Multi-chamber Container

Abstract

A multi-chamber container adapted to receive and store separately dental preparations which, when combined, react relative to each other. The container has a membrane between the compartments which are filled with the dental material. The membrane is pierced by means of a piston-like member which places the contents of one compartment under pressure and causes the contents to empty through the pierced membrane into the next adjacent compartment in order to mix the two materials for ready use as a dental preparation.

Parent Case Text

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 86,675 filed Nov. 4, 1970, now abandoned.

Description

The invention relates generally to a multi-chamber container which is adapted to receive and store separately materials which react against each other, particularly dental preparations for use in the filed of dental technology.

These multi-chamber containers are characterized, in accordance with the invention, in that an externally acting piston-like member places the component material of a chamber under pressure until the separating membrane disposed between the chambers bursts and the constituents of the compartment which is under pressure is emptied into the other compartment and mixed with the material therein.

In the prior art, for instance see German Pat. No. 1,276,866, a multi-chamber container is already known in which a puncturable membrane is disposed between two chambers and in which by means of a telescope-like displacement of the two chambers the membrane is caused to be punctured. During the telescope-like movement of the two chamber portions, it is possible to puncture the separating membrane. However, a complete mixture of the constituents in the two chambers requires that the membrane be cut off on all its sides to which it is secured. If this is accomplished by means of providing a container having a suitable design, there is, nevertheless, the danger that the dismembered membrane is lost partly, or completely, in the mixture of the two reacting substances.

However, it is the prime purpose of the above described multi-chamber container for the storage of reacting substances, that a quantitative, as well as qualitative, mixture of constituents be achieved without any contamination thereof. Thus, the introduction of membrane parts under these conditions into the mixture constituents, constitutes, without any doubt, a contaimination. A limited time of a few minutes is usually only available after the reacting materials have been mixed. Therefore, any effort required by the dentist to fish out any deleterious substance from the mixture obviously greatly reduces the effectiveness and desirability of such a container.

In the Patent of Addition No. 1,287,251 to the German Pat. No. 1,276,866, these disadvantages were obviated, by the present applicant, through the use of a bag-like or tube-like compartment for receiving one constituent in which the compartment is formed as a closed, preferably welded, foil bag which, in accordance with the main patent, is punctured through telescopic displacement of both of the chamber compartments.

This bag-like or tube-like foil bag is suitable, however, only for receiving and storing a liquid or paste-like constituent material. A powder-like substance cannot, due to the lack of viscosity, empty completely through a relatively small opening in the membrane, or separating wall, which is necessary for generating the required pressure in the elastic foil bag.

With various dental preparations or materials it is necessary, as well as common, to add to the powder-like material or to liquid-like materials a liquid or paste-like, or powder-like substance, (e.g., for hardening, accelerating, activating, or coloring the mixture) to conform the mixture to the individual requirements. Particularly in the case of silicate cements which, in view of their advantageous transparency characteristics, can be used for a wide range of tooth colors, it is frequently enough to add merely a small amount of powder in order to obtain a multi-purpose capsule with a mixture which will satisfy a host of dental requirements. However, the addition of this powder-like material which has to be held constant, is so small that the mixing ratio which also has to be constant between the two main components, is usually not a factor within the tolerances required. However, the introduction of a frequently required third substance is not possible by means of a foil bag.

For emptying the dental material in its final form and mixture, in accordance with the conventional and above described containers by means of a foil bag, it is necessary to use either a separate closure, for example, a seam or the like arranged at the other end of the container, or the removal of the cover, to empty the foil bag and separation wall. A separate closure requires for production thereof a special tool and additional work steps for fabricating and assembling the container. The unscrewing or removal of the individual constituent parts of the container on the side of the foil bag is particularly burdensome and time consuming.

It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a container in which the same can be utilized with very minor modifications for a great multiplicity of applications.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a container of the type as above described in which powder-like, paste-like as well as liquid substances can be separately stored and can be quantitatively and qualitatively mixed and united at a substantially constant rate.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a multi-chamber container in which the dental materials are ready for use and the contamination of the material through destroyed membrane parts is either lessened or eliminated.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a multi-chamber container in which the ready-to-use dental preparation can be readily removed after mixing the individual components without time consuming manipulations and without the use of a separate closure or cover.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a multi-chamber container in which it is possible when mixing three or more components to select the second and further components which are to be mixed.

The present invention is achieved by placing an externally actuated piston-like member against one or more container sub-chambers. The actuation of the piston places the adjacent chamber under pressure until the separating membrane bursts and the constituents to be mixed are emptied by the piston-like member completely into the main chamber of the container. The piston-like member may be a component part of the closure member or the same may be separate from the closure and take over the function as an additional seal. In the latter case, particularly when a suitable material is used for the piston-like member, the outer seal membrane may be eliminated. Moreover, there are provided at the entrance of the chamber adjacent to the main chamber, several projections, or a margin which projects towards the center of the container, which prevents that the loosely arranged, only fastened through friction on the chamber wall, piston-like member can move into the adjacent chamber. In the event that a part of the container closure takes over the function of the piston, a ring-like or disc-like seal can enlarge the otherwise necessary close tolerances for producing this article and additionally can prevent that the constituents will be forced outwardly under pressure.

The invention thus facilitates that the container sub-chambers may be placed as rigid, removable inserts into the container's main chamber or as rigid externally placed attachments to the main chamber, which not only enables a simple filling and sealing of the container but also makes it possible to remove the dental preparation without any time consuming effort after the container has been opened in a simple manner.

In order that the insert or attachment be suitably secured and yet, when necessary, readily detachable from the main portion of the container, it is possible, for instance, to provide a clamp-plug arrangement or a plug-lock. Depending upon a suitable container form it is also possible to provide that after the mixing has taken place, the empty chamber, together with the piston and the membrane, is withdrawn in one piece from the container main member which enables a rapid and simple removal of the ready-to-use dental preparation.

By means of a detachable lock which serves as an impact member for the movable piston-like member or, in another case, makes stationary -- if necessary, detachable -- two walls of a chamber movable relative to each other and which may be secured upon the movable as well as upon the stationary part of the container, it is made possible to mix three or more components as required.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross sectional view of a container in accordance with the invention used for receiving liquid or paste-like materials;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a container adapted for powder-like material;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a modification therof; and

FIG. 4 is a view according to FIG. 3 showing a modification thereof.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 1, there is shown a container having a sub-chamber for receiving a liquid or paste-like substance as an addition to a powder-like main component. The movable cover closure 1, provided with a piston-like member 3, pushes, upon actuation thereof, upon the outer membrane or separating wall 8, preforates the same and thereby places the component or material in compartment 5 under pressure to such an extent that the inner membrane 9 bursts at the small central opening in the separating wall and the component out of chamber 5 is injected completely into the chamber 6, together with the powder-like material. An additional seal ring or seal disc 14 can facilitate the enlarging of the usually necessary close tolerances for producing the container. After mixing, which preferably is accomplished by means of a vibrator or a shaker, the closure 11 can be detached from the container main body 2 and the ready-to-use dental preparation can be removed.

Referring now to FIG. 2 there is shown a container adapted for receiving a powder-like content from the chamber. The sub-chamber 5 is herein formed as a rigid insert 7 which can be taken out and separated, and thereby can be filled and sealed in a particularly simple and easy manner. The piston-like member which is externally actuated is formed herein in two parts, i.e., as a plate-like cylinder 4 which also functions as a seal, and after the destruction of the outer membrane 8, through the cover piston 3, provides the necessary pressure upon the substance in chamber 5 until the inner membrane 9 bursts and the mixing components are completely pushed into the main chamber 6 of the container. A few projections, or a continuous projecting edge of the inner side of the container sub-chamber 5 prevents that the cylindrical piston plate 4 gets also into the container main area.

After mixing is accomplished the cover piston 3 can be unscrewed and the adjacent chamber insert 7 may be taken out by means of a suitable instrument whereby the then ready-to-use preparation can be removed. In the left half of the symmetry of FIG. 2, there is shown a spring-like ring 15 which, when the chamber contents is emptied, projects into the cover piston 3 so that the cover piston meshes with the insert 7 and automatically can be removed therewith while the cover piston is being unscrewed.

In FIG. 3 there is shown a container which differs from the container of FIG. 2 in that the container sub-chamber has a different locking arrangement. The bringing together of the various components which have to be mixed takes place in the same manner as described with reference to FIG. 2. The container sub-chamber is formed as an attachment and is connected with the container main body 2 by means of a ring-like bead which fits tightly into a complementary groove. This type of plug-clamp arrangement facilitates that after the mixing, the cover piston 3 and the attachment 7 can be withdrawn in one piece from the container main body 2 and the ready-to-use preparation can be removed from the main chamber 6.

The lock 10 which is shown herein as an impact pin is required in the event a double container with three chambers is utilized. In such a case the pin has to be removed from the chamber which is to be emptied before the appropriate separating membrane is placed under pressure. This facilitates the selection of two mixing components as an addition to the third component.

FIG. 4 illustrates a container which functionally corresponds to the container shown in FIG. 3. In the container main body 2 there is inserted the insert 7 with the sub-chamber by means of a locking arrangement 13. The same can be withdrawn after mixing, together with the cover piston 3.

The lock 10 is herein provided as a rigid member at a suitable location which can function as the impact area for the cover plate.

While there have been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is aimed, therefore, in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-chamber container separately accommodating two or more substances which react with each other and are to be mixed when required to provide a ready-to-use dental material, the container comprising in combination:

a first cylindrical container body defining a closed bottom end and having a primary mixing chamber containing a first substance;

a second body portion of generally cylindrical configuration secured in coaxial relation to said first body and having a second chamber containing a second substance;

a rupturable first diaphragm extending transversely across one of said bodies at a location axially forward of said closed bottom end separating said chambers and preventing any transfer of said substances therebetween until said diaphragm is intentionally ruptured;

diaphragm means extending across said second chamber axially spaced from said first diaphragm in a forward direction closing the upper axial end of said second chamber;

and a removable closure member in closing engagement with one of said bodies at the upper axial end thereof and including a piston projecting axially towards said diaphragm means externally to said second chamber, the bottom end face of said piston being substantially solid and having a diameter approximating the inside diameter of said second body;

complementary co-engaging threaded means on said closure member and on one of said bodies;

said piston having an axial length so that in the threaded co-engagement position prior to mixing of said substances said bottom face of said piston is axially spaced from said second body and subsequent to additional downwaard screwing said piston projects into said second chamber placing the second substance under pressure thereby causing rupturing of said first diaphragm.

2. A multi-chamber container according to claim 1, and locking means between said closure member and said second body to make said second body and first diaphragm removable together with said closure member and separable from said first body subsequent to said mixing.

3. A multi-chamber container according to claim 2, wherein said locking means comprises a catch lock defined by the upper axial end of said piston having a groove in the circumference thereof and said second body having a spring-like latch for locking into said groove.

4. A multi-chamber container according to claim 1, and locking means interposed between said second body and said closure member.

5. A multi-chamber container according to claim 4, wherein said closure member has an outer cylindrical wall telescoped over said second body and said locking means extends transversely through said outer wall engaging said second body.

6. A multi-chamber container according to claim 4, wherein said locking means is a pin-like member extending axially between said second body and said end cover.

7. A multi-chamber container according to claim 1, wherein said second body is a sleeve-like member inserted in said first body and said sleeve-like member forms at the upper axial end thereof a spring-like latch.

8. A multi-chamber container according to claim 1, and an O-ring-like seal around the circumference of said piston close to the bottom end thereof.

9. A multi-chamber container separately accommodating two or more substances which react with each other and are to be mixed when required to provide a ready-to-use dental material, the container comprising in combination:

a first cylindrical container body defining a closed bottom end and having a primary mixing chamber containing a first substance;

a second body portion of generally cylindrical configuration removably secured in coaxial relation to and at least partly seated within said first body and having a second chamber containing a second substance;

rupturable diaphragm means extending transversely across one of said bodies at a location axially forward of said closed bottom end separating said chambers and preventing any transfer of said substances therebetween until said diaphragm is intentionally ruptured;

and a removable closure member in container closing engagement with at least one of said bodies at the upper axial end thereof remote from said bottom end and including a substantially centrally located piston projecting axially towards said diaphragm means and engagement means on said piston for substantially rigidly connecting said piston of said closure member to said second body to cause said second body to be removed simultaneously with said piston relative to said first body;

said piston having an axial length so that in the position prior to mixing of said substances said bottom face of said piston is axially upwardly spaced from said diaphragm means and subsequent to additional downward movement said piston projects into said second chamber placing the second substance under pressure thereby causing rupturing of said diaphragm means.

10. A multi-chamber container according to claim 9, wherein said second body portion has a lower or bottom end surface whose axial thickness at least in part is significantly smaller than the radial thickness of said second body portion.

11. A multi-chamber container according to claim 9, wherein the substance within the second chamber comes in contact with only those portions of the closure member constituting said piston.

12. A multi-chamber container according to claim 9, wherein at least portions of the inner wall of said second body and complementary outer portions of said piston are in frictional engagement when interpositioned.

13. A multi-chamber container according to claim 12, wherein said piston includes radially outward extending means having an outside diameter exceeding the inside diameter of said second body.

14. A multi-chamber container according to claim 9, wherein said closure member includes an outer substantially cylindrical skirt extending around part of said first body in removable engagement relation in response to activation thereof.

15. A multi-chamber container according to claim 9, wherein the overall outside surface configuration of said piston is substantially identical to the inside configuration of the second chamber.

16. A multi-chamber container separately accommodating two or more substances which react with each other and are to be mixed when required to provide a ready-to-use dental material, the container comprising in combination:

a first cylindrical container body defining a closed bottom end and having a primary mixing chamber containing a first substance;

a second body portion of generally cylindrical configuration secured in coaxial relation to and at least partly seated within said first body and having a second chamber containing a second substance;

said second body portion having a lower or bottom end surface whose axial thickness at least in part is significantly smaller than the radial thickness of said second body portion;

rupturable diaphragm means extending transversely across one of said bodies at a location axially forward of said closed bottom end separating said chambers and preventing any transfer of said substances therebetween until said diaphragm is intentionally ruptured;

and a removable closure member in container closing engagement with at least one of said bodies at the upper axial end thereof remote from said bottom end and including a substantially centrally located piston projecting axially towards said diaphragm means;

said piston having an axial length so that in the position prior to mixing of said substances said bottom face of said piston is axially upwardly spaced from said diaphragm means and subsequent to additional downward movement said piston projects into said seconds chamber placing the second substance under pressure thereby causing rupturing of said diaphragm means.

17. A multi-chamber container according to claim 16, wherein the outside diameter of said piston is dimensioned to be effective upon actuation thereof to cause relative movement between the first and second body.