Multi-dose applicator with quick bottle attachment mechanism

Claim 2

In a multi-dose applicator including: a body comprising a front portion and a rear portion wherein the front portion is slidably connected to the rear portion; a needle assembly attached to the front portion of the body; a dosage tube attached to the front portion of the body and connected to the needle assembly by a passageway within the front portion of the body; wherein the improvement comprises: (i) a bottle locking assembly attached to either the front or rear portion of the body and comprising: (a) a locking ring comprising: a side wall; an end wall with an aperture in the end wall; and protrusions that extend inwardly from the side wall; (b) a bottle holder that is sized to fit within the side wall of the locking ring and comprising a base with is an aperture and a plurality of flanges that extend upwardly from the base; and (c) a supply needle assembly comprising a fluid intake needle for withdrawing fluid from a supply bottle into the dosage tube of the applicator and an air intake needle for providing air to the supply bottle, wherein the locking ring rotates around the bottle holder and the protrusions of the locking ring contact and compress the flanges of the bottle holder to secure the supply bottle to the applicator; and (ii) a plunger assembly attached to the rear portion of the body and slidably located within the dosage tube comprising a plunger head and a shaft comprising a thin section and a thick section wherein the plunger head is attached to the thin section of the shaft and the thin section is flexible.

Claim 3

In a multi-dose applicator including: a body comprising a front portion and a rear portion wherein the front portion is slidably connected to the rear portion; a needle assembly attached to the front portion of the body; a dosage tube attached to the front portion of the body and connected to the needle assembly by a passageway within the front portion of the body; a plunger assembly attached to the rear portion of the body and slidably located within the dosage tube; wherein the improvement comprises a bottle locking assembly attached to either the front or rear portion of the body and comprising: (a) a locking ring comprising: a side wall; an end wall with an aperture in the end wall; and protrusions that extend inwardly from the side wall and are equally spaced round the inner circumference of the locking ring side wall; (b) a bottle holder that is sized to fit within the side wall of the locking ring and comprising a base with an aperture and a plurality of flanges that extend upwardly from the base wherein the flanges are equally spaced around the outer circumference of the bottle holder and further wherein the number of flanges equals the number of protrusions on the inner circumference of the locking ring side wall; and (c) a supply needle assembly comprising a fluid intake needle for withdrawing fluid from a supply bottle into the dosage tube of the applicator, wherein the locking ring rotates around the bottle holder and the protrusions of the locking ring contact and compress the flanges of the bottle holder to secure the supply bottle to the applicator.

Claim 4

In a multi-dose applicator including: a body comprising a front portion and a rear portion wherein the front portion is slidably connected to the rear portion; a needle assembly attached to the front portion of the body; a dosage tube attached to the front portion of the body and connected to the needle assembly by a passageway within the front portion of the body; a plunger assembly attached to the rear portion of the body and slidably located within the dosage tube; wherein the improvement comprises a bottle locking assembly attached to either the front or rear portion of the body and comprising: (a) a locking ring comprising: a side wall; an end wall with an aperture in the end wall; and protrusions that extend inwardly from the side wall and are equally spaced round the inner circumference of the locking ring side wall; (b) a bottle holder that is sized to fit within the side wall of the locking ring and comprising a base with an aperture and a plurality of flanges that extend upwardly from the base wherein the flanges are equally spaced around the outer circumference of the bottle holder and further wherein the number of flanges equals the number of protrusions on the inner circumference of the locking ring side wall; and (c) a supply needle assembly comprising a fluid intake needle for withdrawing fluid from a supply bottle into the dosage tube of the applicator, wherein the locking ring rotates around the bottle holder and the protrusions of the locking ring contact and compress the flanges of the bottle holder to secure the supply bottle to the applicator.

Claim 5

The applicator as defined in claim 2 wherein the number of protrusions is three and the number of flanges is three.

Claim 6

The applicator as defined in claim 2 wherein the number of protrusions is four and the number of flanges is four.

Claim 7

The applicator as defined in claim 2 wherein the protrusions contact the flanges every fraction of a rotation of the locking ring.

Claim 8

The applicator as defined in claim 5 wherein the protrusions contact the flanges every half, third or quarter rotation of the locking ring.

Claim 9

The applicator as defined in claim 2 wherein each flange comprises an inwardly directed projection at the end of the flange opposite the end attached to the base of the bottle holder.

Claim 10

The applicator as defined in claim 7 wherein the inwardly directed projection extends from the flange at an angle between 90° and 180°.

Claim 11

The applicator as defined in claim 8 wherein the inwardly directed projection extends from the flange at an angle of about 135°.