AU633010B2 - A discharging device for a packaging container - Google Patents

Description

it- 1 IL III -OPI DATE 05/02790 AOJP ,DATE 22/03/90 APPLN. ID 38532 89 PTNUMBER PCT/SE89/00394 PcI INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (51) International Patent Classification 4: (11) International Publication Number: W~O 90/00503 77/30, A61J 1/00 Al A61M'5/14 (43) International Publication Date: 25 January 1990 (25.01.90) (21) International Application Number: PCT/SE89/00394 (74) Agents: GRAUDUMS, Valdis et al.; Albihn West AB, Box 142, S-401 22 G~teborg (SE).

(22) Internati~nnal Filing Date: 6 July 1989 (06.07.89) (81) Designated Stpates: AT (European patent), AU, BE (Euro- Priority data: pean patent), BR?, CH (Europezan patent), DE (European 8802557.2 8 July 1988 (08.07.88) SE patent), FI, FR (European patent), GB (European patent), IT (European patent), JP, LU (European pat )~..2ntNLL (Eu rnan natent). NO. SE (European patent), ()jSECTION 113 DIRECTION SEE FOLIO 13 (72)1 NAMXE DIRECTED AB -VeTRA PA~t- (75)1 K)u&Coo 4 Title: A DISCHARGING DEVICE FOR A PACKAGING CONTAINER 14 13' 19 20 18 16 17 A packaging container having a discharging or docketing device for allowing unilmerrupted aseptic connection to for in.

stance a hose having anr orifice. The container has a chann!,L(13') of a flexible material terminated by a grip flap The flap (16) is torn away along tearing denotations 17') and weakVenipgs,(19, 20) for opening the chafnnel. By locating the weakenings (16) such that they do not coincide there is obtained at'least one protruding"'portion which will A~pose portion on the inside of the channel when the channel is opened up. This~portion then acts as an entering surface for facilitating connection.

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WO 90/00503 PCrSE89/00394 A discharging device for a packaging container Field of the invention: The present invention relates to a discharging device for a packaging container and more precisely to a discharging device of the docking type. The connection or docking of a packaging container to for instance a hose having an orfice frequently represents a need. Within the medical care, there are consumed a huge amount of poaches of flexible material for nutrition solutions of different types and there is a need for handling such packages in a more rational manner.

Besides, there is a high degree of aseptics necessary when parental nutrition solutions are involved, for I instance infusion solutions, etc.

Prior art and background of the invention: The prior art within the field of discharging devices for flexible poaches comprises poaches having specific orfices welded to the poach before filling and sealing, said orfices having tearable closures or needles or other puncturing tools for penetrating a membrane of the closure. i The prior art discharging or docking devices do meet, I reasonable hygiene and aseptic standards but from a production point of view the known constructions imply higher cost due to an irrational manufacturing procedure needing for instance separate welding of orfice details.

c Previously, poaches of the actual type have been manufactured in the traditional manner, i.e. poaches have been manufactured individually from blanks. I o

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1 1 i l. 2 The use of a "hose" technic for manufacturing poaches having an aseptic contents is for instance enclosed in Swedish Patent No. 455 044. Such technics, however, makes use of a separate connector member for docking to the interior of the poach.

Summary of the Invention: According to the present invention there is provided a packaging container having a channel formed of a flexible material for connection of the interior of the container to a discharge device, for instance a hose having an orifice, wherein the channel is terminated by a grip flap for revealing a channel opening such that a portion of the inside of the channel is exposed when the channel opening is revealed and a denotation for initial tearing of said grip flap is arranged at an edge of said channel and said denotation joins a circumferential weakening cross-wise said channel, characterized in that said weakening is oblique to a plane transversely perpendicular to said channel such that said circumferential weakening defines a section protruding with respect to said plane transversely perpendicular to said channel, such that part of the inside of the channel is exposed which can act as an entering surface for the discharge device.

It is preferred that the circumferential weakening is, curved.

It is further preferred that the circumferential weakening is S-shaped.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments: Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be TiC i I 3 described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig.l shows a certain type of flexible poach having a tearing arrangement according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 is a partial view of a preferred embodiment of a channel having a grip flap, Fig. 3 shows the channel in Fig. 2 exposed after the removal of the grip flap, and Fig. 4 shows another embodiment of a channel having a grip flap, The poach 10 in Fig. 1 is a two-sided, alternatively threesided welded poach. In the first case, there are lateral welds 11, 12 obtained by folding one single planar blank of a flexible plastics or laminate material to the shape in I Fig. 1 or by flattening a hose along the |it WO 90/00503 PC/SE89/00394 4 regions of the lateral welds 11, 12. In the latter case, the welds 11, 12 preferably are made in a hose filled by a product, meaning that said product, in a manner now per se, is pressed away from the locations for the welds before such welds are made.

At the same time as the welds are made, welds are also made for forming a channel 13 at the corner region of the rhomboidic, filled poach 10 in Fig. 1. Additionally, a weld is made at a diagonally opposite corner for forming a suspension hole 23.

In Fig. 2 there is shown in a partial view, in a first embodiment a channel 13', defining two parallel welds 14, 15 and terminated by a grip flap 16. A pair of denotations 17, 17' for initial tearing off the grip flap are arranged in a respective one of the welds 14, The channel 13', which in the actual case may be formed by two plastics toils, laminates or webs, is terminated in an unopened condition along the curved line 18 in Fig. 2. Outside such line the grip flap is welded as indicated by the hatched areas. In the upper web in Fig. 2 forming the channel 13' there is a first curved weakening 19, and in the lower web in Fig. 2 there is a second curved weakening 20 shown hatched. As appears from Fig. 2 and as more precisely shown in Fig.

3, there will be obtained a docking or entering portion 21 of the channel after tearing off the grip flap along the weakenings 19, 20. This portion 21 exposes part of the inside of the channel directly after tearing and allows a quick insertion of the orfice of the discharge device. The aseptics will be interrupted only shortly and the contents of the inner packaging container will not be disturbed at all by an entering or docking operation.

In Fig. 4 it is shown how there is obtained more than one entering surface. Also here, the channel 13 is 1 p 1 -C I: terminated by a grip 16'. In welds 14', 15' there are initial denotations and in the upper foil web there is a S-shaped weakening 19', and in a corresponding manner as in Fig. 2, there is weakening 20', in this case S-shaped in the lower foil web. i Although a few embodiments of the invention have been described, it is realised that modifications and alternatives are possible within the scope of the inventive idea. For instance, which is common, the channels 13-13'' may be formed with decreasing cross-section in a direction towards the interior of the packaging container. Instead of having a flexible poach 10 having an integral channel, it is possible to form separate channel units for mounting to containers of different kinds. However, the integral manufacturing procedure according to the present embodiments is preferable in the present context.

The preferred embodiments described above provide a packaging container having an integral docking device or discharging device, for instance formed directly from a hose forming procedure, and allows an aseptic type of docking or assembly to a discharge conduit. Such a docking device may be used in an application where a product containing package is formed from a filled hose. I BA41 1 9 1 i 1 I 'i 1|

Claims (3)

1. A packaging container having a channel formed of a flexible material for connection of the interior of the container to a discharge device, for instance a hose having an orifice, wherein the channel is terminated by a grip flap for revealing a channel opening such that a portion of the iniside of the channel is exposed when the channel opening is revealed and a denotation for initial tearing of said grip flap is arranged at an edge of said channel and said denotation joins a circumferential weakening-cross- wise said channel, characterized in that said weakening is oblique to a plane transversely perpendicular to said channel such that said circumferential weakening defines a section protruding with respect to said plane transversely perpendicular to said channel, such that part of the inside of the channel is exposed which can act as an entering surface for the discharge device.

2. The packaging container of claim 1, wherein the circumferential weakening is curved.

3. The packaging container of claim wherein the circumferential weakening is S-shaped. I4. A packaging container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS 16TH DAY OF NOVEMBER 1992 AB TETRA PAK By Their Patent Att6rneys GRIFFITH HACK CO. i Fellows Institute of Patent SAttorneys of Australia.