Variable proportion dispenser
First Claim
1. A variable proportion dispenser comprising:
- a housing;
first and second variable volume containers mounted to the housing and including first and second exits and first and second movable elements by which the contents of the first and second containers can be forced through said first and second exits as the first and second movable elements are moved from first and second starting positions towards first and second ending positions;
first and second drive stems drivingly coupled to the first and second movable elements; and
reciprocal drive means for reciprocally driving the first and second drive stems so to drive the first and second movable elements from the first and second starting positions towards the first and second ending positions in a cyclic manner, the reciprocal drive means including;
first and second reciprocating drivers drivingly coupled to the first and second drive stems by one-way drive elements; and
means for adjusting the relative distances the first and second reciprocating drivers and the first and second drive stems associated therewith travel during each cycle of the reciprocal drive means so the amounts and proportions of the contents of the first and second containers forced through the first and second exits during one or more cycles of the reciprocal drive means can be selected by the user while said amounts and proportions remain the same unless said relative distances are changed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A variable proportion dispenser (2) includes a housing (4) which houses two pharmaceutical cartridges (6, 7). A reciprocating drive assembly (10) includes a drive stem (36, 37) extending from the piston (46) of each cartridge, a sliding body (66) mounted to the housing, and two one-way drive devices (54, 55) carried by the sliding body. Each one-way drive device includes a threaded dosage adjuster (60 6I), and a reciprocating, one-way driver (58, 59) which drives the drive stem into the cartridge. The distance the reciprocating driver can move on the return stroke away from the cartridge is adjustable by changing the threaded position of the dosage adjuster within the sliding body to change if and when the opposed ends (98, 96) of the dosage adjuster and reciprocating driver disengage during the return stroke. During the next delivery stroke, the separated opposed ends (98, 96) do not contact for an initial portion of the stroke. The user can thus control the amount and proportion of each pharmaceutical dispensed during each delivery stroke for each dispensing cycle.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A variable proportion dispenser comprising:
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a housing; first and second variable volume containers mounted to the housing and including first and second exits and first and second movable elements by which the contents of the first and second containers can be forced through said first and second exits as the first and second movable elements are moved from first and second starting positions towards first and second ending positions; first and second drive stems drivingly coupled to the first and second movable elements; and reciprocal drive means for reciprocally driving the first and second drive stems so to drive the first and second movable elements from the first and second starting positions towards the first and second ending positions in a cyclic manner, the reciprocal drive means including; first and second reciprocating drivers drivingly coupled to the first and second drive stems by one-way drive elements; and means for adjusting the relative distances the first and second reciprocating drivers and the first and second drive stems associated therewith travel during each cycle of the reciprocal drive means so the amounts and proportions of the contents of the first and second containers forced through the first and second exits during one or more cycles of the reciprocal drive means can be selected by the user while said amounts and proportions remain the same unless said relative distances are changed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A variable proportion dispenser comprising:
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a housing; first and second variable volume containers carried by the housing; and a reciprocating drive assembly comprising; first and second drive stems adapted to engage the first and second variable volume containers to drive the contents of the variable volume containers therefrom; a sliding body slidably mounted to the housing for movement in delivery and return directions; a first reciprocating driver, carried by the sliding body, coupled to the first drive stem, the first reciprocating driver and the first drive stem configured so that the first reciprocating driver can move the first drive stem towards the first variable volume container only if the sliding body is moving in the delivery direction; means for adjusting the amount the first reciprocating driver moves the first drive stem towards the first variable volume container during the movement of the sliding body in the delivery direction; and a one-way drive device, carried by the sliding body, configured to drive the second drive stem towards the second variable volume container when the sliding body moves in the delivery direction. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A variable proportion dispenser for dispensing multiple doses of first and second flowable materials at a chosen volumetric ratio comprising:
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a housing; first and second variable volume containers, containing the first and second flowable materials, carried by the housing; a sliding body reciprocally mounted to the housing for movement parallel to an axis between first and second positions; first and second drive stems operably coupled to the first and second variable volume containers, the second drive stem operably coupled to the sliding body for movement parallel to the axis; a one-way reciprocating driver operably coupled to the first drive stem for driving the first stem towards the first variable volume container; a dosage adjustor adjustably mounted to the sliding body to vary the axial position of the dosage adjustor relative to the sliding body; the driver and the dosage adjustor having mating portions configured to drivingly couple the dosage adjustor to the driver when the sliding body is moved from the first position to the second position, and to permit the dosage adjustor to be decoupled from the driver when the sliding body is at an intermediate position between the first and second positions as the sliding body is moved from the second position to the first position; and the housing and the driver including stop members positioned so that when the stop members are engaged, the movement of the driver is halted when the sliding body reaches the intermediate position as the sliding body moves from the second position to the first position so to disengage the reciprocating driver from the dosage adjustor.
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Specification