Valve body, and valve structure

Abstract

To provide a valve body capable of spouting a content without causing large force to act on a container body even when a viscosity degree of the content is high, and preventing the content from being leaked from a nozzle when the container body is not pressurized; and to provide a valve structure thereof.SOLUTION: A valve body is provided with a shaft part 110 attached to an attachment hole 22a provided at a valve support part 22, and a thin plate-like valve body part 120 that opens / closes a spouting port 22b provided at the valve support part 22. The valve body part 120 is divided into a plurality of movable parts 122 spaced apart at intervals in a circumferential direction by a plurality of slits 121 extending toward a shaft part 110 side from an outer edge on a radial direction outer side, and a thin part 124 is provided on the shaft part 110 side at each of the movable parts 122.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a valve body and a valve structure provided in a squeeze container. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a technology is known in which a valve is provided at the nozzle of a squeeze container (see Patent Document 1). With this technology, the contents can be poured out from the nozzle by pressurizing the container body, while it is possible to prevent the contents from leaking out of the nozzle when the container body is not pressurized.

[0003] However, when the contents are highly viscous fluids such as honey or ketchup, the contents are difficult to dispense if the valve is not opened enough, which requires a large force to be applied to the container body. Therefore, there is still room for improvement. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5804849 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a valve body and valve structure that can dispense the contents without applying a large force to the container body even when the viscosity of the contents is high, and that can prevent the contents from leaking from the nozzle when the container body is not pressurized. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention employs the following means to solve the above problems.

[0007] That is, the valve body of the present invention is A valve body provided in a nozzle of a squeeze container, a shaft portion attached to a mounting hole provided in a valve body support portion provided in the nozzle; a thin plate-shaped valve body portion that is integrally provided with the shaft portion and opens and closes a spout provided in the valve body support portion; Equipped with The valve body is divided into a plurality of movable parts spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction by a plurality of slits extending from a radially outer edge toward the shaft portion. The movable portion is characterized in that a low rigidity portion is provided on the shaft portion side.

[0008] According to the present invention, the valve body is divided into a plurality of movable parts by a plurality of slits, and the movable parts are provided with low rigidity parts on the shaft side, which synergistically facilitates opening and closing of the valve body (movable parts). Although the valve body is provided with slits, leakage of the contents from the slits can be suppressed when the viscosity of the contents is high.

[0009] The low rigidity portion may be formed of a thin-walled portion having a thickness smaller than that of a portion radially outward of the low rigidity portion, whereby the valve body (movable portion) is moved by deformation of the thin-walled portion.

[0010] The low-rigidity portion is provided by a groove formed on at least one of the two surfaces of the movable portion. The groove is preferably formed so as to sandwich the movable part from one of the slits to the other of the slits. This allows the valve body (movable part) to move around the part where the groove is formed. Also, by forming the groove so as to sandwich the movable part from one of the slits to the other of the slits, it is possible to more reliably operate the movable part.

[0011] The groove may be formed so as to connect to a position away from the tip of the slit on the shaft portion side, thereby making it possible to prevent the tip of the slit on the shaft portion side from being torn.

[0012] The groove may be a straight groove, which allows the movable portion to be operated without applying excessive force to the movable portion.

[0013] The linear groove may be formed so as to be perpendicular to the bisector of the angle formed by the imaginary extension lines of the slits on both sides of the movable part, which makes it easier for the movable part to deform and operate when pouring out the contents.

[0014] The valve structure of the present invention includes a valve body support portion provided in a nozzle of the squeeze container, The valve body is characterized by comprising:

[0015] The valve body may be disposed at a position farther inside the squeeze container than the tip of the nozzle, thereby preventing fingers, a plate, or the like from touching the valve body and thus preventing damage to the valve body.

[0016] The above configurations may be combined as much as possible. Effect of the Invention

[0017] As described above, according to the present invention, even if the viscosity of the contents is high, the contents can be poured out without applying a large force to the container body, and the contents can be prevented from leaking out of the nozzle when the container body is not pressurized. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a squeeze bottle including a valve body and a valve structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the spout according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the valve body according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the content is poured out from the squeeze container having the valve body and valve structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a squeeze bottle including a valve body and a valve structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, and the like of the components described in the embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention unless otherwise specified.

[0020] Example 1 A valve body and a valve structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 4. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a squeeze container provided with the valve body and the valve structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 1, the valve structure is shown in a schematic cross-sectional view, and other members are partially shown in dotted lines to show only their positions. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a spout constituting the valve structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The cross-sectional view of the spout in Fig. 1 corresponds to the cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a valve body according to the first embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a plan view, (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along line BB in (a)), and (c) is a bottom view. Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state when contents are poured out from a squeeze container equipped with the valve body and valve structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] <Squeeze container> The overall configuration of a squeeze container 1 including a valve body and a valve structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the squeeze container 1 is described as a pouch. The squeeze container 1 according to this embodiment is suitable for use with fluids having a relatively high viscosity, particularly fluids having a viscosity of 1000 mPa or more and 3000 mPa or less (such as honey or ketchup).

[0022] The squeeze container 1 comprises a container body (pouch body) 10, a spout 20 attached to one end of the container body 10, and a cap 30 that is detachable from the spout 20. The spout 20 serves as a nozzle. The spout 20 is preferably made of a relatively hard resin material such as high density polyethylene (HDPE).

[0023] The container body 10 is made of a plurality of synthetic resin films and has flexibility. As a result, the contents can be squeezed out of the spout 20 by applying pressure to the container body 10 with fingers or the like. A valve body 100 is provided in the spout 20, which functions as a nozzle. The spout 20 and the valve body 100 form a valve structure. When the container body 10 is applied with pressure by fingers or the like, the valve opens and the contents are poured out of the spout 20, and when the pressure to the container body 10 is stopped, the pouring of the contents can be stopped. The valve body 100 is preferably made of a relatively soft resin material such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE). The valve body 100 is disposed at a position farther from the tip of the nozzle toward the inside of the squeeze container 1 (the container body 10 side). As a result, it is possible to prevent the valve body 100 from coming into contact with fingers, a plate, or the like, and to prevent damage to the valve body 100.

[0024] <Valve structure> The configurations of the spout 20 and the valve body 100 that constitute the valve structure will be described in more detail with reference to Figs. 1 to 3.

[0025] <<Spout>> The spout 20 comprises a cylindrical body portion 21, a valve body support portion 22 provided within the body portion 21, a male screw portion 23 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the body portion 21, and a first flange portion 24 and a second flange portion 25 also provided on the outer circumferential surface of the body portion 21. The first flange portion 24 serves to prevent foreign matter from entering between the cap 30 and the body portion 21. The second flange portion 25 also serves as a welding portion for fixing the container body 10.

[0026] The valve body support part 22 is provided with a mounting hole 22a in its center, and a spout 22b is provided around the mounting hole 22a concentrically with the mounting hole 22a. The surfaces on the nozzle tip side radially outward and inward from the spout 22b serve as valve seats. For convenience, the former is referred to as the first valve seat 22d, and the latter as the second valve seat 22e. A connecting part 22c connecting the part having the first valve seat 22d and the part having the second valve seat 22e is composed of a thin-walled part that is thinner than the part having the first valve seat 22d and the part having the second valve seat 22e. By providing this connecting part 22c, the planar shape of the mounting hole 22a is approximately C-shaped. In addition, the first valve seat 22d and the second valve seat 22e are configured with tapered surfaces that decrease in diameter toward the mounting hole 22a.

[0027] <<Valve body>> The valve body 100 includes a shaft portion 110 that is attached to a mounting hole 22a provided in the valve body support portion 22 of the spout 20, and a thin plate-shaped (disk-shaped in this embodiment) valve body portion 120 that is integrally provided with the shaft portion 110. The valve body portion 120 is provided concentrically with the shaft portion 110. In this embodiment, the shaft portion 110 can be fixed to the mounting hole 22a by press-fitting. However, various known techniques such as a screw-in method can be used to fix the shaft portion to the mounting hole. The valve body portion 120 plays a role in opening and closing the spout 22b provided in the valve body support portion 22. More specifically, the valve is closed when the valve body portion 120 is seated on the first valve seat 22d. The valve is opened when the valve body portion 120 is separated from the first valve seat 22d and the second valve seat 22e (particularly the former).

[0028] The valve main body 120 is configured to be divided into a plurality of movable parts 122 at intervals in the circumferential direction by a plurality of slits 121 extending from the outer edge on the radially outer side toward the shaft part 110 side. In addition, a low-rigidity part is provided on the shaft part 110 side of these movable parts 122. In this embodiment, a low-rigidity part is provided near the base of the movable part 122 (near the shaft part 110). This low-rigidity part is configured by a thin-walled part 124 that is thinner than a part radially outer than the low-rigidity part. In this embodiment, a groove 123 is formed on the surface of the movable part 122 on the container main body 10 side (shaft part 110 side), thereby providing the thin-walled part 124. Note that it is preferable that the depth of the groove 123 is, for example, about 1 / 3 of the entire thickness, and the thin-walled part 124 is about 2 / 3 of the thickness of the part radially outer than the low-rigidity part.

[0029] In this embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which groove 123 is formed on the surface of movable part 122 facing container body 10, but a groove may be formed on the surface opposite to container body 10, or grooves may be provided on both sides. By forming such a groove, a thin-walled part that functions as a low-rigidity part can be provided. Also, in this embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which a low-rigidity part is provided by a thin-walled part, but a low-rigidity part can also be provided by, for example, providing multiple non-penetrating holes or multiple through holes.

[0030] In this embodiment, the groove 123 is formed so as to extend from one slit 121 to the other slit 121 with the movable part 122 in between. This makes it possible to easily operate the movable part 122. Note that even when the groove is partially provided, the rigidity is reduced compared to when no groove is provided, so that it is possible to easily operate the movable part 122. However, in order to more reliably make it easier to operate the movable part 122, it is desirable to configure the groove 123 as described above.

[0031] In this embodiment, the groove 123 is formed so as to connect to a position away from the tip 121a of the slit 121 on the shaft 110 side (see the enlarged partial view shown in the circle in FIG. 3(c)). This makes it possible to prevent stress from concentrating on the tip 121a of the slit 121 on the shaft 110 side, and to prevent cracks from occurring in this portion.

[0032] Moreover, groove 123 is configured as a linear groove. This allows movable part 122 to be operated without excessive force being applied to it. However, for example, the groove may be configured as an arc concentric with shaft part 110. Furthermore, groove 123 configured as a linear groove is formed so as to be perpendicular to bisector N of angle d formed by imaginary extension lines (see dotted line L in FIG. 3(c)) of slits 121 on both sides of movable part 122. This makes it even easier for movable part 122 to deform when pouring out the contents, and allows movable part 122 to be operated. It can be done.

[0033] <Valve Action> The operation of the valve body 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. When pouring out the contents, the cap 30 is removed, and the tip of the spout 20 is tilted downward, and pressure is applied to the container body 10 by a finger or the like. FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the tip of the spout 20 at this time. As the internal pressure increases due to the application of pressure to the container body 10, the valve opens. That is, the valve body 120 (movable part 122) moves away from the first valve seat 22d and the second valve seat 22e (particularly the former), and the spout 22b opens. As a result, the contents are poured out from the spout 22b (see the arrow in the figure).

[0034] In this embodiment, since the connecting portion 22c is composed of a thin portion, when the container body 10 is pressurized with a large force, the connecting portion 22c tilts, and the portion where the second valve seat 22e is provided moves toward the pouring direction, and the entire valve body 100 tilts from the base point of the connecting portion 22c and the base of the body portion 21, increasing the open area of ​​the pouring outlet 22b. This allows a large amount of content to be poured at once. When pressure is stopped on the container body 10, the valve closes, so that the content can be prevented from leaking out even when the tip of the spout 20 is tilted downward.

[0035] <Advantages of the valve body and valve structure according to this embodiment> According to the valve body 100 of this embodiment, the valve body 120 is divided into a plurality of movable parts 122 by a plurality of slits 121, and the movable parts 122 are provided with thin-walled parts 124 on the shaft part 110 side, which synergistically facilitates opening and closing of the valve body 120 (movable parts 122). Although the valve body 120 is provided with the slits 121, leakage of the contents from the slits 121 can be suppressed when the viscosity of the contents is high.

[0036] Therefore, even if the viscosity of the contents is high, the contents can be poured out without applying a large force to the container body 10, and when the container body 10 is not pressurized, the contents can be prevented from leaking out of the spout 20 serving as a nozzle.

[0037] Example 2 Fig. 5 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the valve structure is provided on the spout of the pouch, but in this embodiment, the valve structure is provided on the cap. The other basic configurations and functions are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

[0038] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of a squeeze container equipped with a valve body and a valve structure according to Example 2 of the present invention. In Fig. 1, the valve structure is shown in a schematic cross-sectional view, and part of the exterior of the container body is shown by a dotted line to show only the arrangement position.

[0039] The squeeze container according to this embodiment includes a container body 10X and a cap unit 30X attached to one end of the container body 10X. The container body 10X is made of a resin material or the like and has flexibility. The cap unit 30X is integrally provided with a cylindrical nozzle portion 31, a valve body support portion 32 provided in the nozzle portion 31, a mouth portion 33 formed at the tip of the nozzle portion 31, an opening / closing plug portion 34 for opening and closing the mouth portion 33, and a hinge portion 35. The opening / closing plug portion 34 is inserted into the mouth portion 33 as shown by the dotted line in the figure, thereby closing the mouth portion 33, and the opening / closing plug portion 34 is removed from the mouth portion 33 as shown by the solid line, thereby opening the mouth portion 33.

[0040] The valve body support part 32 has a mounting hole 32a at its center, and a spout 32b is provided around the mounting hole 32a concentrically with the mounting hole 32a, similar to the valve body support part 22 described in the first embodiment. The configuration of the valve body support part 32 is similar to the configuration of the valve body support part 22 described in the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0041] Also in this embodiment, the shaft portion 110 of the valve body 100 is attached to the attachment hole 32a. Note that the valve body 100 is the same as that described in the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0042] The valve body and valve structure according to this embodiment configured as described above can also provide the same effects as those of the above-mentioned Example 1. In this manner, the valve body and valve structure according to the present invention can be applied to nozzles of various squeeze containers. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1: Squeeze container 10, 10X: Container body 20: Spout 21: Torso 22: Valve body support part 22a: Mounting hole 22b: Outlet 22c: Connecting part 22d: First valve seat 22e: Second valve seat 23: Male screw part 24: First flange part 25: Second flange part 30: Cap 30X: Cap unit 31: Nozzle section 32: Valve body support part 32a: Mounting hole 32b: Outlet 33: Mouth 34: Opening and closing valve 35: Hinge part 100: Valve body 110: Shaft 120: Valve body 121: Slit 121a: Tip 122: Moving part 123: Groove 124: Thin section

Claims

1. A valve body provided in a nozzle of a squeeze container, a shaft portion attached to a mounting hole provided in a valve body support portion provided in the nozzle; a thin plate-shaped valve body portion that is integrally provided with the shaft portion and opens and closes a spout provided in the valve body support portion; Equipped with The valve body is divided into a plurality of movable parts spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction by a plurality of slits extending from a radially outer edge toward the shaft portion. The valve body according to claim 1, further comprising a low-rigidity portion provided on the shaft side of the movable portion.

2. 2. The valve body according to claim 1, wherein the low rigidity portion is formed of a thin-walled portion having a thickness smaller than that of a portion radially outward of the low rigidity portion.

3. The valve body described in claim 1, characterized in that the low rigidity portion is formed by a groove formed on at least one of the two surfaces of the movable portion, and the groove is formed so as to extend from one of the slits to the other of the slits, sandwiching the movable portion therebetween.

4. 4. The valve body according to claim 3, wherein the groove is formed so as to connect to a position away from a tip end of the slit on the shaft portion side.

5. 4. The valve body according to claim 3, wherein the groove is a linear groove.

6. 6. The valve body according to claim 5, wherein the linear groove is formed so as to be perpendicular to a bisector of an angle formed by imaginary extension lines of the slits on both sides of the movable portion.

7. A valve body support portion provided in a nozzle of the squeeze container; A valve body according to any one of claims 1 to 6, A valve structure comprising:

8. The valve structure according to claim 7, wherein the valve body is disposed at a position further inside the squeeze container than the tip of the nozzle.

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