A DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR A DENTAL COMPOSITION

Abstract

The present invention relates to a delivery system (100) for the release of a dental composition mixed from two or optionally three components. The delivery system has a mixer (14), a cartridge (20) with three compartments and a switchable bypass valve (40) for bypassing the third component from the mixer. The present application further relates to a method of dispensing a dental composition.

Claims

1. A delivery system for a dental composition comprising: a mixer, a cartridge having a first, second and third compartment for receiving a first, second and third component, respectively, of the dental composition; and a bypass valve switchable between a first position and a second position; wherein in the first position, fluid communication is established between the third compartment and the mixer, and wherein in the second position, fluid communication is blocked between the third compartment and the mixer; wherein the bypass valve further comprises a bypass outlet by which a reservoir is connectable to the third compartment; and wherein fluid communication is blocked between the third compartment and the bypass outlet in the first position of the bypass valve, and wherein fluid communication is established between the third compartment and the bypass outlet in the second position of the bypass valve.

2. The delivery system of claim 1, wherein the bypass valve further comprises a bypass slide, the bypass valve being formed by the bypass slide in combination with the cartridge and/or a portion of the mixer.

3. The delivery system of claim 2, wherein the bypass slide has three through-holes, the three through-holes being arranged such that fluid communication between each the first and second compartment to the mixer is established in the first and second position of the bypass valve and such that fluid communication between the third compartment to the mixer is established in a first position of the bypass valve and blocked in a second position of the bypass valve.

4. The delivery system of claim 3, wherein the third through-hole overlaps with an outlet of the third compartment in the first position of the bypass valve.

5. The delivery system of claim 2, wherein the bypass slide has a blind-hole of sufficient size to allow for fluid communication between the outlet of the third compartment and the bypass outlet in the second position of the bypass valve.

6. The delivery system of claim 5, wherein the blind-hole overlaps with the outlet of the third compartment and the bypass outlet in the second position of the bypass valve such that fluid communication is established between the third compartment and the bypass outlet.

7. The delivery system of claim 1, wherein the mixer has a first, second and third mixer inlet which each are connected to the respective first, second and third compartment in the first position of the bypass valve.

8. The delivery system of claim 1, wherein the bypass slide of the bypass valve is rotatably attached to the cartridge and/or the mixer.

9. The delivery system of claim 3, wherein the first, second and third compartment further comprises a first, second and third nozzle to connect each the first, second and third compartment to the respective first, second and third mixer inlet.

10. The delivery system of claim 9, wherein the first and second through-holes are formed as oblong holes such that the nozzles of the first and second compartment each reach through each of the first and second through-hole, respectively.

11. The delivery system of claim 2, wherein a handle is arranged at the bypass slide for operating the bypass valve between the first and the second position wherein the bypass valve is switched between the first and second position by actuating the handle.

12. A method of dispensing a dental composition, comprising: providing a delivery system comprising: a first, second and third component of a dental composition, a mixer, a cartridge having the first, second and third compartment for receiving a first, second and third component, respectively, of the dental composition, a bypass valve switchable between a first position and a second position, a bypass outlet and wherein in the first position, fluid communication is established between the third compartment and the mixer, and wherein in the second position, fluid communication is blocked between the third compartment and the mixer, switching the bypass valve to the second position, and urging the first and second component from the respective first and second compartment into the mixer and thereby causing the first and second component to be mixed within the mixer, and urging the third component from the third compartment to the bypass outlet.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: switching the bypass valve to the first position, and urging the first, second and third component from the respective first, second and third compartment into the mixer and thereby causing the first, second and third component to be mixed within the mixer.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the cartridge further comprises a reservoir, and during the switching step

Description

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0040] FIG. 1a shows in a cross-sectional view a first embodiment of the delivery system of the present application with part of the cartridge, the bypass valve and the mixer. Fluid communication is established between the third compartment and the mixer via the bypass valve in a first position.

[0041] FIG. 1b shows the embodiment of the delivery system as shown in FIG. 1a. Fluid communication is blocked between the third compartment and the mixer. Fluid communication is established between the third compartment and the reservoir via the bypass valve in a second position.

[0042] FIG. 2a shows in a cross-sectional a second embodiment of the delivery system of the present application. Fluid communication is established between the third compartment and the mixer via the bypass valve in a first position.

[0043] FIG. 2b shows the embodiment of the delivery system as shown in FIG. 2a. Fluid communication is blocked between the third compartment and the mixer. Moreover, an external reservoir is shown, which is in fluid communication with the third compartment via the bypass valve in a second position.

[0044] FIG. 3a shows in a cross-sectional perspective view an embodiment of the bypass valve of the delivery system in a first position.

[0045] FIG. 3b shows in a cross-sectional perspective the embodiment of FIG. 3a in a second position.

[0046] FIG. 4 shows in a top view the bypass slide of the valve of the bypass valve of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b.

[0047] FIG. 5 shows in a perspective view the bypass slide as shown in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0048] FIG. 1a shows in a cross-sectional view a first embodiment of the delivery system 100 of the present invention, in which a cartridge 20 is shown comprising a third compartment 28 with a piston 32 having a plunger 24 and a reservoir 70 for receiving the component from the third compartment. The reservoir 70 is arranged internally in the cartridge 20 and has a reservoir entry 72. Furthermore, the bypass valve 40 with the bypass valve housing 50 and the bypass slide 52 as well as the mixer 10 are shown.

[0049] The bypass valve 40 is in a first position such that fluid communication is established between the third compartment 28 and the mixer 10 via the third through-hole 55 of the bypass slide 52 of the bypass valve 40 and the third mixer inlet 13. In the first position of the bypass valve 40, the third compartment 28 is not in fluid communication to the reservoir 70 and the reservoir entry 72, respectively.

[0050] Moreover, mixer outlet 14 is shown at the opposite side of the mixer 10, relative to the mixer inlet 13 of the mixer 10. A handle 58 is shown for switching the bypass valve 40 between the first and second position. The handle 58 thereby rotates the bypass slide 52 of the bypass valve 40 such that the third through-hole 55 is in fluid communication to the third compartment 28 on the one hand and to the mixer inlet 13 on the other hand in a first position.

[0051] FIG. 1b shows the embodiment of FIG. 1a, whereby the bypass valve 40 is in a second position such that fluid communication is blocked between the third compartment 28 and the mixer 10. In the second position of the bypass valve 40, fluid communication is established between the third compartment 28 and the reservoir 70 via the oblong blind-hole 57 of the bypass slide 52 of the bypass valve 40 and the reservoir entry 72.

[0052] The handle 58 is shown in FIG. 1b as well, whereby the handle 58 was operated to switch the bypass valve 40 to a second position in which the third through-hole 55 of the bypass slide 52 of the bypass valve 40 is not in fluid communication with the third compartment 28. Instead, the oblong blind-hole 57 of the bypass slide 52 of the bypass valve 40 is in fluid communication with the third compartment 28 on the one hand and with the reservoir 70 via the reservoir entry 72 on the other hand, such that fluid communication is established between the third compartment 28 and the reservoir 70.

[0053] FIG. 2a shows in a cross-sectional view a second embodiment of the delivery system 100 of the present application. The difference to the embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b is that the reservoir 70 is arranged externally (i. e. not shown in FIG. 2a, please see FIG. 2b). The bypass valve 40 is in a first position, such that fluid communication is established between the third compartment 28 and the mixer 10 via the third through-hole 55 of the bypass slide 52 of the bypass valve 40 and the third mixer inlet 13.

[0054] FIG. 2b shows the embodiment of FIG. 2a, whereby the bypass valve 40 is in a second position such that fluid communication is blocked between the third compartment 28 and the mixer 10. Furthermore, an external reservoir 70 for receiving the component from the third compartment 28 is shown. The external reservoir 70 is in fluid communication with the third compartment 28 via the oblong blind-hole 57 of the bypass slide 52 of the bypass valve 40 and the reservoir entry 72.

[0055] FIG. 3a shows in a cross-sectional perspective view an embodiment of the bypass valve 40 of the delivery system 100. The bypass valve 40 with the bypass slide 52 is shown, whereby the bypass slide 52 has holes 53, 54, 55, 57 therein. Holes 53 and 54 are formed as oblong holes such that nozzles 34 and 36 can reach through the holes 53 and 54 when the bypass valve 40 is in the first or the second position including the switching operation from the first to the second position.

Furthermore, a part of the cartridge 20 of the delivery system 100 is shown. The bypass valve 40 is connected to the part of the cartridge 20 such that the nozzles 34 and 36 reach through the oblong holes 53 and 54 such that the nozzles 34 and 36 are in fluid communication with mixer inlets 11 and 12 (not shown) of mixer 10. The bypass valve 40 is in a first position such that fluid communication between the third compartment 28 (not shown) and the mixer 10 (not shown) is established. The third through-hole 55 establishes fluid communication to the third compartment 28 (not shown) on the one hand and to the mixer inlet 13 of the mixer 10 (not shown) on the other hand.

[0056] Moreover, the cartridge 20 further has a slide axis 59, which provides for rotational movement of the bypass slide 52 by rotationally engaging with the receptacle 60 of the bypass slide 52.

[0057] FIG. 3b shows in a cross-sectional perspective view the embodiment of FIG. 3a, whereby the bypass valve 40 is in a second position such that fluid communication between the third compartment 28 (not shown) and the mixer 10 (not shown) is blocked. The handle 58 had been operated to switch the bypass valve 40 to a second position. In this second position, fluid communication is established between the third compartment 28 (not shown) and the reservoir 70 (not shown) via the oblong blind-hole 57. Furthermore, in the second position of the bypass valve 40, the holes 53 and 54 allow due to their oblong shape that nozzles 34 and 36 can reach through the holes 53 and 54 such that the nozzles 34 and 36 are in fluid communication with mixer inlets 11 and 12 (not shown) of mixer 10.

[0058] The slide axis 59 of the cartridge 20 is shown engaging rotationally with receptacle 60 of the bypass slide 52.

[0059] FIG. 4 shows in a top view the bypass slide 52 of the bypass valve 40 of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b having through-holes 53, 54, 55, an oblong blind-hole 57 and a receptacle 60 for the slide axis 59 (not shown) of the cartridge 20 (not shown). Through-holes 53 and 54 are formed as oblong holes.

[0060] FIG. 5 shows in a perspective view the bypass slide as shown in FIG. 4. In this view, it is apparent that holes 53 and 54 are formed as through-holes, whereby oblong blind-hole 57 is not a through-hole, but a blind-hole. Furthermore, handle 58 is shown as well as receptacle 60 for rotationally engaging with slide axis 59 (not shown) of the cartridge 20 (not shown).