Packaging container of a contact lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10901236-B2
Application number	US-201916361824-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2019
Priority date	Mar 22, 2018
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

A packaging container ( 1 ) for a contact lens comprises a shell ( 2 ). The shell ( 2 ) comprises a cavity ( 10 ) having a drop-shaped perimeter ( 12 ), and a flange ( 20 ) having a flat upper surface ( 22 ) extending around the drop-shaped perimeter ( 12 ) of the cavity ( 10 ) in an upper surface plane ( 24 ). The cavity ( 10 ) comprises a bowl portion ( 30 ) including an at least partially spherical section ( 32 ) for accommodating the contact lens, and a chamfer portion ( 40 ) surrounding the bowl portion ( 30 ). The chamfer portion ( 40 ) is arranged between the bowl portion ( 30 ) and the drop-shaped perimeter ( 12 ) of the cavity ( 10 ) and includes a tapered outlet section ( 42 ) forming a tip towards the flange ( 20 ) to facilitate removal of the contact lens from the cavity ( 10 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A packaging container ( 1 ) for a contact lens, in particular for a silicone hydrogel contact lens, the packaging container ( 1 ) comprising a shell ( 2 ), wherein the shell ( 2 ) comprises:
a cavity ( 10 ) having a drop-shaped perimeter ( 12 ), and
a flange ( 20 ) having a flat upper surface ( 22 ) extending around the drop-shaped perimeter ( 12 ) of the cavity ( 10 ) in an upper surface plane ( 24 ),
wherein the cavity ( 10 ) comprises:
a bowl portion ( 30 ) including an at least partially spherical section ( 32 ) for accommodating the contact lens, and
a chamfer portion ( 40 ) surrounding the bowl portion ( 30 ) and being arranged between the bowl portion ( 30 ) and the drop-shaped perimeter ( 12 ) of the cavity ( 10 ), wherein the chamfer portion ( 40 ) includes a tapered outlet section ( 42 ) forming a tip towards the flange ( 20 ) to facilitate removal of the contact lens from the cavity ( 10 ).

2. The packaging container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the bowl portion ( 30 ) further includes a ramp section ( 34 ) tapering away from the at least partially spherical section ( 32 ) towards the tapered outlet section ( 42 ) of the chamfer portion ( 40 ).

3. The packaging container ( 1 ) according to claim 2 , wherein a transition ( 38 ) between the ramp section ( 34 ) of the bowl portion ( 30 ) and the outlet section ( 42 ) of the chamfer portion ( 40 ) is at least partially edgeless.

4. The packaging container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein a transition ( 36 ) between the at least partially spherical section ( 32 ) of the bowl portion ( 30 ) and a section of the chamfer portion ( 40 ) other than the outlet section ( 42 ) has an edge.

5. The packaging container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the at least partially spherical section ( 32 ) of the bowl portion ( 30 ) extends across an azimuthal angular range (ϕ) of at least 180° around a center axis (Z) of the at least partially spherical section ( 32 ), the center axis (Z) extending perpendicular to the upper surface plane ( 24 ) through the center of the at least partially spherical section ( 32 ).

6. The packaging container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the chamfer portion ( 40 ) is angled with respect to the upper surface plane ( 24 ) of the flange ( 20 ) by an inclination angle (α) in the range of 20° and 45°.

7. The packaging container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least in a section ( 44 ) other than the tapered outlet section ( 42 ) the chamfer portion ( 40 ) is angled with respect to the upper surface plane ( 24 ) of the flange ( 20 ) by an inclination angle (α) in the range of 25° and 45°.

8. The packaging container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein in the tapered outlet section ( 42 ) the chamfer portion ( 40 ) is angled with respect to the upper surface plane ( 24 ) of the flange ( 20 ) by an inclination angle in the range of 20° and 45°.

9. The packaging container ( 1 ) according to claim 5 , wherein at least in a section ( 44 ) of the chamfer portion ( 40 ) other than the tapered outlet section ( 42 ), the chamfer portion ( 40 ) is straight-lined in a cross-sectional plane including the center axis (Z) of the at least partially spherical section ( 32 ).

10. The packaging container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein in the tapered outlet section ( 42 ) the chamfer portion ( 40 ) is straight-lined in a cross-sectional plane including the center axis (Z) of the at least partially spherical section ( 32 ).

11. The packaging container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the chamfer portion ( 40 ) has a maximum depth (D) in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface plane ( 24 ) which is in the range of 1 mm and 2.5 mm.

12. The packaging container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least along a perimeter of the at least partially spherical section ( 32 ) of the bowl portion ( 30 ) the chamfer portion ( 40 ) has a radial width (W) in a direction parallel to the upper surface plane ( 24 ) which is in the range of 1 mm and 2.5 mm.

13. The packaging container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least along a perimeter of the at least partially spherical section ( 32 ) of the bowl portion ( 30 ) the chamfer portion ( 40 ) has a constant radial width (W) parallel to the upper surface plane ( 24 ).

14. The packaging container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein a radius of the at least partially spherical section ( 32 ) of the bowl section is in the range of 7 mm and 9.5 mm.

15. The packaging container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , further comprising a cover foil configured to be sealingly attached to the shell ( 2 ) in a sealing zone on the upper surface ( 22 ) of the flange ( 20 ).

Assignees

• Alcon Inc

Inventors

• Schweizer Nils
• Breburda Kai
• Brinckmann Felix
• Cocora Gabriela
• Lomb Lukas

Classifications

• A45C11/005

  Contact lens cases (A45C11/046 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D2585/545

  Contact lenses · CPC title

• B65D81/22 Primary

  in moist conditions or immersed in liquids · CPC title

• G02C7/04 Primary

  Contact lenses for the eyes (disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00) · CPC title

• A45C11/046

  with contact lens holders · CPC title