Aerosol product and method of manufacturing aerosol product

Abstract

To provide a double-structure aerosol product that is superior in manufacturability.SOLUTION: A method of manufacturing an aerosol product comprising an outer container 21 having an opening part, a valve unit 10 including a mounting cup 15 having a first screw part 15b and a joint part joined to a bead 21e, a screw member 13 having a second screw member 13a threadedly engaged with the first screw part 15b of the mounting cup 15, a housing 12 supported by the mounting cup 15 through the screw member 13, and a stem 11 constituted movably relative to the housing 12, and an inner container 22 housed in the outer container 21 includes: a charging step of charging aerosol in the outer container 21 through a gap formed between the mounting cup 15 and the outer container 21 and communicating with up to the opening part; and a joining step of joining the joint part of the mounting cup 15 to the outer container 21 after the charging step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol product and a method for making the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, aerosol products have been known in which a container and a valve unit are connected to each other by a screw portion. Such aerosol products have excellent disposability because the container and the valve unit can be easily disassembled and separated.

[0003] One method for filling a container with a propellant is the undercup filling method, in which the propellant is filled between the container and the valve unit. However, in a double-structure aerosol product having an outer container and an inner container, it is difficult to adopt the undercup filling method when the outer container and the valve unit are connected by a screw part. Patent Document 1 discloses a method for manufacturing a double-structure aerosol product, in which the container body of the outer container is filled with a propellant (pressurizing agent), and then a lid having a screw part formed thereon is joined to the container body by ultrasonic welding. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-19525 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the above-mentioned method, the container body and the lid must be made of thermoplastic resin, which limits the material options and makes it impossible to use general-purpose aerosol containers. In addition, there is a risk that welding debris will fall into the inner bag and cause the valve to become clogged.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a double-structure aerosol product that is easy to manufacture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the method for producing an aerosol product of the present invention comprises the steps of: an outer container having an opening; a valve unit including: a mounting cup having a first screw portion and a joint portion joined to the outer container; a screw member having a second screw portion screwed into the first screw portion of the mounting cup; a housing supported by the mounting cup via the screw member; and a stem protruding from the outer container and configured to be movable relative to the housing; an inner container attached to the valve unit and accommodated inside the outer container; 1. A method for producing an aerosol product comprising: a filling step of filling a propellant into the outer container through a gap between the mounting cup and the outer container, the gap communicating with the opening; a joining step of joining the joint portion of the mounting cup to the outer container after the filling step; The present invention is characterized by comprising: The present invention can also be configured as follows. 1. An annular bead is provided at the opening of the outer container, and in the joining process, the joining portion of the mounting cup is deformed to fix the joining portion to the bead of the outer container. 2. The method includes a lifting step, prior to the filling step, of lifting the valve unit relative to the outer container so as to provide a gap between the mounting cup and the outer container. In order to achieve the above object, the method for producing an aerosol product of the present invention comprises the steps of: an outer container having an opening; a valve unit including: a mounting cup having a first screw portion and a joint portion joined to the outer container; a screw member having a second screw portion screwed into the first screw portion of the mounting cup; a housing supported by the mounting cup via the screw member; a stem protruding from the outer container and configured to be movable relative to the housing; and a temporary fitting member connected to the mounting cup, the temporary fitting member being for temporarily fitting the mounting cup to the outer container at a position where a gap is provided between the mounting cup and the outer container; an inner container attached to the valve unit and accommodated inside the outer container; Equipped with A method for manufacturing an aerosol product, comprising the steps of: when the joint portion is not joined to the outer container, the temporary fitting member is movable from a first position in which the temporary fitting member engages with the outer container so as to generate a gap between the outer container and the joint portion of the mounting cup, to a second position in which there is no gap between the outer container and the joint portion, a filling step of filling a propellant into the outer container through the gap while the temporary fitting member is in the first position and there is a gap between the mounting cup and the outer container that communicates with the opening; a joining step of joining the joining portion of the mounting cup to the outer container with the temporary fitting member in the second position after the filling step; The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0008] In addition, the aerosol product of the present invention is an outer container having an opening; a mounting cup having a first threaded portion and a joint portion joined to the outer container; a screw member having a second screw portion that is screwed into the first screw portion of the mounting cup; a housing supported by the mounting cup via the screw member; A stem protruding from the outer container and configured to be movable relative to the housing; A valve unit including: an inner container attached to the valve unit so as to be disposed inside the outer container; The present invention is characterized by comprising: The present invention can also be configured as follows. 1. The valve unit includes a temporary fitting member connected to the mounting cup for temporarily fitting the mounting cup to the outer container at a position where a gap is created between the mounting cup and the outer container, and when the joint is not joined to the outer container, the temporary fitting member is configured to be movable from a first position in which it engages with the outer container so that a gap is created between the outer container and the joint of the mounting cup, to a second position in which there is no gap between the outer container and the joint. 2. The temporary fitting member has a communication portion that communicates between the inside and the outside of the outer container when the temporary fitting member is in the first position. 3. The temporary fitting member has a third threaded portion, and the mounting cup has a fourth threaded portion that screws into the third threaded portion. 4. The opening of the outer container is provided with an annular bead to which the joint is joined. 5. A sealing material is provided which has a pressure-welded portion sandwiched between the joint and the bead and pressure-welded, and a fitting portion which fits with the bead, and which fills the gap between the bead and the joint. 6. The opening of the outer container is provided with an annular bead to which the joint is joined, and a sealing material is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the temporary fitting member and fills the gap between the bead and the joint. 7. The inner container is a flexible pouch. 8. The space between the outer container and the inner container is filled with a propellant, and the inside of the inner container is filled with a concentrate. 9. The screw member is a cover that protects the stem.

[0009] The above-mentioned configurations may be combined as much as possible. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, a double-structure aerosol product that is easy to manufacture can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol product according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a bonding configuration of the aerosol product according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a method for producing an aerosol product according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an external view of an aerosol product according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol product according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a gas filling process for an aerosol product according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a bonding configuration of an aerosol product according to a third embodiment. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are schematic cross-sectional views showing the bonding configuration of an aerosol product according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, the mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail by way of example with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described in the embodiments may be changed as appropriate depending on the configuration of the device to which the invention is applied and various conditions. In other words, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0013] First Embodiment (Aerosol products) First, a description will be given of an aerosol product 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The aerosol product 100 is an aerosol container with a double structure that contains a concentrate and a propellant separately inside.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an aerosol product 100 of the first embodiment. The aerosol product 100 includes a container (container body) 21 that contains a propellant therein, an inner bag 22 that contains a concentrate therein and is disposed inside the container 21, and a valve unit 10 that is connected to the container 21. The aerosol product 100 further includes an actuator attached to a stem 11, and a cap (lid member) that covers the actuator and the valve unit 10, but these are omitted from Fig. 1.

[0015] The container 21 is an outer container that contains a propellant and an inner bag 22 inside. The container 21 is a cylindrical container with a bottom made of a thin metal plate, and has an opening 21a at one end. The container 21 may be a drawn and ironed can (DI can) or an impact can in which the bottom 21b and the body 21c of the container 21 are integrally formed by drawing, or a welded can in which the bottom 21b and the body 21c are welded together. The container 21 may be made of a material such as aluminum, tinplate, or SUS, or a resin, glass, or the like. The propellant contained in the container 21 may be a compressed gas such as nitrogen. More specifically, the propellant may be liquefied petroleum gas, Liquefied gases such as liquefied natural gas, dimethyl ether, hydrofluoroolefins, and hydrofluorocarbons, and compressed gases such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, compressed air, oxygen, helium, and nitrous oxide can be used.

[0016] The container 21 is joined to the valve unit 10 near the opening 21a. Fig. 1 shows the state in which the valve unit 10 is connected to the container 21 near the opening 21a provided at the upper end of the container 21. Below, the configuration of the aerosol product 100 will be described based on a state in which the opening 21a of the container 21 is located at the top and the bottom 21b of the container 21 is located at the bottom. In this case, the direction parallel to the central axis L1 of the container 21 from the bottom 21b toward the opening 21a is defined as the upward direction, and the direction perpendicular to the upward direction is defined as the radial direction.

[0017] The inner bag 22 is an inner container that contains the concentrate (contents) inside. The inner bag 22 is a flexible pouch, and its material may be, for example, aluminum or resin. The inner bag 22 is formed, for example, by bonding two sheets of film material together. By using the inner bag 22, even highly viscous liquid contents or contents that are highly aggressive to the container 21 can be safely contained. Furthermore, by using the inner bag 22, the aerosol product can be used regardless of the posture when used.

[0018] A connecting member 23 is attached to one end of the inner bag 22, and the inner bag 22 is connected to the valve unit 10 via the connecting member 23. The concentrate contained in the inner bag 22 is sprayed to the outside through the connecting member 23 and the inside of the valve unit 10 as the inner bag 22 is crushed by the pressure of the propellant contained in the container 21.

[0019] The valve unit 10 is composed of a stem 11, a housing 12, a cover 13, a number of gaskets 14, a mounting cup 15, and an actuator (not shown). The valve unit 10 is a unit for spraying the concentrate contained in the inner bag 22 by utilizing the pressure of the propellant.

[0020] The mounting cup 15 is a joining member that joins the valve unit 10 and the cover 13, and connects the valve unit 10 to the container 21. The mounting cup 15 is a hollow, thin-walled member that penetrates in the vertical direction. The mounting cup 15 may be made of a material such as aluminum, tinplate, steel, or SUS.

[0021] The mounting cup 15 has a joint portion 15a that joins with the container 21, and a male screw portion (first screw portion) 15b that engages with the cover 13. The male screw portion 15b is a screw portion that extends upward from the joint portion 15a, and the diameter of the male screw portion 15b is smaller than the diameter of the joint portion 15a. The joining configuration between the mounting cup 15 and the container 21 will be described in detail later.

[0022] The cover 13 covers and protects the housing 12 and the stem 11, and also supports the housing 12. The cover 13 is a threaded member provided with a female thread portion (second thread portion) 13a that screws into the male thread portion 15b of the mounting cup 15, and is configured to be detachable from the mounting cup 15. That is, the cover 13 can be removed from the mounting cup 15 together with the stem 11 and the housing 12 by releasing the engagement between the male thread portion 15b as the first thread portion and the female thread portion 13a as the second thread portion.

[0023] The housing 12 is fitted to the cover 13 so as to be positioned inside the cover 13. The housing 12 is a hollow member that penetrates in the vertical direction, and the upper end of the housing 12 is fitted to the stem 11, and the lower end is fitted to a connecting member 23 attached to the inner bag 22. The hollow portion inside the housing 12 forms a flow path for the concentrate to flow from the inner bag 22 to the stem 11. It functions as:

[0024] The stem 11 is a vertically long member having a flow path formed therein, and is attached to the housing 12. The stem 11 is located radially inside the housing 12 and the cover 13, and is disposed so that one end of the stem 11 protrudes upward relative to the housing 12 and the cover 13. The stem 11 is configured to be movable relative to the housing 12 in the vertical direction parallel to the central axis L1 of the container 21.

[0025] In the vertical direction, a biasing member 16 that biases the stem 11 upward is provided between the stem 11 and the housing 12. When the actuator presses the stem 11 downward against the biasing force of the biasing member 16, the flow path in the stem 11 and the flow path in the housing 12 communicate with each other, and the concentrate can flow from the housing 12 into the stem 11. On the other hand, when the pressing force of the actuator is released and the stem 11 moves upward by the biasing member 16, one end of the flow path in the stem 11 is blocked by the gasket 14, and the concentrate is prevented from flowing from the housing 12 into the stem 11.

[0026] The stem 11, the housing 12, and the cover 13 may be made of a material such as resin. The cover 13 and the mounting cup 15 are connected to each other by a female screw portion 13a and a male screw portion 15b. With this configuration, the stem 11, the housing 12, the cover 13, and the inner bag 22, which are made of a resin or the like, can be easily detached from the mounting cup 15 and the container 21, which are made of a metal or the like. Therefore, the aerosol product 100 according to the first embodiment has excellent disposability because the members made of different materials can be easily separated.

[0027] The gasket 14 is a rubber leak-proof member that prevents the concentrate or propellant from leaking between the stem 11 and the cover 13 or between the housing 12 and the mounting cup 15. Figure 1 shows two ring-shaped gaskets 14 provided as an example of a leak-proof configuration. One of the two gaskets 14 is sandwiched between the stem 11, the housing 12, and the cover 13, and the other is sandwiched between the housing 12 and the mounting cup 15. However, the shape, number, and arrangement of the gaskets 14 are not limited to those shown in the figure, and can be changed to suit other components.

[0028] (joint configuration) Next, the joining configuration between the mounting cup 15 and the container 21 will be described in detail. Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the joining configuration between the mounting cup 15 and the container 21. The joining configuration between the mounting cup 15 and the container 21 in the first embodiment is generally similar to that described in International Publication No. 2022 / 154076, and is a configuration that can maintain the joining strength and has excellent manufacturability.

[0029] The container 21 has a body 21c extending upward from a bottom 21b, a shoulder 21d formed by narrowing the upper end of the body 21c to reduce its diameter to the diameter of the opening 21a, and a curled bead 21e formed by wrapping the edge of the opening of the shoulder 21d outward in a circular shape.

[0030] The bead 21e is a joining portion to which the joining portion 15a of the mounting cup 15 is joined. The dimensions of the bead 21e, such as the inner diameter and the outer diameter, are not particularly limited, and the container body (can body) of an existing aerosol can can be used as the container 21 of the aerosol product 100.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2, the joint portion 15a is composed of a flange portion 15c that extends radially outward from the male thread portion 15b and engages with the upper edge of the bead 21e, and a joint curl portion 15d that serves as an annular joint piece that engages with the outer periphery of the bead 21e. A seal material 25 is interposed between the contact surfaces of the first electrode 1e to fill the gap, and the contact surfaces are sealed.

[0032] The sealing material 25 according to the first embodiment is a hollow cylindrical cut rubber (cut gasket). The sealing material 25 is pressed in the vertical direction by the flange portion 15c of the mounting cup 15 and the bead 21e of the container 21, and fills the gap between the mounting cup 15 and the container 21.

[0033] The joining curl portion 15d is crimped in such a way that its lower end is pushed inward in a direction that reduces its diameter, and is fastened and fixed to the bead 21e in a shape that follows the outer periphery of the highly rigid bead 21e. The cross-sectional shape of the joining curl portion 15d cut along a plane passing through the central axis of the mounting cup 15 is curved in a semicircular shape that follows the cross-sectional shape of the bead 21e. The joining curl portion 15d extends from the upper edge of the bead 21e beyond the maximum diameter portion to the small diameter portion, which is the lower edge.

[0034] (Aerosol product manufacturing method) Next, as a manufacturing method of the aerosol product 100, a filling method for filling the container 21, which is an outer container, with a propellant and a joining method for joining the valve unit 10 (mounting cup 15) to the container 21 will be described. In the first embodiment, filling with the propellant and joining the container 21 and the valve unit 10 are carried out in a single process. Figures 3(a) to (f) are explanatory diagrams of the manufacturing method of the aerosol product 100.

[0035] 3(a) shows the aerosol product 100 with the mounting cup 15 placed on the container 21 before the mounting cup 15 and the container 21 are joined together. The mounting cup 15 is placed on the container 21 so that the flange portion 15c is placed on the bead 21e via the sealant 25. Before the mounting cup 15 and the container 21 are joined together, the undeformed joining curl portion 15d extends linearly downward from the flange portion 15c.

[0036] The mounting cup 15 and the container 21 are joined together with the cover 13 attached to the mounting cup 15 and the inner bag 22 attached to the valve unit 10. That is, as shown in Fig. 3(a), the mounting cup 15 is joined to the container 21 with the valve unit 10 including the stem 11, housing 12, cover 13, and mounting cup 15 placed on the container 21.

[0037] When the mounting cup 15 and the container 21 are joined, the inner bag 22 is attached to the housing 12 in advance via the connecting member 23. The inner bag 22 is attached to the housing 12 in a rolled-up state, for example, with tape, and the cover 13 connected to the housing 12 is connected to the mounting cup 15. At this time, the outer diameter of the inner bag 22 in the rolled-up state is made smaller than the inner diameter of the mounting cup 15, so that the inner bag 22 can be easily inserted into the hollow portion of the mounting cup 15 when the cover 13 is attached to the mounting cup 15. When the inner bag 22 is later filled with the concentrate, the inner bag 22 expands and the tape breaks.

[0038] FIG. 3(b) shows a vacuum process in which the filling device 30 sucks in the air inside the container 21. The filling device 30 has a sealing unit 31 that seals the space inside the container 21 and a space communicating with said space, and a collet 33 for gripping and lifting the valve unit 10. The sealing unit 31 is provided with an injection port 31a for injecting a propellant into the sealed space, and a vacuum port 31b for sucking in the air inside the container 21. The injection port 31a and the vacuum port 31b are each opened only when in use, and are closed when injection or vacuuming is not performed. The collet 33 is attached to the mounting during the joining process. It also functions as a pressing means for pressing and deforming the joining curled portion 15d of the holding cup 15.

[0039] In the vacuum process, the sealing unit 31 seals the space inside the container 21 and the space inside the valve unit 10 and the space inside the filling device 30 that are connected to the space inside the container 21. When suction is started through the vacuum port 31b, the valve unit 10 is first lifted from the container 21 due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the container 21. Then, air inside the container 21 is sucked through the gap generated between the container 21 and the mounting cup 15, and the air is discharged from the container 21. In FIG. 3(b), the air flow is indicated by dotted lines with arrows. In the vacuum process, the valve unit 10 may be lifted by the collet 33.

[0040] FIG. 3(c) shows a lifting step in which the collet 33 grips and lifts the valve unit 10. In the first embodiment, the collet 33, which deforms the joining curl portion 15d in a later joining step, grips the mounting cup 15 and lifts the valve unit 10. The collet 33 has a plurality of claws 33a protruding toward the inner diameter side toward the mounting cup 15, and the claws 33a abut against the joining curl portion 15d of the mounting cup 15 from the outer periphery. By lifting the valve unit 10 from the container 21, a gap is formed between the container 21 and the mounting cup 15 for filling the propellant into the inside of the container 21. Note that the method of lifting the valve unit 10 is not limited to the above-mentioned method, and may be performed by a known lifting device other than the collet 33.

[0041] Fig. 3(d) shows a gas filling step for filling the inside of the container 21 with a propellant. The propellant is injected from an injection port 31a provided in the sealing unit 31 into a space inside the filling device 30 that communicates with the internal space of the container 21. The propellant injected from the injection port 31a flows into the inside of the container 21 through the gap between the joining curl portion 15d and the bead 21e and the opening 21a, and a predetermined amount of propellant is filled into the container 21. In Fig. 3(d), the flow of the propellant is indicated by a dashed line with an arrow.

[0042] 3(e) shows a joining process in which the joining curled portion 15d is deformed by the collet 33 to crimp and fix the joining portion 15a to the bead 21e, and the mounting cup 15 is joined to the container 21. In the joining process, the collet 33 moves inward toward the inner diameter side (the center in the radial direction) in a tightening direction, and the claws 33a of the collet 33 push the outer periphery of the joining curled portion 15d radially inward from multiple points in the radial direction. Then, the linear joining curled portion 15d is plastically deformed following the outer periphery shape of the bead 21e, the joining curled portion 15d is formed in a curled shape, and the mounting cup 15 is joined (clinched) to the container 21. At this time, the lower end of the joining curled portion 15d is reduced in diameter to a diameter smaller than the maximum diameter of the bead 21e.

[0043] In the first embodiment, the claws 33a do not contact the entire circumference of the joining curled portion 15d, but rather contact locally at multiple locations. Therefore, the portion pressed into the claws 33a of the collet 33 is not pressed evenly all around, but rather the abutting portions of the claws 33a of the collet 33 are pressed in. The lower portion of the joining curled portion 15d is formed into an uneven shape with multiple localized biting portions 15e formed in the circumferential direction, or into a polygonal shape, and is not formed into a perfect circle.

[0044] Through the above steps, the propellant is filled inside the container 21, and the valve unit 10 is joined to the container 21 to seal the container 21. Then, the concentrate is filled into the inner bag 22, an actuator is attached to the stem 11, and a cap is attached to the cover 13 so as to cover the stem 11 and the actuator, thereby completing the aerosol product 100.

[0045] In this manner, according to the configuration of the first embodiment, the mounting cup 15 can be joined to the container 21 by deforming the joint portion 15a by crimping it against the bead 21e, so that the joining can be performed using simple equipment and with a small number of steps. Since the aerosol product 100 can be used, it has excellent versatility and manufacturability.

[0046] 3(a) to 3(e), the sealant 25 is omitted for simplification. The sealant 25 is preferably attached to the mounting cup 15 in advance to prevent it from falling off during the manufacturing process of the aerosol product 100. The sealant 25 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration as long as it can fill the gap between the mounting cup 15 and the container 21 to seal the inside of the container 21 and can fill the inside of the container 21 with the propellant. The sealant 25 may be a known seal member such as a thermoplastic resin or a seal ring.

[0047] 4 is an external view showing the aerosol product 100 in a state where the male thread portion 15b of the mounting cup 15 and the female thread portion 13a of the cover 13 are disengaged to expose the mounting cup 15. Since the connection between the cover 13 and the mounting cup 15 is configured by a thread portion, the cover 13 can be easily removed from the mounting cup 15. Since the stem 11 and the housing 12 are attached to the cover 13, the configuration of the aerosol product 100 according to the first embodiment allows the resin stem 11, the housing 12, the cover 13, and the inner bag 22 to be easily separated from the metal mounting cup 15 and the container 21.

[0048] As described above, according to the configuration and manufacturing method of the first embodiment, the aerosol product 100 is made to have a double structure, and the mounting cup 15 having a threaded portion can be attached to the container 21. That is, the container 21 can be easily filled with a propellant by under-cup filling without providing a propellant filling port on the bottom or the like of the container 21, and the mounting cup 15 can be easily joined to the container 21. Also, in a configuration in which the vicinity of the opening of the outer container is simply formed as a threaded mouth, it is necessary to screw a valve into the threaded mouth while pressurizing the inside and outside of the outer container during the filling of the propellant into the outer container. On the other hand, in the configuration of the first embodiment, it is not necessary to pressurize the inside and outside of the outer container, and it is not necessary to screw a valve while filling the propellant. In addition, it is possible to provide a double-structured aerosol product 100 with excellent manufacturability.

[0049] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The basic configuration of the aerosol product 100 of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. In the following description, the same components as those of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and will not be described again, and the characteristic parts of the second embodiment will be mainly described. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a temporary fitting member 41 is provided in the valve unit 10.

[0050] 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an aerosol product 100 according to the second embodiment. The aerosol product 100 according to the second embodiment includes a temporary fitting member 41 in addition to a container 21, an inner bag 22, and a valve unit 10.

[0051] The temporary fitting member 41 is a filling auxiliary member for supporting the valve unit 10 and assisting in gas filling when filling the inside of the container 21 with a propellant in a gas filling step. More specifically, the temporary fitting member 41 is a member for temporarily fitting the valve unit 10 into the container 21 with a gap being provided between the joint curl portion 15d and the bead 21e when filling the container 21 with a propellant.

[0052] The temporary fitting member 41 is a hollow thin-walled member that penetrates in the vertical direction. The temporary fitting member 41 has a male threaded portion 41a, a flange portion 41b that protrudes radially outward from the lower portion of the male threaded portion 41a, and an engagement portion 41c that extends downward from the flange portion 41b and is configured to be able to engage with the container 21. The engagement portion 41c has multiple rectangular slits 41d that open downward. Slits 41d function as communication parts that communicate between the inside and outside of container 21 in the gas filling step, and are also provided so that the lower part of temporary fitting member 41 elastically deforms when temporary fitting member 41 is engaged with container 21.

[0053] The mounting cup 15 is formed with a female screw portion 15f configured to be screwable with the male screw portion 41a of the temporary fitting member 41. In the second embodiment, the female screw portion 15f is formed on the inner periphery side of the male screw portion 15b, and the temporary fitting member 41 and the mounting cup 15 are connected by these screw portions. That is, the aerosol product 100 according to the second embodiment has a male screw portion 15b as a first screw portion, a female screw portion 13a as a second screw portion, a male screw portion 41a as a third screw portion, and a female screw portion 15f as a fourth screw portion. With this configuration, the temporary fitting member 41 can be easily attached to the mounting cup 15. However, the temporary fitting member 41 may be connected to the mounting cup 15 by a different connection configuration, or the temporary fitting member 41 and the mounting cup 15 may be integrally configured.

[0054] (Gas filling method) Next, a gas filling process according to the second embodiment will be described. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the gas filling process for filling the inside of the container 21 with a propellant, and is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol product 100 in the middle of production. In the first embodiment, the propellant is filled in a state in which the valve unit 10 is lifted by the collet 33, but in the second embodiment, the propellant is filled in a state in which the valve unit 10 is lifted by the temporary fitting member 41 relative to the container 21.

[0055] The engaging portion 41c of the temporary fitting member 41 is configured so that a part of the outer peripheral surface can engage with the inner peripheral surface (surface facing the center in the radial direction) of the bead 21e. Specifically, the outer peripheral surface of the engaging portion 41c is concave toward the inner diameter side, and the outer peripheral surface engages with the bead 21e whose inner peripheral surface is convex toward the inner diameter side.

[0056] As a result of the engagement portion 41c engaging with the bead 21e, the mounting cup 15 (valve unit 10) connected to the temporary fitting member 41 is supported by the temporary fitting member 41 in a state in which it is lifted up from the container 21. The position of the temporary fitting member 41 when the mounting cup 15 is supported by the temporary fitting member 41 and temporarily fitted to the container 21 in this manner is referred to as a first position. When the temporary fitting member 41 is in the first position, a gap for filling the propellant is formed between the joint portion 15a (flange portion 15c, joint curl portion 15d) and the bead 21e.

[0057] In this way, in the second embodiment, the temporary fitting member 41 supports the mounting cup 15 in the gas filling step, so that the lifting step using the collet 33 is not necessary. Then, the propellant flows into the inside of the container 21 through the slit 41d as a communication part formed in the engagement part 41c. In FIG. 6, the flow of the propellant is indicated by a dashed line with an arrow. In the second embodiment, the vacuum step performed prior to the gas filling step can also be performed with the temporary fitting member 41 in the first position. However, the vacuum step is not limited to the state in which the temporary fitting member 41 is in the first position, and may be performed with the temporary fitting member 41 in a state above the first position, etc.

[0058] When the container 21 is completely filled with the propellant, the temporary fitting member 41 and the valve unit 10 are pushed down together. When the mounting cup 15 is not joined to the container 21, the temporary fitting member 41 is configured to be movable between a first position where a gap is formed between the joining curl portion 15d and the bead 21e, and a second position that is lower than the first position. When the temporary fitting member 41 is pushed downward, the engagement portion 41c moves from the first position to the second position while elastically deforming.

[0059] As described above, the gas filling step according to the second embodiment is performed in a state in which the temporary fitting member 41 is located at the first position and the valve unit 10 is temporarily fitted to the container 21, and the propellant is filled through the gap between the joint curl portion 15d and the bead 21e. After the gas filling step, the temporary fitting member 41 is moved integrally with the valve unit 10 from the first position to the second position by a moving means (not shown). Then, the joining step is performed in a state in which the temporary fitting member 41 is located at the second position.

[0060] The temporary fitting member 41 according to the second embodiment is configured such that the engaging portion 41c engages with the bead 21e when the temporary fitting member 41 is located at the second position. Specifically, when the temporary fitting member 41 is located at the first position, the lower portion of the engaging portion 41c engages with the bead 21e, and when the temporary fitting member 41 is located at the second position, the upper portion of the engaging portion 41c engages with the bead 21e. However, the temporary fitting member 41 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration, and may be configured not to engage with the bead 21e at the second position. That is, the second position may be a position where the collet 33 plastically deforms the joining curl portion 15d following the outer peripheral shape of the bead 21e, and the mounting cup 15 can be joined to the container 21.

[0061] When the temporary fitting member 41 is located at the second position, the seal material 25 is pressed vertically by the flange portion 15c of the mounting cup 15 and the bead 21e of the container 21, eliminating any gap between the flange portion 15c and the bead 21e.

[0062] The material of the temporary fitting member 41 may be, for example, resin. However, as long as the temporary fitting member 41 can support the valve unit 10 at the first position and can move to the second position by deforming the engagement portion 41c when pressed toward the inside of the container 21, the material and shape of the temporary fitting member 41 are not limited to those described above.

[0063] In the second embodiment, the sealing material 25, which is a hollow cylindrical cut rubber, is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the temporary fitting member 41. With this configuration, the sealing material 25 does not need to be attached to the mounting cup 15, and falling off of the sealing material 25 can be easily prevented.

[0064] As described above, according to the configuration of the second embodiment, the aerosol product 100 has a double structure, and the mounting cup 15 having a threaded portion can be attached to the container 21. Then, the container 21 can be filled with the propellant by under-cup filling without lifting the valve unit 10 with a gripping means such as the collet 33, and the aerosol product 100 with a double structure and excellent disposability can be manufactured more simply.

[0065] In the second embodiment, the temporary fitting member 41 and the mounting cup 15 are connected to each other by a screw portion, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the outer peripheral surface of the temporary fitting member 41 and the inner peripheral surface of the mounting cup 15 may each be formed in a straight shape, and the straight shapes may be bonded to each other by an adhesive. In this way, a known connection configuration may be adopted as a method for connecting the temporary fitting member 41 and the mounting cup 15.

[0066] <Third embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The basic configuration of the aerosol product 100 of the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. In the following description, the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted, and the characteristic parts of the third embodiment will be mainly described. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the shape of the mounting cup 15 and the joining configuration between the mounting cup 15 and the container 21.

[0067] (joint part) 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a joining configuration between a mounting cup 15 and a container 21 according to the third embodiment. The mounting cup 15 of the third embodiment has a non-threaded portion 15g extending downward from the lower end of the male threaded portion 15b, and a flange portion 15h extending radially outward from the non-threaded portion 15g. When the mounting cup 15 is joined to the container 21, a part of the non-threaded portion 15g and the flange portion 15h are located inside the container 21.

[0068] In the third embodiment, the joining portion of the mounting cup 15 is composed of a clinch portion 15i crimped to the bead 21e and a curl portion 15j formed along the outer diameter of the bead 21e. The curl portion 15j is formed in advance into a curled shape, and in the joining process, the mounting cup 15 is joined to the container 21 by deforming the clinch portion 15i.

[0069] The clinch portion 15i is formed by deforming a portion of the flange portion 15h that rises upward parallel to the central axis L1 from the outer diameter end in a radially outward direction. The outer diameter of the clinch portion 15i is smaller than the minimum diameter portion of the bead 21e, and the mounting cup 15 is prevented from coming off the container 21. The clinch portion 15i is located below the minimum diameter portion of the bead 21e, and holds the outer periphery of the bead 21e between the clinch portion 15i and the curl portion 15j located above the minimum diameter portion so as to wrap the outer periphery of the bead 21e from above and below. With this configuration, the mounting cup 15 is joined to the container 21 via the seal material 25 in the third embodiment.

[0070] In the joining process according to the third embodiment, a collet having claws protruding to the outer diameter side moves radially outward to deform the mounting cup 15. Through this process, a clinch portion 15i conforming to the bead 21e is formed, and the mounting cup 15 is joined to the container 21.

[0071] Even with this configuration, the aerosol product 100 can be made to have a double structure, and the mounting cup 15 having a threaded portion can be attached to the container 21. In other words, there is no need to provide a propellant filling port on the bottom or the like of the container 21, and there is no need to screw a valve during filling with the propellant. The propellant can be filled into the container 21 by under-cup filling, and the double-structure aerosol product 100 with excellent disposability can be efficiently manufactured.

[0072] <Other embodiments> The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the housing 12 may be configured to be attached to the cover 13 via another member, rather than directly to the cover 13. That is, in the above-described embodiment, the housing 12 is configured to be supported by the mounting cup 15 via only the cover 13, but the housing 12 may be supported by the mounting cup 15 via the cover 13 and another member.

[0073] In the above embodiment, a pouch is used as the inner container for containing the concentrate, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a flexible resin bottle member may be used as the inner container. In the above embodiment, the mounting cup 15 and the cover 13 are connected in a state in which the inner bag 22 is attached to the cover 13 via the housing 12, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the inner container such as the inner bag 22 may be connected to the valve unit 10 in an assembled state. By using such a manufacturing method, it is not necessary to insert the inner container into the hollow portion of the mounting cup 15, and effects such as improved ease of manufacture and a larger size of the inner container can be expected.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the mounting cup 15 is joined to the container 21 by deforming (clinching), but the method of joining the mounting cup 15 and the container 21 is not limited to this type of crimping. For example, known joining methods such as roller winding, which deforms the end of the mounting cup so as to wrap around the upper end of the outer container, and stoppering, which joins each member to each other by driving (fitting) the mounting cup into the outer container, may be used. In the above embodiment, the vacuum process, gas filling process, and joining process are performed in the manufacture of the aerosol product 100, but the vacuum process does not necessarily have to be performed and can be omitted.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the sealant 25 filling the gap between the mounting cup 15 and the container 21 is a gasket having a rectangular cross-sectional shape, but is not limited to this. For example, the sealant may be a gasket provided with a fitting portion that can fit into the inner circumferential surface of the bead 21e of the container 21, or a known liquid sealing material such as a compound.

[0076] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a joining configuration between the mounting cup 15 and the container 21 provided with the seal material 27 according to the modified example. The seal material 27 has a pressure-welded portion 27a that is sandwiched and pressed between the flange portion 15c and the bead 21e between the contact surfaces of the flange portion 15c and the bead 21e, and a fitting portion 27b that extends downward from the end of the inner diameter side of the pressure-welded portion 27a and fits into the inner circumferential surface of the bead 21e. With this configuration, the seal material 27 is fixed to the bead 21e, so that it is possible to prevent the seal material 27 from falling off or shifting during the manufacturing process of the aerosol product 100. Also, even in a configuration in which a compound is applied between the bead 21e and the flange portion 15c or the joining curl portion 15d, there is no risk of the seal material falling off or shifting like a gasket, so that the ease of manufacturing the aerosol product 100 can be improved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 10... valve unit, 11... stem, 12... housing, 13... cover (screw member), 13a... female screw portion (second screw portion), 15... mounting cup, 15a... joint portion, 15b... male screw portion (first screw portion), 21... container (outer container), 21a... opening, 22... inner bag (inner container), 100... aerosol product

Claims

1. an outer container having an opening; a valve unit including: a mounting cup having a first screw portion and a joint portion joined to the outer container; a screw member having a second screw portion screwed into the first screw portion of the mounting cup; a housing supported by the mounting cup via the screw member; and a stem protruding from the outer container and configured to be movable relative to the housing; an inner container attached to the valve unit and accommodated inside the outer container; A method for producing an aerosol product comprising: a filling step of filling a propellant into the outer container through a gap between the mounting cup and the outer container, the gap communicating with the opening; a joining step of joining the joint portion of the mounting cup to the outer container after the filling step; A method for producing an aerosol product, comprising:

2. The opening of the outer container is provided with an annular bead, The method for manufacturing an aerosol product according to claim 1, characterized in that in the joining step, the joining portion of the mounting cup is fixed to the bead of the outer container by deforming the joining portion.

3. 3. The method for producing an aerosol product according to claim 1, further comprising, prior to the filling step, a lifting step of lifting the valve unit relative to the outer container so as to create a gap between the mounting cup and the outer container.

4. an outer container having an opening; a valve unit including: a mounting cup having a first screw portion and a joint portion joined to the outer container; a screw member having a second screw portion screwed into the first screw portion of the mounting cup; a housing supported by the mounting cup via the screw member; a stem protruding from the outer container and configured to be movable relative to the housing; and a temporary fitting member connected to the mounting cup, the temporary fitting member being for temporarily fitting the mounting cup to the outer container at a position where a gap is provided between the mounting cup and the outer container; an inner container attached to the valve unit and accommodated inside the outer container; Equipped with In a method for manufacturing an aerosol product, the temporary fitting member is configured to be movable from a first position where the temporary fitting member engages with the outer container so as to generate a gap between the outer container and the joint portion of the mounting cup, to a second position where there is no gap between the outer container and the joint portion, when the joint portion is not joined to the outer container, a filling step of filling a propellant into the outer container through the gap while the temporary fitting member is in the first position and there is a gap between the mounting cup and the outer container that communicates with the opening; a joining step of joining the joining portion of the mounting cup to the outer container with the temporary fitting member in the second position after the filling step; A method for producing an aerosol product, comprising:

5. an outer container having an opening; a mounting cup having a first threaded portion and a joint portion joined to the outer container; a threaded portion having a second threaded portion that is threadedly engaged with the first threaded portion of the mounting cup; Materials and a housing supported by the mounting cup via the screw member; A stem protruding from the outer container and configured to be movable relative to the housing; A valve unit including: and an inner container attached to the valve unit so as to be placed inside the outer container.

6. the valve unit includes a temporary fitting member connected to the mounting cup for temporarily fitting the mounting cup to the outer container at a position where a gap is provided between the mounting cup and the outer container, The aerosol product described in claim 5, characterized in that, when the joint is not joined to the outer container, the temporary fitting member is configured to be movable from a first position in which it engages with the outer container so as to create a gap between the outer container and the joint of the mounting cup, to a second position in which there is no gap between the outer container and the joint.

7. The aerosol product according to claim 6, wherein the temporary fitting member is formed with a communication portion that communicates between the inside and the outside of the outer container when the temporary fitting member is in the first position.

8. The temporary fitting member has a third thread portion, 7. The aerosol product according to claim 6, wherein the mounting cup has a fourth threaded portion that is threadedly engaged with the third threaded portion.

9. 6. The aerosol product according to claim 5, wherein the opening of the outer container is provided with an annular bead to which the joint is joined.

10. The aerosol product according to claim 9, further comprising a pressure-welded portion sandwiched between the joint portion and the bead and pressed against the joint portion, and a fitting portion that fits into the bead, and further comprising a sealing material that fills a gap between the bead and the joint portion.

11. the opening of the outer container is provided with an annular bead to which the joint portion is joined; The aerosol product according to claim 6, further comprising a sealant attached to an outer peripheral surface of the temporary fitting member and filling a gap between the bead and the joint.

12. 6. The aerosol product according to claim 5, wherein the inner container is a flexible pouch.

13. A space between the outer container and the inner container is filled with a propellant, 6. The aerosol product according to claim 5, wherein the inside of the inner container is filled with a concentrate.

14. 6. The aerosol product according to claim 5, wherein the screw member is a cover that protects the stem and the housing.

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