Abstract:
The dispensing assembly has a one-piece syringe holder in which two separate syringes are placed and which includes a thumb rest that acts upon the thrust plates of the syringes jointly. The integral design of the syringe holder and the thumb rest results in a synchronous dispensing of both syringes. Preferentially, the syringe holder comprises guiding and fastening means for the separate syringes.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a US National Phase of PCT application PCT/CH2009/000233 dated Jul. 3, 2009 and claims priority from Switzerland Application 01134/08, filed Jul. 21, 2008. All of the aforesaid applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety as if fully set forth herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a dispensing assembly comprising at least two separate syringes and a syringe holder. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Various designs of dispensing assemblies of this kind are known in the art, e.g. from WO-2007/098624 to the applicant of the present invention where a syringe holder is adapted to receive two separate storage containers and e.g. a mixer is attachable thereto, the pistons of the storage containers being moved forward by plungers. This device is appropriate for many applications but not for the use of conventional syringes that are to be dispensed jointly with a high mixing accuracy. US-2007/005020 discloses a double syringe comprising three distinct interconnected portions that allow jointly dispensing the syringes. In this simple construction, however, the guidance of the syringe plungers is not precise. This is also true for US-2006/116646 as well as WO-2008/001221. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    On the background of this prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dispensing assembly with separate syringes and a syringe holder that is simple in design and easy to operate, yet allows accurate metering due to a parallel and synchronous guidance of the plungers to achieve a precise mixing ratio. 
         [0005]    This is accomplished by the dispensing assembly wherein the one-piece syringe holder is adapted to receive at least two separate syringes and has a thumb rest that acts upon the thrust plates of the syringes or the plunger ends according to claim  1 . 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The invention will be explained in more detail hereinafter with reference to drawings of exemplary embodiments. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of a dispensing assembly according to the invention, 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  shows separate parts of the assembly of  FIG. 1 , 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  shows the syringe holder of  FIG. 2  in the actuated position, 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of an embodiment variant of the syringe holder in the assembly of  FIG. 1 , 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  shows separate parts of the assembly of  FIG. 4 , 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of a second exemplary embodiment of a dispensing assembly according to the invention, 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  shows separate parts of the assembly of  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]      FIG. 1  shows a first exemplary embodiment of an assembly  1  according to the invention including a syringe holder  2 , two syringes  3  and  4 , and an outlet adapter  5 . In  FIG. 2 , the separate parts are illustrated, the syringes  3  and  4  in this exemplary embodiment having dispensing plungers  6  and  7  with thrust plates  8  and  9  and non-represented pistons. In the present case, the outlet adapter consists of two entrance portions  10  and  11  that are fitted onto the syringe outlets  3 A and  4 A and lead to a mixer  12  that may e.g. have a Luer-Lock outlet  13 . Instead of a mixer, another outlet portion such as e.g. a spray head, a cannula or the like may be provided on the adapter. 
         [0015]    Syringe holder  2  shown in  FIG. 2  is made in one piece and preferably from synthetic material and essentially comprises two functional elements, namely a fastening portion  14  and an actuating portion  15 . Fastening portion  14  has a flange  16  in each side of which a respective slot  17  for receiving the retaining flanges  18  and  19  of the syringes is arranged. On the outlet side, slots  17  are followed by respective snap guides  20  and  21  having an overequatorial circumference such that respective syringe containers  3 B and  4 B may be snapped in place therein. By slots  17  for the axial retention of the syringe containers, on one hand, and the snap guides for their lateral retention, on the other hand, a secure hold of the syringes is ensured. 
         [0016]    On the other side of the retaining flange, actuating portion  15  is arranged which is preferably made from synthetic material and comprises five parts that are interconnected in a hinge-like manner. Seen from fastening flange  16 , the actuating portion comprises two pairs of articulated parts  22  and  23  and  24  and  25 , respectively, that are connected to each other by respective hinges  26  and  27 . At one end, the articulated parts are connected via respective additional hinges  28  and  29  to a thumb rest  30  and at the other end by respective hinges  31  and  32  to fastening flange  16 , the hinges in the present case being thinner portions between the articulated parts or between the articulated parts and the fastening portion. In the present example, the actuating portion is designed as a parallelogram. 
         [0017]    In  FIG. 3  it is schematically shown how actuating portion  15  is folded under the action of a pressure P. In this regard it is pointed out that the pressure applied by the thumb rest to the two thrust plates  8  and  9  is guided by the actuating portion in such a manner that a uniform, synchronous, and essentially linear discharge in the direction of the longitudinal axes of the syringes is ensured, thereby automatically guiding the plungers in parallel to one another. 
         [0018]    In  FIGS. 4 and 5 , an embodiment variant of the syringe holder is illustrated where syringe holder  33  has the same articulated parts  22  to  25  and hinges  26  to  29  as well as  31  and  32  and thumb rest  30 , but fastening flange  34  has a longer slot  35  in which both retaining flanges  18  and  19  of the syringes are received. Also, the two snap guides  36  are so designed that the two syringes, previously joined by means of the adapter, may be inserted one after another and fastened. In  FIG. 5 , the two parts, i.e. syringe holder  33  and the assembled syringes  3  and  4 , are illustrated separately, and in  FIG. 4 , these two parts are inserted and ready for dispensing. The remaining parts including the mixer are the same as in the preceding exemplary embodiment. 
         [0019]    In the second exemplary embodiment of a dispensing assembly  37  of the invention according to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , holder  38  is the same as that according to  FIGS. 1 and 2  with the difference that on the inner side of thumb rest  39 , two plungers  40  and  41  are arranged which act upon respective pistons  42  and  43  of syringes  44  and  45 . In this manner, during dispensing, the pressure is again uniformly applied from thumb rest  39  to the ends  46 ,  47  of the plungers attached thereto. The remaining parts of the syringe holder, i.e. the fastening flange and the articulated parts, may be the same as according to  FIGS. 1  or  2  or according to  FIGS. 4  or  5 . The operation of dispensing assembly  37  is also the same as in the first exemplary embodiment, the plungers being uniformly and safely guided in parallel to one another. 
         [0020]    Based on the disclosed exemplary embodiments, it is possible to provide syringe holders and adapters that are designed for more than two syringes and allow simultaneously and uniformly dispensing all syringes. It is also possible to provide an actuating portion having more than two respective articulated parts which also essentially act as a parallelogram.