The present invention relates to the technical sector concerning the packaging of articles containing pharmaceutical and/or cosmetic products, such as for example vials or syringes, internally of relative boxes.
In this specific technical sector, generally, articles containing pharmaceutical and/or cosmetic products, such as for example vials and syringes, are initially arranged in special support containers made of cardboard or card; then, subsequently, these support containers are inserted, singly or possibly stacked on one another, internally of special boxes, for obtaining the final package.
Support containers made of cardboard or card are obtained starting from flat blanks which, following specific cardboard sector operations, are folded about relative score lines, so as to form the container which has the particularity of being able to take on two different configurations: a flattened configuration and an opened-out configuration.
These cardboard containers are generally stored in the flattened configuration, to minimise volumes, and to thus reduce the space required for storage thereof, and are brought into the opened-out configuration only when they are about to receive the articles.
A known type of container used for receiving and containing articles that have to be packed inside a relative box is constituted in the following way.
This container, when placed in the opened-out configuration, adapted for receiving the articles to be packed, comprises:
a bottom;
a first wall folded and arranged at an angle with respect to the bottom;
a second wall opposite the first wall, and folded and arranged at an angle with respect to the bottom;
an upper face, opposite the bottom, between the first wall and the second wall, folded and arranged at an angle with respect to the first wall and the second wall, the upper face comprising at least an opening defining a housing for inserting and positioning an article.
The container is placed in the opened-out configuration starting from a flattened configuration for storage, wherein: the first wall arranged in the plane identified by the bottom externally aligned to the bottom; the second wall is arranged in a plane parallel to the plane identified by the bottom and superposed on the bottom itself; and the upper face is arranged in a parallel plane to the plane identified by the bottom and superposed both on the bottom and the first wall.
To take the container into the opened-out configuration it is necessary to force and fold the first wall in rotation with respect to the bottom so as to take it into an angled configuration with respect to the bottom. During this folding operation, the second wall will also rotate and will move into an angled configuration with respect to the bottom, while the upper face, connected to both the first wall and the second wall, will rotate with respect to the first and second wall, and will be at an angle with respect thereto and opposite the bottom.
This type of container, however, presents some drawbacks.
The poor intrinsic rigidity of the cardboard, plus the fact that the upper face of the container is connected to the first wall and the second wall, as it is for example in a single body therewith, poses problems of stability and maintenance of the shape of the container once brought into the opened-out configuration.
In fact, once the container is placed in the opened-out configuration, the upper face, with its own weight, bears down on the first wall and on the second wall, which therefore tend to fold with respect to the bottom and tend to return to the starting position thereof, i.e. into the flattened configuration of the container.
Consequently, the machines used for carrying out the operations of inserting the articles into the cardboard containers, and transporting and packing the cardboard containers inside relative boxes, have to be provided with special devices for keeping the cardboard container in the opened-out configuration.
For example, they must be provided with appropriate lateral abutting elements which push against the first and second walls in an opposite direction to the folding direction thereof with respect to the bottom, or fixed abutting walls, between which the cardboard container brought into the opened-out configuration must be positioned.
This inevitably leads to complications and increase in production costs of the machine.
This problem is particularly serious for packing machines in which the inserting and arranging of the cardboard container internally of the box is carried out by means of an operation of insertion of the container that takes place along a perpendicular direction to the two opposite sides along which the first wall and the second wall are arranged.
In fact, in this case the only solution that can be used, for avoiding the cardboard container losing shape during the insertion, is to advance the container along a parallel direction to the two opposite sides along which the first wall and the second wall are arranged, and then to rotate the container when being inserted into the box.
The complications in design and predisposing of the machine, which has to be equipped with a device able to rotate the containers before being inserted in the boxes, are clearly evident.
In the light of the above, the aim of the present invention consists in obviating the drawbacks of cardboard containers of known type.
The above-mentioned aim is obtained with a cardboard container for articles, such as vials/syringes, containing the pharmaceutical/cosmetic products of claim 1.
The cardboard container of the present invention will advantageously be able to autonomously maintain the assumed opened-out configuration.
Further, the use of a cardboard container, according to claim 1, will enable a saving, in terms of time and costs, in the process of inserting the articles containing pharmaceutical/cosmetic products into the cardboard container and the subsequent possible steps of transport and packing of the containers in cartons internally of the relative boxes.
Specific embodiments of the invention will be described in the following part of the present description, according to what is set down in the claims and with the aid of the accompanying tables of drawings, in which:
With reference to the above-mentioned tables of drawings, reference numeral (1) denotes a cardboard container for articles, being vials/syringes (2) containing pharmaceutical/cosmetic products, object of the present invention.
The container (1) is obtained starting from a blank and is such as to be able to take on an opened-out configuration (V), starting from a flattened configuration (A).
When in the opened-out configuration (V), the container (1) comprises: a bottom (3); a first wall (P1) folded and arranged at an angle with respect to the bottom (3); a second wall (P2) opposite the first wall (P1), and folded and arranged at an angle with respect to the bottom (3); an upper face (FS), opposite the bottom (3), between the first wall (P1) and the second wall (P2), folded and arranged at an angle with respect to the first wall (P1) and the second wall (P2), the upper face (FS) comprising at least an opening (4) defining a housing (40) for inserting and positioning an article.
A peculiarity of the container (1) of the present invention consists in the fact that it also comprises: at least a slot (5) on the first wall (P1) or on the second wall (P2), and at least a wing (6) jointed foldably to the bottom (3), between the first wall (P1) and the second wall (P2), so as to be able to be arranged at an angle with respect to the bottom (3) and to be inserted between the first wall (P1) and the second wall (P2) and the upper face (FS), when the container (1) is in the opened-out configuration (V).
Further, the wing (6) comprises a tab (7) predisposed so as to be able to insert in said slot (5), when the wing (6) is folded at an angle with respect to the bottom (3) and inserted between the first wall (P1) and the second wall (P2), so as to stabilise the opened-out configuration (V) of the container (1).
The container (1) of the invention is placed in the opened-out configuration (V) starting from a flattened configuration (A).
In the flattened configuration (A) the container (1) has: the first wall (P1) arranged in the plane identified by the bottom (3) externally aligned to the bottom (3); the second wall (P2) arranged in un plane parallel to the plane identified by the bottom (3) and superposed on the bottom (3) itself; the upper face (FS) arranged in a parallel plane to the plane identified by the bottom (3) and superposed both on the bottom (3) and the first wall (P1); the at least a wing (6) arranged in the plane identified by the bottom (3) externally aligned to the bottom (3).
To bring the container (1) into the opened-out configuration (V) it is necessary to force and fold the first wall (P1) and rotate it with respect to the bottom (3), so that it is arranged to form an angle with respect to the bottom (3). The rotation of the first wall (P1) will induce a rotation of the upper face (FS), to which it is jointed, which will then become arranged opposite the bottom (3), forming an angle with respect to the first wall (P1). This will induce, in the same way, a rotation of the second wall (P2), also jointed to the upper face (FS), which will then become arranged opposite the first wall (P1), forming an angle with respect to the bottom (3) and with respect to the upper face (FS).
To maintain the opened-out configuration (V) and prevent the weight of the second face (FS), bearing on the first wall (P1) and on the second wall (P2), from inducing a rotation that is opposite to the preceding rotation, and therefore a return to the flattened configuration (A), it will be sufficient to fold the at least a wing (6) up to becoming arranged at an angle with respect to the bottom (3), between the first wall (P1) and the second wall (P2) and the upper face (FS), and inserting the tab (7), with which the wing (6) is provided, into the slot (5) present on the first wall (P1) or on the second wall (P2), so that the wing (6) goes to push against the first wall (P1) or the second wall (P2), thus stabilising the opened-out configuration (V) of the container (1).
In conclusion, the inserting of the wing (6), folded at an angle with respect to the bottom (3), between the first wall (P1) and the second wan (P2), and the coupling between the tab (7) and the slot (5) in which the tab (7) inserts, is such that the container (1), with respect to the prior art, has the ability to maintain the form assumed in the opened-out configuration (V) stable.
Consequently, the container (1) of the present invention requires no presence of machines provided with special devices for maintaining the shape in the opened-out configuration during the positioning operations of the articles in the container (1), and during transport and inserting of the container (1) internally of a relative box.
The foregoing summarises the essential aspects of the container (1) of the invention, common to all the possible embodiments of the invention. Other more specific characteristics common to the various possible embodiments of the container (1) of the invention are as follow.
In detail, as is visible in
This particular conformation of the wing (6) will advantageously enable easier insertion of the wing (6) between the first wall (P1) and the second wall (P2), when these walls are positioned at an angle with respect to the bottom (3), without risking the wing (6) interfering with the first wall (P1) and the second wall (P2) when the wing (6) is folded at an angle with respect to the bottom (3) and forced to become arranged between the two walls (see
Further, the wing (6) preferably has a shape such as to comprise a hook-shaped element (11) for, when the tab (7) is inserted in the slot (5), hooking the tab (7) to the first wall (P1) or the second wall (P2); see
The coupling between the at least a slot (5) and the tab (7), will advantageously be more stable and safe, providing a further guarantee of the opened-out configuration (V).
Further, the angle of inclination is selected in such a way as to allow inserting of the hook-shaped element (11) in the slot (5), if present, in order to guarantee a correct and stable coupling between the tab (7) and the slot (5).
In a possible embodiment illustrated in
The first wall (P1) and the second wall (P2) can both be in a single body with the bottom (3) and jointed foldably to the bottom (3) along special score lines, respectively at the first lateral edge (B1) and the second lateral edge (B2), for enabling the folding of the first wall (P1) and the second wall (P2) with respect to the bottom (3).
Alternatively, the first wall (P1) and the second wall (P2) can both be glued to the bottom (3) in such a way as to be able to fold with respect to the bottom (3).
Alternatively, the first wall (P1) and the second wall (P2) can be jointed to the bottom (3) by special flaps (not illustrated).
In the possible embodiment of
In the possible embodiment of
Further, in the possible embodiment of
A special and preferred embodiment of the container (1) according to the invention, advantageously foldable, as described in the following, in the case of articles having an elongate shape, such as for example syringes, is instead illustrated in
In this embodiment, the container (1) is such that the first wall (P1) is foldably jointed to the bottom (3) at a first lateral edge (B1) of the bottom (3), while the second wall (P2) is foldably jointed to the bottom (3) along a first section (13) of the bottom (3), parallel to the first lateral edge (B1).
The container (1) further comprises: a third wall (P3) foldably jointed to the bottom (3) at a second lateral edge (B2) of the bottom (3), parallel to the first lateral edge (B1), so as to be able to be folded and arranged at an angle with respect to the bottom (3), when the container (1) is in the opened-out configuration (V); a fourth wall (P4) foldably jointed to the bottom (3) at a second section (14) of the bottom (3) parallel to the second lateral edge (B2), so as to be able to be folded and arranged at an angle with respect to the bottom (3), when the container (1) is in the opened-out configuration (V).
The container (1) further comprises, when placed in the opened-out configuration (V), also a second upper face (FS2) opposite the bottom (3), between the third wall (P3) and the fourth wall (P4), folded and arranged at an angle with respect to the third wall (P3) and the fourth wall (P4); the second upper face (FS2) which in turn comprises at least a second opening (15) for defining a second housing (150) for inserting and positioning an article.
The container (1) of this preferred embodiment further contains: at least a second slot (16) in the third wall (P3) or in the fourth wall (P4); at least a second wing (17) foldably jointed to the bottom (3), between the third wall (P3) and the fourth wall (P4), so as to be able to be arranged at an angle with respect to the bottom (3), and to be inserted between the third wall (P3) and the fourth wall (P4) and the second upper face (FS2), when the container (1) is in the opened-out configuration (V), the second wing (17) comprising a second tab (18) predisposed so as to be able to insert in the second slot (16), when the second wing (17) is folded at an angle with respect to the bottom (3) and inserted between the third wall (P3) and the fourth wall (P4), so as to stabilise the opened-out configuration (V) of the container (1).
In the flattened configuration (A) the container (1) has (see
In a like manner to what is specified above for the wing (6), preferably also the second wing (17) has a polygonal shape such as to comprise a base side (80), jointed to the bottom (3), at least a first side (90) consecutive to the base side (80), in which the second tab (18) is formed, and at least a second side (100), consecutive to the base side (80) and opposite the first side (90), which is inclined with respect to the base side (80) by an angle that is such as to allow inserting of the second wing (17), when folded and arranged at an angle with respect to the bottom (3), between the third wall (P3) and the fourth wall (P4) folded at an angle with respect to the bottom (3); see
Further, as for what is set out in the foregoing in relation to the tab (7), the second tab (18) has a shape such as to comprise a hook-shaped element (180) which, when the second tab (18) is inserted in the second slot (16), is for hooking the second tab (18) to the third wall (P3) or to the fourth wall (P4); see
Further, the container (1) is configured so that: the second wan (P2) comprises at least a window (12) communicating with the opening (4) of the upper face (FS) between the first wall (P1) and the second wall (P2), the fourth wall (P4) comprises in turn at least a second window (19) communicating with the second opening (15) of the second upper face (FS2) between the third wall (P3) and the fourth wall (P4), and facing the window (12) of the second wall (P2), in such a way that the housing (40) defined in the upper face (FS), between the first wall (P1) and the second wall (P2), and the second housing (150) defined in the second upper face (FS2), between the third wall (P3) and the fourth wall (P4), define a single seating for inserting and positioning of an article having an elongate shape, such as a syringe (2).
The first housing (40) and the second housing (150) together advantageously constitute a suitable housing for containing articles containing very long pharmaceutical/cosmetic products, such as for example syringes (2), as illustrated in
Similarly to the foregoing, also in this preferred embodiment, illustrated in
Further, in this preferred embodiment too, illustrated in
With particular reference to
The upper face (FS) is in a single body with the first wall (P1) and the second wall (P2), and foldable with respect to the first wall (P1) according to a fifth score line (L5) and foldable with respect to the second wall (P2) according to a sixth score line (L6); the second upper face (FS2) is in a single body with the third wall (P3) and foldable with respect to the third wall (P3) according to a seventh score line (L7) and the fourth wall (P4) being jointed to the second upper face (FS2) by means of a second flap (F2) glued on a portion (20) of the lower part of the second upper face (FS2) and foldable with respect thereto according to an eighth score line (L8).
Further, the second upper face (FS2) is connected to the first flap (F1) by means of a third flap (F3) comprising a first sector (S1), in a single body with the second upper face (FS2) and foldable with respect thereto according to a ninth score line (L9), and a second sector (S2) which is glued on the first flap (F1), and foldable with respect thereto according to a tenth score line (L10).
On varying the dimensions of the first flap (F1) and of the third flap (F3) there will advantageously be a container (1) having variable dimensions for adapting to articles containing pharmaceutical/cosmetic products of a different shape.
In a preferred embodiment, illustrated in
It will advantageously be possible to more stably secure the positioning in the container (1) of articles containing pharmaceutical/cosmetic products having a collar, such as for example a syringe (2), positioning the collar in the space between the first sector (S1) and the fourth wall (P4), as illustrated in
In a preferred embodiment, illustrated in
It is understood that the above has been described by way of non-limiting example and that any technical-functional variants are considered to fall within the protective scope of the present technical solution, as claimed in the following.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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102016000130986 | Dec 2016 | IT | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/IB2017/058067 | 12/18/2017 | WO | 00 |