US3584759A

US3584759A - Separation-resistant capsule

Info

Publication number: US3584759A
Application number: US834668A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bela N Lorincz
Original assignee: Scherer Ltd G C
Current assignee: Scherer Ltd G C; Scherer-Gc Ltd
Priority date: 1969-06-19
Filing date: 1969-06-19
Publication date: 1971-06-15
Anticipated expiration: 1988-06-15

Abstract

A separation-resistant capsule for containing, for example, oral medication, having a sealing band established between telescopically engageable body and cap portions of the capsule. The sealing band is provided by conforming mating tapers on both said portions rendering the capsule substantially airtight when said portions are fully telescopically engaged with one another.

Description

United States Patent Bela N. Lorincz Windsor, Ontario, Canada 834,668

J une 1 9, 1969 June 15, 1971 Scherer-G.C. Limited Toronto, Ontario, Canada inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee SEPARATION-RESISTANT CAPSULE 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 220/42A lnt.Cl B65d41/00 Field of Search... 220/42;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,580,414 1/1952 Duffey 206/56 3,143,239 8/1964 Wiley et al 220/42.

Primary Examiner-George T. Hall Att0meyLeon Arthurs ABSTRACT: A separation-resistant capsule for containing, for example, oral medication, having a sealing band established between telescopically engageable body and cap portions of the capsule. The sealing band is provided by conforming mating tapers on both said portions rendering the capsule substantially airtight when said portions are fully telescopically engaged with one another.

PATENTED JUN 1 5 1971 FIGQ INVENTOR R mm SEPARATION-RESISTANT CAPSULE This invention relates to a separation-resistant capsule comprised of a body telescopically installable in a cap and, in particular, the invention relates to a capsule having a body and cap formed of a hard gelatin for the purpose of containing a pharmaceutical preparation therein.

Capsules for containing pharmaceutical preparations and comprised of a body telescopically installed in a cap are well known in the prior art and various means have been employed in the production of said caps to obtain separation-resistant engagement in the finished article between the body and the cap whilst at the same time permitting of ease of manufacture, and subsequent automatic filling, of the constituent parts of the capsule before engagement as aforesaid.

The instant capsule, in common with the prior art capsules, has at least a part of its cap and body tapered outwardly towards their open ends; this tapering of the parts being necessary to permit ease of manufacture thereof by means of a moulding operation comprising dipping steel pins of appropriate sizes into liquid gelatin and allowing the adhering layer of gelatin on the pin to set and dry. The resulting gelatin which forms the cap or body, as the case may be, is then stripped from the appropriate pin and cut to proper length; the aforesaid taper being provided to permit ease of stripping which would, without the provision of a taper, be hindered by the formation of a vacuum within the cap or body as it is removed from the pin.

he provision of this necessary taper in the cap and body portions has been utilized in some prior art capsules to provide some degree of wedging interengagement between the body when it is telescopically received within the cap. However, it will be appreciated that such a simple wedging interengagement, by virtue of the fact that the taper in both the body and the cap portions is convergent towards the open ends thereof, can only produce a line of engagement where the rim of the body open end engages within the cap. Consequently, after the capsule has been filled, it may be liable to accidental disengagement of the body from within the cap with the consequent spillage of the contents.

Other prior art capsules have provided a constriction within the cap necessitating a deformation of the body open end as it is squeezed past the constriction to form an interference fit of the body within the cap whilst still other prior art capsules have relied upon a somewhat lesser constriction within the cap in an attempt to provide a band of locking engagement ofthe body open end portion within the cap adjacent its closed end wall.

It is, therefore, a broad object of the present invention to provide an improved separation-resistant capsule wherein the body is telescopically receivable within a cap in firm locking engagement and wherein the constituent parts of the capsule are not liable to separation after having been filled.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a capsule as aforesaid wherein a substantially hermetic seal is effected between the body and cap portions when the two parts are assembled together after having been filled.

It is a further object of the invention to provide, in a capsule as aforesaid, a cap which is appropriately moulded so as to be engageable over the open end of an associated body and sealingly engaged therewith without any substantial deformation ofeither the body open end or the cap.

To meet the foregoing and other as yet unspecified objects of the invention, there is provided a separation-resistant capsule comprising a body telescopically installed in a cap wherein the body has an external sealing zone and a portion of the interior surface of the cap has a conformingly tapered sealing zone engageable by the aforesaid body sealing zone to effect a sealing band of interengagement therebetween when the two parts are assembled together.

Other objects of the invention, more or less broad than the foregoing will become apparent from the hereinafter following description of the parts, principles and elements of the invention given herein solely by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like prints throughout the several views and wherein:

FIG. I is a side elevational view of the body and cap constituting the instant capsule;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the body and cap fully assembled together;

FIGS. 3 and 3A are axially divided side cross-sectional views showing two dispositions of the body relative to the cap prior to their full assembly together, and

FIGS. 4 and 4A are axially divided side cross-sectional views showing an intermediate assembly form and the full assembled form of the body and cap. A separation-resistant capsule constructed in accordance with the invention and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings is comprised of an elongated body B telescopically installable within an elongated cap C; the two parts conveniently being moulded of a hard gelatin for the purpose of receiving a pharmaceutical preparation therein to be taken as an oral medication.

In accordance with the invention, the body B and cap C are each provided with

sealing zones

10 and 12 respectively, the body sealing zone 10 being external of the body and the cap sealing zone 12 being internal of the cap; said

zones

10 and 12 being conformingly tapered and dimensioned to mate with each other and form a broad sealing band S when the body B is fully installed in the cap C. Said broad sealing band S is shown in FIG. 2 and in the right-hand half of FIG. 4 of the drawings and it should be appreciated that this latter illustration, together with FIG. 3, is drawn on a somewhat exaggerated scale in order to illustrate more clearly the conforming tapers and dimensions of the body B and cap C.

It should be observed at this juncture that this sealing band S, which is desired to be substantially hermetic, is only achieved when the two capsule parts are fully engaged one with another and the two said

sealing zones

10 and 12 are matingly engaged; this condition normally being fulfilled after the capsule has been filled. In common with certain prior art capsules, it is also desired to provide an initial installed position of the body B within the cap C (as shown in dotted outline in the left-hand half of FIG. 4) wherein the two parts are easily separable prior to filling. There is generally no need or necessity for any sealing of the body B to the cap C in this said initial position, which is only provided for ease of partial assembly of the body and the cap during transportation or storage of the two parts prior to filling.

The moulding of the constituent parts of the capsule, namely the body B and the cap C, may be carried out in conventional manner on appropriately shaped moulding pins. Such pins, which are generally formed of steel, are usually dipped into a liquid gelatin preparation and then withdrawn to leave the adhering film of gelatin to harden and set about the pin. After moulding, the body B of the instant capsule is comprised of a thin shell of an internally and externally tapered elongated tubular configuration which is cut to a predetermined length after being stripped from its moulding pin. As will be apparent, such body is provided with a domed closed end 14 and an open end 16 and both the interior and exterior surfaces of the body B are continuously tapered from the closed end 14 to the open end 16. The aforesaid sealing zone 10 on the body B is conveniently provided and constituted by a portion of the external sidewall of the body at orclosely adjacent its open end 16; such zone 10 extending axially of the body B for a short distance away from the open end 16.

Similarly, after moulding, the instant cap C is basically comprised of an elongated tubular member cut to a predetermined length after being stripped from its moulding pin. The cap is also fonned as a thin shell having corresponding degrees and dimensions of taper on both its internal and external surfaces and is formed with a domed closed end 18 and an open end 20. However, the cap C is tapered to flare towards the closed end of the cap to provide the internal sealing zone 12 as aforesaid which is conformingly tapered and dimensioned to mate with the said sealing zone 10 provided on the external surface of the body B.

The cap C is further provided with askirt 22 which extends from the sealing zone 12 to its open end 20, the skirt 22 flaring towards the open end 20 and providing an internal constriction 24 in the cap C at the juncture of the skirt 22 and the sealing zone 12.

The maximum external diameter of the body sealing zone 10 must obviously be selected to be less than the internal diameter of the open end 20 of the cap C but to exceed the internal diameter of the said constriction 24 in the cap whereby, when the body is telescopically installed in the cap after filling, the two aforesaid sealing zones 10-12 may be brought into mating engagement with one another to form a broad substantially hermetic sealing band S therebetween.

As illustrated herein, the skirt 22 in the cap C is differentially flared in two discrete portions between the constriction 24 and the open end 20 of the cap C, the degree of flaring being greater in the portion 26 adjacent the constriction 24 than in the portion adjacent the open end 20 of the cap. The said greater flared portion 26 of the skirt provides means whereby the body B may be installed in its aforesaid initial position in the cap C prior to filling and, as illustrated in FIG. 4, such greater flared portion 26 constitutes an impingement or abutment for the open end 16 of the body B providing the required easily separable initial installation of the body B within the cap C as aforesaid.

It will be appreciated that it is normally required for the capsule manufacturer to ship the capsules empty to the pharmaceutical manufacturer or distributor for subsequent filling by automatic machinery, to which end the body B is installable in the aforesaid initial position within the cap C. lt is evident, however, that, although these constituent parts of the capsule must be readily separable from this initially installed position, they must not be so loosely assembled that they would come apart during storage or transportation to which end the initial installed position, as illustrated in dotted outline in the lefthand half of FIG. 4, permits the rim of the body open end 16 to be slightly deformed as it abuts against the said greater flared portion 26 of the cap so that some frictional interengagement is obtained to effect retention of the two parts together.

After separation of the two parts and subsequent filling with, for example, a pharmaceutical preparation, the body B and cap C are then again engaged one with another but this time the cap is firmly pressed over the body until the rim of the body open end 16, and the cap adjacent the constriction 24, are sufficiently mutually deformed to permit the body open end 16 to pass the constriction 24 at which time the mating sealing zones l-l2 come into contact one with another. Such mutual deformation as aforesaid is indicated in the lefthand half of FIG. 4 of the drawings wherein the open end 16 of body B is deformed to the position shown in full line as it is pressed passed the constriction 24 in the cap C. Further axial pressure of the body B into the cap C will cause a frictional wedging interengagement between the two sealing zones 12 establishing a broad band S of substantially hermetic sealing between the two parts, as illustrated in the right-hand half of FIG. 4.

However, since the two sealing zones 10-12 are conformingly tapered and dimensioned to mate with each other, there will be no substantial deformation of either the body B or the cap C once the body open end 16 has passed the constriction 24 whereby no puckering of the two parts will occur and the substantially hermetic seal S may be easily attained. It will also be apparent that the provision of the sealing band S within the cap C beyond the constriction 24 will prevent any likelihood of separation of the two parts although even if some slight separation does occur after filling, the two parts will, by virtue of the broad band S of sealing, retain their sealing engagement whereby any danger of damage to the capsule contents b air pollution will be mitigated.

It Wll be appreciated that the hereinbefore described embodiments of the invention have been selected solely for the expository purposes hereof and should not be construed in a limiting sense; various modifications being readily suggestible to those skilled in the art and the true scope of the invention being restricted only by the claims hereinafter set forth.

What I claim is: l. A separation-resistant capsule comprising: a tubular body having an open end and a closed end; an external tapered sealing zone on said body adjacent its said open end, the diameter of said tapered zone increasing progressively towards said open end; a cap within which said body is telescopically installable having an open end and a closed end; an annular constriction in said cap intermediate its said open and closed ends; an internal tapered sealing zone in said cap intermediate its said constriction and closed end, the diameter of said tapered zone increasing progressively towards said closed end of the cap; said sealing zones being conformingly tapered and dimensioned to mate with each other and form a broad, substantially hermetic, tapered, seal when the body is fully telescopically installed in the cap, and a skirt on said cap extending from its said constriction to its said open end, said skirt flaring towards said open end, the maximum external diameter of the body sealing zone being less than the internal diameter of the open end of the cap but exceeding the internal diameter of said constriction. 2. A separation-resistant capsule as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said skirt is differentially flared in two discrete portions between said constriction and the open end of the cap, the degree of flaring being greater in the portion adjacent said constriction than in the portion adjacent the open end ofthe cap. 3. A separation-resistant capsule as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said sealing zone on said body extends to the rim of its said open end. 4. A separation-resistant capsule as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said body is externally tapered over its full length from its said open end to its said closed end; said body sealing zone being constituted by a portion of said tapered body.

Claims

1. A separation-resistant capsule comprising: a tubular body having an open end and a closed end; an external tapered sealing zone on said body adjacent its said open end, the diameter of said tapered zone increasing progressively towards said open end; a cap within which said body is telescopically installable having an open end and a closed end; an annular constriction in said cap intermediate its said open and closed ends; an internal tapered sealing zone in said cap intermediate its said constriction and closed end, the diameter of said tapered zone increasing progressively towards said closed end of the cap; said sealing zones being conformingly tapered and dimensioned to mate with each other and form a broad, substantially hermetic, tapered, seal when the body is fully telescopically installed in the cap, and a skirt on said cap extending from its said constriction to its said open end, said skirt flaring towards said open end, the maximum external diameter of the body sealing zone being less than the internal diameter of the open end of the cap but exceeding the internal diameter of said constriction.

2. A separation-resistant capsule as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said skirt is differentially flared in two discrete portions between said constriction and the open end of the cap, the degree of flaring being greater in the portion adjacent said constriction than in the portion adjacent the open end of the cap.

3. A separation-resistant capsule as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said sealing zone on said body extends to the rim of its said open end.

4. A separation-resistant capsule as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said body is externally tapered over its full length from its said open end to its said closed end; said body sealing zone being constituted by a portion of said tapered body.