TECHNICAL FIELD
The technical field of the subject matter disclosed herein relates to packaging containers, and in particular to multi-use containers with child protective or resistant lids that are capable of extending the shelf-life and enhancing the freshness of perishable bio-degradable materials contained therein and to systems and methods for making and using such containers.
BACKGROUND
Multi-use child resistant containers, such as, but not limited to, plastic containers with multi-use child resistant caps or lids are commonly used to store and protect various materials, including prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical products that are susceptible to being perishable or otherwise adulterated. Conventional approaches to preserve perishable material typically involves inclusion of a humidity stabilization packet comprising a drying agent (commonly referred to as a “desiccant”) in the container with the contents thereof. However, the inclusion of such desiccants can result in contamination or adulteration through undesirable contact.
Other conventional approaches have sought to remove or decrease oxygen levels in the gaseous atmosphere inside the container to extend the shelf-life of perishable material contents by depriving oxygen required for metabolic activity. Such conventional approaches, for example, are commonly employed in canning of animal, fungi, fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based products. While effective in greatly extending shelf-life, the canning process typically requires a large investment in production line machinery and has numerous design limitations that make the process impractical or otherwise unsuitable for implementation of a multi-use child protective or resistant container and/or for small to mid-size businesses and packaging operations. Also, canning is typically employs metal or metal coated containers, which can alter the taste of the packaged contents.
SUMMARY
Consistent with the foregoing, described herein are packaging containers, systems, and methods that are capable of mitigating against child access while also preserving bio-degradable or perishable contents stored therein thereby extending the shelf-life and freshness the container contents. The packaging containers, systems, and methods disclosed herein are particularly well suited for small and medium batch packaging of bio-degradable material that may (depending on production and demand) be stored for extended periods of time prior to use and then repeatedly accessed over time by the end-user after being sold/distributed thereto.
Aspects of the current subject matter relate to child resistant/protective lids and containers that are capable of facilitating the (a) purging of oxygen and other gas from the container's storage compartment during packaging and subsequent use and/or (b) maintaining, drying, or otherwise controlling the humidity of the storage compartment while mitigating contamination or adulteration of the contents stored therein.
Particular aspects of the current subject matter are directed to the various structural components of the container and its rotatable child resistant/protective re-useable lid described herein including, but no limited to, the outer cap and inner seal components of the lid, their design and interaction with one another and other components, and the valves, seals, apertures, humidity packet inserts, and mechanisms that facilitate operation, use, and the manufacture container and constituent components thereof.
Additional details regarding the various aspects of the subject matter described herein are set forth in the accompanying drawings and further described below and/or are otherwise apparent therefrom. It should be understood that the descriptions and illustrations herein, while illustrative of various aspects of the disclosed subject matter, it is the claims that are intended to define the appropriate scope of the protected subject matter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification illustrate certain aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein and together with the description, help explain aspects associated with the disclosed implementations. When practical, the same or similar reference numbers denote the same or similar structures, features, or elements.
FIG. 1A illustrates a side view of a re-usable container comprising a multi-use child resistant screw cap or lid attached to the container receptacle in accordance with the disclosed subject matter.
FIG. 1B is cross-sectional view of the container illustrated in FIG. 1A taken along line 1B-1B depicting in more detail an implementation of the container.
FIG. 2A is a top perspective view of the lid depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B.
FIG. 2B is an exploded side view of the lid depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B with the lid purge access plug, outer cap, and inner seal components thereof being separated from one another.
FIG. 2C is the same as FIG. 2B with the addition of dashed-lines illustrating in shadow the internal screw threads of the of the inner seal component and the teeth on the internal surface of the outer cap component of the lid depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B.
FIG. 2D is a bottom plan view of the lid depicted in FIG. 2A, which illustrates the protective sheet component and the apertures contained therein that facilitate the exchange and flow of gas from the container and between the container receptacle and lid.
FIG. 3A is a side view of the re-usable container illustrated in FIG. 1A, with the lid purge access plug component removed and a purge needle depicted extending through the container lid into the container receptacle to facilitate purging of oxygen and atmospheric gas from the container.
FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the container illustrated in FIG. 3A taken along line 3B-3B further illustrating the purge needle extending, through a self-healing membrane and a center aperture of the protective sheet, into the container receptacle.
FIG. 3C is a partial view of the cross-section illustration of FIG. 3B depicting in greater detail the needle extending through the lid and an adjacent one-way relief valve that facilitates removal of oxygen and other gas from the container receptacle.
FIG. 3D is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3C illustrating an alternative lid implementation, wherein the self-healing membrane is replaced with a second one-way purge valve that is adapted to allow gas to flow into the container receptacle through the purge tube.
FIG. 4A is the cross-sectional view of the container depicted in FIG. 3B further illustrating, via directional flow-lines, the flow of gas through the lid into the container and from the container through the one-way relief valve in the lid to the external atmosphere.
FIG. 4B is a partial view of the cross-section illustration of FIG. 4B depicting in greater detail the areas surrounding the purge needle and an adjacent one-way relief valve and, via directional flow-lines, the flow of gas there-through. FIGS. 4A-4B are also representative of the flow of gas for the alternative lid implementation illustrated in FIG. 3D, wherein a purge tube is substituted for the purge needle and a one-way purge valve is substituted for the self-healing membrane.
FIG. 5A illustrates a side view of another implementation of a re-usable container comprising a multi-use child resistant screw cap or lid attached to the container receptacle in accordance with the disclosed subject matter, wherein the container includes a moisture or humidity control packet or insert housed in the lid and physically separated from the storage compartment.
FIG. 5B illustrates a cross-sectional view of the container illustrated in FIG. 5A taken along line 5B-5B.
FIGS. 6A and 6B are bottom and side views, respectively, of the lid illustrated in FIGS. 5A-5B.
FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view of the container lid illustrated in FIGS. 5A-5B, taken along line 6C-6C of FIG. 6B.
FIG. 7A is a standalone top-side perspective view of the humidity packet or insert component illustrated in the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 5A-5B.
FIG. 7B is an exploded side view of the lid depicted in FIGS. 5A-5B, with the outer cap, inner seal, and the component layers of the humidity control packet insert being exploded from one another.
FIG. 7C is the cross-sectional view of the container depicted in FIG. 5B further illustrating the flow of gas through the humidity control packet insert residing in the lid of the container.
FIG. 8 is a perspective exploded view of the container lid illustrated in FIGS. 1A-4B and 9A-9C, with a modified implementation of the humidity control packet insert that includes an annular configuration defined by a center aperture therein to facilitate purging of the storage compartment and the insertion of the purge needle and/or gas passageway there-through.
FIGS. 9A-9C are cross-sectional views of an alternative implementation of a multi-use child resistant screw cap or lid, such as previously illustrated, wherein the one-way relief and purge valves are illustrated as umbrella and duckbill type one-way valves, respectively. FIG. 9A depicts the valves fully closed. FIG. 9B depicts the valves fully open with a purge tube facilitating gas flow into the container through the purge valve to force the container gas out through the relief valve. FIG. 9C is a more detailed partial view of the encircled-region of FIG. 9B depicting in greater detail the areas surrounding the purge tube and the purge and relief valves with directional gas flow-lines illustrating the flow of gas through the valves during the container purging process.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate certain aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein and together with the description help explain the disclosed implementations.
FIG. 1A illustrates a side view of a re-usable container 100 comprising a multi-use child resistant and protective screw cap or lid 200 attached to the container receptacle 300 in accordance with the disclosed subject matter. The container receptacle 300 is generally comprised of a walled structure that extends from a bottom section to an upper section and defines a storage compartment therein. The bottom section of the container receptacle 300 is closed. The upper section includes a passageway or opening, which is sufficiently dimensioned to allow the storage compartment contents to be transferred in and out therefrom when the lid 200 is detached and removed from the container receptacle 300. When attached, the child resistant/protective lid 200 is adapted to seal the storage compartment from the external atmosphere and thereby protect the contents of the storage compartment in a controlled environment.
Generally, FIGS. 1A-4B illustrate a container 100 that includes a child resistant/protective lid 200 adapted to facilitate the purging or displacement of oxygen from the storage compartment via a purge line, such as a needle 400 or purge tube 400′, which can be inserted into the container 100 through the child resistant/protective lid 200. FIGS. 9A-9C illustrates a particular implementation of a multi-use child resistant screw cap or lid, such as previously illustrated in FIGS. 1A-4B, wherein the one-way relief and purge valves are umbrella and duckbill type one-way valves, respectively. FIGS. 5A-7C illustrates another container 100′ implementation that includes a humidity packet or insert 600 that is configured to be removably retained in the child protective lid 200′ and physically separated from the container receptacle 300 via a protective sheet 227. FIG. 8 illustrates a container that includes the child resistant/protective lid 200 (illustrated in FIG. 1A-4B or 9A-9C) adapted for purging the storage compartment in combination with a modified configuration of the humidity packet insert 600′ adapted to be retained therein to facilitate both purging of container oxygen and gas through the humidity packet insert 600′ as well as moisture control of the storage compartment by the humidity packet insert 600′. Each is discussed in more detail below.
As illustrated in the various cross-sectional and detailed views depicted in FIGS. 1B-4B and 9A-9C, the lid 200 can be comprised of a cup-shaped outer cap 210 that is mechanically coupled to an inner seal component 220 that is retentively housed within the outer cap 210. The inner seal component 220 can be comprised of a walled structure, which has a generally cylindrical stepped-shape configuration that extends from a closed-end section to an open-end section. The open-end section being configured to face and engage the container receptacle 300 when attached thereto. The diameter of the closed-end section is less than the diameter of the open-end section with the transition there-between being defined by a radially extending stepped-wall that supports the protective sheet 227. The protective sheet 227 may be adhered directly or indirectly to the stepped-wall or otherwise mechanically attached or bonded thereto.
The open-end section of the inner seal component 220 includes an outer perimeter lip 221 that is configured to be seated on an upper surface of an inwardly extending circumferential lip or ledge 211 of the outer cap 210, when the outer cap 210 is in the decompressed position. The interaction between the inwardly extending circumferential lip 211 of the outer cap 210 and the outwardly extending circumferential lip 221 of the inner seal component 220 facilitates the mechanical coupling of the two components while allowing the outer cap 210 to move axially up and down relative to the inner seal component 220. The inner seal component 220 is thus held captive by and housed in the outer cap 210 such that the two components are adapted to move axially relative to one another. The outer cap and inner seal components may thus be formed as separate components and then snapped or coupled together, such that the circumferential lip 211 of the outer cap effectively functions as a retaining ring.
The inner seal component 220 includes circumferential threads 223 defined on the internal surface of the open-end section. The threads 223 are adapted to engage corresponding threads 313 defined on the outer perimeter surface of the upper section of the container receptacle 300. The lid 200 is thus attached to the receptacle 300 by screwing the lid 200 onto the upper section of receptacle 300 via threads 223 and 313.
The outer surface of the closed-end section of the inner seal component 220 and the opposing inner surface of the outer cap 210 are comprised of opposing sets of teeth 222, 212, respectively. The opposing sets of teeth 222, 212 are arranged in an annular configuration and adapted to engage with one another when the outer cap 210 is pushed down or compressed onto the inner seal 220 and rotated. Thus, to open a closed container 100, the user must both push down on the outer cap 210 so that the teeth 212 on the inside of the outer cap 210 engage the opposing teeth 222 on the outer surface of inner seal component 220 and while pushing down rotate the outer cap 210 (counterclockwise) thereby unscrewing the circumferential threads 223 on the inner seal component from the circumferential threads 313 on the container receptacle 300. The combination and complexity of the motor skills involved to perform this activity is difficult for young children and is thereby capable of satisfying child safety packaging requirements.
The closed-end section of the inner seal component 220 further includes a one-way relief valve 224 (best illustrated in FIGS. 3C, 3D and 4A-4B). The one-way relief valve 224 is adapted to opening under pressure to allow gas to flow out of the storage compartment when the pressure in the storage compartment is sufficiently greater than the pressure external thereto. For example, the valve 224 may require a pressure differential of 10 psi to open. In addition, the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1B, 3B and 3C, the closed-end section of the inner seal 220 includes a centrally positioned self-healing membrane 225.
In another implementation illustrated in FIG. 3D, the self-healing membrane 225 can be replaced with a one-way purge valve 226. The one-way purge valve 226 is adapted to allow gas to flow through the lid 200 and into the storage compartment of the receptacle 300 when the valve 226 is subject to sufficient external pressure. As illustrated in FIGS. 9A-9C, the one-way relief and purge valves 224, 226 (illustrated in FIG. 3D) respectively are illustrated as umbrella and duckbill type one-way valves, 224a, 226a respectively. These designs are representatives examples of the various and numerous one-way valve designs that may implement one-way gas flow. FIG. 9A depicts the valves 224a, 226a fully closed, whereas FIG. 9B depicts the valves 224a, 226a fully open with a purge tube 400′ in communication with the purge valve 226a to facilitate gas flow into the container 100 in connection with purging process.
As best illustrated FIGS. 1B, 2A-2C, 3B-3D and 9A-9C, the outer cap 210 includes a purge aperture 215 that is centrally positioned and axially aligned with the self-healing membrane 225 (illustrated in FIGS. 1B and 3B-3C), the one-way purge valve 226 (illustrated in FIG. 3D) and the duckbill type one way valve 226a (illustrated in FIGS. 9A-9C). A purge access plug 216 dimensioned to fit over the outer cap 210 and into the purge aperture 215 may be provided to conceal and further protect the internal components of the lid 200 while providing access to the self-healing membrane 225 and/or one-way purge valves 226, 226a to facilitate purging of the storage compartment as described in more detail below.
As best illustrated in FIGS. 2D, 3C, 3D, 4B and 9A-9C a protective sheet 227 can be provided in between the inner seal component 220 and the opening of the upper section of the container receptacle 300. The protective sheet 227 is adapted to protect and maintain separation barrier between the storage compartment (including the contents therein) and the lid 200 and to further facilitate a tight and preferably air-tight seal between the lid 200 and the container receptacle 300. The protective sheet 227 includes a center opening 228 and a plurality of additional adjacent apertures 229 that facilitate movement of gas. The protective sheet 227 may be constructed using any suitable material consistent with its intended function. In one implementation the protective sheet 227 is constructed as a three-ply foam liner comprising a relatively soft polyethylene core sandwiched between two layers of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) film. The apertures 228, 229 in the protective sheet 227 may be dimensioned sufficiently small such that the perishable material is precluded or otherwise restricted from contact with the separated multi-use child protective lid 200, yet sufficiently numerous and large in dimension to allow for sufficient gas flow as further described below.
The container lid 200, and its constituent elements, may be formed of any suitable material including metal, glass, plastic, and/or wood. The valve and seal components 224, 224a, 225, 226, 226a may be mounted and/or molded-into the inner seal 220 component of the lid 200. Similarly, the container receptacle 300 may be formed of any suitable material including metal, glass, plastic, and/or wood. Lid and receptacle threads 223, 313 and other component elements may be mounted and/or molded into their respective component. In one implementation, the receptacle 300 can be made of clear glass or glass-like substance and the lid 200 can be formed of molded plastic.
It should be understood, that each component of the containers described herein may be manufactured or made by various methods and/or materials and the descriptions herein should not be limiting, but rather are provided by way of example. Thus, for example, the purge access plug, outer cap and inner seal may be made of a mostly rigid plastic that can be injection molded. The relief valve may be comprised of a combination of rigid plastic and flexible material, such as but not limited to silicone or rubber. The self-healing membrane may be comprised of silicone or elastic material which can stretch and contract in a sufficiently elastic manner to effectuate the desired seal of the storage compartment. The relief valve and self-healing membrane may be inserted into the injection molding tool for the inner seal prior to plastic injection such that molten plastic creates an air tight seal around the relief valve and/or self-healing membrane. While the valves and/or self-healing membrane components described herein may be mold-into the lid it should be understood that those components may be glued, press-fit or otherwise mechanically attached or bonded to the lid in a suitable manner.
As best illustrated in FIGS. 3A-4B and 9B-9C, a purge needle 400 or purge tube 400′ (for the implementations illustrated in FIGS. 3D and 9B-9C) can be employed to facilitate the insertion of gas, such as nitrogen thereby purging from the storage compartment oxygen and other gas that would otherwise be contained therein. In operation, the container lid 200 and corresponding container receptacle 300 are manufactured and provided to the packager of the goods (e.g., the perishable material contents). The packager inserts the goods into the storage compartment of the container 100 and then secures the lid 200 to the receptacle 300 by screwing the lid 200 clockwise onto the threads 313 of the receptacle 300. A purge needle 400 or purge tube 400′ can be inserted through the outer cap aperture 215. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3B-3C and 4A-4C, the purge needle 400 can be inserted through the self-healing membrane 225 and through center aperture 228 of the protective sheet 227.
As illustrated in FIGS. 4A-4B, purge gas (e.g., nitrogen or other suitable gas) can be injected through the needle 400 into the storage compartment of the receptacle 300 thereby increasing the pressure therein and purging or forcing the oxygen and other gas surrounding the goods to flow through the one way relief valve 224 (which is adapted to open under appropriate pressure) external the storage compartment. Once sufficiently purged the needle 400 is removed and the purge access plug 216 can be inserted into the aperture 215 of the outer cap 210. While a purge access plug 216 is described, it is not required and the aperture 215 may be covered by other means, such as a brand sticker or not covered at all.
The implementations illustrated in FIGS. 3D and 9A-9C operate in a similar fashion, however, rather than a needle 400, a purge tube 400′ may be used to communicate pressurized purge gas through the one-way purge valve 226, 226′, the gas travels through the protective sheet 227 and forces the oxygen and other gas to be pressurized and pushed out through the one way relief valve 224, 224′.
Once the initial packaging and purging is complete, the purged container 100, with the goods therein, can be shipped or distributed to an end consumer or user. Upon opening the container 100 to access the goods therein, the storage compartment is exposed to the atmosphere and hence is no longer purged of oxygen and atmospheric gas. After the end-user removes the goods in the container, the end-user can re-secure the lid to the receptacle by screwing the lid back on and thereby enclosing whatever remains of the goods in the container. A home kit can be provided to the end-user/consumer that includes a purge line (e.g., the needle 400 or purge tube 400′) and purge gas (e.g., nitrogen) so that the end-user/consumer can perform substantially the same purging steps described above as performed by the packager. Thus, after end-user access to the goods occurs, the remaining goods can be continued to be stored in an oxygen purged container thereby extending shelf-life and freshness for the next use event.
Illustrated in FIGS. 5A-7C is a container 100′ comprising a receptacle 300 and a re-useable child protective/resistant screw cap or lid 200′ attached to said container receptacle 300 in accordance with the disclosed subject matter as previously described above, however, in this embodiment the container 100′ includes a moisture or humidity control packet or insert 600 that can be housed in the compartment defined by the closed-end section of the inner seal 220′ of the lid 200′ and physically separated from the storage compartment by the protective sheet 227 barrier.
As best illustrated in FIG. 7B, the humidity control packet insert 600 can be comprised of five layered components. The top component is an adhesive peel away layer 601. The second component is a non-permeable layer 602, the top surface of which includes adhesive that is exposed once the adhesive peel away layer 601 is removed. The adhesive is adapted to be adhered directly or indirectly to the stepped-wall transition of the inner seal 220′ component thereby facilitating the securement of the humidity control packet insert 600 to the inner seal 220′ component. It should be understood, that the humidity control packet insert 600 may be secured to the lid 200′ and particularly the inner seal 220′ thereof in an suitable manner including for example mechanical attachment or chemical or other bonding.
The next illustrated layer is a suitable humidity control drying agent or desiccant 603, such a composition comprising one or more of the following montmorillonite clay, silica, synthetic zeolite or aluminosilicate, calcium oxide, calcium sulfate, salt (or mixture of salt and water) or other suitable drying agent material or composition.
The next component layer is a permeable layer 604 that allows, as illustrated in FIG. 7C, container gas or air flow into the desiccant 603 and thereby absorb moisture contained the gaseous space in the container surrounding the goods.
The bottom outer most layer is a peel-away humidity control packet sealant layer 605, which seals the desiccant 603 from external exposure when peeled away or partially peeled-away. The sealant layer 605 includes a release tab 606 (best illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6C that can be grasped by the user to assist the user in peeling away the sealant layer 605 to allow the desiccant 603 to be exposed to the container air/gas and thereby can remove, add, or sustain moisture/humidity levels in the storage compartment. Once the sealant layer 605 is peeled away the protective sheet 227 may be adhered over the permeable layer 604 or alternatively the permeable layer 604 may be formed as a protective sheet 227 to provide the barrier functionality previously described. While a sealant layer 605 is disclosed, it is contemplated that the lids with a humidity packet insert may be shipped to the packager in a concealed vacuum-packed bag without the sealant layer 605 and only a protective sheet 227, such that the life of the desiccant is not degraded. This could simplify the packaging process as the packager could simply insert the goods into the container receptacle and screw-on the lid without need to either remove the sealant layer or position the protective sheet 227.
Although the lid 200′ of the container 100′ illustrated in FIGS. 5A-7C, is depicted without a purge aperture 215 or the valve and seal components 224, 224a, 225, 226, 226a described in the context of the implementations illustrated in FIGS. 1A-4B and 9A-9C, as illustrated in FIG. 8, it should be understood that such components may be combined with a humidity control packet insert 600 so that the container is capable of implementing a controlled storage compartment that is both purged of oxygen and other atmospheric gas and capable of controlling the humidity of the storage compartment via dehydration or hydration thereof. In this regard, FIG. 8 illustrates the lid 200 as previously described in connection with FIGS. 1A-4B and 9A-9C in combination with a humidity control packet insert 600′ that has been modified to include a center aperture 651 to facilitate the purging process previously described.
The humidity control packet insert 600 may be included during packaging or provided to the end-user as part of a kit with or without the purge tube or needle and gas. Upon opening the container to access the contents, the end user could (a) open the humidity packet insert packaged into the lid by peeling away the sealant layer 605, (b) replace the humidity packet insert with a new humidity packet insert, or (c) insert a humidity packet insert into the lid for the first time. After reattaching the lid to the receptacle, the end user may then purge the storage compartment as previously described to effectuate both an oxygen deprived and humidity controlled storage compartment after each use.
Although various aspects are herein disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments, implementations, and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the inventive aspects and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while a number of variations of the aspects have been noted, other modifications, which are within their scope, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure. It should be also understood that the scope this disclosure includes the various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein, such that the various features, modes of implementation and operation, and aspects of the disclosed subject matter may be combined with or substituted for one another. Structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made that fall within the scope of this disclosure, which is intended to cover any adaptations and variations of the particular implemented described herein and combination of the various features and component elements thereof. The foregoing and various features, constructions, configurations, and aspects, together with those set forth in the claims and summarized above or otherwise disclosed herein, including the drawings, may alone or in any combination form claims for a case device, apparatus, system, method of manufacture, and/or use without limitation. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the present invention herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments or implementations described above, but should be determined only by a fair reading of the claims.
Patent Application
20200339316
