Cap and container

Abstract

To provide a cap and a container capable of preventing an excessive number of tablets from being discharged when the container is tilted.SOLUTION: A cap 3 is provided with a cap body 3A, which is attached to a mouth 2A of a container body 2 that accommodates a plurality of tablets 10, and in which a discharge port 4A is formed in a top plate 4 for discharging the tablets 10, and a lid 3B configured to cover an outer surface side of the top plate 4. The cap 3 has a plurality of ribs 11 provided on a back surface 4a, which is a surface of the top plate 4 on the container body 2 side, the ribs 11 extending in a direction radially away from the discharge port 4A. Each rib 11 increases in height from the back surface 4a as it extends away from the discharge port 4A along the extending direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container for storing tablets and a cap used for the container. The present invention relates to a technology for improving the convenience of the tablet container by preventing excessive tablet discharge when the container is tilted to discharge tablets from a discharge port of the cap. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, the most common tablet containers on the market are those that use the inner diameter of the bottle mouth (the mouth of the container body) as the tablet outlet (discharge port), or those that only have a hole as the tablet outlet (discharge port). However, although these containers have a simple structure and are inexpensive, they have the problem that they do not have a structure to stop the tablets when they are ejected, and there is a risk that too many tablets will be ejected.

[0003] Containers that address this issue include those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example. In Patent Document 1, a cylindrical shape (nozzle-shaped) that protrudes upward is provided at the position of the discharge port. In Patent Document 2, a nozzle part that protrudes upward is provided at the position of the discharge port, and a spring-like elastic body that regulates the cross-sectional size inside the nozzle is provided. It is described that the containers described in these patent documents are capable of discharging a fixed number of tablets when taking out the tablets due to the above-mentioned structure, thereby preventing excessive tablets from being discharged. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-100079 [Patent Document 2] JP 2021-187476 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The containers described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 need to have a cylindrical (nozzle) portion that protrudes outward as a discharge port. This means that the external shape of the lid that covers the discharge port also needs to be three-dimensional, and the cap portion needs to be larger, making it necessary to lengthen the container. Furthermore, the containers described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have complex shapes and require three or more parts: a bottle (container body), a cap, and a tablet storage section.

[0006] The present invention has been made with attention to the above-mentioned points, and aims to provide a container cap that can prevent an excessive number of tablets from being discharged from a tilted container without providing a nozzle-shaped discharge outlet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve this problem, one aspect of the present invention is a cap having a cap body that is attached to the mouth of a container body that contains a plurality of tablets and has an outlet formed in the top plate portion through which the tablets can be ejected, and a lid portion that can cover the outer surface side of the top plate portion, and has a plurality of ribs provided on the back surface, which is the surface of the top plate portion facing the container body, and extending in a direction away from the outlet in a radial direction, and the height of each rib from the back surface increases as it moves away from the outlet along the extension direction. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to an aspect of the present invention, a plurality of ribs are provided on the back side (lower part of the top surface) of the top plate having the discharge port to control the amount of tablets discharged. Therefore, according to an aspect of the present invention, since there is no need to provide a nozzle-shaped part protruding outward at the discharge port, it is possible to exert the effect of regulating the number of tablets discharged without changing the appearance of the cap or the container body. In other words, according to an aspect of the present invention, the simple structure makes it possible to reduce the excessive discharge of tablets when the container is tilted to discharge tablets. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of a container according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a cap according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a top view with a lid portion open, and (b) is a cross-sectional view with the lid portion open. [Diagram 3] 1 is a view of a cap according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from below (container body side). [Figure 4] 11 is a perspective view showing an example of a rib provided on the underside of a top plate portion according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 5] 11 is a perspective view showing an example of a rib provided on the underside of a top plate portion according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a view of a cap according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from below (container body side). [Figure 7] 1A is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the container is in use with the cap tilted, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the ribs and the tablet when the tablet is discharged from the discharge port. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The container 1 of this embodiment is a container that contains a tablet 10. The container 1 of this embodiment includes a container body 2 and a cap 3 that is attached to a mouth portion 2A (opening) of the container body 2, as shown in FIG. Here, when the shape of the tablet 10 is an ellipsoid, the major axis is the maximum diameter, and when the shape of the tablet 10 is a disk, the diameter is the maximum diameter and the thickness is the minor axis.

[0011] <Container body 2> The container body 2 of this embodiment has, for example, a cylindrical mouth portion 2A formed at least on the upper portion, and the cap 3 can be attached to the mouth portion 2A by a known attachment structure such as fitting or screw fastening. A storage section 2B for storing a tablet 10 is formed below the opening 2A. The container 1 shown in Fig. 1 is exemplified in which the storage section 2B is also cylindrical in shape. The material of the container body 2 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include metal, plastic, and glass.

[0012] <Cap 3> In this embodiment, a plastic hinge cap that is repeatedly opened and closed will be described as an example of the cap 3. Considering the ease of attaching the cap 3 to the container body 2, it is preferable to attach the cap 3 to the container body 2 by fitting. The cap 3 in this embodiment is attached to the container body 2 by fitting. 1 and 2, the cap 3 of this embodiment includes a cap body 3A and a lid portion 3B. Reference numeral 3C denotes a hinge portion that connects the cap body 3A and the lid portion 3B. Reference numeral 3Ba denotes a hook portion provided on the lid portion 3B.

[0013] [Cap body 3A] The cap body 3A of this embodiment is configured as a bottomed cylinder whose bottom is open. The cap body 3A includes a tubular portion 5 and a flat top plate portion 4 that forms the upper surface of the tubular portion 5. A discharge outlet 4A opens in the center of the top plate 4, and an inner ring 4B for fitting into the mouth 2A of the container body 2 is formed on the outer periphery of the back surface 4a (lower surface) of the top plate 4. The position of the outlet 4A may be on a straight line passing through the center of the top plate 4 and the hinge portion 3C. For example, the outlet 4A may be formed at a position eccentric to the center of the top plate 4 on the side away from the hinge portion 3C. Moreover, the diameter of the discharge port 4A is, for example, larger than the maximum diameter of the tablet 10 but less than twice the maximum diameter.

[0014] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a plurality of ribs 11 are provided on the back surface 4a of the top plate portion 4, extending along the back surface 4a. As shown in Fig. 3, the plurality of ribs 11 are arranged radially in the radial direction with the discharge port 4A as the center. That is, each rib 11 extends in the radial direction from the outer edge of the discharge port 4A. The extending direction of each rib 11 is not limited to the radial direction, and may be any direction as long as it extends away from the discharge port 4A. Also, each rib 11 may extend in a curved shape in a direction away from the discharge port 4A in the radial direction. Furthermore, the ribs 11 do not have to be disposed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0015] 2 and 4, the height of the top surface 11a of each rib 11 from the back surface 4a increases continuously in the extension direction as it moves away from the discharge port 4A. That is, the top surface 11a of each rib 11 is an inclined surface. The height of the top surface 11a of the rib 11 may be zero at the outer edge of the discharge port 4A as shown in Fig. 6. Also, in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, the rate of change in the height of the top surface 11a of the rib 11 is constant (linear) along the extension direction, but it does not have to be constant.

[0016] Moreover, the rib 11 in this embodiment is formed up to a position close to the inner ring 4B. In this case, the gap between the rib 11 and the inner ring 4B is preferably less than the minor axis of the tablet 10. Conversely, the gap between the rib 11 and the inner ring 4B may be set to be equal to or larger than the maximum diameter of the tablet 10. By setting it in this manner, it is possible to prevent the tablet 10 from being caught in the gap between the rib 11 and the inner ring 4B. Moreover, the minimum distance between adjacent ribs 11 is set to be less than the minor axis of the tablet 10. In this embodiment, it is preferable that the distance between adjacent ribs 11 at the outer edge position of the discharge port 4A is less than the minor axis of the tablet 10. This ensures that each tablet 10 is guided by the ribs 11 and discharged from the discharge port 4A.

[0017] Moreover, the distance between adjacent ribs 11 increases as the distance from the discharge port 4A increases. The interval between adjacent ribs 11 may be set to be equal to or smaller than the minor axis of the tablet 10 over the entire length of each rib 11. In this case, it is possible to prevent the tablet 10 from being sandwiched between adjacent ribs 11 over the entire length of the ribs 11. In addition, the distance between adjacent ribs 11 at the outer edge of the discharge port 4A is less than the short diameter of the tablet 10, but in the portion away from the discharge port 4A, the distance between adjacent ribs 11 may be greater than or equal to the short diameter of the tablet 10.

[0018] In this case, as shown in Fig. 6, it is preferable to provide an auxiliary rib 12 in a portion where the interval between adjacent ribs 11 is equal to or greater than the minor axis of the tablet 10. By providing the auxiliary rib 12, even if there is a portion where the interval between adjacent ribs 11 is equal to or greater than the minor axis of the tablet 10, the tablet 10 will not be sandwiched between the adjacent ribs 11. The auxiliary rib 12 may be higher or lower than the adjacent ribs 11.

[0019] (Operation etc.) In this embodiment, the tablet 10 is discharged from the discharge port 4A of the cap 3 by opening the lid portion 3B and tilting the container 1 so that the cap 3 side is on the bottom as shown in FIG. 7(a). At this time, the tablets 10 are guided by the rib 11 with an inclined top surface 11a and move to the discharge port 4A, but as shown in FIG. 7(b), the tablets 10 are balanced near the discharge port 4A, preventing excessive discharge. Furthermore, since the ribs 11 are provided on the back surface 4a of the top panel 4, the number of tablets to be discharged can be regulated without changing the appearance of the container 1. In this embodiment, the number of tablets 10 discharged by one tilt of the container 1 is defined as excessive when it is 4 or more. The reason for this is that the dosage of most tablets (supplements, etc.) per dose is often about 1 to 3 tablets.

[0020] Here, instead of the multiple inclined ribs 11, it is also possible to form the back surface 4a of the top plate portion 4 itself into a truncated cone shape. In this case, however, it is necessary to make the top plate portion 4 thick. Also, the ribs 11 can be formed integrally with the top plate portion 4 by injection molding, and there is no need to make the top plate portion 4 thick. Furthermore, if the back surface 4a of the top plate 4 itself is shaped like a truncated cone, each tablet 10 will approach the discharge outlet 4A in the same posture, but if the tablets 10 are guided to the discharge outlet 4A by multiple inclined ribs 11, the postures of each tablet 10 will become inconsistent, and the tablets 10 will be more likely to balance each other near the discharge outlet 4A than if the surface was shaped like a truncated cone.

[0021] (others) The present disclosure may also have the following configuration. (1) The first disclosure is a cap having a cap body attached to an opening of a container body that contains a plurality of tablets and a top plate having a discharge port through which the tablets can be discharged, and a lid portion that can cover an outer surface side of the top plate, a plurality of ribs are provided on a back surface of the top plate portion that faces the container body and extend in a direction away from the discharge port in a radial direction; The height of each rib from the rear surface increases with increasing distance from the discharge port along the extension direction. cap. (2) The second disclosure is a cap, wherein the diameter of the discharge port is larger than the maximum diameter of the tablet and less than twice the maximum diameter. (3) The third disclosure is a cap, wherein the minimum distance between adjacent ribs is less than the minor axis of the tablet. (4) The fourth disclosure is a cap having a portion where the distance between adjacent ribs is equal to or greater than the minor axis of the tablet, and an auxiliary rib is arranged in that portion. (5) A fifth disclosure is a container comprising the cap of the present disclosure and the above-mentioned container body. EXAMPLES

[0022] Next, an example of this embodiment will be described. As a prototype, a container 1 having a cap 3 structure as shown in Figures 2 and 3 was prepared. In addition, as a commercially available product, a container having the same structure as the prototype except that it did not have a rib 11 was prepared. Then, 40 tablets 10 were placed in each container 1. Then, each container under the above conditions was tilted until the discharge port 4A was facing directly downward, and then returned to its original position, and the number of tablets 10 discharged at this time was recorded. Table 1 shows the results of comparing the number of tablets (10) ejected per one time between the commercial product and the prototype.

[0023] [Table 1]

[0024] As can be seen from Table 1, by providing rib 11, the prototype based on the present invention ejected fewer tablets per time compared to commercially available products, and excessive (more than four tablets) were not ejected. In this way, it was found that by providing the inclined rib 11 according to the present invention, the number of tablets 10 discharged can be regulated. [Explanation of symbols]

[0025] 1 container 2 Container body 2A Mouth 3 Cap 3A Cap body 3B Lid 3C Hinge part 4 Top plate 4a Back 4A outlet 4B Inner Ring 5 Cylinder part 10 tablets 11 Ribs 11a Top of rib 12 Support rib

Claims

1. A cap is attached to an opening of a container body that contains a plurality of tablets, and has a top plate having a discharge port through which the tablets can be discharged, and a lid that can cover an outer surface side of the top plate, a plurality of ribs are provided on a back surface of the top plate portion that faces the container body and extend in a direction away from the discharge port in a radial direction; The height of each rib from the rear surface increases with increasing distance from the discharge port along the extension direction. cap.

2. The diameter of the outlet is greater than the maximum diameter of the tablet and less than twice the maximum diameter. A cap as claimed in claim 1.

3. The minimum spacing between adjacent ribs is less than the short axis of the tablet. A cap as claimed in claim 1.

4. The space between adjacent ribs is equal to or larger than the short axis of the tablet, and an auxiliary rib is disposed in the space. A cap as claimed in claim 1.

5. A container comprising the cap according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and the container body. container.

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