Vial for receiving a predetermined dose of a liquid

[0001] The invention relates to the technical sector of containers intended for receiving a specific dose of fluid.

[0002] This type of container can be used in the field of pharmacy, food additives, cosmetology.

[0003] In general, this type of container is in the form of a glass ampoule in which the end is broken off to collect the liquid. For example, the ampoule has a generally cylindrical shape with two thin ends. In this case, it is necessary to break off the two ends to collect fluid. One of these endings allows fluid to flow out, while the other end allows air to enter to allow drainage.

[0004] Ampoules are also known in the form of a bottle with a thin tip, which must also be broken in order to extract liquid.

[0005] Containers of this type pose difficulties and risk of injury when the ampoule is filled and when it is used.

[0006] For wide-necked ampoules, filling is generally carried out with a needle, which does not allow a high filling rate, whereas for thin-tipped ampoules, filling is generally carried out by vacuum.

[0007] The invention relates more specifically to this vacuum filling technique.

[0008] In a manner well known to those skilled in the art, the ampoules are conditioned and stacked in boxes known as the crystallizer. These crystallizers, generally square in shape, can take between 200 and 500 ampoules, depending on their capacity. To fill with liquid, a machine is used having a vacuum boiler open in the upper part and equipped with a rotating cover. This cover has combs for holding the ampoules after the crystallizer kit is inverted with all the ampoules contained therein. In other words, the open tops of the ampoules, which would initially be facing upwards, were, after being turned, in a downward position to be immersed in the liquid. Then just create a vacuum in the boiler to remove the air contained in these ampoules. After the vacuum is released, i.e. after allowing the air to return to the boiler, the ampoules suck the liquid.

[0009] At this filling stage, it cannot be excluded that the ends of the ampoules will not break and that the fine glass particles will not be in the liquid. In other words, the risk of filling an ampoule with a liquid containing glass shards cannot be ruled out.

[0010] The crystallizer is then inverted to direct the set of ampoules filled in this way towards the welding station, generally by means of a torch.

[0011] As indicated, other disadvantages and troubles arise when using these ampoules. In fact, most of them were considered fragile, which in itself creates some problems, given that the fragile part should be fragile enough, but also durable enough to allow the ampoule to withstand primarily transport, filling, conditioning, ... It is also observed that the rupture area is not always visible to the user in such a way that sometimes the user has a problem breaking the end or ends of the ampoule.

[0012] To attempt to remedy these drawbacks, containers with a specific dose have been proposed. These containers are in the form of a glass or plastic bottle, generally cylindrical, having a closed bottom and open end for filling the bottle and withdrawing fluid. Such an opening is closed by a lid, generally aluminum, and equipped with a tab that allows it to be torn off to free the opening, however, it seems that breaking the lid, including the tab, is very difficult and even impossible to perform, given that the lid is hot closing. For this reason, it has been proposed to condition these types of containers together with a straw to perforate the lid to suck up the product, which significantly reduces applications and increases costs.

[0013] The object of the invention is to remedy these drawbacks in a simple, reliable, effective and rational manner.

[0014] The invention proposes a solution to the problem of making a bottle intended to receive a specific dose of liquid, especially in the field of pharmacy, cosmetology, food additives, ... whose purpose is on the one hand to enable easy and continuous filling of a container with a specific fluid using in particular a machine for vacuum filling and on the other hand, enabling easy opening of the container for fluid withdrawal, while maintaining the airtight and inviolable nature of the container prior to its use by the consumer.

[0015] To solve this problem, a bottle was provided and formed according to the features of claim 1.

[0016] In a first embodiment, in order to solve the problem presented, firstly allowing the bottle to be filled with liquid and then, secondly, to seal it tightly, the setting was established by means of an opening which is located on the centering bearing surface intended to be forced into the opening bottles under pressure exerted on the closed end located on said support surface, said opening being provided, in the filling position, in connection with the outside and after pressing under force, with the inside of the bottle.

[0017] The pressing surface and the tip are connected by a removable area.

[0018] The cut-off area is formed by a shoulder bead in the pressed position corresponding to the closing of the hole.

In order to use the bottle, i.e. to drink the liquid directly or to pour it into another container, it is sufficient to grasp the bottle in the palm of the hand and break, for example with the thumb, the separable tip in order to gain free access to the opening of the bottle.

[0020] In another embodiment, the settings are established by a closed outer valve coaxially arranged in the plug opening and delimiting the inner cavity communicating with said opening and the outside with at least one opening, said valve being connected to the plug by a cut-off area pressure, which corresponds to the tight closing of said opening.

[0021] The valve body has a protruding portion in the form of a shaft capable of resistively cooperating around the periphery of the opening within the plug to provide locking of said valve in a closed position in connection with an outer flange based on the circumference of the opening outside the plug. Preferably, the flange is formed with the bottom of the valve recess.

[0022] In another embodiment, the stopper is removably attached to one of the bottle ends by means of an integrity system, wherein emptying of said bottle for fluid withdrawal takes place after disconnection of said stopper from its integrity system. The integrity system is a detachable tape located at the base of the stopper and cooperating with the settings holding the bottle. The stopper is attached to the end of the bottle by screwing or snapping.

[0023] In another embodiment, the stopper is permanently attached to one of the bottle ends, one end of which is shaped to fit a detachable fluid withdrawal end.

[0024] Based on this basic idea, the bottle body can be made of glass or plastic.

The invention is set out below in more detail by means of the figures of the attached drawings, in which:

- figure 1 is a perspective view of the bottle according to the first embodiment, with the cork shown in the filling position of said bottle;

- figure 2 is a view similar to figure 1 in a sealed position of the bottle;

- figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the plug corresponding to figure 1;

- figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the plug corresponding to figure 2;

- figure 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the bottle in the filling position;

- figure 6 is a view similar to figure 5 in a sealed position of the bottle;

figure 7 is a longitudinal section corresponding to figure 5;

figure 8 is a longitudinal section corresponding to figure 6;

- figure 9 is another way of implementing the bottle corresponding to figures 5, 6, 7 and 8;

- figure 10 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the bottle according to the invention, before placing the stopper;

figure 11 is a section according to the embodiment shown in figure 10, the bottle being shown in the filling position, i.e. before the cork is fully depressed;

- figure 12 is a view corresponding to figure 11, after the bottle has been filled, i.e. after the sealing plug has been depressed;

figures 13 and 14 are perspective views showing the use of the bottle shown in figures 10, 11 and 12.

[0026] The bottle (1) is in the form of a body, generally cylindrical, and which can be made of various materials such as glass, plastic, polypropylene. The dimensions of the bottle vary depending on the desired volume of the product being distributed, which generally complies with applicable standards. In general, the bottle takes a specific dose, usually for single use.

[0027] According to one of the basic features of the invention, the bottle (1) is closed by a stopper (2) which has settings capable of allowing, in one position of said settings, to fill the bottle (1) with liquid and then in the other position of said settings , tightly and completely closing the bottle (1). More specifically, filling and sealing are carried out by means of the hole (2a) in the stopper. In one embodiment, this opening (2a), generally circular in shape, is formed coaxially with the upper side (2b) of said plug.

To this end, the filling and sealing settings are established by an outer valve (2c) coaxially arranged with the filling opening (2a) of the plug. This valve (2c) delimits the internal recess (2c1) communicating with the opening (2a), i.e., communicating with the interior of the bottle and also communicating with the outside with at least one opening (2c2).

[0029] The valve (2c) is connected to the plug body (2) by a pressure-sensitive area (2d), which corresponds to the sealing of said opening (2a). This detachable area (2d) is located on the periphery of the opening (2a).

[0030] The valve body (2c) has a protruding part in the form of a shaft (2c3), capable of resistive cooperation on the edge or circumference of the opening (2a), inside the plug (2). This projection (2c2) ensures that said valve is locked in the closed position in connection with the outer flange (2c4) based on the circumference of the opening (2a), outside the plug (2). Reference should be made to figure 3, which shows the plug in the starting position of the valve telling the filling, and figure 4, which shows the valve in the return position under the action of the pressure on the valve, which corresponds to the sealing of the plug.

[0031] The flange (2c4) is formed together with the bottom of the valve recess (2c).

[0032] Based on this idea, various implementation methods can be envisaged. In figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, the stopper (2) is removably attached to one of the bottle ends by means of an integrity system. In this case, the bottle is emptied to remove the liquid after the plug (2) has been removed from its integrity system.

[0033] In a manner well known to those skilled in the art, this integrity system may, for example, be implemented in the form of a detachable tape (2e) located at the base of the stopper (2) and cooperating with the bottle holding arrangements. The stopper (2) is attached to the end of the bottle (1) by screwing, snapping or otherwise.

[0034] In the embodiment shown in figures 5 to 9, the stopper (2) is permanently attached to one of the ends of the bottle (1). In this case, the second end (1a) of the bottle is shaped to fit a detachable fluid intake tip. In a known manner, this separable tip (1a) may correspond to the tip shown in figures 5 to 8 or the one shown in figure 9.

[0035] Figures 10 to 14 show a preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0036] In this embodiment, the opening of the bottle (1) directly receives the stopper (2) as shown in said figures. The stopper (2) has a centering bearing surface (2f) intended to be forced into the bottle (1) under the pressure applied to said stopper. The bearing surface (2f) is coaxially extended through the closed end (2g). In this embodiment, the filling settings are established through an opening (2h) on the bearing surface (2f).

[0037] The bearing surface (2f) and the tip (2g) are connected by a separate area (2i). This detachable area (2i) is formed of a stop bead (2j) in the position of the pressed cork corresponding to, as indicated below, the closing of the hole (2h). It should be noted that the supporting surface (2f), under the bead (2g), is conically reduced to ensure that the stopper (2) is forced into the bottle (1).

[0038] For filling, the stopper is not fully pressed into the bottle so that the opening (2h) is connected to the outside. It should be noted that in this filling position, the plug is pressed essentially up to the tapered bearing surface. Likewise, in this filling position, the stopper (2) is perfectly held on the open end of the bottle, since the diameter to be pressed is larger than the inner diameter of the bottle. Filling as such can be done by vacuum technique as indicated in the introductory part of the description. This filling position is shown in figure 11.

[0039] After filling, it is sufficient to apply a pressing force to the tip (2g) until the bead (2j) rests on the end of the bottle, thus ensuring its closure in a perfectly sealed manner. In this closed position, figure 12, the opening (2h) is no longer connected to the outside, but is inside the bottle (1).

[0040] In order to withdraw the liquid contained inside the bottle and as shown in figures 13 and 14, it is sufficient to grasp the bottle in the hand and break the tip, for example with the thumb (2g) (figure 14).

[0041] As indicated, regardless of the method of implementation, it is always possible to fill a large number of bottles by arranging, in an orderly manner, said bottles in a crystallizer which is influenced by the operation of a vacuum filling machine as indicated in the introductory part of the description. However, it has been advantageously observed that, given that the bottles at the end level do not have fragile zones, it is possible to use crystallizers with a much larger capacity.

[0042] It has also been observed that the sealing of the various bottles, after they have been filled with a certain dose of liquid, is carried out in a very simple and effective way, taking into account that it is enough to apply the pressing force on the valves (figure 3) in order to seal the cork tightly (figure 4), or directly on the stopper (figures 11 and 12).

[0043] The advantages are simple in the description. In particular, it emphasizes and cites:

- no risk of glass splinters when filled and used;

- ease of use;

- aesthetics.