Granted Patent B2

US 12,649,167 · App. 18/305,266 · Granted Jun 9, 2026

Inventor: George L. Lee (Tulsa, OK)

B05C17/00576B65D83/763

Abstract

Claims (28)

1 . A plunger for dispensing a material, the plunger comprising:

a main wall attachable with a plunger rod; and

a first sidewall extending from the main wall at a first angle in relation to a longitudinal axis of the plunger, the first sidewall having a free end with an exterior side, the exterior side of the free end of the first sidewall is spaced from an interior surface of a package tube when the plunger is received in the package tube due to the first angle;

wherein the first sidewall and the main wall define a plunger cavity.

2 . The plunger according to claim 1 , wherein the main wall is operatively engageable with the plunger rod.

3 . The plunger according to claim 1 , wherein the first sidewall extends from a perimeter edge of the main wall in a first direction to create a first side of the plunger, and wherein the plunger includes a second sidewall extending from the perimeter edge in a second direction opposite to that of the first direction to create a second side of the plunger opposite the first side.

4 . The plunger according to claim 3 , wherein the second sidewall extends away from the perimeter edge at a second angle, and wherein the second sidewall having a free end with an exterior side and, the exterior side of the free end of the second sidewall is spaced from the interior surface of the package tube when the plunger is received in the package tube due to the second angle.

5 . The plunger according to claim 4 , wherein the second angle is different to the first angle.

6 . The plunger according to claim 4 , wherein the first angle is equal to the second angle.

7 . The plunger according to claim 4 , wherein a radial medial point between the first and second sidewalls is configured to contact the interior surface of the package tube containing material to be dispensed by movement of the plunger.

8 . The plunger according to claim 1 further comprises one or more plunger protrusion walls extending from the main wall into the plunger cavity.

9 . The plunger according to claim 1 , wherein the main wall is configured to bend when a predetermined force is applied thereto.

10 . The plunger according to claim 9 , wherein a perimeter edge of the first sidewall is configured to contact an internal wall of a package tube when the plunger is received in the package tube.

11 . The plunger according to claim 9 , wherein the main wall is configured to deform upon application of the predetermined force to provide a surface area that contacts an internal wall of a package tube.

12 . The plunger according to claim 9 , wherein the plunger is configured to slide in a package tube of a dispensing device and to contact an end of a collapsible package contained in the package tube.

13 . A plunger for dispensing a material from a collapsible package in a package tube, the plunger comprising:

a main wall attachable with a plunger rod, the main wall being configured to deform when a predetermined force is applied thereto; and

one or more sidewalls each extending from the main wall at an angle in relation to a longitudinal axis of the plunger, the sidewalls each having a free end with an exterior side, the exterior side of the free end of the sidewalls is spaced from an interior surface of a package tube when the plunger is received in the package tube due to the angle;

wherein the sidewalls and the main wall define a plunger cavity configured to receive an end of a collapsible package containing a material dispensable by movement of the plunger;

wherein a section of the sidewalls is configured to contact the interior surface of the package tube containing the collapsible package by movement of the plunger.

14 . The plunger according to claim 13 , wherein the sidewalls extend from a perimeter edge of the main wall in a first direction to create a first side of the plunger, and wherein the plunger includes one or more second sidewalls extending from the perimeter edge in a second direction opposite to that of the first direction to create a second side of the plunger opposite the first side.

15 . The plunger according to claim 13 further comprises one or more plunger protrusion walls extending from the main wall into the plunger cavity.

16 . The plunger according to claim 13 , wherein the section of the sidewalls that contacts the interior surface if a radial medial point of the sidewalls.

17 . The plunger according to claim 13 , wherein the plunger is configured to slide in the package tube of a dispensing device and to contact the end of the collapsible package contained in the package tube.

18 . A method of operating a plunger to dispense a material from collapsible package in a package tube, the plunger comprising a main wall and a sidewall extending from the main wall at an angle in relation to a longitudinal axis of the plunger, the sidewall having a free end with an exterior side; the method comprising the steps of:

a) advancing the plunger in the package tube so an end of the collapsible package is received in a plunger cavity defined by the main wall and the sidewall, and the free end of the sidewall is spaced from an interior surface of the package tube due to the angle;

b) forcing the plunger against the end of the collapsible package to create a force applied to any one of or any combination of the main wall and the sidewall; and

c) bending, by way of the force, the any one of or any combination of the main wall and the sidewall so that at least a radial medial point of the sidewall contacts the interior surface of the package tube.

Continuity (2)

References Cited (56)