Application system with improved seal

Abstract

An application system is presented having a cartridge, at least one first accessory part, for example a stopper, and at least one second accessory part, for example a static or dynamic mixer. The cartridge has at least one container with an outlet opening and at least one outlet connected to the container via the outlet opening on the end face of the cartridge, wherein the at least one outlet can be connected to the at least one first accessory part and the at least one second accessory part such that a seal is produced between the outlet and the respective accessory part. At least one separate seal plane is provided for each accessory part.

Claims

1. An application system comprising: a cartridge; at least one first accessory part; and at least one second accessory part comprising a mixer, wherein the cartridge has at least one container with an outlet opening and at least one outlet connected to the container via the outlet opening on an end face of the cartridge, wherein the at least one outlet is configured for connection to both the at least one first accessory part and to the at least one second accessory part such that a seal is produced between the at least one outlet and both the at least one first accessory part and the at least one second accessory part, wherein at least one separate seal plane is provided for both the at least one first accessory part and the at least one second accessory part, where the at least one separate seal planes are located on an inner contour of the at least one outlet, and wherein both the at least one first accessory part and the at least one second accessory part is associated with the at least one of the separate seal planes.

2. The application system according to claim 1, wherein a seal between the at least one first accessory part and the at least one outlet is ensured by at least one first seal plane, and in that a seal between the at least one second accessory part and the at least one outlet is ensured by at least one second seal plane.

3. The application system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one second seal plane is disposed downstream of the at least one first seal plane in a material discharge direction.

4. The application system according to claim 2, wherein an annular gap remains between the first accessory part and at least one second seal plane if the first accessory part is connected to the at least one outlet, and/or in that the second seal plane is free form and contact-free with respect to the first accessory part.

5. The application system according to claim 1, wherein a seal-free section is provided between the respective seal planes.

6. The application system according to claim 3, wherein the at least one first seal plane is disposed at a spacing from the end face of the cartridge in the material discharge direction.

7. The application system according to claim 3, wherein the at least one first seal plane, when viewed in the material discharge direction from the end face of the cartridge, is formed in the range of 5% to 50% of the axial length (L) of the at least one outlet, and/or in that the at least one second seal plane, when viewed in the material discharge direction from the end face of the cartridge, is formed in the range of 51% to 100% of the axial length (L) of the at least one outlet.

8. The application system according to claim 1, wherein the first and/or second accessory part is configured to be sealingly insertable into the at least one outlet.

9. The application system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one first seal plane is formed on a first inner contour of the at least one outlet and the at least one second seal plane is formed on a second inner contour of the at least one outlet.

10. The application system according to claim 7, wherein the first and/or the second accessory part comprises an inlet sealingly insertable into the at least one outlet, wherein the inner contour of the inlet is flush with the outlet opening of the container in the material discharge direction.

11. The application system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one outlet is configured to be sealingly insertable into the first and/or second accessory part.

12. An application system comprising: a cartridge; a first accessory part; and a second accessory part comprising a mixer, wherein the cartridge comprises two containers, where each container has an outlet comprising an outlet opening on an end face of the cartridge, wherein the outlets are configured for connection to both the first accessory part and to the second accessory part such that a first seal is formed between the outlet and the first accessory part, and a second seal is formed between the outlet and the second accessory part, and wherein the first seal and the second seal are located on an inner contour of the outlet.

13. The application system of claim 12, further comprising a seal-free section located between the first seal and the second seal.

14. The application system of claim 13, wherein the first accessory part or the second accessory part is configured to be sealingly insertable into the outlet to form either the first or second seal.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 shows an application system according to the present disclosure having a cartridge, a first accessory part configured as a stopper, and a second accessory part configured as a mixer;

(2) FIG. 2A shows an application system according to the present disclosure, having a cartridge and a first accessory part, in this case a stopper;

(3) FIG. 2B shows the enlarged detail A from FIG. 2A;

(4) FIG. 3A shows an application system according to the present disclosure, having a cartridge and a second accessory part, in this case a static mixer;

(5) FIG. 3B shows the enlarged detail A from FIG. 3A;

(6) FIG. 4A shows an application system according of the disclosure according to the second embodiment, having a cartridge and a first accessory part, in this case a stopper;

(7) FIG. 4B shows the enlarged detail A from FIG. 4A;

(8) FIG. 5A shows an application system of the disclosure according to a second embodiment, having a second accessory part, in this case a static mixer; and

(9) FIG. 5B shows the enlarged detail A from FIG. 5A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) The application system 1 according to FIG. 1 includes a cartridge 2 with a first container 2a and a second container 2b. The two containers 2a, 2b can be filled with material to be stored and are typically closed by a stopper and/or discharge piston (not shown) on their side opposite the outlet region 3 of the cartridge 2. The outlet region 3 includes the outlets 3a and 3b associated with the containers 2a and 2b, which are in fluid connection with the containers 2a and 2b via the outlet opening 4a or 4b, respectively. The axial length L of the outlets 3a and 3b, measured from the end face 5 of the cartridge, is for example 11.3 mm±1 mm. The axial length from the ends of the outlets 3a and 3b situated in the material discharge direction to the outlet openings 4a and 4b of the containers 2a and 2b is, for example, 11.5 mm±1 mm.

(11) Worded differently, the outlet openings 4a, 4b lead into the outlets 3a and 3b of the cartridge 2. The outlets 3a and 3b extend in the material discharge direction from the end face 5 of the cartridge 2. The ends of the outlets 3a and 3b situated in the material discharge direction can have an increased inner diameter compared to the inner diameter of the outlet openings 4a and 4b, for example, increased by 10% compared to the inner diameter of the outlet openings 4a and 4b. Particularly, the outlet openings 4a and 4b can each have an inner diameter of 4 mm±0.1 mm, while the distal end of the outlets 3a and 3b has an inner diameter of 4.3 mm±0.1 mm.

(12) An annular connecting region 6 is provided on the end face 5 to connect the cartridge 2 to an accessory part, which region in this case has an internal thread 6a for connecting to the accessory parts.

(13) In FIGS. 2a and 2b, a first accessory part, in this case a stopper 10, is connected to the cartridge 2. The stopper 10 includes a union nut 11 having an external thread 11 a which is configured to fit to the internal thread 6 a of the connecting region 6 of the cartridge 2. Furthermore, an insert received in the union nut 11 is provided, which insert has two closing pins 12 a and 12 b which can be inserted into the respective outlets 3 a and 3 b.

(14) The outer contour of the closing pins 12a and 12b is adapted to the inner contour of the respective outlets 3a and 3b such that these achieve a seal between the outlet 3 and the stopper 10 via a first seal plane 7. In the region of the second seal plane 8, the seal of which is explained in detail below in the context of the second accessory part, the outer contour of the closing pins 12a and 12b of the first accessory part 10 is selected such that an annular gap 13a, 13b is formed, respectively, between the closing pins 12a, 12b and the outlets 3a, 3b along the second seal plane 8.

(15) In other words, an annular gap 13a is provided around the closing pin 12a, and a second annular gap 13b is provided around the second closing pin 12b. The annular gaps 13a, 13b prevent contact between the outlets 3a and 3b and the closing pins 12a and 12b in that region that is responsible for forming the second seal plane 8, and they are particularly dimensioned such that even production-related variations during the production of the cartridge 2 or the first accessory part 10 will not result in forming a contact surface in the region of the second seal plane 8.

(16) Furthermore, a seal-free section 9 is formed between the first seal plane 7 and the second seal plane 8. For example, this section extends in the axial direction over 1.91 mm 0.1 mm of the outlets 3a and 3b.

(17) A second seal-free section 9a is formed in a direction opposite the material discharge direction viewed from the first seal plane 7, which section extends to the outlet openings 4a and 4b. This second seal-free section 9a is in a radial plane with the end face 5 of the cartridge 2 on its end situated in the opposite direction of the material discharge direction.

(18) The axial length of the closing pins 12a and 12b is dimensioned such that these extend to the outlet openings 4a and 4b, such that no or just a minimal amount of the material stored in the containers 2a and 2b can enter the outlets 3a and 3b. For example, the closing pins 12a and 12b extend over 13.5 mm±1 mm from the upper side situated in the material discharge direction to the lower side of the stopper 10 situated in a direction opposite the material discharge direction, viewed in the axial direction.

(19) It is advantageous in this context that the first seal plane 7 is located upstream of the second seal plane 8 in the material discharge direction, viewed from the end face 5 of the cartridge 2, since the material from the containers 2a, 2b can at best flow to the first seal plane 7. This prevents contamination of the second seal plane 8 during storage.

(20) The second seal-free section 9a allows connecting the stopper 10 to the cartridge 2 and the outlet region 3 using relatively little force, and to remove the stopper from these components. This can be achieved, for example, in that the closing pins 12a and 12b have an outer diameter of 3.7 mm±0.1 mm, which is 0.3 mm±0.2 mm smaller than the inner diameter of the outlet openings 4a and 4b and the outlets 3a and 3b in the region of the second seal-free section 9a.

(21) If the second seal-free section 9a were omitted and a form-fitting contact surface and thus a seal between the closing pins 12a and 12b and the respective outlets 3a and 3b were provided instead of the annular gap formed there, the first seal plane 7 would extend to the outlet openings 4a and 4b. Then the first seal plane 7 would engage in the relatively inflexible region of the end face 5 of the cartridge 2, which would require more force to insert and remove the closing pins 12a and 12a without substantially improving the sealing effect. In the preferred embodiment shown here, both the first seal plane 7 and the second seal plane 8 are therefore at a spacing from the end face 5 of the cartridge 2 in the material discharge direction.

(22) FIGS. 3A and 3B show an application system 1 having a second accessory part, in this case a static mixer 20. The mixer 20 comprises a housing 21 having an external thread 21a which is configured to fit to the internal thread 6a of the connecting region 6. A mixing region with a static mixing element 22 is provided within the housing 21. According to the present disclosure, dynamic mixers may be used as well. Furthermore, the second accessory part has an inlet region 23, which is also received within the housing 21. The inlet region 23 has inlets 23a and 23b configured corresponding to the outlets 3a and 3b, which inlets are in this case configured to be inserted into the outlets 3a and 3b.

(23) Since the inner contour of the outlets 3a and 3b on their ends projecting away from the end face 5 in the material discharge direction are configured to fit the outer contours of the inlets 23a and 23b, a second seal plane 8 is formed in this region. For example, the inner diameter of the outlets 3a and 3b and the outer diameter of the inlets 23a and 23b can each be 4.3 mm 0.1 mm.

(24) As is also visible in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the inner contours of the inlets 23a and 23b are flush with the outlet openings 4a and 4b of the respective containers 2a and 2b. For example, the inner diameter of the inlets 23a and 23b as well as the inner diameter of the outlet openings 4a and 4b can each be 4 mm±0.1 mm.

(25) The flush alignment of inlets 23a and 23b with the output openings 4a and 4b can be achieved in the embodiment shown because the inner contour of the outlets 3a and 3b in the region of the second seal plane 8 is greater than in the region of the first seal plane 7 and the seal-free sections 9 and 9a. Thus the inner diameter of the outlets 3a and 3b increases in the material discharge direction.

(26) The embodiment of the application system according to the present disclosure shown in FIGS. 1 to 3B is particularly suitable for application cases in which the containers 2a and 2b are configured to be filled with the same volumes, such that the mixing ratio of the two materials stored in the containers is about 1:1.

(27) The second embodiment, which is shown in FIGS. 4A to 5B, shows a design of the application system 1 according to the present disclosure in which the volumes of the containers 2a and 2b are different.

(28) In the FIGS. 4A to 5B, the container 2a is smaller than the container 2b. The size of the respective outlet openings 4a and 4b is also adapted to the volume ratio of containers 2a and 2b. The same applies to the outlets 3a and 3b, the closing pins 12a and 13b, and the inlets 23a and 23b of the second accessory part 20. Since the remaining features of the second embodiment match the first embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 3b, we refer to the detailed description above.