Patent Grant
11518596
The present invention relates to a holding structure for holding a plurality of containers for pharmaceutical, medical or cosmetic purposes, in particular vials, cartridges or syringes, such as vials made of glass.
Large quantities of medical containers, such as vials, ampoules or cartridges, are used as containers for the storage of medical, pharmaceutical or cosmetic preparations to be administered in liquid form, in particular in pre-dosed quantities. These generally have a cylindrical shape, can be made of plastics or glass and are available in large quantities at low cost. To fill the containers as economically as possible under sterile conditions, concepts are increasingly being used in which the containers are placed in a holding structure directly at the manufacturer of the containers, these are then sterilely packed in a transport and packaging container together with the containers held on them and the containers are then unpacked at a pharmaceutical company under sterile conditions and then processed further.
For this purpose, various holding structures are known, on which a plurality of medical containers are arranged and held concurrently in a regular arrangement. This has advantages for the automated further processing of the containers, as the containers can be transferred to processing stations at controlled positions and in a specified arrangement, for example to processing machines, robots or the like. For transfer to a processing station, the transport and packaging container simply needs to be suitably positioned and opened. The downstream processing station then knows in which position and arrangement the containers to be further processed are arranged in the holding structure.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0027333 A1 discloses a holding structure. The holding structure includes a planar carrier having a plurality of openings or receptacles formed and arranged in a regular two-dimensional array and each configured to accommodate a container. A plurality of holding devices is assigned to each of the openings or receptacles of the carrier which hold the containers in the regular arrangement on the carrier. The holding devices hold the containers on the carrier by frictional engagement. During the insertion or removal of the containers into or out of the openings or receptacles of the carrier, the holding devices rub against the surface of the containers. This causes a certain degree of contamination of the containers and of the process environment due to abraded particles. In the worst case, the abrasion is so strong that a subsequent optical inspection detects it and containers have to be sorted out.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0027332 A1 discloses another holding structure in which the holding devices hold the containers by positive locking. However, a certain amount of material abrasion also occurs when the containers are inserted into or removed from the openings or receptacles of the carrier.
In order to further reduce such material abrasion on the holding devices, International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2014009037 A1 (corresponding to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0166212 A1) discloses another holding structure as shown in
The material abrasion is significantly lower here; however, it is not vanishing. Furthermore, the holding arms 212 must be formed with high precision and configured with relatively tight tolerances so that the containers 220 can be held with clearance as intended. However, the carrier 210 may warp during use or shrink due to process parameters such as temperature or humidity, so that the relatively tight tolerances may not be maintained and a relatively large, unwanted material abrasion may occur.
A further holding structure of the type mentioned above is disclosed in International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2014/072019 A2 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 9,963,259).
The containers are automatically removed from or inserted into the holding structure for further processing by means of robots or grippers. However, since there is a certain friction between the containers and the holding devices of the holding structure, it is difficult to remove or insert all the containers at the same time, as relatively large forces act on the holding structure, which can, for example, lead to uncontrolled bending of the holding structure or even to the containers accidentally falling out of the holding structure. Therefore, usually only a subset of the containers is removed or inserted concurrently by means of a robot or gripper, the total number of containers of a respective subset depending on the forces which the holding structure can absorb without excessive deformation. This leads to delays and higher costs for the further processing of the containers.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, the holding devices of the holding structure are configured to be able to selectively assume two different stable positions, wherein, in a first stable position, the distance between the holding devices is sufficiently large so that in the first stable position of the holding devices the containers can be inserted into or removed from the respective opening or receptacle, and, in a second stable position of the holding devices, the distance between the holding devices is sufficiently small so that in the second stable position the containers are held by the holding devices in the respective opening or receptacle by frictional engagement or by positive locking.
The adjustment of the holding devices from one to the other stable position may be effected either by actuating an actuating element provided on the holding structure, such as provided inside or in the immediate vicinity of the respective opening or receptacle, or by an external actuating element, separate from the carrier, which is adjusted relative to the carrier, for example moved perpendicularly towards or away from the carrier, thereby activating the adjustment of the holding devices. Or the adjustment of the holding devices from one to the other stable position can be effected directly by active displacement of the containers themselves relative to the respective opening or receptacle.
In the first stable position, the distance between the holding devices may be so large that the containers can be inserted into or removed from the respective opening or receptacle without hindrance, taking into account the movement path of the containers for insertion or removal. If only an adjustment perpendicular to the carrier is intended for the insertion or removal of the containers into or from the respective opening or receptacle, it is sufficient for this purpose if the distance between the holding devices in the first stable position is greater than a maximum outer dimension of the containers, i.e. in particular greater than a maximum outer diameter of the containers. If the movement path of the containers for inserting or removing the containers into or from the respective opening or receptacle is not vertical but inclined relative to the carrier, the distance between the holding devices in the first stable position is suitably larger. In other words, in the open first position (insertion position), the holding devices unblock a larger diameter than the maximum outer diameter of the containers, so that the containers can be inserted into and removed from the respective opening or receptacle without friction. According to the present invention, normal forces acting on the outer wall of the containers can thus be avoided, so that a lower radial load acts on the containers and, in particular, material abrasion can be completely prevented. When the containers are inserted or removed, practically no vertical forces act on the holding structure. Thus, according to the present invention, all containers can also be inserted concurrently into and removed from the openings or receptacles of a holding structure, making further processing of the containers according to the present invention more economical and faster. Furthermore, the holding devices can be provided with less tight tolerances, so that the holding structure according to the present invention can be produced more easily and cost-effectively. Any deformations or twisting of the holding structure during use can also be considerably reduced according to the present invention.
According to the present invention, the holding devices are elastically biased into the first stable position and into the second stable position. The holding devices are therefore configured to be bi-stable and can assume two stable end positions from where the holding devices can be transferred to the other end position only by applying a force exceeding a certain threshold value which is sufficiently higher than the forces normally occurring during further processing of the containers due to displacement or handling (lifting, lowering, turning, tilting, vibrating) of the holding structure. An inadvertent adjustment of the holding devices to the other end position can thus be reliably eliminated. Particularly, the aforementioned two stable end positions can be assumed by the holding devices regardless of whether these holding devices are actually holding containers or not.
In some embodiments, the holding devices are connected by hinges, such as by film hinges, to an actuating element, wherein in the first stable position the hinges press the holding devices apart by an elastic restoring force, wherein the elastic restoring force can be pressed over by actuating the actuating element for transferring the holding devices into the second stable position. For the purposes of the present application the term “hinge,” in particular “film hinge,” shall mean any pivoting connection between two structural parts which is either integral with these parts or permanently connected to these parts, for example by adhesion or fusion. Examples of similar film hinges are the connections of caps of dishwasher detergent bottles, which in this way are undetachably connected to the bottles. Such film hinges can be formed in a simple and cost-effective manner, in particular using plastic injection molding techniques such as two-component (2K) injection molding techniques.
In some embodiments, the holding devices are formed as holding arms projecting from the carrier and holding the containers in the second stable position clamped in the region of a cylindrical side wall or of a constricted neck portion or engaging behind a widened upper rim in order to hold the containers axially secured on the carrier. For this purpose, the holding arms can each be wing-shaped in order to cooperate with the outer surface of the containers in a suitable frictional or positive-locking manner. The opening width of the holding arms, such as of pairs of holding arms, can be suitably adjusted between the first and second stable end position by an actuating element. The holding arms may be made of a plastic material with a suitable friction pairing with the material of the containers (glass or plastic), or a coating having a suitable friction coefficient is provided on the holding arms.
In some embodiments, the holding devices are each connected to the actuating element by a first hinge so that they can pivot and at the same time they are each connected to the carrier by a second hinge so that the holding devices can be automatically transferred from the first stable position into the second stable position by adjustment of the actuating element relative to the carrier. The holding devices, in particular the holding arms, and the actuating element are coupled to one another by the two hinges in such a manner that the adjustment of one element (actuating element or holding arms) automatically causes a corresponding adjustment of the other element (holding arms or actuating element). The actuating element thus acts as a control element for controlling the position of the holding arms, i.e. whether the holding arms are arranged in the first stable end position or in the second stable end position. Such a control of the position of the holding arms, such as the simultaneous control of the positions of all holding arms, is particularly suitable for automated processing of the containers, for example using robots or grippers in processing stations.
In some embodiments, the actuating element is configured and arranged in such a manner that it is adjustable in the radial direction of the respective opening or receptacle and within a plane spanned by the carrier for transferring the holding devices from the first stable position into the second stable position. This embodiment is particularly suitable for controlling the positions of the holding arms directly above the container interacting with the actuating element during its radial adjustment. If a container is adjusted radially in the opening or receptacle to a sufficient extent, for example if the container comes in contact with a control cam or the like, then the adjustment of the associated holding arm to the other stable end position is carried out automatically.
In some embodiments, the actuating element comprises a base body having a projection projecting radially therefrom, wherein two holding arms connected to the base body are moved towards one another from the first stable position and transferred into the second stable position by radial adjustment of the base body. The radial projection acts in particular as a control cam when it comes in contact with the associated container. For radial adjustment of the base body, however, an external control cam or an external control device generally may also be used.
In both the first and second stable position, a gap is formed between the base body and an edge of the opening or receptacle so that the adjustment of the actuating element is not hindered by the edge of the opening or receptacle. The gap can also be used to access the rear of the base body, for example by an external adjustment device, in order to adjust the base body in radial direction and thus effect the aforementioned adjustment of the holding elements from one stable position into the other stable position.
In order to achieve suitable tensioning or elastic biasing of the actuating element in a simple manner, in some embodiments the actuating element is mirror-symmetrical, for example by arranging the holding arms mirror-symmetrically in relation to the actuating element in the respective opening or receptacle. For this purpose, the actuating element may comprise a base body to which the two holding arms are connected in an articulated or pivotable manner, the base body being elastically biased against the carrier in at least one of the two stable positions, for example by connecting the base carrier to the edge of the associated opening or receptacle of the carrier by laterally projecting hinges. In each of the two stable end positions, the hinges are elastically biased to a sufficient extent, for securing the respective end position and reliably preventing accidental transfer of the holding arms to the other stable position.
An elastic biasing can be accomplished in a simple and reliable manner by forming the hinges using two-component injection molding technology in order to cause two elastically biased stable end positions of the holding arms. Here, the unstable intermediate position between these two end positions is the state under highest tension, the energy of which must be overcome for transferring the holding arms from one stable end position into the other stable end position.
For this purpose, the hinges may be formed as film hinges, in particular as elastic, flexible connecting webs, which are curved or bent in each of the two stable end positions to a sufficient extent. The aforementioned radial adjustment of the actuating element causes the hinges to bend into the respective oppositely curved or bent state. This bending requires a certain adjustment force which is sufficient to prevent accidental adjustment of the base body and of the holding arms connected to it and which does not act vertically on the carrier but within the plane spanned by the carrier. Any deformation or twisting of the carrier due to vertical forces acting on it can thus be eliminated.
In some embodiments, the aforementioned projection projects radially from the base body to such an extent that in the second stable position it is in direct contact with a cylindrical side wall or with a constricted neck portion of the respective container. The projection may thus be used directly as a control cam for controlling the position of the holding arms, so that the respective position of the holding arms can be easily controlled directly by radial adjustment of the containers or by radial adjustment of an external control device.
In some embodiments, the holding arms are concavely curved in sections, having a radius of curvature which is matched to the radius of the respective container in the region of the cylindrical side wall or of the constricted neck portion. The containers can thus be held on the holding structure reliably secured in axial direction.
For this purpose, the holding devices are elastically biased against one another in the second stable position, such as by an elastic restoring force exerted by the hinges, wherein the elastic restoring force can be exceeded or pressed over by displacement of the respective container in a direction perpendicular to the direction of extension of the projection, for transferring the holding devices back into the first stable position. If the preload force is exceeded when the aforementioned actuating element is adjusted in the radial direction, the holding arms switch over to the other of the bi-stable end positions automatically and with little force.
In some embodiments, the actuating element is configured and arranged so as to be adjustable in the respective opening or receptacle perpendicular to a plane spanned by the carrier, the adjustment of the actuating element causing the holding devices to be transferred from one stable position to the other stable position. The adjustment of the actuating element in the axial direction of the containers can be carried out by an external actuating element separate from the holding structure (for example by an external control device or a control cam) or directly by axial displacement of the containers themselves in the openings or receptacles. Here, the upper side of the actuating element may also be used as a supporting surface to prevent the containers from slipping through accidentally. The holding devices, which may be configured as holding arms, are distributed appropriately along the periphery of the actuating element, such as at uniform angular distances from each other, and are suitably connected to the actuating element in an articulated manner, in particular by the aforementioned film hinges.
In some embodiments, the actuating element is formed as a cylindrical body having a closed top side, wherein an annular gap, which is bridged by the first hinge, by a portion of the holding devices and by the second hinge, is formed between an edge of the respective opening or receptacle and the actuating element. This allows an adjustment of the actuating element in axial direction with advantageously low forces.
The cylindrical body may be centered in relation to an axis of symmetry of the respective opening or receptacle of the carrier, which enables a symmetrical adjustment of all holding devices when the actuating element is actuated and thus an advantageously symmetrical holding of the containers with advantageously low radial forces is possible.
In some embodiments, the holding devices are formed as holding arms having holding claws, the length of the holding arms being matched to the axial length of the containers in such a manner that, in the second stable position, the containers are held clamped at the upper end of the cylindrical side wall or in the region of the constricted neck portion of a container or that the widened upper rim of a container is positively engaged to hold the container axially secured to the carrier. In particular, this allows all containers to be held on the holding structure at the same distance from the upper side of the carrier. The bottoms or lower ends of the containers are then also automatically kept at the same distance from the underside of the carrier, which has considerable advantages, for example, in freeze-drying the contents of the containers, because a uniform contact of the bottoms or lower ends of all containers with a cooling surface of a freeze-dryer can be ensured easily and hence freeze-drying (or further processing) of all containers is possible concurrently while they are held by the holding structure.
In some embodiments, the actuating element, the holding devices and the hinges are formed integrally with the carrier, such as by a plastic injection molding process. This enables a simple and cost-effective production of the holding structure as well as an adjustment of the holding devices with advantageously low forces.
In some embodiments, a side wall is provided at least in sections on the underside of the carrier along the edge of the respective opening or receptacle. This may either be circumferential or, in other extreme cases, may only be provided in the form of a few pins or projections which project from the underside of the carrier and are distributed around the respective opening or receptacle. This allows a simple and effective way of preventing collision between containers accommodated in adjacent openings or receptacles of the carrier. The respective side wall may also be used at the same time as a spacer, for example if several holding structures are to be stacked on top of each other to save space or passed on in a processing plant. The length of the respective side wall in a direction perpendicular to the upper side of the carrier may be selected so that the bottoms or lower ends project beyond the lower edge of the respective side wall when the containers are held by the holding devices on the holding structure, so that the bottoms or lower ends are readily accessible for further processing, for example for a direct contact with a cooling surface as part of a freeze-drying process.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the holding devices are biased by an elastic restoring force into an open insertion position, in which the containers can be inserted axially between or removed from the holding devices, or into a closed holding position, in which the containers are held by the holding devices by frictional engagement or by positive locking, wherein, in the open insertion position, the distance between the holding devices is sufficiently large so that the containers can be inserted into or removed from the respective opening or receptacle in the open insertion position of the holding devices, in the closed holding position, the distance between the holding devices is sufficiently small so that in the closed holding position the containers are held in the respective opening or receptacle by the holding devices by frictional engagement or by positive locking, and the holding devices of a respective opening or receptacle, such as the holding devices of all openings or receptacles of the carrier, can be transferred in a coordinated manner by an actuating device from the open insertion position into the closed holding position and/or from the closed holding position into the open insertion position.
In some embodiments, the distance between the holding devices in the open insertion position is so large that the containers can be inserted into or removed from the respective opening or receptacle unhindered and without collision or friction with the holding devices.
In some embodiments, the holding devices are elastically biased into a first and/or a second stable position, i.e. into the open insertion position and/or into the closed holding position. The holding devices are therefore also mounted or arranged on the carrier in such a manner that they can assume at least one stable end position or two stable end positions from which the holding devices can be transferred to the other end position only by applying a force exceeding a certain threshold value which is sufficiently higher than the forces normally occurring during further processing of the containers due to displacement or handling (lifting, lowering, turning, tilting, vibrating) of the holding structure. An inadvertent adjustment of the holding devices to the other position can thus be reliably eliminated.
In some embodiments, the elastic restoring force can be exceeded or pressed over by vertical displacement of an actuating element or by displacement of an actuating element in a direction perpendicular thereto, i.e. in particular by displacing the actuating element parallel to a plane spanned by the carrier of the holding structure, for transferring the holding devices in a coordinated manner from the open insertion position into the closed holding position and/or from the closed holding position into the open insertion position.
Conveniently, the actuating element is an external control device which can be adjusted to displace the holding devices of at least one opening or receptacle of the holding structure from one end position to the other end position. Conveniently, this control device is configured to adjust the holding devices of a plurality of openings or receptacles of the holding structure concurrently, for example the holding devices of a plurality of openings or receptacles arranged one behind the other in alignment along a row, or even the holding devices of all openings or receptacles of the holding structure. For this purpose, the control device acts appropriately in the manner of a control cam in order to adjust the holding devices in a suitable manner by contact with an actuating element and further adjustment of the control device. In particular, a displacement of the control device in a direction perpendicular or parallel to the carrier of the holding structure, but also an adjustment of elements of such a control device, for example of one or more control cams of such a control device, is suitable for this purpose.
In some embodiments, the actuating element comprises at least two beveled projections so that, by abutment of the projections against the neck portions of the containers or against the holding devices and by pressing the projections down towards the carrier or by displacing the projections in a direction perpendicular thereto, the holding devices can be transferred in a coordinated manner from the open insertion position to the closed holding position and/or from the closed holding position to the open insertion position. Conveniently, the actuating element is an external actuating element separate from the carrier and can be displaced perpendicular to the carrier in order to suitably control the position of the holding devices. Such an actuating element can be arranged on a robot, gripper or the like in order to enable automated processing of the containers in a processing plant in a simple manner.
In some embodiments, the angle of inclination of the bevels of the aforementioned projections is matched to the angle of inclination of a neck portion of the containers, with deviations of only a few degrees. The bevels may therefore contact the corresponding neck portions of the containers, which extend inclined in sections and at an approximately constant angle, not only selectively but also over a larger area, which allows in particular better guidance or centering of the containers in the openings or receptacles of the holding structure when adjusting the holding devices.
In some embodiments, the holding arms are pivotally mounted on the carrier by hinges, in particular by film hinges of the aforementioned type, whereby the holding arms are pressed apart elastically in the open insertion position by an elastic restoring force exerted by the hinges. An unhindered and frictionless insertion of the containers into the openings or receptacles of the carrier is thus easily possible without active adjustment of the holding devices. The actuating element only needs to push the holding devices apart for removal of the containers.
In some embodiments, elastic portions are additionally formed at the front ends of the holding arms, which contact each other in the closed holding position. In this way, the holding arms are elastically biased against each other even in the closed holding position of the holding arms, whereby the closed holding position of the holding arms is also secured against accidental opening of the holding arms. The holding arms are therefore also configured to be bi-stable and are arranged either in the open insertion position or in the closed holding position, wherein the holding arms can be transferred to the respective other end position only by applying a force which exceeds a certain threshold value which is sufficiently higher than the forces normally occurring during further processing of the containers due to displacement or handling (lifting, lowering, turning, tilting, vibrating) of the holding structure. An inadvertent adjustment of the holding devices to the other end position can thus be reliably eliminated.
In some embodiments, stops are formed at the rear ends of the holding arms which, cooperate with an edge of the respective opening or receptacle in the closed holding position of the holding arms for preventing that the holding arms are pressed down further. The closed holding position of the holding arms can thus be secured in a simple, cost-effective manner, which in particular also prevents the containers from slipping accidentally, especially in the event of any deformation or twisting of the carrier.
In some embodiments, the holding devices are formed as pairs of foldable or collapsible holding plates which are disposed diametrically opposite to each other at the edge of the respective opening or receptacle, wherein inwardly folded portions of the holding plates hold the containers in the closed holding position clamped in the region of a cylindrical side wall or of a constricted neck portion or engage behind a widened upper rim for holding the containers axially secured to the carrier. This geometry is particularly suitable for holding containers having a profile deviating from a circular shape, for example having a polygonal profile, for example having a square-shaped or rectangular profile. However, if the material of the holding plates and the material of the containers are friction matched, which may also be accomplished by coating the holding plates accordingly, containers with any profile can always be reliably held.
In some embodiments, the actuating element may further comprise an intermediate plate spaced from the carrier, having a plurality of openings corresponding to the openings or receptacles of the carrier and being adjustable by being pressed down towards the carrier to thereby transfer the holding devices in a coordinated manner from the open insertion position to the closed holding position and/or from the closed holding position to the open insertion position. The intermediate plate thus acts as a control device for controlling the position of the holding devices and allows all the holding devices of a holding structure to be actuated concurrently in order to adjust them appropriately in a simple manner.
In some embodiments, the holding devices are mounted on the carrier so that they can pivot about a pivot axis, whereby an elastic restorer on the pivot axis or the holding devices, for example a torsion spring, which elastically biases the holding devices into the open insertion position or into the closed holding position. Alternatively, the elastic restorer may be formed integral with the carrier, in particular by plastic injection molding or 3D printing. For adjusting the holding arms, practically only forces within the plane spanned by the carrier are required, but not forces which would act vertically on the carrier and deform it, e.g. twist it. According to the present invention this makes it possible to maintain even tight tolerances in the holding structure.
In some embodiments, the holding devices are formed as pivoting holding arms having holding claws at their front free ends, wherein the holding arms are arranged in a multiple point symmetry distributed along the edge of the respective opening or receiving of the carrier and wherein the holding arms are elastically biased into the closed holding position. The containers are thus automatically held in the normal end position of the holding arms. The holding arms need to be actively transferred from the closed holding position to the open insertion position for inserting the containers into the openings or receptacles or removing them.
For this purpose, the front free ends of the holding arms may be disposed on a first side of the pivot axis and rear free ends of the holding arms may be disposed on a second side of the pivot axis opposite to the first side, the rear free ends being acted upon by actuating the actuating device in order to pivot them about the pivot axis and to transfer the holding arms in a coordinated manner from the open insertion position into the closed holding position and/or from the closed holding position into the open insertion position. The actuating element may be adjusted in a direction perpendicular to the carrier or in a radial direction in order to act on the rear free ends of the pivoting holding arms.
A further aspect of the present invention relates to the combination of a holding structure, as set out above, and an external actuating device, formed as a separate element, by which a suitable adjustment of the holding devices, in particular a coordinated synchronous adjustment of the holding devices, can be effected for inserting the containers into the openings or receptacles of the carrier or for removing the containers, as disclosed in this application.
In some embodiments, there is provided a combination of a transport or packaging container and of a holding structure concurrently holding a plurality of containers for substances for pharmaceutical, medical or cosmetic applications, wherein the containers are cylindrical and open at least at one end, the transport or packaging container is box-shaped, and the holding structure is accommodated in the box-shaped transport or packaging container, for holding the plurality of containers in the transport or packaging container. The holding structure comprises a planar carrier having a plurality of openings or receptacles, wherein the openings or receptacles are formed and arranged in a regular arrangement and are each configured for accommodating a container, and at least two holding devices are each assigned to the openings or receptacles for holding the plurality of containers on the carrier by frictional engagement or by positive locking. The holding devices are configured to selectively assume two different stable positions, wherein, in a first stable position, the distance between the holding devices is sufficiently large so that in the first stable position of the holding devices the containers can be inserted into or removed from the respective opening or receptacle; and, in a second stable position of the holding devices, the distance between the holding devices is sufficiently small so that in the second stable position the containers are held by the holding devices in the respective opening or receptacle by frictional engagement or by positive locking.
In some embodiments, there is provided a combination of a transport or packaging container and of a holding structure concurrently holding a plurality of containers for substances for pharmaceutical, medical or cosmetic applications, wherein the containers are cylindrical and open at least at one end, the transport or packaging container is box-shaped, and the holding structure is accommodated in the box-shaped transport or packaging container, for holding the plurality of containers in the transport or packaging container. The holding structure comprises a planar carrier having a plurality of openings or receptacles, the openings or receptacles are formed and arranged in a regular arrangement and are each configured for accommodating a container, and at least two holding devices are each assigned to the openings or receptacles for holding the plurality of containers on the carrier by frictional engagement or by positive locking. The holding devices are biased by an elastic restoring force into an open insertion position, in which the containers can be inserted axially between or removed from the holding devices, or into a closed holding position, in which the containers are held by the holding devices by frictional engagement or by positive locking, wherein, in the open insertion position, the distance between the holding devices is sufficiently large so that the containers can be inserted into or removed from the respective opening or receptacle in the open insertion position of the holding devices, in the closed holding position, the distance between the holding devices is sufficiently small so that in the closed holding position the containers are held in the respective opening or receptacle by the holding devices by frictional engagement or by positive locking, and the holding devices of a respective opening or can be transferred in a coordinated manner by an actuating device from the open insertion position into the closed holding position and/or from the closed holding position into the open insertion position.
A further aspect of the present invention relates to a transport or packaging container for a plurality of containers for substances for pharmaceutical, medical or cosmetic applications, comprising a box-shaped container in which a holding structure as disclosed in the present application is accommodated for concurrently holding the plurality of containers. The transport or packaging container may be sealed by a protective or packaging film bonded to an edge of the transport container. This protective film may be a gas-permeable plastic film, such as a braid of plastic fibers, for example polypropylene fibers (PP), or a TYVEK® protective film, which enables sterilization of the containers held by the holding structure through the protective film.
A further aspect of the present invention relates to a process for the treatment or processing of containers which serve for the storage of substances for pharmaceutical, medical or cosmetic applications or contain them, wherein the containers are automatically guided past or pass through at least one processing station by a conveyor device for the treatment or processing, in which process a plurality of containers are conveyed by the conveyor device while all of them together are held on a carrier in a regular arrangement. The treatment or further processing of the containers may take place while they are held on the carrier, i.e. in the closed holding position of the holding devices. For treatment or processing at or in a processing station, the containers may also be temporarily removed from the openings or receptacles in the holding structure and then reinserted therein, wherein the holding devices are adjusted for this purpose, as disclosed herein, so that the containers may be inserted into and/or removed from the openings or receptacles in the open insertion position of the holding devices.
A further aspect of the present invention relates to a computer- or processor-readable data file, also for transmission over networks, such as an internal computer network of a company or over the Internet, comprising instructions or control commands, which, if loaded by a computer or a processor, cause a 3D printer, under the control of the computer or processor, to print a holding structure, as disclosed herein, from a suitable material in three-dimensional form, in particular from a suitable plastic material, as disclosed herein.
The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.
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In this position the vial 1 is now displaced radially outwards in the direction of the projection 25 until the constricted neck portion 5 comes in contact with the projection 25 and adjusts this further radially outwards towards the edge of the opening 13. Here, the base body 21 is carried along and the film hinges 23a, 23b are actuated in order to transfer the holding arms 26, 27 from the open insertion position (first stable end position of the holding arms 26, 27) into the closed holding position (second stable end position of the holding arms 26, 27), in which the constricted neck portion 5 of the vial 1 is clamped by the holding arms 26, 27 and the widened upper rim 6 of the vial 1 can also be positively engaged behind by the holding arms 26, 27, whereby the vial 1 is held axially secured by friction or positive locking in the receptacle 13 of the holding structure. This closed holding position is shown in
For changing back from the closed holding position as shown in
A plurality of projections 120 and recesses 125 are formed alternately and at regular intervals to each other along the two longitudinal sides of the carrier 110a. These have an overall triangular or polyhedral base area if viewed from above and are formed corresponding to each other so that the projections 120 and recesses 125 of such a holding structure 110 can be hooked in the manner of a dovetail joint directly with projections and recesses of a holding structure (not shown) of a similar configuration. Along the edges 121, 122 of the projections 120 and along the edges 126, 127 of the recesses 125, the upright side wall 113 of the carrier 110a follows the contour of the associated projection 120 and of the associated recess 125, respectively, whereby sliding of a carrier 110a over or onto another carrier 110a of the same design (not shown) can be prevented when two carriers are hooked together.
A transport and packaging container (also referred to as a ‘tub’) as shown in
In principle, also the lower end of the transport and packaging container 100 may be open in the manner of the upper end, in particular it may be provided with a flange-like lower edge in the manner of the upper rim 105, so that the bottoms of the vials 120 are freely accessible from the underside of the transport and packaging container 100, for example for processing steps carried out in a sterile tunnel or in a freezer-dryer.
For the transport or storage of the containers 1, the transport or packaging container 100 is closed by a protective film or packaging film (not shown) adhered to the upper rim 105, for example by a gas-permeable plastic film, in particular by a TYVEK® protective film, which enables sterilization of the containers 1 held by the holding structure 110 also through the protective film.
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According to
According to
For controlling the position of the holding arms 34, 35 and pivoting the holding arms 34, 35 in a coordinated manner into the closed holding position, an external actuating device is used, as shown schematically in
In this position the actuating device can now be removed, as shown in
To release the containers 1 from the closed holding position, the containers 1 simply need to be adjusted vertically upwards and perpendicular to the holding structure 11, for example by pressing the bottoms 3 of container 1 upwards, for example by a plate. The holding arms 34, 35 are automatically swiveled upwards from the neck portions of the containers. After removing the containers 1 vertically upwards from the openings 13 of the holding structure 11, the holding arms 34, 35 are again automatically biased elastically into the open insertion position according to
For actuating the holding plates 93, an intermediate plate 90 is further provided, which is initially arranged at a distance from the holding structure 11, has a plurality of openings 92 corresponding to the openings or receptacles 13 of the holding structure 11 and is adjusted towards the holding structure 11 by being pressed down in order to transfer the holding plates 93 in a coordinated manner from the open insertion position into the closed holding position and/or from the closed holding position into the open insertion position. Conveniently, the intermediate plate 90 is formed separately from the holding structure 11 and can be adjusted or displaced relative to it.
According to
To release and remove the containers 1 from the closed holding position, the containers 1 simply need to be adjusted vertically upwards, perpendicular to the carrier 110a, for example by pushing the bottoms 3 of the containers 1 upwards, for example by a plate, or also by the aforementioned actuating device. The holding plates 93 are automatically swiveled upwards. After removing the containers 1 vertically upwards from the openings 13 of the carrier 110a, the holding plates 93 are automatically elastically biased back into the open insertion position according to
The holding arms 50 each have a front free end 52, on which a holding claw 54 is formed, on which a supporting nose 55 is formed projecting radially inward. In the closed holding position with the front ends 52 of the holding arms 50 swiveled radially inwards (see
According to
The holding arms 50 are pivoted by a control device, not shown here, which acts, for example in the manner of a control cam, on the rear free ends 53 of the holding arms 50 in order to move them together in a coordinated manner radially inwards or outwards and thus to adjust the front free ends 52 of the holding arms 50 in opposite directions. The actuating device may, for example, be formed as a plate having a plurality of conical recesses aligned with the apertures of the holding structure and whose diameter at its upper end corresponds to the distance between the rear free ends 53 of the holding arms 50 in the closed holding position of the holding arms 50 and whose diameter at its lower end corresponds to the distance between the rear free ends 53 of the holding arms 50 in the open insertion position of the holding arms 50. If such an actuating device is now moved vertically upwards from below in the direction of the holding structure, the rear free ends of the holding arms 50 first come in contact with the upper rim of these conical recesses. As the actuating device continues to move vertically upwards towards the holding structure, the rear free ends 53 of the holding arms 50 slide along the side wall of the conical recesses of the actuating device and are adjusted radially inwards, causing the front free ends 52 of the holding arms 50 to pivot gradually radially outwards. Finally, the open insertion position of the holding arms 50 shown in
In this open insertion position of the holding arms 50, the containers 1 can be inserted from above into the openings of the holding structure as well as into the space between the holding arms 50 without friction.
If in this position of the holding arms the actuating device is now moved in the opposite direction, i.e. vertically downwards and away from the holding structure, the holding arms 50, controlled by the cooperation of the rear free ends 53 of the holding arms 50 with the inner wall of the conical recesses of the actuating device, are moved in the opposite direction, i.e. radially outwards, which requires a corresponding coordinated, synchronous pivoting of the holding arms 50 around the axes of rotation 51 radially inwards. When further adjusting the actuating device, the closed holding position of the holding arms 50 shown in
In order to prevent the containers 1 from falling uncontrollably into the openings of the holding structure, the containers 1 need to be held or supported during their insertion into the openings of the holding structure and during their removal therefrom, which can be achieved, for example, from above the holding structure by grippers or robot arms of a process equipment or from below the holding structure by cylindrical projections or by the bottoms of the aforementioned conical recesses of the actuating device, on which the bottoms 3 of the containers 1 are temporarily supported and which are aligned with the openings of the holding structure. The cylindrical projections may also be formed within the abovementioned conical recesses of the actuating device.
Alternative actuating devices can also be used which enable a coordinated, synchronous adjustment of the holding arms 50 in an appropriate manner, such as a simultaneous synchronous adjustment of all holding arms 50 of the holding structure. This coordinated adjustment may be controlled in an appropriate manner by control cams or the like which cooperate mechanically with the rear or front ends 53, 52 of the holding arms 50 or with other portions of the holding arms 50 to effect their synchronous adjustment. Mechanical adjustment devices, such as grippers or robot arms, can also be used to act on portions of the holding arms 50, in particular the rear or front ends 53, 52 of the holding arms 50, in such a way that the holding arms 50 are adjusted synchronously and in a coordinated manner.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a combination of a holding structure, as disclosed above, and a plurality of containers 1 for substances for pharmaceutical, medical or cosmetic applications held thereon, in particular vials or cartridges.
The containers may be inserted and removed from the openings or receptacles of a holding structure even if the holding structure is already accommodated in a transport and packaging container, as described above. The adjustment of the holding devices may also take place in this state, because they can be adjusted between the two stable end positions either directly by the containers themselves or by an external control device having control cams or the like. This does not require access from the underside of the carrier. In the open insertion position of the holding devices, the containers can be inserted into the openings or receptacles practically without friction.
Although exemplary embodiments provided according to the present invention have been explained above with reference to holding structures for holding vials, it should be noted that embodiments provided according to the present invention may also be used in a similar way for any other container for storing substances for pharmaceutical, medical or cosmetic applications, in particular for cartridges or syringes. For this purpose, the containers to be held are conveniently provided with an end having a widened rim, which is followed by a constricted neck portion and a neck portion or container body which has a larger outer dimension (width or outer diameter) than at least the neck portion. Conveniently, such containers are made of glass, but they may also be made of plastic material. Generally, for producing a holding structure in the sense of the present application plastic injection molding techniques are suitable, in particular so-called two-component (2K) injection molding techniques, by which plastics with different properties, in particular of different elasticity, are injection molded. In principle, however, other plastics processing techniques may also be considered, in particular the production using 3D-printers.
While this invention has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2016 121 086.2 | Nov 2016 | DE | national |
This is a continuation of PCT application No. PCT/EP2017/076634, entitled “HOLDING STRUCTURE FOR HOLDING A PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS FOR PHARMACEUTICAL, MEDICAL OR COSMETIC PURPOSES AND TRANSPORT OR PACKAGING CONTAINER HAVING SAME”, filed Oct. 18, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190256266 A1 | Aug 2019 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/EP2017/076634 | Oct 2017 | US |
| Child | 16400099 | US |
