Medical fluid container

Abstract

A medical fluid container includes a container interior and a connecting piece that forms an inner channel. The container interior can be accessed from the outside via the connecting piece. The connecting piece has an outer thread on a connecting piece longitudinal section. The inner channel expands in a substantially conical manner in a region of the outer thread, starting from the container interior, to then preferably transition into a first cylindrical channel shape which extends to a free opening of the connecting piece. A method can be used for producing the medical fluid container from a container blank.

Claims

1. A medical fluid container comprising: a container body having a container interior; a connecting piece adjacent to the container body along a center axis, the connecting piece forming an inner channel via which the container interior is accessible from outside the medical fluid container, the connecting piece having an outer thread over a longitudinal portion of the connecting piece, the inner channel having a first region having a first inner diameter, a second region spaced along the center axis from the first region and having a second inner diameter that is smaller than the first inner diameter, and a widening region that extends between the first region and the second region and widens substantially conically from the second inner diameter to the first inner diameter; and a bead geometry located between the second region and an end of the container body having a third inner diameter, wherein the bead geometry comprises a bulge that extends radially outwardly from the center axis and has a fourth inner diameter that is larger than the second inner diameter and larger than the third inner diameter.

2. The medical fluid container according to claim 1, wherein the first region of the inner channel has a first cylindrical channel shape that extends up to a free aperture of the connecting piece.

3. The medical fluid container according to claim 2, wherein the second region of the inner channel has a second cylindrical channel shape which, starting from the widening region, extends toward the container interior.

4. The medical fluid container according to claim 1, wherein the bead geometry is provided with a radius.

5. The medical fluid container according to claim 4, wherein the radius is oriented facing toward the connecting piece.

6. The medical fluid container according to claim 1, wherein a wall thickness of the connecting piece is less than or equal to 1.8 mm.

7. The medical fluid container according to claim 1, wherein the inner channel widens conically at an angle of approximately 30.

8. The medical fluid container according to claim 1, wherein the container body is formed by blow molding.

9. The medical fluid container according to claim 1, wherein the bead geometry comprises a radiused portion adjacent to the second region of the inner channel and a retention geometry adjacent to the end of the container body, and the bulge is defined along the center axis between the radiused portion and the retention geometry.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is an illustration of an upper portion of a medical fluid container according to the invention, which is closed with a screw cap.

(2) FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the upper portion of the medical fluid container according to the invention, which is closed with a screw cap.

(3) FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the upper portion of the medical fluid container according to the invention.

(4) FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the upper portion of the medical fluid container according to the invention with a blow-pin tip and a die.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) Configuration examples of the present disclosure are described below on the basis of the associated Figures.

(6) FIG. 1 shows an upper portion of a medical fluid container 2 according to the invention, which is closed with a screw cap 4. The medical fluid container 2 includes a container connecting piece 6 and a container body 8.

(7) The design of the container body 8 is of secondary importance for the present disclosure, which is why a detailed illustration and elaborate description of the container body 8 is omitted. The container body 8 may have any geometric shape that is useful for use as a medical fluid container 2.

(8) The container connecting piece 6 is explained in detail below with reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. The container connecting piece 6 has an outer thread 10 on an outer side or longitudinal portion of the connecting piece. The container connecting piece 6 forms an inner channel 12, which connects an environment surrounding the medical fluid container 2 with a container interior 14, which is configured primarily by the container body 8. The inner channel 12 contains three regions. A region of the first cylindrical channel shape 16, which directly adjoins an outlet opening 18 of the medical fluid container, a conical region 20, which adjoins the cylindrical channel shape 16 in the direction toward the container body 8, and a region of the second cylindrical channel shape 22, which adjoins the conical region 20 in the direction toward the container body 8. Here, the diameter of the region of the first cylindrical channel shape 16 is larger than the diameter of the second cylindrical channel shape 22. The difference in diameter is compensated by the conical region 20. In other words, the diameter of the inner channel 12 does not increase at any point starting from the outlet opening 18 to the region of the second cylindrical channel shape 22. The region of the second cylindrical channel shape 22 is also referred to as accumulation edge. A bead geometry 24 adjoins the second cylindrical channel shape 22. The bead geometry 24 is a bulge of the medical fluid container 2, which curves radially outward with respect to a center axis M of the medical fluid container 2. The bead geometry is configured with a radius 26 at an edge oriented in the direction of the outlet opening 18. The radius 26 enables non-destructive mounting of a tamper-evident ring 28. The tamper-evident ring 28 is an element that indicates opening of the medical fluid container 2 after initial closure. The tamper-evident ring 28 includes an upper ring 30, a lower ring 32, and predetermined breaking crosspieces 34, which connect the upper ring 30 to the lower ring 32. The upper ring 30 is connected to the screw cap 4 in a form-fitting manner. During assembly, the lower ring 32 slides over the radius 26 of the bead geometry 24. At an edge facing the container body 8, the bead geometry 24 is provided with a retention geometry 36. When the screw cap 4 is opened for the first time after assembly, the lower ring 32 catches on the retention geometry 36, the predetermined breaking crosspieces 34 break and the upper ring 30 and lower ring 32 are irreversibly separated.

(9) The wall thickness p of the container connecting piece 6 does not exceed 1.8 mm at any point. The diameter d1 is approximately 28 mm and the diameter d2 is approximately 25 mm. The angle is approximately 30.

(10) The screw cap further includes a sealing insert 38, which, however, is not considered in more detail in the context of the present disclosure.

(11) FIG. 4 shows the container connecting piece 6 and a blow-pin tip 40 as well as a die 42. The blow-pin tip 40 and the die 42 are used to form the medical fluid container 2. The medical fluid container 2 according to the invention is configured by a combination of two manufacturing methods, the sequence of which is explained below with reference to FIG. 4.

(12) A blow pin with the blow-pin tip 40 is inserted into a substantially cylindrical container blank, preferably in the form of a tube. The container blank is preferably made of a thermoplastic. The container blank is heated and inserted into the die 42 via the blow pin with the blow-pin tip 40. The blow-pin tip 40 presses the container blank against the die 42, in particular against a die-side accumulation edge 44. This configures the container connecting piece 6, which is shown in FIG. 4 above the die-side accumulation edge 44. In other words, the container connecting piece 6 is configured by calibrating material insertion between the blow-pin tip 40 and the die 42. Through the conical region 20 at the blow-pin tip 40, the material of the container blank between the conical region and the die-side accumulation edge 44 can be additionally compacted. The die-side accumulation edge 44 also prevents the material from flowing off. The necessary pressure is generated by moving the blow pin with the blow-pin tip 40 against the die 42. In a further step, the container body 8 (see FIG. 1) is configured via blow molding. For this purpose, pressurized gas, preferably in the form of compressed air, is blown into the container blank via a pressurized gas line 46, which is located in the blow pin with the blow-pin tip 40. The container blank is blown against the mold wall of the die 42 and hardens or cools. This also configures the bead geometry 24 with the radius 26 and the retention geometry 36. The medical fluid container 2 is then demolded and deburred or excess material is removed. In other words, the medical fluid container 2 is demolded and deburred.

(13) In summary, the present disclosure relates to a medical fluid container 2 with a container connecting piece 6 forming an inner channel 12 and via which a container interior 14 is accessible from the outside and which has an outer thread 10 on a longitudinal portion of the connecting piece and which extends over a thread portion in a longitudinal direction of the nozzle, wherein the inner channel 12 in the thread portion widens substantially conically starting from the container interior 14, 20, preferably in order to then merge into a first substantially cylindrical channel shape 16, which extends up to the free aperture 18 of the container connecting piece 6.

(14) Furthermore, the present disclosure relates to a medical fluid container 2 preferably with the immediately preceding features, with a container connecting piece 6 forming an inner channel 12 and via which a container interior 14 is accessible from the outside and which has an outer thread 10 on a longitudinal portion of the connecting piece, wherein the container connecting piece 6 is formed exclusively by calibrating material insertion via a blow-pin tip 40, preferably having a conically tapering longitudinal portion of the outer circumference, and which presses a container blank in the region of the container connecting piece 6 against a die 42 having a longitudinal portion of the outer thread.

(15) Finally, the present disclosure also relates to a method for forming a medical fluid container 2, preferably having the preceding features with the following method steps: providing a substantially unprofiled cylindrical container blank; inserting a blow pin into the substantially unprofiled cylindrical container blank; inserting the container blank into a die 42 using the blow pin; exclusively mechanical pressing of the container blank against the die 42 to produce a container connecting piece 6 using the blow pin, and pneumatic shaping of a container interior 14 by blowing pressurized gas into the container blank via the blow pin.