Nest packaging with clip-on plunger stopper to ensure secure alignment of multiple nests within a tab.

Abstract

A nest and tab arrangement (10) for storage of medical device components including a tab (12) and at least one nest (14). The tab (12) includes four sides (16, 17) and a plurality of guide ribs (22) extending vertically along the sides (16, 17), the plurality of guide ribs (22) facing inwardly and including a friction surface (25) extending vertically thereon. The at least one nest (14) includes a top surface (35), a bottom surface (36), a plurality of receptacles (24) for storing a plurality of medical device components therein, and a plurality of deflectable clips (30) disposed on the sides (28, 29) of the at least one nest (14). A position of each of the plurality of deflectable clips (30) of the at least one nest (14) corresponds to a position of a respective one of the plurality of guide ribs (22) of the tab (12), and a portion of each of the plurality of deflectable clips (30) is configured to contact a corresponding friction surface (25) of a respective one of the plurality of guide ribs (22) to deflect each of the plurality of deflectable clips (30) laterally inwardly to align and secure the at least one nest (14) within the tab (12).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to the arrangement of nests and tabs for the packaging of plunger stoppers used in medical devices such as syringes. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to nest and tab arrangements that utilize at least one nest for the packaging of plunger stoppers, each nest having a plurality of deflectable clips to ensure reliable alignment of the plurality of stacked nests within the tab.

[0002] This application claims priority to European priority application No. 21305100.6, filed on January 26, 2021, entitled "A Nest for the Packaging of Plunger Stoppers with Clips Ensuring a Reliable Alignment of Several Nests in a Tub", the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Background Art

[0003] As is known in the art, transfer or storage devices (such as syringes) for the delivery or storage of drugs, medications, or vaccines generally utilize a plunger stopper that contacts the inner surface of a generally tubular syringe barrel to draw a substance into (or expel a substance from) the device via a plunger rod.

[0004] Currently, many such devices are filled and assembled using automated filling machines. Such machines not only improve productivity and accuracy but also provide a substantially sterilized and aseptic filling environment. The various components of the device (such as plunger stoppers, syringe barrels, etc.) are provided separately within the filling machine to enable at least a certain level of automated assembly.

[0005] Typically, multiple plunger stoppers are provided in bags or nests (supplied inside bags) that are accessed by the filling machine during assembly. Conversely, syringe barrels are generally packaged in nests that have a number of "chimneys" formed within them to hold the barrel, and each nest is configured to be held at least partially within a tab when introduced into the filling machine.

[0006] Current nests for syringe barrels are specifically designed for use with tabs, while current nests designed to hold plunger stoppers are not configured for use with specific tab profiles and do not fit snugly within the tabs used for syringe barrels. Some automated filling machines do not have a tab for holding plunger stopper nests, so this is not a problem. However, other, more recently designed filling machines (e.g., Vanrx SA25 robotic sterile filling working cell from Vanrx Pharmasystems Inc.) are only capable of handling components packaged in both nests and tabs. Furthermore, as mentioned above, currently available nests for plunger stoppers are not designed to be held within existing tab designs. Therefore, attempting to utilize existing nests and tabs together in relation to plunger stoppers would result in a combination that, when stacked, could lead to unreliable positioning within the tab and undesirable nest movement, which would be problematic for robotic handling of nests within filling machines. Documents US2019299217A1, US9433944B2, EP3454064A1, and WO2012143533A1 relate to container packaging. [Overview of the project]

[0007] Considering the above, a nest specifically designed for the plunger stopper, as well as a tab specifically designed to accommodate multiple such nests, is required. In addition, there is a need for both the nest and the tab configured to ensure reliable alignment of multiple nests within each tab.

[0008] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to nest and tab arrangements for storing medical device components. The nest and tab arrangement includes a tab having four sides and a plurality of guide ribs extending perpendicularly along the sides, the plurality of guide ribs being inward-facing and including friction surfaces extending perpendicularly thereon. The nest and tab arrangement also includes at least one nest having a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of receptacles for housing a plurality of medical device components therein and a plurality of deflectable clips positioned on the sides of at least one nest. The position of each of the plurality of deflectable clips in the at least one nest corresponds to the position of each of the plurality of guide ribs in the tab. Furthermore, a portion of each of the plurality of deflectable clips is configured to contact the corresponding friction surface of each of the plurality of guide ribs, thereby deflecting each of the plurality of deflectable clips laterally inward to align and secure the at least one nest within the tab.

[0009] In some embodiments, each deflectable clip includes a head portion at its distal end, the head portion being configured to contact one friction surface of each of the multiple guide ribs when at least one nest is positioned within the tab.

[0010] In some embodiments, the proximal end of each deflectable clip is coupled to at least one nest, allowing each deflectable clip to be deflected inward around its proximal end.

[0011] In some embodiments, each deflectable clip is positioned within a notched portion of at least one nest.

[0012] In some embodiments, the tab includes a top and a bottom, with the bottom being smaller in dimensions than the top.

[0013] In some embodiments, the upper portion is separated by a ledge surface and a lid flange, with multiple guide ribs extending between the ledge surface and the lid flange.

[0014] In some embodiments, the friction surface of each of the multiple guide ribs includes an inclination angle between the bottom projection surface and the top cover flange, and the dimensions of the bottom projection surface are smaller than the dimensions of the top cover flange.

[0015] In some embodiments, the inclination angle is 1.5° or less.

[0016] In some embodiments, at least one nest further includes at least one finger opening formed therein.

[0017] In some embodiments, a flange is included that extends at least partially around each finger opening and extends from the bottom surface of at least one nest.

[0018] In some embodiments, the receptacle comprises multiple frustoconical receptacles of a size such that they hold plunger stoppers.

[0019] In some embodiments, at least one nest includes multiple nests.

[0020] In some embodiments, multiple nests are configured to be stackable on top of each other within the tab, and the bottommost of the multiple nests is configured to be positioned adjacent to the bottom projection surface of the tab.

[0021] In some embodiments, the tab includes two long side surfaces and two short side surfaces, each of which includes two guide ribs positioned thereon, and each of which includes one guide rib positioned thereon.

[0022] In some embodiments, at least one nest includes two long sides and two short sides, each of the two long sides includes two deflectable clips, and each of the two short sides includes one deflectable clip.

[0023] Further details and advantages of the present disclosure will be understood from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the upper surface of a nest for storing plunger stoppers, according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is a top perspective view of a tab for use with the nest and tab arrangement of FIG. 1. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a bottom perspective view of the tab of FIG. 2A. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A is a top perspective view of a nest for use with the nest and tab arrangement of FIG. 1. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a bottom perspective view of the nest of FIG. 3A. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a top view of the nest and tab arrangement of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the nest and tab arrangement of FIG. 1.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] The following description is provided to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the described embodiments contemplated for carrying out the present invention. However, various modifications, equivalents, variations, and alternatives will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. Any and all such modifications, variations, equivalents, and alternatives are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0026] Hereinafter, for explanatory purposes, “top,” “bottom,” “right,” “left,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” and their derivatives shall be used in relation to the present invention as oriented in the drawings. However, it will be understood that the present invention may presuppose various alternative modifications unless explicitly specified otherwise. It should also be understood that the specific devices shown in the accompanying drawings and described below are merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, specific dimensions and other physical features relating to the aspects disclosed herein should not be considered limiting.

[0027] Referring to Figure 1, a nest and tab arrangement 10 according to an aspect of this disclosure is shown. In the nest and tab arrangement 10, a plurality of nests 14 can be removably held within tabs 12, and each nest 14 is configured to hold, for example, a plurality of plunger stoppers (not shown). For example, tabs 12 may be configured to hold between two and ten nests 14, and the nests are stacked vertically to one another. As described above, various automated filling machines utilize other nest and tab configurations to store and access medical device components, for example, syringe barrels. The nest and tab arrangement 10 is specifically configured to accommodate plunger stoppers in a manner that provides desired positioning and alignment of each nest 14 for precise handling by the robotic components of the automated filling machine, as shown in Figure 1. However, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to use with plunger stoppers, as the nest and tab configurations described herein may be used with other elements and / or devices.

[0028] Referring further to Figure 1, and also to Figures 2A and 2B, a tab 12 according to one aspect of the present disclosure is shown. The tab 12 includes a pair of long sides 16 and a pair of short sides 17. However, it should be understood that in alternative embodiments, the sides of the tab 12 do not need to be of the same length and / or parallel, and instead may be, for example, equal, non-parallel, etc. The general dimensions (i.e., length, width, and height) of each tab 12 may be adapted based on the specific automated filling machine being used.

[0029] The tab 12 further includes a bottom 18 and an upper 19. The bottom 18 is inserted from the upper 19, and the bottom 18 is smaller in dimensions than the upper 19, and the upper 19 is defined by an upper lid flange 20 and a bottom projection surface 23. Such a configuration allows multiple tabs 12 to be stacked together during storage, transport, etc., but allows sufficient spacing between the upper lid flanges 20 of each stacked tab 12 to allow easy access to (and separation of) the tabs 12.

[0030] The tab 12 further includes a plurality of guide ribs 22 that extend into the interior of the tab along each side 16, 17 and between the upper lid flange 20 and the bottom projection surface 23. In the embodiments shown in Figures 2A and 2B, each long side 16 includes two guide ribs 22, and each short side 17 includes only one guide rib 22, with each guide rib 22 on the short side 17 being laterally offset from one another. However, it should be understood that more or fewer guide ribs 22 may be available on each side 16, 17. For example, in an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the short side 17 may also include two guide ribs 22, and the long side 16 may include three guide ribs 22, and so on.

[0031] Each guide rib 22 includes an inwardly facing friction surface 25 extending from the upper lid flange 20 to the bottom projection surface 23. As will be described in more detail herein, each friction surface 25 is configured to provide an interface on the nest 14 having corresponding features in order to securely align and detachably hold the nest 14 within the tab 12. In some embodiments, the draft angle of each friction surface 25 of the guide rib 22 (i.e., the inclination angle of the friction surface 25 between the bottom projection surface 23 and the upper lid flange 20) is relatively small, and the dimensions of the bottom projection surface 23 are smaller than the dimensions of the upper lid flange 20. For example, the draft angle of the friction surface 25 may be less than 1.5°, even if the draft angles of the respective sides 16, 17 are greater than 1.5°. In this way, a nest 14 held closer to the bottom of the tab 12 may have increased frictional engagement with the friction surface 25 of the guide rib 22 compared to a nest 14 positioned closer to the upper lid flange 20 of the tab 12. Furthermore, in some embodiments, nests 14 positioned on or near the top of the tab 12 adjacent to the upper lid flange 20 may not be in contact with the guide ribs 22. Thus, while these top-or nearby nests 14 can help align the nests 14 closer to the central portion of the tab 12 in the event of tab 12 movement, the top-or nearby nests 14 are not necessarily physically held within the tab 12 via contact with the guide ribs 22.

[0032] Each tab 12 can be formed from any suitable material and by any suitable method. For example, the tab 12 can be formed from, for example, plastic, polymer (e.g., polystyrene), metal, etc., and can be formed by, for example, molding (e.g., injection molding), thermoforming, stamping, extrusion, welding, etc. Furthermore, the tab 12 can be formed as a single part or as multiple parts joined together. If it is formed from multiple parts, the materials forming each part may be the same or different.

[0033] Next, with reference to Figures 3A and 3B, a nest 14 according to an aspect of the present disclosure is shown. As described above, the nest 14 is configured to hold a plurality of plunger stoppers, but it should be understood that the nest 14 may be configured to hold other components.

[0034] Specifically, each nest 14 contains a plurality of stopper receptacles 24 formed therein. The stopper receptacles 24 may be formed as substantially frustoconical “chimneys,” each capable of holding a plunger stopper for access and removal by components of the autonomous filling machine. As shown in Figure 3A, each stopper receptacle 24 includes an opening formed in the top surface 35 of the nest 14, while the “chimney” of the stopper receptacle 24 extends below the bottom surface 36, as shown in Figure 3B. The diameter and size of each stopper receptacle 24 may vary based on the type of stopper used during a particular filling operation. Therefore, it should be understood that the overall number and positioning of the stopper receptacles 24 may also vary compared to those shown in Figures 3A and 3B.

[0035] Similar to the tab 12 described above, each nest 14 includes a pair of long sides 28 and a pair of short sides 29. However, it should be understood that in alternative embodiments, the sides of the nest 14 do not need to be of different lengths and / or parallel, but instead could be, for example, equal, non-parallel, etc. Similar to the tab 12, the general dimensions (i.e., length, width, and height) of each nest 14 may be adapted based on the specific automated filling machine being used.

[0036] As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, each short side 29 may include a finger opening 26 formed thereon, each finger opening 26 designed to allow simplified manual loading (and / or removal) of the nest 14 into (or from) the tab 12. In some embodiments, a flange 27 may at least partially surround each finger opening 26 and extend from the bottom surface 36 of the nest 14, thereby providing the user with a larger surface area for gripping the nest 14. Although two finger openings 26 are shown on the opposing short sides 29 in Figures 3A and 3B, it should be understood that the nest 14 may include more or fewer finger openings on either the short sides 29 or the long sides 28. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the finger openings 26 may be omitted entirely.

[0037] Referring further to Figures 3A and 3B, the nest 14 further includes a plurality of deflectable clips 30. As will be further described herein, the position of each clip 30 on the nest 14 substantially coincides with the position of the corresponding guide rib 22 on the tab 12. In this way, the deflectable clips 30 provide a friction interface between the nest 14 and the tab 12, which allows for consistent alignment (and self-centering) of the nest 14 within the tab 12, while still allowing for the smooth extraction of the nest 14 from the tab 12 during the filling operation.

[0038] Each clip 30 is formed within a notched portion 33 on each side of the nest 14. The proximal end of the clip 30 is coupled to the nest 14, while the distal end is free, thereby allowing the clip 30 to deflect inward relative to the nest 14 at an angle around its proximal end. A slot 34 is formed between the clip 30 and the side wall of the notched portion 33, allowing the inward deflection of the clip 30. The distal end of the clip 30 is provided with a head portion 32, which is slightly enlarged compared to the rest of the clip 30. As described below, the head portion 32 is configured to provide an interface for frictional engagement with the friction surfaces 25 of each guide rib 22 of the tab 12.

[0039] In the embodiments shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the long side 28 of the nest 14 includes two clips 30, and the short side 29 includes only one clip 30, with each clip 30 on the short side 29 being laterally offset from one another. However, it should be understood that more or fewer clips 30 may be available on each side 28, 29. For example, in an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the short side 29 may also include two clips 30, and the long side 28 may include three clips 30, and so on. Regardless of the total number of clips 30 provided, it is preferable that the clips 30 of the nest 14 correspond to both the arrangement and number of guide ribs 22 of the tab 12 to ensure proper alignment.

[0040] Each nest 14 can be formed from any suitable material by any suitable method. For example, nest 14 can be formed from, for example, plastic, polymer (e.g., polystyrene), metal, etc., and can be formed by, for example, molding (e.g., injection molding), thermoforming, stamping, extrusion, welding, etc. Furthermore, nest 14 can be formed as a single part or as multiple parts joined together. If it is formed from multiple parts, the materials forming each part may be the same or different.

[0041] Referring to Figure 4, a nest 14 positioned within the tab 12 is shown according to an aspect of this disclosure. As described above, the head portion 32 of each clip 30 is configured to contact the friction surface 25 of the corresponding guide rib 22, providing a plurality of friction interfaces between the nest 14 and the tab 12. When the nest 14 is pressed into the tab 12, each clip 30 is configured to deflect inward, thereby maintaining a deflection force between the head portion 32 and the friction surface 25, which acts to hold the nest 14 centered within the tab 12. The deflection force of the clips 30 is sufficient to maintain the nest 14 in an aligned central position, but not enough to increase the friction force between the head portion 32 and the friction surface 25 to a level that would hinder the smooth removal of the nest 14 from the tab 12. For example, in one embodiment, the overall deflection force of all clips 30 may be a maximum of about 2.6 N, which corresponds to a maximum of about 0.4 N per clip when six clips are utilized on the nest 14. However, it should be understood that nesting and tab arrangements in various aspects of this disclosure are not limited thereto, and the overall (global) bias force (and bias force per clip) may be smaller or larger than those provided in the examples above.

[0042] Furthermore, as described above, multiple nests 14 can be housed within the tab 12, and the nests are stacked on top of each other between the bottom projection 23 and the upper lip 20 of the tab 12. The friction surface 25 may have a slight draft angle (e.g., less than 1°), but the configuration of the clips 30 compensates for the natural undercut of the guide rib 22, allowing each nest 14 to be centered and fixed within the upper part 19 of the tab 12, regardless of its position in the stack. That is, the clip 30 of the bottommost nest 14 in the nest stack may be deflected more inward than the clip 30 of the topmost nest 14 due to the draft angle of the guide rib 22. For example, the clip 30 of the bottommost nest 14 may be deflected by about 1 mm, the clip 30 of the topmost nest 14 may be deflected by only about 0.5 mm, and the clips 30 of nests 14 located in between may be deflected by between those amounts. Such deflection variations allow the nest 14 to remain aligned and fixed within tab 12, regardless of their stacking positions.

[0043] Referring now to Figure 5, a cross-sectional view of a nest and tab arrangement 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, seven nests 14 are shown stacked within a tab 12. The bottom nest 14 is positioned adjacent to the bottom projection surface 23 of the tab 12, and may also be at least partially on the bottom projection surface 23, while the top nest 14 is positioned just below the top lid flange 20, and each stopper receptacle 24 is (where applicable) perpendicular to the upper and lower stopper receptacles 24. While the embodiment in Figure 5 shows seven nests 14, it should be understood that in other embodiments, more or fewer nests may be held within the tab.

[0044] In the nest and tab arrangement 10 shown and described with respect to Figures 1-5, multiple plunger stoppers may be held in multiple nests 14, each nest 14 being removably held within a tab 12. Thus, the nest and tab arrangement 10 can be utilized by various automated filling machines that require precise alignment, minimal "play" in both the components and their storage means, and easy access to syringe components, including plunger stoppers.

[0045] While several embodiments of nesting and tab arrangements are shown in the accompanying figures and described in detail herein, other embodiments will be apparent and easily constructed to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, it should be understood that this disclosure intends, to the extent possible, to combine one or more features of any embodiment with one or more features of any other embodiment. Accordingly, the foregoing description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive.

Claims

1. Arrangement of nests and tabs for storing medical device components (10), Tab (12), The four sides (16, 17) and A plurality of guide ribs (22) extending perpendicularly along the aforementioned side surfaces (16, 17), wherein the plurality of guide ribs (22) are inward-facing and include a friction surface (25) extending perpendicularly thereon, The tab (12) comprises, At least one nest (14), Top surface (35) and Bottom surface (36) and Among them are multiple receptacles (24) for storing multiple medical device components, A plurality of deflectable clips (30) are arranged on the sides (28, 29) of at least one of the nests, The at least one nest (14) comprising, Includes, The position of each of the plurality of deflectable clips (30) of the at least one nest (14) corresponds to the position of each of the plurality of guide ribs (22) of the tab (12), A portion of each of the plurality of deflectable clips (30) is configured to contact one corresponding friction surface (25) of each of the plurality of guide ribs (22) to deflect each of the plurality of deflectable clips (30) laterally inward, thereby aligning and securing the at least one nest (14) within the tab (12). Nesting and tab arrangement (10) characterized by the above.

2. The nest and tab arrangement (10) according to claim 1, wherein each of the deflectable clips (30) includes a head portion (32) at its distal end, the head portion (32) being configured to contact one of the friction surfaces (25) of each of the plurality of guide ribs (22) when the at least one nest (14) is positioned within the tab (12).

3. The nest and tab arrangement (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the proximal end of each of the deflectable clips (30) is coupled to the at least one nest (14), allowing each of the deflectable clips (30) to deflect inward about its proximal end.

4. The nest and tab arrangement (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the deflectable clips (30) is positioned within a notch (33) of at least one nest (14).

5. The nest and tab arrangement (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one nest (14) further comprises at least one finger opening (26) formed therein.

6. The nest and tab arrangement (10) according to claim 5, further comprising a flange (27) that extends at least partially around each finger opening (26) and extending from the bottom surface (36) of the at least one nest (14).

7. The nest and tab arrangement (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plurality of receptacles (24) comprises a plurality of frustoconical receptacles sized to hold plunger stoppers therein.

8. The nest and tab arrangement (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising a plurality of nests (14) as at least one nest (14).

9. The nest and tab arrangement (10) according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of nests (14) are configured to be stackable on each other within the tab (12), and further configured such that the bottommost of the plurality of nests (14) is positioned such that the outer edge of the bottommost of the plurality of nests (14) rests on the bottom projection surface (23) of the tab (12).

10. The nest and tab arrangement (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the tab (12) includes two long sides (16) and two short sides (17), each of the two long sides (16) includes two guide ribs (22) positioned thereon, and each of the two short sides (17) includes one guide rib (22) positioned thereon.

11. The nest and tab arrangement (10) according to claim 10, wherein the at least one nest (14) comprises two long sides (28) and two short sides (29), each of the two long sides (28) comprising two deflectable clips (30), and each of the two short sides (29) comprising one deflectable clip (30).

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