Tube retaining device

Abstract

After the user folds or rolls the emptied portion of a closed end collapsible tube such as a toothpaste tube a circular, oblong, or flat loop or band of elastic material is stretched over and encircles the folded or rolled emptied portion of said tube to prevent the contents from the unused portion of the tube from being expelled back into the folded or rolled, emptied and retained (by the Tube Retaining Device) portion of the tube. Concurrently, the Tube Retaining Device presents the emptied portion of the tube in a neat and tidy manner. Upon continued expression of material from the tube the elastic band is removed, the tube is once again folded or rolled and the Tube Retaining Device is re-applied. This action is repeated until the contents of the tube are completely expelled. As the spent tube is discarded, the device is removed and then ready for use on another such tube.

1 . An elastic band/loop device to retain the used portion of a closed end collapsible tube such as a toothpaste tube, comprised of: 
 A band/loop an embodiment of which could be fabricated of circular, ovoid, or flat fabric-elastic, rubber-elastic, or elastomeric material, and    a band/loop an embodiment of which could be fabricated in varying lengths, widths, and thicknesses, and    a band/loop an embodiment of which could be fabricated with variable coefficients of elasticity and,    a band/loop an embodiment of which could present itself in single and/or multiple color combinations, with decoration, logo's, pictures, or text imprinted thereon:    
   
   
       2 . A band/loop as described in  claim 1  wherein said band\loop is placed stretched around, encircling, compressing, entirely or partially covering and retaining a previously folded or rolled portion of a partially emptied collapsible tube such as toothpaste tube and, 
 A band/loop as placed in  claim 2 . wherein the elastic compression prevents back filling of the encircled and compressed emptied portion of the tube, and    A band/loop as placed in  claim 2 , wherein the encircled and compressed emptied portion of the tube is retained in a neat and tidy condition, and    A band/loop as placed in  claim 2  wherein the encircled and compressed emptied portion of the tube is prevented from returning to an elongated state, and    A band\loop, as placed in  claim 2 , an embodiment of which could be sized to encircle and compress various sizes of closed end collapsible tubes such as toothpaste type tubes, and    A band/loop, as placed in  claim 2 , wherein the encircled and compressed emptied portion of the tube is held securely without slippage, and    A band/loop, as pla76Xin  claim 2 , which would have a coefficient of elasticity such that it will not crush or collapse said tube.    
   
   
       3 . A band\loop as described in  claim 1  wherein said band/loop may be used in sequential applications.