Application container

Abstract

In a coating container, the coating tool is made easier to insert into the inner stopper, and contamination of the inner stopper is suppressed. [Solution] The coating container comprises a container body (11) for containing contents (C), and a cap (12) attached to the mouth (11a) of the container body (11). The cap (12) is provided with a shaft portion (19) that is inserted into the container body (11) from the mouth (11a) and has a coating tool (16) at its tip. A cylindrical inner stopper (13) is provided at the mouth (11a) that abuts against the outer circumference of the shaft portion (19). The inner stopper (13) is positioned inside the mouth (11a) and abuts against the outer circumference of the shaft portion (19). The inner stopper (13) comprises a wiping cylinder portion (21) positioned inside the mouth (11a) and a wiping cylinder portion (21), an annular flange portion (22) extending radially outward from the upper end of the wiping cylinder portion (21) and receiving at the upper end of the mouth (11a), and a guide wall (23) extending upward from a part of the circumferential direction of the flange portion (22).

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known an application container including a container body for storing contents and a cap attached to the mouth of the container body, the cap having a shaft portion that is inserted into the container body from the mouth and has an applicator at its tip, and a cylindrical inner stopper provided at the mouth that abuts against the outer periphery of the shaft portion (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the structure of Patent Document 1, when the shaft portion is pulled up, the squeezing cylinder portion provided in the inner stopper scrapes off excess contents adhering to the outer periphery of the shaft portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in a general application container like the above-mentioned conventional application container, the diameter of the opening at the upper end of the inner stopper is formed to be relatively small. For this reason, when inserting the applicator into the inner stopper, the applicator may hit the upper surface of the opening of the inner stopper, and the contents adhering to the applicator may adhere to the upper surface of the inner stopper, causing the inner stopper to become dirty.

[0005] In view of such points, an object of the present invention is to make it easier to insert the applicator into the inner stopper and suppress the dirt of the inner stopper in an application container.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The coating container comprises a container body for containing contents and a cap fitted to the mouth of the container body, the cap having a shaft portion inserted into the container body from the mouth and having a coating tool at its tip, and a cylindrical inner stopper provided at the mouth that abuts against the outer circumference of the shaft portion, the inner stopper comprising a wiping cylinder portion disposed inside the mouth and abutting against the outer circumference, an annular flange portion extending radially outward from the upper end of the wiping cylinder portion and receiving at the upper end of the mouth, and a guide wall extending upward from a part of the circumferential direction of the flange portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, in a coating container, it is possible to make it easier to insert the applicator into the inner stopper and to suppress contamination of the inner stopper. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view of a coating container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a magnified cross-sectional view of the section where the inner stopper is located. [Figure 3] This is a front view of the coating container with the cap removed. [Figure 4] This is a plan view of the container body with an inner stopper, seen from above. [Figure 5] This is a front view showing the user holding the coating container. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view showing the applicator and shaft being inserted into the inner stopper. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the coating container according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a coating container 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The coating container 10 comprises a container body 11 for containing the contents C, a cap 12 fitted onto the mouth 11a of the container body 11, and an inner stopper 13 provided inside the mouth 11a. The cap 12 is a cap with an applicator, comprising a cap body 14 that is detachably attached to the opening 11a, a shaft member 15 that is attached to the inside of the cap body 14, and an applicator 16 provided at the lower end of the shaft member 15. Contents C are, for example, liquid cosmetics such as mascara, eyeliner, and nail polish.

[0011] The container body 11 comprises a bottom wall 11b, a cylindrical body portion 11c extending upward from the periphery of the bottom wall 11b, and a cylindrical mouth portion 11a extending upward from the upper end of the body portion 11c and opening upward. The outer circumferential surface of the opening 11a is provided with a container-side engaging portion 11d that engages with the cap body 14. The container-side engaging portion 11d is a male threaded portion. The space enclosed by the bottom wall 11b and the body 11c is the storage section 11e for containing the contents C. In Figure 1, the coating container 10 is shown in an upright position, with the axis 11f passing through the center of the cylindrical body 11c pointing in the vertical direction. The axis of the cap 12 and the axis of the inner stopper 13 are arranged coaxially with the axis 11f.

[0012] The cap body 14 comprises a disc-shaped top wall portion 14a, a cylindrical cap peripheral wall portion 14b that extends downward from the peripheral edge of the top wall portion 14a and opens downward, and a cap-side engaging portion 14c provided on the inner circumferential surface of the lower part of the cap peripheral wall portion 14b. The cap-side engaging portion 14c is a female thread that screws into the container-side engaging portion 11d. The cap body 14 rotates around its axis 11f, causing the cap-side engaging portion 14c to screw into the container-side engaging portion 11d and be attached to the opening 11a.

[0013] The shaft member 15 comprises a cylindrical base portion 17 fixed to the upper part inside the cap body 14, a lower wall portion 18 that closes the lower end of the base portion 17, and a shaft portion 19 extending downward from the central part of the lower wall portion 18.

[0014] The base portion 17 includes a fixing portion 17a that abuts against the top wall portion 14a and is fitted and fixed to the inner circumference of the upper portion of the cap peripheral wall portion 14b, and a small-diameter portion 17b whose outer diameter is formed to be smaller than that of the fixing portion 17a below the fixing portion 17a. An annular gap 20 is formed between the small-diameter portion 17b and the inner circumference of the cap peripheral wall portion 14b.

[0015] The shaft portion 19 is columnar and extends coaxially with the axis 11f. The shaft portion extends below the lower end of the cap body 14. An attachment hole 19a for attaching the applicator 16 is provided on the lower surface of the shaft portion 19.

[0016] The applicator 16 includes a columnar application portion 16a and an attachment portion 16b that extends upward from the upper surface of the application portion 16a. The application portion is a portion for applying the content C, and is formed, for example, in a brush shape, a sponge shape, a pen shape, or the like. The application portion 16a is appropriately selected as an optimal one according to the type of the content C and the object to which the content C is applied. The applicator 16 is attached to the lower end of the shaft portion 19 by fitting the attachment portion 16b into the attachment hole 19a.

[0017] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion where the middle plug 13 is provided. FIG. 3 is a front view of the application container 10 with the cap 12 removed. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the container body 11 with the middle plug 13 provided as viewed from above. The cross-sections of FIGS. 1 and 2 correspond to the I-I cross-section of FIG. 3. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the middle plug 13 integrally includes a cylindrical squeezing cylinder portion 21 disposed inside the mouth portion 11a, an annular flange portion 22 extending radially outward from the upper end portion of the squeezing cylinder portion 21, and a guide wall 23 extending upward from a part in the circumferential direction of the flange portion 22. The middle plug 13 is formed of a soft member such as an elastomer and can be elastically deformed.

[0018] The wiping cylinder portion 21 comprises a fitting cylinder portion 21a that fits onto the inner circumferential surface of the opening portion 11a, and a cylindrical wiping portion 21b that extends diagonally downward and radially inward from the fitting cylinder portion 21a. The inside of the fitting cylinder portion 21a is open upwards. An inlet slope portion 21c is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the upper end of the fitting cylinder portion 21a, the inner diameter of which increases as it goes upwards. The inner and outer diameters of the grinding section 21b decrease as they move downwards. The lower end of the inner circumference of the grinding section 21b defines a circular opening 21d. The opening 21d is located on the axis 11f.

[0019] The flange portion 22 extends radially outward from the end of the fitting cylinder portion 21a. The inner plug 13 is attached to the mouth portion 11a by the outer circumferential surface of the fitting cylinder portion 21a fitting to the inner circumferential surface of the mouth portion 11a, and the lower surface of the flange portion 22 contacting and being supported by the upper surface of the mouth portion 11a.

[0020] The guide wall 23 extends upward from the upper surface of the flange portion 22 along the axis 11f. The guide wall 23 is provided on a portion of the flange portion 22 in the circumferential direction, but not on other portions of the flange portion 22 in the circumferential direction.

[0021] The shape of the guide wall 23 is obtained by cutting a cylindrical portion, which has an inner diameter larger than the inner diameter of the fitting cylinder portion 21a and extends upward from the upper surface of the flange portion 22 coaxially with the axis 11f, at an angle to the axis 11f. As shown in Figure 4, in a top view, the guide wall 23 is formed in an arc shape along the inner circumference of the fitting cylinder portion 21a. The inner circumferential surface 23a of the guide wall 23 has a larger diameter than the inner diameter of the fitting cylinder portion 21a. The lower end of the inner circumferential surface 23a of the guide wall 23 is connected to the upper end of the inlet slope 21c of the fitting cylinder portion 21a.

[0022] The guide wall 23 has an upper end portion 23b, where the guide wall 23 is highest, located in a part of its circumferential direction. The flange portion 22 also has a lower portion 22a where the guide wall 23 is not formed, at a position opposite the upper end portion 23b of the guide wall as shown in the top view in Figure 4. The lower portion 22a corresponds to the upper surface 22b of the flange portion 22 and is a horizontal plane. In this embodiment, the guide wall 23 is provided over a range greater than 180° in the circumferential direction of the flange portion 22. In addition, in this embodiment, the upper end 23b and lower end 22a of the guide wall are provided over ranges less than 90° in the circumferential direction of the flange portion 22.

[0023] The upper surface of the guide wall 23 includes a horizontal upper end surface 25 formed by the upper end surface 23b of the guide wall, and an inclined surface 26 that slopes downward from the upper end surface 25 to the lower part 22a. In other words, the height of the guide wall 23 gradually decreases from the upper end surface 25 towards the lower part 22a. Also, the circumferential length of the guide wall 23 increases from the upper end surface 25 downwards. In the side view of Figure 2, the inclined surface 26 is a curved surface that is concave downwards.

[0024] The guide wall 23 is provided on a portion of the flange portion 22 in the circumferential direction, and is open to the outside on the lower portion 22a side where the guide wall 23 is not formed. Therefore, the inner circumferential surface 23a of the guide wall 23 is exposed to the outside from the lower portion 22a side. Furthermore, since the upper surface of the guide wall 23 has an inclined surface 26 that slopes downward from the upper end 23b of the guide wall toward the lower part 22a, the inner circumferential surface 23a on the upper end 23b side of the guide wall is exposed to the outside from the portion where the inclined surface 26 is provided and the guide wall 23 is lower. When the cap 12 is attached to the opening 11a, the guide wall 23 is housed in the gap 20 (Figure 1).

[0025] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the outer circumferential surface of the body portion 11c of the container body 11 is provided with a first recess 31 and a second recess 32, which are recessed inward from the container body 11. The first recess 31 and the second recess 32 are recesses into which the user can insert their fingers when gripping the container body 11 with their fingers, and are sized to allow fingers to be inserted.

[0026] In the top view shown in Figure 4, when the container body 11 is divided into one side R1 and the other side R2 by a hypothetical straight line L1 passing through the upper end 23b of the guide wall, the axis 11f located at the center of the container body 11, and the lower part 22a, the first recess 31 is provided on the one side R1 and the second recess 32 is provided on the other side R2.

[0027] Furthermore, in the top view shown in Figure 4, when using a second virtual straight line L2 that passes through the axis 11f located at the center of the container body 11 and is perpendicular to the virtual straight line L1 as a reference, the first recess 31 and the second recess 32 are positioned closer to the lower part 22a.

[0028] Here, we will explain an example of how to use the coating container 10. Figure 5 is a front view showing the application container 10 being held by the user. In the state shown in Figure 5, the cap 12, indicated by the dashed line, is attached to the opening 11a. First, the user grasps the container body 11 by pinching the first recess 31 and the second recess 32 with a pair of fingers F1 and F2, with the first recess 31 and the second recess 32 facing the user as shown in Figure 5. In this way, the guide wall 23 hidden inside the cap 12 is positioned with its upper end 23b facing the back and its lower end 22a facing the front. Alternatively, the user may grasp the container body 11 by pinching the first recess 31 and the second recess 32 with a pair of fingers F1 and F2, with the first recess 31 and the second recess 32 facing away from the user. In this case, the upper end 23b of the guide wall will be on the front side and the lower part 22a will be on the back side.

[0029] Referring to Figure 1, the applicator 16 and shaft 19 are inserted into the housing 11e from the opening 11a via the inner stopper 13, and the cap 12 is attached to the opening 11a. The inner circumference of the opening 21d at the lower end of the wiping section 21b abuts against the outer circumference of the shaft 19. Furthermore, the outer circumference of the lower wall 18 of the cap 12 is in close contact with the inlet slope 21c, thereby sealing the inside of the container body 11. As shown in Figure 5, with the container body 11 being held, the user unscrews the cap 12 onto the opening 11a from the state shown in Figure 1 and pulls the cap 12 upward together with the shaft 19 and applicator 16. At this time, the shaft 19 rises while sliding against the inner circumference of the opening 21d of the scraping section 21b, and the inner circumference of the opening 21d scrapes off any excess contents C adhering to the outer circumference of the shaft 19. This prevents excess contents C from dripping from the shaft 19 when the cap 12 is removed from the container body 11.

[0030] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the applicator 16 and shaft 19 being inserted into the inner stopper 13. After the user finishes applying the material with the applicator 16, the user inserts the applicator 16 and the shaft portion 19 into the opening portion 11a via the inner stopper 13. At this time, the user can insert the applicator 16 into the wiping cylinder portion 21 by placing the tip of the applicator 16 against the inner circumferential surface 23a of the guide wall 23 and moving the applicator 16 downward along the inner circumferential surface 23a. The guide wall 23 extends upward from a part of the circumferential direction of the flange portion 22, and the guide wall 23 is open to the outside on the lower portion 22a side, so the inner circumferential surface 23a is exposed on the lower portion 22a side. This makes it easy to bring the applicator 16 into contact with the inner circumferential surface 23a of the guide wall 23, and the guide wall 23 makes it easier to insert the applicator 16 into the wiping cylinder portion 21, thereby preventing the applicator 16 from hitting the flange portion 22 or the like.

[0031] Furthermore, since the inner circumferential surface 23a of the guide wall 23 is larger in diameter than the inner diameter of the fitting cylinder portion 21a of the wiping cylinder portion 21, the applicator 16 can be brought into contact with the inner circumferential surface 23a more easily than when the applicator 16 is directly inserted into the fitting cylinder portion 21a. Furthermore, since the inner circumferential surface 23a of the guide wall 23 is arc-shaped, when the applicator 16 is brought into contact with the inner circumferential surface 23a, the applicator 16 is guided towards the central part of the circumferential direction of the guide wall 23. This prevents the applicator 16 from coming off the guide wall 23, and allows the applicator 16 to be easily inserted into the wiping cylinder portion 21.

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, when the container body 11 is gripped through the first recess 31 and the second recess 32, the lower part 22a automatically faces forward. This allows the applicator 16 to be brought against the guide wall 23 from the side of the lower part 22a that is open to the outside, making it easier to guide the applicator 16 with the guide wall 23. Furthermore, if a large amount of contents C is adhering to the applicator 16, the user can use the inner circumferential surface 23a or the upper end of the guide wall 23 to scrape off the contents C from the applicator 16. This allows for adjustment of the amount of contents C adhering to the applicator 16 while suppressing contamination around the inner stopper 13.

[0033] As described above, according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied, the coating container 10 comprises a container body 11 for containing contents C and a cap 12 attached to the mouth 11a of the container body 11. The cap 12 is provided with a shaft portion 19 that is inserted into the container body 11 from the mouth 11a and has a coating tool 16 at its tip, and a cylindrical inner stopper 13 that abuts the outer circumference of the shaft portion 19 is provided at the mouth 11a. The inner stopper 13 comprises a wiping cylinder portion 21 positioned inside the mouth 11a and abutting the outer circumference of the shaft portion 19, an annular flange portion 22 that extends radially outward from the upper end of the wiping cylinder portion 21 and is received at the upper end of the mouth 11a, and a guide wall 23 that extends upward from a part of the circumferential direction of the flange portion 22. With this configuration, the applicator 16 is guided by the guide wall 23 extending upward from the flange portion 22, allowing the applicator 16 to be inserted into the inner plug 13. The guide wall 23 extends upward from a part of the circumferential direction of the flange portion 22, and the guide wall 23 is open to the other part of the circumferential direction of the flange portion 22, so the applicator 16 can easily come into contact with the guide wall 23. As a result, the guide wall 23 makes it easier to insert the applicator 16 into the inner plug 13, and soiling of the inner plug 13 can be suppressed.

[0034] Furthermore, when viewed from above, the guide wall 23 is arc-shaped and follows the inner circumference of the scraping cylinder portion 21. With this configuration, since the guide wall 23 is arc-shaped along the inner circumference of the scraping cylinder portion 21, the applicator 16 can be guided toward the center of the guide wall 23 by applying it to the guide wall 23, thereby properly guiding the applicator 16.

[0035] Furthermore, the guide wall 23 has an upper end portion 23b where the guide wall 23 is at its highest point, and the flange portion 22 has a lower portion 22a where the guide wall 23 is not formed, in a position opposite the upper end portion 23b when viewed from above, and the upper surface of the guide wall 23 has an inclined surface 26 that slopes downward from the upper end portion 23b to the lower portion 22a. With this configuration, the guide wall 23 has a shape in which the upper surface of the guide wall 23 has an inclined surface 26 that slopes downward from the upper end 23b of the guide wall to the lower part 22a. As a result, a large area of ​​the guide wall 23 can be secured and the guide wall 23 can be opened wide. Therefore, the applicator 16 can be easily inserted into the inner stopper 13 using the guide wall 23.

[0036] Furthermore, the outer circumferential surface of the container body 11 is provided with a first recess 31 and a second recess 32, and when the container body 11 is divided into one side R1 and the other side R2 by a virtual straight line L1 passing through the upper end 23b of the guide wall, the axis 11f (center of the container body 11), and the lower part 22a in a top view, the first recess 31 is provided on the one side R1 and the second recess 32 is provided on the other side R2. With this configuration, by gripping the container body 11 with fingers F1 and F2, the upper end 23b or lower end 22a of the guide wall can be directed towards the user.

[0037] Furthermore, when viewed from above, with reference to a second virtual line L2 that passes through the axis 11f (center of the container body 11) of the container body 11 and is perpendicular to the virtual line L1, at least one of the first recess 31 and the second recess 32 is positioned closer to the lower part 22a. With this configuration, the container body 11 can be gripped by pinching the first recess 31 and the second recess 32, which are positioned towards the lower part 22a, with fingers F1 and F2, while the first recess 31 and the second recess 32 are facing the user, thereby orienting the lower part 22a toward the user.

[0038] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and unless otherwise specifically limited in the above description, various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the spirit of the present invention as described in the claims. For example, the configurations of the embodiments described above can be added or deleted as appropriate, and the configuration of one embodiment can be provided in other embodiments. Furthermore, the effects in the embodiments described above are merely illustrative of the effects that may arise from the present invention, and do not mean that the effects of the present invention are limited to the effects described above.

[0039] In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the upper surface of the guide wall 23 has an inclined surface 26 was described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the height of the guide wall extending upward from a part of the circumferential direction of the flange portion 22 may be kept constant, and no guide wall may be provided in other parts of the circumferential direction of the flange portion 22. In this case, for example, the guide wall is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape that protrudes upward from the flange portion 22 when viewed from above. Furthermore, although the above embodiment described the inclined surface 26 as being a curved surface that is concave downwards, the present invention is not limited to this. The inclined surface 26 may be an inclined flat surface or a curved surface that is convex upwards. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 10: Application container 11: Container body 11a: Mouth 11b:Bottom wall 11c: Torso 11d: Container-side engagement part 11e: Containment Unit 11f: Axis (center of the container body) 12: Cap 13: Inner stopper 14: Cap body 14a: Ceiling wall part 14b: Cap peripheral wall 14c: Cap-side engagement part 15: Shaft member 16: Applicator 16a: Coating area 16b: Mounting part 17: Base 17a: Fixed part 17b: Small diameter part 18: Lower wall part 19: Shaft 19a: Mounting holes 20: Gap 21: Squeezing cylinder section 21a: Fitting cylinder part 21b: Shigo-ki Club 21c: Entrance slope part 21d:Aperture 22: Flange section 22a: Lower part 22b:Top surface 23: Guide Wall 23a: Inner surface 23b: Upper end of guide wall 25: Upper end surface 26: Inclined surface 31: First recess 32: Second recess C:Contents L1: Straight line L2: straight line R1: One side R2: Other side

Claims

1. An applicator comprising a container body for containing contents and a cap fitted to the mouth of the container body, wherein the cap has a shaft portion that is inserted into the container body from the mouth and has an applicator at its tip, and a cylindrical inner stopper that abuts the outer circumference of the shaft portion is provided at the mouth, The inner stopper is a coating container comprising a stripping cylinder portion positioned inside the mouth and in contact with the outer circumference, an annular flange portion extending radially outward from the upper end of the stripping cylinder portion and receiving at the upper end of the mouth, and a guide wall extending upward from a part of the circumferential direction of the flange portion.

2. The coating container according to claim 1, wherein, in a top view, the guide wall is arc-shaped along the inner circumference of the wiping cylinder portion.

3. The guide wall has an upper end where the guide wall is at its highest point, The flange portion includes a lower portion where the guide wall is not formed, at a position facing the upper end of the guide wall when viewed from above. The coating container according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the guide wall has an inclined surface that slopes downward from the upper end to the lower part of the guide wall.

4. The guide wall has an upper end where the guide wall is at its highest point, The flange portion includes a lower portion where the guide wall is not formed, at a position facing the upper end of the guide wall when viewed from above. The outer surface of the container body is provided with a first recess and a second recess, the outer surface being recessed. The coating container according to claim 1, wherein, when viewed from above, the container body is divided into one side and the other side by an imaginary straight line passing through the upper end of the guide wall, the center of the container body, and the lower part, the first recess is provided on the one side and the second recess is provided on the other side.

5. The coating container according to claim 4, wherein, when viewed from above, the first recess and the second recess are positioned closer to the lower part, with reference to a second imaginary straight line that passes through the center of the container body and is perpendicular to the imaginary straight line.

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