Multiport valved dispenser for toothpaste and the like

Abstract

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         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.