Content dispensing device applied to flexible container and content dispensing method

Abstract

To provide a spouting device capable of spouting a content from a flexible container while suppressing a change in properties of the content.SOLUTION: A dispensing device 1 for dispensing a content from a flexible vessel 100 includes a pair of pressing members 3 and 4 having pressing surfaces 3a and 4a that are parallel to each other and face each other across the vessel 100, and a moving mechanism 20 that moves at least one pressing member 4 in parallel so as to approach and separate from the other pressing member 3 while the pressing surfaces 3a and 4a are kept parallel to each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for dispensing contents from a flexible container, and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] As a device for pouring contents such as frozen confectionery from a flexible container such as a pouch-shaped container formed by laminating films, a device has been proposed in which an extrusion member such as a roller is pressed against the surface of the pouch and the extrusion member is moved along the surface of the pouch, thereby stirring or kneading the contents while extruding them from a spout (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2022-519692 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional dispensing device described above, a strong local force is applied to the contents during the process of moving the pushing member, which can change the properties of the contents. For example, if the contents are an ice suspension made by dispersing fine ice particles in a liquid, a strong local force is applied to the contents as the pushing member moves, which can crush and liquefy the ice particles, causing inconvenience such as continuous dripping from the dispensing outlet of the container.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing device that can dispense contents from a flexible container while suppressing changes in the properties of the contents. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A dispensing device according to one aspect of the present invention is a dispensing device for dispensing contents from a flexible container, and includes a pair of pressing members having opposing pressing surfaces sandwiching the container, and a moving mechanism for moving at least one of the pressing members toward and away from the other pressing member in a direction in which the pressing surfaces face each other.

[0007] A pouring method according to one aspect of the present invention is a pouring method for pouring contents from a flexible container, and includes the steps of: placing the container between the pressing surfaces of a pair of pressing members having opposing pressing surfaces; and compressing the container by moving at least one of the pressing members toward the other pressing member in a direction in which the pressing surfaces face each other. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention and an example of a container to which the dispensing device is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] 4 is a side view showing the container as viewed from the direction IV in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is an axial cross-sectional view of the spout taken along line VV in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a side view of the dispensing device when the pressing member is raised. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a side view of the dispensing device when the pressing member is lowered. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the disassembled state of the device body, pressure plate, and lifting mechanism of the dispensing device. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the relationship between the pressure plate, the movable plate, and the guide rails. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a main part of a motion conversion unit in the lifting mechanism. [Figure 10] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of essential parts of the motion converter; [Figure 11] 10 is a perspective view showing the state in which the spout portion of the container is fitted into the through hole of the base plate. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A dispensing device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, an overview of the dispensing device 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows the dispensing device 1 and an example of a container 100 to which the dispensing device 1 is applied. The dispensing device 1 is configured such that, with the container 100 inserted between the base plate 3 and the pressure plate 4 of the device main body 2, the pressure plate 4 is lowered in response to a rotational operation of the handle 21, thereby sandwiching and compressing the container 100 between the base plate 3 and the pressure plate 4, thereby dispensing the contents of the container 100 from the spout 101 of the container 100.

[0010] The base plate 3 and the pressure plate 4 have pressing surfaces 3a and 4a that face each other with the container 100 inserted therebetween. In FIG. 1, the pressing surface 4a of the pressure plate 4 is hidden below the pressure plate 4. The pressing surfaces 3a and 4a are maintained parallel to each other regardless of the position of the pressure plate 4 in the moving direction. Therefore, the base plate 3 and the pressure plate 4 correspond to an example of a pair of pressing members. The pressing surfaces 3a and 4a are set larger than the surface 100a of the container 100. Therefore, the pressing surfaces 3a and 4a can completely cover the surface 100a of the container 100 and come into full contact with the surface 100a. Hereinafter, with respect to the direction of the dispensing device 1, the direction perpendicular to the pressing surface 3a of the base plate 3 is referred to as the up-down direction of the dispensing device 1, based on the state in which the base plate 3 is placed on a horizontal plane. Furthermore, the side on which the handle 21 is provided is defined as the front side of the dispensing device 1, and the depth direction of the dispensing device 1 when observed from the front side is called the front-rear direction, and the left-right direction is called the left-right direction of the dispensing device 1. However, when using the dispensing device 1, the base plate 3 does not necessarily have to be placed on a horizontal surface. For example, the base plate 3 may be placed on an inclined surface that is oblique to the horizontal. Alternatively, the base plate 3 may be fixed on a vertical surface.

[0011] 2 to 4 show the details of the container 100. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the container 100 is formed as a flat, flexible, pouch-like container having a roughly rectangular surface 100a by appropriately bonding film materials. The pair of surfaces 100a are roughly parallel. When the container 100 is filled with contents, the container 100 expands and the thickness between the surfaces 100a increases. When the container 100 is filled with a specified amount of contents, the thickness of the container 100 is sufficiently small compared to the lengths of the long and short sides of the surfaces 100a. The film material used for the container 100 is, for example, a composite material formed by bonding together resin films of multiple materials.

[0012] One corner of container 100 is cut out, and spout 101 is inserted into this notch. Container 100 is sealed around its entire circumference, including the portion that contacts the outer periphery of spout 101. As shown in FIG. 4 , spout 101 houses valve element 103, which can open and close internal flow path 102. Valve element 103 is pressed in a direction that closes internal flow path 102 by coil spring 105, which is disposed between cap 104 and valve element 103. Cap 104 is screwed onto the tip of spout body 106. When container 100 is compressed, the liquid pressure of the contents is applied to valve element 103, displacing valve element 103 in the opening direction and opening internal flow path 102. This connects tubular outlet 107, which protrudes laterally from spout body 106, to internal flow path 102, allowing the contents to be poured out through outlet 107. However, container 100 is not limited to a configuration in which the contents are poured out from spout 101. For example, spout 101 may be omitted, and container 100 may be configured so that a pouring outlet provided in container 100 opens as container 100 is compressed to pour out the contents.

[0013] Next, the details of the dispensing device 1 will be described. As shown in Fig. 1 and Figs. 5 to 7, in addition to the above-mentioned device main body 2, the dispensing device 1 includes a lifting mechanism 20 for vertically lifting the pressure plate 4, and an elastic support mechanism 50 for connecting the pressure plate 4 to a movable plate 22, which is an example of a movable member of the lifting mechanism 20. As shown in Fig. 7, the device main body 2 includes a frame 11 and a top plate 12 in addition to the above-mentioned base plate 3. The base plate 3 is fixed to the lower surface side of the frame 11, and the top plate 12 is fixed to the upper surface side of the frame 11. The lifting mechanism 20 is attached to the lower surface side of the top plate 12, and the pressure plate 4 is attached to the movable plate 22 of the lifting mechanism 20 via the elastic support mechanism 50.

[0014] The lifting mechanism 20 converts the rotational movement of the handle 21 into vertical translational movement of the movable plate 22. When the handle 21 is rotated, the movable plate 22 moves vertically, and as the plate moves, the pressure plate 4 suspended from the movable plate 22 moves parallel to move toward and away from the base plate 3 while maintaining the parallelism of the pressure surfaces 3a, 4a. Therefore, the lifting mechanism 20 functions as an example of a movement mechanism in the dispensing device 1. The direction of translational movement of the pressure plate 4 corresponds to the direction in which the pressure surfaces 3a, 4a face each other. Figure 5 shows a state in which the pressure plate 4 has risen and moved away from the base plate 3, and Figure 6 shows a state in which the pressure plate 4 has descended and moved toward the base plate 3.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 9, the lifting mechanism 20 further includes a guide unit 23 that guides the movable plate 22 in the up-down direction, and a motion conversion unit 24 that converts the rotational motion of the handle 21 into vertical translational motion of the movable plate 22. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the guide unit 23 includes a plurality of guide rails 25 extending in the up-down direction and the same number of sliders 26 as the guide rails 25. As shown in FIG. 7, the guide rails 25 are fixed to the frame 11 of the device main body 2. The sliders 26 are movably fitted to the guide rails 25 and fixed to the movable plate 22 so as to be able to move integrally therewith. Therefore, the movable plate 22 is guided in the up-down direction along the guide rails 25. FIG. 8 shows the correspondence between one guide rail 25 and the slider 26 fitted to that guide rail 25. The correspondence between the other guide rails 25 and the sliders 26 is similar. 7, a total of six guide rails 25 are attached to the left and right side surfaces and the rear surface of the frame 11, with one slider 26 fitted to each guide rail 25. However, the numbers of guide rails 25 and sliders 26 may be changed as appropriate.

[0016] 9 and 10 , the motion conversion unit 24 includes a feed screw 30 that rotates integrally with the handle 21, a nut 31 that is screwed onto the feed screw 30, a slider 32 to which the nut 31 is fixed, a guide rail 33 to which the slider 32 is movably fitted, a holder 34 that is fixed to the frame 11 of the device body 2, and a plurality of first arms 35A and second arms 35B that are disposed between the slider 32, the holder 34, and the movable plate 22. The feed screw 30 is supported rotatably about its axis by an appropriate bearing portion fixed to the frame 11 and the holder 34. The nut 31 is fixed to the slider 32 and is therefore unable to rotate. Therefore, when the feed screw 30 rotates, the nut 31 and the slider 32 move integrally in the forward and backward directions along the guide rail 33.

[0017] The first arm 35A and the second arm 35B have different lengths, with the first arm 35A being longer than the second arm 35B. Four first arms 35A and four second arms 35B are provided, and one first arm 35A and one second arm 35B form one arm set 35. Therefore, the motion converter 24 is provided with four arm sets 35, each consisting of four first arms 35A and four second arms 35B.

[0018] 9 and 10, the arm sets 35 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction of the dispensing device 1. Note that the pressure plate 3 and the elastic support mechanism 50 are not shown in FIG. 9. Between adjacent arm sets 35, the front-to-rear positional relationship between the first arm 35A and the second arm 35B is opposite to each other. That is, in one arm set 35, the first arm 35A is arranged on the front side and the second arm 35B is arranged on the rear side, and in the adjacent arm set 35, the second arm 35B is arranged on the front side and the first arm 35A is arranged on the rear side.

[0019] The motion conversion unit 24 further includes a plurality of guide rails 37 fixed to the movable plate 22, a slider 38 movably fitted to the guide rails 37, and a bracket 39 fixed to the slider 38. Note that in FIG. 9, the slider 38 is hidden behind the arm set 35 and is not visible. The axial direction of the feed screw 30 and the longitudinal directions of the guide rails 33 and 37 are all parallel to the front-to-rear direction of the dispensing device 1. In each arm set 35, the front end of the first arm 35A or the second arm 35B arranged in front of the dispensing device 1 is rotatably connected to the slider 32, and the rear end of the second arm 35B or the first arm 35A arranged in the rear of the dispensing device 1 is rotatably connected to the holder 34. Meanwhile, in each arm set 35, the rear end of the first arm 35A or the second arm 35B arranged in front of the dispensing device 1 and the front end of the first arm 35A or the second arm 35B arranged in the rear of the dispensing device 1 are each rotatably connected to a bracket 39. In each arm set 35, the connection points between the first arm 35A and the second arm 35B and the bracket 39 are common. In other words, at the connection points with the bracket 39, the arms 35A, 35B rotate about a common rotation axis extending in the left-right direction of the dispensing device 1.

[0020] In the lifting mechanism 20 configured as described above, when the handle 21 is rotated, the rotational motion is converted into linear motion in the front-to-rear direction of the slider 32 by the feed screw 30 and the nut 31. The linear motion of the slider 32 changes the front-to-rear distance between the slider 32 and the holder 34, and this change causes the first arm 35A and the second arm 35B to rotate around the connection points between the slider 32 and the holder 34. With this rotation, a driving force acts on the connection points between the arms 35A, 35B and the bracket 39, tending to displace the bracket 39 in the front-to-rear and up-to-down directions. The bracket 39 is connected to the movable plate 22 via the slider 38, and the movable plate 22 is connected to the device body 2 so as to be movable only in the up-to-down direction by the combination of the guide rail 25 of the guide section 23 and the slider 26. Therefore, the forward / backward component of the driving force acting on the bracket 39 as the arms 35A and 35B rotate causes the bracket 39 to move forward / backward together with the slider 38, while the upward / downward component of the driving force causes the movable plate 22 to translate vertically along the guide rail 25. As a result, the pressing plate 4 connected to the movable plate 22 also translates vertically.

[0021] Next, the elastic support mechanism 50 will be described in detail. The elastic support mechanism 50 supports the pressure plate 4 so that it can move freely within a predetermined range in the direction of movement, in other words, the up-and-down direction, and uses the elastic restoring force of a predetermined elastic member to apply a pressing force to the pressure plate 4 in a direction in which the pressure plate 4 approaches the base plate 3. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the elastic support mechanism 50 includes sliders 51 attached to both side surfaces and the back surface of the pressure plate 4, four connecting plates 52 fixed to the pressure plate 4, two on each side of the pressure plate 4, and eight coil springs 53, which serve as an example of an elastic member, arranged between the pressure plate 4 and the movable plate 22. The numbers of connecting plates 52 and coil springs 53 are merely examples and may be changed as appropriate.

[0022] As is clear from Figure 8, the sliders 51 are fitted movably to the guide rails 25 of the lifting mechanism 20. As a result, the pressure plate 4 is guided in the vertical direction along the guide rails 25. The guide rails 25 are unable to move in any direction other than the vertical direction. Therefore, by guiding the pressure plate 4 along the guide rails 25, it is possible to reliably move the pressure plate 4 in parallel in the vertical direction. One slider 51 is fitted to each guide rail 25, and therefore the number of sliders 51 is the same as the number of sliders 26 of the lifting mechanism 20.

[0023] A vertically extending elongated hole 52a is formed in the upper portion of each connecting plate 52. A stopper pin 54 attached to the movable plate 22 is fitted into the elongated hole 52a. The elongated hole 52a and the stopper pin 54 determine the vertical movement range of the pressure plate 4 relative to the movable plate 22. The stopper pin 54 may be, for example, a cap bolt with a cylindrical head, a stud bolt, or a parallel pin. The coil spring 53 is mounted between the movable plate 22 and the pressure plate 4 in a slightly compressed state. The elastic restoring force of the coil spring 53 against compression acts on the movable plate 22 and the pressure plate 4, pressing them away from each other in the vertical direction. The elastic restoring force of the coil spring 53 acts on the pressure plate 4 as a pressing force moving it toward the base plate 3. When the container 100 and the pressure plate 4 are not in contact with each other and no reaction force from the container 100 acts on the pressure plate 4, the pressure of the coil spring 53 pushes the pressure plate 4 downward relative to the movable plate 22, and the downward movement of the pressure plate 4 is prevented at the position where the stopper pin 54 engages with the upper end of the elongated hole 52a. As a result, the pressure plate 4 is suspended and supported relative to the movable plate 22 in a state where it can move freely within a predetermined range in the up and down direction.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 11, a through-hole 3b is formed in the front left corner of the base plate 3. When a container 100 is inserted between the pressing surfaces 3a, 4a of the base plate 3 and the pressing plate 4, the outlet portion 107 of the spout 101 fits into the through-hole 3b. This makes it possible to keep the pouring direction of the contents from the container 100 constant and to prevent the container 100 from shifting position during pouring. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 7, notches 4b, 22a are formed in the front left corners of the pressing plate 4 and the movable plate 22 to avoid interference with the spout 101 of the container 100.

[0025] To dispense the contents of the container 100 using the dispensing device 1 configured as described above, first, the container 100 is placed between the pressure surfaces 3a and 4a. Next, the handle 21 is rotated to lower the pressure plate 4, thereby sandwiching the container 100 between the pressure surfaces 3a and 4a and compressing the container 100 in its thickness direction. This procedure allows the contents of the container 100 to be dispensed by being pushed out through the dispensing outlet 107. Because the pressure plate 4 is moved while maintaining the pressure surfaces 3a and 4a parallel to each other, the surface 100a of the container 100 can be compressed with a generally uniform pressure across its entire surface. Therefore, there is no risk of a strong localized force being applied to the contents of the container 100. Therefore, even if the container 100 contains contents whose properties change due to the application of a localized force, the contents can be dispensed while suppressing changes in the properties of the contents. For example, if the content is an ice suspension, it is possible to suppress the liquefaction of ice particles due to the application of a strong localized force, thereby preventing problems such as dripping from the outlet 107. However, the content is not limited to an ice suspension. The effects of the dispensing device 1 can be fully demonstrated with any content whose properties may change due to the application of a strong localized force. For example, even if the content is a food or beverage containing solid or semi-solid materials for creating a specific texture, there is a risk that the additives may be crushed by a strong localized force, causing a change in properties. In such cases, the dispensing device 1 of this embodiment can be suitably applied. Furthermore, even if a container contains a content whose properties are relatively unlikely to change, the dispensing device 1 may still be used to dispense that content.

[0026] In addition, because the pressure plate 4 is connected to the movable plate 22 via the elastic support mechanism 50, even if an error in the translational movement of the pressure plate 4 or unevenness on the surface 100a of the container 100 causes the pressure surface 4a to not come into uniform contact with the surface 100a of the container 100 during the process of compressing the container 100, resulting in a temporary increase in the compression reaction force in a portion of the container 100, the pressure plate 4 will appropriately retreat toward the movable plate 22 against the pressing force of the coil spring 53, causing a temporary increase in the pressing force of the coil spring 53. This allows the compression reaction force that has increased in a portion of the container 100 to be dispersed quickly. This makes it possible to compress the container 100 with a more reliably uniform pressing force, preventing changes in the properties of the contents.

[0027] Since the elastic support mechanism 50 is interposed between the pressing plate 4, which moves up and down, and the movable plate 22, even if the accuracy of the parallel movement of the pressing plate 4 is somewhat impaired due to an assembly error between the movable plate 22 and the pressing plate 4, the error in the parallel movement can be appropriately corrected by the elastic support mechanism 50, and the pressing surface 4a can be brought into even contact with the surface 100a of the container 100. This makes it possible to reliably prevent changes in the properties of the contents of the container 100.

[0028] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and may be embodied in various modified or altered forms. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the pressing plate 4 is connected to the movable plate 22 by the elastic support mechanism 50. However, a pressing member may be separately disposed on the base plate 3 and supported by an elastic member such as a coil spring 53. This allows the pressing member to move freely in the vertical direction while applying a pressing force to the pressing member in a direction that brings the pressing surfaces closer together. In this case, the elastic support mechanism 50 may be provided between the pressing plate 4 and the movable plate 22. Alternatively, the pressing plate 4 may be omitted, and the movable plate 22 may function as the pressing member, with the upper surface of the pressing member on the base plate 3 and the lower surface of the movable plate 22 functioning as pressing surfaces. In other words, any elastic support mechanism may be used as long as it supports at least one pressing member so that it can move freely and uses the elastic restoring force of the elastic member to apply a pressing force to the pressing member in a direction that brings the pressing members closer together. The elastic member is not limited to the coil spring 53, and various elastic members such as a torsion spring, a leaf spring, rubber, or an elastomer may be used as long as the elastic restoring force acts on the pressing member to apply a pressing force in a direction that brings the pressing surfaces closer together.

[0029] Alternatively, the pressing plate 4 and the elastic support mechanism 50 may be omitted, and the container 100 may be sandwiched between the base plate 3 and the movable plate 22. In this case, the movable plate 22 functions as an example of a pressing member, and the lower surface of the movable plate 22 functions as an example of a pressing surface.

[0030] In the above embodiment, the base plate 3 and the pressure plate 4, which are an example of a pair of pressure members, are translated vertically by the lifting mechanism 20, which is an example of a movement mechanism, but a movement mechanism may be provided corresponding to each of the pair of pressure members. In other words, the movement mechanism may translate each of the pair of pressure members so that it moves toward and away from the other pressure member.

[0031] The pair of pressing members only need to be arranged so that their pressing surfaces face each other, and it is not necessary for the pressing surfaces to be parallel to each other. The pressing surfaces only need to face each other so that the container and the pressing surfaces are in surface contact and the container is pressed by a surface. The direction of movement of the pressing members only needs to be set in a direction in which the pressing surfaces face each other, and it is not necessary for the pressing members to move in parallel. For example, it is possible to provide a slight inclination to the pressing surfaces to match the shape of the container, and move at least one of the pressing members in the normal direction of the pressing surface to bring the container and the pressing member into surface contact.

[0032] In the above embodiment, the lifting mechanism 20, which is an example of a moving mechanism, is configured as a manual mechanism that moves the pressure plate 4 up and down by rotating the handle 21. However, the moving mechanism may be configured to move the pressure member using various driving sources such as an electric motor, a fluid pressure actuator, or an electric actuator.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the lifting mechanism 20, which serves as an example of a movement mechanism, is configured to convert the rotational motion of the feed screw into the linear motion of the slider 32, convert the linear motion of the slider 32 into the rotational motion of the first arm 35A and the second arm 35B, and then absorb the forward / backward motion component of the rotational motion of each arm 35A, 35B with the linear motion of the slider 38, while moving the movable plate 22 up and down using the vertical motion component. However, the movement mechanism of the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. The movement mechanism may be configured using a link mechanism, a cam mechanism, or any other motion conversion mechanism, as long as it can translate the pressing member in the direction in which the pressing surfaces approach and move away from each other. Alternatively, the rotational motion of the handle 21 may be converted into vertical linear motion using a rack-and-pinion mechanism or the like, and the linear motion may be transmitted to the pressing member to move it. Alternatively, the pressing member may be translated using an actuator that generates linear motion.

[0034] The container to which the dispensing device of the present invention is applied need only be flexible enough to dispense the contents by sandwiching it between the pressing surfaces and compressing it, and does not necessarily have to be formed into a flat pouch. Therefore, the term "flexible" means having enough flexibility to be compressed and deformed when sandwiched between the pressing surfaces so that the contents can be squeezed out. The contents to be dispensed are not limited to beverages, but may also be fluid food ingredients, and may also include medicines, cosmetics, oils and fats, paints, and other liquids or fluids other than food and beverages.

[0035] Various aspects of the present invention derived from the above-described embodiments and modifications will be described below. In the following description, corresponding components shown in the accompanying drawings will be written in parentheses to facilitate understanding of each aspect of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the illustrated forms.

[0036] A dispensing device according to one aspect of the present invention is a dispensing device (1) for dispensing contents from a flexible container (100), and includes a pair of pressing members (3, 4) having pressing surfaces (3a, 4a) facing each other across the container, and a moving mechanism (20) for moving at least one of the pressing members toward and away from the other pressing member in a direction in which the pressing surfaces face each other.

[0037] A pouring method according to one aspect of the present invention is a method for pouring contents from a flexible container (100), and includes the steps of: placing the container between the pressing surfaces of a pair of pressing members (3, 4) having opposing pressing surfaces (3 a, 4 a); and compressing the container by moving at least one of the pressing members toward the other pressing member in a direction in which the pressing surfaces face each other.

[0038] According to the above aspect, by moving the pressing member in the direction in which the pressing surfaces face each other, the flexible container and the pressing surface come into surface contact, thereby applying a generally uniform pressing force to the container. Therefore, it is possible to reduce or eliminate the risk of a strong localized force being applied to the contents of the container. As a result, even if the container contains contents whose properties change due to the application of a localized force, the contents can be dispensed while suppressing changes in the properties of the contents.

[0039] In the above-described embodiment, the following items can be further added. The following various items may be applied in appropriate combinations as long as they are not mutually contradictory.

[0040] The dispensing device of the above aspect may further include an elastic support mechanism (20) that supports at least one pressing member so that it can move freely within a predetermined range in the direction of movement of the pressing member by the movement mechanism, and that utilizes the elastic restoring force of an elastic member (53) to apply a pressing force to the pressing member in a direction that moves the pressing members toward each other. In this case, if an event occurs in which the compression reaction force increases in a portion of the container during compression between the pressing surfaces, the pressing member will displace in a direction away from the opposing pressing member against the pressing force of the elastic member, temporarily increasing the pressing force of the elastic member. This allows the increased compression reaction force in a portion of the container to be quickly dispersed. This makes it possible to compress the container with a more reliably uniform pressing force and prevent changes in the properties of the contents.

[0041] The movement mechanism may be provided with a movable member (22) that is movable in the movement direction, and the one pressing member may be attached to the movable member via the elastic support mechanism. By interposing the elastic support mechanism between the pressing member moved by the movement mechanism and the movable member, even if the movement of the pressing member is uneven due to assembly errors of the movable member or the pressing member, the movement error due to the unevenness can be appropriately corrected by the elastic support mechanism, and the pressing surface of the pressing member can be evenly brought into close contact with the surface of the container.

[0042] The pressing surfaces of the pair of pressing members may be parallel to each other, and the movement mechanism may move at least one of the pressing members parallel to the other pressing member. In this way, the parallel pressing surfaces can compress the container evenly, more reliably suppressing or preventing changes in the properties of the content.

[0043] In the above aspect, the container may be formed in a flat pouch shape, and the pressing surface may be set to a size that can cover the surface of the container, thereby allowing the pressing surface to be in close contact with the entire surface of the container, ensuring that the pressing member applies a uniform pressing force to the entire container.

[0044] The container may be provided with a spout (101) having a tubular outlet portion (107), and the pressing member may be provided with a through-hole (3b) into which the outlet portion can be fitted. By fitting the outlet portion of the spout into the through-hole, it is possible to keep the pouring direction of the contents from the container constant and to prevent the container from shifting position during pouring.

[0045] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the content may be an ice suspension. In this case, it is possible to suppress the liquefaction of ice particles caused by the application of a strong local force, thereby preventing problems such as dripping. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1 Dispensing device 2. Device body 3 Base Plate 3a Pressing surface 3b Through hole 4 Pressing plate 4a Pressing surface 10. Device body 11 frames 12 Top Plate 20 Lifting mechanism 22 Movable plate 50 Elastic support mechanism 100 containers 100a Container surface 101 Spout 107 Spout part

Claims

1. 1. A dispensing device for dispensing contents from a flexible container, comprising: a pair of pressing members having pressing surfaces facing each other with the container in between; a movement mechanism that moves at least one of the pressing members toward and away from the other pressing member in a direction in which the pressing surfaces face each other; A dispensing device comprising:

2. The dispensing device according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic support mechanism that supports at least one pressing member so that it can move freely within a predetermined range in the direction of movement of the pressing member by the moving mechanism, and that uses the elastic restoring force of an elastic member to apply a pressing force to the pressing member in a direction in which the pressing members approach each other.

3. The dispensing device according to claim 2, wherein the movement mechanism is provided with a movable member that is movable in the movement direction, and the one pressing member is attached to the movable member via the elastic support mechanism.

4. The pressing surfaces of the pair of pressing members are parallel to each other, The dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the movement mechanism moves the at least one pressing member parallel to the other pressing member.

5. The dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the container is formed in a flat pouch shape, and the pressing surface is set to a size that can cover the surface of the container.

6. The dispensing device according to claim 5, wherein the container is provided with a spout having a tubular spout portion, and the pressing member is provided with a through hole into which the spout portion can be fitted.

7. 6. The dispensing device according to claim 5, wherein the contents are an ice suspension.

8. A method for dispensing contents from a flexible container, comprising: a step of placing the container between pressing surfaces of a pair of pressing members having pressing surfaces facing each other; a step of compressing the container by moving at least one pressing member toward the other pressing member in a direction in which the pressing surfaces face each other; An injection method including.

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