Multi-component cartridge

[0001] The invention relates to a multi-component cartridge according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] The multi-component cartridge mentioned at the beginning is shown in publication DE 102 54 409 Al. The apparatus for mixing and dispensing multi-component masses has a container with two chambers for two different liquid components, for example for dental purposes. In order for the ingredients to be mixed before dosing, a mixing spiral is arranged at a cylindrical projection at one end of the chambers. This mixing spiral is embraced by a bent outlet tube located at the cap. The cap is rotatably mounted on a cylindrical projection of the chambers and can be rotated so that the curved outlet tube can be rotated in the desired direction for dispensing mixed ingredients in the outlet tube. For this purpose, the mixing spiral is shaped flexibly and bends in each direction towards the outlet tube. When delivered, the cap is in a closed state in which it closes the outlet openings of the chambers. To be able to dispense the ingredients contained in the chambers, these ingredients are squeezed with a piston, the chamber itself by the pressure of the ingredients jumps from the closed position to the open position. This has the advantage that the dispensing tube can be brought to the correct position and dosage by turning, e.g. for applying dental mass to or on the patient's teeth. The assembly of the cap is, however, very difficult because the flexible mixing spiral makes it difficult to attach the cap with the dispensing tube quickly and easily. A sensitive flexible mixing structure would have to be carefully inserted into the dispensing tube, while at the same time attention should be paid to the correct seating of the cap on the cylindrical projection. Also, moving the hood between the open and closed positions has the risk of tilting the hood and damaging the mixing spiral.

[0003] To simplify the attachment of the dispensing tube to the multi-component cartridge, in the current state of the art, dispensing tubes have been proposed, which are equipped with special coupling devices, and can also be attached to the chambers later. For example, DE 20 2006 004 738 Ul shows a device for mixing two liquids in which two syringe parts can be securely attached to each other by means of a connecting element. On the side of the connecting element facing away from the syringe parts, a sleeve with a mixing element arranged therein can be arranged, which can be connected via a bayonet-like coupling element. EP 0 319 135 A2 shows another attachable dispensing tube with a mixer structure therein. There, protection against rotation is provided through a partition wall located at the syringe part, which sinks into the corresponding slot on the dispensing tube. To prevent damage to the mixer element, it is placed in the dispensing tube before it is planted. In none of the known devices, however, is it simply ensured that the dispensing tube can be placed cleanly on the syringe part during insertion without damaging the mixer element. There is also the risk that the dispensing tube will not be cleanly attached to the syringe part, so that when the syringes are pressed in, the ingredients may escape from the side at the connection points between the syringe parts and the dispensing tube.

[0004] Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide a multi-component cartridge of the type mentioned at the outset that allows simple and secure attachment of the dispensing tube to the container of the multi-component cartridge and moving back and forth between the open and closed position of the multi-component cartridge.

[0005] This task is solved by a multi-component cartridge with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and intentional improvements of the invention are given in the dependent claims.

[0005] With the multi-component cartridge according to the invention, in that the mixing element is shaped as a guide leading to the axial displacement of the dispensing tube, it is advantageously possible to attach and displace the dispensing tube at the container of the multi-component cartridge.

[0007] To improve the sliding guiding of the dispensing tube, the outer contour of the mixer element and the inner contour of the dispensing tube are advantageously matched to each other. In addition, in a particularly preferred embodiment, the outer contour of the mixer element and the inner contour of the dispensing tube can be matched to each other in such a way that the dispensing tube can be attached to the mixer element in only one set position. In production, the dispensing tube can no longer be placed backwards, which means that the dispensing tube cannot be incorrectly attached to the mixing element. According to the invention, it is provided that the outer contour of the mixer element and the inner contour of the dispensing tube are rectangular or elliptical.

[0008] In this connection, it can additionally be ensured that the dispensing tube is guided securely when the container has a rectangular or elliptically shaped exit area at its mixer end, which is enclosed by a suitably formed dispensing area.

[0009] In order to ensure that the dispensing tube is fixed in an open position and / or in a closed position of the dispensing tube, in a preferred embodiment of the invention retaining means are provided at the container and / or the dispensing tube, in particular latch nose pieces and corresponding latch grooves. By this means, one side of the ingredients can be dosed without interference, on the other hand, the sides of the chamber can be sealed, which prevents drying or early hardening of the ingredients in the chambers. Particularly preferably, the exit openings of the chambers can be sealed by corresponding sealing elements arranged at the dispensing tube. In addition, the nose pads and latching grooves help the user ensure that the dispensing tube is in the correct position.

[0010] In order to avoid unintentional removal of the dispensing tube from the container and yet allow correct dispensing of the ingredients from the chambers into the dispensing tube, safety means are provided at the container and / or the dispensing tube.

[0011] In a technologically advantageous embodiment, the mixing element is made of a stable shape material, it is preferred that the mixing element and the container are formed in one piece.

[0012] Further particular features and advantages of the invention result from the following description of the preferred embodiment based on the drawings. The individual figures show the following:

Figure 1 is a three-dimensional view of a multi-component cartridge with an attached dispensing tube in a closed position;

Figure 2 is a three-dimensional view of the multi-component slice of Figure 1 dispensing;

the tubeless cartridge of the Fig. 3 cross section through the end of the multi-component container of Fig. 2 in the dispensing side;

the tube-free cartridge of Figure 4; cross-section of Figure 3 with the dispensing tube in the open position;

Figure 5 shows a detailed view of the upper end of the container of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a three-dimensional view according to the detail of Figure 5;

7 is a schematic view of the upper end of the container with the dispensing tube in an open position;

figure 8 shows the figure in figure 7 with the dispensing tube in a closed position;

[0013] The multi-component cartridge shaped in Fig. 1 as a double syringe has a container 1 which has two substantially cylindrical chambers rigidly connected to each other to contain various components. The ingredients are two-component glue, which are mixed only shortly before applying to the glued objects. However, other ingredients may also be stored in the chambers, for example for dental applications.

[0014] In order to be able to squeeze the ingredients, the multi-component cartridge, as is the case with such double syringes, has an impression pusher 4 which from below in Figure 1 can be pushed towards the other end of the multi-component cartridge. At the other end of the chambers on the dispensing side 2, 3 is dispensing tube 5. The dispensing tube here can have two components with each other from the chambers 2, 3, it generally has a square cross section and a dispensing opening 6 for dispensing mixed ingredients. The tube is held in the closed position shown in FIG. 1 by suitably shaped securing elements 7, 7 ', with the securing means of operation of the elements 7, Ί' being explained in detail later.

[0015] As can be seen from Figs. 2, 3, in which the container-end end 1 of the container 1 without the dispensing tube 5 is shown, a mixer element 8 with a plurality of reversing elements is provided with the substantially elliptically formed outlet area 9 of the container 1. The outlet area 9 extends the chambers 2, 3 in a channel to the outlet openings 2 ', 3' at its upper end, through which the components from the chambers 2, 3 can exit into the mixing space 10, 10 'formed by the mounted dispensing tube, when the dispensing tube 5 is in the open position shown in Fig. 4. [0016] As can be seen particularly well in Fig. 5, the ingredients by pushing the impression pusher 4 towards the dispensing side of the container 1 can flow into a substantially elliptical mixing space 10. By the pressure exerted on the ingredients they continue to flow through the mixing element 8 and the dispensing tube 5 towards the dispensing opening 6, in the mixing element 8 are evenly and efficiently mixed.

[0017] To keep the dispensing tube 5 securely in the open orientation shown in Figures 4 to 7, the dispensing tube 5 has at its end on the side of the chambers a seating area 11 formed corresponding to the elliptically formed outlet area 9 of the container 1, which seating area in in cooperation with elliptical circumferential protrusions 9 ', 9 "

enables safe dispensing tube 5 from open to closed position and back again. To prevent the dispensing tube 5 from being mistakenly removed from the container 1, e.g. when opening the dispensing tube 5, the securing elements 7, 7 'at their end lying on the dispensing side have noses 12, 12', which when mounting the pipe due to the elastically formed snap-on dispensing 5 securing elements 7, 7 'and chamfered lying on the side of the chambers ends of seating area 11 - can be pushed outwards. After the dispensing tube 5 has been fitted, the latching nose pads 12, 12 'extend behind the essentially horizontal surfaces of the seating area 11 and thus prevent the tube from being pulled off.

[0018] To keep the dispensing tube 5 open, retaining elements in the form of latch projections 13, 13 'are provided at the securing elements 7, 7', which engage in respective latching grooves 14, 14 'on the dispensing tube 5, as can be seen particularly well in fig. 7. That also in fig. 8 in the closed position fix the dispensing tube 5 in this setting, the seating area 11 of the dispensing tube 5 has additional latching grooves 15, 15 'which in turn engage with the safety elements 7, 1^r latch projections 13.

[0019] In order to be able to close the outlet openings 2 ', 3' tightly in the closed position of the dispensing tube 5, the inner side of the seating area 11 has two - essentially circular-shaped - closing plugs 16, 16 ', tapering inwards towards the dispensing side , having the shape of a truncated cone in cross section. Due to their special shape, the closing plugs 16, 16 'allow closing the 2', 3 'exit holes, while a certain force must be overcome to pull out the closing plugs 16, 16' from the 2 ', 3' exit holes. holders 13, 13 'and 14, 14' prevent accidental opening of the dispensing tube 5.

[0020] With the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the guiding of the dispensing tube 5 on the mixer element 8 is ensured by their mutually matched square internal or external contour, the cross section of both the mixing element 8 and the dispensing tube 5 is therefore essentially square. In order for the ingredients to be forced through the mixing element 8 as completely as possible, the distance between the inner contour of the dispensing tube 5 and the outer contour of the mixing element 8 is as small as possible, while it must still be possible to move the dispensing tube.

5. In addition, incorrect placement of the dispensing tube 5 on the mixer element 8 can be prevented by a clearly visible orientation of the elliptical shape of the seating area 11 and the outlet area 9 of the container.

1. Since the mixer element 8 is made of a stable shape material, the dispensing tube 5 is guided securely only in the longitudinal axial direction of the multi-component cartridge. [0021] In an alternative embodiment not shown here in the drawing, the outer contour of the mixer element 8 and the inner contour of the dispensing tube 5 are rectangular, i.e. they have a substantially rectangular cross section, so that the rotation of the dispensing tube 5 is already secured against rotation. . For this type of design, it is preferred that the dispensing tube 5 can be put on the mixer element 8 only in the position necessary for reliable sealing and engagement of the closing plugs 16, 16 'in the 2', 3 'exit holes. In this case, the area the seats 11 of the dispensing tube 5 and the exit area 9 of the container 1 may also have other shapes with a different cross-section, for example circular. However, it is ensured by special molding of the mixer element 8 that the outlet openings 2 'or 3' and the plugs 16, 16 'are constantly meshing with each other.

[0022] Instead of the security elements 7, 7 'shown in the embodiment illustrated with the snap tabs 12, 12' positioned thereon, other suitable securing means may also be provided. In place of the latching grooves 14, 14 'or 15, 15', corresponding latching projections at the seating area 11 of the dispensing tube 5 can also be provided, instead of the latching projection 13, 13 'at the securing elements

7, 7 'then appropriate latching grooves should be provided.

Sulzer Chemtech AG

Proxy:

42P26492PL00 ΕΡ 1 925 370 BI