Sealed container

• US 5,954,233 A
• Filed: 07/28/1998
• Issued: 09/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Santen Pharmaceutical Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Santen Pharmaceutical Company Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Daniel Sung-hwe, Kawashima, Yoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin P.
• Application Number:
  US09/123,868
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: 222/81, 222/83, 222/83.5, 222/89
• US Class Current: 222/83
• 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 2251/0015 of the 41-type
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2251/0096 integral with the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/222 the piercing or cutting means being integral with, or fixedly attached to, the outer closure

Abstract

A sealed container stores therein liquid such as eye drops in a sealed state. For dispensing the liquid first time, the factory-sealed outlet of the liquid is to be unsealed with a needled of a liquid discharge plug fitted within a cap in association with a user'"'"'s operation of the cap in a loosening or tightening direction when the liquid is first dispensed therefrom. The container includes a one-way rotation preventing mechanism provided respectively at mutually opposing portions of a liquid discharge plug prefitted with the cap and the container. This mechanism prevents rotation of the liquid discharge plug in the loosening direction of the cap while allowing rotation thereof in the screwing direction of the cap when the cap has been tightened to a predetermined screwing position immediately before the needle initiates it penetrating action into the sealed liquid outlet. Also, a cam mechanism is provided respectively at mutually opposed positions of the discharge plug and the cap for pushing the liquid discharge plug toward the liquid outlet of the container body to a predetermined screwing position in association with the loosening operation of the cap under the rotation-restricted state provided by the one-way rotation preventing mechanism.

Claims

1. A sealed container comprising:

a container body storing liquid therein and having a sealed liquid outlet;

a cap which can be detachably screwed on the container body;

a liquid discharge plug fitted within the cap, the plug having a needle capable of penetrating the liquid outlet of the container body and a discharge passage communicating between an inside and an outside of the container body through the needle, the sealed liquid outlet being unsealed for allowing access to the liquid stored inside the container body by penetration of the outlet by the needle in association with an operation of the cap relative to the container body;

anti-withdrawal means provided respectively at mutually opposing portions of the liquid discharge plug and the container body, the anti-withdrawal means being capable of retaining the liquid discharge plug at a predetermined set position against withdrawal of the plug from the container body when the plug has been tightened to said predetermined set position relative to the container body;

one-way rotation preventing means provided respectively at further mutually opposing portions of the liquid discharge plug and the container body, said one-way rotation preventing means preventing rotation of the liquid discharge plug in an unscrewing direction of the cap while allowing rotation thereof in a screwing direction of the cap when the cap has been tightened to a predetermined screwing position immediately before the needle penetrates into the sealed liquid outlet; and

cam means provided respectively at mutually opposed positions of the discharge plug and the cap for pushing the liquid discharge plug toward the liquid outlet of the container body to the predetermined set position of the anti-withdrawal means in association with the unscrewing operation of the cap under the rotation-restricted state provided by the one-way rotation preventing means.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the cap forms, in an inner bottom face thereof, an outer-plug projection which can be gaplessly fitted on an outer peripheral face of the liquid discharge plug.

3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the cap forms, in an inner bottom face thereof, an annular projection for fitting on the liquid discharge plug and the liquid discharge plug defines a plurality of ridges which come into pressure-contact with an inner peripheral face of the annular projection when the liquid discharge plug is pressed into the annular projection, so as to prevent the withdrawal of the liquid discharge plug with a smaller retaining force than that of the anti-withdrawal means.

4. The container according to claim 1, wherein the one-way rotation preventing means includes a projection formed in an outer peripheral face of the liquid outlet of the container body and a further projection formed in an inner peripheral face of the liquid discharge plug, said projection being oriented such that its leading end is inclined toward the downstream in the rotational tightening direction of the cap;

and said further projection includes a cam face which comes into contact with said projection in association with the rotation of the liquid discharge plug relative to the container body in the cap tightening rotation so as to elastically deform said projection toward the outer peripheral face of the liquid outlet of the container body and further includes an engaging face which comes into contact and engagement with said projection in association with the cap-loosening rotation of the liquid discharge plug relative to the container body so as to prevent further rotation of the liquid discharge plug in the cap-loosening direction.

5. The container according to claim 1, wherein the cam means includes a mating pair of inclined faces formed integrally with an inner peripheral face of the cap and with an outer peripheral face of the liquid discharge plug, respectively, said inclined faces sliding and rotating relative to each other in association with the loosening operation of the cap relative to the liquid discharge plug whereby rotation of the liquid discharge plug is restricted by the one-way rotation preventing means so as to press the liquid discharge plug into the container body.

6. The container according to claim 1, wherein the cap forms, in an inner bottom face thereof, an inner-plug projection which can be gaplessly fitted into a discharge passage of the liquid discharge plug.

7. The container according to claim 6, wherein the cap forms, in the inner bottom face thereof, an outer-plug projection which can be gaplessly fitted on an outer peripheral face of the liquid discharge plug.

8. The container according to claim 1 , wherein a hole-forming portion of the liquid outlet of the container body is formed arcuately concave toward the inside of the container body.

9. The container according to claim 8, wherein the cap forms, in an inner bottom face thereof, an inner-plug projection which can be gaplessly fitted into a discharge passage of the liquid discharge plug.

10. The container according to claim 8, wherein the cap forms, in an inner bottom face thereof, an outer-plug projection which can be gaplessly fitted on an outer peripheral face of the liquid discharge plug.

11. The container according to claim 1, wherein the anti-withdrawal means retains the liquid discharge plug against withdrawal thereof from the container body in an axial direction while allowing rotation of the liquid discharge plug relative to the container body.

12. The container according to claim 11, wherein a hole-forming portion of the liquid outlet of the container body is formed arcuately concave toward the inside of the container body.

13. The container according to claim 11, wherein the cap forms, in an inner bottom face thereof, an inner-plug projection which can be gaplessly fitted into a discharge passage of the liquid discharge plug.

14. The container according to claim 11, wherein the cap forms, in an inner bottom face thereof, an outer-plug projection which can be gaplessly fitted on an outer peripheral face of the liquid discharge plug.

15. The container according to claim 11, wherein the cap forms, in an inner bottom face thereof, an annular projection for fitting on the liquid discharge plug and the liquid discharge plug defines a plurality of ridges which come into pressure-contact with an inner peripheral face of the annular projection when the liquid discharge plug is pressed into the annular projection, so as to prevent the withdrawal of the liquid discharge plug with a smaller retaining force than that of the anti-withdrawal means.

16. The container according to claim 11, wherein the one-way rotation preventing means includes a projection formed in an outer peripheral face of the liquid outlet of the container body and a further projection formed in an inner peripheral face of the liquid discharge plug, said projection being oriented such that its leading end is inclined toward the downstream in the rotational tightening direction of the cap;

and said further projection includes a cam face which comes into contact with said projection in association with the rotation of the liquid discharge plug relative to the container body in the cap tightening rotation so as to elastically deform said projection toward the outer peripheral face of the liquid outlet of the container body and further includes an engaging face which comes into contact and engagement with said projection in association with the cap-loosening rotation of the liquid discharge plug relative to the container body so as to prevent further rotation of the liquid discharge plug in the cap-loosening direction.

17. The container according to claim 11, wherein the cam means includes a mating pair of inclined faces formed integrally with an inner peripheral face of the cap and with an outer peripheral face of the liquid discharge plug, respectively, said inclined faces sliding and rotating relative to each other in association with the loosening operation of the cap relative to the liquid discharge plug whereby rotation of the liquid discharge plug is restricted by the one-way rotation preventing means so as to press the liquid discharge plug into the container body.

18. The container according to claim 11, wherein

a hole-forming portion of the liquid outlet of the container is formed arcuately concave toward the inside of the container body, and

the cap forms, in an inner bottom face thereof, an inner-plug projection which can be gaplessly fitted into a discharge passage of the liquid discharge plug.

19. The container according to claim 11, wherein

a hole-forming portion of the liquid outlet of the container body is formed arcuately concave toward the inside of the container body,

the cap forms, in an inner bottom face thereof, an outer-plug projection which can be gaplessly fitted on an outer peripheral face of the liquid discharge plug.

20. The container according to claim 11, wherein

a hole-forming portion of the liquid outlet of the container body is formed arcuately concave toward the inside of the container body,

the cap forms, in an inner bottom face thereof, an inner-plug projection which can be gaplessly fitted into a discharge passage of the liquid discharge passage, and

the cap forms, in the inner bottom face thereof, an outer-plug projection which can be gaplessly fitted on an outer peripheral face of the discharge plug.