CA2341423A1

CA2341423A1 - Container

Info

Publication number: CA2341423A1
Application number: CA002341423A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Roland Kneer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Gaplast GmbH
Priority date: 1998-09-04
Filing date: 1999-08-06
Publication date: 2000-03-16
Also published as: EP1109728A1; AU6462099A; BR9913302A; MXPA01002318A; WO2000013986A1; CN1315916A; HUP0103474A3; JP2002524358A; HUP0103474A2

Abstract

The invention relates to a container (1) for medicines or foodstuffs which h as an insert for desiccants (3) which is positioned in the container opening an d secured against being moved further into the container. In an initial state, i.e. before use of the container, the container opening is sealed by a foil (17). After removal of said foil, the closing device (7) is moved in the direction of the desiccant insert, for example by rotating a screw cap as fa r as a stop end, so that the coupling means (11, 18) of the closing device and the insert engage, thus producing a non-positive connection between each oth er in an axial direction.

Description

Container The present invention relates to a container, in particular for medicines or foodstuffs in the form of tablets, dragees, capsules, beads, or the like, comprising a closing device and an insert for desiccants, the closing device and the desiccant insert comprising cooperating coupling means by which the desiccant insert can be fastened to the closing device.
The container may have the shape of a small bottle including a bottle neck or, for instance, the shape of a small tube and may be made from plastics, glass or also e.g. from a sheet metal, as is sometimes the case with small tubes for tablets.
It is known that a desiccant insert is firmly mounted on the bottom side of a stopper.
GB 731 417 suggests a container of the above-mentioned type whose closing cap has a cylindrical flange which rests on the inner wall of the container neck and includes a surrounding groove into which a desiccant insert is locked with an annular projection.
When the contents of the container is to be tamper-proof, such a stopper may be provided with a tear-off ring gripping around the container neck, which requires quite considerable expenses.
Furthermore, it is known that a desiccant insert is accommodated as a separated structural member in the container. This procedure has the drawback that the desiccant insert rests on the container contents, i.e. tablets, dragees, etc., and that the medicines or foodstuffs positioned in direct vicinity thereof desiccate too much.
AMENDED SHEET

CA 02341423 2001-02-21 _.._.. ...._._._ It is the object of the present invention to improve a container of the above-mentioned type in such a manner that the container contents is made tamper-proof by a simple measure prior to the first use of the container.
According to the invention this object is achieved by the features of patent claim 1.
Advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims.
According to the invention the closing device, which is preferably a twist-type closure, but may also have the shape of an axially movable cap gripping over the edge of the container opening, as well as the desiccant insert comprise cooperating coupling means with which the desiccant insert can be fastened to the closing device prior to the first use of the container.
In an initial state the closing device and the desiccant insert are separated by a foil, or the like, which seals the container opening, and after removal of the foil the closing device is moved towards the desiccant insert contained in the container until the coupling means engage one another and the desiccant insert is fastened to the closing device.
Thus the contents of the container is made tamper-proof by a very simple measure in that a sealed foil closes the container opening which cannot be opened in an AMENDED SHEET

unnoticed way for manipulating the contents of the container. The term "foil"
is here to be understood as a very comprehensive one because a tearable plastic cap, for instance, may also be provided as a tamper-proof device - though this might not be very expedient.
In the initial state prior to the first removal of a tablet, or the like, the closing device and the desiccant insert are thus separated by the device for ensuring tamper-proof handling. The device is removed by the user prior to use, whereupon the closing device - in case it is a twist-type closure - is preferably screwed forwards as far as a stop in the direction of the desiccant insert until the two members are coupled. When the closing device is a cap gripping over the edge of the container opening, the cap is moved forwards axially towards the desiccant insert until the coupling means engage one another, and in this case cap and insert may then jointly form a stopper.
Furthermore, the desiccant insert may contain a substantially cylindrical desiccant chamber in which the preferably granular desiccant is accommodated, and the desiccant chamber may tightly be seated with an annular circumferential bead, a so-called olive, within the container opening. The desiccant chamber expediently consists of plastics and converges at its lower end in slightly conical fashion so that it can be easily inserted into the container opening, most of the time, a bottle neck.
To reliably couple the desiccant insert with the closing device, the desiccant insert must be positioned and held in the container opening such that the coupling means reliably impinge onto or engage one another. To this end the desiccant insert or the desiccant chamber should be provided with a holding device which is supported on or in the container opening, so that the desiccant insert is prevented from further entering into the container. To this end the upper terminal wall of the desiccant chamber may have molded thereon an annular wall comprising an outwardly oriented flange which may be seated on a shoulder on the upper edge of the container opening. It is thereby ensured that the desiccant chamber is not pressed by the closing device into the container, whereby the desired connection with the closing device would not be established.
In a further development of the invention, the closing device should remain rotatable relative to the desiccant insert in the coupled state. This is imperative in cases where the closing device is a twist-type closure and the desiccant chamber is firmly seated in the container to tightly seal the latter.
Such a rotatable connection can e.g. be accomplished by the measure that spring arms project from the upper side of the desiccant chamber or from the bottom side of the closing device with locking hooks that are gripped from behind by an annular projection of the other structural member upon coupling. A non-positive connection is thereby established in axial direction, with the annular projection, however, rotatably gripping around or engaging the spring arms.
These coupling means constitute an expedient development which can be replaced by other suitable coupling means.
When the closing device is an axially displaceable cap which grips over the wall of the container opening, means may be provided to snap the same in an easily detachable manner into a rearward position relative to the desiccant chamber and into a forwardly moved coupling position. To this end an inner annular bead of the cap may e.g. enter into two axially spaced-apart annular recesses in the container wall. Cap and desiccant chamber can in such a case be connected for joint rotation.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawing, in which:
Fig. 1 shows an inventive container prior to its first use;
Fig. 2 shows the container in its used state;
Fig. 3 shows the container with the closing device being removed; and Fig. 4 is a top view on the desiccant chamber of the container.
The container 1 has the shape of a small bottle comprising a container neck 2 which has positioned therein an approximately cylindrical desiccant chamber 3 whose circumferential wall has an annularly surrounding bead-like thickened portion 4 which tightly rests on the inner wall of the container neck 2. The lower end section 5 of the desiccant chamber 3 converges in slightly conical fashion to facilitate the insertion of the desiccant chamber 3 into the container neck 2.
The container neck has seated thereon a press-and-twist closure 6 which is described in more detail in European patent application 94 110 152.9, which is herewith explicitly referred to. Said press-and-twist closure includes an inner screw cap 7 which is covered by an outer cap 8. The screw cap 7 is provided on its outer cylindrical wall with a ribbing which is continued in the outer annular portion of the lid section. The ribbing consists of lamellar ribs each having a flat inclined long side and a short side. The outer cap 8 has a lid section 9 which is convex relative to the screw cap 7 and which is centrally supported on the lid section of the screw cap 7 and elastically deformable in an approximately planar orientation by applying axial pressure. Projections molded on the inside of the lid section of the outer cap engage into the ribbing of the lid section of the screw cap 7 so that a torque can be transmitted in the opening direction of the closure. Moreover, the outer cap 8 communicates by way of front faces of an annular attachment in the lower edge portion of the circumferential wall with projections of the screw cap 7 in reverse rotational direction for joint rotation. Said screw-type closure is child-proof to a considerable extent.
Four axially projecting spring arms 11 that are provided on their outsides with hook-like projections 12 are molded onto the upper terminal wall 10 of the desiccant chamber 3 in an arrangement that is annular on the whole (see Fig. 4). Said spring arms 11 are arranged to be concentric around the center point 13 of the upper terminal wall 10 of the desiccant chamber 3.
Radially projecting to the outside in the same direction is an annular wall 14 with flanges 15 that are bent outwards at a right angle and extend each over a circumferential portion of about 150° and are opposite to each other.
The desiccant chamber 3 is supported with flanges 15 on an annular shoulder 16 on the upper edge portion of the container neck 2, whereby it is ensured that the desiccant chamber 3 cannot be moved further forwards into the container 1. The desiccant chamber 3 is positioned by the surrounding annular bead 4 and the flange 15 in an exact position inside the container neck 2, i.e., it is not only unable to travel further into the container 1, but is also prevented from performing tilting movements in the container neck. An exact positioning of the spring arms 11 is thereby ensured.
In the initial state prior to first use, as shown in Fig. 1, the container neck 2 is sealed with a foil 17 which of course also covers the flange 15 of the desiccant chamber 3.

In the state shown in Fig. 1, the press-and-twist closure 6 is screwed away from the container neck 2 to such an extent that an annular projection protruding at a right angle from the bottom side of the screw cap 7 is accommodated above the foil 17.
This annular projection 18 extends in concentric fashion relative to the center point of the screw cap 7 and the annularly arranged spring arms 11 and has such radial dimensions that it grips around the spring arms 11 radially on the outside when the foil 17 has been removed and the press-and-twist closure has been screwed forwards into the position shown in Fig. 2.
Upon impingement on the spring arms 11 the annular projection 18 with suitable inclined surfaces with which the annular projection 18 impinges on the spring arms 11 presses said spring arms slightly radially inwards until an inwardly oriented annular projection 19 on the annular section 18 has traveled over the hook-like projections 12, whereupon the spring arms 11 return into the initial position in rivhich the screw cap 7 is locked with the desiccant chamber 3. This guarantees axial cohesion thereof, while the screw cap 7 remains rotatable relative to the desiccant chamber 3.
For removing a tablet or the like, the press-and-twist closure 6 is unscrewed from the container neck 2, as shown in Fig. 3, the desiccant chamber 3 being also removed from the container.
It goes without saying that the container may also be provided with a simple screw cap instead of a child-proof press-and-twist closure.
In a particularly advantageous development of the invention, the lower conical section of the desiccant chamber 3 is formed by a separate cap 20 (see Fig. 1 ) which is snapped onto the lower edge of the remaining chamber by interposition of a horizontal partition 21 made of cardboard, which is shown in broken line in the figure.
The desiccant is provided in the upper chamber 22 while the lower part 23 of the composite desiccant chamber serves as a spacer relative to the tablets, etc.
in the container and has a perforated bottom wall.

Claims

1. A container, in particular for medicines or foodstuffs in the form of tablets, dragées, capsules, beads, or the like, comprising a closing device and an insert for desiccants, said closing device and said desiccant insert comprising cooperating coupling means by which said desiccant insert can be fastened to said closing device, characterized in that said closing device and said desiccant insert are separated from each other in an initial state (Fig. 1) by a foil, or the like, which seals the container opening, and that after removal of said foil, or the like, said desiccant insert can be fastened by forwardly moving said closing device towards said desiccant insert to said device.

2. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that said closing device is a twist-type closure, and that coupling with said desiccant insert is carried out by rotating said twist-type closure as far as a stop.

3. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that said closing device is a forwardly movable cap which grips over the edge of said container opening, and that coupling with said desiccant

4. The container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said desiccant insert contains a substantially cylindrical desiccant chamber which with an annular circumferential bead is tightly seated within said container opening.

5. The container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said desiccant insert is supported with a holding device on or in said container opening.

6. The container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that in the coupled state said closing device is rotatable relative to said desiccant insert.

7. The container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that spring arms project from the upper side of said desiccant chamber or from the bottom side of said closing device with locking hooks that are gripped by an annular projection of the other structural member upon coupling.