GB2262780A - A device for actuating a pump action toothpaste dispenser. - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for actuating a pump action toothpaste dispenser is designed to hold the dispenser in an inverted stable position with the actuation plunger thereof extending below a fixed top wall (1) of the device. The device has an actuating mechanism which can be operated by a toothbrush in the hand of a user thereby to depress the plunger and release toothpaste onto the head of the toothbrush. In use a toothbrush is packed into a U-shaped recess (9') in a plate (4, 9) movable horizontally by having rods (6) riding in slots (5) of opposed fixed side walls (2). Movement of the plates causes a cross-shaft (11) to move upwardly with rollers (12) which engage inclined surfaces (13), the rollers being carried by arms (10) pivoted to the plate (9, 4). Lifting of the cross-shaft (11) causes depression of the dispenser plunger. <IMAGE>

Description

A DEVICE FOR ACTUATING A PUMP ACTION TOOTHPASTE DiSPENSER FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for actuating a pump action toothpaste dispenser and particularly in the form of a fixture for mounting to a bathroom wall as a convenient means for dispensing toothpaste by toothbrush actuation of the device in the hand of a user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Pump action toothpaste dispensers are fairly recent innovations as an alternative to the well known and long used flexible toothpaste tubes which deliver toothpaste under squeezing finger pressure applied to the body of the tube.

Pump action toothpaste dispensers as sold on the market today are normally in the form of a closed rigid container for storing the toothpaste and a plunger mounted to the top of the container which serves to pump toothpaste from a conveniently positioned pumping orifice.

Whereas with the widely used flexible tube toothpaste dispensers it is easier for a user to squeeze toothpaste onto a toothbrush with one hand squeezing the tube and the other holding the toothbrush adjacent to the tube opening, the same cannot be said of the pump action variety, since the container is not easy to hold with one hand while at the same time depressing the plunger with the same hand, especially when the hands are wet and soapy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to this problem and solves it by providing a support for immobilising the rigid container and a moveable mechanism which can be actuated by a toothbrush in the hand of a user to deliver toothpaste directly onto the toothbrush such that the whole process becomes a one handed exercise.

According to the invention there is provided a device for actuating a pump action toothpaste dispenser comprising a support for holding the dispenser in an inverted position, actuating means mounted to the support for movement between a normally held rest position and an operating position whereat to depress the plunger of the dispenser, and abutment means operatively associated with said actuating means for engaging the head of a toothbrush and arranged relative to the orifice of the dispenser such that pressure on the toothbrush by a user causes the actuating means to move from said rest position to said operating position to deliver toothpaste onto the toothbrush.

Conveniently, the actuating means is in the form of a flat plate constrained for slidable movement and provided with spaced pivotal arms carrying a rigid rod or shaft to which a roller is attached at each end thereof.

The rollers ride up and down an inclined surface so that during movement of the flat plate in one direction the rollers move up the inclined surfaces to raise the shaft which thereby applies a gradually increasing pressure to the plunger of the dispenser causing toothpaste to be released from its orifice.

Advantageously, a recess is formed on the flat plate for receiving the head of a toothbrush such that when a user pushes the flat plate in the said one direction with the toothbrush engaged in the recess toothpaste is released automatically upon the toothbrush.

Other features and advantges of the present invention will become apparent from the following specific description of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The specific embodiment described by way of example hereinafter, is taken with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein; Fig 1 shows a front elevational view of a device for actuating a pump action toothpaste dispenser suitable for mounting as a fixture to the wall of a bathroom at some convenient location, and Fig 2 shown a cross-sectional view along the line I I of Fig 1.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION The device shown in a preferred but not limited form in the drawings comprises a top wall 1 made of clear plastics to which is rigidly attached two vertically disposed side walls 2, also of a clear rigid plastics material.

The basic structure so far described can be mounted to a suitable surface by any known convenient means thereby to render same immobile.

The top wall 1 is provided with a circular hole 3 which is dimensioned to receive in friction fit a container of a pump action toothpaste dispenser (not shown) in an inverted position with the plunger thereof depending from the underside of the top wall 1.

The actuating means for depressing the plunger of the dispenser takes the form of a flat support plate 4 moveable in a plane parallel to the plane of the top wall 1.

The slidable movement of the flat plate 4 is made possible by means of longitudinal slots 5 formed in the depending side walls 2 through which slidable bearing rods 6 extend attached to the sides of the flat plate 4. The rods 6 are fastened at their free ends to thin plastics retainer elements 7 which slide adjacent to the exterior surfaces of the depending walls 2 during movement of the flat plate 4 thereby to prevent the flat plate 4 from undue swivelling as it is moved along the slots 5.

In addition, two triangular clear plastics pieces 8 are fastened to the inside surfaces of the depending side walls 2, one side 8' of each triangular piece 8 lying adjacent to the flat plastics plate 4 thereby forming a guide surface for the plate 4 during its sliding movements.

A U-shaped rigid plastics retaining piece 9 is fastened to the top of the flat plastic plate 4, the U 9' of the retaining piece 9 in conjunction with the surface of the plate 4 providing a reception recess for the head of a toothbrush (not shown).

Two spaced vertical arms 10 are pivotally mounted to a rigid rod or shaft 11 which extends across the bottom of the U-shaped retaining piece 9, the vertical arms 10 at their other ends being pivotally mounted on a rigid metal shaft 11 extending between the two side walls 2.

A roller 12 is attached to each end of the rigid metal shaft 11, each roller 12 resting on the hypotenuse 13 of the triangular pieces 8 which hypotenuse 13 in each case provides an inclined surface up and down which the rollers 12 move during forward and backward slidable movement of the flat plate 4.

To operate the device, a pump action toothpaste dispenser (not shown) is first inserted in an inverted position through the hole 3 in the top wall 1 such that the plunger of the dispenser extends beneath that top wall 1 and above shaft 11 carrying the rollers 12.

The body of the device is then held immobile by being fixed to a convenient wall surface, for example, and the head of a toothbrush is placed in the U-shaped recess 9' provided in the retaining piece 9, pushed forward to raise the shaft 11 which depresses the plunger of the dispenser thereby to release toothpaste from the dispenser orifice onto the toothbrush for immediate use. To this end it will be appreciated that the positioning of the U-shaped recess 9' in relation to positional movements of the flat plate 4 with respect to the orifice of the dispenser is such that the head of the toothbrush will be disposed beneath the orifice upon actuation of the plunger by the shaft 11.

Claims (5)

1. A device for actuating a pump action toothpaste dispenser comprising a support for holding the dispenser in an inverted position, actuating means mounted to the support for movement between a normally held rest position and an operating position whereat to depress the plunger of the dispenser, and abutment means operatively associated with said actuating means for engaging the head of a toothbrush and arranged relative to the orifice of the dispenser such that pressure on the toothbrush by a user causes the actuating means to move from said rest position to said operating position to deliver toothpaste onto the toothbrush.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said actuating means is in the form of a flat plate constrained for slidable movement and provided with spaced pivotal arms carrying a rigid rod or shaft to which a roller is attached at each end thereof, an inclined surface being provided for engagement by the rollers such that as the flat plate is moved in one direction the rollers move up the inclined surface to raise the shaft which thereby applies a gradually increasing pressure to the plunger of the dispenser to effect toothpaste release from it orifice.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein a recess is formed on the flat plate for receiving the head of a toothbrush such that when a user pushes the flat plate in the said one direction with the toothbrush engaged in the recess, toothpaste is released automatically onto the toothbrush.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said support for holding the dispenser in an inverted position includes an upper support plate provided with a circular orifice dimensioned to receive in friction fit the container of a pump action toothpaste dispenser, with the plunger thereof depending from the underside of said top wall for engagement with the rigid rod or shaft carried by said flat plate.

5. An automatic toothpaste dispenser substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.