CONTAINER AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ADDING A PRODUCT TO A CONTAINER

Abstract

The invention relates to a container having an aperture and a seal assembly, comprising a support member or disc and a seal such as an induction seal. The support disc has projections or cam surfaces which engage with projections or cams provided on the internal surface of the neck. The container may have an intermediate configuration in which the container aperture is temporarily closed by the seal assembly. The seal assembly can be removed to add product, and afterwards, the seal is made more permanent by applying induction energy to the seal and the container adopts a filled configuration containing the product in which the container aperture is sealed. In this configuration, the container may be sealed by the seal assembly (i.e. the support member and the seal) or by the seal alone, the support member having been removed during the sealing process.

Claims

1. An apparatus for filling a container with a product, the apparatus comprising: a filling chamber configured to receive at least a part of the container in an intermediate configuration where an aperture of the container for receiving the product is closed by a seal assembly comprising a seal support member and a seal member attached to the seal support member by means of a breakable bond to allow separation of the seal support member and seal member, the seal assembly being attached to the container via the seal support member; a seal assembly handler configured to attach to and move the seal support member relative to the container to separate the seal assembly from the container to open the container for the filling of the container with the product and to replace the seal assembly on the container after addition of the product into the container to close the aperture; and a product supply member configured to add the product to the interior of the container; the apparatus being further configured to apply energy to the seal assembly to break the bond to allow separation of the seal support member from the seal member, to remove the seal support member, and to create a seal between the seal member and the container so that the container adopts a filled configuration sealed by the seal alone without the seal support member present.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seal assembly handler comprises a piston configured to attach to the seal assembly by a vacuum generated between the piston and the seal assembly.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seal assembly handler is configured to rotate the seal support member into and/or out of an interference fit position with the container body.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the seal support member is provided with projections which engage with corresponding surfaces provided on the container to provide the interference fit, the seal assembly handler being configured engage and/or disengage the projections of the seal support member by the rotation.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the surfaces project inwardly from the internal periphery of the aperture.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the surfaces are provided adjacent to a shoulder of the aperture.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seal support member is a disc provided with projections which engage with surfaces projecting inwardly from the aperture.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, configured to apply heat to the seal assembly to break the bond between the seal member and the seal support member and/or to create the seal between the seal member and the container.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seal member is an induction seal and the apparatus is configured to apply electromagnetic energy to heat the induction seal.

10. A method for filling a container with a product, comprising the steps of: placing at least a part of the container in a filling apparatus, wherein the container has an intermediate configuration in which an aperture for receiving the product is closed by a seal assembly comprising a seal support member and a seal member attached by a breakable bond to the seal support member such that the seal assembly is attached to the container via the seal support member; removing the seal assembly from the container by moving the seal support member relative to the container to open the aperture for filling with the product; adding the product to the interior of the container through the aperture; replacing the seal assembly to close the aperture of the container; breaking the bond to separate the seal support member from the seal member; removing the seal support member; and applying energy to the seal member to create a seal between the seal member and the container so that the container adopts a filled configuration sealed by the seal alone without the seal support member present.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the removing the seal assembly comprises rotating the seal support member to disengage and/or engage an interference fit with the container holding the seal member in place in the intermediate configuration.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the seal support member is provided with projections which engage with corresponding surfaces provided on the container to provide the interference fit, the method comprising disengaging and/or engaging with the projections of the seal support member by the rotation.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the surfaces project inwardly from the internal periphery of the aperture.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the surfaces are provided adjacent to a shoulder of the aperture.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the seal support member is a disc provided with projections which engage with surfaces projecting inwardly form the aperture, the method comprising rotating the disc.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said applying energy comprises heating the seal member.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein breaking the bond to allow the separation of the seal support member and seal member and removal of the seal support member comprises heating.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of applying energy also breaks the bond between the seal member and the seal support member.

19. The method of claim 10, comprising heating the seal assembly such that the bond holding the seal support member and seal member together is broken simultaneously with the creation of the seal.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the seal member is an induction seal and the step of applying energy comprises applying electromagnetic energy to heat the induction seal.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0043] An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0044] FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2 and 3 show a container and filling apparatus in accordance with the invention in which the container is fitted with a seal assembly, prior to filling (FIG. 1B is an enlargement of FIG. 1A);

[0045] FIGS. 4 and 5 show the container and filling apparatus in which the container is being opened prior to filling;

[0046] FIGS. 6 and 7 show the container and filling apparatus in which the seal assembly is separated from the container and the container is filled;

[0047] FIGS. 8 and 9 show the container and filling apparatus in which the seal assembly is replaced on the filled container;

[0048] FIGS. 10 to 12 show the container and sealing apparatus in which the support member is unlocked and electromagnetic energy is applied to the seal assembly; and

[0049] FIG. 13 shows the container and filling apparatus in which the support member is separated from the container leaving the seal in place on the container.

[0050] Referring to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2 and 3, a container 100, seal assembly 200 and filling apparatus 300 are shown in which the container is fitted with a seal assembly, prior to filling. Container 100 is shown, in the form of a bottle typically used for containing a product such as a pharmaceutical. Container 100 has a generally cylindrical body 110 closed at the base. The container has a neck 120 with an external screw thread 130. Internally, the neck defines an aperture 140 for filling and removing the product. The internal surface of the neck 120 is provided with a lip 150 for seating and sealing with the seal, and a plurality of projections or cams 160 which cooperate with cams on the support disc as described below.

[0051] Seal assembly 200 comprises a support member in the form of a support disc 210 which has a plurality of apertures or recesses 220 for receiving pins during handling and rotation. Support disc 210 also has a plurality of projections or cams 230 which cooperate with the projections/cams 160 on the container (see FIG. 1B; cams 230 are not visible in FIG. 2).

[0052] Seal assembly 200 also comprises a seal 240 in the form of a foil induction seal. Such seals typically comprise a foil layer with a polymer coating on the underside which, when the foil is heated by induction, melts and forms a bond with the polymer of the container to create the seal. Above the foil layer, there is typically provided a backing layer such as paper and an adhesive such as wax which attaches the backing layer to the foil. The wax also melts when the foil is heated by induction, so the backing layer can be separated from the foil once the seal has been created.

[0053] The seal assembly is fitted to the container by placing the seal 240 in contact with the lip 150 and rotating the seal assembly relative to the container (e.g. by rotating the seal assembly or by rotating the container) so that the projections 230 on the support disc 210 engage with the projections 160 on the container. The seal 240 is not inductively sealed to the container however. In this configuration, the container is sufficiently securely closed by the seal assembly, which is locked in position, so that it can be transported, in an environment with reduced cleanliness if necessary, while preserving the contamination-free status of the interior space of the container.

[0054] FIG. 3 shows filling apparatus 300. The skilled person will be aware of the required technical features of a typical filling apparatus, and only the basic apparatus features as they relate to the invention will be described. Filling apparatus 300 comprises a piston 310 which is provided with pins 320 for cooperating with the apertures or recesses 220 on the support disc 210. The piston 310 and pins 320 are configured to hold and rotate the support disc 210. In addition to being rotatable by means of the piston 310, the pins 320 are supplied with a vacuum through bores 321 for holding the seal assembly. In an alternative embodiment, support disc 210 can be held in position by pins 320 and the container 100 rotated. Correct engagement of the pins 320 with the recesses 220 may be determined by sensing the relative vertical positions of the pins/piston or container 100.

[0055] The piston 310 moves relative to a sleeve 330 which defines a bore 340 for the piston to move in. An aperture 350 is provided at the end of the bore which is configured to seal with the top of the container neck 120 during the filling process. A product supply chute 360 is provided for supplying the product to the bore 340 and then into the container 100.

[0056] In FIG. 3, the container, closed by the seal assembly in a temporary but secure manner, is shown as having arrived at the filling apparatus and about to be engaged with the aperture 350 for filling.

[0057] Turning to FIGS. 4 and 5, the next stage of the filling process is shown. Support disc 210 is engaged by pins 320 which rotate the disc relative to the container 100 to disengage the projections 160 and 230 from one another and permit the support disc 210 to be lifted away. In an alternative embodiment, support disc 210 can be held in position by pins 320 and the container 100 rotated.

[0058] In FIGS. 6 and 7, the seal assembly 200 has been lifted away by the piston 310 by means of a vacuum supplied through the pins 320, and the container 100 is filled with product P via chute 360.

[0059] In FIGS. 8 and 9, the seal assembly 200 is shown having been replaced on the container and locked in position by rotating the seal assembly 200/support disc 210 (or by rotating container 100) to re-engage projections 160 and 230. In this configuration, it is possible to transport the filled container to another filling apparatus for additional product to be added if desired, in the same manner as described above.

[0060] FIGS. 10 to 12 show the stage of applying electromagnetic energy to the induction seal to create a final, more permanent seal so that the container can be shipped to the consumer. FIG. 11 shows a sealing apparatus 400 which includes pins 410 to unlock the support disc by rotating it relative to the container and to apply pressure to the seal while an induction coil 420 applies electromagnetic energy to the foil layer. FIG. 12 shows the support disc in the unlocked position, with projections 160 and 230 visible.

[0061] FIG. 13 shows the final stage of removing the support disc 210 and backing paper by means of disc removal apparatus 500, leaving the foil seal 240 sealed to the container neck.