METHOD FOR FILLING A CARTRIDGE WITH A FLOWABLE COMPONENT

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for filling a cartridge with a flowable component, the method comprising the steps of: providing a cartridge with a cartridge chamber, the cartridge having a piston arranged in the cartridge chamber, the cartridge chamber and the piston defining a storage volume, the piston having a through-hole, arranging a filling nozzle at the through-hole and filling the cartridge by dispensing the flowable component through the through-hole of the piston into the storage volume.

The invention further relates to a system suitable for executing the method.

Claims

1. A method of filling a cartridge with a flowable component, the method comprising: providing a cartridge with a cartridge chamber, the cartridge having a piston arranged in the cartridge chamber, the cartridge chamber and the piston defining a storage volume, the piston having a through-hole; arranging a filling nozzle at the through-hole, and filling the cartridge by dispensing the flowable component through the through-hole of the piston into the storage volume.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein after filling the cartridge, the through-hole is sealed.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein during the filling of the cartridge the filling nozzle reaches into the through-hole.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein during the filling of the cartridge the filling nozzle is sealingly connected to the through-hole.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein dispensing the flowable component through the through-hole is triggered when the filling nozzle is arranged at the through-hole.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the piston moves relative to the cartridge when dispensing the flowable component through the through-hole, the piston being moved by pressure exerted from the flowable component.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein before dispensing the flowable component the piston is arranged adjacent an outlet opening of the cartridge.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein dispensing the flowable component stops when the piston reaches a predefined position.

9. A system for filling a cartridge with a flowable component the system comprising: a cartridge with a cartridge chamber the cartridge having a piston arranged in the cartridge chamber, the cartridge chamber and the piston defining a storage volume, the piston having a through-hole, a dispensing apparatus having a filling nozzle, the filling nozzle is configured to dispense the flowable component through the through-hole of the piston into the storage volume.

10. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the filling nozzle is the shape of the through-hole.

11. The system in accordance with claim 9, further comprising detector configured to detect a sealing connection between the filling nozzle and the through-hole.

12. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein an area of the through-hole is at least 5% of a base area of the piston.

13. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the cartridge comprises an outlet opening, the outlet opening being closed with a closing device, the closing device being removable from the outlet opening.

14. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the piston comprises at least one sealing lip configured to sealingly connect the piston with an inner wall of the cartridge chamber.

15. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein an area of the through-hole is at least 10% of a base area of the piston.

16. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein an area of the through-hole is at least 25% of a base area of the piston.

17. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the piston comprises a venting mechanism configured to enable air from the cartridge chamber to escape.

Description

[0040] Further embodiments of the invention are described in the following description of the Figures. The invention will be explained in the following in detail by means of exemplary embodiments and with reference to the drawings in which is shown:

[0041] FIG. 1 a schematic view of a system with a cartridge and a dispensing apparatus before the filling of the cartridge;

[0042] FIG. 2 a schematic view of the system of FIG. 1 during the filling of the cartridge; and

[0043] FIG. 3 a schematic view of the system of FIG. 1 after the filling of the cartridge.

[0044] In the following, the same reference numerals will be used for parts having the same or equivalent function. Any statement made having regard to the direction of a component are made relative to the position shown in the drawing and can naturally vary in the actual position of application.

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a system 10 in a schematic sectional view. The system 10 comprises a dispensing apparatus 12 with a filling nozzle 14. The system 10 further comprises a cartridge 16 having a cartridge chamber 18. Inside the cartridge chamber 18 a piston 20 is arranged, the piston 20 comprises a through-hole 22.

[0046] FIG. 1 shows the cartridge 16 in an empty state in which the piston 20 is arranged adjacent to an outlet opening 24 that is sealed by an injection molded closing cap 26. The closing cap 26 is made from a thin plastic material and can therefore be broken off manually to open the outlet opening 24.

[0047] The filling nozzle 14 has a frustoconical form and is arranged such that it forms a sealing connection with the through-hole 22 of the piston 20. When the sealing connection is detected by a detection means (not shown) of the dispensing apparatus 12, a flowable component 28, e.g. a construction or dental material is dispensed from the filling nozzle 14 into the cartridge 16.

[0048] Dispensing the flowable component 28 into the cartridge is shown in FIG. 2. The flowable component 28 is pressed through the filling nozzle 14 and through the through-hole 22 and thereby moves the piston 20 upwards such that a storage volume 30 is expanded within the cartridge chamber 18.

[0049] During the filling of the cartridge 16, the outlet opening 24 moves away from the filling nozzle 14 of the dispensing apparatus 12 in the same manner as the piston 20 moves away from the outlet opening 24.

[0050] A state in which the cartridge is fully filled with the flowable component 28 is shown in FIG. 3. In the fully filled state, the storage volume 30 substantially equals the volume of the cartridge chamber 18. In this state the sealing connection between the filling nozzle 14 and the through-hole 22 can be terminated. The through-hole 22 can then be closed with a sealing plug 32 so that the flowable component 28 can be stored inside the cartridge 16 for prolonged periods of time.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

[0051] 10 system

[0052] 12 dispensing apparatus

[0053] 14 filling nozzle

[0054] 16 cartridge

[0055] 18 cartridge chamber

[0056] 20 piston

[0057] 22 through-hole

[0058] 24 outlet opening

[0059] 26 closing cap

[0060] 28 flowable component

[0061] 30 storage volume

[0062] 32 sealing plug