Device for Transfer of Product from Refill Container to Applicator Container Without Exposure to Atmosphere

• US 20110011859A1
• Filed: 07/28/2010
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Bioguard Limited
• Original Assignee: Amazon Bioguard Limited
• Inventors: Taylor, David, Singleton, Ian
• Granted Patent: US 8,474,495 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/86.1
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/115 Caps F16L55/1286 takes precedence

Abstract

An open ended cylindrical connector device includes a) an internally smooth-bored first docking port at one end; b) an internally screw threaded second docking port at the other end; and c) a unidirectional hole-cutter/membrane-piercing arrangement deployed across the diameter of the cylindrical device with its cutting/piercing edges occupying the first docking port. The product is transferred from a sealed donating container to a receiving container by screwing the receiving container into the second docking port and subsequently pressing a sealed donating container into the first docking port. The seal on the donating container is punctured by the hole-cutter and releases the product for transfer through the cylindrical connector to the receiving container. The donating container docking port may be closed with a removable cap and the cylindrical connector used as a donating container screw cap.

Claims

1. An open ended cylindrical connector to affect the transfer of material between two containers comprising:

a) container docking ports at both ends of the cylindrical connector; and

b) a unidirectional substantially open ended hole-cutter located between and aligned co-axially with said container docking ports with the cutting-edge facing a first container docking port,

said docking ports being respectively adapted to receive the neck of a donating container, at a first docking port, and the neck of a receptor container, at a second docking port, thus incorporating both containers into a single closed system.

2. The open ended cylindrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the internal surface of the first container docking port is a smooth bore capable of accepting the externally threaded neck of a donating container by a simple downward thrusting motion; and

,

the internal surface of the second container docking port is screw-threaded and capable of accepting the male screw-threaded neck of a receptor container.

3. The open ended cylindrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unidirectional substantially open hole-cutter includes:

a plurality of half-arches, the outer surfaces of which are formed as a cutting edge, radiating out from the central axis of the cylinder with rotational symmetry to form a skeletal dome; and

a pointed membrane piercing spike mounted centrally on top of the conjunction of the half-arches.

4. The open ended cylindrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unidirectional, substantially open, hole-cutter is attached to the internal wall of the cylindrical connector by an annular platform/bulkhead which effectively separates the smooth bore and threaded docking ports;

and displaces the unidirectional substantially open hole-cutter from the internal surface of the first container docking port sufficient to allow the neck of a refill container to pass over it.

5. The open ended cylindrical connector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the distance between the internal annular platform/bulkhead and the end of the first container docking port is no more than the length of the neck of a refill container.

6. The open ended cylindrical connector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the maximum height of the unidirectional substantially open hole-cutter above the internal annular platform/bulkhead is from 50% to 95% of the height of the first container docking port height above the internal annular platform/bulkhead.

7. The open ended cylindrical connector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the height of the unidirectional substantially open hole-cutter above the internal annular platform/bulkhead and the width of said annular platform/bulkhead are adjusted so that the mouth of a donor container pressed fully home into the first container docking port overlaps the cutting edge to a minimum of 50% and a maximum of 90% of the height of the unidirectional substantially open hole-cutter.

8. The open ended cylindrical connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein the arched cutting edges of the unidirectional substantially open hole-cutter may rise from the platform in a non-vertical manner such as a spiral.

9. The open ended cylindrical connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein the plurality of arched cutting edges are linked together, at a point at which they are still parallel to the wall of the cylindrical connector, by an annular band running between them.

10. The open ended cylindrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the open end of the first container docking port is closed with a removable cap.