Stackable container for transporting medical devices

Abstract

Provided herein is a cartridge for holding one or more medical component nests. The cartridge includes a bottom wall, a first pair of opposing lateral angled walls and a second pair of opposing lateral angled walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall, and a top flange formed on the lateral angled walls, wherein a corner is formed between respective lateral angled walls, the top flange defining an upper opening of the cartridge. Each of the first pair of opposing lateral angled walls and the second pair of opposing lateral angled walls includes a stepped wall including a lower wall portion and an upper wall portion, wherein a ledge is formed between the lower wall portion and the upper wall portion, the ledge including an inner surface and an outer surface. The cartridge is characterized by including ribs that enable stacking of the cartridge with similar cartridges in a partially nested arrangement, wherein the ribs are disposed at corners of the cartridge or in guide features of the cartridge.

Description

Cross-references to related applications

[0001] This application claims priority to European patent application No. 24305153.9, filed on 29 January 2024, entitled “Stackable Container for Transporting Medical Devices”, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] Background of the Invention Field of the Invention This disclosure generally relates to nest arrangements for packaging medical containers (e.g., syringes) and / or components thereof (e.g., stops), and more specifically to an associated container or tub in which such nest arrangement is received.

[0003] Description of related technologies Medical containers and components used with such containers (e.g., pre-filled or pre-filled syringes, cartridges, barrels, or stops) typically need to be transported from one location to another during or after manufacturing. For example, a medical container or a component thereof may be transported from a manufacturing location to a location where it can be filled with a medical fluid. As used herein, “medical fluid” can refer to a drug or other therapeutic agent used to treat chronic or acute conditions, as known in the art. Exemplary therapeutic agents may include, for example, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, biological substances, or biochemical substances that, when delivered to a patient in a therapeutically effective amount, can achieve the desired therapeutic effect.

[0004] During transport, medical containers or components may be supported by a holding device (e.g., a tray or "nest"). As known in the prior art, the nest may be used to hold / transport a syringe barrel or (e.g., after prefilling a syringe barrel) a stop to be inserted into such a syringe barrel. One or more nests may be disposed within a holding and transport container, which may be referred to as a box, wherein the box has an opening to allow placement of one or more nests within the box, which is then sealed by a sealing cap.

[0005] Regarding containers used for transporting multiple nests (and the medical containers or components held therein), the containers are typically manufactured first and then transported to the location where they will be loaded with the nests and associated medical containers / components. While it might be desirable to stack multiple empty containers (e.g., 3 containers) for transport to reduce the overall volume / space of the containers being transported, it should be recognized that existing container designs present problems with this stacking. Specifically, with current container designs, there is a high risk of container deformation if multiple empty containers are stacked together—due to the small draft angle of the container sidewalls, which can cause the containers to stick together if packaged in a stacked arrangement. Therefore, containers are typically transported in an alternating arrangement (i.e., top to top, bottom to bottom). It should be recognized that this alternation of container orientation during transport results in increased transport volume and significant wasted space in the packaged containers, thus reducing the number of containers that can be transported on / in standardized transport containers (e.g., pallets) and leading to increased transport costs.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need in the art for a box design that allows multiple empty boxes to be stacked during transport while minimizing the possibility of box deformation due to stacking. Allowing this stacking while minimizing the possibility of box deformation will improve transport efficiency while maintaining the structural integrity of the box. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This document provides a housing for holding one or more nests, each of which is configured to hold multiple medical components. The housing includes: a bottom wall; and a first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and a second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls extending upward from the bottom wall and defining an internal volume of the housing, wherein corners are formed between corresponding walls of the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls, and the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls, the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls, and the corners include inner wall surfaces and outer wall surfaces. The housing also includes a top flange formed on the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls, wherein the top flange defines an upper opening of the housing. Each of the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls includes a stepped wall comprising a lower wall portion and an upper wall portion, wherein a ledge is formed between the lower wall portion and the upper wall portion, the ledge comprising an inner surface and an outer surface. The housing is characterized in that each corner includes a corner rib extending inwardly from its inner surface, wherein each corner rib extends vertically upward from the ledge to a position vertically below the top flange.

[0008] According to some aspects of this disclosure, these corner ribs allow the box to be stacked with another box having the same construction, the boxes including a lower box and an upper box, wherein the top edge of each of the plurality of corner ribs on the lower box engages with the outer surface of a protrusion on the upper box to support the upper box on the lower box and to partially nest the upper box within the lower box.

[0009] According to some aspects of this disclosure, the protrusion extends outward from the top edge of the lower wall portion to the bottom edge of the upper wall portion, wherein the corner guides extend upward from the inner surface of the protrusion.

[0010] According to some aspects of this disclosure, the protrusion is parallel to the bottom wall and is configured to support the bottommost nest among the one or more nests held in the housing.

[0011] According to some aspects of this disclosure, each of the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls, each of the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls, or each of the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and each of the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls includes one or more guide features extending upward from the protrusion thereon, wherein each of the one or more guide features defines a protrusion on the inner wall surface and a recess on the outer wall surface.

[0012] According to some aspects of this disclosure, each of the plurality of guide features includes a chamfered top surface that is recessed inward and downward from the top flange.

[0013] According to some aspects of this disclosure, the recess of each corresponding guide feature of the upper housing slides downward to engage with the protrusion of each corresponding guide feature of the lower housing to guide the upper housing and the lower housing to be stacked together.

[0014] According to some aspects of this disclosure, when the upper box is partially nested within the lower box, the height of the stacked upper and lower boxes is approximately 1.5 times the height of either the upper or lower box.

[0015] According to some aspects of this disclosure, the housing is configured to hold one or more nests therein, wherein each of the one or more nests includes a plurality of chimneys configured to hold a syringe stop therein.

[0016] This document also provides a housing for holding one or more nests, each of which is configured to hold multiple medical components. The housing includes: a bottom wall; and a first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and a second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls extending upward from the bottom wall and defining an internal volume of the housing, wherein the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls include an inner wall surface and an outer wall surface. The housing also includes a top flange formed on the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls, wherein the top flange defines an upper opening of the housing. Each of the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls includes a stepped wall comprising a lower wall portion and an upper wall portion, wherein a protrusion is formed between the lower wall portion and the upper wall portion. Each of the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls, each of the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls, or each of the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and each of the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls includes one or more guide features extending upward from the protrusion thereon, wherein each of the one or more guide features defines a protrusion on the inner wall surface and a recess on the outer wall surface. The housing is characterized in that each of the one or more guide features includes a rib positioned within the recess, the rib extending from the top end of the recess to the bottom end of the recess.

[0017] According to some aspects of this disclosure, these guiding features allow the box to be stacked with another box having the same construction, the box including an upper box and the other box including a lower box, wherein the bottom edge of each of a plurality of ribs on the upper box engages with the lower box to support the upper box on the lower box and to partially nest the upper box and the lower box.

[0018] According to some aspects of this disclosure, the bottom edge of each of the plurality of ribs on the upper box engages with the top surface of a corresponding protrusion on the lower box to support the upper box on the lower box and to partially nest the upper box and the lower box together.

[0019] According to some aspects of this disclosure, the projection of each respective guide pillar extends upward to the top flange, wherein the top surface includes a flat surface extending inward from the top flange.

[0020] According to some aspects of this disclosure, the top surface of each respective guide post includes a chamfered top surface that is recessed inward and downward from the top flange.

[0021] According to some aspects of this disclosure, the chamfered top surface includes an inwardly and downwardly inclined top surface, and wherein the bottom edge of each of the plurality of ribs includes an inclined bottom surface that mates with the inclined top surface. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 A perspective view of a packaging system for storing and transporting multiple medical components according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2 for Figure 1 An exploded view of the packaging system; Figure 3 The embodiments of this disclosure may include, in Figure 1 A top-view perspective view of the box in the packaging system; Figure 4 for Figure 3 A three-dimensional view of the box from below; Figure 5 To show Figure 3 A three-dimensional view of a box stacked with another box having the same construction, wherein the boxes are stackable when empty; Figure 6 For along Figure 5 The cross-sectional view taken from line 5-5; Figure 7 The embodiments of this disclosure may include, in Figure 1 A top-view perspective view of the box in the packaging system; Figure 8 for Figure 7 A three-dimensional view of the box from below; Figure 9 for Figure 8 A detailed view of section A shows the ribs included in the guide features of the housing; Figure 10 To show Figure 7 A three-dimensional view of a box stacked with another box having the same construction, wherein the boxes are stackable when empty; Figure 11 According to the embodiments of this disclosure Figure 10 The cross-sectional view taken by line 10-10 shows the chamfer features of the box; Figure 12 According to another embodiment of this disclosure, along Figure 10 The cross-sectional view taken by line 10-10 shows the chamfer features of the box; Figure 13 According to embodiments of the present invention, it may be included in Figure 1 A top-view perspective view of the box in the packaging system; Figure 14 for Figure 13 A three-dimensional view of the box from below; Figure 15 for Figure 14 A detailed view of section B shows the ribs included in the guide features of the housing; Figure 16 To show Figure 13 A perspective view of a box stacked with another box having the same construction, wherein the boxes are stackable when empty; and Figure 17 For along Figure 16 The cross-sectional view taken from line 16-16. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The following description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the described embodiments intended for carrying out the invention. However, various modifications, equivalents, variations, and substitutions will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Any and all of these modifications, variations, equivalents, and substitutions are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0024] In the following text, for descriptive purposes, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “lateral,” “longitudinal,” and their derivatives shall be used in connection with the present invention as oriented as shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the invention may employ various alternative variations unless explicitly stated otherwise. It should also be understood that the specific devices shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification are merely exemplary embodiments of the invention. Therefore, specific dimensions and other physical features associated with the embodiments disclosed herein should not be considered limiting.

[0025] Various aspects and embodiments of this disclosure relate to housings for transporting multiple nests and medical containers or components thereunder. The housings are designed to allow nested stacking of multiple empty housings during transport while minimizing the possibility of housing deformation due to such nested stacking.

[0026] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2A non-limiting embodiment of a packaging system 10 is shown, which can be used to package and transport a variety of medical components. The packaging system 10 includes a container or box 12 in which a plurality of nests 14 can be housed, each nest 14 holding a plurality of medical components therein. In the illustrated embodiment, each of these nests 14 is configured to hold a plurality of stops 16 therein, which, as known in the art, can be used for syringe containers (e.g., pre-filled syringes); however, it should be appreciated that the nests 14 can alternatively hold other medical containers or components therein. The packaging system 10 also includes a sealing cap 18, which can be applied to the box 12 after the nests 14 are packaged in the box 12 to provide a sterile environment for storing and transporting the stops 16.

[0027] An exemplary nest 14 that can be held in the housing 12 Figure 2 As shown in the diagram, each of these nests 14 includes a support plate 20 having a first or upper surface 22, a second or lower surface 24, and a peripheral edge 26 extending around the support plate 20 between the upper surface 22 and the lower surface 24. In some examples, the periphery of the support plate 20 is substantially rectangular, having a longitudinal side 28 and a transverse side 30. In some embodiments, the longitudinal side 26 may be longer than the transverse side 30. In other embodiments, the support plate 20 may be square, in which case the longitudinal side 28 and the transverse side 30 have the same length.

[0028] The nest 14 also includes tubular walls, members, or ridges (hereinafter referred to as "chimney-like portions 32") projecting outwardly and downward from a plane defined by the upper surface 22 of the support plate 20. Each chimney-like portion 32 may include a wall 34 (i.e., a cylindrical outer wall and / or a truncated conical inner wall) defining a receiving portion 35 configured to receive a stop 16 therein, wherein the receiving portion is sized to secure the entire stop 16. The receiving portion 35 includes a top opening at the top end of the chimney-like portion 32 and a bottom opening at the bottom end of the chimney-like portion 32. Figure 2 As shown, according to some aspects of this disclosure, the nest 14 can be configured to include 100 chimney-shaped portions 32 containing stops 16 for use with 1-3 mL syringes. Alternatively, the nest 14 can be configured to include 160 chimney-shaped portions 32 containing stops 16 for use with 1 mL syringes, or to include other numbers of chimney-shaped portions 32 depending on the size of the stops 16 held in the chimney-shaped portions.

[0029] In some embodiments, the nest 14 may also include intermediate finger-shaped notches 36 located on opposite longitudinal sides 28 (or transverse sides 30) of the plate 20, wherein each of these finger-shaped notches 36 includes a defining wall 38. The finger-shaped notches 36 allow a user's fingers to be inserted through them for grasping the nest 14, and the defining walls 38 provide an increased contact surface for these fingers.

[0030] Now for reference Figures 3 to 6 According to one embodiment of this disclosure, a box body 12a that may be included in the packaging system 10 is shown and described in more detail. The box body 12a is formed from a single-piece molded plastic material (e.g., by way of non-limiting example, an injection-molded polystyrene box body) and includes a plurality of sidewalls 40, including first opposing lateral sidewalls 40a and second opposing lateral sidewalls 40b, which extend upward from a bottom wall 42 defining the base of the box body 12a. Each of these sidewalls 40 may be configured as an inclined sidewall that does not extend precisely vertically from the bottom wall 42, but rather extends upward from the bottom wall 42 at an angle. The internal volume of the box body 12a is hollow and is defined by the inner surface 44 of the bottom wall 42 and the inner surface 46 of the sidewalls 40.

[0031] Opposite to the bottom wall 42, the box 12a is open, allowing the nest 12 to be inserted into it. A top flange 48 may be provided at the top of the side wall 40 opposite to the location of the bottom wall 42. The top flange 48 is configured to allow the sealing cap 18 (after one or more nests 14 including the stop 16 have been placed in the box 12a) to be sealed. Figure 1 and Figure 2 It is connected to the top flange.

[0032] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, each of these sidewalls 40 may have a stepped configuration defining a protrusion 50 positioned between a bottom sidewall portion 52 and a top sidewall portion 54 of each sidewall 40. The top sidewall portion 54 is offset outward from the bottom sidewall portion 52 such that the internal opening 56 defined by the periphery of the protrusion 50 has a smaller area than the opening 58 defined by the flange 48 of the housing 12a. In use of the housing 12a, the protrusion 50 provides a horizontal surface configured to support the bottommost nest 14 ( Figure 2 The plate 20 is arranged such that when the plate 20 is disposed in the housing 12a, the lower surface 24 of the plate 20 is disposed on the protrusion 50. Although the protrusion 50 is shown as extending continuously around the periphery of the inner surface 46 of the sidewall 40, it should be understood that the protrusion 50 may also be formed discontinuously around the periphery of the inner surface 46 of the sidewall 40.

[0033] According to various aspects of this disclosure, the housing 12a includes a plurality of features thereon that allow the housing 12a to be stacked with another housing having the same construction. Specifically, the housing 12a includes features thereon that allow the stacking of multiple housings 12a when the housings are empty (i.e., when not in use), for example when the housings 12a are transported from the factory where they are manufactured to the location where they will be loaded into the nest 14. As explained in further detail below, the construction of the housing 12a enables the stacking of multiple housings 12a (e.g., three housings) during transport while minimizing the possibility of housing deformation caused by such stacking—which could occur if the housings 12a become completely nested within each other due to outward forces applied to their inclined sidewalls 40.

[0034] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, at least some of the sidewalls 40 include guide features 60 thereon, which allow the multiple housings 12a to be aligned and engaged when it is desired to stack them together. In the illustrated embodiment, both the first opposing lateral sidewalls 40a and the second opposing lateral sidewalls 40b are shown as including guide features 60; however, it should be understood that, according to other embodiments of this disclosure, only the first opposing lateral sidewalls 40a or the second opposing lateral sidewalls 40b may include guide features 60 thereon. Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the first opposing lateral sidewalls 40a are shown each including two guide features 60 thereon, wherein these guide features 60 are aligned at the same location on each of the lateral sidewalls 40a, while the second opposing lateral sidewalls 40b are shown each including a single guide feature, wherein these guide features 60 are offset from each other on the opposing lateral sidewalls 40b.

[0035] The guide features 60 are formed as protrusions 62 extending inwardly from the inner surface 46 of the sidewall 40 and as recesses 64 recessed inwardly into the outer surface 66 of the sidewall 40. Each guide feature 60 extends vertically upward from its bottom end 68, which is connected to the protrusion 50, to its top end 70, which is located directly below the top flange (and opening) at the top of the sidewall 40. The guide features 60 are formed to taper gradually from the bottom end 68 to the top end 70; that is, the protrusions 62 taper gradually from their bottom end 68a to their top end 70a, and the recesses 64 taper gradually from their bottom end 68b to their top end 70b.

[0036] According to some embodiments, the tip or top surface 70a of each protrusion 62 of the guide feature 60 may be configured as a “chamfered” top surface, as referred to herein. The chamfered top surface 70a of the protrusion 62 is recessed inward and downward from the top flange 48 of the housing 12a. In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the chamfered top surface 70a of the protrusion 62 is formed as an inclined surface that slopes inward and downward.

[0037] like Figure 5 As shown, when multiple boxes 12a are to be stacked in a nested arrangement, the guide feature 60 can be used to align the multiple boxes 12a. That is, in a first relative position where the upper box 12a is above the lower box 12a', the recess 64 of the upper box 12a coincides with the protrusion 62 of the lower box 12a'. Therefore, when the upper box 12a is lowered onto the lower box 12a, the protrusion 62 of the lower box 12a' can be slidably received in the recess 64 of the upper box 12a, thereby allowing the upper box 12a to be nested within the lower box 12a'.

[0038] According to various aspects of this disclosure, the housing 12a also includes a plurality of ribs 72 located thereon, which control the amount / depth of nesting of the housings 12a, 12a′ together when stacked. Specifically, in each corner 74 of the housing 12a between adjacent sidewalls 40, a rib 72 may be provided projecting inward from the inner surface 46 of the corner 74 (i.e., the inner surface 46 of the sidewall 40). In some embodiments, each corner rib 72 may extend orthogonally inward from the inner surface 46 of the corner 74, wherein each corner 74 is formed as a rounded corner between adjacent sidewalls 40. Each corner rib 72 extends vertically upward from its bottom end 76, which is connected to the protrusion 50, to its top end 78, which is vertically located below the top flange 48 (and opening) at the top of the sidewall 40. According to an embodiment, the top edge or top surface 78 of each corner rib 72 is formed as a flat surface parallel to the bottom wall 42 of the housing 12a.

[0039] With rib 72 positioned at each of the corners of housing 12a (as described above), and with the top surface 78 of rib 72 at each corner oriented as described above, rib 72 is configured to provide a supporting surface for another housing 12a' stacked on the lower housing 12a. That is, as Figure 5 As shown and as Figure 6As shown in more detail, when the upper box 12a' is stacked on top of (and nested within) the lower box 12a, the corner ribs 72 of the lower box 12a are arranged and configured to engage and support the upper box 12a' when it is lowered onto the lower box 12a. Specifically, the top surface 78 of the corner ribs 72 abuts and engages with the outer surface 80 of the protrusion 50 of the upper box 12a'. With the corner ribs 72 of the lower box 12a engaging and supporting the upper box 12a' in this manner, the amount / depth of the nesting of the boxes 12a and 12a' when stacked is controlled. As a non-limiting example, for boxes 12a and 12a' with a height of 100 mm, the upper box 12a' can be nested within the lower box 12a, such that the upper box 12a' extends outward and upward from the lower box 12a by 50 mm to 60 mm, preferably 57.5 mm, wherein 42.5 mm of the upper box 12a' is thus accommodated within the internal volume of the lower box 12a (at a vertical height below the top flange 48 of the lower box 12a). With the stacking and nesting of boxes 12a and 12a' controlled by the corner rib 72 (as described above), boxes 12a and 12a' can be nested together in a desired manner when empty, while minimizing the possibility of box deformation due to such stacking.

[0040] Now for reference Figures 7 to 12 A housing 12b according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The structure of housing 12b is substantially similar to that of housing 12a, and therefore common features between housings 12a and 12b are numbered the same. Typically, housing 12b includes sidewalls 40, a bottom wall 42, and a top flange 48, wherein the sidewalls 40 have a stepped configuration defining a protrusion 50 positioned between a bottom sidewall portion 52 and a top sidewall portion 54 of each sidewall 40. Housing 12b also includes guide features 60 thereon that allow alignment and engagement of the multiple housings when it is desired to stack them together. In the illustrated embodiment, both the first opposing lateral sidewalls 40a and the second opposing lateral sidewalls 40b are shown as including guide features 60, wherein the first opposing lateral sidewalls 40a include two guide features 60 thereon, and the second opposing lateral sidewalls 40b include a single guide feature thereon.

[0041] As described above, the guide features 60 are formed as protrusions 62 extending inwardly from the inner surface 46 of the sidewall and as recesses 64 recessed inwardly into the outer surface 66 of the sidewall 40. Each guide feature 60 extends vertically upward from its bottom end 68a, which connects to the protrusion 50, to its top end 70, which is vertically located directly below the top flange 48 (and opening) at the top of the sidewall 40. According to some embodiments, the top end or top surface 70a of each protrusion 62 of the guide features 60 may be configured as a chamfered top surface. The chamfered top surface 70a of the protrusion 62 is recessed inwardly and downwardly from the top flange 48 of the housing 12b.

[0042] According to various aspects of this disclosure, housing 12b also includes a plurality of ribs 82 located thereon, which control the amount / depth of nesting of housings 12b together when stacked. However, unlike housing 12a (where ribs 72 are provided on the inner surface 46 of each corner 74 of housing 12a (i.e., the inner surface 46 of the sidewall 40)), the ribs 82 in housing 12b are configured as part of guide features 60. In particular, each guide feature 60 includes a rib 82 formed on the outer surface 66 of the sidewall 40 within a recess 64 of the guide feature. Figure 9 As best illustrated, each rib 82 is vertically aligned within the recess 64 and may be horizontally centered within the recess 64. In some embodiments, the rib 82 extends over the entire length of the recess 64—from the closed top end 70b of the recess 64 to the open bottom end 68b of the recess 64—while in other embodiments, the rib 82 may extend less than the entire length of the recess 64 (i.e., the rib 82 does not extend to the bottom end 68b of the recess 64), wherein it should be appreciated that the length of the rib 82 controls the stacking depth of the housing. Furthermore, each rib 82 extends orthogonally outward from the outer surface 66 of the sidewall within the recess 64. According to an embodiment, the amount by which the rib 82 protrudes outward from the outer surface 66 of the sidewall 40 within the recess 64 may be less than or equal to the depth of the recess 64.

[0043] When rib 82 is formed on the guide feature 60 of box 12b (as described above), the rib 82 of box 12b can be configured to engage with the corresponding guide feature 60 of another box 12b', and box 12b will be stacked on the other box 12b', that is, box 12b is the upper box to be stacked on the other box 12b', and the other box 12b' is the lower box. In other words, as Figure 10 As shown and as Figure 11 and Figure 12As shown in more detail, when the upper box 12b is stacked on top of (and nested within) the lower box 12b', the ribs 82 of the upper box 12b are arranged and configured such that the lower edge 84 of the ribs 82 engages the top surface 70a of the protrusion 62 on the lower box 12b', wherein the lower edge 84 of the ribs 82 engages with the top surface 70a of the protrusion 62 to support the upper box 12b when the upper box 12b is lowered onto the lower box 12b'. With the top surface 70a of the protrusion 62 being a chamfered top surface that is recessed inward and downward from the top flange 48 of the box 12b, the bottom edge 84 of the ribs 82 of the upper box 12b thus engages with the chamfered top surface 70a of the protrusion 62 of the lower box 12b' at a position at a vertical height below the top flange 48 of the lower box 12b'.

[0044] According to various aspects of this disclosure, the structure of the ribs 82 and protrusions 62 of the guide feature 60 can be varied to ensure precise engagement between the bottom edge 84 of the ribs 82 of the upper housing 12b and the chamfered top surface 70a of the protrusions 62 of the lower housing 12b'. In one embodiment, as... Figure 11 As shown, the bottom edge 84 of the rib 82 of the upper box 12b and the chamfered top surface 70a of the protrusion 62 of the lower box 12b′ are each formed as a flat (horizontal) surface to achieve their engagement. In another embodiment, as... Figure 12 As shown, the bottom edge 84 of the rib 82 of the upper box 12b and the chamfered top surface 70a of the protrusion 62 of the lower box 12b′ are each formed as inclined surfaces to achieve the engagement between them.

[0045] With the bottom edge 84 of the rib 82 of the upper box 12b engaging with the chamfered top surface 70a of the protrusion 62 of the lower box 12b' as described above, the amount / depth of nesting of the boxes 12b and 12b' during stacking is controlled. Typically, the total height of the stacked / nested boxes 12b and 12b' is less than the height of two separate, non-nested boxes 12b and 12b', wherein the height of the nested boxes 12b and 12b' is approximately 1.5 times the height of a single box 12b and 12b' (this is because a portion of the upper box 12b is received within the internal volume of the lower box 12b', at a vertical height below the top flange 48 of the lower box). With the stacking and nesting of the boxes 12b and 12b' controlled by the rib 82 on the guide feature 60 (as described above), the boxes 12b and 12b' can be nested together in a desired manner when empty, while minimizing the possibility of box deformation due to such stacking.

[0046] Now for reference Figures 13 to 17A housing 12c according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The structure of housing 12c is substantially similar to that of housings 12a and 12b, and therefore common features among housings 12a, 12b, and 12c are numbered the same. Typically, housing 12c includes sidewalls 40, a bottom wall 42, and a top flange 48, wherein the sidewalls 40 have a stepped configuration defining a protrusion 50 positioned between a bottom sidewall portion 52 and a top sidewall portion 54 of each sidewall 40. Housing 12c also includes guide features 60 thereon that allow alignment and engagement of the multiple housings when it is desired to stack them together. In the illustrated embodiment, both the first opposing lateral sidewalls 40a and the second opposing lateral sidewalls 40b are shown to include guide features 60, wherein the first opposing lateral sidewall 40a includes two guide features 60 thereon, and the second opposing lateral sidewall 40b includes a single guide feature 60 thereon.

[0047] As described above, the guide feature 60 is formed as a protrusion 62 extending inwardly from the inner surface 46 of the sidewall and as a recess 64 recessed inwardly into the outer surface 66 of the sidewall 40. However, unlike housings 12a and 12b, each guide feature 60 of housing 12c extends vertically upward from its bottom end 68, which connects to the protrusion 50, to its top end 70, which is vertically aligned with the top end of the sidewall 40 and with the top flange 48 (and the opening). The top end or top surface 70a of each protrusion 62 of the guide feature 60 is formed as a flat (horizontal) surface coplanar with the top flange 48.

[0048] According to various aspects of this disclosure, housing 12c also includes a plurality of ribs 82 located thereon, which control the amount / depth of nesting of housings 12c together when stacked. As described above with respect to housing 12b, the ribs 82 in housing 12c are configured as part of guide features 60, wherein each guide feature 60 includes a rib 82 formed on the outer surface 66 of the sidewall 40 within a recess 64 of the guide feature. Figure 15 As best illustrated, the individual ribs 82 are vertically aligned within the recess 64 and may be horizontally centered within the recess 64. In some embodiments, each rib 82 extends over the entire length of the recess 64—from the closed top end 70b of the recess 64 to the open bottom end 68b of the recess 64—while in other embodiments, the rib 82 may extend less than the entire length of the recess 64 (i.e., the rib 82 does not extend to the bottom end 68b of the recess 64), wherein it should be appreciated that the length of the rib 82 controls the stacking depth of the housing. Furthermore, each rib 82 extends orthogonally outward from the outer surface 66 of the sidewall 40 within the recess 64. According to an embodiment, the amount by which the rib 82 protrudes outward from the outer surface 66 of the sidewall 40 within the recess 64 is equal to the depth of the recess 64.

[0049] When rib 82 is formed on the guide feature 60 of box 12c (as described above), the rib 82 of box 12c is configured to engage with the corresponding guide feature 60 of another box 12c', and box 12c will be stacked on the other box 12c', that is, box 12c is the upper box to be stacked on the other lower box 12c'. In other words, as Figure 16 As shown and as Figure 17 As shown in more detail, when the upper box 12c is stacked on top of (and nested within) the lower box 12c', the rib 82 of the upper box 12c is arranged and configured such that the lower edge 84 of the rib engages with the top surface of the protrusion 62 on the lower box 12c', wherein when the upper box 12c is lowered onto the lower box 12c', the lower edge of the rib 82 engages with the top surface of the protrusion 62 to support the upper box 12c. In the case where the top surface 70a of the protrusion 62 is a flat top surface vertically aligned with the top flange 48 of the box 12c, the bottom edge 84 of the rib 82 of the upper box 12c thus engages with the top surface 70a of the protrusion 62 of the lower box 12c' at a position vertically aligned with the top flange 48 of the lower box 12c'.

[0050] With the bottom edge 84 of the rib 82 of the upper box 12c engaging with the top surface of the protrusion 62 of the lower box 12c′ in the manner described above, the amount / depth of the boxes nesting together during stacking is controlled. As a non-limiting example, for boxes 12c and 12c′ that are 100 mm high, the upper box 12c can be nested within the lower box 12c′ such that the upper box 12c extends outward and upward from the lower box 12c′ by 60 mm to 70 mm, preferably 65.0 mm, wherein 35.0 mm of the upper box 12c is thus accommodated within the internal volume of the lower box 12c′ (at a vertical height below the top flange 48 of the lower box 12c′). With the stacking and nesting of boxes 12c and 12c′ controlled by the rib 82 on the guide feature 60 (as described above), boxes 12c and 12c′ can be nested together in a desired manner when empty, while minimizing the possibility of box deformation due to such stacking.

[0051] Advantageously, embodiments of the present invention thus provide a housing for transporting multiple nested units and the medical containers or components thereby held therein. The housing is designed to allow nested stacking of empty housings during transport while minimizing the possibility of housing deformation due to such nested stacking. The housing includes ribs formed thereon that control the nesting depth of upper and lower housings during stacking, thereby controlling the forces applied to the housing sidewalls of one or more lower housings. Therefore, the structural integrity of the housing can be maintained while still allowing for improved transport efficiency of these housings by transporting multiple housings in a nested arrangement.

[0052] Although this disclosure has been described in detail for illustrative purposes based on embodiments or aspects currently considered most practical and preferred, it should be understood that such detailed description is for that purpose only, and this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments or aspects. Rather, this disclosure is intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, it should be understood that this disclosure contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment may be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment.

Claims

1. A housing for holding one or more nests, each of the one or more nests being configured to hold a plurality of medical components, the housing comprising: bottom wall; A first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and a second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls, the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls extending upward from the bottom wall and defining the internal volume of the housing, wherein corners are formed between corresponding walls of the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls, and the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls, the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and the corners include inner wall surfaces and outer wall surfaces; and A top flange is formed on the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls, wherein the top flange defines the upper opening of the housing; Each of the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls includes a stepped wall, the stepped wall including a lower wall portion and an upper wall portion, wherein a protrusion is formed between the lower wall portion and the upper wall portion, the protrusion including an inner surface and an outer surface; The feature is that each corner includes a corner rib extending inward from its inner surface, each corner rib extending vertically upward from the protrusion to a position vertically below the top flange.

2. The box body according to claim 1, wherein, The corner ribs allow the box to be stacked with another box having the same construction, the box including a lower box and an upper box, wherein the top edge of each of the plurality of corner ribs on the lower box engages with the outer surface of a protrusion on the upper box to support the upper box on the lower box and partially nest the upper box within the lower box.

3. The box body according to claim 2, wherein, The protrusion extends outward from the top edge of the lower wall portion to the bottom edge of the upper wall portion, wherein the corner guide extends upward from the inner surface of the protrusion.

4. The box body according to claim 3, wherein, The protrusion is parallel to the bottom wall and is configured to support the bottommost nest among the one or more nests held in the housing.

5. The box body according to claim 2, wherein, Each of the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls, each of the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls, or each of the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and each of the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls includes one or more guide features extending upward from the protrusion thereon, wherein each of the one or more guide features defines a protrusion on the inner wall surface and a recess on the outer wall surface.

6. The box body according to claim 5, wherein, Each of the plurality of guiding features includes a chamfered top surface that is recessed inward and downward from the top flange.

7. The box body according to claim 5, wherein, The recess of each corresponding guide feature of the upper box slides downward to engage with the protrusion of each corresponding guide feature of the lower box, so as to guide the upper box and the lower box to be stacked together.

8. The box body according to claim 7, wherein, When the upper box is partially nested within the lower box, the height of the stacked upper and lower boxes is approximately 1.5 times the height of either the upper or lower box.

9. The box body according to claim 8, wherein, The housing is configured to hold the one or more nests therein, each of the one or more nests including a plurality of chimney-like portions configured to hold a syringe stop therein.

10. A housing for holding one or more nests, each of the one or more nests being configured to hold a plurality of medical components, the housing comprising: bottom wall; A first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and a second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls, the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls extending upward from the bottom wall and defining the internal volume of the housing, wherein the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls include an inner wall surface and an outer wall surface; and A top flange is formed on the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls, wherein the top flange defines the upper opening of the housing; Each of the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls includes a stepped wall, the stepped wall comprising a lower wall portion and an upper wall portion, wherein a protrusion is formed between the lower wall portion and the upper wall portion; and Each of the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls, each of the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls, or each of the first pair of opposing laterally inclined walls and each of the second pair of opposing laterally inclined walls includes one or more guide features extending upward from the protrusion thereon, wherein each of the one or more guide features defines a protrusion on the inner wall surface and a recess on the outer wall surface. The characteristic feature is that each of the one or more guide features includes a rib positioned within the recess, the rib extending from the top end of the recess to the bottom end of the recess.

11. The housing according to claim 10, wherein, The guiding feature allows the box to be stacked with another box having the same construction, the box including an upper box and the other box including a lower box, wherein the bottom edge of each of a plurality of ribs on the upper box engages with the lower box to support the upper box on the lower box and to partially nest the upper box and the lower box.

12. The housing according to claim 11, wherein, The bottom edge of each of the plurality of ribs on the upper box engages with the top surface of a corresponding protrusion on the lower box to support the upper box on the lower box and to partially nest the upper box and the lower box.

13. The housing according to claim 12, wherein, Each corresponding guide post protrusion extends upward to the top flange, wherein the top surface includes a flat surface extending inward from the top flange.

14. The housing according to claim 12, wherein, The top surface of each corresponding guide post includes a chamfered top surface that is recessed inward and downward from the top flange.

15. The housing according to claim 14, wherein, The chamfered top surface includes an inwardly and downwardly sloping top surface, and wherein the bottom edge of each of the plurality of ribs includes a sloping bottom surface that mates with the sloping top surface.

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