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[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to packaging of different materials to be mixed before dispensing. More particularly, this invention relates to flexible packages comprising multiple compartments for isolating materials prior to mixing and use and a method for determining proper mixing of the same.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] In some industries compositions can degrade quickly upon mixing the components of the composition, thus inhibiting the length of time the composition is useful. An example is the short shelf life of certain dental amalgams. An ultimate consumer, such as a dentist, may be utilizing several types of compositions. The requirement that he store the components of the compositions separately imposes a considerable burden upon him. A stock of as many as five or ten different compositions may require one or more separately stored components each. The possibility that the wrong components will be mixed can lead to confusion and waste. A considerable amount of shelf space for storage is often needed. These problems could be alleviated if separate storage were not necessary.
[0005] Multicompartment packages containing solid, liquid or gel substances have been used to enable a user to conveniently handle the contained substances until immediately before desired use. Often one or more substances are isolated in a separate compartment or compartments to prevent mixing until immediately prior to use. These packages have ranged in manufacture from rigid, renitent material to flexible, pliant and elastic material.
[0006] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,242 (Cheetham) shows a non-disposable rigid container, where the main cavity of the container is separated by a thin plastic partition creating two compartments of approximately equal volume. A high specific gravity liquid component of a composition, such as a dental amalgam, is required to be contained in the first compartment, and a second component of the composition is contained in the second compartment. This enables the components of the desired composition to be stored separately until immediately prior to use. When desired for use, the container must be subjected to rapid oscillatory motion so as to give the high specific gravity liquid enough kinetic energy to rupture the partition whereupon the two components are mixed to form the desired composition. After mixing, the composition is retrieved by separating the bowl shaped members of the container and scooping out the mixture.
[0007] One disadvantage of a renitent container is that proper mixing can only be accomplished with a plunger, or a vibrator subjecting the container to rapid oscillatory motion. Controlled mixing is more difficult to accomplish in a rigid container than a pliable one. Another disadvantage of the Cheetham invention is the requirement of a high specific gravity component to gain sufficient kinetic energy to rupture the partition separating the two compartments, thus limiting the usefulness of the invention to only certain specific types of compositions. Yet another disadvantage of like inventions is that the desired composition must be scooped out of the container, without a clean and tidy method of application, leaving residue in the container and on the instruments used to scoop out the composition.
[0008] An example of a flexible compartmented package is U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,604 (Prenntzell), which discloses a package having a primary chamber serving as a mixing chamber, and one or more secondary chambers containing a substance to be mixed immediately before use with the substance in the primary chamber. The secondary chambers are separated from the primary chamber by a channel with a sealing seam capable of being ruptured by means of applying pressure, thus allowing the separated substances to mix. The primary chamber is sized to contain, for example, x-ray film. One disadvantage is that this process yields a dead volume in the secondary chamber as it is emptied into the primary chamber, thus requiring a bulkier package than one that yields no dead volume. Another disadvantage of the Prenntzell invention is the lack of an applicator for clean and tidy dispensing of the desired compositions.
[0009] Another example of a multicompartment, flexible package is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,864,492 (Lappala), which discloses a body of polymerizable material containing catalyst and carrier. The package is a sealed, flexible tape dispenser that contains solid polymerizable material on a porous tape carrier folded in accordion-like pleats. Within the body of the package is an encapsulated catalyst that can be pinched through the wall of the container to rupture the membrane and release the activating material whereupon the container is kneaded to mix the catalyst with the polymerizable material, immediately prior to use. Aside from the fact that the Lappala invention is an adhesive tape dispenser, thus limiting its use in other applications, there is no means or method for determining when the encapsulated material has been sufficiently or adequately mixed with the rest of the contents of the package.
[0010] Prior inventions, which are recommended to the reader for background of multicompartment packaging, include the following United States patent documents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,343,664, 3,563,414, 3,608,709, 3,814,287, 4,534,509, 4,550,825, 4,563,174, 4,731,053, 4,874,107, 4,882,062, 4,998,671, 5,246,142, 5,447,236, 5,672,359, 6,022,528, and 6,039,719 each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material disclosed therein
[0011] It is desirable that mixtures of easily degradable substances be packaged in an economical way that increases shelf life by separating reactive components of the desired composition. In particular, it is desirable to provide a method of multicompartment packaging, separating two reactive compositions for mixing until immediately prior to dispensing. It is further desirable to provide a method for determining proper mixing of the substances and a clean and convenient way of dispensing the same
[0012] Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide a method of packaging that increases the shelf life of substances that are easily degradable upon mixing.
[0013] Another object of this invention is to provide a compact method of packaging for convenient storage by minimizing dead volume.
[0014] Yet another object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive and disposable method of multicompartmental packaging.
[0015] And yet another object of this invention is to provide multicompartmental packaging of substances that can be easily mixed immediately prior to use without the aid of other instrumentalities or limiting its usefulness to specific types of compositions.
[0016] A further object of this invention is to provide a means to control the amount and adequacy of mixing of substances in multicompartmental packaging.
[0017] And yet a further object of this invention is to provide a means for Indicating the sufficiency of the mixing of substances within the packaging.
[0018] It is still a further object of this invention to provide a clean, tidy and convenient way of dispensing the composition after mixing.
[0019] Another object of this invention is to provide a generally precise means of dispensing mixed materials by forcing the mixed material through a generally pointed dispensing end.
[0020] Additional objects, advantages and other novel features of this invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of this invention. The objects and advantages of this invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Still other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description wherein there is shown and described the present embodiments of this invention, simply by way of illustration of some of the modes best suited to carry out this invention. As it will be realized, this invention is capable of other different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modification in various aspects without departing from the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.
[0021] To achieve the foregoing and other objectives, and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, one or more unit doses within a larger flexible unit dose for mixing two or more parts before dispensing is provided. The smaller unit dose or doses are squeezed through the wall of the larger unit dose until the former is ruptured, thus allowing the substances to mix immediately prior to use. The composition is mixed by massaging the flexible larger unit dose until the product is completely mixed. The components of the composition are different colors and produce a third color when completely mixed. This color can be viewed through a transparent portion of the larger unit dose packaging. The composition is dispensed out of the tip of the elongated and generally pointed portion of the larger unit dose similar to dispensing material out of a tapered rigid dispensing tip.
[0022] The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification, illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Some, although not all, alternative embodiments are described in the following description.
[0023] In the drawings:
[0024]
[0025]
[0026]
[0027] Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
[0028]
[0029] Immediately prior to use, the smaller unit dose
[0030] The composition (a mixture of the two components
[0031]
[0032] Immediately prior to use, the smaller unit dose
[0033] The composition (a mixture of the two components
[0034]
[0035] Immediately prior to use, the smaller unit dose
[0036] The composition (a mixture of the two components
[0037] These methods of packaging different components of a composition before mixing, as illustrated in the present embodiments of the invention, can also be used with more than two components of a composition, where more than one rupturable smaller unit dose is present inside a flexible larger unit dose. This method of packaging can be used in the adhesive, dental, medical or any industry where two or more part unit doses are required.
[0038] The foregoing description of the present embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description of the best mode of the invention currently known to the inventors. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible and foreseeable in light of the above teachings. This embodiment of the invention was chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when they are interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.