Plug body for refill container and refill container comprising the same
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023009045
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-01-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-06
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a plug for a refillable container and a refillable container equipped with the plug. [Background technology]
[0002] Containers for storing contents such as liquid detergents and shampoos are generally used repeatedly by refilling the contents. The refillable container, which is the container for the contents, can be used for a long period of time by refilling the contents from the refilling container.
[0003] The refilling operation of the contents using a refill container is performed by connecting the neck part of the refill container, which has an outlet for the contents, to the neck part of the refilled container. From the viewpoint of facilitating such a refilling operation, the applicant has previously proposed a refill container plug that can be attached to cover the refill outlet of the refill container (for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). The refill container stopper body of Patent Document 1 comprises a stopper body having an outflow tube and an attachment tube, and a stopper lid having an attachment wall portion that fits tightly against the inner surface of the attachment tube, a blocking plate portion, and a push-in protrusion, and the stopper lid is attached to the stopper body in a state in which the push-in protrusion protrudes outward in the outflow direction through an insertion hole that is formed by cutting out from the opening periphery of the outflow opening to the radial outside of the outflow tube, and a portion of the tip surface of the push-in protrusion is positioned radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the outflow tube.
[0004] The plug for a refill container in Patent Document 2 comprises a plug body having an outflow tube, a cylindrical outer wall, and an attachment tube, and a plug lid having an attachment wall portion that is in close contact with the inner surface of the attachment tube, a blocking plate portion, and a push-in convex portion, the push-in convex portion protruding outward in the outflow direction from the top plate of the plug body and a part of the tip surface of the push-in convex portion being positioned radially outward from the outer surface of the outflow tube, thereby allowing the plug lid to be attached to the plug body, and air replacement during refilling is performed through the insertion port and the outside air communication port after the push-in convex portion is pushed out. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6183846 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6183847 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0006] In the refilling operation, the neck of the refilling container is turned downward and the refilling container is in an inverted state. When refilling in an inverted state, it is generally time-consuming to align the necks of the refilling container and the refilled container, and it is necessary to support both the refilling container and the refilled container as a whole to prevent them from falling over. In addition, when refilling the contents in the refilling container in an inverted state, the plug cap that has come off the outlet opening of the plug body during the refilling operation will be mixed in with the contents contained in the refilling container, for example. However, as the refilling progresses and the remaining amount of the contained contents decreases, the plug cap returns to the outlet opening, blocking the outlet opening again, leaving much of the contents inside the container, and it is considered that the remaining contents will leak out to the surroundings when the refilling container is removed from the refilled container after refilling is completed.
[0007] In particular, if the plug cap, which has been attached to the plug body with the push-in convex portion facing in the outflow direction, returns to the outflow opening in an inverted 180-degree state, it is believed that it will no longer be possible to secure a flow path to the opening inside the mounting tube, making the above-mentioned situation more likely to occur.
[0008] The present invention relates to a stopper for a refillable container, which is excellent in ease of operation and stability during refilling, and which can prevent a large amount of contents from remaining inside the container and the remaining contents from leaking out to the surroundings when the refillable container is removed from the refilled container after refilling is completed, and a refillable container equipped with the stopper. [Means for solving the problem]
[0009] The present invention relates to a refillable container plug that is attached to cover a refill outlet of a refillable container for refilling contents into the refillable container having a neck portion. It is preferable that the refill container comprises a plug body which is joined and fixed to the peripheral portion of the opening of the refill outlet, and a plug cover which is removably attached to the plug body and closes the outlet opening formed in the top panel of the plug body from the inside in the outflow direction. It is preferable that the plug body comprises an outflow tube surrounding the outflow opening and protruding outward in the outflow direction from the top plate, a cylindrical outer wall arranged concentrically with the outflow tube, surrounding the outflow tube and protruding outward in the outflow direction from the top plate, and having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the neck portion of the refillable container, and an attachment tube arranged concentrically with the outflow tube, surrounding the outflow opening and protruding inward in the outflow direction from the top plate. It is preferable that the plug body has at least two insertion holes formed in the top plate in the gap between the outflow tube and the cylindrical outer wall, and has an insertion partition wall extending from the outer peripheral portion of each insertion hole further inward in the outflow direction than the outflow opening. The plug cap comprises an attachment wall portion whose outer surface is in close contact with the inner surface of the mounting tube, a closure plate portion having a planar shape similar to the hollow cross-sectional shape of the mounting tube, and a push-in protrusion portion erected from the peripheral portion of the closure plate portion, and it is preferable that a protruding abutment rib is provided on the bottom surface portion opposite the side on which the push-in protrusion is erected of the closure plate portion so that when the plug cap is removed from the mounting tube of the plug body and placed in an inverted state on the mounting tube, it abuts against the insertion partition wall to maintain a gap between the mounting tube and the plug cap. It is preferable that the plug cover is attached to the plug body with the push-in convex portion protruding outward in the outflow direction from the top plate through the insertion hole in the gap between the outflow tube and the cylindrical outer wall.
[0010] The present invention also relates to a refillable container for refilling contents into a refillable container having a neck portion. The refill container preferably includes a refill plug adapted to be fitted over the refill outlet. It is preferable that the refill container plug body comprises a plug body which is joined and fixed to the opening peripheral portion of the refill outlet, and a plug cover which is removably attached to the plug body and closes the outlet opening formed in the top panel of the plug body from the inside in the outflow direction. It is preferable that the plug body comprises an outflow tube surrounding the outflow opening and protruding outward in the outflow direction from the top plate, a cylindrical outer wall arranged concentrically with the outflow tube, surrounding the outflow tube and protruding outward in the outflow direction from the top plate, and having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the neck portion of the refillable container, and an attachment tube arranged concentrically with the outflow tube, surrounding the outflow opening and protruding inward in the outflow direction from the top plate. It is preferable that the plug body has at least two insertion holes formed in the top plate in the gap between the outflow tube and the cylindrical outer wall, and has an insertion partition wall extending from the outer peripheral portion of each insertion hole further inward in the outflow direction than the outflow opening. The plug cap comprises an attachment wall portion whose outer surface is in close contact with the inner surface of the mounting tube, a closure plate portion having a planar shape similar to the hollow cross-sectional shape of the mounting tube, and a push-in protrusion portion erected from the peripheral portion of the closure plate portion, and it is preferable that a protruding abutment rib is provided on the bottom surface portion opposite the side on which the push-in protrusion is erected of the closure plate portion so that when the plug cap is removed from the mounting tube of the plug body and placed in an inverted state on the mounting tube, it abuts against the insertion partition wall to maintain a gap between the mounting tube and the plug cap. It is preferable that the plug cover is attached to the plug body with the push-in convex portion protruding outward in the outflow direction from the top plate through the insertion hole in the gap between the outflow tube and the cylindrical outer wall. Effect of the Invention
[0011] The refillable container stopper of the present invention and the refillable container equipped with the same are excellent in ease of operation and stability during refilling, and can prevent a large amount of contents from remaining inside the container or from leaking out to the surroundings when the refillable container is removed from the refilled container after refilling is completed. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing one embodiment of a refill container according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the outflow direction, showing the neck of the refillable container of FIG. 1 and a plug for a refillable container attached to cover the outflow port of the neck. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the refill container plug of FIG. 2 as viewed from the outside in the outflow direction. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the plug lid of the refillable container plug of FIG. 3, viewed from the outside in the outflow direction. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the push-in protrusion shown in FIG. 4 taken along the outflow direction. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the plug cap shown in FIG. 4 as viewed from the inside in the outflow direction. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cutaway perspective view of the plug body shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from the outside in the outflow direction. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the plug body shown in FIG. 7 taken along the outflow direction. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the plug body shown in FIG. 7 as viewed from the inside in the outflow direction. [Figure 10] 10 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the plug body shown in FIG. 7 as viewed from the inside in the outflow direction. [Figure 11] 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the insertion hole of the plug shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view and a sectional perspective view for explaining a refilling operation in which the refill container shown in FIG. 1 is used to refill a content into a refill container. [Figure 13]FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the insertion hole in the plug cap during extrusion. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the insertion opening, showing a state immediately before the push-in protrusion is detached from the insertion opening. [Figure 15] FIG. 15(a) is a cutaway perspective view for explaining a state in which the plug cap is detached from the attachment tube and then placed back on the attachment tube in an inverted state, and FIG. 15(b) is a cross-sectional view. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a plug cap showing another embodiment of the abutment rib, as viewed from the inside in the outflow direction. [Figure 17] Figures 17(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views illustrating other means for preventing the plug cap from re-closing the outflow opening as refilling progresses, and Figure 17(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along AA in Figure 17(b). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0013] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows one embodiment of a refill container of the present invention. The refill container 5 of this embodiment contains contents such as lotion, milky lotion, etc., and is a refill container for refilling the contents into a refillable container.
[0014] The refillable container 5 of this embodiment is a thin-walled bottle-shaped container, and includes a body 2 having a bottom, a neck 4 having a refill outlet for discharging the contents, and a shoulder 3 located between the neck 4 and the body 2. The refillable container 5 shown in FIG. 1 is in a self-supporting state with the bottom of the body 2 placed on a horizontal surface. In this state, the neck 4 is located vertically upward and is disposed opposite the bottom of the body 2. The neck 4 is a cylindrical part having a flow path therein for the contents to flow out, and has openings at both ends in the central axis direction. One opening in the central axis direction of the neck 4 is a refill outlet for the contents to flow out. The inside of the neck 4 is connected to the inside of the shoulder 3 via the other opening of the neck 4. As shown in Fig. 1, when the refill container 5 is in a self-supporting state, the shoulder 3 has an opening at the center of the upper vertical side and a truncated cone shape that spreads horizontally and descends from the periphery of the opening. In addition, in this self-supporting state, the body 2 has a cylindrical peripheral wall that hangs down from the entire periphery of the lower end of the shoulder 3, and a bottom located at the lower end of the peripheral wall. The refill container 5 has an internal space defined by the shoulder 3 and the body 2, and contents such as lotion, milky lotion, etc. are stored in the internal space.
[0015] In the refill container 5 of this embodiment, the central axis direction coincides with the outflow direction V of the contents when the contents are flowed out from the container 5 to the outside. In the freestanding state shown in Fig. 1, the vertical direction Z coincides with the outflow direction V of the contents in the refill container 5. Hereinafter, the outflow direction V of the contents will be simply referred to as the "outflow direction V" in this specification. The outside of this outflow direction V will be referred to as the "tip side", and the inside of the outflow direction V will be referred to as the "end side".
[0016] The refillable container 5 of this embodiment is equipped with a refillable container plug 1 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "plug 1") that is attached to cover the refillable outlet of the neck 4. The plug 1 of this embodiment is fixed to the neck 4 while sealing the refillable outlet of the neck 4, and has the function of connecting the refillable outlet to the refillable neck 7 by connecting the neck 4 of the refillable container 5 (hereinafter also referred to as "refillable neck 4") to the neck 7 of the refillable container 6 (hereinafter also referred to as "refillable neck 7"). The details of such a refillable operation will be described later.
[0017] As shown in Figure 2, the plug 1 is made up of a plug body 10 which is joined and fixed to the opening peripheral portion 4a of the refill outlet in the refill neck 4, and a plug lid 20 which is detachably attached to the plug body 10. The plug 1 is attached to the refill neck 4 with the plug lid 20 attached to the plug body 10. Hereinafter, the "opening peripheral portion of the refill outlet in the refill neck 4" will also be referred to as the "outlet peripheral portion 4a".
[0018] As shown in FIG. 4, the plug 20 includes a closure plate 23, a cylindrical mounting wall 27 that protrudes outward in the outflow direction V from the peripheral portion of the closure plate 23, and a push-in protrusion 26 that stands outward in the outflow direction V from the peripheral portion of the closure plate 23. In the plug 20 of this embodiment, the mounting wall 27 is formed on the peripheral portion of the closure plate 23, so that the push-in protrusion 26 protrudes outward in the outflow direction V from the mounting wall 27 (see FIG. 2). The push-in protrusion 26 forms a columnar portion that stands outward from the mounting wall 27. The mounting wall 27 has the same outer diameter as the closure plate 23.
[0019] The plug cap 20 has at least two push-in protrusions 26. As shown in FIG. 4, the plug cap 20 of this embodiment has four push-in protrusions 26a, 26b. Specifically, the plug cap 20 has two pairs of push-in protrusions that have the same shape and face each other in the radial direction of the plug cap 20. One pair of push-in protrusions 26a, 26a and the other pair of push-in protrusions 26b, 26b have partially different shapes. One pair of push-in protrusions 26a, 26a has an opening at the tip, and the other pair of push-in protrusions 26b, 26b does not have an opening at the tip (see FIG. 4). Thus, the plug cap 20 of this embodiment has at least two different shapes of push-in protrusions 26a, 26b, and the pair of push-in protrusions 26, 26 of the same shape face each other in the radial direction of the plug cap 20. With this configuration, when the plug lid 20 is attached to the plug body 10 and the push-in protrusion 26 is inserted into the insertion hole 16, it is possible to more reliably prevent liquid leakage, and also, when removing the plug lid 20 from the plug body 10 during the refilling operation described below, the push-in protrusion 26 can be pushed in in a balanced manner, making the opening operation easier. The number of push-in protrusions 26 provided on the plug 20 is at least two, but is not particularly limited, and may be four as in this embodiment.
[0020] In this embodiment, one pair of pushing protrusions 26a, 26a and the other pair of pushing protrusions 26b, 26b have the same shape except for the presence or absence of an opening at the tip portion. In addition, the one pair of pushing protrusions 26a, 26a and the other pair of pushing protrusions 26b, 26b have the same size except for the tip portion. From the viewpoint of achieving a better balance between the above-mentioned leakage prevention property and the ease of opening operation, and from the viewpoint of the moldability of the pushing protrusions 26, it is preferable that at least two different shapes of pushing protrusions 26a, 26b have at least one of the shape and size of the tip portion different from each other. Furthermore, when there are multiple pairs of radially opposed push-in protrusions 26 and the sizes of the push-in protrusions 26 differ among the multiple pairs, the pair of push-in protrusions 26 that is relatively large in size contributes to pushing up the plug lid 20. On the other hand, the pair of push-in protrusions 26 that is relatively small in size contributes to assisting in pushing up the plug lid 20 in parallel with the outflow direction V. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent the contents from leaking out during the refilling operation.
[0021] Fig. 5 shows a cross section of the push-in protrusions 26 of this embodiment along the outflow direction V. The cross-sectional structure shown in Fig. 5 is common to the above-mentioned pair of push-in protrusions 26a, 26a and the other pair of push-in protrusions 26b, 26b. Each of the pushing convex portions 26 of this embodiment has a tip reduced diameter portion 61 forming a tip portion, a base end large diameter portion 63 forming a base end portion on the mounting wall surface portion 27 side, and an intermediate medium diameter portion 62 located between the tip reduced diameter portion 61 and the base end large diameter portion 63 in the outflow direction V. In the pushing convex portion 26, the tip reduced diameter portion 61 has a minimum outer diameter, and the base end large diameter portion 63 has a maximum outer diameter. The outer diameter of the intermediate medium diameter portion 62 is larger than the outer diameter of the tip reduced diameter portion 61 and smaller than the outer diameter of the base end large diameter portion 63. That is, when the pushing convex portion 26 of this embodiment is viewed along the outflow direction V, the outer diameter decreases stepwise from the base end side toward the tip end side.
[0022] The mounting wall portion 27 in this embodiment has a wall bulge 27a (see FIG. 5) that bulges outward in the radial direction on the outer surface on the inner side of the outflow direction V, i.e., on the outer peripheral surface on the side (opposite side) away from the push-in protrusion 26. The wall bulge 27a is formed in an annular shape along the outer peripheral surface of the mounting wall portion 27, as shown in FIG. The mounting wall portion 27 in this embodiment has an annular wall recess 28 that opens to the inside in the outflow direction V (see Figs. 5 and 6). Such a mounting wall portion 27 has a double structure with the part on the inside of the outflow direction V sandwiching the wall recess 28. With this configuration, when the plug 20 is pushed out in the refilling operation described below, the outer part of the wall recess 28 in the mounting wall portion 27 is more likely to bend radially inward, making the operation of pushing out the plug 20 easier. The wall surface inner recess 28 overlaps with the wall surface bulge 27a in the outflow direction V. This makes it possible to more easily release the tight contact between the mounting wall surface portion 27 and the inner circumferential surface of the mounting tube 15.
[0023] In the plug lid 20 of this embodiment, a contact rib 24 is provided to protrude from the bottom surface portion 23a of the plug plate portion 23, which is the surface on the inner side of the outflow direction V of the plug plate portion 23, opposite the side on which the push-in protrusion 26 of the plug plate portion 23 is erected. As described later, when the plug lid 20 is removed from the mounting tube 15 of the plug body 10 and then superimposed on the mounting tube 15 in an inverted state, the contact rib 24 contacts the insertion partition wall 18 to maintain a gap between the mounting tube 15 and the plug lid 20 (see Figures 15(a) and 15(b)). In this embodiment, the contact rib 24 is preferably a central contact rib 24a provided so as to cross the central portion of the plug plate portion 23 in the radial direction (see Figure 6). The surface on the inner side of the outflow direction V of the plug plate portion 23 is the surface on the opposite side to the side on which the push-in protrusion 26 is erected, and forms the bottom surface portion 23a of the plug plate portion 23. The abutment rib 24 (central abutment rib 24a) protrudes inward in the outflow direction V from the bottom surface portion 23a of the closing plate portion 23, and has a linear shape passing through the central portion of the closing plate portion 23 so that both ends of the abutment rib 24 connect two points on the periphery (contour) of the bottom surface portion 23a of the closing plate portion 23. Between the two points on the periphery (contour) of the bottom surface portion 23a where both ends of the central abutment rib 24a are located, the central abutment rib 24a may be formed continuously or intermittently.
[0024] Moreover, the abutment rib 24 is preferably provided so as to protrude from the bottom surface portion 23a of the closure plate portion 23 by a height exceeding the difference in protruding height h (see FIG. 8) between the tip of the attachment tube 15 and the insertion partition wall 18 from the closure plate portion 23. As a result, even if the plug lid 20 that has been detached from the plug body 10 is overlapped on the attachment tube 15 in a state where it is turned over, for example, 180 degrees so that the bottom surface portion 23a faces the outflow opening 11a during the refilling operation described below, and the bottom surface portion 23a covers the outflow opening 11a (see FIGS. 15(a) and (b)), the abutment rib 24 abuts against the tip of the insertion partition wall 18, making it possible to maintain a gap between the attachment tube 15 and the bottom surface portion 23a of the closure plate portion 23 of the plug lid 20, and the contents can flow from the refilling neck portion 4 through the outflow opening 11a to the refillable neck portion 7, and can be subsequently refilled into the refillable container 6. In order to more reliably secure the gap provided by the contact rib 24 and facilitate smooth refilling of the contents, the difference in protruding height h (see FIG. 8) is preferably 0.5 mm or more and 5 mm or less, and more preferably 1 mm or more and 3 mm or less.
[0025] In addition, in the plug lid 20 of this embodiment, the mounting wall surface portion 27 is erected on the side where the push-in protrusion 26 is erected. A saucer-shaped recess 25 surrounded by the mounting wall surface portion 27 is formed on the outflow direction V outer side of the plug lid 20. The outflow direction V outer side of the plug lid 20 is the side where the push-in protrusion 26 of the closure plate portion 23 is erected. Hereinafter, the surface of the saucer-shaped recess 25 on the outflow direction V outer side is also simply referred to as the "upper surface". On the upper surface of the saucer-shaped recess 25, an inner cylindrical protrusion 21 and an outer cylindrical protrusion 22 are provided, erected from the center of the saucer-shaped recess 25 on the side where the push-in protrusion 26 is erected (see Figures 2 to 4). In this embodiment, these cylindrical protrusions 21, 22 (two rings) are preferably arranged concentrically at an interval, and are also arranged concentrically with the mounting wall surface portion 27. In the upper surface of the plug 20 in this embodiment, the outer cylindrical convex portion 22 surrounds the inner cylindrical convex portion 21, and the mounting wall portion 27 surrounds the outer cylindrical convex portion 22. The inner cylindrical convex portion 21 and the outer cylindrical convex portion 22 have substantially the same protruding length, and the protruding length is shorter than that of the mounting wall portion 27. Instead of this form, the inner cylindrical convex portion 21, the outer cylindrical convex portion 22, and the mounting wall portion 27 may each have the same protruding length. In this case, the contents retained radially inward of the mounting wall portion 27 can be better retained.
[0026] When the plug lid 20 is attached to the plug body 10, the inner cylindrical convex portion 21 and the outer cylindrical convex portion 22 are arranged radially inward of the plug body 10 relative to the outflow tube 11 (see Figures 2 and 3). When the plug cap 20, which has been detached from the plug body 10 by a refilling operation described later, is turned over, for example, 180 degrees and placed so as to cover the outlet opening 11a with the bottom part 23a facing downward (see Figs. 15(a) and 15(b)), the contents are retained in the saucer-shaped recess 25 surrounded by the mounting wall part 27. If the cylindrical protrusions 21 and 22 are arranged inside the saucer-shaped recess 25, the cylindrical protrusions 21 and 22 interfere with each other to prevent the contents from being retained in the saucer-shaped recess 25. Even if the contents are retained in the saucer-shaped recess 25, the retained contents can be firmly retained by the surface tension of the inner surface of the mounting wall part 27 and the circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical protrusion 21 or the outer cylindrical protrusion 22. This effectively prevents the contents remaining in the saucer-shaped recess 25 of the plug lid 20 from spilling out even if the plug lid 20 moves or tilts when the refilling neck part 4 and the refilled neck part 7 are released from the connection via the plug body 1.
[0027] As shown in Figures 3, 7 and 8, the plug body 10 comprises a top plate 12 and an outflow opening 11a formed in the top plate 12. The plug body 10 comprises an outflow tube 11 surrounding the outflow opening 11a and protruding outward in the outflow direction V from the top plate 12, and a cylindrical outer wall 13 arranged concentrically with the outflow tube 11 and surrounding the outflow tube 11 and protruding outward in the outflow direction V from the top plate 12. In other words, the outflow tube 11 is formed to surround the periphery of the outflow opening 11a, and the cylindrical outer wall 13 surrounds the outflow tube 11.
[0028] The outflow tube 11 and the cylindrical outer wall 13 have their inner ends in the outflow direction V connected to a top plate 12 , and the top plate 12 is located between the outflow tube 11 and the cylindrical outer wall 13 . The cylindrical outer wall 13 has an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the refillable neck part 7. With regard to the cylindrical outer wall 13, "an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the refillable neck part 7" means that the inner diameter of the cylindrical outer wall 13 is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the refillable neck part 7 (see FIG. 12). In this embodiment, the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical outer wall 13 is formed with a female thread ridge 13a that screws into a male thread ridge formed on the outer peripheral surface of the refillable neck part 7. In this embodiment, the cylindrical outer wall 13 of the plug 1 screws into the refillable neck part 7, so that the refillable neck part 4 and the refillable neck part 7 can be detachably coupled via the plug 1.
[0029] 3, 7 and 8, the plug body 10 has an insertion hole 16 formed in the top panel 12 in the gap between the outflow tube 11 and the cylindrical outer wall 13. The plug body 10 has at least two insertion holes 16. The insertion hole 16 is a portion into which the push-in protrusion 26 of the plug lid 20 is inserted (see FIG. 3), and is a through hole that penetrates the top panel 12. The plug body 10 preferably has a pair of insertion holes 16 formed at positions facing each other in the radial direction of the top plate 12. This allows the plug cap 20, which will be described later, to be pushed out in a well-balanced manner. The plug body 10 of this embodiment has two pairs of insertion holes 16 facing each other in the radial direction of the top plate 12, for a total of four insertion holes 16. When the plug cap 20 is attached to the plug body 10, the above-mentioned four pushing protrusions 26 are inserted into these insertion holes 16 (see FIG. 3).
[0030] As shown in Figs. 8 to 10, the plug body 10 of this embodiment has an insertion partition wall 18 that protrudes from the top panel 12 inward in the outflow direction V. The insertion partition wall 18 is a columnar portion in which a part of the peripheral portion of the insertion opening 16 protrudes inward in the outflow direction V (see Figs. 9 and 10). In other words, the insertion opening 16 extends via the insertion partition wall 18 toward the inside in the outflow direction V beyond the outflow opening 11a of the plug body 10. This insertion partition wall 18 makes air replacement via the insertion opening 16 easier than the flow of the contents via the insertion opening 16, and allows the refilling and filling of the contents to be performed more efficiently. The insertion partition wall 18 in this embodiment extends along the outer peripheral portion of the insertion port 16 on the outflow opening 11a side and protrudes from the outer peripheral portion toward the inside of the outflow opening 11a in the outflow direction V. The insertion partition wall 18 is located between the outflow opening 11a and the insertion port 16 in the radial direction of the plug body 10.
[0031] In this embodiment, the insertion partition wall 18 abuts against the closure plate portion 23 of the plug lid 20 when the plug lid 20 is attached to the plug body 10, but the insertion partition wall 18 does not have to abut against the closure plate portion 23. When the cylindrical protrusions 21, 22 are erected on the upper surface of the closure plate portion 23, it is preferable that the cylindrical protrusions 21, 22 are erected at positions that do not abut against the insertion partition wall 18 in the attached state, from the viewpoint of facilitating the pushing-out of the plug lid 20 described later. Specifically, it is preferable that the cylindrical protrusions 21, 22 are erected at positions radially inward from the outflow tube 11 when the plug lid 20 is attached to the plug body 10.
[0032] As shown in Figs. 8 to 10, the plug body 10 includes a mounting tube 15 that is arranged concentrically with the outflow tube 11, surrounds the outflow opening 11a, and protrudes inward in the outflow direction V from the top panel 12. The mounting tube 15 in this embodiment protrudes inward in the outflow direction V beyond the insertion partition wall 18. The mounting tube 15 is formed radially outward from the insertion opening 16. In other words, the insertion opening 16 is located between the insertion partition wall 18 and the mounting tube 15.
[0033] The plug body 10 of this embodiment is equipped with an outer mounting tube 14 that surrounds the mounting tube 15 and protrudes inward in the outflow direction V from the peripheral portion of the top plate 12. The mounting tube 15 and the outer mounting tube 14 that surrounds the mounting tube 15 are connected together, with the top plate 12 protruding radially inward from the mounting tube 15. The outer mounting tube 14 has an inner rib 14a on its inner circumferential surface that protrudes radially inward (see FIG. 8). The inner rib 14a is formed in an annular shape along the inner circumferential surface of the outer mounting tube 14. The plug body 10 of this embodiment has a space between the attachment tube 15 and the outer attachment tube 14 on the inside of the outflow direction V. In this embodiment, the plug body 10 is fitted to the outlet peripheral portion 4a by driving the plug body 10 into the outlet peripheral portion 4a with the outlet peripheral portion 4a of the refill neck portion 4 inserted between the attachment tube 15 and the outer attachment tube 14. This allows the plug body 10 (plug body 1) to be attached and fixed to the refill neck portion 4. A rib (not shown) protruding radially outward is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outlet peripheral portion 4a of this embodiment. This rib engages with the inner rib 14a of the outer attachment tube 14, allowing the plug body 10 to be attached and fixed to the refill neck portion 4 (see FIG. 2). The plug 1 may be attached and fixed to the refill neck portion 4 by a screw-fitting method instead of a fitting method.
[0034] 2 and 3, in the plug 1, the plug lid 20 is attached to the plug body 10 in a state in which the tip portion of the push-in protrusion 26 protrudes outward in the outflow direction V from the top panel 12 through the insertion hole 16 in the gap between the outflow tube 11 and the cylindrical outer wall 13. In the plug lid 20, the push-in protrusion 26 stands upright from a portion corresponding to the insertion hole 16 of the plug body 10. In other words, the push-in protrusion 26 located at the portion corresponding to the insertion hole 16 is inserted into the insertion hole 16, thereby attaching the plug lid 20 to the plug body 10. When the plug 20 is attached to the plug body 10, the pushing protrusion 26 is inserted into the insertion opening 16, closing the insertion opening 16. Hereinafter, this state will also be referred to simply as the "attached state."
[0035] 11, in the mounted state, the pushing-in protrusion 26 of this embodiment has a tip reduced diameter portion 61 forming the tip portion located outward in the outflow direction V from the insertion opening 16, and an intermediate medium diameter portion 62 is inserted into the insertion opening 16. Also, the base end large diameter portion 63 abuts against the surface of the top panel 12 on the inner side in the outflow direction V. This restricts the pushing-in protrusion 26 from being inserted any further outward in the outflow direction V. Such insertion of the pushing-in protrusion 26 outward in the outflow direction V may be restricted by other portions, such as the abutment between the insertion partition wall 18 and the closure plate portion 23. The horizontal cross-sectional shape of the intermediate medium diameter portion 62 approximately matches the planar shape of the insertion opening 16. In addition, the size of the horizontal cross section of the intermediate medium diameter portion 62 approximately matches the size of the insertion opening 16. As a result, when the plug cover 20 is attached to the plug body 10, the insertion opening 16 is closed by the intermediate medium diameter portion 62.
[0036] In the present embodiment, in the attached state, the pushing protrusion 26 is in a state where it is partially pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the insertion port 16. The "pressed state" means a state where a part of the pushing protrusion 26 in the attached state is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the insertion port 16. The part of the pushing protrusion 26 that is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the insertion port 16 is at least a part of the part that faces the inner peripheral surface of the insertion port 16 in the attached state. In the above-mentioned pressure-bonded state, the tip portion of the push-in protrusion 26 protrudes outward in the outflow direction V from the top panel 12 through the insertion opening 16 .
[0037] When attached, the plug lid 20 blocks the outflow opening 11a formed in the top panel 12 of the plug body 10 from the inside in the outflow direction V, and also blocks the insertion opening 16 from the inside in the outflow direction V by inserting the push-in protrusion 26. The closure plate portion 23 has a planar shape similar to the hollow cross-sectional shape of the mounting tube 15. In the mounted state of the plug lid 20 having these configurations, the inside of the mounting tube 15 including the outflow opening 11a of the top plate 12 is closed by the closure plate portion 23, and is liquid-tightly sealed by the close contact between the mounting wall portion 27 and the mounting tube 15. Specifically, in the mounted state, the outer peripheral surface of the mounting wall portion 27 of the plug lid 20 is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the mounting tube 15. In this embodiment, the mounting wall portion 27 has a wall bulge portion 27a formed on its outer peripheral surface, so that the wall bulge portion 27a is in a state of being pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the mounting tube 15 (see FIG. 11). The "pressed state" means a state in which the wall bulge portion 27a is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the mounting tube 15. This makes it possible to prevent the contents from leaking out of the refill container 5 even when the refill container 5 is inverted with the refill neck portion 4 facing vertically downward.
[0038] The refilling operation using the refillable container 5 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 12. The refillable container 6, into which the contents are filled, has a refillable neck part 7 with an opening that communicates with the storage space for the contents. Such neck part 7 is also a cylindrical part having an internal flow path through which the contents are filled. In this embodiment, the refillable container 6 is a bottle-shaped container like the refillable container 5, and has a shoulder part and a body part that form the storage space for the contents together with the refillable neck part 7. A male thread ridge (not shown) is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the refillable neck part 7.
[0039] In the refilling operation, as shown in FIG. 12, the refillable container 5 is inverted with the refillable neck 4 facing downward in the vertical direction Z. On the other hand, the refillable container 6 is in a self-supporting state with the refillable neck 7 facing upward in the vertical direction Z. Next, the plug body 1 and the refillable neck 7 are screwed together to join the refillable neck 4 and the refillable neck 7. Specifically, the female thread ridge 13a formed on the inner circumferential surface of the aforementioned cylindrical outer wall 13 is screwed together with the male thread ridge formed on the outer circumferential surface of the refillable neck 7. In this screwing operation, the refillable neck 7 is inserted into the gap between the outflow tube 11 of the plug body 10 and the cylindrical outer wall 13, and the refillable neck 7 is pushed upward in the vertical direction Z (inward in the outflow direction V) while rotating the refillable container 5 around the central axis. As a result, the push-in protrusion 26 is pushed upward in the vertical direction Z (inward in the outflow direction V) by the top surface of the refillable neck portion 7. Accordingly, the closure plate portion 23 is also pushed upward in the vertical direction Z (inward in the outflow direction V), so that the closure by the closure plate portion 23 is released and the interior of the attachment tube 15 including the outflow opening 11a communicates with the storage space for the contents in the refillable container 5. As a result, the contents stored in the refillable container 5 flows out through the outflow tube 11 into the refillable container 6, and the refillable container 6 can be filled with the contents. Then, the refillable neck portion 7 is pushed further upward in the vertical direction Z (inward in the outflow direction V), and when the top surface of the refillable neck portion 7 reaches the top plate 12, the pushing protrusion 26 is pushed completely out of the insertion port 16, the plug cap 20 detaches from the plug body 10, and the closure of the insertion port 16 by the pushing protrusion 26 is released (not shown).
[0040] The refilling operation using the refillable container 5 of this embodiment can be performed by the simple operation of connecting the refillable neck part 4 and the refillable neck part 7 via the stopper 1. In this operation, as described above, the refillable neck part 7 is pushed inward in the outflow direction V along the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical outer wall 13. At this time, since the cylindrical outer wall 13 has an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the refillable neck part 7, the refillable neck part 4 and the refillable neck part 7 can be connected while the refillable neck part 7 is in close contact with the cylindrical outer wall 13.
[0041] The refill container 5 equipped with the plug 1 of this embodiment can effectively suppress leakage of the contents from the insertion opening 16 both in the attached state and during the refilling operation. In the attached state, the pushing protrusion 26, whose horizontal cross-sectional shape and size are substantially the same as the planar shape of the insertion opening 16, is inserted into the insertion opening 16, and the pushing protrusion 26 is partially pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the insertion opening 16, so that leakage of the contents from the insertion opening 16 can be effectively suppressed. Furthermore, during the refilling operation, before the pushing protrusion 26 is pushed out of the insertion opening 16, the blocking by the blocking plate 23 is released, and the contents flow out through the outflow opening 11a. Even if such leakage of the contents occurs, the pushing protrusion 26 is partially pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the insertion opening 16, so that a gap is unlikely to occur between the pushing protrusion 26 and the insertion opening 16, and leakage of a small amount of the contents through the insertion opening 16 can be suppressed (see FIG. 13). This makes it possible to prevent the contents from leaking out from the joint between the plug body 10 and the refillable neck portion 7 during the refilling operation.
[0042] There is no particular limitation on the portion of the pushing-in protrusion 26 that is partially pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the insertion port 16. In addition, the pushing-in protrusion 26 may be pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the insertion port 16 or against the outer circumferential surface of the insertion port 16. In order to further suppress small amounts of leakage of the contents through the insertion opening 16, it is preferable that the pushing-in convex portion 26 has its outer outer surface, excluding the tip portion, pressed against the outer inner surface of the insertion opening 16, and its tip portion protrudes outward in the outflow direction V from the top panel 12 through the insertion opening 16.
[0043] In the attached state, the outer peripheral surface of the attachment wall portion 27 is in tight contact with the inner peripheral surface of the attachment tube 15 (see Figure 13), but as the plug 20 is pushed out further during the refilling operation, this tight contact state is released. In the mounting wall surface portion 27 of this embodiment, when the wall surface bulge portion 27a moves inward in the outflow direction V beyond the tip of the mounting tube 15 due to the plug lid 20 being pushed out, the tight contact between the wall surface bulge portion 27a and the inner peripheral surface of the mounting tube 15 is released, and the contents flow out between the outflow tube 11 and the mounting tube 15. When the plug lid 20 is further pushed out, the pressure-contact state of the outer outer peripheral surface of the push-in protrusion portion 26 against the outer inner peripheral surface of the insertion opening 16 is released. In other words, after the tight contact between the mounting wall surface portion 27 and the mounting tube 15 is released, the pressure-contact state of the push-in protrusion portion 26 against the insertion opening 16 is released.
[0044] When the pushing protrusion 26 is completely pushed out from the insertion opening 16, the refillable container 5 and the refilled container 6 are also connected at the insertion opening 16, but air exchange between the refillable container 5 and the refilled container 6 occurs at the insertion opening 16, with the outflow opening 11a functioning as the main outflow port. That is, air exchange occurs via the insertion opening 16, and air exchange via the outflow opening 11a is suppressed. As a result, the outflow of the contents via the outflow opening 11a is not suppressed, and the contents can be efficiently refilled (filled). Furthermore, the refillable container 5 of this embodiment does not exchange air with the outside, but exchanges air with the refillable container 6 through the insertion port 16 of the stopper body 1, so leakage of the contents to the outside is effectively suppressed. In addition to the air exchange between the containers 5, 6, the stopper body 10 and the refillable container 6 are liquid-tightly joined, so that even if the refillable container 5 in an inverted state after joining and the refillable container 6 in a freestanding state fall over, leakage of the contents to the outside can be suppressed as long as the joining between the refilling neck part 4 and the refillable neck part 7 via the stopper body 1 is maintained, so the contents can be stably filled.
[0045] From the viewpoint of smoothly releasing the blockage of the outflow opening 11a by the closing plate 23 by performing the above-mentioned pushing out of the plug 20 by the refillable neck portion 7 in a balanced manner, it is preferable that the insertion holes 16 are formed at positions that equally divide the circumference of a circle defined by the gap between the outflow tube 11 and the cylindrical outer wall 13. In this case, the pushing protrusions 26 are formed at positions corresponding to the insertion holes 16 in the peripheral portion of the closing plate 23. For example, the insertion holes 16 may be formed at positions that equally divide the circumference of the circle defined by the gap in the plug body 10 into four, and the pushing protrusions 26 may be formed at positions corresponding to the insertion holes 16 in the peripheral portion of the closing plate 23. In this embodiment, the plug body 10 has two pairs of radially opposing insertion holes 16 formed in the gap portion, and the plug cover 20 has two pairs of radially opposing push-in protrusions 26 assembled together on the peripheral portion of the closure plate portion 23 (see Figure 3).
[0046] Regarding the connection between the refillable neck part 4 and the refillable neck part 7 via the stopper 1, the cylindrical outer wall 13 and the refillable neck part 7 may be engageable, but from the viewpoint of making the refillable neck part 7 less likely to be crushed during the connection, thereby further suppressing leakage of the contents, and from the viewpoint of performing the connection operation more stably, it is preferable that the cylindrical outer wall 13 and the refillable neck part 7 are screwable together. That is, it is preferable that the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical outer wall 13 is formed with a female thread ridge 13a that screws into a male thread ridge formed on the outer peripheral surface of the refillable neck part 7. Such a configuration is preferable in that the connection between the refillable neck part 4 and the refillable neck part 7 can be easily released when air replacement occurs between the refillable container 5 and the refillable container 6 after the refilling operation. Furthermore, screwing the refillable container 5 to the inverted container 6 and the refillable container 6 to the freestanding container 6 can maintain the container 5, 6 in a good state even if the containers 5, 6 fall over after being connected, and can effectively prevent the contents from leaking out. Furthermore, pushing the refillable neck part 7 inward in the outflow direction V by rotating the refillable container 5 with the screwing requires less force and is more stable than pushing the refillable neck part 7 upward by fitting, making the refilling operation easier. In this embodiment, in order to ensure the above-mentioned screw engagement, the inner diameter of the cylindrical outer wall 13 and the outer diameter of the refillable neck portion 7 are approximately the same.
[0047] From the viewpoint of further suppressing leakage of the contents during the refilling operation, when the refillable neck part 7 is inserted into the gap between the outflow tube 11 and the cylindrical outer wall 13 of the plug body 10 and the refillable neck part 4 and the refillable neck part 7 are joined, it is preferable that the top plate 12 abuts against the tip part of the neck part 7 (see FIG. 14). In other words, when the refillable neck part 4 and the refillable neck part 7 are joined, it is preferable that the top part of the refillable neck part 7 reaches the top plate 12. With this configuration, the refillable neck part 7 and the plug body 10 are more closely attached, and leakage of the contents from the gap between the neck part 7 and the plug body 10 can be further suppressed.
[0048] The mounting tube 15 preferably has an outer diameter such that the base end portion on the top panel 12 side can fit tightly against the inner circumferential surface of the outlet peripheral portion 4a (see FIG. 2). The mounting tube 15 of this embodiment has a portion on the tip side in the protruding direction of the mounting tube 15 where the outer diameter gradually decreases from the outside to the inside in the outflow direction V, and the outer diameter of the base end portion on the top panel 12 side is larger than that portion. The outer diameter of this base end portion is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the outlet peripheral portion 4a, and when the plug body 10 is attached to the refilling neck 4, the base end portion and the outlet peripheral portion 4a are in tight contact with each other. The mounting tube 15 may have an outer diameter that can be in close contact with the inner surface of the outlet peripheral portion 4a throughout the entire outflow direction V, or may have an outer diameter that can be in close contact with the inner surface of the outlet peripheral portion 4a only at the base end portion on the top panel 12 side.
[0049] The plug 1 of this embodiment is a molded product made of synthetic resin such as polypropylene or polyethylene, or bioplastic such as polylactic acid, and is preferably formed by injection molding. As described above, the plug 1 is formed as a two-part component consisting of the plug body 10 and the plug cap 20. Moreover, it is preferable that the plug lid 20 is made of a material having a lower specific gravity than the contents (liquid). With this configuration, after the plug lid 20 is detached from the plug body 10, the plug lid 20 floats in the contents due to buoyancy, so that the outflow of the contents through the outflow opening 11a can be effectively prevented from being hindered.
[0050] Furthermore, the refillable container stopper 1 of this embodiment having the above-mentioned configuration and the refillable container 5 equipped with it are excellent in ease of operation and stability during refilling, as described above, and it is possible to effectively prevent a large amount of contents from remaining inside the container or the remaining contents from leaking out to the surroundings when the refillable container 5 is removed from the refilled container 6 after refilling is completed.
[0051] 15(a) and (b), the bottom surface portion 23a of the closure plate portion 23 of the plug lid 20 opposite to the side on which the push-in protrusion 26 is erected is provided with an abutment rib 24 that abuts against the insertion partition wall 18 when the plug lid 20 is detached from the mounting tube 15 of the plug body 10 and then superimposed on the mounting tube 15 in an inverted state, thereby enabling a gap to be maintained between the mounting tube 15 and the bottom surface portion 23a of the closure plate portion 23 of the plug lid 20. The abutment rib 24 is preferably a central abutment rib 24a provided so as to traverse the central portion of the closure plate portion 23 in the radial direction. As a result, even if the plug cap 20 that has detached from the plug body 10 due to the refilling operation is flipped over, for example by 180 degrees, with the bottom portion 23a facing the outflow opening 11a and overlapped on the attachment tube 15, causing the bottom portion 23a to cover the outflow opening 11a, the central abutment rib 24a, which is the abutment rib 24, abuts against the tip of the insertion partition wall 18, making it possible to maintain a gap between the attachment tube 15 and the bottom portion 23a of the closure plate portion 23 of the plug cap 20.This allows the contents to flow from the refilling neck portion 4 through the outflow opening 11a and into the refillable neck portion 7 through the maintained gap, and allows the contents to be refilled into the refillable container 6 to the end. This also makes it possible to transfer the contents contained in the refill container 5 into the refilled container 6 without leaving any behind, effectively preventing a large amount of the contents from remaining inside the container, and since no contents are left behind, it also makes it possible to effectively prevent the contents from leaking out to the surroundings when the refill container 5 is removed from the refilled container 6 after refilling is completed.
[0052] On the other hand, if the abutment rib 24 is not present, when the bottom surface portion 23a of the lid 20 covers the outlet opening 11a, the outlet opening 11a is blocked, blocking the outflow of the contents, and there is a risk that the contents will remain in the refillable container 6. Such blocking of the outflow is likely to be mistakenly recognized as the end of refilling the contents. In this case, when the user releases the connection between the refillable neck portion 4 and the refillable neck portion 7, the outlet opening 11a is unblocked by the lid 20, and the contents remaining in the refillable container 6 may leak out from the outlet opening 11a to the outside. In the lid 1 of this embodiment, the abutment rib 24 creates a gap between the lid 20 and the insertion partition wall 18, so that the outlet opening 11a is not blocked, and the contents can be prevented from remaining in the refillable container 6.
[0053] 3 and 4, according to this embodiment, the mounting wall portion 27 is erected on the side where the push-in protrusion 26 is erected, so that a saucer-shaped recess 25 surrounded by the mounting wall portion 27 is formed on the side where the push-in protrusion 26 of the closure plate portion 23 is erected, and the cylindrical protrusions 21, 22 are erected from the center of the saucer-shaped recess 25 on the side where the push-in protrusion 26 is erected, and are arranged concentrically with the mounting wall portion 27. The cylindrical protrusions 21, 22 are preferably multiple (two ring) protrusions consisting of the inner cylindrical protrusion 21 and the outer cylindrical protrusion 22 arranged concentrically with a gap therebetween. As a result, according to this embodiment, when the stopper lid 20 that has detached from the stopper body 10 is inverted and placed so as to cover the outflow opening 11a with the bottom portion 23a facing downward, the contents will remain in the saucer-shaped recess 25. However, since the cylindrical convex portions 21, 22 are arranged inside the saucer-shaped recess 25, the retained contents can be firmly held in place by the surface tension of the inner surface of the mounting wall portion 27 and the peripheral surfaces of the inner cylindrical convex portion 21 and the outer cylindrical convex portion 22. Therefore, when the connection between the refillable neck portion 4 and the refillable neck portion 7 via the stopper body 1 is released, even if the stopper lid 20 moves or tilts, it is possible to effectively prevent the contents remaining in the saucer-shaped recess 25 of the stopper lid 20 from spilling out and leaking into the surrounding area.
[0054] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be modified as appropriate. In addition, the above-described embodiments may be combined. For example, the contents transferred to the refillable container 6 using the stopper 1 or a refillable container 5 equipped with the stopper 1 may be liquid contents such as lotion or milky lotion, or other contents having fluidity such as powder or granular material. The stopper 1 in the above-described embodiment is attached to the neck portion 4 of a bottle-shaped refill container 5, but it may also be attached to cover the refill outlet of various refill containers made of rigid plastic molded containers, etc. The plug body 10 does not have to be provided with the outer mounting cylinder 14, and may be attached integrally to the refill container 5 by covering the refill outlet of the refill neck 4 by means of a seal joint or the like.
[0055] In addition, as the abutment rib 24 provided on the bottom portion 23a of the closure plate portion 23 of the stopper lid 20, in addition to the central abutment rib 24a provided across the center of the bottom portion 23a, as shown in Figure 16, auxiliary abutment ribs 24b can also be provided protruding and arranged in parallel at a distance from each other, preferably on both sides of the central abutment rib 24a. As a result, when the plug cap 20 that has detached from the plug body 10 is inverted and placed on the attachment tube 15 with the bottom portion 23a facing the outflow opening 11a, the central abutment rib 24a is positioned in the spaced portion of the insertion partition walls 18 that are arranged in a circumferentially spaced relationship, so that even if it is unable to abut against the tip of the insertion partition wall 18, the auxiliary abutment rib 24b can be abutted against the tip of the insertion partition wall 18, thereby maintaining a gap between the attachment tube 15 and the bottom portion 23a of the closure plate portion 23 of the plug cap 20, and it is possible for the contents to flow from the refilling neck portion 4 through the outflow opening 11a and into the refillable neck portion 7. From this viewpoint, the auxiliary abutment ribs do not necessarily have to be arranged side by side on both sides of the abutment rib, so long as they can abut against the tip of the insertion partition wall 18 in place of the abutment rib. The contact ribs and the auxiliary contact ribs may be linear, curved, or disposed at intervals.
[0056] The contents to be transferred into the refillable container 6 using the stopper 1 or a refillable container 5 equipped with the stopper 1 may be liquid contents such as lotion or milky lotion, or other fluid contents such as powder or granular materials. The stopper 1 in the above-described embodiment is attached to the neck portion 4 of a bottle-shaped refill container 5, but it may also be attached to cover the refill outlet of various refill containers made of rigid plastic molded containers, etc. The plug body 10 does not necessarily have to include the through-wall 18 . The plug body 10 does not have to be provided with the outer mounting cylinder 14, and may be attached integrally to the refill container 5 by covering the refill outlet of the refill neck 4 by means of a seal joint or the like.
[0057] The outflow tube 11 and the mounting tube 15 may be cylindrical portions having a hollow cross-sectional shape other than circular or elliptical, and the outflow opening 11a of the plug body 10 and the closure plate portion 23 of the plug cover 20 do not have to have a circular planar shape. The mounting wall portion 27 of the plug lid 20 does not necessarily have to have the wall recess 28 . Furthermore, the closure plate portion 23 of the plug 20 does not necessarily have to have the inner cylindrical protrusion portion 21 and the outer cylindrical protrusion portion 22. In the above-described embodiment, the pushing protrusion 26 erected from the peripheral portion of the closing plate portion 23 was a columnar portion of a square prism (see FIG. 4), but the pushing protrusion 26 may be a columnar portion or a cylindrical portion of other shapes. The pushing protrusion 26 may have a tapered shape tapered toward the protruding direction. The tip of the pushing protrusion 26 may be flat or may have a step. Furthermore, the pushing protrusion 26 may be erected perpendicular to the closing plate portion 23, or may be erected in an inclined state with respect to the closing plate portion 23. The shape of the top panel 12 is not particularly limited, and may be circular as in the above-described embodiment, or may be any other shape such as rectangular.
[0058] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 17(a)-(c), other means can be employed to prevent the plug 20' from blocking the outflow opening 11a' again when the refilling of the contents from the refill container 5' to the refilled container 6' progresses. The other means shown in Figures 17(a)-(c) for preventing the plug 20' from blocking the outflow opening 11a' again can be preferably employed, particularly when the plug 20' is made of a material with a lower specific gravity than the contents (liquid). According to another means shown in Figures 17(a) to (c), a cylindrical convex portion 21' is erected from the central part of the surface (upper surface) on the side on which the push-in convex portion 26' is erected in the saucer-shaped recess 25' surrounded by the mounting wall portion 27' of the plug lid 20' to a height considerably exceeding the mounting wall portion 27', and a locking convex portion 21a' is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the tip portion of the erected cylindrical convex portion 21', and a locking ring 22' is attached to the base end portion of the outflow tube 11' of the plug body 10'. As shown in Figure 17(c), the locking ring 22' is supported by, for example, four support branches 22a' which extend radially as a single unit from the inner surface of the base end portion of the outflow tube 11' of the plug body 10', and is attached in a spaced-apart relationship to the central portion of the outflow opening 11a' while maintaining a flow path to the outflow opening 11a' in the spaces between the support branches 22a'.
[0059] As shown in Fig. 17(a), the plug lid 20' is attached to the mounting tube 15 of the plug body 10' with the cylindrical protrusion 21' inserted through the locking ring 22'. When the plug lid 20' is detached from the mounting tube 15' of the plug body 10' by the refilling operation using the refill container 5', it moves upwards in the contents, preferably due to its buoyancy, and as shown in Fig. 17(b), the locking protrusion 21a' on the outer circumferential surface of the tip of the cylindrical protrusion 21' is locked with the locking ring 22', thereby stopping the movement and firmly holding this state.
[0060] As a result, according to the other means shown in Figures 17(a) to (c), the stopper lid 20' that has come off and detached from the attachment tube 15' can be held firmly in the open position until the end without being inverted, and the contained contents can be smoothly transferred to the refill container 6' without any waste. [Explanation of symbols]
[0061] 1 stopper 2. Torso 3 Shoulder 4 Refill neck 4a Outlet edge area 5 Refill containers 6 Refillable containers 7 Refillable neck 10 Stopper body 11 Outflow tube 11a Outflow opening 12 Top panel 13 Cylindrical outer wall 13a Female thread ridge 14 External mounting tube 15 Mounting tube 16 Insertion port 18 Insertion Partition Wall 20 Bottle lid 21 Inner cylindrical convex portion (cylindrical convex portion) 22 Outer cylindrical convex portion (cylindrical convex portion) 23 Closure plate part 23a Bottom part 24 Contact rib 24a Center contact rib 24b Auxiliary contact rib 25 Saucer-shaped recess 26 Pressing protrusion 27 Mounting wall part 27a Wall bulge 61 Tip reduced diameter section 62 Intermediate diameter section 63 Large diameter base part V outflow direction Z vertical direction
Claims
1. A refillable container stopper that is attached to cover a refill outlet of a refillable container for refilling contents into a refillable container having a neck portion, The refill outlet comprises a plug body joined and fixed to the peripheral edge of the opening of the refill outlet, and a plug lid removably attached to the plug body to close the outlet opening formed in the top panel of the plug body from the inside in the outflow direction, The plug body comprises an outlet tube surrounding the outlet opening and projecting outward in the outflow direction from the top panel, a cylindrical outer wall arranged concentrically with the outlet tube, surrounding the outlet tube and projecting outward in the outflow direction from the top panel, and having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the neck portion of the refillable container, and an attachment tube arranged concentrically with the outlet tube, surrounding the outlet opening and projecting inward in the outflow direction from the top panel, The plug body has at least two insertion holes formed in the top panel in the gap between the outflow tube and the cylindrical outer wall, and has an insertion partition wall extending from the outer peripheral edge of each insertion hole to the inside in the outflow direction of the outflow opening, The stopper cap has an attachment wall portion whose outer peripheral surface is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the attachment tube, a closure plate portion having a planar shape similar to the hollow cross-sectional shape of the attachment tube, and a push-in protrusion portion standing upright from the peripheral edge portion of the stopper plate portion, and a protruding abutment rib is provided on the bottom surface portion of the closure plate portion opposite the side on which the push-in protrusion portion stands upright, which abuts against the insertion partition wall when the stopper cap is placed in an inverted state on the attachment tube after being removed from the attachment tube of the stopper body, thereby maintaining a gap between the attachment tube and the stopper cap, A refillable container stopper body in which the stopper lid is attached to the stopper body with the push-in protrusion protruding outward in the outflow direction from the top panel through the insertion hole in the gap between the outflow tube and the cylindrical outer wall.
2. The refillable container stopper as described in claim 1, wherein the abutment rib includes a central abutment rib arranged across the center of the bottom surface portion on the opposite side to the side on which the push-in protrusion of the closure plate portion is erected.
3. A refillable container stopper as described in claim 2, wherein auxiliary abutment ribs are protruding from the bottom surface of the closure plate portion opposite the side on which the push-in protrusion is erected, on both sides of the central abutment rib.
4. A refillable container stopper as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mounting wall portion is erected on the side where the push-in convex portion is erected, so that a saucer-shaped recess surrounded by the mounting wall portion is formed on the side where the push-in convex portion of the closure plate portion is erected, and a cylindrical convex portion is erected from the center of the saucer-shaped recess on the side where the push-in convex portion is erected, and is arranged concentrically with the mounting wall portion.
5. 5. The refillable container plug according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of said cylindrical projections are provided concentrically and spaced apart.
6. A refillable container stopper as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a female thread ridge is formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical outer wall, which threadably engages with a male thread ridge formed on the outer surface of the neck portion of the refillable container.
7. A refill container for refilling contents into a refillable container having a neck portion, The refill container includes a refill container stopper attached to cover the refill outlet, The refill container stopper comprises a stopper body joined and fixed to the peripheral edge of the opening of the refill outlet, and a stopper lid removably attached to the stopper body to close the outlet opening formed in the top panel of the stopper body from the inside in the outflow direction, The plug body comprises an outlet tube surrounding the outlet opening and projecting outward in the outflow direction from the top panel, a cylindrical outer wall arranged concentrically with the outlet tube, surrounding the outlet tube and projecting outward in the outflow direction from the top panel, and having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the neck portion of the refillable container, and an attachment tube arranged concentrically with the outlet tube, surrounding the outlet opening and projecting inward in the outflow direction from the top panel, The plug body has at least two insertion holes formed in the top panel in the gap between the outflow tube and the cylindrical outer wall, and has an insertion partition wall extending from the outer peripheral edge of each insertion hole to the inside in the outflow direction of the outflow opening, The stopper cap has an attachment wall portion whose outer peripheral surface is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the attachment tube, a closure plate portion having a planar shape similar to the hollow cross-sectional shape of the attachment tube, and a push-in protrusion portion standing upright from the peripheral edge portion of the stopper plate portion, and a protruding abutment rib is provided on the bottom surface portion of the closure plate portion opposite the side on which the push-in protrusion portion stands upright, which abuts against the insertion partition wall when the stopper cap is placed in an inverted state on the attachment tube after being removed from the attachment tube of the stopper body, thereby maintaining a gap between the attachment tube and the stopper cap, A refillable container in which the plug lid is attached to the plug body with the pushing-in protrusion protruding outward in the outflow direction from the top panel through the insertion opening in the gap between the outflow tube and the cylindrical outer wall.