Packaging system for bottles, in particular glass bottles for pharmaceutical use
Patent Information
- Application Number
- EP2023716358
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-03-11
- Filing Date
- 2023-03-08
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-15
AI Technical Summary
Existing packaging systems for pharmaceutical glass bottles are complex, costly, and inefficient in terms of plastic usage and sterilization, often resulting in damage and waste during single-use applications.
A pre-sterile packaging system comprising a parallelepiped-shaped box with a detachable support featuring triangular pins for secure bottle positioning, allowing easy sterilization and reduced plastic consumption, with a compostable design to minimize environmental impact.
The system simplifies bottle storage and transport, reduces plastic waste, and facilitates effective sterilization while being cost-effective and easy to produce, with the support being biodegradable and compostable for sustainable disposal.
Smart Images
Figure 1.1
Abstract
Description
[0001] PACKAGING SYSTEM FOR BOTTLES, IN PARTICULAR GLASS BOTTLES FOR PHARMACEUTICAL USE
[0002] Cross-Reference to Related Applications
[0003] This Patent Appl ication claims priority from Italian Patent Application No . 202022000001010 filed on March 11 , 2022 , the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference .
[0004] Technical Field of the Invention
[0005] This invention relates to a pre-sterile packaging system, i . e . , suitable to be sterilised and to remain sterile during and subsequent to a step for housing containers or bottles in it that can be sterilised / are sterilised, for inline storage and transport of such bottles , especially, but not only, glass bottles for pharmaceutical use .
[0006] The term "packaging system" refers here , and below, to a set of elements that can be separate and independent , but operationally connected and able to be coupled together to form a closed container . The term " in line" refers , instead, here and below, to the fact that at least one of the component elements of the packaging system i s suitable for being used already immediately downstream of a production plant for glass bottles and / or a silicon-coating line for the same .
[0007] Prior Art
[0008] It is known that bottles and / or glass vials for pharmaceutical use are produced from a glass tube , which is i cut and modelled into the desired shape via a f lame . The bottles / containers or vials thus obtained are subj ected to a stress relieving heat treatment and, subsequently, are preferably also subj ected to a silicon-coating treatment , via which the bottles or vials are coated with silicon inside , i . e . , their inner surface is coated at the end of the production steps with a thin layer of liquid silicon, which is subsequently fired to ensure perfect adhesion to the walls of the bottle .
[0009] Already after the silicon coating or, in any case , immediately after their production, the bottles ( or vials ) are vertically arranged, and with slight play between them, almost in contact with each other, inside a rectangular box, with their corresponding mouths facing downwards or upwards . This box serves to carry out additional manipulations of them and their transport to the location of use and, above all , it serves to receive the bottles during or after a sterilisation treatment thereof .
[0010] To keep the bottles in the correct position, without their colliding with each other during the manipulation or transport of the box, EP2382135 provides for equipping the bottom wall of the box with multiple pins with a star-shaped cross-section that proj ect cantilevered from the bottom wall and towards the mouth ( open top part ) of the box . The pins , between which the bottles are housed with their mouths turned downwards, are made integral in one piece with the bottom wall of the box and with the box itself, which is made via moulding in a synthetic plastic material.
[0011] The mouth of the box may be closed by a plugging element like a lid or, more generally, a plastic film that is permeable to sterilisation gases or vapours.
[0012] This solution may be difficult to implement with the necessary precision due to the processing tolerances and the complex shape that the box assumes with the corresponding pins. In addition, especially due to the fact that the packaging described (box with pins and closing film) is often single-use, this solution involves a lot of consumption / waste of high-performance plastic.
[0013] EP2429608 proposes a different solution, intended to resolve a different problem, and that is keeping at the same distance from the mouth or open side of the box corresponding mouths of the bottles, which, in this case, are turned upwards, i.e., the bottles are positioned in the opposite way to those in EP2382135, and, at the same time, being able to house bottles of two different heights in the same packaging .
[0014] To this end, the packaging in EP2429608 involves a box that is open at the top, in which a support equipped with multiple housing seats for the bottles can be inserted. The seats each consist of a hole, below which (i.e., towards a bottom wall of the box ) there are three ( or more ) L-shaped feet , which support the bottle inserted in the hole . The support is equipped with outer slits asymmetrically positioned on the opposite sides of the same and can be inserted in the box in two di f ferent positions , rotated by 180 ° between them around an axis perpendicular to the bottom wall of the box .
[0015] In a first position of the support , the slits may engage corresponding through guide proj ections made integral in one piece with the side walls of the box, also positioned asymmetrically on the opposite walls and the support is thus positioned close to the bottom wal l so as to be able to house taller bottles inside , with the mouth of the same positioned flush with the box mouth .
[0016] In a second position of the support , the slits on the sides of the support cannot engage the proj ections , so that the edges of the support rest on the proj ections themselves positioning the support further away from the bottom wall of the box, so that shorter bottles than the previous ones may be housed in it, but with the mouth of the same always positioned flush with the box mouth .
[0017] Such solution is also complex and costly to implement and does not overcome the drawbacks of EP2382135 .
[0018] Summary of the Invention
[0019] The purpose of this invention is to provide a packaging system for the in-line storage and transport of bottles ( or vials ) , in particular glass bottles / vials , especially but not exclusively for pharmaceutical use , preferably immediately downstream of a step for producing the same , which is easily sterilised and able to be manipulated, inexpensive , simple to produce and that avoids , at the same time , any noisiness and / or damage of the bottles / vial s and waste of plastic material in the case of single-use packaging systems .
[0020] It is also one purpose of the invention to provide a packaging system that makes it pos sible to carry out an easy and ef fective sterilisation of the bottles / vials housed in it .
[0021] Therefore , according to the invention, a pre-sterile packaging system is provided for the in-line storage and transport of bottles ( or vials ) , in particular glass ones , especially, but not exclusively, for pharmaceutical use , having the features described in the attached claims .
[0022] Brief Description of the Drawings
[0023] Additional features and advantages of this invention will be more evident from the following description of a non-limiting embodiment thereof , which is drawn up with reference to the figures in the appended drawings , wherein :
[0024] - Figure 1 schematically illustrates two components of the packaging system according to the invention; - Figures 2 and 3 schematically illustrate two views in cross-section according to a trace plane respectively I I - I I and I I I- I I I of a same component shown in Figure 1 , consisting of a support for bottles or vials to be stored;
[0025] - Figure 4 schematically illustrates on an enlarged scale a detail of the support in Figure 3 that shows a seat for a bottle or vial to be stored;
[0026] - Figure 5 illustrates a schematic plan view from above of the detail of the seat in Figure 4 , where the outer profile of a bottle that can be housed in this seat is illustrated in the thinner line ;
[0027] - Figures 6 and 7 schematically illustrate a plan view from above and a cross-section according to a trace plan VI I-VI I , of another component of the packaging system according to the invention consisting of a box designed to receive the support in Figures 1-3 full of glass bottles ;
[0028] - Figure 8 schematically illustrates the same crosssection view of Figure 7 but of a complete packaging system according to the invention, with the support in Figures 1-3 inserted in the box of Figures 6-7 and some bottles stored in it , positioned in the corresponding support seats ; and
[0029] - Figure 9 schematically illustrates on an enlarged scale a detail of Figure 8 that highlights the coupl ing system between box and support . Detailed Description of the Invention
[0030] Referring to Figures 1, 8, and 9, the reference number
[0031] 1 indicates, as a whole, a pre-sterile packaging system (i.e., easily sterilised before use) for in-line storage and transport of bottles 2 (Figure 8) , in particular made of glass, especially but not only for pharmaceutical use.
[0032] In the non-limiting embodiment illustrated, the packaging system 1 is intended to receive bottles or "vials"
[0033] 2 for pharmaceutical use, of a known type, but it is clear that the packaging system 1 of the invention that will be described may receive other types of containers made of glass, for example vials, so that the term "bottle" must not be understood, here and below, in a limiting sense.
[0034] The packaging system 1 comprises a box 3, illustrated separately on its own in Figures 6 and 7.
[0035] The box 3 is closed on five sides and open on a sixth side, in this case the upper side, so that the box 3 is open at the top.
[0036] The box 3 is configured to receive inside multiple bottles 2 neatly arranged side by side in a vertical position and the sixth side, which is open, defines and delimits a mouth 9 for accessing the box 3.
[0037] In the non-limiting, but preferred, embodiment of the invention illustrated here, the box 3 is a parallelepipedshaped box and is delimited on its five closed sides by four side walls 4, 5, 6, and 7 arranged in pairs adjacent and perpendicular to each other, and by a bottom wall 8, which is flat, arranged transversely to the side walls 4-7, so as to connect them together.
[0038] The side walls 4-7 are, therefore, arranged transversely to the flat bottom wall 8, but are not, preferably, perpendicular to it, though they form, with the bottom wall 8, an angle greater than 90°. In other words, the box 3 is slightly flared towards its mouth 9, which is delimited by the side walls 4-7, on the opposite side to the bottom wall 8, which is, thus, facing and opposite the mouth 9, which is rectangular-shaped in plan view in the example illustrated .
[0039] The box 3 may be made via moulding of a suitable synthetic plastic material, or it can also be metallic, for example obtained via cutting and bending a sheet metal.
[0040] The box 3 is preferably obtained via moulding a high- quality synthetic plastic material such as PLP (polypropylene) , which is a plastic material also suitable for single-use products, has good mechanical resistance, and is easily recyclable.
[0041] In both cases, the box 3 is, therefore, configured to house, through the mouth 9, multiple bottles 2 arranged side by side in a position basically perpendicular to the bottom wall 8, which is opposite the mouth 9. The package 1 also comprises a support 10 , illustrated in detail in Figures 1 to 5 , detachably housed inside the box 3 . Therefore , it can be coupled, removably, with the box 3 and can be inserted in and / or extracted from the box 3 through the mouth 9 in a position facing and parallel to the bottom wall 8 .
[0042] The support 10 is provided with multiple housing seats 11 for the bottles 2 .
[0043] According to one aspect of the invention, the housing seats 11 are each delimited / formed ( Figure 9 ) by a hole 12 made through the support 10 and by multiple pins 13 made integral in one piece with the support 10 around each respective hole 12 and that extend perpendicularly cantilevered from a first flat face 14 of the support 10 arranged facing the side opposite to the bottom wall 8 of the box 3 and which face , therefore , is facing and parallel to the mouth 9 .
[0044] The pins 13 extend, as a result , cantilevered from the support 10 , in this case from the face 14 of the same , and towards the mouth 9 .
[0045] According to a non-secondary aspect of the invention, the support 10 and / or the box 3 are provided with rest or stop elements 15 ( Figure 9 ) configured to position the support 10 near the bottom wall 8 of the box 3 , with a second face 16 of the support 10 turned towards the bottom wall 8 and facing it, but so that the bottom wall 8 and the second face 16 of the support 10 are separated between them by a predetermined gap G (Figure 9) to form a first chamber 18 (Figures 8 and 9) inside the box 3 with a basically constant and relatively small height.
[0046] Here and hereinafter, "relatively small" refers to a dimension of the gap G (i.e., of the "height" of the chamber 18) measured perpendicularly to the bottom wall 8 (and, thus, also perpendicularly to the faces 14 and 16, which are flat and parallel between them and to the bottom wall 8) equal only to a fraction, for example a tenth, of a height H (Figure 4) of the pins 13, again measured perpendicularly to the faces 14, 16 and to the bottom wall 8.
[0047] The support 10 is formed f rom / consists of a flat plate, preferably rectangular-shaped in plan, delimited by an outer edge 19 provided with multiple through recesses or notches 20 (Figure 1) , which cross the support 10 perpendicularly to the faces 14, 16 and that interrupt the outer edge 19 at intervals .
[0048] These through recesses 20 are configured to form with the corresponding side walls 4-7 of the box 3, arranged transversely to the bottom wall 8, hydraulic passages that place the first chamber 18 in communication with the inside of a second chamber 21 (Figures 8 and 9) housing the seats 11 and delimited inside of the box 3 between the support 10 and the mouth 9 of the box 3 itsel f .
[0049] In this way, as will be seen, it is possible to simpli fy and speed up the bottle 2 sterilisation step, if necessary .
[0050] In the non-limiting (but preferred) example illustrated, at least two opposite side walls of the box 3 , arranged transversely to the bottom wall 8 and facing each other, in this case the walls 6 and 7 , are provided with multiple dents that constitute the rest or stop elements 15 mentioned above .
[0051] The dents 15 are aligned with each other and form, inside the box 3 , multiple seats or grooves 22 ( Figure 9 ) delimited by a corresponding tooth 23 elastically deformable and, on the opposite side by a rest base , configured to receive , snapped on, the outer edge 19 of the support 10 and to lock, as a result , the support 10 , detachably, in a position immediately adj acent to, but separated from, the bottom wall 8 of the box 3 , to form the gap G and the chamber 18 .
[0052] The pins 13 are straight and, preferably, tapered towards the mouth 9 of the box 3 .
[0053] The pins 13 ( Figures 1 and 5 ) have a triangular-shaped cross-section in plan, in this case they have the shape of equilateral triangles in cross-section .
[0054] In particular, in combination with such a shape of pins 13 , each seat 11 is delimited by four pins 13 arranged parallel to each other and having the corresponding vertices of the triangles whose shape they have in cross-section, arranged in pairs , two by two facing each other, to surround each corresponding through hole 12 .
[0055] The pins 13 and the holes 12 are neatly arranged on the face 14 according to a basically chessboard-like pattern, so that the same pins 13 delimit , on opposite sides , a seat 11 , as well as the seats 11 immediately adj acent to it .
[0056] In addition, the pins 13 are configured so as to be elastically deformable, at least in part , to cooperate under pressure with the bottles 2 housed in the seats 11 so as to hold them in the holes via friction .
[0057] For the same reason, the through holes 12 of the support 10 are configured to receive , preferably via shape coupling, corresponding mouth portions 25 of the bottles 2 ( Figure 8 ) , so that the bottles 2 are housed in the box 3 arranged turned upside down towards the bottom wall 8 of the box 3 , i . e . , with their mouth portions or necks 25 facing downwards .
[0058] The packaging system 1 according to the invention also comprises a plugging element 26 ( Figures 1 , 8 , and 9 ) arranged in a known way to close the mouth 9 of the box 3 , so as to seal the sixth open side of the box 3 and the bottles 2 inside the box 2 .
[0059] This plugging element 26 consists , preferably, of a film made of ( known) synthetic plastic material that is permeable to gases , in particular permeable to sterilisation gases .
[0060] While the box 3 is made of a synthetic plastic material , preferably polypropylene ( PLP ) , according to one aspect of the invention, the support 10 with the corresponding pins 13 made as a single piece with it , is / are made of a compostable synthetic plastic material , for example MATER-B® .
[0061] Thanks to the features described the packaging system 1 of the invention is easy to produce , since the moulding both of the box 3 and the support 10 , both very simpli fied in shape compared to the prior art , is simple and inexpensive .
[0062] The support 10 may be easily extracted from and reinserted in the box 3 , but , at the same time , it is held in it together with the bottles 2 by the teeth 23 , the pins 13 being able to be configured, in turn, i f necessary, to hold the bottles 2 in their seats 11 .
[0063] The sterilisation of the bottles 2 is simpli fied, since the sterilisation gases penetrate the chamber 21 through the semi-permeable film 26 and then may easily pass into the chamber 18 and, from here , into the bottles 2 , while any condensation is discharged by gravity into the chamber 18 .
[0064] Finally, the support 10 , which after use , in the case of single-use packages , could be deformed or, in any case , no longer be usable , may be easily disposed of as organic, biodegradable, and compostable waste, instead of, necessarily, being recycled with methods such as grinding, chemical purifying, and remelting, thus with an increase in cost . All the purposes of the invention are, therefore, achieved .
Claims
CLAIMS1. A packaging system (1) for in-line storage and transport of bottles (2) , especially, but not exclusively, glass bottles (2) for pharmaceutical use, comprising a box (3) closed on five sides and open on a sixth side, the sixth side, which is open, defining a mouth (9) for accessing the box, the box being configured to receive, inside thereof, through said mouth, multiple bottles (2) arranged side by side in a position basically perpendicular to a bottom wall(8) of said box, opposite to said mouth; characterised in that it also comprises a support (10) mateable with said box (3) in a removable manner inside of the box and in a position facing and parallel to the bottom wall (8) , the support (10) being provided with multiple housing seats (11) for the bottles (2) ; the housing seats each being delimited by a through hole (12) made through the support (10) and by multiple pins (13) made integral in one piece with the support (10) around said hole (12) and that extend perpendicularly, cantilevered from a first flat face (14) of the support (10) arranged facing the side opposite to the bottom wall (8) of the box, the pins (13) extending, as a result, cantilevered from the support and towards said mouth(9) .
2. The packaging system (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the support (10) and / or the box (3)are provided with rest or stop elements (15) configured to position the support (10) close to the bottom wall (8) of the box, with a second face (16) of the support arranged towards the bottom wall and facing it, the bottom wall (8) and the second face (16) of the support being separated from each other by a predetermined gap (G) to form a first chamber (18) with a basically constant and relatively small height.
3. The packaging system according to claim 2, characterised in that said support (10) is formed by a flat plate, preferably rectangular-shaped in plan, delimited by an outer edge (19) provided with multiple through recesses(20) that cross the support (10) perpendicularly to said first and second face (14, 16) and that interrupt, at intervals, the outer edge (19) ; said through recesses (20) being configured to form, with corresponding side walls (4, 5, 6, 7) of the box (3) , arranged transversely to the bottom wall (8) , hydraulic passages that place said first chamber (18) in communication with the inside of a second chamber(21) housing said seats (11) and delimited inside the box (3) between the support (10) and the mouth (9) of the box.
4. The packaging system according to one of the previous claims, characterised in that at least two opposite side walls (6, 7) of the box (3) , arranged transversely to the bottom wall (8) and facing to each other, are provided with multiple dents (15) aligned with each other and forming,inside the box (3) , multiple seats or grooves (22) delimited by a corresponding tooth (23) elastically deformable and by an opposite rest base, configured to receive, snapped on, a corresponding outer edge (19) of the support (10) and to lock, as a result, the support, removably, in a position immediately adjacent to, but separate from, the bottom wall (8) of the box.
5. The packaging system according to one of the previous claims, characterised in that said pins (13) are straight and, preferably, tapered towards said mouth (9) of the box .
6. The packaging system according to one of the previous claims, characterised in that said pins (13) have a triangular-shaped cross-section in plan; each seat (11) being delimited by four pins (13) arranged parallel to each other and with corresponding vertices of their cross-section facing in pairs to each other, to surround said through hole (12) .
7. The packaging system according to claim 6, characterised in that said pins (13) are configured so as to be at least in part elastically deformable to cooperate under pressure with the bottles (2) housed in the seats so as to hold them in the seats.
8. The packaging system according to one of the previous claims, characterised in that said through holes(12) of the support (10) are configured to receive, preferably via shape-coupling, corresponding mouth portions (25) of the bottles (2) , so that the bottles (2) are housed in the box (3) arranged upside down towards the bottom wall (8) of the box.
9. The packaging system according to one of the previous claims, characterised in that it also comprises a plugging element (26) to close said mouth (9) of the box, so as to seal the sixth side, open, of the box (3) and the bottles (2) inside the box; said plugging element preferably consisting of a film (26) made of synthetic plastic material that is permeable to gases, in particular permeable to sterilisation gas.
10. The packaging system, according to one of the previous claims, characterised in that the box (3) is made of a synthetic plastic material, preferably polypropylene (PLP) ; and in that, in combination, the support (10) with the corresponding pins (13) made as a single piece with it, is / are made of a compostable synthetic plastic material.