Assembly nest for a pen injection device with locking function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11565036-B2
Application number	US-201816483626-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2018
Priority date	Feb 6, 2017
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

An assembly nest for transporting a tubular sub assembly of a drug delivery device on an automated production line, in which the tubular sub assembly includes a tubular body and a cap that is wider than the tubular body. The assembly nest includes a base against which a sub assembly of a drug delivery device is mountable to orientate said sub assembly in a predetermined position; and locking mechanism having a resilient member to urge the locking mechanism into one of: an unlocked position, in which a sub assembly of a drug delivery device can be mounted to the base; or a locked position, in which the locking mechanism engages a mounted sub assembly to retain it in its predetermined position on the base.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An assembly nest for transporting a sub assembly of a drug delivery device on an automated production line, wherein the sub assembly comprises a tubular body and a cap that is wider than the tubular body, the assembly nest comprising:
a base against which the sub assembly of the drug delivery device is mountable to orientate the sub assembly in a predetermined position; and
a locking mechanism having a resilient member to urge the locking mechanism into at least one of:
an unlocked position, in which the sub assembly of the drug delivery device can be mounted to the base; or
a locked position, in which the locking mechanism engages the sub assembly when it is mounted to the base to retain it in the predetermined position on the base;

wherein the locking mechanism comprises a locking pin having a gripping end that abuts the sub assembly when the sub assembly is mounted on the base and when the locking mechanism is in the locked position and is spaced from the sub assembly when the locking mechanism is in the unlocked position;
and wherein the resilient member comprises a coil spring arranged about the locking pin and arranged to urge the gripping end against the sub assembly when the sub assembly is mounted to the base.

2. The assembly nest according to claim 1 , comprising two symmetrically opposed locking pins.

3. An assembly nest for transporting a sub assembly of a drug delivery device on an automated production line, wherein the sub assembly comprises a tubular body and a cap that is wider than the tubular body, the assembly nest comprising:
a base against which the sub assembly of the drug delivery device is mountable to orientate the sub assembly in a predetermined position; and
a locking mechanism having a resilient member to urge the locking mechanism into at least one of:
an unlocked position, in which the sub assembly of the drug delivery device can be mounted to the base; or
a locked position, in which the locking mechanism engages the sub assembly when it is mounted to the base to retain it in its predetermined position on the base;

wherein the assembly nest further comprises an upper part and a lower part that are combinable with each other, wherein the lower part comprises the base, and wherein the upper part comprises the locking mechanism, the locking mechanism comprising resilient arms that depend from the upper part and that extend into contact with the sub assembly when it is mounted to the base and when the upper and lower parts are combined.

4. The assembly nest according to claim 3 , wherein the lower part comprises a wall that upstands around the base to define a receiving space into which the sub assembly of the drug delivery device is inserted when the sub assembly is mounted to the base, and wherein the wall comprises a protrusion that extends into the receiving space and is arranged so as to displace the resilient arms toward the sub assembly mounted to the base when the upper and lower parts are combined.

5. An assembly nest for transporting a sub assembly of a drug delivery device on an automated production line, wherein the sub assembly comprises a tubular body and a cap that is wider than the tubular body, the assembly nest comprising:
a base against which the sub assembly of the drug delivery device is mountable to orientate the sub assembly in a predetermined position; and
a locking mechanism having a resilient member to urge the locking mechanism into at least one of:
an unlocked position, in which the sub assembly of the drug delivery device can be mounted to the base; or
a locked position, in which the locking mechanism engages the sub assembly when it is mounted to the base to retain it in the predetermined position on the base;

wherein the locking mechanism comprises at least two resilient arms that extend either side of the base and a locking ring positionable over ends of the at least two resilient arms to retain the locking mechanism in the locked position, the at least two resilient arms being arranged so that when the locking mechanism is in the unlocked position, the at least two resilient arms extend outward of a space defined by a vertical projection of the base, the locking mechanism further comprising engaging portions that depend from upper edges of the at least two resilient arms and extend into said space when the locking mechanism is in the locked position.

6. The assembly nest according to claim 5 , wherein the locking ring is slideably arranged around the at least two resilient arms, and wherein sliding the locking ring along a length of the at least two resilient arms into the locked position causes the at least two resilient arms to move toward each other so as to engage the sub assembly when it is mounted on the base.

7. An assembly nest for transporting a sub assembly of a drug delivery device on an automated production line, wherein the sub assembly comprises a tubular body and a cap that is wider than the tubular body, the assembly nest comprising:
a base against which the sub assembly of the drug delivery device is mountable to orientate the sub assembly in a predetermined position; and
a locking mechanism having a resilient member to urge the locking mechanism into at least one of:
an unlocked position, in which the sub assembly of the drug delivery device can be mounted to the base; or
a locked position, in which the locking mechanism engages the sub assembly when it is mounted on the base to retain it in the predetermined position on the base;

the assembly nest further comprising:
an elongate receiving space for receiving the sub assembly defined by a vertical projection of an upper surface of the base; and
a support upstanding perpendicularly from the base having an alignment element at an upper end thereof that projects into the receiving space, such that, when the sub assembly is received in the receiving space, the cap abuts the base and the alignment element abuts the tubular body;
wherein the locking mechanism extends from the base opposite the support and comprises a fixation element that projects into the receiving space when the locking mechanism is in the locked position to clamp the tubular body of the sub assembly received therein between the alignment element and the fixation element.

8. The assembly nest according to claim 7 , wherein the locking mechanism is hingedly attached to the base, and wherein a push rod extends through the base and is mechanically coupled to the locking mechanism such that movement of the push rod effects movement of the locking mechanism between the locked and unlocked positions.

9. An assembly nest for transporting a sub assembly of a drug delivery device on an automated production line, wherein the sub assembly comprises a tubular body and a cap that is wider than the tubular body, the assembly nest comprising:
an elongate receiving space for receiving the sub assembly, a base surface and at least two bearing surfaces, wherein the elongate receiving space is defined by a vertical projection of the base surface, the bearing surfaces projecting inwardly into an interior of the vertical projection of the base surface and into the receiving space such that when the sub assembly is received in the receiving space, the cap abuts the base surface and the bearing surfaces abut opposing sides of the tubular body, wherein the bearing surfaces are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the receiving space and wherein a recess is provided opposite a lower bearing surface, the recess projecting outwardly away from the interior of the vertical projection of the base surface and away from the receiving space.

10. The assembly nest according to claim 9 , wherein an upper b

Assignees

• Sanofi Aventis Deutschland

Inventors

• Rau Matthias
• Huthmacher Winfried
• Braun Sebastian
• Schader Marc
• Janiak Markus
• Kneip Michael
• Baumeyer Martin
• Nober Peter

Classifications

• A61M5/344

  using additional parts, e.g. clamping rings or collets · CPC title

• A61M2005/3104

  Caps for syringes without needle · CPC title

• B65G47/52

  Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices (loading or unloading by means not incorporated in, or not operatively associated with, conveyors B65G65/00; transfer of workpieces during metal rolling B21B41/00) · CPC title

• B65G47/26

  arranging the articles, e.g. varying spacing between individual articles · CPC title

• A61M5/3202

  Devices for protection of the needle before use, e.g. caps (A61M5/50 takes precedence; for infusion spikes A61M5/1626; protectors for sharps A61B50/3001) · CPC title