Free Standing Toothpaste Dispenser

Abstract

Toothpaste tubes can be messy and difficult to squeeze. There have been numerous attempts to create a neater toothpaste dispenser. This invention uses an air pump and an inflatable air bladder to squeeze toothpaste from a toothpaste tube out of a nozzle. The dispenser is less messy than a toothpaste tube, and easy enough to use one-handed.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dispenser comprising:
 a housing;   an air bladder disposed within the housing and featuring a receptacle;   a nozzle with a female coupling for receiving a correspondingly male coupling of a toothpaste tube; and   an air pump that is in fluid communication with the air bladder via a valve.   
     
     
         2 . The dispenser of  claim 1  wherein the housing is constructed of a solid material selected from the group consisting essentially of hard plastic, metal, wood, stone, ceramic. 
     
     
         3 . A dispenser according of  claim 1  wherein the air pump is controlled by a lever that is a separate apparatus from the nozzle. 
     
     
         4 . A dispenser according to  claim 1  wherein the air pump is connected to the lid and the pump is operated by depressing the lid. 
     
     
         5 . A dispenser according to  claim 4  wherein the air pump is a bellows-style air pump. 
     
     
         6 . A dispenser according to  claim 1  wherein the air pump is electronically controlled. 
     
     
         7 . The dispenser of  claim 1  wherein the housing is cylindrical 
     
     
         8 . The dispenser of  claim 1  wherein the housing is a solid color. 
     
     
         9 . A method of dispensing toothpaste comprising:
 placing a toothpaste tube inside of a toothpaste receptacle wherein the receptacle is contained within an air bladder;   connecting a lid containing a nozzle to the toothpaste tube; and,   pumping air into an air bladder so that the air squeezes the toothpaste tube, forcing it through the nozzle;   
     
     
         10 . A method of dispensing toothpaste according to  claim 9  wherein the air bladder is controlled by lever which is a separate mechanism from the lid and the nozzle. 
     
     
         11 . A method of dispensing toothpaste according to  claim 10  wherein the air pump is operated by depressing the lid. 
     
     
         12 . A method of dispensing toothpaste according to  claim 10  wherein the air pump is electronically controlled.