Dispensing – With discharge assistant – Insertable cartridge or removable container
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-31
2002-12-03
Kaufman, Joseph A. (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
With discharge assistant
Insertable cartridge or removable container
C222S494000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06488183
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The instant application claims priority to application number DE 19855764.7, filed in Germany on Dec. 3, 1998, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The instant invention relates to an urging device for transferring force in a linear fashion, the urging device including an urging mechanism having intermeshing parts for transferring this force. The invention further relates to dispensing kits have a reservoir body and incorporating the urging device for effecting a dispensing of a content of the reservoir body. The content may be solid in the form of tablets or capsules, or fluid, such as a liquid or paste, and is adapted to be pushed out of the reservoir body by a plunger subjected to translation controlled by the user and moving within the reservoir body.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Urging devices of the above type are known for example from U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,320, which discloses a linear actuator as a drum
4
, a stiff flexible ribbon
1
wound on the drum, a device for rotating the drum at least to partially unwind the ribbon thereon, a guide funnel
5
for gradually forming the ribbon into a tubular configuration, and an attachment device
11
at a free end of the ribbon for connection to an object to be moved in a linear path. The actuator thus converts rotary motion to linear motion.
Additionally, German laid open patent application, DE 2162938 discloses a thrust and traction element of variable length made of two spoolable parts wound about two rotatable drums
3
and
4
respectively. Each spoolable part includes a number of protrusions and corresponding recesses for intermeshingly and formfittingly receiving the other spoolable part upon being wound by the drums
3
and
4
, as shown in
FIGS. 1 and 4
. Each spoolable element further includes a toothed portion at one face thereof adapted to be driven by a correspondingly toothed rotatable gear member
15
. The intermeshing of the two spoolable parts results in the formation of a rigid member or rod.
Urging devices of the prior art have as a disadvantage that they make inefficient use of space, requiring either a single bulky region for housing a portion of the urging device, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,320, or requiring complex, multi-parts and cooperating mechanisms, as disclosed in DE 2162938.
Additionally, dispensers of the above type are used for holding and dispensing dosed amounts of fluids, or even for holding and dispensing tablets or capsules. In some instances, the volume to be dispensed or dosed is in the range of milliliters. Dropper bottles such as these may also be used for the purpose of dispensing oral or topical applications, where, if a fluid is involved, the fluid is dispensed drop-wise according to a predetermined prescription.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,721 discloses a step pipette having a dosing rack
5
and therein a dosing toothing
14
, a strike S meshing with the dosing toothing, a filling rack
13
connected with the dosing rack by a gear
16
, a striker spring
12
as well as a release member for releasing the tension of the striker spring after the last full-length stroke. The solution according to this patent ensures that the last liquid dose is dispensed from the pipette.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,000 discloses a dispenser of a compact product
3
contained in a cylindrical reservoir
1
. The product is ejected via a plunger
4
that is displaceable in translation in the reservoir and is mounted at the end of a threaded rod
5
which cooperates with a nut
9
. The rod is driven in rotation incrementally via a pushbutton
8
. The support
7
of the mechanism and of the nut is movable with respect to the reservoir by means of a thread. The nut which cooperates with the rod
5
is slit along a diametrical plane, to allow the re-pressing of the rod when the half nuts are capable of spreading apart. The reservoir includes a frustoconical surface, which assures the pinching of the half-screws when the mechanism is put into place at the base of the full reservoir.
Dispensers of the prior art disadvantageously use urging mechanisms which extend along a length of the reservoir the content of which is to be dispensed, thus making inefficient use of space, especially where the dispenser is to be used as a lifestyle article apt to be carried in one's pocket or handbag, such as, for example, a liquid drop dispenser for drops to be taken regularly during the day. Were the dispensers of the prior art to be used, they would be impractically long, complicating transport for the user. Additionally, in order to effect dosing of the content of the reservoir body, these dispensers typically involve complicated mechanisms. Moreover, the delivery mechanisms in dispensers of the prior art often result in the fluid content of the dispensers dripping, especially after delivery, thus causing unnecessary waste and possible soiling of the means carrying the dispenser.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a simplified urging device for transferring force in a linear fashion which provides a space saving alternative to urging devices of the prior art. It is a further object of the invention to provide an dispensing kit using the urging device according to the invention, the kit being compact in its longitudinal direction with respect to dispensers of the prior art, thereby allowing easy transport and handling.
The above objects, and other objects to become apparent as the description progresses, are fulfilled by providing an urging device comprising: an urging actuator; and an urging mechanism disposed to be actuatable by the urging actuator in an urging direction for effecting a translational movement of a member to be moved in the urging direction, the urging mechanism being configured such that, upon actuation thereof by the urging actuator, at least a first portion thereof moves in a first direction, and a second portion thereof moves in a second direction that is different from the first direction.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the urging mechanism comprises a flexible portion forming the first portion and the second portion upon actuation of the urging mechanism, the urging device further including a transition mechanism coupled to the flexible portion for guiding a direction change of the flexible portion from the first direction to the second direction. The transition mechanism may comprise the urging actuator.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the flexible portion is a first flexible portion and the transition mechanism is a first transition mechanism, the urging mechanism further comprising a second flexible portion and a second transition mechanism coupled to the second flexible portion for guiding a direction change of the flexible portion from the first direction to the second direction, the first flexible portion and the second flexible portion being adapted to engage one another at an engaging zone after having been guided by the first transition mechanism and the second transition mechanism thereby forming a consolidated longitudinal member corresponding to the second portion of each of the first flexible portion and the second flexible portion, the consolidated longitudinal member being effective for effecting the translational movement of the member to be moved in the urging direction.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the first flexible portion and second flexible portion are configured to engage one another at the engaging zone by friction.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention, each of the first flexible portion and second flexible portion has teeth disposed thereon which respectively engage one another at the engaging zone for forming a rigid member or rod corresponding to the consolidated longitudinal member.
Advantageously, the second direction may differ from the first direction by an angle of 180 degrees, and the urging device may further include a first biased member connected to the first transition mechanism and a se
Braeuninger-Weimer Willmar
Neuhold Arnold
Kaufman Joseph A.
Kerins John C.
Kondracki Edward J.
Miles & Stockbridge P.C.
Weimer Pharma GmbH
LandOfFree
Flexible urging mechanism and dispensing kit incorporating same does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Flexible urging mechanism and dispensing kit incorporating same, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Flexible urging mechanism and dispensing kit incorporating same will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2995111