Abstract:
A dispensing apparatus is suitable for the reception of a collapsible cartridge including a dispensable medium. The cartridge and the sleeve can be arranged with respect to one another such that the sleeve can support a cartridge wall of the cartridge in at least one section thereof during dispensing of the medium. A length of the sleeve can be changed substantially parallel to a dispensing direction.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a U.S. National Stage Application of International Application No. PCT/EP2014/071608, filed Oct. 9, 2014, which claims priority to European Application No. 13190743.8, filed Oct. 29, 2013, the contents of each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0003]    The invention relates to a sleeve, to a dispensing apparatus and to a method for dispensing a medium out of a cartridge. 
         [0004]    2. Background Information 
         [0005]    Cartridges are frequently used in an industrial setting, such as in the construction sector, for example on the construction of buildings and/or structures, as well as in the dental field, in order to store flowable substances and to dispense these as required for the respective application. Examples of such substances are caulking compounds, compounds for chemical dowels or chemical anchors, adhesives, pastes or impression compounds in the dental field. These cartridges are typically made of plastic and are produced in an injection molded process. 
         [0006]    One differentiates between one component systems in which the material to be dispensed is only composed of one component and two-component or multi-component systems in which at least two different components are stored in separate chambers of the same cartridge or in separate cartridges, wherein the components are mixed on dispensing by a dynamic mixing apparatus or of a static mixing apparatus. An example of this is a two-component adhesive which only hardens once the two components have been mixed. 
         [0007]    From the WO 2011/131483 A1 a cartridge capable of standing is known having at least one reception chamber for a medium to be dispensed extending in the longitudinal direction, comprising a cartridge base and comprising a cartridge wall which bound the reception chamber, wherein the cartridge is produced by means of a thermo forming process or a blow molding process and is configured collapsible in a controllable manner. 
         [0008]    However, under some circumstances this known prior art has the effect that the cartridge can break, burst, bulge or can be inflated on a collapsing of the cartridge for a dispensing of the medium by the exerted pressure, whereby an increased residual volume can remain in the cartridges and at the same time a cleaning of the support cartridge from residue possibly becomes necessary. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    For this reason, it is an object of the present invention to avoid the disadvantages of the known art, in particular to thus provide a sleeve, a dispensing apparatus and a method for dispensing a medium out of the cartridge by which a breaking, a bursting or an inflating of the cartridge can be avoided as far as possible during the dispensing. 
         [0010]    These objects are satisfied by the sleeve, the dispensing apparatus and the corresponding method in accordance with the independent claims. 
         [0011]    The dependent claims relate to particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention. 
         [0012]    The invention relates to a sleeve for a dispensing apparatus. The dispensing apparatus is suitable for the reception of a collapsible cartridge including a dispensable medium. The cartridge and the sleeve are arranged with respect to one another such that the sleeve can support a cartridge wall of the cartridge at least in one section thereof during a dispensing of the medium. A length of the sleeve can be changed substantially in parallel to a dispensing direction. 
         [0013]    This configuration has the advantage that during the dispensing of the medium the sleeve can support and/or stabilize the cartridge wall substantially at a side of the dispensing direction, so that a breaking or even a bursting of the cartridge can be prevented on dispensing for a reliable dispensing of the medium. By way of the variability of the length of the sleeve it can be ensured that the sleeve does not or possibly only insignificantly influences the dispensing on a collapsing of the cartridge for dispensing the medium. Thus, a dispensing of the medium from the cartridge can take place more reliably, wherein a subsequent demand in cleaning can possibly be further minimized which makes the handling more efficient and more cost-effective. Furthermore, a reproducibility of the dispensed amount of the medium can be improved by a far reaching prevention of the inflation of the cartridge. Hereby a more reliable and more reproducible mixing result can be achieved. This is in particular advantageous on the use of frustoconical cartridges in cylindrical support cartridges. 
         [0014]    The collapsible cartridge can have a receiving volume for the medium in the range of 10 ml to 1000 ml, preferably of 25 ml to 600 ml and particularly preferably of 50 ml to 300 ml. 
         [0015]    The sleeve is preferably configured in such a way that a pressure exerted on the sleeve substantially perpendicular to the dispensing direction by a dispensing of the medium can be in the range of 1 bar to 30 bar, preferably of 5 to 25 bar, particularly preferably of 10 to 20 bar. 
         [0016]    The length of the sleeve can preferably be changed in a reversible manner. This has the advantage that the sleeve can be used a multiple of times and possibly can be set to different lengths of cartridges. 
         [0017]    A protective cover is preferably arranged at the side of the sleeve facing the cartridge. The protective cover is in particular configured as a protective film. The protective cover is arranged at least in a section between the sleeve and the cartridge on a correct use thereof. 
         [0018]    The protective cover is preferably arranged in a removable manner. 
         [0019]    The arrangement of the protective cover in at least one section between the sleeve and the cartridge has the advantage that the sleeve can be protected from residues of the medium to be dispensed so that this can be used reliably a multiple of times. In particular, the use of a removable protective cover has the advantage that the protective cover can possibly be exchanged as required. Hereby the lifetime of the sleeve can be improved. 
         [0020]    Naturally, it is also plausible to fixedly connect the protective cover to the sleeve. This has the advantage that operating errors can be avoided and that the protective cover can be matched well to the corresponding sleeve. 
         [0021]    The sleeve preferably comprises at least two sleeve segments which are arranged movable relative to one another for a change of the length. 
         [0022]    The sleeve segments are preferably arranged displaceable with respect to one another with reference to a direction substantially in parallel to the dispensing direction. The sleeve segments can in particular be pushed into one another. Such an arrangement is also referred to as a boxed sleeve. 
         [0023]    The design of the sleeve having at least two sleeve segments which can be moved with respect to one another and/or can be displaced has the advantage that the sleeve can be produced simply and more cost-effectively and can be matched well to the different requirements with respect to the use of the cartridge and/or of the dispensing apparatus, for example by a selection of the size and/or of the number of the sleeve segments. 
         [0024]    The at least two sleeve segments are preferably coupled to one another in such a way that the sleeve segments can be displaced with respect to one another by at most the shorter of the segment lengths of the at least two sleeve segments with reference to a movement substantially opposite to the dispensing direction, in particular starting from the shortest possible length of the sleeve on a correct use of the sleeve. 
         [0025]    This configuration has the advantage that the sleeve segments do not have to be moved so far relative to one another such that support can no longer be ensured by the sleeve. The coupling can, for example, take place through a locking of the sleeve segments to one another with reference to a movement substantially opposite to the dispensing direction. The sleeve segments preferably have hooks arranged such that adjacent sleeve segments can be coupled to one another and can be displaced relative to one another, wherein the hooks are in particular configured as projections arranged substantially perpendicular to the dispensing direction, wherein the hooks are preferably formed in one piece with the sleeve segments. Alternatively, additional coupling elements, such as tracks, frames or coupling transmissions can naturally be provided. 
         [0026]    A segment transition region from a sleeve segment to an adjacent sleeve segment preferably has a curvature and/or a chamfer at the side facing the cartridge such that a damaging of the cartridge wall can substantially be avoided on dispensing. 
         [0027]    This has the advantage in particular on the use of thin walled cartridges possibly produced by a thermo forming process or a blow molding process that the cartridge wall is subjected to very high loads, in particular due to the movement of the sleeve segment in the segment transition region. 
         [0028]    A curvature and/or a chamfer of the segment transition region in the sense of this application is in this connection understood such that edges are possibly formed by areal sections of the segment transition region which can be in contact with the cartridge on a correct use thereof, with the areal sections including an obtuse angle or a reflex angle. In this connection, the angle is determined between the aerial sections at the side facing the cartridge. Particularly, preferably the regions of the segment transition region which can be in contact with the cartridge on a correct use thereof are configured substantially continuous and differentiable. A substantially continuous and differentiable region in the sense of the application is understood such that the region has no kink points or jumps at which a derivation about the kink point to the right is not equal to a derivation to the left in a mathematical sense. In this sense, for example, the function f(x)=|x| is not differentiable at the position x=0. 
         [0029]    A protective device is preferably arranged in at least one segment transition region and preferably in all segment transition regions at the side facing the cartridge. The protective device is in particular configured as a ring which is preferably flexible or elastic. 
         [0030]    This configuration has the advantage that the probability of damaging of the cartridge can be significantly reduced in the segment transition regions during the dispensing. 
         [0031]    A sleeve segment is preferably produced from a plastic. The sleeve is in particular produced from plastic. For example, fiber-glass reinforced plastics or carbon fiber reinforced plastics or arbitrary mixtures thereof can be used. 
         [0032]    This configuration has the advantage that the sleeve can be produced more cost-effectively and can possibly be configured as a disposable part. 
         [0033]    A sleeve segment is preferably formed from a metal. The sleeve is in particular formed from a metal. For example, aluminum, steel or metal alloys can be used. 
         [0034]    This configuration has the advantage that an increased longevity of the sleeve segment or possibly of the sleeve can be achieved which amongst other things reduces waste material. 
         [0035]    The sleeve preferably expands in the dispensing direction. The sleeve in particular expands conically and is preferably configured as a truncated cone. This configuration has the advantage of an improved controllable collapsibility of the cartridge. 
         [0036]    A further aspect of the present invention relates to a dispensing apparatus comprising a support cartridge for the reception of the cartridge. The dispensing apparatus further comprises a sleeve as described above. 
         [0037]    The sleeve is preferably releasably connectable at and/or in the support cartridge. This configuration has the advantage that the sleeve can be exchanged in dependence on the cartridge used. Moreover, it is possible to exchange a possibly damaged sleeve without having to exchange the dispensing apparatus. 
         [0038]    The sleeve can preferably be coupled and/or decoupled to a dispensing plunger in particular for the reversible change of the length of the sleeve. This has the ad-vantage that the sleeve can be brought into a start position in a simple manner for an operator for inserting a new cartridge into the dispensing apparatus. 
         [0039]    A further aspect of the present invention relates to a method for the dispensing of a medium from a collapsible cartridge by a dispensing apparatus. The dispensing apparatus is in particular configured as described above. The method comprises the step of providing the dispensing apparatus having a support cartridge for receiving the cartridge. The dispensing apparatus further has a dispensing plunger. A sleeve is fastened, in particular releasably fastened at and/or in the support cartridge, wherein the cartridge and the sleeve are arranged with respect to one another in such a way that the sleeve supports a cartridge wall of the cartridge in at least one section thereof during a dispensing of the medium. A length of the sleeve can be changed substantially in parallel to a dispensing direction. 
         [0040]    Subsequently, the step of dispensing the medium out of the collapsible cartridge takes place by means of the dispensing apparatus by moving the dispensing plunger along the dispensing direction to an outlet side. During the movement of the dispensing plunger the length of the sleeve is reduced, with the cartridge wall being supported at least in one section thereof by the sleeve. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0041]    The invention will be explained in more detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings. 
           [0042]      FIG. 1  is a schematic illustration of a dispensing apparatus in accordance with the invention; 
           [0043]      FIG. 2  is a perspective illustration of a cartridge for use in a dispensing apparatus in accordance with  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0044]      FIG. 3A  is a schematic illustration of an alternative dispensing apparatus in accordance with the invention; 
           [0045]      FIG. 4A-4C  are schematic illustrations of sleeve segments in different positions with respect to one another; 
           [0046]      FIG. 5A  is a perspective illustration of the dispensing apparatus in accordance with  FIG. 1  in a first position; 
           [0047]      FIG. 6  is a perspective illustration of the dispensing apparatus in accordance with  FIG. 1  in a second position; 
           [0048]      FIG. 7A-7B  are schematic illustrations of alternative sleeve segments in accordance with the invention having curvatures and chamfers; 
           [0049]      FIG. 8  is a perspective illustration of two cartridges for a dispensing apparatus; and 
           [0050]      FIG. 9  is a perspective illustration of a dispensing apparatus for the two cartridges in accordance with  FIG. 8 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0051]      FIG. 1  shows a dispensing apparatus  2  in accordance with the invention in a schematic illustration. 
         [0052]    The dispensing apparatus  2  in accordance with  FIG. 1  is present in a start position prior to the dispensing of a medium from a collapsible cartridge  3  which is arranged in the dispensing apparatus  2 . The dispensing apparatus  2  comprises a support cartridge  10  for the reception of the cartridge  3  which conically expands in the dispensing direction A and in the present case forms a truncated cone. 
         [0053]    A dispensing plunger  7  is partly arranged in the support cartridge  10 , wherein the dispensing plunger  7  can act on the cartridge  3  by an end face through a movement of the dispensing plunger  7  along the dispensing direction A. 
         [0054]    A sleeve  1  is arranged in a support cartridge  10  which surrounds the cartridge to support the cartridge wall  9  at least during the dispensing such that the cartridge  3  does not burst by the pressure exerted on the cartridge  3  for dispensing. 
         [0055]    The sleeve  1  comprises a plurality of sleeve segments  5  which can be displaced with respect to one another with reference to the dispensing direction A and which has a length L. In this connection, the sleeve segments  5  are configured such that they can be pushed into one another in such a way that the collapsible cartridge  3  can be compressed for a dispensing of the medium. 
         [0056]    The sleeve segments  5  have a segment length S. The sleeve segments  5  are coupled to one another in such a way that the sleeve segments  5  can be displaced relative to one another by the smaller of the segment lengths S of the at least two sleeve segments  5  with reference to a movement substantially opposite to the dispensing direction A. 
         [0057]    The dispensing plunger  7  is of two-part design and comprises a first plunger  12  and a second plunger  13 . The second plunger  13  is arranged in the first plunger  12 . 
         [0058]    Pins  14  are arranged in the openings  15  and the depression  16  for coupling and/or decoupling the plunger. Moreover, recesses  17  are arranged in the support cartridge  10 . The pins  14  can be moved into the recesses  15  in a decoupling position. In this case the pins no longer engage into the depression  16  so that a decoupling of the plunger can take place, whereby a residual volume of the medium in the cartridge  3  can be minimized following the dispensing through an outlet (not shown) arranged in the outlet side  11 . A static or dynamic mixing device can be arranged at the outlet side in accordance with the requirements, when, for example, the cartridge  3  includes at least two different components to be mixed as a medium. A feed tube can also alternatively or additionally be arranged for feeding the medium to a position of application. 
         [0059]    A collapsible cartridge  3  such as can be used in the dispensing apparatus in accordance with  FIG. 1  is shown in a perspective illustration in  FIG. 2 . The cartridge  3  has a cartridge base  8  and a cartridge wall  9 . 
         [0060]    The same reference numerals relate to the same features in all of the Figures. 
         [0061]    An alternative dispensing apparatus in accordance with the invention is schematically illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The sleeve segments  5  of the sleeve  1  are made of plastic. 
         [0062]    In contrast to  FIG. 1  a protective film  4  configured as a protective cover is arranged between the collapsible cartridge  3  and the sleeve  1 . In the present case the protective cover moreover has the function of a protective device for the cartridge  3  such that the cartridge  3  can be protected better from damages, in particular in the segment transition regions  6 . For this purpose the protective film  4  is reversibly elastic. 
         [0063]    The dispensing plunger  7  is of one-part design in contrast to the two-part dispensing plunger decouplable in accordance with  FIG. 1 . An outlet  21  is arranged in the outlet side  11  for a dispensing of the medium from the cartridge  3 . 
         [0064]    Two sleeve segments  5  in different relative positions with respect to one another are respectively schematically illustrated by way of sections in the— FIGS. 4A-4C . These sleeve segments  5  can be used, for example, for the formation of the sleeves such as they are shown in the  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 . The sleeves in accordance with  FIG. 3 , for example, comprise seven such sleeve segments for the formation of the sleeve. 
         [0065]    The sleeve segments  5  have projections  18  for hooking the sleeve segments  5  to one another such that the sleeve segments  5  can be displaced relative to one another by at most the shortest of the segment lengths S of the two sleeve segments  5  with reference to a movement substantially opposite to the dispensing direction A. Since the sleeve segments  5  all have the same segment length S in the present example these can be displaced opposite to the dispensing apparatus A by at most the segment length S, starting from the shortest possible length L of the sleeve in the dispensing direction. 
         [0066]    The relative arrangement of the sleeve segments  5  in accordance with  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3  is illustrated in a starting position in  FIG. 4A . An intermediate position of the sleeve segments  5  with respect to one another is shown in  FIG. 4B  and a final position following the dispensing is shown in  FIG. 4C  in accordance with  FIG. 6 . 
         [0067]    The dispensing apparatus  2  in accordance with the invention according to  FIG. 1  is shown in a starting position in a perspective illustrate in  FIG. 5 . The dispensing apparatus  2  in accordance with the invention according to  FIG. 1  is illustrated in a final position in a perspective illustration in  FIG. 6 . The length L of the sleeve  1  in accordance with  FIG. 5  in this connection is larger than the length L of the sleeve  1  in accordance with  FIG. 6 . The sleeve segments  5  were displaced relative to one another during the dispensing of the medium from the collapsible cartridge  3  such that the length L of the sleeve  1  was reduced. 
         [0068]    The length L of the sleeve in accordance with  FIG. 6  substantially corresponds to the segment length S in accordance with  FIG. 1 . 
         [0069]    Sleeve segments having curves  19  and chamfers  20  in accordance with the invention are illustrated in the— FIG. 7A  and  FIG. 7B . The sleeve segment  5  in accordance with  FIG. 7A  has curves  19  at the side facing the cartridge in the segment transition regions, the curves being formed continuous. The sleeve segment  5  in accordance with  FIG. 7B  has chamfers  20  in these segment transition regions, wherein the aerial sections of the sleeve segment having the chamfer  20  form an obtuse angle or a relaxed angle W respectively. 
         [0070]    Two cartridges  3  are illustrated in  FIG. 8  in a perspective illustration for the reception in a dispensing apparatus in accordance with  FIG. 9 . 
         [0071]    The cartridges  3  have outlets  21  which are arranged at the outlet side  11 . Moreover, a fastening apparatus  22 , for example for a static mixer is provided. Naturally also other application apparatuses, such as for example cannulas, can be arranged at the fastening apparatus  21 . 
         [0072]    Typically the two cartridges include two different adhesive components which can be mixed by a static mixer arranged downstream of the outlet  21  at the fastening apparatus  22 . 
         [0073]    In the present case the two cartridges  3  have an equal reception volume for the two components. Naturally, it is also plausible to use cartridges with different reception volumes in accordance with the requirements and the dispensing apparatus used. 
         [0074]    A dispensing apparatus  2  in accordance with the invention is shown in a perspective illustration in  FIG. 9 . 
         [0075]    The dispensing apparatus  2  has a support cartridge  10  designed for the reception of the two cartridges  3 . The dispensing apparatus  2  further comprises a static mixer  23  which can be fastened at the fastening apparatus  22  illustrated in the  FIG. 8 . 
         [0076]    The dispensing apparatus  2  further comprises a drive  24  comprising an electromotor for actuating the dispensing plunger which is not visible in this example. The dispensing apparatus  2  comprises two dispensing plungers for the substantially simultaneous dispensing of the two cartridges  3 . 
         [0077]    The dispensing plungers can be configured as shown in  FIG. 1  or  FIG. 3  in this connection.