Application container

Abstract

To effect stable discharge with the capability of reserving a sufficient amount of content within a reservation chamber.SOLUTION: There is provided an application container 1 comprising a container body 2 that has an inner container 8 and an outer container 9, an internal plug member 3 that is formed with a communication hole 27 communicating with an interior of the inner container, a cover member 4 that is formed with a penetration hole 35, an application plug 5, and a valve body 70 that closes the communication hole separably. The application plug has an elastic cylindrical portion 51 forming a reservation chamber R with the internal plug member, and an application cylinder 52 protruding above the cover member through the penetration hole. The elastic cylindrical portion is made elastically deformable from a standby position P1 toward an application position where an upper end of the application cylinder is pushed downward. The elastic cylindrical portion is formed with a slit 58 in a summit central part 56a, and the reservation chamber is provided therein with a projection 80 that pushes up from below the central part of the elastic cylindrical portion and spreads the slit when the elastic cylindrical portion becomes positioned in the application position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an application container.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an application container for applying contents such as a chemical solution to an application part such as the scalp or skin of a human body has been known. For example, the application container described in Patent Document 1 includes a container body having an inner container and an outer container that reduce in volume as the contents decrease, a middle plug member having a communication hole communicating with the inside of the container body, a discharge member having a discharge hole, and an application plug.

[0003] The application plug includes an elastic cylinder portion whose inside is a storage chamber, an application portion protruding above the discharge hole, and a seal portion that closely contacts the peripheral edge of the opening of the discharge hole. The elastic cylinder portion is elastically deformable from a closed position where the discharge hole is closed by the close contact of the seal portion to an application position where the discharge hole is opened. Further, a slit valve is formed in the elastic cylinder portion. Inside the elastic cylinder portion, a valve body is provided for switching the communication and cutoff between the inside of the container body and the storage chamber through the communication hole according to the internal pressure of the storage chamber.

[0004] In this application container, by pressing the application portion against the application part, the elastic cylinder portion can be displaced from the closed position to the application position while being elastically deformed. As a result, the seal portion can be separated from the discharge hole to open the discharge hole, and the slit valve can be opened. Further, by pushing in the application portion while elastically deforming the elastic cylinder portion, the inside of the storage chamber can be pressurized, so that the contents can be discharged to the outside through the slit valve and the discharge hole. As a result, the discharged contents can be applied to the application part.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the above-described conventional coating container, there is a problem in stably flowing the content from the inside of the container body into the storage chamber after the content is discharged, and it may be difficult to discharge the content stably. Specifically, after the discharge of the content, a certain time difference is likely to occur between the start of the elastic restoration deformation of the elastic cylinder portion and the closing of the slit valve. Therefore, the timing of closing the slit valve may be delayed, and the closing of the slit valve may end in the latter stage of the elastic restoration deformation of the elastic cylinder portion. Accordingly, it may not be possible to quickly make the pressure in the storage chamber negative, and it may be difficult to sufficiently flow new content from the inside of the container body into the storage chamber along with the elastic restoration deformation of the elastic cylinder portion. As a result, the amount of content that can be stored in the storage chamber decreases, and it becomes difficult to stably perform subsequent discharges.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a coating container capable of storing a sufficient amount of content in a storage chamber and performing stable discharge.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] (1) The coating container according to the present invention includes an inner container that stores the content and decreases in volume as the content decreases, and an outer container that houses the inner container and is provided with an intake hole for inhaling outside air between the inner container and the outer container. A container body, a middle plug member attached to the mouth portion of the container body and having a communication hole formed therein that communicates with the inside of the inner container, a cover member that covers the communication hole from above and has a through hole formed therein, a coating plug provided between the middle plug member and the cover member, and a valve body provided between the middle plug member and the coating plug that detachably closes the communication hole. The coating plug is formed in a toped cylindrical shape that covers the communication hole from above, and includes an elastic cylindrical portion that forms a storage chamber communicating with the communication hole between the middle plug member and the coating plug, and a coating cylinder formed to protrude upward from the top of the elastic cylindrical portion and protruding above the cover member through the through hole. The elastic cylindrical portion is elastically deformable from a standby position where the upper end portion of the coating cylinder is located above the cover member to a coating position where the upper end portion of the coating cylinder is pushed downward. A slit for communicating and blocking the inside of the storage chamber and the inside of the coating cylinder is formed in a central portion of the top of the elastic cylindrical portion that is located inside the coating cylinder. In the storage chamber, a protrusion is provided that pushes up the central portion of the elastic cylindrical portion from below to expand the slit when the elastic cylindrical portion is in the coating position. The valve body is characterized by switching the communication and blocking between the inside of the inner container and the inside of the storage chamber through the communication hole according to the internal pressure of the storage chamber.

[0009] According to the coating container of the present invention, when applying the content, the upper end portion of the coating cylinder protruding above the cover member can be pressed against the portion to be coated, so that the coating cylinder can be pushed in. As a result, the elastic cylindrical portion can be displaced from the standby position to the coating position while being elastically deformed. When the coating cylinder is pushed in and the elastic cylindrical portion is in the coating position, the protrusion forcibly pushes up the central portion at the top of the elastic cylindrical portion from below. As a result, the slit can be expanded using the protrusion, and the inside of the storage chamber and the inside of the coating cylinder can be communicated through the slit. At the same time, the internal pressure of the storage chamber can be pressurized along with the elastic deformation of the elastic cylinder part due to the pushing operation of the coating cylinder. Therefore, the content stored in the storage chamber can be discharged to the outside through the slit and the inside of the coating cylinder. As a result, the discharged content can be applied to the coated part using the coating cylinder.

[0010] In addition, when the content is discharged as described above, since the internal pressure of the storage chamber is pressurized, the valve body maintains a valve-closed state in which the communication hole is blocked. Therefore, the communication between the inside of the container and the inside of the storage chamber through the communication hole can be blocked. As a result, only the content stored in the storage chamber can be applied by the pushing operation of the coating cylinder.

[0011] Next, when the pressing of the coating cylinder against the coated part is released, the elastic cylinder part elastically returns and deforms, so that it is displaced from the coating position to the standby position. In particular, at the initial stage of the elastic restoration deformation of the elastic cylinder part, the central part at the top of the elastic cylinder part can be separated upward from the protruding part. Therefore, the slit can be closed and valve-closed at the initial stage of the elastic restoration deformation of the elastic cylinder part, and the communication between the inside of the storage chamber and the inside of the coating cylinder through the slit can be blocked. Therefore, due to the subsequent elastic restoration deformation of the elastic cylinder part, the internal pressure of the storage chamber can be quickly reduced to a negative pressure. As a result, the valve body can be quickly opened, and a sufficient amount of content can flow from the inside of the container into the storage chamber through the communication hole. Therefore, a sufficient amount of content required for the next discharge can be appropriately stored in the storage chamber, and stable discharge can be performed after the next time.

[0012] Furthermore, as the content flows from the inner container into the storage chamber, the inner container deforms radially inward and reduces in volume as the content decreases. As a result, a negative pressure is generated between the inner container and the outer container, allowing outside air to flow into the space between the inner container and the outer container through the air intake holes due to the negative pressure. Therefore, the inner container can be maintained in a state of reduced volume deformation. As a result, the content can be discharged while gradually reducing the volume of the inner container. Accordingly, deterioration and alteration such as oxidation of the content can be suppressed, and the high added value of maintaining the quality of the content can be maintained. In particular, for example, even without squeezing and deforming the outer container, by pushing in the application cylinder, the content stored in the storage chamber can be discharged and applied, so that a small amount of the content can be stably applied. Therefore, an application container with excellent operability can be provided.

[0013] (2) In the storage chamber, a support member is provided above the valve body and integrally formed with the valve body. The protrusion may be integrally formed with the support member so as to protrude upward from the support member.

[0014] In this case, the valve body, the support member, and the protrusion can be made into one part, so that the number of parts can be reduced, and cost reduction and improvement in assembly efficiency can be achieved. Furthermore, since the protrusion can be stably supported by the support member, the slit can be appropriately expanded when the elastic cylinder portion is positioned at the application position due to elastic deformation.

[0015] (3) A sealing member may be provided between the cover member and the elastic cylinder portion to seal the opening peripheral edge of the through hole when the elastic cylinder portion is in the standby position.

[0016] In this case, for example, even when the content has entered between the cover member and the elastic cylinder portion, leakage of the content to the outside through the through hole can be suppressed when the elastic cylinder portion is in the standby position.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the coating container of the present invention, a sufficient amount of the content can be stored in the storage chamber, and stable discharge can be performed. Further, the quality of the content can be maintained, and a coating container capable of applying a small amount can be obtained.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the coating container according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the coating container 1 of the present embodiment includes a container body 2 that houses a content (not shown), an inner plug member 3 that is attached to the mouth portion 10a of the container body 2 and closes the mouth portion 10a of the container body 2, a cover member 4 combined with the inner plug member 3, a coating plug 5 disposed inside the cover member 4, and a lid cap 6 removably attached to the mouth portion 10a of the container body 2.

[0020] Note that the contents contained in the container body 2 are not particularly limited, but for example, a liquid medicine such as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent can be preferably used. However, it is not limited to this case, and for example, a liquid food or a liquid cosmetic having fluidity can also be applied.

[0021] In FIG. 1, the container body 2, the middle plug member 3, the cover member 4, the application plug 5, and the lid cap 6 are arranged such that their respective central axes are on the common axis. Hereinafter, this common axis is referred to as the container axis O, the side of the lid cap 6 along the container axis O is referred to as the upper side, and the side of the container body 2, which is the opposite side, is referred to as the lower side. Further, in a plan view seen from the direction of the container axis O, the direction intersecting the container axis O is referred to as the radial direction, and the direction of orbiting around the container axis O is referred to as the circumferential direction.

[0022] (Container body) The container body 2 includes a flexible inner container 8 that houses the contents and contracts and deforms (shrinks and deforms) as the contents decrease, and an outer container 9 in which the inner container 8 is installed. The container body 2 is, for example, a laminated peelable container (delaminated bottle) in which the inner container 8 is laminated on the inner surface of the outer container 9 in a peelable manner.

[0023] The container body 2 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape in which a mouth portion 10a, a shoulder portion (not shown), a body portion (not shown), and a bottom portion (not shown) are continuously provided in this order from the upper side. The outer container 9 constituting the container body 2 of the present embodiment is formed to have, for example, a certain rigidity. Thereby, the outer container 9 is configured to be difficult to be squeezed and deformed even when the body portion is pressed radially inward (inside the container).

[0024] The mouth portion 10a of the container body 2 is formed to extend upward from the upper end opening of the shoulder portion. The mouth portion 10a of the container body 2 is composed of the mouth portion 8a of the inner container 8 and the mouth portion 9a of the outer container 9. Note that the upper end portion of the mouth portion 8a of the inner container 8 is laminated on the upper end portion of the mouth portion 9a of the outer container 9 in a state where the upper end opening of the mouth portion 9a of the outer container 9 is blocked from above.

[0025] On the outer peripheral surface of the outer container 9, a male screw portion 11 is formed. However, it is not limited to the case of forming the male screw portion 11. For example, instead of the male screw portion 11 on the outer peripheral surface of the outer container 9, engagement protrusions protruding outward in the radial direction may be formed. In this case, the engagement protrusions may be formed in an annular shape extending over the entire circumference of the mouth portion 9a of the outer container 9, or a plurality of them may be formed at intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0026] In the container body 2 configured as described above, the outer container 9 is formed with intake holes (not shown) for introducing outside air between the outer container 9 and the inner container 8. The formation position of the intake holes is not particularly limited. For example, they may be formed in a portion located at the bottom of the container body 2. Specifically, it is possible to use the slit of the pinch-off portion formed at the bottom during blow molding as the intake hole.

[0027] (Inner stopper member) The inner stopper member 3 includes a seal cylinder 20 closely fitted inside the mouth portion 10a of the container body 2 (specifically, inside the mouth portion 8a of the inner container 8), an annular connecting wall 21 protruding radially inward from the lower end portion of the seal cylinder 20, and a roofed cylindrical inner stopper cylinder 22 integrally formed on the inner peripheral edge portion of the connecting wall 21.

[0028] The upper end portion of the seal cylinder 20 is formed so as to protrude above the upper end opening end of the mouth portion 10a of the container body 2. Further, on the outer peripheral surface of the seal cylinder 20 in a portion located above the mouth portion 10a of the container body 2, an annular flange piece 23 protruding outward in the radial direction is formed. The flange piece 23 is in contact with the upper end opening edge of the mouth portion 10a of the container body 2 from above. Thereby, the entire inner stopper member 3 is combined with the mouth portion 10a of the container body 2 in a state where downward drop is restricted.

[0029] The inner stopper cylinder 22 includes an inner stopper peripheral wall 24 protruding upward from the inner peripheral edge portion of the connecting wall 21, and an inner stopper top wall 25 closing the upper end portion of the inner stopper peripheral wall 24. In the illustrated example, the middle plug peripheral wall 24 is formed in a two-stage cylindrical shape with an outer diameter that changes in two stages. As a result, an upward-facing annular step wall 26 is formed on the middle plug peripheral wall 24. A communication hole 27 that penetrates the middle plug top wall 25 in the vertical direction is formed at the center of the middle plug top wall 25. The communication hole 27 is formed, for example, in a circular shape in plan view and is arranged coaxially with the container axis O. Thereby, the inside of the middle plug member 3 communicates with the inside of the inner container 8 through the communication hole 27.

[0030] (Cover member) The cover member 4 is disposed above the middle plug top wall 25 of the middle plug member 3 and is integrally combined with the middle plug member 3. The cover member 4 includes a connecting cylinder 30 that is tightly fitted inside the seal cylinder 20 of the middle plug member 3, a mounting cylinder 31 formed to extend upward from the upper end portion of the connecting cylinder 30, and a covering portion 32 integrally formed with the mounting cylinder 31.

[0031] The lower end portion of the connecting cylinder 30 is fitted inside the seal cylinder 20 with the lower end portion disposed above the connecting wall 21 of the middle plug member 3. Thereby, a gap is secured in the vertical direction between the lower end portion of the connecting cylinder 30 and the connecting wall 21. The mounting cylinder 31 is formed to protrude above the seal cylinder 20. An annular protrusion 33 that protrudes radially outward is formed on the mounting cylinder 31. The lower end portion of the annular protrusion 33 is in contact with the upper end opening edge of the seal cylinder 20 from above. Thereby, the entire cover member 4 is combined with the middle plug member 3 in a state where downward detachment is restricted. Furthermore, an annular groove 34 that is recessed radially inward over the entire circumference is formed in a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the mounting cylinder 31 that is located above the annular protrusion 33.

[0032] The covering portion 32 is formed so as to extend upward as it extends radially inward from the mounting cylinder 31 so as to cover the communication hole 27 formed in the middle plug member 3 from above. A through hole 35 penetrating the covering portion 32 in the vertical direction is formed in the central portion of the covering portion 32. The through hole 35 is formed, for example, in a circular shape in plan view and is arranged coaxially with the container axis O.

[0033] A regulating projection 36 protruding upward is provided at the opening peripheral edge of the through hole 35 on the upper surface of the covering portion 32. The regulating projection 36 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape extending continuously in the circumferential direction. The upper end opening edge of the regulating projection 36 is at the same height position as the upper end opening edge of the mounting cylinder 31. The regulating projection 36 regulates the downward movement of the coating member 60 described later (see FIG. 3).

[0034] (Fixed ring) The cover member 4 configured as described above is prevented from coming off upward and is positioned in the vertical direction by the fixed ring 40 combined with the middle plug member 3. The fixed ring 40 includes a ring body 41 that surrounds the flange piece 23 of the middle plug member 3 and the mounting cylinder 31 of the cover member 4 from the outside in the radial direction. The lower end portion of the ring body 41 is fixed in a state of being in contact with the outer peripheral edge portion of the flange piece 23 from the outside in the radial direction and being in contact with the upper surface of the flange piece 23 from above.

[0035] A protrusion 42 that protrudes inward in the radial direction and is undercut-fitted into the annular groove 34 formed in the mounting cylinder 31 is formed at the upper end portion of the ring body 41. The protrusion 42 is formed over the entire circumference of the ring body 41 and is undercut-fitted over the entire circumference into the annular groove 34. Thereby, the entire cover member 4 is prevented from coming off upward by the fixed ring 40 and is positioned in the vertical direction.

[0036] (Coating plug) The application plug 5 includes a fixed cylinder 50, an elastic cylinder part 51, and an application cylinder 52, and is disposed between the middle plug member 3 and the cover member 4. The material of the application plug 5 is formed of, for example, a soft resin material, an elastomer, or a silicon rubber.

[0037] The fixed cylinder 50 is disposed between the seal cylinder 20 and the middle plug peripheral wall 24 of the middle plug member 3, and includes a lower fixed cylinder 53 closely fitted inside the seal cylinder 20, and an upper fixed cylinder 54 integrally formed on the inner peripheral surface at the upper end of the lower fixed cylinder 53 and formed to protrude upward from the lower fixed cylinder 53.

[0038] The fixed cylinder 50 is formed in a two-stage cylindrical shape with the outer diameter changing in two stages by the lower fixed cylinder 53 and the upper fixed cylinder 54. The lower fixed cylinder 53 is fitted inside the seal cylinder 20 in a state of being disposed below the connecting cylinder 30 of the cover member 4. Thereby, the entire application plug 5 is restricted from coming off upward by the cover member 4.

[0039] The upper fixed cylinder 54 is disposed inside the connecting cylinder 30 of the cover member 4. In the illustrated example, the upper fixed cylinder 54 is disposed inside the connecting cylinder 30 in a state of being close to the connecting cylinder 30. However, it is not limited to this case. For example, the upper fixed cylinder 54 may be closely fitted inside the connecting cylinder 30. Note that a stepped wall 55 facing downward is formed at the connection portion between the lower fixed cylinder 53 and the upper fixed cylinder 54.

[0040] The elastic cylinder part 51 is formed in a capped cylindrical shape having an elastic top wall (top part) 56 and an elastic peripheral wall 57, and is disposed coaxially with the container axis O so as to cover the communication hole 27 from above. The elastic cylinder part 51 defines a storage chamber R communicating with the communication hole 27 between the elastic cylinder part 51 and the middle plug member 3. The elastic peripheral wall 57 is integrally formed at the upper end of the upper fixing cylinder 54 and is formed to extend radially inward as it goes upward from the upper end of the upper fixing cylinder 54. The elastic peripheral wall 57 has a thin-wall portion 57a with the thinnest wall thickness among the coating plugs 5, and is designed to be easily reversibly deformed (elastically deformed) in the vertical direction. The elastic top wall 56 is integrally formed with the elastic peripheral wall 57 and is formed in a flat plate shape with the front and back surfaces facing the vertical direction.

[0041] The coating cylinder 52 is formed to protrude upward from the elastic top wall 56 and is arranged coaxially with the container axis O. The coating cylinder 52 is formed to protrude above the cover member 4 through the through hole 35 formed in the cover member 4. In the illustrated example, the upper end of the coating cylinder 52 is formed to be located above the regulating protrusion 36 and the mounting cylinder 31 of the cover member 4.

[0042] A slit 58 for communicating and blocking the inside of the storage chamber R and the inside of the coating cylinder 52 is formed in the central portion 56a of the elastic top wall 56 located inside the coating cylinder 52. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the slit 58 is formed radially, for example, centered on the container axis O, and is formed to penetrate the elastic top wall 56 in the vertical direction. In the illustrated example, the slit 58 is formed in a cross shape in plan view. However, the formation pattern of the slit 58 is not limited to this case.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 1, the elastic peripheral wall 57 in the elastic cylinder portion 51 always biases the coating cylinder 52 upward and is elastically deformable in the vertical direction. Thereby, the elastic cylinder portion 51 biases the coating cylinder 52 upward during normal times when the coating cylinder 52 is not pushed downward. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, when the coating cylinder 52 is pushed downward, the elastic peripheral wall 57 is elastically deformable so as to reversibly deform downward with the connection portion with the upper fixing cylinder 54 as a base point.

[0044] As described above, the elastic cylinder portion 51 is elastically deformable from the standby position P1 (see FIG. 1) where the upper end portion of the coating cylinder 52 is located above the cover member 4 to the coating position P2 (see FIG. 3) where the upper end portion of the coating cylinder 52 is pushed downward. When located at the coating position P2, the coating cylinder 52 moves downward until the upper end opening edge of the coating cylinder 52 reaches a position substantially at the same height as the upper end opening edge of the regulating projection 36 of the cover member 4.

[0045] (Coating member) As shown in FIG. 1, the coating cylinder 52 is covered from above by the coating member 60. The coating member 60 is an elastically deformable porous body such as a sponge, for example, and covers the entire cover member 4 from above in addition to the coating cylinder 52. The coating member 60 is attached to the mounting cylinder 31 of the cover member 4. Specifically, the coating member 60 is attached so as to surround the mounting cylinder 31 from the outside in the radial direction, and is fixed by being sandwiched entirely between the annular groove 34 and the protrusion 42 of the fixing ring 40. However, the coating member 60 is not essential and may not be provided.

[0046] (Valve body) As shown in FIG. 1, a valve body 70 is provided between the middle plug member 3 and the coating plug 5, and closes the communication hole 27 in an upwardly separable manner. Specifically, the valve body 70 is provided in the storage chamber R, closes the communication hole 27 in a separable manner, and is a check valve that switches the communication and cutoff between the inside of the inner container 8 and the inside of the storage chamber R through the communication hole 27 according to the internal pressure of the storage chamber R.

[0047] The valve body 70 includes a valve body cylinder 71, a valve body main body 72, and an elastic connecting piece 73. The valve body cylinder 71 is externally fitted so as to surround a part of the middle plug peripheral wall 24 of the middle plug member 3 from the outside in the radial direction. The valve body cylinder 71 is formed so as to protrude above the middle plug top wall 25. As a result, the upper end portion of the valve body cylinder 71 is disposed above the middle plug top wall 25.

[0048] At the lower end of the valve body cylinder 71, an annular flange portion 74 protruding radially outward is formed. The flange portion 74 is in contact with the stepped wall 26 formed on the middle plug peripheral wall 24 of the two-stage cylindrical shape from above. Further, the flange portion 74 is fixed so as to be sandwiched in the vertical direction between the stepped wall 26 of the middle plug peripheral wall 24 and the stepped wall 55 formed on the application plug 5. Thereby, the entire valve body 70 is stably combined between the middle plug member 3 and the application plug 5 in a state where it is positioned in the vertical direction.

[0049] The valve body 72 is in contact with the middle plug top wall 25 from above so as to close the communication hole 27 from above. The valve body 72 is formed in a circular shape in plan view with a diameter larger than the diameter of the communication hole 27. Thereby, at least the outer peripheral edge portion of the valve body 72 is in contact with the upper surface of the middle plug top wall 25 over the entire circumference.

[0050] The elastic connection pieces 73 integrally connect the valve body 72 and the valve body cylinder 71, and for example, a plurality of them are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction. The elastic connection pieces 73 are formed so as to extend in the circumferential direction, for example, to ensure appropriate springiness, and the inner end portion is connected to the outer edge portion of the valve body 72, and the outer end portion is connected to the valve body cylinder 71. Therefore, the valve body 72 is elastically displaceable in the vertical direction along with the elastic deformation of the plurality of elastic connection pieces 73.

[0051] The valve body 70 configured as described above allows the movement of the content from the inner container 8 into the storage chamber R through the communication hole 27 using the valve body 72, and regulates the movement of the content from the storage chamber R into the inner container 8 through the communication hole 27. Specifically, when the internal pressure of the storage chamber R rises, the valve body 70 is pressed against the middle plug top wall 25, so that it enters a closed valve state in which the communication between the inner container 8 and the storage chamber R through the communication hole 27 is blocked. On the contrary, when the internal pressure of the storage chamber R drops, the valve body 70 is displaced so as to be lifted upward, and enters an open valve state in which the communication between the inner container 8 and the storage chamber R through the communication hole 27 is allowed.

[0052] In the present embodiment, a multi-way valve (e.g., a three-way valve) is taken as an example for the valve body 70, but the present invention is not limited to this case, and other known valve structures may be adopted.

[0053] (Protrusion) As shown in FIG. 1, in the storage chamber R, when the elastic cylinder portion 51 is located at the application position P2 (see FIG. 3), a protrusion 80 is provided that pushes up the central portion 56a of the elastic top wall 56 from below to forcibly expand the slit 58. The protrusion 80 is integrally formed with a support member 81 provided in the storage chamber R. The support member 81 is arranged to be located between the valve body 70 and the application plug 5 and is integrally formed with the valve body 70. Therefore, the protrusion 80, the support member 81, and the valve body 70 are regarded as one integrally formed part (unit).

[0054] The support member 81 is formed so as to protrude upward from the upper end portion of the valve body cylinder 71 and includes a pair of side walls 82 arranged to face each other in the radial direction with the container axis O interposed therebetween, and a support wall 83 arranged at an interval above the valve body 72 and connecting the upper end portions of the pair of side walls 82 in the radial direction. The support wall 83 is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape in plan view.

[0055] The protrusion 80 is formed so as to protrude upward from the central portion 56a of the support wall 83 and is arranged coaxially with the container axis O. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the protrusion 80 is formed such that its outer diameter slightly narrows upward. In the illustrated example, the protrusion 80 is formed in a cross shape in plan view having four vertical ribs 85 evenly arranged in the circumferential direction. However, the shape of the protrusion 80 is not limited to the case where it is formed in a cross shape in plan view having four vertical ribs 85, and it may be appropriately changed. For example, the shape of the protrusion 80 may be a shape in which five or more vertical ribs 85 are evenly arranged in the circumferential direction.

[0056] Particularly, since the protrusion 80 is formed in a cross shape in plan view, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a gap 86 can be formed between the longitudinal ribs 85 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction. Therefore, when the central portion 56a of the elastic top wall 56 is pushed up from below using the protrusion 80, it is possible to communicate the inside of the storage chamber R with the inside of the expanded slit 58 through the gap 86.

[0057] (Sealing protrusion) As shown in FIG. 1, between the cover member 4 and the elastic cylinder portion 51, when the elastic cylinder portion 51 is located at the standby position P1, a sealing protrusion (sealing member) 90 for sealing the opening peripheral edge portion of the through hole 35 is provided. In the illustrated example, the sealing protrusion 90 is formed on the covering portion 32 of the cover member 4. The sealing protrusion 90 protrudes downward from the portion of the lower surface of the covering portion 32 that is located at the opening peripheral edge portion of the through hole 35, and is formed in an annular shape that extends continuously in the circumferential direction. And the sealing protrusion 90 seals the space between itself and the elastic top wall 56 by contacting the elastic top wall 56 from above.

[0058] However, the sealing protrusion 90 is not limited to being formed on the cover member 4. For example, it may be formed to protrude upward from the elastic top wall 56 and seal the space between itself and the covering portion 32 by contacting the covering portion 32 from below.

[0059] (Cover cap) As shown in FIG. 1, the cover cap 6 is formed in a toped cylindrical shape having a cap peripheral wall 100 that surrounds the mouth portion 10a of the container body 2 and the fixing ring 40 from the outside in the radial direction, and a cap top wall 101 that is connected to the cap peripheral wall 100 and covers the coating member 60 from above. On the inner peripheral surface of the cap peripheral wall 100, an internal thread portion 102 that is screwed into the external thread portion 11 formed on the mouth portion 10a of the container body 2 is formed. Thereby, the cover cap 6 is attached to the mouth portion 10a of the container body 2 by screw connection.

[0060] However, the method of attaching the lid cap 6 is not limited to screw connection. For example, when an engaging protrusion protruding radially outward is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer container 9 instead of the male screw portion 11, the lid cap 6 may be attached to the mouth portion 10a of the container body 2 by undercut fitting with respect to this engaging protrusion.

[0061] (Function of the coating container) Next, the case of applying the content to a coated portion (not shown) using the coating container 1 configured as described above will be described. Assume that the content is stored in the storage chamber R in the initial state.

[0062] When applying the content, the lid cap 6 shown in FIG. 1 is removed to expose the coating member 60 to the outside. At this stage, since the elastic cylinder portion 51 is located at the closed position, the coating cylinder 52 is biased upward. As a result, the slit 58 is closed, and the content stored in the storage chamber R does not leak to the outside through the coating cylinder 52 from the storage chamber R.

[0063] Thus, even if the coating container 1 is changed from an upright posture with the coating plug 5 facing upward to an inverted posture with the coating plug 5 facing downward, for example, leakage of the content to the outside through the coating cylinder 52 is suppressed. Therefore, the quality of the coating container 1 can be maintained during product circulation and storage.

[0064] Next, when applying the content, the upper end portion of the coating cylinder 52 is pressed against the coated portion through the coating member 60. As a result, the coating cylinder 52 can be pushed in the direction of the storage chamber R as shown by the arrow F1 in FIG. 3. When applying the content, for example, it is performed with the coating container 1 in an inverted posture. However, in the following description, FIGS. 3 and 6, the coating container 1 is described as being in an upright posture.

[0065] By pushing the coating cylinder 52 toward the storage chamber R, while elastically deforming the elastic cylinder portion 51, it can be displaced from the standby position P1 shown in FIG. 1 to the coating position P2 shown in FIG. 3. Specifically, the elastic peripheral wall 57 can be elastically deformed so as to be reversely deformed with the connection portion with the upper fixed cylinder 54 as a base point. Then, until the upper end portion of the coating cylinder 52 is positioned inside the through hole 35, when the coating cylinder 52 is pushed in and the elastic cylinder is positioned at the standby position P1 shown in FIG. 3, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the central portion 56a of the elastic top wall 56 is forcibly pushed up from below by the protrusion 80. Thereby, the slit 58 can be expanded using the protrusion 80, and the storage chamber R inside and the coating cylinder 52 inside can be communicated through the slit 58.

[0066] At the same time, along with the elastic deformation of the elastic cylinder portion 51 due to the pushing operation of the coating cylinder 52, the internal pressure of the storage chamber R can be pressurized. Therefore, the content stored in the storage chamber R can be discharged to the outside through the slit 58 and inside the coating cylinder 52 as shown by the arrow F2 in FIG. 3. As a result, the discharged content can be applied to the object to be coated using the coating cylinder 52 and the coating member 60.

[0067] Furthermore, when discharging the content, since the internal pressure of the storage chamber R is pressurized, the valve body 70 maintains the valve-closed state in which the communication hole 27 is closed. Therefore, the communication between the inside of the inner container 8 and the inside of the storage chamber R through the communication hole 27 can be blocked. Thereby, only the content stored in the storage chamber R can be applied by the pushing operation of the coating cylinder 52.

[0068] Next, when the pressing of the coating cylinder 52 against the object to be coated is released, the elastic cylinder portion 51 elastically returns and deforms, and is displaced from the coating position P2 shown in FIG. 3 to the standby position P1 shown in FIG. 1. Particularly in the initial stage of the elastic restoration deformation of the elastic cylinder portion 51, as shown in FIG. 6, the central portion 56a of the elastic top wall 56 can be separated upward from the protrusion portion 80. Therefore, in the initial stage of the elastic restoration deformation of the elastic cylinder portion 51, the slit 58 can be closed to close the valve, and the communication between the inside of the storage chamber R and the inside of the application cylinder 52 through the slit 58 can be blocked.

[0069] Therefore, due to the subsequent elastic restoration deformation of the elastic cylinder portion 51, the internal pressure of the storage chamber R can be quickly reduced to a negative pressure. As a result, the valve body 70 can be quickly opened, and a sufficient amount of the content can flow into the storage chamber R from the inside of the inner container 8 through the communication hole 27. Therefore, a sufficient amount of the content required for the next discharge can be appropriately stored in the storage chamber R, and stable discharge can be performed after the next time.

[0070] In addition, as the content flows from the inside of the inner container 8 into the storage chamber R, the inner container 8 deforms radially inward and reduces in volume as the content decreases. As a result, a negative pressure is generated between the inner container 8 and the outer container 9, and thus outside air can flow into the space between the inner container 8 and the outer container 9 through the intake hole due to the negative pressure. Therefore, the inner container 8 can be maintained in a state of being reduced in volume and deformed. As a result, the content can be discharged while gradually reducing the volume of the inner container 8. Therefore, deterioration and alteration such as oxidation of the content can be suppressed, and the high added value of maintaining the quality of the content can be maintained.

[0071] Particularly according to the application container 1 of the present embodiment, even without squeezing and deforming the outer container 9, by pushing in the application cylinder 52, the content stored in the storage chamber R can be discharged and applied. Therefore, a small amount of the content can be stably applied. Therefore, the application container 1 with excellent operability can be obtained. Particularly, when a liquid medicine such as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent is adopted as the content, a small amount of the liquid medicine can be applied to the affected area in one application operation, which is easy to use and has excellent convenience.

[0072] As described above, according to the coating container 1 of the present embodiment, a sufficient amount of the content can be stored in the storage chamber R, and stable discharge can be performed. Furthermore, it is possible to provide the coating container 1 that can perform a small amount of coating while maintaining the high added value of maintaining the quality of the content.

[0073] Furthermore, according to the coating container 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, when the elastic cylinder portion 51 is located at the standby position P1, the seal projection 90 seals between the elastic top wall 56 and seals the opening peripheral edge portion of the through hole 35. Therefore, even if the content has entered between the cover member 4 and the elastic cylinder portion 51, when the elastic cylinder portion 51 is located at the standby position P1, it is possible to suppress the leakage of the content to the outside through the through hole 35.

[0074] Furthermore, since the valve body 70, the support member 81, and the protrusion 80 can be made into one part integrated with each other, the number of parts can be reduced, and cost reduction and improvement of assembly efficiency can be achieved. Moreover, since the protrusion 80 can be stably supported by the support member 81, when the elastic cylinder portion 51 is located at the coating position P2 due to elastic deformation, the slit 58 can be appropriately expanded.

[0075] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described, but the present embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The present embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and in addition to being able to perform various omissions, replacements, and changes without departing from the gist of the invention, the modification examples in each embodiment may be appropriately combined. Furthermore, the present embodiments and their modification examples include, for example, those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those within the equivalent range.

[0076] For example, in the above embodiment, the container body 2 is described by taking a laminated peelable container in which the inner container 8 is laminated on the inner surface of the outer container 9 in a peelable manner as an example, but it is not limited to this case. For example, a double container in which a gap is secured between the inner container 8 and the outer container 9 may be adopted as the container body 2. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the intake holes are formed at the bottom of the container body 2, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, the intake holes may be formed at the mouth portion 9a or the body portion of the outer container 9 or the like.

[0077] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the body portion of the outer container 9 may be configured to be squeezable and deformable. Even in this case, by using the above embodiment, in addition to being able to apply a small amount of the content, for example, during the process of pushing in the application cylinder 52, by squeezing and deforming the outer container 9, it is also possible to forcibly open the valve body 70 to additionally apply (apply a large amount) the content.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0078] R... storage chamber P1... standby position P2... application position 1... application container 2... container body 3... middle plug member 4... cover member 8... inner container 9... outer container 10a... mouth portion of the container body 2 27... communication hole 35... through hole 51... elastic cylinder portion 52... application cylinder 58... slit 70... valve body 80... protrusion 81... support member 90... seal protrusion (seal member)

Claims

1. A container body comprising an inner container that houses the contents and reduces its volume as the contents decrease, and an outer container that houses the inner container and is provided with an intake hole for sucking outside air between the inner container and the outer container; A middle plug member attached to the mouth of the container body and having a communication hole formed therein that communicates with the inside of the inner container; A cover member that covers the communication hole from above and has a through hole formed therein; An application plug provided between the middle plug member and the cover member; A valve body provided between the middle plug member and the application plug and configured to detachably close the communication hole, and comprising: The application plug: An elastic cylindrical portion formed in a toped cylindrical shape that covers the communication hole from above and forms a storage chamber communicating with the communication hole between the middle plug member; An application cylinder formed to protrude upward from the top of the elastic cylindrical portion and protruding above the cover member through the through hole; The elastic cylindrical portion is elastically deformable from a standby position where the upper end of the application cylinder is located above the cover member to an application position where the upper end of the application cylinder is pushed downward; A slit for communicating and blocking the inside of the storage chamber and the inside of the application cylinder is formed in a central portion of the top of the elastic cylindrical portion that is located inside the application cylinder; A protrusion is provided in the storage chamber to push up the central portion of the elastic cylindrical portion from below to expand the slit when the elastic cylindrical portion is in the application position; The valve body is configured to switch the communication and blocking between the inside of the inner container through the communication hole and the inside of the storage chamber according to the internal pressure of the storage chamber. A coating container characterized by this.

2. In the coating container according to Claim 1, A support member that is disposed above the valve body and integrally formed with the valve body is provided in the storage chamber; The protrusion is integrally formed with the support member so as to protrude upward from the support member. A coating container.

3. In the coating container according to Claim 1 or 2, A seal member for sealing the opening peripheral edge of the through hole is provided between the cover member and the elastic cylindrical portion when the elastic cylindrical portion is in the standby position. A coating container.

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