ASSEMBLY FOR CONDITIONING AND DISPENSING A MEDICAL LIQUID

• US 20100145287A1
• Filed: 01/03/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rexam Pharma (Berry Global Group Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rexam Pharma (Berry Global Group Inc.)
• Inventors: Grevin, Guillaume
• Granted Patent: US 8,444,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/295
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0008 Introducing ophthalmic products into the ocular cavity or retaining products therein putting in contact lenses A61F9/0061; introducing or retaining media in cavities of the body in general A61M31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/18 for discharging drops; Droppers droppers in general B01L3/00; pipettes connected to container closures B01L3/0282
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 50/046 and such deformation causes the disengagement of locking means, e.g. the release of a pawl-like element from a tooth or abutment, to allow removal of the closure by simultaneous rotation

Abstract

This assembly is of the type including: a vessel (4) for containing liquid, the vessel (4) having a neck (14); a dispensing dropper end fitting (6) disposed at the end of the neck (14); and a cap (8) for closing the vessel (4), provided to be screwed onto the neck (14). In a preferred embodiment, the cap (8) and the neck (14) have safety element preventing the cap (8) from being unscrewed simply by applying an unscrewing torque, and allowing the cap (8) to be unscrewed when an additional action is applied together with the torque for unscrewing the cap (8).

Claims

1. Assembly for holding and dispensing a medical liquid, of the type comprising:

a vessel (4) for containing the liquid, the vessel (4) having a neck (14);

a dispensing dropper end fitting (6) disposed at the end of the neck (14), the end fitting (6) and the vessel (4) allowing the liquid to be dispensed drop by drop by squeezing the vessel (4) between the fingers of one hand; and

a cap (8) for closing the vessel (4), provided to be screwed onto the neck (14);

characterized in that the cap (8) and the neck (14) have safety means preventing the cap (8) from being unscrewed only by applying an unscrewing torque, and allowing the cap (8) to be unscrewed when an additional action is applied together with the torque for unscrewing the cap (8).

2. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the vessel (4) is made of a material or mixture of materials having a Young'"'"'s modulus (E1) less than the Young'"'"'s modulus (E2) of the material or mixture of materials of which the cap (8) is made.

3. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the vessel (4) and the cap (8) are each made from a material or mixture of materials selected from the following materials:

low-density polyethylene (LDPE), medium-density polyethylene (MDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

4. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the vessel (4) and the cap (8) are made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), the cap (8) having a greater proportion by mass of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) than the vessel (4).

5. Assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that the vessel (4) consists purely of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and in that the cap (8) comprises at least 20% by mass of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), the remainder consisting of low-density polyethylene (LDPE).

6. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the vessel (4) has a capacity of less than 30 ml, preferably less than 20 ml.

7. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the safety means make it possible to unscrew the cap (8) if the cap (8) is squeezed during the unscrewing.

8. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the safety means have means (48, 24) for the unidirectional blocking of the rotation of the cap (8) relative to the neck (14), wherein it is possible to disengage the unidirectional blocking means by squeezing the cap (8).

9. Assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that the cap (8) has a first external skirt (40), coaxial with and enclosing a second skirt (38) bearing a thread (44) for screwing the cap (8) onto the neck (14), the blocking means having at least one internal feature (48) on the first skirt (40) and at least one external feature (24) on the neck (14), which features are complementary and can be disengaged from one another by squeezing the first skirt (40) in two regions (51) which are angularly offset relative to each internal feature (48).

10. Assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that the blocking means have two diametrically opposite internal features (48), disposed on the skirt (40) and angularly offset by 90°

relative to the pressing regions (51), the neck (14) comprising two diametrically opposite external features (24).

11. Assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that each external feature of the neck (14) is formed by a lug (24) projecting radially towards the outside of the neck (14), the lug (24) having a radial blocking surface (30), a sliding surface (28) inclined as a whole relative to the blocking surface (30), and a transition surface (31) extending between the blocking surface (30) and the sliding surface (28), the transition surface (31) being substantially perpendicular to the blocking surface (30).

12. Assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that the neck (14) has an annular reinforcing rim (31a) extending so as to project towards the outside of the neck (14) and passing through the external features (24) so as to rigidify them.

13. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a first-opening indicator in the form of a tamper-evident band (10) connected to the cap (8) by a brittle region (52) which breaks when the cap (8) is first opened.

14. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the cap (8) has an element (46) for closing the end fitting (6) tightly, sealing the end fitting (6) at least over the part of the path of the cap (8) during which the safety means operate to ensure the tightness and sterility of the interior of the vessel (4).

15. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the vessel contains an ophthalmic medical liquid of the collyrium type.

16. Assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the vessel (4) and the cap (8) are each made from a material or mixture of materials selected from the following materials:

low-density polyethylene (LDPE), medium-density polyethylene (MDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

17. Assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that each external feature of the neck (14) is formed by a lug (24) projecting radially towards the outside of the neck (14), the lug (24) having a radial blocking surface (30), a sliding surface (28) inclined as a whole relative to the blocking surface (30), and a transition surface (31) extending between the blocking surface (30) and the sliding surface (28), the transition surface (31) being substantially perpendicular to the blocking surface (30).