Molded container with raised nipple and method for use

Abstract

This invention container comprises a container shell comprising a body portion, adjoining cap portion and enclosed stopper, and an engineered separation site to facilitate separation of body and cap. The stopper has a raised nipple on the stopper, positioned such that a portion of the stopper is enclosed within the body portion and a portion of the stopper is enclosed within the cap portion. When the cap portion is removed from the body portion, a portion of the nipple therefore extends out of the body portion, allowing easy access to the stopper for cleaning or contents removal. In addition, there is an engineered separation site which includes a partial attenuation of the thickness of part of the container wall. Raised gussets are provided to enhance the cooperation between the instant invention and various needle-free connectors known in the art.

1 . A container ( 10 ) with at least one diameter ( 12 ) and a longitudinal axis ( 14 ), comprising:
 a) a container shell ( 50 ) comprising a body portion ( 200 ) with a body portion wall ( 220 ) having a wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) having a distal aspect ( 222 ) and a proximal aspect ( 223 ) and an adjoining cap portion ( 300 ) having a cap portion wall ( 320 ), wherein the body portion wall ( 220 ) meets the cap portion wall ( 320 ) at an engineered separation site ( 400 ); and   b) a stopper ( 100 ) enclosed within the container shell ( 50 ) and preventing the transfer of contents from the body portion ( 200 ) to the cap portion ( 300 ), such that a portion of the stopper ( 100 ) is enclosed within the body portion ( 200 ) and a portion of the stopper ( 100 ) is enclosed within the cap portion ( 300 ), wherein the stopper ( 100 ) has a stopper wall ( 120 ) and a stopper shoulder ( 123 ) with a central raised nipple ( 130 ) having a nipple top surface ( 134 ) with an injection site ( 135 ) bounded by a raised injection guide ( 136 ) and a nipple sidewall ( 132 ), and wherein the engineered separation site ( 400 ) is adjacent to the nipple sidewall ( 132 ) such that when the cap portion ( 300 ) is removed from the body portion ( 200 ) at the engineered separation site ( 400 ) a portion of the nipple ( 130 ) extends out of the body portion ( 200 ).   
   
   
       2 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) adjacent to the cap portion ( 300 ) is configured at a non-orthogonal angle from the longitudinal axis ( 14 ) of the container ( 10 ). 
   
   
       3 . The container of  claim 2  wherein the body portion wall ( 220 ) has an ingress preventer ( 224 ), wherein said ingress preventer ( 224 ) cooperates with a stopper ingress preventer ( 124 ) formed in the stopper wall ( 120 ). 
   
   
       4 . The container of  claim 3  wherein the body portion wall ( 220 ) has a wall retention surface ( 226 ), wherein the wall retention surface ( 226 ) cooperates with a stopper retention surface ( 126 ) on the stopper wall ( 120 ). 
   
   
       5 . The container of  claim 4  wherein the wall retention surface ( 226 ) further comprises at least one wall egress preventer ( 227 ), wherein the wall egress preventer ( 227 ) cooperates with a stopper egress preventer ( 127 ) on the stopper retention surface ( 126 ). 
   
   
       6 . The container of  claim 5  wherein the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) further comprises at least one raised gusset ( 228 ) extending from the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) and having a lateral surface ( 229 ) substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis ( 14 ) of the container ( 10 ). 
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 6  wherein said lateral surface ( 229 ) begins at the distal aspect ( 222 ) of the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) and extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis ( 14 ) of the container at least 25% of the longitudinal distance from the distal aspect ( 222 ) to the injection site ( 135 ) measured along the longitudinal axis ( 14 ) of the container ( 10 ). 
   
   
       8 . The container of  claim 7  wherein the lateral surface ( 229 ) begins at the distal aspect ( 222 ) of the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) and extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis ( 14 ) of the container at least 50% of the longitudinal distance from the distal aspect ( 222 ) to the injection site ( 135 ) measured along the longitudinal axis ( 14 ) of the container ( 10 ). 
   
   
       9 . The container of  claim 8  wherein the cap portion wall ( 320 ) is formed with a grip enhancing feature ( 330 ). 
   
   
       10 . The container of  claim 9  wherein the grip enhancing feature ( 330 ) is a flattened tab ( 332 ) having a lateral aspect ( 333 ). 
   
   
       11 . The container according to  claim 1  which additionally comprises an engineered separation site ( 400 ) which is a line of discontinuity in shell thickness between the body portion wall ( 220 ) and the cap portion wall ( 320 ). 
   
   
       12 . The container of  claim 11  wherein the engineered separation site ( 400 ) is formed by a progressive attenuation of the thickness of the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) tapering from a maximum thickness at the distal aspect ( 222 ) of the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) to reach a minimum thickness at the proximal aspect ( 223 ) of the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ). 
   
   
       13 . A container ( 10 ) with at least one diameter ( 12 ) and a longitudinal axis ( 14 ), comprising:
 a) a container shell ( 50 ) comprising a body portion ( 200 ) with a body portion wall ( 220 ) having a wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) configured at a non-orthogonal angle from the longitudinal axis ( 14 ) of the container ( 10 ) having a distal aspect ( 222 ) and a proximal aspect ( 223 ) wherein the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) further comprises at least one raised gusset ( 228 ) extending from the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) and having a lateral surface ( 229 ) substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis ( 14 ) of the container ( 10 ) wherein the lateral surface ( 229 ) begins at the distal aspect ( 222 ) of the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) and extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis ( 14 ) of the container at least 25% of the longitudinal distance from the distal aspect ( 222 ) to the injection site ( 135 ) measured along the longitudinal axis ( 14 ) of the container ( 10 ), and an adjoining cap portion ( 300 ) having a cap portion wall ( 320 ), wherein the body portion wall ( 220 ) meets the cap portion wall ( 320 ) at an engineered separation site ( 400 ) wherein the engineered separation site ( 400 ) comprises a line of discontinuity in shell thickness between the body portion wall ( 220 ) and the cap portion wall ( 320 ) formed by a progressive attenuation of the thickness of the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) tapering from a maximum thickness at the distal aspect ( 222 ) of the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) to reach a minimum thickness at the proximal aspect ( 223 ) of the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ); and   b) a stopper ( 100 ) enclosed within the container shell ( 50 ) and preventing the transfer of contents from the body portion ( 200 ) to the cap portion ( 300 ), such that a portion of the stopper ( 100 ) is enclosed within the body portion ( 200 ) and a portion of the stopper ( 100 ) is enclosed within the cap portion ( 300 ), wherein the stopper ( 100 ) has a stopper wall ( 120 ) and a stopper shoulder ( 123 ) with a central raised nipple ( 130 )) having a nipple top surface ( 134 ) with an injection site ( 135 ) and a nipple sidewall ( 132 ), and wherein the engineered separation site ( 400 ) is adjacent to the nipple sidewall ( 132 ) such that when the cap portion ( 300 ) is removed from the body portion ( 200 ) at the engineered separation site ( 400 ) a portion of the nipple ( 130 ) extends out of the body portion ( 200 ).   
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the wall retention surface ( 226 ) further comprises at least one wall egress preventer ( 227 ), wherein the wall egress preventer ( 227 ) cooperates with a stopper egress preventer ( 127 ) on the stopper retention surface ( 126 ). 
   
   
       15 . A container ( 10 ) with at least one diameter ( 12 ) and a longitudinal axis ( 14 ), comprising:
 a) a container shell ( 50 ) comprising a body portion ( 200 ) with a body portion wall ( 220 ) having a wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) configured at a non-orthogonal angle from the longitudinal axis ( 14 ) of the container ( 10 ) having a distal aspect ( 222 ) and a proximal aspect ( 223 ) wherein the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) further comprises at least one raised gusset ( 228 ) extending from the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) and having a lateral surface ( 229 ) substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis ( 14 ) of the container ( 10 ) wherein the lateral surface ( 229 ) begins at the distal aspect ( 222 ) of the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) and extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis ( 14 ) of the container at least 25% of the longitudinal distance from the distal aspect ( 222 ) to the injection site ( 135 ) measured along the longitudinal axis ( 14 ) of the container ( 10 ), and an adjoining cap portion ( 300 ) having a cap portion wall ( 320 ) formed with a grip enhancing feature ( 330 ) the grip enhancing feature ( 330 ) is a flattened tab ( 332 ) formed such that a distance from a most distant point on the tab ( 332 ) from a center of the injection site ( 135 ) is at least 65% of the largest of the at least one diameter ( 12 ) of the container ( 10 ), wherein the body portion wall ( 220 ) meets the cap portion wall ( 320 ) at an engineered separation site ( 400 ) wherein the engineered separation site ( 400 ) comprises a line of discontinuity in shell thickness between the body portion wall ( 220 ) and the cap portion wall ( 320 ) formed by a progressive attenuation of the thickness of the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) tapering from a maximum thickness at the distal aspect ( 222 ) of the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) to reach a minimum thickness at the proximal aspect ( 223 ) of the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ); and   b) a stopper ( 100 ) enclosed within the container shell ( 50 ) and preventing the transfer of contents from the body portion ( 200 ) to the cap portion ( 300 ), such that a portion of the stopper ( 100 ) is enclosed within the body portion ( 200 ) and a portion of the stopper ( 100 ) is enclosed within the cap portion ( 300 ), wherein the stopper ( 100 ) has a stopper wall ( 120 ) and a stopper shoulder ( 123 ) with a central raised nipple ( 130 )) having a nipple top surface ( 134 ) with an injection site ( 135 ) and a nipple sidewall ( 132 ), and wherein the engineered separation site ( 400 ) is adjacent to the nipple sidewall ( 132 ) such that when the cap portion ( 300 ) is removed from the body portion ( 200 ) at the engineered separation site ( 400 ) a portion of the nipple ( 130 ) extends out of the body portion ( 200 ).   
   
   
       16 . The container of  claim 15  wherein the lateral surface ( 229 ) begins at the distal aspect ( 222 ) of the wall shoulder portion ( 221 ) and extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis ( 14 ) of the container at least 50% of the longitudinal distance from the distal aspect ( 222 ) to the injection site ( 135 ) measured along the longitudinal axis ( 14 ) of the container ( 10 ). 
   
   
       17 . A method for storing and dispensing a flowable substance within a container, according to  claim 1 .