GB2372031A

GB2372031A - Injection moulded container having means for holding the contents

Info

Publication number: GB2372031A
Application number: GB0103375A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Anthony Farrar; Huw Lewis
Original assignee: Dubois Ltd
Current assignee: Dubois Ltd
Priority date: 2001-02-12
Filing date: 2001-02-12
Publication date: 2002-08-14
Also published as: JP2004524227A; GB0103375D0; WO2002063989A3; EP1368076A2; US20040182729A1; WO2002063989A2

Abstract

A one-piece, injection-molded, openable container for holding one or more vessels, comprises: <SL> <LI>(a) a holding section (1) for holding the said one or more vessels; <LI>(b) a closure section (2) movable between open and closed positions; and <LI>(c) an engagement means (5) for engaging, and so holding in place, the said one or more vessels when the closure section is in the closed position and disengaging, and thus allowing access to, the said one or more vessels when the closure section is in the open position. </SL> The container may provide a kit for a medical or vetinary drug delivery system, the vessels comprising vials or ampules, and securing means may be provided in the closure section (2) for syringes, tubing, swabs, filters, etc.

Description

INJECTION-MOLDED CONTAINER The present invention relates to containers for holding one or more vessels and in particular to such containers manufactured as one-piece items, for example as constructed using injection-molding techniques.

Containers for holding one or more vessels are known in the medical and vetinary fields, in which containers are required to hold vessels such as vials and ampules in a safe, crushprotected fashion. However, many of the known containers comprise multiple sections of materials including cardboard and the like, which are awkward to assemble and which do not provide sufficient mechanical robustness for protecting the contents.

Further, many of the containers of the prior art use one or more insert sections, which again make assembly of the complete container difficult and which increase the size of container required for holding a certain volume of vessels.

Often the use of a multiplicity of sections increases the cost of assembly and the end product is not particularly aesthetically pleasing.

The present invention seeks to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a compact, easy to use product that also allows for an aesthetically pleasing design.

Thus, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a one-piece, injection-molded, openable container for holding one or more vessels, comprising: (a) a holding section for holding the said one or more vessels; (b) a closure section movable between open and closed positions; and (c) an engagement means for engaging, and so holding in place, the said one or more vessels when the closure section is in the closed position and disengaging, and thus allowing access to, the said one or more vessels when the closure section is in the open position.

Such a one-piece container can be simply and inexpensively manufactured by injection molding and thus does not incorporate multiple pieces that are difficult to assemble.

Preferably, the container further comprises a hinge section connecting the holding and the closure sections. The hinge section is generally rotatable at least about its attachment to the holding section and so the closure section can be moved between its open and closed positions. In the latter position, the closure section is engaged, at least partially, with the holding section.

Typically, the engagement means is attached to the hinge section. Thus, when the container is in its open position, the engagement means is located so as not to be engaging the one or vessels, because the hinge has rotated the engagement means away from the holding section. However, as the container is closed, the engagement means rotates together with the hinge section about the latter's attachment with the holding means, until the engagement means is located such that it engages the vessels.

In one embodiment the vessel (s) may be vials or ampules. Such vessels are typically constructed of glass or composite material and are, for example, capable of holding drugs, particularly in liquid or powder form, that may be safely stored in the closed container, so as to be protected from physical shocks and the environment in general.

In another embodiment, the closure section comprises securing means for securing one or more further items within the container, for example syringe (s), tubing, swab (s) and/or filter (s). Such items may be necessary to enable the physician to administer the drug held within the vessels. Typically, the securing means is a clip or other such arrangement, which holds the item (s) in place ready for use when the container is opened.

In a further embodiment, the holding section comprises at least one partition dividing the container into at least two sub-compartments, at least one of which is provided for holding one or more further items, such as instruction pamphlet (s). Such pamphlets may provide the physician or patient with important instructions regarding how to administer the dose and what the correct dosage level may be.

Preferably, the container is constructed of polypropylene. This material is fully recyclable, thus the product is environmentally friendly. Further, the containers so constructed can be formed to have sufficient mechanical strength to withstand physical shocks and thus protect the contents of the vessels held within. Another important advantage of this material is that it can provide a strong hinge section that is durable throughout the lifetime of the container despite repeated opening and closing of the container.

Generally, the vessels are of uniform shape, but need not be so. Likewise, the vessels may be of uniform size, but it is envisaged that the container can be easily adapted to enable vessels of differing size to be accommodated.

Typically, the engagement means comprises a leading edge having at least one indentation for grasping either a body or a neck of one of the vessel (s). In this way, the vessels may be securely held in place and will not collide with one another during transit. If the vessels have a substantially cylindrical shape, then each indentation will usually have a matching, partially circular shape, so as to engage the vessel neck or body in a closely fitting manner.

In another embodiment, the closure section may provide further storage space within the container, when the container is in the closed position. Thus, the items mentioned above, such as syringes and so forth can be accommodated in such storage space, whilst the vessels themselves are held in the holding section.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a kit for providing a medical or vetinary drug delivery system, comprising a container as described above together with one or more vessels, and optionally one or more syringe (s), instruction pamphlet (s), swab (s), filter (s) and/or section (s) of tubing.

The present invention will now be further described by way of the following non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a container (in a closed state) according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates the container of Figure 1 in a half-opened state ; Figure 3 depicts the container of Figure 1 in a fully opened state; and Figure 4 shows a plan and side view of the container as shown in Figure 3.

In Figure 1, a container is illustrated that can be used for holding vials or ampules containing drugs for medical administration. The container comprises a holding section 1 and a closure section 2, which are shown in the closed position in this figure. The closure section 2 has a finger recess 3 that enables the user to open the container more easily.

As the closure section 2 is opened (see Figure 2), it rotates about its attachment to a hinge section 4, to which is attached an engagement means 5. As the opening process continues (see Figure 3), the hinge section 4 also rotates about its attachment to the holding section 1. The engagement means 5 therefore rotates away from its initial position. When the container is closed, the engagement means 5 is able to grasp vessels (not shown in the figures) that are held by the holding section but, as the container is opened, the engagement means 5 rotates away from its initial grasping position to release its hold upon the vessels, as the hinge section 4 rotates. The vessels are then free to be accessed by the user. Also shown, in both of Figures 2 and 3, is securement means 6 in the roof of the closure section 2. The securement means 6 can be used to clip other items, typically a syringe, into place within the storage space provided in the roof of the closure section 2. Other types of securement means 6 can be used and these can be adapted to hold other related items in place, such as swabs, filters, sections of tubing, and so forth.

The engagement means has at least one indentation 7 along its leading, grasping edge. Such indentations 7 are typically shaped to match the external shape of the vessels, thus aiding the grasping process when the container is shut. As shown in Figure 3, the indentations 7 may be of different shapes and sizes so as to be able to accommodate different types of vessels. However, of course, if the container is designed to hold vessels of uniform shape, the corresponding indentations 7 will naturally be designed to also be uniform.

Although the engagement means 5 shown in the figures is a leaf-type structure that extends from an attachment with the hinge 4, other arrangements are also envisaged. For example, the container need not comprise a hinge section 4 per se at all, so that the engagement means 5 may be connected instead, for example directly to the closure section 2 by a thin, flexible area about which it can rotate. When no hinge section 4 is present the closure section may also be connected to the holding section by such a thin, flexible area about which mutual rotation of the sections can take place.

Further, the engagement means 5 need not actually be a leaf-type structure, but could alternatively be any other structure that is capable of engaging and holding the vessels in place when the container is shut. Many such structures and arrangements will be selfevident to the person skilled in the art.

The holding section 1 can also be divided by a partition 8, which divides the compartment therein into sub-compartments. In Figure 4A, two sub-compartments are shown, one 10 for holding the vessels themselves and another 9 for holding further items, such as instruction pamphlets. The latter are typically included in the contents of the container, so that the person administering the drug held within the vessels is aware of the correct procedure and dosage required.

The present invention therefore provides a simply constructed container that can be manufactured inexpensively and with ease, that can be used without complex intermediate assembly procedures, and that can be made of resilient, recyclable materials.

Claims

CLAIMS : 1. A one-piece, injection-molded, openable container for holding one or more vessels, comprising: (a) a holding section for holding the said one or more vessels ; (b) a closure section movable between open and closed positions; and (c) an engagement means for engaging, and so holding in place, the said one or more vessels when the closure section is in the closed position and disengaging, and thus allowing access to, the said one or more vessels when the closure section is in the open position.
2 A container as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a hinge section connecting the holding and the closure sections.
3 A container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the engagement means is attached to the hinge section.
4 A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the vessel (s) are vials or ampules.
5 A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the closure section comprises securing means for securing one or more further items within the container, for example syringe (s), tubing, swab (s) and/or filter (s).
6 A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the holding section comprises at least one partition dividing the container into at least two sub compartments, at least one of which is provided for holding one or more further items, such as instruction pamphlet (s).
7 A container, as claimed in any preceding claim, being constructed of polypropylene.
8 A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the vessels are of uniform shape and/or size.
9 A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the engagement means comprises a leading edge having at least one indentation for grasping either a body or a neck of one of the vessel (s).
10 A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the closure section provides further storage space within the container, when the container is in the closed position.
11 A kit for providing a medical or vetinary drug delivery system, comprising a container as claimed in any preceding claim together with one or more vessels, and optionally one or more syringe (s), instruction pamphlet (s), swab (s), filter (s) and/or section (s) of tubing.
12 A container or kit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and/or as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.