FR2858301A1 - WATERPROOF DESSICATIVE CONTAINER FOR PACKAGING AMBIENT HUMIDITY-SENSITIVE PRODUCTS - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a desiccant container made of thermoplastic polymer materials for packaging products sensitive to ambient humidity in shaped or unformed shapes, the desiccant container consisting of: ▪ a tubular envelope (1) closed to the '' one of its ends by a bottom (2) and open at the other end (3), ▪ a means of closing (4) of the open end which is a cap-cover, the architecture of which creates four successive peripheral sealing barriers with the tubular casing, ▪ a connection means (5) between the tubular casing (1) and the cap-cover (4) which is a mechanical hinge which is preferably removable.

Description

WATERPROOF DESSICATIVE CONTAINER FOR PACKAGING SENSITIVE PRODUCTS

AMBIENT HUMIDITY

  FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a desiccant container made particularly moisture-proof and intended for the packaging of products sensitive to ambient humidity, these products being able to be materials, in forms as diverse as pulverulent, granular compressed, in particular for effervescent, sugar-coated or agglomerated products, and objects which may be in various forms, in particular oblong forms.

  The invention more particularly relates to a desiccant container made particularly moisture-proof and intended for the packaging of products that are sensitive to ambient humidity, in particular medicaments, this container having a tubular shape, being closed by means of a bungcap connected to the tubular portion by means of a hinge and being provided with an internal desiccant means and optionally renewable.

  Moisture-sensitive materials which must be packaged in a desiccant container are, in general, medicinal products, particularly effervescent ones, which it is desirable to protect so that their effectiveness does not evolve by reaction with the vapor. water and / or that their physical integrity is preserved over time and that, for example, an evolution of their mechanical cohesion is avoided.

  Objects in particular of oblong shape have a substantially polygonal, circular, elliptical, elongated section and are used as consumables. Such objects are, in particular, tabs, strips of strip-like strip or rigid strips used for example for diagnostic or control purposes in the medical field, dressings or food products such as chewing gums, toothpicks, sticks or others.

  For obvious reasons, in particular hygiene, but also to avoid any degradation and thus improve the shelf life of the products, they are protected from physicochemical attacks resulting from the humidity level. relative, but also light, especially UV and other chemical substances, or degradation by mechanical effect.

  STATE OF THE ART The establishment of the state of the art reveals the existence of numerous desiccant containers intended to receive and contain products sensitive to the ambient humidity of which they must be protected by the creation of an ambient atmosphere. As dry as possible, to avoid to these products a resumption of moisture that could react with said products or cause their mechanical fragility to impact, or their disintegration or disintegration in the container by absorption of ambient humidity.

  The products that are particularly sensitive to ambient humidity are numerous and may be more precisely medicinal materials or test objects, especially those having a particular sensitivity to moisture and which are in pulverulent forms or in more elaborate forms. such as granules, tablets, pellets, oblong shaped objects such as test strips or the like.

  These desiccant and watertight containers for storing products that are sensitive to ambient humidity are generally of tubular shape, are closed by a cap or removable lid secured to the tubular part or not by means of a securing means such as that a connection by a narrow blade of a polymer material identical to that of the container and the plug, and are provided with internal desiccant means which are made by means of a desiccant thermoplastic polymer composition, placed inside the containers 10 on the inner surface of the bottom of the tube and / or on the inner surface of the side wall of the tube, in the form of an insert or a coating or in the form of a granular desiccant material placed in a particular housing on the inner surface of the cap.

  All these drying means are implanted separately or simultaneously to increase the effectiveness of their desiccant action by a mass effect.

  These containers are formed of: * a tubular envelope provided with a bottom at one end, the other end being open to allow the filling of said envelope, É and a closure means which can be a plug detachable fitting into the open end of said tubular casing, or a cap-cap also fitting into said open end, but connected to the tubular casing by a flexible connection such as a narrow polymer blade hinge office.

  All these containers and their removable plugs or caps or plugs are made by means of thermo-plastic polymer compositions according to techniques well known in the plastics industry.

  Desiccant containers for the packaging of materials and / or objects sensitive to ambient humidity are described in the state of the art and are essentially distinguished from each other by the desiccant means used in said containers and by the structure container closing means.

  According to a first type of desiccant container resulting from the state of the art, the container is formed of an open tubular envelope at one of its ends to give access to the receptacle zone, this open tubular envelope being closed after its filling by a cap-cover (female type) secured to the casing by a means consisting of a narrow bonding strip of polymeric material.

  A first document (EP0824,480) describes such a desiccant container comprising: a tubular casing of thermoplastic polymer material provided with a bottom at one of its ends 25 and open at the other end which covers, in the closed position, the wall of the open end of the casing, E of a cover, of female type, with a downward skirt, which covers, in closed position, the open end of the casing, the seal being capable of being ensured by the contact of the inner surface of the skirt with the outer surface of the open end of the tubular casing, said cover being made of the same thermoplastic polymer material as the casing and connected to the casing by means of a link made of a narrow polymer blade, the envelope, the cover and the link between the cover and the casing being a single piece, made during a single plastic processing operation, injection-molding by example, d a desiccant insert formed of a thermoplastic polymer material laden with desiccant materials, a polymer other than that forming the envelope, the cover and the connection between the envelope and the cover, this insert 10 being able to occupy the bottom of the tubular envelope or cover simultaneously the bottom and the inner wall of said envelope.

  However, this type of container does not seem to be able to ensure rapid and permanent drying of the conditioned materials to be protected because: * at each opening of the container to extract some of the packaged materials, for example a pill, a seal, a strip, external ambient air charged with its relative humidity enters the envelope. With the lid closed, the trapped moist ambient air volume occupies the free space between the closed lid and the top layer of moisture sensitive packaged materials. However, when the envelope is full of these moisture-sensitive conditioned materials, said materials cover areas provided with the desiccant thermoplastic polymer by constituting a screen, slowing or even preventing the exchange between the desiccant thermoplastic polymer material and the volume. moist ambient air enclosed in the envelope; this is why moisture absorption is preferentially done by moisture-sensitive conditioned materials because they are in direct contact with the water vapor naturally present in the ambient air volume present in the container after it has been opened. and its closure, * the lid is not particularly adapted to the creation of reinforced sealing between the inside and the outside of the container, by its very architecture, but also by its means of flexible connection with the envelope, which does not allow to position the lid at the time of its closure because of this great flexibility of the connecting means and therefore the absence of sufficient mechanical rigidity both longitudinally and laterally, necessary for the guidance of said lid when closed.

  According to another type of desiccant container resulting from the state of the art, the container is formed of a tubular envelope closed at one end and open to the other, this opening being closed after filling of the envelope with a 20 removable plug of male type.

  A document (EP 0454 967) describes such a desiccant container consisting of: a tubular casing of thermoplastic polymer material provided with a bottom at one of its ends and open at the other end, whose internal surfaces of the bottom and the side wall of said casing is coated with a desiccant desiccant polymer composition formed of a blend of a thermoplastic polymer and an incorporated powdered desiccant filler, and a removable cap also of male thermoplastic polymeric material , with a downward skirt, which, once in the closed position, is capable of establishing the internal tightness of the container by the contact of the outer surface of the cap skirt with the inner surface of the envelope, * this removable cap is formed of a bottom associated with the previously mentioned skirt which, one and the other, delimit a cavity that can receive an insert produced by means of the polymer composition desiccant, formed from a mixture of a thermoplastic polymer material and a powdery desiccant material, which insert may be a tablet adhering to the inner surface of the bottom of the plug or an insert of complex shape, constituted by cylindrical surfaces or parts of cylindrical surfaces coaxial with the plug.

  But this type of container does not seem to be able to better ensure a rapid, permanent and as complete drying as possible of moisture-sensitive materials packaged in this container to be dehydrated and protected.

  Indeed, at each opening of the container occurs the previously mentioned phenomenon of the introduction of a charged gas volume whose relative humidity is higher than the relative humidity level to reign inside the container.

  As in the case of the first document cited, the phenomenon already exposed reproduces identically when the removable cap 30 is not provided with a desiccant insert. But when the removable cap is equipped with a desiccant insert, the moisture absorption kinetics introduced into the container, by an opening / closing cycle, is improved, but it seems that the time required to reach the the lowest possible relative humidity level 35 inside the container is still too long and this phenomenon is the consequence of both insufficient sealing capacity of the removable plug of the male type, and the low kinetics absorption of the desiccant insert produced by means of a desiccant polymer composition.

  The plug does not seem particularly suitable for creating a moisture-tight internal seal, presumably due to leakage phenomena from the outside to the container interior, even at very low flow rates, related to variations pressure between the outside and the inside of the tube, a wet flux that is captured both by the dehydrating insert of the removable cap, but also by moisture-sensitive materials packaged in the container. According to another type of desiccant container resulting from the state of the art, the container is formed of an open tubular envelope at one of its ends to give access to the receptacle zone, this open tubular envelope being closed after filling by a male-type cap-plug, connected to the tubular casing by a mechanical means consisting of a crown forcibly encircling the tubular casing and a narrow connecting blade between the cap cap and the crown. A document (US Pat. No. 4,934,556) describes such a desiccant container, comprising: a tubular casing of thermoplastic polymer material provided with a bottom at one of its ends and open at the other end, serving as a receptacle for the materials to be packaged , a cap-cap belonging to an assembly formed of a casing-strapping crown, a tamper-evident, tear-off indicator, connecting the strapping ring to the outer periphery of the cap and a blade 5 narrow connecting the cap-cap and said ring.

  The male-type cap-lid is formed of a bottom and a peripheral skirt which delimit a cavity which can receive a reserve of a pulverulent desiccant, not integrated in a polymer matrix, and therefore in direct contact with the internal gaseous medium to be dehydrated.

  This type of desiccant container for the packaging of moisture sensitive products also presents uncertainties as to its ability to ensure rapid and complete desiccation of said products upon opening and closing of said packaging container. This state of affairs seems to be the consequence of an insufficient seal between the plug-cap of the male type and the tubular casing, the architecture of said cap-lid not seeming to be sufficiently adapted to a search for the seal. of the container when external-internal exchanges of moisture-laden gaseous volumes can occur which are important to dehydrate rapidly, and also, at least in part, be a consequence of the flexible connection means between the cap-cap and the crown encircling force envelope, this means which is a narrow blade of polymeric material does not allow proper positioning to the good closure of the envelope for lack of its prior guidance to said closure. Thus, it appears that none of the desiccant containers of the state of the art gives sufficiently satisfactory results to condition under the best conditions products sensitive to relative humidity.

  OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION Many objectives are therefore assigned to the desiccant container according to the invention, so that it can best eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks and provide improved and improved solutions in relation to the various means used. in the desiccant containers described in the state of the art.

  A first object of the invention is to provide a closed desiccant container by a closure means whose new architecture provides a reinforced seal between said closure means and the tubular casing. Another object of the invention is to provide a closed desiccant container by a sealing means reinforced sealing having a kinetics of adsorption of water vapor present in said container, greater than that found in the state of The technique, i.e. having a greater ability to adsorb the excess moisture that is created upon opening and closing the desiccant container, to prevent moisture-sensitive packaged products to adsorb all or part of this excess moisture.

  Another object of the invention is to provide a closed desiccant container by a reinforced sealing means having the capacity to maintain at a low and relatively constant level the relative humidity level inside the desiccant container, outside the cycles - 11 opening / closing, to better protect the packaged products, sensitive to humidity.

  Another object of the invention is to provide a closed desiccant container by a sealing means with reinforced sealing, the closure means is connected to the container by a connecting means having the ability to facilitate and guide the closure of the means. shutter so that this closure is particularly impervious to any gas exchange from the outside 10 to the interior of the desiccant container.

Summary of the invention

  All the objectives stated above can be achieved by the desiccant container, object of the invention, for conditioning shaped products or not, sensitive to ambient humidity.

  According to the invention, the container, desiccant, reinforced sealing, made of thermoplastic polymer materials, for the packaging of products sensitive to ambient humidity, being in shaped shapes or not, which consist of: * an envelope tubular, closed at one of its ends by a bottom and open at the other end, constituting the product conditioning zone, * a connecting means solidarisant the closure means and the tubular envelope, * d a means for conditioning a desiccant placed on the internal face of the sealing means is characterized in that: a) an external peripheral stop of the collar type is created near the open end of the envelope tubular 5 on which the closure means rests in the closed position, b) the closure means of the open end of the tubular casing is a cap-cover consisting of a wall end 10 and two concentric tubular peripheral walls forming between them a deep peripheral groove whose walls are spaced apart from one another to cover, when said closing means is closed, the peripheral wall of the open end of the tubular casing to the peripheral abutment, and for establishing a tight and intimate contact between: * the bottom of the groove and the peripheral end of the open end of the tubular casing, * the inner surface of the inner concentric wall of said groove and the inner surface of the open end of the tubular casing, * the inner surface of the outer concentric wall of the groove and the outer surface of the open end of the tubular casing, c) the connecting means between the tubular casing and the closure means is a mechanical hinge preferably removable, ensuring the accuracy of the closure.

  Detailed description of the invention

  The latent problem observed during the use of desiccant containers conditioning products that are sensitive to ambient humidity is related to: * the more or less rapid capacity to adsorb the ambient humidity prevailing inside the container, by the desiccant, during container opening / closing cycles and * sealing effectiveness of the sealing means between the long frequency open / close cycles to prevent gas / gas exchange between interior and exterior of the closed container which could cause an evolution of the relative humidity rate prevailing inside the container.

  This latent problem finds a solution in the desiccant container according to the invention by means of a new combination of known or unknown means treating: first of all the reinforcement of the tightness of the closed container by the creation of a means of shutter with a particular architecture, guided by a mechanical hinge removable during opening / closing cycles, and stabilized at the end of the stroke by the external peripheral stop, * then the kinetics of adsorption of the internal relative humidity (which is increased) by the judicious choice of the desiccant and its position within the container.

  According to the invention, the reinforcement of the seal between the envelope and the shutter means in the closed position is achieved by a new architecture of said shutter means.

  The sealing means created for the desiccant container according to the invention is neither of the female type nor of the male type, as recommended by the state of the art, but is very different from the state of the art by the its new architecture 5 ensures four peripheral zones of intimate contact with the tubular casing constituting the receptacle to be closed of the desiccant container, these four zones of intimate peripheral contact, of surface-to-surface type, forming four barriers acting as a mutual reinforcement in obtaining the strengthening of the seal.

  To do this, the shutter means chosen is of the plug-and-cover type, comprising an upper end wall having a section adapted to that of the tubular envelope which it must close. This upper end wall is provided with two walls, one said external and the other said internal, which are peripheral and tubular, concentric and coaxial with the tubular casing, and which form a deep peripheral groove whose bottom is the inner face of the upper end wall.

  When the closure means is in the closed position, the peripheral wall of the open end of the tubular casing is covered by the deep peripheral groove in four intimate peripheral contact areas of the surface surface type providing enhanced sealing by means of their individual actions that complement each other.

  The first intimate peripheral sealing contact area of the surface-to-surface type, which constitutes a sealing barrier, is established between the inner face of the outer wall of the deep peripheral groove and the outer face of the wall of the open end of the tubular casing, the outer wall of the groove being located geometrically on the upper end wall of the pouchoncouvercle so that the near surface surface contact is total, intimate and immediate closure.

  The second intimate peripheral surface sealing contact area of the surface surface type which constitutes another sealing barrier is created between the bottom of the deep groove and the peripheral end of the open end of the tubular casing. in such a way that the contact between said bottom of the groove and the peripheral stop is also total, intimate and immediate at closing.

  The third zone of intimate peripheral sealing contact, of the surface-to-surface type, which is also a sealing barrier, is established between the inner face of the inner wall of the deep peripheral groove and the inner face of the inner wall of the the open end of the tubular casing, the inner wall of the groove being placed geometrically on the upper end wall of the covercoupling so that the surface contact surface is total, intimate and immediate closing.

  Thus, this architecture of the lid-cover with deep peripheral groove allows a sealed covering in three peripheral areas of contact surface to surface of the open end of the tubular envelope, because the distance between the two outer and inner walls of the throat device is determined by the thickness of the wall of the open end of the tubular casing that said groove must cover. Intimate surface-to-surface contact during closure of the lid-cap is established by sliding from one wall to the other.

  The depth of the groove, to be particularly effective, is chosen in an interval representing 45% to 95% of the thickness of the cap-cover measured on the outer peripheral wall of said groove.

  The fourth, surface-to-surface, surface-sealing peripheral contact area which constitutes another sealing barrier is created by contact of the lower plane edge of the outer wall of the groove with the plate of the outer peripheral abutment. This peripheral abutment is placed at a distance from the open end of the casing such that the lower plane edge of said outer wall of the groove comes into contact with the abutment plate, this surface-to-surface contact constituting a barrier. sealing.

  To facilitate the opening and closing maneuver of the mouthpiece, the lower plane edge of the outer wall of the groove may be extended by a gripping visor.

  To keep the cap-lid in the closed position, the inner face of the outer wall of the groove and the outer face of the outer wall of the tubular casing are provided with a latching means, requiring mechanical effort as well. to complete the closing of the lid-reinforced lid sealing to ensure its opening.

  According to the invention, the reinforcement of the seal between the tubular casing of the container and the closure means in the closed position can also be reinforced by the presence, between the tubular casing and the closure means, of a connecting means of the mechanical hinge type, relatively rigid, preferably removable.

  The rigid mechanical hinge according to the invention, preferably dismountable, is formed of two parts, one integrated with the tubular casing, the other integrated with the sealing means reinforced sealing.

  The part of the hinge integrated in the tubular casing, called the male part, consists of two support plates, for example in the form of an ear, situated on the outer face of the tubular casing, and in the vicinity of the open end of said casing, to allow the assembly of the female part and its operation. These two bracket plates are interconnected by an axis of rotation, the ends of which can extend beyond said support plates. The part of the hinge integrated with the sealing means reinforced sealing said female part, consists of: * two plate-brackets, optionally each provided with an orifice in the case where the axis of rotation of the part of the hinge integrated in the tubular casing exceeds in length the interval between the bearing brackets bearing said axis, these two bracket plates possibly provided with orifices being placed at a distance such that they are 20 may frame the staves-brackets bearing the axis of rotation, * a deep groove, external to the deep peripheral groove of the closure means, intended to receive the axis of rotation, 25 of a length at most equal to the space existing between the inner faces of the gantry plates carrying said axis.

  When mounting the closure means on the tubular casing of the desiccant container according to the invention, the groove of the so-called female portion 30 of the hinge engages on the axis carried by the plate-brackets of the so-called male part of the the hinge, and the holes of the hinge plates of the so-called female part of the hinge receive the projecting ends of the axis of rotation, when they exist, thus ensuring an excellent operation around the axis of the closing means. Such a type of mechanical hinge, preferably dismountable, ensures

  the best operation at the closing (as well as the opening) of the establishment of the lid-cap 5 on the envelope by means of a single finger of the hand holding the container, thanks to a perfect mechanical guidance said closurecouverture, requiring, to complete the closure, only a vertical pressure from top to bottom, which causes the snap cap lid. It should be noted that, according to the state of the art, the removable plugs or the caps caps connected by flexible means to the tubular casing, require, for their closure or opening, the use of both hands.

  Such a type of mechanical hinge, called precision hinge for the closing of a desiccant container, creates and strengthens the seal of said container since this type of mechanical hinge guides the closure until it closes completely ensuring the creation of four contacts and surface-to-surface surface devices previously discussed, and thereby establishing four sealing barriers.

  Finally, in order for the desiccant container according to the invention to be very effectively desiccant, the choice of the desiccant and its implantation in the desiccant container are absolutely decisive.

  According to the invention, the desiccant used in the desiccant container is chosen from the group consisting of silica gels, the molecular sieves being in powder form or deposited on a powdery support.

  According to the invention also, the desiccant is preferably placed in a suitable housing, preferably tubular type, located on the inner face of the closure means, said housing being closed by a closure means not moisture-tight to ensure rapid drying of moisture-sensitive products packaged in the desiccant container.

  The desiccant container according to the invention is produced by plastics processing methods adapted to its production by means of materials which are thermoplastic polymers and / or copolymers, such as, for example, polyethylenes (PE), polypropylenes (PP), polyesters, ethylene / propylene copolymers and mixtures thereof, polyamides (PA), polystyrenes (PS), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers (ABS), styrene-acrylonitrile copolymers (SAN), polyvinylchlorides (PVC) polycarbonates (PC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), used alone or in mixture according to their compatibility.

  To these polymers and / or copolymers may be associated for the production of the desiccant container and according to the desired mechanical characteristics for said container, at least one thermoplastic elastomer of natural or synthetic origin. The elastomer (s) used may be chosen preferentially from the group consisting of elastomers of the natural rubber, synthetic rubber type, in particular the monoolefin rubbers, such as, for example, isobutylene / isoprene polymers, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), ethylene-propylene (EPR), ethylene-propylene-diene (EPDM), ethylene-acrylic esters (EMA-EEA), fluorinated polymers, diolefin rubbers, such as, for example, polybutadienes, butadiene-styrene copolymers (SBR), rubbers based on condensation products such as, for example, polyester and polyurethane thermoplastic rubbers, silicones, styrene rubbers, styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) and styrene - isoprene-styrene (SIS) and others.

  According to the invention, the tubular casing and the cap-lid 5 can be made with polymeric materials of the same composition or with polymeric materials of different compositions.

  The invention will be better understood thanks to the numerical description 10 of the figures hereinafter referred to, these figures having only an illustrative nonlimiting character of a particular desiccant container of the invention.

  * Figure 1 is a perspective view of the desiccant container 15 in the closed position.

  Figure 2 is a perspective view of the desiccant container in a semi-open position.

  * Figure 3 is a perspective view in a diametral section of the desiccant container in the closed position conditioning products sensitive to moisture.

  FIG. 4 is a diametrical section of the desiccant container 25 according to the invention, the cap-lid of which is raised to allow the lodging of a larger quantity of desiccant agent without reducing the useful volume intended for the packaging of the products sensitive to the 'humidity.

  FIG. 5 is an isometric view in perspective of the so-called male part of the dismountable mechanical hinge integral with the tubular envelope.

  FIG. 6 is an isometric view in perspective of the so-called female part of the removable mechanical hinge integral with the mouthpiece.

  * Figure 7 is a bottom view in perspective of the so-called female portion of the removable mechanical hinge integral with the capcouvercle.

  * Figure 8 is a top view in perspective of the so-called male portion 10 of the removable mechanical hinge integral with the tubular casing.

  Figure 9 is a perspective view in axial section of the mounted mechanical hinge, the cap-lid, in the closed position, being raised to accommodate a greater amount of desiccant.

  FIG. 10 is a perspective view in section on an integral platepotence of the tubular casing, the cap-lid being raised to accommodate a greater amount of desiccant.

  According to FIGS. 1 to 4, the reinforced sealing desiccant container for the packaging of products sensitive to ambient humidity consists of: * a tubular envelope (1) closed at one of its ends by a bottom (2 ) and open at the other end (3) to allow access of the tubular packaging casing (1) to moisture-sensitive products, * a cap-lid (4), made integral with the tubular casing (1) by a removable mechanical hinge (5), * a chamber (6) for receiving the desiccant, this housing being placed on the inner face of the cap-lid (4), strengthening of the seal between the tubular casing (1) of the desiccant container and the cap-lid (4) is obtained thanks to a particular architecture of said cap-lid (4) (according to FIGS. 1 to 10).

  The particular architecture of the cap-lid (4) concerns the creation of two concentric peripheral walls, of tubular type, one of the walls (9) being said internal, the other wall (10) being said external. The two concentric walls (9) and (10) together create a peripheral deep groove (11), 15 closed by the inner face of the upper end wall of the lid-cap (4).

  When the lid-cap is in the closed position, the peripheral wall (12) of the open end of the tubular casing (1) is covered by the peripheral deep groove (11), creating four zones of intimate contact, surface-to-surface type, ensuring a reinforced seal between the outside and the inside of the container, by this accumulation of impervious barriers.

  The first surface-like peripheral surface contact area forming the first sealing barrier is established between the inner face of the outer wall (10) of the peripheral groove (11) and the outer face of the wall (12). the open end of the tubular casing (1) so that the intimate surface-to-surface contact is total and immediate upon closing of the cap-lid.

  The second surface-to-surface peripheral surface contact area forming the second sealing barrier is created between the bottom of the deep circumferential groove (11) and the peripheral end (12) of the open end of the tubular casing (1). The contact between the bottom of the peripheral groove (11) and the peripheral end (12) of the open end of the tubular casing (1) is complete on the periphery at the moment when the closing of the closure cover (4).

  The third intimate peripheral surface-to-surface contact area forming the third sealing barrier is established between the inner face of the inner wall (9) of the peripheral groove (11) and the inner face of the wall (12). ) of the open end of the tubular casing (1), the inner wall (9) of the groove (11) being placed in contact with the upper end wall of the cap-cover, this contact surface type to surface being immediate and total when closing the cap-lid.

  The fourth surface-to-surface peripheral surface contact area, forming the fourth sealing barrier, is created by the contact between the lower plane edge (20) of the outer wall (10) of the peripheral groove (11), and the plate of the peripheral abutment (7) of the tubular casing (1), this surface-to-surface type contact being peripheral, immediate and total when the cap-lid is closed. According to FIGS. 5 to 10, the removable, rigid mechanical hinge (5) which ensures the exact positioning of the plug and its guiding until the closure of the lid-cap is complete, proves to be formed of two parts, one of which integrated in the tubular casing (1), the other integrated in the lid-lid (4) reinforced sealing.

  The part of the hinge (5) integrated in the tubular casing (1) consists of two bracket plates (13) located on the outer face of the tubular casing (1), by notching the peripheral stop (7). The two bracket plates (13) are traversed by an axis of rotation (15) whose ends (19) are protruding from said plate-brackets (13), this axis and the projecting ends (19) ensuring the mounting and allowing the 5 disassembly of the part of the hinge (5) integrated in the mouthpiece (4).

  The part of the hinge (5) integrated in the cover-cap (4) is composed of: * two bracket plates (17), each provided with an orifice (18), which can receive the ends (19) of the axis rotation (15). The stirrup plates (17) are spaced from each other so that they frame the two brackets plates (13) of the part of the hinge (5) integrated in the tubular envelope (1), * a deep groove (16) delimited by the inner (10) and outer (14) walls, this groove being distinct from the peripheral sealing groove (11), the internal wall (10) of which is common and in the continuity of the outer wall (10) of the deep peripheral sealing groove (11), the length of this groove (16) being at most equal to the distance between the support plates (13) carrying the axis of rotation 25 (15), these two bracket plates (13) finding their place in the two spaces (20) created between the plates-gallows (17 and the deep groove (16).

  Thus, according to FIGS. 1 to 10, it appears that the outer wall (10) of the peripheral deep groove (11) is broken by the two spaces (20) created to accommodate the stirrup plates (13), this double space (20) rupture does not cause a loss of the reinforced seal according to the invention. However, the outer wall (10) of the deep groove (11) is desirably continuous, i.e. free of nicks (20).

  The assembly of the tubular casing (1) and the plugcap (4) is done by positioning said mouthpiece on the open end (3) of the tubular casing 5 (1) by the action of a vertical pressure on said mouthpiece (4). Under the force of this pressure, the two protruding ends (19) of the shaft (15) engage simultaneously in the orifices (18) of the bracket plates (17) at the same time as the axis (15). engaged in the deep groove 10 (16) of the hinge (5), by the elastic deformation of the polymeric materials used for producing the tubular casing (1) and the lid-lid (4) of the desiccant container according to the invention.

  The operation of opening and closing the desiccant container according to the invention is by the mobilization of a single hand whose two fingers enclose the tubular casing, the thumb acting alone and freely on the cap-lid to make opening and closing. 20

Comparative example:

  This example serves the purpose of confirming the strengthening of the watertightness of the desiccant container according to the invention with respect to a desiccant container resulting from the state of the art.

  * The desiccant container belonging to the state of the art is made by injection molding of a thermoplastic polymer material which is polypropylene and composed of: o a tubular casing, o a cap-type female cover, a means of connection between the tubular casing and the lid-cap which is a thick plate of the same polymer, this thick blade acting as a flexible hinge, The desiccating capacity of said container is obtained by overmolding a polymer composition desiccant on the inner wall and bottom of the tubular casing.

  The overmolded desiccant polymer composition was formed of: Polymer matrix: 50% by weight Polyethylene Desiccant filler dispersed in the polymer matrix: 50% by weight.

  The desiccant container according to the invention is produced by injection molding the polymeric material which is polypropylene, the desiccant being in a silica gel test and in another test of the molecular sieves, in exactly the same quantity as the desiccants. dispersed in the desiccant polymer composition used in the state of the art.

  Finally, the mass of desiccants, implemented in the state of the art or in the invention, is the same in both cases.

  The tests using desiccant containers are carried out under the same environmental conditions, that is to say at a controlled temperature of 25 ° C. and a controlled hygrometry of 80% relative humidity.

  Each desiccant container (of the state of the art and of the invention) is provided with a thermo-hydrometric probe introduced by a shaped orifice in the bottom, and closed after the introduction of the probe.

  The desiccant containers thus equipped with their measurement probe were placed in a closed enclosure subjected to the conditions of temperature (25 C) and hygrometry (80%) mentioned above: * open to equilibrate in temperature and hygrometry, then closed again, At the initial time To, the temperatures and hygrometries were measured in each desiccant container subjected to experimentation, at the final time T1 (after 30 seconds of exposure), the temperatures and the hygrometries were measured in each desiccated container submitted. experimentation. The results found are summarized in the following table: Desiccant container Desiccant container according to the state of the inventive coated technical invention containing an agent internally of a powdery desiccant polymeric composition in the desiccant chamber (6) Test 1 Gel of silica in the silica gel matrix polymer. powder.

  At 80% relative humidity, the relative humidity is 80%. is 80%.

  At T1, the relative humidity A T1, the relative humidity is 42%. is 0%.

  Test 2 Molecular sieve in the molecular sieve.

  polymer matrix. At T0, relative humidity AT, the relative humidity is 80%.

  is 80%. At T1, the relative humidity A T1, the relative humidity is 0%.

is 39%.

  It appears that the moisture tightness is well reinforced in the desiccant container according to the invention.

Claims (25)

claims   A desiccant container, with reinforced sealing, made of thermoplastic polymer materials, for the packaging of products sensitive to ambient humidity, in shaped shapes or not, which consists of: O a tubular envelope (1), closed at one of its ends by a bottom (2) and open at the other end (3), constituting the product conditioning zone, * a closure means (4) of the open end ( 3) of the tubular casing (1), * a connecting means (5) placed between the closure means (4) and the tubular casing (1), * a conditioning means (6) ) a desiccant placed on the inner face of the closure means (4), characterized in that: a) an outer peripheral stop (7) of the collar type is created near the open end (3) of the tubular casing (1) on which the closure means (4) rests in the closed position, b) the closure means (4) of the e open end (3) of the tubular casing (1) is a cap-cover consisting of an upper end wall and two concentric tubular peripheral walls (9 and 10) forming between them a deep peripheral groove (11) the walls of which are spaced from one another to cover, when said closure means is closed, the peripheral wall (12) of the open end (3) of the tubular casing (1) to the peripheral abutment (7), c) the connecting means between the tubular casing (1) and the closure means (4) is a mechanical hinge (5) preferably removable, ensuring the accuracy of the closure.   2. Desiccant container according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises four successive surface-type surface sealing zones constituting four successive sealing barriers created between the open end (3) of the tubular casing ( 1) and the lid cap (4) when said lid-cap is in the closed position.   3. Desiccant container according to claim 2, characterized in that the first peripheral surface-type sealing area is established between the outer coaxial wall (10) of the deep peripheral groove (11) and the outer face of the wall of the open end (3) of the tubular casing (1).   4. Desiccant container according to claim 2, characterized in that the second surface-to-surface sealing peripheral area is established between the peripheral bottom of the deep groove (11) and the peripheral stop (12) of the open end (3) of the tubular casing (1). 30 Desiccant container according to Claim 2, characterized in that the third surface-to-surface peripheral sealing area is provided between the inner surface of the inner coaxial wall (9) of the deep peripheral groove (11) and the surface internal of the open end (3) of the tubular casing (1).   A desiccant container according to claim 2, characterized in that the fourth surface-to-surface sealing peripheral area is provided between the lower plane edge of the outer wall (10) of the deep groove (11) and the platen. the outer peripheral stop (7).   7. desiccant container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the depth of the deep peripheral groove (11) is between 45% and 95% of the thickness of the cap-lid (4) measured on the outer peripheral wall (10) of said groove. 15 8. Desiccant container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the outer peripheral wall (10) of the deep peripheral groove (11) is continuous.   9. desiccant container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the outer peripheral wall (10) of the deep peripheral groove (11) is made discontinuous by notches (20).   10. Desiccant container according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the capcouvercle (4) is provided with a gripping visor (17).   11. desiccant container according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the inner face of the outer wall (10) of the groove (11) and the outer face of the outer wall of the tubular casing ( 1) are provided with a latching means.   12. desiccant container according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the mechanical hinge (5) is formed of two parts, one said male integrated to the tubular casing (1), the other said female integrated in the lid-cap (4).   13. desiccant container according to claim 12, characterized in that the portion of the hinge (5) said male integrated in the tubular casing (1) consists of two plate-gantries 10 (13) connected to each other by an axis of rotation (15).   14. desiccant container according to claim 13, characterized in that the axis of rotation (15) is extended beyond the two plate-brackets (13) by protruding ends (19). 15. Desiccant container according to claim 12, characterized in that the part of the so-called female hinge (5) integrated in the lid-cap (4) consists of: * two plate-brackets (17) placed at a distance one of the other as they frame the plate-brackets (13) of the part of the hinge (5) said male, * a groove (16) for receiving the axis of rotation (15) ), delimited by inner (10) and outer (14) walls 16. desiccant container according to claim 15, characterized in that the bracket plates (17) are provided with orifices (18) for receiving the projecting ends (19) of the axis of rotation (15).   17. desiccant container according to claim 15, characterized in that the groove (16) intended to receive the axis of rotation (15) to a length at most equal to the distance between the inner faces of potposences (13).   18. desiccant container according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the conditioning means (6) of a desiccant placed on the inner face of the cap-lid (4) is preferably of the tubular type.   19. Desiccant container according to any one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the tubular casing (1) and the cap-lid (4) are made one and the other with the same polymer composition thermoplastics.   20. Desiccant container according to any one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the tubular casing (1) and the cover (4) are both formed with different compositions of thermoplastic polymers.   21. desiccant container according to any one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the tubular casing (1) and the obturator (4), are made by the methods of the plastics using thermoplastic polymer compositions from the group consisting of polyethylenes (PE), polypropylenes (PP), ethylene / propylene copolymers and mixtures thereof, polyamides (PA), polystyrenes (PS), copolymers of acrylonitrilebutadiene-styrene (ABS), copolymers of styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), polyvinylchlorides (PVC), polycarbonates (PC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyethyleneterephthalates (PET), used alone or as a mixture.   22. desiccant container according to claim 21, characterized in that the thermoplastic compositions are associated with at least one elastomer of natural or synthetic origin, the elastomer or elastomers used may be chosen preferentially from the group consisting of elastomers type natural rubbers, synthetic rubber, in particular monoolefin rubbers, which are the polymers of isobutylene / isoprene, vinyl ethyleneacetate (EVA), ethylenepropylene (EPR), ethylenepropylene-diene (EPDM), ethylene-acrylic esters (EMA- EEA), fluorinated polymers, diolefin rubbers, which are polybutadienes, butadiene-styrene copolymers (SBR), rubbers based on condensation products such as polyesters and polyurethanes thermoplastic rubbers, silicones, styrenic rubbers styrene -butadiene-styrene (SBS) and styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS).   23. desiccant container according to any one of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that the desiccant is in a powder form.   24. desiccant container according to any one of claims 1 to 23, characterized in that the desiccant is selected from the group consisting of silica gels, molecular sieves.   25. Use of the desiccant container according to claims 1 to 24 for packaging products sensitive to ambient humidity.