Medical liquid container

Abstract

 A medical liquid bottle (1) has a recess (4) formed across its base (2). A plate-like hanger element (5) is disposed within, and across the recess (4) so as not to protrude beyond the flat end portion of the base (2), so that the bottle (1) can be positioned on a flat surface in the upright position. The hanger element (5) is formed with an aperture (6) which is in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the recess (4), the aperture (6) being engageable with a hook so as to suspend the bottle (1) in an inverted position.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a medical liquid container (or bottle) which is used to store and administer parenteral solutions such as dextrose or saline to a patient, and to dispence sterile liquids used in irrigating surgical wounds. In particular, the invention relates to a hanger structure for suspending a medical liquid container in a mouth-downwards position.

[0002] Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a typical prior art hanger system of a medical liquid bottle or container. As can be seen from Fig. 1, which is a perspective view of part of the known structure, a medical liquid bottle a made of a synthetic resin or plastics material is provided with a recess c in a base wall b thereof. An apertured suspension tab e is flexibly and integrally joined to the recess c substantially at the centre thereof. A notch d is formed in the base b of the bottle a, the notch being adapted to hold the suspension tab e when the tab is bent over so as to lie flat within the recess c. In this position, the bottle a can be stood upright on a flat surface on its base b without the tab e interfering with the flat surface. When the bottle a is to be suspended, the user simply pulls the tab e out from the notch d, and the bottle is ready for hanging. This known medial liquid bottle hanger structure, however, suffers inconveniences and shortcomings. In particular, when the bottle a is to be filled with a liquid in the upright position with its mouth facing upwards, the suspension tab e has first to be bent down into the holding notch d, since otherwise the bottle could not sit stabily in place. On the other hand, when the bottle a is to be used in the inverted position for the intended applications mentioned above, the suspension tab e must then be pulled out of engagement with the notch d so that the bottle can be suspended on a hook or the like. In other words, every time the bottle a is handled, the suspension tab e must be bent down or pulled out, as the case may be, imposing an extra job on the user. Moreover, a loose frictional engagement between the tab e and the notch d will often result, because the holding action of the notch is reduced by the elastic restoring force of the tab. In this case, the tab e interferes with a flat surface on which the bottle a is stood upright, and this can lead to the bottle being upset which makes the filling operation impossible, or causes the liquid to spill out wastefully. Furthermore, the provision of the separately-formed tab e at the recessed portion c, as well as formation of the notch d in the protuberant base b of the bottle a, requires a correspondingly increased number of fabrication steps, involving troublesome procedures in manufacture and inexpensive- ness of the finished product.

[0003] The aim of the invention is to provide an improved medical liquid container hanger structure which does not suffer from the disadvantages mentioned above.

[0004] The present invention provides a medical liquid container having a base provided with a hanger element by means of which the container can be suspended in a mouth-downwards position, the hanger element being provided within a recess formed in the base of the container, the base of the container having a flat end portion upon which the container can be stood upright on a flat surface, and the hanger element having an aperture formed therein, characterised in that the hanger element is disposed within the recess so as not to protrude beyond the plane of the flat end portion of the container base.

[0005] This medical liquid container has a hanger structure which requires no bending back or pulling out as was necessary with the known type of container. Thus, the container of the invention can be stood upright in a stable position, or can be suspended from a hook in the inverted position, without any preparatory operations. Moreover, the medical liquid container of the invention can be manufactured inexpensively.

[0006] Advantageously, the recess extends across the base of the container and is hollowed toward a centre line of the base of the container in a symmetrical manner, the hanger element being disposed within the recess so as to extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the recess, and the aperture being formed in alignment with said longitudinal axis.

[0007] Preferably, the hanger element is constituted by a bridge-like plate member.

[0008] The container may be made of a plastics material by a blow-moulding process, the hanger element being constituted by a flash formed simultaneously and integrally with the container base during the blow-moulding thereof.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment the base of the container is constituted by a pair of arcuate base portions positioned symmetrically on opposite sides of the recess.

[0010] A medical liquid bottle constructed in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to Figs. 2 to 6 of the accompanying drawings; in which:-

Fig. 2 is a part-sectional elevation of the bottle;

Fig. 3 is an underneath view of the bottle;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a part-sectional elevation showing the bottle in the mouth-downwards,suspended position; and,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the bottle in the mouth-downwards position.

[0011] Referring to Figs. 2 to 6 of the accompanying drawings, a medical liquid bottle 1 has a body provided with a pair of lateral protuberant base portions 2 of arcuate form. The base portions 2 are produced when a recess (or channel) 4 is formed so as to extend across the base of bottle 1 in one transverse direction. The base portions 2 have flat ends on which the bottle 1 can sit on a flat surface in the mouth-upwards position. The base of the recess 4 is progressively hollowed towards the centre of tbe bottle base from both lateral sides thereof, as can be seen clearly in Fig. 6. Flat offset portions 3 are contiguously formed between the recess 4 and the protuberant base portions 2 respectively. A bridge-like hanger element 5, in the form of an elongated thin plate, is integrally formed at the central portion of the base of the bottle 1, the hanger element extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the recess 4. An aperture 6 is formed in the hanger element 5 at the centre thereof, the aperture being provided for receiving a hook F, as shown in Fig. 5. It is to be noted that the free-edge 5a of the hanger element 5 should not protrude beyond the plane of the flat ends of the base portions 2, so as to ensure that the bottle 1 can sit stably on a flat surface in the inverted position. Moreover, the aperture 6 lies within the space defined by the recess 4, and in alignment with the longitudinal axis thereof.

[0012] The hanger element 5 can be readily formed by making use of a flash (or fin) which is usually produced in the base of the bottle 1 when the bottle is formed by a blow-moulding process. The aperture 6 can then be formed in the flash. In other words, the hanger element 5 can be formed integrally and simultaneously with the plastics bottle 1, without requiring any additional fabrication steps.

[0013] The bottle 1 described above can easily be stood upright in a very stable position on a flat surface such as a table surface T (see Fig. 2), without any preparatory manipulations (such as the bending back of the tab e as was necessary with the prior art bottle shown in Fig. 1), since the free edge 5a of the hanger element 5 does not reach the plane of the flat ends of the base portions 2. Moreover, when the bottle 1 is to be used, it can be hanged on the hook F in the inverted position by simply inserting the hook into the aperture 6 formed in the hanger element 5 (see Fig. 5) without any preparatory manipulation (such as the pulling out of the tab e as was necessary with the prior art bottle shown in Fig 1). In this connection, it is to be noted that the recess 4 can also serve as guide means for inserting the hook F into the aperture 6. This is because the base of the recess 4 is curved inwardly with a progressive inclination toward the centre of the base of the bottle 1. Moreover, since the aperture 6 is formed in the hanger element 5 which extends transversely of the longitudinal axis of the recess 4, the aperture is so oriented that the central axis of the aperture substantially coincides with the longitudinal axis of the recess. Thus, the hook F can be easily inserted into the aperture 6, simply by displacing the hook along the base of the recess 4.

[0014] It will be apparent that the bottle 1 described above with reference to Figs. 2 to 6 has a hanger structure which allows the bottle to be stood upright on a flat surface, or hanged on a hook in the mouth-downwards position. This is because the hanger element 5 having the aperture 6 formed therein is disposed within the recess 4 extending across the base of the bottle 1, and does not protrude beyond the base of the bottle. Moreover, this bottle 1 can be fabricated at a low cost because the bridge-like hanger element 5 can be formed simultaneously with the moulding of the bottle 1.

[0015] It will be appreciated that the bottle 1 described above with reference to Figs. 2 to 6 could be modified in a number of ways. For example, the hanger element 5 need not be integrally formed with the base of the bottle 1. Thus, a separately-formed hanger element 5 can be secured within the recess 4 by any suitable means. Morever, the size, location and shape of the aperture 6 can be different from that shown, provided that the hook F can be easily inserted therethrough so as to support the bottle 1 in the inverted position. It should be further mentioned that two or more apertures 6 can be provided in the hanger element 5, if necessary.

Claims

1. A medical liquid container (1) having a base (2) provided with a hanger element (5) by means of which the container (1) can be suspended in a mouth-downwards position, the hanger element (5) being provided within a recess (4) formed in the base (2) of the container (1), the base (2) of the container (1) having a flat end portion upon which the container (1) can be stood upright on a flat surface, and the hanger element (5) having an aperture (6) formed therein, characterised in that the hanger element (5) is disposed within the recess (4) so as not to protrude beyond the plane of the flat end portion of the container base (2).

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the recess (4) extends across the base (2) of the container (1) and is hollowed toward a centre line of the base (2) of the container (1) in a symmetrical manner, the hanger element (5) being disposed within the recess (4) so as to extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the recess (4), and the aperture (6) being formed in alingment with said longitudinal axis.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the hanger element (5) is constituted by a bridge-like plate member.

4. A container as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the container (1) is made of plastics material by a blow-moulding process, the hanger element (5) being constituted by a flash formed simultaneously and integrally with the container base (2) during the blow-moulding thereof.

5. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the base of the container (1) is constituted by a pair of arcuate base portions (2) positioned symmetrically on opposite sides of the recess (4).

6. An apparatus for suspending a liquid container at a bottom thereof, comprising a recess (4) formed in the bottom of said container (1), and a hanger element (5) having a hanging aperture (6) formed therein and disposed within said recess (4) so as not to protrude beyond the plane of the base (2) of said container at which said container is set on a flat surface in the upward position.

Drawing