NON-REFILLABLE DOSING CAPILLARY INSERT

Abstract

The invention refers to a capillary insert (100) or cap that comprises a cone (110) in its upper part that ends in a skirt (120) forming a single piece, which leaves evidence if something in the insert (100) has changed or has been altered improperly. The capillary insert or cap of the present invention prevents its reuse and tampering through one or more breaking zones (130) located along the insert.

Claims

1.-11. (canceled)

12. A capillary insert for administering liquid products comprising: a cone which has in its upper part a hole for the administration of liquids through an internal channel, the cone having a frusto-conical configuration ending in a washer that divides the cone; and a skirt that extends axially from the washer in a direction opposite to the cone, wherein the insert has one or more non-homogeneous breaking zones comprising one or more thin sections of thickness and one or more thick sections of thickness around the perimeter of the capillary insert, and wherein each thin section of thickness is thinner than each thick section of thickness, which breaking zones when exerting an external force or subjected to an external force allow the total or partial breaking of the insert.

13. The capillary insert of claim 12 wherein the one or more breaking zones are in the cone or the skirt.

14. The capillary insert of claim 12 wherein the one or more thin or thick sections of thickness are visible or not visible to the user from the outside of the insert.

15. The capillary insert of claim 14 wherein at least one breaking zone forms a ring and one or more thick sections of thickness are located on the radially inner side of this ring and are not visible to the user from the outside of the insert, or one or more thick sections of thickness are located on the radially external side of this ring and are visible to the user from the outside of the insert.

16. The capillary insert of claim 13, wherein the one or more breaking zones are in the cone and are located along a perimeter around an axial direction and/or at any angle between 0 and 360 from an axis perpendicular to an axial direction of the cone, at any height of an axial distance h defined between the top of the cone and the top surface of the washer.

17. The capillary insert of claim 13, wherein the one or more breaking zones are in the skirt and are located along a perimeter around an axial direction and/or at any angle between 0 and 360 from an axis perpendicular to an axial direction of the skirt, at any height of an axial distance h.sub.1 defined between the lower surface of the washer and the base of the skirt.

18. The capillary insert of claim 12, wherein the capillary insert is made of resins from renewable sources, in particular from commercially available renewable sources, in particular from ethanol, namely the capillary insert is made of Bio-PE (Bio Polyethylene), Bio-PEAD/Bio-HDPE (High Density Bio Polyethylene), Bio-PEBD/Bio-LDPE (Low Density Bio-Polyethylene), Bio-LLDPE (Linear Low Density Bio Polyethylene) or Bio-PP (Bio-Polypropylene), or from non-renewable sources, in particular from polyolefins, namely the capillary insert is made of Low-density polyethylene (PEBD or LDPE), high-density polyethylene (PEAD or HDPE), linear low density polyethylene (PELBD or LLDPE), polypropylene (PP), ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR) or poly-alpha-olefin.

19. Use of the capillary insert of claim 12, wherein the insert is of any type available on the market.

20. The use of the capillary insert of claim 19, wherein the insert is of the controlled dosage type for the controlled dosage of a liquid product in individual drops or in a jet, and of the tamper-proof type, the container making it possible to easily identify or detect unauthorized access to protected content.

21. A liquid product dispensing container comprising: a lid; a reservoir for a liquid product; and a capillary insert of claim 12 arranged at the top of the reservoir and under the lid.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0028] The present specification is complemented with a set of illustrative drawings of the preferred and never limiting examples of the invention.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a front sectional view of the capillary insert (100) of the invention.

[0030] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the capillary insert (100), where the breaking zone (130) is shown in detail.

[0031] FIG. 3 shows a front view of the capillary insert (100) of the invention, where one of the modalities for breaking the cone (110) is detailed.

[0032] FIG. 4 shows a top view of different configurations of the thin sections of thickness (115) and the thick sections of thickness (116) of the breaking zone (130).

[0033] FIGS. 5a, 5b and 5c show frontal views of breaking modalities of the capillary insert (100).

[0034] FIG. 6 shows a front view of the capillary insert (100) where the partial breakage of the cone (110) is shown.

[0035] FIG. 7 shows a front sectional view of the container (150) that includes the capillary insert (100) of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] The present invention provides an improved capillary insert that prevents reuse of the container as a dropper or multi-dose dispenser. The invention also relates to liquid product containers incorporating the improved capillary insert. Additionally, the invention provides the use of breaking zones in the capillary insert, in other commercially available inserts.

[0037] The present invention relates to a capillary insert (100) for administering liquid products, comprising: a cone (110) that extends axially in the opposite direction to form a skirt (120), where the cone (110) has in its part upper a hole (111) for the administration of liquids through an internal channel (112), the cone (110) has a frusto-conical configuration ending in a washer (114) that divides the cone (110) and the skirt (120), wherein the insert (100) has one or more homogeneous or non-homogeneous breaking zones, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Said breaking zones, when exerting an external force or subjected to an external force, allow the total or partial breaking of the insert, thanks to one or more thin sections of thickness (115) and one or more thick sections of thickness (116), as seen in FIG. 4. Both partial and total breakage make the insert useless and disables the use of the product. The external force applied can be manual, or through tools used by the user.

[0038] The one or more breaking zones (130) of the capillary insert (100) are located in the cone (110) or in the skirt (120). Examples of these breaking zones (130) are shown in FIGS. 3, 5a, 5b and 5c.

[0039] In the capillary insert (100) of the invention the one or more thin (115) or thick (116) sections of thickness are visible or not visible. In one embodiment of the invention, the one or more thick sections of thickness (116) are located on the inner or external part of the breaking zone, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0040] When said thin (115) or thick (116) sections of thickness are not visible, the invention refers to not being visible to the user as this depends on the insert manufacturing material, the size of the thick sections of thickness and the configuration of the thin (115) or thick (116) sections of thickness around the perimeter of the capillary insert (100).

[0041] FIG. 1 shows the one or more breaking zones in the cone (110) which are located perimeter along the y-axis and/or at any angle between 0 and 360 from the x-axis of the cone (110), at any height of a defined distance h between the top of the cone (110) and the top surface of the washer (114).

[0042] Likewise, FIG. 1 shows the one or more breaking zones in the skirt (120), which are located perimeter along the y-axis and/or at any angle between 0 and 360 from the x-axis of the skirt (120), at any height of a defined distance h.sub.1 between the lower surface of the washer (114) and the base of the skirt (120).

[0043] The capillary insert (100) of the invention is made of resins from renewable and non-renewable sources.

[0044] Examples of resins from renewable sources used in the invention are selected from materials from commercially available renewable sources (e.g. ethanol), such as Bio-PE (Bio Polyethylene), Bio-PEAD/Bio-HDPE (High Density Bio Polyethylene), Bio-PEBD/Bio-LDPE (Low Density Bio Polyethylene), Bio-LLDPE (Linear Low Density Bio Polyethylene) and Bio-PP (Bio Polypropylene).

[0045] Examples of resins from non-renewable sources used in the invention are selected from polyolefins, including: Low-density polyethylene (PEBD or LDPE); high-density polyethylene (PEAD or HDPE); linear low density polyethylene (PELBD or LLDPE); polypropylene (PP); ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR); poly-alpha-olefin.

[0046] An embodiment of the invention corresponds to the use of the breaking zones (130) of the capillary insert (100) in any type of insert available on the market.

[0047] Another embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIG. 7, corresponds to a liquid product dispensing container (150) comprising a lid (160); a reservoir (170) for liquid product; a capillary insert (100) arranged at the top of the reservoir (170) and under the lid (160); wherein the capillary insert (100) comprises a cone (110) that extends axially in the opposite direction to form a skirt (120), wherein the cone (110) has in its upper part a hole (111) for the administration of liquids through an internal channel (112), the cone (110) has a frusto-conical configuration ending in a washer (114) that divides the cone (110) and the skirt (120), where the insert (100) has one or more homogeneous or non-homogeneous breaking zones, which when exerting an external force or subjected to an external force allow the total or partial breaking of the insert.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION OF THE INVENTION

[0048] The present invention has industrial application in the packaging and container industry, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry, in that it provides an insert and a container for administration of medications or other liquid products in controlled amounts to a patient, preferably for the administration of drugs.

[0049] Other embodiments or embodiments of the present invention that are apparent to those skilled in the art from reading and practicing the present specification are understood to be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. The present specification is illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the invention.