Packaging tray for cap aimed for sealing pharmaceutical bottle

Abstract

To provide a packaging tray which increases the clipping reliability of a cap assembly relative to each bottle.SOLUTION: A packaging tray (100) for caps comprises: an almost plate-shaped base (110) having an upper face and a lower face (112) extending along a main plane (x, y); plural contact parts (120) aimed so that, when plural caps are held at the side of the lower face (112) of the base (110), each contact part (120) is brought into contact with each cap; and plural fastening systems (130) configured so that each fastening system (130) is related with each contact part (120), and holds each cap relative to the contact part (120).In the packaging tray (100), each contact part (120) is connected to the base (110) by a flexible bridge (125), and each contact part (120) can vertically move to the main plane (x, y).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1b

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of conditioning of pharmaceutical products. In particular, the present invention relates to a packaging tray adapted to hold caps, which are intended to seal bottles for pharmaceutical use. [Background technology]

[0002] Caps intended to seal bottles after they have been filled with medical products are typically collectively held in a conditioning tray for storage, transport, and handling before use. This collective conditioning prevents these caps, which are considered medical devices, from being contaminated or damaged by contact and friction between them.

[0003] European Patent No. 3505458 proposes this type of conditioning. The caps, held by a fastening system on the underside of a conditioning tray, are assembled onto the bottles, which are then collectively held by the tray. After assembly, a rod attached to a plate is moved downward along each cap, passing through an opening in the tray, gradually pushing each cap downward until it is released from the tray. A potential drawback of using rods equal to the number of caps is that the applied force is large, which tends to damage the tray due to excessive deflection.

[0004] Another problem can arise when assembling the caps (held in a cap tray) to the bottles, namely, incorrect clipping of the caps onto the bottles due to excessive dimensional mismatch (especially in height) of the elements being assembled. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention proposes a solution that aims to ameliorate all or part of the stated problems. The present invention relates to a packaging tray for collectively held caps that facilitates removal of the caps when they are associated with bottles. In some embodiments, the present invention also compensates for bottle height variations, increasing the clipping reliability of the cap assembly for each bottle of the cap assembly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to a packaging tray for caps, a generally plate-shaped base having upper and lower surfaces extending along a main plane; a plurality of abutments, each abutment intended to come into contact with a cap when the caps are held on the side of the lower surface of the base; a plurality of fastening systems, each fastening system associated with an abutment and configured to hold the cap against the abutment.

[0007] The packaging tray is characterized in that each abutment is connected to the base by a flexible bridge, allowing the abutment to move perpendicular to the major plane.

[0008] According to advantageous, non-limiting features of the present invention, these features can be employed individually or in any technically feasible combination, - two or three flexible bridges connect each abutment to the base, - each flexible bridge is U-shaped in a plane perpendicular to the main plane; - each flexible bridge is S-shaped in a plane perpendicular to the main plane (x, y), - each fastening system comprises a flexible tab, each flexible tab having a first free end movable in a direction along a major plane (x, y); - each fastening system has three flexible tabs, - each flexible tab has a notch for gripping an upper portion of the cap to hold the cap against the abutment; - each flexible tab has a second end fixed to the base; - each flexible tab has a second end connected to a proximal end of a flexible bridge, the distal end of the flexible bridge being fixed to the base; - each abutment has a projection extending from a side of the upper surface of the base; - the protrusion has a tubular shape; at least one abutment comprises a damping element intended to be positioned against the cap, - the damping element is removable, the base is perforated and comprises reinforcing ribs located on the upper and / or lower surface of the base; The packaging tray further comprises a spacer connected to the base and extending along an axis perpendicular to the main plane at the side of the lower surface. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention which refers to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1a] 1 shows a top perspective view of a packaging tray according to the present invention; [Figure 1b] 1 shows a bottom perspective view of a packaging tray according to the present invention. [Figure 1c] 1 shows an enlarged view of the location where the caps are held on the packaging tray according to the present invention. [Figure 2a] 1 shows a side view of a packaging tray according to the present invention, holding caps. [Figure 2b] 1 shows a top view of a packaging tray according to the present invention holding caps. [Figure 2c] 1 shows a bottom view of a packaging tray according to the present invention, which holds caps. [Figure 3] 1 shows an alternative embodiment of a packaging tray according to the present invention. [Figure 4a]1 shows a perspective view from below of a particular embodiment of a packaging tray according to the invention, comprising a damping element; [Figure 4b] 1 shows an example of a damping element for a particular embodiment of a packaging tray according to the invention, comprising the damping element; [Figure 4c] 1 shows a perspective view from above of a particular embodiment of a packaging tray according to the invention, comprising a damping element; [Figure 5] 1 shows a cap sealing a bottle, which can be held in a packaging tray according to the present invention. [Figure 6a] 1 shows a top view of a packaging tray according to the present invention holding caps. [Figure 6b] 1 shows a bottom view of a packaging tray according to the present invention, which holds caps. [Figure 6c] 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a packaging tray according to the present invention, holding caps. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The same reference numbers in the figures may be used for the same type of elements.

[0011] The present invention relates to a packaging tray 100 for caps 10, in particular for pharmaceutical use, examples of which are shown in Figures 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a, 2b and 2c. For clarity, a single cap 10 is shown attached to the packaging tray 100 in Figures 2a-2c, although in practice a cap 10 would of course be held at each location on the tray 100 provided for this purpose.

[0012] The packaging tray 100 comprises a generally plate-shaped base 110 and two faces 111, 112 extending parallel to a main plane (x, y), one called the upper face 111 and the other called the lower face 112. The terms "upper" and "lower" refer to the intended use of the packaging tray 100. When the caps 10 are held against the tray 100, one or more packaging trays 100 are typically placed in a storage and transport tank, possibly stacked on top of each other with the base 110 arranged horizontally, i.e., in that case the upper face 111 is the face seen from above and the lower face 112 is the face seen from below.

[0013] The caps 10 are held against the tray 100 by their lower surfaces 112. For this purpose, the packaging tray 100 comprises a plurality of abutments 120 connected to the base 110. Each abutment 120 is designed to come into contact with the cap 10 when the cap 10 is loaded into the tray 100. Advantageously, it is the upper portion 11 of the cap 10 that lies against the abutment 120, as shown in FIG. 1c.

[0014] Each cap 10 preferentially comprises a cylindrical body housing an elastomeric stopper 12 designed to close the opening 1a of the neck 1b of the bottle 1 after filling, the bottle 1 being generally formed by a cylindrical body 1c and a collar 1d defining the end of the neck 1b (Fig. 5).

[0015] The cap 10 has a closed top 11 and its function is to securely cap and seal a bottle 1 filled with, for example, a pharmaceutical product. Advantageously, the cap 10 is formed from an outer body 14, an upper cap 11, a cage 13 and a stopper 12 with a head 12a and a foot 12b, as described for example in EP 2 464 577 or FR 3 098 504.

[0016] Each abutment 120 can take the form of a solid or perforated disk, the underside of which (on the side of the underside 112 of the base 110) is intended to come into contact with the held cap 10, as in the example shown in Figures 1b and 1c. Alternatively, the abutment 120 can take any other form that provides a continuous contact surface or a localized contact area with the top part 11 of the cap 10.

[0017] The tray 100 also includes a plurality of fastening systems 130 , each fastening system 130 associated with an abutment 120 and configured to hold the cap 10 against the abutment 120 .

[0018] According to the invention, each abutment 120 is connected to the base 110 by a flexible bridge 125, allowing the abutment 110 to move perpendicular to the main plane (x, y). This particular feature makes it easy to remove each cap 10 from the associated fastening system 130 by pressing the abutment 120 on the side of the top surface 111 of the base 110. Such a thrust causes the abutment 120, and consequently the cap 10, to move along an axis (z) perpendicular to the main plane (x, y) until the cap is pulled out of the fastening system 130.

[0019] Advantageously, there are three flexible bridges 125 connecting each abutment 120 to the base 110. The number of bridges 125 can typically vary between two and six, with the three-bridge design 125 ensuring good stability of the abutments 120 without overly complicating the design of the tray 100. Limiting the number of flexible bridges 125 to two may save space.

[0020] Each bridge 125 has two ends 124, 126. By convention, the proximal end 124 refers to the end of the bridge 125 connected to the abutment 120, and the distal end 126 refers to the end of the bridge 125 connected to the base 110.

[0021] Several shapes of the bridge 125 can be assumed to allow displacement of the abutment portion 120 along the axis (z). In particular, a curved bridge is more likely to be flexible than a flat bridge due to a spring effect. A U-shape (shown in FIG. 3) in a plane perpendicular to the main plane (x, y) ensures that the bridge 125 can bend in at least one direction along the z-axis perpendicular to the main plane (x, y). The U-shape can be downward (i.e., the opening of the U is on the side of the lower surface 112 of the tray 100) or upward (i.e., the opening of the U is on the side of the upper surface 111 of the tray 100), as shown in FIG. 3. An S-shape (shown in FIGS. 1a, 1b, and 1c) in a plane perpendicular to the main plane (x, y) allows the bridge 125 to bend in both directions along the z-axis perpendicular to the main plane (x, y). In other words, considering the main plane (x, y) to be horizontal, the S-shape of each bridge 125 allows the abutment 120 to move vertically, upwards or downwards.

[0022] In the case of a packaging tray 100 having a large number of positions (100 positions) for holding caps 10, as shown in Figures 6a and 6b, the flexible bridge 125 can be U-shaped, directed upward or downward (Figure 6c), but with a small amplitude along the z-axis to reduce the overall dimensions.

[0023] Preferentially, each fastening system 130 comprises a flexible tab 135. Each of these flexible tabs 135 has a first end 134 ( FIG. 1 c) that is free and can move (in other words, can be displaced) in one direction in the main plane (x, y), and a second end 136 that is directly or indirectly connected to the base 110. The ability of the first end 134 to move allows the flexible tabs 135 of the fastening system 130 to move apart when the cap 10 is moved relative to the abutment 120, allowing the cap 10 to pass until it is clipped against the abutment 120, which also allows the flexible tabs 135 to move apart when the abutment 120 moves downwards, forcing the cap 10 out of the clipping.

[0024] To achieve the above-mentioned clipping, each flexible tab 135 advantageously includes a notch 131 designed to grip the cap 10 (particularly the upper portion 11 of the cap 10) and keep the cap 10 pressed against the abutment portion 120.

[0025] According to a first variant shown in FIGS. 1a to 1c, 2a to 2c and 6a to 6c, the second end 136 of each flexible tab 135 is directly connected to the base 110.

[0026] According to a second variant shown in Figure 3, the second end 136 of each flexible tab 135 is connected to the proximal end 124 of the flexible bridge 125, the distal end 126 of which is fixed to the base 110. In this case, the flexible tabs 135 of each fastening system 130 are further spread apart by the downward movement of the abutment 120 due to the link between the tabs 135 and the bridge 125 (Figure 3(ii)).

[0027] Each fastening system 130 may comprise a number of flexible tabs 135, typically between two and five, preferentially three, to ensure that the cap 10 is mechanically secured and takes up little space.

[0028] Advantageously, each abutment 120 has a protrusion 121 extending from the upper surface 111 of the base 110. In particular, this protrusion can be tubular, as shown in FIGS. 1a, 1c, 2a, and 6c. Of course, any other configuration can also be implemented. The purpose of this protrusion 121 is to facilitate the application of a force to move the abutment 120 downward (away from the z-axis in the figures). Individual contact with the protrusion 121 separates the cap 10 from the packaging tray 100. Collective contact with all the protrusions 121, for example, via a plate arranged parallel to the main plane (x, y), separates all the caps 10. This last configuration is particularly interesting when the caps 10 held in the packaging tray 100 are (generally) collectively associated with the bottles placed therein. Therefore, all the caps 10 can be easily separated simultaneously without the need for special tools, thus leaving each cap assembled on its bottle. The packaging tray 100 can then be reused for other caps 10.

[0029] According to an advantageous design, at least one abutment 120 comprises a damping element 128 intended to lie against the associated cap 10 (Figures 4a, 4b, 4c), which is made of an elastomeric material and is able to deform to absorb potential variations in the dimensions of the cap 10 and / or the bottle 1 that the cap 10 is intended to seal.

[0030] Preferentially, each damping element 128 is removable, so that the packaging tray 100 can be used with or without these elements 128. For example, the damping elements 128 may take the form of a disk 128a (FIG. 4b) fitted with a male member 128b suitable for coupling with a female member 120b arranged in the abutment 120 (FIG. 4c). In this case, the abutment 120 may take the form of a disk having a central hole 120b in which the male member 128b is received, the mechanical retention of the damping element 128 on the abutment 120 being ensured by engagement between the periphery of the central hole 120b and a groove 128c formed in the male member 128b.

[0031] Alternatively, the damping element 128 may take the form of a single disc, which is bonded to the abutment 120 on the underside 112 of the base 110, or may be manufactured by double injection simultaneously with the tray 100. In this respect, the packaging tray 100 is advantageously manufactured by injection molding from a plastic material selected, for example, from polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or polyamide (PA).

[0032] The base 110 may be perforated to limit the mass and material consumption of the packaging tray 100. Preferentially, it features reinforcing ribs 115 on its upper surface 111 and / or lower surface 112.

[0033] Finally, the tray may include spacers 140 fixed to the base 110 and extending along an axis z perpendicular to the main plane (x, y) on the side of the lower surface 112. The function of these spacers 140 is to maintain a constant, controlled distance between the caps 10 and an underlying surface or element. They are particularly useful when several packaging trays 100 need to be stacked in a storage and transport tank to avoid inappropriate contact between the caps 10 and the tank bottom or the underlying tray 100. The spacers 140 are advantageously arranged in the peripheral regions of the tray 100, for example, near the four corners of the tray. One or more spacers 140 can also be arranged in the central region of the tray 100 to prevent sagging, especially when a large number of caps 10 are held and the tray 100 has large lateral dimensions. The use of spacers can reduce the constraints of the rib reinforcement, increase the thickness of the tray 100, or reduce the perforation area.

[0034] Advantageously, receiving areas 141 are provided on the top surface 111 of the base 110 of the tray 100 in alignment with the spacers 140. They correspond to cavities adapted to receive free ends of spacers 140 of another tray 100 stacked on the top surface 111 of the tray 100.

[0035] Packaging tray 100 is shown in some figures with 9 or 100 positions for holding caps 10. Its lateral dimensions may be on the order of several tens of centimeters (e.g., on the order of 22 cm x 17 cm for a 9-place tray), and the thickness of base 110 and flexible bridge 125 is typically 1 mm to 2 mm. Of course, these example dimensions are not limiting, and tray 100 according to the invention can envisage 16, 25, or even 48 positions for caps 10, with dimensions adapted to the number of positions and their distribution and density.

[0036] Naturally, the invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and variant embodiments can be added thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A packaging tray (100) for caps (10), comprising: a substantially plate-shaped base (110) having an upper surface (111) and a lower surface (112) extending along a main plane (x, y); a plurality of abutments (120) intended to come into contact with a plurality of caps (10) when the caps (10) are held on the side of the lower surface (112) of the base (110); a plurality of fastening systems (130), each fastening system (130) associated with an abutment (120) and configured to hold the cap (10) against said abutment (120); A packaging tray (100) characterized in that each abutment (120) is connected to the base (110) by a flexible bridge (125), allowing the abutments (110) to move perpendicular to the main plane (x, y).

2. 2. The packaging tray (100) of claim 1, wherein two or three flexible bridges (125) connect each abutment (120) to the base (110).

3. 3. Packaging tray (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each flexible bridge (125) is U-shaped in a plane perpendicular to said main plane (x, y).

4. 3. Packaging tray (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each flexible bridge (125) is S-shaped in a plane perpendicular to said main plane (x, y).

5. 5. The packaging tray (100) of claim 1, wherein each fastening system (130) comprises a flexible tab (135), each flexible tab (135) having a first free end (134) that is movable in a direction along the main plane (x, y).

6. The packaging tray (100) of claim 5, wherein each fastening system (130) comprises three flexible tabs (135).

7. 7. The packaging tray (100) of claim 5 or 6, wherein each flexible tab (135) has a notch (131) for gripping an upper portion of the cap (10) to hold the cap (10) against the abutment (120).

8. The packaging tray (100) of any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein each flexible tab (135) has a second end (136) fixed to the base (110).

9. A packaging tray (100) according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein each flexible tab (135) has a second end (136) connected to a proximal end (124) of a flexible bridge (125), the distal end (126) of which is fixed to the base (110).

10. The packaging tray (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein each abutment (120) has a protrusion (121) extending from the side of the top surface (111) of the base (110).

11. 11. The packaging tray (100) of claim 10, wherein the protrusion (121) has a tubular shape.

12. Packaging tray (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein at least one abutment (120) comprises a damping element (128) intended to be positioned against said cap (10).

13. The packaging tray (100) of claim 12, wherein the damping element (128) is removable.

14. The packaging tray (100) of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the base (110) is perforated and comprises reinforcing ribs (115) arranged on the upper surface (111) and / or the lower surface (112) of the base.

15. The packaging tray (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising a spacer (140) connected to the base (110) and extending along an axis (z) perpendicular to the main plane (x, y) on the side of the lower surface (112).

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