PACKAGING TRAY FOR CAPS INTENDED TO SEAL BOTTLES FOR PHARMACEUTICAL USE

Abstract

A packaging tray for caps includes a generally plate-shaped base having an upper face and a lower face extending along a main plane (x,y); a plurality of abutments, each abutment being configured to be in contact with a cap when a plurality of caps is held on the side of the lower face of the base; and a plurality of fastening systems, each fastening system being associated with an abutment and being configured to hold a cap against the abutment. Each of the abutments is connected to the base by flexible bridges enabling the abutment to move perpendicularly to the main plane (x,y).

Claims

1. A packaging tray for caps, comprising: a generally plate-shaped base having an upper face and a lower face, the upper face and the lower face extending along a main plane (x,y); a plurality of abutments, each abutment of the plurality of abutments being configured to be in contact with a respective cap when a plurality of caps is held on a side of the lower face of the base, each abutment of the plurality of abutments being connected to the base by flexible bridges enabling the abutment to move perpendicularly to the main plane (x,y); and a plurality of fastening systems, each fastening system of the plurality of fastening systems being associated with an abutment and being configured to hold a cap against the abutment.

2. The packaging tray of claim 1, wherein two or three of the flexible bridges connect each abutment to the base.

3. The packaging tray of claim 2, wherein each flexible bridge is U-shaped in a plane normal to the main plane (x,y).

4. The packaging tray of claim 2, wherein each flexible bridge is S-shaped in a plane normal to the main plane (x,y).

5. The packaging tray of claim 1, wherein each fastening system of the plurality of fastening systems comprises flexible tabs, each of the flexible tabs having a first free end capable of moving in a direction along the main plane (x,y).

6. The packaging tray of claim 5, wherein each fastening system of the plurality of fastening systems comprises three flexible tabs.

7. The packaging tray of claim 5, wherein each of the flexible tabs has a protrusion configured to grip an upper portion of a cap so as to hold the cap against the abutment.

8. The packaging tray of claim 5, wherein each of the flexible tabs has a second end secured to the base.

9. The packaging tray of claim 5, wherein each of the flexible tabs has a second end connected to a proximal end of a flexible bridge, a distal end of the flexible bridge being secured to the base.

10. The packaging tray of claim 1, wherein each abutment of the plurality of abutments has a projection extending from a side of the upper face of the base.

11. The packaging tray of claim 10, wherein the projection has a tubular shape.

12. The packaging tray of claim 1, wherein at least one abutment of the plurality of abutments comprises a damping element configured to be positioned against a cap.

13. The packaging tray of claim 12, wherein the damping element is removable.

14. The packaging tray of claim 1, wherein the base is perforated and comprises stiffening ribs arranged on the upper face and/or on the lower face thereof.

15. The packaging tray of claim 1, further comprising spacers connected to the base and extending along an axis (z) normal to the main plane (x,y) on a side of the lower face.

16. The packaging tray of claim 1, wherein each of the flexible bridges is U-shaped in a plane normal to the main plane (x,y).

17. The packaging tray of claim 1, wherein each flexible bridge is S-shaped in a plane normal to the main plane (x,y).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will emerge from the following detailed description of the present disclosure with reference to the appended figures, in which:

[0028] FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C show different views of a packaging tray according to the present disclosure: (1A) top perspective view, (1B) bottom perspective view, (1C) zoom on a location where a cap is held;

[0029] FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C show different views of a packaging tray conforming to the present disclosure, holding a cap: (2A) side view, (2B) top view, (2C) bottom view;

[0030] FIGS. 3A and 3B show an alternative embodiment of a packaging tray according to the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B and FIG. 4C show a particular embodiment of the packaging tray according to the present disclosure, comprising a damping element: (4A) perspective view, from below, (4B) example of damping element, (4C) perspective view, from above;

[0032] FIG. 5 shows a cap sealing a bottle, the cap being capable of being held on a packaging tray according to the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B and FIG. 6C show different views of a packaging tray according to the present disclosure, holding a cap: (6A) top view, (6B) bottom view, (6C) cross-sectional view;

[0034] In the description, the same references in the figures may be used for elements of the same type.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The present disclosure relates to a packaging tray 100 for caps 10, in particular, for pharmaceutical use, an example of which is shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, 2A, 2B and 2C. For ease of visualization, a single cap 10 has been shown, attached to the packaging tray 100, in FIGS. 2A to 2C; of course, the practice is to have a cap 10 held at each of the locations provided for this purpose on the tray 100.

[0036] The packaging tray 100 comprises a generally plate-shaped base 110 and two faces 111, 112 extending parallel to a main plane (x,y): one is called the upper face 111 and the other the lower face 112. The terms upper and lower refer to the intended use of the packaging tray 100. When the caps 10 are held against the tray 100, one or more packaging trays 100 are usually placed in a storage and transport tank, potentially stacked on top of one another, with the base 110 arranged horizontally: the upper face 111 is then the one seen from above, and the lower face 112 is the one seen from below.

[0037] The caps 10 are held against the tray 100 on the lower face 112 side. To this end, the packaging tray 100 comprises a plurality of abutments 120 connected to the base 110. Each abutment 120 is designed to be in contact with a cap 10, when the tray 100 is loaded with caps 10. Advantageously, it is an upper portion 11 of the cap 10 that lies against the abutment 120, as shown in FIG. 1C.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 5, each cap 10 preferably comprises a cylindrical body, which houses an elastomer stopper 12 designed to close the opening 1a of the neck 1b of a bottle 1 after filling; the bottle 1 is usually formed by a cylindrical body 1c and a collar 1d defining the end of the neck 1b.

[0039] The cap 10 has a closed upper part 11, and its function is to securely cap and seal the bottle 1 filled, for example, with a pharmaceutical product. Advantageously, the cap 10 is formed of an external body 14, an upper cap 11, a cage 13 and a stopper 12 provided with a head 12a and a foot 12b, such as, for example, described in documents EP2464577 or FR3098504.

[0040] Each abutment 120 can take the form of a solid or perforated disc, whose lower surface (on the side of the lower face 112 of the base 110) is configured to be in contact with the held cap 10, as in the example shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C. Alternatively, the abutment 120 can take any other form, providing a continuous contact surface or areas of local contact with the upper portion 11 of the cap 10.

[0041] The tray 100 also comprises a plurality of fastening systems 130, each fastening system 130 being associated with an abutment 120 and being configured to hold a cap 10 against the abutment 120.

[0042] According to the present disclosure, each abutment 120 is connected to the base 110 by flexible bridges 125, enabling the abutment 120 to move perpendicularly to the main plane (x,y). This particular feature makes it easy to unfasten each cap 10 from the associated fastening system 130, by pushing on the abutment 120, on the side of the upper face 111 of the base 110. Such a thrust causes the abutment 120, and as a result the cap 10, to move along an axis (z) normal to the main plane (x,y), until the latter is extracted from the fastening system 130.

[0043] Advantageously, there are three flexible bridges 125 connecting each abutment 120 to the base 110. The number of bridges 125 can typically vary between two and six, with the three-bridge design being the one that ensures good stability of the abutment 120, without overcomplicating the design of the tray 100. Restricting the number of flexible bridges 125 to two may save space.

[0044] Each bridge 125 has two ends 124, 126; by convention, the proximal end 124 will refer to the end of bridge 125 connected to the abutment 120, and the distal end 126 will refer to the end of bridge 125 connected to the base 110.

[0045] Several shapes of bridge 125 can be envisaged to allow displacement along the axis (z) of the abutment 120. In particular, a bridge with a curvature is likely to be more flexible than a flat bridge, due to a spring effect. A U-shape in a plane normal to the main plane (x,y) (shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B) ensures that the bridge 125 bends, at least in one direction along the z-axis normal to the main plane (x,y). Note that the U-shape can be oriented downward (that is, the opening of the U is on the side of the lower face 112 of the tray 100), as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, or it can be oriented upward (that is, the opening of the U is on the side of the upper face 111 of the tray 100). An S-shape in a plane normal to the main plane (x,y) (shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C) allows the bridge 125 to bend in both directions along the z-axis normal to the main plane (x,y); in other words, considering that the main plane (x,y) is horizontal, the S-shape of each bridge 125 allows the abutment 120 to move vertically, upward or downward.

[0046] In the case of a packaging tray 100 with a large number of positions for holding caps 10, such as that shown in FIGS. 6A, 6B (100 positions), the flexible bridges 125 can be U-shaped, oriented upward or downward (FIG. 6C), but with a small amplitude along the z-axis, in order to reduce the overall dimensions.

[0047] Preferably, each fastening system 130 comprises flexible tabs 135. Each of these flexible tabs 135 has a first end 134 (FIG. 1C), free and able to move (in other words, able to be displaced) in one direction in the main plane (x,y), and a second end 136 connected to the base 110, directly or indirectly. The ability of the first end 134 to move allows the flexible tabs 135 of the fastening system 130 to move apart when a cap 10 is brought against the abutment 120, allowing the cap 10 to pass until it is clipped against the abutment 120; it also allows the flexible tabs 135 to move apart when the abutment 120 moves downward, forcing the cap 10 out of the clipping.

[0048] To achieve the above-mentioned clipping, each flexible tab 135 advantageously comprises a protrusion 131 designed to grip the cap 10 (and, in particular, an upper portion 11 of the cap 10) to keep it pressed against an abutment 120.

[0049] According to a first variant, shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, 2A to 2C and 6A to 6C, the second end 136 of each flexible tab 135 is directly connected to the base 110.

[0050] According to a second variant, shown in FIG. 3A, the second end 136 of each flexible tab 135 is connected to the proximal end 124 of a flexible bridge 125, a distal end 126 of the flexible bridge 125 being secured to the base 110. In this case, the flexible tabs 135 of each fastening system 130 are additionally spread by the downward movement of the abutment 120, due to the link between tabs 135 and bridges 125 (FIG. 3B.

[0051] Each fastening system 130 can comprise a plurality of flexible tabs 135, typically between two and five, preferably three to ensure that the cap 10 is mechanically secure and takes up little space.

[0052] Advantageously, each abutment 120 has a projection 121 extending from the upper face 111 of the base 110. In particular, this projection can be tubular, as shown in FIGS. 1A, 1C, 2A, 6C. Of course, any other form could also be implemented. The purpose of this projection 121 is to facilitate the application of force to move the abutment 120 downward (away from the z axis in the figures). Individual contact with a projection 121 separates a cap 10 from the packaging tray 100; collective contact with all projections 121, for example, via a plate arranged parallel to the main plane (x,y), separates all caps 10. This last configuration is particularly interesting in cases where the caps 10, held on the packaging tray 100, are collectively associated with bottles, themselves arranged on a packaging tray (in general); it is thus possible to separate all the caps 10 at the same time, easily, without the need for special tools, thus leaving them each assembled on a bottle. The packaging tray 100 can then be reused for other caps 10.

[0053] According to an advantageous design, at least one abutment 120 comprises a damping element 128, configured to lie against the associated cap 10 (FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C). This damping element 128 is formed from an elastomer material and is capable of deforming to absorb potential variations in the dimensions of the caps 10 and/or bottles 1, which the caps 10 are configured to seal.

[0054] Preferably, each damping element 128 is removable, so the packaging tray 100 can be used with or without these elements 128. For example, the damping element 128 may take the form of a disc 128a (FIG. 4B) fitted with a male member 128b suitable for coupling with a female member 120b arranged in the abutment 120 (FIG. 4C); in this case, the abutment 120 can take the form of a disc with a central hole 120b in which the male member 128b is housed, the mechanical holding of the damping element 128 on the abutment 120 being ensured by engagement between the peripheral edge of the central hole 120b and a groove 128c formed in the male member 128b.

[0055] Alternatively, the damping element 128 can take the form of a single disc and be bonded to the abutment 120 on the lower face 112 of the base 110, or produced by bi-injection at the same time as the tray 100. In this respect, the packaging tray 100 is advantageously manufactured by injection molding from a plastic material chosen, for example, from polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or polyamides (PA).

[0056] The base 110 can be perforated to limit the mass of the packaging tray 100 and material consumption. Preferably, it features stiffening ribs 115 on its upper face 111 and/or lower face 112.

[0057] Finally, the tray can comprise spacers 140, secured to the base 110 and extending along an axis normal z to the main plane (x,y), on the side of the lower face 112. The function of these spacers 140 is to maintain a constant, controlled spacing between the caps 10 and underlying surfaces or elements. They are particularly useful when several packaging trays 100 need to be stacked in a storage and transport tank, to avoid untimely contact between the caps 10 and the tank bottom or the underlying tray 100. The spacers 140 are advantageously arranged in a peripheral region of the tray 100, for example, near the four corners of the tray. One or more spacers 140 can also be arranged in a central region of the tray 100 to prevent sagging, particularly when the number of caps 10 to be held is large and the tray 100 has large lateral dimensions; the use of spacers relaxes the constraints of stiffening by ribs, by increasing the thickness of the tray 100 or by reducing perforated areas.

[0058] Advantageously, receiving areas 141 are provided on the upper face 111 of the base 110 of the tray 100, in line with the spacers 140. They correspond to cavities adapted to receive the free ends of the spacers 140 of another tray 100 stacked on the upper face 111 of the tray 100.

[0059] The packaging tray 100 is shown in some figures with nine or one hundred positions for holding caps 10. Its lateral dimensions may be of the order of a few tens of cm (e.g., of the order of 22 cm by 17 cm for the 9-location tray), and the thicknesses of the base 110 and the flexible bridges 125 are typically between 1 mm and 2 mm. Of course, these dimensional examples are not limitative, and trays 100 according to the present disclosure can be envisaged with 16, 25 or even 48 locations for caps 10, with dimensions adapted to the number of locations and their distribution and density.

[0060] Naturally, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and examples that have been described, and it is possible to add alternative embodiments thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.