SYRINGE NEST WITH HEXAGONAL CHIMNEYS AND CENTER OFFSET
A syringe nest is provided that includes a planar base and a plurality of nesting units extending from and interconnected by the base. Each nesting unit includes a hollow hexagonal body having a first open end and an opposing second open end.
The present invention relates to a syringe nest. In particular, the present invention relates to a syringe nest of such a geometry that a plurality of syringes may be securely individually nested in chimneys in close proximity to each other, without compromising injection mold tool integrity.
A syringe nest is typically a substantially planar tray which sits in a syringe tub and has a plurality of individual nesting units, typically referred to as chimneys, each capable of receiving a syringe, to contain, transport and fill syringes in various manufacturing processes. The syringe nest is typically used in automation processes for the assembly of, for example, pre-filled syringes. The chimneys of a syringe nest have a defined center to center distance that must remain accurate, in order to ensure that the nest is compatible with existing manufacturing, packaging, and filling equipment. The quantity sizes of syringe nests have been increasing in recent years, with 160 chimneys/nest potentially becoming, the new standard.
This has caused the syringe chimneys to be formed significantly closer together, particularly for nests requiring larger chimney diameters due to integrated safety systems. As the standard circular chimneys get closer together, moldability of such nests may become impossible and/or injection mold geometry may become thinner and less robust. In turn, manufacturing cycle time is increased and the mold life is reduced.
Accordingly, there is a need for a syringe nest with chimneys that meet the standard requisite center to center distance, but which can be optimized for injection molding.
In accordance with one embodiment, the present invention relates to a syringe nest having a hexagonal structure that enables more robust mold geometry, but which also preserves manufacturer-specified center to center distance of nest chimneys and syringes, such that the nest is acceptable for use in existing automation and filling equipment. In another embodiment, the present invention also relates to a syringe nest which reduces or eliminates the troublesome and unpredictable warping condition that syringe nests may exhibit post sterilization procedures (e.g., by gamma irradiation, ethylene oxide, autoclaving, etc.).
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONBriefly stated, in one embodiment, the present invention relates to a syringe nest comprising a planar base and a plurality of nesting units extending from and interconnected by the base. Each nesting unit comprises a hollow hexagonal body having a first open end and an opposing second open end.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings:
Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are in simplified form and are not drawn to precise scale. Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The words “right,” “left,” “top,” “bottom” and “lower” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “first,” “second,” “third” and “fourth” designate an order of operations in the drawings to which reference is made, but do not limit these steps to the exact order described. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the device and designated parts thereof. Unless specifically set forth herein, the terms “a,” “an” and “the” are not limited to one element, but instead should be read as meaning “at least one.” The terminology includes the words noted above, derivatives thereof and words of similar import.
Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals and characters indicate like elements throughout, there are shown in
The nest 10 is generally configured as a planar tray. While the present embodiment is configured with the nest 10 configured as a planar square tray, the nest 10 can alternatively be configured into any planar fashion suitable for its intended use, such as a planar circular, rectangular, oval, or octagonal shaped tray.
Referring to
Referring to
Hexagonal chimneys 12 arranged in the line to line orientation naturally also form contiguous walls 26 that are advantageous for injection molding. Circular chimneys, as shown in the prior art nest of
The line to line arrangement of the hexagonal chimneys 12 naturally creates voids 30, and more particularly triangular-shaped voids 30, between chimneys 12. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the voids 30 may have any shape based on the shape of the chimneys 12. In one aspect, in order to further enhance moldability and reduce manufacturing cycle time, an intermediate wall 28 is provided between the first and second open ends 30a, 30b of each of the triangular voids 30 (best seen in
In a second preferred embodiment, the plurality of hexagonal chimneys 12 are arranged in a honeycomb pattern, in order to maintain the predetermined center to center distance D of the chimneys 12, and more particularly the predetermined center to center distance D between the syringes to be placed within each chimney 12 (
Conventionally, utilizing solely a honeycomb structure based on the desired center to center chimney distance would require excessive wall thickness to form a platform on which flanges of the syringes may rest, which would be disadvantageous for injection molding. The second preferred embodiment of the present invention avoids such excess wall thickness. In particular, each of the hexagonal chimneys 12 has a relatively large diameter that enables maintaining the predetermined center to center distance D, but also does not have an excessive sidewall 18 thickness. Accordingly, the diameter DC of each chimney 12 is generally larger than the diameter of the flange of the syringe 34. As such, the syringe flange cannot rest on the chimney sidewalls 18.
In the embodiments shown in
As such, the base 16 essentially serves as a peripheral flange that extends in a midline plane of the plurality of chimneys 12, and which provides strength and stiffness to the nest 10 to reduce warping effects which occur during molding (e.g., by facilitating consistent cooling), post molding (e.g., by facilitating more uniform shrinkage), and sterilization (e.g., by providing a robust geometry that is more resistant to sterilization temperatures). The peripheral flange 16 also further enhances moldability and reduces injection molding cycle time, allowing for more shallow draws and increased mold
In one embodiment, for example as shown in
In one embodiment, an arcuate shaped edge ridge 44 also extends generally perpendicularly from the planar base 16 and defines an edge hole 46 (see, e.g.,
In one embodiment, to prevent the syringe from falling through the chimney 12, while also keeping each syringe 34 centered within a respective chimney 12 (i.e., a concentric arrangement) and preventing excessive movement of the syringe 34 within the chimney 12, at least one chimney 12, and more preferably a plurality of the chimneys 12, each includes at least one retention member 32, and more preferably a plurality of retention members 32 (see
In the present embodiment, as shown in
In another embodiment, as shown in
In another embodiment, as shown in
In another variation, as shown in
Two additional variations of cam geometries are shown in
In the cam geometry of
In the cam geometry of
The asymmetrical cam design makes a more effective use of gravity, as the syringe flange 34a will always fall on an incline (i.e., the inclined cams 54) or into the recess 56. The asymmetrical cam design also includes a vertical drop 58 into the flange recess 56 that is below the bottom cam 54. The vertical drop 58 will prevent the syringe 34 from rotating back up the cams 54 (e.g., during transportation, filling, etc.) and moving out of tolerance of the necessary center-to-center distance D. It will be understood that such a vertical drop may also be included in the symmetrical cam design of
In another embodiment, as shown in
In addition to alignment geometry, it is also beneficial to ensure that a safety system, which has a diameter or width larger than that of the syringe 34 barrel, does not get caught on the bottom of the nest 10 during removal, a risk which is particularly present in embodiments utilizing a ledge or ribs within the chimneys 12. Accordingly, at least in such embodiments, each chimney 12 includes one or more chamfers 38 on the interior wall surface 20 to prevent catching on the chimney 12 during removal, as shown in
In another embodiment, shown in
It will be understood that the concept of flexing members is not limited to a chimney 12 of a hexagonal geometry, but instead may be utilized on a chimney of various geometries, such as, for example, circular, square, triangular, and the like.
In another embodiment, as shown in
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is to be understood, therefore, that the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1-20. (canceled)
21. A syringe nest comprising:
- a planar base; and
- a plurality of nesting units extending from and interconnected by the base, each nesting unit comprising a hollow hexagonal body having a first open end and an opposing second open end,
- wherein the first open end of each body is distal from the planar base and the second open end is proximate the planar base.
22. The syringe nest of claim 21, wherein the nesting units are arranged in a point to point orientation.
23. The syringe nest of claim 22, further comprising voids formed between the nesting units.
24. The syringe nest of claim 23, wherein the voids are triangular shaped voids.
25. The syringe nest of claim 24, wherein an intermediate wall is provided between first and second open ends of each of the triangular voids.
26. The syringe nest of claim 21, wherein the nesting units are arranged in a honeycomb pattern with no voids formed between adjacent nesting units.
27. A syringe nest comprising:
- a planar base having a first surface and an opposing second surface; and
- a plurality of nesting units extending from and interconnected by the base, each nesting unit comprising a hollow hexagonal body having a first open end and an opposing second open end, wherein the planar base is positioned at an intermediate position between the first and second open ends, such that a first portion of the body of each nesting unit extends distally from the first surface of the planar base and a second portion of the body of each nesting unit extends distally from the second surface of the planar base.
28. The syringe nest of claim 27, wherein the planar base includes a plurality of stiffening members extending from at least one peripheral edge of the planar base toward the plurality of nesting units.
29. The syringe nest of claim 28, wherein the plurality of stiffening members are formed on both the first surface and the second surface of the planar base.
30. The syringe nest of claim 21, wherein each nesting unit includes at least one retention member proximate the first open end.
31. The syringe nest of claim 30, wherein the at least one retention member is formed below a plane of the first open end.
32. The syringe nest of claim 30, wherein the at least one retention member is a radially inwardly extending member.
33. The syringe nest of claim 32, wherein the at least one retention member is at least one of a radially inwardly extending flange, shelf, rib and plurality of circumferentially spaced bumps.
34. The syringe nest of claim 30, wherein the at least one retention member is chamfered.
35. The syringe nest of claim 21, wherein the body of each nesting unit includes a plurality of longitudinally extending slits which separate the body into a plurality of spaced apart portions, at least one of the spaced apart portions being a flexing member.
36. The syringe nest of claim 21, wherein the first open end of each nesting unit includes at least one cam and at least one associated recess, such that a syringe flange contacts and travels over the at least one cam and subsequently comes to rest in the at least one associated recess.
37. The syringe nest of claim 36, wherein the first open end of each nesting unit includes a pair of opposing cams with the at least one recess being formed therebetween.
38. The syringe nest of claim 37, wherein the pair of opposing cams are symmetrical.
39. The syringe nest of claim 37, wherein the pair of opposing cams are asymmetrical inclined surfaces
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 27, 2017
Publication Date: Mar 7, 2019
Inventors: Christopher EVANS (Long Valley, NJ), Brian COSTELLO (Whitehouse Station, NJ), Raymond PROTASIEWICZ (Whippany, NJ), Christopher GIEDA (Long Valley, NJ), Jorge SANTOS (Scottsdale, AZ)
Application Number: 16/071,622