GB1573514A - Container and device for emptying the container - Google Patents

Description

(71) We, AB HELINOS, a Swedish Body Corporate of S-440 60 Skärhamn, Sweden, do hereby declare the invention tor which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The present invention relates to the com- bination of a container and a device for emptying the container, the container being of the type comprising two substantially dome-shaped container parts, the concave surfaces of which face each other, the parts communicating with each other to form a container sealed along a joint between the parts and having an outwardly directed flange adjacent the joint, one of the container parts being relatively stiff in comparison with the other and being provided with means defining an outlet opening and the other part being more flexible to enable it to be pressed into the stiff container part and substantially into alignment with the inside thereof in order to empty the container.

Such a container may contain liquid, such as liquid to be injected, cream, powder or the like.

Earlier proposals for emptying a container of the type mentioned lack of any special aids, the idea being to use the flange protruding from the joint between the two dome-shaped container parts as a sort of finger support. However, it has been found in practice that in most cases such an emptying procedure did not have the requisite stability. The container may easily slip from the hand and dosing is difficult to effect.

As early as 1910 (see United States Patent Serial Number 978,488) it was proposed to empty conventional ampoules by means of an injection syringe. However, the ampoule became crushed in a quite uncontrolled manner and it was generally impossible to fully empty the contents out, thus making it extremely difficult to perform accurate dosing. Furthermore, a conventional syringe is complicated and expensive.

According to the present invention, there is provided in combination, a container and a device for emptying the container, the container comprising two substantially dome-shaped container parts, the container parts having respective concave surfaces which face each other, the container parts communicating with each other to form the container having a peripherally extending joint along which said container parts are sealed together and an outwardly directed flange adjacent the joint, one of the container parts being relatively stiff in comparison with the other and being provided with means defining an outlet opening, the other container part being more flexible to enable it to be pressed into said one container part and substantially into alignment with the inside thereof in order to empty the container, and the emptying device comprising: a holder for the container, the holder having means defining an opening therein and means defining a gap to position and receive most of the flange of the container, the opening defining means and the gap defining means being arranged in relation to each other so that when the flange is inserted in the gap defined by the gap defining means, the outlet opening defined in the container is in substantial alignment with the opening defined in the holder, said holder being provided with an integral emptying member located opposite the said opening defined therein and said emptying member and adjacent connecting portions of the holder being sufficiently flexible to be manually displaceable in the direction of said holder opening for emptying of the container upon displacement of the said emptying member a distance in the direction of the opening defined in the holder sufficient as to press in said other flexible container part until it substantially abuts the inside of said one (54) A CONTAINER AND A DEVICE FOR EMPTYING THE CONTAINER container part secured to the holder.

In a preferred embodiment the front end of the emptying member in the direction of movement is rounded, having substantially the same dome-shape as the inner side of the stiff container part and the emptying member is arranged to contact the flexible container. Upon direct contact with the flexible container part, therefore, the rounded end of the emptying member will bring this substantially into abutment with the inside of the stiff container part so that the container can be deformed in a controlled manner upon emptying and complete emptying is facilitated. To make this embodiment as inexpensive as possible without ignoring the other requirements, the emptying member and the holder are made in one piece and joined together by means of sections having sufficient flexibility as to permit displacement of the emptying member.

Containers of embodiments of the present invention can also be used as injection syringes if the containers are in the form of ampoules containing an injection solution and having an outlet opening provided with a membrane. In such a case the opening of the holder may suitably be arranged to take a cannula, the rear end of the cannula when in the operative position being located immediately opposite the membrane located in the outlet opening of the ampoule so that the membrane is arranged to be punctured by the rear end of the cannula when the ampoule is emptied.

In the following the invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the embodiments in the drawings refer to a specific application of the invention, namely as emptying means for injection solutions, the invention is of course not limited to such embodiments. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a partially broken perspective view of an emptying device for use in an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section through the device of Figure 1, but with a cannular in position and a container. in the form of an ampoule, inserted; and Figure 3 shows the same section through the embodiment shown in Figure 2 during emptying of the ampoule.

In Figure 1 the emptying device is designated generally 1. The device has a substantially annular structure and comprises an outer casing provided with a front opening 2 and located diametrically opposite to the opening a rear, inwardly directed dome 3 protruding from the inside of the casing in the direction of the opening 2. To facilitate the description, it is assumed that the end surfaces of the casing are horizontal. The opening 2 is surrounded below and at the sides by a support wall 4, substantially U-shaped in vertical cross-section, protruding from the inside of the casing and flaring like a funnel towards the central axis of the device. Substantially vertical guide walls 5 and 6 protrude from the wall to each side of the opening 2 are spaced from the wall 4 and extend towards a transverse, vertical, central plane through the central axis of the device. Substantially vertical guiding walls 7 and 8 similarly protrude towards the vertical, central plane from portions of the opposite side of the casing wall to each side of the dome 3. The guide walls 5-8 are slightly curved longitudinally of the device and the free ends of the walls 5 and 6, 7 and 8 are joined at the bottom by means of straight transverse walls 21 and 22, respectively, the upper edges of which are curved in longitudinally of the device so that the transverse walls are lowest in the middle. Between the end surfaces of the guiding walls 5 and 7, 6 and 8, facing each other and between the side surfaces of the transverse walls 21 and 22 facing each other, therefore, a gap 9 is formed having uniform width and intended to position a container 11, in the following exemplified by an ampoule.

As can be seen from Figure 2, the ampoule 11 consists of two substantially dome-shaped parts 12 and 13, the open ends of which face each other and are sealed together to form an ampoule with a flange 14 protruding substantially radially from the line of connection of parts 12 and 13.

When the ampoule 11 is inserted in the device 1, the flange formation 14 is received in and positioned in the gap 9 and the ampoule is inserted until it abuts the transverse walls 21 and 22, the upper edges of which are shaped to conform with the outer surface of the ampoule 11. The gap 9 receives more than half of the flange formation 14 extending around the ampoule 11.

One part 12 of the ampoule is relatively stiff and is provided with means 10 defining an outlet opening 15. This is shown in the form of a straight nozzle 10 extending radially from the ampoule substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the flange formation 14. The other part 13 of the ampoule is flexible to enable it to be pressed into the stiff part 12 of the ampoule and be brought substantially into abutment with the inside thereof in order to empty the ampoule 11 through the outlet opening 15.

To avoid contamination of the contents of the ampoule, as well as accidental emptying of some of the contents of the ampoule, the outlet opening 15 is blocked by a membrane 16 located at a point within the nozzle 10 spaced from its outlet end so that it is difficult unintentionally to puncture it. When the ampoule 11 is inserted to its intended position in the device 1 the outlet nozzle 10 is located in line with the opening 2 in the emptying means.

A cannula 17 is shown inserted in the opening 2, screwed into an internally threaded collar 23 projecting radially from the outside of the casing and surrounding the opening 2. The cannula has a freely projecting rear end 17a which, when the cannula is in place, is directed towards the membrane 16 but terminates a short way from the opening of the outlet nozzle 10.

The emptying device 1 is made in one piece out of suitable plastics material, the walls included in the device being of such a thickness that the device is elastomerically deformable in the direction from the dome 3 towards the opening 2. Together with parts of the outer casing, the guiding walls 5-8 and the transverse walls 21 and 22 form a holder for the ampoule. The holder comprises the opening 2 and the members defining the gap 9. These gap-defining members consists, as is clear from the above, of the end surfaces of the guiding walls 5 and 7; 6 and 8 facing each other, and of the side surfaces of the transverse walls 21 and 22 facing each other.

When the ampoule is inserted, the dome 3 protrudes towards the flexible rear part 13 of the ampoule 11, terminating a short distance therefrom. The dome 3 thus constitutes a member located opposite the opening 2 which can be manually displaced in the direction of said opening to empty the ampoule upon displacement of the dome 3 a sufficient distance in the direction of the opening 2 to press the flexible ampoule part 13 so substantially to abut the inside of the stiff part 12 of the ampoule secured in the holder. The front end 24 of the dome 3 of the emptying device in the direction of movement is rounded, having substantially the same dome-shaped contour as the inside of the stiff part 12 of the ampoule. Usually the material of the flexible part 13 is so thin that its effect can be disregarded. Otherwise. the outer dimensions of the emptying member or dome 3 must of course be correspondingly reduced. Due to this domeshaped contour the dome or emptying member 3, when brought into direct contact with the flexible part 13, can bring this substantially into abutment with the inside of the stiff part 12. Since the device is elastomerically deformable, the ampoule 11 and cannula 17 will approach each other when the dome or emptying means 3 is pushed in the direction of the opening 2, so that the rear end 17a of the cannula 17 punctures the membrane 16, whereupon the support wall 4 will abut the stiff part 12 of the ampoule 11 and, as can be seen in Figure 3, prevents the cannula from penetrating through the whole nozzle 10 right into the interior of the ampoule 11 where it might otherwise puncture the flexible part 13.

Additional security is obtained if the freely projecting rear end 17a of the cannula is made slightly shorter than the length of the nozzle 10. At the start of an injection process, therefore, the rear end 17a of the cannula punctures the membrane 16. When the injection process is complete the device 1 resumes its original shape and the empty ampoule 11 can easily be removed.

Although the device described above and shown in the drawings have been termed an emptying device it can, within the scope of the invention, be used to first fill an initially empty container or ampoule and/or give aspiration ability. The emptying member 3 can be designed, when manually or automatically withdrawn, to take with it the flexible ampoule part 13 by placing a drop of glue or the like to temporarily join the part 13 of the ampoule to the rounded end 24 of the emptying member 3.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. In combination, a container and a device for emptying the container, the container comprising two substantially domeshaped container parts, the container parts having respective concave surfaces which face each other, the container parts communicating with each other to form the container having a periphery extending joint along which said container parts are sealed together and an outwardly directed flange adjacent the joint, one of the container parts being relatively stiff in comparison with the other and being provided with means defining an outlet opening, the other container part being more flexible to enable it to be pressed into said one container part and substantially into alignment with the inside thereof in order to empty the container, and the emptying device comprising: a holder for the container, the holder having means defining an opening therein and means defining a gap to position and receive most of the flange of the container, the opening defining means and the gap defining means being arranged in relation to each other so that when the flange is inserted in the gap defined by the gap defining means, the outlet opening defined in the container is in substantial alignment with the opening defined in the holder, said holder being provided with an integral emptying member located opposite the said opening defined therein and said emptying member and adjacent connecting portions of the holder being sufficiently flexible to be manually displaceable in the direction of said holder opening for emptying of the container upon displacement of the said emptying member a distance in the direction of the opening defined in the holder sufficient as to press in said other flexible container part until it substantially abuts the inside of said one container part secured to the holder.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. emptying means. A cannula 17 is shown inserted in the opening 2, screwed into an internally threaded collar 23 projecting radially from the outside of the casing and surrounding the opening 2. The cannula has a freely projecting rear end 17a which, when the cannula is in place, is directed towards the membrane 16 but terminates a short way from the opening of the outlet nozzle 10. The emptying device 1 is made in one piece out of suitable plastics material, the walls included in the device being of such a thickness that the device is elastomerically deformable in the direction from the dome 3 towards the opening 2. Together with parts of the outer casing, the guiding walls 5-8 and the transverse walls 21 and 22 form a holder for the ampoule. The holder comprises the opening 2 and the members defining the gap 9. These gap-defining members consists, as is clear from the above, of the end surfaces of the guiding walls 5 and 7; 6 and 8 facing each other, and of the side surfaces of the transverse walls 21 and 22 facing each other. When the ampoule is inserted, the dome 3 protrudes towards the flexible rear part 13 of the ampoule 11, terminating a short distance therefrom. The dome 3 thus constitutes a member located opposite the opening 2 which can be manually displaced in the direction of said opening to empty the ampoule upon displacement of the dome 3 a sufficient distance in the direction of the opening 2 to press the flexible ampoule part 13 so substantially to abut the inside of the stiff part 12 of the ampoule secured in the holder. The front end 24 of the dome 3 of the emptying device in the direction of movement is rounded, having substantially the same dome-shaped contour as the inside of the stiff part 12 of the ampoule. Usually the material of the flexible part 13 is so thin that its effect can be disregarded. Otherwise. the outer dimensions of the emptying member or dome 3 must of course be correspondingly reduced. Due to this domeshaped contour the dome or emptying member 3, when brought into direct contact with the flexible part 13, can bring this substantially into abutment with the inside of the stiff part 12. Since the device is elastomerically deformable, the ampoule 11 and cannula 17 will approach each other when the dome or emptying means 3 is pushed in the direction of the opening 2, so that the rear end 17a of the cannula 17 punctures the membrane 16, whereupon the support wall 4 will abut the stiff part 12 of the ampoule 11 and, as can be seen in Figure 3, prevents the cannula from penetrating through the whole nozzle 10 right into the interior of the ampoule 11 where it might otherwise puncture the flexible part 13. Additional security is obtained if the freely projecting rear end 17a of the cannula is made slightly shorter than the length of the nozzle 10. At the start of an injection process, therefore, the rear end 17a of the cannula punctures the membrane 16. When the injection process is complete the device 1 resumes its original shape and the empty ampoule 11 can easily be removed. Although the device described above and shown in the drawings have been termed an emptying device it can, within the scope of the invention, be used to first fill an initially empty container or ampoule and/or give aspiration ability. The emptying member 3 can be designed, when manually or automatically withdrawn, to take with it the flexible ampoule part 13 by placing a drop of glue or the like to temporarily join the part 13 of the ampoule to the rounded end 24 of the emptying member 3. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. In combination, a container and a device for emptying the container, the container comprising two substantially domeshaped container parts, the container parts having respective concave surfaces which face each other, the container parts communicating with each other to form the container having a periphery extending joint along which said container parts are sealed together and an outwardly directed flange adjacent the joint, one of the container parts being relatively stiff in comparison with the other and being provided with means defining an outlet opening, the other container part being more flexible to enable it to be pressed into said one container part and substantially into alignment with the inside thereof in order to empty the container, and the emptying device comprising: a holder for the container, the holder having means defining an opening therein and means defining a gap to position and receive most of the flange of the container, the opening defining means and the gap defining means being arranged in relation to each other so that when the flange is inserted in the gap defined by the gap defining means, the outlet opening defined in the container is in substantial alignment with the opening defined in the holder, said holder being provided with an integral emptying member located opposite the said opening defined therein and said emptying member and adjacent connecting portions of the holder being sufficiently flexible to be manually displaceable in the direction of said holder opening for emptying of the container upon displacement of the said emptying member a distance in the direction of the opening defined in the holder sufficient as to press in said other flexible container part until it substantially abuts the inside of said one container part secured to the holder.

2. A combination according to Claim 1

wherein that end of the emptying member which in use will face the container is rounded.

3. A combination according to Claim 2 wherein said end of the emptying member has a shape and size appropriate to enable the emptying member to press the more flexible part of the container into surface to surface contact with the stiffer part of the container sufficiently as to cause expulsion of substantially the whole of the contents of the container.

4. A combination according to Claim 2 or 3, wherein the outlet opening is -provided with a membrane, the opening of the holder being arranged to receive a cannula, one end of which when the cannula is in applied position being located immediately opposite the membrane located in the outlet opening of the ampoule so that the membrane is arranged to be punctured by the rear end of the cannula when the device is used to empty the container.

A A combination according to Claim 2, 3 or 4 wherein the emptying member and the holder are made in one piece and connected together by means of sections with flexibility sufficient to permit displacement of the emptying member in a manner to cause emptying of the container.

6. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims and including a cannula secured releasably to said holder opening, the container having the shape of an ampoule and the outlet opening of the container being provided with a membrane, the opening defined in the holder being arranged to receive the cannula, said end of the cannula, when the cannula is secured to said holder, being located immediately opposite and spaced from said membrane and sufficiently close thereto so that the membrane can be punctured by the end of the cannula upon displacement of said emptying member.

7. The combination of a container and a device for emptying the container, such container being constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings and the device being constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.