removed from the bag. Conversely, in principle a tube need never be unrolled, and the tube need be further rolled-up only intermittently as product is dispensed from the opposite end of the tube. 
     While it may be readily apparent that mechanically retaining a rolled-up end of a tube or bag addresses the preceding difficulties, the form for and method of using such a mechanical retainer is not readily apparent. In both of the preceding situations, but particularly when dispensing a paste product from a tube, the mechanical retainer must accommodate an ever larger roll of polymeric material as the tube or bag retains ever less product. Moreover, such polymeric tube or bag materials are slick which permits them to easily slip out of simple, common mechanical retainers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a simple method and device for retaining a product container in a rolled-up or folded-up configuration. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple method and device for retaining a product container in a rolled-up or folded-up configuration that may be easily installed or removed. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and device for retaining a product container in a rolled-up or folded-up configuration that does not inadvertently slip off. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and device for retaining a product container in a rolled-up or folded-up configuration that does not cut or scratch the product container. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple method and device for retaining a product container in a rolled-up or folded-up configuration that may be performed using only one hand. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an economic method and device for retaining a product container in a rolled-up or folded-up configuration. 
     Briefly, the present invention includes both a method and device for retaining, in a rolled-up configuration, a portion of a collapsible container that holds a quantity of a product. The method includes forming at least a portion of a collapsible container holding a quantity of a product into a convoluted roll. A U-shaped clip, having a thick inner layer of a resilient, open-cell foam material bonded to a much thinner, continuous, outer structural layer of a flexible material, is slipped about the convoluted roll. The layer of structural material, which supports the foam material, includes a pair of opposing, spaced-apart arms that are joined to each other by a juncture segment of the layer of structural material located at a base of the U-shaped clip. The inner layer of foam material substantially fills a gap located between the opposing, spaced-apart arms of the U-shaped clip. The opposing, spaced-apart arms provide an opening between ends thereof, that extend away from the base of the U-shaped clip, which is adapted for admitting a convoluted roll of a collapsible container between the opposing, spaced-apart arms. When the convoluted roll is disposed between the spaced-apart arms, the foam material becomes juxtaposed with and compresses to conform to the convoluted roll. 
     These and other features, objects and advantages will be understood or apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment as illustrated in the various drawing figures. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing illustrating, in accordance with the present invention, engagement and juxtaposition of an inner layer of resilient, open-cell foam material included in a U-shaped clip with a partially rolled-up, collapsible container; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective drawing illustrating in greater detail the U-shaped clip depicted in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the U-shaped clip taken along the line 3--3 in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of the U-shaped clip taken along the line 4--4 in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the U-shaped clip taken along the line 5--5 in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the U-shaped clip taken along the line 6--6 in FIG. 3; and 
     FIG. 7 is an elevational view, similar to the view of FIG. 3, of an alternative embodiment U-shaped clip in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a collapsible container 12 illustrated in FIG. 1 with dashed lines, e.g. a toothpaste tube, that holds a quantity of a product. A portion of the collapsible container 12, furthest from an end 14, which in the instance of a toothpaste tube dispenses the product, has been formed into a convoluted roll 16. FIG. 1 also illustrates engagement and juxtaposition of a thick inner layer 22 of resilient, open-cell foam material included in a U-shaped clip 24 with the convoluted roll 16 of the collapsible container 12. As illustrated in FIG. 1, when the U-shaped clip 24 is applied to the collapsible container 12 the inner layer 22 becomes juxtaposed with and compresses to conform to the convoluted roll 16. Referring now to FIGS. 3 through 7, the inner layer 22 of the U-shaped clip 24 is bonded to a continuous, outer layer 26 of a structural material that is much thinner than the inner layer 22. 
     The outer layer 26 of the U-shaped clip 24 provides a pair of opposing, spaced-apart arms 32, most clearly illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 7. As best illustrated by an alternative embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIG. 7, the opposing, spaced-apart arms 32 are joined together by a juncture segment 34 of the outer layer 26 that is located at a base 36 of the U-shaped clip 24. (Those elements of the alternative embodiment U-shaped clip 24 depicted in FIG. 7 that are common to the U-shaped clip 24 depicted in FIGS. 1-6 carry the same reference numeral distinguished by a prime (&#34;&#39;&#34;) designation.) Ends 38 of the opposing, spaced-apart arms 32 that extend away from the base 36 of the U-shaped clip 24 provide an opening 42. 
     Referring again to FIG. 1, to retain the collapsible container 12 in the rolled-up configuration, the inner layer 22 about the opening 42 provided by the opposing, spaced-apart arms 32 is urged into engagement with the convoluted roll 16, as illustrated by an arrow 52 in FIG. 1, until the opening 42 passes about the convoluted roll 16. In this way, the convoluted roll 16 becomes disposed between the opposing, spaced-apart arms 32 of the U-shaped clip 24 with the foam material inner layer 22 being juxtaposed with and compressing to conform to the convoluted roll 16 of the collapsible container 12. 
     As best illustrated in FIG. 3, spacing between the opposing, spaced-apart arms 32 of the outer layer 26 preferably varies along the opposing, spaced-apart arms 32 extending from the juncture segment 34 at the base 36 of the U-shaped clip 24 to the ends 38 of the opposing, spaced-apart arms 32 distal from the base 36. More specifically, spacing between the opposing, spaced-apart arms 32 preferably increases to a maximum extent immediately adjacent to the base 36, and then decreases to a minimum further away from the base 36. Finally, about the opening 42, the ends 38 of the opposing, spaced-apart arms 32 again diverge away from each other. The preceding shape for the U-shaped clip 24 well suited for accommodating the convoluted roll 16 of the collapsible container 12. 
     It has been experimentally determined that the inner layer 22 is preferably formed from a high-density, open-cell polyurethane material. Neither foam rubber nor cloth posse sufficient compressibility, or exhibit sufficient friction to retain the U-shaped clip 24 on the resilient polymeric material presently used for collapsible containers 12 such as an 8.0 oz. toothpaste tube. When bonded to and supported by the outer layer 26, high-density, open-cell polyurethane material exhibits frictional properties which permit the inner layer 22 to not stick, but to slide easily across the resilient polymeric material presently used for collapsible containers 12 such as toothpaste tubes. However, after the U-shaped clip 24 has been installed onto the convoluted roll 16, the high-density, open-cell polyurethane material compresses sufficiently and exhibits sufficient friction that the U-shaped clip 24 does not inadvertently slip off the convoluted roll 16. 
     The U-shaped clip 24, when adapted for use with a standard sized, 8.0 oz., toothpaste tube, is preferably approximately 1.5 inches long from the base 36 to the ends 38. The thick, high-density, open-cell polyurethane inner layer 22 adapted for use with such a collapsible container 12 is at least 0.125 in thick, and is preferably 0.250 in. or more thick. The much thinner outer layer 26 is preferably formed from a thermoformable, hi-impact styrene material 0.060 in thick. Alternatively, the outer layer 26 may be formed from a metallic material that exhibits mechanical properties similar to the preferred hi-impact styrene material. The U-shaped clip 24 preferably has a width across the opposing, spaced-apart arms 32 of approximately 0.625 in. A gap 56 between the opposing, spaced-apart arms 32 preferably increases to a maximum width of approximately 0.600 in. both adjacent to the base 36 and at the ends 38. Between these locations of maximum width, the gap 56 between the opposing, spaced-apart arms 32 decreases to approximately 0.400 in. Accordingly, the thick inner layer 22 substantially fills the gap 56 between the opposing, spaced-apart arms 32 even if the U-shaped clip 24 is not retaining the convoluted roll 16 of the collapsible container 12. 
     To fabricate the U-shaped clip 24, preferably a sheet of high-density, open-cell polyurethane material is bonded to a sheet of hi-impact styrene material either with a contact adhesive such as 3M Company&#39;s type 90 adhesive, or with a transfer tape adhesive. The bonded sheet, consisting of high-density, open-cell polyurethane material and hi-impact styrene material, is then cut into elongated strips having a width substantially equal to the distance between the ends 38 along the outer layer 26. These strips of bonded polyurethane material and hi-impact styrene material are then thermoformed into the shape depicted in FIGS. 3 or 7, or any other equivalent desired shape. Finally, the thermoformed strips are cut into individual U-shaped clips 24 having any desired width, for example 0.625 in. 
     Although the present invention has been described in terms of the presently preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that such disclosure is purely illustrative and is not to be interpreted as limiting. While the method of the present invention has been illustrated above in connection with retaining a rolled-up toothpaste tube, the method may also be employed to hold closed other types of collapsible product containers. For example, the method of the present invention may be used to retain a rolled-up plastic bag that contains a product such as a snack food, or may be used to retain unconvoluted objects that are sufficiently thick to compress the inner layer 22 of foam material. Consequently, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, various alterations, modifications, and/or alternative applications of the invention will, no doubt, be suggested to those skilled in the art after having read the preceding disclosure. Accordingly, it is intended that the following claims be interpreted as encompassing all alterations, modifications, or alternative applications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.