METHOD OF COUPLING CONTAINER BODY AND COVER MEMBER

• US 20110277300A1
• Filed: 01/19/2010
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nosaka Tec Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nosaka Tec Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hirota, Sachiyo
• Granted Patent: US 8,561,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/428
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/074 Filling capsules; Related operations
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 31/028 closed by a lid sealed to the upper rim of the container, e.g. tray-like container
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49895 Associating parts by use of aligning means [e.g., use of a drift pin or a "fixture"]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49904 Assembling a subassembly, then assembling with a second subassembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49993 Filling of opening

Abstract

Provided is a method of coupling a container body (2) and a cover member (3) in a capsular container (1) including a filling step for filling liquid-state medicine, powdered medicine, or granular medicine in the container body (2), and a fitting step for fitting the container body (2) to the cover member (3) under an atmosphere at a negative pressure which is lower than atmospheric pressure. Consequently, the pressure inside the joined container (1) does not exceed atmospheric pressure, the filling (37) which fills the inside of the container (1) can be prevented from leaking out between the container body (2) and the cover (3), and it is also possible to prevent bending which starts from the weak portion of the container (1).

Claims

1. A method of coupling a container body and a cover member comprising a filling step for filling liquid-state medicine, powdered medicine, or granular medicine in the container body having a first cylindrical portion and a closed bottom portion and a fitting step for fitting the container body to the cover member having a second cylindrical portion and a closed top portion to form a filled container, characterized in that

the container body is fitted to the cover member under an atmosphere at a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure.

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

the above-described fitting step is performed using a jig including a container body receiver arranged on the lower side and a cover member receiver arranged on the upper side,

the container body receiver includes a first inner wall defining a receiving portion for fitting the above-described container body, an inner wall bottom formed at a bottom portion of the first inner wall for placing the above-described closed bottom portion of the container body, and a through hole formed on the inner wall bottom so as to be arranged coaxially with the receiving portion,

the cover member receiver includes a second inner wall defining a hole portion having substantially the same diameter as the receiving portion and a shouldered portion formed on an upper portion of the cover member receiver for placing so as to fit an opened lower end portion of the above-described cover member,

the shouldered portion is formed into an annular shape arranged coaxially with the second inner wall, the container body receiver and the cover member receiver are disposed so that the receiving portion and the hole portion are arranged coaxially with each other,

the second inner wall and the first inner wall including the inner wall bottom and a side wall of the through hole are formed respectively with a first groove, a second groove and a third groove communicating with each other, a pipe is disposed on the lower side of the container body receiver so as to communicate with the third groove, and a push-up pin movable in the vertical direction is disposed in the pipe so as to be arranged coaxially with the through hole, and

in the fitting step, the container body is fitted to the receiving portion, the cover member is placed on the cover member receiver so that the opened lower end portion is fitted to the shouldered portion, the cover member receiver is placed on top of the container body receiver so that part of the container body is inserted into the hole portion, the push-up pin is driven upward via the through hole to push the container body up with the push-up pin and fit the same with the cover member in a state in which gas in the receiving portion and the hole portion is sucked via the pipe and the third groove, the second groove and the first groove, whereby the container body is fitted to the cover member under the atmosphere having a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure.