Tube squeezing device   

The present invention relates to devices for squeezing and expelling contents from collapsible toothpaste dispensers.

Many devices have been constructed to squeeze toothpaste out of toothpaste dispensers. Most of the devices suffer from being either physically unattractive, having to many elements, being cost prohibitive to manufacture, or having corroding elements.

The present invention has been designed to reduce the number of parts required to have a physically effective squeezing device, while at the same time having a device that is appealing to ones eye, that is not corrosive, and that is cost effective to manufacture.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,966,457 B1 to Eric Torbert (Nov. 22, 2005) discusses the need for the present invention and further describes many other U.S. Patents that have addressed the need of the present invention. None of the patents disclosed in the Torbert application fully address the novelty of the present invention.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device for squeezing a tube of toothpaste that is cost effective to manufacture.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device for squeezing a tube of toothpaste that is non-corrosive.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for squeezing a tube of toothpaste that has a minimal amount of elements.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device for squeezing a tube of toothpaste that is appealing to ones eyes thereby promoting the use of the device.

Lastly, an object of the present invention is to provide a device for squeezing a tube of toothpaste which will extract most of the paste from the toothpaste tube.

SUMMARY

The present invention, a tube squeezing device for squeezing a tube of toothpaste, eliminates the quantity of parts required to have a physically effective tube squeezing device, while at the same time having a device that is appealing to ones eye, that is not corrosive, and that is cost effective to manufacture. The tube squeezing device for squeezing a tube of toothpaste, comprises a body, wherein the body defines a first, a second, a third, and a fourth section. The first section is the base of the body. The second section of the body attaches to the base of the body and has two sides, each side has an upper and a lower part, the sides are arched and equally sized and are directly opposed to each other so that a tubular area is defined between the two sides of the second section. The lower parts of the sides of the second section of the body are attached to each other. The upper parts of the second section body must not attach to each other. The third section of the body attaches to the upper parts of the second section of the body. The third section of the body has two sides. Each side has an upper and a lower part. The sides of the third section of the body are obtusely angled at a center point, are equally sized and are directly opposed to each other so that a substantially diamond shaped area is defined between the two sides of the third section. The lower part of each third section side of the body is fixedly attached to each upper part of each second section side of the body. The lower part of the third section sides of the body do not attach to each other and have at least a two millimeter space between the lower parts of the third section sides. The upper part of the third section sides of the body lie adjacently to each other and are pressured so that if no object is inserted within the diamond shaped area both upper parts of the third section sides of the body would rest on each other. The fourth section of the body has two arms. Each arm is fixedly attached to each upper part of the third section sides of the body. The arms are linear and are positioned so that a V-shape is formed between the arms. And, a tubular structure, the tubular structure has a first and a second end, the first end defines a handle fixedly attached to the first end of the tubular structure. The tubular structure further defines a slit that runs down the length of the tubular structure beginning at the second end of the tubular structure and ending near the first end of the tubular structure. The tubular structure is housed within the third section of the body.

A method of using the device described above, comprises the steps of first obtaining a collapsible tube of toothpaste. Then, lining the slit of the tubular structure with the midpoint of the V-shaped legs of the body. Next, inserting the bottom edge of the tube of toothpaste within the slit of the tubular structure. And lastly, turning the handle of the tubular structure so that paste is squeezed out of the tube.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended drawings, wherein preferred embodiments of the invention are clearly described and shown.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and drawings where:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a tube squeezing device for squeezing a tube of toothpaste, wherein the body of the device and the tubular structure of the device are lined to show how tubular structure would be inserted within the third section of the body of the device;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, wherein the tubular structure is housed within the third section of the body of the device;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective of how the bottom of a collapsible tube of toothpaste is inserted within the slit of the tubular structure; and

FIG. 4 shows a perspective of how the handle of the device would be turned to squeeze the contents out of a collapsible tube of toothpaste.

As seen in FIGS. 1-2, a tube squeezing device for squeezing a tube of toothpaste comprises a body 100, wherein the body 100 defines a first 10, a second 12, a third 14, and a fourth 16 section, the first section 10 is the base 10 of the body 100, the second section 12 of the body 100 attaches to the base 10 of the body 100 and has two sides 12a, each side 12a has an upper 12c and a lower part 12b, the sides 12a are arched and equally sized and are directly opposed to each other so that a tubular area 12d is defined between the two sides 12a of the second section 12, the lower parts 12b of the sides 12a of the second section 12 are attached to each other, the upper parts 12c of the second section 12 must not attach to each other, the third section 14 of the body 100 attaches to the upper parts 12c of the second section 12 of the body 100, the third section 14 has two sides 14a, each side has an upper 14c and a lower 14b part, the sides 14a of the third section 14 are obtusely angled at a center point, are equally sized and are directly opposed to each other so that a substantially diamond shaped area 14d is defined between the two sides 14a of the third section 14, the lower part 14b of each third section side 14a is fixedly attached to each upper part 12c of each second section side 12a, the lower part 14b of the third section sides 14a do not attach to each other and have at least a two millimeter space between the lower parts 14b of the third section sides 14a, the upper part 14c of the third section sides 14a lie adjacently to each other and are pressured so that if no object is inserted within the diamond shaped area 14d both upper parts 14c of the third section sides 14a would rest on each other, and the fourth section 16 has two arms 16, each arm 16 is fixedly attached to each upper part 14c of the third section sides 14a of the body 100, the arms 16 are linear and are positioned so that a V-shape is formed between the arms 16; and a tubular structure 18, the tubular structure has a first 18a and a second end 18b, the first end 18a defines a handle 20 fixedly attached to the first end 18a of the tubular structure 18, the tubular structure 18 further defines a slit 18c that runs down the length of the tubular structure 18 beginning at the second end 18b of the tubular structure 18 and ending near the first end 18a of the tubular structure 18, the tubular structure 18 is housed within the third section 14 of the body 100.

In one embodiment of the present invention the base 10 is a pair of legs 10, each leg 10 attaches to the second section 12 of the body 100.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tube squeezing device is made of ABS plastic. ABS plastic is defined to be a class of plastics based on acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers. ABS plastic is used because of its high mechanical and impact strength. It is foreseen that any materials having the same or similar properties as ABS plastics may be used to manufacture the present invention.

The present invention is used by obtaining a collapsible tube of toothpaste, then lining the slit 18c of the tubular structure with the midpoint of the V-shaped legs of the body, next, inserting the bottom edge of the tube of tooth paste within the slit 18c of the tubular structure, and lastly, turning the handle 20 of the tubular structure so that paste is squeezed out of the tube.

An advantage of the present invention is that it provides a device for squeezing a tube of toothpaste that is cost effective to produce.

A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides a device for squeezing a tube of toothpaste that is non-corrosive.

Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a device for squeezing a tube of toothpaste that has a minimal amount of elements.

Yet another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a device for squeezing a tube of toothpaste that is appealing to ones eyes, thereby promoting the use of the device.

Lastly, an advantage of the present invention is that it provides a device for squeezing a tube of toothpaste which extracts most of the paste from a tube of toothpaste.

The above is a detailed description of particular preferred embodiments of the invention. Those with skill in the art should, in light of the present disclosure, appreciate that obvious modifications of the embodiments disclosed herein can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All of the embodiments disclosed and claimed herein can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. The fill scope of the invention is set out in the claims that follow and their equivalents. Accordingly, the claims and specification should not be construed to unduly narrow the full scope of protection to which the present invention is entitled.