阅读说明：本技术 用于临时连接两个容器的装置 (Device for temporarily connecting two containers ) 是由 大卫·布特卢 法布里斯·布尔迪厄 弗洛伦斯·比达曼特 于 2019-10-18 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于连接容器的系统,该系统旨在临时组装第一容器和第二容器,该连接系统包括封闭套筒,该封闭套筒设置有被设计成附接到第一容器的第一部分,并且该封闭套筒还设置有被设计成允许临时附接第二容器的开口的第二部分和膜,该膜将封闭套筒的第一部分和第二部分分开,该膜被设计成在将第二容器附接到封闭套筒的第二部分时被第二容器穿孔,其特征在于,连接系统包括旨在在使用连接系统之前封堵封闭套筒的第二部分的盖子,该盖子和封闭套筒通过同时注射模制至少一种塑料材料的方法获得,一旦盖子和封闭套筒离开它们各自的模具,就将盖子附接到封闭套筒的第二部分。(A system for connecting containers, which is intended for the temporary assembly of a first container and a second container, the connection system comprises a closure sleeve provided with a first portion designed to be attached to a first container, and the closure sleeve is further provided with a membrane and a second portion designed to allow temporary attachment of the opening of the second container, the membrane separating the first and second portions of the closure sleeve, the membrane being designed to be perforated by the second container when the second container is attached to the second portion of the closure sleeve, characterized in that the connection system comprises a lid intended to close off the second portion of the closure sleeve before use of the connection system, the cap and the closure sleeve are obtained by means of a simultaneous injection moulding of at least one plastic material, the cap being attached to the second part of the closure sleeve as soon as the cap and the closure sleeve leave their respective moulds.)

1. A system for connecting containers, intended for the temporary assembly of a first and a second container (10, 110), said connection system comprising a closure sleeve (30, 130) provided with a first portion (31, 131) adapted to be mounted on said first container (10, 110), and said closure sleeve (30, 130) being further provided with a second portion (32, 132) and a membrane (35), said second portion (32, 132) being adapted to allow an opening of the second container (20) to be temporarily mounted, said membrane separating said first portion (31, 131) and said second portion (32, 132) of said closure sleeve (30, 130), said membrane (35) being adapted to be perforated by said second container (20) during the mounting of said second container (20) on said second portion (32, 132) of said closure sleeve (30, 130), characterized in that said connection system comprises a lid (40, 140), said lid (40, 140) being intended to close off said second portion (32, 132) of said closing sleeve (30, 130) before using said connection system, said lid (40, 140) and said closing sleeve (30, 130) being obtained by means of a simultaneous injection moulding of at least one plastic material, said lid (40, 140) being mounted on said second portion (32, 132) of said closing sleeve (30, 130) once said lid (40, 140) and said closing sleeve (30, 130) have left their respective moulds.

2. System for connecting containers, intended for the temporary assembly of the containers, according to claim 1, the cap (40, 140) being mounted on the second portion (32, 132) of the closing sleeve (30, 130) before the cap (40, 140) and the closing sleeve (30, 130) are cooled to ambient temperature.

3. System for connecting containers, intended for the temporary assembly thereof, according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the membrane (35) is a monolithic element of the closing sleeve (30, 130) and comprises a plastic material substantially similar, preferably similar, to the material used for the first (31, 131) and second (32, 132) portions of the closing sleeve (30, 130).

4. A system for connecting containers, intended for the temporary assembly thereof, as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the cap (40) is provided with a frangible zone in the form of a tearable tab (41), the tearable tab (41) being adapted to be pulled off, so as to facilitate the removal of the cap (40) from the second portion (32) of the closure sleeve (30).

5. System for connecting containers, intended for the temporary assembly thereof, according to any one of claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the lid (140) is provided with an anti-tampering ring (141) suitable for being detached from the body of the lid (140) during the initial opening of the lid (140).

6. Method for obtaining a system for connecting containers intended for the temporary assembly of said containers, said connection system comprising a closing sleeve provided with a lower portion adapted to be mounted on said first container, said closing sleeve being provided with an upper portion adapted to allow the mounting of an opening of said second container, and said closing sleeve being provided with an integral membrane separating said upper portion and said lower portion of said closing sleeve, said membrane being adapted to be perforated by said second container when said second container is mounted on said upper portion of said closing sleeve, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

-forming the closure sleeve and the cap by using a method of simultaneous injection moulding of at least one plastic material,

-mounting the lid on the second part of the connecting device so as to close off the second part of the closure sleeve once the lid and the closure sleeve leave their respective moulds.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the cover is mounted on the second portion of the closure sleeve before the cover and the closure sleeve are cooled to ambient temperature.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a device for connecting containers intended for the temporary assembly of said containers, generally flasks (flash) for containing substances and bottles (bottle) for containing fluids, with the aim of mixing said substances (for example powders, lyophilisates or liquids) and said fluids (for example solvents).

According to the invention, the connection system comprises a closing sleeve, a first portion of which is provided with a mounting system for ensuring an impermeable connection with the opening of the flask, and a second portion of which is adapted to allow temporary mounting of the opening of the bottle. In order to avoid accidental outflow of the flask's contents from the flask and exposure to ambient air or water, the closure sleeve comprises a membrane separating a first part and a second part of the closure sleeve. Once the bottle is mounted on the second portion of the closure sleeve, the connecting system is adapted to allow the membrane separating the first and second portions of the closure sleeve to be perforated. When the flask and bottle are mounted within the closure sleeve, the fluid contained in the bottle may flow out and permeate into the flask due to repeated pressure on the bottle or any flexible element of the bottle (e.g., flexible bottom), thereby allowing the substance and the fluid to mix.

After the substance and fluid are mixed, the mixture may be transferred to a bottle and used at a user preferred location and time.

Prior Art

Systems are known in the prior art which allow a substance and a fluid to be packaged in two distinct containers, the aim of which is to mix the substance and the fluid at a moment chosen by the user. Such a system is disclosed for example in document EP 1009356 and is suitable for temporarily connecting a flask made of rigid material, such as glass, to a bottle made of flexible material, such as plastic. According to the teaching of document EP 1009356, the flask is particularly suitable for protecting the substance contained therein from various external elements such as water or oxygen, so as to preserve the properties of said substance contained in said flask. The device as shown in document EP 1009356 can contain products such as cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical products intended for treating the skin. The materials used for such treatments often have active ingredients that are beneficial to the skin. The active ingredient protected by the flask does not degrade during filling, any lyophilization process, or during storage in the flask. The user can mix the substance and the fluid before use by means of the system disclosed in document EP 1009356 in order to obtain a mixture that can be used for treating the skin.

It should be noted that the connection system disclosed, for example, in document EP 1009356 comprises a closing sleeve provided with a second portion, which makes it possible to temporarily mount the opening of a substantially cylindrical bottle. Inside said cylinder, the second part of the closing sleeve is provided with a thread which makes it possible to temporarily mount the bottle by means of said thread. Prior to use, the second portion of the closure sleeve is open and includes an inner wall exposed to ambient air. The inner wall is not sterile and therefore does not prevent possible contamination.

If the container connection system according to document EP 1009356 is used for mixing substances and fluids, as described above, contaminants that may be present on the inner wall of the closing sleeve may diffuse into the flask during the step of transferring said fluids.

For the reasons stated in the preceding paragraph, container connection systems such as that disclosed in document EP 1009356 are not suitable for mixing pharmaceutical products which must be forcibly kept sterile before use.

With respect to the above observations, there appears to be a need for improvements in existing container connection systems that are intended to allow mixing of substances and fluids.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a system for connecting containers which is improved with respect to the systems known in the prior art.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a system for connecting containers comprising an inner wall which is kept sterile before using said system for connecting containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a system for connecting containers, the presence of sterile inner walls of which results in as low an additional cost as possible during the production of such a system for connecting containers.

Subject matter of the invention

The subject of the present invention is a system for connecting containers, intended for the temporary assembly of a first container and a second container, said connecting system comprising a closing sleeve provided with a first portion adapted to be mounted on the first container and with a second portion adapted to allow the temporary mounting of an opening of the second container, and having a membrane separating said first portion and said second portion of said closing sleeve, said membrane being adapted to be perforated by the second container during the mounting of the second container on the second portion of the closing sleeve, wherein said connecting system comprises a lid intended to close off the second portion of the closing sleeve before the use of the connecting system, said lid and said closing sleeve being obtained by means of simultaneous injection moulding of a plastic material, once the lid and the closing sleeve leave their respective moulds, the lid is mounted on the second part of the closure sleeve.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the cover is mounted on the second part of the closing sleeve before the cover and said closing sleeve are cooled to ambient temperature.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the membrane is an integral element of the closing sleeve and comprises a plastic material substantially similar, preferably similar, to the material used for the first and second portions of said closing sleeve.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the lid is provided with a frangible zone in the form of a tearable tab adapted to be pulled off to facilitate removal of said lid from the second part of the closure sleeve.

A second aspect of the invention relates to a method for obtaining a system for connecting containers, intended for the temporary assembly of a first container and a second container, said connecting system comprising a closing sleeve provided with a lower portion adapted to be mounted on the first container and with an upper portion of an opening adapted to allow the temporary mounting of the second container, and with an integrated membrane (membrane) separating the upper portion from the lower portion of the closing sleeve, said membrane being adapted to be perforated by the second container when the second container is mounted on the upper portion of said closing sleeve, wherein said method comprises the following steps:

-forming the closing sleeve and the cap by using a method of simultaneous injection moulding of at least one plastic material,

-mounting a cover on the second part of the connecting device so as to close off said second part of the closing sleeve as soon as the cover and said closing sleeve leave their respective moulds.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the cover is mounted on the second part of the closing sleeve before said cover and said closing sleeve are cooled to ambient temperature.