Self-sealing connection for housing shells of an administering device

• US 7,931,620 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics International AG (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Etter, Philip, Steiner, Remo, De Polo, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi; Nicholas D
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERDICHEVSKY, AARTI
• Application Number:
  US11/345,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20070185450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,910 Days
• Field of Search: 604131-163
• US Class Current: 604/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14264 with means for compensating influence from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1452 pressurised by means of pistons
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1676 using a soft material and a rigid material, e.g. making articles with a sealing part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

Administering device for infusing or injecting a product, comprising a housing (1, 2) with a first housing shell (1) and a second housing shell (2), a receiver (3) for the product formed in the housing (1, 2), a conveying mechanism (4) for conveying the product and a seal (10), which connects the housing shells (1, 2) to one another in a pressing contact rendering them watertight, which seal (10) is or has a sealing lip (13) which establishes the pressing contact with the first housing shell (1).

Claims

1. An administering device for infusing or injecting a product, comprising

a housing comprising

a first housing shell;

and

a second housing shell, the second housing shell comprising an outer shell and a support structure, wherein the outer shell surrounds at least a portion of the support structure, and wherein the support structure is formed of a material that is harder than the material that forms the outer shell;

a receiver for the product, disposed in the housing; and

a conveying mechanism for conveying the product, the conveying mechanism comprising a drive member;

wherein the second housing shell comprises a sealing lip for establishing a pressing contact with the first housing shell such that a watertight seal is formed between the first and second housing shells;

wherein the outer shell is molded onto the support structure or is fixedly connected to the support structure; and

wherein the drive member is axially supported on the support structure.

2. The administering device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing lip projects axially out beyond an end face of the second housing shell.

3. The administering device as claimed in claim 1, wherein sealing lip projects radially out from an end face of the second housing shell.

4. The administering device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second housing shell forms a base of the housing.

5. The administering device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing lip is a fixed constituent part of the second housing shell.

6. The administering device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer shell is formed in a single piece with the sealing lip, and the sealing lip protrudes from a face of the outer shell.

7. The administering device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer shell is connected to the support structure by means of a form fit.

8. The administering device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer shell is disposed on the side of the support structure that faces away from the conveying mechanism.

9. The administering device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a battery compartment is formed in the housing and an access opening for the battery compartment is formed in the support structure, and the outer shell is connected to the support structure around the edge of the access opening so as to be peripherally watertight.

10. The administering device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer shell is injection-molded onto the support structure.

11. The administering device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing lip is pressed in the pressing contact with a pressing pressure which is greater than the maximum ambient pressure which can be anticipated during operation of the administering device.

12. Administering device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer shell comprises a thermoplastic elastomer.

13. The administering device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer shell comprises a plastic injection-molded seal.

14. The administering device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second housing shell further comprises a holder structure that extends axially into the first housing shell and supports the conveying mechanism within the housing.

15. The administering device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing lip extends axially from an end face of the seal that faces the first housing shell, and the first housing shell comprises an axially extending seal gap adapted to receive the sealing lip.

16. The administering device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer shell further comprises an anchor element extending axially from the outer shell in a direction substantially opposite the direction of the sealing lip, and the support structure comprises an axially extending recess adapted to receive the anchoring element.

17. The administering device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first housing shell is formed of a curable plastic, and the second housing shell is formed of rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer.

18. The administering device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer shell engages around the support structure at its edge.

19. The administering device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the outer shell comprises an anchoring element for engaging behind the support structure.

20. The administering device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the support structure comprises a recess on a side thereof facing the conveying mechanism, and the anchoring element is pressed into the recess of the support structure.

21. The administering device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first housing shell comprises a seal gap into which the sealing lip is pressed to establish the pressing contact.

22. The administering device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the seal gap comprises a gap width of at least 0.1 mm at least in the gap region where the pressing contact is established.

23. The administering device as claimed claim 21, wherein the seal gap in the first housing shell comprises a groove, and wherein an opening of the groove lies in an end face of the first housing shell.

24. The administering device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the seal gap comprises a gap width of at most 0.5 mm or a gap width of at most 0.4 mm at least in a gap region where the pressing contact is established.

25. The administering device as claimed in claim 24, wherein the gap region comprises a gap width of at most 0.3 mm.