APPLICATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING AN APPLICATION DEVICE

Abstract

An application device for dental compounds includes a housing and an application tool, the housing including an outlet channel extending through the housing from a first end of the outlet channel to a second end of the outlet channel, and the application tool including an outlet opening connected to the outlet channel.

Claims

1. An application device for dental compounds, comprising: a housing; and an application tool, the housing comprising an outlet channel extending through the housing from a first end of the outlet channel to a second end of the outlet channel, the application tool comprising an outlet opening connected to the outlet channel, the housing comprising two separate housing sections which are connected to each other to form the housing and the outlet channel, the application tool being distinct from each of the two separate housing sections and comprising a connection section which is fixedly arranged in the outlet channel, the connection section comprising an application channel connecting the outlet channel with the outlet opening, the housing comprising a connecting element arranged at the first end of the outlet channel, the connecting element being configured to connect the application device to an outlet port of a discharging device, and the housing comprising a shielding section disposed apart from the outlet channel (30) and surrounding the outlet channel, the shielding section extending beyond the first end of the outlet channel in a direction of the outlet channel.

2. The application device of claim 1, wherein each of the two separate housing sections comprises a part of the outlet channel.

3. The application device of claim 2, wherein each of the two separate housing sections comprises a half of the outlet channel in respect to a longitudinal direction of the outlet channel between the first end of the outlet channel and the second end of the outlet channel.

4. The application device of claim 1, wherein the outlet channel has a curved or kinked configuration.

5. The application device of claim 1, wherein the outlet channel comprises two linear channel sections which run obliquely to each other.

6. The application device of claim 5, wherein the two linear channel sections define a proximal channel section and a distal channel section and the connection section of the application tool is arranged in the distal channel section.

7. The application device of claim 1, wherein the connecting element comprises a sealing surface configured to engage a correspondent sealing area of the discharging device to provide sealing.

8. The application device of claim 1, wherein a part of the outlet channel holding the connection section of the application tool has a diameter which is greater than a diameter of the outlet channel in a remaining part thereof.

9. The application device of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the application channel is identical to a diameter of a part of the outlet channel not holding the connection section of the application tool.

10. The application device of claim 1, wherein each of the two separate housing sections is a half shell.

11. The application device of claim 1, wherein the connection section is a shaft of the application tool.

12. The application device of claim 1, wherein the housing sections or the application tool is plastic.

13. The application device of claim 1, wherein the application tool has an application tip at a distal end of the connection section.

14. The application device of claim 1, wherein the two separate housing sections are sealingly connected to each other.

15. The application device of claim 1, wherein the connection section of the application tool is sealingly arranged in the outlet channel.

16. A method for producing an application device according to claim 1, the method comprising: providing the two separate housing sections and the application tool; inserting the connection section of the application tool in one of the housing sections; connecting the two housing sections with each other to form the housing and the outlet channel thereby fixing the connection section of the application tool in the outlet channel; and sealing the connection between the two separate housing sections.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the housing sections or the application tool are produced in an injection molding process.

18. The application device of claim 1, wherein the connecting element is configured to connect the application device to the outlet port of the discharging device by inserting the connecting element into the outlet port of the discharging device.

19. The application device of claim 5, wherein the two linear channel sections define a proximal channel section and a distal channel section, and the connection section of the application tool is arranged only in the distal channel section.

20. The application device of claim 1, wherein the two separate housing sections or the application tool is plastic, materials of the two separate housing sections are identical and a material of the application tool is softer than the materials of the two separate housing sections.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0034] The invention will be explained in more detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings.

[0035] FIG. 1 is an application device in an unassembled state,

[0036] FIG. 2 is an application device in a partly assembled state,

[0037] FIG. 3 is an application device in its assembled state,

[0038] FIG. 4 is a first sectional view of an application device,

[0039] FIG. 5 is a second sectional view of an application device, and

[0040] FIG. 6 is a discharging device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] In the FIGS. 1 to 3 an application device 10 according to the invention is shown in different views. FIG. 1 shows an unassembled state, FIG. 2 shows a partly assembled state and FIG. 3 an isometric view of an fully assembled state of the application device 10 according to the invention. In the following, these three Figures are therefore described together, wherein each Figure is addressed separately if necessary.

[0042] FIG. 1 shows the main components of an application device 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. The application device 10 comprises a housing 20 and an application tool 70. The housing 20 comprises two housing sections 22, which are, as shown in FIG. 1, preferably constructed as essentially mirror-symmetrical half shells. One of these housing sections 22 constructed as half shell is shown in FIG. 2.

[0043] The housing 20 further comprises an outlet channel 30 extending between a first end 32 and a second end 34. Especially, the outlet channel 30 can be build up by two linear channel sections 36, a proximal channel section 38 starting at the first end 32 and a distal channel section 40 ending at the second end 34. The two linear channel sections 36 are connected and obliquely run into each other. Therefore, the outlet channel 30 has a kinked configuration, allowing to reach otherwise unreachable target surfaces for the application of the fluid to be applicated.

[0044] Further on, at the distal channel section 40 a part of the outlet channel 30 comprises a larger diameter 44 than the remaining part of the outlet channel 30, which comprises a diameter 42. This allows in an especially easy way to place the connection section 80 of the application tool 70, arranged at a rear shaft 82 of the application tool 70 into this part of the outlet channel 30. This is also shown in FIG. 2.

[0045] Within the application tool 70 an application channel 76 (not shown), is arranged, whereby by placing the application tool 70 into the outlet channel 30 a continuous channel can be provided between the first end 32 of the outlet channel 30 and the outlet opening 74 of the application tool 70. This outlet opening 74 is placed at a distal end 78 of the application tool 70 and especially within an application tip 72. This application tip 72 and especially also the whole application tool 70 can be made out of a softer material than the housing 20 preventing harming of the target surface whereon the fluid is to be applicated.

[0046] Further on, the housing 20 comprises a shielding section 60. This shielding section 60 stand apart from the outlet channel 30 and surrounds the outlet channel 30, especially the first end 32 of the outlet channel 30. Especially, the shielding section 60 extends beyond the first end 32 of the outlet channel 30 in the direction 46 of the outlet channel 30. Therefore, a contamination of the first end 32 of the outlet channel 30, for instance via a manual contact, can be prohibited.

[0047] Additionally, the first end 32 of the outlet channel 30 comprises connection means or element connector) 50 to connect an outlet port 92 of a discharging device 90 (not shown). Also by providing a sealing surface 52 on the connection element 50 an additional sealing between the application device 10 and the discharging device 90 can be provided.

[0048] To produce an application device 10 according to an embodiment of the invention first of all the two separate housing sections 22 and the application tool 70 are provided as shown in FIG. 1. Preferably some, especially all, parts of the application device 10 as shown in FIG. 1 are produced in an injection molding process. As a next step, the connection section 80 of the application tool 70 is inserted in one of the housing sections 22 as shown in FIG. 2. After connecting the two housing sections 22 which each other to build the housing 20 and the outlet channel 30, a sealing of the connection between the two housing sections 22 is carried out. The result is shown in FIG. 3. By connecting the two housing sections automatically the connection section 80 of the application tool 70 is fixed in the outlet channel 30. The sealing between the two housing sections 22 can be done by welding or gluing.

[0049] The FIGS. 4 and 5 show sectional views of different parts of an application device 10 according to the invention. In FIG. 4 a sectional view of the housing 20 is shown. Especially, the kinked connection between the linear channel sections 36 of the outlet channel 30, where the proximal channel section 38 and the distal channel section 40 are running oblique to each other, is shown. It is clearly visible, that the diameter 42 throughout the outlet channel 30 is preferably constant.

[0050] FIG. 5 shows the second end 34 of the outlet channel 30. In this distal channel section 40 of the outlet channel 30, build up as a linear channel section 36, the connection section 80 of the application tool 70 is inserted. The connection section 80 is provided on a rear shaft 38 of the application tool 70. At the other end of the application tool 70 an application tip 72 is provided, forming the distal end 78 of the application tool 70, where also the outlet opening 74 is placed. Several diameters 42, 44, 84 are shown, whereby the diameters 42, 44 belongs to the outlet channel 30, the diameter 84 to the application channel 76 in the application tool 70. It is clearly visible, that the diameter 44 of the outlet channel 30 is larger than the diameter 42. The diameter 44 is provided in the part of the outlet channel 30, where the connection section 80 of the application tool 70 is arranged. An especially secure and good fixing of the application tool 70 in the outlet channel 30 of the housing 20 can therefore be provided. On the other hand, the diameter 42 of the outlet channel 30 in the remaining part of the outlet channel 30 and the diameter 84 of the application channel 76 are equal. This provides a channel for the fluid to be applicated between the first end 32 of the outlet channel (not shown) up to the outlet opening 74 of the application tool 70 with a constant diameter 42, 44. An especial easy flow of the fluid to be applicated can therefore be provided.

[0051] In FIG. 6 a discharging device 90 in combination with an application device 10 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. At an outlet port 92, often providing a sealing area 94, the application device 10 is securely fixed, especially using the connection means 50 on the first end 32 of the outlet channel 30, concealed by the shielding section 60 of the housing 20. At the end of the application device 10 the application tool 70 is used to applicate the fluid to be applicated, wherein the discharging device 90 provides this fluid.