MIXING CAPSULE, IN PARTICULAR FOR THE FIELD OF DENTISTRY

Abstract

The invention relates to a mixing capsule (1) comprising a housing (2), characterised in that a first part of the housing (3) is mounted rotatably about a rotational axis against a second part of the housing (4), the rotational axis corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the housing (2), the first part of the housing (3) comprising at least one first chamber (5) to receive a composition A, the second part of the housing (4) comprising at least one second chamber (6) to receive a composition B, the at least one first chamber (5) and the at least one second chamber (6) being initially closed respectively, a first outlet opening (7) of the at least one first chamber (5) standing substantially congruently above a second outlet opening (8) of the at least one second chamber (6) when the first part of the housing (3) being rotated about a predefined angle against the second part of the housing (4), the first outlet opening (7) and/or the second outlet opening (8) being adapted to transfer composition A into the at least one second chamber (6) and/or composition B into the at least one first chamber (5). The invention further relates to a method for mixing at least two compositions A and B to a composition C in a mixing capsule. Likewise, the invention relates to a use of a mixing capsule for storing, mixing and applicating pasty to kneadable dental two-component compositions.

Claims

1. A mixing capsule (1) comprising a housing (2), a first part of the housing (3) being mounted rotatably about a rotational axis against a second part of the housing (4), the rotational axis corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the housing (2), the first part of the housing (3) comprising at least one first chamber (5) to receive a composition A, the second part of the housing (4) comprising at least one second chamber (6) to receive a composition B, the at least one first chamber (5) and the at least one second chamber (6) being initially closed respectively, a first outlet opening (7) of the at least one first chamber (5) standing substantially congruently above a second outlet opening (8) of the at least one second chamber (6) when the first part of the housing (3) being rotated about a predefined angle against the second part of the housing (4), the first outlet opening (7) and/or the second outlet opening (8) being adapted to allow transfer of composition A into the at least one second chamber (6) and/or of composition B into the at least one first chamber (5), the at least one first chamber (5) and the at least one second chamber (6) forming a common mixing chamber when the first outlet opening (7) with the second outlet opening (8) being in substantially congruent position, composition A and composition B being stored mixably to composition C in the common mixing chamber and being mixed to composition C by moving the mixing capsule, the first outlet opening (7) and the second outlet opening (8) not standing congruently to each other in a storing and transport phase, wherein the first part of the housing (3) comprises at least one first magnet (9) and the second part of the housing (4) comprises at least one second magnet (10), the at least one first magnet (9) and the at least one second magnet (10) being adapted, when being in congruent position to each other, to keep together the first part of the housing (3) and the second part of the housing (4) to be the housing (2) when the first outlet opening (7) and the second outlet opening (8) being in congruent position and/or in non-congruent position.

2. A mixing capsule according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first magnet (9) and the at least one second magnet (10) comprise neodymium as material.

3. A mixing capsule according to claim 1, wherein, after separation of the first part of the housing (3) from the second part of the housing (4), the at least one first chamber (5) and/or the at least one second chamber (6) are adapted to receive composition C.

4. A mixing capsule according to claim 1, wherein the least one first chamber (5) and/or the at least one second chamber (6) comprise a limited lumen.

5. The mixing capsule according to claim 1, wherein the predefined angle of the rotation of the first part of the housing (3) against the second part of the housing (4), in order to make the first outlet opening (7) of the at least one first chamber (5) standing congruently above a second outlet opening (8) of the at least one second chamber (6), is an angle between 0 and 360 degrees.

6. The mixing capsule according to claim 5, wherein the at least one first chamber (5) and the at least one second chamber (6) communicate with each other when the first outlet opening (7) and the second outlet opening (8) being in a congruent position.

7. The mixing capsule according to claim 1, wherein the first part of the housing (3) has a first cylinder (11) at its side averting the second part and the second part of the housing (4) has a second cylinder (12) at its side averting the first part.

8. The mixing capsule according to claim 1, wherein the first part of the housing (3) and/or the second part of the housing (4) is made of an opaque material.

9. The mixing capsule according to claim 1, wherein the housing of the mixing capsule comprises cyclic olefin polymer, cyclic olefin copolymer(s), polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene having low density, polyethylene having high density, polypropylene having low density, polypropylene having high density and/or mixtures containing at least one of said polymers.

10. The mixing capsule according to claim 1, wherein the mixing capsule (1) has an initial opening protection (13), the initial opening protection (13) being adapted to fix the first part of the housing (3) in a rotation-free manner against the second part of the housing (4).

11. A method for mixing at least two compositions A and B to a composition C in a mixing capsule (1) according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises the steps of: (i) rotating the first part of the housing (3) against the second part of the housing (4), until the first outlet opening (7) of the at least one first chamber (5) stands congruently above the second outlet opening (8) of the at least one second chamber (6); (ii) mixing composition A and composition B in the common mixing chamber by the mixing capsule being moved; (iii) separating the first part of the housing (3) from the second part of the housing (4); (iv) obtaining composition C in the first chamber (5) and/or in the second chamber (6).

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein (iii) mixing composition A and composition B in the common mixing chamber is realised by a universal mixer for dental materials.

13. A method of using a mixing capsule (1) according to claim 1 for storing, mixing and applicating pasty to kneadable compositions.

14. A kit comprising a mixing capsule according to claim 1, comprising a composition A and a composition B.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0066] FIG. 1a shows the mixing capsule 1 according to the invention with an initial opening protection 13.

[0067] FIG. 1b shows the mixing capsule 1 according to the invention with a transparent first part of the housing 3.

[0068] FIG. 2a shows the same as FIG. 1b.

[0069] FIG. 2b shows compositions A and B in the first chamber 5.

[0070] FIG. 3a shows the first part of the housing 3 after separation from the second part of the housing 4.

[0071] FIG. 3b shows the second part of the housing 4 after separation from the first part of the housing 3.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0072] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1a to 3b, the housing of the mixing capsule 1 substantially has the form of a cylinder. The mixing capsule in FIGS. 1a to 3b thus has a cylindrical housing. The following description of the mixing capsule refers to this embodiment.

[0073] FIG. 1a shows the mixing capsule 1 according to the invention having an initial opening protection 13. The initial opening protection 13 is adapted to fix a first part of the cylindrical housing 3 of the mixing capsule 1 against a second part of the cylindrical housing 4 of the mixing capsule 1 in a rotation-free manner. In the embodiment of FIG. 1a the initial opening protection is an adhesive tape being arranged around the lateral surface of the cylindrical housing 2 in a belt-like manner at the point where the first part of the cylindrical housing 3 and the second part of the cylindrical housing 4 adjoin each other. The cylindrical housing 2 of the mixing capsule 1 has a first cylinder 11 at its base surface and a second cylinder 12 at its top surface, the first part of the cylindrical housing 3 and/or the second part of the cylindrical housing 4 being able to stand by means of the respective cylinders 11, 12. In particular, the first and the second cylinder 11, 12 serve for clamping the mixing capsule in a mounting of a mixing apparatus by which the mixing process is carried out.

[0074] FIG. 1b shows a mixing capsule 1 according to the invention having a transparent first part of the cylindrical housing 3. The first part of the cylindrical housing comprises at least one first chamber 5 to receive a composition A. In doing so, the first chamber may have a lumen being similar to a miniaturised test tube. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1b, the chamber 5 has three first neodymium magnets 9 at the interface to the second part of the cylindrical housing 4 which are arranged in parallel to the top and base surface on an imaginary circle, each being shifted at an angle of 90 degrees or 180 degrees respectively. At least one of the three first neodymium magnets 9 of the first part of the cylindrical housing 3 is arranged congruently above at least one second neodymium magnet 10 of the second part of the cylindrical housing 4, so that the first part of the cylindrical housing 3 and the second part of the cylindrical housing 4 are held together and the mixing capsule 1 is closed.

[0075] FIG. 2a shows the same as FIG. 1b. The first chamber 5 of the first part of the cylindrical housing 3 is spaced apart from the second chamber 6 of the second part of the cylindrical housing 4. The first part of the cylindrical housing 3 is now rotated against the second part of the cylindrical housing 4 about the longitudinal axis of the cylindric housing 2, in particular by 90 degrees or 180 degrees or 270 degrees, so that a first outlet opening 7 of the at least one first chamber 5 stands congruently above a second outlet opening 8 of the at least one second chamber 6. When the first outlet opening 7 and the second outlet opening 8 being in congruent position, the at least one first chamber 5 of the first part of the cylindrical housing 3 and the at least one second chamber 6 of the second part of the cylindrical housing 4 communicate with each other. By moving the mixing capsule 1 back and forth, composition A of the first chamber 5 may be transferred into the second chamber 6 and/or composition B of the second chamber 6 may be transferred into the first chamber 5. This situation is illustrated in FIG. 2b. First outlet opening 7 and second outlet opening 8 are situated congruently above each other and composition B of the second chamber 6 has been conveyed into the first chamber 5. By moving the mixing capsule back and forth, composition A and composition B are mixed to composition C. In order to remove composition C from the mixing capsule 1, separation of the first part of the cylindrical housing 3 from the second part of the cylindrical housing 4 is required. By rotating the first part of the cylindrical housing 3 against the second part of the cylindrical housing 4, so that at least one of the three first neodymium magnets 9 of the first part of the cylindrical housing 3 is arranged non-congruently above at least one second neodymium magnet 10 of the second part of the cylindrical housing 4, separation of the first part of the cylindrical housing 3 from the second part of the cylindrical housing 4 may be facilitated.

[0076] FIG. 3a shows the first part of the cylindrical housing 3 after separation from the second part of the cylindrical housing 4. The first part of the cylindrical housing 3 stands on the first cylinder 11. Composition C is situated in the first chamber 5. Three first neodymium magnets 9 are arranged on the interface. The first chamber 5 and the three first neodymium magnets 9 are arranged on an imaginary circle, the angular distance between the three first neodymium magnets 9 and the first chamber 5 amounting to 90 degrees respectively.

[0077] FIG. 3b shows the second part of the cylindrical housing 4 after separation from the first part of the cylindrical housing 3. The second part of the cylindrical housing 3 stands on the second cylinder 12. Composition B is no longer situated in the second chamber 6. A second neodymium magnet 10 is arranged on the interface. The second chamber 6 and the second neodymium magnet 10 are arranged on an imaginary circle, the angular distance between the second neodymium magnet 10 and the second chamber 6 amounting to 180 degrees respectively.

[0078] Alternatively, the housing has the form of a sphere, of an ellipsoid, of a body having a polygonal cross-section, of a rotationally symmetric freeform or of a prism. In case of a sphere, the first part of the housing for example is a first hemisphere and the second part of the housing is a second hemisphere or the first part of the housing is a first partial sphere and the second part of the housing is a second partial sphere. In case of an ellipsoid, the first part of the housing is a first part of the ellipsoid and the second part of the housing is a second part of the ellipsoid. In case of a body having a polygonal cross-section, the first part of the housing is a first part of the body having the polygonal cross-section and the second part of the housing is a second part of the housing having the polygonal cross-section. In case of a rotationally symmetric freeform, the first part of the housing is a first part of the rotationally symmetric freeform and the second part of the housing is a second part of the rotationally symmetric freeform. In case of a prism, the first part of the housing is a first part of the prism and the second part of the housing is a second part of the prism. Conceivable are also hybrid forms to form the housing.

[0079] Like this, in a further embodiment, the first part of the housing may be a prism and the second part of the housing may be a hemisphere for example.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0080] 1 mixing capsule

[0081] 2 housing

[0082] 3 first part of the housing

[0083] 4 second part of the housing

[0084] 5 first chamber

[0085] 6 second chamber

[0086] 7 first outlet opening

[0087] 8 second outlet opening

[0088] 9 first magnet

[0089] 10 second magnet

[0090] 11 first cylinder

[0091] 12 second cylinder

[0092] 13 initial opening protection