MULTIPORT VALVED DISPENSER FOR TOOTHPASTE AND THE LIKE
A multiport valved dispenser for a viscous material such as toothpaste is provided. A first member is attached to a tube of toothpaste, and a second member is turned with respect to the first so as to align mating ports therein, and thus to allow flow of the toothpaste through a single dispensing nozzle at any given time.
This application claims priority from Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/689,091, filed May 30, 2012.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to a multiport valved dispenser for toothpaste and the like, whereby a number of persons, such as the members of a family, can share a tube of toothpaste without spreading germs by way of their respective toothbrushes all contacting the same orifice in a tube of toothpaste.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt will be apparent that if the members of a family all dispense toothpaste onto their toothbrushes from a single tube of toothpaste by way of the single orifice that is provided, a substantial risk of spread of disease is presented; that is, if one family member contacts the orifice of the tube of toothpaste with his or her toothbrush, he or she may leave germs, bacteria or the like thereon which can then be picked up undesirably by the next family member to use the toothpaste, and so on. Of course this possibility could be eliminated if each family member had his or her own tube of toothpaste, but this might be unworkably complicated in many families.
It is known to provide a multi-ported dispenser to be fitted to a tube of toothpaste, such that if a family were all using toothpaste from a single tube, each would have a unique dispensing orifice, so as to limit the spread of germs and the like. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,053 to Thomas, U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,958 to Coletti, U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,337 to Littman et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,114 to Hopkins, and Shih application 2011/0031274, all generally intended for this purpose. However, these patents simply show manifolds with plural dispensing orifices, each separately capped, and have various defects. For example, the patents mentioned all include rather large-capacity manifolds which would be filled with toothpaste; presuming that the dispensers were discarded along with the toothpaste tube when the latter was emptied, this quantity of the toothpaste would be wasted. Further, these devices all show separable caps for the various dispensing orifices, which caps are liable to be lost; if the caps are lost, or if the caps are not securely attached to the orifices (both likely in households with children), squeezing of the tube is likely to cause toothpaste to be squirted from several of the orifices, making a mess. Absent some positive means of securing the caps to the orifices, they could become loose during travel, making a mess.
According to an important aspect of the present invention, a multiport dispenser for toothpaste is provided that can be affixed to a standard tube of toothpaste by a threaded connection to the tube's usual opening, which comprises external threads to which a cap may be affixed or removed, as desired. The individual ports of the dispenser are selectively connected to the interior of the tube of toothpaste by valves formed integrally with the dispenser in such a way that only one port is operably connected to the tube of toothpaste at any given time, limiting the potential for messiness. Preferably, a “safety” position is provided, in which none of the ports are connected to the tube of toothpaste, so as to avoid accidental discharge of toothpaste. Further, the internal volume of the dispenser of the invention is limited, such that a very limited amount of toothpaste is wasted, again presuming that the dispenser is discarded along with the tube of toothpaste when the tube is emptied. Still further, caps for the individual ports are attached to the dispenser by “living hinges” so that they cannot be lost. Other features of the invention will be apparent from the discussion below.
Prior art references located in a search of the invention show various valve arrangements for multiport dispensers of various kinds, but none show or suggest the structure of the dispenser of the present invention. For example, Balister U.S. Pat. No. 3,094,283 shows a lubricator for directing variously-shaped streams of lubricant toward a workpiece and a tool. The lubricator comprises a disc-shaped inner member having a radially-extending passageway connecting a centrally-located port for connection to a source of lubricant to an aperture at the edge of the disc-shaped member. An outer member having a flange that fits over the edge of the disc-shaped member has a plurality of orifices of different areas and shapes formed therein; by orienting one of these with the aperture, a stream of desired volume and shape is selected.
Ennis, III et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,258 shows a syringe for administering multiple doses of a medicament. A syringe has a port located off center that can be sequentially aligned with nozzles in a cap rotatable with respect to the syringe.
Gach U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,299 shows a closure for a bottle of, e.g., a foodstuff such as catsup or syrup, which allows differently-sized streams of the product to be dispensed. An inner cap that is apparently to be threaded onto the bottle at manufacture of the product has a first orifice formed off-center in its outer surface. An outer cap rotatably fixed to the inner cap has a plurality of differently-sized orifices formed around its surface, so that one of the differently-sized orifices can be selectively aligned with the orifice in the inner cap, controlling the effective size of the discharge passage. Iba et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,322 is generally similar.
Getsy U.S. Pat. No. 7,766,197 shows a closure for a squeezable container of a viscous comestible such as cheese, peanut butter, or jelly, wherein a disc having a plurality of differently-shaped orifices therein can be rotated about an axis off-center with respect to the closure, so that one of the differently-shaped orifices can be selectively aligned with a central orifice in the closure. Mengeu U.S. Pat. No. 7,513,399, directed to the same goal, shows an outer disc with differently-shaped orifices spaced around its center. The orifices are selectively connected to a central orifice in a lower cap portion by radially-extending passages formed in the outer disc.
Also of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,085 to Brun, Jr. which shows a recyclable plastic container for a soft drink or the like, wherein an inner cap has a number of ports formed therein; an outer cap has a single port formed in it. The outer cap is indexed to the inner cap, so that the outer cap can be rotated with respect to the inner cap and the ports in the inner cap aligned in sequence with that of the outer cap. This allows a bottler to fill the container through a first one of the ports in the inner cap, and rotate the outer cap to seal the container. The consumer then turns the outer cap to align the port therein with one of the ports in the inner cap, opening the container, and can turn the outer cap further or in the opposite direction to reseal the container.
Several of the above references, e.g., Ennis, Brun and Balister, show ratcheting and/or indexing connection between the rotatable components, to control the alignment of the various ports to one another.
As mentioned above, according to the present invention, a multiport valved dispenser for a viscous material such as toothpaste is provided. Several embodiments are disclosed in detail. In each, a first member is attached to a tube of toothpaste, and a second member is turned with respect to the first so as to align mating ports therein, and thus to allow flow of the toothpaste.
In a first construction of a first embodiment, a generally tubular central member is threaded onto the tube of toothpaste at one end. A plurality of ports are formed in the wall of the tubular central member, spaced axially therealong and radially therearound. A tubular outer member fits over and can be rotated with respect to the inner member, and has a like number of ports and dispensing nozzles formed therein, also spaced axially therealong and radially therearound, but differently than the ports in the inner member, such that by turning the outer member with respect to the inner member, only one pair of corresponding ports in the inner and outer members is aligned at any time, so that toothpaste can be dispensed from only one nozzle at any given time, limiting messiness. The dispenser may also provide a “safety” position wherein none of the ports are connected to the tube of toothpaste, so that even if the caps become detached, and the tube squeezed, as might occur during travel, no toothpaste can escape to make a mess. In an alternative construction, the outer member can be secured to the tube of toothpaste and the inner member turned therewithin.
In a second embodiment, a disc-like lower member is secured to the tube of toothpaste, and has an internal passageway formed therein extending from a central location in communication with the tube of toothpaste to an off-axis port in an upper surface. A disc-like upper member mounted to the lower member for relative rotation has a number of internal passageways, extending from entry orifices in a lower surface of the upper member that can be selectively aligned with the off-axis port in the upper surface of the lower member, to dispensing nozzles in the peripheral edge surface of the outer member. Accordingly, as the upper member is rotated with respect to the lower member, only one of the entry orifices in the upper member is aligned with the off-axis port in the lower member, so that toothpaste can flow through only one of the internal passageways in the upper member at any given time. In an alternative construction of this embodiment, the passageway in the lower member can extend to its periphery, and the upper member comprise a downwardly extending skirt with the dispensing nozzles formed therein. As above, a “safety” position may be provided wherein none of the dispensing nozzles are connected to the tube of toothpaste.
In each embodiment, the dispensers of the invention principally comprise components molded of plastic, which has numerous advantages, both in terms of manufacturing convenience and cost, and in that the resilient characteristics of the plastic can be employed to yield useful results. For example, the dispensing nozzles are provided with caps secured to the corresponding member by “living hinges”, typically integrally-molded small strips of plastic that are sufficiently flexible to allow the cap to be repetitively moved between open and closed positions without failure. The resilient quality of the plastic can also be employed to allow the dispensers to be assembled in “snap-together” fashion, and to provide detent mechanisms, so that as the user rotates one member with respect to the other, a tactile “click” sensation is felt as the ports are aligned with one another.
The dispensing nozzles preferably comprise short tubular members so that the toothpaste is dispensed from orifices spaced away from the body of the dispenser, reducing messiness.
In a still further preferred embodiment, a dispenser for dental floss can be combined with the dispenser for toothpaste; from the user's perspective, this will simplify organization of these items, and will be advantageous in packing for travel and similar circumstances. It will also encourage better dental hygiene, as the continued presence of the floss together with the toothpaste will encourage use of the floss.
In each embodiment, the dispenser of the invention is designed with use by households with small children in mind. To the end of encouraging good dental hygiene in children, the individual dispensing nozzles may be identified with colored beads, numbers or like indicia exposed when a particular pair of ports is aligned for dispensing toothpaste, so that children can readily identify which dispensing nozzle is “theirs”, again so that the child will use the correct port to dispense toothpaste, limiting the spread of germs and the like.
Further features and advantages of the invention will appear as the discussion below proceeds.
The invention will be better understood if reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
As discussed above, the toothpaste dispenser of the invention is intended to be attached to a tube of toothpaste, typically by way of the conventional threaded connection provided for the cap of the tube, and to provide several individual dispensing nozzles for the dispensing of toothpaste, so that different persons, e.g., the members of a family, need not all have separate tubes of toothpaste in order to avoid touching the same dispensing nozzle with the toothbrushes of different individuals. Further, it is desired that the these multiple ports be valved, so that squeezing the tube of toothpaste does not result in the toothpaste being squirted from plural orifices, making a mess. It is further desired that the individual nozzles be closed when not in use, in order to keep the dispensing nozzles free from germs, by caps or other devices that are connected to the dispenser, so as not to be lost. Still further, it is preferred that as the dispenser is operated to align the discharge nozzles in turn with communicating passageways, a positive “click” or detent be detected by the user, simplifying alignment. Finally, in a particularly preferred embodiment, a dental floss dispenser is incorporated with the toothpaste dispenser, so as to bring these commonly-used items together in a convenient package.
As illustrated, the inner tube can be threadedly connected to the toothpaste tube 20, at the threaded connection normally provided for the cap of the tube, so that the dispenser of the invention is useful with conventional tubes of toothpaste. In the embodiment shown, the outer tube 12 is accordingly rotated with respect to the inner tube 10 and the tube of toothpaste 20. In an alternative arrangement, shown by
A gripping handle 22 may be provided to make it easier for the user to turn one tube with respect to the other. Preferably, this handle 22 is circular, hexagonal, or the like, and its diameter sufficient that when the assembly of the tube of toothpaste and the dispenser of the invention is laid on a counter or the like, the dispensing nozzles 14 do not touch the surface, further improving sanitation.
As discussed above, it is desired that each of the dispensing nozzles 14 be provided with a cap, for sanitation, and that the cap be retained so as to not be lost. Further, it is preferred that the dispensing nozzles 14 each include a short tubular member 14a, so that as the user applies toothpaste to his or her toothbrush, and then wipes the toothbrush against the nozzle, as is naturally done, the toothpaste does not become smeared over the whole of the dispenser. Accordingly, each of the dispensing nozzles 14 is provided with a snap-on cap 24 retained by a flexible “living hinge” 26 formed integrally with the short tubular member 14a. As noted, the entire dispenser can be manufactured inexpensively by molding of a small number of molded plastic components, as illustrated, so that the living hinges 26 are thin ribbons of plastic designed to allow the caps 24 to be secured over the respective tubular members 14a, sealing off the dispensing nozzles 14, and removed therefrom repeatedly without failure.
In the embodiment shown, the outer tube 12 is retained on the inner tube 10 by snap-fitting fingers 25. Other methods of retention may include circumferential cooperating ridges and grooves, one on the outer surface of the inner tube and another on the inner surface of the outer tube, such when the tubes are assembled, a ridge on one member fits into a groove on the other, retaining the outer tube on the inner tube while allowing relative rotation. A similar arrangement is shown in
A ratchet arrangement can be provided between the inner and outer tubes 10 and 12, as shown by
Alternatively, relative rotation in either direction might be permitted; cooperating vertical ridges and corresponding valleys formed in the juxtaposed surfaces of the two tubes might be employed to provide detents corresponding to the positions at which the various ports line up. See
As mentioned above, several significant advantages are obtained by thus incorporating a floss dispenser with a toothpaste dispenser. One is simply in providing a better-organized collection of one's personal needs, convenient in use and travel. Further, by affixing the floss dispenser to the toothpaste dispenser, one is reminded to use both, improving dental hygiene.
Thus, in use, the upper member 32 is rotated with respect to the lower member 30 until the desired passageway 44 in the upper member 32 is aligned with the internal passageway 40 in the lower member 30. A handle as indicated in phantom at 55 might be provided on the upper member 32 to facilitate turning. A dental floss dispenser 60, as in
A ratcheting arrangement similar to that of
In order that the user can determine readily when one of the ports 44 is aligned with the duct 40, detents can be provided so that a tactile and possibly also audible “click” is felt as each port 44 lines up with the duct 40. This could be accomplished by molding recesses on the juxtaposed surfaces of one of the upper and lower members cooperating with corresponding members standing proud of the corresponding surface, so that as the upper member 32 is rotated with respect to the lower member 30, the members click into the corresponding recesses.
Thus, in
The upper member 84 is formed to comprise dispensing nozzles 96, comprising short tubular sections closable by caps 98 retained by living hinges 100, as previously, and with internal passageways 102 arranged to be aligned with an internal passageway 104 in lower member 80, so as to establish a flow path for toothpaste from the interior of tube 82 to the dispensing nozzle 96. A particular one of the internal passageways 102 can be retained in alignment with the internal passageway 104 in lower member 80 by a detent mechanism, for example one or more radially-extending cooperating ridge 106 and groove 108 assemblies. See
As mentioned above, the upper end of the upper member 84 may be formed to comprise a gripping handle 110, extending radially beyond the dispensing nozzles 96 so as to prevent their touching a counter on which the assembly of toothpaste tube and dispenser is laid. Handle 110 can be connected to the remainder of upper member 84 by a living hinge 112, to allow its pivoting, and can be retained in the closed position shown by a catch 114. Handle 110 can be lifted to enable access to and replacement of a spool 116 of dental floss 118, retained for rotation on a central post 120. As described above, a cutter 122 may be provided adjacent an aperture 124 for the passage of the floss, to enable the user to conveniently cut off a length of floss 118. In order that tension can be exerted on the floss 118, so as to exert a cutting force against the cutter 122, the handle 110 can be pressed downwardly, exerting a frictional force on spool 116 and preventing it from rotation.
Numerous further improvements and modifications will occur to those of skill in the art, and are to be considered within the scope of the invention where not excluded by the following claims. For example, means could also be provided in any of the embodiments for indicating which of the exit ports were connected to the toothpaste tube at any given time. For example, as shown in
As mentioned,
This function could alternatively be provided by a metallic barbed member 170 assembled to collar 132 that would comprise teeth that, after assembly of the dispenser to the tube of toothpaste, would tend to dig into the plastic of the threaded connector 134a, or to the plastic surrounding connector 134a, preventing its removal. See
Provision of a ported, valved dispenser 140 that could be readily assembled to but not thereafter readily removed from the tube 134 of toothpaste would have the advantage that the dispenser 140 would need to be discarded when the tube was emptied and a fresh dispenser installed with each new tube of toothpaste, improving hygiene. It would also allow rotation of one member of the dispenser with respect to the other in either direction without unscrewing the dispenser from the tube of toothpaste, which would be particularly helpful where the dispenser of the invention is to be used by children. Further, this feature would allow the user to rotate one member with respect to the other to align the ports by gripping the handle 168 in one hand and the tube of toothpaste 134 in the other; this would be much preferable to designing the dispenser so that the user had to grasp two different members thereof. The same feature could of course be used with the other embodiments of the invention, providing the same advantages.
In this connection, it will be appreciated that in order that the user be able to rotate one member with respect to the other in either direction by gripping the handle 168 in one hand and the tube of toothpaste 134 in the other it is not strictly necessary that the first member be fixed to the tube of toothpaste, merely that counterclockwise rotation of the first member with respect to the tube of toothpaste require more torque than that required to turn one member of the dispenser with respect to the other. However, in order to require that the dispenser be discarded together with the tube of toothpaste when the latter is empty, it is necessary that the first member indeed be fixed to the tube of toothpaste, at least to the extent that substantial force would need to be applied to remove the dispenser from the tube of toothpaste.
In the embodiment of the invention shown in
Other aspects of the design of the embodiment of
In this embodiment, the member 180 of the dispenser that is to be threadedly connected to the externally-threaded orifice 134a of the tube of toothpaste 134 is provided with a number, e.g., four, of downwardly-extending fingers 182, which fit inside the orifice 134a and engage its interior wall, and preferably fit closely against the ridge 134b formed where the generally-tubular orifice meets the body of the tube 134, thereby exerting sufficient friction therebetween as to resist rotation in either direction, and so that the dispenser cannot thereafter be removed from the tube 134.
Thus,
Finally,
In this embodiment the internal passageway 190e in the lower member 190 extends from a central location over the threaded orifice 134a of the tube 134 to its periphery, while the ports 192b in the upper member 192 are formed in a downwardly-extending skirt 192c.
Further,
Other features of this embodiment are generally as discussed above.
While various of the embodiments of the invention have been described in connection with its use with conventional toothpaste tubes, so as to be useful with various manufacturers' tubes without modification, it is of course within the invention to redesign the tube of toothpaste to cooperate with the dispenser of the invention to implement the features described. In particular, the threads of the tube could readily be modified to allow the dispenser of the invention to be threaded thereonto, but not thereafter removed, while not interfering with use of the conventional cap provided. For example, the ratcheting arrangement shown in
Therefore, while several preferred embodiments of the invention and various alternatives have been disclosed in detail, the invention is not to be limited thereby, but only by the following claims.
Claims
1. A valved multiport dispenser for toothpaste or the like, comprising:
- first and second members, mounted to one another for relative rotation about an axis,
- a first one of said members adapted to be secured to a dispensing opening of a tube of toothpaste or the like, and having an internal passageway connected to said dispensing opening;
- one of said members defining a plurality of dispensing nozzles, whereby a plurality of users may each be provided with an individually-assigned dispensing nozzle;
- the one of said members being secured to the tube of toothpaste being rotated with respect to the other of said members so as to selectively connect one of said dispensing nozzles to the internal passageway and thereby to the dispensing opening.
2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said first member and said second member are generally tubular in form and are coaxial, such that one of said members rotates within the other, and said dispensing nozzles are formed in the wall of the outer member.
3. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the inner member is secured to a dispensing opening of a tube of toothpaste or the like, and has said internal passageway connected to said dispensing opening.
4. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the inner member is threadedly secured to the dispensing opening of a tube of toothpaste or the like.
5. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the inner member is integral with the dispensing opening of a tube of toothpaste or the like.
6. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the outer member is secured to a dispensing opening of a tube of toothpaste or the like, and has said internal passageway connected to said dispensing opening.
7. The dispenser of claim 6, wherein the outer member is threadedly secured to the dispensing opening of a tube of toothpaste or the like.
8. The dispenser of claim 6, wherein the outer member is integral with the dispensing opening of a tube of toothpaste or the like.
9. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the outer member rotates with respect to the inner member and the tube of toothpaste so as to selectively align one of a plurality of dispensing nozzles extending through the wall of the outer member with one of a corresponding plurality of ports extending through the wall of the inner member.
10. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein said dispensing nozzles comprise tubular members extending from the wall of said outer member.
11. The dispenser of claim 10, wherein caps are provided to seal said tubular members.
12. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein said caps are retained by living hinges molded integrally with said outer member, tubular members, and caps.
13. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a dental floss dispenser comprising components defining a compartment for receiving a spool of dental floss, a pivot means for accepting said spool and allowing it to be rotated by tension applied to the dental floss, and a cutter for cutting off a desired length of dental floss.
14. The dispenser of claim 13, wherein said components defining a compartment of said dental floss dispenser are molded integrally together with one of said first and second members.
15. The dispenser of claim 1, where the one of said members that is not secured to said tube of toothpaste comprises a gripping handle for being gripped by a user to rotate one member with respect to the other, and wherein said gripping handle is sized so as to preclude said dispensing nozzles from contacting a flat surface on which the assembly of said dispenser and a tube of toothpaste are disposed.
16. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said first and second members are provided with cooperating detent structures, defining predetermined relative positions of the first and second members, whereby as the user turns one member with respect to the other in order to align a dispensing nozzle with the internal passageway, a tactile sensation is felt as a dispensing nozzle is aligned with the internal passageway.
17. The dispenser of claim 16, where one of said predetermined relative positions of the first and second members is a safety position where no one of the dispensing nozzles is aligned with the internal passageway.
18. The dispenser of claim 16, wherein said first and second members comprise cooperating indicia whereby a user is provided with a visible indication that a particular one of the dispensing nozzles is aligned with the internal passageway.
19. The dispenser of claim 18, wherein said cooperating indicia comprise identifiers disposed on an inner one of said first and second members, one of said identifiers being visible through windows in an outer one of said first and second members when one of the dispensing nozzles is aligned with the internal passageway.
20. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said first one of said members adapted to be secured to a dispensing opening of a tube of toothpaste or the like, and having an internal passageway connected to said dispensing opening, comprises internal threads for being threaded onto external threads of a preexisting threaded orifice in the tube of toothpaste, whereby the dispenser can be threaded onto the external threads of the preexisting threaded orifice, and further comprises structure for thereafter being retained by the tube of toothpaste such that the other one of said members can be rotated in either direction with respect to the first one of said members without unthreading said first one of said members from the tube of toothpaste.
21. The dispenser of claim 20, wherein said structure comprises asymmetrical axial ridges cut into the threads, such that the internal threads can be turned in a first direction onto the external threads of said preexisting threaded orifice but cannot be turned in the opposite direction, preventing removal of said first one of said members from said preexisting threaded orifice.
22. The dispenser of claim 20, wherein said structure comprises a ring of teeth surrounding the portion of said the first one of said members comprising said internal threads and extending axially downwardly therefrom, whereby as said internal threads are threaded onto said external threads, said teeth engage the material of said tube of toothpaste surrounding said threaded orifice, resisting removal of said first one of said members therefrom.
23. The dispenser of claim 22, wherein said teeth of said ring of teeth are asymmetrical, each having an inclined side ramp surface extending in the direction of clockwise rotation and a substantially axially extending surface, said surfaces of each tooth meeting at a sharp edge, whereby as said internal threads are threaded onto said external threads, one or more of said edges engage the material the material of said tube of toothpaste surrounding said threaded orifice, resisting removal of said first one of said members therefrom.
24. The dispenser of claim 23, wherein the material of said tube of toothpaste surrounding said threaded orifice is formed to define an approximately frustoconical surface, and wherein said edges of said teeth are inclined so as engage said frustoconical surface over substantially the length of the edges.
25. The dispenser of claim 23, wherein the material of said tube of toothpaste surrounding said threaded orifice is formed to define an approximately frustoconical surface, and wherein said edges of said teeth are shaped to define sharp points engaging said frustoconical surface.
26. The dispenser of claim 20, wherein said structure comprises one or more elongated members extending into the threaded orifice so as to engage its inner surface, and/or the inner surface of the tube of toothpaste.
27. The dispenser of claim 26, wherein said elongated members are fingers molded integrally with the first one of said members, comprising retaining lips fitting over the joint between the interior of the threaded orifice of the tube of toothpaste and the body thereof.
28. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said first one of said members adapted to be secured to a dispensing opening of a tube of toothpaste or the like, and having an internal passageway connected to said dispensing opening, is a disc-like member having a distal surface comprising means for being secured to said dispensing opening, and a proximal surface, said first one of said members further defining an exit opening of said internal passageway formed in said distal surface, and wherein said second one of said members is a second disc-like member secured to said first one of said members by means for permitting relative rotation thereof, and wherein said second one of said members defines said plurality of dispensing nozzles, and comprises passageways connecting said dispensing nozzles to inlets in a surface of said second member juxtaposed to said proximal surface of said first member, such that by rotation of said second member with respect to said first member, a selected one of said inlets in said second member can be aligned with said exit opening in said first member, thereby establishing a flow path between said dispensing opening of said tube and a selected one of said dispensing nozzles.
29. The dispenser of claim 28, wherein said dispensing nozzles comprise tubular members extending from the wall of said second member.
30. The dispenser of claim 29, wherein caps are provided to seal said tubular members.
31. The dispenser of claim 30, wherein said caps are retained by living hinges molded integrally with said second member, tubular members, and caps.
32. The dispenser of claim 28, further comprising a dental floss dispenser comprising components defining a compartment for receiving a spool of dental floss, a pivot means for accepting said spool and allowing it to be rotated by tension applied to the dental floss, and a cutter for cutting off a desired length of dental floss.
33. The dispenser of claim 32, wherein said components defining a compartment of said dental floss dispenser are molded integrally together with second member.
34. The dispenser of claim 28, wherein said first one of said members is threadedly secured to the dispensing opening of a tube of toothpaste or the like.
35. The dispenser of claim 28, wherein said first one of said members is integral with the dispensing opening of a tube of toothpaste or the like.
Type: Application
Filed: May 2, 2013
Publication Date: Dec 26, 2013
Inventor: Patrick C. Ryan (Newport, RI)
Application Number: 13/986,430
International Classification: B67D 3/00 (20060101);