| WO/2003/053810 | SEALABLE BEVERAGE BOTTLE |
| WO/2006/018611 | PACKAGING ARTICLE |
| WO/2008/156420 | CONTAINER IN THE FORM OF A SHEET-METAL CAN WITH SHEET-METAL LID |
| CLAIMS: 1. A vial transport package comprising: • a pair of complementary, impervious vial enclosure members adapted for enclosing one or more vials between them, each member having: • a formation extending endlessly around a periphery of the member and shaped to be complementary with the formation of the other member, the formations fitting together as a convex/concave pair, • a layer of super-absorbent material extending between the enclosure members, including at the convex/concave pair of formations and • a pair of complementary holding members for holding the peripheral formations against each other, the arrangement being such that release of liquid between the enclosure members causes swelling of the super-absorbent material within the convex/concave pair of formations such as to inhibit passage of the liquid past the formations. 2. A vial transport package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the convex/concave pair of formations are formed in peripheral rims of the enclosure members. 3. A vial transport package as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the complementary holding members have plain faces for abutting the rims of the enclosure members. 4. A vial transport package as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the complementary holding members include formations complementary to the convex/concave pair of formations. 5. A vial transport package as claimed in claim 4, wherein the complementary members have inner and outer rim members, on opposite sides of the complementary formations, with the inner members being positioned with respect to the outer rim members for abutment of the enclosure members prior to abutment of corresponding outer portions of the rims. 6. A vial transport package as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the holding members are be clipped together, particularly for short distance transport of long thin packages, such as within a further container in a hospital pneumatic transport system. 7. A vial transport package as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the holding members are screwed together for longer distance transport by mail which can include air transport. 8. A vial transport package as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the enclosure members include further complementary inter-engaging formations inwards of the convex/concave pair. 9. A vial transport package as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the complementary holding members and their enclosure members are formed as to inter- engage, whereby each holding member and its enclosure member can be handled as a single unit. 10. A vial transport package as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the enclosure members is provided with recesses for receiving vials. 11. A vial transport package as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein at least one of the enclosure members is provided with a central recess for a packaging insert, for receiving and locating vials. 12. A vial transport package as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the layer of super absorbent material is provided separately from the other components. 13. A vial transport package as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the super absorbent material is laminated into at least one of the enclosure members. |
The present invention relates to a vial transport package
As used herein, the term "vial" means a small bottle or container, usually of glass or plastics material, in which a pharmaceutical or medical or other dose or specimen is placed or stored.
In my first prior International Patent Application No. WO 2006/134336 there is described and claimed in a first aspect: A packaging material including:
• a first layer of thermoformable plastics material;
• a second layer including:-
• thermobondable material and • absorbent material; and in a second aspect:
A transport package for transporting samples in holders, the package comprising:-
• a complementary pair thermoformed trays made from the material of the first aspect, and having indentations therein shaped for samples for transport;
• a gasket; and
• a securing clip.
The description of preferred embodiment states:
..., the material 1 thereshown is a bi-layer material having a thermoformable layer 2 and an absorbent layer 4. The thermoformable layer is of a polypropylene material having a polyethylene coating, although other thermoformable materials could be used. The absorbent layer 4 comprises a mixture of a thermobondable fibres and absorbent material. Suitable thermobondable fibres sell under the OASIS trade mark and comprise of polypropylene fibres having a polyethylene coating. Other thermobondable fibres could also be used. The absorbent material is typically super- absorbent fibres .... ... a tray 10 of material described above, thermoformed to provide one half of a transport package. Depressions 12 having been thermoformed in the tray to provide spaces for samples to be transported. When this sheet is mated with a second complementary tray the samples will be entirely contained within the depressions. As shown the tray is thermoformed to hold five blood samples, but could equally be formed for urine or drug containers, or mixtures of these.
... the package thereshown 20 comprises two complementary trays 22, 24, captivating the samples with a gasket 26 provided in the depression therebetween. In use, samples are placed in the depression in a first tray, and a gasket is placed in the edge depression. A second tray is placed on top of the first sheet, trapping between the trays the samples and the gasket. To secure the package, a clip 28 is attached to the edge of the package. The clip is a moulding, which clips around the circumference of the package, over the gasket, sealing the container. As shown the clip comprises four separate clips, however these could be articulated to fit around the corners of the package.
I struggled to make a successful package in accordance with my first prior application.
In my second International Patent Application No. WO 2008/146010 there is described and claimed:
A transport package for a leak-risk liquid container, the transport package comprising: • a casing for enclosing the container and formed of a complementary pair of casing-parts of impermeable material, arrangeable opposite each other for closure of the casing, • one of the casing-parts having:
• a container-receiving depression extending in a direction outwards of the casing when closed and
• a rim around the depression, the rim adjoining the depression or being set away from it and extending in the outwards direction or in the opposite, inwards direction, and • the other of the casing-parts having:
• a central region opposite the depression in the other casing-part when the casing is closed and
• a rim around the central region, the rim extending inwards of the casing when closed or outwards, the directions in which the rims extend being such that when the container is closed the rims fit the one within the other, and
• a super-absorbent material lining on at least one of the casing-parts, the lining extending from one or both of the depression and the central region as far as and between the rims when the container is closed, with negligible clearance at the rims either between the linings where both casing-parts are lined or between the lining of the lined one of the casing-parts and the other casing-part where one only is lined, the arrangement being such that liquid accidentally released from an encased container is absorbed by the super-absorbent material centrally of the rims and does not penetrate appreciably between the rims, initial liquid (if any) reaching the said negligible clearance and swelling the super-absorbent material there, with further permeation of liquid being blocked by the swelling providing "gel blocking".
Transport packages in accordance with my second prior application have been successful.
However, I have not yet been able to package successfully vials of the evacuated type having a membrane through which a sample can be drawn hypodermically, at least for air transport. A catastrophic decompression in an aircraft carrying such vials could result in the pressure in the vials rising above the ambient pressure with the result that they leak. Whilst the rims of my second prior application are likely to provide adequate sealing, the vials can contain noxious substance for which greater certainty of containment is thought necessary. This is not adequate for the purposes of the regulations for the Transport of Medical and Diagnostic Specimens, namely UN 3373 and IATA PI 650, which inter alia provide that:
"The primary receptacle or the secondary packaging must be capable of withstanding, without leakage, an internal pressure of 95 kPa in the range —40 0 C to +55 0 C."
My first prior application did not appear to hold the answer for such certainty. It was awkward to use in requiring separate, individual clips to be added along each side of package. The clips themselves were unable to exert sufficient force to urge assuredly the gasket against the trays around the entire periphery. Not least this was because the gasket was received in the depressions, whose form stiffened the trays.
A better engineered solution seemed to be required, and this within constraints of weight and dimension. The vials can be arrayed in two dimensions between two trays/casing parts. However, if the package extends in a third dimension to an extent similar to its extent in the first dimension, valuable transport volume is lost and the cost of transport per vial is increased. Similarly with weight. The weight of two trays/casing parts is of the same order of magnitude as the vials as such. Any addition to the package should weigh as little as possible. At the same time it must provide assurance of containment around the entire vial carrying region in the manner that the rims in my second prior application do. Neither of my two prior applications appeared to provide a direction towards the required certainty. Some additional expedient appeared necessary.
I have now devised a package in which gel-blocking at mechanically restrained formations appears to function in the manner intended of the gasket in my first above application.
I am aware that jam jar lids with multi-start threads are well known, but they are equally notorious for being difficult to open on occasion.
The object of the present invention is to provide a transport package for vials of the evacuated/membrane type amongst others.
According to the invention there is provided a vial transport package comprising:
• a pair of complementary, impervious vial enclosure members adapted for enclosing one or more vials between them, each member having: • a formation extending endlessly around a periphery of the member and shaped to be complementary with the formation of the other member, the formations fitting together as a convex/concave pair,
• a layer of super-absorbent material extending between the enclosure members, including at the convex/concave pair of formations and
• a pair of complementary holding members for holding the peripheral formations against each other, the arrangement being such that release of liquid between the enclosure members causes swelling of the super-absorber material within the convex/concave pair of formations such as to inhibit passage of the liquid past the formations.
Conveniently the convex/concave pair of formations are formed in peripheral rims of the enclosure members.
The complementary holding members can have plain faces for abutting the rims of the enclosure members. However, in the preferred embodiments, they include formations complementary to the convex/concave pair of formations, for supporting them in the event of "swelling of the super-absorber material within the convex/concave pair such as to inhibit passage of the liquid past the formations". This swelling is also referred to below as "gel-blocking". Additionally, the complementary members will normally have inner and outer rim members, on opposite sides of the complementary formations, with the inner members being positioned with respect to the outer rim members for abutment of the enclosure members prior to abutment of corresponding outer portions of the rims.
The holding members can be clipped together, particularly for short distance transport of long thin packages, such as within a further container in a hospital pneumatic transport system. Alternatively the holding members can be screwed together for longer distance transport by mail which can include air transport.
The enclosure members may include further complementary inter-engaging formations inwards of the convex/concave pair to provide a further gel-blocking function. Additionally, the complementary holding members and their enclosure members can be so formed as to inter-engage, whereby each holding member and its enclosure member can be handled as a single unit.
Centrally, the enclosure members, or at least one of them, will normally be provided with recesses for receiving vials. Alternatively, one or both of the enclosure members can be provided with a central recess for a packaging insert, such as foam, for receiving and locating vials.
It can be envisaged that the layer of super absorbent material could be provided separately from the other components, namely the enclosure members and the packaging insert. However, in the preferred embodiment, it is laminated onto one of the enclosure members. It could be on both.
To help understanding of the invention, two embodiments thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vial transport package in accordance with the invention;
Figure 2 is an exploded view of an upper holding member, an upper enclosure member, a lower enclosure member and a lower enclosure member of the invention;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional side vi ew of the transport package, taken on the line III-III in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side vi ew of the transport package, taken on the line IV-IV in Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a scrap of circle V in Fi gure 3;
Figure 6 is an oblique, central, cros s-sectional side view of a variant of the vial transport package of Figure 1, the cross-section being taken on one plane; Figure 7 is a similar, cross-sectional view of the variant of Figure 6 taken on another, orthogonal plane;
Figure 8 is another view of the cros s-section of Figure 6;
Figure 9 is a scrap view of the right hand side of Figure 6;
Figure 10 is a scrap view of the left hand side of Figure 8; Figure 11 is an oblique end view of the vial transport package of Figure 6;
Figure 12 is a front of the vial transport package of Figure 6;
Figure 13 is a plan view of the vial transport package of Figure 6;
Figure 14 is an oblique plan view of an open, second vial transport package of the invention;
Figure 15 is a similar underneath view of the second vial transport package when closed;
Figure 16 is a cross-sectional side view of the second vial transport package;
Figure 17 is a cross-sectional end vi ew of the second vial transport package; Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view through a living hinge of the secon package when open; and
Figure 19 is a scrap view similar to Figure 11, but on a larger scale showing the end of the package.
Referring to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings, a vial transport package 1 has an upper, generally circular, vacuum-formed of plastics material, enclosure member 2 having formations 3 for receiving vials V. To ease placement and particularly removal of the vials, scallops 4 are provided down to half the depth of the vials to allow them to be gripped and removed, the formations being sized for grip of exposed portions of the vials.
A lower, relatively plain, also generally circular vacuum-formed, enclosure member 5 is provided. It has stiffening formations 6. It has laminated to it a non- woven fabric layer 7, which is heavily laden with super-absorbent material.
The members 2,5 have invert-V formations 8,9 extending around planar rims 10. Thus the members nest one on top of the other, with the rims engaging in each other. From the direction of the lower member 5, the formation 8 in the upper member 2 is concave and from the other direction, the formation 9 in the lower member 5 is convex.
The two members 2,5 nested on each other and enclosing a number of vials V are received in a lower holding member 11 of injection moulded plastics material on an annular rim 12 within a circular upstand 14. The rim has an annular invert-V formation 15, which engages in the underside of the formation 9 of the lower enclosure member. The inside of the upstand has integrally moulded multi-start screw threads 16.
An upper holding member 17 in the form of a complementarily threaded 18 ring is engageable within the upstand 14. Its lower face has a complementary invert- V groove 19. The ring has four spaced lugs 20 extending out and down from the top of the ring.
The lower member 11 has a rounded-corner, outer flange 21 also with four lugs 22. These are at 12.00, 4.30, 6.00 and 10.30 o'clock positions. The multi-start threads are arranged for complete tightening in 45°, whereby two of the lugs 20 move from the clockwise side of two of the lugs 22 for tightening, with the other two lugs 20 ending on the anti-clockwise side of the other two lugs 22. Thus tightening torque can be applied by finger and thumb pressure - in the direction of the arrows T - between the approaching lugs. Again and finger and thumb force can be used on the other lugs - in the direction of the arrows U - for un-tightening, i.e. opening of the package.
In the tightened position, the two enclosure members are held between the threaded ring and the lower holding member with the convex/concave pair of formations 8,9 firmly engaged, with the super-absorbent material between them. Should there be a leakage from one of the vials, and the liquid reaches these formations, the super-absorbent material will swell up causing blocking of the passage of the liquid past the formations. These are circumferentially endless, whereby no leakage is possible.
hi addition, at their positions immediately inwards of the ring 18, both enclosure members have steps 23,24, which also provide gel-blocking inter- engagement of the members, with the steps abutting radially.
One other detail of note is that the outer flange 21 and a web on the ring lug 22 both have apertures 25,26 for a security tag (not shown). It will be noted that, as is preferred, provided that the enclosure members are of clear material, leakage from a vial can be seen before the package is opened.
In a variant shown in Figures 6 to 13, the upper enclosure member 52 is plain, with stiffening formations 56, but not vial recesses. The lower enclosure member 55 is similarly formed with stiffening formations and 56 and also shallow recesses 561 for foam strips 563. The strips have a series of apertures 564 with slits 565 to one surface. The apertures can receive vials (not shown in these Figures) of a variety of sizes. The lower enclosure member is coated with a layer of super-absorbent material (not separately shown).
At the inner edges 661 of their rims, the holding member rings 61, 67 have tapers or drafts 611, 671. The enclosure members have corresponding drafts 612,672, as best seen in Figure 9 & 10. Thus the rings can be engaged with enclosure members for handling as a unit, before respective tops and bottoms of the package are screwed together. Figures 9 & 10 also show that in the lower ring 61, the radially inner portion 621 of its rim 62 is higher than its outer portion 622. Thus when the upper ring 67 is fitted, the enclosure members 52,55 are tightly gripped radially inwards of the invert- V formations of all these components. Thus should a vial leak, its liquid will cause gel blocking at this position even before the moisture reaches the invert-V formations.
Additionally, as best appreciated with reference to Figures 11, 12 & 13, the outside of the outer holding member has a segmented flange 613 extending around it spaced above its outer rim 623. Please note from the patterning of the reinforcement visible in these Figures that Figure 11 is an oblique side view to the plan view of Figure 13. The flange has gaps 614 next to unfastening ones 721 of its lugs, the flange adjoining the lug on its other side, hi its 135° extent to the fastening ones 722 of its lugs, the flange has smaller gaps 615 and larger gaps 616. These are set at 45° and 90°. The smaller gaps merely provide for local connection of the outer rim 623 to the ring 61 as such, insofar as slots 617 are provided beneath the flange 613, for moulding tool fingers to protrude for forming the underside of the flange. The slots are discontinuous at the gaps 614, 615, 616 and the lugs 721,722, whereby the outer rim and the ring as such are firmly attached together. The purpose of the flange 613 and its gaps is to provide that the inner ring can be fitted in a correct position only, it and the outer ring having eight start threads. The inner ring has four lugs, again designated unfastening 701 and fastening 702. The lugs all have radial flanges 703 from the inner ring, passing over the top of the outer ring, depending flanges 704 outside the segmented flange 613. The radial and depending flanges are connected to their lugs 701,702 for their reinforcement. The lugs 701 have their flanges on their clockwise sides and the lugs 702 have them on their anti-clockwise sides. The result is that although the lugs are set at 90° to each other around the inner ring, their radial flanges 703 are not. hi other words, the edges of the flanges facing each other circumferentially are closer than the opposite edges of the lugs facing each other. The gaps 614 and 616 are spaced around the outer ring to receive the lugs and their flanges in such position as the unfastening lugs 701 being next to the unfastening lugs 721.
To further ensure that the rings are assembled in this rotary position only - which has two possibilities 180° apart - the flanges 704 have returns 705 which fit in the gaps when the rings are offered up and pass under the flange 613 on tightening, by finger and thumb pressure on the fastening ones 702,712 of the lugs. For unfastening, finger and thumb pressure is applied to the unfastening ones 701,711 of the lugs. It should be noted that as shown in Figures 11 & 12, the fastened position, there is clearance between the returns 705 and the flange 613 so that, as the inner ring is moved to its unfastened position and rises on the screw threads with respect to the outer ring, the returns approach the flange and clear it as they come into register with the gaps 614, through which they can be lifted for final removal of the inner ring from the outer one.
Thus although the threads on the rings are eight-start threads, they can be engaged in only the two 180° apart positions.
Turning now to Figures 14 to 19, a rectangular package 101 has lower and upper super-absorbent bearing enclosure members 102,105, each with a formation 103 for a two vials (not shown). Each member has a peripheral convex/concave, gel- blocking V-formationl08, 109. An upper holding member 111 has an outer support rim 112 with a V- groove 115 for abutting underneath the V- formation 109 around its extent. An lower holding member 117 has a V-ridge 119 for abutting on top of the V- formation 108. The upper member has a continuous clip or overhangl51 around its periphery 152. This engages with a complementary groove 154 of the lower member 111. The two holding members are moulded as one of plastics material with a living hinge 155 between them, whereby vials can be inserted when the package is open in the Figure 9 position and hinged close to the Figure 10 position. At their ends opposite from the hinge the members are provided with tabs 156 which lie flush with each other when the package is closed and can be twisted out of flush to disengage locally the clip and groove for opening of the package.
This complete package can be of a size to fit within a pneumatic tube transport system.
The invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above- described embodiment. For instance, the convex/concave formation pair can be formed other than V-shaped, for instance C- or U-shaped. The returns 705 and the flange segments 613 can be provided at angles and heights to co-operate as screw threads, complementing or indeed replacing the threads of the rings. The super- absorbent material can be provided as a discrete disc, formed to the same dimensions and shape, at least at the rings, as one or other of the enclosure members.