FR2539714A1 - Container for handling and filling pharmaceutical ampoules - Google Patents

Abstract

Container for pharmaceutical ampoules, in the form of a parallelepipedal tray 10 constructed by folding a blank comprising a middle portion 12 each of whose sides possesses a flap 13 extended by a tab 14 which is to be stapled to the flap of the nearest adjacent side. According to the invention the edge of each flap 13 of the blank possesses an inward fold produced by scoring and comprising a first fold at 90 DEG forming a lip 16 a few millimetres across and a final fold 17 extending obliquely away from the flap 13 in question, in such a way that the free edge 17a of this fold 17 elastically secures the adjacent row of ampoules.

Description

CONTAINER FOR HANDLING AND FILLING PHAR BULBS
MACEUTICS
The invention relates to the containers in which the ampoules are delivered to pharmaceutical laboratories.

 Such containers are in the form of a square (or rectangular) bowl in which the bulbs are stored upright pressed against each other, the height of the bowl corresponding to the length of the bulbs. The latter are closed at their lower end.

 For filling, the bulbs must be perfectly vertical and aligned.

 Furthermore, the cuvette must have good resistance to sterilization (125 C for 2 hours) and be made of a chemically neutral material, of at least food grade quality. Evacuation holes are provided on at least two opposite sides.

 Until now, the containers used are made of molded polypropylene, about 2mm thick. Other synthetic materials, for example polycarbonate, could be used, but polypropylene is currently the least expensive material meeting the conditions imposed (chemical neutrality, held at 1250C, resistance to both dry vapor and the atmosphere at 100 % humidity, etc ...).

 -However, although the least expensive, the quantity of material used for a container, prohibits its renewal each time it is used. However, the pharmaceutical products used dirty the polypropylene and very often there are cleaning problems and> in addition, the washing chains are expensive. In addition, the transport of empty cuvettes from the place of their manufacture to the bulb factory, then their return to this factory from the laboratory after each use, further increases the cost price because of the dead volume.

 Finally, the hollow molding execution requires a draft and limits the alignment tolerance of the bulbs is very low, it is also necessary to provide a wedging by strips which are arranged along the edges of the bowl.

 The structure of the container according to the invention eliminates all these constraints. First of all, the material used can be the same, that is to say polypropylene, which makes it possible to satisfy the physical and chemical requirements imposed. This being said, the molding is abandoned in order to propose a bowl constituted in a known manner, from a blank constituted by a thin sheet suitably cut and grooved, by folding and stapling between them four flaps intended to form the side walls. then possible to use polypropylene having a thickness of the order of 50 to 70/100 mm and thus obtain a packaging which can be discarded after its first use, given its low cost. G'agrafa. = R painted between carried out by any known means, preferably achievable on an automatic machine, for example by cut tongue cooperating with conjugated buttonholes. When calculating the final cost price, account must be taken of the savings from "flat" transport to the bulb factory.

 To ensure the necessary rigidity, provision is made to make by creasing, on each of the edges of the bowl, that is to say on the edge of each flap of the blank, an inward folding comprising a first fold at 900 forming a rim of a few millimeters and a last fold extending obliquely away from the flap considered so that its free edge constitutes, when the bowl is mounted, an elastic wedge for the row of contiguous bulbs.

 This eliminates the establishment of wedging strips, which saves labor time.

 the oblique fold can immediately follow the first 90 fold, but better rigidity is ensured by providing between the two an oblique fold directed towards the internal face of the flap on which the fold line separating the two oblique folds is secured by two or three solder points.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows and which refers to the appended drawing in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective of a container according to the invention
Figure 2 is a top view of the blank cut and suitable
grooved,
Figure 3 is a section on a larger scale of the folding of
edges,
Figure 4, similar to Figure 3, shows a variant of
the structure of the folds.

 In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 a parallelepipedal bowl 10 is formed by folding from a blank 11.

 The blank 11 comprises a square central part 12 provided on each of its sides with a flap 13 extended by a tongue 14 intended to cooperate with a buttonhole 15 formed in the flap on the adjacent side adjacent to the tongue 14. This embodiment of a square (or rectangular) bowl, not sealed, by folding and stapling is known and does not form part of the invention. Stapling can also use other forms of tabs, but must be obtainable on an automatic machine, for reasons of cost.

 The bowl 10 is intended to receive pharmaceutical ampoules which are housed there standing tight against each other.

The tolerance for alignment of bulbs is very low.

In order to ensure, both the rigidity of the bowl and the setting of the bulbs, the edge of each flap 13 of the blank It carries an inward folding, obtained by creasing. This folding comprises a first fold at 900 forming a rim 16 of a few millimeters and a last fold 17 extending obliquely away from the flap 13 considered. The free edge 17a of this fold 17 constitutes an elastic block for the row of contiguous bulbs
your Figure 4 shows a variant of the folding of the edge of each flap 13. In this variant between the first fold at right angles forming the flange 16 and the last oblique fold 17 whose end 17e constitutes an elastic wedge, is formed an oblique fold intermediate 20 directed towards the internal face of the flap 13 and the p-binding line 21 separating the pleats 17 and 20 is secured on said internal face by two or three welding points such as 22. However this soli
darisation by welding is not compulsory, the folding line 21
being applied against the wall 13 by the pressure exerted by the
bulbs against the free edge 17th.

In addition, between fold 16 and fold 17 there can be several
intermediate zigzag folds, of course an odd number

Claims (3)

 1) Container for pharmaceutical ampoules, in the form of a parallelepipedal bowl (10) formed by folding from a blank  11) comprising a central part (12) provided on each of its sides with a flap (13! Extended by a tongue (14) intended to be stapled on the flap on the nearest adjacent side, characterized in that the edge of each flap (î3) of the blank Ç carries an inward folding obtained by shrinking and comprising a first fold at 90 "forming a rim (16) of a few millimeters and a last. fold (17) extending obliquely in s 'deviating from the flap (13) considered, so that the free edge (17a) of this fold 17 constitutes an elastic wedge for the row of contiguous bulbs.  2 ′ container for pharmaceutical ampoules according to claim 1, characterized in that between the first fold at a right angle forming the rim (16) and the last oblique fold (17) whose free edge (17a) constitutes an elastic wedge, is provided an intermediate oblique fold (20) directed towards the internal face of the flap (13) considered and that optionally the fold line (21) separating the oblique folds (17 and 20) is subject to said; f-ce internal by two or three welding points (22),  3) container for pharmaceutical ampoules according to ia: claim 1, characterized in that between the first fold h - right angle forming the rimWlo and the last oblique fold (17) whose free edge (17a) constitutes an elastic wedge, is provided an odd number of zigzag folds.