Vial with optimized neck for improved side compression performance

Abstract

A glass container is provided having a glass tube with a first end and a second end and a glass bottom closing the second end. The glass tube has a longitudinal axis and has, in a direction from the first to the second end, a top region, a junction region, a neck region, a shoulder region, and a body region. The top region is at the first end and has an outer diameter (d t ), the neck region has an outer diameter (d n ) with d n <d t , the body region extends to the second end and has an outer diameter (d b ) with d b >d t , and the glass tube in the body region has a thickness (l b ). The outer contour in a transition area between the top and neck regions is defined by a radius of curvature. The glass containers have a neck squeeze test load of at least 1100 N.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A glass container, comprising:
 a glass tube having, in order along a longitudinal axis (L tube ), a first end, a top region, a junction region, a neck region, a shoulder region, a body region, and a second end, wherein the top region has an outer diameter (d t ), the neck region has an outer diameter (d n ) with d n <d t , the body region has an outer diameter (d b ) with d b >d t , and the glass tube in the body region has a thickness (l b ); and   a glass bottom closing the glass tube at the second end,   an area comprising the junction region and the neck region has an outer contour with a local curvature configured so that a test load applied at the neck region is at least 65% more than a comparative glass container without the local curvature and a side compression load applied at the body region is at least 16% more than the comparative glass container without the local curvature.   
     
     
         2 . The glass container of  claim 1 , wherein the test load applied at the neck region is at least 1100 N. 
     
     
         3 . The glass container of  claim 1 , wherein the test load applied at the neck region is at least 1800 N. 
     
     
         4 . The glass container of  claim 1 , wherein the test load applied at the neck region is at least 3000 N. 
     
     
         5 . The glass container of  claim 1 , wherein the glass container is a vial having an interior volume of 1 to 8 ml, and d n ≥9.7 mm, and r s ≥0.5 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The glass container of  claim 5 , wherein the vial has a size designation “2R” or “4R” according to DIN EN ISO 8362-1:2016-06. 
     
     
         7 . The glass container of  claim 1 , wherein the glass container is a vial with an interior volume of 8.5 to 22 ml, d n ≥15.5 mm, and r s ≥0.5 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The glass container of  claim 7 , wherein the vial has a size designation “6R”, “8R” or “10R” according to DIN EN ISO 8362-1:2016-06. 
     
     
         9 . The glass container of  claim 1 , wherein the glass container is a vial with an interior volume of 22.5 to 150 ml, d n ≥16.5 mm, and r s ≥0.5 mm. 
     
     
         10 . The glass container of  claim 9 , wherein the vial has a size designation “20R”, “25R”, “30R”, “50R” or “100R” according to DIN EN ISO 8362-1:2016-06. 
     
     
         11 . The glass container of  claim 1 , wherein, when an outer surface of the body region is placed on a plane horizontal substrate, within a cross-section of the glass container that is located in a plane centrically located in the glass container and comprising the longitudinal axis L tube , f(x) defines a distance between the plane horizontal substrate and the outer surface of the glass tube at a position x and l(x) defines a thickness of the glass tube at the position x, wherein the thickness of the glass tube l(x) is measured for the position x in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L tube , wherein wherein k(x)=|f″(x)/[1+f′(x) 2 ] 3/2 | defines an absolute value of a curvature of f(x) at a given position x; and
 wherein the local curvature in an interval between x=P 1  and x=P 2  for a concave curvature has a minimum value for [l(x)/l b ] 3 /k(x) that is at least 0.35 mm, wherein P 2  defines the x-position at which f(x) is ½×d b −¼×d t −¼×d n  and P 1  is P 2 −d t /2+d n /2. 
 
     
     
         12 . The glass container of  claim 11 , wherein the junction region has another outer surface where the junction region merges into the neck region that is substantially circular arc-shaped, the substantially circular arc-shaped area having an outer radius r s , wherein the glass tube has a minimum thickness l n  in the neck region, and wherein 2×[l n /l b ]×r s ≥0.9 mm. 
     
     
         13 . The glass container of  claim 12 , wherein l n /l b ≥1.4. 
     
     
         14 . The glass container of  claim 12 , wherein l n ×r s /l b ≥0.7 mm. 
     
     
         15 . The glass container of  claim 1 , further comprising a pharmaceutical composition in an interior volume of the glass tube and a closure closing the glass tube at the first end. 
     
     
         16 . The glass container of  claim 1 , wherein the shoulder region has a shoulder angle in a range from 10° to 70°. 
     
     
         17 . A plurality of glass containers, comprising:
 each glass container having a glass tube with a first end and a second end and having a glass bottom closing the glass tube at the second end,   wherein the glass tube has an outer surface, a longitudinal axis L tube  and has, in a direction from the first end to the second end, a top region, a junction region, a neck region, a shoulder region, and a body region,   wherein the top region is at the first end and has an outer diameter (d t ), the neck region has an outer diameter (d n ) with d n <d t , the body region extends to the second end and has an outer diameter (d b ) with d b >d t , and the glass tube in the body region has a thickness (l b ), and   wherein an area comprising the junction region and the neck region has an outer contour with a local curvature configured so that 50% of the glass containers withstand a neck squeeze test load of at least 1100 N.   
     
     
         18 . The plurality of glass containers of  claim 17 , wherein the local curvature is configured so that at least 75% of the glass containers in the plurality of glass containers fulfil a condition comprising:
 when an outer surface of the body region is placed on a plane horizontal substrate, within a cross-section of the glass container that is located in a plane centrically located in the glass container and comprising the longitudinal axis L tube , f(x) defines a distance between the plane horizontal substrate and the outer surface of the glass tube at a position x and l(x) defines a thickness of the glass tube at the position x, wherein the thickness of the glass tube l(x) is measured for the position x in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L tube ,   wherein k(x)=|f″(x)/[1+f′(x) 2 ] 3/2 | defines an absolute value of a curvature of f(x) at a given position x; and   wherein, in an interval between x=P 1  and x=P 2  for a concave curvature in the interval between x=P 1  and x=P 2 , a minimum value for [l(x)/l b ] 3 /k(x) is at least 0.35 mm, wherein P 2  defines the x-position at which f(x) is ½×d b −¼×d t −¼×d n  and P 1  is P 2 −d t /2+d n /2.   
     
     
         19 . The plurality of glass containers of  claim 18 , wherein the local curvature is configured so that at least 75% of the glass containers in the plurality of glass containers fulfil a condition comprising: the junction region has another outer surface where the junction region merges into the neck region that is substantially circular arc-shaped, the substantially circular arc-shaped area having an outer radius r s , wherein the glass tube has a minimum thickness l n  in the neck region, and wherein 2×[l n /l b ]×r s ≥0.9 mm. 
     
     
         20 . The plurality of glass containers of  claim 17 , wherein each of the glass containers in the plurality of glass containers further comprise a pharmaceutical composition in an interior volume of the glass tube and a closure closing the glass tube at the first end.