Container system and method for forming a knob in a container

Abstract

A container system and a method for forming a knob in a container. The container system includes a container, in particular a medical or surgical sterile container preferably having a tub-like container vessel and/or a container cover; at least one separate coupling element; and at least one coupling system for releasably connecting the coupling element to the container. The coupling system includes a male coupling portion formed on the container and a female coupling portion formed on the coupling element. The coupling portions can be coupled to and uncoupled from one another. The male coupling portion is integrally formed in a wall of the container and is designed as a protruding knob having an undercut.

Claims

1. A container system comprising a container, at least one (Previously Presented) coupling element, and at least one coupling system for releasably connecting the at least one coupling element to the container, wherein the at least one coupling system includes a male coupling portion formed on the container and a female coupling portion formed on the at least one coupling element, the male and female coupling portions configured to be releasably coupled to and uncoupled from one another, wherein the male coupling portion is integrally formed in a wall of the container and comprises a protruding knob that defines a head and an undercut, and wherein the female coupling portion comprises an expandable spring that defines a recess, wherein the at least one coupling element is couplable to the container by inserting the head into the recess to radially expand the expandable spring and allow the head to pass through the expandable spring, after which the expandable spring retracts into the undercut to engage the head and releasably couple the male coupling portion to the female coupling portion.

2. The container system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one coupling system comprises a push-button system in which the protruding knob protrudes into the recess in a coupled state, the undercut of the protruding knob being encompassed by the female coupling portion in a prestressed manner.

3. The container system according to claim 1, wherein the container is a sterile container and the at least one coupling element is an identification label or an identification bezel or a perforation field cover or a sensor or an identification element or a holding element.

4. The container system according to claim 1, wherein the male coupling portion is formed in one-piece of material in the wall of the container.

5. The container system according to claim 1, wherein the container comprises aluminum or hardened and tempered steel as material.

6. The container system according to claim 1, wherein the protruding knob protrudes from the container perpendicularly relative to a surface of the container and outwards.

7. The container system according to claim 6, wherein the protruding knob has a spherical head with a first diameter and the undercut has a second diameter, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter.

8. The container system according to claim 1, wherein the protruding knob has a flattened head on an upper side of the protruding knob.

9. The container system according to claim 1, wherein the head comprises a bulb section.

10. The container system according to claim 1, wherein the protruding knob is rotationally symmetrical with a circular contour.

11. The container system according to claim 1, wherein the undercut is a circumferential undercut.

12. The container system according to claim 1, wherein the protruding knob comprises an elliptical-shaped cross-section.

13. The container system according to claim 1, wherein the protruding knob comprises a cylindrical section adjacent the undercut, and wherein the undercut separates the cylindrical section from the head.

14. The container system according to claim 1, wherein the expandable spring is an expandable ring.

15. The container system according to claim 14, wherein the expandable ring is a Seeger ring.

16. The container system according to claim 1, wherein the expandable spring comprises a first rounded edge and the undercut comprises a second rounded edge, and wherein the first rounded edge engages the second rounded edge when the male coupling portion is coupled to the female coupling portion.

17. The container system according to claim 1, wherein the wall of the container defines a recess that extends within the protruding knob.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

(1) In the following, the invention is explained in more detail on the basis of preferred embodiments with the aid of accompanying figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the container system according to the invention with a coupling system of a first preferred embodiment,

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the knob of FIG. 1,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of the container system according to the invention with a coupling system of a further, second preferred embodiment,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the coupling system from FIG. 3,

(6) FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the container system according to the invention with a coupling system of a further, third preferred embodiment,

(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the container system with a coupling system of a further, fourth preferred embodiment,

(8) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the container system with a coupling system of a further, fifth preferred embodiment, and

(9) FIGS. 8 to 11 show cross-sectional views of the steps of the forming method according to the invention of a first preferred embodiment.

(10) The figures are of a schematic nature and merely serve to comprehend the invention. Identical elements are provided with the same reference signs. The features of the various embodiments can be exchanged among each other.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) In the following, embodiments of the present invention are described with the aid of the corresponding figures.

(12) FIG. 1, in a cross-sectional view, shows a container system 1 according to the invention of a first preferred embodiment. The container system has two separate components/elements, i.e. on the one hand, a container 2 in the form of a tub-shaped sterile container or a tub-shaped screen basket or a container cover and, on the other hand, a coupling element 4 to be coupled thereto. In the embodiment, the coupling element 4 is an identification label indicating the contents of the container 2. In addition, further coupling elements 4 exist in the form of identification bezels and perforation covers for the container 2.

(13) For coupling the coupling element 4, the container 2 has a coupling system 6 including a male coupling section 8 and a female coupling section 10. The male coupling section 8 is formed on the container 2, whereas the female coupling section 10 is formed on the coupling element 4. The male coupling section 8 is integrally/materially formed in a container wall 12 of the container 2, and has a protruding round knob 14 or a round mushroom 14. A head 16 of the knob 14 forms a circumferential undercut 18. The outer contour of the knob 14 has the shape of a bollard or champagne cork.

(14) At the location of the knob 14 formed in the container wall 12, a concave, capsule-shaped and rotationally symmetrical recess 20 is formed within the knob 14. The opposite head 16 is shown in detail in FIG. 2 in a perspective view of the male coupling portion 8. The knob 14 is designed rotationally symmetrical with a circular contour and has a spherical head 16. The head 16 is flattened on its upper side 17. The circular head 16 with a diameter D1, which forms the circumferential undercut 18, engages in a circular recess 22 in the female coupling portion 10 with a diameter D2. In this case, the diameter D1 of the knob 14 is smaller than the diameter D2 of the recess 22 so that the knob 14 can be inserted therein. A spring element 24 in the form of a Seeger ring with round edges is enclosed in the coupling element 4 and in the coupled state encompasses/surrounds the head 16 of the knob 14 and thus the undercut 18. The spring has a diameter smaller than the diameter D1 of the head 16. By rounding off the edges of the undercut 18 or an even transition of the head 16 in combination with the rounded spring element, a click closure/clip closure in the form of a push-button system can be realized. Thus, a user can clip on the coupling element 4 to the container 2 by way of a compressive force (the spring 24 is expanded to a diameter larger than D1 against its pretension) and releasably connect it, as well as manually release it from the knob 14 by means of a tensile force (the spring 24 again is expanded to a diameter larger than D1 against its pretension). In this case, the knob 14 is integrally/materially shaped in the container 2, so that no sterile barrier is broken through and the container wall 12 provides a natural impermeable boundary.

(15) FIG. 3 shows a schematic top view of container system 101 according to the invention of a further, preferred second embodiment with container 2 and with an alternative coupling element 104. In this embodiment the container system 1 has a coupling system 106 including the same male coupling portion 8, but a female coupling portion 110 configured differently with regard to the first embodiment. The female coupling portion 110, in top view, has a keyhole shape with a circular insert section 122 as well as a detent section 124 directly adjacent thereto. As already also in the first embodiment, the insert section 122 has a diameter D2 that is larger than the diameter D1 of the head 16 of the knob 14. However, the detent section, into which the insertion section 122 merges, has guide bars 126 that have a width B smaller than the diameter D1 of the head 16. As a result, the head 16 is gripped or held in the guide rails on both sides so as to be axially displaceable in the extension of a longitudinal axis L of the detent section 124, but axially fixed in a direction transverse thereto.

(16) FIG. 5 shows a further alternative embodiment of a container system 201 according to the invention including a coupling system 206. The container 2 that includes the male coupling portion 8 is again held equally to the first two embodiments, whereas the coupling element 204 is configured differently. Specifically, the coupling element 204 has an alternative female locking portion 210. The female locking portion 210 is formed as two diametrically opposed locking hooks 224. In this regard, the two locking hooks 224 have snap-in noses 226 pointing towards each other, which have a ramp 228 on one side and a flat undercut 230 on an opposite side, so that they can be easily applied to the knob 14 in one direction with elastic deformation of the locking hook 224 by means of the ramp 228 and then hold the knob 14 positively in the axial direction via the undercut 230, and can be removed again from the knob 14 in an opposite direction with increased force (no helping ramp 228) and renewed elastic deformation. Alternatively, it is also conceivable that the two diametrically opposed locking hooks 224 can be manually shifted relative to one another, so that by such shifting the diameter is increased, allowing the coupling element 204 to be pulled off the knob 14 without elastic deformation.

(17) FIGS. 6 and 7 each show a further container system 301 and 401 of a preferred fourth and fifth embodiment. In FIG. 6, the coupling element 304 has the shape of a hat and, similar to the first embodiment from FIGS. 1 and 2, is attached to knob 314.

(18) FIG. 7, on the other hand, shows a coupling element 404 in the form of a bushing. Two parallel springs 424 run transversely to a longitudinal axis of the bushing within the bushing as female coupling portion 410. The springs 424 have a distance to each other that is smaller than the inner diameter of the bushing of the female coupling portion 410. The springs 424 hold the undercut 418 of the knob 414 or encompass/surround the head 416 of the knob 414 in a resiliently pretensioned manner. Thus, in the uncoupled state, the female coupling portion 410 can clip onto and couple to the male coupling portion 408 by way of a compressive force and, in the coupled state, can decouple again by applying a tensile force.

(19) FIGS. 8 to 11 show steps of a (forming) method according to the invention of a preferred embodiment in order to manufacture the container system according to the invention including a knob 14 formed in one piece in the container 2, as depicted in FIG. 1.

(20) In FIG. 8, in a first step, the container wall 12 of the container 2, which in particular has aluminium as a material and is still flat/level or slightly curved at this point, is positioned and two complementary press dies 70 and 72 are arranged coaxially to each other on opposite sides of the container wall 12 at a predetermined point of the container wall 12 at which the knob 14 is to be formed eventually. In this case, the male press die 70 of the two press dies has a full-cylindrical protrusion 74 with rounded edges, and the female press die 72 has a die recess 76 complementary to the protrusion 74 in the form of a hollow cylinder with a circular through opening. The diameter of the protrusion 74 is less than the diameter of the through opening of the die recess 76, leaving a circumferentially wide gap between the protrusion 74 and the die recess 76 approximately equal to the thickness of the container wall 12 at the predetermined location of the knob 14. Alternatively, the gap may also have a thickness which is less than the thickness of the container wall. In particular, the thickness of the gap may be between 5% and 90% of the thickness of the container wall, more preferably between 10% and 70%, and most preferably between 20% and 40%.

(21) In a second step, the coaxially arranged complementary pressing dies 70, 72 are then moved against each other so that they first press on the container wall 12, or the tip of the protrusion 74 and the end portion of the hollow cylinder press on the container wall 12 and, after increasing the pressing force, the container wall 12 is pressed so that the area of the container wall 12 to be reshaped is plastically deformed and forms a cup 78. Squeezing or deep drawing of the cup 78 is effected, so to speak. This condition is shown in FIG. 9. The material or sheet metal of the container wall 12 thus adapts plastically to the die shape of the two complementary press dies 70, 72. The cup has a conical or cylindrical circumferential wall 80 and an end wall 82. After this second step, however, the cup 78 does not yet have an undercut.

(22) In a third step, the male press die 70 is exchanged for another, different male press die 70, which has a shorter protrusion 74. Also, the female press die 72 is exchanged for a tool 73 with a spherical die/punch 77. This state is shown in FIG. 10. Following this, the male press die 72 is again moved against the tool 73 arranged coaxially to it and pressed against it with a pressing force. As a result of the geometries of the press dies or the tool, the cup 78 is plastically compressed or the cup 78 is plastically flattened and a knob 14 with a head 16 and a circumferential undercut 18 is formed, as shown in FIG. 11. The male press die 70 does not necessarily have to be replaced. In an embodiment not shown, the male press die 70 can also be maintained and only the female press die 72 can be replaced.

(23) In this embodiment, the female press die 72 is tubular as a hollow cylinder with a through bore. In an alternative embodiment, instead of having an internal volume which is open in the upward direction in the longitudinal direction of the female press die 72, as depicted in FIG. 8, into which the container wall to be pressed fits and thus does not form a stop in the axial direction of the press die, the female press die may also have a punch shape which is closed in the upward direction, similar to the tool 73, as a stop in the axial direction, in in order to achieve, as it were, preforming of the head of the knob.

(24) In one embodiment, the male coupling portion, of course, also may be formed with a polygonal circumferential wall having a polygonal contour, such as a pentagonal contour, a hexagonal contour, a heptagonal contour, or an octagonal contour, instead of a cylindrical or conical circumferential wall having a circular contour or circular cross-section. Alternatively, the circumferential wall also may have an elliptical contour. In particular, the two press dies also have a polygonal contour, such as a pentagonal contour, a hexagonal contour, a heptagonal contour or an octagonal contour, in the case of the female press die on the inner circumference and in the case of the male press die on the outer circumference of the protrusion.

(25) In a further embodiment the rotationally symmetrically configured knob 14, instead of a circular cross-sectional profile with a spherical head, may also have a polygonal profile, in particular a hexagonal or an octagonal profile of the head.

(26) In one embodiment the female locking portion also may have more than two locking hooks, for example, three, four, five or six locking hooks.

(27) In one embodiment the container naturally also may comprise as material stainless steel in place of aluminium.

(28) According to one embodiment, the male press die of the two press dies may have a full-cylindrical protrusion and sharp edges in place of round edges, manufactured, for example, by way of a punching process in order to press the material of the container to be formed outwardly, especially in case of materials of greater thickness, for the further processing steps.