This invention relates to a hermetically sealed container and, more particularly, to a hermetically sealed container provided with an access port sealed by a pierceable membrane and with a pair of sealing surfaces for a draining spike within the container.
This invention is directed to the type of hermetically sealed containers generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,704 to Weiler et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,682 to Weiler which incorporate pierceable membranes which seal the container contents and are adapted to be pierced by a draining spike so as to allow the contents to be dispensed or drained from the container.
In particular, the container disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,704 to Weiler et al. includes a neck defining an opening sealed by a pierceable membrane adapted to be pierced by a separate draining spike so as to allow the drainage of the container contents through the dispensing nozzle of a cap which is secured over the container neck. Although the container disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,704 has proven quite useful in applications where it is preferable to dispense the container contents through a nozzle, in instances where access to the container contents is gained with a drainage instrument such as a draining spike, additional sealing surfaces are often desirable.
The container disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,682 to Weiler incorporates a closure insert subassembly including a nozzle and a separate spike cap which covers the nozzle and includes a membrane which provides a pierceable access to the container contents. Although the container disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,682 has proven quite useful in applications where a syringe or the like is used to gain access to the container contents, there remains a need for a container where the pierceable membrane is unitary with the nozzle access port in the closure insert subassembly rather than with a cap or the like component separate from the insert and a draining spike can be sealingly received by the container.
A closure insert of the present invention for a hermetically sealed container provides improved sealing for a draining spike.
The closure insert comprises a hollow boss provided with a pierceable membrane and with an inwardly depending interior skirt portion that preferably terminates in a peripheral sealing band and also helps to stabilize a draining spike received within the container via an access port defined by the boss when the pierceable membrane has been penetrated by the draining spike. The pierceable membrane is recessed and is spaced from the sealing band which is adapted to surround a draining spike that penetrates the membrane.
Other advantages and features of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.