Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1~328~2
-- 1 --
This invention relates to the dispensing of materials
formed from components which cannot be mixed until
immediately prior to use. Typical examples of such mater-
tats are epoxy resin compositions which are mixed when
used with a hardener component which causes subsequent
curing of the resin.
Viscous materials such as caulks and adhesives are common-
lye dispensed from disposable cartridges of standard con-
figuration and standard sizes used in conjunction with
caulking guns which are designed to accept such cartridges.
The cartridges comprise a tubular cylindrical body con-
twining material to be dispensed, a movable plunger at one
end of the body retaining the materiel within the body and
providing the means for a caulking gun to apply dispensing
pressure to the contents of the cartridges, and an inter-
fat or detachable dispensing nozzle at the other end of
the body. Such cartridges in their usual form are suit-
able only for dispensing single component or ready mixed
materials.
There is a need for two component materials packed in
cartridges usable in conventional caulking guns. Desire
ably, the cartridges should be of sufficiently inexpensive
construction to be disposable, should ensure accurate
proportioning of the components throughout dispensing,
and should thoroughly mix the components before they reach
the nozzle.
United States Patent No. 3,323,682 issued June 1967 to
Cretan et at discloses a disposable cartridge for use
in conventional caulking guns and providing for separate
storage of the components of a multiple component system.
The components are packed in separate collapsible tubes
within the cartridge, each having its own independent
nozzle. No provision is made for mixing the components
prior to dispensing, and it is believed that accurate
123288;~
-- 2 --
proportioning of the ingredients would not be achieved
except where components of similar viscosity are dispensed
through identical nozzles. With dissimilar nozzles or
viscosities it is likely that one component would initially
be dispensed preferentially to the other. This problem
would be aggravated were any kind of mixing means to be
incorporated in the device.
United States Patent No. 4,340,154, issued July 20, 1982
to VanManen, discloses a cartridge which incorporates a
passive mixer in a dispensing nozzle, and which should main-
lain substantially accurate proportioning of the components
of a two component system. This is achieved by storing a
first component within an accordion pleated container
secured between the plunger and the nozzle, surrounded by
the second component within the main cylinder. As the
plunger is moved down the tube, the accordion pleated in-
nor container is progressively reduced in length, but
maintains a substantially constant mean cross section, thus
providing accurate proportioning of the components. The
first component may be stored either directly within the
pleated container, or in a collapsible tube housed within
the container. Whilst the arrangement appears functionally
very satisfactory, the necessity for the accordion pleated
container renders it less attractive from a manufacturing
point of view. The container requires an expensive mound,
and a different size is required for each different pro-
portion of the two components. It must be attached to
other components at both ends, thus complicating both the
structure and its assembly, and it will not collapse beyond
a certain minimum length, thus reducing the effective gape-
city of the cartridge and wasting material which cannot be
dispensed. Although the provision of a mixer in the
dispensing nozzle is noted, the structure of this mixer
is not disclosed. It is often very important that very
thorough mixing of two component systems is achieved
prior to use, and the present applicant doubts that a
_ 3 _ ~Z~2~
passive mixer of sufficient performance can be accommodated
within the narrow confines of a dispensing nozzle.
An available product sold by Sumac under the trade mark
SEMKIT has two components stored separately within a cart-
ridge. When the cartridge is to be used, one component is injected into the other within the cartridge, or a barrier
within the cartridge is ruptured, and the contents of the
cartridge are mixed using a mixing rod extending through
what later becomes an attachment for a nozzle. the pro-
lo duct requires a considerable amount of manipulation before it can be used (indeed machines are available to carry out
the mixing step) and the entire contents of the cartridge
are mixed at the same time, thus not only requiring that
the entire contents of the cartridge be used in one sues-
soon, but that dispensing be completed within the setting time of the mixed material.
Although many other proposals have been made for the disk
penning of two component systems, particularly from collar-
sidle or parallel tubes, those discussed above are the
only ones known to the applicant which appear really pray-
takable for use in disposable cartridges for standard
caulking guns.
It is among the objects of the present invention to pro-
vise a disposable cartridge for two component systems
which can be manufactured economically, which can main-
lain accurate proportions of the components during use,
and which can provide efficient mixing of the components
prior to dispensing.
The invention relates to a cartridge assembly, for use in
a caulking gun, comprising a tubular cylindrical body,
exit nozzle means at one end of the cylinder, the opposite
end of the body being engage able by a plunger movable
within the gun to expel Canaanites of the body through the
_ 4 _ 2 8 2
exit nozzle means, a tubular collapsible container storing
a first component of a two component mix and extending
between said nozzle means and said opposite end, and a
second component within the body surrounding the collar-
sidle container The invention provides the improvement wherein the walls of the tubular collapsible container
have no significant stiffness in any dimension, and are
sustained against both longitudinal and radial collapse
by a coil compression spring wound from light gauge wire
and having a free length at least equal to the distance
between the initial position of the plunger and the exit
nozzle means and an outside diameter equal to a diameter
of the collapsible container to be maintained during disk
penning. Preferably the exit nozzle means includes past
size mixing or combining means for the components.
According to further features of the invention, a passive mixer for multiple component systems dispensed from sepal
rate compartments in a dispenser comprises a mixer body
defining an inlet and an outlet for fluid materials, an
elongated labyrinthdne passageway of much greater length
than any external dimension of the body, and an elongated
mixer element or elements fixed within the passageway and
formed by material of sufficient rigidity to resist disk
placement by fluids passing through the passageway. In
one form the body comprises at least two stacked discs,
and the labyrinthian passageway is formed by complementary
grooves formed in the adjacent faces of the discs.
The mixer body is preferably cylindrical and of similar
diameter to the cartridge body, and may either be placed
within the one end of the body during assembly, or be
attached externally to the end of the body prior to use.
Further features of the invention will become apparent
from the following description of preferred embodiments
thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings.
- 5 - ~Z3z88~
IN THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a first type of
cartridge embodying the invention;
Figure 2 is a corresponding fragmentary view on an enlarged
scale of portions of the cartridge;
Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 in Figure
2;
Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 2, showing
details of a second type of cartridge;
Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 2, showing
details of a third embodiment of cartridge;
Figure 6 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 showing
details of a fourth embodiment of cartridge;
Figure 7 is a view similar to that of Figure 2, showing
details of a fifth embodiment of cartridge; and
Figure 8 is a longitudinal section through a sixth embody-
mint of cartridge in which the tubular cylindrical body is
also formed by a tubular collapsible container.
Figure 9 illustrates an alternative form of passive mixer
element which may be utilized in the various embodiments
of mixer unit.
Referring to Figure 1, a disposable cartridge for a caulk-
in gun has a conventional rigid tubular cylindrical body
2, with an end cap 4 at one end. The body 2 and cap 4
may be of conventional construction, with the body being
formed of metal, cardboard or plastic, and the cap of
metal or mounded from plastic integrally with the body.
~32~
-- 6 --
The end cap has a threaded coupling 6 to receive a screw-
in nozzle 8. The other end of the body is provided with
a conventional cup shaped plunger lo of metal or plastic,
which is moved by the push rod of a caulking gun from an
initial position towards the nozzle 8 to expel material
from the body 2. Thus far all the components described
are conventional in the art, and require no special mod-
ligation.
In order to adapt the cartridge for use with two component
systems, certain additional structure is housed within the
body 2, essentially consisting of a collapsible container
12 for a first of the components and a mixer unit 14 for
mixing the two components. The container 12 is formed by
a cylindrical tube 16 of thin flexible film, such as sync
Thetis plastic film resistant to both components of the
mixture to be dispensed. The tube is filled with the first
component and closed at both ends, one end being bonded to
a locating and porting member 18. The member 18 (see
Figure 2) has a disc portion bonded to the tube, a porting
tube 20 extending from the disc through a central aperture
in the mixer unit 14, and positioning legs 22 and 24 which
locate the disc against radial movement by engaging the
body 2 and axial movement towards the nozzle by engaging
the mixer unit. A rupturable seal 26 is formed at the
entrance to the porting tube 20, either by the film of
the tube or by a separate membrane of, for example, alum
minus foil.
Also sealed within the tube 16 is a light gauge compression
coil spring 28, having a free length at least equal to the
distance between the plunger 10 and the nozzle assembly at
the other end of the cartridge, this being considered to
begin with the member 18. The spring has a diameter sub-
staunchly the same as that of the tube 16, and acts both
to support the walls of the tube against radial collapse,
and to hold the tube against the plunger 10.
123288~
A tubular valve member 30 is a sliding fit within the
porting tube 20, and in a normal, storage position has
ports 32, 34 and 36 which are axially outwardly displaced
from ports 38, 40 and 42 in the porting tube 20. The
valve member is divided into two separate passages by a
diaphragm 44, and is formed with teeth 46 at its inner
end adjacent the seal 26.
The mixer unit 14 has a body formed by three discs 48, 50,
52. The discs 48 and 52 are identical, and are formed on
one side with a spiral groove 51 of semicircular cross-
section. The disc 50 has complementary opposite handed
grooves 51 formed on both sides and connected at their
outer ends by a port 54. When the discs are stacked and
keyed or bonded together, they define a double spiral past
sage extending outwardly from the port 38, through the port 54 and back to the port 42. Trapped within the spit
fat passage are passive mixer elements 55, which may be
formed in various arrays. Thus elongated mixer elements
formed of plastic or metal having sufficient rigidity to
resist displacement by the material passing through the
passage may be utilized, such as those sold under the
trade mark "STATIC MIXER" by Kinks Corporation, and desk
scribed in U. S. Patent No. 3,286,992, or mixing blades
may be mounded into the walls of the passages defined by
the discs. The actual structure utilized will depend upon
the viscosity of the materials being mixed, since it is
necessary to reduce obstructions in the passages to a
degree which will permit material to be dispensed at a
desired rate without the development of excessive back
pressure in the cartridge.
The arrangement described is suite simple to manufacture.
The mixer unit 14 is assembled from its component discs
with the mixing elements, if separate, captive between
them, and is slipped over the porting tube 20 of a filled
container 12. The valve member 30 is inserted into the
lZ32~382
8 --
porting tube 20 so that the teeth 46 are short of the seal
26, and the assembly is inserted into the tubular body 2
so that the end of the valve member 30 projects into the
coupling 6. The space between the container 12 and the
tube 2 is filled with a second component material, and
the plunger 10 is inserted to close the open end of the
tube.
In use, the cartridge is loaded into a conventional
caulking gun, and a nozzle 8 is screwed into the coupling
6. The inward end of the nozzle engages a flange at the
outer end of the valve member 30, forcing the latter in-
wards so that the teeth 46 rupture the seal 26 and the
ports, 32, 34 and 36 align with the ports 38, 40 and 42.
When pressure is applied to the plunger 10 by the gun, the
first component from the inner container 12 is expelled
into the valve member 30 past the ruptured seal 26, whilst
the second component between the container and the tube is
forced past the positioning legs of the member 18 and
through the ports 32 and 38 into the the valve member 30
where it mixes with the first component. The mixture then
leaves the valve member 30 through the ports 34 and 40 and
enters the mixer unit 14, within which it passes through
the double spiral passage and is thoroughly blended by the
mixer elements with the inwardly and outwardly spiral port
lions of the passage. The blended material repenters the
valve member 30 through the ports 42 and 36 and is ox-
polled through the nozzle 8.
With this arrangement, it is necessary to use the entire
contents of the cartridge at one time, or to discard the
remainder, at least in the case of materials which harden
after mixing, since the mixed material in the mixer unit
will set if allowed to remain therein, thus ruining the
mixer and blocking access to the remainder of the nozzle
assembly. Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment which
permits the contents of the cartridge to be used over an
~Z3288~Z
g
extended period. This embodiment is generally similar to
that of Figures 1 - 3, except that the mixing unit 114 is
a separate external unit which screws onto a coupling 106
on the end of the body 2 and provides a coupling 206 for
the nozzle 8. The port 20 is replaced by an unsorted
tube 120, which merely provides access to the seal 26 (if
present), a removable seal 122 being provided to close
both the tube 120 and the remaining cross section of the
nozzle 106. This seal, and a removable screw cap (not
shown) close off the concentric passageways for the two
components formed by the nozzle 106 and the tube 120,
thus providing for saving an unused portion of the con-
tents of the cartridge by removing the unit 114 and replace
in the cap. The unit 114 is replaced by an unused unit
114 before further use of the cartridge. The functions
of the portions of the porting and valve tubes within the
unit 114 are provided by coaxial passages 156 and 158
through the discs 148 and 152.
Figure 5 illustrates a modification of the embodiment of
Figures 1 - 3 in which the porting tube 20 and valve mom-
bier 30 are dispensed with, and a central bore 260 in the
element 250 is much reduced in diameter (parts correspond-
in to parts in the other Figures are given the same refer-
once numerals with the addition of 200). In order to main-
lain the components separate and sealed, the seal 226 is supplemented by a seal 222 at the entrance of a central
bore 262 in the element 252. In order to break the seals,
which may be of plastic or metal foil, when it is desired
to use the unit, a plunger 264 is provided which is a
sliding fit in the bore 260 and has an outward portion ox-
tending through a central bore 258 in the element 248
into the coupling 206. At the inner end of the plunger
are fingers 266 which rupture the seals when the outward
portion of the plunger 264 is pressed inwardly. A nozzle
can then be screwed onto the coupling 206 prior to disk
penning of the contents of the cartridge, duly mixed on
1~328~:
- 10 -
passing through the spiral passage in the mixer unit.
The plunger 264 is retained in a position blocking the
bore 260 by the fingers Z66.
An alternative valve member 330 is incorporated in the
embodiment of Figure 6. As compared with Figure 2, the
seal 26 and teeth 46 are dispensed with, the seal being
replaced by a portion of the member 218 which has an off-
set aperture 326. Instead of the valve member 330 being
axially movable, it is rotatable by means of a screw-
driver or other suitable tool inserted in an opening await its outer end so as to align ports 332, 334 and 336
with ports 338, 340 and 342, and an axially offset port
346 with the aperture 326, thus placing both components
in communication with the mixer 314 and the mixer in come
monkeyshine with the coupling 306, as in the Figure 2
embodiment.
The labyrinthian passage of the mixer unit may be formed
by alternative means. For example as shown in Figure 7,
the longitudinally extending mixer element or elements
20 455 may be inserted in an elongated flexible tune 400
mounded for example from a synthetic plastic such as polyp
ethylene which is coiled or otherwise compactly arranged
within a mixer housing 412. Where such an arrangement is
utilized internally of the cartridge analogously to the
embodiment of Figure 1 - 3, the tube may extend between
the ports 440 and 442 in place of the passages defined by
the units 48, 50 and 52 of Figures 1 - 3.
In some applications, particularly using large, fully
enclosed caulking guns, it is preferred to use cartridges,
or "sausages" in which the conventional rigid body is no-
placed by a flexible tubular bag containing the material
to be dispensed, the remaining functions of the body be-
in provided by the gun itself. An embodiment of the
invention adapted to this concept is illustrated in Figure
- 11 - 1Z3288~:
8. The body 2 is replaced by a flexible cylindrical tube
502, of similar construction to an inner bag 516 which in
turn is similar to those used in the embodiments previous-
lye described. In order to maintain proper proportioning
of the components, it will usually be desirable to support
the outer bag by a light spring 529 in the same manner as
the inner bag is supported by spring 528. The bags are
provided with closure seals 522 and 526 similar to the
seals 222 and 226 of Figure 5. A mixer unit 514, of semi-
far construction to that described with reference to Figure 5 is attached in front of the locating member 518
or placed in the caulking gun in front of the sausage
500. The plunger 564 is then used to break the seals as
in the embodiment of Figure 5.
Figure 9 illustrates an alternative form of passive mixer
element. Each element 600 is formed by a disc of metal
or synthetic plastic, which has been slit from diametrically
opposed points on its periphery to spaced points close to
its centre, so that opposite halves 604, 604 of the disc
may be twisted relative to one another to produce mixer
elements as shown in the Figure. Similar elements may be
mounded integrally with a mixer element 650 rather than
being formed separately.
Whilst the above described embodiments each contemplate
the dispensing of a product made up of two components
stored concentrically, it will be appreciated that the
principles of the invention may be utilized with products
made up of more than two components, and these need not
necessarily be stored coccal, provided that provision
can be made for breaking any necessary seals before use
of the cartridge.
