Patent Publication Number: US-9408776-B2

Title: Medicine bottle including a riser tube

Description:
The current application claims priority to German Utility Model No. 20 2013 006 898.1, which was filed on 31 Jul. 2013, and which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     The present invention relates to a medicine bottle according to the preamble to claim  1 . 
     A generic medicine bottle comprises a bottle body which has an inner space to receive a medicine. In addition a bottle top is provided which is attached to the bottle body. The bottle top has a riser tube which projects into the inner space in order to facilitate a pumping of the medicine out of the inner space through the riser tube and out of the medicine bottle. 
     The medicine can be in principle any liquid which is to be taken by a user. In particular it can be a liquid to be taken orally or nasally. 
     The bottle top can in principle also be formed integrally with the bottle body. However, the bottle top is preferably screwed onto the bottle body or placed thereon. 
     The riser tube must project downwards into the liquid medicine in order to be able to convey this out of the medicine bottle. The pumping hereby required can be provided in a simple case by a user pressing on elastic outer walls of the bottle body. Alternatively or additionally, a pumping mechanism can also be present in the bottle top. In this case a user moves a component of the bottle top relative to the bottle body in order to bring about a pumping of the medicine through the riser tube and out of the medicine bottle. 
     The production costs of a medicine can be very high. It is therefore desirable for a medicine to be as far as possible completely removable from a medicine bottle in a simple way. 
     In the case of conventional medicine bottles a relatively large amount of medicine remains behind which cannot be removed via the riser tube. 
     It can thus be regarded as an object of the invention to provide a medicine bottle, from which a medicine can be as far as possible completely removed in a simple way. 
     This object is achieved through a medicine bottle having the features of claim  1 . 
     Preferred embodiments of the medicine bottle according to the invention are indicated in the dependent claims and are explained in the following description. 
     In the case of the medicine bottle of the abovementioned type it is provided according to the invention that the inner space is delimited by a bottom side, the height of which varies over a base area of the bottle body between a maximum height and a minimum height, in order to facilitate, in the event of a low fill level of the medicine, a collection of the medicine in the region of the minimum height. In addition the length of the riser tube is selected so that the riser tube projects further than to the maximum height of the bottom side into the inner space. 
     It can be regarded as a core idea of the invention to form the bottom side in such a way that, in the event of a low fill level of the medicine, said medicine does not collect over the whole base area but only a part of the base area of the bottle body. In this relatively small region a small remaining amount of the medicine has a higher fill level than in the case of a conventional medicine bottle, in which the bottom side is horizontal. It is thus possible for a small remaining amount of the medicine to be removed more easily via the riser tube. The length of the riser tube is thereby crucial. A lower end of the riser tube must thus project downwardly as far as a height in the inner space which is lower than the maximum height of the bottom side of the inner space. 
     The base area, over which the height of the bottom side varies, is intended to describe the lower area of the bottle body. For example the base area can be divided into a central region and an edge region. The height of the bottom side can be different in these two regions and is preferably higher in the central region than in the edge region. 
     The edge region can be formed in the case of medicine bottles with a round cross-section as an annular region. A region of the bottom side with minimum height is then formed by the annular region. The bottom side is lower within the annular region than in the area enclosed by the annular region. 
     The length of the riser tube is preferably selected so that it extends as far as the minimum height of the bottom side. The medicine can thereby be removed substantially completely through the riser tube. The riser tube can thereby contact, with a lower end, the bottom side. The riser tube can expediently be made of a flexible material. If, when assembling the medicine bottle, the bottle top is placed with the riser tube onto the bottle body and lowered, the riser tube contacts the bottom side initially in a region which generally does not have the minimum height. Due to the arched bottom side, which preferably has an inwardly raised round form, and on account of the flexibility of the riser tube, said riser tube can slide during assembly of the medicine bottle along the bottom side until it reaches a region of the bottom side with minimum height. In other words the riser tube slides during assembly along the bottom side until the lower end of the riser tube is immersed into the described annular region. 
     According to this embodiment the length of the riser tube is at least as long as a connecting straight line from an upper end of the riser tube to the region of the bottom side with the minimum height. Since the riser tube generally extends in a curved manner within the inner space, the length of the riser tube is preferably greater than the aforementioned connecting straight line. 
     The length of the riser tube and the shape of the bottom side are preferably selected so that the riser tube projects as far as a depth, at which at least 70%, preferably at least 80%, of the area of the bottom side is located above the lower end of the riser tube. The area, over which medicine collects/accumulates in the case of a low fill level, is hereby advantageously very small. It is furthermore preferred that at most 90% of the area of the bottom side lies above the lower end of the riser tube. An inclination of the medicine bottle thereby has a relatively small effect upon the extent of a non-removable remaining amount of medicine. 
     It is particularly preferable that the bottom side is arched in the direction of the bottle top. The region of the bottom side with a maximum height can be located here in the middle of the base area of the medicine bottle. The height of the bottom side thereby decreases towards the edge of the base area. 
     This shape of the bottom side is preferably used if a shape of the lower side of the bottle body equates to the shape of the bottom side of the inner space. The lower side of the bottle body can thus likewise be upwardly arched, whereby the bottle bottom can have an approximately constant thickness. This facilitates the production of the medicine bottle. In addition, secure standing of the medicine bottle can hereby be achieved, whereby said medicine bottle contacts a ground solely at the outer edge of the lower side of the bottle body. Finally, it is also hereby possible for the material quantity required for the bottle body to be kept low. 
     In order to achieve an increased arching of the bottom side in the direction of the bottle top, the thickness of the bottle bottom can be greater in a central region of the bottle bottom than at the edge of the bottle bottom. In particular if the bottle body is produced from a deformable material, for example plastic, it can hereby be ensured that the bottom side of the inner space is definitely upwardly arched in the middle. 
     The bottom side can have in its edge region a height which is independent of the azimuth angle. The azimuth angle thereby indicates a direction perpendicular to the vertical axis of the bottle body. 
     In principle, however, it can also be provided that a height of the bottom side increases towards the edge of the base area. The region of the bottom side with minimum height can be formed here within a central region of the base area of the bottle body. According to this embodiment a particularly large percentage of the medicine received can be removed via the riser tube. In comparison with the previously described embodiments, however, in general the total amount of medicine which can be received in a medicine bottle with previously defined outer dimensions is lower. 
     For a particularly efficient removal of the remainder, a transition from the bottom side to side walls of the bottle body can be rounded off. The side walls describe the generally vertical shell surface which laterally delimits the inner space. This formation is particularly advantageous if the bottom side is upwardly arched in the centre thereof. 
     It can further be provided, for the purpose of emptying the remainder as completely as possible, for a lower end of the riser tube to have at least one notch on an end face. The end face of the riser tube is not therefore planar, but instead deepens through the notch. The notch forms a radial connection between the inner space of the riser tube and the environment. Not only liquid which is located in the radial direction of the lower riser tube portion is thus sucked in with the riser tube. Instead, liquid can additionally be received from a lateral region with respect thereto, whereby an improved emptying of the remainder is achieved. 
     For simple manufacturing, the notch can have a V-shape. In addition two notches lying one opposite the other can be provided on the end face. 
     The lower end of the riser tube preferably has a conical form in regions between the notch(es) which tapers towards the end of the riser tube. The entry opening into the riser tube, which is initially enlarged by the V-shaped notches, is in turn reduced by the conical form. A suction force can thereby be achieved at the desired level and hence an improved emptying of the remainder. 
     In principle the bottle body can be produced from any material which can also include glass. The bottle body is, however, preferably produced from plastic. The desired shaping of the bottom side can thereby be achieved in a simple production. 
     In order to protect a medicine in the inner space against light irradiation the bottle body is preferably impermeable to light. 
    
    
     
       Further features and advantages of the invention are described below by reference to the attached schematic drawing, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows schematically a cross-section of an exemplary embodiment of a medicine bottle according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows schematically a cross-section of a further exemplary embodiment of a medicine bottle according to the invention. 
     
    
    
     The same components or those working in the same way are provided in the two figures with the same reference numerals. 
       FIG. 1  shows a cross-sectional view of a medicine bottle  100  according to the invention. This comprises a bottle body  10  and a bottle top  50  which is placed onto the bottle body  10 . The bottle top  50  can either upwardly end the bottle body  10  or have connecting means for a further component. 
     An inner space  20  is formed in the bottle body  10 , in which inner space  20  a liquid medicine can be located. 
     In order to remove the medicine a riser tube  60  is present. This is fixed to the bottle top  50  and has at its lower end an opening to receive the medicine. 
     If a fill level of the medicine falls to a level below the opening of the riser tube  60 , no further medicine can be removed with said riser tube  60 . According to the invention, through the formation of the bottom side  30  of the inner space  20  together with a certain length of the riser tube  60  it is ensured that a medicine can be substantially completely removed. 
     As a first measure, a height of the bottom side  30  is not constant over the base area  38  of the bottle body  10 . The base area  38  can be understood to be the cross-sectional area of the inner space  20  perpendicular to a vertical axis of the bottle body  10 . The bottom side  30  has at least one region with maximum height  31  and at least one region with minimum height  32 . The height is to be understood along the vertical axis of the bottle body  10 . 
     In the example of  FIG. 1  a bottom wall  39  of the bottle body  10  is upwardly arched. The region with maximum height  31  is thereby in the middle of the base area  38 . The region with minimum height  32  is consequently an annular region at the outer edge of the bottom side  30 . 
     With decreasing fill level of the medicine, initially the central region with maximum height  31  is no longer covered by the medicine. The medicine collects instead in the annular region with minimum height  32 . 
     As the riser tube  60  contacts the bottom side  30  on the region with minimum height  32  the medicine can be virtually completely removed. The length of the riser tube  60  is hereby crucial. Said riser tube  60  is longer than a distance from the upper end of the riser tube  60  to the region with minimum height  32 . It is thereby ensured that, when assembling the bottle body  10  and the bottle top  50 , the riser tube  60  initially contacts the region with maximum height  31 . If the bottle top  50  is lowered further downwards onto the bottle body  10 , the lower end of the riser tube  60  is moved along the bottom side  30  in the direction of the region with minimum height  32 . A flexible design of the riser tube  60  is necessary for this. 
     In the example shown the transition from the bottom side  30  to the vertical side wall is formed as a curved area. The region with minimum height  31  does not thereby directly abut the vertical side wall and a particularly efficient emptying of the remainder of the bottle  100  can be achieved. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the lower end of the riser tube has a V-shaped notch. In addition the riser tube tapers in the region of the notch towards its end. In other words, the form of the riser tube end is conical at both regions which lie between the V-shaped notches. Even very small remaining amounts of medicines can thereby be removed. 
     For simple and cost-saving production, a lower side  35  of the bottle body  10  has the same shape as the bottom side  30  of the inner space  20 . With the upward curvature as shown, moreover, secure standing of the medicine bottle  100  can also be ensured. 
     A further exemplary embodiment of a medicine bottle  100  according to the invention is shown in a cross-section in  FIG. 2 . This exemplary embodiment differs from that of  FIG. 1  in the form of the bottom wall  39  of the bottle body  10 . Here, the region with minimum height  32  of the bottom side  30  is not located at the edge of the base area  38 . Instead, the region with minimum height  32  has an approximately circular form and lies in a central region of the base area  38  or between a central region and an outer edge of the base area  38 . The region with maximum height  31  of the bottom side  30  is thus located at the edge of the base area  38  and abuts the side walls of the bottle body  10 . 
     Through this form, the effects of inclined holding of the medicine bottle  100  upon the remaining amount of medicine which cannot be removed via the riser tube  60  are reduced. 
     In order to guarantee secure standing, the side walls of the bottle body  10  extend downwards, here, at least as far as the lowest point of the lower side  35  of the bottom wall  39 , preferably further. The bottle body  10  thus stands solely with an annular region on a sub-surface. 
     Irrespective of the specific formation of the bottom side  30  of the inner space  20 , a non-removable remaining amount of medicine can already be very greatly reduced if the bottom side has a region with maximum height  31  and a region with minimum height  32  and the riser tube  60  contacts the region with minimum height  32 . In comparison with conventional medicine bottles, the medicine bottle  100  according to the invention can thus ensure that an expensive medicine can be substantially completely used.