US2239275A

US2239275A - Self-contained liquid dispensing device

Info

Publication number: US2239275A
Application number: US198724A
Authority: US
Inventors: Martin C Schwab
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1938-03-29
Filing date: 1938-03-29
Publication date: 1941-04-22
Anticipated expiration: 1958-04-22

Description

April 22, 1

M. c. scHwAB SELF-CONTAINED LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE Filed March 29. 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A ril 22, 1941. M. c. SCHWAB SELF-CONTAINED LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE Filed March 29, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet'Z Patented Apr. 22, 1941 orricr.

SELF-CDN'EAINED LIQUED DISPENSING DEVICE Martin C. Schwab, Chicago, 111. Application March 29, 1938, Serial No. 198,724

2 Claims.

This invention relates to liquid dispensing devices and more particularly to devices for dispensing sterile liquids for subcutaneous or intravenous injections. In withdrawing liquids from containers generally, it is necessary that air be permitted to enter the containerto replace the liquid withdrawn, and in devices to be employed for the purposes specifically herein pointed out, it is particularly important that the air entering the container upon withdrawal of the liquid be filtered in order to prevent contamination of the sterile fluids within the container.

This application is a continuation in part of and an improvement upon the construction disclosed in my copending application Serial No.

58,649, filed January 11, 1936, issued to Patent No. 2,156,313 on May 2, 1939, for Dispensing and packaging devices for fluids.

In dispensing devices of this general type known to the art, it is customary to provide the air washing chamber in a cap removably mounted upon the top of the bottle. The object of the present invention is to provide a selfcontained dispensing device in which the air filtering means is suspended within the liquid container, thereby eliminating the use of a relatively expensive cap and the necessity for sterilizing the filtering chamber immediately prior to dispensing of the fluid. My improved dispensing device may be delivered in a sealed package to hospitals or other users and the device immediately used without any further sterilization of the accessory air washing media.

The invention contemplates the provision of an air washing chamber adapted to depend from a stopper inserted in the nozzle of the container and further contemplates the use of a portion of the liquid to be dispensed as the media for Washing incoming air. Inasmuch as there are frequently relatively wide variations between the temperature of the fluid when it is inserted in the container and the time when it is dispensed, resulting in expansion of the air washing fluid in its chamber by reason of these temperature changes, liquid, partially dirty. or contaminated, is not infrequently returned to the body of the container and mixed with the clean or sterile liquid.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device in which the air washing liquid will not be driven from the air washing chamber by reason of expansion due to temperature changes. All of the liquid used in the air washing step is permanently segregated from the liquid being dispensed.

A further object of the invention is the provision of apparatus of the type described which is not subject to the probability of breakage or destruction in transit or in preparation for use. Other objects of the invention are to provide a device of the type described which may be readily and easily employed and cheaply and readily assembled.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein certain preferred-embodiments are shown, in which:

Fig. 1 is a broken vertical sectional view of a preferred embodiment;

Fig. 2, a horizontal sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a broken vertical sectional view of a modified form of the invention.

Referring generally to the drawings, it will be seen that in all of the views the improved container and dispensing device are shown in the inverted position, and it is in this inverted position that all of the various embodiments illustrated operate.

Referring to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the reference character D indicates a container provided with the conventional body portion 8, and a neck 9, which may be provided with external screws if! adapted to removably retain a screw cap (not shown). Where the container is particularly to be used for dispensing fluids used in intravenous or subcutaneous injections, such as blood for transfusion purposes,

physiological salt solutions, glucose solutions and other fluids in the field of medicine, it is frequently desired that the entire assembly, in completely sterile condition, be packaged at some central distribution point, to be used by the medical profession at isolated points where modern facilities are not available or in hospitals where it may be stored in readiness for prompt use. For usages of this nature, small stoppers may be inserted in the outlets from the container hereinafter fully described, and the top of the assembly enclosed in a suitable screw cap or provided with an adhesive seal. In such manner the container may be employed as a package for the necessary fluids and the dispensing means to await the occasion for its need.

The neck of the container is provided with a stopper l I, preferably of rubber and serving as a mount for the air filter assembly, and a fluid duct E2. The fluid duct I2 is provided with a beaded endv 13 extending slightly below the bottom of the stopper H and an inner opening [4 extending into the interior of the container D for a short distance above the stopper II. It will be understood that a tube (not shown) carrying a hypodermic needle and pinch means to prevent premature fiow of the liquid, may be readily applied over the beaded end I3 of the outlet duct I2.

The air filtering assembly is of an integral construction depending from the neck of the container and is most suitable where the parts are made of glass. Where the ducts or tubes comprising the assembly are made of glass and the stopper I I of rubber, frictional engagement between these members will be found to be sufiicient, It will be understood, however, that the parts may be of metal, plastics, such as Bakelite, hard rubber or glass, as may be deemed expeclient. When the stopper II is made of rubber, a driving fit will be sufiicient to hold the stopper and the assembly depending therefrom within the interior of the neck 9 of the container, but otherwise other fastening means may be employed to retain the stopper I I within the interior of the neck 9.

The air filtering device comprises an elongated tube I5 and a shorter U tube I 5, The tube or duct I 5 is provided with a lower portion I 7 of greater diameter than the upper portion and is adapted to be frictionally seated in a cutout portion of the stopper ii. The upper portion of the tube extends substantially to the top of the container D, in its inverted position, and is provided adjacent its top with a relatively small orifice I8. The U tube I 6 is adapted to be disposed within the enlarged portion I? of the duct I5 and is spaced apart from the walls of said duct, forming an air washing chamber 2i between the tube I 6 and the lower portion of the tube 15. lShe U tube I6 comprises a thin elongated air inlet 59, the lower section of which extends completely through acentrally disposed orifice in the stopper II, and a bent over portion 20 of greater cross section than the portion I9 and parallel therewith. The portion 25 of the U tube It is preferably three Or four times greater in diameter than is the other leg I9 of the U tube and forms the enclosure for an expansion chamber 22. The portion 252 terminates somewhat above the top of the stopper II,

The container is preferably filled with the desired liquid before the stopper and depending air filtering assembly are inserted in the neck of the bottle. In its upright position the container is filled to a point just below the neck of the bottle.

If desired and in case of refills, the container D may be filled after the stopper and assembly are inserted, by forcing fluid through the duct I2, the air within the container being displaced by entering the opening I8, passing through the filter chamber H, the expansion chamber 25 and out through the air inlet duct I9, t will be seen that the air filtering assembly may readily be removed for sterilizing and washing purposes by removing the stopper II from the neck of the bottle.

When ready for use, a dispensing tub-e having pinch means is fitted over the end I3 of the liquid duct I2 and the pinch means closed, to prevent premature flow of the liquid, before the bottle is inverted.

In the upright position of the container it will be apparent that fluid will enter the tube i5 through the orifice i8 and will approximately seek its level in the air filter chamber ZI which will be at a surface slightly below the neck of the bottle. Accordingly, fluid will not enter into 75 the expansion chamber 20 except for a few drops which may lap over, when the container is in its upright position and, accordingly, when the container is inverted, there will be no liquid available to fiow out of the duct I9 except possibly the aforementioned few drops. When the container is inverted, liquid from the tube I5 will enter the air filter chamber and the expansion chamber to approximately the level indicated in Fig. 1, and serves as the filtering medium for the incoming air, The chamber 22 is of sufiicient diameter and length to prevent any possibility of fluid siphoning out through the air inlet duct I9 prior to the fiow of liquid through the outlet duct I2. When the controlling means is removed on the tube connected to the outlet duct !2, a constant flow of liquid therethrough is assured by the admission of air through the air inlet duct Ill. The air pass-es downwardly through the expansion chamber 22 and, when suficient pressure is accumulated, will bubble downwardly through the washing fluid in the bottom of the expansion chamber and up through the washing fluid in the chamber 2I, through the duct I 5 and out of the orifice I8 into the then top of the container D, entering the area vacated by the liquid, It will be seen that the air entering the bottle has been thoroughly cleansed of dust, lint or any foreign matter in passing with considerable ebullition through the washing liquid in the bottom of the expansion chamber 22 and the washing chamher 2 I.

By providing an area within the expansion chamber Zilconsiderably larger than the area of the inlet duct I 6, the possibility of liquid being siphoned out through the duct I9 by reason of any increase of temperature in the liquid contents of the bottle while in the inverted position prior to use, is eliminated.

The embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3 is substantially the same as the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, hereinbefore described, the only difference being that in Fig. 3 the tube I5a does not extend substantially the length of the container but is terminated at an intermediate point therein. The operation of this embodiment is substantially the same as that of Figs. 1 and 2, in that when liquid is withdrawn from the container through the duct Ilia, room air enters -the inlet Isa, passes downwardly through the expansion chamber 22a and bubbles up through the filter chamber 2Ia, where it is thoroughly washed, through the tube lea and its opening Ma, and the washed air bubbles up through the liquid contents of the container D.

In all of the embodiments, it will be understood that the size of the fluid outlet is related to the size of the air inlet, so that the rate of flow of liquid from the outlets will maintain a balanced condition, preventing the flow of fluid from the air filter or expansion compartments when the assembly is inverted. A valve device such as shown in my Patent No. 2,099,083, issued November 16, 1937, may be employed upon the end of the air inlet duct.

While the novelty of the construction has been emphasized in the field of medicine, it will be understood that my improved device is not limited to such use but that the dispensing device has a wide field of utility, which will be readily under stood by those skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: j

1. In combination with a container operable from said stopper within said conduit, one legof said U tube communicating with said conduit and adapted to receive and return excess liquid; from and to said conduit, the other leg of said 10 U tube extending through said stopper and serving as an air inlet to said conduit.

2. In combination with a container operable upon inversion and having a stopper in its neck, fluid dispensing and air washing means disposed within said container comprising a 1iquid outlet duct extending through said stopper into said container, a fluid conduit depending from said stopper extending substantially to the bottom of said container and having an opening at its lower end, said conduit having an enlarged portion at its upper end adapted to receive fluid from said container, a U tube depending from said stopper within said enlarged portion of said conduit and spaced apart therefrom to form an air washing chamber, one leg of said U tube being of enlarged diameter to form an expansion chamher for liquid from said air washing chamber and the other leg of said U tube extending through said stopper and serving as an air inlet for said 15 air Washing chamber.

MARTIN C. SCHWAB.