Adapter

Abstract: The adapter (1) to be attached onto an outlet (2) of a dispensing means such as a mixing device (3), comprises a connecting part (5) for the attachment to the said outlet and an outlet portion (4) to which other parts can be connected or which can be a specially formed outlet by itself. Said connecting part (5) comprises a cylindrical or an approximately frusto-conical internal surface part (6) having a self-cutting thread for attachment onto an external surface of said outlet of a mixing device or other dispensing device. Such an adapter can be easily attached to the outlet of a standard static or dynamic mixer or other dispensing device having preferably a stepped external surface, thus eliminating the necessity to keep an inventory of mixers with different outlets or outlet connections.

Description: The present invention refers to an adapter, in particular to an adapter of the LUER lock type according to the introduction of claim 1. Adapters of the LUER lock type are known, in particular for adapting a hollow needle or other tip on the nozzle of a dispensing apparatus or its following mixing device. Such known needles, tips or other devices, however, have a particular connecting part, necessitating a corresponding particularly formed end piece on the nozzle. This obligation to use exactly corresponding pieces limits severely the utility of such needles or tips in connection with static mixers or other dispensing nozzles and leads to multiple storage of mixing devices or other dispensing devices with regular outlet ends and such with Luer lock or other special connection ends. US-A-5 249 716 discloses a caulking nozzle assembly with a flexible caulk dispensing tube on which a curved angle guide tube can be fitted. The caulk cannister includes a spout dispenser on which the dispensing tube can be attached by a separate attaching nut. This attaching nut includes a threaded section and is made of a material which is harder than the spout so that the spout is sell-threaded when the assembly is mated thereto. Also disclosed are some step down threads for enabling the connection to spouts of different diameters. However, these few step down threads allow only a limited variety of diameters and, having only one, relatively short threaded section, the mating is not always in correct alignment and/or secure. DE-A-1 486 663 discloses a gelatine capsule with a dispensing means, wherein the dispensing means is a hollow needle with a connecting part having an internal thread with which the needle is screwed onto the capsule. The connecting part is also provided with a needle to perforate the capsule. It is, based on this prior art, the object of the invention to provide an adapter which is simpler to fabricate yet can be fastened on a relatively greater variation of different kinds and forms of stepped, in general standardized outlets of mixers and other dispensing devices without exactly corresponding connecting parts on one hand and enables a correct, secure and aligned connection on the other hand. This object is achieved with an adapter according to independent claim 1. The invention is explained in more detail hereinafter with reference to a drawing of embodiments. Fig. 1 shows in a sectional view a static mixer, Fig. 2 shows in a sectional view a first embodiment of an adapter according to the invention, Fig. 3 shows in a sectional view the adapter of Fig. 2 on the outlet of the static mixer of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 shows in a sectional view a second embodiment of an adapter according to the invention, Fig. 5A shows in a sectional view a variant of the adapter of Fig. 4, Fig. 5B shows a cross-section according to the line V-V in Fig. 5A, Fig. 6 shows a variant of the adapter of Fig. 2, Fig. 7 shows in a sectional view a fourth embodiment of an adapter according to the invention on the outlet of the static mixer of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows a static mixer 3 according to the state of the art and in commerce for many years, having an outlet end 2 with a stepped external surface 8, having several steps, for example four steps. Fig. 2 shows a first embodiment of an adapter 1. Whilst the outlet portion 4 of this first embodiment is similar to a LUER lock type socket, the inner surface 7 of its connecting part 5 is in difference to the known adapters provided with a frusto-conical part having a self-cutting thread 6 and is shaped similarly to the stepped external surface 8 of the mixing device, the self-cutting thread 6 being located at the central part of the inner surface 7. This allows an exact guiding of the adapter by its portions 7A and 7B of the inner surface adjacent to the threaded part 6 on the corresponding stepped sections of the external surface 8 of the mixing device. Preferably, the adapter according to the invention is injection molded and made of a harder plastics material than the material of the outlet the adapter is to be fitted on. The outlet portion 4 of this embodiment of an adapter which is the same as known from the LUER lock adapter, comprises an outlet piece 9 with an internal thread 10 and a slightly conical central tip 11, this outlet portion 4 being designed for receiving a hollow needle, or any other objects known to be connected to this kind of LUER lock adapter. Instead of the shown Luer lock device a thread or a bayonet type connection can be used, the outlet portion comprising in this case the socket part of it. Fig. 3 shows the adapter 1 of Fig. 2 fastened to the static mixer 3 of Fig. 1 wherein the self-cutting thread 6 has cut a corresponding thread into the external stepped surface 8 of the static mixer 1. Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of the invention wherein the outlet tip 19 is provided with retaining ribs 20 for the attachment of a hose or the like conducting means. The other parts of the adapter 21 may be the same as in Fig. 2. Fig. 5A shows a variant of the embodiment of Fig. 4 wherein the outlet tip 19 has no retaining ribs but is nevertheless also adapted for the attachment of a hose or the like conducting means. The other parts of the adapter 21 may be the same as in Fig. 2. Fig. 5B is a cross-section of tip 19 of Fig. 5A and illustrates that the cross-section of the opening 22 of outlet tip 19 of the adapter, or of a tip fixed thereon, need not to be circular and can be either rectangular as shown or have any other cross-section like triangular, square, oval or have any other shape. Fig. 6 shows a third embodiment of the invention as variant of Fig. 1 and 2 in that the central outlet tip 23 is not provided with retaining ribs. For the attachment of a hose or the like the internal surface of outlet piece 24 is provided with an internal thread 25, which could be replaced by a socket for a bayonet type connection. The other parts of the adapter 26 may be the same as in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 shows a fourth embodiment of the adapter according to the invention, also fastened to the outlet of a mixing device 3. The connecting part 5 of adapter 27 is the same as of the previously shown adapters, whereas its outlet portion comprises a central tip 28 having near the connecting part a circular groove 29 for receiving the end 30 of a snap-on retaining ring 31 having an internal thread 32, which could also be replaced by a socket for a bayonet type connection. The snap on retaining ring allows the fastening of a hollow needle or other outlet devices as according to the first embodiment. Instead of the said snap-on ring other parts may be received by the circular groove, in particular different tips as disclosed in the European Patent Application No. 579,889 of the same applicant. In this embodiment the outlet portion can also be provided instead of an internal thread 32 with a socket for a bayonet type connection. It is understood that the connecting part of the adapter need not necessarily have the exact shape as shown in the Figures. Thus, the internal self-cutting thread which is generally provided on a frusto-conical internal surface part could also be applied on a cylindrical internal surface part. Moreover, the adapter which is particularly suited for a standardized stepped external surface of a static mixer with cylindrical steps, can also be fastened on a generally slightly conical surface having less pronounced steps or only one step. Also there need not be necessarily two guiding surfaces 7A and 7B, one may be ommited. Said guiding surfaces are, if adapted to the stepped external surface of the mixer outlet also cylindrical, but in a variant said guiding surfaces may by slightly conical. Furthermore, it might be advantageous to provide for more than one threaded internal surfaces, that is, internal surface 7A and/or 7B can be threaded also. It follows from the description of the embodiments that such an adapter can be easily attached to a great variety of outlets of dispensing apparatus or in particular to the outlet end of static or dynamic mixers or the like, whereby the outlet portion of the adapter can be conceived independently from its connecting part, thus enabling a greater variation of use of different kinds of outlet attachments or cross-sections without the necessity to have on inventory a great number of static mixers or other dispensing devices with different end configurations.

Claims: An adapter to be attached to an outlet (2) of a mixing device (3) or dispensing device, wherein the external surface of the outlet (2) is stepped, the adapter comprising a connecting part (5) for the attachment to the outlet (2) of the mixing device (3) or dispensing device ending with a step into an outlet portion (4) of said adapter for receiving further outlet means or being formed as outlet, whereby the integrally formed connecting part (5) comprises a stepped internal surface (7) having a self-cutting thread (6) thereon for attachment onto the external surface (8) of the outlet of the mixing or dispensing device, the self-cutting thread being provided in the central region of the internal surface with at least one adjacent stepped part (7A, 7B) acting as guide for cooperating with the external, stepped surface (8) of the outlet (2) of the mixing (3) or dispensing device. The adapter of claim 1, characterized in that the stepped internal surface (7) of the connecting part (5) and/or the stepped external surface (8) of the outlet (2) of the mixing (3) or dispensing device are/is frusto-conical. The adapter of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the outlet portion (4) of the adapter is similar to the socket part of a LUER lock adapter. The adapter of claim 2 for a static mixer, characterized in that the connecting part of the adapter is provided with two adjacent guiding parts (7A, 7B) and that the outlet portion (4) of the adapter is similar to the socket part of a LUER lock adapter. The adapter of claim 1, characterized in that its outlet portion (4) comprises an outlet tip (19) having retaining ribs (20) for the attachment of a hose. The adapter according to claim 5, characterized in that its outlet portion (4) is designed for the attachment of a hose or the like conducting means, comprising a central outlet tip (23, 28) and concentrical thereto an outlet piece (24) having an internal thread (32) or being formed as a socket for a bayonet type connection. The adapter according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that its outlet portion comprises a central tip (28) formed as outlet having a circular groove for receiving a snap-on attachment means (31). The adapter according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that its outlet portion comprises a central tip (28) formed as outlet having a circular groove (29) on which a snap-on retaining ring (31) is removably fastened, the ring having at its outlet end an internal thread (32) or being formed as a socket for a bayonet type connection. The adapter according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the cross-section of the opening of the outlet of the adapter or the piece connected thereto is either cylindrical, rectangular, square, triangular or oval. The use of the adapter of claim 1 attached to an outlet of a mixing device or dispensing device having a stepped external surface, characterized in that the connecting part (5) of the adapter is injection molded of harder plastics material than the outlet (2) of the mixing (3) or dispensing device.

Inventors: KELLER WILHELM A, KELLER, WILHELM A.
Applicants: MIXPAC SYSTEMS AG
Application year: 1995
Main classification: B05C17
IPC codes: B05C17