Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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The present invention relates to multi-compartment
containers.
In U.S. Patent Specification No. 3,809,225 there is
described a container comprising two chambers separated by a
partition. A first of the chambers is arranged to receive
a first, liquid component of a composition and a second of
the chambers is arranged to receive a second component of
the composition for admixture with the liquid. The partition
is removably located at the junction of the two chambers and
is in frictional engagement with the interior of the contaIner.
A plunger is initially mounted in extended condition in an end
of the first chamber.
The container of U.S. Patent Specification No. 3,809,22
is designed for storage and transportation of the first and
second components of the composition in separated condition in
their respective chambers. ~hen it is desired to admix the
first and second components, the plunger is depressed with the
second chamber lowermost whereby the partition is dislodged and
falls into the second chamber together with the first liquid
component. The container is then vibrated to cause admixture
of the components to form the composition.
The container of U.S. Patent Specificatio~ No, 3,809,225
is stated to be particularly useful for storage, transportation
and admixture of dental amalgams wherein the first liquid
component is mercury and the second component is a metallic
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powder. Further, it is stated that for sufficient admixture
of the components it is essential that a pestle be present
and that the dislodged partition fulfills this function. Still
further, the partition is said to be dislodged by a combination
of physical contact with the plunger and hydrostatic pressure.
In U.S. Patent Specification ~o. 3,731,853 there is
described a multi-chamber receptacle for storing and mixing the
ingredients of products such as dental preparations, including
a chamber in a casing for storing liquid or pasty material and
a piston for closing the chamber during initial storage and
for then expelling the material from the chamber into a main
chamber in a container where the liquid or pasty material will
be mixed with a pulverulent ingredient. The casing has a
frangible bottom portion or the like adapted to be ruptured
for transfer of the liquid or pasty material to the main chamber.
In U.S. Patent Specification No. 3,739,847 there is
described a storing and mixing receptacle including a container
forming a first chamber at its lower end for initially storing
a first ingredient, a first piston for separating the first
chamber from a second chamber, a second piston movable in the
second chamber and adapted to transfer a second ingredient from
the latter chamber to the first chamber where the ingredients will
be mixed. After removal of a closure means from the lower endof
the container, the first piston will be actuated to expel the
mixture from the receptacle in the form of a ready product such
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as a dental prepaxation ready for use~
The receptacles disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,731,853
and U~S. Patent 3,739,847 have ~ixed partitions which are
arranged to be ruptured by exertion of hydraulic pressure
by the piston or pistons through the ingredient contained
in the respective cha~ber.
The present invention provides an improved container
for transport and storage of components of compositions in
separated condition and for use in admixture of the components
to form the composition. The container of the present
invention has the advantages that it does not rely on a
pestle for sufficient admixture of the components and does
not rely on hydraulic pressure to bring the components into
contact with one another.
According to the invention there is provided a con-
~ainer comprising means defining a cha~her separated into first and
second compartments, the first compartment being arranged to
contain a first component of a composition and the second
compartment being arranged to contain a second component of
the composition, sald means defining the chamber comprising
a wall means having a closed end and an open end, a partition
integrally formed with the wall ~eans, and a plunger slidin~ly
and sealingly located in the open end of the wall means, said
plunger having an inner and surface spaced from the partition,
the inner surface of the plunger being inclined at an acute
angle to the partition and having a leading edge and a trail-
ing edge movable along said wall means during a depression
stroke of the plunger, the portion of the interior surface of
said wall means over which the leading and trailing edges of
said inner surface of said plunger m~ve during its depression
stroke defining a chamber portion of uniform lateral dimensions
such that said edges sealingly engage said wall means over the
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full depression stroke, said first compartment being defined
by part of the wall means, said partition and the inner sur-
face of said plunger, and-the second compartment being
defined by the closed end of the wall means and the
partition, whereby upon the plunger being depressed the
leading edge of the inner surface first separates a corres-
ponding portion of the margin of t.he partition from the wall
means, and then the partition is hinged toward the second
compartment by progressive contact with the inner surface
and corresponding progressive separation of the margin of
the partition from the wall means, the stroke of the plunger
being limited to contact of the trailing edge of tha inner
surface with a corresponding unseparated portion of the
margin of the partition.
In the container of the present invention a portion
of the margin of the partition is, in ~se, separated from the
interior of the container to allow the first component to
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contact the second component. The components are then caused
to admix in known manner to form the composition which is then
retrieved from the container for use. It is to be noted that
only a po~tion of the margin of the partition is separated from
the interior of the container. Thus, the partition is still
attached to the interior of the container by the remaining
unseparated portion of its margin. Therefore, the partition
is not used as a pestle as in the container of U.S. Patent
3,809,225. This is an important and advantageous feature of
the present invention as it has been found that the use of a
pestle during admixture is not essential for achieving
satisfactory results. Further, the presence of a pestle is
disadvantageous. For example, it has~heen found that the pestle
tends to become embedded in the composition and has to be
manually separated therefrom which is a time consuming and
wasteful exercise. This problem arises with all types of
composition but is particularly prevalent when admixing
components which are of a similar density to the pestle which
; is typically formed of a plastics material. For example,
when admixing dental cements formed from a first liquid
component e.g. phosphoric acid, and a second component e.g.
zinc oxide powder, it has been found that the cement becomes
deposited around the pestle and has to be separated therafrom
for use.
The container of the present invention can be used for
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stora~e, tr~insportation and admixture oE the components of any
form of composition but preferably at least one of the
components is a liquid. Further, it is particularly useful
for use w~th components which upon admixture interact with one
another in some way which is either irreversible or extremely
difficult to reverse to form a composition which requires to
be used soon after its formation. Examples of such compositions
are the aforementioned dental cements and amalgams.
The container of the present invention is particularly
useful for storage, transportation and admixture of dental:
compositions such as dental cements and amalgams. Dental cements
typically comprise a liquid component e.g. phosphoric acid, and
a solid component e.g. zinc oxide powder while dental amalgams
typically comprise a liquid mercury component and a solid
component such as a metallic po~der.
Preferably, the separating means is in the form of a
plunger which is sealingly slidable within the first chamber.
Initially the plunger is mounted within the first chamber in
an extended condition so that the innermost end of the plunger
defines a wall of the first compartment opposite to the
partition which defines another wall of the first compartment.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the
innermost end of the plunger is inclined to the parti~ion such
that, upon the plunger being depressed, the leading edge of the
plunger contacts the partition adjacent its margin and then
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separates a~portion of the partition from the interior of the
container. Most preferably, the innermost end of the plunger
has an inclined surface such that continued depression of the
plunger càuses the partition to be hinged towards the second
compartment.
The partition is attached to the interior of the
container and may be integrally formed therewith. The partition
is weakened at least at the portion thereof to be separated from
the interior of the container, or it may be of substantially
uniform thickness.
According to a preEerred aspect of the present invention
there is provided a container comprising means defining a chamber
separated into first and second compartments, the first '
compartment being arranged to contain a first component of a
composition and the second compartment being arranged to contain
a second component of the composition, wherein the means
defining the chamber comprises a wall means having a closed end
and an open end, a partition integrally formed with the wall
means and a plunger having an inner surface, slidingly and
sealingly located in the open end of the wall means with the
inner surface spaced from the partition, the first compartment
being defined by part of the wall means, the partition and the
inner surface of the plunger and the second compartment being
defined by the closed end of the wall means and the partition/
and the inner surface of the ~unger being inclined at an acute
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angle to th~ partition and ~aving ~ leading edge and a trailing
edge, whereby upon the plunger being depressed the leading edge
of the inner surface first separates a corresponding portion of
the margin of the partition from the wall means and then the
partition is hinged towar~s the second compartment by
progressive contact with the inner surface and corresponding
progressive separation of the margin of the partition from the
wall means, the stroke of the plunger being limited by contact
of the trailing edge of the inner surface with a corresponding
unseparated portion of the margin of the partition. ~
In this preferred embodiment o~ the invention a portion
of the margin of the partition corresponding with the trailing
edge of the inner surface remains attached to the wall means. ,
Thus, the partition is still attached to the wall means during
the mixing operation. Further, the partition does not become
trapped between the wall means and the side of the plunger.
Rather, contact of the trailing edge with the partition limits
the stroke of the plunger.
The present invention also provides the containers
containing a first component of the composition in the first-
compartment and a second component of the composition in the
second-compartment.
The present invention will now be described/ by way of
illustration with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
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Fig.~l is a schematic sectional view of a container in
accoraance with the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the container
of Fig. l in operated condition; and
S Fig. 3 is a schematic sectional view of another
embodiment of a container in accordance with the present
invention.
In Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a container 10 comprising
means defining a first compartment 11 and a second compartment
12. The container is ~ormed from three components which are a
bowl member 13, a substantially cylindrical member 14 and a
plunger member 15.
The bowl member 13 comprises wall means de~ining a
receptacle 16 which is substantially circular in cross section,
and a circular upstanding flange member 17.
The substantially cylindrical member 14 comprises
circular wall means 18 having integrally formed therewith a
circular partition member 19 provided with a peripheral groove
20. At its lowermost end as seen in the drawings the wall
means 18 is provided with a circular flange 21 of larger
diam~ter than the wall means 18. ~t the uppermost end the
wall means 18 is provided with a shoulder 22 and a relatively
thin wall portion 23.
The plunger member 15 is slidingly mounted in the
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cylindrical~member 14 and is provided with sealing means (not
shown) so as to provide sealing engagement with the wall means
18. Further, the plunger member is provided with an inner
inclined ~urface 24 having a leading edge 25 and a trailing
edge 26.
Typically the components of the container are formed
from a plastics material. Further, the components of the
container are conveniently formed by extrusion and moulding of
plastics material in known manner.
In use, the container is initially used to store and
transport the components of a composition in separated form,
the composition being formed from a first, preferably liquid
component and a second component which may be for example a '
liquid or a powder.
By way of example, on assembly the second ~omponent is
placed in the receptacle 16 of the bowl member 13~ The
cylindrical member 1~ i5 then mounted on and engaged with the
bowl member 13 by engagement between the upstanding flange 17
of the bowl member 13 and the circular flange 21 of the
cylindrical member 14. Next, the first component of the
composition is placed in the cylindrical member 14 and finally
the plunger member 15 is slidingly and sealingly mounted in
the cylindrical member 14 by the relatively thin wall portion
23, in an extended condition as shown in Fig. 1.
In the assembled condition, the first compartment 11
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is defined by a portion of the cylindrical wall 18, the
partition 19 and the plunger member lS and contains the first
component. The second compartment 12, ~hich is larger than
the first-compartment 11, is defined by the bowl member 13,
the partition 19 and the remaining por~ion of the cylindrical
wall 18, and contains the second component when it is desired
to admix the first and second components, the plunger member
15 is depressed, for example, manually.
This action causes the leading edge 25 of the inclined
surface 2~ to contact the groove 20 in the partition 19. The
partition 19 is thereupon ruptured by the leading edge 25 and
a portion of the periphery of the partition 19 becomes
separated from the interior of the cylindrical member 14. Upon,
continued depression of the plunger member 15 progressively
greater amounts of the periphery of the partition 15 are
separated and the partition 15 is hinged towards the second
compartment 12 by contact with the inclined sur~ace 2~,
Depression of the plunger member 15 is normally continued
until the trailing edge 26 of the inclined surface contacts a
residual portion 27 of the periphery of the partition lg whic~
is still attached to the interior of the cylindrical member 14
(as shown in Fig. 2). The rupture and hinged movement of the
partition 19 allows the component in the first compartment 11
to fall onto and contact the component in the second compartment
12, when the container is actuated in the upright position
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shown in the drawings. ~lo~ever, the container need not be
actuated in the upright position because, even if the container
were actuated in an inverted position the component in the
first comp~artment would be pushed into the second compartment
by the inner surface as the plunger is depressed.
If the first component is a liquid the volume of liquid
in the first compartment is not normally so great as to prevent
contact of the leading edge 25 with the partition 19 upon
depression of the plunger 15.
When the components have been contacted the container
is placed in a vibrating machine of known type where it is
vibrated for a period of time sufficient for admixture to take
place. Finally, the bowl member 13 is detached from the cylindi
rical member 14 and the composition removed therefrom for use.
In Fi~.3 there is shown another embodiment of the
present invention which is similar to that shown in Fig. 1.
In Figs. 1 and 3 like reference numerals are used to denote
like parts.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the circular partition
member is of uniform thickness. Also, the plunger member 15
has an axial locating hole l5a formed therein at its outer
end to assist in assembly of the container 10. Further, the
inner surface 24 is concave. For reasons which will be explained
hereinafter, this provides enhanced sharpness at the leading
edge 25.
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The container of this embodiment operates in essentially
the same way as the container of Fig. 1 except that there is
no peripheral groove adjacent the margin thereof. Thus, the
leading eage 25 has to penetrate the full thickness of the
partition 19. The provision of a concavity in the inner face
24 enhances the sharpness of the leading edge 25 and thereby
facilitates the rupture of the partition 19.
The container of the present invention is particularly
useful where it is required to prepare a composition which
must be used within a short time of its preparation before the
mixed substances have time to interact and make the composition
unusable. Further, the container enables the interactive.
substances to be stored and transported in separated but
adjacent condition ready for immediate admixture when required.
The container has been found particularly useful for
use with dental cements comprising a liquid component such as
phosphoric acid and a powder c~mponent such as zinc oxide, and
dental amalgams comprising a liquid mercury component and a
metallic powder component.
It has been found that the container of the present
invention enables the components to be completely admixed since
there is no entrapment of liquid or other components in the
first compartment. This is avoided by the hinging movement of
the partition 19 upon contact with the plunger 15. Also, the
partition whilst allowing contact of the component with each
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other does not become detached from the wall of the container
and therefore does not interfere with the mixing process.
Further, there is little or no possibility of premature ad-
mixture of the components.
The lack of reliance or hydraulic pressure to rupture
the partition 19 reduces the possibilitv of mercury or other
- liquid being forced past the plunger 15.
The mixed components are easily removed upon separation
o the bowl member 13 and cylindrical member 14. Further, the
construction of the container 10 lends itself readily to
automatic assembly operations.
An important advantage is that the plunger 15 can be
actuated by thumb pressure alone and does not require the use o'~
an actuating press.
The present invention will now be described further
by the following examples, but it is to be understood that any
dimensions and other data contained therein are illustrative
only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the
present invention.
EXAMPL~ 1.
A container 10 in accordance with Fig. 1 of the
accompanying drawings was produced. In the container of the
example the partition 19 was 0.035 inch thick while groove
20 at its thinnest point was 0.005 inch thick. The first
compartment 11 had an internal diameter of 0.3 inch, while the
second compartment 12 had an internal diameter of 0.37 inch.
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The surface!24 was inclined at an angle of 30 degrees to the
partition 19.
It has been found that the container of this example
gives excèllent results when used as described hereinabove
,.
for admixture of dental cements and amalgams. Upon application
of thumb pressure to the plunger 15 a portion of the partition
19 is separated at the groove 20 from the interior of the
container 10 by the leading edge 25. This allows the firs~
component in the first compartment 11 which is typically liquid
mercury in the case of a dental cement to fall onto;the second
component which is typically a metallic powder in the second
compartment 12. The plunger 15 is usually depressed until
the trailing edge 26 contacts the partition 19 and the
partition 19 is hinged toward the second compartment 12 by the
inclined surface 24.
Next the capsule is mounted on a vibratory machine in
known manner. A typical vibratory machine is marketed under
the trade name "Silamat". It has been found that the required
mixing time is of the order of 10 seconds when the vibxatory
machine is oscillating at about 3500 cycles per minute. A
fully satisfactory dental amalgam ready for immediate use is
obtained upon removing the capsule from the machine and
separating the bowl member 13 and the substantially cylindrical
member 14.
Similar results are obtained in the preparation of
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dental cements using a capsule in accordance with this example.
EXAMPL~ 2.
A container lO in accordance with Fig. 3 of the
accompanyin~ drawings was produced. In the container of the
example the partition l9 was 0.013 inch thick. The first
compartment ll had an internal diameter of 0.315 inch, while
~he second compartment 12 had an internal diameter of 0.37
inch. The surface 24 was plane and inclined at an angle of
about 20 degrees to the partition l9.
~hen the container of this Example is used to produce
dental amalgams and cements in the way described in Example 1
fully satisfactory mixed products are obtained.
Modifications and variations such as would be apparent
to a skilled addressee are deemed within the scope of the
present invention. For example, the first chamber could have
a non-circular cross-section such as a square or hexagon cross-
section. Also, thè plunger lS can be made sealingly slidable
within the cylindrical member 14 ~y making it a tight fit therein
thus avoiding the need for a specifically constructed sealing
means.
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