Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6343718
-
Patent Number
6,343,718
-
Date Filed
Monday, April 17, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, February 5, 200222 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Scherbel; David A.
- Hwu; Davis
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 222 326
- 222 327
- 222 569
- 222 570
- 222 386
- 222 3865
- 222 80
- 222 81
- 222 541
- 222 136
-
International Classifications
- B65D8854
- B65D2540
- G01F1106
-
Abstract
A unit dose storage and dispenser cartridge for a unit dose of an ingredient includes a storage and dispense container dispensably containing a unit dose of the ingredient. The container includes a cylindrical interior wall defining a cartridge passageway having an ingredient-containing ingredient storage cavity portion. The container further defines a dispense opening communicating with the ingredient storage cavity portion and includes a first scaling member removably sealing the dispense opening. A dispense piston is movable by a dasher rod through the ingredient storage cavity portion so as to dispense the unit dose of the ingredient through the dispense opening. An openable vent is positioned in registry with the cartridge passageway.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of dispense containers. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a unit dose dispense container for an activating catalyst for a heat curable impregnant.
2. Description of Related Art
The invention relates to a unit dose cartridge container for an ingredient to be mixed with a given quantity of a mixing component. A typical use for the present invention is as a storage and dispense cartridge for vazo catalyst. The vazo catalyst is typically dispensed into a 5 gallon carboy, having a 4 gallon fill, of heat cure impregnant. The combined mixture is then used for sealing porous metal or plastic parts.
Typically, the catalyst is added to the impregnant at the manufacturing facility where the mixture is also then applied. Current methods for mixing the catalyst with the impregnant involve manually scooping an amount of vazo paste from a wide mouth liter container. Once the vazo has been added to the 5 gallon carboy, the carboy is closed and then shaken until the vazo mixes in with the impregnant.
A liter container of vazo catalyst, however, includes about one kilogram of vazo catalyst which can catalyze about 7.6 carboys of heat cure impregnant. As the carboy of heat cure impregnant typically has a smaller opening than the vazo container, a certain amount of vazo scooping and scraping is required to complete the transfer. Furthermore, the measuring tools used by each operator may vary so that such mixing methods elude precise dispensement of the ideal amount of catalyst for a carboy of impregnant. As a result, the catalyzation rate for each carboy of mixture may vary from operator to operator. Such variances resulting from the imprecise apportioning of the vazo thereby inhibit precise quality control of the applied mixture.
These known methods for dispensing the vazo catalyst also pose risks for personnel and the environment. For example, manually scooping the vazo may expose an operator to the vazo paste itself, which is an irritant. Also, as the liter container does not provide vazo for an even number of carboys, and as the scooping method does not provide for precise measurement of the amount of vazo scooped, it is very possible that a discarded liter container may still contain some amounts of vazo therein which may then accumulate at a landfill.
It is known in the art that the vazo catalyst may be mixed with the impregnant prior to shipping, but the mixture must then be shipped refrigerated to maintain its viability. As the two ingredients may need to shipped to various facilities remote from the site of manufacture of the components, the increased costs for refrigerated shipping of the mixture make this method unacceptably expensive.
It is therefore desirable to provide a transportation and dispense cartridge for vazo catalyst which reduces or eliminates risks to personnel and the environment and which provides higher assurance of precise catalyst dispensement into a carboy of heat cure impregnant.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a unit dose storage and dispenser cartridge for a unit dose of an ingredient includes a storage and dispense container dispensably containing a unit dose of the ingredient. The container includes a cylindrical interior wall defining a cartridge passageway having an ingredient-containing ingredient storage cavity portion. The container further defines a dispense opening communicating with the ingredient storage cavity portion and includes a first sealing member removably sealing the dispense opening. A dispense piston is movable by a dasher rod through the ingredient storage cavity portion so as to dispense the unit dose of the ingredient through the dispense opening. An openable vent is positioned in registry with the cartridge passageway. It is contemplated that the a dasher rod may be provided for each cartridge or that a single dasher rod may be provided for a given number of cartridges. It is further contemplated that the present invention may be provided in kit form.
The present invention will be more readily appreciated in a reading of the “Detailed Description of the Invention” with reference to the following drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
shows an exploded view of the unit dose cartridge assembly and dasher rod of the present invention.
FIG. 2
shows a longitudinal sectional view of the unit dose cartridge assembly of the present invention.
FIG. 3
shows an exploded view of the unit dose cartridge assembly of FIG.
2
.
FIG. 4
shows a longitudinal sectional view of the piston employed in the unit dose cartridge assembly of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to
FIGS. 1-3
, the present invention provides a cartridge assembly
10
for containing and dispensing a precise unit dose of an ingredient. Assembly
10
is particularly useful for containing and dispensing a vazo catalyst
12
into a carboy of heat cure impregnant (not shown). While the present invention is described for storing and containing a unit dose of vazo catalyst
12
, it is understood that the present invention may be used for storing and dispensing any ingredient. The components of assembly
10
, except where later noted, are desirably formed of a suitable plastic material. Assembly
10
includes a cartridge housing
14
for containing a precise unit dose of catalyst
12
. An example of a vazo catalyst which may be contained and dispensed by cartridge assembly
10
is sold by the assignee of the present invention under the tradename “RESINOL® INITIATOR PASTE”. One type of heat cure impregnant especially suited to be mixed with vazo catalyst
12
is currently sold by the assignee of the present invention under the tradename “90C STOCK SOLUTION”.
Cartridge assembly
10
includes an elongate tubular cartridge housing
14
. Cartridge housing
14
includes an elongate cylindrical wall
16
having an interior surface
18
and an exterior surface
20
. Cylindrical tube
16
includes a distal open end
22
defining a dispense opening
24
and a proximal open end
26
defining a mechanical access, or dasher-insertion, opening
28
. Cylindrical wall
16
defines an elongate cartridge interior
30
in fluid communication with dispense opening
24
and dasher-insertion opening
28
. The exterior surface
20
of cylindrical wall
16
has formed thereon an annular rib
32
in flush edge relationship with second end
26
. It is also contemplated that a label
33
carrying visual indicia may be adhered to exterior surface
20
of cylindrical wall
16
.
An elongate rigid dasher rod
15
may be provided as a kit with cartridge assembly
10
, or alternatively, one dasher rod
15
may be provided per shipping unit of multiple cartridge assemblies. Dasher rod
15
is desirably formed of a suitable plastic material and includes a tapered first end
15
a
for insertion into cartridge housing
14
and a second end
15
b
from which an operator manually drives first end
15
a
. Second end
15
b
desirably terminates at a disc-shaped dasher head
17
. The length of dasher rod
15
is desirably selected as described hereinbelow. It is contemplated that the function of dasher rod
15
may be performed by any object having the described characteristics including, by way of illustration and not by limitation, a screwdriver.
Assembly
10
further includes a piston
34
to be inserted into cartridge interior
30
of cartridge housing
14
so as to provide slidable friction engagement with interior surface
18
of cylindrical wall
16
. Once inserted in cartridge housing
14
piston
34
further divides cartridge interior
30
between an ingredient storage cavity portion
36
extending between piston
34
and dispense opening
24
and a dasher-receiving portion
38
extending between dasher-insertion opening
28
and piston
34
. Cartridge housing
14
holds vazo catalyst
12
within and dispenses vazo catalyst
12
from ingredient storage cavity portion
36
.
With additional reference to
FIG. 4
, piston
34
includes an elongate cylindrical piston wall
40
having a distal end
42
and a proximal end
44
. Cylindrical piston wall
40
includes exterior piston wall surface
46
, an interior piston wall surface
47
, and defines a piston interior
48
. Interior piston wall surface
47
desirably has formed thereon a number of annular stiffening ribs
49
to provide increased structural rigidity to cylindrical piston wall
40
. Exterior piston wall surface
46
is formed to provide slidable friction engagement with interior surface
18
of cylindrical wall
16
.
A rounded piston end wall
50
extends from distal end
42
so as to provide a convex surface
52
extending into the ingredient storage cavity portion
36
of assembly
10
. Convex surface
52
terminates at a central transverse planar surface
54
. End wall
50
also provides a concave surface
56
facing piston interior
48
and dasher-receiving portion
38
of housing
14
. Concave surface
56
circumferentially bounds an axially central planar surface
58
, opposite planar surface
54
. A dasher-engagement hub
60
extends from planar surface
58
towards piston interior
48
and includes a cylindrical hub wall
62
defining a dasher receiving cavity
64
. Hub
60
accommodates distal end
15
a
of dasher rod
15
in frictional or abutting engagement.
Piston
34
desirably includes an annular flared wiping rib
66
extending distally from distal end
42
of cylindrical piston wall
40
. An annular groove
68
is defined between convex surface
52
and wiping rib
66
. Wiping rib
66
is formed to provide a wiping engagement with interior surface
18
of cylindrical wall
16
as piston
34
is used to push vazo catalyst
12
through ingredient storage cavity portion
36
towards dispense end
22
. Wiping rib
66
thereby reduces the amount of residual vazo catalyst
12
remaining within cartridge housing
14
after dispensement.
Referring again to
FIGS. 1-3
, both dispense opening
24
and dasher-insertion opening
28
of cartridge housing
14
are sealed for transportation and storage purposes. Desirably, cartridge housing
14
provides an hermetically sealed container of vazo catalyst
12
. A dispense seal
70
is removably affixed over dispense opening
24
. Dispense seal
70
is desirably formed of a metallic foil such as aluminum foil or tin foil. Dispense seal
70
may be adhered to cartridge housing
14
or simply held in place by a dispense end cap
72
. While dispense seal
70
is formed having a substantially circular shape, it desirably provides a graspable tab
71
extending radially outward therefrom. Tab
71
assists an operator in pealing dispense seal
70
from cartridge housing
14
prior to dispensing vazo catalyst
12
. Dispense end cap
72
is secured over dispense seal
70
in frictional engagement with dispense end
24
. Dispense end cap
72
includes a substantially planar circular base
74
circumferentially bounded by an upstanding housing engagement wall
76
. Housing engagement wall
76
may include an annular housing engagement rib
78
disposed over circular base
74
so as to enhance the deflectable frictional engagement of housing engagement wall
76
with cartridge housing
14
.
As cartridge assembly
10
may be subjected to high temperatures during its storage and transportation, a vented seal
80
is provided to relieve any resulting excessive pressure build-up within cartridge interior
30
. Vented seal
80
removably affixed to tube proximal end
26
over dasher-insertion opening
28
. Vented seal
80
is desirably formed of a metallic foil such as aluminum foil or tin foil. Vented seal
80
is desirably adhered to cartridge housing
14
or simply held in place by a proximal end cap
82
. While vented seal
80
is formed having a substantially circular shape, it desirably provides a graspable tab
81
extending radially outward therefrom. Tab
81
assists an operator in pealing vented seal
80
from cartridge housing
14
.
Vented seal
80
includes a centrally-located vent aperture
84
to be positioned in registry with dasher-receiving portion
38
of cartridge interior
30
. Vent aperture
84
is covered from cartridge interior
30
by a pressure-relief vent
86
. Vent
86
includes a venting plug
88
in registry with vent aperture
84
. Venting plug
88
is perimetrically bounded by and concentrically interposed between a first laminate member
90
and a second laminate member
91
. First laminate layer
90
adhesively attaches to vented seal
80
. Venting plug
88
is desirably formed of microporous polytetraflouroethylene. Vent
86
is of the type known in the art and will prevent the exchange of air through vent aperture
84
until elevated temperatures cause excessive pressure build-up in cartridge interior
30
, at which point vent
86
will open and allow the high pressure air to escape through vent aperture
84
.
Proximal end cap
82
is secured over vented seal
80
and annular rib
32
so as to provide frictional engagement with proximal end
26
of cartridge housing
14
. Proximal end cap
82
is a substantially disc-like member including a planar circular base
92
which defines a central aperture
94
and which is circumferentially bounded by an upstanding housing engagement wall
96
. Central aperture
94
is formed to be positionable in registry with vent aperture
84
and to allow dasher rod
15
to be inserted therethrough to engage piston
34
. Central aperture
94
is desirably too small to allow dasher head
17
therethrough in order that circular base
92
may prevent dasher head from being pushed into cartridge interior
30
. The length of dasher rod
15
is optimally selected so as not to force piston
34
out from cartridge interior
30
when dasher head
17
abuts proximal end cap
82
while also desirably exposing convex surface
52
of piston
34
through dispense opening
24
.
Housing engagement wall
96
of end cap
82
may include an annular housing engagement rib
98
disposed over circular base
92
so as to enhance the deflectable frictional engagement of housing engagement wall
96
with cartridge housing
14
. As proximal end cap
82
must also deflectably engage annular rib
32
projecting from exterior cylindrical wall
20
and dispense end cap
72
need only deflectably engage exterior cylindrical wall
20
, assembly
10
desirably requires proximal end cap
82
to have a larger sealing diameter than dispense end cap
72
. By providing end caps
72
and
82
with different sealing diameters, assembly
10
provides an anti-malassembly feature that ensures the end caps
72
and
82
will be placed over the appropriate end
22
and
26
, respectively, of tube
16
.
Cartridge assembly
10
may therefore be constructed to hold a precise unit dose, i.e. about 130 grams, of vazo catalyst
12
for mixing with a five gallon carboy of heat cure impregnant. The present invention minimizes operator exposure to vazo catalyst
12
by providing a single use disposable cartridge which minimizes operator handling of components that contact the vazo. Additionally, by providing and cleanly dispensing a precise unit dose of vazo catalyst
12
, the present invention significantly reduces the amount of excess or unused vazo catalyst paste that may be thrown away.
An operator may dispense vazo catalyst
12
from Cartridge assembly
10
as follows. Dasher rod
15
may be inserted through central aperture
94
of proximal end cap
82
to puncture vented seal
80
so as to extend through dasher-receiving portion
38
and to engage piston
34
. Tapered first end
15
a
of dasher rod
15
desirably partially extends into dasher receiving cavity
64
and engages hub wall
62
of dasher-engagement hub
60
. The operator may then remove dispense end cap
72
and peal dispense seal
70
from distal end
22
of cartridge housing
14
to expose vazo catalyst
12
. Dispense opening
24
is then placed in registry with, or into, an opening of a carboy of heat cure impregnant. Holding cartridge assembly
10
in the carboy opening, the operator would then push on dasher head
17
of dasher rod
15
to force piston
34
distally towards dispense opening
24
so as to dispense vazo catalyst
12
into the carboy. As piston
34
moves towards dispense opening
24
, wiping rib
66
wipingly slides along interior cylindrical wall
18
to minimize residual catalyst
12
remaining within cartridge interior
30
. The operator will continue pushing piston
34
distally until convex surface
50
extends fully from cartridge interior
30
. In this fully extended position, cylindrical piston wall
40
still frictionally engages interior cylindrical wall
18
. The length of dasher rod
15
is therefor desirably selected to be sufficient to fully extend convex surface
50
from cartridge interior
30
yet also to be insufficient to inadvertently force piston
34
out of cartridge interior
30
.
While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described in detail above, it will be evident to those persons of ordinary skill that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, that which is set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation. The true scope of the invention is defined by the claims.
Claims
- 1. A unit-dose storage and dispenser cartridge for an ingredient, comprising: an elongate tubular container having a first end defining a dispense opening, a second end defining a dasher-insertion opening, and an elongate passageway extending between said dispense and dasher-insertion openings;a first cover removably sealingly attached to said first end in registry with said dispense opening, wherein said first cover comprises a first metallic foil member affixed to said container first end; a second cover removably sealingly attached to said second end in registry with said dasher-insertion opening, wherein said s second cover comprises a second metallic foil member affixed to said container second end; a piston member slidably received within said passageway, said piston having a first major surface and an opposed second major surface, said piston being positionable within said container so as to define an ingredient storage cavity portion of said passageway between said first major surface of said piston and said first end of said ingredient storage cavity portion, said ingredient storage cavity portion having a volume for accepting a unit dose of said ingredient; a dasher rod insertable through said dasher-insertion opening and engageable with said second major surface of said piston member for effecting slidable movement of said piston member to dispense said unit dose of said ingredient through said dispense opening; and a pressure-relief vent supported on one of said first and second metallic foils for selectively venting excessive internal pressure generated within said passageway prior to insertion of said dasher rod through said dasher-insertion opening.
- 2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein said ingredient is a vazo catalyst.
- 3. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein said first cover further comprises a first cap affixed to said first end.
- 4. The cartridge of claim 3, wherein said second cover further comprises a second cap affixed to said second end, said second cap having a different sealing diameter than said first cap.
- 5. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein said second cap further defines a push-rod aperture for passage of said push-rod therethrough to engage said second major surface of said piston.
- 6. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein said first major surface of said piston has an arcuate shape.
- 7. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein said piston further includes a deflectable annular rim for wiping sliding engagement with said interior surface.
- 8. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein said second major surface of said piston defines a push-rod receiving hub for engaging said dasher.
- 9. A kit for storing and dispensing a unit dose of an ingredient into a volume of mixture, comprising:an elongate hollow storage and dispense cartridge for dispensably housing a unit dose of said ingredient in sealed containment, said cartridge defining an elongate cartridge passageway communicating between a dispense end and a dasher-insertion end; a piston adapted for slidable wiping engagement with said cartridge within said cartridge passageway, said unit dose of said ingredient to be positionable between said dispense end and said piston; a pair of removable sealing members adapted for removable sealing engagement with said ends, wherein said pair or removable sealing members further comprises a first metallic foil adhered over said dispense end and a second metallic foil adhered over said dasher-insertion end of said dispense cartridge, wherein one of said first and second metallic foils further supports a pressure-relief vent for selectively venting excessive internal pressure generated within said passageway; and a dasher rod adapted to be operable with said piston through said dasher-insertion end to dispense said unit dose of said ingredient therefrom in a single stroke.
- 10. A unit dose storage and dispenser cartridge for a unit dose of an ingredient, comprising:a storage and dispense container dispensably containing a unit dose of said ingredient, said container having a cylindrical interior wall defining a dispense opening, a dasher-insertion opening and a cartridge passageway having an ingredient-containing ingredient storage cavity portion extending therebetween, said container further including a first sealing member removably sealing said dispense opening comprising a first metallic foil member and a second sealing member removable sealing said dasher-insertion opening comprising a second metallic foil member; a dispense piston movable through said ingredient storage cavity portion so as to dispense said unit dose of said ingredient through said dispense opening; and a pressure-relief vent supported by said second metallic foil member and positioned in registry with said cartridge passageway, said pressure-relief vent for selectively venting excessive internal pressure generated within said cartridge passageway.
- 11. The cartridge of claim 10, wherein said first sealing member further comprises a first endcap affixed over said first metallic foil member.
- 12. The cartridge of claim 11, wherein said first foil member is adhered to said container.
- 13. The cartridge of claim 10, wherein said wherein said second sealing member further comprises a second endcap affixed over said second metallic foil member, and wherein said container further includes an annular projection on said container about said dasher-insertion opening so as to require said first and second endcaps to be adapted to sealingly engage only one end of said container.
- 14. The cartridge of claim 13, wherein said second endcap further defines a push-rod aperture for passage of said push-rod therethrough to engage said dispense piston.
- 15. The cartridge of claim 10, wherein said dispense piston includes an arcuate surface adjacent said ingredient and a deflectable annular rim for wiping sliding engagement with said interior wall of said container.
- 16. The cartridge of claim 10, wherein said ingredient is a vazo catalyst paste to be dispensed into a container of heat cure impregnant.
- 17. The cartridge of claim 10, further comprising a dasher rod disengagably engagable with said dispense piston through said dasher-insertion opening for urging said piston towards said dispense opening so as to effect dispensement of said ingredient.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/US98/21795 |
|
WO |
00 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO99/19236 |
4/22/1999 |
WO |
A |
US Referenced Citations (53)