Abstract
An application device for dental compounds includes a housing and an application tool. The housing includes an application channel extending through the housing and an application channel inlet port and an application channel outlet, the application channel outlet being in fluid connection with the application tool. The application device includes a connection section distinct from the housing, the connection section including a connection channel having a connection channel inlet port and a connection channel outlet port. The connection section includes a connecting element arranged at the connection channel inlet port, the connecting element being configured to be connected to an outlet port of a discharging device. The connection channel outlet port is configured to be sealingly connected to the application channel inlet port to build a discharging channel extending from the connection channel inlet port to the application channel outlet.
Claims
1. An application device for dental compounds, comprising: a housing; and an application tool, the housing comprising an application channel extending through the housing and having an application channel inlet port and an application channel outlet, the application channel outlet being in fluid connection with the application tool, the application device further comprising a connection section distinct from the housing, the connection section comprising a connection channel having a connection channel inlet port and a connection channel outlet port, the connection section further comprising a connecting element arranged at the connection channel inlet port, the connecting element being configured to be connected to an outlet port of a discharging device, the connection channel outlet port being configured to be sealingly connected to the application channel inlet port to build a discharging channel extending from the connection channel inlet port to the application channel outlet, the housing further comprising a shielding section, the shielding section standing apart from the connection section and surrounding the connection section, when the connection channel outlet port is connected to the application channel inlet port, the shielding section extending beyond the connection channel inlet port in the direction of the connection section, and the connection channel and the application channel run obliquely to each other when the connection channel outlet port is connected to the application channel inlet port.
2. The application device of claim 1, wherein the connection channel or the application channel are linearly extending channels.
3. The application device of claim 1, wherein the housing or the application tool or the connection section are made of plastic.
4. The application device of claim 1, wherein the material of the application tool is softer than the material of the housing or softer than the material of the connection section.
5. The application device of claim 1, wherein the housing and the application tool are produced in a 2-component injection molding process.
6. The application device of claim 1, wherein the housing has a front end comprising the application channel outlet and that the application tool is disposed in a region of the front end of the housing.
7. The application device of claim 6, wherein the application tool comprises a rear shaft which encloses the region of the front end of the housing.
8. The application device of claim 1, wherein the material of the housing and the material of the connection section is are identical.
9. The application device of claim 1, wherein the application tool has an application tip disposed at the front end of the application tool.
10. 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 a seal.
11. A method for producing an application device according to claim 1, the method comprising: producing the housing and the application tool in a 2-component injection molding process; producing the connection section independently from the housing in a further injection molding process; and connecting the connection section to the housing, thereby sealingly connecting the connection channel outlet port (46) to the application channel inlet port to build the discharging channel.
12. The application device of claim 1, wherein the connecting element being configured to be connected to the outlet port of the discharging device by inserting the connecting element into the outlet port of the discharging device.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the producing the housing and the application tool in a 2-component injection molding process includes first molding the housing and subsequently molding the application tool on the housing.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the connecting the connection section to the housing includes welding or gluing the connection section to the housing,
15. The application device of claim 1, wherein the housing and the application tool and the connection section are made of plastic.
16. The application device of claim 1, wherein the material of the application tool is softer than the material of the housing and softer than the material of the connection section.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0033] The invention will be explained in more detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings.
[0034] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a housing and an application tool,
[0035] FIG. 2 is a detail view of FIG. 1,
[0036] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a connection section,
[0037] FIG. 4 is a first sectional view of an application device in an unassembled state,
[0038] FIG. 5 is a second sectional view of an application device in an assembled state,
[0039] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of an application device, and
[0040] FIG. 7 is a discharging device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0041] FIGS. 1 and 2 show sectional views of a housing 20 and an application tool 70, wherein FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of a front end 22 of the housing 20, on which the application tool 70 is arranged. In the following, these two Figures are therefore described together, wherein each Figure is addressed separately if necessary.
[0042] In FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a housing 20 of an application device 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. Additionally, an application tool 70 is already arranged on the front end 22 of the housing 10, preferably in a 2-component injection molding process. Especially preferred, the used material, both for the housing 20 and for the application tool 70, is plastic. The 2-component injection molding process provides the housing 20 and the application tool 70 as a single component, whereby the two sub-components can be made up from different materials. Preferably, the material used for the application tool 70 can be softer and the material for the housing 20 can be more rigid, resulting in a solid housing 20 and an application tool 70, especially in an application tip 76 of the application tool 70, which is at least somewhat flexible and prevents the target surface to be harmed. As clearly visible, a rear shaft 72 of the application tool 76 encloses the front end 22 region of the housing 20, providing a secure fixing of the application tool 70 on the housing 20.
[0043] This part of the application device 10 is shown in FIG. 2 in a detailed view. The application tool 70, especially comprising a rear shaft 22 on its rear end and the application tip 76 on its front end 74, encloses the front end 22 of the housing. An application channel 30 runs through the front end 22 of the housing 20, wherein the application tip 76 is placed at the application channel outlet 34. Grooves in the front end 22 of the housing 20 are filled with material of the application tool 70, therefore providing a secure fixing of the application tool 70. This arrangement can be easily and preferably be provided by using a 2-component injection molding process when producing the housing 20 and the application tool 70, wherein preferably as a first step the housing 20 is molded and subsequently as a second step the application tool 70 is molded onto the housing.
[0044] As mentioned above, part of the housing 20 as shown in FIG. 1 is an application channel 30, extending through the housing 20 from an application channel input port 32 to an application channel outlet 34. Preferably, the application channel 30 is a linear extending channel. As clearly visible, the application channel inlet port 32 ends well within the housing. Especially, a shielding section 60 extends well beyond the application channel inlet port 32, defining an inner volume 24 of the housing.
[0045] FIG. 3 shows a connection section 40 of an application device 10 according to an embodiment of the invention, which is used to extend the application channel 30 in the inner volume 24 of the housing 20 shown in FIG. 1. The connection section 40 comprises a connection channel 42 extending through the connection section 40 as preferably linear channel from a connection channel inlet port 44 to a connection channel outlet port 46. The connection channel outlet port 46 can be sealingly connected to the application channel inlet port 32, building a discharging channel 12 (not shown) in the application device 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. Similar to the housing 20 and the application tool 70 (not shown), the connection section 40 is made using an injection molding process, wherein a usage of the same material as used for the housing 20 is especially preferred. At the connection channel inlet port 44, the connection section 40 comprises connecting means or element (connector) 48 for a connection to an outlet port 82 of a discharging device 80 (not shown). An additional sealing surface 50 of the connection element 48 is used to engage a respective sealing area 84 of the discharging device 80 (both not shown), providing a sealed connection of the connection section 40 and therefore of the application device 10 as a whole, to the discharging device 80. Leaking of fluid to be applicated and/or a contamination of the fluid to be applicated can therefore be prohibited.
[0046] In the FIGS. 4 to 6 an application device 10 according to the invention is shown in different steps of assembling. FIGS. 4 and 5 show sectional views, FIG. 6 an isometric view of the fully assembled 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.
[0047] FIGS. 4 and 5 show the components of an application device 10 according to the invention as described in FIGS. 1 to 4. For detailed description of these components please see above. In FIG. 4, the connection section 40 is still placed outside of the inner volume 24 of the housing 20. The connection channel 42 of the connection section 40 and the application channel 30 of the housing 20 are separated.
[0048] In the next FIG. 5, the connection section 40 is positioned within the inner volume 24 of the housing 20, wherein the connection channel outlet port 46 is sealingly arranged at the application channel inlet port 32. Arranging the connection channel outlet port 46 on the application channel inlet port 32 can be preferably done by welding or gluing This forms a discharging channel 12 in the application device 10 according to the invention, extending from the connection channel inlet port 44 to the application channel outlet 34 in the application tip 74 of the application tool 70.
[0049] Further, the connection channel 42 and the application channel 30 run obliquely to each other when the connection channel outlet port 46 is connected to the application channel inlet port 32. In other words, the connection channel 42 and the application channel 30 are arranged in a kinked configuration. Therefore, target areas not reachable for application devices 10 with a completely straight channel can be reached. Especially for dental compounds this means that all areas within the mouth of a patient can be reached easily.
[0050] In FIG. 5 it is clearly visible that shielding section 60 stand apart from the connection section 40 and surrounds the connection section 40. In other words, the connection section 40 is shielded by the shielding section 60 from direct contact, especially manual direct contact. Additionally, the shielding section 60 extends beyond the connection channel inlet port 44 in the direction 14 of the connection section 20 and the connection channel 42, respectively. This provides a connection channel inlet port 44 and the connection section 40 as a whole to be recessed and therefore protected within the inner volume 24. A manual contact especially of the discharging channel 12 and the risk of a contamination can therefore be lowered.
[0051] FIG. 6 shows the assembled application device 10 according to an embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 5 in an isometric view. The connection section 40 is not visible and protected within the housing 20 by the shielding section 60 of the housing 20. It is therefore possible to manually touch the application device 10, especially the housing 20, without the risk of contamination of the fluid to be applicated through the application tip 74 of the application tool 70.
[0052] In FIG. 6 a discharging device 80 in combination with an application device 10 according to the invention is shown. At an outlet port 82, often providing a sealing area 84, the application device 10 is securely fixed, especially using the connection element 48 on connection channel inlet port 44, 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 80 provides this fluid.
