The present application claims priority to European Patent Application No. 11157782.1 filed on Mar. 11, 2011, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The disclosure relates to a dispensing apparatus for the mixing and dispensing of multi-component masses.
An apparatus for mixing and dispensing of multi-component masses is described in DE 102 54 409 A1. The apparatus includes a cartridge having at least two cylindrical chambers arranged in parallel for receiving the components and having a respective piston for the squeezing out of the components. The chambers have outlet openings which are covered and locked by a circular inner surface of a cap. The cap has a curved outlet tube which surrounds a mixing coil. The mixing coil is of flexible design and respectively curves in the direction of the outlet tube. The mixing coil is attached to a transverse wall formed at a cylinder-shaped projection of the cartridge head. The transverse wall is held in a recess of the cap with respect to rotation. The cap is lifted from the locking position by an application of pressure from the components and the dispensing openings are released, wherein the components exiting from the outlet openings are separated from one another by the transverse wall so that the respective component cannot arrive in the chamber of the other respective component without any further ado. The transverse wall no longer engages in the cap recess in the open position of the cap so that the cap and therefore also the outlet tube can be rotated into the direction desired by the applicant. For securing the open position and also the locking position of the cap, the cylindrically shaped projection has a ring-shaped bulge which can engage in the corresponding recess, wherein the cap alone jumps from the locked position into an open position because of the pressure from the components.
The placing of the cap with the dispensing tube over the mixing coil is complicated by the possibility of the rotation of the dispensing tube into a suitable dispensing position and the use of a flexible mixing coil connected therewith. Moreover, the structure of the mixing coil is sensitive with regard to mechanical damage, so that the sensitive flexible mixing structure must be placed carefully into the dispensing tube, wherein one simultaneously has to pay attention on the correct seating of the cap at the cylindrical projection. Also the displacement of the cap between the open and the locked position runs the risk of a tilting of the cap and the damage of the mixing coil.
In order to simplify the placing of the dispensing tube at a multi-component cartridge, a dispensing apparatus having an adapter element is suggested in DE 20 2006 004 738 U1. In this respect an adapter element is arranged between the spray body, on the one hand, and the mixer unit, on the other hand, wherein the adapter element is arranged in an exchangeable manner at the spray body and the mixing unit is arranged in an exchangeable manner at the adapter element.
The dispensing apparatus known from the prior art do not ensure that the dispensing tube can be arranged cleanly at the spray part in a simple manner on application without damaging the mixing coil. Also the danger is present that the dispensing tube is not cleanly placed at the spray part so that on pressing out of the syringe, the component can laterally emerge at the connection positions between spray parts and dispensing tube.
It is the object of the present disclosure to provide a simply constructed dispensing apparatus for mixing and dispensing of multi-component masses which avoids the previously mentioned disadvantages, prevents an unwanted dispensing or mixing of the individual components and enables a to and fro movement of a closure element between an open and a locked position of the dispensing apparatus.
The dispensing apparatus in accordance with the disclosure for the mixing and dispensing of multi-component masses includes a multi-component cartridge or a multi-component syringe having a plurality of, in particular cylindrical, chambers, wherein, in particular double-cartridges or double-syringes having two chambers are preferred. In the following, the term multi-component cartridge is used in a representative manner for all embodiments. The chambers, this means the inner space of the cartridges can be formed circular cylindrically or have an elliptical or polygonal cross-section. In the filled state the chambers each include a fluid component of a filling mass. This filling mass is separated from the environment as a rule by a cartridge piston freely displaceable in chamber. The cartridge piston includes sealing elements which close the chamber contents fluid-sealingly from the environment. The components in the chambers of the multi-component cartridge are dispensed with the aid of a dispensing plunger which cooperates with the corresponding cartridge piston such that the cartridge pistons can be displaced in the chamber.
The multi-component cartridges also have a formation serving as an outlet part beside the cylindrical chambers. In this respect the outlet part, for example, relates to a completeness of tube-like formations of the individual chambers and/or to a cylindrical outlet part. The outlet part can be overlapped by the rotary cap and has a dispensing opening at the mixer side for each component, this means that the individual components are kept separately from one another up to the mixing side end of the outlet part, so that a preliminary mixing of the components is prevented. The dispensing openings can thereby be held fluid-tight by means of the rotary cap, so that the components can be stored in the chambers of the multi-component cartridge for longer periods of time and can also be transported in the multi-component cartridge.
The dispensing apparatus also has a longitudinal mixing element which is formed as a unitary piece with the multi-component cartridge and a mixer housing which can be placed over the mixing element. Under a defined mixing element it is intended a mixing element formed as a unitary piece with the multi-component cartridge, that means that the multi-component cartridge and the mixing element are configured as one single piece.
Each chamber of the multi-component cartridge has a dispensing opening which can be closed by closure elements defined at the mixer housing, wherein the outer surface of the mixer element and the inner wall of the mixer housing have a cooperating guide element which allows a displacement of the mixer housing at the mixer element only along the longitudinal axis of the mixer element. The mixer housing is axially displaceably connected to the multi-component cartridge by a connection element. The multi-component cartridge can be transferred from a closed position locking the dispensing openings into a dispensing position releasing these.
The guide element is, in particular designed such that the mixer housing and the mixer element are displaceable only in an axial direction towards one another between the closed position and the dispensing position both on the whole path between these two positions. The connection element is a rotary element, wherein the rotary element, the mixer housing and the multi-component cartridge have a cooperating interaction element which is designed such that through rotation of the rotary element an axial relative movement between mixer housing and multi-component cartridge results.
Preferably the mixer element and the multi-component cartridge are formed from one piece, wherein the mixer element and the multi-component cartridge are then composed of the same material. In this respect the mixer element forms a formation at the outlet part of the multi-component cartridge, wherein the mixer element lies between the dispensing openings of the cartridge for this purpose. The mixer element is preferably of form-stable design and at least at room temperature has a solid shape so that it solidly projects from the multi-component cartridge. For this purpose the mixer element is a cylindrical or spherical shaped element having an elliptical or polygonal cross-section. Preferably, the mixer element is of cylindrical design and has a rectangular cross-section. This particular embodiment has the advantage that on the construction of the mixer element and the mixer housing an error-free setting of the mixer housing onto the mixer element is prevented. It is further preferred in this respect that the mixer element has two longitudinally closed mixer walls, wherein the two other mixer longitudinal walls are of open design.
The mixer element has a longitudinal middle axis which in the following is also referred to as longitudinal axis. The longitudinal middle axis of the chambers of the multi-component cartridge preferably all lie parallel to one another. Very preferably the dispensing apparatus is designed such that the longitudinal middle axis of the chamber and the longitudinal axis of the mixer elements all lie parallel to one another. In the following always the direction of the longitudinal axis of the mixer element is understood to be the axial direction of the dispensing apparatus.
The dispensing apparatus also has a mixer housing placeable over the mixer element. The mixer housing has a preferably conically tapering outlet region having a dispensing opening at the end remote from the outlet part of the multi-component cartridge. At the cartridge side end, the mixer housing has a closure element for locking at least one of the dispensing openings of the chambers. Closure plugs defined at the mixer housing are preferably used as closure elements. The closure plugs are designed, in particular as closure elements formed at the mixer housing. Thus, the closure plugs and the mixer housing are preferably formed as one piece from the same material.
The multi-component cartridge, the mixer element and the mixer housing are preferably made of the same material. In particular plastic is suitable as material, wherein all plastics which can be processed to form-stable substantially rigid structures can be used. Specifically preferred are polypropylene (PP), polyoximethylene (POM) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymerisate (ABS).
In a first embodiment of the dispensing apparatus in accordance with the disclosure, the inner space including the mixer element of the mixer housing has a shape match fit with regard to the mixer element, wherein a minimum play is present for ensuring an axial displacement of the mixer housing at the mixer element. In this respect a formation similar to a form fit of the inner wall of the mixer housing and the outer wall of the mixer elements form the required axial guide element in order to ensure that the displacement of the mixer housing at the mixer element is only possible along the longitudinal axis of the mixer element.
In a further embodiment of the dispensing apparatus in accordance with the disclosure the guide element for the axial displacement of the mixer housing at the mixer element is not formed by a match fit with the mixer element at the mixer housing, but rather by at least one tongue and groove arrangement extending in axial direction. In this respect only a single axially running tongue and groove arrangement can be used or, however, also a plurality of separately arranged axially running tongue and groove arrangements can be used. The groove can be respectively found in the mixer element, wherein a tongue-like formation is then required at the mixer housing or the groove can be arranged at the inner side of the mixer housing, wherein then a tongue-like formation is required at the outer wall of the mixer element in this second case.
The mixer element is axially displaceably connected to the multi-component cartridge by means of a connection element. Essential in this respect is that the mixer housing having the formed closure plugs for the dispensing openings of the chambers is moveable from a locking position locking the dispensing openings into a dispensing position releasing these. It is further essential that the axial guide element is configured such that the mixer housing and the mixer element are only displaceable in the axial direction towards one another between the closure and dispensing position as well as the overall path between these two positions.
The rotary element connecting the multi-component cartridge to the mixer housing is, in particular a rotary cap, which is either rotatable relative to the multi-component cartridge or to the mixer housing, however, is rotationally fixed in the axial direction. The rotary cap is a cup-shaped element having a lid with a centrally arranged recess for guiding through the mixer housing and a surrounding wall. The lid, in particular has a substantially rotationally symmetric shape. The surrounding wall, in particular has an open boundary region.
In accordance with an alternative embodiment the rotary element can be a screw nut and the mixer housing or the multi-component cartridge can have a winding cooperating therewith.
The attachment of the rotary element, i.e. in particular the rotary cap at the multi-component cartridge or at the mixer housing takes place, for example, by means of a snap and lock connection or by means of a bayonet connection.
A snap and lock connection is preferably formed thereby that the rotary cap has an at least partially surrounding ring-shaped bead-like indentation and an at least partially surrounding ring-shaped molding or groove corresponding therewith at the outer surface of the multi-component cartridge or at the outer surface of the mixer housing.
The outer surface is, in particular the outer surface of the outlet part.
The free boundary region of the rotary cap is elastically deformable for the placing over of the bulged-shaped indentation over the ring-shaped molding or groove at the outlet part of the multi-component cartridge or the mixer housing.
The rotary cap can be fixed in the closed position and/or in the dispensing position of the multi-component cartridge, in particular by means of a bayonet connection.
In accordance with an advantageous embodiment, the rotary cap has a rotary cap slot running helically in the longitudinal direction of the mixer element and the mixer housing has a guide element cooperating with the rotary cap slot, in particular a housing button. In accordance with an advantageous variant a further slot element adjoins at least one end of the rotary cap slot in a normal plane with regard to the longitudinal axis of the rotary cap which forms a bayonet security together with the guide element.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the mixer housing has a housing groove running helically at its outer surface in the longitudinal direction of the mixer element and the rotary cap has a guide element, in particular a rotary cap button, cooperating with the housing groove.
In accordance with a further advantageous variant a further groove element adjoins at least one end of the housing groove in a normal plane with regard to the longitudinal axis of the mixer housing, said groove element forming a bayonet security together with the guide element.
The rotary cap slot or the housing groove are advantageously formed such that the rotation of the rotary cap about the longitudinal axis of the mixer element from the closed position to the dispensing position amounts to 270° and less, in particular to 90° to 180° with regard to a full circle of 360°.
The axial relative movement between the mixer housing and the multi-component cartridge from the closed position to the dispensing position amounts to preferably 0.5 mm to 4 mm, in particular 1 mm to 3 mm.
The outer surface of the rotary cap can have axially running rotary wings or an axially running fluting distributed over the circumference for the improved manual torque transfer.
In particular the mixer element and the mixer housing have cooperating coding means so that the mixer housing can only be placed onto the mixer element in a predetermined position.
The multi-component cartridge has an outlet part at the mixer side end which is overlappingly formed by the mixer housing and the outer surface of the outlet part and/or the inner wall of the mixer housing has/have sealing means in order to prevent a leaking emergence of the component between the mixer housing and the multi-component cartridge during the expulsion of the components to be mixed from the chambers.
The multi-component cartridge in accordance with the disclosure can be designed as a guide element for the axial displacement of the mixer housing in accordance with an advantageous embodiment of the mixer element in order to enable the positioning and displacement of the mixer housing at the outlet part of the multi-component cartridge. In order to ensure a fixation of the mixer housing in an open position and/or in a closed position of the mixer housing additional interaction means can be provided in an advantageous embodiment of the disclosure at the outlet part and/or at the outer wall of the chambers and/or at the mixer housing, in particular latching noses and corresponding latching grooves can be provided. Hereby, on the one hand, the components can be dispensed interference-free, on the other hand, however, the chambers can be sealingly closed, whereby a drying up or premature hardening of the components present in the chamber can be prevented. Dispensing openings of the chambers can be sealingly closed particularly advantageously by corresponding sealing elements arranged at the mixer housing. Furthermore, the latching noses and grooves help to ensure the user that the mixer housing is present in the correct position.
Additional features and advantages are described herein, and will be apparent from the following Detailed Description and the figures.
The multi-component cartridge has an inlet end 40 and an outlet end 50. The inlet end 40 includes inlet openings 41, 42 by means of which the chambers 2, 3 can be filled with the corresponding components. The outlet end 50 includes an outlet part 5 which is shown in
A mixer housing 10 is arranged at the outlet end 50 of the chambers 2, 3 which is designed as a dispensing tube. The mixer housing in accordance with
The mixer housing is placed over the mixer element and is held in a correspondingly designed rotary element in a closed position shown in
The rotary cap 20 holds the mixer housing 10, wherein the mixer housing 10 has an inlet end which is designed as a collar 11. Only a small part of the collar 11, which is largely covered by the rotary cap 20, is visible which is set free by the rotary cap slot 24. A housing button 14 is arranged at the outer cover surface of the collar 11. The housing button 14 is displaceable along a track predetermined by the rotary cap slot 24 through a rotary movement of the mixer housing 10 or the rotary cap 20. An arbitrary design of projection is to be understood as a housing button which has a shape matching to the rotary cap slot so that a relative movement of rotary cap slot and housing button is not prevented. In particular the housing button has a width smaller than the width of the rotary cap slot.
As emerges from
The chambers 2, 3 are extended duct-like towards the outlet openings 9, 29 in the outlet part 5. The components can be dispensed from the chambers 2, 3 into the mixing space formed by the fitted mixer housing 10 by the dispensing openings 9, 29 when the mixer housing is in the open position shown in
Each of the dispensing openings 9, 29 can be closed by closure elements 16, 26 defined at the mixer housing 10. The closure elements can, in particular be designed as closure plugs. The outer surface of the mixer element 30 and the inner wall of the mixer housing 10 have cooperating guide elements which allow a displacement of the mixer housing 10 at the mixer element 30 only along the longitudinal axis 32 of the mixer element 30. The mixer element is axially displaceably connected to the multi-component cartridge 1 by means of a connection element, wherein the multi-component cartridge 1 is transferable from a locking position closing the dispensing openings 9, 29 into a dispensing position releasing these. The guide elements are designed such that the mixer housing 10 and the mixer element 30 are moveable only in an axial direction between these two positions against one another between the locking and dispensing position as well as on the overall path between these two positions.
The rotary element 20, the mixer housing 10 and the multi-component cartridge 1 have a cooperating interaction element 14, 24 which is designed such that an axial relative movement between the mixer housing 10 and multi-component cartridge 1 results by means of rotation of the rotary element 20. The interaction element is, in particular designed as a housing button 14 or as a cap bead.
The rotary cap 20 is attached at the outlet 5 or at the outer wall of the chambers 2, 3 by means of a snap connection 15. The snap connection 15 is present in the region of the free boundary region 21 of the rotary cap. The free boundary region 21 includes a groove at its inner side in which an associated projection of the outlet part 5 or the outer wall of the chambers 2, 3 interacts. Preferably the free boundary region is elastic, so that a placing over the outlet part or the outer wall takes place by means of a small deflection of the same on application of an axial pressure force.
In
The mixer housing 10 can be moved in the axial direction, this means substantially in the direction of the longitudinal axis 32 of the mixer element 30 for which purpose the rotary cap 20 is provided. The rotary cap 20 has an at least partially surrounding ring-shaped bulge-shaped indentation 18. At the outer surface 17 of the multi-component cartridge 1 a therewith corresponding, at least partially surrounding ring-shaped formation 19 or groove is formed and the free boundary region 21 of the rotary cap 20 is elastically deformable for placing over the bulge-shaped indentation 18 over the ring-shaped formation 19 or groove of the multi-component cartridge 1 or the mixer housing 10.
It is also prevented that the mixer housing 10 can be taken from the multi-component cartridge 1 by accident, for example on opening by means of provision of a snap connection at the rotary cap 20. The multi-component cartridge, this means, in particular the outer wall of the chambers 2, 3 or their outlet part 5 have a latch projection 19 at their dispensing side end which on placing of the mixer housing 10 and of the rotary cap 20 can be pressed outwardly due to the flexibly designed interaction element which is illustrated in this example as a bulge-shaped indentation 18 of the free boundary region 21 of the rotary cap 20. The bulge-shaped indentation 18 is in interaction with the latching projection 19 and thus prevents its removal following the placing of the mixer housing 10.
The inner side of the mixer housing collar 11 has two substantially ring-shaped closure elements 16, 26 tapering inwardly with regard to the dispensing side and truncated cone-like in cross-section in order to sealingly close the dispensing openings 9, 29 in the closed position of the mixer housing 10. The closure elements 16, 26 enable the locking of the dispensing openings 9, 29 due to their specific shape, wherein for the retraction of the closure elements 16, 26 from the dispensing openings 9, 29 a certain force has to be overcome which ensures the sealing ability in the closed state.
The guiding of the mixer housing 10 and the mixer element 30 is ensured by their quadratic inner and/or outer contour matched to one another the cross-section of both the mixer element 30 and also of the mixer housing 10 is thus substantially quadratic in the embodiment of the disclosure illustrated in the drawings. So that the components can be pressed through the mixer element 30 as completely as possibly, the distance between the inner contour of the mixer housing 10 and the outer contour of the mixer housing 30 is as small as possible, wherein the movement of the mixer housing 10 must still be possible. Additionally, an erroneous placing of the mixer housing 10 onto the mixer element 30 is prevented by coding means clearly visible from the outside, such as for example an elliptical shape of the mixer housing collar 11 as well as of the dispensing neck 8 of the multi-component 1. Since the mixer element 30 is made of a form-stable material, a secure guiding of the mixer housing 10 in axial longitudinal direction of the multi-component cartridge is ensured.
In an alternative embodiment of the disclosure the outer contour of the mixer element 30 and the inner contour of the mixer housing 10 are rectangular, i.e. have a substantially rectangular cross-section so that already hereby a guiding security against rotation of the mixer housing 10 is ensured. Moreover, it is advantageous for such an embodiment that a mixer housing 10 can placed onto the mixer element 30 in the position required for the secure sealing and interaction of the closure element 16, 26 in the dispensing openings 9, 29. In this case, the mixer housing collar 11 of the mixer housing 10 and the dispensing neck 8 of the multi-component cartridge 1 can also have shapes with other cross-sections, for example circular. It is nevertheless ensured that the dispensing openings 9, 29 and the closure elements 16, 26 constantly interact with one another by means of the specific formation of the mixer element 30.
In the variant illustrated in
The rotary cap has a fluting 23 at its cover surface. Instead of the same also rotary wings in accordance with the embodiments of
The rotary element 20 is rotatable, attached axially rotationally fixed in the direction at the multi-component cartridge 1 in accordance with all embodiments, wherein the rotary element 20 is attached at the multi-component cartridge 1 or at the mixer housing 10 by means of a snap and lock connection 15.
The mixer housing 10 is placed over the mixer element 30 and onto the outlet part of the cartridge such that the closure plugs 16, 26 lock the corresponding dispensing openings 9, 29. A first sealing projection 6 and a second sealing projection 7 are arranged at the outer wall of the dispensing neck 8 of the outlet part 5 like in
The rotary cap 20 is guided over the mixer housing 10 and the mixer housing collar 11 until it contacts the flange 71. The rotary cap has a slot element 70 at its cover surface 61 for each housing button 14 so that the rotary cap 20 can be placed over the mixer housing collar. The rotary cap is placed in a predetermined position relative to the cartridge 1 at its flange 71, wherein this predetermined position is determined by the slot element 70. In
In accordance with a variant which is illustrated at the right side of
The rotary cap is moved in the direction of the rotary cap slot 24 by means of a small rotation so that the housing button 14 can be displaced along a track predetermined by the rotary cap slot 24. The rotary direction is predetermined in the left side embodiment illustrated in
The mixer housing 10 is guided over the mixer element 30 like in the previous embodiments and is placed at the dispensing neck 8 of the cartridge on construction. Following this, the rotary cap 20 is moved over the mixer housing 10 in the direction of the outlet end 50 of the cartridge 1. The rotary cap includes a recess 86 in the cover surface 62 through which the button element 85 can be guided. The rotary cap is displaced downwardly so long in the illustration in accordance with
In order to dispense the components from the cartridge, the rotary cap is now either turned to the left or to the right. The button element 85 glides along the track predetermined by the rotary cap slot 84 so that the mixer housing 10 is displaced such that the dispensing openings are released.
The button element 85 is attached at the wall of the cartridge 1.
In accordance with a further non-illustrated embodiment the rotary element 20 has a rotary cap slot 24 running helically in the longitudinal direction of the mixer element 30 and the mixer housing 10 has a guide element cooperating with the rotary cap slot 24.
The mixer housing 10 has a housing groove running helically at its outer surface 25 in the longitudinal direction of the mixer element 30 and the rotary cap 20 has a guide element cooperating with the housing groove.
The rotary cap slot 24 or the housing groove are designed, in particular such that the rotation of the rotary cap 20 about the longitudinal axis of the mixer element 30 from the closed position to the dispensing position amounts to 270° and less, in particular to 90° to 180° with regard to a full circle of 360°.
The outer surface 51 of the outlet part 5 and/or the inner wall 13 of the mixer housing 10 can have sealing means 6, 7 in order to prevent a leaking emergence of the components to be mixed between the mixer housing 10 and the multi-component cartridge 1 during the expulsion of the components to be mixed from the chambers 2, 3.
The mixer housing in accordance with each of the previous embodiments can be designed as transparent or translucent. This enables a visual control on whether the mixer is delivering satisfactory results, in particular when differently colored components are mixed. The mixer housing can also be opaque, in particular when polypropylene or polystyrol are used as materials.
It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present subject matter and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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11157782.1 | Mar 2011 | EP | regional |