Heretofore, there have been closures for tubes which will function to support the tube in an upright position. U.S. Pat. No. 1,575,231 to Seltman relates to a closure consisting of a disk-shaped body portion with a plurality of depending leg members.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,590,636 to McManus et al. relates to a closure with a flattened end portion, a circular body portion and a neck portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,892,140 to Fogler relates to a closure with means to fix the closure to a smooth polished surface for convenient display purposes before sale or convenient use after purchase.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,076,826 to Reinsberg and U.S. Pat. No. 2,084,568 to White relate to a closure with a continuous skirt portion which serves as a finger grip to unscrew from or apply to the tube the closure and provides a stable base to maintain the tube upright when not in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,078,149 to Lutz relates to a conical replacement cap for a toothpaste tube with an opening through which toothpaste may be dispensed without removal of the cap and a stand into which the conical cap fits and which holds the toothpaste upright when not in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,308,998 to Oppasser et al. relates to a reversible closure which for storage positions a dispensing spout inwardly and for dispensing positions the dispensing spout outwardly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,331 to Summers relates to a tamper-proof container closure device with a closed cap member that is internally threaded and has a flared annular skirt around its base which cap member coats with a crimping ring to prevent removal of the cap without tearing off the ring.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,671 to Mears relates to a bottle cap stand for supporting a bottle in an inverted position which has a collar with an aperture therein through which the contents of the bottle may be dispensed and a lid closure means for readily opening and closing the collar aperture.
None of the above patents provide a suitable closure for a tube container with an integral extended dispensing nozzle for a moisture sensitive material which will provide an air tight seal after initial use or a light-weight strong and stable stand for conveniently displaying or storing on end a tube container with an integral extended dispensing spout.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds