US6083002A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cartridge for dispensing liquid compositions
Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Co
•
Filing: 1999-02-04
•
Granted: 2000-07-04
•
Expires: 2019-02-04
Abstract
Abstract A dispensing cartridge especially suitable for use with a hand-held applicator for dispensing liquids having a relatively low viscosity has a chamber and at least one compressible, porous material received in the chamber. Each of the porous materials receives a quantity of a liquid composition. As a piston is advanced in the chamber, each porous material is compressed to cause the composition or compositions to be discharged through an outlet opening.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas W. Martin
- 👤 John M. Horn
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 09:24
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61C; A61C3/00; A61C3/005; A61C5/00; A61C5/60; A61C5/66
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 44
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
A dispensing cartridge for use with a hand-held applicator that provides mechanical advantage comprising: a body having an open end for receiving a plunger of an applicator, the body also including an outlet opening and a chamber extending between the open end and the outlet opening; a piston slidably received in the chamber; a compressible, porous material received in the chamber; and a liquid composition received by the porous material, the liquid composition being urged in a direction toward the outlet opening as the piston is advanced in the chamber and compresses the porous material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
95 words
A dispensing cartridge for use with a hand-held applicator that provides mechanical advantage comprising: a body having an open end for receiving a plunger of an applicator, the body also including an outlet opening and a chamber extending between the open end and the outlet opening; a piston slidably received in the chamber; a compressible, porous material received in the chamber; and a liquid composition received by the porous material, the liquid composition being urged in a direction toward the outlet opening as the piston is advanced in the chamber and compresses the porous material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the porous material includes a number of internal passageways that communicate with each other.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 2 wherein the porous material is resilient.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 2 wherein the porous material comprises polyurethane.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the chamber has a side wall portion spaced from the porous material in order to provide an air space alongside the porous material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the chamber is elongated, and wherein the porous material has a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the chamber in directions transverse to the longitudinal axis of the chamber in order to provide an air space alongside the porous material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 6 wherein the chamber has a circular configuration in directions transverse to the longitudinal axis of the chamber and wherein the porous material has a rectangular configuration in directions transverse to the longitudinal axis of the chamber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 7 wherein the porous material has a square configuration in directions transverse to the longitudinal axis of the chamber.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the cartridge includes a discharge nozzle connected to the body with an outer end, and wherein a quantity of fibrous material is connected to the outer end.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
48 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the chamber has a longitudinal axis, wherein the cartridge includes a discharge nozzle connected to the body, and wherein the discharge nozzle has a longitudinal axis that extends at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the chamber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the body includes a flange that circumscribes the open end for releasably retaining the cartridge in an applicator.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the liquid composition is a dental composition and wherein the porous material comprises a polymeric foam.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
111 words
A dispensing cartridge for use with a hand-held applicator comprising: a body having an open end for receiving a plunger of an applicator the body also including an outlet opening and a chamber extending between the open end and the outlet opening; a piston slidably received in the chamber; a compressible, porous material received in the chamber; a liquid composition received by the porous material, the liquid composition being urged in a direction toward the outlet opening as the piston is advanced in the chamber and compresses the porous material; and a second compressible, porous material received in the chamber and a second liquid composition received by the second porous material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
111 words
A dispensing cartridge for use with a hand-held applicator comprising: a body having an open end for receiving a plunger of an applicator the body also including an outlet opening and a chamber extending between the open end and the outlet opening; a piston slidably received in the chamber; a compressible, porous material received in the chamber; a liquid composition received by the porous material, the liquid composition being urged in a direction toward the outlet opening as the piston is advanced in the chamber and compresses the porous material; and a second compressible, porous material received in the chamber and a second liquid composition received by the second porous material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 13 and including a barrier extending alongside the second porous material.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
12 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 14 and including a mixing element.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
131 words
A dispensing cartridge for use with a hand-held applicator comprising: a body having an open end for receiving a plunger of an applicator, the body also including an outlet opening and a chamber extending between the open end and the outlet opening; a piston slidably received in the chamber; a first compressible, porous material received in the chamber; a second compressible, porous material received in the chamber; a first liquid composition received by the first porous material; and a second liquid composition that is different than the first liquid composition and received by the second porous material, the first liquid composition and the second liquid composition being urged toward the outlet opening as the piston is advanced in the chamber and compresses the first porous material and the second porous material.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
131 words
A dispensing cartridge for use with a hand-held applicator comprising: a body having an open end for receiving a plunger of an applicator, the body also including an outlet opening and a chamber extending between the open end and the outlet opening; a piston slidably received in the chamber; a first compressible, porous material received in the chamber; a second compressible, porous material received in the chamber; a first liquid composition received by the first porous material; and a second liquid composition that is different than the first liquid composition and received by the second porous material, the first liquid composition and the second liquid composition being urged toward the outlet opening as the piston is advanced in the chamber and compresses the first porous material and the second porous material.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 16 and including a barrier located between the first porous material and the second porous material.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
14 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 17 wherein the barrier is a flexible sheet.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
30 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 17 and including a first side panel extending around the first porous material and a second side panel extending around the second porous material.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
27 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 19 wherein the barrier has outer side sections that are secured to the first side panel and the second side panel.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 16 wherein the first porous material is located alongside the second porous material.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the first porous material and the second porous material are compressed to approximately the same extent as the piston is advanced.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
44 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 16 wherein the chamber has a longitudinal axis, and wherein each of the first porous material and the second porous material has a longitudinal axis that extends in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chamber.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
47 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 23 wherein the chamber has a circular configuration in directions transverse to its longitudinal axis, and wherein the first porous material and the second porous material each have a rectangular configuration in directions transverse to the longitudinal axis of the chamber.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
16 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 16 and including a mixing element received in the chamber.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
26 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 25 wherein the mixing element is a porous material having a number of internal passageways that communicate with each other.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
18 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 26 wherein the mixing element is compressed as the piston is advanced.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
26 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 16 wherein the body includes a flange that circumscribes the open end for releasably retaining the cartridge in an applicator.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
38 words
A dispensing cartridge according to claim 16 wherein the first composition and the second composition provide a dental composition when mixed together and wherein the first porous material and the second porous material each comprise a polymeric foam.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
61 words
A method of dispensing a dental composition comprising the acts of: providing a cartridge having a chamber and a porous material received in the chamber, wherein the porous material receives a quantity of liquid composition; and advancing a piston in the chamber to compress the porous material and urge the liquid composition from the porous material and toward an outlet opening.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
61 words
A method of dispensing a dental composition comprising the acts of: providing a cartridge having a chamber and a porous material received in the chamber, wherein the porous material receives a quantity of liquid composition; and advancing a piston in the chamber to compress the porous material and urge the liquid composition from the porous material and toward an outlet opening.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method of dispensing a dental composition according to claim 30 and including the act of placing the outlet opening in an oral cavity of a dental patient as the piston is advanced in order to dispense the liquid composition directly onto dental structure.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method of dispensing a dental composition according to claim 30 wherein the act of advancing a piston is carried out by moving a plunger of a hand-held applicator.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method of dispensing a dental composition according to claim 30 wherein the act of providing a cartridge having a chamber and a porous material received in the chamber includes the act of providing a porous material having passageways that extend from one side to another of the porous material.
Claim 38
Independent Claim
101 words
A method of dispensing a dental composition comprising the acts of: providing a cartridge having a chamber, a first porous material received in the chamber and a second porous material received in the chamber, wherein the first porous material receives a quantity of a first liquid composition and wherein the second porous material receives a quantity of a second liquid composition that is different than the first composition; and advancing a piston in the chamber to compress the first porous material and the second porous material and urge the first liquid composition and a second liquid composition toward an outlet opening.
Claim 39
Independent Claim
101 words
A method of dispensing a dental composition comprising the acts of: providing a cartridge having a chamber, a first porous material received in the chamber and a second porous material received in the chamber, wherein the first porous material receives a quantity of a first liquid composition and wherein the second porous material receives a quantity of a second liquid composition that is different than the first composition; and advancing a piston in the chamber to compress the first porous material and the second porous material and urge the first liquid composition and a second liquid composition toward an outlet opening.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method of dispensing a dental composition according to claim 34 and including the act of passing the first liquid composition and a second liquid composition through a mixing element.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method of dispensing a dental composition according to claim 35 wherein the act of providing a cartridge includes the act of providing a mixing element that is received in the chamber.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method of dispensing a dental composition according to claim 36 wherein the act of advancing a piston in the chamber includes the act of compressing the mixing element.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method of dispensing a dental composition according to claim 34 wherein the act of advancing a piston in the chamber includes the act of simultaneously compressing the first porous material and the second porous material to approximately the same extent.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method of dispensing a dental composition according to claim 34 wherein the act of advancing a piston is carried out by moving a plunger of a hand-held applicator.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-07-04 | 2004-01-03 | 2004-07-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-07-04 | 2008-01-03 | 2008-07-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-07-04 | 2012-01-03 | 2012-07-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |