Plastic Cover Locking Mechanism for Vial Stopper Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing closure devices for medication containers, such as glass vials, face contamination risks due to the time gap between installing the elastomer stopper and the metal capsule, which can lead to exposure to non-sterile environments, and the reliance on elasticity for sealing, which is not always effective.
Innovation Solution
A closure device featuring a plastics material cover with a ring and drive member that locks onto the container's neck, allowing for easy and secure mounting with arbitrary angular orientation, providing immediate protection to the elastomer stopper and eliminating the need for elasticity-based sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a metal capsule is used to seal the vial, then hermetic sealing is achieved, but glass particles may detach and pollute the content
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the sealing function from the metal capsule and transfers it to the elastomer stopper. The stopper is designed to provide hermetic sealing against gas, liquids, and bacteria, while the metal capsule is eliminated, thereby removing the source of glass particle contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameter of the sealing element from metal (capsule) to elastomer (stopper). This material substitution maintains the hermetic sealing function while eliminating the harmful interaction between metal crimping and glass particles.
2Productivity
If the capsule is crimped onto the vial after a time interval following stopper installation, then the filling or freeze-drying process is completed, but the content is exposed to contamination risks
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by installing the protective cover immediately after stopper placement, before the filling or freeze-drying process begins. This creates a sealed environment from the outset, preventing contamination during the entire production cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective cover acts as an intermediary element between the stopper and the external environment. It provides immediate protection to the content during the filling and freeze-drying processes, eliminating the contamination risk associated with delayed sealing.
3Reliability
If a plastics material cover with ring and drive member is used, then immediate protection and easy mounting are achieved, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cover is segmented into distinct functional components: a ring portion for mounting on the vial neck, a drive member for actuating the locking mechanism, and a cover portion for protecting the stopper. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while simplifying the overall assembly process.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive member incorporates dynamic elements such as spring-loaded locking tabs that automatically engage with the ring. This dynamic design enables automatic locking upon mounting, providing immediate protection without requiring complex manual assembly steps.
4Ease of operation
If an elasticity-based locking mechanism is used, then the outer cover can lock the inner cover, but the locking is not always effective
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is designed to be self-actuating through the drive member. When the cover is mounted on the vial, the drive member automatically engages the locking tabs with the ring, providing reliable locking without requiring additional manual intervention or complex elastic deformation.
Data Source
AI summary
The closure device (500) comprises a stopper (501) made of elastomer and a cover (502) suitable for covering both the neck (12) of a container and stopper (501) in place in said neck (12). The cover (502) is made of plastics material and comprises a ring (503) and a drive member (504). The ring (503) may surround the stopper (501) and the neck (12) in the mounted configuration, the ring being provided with locking means (503G) for locking on the neck (12). The drive member (504) may be mounted on the ring (503) in arbitrary angular orientation about a central axis (X503) of the ring. The drive member is provided with an annular edge (505D) suitable for being engaged between an outer skirt (503A) of the ring (503) and at least one tab (503G) forming locking means and extending radially towards the central axis (X503) of the ring from the skirt (503A).