Method of coupling container body and cover member

• US 8,561,282 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2010
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nosaka Tec Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nosaka Tec Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hirota, Sachiyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Omgba, Essama
• Assistant Examiner(s): FORD, DARRELL CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US13/143,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20110277300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 294/28, 294/63, 294/64, 294/69, 295/30, 221/135, 424/451, 532/81, 534/32, 534/71, 535/10, 539/00
• US Class Current: 29/464
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/074 Filling capsules; Related operations
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 31/028 closed by a lid sealed to the upper rim of the container, e.g. tray-like container
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49895 Associating parts by use of aligning means [e.g., use of a drift pin or a "fixture"]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49904 Assembling a subassembly, then assembling with a second subassembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49993 Filling of opening

Abstract

A method of coupling a container body (2) and a cover member (3) in a capsular container (1) includes a filling step for filling liquid medicine, powdered medicine, or granular medicine in the container body (2), and a fitting step for fitting the container body (2) to the cover member (3) under an atmosphere at a negative pressure which is lower than atmospheric pressure. Consequently, the pressure inside the joined container (1) does not exceed atmospheric pressure, the filling (37) which fills the inside of the container (1) can be prevented from leaking out between the container body (2) and the cover (3), and it is also possible to prevent bending of the container (1) which starts from the weak portion of the container (1).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a container body having a first cylindrical portion and a closed bottom portion;

providing a cover member having a second cylindrical portion and a closed top portion;

filling liquid medicine, powdered medicine, or granular medicine into the container body; and

fitting the container body to the cover member to form a filled container;

wherein, in said fitting of the container body to the cover member, the container body is fitted to the cover member in an environment at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure;

wherein said fitting of the container body to the cover member is performed using a jig including a container body receiver arranged on a lower side and a cover member receiver arranged on an upper side,

wherein the container body receiver includes a first inner wall defining a receiving portion for receiving the container body, an inner wall bottom formed at a bottom portion of the first inner wall for placing the closed bottom portion of the container body, and a through hole formed on the inner wall bottom so as to be arranged coaxially with the receiving portion,

wherein the cover member receiver includes a second inner wall defining a hole portion having substantially the same diameter as the receiving portion and a shoulder portion formed on an upper portion of the cover member receiver for retaining an open lower end portion of the cover member,

wherein the shoulder portion is formed into an annular shape arranged coaxially with the second inner wall, and the container body receiver and the cover member receiver are disposed so that the receiving portion and the hole portion are arranged coaxially with each other,

the second inner wall and the first inner wall including the inner wall bottom and a side wall of the through hole are formed respectively with a first groove, a second groove and a third groove communicating with each other, a pipe is disposed on the lower side of the container body receiver so as to communicate with the third groove, and a push-up pin movable in the vertical direction is disposed in the pipe so as to be arranged coaxially with the through hole, and

in said fitting of the container body to the cover member, the container body is received by the receiving portion, the cover member is placed on the cover member receiver so that the open lower end portion is retained by the shoulder portion, the cover member receiver is placed on top of the container body receiver so that part of the container body is inserted into the hole portion, the push-up pin is driven upward via the through hole to push the container body up with the push-up pin and fit the same with the cover member in a state in which gas in the receiving portion and the hole portion is sucked via the pipe and the third groove, the second groove and the first groove.