Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
3189/259D
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EJECTOR HOLDER
This invention is directed to new, improved holders or
use in connection with the ejection of viscous materials,
especially dental materials. More specifically this invention is
drawn to a valuably operable extrude for use with improved cap-
soliloquy cartridges for such dental and other materials.
In recent years it has become popular to package
various types of material, especially medicinal or quasi medicinal
types in sealed cartridges, insertable in a suitable type of
holder and/or ejector device, for purposes of preserving purity
of the medicament and the like, insuring a patient of accurately
measured quantities, as well as minimizing effort now required
in introducing bulk amounts of material into syringes and ejecting
measured quantities thereof, for example. Various previous of-
forts in this direction are illustrated and described in various
prior United States patents, particularly United States Patent
No. 3,581,399 to Dragon, dated June 1, 1971, in which a typical
example of loaded cartridge is illustrated in conjunction with one
type of holder and discharge device.
Other efforts have been made to produce similar devices,`
one of these comprising the subject matter of prior United States
Patent No. 3,900,954, also to Dragon, dated August 26, 1975, and
comprising a simpler version than in Dragoons patent, No 3,581,399.
Also another United States patent to Dragon, No. 4,198,756, dated
April 22, 1980 shows an ejector design for the aforementioned
cartridges.
D-140-3 DIVE I
.. --1--
Lo
It has been found in the operation of the Dragon devices
particularly relative to the curved discharge end of the capsule
or cartridges that there have been occasions when the leading
end of the ejecting plunger or the piston within the cartridge
pushed through the wall adjacent the outer end of the cartridge.
Particularly for purposes of obviating this difficulty and also
for providing what is believed to be a simple and improved
compartment at the forward end of the barrel of the holder, as
well as also providing an improved cartridge not subject to the
difficulties of Dragoons cartridges, which is free of difficulties
similar to those described with respect to the Dragon cartridge,
the present invention has been divined and details thereof are
set forth hereinbelow. Certain other constructions for cartridges
of the type described above are disclosed in United States Patent
2,505,028 to Badger issued April 25, 1950.
The present invention also comprises a simplified
improvement over United States Patent No. 4,295,828 in the name of
Helmet Ruler, dated October 20, 1981, and entitled "Ejector
Holder for Syringe-type Cartridge", the invention covered
pa thereby being assigned to the same assignee as the invention of
the instant application.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a manually operable extrude for
extruding viscous dental material and the like from cartridges
and comprising in combination:
(at a tubular barrel heaving a forward end arranged
to support a capsule containing said material and having disk
charge means on one end thereof,
(by a handle member connected to the opposite end of
said barrel and extending substantially transversely thereto,
(c) a plunger reciprocable within said barrel and
having one end adapted to be projected toward the forward end
of said barrel and the opposite end extending beyond said
opposite end of sand barrel,
(do a lever of the second class mounted adjacent
. to said handle and intermediately of the ends thereof having
means engagable with said opposite end of the plunger in pi-
vote rocking movement about the axis of said plunger when
said lever is moved manually toward said handle, and
(e) pivotal means between similar adjacent ends
of said handle and lever comprising inter engaged pivot and slot
means thereon operable to permit said pivotal rocking movement
of said lever relative to said opposite end of said plunger.
The barrel is preferably a one-piece barrel having
integral and relatively simple means at the forward end thereof
to seat and xetain.an..improved cartridge having an annular
flange at the end opposite the discharge end, said cartridge
being retained by a simple snap-acting arrangement. The forward
end of the barrel has a compartment in which said aforementioned
seat for the flange of the cartridge is included, said compartment
being formed simply by cutting away part of the wall comprising the
forward end of the barrel a limited distance inwardly and axially
Tom toe outer end of the harxel, the surface formed by the cut-
away arrangement lying within a plane parallel to the axis and
radially spaced from the same a short distance, the inner end
portion of the cutaway arrangement being wider than the portion
extending forwardly therefrom for purposes of receiving the flange
of the cartridge in a seat for said flange which is forwardly of
the inner end of the compartment and into which the flange is
inserted to mount the cartridge in the compartment.
Provided in the compartment is a semi-cylindrical
surface from which opposite, substantially parallel sidewalls
extend and the upper edges of said sidewalls extending a very
limited distance toward each other and said sidewalls having
limited flexibility to provide the snap acting retaining arrange-
mint referred to above.
In one embodiment the lever has a fixed pivot axis
relative to one end of the handle, whereby the mid-portion of the
lever has a sliding engagement with the aforesaid opposite end of
the plunger, while another embodiment of lever has a slide able
pivot fulcrum relationship with the associated end of the handle
and said opposite end of the plunger has a rocking engagement with
an intermediate portion of the lever. The engagement between
said opposite end of the plunger and the intermediate portion of'
said lever may be in the nature of a partial ball and socket
configuration, whereby the lever pivotal moves about the center
of the partial ball-like member, while the slid able pivot fulcrum
end of the handle moves relative to -the pivot axis -thereof.
~L~15868
Details of the foregoing objects and of the invent
lion, as well as other objects thereof, are set forth in the
following specification and illustrated in the accompanying
drawing comprising a part thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TOE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an ejector holder sup-
porting a caosule-like cartridge in accordance with the
principles of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the holder and cartridge
shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged bottom plan view
of the forward end of the barrel of the ejector holder shown
in Figs. 1 and 2.
Fig. 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the eject
ion holder similar to Fig. 3, but on a smaller scale, and
illustrating a cartridge supported in the forward end of the
barrel.
Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the forward end
portion of the barrel of the ejector holder shown in Fig. 3, as
seen on the line I thereof.
Fig. 6 is a front end view of the forward end of the
barrel shown in Figs. 1-4.
Fig. 7 is a side elevation, party broken away, of a
cartridge similar to that shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, but on a
larger scale, and illustrating a piston inserted in the open end
of the cartridge and also showing fragmentarily a portion of a
plunger rod of the ejector holder adapted to engage said piston.
Fig. 8 is a side elevation of another embodiment of
ejector in accordance with this invention.
Fig. 9 is a top plan view of Fig. 8.
Fig. 10 is a vertical section of Fig. 9 as seen on
line 10-10 thereof.
Figure 11 is a side elevation of a cartridge similar
to fig. 7 but further including a cap for the discharged nipple
of the cartridge body.
I
Figure 12 is a vertical section of the cartridge
shown in figure if.
DOUGHTILY:) DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
.
Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown therein an eject
ion holder which includes the principles of one embodiment
of the present invention and comprising a barrel lo having
an interior bore 12 extending from the rearward end 14 of
the barrel toward the forward end 16 thereof for purposes of
regiving a plunger 18 of the save diameter as that of the
interior bore 12 for the major portion of the length of the
plunger, the forward end of the plunger having a smaller
diameter extension 20.
The rearward end 14 of the barrel 10 extends through
and is fixed to a handle member 22 with which the barrel 10
is perpendicular. Pivotal connected to the handle 22 i
an operating lever 24, the upper end of which is pivotal
connected to the upper end of handle 22 by a pivot pin 26
which is fixed relative to the upper end of handle member
22. The upper end 28 of operating lever 24 is offset laterally
to facilitate operation of the lever 24 with respect to the
outer end of plunger 18 which terminates in a button 30,
which is slid ably engaged by a portion of the inner surface
32 of operating lever 24.
From Figs. 1-4, it will be seen that the forward
end 16 of the barrel 10 is tapered and is provided with a
longitudinally extending opening comprising compartment 32
which extends rearwardly from the terminal end of the forward
end 16 toward the interior bore 12. The lower surface of
compartment 32, as viewed in Fix. 3, is semi-cylindrical and
is complementary to the elongated body of cartridge 34 so as
to receive and seat the same, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4.
The sidewalls 3G and 38 of compartment 32 extend upwardly
from the semi-cylindrical bottom surface shown in Fig. 3 and
are parallel to each other for a limited distance and the
~586~
upper edges 40 and I extend toward each other a limited disk
lance. Said uppermost portions of swaddles 36 and 38 also
have limited flexibility, whereby the distance between the
upper edges I and 42 of said sidewalls preferably is slightly
less than the diameter of the cartridge 34, whereby there is
a snap-acting retaining function provided by said sidewalls
and the upper edges 40 and 42 with respect to the cartridge
34 when the latter is inserted in the compartment 32.
The forward end 16 of the barrel 10 also has a cutaway
portion 44 extending longitudinally rearward to form a shoulder
46, which determines the inner end of the cutaway portion.
Due to the fact that the forward end 16 is tapered and the
barrel 10 otherwise is circular, said cutaway arrangement
provides flat surfaces 48 and 50. Also, as best shown in
Fig. 3, the sidewalls of the compartment 32, at the inner
ends thereof, have lateral recesses 52 and 54 which are
spaced apart a greater distance than the diameter of the
annular exterior flange 56 in order to punt the insertion
of the flange into compartment 32 which, following radial
insertion movement thereof into the compartment, the cart-
ridge may be moved axially forward for disposition of the
flange 56 in an undercut seat 58, which is clearly shown in
Figs. 3-5. Said seat, in conjunction with the portion of
the compartment 32 extending forwardly therefrom, provides a
firm means for supporting a cartridge 34, which is retained
seated in said compartment, especially by means of the snap-
fitting arrangement provided by the upper edges 40 and 42 of
the sidewalls 36 and I as described hereinabove. However,
even if the snap-fitting feature is omitted, the seat 58
will assure firm connection of the cartridge with the barrel
in use.
Without restriction thereto, the preferrer material
from which the barrel 10, handle member 22 and operating
lever 24 are formed, is a suitable rigid plastic material in
order that these elements may be formed readily and accurately
by molding from raw plastic material; obviously, the coiled
spring 60 is formed from spring wire for purposes of retract
By
in the plunger 18 when the operating lever 24 is released,
following an ejection of material from the cartridge I
The cartridge 34 which is also the subject of this
application also is preferably formed by molding from appear-
private, preferably rigid, synthetic resin or plastic material
by means of a suitable mold. The intermediate body portion
of the capsule 34 is of uniform interior and exterior diameter
and extends from the flange I adjacent the open end of the
cartridge to the opposite closed end 62. The body portion
is cylindrical, whereas the closed end 62 is hemispherical
but is provided with an angularly extending discharge nipple
64, the opening of which is preferably a very fine dimension
To effect ejection of t
cartridge 34, such as dental filling material, cement, or
natal material and the ilk
includes a piston 66, which is closely complementary in
diameter to the interior of the cartridge 34, and the inner
end 68 thereof also is hemispherical and complementary to
the interior of the closed end 62 of the cartridge. Without
restriction thereto, the outer end of the piston may be flat
for engagement, for example, with the extension 20, shown
Fig- I When the pun
warmly by actuation of the operating lever 24.
Removal of the capsule 34 from the compartment 32 is
accomplished readily by snapping the cartridge outwardly beyond ;;~-~
the somewhat flexible upper edges 40 and 42 lo the compartment
after the contents within the cartridge have been discharged or
exhausted, as required.
Another embodiment of ejector from that shown in
Figs. 1-7 is illustrated in Figs. 8-10, both embodiments
utilizing the cartridge-attaching means shown at the forward
or left-hand end of the barrel 10 as illustrated in Figs.
8-10 in the second embodiment and, correspondingly, in Figs.
1-7 of the first embodiment. In Figs. ~-10, it will be sewn
that the handle I is fixedly connected to the rearward en ¦
he same manner as the
7- However, the Open it
connected to the handle member 22 in a different manner from
.
36~
hat illustrated in Figs. 1-7, details of which are as follows:
The plunger 18 is reciprocable in the barrel 10 in
opposite direction for purposes of moving the extension 20
at the forward end thereof toward the cartridge 34 for purposes
of effecting discharge thereof. The rearward or right-hand
end of the plunger 18, as viewed in Figs. 8 and 10, is
provided with a button 30' which is slightly different from
the button 30 shown in Figs. 1-7, in that the same actually
constitutes a part of a ball and socket connection, of which
the button 30' is a fragmentary ball or at least functions
as a fragmentary ball, the perimeter of which has a greater
diameter than that of the plunger 18 in order that the come
press ion spring 60 may be disposed with its opposite end
respectively between the button 30' and the rearward end 14
of the barrel 10. The other part of the fragmentary ball
and socket joint or connection comprises a somewhat hem-
spherical seat 70 formed in the inner portion of the lever
24 intermediately of the ends thereof, whereby the modified
button 30' actually comprises a fulcrum about which the seat
70 rotates within the same plane as the handle 22 and lever
24, the center of rotation being coincident with the axis of
the plunger 18.
It has been found that movement of the lever 24 toward
and from the handle 22 is facilitated by the more-or-less frog-
Monterey ball and socket joint or connection comprising the but-
ton 30' an seat 70 when engaging the handle and lever some-
what in pistol-gripping manner by one hand of an operator,
especially when moving the lever 24 from the extended position
shown in Fig. 10 to the fully closed position shown in Fig.
8, the initial position also being shown in Fig. 8 in phantom.
In order to permit the operation of the lever 24 in
the manner just described, however, the upper ends of both
the hand 22 and lever 24 are modified from the arrangement
shown in the embodiment of Figs. 1-7, in the following no-
specs:
Especially as shown in Fig. 9, it will be seen that
the upper end of lever 24 is provided with a plurality of
6~3
similar parallel leaves 72 and I the leaves 72 being outer-
most and the leaves 74 being disposed inwardly thereof. In-
terdigitated with the leaves 72 and 74 of lever 24 are a
plurality of three similar leaves 76 on the upper end of
handle 72. Further, the exterior side 78 of the upper end
of handle 22 respectively is provided with relatively shallow
and flat arcuate sockets I see Fig. 8, to accommodate the
corresponding arcuate configurations 82 of lever 24~
In view of the pivotal movement of lever 24 about
the axis of the modified button 30' and the plunger 18, it
will be seen that the upper end of lever 24, which actually
is a lever of the second class, is provided with a floating
fulcrum in the form of a pin 84 which extends transversely
through the leaves 76 of handle 22, and each of the leaves
72 and 74 of the lever I are provided with slots 86 which
are all parallel to each other and commonly receive the pin
84 and thereby provide the aforementioned floating fulcrum
for the lever I and easier hand operation thereof.
From the foregoing, it will be seen that the sever-
at embodiments of elector holders and the particular type
of cartridge to be used therewith are of very simple, but
highly effective design, to permit sure and quick mounting
of the cartridge within the compartment in the forward end
of the barrel of the holder and, with equal facility, removal
of the cartridge therefrom is readily achieved. Assembly of
all of the components, particularly when manufactured by
molding of suitable plastic or synthetic resin assures occur-
ate dimensions and the design of all the components is such
that they are readily capable of being formed by molding
from plastic material.
Not only is the cartridge capable of serving as a
receptacle for material to be discharged when filled, for
example, from a storage amount, but, even more importantly,
the cartridge can be filled at a factory with predetermined
quantities of material and sealed therein by application of
the piston 66, which, under the circumstances, serves as a
closure for the cartridge. Further, during filling, air in
I
the cartridge in advance of the material can be discharged
through the nipple 64 until filled and then the open end of
the nipple may suitably and inexpensively be closed by suit-
able seal means such as a stall piece of sheet material
having pressure-sensitive cement on one side and fold said
piece across the nipple in any suitable manner.
In accordance with the invention, a further improved
feature for the cartridge is depicted in Figs. 11 and 12 and
comprises providing a preferably cup-shaped cap 70 which is
suitably shaped either to frictionally engage the tip portion
of the nipple 64, or either the cap or nipple, or both, may
have appropriate threads formed therein or thereon to secure
the cap releasable upon the tip of the nipple in sealed manner.
Moreover, the cap 70 serves an important additional
possible feature if. that, in addition to sealing the contents
of the cartridge, in conjunction with the piston 66, the cap
also may be color-coded for any of a number of purposes such
as to indicate the kind of material for specified purposes,
weight or quantity of the material therein, setting time,
and otherwise.
Also, the body of the cartridge as well as the cap 70
and piston 66 may all be molded from similar plastic material
which is colored suitably to render the items opaque or other-
wise impervious to the transmission of ambient light which,
if the contents are subject to being set by such light,
prevents premature setting thereof.
The foregoing description illustrates preferred em-
bodiments of the invention. Other modifications may, however,
be employed without deviation from the spirit of the invention
as measured broadly by the claims.
