ITMO20080206A1 - "CONTAINER FOR FLUID, PARTICULARLY PHARMACEUTICAL, COSMETIC, FOOD OR SIMILAR PRODUCTS - Google Patents

Description

â € œCONTAINER FOR FLUID PRODUCTS, ESPECIALLY PHARMACEUTICAL, COSMETIC, FOOD OR SIMILAR.

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a container for fluid products, particularly suitable for containing products used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic fields, or in the medical and dental fields, but also in the food sector or the like.

It is known to use containers made of polymeric material for the packaging of one or more doses of fluid products, whether they are pastes, gels or liquids; according to the number of doses present, the known containers can be of the disposable type or resealable and multi-dose.

Generally, they comprise a body for containing a predetermined dose of product, of substantially tubular and elongated conformation, which has an end provided with a neck, at the top of which a product delivery mouth is defined.

The opposite end of the containment body is provided with an opening suitable for the introduction of the product, which is closed after filling, for example, by welding.

Closure means, which can be removably associated with the container at the neck, allow the dispensing mouth to be closed.

The containment body and the closing means can be made separately, by means of forming techniques such as injection molding, and subsequently assembled together or, alternatively, they can be made in a single piece and subsequently separated before use by a user.

The containment body, moreover, is provided with a pair of fins which are suitable for facilitating the gripping of the container by a user and which extend, diametrically opposite each other, from the external lateral surface of the containment body itself.

The known containers can be produced in single units or associated with each other in series (sticks); in the latter case the fins of the containment bodies of two successive containers are temporarily associated with each other in correspondence with predefined pre-fracture lines.

With particular reference to the closing means and their conformation on the basis of the different methods of use and manufacture, different types of containers are known.

A first type of known containers provides, for example, with the use of a cap provided with a portion fixed to the neck, during the molding step and along predetermined breaking zones, to occlude the dispensing mouth.

The cap also comprises a cavity suitable for housing the neck of the container, provided with an obturator element of the dispensing mouth, and initially turned outwards, on the opposite side with respect to the portion initially fixed to the neck.

The container is opened for the first time by detaching the cap from the spout at the breaking areas and, after using the product, the container is closed by turning the cap over and inserting the neck into the cavity, with the positioning of the 'shutter element inside the dispensing spout.

The particular shape of the cap, however, leads to the possible exposure of the cavity and the shutter element to external pollutants prior to the first use of the container, thus not guaranteeing the integrity of the product during subsequent uses.

In order to limit the possibility of contamination of the product, a second type of reclosable containers is known, made in a single body, which comprise closing means equipped with a shutter element, such as a pin or the like, sealed inside. of the spout, and deformable or fracturable elements that connect, without interruption, the closing means to the body of the container.

These deformable or fracturable elements are able to signal to the user the possible presence of contamination of the product due to possible tampering and / or accidental opening of the product, thus performing a function of safety seals.

A third type of container is also known, in which the closing means and the containment body are made in separate pieces, subsequently assembled together.

The closing means of these containers generally comprise a handle provided with a shutter element, of the type of a pin or the like, which can be sealed inside the dispensing mouth, and an annular collar that can be fixed coaxially, by means of interlocking, welding. or gluing, at the neck of the containment body.

The handle is associated removable at the external surface of the collar by means of a suitable weakened zone, consisting, for example, of pre-fracture lines, of tear-off bridges, of reduced cross-sections or the like.

The handle, the collar and the pin are therefore made in a single piece, separately from the containment body, and the collar is subsequently fixed to the neck by interlocking, welding or gluing, with the spout closed by means of the pin.

These known containers are however susceptible of further improvements.

In this regard, it is emphasized that for some particular applications it is necessary that the products contained in the containers are mixed together before using them.

To do this, it is necessary to open two different containers and pour the individual contents into a container that will hold them before using the mixture thus obtained.

The double opening and pouring operation obviously consists of an inconvenient additional intervention of scarce practicality and involves not negligible execution times, not to mention that in these cases it is necessary to be equipped with two or more separate containers, with a consequent increase in overall dimensions.

The main task of the present invention is to devise a container for fluid products, particularly pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food or similar, which can be used in a practical, easy, functional and rapid way and, at the same time, has particularly compact overall dimensions and limited.

Another object of the present invention is to devise a container for fluid products, particularly pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food or similar, which allows to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art in the context of a simple, rational, easy and effective solution to use. and low cost.

The above objects are achieved by the present container for fluid products, particularly pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food or similar, comprising at least one hollow body for containing at least one fluid product, at least one neck extending from said body and which is provided with at least one dispensing mouth of said product, and closing means provided with a handle which integrally supports at least one shutter element of said dispensing mouth and comprising at least one annular collar, which is associated with said handle along at least one fracture zone predetermined and which can be associated with said package, characterized by the fact that it includes at least one separation partition defined inside said body and able to divide the internal volume of said body into at least two compartments suitable for containing at least two of said products fluids, said neck being provided with at least two of said dispensing mouths which are respectively reclosable by at least two of said shutter elements.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more evident from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a container for fluid products, particularly pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food or similar products, illustrated by way of example, but not of limitation, in the annexes. tables of drawings in which: Figure 1 is an axonometric view of a slat of containers according to the invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded view of a container according to the invention before assembly;

Figure 3 is an axonometric view, from another angle, of the container according to the invention;

Figure 4 is an axonometric view of the container according to the invention after opening the dispensing mouths before use;

figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along the plane of trace V - V of figure 4.

With particular reference to these figures, the reference numeral 1 globally indicates a container for fluid products, particularly pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food or similar products.

In this regard, it is specified that in the present discussion the term fluid products does not mean only liquid products but also viscous products, for example in the state of paste and gel, and powder products, in particular very fine powders with great flowability. The container 1 comprises a hollow body 2 which is intended to contain at least one fluid product.

The body 2 has a substantially tubular and elongated conformation on the external surface of which a pair of grip wings 3 are defined which can be removably associated with the grip wings 3 of one or more adjacent containers 1, so as to form a slat S of containers 1 (Figure 1).

From one end of the body 2 extends a neck 4 provided with at least one delivery mouth 5, 6 for the discharge of the fluid product.

The neck 4 is substantially cylindrical, with a smaller diameter than the rest of the body 2, and is aligned coaxially with respect to it.

An opening 7 for introducing the fluid product is defined at the end of the body 2 opposite the neck 4; the closure of the opening 7 (for example by welding the lips of the opening itself) is carried out once the product has been introduced.

The closure of the dispensing mouths 5, 6, on the other hand, is carried out by means of suitable closure means 8 provided with a handle 9 which integrally supports at least one shutter element 10, 11 which can be inserted into the dispensing mouths 5, 6.

The handle 9 is substantially plate-shaped and is provided with lateral edges which in the stick conformation (figure 1) can be associated with the handles 9 of one or more adjacent containers 1.

Furthermore, the closing means 8 comprise an annular collar 12, which is associated with the handle 9 along a series of zones with predetermined fracture 13.

The zones with predetermined fracture 13 are constituted, for example, by a pair of tear-off bridges which connect the handle 9 to the external surface of the collar 9 and which are arranged on diametrically opposite sides of the collar 12.

The collar 12 can be worn around the neck 4 and is intended to be made integral with it.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in the figures, for example, interlocking coupling means 14, 15 are interposed between the neck 4 and the collar 12, which comprise a projection 14 defined on the internal surface of the collar 12 and a series of teeth protrusions 15 formed on the external surface of the neck 4 and coupled with the protrusion 14.

However, alternative embodiments of the present invention are possible in which the collar 12 is made integral with the neck 4 by welding, for example of the ultrasonic type, or by gluing.

Conveniently, within the body 2 a separation partition 16 is defined which is suitable for dividing the internal volume of the body 2 into two or more compartments 17, 18 intended to contain as many distinct fluid products.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in the figures, the separation partition 16 divides the body 2 exactly into a first compartment 17 and a second compartment 18 and, due to the escape of the two fluid products contained therein, the neck 4 is provided with a first dispensing mouth 5 and a second dispensing mouth 6 distinct from each other, for the closure of which two shutter elements 10, 11 associated with the handle 9 are therefore provided. However, alternative embodiments of the present invention in which there are two or more separating baffles 16 to define three or more compartments 17, 18 for containing three or more fluid products; obviously, in this case the neck 4 is provided with three or more delivery outlets 5, 6 which can be closed with as many shutter elements 10, 11.

More in detail, the shutter elements 10, 11 are defined by respective pins which can be sealed inside the dispensing spouts 5, 6 and substantially parallel to each other and to the longitudinal direction of the body 2. It is also specified that the shutter elements 10, 11, the handle 9 and the collar 12 are made in a single body, for example by means of forming techniques such as injection molding, using polymeric materials, such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

Similarly, the body 2 and the separation partition 16 are also made in a single monolithic body, which can be obtained by means of the same forming techniques of the closing means 8 inside a separate mold. The body 2 and the separation partition 16 are therefore initially separated from the closing means 8, as illustrated in Figure 2, and the container 1 is assembled at a later time by making the collar 12 fit snugly onto the neck 4 with simultaneous and simultaneous insertion of the pins 10, 11 in the spouts 5, 6.

Advantageously, the separation partition 16 extends along the entire length of the body 2, from the neck 4 to the opening 7.

By means of the separation partition 16, the tubular walls of the body 2 are divided into a first substantially curved wall 19, which together with the separation partition 16 delimits the first compartment 17, and into a second substantially curved wall 20, which together with the separation 16 delimits the second compartment 18; the first and second walls 19, 20 are clearly indicated in figure 3.

Furthermore, the partition 16 is at least partially folded back on itself.

More in detail, by sectioning the body 2 along a transverse plane, the partition 16 is shaped substantially wavy and its extension in length is substantially equal to the length of the walls 19, 20 of the body 2.

This particular shape of the separation partition 16 means that the crushing of the body 2 allows both the walls 19, 20 and the separation partition 16 to be locally stretched along a direction transversal to the body 2 and to bring the walls 19, 20 into substantially mating contact. with the septum 16.

This, in particular, is very useful when closing the opening 7 (figures 4 and 5), as it allows the lips of the opening 7 to be crushed on the separation partition 16 without forming ripples that could compromise the welding and compromise the sealing and conservation of fluid products inside the container 1.

However, alternative embodiments of the present invention are not excluded in which the partition 16 is substantially plate-shaped and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the body 2.

In practice it has been found that the described invention achieves the intended aim and objects.

In this regard, it is emphasized that, similarly to traditional vials, the container according to the invention can be opened without difficulty and, if necessary, also be closed again.

To this it should also be added that the particular expedient of providing a separation partition inside the containment body allows to obtain a container that is able to contain two or more fluid products that can be dispensed simultaneously in a practical way, easy and functional through the simple and immediate crushing of the containment body.

Claims (17)

CLAIMS 1) Container (1) for fluid products, particularly pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food or similar products, comprising at least one hollow body (2) for containing at least one fluid product, at least one neck (4) extending from said body (2) and which is provided with at least one delivery mouth (5, 6) of said product, and closing means (8) provided with a handle (9) which integrally supports at least one shutter element (10, 11) of said mouth (5, 6) and comprising at least one annular collar (12), which is associated with said handle (9) along at least a predetermined fracture zone (13) and which can be associated with said neck (4), characterized by the fact that it comprises at least a separation partition (16) defined inside said body (2) and able to divide the internal volume of said body (2) into at least two compartments (17, 18) suitable for containing at least two of said fluid products, said neck (4) being provided with at least two of said dispensing mouths (5, 6 ) which are respectively reclosable by at least two of said shutter elements (10, 11). 2) Container (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said separation partition (16) extends substantially for the entire length of said body (2). 3) Container (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the length of the cross section of said separation partition (16) is substantially equal to the length of the cross section of the walls of said body (2), crushing of said body (2) being able to bring said walls into substantially mating contact with said separation partition (16). 4) Container (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said separation partition (16) is at least partially folded back on itself. 5) Container (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said separation partition (16) is substantially wavy shaped. 6) Container (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said separation partition (16) is substantially plate-shaped. 7) Container (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises interlocking coupling means (14, 15) of said collar (12) with said neck (4). 8) Container (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said interlocking coupling means (14, 15) comprise at least one projection (14) defined on at least one of said collar (12) and said neck ( 4) and at least one protruding tooth (15) formed on the other between said collar (12) and said neck (4) and can be coupled with said protrusion (14). 9) Container (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said collar (12) can be associated with said neck (4) by welding. 10) Container (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said collar (12) can be associated with said neck (4) by gluing. 11) Container (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said zone with predetermined fracture (13) comprises at least one tear-off bridge which connects said handle (9) to the external surface of said collar (12). 12) Container (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said shutter elements (10, 11) are defined by respective pins which can be sealed inside said delivery outlets (5, 6) and are substantially parallel between them. 13) Container (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said pins (10, 11) are arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of said body (2). 14) Container (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said handle (9), said shutter elements (10, 11) and said collar (12) are made in a single body. 15) Container (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said body (2) and said separation partition (16) are made in a single body. 16) Container (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said handle (9) can be associated with the handle (9) of an adjacent container (1) to form a stick (S) of said containers ( 1). 17) Container (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said body (2) comprises at least a gripping flap (3) removably associable to the gripping flap (3) of an adjacent container (1) to form a stick (S) of said containers (1).