Containers having plurality of chambers

• US 5,423,421 A
• Filed: 12/28/1993
• Issued: 06/13/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1992
• 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: Inoue, Fujio, Izumi, Masamitsu, Kashiyama, Shigetoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Foster, Jimmy G.
• Application Number:
  US08/170,215
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 206/204, 206/205, 206/213.1, 206/219, 206/568, 604/410, 604/416
• US Class Current: 206/219
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/00 Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes capsules or the like for oral use A61J3/07; specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments A61B50/30; containers for radioactive substances G21F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2024 having peelable seals
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2093 Containers having several compartments for products to be mixed
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/32 for packaging two or more different materials which must be maintained separate prior to use in admixture containers with removable or destructible partitions B65D25/08 ; closures combined with auxiliary containers B65D51/28; in aerosol containers B65D83/682; amalgam capsules A61C5/66; containers for pharmaceutical purposes A61J1/20, A61M5/19; medical syringes A61M3/005, resin cartridges for grouting anchoring-bolts in mines E21D20/026
• 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. At least one of the chambers is enclosed with a cover to form a closed space therein around the chamber. The cover is made of a flexible film having barrier properties against moisture and gas. 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 and partition means dividing the container into the chambers and permitting communication between the chambers when required, the container being characterized in that the container comprises a flexible plastics container body forming the plurality of chambers, at least one of the chambers being enclosed with a cover having a sealed periphery to form a closed space therein around the chamber, the other chamber or chambers being coverless, the cover being made of a flexible film having moisture- and gas-barrier properties, the partition means being formed by at least one weak seal portion easily openable by pressing the chamber to give an increased internal pressure.

2. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein at least two weak seal portions are provided at a spacing, and the cover has a heat-sealed edge between the adjacent weak seal portions.

3. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein an inert gas or dry gas is enclosed in the closed space within the cover around the container body.

4. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein the covered chamber has accommodated therein a liquid, powder or solid susceptible to oxidation and/or hydgroscopic.

5. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein the weak seal portion or portions are formed by directly heat-sealing together opposed inner surfaces of a flexible plastics film forming the container body.

6. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein the weak seal portion or portions are formed by heat-sealing together opposed inner surfaces of a flexible plastics film forming the container body, with an insert film held between the opposed inner surfaces.

7. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein the container body is formed of a flexible plastics film comprising an outer layer of linear low-density polyethylene, an intermediate layer of resin mixture of linear low-density polyethylene and ethylene/α

-olefin elastomer, and an inner layer of resin mixture of linear low-density polyethylene and polypropylene.

8. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein the cover comprises a layer of silica-deposited resin film.

9. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein the cover comprises an outer layer of biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate film, an intermediate layer of silica-deposited polyvinyl alcohol film, and an inner layer of low-density polyethylene.

10. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein the cover has an outer surface provided by an aluminum-laminated film.

11. A container as defined in claim 4 wherein the substance susceptible to oxidation and/or hygroscopic is an antibiotic.