Packaging for containers

Abstract

This packaging is for containers having each a cylindrical body and an upper surface located at or near an extremity of the body, said packaging comprising a nest, a tub and a sealing cover; the nest having a nesting structure to receive the containers and comprising at least one first supporting surface, to be received on at least one corresponding supporting surface of the tub, the tub having a bottom wall, lateral walls forming an upper opening, and a peripheral flange leveled with said upper opening, for the sealing of said sealing cover thereon; said nest includes at least one second supporting surface rigidly connected to said at least one first supporting surface and so positioned with respect to this at least one first supporting surface that this second supporting surface is located, when the nest is placed in the tub, at the level of said peripheral flange.

Claims

1. A packaging for containers each having a cylindrical body and an upper surface located at or near an extremity of the body, said packaging comprising a nest, a tub, and a sealing cover, the nest having nesting structure to receive the containers and comprising at least one first supporting surface, to be received on at least one corresponding supporting surface of the tub, the tub having a bottom wall, lateral walls forming an upper opening, and a peripheral flange levelled with said upper opening, for the sealing of said sealing cover thereon, wherein said nest comprises at least two second supporting surfaces on two opposed sides, each second supporting surface rigidly connected to said at least one first supporting surface, wherein the second supporting surfaces are wall surfaces, and are positioned with respect to the at least one first supporting surface so that the second supporting surface is located, when the nest is placed in the tub, at the level of said peripheral flange and wherein the second supporting surface is formed by an upper wall of a supporting element having an inner lateral wall and an outer lateral wall, wherein said supporting element comprises interior walls connecting said inner lateral wall and said outer lateral wall, for strengthening said supporting element, wherein the containers have flanges at their proximal ends and said nesting structure comprises chimneys in which the containers are intended to be inserted with the flanges thereof bearing on an upper end of said chimneys, said second supporting surfaces defining a first plane that is spaced apart from a second plane defined by said upper end of said chimneys, the distance between said first plane and said second plane being superior to the thickness of the flanges of the containers, and wherein the cover is configured to be sealed directly onto the peripheral flange after placement of the containers into the nest.

2. The packaging for containers according to claim 1, wherein said nesting structure comprises openings.

3. The packaging for containers according to claim 1, wherein said second supporting surface is integrally formed with the nest.

4. The packaging for containers according to claim 1, wherein said second supporting surface comprises additional pieces disposed on and/or attached to the nest.

5. The packaging for containers according to claim 1, wherein the nest has notches for the insertion of a user's fingers for grasping the nest.

6. The packaging for containers according to claim 5, wherein said notches are delimited by walls providing increased contact surfaces for the user's fingers.

7. The packaging for containers according to claim 5, wherein each notch has an abutment.

8. A packaging for containers each having a cylindrical body and an upper surface located at or near an extremity of the body, said packaging comprising a nest, a tub, and a sealing cover, the nest having nesting structure to receive the containers and comprising at least one first supporting surface, to be received on at least one corresponding supporting surface of the tub, the tub having a bottom wall, lateral walls forming an upper opening, and a peripheral flange levelled with said upper opening, for the sealing of said sealing cover directly thereon, wherein said nest comprises at least two second supporting surfaces on two opposed sides, each second supporting surface rigidly connected to said at least one first supporting surface, wherein the second supporting surfaces are wall surfaces, and are positioned with respect to the at least one first supporting surface so that the second supporting surface is located, when the nest is placed in the tub, at the level of said peripheral flange, wherein the containers have flanges at their proximal ends and said nesting structure comprises chimneys in which the containers are intended to be inserted with the flanges thereof bearing on an upper end of said chimneys, said second supporting surfaces defining a first plane that is spaced apart from a second plane defined by said upper end of said chimneys, the distance between said first plane and said second plane being superior to the thickness of the flanges of the containers, and wherein said lateral walls of the tub are sloped inwardly from said upper opening to said bottom wall, so that, when a first tub is stacked on a second, identical tub having a nest therein, a contour of the bottom wall of said first tub is within a contour of the upper opening of said second tub, and said second supporting surfaces are so located that the bottom wall of said first tub bears thereon.

9. A packaging for containers each having a cylindrical body and an upper surface located at or near an extremity of the body, said packaging comprising a nest, a tub, and a sealing cover, the nest having nesting structure to receive the containers and comprising at least one first supporting surface, to be received on at least one corresponding supporting surface of the tub, the tub having a bottom wall, lateral walls forming an upper opening, and a peripheral flange levelled with said upper opening, for the sealing of said sealing cover thereon, wherein said nest comprises at least two second supporting surfaces on two opposed sides, each second supporting surface rigidly connected to said at least one first supporting surface, wherein the second supporting surfaces are wall surfaces, and are positioned with respect to the at least one first supporting surface so that the second supporting surface is located, when the nest is placed in the tub, at the level of said peripheral flange, wherein the containers have flanges at their proximal ends and said nesting structure comprises chimneys in which the containers are intended to be inserted with the flanges thereof bearing on an upper end of said chimneys, said second supporting surfaces defining a first plane that is spaced apart from a second plane defined by said upper end of said chimneys, the distance between said first plane and said second plane being superior to the thickness of the flanges of the containers, and wherein the second supporting surface comprises a smooth part that is sized and shaped to form a gripping surface for receiving a tool able to grasp automatically the nest.

10. The packaging for containers according to claim 1, wherein the second supporting surfaces are undulating wall surfaces which correspond to an outline of a side portion of successive chimneys positioned adjacent thereto.

11. The packaging for containers according to claim 1, wherein the corresponding surface of the tub comprises at least one supporting pillar extending from a bottom wall of the tub and forming an upper bearing surface configured for receiving the nest.

12. The packaging for containers according to claim 11, wherein the at least one supporting pillar comprises a recessed portion extending from a lateral wall of the tub and a protrusion extending in an inward direction with respect to the lateral wall of the tub.

13. The packaging for containers according to claim 12, wherein the protrusion of at least one supporting pillar is configured for cooperating with a recess in the recessed portion of an adjacently disposed tub for nesting of the tubs upon removal of the nest.

14. The packaging of claim 1, wherein the inner lateral wall of the second supporting surface is located on a side adjacent the nest comprising the chimneys and the outer lateral wall is located on a side adjacent to the tub.

15. The packaging of claim 1, wherein the inner and outer lateral walls extend in a parallel direction with respect to each other.

16. The packaging of claim 15, wherein a space is located between the inner and outer lateral walls.

17. The packaging of claim 1, wherein the second supporting surface comprises a horizontally disposed top wall having a vertically disposed inner lateral wall and a vertically disposed outer lateral wall extending in a downwardly direction from the top wall and wherein a space is provided between the inner lateral wall and the outer lateral wall.

Description

(1) The invention will be better understood and other characteristics and advantages thereof will become evident, with reference to the attached schematic drawings, representing, by way of non-limiting and non-exhaustive example, a preferred embodiment of said packaging.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a nest that is part of the packaging, showing the upper side of this nest;

(3) FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the lower side of this nest;

(4) FIG. 3 is a top view of this lower side of the nest;

(5) FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the tub, another component of the packaging, with the nest therein;

(6) FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of the tub;

(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of this tub, from below;

(8) FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 4, that is, a first tub, without nest, being stacked on a second tub with a nest therein;

(9) FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of said first and second tubs taken along the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7, a syringe body being shown, placed on the nest of said second tub;

(10) FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 7, the first upper tub being nested in the second lower tub, and

(11) FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X of FIG. 9.

(12) FIG. 4 shows a packaging 1 for the transport of containers 2 (such container 2 can be seen on FIG. 8), comprising a nest 5, a tub 6, and a sealing cover 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(13) Each container 2 comprises a cylindrical body, in particular tubular, and an upper surface that can be a flange located at or near the proximal end of this cylindrical body.

(14) Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1-3, the nest 5 comprises a flat, substantially square or rectangular bottom wall 10, through openings 11 coaxially surrounded by chimneys 12, radial connection walls 13, notches 14 on first and second opposed edges of the bottom wall 10, walls 15 delimiting the notches 14, side walls 16 extending on third and fourth opposed edges of the bottom wall 10 that are perpendicular to said first and second edges, and two supporting elements 17 extending along said first and second opposed edges, along the portion of the nest comprising the chimneys. The nest 5 is formed by a single part of moulded plastic material.

(15) The inferior edges of the supporting elements 17 and the edges of the bottom wall 10 form first supporting surfaces 18, intended to be received on corresponding supporting surfaces 26 of the tub 6, described below.

(16) As shown on FIG. 8, the cylindrical bodies of the containers 2 are inserted in said chimneys 12 and through said openings 11 until the flanges abut the receiving surface 12a of the chimneys 12.

(17) With reference to FIG. 2, some radial connection walls 13 connect some adjacent chimneys 12 one to each other and can also connect some chimneys 12 to the side walls 16 of the nest 5 for rigidifying the nest 5.

(18) The notches 14 allow the insertion of a user's fingers, for grasping the nest 5, and the delimiting walls 15 provide increased contact surfaces for these fingers. Each notch 14 has a ridge 14a forming an abutment aimed at the gripping by one user's finger.

(19) As it is described on FIG. 2, each supporting element 17 comprises an upper wall 17a, an inner lateral wall 17b, i.e. a wall located on the side of the nest 5 comprising the chimneys 12, an outer lateral wall 17c, on the opposed side, and interior walls 17d. All these different walls connected said upper, inner and outer walls 17a, 17b, 17c together for strengthening the supporting element 17.

(20) The upper wall 17a forms a smooth supporting surface, higher that the upper ends 12a of the chimneys 12. The two upper walls 17a form second supporting surfaces that define a first plane spaced apart from a second plane defined by said upper ends 12a of said chimneys 12, the distance between said first plane and said second plane being superior to the thickness of the flanges of the containers 2.

(21) The height of said upper wall 17a with respect to said upper ends 12a of said chimneys 12 is such that it is located, once the packaging 1 is constituted, at the level of the opening 22 of the tub 6, or just below this opening 22, as appearing on FIGS. 4, 7 and 8 and described below, and thus just below the sealing cover which this opening 22 receives.

(22) As it can be seen on FIG. 4, when the nest 5, that comprises through openings 11 in order to receive the containers 2, is placed inside the tub 6, the second supporting surfaces 17 are in the same plane than the peripheral flange 23 of the tub 6.

(23) Each said upper wall 17a exhibits an undulated inner edge, and said inner lateral wall 17b is undulated in the same manner. These walls 17a, 17b thus form successive alternated protruding portions and depressed portions that follow the outline of the successive chimneys 12 of the side row of chimneys, which said portion of the nest 5, comprises.

(24) The upper faces of said protruding portions form grasping surfaces for suction cups intended to grasp the nest 5 along an automated handling process.

(25) With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the tub 6 have a bottom wall 20, sloping lateral walls 21 forming an upper opening 22, a peripheral outer flange 23 levelled with this upper opening 22, and recessed portions 24. The tub 6 is formed by a single part of moulded plastic material.

(26) The lateral walls 21 are sloped inwardly from the opening 22 to the bottom wall 20, so that, as shown on FIGS. 9 and 10, when a first tub 6 is stacked on a second, identical, tub 6 having a nest 5 therein, the contour of the bottom wall 20 of said first tub 6 is within the contour of the opening 22 of said second tub 6. Said second supporting surfaces 17a are so located that the bottom wall 20 of said first tub 6 then bears thereon.

(27) The peripheral outer flange 23 is intended to receive said sealing cover, sealed thereon.

(28) Each recessed portion 24 forms, on the inner side of the wall 21, a supporting pillar 25 extending from the bottom wall 20 and forming an upper bearing surface 26 for receiving the nest 5. Each pillar 25 tapers off from the bottom wall 20 to this upper bearing surface 26, and the latter is located at a distance from the opening 22 which is slightly greater than the overall height of the supporting elements 17, i.e. the width of the walls 17c. On the outer side of the wall 21, each recessed portion 24 forms a recess 27 able to receive a corresponding supporting pillar 25 of said second tub 6.

(29) Each recess 27 extends from the level of the bottom wall 20 up to the downward surface of the upper wall forming said upper bearing surface 26, and generally tapers off from this bottom wall 20 to this downward surface. The recesses 27 of two opposed walls 21 includes therein a median limiting bar 30 forming a lower abutting end. As shown on FIG. 10, in the nested position of the tubs 6, the median limiting bar 30 of the upper tub 6 abuts said upper bearing surface 26, thus forming limitation means for limiting the depth of nesting of one tub 6 in another to avoid any risk of blocking a tub 6 in the other.

(30) The sealing cover 7 is formed by a sheet of suitable heat sealable material, in particular by a sheet made of Tyvek (material sold by Dupont De Nemours Company), and is sealed on the outer flange 23 of the tub 6.

(31) In use, the tubs 6 can be nested as shown on FIGS. 9 and 10, which provide an advantageous space saving for the manufacturer or user of the containers 2. After putting the nest 5 in the tubs 6, a large number of packagings 1 can be stacked without any risk of contamination or breakage of the flanges of the containers 2, the supporting elements 17 supporting the sealing covers and distributing the load of upper tubs in the stack on the lateral walls 21 of lower tubs of this stack.

(32) For the user of the containers 2, the packagings 1, once extracted from the transporting cardboard boxes, can be stacked temporarily, also without any risk of contamination or breakage of the flanges of the containers 2, as shown on FIG. 4. After removal of the nests 6 therefrom, the packagings 1 can be nested and thus also provides an advantageous space saving for this user when nested.

(33) As it has become evident from the foregoing, the invention provides a packaging for containers, having, in comparison with the packagings of the prior art, the following determining advantages of: (a) efficiently preventing any contamination or breakage of the containers when a number of tubs are stacked, (b) allowing packagings to be stacked, (c) reducing the necessary amount of materials for transporting the packagings, and (d) reducing the necessary work for opening the boxes containing these packagings.

(34) The invention has been described above with references to embodiments given as examples. Obviously, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and can be applied to all other embodiments covered by the appended claims.