Method of discharging a substance from a cartridge and an apparatus for carrying out the method

Claim 1

A method for discharging a first substance contained in a first cartridge or the like from the first cartridge and a second substance contained in a second cartridge or the like from the second cartridge and for discharging a mixture of the first and second substances, the first substance being prevented from flowing out in the initial condition of the first cartridge by a first sealing member provided at the outlet of the first cartridge, the second substance being prevented from flowing out in the initial condition of the second cartridge by a second sealing member provided at the outlet of the second cartridge, said method comprising the steps of: effecting a relative displacement between the first cartridge and a first coupling means mounted on a connection piece of the first cartridge; effecting a relative displacement between the second cartridge and a second coupling means mounted on a connection piece of the second cartridge; opening the first sealing member by means of a first cutting means provided in the first coupling means; opening the second sealing member by means of a second cutting means provided in the second coupling means; releasing the flow path of the first substance contained in the first cartridge due to the pressure exerted on the first sealing member by the first substance contained in the first cartridge during an initial phase of the discharge operation; releasing the flow path of the second substance contained in the second cartridge due to the pressure exerted on the second sealing member by the second substance contained in the second cartridge during an initial phase of the discharge operation; mixing the discharged first substance from the first cartridge and the discharged second substance from the second cartridge; and discharging the mixture of the discharged first and second substances.

Claim 2

A method for discharging a first substance contained in a first cartridge or the like from the first cartridge and a second substance contained in a second cartridge or the like from the second cartridge and for discharging a mixture of the first and second substances, the first substance being prevented from flowing out in the initial condition of the first cartridge by a first sealing member provided at the outlet of the first cartridge, the second substance being prevented from flowing out in the initial condition of the second cartridge by a second sealing member provided at the outlet of the second cartridge, said method comprising the steps of: effecting a relative displacement between the first cartridge and a first coupling means mounted on a connection piece of the first cartridge; effecting a relative displacement between the second cartridge and a second coupling means mounted on a connection piece of the second cartridge; opening the first sealing member by means of a first cutting means provided in the first coupling means; opening the second sealing member by means of a second cutting means provided in the second coupling means; releasing the flow path of the first substance contained in the first cartridge due to the pressure exerted on the first sealing member by the first substance contained in the first cartridge during an initial phase of the discharge operation; releasing the flow path of the second substance contained in the second cartridge due to the pressure exerted on the second sealing member by the second substance contained in the second cartridge during an initial phase of the discharge operation; mixing the discharged first substance from the first cartridge and the discharged second substance from the second cartridge; and discharging the mixture of the discharged first and second substances.

Claim 5

An apparatus for dispensing a substance which must be stored in the absence of air comprising: a cartridge containing said substance to be dispensed, said cartridge having an outlet opening covered by a sealing member and a piston member inserted into the cartridge at the end opposite to said outlet opening, said piston member sealingly closing said end opposite to said outlet opening and being slidably received in the interior of the cartridge; means for sliding said piston member into the cartridge to thereby exert a pressure on said substance contained in the cartridge; said cartridge comprising a connection piece provided at said outlet end and a coupling member mounted on said connection piece, said coupling member having an inner wall portion and an outer wall portion, said inner and outer wall portions defining an immersion chamber, said coupling member including a cutting member and a supporting member for said connection piece, said immersion chamber having a depth sufficient to enable the cartridge to be displaced with reference to said coupling member under the influence of a force exerted on said end opposite of said outlet of the cartridge to such an extent that said sealing member covering said outlet opening of the cartridge runs against said cutting member during said displacement of the cartridge and is cut open sufficiently such that said sealing member does not withstand the pressure of the substance any longer and reaches a position where a flow path for said substance is opened.

Claim 6

An apparatus for dispensing a substance which must be stored in the absence of air comprising: a cartridge containing said substance to be dispensed, said cartridge having an outlet opening covered by a sealing member and a piston member inserted into the cartridge at the end opposite to said outlet opening, said piston member sealingly closing said end opposite to said outlet opening and being slidably received in the interior of the cartridge; means for sliding said piston member into the cartridge to thereby exert a pressure on said substance contained in the cartridge; said cartridge comprising a connection piece provided at said outlet end and a coupling member mounted on said connection piece, said coupling member having an inner wall portion and an outer wall portion, said inner and outer wall portions defining an immersion chamber, said coupling member including a cutting member and a supporting member for said connection piece, said immersion chamber having a depth sufficient to enable the cartridge to be displaced with reference to said coupling member under the influence of a force exerted on said end opposite of said outlet of the cartridge to such an extent that said sealing member covering said outlet opening of the cartridge runs against said cutting member during said displacement of the cartridge and is cut open sufficiently such that said sealing member does not withstand the pressure of the substance any longer and reaches a position where a flow path for said substance is opened.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claims 4 and 5 in which said cutting member is a hollow cutting pin having such shape and dimensions that said diaphragm remains mechanically fixed to the wall of said connection piece of said cartridge in a limited area, said still fixed area constituting a hinge-like pivot for said diaphragm which is displaced towards the inner wall of said hollow cutting pin under the influence of the substance discharged from said cartridge.

Claim 15

An apparatus for dispensing a substance which must be stored in the absence of air comprising: a cartridge containing said substance to be dispersed, said cartridge having an outlet opening covered by a sealing member and a piston member inserted into the cartridge at the end opposite to said outlet opening, said piston member sealingly closing said end opposite to said outlet opening and being slidably received in the interior of the cartridge; means for sliding said piston member into the cartridge to thereby exert a pressure on said substance contained in the cartridge; said cartridge comprising a connection piece provided at said outlet end and a coupling member mounted on said connection piece, said coupling member having an inner wall and an outer wall portion, said inner and outer wall portions defining an immersion chamber, said coupling member including a cutting member and a supporting member for said connection piece, said immersion chamber having a depth sufficient to enable the cartridge to be displaced with reference to said coupling member under the influence of a force exerted on said end opposite of said outlet of the cartridge to such an extent that said sealing member covering said outlet opening of the cartridge runs against said cutting member during said displacement of the cartridge and is cut open sufficiently such that said sealing member does not withstand the pressure of the substance any longer and reaches a position where a flow path for said substance is opened; a dynamic mixing means having an outlet nozzle and two inlet apertures, each of said two inlet apertures being connected to the respective coupling member of two cartridges by means of tubular means.

Claim 16

An apparatus for dispensing a substance which must be stored in the absence of air comprising: a cartridge containing said substance to be dispersed, said cartridge having an outlet opening covered by a sealing member and a piston member inserted into the cartridge at the end opposite to said outlet opening, said piston member sealingly closing said end opposite to said outlet opening and being slidably received in the interior of the cartridge; means for sliding said piston member into the cartridge to thereby exert a pressure on said substance contained in the cartridge; said cartridge comprising a connection piece provided at said outlet end and a coupling member mounted on said connection piece, said coupling member having an inner wall and an outer wall portion, said inner and outer wall portions defining an immersion chamber, said coupling member including a cutting member and a supporting member for said connection piece, said immersion chamber having a depth sufficient to enable the cartridge to be displaced with reference to said coupling member under the influence of a force exerted on said end opposite of said outlet of the cartridge to such an extent that said sealing member covering said outlet opening of the cartridge runs against said cutting member during said displacement of the cartridge and is cut open sufficiently such that said sealing member does not withstand the pressure of the substance any longer and reaches a position where a flow path for said substance is opened; a dynamic mixing means having an outlet nozzle and two inlet apertures, each of said two inlet apertures being connected to the respective coupling member of two cartridges by means of tubular means.