Abstract:
A double container squeezing mechanism includes a first side that contacts a surface of a first container, and a second side that contacts a surface of a second container when the first and second containers are disposed adjacent to each other and within the double container squeezing mechanism. The squeezing mechanism is designed to squeeze material from within the interiors of both the first and second containers through their respective outlets as the double container squeezing mechanism is displaced towards those outlets. The squeezing mechanism also includes a device that prevents displacement of the squeezing mechanism in the direction opposite to the first and second containers&#39; outlets.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/685,263, filed Oct. 10, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,298, which issued Oct. 16, 2001, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/116,609, filed Jul. 16, 1998, abandoned. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,298 is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to squeezeable containers such as tooth-paste containers, gel containers, cream containers, etc.  
           [0003]    It is known that with squeezeable containers, after most of the substance stored within such containers has been extracted out, there inevitably remains within the container a small amount of such substance. Forcing out of such remaining amount of substance is either not possible or difficult to achieve.  
           [0004]    Examples of prior art mechanisms used for squeezing out material stored within containers include U.S. Pat. No. 3,536,234, U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,333, U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,851, U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,036, U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,348, U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,629, U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,335, U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,369, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,593. The devices disclosed in these patents are either difficult to use, require two-handed operation or are difficult to manufacture.  
         OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a container for squeezeable material which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.  
           [0006]    More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a container for squeezeable material which guarantees that the entire volume of the material or substance contained within the container can be dispensed from the container.  
           [0007]    Still further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a double container squeezing assembly. In particular, an assembly capable of squeezing two or more containers or tubes simultaneously.  
           [0008]    In accordance with these objects and other objects which are apparent from the disclosure herein, the double container squeezing mechanism of the present invention has structure to surround two containers having material therein and, when the squeezing mechanism is displaced towards the two containers&#39; outlets, the material within the containers are forced out through those outlets. The squeezing mechanism also includes a device that prevents displacement of the squeezing mechanism in the direction opposite to the containers&#39; outlets.  
           [0009]    As various features of the double container squeezing mechanism of the present invention, the device that prevents displacement in the opposite direction may include one or more teeth disposed to contact one of the containers or both of the containers. The device may be a roller that urges against one of the containers, or two rollers that urge against both containers.  
           [0010]    As another feature, one or both of the containers may include a flexible surface on which a plurality of depressions and projections are arranged in the longitudinal direction, and the squeezing mechanism includes one or more teeth or rollers that interact with those depressions and projections. Audible or tactile clicks are provided upon movement of the squeezing mechanism towards the containers&#39; outlets. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    The following detailed description, given by way of example and not intended to limit the present invention solely thereto, will best be appreciated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and parts, in which:  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a front view of a container with a squeezing out mechanism in a starting l position in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a top view of the container and squeezing out mechanism shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is another front view of the container with the squeezing out mechanism with the squeezing out mechanism shown moved toward the container&#39;s front in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is a top view of the container and squeezing out mechanism in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 is a view showing a section taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 is a view showing a section taken along the line B-B of FIG. 2 of a further embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 is a view showing a section taken along the line B-B of FIG. 3 of still a further embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 8 is a view similar to the view of FIG. 6 but showing yet another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 9 is a view showing a section A-A of FIG. 1 with a squeezing out mechanism in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 10 is a top view of the container with a squeezing out mechanism in accordance with still yet another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 11 is a view similar to the view of FIG. 10 in accordance with still yet a further embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 12 is a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 11;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 13 is a view of the section taken along the line D-D in FIG. 11; and  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 14 shows yet another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0026]    A container for a squeezeable material in accordance with the present invention has a container member formed, for example, as a tube and is identified as reference numeral  1  in the various drawings. The tube has a hollow interior for accommodating squeezeable material and an opening closeable by a cover as shown in FIGS.  1 - 4  and  10 - 12 . In accordance with the present invention, a squeezing out mechanism is provided for squeezing out the material from the interior of the tube  1 . The squeezing out mechanism is identified as reference number  2  in the various drawings. Squeezing out mechanism  2 , as discussed, includes means for allowing displacement of the mechanism  2  along the tube  1  toward the tube&#39;s opening and also includes means for preventing (preventing means) displacement of mechanism  2  in the opposite direction (toward the non-open end of the tube). In the various views, such means is formed on, for example, portion  3  of the squeezing out mechanism  2 .  
         [0027]    The squeezing out mechanism  2  may be formed as a peripherally enclosed frame having a central opening. The height T (FIG. 5) of the central opening must be at least equal to, or just slightly greater than, double the thickness of the wall of tube  1 . The length S (FIG. 5) of the central opening must be longer than the transverse width of tube  1 .  
         [0028]    The previously mentioned means for preventing displacement of the mechanism  2  in the opposite direction of the tube&#39;s opening in shown in the embodiment of FIG. 6 as including one tooth or, alternatively, multiple teeth disposed along the mechanism&#39;s width. Each tooth is formed so that during displacement of the squeezing out mechanism towards the tube&#39;s opening, the teeth (or tooth) yield rearwardly, but in response to attempted motion of the squeezing out mechanism  2  in the opposite direction, each tooth engages or wedges into the surface  4  of tube  1 . For this purpose, each tooth  11  has a hardness which is greater than the hardness of the surface of tube  1 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, teeth  12  have a hardness that is equal to or smaller than the hardness of the surface of tube  1 . However, the teeth  12  in FIG. 7 are arranged one behind another in a direction of displacement of the squeezing out mechanism along the tube. Therefore, when an attempt is made to displace the squeezing out mechanism in the opposite direction, the teeth  12  arranged as shown in FIG. 7 prevent such displacement.  
         [0029]    In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, tube  1  is provided with a flexible surface  4  that includes a plurality of depressions and projections  5 . A tooth or teeth  13  are arranged on the squeezing out mechanism in a direction towards the outlet opening so that the teeth yield and move from one depression into the next depression. However, when an attempt is made to displace the squeezing out mechanism in the opposite direction, tooth (or teeth)  13  abut against corresponding flanks of the projections. The embodiment of FIG. 4 advantageously provides both audible and tactile clicks upon displacement of the squeezing out mechanism towards the tube&#39;s opening. Such clicks, whether audibly heard or felt through one&#39;s hands, enables a user to identify the amount of substance or material being extracted from the tube. Thus, exact measurements of volume or dosages of material can be extracted from the tube in a convenient and simple manner. While beneficial to most users, such audible and tactile clicks are particularly beneficial to blind persons or use of the device in the dark, and whether the tube contains toothpaste or medicine or other material, it is particularly useful to anyone to be able to control the exact amount of material that is extracted from the tube.  
         [0030]    As shown in FIGS.  6 - 8 , the teeth are inclined in a direction opposite to the direction of the displacement of the squeezing out mechanism  2  toward the opening of tube  1 .  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 9 shows yet another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the squeezing out mechanism is formed as a frame composed of two semi-frames  15  and  16 . The semi-frames  15 ,  16  are connected with one another by a bolt  17 . With such a construction, assembly and disassembly of the squeezing out mechanism is quick and simple: the semi-frames are places on opposite sides of the tube, and the semi-frames are attached to one another by inserting bolt  17  through them.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 10 shows a further embodiment of the squeezing out mechanism, wherein mechanism  2  is provided with a roller  18  which frictionally engages the surface of the tube  1 . The roller  18  is held rotatably in the lateral supports  21 .  
         [0033]    FIGS.  11 - 13  show yet a further embodiment of the present invention. As shown, squeezing out mechanism includes a roller  19  that includes a plurality of teeth disposed around its periphery, and a catch  20  is mounted on the frame of the squeezing mechanism. Catch  20  is arranged to project into the spaces between the teeth of roller  19  in the manner shown, so that displacement of the squeezing out mechanism towards the tube&#39;s opening causes roller  19  to rotate resulting in the teeth of the roller to contact and displace catch  22 . However, motion of the squeezing out mechanism  2  in the opposite direction is prevented since catch  20  reliably prevents rotation of roller  19  in the opposite direction. Moreover, catch  20  provides both an audible and tactile click similar to the click mentioned previously with respect to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 8. Also, as previously discussed, such audible and tactile clicks are beneficial to allow an exact volume or dosage to be extracted, and is particular useful for blind persons, operation of the device in the dark, or extraction of an exact, designated dosage (e.g., of medicine).  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 14 shows still yet a further embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the squeezing out mechanism  2  (also called double container squeezing mechanism or double tube squeezing mechanism herein) is designed to allow two tubes  1 ,  30  to be disposed within its central portion. Similar to various embodiments previously discussed, portion  3  of mechanism  2  provides capability to allow displacement of the squeezing out mechanism towards both tubes&#39; openings, and which prevents motion of the mechanism  2  in the opposite direction. Such portion  3  can have the designs shown in FIGS. 6, 7,  8 ,  10  or  11 - 13 . FIG. 14 is particularly useful for fields and applications that require mixing of substances. For example, various epoxies are formed by the combination of two substances. The embodiment of FIG. 14 is particular useful for such an application since equal dosages of two substances can be extracted in a quick and efficient manner. Moreover, dosage amounts can be exactly determined by using the clicks provided in the designs shown in FIGS. 4, 8 and  11 - 20   13 . Of course, the embodiment shown in FIG. 14 is not limited to two tubes, but may be used with three (3) or more tubes depending on the particular applications of the present invention.  
         [0035]    In accordance with the double container squeezing mechanism of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 14, the squeezing mechanism  2  may be used to squeeze tube  1  that includes a flexible surface  4  with a plurality of depressions and projections  5  as shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 8, or the embodiment of FIGS.  11 - 13 , and also to squeeze tube  30  that may or may not include such depressions and projections.  
         [0036]    Moreover, the double container squeezing mechanism of the present invention may include any of the previously discussed preventing means (i.e., means for preventing displacement of the mechanism in a direction opposite the tube&#39;s openings—i.e., discontinuous contact surface—e.g., tooth  11 , teeth  12 , roller  19 , etc.) on both of its sides. That is, the double container squeezing mechanism may include a tooth (e.g., tooth  11  shown in FIG. 6) on one side contacting tube  1  and another tooth on its other side contacting tube  30 . As another example, multiple teeth (e.g., teeth  12  shown in FIG. 7) may be provided on both sides for contact with both tubes  1 ,  30 .  
         [0037]    In a similar manner, both tubes  1  and  30  may include respective flexible surfaces with pluralities of depressions and projections (e.g., as shown in FIG. 4) where such flexible surfaces are in contact with the double container squeezing mechanism. In such case, the squeezing mechanism may include on both of its sides a tooth or teeth  13  (as shown in FIG. 8). Alternatively, the double container squeezing mechanism may include two sets of rollers  19  (such as shown in FIG. 13) and two sets of catches  20  and lateral supports  21  (FIG. 13).  
         [0038]    As would be appreciated, each of the embodiments described herein allows for one-handed operation of a device in accordance with the present invention to squeeze out material from a tube. Also, it should be understood that the elements and devices described above, either separate or combined, may also find useful application on other types of constructions different from that described herein.  
         [0039]    While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in containers for squeezing out material, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown and discussed herein, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.  
         [0040]    Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gift of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.  
         [0041]    Therefore, it is intended that the appended claims be interpreted as including the embodiments described herein, the alternatives mentioned above, and all equivalents thereto.