Metering discharge container

Abstract

To provide a metering discharge container which can securely execute a metering discharge operation without being influenced from the outside and has excellent portability.SOLUTION: Disclosed is a metering discharge container which comprises a container body 1, a cap 2 and a measuring chamber 51b, and discharges a certain amount of contents measured at the measuring chamber 51b. The container body 1 comprises a neck 12, a body 11, a bottom wall part 13 and a shaft 14. The cap 2 comprises: a cap body 3 having a valve body 33 openable by pressing force from the inside; an inside plug 4 fixed and held to the cap body 3; and a measuring member 5 engaged and supported by the shaft 14 and displaceable toward the neck 12 together with the shaft 14. The measuring member 5 comprises: a measuring cylindrical body 51 defining the measuring chamber 51b, and on the other hand, discharging the certain amount of contents measured by the measuring chamber 51b by the pressing and opening of the valve body 33; and an elastic member 53 connecting the measuring member 5 to the cap body 3 and restoring the bottom wall part 13 to an initial shape.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a constant-volume dispenser capable of dispensing a constant amount of content consisting of fine solid matter such as powder or granules. [Background technology]

[0002] A known example of a container capable of discharging a fixed amount of contents such as powder is one in which, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a spring-biased measuring chamber is provided within the container body containing the contents, and when discharging the contents, the measuring chamber is pushed (slid) against the biasing force to open the discharge outlet, thereby discharging a fixed amount of contents within the measuring chamber, while after the contents have been discharged, the measuring chamber is restored to its initial position by the biasing force of the spring, and the discharge outlet is closed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-8236 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned conventional containers, the outer cylindrical portion that operates when measuring the contents is formed outside the inner cylindrical portion, so that rattling is likely to occur between the inner cylindrical portion and the outer cylindrical portion when measuring or carrying the container, resulting in problems with the operation of dispensing a fixed amount of the container, and there was room for improvement in operability and portability.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a fixed-volume dispensing container that can reliably perform a fixed-volume dispensing operation without being affected by external factors and that is highly portable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The fixed-quantity dispensing container of the present invention, which has been developed to achieve the above-mentioned object, comprises a bottomed, cylindrical container body for accommodating contents, a cap attached to the mouth and neck portion of the container body, and a measuring chamber for measuring a fixed amount of the contents accommodated in the container body, and is a fixed-quantity dispensing container for dispensing a fixed amount of the contents measured in the measuring chamber through a discharge outlet, the container body having a mouth and neck portion, a body connected to the mouth and neck portion, a bottom wall portion that can be elastically deformed by being pressed towards the inside of the body, and a shaft portion that stands from the bottom wall portion towards the mouth and neck portion, the cap having a valve body that can be opened by being pressed from the inside, a cap body that is detachably attached to the mouth and neck portion of the container body, an inner stopper that has a through opening that communicates with the interior of the container body and is engaged with the cap body, and a front We propose a fixed-quantity dispensing container having a measuring member that is engaged and supported by the shaft portion and displaceable together with the shaft portion toward the neck portion in accordance with elastic deformation of the bottom wall portion, wherein the measuring member is slidably fitted and held in the through opening and cooperates with the valve body to define a measuring chamber for the contents inside, while a measuring cylinder that discharges a fixed amount of the contents measured in the measuring chamber by pressing and opening the valve body, and an elastic member that engages with the inner stopper and holds the shaft portion in a urgeable manner, wherein the measuring cylinder allows the contents contained in the container body to flow into the measuring chamber before the valve body is pressed and opened, but has at least one opening that blocks the flow of the contents contained in the container body into the measuring chamber when the valve body is pressed and opened.

[0007] In addition, in the fixed-volume dispensing container of the present invention, it is preferable that the shaft portion has a tip portion located above the surface of the packed layer of the contents contained within the container body and below the neck portion.

[0008] In addition, in the fixed-quantity dispensing container of the present invention, it is preferable that the bottom wall portion has a plurality of discharge holes that enable the discharge of an appropriate amount of the contents contained in the container body, and a lid body that enables the discharge holes to be opened and closed. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the fixed-volume dispensing container of the present invention, the measuring member that is operated when measuring the contents is disposed inside the container body, so that it is less susceptible to external influences when measuring or carrying, etc., and can be operated reliably and has excellent portability. Furthermore, since the fixed-volume dispensing container of the present invention is composed of the container body and the cap, there is no need for a part that expands in diameter on the outside, such as the expanded outer cylindrical part in the conventional technology, so that it is possible to have a sleek exterior design, and it is easy to carry and has excellent portability.

[0010] According to the present invention, by pushing the bottom wall inward with the fingers, the measuring member is displaced via the shaft connected to the bottom wall, and the content filled in the measuring chamber of the measuring member is discharged, so that a certain amount of content can be discharged reliably and quickly. By releasing the pushing force, the bottom wall returns to its initial shape due to the restoring force of the elastic member, and the content in the container body is filled in the measuring chamber again, preparing for the next discharge, so that the fixed amount and discharge operation can be easily repeated. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an embodiment of a constant-volume dispensing container according to the present invention, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1A. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a cap constituting the constant-quantity dispensing container of FIG. [Diagram 3] 1A is a plan view of the measuring member, and FIG. 1B is a front view of the measuring member (showing a cross section of the right half taken along the center line). [Figure 4] 1(a) is a plan view of the inner plug, and FIG. 1(b) is a front view of the inner plug (showing a cross section of the right half taken along the center line). [Diagram 5] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the state of a constant-volume dispensing container according to the present invention in use, in which FIG. 1A shows the state before the content is dispensed, and FIG. 1B shows the state when the content is being dispensed. [Figure 6]5A and 5B are diagrams showing another embodiment of a constant-volume dispensing container according to the present invention, in which (a) is a cross-sectional view and (b) is a bottom view (the lid is not shown). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows one embodiment of a constant-volume dispensing container according to the present invention, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in (a), and Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a cap constituting the constant-volume dispensing container of Fig. 1. Fig. 3(a) is a plan view of a measuring member, (b) is a front view of the measuring member, Fig. 4(a) is a plan view of an inner plug, and (b) is a front view of the inner plug.

[0013] 1 to 4, reference numeral 1 denotes a bottomed, cylindrical container body for accommodating contents, and reference numeral 2 denotes a cap that is screwed onto a neck portion 12 of the container body 1 to keep the inside of the container body 1 sealed.

[0014] The container body 1 is composed of a body 11 which forms a filling space for the contents inside, a cylindrical neck portion 12 connected to the top of the body 11, a bottom wall portion 13 connected to the lower end portion of the body 11, and an axis portion 14 which is connected to the center of the inner surface of the bottom wall portion 13 and stands up toward the neck portion 12 along the axis L of the container body 1.

[0015] The bottom wall 13 has an outwardly convex dome shape and is configured to be elastically deformable by being pressed toward the inside of the body 11 with fingers or the like. In this embodiment, the bottom wall 13 is configured integrally with the body 11, but it may be configured as a separate body. In addition, the bottom wall 13 is provided so as not to protrude from the end portion of the body 11, allowing the container body 1 to stand on its own.

[0016] The shaft 14 is a rod-shaped body that is connected to the center of the inner surface of the bottom wall 13 and stands up toward the neck 12, with its tip located above the surface of the filling layer of the filled contents and below the neck 12.

[0017] The container body 1 can be manufactured as a single unit using a material such as synthetic resin by injection molding, direct blow molding, or the like, but the material is not particularly limited. In addition, in this embodiment, a cylindrical container body 1 is shown as an example, but the shape of the container body 1 can be appropriately changed based on the type of content, the design of the container, the purpose, etc., and is not limited to the shape shown in the figure.

[0018] 2, the cap 2 is composed of a cap body 3, an inner plug 4 engaged with the inside of the cap body 3, and a measuring member 5 engaged and supported at the tip of the shaft 14, and may be attached by a male screw 32b provided on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 32 of the cap body 3 screwing into a female screw 12a provided on the outer peripheral wall of the mouth and neck part 12 of the container body 1, or by a removable undercut fitting. When the contents are not to be refilled, the cap 2 may be structured so as not to be removable.

[0019] The cap body 3 has a ring-shaped top wall 31, a peripheral wall 32 suspended from the outer periphery of the top wall 31, and a valve body 33 connected to the inner periphery of the top wall 31. The valve body 33 is thinner than the top wall 31 and is separated into four parts by two intersecting slits 33a as shown by the broken lines in FIG. 1(a). Each of the separated valve bodies 33 is configured to open outward when pressed from the inside, with a linear recess 33b provided on the back side at the base end position as a deformation starting point. In this embodiment, the valve body 33 is integrally formed from the same material as the top wall 31, but an elastic material such as slit-containing silicone rubber may be used.

[0020] The cap body 3 is integrally provided with a lid 35 that can be opened and closed via a hinge 34. The lid 35 has a top wall 36 and a peripheral wall 37 suspended from the outer periphery of the top wall 36, and a ring portion 36a is suspended from the rear surface of the top wall 36. When the lid 35 is closed, the lower end of the ring portion 36a abuts against the valve body 33, thereby keeping the valve body 33 closed during storage. A rib 36b is provided on the top wall 36 at a position opposite the hinge 34, which serves as a fingerhold when lifting the lid 35.

[0021] The inside plug 4 has an inner tube 41 and an outer tube 42, which are integrally formed via a connecting piece 43 provided at the lower end, and a tube body 44 is held hanging from the connecting piece 43. The inside of the inner tube 41 is formed with a through opening 41a. The inside plug 4 is fixed and held inside the cap body 3 by fitting the upper end of the outer tube 42 into the gap between a ring portion 31a, which is held hanging from the top wall 31 of the cap body 3, and the peripheral wall 32 of the cap body 3, and by engaging a rib 42a provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube 42 with a protrusion 32a provided on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 32 of the cap body 3.

[0022] The metering member 5 is composed of a metering cylinder 51 having an open end that opens toward the valve body 33 and defining a metering chamber 51b for the contents inside in cooperation with the valve body 33, a cylindrical shaft member 52 connected to the metering cylinder 51, and a pair of plate-like elastic members 53 provided axially symmetrically at a lower position of the shaft member 52. The metering member 5 is held by fitting the metering cylinder 51 so as to be slidable (displaceable) along the through opening 41a of the inside plug 4, and is fixed to the inside plug 4 by engaging each of the flanges 53b (described later) of the pair of elastic members 53 with openings 44a provided in the cylinder 44 of the inside plug 4.

[0023] The measuring cylinder 51 has at least one opening 51a in the peripheral wall, and as described below, a certain amount of the content contained in the container body 1 can be filled and held in the measuring chamber 51b through the opening 51a.

[0024] The shaft member 52 has a connecting portion 52a consisting of a recess at the end, and when the cap 2 is attached to the neck portion 12 of the container body 1, the tip of the shaft portion 14 is fitted into the connecting portion 52a, thereby connecting the measuring member 5 and the shaft portion 14.

[0025] The elastic member 53 is composed of an elastically deformable curved portion 53a that is connected to the outer circumferential surface of the shaft member 52 and bulges outward in the radial direction while extending toward the inside plug 4, and a flange portion 53b that extends outward from the end of the curved portion 53. Although a pair of leaf springs arranged opposite to each other is shown as an example of the elastic member 53, the elastic member 53 is not limited to the one shown in the figure. When a pair of leaf springs made of a resin material arranged opposite to each other are used as the elastic member 53 as in this embodiment, all the members can be made of a resin material without using a metal material (metal spring), which can eliminate the need for separation at the time of disposal.

[0026] 5(a) and (b) are diagrams showing the state of use of a fixed-volume dispensing container according to the present invention, where (a) shows the state before the contents are dispensed, and (b) shows the state when the contents are being dispensed. When in use, the container body 1 is turned upside down so that the valve body 33 faces downward, and the content contained in the container body 1 is filled into the measuring chamber 51b through the opening 51a of the measuring cylinder 51.

[0027] Next, when the lid 35 is opened and the bottom wall 13 of the container body 1 is pushed downward with the fingers, the measuring member 5 is pushed downward via the shaft 14, and the measuring cylinder 51 slides downward along the through opening 41a of the inner plug 4. As a result, the measuring cylinder 51 presses the valve body 33, which opens along the slit 33a, and a certain amount of the contents filled in the measuring chamber 51b is discharged. At this time, the curved portion 53a of the elastic member 53 is elastically deformed as the measuring member 5 is pushed downward.

[0028] When the valve body 33 is opened, the opening 51a of the measuring cylinder 51 is in a position abutting the side wall surface of the through opening 41a (inner cylinder 41) of the center plug 4, so that the flow of the contents in the container body 1 into the measuring chamber 51b is blocked and only a fixed amount of the contents measured in the measuring chamber 51b can be discharged.

[0029] After the contents are discharged, when the pressure on the bottom wall 13 of the container body 1 is released, the curved portion 53a of the elastic member 53 returns to its original shape due to the elastic restoring force, the measuring cylinder 51 slides upward along the through opening 41a of the inside plug 4, and the bottom wall 13 is pushed up via the shaft member 52 and the shaft portion 14, and the bottom wall 13 returns to its initial shape. At this time, the opening 51a of the measuring cylinder 51 communicates with the container body 1 again, and the contents in the container body 1 are filled into the measuring chamber 51b through the opening 51a. This allows the contents to be repeatedly discharged in fixed amounts.

[0030] 6(a) and (b) are diagrams showing another embodiment of a constant volume dispensing container according to the present invention. In the fixed-quantity dispensing container of this embodiment, the bottom wall portion 13 has a bellows shape. In such a fixed-quantity dispensing container, when the pressure applied to the bottom wall portion 13 of the container body 1 is released, the bottom wall portion 13 can be quickly restored to its initial shape by the elastic restoring force of the curved portion 53a of the elastic member 53 and the restoring force of the bellows-shaped bottom wall portion 13 itself.

[0031] Furthermore, by providing a plurality of discharge holes 13a on the lower end surface of the bellows-shaped bottom wall 13, an appropriate amount of the contents contained in the container body 1 can be discharged from the discharge holes 13a. In this case, in order to prevent unintended discharge of the contents from the discharge holes 13a, it is preferable to provide a lower cap 15 that covers the bottom wall 13 and is slidable in accordance with the elastic deformation of the bottom wall 13, so that the discharge hole 13a can be opened and closed by the lid 15a.

[0032] Therefore, in the fixed-volume dispensing container of this embodiment, a fixed amount of contents can be dispensed from the top, and an appropriate amount of contents can be dispensed from the bottom, making it easy to use and versatile. [Industrial Applicability]

[0033] The fixed-volume dispenser of the present invention can be suitably used as a fixed-volume dispenser for storing powdery, granular or particulate food and drink, medicine, detergent, or other contents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1 Container body 11. Torso 12 Oral and cervical regions 12a Female thread 13 Bottom wall 13a Discharge hole 14 Shaft 15 Bottom Cap 15a Lid body 2 Cap 3 Cap body 31 Ceiling Wall 31a Ring section 32 Peripheral wall 32a Convex part 32b male thread 33 Valve body 33a Slit 33b Recess 34 Hinge 35 Lid 36 Ceiling Wall 36a Ring section 36b Rib 37 Peripheral wall 4 Inner stopper 41 Inner cylinder 41a Through opening 42 Outer cylinder 42a Rib 43 Connecting piece 44 Cylinder 44a aperture 5. Measuring elements 51 Measuring cylinder 51a aperture 51b Weighing room 52 Shaft member 52a Connection part 53 Elastic member 53a Curved section 53b Tsuba

Claims

1. A fixed-quantity dispensing container comprising a bottomed cylindrical container body for accommodating contents, a cap attached to the mouth and neck of the container body, and a measuring chamber for measuring a fixed amount of the contents accommodated in the container body, the fixed amount of the contents measured in the measuring chamber being dispensed through a discharge port, The container body has a mouth and neck portion, a body connected to the mouth and neck portion, a bottom wall portion that can be elastically deformed by being pressed toward the inside of the body, and a shaft portion that stands from the bottom wall portion toward the mouth and neck portion, The cap comprises a cap body having a valve body that can be opened by pressing from the inside and that is removably attached to the mouth and neck portion of the container body, an inside plug having a through opening that communicates with the inside of the container body and that is engaged with the cap body, and a measuring member that is engaged with and supported by the shaft portion and is displaceable together with the shaft portion toward the mouth and neck portion in accordance with elastic deformation of the bottom wall portion, the measuring member has a measuring cylinder that is slidably fitted and held in the through opening and cooperates with the valve body to define a measuring chamber for the contents therein, and that discharges a fixed amount of the contents measured in the measuring chamber by pressing and releasing the valve body, and an elastic member that engages with the inner plug and holds the shaft portion in a biasable manner; The measuring cylinder allows the contents contained in the container body to flow into the measuring chamber before the valve body is pressed and opened, but has at least one opening that blocks the flow of the contents contained in the container body into the measuring chamber when the valve body is pressed and opened.

2. 2. A fixed-quantity dispensing container according to claim 1, wherein the shaft portion has a tip portion located above the surface of a filling layer of the contents contained in the container body and below the neck portion.

3. A fixed-quantity dispensing container as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the bottom wall portion has a plurality of discharge holes that enable the appropriate amount of contents contained in the container body to be discharged, and a lid body that enables the discharge holes to be opened and closed.

Images