Container for receiving moisture sensitive goods

• US 10,246,241 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2012
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airnov, Inc. (Colorcon Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Clariant Healthcare Packaging (France) S.A.S.
• Inventors: Logel, Valere, Richir, Franck
• Primary Examiner(s): Stashick, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desai, Kaushikkumar
• Application Number:
  US13/727,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20130220844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,287 Days
• Field of Search: 206528, 220540, 220244, 220263, 53474
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 55/00 Preserving, protecting or purifying packages or package contents in association with packaging by packaging under special atmospheric or gaseous conditions B65B31/00; devices for placing protecting sheets, plugs, or wads over contents B65B61/22
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/162 the container, the lid and the hinge being made of one piece B65D43/161 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/265 the absorbent being placed beneath a false bottom
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/266 for absorbing gases, e.g. oxygen absorbers or desiccants B65D51/244, B65D51/30 take precedence

Abstract

A container for receiving moisture sensitive goods includes a container body (15) and a cap (26) shaped to establish a leak-proof seal between the container body and the cap. The container body has a base and a sidewall with an insert element present inside the container body having a bottom and an insert sidewall, wherein an outer circumferential surface of the insert sidewall is in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the sidewall of the container body. The bottom of the insert element is permeable to moisture and the insert sidewall and the sidewall of the container body are designed to attach the insert element inside the container body. In addition, the container has a desiccant chamber between the bottom of the insert element and the base of the container body for receiving desiccant material.

Claims

1. A container for receiving moisture sensitive goods comprising:

a container body and a cap;

wherein the cap and the container body are shaped to establish, in a closed state, a leak-proof seal between the container body and the cap;

wherein the container body comprises a base and a sidewall extending upwards from the base;

an insert element comprising a bottom and an insert sidewall, wherein the insert element is contained within an interior of the container body, such that an outer circumferential surface of the insert sidewall is in abutting contact with an inner circumferential surface of the sidewall of the container body;

wherein the bottom of the insert element is permeable to moisture;

wherein the insert sidewall and the sidewall of the container body are designed to attach the insert element inside the container body;

wherein in an area in a lower portion and in an upper portion of the sidewall of the insert element, the insert element has an outer diameter which is larger than the inner diameter of a sidewall of the container opposite from the outer most diameter of the sidewall of the insert element and accordingly the lower portion and upper portion of the insert element and/or the sidewall of the container are deformed when the insert element is introduced into the container thereby establishing a press-fit connection with the sidewall of the container body at an upper and lower section of the sidewall of the insert element;

wherein a free volume is formed between the container body and the sidewall of the insert element, which is located between the press-fit connections at the upper and lower sections of the sidewall; and

wherein the container further comprises a desiccant chamber between the bottom of the insert element and the base of the container body for receiving a predetermined amount of desiccant material.

2. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that

the insert element is comprised of a desiccant polymer.

3. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that

the bottom of the insert element comprises multiple openings.

4. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that

the bottom of the insert element comprises a membrane or a permeable film.

5. The container according to claim 4, characterized in that

a moisture vapour transmission rate (MVTR) of the bottom of the insert element is at least 1.5 times, as high as a moisture vapour transmission rate of the sidewall of the insert element.

6. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that

the insert sidewall and the sidewall of the container body are provided with a locking geometry element to attach the insert element inside the container body in a predetermined position.

7. The container according to claim 6, characterized in that

the locking geometry element comprises an annular recess in the inner circumferential surface of the sidewall of the container body for receiving the insert sidewall.

8. The container according to claim 1 characterized in that

the cap is connected via a hinge to the container body;

wherein

the hinge comprises a mechanical hinge comprising a pivot element of the container body to which the cap is rotatably attached.

9. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that

the cap is integrally formed with the container body, and a hinge is formed by a bendable section with a cross-sectional area between the container body and the cap.

10. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that

the seal between the container body and the cap comprises a sealing skirt depending from a top of the cap, which, in the closed state of the cap, sealingly engages with an opening of the container body.

11. The container of claim 5 characterized in that the moisture vapour transmission rate of the bottom of the insert element is at least 2 times as high as the moisture vapour transmission rate of the sidewall of the insert element.

12. The container of claim 5 characterized in that the moisture vapour transmission rate of the bottom of the insert element is at least 3 times as high as the moisture vapour transmission rate of the sidewall of the insert element.

13. The container of claim 1, wherein the sidewall of the insert element is shaped and dimensioned to establish a press-fit connection with the side wall of the container body only at an upper and lower section of the sidewall of the insert element.

14. The container of claim 1, further comprising a geometric locking system present between the sidewall of the container body and the sidewall of the insert which securely fits the insert into the container body in a fixed position.

15. A container for receiving moisture sensitive goods comprising:

a container body and a cap;

wherein the cap and the container body are shaped to establish, in a closed state, a leak-proof seal between the container body and the cap;

wherein the container body comprises a base and a sidewall extending upwards from the base;

an insert element comprising a bottom and an insert sidewall, wherein the insert element is contained within an interior of the container body, such that an outer circumferential surface of the insert sidewall is in abutting contact with an inner circumferential surface of the sidewall of the container body;

wherein the bottom of the insert element is permeable to moisture;

wherein the insert element sidewall and the sidewall of the container body are designed to secure the insert element inside the container body;

wherein the outer surface of the sidewall of the insert element includes upper and lower outward extension elements which extend to an inner surface of the sidewall of the container and wherein thereby the lower portion and upper portion of the insert element and/or the sidewall of the container are deformed when the insert element is introduced into the container thereby establishing a press-fit connection at an upper and lower section of the sidewall of the insert;

wherein a free volume is formed between the container body and the sidewall of the insert element, which is located between the press-fit connections at the upper and lower sections of the sidewall; and

wherein the container further comprises a desiccant chamber between the bottom of the insert element and the base of the container body for receiving a predetermined amount of desiccant material.

16. The container according to claim 15, characterized in that

the insert element is comprised of a desiccant polymer.

17. The container according to claim 15, Characterized in

that the bottom of the insert element comprises multiple openings.

18. The container according to claim 15, characterized in that

the bottom of the insert element comprises a membrane or a permeable film.

19. The container according to claim 15, characterized in that

the cap is integrally formed with the container body, and a hinge is formed by a bendable section with a cross-sectional area between the container body and the cap.

20. A container for receiving moisture sensitive goods comprising:

a container body and a cap;

wherein the cap and the container body are shaped to establish, in a closed state, a leak-proof seal between the container body and the cap;

wherein the container body comprises a base and a sidewall extending upwards from the base;

an insert element comprising a bottom and an insert sidewall, wherein the insert element is contained within an interior of the container body, such that an outer circumferential surface of the insert sidewall is in abutting contact with an inner circumferential surface of the sidewall of the container body;

wherein the bottom of the insert element is permeable to moisture;

wherein the insert sidewall and the sidewall of the container body are designed to attach the insert element inside the container body;

wherein in an area in a lower portion and in an upper portion of the sidewall of the insert element, the insert element has an outer diameter which is larger than the inner diameter of a sidewall of the container opposite from the outer most diameter of the sidewall of the insert element and accordingly the lower portion and upper portion of the insert element and/or the sidewall of the container are deformed when the insert element is introduced into the container thereby establishing a press-fit connection with the sidewall of the container body at an upper and lower section of the sidewall of the insert element and an airtight annular seal between the insert element and the container body; and

wherein the container further comprises a desiccant chamber between the bottom of the insert element and the base of the container body for receiving a predetermined amount of desiccant material.