Liquid Dispenser And Plunger And Method And Apparatus For Filling Same

Abstract

A liquid dispenser having a liquid containment barrel with a slidable dispensing-effecting and sealing plunger, the plunger having a self-sealing slit formed therein to enable filling therethrough of the dispenser barrel, the slit being formed at the bottom forwardly facing end of a threaded handle-connecting recess in the exposed rear portion of the plunger. A male fill member is employed to be inserted into and releasably open the plunger slit and to selectively fill the barrel with liquid, while venting past the male fill member through a vent eye formed in the opened slit by insertion of the male fill member. The male fill member is assisted in opening the plunger slit by securing the member into the handle-receiving threaded recess, and subsequently a handle is screwed into this screw-threaded recess to enable selected manual dispensing of liquid from the dispenser. The preferred slitted plunger is molded as a single piece, and the slit therein is preferably formed by moving the plunger laterally past a knife edge to cut the self-sealing slit fully across the bottom of its generally cup-shaped extent.

Description

This invention relates to liquid dispensers, and a method and apparatus for filling such dispensers, and to a method for forming a dual purpose plunger for such dispensers, and more particularly to liquid dispensers and method and apparatus for filling such through the back or rear of the dispenser.

Syringes for use in dispensing fluids are well-known in the art, and normally consist of a barrel or cylinder body with a slidable plunger or piston in fluid-tight sealing engagement with the annular wall of a bore formed in the barrel for containment of liquid, and with exit port arrangements at the discharge or dispensing end of the barrel. In the prior art there have been various methods employed for filling such syringes with fluid. Syringes used for administration of drugs in liquid form, either orally or by injection with a needle on the dispensing end of the syringe, have conventionally been filled prior to use, by aspirating the liquid in through the forward or dispensing end of the syringe which is used subsequently for dispensing of the same fluid from the syringe. This method is slow, as it is often accomplished through a dispensing needle canula with a relatively small liquid flow bore, and as it depends on the pressure differential between a partially formed vacuum and the external atmospheric pressure, formed through manual rearward motion of the syringe plunger or piston while holding the dispensing end of the syringe within the body of liquid desired to be aspirated in. It is additionally hazardous to safety, as the dispensing end of the syringe is thereby contaminated with the liquid, as well as itself forming a possible contaminant source for the liquid being aspirated into the syringe.

There is a well-established need to fill syringes which are used to store liquid drugs or other pharmaceuticals for a significant length of time, and in hospital practice this is often done in pharmacies. Various methods have been utilized, including the aspiration of liquid through the forward dispensing end, as discussed above. In addition, it has been attempted to fill the syringe through the back or plunger end of the syringe, by sliding a needle along the interface between the rubber or other elastic plunger and the bore wall in the barrel, and in some instances a sharp-pointed beveled hollow needle or canula has been employed to pierce directly through the solid plunger. However, these prior art efforts at backfilling of a syringe have been less than fully desirable and successful, as both mentioned methods have substantial disadvantages. In the case where a fill needle is attempted to be slid past and between the plunger and the barrel bore wall, it will be appreciated that a relatively fine-sized needle is required as a practicality, and while such is feasible, the needles so employed have a required fill bore of such small size that desired injection molding of the fill needle is essentially impractical or impossible in production, as the injection molding core element becomes impractically too small to be effective for production processes, and in any event the needle is practically required to be so small as to render filling a relatively slow and tedious task, in addition to representing a tedious mechanical insertion problem in sliding the fill needle or cannula between the plunger and the bore wall, and also providing substantial opportunities for contamination in the course of attempting to slide the fill needle between the plunger and the bore side wall. The other mentioned attempted method of filling, utilizing a sharp piercing and puncturing hollow fill needle or canula, also requires as a practical matter the employment of a small size needle, with resultant relatively slow filling of the syringe therethrough. In addition, such method has an accompanying serious and highly disadvantageous safety hazard, in potentially causing a core to be cut by the sharp piercing and puncturing forward end of the canula, which core will then be injected into the syringe in the course of filling, with subsequent potential harm to the patient upon dispensing of the liquid from the syringe. In addition, this method of filling poses a further disadvantage in that a fluid-right seal is formed around the fill needle as a result of its puncture-piercing of the elastic plunger, thereby providing a venting problem during attempted insertion of liquid through the fill needle and into the syringe. While needles may be employed which have a secondary vent hole extending therethrough for connection with the atmosphere, such are necessarily more expensive and less desirable than a single bore tube for insertion of liquids.

It is an object and advantage of the present invention to provide a syringe or other dispenser or dispensing cartridge for liquids, which can be delivered to the desired place for filling in a sterile and empty condition, and which may be fully assembled and may then be filled at the desired place of filling, easily and without disassembly or contamination. In effecting this object and advantage, the invention utilizes a backfilling arrangement and method, which enables simple, easy, fast and safe filling. By this simple, fast and safe arrangement and method for filling through the back or plunger end of the syringe or other dispenser, it is possible to employ various arrangements as may be desired at the dispensing or exit port end of the syringe, including various needles, valves, connectors, nozzles, caps, etc. which are permitted to remain intact and uncontaminated during filling.

It is a further object and feature of the invention to provide a backfilled dispenser arrangement which enables the utilization of a relatively large fill canula or fill needle, and which fill needle or canula desirably does not employ a sharp piercing end, but which is desirably blunt, and which fill needle or canula may have a relatively large fill bore extending therethrough.

Still a further feature of the invention is the provision of a backfilled dispenser arrangement and method and apparatus for filling such, which provides a self-forming natural air vent between a fill needle or canula and the surrounding insertion zone about the fill needle or canula, and which air vent is subsequently self-sealing after withdrawal of the fill needle or canula.

It is a further feature to provide a simple, safe, and efficient backfilled syringe or dispenser arrangement and method and apparatus for filling such, which enables various liquids, including thick and viscous liquids as well as thin or less viscous liquids, to be fed relatively easily through the back of the dispenser.

A further feature in carrying out the present invention is the relative ease of gauging the true quantity of liquid inserted into the dispenser, as air bubbles are substantially less likely to be injected into the syringe or other dispenser arrangement in utilizing the present invention than would be likely with aspirated front-end-filled syringes or other dispensers.

It will accordingly be appreciated that major advantages and features of this invention are provided in safety in filling, speed of filling, and the enablement of utilization of a simple and low-cost fill needle or canula arrangement for filling.

Still other objects, features and attendant advantages will become apparent to one skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of a preferred and various other physical embodiments constructed in accordance with the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view in perspective and with parts partially cut away for clarity of illustration, illustrating a preferred embodiment of a syringe dispenser, and fill apparatus for filling such according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section view of the syringe dispenser of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the fill member or fill needle of FIG. 1, being shown in enlarged view for clarity of illustration.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section view of the fill member or fill needle of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section view of the fill cylinder or syringe, fill needle, and fillable syringe dispenser, in assembled and interconnected position for filling of the syringe dispenser.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the radially elastically compressed and confined multipurpose syringe plunger within the syringe barrel, with fill needle positioned therein for filling and with the surrounding syringe body section shown in phantom for clarity of illustration.

FIG. 6A is a section view taken on line 6A--6A of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a partially cut away section view of a forward seal member as utilized in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary section view illustrating the attachment of a handle to the plunger, after filling of the syringe.

FIG. 9 is a partially cut away perspective view of a preferred plunger embodiment as employed in the syringe embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 10 is a partially cut away view in perspective of a modified form of plunger according to the invention.

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal section view of a syringe body cartridge constructed according to the invention, which cartridge may be utilized to form a syringe or other dispenser, or be inserted into a syringe or other dispenser utilizing cartridges, as may be desired.

Referring now in detail to the figures of the drawings, in FIG. 1 there is illustrated a syringe dispenser 11 constructed in accordance with the invention, together with a fill member therefor in the form of a fill needle 61, a fill cylinder or syringe arrangement 71, and an attachable handle 51 for the syringe 11.

The syringe 11, which is more fully illustrated in enlarged form in FIG. 2, and its various parts and their functions in subsequent Figures, preferably takes the form of a glass tube body or barrel 13 having a forward dispensing nose end section 15 formed or secured thereon, and a finger grip section 17 formed or secured on the rear end thereof. The glass tube body or barrel 13 may be formed of conventional glass tubing, and has a cylindrical bore forming a liquid containment chamber 13a which is bounded at the rear by a multipurpose plunger 31 and in the illustrative embodiment is bounded at the forward end by a forward seal 41. The forward nose end section 15 is preferably formed with a reduced diameter tip or nose 15c having a dispensing mouth orifice 19. The nose or tip 15c may take various forms, as may be desired, depending upon the ultimate utility desired, as for instance such may be threaded or formed with a Luer taper for securing a needle unit thereto for injection purposes, or such may if desired be of a size and shape such that standard needle units may not be secured thereto, as in oral drug dispensing uses where it is desired to prevent the possibility of inadvertently and mistakenly securing an injection needle to the syringe and injecting the liquid into a human body when the drug is only for oral or other desired use.

Both the finger grip section 17 and the forward nose section 15 may be suitably formed of polypropylene, and may be slidably press-fit over the respective opposite ends of the glass tube body or barrel 13. Alternatively, it will be appreciated that the glass tube body 13 itself may be formed with an integral finger grip thereon at its rear section or otherwise as may be desired, and/or likewise the forward nose end section 15 may be integrally formed as a part of the glass tube body. Or, syringe body 13, 15, 17 may be formed of other material, either in separate parts or integrally, as may be desired and satisfactory for a given utilization and/or liquid L which may be desired to be dispensed. However, it will be appreciated that utilization of a glass tube body 13 is a preferred construction, as glass is a highly preferred material for containment of liquid drugs or other chemicals, in view of its various desirable properties such as low reactivity, low absorption and adsorption, and its transparency.

The forward seal 41 in the illustrative embodiment takes the form of a plug of elastic material, such as rubber, and serves as a pop-out bypass valve seal which is self-sealing with the bore wall in the compressed bore-retained position as shown in full lines in FIG. 2, and which is of a larger free size and shape to enable fluid bypass therearound and therepast from fluid chamber 13a through enlarged bypass chamber or cavity 16 and out through dispenser orifice or mouth 9 when such seal 41 is moved forward by columnar pressure thereon from rear plunger 31 through the contained fluid in the chamber 13a, thereby enabling initial sealing and subsequent dispensing of the liquid from within the syringe 11 after such is filled according to the invention and as will be subsequently described. In the illustrative embodiment, forward seal plug 41 has a cruciform ridge 43 formed on its forward and rearward surfaces, with face grooves 45, which insure full bypass fluid flow past the seal plug 41 after such has been ejected into the bypass chamber or cavity 16.

In lieu of the forward seal 41, the syringe 11 may employ other forward seal arrangements, such as a rupturable membrane, and in addition the tip or nose 15c may be capped, or may have a needle or canula unit attached thereto prior to use. Also, alternatively it is feasible to practice the basic and novel back-filling aspect of the invention, although not as desirable in most instances, without any seal or cover at the forward end of the syringe 11, as in the instance where the syringe has a conventional injection needle unit secured thereto and which itself sufficiently inhibits free liquid flow therefrom through its small bore and long length canula size as to enable effective filling of the syringe 11 essentially without loss of fluid through the dispensing mouth orifice notwithstanding the absence of a full seal or cover within or over the external forward end of the syringe 11. It will be appreciated that in most instances, and particularly in those instances where pharmacy or other intermediate stage filling is effected for subsequent use at another location, at least an external cover is desired over the tip or nose 15c or such other dispensing end on the syringe 11, and a preferred form also includes an internal forward seal, such as seal 41.

The elastic self-sealing plunger 31 disposed at the rear or back end of the syringe 11 for filling, takes the form in the preferred example, of a cup-shaped single-piece molded member having its bottom end wall facing forwardly within the bore of glass tube 13, and forming the rear wall of liquid containment chamber 13a. The rearwardly facing recess 35 of plunger 31 is threaded to accommodate a screw-threaded forward male end 53 of a conventional handle 51 which may be selectively inserted therein after filling the chamber 13a to enable manual manipulation of the plunger forwardly or rearwardly, for dispensing and/or aspiration action thereby, as may be desired. The elastic plunger 31 may be suitably formed of rubber or other suitable elastic material, although rubber is normally most preferred, the preferred form of construction being by molding of the rubber or other material. The annular external sealing surface of the plunger 31 may have, and preferably has, annular sealing ridges or rings 31 formed thereon with alternating annular grooves 34 therebetween, as is conventional practice, to aid in sealing and ease of sliding motion of the plunger 31 along the bore wall of the tube 13.

The forward sealing wall 37 of plunger 31 has a slit 37a formed therein, preferably by cutting after molding of the plunger body 31 in a solid form without the slit. In the illustrative and preferred embodiment, the slit 37a is formed by progressively moving the plunger 31, after molding as noted above, past a stationary or rotating knife with the wall 37 extending toward and moving past the knife and sliding on a guide surface from which the knife protrudes. The knife, not shown, may take any desired form, and may have an inclined cutting edge progressively engaged by the plunger 31 as it moves therepast. The plunger 31 may preferably be confined in a suitably complementary slotted holder while it is moved past the knife edge, to assure desired cutting of the slit 37a, and it will be appreciated that the passage of the plunger 31 past the knife will effect cutting of a full slit 37a across the full forward extent of the plunger 31, including wall 37, to thereby form interfacing lips 37 aa which self-sealingly engage in compressed relation against one another when the plunger 31 is compressed within the bore of glass cylinder 13. The preferred form of the slit 37a thus extends across the full extent of the forward face of the plunger 31, and through the full depth of the wall 37, although it will be appreciated that if so desired one may, although such is not preferred nor normally of any substantial advantage, and is in fact to a considerable extent disadvantageous, form the slit 37a slightly less than the thickness of wall 37, thereby leaving a thin relatively easily rupturable membrane at the base of the slit 37a, which membrane is of a thickness and strength such that it does not require pointed piercing or puncturing thereof to open it, but which will be opened through shearing action thereon as a result of stretching of such when the blunt-nosed fill member, subsequently to be described, is thrust forwardly thereagainst. This form is not preferred and is disadvantageous, in that it is difficult to control the precise size formation of the plunger and the precise thickness of such thin-walled membrane after cutting so as to be assured of sufficiently easy tensile shear rupture on moving the fill member thereagainst, and in addition it is possible for the membrane to tear off and separate during such tensile shear rupture, thereby providing a potential hazard of contaminating the liquid L with a piece or pieces of the plunger 31. The likelihood of such tearing off in tensile shearing of such a very thin elastic membrane is considered substantially less than the likelihood of coring a much thicker wall such as wall 37 with a piercing bevel sharpened hollow needle or canula, but is nevertheless considered hazardous in this respect and normally undesirable.

The syringe 11 may be manufactured and distributed to a desired place for filling, in the empty form as shown in FIG. 2, at which desired place of filling, the operator will utilize a fill member or needle including a male fill tube or canula which is inserted into the recess 35 and through the slit 37a to a communicate between the exterior of syringe 11 and the interior of liquid containment chanber 13a. This fill member may in some instances suitably take the form of a simple tube, of plastic, metal, or other suitable material, although plastic is simple to form and utilize and is preferred, and in such simple utilization form the fill member tube or canula may be inserted through the slit 37a by quickly thrusting such thereagainst and therethrough. However, this requires some adeptness of handling, as the plunger 31 tends to move forward under the influence of pressure exerted on the forward wall 37 of the plunger 31, and to this end a fill member 61 is provided which enables the opening of slit 37a by a male tubular extension section thereof, through utiliation of and interengagement with the female threaded section 35a of the plunger.

An illustrative form of a fill member or fill needle 61 employing this desirable feature is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, such taking the form of a body section 63 having a threaded section 67 formed thereon, with a vent slot 69 formed therein about a blunt-ended tube or canula section 70 which has a fill bore 70a communicating with the interior of a connector hub section 65 within which the fill tube extension member 70 is secured. The connector hub section 65 may suitably take the form of a Luer taper hub or other suitable type connector, for securement to a corresponding Luer or other configured tip or nose 79 on a fill cylinder or syringe 71 from which a fill liquid L is to be expelled through the fill needle 61, as by movement of plunger or piston 77 therewithin through manual or other desired action on a push rod or hangle 75 connected to the plunger 77, the fill sylinder 71 and its interconnection through fill needle 61 being illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5.

The vent slot 69 is only necessary to assure enabling of venting past the threaded interengagement section, and is not necessary when a simple tube is employed as a fill needle by quickly thrusting the tube, such as a tube like tube extension 70, through slit 37a. The vent slot 69 may take various forms, and is illustrated as a simple side opening slot extending rearwardly beyond the shoulder 68 which abuts against the actual end of the plunger 31 in the fully seated position of the fill needle 61 therewithin. Also, the vent slot 69 is of a slightly larger width than the actual diameter of the fill tube section 70, thereby insuring venting therethrough independent of the rotational position of the fill needle 61 relative to the slit 37a when the fill needle is in its full seated position and the tube 70 extends into opening relation with the slit 37a, as illustrated in FIG. 5. It will be appreciated that while a multiple part fill needle assembly 61 is illustrated, and may be satisfactorily utilized, as it enables utilization of standard tubing 70 and connector hub 65, with a simple molded body section 63 secured thereto, the fill needle 61 may take other forms, including being formed as a single piece as by injection molding, or may take other configurations.

In practicing the method of filling according to the invention, the fill needle 61 may be suitably secured to a fill cylinder or syringe 71, which is preferably disposed with its nose end extending downward, and containing a desired fill liquid L, and relative rotation may be imparted between fill member 61 and the empty syringe dispenser 11 while engaging the threaded section 67 of the fill needle with the female threads 35a within the plunger recess 35. Alternatively the fill member 61 may be threadedly inserted into the threaded plunger recess 35 by relative rotation between these two parts prior to assembly of the fill member 61 on the dispensing connection end of the fill cylinder or syringe 71. In any event, the screwing of the fill member 61 into plunger 31 effects forward motion of the fill member 61 relative to the plunger 31, or vice versa, thereby resulting in male fill tube extension 70 being thrust against and opening the slit 37a to expose the interior bore 70a of tube 70 to the interior of the liquid chamber 13a in syringe 11, preparatory to filling of liquid from the fill cylinder or syringe 71. It is not necessary that the fill tube extension 70 extend fully through the wall 37 of plunger 31, but only that such be of a length sufficient to effect opening of the slit 37a so as to afford communication between the tube bore 71 a and the interior of chamber 13a, although it will be appreciated that desirably the tube extension 71 may be, and preferably is, of a length sufficient to extend beyond the forward wall 37 of plunger 31 to insure full opening of the slit 37a without worry about tolerances of manufacture.

In the effectively opened condition of the slit 37a, the opposing lips 37aa engage with opposite sides of the external annular surface of tube 70, as generally illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6, and 6A. And as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 6A, a natural cat eye vent 37ab will be formed on laterally opposite sides of the tube 70 between the two interengagement zones of the tube 70 and the slit lips 37aa. These cat eye vent openings 37ab enable full venting of the chamber 13a during filling of liquid L from the transfer or fill cylinder or syringe 71, into the chamber 13a, the desired full or partially filled quantity of liquid L being determined by the needs or desires for the indicated use. The cat eye vent openings 37ab will normally taper to a closed condition at their exterior opposite ends adjacent the interior bore wall of glass tube body or barrel 13, in view of the radially compressed and restrained condition of the plunger within the tube 13 the size of the eye vents 37ab being dependent on the relative size of the fill tube 70 and the plunger 31 and the elasticity and degree of confined compression of the plunger 31 within the bore of syringe barrel 13.

After the desired extent of filling of the liquid containment chamber 13a in syringe barrel 13 from fill cylinder or syringe 71 by the forward movement of plunger or piston 77 therein, the fill cylinder 71 and fill member 61 are removed from interengagement with plunger 31, through simply reversing the assembly rotation between the parts 61 and 31. The removal of the fill needle 61, including its fill tube section 70, from the plunger 31 enables the slit 37a to be self-reclosed to full or effectively full lip interface contiguity between the interfacing slit lips 37aa. The syringe 11 is thereupon ready for use by an operator to dispense the liquid L through the forward dispensing end thereof, as may be desired. To this end, handle 51 may thereupon be screwed into the plunger 31 through relative rotation between the screw threaded forward male end 53 on the handle 51 and the female threaded section 35a of plunger 31. The handle 51 has a shoulder stop 54 which provides a positive forward stop for the handle 51 in its forward motion within plunger recess 35, thereby insuring against the possibility of inadvertently opening slit 37a by undesired screwing of the handle 51 too far into the recess 35. The handle 51 may thereupon be manipulated forwardly to move the plunger 31 and thereby effect movement of the liquid L within chamber 13a forwardly, thus enabling exerting of columnar acting force on forward seal 41 through the fluid in chamber 13a to cause the valve plug seal 41 to be popped out into the enlarged bypass chamber 16, after which the liquid L is thereupon expelled through the chamber 16 and out through dispenser mouth orifice 19 and such other connection as may be disposed thereon, such as a needle unit, etc., through continued forward motion of the plunger 31 by a manual or other handle 51. It has been found that the self-sealing action of the slit 37a is also effective against subsequent aspirating action, as by moving the handle 51 and plunger 31 rearwardly in the barrel 13, which may be necessary in some liquid dispensing operations, as when it is desired to determine whether an injection canula on the discharge end of the syringe is in a vein or other body member.

A modified form of plunger is shown in FIG. 10, being designated by the numeral 131. In this embodiment the plunger 131 has substantially the same body configuration as the previously described plunger 31, with annular seal rings and grooves along its longitudinal extent, and having a forward sealing wall 137, as well as a rear recess with screw threads formed therein for attachment of a handle 51 thereto. This embodiment differs from the plunger 31 in the formation of the slit 137a, in that the slit 137a does not extend across the full extent of the wall 137. However, the slit if formed to extend for a length greater that one-half the outer circumference of the fill needle tube section 71, so as to insure the formation of a natural cat eye vent at one or both of the opposite ends of the slit 137a when the fill needle tube 71 is inserted therethrough for filling. It will be appreciated that use of fill tube with an effective outer circumference equal to or greater than twice the length of the effective length of the slit 137a, will prevent the formation of the desired eye vent in the slit external of the fill needle tube, and thereby necessitates other substantially less desirable venting provisions, such as utilization of a much less desirable dual bore or other fill needle with its own internal self-venting characteristic.

Various other plunger constructions might be employed, such as a plunger utilizing a different sealing surface configuration along its longitudinal extent, or the plunger might be formed in two or more separate parts, such as by two interfitting longitudinally split halves which might have a tongue and groove or other interfit interengagement surface therebetween, so as to thereby form the slit in the forward wall without necessity for separate cutting after molding of the plunger, or the slit might be formed by other than curring, although curring is the preferred method of forming the slit, orother forms of slits might be utilized, although the greatly preferred and most advantageous from is the straight line diametral slit as employed in the embodiment of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 illustrates a syringe body cartridge 11a, including a tubular glass barrel 13, a forward seal 41 and a plunger 31 with slit 37a formed therein, and screw threaded rear recess 35. The cartridge is illustrated in a filled condition, with the plunger 31 having its slitted forward end self-resealed after filling with a fill needle as in FIG. 5. It will be appreciated that this cartridge 11a has multiple uses, including being usable to form a complete syringe, as by securing a forward nose section 15 and a finger grip section 17 thereon, to form a syringe as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and in a filled condition. Alternatively, the syringe body cartridge 11a may be inserted into a syringe or syringe shell or other construction, which has a capability of utilization of cartridges. Further, the forward seal 41 may be differently formed, as for instance by utilizing a conventional thin rupturable membrane of rubber, suitably secured over or within the forward end of the tube body or barrel 13, as previously discussed, and as may be desired for a given utilization. Also, other selectively openable forward seal constructions may be employed in lieu of the seal 41, and/or an injection needle unit may be secured or formed on the forward end of barrel body 13, with or without a removable cover and/or seal thereover, as may be desired for a particular utilization, the major feature of this arrangement being its multiple utility and utilization of the basic back-filling arrangement and method of filling according to the present invention.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments illustrated and described are preferred and illustrative, and that various other modifications and improvements may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited by the particular illustrative and preferred embodiments, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A liquid dispensing arrangement, comprising

a barrel having a liquid-holding chamber with an effectively closed forward end which is selectively effectively openable for dispensing of liquid therethrough,

said barrel having a rear end opening and having a sealing plunger movably disposed therein adjacent its rear end and connecting with said chamber for longitudinal sliding motion in and along said chamber,

said plunger having means for connecting a handle thereto,

and an openable pre-formed slit in said plunger and resiliently biased to a closed condition for enabling filling of said chamber with liquid from an external source and subsequent self-closure of said slit,

said plunger and its said slit being engageable through said rear end opening for filling therethrough and for externally manually controlled sliding motion of said plunger.

2. A liquid dispensing arrangement according to claim 1,

said plunger having a threaded external recess formed therein for threadedly connecting a manipulatable handle thereto,

said slit being formed in a forward wall defining said recess.

3. A liquid dispensing arrangement according to claim 2,

said plunger being formed of elastic material in the zone of said slit.

4. A liquid dispensing arrangement according to claim 3,

said plunger being an integral molded unit of elastic material.

5. A liquid dispensing arrangement according to claim 4,

said plunger being formed of rubber.

6. A liquid dispensing arrangement according to claim 1,

said barrel comprising a syringe having a finger grip thereon adjacent said rear end, and having an orifice at its forward end for facilitating dispensing of liquids from said chamber.

7. A liquid dispensing arrangement according to claim 6,

said forward end of said barrel having a reduced diameter connector nose at its forward end,

said orifice being formed in said connector nose.

8. A liquid dispensing arrangement according to claim 6,

and a selectively effectively openable closure element forming said effective closure of said forward end of said chamber.

9. A liquid dispensing arrangement according to claim 8,

said closure element being a valve.

10. A liquid dispensing arrangement according to claim 9,

said closure element being a movable by-pass valve.

11. A liquid dispensing arrangement according to claim 8,

said closure element being a slidable valve plug formed of elastic material engaging in sliding compressed and sealing relation within a forward end of said body,

said body having a forward enlarged by-pass chamber for selective forward movement of said valve plug thereinto, to enable selected dispensing of liquid from said chamber past said by-pass valve plug.

12. A liquid dispensing arrangement according to claim 1,

said slit extending across the full forward extent of said plunger.

13. A liquid dispensing arrangement according to claim 1,

said slit extending across a portion of and less then the full forward extent of said plunger.

14. A liquid dispensing arrangement according to claim 1,

said slit extending fully through a seal wall of said plunger.

15. A liquid dispensing arrangement according to claim 1,

said slit extending almost fully through a seal wall of said plunger and having a thin easily ruptured connecting web membrane which does not require pointed instrument puncture or piercing to be opened but which may be sheared upon and by stretching of said slit through insertion of said male fill member therein.

16. A dispenser for fluids, comprising

a liquid-containment body fill-enabling a bore therein and a dual function dispensing-effecting and fill-enabling plunger longitudinally movable along said bore to effect dispensing movement of fluid along said bore and from within said body,

said plunger having a pre-formed self-sealing opening therein for enablement of filling of said liquid-containment body.

17. A dispenser for fluids according to claim 16,

said plunger being a cup-shaped member formed of elastic material and having said opening formed in its bottom wall which extends forwardly in said body.

18. A dispenser for fluids according to claim 17,

said opening being a self-closing slit having elastically deformable laterally interengageable and interfacing lip surfaces.

19. A dispenser for fluids according to claim 18,

said slit extending across the full forward face of said plunger and along a partial rearward extent thereof.

20. A dispenser for fluids according to claim 18,

said slit extending across less then the full forward extent of said plunger.

21. A dispenser for fluids according to claim 16,

said body having a sealed forward end which may be selectively unsealed to enable dispensing of liquid therefrom.

22. A dispenser for fluids according to claim 21,

said body comprising a syringe body member with a cylindrical bore therein and forming the first mentioned said bore, and said bore having a liquid containment section thereof between the forward end of said plunger and said sealed forward end.

23. Liquid filling and dispensing apparatus, comprising

a liquid dispensing barrel having selectively effectively openable closed dispensing end, a liquid receiving chamber and a slidable plunger for effecting dispensing of liquid from said chamber through said dispensing end,

said plunger having a normally closed pre-formed opening therein for selective external fluid communication with said chamber

and a male fill member adapted to be inserted into and open said pre-formed opening and having a liquid flow passageway to enable filling of said chamber with liquid,

said pre-formed opening being greater in effective opened cross-sectional peripheral size than the corresponding effective cross-sectional peripheral size of said male fill member.

24. Liquid filling and dispensing apparatus according to claim 23,

said plunger being formed of self-recoverable elastic material adjacent and forming its said opening, said opening being a pre-formed self-closing slit.

25. Liquid filling and dispensing apparatus according to claim 24,

said slit extending across the full extent of the forward face of said plunger.

26. Liquid filling and dispensing apparatus according to claim 24,

said slit extending across a portion of the forward face of said plunger.

27. Liquid filling and dispensing apparatus according to claim 24,

said plunger having a threaded screw-in recess in its rear external surface, and said slit being formed in a forward wall of said plunger defining the forward extent of said recess.

28. Liquid filling and dispensing apparatus according to claim 27,

said fill member having a screw-in threaded male surface threadedly engageable with said threaded screw-in recess to assist in effecting entry into and opening of said pre-formed slit.

29. Liquid filling and dispensing apparatus according to claim 28,

said fill member having a tubular extension section extending beyond the effective forward end of said threaded surface.

30. Liquid filling and dispensing apparatus according to claim 29,

said fill member having an air bleed opening formed therein for assisting in air bleed past said fill member during liquid filling of said chamber through said fill member.

31. Liquid filling and dispensing apparatus according to claim 30,

said air bleed opening including a longitudinal slot formed along an external surface of said fill member.

32. Liquid filling and dispensing apparatus according to claim 23,

said fill member having connection means enabling connection thereof to a fill cylinder.

33. Liquid filling and dispensing apparatus according to claim 32,

and a fill cylinder adapted to be connected to said fill member.

34. Liquid filling and dispensing apparatus according to claim 33,

said fill cylinder comprising a fill syringe having a Luer nose-end connector, and said fill member having a Luer connector complementary to said nose-end connector.

35. Liquid filling and dispensing apparatus according to claim 23,

said male fill member including a tube section having an outer circumference or periphery less than the effective opened cross-sectional peripheral size of said opening.

36. Liquid filling and dispensing apparatus according to claim 35,

said opening being a slit and being longer than one half of the effective said outer circumference of periphery of said fill member tube section.

37. Liquid filling and dispensing apparatus according to claim 36,

said tube section having a relatively blunt forward end.

38. Liquid filling and dispensing apparatus according to claim 36,

said slit extending fully through a seal wall of said plunger.

39. Liquid filling and dispensing apparatus according to claim 36,

said slit extending almost fully through a seal wall of said plunger and having a thin relatively easily ruptured connecting web membrane which does not require pointed instrument puncture or piercing to be opened but which may be sheared upon and by stretching thereof through thrusting motion thereagainst in the course of insertion of said male fill member into said slit.

40. The method of filling a syringe body having a liquid-containment chamber with a rearwardly bounding manually operable plunger and a forward dispensing end spaced from the plunger, comprising opening a pre-formed self-closing valve in said plunger by insertion of a tubular member therein having a bore therethrough,

and passing liquid through said bore while enabling air venting from said chamber past said tubular member at other than said bore,

thereupon removing said tubular member from said valve and enabling the self-closure of said valve.

41. The method according to claim 40,

said valve being a pre-formed slit having opposing elastic lips which are biased into interengagement, and said opening of said valve being effected by insertion of said tubular member through said slit, to form an opening with a vent eye between said tubular member and the lips of said slit, said venting being effected through said vent eye.

42. The method according to claim 41,

and subsequently connecting a handle to said plunger for dispensing of said liquid from said liquid-containment chamber and through said forward dispensing end.

43. The method according to claim 41,

said plunger having a rear facing threaded connector section, and said insertion of said tubular member therein being effected by rotating and threadedly engaging said tubular member with said threaded connector to impart relative longitudinal joining motion between said tubular member and said plunger through the camming effect imparted by said rotation and threaded engagement.

44. The method according to claim 43,

and subsequently connecting a handle to said plunger by threaded engagement with said threaded connector section.

45. The method according to claim 41,

said insertion of said tubular member being effected by axial thrusting of said tubular member through said slit.

46. The method according to claim 45,

and subsequently connecting a handle to said plunger for dispensing of said liquid from said liquid-containment chamber and through said forward dispensing end.

47. A fill member for a liquid containment body having an elastic plunger therein with a screw-threaded recess therein, said fill member, comprising

a body having a screw-threaded exterior surface section,

a forward tube extension section of less diameter than said screw-threaded section,

and a fill bore extending longitudinally through said screw-threaded section and said forward tube extension.

48. A fill member according to claim 47,

and a vent opening formed in said body for venting past said screw threaded section.

49. A fill member according to claim 47,

and a side slot formed along said screw-threaded section for venting past said screw-threaded section.

50. A fill member according to claim 47,

and means on said body and spaced from said forward tube extension for connecting said fill member to a selected source of fill liquid.

51. A fill member according to claim 47,

said forward tube extension being blunt nosed at its forward end.

52. A slidable plunger for a dispenser, comprising

a cup-shaped body of elastic material having a slitted bottom,

and a threaded female securing section formed along the internal annular wall of said sup-shaped body,

53. A slidable plunger for a dispenser according to claim 52,

said slitted bottom having a slit extending fully across said bottom.