U.S. patent application number 14/553815 was filed with the patent office on 2015-03-19 for dental mixing device having an auto-aligning mixing tip.
This patent application is currently assigned to Pac-Dent International, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Pac-Dent International, Inc.. Invention is credited to Taosheng Hu, Bo Tao, Daniel Wang, Congbo Wei, Bo Yue.
Application Number | 20150079539 14/553815 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48744139 |
Filed Date | 2015-03-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150079539 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wang; Daniel ; et
al. |
March 19, 2015 |
DENTAL MIXING DEVICE HAVING AN AUTO-ALIGNING MIXING TIP
Abstract
A dental mixing device with a barrel, a mixing tip, and a
plunger. The plunger moves dental material through the barrel where
it is mixed using a mixing tip. The mixing tip includes an
auto-aligning fitting female element configured to align with an
auto-aligning fitting male element of the barrel. This
auto-alignment simplifies the attachment between the mixing tip and
the barrel. The mixing tip also includes a seal component with a
soft material (or component) to insert into the auto-aligning
fitting element which is a hard material (or component) to achieve
seal. The seal component and auto-alignment fitting element can be
combined together into one component instead of two components.
Inventors: |
Wang; Daniel; (Royland
Heights, CA) ; Hu; Taosheng; (Suzhou, CN) ;
Tao; Bo; (Chino, CA) ; Yue; Bo; (Suzhou,
CN) ; Wei; Congbo; (Suzhou, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Pac-Dent International, Inc. |
Walnut |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Pac-Dent International,
Inc.
Walnut
CA
|
Family ID: |
48744139 |
Appl. No.: |
14/553815 |
Filed: |
November 25, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13736412 |
Jan 8, 2013 |
8919609 |
|
|
14553815 |
|
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|
61585130 |
Jan 10, 2012 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
433/90 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61C 5/68 20170201; A61C
19/066 20130101; A61C 5/64 20170201 |
Class at
Publication: |
433/90 |
International
Class: |
A61C 5/06 20060101
A61C005/06; A61C 19/06 20060101 A61C019/06 |
Claims
1. A device comprising: a plunger; a barrel attached to the
plunger, the barrel configured to hold a first dental barrel
holding a first dental material and a second dental barrel holding
a second dental material, wherein the barrel comprises a male
auto-aligning fitting element having a protruding dam; and a mixing
tip attached to the barrel, wherein the mixing tip comprising a
female auto-aligning fitting element having a split slot, wherein
the protruding dam of the male auto-aligning fitting element is
configured to align with and press on the split slot of the female
auto-aligning fitting element.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the barrel comprises a locating
slot configured to align with a locating block on the mixing tip,
wherein the locating slot and locating block create only one way to
match the barrel to the mixing tip.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the mixing tip comprises a
syringe.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the protruding dam separates the
first dental material and the second dental material.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the female auto-aligning fitting
element comprises plastic.
6. The device of claim 5, wherein the plastic comprises
Polyoxymethylene, Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or
polypropylene.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein the mixing tip comprises a male
or female threaded coupling which mates with a coupling of the
barrel.
8. The device of claim 1 further comprising a seal component,
wherein the seal component and the female auto-aligning fitting
element are over-molded together into one component.
9. The device of claim 8, wherein the seal component and the female
auto-aligning fitting element are two separate components
configured to attach together.
10. A device comprising: a plunger; a barrel attached to the
plunger, the barrel configured to hold a first dental barrel
holding a first dental material and a second dental barrel holding
a second dental material, wherein the barrel comprises a protruding
dam; a mixing tip attached to the barrel, wherein the mixing tip
comprising a split slot, wherein the protruding dam is configured
to align with and press on the split slot; and a seal component
attached to the mixing tip, wherein the seal component is
structured to match up with and insert into the split slot, wherein
the seal component comprises a soft material and the split slot
comprising a hard material, wherein the soft material of the seal
component is configured to shrink and expand, wherein the soft
material of the seal component shrinks upon receiving pressure from
the hard material of the split slot.
11. The device of claim 10, wherein the barrel comprises a locating
slot configured to align with a locating block on the mixing tip,
wherein the locating slot and locating block create only one way to
match the barrel to the mixing tip.
12. The device of claim 10, wherein the mixing tip comprises a
syringe.
13. The device of claim 10, wherein the protruding dam separates
the first dental material and the second dental material.
14. The device of claim 10, wherein the hard material comprises
plastic.
15. The device of claim 14, wherein the plastic comprises
Polyoxymethylene, Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or
polypropylene.
16. The device of claim 10, wherein the soft material comprises
thermoplastic Elastomer or Silicone.
17. The device of claim 10, wherein the mixing tip comprises a
threaded coupling which mates with a coupling of the barrel.
18. The device of claim 10 further comprising a female
auto-aligning fitting element, wherein the seal component and the
female auto-aligning fitting element are over-molded together into
one component.
19. The device of claim 18, wherein the seal component and the
female auto-aligning fitting element are two separate components
configured to attach together.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This continuation application claims the benefit of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 13/736,412, filed Jan. 8, 2013, and
entitled "Dental mixing device having an auto-aligning tip mixing
tip," which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119(e) to U.S.
Provisional Application No. 61/585,130, filed Jan. 10, 2012, and
entitled "Dispensing syringe having multiple barrels and mixing
apparatus," the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by
reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to mixing dual and
multi component dental materials in dentistry procedures, and
specifically to an improved dental mixing device.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] There are many dental procedures that require the mixing of
two or more dental materials (also known as compositions,
compounds, and substances) before the mixed dental material can be
used in that particular dental procedure. In the past, a common
practice was to measure the separate dental materials, drop them
into a mixing dish, mix the dental materials together using an
applicator brush, and then use the applicator brush to apply the
mixed dental materials to the desired teeth surfaces. However,
mixing using the applicator brush led to a host of problems
including being tedious, time consuming, causing contamination from
the patient's saliva, and having dental material evaporate or
harden. For example, when bleaching teeth using peroxide, the
peroxide will decompose immediately after mixing.
[0006] In view of such problems, auto-mixing dental mixing devices
such as a dispensing syringe (also known as a double barrel
syringe) were developed to address these problems. In general,
dispensing syringes include two separate, elongated barrels (also
known as chambers) that are arranged in a side-by-side
configuration. The barrels are sealed, and the base paste is stored
in one barrel, while the catalyst paste is stored in the other
barrel. The barrels are connected to a dispensing tip.
[0007] In practice, the user, which is typically a dentist, pushes
on the plunger of the syringe to force the base and catalyst pastes
from their respective barrels and into the dispensing tip. The
dispensing tip typically contains a static mixer. As the base and
catalyst pastes are extruded through the static mixer, they are
combined and mixed together to form the final, mixed dental cement.
Then, the dentist can dispense the cement onto the desired target,
for example, a temporary crown, and mount the crown over a
crown-prepped tooth in the mouth of the patient. Dispensing
syringes are used in dentistry for storing, mixing, and dispensing
a wide variety of dental materials such as whiting gels, impression
materials, dental filling materials temporary dental restoration
materials, cements, and adhesives.
[0008] One example of a dispensing syringe is illustrated in Drake,
U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,920. Drake discloses a dispensing device having
a having a pair of chambers for storing dental resins separately
and a pair of plungers that are forced into the chambers to
discharge the resins. The device further includes a static-mixing
element housed with an exit conduit and a discharge nozzle. The
static-mixing element is held in a fixed position in order to
maintain a predetermined alignment of a first blade in the
static-mixing element relative to the two streams of resinous
material.
[0009] Another example of a dispensing syringe is illustrated in
Spehar et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,536. Spehar discloses a double
barrel syringe having two compartments for storing two separate
dental polymeric materials, a discharge assembly, and a nozzle
assembly for dispensing the material. The nozzle assembly comprises
a common nozzle, a static-mixing element with an arm extending from
one end. The static mixer is arbitrarily inserted into the bore of
the nozzle. The discharge of the polymeric material from the
compartments causes the static mixer to turn until the arm engages
an end stop. The end stop prevents further rotation of the arm as
material is fed into the nozzle, thereby allowing the mixer to
intermix the two materials from the storage compartments.
[0010] Dentists often prefer working with these types of
auto-mixing devices, such as dispensing syringes, because the base
and catalyst pastes are stored in commercially-available cartridges
and can be dispensed from the cartridges in a pre-determined volume
ratio to form an optimally mixed composition. Thus, the dentist can
save time using such auto-mixing devices and avoid mixing ratio
errors.
[0011] However, the prior art falls short of truly simplifying the
auto-mixing process. Prior to the use of a dispensing syringe, the
mixing tip must be connected to the dual barrel container. This is
because mixing tips are typically designed for a single use, since
after one use the dental material hardens into cement within the
tip such that the mixing tip cannot be reused. When the dentist
wants to connect a new mixing tip to a dual barrel container, the
dentist must pay close attention to align the outlets of the dual
barrel container with the inlets of the mixing tip, along with
paying attention to any other connection means (e.g., seal,
threads, etc.). This alignment takes time, effort, and can be
frustrating. Since this connection is typically performed while
working with a dental patient, when time is of the essence, it is
important that this connection be made quickly. Also, it is
critical that the dentist's attention not be distracted from the
dental procedure on hand.
[0012] Conventional devices exist to help fasten the mixing tip to
the barrel, but do not simplify the attachment process. For
example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,772 issued to Keller et al. discloses
a bayonet fastening device for the attachment of an accessory to a
multiple component cartridge or dispensing device. The bayonet
attachment on the cartridge for attaching a mixer or accessory to a
multiple component cartridge is formed as a ring-shaped bayonet
socket with two internal recesses and two diametrically opposed
cutouts forming one bayonet coupling part means, whereas the
bayonet attachment of the mixer or accessory comprises two bayonet
lugs corresponding to the cutouts. In a preferred embodiment the
lugs and cutouts are of different widths for the coded alignment of
the mixer or accessory to the cartridge in one predetermined
position only.
[0013] U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2011/0198,370 to Ho et al. discloses a
device for mixing and discharging plural materials. The device for
mixing and discharging plural materials has a body, a housing and a
sealing plug. The body has multiple barrels and multiple tubes
communicating with the barrels. The housing is rotatably attached
to the body in a thread manner and has a mixing chamber and a
discharging segment. The sealing plug is mounted in the mixing
chamber to seal the tubes and has a sealing disk and multiple
sealing sleeves.
[0014] Keller and Ho fall short because they do not simplify the
alignment between the barrel and the tip. Instead, they tighten a
connection that is already established. Kelly and Ho still require
the user to carefully align the mixer's base/tip with the
cartridge's outlets during installation. Additionally, Kelly and Ho
lack a combination of hard and soft materials of a mixer and
syringe tip that ensure a perfect seal and prevent cross
contamination.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] The present invention includes an improved dental mixing
device with a barrel, a mixing tip, and a plunger. The plunger
moves dental material through the barrel where it is mixed using a
mixing tip. The mixing tip includes an auto-aligning fitting female
element configured to align with an auto-aligning fitting male
element of the barrel. This auto-alignment simplifies the
attachment between the mixing tip and the barrel, saving the user
the time and effort. The mixing tip also includes a seal component
with a soft material (or component) to insert into the
auto-aligning fitting element which is a hard material (or
component) to achieve an ideal seal. The seal component and
auto-alignment fitting element can be combined together into one
component instead of two components.
[0016] An advantage of the present invention is that the assembly
easier for the user by eliminating the need to align the mixing
tip's inlet and the container barrel's outlet. The invention
accomplishes this by having an auto-matching, auto-aligning,
auto-locking structure such that no aiming or aligning is
required.
[0017] Auto-matching refers to the screw thread-based mechanism
between the barrel and the syringe in such a way that does not
require the user to carefully and purposefully match the barrel and
the syringe together during installation. The screw thread-based
mechanism can be, for example, a luer-lock or a non-luer-lock, can
be a single thread or multi-thread. Auto-aligning refers to the one
or more raised ridges located in between the syringe outlets and
one or more grooves on the syringe's internal sealing component
that work in tandem to automatically align the ridges with the
grooves during installation. The shapes of the raised edges and
grooves could be different cosmetically from each other. Exemplary
shapes include slotted, cross, hexagon, triangle, square,
rectangle, circle, ellipse, star, trapezoid, etc.
[0018] Another advantage of the present invention is that hard and
soft materials are used together in the female fitting element and
the seal of the mixing tip to better seal the device. The hard/soft
feature in the device is a novel feature of the present invention.
Conventional sealing typically relies on a hard plastic sealing,
which theoretically, cannot be a perfect seal. The fact that a soft
material is able to shrink and expand depending on the applied
force makes it the ideal material for a perfect seal, but using
just soft material alone will not work because it still needs the
support from the hard material, making the hard/soft combination a
unique advantage of the present invention. The soft material could,
for example, be over-molded onto the hard material making the
female fitting element and the sealing component into one
component. In another embodiment, the hard and soft materials are
separate components.
[0019] The foregoing, and other features and advantages of the
invention, will be apparent from the following, more particular
description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, the
accompanying drawings, and the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a dental mixing
device according to one embodiment of the invention.
[0021] FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the components of the
device according to one embodiment of the invention.
[0022] FIG. 3 illustrates an auto-aligning fitting male element of
a barrel of the device according to one embodiment of the
invention.
[0023] FIG. 4 illustrates an auto-aligning fitting female element
of a mixing tip of the device according to one embodiment of the
invention.
[0024] FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional view illustrating the
attachment of the male and auto-aligning fitting female elements of
the device according to one embodiment of the invention.
[0025] FIG. 6 illustrates a flow chart showing a process for
connecting the device according to an embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0026] Before the present composition, methods, and methodologies
are described, it is to be understood that this invention is not
limited to particular compositions, methods, and experimental
conditions described, as such compositions, methods, and conditions
may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used
herein is for purposes of describing particular embodiments only,
and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present
invention will be limited only in the appended claims.
[0027] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the
singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural references
unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless defined
otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the
same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the
art to which this invention belongs. Any methods and materials
similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the
practice or testing of the invention, as it will be understood that
modifications and variations are encompassed within the spirit and
scope of the instant disclosure.
[0028] Further features and advantages of the invention, as well as
the structure and operation of various embodiments of the
invention, are described in detail below with reference to the
accompanying FIGS. 1-6, wherein like reference numerals refer to
like elements. Although the illustrations illustrate a dual barrel
dental mixing device, one with skill in the art could add an
additional barrel (referred to herein as a multi-barrel mixing
device) or use the dental mixing device outside of the dental
industry.
[0029] The present invention includes an improved barrel mixing
device. The device includes a mixing tip, a barrel, and a plunger.
The plunger moves the material through the barrel. The barrel can
be dual or multi (e.g., more than two) barrel containers. The
mixing tip includes a novel connection structure for simplifying
the process of connecting a mixing tip with a dual barrel
container. The mixing tip has an auto-aligning fitting female
element having a split slot configured to connect with a protruding
dam of an auto-aligning fitting male element of the dual barrel
container. This auto-aligning fitting female element also includes
a locating block configured to fit into a locating slot of the dual
barrel to ensure the mixing tip is aligned correctly with the
barrel. The novel seal component provides a soft material to insert
the hard material of the auto-aligning fitting female element to
achieve an ideal seal.
[0030] The device has several distinctive features. For example,
the device has a unique auto-aligning/auto-matching design that no
longer requires the user to carefully align the mixer's syringe
with the cartridge's outlets during installation. Additionally, the
device includes internal sealing and female fitting components that
include both hard and soft materials which guarantees a perfect
seal every time. Also, the device's syringe tip end has a ridged
wall that separates the outlets of the multi-barrels, and works in
tandem with the sealing component's groove, which is covered by
soft material, to effectively prevent chemicals inside the
multi-barrel syringe from cross-contamination during storage and
dispensing.
[0031] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a dental mixing
device 100 according to one embodiment of the invention. The device
100 (e.g., dual barrel syringe) includes a mixing tip 115, a barrel
110, and a plunger 105. The device 100 can be used in the dental
field for storing, mixing, and dispensing of dental materials
including whitening gels, impression materials, filling materials,
temporary dental restoration materials, etc. The plunger 105 pushes
the dental material through the barrel 110 and into the mixing tip
115.
[0032] The barrel 110 (e.g., dual barrels, multi-barrel container,
etc.) stores dental materials prior to mixing. The barrel 110
includes at least two dental materials separated by different
parallel chambers, and the chambers having inlets at one end and
outlets at the other end. The inlets are for filling the materials
and the outlets are for dispensing the material into the mixing
tip. The outlet of the barrel 110 connects with a connector on the
mixing tip 115. The barrel 110 may have a male/female threaded
coupling which matches with the mixing tip's female/male threaded
coupling, such as a luer lock.
[0033] The mixing tip 115 is configured to receive a plurality of
materials and mix them prior to the dental procedure. The mixing
tip 115 has a mixing element and a connector which connects with
the barrel's outlet. The connector of the mixing tip 115 includes a
body, seal component(s) and separation element(s). The mixing tip
115 also has a threaded coupling which matches with the barrel 110.
The mixing tip 115 also has a pattern on the outside to increase
the grip friction force. The mixing tip 115 auto-matches,
auto-aligns and auto-locks with the barrel 110 using the connector
without the need to aim and align the components' outlets when
connecting the mixing tip. A cutout region as part of the connector
may include a flexible sealing element made of a soft plastic
material with the result that dimensional and material elasticity
is provided. The cutouts may be located at least partially in a
hard plastic material of the connector. The cutout element may
include welding surfaces that are in different planes and have a
non-planar three-dimensional configuration.
[0034] FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the components of the
device 100 according to one embodiment of the invention. The
plunger 105 can be a conventional plunger which is known by those
with skill in the art. The plunger 105 can have a pressing means
220 for squeezing the dental material out of the barrel 110.
[0035] The barrel 110 (e.g., barrel containers) has an
auto-aligning fitting male element 225 configured to align, apply
pressure in parallel with the device 100, and lock together with
the mixing tip 115.
[0036] The mixing tip 115 has an auto-aligning fitting female
element 230, a seal component 235, and a syringe 240. The
auto-aligning fitting female element 230 is used together with the
auto-aligning fitting male element 225 to auto-align the mixing tip
115 and the barrel 110 to align to, attach with, and lock to the
auto-aligning female element 230.
[0037] The auto-matching, auto-aligning, male and female fitting
elements 225, 230 include an auto-positioning and auto-locking
ridge, a matching auto-positioning and auto-locking slot, and can
also feature a locating slot (also known as a locating dowel).
[0038] The seal component or components 235 are used with the
female fitting element 230 for sealing the dental materials before
they are dispensed into an inlet of the mixing tip 115. The female
fitting element includes a hard material (e.g., plastic) and the
seal component 235 includes a soft material to best attach to the
syringe 240. The hard material of the female fitting element 230 is
for inserting the mixing tip 115 onto the barrel 110. The soft
material of the sealing component 235 is to achieve an ideal seal
to prevent the dental material from leaking or cross-contaminating
with each other prior to mixing. The attachment between the hard
and soft material can be by over molding, adhesive, ultrasonic
welding or other combination methods. The dental materials are
separated by an auto-locking ridge and soft material
components.
[0039] Further, at least one part of the connector (e.g., female
fitting 230) may be made of a hard plastic material or may have a
contact surface defined by the hard plastic material. The contact
surface may provide connection with the barrel's outlet. The hard
plastic material may be Polyoxymethylene (POM), Acrylonitrile
butadiene styrene (ABS), or polypropylene (PE). The soft plastic
material may be a thermoplastic Elastomer or Silicone.
[0040] FIG. 3 illustrates the auto-aligning fitting male element
225 of the barrel 110 of the device 100 according to one embodiment
of the invention. The auto-aligning fitting male element 225
includes a protruding dam 345 having a top 350, two outlets 355,
360, a locating slot 365, and a flange 370.
[0041] The protruding dam 345 having the top 350 provides the male
portion of the auto-aligning fitting male element 225 and is
configured to align with and insert into the auto-aligning fitting
female element 220. The top 350 of the protruding dam 345 is used
for keeping pressure on the auto-aligning fitting female element
230 to ensure the auto-aligning fitting female element 230
maintains in close contact with the seal component 235 of the
mixing tip 115.
[0042] The protruding dam 345 is located between the outlets 355,
360 and keeps the two dental materials separate before the
materials are dispensed into the mixing tip 115, preventing
cross-contamination. The outlets 355, 360 are for the dental
materials to pass through when the plunger 105 is pressed.
[0043] The locating slot 365 (e.g., locating dowel) ensures the
barrel 110 can only be attached to the mixing tip 115 in one way.
Further, the locating slot 365 locks the mixing tip 115 in place on
barrel 110. The flange 370 is used to lock up the barrel 110 to the
mixing tip 115 by screwing the flange 370 around the mixing tip's
screw thread shown in FIG. 4.
[0044] FIG. 4 illustrates the auto-aligning fitting female element
230 of the mixing tip 115 of the device 100 according to one
embodiment of the invention. Corresponding with the auto-aligning
fitting male element 225, the auto-aligning fitting female element
230 of the mixing tip 115 has a split slot 445, two inlets 455,
460, a locating block 465, and a screw thread 470. The mixing tip
115 also has a handle 475.
[0045] The split slot 445 is configured to receive and mate with
the top 350 of the protruding dam 345 when the flange 370 is
screwed onto the screw thread 470. The inlets 455, 460 are
configured to mate with the outlets 355, 360 and receive the dental
materials passed through the outlets 355, 360. The locating block
465 is configured to fit into the locating slot 365 to ensure there
is only one way for the mixing tip 115 to be positioned on the
barrel 110. The screw thread 470 is configured to match and receive
the flange 370. The handle 475 allows the dentist to guide and
control the syringe 240 and allows for secure gripping when
screwing and tightening the flange 370.
[0046] FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional view illustrating the
attachment of the male and female auto-aligning fitting elements
225, 230 of the device 100 according to one embodiment of the
invention. FIG. 5 illustrates the alignment between the barrel 110
and the mixing tip 115. The barrel 110 has the protruding dam 345,
outlets 355, 360, and the flange 370. The mixing tip 115 has the
split slot 445, inlets 355, 360, screw thread 470, seal component
235, and syringe 240.
[0047] FIG. 6 illustrates a flow chart showing a process for
connecting the device 100 according to an embodiment of the
invention. The process starts at step 600. At step 610, the user
connects the mixing tip 115 into the barrel 110. When tightening
the mixing tip 115 onto the barrel 110, the auto-aligning fitting
male element 225 will first contact the split slot 445, which
auto-aligns the screw thread 470 and the flange 370.
[0048] At step 620, the user screws the flange 370 around the
mixing tip 115. This tightens the connection between the mixing tip
115 and the barrel 110 and allows the protruding dam 345 to press
the auto-aligning fitting female element 230 against the seal
component 235. When screwing and tightening the mixing tip 115 onto
the barrel 110, the inlets 455, 460 on the mixing tip 115 and the
outlets 355, 360 on the barrel 110 will align and be sealed by the
seal component 235. The protruding dam 345 applies tight pressure
on the auto-aligning fitting female element 230. The user presses
the plunger 105 against the barrel 110 at step 630. This squeezes
the dental material through the mixing tip 115. The process ends at
step 640.
[0049] It is to be recognized that depending on the embodiment,
certain acts or events of any of the methods described herein can
be performed in a different sequence, may be added, merged, or left
out altogether (for example, not all described acts or events are
necessary for the practice of the method). Moreover, in certain
embodiments, acts or events may be performed concurrently, for
example, through multi-threaded processing, interrupt processing,
or multiple processors, rather than sequentially.
[0050] It should be understood that the invention is not limited to
the embodiments set forth herein for purposes of exemplification,
but is to be defined only by a fair reading of the appended claims,
including the full range of equivalency to which each element
thereof is entitled. Although the invention has been described with
reference to the above examples, it will be understood that
modifications and variations are encompassed within the spirit and
scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is limited only
by the following claims.
* * * * *