METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATELY PACKAGING TWO LIQUIDS WHICH ARE TO BE SIMULTANEOUSLY DISPENSED

• US 3,667,652 A
• Filed: 12/01/1969
• Issued: 06/06/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bruno Morane, Charles Paoletti, Louis Merrien, Manlio Maurelli, Robert Sathicq
• Original Assignee: Bruno Morane, Charles Paoletti, Louis Merrien, Manlio Maurelli, Robert Sathicq
• Inventors: Morane, Bruno, Maurelli, Manlio, Sathicq, Robert, Paoletti, Charles, Merrien, Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Coleman, Samuel F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Slattery, James M.
• Application Number:
  US04/881,081
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 222/94,129,188,135,136,508,80,399,402.11,95,105,389,386-386.5,399 169/32 128/272,218
• US Class Current: 222/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/19 having more than one chamber , e.g. including a manifold coupling two parallelly aligned syringes through separate channels to a common discharge assembly surgical glue applicators A61B17/00491
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/2053 Media being expelled from injector by pressurised fluid or vacuum for infusion A61M5/145, A61M5/155
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3255 Containers provided with a piston or a movable bottom, and permitting admixture within the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/14 for delivery of liquid or semi-liquid contents by internal gaseous pressure, i.e. aerosol containers comprising propellant for a product delivered by a propellant

Abstract

Two liquids are stored in a single jacket on opposite sides of a plug of compressible material. The fluids are mixed by applying fluid pressure to compress the plug and the mixture is then dispensed through a valve or nozzle in the jacket. The pressure may be supplied by actuating a piston or by releasing a compressed fluid into the jacket, or both.

Claims

1. A container comprising an outer jacket having two ends spaced by a side wall, at least one plug mounted inside the jacket transversely of said side wall and in liquid-tight sealing relationship therewith, said plug being made of a cellular material having closed cells which responds to an increase in fluid pressure thereagainst by contracting in all directions, and means for increasing the fluid pressure within said jacket to an extent sufficient to cause contraction of said plug transversely of said side wall and thereby terminate the sealing relationship between said plug and side wall.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which said plug divides said container into two compartments, each of which has, adjacent to said plug, a diameter as small as that of the section of said container in which said plug is located.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 which holds two different liquids, one on each side of said plug.

4. Container as claimed in claim 1 in which the compressible plug is made of a synthetic expanded foam material having closed cells.

5. Container as claimed in claim 4 in which the synthetic material is polyethylene.

6. Container as claimed in claim 1 in which the compressible plug is an envelope containing a compressed gas.

7. Container as claimed in claim 6 in which the envelope is provided with localized stiffening ribs.

8. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which said means for increasing the pressure inside said jacket comprises a sealed chamber at one end of said jacket enclosing a pressurizing fluid, and means for bringing said chamber into communication with the inside of said jacket.

9. A container as claimed in claim 8 comprising a movable piston slidably mounted within said jacket, and dividing said jacket into two parts, one of which contains said plug, and said chamber is adapted to be brought into communication with the other part of said jacket.

10. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which said presSure increasing means is a piston having a head in sealing contact with the walls of said jacket and a rod projecting from one end of said jacket.

11. A container as claimed in claim 10 comprising frangible means for preventing movement of said piston rod.

12. A container as claimed in claim 11 in which said dispensing means is a nozzle at one end of said jacket terminating in a frangible closure.

13. In combination a container as claimed in claim 12 and an injection needle adapted to be mounted on said nozzle when said frangible closure is removed.

14. A container as claimed in claim 12 comprising lateral projections extending radially outward from the end of said jacket remote from said nozzle.

15. A container as claimed in claim 12 provided with transverse ribs inside the end of said jacket carrying said nozzle.

16. Method of separately storing and simultaneously dispensing two liquids which comprises the steps of storing said liquids within a single jacket on opposite sides of a compressible plug in sealing engagement with the side walls of said jacket and dividing said jacket into two parts, said plug being made of a cellular material having closed cells which responds to an increase in pressure thereagainst by contracting in all directions, applying fluid pressure to said plug until it contracts sufficiently in a direction transverse to said side walls to permit mixture of said liquids, and then dispensing the resulting mixture through a valve at one end of said jacket which is kept closed while said plug is being compressed.

17. Method as claimed in claim 16 in which said plug is compressed by exerting fluid pressure thereagainst.

18. Method as claimed in claim 17 in which said fluid pressure is applied by admitting a pressurized fluid to one side of said plug.

19. Method as claimed in claim 17 in which said fluid pressure is applied by pressing a piston against the liquid on one side of said plug.

20. Method as claimed in claim 19 in which said piston is manually actuated.

21. Method as claimed in claim 19 in which said piston is actuated by fluid pressure.