Packaging system for storage and shipment of solids

Abstract

A packaging system that maintains the free flowing characteristic of solid materials contained therein. The packaging system includes a container, a cover, a vapor permeable bag, a vapor impermeable liner and at least two desiccant snakes. The vapor permeable bag has an opening for receiving solid materials and is formed from cloth or continuous fibers of high-density polyethylene that are randomly distributed and non-directional. The vapor impermeable liner surrounds the vapor permeable bag and provides a moisture barrier. The desiccant snakes are disposed between the vapor permeable bag and the liner. Each snake includes two or more desiccant packages formed from a vapor permeable material through which moisture can freely pass. The desiccant packages contain clay, silica, or molecular sieves.

Claims

1. A packaging system that maintains the free flowing characteristic of solid materials contained therein, the packaging system comprising: a container having a perimetrical side wall extending upwardly from a bottom wall to an open top, wherein the perimetrical side wall and bottom wall define an interior; a cover removably attached to the open top to seal the interior; a vapor permeable bag in the interior of the container, the vapor permeable bag comprising an opening for receiving a product, wherein, after the vapor permeable bag receives the product, the opening is closed; a vapor impermeable liner surrounding the vapor permeable bag; and at least two desiccant snakes disposed between the vapor permeable bag and the liner, wherein a first snake is located at the bottom of the container and has an identification cord that extends to the top of the vapor permeable bag, and wherein a second snake is located on top of the vapor permeable bag.

2. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein the product is placed inside the vapor permeable bag before the opening is closed.

3. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein a cable tie is used to close the vapor permeable bag.

4. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein the vapor permeable bag is formed from cloth or continuous fibers of high-density polyethylene that are randomly distributed and non-directional.

5. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein one or more desiccant snakes are placed in the vapor permeable bag before it is closed.

6. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein each snake comprises two or more desiccant packages formed from a vapor permeable material through which moisture can freely pass.

7. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein each snake comprises two or more desiccant packages containing clay, silica or molecular sieves.

8. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein each snake comprises two or more desiccant packages formed from cloth or continuous fibers of high-density polyethylene that are randomly distributed and non-directional.

9. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein the vapor impermeable liner comprises polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polyester, copolymer of vinylidene chloride (PVDC), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), or ionomers.

10. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein the vapor impermeable liner comprises low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, or very low density polyethylene.

11. A packaging system that maintains the free flowing characteristic of solid materials contained therein, the packaging system comprising: a container having a perimetrical side wall extending upwardly from a bottom wall to an open top, wherein the side wall and bottom wall define an interior; a cover removably attached to the open top to seal the interior; a vapor permeable bag disposed in the interior of the container, the vapor permeable bag comprising an opening for receiving a product, wherein, after the vapor permeable bag is filled with the product, the opening is closed; a vapor impermeable liner surrounding the vapor permeable bag; and at least two desiccant snakes disposed between the vapor permeable bag and the liner, wherein each snake comprises two or more desiccant packages formed from a vapor permeable material through which moisture can freely pass, wherein each snake has an identification cord that extends to the top of the vapor permeable bag, and wherein each desiccant package is formed from cloth or continuous fibers of high-density polyethylene that are randomly distributed and non-directional.

12. The packaging system according to claim 11, wherein the product is placed inside the vapor permeable bag before the opening is closed.

13. The packaging system according to claim 11, wherein a cable tie is used to close the vapor permeable bag.

14. The packaging system according to claim 11, wherein the vapor permeable bag is formed from cloth or continuous fibers of high-density polyethylene that are randomly distributed and non-directional.

15. The packaging system according to claim 11, wherein each desiccant package contains clay, silica or molecular sieves.

16. The packaging system according to claim 11, wherein the vapor impermeable liner comprises polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polyester, copolymer of vinylidene chloride (PVDC), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), or ionomers.

17. A packaging system that maintains the free flowing characteristic of solid materials contained therein, the packaging system comprising: a container having a perimetrical side wall extending upwardly from a bottom wall to an open top, wherein the side wall and bottom wall define an interior; a cover removably attached to the open top to seal the interior; a vapor permeable bag disposed in the interior of the container, the vapor permeable bag comprising an opening for receiving a product, wherein the vapor permeable bag is formed from cloth or continuous fibers of high-density polyethylene that are randomly distributed and non-directional, and wherein, after the bag is filled with the product, the opening is closed; a vapor impermeable liner surrounding the vapor permeable bag; and at least two desiccant snakes disposed between the vapor permeable bag and the liner, wherein each snake comprises two or more desiccant packages formed from a vapor permeable material through which moisture can freely pass, wherein each snake has an identification cord that extends to the top of the vapor permeable bag, and wherein each desiccant package is formed from cloth or continuous fibers of high-density polyethylene that are randomly distributed and non-directional.

18. The packaging system according to claim 17, wherein a cable tie is used to close the vapor permeable bag.

19. The packaging system according to claim 17, wherein each desiccant package contains clay, silica or molecular sieves.

20. The packaging system according to claim 17, wherein the vapor impermeable liner comprises polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polyester, copolymer of vinylidene chloride (PVDC), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), or ionomers.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The preferred embodiments of the packaging system of the present invention, as well as other objects, features and advantages of this invention, will be apparent from the accompanying drawings wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a sectional side view of the packaging system with a desiccant snake at the top and bottom of the bag containing the product.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a peripheral view of a desiccant snake with a cord attached to one end.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) The present invention is a packaging system that is designed for storage and/or transportation of granular or dry materials that may experience caking due to moisture. The packaging system is especially designed for various salts and buffers (herein referred to generically as the “product”) used in the manufacturing operations associated with biopharmaceuticals production. The packaging system includes a drum with a poly liner, a vapor permeable or porous bag that receives the product and at least two desiccant snakes. The term desiccant snake refers to a plurality of desiccant bags or pouches attached at their ends to form a string of bags that look like a snake. The desiccant bags can be directly attached to each other (e.g., the ends can be stitched together) or they can be connected by a string or cord. The first desiccant snake is positioned on the bottom of the drum and then the permeable bag containing the product is placed in the drum. The second desiccant snake is positioned on top of the permeable bag. This configuration assures that the product remains uniformly free flowing. The outer poly liner provides an additional moisture barrier and together with the desiccants assures maximum removal of moisture.

(5) TYVEK® is the preferred material for the porous bag and it is manufactured by E. I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company, Wilmington Del. TYVEK® is formed using continuous and very fine fibers of high-density polyethylene, preferably 100 percent high-density polyethylene, that are randomly distributed and non-directional. These fibers are first flash spun, then laid as a web on a moving bed before being bonded together by heat and pressure—without the use of binders, sizers or fillers. By varying both the lay-down speed and the bonding conditions, the flashspun sheet can be engineered to form either soft-structure or hard-structure TYVEK®.

(6) The liner material is preferably made of copolymers of polyethylene; although polypropylene films can also be used. For the purposes of this disclosure, the terms “polyethylene film” or “polyethylene layer” are intended to include any one of the types of polyethylene that are disclosed below, as well as multi-layer films that contain the same or different types of polyethylene, e.g., two layers of low density polyethylene in a three layer film structure or a layer of high density polyethylene and a layer of low density polyethylene. The multi-layer film structures can also include a polymer material that provides a moisture barrier or an oxygen barrier. Polyethylene is the name for a polymer whose basic structure is characterized by the chain —(CH.sub.2CH.sub.2).sub.n. Polyethylene homopolymer is generally described as being a solid, which has a partially amorphous phase and partially crystalline phase with a density of between 0.915 to 0.970 g/cm.sup.3. The relative crystallinity of polyethylene is known to affect its physical properties. The amorphous phase imparts flexibility and high impact strength while the crystalline phase imparts a high softening temperature and rigidity.

(7) The preferred liner material includes linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE). Only copolymers of ethylene with alpha-olefins are in this group, LLDPEs are presently recognized by those skilled in the art as having densities from 0.915 to 0.940 g/cm.sup.3. The alpha-olefin utilized is usually 1-butene, 1-hexene, or 1-octene and Ziegler-type catalysts are usually employed (although Phillips catalysts are also used to produce LLDPE having densities at the higher end of the range). Very low density polyethylene (VLDPE), which is also called “ultra low density polyethylene” (ULDPE) can also be used for the liner material. This grouping, like LLDPEs, comprise only copolymers of ethylene with alpha-olefins, usually 1-butene, 1-hexene or 1-octene and are recognized by those skilled in the art as having a high degree of linearity of structure with short branching rather than the long side branches characteristic of low density polyethylene (LDPE). However, VLDPEs have lower densities than LLDPEs. The densities of VLDPEs are recognized by those skilled in the art to range between 0.860 and 0.915 g/cm.sup.3.

(8) In the packaging industry, films are known to use coextruded, extrusion coated or laminated films which utilize such compositions as LLDPE, nylon, polyester, copolymer of vinylidene chloride (PVDC), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) and ionomers. It is generally known that selection of films for packaging pharmaceutical products includes consideration of one or more criteria such as puncture resistance, cost, sealability, stiffness, strength, printability, durability, barrier properties, machinability, optical properties such as haze and gloss, flex-crack resistance and government approval for contact with pharmaceutical products. The type of polyethylene selected for use in the present invention and the thickness of the film (or layer for a multi-layer film) will depend on these considerations, as well as the size of the inner and outer bags and the estimated weight of the product.

(9) The desiccants are connected to each other to make it easier for the end-user to remove them from the drum. The bottom descant snake can have a tail (i.e. a string or cord attached to the end), preferably brightly colored, for example red, yellow or orange, that extends from the bottom of the drum to above the bag holding the product. The tail provides a visible sign that the desiccant is at the bottom of the barrel so that it can be quickly and easily removed by the end user. Attaching a plurality of desiccant packages together to form the desiccant snake makes it more difficult for the desiccant to fall into the product, which is a frequent problem when individual desiccant bags are used. In some embodiments, the drum has a recess in the bottom surface that holds the desiccant in place so that it doesn't move during shipment.

(10) The desiccant snake includes a plurality of desiccant packages (also referred to herein interchangeably as desiccant bags and desiccant pouches) that are attached together so that they do not separate during use. The desiccant packages are formed from a vapor permeable material, such as cloth or TYVEK®, so that moisture can freely and easily pass through the packages and be absorbed by the desiccant therein. Typically, desiccant packages are available in different sizes for different applications. The package sizes are identified in units. The term “unit” is defined in Military Specification MIL Spec 3464, Type I & II for packaging as a quantity of desiccant, which will absorb a set percentage of its weight at certain levels of humidity. For the purposes of the present specification, one “unit” is equal to one ounce of desiccant. For example, an “8 unit” package contains eight ounces of desiccant. A preferred source for desiccant packages is Desiccare, Inc. of Reno, Nev.

(11) The packaging system, with the desiccant snakes (i.e., the desiccants connected together with a long string type retrieval system on the end), enables the end user to remove the desiccant as a complete system—instead of fishing around the drum for several individual packages. Another advantage of the string-type retrieval system is that the end string is placed on the top of the bag inside the drum, which alerts the end user to the presence of desiccants on the bottom. This is important to customers who use these materials in drug manufacture where a single desiccant package can contaminate an entire production line.

(12) Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows the packaging system 10 that includes a poly liner 12 (preferably made from linear low density polyethylene—“LLDPE”) placed inside a drum 14 to line the drum 14 and a permeable (e.g., TYVEK®) bag 15 filled with product 90. A first desiccant snake 16 is shown as five bags of eight unit desiccant (about 8 ounces of desiccant in each bag) connected together in a snake configuration. The desiccant snake 16 is formed by a plurality of desiccant packages 17, each containing desiccant material 18 inside a porous (e.g., TYVEK®) sealed bag 20, the desiccant material 18 is preferably clay but silica and molecular sieves can also be used. The desiccant snake 16 is spread out on the bottom 22 of the drum 14. The permeable bag 15 is placed on top of the desiccant snake 16 on the bottom 22 the drum 14. The permeable bag 15 is filled with product 90 and sealed with a closing mechanism 24, such as a cable tie. A second desiccant snake 26, preferably a five unit desiccant snake, is placed on the top of the permeable bag 15. The outer poly liner 12 is then sealed and the cover 28 installed on the drum 14. A cord 30 is attached to the first desiccant snake 16 and it extends to the top of the permeable bag 15 to indicate the presence of the desiccant snake 16.

(13) FIG. 2 shows a desiccant snake 16 with a plurality of 8-unit desiccant packages 17 attached to an identification cord 30. When the desiccant snake 16 is placed on the bottom 22 of the drum 14 (see FIG. 1), the identification cord 30 alerts the user to its presence so that it can be removed.

(14) Thus, while there have been described the preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will realize that other embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to include all such further modifications and changes as come within the true scope of the claims set forth herein.