Importance

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Abstract

A positive displacement dispenser for storing and dispensing viscous materials like toothpaste is disclosed. The dispenser has a longitudinally-extending housing having an upper surface and side surfaces defining a chamber for storing viscous material, a discharge orifice in the housing through which material is dispensed, a threaded rod having an axis extending longitudinally through the chamber, and a piston mounted on the threaded rod by means of a central threaded opening. The piston is advanced along the threaded rod toward the discharge orifice to dispense material from the chamber by depressing a pivotal lever attached to the upper surface of the housing. This causes a drive bar projecting from the lever to move within a plane and turn a rotatable wheel coaxial with the threaded rod. As the pivotal lever is depressed, the drive bar, which has major dimensions in both its perpendicular coordinate directions within the plane and a minor dimension in its other perpendicular coordinate direction, moves rigidly within the plane. The dispenser is also provided with a spring return mechanism, having interlocking spring members projecting from the pivotal lever toward the upper surface of the housing and vice versa, to return the pivotal lever to its undepressed position. As this occurs, the drive bar moves along a path deviating from the plane as it bends around the rotatable wheel about its minor dimension. The dispenser is further provided with a one-way mechanism to prevent the rotatable wheel from turning in a direction which would retract the piston within the chamber.

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First Claim