Liquid dispenser device

Abstract

Liquid dispenser device (100) for controlled dispensing of a liquid, comprising - a container (1) for storing a liquid to be donated, - a dispenser device (2) which is arranged in a liquid-tight manner on an opening of the container (1), wherein the liquid to be dispensed is dispensed only via the dispenser device (2) in a controlled manner, wherein - the dispenser (2) blocks or at least partially allows liquid transport from the container (1) to the outside, depending on the switching state, characterized in that the dispenser (2) or a connecting part (3) connected to the dispenser (2) in a liquid-tight manner has a velocity and / or flow rate limiting element (4) by means of which a flow velocity and / or a flow rate of the liquid to be dispensed can be controlled, and wherein the velocity and / or flow rate limiting element (4) is designed in the form of a porous insert (41), wherein the liquid to be dispensed passes through the porous insert (41) in order to subsequently exit the dispenser (2) or the connecting part (3), wherein the porous insert (41) is inserted in a sealing manner into a dispenser channel of the dispenser (2) or into a channel of the connecting part (3),so that any liquid to be dispensed must completely pass through the porous insert (41) before exiting the dispenser (2) or the connection part (3), wherein the porous insert (41) is in the form of a cylinder, the diameter of which corresponds to the diameter of the dispenser channel of the dispenser (2) or the channel of the connection part (3).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid dispenser device for controlled dispensing of liquid and a porous insert for dispensing a liquid from a container according to the respective preambles of claims 1 and 9.

[0002] Liquids to be administered, for example, a medical liquid for treating diseases and / or their symptoms, such as eye drops, are usually dispensed into the eye in droplet form using pipette dispensers. However, such pipette dispensers, which often have dispenser plugs, have negative effects on the eye. For example, it is not always easy to adjust the dispensed amount with such a dispenser plug, or the plug loses its elasticity over time, so that after prolonged treatment, the volume of the plug changes (for example, increases).

[0003] A dispenser without a dispenser condom requires a component or means to prevent bacteria from entering the container and contaminating the dispensed fluid. One possibility is to install a dispenser valve that blocks the path from the outside into the container.

[0004] When such a dispensing valve opens in a pipette dispenser, the pressure that builds up inside the container and then quickly dissipates causes the liquid to suddenly emerge from the container, primarily as a stream rather than individual drops, since the pressure is typically required to move a valve piston. This stream makes any dispensing very difficult, sometimes even impossible. The goal, therefore, is to ensure that dispensed liquids, such as eye drops, are always dispensed from the pipette dispenser in a controlled manner, particularly as drops. This would prevent an unwanted and uncontrollable jet of liquid.

[0005] To achieve this goal—that is, to ensure that only the intended liquid is dispensed from a dispenser in a controlled manner, for example, in the form of droplets—pipette dispensers known from the prior art utilize, among other things, the idea of ​​providing a relatively narrow dispensing channel, which can, for example, be molded. This is because the small cross-sectional area reduces the velocity of the dispensed liquid. However, the length and diameter of such a velocity-limiting element are limited by geometric constraints imposed by the manufacturing process, such as an injection molding process.

[0006] For dispensers that have a shut-off valve instead of or in addition to the velocity-limiting channel described above, it is necessary, as indicated above, to build up a particularly high pressure inside the container in order to open the shut-off valve. This leads, at least briefly after the valve opens, to a release of the enormous overpressure in the form of a liquid jet from the dispenser. This, too, must be avoided.

[0007] Document DE 10 2010 047 840 B3 is known from the prior art. This document discloses a dispensing device for dispensing a pharmaceutical medium using a media container. An outlet unit with an outlet opening and a removable cap is attached to an opening of the media container. When the cap is removed, the media container is freely accessible and elastically deformable transversely to its main direction of extension in order to pressurize the medium within the media container and thereby dispense the medium through the outlet opening. The cap has a shell extension that extends into the area of ​​the media container and surrounds it, at least partially. This shell extension, relative to the direction in which the cap is placed, extends over at least 50% of the length of the media container between the outlet unit and the opposite end of the media container.

[0008] Furthermore, document DE 10 2008 001 313 B3 is known, which shows a dropper cap for dispensing a liquid. The dropper cap is connected to a pressurizable container. The dropper cap comprises an inlet channel open to the container and an outlet channel. A disc-shaped filter element is arranged between the inlet channel and the outlet channel. This filter element throttles the flow of the liquid and is intended to prevent the entry of contaminants or bacteria into the container.

[0009] The methods described above (speed limiting channel, installation of various elements to reduce the flow cross-section, shut-off valve) are not only costly but also prone to failure. Furthermore, such dispensing devices are not particularly adaptable to individual needs, since, for example, a separate speed limiting channel can only be modified or adapted to a certain extent due to manufacturing process constraints. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid dispensing device for the controlled dispensing of a liquid, which solves the aforementioned problems and thus provides a liquid dispensing device that enables the control of the release of a dispensing liquid from a container, especially in droplet form, in a particularly simple and cost-effective manner.The donated fluid is, for example, a medical fluid used to treat illnesses and / or their symptoms. For example, the medical fluid is an eye drop solution.

[0010] This problem is solved by the subject matter of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

[0011] To solve this problem, the liquid dispenser device described here for the controlled dispensing of a liquid includes a container for storing the liquid to be dispensed.

[0012] Furthermore, the liquid dispensing device comprises a dispensing unit which is arranged on an opening of the container, preferably in a liquid-tight manner, and which controls the dispensing of the liquid solely via the dispensing unit. Depending on its switching state, the dispensing unit either blocks or at least partially allows liquid transport from the container to the outside. Preferably, the liquid to be dispensed is drawn from the container exclusively via the dispensing unit described herein.

[0013] According to the invention, the dispenser device described herein, or a connecting part connected to the dispenser device in a liquid-tight manner, has a velocity and / or flow rate limiting element by means of which a flow velocity and / or a flow rate of the liquid to be dispensed can be controlled, and wherein the velocity and / or flow rate limiting element is designed in the form of a porous insert or at least comprises one through which the liquid to be dispensed is passed in order to subsequently exit the dispenser device or the connecting part.

[0014] A key element of the present invention is therefore to design a completely new and inventive porous insert which, for example, is inserted, preferably detachably, into a channel of the dispenser device or the connection part described above.

[0015] Therefore, in the present invention, it is entirely unnecessary to adjust the channel cross-section of the dispenser device or the connection part. Instead, a porous insert, adapted to a channel of the dispenser device or connection part, is inserted into a manufactured dispenser device or connection part.

[0016] As the liquid passes through the porous insert, which may initially flow quickly upon entering the porous insert, it is significantly slowed down and therefore exits the porous insert at a minimal speed at the other end.

[0017] In particular, therefore, regardless of any pressure applied to the dispensing fluid before it passes through, the velocity and / or flow rate exiting the porous insert can be essentially constant. "Essentially constant" in this context means that, regardless of the inlet velocity and / or flow rate into the porous insert, the velocity and / or flow rate upon exiting the porous insert varies by less than 20%, preferably by less than 10%.

[0018] According to at least one embodiment, the liquid dispenser device for controlled dispensing of a liquid comprises a container for storing a liquid to be dispensed, and a dispenser unit which is preferably arranged in a liquid-tight manner on an opening container, wherein the dispensing liquid is dispensed in a controlled manner only via the dispenser unit, wherein the dispenser unit blocks or at least allows liquid transport to the outside depending on the switching state, wherein the dispenser unit or a connecting part connected to the dispenser unit in a liquid-tight manner has a velocity and / or flow rate limiting element by means of which a flow velocity and / or a flow rate of the liquid to be dispensed can be controlled.

[0019] According to the invention, the velocity and / or flow rate limiting element is designed in the form of a porous insert through which the liquid to be dispensed is passed in order to subsequently exit the dispenser device or the connection part.

[0020] According to at least one embodiment, the liquid to be dispensed can be discharged from the container in such a controlled manner that, in particular, regardless of a dispenser pressure or a dispenser pressure exerted on the container from the outside, the liquid emerges in droplet form from the outlet opening of the dispenser device or an outlet opening of the connecting part.

[0021] According to the invention, the porous insert is sealed within a dispensing channel of the dispensing device or the connecting part, ensuring that any dispensed fluid must pass completely through the porous insert before exiting the dispensing device or the connecting part. This means that there is neither a gap nor an interruption between the channel in which the insert is located and the insert itself.

[0022] This ensures that the dispenser and / or the connection part are free of a bypass that would allow the liquid to bypass the porous insert.

[0023] According to at least one embodiment, the liquid from the dispenser device must penetrate the porous insert regardless of the switching position of the dispenser device.

[0024] Regardless of whether the valve of the dispenser device is open, in a half-open state, or in any other open or closed state, the liquid to be dispensed cannot avoid penetrating the porous insert.

[0025] The porous insert is designed in the form of a cylinder, with one diameter of this cylinder corresponding to a channel diameter of the dispenser or the connecting part.

[0026] However, it is also conceivable that the porous insert widens or narrows conically in the direction of an exit opening and thus in the direction of a main extension direction of the insert.

[0027] Furthermore, it is conceivable that the porosity, i.e., the ratio of cavity volume to the total volume of the porous insert, may change.

[0028] The flow direction and the main extension direction of the insert can coincide.

[0029] Therefore, porosity can increase or decrease in the flow direction. This increase or decrease can, depending on the length of the porous insert in the direction of its main extension, be, for example, linear to the length of the porous insert.

[0030] According to at least one embodiment, the porous insert is formed with a plastic, for example PE, PP, PTFE, PVDF.

[0031] According to at least one embodiment, the porous individual piece is formed with a sintered metal or is at least partially coated with such a metal or has such a metal.

[0032] It has turned out that by using such an additional sintered metal, colonization of the porous insert with bacteria can be prevented particularly effectively.

[0033] According to at least one embodiment, the sintered metal contains silver for bacterial reduction.

[0034] According to the inventors' experience, silver is therefore not only particularly cost-effective, but also prevents the porous insert from being colonized by bacteria.

[0035] According to at least one embodiment, the porous insert is pre- or post-treated with an antibacterial liquid.

[0036] In particular, the antibacterial liquid may be chlorhexidine.

[0037] Residues of chlorhexidine, or in particular residues of the antibacterial liquid, are therefore always detectable on finished porous inserts, so that an antibacterial effect of the antibacterial liquid not only occurs at the moment of the actual treatment, but this antibacterial effect also persists after the treatment, since the antibacterial liquid still covers the porous insert at least partially.

[0038] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a porous insert for the controlled dispensing of a liquid from a container. The porous insert is designed and intended to be installed in a liquid dispensing device according to at least one of the embodiments described above.

[0039] Therefore, any feature disclosed for the liquid dispenser device described here is also disclosed for the porous insert described here, and vice versa.

[0040] Further advantages and design details can be seen in the attached drawings:

[0041] It shows: Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 In schematic side views, two embodiments of different valves, in particular different liquid dispenser devices described here, each with a built-in porous insert.

[0042] In the Fig. 1 It is therefore evident that a container 1 for storing a liquid to be dispensed is screwed into a dispensing device 2 in a liquid-tight manner via a thread 12 of the mouthpiece 11 of the container 1 with its opening, in particular its mouthpiece 11.

[0043] For this purpose, the dispenser device 2 has a socket 25 which surrounds the thread 12 of the mouthpiece 11 of the container 1 from the outside.

[0044] The dispenser device 2 has a dispenser main part 26, which is at least partially inserted into the interior of the mouthpiece 11 of the container 1, so that a fluid connection is established between the interior of the container 1 and thus the liquid to be dispensed arranged in the container 1 and the dispenser device 2.

[0045] In the discharge direction 1000, a velocity and flow rate limiting element 4 as described in the invention is therefore arranged in the dispenser main part 26, by means of which a flow velocity and / or a flow rate of the liquid to be dispensed can be controlled, and wherein the velocity and / or flow rate limiting element 4 is designed in the form of a porous insert 41, through which the liquid to be dispensed is guided in order to subsequently exit the dispenser device 2.

[0046] Furthermore, it can be seen that the dispenser main part 26 to be inserted into the mouthpiece 11 is in switching connection with a valve 27 of the dispenser device 2, so that depending on the switching position of the valve 27 the liquid either escapes from the dispenser device 2 or the valve 27 is blocked.

[0047] In the Fig. 2 is shown in an alternative embodiment that, unlike installing the velocity and / or flow rate limiting element 4 in a channel of the dispenser device 2 (as in the Fig. 1 shown) such a velocity and / or flow rate limiting element 4 described here may instead also be arranged in a connection part 3 of the liquid dispenser device 100.

[0048] The connecting part 3 is therefore mechanically fixed, but detachably connected to an outlet channel of the dispenser 2 via a fluidic connection. Here too, any liquid to be dispensed from the dispenser 2 must necessarily pass through the velocity and flow rate limiting element 4, which is also designed here in the form of a porous insert 41. Reference symbol list 1 container 2 Donor facility 3 Connection part 4. Velocity and flow rate limiting element 11 Mouthpiece 12 threads Version 25 26 main donor part 27 valve 41 porous insert 100 liquid dispenser devices 1000 Exit direction

Claims

[1] Liquid dispenser device (100) for controlled dispensing of a liquid, comprising - a container (1) for storing a liquid to be donated, - a dispenser device (2) which is arranged in a liquid-tight manner on an opening of the container (1), wherein the liquid to be dispensed is dispensed only via the dispenser device (2) in a controlled manner, wherein - the dispenser device (2) blocks or at least partially allows the transport of liquid from the container (1) to the outside, depending on the switching state, characterized bythat the dispenser (2) or a connecting part (3) connected to the dispenser (2) in a liquid-tight manner has a velocity and / or flow rate limiting element (4) by means of which a flow velocity and / or a flow rate of the liquid to be dispensed can be controlled, and wherein the velocity and / or flow rate limiting element (4) is designed in the form of a porous insert (41), wherein the liquid to be dispensed passes through the porous insert (41) in order to subsequently exit the dispenser (2) or the connecting part (3), wherein the porous insert (41) is sealed in a dispenser channel of the dispenser (2) or in a channel of the connecting part (3) such that any liquid to be dispensed must completely pass through the porous insert (41) before exiting the dispenser (2) or the connecting part (3),wherein the porous insert (41) is designed in the form of a cylinder, wherein a diameter of this cylinder then corresponds to a diameter of the dispenser channel of the dispenser device (2) or of the channel of the connecting part (3). [2] Liquid dispenser device (100) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the liquid to be dispensed can be dispensed from the container (1) in such a controllable manner, independent of a dispensing pressure in the container (1) or a dispensing pressure exerted on the container (1) from the outside, that the liquid emerges in droplet form from an outlet opening of the dispensing device (2) or an outlet opening (31) of the connecting part (3). [3] Liquid dispenser device (100) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that regardless of the switching position of the dispenser device (2), the liquid must penetrate the porous insert (41). [4] Liquid dispenser device (100) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the porous insert (41) is formed with a plastic. [5] Liquid dispenser device (100) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the porous insert (41) is formed with a sintered metal or is at least partially coated or has such a metal. [6] Liquid dispenser device (100) according to the preceding claim, characterized by that the sintered metal contains silver for bacterial reduction. [7] Liquid dispenser device (100) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the porous insert (41) is post-treated with an antibacterial liquid. [8] Liquid dispenser device (100) according to the preceding claim, characterized by that the antibacterial liquid is chlorhexidine.

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