US2722218A - Dispenser - Google Patents

Description

'NOV' l, 1955 M. B. MITTLEMAN DISPENSER Filed July 12, 1952 BY @gaf/- TTORNEY United States Patente() The subject invention-relatesto dispense-rsl of the f-type employable for/fthe introduction -roffrnedicinall and hygienic substances into body orifices and more' particularly tol afdisposablefdispenser whichmayalso'fbevused as the "i packaging forfthe substance.

The need has long been felt for1 asim'ple;4v disposable,

'readily operable devicel Aforithe 1introduction`bf= principally creamsy andi jell-ies into-body orifices and more' particularly for vaginal use. i DisposabilitylfisAv al desirablelattribute lof the'device sincewhen usedfinf connection-with-in `fectiousdiseases the fact fthat it--may"-be'fdiscaided'vfter onev use obviates the possibility of reinfectionr-which exists 1 whenl reusable dispensersiareemployed. yfThe\problem is twofold. First, itisnecessary to-provide adevicelwhich will introducethe substancewithinithebody at afdistan'ce 1^ from the manipulationfpoint'and-seconclly,fthel device -must be of su'ch simple and inexpensive constructionthat problem,-while they' have in some-instances'AresultedFin patents,` havevfailed principally by `-reason of the `fact that where the material ofthe dispenser `wast-:heap enough to warranty its'disposal after one use-,'such\material wasnot a sufficiently good-container for 'therapeuticsubstances.

An o bject of the present invention-is'to provide aAdisposable dispenser fori thel introduction lof 'therapeutic subfstances intobody 'cavities whiehfis easyto manipulate 'and which provides'a'dependable package for "the-'substance prior to its use.

- Another object thereof `is the 'provisions of a* disposable dispenser l for the introduction of therapeutic substances into body cavities which may/bemadesimplyandeconomically.

*The Aabove and-other objects are-accomplished-by-inner and outer tubes telescopically assoeiated,"fthere^beingin- 'serted vwithin the outertube adeform'able container, a portion of \`vvhich-exter`1dsV frorn`the'openendifthereoffand which extended portion' just lprior -to -use may be -m-anu- 'ally' `opened to provide passage| for the' expulsion -of *the y'-contents ylof'such deformable container, -thef-inneretube Vacting as a piStOn'WhiCh-may be mov`ed-against the 'closed be a soft met'allic'tube. Theftop off-the outertubemay be turned inwardly orhavey a collar-'secured' thereto--so as to prevent the container from being pushdtherefrom when'theinner tube-.is pressed against` the container. 'f The upper portion of thev inner tube 'which'imakescontact 'with the bottom of the container lmay be-inturned--or may be a solid wall `so as to insure a broad-areafcontact between said inner tube and the bottom of said container.

Alternately, aspacer' mayl be placedl within the outer,

tube, betweentlie container and'the top of the inner tube so as to provide such broad-area contact. Modifications as ymore-fully hereinafter explained, maybe made to permit the employment; of theedevicei'to store; andrtheneect 2,722,218 @Patented Nov. 1, 1955 rice fOther-'objectsrand afu1leruderstadingflthefpresent invention'l may be f hadf `by "referring to gthe-following ifdesoriptionf and'jclaims,1takenineconjunctionflwith" theaceornpanyingI drawings=-which iillustrate a -pr'eferredferhbodi- 5 hment thereof; it being-understood/tiratithetforegoing'state- -ment of the objectsioffthelinventionl andthevbri'ef sum- -fmary thereof` are intended -torgenerallyexplainthersame @without limitingitin any manner.

l0 :fthepresent-invention; portions being broken away-to show internal construction.

Fig.f.2 is a similar view loffamodificationthereof.

iFg; 3 is a similar view ofanothermodificatientheref.

Referring to -fthe drawing; a preferred'- einbodimenf'iis somewhat *smaller thanthe internal diameter 'of 'said outer titube isrfslideably mountedhin1 said'l outer tubea-nd -mov- AtendingP-into outertubeil10`isclosed. Ther free-end'13 .Hof4 outerltube -10 is closed with anapertured cap' 14a-which extends \over the Jside ofsaid `tube and' may V'be -afiixd lfthereto'. by anadhe'sive. @An annular!malevgrooveelS-in :i the outside wallof outerv tube' 10- near 'the lower-portion rthere'of, 4causes the-corresponding innerwallA to-protrude iinwardly, thusprov'iding a transverse circumferentialI pro- -tuberance rin said-v'innerawall. @IAT Afemale Y'groove 16A is poi-fsitioned in theupperl portion `of `the AouterI wall of'finner l tube 11 and dimensionally matches the protrudingfporutogether 1in' the-'position shown-.inFigJ 1 ,1" the'fprotfruding =..-po'rtion i of male i groove 15 entersi female groove" -16fad :zcausestheitubesftof-:become lightly engaged and'ret'ain'ed tin-suchfp-osition. fForthepur-poses of clarityof disclosure,

I flesser fextentsince What-is desiredy` isv notI a complete lockv ing! action, but merely a'ljightl locking action-'which Ais treadilyfdisengageable.

'ilnfthe space between'rend 12 `of innertube 11 and-aperf-tured vcap14..atopoutertubev- 10i-there -is-Jplac'eda vdei1for1n'able .contain-er 17 yhaving aneclc .portion 18-which protrudes-through landextends beyond 'the aperture iin :'caplf 14. i 'Containerf'l'lisintended to hold the substance orivme'dicament19-` to" be `dispensed bythel deviceand is iprefertablyin 'theAform-f a -tubular yconta-incrV hav-ing a `closed tubular ne'cleportion, leaving shoulders at the base 50.- of.4 saidl neckp'alloffwhichmay Ybeintegral. Such-tubes madeofgelatinv are` presently -readily obtainable. l Butgof course-#instead of gelatin, 4otherplasticsor other readily r1 deformable materials f which 1- are A inertl relative -to i the vrmedicament Vvtoi-.be Vstored therein,= may be employed.

tTo-assemble thedevice, cap'14'is affixed to an endof .,iouterqtubelf),container! 171-is=`theninserted* so "thatlits neck or nipple portion I18 extendsthroughv the cap 14- and y.tube 1l -is slidablytinsertedain outer tube 10-util grooves 15.and 16 engagefso thatlthe=device then =takesthe1form shown 1 in- Eig. l. This- -package `may T then Ybe `encased .-in artransparent cellulose=or other-wrapper to-maint-ain' it :ein agerm'free orrsanitary-condition.

t-tlainer 17. lIt is preferred -thatthecutting'o neck Mista/ke `-lplacemeary the top-thereof 'soi that asubstantia-l portiorrl-of i saidnecleremains. ^"'f1`fhedevice -isthen caused to enter a wbody. cavity= zandthe operatortpresses forwardly\on-\inner 701t'ube 11; @causing thel ends 12 i thereof rtofipushfagainstithe :.bottomz of; container lZnandtfas; :theimovementof iicnner ,f tfube; 114.-; progresses, :..eontainerr 17; .is `causadatoe-collapse while the medicament or other substance contained therein is ejected therefrom into the body cavity. Thus, inner tube 11 acts as a plunger or piston and by the compressive action which takes place between its upper end 12 and cap 14 on the free end of outer tube 10 plus the restrictive influence of the side walls of said outer tube 10,\positively drives the contents of container 17 .through the open portion of neck 18. Container 17 is held within the tube during the compression stroke of the device, its shoulders engaging cap 14. Neck 18 may be made broader or narrower than its relative dimensions shown in Fig. l. As it is made broader less effort is required to expel the contents of container 17 therethrough and also the more rapidly such contents may be expelled.

In the somewhat modified form shown in Fig. 2, cap 14 which covered the free end of outer tube 10 is omitted and in its place the free ends 13 of inner tube 10 are inturned to form an apertured end for said tube which will effectively retain container 17 in the outer tube 10 during the compression stroke of the device. In addition, in this form the top of inner tube 11 is slightly flared and is dimensioned to fit into female groove on the inner wall of outer tube 10 to form a locking means which lightly retains tubes 10 and 11 in the engaged position shown in Fig. 2. An element is added in this form, namely a transverse spacer 20 which is approximately of the dimensions of the inner cross-section of outer tube 10 and is frictionally maintained therein at the base of container 17. In other respects the form shown in Fig. 2 is identical with the form illustrated in Fig. 1 and it is assembled and operated in similar fashion except, of course, that in the course of assembly spacer 20 is inserted in outer tube 10 prior to the insertion therein of inner tube 11.

Another embodiment of the present invention adapted to dispense a suppository 21 is illustrated in Fig. 3. Such suppository is initially packaged in a closed container 22 which may be of tin foil or consist of a gelatin capsule or the like, the top portion of which container extends outward of the inturned ends 23 of outer tube 10. A frictionally engaged cap 24 closes the free end of outer tube 10. A ring 25, of dimensions which approximate the inner dimensions of inner tube 11, is placed around container 22 at an upper portion thereof and is adhesively secured to the side walls of outer tube 10. Container 22 is adhesively secured to ring 25. This form has a spacer 20 similar to spacer 20 shown in Fig. 2 and similarly positioned. In the lower portion of outer tube 10 there is formed male groove 15, the corresponding inner annular protuberance formed thereby matching female groove 16 in the outer wall of inner tube 11. However, in this form, the wall of tube 11 is narrowed a short distance below groove 16 so that the lower portion of said tube is of less diameter than the upper portion thereof. This feature has been added so that if desired, grooves 1S and 16 may be made deeper than in the forms shown in Figs. l and 2 to proivde a tighter locking action. Hence, as tube 11 is pushed forwardly into outer tube 10 the narrower lower walls of tube 11 will more easily pass the inner protuberances of male groove 15.

To use this form, the user first pulls off cap 24 and then cuts off the top portion of container 22. In this case the line of cutting may be across the top of in-turned ends 23 of outer tube 10. Then after the forward end of the device has been inserted in the body cavity the user may move inner tube 11 forwardly which causes its upper flared end to contact spacer 20 and push the same against the bottom of container 22. As inner tube 11 and spacer 20 are further caused to proceed forwardly suppository 21 is pushed out of container 22 and into the body cavity. By reason of the fact that container Z2 is secured to ring 2S which in turn is secured to the inner wall of outer tube 10, said container is maintained within said tube during the compression stroke. 'Ihe device, of course, may then be removed from the cavity by the user.

Although the subject invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous additional changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement may be resorted to Without transcending the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. A disposable dispenser for introducing substances into body cavities comprising a pair of elongated telescopically interfitting inner and outer tubes made of a cellulosic material, the inner tube being insertable in a rst end of said outer tube and reciprocally movable therein, a readily deformable container mounted in the second end of said outer tube, a portion of said container extending beyond said second end, whereby when the extending end of said container is opened and said inner tube moved as a piston in the direction of said second end, the contents of said container are discharged through said extending end.

2. A dispenser as described in claim l and cooperating means on each of said tubes to lock said tubesin a predetermined position.

3. A dispenser for introducing substances into body cavities comprising a pair of elongated telescopically intertting inner and outer tubes, the inner tube being insertable in a rst end of said outer tube and reciprocally movable therein, a readily deformable container mounted in the second end of said outer tube, a portion of said container extending beyond said second end, cooperating means on each of said tubes to lock said tubes in a predetermined position, said means comprising a transverse circumferential protuberance on one tube and a transverse circumferential groove on the other tube dimensioned to receive said protuberance, said protuberance and groove being positioned to be brought into confrontation and engagement at said predetermined position, whereby when the extending end of said container is opened and said inner tube moved as a piston in the direction of said second end, the contents of said container are discharged through said extending end.

4. A dispenser as described in claim 3, said groove being formed in the inside wall of said outer tube and said protuberance being formed in the outside Wall of said inner tube proximate its inner end.

5. A dispenser as described in claim 3, the relative internal diameter of the outer tube and the outside diameter of said inner tube being proximate in the region of the protuberance and groove on said tubes, the difference in said diameters being greater in portions of said tubes other than in said region.

6. A dispenser as described in claim 3, the relative internal diameter of the outer tube and the outside diameter of said inner tube being proximate in the region of the protuberance and groove on said tubes, said groove being in a forward portion of said inner tube, said inner tube being of decreased outside diameter other than in the region proximate said groove.

7. A disposable dispenser for introducing substances into body cavities, comprising a pair of elongated telescopically intertting inner and outer tubes made of a cellulosic material, the inner tube being inserted in a rst end of said outer tube and reciprocally movable therein, the second end of said outer tube being closed by a wall having an aperture therein, a readily deformable container mounted in the second end of said tube, said container having a forwardly positioned neck extending through said aperture beyond said second end of said outer tube, whereby when said neck is opened and said inner tube moved as a piston forwardly toward said second end, the contents of said container are discharged through said neck.

8. A dispenser as described in claim 7, said container having shoulders at the base of said neck, said container being retained in said outer tube when said inner tube 6 is moved forwardly, by means of the engagement of said References Cited in the le of this patent shoulders with the inner margins of said aperture. UNITED STATES PATENTS 9. A dispenser as described in claim 1 and a spacer inserted within the said outer tube between the forward 2616422 Jones NOV' 4 1952 end of said inner tube and the rearward end of said 5 FOREIGN PATENTS contamef- 7,068 Great Britain of 1912 333,105 France Sept. 11, 1903

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