Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61J—CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
  • A61J1/00—Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes
  • A61J1/05—Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes for collecting, storing or administering blood, plasma or medical fluids ; Infusion or perfusion containers
  • A61J1/06—Ampoules or carpules
  • A61J1/067—Flexible ampoules, the contents of which are expelled by squeezing
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D35/00—Pliable tubular containers adapted to be permanently or temporarily deformed to expel contents, e.g. collapsible tubes for toothpaste or other plastic or semi-liquid material; Holders therefor
  • B65D35/02—Body construction
  • B65D35/04—Body construction made in one piece
  • B65D35/08—Body construction made in one piece from plastics material

Definitions

• the invention relates to a packaging container and more particularly to a container which is emptiable by means of squeezing.
• the invention especially relates to a single dosage tube, suitable for rectal use amongst other things.
• the state of the art in this field covers a number of particular plastic tube concepts.
• One such concept is based on conventional tube technology, where a tube body manufactured by extrusion is heat-sealed to an emptying spout.
• the idea is that a complete emptying (evacuation) of the product in the packaging will be achieved by squeezing the tube body and said connection portion of the emptying spout.
• Another concept is based on forming the tube body semi- spherically and the "breast portion" of the emptying spout in a correspondingly complementary shape. Emptying of the product in the tube occurs by means of the container body being pressed in towards the breast portion.
• the object of the present invention is to overcome the problem of the sucking-back of the product.
• a container which comprises a container body and an emptying spout connected thereto, wherein the emptying spout is joined to a hollow chamber in the container and a first and a second part-wall define the outer walls for a first and a second container body half respectively.
• the container is characterized in that said part-walls have relatively different wall thicknesses (different with respect to each other), at least along a portion thereof.
• a basic container comprising a container body and an emptying spout connected therewith, whereby the container body presents symmetry with respect to at least a plane through a central axis of the container body, and whereby the plane of symmetry and a first part-wall of the container body define a first container body half, and the plane of symmetry and a second part-wall of the container body define a second container body half.
• the container is notable in that said part-walls present relatively different wall thicknesses, at least in the area along the borderline which separates the part-walls.
• the part-walls have relatively different, but constant, wall thicknesses.
• the part-wall with the smaller thickness has a portion which forms a part-wall of the emptying spout.
• the ratio between the thicknesses of the part-walls is chosen so that the container body and, where the case arises, the emptying spout, presents deadfold characteristics after emptying of the container by means of pressing the thinner part-wall towards the thicker one.
• the part-walls are formed of the same material by injection moulding the container body and the emptying spout as an integral unit of thermoplastic material.
• the emptying spout is elongated and extends in the direction of said central axis.
• the invention also provides a method of manufacturing containers comprising a container body and an emptying spout joined therewith, whereby the container body presents symmetry with respect to at least a plane through a central axis of the container body, and whereby the plane of symmetry and a first part-wall of the container body define a first container body half, and the plane of symmetry and a second part-wall of the container body define a second container body half.
• the method is characterized in that the part-walls of the container body and the emptying spout are injection moulded as an integral unit so that the part-walls have relatively different wall thicknesses, at least in the area along the borderline which separates the part-walls, and preferably over the whole area of the respective part-walls.
• Fig. 1 is a side view of a tube, in the present case a rectal tube, in accordance with the invention.
• Fig. 2 is a view in a direction at 90" relative to that in Fig. 1,
• Fig. 3 is a view from above of the tube in Fig. 1,
• Fig. 4 shows the tube in Fig. 1 in a compressed state
• Fig. 5 is a side view of a second embodiment of the rectal tube
• Fig. 6 is a view from above of the tube in Fig. 5, and
• Fig. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view, through the central axis of the tube in Fig. 5.
• the tube in Fig. 1 comprises a container body 10 and an emptying/evacuation spout 11.
• the container body or the tube body 10 as well as the emptying spout 11 are injection moulded as an integral unit of thermoplastic material, for example of polyethylene or polypropylene.
• An imaginary separation line between the spout and the body is positioned at the level indicated by the dashed line 12.
• the emptying spout is, in its external form, of the usual type for rectal tubes and thus has an encircling groove 13 which defines the introduction depth in certain applications.
• the tube body 10 has container body halves 14 and 15 of different wall thicknesses.
• the halves 14, 15 are defined by a plane of symmetry through the central axis 16 of the container and first and second part-walls 17, 18 respectively, of the container body.
• the shape of the container body is oval, in accordance with that which is shown in Fig. 3.
• the thickness of the part-wall 17 is considerably less than that of part-wall 18, the ratio lying in the range of about 1:2-1:6.
• This thickness ratio means that the part-wall 18 constitutes a fixed support wall for the thinner part-wall 17 after the part-wall 17 has been pressed into the position shown with dashed lines in Fig. 4. In a similar position, there is insufficient return tension-energy in the thinner part-wall 17 for the part-wall to return to its original shape after the pressing force has been removed.
• the partial walls 17, 18 have individual single (constant) wall thicknesses over the whole area thereof.
• the injection moulding technique proposed in accordance with the invention however also allows the possibility of achieving a partial reduction in the wall thickness, e.g. in the area along the borderline 19 which separates the container body halves. In this way, it should be possible to form a reduced wall thickness presenting a hinge joint along the whole borderline 19, or parts thereof.
• the bottom seal 20 of the tube in Figs. 1 - 4 can be made in different ways, for example by means of a hot air sealing technique.
• the tube in Figs. 5 to 7 has a tube body 10' with a basic circular shape. Additionally, the extent of the reduced thickness wall 17' has been lengthened up into the breast area 21 of the emptying spout 11 ' . This is shown by the dotted line 22.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Hematology (AREA)
• Pharmacology & Pharmacy (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Tubes (AREA)
• Infusion, Injection, And Reservoir Apparatuses (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)
• External Artificial Organs (AREA)
• Packaging Of Annular Or Rod-Shaped Articles, Wearing Apparel, Cassettes, Or The Like (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=20397768

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Families Citing this family (9)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 1995
  • 1995-03-31 SE SE9501169A patent/SE508438C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1996
  • 1996-03-19 WO PCT/SE1996/000342 patent/WO1996030272A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 1996-03-19 AT AT96909417T patent/ATE176436T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1996-03-19 EP EP96909417A patent/EP0815025B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1996-03-19 JP JP8529249A patent/JPH11504593A/ja active Pending
  • 1996-03-19 ES ES96909417T patent/ES2129262T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1996-03-19 AU AU52918/96A patent/AU5291896A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1996-03-19 DE DE69601496T patent/DE69601496T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events