Patent Publication Number: US-8522994-B2

Title: Hermetically sealed container

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates to hermetically sealed thermoplastic container. 
     BACKGROUND ROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Hermetically sealed containers manufactured by the so-called blow-fill-seal method have enjoyed widespread acceptance for dispensing liquid medicaments and the like. Depending upon the thermoplastic material utilized to fabricate such containers, sometimes considerable force is required to open the container, i.e., to sever the unitary cap that occludes the dispensing aperture of the container. 
     It would be desirable to provide a hermetically sealed thermoplastic container with an easily removable cap or closure. The present invention provides such a container. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A hermetically sealed container made of a thermoplastic material, such as polypropylene, and the like is provided with a trigger feature that facilitates the opening of the container in order to gain access to container contents. 
     The hermetically sealed container embodying the present invention has a body portion that defines a predetermined volume, and a neck portion that is unitary with the body portion and terminates in a dispensing nozzle that defines a container access aperture. The dispensing nozzle may be aligned with the longitudinal axis of the container or offset therefrom. 
     A removable cap, unitary with the dispensing nozzle occludes the dispensing nozzle and the container access aperture. The removable cap is connected at its rim to the dispensing nozzle by a frangible web that is unitary with the cap as well as with the dispensing nozzle and circumscribes the access aperture. 
     The removable cap has an elongated tab or trigger that is unitary with the cap and extends across at least a major part of the container neck portion. A fin unitary with the container neck portion and the nozzle extends along the nozzle and is positioned adjacent the rim of the removable cap for engagement therewith when the tab or trigger is manipulated in a direction generally along the longitudinal axis of the nozzle. Manipulation of the tab severs the frangible web and permits removal of the cap to gain access to container contents. A pair of opposed fins can be provided as well, if desired. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings, 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a hermetically sealed container embodying the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the container shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in section, illustrating formation of a frangible web between the dispensing nozzle and the removable cap; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged, fragmentary view, partly in section, showing a unitary closure for a hermetically sealed container that embodies the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged, fragmentary view illustrating removal of the cap from the hermetically sealed container utilizing a feature of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a side elevational view illustrating an alternate embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a side elevational view illustrating yet another embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 8  illustrates an additional feature of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings,  FIGS. 1 and 2  show hermetically sealed container  10  made of a thermoplastic material such as polypropylene, high density polyethylene (HDPE), and the like. Container  10  has a body portion  12  and neck portion  14  unitary with body portion  12 . Neck portion  14  terminates in dispensing nozzle  16  offset from body portion  12  and unitary with the neck portion. Longitudinal axis of dispensing nozzle  16  can be offset from the longitudinal axis of container body portion  12 , or it can be the same. Fin  22  extends along side of neck  14  and nozzle  16 . Removable cap  18  occludes dispensing nozzle  16  and is provided with elongated tab  20  that extends away from cap  18  and across at least a part of neck portion  14 . Tab  20  is rounded and unitary with cap  18 . Rim  24  of cap  18  is adjacent to fin  22  and connected to dispensing nozzle  16  by a frangible web  26  ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ) which circumscribes an aperture defined by nozzle  16  and is broken by manipulation of tab  20  so that rim  24  engages fin  22  as will be discussed in detail below. 
     As best seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , frangible web  26  surrounds nozzle  16  and is unitary with cap  18  as well as with nozzle  16 . 
       FIG. 3  also illustrates a method for forming frangible web  26 . Filling and forming mandrel  30  is provided with a circular knife edge  32  which partially penetrates a still soft portion of parison  34  as the inside diameter of dispensing nozzle is molded by mandrel  30  during the forming and filling process of the thermoplastic container. After the container forming and filling process is complete, mandrel  30  is removed and the formed and filled container is sealed by forming cap  18  and tab  20  unitary therewith. The container forming, and sealing procedure is well known and is generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,793 to Weiler et al. 
     Frangible web  26  is radially spaced from rim  24  so that rim  24  can abut top portion  28  of fin  22  when tab  20  is manipulated. When rim  24  contacts top portion  28  of fin  22  upon an upwardly manipulation of tab  20 , further upwardly force exerted upon tab  20  will cause frangible web  26  to break and permitting removal of cap  18  and exposing aperture  36  of nozzle  16  ( FIG. 5 ). 
     The inside configuration and diameter of dispensing nozzle  16  is determined by the dimensions of mandrel  30 . The inside passage of nozzle  16  can be provided with a Luer taper to accommodate a hypodermic syringe and the like. 
     To provide leverage facilitating the severance of frangible web  26  upon application of an upwardly or downwardly force to tab  20 , a pair of opposed fins can be provided at the dispensing nozzle as shown in  FIG. 6  where container  40  is shown having opposed fins  42  and  44  unitary with dispensing nozzle  46  and neck portion  48 . 
     Tab  52  on unitary cap  50  has a substantially flat configuration and is provided with embossed spaced bar pattern  54  to facilitate gripping. 
     Yet another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 7  which shows hermetically sealed container  60  having an offset dispensing nozzle  62  flanked by opposing fins  64  and  66  unitary with nozzle  62  and container neck portion  68 . The offset dispensing nozzle facilitates withdrawal of container contents with a syringe as illustrated in  FIG. 8 . Cap  70  occludes the dispensing aperture defined by nozzle  62  and is provided unitary tab  72  with an embossed, reticulated gripping surface  74  on both sides of tab  72 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , container  80  having a longitudinal axis  81  is shown in a substantially horizontal position with its unitary but removable cap removed, exposing aperture  82  of dispensing nozzle  84 . The longitudinal axis  85  of dispensing nozzle  84  is offset from the longitudinal axis  81  of container  80 . Needle  86  of hypodermic syringe  88  is shown entering the passageway  90  defined by dispensing nozzle  84  to reach and withdraw aliquots of container contents  92 . 
     Alternatively, hub  89  of syringe  88  can mate with the Luer taper of passageway  90  to withdraw container contents. 
     Containers embodying the present invention can be formed, filled and sealed under sterile or aseptic conditions using techniques known in the art as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,178,976 to Weiler et al. Suitable thermoplastic materials of construction are polypropylene (PP), high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), and the like. 
     The foregoing description and the drawings are illustrative of the invention, but are not to be taken as limiting. Still other variants within the spirit and scope of this invention are possible and will readily present themselves to those skilled in the art.