Nest for the packaging of plunger stoppers with stacking pins ensuring a reliable alignment of a pile of nests

1 . A nest for the storage of medical device components, comprising:

a top surface,

a bottom surface,

a plurality of receptacles for the storage of a plurality of medical device components therein, wherein each of the plurality of receptacles comprises a sidewall portion extending downward from the bottom surface of the nest,

wherein the nest further comprises a finger opening formed therein, a plurality of openings formed in the top surface, each of the plurality of openings are positioned proximate to corners of the nest, each of the plurality of openings has a depth that is less than an overall thickness of the nest between the top surface and the bottom surface, and a plurality of stacking pins downwardly extending from the bottom surface, wherein each of the plurality of openings is substantially aligned with a respective one of the plurality of stacking pins so as to enable two or more nests to be stacked vertically relative to one another via association between the openings and the stacking pins, wherein a lower portion of each of the stacking pins is formed of a different material than an upper portion of each of the stacking pins, the lower portion having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the upper portion and the lower portion having a shorter length than a length of the upper portion, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of receptacles is provided between at least two of the plurality of openings, and the finger opening is provided between at least two of the plurality of openings.

2 . The nest according to claim 1 , wherein the lower portion of each of the stacking pins and each of the plurality of openings are substantially cylindrical.

3 . The nest according to claim 2 , wherein an exterior diameter of the lower portion of each of the stacking pins is smaller than an internal diameter of each of the plurality of openings.

4 . The nest according to claim 1 , wherein the lower portion of each stacking pin of a first nest is configured to fit within a respective opening of a second nest when the first and second nests are stacked vertically relative to one another.

5 . The nest according to claim 1 , wherein each stacking pin comprises a pin bottom surface and each of the plurality of receptacles comprises a receptacle bottom surface, and wherein the pin bottom surface extends farther below the bottom surface of the nest than the receptacle bottom surface.

6 . The nest according to claim 1 , wherein when at least two nests are stacked vertically relative to one another, the sidewall portion of each of the plurality of receptacles of the nest at an upper position does not contact the nest at a lower position.

7 . The nest according to claim 1 , wherein the nest is substantially quadrilateral in shape.

8 . The nest according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of stacking pins are positioned proximate to respective corners of the nest.

9 . The nest according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings comprises at least three openings, and wherein the plurality of stacking pins comprises at least three stacking pins.

10 . The nest according to claim 1 , further comprising a flange extending at least partially around each finger opening and extending from the bottom surface of the nest.

11 . The nest according to claim 1 , wherein the nest is formed of polypropylene.

12 . A nest for the storage of medical device components, comprising:

a top surface,

a bottom surface,

a plurality of receptacles for the storage of a plurality of medical device components therein, wherein each of the plurality of receptacles comprises a sidewall portion extending downward from the bottom surface of the nest,

wherein the nest further comprises a finger opening formed therein, a plurality of openings formed in the top surface, each of the plurality of openings are positioned proximate to corners of the nest, each of the plurality of openings has a depth that is less than an overall thickness of the nest between the top surface and the bottom surface, and a plurality of stacking pins downwardly extending from the bottom surface, wherein each of the plurality of openings is substantially aligned with a respective one of the plurality of stacking pins so as to enable two or more nests to be stacked vertically relative to one another via association between the openings and the stacking pins, wherein a lower portion of each of the stacking pins is formed of a different material than an upper portion of each of the stacking pins, the lower portion having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the upper portion and the lower portion having a shorter length than a length of the upper portion, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of receptacles is provided between at least two of the plurality of openings, and the finger opening is provided between at least two of the plurality of openings, wherein when at least two nests are stacked vertically relative to one another, the stacking pins are configured to separate the at least two nests such that the sidewall portion of each of the plurality of receptacles of the nest at an upper position does not contact the nest at a lower position.

13 . The nest according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of stacking pins extends further downward than the sidewall portion of the plurality of receptacles such that the plurality of receptacles are spaced from a top surface of the two or more nests.

14 . The nest according to claim 12 , wherein the plurality of stacking pins extends further downward than the sidewall portion of the plurality of receptacles such that the plurality of receptacles are spaced from a top surface of the two or more nests.