Mixing and dispensing curable multi-component materials

• US 9,731,258 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2007
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Gullicks, Scott D., Keicher, Dennis R., Simmers, Ryan Patrick, Janssen, Jeffrey R., Schulz, Mark F., Qiblawi, Jameel R., Broyles, Bruce R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beisner, William H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Henkel, Danielle
• Application Number:
  US11/957,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20080144426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,532 Days
• Field of Search: 366189, 366130, 366162, 3661801, 3661623, 366138, 366348, 528271, 141100
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 5/64 for multi-component compositions
• 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: B01F 2101/19 Mixing dentistry compositions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/092 occupying substantially the whole interior space of the receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/1125 with vanes or blades extending parallel or oblique to the stirrer axis
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/5011 portable during use, e.g. hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/50114 of the hand-held gun type
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/522 comprising compartments keeping the materials to be mixed separated until the mixing is initiated containers or packages for packaging two or more different materials which must be maintained separate prior to use in admixture B65D81/32
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/88 by feeding the materials batchwise
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 17/00553 with means allowing the stock of material to consist of at least two different components
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 17/00566 with a dynamic mixer in the nozzle
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 17/0103 with electrically actuated piston or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 17/0133 Nut and bolt advancing mechanism, e.g. threaded piston rods
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 17/014 comprising means for preventing oozing B05C17/0146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 17/015 with pneumatically or hydraulically actuated piston or the like B05C17/00543 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/7438 Mixing guns, i.e. hand-held mixing units having dispensing means B29B7/761, B29B7/7678 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/90 Fillers or reinforcements , e.g. fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/325 Containers having parallel or coaxial compartments, provided with a piston or a movable bottom for discharging contents

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, devices and systems for mixing and dispensing multi-component materials. The mixing and dispensing may be performed using a mobile, enclosed dispenser that can be used to supply a mixed multi-component material at the point of use. In some embodiments, the components to be mixed into the multi-component material may be supplied in cartridges.

Claims

1. A replaceable cartridge apparatus for use in a mobile dispenser, wherein the mobile dispenser includes a drive mechanism, the cartridge apparatus comprising:

a cartridge housing releasably attachable to the mobile dispenser, the cartridge housing comprising a first cavity located within the cartridge housing and a second cavity located within the cartridge housing, wherein the first cavity and the second cavity extend from a base end of the cartridge housing towards a dispensing end of the cartridge housing distal from the base end;

a first container located within the first cavity, the first container containing a first component of a curable multi-component material;

a second container located within the second cavity, the second container containing a second component of the curable multi-component material;

a mixer drive passageway extending through the cartridge housing and defining a drive axis; and

a rotatable drive shaft located within the mixer drive passageway, the drive shaft being adapted for releasable coupling to a dynamic mixer at the dispensing end while being adapted for releasable coupling to the drive mechanism of the mobile dispenser at the base end.

2. A cartridge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base end is flat and wherein the drive shaft does not protrude past the base such that the cartridge housing can stand on the base on a flat horizontal surface.

3. A cartridge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mixer drive passageway is located between the first cavity and the second cavity.

4. A cartridge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the curable multi-component material comprises curable body repair material.

5. A cartridge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge housing further comprises means for attaching the dynamic mixer to a delivery end of the housing, wherein the drive axis extends through the means for attaching.

16. A cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising a cap attachable to the cartridge housing and having first and second nozzles at the dispensing end of the cartridge housing and a bore through which the rotatable drive shaft extends, wherein the first and second containers form a fluid-tight seal with the cap and wherein the first and second components can exit through their respective nozzles.

6. A replaceable cartridge for use in a mobile dispenser, the cartridge apparatus comprising:

a cartridge housing releasably attachable to the mobile dispenser, the cartridge housing comprising a first cavity located within the cartridge housing, the first cavity comprising a first cross-sectional area transverse to a first axis that extends along a length of the first cavity, wherein the cartridge housing further comprises a second cavity located within the cartridge housing, the second cavity comprising a second cross-sectional area transverse to a second axis that extends along a length of the second cavity;

a spacer sized to fit within the second cavity of the cartridge housing, wherein the spacer extends along the length of the second cavity parallel to the second axis and defines a spacer cross-sectional area that occupies 1% or more of the second cross-sectional area, and wherein the spacer reduces an open cross-sectional area along the second axis within the second cavity;

a first container located within the first cavity, the first container containing a first component of a curable multi-component material; and

a second container located within the open cross-sectional area of the of the second cavity, the second container containing a second component of the curable multi-component material.

7. A cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area are substantially equal.

8. A cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the spacer cross-sectional area comprises 25% or more of the second cross-sectional area.

9. A cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the spacer cross-sectional area comprises 50% or more of the second cross-sectional area.

10. A cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the spacer comprises a rigid sleeve.

11. A cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the spacer comprises a compressible sleeve capable of compressing to a compressed length along the second axis that is 25% or less of an uncompressed length of the compressible sleeve.

12. A cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the curable multi-component material comprises curable body repair material.

13. A cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the first axis and the second axis are generally parallel to each other.

14. A cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the cartridge housing further comprises a mixer drive passageway located between the first cavity and the second cavity, the mixer drive passageway defining a drive axis that is generally parallel to the first axis and the second axis.

15. A cartridge according to claim 14, wherein the cartridge housing further comprises means for attaching a dynamic mixer to a delivery end of the housing, wherein the drive axis extends through the means for attaching.

17. A cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the open cross-sectional area is centered within the cavity in which the spacer is located.