Thread locking structure

• US 6,610,034 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2000
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ultradent Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ultradent Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Fischer, Dan E., McLean, Bruce S.
• Primary Examiner(s): MENDEZ, MANUEL A
• Application Number:
  US09/489,173
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 604/240, 604/241, 604/235, 604/533-537, 433/88-90, 411/271, 411/273, 411/383, 411/384, 366/322, 366/324, 366/329.1
• US Class Current: 604/241
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 5/62 Applicators, e.g. syringes or guns
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 5/68 Mixing dental material components for immediate application to a site to be restored, e.g. a tooth cavity
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2055 having gripping means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2096 Combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 17/00513 of the thread type
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 17/00516 Shape or geometry of the outlet orifice or the outlet element
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 17/00593 Hand tools of the syringe type

Abstract

A syringe system includes a first syringe having a barrel with a tubular tip formed at the end thereof. The tubular tip has an exterior surface with a pair of spaced apart first threads outwardly projecting therefrom so as to at least partially encircle the tubular tip. A second syringe has a barrel with a collar formed at the end thereof. The collar has an interior surface with engagement threads projecting therefrom. The collar is configured to receive the tip of the first syringe such that the first threads can selectively threadedly couple with the engagement threads. A pair of second threads project from the exterior surface of the tubular tip so as to at least partial encircle the tubular tip, the second threads being longitudinally spaced apart from the first threads. The second threads can be rotated, shifted, or otherwise shaped into a variety of different configurations so as to aggressively engage the engagement threads in frictional bias when the first syringe is coupled to the second syringe. In an alternative embodiment, the second threads can be replaced by a ridge which is contigured to frictionally engage with the engagcment threads.

Claims

1. A thread structure comprising:

a tubular member having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the tubular member having a longitudinal axis extending therethrough;

a pair of spaced apart first threads projecting from the exterior surface of the tubular member so as to at least partially encircle the tubular member; and

a pair of spaced apart second threads projecting from the exterior surface of the tubular member so as to at least partially encircle the tubular member, the second threads being spaced longitudinally apart from the first threads.

2. A thread structure as recited in claim 1, wherein

at least a portion of each of the first threads is disposed in a first plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular member; and

at least a portion of each of the second threads is disposed in a second plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular member.

3. A thread structure as recited in claim 1, wherein the first threads comprise double right hand threads.

4. A thread structure as recited in claim 1, wherein

the first threads have a maximum outer diameter;

and

the second threads have a maximum outer diameter, the maximum outer diameter of the second threads being greater than the maximum outer diameter of the first threads.

5. A thread structure as recited in claim 1, wherein

the first threads have a maximum thickness;

and

the second threads have a maximum thickness, the maximum thickness of the second threads being greater than the maximum thickness of the first threads.

6. A thread structure as recited in claim 1, wherein

the first threads bound a first thread groove therebetween, the first thread groove having a first central axis longitudinally extending therethrough;

and

the second threads bound a second thread groove therebetween, the second thread groove having a second central axis longitudinally extending therethrough, the first thread groove and the second thread groove being aligned so that the first and second central axes are aligned.

7. A thread structure as recited in claim 1, wherein

the first threads bound a first thread groove therebetween, the first thread groove having a first central axis longitudinally extending therethrough;

and

the second threads bound a second thread groove therebetween, the second thread groove having a second central axis longitudinally extending therethrough, the first thread groove and the second thread groove being offset so that the first and second central axes are offset.

8. A thread structure as recited in claim 1, wherein

the first threads are oriented at a first pitch;

and

the second threads are oriented at a second pitch that is different than the first pitch.

9. A thread structure as recited in claim 1, wherein

the first threads bound a first thread groove therebetween, the first thread groove having a substantially constant maximum width along its length;

and

the second threads bound a second thread groove therebetween, the second thread groove having a substantially constant maximum width along its length, the maximum width of the second thread groove being smaller than the maximum width of the first thread groove.

10. A thread structure as recited in claim 1, wherein the second threads bound a thread groove therebetween, the thread groove having a maximum width that varies along the length of the thread groove.

11. A thread structure as recited in claim 1, wherein the tubular member comprises a portion of a syringe barrel.

22. A thread structure as recited in claim 1, wherein the thread structure is adapted for coupling two syringes together to facilitate the transfer of material between the syringes in a secure and liquid tight fashion.

12. A thread structure adapted for coupling two syringes together to facilitate the transfer of material between the syringes in a secure and essentially liquid tight fashion, comprising:

a tubular member having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the tubular member having a longitudinal axis extending therethrough, said tubular member serving as an outlet tip for one of the two syringes;

a pair of spaced apart threads outwardly projecting from the exterior surface of the tubular member so as to at least partially encircle the tubular member, at least a portion of each of the threads being disposed in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular member, the threads bounding a thread groove; and

a ridge outwardly projecting from the exterior surface of the tubular member, the ridge being aligned with the thread groove.

13. A thread structure as recited in claim 12, wherein each of the threads only partially encircles the tubular member.

14. A thread structure as recited in claim 12, wherein the ridge is longitudinally spaced apart from the threads.

15. A thread structure as recited in claim 12, wherein the ridge completely encircles the tubular member.

16. A thread structure as recited in claim 12, wherein the ridge has a top surface with a plurality of ridges formed thereon.

17. A thread structure as recited in claim 12, wherein the ridge only partially encircles the tubular member.

18. A thread structure comprising:

a tubular member having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the tubular member having a longitudinal axis extending therethrough;

a pair of spaced apart threads outwardly projecting from the exterior surface of the tubular member so as to at least partially encircle the tubular member, at least a portion of each of the threads being disposed in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular member, the threads bounding a thread groove; and

a plurality of ridges outwardly projecting from the exterior surface of the tubular member and being longitudinally spaced apart from the threads.

19. A thread structure as recited in claim 18, wherein the ridges are aligned with the thread groove.

20. A thread structure as recited in claim 18, wherein at least some of the ridges completely encircle the tubular member.

21. A thread structure as recited in claim 18, wherein at least some of the ridges only partially encircle the tubular member.

23. A thread structure as recited in claim 18, wherein the thread structure is adapted for coupling two syringes together to facilitate the transfer of material between the syringes in a secure and liquid tight fashion.