Apparatus for dispensing the content of a collapsible paste tube

• US 5,441,172 A
• Filed: 07/12/1994
• Issued: 08/15/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Abraham Yu
• Original Assignee: Abraham Yu
• Inventors: Yu, Abraham
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin P.
• Application Number:
  US08/273,974
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 222/52, 222/63, 222/95, 222/96, 222/102, 222/105, 222/333, 222/504
• US Class Current: 222/52
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/122 using squeeze bottles or the like A47K5/1201 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 35/285 Co-operating squeezing supporting rollers

Abstract

A dispensing apparatus for automatically dispensing the paste-like content of a collapsible tube. The apparatus includes a housing having an outer door and an inner door hinged at the bottom to close a bottom opening and two pairs of vertical racks. A collapsible paste tube, installed inside the housing to hold a paste-like content. A dispensing unit consisting of two rollers, moved along the vertical racks to squeeze a fixed amount of the paste-like content out of the collapsible paste tube. A transmission gear unit driven to turn the rollers causes them to be moved along the vertical racks, and an induction type actuator controlled to detect the presence of a pick-up device for picking up the dispensed paste-like content from the collapsible paste tube by an electric eye and to turn the dispensing unit through the transmission gear unit by a first motor and to open the outer door by a second motor upon the detection of the presence of the pick-up device.

Claims

1. A dispensing apparatus for automatically dispensing the paste-like content of a collapsible tube, the apparatus comprising:

a housing having an elongated slot vertically disposed on a front wall thereof, two opposing pairs of vertical racks, a bottom opening on a bottom wall thereof, an outward-swinging outer door retained by springs to close said bottom opening, and a swinging inner door stopped in a closed position inside said bottom opening by a swivel pin, said swinging inner door having a through hole, said opposing pairs of vertical racks including one inner pair of vertical racks having each a curved bottom section;

a collapsible paste tube installed inside said housing to hold a paste-like content;

a dispensing unit mounted within said housing and moved to squeeze said collapsible paste tube causing said collapsible paste tube to send a predetermined amount of the paste-like content out of said housing through the through hole on said swinging inner door, said dispensing unit comprising two rollers having each two round pins longitudinally aligned at two opposite ends and two driven gears respectively fixedly mounted around the round pins and respectively meshed between said opposing pairs of vertical racks;

a transmission gear unit mounted on the round pins of said rollers at one side, said transmission gear unit comprising two parallel frames connected by spacers and screw bolts, a first gear shaft and a second gear shafts respectively inserted through holes on the parallel frames, a first gear and a second gear fixedly mounted around said first gear shaft, a third gear and a fourth gear fixedly mounted around said second gear shaft, said third gear being meshed with said second gear, a fifth gear fixedly mounted around one of said round pins at an outer side of one roller and supported by a spring member to mesh with said fourth gear;

a lever pivotally fastened to said transmission gear unit and retained in place by a spring member, said lever having one end extended out of the elongated slot on the front wall of said housing and moved to disengage said fifth gear from said fourth gear;

an induction type actuator controlled by an electric eye to detect the presence of a pick-up device for picking up the dispensed paste-like content from said collapsible paste tube and to turn said dispensing unit through said transmission gear unit causing said dispensing unit to squeeze a predetermined amount of the paste-like content out of said collapsible paste tube, said induction type actuator comprising a first motor controlled by said electric eye to rotate to said first gear in one direction at a predetermined distance, a return control switch controlled to turn said first motor reversely at a predetermined distance, a second motor controlled by said electric eye to turn a rotary wheel back and forth in one cycle causing said rotary wheel to open said outward-swinging outer door by push rods thereof; and

wherein when said pick-up device is detected by said electric eye, said first motor is triggered by said electric eye to move said rollers along said opposing pairs of opposite racks at a predetermined distance in squeezing a predetermined amount of the paste-like content out of said collapsible paste tube, and said second motor is simultaneously triggered by said electric eye to open said outward-swinging outer door for permitting the dispensed paste-like content to be picked up by said pick-up device; and

wherein when said rollers are moved to the curved bottom sections of said vertical racks, said rollers are spaced from said collapsible paste tube.

2. The dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said lever comprises an opening, which receives a projecting block on said transmission gear unit, and a through hole, a pivot pin inserted through the through hole on said lever and a through hole on said projecting block, a groove at one side, a spring member having one end fastened to the groove on said lever and an opposite end fastened to a groove on said projecting block, the spring member of said lever automatically returning said lever to its former position each time said lever is pressed.