WO2015132506A1

WO2015132506A1 - Assembly for packaging, storing and dispensing gas, in particular medical quality oxygen

Info

Publication number: WO2015132506A1
Application number: PCT/FR2015/050458
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hélène CARLUS; Andre COUTTO; Pierre de Villemeur; Glenn VAN INGELGEM
Original assignee: Air Liquide Sante (International); Air Liquide Sante Services
Priority date: 2014-03-07
Filing date: 2015-02-26
Publication date: 2015-09-11
Also published as: FR3018339B1; EP3114392A1; FR3018339A1

Abstract

The invention concerns an assembly (1, 2) for packaging, storing and dispensing gas comprising a protective packaging (1) comprising a bottom (3), a cover (4) and a series of sidewalls (5a-5d) together defining an inner chamber (6), said sidewalls (5a-5d) being located between the bottom (3) and the cover (4), and a gas container (2) provided with a valve block (7) positioned inside the inner chamber (6) of the protective packaging (1), the whole of the gas container (2) and the valve block (7) being covered and protected by the protective packaging (1). A separating wall (15) is arranged inside the inner compartment (6), between the gas container (2) and the cover (4), said separation wall (15) dividing the inner chamber (6) into a lower sub-chamber (6b) containing the gas container (2), and an upper sub-chamber (6a) lying over the lower sub-chamber (6a). Use of the assembly of the invention for packaging and dispensing oxygen, in particular medical oxygen.

Description

Set of conditioning, storage and distribution of gas

The present invention relates to a gas conditioning, storage and distribution assembly comprising a protective packaging comprising an internal compartment in which is arranged a gas container, such as a gas cylinder, equipped with a valve block, the entire gas container and valve block being covered and protected by the protective packaging.

The conditioning, storage and distribution of gases, in particular medical gases, is conventionally done by means of gas containers, such as gas cylinders, also called cylinders or cylinders, equipped with a valve block, with or without integrated regulator , used to control the passage or flow of gas, that is to say the gas outlet of the container.

For reasons of cleanliness and hygiene, it is sometimes necessary to protect the gas container and its faucet block against dirt, dust ... This is particularly the case when the container is used in a medical environment or health but also in the fields of electronics (clean rooms), Γ agro-food, analysis ....

To this end, the document EP-A-1278987 proposes to cover the body of the gas cylinder and the protective cowling fitted to the gas cylinder and protecting the valve block, an overwrap, such as a sheet of polymer or the like coming from marry the surfaces to be protected.

However, this type of protective packaging is not sufficient to protect the container against shocks.

In an attempt to remedy this problem, documents EP-A-1643182 and US-A-

4,967,923 propose to arrange a rigid shell, typically made of plastic, around all or part of the gas bottle.

The solution of EP-A-1643182 is not ideal because it is of complex design, so much more expensive, since the protective shell is formed of several elements or sub-parts to attach to each other. In addition, it is not necessarily well suited to large bottles because of the overweight that engenders the apposition of a large rigid shell around the bottle and handling difficulties that may result. The US-A-4,967,923 solution gives rise to similar problems.

An alternative is proposed by US-A-5,253,760 which teaches the incorporation of a small gas bottle into a portable bag comprising a lower sleeve to marry the body of the bottle, and an upper cap completely covering the valve block.

However, again, the solution is not ideal because to use the gas, it is necessary to remove the cap and the upper part of the bottle and the valve block are no longer protected. In addition, this type of packaging does not protect enough against shocks. Finally, the reading of the pressure indicated by the pressure gauge of the valve block is not practical because the manometer is partly masked by the lower sleeve.

In addition, because of their shapes, bottles equipped with this type of packaging tend to roll when they are placed on the ground. This can be a serious problem when being transported by vehicle, as a rolling bottle can be impacted and deteriorate or deteriorate the vehicle or other devices or bottles in the vicinity.

Finally, most of these known packages do not make it possible to store and protect the accessories used for administering the gas to patients, such as one or more respiratory masks and plastic tubes.

US-A-4,940,049 also teaches a parallelepipedal protective packaging comprising an internal compartment which is inserted a gas cylinder equipped with a valve block. The gas bottle and faucet block are completely covered and protected by the protective packaging. A sub-compartment provided with a pivoting lid is arranged against the front wall of the package so as to take the gas bottle and the valve block sandwiched between an inner vertical wall of this subcompartment and the rear wall of the container. 'packaging. The valve block is provided with a downward gas outlet fitting which is connected to a mask via a pipe which passes through the horizontal wall forming the bottom of the subcompartment.

Such a packaging has significant drawbacks, namely in particular not to give access to the valve outlet fitting, so if the pipe connects said connector, the user can not easily reattach it because it is hidden by the inner vertical wall compartment, and furthermore, the sub-compartment being arranged in front of the packaging, it can only be very limited depth because otherwise the overall size of this packaging would be too important, which greatly limits the amount and the dimensions of the accessories that can be stored there.

In addition, US-A-4722333 discloses a protective packaging comprising a single compartment, in which are inserted three gas bottles supplying the same gas supply valve. This packaging does not allow the storage of accessories. Finally, US-A-4,621,633, EP-A-2574361 and FR-A-2716951 disclose, in a very general manner, other types of packaging or devices for protecting gas cylinders. However, these have various disadvantages and limitations.

In view of this, the problem that arises is to propose a set of packaging, storage and distribution of gas formed of a protective packaging and a gas cylinder with valve block that does not have the aforementioned problems, in particular :

that is simple in design and low cost,

- whose protective packaging ensures a good protection of the bottle it contains against shocks and dirt

that can be stored and transported easily, especially that can be stacked and does not roll on the ground,

which can be used with any type of bottle, including bottles having a height (bottle and tap included) less than 120 cm, typically less than 60 cm, typically between about 49 and 52 cm.

which is well suited for use in the medical and health field, allows storage of accessories for administering the gas to a patient.

The solution of the invention is then a set of conditioning, storage and distribution of gas comprising:

a protective packaging comprising a bottom, a cover and successive lateral walls defining between them an internal compartment, said side walls extending between the bottom and the cover, that is to say that the side walls join the bottom at the lid, and

a gas container, such as a gas cylinder, equipped with a valve block fixed to the neck of said container, said container being positioned inside the inner compartment of the protective packaging, the entire gas container and the valve block being covered and protected by the protective packaging,

and wherein a partition wall is arranged inside the inner compartment, between the gas container and the lid,

characterized in that

the dividing wall divides the internal compartment into a lower sub-compartment containing the gas container, and an upper sub-compartment overlying the lower sub-compartment, and - The partition wall comprises an opening surrounding at least a portion of the valve block or the neck of the container.

As the case may be, the whole of the invention may comprise one or more of the following technical characteristics:

- The neck of the container comprises the gas outlet port for extracting the gas from the container.

- The valve block is fixed to the neck of the container by screwing or the like.

the valve block is fixed via its lower end, that is to say its base, to the neck of the container.

the protective packaging has a polygonal section, preferably square or rectangular.

- the protective packaging has a square section and has 4 side walls.

- The partition wall comprises an opening, preferably a central opening, that is to say located in the center or approximately in the center of the partition wall.

- The peripheral contour of the partition wall at least a portion of the inner surface of the side walls of the protective packaging.

- The partition wall has a polygonal shape, preferably a square or rectangular shape.

the partition wall is a plate.

the partition wall is a plate having a thickness of less than 4 cm.

the partition wall is a square-shaped side plate having a length L preferably less than 50 cm.

the partition wall comprises lateral flanges, that is to say a peripheral contour, extending to the internal surface of the side walls.

- The partition wall is arranged perpendicularly or substantially perpendicular to the side walls, that is to say parallel to the bottom.

- The partition wall comprises lateral flanges that marry the inner surface of several of said side walls.

- The lateral flanges are supported on the inner surface of said side walls of the protective packaging.

- The side edges of the partition wall are fixed or secured to the inner surface of said side walls of the protective packaging, for example glued.

- The side flanges project along the inner surface of the package upwards, that is to say in the direction of the lid. the lateral flanges line all or part of the periphery of the partition wall.

the lateral flanges have a height H of between 1 and 10 cm, typically between 2 and 5 cm.

- The lateral flanges are formed by folding the peripheral edge of the partition wall, that is to say at its 4 sides.

- The valve block of the gas container comprises a gas outlet fitting projecting upwards, that is to say towards the lid. Preferably the gas outlet fitting is arranged at the upper end of the valve block.

- The gas outlet fitting protrudes into the upper compartment through the opening of the partition wall. In this case, the valve block is located in the lower subcompartment, with the exception of the outlet fitting which passes through the opening of the partition wall and emerges in the upper subcompartment.

alternatively and preferably, the valve block is fixed by the lower end to the neck of the gas container, the opening of the partition wall then encircle either the valve block at its lower end, or the collar of the container. In other words, in this case, the valve block is wholly or almost entirely located in the upper subcompartment.

- The protective packaging comprises a first opening, that is to say a cutout, arranged in one of the side walls.

the protective packaging comprises a first opening made in one of the side walls of the package, and the valve block furthermore comprises a pressure indicating device, such as a manometer, situated opposite the first opening so as to allowing the user to view said pressure indicating device through said first opening. Alternatively, the valve block can be equipped with a gas autonomy indicator device that is positioned in front of the first opening, or even in front of another dedicated opening.

- The pressure indicator device is a manometer, whether electronic or needle.

- The cover is pivotable relative to one of the side walls of the package.

- The cover includes the entire upper end wall forming the roof of the package.

- The upper end wall forming the roof of the package is further the upper wall or ceiling of the upper sub-compartment. - The partition wall further constitutes the bottom wall or floor of the upper subcompartment.

- The upper sub-compartment is defined by the upper end wall forming the roof of the package, the partition wall and the side walls forming the body of the package.

- The upper subcompartment overcomes the lower sub-compartment and its bottom which is formed by the partition wall extends over the entire inner section of the package between the side walls.

- The protective packaging includes precuts arranged in several of the side walls.

at least one precut is a precut line.

at least one precut line has an arcuate shape.

alternatively, at least one precut line is rectilinear.

- it includes several precut lines.

- According to a preferred embodiment, before any use of the package, the lid is secured to several of the side walls of the package but is adapted to be detached from said side walls of the package, after rupture by the user one or more precut lines.

the packaging comprises one or more wall parts or one or more detachable removable panels arranged in one or more of the side walls of the package, preferably detachable after breaking of one or more precut lines.

- Precut lines to delimit a first removable panel and a second removable panel, which are both located on the front of the package.

the first removable panel and the second removable panel comprise one or more common precut lines.

the first removable panel is at least partially nested in the second removable panel.

- Precut lines defining the first and / or the second removable panel are arranged at the vertical edges of the body of the package.

- Precut lines defining the first and / or the second removable panel are arranged away from the edges, that is to say in the front of the package. - The first and second removable panels can take different convex or concave shapes, including a rectangular shape, square, circular, triangular, elliptical or any other shape.

- The first removable panel has smaller dimensions than the second removable panel.

- The first removable panel has dimensions corresponding approximately to the width and thickness of a hand of an adult person, or slightly larger dimensions.

- When the first use of the package, the user exerts a force, that is to say a pressure or thrust, on the outer surface of the first removable panel, which will cause the rupture of at least a portion pre-cut lines delimiting the first removable panel thereby freeing an opening in the front of the package corresponding to the area occupied by the first removable panel.

- After detachment of the first removable panel, the user is able to introduce his hand and to grip the second panel by pulling it, that is to say by exerting traction towards the user, to detach in turn the body of the packaging, along the precut lines.

- After detachment of the first removable panel and / or the second removable panel, the user is able to grip the front edge of the lid and exert a force to detach in turn the body of the package, along the lines pre-cut.

alternatively, the protective packaging comprises a second opening, that is to say a cutout, and at least one precut made in at least one of said sidewalls, said at least one precut extending into said at least one side wall from the second opening so as to allow a user to at least partially dissociate a portion of said wall by breaking said wall along said at least one precut.

- The wall portion that can be detached from the rest of the wall by breaking the precuts or precuts, especially pre-cut lines, forms a pivoting flap carried by one of the walls of the protective packaging.

the second opening is dimensioned to allow the user to introduce at least one finger so as to be able to grip the part of wall that can be detached and to exert a pulling force to cause a break along the precuts or precuts .

the valve block comprises an activation member, such as an activation handle, operable by the user to release the gas. Alternatively, the faucet block comprises a lever or a rotating handwheel manually actuated by the user, as activation member.

the activation member, in particular an activation handle, can be gripped manually by the user through the second opening, after separation of said wall portion by breaking said at least one precut, when the tap is located under the partition wall, that is to say in the lower sub-compartment.

the valve block is of the type with integrated pressure reducer (or RDI).

- The bottom and the cover of the protective packaging are integral with at least one of said side walls.

- The bottom, the cover and the side walls are formed in one piece, for example by cutting within a single plate.

the lid is pivotally attached to one of the walls.

- The cover rotates angularly between a "fully closed" position in which it completely closes the inner compartment and the upper sub-compartment thus prohibiting access to the interior of the upper sub-compartment, and opening positions in which it is angularly offset from the "fully closed" position so as to allow access to the upper sub-compartment and more generally to the inside of the protective packaging.

- According to a first embodiment, the lid comprises a front flap, preferably formed by folding.

- At least one of the side walls has a side flap, preferably two facing opposite walls each have a side flap.

- The side wall carrying the pivoting cover is located between the side walls carrying a side flap.

- Each side flap is pivotally attached to a wall.

- Each side flap is folded and positioned under the cover when said lid is closed.

- According to a second embodiment, the cover is formed by the upper end wall or roof of the package and by portions of the side walls of the package.

- The lid is pivotally movable relative to the rear wall of the body of the package, the pivoting being effected around the hinge located at the intersection of the lid and the rear wall of the body of the package, c ' that is, at the separation edge of the upper end wall and the rear wall.

- the lid forms a pivoting cap. - When the package is closed, that is to say before its first use, the lid is secured to the rest of the package and there are provided pre-cut lines arranged in the front of the package and two of its opposite side faces which are integral with the front face of the package via their common edges. A rupture of the package along these precut lines allows to separate, that is to say to release, the cover which can then rotate around the hinge.

the protective packaging and / or the partition wall are made of polypropylene or any other similar material.

it comprises a flexible conduit, such as a polymer pipe, and a respiratory interface, such as a respiratory mask, said flexible conduit and said respiratory interface being arranged in the upper subcompartment.

- the flexible duct is connected to the outlet fitting of the valve block.

the gas container is a gas bottle, that is to say a gas cylinder typically having a cylindrical shape.

The invention also relates to the use of an assembly according to the invention for conditioning, storing or dispensing a gas, preferably a medical gas, in particular oxygen, in particular oxygen, especially oxygen from oxygen. medical quality.

The invention will now be better understood thanks to the following detailed description, given by way of illustration but without limitation, with reference to the appended figures among which:

- Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of an assembly according to the invention where we see the gas bottle out of the protective packaging,

FIG. 2 represents a partial view from above of the assembly of FIG. 1 in which the gas bottle positioned inside the protective packaging is seen,

3 represents a diagrammatic side and sectional view of the protective packaging of the assembly of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 represents a second embodiment of an assembly according to the invention in which the protective packaging is shown closed, and

- Figure 5 shows a partial view of the package of Figure 4 shown with cover in the open position.

The invention relates to a set 1, 2 for packaging, storage and distribution of gas, in particular medical gases, typically oxygen.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, this assembly comprises, according to a first embodiment, a protective packaging 1 and a gas container 2, typically a gas cylinder, equipped with a valve block 7 to control the gas distribution, that is to say its exit from the bottle 2 via the valve block 7.

The package 1 here comprises a bottom 3 located at its base, a cover 4 located at the top and forming a roof, and four successive side walls 5a-5d located between the bottom 3 and the cover 4, and defining between them a compartment internal 6 of polygonal section, namely here square.

In other words, the package 1 has a shape of parallelepiped box preferably having a height less than 150 cm, and a width (side) less than 60 cm.

The fact of opting for a geometry of square section is advantageous because the right angles thus formed at the intersection of two successive side walls 5a-5d avoid rolling on the ground of the assembly and therefore its possible deterioration, in particular that bottle and tap when using or transporting.

In addition, a geometry of square section also facilitates the storage and transport of all of the invention because the packages 1 can be stacked on top of each other, which reduces the space required for these operations.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the cover 4 is pivotally movable with respect to the rear wall 5c of the body of the package 1, the pivoting occurring around the hinge 14c located at the intersection of the cover 4 and the rear wall 5c. In addition, the lid 4 comprises a front flap 4a or tongue integral with the remainder of the lid 4 along a connecting zone 14a, for example the front flap 4a is obtained by folding the front end of the lid 4 along said connecting zone 14a.

On the other hand, the right and left walls 5b and 5d, situated on either side of the rear wall 5c carrying the cover 4, each comprise, at their upper end, a lateral flap 8, each lateral flap 8 being itself same mobile pivoting relative to the right or left wall of the body of the package 1 which carries it, the pivoting of each side flap 8 is performed around a hinge 14b, 14d located at the intersection of the side flap 8 4 and the right wall 5b or left 5c which carries it, as shown in Figure 2.

On the bottom side 3, the structure of the package 1 is similar to that of the upper part with regard to the wall portion forming the bottom 3 and the presence of internal side flaps similar or identical to those 8 described above. .

Preferably, the package 1 is entirely constructed of polypropylene material having advantageously received specific treatment to increase its fire resistance. This reduces the risks associated with the storage of certain oxidizing gases, such as medical drugs. Advantageously, the lid 4, the bottom 3 and the side walls 5a-5d are formed in one piece, for example by cutting within a single polypropylene plate, which is shaped to the desired shape, in particular by folding. The different flaps 4a, 8 are preferably also formed in the same way within the same single plate. In order to constitute the internal compartment or volume 6, two of the side walls 5a-5d forming opposite ends of the single polypropylene plate can be assembled and then fixed to one another by stapling, gluing, fusion welding or any other technique.

The gas container 2 is positioned inside the internal compartment 6 of the gas container 2 and rest on the bottom 3 so that the entire gas container 2 and its valve block 7 are covered and protected by the protective packaging 1. It is therefore obligatory that the total height of the gas container 2 and its valve block 7 is less than the height of the inner compartment 6 of the package 1.

Typically, the packaging is designed to accommodate 1 a bottle 2, for example steel, aluminum alloy or composite, with a volume capacity of between 2 and 3 liters of water, filled with medical oxygen gas at a pressure of between 135 and 200 bar (measured at 15 ° C), equipped with a tap with built-in expansion valve of the single flow type.

According to the present invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, a partition wall 15, such as a plate, is arranged inside the internal compartment 6, between the gas container 2 and the lid 4, so as to divide the internal compartment 6 into a lower sub-compartment 6b containing the gas container 2 and the majority of the valve block 7, and an upper sub-compartment 6a overlying the lower subcompartment 6a.

In other words, the dividing wall 15 makes it possible to compartmentalize the compartment or internal volume 6 and thus create the two sub-compartments 6a, 6b mentioned above which are superimposed on one another.

The upper sub-compartment 6a is used to store accessories for inhalation of gas by an adult or a child, such as a respirator or masks and / or a manual insufflator, and plastic pipes.

The upper storage compartment 6a accessories is positioned above the valve 7 so as to provide mechanical protection to the latter, which is essential because of the fragility of said valve block 7. This is advantageous because it avoids d having to protect the valve block 7 by a protective casing, thus reducing the weight of the assembly and its overall cost. Moreover, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the partition wall 15 comprises an opening or cut-out 16, preferably a central opening 16, that is to say a hole or through-hole made in the region of the center of said partition wall 15. Indeed, the valve block 7 of the gas container 2 comprises a gas outlet connection 13 projecting upwards, that is to say in the direction of the cover 4, which protrudes in the upper compartment 6a through said opening 16 of the partition wall 15.

This is advantageous because it allows the user, after opening the lid 4 by angular pivoting around the hinge 14c, to connect a flexible hose directly to the outlet fitting 13, for example olive type, without having to remove the wall of separation 15. The bottle 2, the valve block 7 and the entire lower compartment 6b therefore remain protected from dust or the like during the use of the assembly and the withdrawal of gas.

The cutout or opening 16 may take any shape, that is to say be circular, polygonal or other, for example square as illustrated in Figure 2.

As can also be seen in FIG. 2, the partition wall 15 preferably fits the inner surface 19 of the side walls 5a-5d of the package 1. However, it is not essential that the peripheral surface of the partition wall 15 marries perfectly and strictly the internal contour 19 of the side walls 5a-5d and day-days can be provided.

In the embodiment shown, the partition wall 15 preferably comprises lateral flanges 17 coming to conform to the inner surface 19 of the side walls 5a-5d projecting upwards along said inner surface 19, ie in the direction of the cover 4. These side flanges 17 are formed here by folding the peripheral edge of the partition wall 15 and are formed with the rest of the partition wall 15 within a single plate, for example material polypropylene type or any other suitable material, such as cardboard.

The lateral flanges 17 have, for example, a height H of between 1 and 10 cm, typically between 2 and 5 cm, whereas the partition wall 15 is a square-shaped plate, each side of which has a length L which is preferably equal to or approximately equal to that of the inner width of the package, therefore less than about 60 cm.

In addition, in order to reinforce the protection of the bottle 2 and the tap 7 within the package 1, it is possible to place in the lower compartment 6b, between the body of the bottle 2 and the side walls 5a-5d, one or more damping elements of shocks or cushioning structures, such as wedges made of foam, cardboard, polymer, etc. These shock-absorbing or cushioning elements make it possible to absorb any shocks and thus preserve them until they propagate to the bottle 2 and the tap 7 and do not deteriorate. Similarly, one (or more) shock-absorbing element may be placed on the bottom 3 of the package 1, the bottle 2 being placed thereon.

Furthermore, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the protective packaging 1 comprises a first opening or cutout 10 formed in one of the side walls 5a-5d, preferably in the front wall 5a of the package 1.

This first opening 10 allows the user to visualize through said first opening 10, a pressure indicator device 11, such as a manometer, carried by the valve block 7, said pressure indicator device 11 being located opposite the first opening 10 when the bottle 2 is placed in the package 1.

The first opening 10 thus constitutes a window for viewing by the user of the pressure gauge 11 during the entire life of the product, that is to say before its use for pressure verification and during its use for checking the pressure. remaining autonomy. The manometer may be needle or electronic type.

Providing such a first opening 10 is advantageous because it allows the user to obtain pressure information without having to remove the bottle 2 from the package or to open the lid 4.

The protective packaging 1 furthermore comprises a second opening 18, such as a blank, and one or more pre-cuts 20, preferably precut lines, provided in at least one of the side walls 5a-5d, namely here in the front face 5a of the package 1.

In the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the second opening 18 is of circular shape and comprises two precut lines 20 in an arc formed in the front wall 5a from the edge of the second opening 18. such configuration allows the user to separate a portion 9 of the front wall 5a by breaking said wall 5a along the precuts 20 arcuate. This wall portion 9 forms a kind of pivoting flap relative to the remainder of the front wall 5a, which increases the size of the second opening 18, thus facilitating access to the interior of the package 1 .

Indeed, the valve block 7 comprises an activation handle 12 manually actuated by the user to release the gas and put the valve block 7 in function.

Actuation of the activation handle 12 is operated by the user through the second opening 18 and the access released by the wall portion 9 forming a steering wheel pivoting, and this after rupture of the precut lines 20. The resulting total opening width is chosen so as to allow the user to spend a whole hand.

The shape of the first and second openings 10 and 18 does not matter. They can be circular, polygonal or other.

In the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the openings

10 and 18 are circular in shape. The first opening 10 has a dimension, that is to say here a diameter, which corresponds substantially to that of the gauge 11 located opposite, inside 6 of the package 1, while the second opening 18 has a dimension, that is to say a diameter, corresponding approximately at least to the width of an adult finger so as to allow a user to introduce one or more fingers to exert a force of traction so as to yield the front wall 5a along the pre-cut lines 20 and thus release the pivoting flap 9 by increasing the total opening width as explained above. The geometry of these elements has been designed so that the user's hand is not in contact with the package 1, when opening the valve 7 by actuating the handle 12.

In fact, the package 1 obscures the activation handle 12 of the valve block 7 to prevent its unexpected release, while providing convenient and ergonomic access to said handle, when in use, through the second opening 18 and the pivoting flap 9.

The pivoting flap 9 also serves as an inviolability indicator of the package

1 and the bottle 2.

In general, the package 1 is designed so that the user actuates the handle 12 intuitively and correctly the first time. To do this, it is positioned horizontally before it is actuated so that the user can easily grasp it and be aware of its state.

The traction exerted on the handle 12 by the user releases the gas which is then delivered via the outlet connector 13 and can be administered to the patient via a flexible conduit and a suitable interface, such as a nasal mask, for example.

However, alternatively, the handle 12 could be replaced by another gas release member, such as a pivoting lever or a rotary wheel.

Furthermore, the outer surfaces of the package 1 are designed to allow the gluing of adhesives bearing therapeutic and regulatory information, as well as the operating mode of the assembly. It is also possible to attach a carrying loop to make its transport safer and easier for the user and / or a pin or the like to allow it to hang on a vertical surface, such as a wall.

Optionally, it is also possible to hang on the packaging 1, via one or more self-gripping strips, for example Velcro-type fasteners, an additional compartment which may contain other accessories such as, for example, an insufflator or a mask kit. and insufflator for use of the product on a child.

The use of a set 1, 2 of the invention, as illustrated by Figures 1 to 3, by a user, such as a doctor, a dentist or other health care personnel, can be done as follows:

the user first reads the information printed on the outer surface of one or more of the walls 5a-5d of the package 1.

- The package being upright, that is to say placed on the floor or a table for example, the user opens the upper compartment 6a by pivoting the lid 4 from its fully closed position to an angularly open position offset by at least 90 °, so as to access the accessories therein (mask, flexible conduit ...) and the connector 13 of the valve 7.

- The user then unwraps the accessories of their plastic packaging and connects one end of the flexible plastic conduit to the mask (or the insufflator and the latter to the mask, if appropriate) and the other end of the conduit to the olive or connection 13 of the valve 7 projecting into the bottom of the upper compartment 6a of the package 1.

- Next, the user grasps the front face portion 5a through the second opening 18 and operates a rupture of the precut lines 20 to release the pivoting flap 9 and thus be able to access the interior of the lower compartment 6B.

the user then places the package 1 on the ground and actuates the handle 12 to release the gas. This is done as a package with one hand and firmly pulling the handle with the other hand.

- The user then checks that a gas flow out of the mask and he can then apply the mask to the patient.

A second embodiment of an assembly according to the invention is illustrated on the

Figures 4 and 5. In this second embodiment, the assembly according to the invention is substantially similar to that of the first embodiment and only the different parts will be detailed below.

Thus, it comprises, as in the first embodiment of Figures 1 to 3, a protective packaging 1, for example polypropylene or the like, in which is inserted a gas container (not shown), such as a bottle or gas cylinder, equipped with a valve block 7 to control the gas distribution, that is to say its exit from the bottle via the valve block . The package 1 comprises, again, a bottom 3 located at its base, a pivoting lid 4 located at the top and forming a roof, and four successive side walls 5a-5d located between the bottom 3 and the cover 4, and defining between them an internal compartment of polygonal section, for example square or rectangular. As before, the package 1 has a parallelepipedal box shape and preferably a height less than 150 cm, and a width (side) less than 60 cm.

Again, the lid 4 is also pivotally movable relative to the rear wall 5c of the body of the package 1, the pivoting being performed around the hinge 14c located at the intersection of the lid 4 and the rear wall 5c of the body of the package 1.

However, in this second embodiment, the cover 4 has a shape different from that of the cover 4 of the first embodiment. More specifically, the cover 4 is generally cap-shaped and is constituted here by not only the top wall forming the upper end wall 4a or the roof of the package 1 but portions 25a, 25b, 25d of the side walls. 5a, 5b, 5d, respectively.

When the package 1 is closed, that is to say before its first use, the cover 4 is secured to the rest of the package 1. However, there are provided 20 pre-cut lines arranged in the front face 5a of the package 1 and two of its side faces 5b, 5d opposite which are integral with the front face 5a of the package 1 along their common edges 23.

Precut lines 20 also make it possible to delimit a first panel or removable element 22 and a second panel or removable element 21, which are both located on the front face 5a of the package 1, that is, that are portions or parts of the front face 5a of the package 1.

Some of the vertical pre-cut lines 20 delimiting the first and second removable panels 22, 21 may be arranged at the vertical edges 23 of the parallelepipedal body of the package 1, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, or may be arranged at a distance from the edges 23, that is to say in the front face 5a of the package 1.

The first and second removable panels 22, 21 may take different forms, for example rectangular, square, circular, triangular, elliptical or any other convex or concave shape. Thus, here, the first removable panel 22 has for example a generally rectangular shape and the second removable panel 21 here also has a quasi-rectangular shape with the exception of a cutout in its upper rim, corresponding to the shape of a part of the first removable panel 22, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The first removable panel 22 preferably has smaller dimensions than the second removable panel 21, typically the first removable panel 22 has dimensions corresponding approximately to the width and thickness of a hand of an adult person.

Before its first use, the packaging of the invention is as shown in Figure 4. Then, during its first use, the user will exert a force, that is to say a push, on the outer surface 22a of the first removable panel 22, which will cause the breaking of at least a portion of the pre-cut lines 20, that is to say all or part of those 20 delimiting the first removable panel 22 and thereby freeing an opening having dimensions corresponding preferably to approximately those of a hand of an adult person so as to allow the user to introduce his hand and to grip the second panel 21 and shoot, that is to say to exert on the second panel 21 a traction towards the user, to detach in turn the body of the package 1, along the precut lines 20, as shown in Figure 5 on which the panels 21 are shown and 22 detached from the rest of the pack lage 1.

Similarly, to release the cover 4 which is secured to the rest of the package 1 before its first use, the user can grip the lower rim 4a of the cover 4 which is released during the detachment of the first removable panel 22, and then exercise a force directed upwards so as to cause a rupture of the precut lines 20 holding the cover 4 integral with the body of the package 1, and generate its pivoting around the hinge 14c.

As seen in Figure 5, the pivoting of the cover 4 and the removal of the first and second panels 21, 22 provides access to the interior of the upper subcompartment 6a of the package 1, which is used to store accessories for inhalation of gas by an adult or a child, as explained above.

It should be noted that not only to facilitate the holding of the cover 4 in the closed position and avoid unexpected breaks in the precut lines 20 connecting the cover 5 to the rest of the body of the package 1, but also to guide the pivoting of the cover 4 opening and / or closing and reinforce its holding in position in the closed position, after its first use, it can be provided reinforcement walls 27 arranged on the side of the inner wall of the package 1, at the lid 4 , that is to say arranged in parallel portions d, 25 c of walls 5d, 5c to serve as a guide or maintenance to these wall portions 25d, 25c, as shown in Figure 5. The upper sub-compartment 6a is also delimited, at its bottom or base, by the partition wall 15 which serves to compartmentalize the compartment or internal volume of the package 1 and thus create the two sub-compartments 6a, 6b as explained previously.

Similarly, the partition wall 15 also comprises, in this second embodiment, an opening 16, preferably a central opening 16, that is to say located approximately in the center of the partition wall 15.

However, in this second embodiment, all (or almost all) of the body of the valve block 7, which is arranged on the gas bottle 2 and which comprises the gas outlet fitting 13 projecting upwards (see Figure 1), through this opening 16 so as to be positioned above the partition wall 15, that is to say that the valve body 7 is located in the upper subcompartment 6a. In this case, it is the upper sub-compartment 6a which provides mechanical protection to the valve 7.

Such an embodiment allows the user to have easy access not only to the outlet fitting 13 but also to the handle 12 which serves to release the gas which is then delivered via the outlet fitting 13 and can be administered to the patient as explained above with respect to the first embodiment.

In this second embodiment, the package 1 comprises, as in the first embodiment, on one of its lateral faces 5d, a first opening 10 which allows the user to visualize through this first opening 10, a pressure indicator device 11, such as a manometer, carried by the valve block 7, said pressure indicator device 11 being positioned opposite the first opening 10 when the bottle 2 is placed in the package 1.

In addition, the package 1 may include one (or more) carrying handle 28 or the like facilitating the transport and handling of the package 1, in particular before its first use.

The second embodiment of the invention is the preferred mode.

As can be understood, in the two embodiments described above and illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 and, more generally, according to the present invention, the partition wall 15 makes it possible to compartmentalize the internal volume 6 of the package 1 thus defining the two sub-compartments 6a, 6b.

The contour of this partition wall 15 extends to the inner walls of the package 1 and preferentially marries the entire internal profile of the package 1, that is to say that the wall 15 is in contact via its peripheral contours, with all the side walls of the package 1. The partition wall 15 is arranged horizontally (or almost horizontally) in the package 1, that is to say that it is parallel to the bottom 3 and perpendicular to the inner side walls 5a-5d. The flanges 17 of the partition wall 15 may even rise slightly along the inner side walls 5a-5d of the package 1.

In addition, the wall 15 comprises an opening 16, preferably central, through which all or part of the valve 7, that is to say that the valve 7 can be located:

- either below the wall 15, that is to say in the lower subcompartment 6b, as in the first embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 3. In this case, only the connector 13 completely or partially crosses the opening 16 (see Fig. 2),

- or above the wall 15, that is to say in the upper subcompartment 6a, according to the second embodiment illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. In this case, the main components of the valve 7, in particularly the handle, the pressure gauge 11 and the connector 13 are also located in the upper subcompartment 6a. The opening 16 then encompasses, that is to say is traversed by, the base 7b of the valve 7 and / or the neck 2a of the bottle 2.

The upper subcompartment 6a thus occupies, in all cases, the entire internal volume located at the upper end of the package 1, while the lower subcompartment 6b occupies the rest of the internal volume of the package 1 which includes the gas bottle 2. In other words, the upper subcompartment 6a is superimposed on the lower subcompartment 6b.

The volume of the upper subcompartment 6a is always smaller than that of the lower subcompartment 6b, typically the upper subcompartment 6a has an internal volume less than or equal to about 40% of the total internal volume of the body of the package 1.

The whole of the invention is particularly well suited for use in the medical and health field, but can of course be used in any other field.

Claims

claims

A gas conditioning, storage and distribution assembly (1, 2) comprising:

- a protective packaging (1) comprising a bottom (3), a cover (4) and successive side walls (5a-5d) defining between them an internal compartment (6), said side walls (5a-5d) s extending between the bottom (3) and the cover (4),

- a gas container (2) equipped with a valve block (7) fixed to the neck (2a) of said container (2), said container (2) being positioned inside the inner compartment (6) of the package protection device (1), the entire gas container (2) and the valve block (7) being covered and protected by the protective packaging (1),

and wherein a partition wall (15) is arranged inside the inner compartment (6), between the gas container (2) and the lid (4),

characterized in that

the dividing wall (15) divides the inner compartment (6) into a lower sub-compartment (6b) containing the gas container (2), and an upper sub-compartment (6a) overlying the lower sub-compartment (6a); ), and

- The partition wall (15) comprises an opening (16) surrounding at least a portion of the valve block (7) or the neck (2a) of the container (2).

2. An assembly according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the partition wall (15) comprises lateral flanges (17) extending to the inner surface (19) of the side walls (5a-5d).

3. An assembly according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the partition wall (15) is arranged perpendicularly or substantially perpendicular to the side walls (5a-5d).

4. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the partition wall (15) is a plate.

5. An assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the valve block (7) of the gas container (2) comprises an upwardly projecting gas outlet connection (13), said outlet connection (13). ) of gas protruding into the upper compartment (6a) through the opening (16) of the partition wall (15), preferably the gas outlet fitting (13) is arranged at the upper end (7a) of the valve block (7) .

6. Assembly according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the valve block (7) is fixed by the lower end (7b) to the neck (2a) of the gas container (2), the opening ( 16) of the partition wall (15) encircling the valve block (7) at the lower end (7b) or the neck (2a) of the container (2).

7. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the partition wall (15) comprises an opening (16) located at its center.

8. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the protective packaging (1) comprises a first opening (10) arranged in one of the side walls (5a-5d) of the package (1). , and the valve block (7) comprises a pressure indicating device (11) located opposite the first opening (10) so as to allow the user to view said pressure indicating device (11) through said first opening (10).

9. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover (4) is pivotable relative to one of the side walls (5a-5d) of the package (1) ·

10. Assembly according to one of claims 1 to 4 and 6 to 9, characterized in that the cover (4) is retained integral with several of the walls (5a-5c) side of the package

(1) and is able to be detached from said side walls (5a-5c) of the package (1) after the user has broken one or more precut lines (20).

11. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the package (1) comprises one or more parts (9) of wall (5a) or one or more removable panels (22, 21) detachable arranged in one or several of the side walls (5a-5c) of the package (1), preferably detachable after breaking one or more precut lines (20).

Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the protective packaging (1) has a polygonal section and / or the protective packaging (1) and / or the separating wall (15) are formed. of polypropylene.

13. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the valve block (7) comprises an activation member (12), preferably an activation handle, manually actuated by the user to release the gas.

14. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a flexible conduit and a respiratory interface, said flexible conduit and said respiratory interface being arranged in the upper subcompartment (6a).

15. Use of an assembly according to one of the preceding claims for conditioning, storing or dispensing a gas, in particular oxygen.