Powder ejection container

Abstract

It dispenses a stable, precise amount of powder with simple operation. [Solution] The closure plate 15 has a ventilation hole 18 that penetrates vertically and opens toward the internal space X, and a measuring recess 19 that opens toward the upward. The ventilation hole is provided with a filter 21 that allows air to flow through and suppresses the flow of powder. The rotating member 13 has a discharge cylinder whose lower end opening penetrates the bottom wall 22 and whose upper end opening opens toward the outside of the containment space Y. The bottom wall has a measuring hole 26 that penetrates vertically and opens toward the containment space. The lower surface of the bottom wall has a communication groove 27 that communicates with the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder. In the standby position, communication between the communication groove and the ventilation hole is blocked, and the measuring hole and the measuring recess communicate with each other. In the discharge position, communication between the communication groove and the ventilation hole communicates with each other, communication between the measuring hole and the measuring recess is blocked, and the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder and the measuring recess communicate with each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a powder discharge container.

Background Art

[0002] As a powder discharge container for discharging powder, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1 below, there is known a powder administration device including a container in which at least one dose of powder is placed, an administration head having an administration port, and an air supply device that administers one dose of powder to a discharge target (nostril) by the generated compressed air. In this powder administration device, by operating the air supply device with a fingertip or the like, a piston formed with a protrusion is moved so as to be pushed into an air chamber. As a result, the air chamber is pressurized and the air in the air chamber is compressed. Then, by further moving the piston, the protrusion contacts an insert that seals the inside of the container, and the insert is pushed out from the closed position. As a result, the compressed air in the air chamber can flow into the container, and the closure that seals the inside of the container can be pushed out to open the container. As a result, it is possible to discharge one dose of powder through the administration port.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the above conventional powder administration device, an insert and a closure are disposed inside a container in which at least one dose of powder is placed. Therefore, when discharging powder from the container to the outside using compressed air, the flow of the powder is particularly likely to be obstructed by the closure, and it may be difficult to stably discharge a fixed amount of powder, and there has been room for improvement.

[0005] The present invention provides a powder dispensing container that can stably dispense a fixed amount of powder with simple operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A powder dispensing container according to one aspect of the present invention comprises an air supply body having an expandable and contractible internal space filled with air, and an opening that connects the internal space to the outside and extends vertically, a plug member having a closing plate that closes the inside of the opening, a bottom wall portion airtightly disposed on the upper surface of the closing plate, a top wall portion disposed above the bottom wall portion, and a storage space provided between the bottom wall portion and the top wall portion for containing powder, and a rotating member provided on the plug member so as to be rotatable between a standby position and a dispensing position around the central axis of the opening, wherein the closing plate has a ventilation hole that penetrates vertically and opens toward the internal space, and a measuring recess that opens toward upward, and the ventilation hole A filter is provided that allows air to flow and suppresses the flow of powder, and the rotating member is provided with a discharge cylinder whose lower end opening penetrates the bottom wall and whose upper end opening opens to the outside of the containment space, a measuring hole is formed in the bottom wall that penetrates in the vertical direction and opens to the containment space, a communication groove is formed on the lower surface of the bottom wall that communicates with the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder, in the standby position the communication groove and the ventilation hole are blocked and the measuring hole and the measuring recess communicate with each other, in the discharge position the communication groove and the ventilation hole communicate with each other, the communication between the measuring hole and the measuring recess is blocked and the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder and the measuring recess communicate with each other.

[0007] When the rotating member is in a standby position relative to the stopper member, the communication groove that communicates with the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder and the ventilation hole that opens toward the internal space are blocked, so the internal space is kept sealed and shrinkage deformation of the internal space is suppressed. At this time, the measuring hole formed in the bottom wall of the rotating member and the measuring recess formed in the closing plate of the stopper member are in communication with each other, so the powder in the containment space is supplied to the measuring recess through the measuring hole. Then, when the rotating member moves to the discharge position relative to the stopper member, the communication between the measuring hole and the measuring recess is blocked, and the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder and the measuring recess communicate with each other, so that only the powder in the measuring recess, which is separated from the containment space, can be discharged to the outside through the discharge cylinder. At this time, since the communication groove that communicates with the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder and the ventilation hole that opens toward the internal space are in communication with each other, when the internal space is reduced in size and deformed, air is supplied to the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder and the measuring recess through the ventilation hole and the communication groove, and the measured powder in the measuring recess is discharged to the outside from the upper end opening of the discharge cylinder. As described above, the measured powder in the measuring recess can be discharged to the outside without being obstructed by any other components, thus enabling the stable discharge of a fixed amount of powder. Furthermore, since the powder can be discharged with simple operations involving only rotating the rotating member and pushing in the air supply unit, it is easy to use and highly convenient. During product distribution and storage, positioning the rotating component in a standby position can prevent powder from the containment space from unintentionally entering the discharge cylinder, and also prevent dust and other particles from entering the containment space from the outside through the discharge cylinder. After the powder is discharged, the internal space deforms and the pressure decreases, drawing air into the internal space through the discharge cylinder, communication groove, and vent holes. At this time, even if powder remains in the metering recess, it is caught in the filter and has difficulty reaching the internal space.

[0008] The powder discharge container according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path in the portion of the communication groove that connects to the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path in the other portions.

[0009] In the communication groove, the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the portion connecting to the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder is smaller than the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​other parts. Therefore, when the internal space is reduced in size at the discharge position and air is allowed to enter the communication groove from the vent hole and directed toward the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder, it is possible to increase the air flow velocity just before it reaches the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder, making it easier to churn up the powder in the metering recess toward the upper end opening of the discharge cylinder.

[0010] The lower end opening of the discharge pipe is circular when viewed from above. The powder dispensing container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the portion of the communication groove that connects to the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder extends in a tangential direction so as to be in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder when viewed from above.

[0011] In the communication groove, the portion connecting to the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder extends tangentially to the inner circumferential surface of the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder, which has a circular shape when viewed from above. Therefore, at the discharge position, the internal space is reduced in size and deformed, and when air is allowed to pass through the vent holes and communication grooves and enter the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder, it becomes easier to create a vortex by causing the air to flow along the inner circumferential surface of the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder, making it easier to swirl the powder in the metering recess towards the upper end opening of the discharge cylinder. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to one aspect of the present invention, a fixed amount of powder can be stably dispensed with simple operation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a side view of a powder dispensing container shown as one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a top view with the cap removed. [Figure 3] Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III (standby position). [Figure 4] This figure shows the view along the line IV-IV in Figure 3, specifically the closing plate of the plug member and the bottom wall of the rotating member. [Figure 5] Figure 3 shows the state in which the rotating member is in the discharge position. [Figure 6] This figure shows the view along the line VI-VI in Figure 5, specifically the closing plate of the plug member and the bottom wall of the rotating member. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Hereinafter, referring to the drawings, a powder discharge container according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the powder discharge container 1 according to the present embodiment includes an air supply body 11, a middle plug member 12, a rotating member 13, and a cap 14. The air supply body 11 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape, and the cap 14 is formed in a capped cylindrical shape. The air supply body 11 and the cap 14 are arranged coaxially with a common axis.

[0015] Hereinafter, this common axis is referred to as the container axis (central axis) O. The mouth portion 11a side of the air supply body 11 along the container axis O is referred to as the upper side, the bottom portion 11b side of the air supply body 11 along the container axis O is referred to as the lower side, and the direction along the container axis O is referred to as the vertical direction. The direction intersecting the container axis O as viewed from the vertical direction is referred to as the radial direction, and the direction orbiting around the container axis O as viewed from the vertical direction is referred to as the circumferential direction.

[0016] <00....089>As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a male screw portion is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 11a of the air supply body 11. The air supply body 11 has a body portion 11c located between the mouth portion 11a and the bottom portion 11b and formed to be elastically deformable. The inside of the body portion 11c is an expandable and contractible internal space X filled with air. The mouth portion 11a is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction and communicating the internal space X with the outside. Note that the body portion 11c may be formed in a bellows shape or the like that can expand and contract in the vertical direction, and the air supply body 11 may be formed in a bag shape or the like having expandable and contractible flexibility.

[0017] The middle plug member 12 includes a closing plate 15, a middle plug inner cylinder 16, and a middle plug outer cylinder 17.

[0018] A female screw portion that engages with the male screw portion of the mouth portion 11a is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the middle plug inner cylinder 16. The middle plug outer cylinder 17 surrounds the middle plug inner cylinder 16 from the outside in the radial direction. The upper end portion of the middle plug outer cylinder 17 is located above the upper end portion of the middle plug inner cylinder 16. The cap 14 is detachably undercut-fitted to the upper end portion of the middle plug outer cylinder 17. The closing plate 15 closes the inside of the opening 11a. The closing plate 15 is located inside the inner cylinder 16 of the stopper. The closing plate 15 is airtightly fitted into the opening 11a. In the illustrated example, a peripheral wall is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the closing plate 15, extending upward and airtightly fitted into the opening 11a. The upper ends of this peripheral wall and the inner cylinder 16 of the stopper are connected to each other, straddling the upper opening edge of the opening 11a in the radial direction. The closure plate 15 has ventilation holes 18 and a measuring recess 19 formed therein.

[0019] The ventilation hole 18 penetrates the closing plate 15 vertically and opens towards the internal space X of the air supply unit 11. The inner diameter of the upper part of the ventilation hole 18 is larger than the inner diameter of the lower part of the ventilation hole 18. In the illustrated example, a projection is formed on the lower surface of the closing plate 15 in the area where the ventilation hole 18 is provided, and the ventilation hole 18 is formed by penetrating this projection vertically along with the lower surface of the closing plate 15. The projection has a circular shape in plan view, and the area on the lower surface of the closing plate 15 where the ventilation hole 18 is provided is formed as a cylindrical shape extending vertically. A filter 21 is provided in the upper part of the ventilation hole 18, which allows air to circulate while suppressing the flow of powder. The upper surface of the filter 21 is located at the same vertical position as, or below, the upper surface of the closure plate 15. The measuring recess 19 is formed on the upper surface of the closing plate 15 and opens upward.

[0020] The ventilation holes 18 and the measuring recess 19 are provided separately at positions that radially sandwich the container axis O. The openings of the ventilation holes 18 and the measuring recess 19 on the upper surface of the closure plate 15 are formed in the same shape (circular in the illustrated example), but they may be formed in different shapes. The diameter of the opening of the ventilation holes 18 on the upper surface of the closure plate 15 is slightly larger than the diameter of the opening of the measuring recess 19 on the upper surface of the closure plate 15, but the diameter of the former may be less than or equal to the diameter of the latter.

[0021] The rotating member 13 has a bottom wall portion 22, a top wall portion 23, a discharge cylinder 24, a peripheral wall portion 25, and a storage space Y, and is provided so as to be rotatable between a standby position and a discharge position around the container axis O relative to the inner stopper member 12.

[0022] The bottom wall portion 22 is airtightly positioned on the upper surface of the closing plate 15. The lower surface of the bottom wall portion 22 slides airtightly around the container axis O on the upper surface of the closing plate 15. The top wall portion 23 is positioned above the bottom wall portion 22. The peripheral wall portion 25 connects the bottom wall portion 22 and the top wall portion 23 in the vertical direction and is fitted inside the inner stopper outer cylinder 17 so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction, with upward movement restricted. The storage space Y is provided between the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 22 and the lower surface of the top wall portion 23 and contains the powder.

[0023] The powder can be any type of medicine, but for example, powdered pharmaceuticals such as nasal sprays can be used. In this case, the powder dispensing container 1 is used as a nasal spray container for dispensing the nasal spray into the nasal cavity. However, this is not limited to this case; for example, other powders such as medicines other than nasal sprays, cosmetics, salt and powdered food seasonings, food products such as wheat flour, fertilizers, and herbicides can also be used.

[0024] A measuring hole 26 is formed in the bottom wall portion 22, penetrating vertically and opening into the storage space Y. The upper surface of the bottom wall portion 22 extends downward toward the measuring hole 26. The bottom wall portion 22 is formed integrally with the peripheral wall portion 25, and the top wall portion 23 is airtightly fitted to the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 25. Alternatively, the peripheral wall portion 25 may be formed integrally with the top wall portion 23 and airtightly fitted to the bottom wall portion 22.

[0025] The lower end opening 24a of the discharge cylinder 24 penetrates the bottom wall portion 22 in the vertical direction. The lower end opening 24a of the discharge cylinder 24 has a circular shape when viewed from above. The upper end opening of the discharge cylinder 24 opens to the outside of the containment space Y. In the illustrated example, the discharge cylinder 24 is formed integrally with the bottom wall portion 22 and extends upward from the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 22. The discharge cylinder 24 is provided radially inside the peripheral wall portion 25 and penetrates the containment space Y in the vertical direction. A nozzle cylinder 23a is formed in the top wall portion 23, with its lower end opening extending vertically and opening into the housing space Y. The upper part of the discharge cylinder 24 is tightly fitted into the lower part of the nozzle cylinder 23a.

[0026] A communication groove 27 is formed on the lower surface of the bottom wall portion 22, which communicates with the lower end opening 24a of the discharge pipe 24. As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the communication groove 27 extends radially across the container axis O. In the communication groove 27, the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the connection portion 27a with the lower end opening 24a of the discharge pipe 24 is smaller than the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the other portions. In the illustrated example, the groove depth of the communication groove 27 is the same along its entire length, and the groove width of the connection portion 27a is narrower than the groove width of the other portions. The groove length of the connection portion 27a is shorter than the groove length of the other portions. The connection portion 27a of the communication groove 27 extends tangentially to the inner circumferential surface of the lower end opening 24a of the discharge pipe 24 when viewed from above. One end of the communication groove 27 in the groove width direction extends straight along its entire length. Furthermore, of the other end of the connecting groove 27 in the groove width direction, the portion defining the connecting portion 27a and the portion defining the other portion are positioned differently in the groove width direction and extend straight in the groove length direction.

[0027] When the rotating member 13 is in a standby position relative to the stopper member 12, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the communication groove 27 and the vent hole 18 are blocked, while the measuring hole 26 and the measuring recess 19 communicate with each other.

[0028] In this case, the communication groove 27 that communicates with the lower end opening 24a of the discharge cylinder 24 and the ventilation hole 18 that opens toward the internal space X are blocked from communicating, so the internal space X is kept in a sealed state and shrinkage deformation of the internal space X is suppressed. In addition, the measuring hole 26 formed in the bottom wall portion 22 of the rotating member 13 and the measuring recess 19 formed in the closing plate 15 of the inner plug member 12 are in communication with each other, so the powder in the containment space Y is supplied to the measuring recess 19 through the measuring hole 26. Furthermore, the opening of the ventilation hole 18 on the upper surface of the blocking plate 15 is sealed by the lower surface of the bottom wall portion 22. The lower end opening 24a of the discharge pipe 24 on the lower surface of the bottom wall portion 22 is sealed by the upper surface of the blocking plate 15.

[0029] When the rotating member 13 is in the discharge position relative to the inner plug member 12, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the communication groove 27 and the vent hole 18 communicate with each other, the communication between the metering hole 26 and the metering recess 19 is blocked, and the lower end opening 24a of the discharge cylinder 24 and the metering recess 19 communicate with each other.

[0030] In this case, the communication between the measuring hole 26 and the measuring recess 19 is blocked, and the lower end opening 24a of the discharge cylinder 24 and the measuring recess 19 communicate with each other, so that only the powder in the measuring recess 19, which is separated from the containment space Y, can be discharged to the outside through the discharge cylinder 24. In addition, since the communication groove 27 that communicates with the lower end opening 24a of the discharge cylinder 24 and the ventilation hole 18 that opens toward the internal space X are in communication with each other, when the body 11c of the air supply body 11 is elastically deformed and the internal space X is reduced in size, air is supplied to the lower end opening 24a of the discharge cylinder 24 and the measuring recess 19 through the ventilation hole 18 and the communication groove 27, the measured powder in the measuring recess 19 is discharged to the outside from the nozzle cylinder 23a through the upper end opening of the discharge cylinder 24. Furthermore, the opening of the measuring hole 26 on the lower surface of the bottom wall portion 22 is sealed by the upper surface of the closing plate 15. The end of the communication groove 27 in the direction of the groove length faces the opening of the ventilation hole 18 on the upper surface of the closing plate 15 over its entire length.

[0031] When the body portion 11c of the air supply unit 11 returns to its original shape, air is drawn into the air supply unit 11 through the nozzle cylinder 23a, discharge cylinder 24, communication groove 27, and vent hole 18. At this time, even if powder remains in the metering recess 19 or elsewhere, the powder is caught in the filter 21 and is less likely to reach the air supply unit 11.

[0032] As described above, the powder dispensing container 1 according to this embodiment allows the measured powder in the measuring recess 19 to be discharged to the outside without being obstructed by any other components, thus enabling the stable discharge of a fixed amount of powder. Furthermore, since the powder can be discharged with simple operations consisting only of rotating the rotating member 13 and pushing in the air supply body 11, it is easy to use and highly convenient. During product distribution and storage, positioning the rotating member 13 in a standby position prevents powder from the containment space Y from unintentionally entering the discharge cylinder 24, and also prevents dust and other particles from entering the containment space Y from the outside through the discharge cylinder 24.

[0033] In the communication groove 27, the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the connection portion 27a with the lower end opening 24a of the discharge pipe 24 is smaller than the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the other portions. Therefore, when the internal space X is reduced in size at the discharge position and air is allowed to enter the communication groove 27 from the vent hole 18 and directed toward the lower end opening 24a of the discharge pipe 24, it becomes possible to increase the air flow velocity just before it reaches the lower end opening 24a of the discharge pipe 24, making it easier to rake up the powder in the metering recess 19 toward the upper end opening of the discharge pipe 24.

[0034] Of the communication grooves 27, the connection portion 27a with the lower end opening 24a of the discharge cylinder 24 extends tangentially to the inner circumferential surface of the lower end opening 24a of the discharge cylinder 24, which is circular when viewed from above. Therefore, when the internal space X is reduced in size at the discharge position and air is allowed to pass through the ventilation holes 18 and the communication grooves 27 and enter the lower end opening 24a of the discharge cylinder 24, the air is made to flow along the inner circumferential surface of the lower end opening 24a of the discharge cylinder 24, making it easier to create a vortex and making it easier to swirl the powder in the metering recess 19 towards the upper end opening of the discharge cylinder 24.

[0035] Furthermore, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0036] For example, the discharge pipe 24 may be formed integrally with the top wall portion 23, extend downward from the lower surface of the top wall portion 23, and the lower end of the discharge pipe 24 may be connected to the bottom wall portion 22. The cross-sectional area of ​​the flow channel of the connecting groove 27 may be the same along its entire length in the groove direction. The connecting portion 27a of the communication groove 27 may be located in the center of the groove width direction in the communication groove 27 and open toward the center of the lower end opening 24a of the discharge pipe 24.

[0037] Furthermore, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, the components in the above embodiments may be replaced with well-known components as appropriate, and the above embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0038] 1 Powder discharge container 11 Air supply unit 11a Mouth 12. Inner plug member 13 Rotating member 15 Occlusion plate 18 ventilation holes 19 Measuring recess 21 filters 22 Bottom wall section 23 Top wall 24 Discharge tube 24a Bottom opening 26 Metering hole 27 Communication groove 27a Connection part O Container axis (center axis) X Internal space Y Containment Space

Claims

1. An air supply body having an internal space filled with air that can expand and contract, and an opening that connects the internal space to the outside and extends in the vertical direction, A plug member having a closing plate that closes the inside of the opening, The device comprises a bottom wall portion airtightly positioned on the upper surface of the closing plate, a top wall portion positioned above the bottom wall portion, and a storage space provided between the bottom wall portion and the top wall portion for containing powder, and a rotating member provided so as to be rotatable between a standby position and a discharge position around the central axis of the opening portion relative to the inner plug member, The aforementioned closing plate has a ventilation hole that penetrates vertically and opens toward the internal space, and a measuring recess that opens toward upward. The aforementioned ventilation holes are provided with filters that allow air to flow through while suppressing the flow of powder. The rotating member comprises a discharge pipe whose lower end opening penetrates the bottom wall and whose upper end opening opens to the outside of the containment space. A measuring hole is formed in the bottom wall portion, which penetrates vertically and opens into the storage space. A communication groove is formed on the lower surface of the bottom wall portion, which communicates with the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder. In the standby position, the communication between the communication groove and the ventilation hole is blocked, while the measuring hole and the measuring recess communicate with each other. A powder dispensing container in which, at the aforementioned dispensing position, the communication groove and the ventilation hole are in communication with each other, the communication between the measuring hole and the measuring recess is blocked, and the lower end opening of the dispensing cylinder and the measuring recess are in communication with each other.

2. The powder discharge container according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path in the portion of the communication groove that connects to the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path in the other portions.

3. The lower end opening of the discharge pipe is circular when viewed from above. The powder dispensing container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the portion of the communication groove that connects to the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder extends in a tangential direction so as to be in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the lower end opening of the discharge cylinder when viewed from above.

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