US2766909A - Magnetic supporting device for containers - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 16, 1956 w. v. DOYLE MAGNETIC SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR CONTAINERS Filed March 6, 1951 INVENTOR. Mfigy/e 2,766,909 Patented Oct. 16, 1956 MAGNETEQ SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR CONTAINERS William V. Doyle, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 6, 1951, Serial No. 214,188

Claims. (Cl. 222105) This invention relates generally to devices for supporting containers having a neck until the contents are desired to be dispensed therefrom, and relates particularly to a magnetic device for supporting a container for ready use thereof, at the same time protecting the contents from air or contamination.

While the invention is concerned generally with supporting or holding containers in position for immediate use, at the same time protecting the contents thereof against air or contamination, it is particularly useful in connection with collapsible tubes, such as a tube of shaving cream, toothpaste or the like, and will, therefore, be exemplified in that connection without any intent to thereby limit the scope of the invention. The invention is characterized by a mounting receptacle, or body portion, which can be fastened to a Wall, clipped to a shelf, or supported from a hook, etc., the receptacle having a recess therein and an entrance opening thereto for a filling and dispensing neck of a collapsible tube, or other container. One or more magnets are supported by the receptacle and are so disposed with reference to the entrance opening to the recess that magnetic lines of fiux will be provided across the recess and preferably adjacent the entrance opening, a ferro-magnetic closure member being secured to the filling and dispensing neck and adapted with the filling and dispensing neck to provide a closure for said recess to prevent the entrance of air and contamination to the contents of the tube while being so magnetically supported.

if desired, the magnetic means could itself be so formed as to "also serve as the receptacle.

In one form of the invention, the receptacle is supported on a wall bracket, and has a circular upstanding flange which rests upon the wall bracket and provides a support for a tumbler or drinking glass. In this form of the invention, the receptacle has a circular outline and extends through an aperture formed in the support bracket, the walls of the receptacle having molded therein a more or less horseshoe-shaped magnet, for example. The magnet molded within the receptacle thus provides lines of force to hold a ferromagnetic closure member against, and/or within, the receptacle. The ferro-rnagnetic closure member may be internally threaded to cooperate with the threaded filling and dispensing neck of a collapsible tube, for example.

in one form of the invention, as will be described in this specification, the receptacle is molded integrally with a spring clip whereby the spring clip may hold the receptacle, or body portion, to a storage shelf such as is commonly found in a medicine cabinet in a bathroom. in this form of the invention, a recess is provided in the receptacle for the filling and dispensing neck of the collapsible tube, and the receptacle is molded integrally with a magnet, or magnets, to attract and hold a closure member or a collar, which is secured to the collapsible tube, within the recess of the receptacle.

In another form of the invention, the receptacle is provided with a recess having a substantially hemispheri- 2 cal surface, and a closure having a mating spherical surface is threaded to the filling and dispensing neck of the collapsible tube, the tube and the closure member being held in position by a slug of magnetic metal molded integrally with the receptacle.

it is a principal object of this invention to enable a collapsible tube for toothpaste or the like to be readily used without the necessity of removing a cap therefrom at each time of use, the tube with its contents after such periods of use being capable of being stored in a readily accessible manner in a minimum of space while preventing access of air or contamination to the contents of the tube.

Another object of the invention comprehends the use of a magnetic holding member and a ferro-magnetic closure member cooperating therewith, the magnetic holding member being adapted to hold a collapsible tube together with its contents in a position whereby it may be readily supported.

Another object is to provide a supporting device for a collapsible tube or the like, which device will support the tube in a vertical position so that it does not take up as much horizontal supporting surface (e. g. on a shelf or the like) as it usually requires.

Still another object is to provide a closure element or collar which is removably secured to a container neck and which may be used over again with other containers.

Other objects and important features of the invention will be apparent from a study of the within specification taken together with the drawings which show several pre ferred embodiments of the invention, and what is now considered to be the best modes of applying the principles thereof. While the invent-ion is shown and described in terms of a number of preferred embodiments thereof, his not intended that the invention be limited by the exact embodiments shown nor otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a supporting device having embodied therein the improvements according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical, cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the manner in which a collapsible tube may be supported by the device according to the present invention;

Figure 2A is a fragmentary, vertical, cross sectional view similar to Figure 2 but showing a modification thereof;

Figure 3 is a section taken along the line 33 in Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is an isometric view of another form f the invention, showing a collapsible tube being supported thereby;

Figure 5 is a section taken 'along the hue 55 in Figure 4 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a section taken along the line 66 in Figure 5 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 7 is a section taken through a receptacle wherein another form of the invention is embodied;

Figure 8 is a horizontal section taken on the line 8-8 in Figure 7 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 9 is a section similar to that of Figure 6 but on smaller scale and showing the use of a pair of bar magnets in place of a single magnet.

Referring now particularly to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, there is shown a supporting device 10 having means, such as an angle bracket 11 having a vertical backplate 12, which may be secured to the wall as by mounting screws 13, and a horizontal plate 12a. As shown in Figure 1, the supporting device 10 may be provided with a plurality of openings 15 for toothbrush handles so that the brushes maybe supported on the bracket. The bracket 11 is provided with a circular aperture 15a to receive an annular-shaped body portion, or receptacle, 14. preferably molded of thermoplastic, .or similar, material and having a flange 16 .whereby the receptacle 14 may rest on the bracket 11. The flange 16 is integral with a cup-shaped ring 17 to provide a recess fora water tumbler 18 or the like. j

The body portion 14 has an annular flange 19 which extends down through the aperture 15a formed in the bracket 11 to define a recess 21 into which a filling and dispensing neck 22 of a collapsible container 23 may extend. The annular flange 19 is molded with a substantially horseshoe-shaped magnet 24 being disposed therein, said magnet being formed from an aluminum, nickel and cobalt alloy having a high degree of retentivity. The magnet 24 thus provides magnetic lines of flux across the recess 21 adjacent its entrance 26. Preferably, the magnet 24 is disposed within said body portion, since, in that way, it will be maintained out of contact with the contents of the container and less subject to corrosion.

A closure member 27 is adapted to be threaded to the overlies the receptacle 31 and is bent to provide a vertical filling and dispensing neck 22 of the collapsible tube 23.

Member 27 consists of a nozzle portion or collar 28 and a generally radially extending flange portion 29 adapted to seat against the lower end of the body member 14 over the entrance 26 and within a counterbore 30. The closure member 27, or a portion thereof such as the flange 29 or collar 28, is made of ferro-magnetic material so that it will be attracted toward the magnet 24 thereby holding the closure member 27 and tube 23 in the position shown in Figure 2. The amount of attractive force of the magnet 24 for the ferro-magnetic closure 27 is sufiicient to hold it and the tube 23 as shown in Figure 2, but the amount of such magnetic attraction is insufficient to prevent remofitl of the tube 23 and the closure 27 from the position as seen in Figure 2 whereby the contents of the tube may be emptied as desired. It will be appreciated that the closure member itself might comprise a permanent magnet, with a ferro-magnetic member being carried by the body member 14 in place of magnet 24.

In Figure 2A there is shown a modification wherein the flange 2 of the closure member 27 has a resilient ring 23a of sealing material disposed on its upper surface and wherein the opposing surface of the body member 14 has a cooperating ring 14a of resilient material. The attraction of the magnet 24 for the ferro-magnetic closure member 27 causes the rings 29a and 14a to be brought into engagement to provide an excellent seal against the entrance of air or dirt to the recess 21. If desired, one or the other of the rings 14a and 29a may be dispensed with.

In using the supporting device as shown in Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, it is'necessary only to remove the obvious, of course, that when the contents of the tube have been completely expended, the closure member 27 may be removed therefrom and applied to a replacement tube. 7

iAs seen in Figure S, .the clip'32 has a limb 33 which 7 member and the end of the neck stop limb 34 and a horizontal limb 36 which is embedded in the material forming the receptacle 31. As with the receptacle 14, the receptacle 31 may be molded from any suitable plastic molding material such as cellulose acetate, styrene or the like.

In place of the clip 32 there might be used other supporting means such, for example, as a hook or screw eye (not shown) connected with the top ofthe body portion 31, for suspending the whole supporting device.

from some fixed object.

As seen in Figure 5, the underside of the receptacle, or body portion, 31 is formed with a dome-shaped recess 37 defined by asurface 38 which flares into a circular counterbore 39. As seen in Figure 6, the receptacle 31 is molded integrally with a generally horeshoe-shaped magnet 41, which provides magnetic lines of flux across the recess 37. The filling and dispensing neck 22 of the collapsible tube 23 is adapted to enter the recess 37, and is provided with a threaded collar 42 made of plastic material or the like. The collar 42 is molded integrally with a circular flange 43 adapted to seat within the counter bore 39. The collar and flange together form a closure member similar to the closure member 27 of Figures 1 to 3. The flange 43 is formed of ferro-magnetic material so as to be attracted to the magnet 41 and to be held thereby with the collar 42 and the tube 23 in the position as shown in Figure 5.

Referring now to Figures 7 and 8, there is shown still another embodiment of the invention. In this form the receptacle 31 is also in the shape of a flat block adapted to be held to the underside of a shelf by the spring clip 32, which is molded to the receptacle 31 in a fashion similar to the spring clip shown in Figure 5. The receptacle, or body portion, 31 is' provided with a hemisphericalshaped recess 44 which cooperates with a hemispherically- V shaped closure member 46 threaded to the filling and dispensing neck 22 of the collapsible tube 23. The closure member 46, or a portion thereof, is made of ferro-magnetic material and cooperates with a slug of magnetic metal 47 which is moldedintegrally into the receptacle 3 1. The closure member 46 is thus attracted to the magnet 47 and'holds the tube 23 in the position as seen in Figure 7.

In this form of the invention the closure member 46 itself provides a complete end closure for the container 23, apart from the walls of the recess. .However, the

top portion of the closure-46 may be eliminated (for ex- A modification of Figures 4, 5 and 6 is shown in Figure 9. Figure 9 is a section similar to Figure 6 but on reduced scale and showing a pair of bar magnets 41:; and 41b beingsubstituted for the horseshoe-shaped magnet 41 of Figure 6. V 7 a It'will be understood that in all illustrated forms of the invention more than one permanent magnet may be employed. Consequently, in the claims reference to magnetic means or similar Wording is intended to embrace the plural as Well as the singular unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. 7 I

. Inall forms of the invention it is preferred'to provide clearance between the inner end of the recess in the body of the supported tube (or the'end of the collar on the neck, Whichever protrudes more) so thatslight amounts of dispensed material at the end of theneck, or collar, will not be smeared on the surface of the recess at its inner. endwhen the tube is returned to its supported position. 7

According to the present invention, there has been provided a. novel and useful device for supporting a collapsible tube or other container for ready use. With the supporting and holding device according to the present invention the user of the container is not required to remove the cap prior to each time of use, with the attendant possibility of losing it. Yet, with the device according to the present invention, the contents of the container are always shielded from the presence of air or contamination Whenever the container is in the supported position.

While the invention has been described according to several preferred embodiments thereof, it is not inter. .L that the invention be limited by the emboimcnts shown nor otherwise than by the terms of the claims here appended.

I claim:

1. A supporting device for a collapsibie tube or the like having a screw threaded neck, said device comprising a body portion, supporting means adapted to support the body portion from a fixed object, a recess in said body portion bordered by a counterbore, magnetic means disposed within said body portion and positioned to provide magnetic lines of flux adjacent said recess, a screw threaded closure member adapted to be connected with the neck of the collapsible tube, said closure member having a collar portion and a radially extending flange and adapted for insertion Within said recess with said flange seating in said counterbore to seal the open end of said recess to limit the insertion of said closure member into said recess and to locate the closure member coaxially of said recess, at least a portion of said closure member being formed of term-magnetic material.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the radially extending flange of the closure member is formed of ferro-magnetic material for magnetically coupling said closure member to said body portion.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the magnetic means comprises a generally U-shaped permanent magnet partialiy encircling the recess.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the magnetic means comprises a plurality of permanent magnetic members.

5. For use with the threaded neck of a container and a magnetic supporting device, a closure member having an internal thread adapted to mate with the thread of the neck, and a radially extending flange, said flange being formed at least in part of ferro-magnetic material so that said closure member may be magnetically gripped by bringing the flange thereon into the magnetic field of the supporting device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,247,600 Priddy Nov. 20, 1917 1,915,671 Hyer June 27, 1932 1,984,610 Warren Dec. 18, 1934 2,078,149 Lutz Apr. 20, 1937 2,184,212 Davidson Dec. 13, 1939 2,414,653 Lookholder Jan. 21, 1947 2,438,231 Schultz Mar. 23, 1948 2,457,032 Case Dec. 21, 1948 2,465,971 Leblong Mar. 29, 1949

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