DISPOSABLE POCKET-SIZE PACKAGE FOR EYE-RINSING LIQUID

Abstract: Disposable pocket-size package for eye-rinsing liquids and comprising a bottle-like body (1) preferably of flexible material and having a neck (2) in which is mounted a connecting member (3) for a liquid discharge tube and which is closed by a cap (4) which is formed with a cup-shaped eye-bowl (5) and outwardly from the bottle-like body (1) having a liquid sprinkle member (6), the eye-bowl (5) having at least one opening (7) for draining liquid from the bowl (5) and a cover (8) being adapted to close the mouth of said eye-bowl (5). In order to provide for the maintenance of a long-term sterility of such a package filled with rinsing liquid it is suggested according to the invention that (i) at least one liquid drainage hole (7) is formed in the bottom of the eye-bowl (5), a closure means (9) for said hole (7) being supported from the inside of said cover (8), and (ii) the cover (8) is provided with an axial flange (10) closely surrounding the outer surface of said bowl (5) and being tearably welded thereto at its free edge, the closure cap (4) also being welded to the neck (2) of the bottle-like body (1).

Description: DISPOSABLE POCKET-SIZE PACKAGE FOR EYE-RINSING LIQUID The present invention refers to a disposable pocket-size package for eye-rinsing liquids and comp¬ rising a bottle-like body preferably of flexible mate¬ rial and having a neck in which is mounted a connect¬ ing member for a liquid discharge tube and which is closed by a cap which is formed with a cupshaped eye- -bowl and outwardly from the bottle-like body having a liquid sprinkle member, the eye-bowl, having at least one opening for draining liquid from the bowl and a cover being adapted to close the mouth of said eye- -bowl. At certain working sites, particularly within the industry there is risk for the occurrence of mecha¬ nical or chemical eye injuries. Therefore, at such working sites equipments are mounted for carrying out of a rinsing operation of the eyes in case of such injuries. Said equipments can either be a permanently installed eye sprinkle with water and sewage connected to the public net-works or loose plastic containers which are filled with the rinsing liquid and distri¬ buted to places adjacent particularly dangerous working sites. Since every second after the occurrence of an in¬ jury is valuable before the rinsing of the eyes can be started it might even be advantageous to equip the personnel at such working sites with a rinsing liquid in a pocket package which also can be carried in a pocket of a garment such as a pair of overalls or the like. Such pocket packages of rinsing liquid of the above- -stated kind are previously known but have essential drawbacks. Firstly, the cover over the mouth of the eye-bowl is just snapped over the mouth and therefore exhibits poor sealing ability. Rinsing liquid which is forced into the bowl, particularly when the bottle-like body of flexible material such as plastic is sub¬ jected to unintentional compression, hence will leak out into the pocket of the garment. In order to provide for a drainage of used rinsing liquid the eye-bowl is furthermore provided with at least one drainage opening and this feature in combination with the unsufficiently sealing cover makes it impossible to keep the package sterile even for a short time. For this reason the liquid in such known pocket packages has to be ex¬ changed often and this is a supervision and mainte¬ nance work which is time-consumi-ng as well as expen¬ sive. The present invention therefore has for an object to eliminate the above-stated drawbacks and suggests a disposable pocket-size package of the afore- -mentioned kind. The invention is essentially distin¬ guished in that in order to provide for maintaining a long-time sterility of the filled container, (i) at least one liquid drainage hole is formed in the bottom of eye-bowl, a closure means for said hole being sup¬ ported from the inside of said cover, and (ii) the cover is provided with an axial flange closely sur¬ rounding the outer surface of said bowl and being tearably welded thereto at its free edge, the closure cap also being welded to the neck of the bottle-like body. Owing to the invention it is now achieved that the filled package can be kept sterile for more than three years. Therefore no supervision and maintenance work on said pocket packages is required whatsoever. After a period of three years or even more it is thus sufficient to quite simply exchange all packages for new ones. Another advantage is that since the cover is welded to the outer surface of the eye-bowl and only can be destroyably teared away, the cover cannot be re-fitted and hence no re-use of the package why filling another liquid can take place, which would be reprehensible from a point of view as far as sterility is concerned. To this furthermore assists the fact that the closure cap of the bottle-like body is welded at the bottle neck so that also the latter will be broken into pieces when attempting to fill the package for re-use. By way of example, the invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig 1 is a partially sectioned side view and Fig 2 a plan view from above of a pocket package for eye-rinsing liquid according to the inven¬ tion. The pocket package illustrated in the drawing comprises a bottle-like body 1 which preferably is made of a flexible material, particularly polypropylene. The body 1 is formed with a neck 2, in which is mounted a connecting member 3, which extends downwardly into the body 1 and on which is adapted to be mounted a liquid discharge tube (illustrated in phantom) from the bottom of the body 1. Furthermore, the neck 2 is closed by a cap 4 from which extends a cup-like eye-bowl 5. Out¬ wardly from the bottle-like body 1 the cap 4 also car¬ ries a liquid sprinkle member 6 for the rinsing liquid which is adapted to be accommodated in the body 1. The eye-bowl 5 is formed with at least one opening 7 for draining rinsing liquid from the bowl and at its free mouth the bowl 5 is closed by a cover 8. As evident from Fig 2 the body 1 preferably can be slightly curved in the transverse direction for adaptation to the body contour of the wearer such as is known per se. In order to obtain the object of the invention, namely to provide for the maintenance of a long-term sterility of the package since the same has been filled initially with rinsing liquid which can be constituted of a sodium chloride solution, the liquid drainage hole 7 is formed in the bottom of the eye-bowl 5. In order to close said hole 7 a closure means 9 is supported from the inside of the cover 8 so that no bacteria or pollutions can penetrate into the eye-bowl 5 and hence the liquid-filled body 1. As known per se, the cover 8 is formed with an axial flange 10 which grips over the outer surface of the bowl 5 adjacing the mouth thereof, where the bowl for the rest can be made with a form-stiffening rib which is indicated in the drawing. In order to provide for the maintenance of the sterility of the filled package during very long time, such as three years or more, the cover 8 is welded tearably by a weld 12 to the free edge of the flange 10 around the whole • eye-bowl 5. Thereby is secured firstly a sealed closure of the package 1 but at the same time also that the package cannot be re-used since the cover 8 after tearing away and emptying of the liquid from the bottle-like body 1 cannot be rigidly re-secured to the bowl 5. Usually bottle-like packages of the present kind are provided with external threads on the neck 2 for cooperation with the internal threads in the cap 4 and so can also be the case in the present inventive subject matter. In order to further prevent the possi¬ bilities of a non-desired re-use of the package after re-filling of rinsing liquid under non-sterile condi¬ tions it is preferable, however, that also.the cap 4 is welded to the neck 2. Attempts to removing the cap 4 then only will imply that the whole package will be broken into pieces. Moreover, it is to be noted that the connection member 3 has been illustrated in the drawing as a separate insert piece in the neck 2 which is kept located by the mounting of the cap 4. Many other designs of this connecting member are also possible, however, such as integrally with the cap 4. In order to facilitate the tearing away of the cover 8 this might suitably be formed with a laterally protrud¬ ing finger-grip ring 14.

Claims: CLAIM Disposable pocket-size package for eye-rinsing liquids and comprising a bottle-like body ( 1 ) prefe- rably of flexible material and having a neck (2) in which is mounted a connecting member (3) for a liquid discharge tube and which is closed by a cap (4) which is formed with a cup-shaped eye-bowl (5) and outwardly from the bottle-like body ( 1 ) having a liquid sprinkle member (6) , the eye-bowl (5) having at least one opening (7) for draining liquid from the bowl (5) and a cover (8) being adapted to close the mouth of said eye-bowl (5), characterized in that in order to provide for the maintenance of long-time sterility of the filled container, (i) at least one liquid drainage hole (7) is formed in the bottom of the eye-bowl (5), a closure means (9) for said hole (7) being supported from the inside of said cover (8), and (ii) the cover (8) is provided with an axial flange (10) closely surrounding the outer surface of said bowl (5) and being tearably welded thereto at its free edge, the closure cap (4) also being welded to the neck (2) of the bottle-like body ( 1 ) .

Inventors: ALLANDER CLAES, ALLANDER, CLAES
Applicants: TOBIN AB, TOBIN SCANDINAVIA AB
Application year: 1986
Main classification: A61H33
IPC codes: A61H35