Containers having plurality of chambers

• US 5,267,646 A
• Filed: 06/30/1992
• Issued: 12/07/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory Incorporated (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory Incorporated (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Furuta, Yasuo, Inoue, Fujio, Kashiyama, Shigetoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Foster, Jimmy G.
• Application Number:
  US07/861,985
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 206/219-222, 206/568, 206/204, 206/205, 206/213.1, 604/408, 604/410, 604/416
• US Class Current: 206/204
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/10 Bag-type containers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2024 having peelable seals
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2027 having frangible parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2034 having separation clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2041 having removable plugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2093 Containers having several compartments for products to be mixed
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/266 for absorbing gases, e.g. oxygen absorbers or desiccants B65D51/244, B65D51/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3261 Flexible containers having several compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3266 separated by a common rupturable seal, a clip or other removable fastening device

Abstract

A container having a plurality of chambers chiefly for use in the field of medicine. The body of the container is made of flexible plastics and has partition means dividing the container body into the chambers and permitting communication between the chambers when required. The container body comprises container portions forming the plurality of chambers and including at least one container portion having no cover and at least one container portion having a cover. The cover encloses the container portion therewith to form a closed space therein around the container portion and is made of a flexible film having barrier properties against moisture and gas. At least one of a desiccant and an oxygen absorber can accommodated in the closes space. The container is inexpensive, has high quality and is efficient to use and easy to dispose of.

Claims

1. A container having a plurality of chambers for accommodating a liquid, powder or solid, wherein the container comprises:

a flexible container body made of plastics;

said flexible container body having a plurality of container portions defining a plurality of chambers, each of the container portions defining the entire exterior surface of a respective one of said chambers;

partition means for dividing the container into the chambers and permitting communication between the chambers when required;

at least one of the container portions having generally no cover;

at least one covered container portion having a cover;

the cover enclosing the at least one covered container portion forming a closed space which extends around substantially the entire at least one covered container portion thereby enclosing the at least one chamber defined by said at least one covered container portion;

said cover being made of a flexible film having barrier properties against moisture and gas, the closed space being adapted to accommodate therein at least one of a desiccant and an oxygen absorber.

2. A container as defined in claim 1, wherein the partition means comprises at least one weak seal portion easily openable by applying an external pressure to at least one of the container portions to increase the internal pressure of the chamber therein.

3. A container as defined in claim 2, wherein the partition means comprises one weak seal portion separating at least two chambers.

4. A container as defined in claim 2, wherein the partition means comprises two weak seal portions separating at least two chambers with a substantially unsealed space portion provided between said at least two chambers.

5. A container as defined in claim 4, wherein the cover has a lower end portion heat sealed to the space portion between the two weak seal portions.

6. A container as defined in claim 2, wherein the weak seal portion includes heat sealed opposed inner surfaces of a flexible plastics film forming the container body.

7. A container as defined in claim 2, wherein the weak seal portion includes heat sealed opposed inner surfaces of a flexible plastics film forming the container body, with an insert film held between the opposed inner surfaces.

8. A container as defined in claim 2, wherein said cover is sealed to said flexible container body at a first outside surface thereof at a first side of said weak seal portion and at a second outside surface of said flexible container body at an opposite side of said weak seal portion.

9. A container as defined in claim 2, wherein said covered container portion includes two plastic sheets sealed at perimeter edges and at said at least one weak seal portion, and wherein said cover is sealed to an outside surface of a first of the sheets at the at least one weak portion, extends around the entire covered container and is sealed to an outside surface of the second of the sheets at the opposite side of said at least one weak portion.

10. A container as defined in claim 9, wherein said at least one weak portion is a single sealed portion which extends substantially across the width of said flexible container body.

11. A container as defined in claim 9, wherein said sheets are each multi-layer sheets.

12. A container as defined in claim 1, wherein a powder is accommodate in the at least one chamber defined by the at least one covered container portion, and wherein a liquid is accommodated in the at least one chamber defined by the at least one coverless container portion.

13. A container as defined in claim 1, wherein a liquid is accommodated in the at least one chamber defined by the covered container portion, and wherein a power is accommodated in the at least one chamber defined by the at least one coverless container portion.

14. A container as defined in claim 1, wherein a liquid is accommodated in the at least one chamber defined by the at least one covered container portion, and wherein another liquid is accommodated in the at least one chamber defined by the at least one coverless container portion.

15. A container as defined in claim 1, wherein said closed space contains at least one member from the group consisting of a desiccant and an oxygen absorber located therein.

16. A container as defined in claim 15, wherein said closed space contains both a desiccant and an oxygen absorber located therein.

17. A container having a plurality of chambers for accommodating a liquid, powder or solid, wherein the container comprises:

a flexible container body made of plastics and having a plurality of separate sealed chambers;

partition means for dividing the container into the chambers and permitting communication between the chambers when required;

at least one of the sealed chambers being substantially uncovered;

at least one of the sealed chambers having a cover;

the cover enclosing the at least one covered sealed chamber forming a closed space extending around substantially the entire at least one covered sealed chamber, said cover thereby enclosing said at least one sealed chamber; and

said cover being made of a flexible film having barrier properties against moisture and gas, the closed space being adapted to accommodate therein at least one of a desiccant and an oxygen absorber.

18. A container for accommodating a liquid, powder or solid, said container comprising:

a flexible container body being made of plastic sheet material, having peripheral sealing means and partition sealing means for sealing said sheet material so as to define sealed chambers, each chamber being defined by said peripheral sealing means and said partition sealing means and having opposed exterior sheet faces, said partition sealing means adapted to be unsealed to permit communication between said chambers;

a cover sealingly enclosing at least one of said chambers to define an additional chamber enclosing said at least one chamber;

said cover being made of a flexible film having barrier properties against moisture and gas, the additional chamber being adapted to accommodate therein at least one of a desiccant and an oxygen absorber; and

at least one of said chambers being generally uncovered.

19. A container for accommodating a liquid, powder or solid, said container comprising:

a flexible container body being made of plastic sheet material, having peripheral sealing means and partition sealing means for sealing said sheet material so as to define sealed chambers, each chamber being defined by said peripheral sealing means and said partition sealing means and having opposed exterior sheet faces, said partition sealing means adapted to be unsealed to permit communication between said chambers;

a cover sealingly enclosing at least one of said chambers to define an additional chamber enclosing said at least one chamber;

at least one of a desiccant and an oxygen absorber being located in said additional chamber; and

at least one of said chambers being generally uncovered.