Cartridge system having connected feed plungers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9827030-B2
Application number	US-201113696214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2011
Priority date	May 4, 2010
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

Cartridge system for mixing and applying a mix of a medical cement. Cartridges are arranged parallel to each other and an outlet opening. The cartridges each comprise at least one opening that connect(s) the cartridges to the outlet opening, and the cartridges are bordered laterally through cartridge walls. Each cartridge comprises a feed plunger for expelling starting components of the mix from the cartridges through the openings. The feed plungers are fixedly connected to each other through at least one fin. The cartridge walls of the cartridges are connected through the fin(s). The walls comprise slits that are arranged parallel to the cartridge axis, whereby the width of the slits is well-suited for taking up the fin or fins, and the at least one fin moves through regions of the slits when the feed plungers perform a motion in the cartridges.

First claim

We claim:

1. A cartridge system for mixing and applying a mix, comprising:
at least two cartridges arranged parallel to each other, having a common outlet opening, a common cartridge floor, an opposite cartridge head and cartridge walls extending between the common cartridge floor and the cartridge head,
the at least two cartridges laterally positioned side-by-side relative to one another, wherein each of the cartridges is defined by a border of the cartridge walls,
each of the cartridges comprises a feed plunger for expelling starting components of the mix from the cartridges,
each feed plunger is fixedly connected to the other feed plunger by a fin,
each of the cartridges has a slit defined in one of the cartridge walls, wherein each slit is arranged parallel to a longitudinal cartridge axis of a cartridge, a width of each of the slits is matched to accommodate the fin, and the fin moves along the slits when the feed plungers move within the cartridges,
mixing space walls arranged parallel to the longitudinal cartridge axes of the cartridges and disposed between the cartridges, the mixing space walls define a mixing space between the cartridges, the mixing space accommodates a mobile rod arranged parallel to the feed plungers,
a complementary snap-in locking mechanism comprising a first part and a second part, wherein the first part of the complementary snap-in locking mechanism is mounted to the mobile rod opposite the common outlet opening and the second part of the complementary snap-in locking mechanism is attached to an interior surface of the mixing space walls, when the first and second parts of the complementary snap-in locking mechanism are engaged in a locked state the fin and the feed plungers are prevented from motion in a direction towards the common cartridge floor.

2. The cartridge system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the slits starts at the common cartridge floor and terminates at a slit end disposed at at least half of a distance from the common cartridge floor to the cartridge head.

3. The cartridge system according to claim 2 , wherein the feed plungers and the cartridge walls are built to be gas-tight and flush with each other such that the feed plungers are pressed into the cartridges through a gas pressure acting on the common cartridge floor.

4. The cartridge system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the slits starts at the common cartridge floor and terminates at the cartridge head.

5. The cartridge system according to claim 1 , wherein parts of the cartridge walls are in direct physical contact with the mixing space walls, the mixing space walls having slits at locations corresponding to slits in the cartridge walls.

6. The cartridge system according to claim 5 , wherein the mobile rod and the feed plungers are fixedly connected to each other by the fin,
when the first and second parts of the complementary snap-in locking mechanism are engaged in the locked state motion of the mobile rod out of the mixing space and therefore motion of the feed plungers out of the cartridges is minimized or prevented.

7. The cartridge system according to claim 5 , wherein the cartridges each comprise:
an opening defined in one of the cartridge walls and connecting the cartridges to the mixing space,
a closure is arranged so as to be translatably moved in the mixing space or rotatably suspended at the cartridge head, such that the closure closes the openings of the cartridges when in a starting position, and in that the openings are at least partly opened, in a final position of the closure, wherein the closure is translatable or rotatable from the starting position to the final position.

8. The cartridge system according to claim 7 , further comprising a limit stop mounted to the mixing space walls, limiting the translatable movement of the closure in the mixing space, wherein the final position of the closure is defined by the limit stop.

9. The cartridge system according to claim 8 , wherein when the translatably moved closure in the mixing space contacts the limit stop defines a final position of the translatably moved closure.

10. The cartridge system according to claim 8 , wherein the limit stop comprises pegs or fins.

11. The cartridge system according to claim 1 , wherein the common outlet opening is arranged in a cartridge system head and the cartridge system head comprises a fastener for fastening a dispensing tube.

12. The cartridge system according to claim 11 , wherein the dispensing tube is received within the common outlet opening of the cartridge system head.

13. The cartridge system according to claim 1 , wherein the feed plungers close the cartridges in a tight manner.

14. The cartridge system according to claim 1 , wherein a closure is translatably movable in the mixing space, the cartridge system further comprising an unlocking component provided in the mixing space, the unlocking component is fixedly connected to the closure such that translatably moving the closure into a final position is associated with an unlocked state of the complementary snap-in locking mechanism such that the fin and the feed plungers are movable in a direction towards the common cartridge floor.

15. The cartridge system according to claim 1 , wherein the cartridge system mixes and applies a medical cement.

16. The cartridge system according to claim 1 , wherein the feed plungers close the cartridges in a gas-tight manner.

Assignees

• Vogt Sebastian
• Buechner Hubert
• Heraeus Medical Gmbh

Inventors

• Vogt Sebastian
• Buechner Hubert

Classifications

• B05C17/00576

  characterised by the construction of a piston as pressure exerting means, or of the co-operating container · CPC title

• B05C17/00506

  Means for connecting the outlet element to, or for disconnecting it from, the hand tool or its container · CPC title

• B05C17/00553

  with means allowing the stock of material to consist of at least two different components · CPC title

• B05C17/00513 Primary

  of the thread type · CPC title

• A61B17/8805 Primary

  for introducing fluid filler into bone or extracting it (A61B17/7097, A61B17/8833 take precedence) · CPC title