Manual dosing device

Abstract

A hand-held dispensing device (1) with a base body (3) comprising a housing (4) in which components of a pipetting mechanism (6), a dispensing mechanism (7) and / or a volume adjustment mechanism (8) of the hand-held dispensing device (1) are arranged, wherein the hand-held dispensing device (1) comprises a component carrier (5) positioned in the housing (4) in its operating position, on which the components are arranged, wherein the housing (4) has an insertion opening (10) through which the component carrier (5) can be inserted into the housing (4) in its operating position, and wherein the component carrier (5) is fastened within the housing (4) by means of a detachable connection (11), characterized in that the hand-held dispensing device (1) has a holder (16) that can be arranged or is arranged in the housing (4) as a connecting element of the connection (11).with which the component carrier (5) is secured in its operating position inserted into the housing (4) in the removal direction of the component carrier (5), wherein the holder (16) can be inserted into the housing (4) through a head opening (17) formed in the housing (4) opposite the insertion opening (10).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a hand-held dispensing device, in particular a pipette, with a base body comprising a housing in which further components of the hand-held dispensing device, in particular components of a pipetting mechanism, a dispensing mechanism and / or a volume adjustment mechanism of the hand-held dispensing device, are arranged. Such hand-held dispensing devices are known from the prior art in a wide variety of embodiments – for example, from US 9,044,749 B2 and EP 2,735,369 A1.

[0002] In the event of maintenance or repair, it may be necessary to replace components of such a manual dispensing device. For this purpose, a convenient disassembly mechanism for the manual dispensing device would be desirable, especially if it is a high-quality and therefore relatively expensive device.

[0003] With hand-held dosing devices known from the prior art, disassembly is often not possible without destroying connecting parts or housing parts of the hand-held dosing devices.

[0004] The object of the invention is therefore to provide a hand-held dosing device of the type mentioned at the outset, the general handling and in particular the handling during disassembly of which is simplified compared to hand-held dosing devices known from the prior art.

[0005] This problem is solved in a hand-held dispensing device of the type mentioned at the outset by the means and features of the independent claim directed to such a hand-held dispensing device. In the hand-held dispensing device defined at the outset, it is particularly proposed to solve the problem that the device comprises a component carrier positioned in the housing in its operating position, on which the components are arranged; that the housing has insertion openings through which the component carrier can be inserted into the housing into its operating position; and that the component carrier is fastened within the housing by means of a detachable connection. The connection can be designed such that it can be detached from outside the housing.

[0006] If the component carrier can be inserted into the housing through the insertion opening along a longitudinal axis or a longitudinal center axis of the hand-held dosing device, the component carrier can be axially secured in its operating position by the releasable connection.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the hand-held dispensing device according to the invention, the insertion opening can be arranged at the end of the housing opposite the head end, and thus facing away from the head end. For disassembly of the hand-held dispensing device, the component carrier can be removed from the housing through the insertion opening after the connection has been released.

[0008] It can be particularly advantageous if the connection by which the component carrier is secured in its operating position inside the housing is a positive-locking connection. Furthermore, the handling of the hand-held dispensing device according to the invention can be simplified if the aforementioned connection, particularly for axial securing or fixing of the component carrier within the housing, can be established by sliding the component carrier into the housing.

[0009] The use of a component carrier offers the advantage that, in particular, small components of the hand-held dispensing device can be pre-assembled onto the carrier before the individual parts of the dispensing device are finally assembled. This can be done before the component carrier is inserted into the housing. This simplifies the handling of small or very small components, as they do not have to be individually inserted into the relatively narrow housing of the hand-held dispensing device. Thus, the component carrier of the hand-held dispensing device according to the invention, pre-assembled with individual components, can be easily inserted into the housing through the relatively large insertion opening.

[0010] In particular, if the connection for attaching the component carrier to the housing can be made by inserting or sliding the component carrier into the housing, the positioning of the component carrier in the housing and the fixing of the component carrier can be carried out in one step.

[0011] According to the invention, the hand-held dispensing device has a holder that can be arranged or is already arranged in the housing as a connecting element. This holder allows the component carrier to be secured in its operating position within the housing and, in particular, axially secured in the removal direction of the component carrier. The special feature of using such a holder is that the housing itself does not need to have separate fastening elements to secure the component carrier within the housing.

[0012] The holder is inserted into the housing through a head opening formed in the housing, opposite the insertion opening, in order to bring the holder into its holding position.

[0013] When using such a holder, it can be advantageous for the housing to have a holder stop. This holder stop limits the insertion depth of the holder in the insertion direction, thus securing the holder axially within the housing of the hand-held dispensing device. The housing can also include a component carrier stop. This component carrier stop limits the insertion depth of the component carrier into the housing of the hand-held dispensing device, thus securing the component carrier axially in the insertion direction. Therefore, the holder stop and the component carrier stop prevent the holder and the component carrier from approaching each other to a distance closer than the axial distance between the holder stop and the component carrier stop.In one embodiment of the hand-held dosing device according to the invention, the holder stop and the component carrier stop can be formed on opposite sides of a shoulder located in or on the housing.

[0014] The connection can be a non-destructively releasable snap connection. This non-destructively releasable connection, with which the component carrier is fastened within the housing, can comprise at least one snap element and a correspondingly designed counter-snap element. The snap element can be, for example, a snap hook or a detent element. The counter-snap element can be, for example, a counter-snap hook or a detent recess designed to correspond to the detent element.

[0015] In one embodiment of the hand-held dispensing device according to the invention, at least one snap element is arranged on the component carrier and at least one counter-snap element is arranged either on the housing itself or on a holder, for example the one mentioned above, which can be inserted into the housing. It is also conceivable to arrange the snap elements and counter-snap elements in reverse. Thus, it can also be provided that the at least one counter-snap element is arranged on the component carrier and the at least one snap element is arranged on the housing or, in another embodiment of the hand-held dispensing device according to the invention, on a holder, for example the one mentioned above, which can be inserted into the housing.

[0016] In order to keep the component carrier in its operating position under a certain preload and thus also to secure the releasable connection by means of this preload, it may be advantageous if the hand-operated dispensing device, preferably inside the housing, has a return element against whose return force the component carrier can be inserted into its operating position inside the housing and whose return force acts on the connection and its elements, in particular on the at least one snap element and the at least one counter-snap element, in such a way that the connection is preloaded.

[0017] The return element can be, for example, a return spring and / or a spring-elastic element that acts on the component carrier and, if a holder as described above is provided, also on the holder. The spring-elastic return element can be made of, for example, plastic, rubber, or synthetic rubber.

[0018] To facilitate the release of the connection used to secure the component carrier within the housing, the housing and / or the component carrier may be provided with at least one insertion slot through which a tool for releasing the connection can be inserted into the housing up to a connection point. This connection point could be, for example, the point where at least one snap element and at least one mating snap element are engaged. To release this engagement, which creates the releasable snap connection, a suitably designed tool can then be advanced through the insertion slot up to the connection point. The use of a special tool is not necessary.In the simplest case, it is sufficient to push a suitably slim screwdriver or blade or similar shaft-shaped element through the insertion slot to the connection point in order to release the connection and pull the component carrier out of the housing through the insertion opening in the opposite direction to the insertion direction.

[0019] In one embodiment of the hand-held dispensing device according to the invention, the component carrier may have a component carrier base arranged adjacent to the insertion opening of the housing when the component carrier is in its operating position. This component carrier base may be designed as a component carrier ring. This is particularly advantageous if the housing of the hand-held dispensing device has a substantially rotationally symmetrical cross-section. At least one component carrier arm may then extend axially from this component carrier base. A snap element, such as the one already mentioned, or a counter-snap element, such as the one already mentioned, may be formed on the component carrier arm.

[0020] When using a holder as previously described, it may be advantageous for this holder to have a holder base. If the housing of the hand-held dispensing device and / or the component carrier have a substantially rotationally symmetrical or round cross-section, it may also be advantageous for the holder base to be designed as a holder base ring. At least one holder arm can extend axially from this holder base or holder base ring. A snap-in element, such as the one mentioned previously, or a counter-snap-in element, such as the one mentioned previously, can be formed on the holder arm.

[0021] In the operating position of the component carrier within the housing of the hand-held dosing device, the snap elements and counter-snap elements arranged on the at least one component carrier arm and on the at least one holder arm can be arranged in a mutually connected position and the connection can be established.

[0022] The snap-in element and the mating snap-in element can each have complementary end-face chamfers. These complementary end-face chamfers can simplify the connection for fixing the component carrier within the housing of the hand-held dispensing device. This is achieved by the two complementary chamfers initially coming into contact with each other during a relative movement of the snap-in element to the mating snap-in element. This movement, particularly axial movement, can be converted into a relative lateral displacement of the snap-in element to the mating snap-in element, or vice versa, by means of the two complementary chamfers. In this way, any lateral displacement of the snap-in element relative to the mating snap-in element that may be necessary for establishing the connection can be generated by inserting the component carrier through the insertion opening into the housing.Once the two complementary chamfers have slid past each other, the connection between the snap element and the counter-snap element closes automatically due to the material-related restoring forces of the two elements.

[0023] When using a component support arm and a holder arm, the elasticity of both arms due to their length can be used for this purpose.

[0024] To attach a fluid dispensing unit to the manual dosing device, the component carrier can have a fastening element at its end adjacent to the insertion opening of the housing in the operating position. This fastening element can be designed as a thread that fits a mating thread on the fluid dispensing unit. The fluid dispensing unit can, for example, be a so-called piston unit.

[0025] Such a piston unit can comprise a pipette shaft in which a dispensing channel with a dispensing orifice is formed. A pipette tip, for example, can then be attached to a free end of the pipette shaft, its internal volume corresponding to the dispensing orifice, i.e., in pressure contact with it. The piston unit can also include a receiving chamber connected to the dispensing channel, which can be designed as a cylinder. When a pipetting mechanism of the hand-held dispensing device is activated, i.e., when a pipetting button is pressed, a piston moves into this cylinder, displacing an air cushion inside the cylinder.By displacing the air cushion inside the cylinder towards the dispensing channel in the pipette shaft and towards a dispensing opening of the dispensing channel, a volume of liquid held within a pipette tip attached to the free end of the shaft can be dispensed from the pipette tip. When the piston is withdrawn from the cylinder of the piston unit and the air cushion shifts back into the cylinder, a vacuum is created at the dispensing opening and at the pipette tip, which draws liquid into the pipette tip.

[0026] An embodiment of the invention is described in more detail below with reference to the drawing. The drawing shows, in a partially schematic representation: Fig. 1 a side view of a hand-held dosing device designed as a pipette, showing that the pipette has an upper part with a housing and a handle and a lower part designed as a fluid dispensing unit, Fig. 2 a cutaway side view of the in Fig. 1. Hand dispensing device shown, wherein a component carrier of the hand dispensing device can be seen inside the housing. Fig. 3 an exploded view of the housing of the in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Hand dispensing device shown in a partially cutaway view, wherein inside the housing a holder with one of two holder arms and below it a component carrier with components of the hand dispensing device arranged on it as well as one of two carrier arms can be seen. Fig. 4 a cutaway side view of a top part of a garment with the in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Hand-held dosing device comparable to the hand-held dosing device shown, as well as Fig. 5 a side view of the component carrier shown in the previous figures in connected position for use with the holder also shown in the previous figures and with a disassembly tool for releasing the connection between the holder and the component carrier, which is inserted through a slot formed on the component carrier to close to a connection point between the component carrier and the holder.

[0027] The Fig. 1 and Fig. Figure 2 shows a hand-held dosing device designated as a whole by 1, which in this case is designed as a pipette 2.

[0028] The pipette 2 comprises a base body 3, which is a top part of the Fig. 1 and Fig. The hand-held dispensing device 1 is formed as shown in Figure 2. The base body 3 has a housing 4 and a component carrier 5 positioned in the housing 4 in the operating position. Further components of the hand-held dispensing device 1 are arranged on this component carrier 5. These components are parts of a pipetting mechanism 6 with a pipetting button 6a, a ejection mechanism 7 with an ejection button 7a, and a volume adjustment mechanism 8. The ejection mechanism 7 is triggered by pressing the ejection button 7a. The volume adjustment mechanism 8 can be operated by means of the ejection button 7a to actuate the ejection mechanism 7. In this respect, the ejection button 7a has a dual function.

[0029] The housing 4 includes an insertion opening 10 facing away from a head end 9 of the housing 4, through which the component carrier 5 is inserted into the housing 4 into its operating position. The component carrier 4 is fastened and axially secured inside the housing 4 by means of a releasable connection 11.

[0030] The previously mentioned ejection mechanism 7 serves to eject a pipette tip attached to a free shaft end 12 of a pipette shaft 13 of the hand-held dosing device 1 when required. For this purpose, a fluid dispensing unit 14, which includes a lower part of the Fig. 1 and Fig. The hand-operated dosing device 1 shown in Figure 2 forms a ejector sleeve 15 which can be moved axially in relation to a longitudinal axis of the pipette shaft 13 in the direction of the free shaft end 12 when the ejector button 7a is actuated.

[0031] The connection 11 for fixing the component carrier 5 within the housing 4 is a positive-locking connection. This connection is made by inserting the component carrier 5 through the insertion opening 10 into the housing 4.

[0032] The connection 11 is established using a holder 16 of the hand-held dispensing device 1. The holder 16 is arranged in the housing 4 and serves as a connecting element for the connection 11. In its function as a connecting element, the holder 16 enables a force transmission between the component carrier 5 and the housing 4 of the hand-held dispensing device 1 according to the invention. The holder 16 thus axially secures the component carrier 5 in its operating position inserted into the housing 4 in the removal direction of the component carrier 5. This means that once the connection 11 is established, the component carrier 5 can no longer be pulled out of the housing 4 due to the action of the holder 16 without first releasing the connection 11.

[0033] The holder 11 is inserted into the housing 4 through a head opening 17 formed in the housing 4 and arranged opposite the insertion opening 10, and is positioned in its holding position.

[0034] The housing 4 has a holder stop 18. This holder stop 18 axially secures the holder 16 in the insertion direction. This means that the holder 16 can only be inserted into the housing 4 up to this holder stop 18. Furthermore, the housing 4 also has a component carrier stop 19. Analogous to the function of the holder stop 18, the component carrier stop 19 serves to axially secure the component carrier 5 in the insertion direction and to axially limit the insertion depth of the component carrier 5 into the housing 4. The holder stop 18 and the component carrier stop 19 are formed on opposite sides of a shoulder 44 inside the housing 4. The component carrier stop 19 is only indirectly subjected to axial loading by the component carrier 5. This occurs via the return element 24 and a pressure piece 45, which is connected to the holder 16.

[0035] Connection 11 is a non-destructively releasable snap connection. This non-destructively releasable snap connection has at least one snap element 20 and one counter-snap element 22. The snap element 20 is a snap hook 21 and the counter-snap element 22 is designed as a counter-snap hook 23.

[0036] The at least one snap element 20 is arranged on the component carrier 5, and the at least one counter-snap element 22 is arranged on the holder 16, which can be inserted into the housing 4. The hand-held dispensing device also has a return element 24. This return element 24 is arranged inside the housing 4. (See the sectional view of the hand-held dispensing device 1.) Fig. 2. The return element 24 is an elastic plastic part. In the embodiment of the hand-held dosing device 1 according to Fig. 4 This return element 24 is designed as a return spring. Depending on the embodiment of the hand-held dosing device 1, the return element 24 can therefore be, for example, a spring-elastic element, in particular a spring-elastic plastic element, or a return spring.

[0037] The component carrier 5 can be pushed into its operating position within the housing 4 against the restoring force of the restoring element 24. This allows the connection 11, which holds the component carrier 5 in its operating position within the housing 4, to be pre-tensioned and, when the connection is made, is pre-tensioned.

[0038] The housing 4 and especially the component carrier 5 have at least one insertion slot 25. A tool 26 (see figure) can be inserted through this insertion slot 25. Fig. 5) to release the connection 11 up to the area of ​​a connection point 27 in the housing 4.

[0039] The component carrier 5 has a component carrier base 28 arranged adjacent to the insertion opening 10 of the housing 4 when the component carrier 5 is in its operating position. In the embodiment of the hand-held dispensing device 1 shown in the figures, this component carrier base 28 is designed as a component carrier ring. Two component carrier arms 29 extend axially from the component carrier base 28. Each component carrier arm 29 has a snap-in element 20. The holder 16 comprises a holder base 30, which here is designed as a holder base ring. Similar to the component carrier base 28, two holder arms 31 also extend axially from the holder base 30, with each of the two holder arms 31 having a counter-snap-in element 23.

[0040] In particular Fig. Figure 5 clearly shows that the snap element 20 and the counter-snap element 22 each have complementary end-face chamfers 32. The chamfers 32 allow the snap elements 20 and counter-snap elements 22 to slide laterally past each other when they are moved towards each other and make contact at the chamfers 32.

[0041] Thus, the chamfers 32 serve to convert an axial insertion movement of the component carrier 5 into the housing 4 into a lateral displacement movement of the snap elements 22 relative to the counter-snap elements 24. This lateral displacement movement then facilitates the snapping or formation of the connection 11 designed as a snap connection.

[0042] Furthermore, the chamfer 32 on the front face of the counter-snap element 22 formed on the holder arm 31 serves as an engagement surface for the previously mentioned tool 26. This tool 26 has a corresponding or complementary tool chamfer 33 on its front face.

[0043] The component carrier 5 has a fastening element 35 at its end 34 adjacent to the insertion opening 10 of the housing 4 in the operating position for fastening the fluid dispensing unit 14. The fastening element 35 is designed as a thread and interacts with a corresponding mating thread 36 of the fluid dispensing unit 14 to connect the fluid dispensing unit 14 to the base body 3 and the housing 4.

[0044] The fluid dispensing unit 14 is designed as a so-called piston unit. This piston unit comprises the previously mentioned pipette shaft 13, onto whose free shaft end 12 a pipette tip (not shown separately in the figures) can be attached. The pipette shaft 13 is surrounded by the previously mentioned ejector sleeve 15, which can be ejected from the free shaft end 12 by means of the ejector button 7a and the ejector mechanism 7. A dispensing channel 37 is formed inside the pipette shaft 13, which opens on one side into a dispensing opening 38 and on the other side into a cylinder 39 formed within the fluid dispensing unit 14.

[0045] A piston 40 is slidably arranged within the cylinder 39. The piston 40 is connected to a spindle 41 of the pipetting mechanism 6. When the pipetting button 6a is actuated, the spindle 41 is pressed axially downwards, thereby pushing the piston 40 into the cylinder 39 and displacing an air cushion located in the cylinder towards the dispensing channel 37 and the dispensing opening 38 of the pipette shaft 13. This allows a volume of liquid held in a pipette tip attached to the free shaft end 12 of the pipette shaft 13 to be expressed and dispensed.

[0046] The spindle 41 is also part of the volume adjustment mechanism 8, which can be controlled via the ejector button 7a. By screwing the spindle 41 in or out of a spindle sleeve 42, the insertion depth of the piston 40 into the cylinder 39, and thus the volume to be pipetted, can be changed.

[0047] According to Fig. 3 The hand-held dosing device according to the invention is connected to a volume display 43. The volume preset at the pipette 2 by means of the volume adjustment mechanism 8 is displayed on this volume display 43.

[0048] It should be noted that the component carrier 5 has two opposing component carrier arms 29, offset from each other, arranged on the component carrier base 28. The holder 16 has two holder arms 31 arranged analogously offset from each other on the holder base 30. This allows for a uniform force transmission from the component carrier 5 via the connection point 27 and the closed connection 11 there to the holder 16 and from there to the housing 4 of the hand-held dosing device 1.

[0049] To simplify the disassembly of the manual dispensing device 1, the manual dispensing device 1 is proposed, which includes the component carrier 5. This component carrier 5 can be inserted or slid into its operating position in the housing 4 through the insertion opening 10 formed in the housing 4. A connection 11, which can be released, particularly from the outside, is provided for the detachable fastening of the component carrier 5 in its operating position within the housing 4. Reference symbol list 1 hand-held dosing device 2 pipettes 3 basic shapes 4 cases 5 component carriers 6 Pipetting mechanism 6a Pipetting button 7. Ejection mechanism 7a Eject button / Volume adjustment button 8 Volume adjustment mechanism 9 Head end of 3 10 insertion opening 11 connection 12 free shaft end 13 Pipette shaft 14 Fluid delivery unit 15 jettison sleeve 16 holders 17 Head opening 18 Holder stop 19 Component carrier stop 20 snap-in elements 21 snap hooks 22 Snap-in element 23 Counter-snap hooks 24 Return element 25 insertion slots 26 tools 27 liaison point 28 Component carrier base 29 Component support arm 30 Holder base 31 Holder arm 32 bevels at 20, 22 33 Tool chamfer at 26 34 End of 5 35 fasteners on 5 36 counter threads on 14 37 Delivery channel 38. Drop-off opening 39 cylinders 40 pistons 41 Spindle 42 Spindle sleeve 43 Volume display 44 Shoulder 45 printing piece

Claims

A hand-held dispensing device (1) with a base body (3) comprising a housing (4) in which components of a pipetting mechanism (6), a dispensing mechanism (7) and / or a volume adjustment mechanism (8) of the hand-held dispensing device (1) are arranged, wherein the hand-held dispensing device (1) comprises a component carrier (5) positioned in the housing (4) in its operating position, on which the components are arranged, wherein the housing (4) has an insertion opening (10) through which the component carrier (5) can be inserted into the housing (4) in its operating position, and wherein the component carrier (5) is fastened within the housing (4) by means of a detachable connection (11), characterized in that the hand-held dispensing device (1) has a holder (16) that can be arranged or is arranged in the housing (4) as a connecting element of the connection (11).with which the component carrier (5) is secured in its operating position inserted into the housing (4) in the removal direction of the component carrier (5), wherein the holder (16) can be inserted into the housing (4) through a head opening (17) formed in the housing (4) opposite the insertion opening (10). Manual dosing device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection (11) can be made by positive locking and / or by inserting or plugging the component carrier (5) into the housing (4). Manual dosing device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the manual dosing device (1) is designed as a pipette (2). Manual dispensing device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (4) has a holder stop (18) with which an insertion depth of the holder (16) into the housing (4) is limited, and a component carrier stop (19) with which an insertion depth of the component carrier (5) into the housing (4) is limited. Manual dispensing device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connection (11) is a non-destructively releasable snap connection comprising at least one snap element (20), in particular a snap hook (21) or a detent element, and a counter-snap element (22), in particular a counter-snap hook (23) or a detent recess, preferably wherein the at least one snap element (20) is arranged on the component carrier (5) and the at least one counter-snap element (22) is arranged on the housing (4) or on the holder (16) that can be inserted into the housing (4), or wherein the at least one counter-snap element (22) is arranged on the component carrier (5) and the at least one snap element (20) is arranged on the housing (4) or on the holder (16) that can be inserted into the housing (4). Manual dispensing device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the manual dispensing device (1), preferably within the housing (4), has a return element (24), in particular a return spring and / or a spring-elastic element, against whose return force the component carrier (5) can be inserted into its operating position within the housing (4), so that the connection (11) with which the component carrier (5) is held in its operating position can be pre-tensioned or pre-tensioned. Manual dispensing device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (4) and / or the component carrier (5) has / have at least one insertion slot (25) through which a tool (26) for releasing the connection (11) can be inserted into the housing (4) up to a connection point (27). Manual dosing device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the component carrier (5) has a component carrier base (28), in particular a component carrier ring, arranged in the operating position of the component carrier (5) adjacent to the insertion opening (10) of the housing (4), from which at least one component carrier arm (29) extends in the axial direction, wherein a snap element (20) or a counter snap element (22) is formed on the component carrier arm (29). Manual dispensing device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holder (16) has a holder base (30), in particular a holder base ring, from which at least one holder arm (31) extends in an axial direction, wherein a snap element (20) or a counter-snap element (22) is formed on the holder arm (31). Manual dosing device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a snap element (21) and a counter-snap element (23) each have complementary end-face chamfers (32). Manual dosing device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the component carrier (5) has a fastening means (35), in particular a thread, for fastening a fluid dispensing unit (14), preferably a piston unit, at its end (34) adjacent to the insertion opening (10) of the housing (4) in the operating position.

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