Packaging For The Storage, Protection And Transport Of Syringes

• US 20130161225A1
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flexiways SPRL
• Original Assignee: Flexiways SPRL
• Inventors: Lepot, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 9,630,745 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/557
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/001 Apparatus specially adapted for cleaning or sterilising syringes or needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/002 Packages specially adapted therefor, e.g. for syringes or needles, kits for diabetics needle protection, e.g. caps, A61M5/3202; for sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/008 Racks for supporting syringes or needles A61M5/001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/141 Preventing contamination, tampering
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/185 Long distance transport, e.g. mailing
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/041 Connecting closures to device or container
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/00 Supporting devices; Holding devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/06 Test-tube stands; Test-tube holders
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/54 Supports specially adapted for pipettes and burettes automated pipetting stations G01N35/10
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/00 Details of other kinds or types of rigid or semi-rigid containers

Abstract

A packaging unit (10) for the storage and/or transport and/or processing and/or support in a suspended vertical position, of objects (20), comprising a tray (30) which can retain a plurality of the objects in a vertical position, and a cover (32) which can cover the tray. According to the invention the cover (32) comprises an upper wall (34) and at least two flanks (24, 24′) which extend downwards on two opposite sides of the upper wall, and are prolonged at their lower ends by fingers which can be placed below a lower surface of the tray (30), thus rendering the tray (30) and the cover (32) integral.

Claims

1. A packaging unit (10) for the storage and/or transport and/or processing and/or support in a suspended vertical position, of objects (20) which have flanges (21), said packaging unit comprising a tray (30), which can retain a plurality of said objects in a vertical position, and a cover (32) which can cover said tray,

characterized in that said cover (32) comprises an upper wall (34) and at least two flanks (24, 24′

) which extend downwards on two opposite sides of the upper wall (34), each of the flanks (24, 24′

) being prolonged at its lower end by fingers (36, 36′

) which can be placed below a lower surface of said tray (30), thus rendering the tray (30) and the cover (32) integral.

2. The packaging unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said upper wall (34) has flexibility which makes it possible for it to be curved, such as to space one finger (36) from an opposite finger (36′

), and thus to allow these fingers (36, 36′

) to be placed below the lower surface of said tray (30).

3. The packaging unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cover (32) comprises on its upper wall (34) means (70) for positioning a second packaging unit (10′

)

4. The packaging unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said upper wall (34) has a plurality of passages (37).

5. The packaging unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said upper wall (34) comprises ribs (35) on its lower surface.

6. The packaging unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said upper wall (34) comprises on its lower surface at least two support walls (26, 26′

) which extend downwards, parallel to the flanks (24, 24′

) and situated on the inner side of the latter.

7. The packaging unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the flanks (24, 24′

) are interrupted, and portions of tube (60, 60′

) are placed in these interruptions.

8. The packaging unit (10) as claimed in claim 1, additionally comprising a box (40) with an upper opening (42), a base (43), lateral walls (44) and a step (45) formed between said upper opening (42) and said lateral walls (44) in order to support said tray (30), characterized in that said step comprises a rib in the form of an inverted “

U”

(41) which extends on the inner portion of said step (45).

9. The packaging unit (10) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that said step (45) comprises at least one centering pin (46, 46′

) and the tray (30) comprises at least one cut-out (47, 47′

) or one corresponding round hole (48).

10. The packaging unit (10) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the pin(s) (46, 46′

) has/have a frustoconical form and/or the cut-out(s) (47, 47′

) has/have the form of a “

V”

.

11. The packaging unit (10) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the inner surface of the upper lateral wall of the box comprises a vertical rib (49).

12. The packaging unit (10) as claimed in claim 8, wherein said upper opening (42) in said box (40) comprises an upper rim (50), characterized in that said upper rim (50) comprises an opening (52) in at least one angle of said box (40).

13. A method for separation and/or assembly of the elements which constitute one or a plurality of packaging units (10) comprising a tray (30) which can retain a plurality of objects (20) in a vertical position, said objects (20) having flanges (21), a cover (32) which can cover said tray (30), and a box (40) which supports said tray, said method comprising the steps of:

grasping of one or a plurality of packaging units (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 12 by an automatic grasping means;

separation of said box (40) from the assembly formed by the tray (30) covered with the cover (32), by means of said automatic grasping means;

separation of said tray (30) containing said objects (20) from said cover (32) by the automatic grasping means;

processing of said tray (30);

subsequent reassembly of said tray (30) with said cover (32), then of the assembly thus formed with said box (40) by the automatic grasping means.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the step of processing of said tray (30) comprises the removal of the objects (20) retained in a vertical position in said tray (30), in order to make these objects available.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the step of processing of said tray (30) comprises the arrangement of objects (20) provided with flanges (21) in said tray (30).

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that it is carried out with at least two packaging units (10) simultaneously.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that it comprises the use of a cover (32) comprising an upper wall (34) and at least two flanks (24, 24′

) which extend downwards on two opposite sides of the upper wall (34), each of the flanks (24, 24′

) being prolonged at its lower end by fingers (36, 36′

) which can be placed below a lower surface of said tray (30), thus rendering the tray (30) and the cover (32) integral, and in that said flanks (24, 24′

) are interrupted, and portions of tube (60, 60′

) are placed in these interruptions.

18. A process for storage and/or transport and/or processing and/or support of objects (20) which are suspended in a vertical position and have flanges (21), comprising the use of a tray (30), which can retain a plurality of said objects in a vertical position, and a cover (32) which can cover said tray, comprising the steps of:

providing a cover (32) comprising an upper wall (34) and at least two flanks (24, 24′

) which extend downwards on two opposite sides of the upper wall (34), each of the flanks (24, 24′

) being prolonged at its lower end by fingers (36, 36′

) which can be placed below a lower surface of said tray (30);

grasping of said cover (32) by grasping means;

imposition by the grasping means of curvature on the upper wall of the cover (34), thus spacing two flanks (24, 24′

) from one another;

positioning of the cover (32) facing the tray (30);

releasing of said curvature, the fingers (36, 36′

) thus rendering the tray (30) and the cover (32) integral.

19. The process as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the step of positioning of the cover (32) facing the tray (30) is carried out with the tray being supported in a box (40).