Aseptic package tap

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

l

. Field of the Invention.

The present invention relates to a system for the delivery of a solution from an aseptic package and, in particular, to a tap for such a package containing solutions for medical applications such as enteral feeding, as by nasal gauge.

2. Description of the Prior Art.

For the purposes of the present specification and claims, the term "aseptic packaging" is intended to embrace the packaging of various liquids within a carton, the carton being of the type that is punctured to obtain access to the packaged liquid. When the packaged liquid is a food product, such as juices or milk products, it is common practice to puncture the packaging at a preselected location (which is often weakened) and to withdraw the liquid through a straw. In Europe, it is known to provide a "tap" which is pointed to puncture a sidewall of the packaging and which has a fluid passage allowing the contained liquid to be poured through the tap.

The characteristics of the noted aseptic packaging systems render their use desirable in many medical applications. For example, it is often desirable, or necessary, to deliver liquids to a person by a nasal tube for such purposes as enteral feeding, the delivery of nutrients, the delivery of medication, etc. Aseptic packaging is often suitable for such liquids. However, while aseptic packaging has been employed for certain medical solutions, it has often been the practice to open the packages and empty their contents into a more traditional container for delivery. In part, this has resulted from limitations on package size. However, more recent packaging techniques allow the packaging of liquid in greater quantities. Also, the tap described above in the context of food products, has the drawback of not discharging the liquid in an even flow but, instead, discharges the contents of the package intermittedly as air enters the container through the tap.

A tap which addresses the intermittent flow characteristics of the food product taps described above as disclosed in co-pending application Serial No. l09,230, filed October l6, l987, in the name of Riku H. Rautsola for ENTERAL NUTRIENT DELIVERY SYSTEM. The Rautsola tap provides, inter alia, a fitting having a projecting/penetrating tip to form an orifice through the carton/package sidewall. A liquid passage through the fitting allows a dispensing of the packaged solution, while provision is made for make-up air to the interior of the package. The fitting is maintained and positioned in the package sidewall by threads which cooperate with the orifice through the package sidewall.

The Rautsola tap is dependent upon the cooperation of the threads of the tap with the package sidewall and also requires a significant relative rotation between the package and fitting for securement and sealing.

French patent 857,465 to Herve refers to a tap for metallic packages, the walls of which have a relatively high rigidity. Thus, this tap has a resilient disc which is pressed into an opening in the metallic wall which has been previously provided with an aperture by means of a penetrating tip shown in Fig. 4. As can be seen from Figs. 5 to 7, this hole or aperture in the wall forms an inwardly extending ring flange which presses against the portion of said resilient disc which has been pressed into the package. In other words, this means the resilient material of disc does not expand within the passage but is compressed by said ring flange in order to secure and seal the known tap at the wall.

Such a type of tap is however not suitable for use with aseptic packages.

Moreover, as can be seen from Figs. l and 2 of the French patent, the resilient disc comprises a radial dimension which is much broader that the radial dimension of the stem portion being joined with the penetrating tip. Therefore, said resilient disc cannot be introduced through the aperture in the wall without axially pressing on it as, for example, by the screw of Figs. 5 to 7 of the French patent.

The German DE-A- 35 3l 644 directs to a drain device for drinks packaged in paper bags. In order to facilitate the correct opening of a paper bag in which fluid has been packed, and to permit closure, a drain device is provided comprising a canal for pouring out the liquid, with a punch to put in the paper bag. A seal takes care to make tight the seal, a retainer which can be operated from the outside seats the seal. The drain device can be supplied with a spout to direct pouring and a screw cover. However, the device suggested in the German laid open letter provides no means for supplying make-up air to the package as the fluid drains out the fluid passageway.

The British GB-A- 433 679 relates to a dispensing tap comprising a body having a spout on its lower side and a vent opening opposite the spout, a hollow valve member within the body member, and having an aperture in the wall thereof adapted to align with the spout to provide a fluid passage-way through the valve, a conduit independent of the valve member communicating with the vent opening and terminating interiorly of the tap adjacent the valve inlet, and means operated by the valve member for opening and closing the vent opening when the valve member is respectively in its open and closed positions. However, the valve member according to the British patent is not suited for an engagement of the package wall and a tap, without the requirement of a thread-type cooperation and without a significant relative rotation between tap and package.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As with the Rautsola delivery system described above (the identified application for patent of which is hereby incorporated by reference) the present invention provides a system for the enteral delivery of a solution contained within an aseptic package without the intervening step of emptying the package into a traditional container. In this manner, the solution may be dispensed through a giving set and metering system of known design and, typically, via a tube as by nasal gauge. To this end, and in common with the Rautsola tap of the incorporated specification, there is provided a tap having a body, a package pentrating tip extending from the body, a liquid passageway extending from the tip and through the body for dispensing liquid from the package and a fluid passageway extending from the tip through the body for admitting make-up air to the package. The package wall is also engaged to secure the tap within the package wall. However, the tap of the present invention employs a cylindrical member of a resilient material positioned between the body and the penetrating tip, the cylindrical member being insertable through the package wall in trailing relation to the tip. The resilient cylindrical member is selectively compressed, along its cylindrical axis, causing it to expand within the package against the package wall. In this manner, the package wall is engaged without the requirement of a thread-type cooperation between the tap and package wall and without a signifcant relative rotation between the tap and package. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a rotation of approximately 90° (one quarter turn) of a portion of the tap of the present invention is required for full engagement of the package wall.

Further the tap in accordance with the present invention comprises a platform, the platform having cams extending from its surface toward the package penetrating tip of the tap. A cap having a platen is positioned with the platen generally parallel to the platform and with a sidewall of the cap surrounding a portion of the body. A resilient, cylindrical member is positioned between the cap and penetrating tip for selective compression along its cylindrical axis (and expansion within the package against the package wall) on movement of the cap away from the platform. In a preferred embodiment the platform of the tap is generally circular and the platen defining an endwall of a cap and the cap have a sidewall extending over a portion of the body of the tap.

The platform of a disclosed embodiment is provided with a plurality of cams while the platen carries multiple cam followers, each cooperating with a different one of the platform cams. On rotation of one or both of the platform and cap relative to the other, the cams and cam followers selectively establish the distance between the cap platen and platform and, accordingly, the state of compression of the resilient member. That is, the relative angular or rotational orientation of the platen and platform establishes the distance between the platen and platform and the state of compression of the cylindrical, resilient member. The cam followers may be formed as ramps with each ramp being provided with a plateau to provide a stable, compressed state of the cylindrical, resilient member.

Briefly summarized, in contrast to the prior art arrangements, with the present invention, securement of the tap of the present invention to a package is accomplished by compression of the cylindrical resilient member within the package, said member being in its generally cylindrical configuration during entry. Only after the cylindrical member has been introduced into the package is it compressed along its cylindrical axis to expand within the package and engage the side wall of the package to seal the orifice formed by tip and also to secure the tap to the package.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure l is an exploded view and partial cut-away illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view of the emobidment of Figure l as seen along the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 illustrates a portion of the embodiment of Figure l viewed along the arrow 3 in Figure l.

Figure 4 shows the cooperation of a tap in accordance with Figures l-3 with the wall of a package and is illustrated as viewed in the direction of the arrow 3 in Figure l.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Figure l is an exploded view of a tap in accordance with the present invention, including a body designated generally at l0, a cap designated generally at ll, a cylindrical, resilient member l2 and a penetrating tip member designated generally at l3. The body l0 is secured to a reservoir l4 in any desired manner, the reservoir being connected to an elongated tubing l5 which extends to a "giving set" and any desired metering system. The reservoir l4 may be secured to the body l0 as by gluing it to a collar thereof. Accumulation of solution dispensed from an aseptic package will occur within the reservoir l4, allowing a monitoring of the dispensing.

The penetrating tip l3 includes a generally conical portion l6 and an extending stem l7, the conical portion l6 and stem l7 being joined to each other at a shoulder l8. The conical portion l6 is obliquely truncuated at a surface l9, the surface l9, in cooperation with the conical portion l6, providing a cutting edge to facilitate penetration of an aseptic package. A fluid passageway for make-up air is represented by dashed line 2l and extends from the surface l9 through the tip l3 to exit through the sidewall of the stem l7. A second passageway for solution to be dispensed is represented by a dashed line 22 and extends from an opening 23 in the conical portion l6 of tip l3 and through the stem portion l7. Passageways 2l and 22 cooperate with passageways within the body portion l0 in a matter to be described more fully below.

A generally cylindrical, resilient member l2 is configured to fit over the stem portion l7 of tip l3 to abut against the shoulder l8. On insertion of the tip l3 through the wall of a package, the orifice made by the tip l3 will allow the member l2 to extend through the package wall and into the interior of the package. As will be apparent from the discussion below, the cylindrical, resilient member l2 will be compressed along its cylindrical axis such that it will expand within the packaging to engage the package wall and seal the orifice in that wall formed by the tip l3 as well as secure the tap to the package. The solution within the package will be dispensed through the passageway 22, entering the tip l3 at the opening 23, while make-up air to the interior of the package will enter the package via the passageway 2l.

The body l0 is provided with a platform 25, the platform 25 having a central hub 26 and extending cam members 27. The hub 26 has a central opening 28 (See Figure 2) for accepting the stem l7 of tip l3. The stem l7 may be secured within the opening 28 of hub 26 in any desired manner, as by gluing, for example. A first passageway 29 extends from the opening 28 through the body l0 and into the reservoir l4 via a stub 30. The passageway 29 is represented by a dashed line in Figure l. A second fluid passageway 3l extends through a stub 32 in a sidewall of the body l0 and is also represented by a dashed line.

The passageway 3l will, on proper orientation of stem l7 within body l0, establish fluid communication with the passageway 2l of tip l3 when the stem l7 of the tip l3 is within the opening 28 of hub 26. Similarily, fluid communication between the passageway 29 of body l0 and the passageway 22 of tip l3 is established when the stem l7 is inserted within the opening 28 and hub 26 of body l0. Thus, a passageway for solution is established through the opening 23, passageway 22 and passageway 29 and into the reservoir l4 for a solution to be dispensed while make-up air for the package interior is provided through the passageway 3l of body l0 and passageway 2l of tip l3.

As described to this point, assembly of the tip l3 and body l0, with their respective passageways 2l/3l and 22/29 in communication, establishes a tap by which solution within an aseptic package may be dispensed, with a provision for make-up air. However, the tap, as described to this point, is not securable to a package.

Securement of the tap to a package is accomplished by compression of the cylindrical resilient member l2 within the package. As noted above, the member l2 is positioned over the stem l7 and enters the package by an orifice formed by the tip l3. During entry, the member l2 is in its generally cylindrical configuration. This configuration is illustrated in Figure 3 which may be termed the package penetrating configuration. After entry into the package, the member l2 is compressed along its cylindrical axis to expand within the package and engage the sidewall of the package to seal the orifice formed by the tip l3 and also to secure the tap to the package. This configuration of the member l2 is illustrated in Figure 4 with the cut-away element 35 representing the package wall.

Compression of the member l2 is accomplished by a camming cooperation between the cams 26 on the platform 25 and cam surfaces 36 within a cap 38. The cap 38 includes an endwall 39, the inner surface of which serves as a platen carrying the camming surfaces 36. In a preferred embodiment, the platform 25 is generally circular, while the sidewall of the cap 38 is cylindrical and extends over the body l0 with the platen surface of endwall 38 being generally parallel to the platform 25. The cam surfaces 36 each cooperate with a different one of the cams 27 and are formed as ramps such that the relative rotation or orientation of the cap 38 and body member l0 establishes the distance between the platen surface of endwall 39 and the platform 25. That is, rotation of the cap 38, for example, relative to the platform 25 causes the cams 27 to ride up the platforms of camming surfaces 36 and urge the cap away from the platform 25 and into compressing relation with the member l2. Compression of the member l2 along its cylindrical axis will result in an enlargement of that member in a radial direction, causing it to engage a wall 35 within a package it has penetrated--see Figure 4. In this manner, the tap is secured to the package wall while the orifice through that wall is sealed.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, the sidewall of the cap 38 facilitates manipulation of that cap during relative rotational movement with the body l0, and its platform 25. To facilitate that movement, while maintaining compactness in the tap, it may desirable to provide the sidewall with a cutout to accommodate the stub 32. This cutout is illustrated at 40 in Figures 3 and 4. Also, to control the inlet for make-up air, it may be desirable to provide a cap for the stub 32. Such a cap is illustrated at 4l in Figure l. The cap 4l will also assist in manipulation of the body l0 during establishment of its relative angular orientation with the cap 38. The cap 4l is not illustrated in Figures 2-4. Further, to reduce friction between the wall 35 and a penetrated package (during rotation of the cap 38, for example), it may be desirable to provide a reduced surface engagement area on the cap 38 such as that illustrated at 42. The surface 42 may be provided with a recess to accept the end of the member l2, as desired. Finally, to provide a compressed state of member l2 having enhanced stability, the camming surfaces 36 may be provided with plateaus in the regions indicated at 44, the plateaus being either ramps of reduced angle or "flat" portions. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than is specifically described.