Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D51/00—Closures not otherwise provided for
  • B65D51/24—Closures not otherwise provided for combined or co-operating with auxiliary devices for non-closing purposes
  • B65D51/241—Closures not otherwise provided for combined or co-operating with auxiliary devices for non-closing purposes provided with freeze-drying means
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D45/00—Clamping or other pressure-applying devices for securing or retaining closure members
  • B65D45/32—Clamping or other pressure-applying devices for securing or retaining closure members for applying radial or radial and axial pressure, e.g. contractible bands encircling closure member
  • B65D45/322—Clamping or other pressure-applying devices for securing or retaining closure members for applying radial or radial and axial pressure, e.g. contractible bands encircling closure member the clamping device being an annular member moved axially to clamp the closure by using radial pressure
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D51/00—Closures not otherwise provided for
  • B65D51/18—Arrangements of closures with protective outer cap-like covers or of two or more co-operating closures
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D2251/00—Details relating to container closures
  • B65D2251/0003—Two or more closures
  • B65D2251/0006—Upper closure
  • B65D2251/0028—Upper closure of the 51-type
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D2251/00—Details relating to container closures
  • B65D2251/0003—Two or more closures
  • B65D2251/0068—Lower closure
  • B65D2251/0075—Lower closure of the 39-type

Definitions

• the invention relates to a closure device for a container provided with a neck, and a container equipped with such a device.
• a glass vial In the field of drug containers, it is known to use a glass vial to preserve an active ingredient in the form of lyophilisate, powder or liquid solution. Such a bottle must be sealed in order to maintain its contents in a satisfactory state of preservation, until its date of use.
• a closure device which comprises an elastomeric stopper whose function is to ensure a complete seal to gases, liquids and bacteria.
• This device also comprises a locking cap which, as mentioned in FR 2 900 131, US Pat. No. 5,678,719 or US Pat. No. 5,421,469, may be made of plastics material and which is intended to be immobilized around the cap to isolate it from the outside. and hinder its withdrawal.
• each container is filled with a quantity of product to be freeze-dried and then the cap is placed on the neck of the container so as to be secured to it. while preserving communication between the outside environment and the interior of the container.
• the containers thus filled and prebunched are arranged in batches on the shelves of a lyophilizer inside which the products will be dehydrated.
• a vacuum drying is carried out which ensures the extraction of water from the product by sublimation and evaporation.
• the invention more particularly intends to remedy by proposing a closure device by means of which a locking force of a cap can be efficiently transmitted, including taking into account the manufacturing tolerances of the bottles, the plugs. , constituent parts of a cap and mechanical organs for applying a force.
• the invention relates to a closure device for a container with a ⁇ -axis collar, this device comprising: an elastomer stopper; a plastic cap which is able to cover both the neck and the plug in place in the neck and which comprises locking means on the neck; a cap adapted on the top of the cap by means of a central stud and provided with a peripheral support edge connected to the stud by at least one connecting web.
• the closure device is characterized in that the connecting web, on the one hand, is elastically deformable so as to allow, under the effect of an axial force, an axial displacement of the support edge from a raised position R to a lowered position A through an intermediate position I, on the other hand, and has on a first range of deformation, corresponding to a displacement of the support edge between the raised position R and the intermediate position I, a stiffness Ki greater than the stiffness K 2 of the web on a second range of deformation corresponding to a displacement of the support flange between the intermediate position I and the lowered position A.
• the connecting web is adapted so that during its displacement from the raised position, the support edge exerts an increasing reaction which decreases after having reached a maximum value in the intermediate position.
• the value of the axial pressure to be applied on the support edge of the cap to move it from its raised position to its intermediate position is greater than the pressure necessary to ensure engagement of the plug in the neck of the container with a locking of the cap on the neck.
• Such a value of the stiffness of the connecting web makes it possible to guarantee that the support edge does not lower once the plug is perfectly engaged and the cap is locked on the neck of the container.
• only the raised position of the bearing edge is a stable position so that in case of relaxation of the axial force, the bearing edge automatically returns to its raised position.
• the locking means of the cap can be made in different ways and for example include locking fingers forming a one-piece assembly with the cap.
• such an embodiment is not necessary and the locking means can be reported on or in the cap.
• the locking means comprise a ring which is arranged in part at least inside the cap and which comprises an annular ceiling and a peripheral rim, integral with the annular ceiling, from which extends at least two elastically deformable tongues which have, opposite the flange, a locking end intended to engage under the neck of the container.
• a locking ring facilitates the manufacture of the cap, ensuring a good appearance.
• this embodiment makes it possible to perfectly dissociate the phases of depression of the cap and locking of the cap on the neck of the container thus avoiding an accumulation of constraints resulting from the depression of the cap and the locking of the cap .
• each tongue extends opposite the annular ceiling in a substantially axial direction, its locking end being bent inwards to define a foot intended to bear under the neck of the container.
• each tongue has a distal portion, which is oriented outwards, and, at the outer face of this distal portion at the rear of the foot, a locking pin intended to cooperate with a blocking housing complementary to the cap.
• the inner face of the distal portion of each tongue is shaped to come, in the locking position, bearing against the neck of the container.
• each tongue forming the foot is reinforced.
• at least one tongue has, at the level of the outer face of a proximal portion, an assembly rib intended to cooperate with the locking housing in order to bind the ring to the cap before complete engagement. of the headdress on the ring.
• each tongue extends towards the annular ceiling from the peripheral flange being oriented towards the inside of the ring.
• the cap comprises a skirt which has, at an end opposite the cap, means for blocking the movement of the tongue when the cap is complementarily engaged on the ring.
• the ring comprises an outer annular belt intended to surround the skirt of the cap when the cap is completely engaged on the ring.
• the cap comprises locking means intended to cooperate with complementary locking means of the annular belt, when the cap is completely engaged on the ring, so as to prevent withdrawal of the ring. cap.
• the invention also relates to a container equipped with a closure device according to the invention.
• Figure 1 is an axial section of a closure device according to the invention, pre-positioned on the neck of a container before complete depression of the cap and locking the cap, the cap being in the raised position.
• FIG. 2 is an axial section of the cap of the closure device illustrated in FIG.
• Figure 3 is an exploded perspective of the cap illustrated in Figure 1.
• Figures 4 to 6 are axial sections similar to Figure 1 showing successive steps of the establishment of the closure device. In Figure 4, the cap is in the raised position, while in Figure 5 it is in the intermediate position, and in Figure 6 in the lowered position.
• FIG. 7 is a graph of the value of the axial force exerted on or by the support flange during the depression of the plug followed by the locking of the cap, with the abscissa displacement of the support flange expressed in mm and on the ordinate the absolute value of the axial force expressed in Newton.
• Figure 8 is a partially cutaway perspective showing an alternative embodiment of the closure device according to the invention.
• a closure device is intended to ensure a secure sealing of the neck C of a container B.
• the closure device 1 comprises an elastomeric stopper 2 intended to be engaged in the neck C of the container.
• the plug 2 has a general shape in "T” with a tubular body 3 intended to be engaged inside the neck 2.
• the body 3 is then surmounted by a head 4 defining a peripheral wing 5 of support on the edge
• the closure device also comprises a plastic cap 10 which is able to cover both the neck C and the plug 2 in place in the neck C as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. to prevent inadvertent removal of the plug 2, the cap 10 comprises locking means 11 on the neck.
• the cap 10 has a peripheral skirt 12 of generally cylindrical general shape of axis ⁇ .
• the cap 10 also comprises a top 13 integral with the skirt 12 and provided with a through axial bore 14.
• the locking means 11 of the cap 10 are made in the form of a ring 11 which is intended to be arranged in part at least inside the cap 10.
• the ring 11 comprises an annular cap 17 provided with a through axial opening 18 located opposite the axial bore 14 of the cap 10, when the ring 11 is engaged inside the latter.
• the ceiling 17 is bordered by a peripheral flange 19 from which extends, at least two and, according to the example illustrated, eight elastically deformable tongues 20.
• each tongue 20 extends from the flange 19 in a substantially axial direction opposite the ceiling 17.
• each tongue 19 is bent inwardly of the ring 11 to define a foot 21 intended to engage under the neck C of the container R as will appear later .
• the foot 21 of each tongue is thickened or reinforced relative to the rest of the tongue so as to have good resistance to tearing.
• a distal portion 22 of each tongue is oriented towards the outside and has at its outer face a locking pin 23 intended to cooperate with a complementary housing 24 for blocking the cap 10 when the latter is fully engaged on the locking ring.
• the complementary housing 24 is in the form of an annular groove arranged inside the skirt 12 of the ring 10 and near a lower end thereof.
• At least one and, according to the illustrated example, four of the tabs have at the outer face of a proximal portion, an assembly rib 25 intended to cooperate with the locking housing, here the groove 24, for connect the ring 11, to the cap 10 before full engagement of the cap 10 on the ring 11 as shown more particularly in Figures 1 and 2. It may be noted that in Figure 3 only two of the four connecting ribs 25 are visible, while in Figures 1, 2, 4 to 6, only one of the connecting ribs 25 is visible.
• the closure device 1 further comprises a cap 30 which has a central or axial stud 31 engaged inside the axial bore 14 so as to connect the cap 30 to the cap 10.
• the cap 30 closes the axial bore 14 and prevents, prior to its removal, any access to the plug 2 by the bore 14 and the opening 18.
• the cap 30 further comprises a peripheral support edge 32 which is connected to the stud 31 via at least one and, in the example shown, exactly a connecting web 33 elastically deformable so as to allow axial displacement of the support flange 32 under the effect of an axial force.
• the support flange is movable between a raised position R, illustrated in FIG. 1, and a lowered position A illustrated in FIG. 6.
• the web 33 is adapted so that the raised position R is a stable position while the other positions are unstable positions. With this feature, the support edge automatically returns to the raised position R when the constraint that has been applied to it is released.
• the closure device 1, as thus constituted is implemented in the following manner.
• the stopper 2 is partially engaged in the neck of the container B as shown in FIG. 1 and the assembly formed of the locking ring 11, the cap 10 and the cap 30 is positioned on the cap 2, the ceiling 17 of the ring 11 bearing on the head 4 of the cap 2.
• the container B thus equipped is then placed inside a lyophilizer not shown with other identical excipients, similarly equipped, so that their contents are dehydrated there.
• the closure device 1 is, for this purpose, designed so that, in its semi engaged position as illustrated in Figure 1, it allows communication between the outside environment and the inside of the container B for allow evacuation of vapors produced during dehydration. Once the latter has been completed, it can be final closure of all containers equipped with closure devices 1 according to the invention and disposed within the freeze dryer.
• FIG. 7 illustrates the value of the force exerted on or by the support flange 32 of a closure device 1 as a function of the displacement of said bearing edge 32.
• the driving phase as described above corresponds substantially to at the first part I of the curve.
• the force on the support edge 32 is maintained, as shown in the second portion II of the curve, so as to ensure that the cap 10 engages the locking ring 11.
• the connecting ribs 25 emerge from the annular groove 24, zone Ma of the curve, then the locking ends 21 of the tongues 20 fall back under the neck C as shown in FIG. 5, which corresponds to to the zone Nb of the curve.
• the depression of the cap 10 is continued until the locking pins 23 into the groove 24 as shown in Figure 5 and which corresponds to the zone Mc of the curve.
• the closure device 1 according to the invention is perfectly locked on the container B so that it ensures a secure sealing.
• the stress exerted on the pressure plate will mainly refer to the veil 33 insofar as there is continuity of support between the neck C and the top 13. elasticity of the web 33, the force exerted will cause a displacement of the bearing edge 32 from the raised position R to an intermediate position I. In addition, given the design of the web 33, it will exercise during displacement a significant resistance at the collapse of the bearing edge 32, as shown in the IMa part of the curve.
• the resistance of the web 33 and therefore the reaction of the bearing edge 32 decreases substantially (part IMb of the curve, so that the available force at the level of The backing plate will automatically refer to the adjacent blocking devices that are not yet fully locked in.
• the web 33 will be designed in such a way that the effort required to bring the support flange 32 from the raised position R to the intermediate position I is greater than the force that it is necessary to exert to ensure a complete depression of the plug 2 accompanied by a locking of the ring 11 and the cap 10.
• the support flange 32 is in the raised position R, in the phase corresponding to the INa portion of the curve, the support flange 32 passes from the raised position R to the intermediate position I, then in the phase corresponding to the IMb part of the curve the support flange 32 moves from the intermediate position I to the lowered position A.
• the last part IMc of the curve of the layer corresponds to a case where the force on the support edge 32 is maintained, the displacement of the plate corresponding to an elastic compression of the bearing edge 32 and the various components of the closure device 1.
• the support edge 32 spontaneously joins its raised position R under the effect of the elasticity of the web 33.
• the peripheral rim 34 of the cap 30 has at least one and, according to the illustrated example, four vents 35, two of which are visible in FIG.
• peripheral rim 34 comprises a series of pins or asperities 36 distributed around its periphery in order to facilitate the gripping of the cap 30 for its tearing in order to allow the contents of the container B to be removed by means of, for example, a syringe whose needle is inserted into cap 4 of cap 2
• the skirt 10 in order to avoid any conflict between the skirt 10 and the connecting ribs 25 in the locking position as illustrated in FIG. 5, the skirt 10 comprises an intermediate groove 41 inside which the assembly ribs 25 are positioned after the cap 10 is completely engaged on the locking ring 11 as illustrated in FIG. 5.
• each tongue 20 is, in the locked position substantially bearing against the neck C of the container B, while the outer face of each tongue has, in axial section, a general V-shaped conformation.
• Such an arrangement induces a bracing of each tongue 20 when a tearing stress is exerted on the cap 10 or the foot 21 of the tongues 20, the closure device according to the invention being moreover locked on the neck C of the container B.
• the cap 10 and the associated locking means can be made in a completely different manner than that described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.
• FIG. 8 illustrates another embodiment of a closure device 1 in which the tabs 20 extend upwards towards the annular ceiling 13 from the peripheral rim 19.
• the ring 11 further comprises a outer annular belt 45 which defines, with the flange 19 an annular housing 46 within which engages the skirt 12 of the cap 10.
• the lower end of the skirt 12 opposite the cap 30 has a conformation which defines means for blocking the movement of the tongues 20 when the cap is fully engaged on the ring 10.
• the skirt 12 of the cap 10 has locking means made in the form of a peripheral lip 47 intended to cooperate with complementary locking means of the belt 46, in this case an annular groove 48. The locking means 47 and 48 prevent inadvertent removal of the cap 10 when the latter has been engaged on the locking ring 11.
• the support edge 32 and the connecting web 33 have a monostable character, the connecting edge automatically finding the raised position R when no stress is applied to it.
• the connecting web 33 could be designed so that the support edge 2 has a bistable character.
• the bearing edge exceeds the intermediate position I, it spontaneously join the lowered position A.
• the raised and lowered positions A of the support edge 32 are stable positions.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=39766879

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (12)

Families Citing this family (64)

Family Cites Families (18)

• 2008
  • 2008-02-11 FR FR0850837A patent/FR2927316B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2009
  • 2009-02-10 CN CN2009801048185A patent/CN101952179B/zh active Active
  • 2009-02-10 EP EP09710963A patent/EP2242701B1/de active Active
  • 2009-02-10 MX MX2010008842A patent/MX2010008842A/es active IP Right Grant
  • 2009-02-10 WO PCT/FR2009/050209 patent/WO2009101354A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2009-02-10 CA CA2714618A patent/CA2714618A1/fr not_active Abandoned
  • 2009-02-10 ES ES09710963T patent/ES2387600T3/es active Active
  • 2009-02-10 PL PL09710963T patent/PL2242701T3/pl unknown
  • 2009-02-10 AU AU2009213918A patent/AU2009213918A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2009-02-10 JP JP2010545542A patent/JP5364869B2/ja active Active
  • 2009-02-10 US US12/866,100 patent/US8777031B2/en active Active
• 2012
  • 2012-08-13 CY CY20121100729T patent/CY1113066T1/el unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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