US20080237259A1

US20080237259A1 - Cave

Info

Publication number: US20080237259A1
Application number: US11/983,147
Authority: US
Inventors: Manfred Fuchs
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-11-08
Filing date: 2007-11-07
Publication date: 2008-10-02
Also published as: EP1920692A1; CN101176628A; JP2008120460A

Abstract

The invention describes a dispenser (1) for automatically dispensing semi-fluid media, in particular toothpaste, from a tube with a mouthpiece, comprising a housing (2) with an orifice (3) and having at least one portion measuring unit (4) for the tube in the interior, a switch (6), a motor (20), a drive mechanism (5) and a control unit (7), whereby a brush is positioned in the orifice (3) in order to charge it with semi-fluid medium. In order to transport the brush automatically from the orifice (3) in the direction of the mouthpiece of the tube, at least one drive mechanism (5) is provided on a positioning mechanism (8), in particular a gear (33) with at least one driver (34).

Description

Applicant claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of EUROPEAN Patent Application No. 06 023 217.0 filed on Nov. 8, 2006.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the invention
The invention relates to a dispenser for automatically dispensing a semi-fluid medium, in particular toothpaste, from a tube with a mouthpiece, comprising a housing with an orifice and with a least one portion measuring unit for the tube in the interior, a switch, a motor, a drive mechanism and a control unit, whereby a brush for charging with semi-fluid medium is positioned in the orifice, as well as the use thereof.
2. Prior art
There exists a whole range of different objects which are used and employed by several people in a household on a daily basis. Such objects which are used by all persons living in the house several times a day and are not provided individually for every member of the household are not always left in a tidy state. For example, one member of the family fails to screw the cap back on the toothpaste tube causing toothpaste to spill onto the washstand, or another member of the family merely comes along and puts the cap back on the toothpaste tube without screwing it on and it drops on the floor as soon as the user takes hold of it by the cap and again, toothpaste spills out. Others are more well-intentioned and screw the tube so firmly that it often can not be opened again without using some aid. The list goes on.
Furthermore, people who are not in a position to pick up small objects, for example due to an injury or illness, are not able to take care of their necessary daily hygiene and body care.
Several aids for measuring portions from tubes are known from the prior art as a means of dealing with the demands of day to day life.
For example, a toothpaste tube squeezer is known from the prior art, which has a base plate defining an elongate chamber containing a toothpaste tube. It also has two longitudinal tracks on both sides of the chamber, a transverse ridge which is moved along the longitudinal tracks between two oppositely lying ends of the chamber, and two gears mounted close to two oppositely lying ends of a shaft and respectively engaging in the longitudinal tracks. The toothpaste tube squeezer also has two buttons, which are attached to two oppositely lying ends of the shaft so that they can be manually turned, two covers which guide the movement of the gears and a cover which covers the base plate above the elongate chamber and covers. The toothpaste tube squeezer must be manually operated. As the fingers are turning the buttons, the fingers may be injured. This design of a toothpaste tube squeezer is also of no use for persons whose hands are injured or pathologically altered due to diseases.
Another design of tube squeezer is known from DE 298 00 632 U1. The automatic tube squeezer comprises a housing, a squeezer unit mounted in the housing and a motor. A control board is also provided, which is used to control the squeezer unit. Display lamps are also mounted in end-to-end bores.
Patent specification DE 39 04 143 A1 discloses a device for measuring portions of toothpaste from a toothpaste tube, by means of which toothpaste can be easily applied from a toothpaste tube to toothbrush bristles using only one hand. This is achieved using a clamp provided as a means of clamping a flat end piece and suspending the toothpaste tube, and a pair of rollers is provided on a carriage in order to pick up the flatly pressed toothpaste tube in the roller gap and can be displaced along the toothpaste tube, and the carriage is mounted on a guide and drive mechanism incorporating a drive. A control unit is also provided, which has a sensor for detecting a toothbrush at the mouthpiece and switching on the drive for the outward travel, a timer for halting and outward travel after a period of time and a switching element for switching the drive back on so as to effect a return travel. The sensor sets the drive in motion as the toothbrush bristles approach the mouthpiece so that toothpaste is squeezed out of the mouthpiece onto the toothbrush bristles.
The disadvantage of the devices for measuring portions of toothpaste from a toothpaste tube known from the prior art is that the toothbrush is placed by the user more or less directly underneath the mouthpiece of the toothpaste tube and has to be moved away again or the toothbrush is moved only far enough to obtain a portion of toothpaste on the bristles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the objective of this invention is to automate the dispensing of a semi-fluid medium from a dispenser as far as possible.
This objective is achieved by the invention on the basis of a dispenser, and in order to transport the brush automatically from the orifice in the direction of the mouthpiece of the tube on a positioning mechanism, at least one drive mechanism is provided, in particular a gear, with at least one driver. The advantage of this approach is that the brush merely has to be laid down and is automatically transported from the orifice to the mouthpiece of the tube and semi-fluid medium dispensed and the user is therefore not required to pay attention to positioning the brush correctly, whereas otherwise, semi-fluid medium could be positioned next to the brush button, thus requiring the entire dispenser mechanism to be carefully cleaned.
The dispenser has a housing, and the housing has a rear wall, side walls articulatingly connected to the rear wall, a base plate and a cover plate, as a result of which as smooth a surface as possible can be obtained, i.e. with few projections, so that little dust can be deposited and the design of the surface is such that it can be easily cleaned. Furthermore, the mechanisms are disposed in the housing and are protected by the housing.
The drive mechanism for transporting the brush may comprise several gears, and at least one of them is able to assume the function of transmitting force accordingly from another component of the dispenser, for example, and this force may be used to transport the brush.
In order to establish an interaction between the positioning mechanism and the gear, three drivers may be provided on the gear disposed at an angle of 120° with respect to one another so that rotating the gear causes the positioning mechanism to move.
In another embodiment, the drive mechanism is height-adjustable or electrically height-adjustable, thereby making it easy to adapt to the size or type of respective brush used.
A freewheel may also be provided, thereby enabling the portion measuring mechanism/portion measuring unit to be uncoupled. The freewheel is needed when the portion measuring roller is moved upwards in order to change the tube.
The drive mechanism also has at least one other gear, and one of the other gears assumes the function of increasing the ratio of a force, transmitted in particular from a spindle to the drive of the portion measuring roller of the portion measuring unit, thereby making optimum use of the energy applied. It has also proved to be of advantage if the movements of the individual elements of the dispenser, such as the positioning mechanism and the portion measuring roller of the portion measuring unit, are coordinated and adapted to one another.
In one embodiment, the positioning mechanism has at least one brush box, a guide means, in particular a track, for moving the brush box and optionally a return element, in particular a spring, for re-positioning the brush in the direction of the orifice, as a result of which the brush can be exactly positioned relative to the mouthpiece of the tube and the positioning mechanism can easily be moved in the direction towards and in the direction away from the mouthpiece, on the one hand, and the brush is released from the dispenser again, on the other hand.
A projection is also provided on the positioning mechanism, in particular on the brush box, to provide an interaction with the driver, so that the gear pushes the toothbrush box forward via the driver interacting with the projection, thereby enabling the semi-fluid medium to be dispensed form the mouthpiece of the tube onto the bristles of the brush.
On its top face, the brush box has a cut-out to enable the semi-fluid medium to be forced out onto the brush head. The top face may also be disposed at a distance from the side walls, so that the semi-fluid medium is applied without touching the brush box, which would otherwise make it necessary to remove it from the brush box with the brush or a spatula.
In one embodiment of the invention, the brush box may have a bolt on its transverse face directed towards the rear wall of the dispenser, thereby enabling the switch for operating the dispenser to be activated.
The brush box is also disposed on guide means on the base plate, thereby guaranteeing an exact positioning of the brush box on the one hand, because the base plate creates a certain degree of stability, and on the other hand making it possible to use elements that are easy to manufacture and inexpensive due to the guide means, in particular in the form of tracks.
The portion measuring unit comprises at least one spindle, in particular a threaded spindle, a portion measuring roller, a tube retaining wall, a clamp fitting and a fixing element, thereby imparting the stability needed to permit automatic and complete emptying of the tube.
In one embodiment, the portion measuring roller is retained so that it can move on a threaded spindle so that the portion measuring roller can be moved along the tube and the tube pressed against the tube retaining wall causing semi-fluid medium to be squeezed out of the mouthpiece of the tube.
The portion measuring roller can be placed in idle mode and also relieved of pressure, thereby preventing the semi-fluid medium from subsequently spilling out of the tube once the portion measuring roller is stationary.
In the operating mode, the tube of the dispenser is disposed between the tube retaining wall and the portion measuring roller, and pressure is applied to the tube due to the movement of the portion measuring roller and the tube retaining wall prevents it from flexing back out so that the semi-fluid medium is forced to move out through the mouthpiece where the pressure is eased at a possible dispensing point.
A clamp fitting is also provided on the tube retaining wall for holding the tube at its end region lying opposite the mouthpiece, thereby preventing the tube from slipping in the dispenser when a force is applied to the tube by the portion measuring roller.
The fixing element for the tube and optionally an adapter for different mouthpieces of the tube is provided on the rear wall of the housing, thereby ensuring that the mouthpiece of the tube is exactly positioned, even when force is being applied to it.
In one embodiment of the adapter, a ball valve is provided, thereby enabling the semi-fluid medium to be selectively controlled as it is dispensed from the tube and preventing the brush box or positioning mechanism and hence the entire dispenser from becoming messy due to medium spilling out unintentionally.
At least one cog belt pulley and optionally a cog belt may be disposed in or on the cover plate, in which case a commercially available mechanical means may be used for transmitting force.
The at least one cog belt pulley interacts with the at least one spindle of the portion measuring unit and another cog belt pulley interacts with the motor, thereby enabling force to be transmitted in the manner described above.
At least one cover is provided for the base and/or cover plate, in which case the cog belt pulley and the cog belt are protected inside the dispenser.
At least one orifice may be provided in the cover plate and/or its cover for accommodating at least one function control lamp, so that a quick glance will suffice to ascertain what functions are available, whether the dispenser is ready for operation, whether cleaning is necessary or whether the tube needs to be replaced, etc.
The electronic control unit is disposed on the rear wall and there is a connection to the motor of the at least one function control lamp and the at least one switch so that all the units of the dispenser can be electronically driven and coordinated via the control unit.
In an alternative embodiment, a spring element is disposed along the vertical axis of the drive mechanism, thereby resulting in a dispenser capable of accommodating different embodiments of brushes, such as electric or mechanical toothbrushes, for example.
In this embodiment, a fork element is also provided in the region of the drive mechanism, so that merely by mechanically changing the position of parts of the drive mechanism, the program needed for the respective brush can be activated in order to dispense the semi-fluid medium onto the brush or a spatula.
The fork element is retained by means of a retaining mechanism, in particular by means of a bearing, thereby allowing the gear to move into the end position, where it can be secured.
A switch is also provided as a means of activating a fork element, thereby facilitating activation of the switching mode to different respective brushes.
It has proved to be of advantage if the dispenser is used for dispensing toothpaste or shoe polish.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to examples of embodiments schematically illustrated in the appended drawings. Of these:

FIG. 1 shows an internal view of the dispenser proposed by the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded diagram of the region of the cover plate of the dispenser proposed by the invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded diagram of the middle and bottom regions of the dispenser proposed by the invention;

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the drive mechanism of the dispenser proposed by the invention;

FIG. 5 shows a section in the horizontal direction through the region of the base plate of the dispenser proposed by the invention;

FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment of the bottom region of the dispenser proposed by the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Firstly, it should be pointed out that the same parts described in the different embodiments are denoted by the same reference numbers and the same component names and the disclosures made throughout the description can be transposed in terms of meaning to same parts bearing the same reference numbers or same component names. Furthermore, the positions chosen for the purposes of the description, such as top, bottom, side, etc, relate to the drawing specifically being described and can be transposed in terms of meaning to a new position when another position is being described. Individual features or combinations of features from the different embodiments illustrated and described may be construed as independent inventive solutions or solutions proposed by the invention in their own right.
All the figures relating to ranges of values in the description should be construed as meaning that they include any and all part-ranges, in which case, for example, the range of 1 to 10 should be understood as including all part-ranges starting from the lower limit of 1 to the upper limit of 10, i.e. all part-ranges starting with a lower limit of 1 or more and ending with an upper limit of 10 or less, e.g. 1 to 1.7, or 3.2 to 8.1 or 5.5 to 10.
This invention relates to a dispenser for automatically dispensing semi-fluid media. Semi-fluid might include, for example, a toothpaste, tooth cream, shoe cream, shoe paste, pasty foodstuffs, for example peanut butter, etc.
FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram of a dispenser 1 of the type proposed by the invention. The dispenser 1 has a housing 2 with an orifice 3, which constitutes the cladding of the innards of the dispenser 1. The brush or a spatula for receiving the semi-fluid medium can be pushed through the orifice 3. Disposed in the interior of the housing 2 is the portion measuring unit 4, a drive mechanism 5, a switch 6 and an electronic control unit 7. Also illustrated is the positioning mechanism 8, which is made up of several parts.
In addition to the orifice 3, the housing 2 comprises a rear wall 9, a left-hand side wall 10 and a right-hand side wall 11, which are articulatingly attached to the rear wall 9. Disposed in the top region 12 is a cover plate 13 and in the bottom region 14 a base plate 15. The base plate 15 secures the portion measuring mechanism.
The cover plate 13 and the base plate 15 may each be provided with a cover plate 16, 17.
FIG. 2 is an exploded diagram showing the top region 12 of the dispenser 1, in particular the cover plate 13 with the cover plate 16.
Disposed in or on the cover plate 13 are several cog belt pulleys 18 which are connected via a cog belt 19. As illustrated in FIG. 2, three cog belt pulleys 18 may be provided, which are connected via the cog belt 19. In alternative embodiments, however, it would also be possible to provide only two cog belt pulleys 18 or more than three cog belt pulleys 18. One of the cog belt pulleys 18 is connected to a motor 20 which, as illustrated in FIG. 2, may be disposed underneath the cover plate 13. The motor 20 drives one of the cog belt pulleys 18. The energy is transmitted via the cog belt 19 to the other cog belt pulleys 18, thereby driving other elements, such as parts of the drive mechanism 5, for example.
Orifices 21 are provided in the cover plate 13 or cover 16, in which function control lamps 22 may be disposed, for example. For example, a control lamp 22 may be activated when the portion measuring unit 4 has reached the bottom end position. This end position can only be reached when the tube is empty. Components of the portion measuring unit 4 then move back up again.
Another function control lamp 22 may be activated when the top end position is reached, thereby indicating that the tube is empty and the portion measuring unit 4 is ready to be filled with a new tube.
Yet another function control lamp 22 is illuminated during the positioning operation.
Once the tube has been replaced, it may be preferable if the operation-ready status is restored by operating the portion measuring mechanism once.
Naturally, it would also be possible to provide a function control lamp 22 which generally indicates that the dispenser 1 is ready for operation.
FIG. 2 also illustrates parts of the portion measuring unit 4. In the embodiment illustrated, the portion measuring unit 4 comprises two spindles 23 and a portion measuring roller 24. The spindles 23 are preferably provided in the form of threaded spindles and the portion measuring roller 24 can be moved along the spindles 23 so that the tube is compressed during the positioning operation. The portion measuring roller 24 permits an automatic forward movement followed by a relief of the pressure in order to prevent the semi-fluid medium from being subsequently squeezed out of the tube.
FIG. 3 is an exploded diagram specifically illustrating the positioning mechanism 8. The positioning mechanism 8 comprises at least one brush box 25, guide means 26, in particular tracks for guiding the brush box 25, and optionally a return element 27, in particular a spring, for re-positioning the brush box 25 in the direction of the orifice 3 of the housing 2.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, a projection 28 is provided on the brush box 25, which interacts with components of the drive mechanism 5. On its top face 44, the brush box 25 has a cut-out 43 so that the semi-fluid medium is able to pass from the tube directly onto the brush head or the spatula. The cut-out 43 is preferably of a longer dimension in its longitudinal extension than it its in its transverse extension. The top face 44 of the brush box 25 may also be disposed at a distance apart from the side walls 45 so that the semi-fluid medium pressed out of the tube onto the brush head or spatula does not touch the brush box 25.
In one embodiment of the invention, the brush box 25 may have a bolt 46 or pin in its transverse face directed towards the rear wall 9 of the dispenser 1. The bolt 46 may activate operation of the switch 6, optionally via a spring element, by pushing the brush into the brush box 25.
The guide means 26 are disposed on the base plate 15. The brush box 25 is moved in the guide means 26.
Also disposed on the rear wall 9 is a fixing element 29 for the mouthpiece of the tube. The purpose of the fixing element 29 is to accommodate the mouthpiece of the tube containing the semi-fluid medium. Different fixing elements 29 may be provided for different tubes of the semi-fluid medium.
An adapter 30 may also be provided on the brush box 25 for different mouthpieces of tubes. The adapter 30 interacts with the fixing element 29 in order to close the tube.
In FIG. 3, the tube retaining wall 31 is also illustrated with a clamp fitting 32. The tube retaining wall 31 acts as a pressing surface for the tube. The clamp fitting 32 is disposed on the tube retaining wall and is used to hold the tube at its end region lying opposite the mouthpiece. In operating mode, the tube is disposed between and co-operates with the tube retaining wall 31 and the portion measuring roller 24.
FIG. 4 is a detailed view illustrating the drive mechanism 5. The drive mechanism 5 comprises several gears 33 and at least one driver 34 is provided on one gear 33. In the embodiment illustrated, the gear 33 is provided with three drivers 34 disposed at an angle of approximately 120°.
In addition to the gear 33 with the driver 34, the drive mechanism 5 also has at least one other gear 35, the purpose of which is to increase the ratio of force transmitted by the spindle 36 to the portion measuring unit 4. The drive mechanism 5 also has a freewheel 37, which is needed when the portion measuring roller 24 is moved upwards in order to change the tube. This enables the portion measuring mechanism to be uncoupled.
The drive mechanism 5 may be height-adjustable design and in particular may be electrically height-adjustable.
FIG. 4 also illustrates the switch 6 which is operated in order to activate the dispenser 1 when the brush is guided to the stop in the brush box 25, thereby initiating the positioning operation.
FIG. 5 illustrates a section through the dispenser 1 proposed by the invention in the region of the orifice 3. Disposed on the base plate 15 are the guide means 26 on which the brush box 25 is moved. When a brush is placed in the brush box 25 and guided as far as the stop, the switch 6 is activated, thereby activating the entire positioning operation. Due to the projection 28 of the brush box 25 interacting with the driver 34 of the gear 33, the gear 33 is moved and once the gear 33 with driver 34 has been displaced by a one third rotation, the projection 28 of the brush box 25 slips past the driver 34. The return element 27 pulls the brush box 25 back into the initial position.
FIG. 5 illustrates how the articulated connection of the side walls 10, 11 to the rear wall 9 can be achieved by means of hinge joints 38.
FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the dispenser 1 and this alternative embodiment is an improved version making allowance for different brushes, such as electrically or mechanically operated brushes for example. This being the case, a spring element 39 is disposed along the vertical axis of the gear 33 of the drive mechanism 5. The purpose of the spring element 39 is to secure the gear 33, 35 in the respective position depending on whether mechanical or electric brushes are used, in particular r toothbrushes.
Also illustrated is a fork element 40, which moves the gear 33, 35 into the end position, where it secures it. A bearing 41 is provided as a means of mounting the fork element 40. A switch 42 may also activate the positioning operation for electric toothbrushes.
A brief description will be given below, explaining how the dispenser 1 operates.
A brush is pushed into the orifice 3 in the brush box 25 as far as the rear stop. There, the positioning operation is initiated by means of the switch 6. In an alternative embodiment, the switch 6 may also be triggered by means of the bolt 46 disposed in the transverse face of the brush box 25 directed towards the rear wall 9 of the dispenser 1. Via the control unit 7, the switch 6 activates the motor 20, which drives the spindles 23 via the cog belt 19 and the cog belt pulleys 18. By rotating the spindles 23, the portion measuring roller 24 is moved downwards. The tube, which lies between the portion measuring roller 24 and the tube retaining wall 31, is now compressed. Also via the spindles 23 and via the gear 35, a rotating motion is transmitted to the gear 33 with the driver 34. The gear 33 with the driver 34 pushes the brush box 25 forwards. After a one-third rotation of the gear 33 with the driver 34, the projection 28 of the brush box 25 slips past the driver 34. The return element 27 pulls the brush box 25 back into the initial position.
The alternative embodiment operates in the same way as that described above. However, there is an option whereby the fork element 40 can be switched in order to activate the positioning operation for electric toothbrushes. Accordingly, the gear 33 is pushed out of the drive connection. This simultaneously causes the switch 42 to be switched. When the switch 42 is activated the appropriate portion measuring program is now activated when an electric toothbrush is inserted through the orifice 3. The portion measuring mode active at any one time, whether for mechanical or electric toothbrushes, is indicated externally by means of function control lamps 22, such as LEDs for example.
The embodiments illustrated as examples represent possible design variants of the dispenser 1 and it should be pointed out at this stage that the invention is not specifically limited to the design variants specifically illustrated, and instead the individual design variants may be used in different combinations with one another and these possible variations lie within the reach of the person skilled in this technical field given the disclosed technical teaching. Accordingly, all conceivable design variants which can be obtained by combining individual details of the design variants described and illustrated are possible and fall within the scope of the invention.
FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of the dispenser 1, which may be construed as an embodiment in its own right. The same reference numbers and component names are used to denote parts which are the same as those illustrated in the preceding FIGS. 1 to 5. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, reference may be made to the detailed description given in connection with these drawings.
For the sake of good order, finally, it should be pointed out that, in order to provide a clearer understanding of the structure of the dispenser 1, it and its constituent parts are illustrated to a certain extent out of scale and/or on an enlarged scale and/or on a reduced scale.
The objective underlying the independent inventive solutions may be found in the description.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 Dispenser
2 Housing
3 Orifice
4 Poriton measuring unit
5 Drive mechanism
6 Switch
7 Control unit
8 Positioning mechanism
9 Rear wall
10 Side wall
11 Side wall
12 Region
13 Cover plate
14 Region
15 Base plate
16 Cover plate
17 Cover plate
18 Cog belt pulley
19 Cog belt
20 Motor
21 Orifice
22 Control lamp
23 Spindle
24 Portion measuring roller
25 Brush bol
26 Guide means
27 Return element
28 Projection
29 Fixing element
30 Adapter
31 Tube retaining wall
32 Clamp fitting
33 Gear
34 Driver
35 Gear
36 Spindle
27 Freewheel
28 Hinge
39 Spring element
40 Fork element
41 Bearing
42 Switch
43 Cut-out
44 Top face
45 Side wall
46 Bolt

Claims

1. Dispenser for automatically dispensing semi-fluid media, in particular toothpaste, from a tube with a mouthpiece, comprising a housing with an orifice and at least one portion measuring unit for the tube in the interior, a switch, a motor, a drive mechanism and a control unit, whereby a brush is positioned in the orifice in order to charge it with semi-fluid medium, wherein, in order to transport the brush automatically from the orifice in the direction of the mouthpiece of the tube, at least one drive mechanism is provided on a positioning mechanism, in particular a gear with at least one driver.

2. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a rear wall, side walls articulatingly attached to the rear wall, a base plate and a cover plate.

3. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism comprises several gears.

4. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein three drivers are provided on the gear disposed at an angle of approximately 120°.

5. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism is height-adjustable, in particular electrically height-adjustable.

6. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein a freewheel is provided.

7. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism has at least one other gear and one of the other gears assumes the function of increasing the ratio of a force which is transmitted in particular by a spindle to the portion measuring unit.

8. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the positioning mechanism comprises at least one brush box, a guide means, in particular tracks, for moving the brush box, and optionally a return element, in particular a spring, for re-positioning the brush in the direction of the orifice.

9. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein a projection is provided on the positioning mechanism, in particular the brush box, which interacts with the driver.

10. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein, on its top face, the brush box has a cut-out and the top face is optionally disposed at a distance from the side walls.

11. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein, on its transverse face directed towards the rear wall, the brush box has a bolt, optionally a spring-biased bolt.

12. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the brush box is disposed on guide means on the base plate.

13. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the portion measuring unit comprises at least one spindle, in particular a threaded spindle, a portion measuring roller, a tube retaining wall, a clamp fitting and a fixing element.

14. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the portion measuring roller is mounted so that it can be displaced on the spindle and can be displaced and then optionally relieved of pressure.

15. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the tube is disposed between the tube retaining wall and the portion measuring roller when the dispenser is in operating mode.

16. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the clamp fitting on the tube retaining wall for retaining the tube is disposed at its end region lying opposite the mouthpiece.

17. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the fixing element for the tube and optionally an adapter for different mouthpieces of the tube are disposed on the rear wall of the housing.

18. Dispenser according to claim 17, wherein a ball valve is provided in the adapter.

19. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein at least one cog belt pulley and optionally a cog belt is disposed in/on the cover plate.

20. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cog belt pulley interacts with the at least one spindle of the portion measuring unit.

21. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein at least one orifice is provided in the cover plate and/or its cover for accommodating at least one function control lamp.

22. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is disposed on the rear wall and has a connection to the motor, the at least one function control lamp and the at least one switch.

23. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein a spring element is disposed in the vertical direction with respect to the drive mechanism.

24. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein a fork element is provided in the region of the drive mechanism and is retained by means of a retaining mechanism, in particular by means of a bearing, and a switch is provided as a means of activating the fork element.

25. Use of the dispenser according to claim 1 for dispensing toothpaste or shoe paste.