Variable proportion dispenser

Claim 2

A variable proportion dispenser comprising: a housing; first and second variable volume containers mounted to the housing and including first and second exits and first and second movable elements by which the contents of the first and second containers can be forced through said first and second exits as the first and second movable elements are moved from first and second starting positions towards first and second ending positions; first and second drive stems drivingly coupled to the first and second movable elements; and reciprocal drive means for reciprocally driving the first and second drive stems so to drive the first and second movable elements from the first and second starting positions towards the first and second ending positions in a cyclic manner, the reciprocal drive means including: first and second reciprocating drivers drivingly coupled to the first and second drive stems by one-way drive elements; and means for adjusting the relative distances the first and second reciprocating drivers and the first and second drive stems associated therewith travel during each cycle of the reciprocal drive means so the amounts and proportions of the contents of the first and second containers forced through the first and second exits during one or more cycles of the reciprocal drive means can be selected by the user while said amounts and proportions remain the same unless said relative distances are changed.

Claim 3

The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the housing is a clear plastic housing.

Claim 4

The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the variable volume containers include cartridges configured to contain pharmaceuticals.

Claim 5

The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said adjusting means includes a rotatable dose control element for each of said first and second reciprocating drivers by which a user selects said amounts and proportions of the contents of the respective first and second containers forced through the first and second exits.

Claim 6

The dispenser of claim 4 wherein each rotatable dose control element is an axially telescoping element to permit the user to easily rotatably manipulate one said dose control element without substantial interference from another said dose control element.

Claim 7

The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the first and second drive stems have serrated outer surfaces.

Claim 8

The dispenser of claim 1 further comprising means for indicating the amounts of the contents of each of the first and second containers which are to be forced through the first and second exits during the one or more cycles of the reciprocating drive means.

Claim 9

The dispenser of claim 7 wherein the indicating means includes first and second visual displays.

Claim 10

The dispenser of claim 8 wherein the housing has first and second sides facing in opposite directions, said first and second displays located at the first and second sides, respectively.

Claim 11

The dispenser of claim 7 wherein the indicating means includes: first and second axially movable indicators coupled to the first and second movable elements; and means for magnifying the axial movement of the first and second indicators over the corresponding axial movement of the first and second movable elements.

Claim 12

A variable proportion dispenser comprising: a housing; first and second variable volume containers carried by the housing; and a reciprocating drive assembly comprising: first and second drive stems adapted to engage the first and second variable volume containers to drive the contents of the variable volume containers therefrom; a sliding body slidably mounted to the housing for movement in delivery and return directions; a first reciprocating driver, carried by the sliding body, coupled to the first drive stem, the first reciprocating driver and the first drive stem configured so that the first reciprocating driver can move the first drive stem towards the first variable volume container only if the sliding body is moving in the delivery direction; means for adjusting the amount the first reciprocating driver moves the first drive stem towards the first variable volume container during the movement of the sliding body in the delivery direction; and a one-way drive device, carried by the sliding body, configured to drive the second drive stem towards the second variable volume container when the sliding body moves in the delivery direction.

Claim 13

A variable proportion dispenser comprising: a housing; first and second variable volume containers carried by the housing; and a reciprocating drive assembly comprising: first and second drive stems adapted to engage the first and second variable volume containers to drive the contents of the variable volume containers therefrom; a sliding body slidably mounted to the housing for movement in delivery and return directions; a first reciprocating driver, carried by the sliding body, coupled to the first drive stem, the first reciprocating driver and the first drive stem configured so that the first reciprocating driver can move the first drive stem towards the first variable volume container only if the sliding body is moving in the delivery direction; means for adjusting the amount the first reciprocating driver moves the first drive stem towards the first variable volume container during the movement of the sliding body in the delivery direction; and a one-way drive device, carried by the sliding body, configured to drive the second drive stem towards the second variable volume container when the sliding body moves in the delivery direction.

Claim 14

The dispenser of claim 11 wherein the variable volume containers are cartridges configured to contain pharmaceuticals and the housing is a clear plastic housing to provide visual access to the contents of the pharmaceutical cartridges.

Claim 15

The dispenser of claim 11 wherein the first and second drive stems have serrated outer surfaces.

Claim 16

The dispenser of claim 11 wherein the one-way drive device includes a second reciprocating driver, coupled to the second drive stem, configured so that the second reciprocating driver can move the second drive stem towards the second variable volume container only if the sliding body is moving in the delivery direction.

Claim 17

The dispenser of claim 14 wherein the one-way drive device includes means for adjusting the amount the second reciprocating driver moves the second drive stem towards the second variable volume container during the movement of the sliding body in the delivery direction.

Claim 18

A variable proportion dispenser for dispensing multiple doses of first and second flowable materials at a chosen volumetric ratio comprising: a housing; first and second variable volume containers, containing the first and second flowable materials, carried by the housing; a sliding body reciprocally mounted to the housing for movement parallel to an axis between first and second positions; first and second drive stems operably coupled to the first and second variable volume containers, the second drive stem operably coupled to the sliding body for movement parallel to the axis; a one-way reciprocating driver operably coupled to the first drive stem for driving the first stem towards the first variable volume container; a dosage adjustor adjustably mounted to the sliding body to vary the axial position of the dosage adjustor relative to the sliding body; the driver and the dosage adjustor having mating portions configured to drivingly couple the dosage adjustor to the driver when the sliding body is moved from the first position to the second position, and to permit the dosage adjustor to be decoupled from the driver when the sliding body is at an intermediate position between the first and second positions as the sliding body is moved from the second position to the first position; and the housing and the driver including stop members positioned so that when the stop members are engaged, the movement of the driver is halted when the sliding body reaches the intermediate position as the sliding body moves from the second position to the first position so to disengage the reciprocating driver from the dosage adjustor.

Claim 19

A variable proportion dispenser for dispensing multiple doses of first and second flowable materials at a chosen volumetric ratio comprising: a housing; first and second variable volume containers, containing the first and second flowable materials, carried by the housing; a sliding body reciprocally mounted to the housing for movement parallel to an axis between first and second positions; first and second drive stems operably coupled to the first and second variable volume containers, the second drive stem operably coupled to the sliding body for movement parallel to the axis; a one-way reciprocating driver operably coupled to the first drive stem for driving the first stem towards the first variable volume container; a dosage adjustor adjustably mounted to the sliding body to vary the axial position of the dosage adjustor relative to the sliding body; the driver and the dosage adjustor having mating portions configured to drivingly couple the dosage adjustor to the driver when the sliding body is moved from the first position to the second position, and to permit the dosage adjustor to be decoupled from the driver when the sliding body is at an intermediate position between the first and second positions as the sliding body is moved from the second position to the first position; and the housing and the driver including stop members positioned so that when the stop members are engaged, the movement of the driver is halted when the sliding body reaches the intermediate position as the sliding body moves from the second position to the first position so to disengage the reciprocating driver from the dosage adjustor.