Patent Application
20160130022
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the concurrent treatment or processing of containers, which serve for storing substances for cosmetic, medical or pharmaceutical applications, in particular of vials containing active ingredients or solutions with active ingredients, and more particularly to the concurrent automatic conveyance and transfer of a plurality of containers to processing stations, e.g. a filling or processing station, a sterile tunnel, a freeze-dryer for freeze-drying (lyophilization) of a liquid containing an active ingredient or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
Medication containers, for example vials, ampoules or carpoules, are widely used as containers for preservation and storage of medical, pharmaceutical or cosmetic preparations to be administered in liquid form, in particular in pre-dosed amounts. These generally have a cylindrical shape, can be made of plastic or glass and are available in large quantities at low costs. In order to fill the containers under sterile conditions as efficiently as possible concepts are increasingly used according to which the containers are already packaged in a transport or packaging container at the manufacturer of the containers under sterile conditions, which are then unpacked and further processed at a pharmaceutical company under sterile conditions, in particular in a so-called sterile tunnel.
For this purpose, various transport and packaging containers are known from the prior art, in which a plurality of medication containers are concurrently arranged in a regular arrangement, for example in a matrix arrangement along rows and columns extending perpendicular thereto. This has advantages in the automated further processing of the containers since the containers can be transferred to processing stations at controlled positions and in a predetermined arrangement, for example to processing machines, robots or the like. For this purpose, supporting structures are used, in which a plurality of containers can be supported concurrently in a predetermined regular arrangement. For the transfer to a processing station it is just required to properly position and open the transport and packaging container. The downstream processing station will then know at what position and in what arrangement the containers to be processed further are arranged.
Such a transport and packaging container and a corresponding packaging concept are disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 8,118,167 B2. The further processing of the containers is, however, always performed such that the supporting structure will be removed from the transport and packaging container, that the containers will be removed from the supporting structure and isolated and then individually placed on a conveyor, in particular a conveyor belt, and transferred to the processing stations for further processing. This limits the speed of processing that can be achieved. Particularly in the isolation of the containers by means of cell wheels or the like, it always occurs that individual containers abut uncontrolled, which results in an undesired abrasion and subsequently in a contamination of the interior volume of the containers or of the processing station and in an impairment of the outer appearance of the containers which is undesirable.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,100,263 B2 discloses a portable transport and packaging container that can be packed in a sterile manner, in which a plate-shaped supporting structure can be inserted in which a plurality of medication containers are held in a regular arrangement. Firstly, the individual medication containers are placed loosely in receptacles, which are formed in the supporting structure. Then, the supporting structure is placed in the transport and packaging container, which is then surrounded by a gas-impermeable plastic tube. Upon subsequent evacuation of the packaging unit thus formed, the plastic tube is pressed into the spaces between the medication containers due to the negative pressure prevailing in the tube, which, on the one hand, results in a stabilization of the positions of the medication containers in the supporting structure and, on the other hand, in a prevention of further uncontrolled collisions of adjacent medication containers. During the evacuation and the subsequent opening of the plastic tube, however, the medication containers may slip sideways, increasing the efforts required for automation for processing further the medication containers. In addition, the medication containers may still collide uncontrollably after opening of the plastic tube, resulting in the aforementioned disadvantages. The medication containers cannot be processed further while being in the transport or packaging container or in the supporting structure, but must be isolated first in the conventional manner and handed over to downstream processing stations.
Other comparable transport and packaging containers and supporting structures are disclosed in WO 2011/135085 A1, US 2011/0277419 A1, WO 2012/025549 A1, WO 2011/015896 A1, WO 2012/007056 A1 and WO 2009/015862 A1.
However, for further processing the medication containers must always be isolated. This is exemplified with reference to
First, the processing apparatus, namely a sterile tunnel, is charged with the vials. For this purpose, the vials are mounted upside down in transport frames, which are then conveyed through the processing apparatus. For a pretreatment, the vials supported in the transport frames are sterilized. Subsequently, the transport frames together with the vials supported are turned and then filled with a drug solution. Then, a stopper is placed on the upper rim of the vial, in which a channel is formed, wherein the inner volumes of the vials respectively communicate with the chamber of the freeze-dryer during the freeze-drying process.
For freeze-drying (also known as lyophilization or sublimation drying), the vials are then removed from the transport frame and individually fed into the freeze-dryer. The bottoms of the vials must be placed directly on a planar cooling bottom in order to achieve a good cooling effect. If no direct contact over the entire surface is ensured at this stage, this results in a significant extension of the freeze-drying process, resulting in higher costs.
After lyophilization, the vials are removed from the freeze-dryer, the stoppers are pushed down and a metal lid is put onto the stoppers and crimped. Vials processed in this manner are then shipped, for example by accommodating a plurality of vials in a common supporting structure and then inserting the supporting structure into a transport and packaging container, which is then sterile packaged for delivery.
The direct contact between the bottoms of the drug containers and the cooling bottom required for the freeze-drying process conventionally requires a treatment or processing of individual containers, which increases the processing and packaging costs. According to the prior art, a batch further-processing of drug containers is not possible. In any case, a direct contact of the bottoms of the drug containers, in particular of the bottoms of vials, is not possible in conventional supporting structures.
It is an object of the present invention to further enhance a process for the treatment or processing of containers, which serve for storing substances for cosmetic, medical or pharmaceutical applications such that it can be carried out even faster and more economically, that it can be automatized in an easy manner and that it can be carried out more reliably. According to a preferred further aspect of the present invention a corresponding apparatus for the treatment or processing of such containers is to be provided.
According to the present invention, this problem is solved by a process with the features of claim 1 and by an apparatus according to claim 28. Further advantageous embodiments are the subject-matter of the dependent claims.
In a process for the treatment or processing of containers, which serve for storing substances for cosmetic, medical or pharmaceutical applications or contain such substances, in particular of vials, the containers are conveyed, by means of a conveyor, automatically past processing stations or pass them, wherein a plurality of containers is conveyed by the conveyor while being supported together by a supporting structure in a regular two-dimensional array, and wherein the supporting structure has a plurality of openings or receptacles, which define the array. According to the present invention the treatment or processing of the containers is carried out at or in at least one of the processing stations, while the containers are supported by the supporting structure.
Thus, according to the present invention the containers can be treated or processed in batches. A removal from the supporting structure or a separation, which conventionally make the processes complex, is not required according to the present invention. For this purpose, according to the present invention the supporting structure is configured such that the containers can be held in a positive-fit manner or by frictional engagement. In particular, the containers are supported in openings or receptacles of the supporting structure that are formed suitably for this purpose.
Preferably, side wall portions and/or bottoms of the containers, while being supported by the supporting structure, are freely accessible at least for the most part so that the container can be easily handled on the supporting structure. For example, the bottoms of the containers may be fully accessible or for the most part, i.e. they are not covered by a supporting structure or the like, while they are supported at the supporting structure. Thus, the supporting structures together with the containers can be placed, for example, on a cooling bottom of a freeze-dryer, so that a full-area contact is ensured for an efficient cooling. Conveniently, all containers are supported at the supporting structure at the “same level” for this purpose.
According to a further embodiment, the supporting structures can be configured such that the containers, while being supported by them, can be displaced or rotated or adjusted or moved in a similar manner. This can be ensured easily by an appropriate design of the positive-fit or frictional engagement. Thus, the containers can by rotated while they are supported on the supporting structure, for example, for crimping a metal lid which is placed on the upper rim.
According to a further embodiment, the containers can be displaced in the respective opening or receptacle of the supporting structure in a longitudinal direction thereof to a raised position for the treatment or processing at or in the processing station, in which the further treatment or processing is then facilitated. For example, in this raised position the bottoms of the containers can be fully accessible, or the upper ends of the containers may project beyond the upper edge of the supporting structure or of a transport and packaging container to a suitable extent so that a treatment or processing is possible only in the raised position.
Conveniently, the containers are supported in this raised position in the region of their cylindrical side wall or of a constricted neck portion below the upper rim or at their upper rim, which may depend on the particular processing station.
According to a further embodiment, the containers continue to be accommodated in the openings or receptacles of the supporting structure in the raised position, however, are supported on an additional supporting surface or by an additional holding or gripping device to be treated or processed at or in the processing station. The holding means on the supporting structure are configured such that they do not support the containers in the raised position, in any case not with a holding force which is sufficient and in correspondence with the weight of the containers. However, also in this embodiment, the containers do not need to be completely removed from the supporting structure, so that they can continue to be treated or processed in batches, but can nevertheless be transferred to a subsequent processing step more rapidly. The aforementioned holding or gripping device may be for example a robot arm of a processing apparatus controlled fully automatically.
Particularly, the aforementioned supporting surface can also be a guiding surface, which guides the further conveyance of the containers through the processing apparatus in a suitable manner. These guiding surfaces, for example, may also be designed in the shape of curves or ramps to thereby define height levels of the containers during their conveyance through the processing plant in a suitable manner. In particular, such a supporting surface may also be provided with a turntable or may be configured as such a turntable to rotate individual containers while they are still accommodated in the openings or receptacles of the supporting structure. Conveniently, for this purpose the supporting structure is configured such that the holding forces exerted by the holding means can be adjusted in a simple manner, namely, between a first holding position in which the containers are supported with sufficient force in a positive-fit manner or by friction on the supporting structure, and a second holding position in which the holding force is reduced completely or at least to a sufficient extent. This can be accomplished in a simple manner, for example, by adjusting the opening width of the openings or receptacles of the supporting structure.
According to a further embodiment, edge portions of the supporting structure, in particular of a base plate thereof, can be removed or pivoted away to reduce the total base area of the supporting structure, when the containers are handled and processed in or at the processing station. Especially in the freeze-drying process of a plurality of containers held by a supporting structure, this results in significant cost savings.
According to a first aspect of the present invention the containers are supported in the carrier (supporting structure) by friction or clamped. For frictional supporting or clamping the cylindrical containers various types of holding means are available. As is well-known, frictional couplings only require a sufficient normal force onto the surfaces to be coupled together. The mutual displacement between the container and carrier is thus prevented as long as the counteracting force caused by the static friction between the carrier and the container is not exceeded. The frictional holding effect stops and the surfaces slide on each other, if the tangential load force is greater than the static friction. However, the latter is unlikely for the relatively low weights of the containers to be accommodated in the carrier, but may be utilized in order to displace the containers, while they are supported in the carrier, from a first position axially to a second position, in which these can be processed further, e.g. in which their openings are sealed with a stopper or in which an outer cap (for example a beaded cap or crimp) often made from sheet aluminum is placed on the stopper.
Suitably the frictional coupling is accomplished either below the expanded upper rim of the containers, i.e. at its constricted neck portion below the upper rim, or in the region of the cylindrical side wall. According to the present invention a support of the bottoms of the containers is in general not necessary, so that an access to the bottom sides (bottoms) of the containers accommodated in the carrier is in general possible. According to the present invention this enables that the containers can be further processed while being accommodated in the carrier. In other words, the containers can be processed further batch-wise in the carriers, but remain supported reliably and free of collisions in or on the carrier during the further processing, resulting in significant advantages with regard to processing speed and in benefits for the automation of processing units and thus overall results in even more economical and more cost-efficient processes. Furthermore, a direct glass-to-glass contact of adjacent containers is reliably prevented, effectively preventing abrasion and contaminants within the further processing plant and thus enabling significantly longer operation periods and maintenance intervals of the stations. Furthermore, scratches or the generation of particles can be effectively prevented on or in the containers.
The carrier according to the present invention thereby suitably permits removing the containers towards the upper side or lower side. Since the position of the forced engagement or frictional engagement between the container and the supporting structure can be varied easily, the supporting structure of the present invention can be used in a very flexible manner also for containers having different outer dimensions, as long as a sufficient normal force can be ensured for the frictional engagement. The containers can in particular be displaced easily in axial direction in the carrier, such that containers of different heights can be held in or on the same carrier. The possibility of axially displacing the containers also enables an easy compensation of tolerances.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the containers are supported in the supporting structure in a positive-fit manner. For the positive-fit support of the cylindrical containers various types of holding means are available. The mutual displacement between the container and the supporting structure is prevented as long as one coupling partner stands in the way of the other coupling partner, i.e. blocks it.
Conveniently, the positive-fit is implemented either below the expanded upper rim of the containers, i.e. in the area of the constricted neck regions and directly below the upper rims or at the lower ends of the containers, for example at the bottoms of the containers. Suitably, the expanded upper rim or the bottom of the container is directly supported on the positive-fit members of the supporting structure. Alternatively, the upper rim or the lower end or bottom of the container can also be embraced or engaged behind in a positive-fit manner.
According to a further embodiment of the above-mentioned positive fit is formed in particular by holding means, wherein at least two holding tongues are provided on the carrier or the supporting structure as said holding means, which are provided on the rim of a respective opening or receptacle and project from an upper side of the carrier for supporting the respective container in the opening or receptacle. The holding tongues are configured such that these are elastically pivoted away or folded away during insertion of the containers into the openings or receptacles, and are further adapted to the containers such that these are supported by the holding tongues with a radial play. The radial play makes it possible that containers with different tolerances in radial direction and/or with different outer dimensions can be reliably supported by the same supporting structure. Conveniently, the radial play is configured such and matched to the outer contour and dimension of the containers that not all holding tongues are in contact with the constricted neck portion at the upper rim of the containers, in particular of the vials, at the same time. Furthermore, the radial play prevents an undesired tensioning or even bulging of the carrier while supporting containers having different radial tolerances and/or outer dimensions, which offers considerable advantages, particularly in the concurrent processing of a plurality of containers while they are supported by the supporting structure, for example, in the freeze-drying process including a processing at very low temperatures.
Even if the supporting structure should nevertheless buckle or bulge during the processing, nevertheless a uniform contact with the bottoms of all containers supported by the supporting structure can be achieved, especially when these are supported by the holding tongues on the supporting structure in addition with a sufficient axial play, because the axial play furthermore also enables a compensation of length tolerances.
The holding tongues are formed or supported properly elastically, so that the containers can be inserted axially, i.e. in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the containers and perpendicular to the plane of the supporting structure, from the upper or bottom side of the carrier into the openings or receptacles, in particular with elastic deformation of the holding tongues, for example by bending them away. The loading of the carrier with containers can thus be easily automated, which is further favored by a regular array of openings or receptacles, in a two-dimensional array.
The bottom side of the expanded upper rim portion of the containers has proven to be the preferred location at which the containers are held or supported on the holding tongues, as they are typically provided in particular as the so-called rolled edge or shoulder of vials. In this region there is provided a supporting or bearing surface for holding or supporting the containers with a sufficient extension in the radial direction of the openings or receptacles in order to implement the above-mentioned radial play for supporting the containers easily.
Because the containers can be raised or moved in the openings or receptacles with very little effort, they can be processed easily, for example, rotated while they are disposed in or held or at least guided by the supporting structure. This type of supporting has proved to be of particular advantage e.g. for the crimping of a metal lid when sealing the containers. The operations necessary for this purpose can be performed on the metal lid while the containers are supported in or at least guided by the openings or receptacles of the supporting structure. This type of support has also proved to be of particular advantage during the processing of containers while they are supported or accommodated in the supporting structure. For example, the supporting structures together with the containers accommodated or supported therein can be inserted into a freeze-dryer. Because the containers are supported with a certain play in the supporting structures, it can be ensured that the bottoms of all containers evenly rest on a cooling base, such as a cooling finger of the freeze-dryer. Or the containers can be raised in the openings or receptacles of the supporting structure without much effort and can be handled for the processing.
According to a preferred embodiment, the holding tongues are designed as resilient holding tongues, but have sufficient resiliency to be sufficiently elastically pivoted or clapped away during insertion of the containers into the openings or receptacles to unblock the way for the containers into the openings or receptacles. This can be achieved easily by suitable dimensioning, choice of materials and design of the material thickness of the holding tongues. Hence, the holding tongues are preferably formed from a plastic material.
According to an embodiment, the holding tongues are resiliently biased towards a support position, preferably by means of an elastic resetting member, such as a return spring or a plastic lamina or a flexible plastic structure, which cooperates with the associated holding tongue in a suitable manner and is provided or formed on the upper side of the supporting structure.
According to an embodiment, the holding tongues are matched to the containers such that the containers rest loosely on the upper sides of the holding tongues with an expanded rim, which is formed at an upper end of the containers, in particular with the above-mentioned rolled edge. Thus, the containers can be removed again upwards from the openings or receptacles without resistance.
According to an embodiment, the holding tongues embrace the expanded rim such that the containers are supported by the holding tongues with a radial play or with a radial and axial play. In this manner the containers can be supported in the openings or receptacles so that they cannot be lost. For removing the containers from the openings or receptacles the holding tongues only need to be pivoted or clapped back again, in the manner as for the insertion of the containers.
According to an embodiment, the holding tongues are arranged distributed on the upper side of the supporting structure such that they do not touch each other directly when they are pivoted or clapped away and do not obstruct a directly adjacent opening or receptacle. Thus, the packing density of the containers on the supporting structure can be further increased. In particular, the holding tongues are designed such that directly adjacent holding tongues do not touch each other, when they are pivoted or folded toward the supporting structure upon insertion of the containers into the associated openings or receptacles.
According to an embodiment, slanted insertion surfaces are formed at the upper ends of the holding tongues, each of which pass over into a holding nose protruding radially inwards for supporting the containers. Thus, the containers can be inserted more easily and with lower force into the openings or receptacles. In particular, first the bottoms or lower ends of the containers get in contact with the slanted insertion surfaces when the containers are inserted from above into the openings or receptacles. Upon further insertion of the containers, the lower ends or the bottoms of the containers slide along the slanted insertion surfaces downward and spread the holding tongues apart or clap or pivot them back. Upon further insertion of the containers finally the cylindrical side walls get in contact with the holding tongues and slide therealong, until eventually the underside of the aforementioned rolled edge rests loosely on the holding noses of the holding tongues.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be expressly claimed by an independent claim, regardless of the above-mentioned aspects, further a supporting structure is provided for concurrently holding a plurality of containers for substances for cosmetic, medical or pharmaceutical applications, in particular vials, comprising a carrier having a plurality of openings or receptacles into which the containers can be inserted, and holding means for supporting the containers in the openings or receptacles, the supporting structure having a longitudinal direction (x) and a transverse direction (y). According to the present invention respective directly adjacent supporting structures can be directly connected with each other in such a manner that these cannot be displaced relative to each other in the longitudinal direction and/or in the transverse direction. In other words, the respective directly adjacent supporting structures can be displaced together, as a kind of unit consisting of several (at least two) supporting structures, without significantly changing their position relative to each other.
For this purpose, according to the present invention a releasable, temporary coupling of the directly adjacent supporting structures is selected, wherein in general any kind of positive-fit or frictional coupling can be used, as long as the coupling force that can be obtained by the coupling is greater than the forces typically encountered during handling or processing of the supporting structures that seek to separate again the directly adjacent supporting structures from each other. The selected coupling technique may well allow some play between the directly adjacent supporting structures in order to avoid excessive stress on the material. In particular, the form-fitting or frictional coupling structures provided for the coupling can have a certain elasticity between the directly adjacent supporting structures, which can be achieved easily by a suitable design of the coupling structures.
By means of the releasable, temporary coupling according to the present invention a plurality of supporting structures may be arranged in a row behind one another or side by side and may be inserted together into a treatment or processing station, such as a freeze-dryer, and removed again. The loading of treatment or processing stations, such as freeze-dryers, can be carried out manually but also semi-automatically or full-automatically by means of suitable conveying devices. According to the present invention, the loading of a freeze-dryer may in particular be done from the outside and inside.
According to a further embodiment, the releasable, temporary coupling of directly adjacent supporting structures is accomplished by means of a positive-fit using positive-fit structures, which are suitably arranged along the edges of the supporting structures and configured to cooperate with each other suitably, in order to accomplish a releasable coupling. The positive-fit is preferably implemented directly between the positive-fit structures, i.e. without the mediation of a third coupling member such as a screw, so that the coupling can be implemented in a time-saving and cost-efficient manner. For this purpose, positive-fit structures corresponding to each other may be disposed on opposite edges of the directly adjacent supporting structures that can be brought into a positive-fit engagement.
The positive-fit structures may be especially designed for a coupling in the manner of a dovetail coupling, of a tongue and groove coupling or a fitting key. Recesses are also conceivable, for example with a circular cross section, into which corresponding pin-like protrusions of an adjacent supporting structure engage in a positive-fit manner.
According to a further embodiment, the positive-fit structures are formed as protrusions and recesses along the opposite edges of the two directly adjacent supporting structures, the base areas of which, if respectively viewed in a top view, are different from a rectangular shape and which are formed in direct correspondence with each other. Thus, the positive-fit structures can easily be hooked directly into each other. Preferably, these protrusions and recesses do not significantly project beyond the plane defined by the flat supporting structure, so that the supporting structures are still flat and thus save space. The aforesaid entanglement is effected by simply lifting the supporting structure and then by lowering it in order to accomplish the above-mentioned positive-fit coupling between the correspondingly formed positive-fig structures. For example, the protrusions and recesses can have a substantially triangular base. Preferably, these protrusions and recesses are arranged alternately and in regular intervals to each other along opposite edges of the supporting structures, so that the supporting structures generally can also be coupled with each other if they are not aligned with one another in a row side by side, which may be of advantage, for example, for a more efficient use of treatment and processing stations having a non-rectangular-shaped base. The loading of treatment and processing stations can thus be performed even more flexibly.
According to a further embodiment, side walls are formed at least partially along the edges of the mutually corresponding protrusions and recesses which protrude perpendicularly from a surface of the supporting structures. It is advantageous that these protruding edges enlarge the contact area during pushing and pulling. Here, the edges serve as a kind of stop and guiding surfaces and allow an even more precise positive-fit between the directly adjacent supporting structures. In particular, the risk of “layering over each other” the planar supporting structures can be effectively reduced.
According to a further embodiment, the positive-fit structures comprise an elastic tongue, on a first of the two directly adjacent supporting structures, an elastic tongue including a locking protrusion formed thereon or a locking recess formed thereon, and, on the second of the two directly adjacent supporting structures, a receptacle formed corresponding to the locking protrusion or a protrusion formed corresponding to the locking recess. For the coupling the supporting structures are moved toward each other until finally the front end of the elastic tongue gets in contact with the edge of the adjacent supporting structure. Upon further movement toward each other, finally the bottom of the elastic tongue slides on the surface of the adjacent supporting structure, and in this condition, the elastic tongue is slightly bent upward. Finally, the locking protrusion and the corresponding receptacle engage with each other in a positive-fit manner and the elastic tongue returns back to its relaxed home position, wherein a reliable coupling between the adjacent supporting structures is implemented due to the positive-fit engagement between the locking protrusion and the corresponding receptacle. The coupling and release of the coupling is advantageously simple.
A further aspect of the present invention also relates to a transport and packaging container having at least one supporting structure as outlined above and disclosed in further detail in the following.
A further aspect of the present invention relates to a transport and packaging container with measures for protection against plagiarism, especially for identification and/or tracking purposes, as outlined below.
The invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, from which further features, advantages and problems to be solved will become apparent. In the drawings:
In the drawings, identical reference numerals designate identical or substantially equivalent elements or groups of elements.
A supporting structure (a carrier, also referred to as a so-called ‘nest’ in the prior art) as well as a transport and packaging container (in the prior art often also referred to as a so-called ‘tub’) accommodating such a supporting structure are used, as described below, for concurrently supporting a plurality of containers for storage of substances for cosmetic, medical or pharmaceutical applications in an array configuration, in particular in a matrix configuration with regular intervals between the containers along two different directions in space, preferably along two mutually orthogonal spatial directions.
An example of such medication containers embodied as vials (English: vial) is schematically shown in
Another example of a medication container according to the present application are ampoules, carpoules, syringes or injection containers. Ampoules or carpoules are containers for medication agents for usually parenteral administration (injection), for cosmetics and other agents and are usually cylindrical in shape with an extended tip (spear or head) and a flat bottom or also with two extended tips at both ends. These may be formed in particular as snap-off ampoules with an annular predetermined breaking point around the ampoule neck or as an OPC cartridge (One-Point-cut ampoule) having a breaking ring inscribed into the glass. Syringes or injection containers, also known as injection flasks, vials or reusable ampoules, are cylindrical containers of glass or plastic shaped similar to a bottle, usually having a relatively small nominal volume (e.g. 1 ml, 10 ml). They are sealed with a rubber plug with septum (puncture rubber). For protecting the septum and fixing the rubber plug an outer closure (beaded cap or cramp), often made from an aluminum sheet, is necessary. In a carpoule the liquid is stored in a cylinder, which is closed at one end by means of a thick rubber or plastic plug. This acts as a piston when the content is pressed out using a carpoule syringe. At the other end the cylinder is closed only by means of a thin diaphragm, which is pierced from the rear end of the carpoule syringe (a cannula sharpened on both sides) in the application. Cylindrical ampoules are often used in dentistry for local anesthesia. Special cylindrical ampoules with a specially shaped front part (e.g. thread) are used for insulin therapy in insulin pens.
In the sense of the present invention, such containers are used for storage of substances or agents for cosmetic, medical or pharmaceutical applications, which are to be stored in one or several components in solid or liquid form in the container. Especially in the case of glass containers storage periods can amount many years, notably depending on the hydrolytic resistance of the glass type used. While, in the following, cylindrical containers are disclosed, it should be noted that the containers, in the sense of the present invention, may also have a different profile, for example a square, rectangular or polygonal profile.
Inevitably such containers have tolerances due to the production which can be of the order of one or several tenths of a millimeter in particular for glass containers. To compensate for such manufacturing tolerances, while ensuring that all bottoms 3 or bottom ends of the containers can be disposed in a plane, according to the present invention the containers are fixed by means of a positive-fit or frictional fit on a supporting structure or carrier. This frictional fit is implemented in the region of constricted neck portion 5, at the cylindrical side wall portion 4 or in the region of the lower end of the container 2, in particular at the bottom 3 of the container 2.
For converting the supporting structure 25 from the first position shown in
As can be concluded from the enlarged partial view shown in
As stated above, in the first embodiment described above all the side walls of the receptacles 39 are adjusted in a coordinated manner, i.e. jointly, from the first position to the second position upon displacement of the transverse webs 35, namely by pivoting of the upper end of the supporting structure 25 (see
Above the containers, there is a bracket 190 at which a plurality of centering discs 191 and crimping discs 192 are held whose positions can be adjusted precisely to match the array of containers to be processed, wherein their arrangement is defined by the transverse webs 35 and receptacles of the carrier.
While the carrier is conveyed upstream of the processing station in the configuration of
As can be concluded from the enlarged view of
If all containers 2 of a carrier have been processed in the manner described above, the carrier is removed from the region of the crimping station 180 and is then conveyed further in the processing apparatus (not shown). For this purpose, the containers can be pushed back again into their normal position in the openings or receptacles of the carrier and the carrier can then be transferred back into the position shown in
By means of a carrier according to the
In the method according to the present invention, the crimping discs are always disposed above the containers that are already sealed by means of a plug. Thus, the entry of contaminants or debris into the containers can be excluded reliably according to the invention.
While it has been described above, that the supporting structure is supported on the supporting surface formed by the step 13 near the upper edge, according to the embodiment of
The openings are formed in annular form-fitting members 137, which are either inserted in the openings 39, in particular they are latched or clipped in their peripheral edges, or which are formed integrally with the planar carrier 25, e.g. by a 1K or 2K plastic injection molding process.
The schematic longitudinal section of
Although in
According to a preferred further embodiment, the side walls 118, 122 of the left-hand sliding member 115 is wedge-shaped, if viewed in the longitudinal direction of the receptacles 120, so that the opening width between the side walls 117 of the right-hand sliding member 116 becomes smaller and smaller, until the containers 2 are fixed by friction, in particular clamped, in the elongated receptacles 120.
The upper side or the upper and bottom side of a supporting structure 25 according to the present invention or also of a transport and packaging container 1 according to the present invention may be covered by a sterile, gas-permeable protective film, which is glued and can be removed as needed. This is exemplified in
In a further embodiment according to
These spacers 59 may extend from the corners of a respective receptacle 56 diagonally toward the center of the respective receptacle 56. The cross-shaped spacer webs 59 are, however, not connected to each other so that the upper edges of the containers are freely accessible in the middle of a respective receptacle 56.
According to a further embodiment according to
For most of the embodiments described above, the bottoms of the containers are fully accessible from their bottoms when they are supported together on the carrier. This allows for example the batch-wise freeze-drying of a plurality of containers in a freeze-dryer, while they are supported together on the carrier. This will be described in more detail below with reference to
This is shown schematically in the plan view of
For reducing the base areas of the carriers 25 further, it may be of advantage if the edge portions of the carriers 150 (see
This simple measure further enhances the packing density of the containers 2 that can be achieved when loading the freeze-dryer 220 (see
As can be seen in the enlarged view of
Subsequently, the containers 2 are conveyed further along the ramp-like supporting and guiding surface 201 until they are finally lowered back to the normal position into the receptacles formed by the transverse webs 35 of the carriers.
A corresponding raising and lowering of the containers, while they are supported in carriers or at least guided therein, is also of advantage for the inspection of a container or its contents, in particular by means of optical inspection methods. As can be seen from most drawings of the present application, the containers with their upper rims mostly do not extend beyond the upper edge of the associated carrier so that they cannot be inspected and assessed optically. Generally, this is also not possible in a reliable manner if the transport and packaging container is made of a transparent plastic material. In the raised position described above, however, the containers are available for an inspection method or for an assessment at least in their upper region. This can be exploited if one selectively raises e.g. the container in a conveying device by means of a ramp-like guide surface, as exemplified in
A corresponding raising and lowering of the containers, while they are supported in carriers or at least guided therein, is also of advantage for a coordinated transfer of the containers to downstream processing stations. As an example, the containers can gripped individually or row-wise by a gripper, for example at their upper rim, and transferred in a coordinated manner in the above-mentioned raised position, in which the holding force in the receptacles or openings of the carrier is fully released or at least released to an extent sufficient for their removal.
For concurrently supporting a plurality of containers, according to a further embodiment, as shown in
As can be sees in a comparison of
According to
As can be concluded from
In an alternative embodiment in which the side walls of a respective opening or receptacle are each circular in shape and circumferential, the side walls are also preferably connected to each other or formed integrally. Here, the holding tongues protrude from the same regions as in the arrangement shown in
Depending on the specific configuration of the containers to be supported these can in principle also be inserted from above into the openings 135 of the carrier 134 so that they are supported on the carrier 134. This has the advantage that the risk can be further reduced that liquid or other contents of the containers can arrive uncontrollably on the supporting structure, in particular on the carrier 134, during their insertion into the openings and during the pivoting away of the holding tongues 140 from the interior of the container. For this purpose slanted insertion surfaces may be provided on the upper sides of the resilient holding tongues 140, such as these are described in more detail below with reference to
By means of the strength, material and design of the resilient holding tongues 140 the force required for inserting and removing a container can be easily specified.
According to the present invention, the containers are supported loosely on the holding tongues at least with radial play and preferably both with radial and axial play. In this way, even large tolerances of containers and different outside diameters can be easily compensated for in the region of the neck portion 5. Namely, for supporting the containers it is sufficient if the rolled rim 6 still rests on the upper sides of the holding tongues 140. Basically thereby also containers of various types, e.g. with different diameters in the region of the neck portion 5, can be supported by the same supporting structure.
According to
According to an alternative embodiment, as described below with reference to
For the transport and packaging of the supporting structure described above together with the containers accommodated therein, a transport and packaging container 10 (in the prior art also referred to as a “tub”) is used, such as this is in general described with reference to
During the insertion of the containers into the openings from above, at first the bottoms or the lower ends of the containers get in contact with the slanted insertion surfaces 140d of the holding tongues 140 Upon further insertion of the containers, the lower ends or bottoms of the containers slide downwards along the slanted insertion surfaces 140d and thereby the holding tongues 140 are increasingly and elastically spread apart or pivoted back. Upon further insertion of the containers finally the cylindrical side walls of the containers (see
Upon insertion of the containers from below into the openings, the upper ends of the containers first get in contact with the curved portions 140b of the holding tongues. Upon further insertion of the containers, the upper ends of the containers slide along the curved portions 140b upward and increasingly and resiliently spreads the holding tongues 140 apart or claps or pivots them back until finally the holding noses 140c are reached. On further pushing up the containers, the bottoms of the expanded rims of the containers slide over the holding noses 140c of the holding tongues 140 and finally rest loosely on the holding noses 140c of the holding tongues 140. Thus, the containers can be removed from the openings of the carrier 134 either downward by a reverse movement of the holding tongues 140 and with elastic bending of the holding tongues 140 or upwards without elastic bending of the holding tongues 140.
According to
On the upper side of the carrier 134a, 134b and of the edges 150a, 150b, block-shaped stops 153 are provided at corresponding positions, which define in mutual abutment a coplanar alignment of the edges 150a, 150b and of the carrier 134 and prevent a folding-up of the edges 150a, 150b. The carriers can therefore also be placed only at the edges in a transport and packaging container (see
According to a further embodiment (not shown), the edges 150 can also be removed from the carrier 134. The edges 150 may of course be provided along all four longitudinal sides of the carrier 134.
As can be seen from the plan view of
By means of the aforementioned configuration of the protrusions 157b and recesses 157a, however, in general two supporting structures can be also interlocked with each other so that these are displaced relative to each other in the transverse direction (x), i.e. they are not aligned.
For hooking or interlocking two supporting structures, one of the supporting structures can be lifted by means of a lifting device in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the supporting plate 134. Subsequently, the two supporting structures are moved towards each other until finally, if viewed in a plan view, the protrusions 157b and recesses 157a of the adjacent supporting structures overlap each other. By a subsequent lowering of the supporting plate 134 perpendicular to the plane of the supporting plate 134 finally the protrusions 157b and recesses 157a engage with each other in a positive-fit manner. This procedure can be done manually but also fully automatic or semi-automatic. Here, the supporting plates 134 may be already equipped with vials. In general, however, the loading of the supporting plates 134 with vials can also only take place when the supporting plates 134 are coupled with each other.
Because of the above configuration of the protrusions 157b and recesses 157a overall an interlocking cooperation in the manner of a dovetail joint is implemented. As will be readily apparent to the person skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description, in principle, any other positive-fit or frictional coupling techniques can be used for a temporary releasable coupling of two supporting structures.
As can be concluded from the perspective top view of
As shown in the largely enlarged partial plan view of
As a further example for a positive-fit coupling
As will be readily apparent to the person skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description, the aforementioned aspect of the positive-fit or frictional coupling between directly adjacent supporting structures is in principle independent from the specific configuration of the supporting of the vials in such supporting structures, so that this aspect in principle may also be claimed as an independent aspect of the present invention, regardless of the specific implementation of the supporting of the vials at such supporting structures.
The process according to the present invention is based essentially on the fact that a plurality of containers are supported together on a carrier and can be treated or processed further, while they are supported on the carrier or at least guided by the carrier. As will readily apparent to the person skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description, this approach is generally suitable for any process steps for the treatment or processing of containers for the storage of substances for cosmetic, medical or pharmaceutical applications.
The holding force respectively exerted by the frictional-type or positive-fit-type holding means on the containers is sufficient to hold the containers reliably on the supporting structure. Particularly, the holding force applied is greater than the weight of the containers, optionally including the content and a sealing stopper. According to further embodiments, the holding force can be configured by means of an appropriate design of the holding means such that it is greater than the standard forces during handling, processing or treatment of the containers in a processing apparatus. Thereby a reliable holding of the containers is always ensured. However, according to further preferred embodiments of the invention the containers are displaced in the openings or receptacles despite the holding force, in particular displaced in axial direction or rotated. The force required for this only needs to be greater than the force exerted by the holding means.
For inserting, removing or displacing the containers on a carrier this holding force must first be overcome. This has the advantage that the containers continue to be reliably held on the carrier and do not fall over accidentally if a small force is applied, such as caused by shocks to the processing apparatuses or to conveying devices of the same. This reduces the risk of undesired impurities in processing apparatuses considerably. As an example, plugs inserted into the openings of containers frequently stick in the course of treatment and cannot be displaced thereafter without shaking, e.g. for sealing a container or for opening it. Conventionally, this has often resulted in a falling over of containers and in an undesirable leakage of substances in processing apparatuses. Since according to the present invention the containers are supported with a predetermined minimum holding force on the carriers, this risk is greatly minimized in a process according to the present invention.
Conventionally, therefore, elastic plugs or similar closure members have been provided with an anti-friction coating, resulting in undesired impurities. According to the present invention, generally one can work without such anti-friction coatings, so hat active agents can be processed and treated in an even purer form by a process according to the present invention.
Of course, the supporting structure (the carrier) in the sense of the present invention may also be formed of a thermoplastic, thermosetting or elastomeric plastic material, wherein at least portions of the supporting structure or of the carrier are provided with a coating reducing friction to facilitate the insertion and removal of the containers.
According to a further embodiment, the supporting structure and/or transport container, or portions thereof, may be formed of fiber reinforced plastics or of a plastic to which ceramics or metals are added in order to increase its thermal conductivity. As is known, fiber reinforced plastics have a higher thermal conductivity of up to 0.9 W/(m K) if including carbon fibers. If ceramics or metals are added to the plastics, the thermal conductivity is further increased. Thus so-called heat-conductive plastics are created. Thus, a thermal conductivity of 20 W/(m K) is accomplished.
As will be readily apparent to the person skilled in the art upon reading the above description, the various aspects and features of the embodiments described above may be combined in any manner with one another, resulting in numerous further embodiments and modifications. As will be readily apparent to the person skilled in the art upon reading the above description, all such further embodiments and modifications shall be comprised by the present invention, as long as these do not depart from the general solution and scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2012 103 899.6 | May 2012 | DE | national |
| 10 2012 106 341.9 | Jul 2012 | DE | national |
| 10 2012 108 215.4 | Sep 2012 | DE | national |
| 10 2012 110 547.2 | Nov 2012 | DE | national |
This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/398,541 filed on 3 Nov. 2014 (the '541 application). The '541 application is a national stage application of International Application No. PCT/EP2013/059183 filed on 2 May 2013 (the '183 application). The '183 application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of German Patent Application No. 10 2012 103 899.6 filed on 3 May 2012, German patent Application No. 10 2012 106 341.9 filed on 13 Jul. 2012, German Patent Application No. 10 2012 108 215.4 filed on 4 Sep. 2012, and German Patent Application No. 10 2012 110 547.2 filed on 5 Nov. 2012. Additionally, the '183 application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/642,125 filed on 3 May 2012 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/696,457 filed on 4 Sep. 2012. The entire contents of all of which are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61642125 | May 2012 | US | |
| 61696457 | Sep 2012 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14398541 | Nov 2014 | US |
| Child | 14995927 | US |
