EP1689654A1

EP1689654A1 - Liquid-packaging and -dispensing assembly comprising a pilfer-proof band

Info

Publication number: EP1689654A1
Application number: EP04805508A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jean Petitdemange
Original assignee: Rexam Pharma SAS
Current assignee: Rexam Pharma SAS
Priority date: 2003-11-24
Filing date: 2004-11-22
Publication date: 2006-08-16
Anticipated expiration: 2024-11-22
Also published as: FR2862620A1; FR2862620B1; EP1689654B1; DE602004021282D1; WO2005051793A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a liquid-packaging and -dispensing assembly comprising a pilfer-proof band. The inventive assembly (1) consists of a container comprising a dispensing neck (9) and a device (5) for closing the container. The aforementioned closure device comprises a cap (33) and a pilfer-proof band (35). The dispensing neck (9) comprises limit stop elements (21) on which band-support elements (43) are intended to rest while the cap (33) is being unscrewed, in order to block the rotation of the pilfer-proof band (35). Moreover, the pilfer-proof band (35) comprises at least one projection (45) which is designed to extend beneath a neck (9) support member (22), such as to hold the pilfer-proof band (35) longitudinally on the dispensing neck (9). The invention can be used to package and dispense orally-administered medicaments.

Description

Package for packaging and dispensing a liquid with a tamper-evident ring.

The present invention relates to an assembly for packaging and dispensing a liquid, the assembly being of the type comprising: - a container comprising a dispensing neck extending along a longitudinal axis, and - a device for closing the container, the closure device itself comprising: • a stopper intended to be screwed onto the dispensing neck, and • a tamper-evident ring arranged under the stopper and made in one piece with the stopper via a region frangible, the tamper-evident ring comprising support elements and the dispensing neck comprising stops on which the support elements are intended to bear when the cap is unscrewed in order to block the tamper-evident ring in rotation around of the longitudinal axis with respect to the dispensing neck and causing the frangible region to rupture. The invention applies, for example, to the packaging and dispensing of medicaments intended for oral administration. It will be observed that the invention relates to an assembly whose tamper-evident ring is formed in one piece with the cap, as opposed to the case where these two elements are separate parts. In an assembly of the aforementioned type, the tamper-evident ring makes it possible to ensure that the packaging and distribution assembly has not already been used. Indeed, the frangible region is broken from the first use, thus making it possible to easily distinguish the sets already used from the unused sets. A liquid, such as one of the drugs mentioned above, must not be contaminated after its packaging and before the first use of the packaging and dispensing unit which contains it. Thus, the tamper-evident rings, the rupture of which is obtained by simple longitudinal retention of the ring relative to the neck when the cap is unscrewed, cannot be used in such an application. Indeed, these tamper-evident rings, which are separated from the caps after a purely longitudinal stretching of the frangible region, allow relative rotation between the cap and the neck before much too great rupture. Typically, the plug can rotate at an angle of between about 90 and 120 ° around the longitudinal axis before the frangible region breaks. This relative rotation is large enough to allow contamination of the liquid packaged in the container. This is why such tamper-evident rings are not used in the area of application mentioned above. It has been preferred to opt in the state of the art for tamper-evident rings whose separation with respect to the stopper is caused, during the unscrewing of the stopper, by a rotation blocking of the tamper-evident ring relative to the neck of container. The frangible region, which is generally formed by bridges, is then subjected to stretching not only longitudinal but also lateral. These tamper-evident rings therefore make it possible to guarantee the sterility of the liquid contained in the container before the first use of the packaging and dispensing assembly. However, the risks associated with the use of such packaging units are still too great. An object of the invention is to solve this problem by providing an assembly of the aforementioned type which makes it possible to limit the risks associated with its use, in particular for the oral administration of a medicament. To this end, the subject of the invention is a packaging and distribution assembly of the aforementioned type, characterized in that the dispensing neck also comprises at least one retaining member and the tamper-evident ring comprises at least one projection intended to engage under the retainer for that it retains the tamper-evident ring longitudinally on the dispensing neck after rupture of the frangible region. According to particular embodiments, the assembly may include one or more of the following characteristics, taken alone or in any technically possible combination: - the retaining member is arranged longitudinally under the stops, - there are longitudinal play between the supporting elements and the retaining member when the projection is engaged under the retaining member, - the stops are arranged on the retaining member, - the retaining member is a disc, - the stops are notches, - the assembly comprises several projections angularly spaced around the longitudinal axis and intended to engage under the retaining member, and - the projection or each projection comprises a lower ramp surface adapted to allow crossing the stops and the retaining member in a single movement of the closure device relative to the neck. The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given solely by way of example, and made with reference to the appended drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic side view and partially in section , of a packaging and liquid dispensing assembly according to the invention, - Figure 2 is a schematic, partial view, enlarged and in section, taken along the line ll-ll of Figure 1, and illustrating the notches of locking in rotation and the retaining disc of the tamper-evident ring of the assembly of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a schematic view, in longitudinal section and enlarged of the closure device of the assembly of FIG. 1, - Figure 4 is a schematic sectional view taken along line IV-IV of Figure 3, - Figure 5 is an enlarged schematic view of part V of the assembly of Figure 1 before use, and - Figure 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 after separation of the cap of the assembly of Figure 1 for its use. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an assembly 1 for packaging and dispensing a medicament intended for oral administration. This assembly 1 comprises a container 3 and a device 5 for closing the container 3. The container 3 is in the example shown a plastic bottle. This bottle 3 contains the drug in liquid form which has not been shown in the figures. The bottle 3 comprises a body 7 extended by an upper neck 9 for dispensing the liquid. The neck 9 extends along a longitudinal axis L. This axis L is oriented vertically when the bottle 3 rests on the bottom 11 of the body 7, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Conventionally, the walls of the body 7 are elastically deformable under the action of a transverse force to cause a reduction in the internal volume of the body 7 and thus allow the expulsion of the liquid through the neck 9. A dropper tip 13 is disposed at the end upper part of the neck 9. A passage 15 extends longitudinally in the end piece 13. In a conventional manner, the passage 15 has a downstream orifice 17 (at the top in FIG. 1) intended to allow the liquid to leave the bottle. 3 and the air inlet inside the bottle 3. The neck 9 has several external reliefs including upper threads 19, intermediate notches 21 and a lower disc 22. As illustrated more particularly by FIG. 2, the col 9 comprises several notches 21, 10 in the example shown, which are angularly distributed around the axis L. The notches 21 have large sliding faces 23 and small locking faces 25 which join to form the outer ends 27 of the notches 21. The sliding surfaces 23 extend from the inside towards the outer ends 27, in the clockwise direction of screwing materialized by the arrow V in FIG. 2. It will be noted that two diametrically opposite regions 29 of the neck 9 are devoid of notches in order to allow demoulding of the bottle 3 during its production. With the exception of these two regions 29, the notches 21 are distributed angularly regularly around the axis L. The notches 21 are arranged just in front of the disc 22, that is to say on the latter as seen in FIG. 1 More specifically, the notches 21 extend upwards from the upper surface 31 of the disc 22. Thus, the disc 22 and the notches 21 have come in one piece and form a block. The disc 22 is centered on the axis L and is oriented horizontally. Its diameter is such that its outer edge 32 is flush with the outer ends

27 of the notches 21, as can be seen in FIG. 2. As a variant, the diameter of the disc 22 may be greater so that its edge 32 is spaced radially outward relative to the ends 27 of the notches. Typically, the longitudinal height h of the notches 21 may be approximately 1.6 mm. The longitudinal thickness e of the disc 22 can be approximately 0.5 mm. These quantities h and e are visible in FIG. 5. As illustrated by FIGS. 3 and 4, the closure device 5 comprises an upper plug 33 and a lower tamper-evident ring 35. The plug 33 and the ring 35 are connected, as will be seen later, by a frangible region, formed by frangible bridges 37. Only 3 bridges 37 are visible in Figure 3 but the device 5 includes 5 in the example shown. These bridges 37 are regularly distributed angularly around the longitudinal axis L. The bridges 37 came integrally with the plug 33 and with the tamper-evident ring 35 so that the closure device 5 is formed by a single piece piece. The plug 33 includes internal reliefs in the form of an upper stud 39 for closing the passage 15 of the end piece 13. This stud 39 projects downwards from the upper wall of the plug 33. The plug 33 also has interior threads 41 arranged in its central section. These nets 41 are complementary to the nets 19 provided on the neck 9. In the vicinity of each trigger guard 37, the plug 33 is extended downwards by lugs 38 inclined towards the outside. The tamper-evident ring 35 also has internal projections, including tongues 43 and ribs 45. The tongues 43 are for example regularly distributed angularly around the longitudinal axis L. In the example shown, the tamper-evident ring 35 comprises five tabs 43. Each tab 43 is inclined and extends from its outer end 47 integrally formed with the ring 35 towards its inner end 49, in the direction opposite to the direction V. The lower ends of the bridges 37 are integral with the inner ends 49 of the tongues 43. The ribs 45 are arranged longitudinally at a distance under the tongues 43 and are angularly offset from the latter. These ribs 45 have an angular extent so that they form arcs of a circle. These ribs 45, 5 in number in the example shown, are for example regularly distributed angularly around the longitudinal axis L. The ribs 45 have a convex section and thus have a lower ramp surface 51 inclined downwards and towards the outside and an upper surface 53 inclined in the opposite direction. Initially, the bottle 3 and the closure device 5 are supplied separate, the bridges 37 then being intact. After filling the bottle 3 and fixing the end piece 13 on the latter, the closure device 5 is assembled on the neck 9. This assembly is ensured by screwing the cap 33 onto the neck 9, that is to say -to say by rotation of the plug 33 around the axis L in the direction V relative to the neck 9. During this movement, the external threads 19 of the neck 9 and the internal threads 41 of the plug 33 cooperate to cause the displacement towards the bottom of the closure device 5 relative to the bottle 3. When the ramp surfaces 51 of the ribs 45 meet the notches 21, it is necessary to exert a greater torque and a downward push on the stopper 33. The tabs 38 then come to rest on the base tamper evident 35 which meets, due to the notches 21, resistance to its longitudinal descent. Due to the thrust exerted, the notches 21 cause, thanks to the inclination of the ramp surfaces 51, a slight elastic expansion of the ring 35 which will allow the passage of the ribs 45 around the notches 21 and of the disc 22. The height overall of the block formed by the notches 21 and the disc 22 is sufficiently weak for a single descent movement to allow the ribs 45 to pass through this block. The ribs 45 are then passed under the disc 22 and the tongues 43 are opposite the notches 21. The assembly 1 is then in its assembled configuration before use illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5. In FIG. 5 which is a enlarged view of part V of FIG. 1, it can be seen that there is then a clearance J between the upper surface 31 of the disc 22 and the lower ends of the tongues 43. Thus, the tongues 43 have not been damaged during assembly of the closure device 5 and the bottle 3. If the plug 33 is rotated around the axis L with respect to the neck 9 in the direction opposite to the direction V, the inner ends 49 of the tabs 43 bear against locking faces 25 of the notches 21.

This contact is typically made after a rotation of less than 30 °. If the relative rotation is then interrupted, this has not been sufficient for contaminating agents to have been able to penetrate inside the bottle 3 via the passage 15 of the dropper tip 13. If the relative rotation continues, the tongues 43 brace themselves against the retaining faces 25 of the notches 21. The notches 21 then block the ring 35 in rotation about the axis L in the direction opposite to the direction V relative to the neck 9. The unscrewing of the plug 33, that is to say the rotation in the opposite direction to the direction V, continuing, the bridges 37 are then subjected to longitudinal and lateral drawing forces which very quickly cause them to break. The plug 33 is then separated from the tamper-evident ring 35. The unscrewing of the plug 33 can then continue freely until it is completely released from the neck 9. FIG. 6 illustrates the assembly 1 at the end of this release. If one wishes to administer the liquid contained in the bottle 3, the assembly 1 is turned over to come and place the end piece 13 opposite the open mouth of a patient, for example a young child. The side walls of the body 7 of the bottle 3 are then pressed until the desired number of drops is administered. During this distribution, the upper surfaces 53 (as seen in FIG. 5) of the ribs 45 come to bear against the lower surface 57 (as seen in FIG. 5) of the disc 22. The disc 22 then retains the ring 35 by compared to col 9 against the effect of gravity. The risks of the ring 35 falling from the bottle 3 and of ingestion of the latter by the patient are therefore eliminated. In addition, the assembly 1 makes it possible to ensure good sterility of the liquid before dispensing and to ensure that it has not already been used. The costs associated with the assembly 1 are reduced because the closing device 5 is in one piece. This advantage is further increased by the production in a single block of the disc 22 and the notches 21 which allows the ribs 45 to pass through the notches 21 and the disc 22 during a single movement of the closing device 5. As a variant , it will be observed that this last characteristic may be absent. Also in other variants, the longitudinal retaining disc 22 of the tamper-evident ring 35 after separation of the plug 33 can be replaced by a retaining member separated from the notches 21 and having a shape different from that of a disc. In particular, this retaining member may comprise several sections angularly distributed around the axis L. Similarly, the ribs 45 may be replaced by a continuous or discontinuous rod, or have other shapes than those described above. It should also be noted that the liquid contained is not necessarily a medicament intended for oral application. In general, the invention can be applied to the conservation and distribution of any type of liquid.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Assembly (1) for packaging and dispensing a liquid, the assembly being of the type comprising: - a container (3) comprising a dispensing neck (9) extending along a longitudinal axis ( L), and - a device (5) for closing the container (3), the closing device (5) itself comprising: • a plug (33) intended to be screwed onto the dispensing neck (9), and • a tamper-evident ring (35) placed under the cap

(33) and integral with the plug (33) via a frangible region (37), the tamper-evident ring (35) comprising support elements (43) and the dispensing neck (9 ) comprising stops (21) on which the support elements (43) are intended to bear when unscrewing the plug (33) in order to block the tamper-evident ring (35) in rotation about the longitu axis inal (L) relative to the dispensing neck (9) and causing rupture of the frangible region (37), characterized in that the dispensing neck (9) further comprises at least one retaining member (22) and the tamper-evident ring (35) comprises at least one projection (45) intended to engage under the retaining member (22) so that it retains the tamper-evident ring (35) longitudinally on the dispensing neck ( 9) after rupture of the frangible region (37), and in that the closure device (5) comprises lugs (38) extending the plug (33) downwards, the tabs being able to bear on the tamper-evident ring (35) when the closure device is screwed onto the dispensing neck (9) and when the tamper-evident ring encounters resistance to its longitudinal descent due to the stops ( 21).

2. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the retaining member (22) is arranged longitudinally under the stops (21).

3. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that there is a longitudinal clearance (J) between the support elements (43) and the retaining member (22) when the projection (45) is engaged under the retaining member (22).

4. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stops (21) are arranged on the retaining member (22).

5. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the retaining member is a disc (22).

6. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stops are notches (21).

7. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises several projections (45) angularly spaced around the longitudinal axis (L) and intended to engage under the retaining member (22).

8. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the projection or each projection (45) comprises a lower ramp surface (51) adapted to allow the crossing of the stops (21) and of the retaining member ( 22) in a single movement of the closure device (5) relative to the neck (9).

9. Assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support elements (43) project inwards from the tamper-evident ring (35) and in that the region frangible (23) is formed of bridges (37) integrally formed with inner ends (49) of the support elements (43).