valve body

Abstract

To provide a valve body that can be attached to the container body to prevent the contents from spilling out. [Solution] A valve body 1 comprising a cylindrical dispensing cylinder portion 2 with a spout formed at its tip, and a control valve 3 positioned between the base end of the dispensing cylinder portion 2 and a valve hole 40, wherein the control valve 3 can open and close the valve hole 40 and its movement toward the dispensing cylinder portion 2 is restricted by contacting the base end of the dispensing cylinder portion 2.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a valve body for attachment to a container body.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, creamy or gel-like viscous cosmetics are often housed in squeezable container bodies such as tube containers because of their excellent portability and barrier properties. And, a middle plug having a small-diameter spout is attached to the mouth-neck part of the container body, and at the time of use, pressure is applied to the side surface of the container body to squeeze out the contents and pour them out from the spout.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when the viscosity of the cosmetic housed in the container body is low, the contents may jump out vigorously from the spout of the middle plug, and it may be difficult to take out an appropriate amount of the contents.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a valve body that can suppress the vigorous jumping out of the contents and pour out an appropriate amount of the contents when attached to a container body.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The inventors have found that by employing a valve body comprising a cylindrical dispensing cylinder with a spout formed at its tip and a control valve positioned between the base end of the dispensing cylinder and a valve hole, the control valve can open and close the valve hole and its movement toward the dispensing cylinder is restricted by contact with the base end of the dispensing cylinder, the control valve can gradually rise in response to the pressure on the contents, opening the valve hole and dispensing the contents. Furthermore, even under excessive pressure, the rise of the control valve is restricted, preventing the contents from splashing out, and allowing even low-viscosity contents to be dispensed stably and reliably from the container body, thus completing the present invention.

[0007] The following embodiments are specific means for solving the above problems.

[0008] <1> A valve body attached to a container body having a body portion in which contents are contained, a neck portion extending from the body portion, and a valve hole between the body portion and the neck portion for removing contents from the body portion, A cylindrical dispensing tube portion, the base end of which is inserted into the neck of the mouth and the base end which is positioned at a predetermined distance from the valve hole in the insertion direction, and the tip end which has a dispensing port formed thereon, A valve body comprising: an adjustment valve disposed between the valve hole and the dispensing cylinder portion, which closes the valve hole so as to be opened and closed by movement in the insertion direction, and restricts movement toward the dispensing cylinder portion by contacting the base end of the dispensing cylinder portion.

[0009] <2> The dispensing cylinder portion has grooves formed on its base end surface that extend radially. <1> The valve body described above.

[0010] <3> The aforementioned dispensing cylinder portion comprises a cylindrical nozzle member with the dispensing outlet formed at its tip, A cylindrical spacer member connected to the base end of the nozzle member and forming a flow path that guides the contents to the outlet, Equipped with, <1> or <2> The valve body described above.

[0011] <4> The control valve is a valve plate whose periphery is supported by a plurality of elastic connecting pieces arranged in the circumferential direction. <1> ~ <3> A valve body as described in any of the following.

[0012] <5> The valve plate is supported by the elastic connecting piece extending from the inner surface of the lower end of the cylindrical body fitted into the neck of the mouth. <4> The valve body described above.

[0013] <6> The aforementioned control valve is a valve plate supported by a oscillating piece. <1> ~ <3> A valve body as described in any of the following.

[0014] <7> The valve plate is supported by the swinging piece extending from the inner surface of the lower end of the cylindrical body fitted into the neck of the mouth. <6> The valve body described above.

[0015] <8> The valve hole is provided through the center of the partition wall separating the body and neck of the container body, and communicates the inside of the body and the inside of the neck. <1> ~ <7> A valve body as described in any of the following.

[0016] <9> <1> ~ <8> A tube container comprising a valve body as described in any of the above, and a tube container body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, when not in use, the valve opening is closed to stably hold the contents, and when in use, the control valve gradually rises in response to the pressure on the contents, opening the valve opening and allowing the contents to be dispensed. Furthermore, even under excessive pressure, the rise of the control valve is restricted, preventing the contents from splashing out and allowing even low-viscosity contents to be dispensed stably and reliably. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is an external view of a tube container to which the valve body of the present invention is attached. [Figure 2] It is a partial cross-sectional view of a tube container to which the valve body of the present invention is attached. [Figure 3A] It is a cross-sectional view of the valve body of the present invention. [Figure 3B] It is a cross-sectional view of the valve body of the present invention. [Figure 3C] It is a cross-sectional view of the valve body of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is an external view of the regulating valve of the valve body of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is an external view of the regulating valve (another embodiment) of the valve body of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is an external view showing the proximal end portion of the pouring cylinder portion of the valve body of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the valve body of the present invention will be described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Also, the drawings may be schematically simplified for the purpose of explaining the content of the invention, and the drawn component or the ratio of the dimensions between components may not match the ratios of those dimensions described in the specification. Also, there are cases where the components described in the specification are omitted in the drawings or are drawn with the number omitted.

[0020] (Valve body) The valve body according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. The valve body 1 is attached to a container body 10 having a body portion 20 for storing contents and a neck portion 30 extending from the body portion 20. The valve body 1 includes a pouring cylinder portion 2 and a regulating valve 3.

[0021] (Container body) As shown in FIG. 1, the container body 10 has a neck portion 30 extending vertically from the body portion 20. A male screw portion is formed on the outer surface of the neck portion 30, and a lid body can be attached (not shown). The container body 10 in the illustrated example is a tube container body, and the end portion (the end portion opposite to the neck portion 30) of the body portion 20 is a seal end portion. However, the form of the container body 10 can be changed as appropriate, for example, it can be a bottle container body or a pouch container body.

[0022] A valve hole 40 for removing contents from inside the body 20 is provided between the body 20 and the neck 30. Preferably, the valve hole 40 is provided through the center of the partition wall 41 that separates the body 20 and the neck 30 of the container body 10, and communicates the inside of the body 20 and the inside of the neck 30.

[0023] (Pour cylinder part) The dispensing cylinder portion 2 is cylindrical, and has a spout formed at its tip for dispensing the contents. The dispensing cylinder portion 2 is inserted into the neck portion 30 such that its base end is positioned at a predetermined distance from the valve hole 40 in the insertion direction Z.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3A, a flange 4f is formed on the outer circumference of the dispensing cylinder portion 2. When the extraction cylinder portion 2 is inserted into the neck portion 30, the flange 4f abuts against the tip of the neck portion 30, and the base end of the dispensing cylinder portion 2 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the valve hole 40.

[0025] As shown in Figure 6, the dispensing cylinder portion 2 can be provided with radially extending grooves 6 on its base end surface so that the contents flow into the interior of the dispensing cylinder portion 2 from the side direction.

[0026] From the viewpoint of production efficiency, the dispensing cylinder section 2 can be formed by combining a cylindrical nozzle member 4 with a dispensing outlet formed at its tip and a cylindrical spacer member 5 connected to the base end of the nozzle member 4 to form a flow path that guides the contents to the dispensing outlet.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3A, the tip of the spacer member 5 is fitted into the base end of the nozzle member 4. A flange 5f is formed on the outer circumference of the spacer member 5, and when the tip of the spacer member 5 is fitted into the nozzle member 4, the flange 5f abuts against the base end of the nozzle member 4, keeping the relative position of the spacer member 5 with respect to the nozzle member 4 constant.

[0028] When the dispensing cylinder portion 2 is formed by a nozzle member 4 and a spacer member 5, the flange 4f and groove 6 provided on the dispensing cylinder portion 2 can be provided on the outer circumference of the nozzle member 4 and on the base end face of the spacer member 5, respectively.

[0029] (Control valve) The control valve 3 is positioned between the valve hole 40 and the dispensing cylinder 2. By moving in the direction Z shown in Figure 3A, it can open and close the valve hole 40, and its movement toward the dispensing cylinder 2 is restricted by contacting the base end of the dispensing cylinder 2.

[0030] The control valve 3 moves back and forth in direction Z within the space provided between the lower end of the dispensing cylinder 2 and the valve hole 40. For example, it can be a valve plate 3a supported around its periphery by a plurality of elastic connecting pieces 3b arranged in the circumferential direction, as shown in Figure 4, or a valve plate 3a supported by a swinging piece 3c, as shown in Figure 5.

[0031] The control valve 3 shown in Figure 4 is a valve plate 3a supported around its periphery by a plurality of elastic connecting pieces 3b, and is configured to open and close the valve hole 40. Therefore, under normal circumstances, the valve plate 3a is in pressure with its lower surface against the periphery of the valve hole 40 by the elastic connecting pieces 3b (Figure 3A), and is configured to move upward against the elastic force of each elastic connecting piece when the hydraulic pressure in the upstream region of the valve plate 3a increases (Figure 3B).

[0032] The shape of the elastic connecting piece 3b can be various as long as it connects the valve plate 32a and its surrounding wall surface in a way that allows the valve plate 3a to rise. Preferably, as shown in Figure 4, the elastic connecting piece extends outward from the outer surface of the valve plate 3a, then extends along the circumferential surface of the valve plate 3a, and then extends outward again to connect with the surrounding wall surface. This is preferable because it allows the valve plate 3a to move relatively large and stably up and down. The number of elastic connecting pieces 3b is not particularly limited, but they can be provided in multiple locations.

[0033] Furthermore, the regulating valve 3 shown in Figure 5 may be configured such that a valve plate 3a is supported on a portion of its outer circumference so as to be openable and closable by a swinging piece 3c, and the valve plate 3a can be used to open and close the valve hole 40. In this case, the valve plate 3a is normally in a state where its lower surface is pressed against the area around the valve hole 40 by the swinging piece 3c, and is configured to open upward against the elastic force of the swinging piece 3c when the liquid pressure in the upstream region of the valve plate 3a increases.

[0034] Preferably, the control valve 3 is supported by an elastic connecting piece 3b or a swinging piece 3c extending from the inner circumferential surface of the lower end of a cylindrical body 50 fitted into the neck portion 30 (Figures 4 and 5). In the production process, by fitting the cylindrical body 50 into the neck portion 30, the control valve 3 can be reliably positioned at a predetermined location between the lower end of the dispensing portion 2 and the valve hole 40.

[0035] The control valve 3 is prevented from moving toward the dispensing cylinder 2 by contacting the base end of the dispensing cylinder 2, thereby preventing the valve plate from rising or opening to an excessive degree when it rises or opens upward due to the hydraulic pressure in the upstream region of the valve plate 3a (Figure 3C).

[0036] Furthermore, since radially extending grooves 6 are formed on the base end surface of the dispensing cylinder portion 2, even when the valve plate 3a abuts the base end of the dispensing cylinder portion 2 and closes the opening surface of the dispensing cylinder portion 2, a certain amount of contents can flow into the dispensing cylinder portion 2 through the radial grooves 6 and be dispensed from the container body (Figure 6).

[0037] The control valve 3 is not limited to a valve plate 3a supported by an elastic connecting piece 3b or a oscillating piece 3c, as long as it can close the valve hole 40 and move back and forth between the lower end of the dispensing cylinder 2 and the valve hole 30. For example, it may be equipped with a mechanism that allows reciprocating movement by magnetic force, and may also be equipped with a valve that is spherical or cone-shaped.

[0038] According to the valve body 1 of this embodiment described above, the following effects can be achieved, for example.

[0039] The valve body 1 comprises a cylindrical dispensing cylinder portion 2, the base end of which is inserted into the mouth neck portion 30 and the base end of which is positioned at a predetermined distance from the valve hole 40 in the insertion direction Z, with a dispensing port formed at the tip end; and a control valve 3 positioned between the valve hole 40 and the dispensing cylinder portion 2, which closes the valve hole 40 so that it can be opened and closed by movement in the insertion direction Z, and restricts movement toward the dispensing cylinder portion 2 by contacting the base end of the dispensing cylinder portion 2.

[0040] This design ensures that the valve opening 40 is closed when not in use to stably hold the contents, and when in use, the control valve 3 gradually rises in response to the pressure on the contents, opening the valve opening 40 and allowing the contents to be dispensed. Furthermore, even under excessive pressure, the rise is restricted, preventing the contents from splashing out and ensuring stable and reliable dispensing even for low-viscosity contents.

[0041] The dispensing cylinder portion 2 is shaped to have grooves 6 extending radially from the base end surface of the dispensing cylinder portion 2.

[0042] As a result, even if the control valve 3 blocks the base end of the dispensing cylinder 2, a certain amount of contents can be dispensed through the radial grooves 6.

[0043] The dispensing cylinder section 2 is configured to include a cylindrical nozzle member 4 with a dispensing outlet formed at its tip, and a cylindrical spacer member 5 connected to the base end of the nozzle member 4, forming a flow path that guides the contents to the dispensing outlet.

[0044] This allows the upward movement of the control valve 3 to be easily adjusted by adjusting the length of the spacer member 5.

[0045] The control valve 3 is a valve plate 3a supported around its periphery by multiple elastic connecting pieces 3b arranged in the circumferential direction, or a valve plate 3a supported by a oscillating piece 3c.

[0046] This allows the control valve 3 to be positioned within the limited space between the lower end of the dispensing cylinder 2 and the valve hole 40, and enables the valve plate 3a to reciprocate in direction Z.

[0047] The valve plate 3a is supported by an elastic connecting piece 3b or a swinging piece 3c extending from the inner circumferential surface of the lower end of a cylindrical body 50 that is fitted into the mouth neck portion 30.

[0048] As a result, when the cylindrical body 50 is fitted into the neck portion 30 during the production process, the control valve 3 can be reliably positioned at a predetermined location between the lower end of the dispensing portion 2 and the valve hole 40.

[0049] The valve hole 40 is provided through the center of the partition wall 41 that separates the body portion 20 and the neck portion 30 of the container body 10, thereby creating a connection between the inside of the body portion 20 and the inside of the neck portion 30.

[0050] This allows for the efficient formation of the valve hole 40 during the manufacturing process of the container body 10.

[0051] The valve body 1 was attached to the tube container body. This makes it possible to obtain a tube container that has the effect of the valve body 1.

[0052] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be implemented in various forms. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0053] 1 Valve body 2 Dispensing cylinder part 3. Control valve 3a Valve plate 3b Elastic connecting piece 3c Rocking piece 4 Nozzle Member 5 Spacer members 6 grooves 10 Container body 20 Torso 30 Mouth and neck 40 valve holes 41 Partition wall 50 Cylindrical body

Claims

1. A valve body attached to a container body having a body portion in which contents are contained, a neck portion extending from the body portion, and a valve hole between the body portion and the neck portion for removing contents from the body portion, A cylindrical dispensing tube portion, the base end of which is inserted into the neck of the mouth and the base end which is positioned at a predetermined distance from the valve hole in the insertion direction, and the tip end which has a dispensing port formed thereon, A valve body comprising: an adjustment valve disposed between the valve hole and the dispensing cylinder portion, which closes the valve hole so as to be opened and closed by movement in the insertion direction, and restricts movement toward the dispensing cylinder portion by contacting the base end of the dispensing cylinder portion.

2. The valve body according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing cylinder portion has grooves formed on the base end surface of the dispensing cylinder portion and extending radially.

3. The aforementioned dispensing cylinder portion comprises a cylindrical nozzle member with the dispensing outlet formed at its tip, A cylindrical spacer member connected to the base end of the nozzle member and forming a flow path that guides the contents to the outlet, A valve body according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

4. The valve body according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control valve is a valve plate whose periphery is supported by a plurality of elastic connecting pieces arranged in the circumferential direction.

5. The valve body according to claim 4, wherein the valve plate is supported by the elastic connecting piece extending from the inner surface of the lower end of a cylindrical body fitted into the neck of the mouth.

6. The valve body according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control valve is a valve plate supported by a oscillating piece.

7. The valve body according to claim 6, wherein the valve plate is supported by the oscillating piece extending from the inner surface of the lower end of a cylindrical body fitted into the neck of the mouth.

8. The valve body according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the valve hole is provided through the center of the partition wall separating the body portion and the neck portion of the container body, and communicates the inside of the body portion and the inside of the neck portion.

9. A tube container comprising a valve body as described in claim 1 or 2 and a tube container body.

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