US 5,195,659 AGranted

Discreet amount toothpaste dispenser

OwnerRonald E. Eiskantinventor

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Abstract

An automatic toothpaste dispenser is disclosed which forces a discreet amount of toothpaste from a tube by moving a plunger in a downward direction. The toothpaste dispenser has two halves which are hinged at the top to allow the tube of toothpaste to be inserted in the device. The front of the device has a plunger which activates two rear rollers inside the device which move downwardly to squeeze toothpaste out of the tube. The front plunger is attached to a front inner mechanism having engaging teeth. The inner mechanism slides on pins which are inserted into grooves. The grooves allow the inner drive mechanism to move down until the lower pins of the drive mechanism engage a guide which pushes the drive mechanism forward to engage corresponding teeth on the rear housing containing the rollers. A spring always brings the front inner drive mechanism back towards the top of the case. The front inner drive mechanism disengages from the rear rollers on its upward path due to the unique system of grooves of the front piece. Each successive motion of the plunger downward will provide a discreet amount of toothpaste to the user.

Claims1

Dependent claims

A device to supply discreet amounts of toothpaste from a collapsible tube having a flat end and a cap end, comprising:

(1) an outer shell having front and rear halves hingedly attached to each other;
(2) an upper gripping mechanism for attaching the flat end of the tube to the shell, comprising a front gripping protrusion attached to the front half of the shell and a rear gripping mechanism attached to the rear half of the shell, comprising a groove corresponding to said front protrusion and griping teeth in said groove;
(3) a lower adjustable tube cap bracket having an aperture for receiving the cap of said tube;
(4) a rear roller housing comprising a pair of rollers pivotably mounted therein and rear engaging teeth thereon, said rollers adapted to receive said tube;
and
(5) an inner drive mechanism having a plunger attached thereto which engages said rear roller housing said drive mechanism comprising an inner front surface and inner front sides connected perpendicularly to said front surface, riding on upper and lower pins, biased upwardly by a spring, further comprising front drive engaging teeth corresponding to said rear roller housing engaging teeth, said inner front surface being movable downward by means of said plunger, said pins riding in grooves further comprising lower pin engaging guides which force said front drive engaging teeth into contact with said rear roller housing engaging teeth, when said plunger is pushed downward;
whereby a discreet amount of toothpaste is dispensed each time said plunger is forced downwardly.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.