Pipette Holder and Applicator Apparatus
First Claim
6. A holder and applicator apparatus for a pipette, the pipette containing liquid and having a vertical cylindrical container portion, the container portion having a container height and a container diameter, and a tapered applicator connected to the top of the container portion by a neck having a neck diameter;
- comprising;
a substantially vertical cylindrical body comprisinga vertical cylindrical cavity having an open upper end, the cavity about equal to the container height, and the cavity diameter about equal to the container diameter so that the container portion of the pipette can slide essentially fully into the cavity;
a cylindrical outer body wall concentric with the cavity and having a body wall diameter;
the wall thickness being one-half the difference between the body wall diameter and the cavity diameter;
a substantially horizontal base supporting the apparatus free-standing;
two holes through the outer body wall to the cavity, disposed diametrically to each other about the cylindrical body wall and located vertically a first distance below the upper end;
a cap comprisingan upper surface;
a perimeter;
a substantially flat, substantially horizontal lower surface with a cylindrical vertical bore hole extending upwardly part way through the cap toward the upper surface;
the bore hole having a diameter slightly larger than the body wall diameter and slidingly fitted over the body wall;
an applicator neck hole concentric with the bore hole and extending upwardly from the top of the bore hole through to the upper surface;
two vertically elongate tabs each having an upper end, a lower end, a substantially vertical inner surface, and an outer surface;
each upper end being fixed to the lower surface of the cap so that the tabs are diametrically opposed to each other about the cylindrical body wall;
each inner surface being substantially parallel to the other and tangential to the cylindrical body wall;
two buttons each having a vertically-disposed base affixed to the two vertical inner surfaces at the first distance from the lower surface;
the base of each button being shaped to fit within each hole;
each button protruding by a second distance from each vertical inner surface through each hole toward the center of the cavity;
the second distance being greater than the wall thickness;
so that when a pipette is secured within the cavity and the tip of the applicator is pierced, compression of the outer surfaces of the tabs towards each other will cause the buttons to squeeze the vertical cylindrical container portion of the pipette and force liquid to flow from the pipette.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A two-piece holder and applicator for a squeezable pipette has a lower cylindrical body and a cap dimensioned to slide down over the body after the pipette has been inserted into the body. The cap has two diametrically-opposed vertical tabs that fit alongside the outer surface of the body, and each tab has an inwardly-facing button that is shaped to cooperate with a mating hole in opposing sides of the body. The buttons serve both to lock the cap onto the body and to transmit pressure applied by fingers on the outside of the tabs through the holes and against the walls of the pipette. Thus, when the tip of the pipette is punctured, the pipette can be squeezed using the tabs without touching the pipette. The small area of the buttons allow the user much greater control over the rate of dispensing of adhesive than if the entire area of opposing fingertips is used to squeeze the pipette.
58 Citations
10 Claims
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6. A holder and applicator apparatus for a pipette, the pipette containing liquid and having a vertical cylindrical container portion, the container portion having a container height and a container diameter, and a tapered applicator connected to the top of the container portion by a neck having a neck diameter;
- comprising;
a substantially vertical cylindrical body comprising a vertical cylindrical cavity having an open upper end, the cavity about equal to the container height, and the cavity diameter about equal to the container diameter so that the container portion of the pipette can slide essentially fully into the cavity; a cylindrical outer body wall concentric with the cavity and having a body wall diameter; the wall thickness being one-half the difference between the body wall diameter and the cavity diameter; a substantially horizontal base supporting the apparatus free-standing; two holes through the outer body wall to the cavity, disposed diametrically to each other about the cylindrical body wall and located vertically a first distance below the upper end; a cap comprising an upper surface; a perimeter; a substantially flat, substantially horizontal lower surface with a cylindrical vertical bore hole extending upwardly part way through the cap toward the upper surface; the bore hole having a diameter slightly larger than the body wall diameter and slidingly fitted over the body wall; an applicator neck hole concentric with the bore hole and extending upwardly from the top of the bore hole through to the upper surface; two vertically elongate tabs each having an upper end, a lower end, a substantially vertical inner surface, and an outer surface; each upper end being fixed to the lower surface of the cap so that the tabs are diametrically opposed to each other about the cylindrical body wall; each inner surface being substantially parallel to the other and tangential to the cylindrical body wall; two buttons each having a vertically-disposed base affixed to the two vertical inner surfaces at the first distance from the lower surface; the base of each button being shaped to fit within each hole; each button protruding by a second distance from each vertical inner surface through each hole toward the center of the cavity; the second distance being greater than the wall thickness; so that when a pipette is secured within the cavity and the tip of the applicator is pierced, compression of the outer surfaces of the tabs towards each other will cause the buttons to squeeze the vertical cylindrical container portion of the pipette and force liquid to flow from the pipette.
- comprising;
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7. A holder and applicator apparatus for a pipette, the pipette having a vertical cylindrical container portion, the container portion having resilient walls, and an applicator connected to the top of the container portion by a neck;
- comprising;
a substantially vertical body with an open-topped cylindrical cavity, the cavity being defined by a wall having a thickness and an outer surface; the body further comprising at least one pair of holes on opposite sides of the body through the wall into the cavity; a cap fitting in sliding engagement with the outer surface and having a neck hole fitting over the neck of the pipette; at least one pair of buttons connected to, and being positioned below, the cap so as to enter the at least one pair of holes when the cap is fitted as far down on the open top as it will go; each button having a horizontal length extending through each hole and into the cavity beyond the container diameter; means for biasing the at least one pair of buttons towards each other into the holes substantially without compressing the resilient walls; means for applying manual pressure against the at least one pair of buttons to compress the resilient walls; and means for manually overcoming the bias so that the at least one pair of buttons will move away from each other out of the at least one pair of holes. - View Dependent Claims (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10)
- comprising;
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10-1. The apparatus of claim 7, in which:
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said means for biasing said at least one pair of buttons comprises at least one pair of resilient vertical tabs on opposite sides of said body connecting said at least one pair of buttons to said cap; each vertical tab having an inside surface facing the body and an outside surface facing away from the body; each button being affixed to the inside surface; and said means for applying manual pressure upon said at least one pair of buttons towards the body comprises finger pad surfaces placed on the outside surfaces of the at least one pair of vertical tabs.
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Specification