Injection-molded container

Abstract

A one-piece, injection-molded, openable container for holding one or more vessels, comprises: (a) a holding section (1) for holding the said one or more vessels; (b) a closure section (2) movable between open and closed positions; and (c) an engagement means (5) for engaging, and so holding in place, the said one or more vessels when the closure section is in the closed position and disengaging, and thus allowing access to, the said one or more vessels when the closure section is in the open position, wherein the engagement means (5) comprises a leading edge having at least one indentation (7) for grasping a portion of each of the vessel(s).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to containers for holding one or more vessels and, in particular, to such containers manufactured as one-piece items, for example as constructed using injection-molding techniques.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Containers for holding one or more vessels are known in the medical and vetinary fields, in which containers are required to hold vessels such as vials and ampules in a safe, crush-protected fashion. Furthermore, vials and ampules containing drugs often comprise a sealing means that is capable of indicating whether the seal has been tampered with such that the sealed vessels have been opened. Again, the tamper-indicating seals need to be protected from adverse contact when the vessels are in their stored position within the containers.

[0003] Many of the known containers comprise multiple sections of materials including cardboard and the like, which are awkward to assemble and which do not provide sufficient mechanical robustness for protecting the contents.

[0004] Further, many of the containers of the prior art use one or more insert sections, which again make assembly of the complete container difficult and which increase the size of container required for holding a certain volume of vessels.

[0005] Often the use of a multiplicity of sections increases the cost (and reduces the ease) of assembly and the end product is not particularly aesthetically pleasing.

[0006] A number of disclosures (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,696,401; 4,120,394; 4,071,065; 3,499,525; and so forth) describe containers that engage their contents when the containers are closed, thus holding the contents in a secure manner. However, disadvantageously, such containers typically are arranged such that contact with certain parts of the contents is not avoided. Thus, such containers cannot be used for effectively storing vessels such as drug-containing vials and ampules that have tamper-indicating sealing tops

[0007] GB 6 832 72 discloses a container having a flat pressure plate for holding contents (such as cigarettes) in place once the container has been closed. Again, such a container is not adapted to effectively grasp and thus safely store medical vials, particularly those having anti-tamper seals.

[0008] The present invention seeks to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a compact, easy to use and cost-effective product that also allows for an aesthetically pleasing design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Thus, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a one-piece, injection-molded, openable container for holding one or more vessels, comprising:

[0010] (a) a holding section for holding the said one or more vessels;

[0011] (b) a closure section movable between open and closed positions; and

[0012] (c) an engagement means for engaging, and so holding in place, the said one or more vessels when the closure section is in the closed position and disengaging and thus allowing access to, the said one or more vessels when the closure section is in the open position;

[0013] wherein the engagement means comprises a leading edge having at least one indentation for grasping a portion of each of the vessel(s).

[0014] Such a one-piece container can be simply and inexpensively manufactured by injection molding and thus does not incorporate multiple pieces that are difficult to assemble.

[0015] Preferably, the container further comprises a hinge section connecting the holding and the closure sections. The hinge section is generally rotatable at least about its attachment to the holding section and so the closure section can be moved between its open and closed positions. In the latter position, the closure section is engaged, at least partially, with the holding section.

[0016] Typically, the engagement means is attached to the hinge section. Thus, when the container is in its open position, the engagement means is located so as not to be engaging the one or vessels, because the hinge has rotated the engagement means away from the holding section. However, as the container is closed, the engagement means rotates together with the hinge section about the latter's attachment with the holding means, until the engagement means is located such that it engages the vessels.

[0017] In one embodiment the vessel(s) may be vials or ampules. Such vessels are typically constructed of glass or composite material and are, for example, capable of holding drugs, particularly in liquid or powder form, that may be safely stored in the closed container, so as to be protected from physical shocks and the environment in general. Preferably, the vials or ampules can have tamper-indicating sealing means fitted to them for allowing the user to see whether a third party has attempted to access the contents of the vessels after they have been sealed. The indentations of the engagement means can thus grasp the necks or bodies of the vials or ampules to effectively secure them into position when the container is closed.

[0018] In another embodiment, the closure section comprises securing means for securing one or more further items within the container, for example syringe(s), tubing, swab(s) and/or filter(s). Such items may be necessary to enable the physician to administer the drug held within the vessels. Typically, the securing means is a clip or other such arrangement, which holds the item(s) in place ready for use when the container is opened. In this way, the clip may be located to store the item(s) in the roof of the closed container in close proximity to, but not touching, any tamper-indicating seals. Thus, the item(s) are ideally stored so that they cannot interfere with the vessels' seals.

[0019] In a further embodiment, the holding section comprises at least one partition dividing the container into at least two sub-compartments, at least one of which is provided for holding one or more further items, such as instruction pamphlet(s). Such pamphlets may provide the physician or patient with important instructions regarding how to administer the dose and what the correct dosage level may be.

[0020] Preferably, the container is constructed of polypropylene. This material is fully recyclable, thus the product is environmentally friendly. Further, the containers so constructed can be formed to have sufficient mechanical strength to withstand physical shocks and thus protect the contents of the vessels held within. Another important advantage of this material is that it can provide a strong hinge section that is durable throughout the lifetime of the container despite repeated opening and closing of the container.

[0021] Generally, the vessels are of uniform shape, but need not be so. Likewise, the vessels may be of uniform size but, because it is injection moulded, the container can be easily produced so as to be adapted to enable vessels of differing size and shape to be accommodated. Whereas different drugs may be presented in vials of differing shape or size, a single container can be made to accommodate any required combination of size/shape of vials to be stored.

[0022] Typically, the engagement means comprises a leading edge having at least one indentation for grasping either a body or a neck of one of the vessel(s). In this way, the vessels may be securely held in place and will not collide with one another during transit. If the vessels have a substantially cylindrical shape, then each indentation will usually have a matching, partially circular shape, so as to engage the vessel neck or body in a closely fitting manner. The production of the container by injection moulding means that the shape/size of the individual indentations of the engagement means can easily be varied, as too can the overall size and shape of the container itself.

[0023] In another embodiment, the closure section may provide further storage space within the container, when the container is in the closed position. Thus, the items mentioned above, such as syringes and so forth can be accommodated in such storage space, whilst the vessels themselves are held in the holding section. The relative orientation of the storage position of the items may differ from that of the vessels, if required.

[0024] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a kit for providing a medical or vetinary drug delivery system, comprising a container as described above together with one or more vessels, and optionally one or more syringe(s), instruction pamphlet(s), swab(s), filter(s) and/or section(s) of tubing.

[0025] The present invention will now be further described by way of the following non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a container (in a closed state) according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates the container of FIG. 1 in a half-opened state;

[0028] FIG. 3 depicts the container of FIG. 1 in a fully opened state; and

[0029] FIG. 4 shows a plan and side view of the container as shown in FIG. 3.

BEST MODE OF THE INVENTION

[0030] In FIG. 1, a container is illustrated that can be used for holding vials or ampules containing drugs for medical administration. The container comprises a holding section 1 and a closure section 2, which are shown in the closed position in this figure. The closure section 2 has a finger recess 3 that enables the user to open the container more easily.

[0031] As the closure section 2 is opened (see FIG. 2), it rotates about its attachment to a hinge section 4, to which is attached an engagement means 5. As the opening process continues (see FIG. 3), the hinge section 4 also rotates about its attachment to the holding section 1. The engagement means 5 therefore rotates away from its initial position. When the container is closed, the engagement means 5 is able to grasp vessels (not shown in the figures) that are held by the holding section but, as the container is opened, the engagement means 5 rotates away from its initial grasping position to release its hold upon the vessels, as the hinge section 4 rotates. The vessels are then free to be accessed by the user.

[0032] Also shown, in both of FIGS. 2 and 3, is securement means 6 in the roof of the closure section 2. The securement means 6 can be used to clip other items, typically a syringe, into place within the storage space provided in the roof of the closure section 2. Other types of securement means 6 can be used and these can be adapted to hold other related items in place, such as swabs, filters, sections of tubing, and so forth.

[0033] The engagement means has at least one indentation 7 along its leading, grasping edge. Such indentations 7 are typically shaped to match the external shape of a portion of the vessels, thus facilitating the grasping process when the container is shut. As shown in FIG. 3, the indentations 7 may be of different shapes and sizes so as to be able to accommodate different types of vessels. However, of course, if the container is designed to hold vessels of uniform shape, the corresponding indentations 7 will naturally be designed to also be uniform. A single engagement means can have a plurality of indentations each of varying, different sizes and shapes, if required.

[0034] Although the engagement means 5 shown in the figures is a leaf-type structure that extends from an attachment with the hinge 4, other arrangements are also envisaged. For example, the container need not comprise a hinge section 4 per se at all, so that the engagement means 5 may be connected instead, for example, directly to the closure section 2 by a thin, flexible area about which it can rotate. When no hinge section 4 is present the closure section may also be connected to the holding section by such a thin, flexible area about which mutual rotation of the sections can take place.

[0035] Further, the engagement means 5 need not actually be a single leaf-type structure, but could alternatively be any other structure that is capable of engaging and holding the vessels in place when the container is shut. Many such structures and arrangements will be self-evident to the person skilled in the art.

[0036] The holding section 1 can also be divided by a partition 8, which divides the compartment therein into sub-compartments. In FIG. 4A, two sub-compartments are shown, one 10 for holding the vessels themselves and another 9 for holding further items, such as instruction pamphlets. The latter are typically included in the contents of the container, so that the person administering the drug held within the vessels is aware of the correct procedure and dosage required.

[0037] The present invention therefore provides a simply constructed container that can be manufactured inexpensively and with ease, that can be used without complex intermediate assembly procedures, and that can be made of resilient, recyclable materials.

Claims

1. A one-piece, injection-molded, openable container for holding one or more vessels, comprising:

(a) a holding section (1) for holding the said one or more vessels;

(b) a closure section (2) movable between open and closed positions; and

(c) an engagement means (5) for engaging, and so holding in place, the said one or more vessels when the closure section (2) is in the closed position and disengaging, and thus allowing access to, the said one or more vessels when the closure section (2) is in the open position;

wherein the engagement means (5) comprises a leading edge having at least one indention (7) for grasping a portion of each of the vessel(s).

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indentations (7) are of uniform and/or differing shape(s) and/or size(s), so as to be adapted to grasp vessels having portions of corresponding shape(s)/size(s).

3. A container as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 further comprising a hinge section (4) connecting the holding and the closure sections.

4. A container as claimed in claim 3, wherein the engagement means (5) is attached to the hinge section (4).

5. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the closure section (2) comprises securing means (6) for securing, and thus storing, one or more further items within the container, for example syringe(s), tubing, swab(s) and/or filter(s), without said further items contacting said one or more vessels.

6. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the vessel(s) are vials or ampules; optionally having tamper-indicating sealing means.

7. A container as claimed in claim 6, wherein the securing means (6) is arranged to secure the further items in a stored location being in proximity with, but secured away from, the tamper-indicating sealing means of the vessel(s).

8. A container as claimed in claim 6, wherein the indentations (7) are adapted to grasp either a body or a neck of the vial(s) or ampule(s).

9. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the holding section (1) comprises at least one partition dividing the container into at least two sub-compartments at least one of which is provided for holding one or more further items, such as instruction pamphlet(s).

10. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, being constructed of polypropylene.

11. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the closure section (2) provides further storage space within the container, when the container is in the closed position.

12. A kit for providing a medical or vetinary drug delivery system, comprising a container as claimed in any preceding claim together with one or more vessels, and optionally one or more syringe(s), instruction pamphlet(s), swab(s), filter(s) and/or section(s) of tubing.

13. A kit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the vessel(s) are vials or ampules; optionally having a tamper-indicating sealing means.

14. A container or kit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and/or as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.