MULTI-CHAMBER CONTAINER

RECIPIENT MULTICHAMBRES

English Abstract

The invention relates to a multi-chamber container comprising cups (1.1, 1.2)
which are covered by a common covering film (1.4). The cups are separated from
one another by a connecting element (1.5)on which the covering film is sealed
in such a way that, when applying pressure on one of the cups, this cup is
interconnected to one or more adjacent cups by removing the covering film from
said connecting element. The sealing strength on the common edge, over which
the covering film and cups are interconnected, is selected such that it is
high enough to prevent the connection between the covering film and the cups
from detaching in the edge area due to this pressure. This solution
establishes many examples for application especially with respect to the type
and composition of the media accommodated in one of the cups. This can concern
the use of liquid media. Applicators of different types, especially of types
which expand when moistened, can be accommodated in the cups so that the multi-
chamber container can also, for example, be directly used for the transdermal
application of liquid active substances.

French Abstract

Un récipient multichambres comporte des cuvettes (1.1, 1.2) qui sont recouvertes par un film de recouvrement commun (1.4). Les cuvettes sont séparées les unes des autres au moyen d'une partie jointive (1.5), sur laquelle le film de recouvrement est appliqué par scellement, de telle manière que lors de l'application de pression sur l'une des cuvettes, la liaison entre cette cuvette et une ou plusieurs cuvettes adjacentes soit réalisée par décollement du film de recouvrement sur cette partie jointive. La valeur de la résistance au scellement sur le bord commun par l'intermédiaire duquel le film de recouvrement et les cuvettes sont reliés, est choisie de manière à être suffisante pour que la liaison entre le film de recouvrement et les cuvettes dans la région marginale ne soit pas rompue par cette pression. La solution proposée par l'invention offre de nombreux exemples d'application, notamment en ce qui concerne le type et la configuration des substances logées dans les cuvettes. Il peut s'agir en l'occurrence de substances liquides, néanmoins des applicateurs des types les plus divers, notamment même ceux qui se dilatent une fois mouillés, peuvent également être logés dans l'une des cuvettes, de sorte que le récipient multichambres peut par exemple être utilisé également directement pour l'application transdermique de principes actifs liquides.

Claims

8
Claims
1. A container with plural compartments, in particular a container with two
compartments, in which the first compartment contains a first medium and a
second compartment contains a second medium, having a deep-drawn part
(1.3, ..., 7.3) that has two wells (1.1, ..., 7.1; 1.2, ..., 7.2), separated
by means
of a rib (1.5, ..., 7.5), which are surrounded by a common rim, and having a
cover foil (1.4, ..., 7.4), which is joined to the rib at least in part, in
such a way
that when pressure is applied to one of the compartments, the communication
between the two compartments is established by detachment of the cover foil
(1.4, ..., 7.4) from the rib (1.5, ..., 7.5), and the rim withstands this
pressure,
characterized in that the cover foil (1.4, ..., 7.4) and the thermoplastic
deep-drawn part (1.3, ..., 7.3) have a sealing medium, which by a locally
defined
adaptation of the sealing parameters of temperature, pressure, and sealing
time
to the sealing area generates a first sealing strength on the rib (1.5, ...,
7.5) that
corresponds to that of a peelable bond between the cover foil (1.4, ..., 7.4)
and
the deep- drawn part (1.3, ..., 7.3) and on the rim generates a second sealing
strength, which corresponds to that of a peelable bond between the cover foil
(1.4, ..., 7.4) and the deep- drawn part (1.3, ..., 7.3).
2. The container with plural compartments of claims 1, characterized in that
the first sealing strength is graduated over the width of the rib in such a
way
that the through cross section between the rib and the cover foil increases
with
increasing pressure.
3. The container with plural compartments of claim 1, characterized in that
the
well in which the two media have come into contact (the contact well) has an
opening region.
4. The container with plural compartments of claim 3, characterized in that
the
well (1.1) has a rated breaking point (1.7), which uncovers a conduit (1.8) as
the opening region.

9
5. The container with plural compartments of claim 3, characterized in that
the
sealing strength in the region remote from the rib (2.5) is selected such that
the
cover foil (2.4) is peelable and at least partly uncovers the contact well
(2.2;
3.2; 4.2).
6. The container with plural compartments of claim 3, characterized in that
the
contact well has an opening which is closed with a peelable covering foil
(5.12, 6.12).
7. The container with plural compartments of claim 6, characterized in that
the
opening is an aperture (6.11) in the contact well (6.2).
8. The container with plural compartments of claim 6, characterized in that
the
opening is a hole (5.11) in the cover foil (5.4).
9. The container with plural compartments of claim 1, characterized in that
the
first compartment contains a liquid and the second compartment contains an
absorbent inlay (.9).
10. The container with plural compartments of claim 7 or 8 and 9,
characterized in that the opening is dimensioned such that the inlay is not
removable.
11. The container with plural compartments of claims 6 and 9, characterized in
that the inlay is a compact (5.9, 6.9) and swells partway out of the opening
after the liquid is added.
12. The container with plural compartments of claim 10, characterized in that
the contact well (7.2) has a spike (7.12), which fixes the inlay (7.9) in its
compartment.

Description

CA 02306283 2000-04-07
1
Description
PACKAGE WITH PLURAL COMPARTMENTS
Field of the Invention
Particularly in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics - but also beyond these fields -
there are applications in which two or more substances, as a rule product
components, are supposed to be put together and mixed, or an absorbent
vehicle material is supposed to be mixed with impregnating medium, only
immediately before use.
This activation on site is usually required because the components to be
brought together are chemically unstable in the mixed or impregnated state, or
they do not have the requisite shelf life in that state.
Summary of the Invention
It is the object of the invention to create a package with plural compartments
that on the one hand keeps the components cleanly separated until just before
the instant they are used, that makes joining them together (uniting them), or
mixing and then using them, clear and practicable from the standpoint of
manipulation, and that furthermore can be still produced economically.
According to the invention, this object is attained with the characteristics
of
claim 1.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Several exemplary embodiments will now be described in conjunction with
drawings, which show:
Fig. 1: illustrations of the first exemplary embodiment of the package with
plural compartments;
Fig. 2: views of the second exemplary embodiment;
Fig. 3: views of a variant of the second exemplary embodiment;
Fig. 4: views of the third exemplary embodiment;
Fig. 5: views of the fourth exemplary embodiment;

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Fig. 6: views of a first variant of the fourth exemplary embodiment; and
Fig. 7: views of a second variant of the fourth exemplary embodiment.
Description of the ExemplaryEmbodiments
The invention is based on a deep-drawn package, which in the first exemplary
5 embodiment (Fig. 1 ) is equipped with at least two wells 1. l and 1.2, in
which
the components to be brought together are located. The deep-drawn package is
made from a thermoplastic deep-drawn part 1.3 and a sealed-on cover foil 1.4,
which are equipped with a sealing medium that given a purposeful variation in
the sealing parameters of temperature, pressure and sealing time makes a
10 precisely defined sealing strength possible. A peelable seal is thus made
in the
region of a rib 1.5 between the wells 1.1 and 1.2, while around the wells 1.1
and 1.2 - or depending on the selected opening variant for removing the
product - a solid seal 1.6 is made at least in part. This solid seal 1.6 can
be
either two-dimensional, or - as shown here - in linear form.
15 The activation is accomplished in this first exemplary embodiment by manual
pressure, for instance on the well 1.2. As a result, the defined peel-off seal
in
the region of the rib 1.5 is undone, and the components in the wells 1.1 and
1.2
run together. By exerting pressure in alternation on the wells 1.1 and 1.2, a
mixing action can be achieved.
20 To remove the activated product, a rated breaking point 1.7 is opened (by
being cut off or kinked), and the end product can then be taken out through
the
conduit 1.8 connected to the well 1.1. The version in Fig. 1 is suitable for
use
with liquid or pastelike components, or when there is a need for powder or
granulate or soluble solid bodies - such as a tablet - to be dissolved in a
25 pastelike or liquid medium.
Until the on-site activation, the corresponding components are stored - as
shown here - in the wells - in this case 1.1 and 1.2 - that are separated from
one another by a peelable seal in the region of the rib 1.5.
A second exemplary embodiment is shown in Fig. 2. Here the basic design is
30 analogous to Fig. 1. The package is equipped with a well 2.1, which
contains a

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liquid medium. An absorbent inlay 2.9 (two-dimensional pattern) is located in
the well 2.2. The wells 2.1 and 2.2 are separated from one another by a region
of the rib 2.5 that is sealed in peelable fashion to the cover foil 2.4. The
solid
seal 2.6 is extended around the well 2.1 to approximately one-third the way
along the well 2.2.
By pressure on the well 2.1, the peelable seal between the cover foil 2.4 and
the rib 2.5 between wells 2.1 and 2.2 is opened, and the impregnating medium
from well 2.1 runs into well 2.2 and wets the inlay 2.9. By pulling a loose
peeling tab 2.10 open, the cover foil 2.4, peelably sealed to the deep-drawn
10 part 2.3 on the periphery, can be pulled open as far as the beginning of
the
solid seal 2.6 (which can be either two-dimensional or linear - see Fig. 1 ),
and
the impregnated inlay 2.9 can be removed.
Fig. 3 shows a variant of the second exemplary embodiment of Fig. 2. In this
case, as the application element to be impregnated, a swab with an absorbent
15 tip 3.9 is placed in the well 3.2.
Fig. 4 shows a third exemplary embodiment using the on- site activatable
containers with plural compartments for impregnating absorbent, compressed
inlays that return to their original form - that is, their form before the
compression - when they absorb an impregnating medium.
20 The impregnating medium is located in the well 4.1, and the absorbent
compact 4.9 intended for application is located in the well 4.2. The well 4.2
is
selected in size such that the compact 4.9 can expand fully when it absorbs
the
impregnating medium. By pressure on the well 4. l, the defined peelable seal
in the region of the rib 4.5 is opened between the well 4.1 and the well 4.2.
25 The impregnating medium enters the well 4.2 and is absorbed by the compact
4.9, which expands accordingly.
By pulling the peel tab 4.10 open as far as the two- dimensional or linear
solid
seal 4.6, which extends only up to the well 4.2, the now impregnated and
correspondingly expanded compact 4.9 can be removed.

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Fig. 5 shows a fourth exemplary embodiment of the on- site-activatable
container with plural compartments, in which the impregnating medium is
located in well 5.1. The well 5.2 holds a compact 5.9, acting as an
applicator,
which expands accordingly when it absorbs the impregnating medium.
5 Between the wells 5.1 and 5.2, the deep-drawn and cover foil are sealed in a
defined peelable way in the region of the rib 5.5. Above well 5.2, the cover
foil 5.4 has a hole 5.11, which is slightly smaller than the compact 5.9. The
hole 5.11 is closed by means of an adhesive label or a peelably sealed
covering foil 5.12.
10 For the activation, pressure is exerted manually on the well 5.1, causing
the
impregnating medium to enter the compartment 5.2. The compact 5.9 absorbs
the impregnating medium and seeks to expand to its original size. By pulling
off the covering foil 5.12, the whole 5.11 above the compact 5.9 is uncovered.
The compact 5.9 can now expand fully and swells like a mushroom out of the
15 hole 5.11, but because of the size difference between the compact and the
hole
it is still locked inside. The impregnating medium can be applied to the skin,
for instance, by rubbing the surface of the compact on it.
Fig. 6 shows a first variant of the fourth exemplary embodiment of Fig. 5; the
aperture 6.11 is located here in the deep-drawn part 6.3 on the bottom of the
20 well 6.2. Once again, the closure is effected by means of a covering foil
6.12.
Fig. 7 shows a second variant of the fourth exemplary embodiment for use of
the on-site-activatable deep-drawn package, in which the liquid impregnating
medium 7.1 is accommodated in the well 7.1. A compact 7.9 is placed in the
well 7.2; on absorbing liquid, this compact - as described already for the
other
25 exemplary embodiments - undergoes a marked increase in volume.
The seal which is peelable in a defined way is located between the well 7.1
and 7.2 in the region of the rib 7.5. The solid seal 2.6 extends in two
dimensions or in the form of a sealing line around the compartments 7.1 and
7.2. A spike 7.12 pointing inward is formed on in the deep-drawn part 7.3 and
30 serves to lock the compact 7.9 inside. The well 7.2 is designed to be
longer by
the amount to be expected as an increase in size for the compact 7.9. In the

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region outside the compact 7.9, the deep-drawn part 7.3 is provided with a
rated breaking point 7.13.
Upon activation by pressure on the well 7.1, the peelable seal in the region
of
the rib 7.5 opens; the impregnating medium enters the well 7.2 and is absorbed
by the compact 7.9. The compact 7.9 expands and fills what was until then the
empty space on the face end of the well 7.2.
By being broken at the rated breaking point 7.13, the breaking tab 7.14 is
folded out of the way, and an outer portion of the compact 7.9 is exposed.
The application of the medium is then done by stroking the skin, for instance,
10 with this exposed portion.
The compact cannot be removed unintentionally from the now-open
compartment 7.2, since the spike 7.12 locks it inside. If removal is intended
to
be possible, then the spike is omitted.

Representative Drawing