CA1110589A

CA1110589A - Collapsible solution container

Info

Publication number: CA1110589A
Application number: CA338,344A
Authority: CA
Inventors: David A. Winchell; Gary A. Ward; Jerry D. Martin
Original assignee: Baxter Travenol Laboratories Inc
Current assignee: Baxter International Inc
Priority date: 1979-04-09
Filing date: 1979-10-24
Publication date: 1981-10-13
Also published as: FR2453652A1; JPS55143260A; GB2046212A; GB2077694A; DE2944558A1; AU528982B2; GB2077694B; BE882676A; SE7909268L; AU5725280A

Abstract

IMPROVED COLLAPSIBLE SOLUTION CONTAINER

Inventors: Jerry D. Martin Gary A. Ward David A. Winchell ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A molded collapsible solution container which defines a body portion having an integral neck portion and a relatively stiff shoulder portion and sealed at the opposite end, with gusset portions defined in the body portion adjacent the shoulder portion at opposite sides thereof. The shoulder portion extends outwardly from the neck portion and also extends axially rearwardly away from the neck portion in tapered manner. Sections of the shoulder portion adjacent the gusset portions nor-mally extend in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container, being connected to the remainder of the shoulder portion by an angular crease line and being flexible to permit axially forward bending of the sections about the crease line as the container collapses by drain-ing. Also, the tail seal at the opposite end may define a convex, arcuate seal for improved strength.

Description

8g ~CKGROUND OF T~IE INVENTION

In ~.S. Patent Nos. ~,049,033, ~,010,783, 4,076,~63, 4,088,166 and 4,090,5~1 among others, molded collapsible solution containers are shown ~hich may be made out of a relatively stiff plastlc, such as a copolymer which is predominantly polypropylene. Despite the relative stiffness of the bag material compared with, for example, a typical medical grade formulation of polyvinyl chloride; the bags are readily collapsible under a liquid suction pressure head on the order of three feet, so that the container may be effectively used for storing and dis-pensing parenteral solutions, blood or blood components, or the like.
The improved ~ollapsibility of the bags of the above describedpatents results from the as-molded tapered shape of the container, plus the use of opposed gussets near the shoulder portion defining beads of folding wea~ness, as well as other lateral beads of folding wea~ness ~ :.
about the shoulder, as described in the above reference.
In accordance with this inven~ion, further improvements are provided to the containers described above, which result in an even greater reduction in the internal volume of the containers in their collapsed configurations, as well as improved tail seals over that which has been previously available for thin-walled, collapsible containers.

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DESCRIPTION OF ~HE INVENTION

In accordance with this invention, a molded, collapsible solution container is provided, which container de~ines a body portion having an integral neck portion and a relatively stiff shoulder portion at one end thereof, and is sealed at its end opposite the one end. A pair of gus-set portions is defined in the body portion adjacent the shoulder portion at opposite sides thereof, with the shoulder portion extending outwardly from the neck portion and simultaneously extendi~g axially rearwardly away from the neck portion, in a manner described in the previously cited patents and applications.
In accordance with this invention, sections of . the shoulder portions which are adjacent the gusset portions, in their normal, as-molded configuration, extend in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container, ~ :
being connected to the remainder of the shoulder portion by an angular crease line, arld being flexible to permit axially-forward bending of the sections about the crease line as the container collapses under suction pressure by draining.
In this type of container, as the con~ainer collapses ~hrough draining of the liquid out of its neck under a gentle suction pressure which may be created by the simple suction pressure head of the drained liquid, the container col~apses along the sides which are generally parallel to the major axis of the oval shoulder, while at the sarne time the sides of the container adjacent the ends of the major axis or the oval shoulder, where the gussets reside, spread ou~wardly.

5~9 It has been found that stress relief i5 provided by means of the "flat" or perpendicular sections of the shoulder portion adjacen~ ~he gusset portions, with the result that the flat sections bend axially forward as the gussets pivot outwardly during collapse, providing stress relief to the entire action, which permi~s a further amount of collapse and spontaneous emp-tying of the container at a given suction pressure, when compared with previous designs of this collapsible container. Accordingly, the containers of this invention can contain less air volume in view of the reduced residual space, or, alternatively, less solution remains behind in the collapsed container.
Fuxther in accordance with this invention, the container may be sealed at its end opposite to the neck por-tion with a seal line which defines a convex, arcuate seal line. This has been found to strengthen the overall seal at the tail end of the thin-walled container of this inven-tion, particularly when the curved seal line is fabricated in accordance with the ~eachings of U.S. Patents 4,010,783 and 4,076,063 with respect to the seal line disclosed therein.
The body portion ofthe container of this application, in its nonmal, unstressed confiqura~ion, preferably tapers inwardly from the should~r portion at one end ~o tha opposite end thereof, with ~he circumferences of transverse sections of the body portion decreasing from the one end to the oppc-site end, unlike what is disclosed in ~he previously cited paten~s. This type of container can be designed to collapse to not only a flat, but a planar configuration without bulging of the flattened container walls out of the general container plane, as in the previous embodiment, which, in turn, facil-.

S~39 itates stamping or printing of labels on the containers of this invention. The above is due ~o the con~inuous taper from the sh~ulder to tail end of ~he container of this application, avoiding the transition corners found in a central portion of previous embodiments.
Referring to the drawings, .Figure 1 is an eleva-tional view oE the container of this invention in its orig-inal, unstressed, as-molded coniguration~
Figure 2 is an elevational view of the container of Figure 1, rotated about its longitudinal axis by 90.
~ igure 3 is a fragmentary longi~udinal sectional ~iew of part of the shouldex por~ion of the container o Figure 1, ad~acent a gusse~ portion, taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a sectional view of the neck and shoul-der portion of the container of Figure 1, taken along line 4-4.
Figure 5 is an elevational view of the container of Figure 1, ater it has been collapsed by the application of a gentle suction pressure such as a suction pressure head of about three feet of water.
Figure 6 is a plan view of the con~ainer of Figure S as shown in its collapsed configuration, but rotated by 90 about its longitudinal axis.
Refexring to Figures 1 through 4, a molded, collap-:~ sible solution container 10 is disclosed which defines a body . . ~
portion 12 having an integral neck portion 14 and shoulder portio~ 16 at one end thereof. Neck and shoulder portions 14, 16 are preferably relatively stiff, while the remainder of th~ container is flexible and collapsible.

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Container 10 is sealed at its end 18 opposite the neck and shoulder portions 14, 16, and includes a flattened portion 20 defining a hanger hole 22 so that the container may be hung up for convenient administration of parenteral solution or any other material as desired.
End 18 of the container is defined by sealed area 19, which may be of convex, arcuate shape as shown specifi-cally in Figure 1, and may be otherwise made in accordance with the teachings of U.S. Paten~ Nos. 4,076,063 and 4,010,783, which show a desired strengthening configuration for the tail seal which is especially effective for s~rength-ening seals made of thin walls and even biaxially oriented material.
. Accordingly, a tail seal for the collapsible con-tainer of this invention is provided which can resist the shock of dropping from higher levels, when compared with the previous embodiments. Specifically, seal lin~ 1~ occupies a recess 24 defined in the sealed end by the flexible container walls, wi~h the sealed line and recess extending essentially the entire width of the container. The recess serves ~o absorb ou~wardly directed shock by movement of its walls to protect the seal line from rupture.
Also, as described in the patents ci~ed above, a pair of sp~ced rod members may be formed as an integxal part of the seal line and the flat plastic piece 20 formed inte-grally with and extending outwardly from it, the rod me~nbers extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the : container across its entire width, with the fla~ plastic piece 20 also defining a portion thereof between the rod members which is thinner than the remainder of the plastic piece spaced from the rod members to provlde an integr~1 and lmproved tail seal.
Neck portion 14 of the container is proportioned to receive a cap 26, which may be of a conventional design. Particularly, cap 26 may be of the design as described in U.S. Patent No. 4,171~236 issued October 16, 1979. The container may also carry a conventional inner cap within cap 26 for sterile sealing of the container, beinq adapted to receive the spike of a parenteral solution set or the like with the spike passing throu~h sleeves in the inner cap, to punctule a sealing I diaphragm for access to the container.
As particularly shown in Figure 2, the body portion 12 of the container is integral with shoulder 16 about the periphery th0reof! and tapers on one dimension down to a narrow section at end 18, where the seal line 19 is found. ~owever, typically, the other transverse dimension of body portion 12 of the container, along the line of the major axis of generally oval shoulder 16! is generally of equal length, as shown in Figure 1, i.e., edges 21 may be parallel, although they may dlverge or converge to some degree if desired. ~;
Gusset portions 28 may be of the general type and configuration as described in U.S. Patent No. 4,090,541 issued May 23, 197B~ for example, proportioned appropriately as desired for the size of the specific con-tainer desired. Each gusset portion 28 defines lines of folding weakness 30, 32 as well as recessed line 34, plus the projecting shoulder tips 36 as in the previous embodiments.
Shoulder portion 16 extends outwardly, as the drawings show, from neck portion 14, and also extends to a slight degree axially rearwardly away from the neck portion, so that the pexiphery 38 of the shoulder portion 16 is displaced axially rearwardly away from the neck portion, when compared ~`
with central portions of the shoulder 16.
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Portions 3~ of the perlphery of shoulder 16 whlch are generally ln longitudinal relatlon wlth the m~jor axis 40 of the shoulder portion - define another bead line of flexing weakness, similar to that shown ln the patents cited above.
In accordance with this inventlon, sections 42 of the shoulder portion 16 which are adjacent gusset portlons 28 and the ends oE the major axis 40 do not extend axially rearwardly as the remainder of the shoulder portion, but instead normally extend, in their unstressed, as-molded configuration, in a plane which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 44 of the container, being connected to the remainder of the shoulder portion by an angular crease line 46 defined in the plastic of -the shoulder.
Sections 42 extend from crease line 46 and the remainder of shoulder portion at an angle of preferably about 130 - 160. The angular crease line is molded into the container and it, in conjunction with "flat" or perpendicular sections 42, provides an improvement in the action of the areas of the con-tainer around the gussets 28 as the container collapses.
Draining of the filled container typically takes place by opening cap 26 to expose the inner cap. A generally sterile connection is made in the case when a container is used for dispensing parenteral solutions, so that an administration set is in the fluid connection with the interlor of the container through neck portlon 14. The con-tainer is then hung in inverted configuration by hanger 20 on an IV pole, and the parenteral solution is administered to the patient.

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As the solution is administered, the suction pressure head of the parenteral solution in the adminis-tration set causes the container to begin to collapse, first at the tail end 18, with the walls of body portion 12 coming together into a flat configuration.
When the walls of th0 hody portion 12 have come together throughou~ about the upper two thirds of the body ~ ;
portion 12, the collapse of the shoulder end of the container begins by the outward pivoting of the yussets, and the corresponding rising of the neck portion 14 and shoulder portion 16~ as the gussets pivot outwardly, and the container walls of body portion 12 collapse inwardly.
A substantially collapsed confisuration of the colLapsed container is shown in Figures 5 and 6. A further amount o collapse than that shown can usually be expected to take place, with further outward pivoting of gussets 28.
It can be seen that the walls of body portion 12 have gener~
~lly collapsed in flat configuration with edges ~1 entering into diverging relationship, and that the gussets 28 have pivotad outwardly so that connection areas 48 of various bead lines have moved outwardly, with each gusset portion generally pivoting about its line 34 and protruding shoulder portion 36.
Simultaneously with this, each of sections 42 bend 2S g~nerally about obtuse angular crease line 46, in an axially forward direction. This provides stress relief ~o interiox line 34 of each gusset 28, permitting the further outward pivot-ing motion of the areas around gussets 28, to result in the opportunlty for further collapse of the container, with a consequent added reductioll of its internal volume in the .. _ g _ : collapsed configuration.
The container of this invention may be made by conventional blow molding techniques, lncluding conven-tional, commercial equipment and pre~erably using the methods described in U.S. Patent No. 4,076,063.
Preferably, the wall thickness of the collap-sible portions of the container may be about 0.015 inch, while the shoulder portion may also habe a thickness of about 0.015 inch and the neck portion may be substantially khicker. The outer diameter of neck 14 may be about 43 mmO
The above has been offered for illustrative purposes only and i5 not intended to limit the invention of this application, which is as defined in the claims below.
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Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CALIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A collapsible solution container, blow molded from a parison and made of predominantly polypropylene, which container defines a body portion having an integral neck portion and a relatively stiff shoulder portion at one end thereof, said container being sealed at its end opposite said one end and tapering inwardly from the shoulder portion to a generally flat portion adjacent said opposite end, the seal of said container at said opposite end defining a convex, arcuate seal line across the width of said body portion.

2. The container of claim 1 in which said body portion, in its as-molded, normal, unstressed configuration, defines circumferences of trans-verse sections of said body portion uniformly decreasing from said one end to the opposite end.

3. The container of claim 1 in which the wall thickness of said body portion is generally uniform at positions spaced from the ends thereof.

4. The container of claim 1 in which the circumferences of the trans-verse sections of said body portion are generally uniform from adjacent one end to the opposite end.