MODULARLY STRUCTURED LID FOR A STERILE CONTAINER AND FILTER COVERING FOR SUCH A LID

Abstract

A filter covering for a sterile container lid, for completely covering at least one gas exchange portion, which is provided on a lid component of the sterile container lid, on an outside of the sterile container lid, the filter covering having at least two clip portions arranged opposite to each other on the filter covering, which are adapted to engage in a form-fitting manner in at least two clip receiving portions provided on the lid component, and by which the filter covering is mountable to and dismountable from the lid component without tools.

Claims

1. A filter covering for a sterile container lid, for completely covering at least one gas exchange portion, which is provided on a lid component of the sterile container lid, on an outside of the sterile container lid, the filter covering defining a main plane and comprising at least two clip portions arranged opposite to each other on the filter covering, which are adapted to engage in a form-fitting manner in at least two clip receiving portions provided on the lid component, and by which the filter covering is mountable to and dismountable from the lid component without tools, the filter covering being a plate having a height, a length and a width, wherein the height is less than the length and less than the width, the at least two clip portions being formed as portions bent away from the main plane in a bracket- or a C-shaped manner.

2. The filter covering according to claim 1, wherein the filter covering is made of a plastic material in one piece.

3. The filter covering according to claim 1, wherein the at least two clip portions are arranged on opposite sides and/or ends of the filter covering.

4. The filter covering according to claim 1, wherein the at least two clip portions are positioned to engage in the at least two clip receiving portions on opposite sides and/or ends of the lid component.

5. The filter covering according to claim 1, wherein the filter covering is a rectangular plate.

6. The filter covering according to claim 1, wherein the at least two clip portions consist of exactly two clip portions.

7. The filter covering according to claim 1, wherein the filter covering is rectangular with a first side, a second side opposite the first side, a third side, and a fourth side opposite the third side, the at least two clip portions being provided on the first side and the second side.

8. The filter covering according to claim 7, wherein the at least two clip portions are not provided on the third side and the fourth side.

9. The filter covering according to claim 7, wherein the first side and the second side are shorter than the third side and the fourth side, respectively, and wherein the first side and the second side each comprise one of the at least two clip portions.

10. The filter covering according to claim 1, wherein the at least two clip portions are configured to be clipped onto the at least two clip receiving portions.

11. The filter covering according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least two clip portions is a bracket-shaped side portion of the filter covering, and each bracket-shaped side portion comprises a laterally outwardly projecting grip portion, the laterally outwardly projecting grip portions being manually operable when the filter covering is mounted to and dismounted from the lid component of the sterile container lid.

12. The filter covering according to claim 11, wherein each laterally outwardly projecting grip portion extends parallel to the main plane.

13. The filter covering according to claim 1, wherein the filter covering is made from amorphous thermoplastic and is transparent for visually inspecting a filter device arranged on a lid inner side of a gas exchange portion.

14. The filter covering according to claim 1, wherein the filter covering is at least partially transparent.

15. The filter covering according to claim 1, wherein the filter covering is an injection-molded part.

16. The filter covering according to claim 1, wherein the filter covering is elastically bendable.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0029] Hereinafter, the invention shall be illustrated in detail by way of figures, wherein:

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a sterile container having a lid and a receiving container;

[0031] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged perspective view of a filter covering arranged on a lid component; and

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view cut along the axis 3-3 in FIG. 2 of the filter covering arranged on the lid component.

[0033] The figures are merely schematic and serve exclusively for the comprehension of the invention. Like elements are provided with like reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a lid 1 according to the invention for a sterile container 2 which closes a trough-shaped receiving container 3. The receiving container 3 comprises a container bottom 4 and container walls 5 rising from said container bottom. The receiving container 3 and the lid 1 are closed by means of a closure 6. The lid 1 includes a lid component 7 covered on the outside by two filter coverings 8. According to the invention, also one filter covering 8 (one gas exchange portion on the lid component 7) or more than two filter coverings 8 (more than two gas exchange portions on the lid component 7) may be provided. Beneath the filter coverings 8, portions that are perforated or are in the form of a perforated plate (not shown) are provided on the lid component 7 in FIG. 1. The lid component 7 completely covers the receiving container 3. The lid component 7 and the filter covering 8 are separate components.

[0035] FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged perspective view of a filter covering 8 arranged on the lid component 7. The filter covering 8 shown in FIG. 2 is transparent/translucent and is made, for example, from amorphous plastic/thermoplastic by injection molding. Due to the transparency of the filter covering 8, perforations/holes 9 provided on a gas exchange portion 10 of the lid component 7 are visible. The perforations/holes 9 of the gas exchange portion 10 permit fluid exchange during sterilization. It is already evident from FIG. 2 that the gas exchange portion 10 is a portion protruding from a lid component main plane 11. The filter covering 8 is rectangular and plate-shaped or disk-shaped (in the form of a thin plate/disk). In particular, a height/thickness of the filter covering 10 is negligible in relation to its length and width.

[0036] At each of two opposing, preferably shorter, sides (of the rectangle) the filter covering 8 has a clip portion 12 which is provided on a central portion of the respective side (of the rectangle). Each of the clip portions 12 of the filter covering 8 is positively received in clip receiving portions 13 of the lid component 7. On the (rectangular) sides of the filter covering 8 including the clip portions 12, the filter covering is bent and in portions abuts on the projecting gas exchange portion 10 of the lid component and at the end side abuts on the lid component main plane 11. At the two further, equally opposing and preferably longer sides (of the rectangle) the filter covering 8 is arranged to be spaced apart from the gas exchange portion 10, especially by about 2 mm. During sterilization, fluid exchange may take place especially via the narrow gap 14 provided between the filter covering 8 and the gas exchange portion 10.

[0037] Each clip receiving portion 13 has, inter alia, a recess 15 which is composed of recess side surfaces 16 and a recess base area 17. Projections 18 of the filter covering 8 are guided at two opposing recess side surfaces 16. In other words, the projections 18 of the filter covering 8 are arranged adjacent to the two opposing recess side surfaces 16, when the filter covering 8 is mounted on the lid component 7.

[0038] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view cut along the axis 3-3 in FIG. 2 of the filter covering 8 disposed on the lid component 7. Here it is first of all evident that, on a lower side/toward an inner side of the lid/an inner side of the sterile container of the gas exchange portion 10 having the holes/perforations 9, a filter 19 which is a rectangular thin filter element and completely covers all holes/perforations 9 of the gas exchange portion is arranged. Further, is becomes more apparent from FIG. 3 that the filter covering 8 and the gas exchange portion 10 are spaced apart from each other or, in other words, a gap 14 is defined between the gas exchange portion 10 and a filter covering main plane 20.

[0039] It is further apparent from FIG. 3 that, adjacent to the recess side faces 16 and the recess base area 17, the recess 15 has an S-shaped transition portion 21. In other words, at the recess 15 the lid component 7 merges, via recess side surfaces 16, from the lid component main plane 11 into the recess base area 17 and merges, via the S-shaped transition portion 21, from the recess base area 17 into the gas exchange portion 10. The recess base area 17 is offset against the lid component main plane 11 by a height H downwards/toward an inner side of the lid 22. The gas exchange portion 10 is offset against the lid component main plane 11 by a height h upwards/toward an outside of the lid 23. The recess base area 17, the lid component main plane 11 and the gas exchange portion 10 are parallel to one another. The S-shaped transition portion 21 extends in S shape between the recess base area 17 and the gas exchange portion 10.

[0040] Moreover, it is evident from FIG. 3 in which way the clip portions 12 of the filter covering 8 are configured. The clip portions 12 are clamp-shaped/C-shaped end portions/(rectangular) side portions 24 which extend at two opposite (rectangular) sides of the filter covering downwards/toward an inner side of the lid 22 from the filter covering main plane 20 in clamp shape/C shape. A grip portion 25 extends to protrude laterally outwards from the clamp-shaped/C-shaped (rectangular) side portions 24. The grip portion 25 is in parallel to the filter covering main plane 20.

[0041] When the filter covering 8 is mounted on the lid component 7, the clamp-shaped/C-shaped (rectangular) side portions 24 of the filter covering 8 are clipped onto the S-shaped transition portions 21 of the lid component 7 or, resp., the C-shaped (rectangular) side portions 24 cling to the S-shaped transition portions 21 so that the filter covering 8 and the lid component 7 are thus interlocked with each other. Clipping of the clip portions 12 of the filter covering 8 onto/into the clip receiving portions 13 of the lid component 7 is facilitated especially by the elasticity of the employed amorphous thermoplastic.