Patent Application
20170203886
The present invention relates to a strip of vials for fluid products, particularly for medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food products or the like.
With particular but not exclusive reference to the pharmaceutical and/or cosmetic industries, the use is known of vials made of plastic material, generally polymer material, for the packaging of one or more doses of fluid, liquid or pasty products.
The known vials generally comprise a containment body of a predetermined dose of product, of a substantially tubular and elongated shape, which has an end provided with a neck at the top of which is defined a product dispensing mouth.
The opposite end of the containment body has an opening able to introduce the product, which is closed after filling, e.g., by sealing.
Closing means, removably associable with the vials at the neck, allow occluding the dispensing mouth.
The containment body and the closing means can be made separately using forming techniques such as injection molding, and subsequently assembled together, or, alternatively, they can be made in a single body piece and subsequently separated before being used by a user.
The containment body also has a pair of fins which are able to make it easier for the user to grip the vial, and which extend, in a diametrically opposite direction the one to the other, from the outer lateral surface of the containment body itself.
For reasons of production and more convenient transport, the known vials in plastic material are usually made in series to form a so-called “strip”; the fins of the containment bodies of two successive vials are in fact temporarily associated with one another at easy-to-tear weakened-section connection lines, which permit separating one vial from another.
Strips of this type are shown, e.g., in patent document WO 2009/147484, wherein at the vial dispensing mouths, applicator elements are provided, which are spatula shaped or with other shape and which help the user to distribute the fluid product coming out of the dispensing mouths.
Such applicator elements can be made separately from the containment bodies or in a single body piece with them.
In the first case, however, it is underlined that the applicator elements and the containment bodies must be assembled after manufacturing, either by the manufacturer or by the end user and this, inconveniently, represents an additional operation.
In the second case, on the other hand, the applicator elements and the containment bodies must necessarily be made from a same material, and this is a big restriction as regards the operating versatility of the applicator elements, considering that the need is often felt to have containers with parts having different characteristics from others.
In this regard, it is underlined e.g., that in the medical field, the use is often required of sterile fluids such as medicinal products, pharmaceutical products, saline solutions and so on, to be injected intravenously into patients.
These sterile fluids are normally supplied in large glass or plastic bottles, which are chemically inert materials able to safeguard the sterility of the fluids contained in them.
The bottles are normally closed by means of a closing element called “stopper”, which is inserted in the bottle access mouth.
The closing element is made of rubber to allow penetration by means of a pointed drawing element, such as, e.g., the needles of hypodermic syringes and the spikes of infusion lines, thereby permitting the drawing and exit of the sterile fluid.
Bottles of this type are described in EP 0 819 617, EP 1 044 135 and WO 2009/144553.
The main aim of the present invention is to provide a strip of vials for fluid products, particularly for medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food products and the like, which may be manufactured in an easy, functional and economical manner and is, at the same time, of increased convenience and versatility of use with respect to the products of known type.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a strip of vials for fluid products, particularly for medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food products and the like, which allows to overcome the mentioned drawbacks of the prior art within the ambit of a simple, rational, easy and effective to use as well as affordable solution.
The above mentioned objects are achieved by the present strip of vials for fluid products, particularly for medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food products and the like, having the characteristics of claim 1.
Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more evident from the description of some preferred but not exclusive embodiments of a strip of vials for fluid products, particularly for medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food products and the like, illustrated as an indicative, but not limitative example in the accompanying drawings wherein:
With particular reference to such figures, the reference number 1 globally designates a strip of vials for fluid products, particularly for medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food products and the like.
In this respect, it is specified that in the present treatise, by the term “fluid products” are not only meant liquid products but also viscous products, e.g., in the state of paste or gel, and powdered products, in particular very fine powders with great fluidity.
It is underlined however that the strip 1 according to the invention is intended to contain injectable fluid products, i.e. mostly sterile fluid products, such as medicinal products, pharmaceutical products, saline solutions, and so on, to be injected intravenously into patients.
The strip 1 comprises a group of vials 2, each comprising:
The containment bodies 4 are made in a single monolithic body made of a first material and are joined together along weakened-section connection lines 3.
In particular each vial 2 has at least a spacing fin 6, normally two, extending from the respective containment body 4 and which is associated with at least a spacing fin 6 of an adjacent vial 2 along one of the weakened-section connection lines 3.
Conveniently, the second ends 4b of the vials 2 are open and can be used as mouths for introducing the fluid product; the closing of the mouths is achievable, e.g., by crushing and sealing the relative edges and is done once the fluid product has been introduced, before introducing the strip 1 onto the market.
The dispensing mouths 5 consist of a stopper 24 made of a second penetrable material able to be crossed by a drawing element for the drawing and exit of the fluid product.
The drawing element is not illustrated in detail in the figures and consists e.g. of a syringe needle, in a spike of infusion line or similar devices.
The first material composing the containment bodies 4 preferably consists of a plastic material, e.g., a polymer material, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, etc.
The second material composing the stopper 24, on the other hand, consists of rubber or other material, also a polymer material, having similar properties which allows its penetrability by needles, spikes and the like.
In
In the first embodiment, the containment bodies 4 comprise retaining means 28, 29, 30 which are able to retain the stoppers 24 and are arranged at the first ends 4a.
The retaining means 28, 29, 30 consist, e.g., of at least an interlocking housing seat, which is formed on each containment body 4 and in which a corresponding stopper 24 is fitted by interlocking.
Each interlocking housing seat 28, 29, 30 is formed by a tubular length 28 which axially extends along the elongated direction D and has a first recess 29 and a second recess 30 which extend transversely from the tubular length 28 to the longitudinal central axis D.
The stoppers 24 have dimensions substantially complementary to those of the tubular length 28 and, therefore, the recesses 29, 30 define two abutment portions for the stoppers 24 which prevent their extraction in one direction and in the other.
At least one of the first recess 29 and the second recess 30 has a substantially annular conformation.
In the embodiment shown in
Through the second recesses 30, furthermore, the stoppers 24 are forced to enter into the interlocking housing seat 28, 29, 30 during assembly.
In this regard it is noticed that the strip 1 shown in
In particular, the containment bodies 4 are made by injection molding, in which the first material, suitably brought to a fluid state, is injected under pressure into a forming mold and then made to harden.
The stoppers 24 are also made by molding, in which the second material, suitably processed, is shaped into a forming seat different to the forming mold in which the containment bodies 4 have been formed.
Once extracted from the forming seat, the stoppers 24 are mounted on containment bodies 4 forcing the passage through the second recesses 30.
In the second embodiment shown in
The embodiment of Figure la differs from the previous one by the fact that each vial 2 also comprises a covering body 32 able to cover the relevant stopper 24.
The covering bodies 32 are made in a single monolithic body together with the containment bodies 4.
In the embodiment shown in Figure la, each covering body 32 is defined by a respective door element and, for this reason, in the ambit of the present treatise the reference number 32 is used both to indicate the covering bodies and the door elements.
The door elements 32 are associated with the first end 4a by means of a foldable joining strap 33.
In particular, the door elements 32 are movable around the relative foldable joining strap 33 between a closed configuration, wherein the door elements 32 are fitted interlocking on one of the dispensing mouths 5 to protect the stoppers 24, and an open configuration, wherein the door elements 32 are moved away from the dispensing mouths 5 thus making the stoppers 24 accessible from the outside.
Similarly to the embodiment of
In the third embodiment of the invention shown in
The stoppers 24 are associated with the countersunk seat 31 by adhesion.
In this regard it is noticed that, unlike the embodiments of
In particular, it should be noticed that the stoppers 24 are made by injection molding of the second material in the fluid state within the same forming mold 7 that shapes the containment bodies 4, and the first material and the second material are compatible so as to adhere to one another when the second material is injected under pressure directly in contact with the containment bodies 4.
The manufacturing procedure of the strip 1 shown in
The female housings 8, in practice, are intended to shape the outer surfaces of the strip 1, while the male elements 9 are intended to shape the internal surfaces thereof.
The longitudinal directions A of the male elements 9 are substantially parallel to one another and define the elongated direction D of the containment bodies 4 of the vials 2.
The strip 1 shown in
For the forming of the strip 1 within the forming mold 7 the procedure is carried out which involves the following steps:
In addition to the female housings 8 and to the male elements 9, the forming mold 7 has a plurality of auxiliary male bodies 12 insertable in the female housings 8 at the first ends 4a of the vials 2.
The auxiliary male bodies 12 inserted in the female housings 8 are substantially aligned with the longitudinal directions A of the male elements 9.
More in detail, the forming mold 7 has:
The first station 13, 14 has a different shape than the second station 15, 16.
In other words, the female housings 8 of the first group 13 have a different shape with respect to the female housings 8 of the second group 15 and/or the auxiliary male bodies 12 of the first group 14 have a different shape with respect to the auxiliary male bodies 12 of the second group 16.
In particular, in the embodiment shown in
The auxiliary male bodies 12 of the first group 14, in fact, have a first face 17 turned towards the male elements 9 which is protruding overhanging towards the male elements themselves; the auxiliary male bodies 12 of the second group 16, on the contrary, have a second face 18 turned towards the male elements 9 which is flat.
Such difference is clearly visible in
For each group 13, 15, the female housings 8 are formed on two respective openable half-shells 19, 20; for simplicity of representation in
Conveniently, each half-shell 19, 20 comprises a block 19, wherein the auxiliary male bodies 12 can be housed, and a matrix die 20, wherein instead the male elements 9 can be inserted.
In the embodiment shown in the figures, the female housings 8 and the auxiliary male bodies 12 are movable with respect to each other to allow opening the forming mold 7.
In particular, the auxiliary male bodies 12 are movable with respect to the blocks 19, which are integral with the matrix dies 20.
Alternative embodiments cannot however be ruled out wherein the auxiliary male bodies 12 are integral with the blocks 19 and, together with these, move with respect to the matrix dies 20.
In this latter case, for example, embodiments are possible wherein the female housings 8 of the first group 13 and the auxiliary male bodies 12 of the first group 14 are made in a single body piece, and/or wherein the female housings 8 of the second group 15 and the auxiliary male bodies 12 of the second group 16 are made in a single body piece.
For example, in fact, the blocks 19 may be shaped so as to integrate the auxiliary male bodies 12 in a single monolithic body.
The step of the procedure that consists in modifying the shape of the interspace 10 comprises moving the male elements 9 from the first station 13, 14, wherein the male elements 9 are inserted in the female housings 8 of the first group 13 together with the auxiliary male bodies 12 of the first group 14, to the second station 15, 16, wherein the male elements 9 are inserted in the female housings 8 of the second group 15 together with the auxiliary male bodies 12 of the second group 16.
In detail, the forming mold 7 has a first group 21 of male elements 9 and a second group 22 of male elements 9 alternately movable between the first station 13, 14 and the second station 15, 16.
The first group 21 and the second group 22 of male elements 9, e.g., are mounted on the same male-bearing element 23.
The male-bearing element 23, e.g., consists of a plate on which the male elements 9 of the first group 21 and the male elements 9 of the second group 22 are mounted with the longitudinal directions A substantially orthogonal to the plate itself.
The plate 23 is movable at least in rotation around an axis of rotation R substantially parallel to the longitudinal directions A.
The step of the procedure that consists in moving the male elements 9 comprises moving the male elements 9 of the first group 21 from the first station 13, 14 to the second station 15, 16 and simultaneously moving the male elements 9 of the second group 22 from the second station 15, 16 to the first station 13, 14, and vice versa.
Such step occurs, e.g., by making the plate 23 rotate around the axis of rotation R.
The step of the procedure consisting of injecting under pressure the first material occurs at the first station 13, 14, while the step of injecting the second material occurs at the second station 15, 16.
To form the strip 1 shown in
A detail of the interspace 10 delimited by the female housings 8 of the first group 13, by the auxiliary male bodies 12 of the first group 14 and by the male elements 9 in the first station 13, 14 is shown in detail in
When the forming mold 7 (
The movement of the strip of semi-finished vials 11 occurs by making the plate 23 rotate around the axis of rotation R (
When the strip of semi-finished vials 11 and the relative male elements 9 reach the second station 15, 16, the forming mold 7 is closed again and the second material is injected into the second station 15, 16.
A detail of the interspace 10 delimited by the female housings 8 of the second group 15, by the auxiliary male bodies 12 of the second group 16 and by the male elements 9 in the second station 15, 16 is shown in detail in
When the forming mold 7 is next opened, the strip 1 of finished vials remains on the male elements 9.
Taking into account the fact that the male elements 9 are split up into two interchangeable groups 21, 22, the two stations 13, 14, 15, 16 always receive one of the two groups 21, 22 of male elements 9 and the injection of the first material into the first station 13, 14 occurs at the same time as the injection of the second material into the second station 15, 16.
In
When the forming mold 7 is next opened therefore, a situation exists like that shown in
In the fourth embodiment of the invention shown in
In this regard it is noticed that, also in this case, the strip 1 shown in
The manufacturing procedure of the strip 1 shown in
Even in this case, the forming mold 7 has a plurality of auxiliary male bodies 12 insertable in the female housings 8 at the first ends 4a of the vials 2 and substantially aligned with the longitudinal directions A of the male elements 9. Unlike what occurs in the forming mold 7 of the
For the manufacturing of the strip 1, in fact, the forming mold 7 has only one group of female housings 8, only one group of auxiliary male bodies 12 and only one group of male elements 9.
The female housings 8 are obtained on two respective openable half-shells 19, 20; for simplicity of representation in
Conveniently, each half-shell 19, 20 comprises a block 19, wherein the auxiliary male bodies 12 can be accommodated, and a matrix die 20, wherein on the contrary the male elements 9 can be inserted.
Each block 19 is integral with the corresponding matrix die 20.
The male elements 9 are mounted on a male-bearing element 23 while the auxiliary male bodies 12 are mounted on a corresponding male-bearing member 25.
The male-bearing element 23, e.g., consists of a plate or the like on which the male elements 9 are mounted with the longitudinal directions A substantially orthogonal to the plate itself.
The male-bearing member 25, on the other hand, consists of a transversal support on which the auxiliary male bodies 12 are mounted substantially parallel to the longitudinal directions A.
The auxiliary male bodies 12 are movable, together with the male-bearing member 25, along the female housings 8.
By so doing, the step that consists in modifying the shape of the interspace 10 comprises moving the auxiliary male bodies 12 from a first position close to the male elements 9 to a second position spaced away from the male elements 9, the spacing away of the auxiliary male bodies 12 being able to define an additional space 26 in the interspace 10 for the introduction of the second material.
The movement of the auxiliary male bodies 12 comprises translating the auxiliary male bodies 12 along the longitudinal directions A.
Conveniently, in the first position the auxiliary male bodies 12 are in head-to-head contact with the male elements 9, while in the second position they are detached from the male elements 9.
In this respect, the fact is underlined that a face 27 of the auxiliary male bodies 12 is turned towards the male elements 9 and protrudes overhanging towards the male elements themselves.
To form the strip 1 shown in
A detail of the interspace 10 delimited by the female housings 8, by the male elements 9 and by the auxiliary male bodies 12 in the first position is shown in detail in
Once the first material has been injected and left to harden, the forming mold 7 remains closed and houses the strip of semi-finished vials 11 made of the first material.
At this point, the auxiliary male bodies 12 move from the first position to the second position.
A detail of the interspace 10 delimited by the female housings 8, by the male elements 9 and by the auxiliary male bodies 12 in the second position is shown in detail in
When the forming mold 7 is opened, the strip 1 of finished vials is therefore obtained which is shown in detail in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| MO2014A000185 | Jun 2014 | IT | national |
| MO2014A000229 | Jul 2014 | IT | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2015/054393 | 6/10/2015 | WO | 00 |
