Ampule breaking aid

Abstract

The invention relates to an ampule breaking aid for a glass ampule having a predetermined breaking point between a head portion and a use portion, said ampule breaking aid having a base body that receives the use portion, and a cap that overlaps the head portion, wherein the cap is supported on the base body, in particular is supported in an unconnected manner and wherein the cap and the base body, especially at the front surfaces; thereof facing one another form a pivot bearing having an axis of rotation that substantially passes through the predetermined breaking point.

Claims

1. A glass ampule and an ampule breaking aid system comprising: the glass ampule having a predetermined breaking point between a head portion and a use portion, the ampule breaking aid having a base body (14) that receives the use portion, and a cap (12) that overlaps the head portion, wherein the cap (12) is supported on the base body (14) in an unconnected manner and is pivot-mounted so that the predetermined breaking point of the glass ampule may be broken if the cap (12) is pivoted relative to the base body (14), wherein the use portion and the head portion are integrally formed, wherein the cap is fabricated of a single material, and wherein the base body (14) comprises a closed bottom footprint or platform with the aid of which the glass ampule (40) that is received within the ampule breaking aid (10), has a safe position or stand even in the case of a broken-away head portion (42).

2. The ampule breaking aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cap (12) and the base body (14) comprise support surfaces at front surfaces (16, 18) thereof facing one another, said support surfaces limiting the rotary motion or rotation of the pivot bearing (26), and wherein the pivot movement of the bearing is limited to less than +/−30°.

3. The ampule breaking aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base body (14) and/or the cap (12) comprise flares (32, 34) at front surfaces (16, 18) thereof facing one another, said flares (32, 34) serving to support the base body (14) and the cap (12) relative to one another transversely to the direction of the axis of rotation (36) of the pivot bearing (26).

4. The ampule breaking aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cap (12) and the base body (14) are provided with a pivot bearing (26) rotatable about an axis of rotation (36) that substantially passes through the predetermined breaking point (46) of the glass ampule (40), said pivot bearing (26) being formed by curved sockets (22, 24) on the cap and matching projections (32, 34) on the base body; and wherein the cap (12) and the base body (14) are provided with matching end surfaces (16, 18) facing one another which may act as stops when the parts are pivoted relative to each other.

5. The ampule breaking aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base body (14) and/or the cap (12) are comprised of a flexibly preset plastic material which is more flexible and/or softer than the glass ampule (40).

6. The ampule breaking aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base body (14) tapers towards the direction of the pivot bearing (26) starting from the footprint.

7. The ampule breaking aid as claimed in claim 6, wherein the footprint or platform comprises an outward-facing protrusion (52).

8. The ampule breaking aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the use portion (44) is supported in the base body (14) on the bottom and on the side thereof substantially free of play and is retained therein by means of frictional locking, such that the use portion (44) remains within the base body (14) in case a liquid received within the use portion (44) is discharged or poured out.

9. The ampule breaking aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base body (14) comprises a filling level indication in the form of a vertical viewing slot (50) that indicates the liquid level of the use liquid retained or stored in the use portion (44).

10. The ampule breaking aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the head portion (42) is received within the cap (12) in a friction-locked manner, and wherein the cap (12) comprises a particularly tapered inner contour.

11. The ampule breaking aid as claimed in claim 10, wherein the cap (12) comprises at least one radially inward-facing protrusion (54) for supporting the head portion (42).

12. The ampule breaking aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base body (14) and the cap (12) completely surround the glass ampule (40), leaving some windows.

13. The ampule breaking aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base body (14) and the cap (12) are formed in two pieces, and wherein in the broken condition of the glass ampule (40), both the use portion (44) in the base body (14) and the head portion (42) in the cap (12) are each received in a recessed or buried manner, so that the predetermined breaking point (46) of the glass ampule (40) is substantially arranged in a recessed or buried manner relative to the front surfaces (16, 18) of the cap (12) and the base body (14).

14. The ampule breaking aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein a protrusion (48) pointing from the ampule breaking aid (10) to the glass ampule (40) is provided, said protrusion (48) supporting the glass ampule (40) and determining the relative height of the ampule in the ampule breaking aid (10).

15. The ampule breaking aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cap and the base body are each provided with an elastic frictional connection to provide support for the head and use portions of the glass ampule.

16. The ampule breaking aid as claimed in claim 15, wherein the elastic frictional connection is an O-ring.

17. The ampule breaking aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base body is provided with a protrusion (48) that allows the determination in height for the use portion (44) and thus for the glass ampule (40).

18. The ampule breaking aid as claimed in claim 4, wherein the pivot bearing (26) comprises an axis of rotation (36) that substantially passes through the predetermined breaking point (46) of the glass ampule.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) Further advantages, details and features emerge from the following description of several exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 represents a schematic lateral view of an embodiment of an ampule breaking aid according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 represents a lateral view of the embodiment according to FIG. 1, partially broken away, however, represented from a different viewing direction;

(4) FIG. 3 shows an enlarged representation of the pivot bearing in the embodiment according to FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a further representation of the pivot bearing according to FIG. 3, however in a different pivot position;

(6) FIG. 5 represents a sectional view of an inventive ampule breaking aid, also showing the ampule;

(7) FIG. 6 is a representation according to FIG. 5, with a broken ampule;

(8) FIG. 7 is a modified embodiment of the cap for an ampule breaking aid according to FIGS. 5 and 6;

(9) FIG. 8 is a modified representation of a base body for an ampule breaking aid according to FIGS. 5 and 6;

(10) FIG. 9 is a lateral view of the base body according to FIG. 8; and

(11) FIG. 10 shows the use of a base body according to FIGS. 8 and 9 for a modified embodiment of an ampule breaking aid.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(12) The ampule breaking aid 10 according to FIG. 1 comprises a cap 12 and a base body 14 that at the end surfaces 16 and 18 thereof are embodied in a manner that matches one another.

(13) The cap 12 comprises a basic design that tapers bottom-up. This also applies to the base body 14 whose upper front surface substantially has the same diameter as the lower front surface 18 of the cap 12. The cap 12 is fabricated of a single material.

(14) The cap 12 comprises a recessed grip 20 intended to facilitate the manipulation or guiding of the hand when breaking the ampule. In the representation according to FIG. 1, at the rear side of the cap, joint sockets 22 and 24 of a pivot bearing 26 are formed on the right and on the left that interact with corresponding joint heads 28 and 30 on the top side of the base body 14.

(15) Moreover, flares 32 and 34 of the cap 12 extend downwardly beyond the pivot bearing 26 on the side thereof, said flares at the same time serving to guide the two parts of the ampule breaking aid relative to one another and that enable a support thereof.

(16) FIG. 2 shows that the joint socket 24 and also the joint head 30 are substantially formed in a semi-circular manner. In this way, an axis of rotation 36 is formed for the pivot bearing, and the pivot movement of the cap 12 relative to the base body 14 may be restricted with the aid of stops 16 and 18 in the desired manner.

(17) This becomes apparent in FIGS. 3 and 4 that show the pivot bearing 26 in an enlarged representation. As it is apparent, the front face 16 forms a support on the front face 18 in the area of the flare 32 so that the pivot movement of the cap 12 relative to the base body 14 is limited to approximately 30 degrees with respect to the vertical.

(18) FIG. 5 illustrates a modified design of the ampule breaking aid 10, also showing the reception of the glass ampule 40 in the ampule breaking aid 10. The glass ampule 40 comprises a head portion 42 and a use portion 44 that are connected integrally to one another. The connection is effected via a predetermined breaking point 46 that is formed in a manner known per se by a constriction or neck which may be slightly slit per se for example. A glass ampule 40 that is kinked without an ampule breaking aid, typically exactly breaks at the predetermined breaking point and thus leaves behind two separate parts, that is to say the head portion 42 and the use portion 44.

(19) The exact design of the glass ampule 40 may be adapted to the requirements to a large extent. However, it is preferred that the use portion 44 is substantially larger than the head portion, for example comprises 3 to 50 times the volume thereof.

(20) The head portion 42 is safely guided within the cap 12 and the use portion 44 is safely guided within the base body 40. In this respect, the inner surface of the respective parts of the ampule breaking aid 10 is adapted to the outer surface of the two portions 42 and 44, respectively. In this way, the height of the portions relative to the ampule breaking aid is defined as well, so that the predetermined breaking point 46 is exactly located on the axis of rotation 36 which moreover is schematically indicated in FIG. 5.

(21) The base body 14 also comprises a protrusion 48 that allows the determination in height for the use portion 44 and thus for the glass ampule 40. The filling or loading of the ampule breaking aid 10 with the glass ampule is effected in a manner that in case of the cap 12 being removed, the ampule 40 is quickly pressed into the base body 14 until it contacts the protrusion 48, which may be in the form of a shim or shims, and then the head portion 12 is put on or fitted so that it overlaps the head portion 42.

(22) The use portion 44 is safely received within the base body 14 in a force-fit manner or with the aid of a catch or locking device (not shown). The same applies for the reception of the head portion 42 within the cap 12.

(23) As is also apparent from FIG. 5, a viewing slot 50 is formed on the side of the base body 14 that enables to determine the filling level of the use portion 44 from outside. Moreover, the base body 14 at its closed bottom side comprises an enlarged footprint or contact surface 52 that serves to ensure that the use portion 44 that is filled with the liquid, does not inadvertently tilt over. In this connection, the inventive ampule breaking aid 10 also inures to the benefit of the total conical design of the two parts of the ampule breaking aid 10.

(24) FIG. 6 illustrates in which manner a breakage of the ampule 40 at the predetermined breaking point 46 is effected. By laterally bending or kinking the cap 12 relative to the base body 14, the ampule 40 breaks at the predetermined breaking point 46, whereas at the same time the cap 12 rolls off the pivot bearing 26 relative to the base body 14.

(25) From FIG. 7 it is apparent, in which manner the head portion 42 (compare FIG. 5) may be retained within the cap 12 by means of flexible or elastic protrusions 54. Additionally, an inserted sealing ring or O-ring 56 may be provided that also offers an elastic support of the head portion and thus the glass ampule 40.

(26) FIG. 8 illustrates that a similar sealing ring 58 may also be realized in the lower area of the base body 14. With the aid of a sealing ring of this kind that for example may be comprised of plastic material or rubber, an elastic frictional connection is produced that reliably prevents the glass ampule 40 from slipping out of the ampule breaking aid at the two portions thereof, respectively.

(27) From FIG. 9 it is apparent that the viewing slot 50 may nearly extend over the entire height of the base body 14. The footprint or contact surface 52 has a width that almost corresponds to the height of the base body 14.

(28) FIG. 10 illustrates in which manner an ampule 40 having a substantially smaller head portion 42 may be accommodated according to the invention. The cap 12 as well is considerably minimized in this exemplary embodiment and the predetermined breaking point is located just below the top end of the glass ampule 40.

(29) The ampule breaking aid may also be referred to as ampule protection.

(30) While preferred forms of this invention has been described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that applicant does not intend to be limited to the particular details described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but intends to be limited only to the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. In this regard, the terms as used in the claims are intended to include not only the designs illustrated in the drawings of this application and the equivalent designs discussed in the text, but are also intended to cover other equivalents now known to those skilled in the art, or those equivalents which may become known to those skilled in the art in the future.