Container for an automatic injector

Abstract

A container for an automatic injector provides safe, quick, and easy access to an automatic injector stored therein. The container includes tactile features that allow a user to easily determine the orientation of the container by feel alone. A hinged cap with an automatic spring assist feature allows a user to single-handedly open the container quickly and easily to remove the injector from the container without interference from the cap. The container is structured to receive the automatic injector needle end first and has a puncture resistant bottom to prevent the needle of the injector from piercing through the body wall of the container. The container also provides safe storage of a discharged automatic injector, with the hinged cap spring assist feature automatically closing the cap enough to prevent the discharged injector from falling out of the container.

1 . A container for receiving an automatic injector comprising:
 a cylindrically-oval shaped body having an open end and a closed end; and   a cap comprising a top portion, a bottom portion, and a hinge connecting the top and bottom portions, the bottom portion affixed to the open end of the body and the top portion sized and shaped to close the open end of the body, the hinge responding to an initial movement of the top portion by automatically moving the top portion farther in the same direction as the initial movement such that the top portion either does not interfere with removal of the automatic injector from the container or prevents the automatic injector from falling out of the container.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the hinge comprises a primary support and a secondary support, the hinge causing the top portion to automatically open to an angle of at least about 115° when the top portion is initially opened to an angle of about 85°-95°. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the hinge comprises a primary support and a secondary support, the hinge causing the top portion to automatically close to an angle of at least about 30° when the top portion is initially closed to an angle of about 75°-85°. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the cap has a vent hole. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the closed end comprises a base having a raised middle portion to resist puncture through the closed end by a needle. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the body has a pair of contoured areas positioned opposite each other on an exterior surface of the body, the pair of contoured areas sized and shaped to facilitate attachment to an attachment device. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the body has a pair of contoured areas positioned opposite each other on an exterior surface of the body, the pair of contoured areas sized and shaped to facilitate grasping of the container by hand. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the cap further comprises a pair of ridges on the inside top portion of the cap to engage the top of the automatic injector to push the injector, if necessary, into proper position within the container and to hold the injector in place while in the container. 
     
     
         9 . A container for receiving an automatic injector comprising:
 a cylindrically-shaped, enclosed hollow body having an open end and a closed opposite end, the open end sized to receive there through an automatic injector, the automatic injector having a needle end, the body sized and shaped to receive the automatic injector only needle end first; and   a cap comprising a top portion, a bottom portion, and a hinge connecting the top and bottom portions, the bottom portion affixed to the open end of the body and the top portion sized and shaped to close the open end, the hinge comprising a primary support and a secondary support, wherein the hinge:
 automatically opens the top portion to an angle of at least about 115° when the top portion is initially opened to an angle of about 85°-95°, and 
 automatically closes the top portion to an angle of at least about 30° when the top portion is initially closed to an angle of about 75°-85°. 
   
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 9  wherein the closed end comprises a base having a raised middle portion to resist puncture through the closed end by a needle. 
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 9  wherein the cap has a vent hole. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 9  wherein the body has a pair of contoured areas positioned opposite each other on an exterior surface of the body, the pair of contoured areas sized and shaped to facilitate attachment to an attachment device. 
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 12  wherein the attachment device holds two of the containers together. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 9  wherein the body has a pair of contoured areas positioned opposite each other on an exterior surface of the body, the pair of contoured areas sized and shaped to facilitate grasping of the container by hand. 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 9  wherein the body is cylindrically-oval shaped to prevent or inhibit the container from rolling on a slightly inclined surface. 
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 9  wherein the cap further comprises a pair of ridges on the inside top portion of the cap to engage the top of the automatic injector to push the injector, if necessary, into proper position within the container and to hold the injector in place while in the container. 
     
     
         17 . A container for receiving an automatic injector comprising:
 a cylindrically-shaped, enclosed hollow body having an open end and an opposite end, the open end sized to receive there through an automatic injector, the automatic injector having a needle end, the body sized and shaped to receive the automatic injector only needle end first, the body also having:
 a longitudinal rib extending along an interior surface of the body to guide an automatic injector inserted needle end first into and out of the body, 
 a first pair of contoured areas positioned opposite each other on an exterior surface of the body, the first pair of contoured areas sized and shaped to facilitate attachment to an attachment device, and 
 a second pair of contoured areas positioned opposite each other on the exterior surface of the body, the second pair of contoured areas sized and shaped to facilitate grasping of the container by hand; and 
   a cap comprising a top portion, a bottom portion, and a hinge connecting the top and bottom portions, the bottom portion affixed to the open end of the body and the top portion sized and shaped to close the open end of the body, the cap having a front and a back, the hinge located on the back of the cap, the front bottom portion of the cap extending farther along the body in a direction toward the opposite end than the back bottom portion of the cap.   
     
     
         18 . The container of  claim 17  wherein the first pair of contoured areas are positioned on the exterior surface somewhat higher than midway between the open and opposite ends of the body. 
     
     
         19 . The container of  claim 17  wherein the second pair of contoured areas are positioned on the exterior surface proximal the opposite end of the body. 
     
     
         20 . The container of  claim 17  wherein at least a portion of the body is transparent or translucent. 
     
     
         21 . The container of  claim 17  wherein the body inhibits transmission there through of at least some wavelengths of ultraviolet light. 
     
     
         22 . The container of  claim 17  wherein the container is formed from a polymer or a polyester. 
     
     
         23 . The container of  claim 17  wherein the opposite end of the body has a thicker body wall than the body wall of the remaining portion of the body to resist puncture through the opposite end by a needle. 
     
     
         24 . The container of  claim 17  wherein the opposite end of the body comprises a base having a raised middle portion to resist puncture by a needle through the opposite end. 
     
     
         25 . The container of  claim 17  wherein the body is cylindrically-oval shaped to prevent or inhibit the container from rolling on a slightly inclined surface. 
     
     
         26 . The container of  claim 17  wherein the cap provides for repeated opening and closing of the open end of the body. 
     
     
         27 . The container of  claim 17  wherein the cap has a vent hole. 
     
     
         28 . The container of  claim 17  wherein the cap further comprises a ridge located on the front top portion of the cap and a groove located on the front bottom portion of the cap, the ridge operative to snap-fit into the groove. 
     
     
         29 . The container of  claim 17  wherein the front bottom portion of the cap has a contoured area to facilitate tactile identification of the front of the cap. 
     
     
         30 . The container of  claim 17  wherein the open end of the body extends beyond the bottom portion of the cap toward the top portion of the cap. 
     
     
         31 . The container of  claim 17  wherein the hinge comprises a primary support and a secondary support, the hinge automatically opening the top portion to an angle of at least about 115° when the top portion is initially opened to an angle of about 85°-95°. 
     
     
         32 . The container of  claim 17  wherein the hinge comprises a primary support and a secondary support, the hinge automatically closing the top portion to an angle of at least about 30° when the top portion is initially closed to an angle of about 75°-85°. 
     
     
         33 . The container of  claim 17  wherein the hinge comprises a primary support and a secondary support, the hinge automatically closing the top portion to an almost-closed position that prevents the injector from falling out of the container in response to the top portion having been initially partially moved toward the closed position. 
     
     
         34 . The container of  claim 17  wherein the cap further comprises a pair of ridges on the inside top portion of the cap to engage the top of the automatic injector to push the injector, if necessary, into proper position within the container and to hold the injector in place while in the container. 
     
     
         35 . An automatic injector kit comprising:
 an automatic injector;   a container for receiving and enclosing therein the automatic injector, and   an attachment device comprising an S-shaped clip having a first section, a middle section, and a second section, the first and middle sections sized, shaped, and spaced apart to securely hold the container between the first and middle sections, and the middle and second sections sized, shaped, and spaced apart to securely hold the container between the middle and second sections; wherein:   the container is securely held between the first and middle section or the middle and second section.   
     
     
         36 . The automatic injector kit of  claim 35  wherein the container is as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         37 . The automatic injector kit of  claim 35  wherein the container is as claimed in  claim 9 . 
     
     
         38 . The automatic injector kit of  claim 35  wherein the container is as claimed in  claim 17 . 
     
     
         39 . The automatic injector kit of  claim 35  wherein:
 the container has a body having a pair of contoured areas positioned opposite each other on an exterior surface of the body, the pair of contoured areas sized and shaped to facilitate attachment to the attachment device; and   the first section of the attachment device engages one of the pair of contoured areas and the middle section engages the other of the pair of contoured areas.   
     
     
         40 . The automatic injector kit of  claim 35  further comprising a second container wherein the S-shaped clip securely holds both the first and second containers simultaneously, the first container securely held between the first and middle sections, and the second container securely held between the middle and second sections. 
     
     
         41 . The automatic injector kit of  claim 40  wherein:
 the second container has a body having a pair of contoured areas positioned opposite each other on an exterior surface of the body, the pair of contoured areas sized and shaped to facilitate attachment to the attachment device; and   the middle section of the attachment device engages one of the pair of contoured areas on the second container and the second section engages the other of the pair of contoured areas on the second container.   
     
     
         42 . The automatic injector kit of  claim 40  wherein the first and second containers are held in the S-shaped clip such that both containers are positioned right side up. 
     
     
         43 . The automatic injector kit of  claim 40  wherein the first and second containers are held in the S-shaped clip such that each container is positioned upside down with respect to the other. 
     
     
         44 . The automatic injector kit of  claim 40  wherein the first and second containers are held in the S-shaped clip such that each container faces a direction opposite the other container. 
     
     
         45 . The automatic injector kit of  claim 40  wherein the first and second containers are held in the S-shaped clip such that each container faces the same direction as the other container.