Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of German Patent Application DE 10 2010 035 993.9 filed Sep. 1, 2010, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention pertains to a filling system for an anesthetic dispenser. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    A filling system for an anesthetic dispenser has become known from DE 10 2004 063 883 B3. To be able to fill anesthetic into an anesthetic evaporator, a bottle adapter is needed, which makes the connection between the reservoir for liquid anesthetic and the filling device at the anesthetic evaporator. At the bottle-side end of the bottle adapter, a threaded sleeve is provided, which has two grooves for mounting an index collar attached to the neck of the reservoir. The index collar is coded anesthetic-specific, so that only the bottle adapter fitting the reservoir can be screwed onto the bottle thread. 
         [0004]    An anesthetic-specific coding in the form of an outer polygonal course, which meshes with a corresponding inner polygonal course at the filling connection piece of the filling device, is likewise provided at the adapter neck of the bottle adapter. 
         [0005]    The outlet connection piece of the bottle adapter is closed by means of a spring-loaded adapter valve, so that no anesthetic can leak into the environment. A corresponding fill valve is provided at the filling device. On the inner wall of the filling connection piece are attached inwardly directed rods, which mesh with corresponding slots at the outlet connection piece of the bottle adapter and actuate the adapter valve upon pressing the reservoir. The interplay between the bottle adapter and the filling device is designed such that first the fill valve at the filling device opens and then the adapter valve at the bottle adapter opens. Liquid anesthetic can then flow from the reservoir into the tank of the anesthetic evaporator. Reference is expressly made to the entire disclosure content of DE 10 2004 063 883 B3, which is part of this patent application (corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 7,287,561 is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety). 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    A basic object of the present invention is to provide a filling system for an anesthetic dispenser with an additional coding possibility. 
         [0007]    According to the invention, a filling system is provided for an anesthetic dispenser. The filling system comprises an anesthetic evaporator, a bottle adapter having an adapter neck and an outlet connection piece comprising a slot running in the radial direction and a central opening connected to the slot. A filling device is provided at the anesthetic evaporator with a filling connection piece for mounting the adapter neck. A rod structure is fastened to the filling connection piece. The rod structure includes a rod extending radially from a center and meshing with the central opening. 
         [0008]    The rod structure may comprises a spoked wheel configuration including the rod and a central flange. The slots may comprise a slot structure with a spoked wheel configuration at the outlet connection piece of the bottle adapter. The flange may be designed corresponding to the central opening. The central opening may comprise an extension of the slot. 
         [0009]    The spoked wheel configuration of the rod structure may comprise the rod and additional rods and the flange as a central punctiform portion or a virtual connection point, at which the rods converge in a center of the filling connection piece. 
         [0010]    Provisions are made according to the present invention to provide a central opening, on the front side of the outlet connection piece of the bottle adapter, which is connected to the lateral slots. On the inner wall of the filling connection piece are fastened rods, pointing radially inwards, which preferably protrude at right angles from the inner wall and whose length is dimensioned, such that they mesh both with the slots and with the opening. Instead of the preferred plurality of rods, at least one rod is present. With a rod length designed in this way, bottle adapters, which do not have a central opening on the front side of the bottle adapter, can no longer be inserted into the filling device. If, by contrast, the rod length is dimensioned such that the rods lie exclusively in the lateral slots, bottle adapters both with front-side and without front-side opening can be used. It is especially advantageous that the coding provided according to the present invention is downwards-compatible with the solution known from DE 10 2004 063 883 B3, such that filling devices and bottle adapters that are present can continue to be used. As alternatives to a central opening, the slots may also be continued or extended towards the center, or widen towards the center. These and equally acting solutions are also expressly intended to be covered by patent protection. 
         [0011]    It is especially advantageous to design the rod as a spoked wheel with a central flange and to design the slots at the outlet connection piece of the bottle adapter and front-side opening corresponding to the spoked wheel and to the flange. The spoked wheel consists of individual rods, which are directed towards the center of the filling connection piece and are connected to one another in the center via the flange. Additional codings can be created via the diameter of the flange and the inside diameter of the opening. The flange may either have a circular design or it is only a connection point, which connects the spokes to one another. As an alternative, the flange may be a virtual connection point, at which the spokes converge in the center. 
         [0012]    It also lies within the framework of the present invention that the bottle adapter does not have a threaded sleeve, but rather is rigidly connected to the reservoir for liquid anesthetic or is directly flanged to the reservoir. 
         [0013]    An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown in the drawings and explained in detail below. The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    In the drawings: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an anesthetic dispenser with a filling device for anesthetic according to the invention, and showing a bottle adapter according to the invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a bottle adapter according to the state of the art; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a bottle adapter according to the present invention; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a top view showing a filling device according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0019]    Referring to the drawings in particular,  FIG. 1  shows as an example an anesthetic dispenser  21  with a filling device  20  for anesthetic. A reservoir  30  for liquid anesthetic is provided with a bottle adapter  1 , which has an adapter neck  5 . For the filling process the adapter neck  5  is inserted into the filling device  20  and the reservoir  30  is pressed in the direction of the filling device  20 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a bottle adapter  1  according to the state of the art, as disclosed in DE 10 2004 063 883 B3. The bottle adapter  1  has a threaded sleeve  2  on its bottom side for screwing onto the reservoir  30  ( FIG. 1 ). The reservoir  30  has an anesthetic-specific index collar (not shown in detail), which is inserted into mounting grooves  3  of the threaded sleeve  2 . Thus, only one bottle adapter  1  belonging to the anesthetic can be screwed onto the reservoir  30 . The screwing motion is hereby facilitated by means of recessed grips  4  above the threaded sleeve  2 . An adapter neck  5  with an O-ring  6  is located at the upper end of the bottle adapter  1 . The upper end of the bottle adapter  1  has an outer polygonal course  7  for anesthetic-specific coding as well as an outlet connection piece  8  with radially running slots  9 . The connection piece top side  10  is designed as a star-shaped body  11 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  illustrates a bottle adapter  100  according to the present invention. Identical components are provided with identical reference numbers of  FIG. 2 . The bottle adapter  100  has an outlet connection piece  80  with radially running slots  90 . A connection piece top side  110  includes a shaped body  111 . The fact that the shaped body  111  has a central opening  29  in the area of the connection piece surface  110  is different from the bottle adapter  1  according to  FIG. 2 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  illustrates the filling device  20  in detailed sections. The filling device  20  has a filling connection piece  22  with a cylindrical sealing surface  23  and a lead-in bevel  24  for the O-ring of the bottle adapter  1 ,  100 . With the bottle adapter  1 ,  100  inserted, the O-ring  6  lies against the sealing surface  23  of the filling connection piece  22 . In the filling connection piece  22  is arranged an inner polygonal course  27 , which is designed corresponding to the outer polygonal course  7  of the bottle adapter  1 ,  100 . On the inner wall of the filling connection piece  22  are fastened radially inwards directed rods  26 , which are designed as a spoked wheel  25  with a flange  28  mounted in the center. The rods  26  mesh with the slots  9  of the bottle adapter  100  according to the present invention and the flange  28  lies in the area of the opening  29  and is designed corresponding to the opening  29  in terms of diameter. When the reservoir  30  is pressed against the filling device  20 , a fill valve (not shown in detail) within the filling device is opened through the connection piece top side and the rods  26  bring about that an adapter valve (not shown in detail) in the bottle adapter  100  is opened, so that anesthetic can flow from the reservoir  30  into the anesthetic dispenser  21 . Upon completion of the filling process, first the adapter valve closes, so that any residual amounts of anesthetic within the filling connection piece  22  can flow out into the tank of the anesthetic dispenser  21 . Then the fill valve is closed and the bottle adapter  100  can be removed from the filling connection piece  22 . 
         [0023]    By contrast, the bottle adapter  1  shown in  FIG. 2  cannot be used in the filling device  20  according to  FIG. 4 , since the spoked wheel  25  lies with the flange  28  on the filling connection piece  22  and the rods  26  cannot be inserted into the slots  11  of the connection piece top side  10 . A filling of the anesthetic dispenser  21  is not possible with the bottle adapter  1 , even though it would be compatible with regard to its anesthetic-specific coding. 
         [0024]    While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                 APPENDIX 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 List of Reference Numbers 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 1 
                 Bottle adapter 
               
               
                 2 
                 Threaded sleeve 
               
               
                 3 
                 Mounting groove 
               
               
                 4 
                 Recessed grip 
               
               
                 5 
                 Adapter neck 
               
               
                 6 
                 O-ring 
               
               
                 7 
                 Outer polygonal course 
               
               
                 8 
                 Outlet connection piece 
               
               
                 9 
                 Slot 
               
               
                 10 
                 Connection piece top side 
               
               
                 11 
                 Star-shaped body 
               
               
                 20 
                 Filling device 
               
               
                 21 
                 Anesthetic dispenser 
               
               
                 22 
                 Filling connection piece 
               
               
                 23 
                 Sealing surface 
               
               
                 24 
                 Lead-in bevel 
               
               
                 25 
                 Spoked wheel 
               
               
                 26 
                 Rod 
               
               
                 27 
                 Inner polygonal course 
               
               
                 28 
                 Flange 
               
               
                 29 
                 Opening 
               
               
                 30 
                 Reservoir 
               
               
                 80 
                 Outlet connection piece 
               
               
                 90 
                 Slot 
               
               
                 100 
                 Bottle adapter 
               
               
                 110 
                 Connection piece top side 
               
               
                 111 
                 Shaped body

Technology Category: 1