Direct delivery system for dental materials

Claim 1

An applicator for accurately dispensing a small amount of a fluid to tooth surfaces, which comprises, in combination: a) a handle member (12) having a front end; b) nozzle receiving means (26) attached to said handle member (12), said nozzle receiving means including a first housing (26) having a front end, a rear end, a longitudinally extending cut-out portion (28) that extends to the front end of said first housing (26), and a plunger access port (56) located at the rear end of said first housing (26), wherein said plunger access port communicates to a second housing (42); c) nozzle means (14) arranged and constructed to contain a predetermined amount of fluid, said nozzle means (14) including a front discharge tip (18) and a rear portion comprising a tubular body portion defining a reservoir (20) for said fluid, said tubular body portion including an open end at the rear thereof and a piston member (24) therein; d) said nozzle means (14) being inserted in said cut-out portion (28) so that said discharge tip (18) extends beyond the front of said first housing (26), at least the portion of said tubular portion that includes the said open end being contained within said first housing (26); e) plunger means (38) mounted such that it can reciprocate through said access port (56) in a direction approximately coincident with the longitudinal axis of the first housing (26) from a retracted position to an activated position such that when the plunger (38) is in the activated position it engages said piston member (24) contained in said tubular body portion; f) said plunger means (38) being attached to finger operable lever means (34) pivotally mounted such that when said lever means (34) is depressed the plunger means (38) is pushed from the retracted to the activated position; g) spring means (36) operatively connected to normally maintain the plunger means in the retracted position; characterised in that h) said handle member (12) is elongate and has a first longitudinal axis (Li); i) said nozzle receiving means is located at the front end of said handle member (12); j) said first housing (26) has a second longitudinal axis (L 2 ) that is oriented at a slight angle downwardly from said first longitudinal axis (Li); k) said second housing (42) extends upwardly from said handle member (12); I) said discharge tip (18) extends in a direction approximately coincident with said second longitudinal axis (L 2 ); m) said plunger means (38) is attached to said finger operable lever means by a flexible connector (37); n) said finger operable lever means (34) is pivotally mounted in said second housing (42); and in that o) said spring means is operatively connected to said lever means (34), whereby when the lever means (34) is depressed to move the plunger means (38) to the activated position, the plunger means (38) engages the piston member (24) and moves it in a direction approximately coincident with said second longitudinal axis (L 2 ) which thereby forces fluid contained in said nozzle means (14) out of the nozzle means (14) through the front discharge tip (18).