RECEIVING CONTAINER, METHOD FOR FILLING A RECEIVING CONTAINER, METHOD FOR TRANSPORTING RECEIVING CONTAINERS AND USE OF A RECEIVING CONTAINER

Abstract

A receiving container comprising a body and a lid. The body has an open end and a closed end. The lid is introduceable at least partially into the open end of the body in order to seal the body. The lid comprises at least one plastic component which is designed such that the lid can be perforated by a canula and is fluid-tight after the canula has been removed. The receiving container is designed such that the lid can assume at least first and second closing positions. In the first closing position, a chamber of the body can be filled, via a cannula, through the lid and gas can escape from the chamber via at least one ventilation path. In the second closing position, the at least one ventilation path is closed.

Claims

1-16. (canceled)

17. A receiving container comprising: a body, and a lid, wherein the body has an open end and a closed end and the lid is introduceable at least partially into the open end of the body in order to close the body, the lid comprises at least one plastic component which is adapted such that the lid can be perforated by a cannula and is fluid-tight after the cannula has been removed, the receiving container is adapted such that the lid can assume at least a first closing position and a second closing position, in the first closing position, a chamber of the body can be filled with a cannula through the lid, and gas can escape from the chamber via at least one ventilation path, and in the second closing position, the at least one ventilation path is closed.

18. The receiving container according to claim 17, wherein the receiving container is a vial.

19. The receiving container according to claim 17, wherein, in the second closing position, the lid is introduced further into the body than in the first closing position.

20. The receiving container according to claim 17, wherein the lid comprises grooves, the grooves comprise at least partially circumferential sealing surfaces, and the at least one ventilation path comprises a recess in a sealing surface of a first groove and a sealing surface of at least a second groove is arranged circumferentially.

21. The receiving container according to claim 17, wherein the chamber comprises a volume of between 0.5 ml and 2 ml.

22. The receiving container according to claim 17, wherein the body is 30-60 mm long.

23. The receiving container according to claim 17, wherein the lid has a region which is not introduceable into the body.

24. The receiving container according to claim 23, wherein the lid has at least one at least partially circumferential retaining groove on an outer side of the region which is not introduceable into the body.

25. The receiving container according to claim 17, wherein the lid comprises or consists of two plastic components, and the two components have a different Shore hardnesses from one another, and the component with the lower Shore hardness is arranged in a region of the lid radially inside the component with the higher Shore hardness.

26. The receiving container according to claim 25, wherein the component with the higher Shore hardness is designed with no circumferential interruption at least in a region of the lid which is introduceable into the body

27. The receiving container according to claim 17, wherein the body has at least one conically tapering portion on the outer side, and the at least one conical portion has the closed end or is arranged adjacent thereto.

28. The receiving container according to claim 17, wherein the body comprises or consists of two plastic components, and at least one component is light-blocking or opaque and is arranged at the closed end of the body, and the at least one light-blocking or opaque component has a code for identification.

29. The receiving container according to claim 28, wherein the at least one light-blocking or opaque component contains polypropylene or consists thereof.

30. The receiving container according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the body and the lid is produced by an injection-molding process.

31. A method for filling a receiving container, the method comprising the steps of: providing the receiving container with a body and a lid, wherein the lid is introduced into the body in a first closing position, perforating the lid with a cannula, filling the receiving container through the cannula, wherein gas escapes from a chamber via at least one ventilation path, and arranging the lid in a second closing position such that the at least one ventilation path is closed.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the container comprises: a body, and a lid, wherein the body has an open end and a closed end and the lid is introduceable at least partially into the open end of the body in order to close the body, the lid comprises at least one plastic component which is adapted such that the lid can be perforated by a cannula and is fluid-tight after the cannula has been removed, the receiving container is adapted such that the lid can assume at least a first closing position and a second closing position, in the first closing position, a chamber of the body can be filled with a cannula through the lid, and gas can escape from the chamber via at least one ventilation path, and in the second closing position, the at least one ventilation path is closed.

33. The method according to claim 31, further comprising introducing the lid further into the body in order to arrange the lid in the second closing position.

34. A process for transporting receiving containers in a tube system with a stream of air, wherein the receiving container according to claim 17 is used for the process.

35. Use of a receiving container according to claim 17 in a tube system with an airstream.

Description

[0057] Further advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the following description of the exemplary embodiments in combination with the schematic drawings, showing schematically:

[0058] FIG. 1: a lid of a vial according to the invention;

[0059] FIG. 2: an external view of a vial according to the invention in the closed state;

[0060] FIG. 3: an external view of a vial according to the invention in the open state;

[0061] FIG. 4a-c: a longitudinal section through a vial according to the invention in different closing positions;

[0062] FIG. 5a, b: a longitudinal section through a vial according to the invention in different closing positions.

[0063] FIG. 1 shows a lid 3 of a vial 1 according to the invention (see FIG. 2 or 3). The lid 3 is partially introduceable into an open end of a body 2 (see FIG. 2 or 3) and is formed from two components 3′, 3″ which have a different Shore hardnesses. The lid 3 is produced using a 2K injection-molding process. The component 3′ with a higher Shore hardness is a polypropylene.

[0064] The component 3″ with a lower Shore hardness is a thermoplastic elastomer with a Shore hardness of 40 Shore A, measured in accordance with ISO 7619. The component 3″ with a lower Shore hardness is completely surrounded, circumferentially by the component 3′ with a higher Shore hardness in a region of the lid 3 which is introduceable into the body 2. By contrast, the component 3″ with a lower Shore hardness extends radially outward in an upper end of the lid 3. The component 3″ with a lower Shore hardness extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the vial 1 only over a section of the component 3′ with the higher Shore hardness. An end of the lid 3 which faces toward the closed end is formed only by the component 3′ with the higher Shore hardness, which forms an additional chamber which is open on one side.

[0065] The component 3″ with a lower Shore hardness allows the lid to be penetrated by a cannula for filling and/or removing samples. After the cannula has been removed from the lid 3, the component 3″ with a lower Shore hardness automatically closes the passage opening.

[0066] The lid 3 has a lower region 5 which is introduceable into the body 2. In addition, the lid 3 has an upper region 4 which has a larger radius than the lower region 5 and is not introduceable into the body 2. The lower region has two grooves 6. A sealing surface of a lower groove 6′ is designed to be partially circumferential. A recess 7 interrupts the sealing surface of the lower groove 6′. A sealing surface of an upper groove 6″ is formed to be completely circumferentially.

[0067] In a first closing position, the lid 3 is inserted into the body 2 such that the sealing surface of the lower groove 6′ is operatively connected to a mating ridge 12 (see FIG. 5) of the body 2. Due to the recess 7, a ventilation path exists between a chamber of the vial 1 and the environment. As a result, gas can escape from the chamber when the vial 1 is being filled. This prevents that a too high overpressure is created in the chamber which could cause a leak or prevent further filling.

[0068] In a second closing position, the lid 3 is inserted further into the body 2 such that the sealing surface of the upper groove 6″ is operatively connected to the mating ridge 12. Because the sealing surface of the upper groove is formed circumferentially, no ventilation path exists between the chamber and the environment.

[0069] FIG. 2 shows an external view of a vial 1 according to the invention with a body 2 in the closed state. The lid 3 is situated in the second closing position.

[0070] The body 2 is formed by two plastic components 2′, 2″. Both components 2′, 2″ are polypropylene, wherein one component 2″ is designed to be opaque. The body 2 is formed using a 2K injection-molding process. The opaque component 2″ is arranged at a closed end of the body 2. The opaque component has a data matrix code (not shown) on its surface facing away from the body 2. The code serves to identify the vial. As a result, the vial can be automatically assigned and processed.

[0071] At the open end, the body 2 has a flange 10 (see FIG. 3) which is formed by the non-opaque polypropylene component 2′. The flange 10 is adapted to be flush with an external diameter of the upper region 4 of the lid and consequently ensures that two vials 1 do not engage each other by way of their lids 3. Owing to this design, practically no additional edges are created by the lid 3 or the body 2.

[0072] At the closed end, the outer wall extends conically in the opaque region 2″. The region has a conicity of 10°. The upper section has a low conicity of 2°.

[0073] FIG. 3 shows an external view of a vial 1 according to the invention with a body 2 in the open state. A region close to the open end of the body 2 has a mating ridge 12 (see FIG. 5) which can be operatively connected to the grooves 6′, 6″.

[0074] FIGS. 4a-c show a vial 1 according to the invention in different closing positions. In FIG. 4a, the lid 3 is not introduced into the body 2. The vial 1 is in an open position.

[0075] In FIG. 4b, the lid 3 is in the first closing position. The lid 3 is here partially introduced into the body 2. The vial 1 can be filled through a cannula 11. Gas which was in the vial can escape via the ventilation duct (indicated with dashed arrows). As a result, a too high overpressure inside the vial 1 is prevented.

[0076] In FIG. 4c, the lid 3 is in the second closing position. The lid is introduced further into the body 2 and the ventilation duct consequently sealed.

[0077] FIGS. 5a and 5b show a longitudinal section through a vial 1 according to the invention in a first and second closing position.

[0078] In FIG. 5a, the lid 3 is in the first closing position. The lower groove 6′ of the lid 3 is operatively connected to the mating ridge 12 of the body 2. Gas can leak through the recess 7 (see FIG. 1) during the filling.

[0079] FIG. 5b shows the lid 3 in the second closing position. In this position, the upper groove 6″, which has a sealing surface formed circumferentially, is operatively connected to the mating ridge 12 and seals the chamber of the vial 1 from the environment.