Washing bottle

Abstract

To provide a washing bottle capable of simplifying the structure and reducing the cost while preventing the unintentional leakage of a washing liquid.SOLUTION: In the washing bottle, a washing liquid is ejected from a bottle body 11 to the outside through an ejection passage A. A relief valve 51 is provided in the ejection passage A. In the relief valve 51, at least three or more slits 52 radially extending from the center thereof are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction, and a portion between the adjacent slits 52 is configured as an opening / closing flap 53, and the relief valve 51 is configured to be held in a recessed state in which the relief valve 51 is recessed inward in a non-compressed state in which the internal pressure does not increase, so that the opening / closing flaps come into contact with each other to be in a closed state, and to bulge outward in a compressed state in which the internal pressure increases, so that a gap is formed between the opening / closing flaps to be in an open state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a portable cleaning bottle used to clean parts of the body of a person requiring care or a patient in, for example, a nursing home or hospital. [Background technology]

[0002] In elderly care facilities, hospitals, etc., body parts of people requiring care or patients, such as buttocks or genitals, may be sprayed with a cleaning liquid such as hot or cold water to keep those body parts clean. When spraying the cleaning liquid onto such body parts, for example, a cleaning bottle as shown in Patent Document 1 below is used.

[0003] This cleaning bottle has a flexible, contractible bottle body that contains cleaning liquid and a cap attached to the rim of the bottle body. The bottle body is gripped by hand with the cap's opening (spout) facing the area of ​​the body to be cleaned, compressing and deforming it, applying pressure to the bottle body and forcing the cleaning liquid out of the cap's opening and spraying it onto the area of ​​the body.

[0004] However, when such a cleaning bottle is left standing nearby while performing caregiving or other tasks, it may be accidentally knocked over, which could cause cleaning liquid to leak out of the cap's nozzle and contaminate sheets, mats, clothing, etc.

[0005] Therefore, in the cleaning bottle shown in Patent Document 2 below, a check valve is provided in the spray path leading from the bottle body to the opening of the cap, and during normal cleaning operations, the pressure generated when the bottle body is compressed opens the check valve, allowing the cleaning liquid to be sprayed from the spray hole.In the event that the cleaning bottle falls over and is turned sideways, the check valve keeps the spray path closed, thereby preventing the cleaning liquid from accidentally leaking out. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3142146 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 4106256 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, the conventional cleaning bottle shown in Patent Document 2 requires a number of components as a check valve, such as a spherical valve body, a valve seat component that moves the valve body toward and away from the valve body, and a biasing means that presses the spherical valve body against the valve seat component, which results in problems such as a complex structure and increased costs.

[0008] This invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a cleaning bottle that will not leak cleaning liquid even if it falls over, and that can simplify the structure and reduce costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention comprises the following means.

[0010] [1] A cleaning bottle that contains cleaning liquid and has a flexible, contractible bottle body, and that is configured so that as internal pressure increases due to compression and deformation of the bottle body, the cleaning liquid is pushed out of the bottle body and sprayed out through a spray path, a relief valve is provided in the ejection path to allow the cleaning liquid to flow in the ejection direction and restrict the cleaning liquid to flow in the opposite direction; The relief valve has at least three slits extending radially from the center thereof and spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and the spaces between adjacent slits are configured as opening and closing flaps, The relief valve is configured so that in a non-compressed state where the internal pressure does not increase, the relief valve is maintained in a recessed state, with the opening and closing flaps coming into contact with each other and the valve being in a closed state, while in a compressed state where the internal pressure increases, the relief valve bulges outward, forming a gap between the opening and closing flaps and the valve being in an open state.

[0011] [2] The cleaning bottle according to the above item 1, wherein the relief valve has a hardness adjusted to 25° to 45°.

[0012] [3] The cleaning bottle according to the preceding paragraph 1 or 2, wherein the thickness of the tip of the opening / closing flap of the relief valve is adjusted to 0.15 mm to 0.45 mm, and the thickness of the base is adjusted to 0.9 mm to 1.3 mm.

[0013] [4] The cleaning bottle according to any one of the preceding paragraphs 1 to 3, wherein the relief valve is made of silicone rubber.

[0014] [5] The cleaning bottle according to any one of the above items 1 to 4, wherein the relief valve has four slits formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the cleaning bottle of invention [1], a relief valve with a special configuration is placed in the spray path. When the bottle body is compressed and deformed to pass the cleaning solution through the spray path, the relief valve opens, allowing for smooth spraying. Even if the cleaning bottle is accidentally knocked over, the relief valve remains closed, preventing the cleaning solution from leaking out and causing contamination. In particular, the relief valve of this invention can reliably prevent accidental leakage, even with low-viscosity cleaning solutions. Furthermore, because the relief valve is simply a slit in the molded product, the structure can be simplified and costs can be reduced.

[0016] According to the cleaning bottles of the inventions [2] to [5], the above effects can be obtained more reliably. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a cleaning bottle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the upper front of the cleaning bottle according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the upper portion of the cleaning bottle according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the upper mounting member of the cleaning bottle according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows the inside plug used in the cleaning bottle of the embodiment, where Figure (a) is a plan view, Figure (b) is a cross-sectional view in the closed state, Figure (c) is a cross-sectional view in the slightly open state, and Figure (d) is a cross-sectional view in the fully open state. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows a valve holder employed in the cleaning bottle of the embodiment, where FIG. 8(a) is a plan view and FIG. 8(b) is a side view. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows a cap used in a cleaning bottle according to an embodiment, where FIG. 9(a) is a plan view in an unfolded state, and FIG. 9(b) is a side view in an unfolded state. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a diagram for explaining the opening operation of the cleaning bottle of the embodiment, where Figure (a) is a side view showing the state just before the lid body is opened, Figure (b) is a side view showing the state during the opening operation of the lid body, and Figure (c) is a side view showing the state after the opening operation of the lid body has been completed. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a side view showing a cleaning bottle according to a modified example of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Figure 1 is a front view of a cleaning bottle according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the upper front, Figure 3 is an exploded view of Figure 2, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the upper side of the cleaning bottle according to the embodiment, and Figure 5 is an exploded view of Figure 4. In the following description, to facilitate understanding of the invention, the left direction in Figures 4 and 5 (the front direction in Figures 1 to 3) will be referred to as the "front", the right direction in Figures 4 and 5 (the depth direction in Figures 1 to 3) will be referred to as the "rear", and further the left and right directions in Figures 1 to 3 will be referred to as the "left and right directions (both sides)".

[0019] As shown in these figures, the cleaning bottle of this embodiment has as its basic components a bottle body 1, an upper mounting member 2 provided on the upper side of the bottle body 1, an inner stopper 5 provided inside the upper mounting member 2, and a cap 7 provided on the upper end of the upper mounting member 2.

[0020] The bottle body 1 is formed as a cylindrical body 11 with a bottom, and is made of a molded product of a soft resin such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE) resin, with a cylindrical neck 12 having a smaller diameter than the body 11 integrally formed at the upper end of the body 11.

[0021] The upper end of the neck portion 12 is configured as an opening that opens the inside of the bottle body 1 upward, and a male screw 14 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the neck portion 12.

[0022] 1, a temperature display unit 15 is provided on the front side of the lower end of the outer periphery of the bottle body 1, and the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained inside the bottle body 1 is displayed on the temperature display unit 15 so that it can be seen from the outside. Because this temperature display unit 15 is provided at the lower end of the bottle body 1, it is positioned in correspondence with the cleaning liquid so that it can display the accurate temperature even when the remaining amount of cleaning liquid in the bottle body 1 is low.

[0023] Furthermore, a remaining amount scale 16 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the bottle body 1, approximately on the front side, and by comparing the water level of the cleaning liquid in the bottle body 1 with the remaining amount scale 16, it is possible to grasp the remaining amount (volume) of cleaning liquid contained in the bottle body 1.

[0024] The bottle body 1 is flexible and can be compressed and deformed, so that by compressing and deforming the bottle body 1 to increase the internal pressure, the cleaning liquid contained therein is forced out through the upper opening of the neck portion 12.

[0025] Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the upper mounting member 2 of the cleaning bottle of the embodiment. As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the upper mounting member 2 as a mounting member includes an inner fitting member 3 made of a molded product of soft resin, and an outer member 4 assembled to the outside of the inner fitting member 3 and made of a molded product of soft resin.

[0026] The inner fitting member 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and six engaging protrusions 31 that can engage with engaging hooks 21 of the outer member 4 (described later) are integrally formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction at the lower end of the outer peripheral surface. Furthermore, anti-rotation protrusions 32 are integrally formed at two circumferential positions, one at the front and one at the back, in the vertical middle part of the outer peripheral surface.

[0027] Further, a female thread 33 that can be threaded onto the male thread 14 of the neck portion 12 of the bottle body 1 is formed on the lower portion of the inner peripheral surface of the inner fitting member 3 .

[0028] The internal thread 33 is not formed on the upper side of the outer peripheral wall of the inner fitting member 3, and an intake valve 35 is attached to the upper side in a penetrating manner. This intake valve 35 is configured as a well-known check valve that is closed when the air pressure inside the inner fitting member 3 (internal pressure) is higher than the air pressure outside (external pressure), thereby restricting the air inside from flowing out to the outside, and is open when the internal pressure is lower than the external pressure, thereby allowing the air outside to flow inside.

[0029] The outer member 4 comprises a cylindrical outer fitting member 41 that can be fitted onto the outside of the inner fitting member 3, an outer cover piece 42 that is formed integrally with the upper end of the outer fitting member 41 and is arranged so as to cover the outside of the outer fitting member 41 from above the inner fitting member 3, and a cylindrical neck portion 43 that is formed integrally with the upper end of the outer cover piece 42 and is formed so as to protrude upward.

[0030] A cap fixing groove 44 is formed at the lower end of the neck portion 43, extending continuously in the circumferential direction except for a portion on the front side (the left side in FIGS. 4 and 5).

[0031] An inside plug installation step 45 is formed continuously in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the neck portion 43. Furthermore, two valve retainer fixing holes 46 are formed opposite each other on both left and right ends above the inside plug installation step 45 on the peripheral wall of the neck portion 43.

[0032] On the other hand, anti-rotation slits 22 are formed on the lower side of the outer fitting member 41, and the anti-rotation slits 22 are open at the lower end and extend vertically to the middle part of the outer fitting member 41. Six of these anti-rotation slits 22 are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0033] Furthermore, an engaging hook 21 that extends downward and has an inwardly bent tip is formed at the lower end of the outer fitting member 41. The bent tip of this engaging hook 21 is formed so as to be able to elastically engage with the engaging protrusion 31 of the inner fitting member 3.

[0034] The engaging hooks 21 are formed by cutting out slits in the peripheral wall portions of the outer fitting member 41 corresponding to both sides of the engaging hooks. The slits on both sides of the engaging hooks are shallower (shorter in the upward direction) than the anti-rotation slits 22.

[0035] The outer member 4 configured as described above is attached to the inner fitting member 3, and the upper mounting member 2 is assembled. That is, the inner fitting member 3 is fitted into the outer fitting member 41 of the outer member 4. At this time, the two front and rear anti-rotation protrusions 32 of the inner fitting member 3 are inserted into any two (pair) of the six anti-rotation slits 22 in the outer fitting member 41 to prevent rotation, and the six engaging hooks 21 of the outer fitting member 41 are engaged with the engaging protrusions 31 of the inner fitting member 3 by snap fitting to fix them in a non-disengageable state. As a result, the inner fitting member 3 is fitted into the outer fitting member 41 of the outer member 4 in a non-disengageable state, and the upper mounting member 2 is assembled.

[0036] The internal fitting member 3 of the upper mounting member 2 of this configuration is fitted externally onto the neck portion 12 of the bottle body 1, and the upper member 2 is rotated to fasten the female thread 33 of the internal fitting member 3 to the male thread 14 of the bottle body 1, thereby assembling the upper mounting member 2 so that it covers the upper portion of the bottle body 1.

[0037] In this assembled state, the lower edge of the outer cover piece 42 of the upper mounting member 2 is positioned so as to contact the shoulder of the bottle body 1 around its entire circumference, and the outer cover piece 42 covers the screw fastening portions of the bottle body 1 and the upper mounting member 2 (the male thread 14 of the bottle body 1 and the female thread 33 of the inner fitting member 3), as well as the intake valve 35 of the upper mounting member 2.

[0038] The lower edge of the outer cover piece 42 of the upper mounting member 2 is in light contact with the bottle body 1, and external air flows in between the lower edge of the outer cover piece 42 and the bottle body 1, while air inside the outer cover piece 42 flows into the interior of the outer fitting member 41 through slits 22, etc., of the outer fitting member 41. In other words, the air outside the upper mounting member 2 flows into the interior of the outer fitting member 41 and is smoothly sucked into the bottle body 1 via the intake valve 35 as needed.

[0039] In this embodiment, the interior of the neck portion 12 of the bottle body 1 and the interior of the inner fitting member 3 and neck portion 43 of the upper mounting member 2 form a spray path A. The cleaning liquid ascending through the spray path A is sprayed from the upper opening of the neck portion 43. The upper end of the spray path A corresponds to the downstream end of the spray path A, and the lower end of the spray path A corresponds to the upstream end of the spray path A.

[0040] In this embodiment, when the cap 7 (described in detail later) is attached to the upper attachment member 2, the cap 7 is opened and closed by moving it back and forth. On the other hand, when using a cleaning bottle, an operator grasps the bottle using the front surface of the bottle body 1 (the surface on which the temperature indicator 16, remaining amount scale 16, etc. are located) as a reference. Therefore, it is preferable to align the front and rear directions of the cap 7 with the front and rear directions of the bottle body 1. However, due to manufacturing reasons, the threading start point of the internal thread 33 in the inner fitting member 3 of the upper attachment member 2 varies in circumferential position due to individual differences between products. For this reason, if the upper attachment member 2 is simply screwed to the bottle body 1 without any special measures, there is a risk of significant misalignment between the front and rear directions of the bottle body 1 and the upper attachment member 2 (cap 7) due to the individual differences.

[0041] Therefore, in this embodiment, as described above, the inner fitting member 3 of the upper mounting member 2 is formed with anti-rotation protrusions 32 at two locations, one at the front and one at the back, while the outer fitting member 41 of the outer fitting member 4 is formed with six anti-rotation slits 22 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, into which the anti-rotation protrusions 32 can be inserted. Therefore, by appropriately selecting the anti-rotation slit 22 that accommodates the anti-rotation protrusions 32, it is possible to selectively adjust the rotational position of the inner fitting member 3 around its axis relative to the outer member (outer fitting member 41). This makes it possible to adjust the rotational position of the upper mounting member 2 (inner fitting member 3) after it has been screwed onto the bottle body 1, and therefore the rotational positions of the bottle body 1 and the cap 7 attached to the upper mounting member 2 can be adjusted, so that the front-to-rear directions of both can be approximately aligned.

[0042] In the above embodiment, an example in which six anti-rotation slits 22 are formed has been described, but this is not limited to this, and in the present invention, any number of anti-rotation slits 22 may be formed as long as they are two or more. Furthermore, an example in which two anti-rotation protrusions 32 are formed has been described, but this is not limited to this, and in the present invention, any number of anti-rotation protrusions 32 may be formed as long as they are equal to or less than the number of anti-rotation slits 22 and are one or more.

[0043] 7 is a diagram showing the inside plug 5 used in the cleaning bottle of the embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 and 7, the inside plug 5 is provided in the neck portion 43 of the upper mounting member 2, i.e., in the ejection path A.

[0044] The inner plug 5 is made of a single piece molded from a synthetic rubber such as silicone rubber having elasticity. The outer peripheral edge of the inner plug 5 corresponds to the inner plug installation step 45 in the neck portion 43 and constitutes an outer peripheral mounting portion 50, and the middle portion constitutes a relief valve 51.

[0045] 8 is a diagram showing the valve guard 6 for fixing the inside plug 5 in the neck portion 43. As shown in the figure, the valve guard 6 is made of a molded synthetic resin or the like. The valve guard 6 is formed in a ring shape corresponding to the ring-shaped mounting portion 50 of the inside plug 5, and has two fixing protrusions 61 that protrude outward at the front and rear ends, respectively corresponding to the two valve guard fixing holes 46 in the neck portion 43.

[0046] 2 to 5, the outer peripheral mounting portion 50 of the inside plug 5 is placed on the inside plug installation step 45 in the neck portion 43, and further the valve guard 6 is placed on the outer peripheral mounting portion 50 of the inside plug 5, and in this state the fixing protrusion 61 of the valve guard 6 is inserted and fixed in the valve guard fixing hole 46 of the neck portion 43. As a result, the relief valve 51 of the inside plug 5 is attached to the spray path A in the neck portion 43 with the outer peripheral mounting portion 50 of the inside plug 5 being pressed against the inside plug installation step 45 via the valve guard 6.

[0047] As shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), the relief valve 51 of the inside plug 5 is formed so as to have a bowl-like shape (concave shape) that is concave downward or a downward-projecting shape that bulges downward in its natural state. A so-called cross-cut slit is formed in the bottom wall (central wall) of this relief valve 51. In other words, four slits 52 that extend radially from the center are formed in the bottom wall of the relief valve 51 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. As a result, four approximately triangular opening / closing flaps 53 are formed circumferentially between adjacent slits 52. When the relief valve 51 is in its natural state, concave downward, the opening / closing flaps 53 are in contact with each other without any gaps, and the relief valve 51 is in a closed state.

[0048] When the internal pressure of the bottle body 1 rises slightly due to compressive deformation of the bottle body 1, the relief valve 51 bulges upward (downstream) as shown in Figure 7(c), causing the opening and closing flaps 53 to elastically deform upward slightly, forming a small gap between the opening and closing flaps 53 and entering a slightly open state (open valve state), and when the internal pressure rises further, the opening and closing flaps 53 elastically deform upward significantly as shown in Figure 7(d), forming a large gap between the opening and closing flaps 53 and entering a widely open state (open valve state).

[0049] Therefore, when the bottle body 1 is lightly gripped to slightly increase the internal pressure, the relief valve 51 enters the slightly open state shown in Figure 7(c), allowing a small amount of cleaning liquid to flow out of the bottle body 1 through the gap between the opening and closing flaps 53 and be sprayed out from the upper opening of the neck portion 43. When the bottle body 1 is gripped firmly to greatly increase the internal pressure, the relief valve 51 enters the widely open state shown in Figure 7(d), allowing a large amount of cleaning liquid to forcefully flow out of the bottle body 1 through the gap between the opening and closing flaps 53 and be sprayed out from the upper opening of the neck portion 43. In this way, by changing the grip strength on the bottle body 1, the force (flow rate) of the sprayed cleaning liquid can be freely adjusted, allowing for effective cleaning depending on the situation.

[0050] When the compressive deformation of the bottle body 1 is released to a non-compressed state and the internal pressure is returned to normal pressure (atmospheric pressure), the relief valve 51 will bend downwards due to its own elastic force and return to its natural state (closed valve state) shown in Figure 7(b).

[0051] In this embodiment, the rubber hardness of the silicone rubber that constitutes the inside plug 5 (relief valve 51) is preferably adjusted to 25° to 45°, and more preferably adjusted to 30° to 40°. In other words, when the hardness is adjusted to this preferred value (preferred range), an appropriate elastic force is imparted to the relief valve 51, allowing the relief valve 51 to open and close smoothly, thereby improving operational reliability.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the thickness of the tip portion (center portion of the relief valve 51) of the opening / closing flap 53 of the relief valve 51 is preferably adjusted to 0.15 mm to 0.45 mm, more preferably 0.25 mm to 0.35 mm. Furthermore, the thickness of the base portion (outer peripheral portion of the relief valve 51) of the opening / closing flap 53 is preferably adjusted to 0.9 mm to 1.3 mm, more preferably 1.0 mm to 1.2 mm. In other words, when the thickness of each portion of the opening / closing flap 53 is adjusted to this preferred value (preferable range), the opening and closing operation (swinging operation) of the opening / closing flap 53 is performed smoothly, and the opening and closing operation of the relief valve 51 is performed even more smoothly, thereby further improving operational reliability.

[0053] 9 is a diagram showing the cap 7 employed in the cleaning bottle of this embodiment in an expanded state. In this embodiment, the cap 7 is made of a single-piece molded product of a soft and elastic synthetic resin (synthetic rubber) and is manufactured by injection molding. In this embodiment, the expanded state of the cap 7 refers to the state of the cap 7 when it is expanded on a plane, and corresponds to the state of the cap 7 at the design stage when it is assumed to be manufactured as a single piece by molding such as injection molding, or corresponds to the state of the cap 7 immediately after molding.

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 and 9, the cap 7 integrally comprises a cap base 70, a lid 8 with a hole, and a pair of hinges 85 connecting the cap base 70 and the lid 8. As shown in FIGS.

[0055] The cap base 70 comprises a cylindrical body 71 that can be fitted onto the neck 43 of the upper mounting member 2, and a rim 72 that has an inverted U-shaped cross section and is formed by folding back inward at the upper end of the body 71. A cap fixing protrusion 73 that is continuous in the circumferential direction except for the front end position and corresponds to the cap fixing groove 44 of the neck 43 is formed on the lower end of the inner peripheral surface of the body 71. The cap base 70 is attached to the top of the neck 43 by engaging the cap fixing protrusion 73 into the cap fixing groove 44 with the upper end of the neck 43 fitted into the folded back groove of the rim 72.

[0056] A lid installation step 74 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the body 71 of the cap base 70, continuing in the circumferential direction. A notch 75 is formed at the front end of the lid installation step 74, which has an inclined surface that slopes backward as it extends upward, and the lid installation step 74 is interrupted by this notch 75.

[0057] Furthermore, a positioning projection 76 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the body 71 of the cap base 70 above the lid installation step 74 and continues along the circumferential direction.

[0058] The lid 8 has a top wall 81 and a peripheral wall 82 that protrudes downward along the outer periphery of the top wall 81, and is formed in the shape of a so-called crown plug. Six small holes 83 are formed in the top wall 81 of the lid 8 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, positioning grooves 84 that can accommodate the positioning protrusions 76 of the cap base 70 are formed continuously in the circumferential direction on the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 82 of the lid 8.

[0059] Then, by pushing the lid body 8 toward the cap base 70 while it is positioned above the cap base 70, the lower end of the peripheral wall 82 of the lid body 8 is fitted onto the rim portion 72 of the cap base 70, and the positioning projections 76 of the cap base 70 fit into and engage with the positioning grooves 84 of the lid body 82 with the peripheral wall 82 of the lid body abutting on the lid body installation step 74 of the cap base 70. In this way, the lid body 82 is attached so as to close the upper end opening of the cap base 70.

[0060] In addition, since six small holes 83 are formed in the lid body 82, when the bottle body 1 is compressed and deformed as described above in the lid closed state to release the cleaning liquid, the cleaning liquid can be dispersed and sprayed out from each of the small holes 83 in the lid body 82, allowing the cleaning liquid to be sprayed out like a shower.

[0061] Furthermore, when the lid body 82 is lifted upward from the closed state, the engagement between the positioning protrusion 76 and the positioning groove 84 is released, allowing the lid body 82 to be removed from the cap base 70, thereby opening the upper end opening of the cap base 70.

[0062] In this embodiment, a notch 75 is formed at the front end of the cap base 70 so as to interrupt the lid installation step 74, so that in the closed state, a portion (front end) of the lower end of the peripheral wall 82 of the lid 8 is open (exposed) downward. Therefore, as shown in Figure 10(a), by placing a finger F on the exposed lower end portion of the peripheral wall of the lid 8, the lid 8 can be easily lifted, and as shown in the same figure (b), the lid 8 can be opened smoothly and effortlessly.

[0063] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10(c), in this embodiment, the following configuration is adopted so that the lid body 8 can be temporarily held behind the neck portion 43 when the cap 7 is opened.

[0064] That is, as shown in the developed view of the cap 7 in Figure 9, a pair of hinges 85 connecting the cap base 70 and the lid body 8 connect both side edges of the cap base 70 to both side edges of the lid body 8, but the connection positions at both ends of the pair of hinges 85 relative to the cap base 70 and the lid body 8 are offset in the front-to-rear direction.

[0065] 9, with respect to a center line C1 that passes through the center position in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction in the figure) of the cap base 70 facing up and is perpendicular to the front-to-back direction, a coupling position P1 of one end of the pair of hinges 85 to the cap base 70 is set at a position offset (displaced) by Δ1 forward (to the left in the figure). Furthermore, with respect to a center line C2 that passes through the center position in the front-to-back direction of the lid body 8 facing down and is perpendicular to the front-to-back direction, as shown in the figure, a coupling position P2 of the other end of the pair of hinges 85 to the lid body 8 facing down is set at a position offset (displaced) by Δ2 backward (to the right in the figure).

[0066] 10(c), when the lid body 8 is placed against the rear side of the cap base body 70, the pair of hinges 85 become longer than in their natural state and are in a state of being subjected to tension. Therefore, the elastic restoring force (tensile force) of the pair of hinges 85 pulls the lid body 8 toward the cap base body 70 and presses it against the cap base body 70, so that in this state the lid body 8 is temporarily held in place even if the finger F is released.

[0067] Therefore, when the lid body 8 is opened and the cleaning liquid is to be sprayed directly from the upper opening of the cap base 70, by setting the lid body 8 in an open and temporarily held state, problems such as the lid body 8 swinging unstably can be prevented, and the lid body 8 does not get in the way (obstruct) when the cleaning liquid is sprayed directly from the cap base 70. This reliably prevents problems such as the cleaning liquid hitting the lid body 8 and scattering and splashing, and the cleaning liquid can be sprayed smoothly, allowing the cleaning work to be carried out efficiently.

[0068] In addition, in this embodiment, when the lid 8 is opened and the cleaning liquid is directly ejected from the upper end opening of the cap base body 70, it is not always necessary to temporarily hold the opened lid 8. The lid 8 may be inverted so that the back side faces upward and is suspended in front of the cap base body 70 via a pair of hinges 85. However, in this state, since the lid 8 may swing unstably, the ejection operation of the cleaning liquid may not be performed smoothly.

[0069] Also, in this embodiment, as described above, the lid 8 can be easily opened by simply hanging the finger F on the lower end of the front part of the lid 8 and lifting it from the closed state shown in Fig. 10(a). Further, thereafter, the lid 8 can be easily temporarily held by simply pushing it into the rear side of the cap base body 70 with the finger F as shown in Fig. 10(c). Thus, in this embodiment, the lid 8 in the lid-closed state can be opened and temporarily held by a series of continuous operations, so that the opening operation of the cap 7, and thus the cleaning operation, can be performed smoothly and efficiently.

[0070] Also, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 9, in the deployed state, the lid 8 is separated from the cap base body 70 in the front direction and a gap is formed between the cap base body 70 and the lid 8, so that each component part of the cap 7 does not overlap in plan view. Therefore, the cap 7 can be surely integrally formed by mold forming such as injection molding, and can be easily and efficiently manufactured.

[0071] In the above embodiment, both a first configuration in which the attachment position of the hinge 85 is offset with respect to the cap base body 70 in the cap 7 and a second configuration in which the attachment position of the hinge 85 is offset with respect to the lid 8 are adopted. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present invention, at least one of these two configurations may be adopted. That is, by adopting either one of these configurations, the lid 8 can be temporarily held in the opened state as described above.

[0072] As described above, according to the cleaning bottle of this embodiment, the upper attachment member 2, which is screwed to the top of the bottle body 1, is provided with an outer cover piece 42. This outer cover piece 42 covers the external threads 14 of the bottle body 1 and the internal threads 33 of the upper attachment member 2. Therefore, even if cleaning liquid splashes back toward the cleaning bottle when spraying cleaning liquid from the top opening of the cap 7, the contaminated cleaning liquid is caught by the outer cover piece 42. This prevents contaminated cleaning liquid from dripping onto the external threads 14 of the bottle body 1 or the internal threads 33 of the upper attachment member 2. This prevents contaminated cleaning liquid from penetrating the threaded portion between the external threads 14 and the internal threads 33, thereby preventing contamination and ensuring good hygiene. Furthermore, since contaminated water is prevented from penetrating the threaded portion, contaminated water will not seep into the bottle body 1 along the threaded portion, reliably preventing contamination of the interior of the bottle body 1.

[0073] Furthermore, since the inner fitting member 3 of the upper mounting member 2 is provided with an intake valve 35, when the bottle body 1 is compressed and deformed, causing the internal pressure to drop, outside air is drawn into the bottle body 1 via the intake valve 35, eliminating the deformation of the bottle body 1 and allowing it to return to its normal shape. This ensures that the cleaning bottle can always be gripped properly, allowing for efficient cleaning work.

[0074] Furthermore, in the cleaning bottle of this embodiment, the intake valve 35 is covered by the outer cover piece 42, so as described above, splashed cleaning liquid does not adhere to the intake valve 35, and contaminated cleaning liquid does not enter the bottle body 1 through the intake valve 35, ensuring even better hygiene.

[0075] Furthermore, in the cleaning bottle of this embodiment, the relief valve 51 with the above-described unique configuration is disposed in the spray path A. Therefore, when the bottle body 1 is compressed and deformed to spray the cleaning liquid through the spray path A, the relief valve 51 can be opened smoothly and without difficulty, making the spraying operation easy and allowing for smooth cleaning work. Furthermore, even if the cleaning bottle is accidentally knocked over while performing care work with the cleaning bottle standing nearby, the relief valve 51 in the spray path A remains closed, reliably preventing the cleaning liquid from leaking out of the bottle body 1 through the spray path A and causing contamination. In particular, the cleaning bottle of this embodiment is designed to contain a low-viscosity cleaning liquid, and even with such a low-viscosity cleaning liquid, accidental leakage of the cleaning liquid can be reliably prevented.

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the hardness of the relief valve 51 and the thickness of each part of the opening / closing flap 53 of the relief valve 51 are adjusted to specific values, so that the opening and closing operation of the relief valve 51 is performed even more smoothly, and the cleaning work can be performed even more efficiently and smoothly.

[0077] In particular, by making the thickness of the opening / closing flap 53 of the relief valve 51 uneven, it can be reliably adjusted to a small open state when the bottle body 1 is lightly gripped, allowing the cleaning liquid to be sprayed gently at a small flow rate. Therefore, by appropriately switching between this small flow rate spraying operation and a large flow rate spraying operation, which is performed by firmly gripping the bottle body 1 to set it in a wide open state and spraying a large flow rate of cleaning liquid forcefully, the cleaning effect can be further improved.

[0078] Furthermore, the relief valve 51 of this embodiment is simply a molded product made of synthetic rubber or synthetic resin with the slit 52 formed therein, which allows for a simplified structure and reduced costs.

[0079] In the relief valve 51 of the above embodiment, an example has been described in which four slits 52 extending radially from a central position are formed, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any number of slits 52 extending radially from a central position may be formed as long as they are three or more. However, when four slits 52 are formed as in the present embodiment, the slits 52 can be easily formed by so-called cross cutting, and therefore the relief valve 51 (inner plug 5) can be easily manufactured.

[0080] Furthermore, as described above, with the cleaning bottle of this embodiment, the connection position of the hinge 85 to the cap base 70 and the lid body 8 in the cap 7 is offset, so that when the lid body 8 is opened, the lid body 8 can be temporarily held along the rear side of the cap base 70. Therefore, when the lid body 8 is removed and the cleaning liquid is sprayed directly from the upper opening of the cap base 70, the lid body 8 does not get in the way, allowing for efficient cleaning work.

[0081] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, the cap 7 can be reliably manufactured as a one-piece molded product by injection molding, as described above, and the manufacturing process can be carried out simply and efficiently.

[0082] Furthermore, as described above, in this embodiment, the rotational positions of the inner fitting member 3 and the outer member 4 in the upper attachment member 2 attached to the top of the bottle body 1 can be adjusted, so even if the threaded portion of the female thread 33 of the inner fitting member 3 is misaligned in the circumferential direction, the rotational position of the inner fitting member 3 relative to the outer member 4 can be adjusted, and the rotational position of the upper attachment member 2 and the rotational position of the cap 7 relative to the bottle body 1 can be adjusted. Therefore, the rotational positions of the upper attachment member 2 and the cap 7 relative to the bottle body 1 can be adjusted to the correct positions, making it possible to provide a user-friendly cleaning bottle.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the neck portion 43 of the upper mounting member 2 of the cleaning bottle is arranged facing upward so that its axis coincides with the axis of the bottle body 1, but in the present invention, the orientation of the neck portion 43 is not particularly limited. For example, in the present invention, as shown in Fig. 11, the neck portion 43 may be arranged facing diagonally upward so that its axis is inclined relative to the axis of the bottle body 1.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the case where the inner fitting member 3 and the outer member 4 in the upper mounting member 2 are provided separately, that is, the case where the inner fitting member 3 and the outer cover piece 42 are formed separately, has been described as an example, but this is not limited to this. In the present invention, by simplifying the structure, the inner fitting member and the outer cover piece may also be formed as a single unit. [Industrial Applicability]

[0085] The cleaning bottle of the present invention can be suitably used, for example, in elderly care facilities, hospitals, etc., when cleaning parts of the body of people requiring care or patients. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1: Bottle body 51: Relief valve 52: Slit 53: Opening and closing flap A: Eruption path

Claims

1. A cleaning bottle comprising a flexible and contractible bottle body containing cleaning liquid, wherein the cleaning liquid is forced out of the bottle body and sprayed to the outside through a spray path as internal pressure increases due to compressive deformation of the bottle body, a relief valve is provided in the ejection path to allow the cleaning liquid to flow in the ejection direction and restrict the cleaning liquid to flow in the opposite direction; The relief valve has at least three slits extending radially from the center thereof and spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and the spaces between adjacent slits are configured as opening and closing flaps, The relief valve is configured so that in a non-compressed state where the internal pressure does not increase, the relief valve is maintained in a recessed state, with the opening and closing flaps coming into contact with each other and the valve being in a closed state, while in a compressed state where the internal pressure increases, the relief valve bulges outward, forming a gap between the opening and closing flaps and the valve being in an open state.

2. 2. The cleaning bottle of claim 1, wherein the relief valve has a hardness adjusted to 25° to 45°.

3. 3. The cleaning bottle according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the tip of the opening / closing flap of the relief valve is adjusted to 0.15 mm to 0.45 mm, and the thickness of the base is adjusted to 0.9 mm to 1.3 mm.

4. 3. The cleaning bottle according to claim 1, wherein the relief valve is made of silicone rubber.

5. 3. The cleaning bottle according to claim 1, wherein the relief valve has four slits formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

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