WO1996014804A1

WO1996014804A1 - Apparatus for dispensing liquids

Info

Publication number: WO1996014804A1
Application number: PCT/SE1995/001306
Authority: WO
Inventors: Per Granberg
Original assignee: Dentonova Aktiebolag
Priority date: 1994-11-09
Filing date: 1995-11-06
Publication date: 1996-05-23
Also published as: SE9403837D0; AU3885395A; SE503656C2; SE9403837L

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing liquid, in particular for liquids used in dental applications. The apparatus comprises a container (2) that at least partially is made of a flexible material. The container (2), or a member (5) attached thereto, includes an outside cavity (9) and a narrow channel (10) extends from the interior of the container to the outside cavity.

Description

APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING LIQUIDS

The invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing liquids, preferably liquids used in dental applications.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

New materials have recently been developed for filling cavities in teeth such as polymer matrices containing fine glass powder. Liquid materials such as etching liquid, primer and adhesives are applied to the walls of the cavity by, for example, a brush to enable the filling materials to properly adhere to the walls. The hquid may be supplied in small bottles having drip mechanisms so that a small amount may be ejected on to a surface. Since only very small amounts are required for treating a mechanisms because the liquids are expensive and solidify and dry after a while.

In addition, many, dentists operate without the assistance of dental hygie ists to keep costs down which requires that the equipment must be easy to use and be ready for use. The ease of use and the readiness requirements are particularly important for dentists working without assistants.

Several apparatuses have been developed to protect the dispensed liquid or liquids and to simplify the use thereof For example, suppliers of the liquids provide a type of a plate having several recesses into which the liquids may be applied. The plates are also supplied with a lid to protect the liquids when not in use. Patent no. EP-A-0 005 002 describes a plate having several recesses and a protective lid which may be closed to cover the recesses. The plate is provided with a plurality of chambers below the recesses so that the recesses and chambers are in fluid communication via passageways. The chambers are filled with liquids for dental treatments and a specified amount is withdrawn through the passageways to the recesses. Drawbacks of these plates are that they are relatively clumsy, that a certain amount of liquid is allowed to evaporate or dry despite the protective Uds and that the plates are difficult to clean.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims at solving the above mentioned problems by providing an apparatus for dispensing liquids that substantially prevents liquids from evaporating and drying, that is easy to handle for a single person and that is inexpensive to produce. This object is achieved by the apparatus of the present invention therein that the apparatus includes a container that, at least partially, is made of an elastic material and the container, or a member attached to the container, has an outside cavity and an inside chamber that are in fluid communication via a narrow channel.

The outside cavity may include at least one dose receiving space, in the following referred to as chamber, that is open upwardly and accessible from the upward direction when the container is turned so that the cavity is faced in the upward direction. In the preferred embodiment, the dose receiving chamber may be separated from the channel by a wall or a barrier member so that when hquid is dispensed through the channel from the inside of the container by squeezing the container, the liquid must flow over the wall into the dose receiving chamber and is prevented from flowing back into the container through the channel. In an alternate embodiment, which may be a modification of the preferred embodiment, the channel may terminate at a level above the bottom of the dose receiving chamber. However, it is contemplated that the channel may terminate at the bottom of the cavity.

Preferably the channel, or a passageway formed by the channel and a tube shaped extension thereof, extends from a position adjacent the bottom of the container to a position at or adjacent the cavity, preferably shaped as a recess formed in the outside of the container or formed in a member attached to the container.

Further features and advantages of the present invention are described in the claims and in the detailed description below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a first embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention in operational position, Fig. 2 shows the same apparatus in a stand-by position, Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a set of three containers having a common closure which also provides a support, Fig. 4 shows the view from line IV-IV of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 shows a cross-sectional exploded view of an another embodiment of the present mvention, Fig. 6 shows a cross-sectional exploded view of a set of three containers according to another embodiment of the present invention having a common closure and support, and Fig. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of an apparatus of yet another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Whh reference to Figs. 1 and 2, a first embodiment of the apparatus of the present mvention is shown as reference numeral 1. Apparatus 1 includes a container 2 made of a suitable elastic material such as plastic or rubber. One sealed end 3 of the container is the bottom end thereof when the apparatus is in operational mode, Fig. 1, and the other end has a filling opening 4 that may be closed by a screw-capsule 5. The container 2 has a neck 6 having outside threads 7. The capsule 5 has matching inside threads 8.

The outside of capsule 5 defines a cavity 9 that is turned upwardly when the apparatus is in operational position, Fig. 1. A very narrow channel 10 extends through capsule 5 and terminates in a mouth 11 at a level between the bottom of cavity 9 and the upper portion of cavity 9. The channel 10 also extends downwardly a portion 12 inside container 2 below cavity 9. Portion 12 connects to a tube 13 made of plastic or rubber. The tube extends into the container and terminates adjacent bottom 3 thereof.

Channel 10, which diameter is substantially exaggerated in the figures, is very narrow and has a diameter that does not exceed 1.5 millimeter (mm). Preferably the diameter is between 0.6 and 1.2 mm. Capsule 5 has a shoulder 15 below threads 8 that extends upwardly to a tube shaped portion 16 and terminates at a round edge 17 at a level above cavity 9. Shoulder 15, portion 16 and edge 17 form a protection of cavity 9 and a support for apparatus 1 when the apparatus is in stand-by position, Fig. 2.

A portion 19 of channel 10 extends above the bottom of cavity 9. A ring-shaped dose receiving chamber 20 is defined between portion 19 and the bottom of cavity 9 as described in detail below. Preferably the dose receiving chamber 20 has a rounded off bottom, that is a shape that is adapted to conform to a brush having a rounded shape such as a brush described in DE-A-3937030. The apparatus 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be used in the following way. Container 2 is filled with a hquid 21 suitable for dental appUcations, for example, etching hquids, primer and adhesives, and the container is closed by capsule 5. The apparatus 1 should be turned, as shown in Fig. 2, when it is in operational position. Alternatively, the apparatus may be placed in a support having a handle that fits between the closure mechanism of capsule 5 and the tube shaped outer portion 16. When a dentist is to dispense hquid, he turns apparatus 1 so that capsule 5 and cavity 9 are turned upwardly, Fig. 1. Then he squeezes the flexible container 2 so that hquid is pressed through tube 13 that is emerged in hquid 21, and the hquid is further pressed through the narrow channel 10. Because the channel 10 has a very small diameter it provides a strong flow resistance. This makes it easier to adjust the amount of hquid dispensed. Thus, the hquid is forced up through tube 12 and channel 10 and further through opening 19 so that cavity 9 is filled over its mouth 11 but not so that the hquid flows over the rim of cavity 9. Then the dentist releases the squeezing pressure on container 2 so that the flexible walls of the container spring back and hquid is withdrawn from cavity 9 down through channel 10 and tube 13. The hquid contained in dose receiving chamber 20, that is the space that is below the mouth 11 of channel 10, remains and constitutes the desired dose of hquid to be dispensed. The dentist can now suck up this amount of hquid with a brush, such as the above mentioned brush shown in DE-A-3937030. If required, this procedure may be repeated once or several times. When the desired dose is dispensed, the container is turned as shown in Fig. 2.

Due to the small diameter of channel 10, the hquid remains in tube 13 although the container is turned so that the mouth 11 of channel 10 is turned downwardly. The small diameter substantially prevents evaporation of the hquid.

Figs. 3 and 4 show an apparatus 1' that is a development of the above described apparatus 1. In this case, three containers 2 are mounted in a common protection/ support 5' that unite the three containers to one unit. The handling and functions are otherwise similar to the previous embodiment.

Fig. 5 shows another embodiment wherein shoulder 15 and the tube shaped support 16 have been removed so that the apparatus is instead supported by a stationary combined protection and support 25. Capsule 5" is otherwise similar to the above described capsule 5. A recess 26 is formed in the container/support 25 that is adapted to receive capsule 5" so that container 2 having capsule 5" screwed thereon may be securely placed in recess 26 and so that the cavity 9 is protected and evaporation is prevented.

Fig. 6 shows a similar protection/support 25'" but it has three recesses 26 to receive container 2 '". According to this embodiment, the containers include a casing 27 and permanent seal 5 "'. This may be placed in casing 27, that forms the main portion of container 2'" before casing 5"' is attached to casing 27 and is sealed, for example, by heatsealing it. Containers 3 shown in Fig. 6 are examples of containers that have been filled with a hquid by the manufacturer but cannot be re-filled. Otherwise containers 2'" are equipped like the earlier described embodiments, that is they have a cavity 9 having a dose receivmg chamber 20, a narrow channel 10 that terminates inside cavity 9 and a tube 12 that extends from the narrow channel 10 to adjacent a bottom 3 of container 2 "'.

Fig. 7 shows another example of a container that has been filled by the manufacturer. The plane sealed bottom 3™ of the container may be placed on a smooth surface and when in stand-by position, the container 2™ may be placed in a protective support as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

The embodiment according to Fig. 7 is different from the other embodiments in that the mouth 11™ of channel 10 is shifted from the center of cavity 9™. More particularly, the mouth is shifted a distance from the bottom of cavity 9™. Thus, a dose receiving chamber 20™ is formed in the bottom of cavity 9™.

The handling of container 2™ is similar to the earlier described embodiments. The dentist squeezes container 2™ so that hquid is forced up through tube 12™ and through channel 10™, that constricts the flow of the hquid, so that cavity 9™ is fifled to a level above mouth 10™ of channel 11™. When the dentist thereafter releases the pressure so that the walls spring back, any surplus hquid in the cavity 9™ is sucked back so that the dispensed dose remains in cavity 20™ at the bottom of cavity 9™.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and can be changed within the scope of the appending patent claims. Thus, the container may have any desired shape that provides easy handling as long as there is a suitable dose receiving chamber that is accessible from the outside and that there is a narrow passageway between the interior of the container and the cavity. The apparatus may be shaped in one piece that is sealed after being filled with a suitable hquid, a disposable type of container, or the container is provided with a removable member so that the apparatus may be re-filled and used again. The apparatus may also be provided with different shapes of protection/support that may be connected to another in a variety of ways within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. An apparatus for dispensing hquid, particularly for hquid used in dental apphcations, comprising a container (2) that at least partially is made of an elastic material, the container (2), or a member attached to the contamer, having an outside cavity (9) and a narrow channel (10) extending between the interior of the container and the outside cavity.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the outside cavity includes at least one dose receiving chamber (20) that is upwardly open and is accessible from above when the container is turned with the cavity (9) lacing upwardly.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the dose receiving chamber (20) is defined by the channel ( 10) by a waU or a barrier ( 19) so that the cavity (20) is filled with a dose of Uquid by pressing the hquid up through the channel (10) by compressmg the flexible container so that the Uquid overflows the barrier (19) into the cavity (201) and the hquid is prevented from flowing back into the container through the channel

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 or 3 wherein the channel (10) terminates at a level above the bottom of the dose receiving chamber (20).

5. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the channel terminates at the bottom of the dose receiving chamber.

6. The apparatus according to any claim 1-5 wherein the cavity (9) is defined as a recess in the container or in a member attached to the container.

7. The apparatus according to any claim 1-6 wherein the dose receiving chamber is only defined by a limited bottom portion of the cavity.

8. The apparatus according to any claim 1-7 wherein the channel (10) or a tube shaped extension (12) thereof extends from a position adjacent the bottom (3) of the container.

9. The apparatus according to any claim 1-8 wherein the member (5) is removably attached to the container (2).

10. The apparatus according to any claim 1-9 wherein the apparatus comprises a protection for the cavity (9).

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the protection provides a support for the container.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the protection/support is configured so that the dose receiving chamber is faced downwardly when the contamer is placed in the support.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the protection/support includes a plurality of containers.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the containers are placed side by side in the support with the dose receiving chamber facing downwardly.