Dispensing container

Abstract

We propose a dispensing container that can improve the airtightness inside the case cylinder when the lid is attached. [Solution] In the dispensing container 100, the lid 12 has a lid top wall portion 13a located in front of the case cylinder 1, a lid outer peripheral wall portion 13b surrounding the case cylinder 1 and connected to the lid top wall portion 13a, a sealing edge portion 14a located inside the lid top wall portion 13a and the lid outer peripheral wall portion 13b and in contact with the case cylinder 1 to seal the storage space S1, and a partition wall portion 14h located between the lid top wall portion 13a and the case cylinder 1, covering the front opening 1g and connected to the sealing edge portion 14a, and elastically deformable in a direction approaching or moving away from the lid top wall portion 13a.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a dispensing container.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a dispensing container in which a pushing member is housed inside a case cylinder, and when an operating portion is rotated with respect to the case cylinder, the pushing member advances with respect to the case cylinder, whereby the contents housed inside the case cylinder are dispensed by the pushing member (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The dispensing container shown in Patent Document 1 includes a case cylinder, a pushing member provided inside the case cylinder, an operating portion (operating member) rotatably held with respect to the case cylinder, a screw shaft member provided between the pushing member and the operating portion, and a lid body covering the case cylinder. When the operating portion is rotated with respect to the case cylinder with the lid body removed, the screw shaft member and the like operate, the pushing member advances, and the contents can be dispensed from the case cylinder.

[0004] Further, Patent Document 1 also discloses a technique for reducing the thickness of the case cylinder in the radial direction (paragraph 0034). When using contents that require high airtightness (or moisture barrier property), by applying this technique to reduce the thickness of the case cylinder, it is possible to adopt a material such as polypropylene that has excellent airtightness (or moisture barrier property) but tends to cause sink marks for the case cylinder and the like. That is, when forming the case cylinder to which this technique is applied with polypropylene or the like, it is less likely to be affected by sink marks, productivity is improved, and contents that require airtightness can also be suitably used.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0006] Incidentally, in the dispensing container of Patent Document 1, there is no gasket or the like between the lid and the case cylinder, so outside air can pass through the gap between the lid and the case cylinder. If, in order to further improve the airtightness of the case cylinder, a gasket that contacts the outer surface of the case cylinder is provided on the inside of the lid, then when the lid is attached to the case cylinder, the air inside the case cylinder will not be able to flow out from the moment the gasket contacts the case cylinder, so as the lid is moved relative to the case cylinder, the inside of the case cylinder will be pressurized. As a result, the lid placed over the case cylinder may not be able to move to the complete attachment position, and the lid may not close. In addition, there is a risk that the pressurized contents may seep out from between the case cylinder and the dispensing member.

[0007] In view of these points, the present invention aims to propose a dispensing container that can improve the airtightness inside the case cylinder when the lid is attached, and prevent problems such as impaired lid attachment or leakage of contents. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to a dispensing container comprising: a case cylinder having a front opening; an extrusion member slidably in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the case cylinder and forming a storage space between itself and the case cylinder; an operating part rotatably held relative to the case cylinder around the central axis of the case cylinder; and a lid covering the case cylinder and detachably held by the operating part, wherein when the operating part is rotated relative to the case cylinder with the lid removed, the extrusion member advances and the contents contained in the storage space are dispensed from the front opening, wherein the lid has a lid top wall portion located in front of the case cylinder; a lid outer circumferential wall portion surrounding the case cylinder and connected to the lid top wall portion; a sealing edge portion located inside the lid top wall portion and the lid outer circumferential wall portion and in contact with the case cylinder to seal the storage space; and a partition wall portion located between the lid top wall portion and the case cylinder, covering the front opening and connected to the sealing edge portion, and elastically deformable in a direction approaching or moving away from the lid top wall portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the dispensing container of the present invention, the sealing edge contacts the case cylinder to seal the storage space, thereby improving the airtightness of the case cylinder when the lid is attached. Furthermore, even when the pressure in the storage space increases, the partition wall elastically deforms to suppress the pressure rise in the storage space, thus preventing problems such as impaired lid attachment or leakage of contents. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a half-cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of the dispensing container according to the present invention. [Figure 2A] Figure 2C is a semi-cross-sectional view of the hollow screw member shown in Figure 1, along line AA. [Figure 2B] Figure 2C is a semi-cross-sectional view of the hollow screw member shown in Figure 1, along the BB shown. [Figure 2C] Figure 1 is a bottom view of the hollow screw member. [Figure 3A]Regarding the extrusion member shown in Fig. 1, it is a half-sectional view taken along C-C shown in Fig. 3C. [Figure 3B] Regarding the extrusion member shown in Fig. 1, it is a half-sectional view taken along D-D shown in Fig. 3C. [Figure 3C] It is a bottom view of the extrusion member shown in Fig. 1. [Figure 4A] It is a plan view of the movable cylinder member shown in Fig. 1. [Figure 4B] Regarding the movable cylinder member shown in Fig. 1, it is a half-sectional view taken along E-E shown in Fig. 4A. [Figure 4C] Regarding the movable cylinder member shown in Fig. 1, it is a half-sectional view taken along F-F shown in Fig. 4A. [Figure 4D] It is a bottom view of the movable cylinder member shown in Fig. 1. [Figure 5A] It is a half-sectional view in side view of the state where the hollow screw member and the extrusion member shown in Fig. 1 are combined. [Figure 5B] It is a bottom view of Fig. 5A. [Figure 6] It is a view showing the state where an annular body is pressed by a jig after further combining a movable cylinder member with the one shown in Fig. 5A. [Figure 7A] It is a cross-sectional view in side view of the state where an annular body is attached to the outer side in the radial direction of the inner hollow part after the state shown in Fig. 6. [Figure 7B] It is a cross-sectional view taken along G-G shown in Fig. 7B. [Figure 8A] Regarding the lid body shown in Fig. 1, it is a half-sectional view in side view. [Figure 8B] It is a bottom view of the lid body shown in Fig. 1. [Figure 9A] It is a plan view of the seal body shown in Fig. 1. [Figure 9B] It is a half-sectional view taken along H-H shown in Fig. 9A. [Figure 9C] It is a bottom view of the seal body shown in Fig. 1. [Figure 10] It is a bottom view of the state where the lid body and the seal body shown in Fig. 1 are assembled. [Figure 11A]It is a partial enlarged view of the lid body and the seal body shown in Fig. 1, just before the attachment of the lid body to the case cylinder is completed. [Figure 11B] It is a partial enlarged view of the lid body and the seal body shown in Fig. 1, in a state where the attachment of the lid body to the case cylinder is completed and the partition portion is elastically deformed.

Embodiment for Carrying out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the feeding container according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification and the like, the vertical direction is the direction along the illustrated central axis O, the side where the tip of the case cylinder 1 to be described later is located is "up", and the side where the operation unit main body 10 is located is "down". In this specification and the like, the movement from the operation unit main body 10 toward the tip of the case cylinder 1 may be referred to as forward movement, and the side where the tip of the case cylinder 1 is located may be referred to as "front", and the side where the operation unit main body 10 is located may be referred to as "rear". And the radial direction is the direction perpendicular to the central axis O in a plane perpendicular to the central axis O, and the circumferential direction is the direction that circulates around the central axis O in this plane.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a view showing a feeding container 100 which is an embodiment of the feeding container according to the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the feeding container 100 includes a case cylinder 1, a unit 2, an operation unit 8, and a lid body 12. The unit 2 is composed of a screw shaft member 3, a hollow screw member 4, a pushing member 5, a movable cylinder member 6, and an annular body 7. The operation unit 8 is composed of a connecting member 9, an operation unit main body 10, and an inner member 11. The lid body 12 is composed of a lid body 13 and a seal body 14.

[0013] The contents contained in the dispensing container 100 are, for example, cosmetics, which are relatively soft and have high viscosity, and are contained in a space (container space S1) partitioned by the case cylinder body 1a and the seal portion 5c, which will be described later. In general dispensing containers, there is a function to dispense and to retract the contents, but when containing relatively soft and high viscosity contents, if the seal portion 5c is retracted to retract the contents, such contents tend to stick to the inner surface of the case cylinder body 1a, so there is a risk that only the seal portion 5c will retract without the contents moving. For this reason, the dispensing container 100 of this embodiment is configured so that the function to retract the contents does not operate. In addition, each component constituting the dispensing container 100 is made of, for example, synthetic resin, and can be made of polypropylene, which has excellent moisture barrier properties. When polypropylene is used, even if the contents contain a lot of moisture, the amount of moisture contained in the contents can be effectively maintained. The material of each component is not limited to polypropylene and can be changed as appropriate, for example the seal body 14 may be made of rubber or elastomer.

[0014] The case cylinder 1 comprises a case cylinder body 1a that is cylindrical with respect to a central axis O. An engaging projection 1b is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the case cylinder body 1a in the middle of the vertical direction, projecting radially inward. The engaging projection 1b engages with the second longitudinal groove 6c shown in Figure 4C and is located at a 90° offset from the central axis O relative to the side view shown in Figure 1. For this reason, the engaging projection 1b is shown with a dashed line in Figure 1. Furthermore, the inner circumferential surface of the case cylinder body 1a is provided with a stopper projection 1c located below the engaging projection 1b and projecting radially inward, and a gear section 1d located below the stopper projection 1c and composed of multiple projections spaced apart in the circumferential direction. In addition, an engaging retaining section 1e with a semicircular cross-sectional shape is provided at the lower end of the case cylinder body 1a. As shown in Figure 11A, the upper end surface (front end surface) of the case cylinder body 1a is referred to as the front end surface 1f, and the upper (front) opening of the case cylinder body 1a is referred to as the front opening 1g.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the screw shaft member 3 is cylindrical with a central axis O as its center, and includes a screw shaft 3b with a male thread portion (first male thread portion 3a) on its outer circumferential surface. Below the screw shaft 3b, a cylindrical lower shaft 3c is provided. Multiple protrusions are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the lower shaft 3c, located below the first male thread portion 3a and spaced apart in the circumferential direction. These protrusions function as a rotation stopper between the screw shaft member 3 and the operating part 8. Hereinafter, these protrusions will be referred to as the unit-side rotation stopper portion 3d. Below the unit-side rotation stopper portion 3d on the outer circumferential surface of the lower shaft 3c, a unit-side detachment stopper portion 3e is provided, which protrudes radially outward and holds the screw shaft member 3 in place relative to the operating part 8.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1 and 2A to 2C, the hollow screw member 4 is cylindrical with respect to a central axis O and has a hollow inner hollow portion 4a located radially outward from the screw shaft 3b. A disc-shaped top wall portion 4b is provided at the upper end of the inner hollow portion 4a. A female screw portion (first female screw portion 4c) that screws into the first male screw portion 3a is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the inner hollow portion 4a. In this embodiment, the first female screw portion 4c is provided only near the lower end of the inner hollow portion 4a. A male screw portion (second male screw portion 4d) is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the inner hollow portion 4a.

[0017] Furthermore, the hollow screw member 4 is provided with a first slit 4e that cuts out the inner hollow portion 4a from below to above. The first slit 4e corresponds to the "slit" as described herein. In this embodiment, the first slit 4e cuts out the inner hollow portion 4a from the lower end of the inner hollow portion 4a to the middle of the inner hollow portion 4a in the vertical direction. A pair of first slits 4e are provided on either side of the central axis O, and the hollow screw member 4 is elastically deformable so that the lower part of the inner hollow portion 4a expands radially outward. At the lower end of the inner hollow portion 4a, there is a retaining engagement portion 4f that protrudes radially outward and is claw-shaped. Above the retaining engagement portion 4f, there is a convex portion (contact convex portion 4g) that protrudes radially outward on the outer circumferential surface of the inner hollow portion 4a. The contact convex portion 4g contacts the inner circumferential surface of the annular body 7 when the annular body 7 is attached to the hollow screw member 4, as will be described later.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 3A to 3C, the extruded member 5 is cylindrical with respect to a central axis O and includes a hollow outer hollow portion 5a located radially outside the inner hollow portion 4a. A top wall portion 5b is provided at the upper end of the outer hollow portion 5a. A seal portion 5c is provided on the outer edge of the top wall portion 5b, which extends upward while expanding in diameter, and whose tip is slidably in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the case cylinder body 1a. A female thread portion (second female thread portion 5d) that screws into the second male thread portion 4d is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the outer hollow portion 5a. In this embodiment, the second female thread portion 5d is provided only near the lower end of the outer hollow portion 5a.

[0019] The outer hollow portion 5a is provided with a second slit 5e that cuts out the outer hollow portion 5a from below to above. In this embodiment, the second slit 5e cuts out the outer hollow portion 5a from the lower end to the middle of the outer hollow portion 5a in the vertical direction. A pair of second slits 5e are provided on either side of the central axis O, and the extruded member 5 is elastically deformable so that the lower part of the outer hollow portion 5a expands radially outward.

[0020] Furthermore, the extruded member 5 of this embodiment is provided with a guide projection 5g that protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface at the lower end of the outer hollow portion 5a.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1 and 4A to 4D, the movable cylinder member 6 is cylindrical with respect to a central axis O and includes a movable cylinder body 6a located radially outward from the outer hollow portion 5a. The inner circumferential surface of the movable cylinder body 6a is provided with a vertical groove (first vertical groove 6b) extending in the vertical direction. The guide projection 5g engages with the first vertical groove 6b. The outer circumferential surface of the movable cylinder body 6a is provided with a vertical groove (second vertical groove 6c) extending in the vertical direction. As shown in Figures 4A to 4D, the second vertical groove 6c is located at a position offset by 90° from the first vertical groove 6b with respect to the central axis O, and in the half cross-sectional view shown in Figure 1, the second vertical groove 6c is indicated by a dashed line. The engaging projection 1b provided on the case cylinder 1 engages with the second vertical groove 6c. As shown in Figure 4C, in this embodiment, a through opening 6d is provided at the lower part of the movable cylinder member 6, which cuts out the movable cylinder body 6a in a semicircular shape.

[0022] In this embodiment, the annular body 7 is circular and, as shown in Figure 1, is located radially outward from the inner hollow portion 4a. As shown in Figure 4B, the inner circumferential surface of the annular body 7 is provided with a retaining engagement portion 7a that protrudes radially inward and engages with the retaining engagement portion 4f.

[0023] The annular body 7 is also provided with projections 7b that protrude radially inward. As will be described later, the projections 7b are inserted into the inside of the first slit 4e, and in this embodiment, a pair of projections 7b are provided on either side of the central axis O (see Figure 4D).

[0024] Figures 4A to 4D show the initial state of the movable cylinder member 6 and the annular body 7 in this embodiment. The annular body 7 is integrally connected to the inner circumferential surface of the movable cylinder body 6a via a thin-walled weakened portion 6e provided on the movable cylinder member 6. As shown in Figure 4D, the annular body 7 is integrally connected to the movable cylinder member 6 at a position where the projection 7b is offset by 90° in the circumferential direction from the first longitudinal groove portion 6b.

[0025] The connecting member 9 has an inner circumferential wall portion 9a that is roughly cylindrical. Above the inner circumferential wall portion 9a, there is an operating part side anti-rotation portion 9b, which is made up of a plurality of protrusions provided at intervals in the circumferential direction and engages with the unit side anti-rotation portion 3d to prevent the screw shaft member 3 from rotating relative to the connecting member 9. On the inner circumferential surface of the inner circumferential wall portion 9a, there is an operating part side anti-detachment portion 9c that protrudes radially inward and prevents the screw shaft member 3 from coming loose relative to the connecting member 9.

[0026] The connecting member 9 also includes a connecting wall portion 9d that extends radially outward from the inner peripheral wall portion 9a. The lower surface of the connecting wall portion 9d is provided with a first connecting member engaging portion 9e located radially outward from the inner peripheral wall portion 9a and having a portion that protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface, and a second connecting member engaging portion 9f that extends downward from the outer edge of the connecting wall portion 9d and then extends radially outward, and has a shape on its outer peripheral surface that has a recess into which the engaging holding portion 1e engages.

[0027] An elastic piece 9h is provided on the upper surface of the connecting wall 9d, which extends upward from the upper surface and then extends circumferentially. The elastic piece 9h is elastically deformable so that its tip is radially inward. A stopper portion 9j is provided on the tip of the elastic piece 9h, which protrudes radially outward. The stopper portion 9j engages with the gear portion 1d, which is composed of multiple projections spaced apart in the circumferential direction, by fitting between these projections. The gear portion 1d and the stopper portion 9j engage like a ratchet, and in this embodiment, when the stopper portion 9j attempts to rotate in one direction relative to the gear portion 1d, it acts to move radially inward relative to the gear portion 1d, causing the elastic piece 9h to elastically deform radially inward and disengage from the gear portion 1d and the stopper portion 9j, thus allowing rotation in this direction. On the other hand, when the stopper portion 9j rotates in the other direction relative to the gear portion 1d, the two remain engaged, thus preventing rotation in this direction. In this embodiment, the dispensing container 100 is configured such that when the stopper portion 9j rotates in one direction relative to the gear portion 1d, the push member 5 moves forward relative to the case cylinder 1.

[0028] The operating unit body 10 has a bottom wall portion 10a that is square-shaped when viewed from below, and a square cylindrical outer peripheral wall portion 10b that extends upward from the outer edge of the bottom wall portion 10a. The upper surface of the bottom wall portion 10a has a main body engaging portion 10c that extends upward from the radially inward side of the connecting member first engaging portion 9e, has a portion that protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface, and engages with the connecting member first engaging portion 9e.

[0029] The inner part 11 is rectangular in shape and includes an inner part body 11a whose lower end is inserted into and held by the outer peripheral wall 10b. The outer peripheral surface of the inner part body 11a is provided with a flange portion 11b that protrudes radially outward. Furthermore, on the outer peripheral surface of the rectangular in shape inner part body 11a, at least one pair of opposing planes among the four planes are provided with a holding portion 11c that bulges radially outward above the flange portion 11b and engages with and holds the lid body 13.

[0030] As shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the lid body 13 comprises a top wall portion 13a that is square in shape when viewed from above, and a rectangular cylindrical outer lid wall portion 13b that extends downward from the outer edge of the top wall portion 13a. As shown in Figure 8B, on the inner surface of the outer lid wall portion 13b, which is square in shape when viewed from below, the central part of the four planes constituting this inner surface has a shape in which the inner surface is recessed radially outward, and a retained portion 13c that engages with the retaining portion 11c is provided. Furthermore, on the inner surface of the outer lid wall portion 13b, in the area where the retained portion 13c is provided, there is a vertical groove 13d that is arc-shaped when viewed from below, and extends from the lower end of the outer lid wall portion 13b to the top wall portion 13a, as shown in Figure 8A. As shown in Figure 8B, on the inner surface of the outer circumferential wall portion 13b of the lid, which has a rectangular shape when viewed from below, four protruding lid portions 13e are provided at the corners of the four planes that make up this inner surface. As shown in Figure 8A, the lid protrusions 13e are provided at a distance from the top wall portion 13a of the lid. The distance between the top wall portion 13a of the lid and the lid protrusions 13e is approximately the same as the thickness of the flange portion 14c of the seal body 14, which will be described later.

[0031] As shown in Figure 9A, the seal body 14 is provided with a seal edge portion 14a that constitutes the edge of the seal body 14. The seal edge portion 14a is composed of a cylindrical portion 14b and a flange portion 14c. As shown in Figures 9B and 9C, the cylindrical portion 14b is circular in shape when viewed from below. In this embodiment, the flange portion 14c extends outward from the top of the cylindrical portion 14b and is plate-shaped, and is shaped so that its outer shape in plan view is rectangular. The length of one side of the rectangular flange portion 14c is smaller than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 14b, and as shown in Figures 9A and 9C, the shape of the outer edge of the seal body 14 is such that the cylindrical portion 14b slightly protrudes from the center of the rectangular flange portion 14c.

[0032] As shown in Figure 9B, the seal edge 14a is provided with an upper groove 14d that extends radially by recessing the upper surface of the cylindrical portion 14b downwards. In this embodiment, a pair of upper grooves 14d are provided on either side of the central axis O, as shown in Figure 9A. The inner surface of the cylindrical portion 14b is provided with an annular front seal surface 14e that protrudes downwards, a circumferential seal surface 14f that extends vertically, and a vertical groove-shaped inner groove portion 14g that cuts out the circumferential seal surface 14f. In this embodiment, a pair of inner groove portions 14g are provided on either side of the central axis O, as shown in Figure 9C. Here, the passage partitioned inside the inner groove portion 14g is referred to as the inner ventilation passage T1. As shown in the figure, the inner groove portion 14g extends from below upwards to just before the front seal surface 14e. In other words, the inner ventilation passage T1 is provided in the section from below upward to just before the front sealing surface 14e, and above the inner groove 14g, the circumferential sealing surface 14f remains over the entire circumference.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9A, the seal body 14 includes a circular, thin plate-shaped partition wall portion 14h that constitutes the central part of the seal body 14. The partition wall portion 14h is integrally connected to the cylindrical portion 14b via a thin-walled portion 14j, as shown in Figure 11A. The partition wall portion 14h and the thin-walled portion 14j are elastically deformable in the vertical direction, as shown in Figure 11B. In Figure 11B, the dashed lines show the state before the partition wall portion 14h and the thin-walled portion 14j are elastically deformed, while the solid lines show the state after the partition wall portion 14h and the thin-walled portion 14j are elastically deformed.

[0034] The dispensing container 100, composed of such components, can be assembled as follows. Note that the following explanation is just one example, and the order can be changed as appropriate as long as assembly is possible.

[0035] First, when assembling Unit 2, the screw shaft member 3 and the hollow screw member 4 are combined. At this time, the screw shaft member 3 may be rotated relative to the hollow screw member 4, thereby screwing the first male thread portion 3a and the first female thread portion 4c together. However, since the hollow screw member 4 of this embodiment has a first slit 4e, the inner hollow portion 4a is elastically deformable so that its lower part expands radially outward. That is, when the screw shaft 3b is inserted into the inner hollow portion 4a, the lower part of the inner hollow portion 4a expands radially outward and inward, allowing the first male thread portion 3a and the first female thread portion 4c to be screwed together. Furthermore, the extrusion member 5 is combined with the hollow screw member 4. At this time, the hollow screw member 4 may be rotated relative to the extrusion member 5, thereby screwing the second male screw portion 4d and the second female screw portion 5d together. However, in this embodiment, the extrusion member 5 is elastically deformable so that the lower part of the outer hollow portion 5a expands radially outward due to the second slit 5e. Therefore, when the hollow screw member 4 is inserted into the outer hollow portion 5a, the lower part of the outer hollow portion 5a expands radially outward and inward, allowing the second male screw portion 4d and the second female screw portion 5d to be screwed together.

[0036] When the hollow screw member 4 and the extruded member 5 are combined, the extruded member 5 is positioned so that the first slit 4e and the second slit 5e are aligned in the circumferential direction, as shown in Figures 5A and 5B (in other words, the first slit 4e and the second slit 5e are offset by 90° in the circumferential direction with respect to the guide projection 5g). Note that the screw shaft member 3 is omitted in Figures 5A and 5B.

[0037] Then, in order to combine the movable cylinder member 6 with the extrusion member 5, the guide projection 5g is inserted from above into the first vertical groove 6b as shown in Figure 1. The annular body 7, which is integrally connected to the movable cylinder member 6, has a projection 7b as described above, and this projection 7b is provided at a position offset by 90° in the circumferential direction from the first vertical groove 6b (see Figure 4D). Furthermore, when combining the movable cylinder member 6 with the extrusion member 5, the hollow screw member 4 is positioned so that the first slit 4e and the second slit 5e are aligned in the circumferential direction with respect to the extrusion member 5 (see Figure 5B). That is, when the guide projection 5g shown in Figure 5B is inserted into the first vertical groove 6b shown in Figure 4D, the projection 7b is inserted into the first slit 4e, so that the unit 2 can be assembled as shown in Figure 6 without placing a large load on the weakened portion 6e.

[0038] Next, the annular body 7, which is integrally connected to the inner circumferential surface of the movable cylinder body 6a by the weakened portion 6e, is separated from the movable cylinder member 6 by breaking the weakened portion 6e. In this embodiment, a cylindrical jig J shown in Figure 6 is prepared, and the lower end of the screw shaft member 3 is inserted into the opening of the jig J, while the unit 2 is pressed against the jig J. As shown in the figure, the jig J is located below the annular body 7, and when the unit 2 is pressed against the jig J, the annular body 7 is pressed against the inside of the movable cylinder member 6, so a force acts on the weakened portion 6e from below, causing the weakened portion 6e to break, thereby separating the annular body 7 from the movable cylinder member 6. The annular body 7, which has separated and moved upward relative to the hollow screw member 4, is held by the hollow screw member 4 because the retaining engagement portion 7a engages with the retaining engagement portion 4f. In this state, the annular body 7 is located radially outward from the lower end of the inner hollow portion 4a. When the annular body 7 is in this position, it can be easily seen through the through-opening 6d shown in Figure 4C, making it easy to confirm that the annular body 7 is held by the hollow screw member 4. In this embodiment, when the retaining engagement portion 7a is engaged with the retaining engagement portion 4f, the contact projection 4g provided on the outer circumferential surface of the inner hollow portion 4a contacts the inner circumferential surface of the annular body 7. This prevents the annular body 7 from moving up and down relative to the hollow screw member 4.

[0039] In this embodiment, the screw shaft member 3, hollow screw member 4, extrusion member 5, movable cylinder member 6, and annular body 7 can be assembled in advance as unit 2. Therefore, even if there is a defect in the shape of these members that affects the rotational movement or forward and backward movement of each member, this can be known before assembling the dispensing container 100.

[0040] Subsequently, unit 2 is inserted into the case cylinder body 1a from the front end, and the connecting member 9 is inserted into the case cylinder body 1a from the rear end. Then, the lower shaft 3c of the screw shaft member 3 is inserted into the inner peripheral wall portion 9a of the connecting member 9. As a result, the unit-side anti-rotation portion 3d and the operating portion-side anti-rotation portion 9b engage, and the unit-side anti-dislodgement portion 3e and the operating portion-side anti-dislodgement portion 9c engage, thereby preventing the screw shaft member 3 from rotating and holding it in place relative to the connecting member 9. At this time, the second engaging portion 9f of the connecting member 9 engages with the engaging holding portion 1e of the case cylinder 1, so that the connecting member 9 can be rotatably held relative to the case cylinder 1. When the connecting member 9 is attached to the case cylinder 1, the toothed portion 9j of the elastic piece 9h of the connecting member 9 engages with the gear portion 1d of the case cylinder 1.

[0041] Subsequently, the lower end of the central component body 11a of the central component 11 is inserted into the inside of the operating unit body 10 to fit and hold the two together. Then, the case cylinder 1 with the connecting member 9 attached is inserted into the central component body 11a. This engages the first engaging portion 9e of the connecting member with the main body engaging portion 10c, thereby preventing the connecting member 9 and the operating unit body 10 from coming loose and holding them together. A rotation-preventing portion (not shown) is provided between the connecting member 9 and the operating unit body 10, preventing them from rotating relative to each other.

[0042] Furthermore, the seal body 14 is attached to the lid body 13. When the seal body 14 shown in Figures 9A to 9C is inserted inside the outer peripheral wall portion 13b of the lid shown in Figures 8A and 8B and pushed toward the top wall portion 13a of the lid, the flange portion 14c engages with the lid protrusion 13e, and the seal body 14 is held in place by the lid body 13. With the seal body 14 attached to the lid body 13, a space (internal space S2) is partitioned between the top wall portion 13a of the lid and the partition wall portion 14h, as shown in Figures 11A and 11B. Also in this state, a passage (outer ventilation passage T2) is partitioned inside the upper groove 14d provided in the seal body 14 and the vertical groove 13d provided in the lid body 13. Because the outer ventilation passage T2 is provided, the internal space S2 is in communication with the outside world via the outer ventilation passage T2 even when the lid body 13 is mounted on the inner fitting 11. Furthermore, when the seal body 14 is attached to the lid body 13, in the portion where the cylindrical portion 14b is adjacent to the outer peripheral wall portion 13b of the lid, the outer ventilation passage T2 is basically only the passage located inside the vertical groove 13d of the lid, since the vertical groove 13d of the lid faces the cylindrical portion 14b. However, below the cylindrical portion 14b, the vertical groove 13d of the lid does not face the cylindrical portion 14b, and the spaces located at the four corners of the outer peripheral wall portion 13b of the lid, which is rectangular in shape when viewed from the bottom, are also connected to the outer ventilation passage T2, so these spaces also function as the outer ventilation passage T2.

[0043] When the lid body 13 with the seal body 14 attached is placed over the case cylinder body 1a and slid relative to the case cylinder body 1a, the upper end of the case cylinder body 1a is inserted inside the cylindrical portion 14b as shown in Figure 11A. In this state, the circumferential sealing surface 14f contacts the outer surface of the case cylinder body 1a, and the partition wall portion 14h approaches the front opening 1g, so the storage space S1 is pressurized. However, the circumferential sealing surface 14f is provided with an inner ventilation passage T1 formed by the inner groove portion 14g, and the air in the storage space S1 is discharged from the inner ventilation passage T1, so the pressure in the storage space S1 can be maintained.

[0044] Then, when the lid body 13 is slid until the retained portion 13c engages with the retaining portion 11c of the inner component 11, as shown in Figure 11B, the front sealing surface 14e contacts the front end surface 1f of the case cylinder body 1a all around, and the circumferential sealing surface 14f located above the inner groove portion 14g also contacts the outer circumferential surface of the case cylinder body 1a all around, thereby making the storage space S1 airtight. At this time, the storage space S1 is pressurized as the partition portion 14h approaches the front opening 1g, but as shown in the figure, the partition portion 14h and the thin-walled portion 14j undergo elastic deformation, which causes the partition portion 14h to approach the lid top wall portion 13a and increase the volume of the storage space S1, thus suppressing the pressure rise in the storage space S1. Although the volume of the internal space S2 decreases as the partition wall 14h approaches the lid top wall 13a, the internal space S2 is not pressurized because it is in communication with the outside world via the external ventilation passage T2, and therefore the elastic deformation of the partition wall 14h is not hindered.

[0045] When using the contents contained in the dispensing container 100, the lid body 13, which is held in place by the inner container 11, is removed. At this time, the partition wall 14h moves away from the front opening 1g, and the partition wall 14h, which had been elastically deformed to approach the top wall 13a of the lid, returns to the state shown in Figure 11A. When the partition wall 14h returns to its original state, the volume of the internal space S2 shown in Figure 11B increases, resulting in a situation where the internal space S2 is depressurized. However, since the internal space S2 is in communication with the outside world via the external ventilation passage T2, the internal space S2 is not depressurized, and therefore, the elastic deformation of the partition wall 14h is not hindered.

[0046] After removing the lid body 13, the operating unit body 10 is rotated circumferentially to one side relative to the case cylinder 1. This causes the connecting member 9 to rotate in the same direction. The stopper portion 9j on the connecting member 9 is engaged with the gear portion 1d of the case cylinder 1, but when the connecting member 9 rotates in this direction, the engagement between the two is released and rotation is permitted. As the connecting member 9 rotates, the screw shaft member 3, which is held in place by the connecting member 9, also rotates in the same direction. As a result, the hollow screw member 4, the push-out member 5, and the movable cylinder member 6 move forward, allowing the contents to be dispensed from the opening at the front of the case cylinder 1.

[0047] Incidentally, the inner hollow portion 4a is elastically deformable so that its lower part expands radially outward by the first slit 4e, and the screw shaft member 3 and the hollow screw member 4 can be combined by inserting the screw shaft 3b into the inner hollow portion 4a, thus offering excellent assembly. However, if a load is applied to, for example, the first male screw portion 3a and the first female screw portion 4c, the inner hollow portion 4a will elastically deform radially outward, and there is a risk that the screwed-together first male screw portion 3a and first female screw portion 4c will come apart. In this embodiment, the dispensing container 100 is equipped with an annular body 7 located radially outward from the lower end of the inner hollow portion 4a. That is, when the annular body 7 is attached to the hollow screw member 4 combined with the screw shaft member 3, the annular body 7 prevents the elastic deformation of the inner hollow portion 4a radially outward, thus preventing the first male screw portion 3a and the first female screw portion 4c from coming apart. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7B, the projection 7b provided on the annular body 7 is inserted into the first slit 4e, preventing elastic deformation of the inner hollow portion 4a radially inward. As a result, the first male thread portion 3a and the first female thread portion 4c do not press strongly against each other, and no great force is required during operation. Also, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, when the retaining engagement portion 7a is engaged with the retaining engagement portion 4f, the contact projection 4g provided on the outer circumferential surface of the inner hollow portion 4a contacts the inner circumferential surface of the annular body 7, preventing the annular body 7 from moving up and down relative to the hollow screw member 4. Therefore, problems such as the annular body 7 moving up and down during use and generating abnormal noise can be prevented. Although a force acts radially inward on the inner hollow portion 4a when the contact projection 4g contacts the inner circumferential surface of the annular body 7, the projection 7b is inserted into the first slit 4e, so the first male thread portion 3a and the first female thread portion 4c do not press strongly against each other.

[0048] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, this embodiment may be modified as follows.

[0049] For example, in the embodiment described above, the contact projection 4g was provided on the outer circumferential surface of the inner hollow portion 4a and in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the annular body 7, but it may also be provided on the inner circumferential surface of the annular body 7 and in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the inner hollow portion 4a. Furthermore, the configuration for moving the extrusion member 5 is not limited to the one described above and can be changed as appropriate.

[0050] In the embodiment described above, the inner ventilation passage T1 is formed by an inner groove 14g provided on the circumferential sealing surface 14f, but a groove corresponding to the inner groove 14g may also be provided on the outer circumferential surface of the case cylinder body 1a to form the inner ventilation passage T1. Also, the outer ventilation passage T2 is formed by an upper groove 14d provided on the sealing edge 14a of the seal body 14 and a lid vertical groove 13d provided on the outer circumferential wall 13b of the lid body 13, but a groove corresponding to the upper groove 14d may also be provided on the lid top wall 13a of the lid body 13, and a groove corresponding to the lid vertical groove 13d may also be provided on the sealing edge 14a of the seal body 14 to form the outer ventilation passage T2.

[0051] Furthermore, although the lid body 13 in this embodiment was rectangular, it may also be triangular, hexagonal, or other polygonal shapes, or even cylindrical.

[0052] (Note) This specification discloses the following technologies in one aspect. The reference numerals listed below correspond to those used in the accompanying drawings, but are provided as examples only and are not intended to limit the inventions of this application.

[0053] (Technology 1) A case cylinder (1) having a front opening (1g), An extrusion member (5) slidably contacts the inner circumferential surface of the case cylinder (1) and forms a housing space (S1) between itself and the case cylinder (1). An operating part (8) is held in a position so as to be rotatable around the central axis (O) of the case cylinder (1), A dispensing container (100) comprising a lid (12) that covers the case cylinder (1) and is detachably held on the operating part (8), wherein when the operating part (8) is rotated relative to the case cylinder (1) with the lid (12) removed, the extrusion member (5) moves forward and the contents contained in the storage space (S1) are dispensed from the front opening (1g), The lid (12) is a dispensing container (100) having a lid top wall portion (13a) located in front of the case cylinder (1), a lid outer peripheral wall portion (13b) surrounding the case cylinder (1) and connected to the lid top wall portion (13a), a seal edge portion (14a) located inside the lid top wall portion (13a) and the lid outer peripheral wall portion (13b) and in contact with the case cylinder (1) to seal the storage space (S1), and a partition wall portion (14h) located between the lid top wall portion (13a) and the case cylinder (1) and covering the front opening (1g) and connected to the seal edge portion (14a), and elastically deformable in a direction approaching or moving away from the lid top wall portion (13a).

[0054] This technology allows the sealing edge to contact the case cylinder and seal the storage space, thereby improving the airtightness of the case cylinder when the lid is attached. Furthermore, even when the lid is slid against the case cylinder during attachment, which increases the pressure in the storage space, the partition wall elastically deforms to suppress the pressure rise within the storage space, thus preventing problems such as impaired lid attachment or leakage of contents.

[0055] (Technology 2) A dispensing container (100) according to Technology 1, having an external ventilation passage (T2) between the lid top wall portion (13a) and the sealing edge portion (14a), and between the lid outer peripheral wall portion (13b) and the sealing edge portion (14a), which allows the internal space (S2) partitioned by the lid top wall portion (13a) and the partition wall portion (14h) to pass through to the outside.

[0056] This technology allows the partition wall to elastically deform toward the top wall, reducing the volume of the internal space and increasing the pressure inside. However, even in such a situation, the air inside the space flows out to the outside through the external ventilation channel, suppressing the pressure rise inside the space, thus preventing the elastic deformation of the partition wall from being hindered. Furthermore, when the lid is removed and the partition wall is restored, air from the outside flows into the internal space through the external ventilation channel, so the elastic deformation of the partition wall is not hindered at this time either.

[0057] (Technology 3) The sealing edge (14a) has a front sealing surface (14e) that contacts the front end surface (1f) of the case cylinder (1), and a circumferential sealing surface (14f) that contacts the outer circumferential surface of the case cylinder (1). A dispensing container (100) according to Technology 1, having an inner ventilation passage (T1) extending from the rear to the front, up to just before the front end surface (1f), on at least one of the outer circumferential surface or the circumferential sealing surface (14f) of the case cylinder (1).

[0058] This technology allows the air in the containment space to be expelled through the internal ventilation channel as the partition wall approaches the front opening when the lid is attached, thereby suppressing the pressure rise in the containment space.

[0059] (Technology 4) The case tube (1) is cylindrical, and the outer peripheral wall portion (13b) of the lid is polygonal. The lid (12) comprises a lid body (13) having the lid top wall portion (13a) and the lid outer peripheral wall portion (13b), and a sealing body (14) having the sealing edge portion (14a) and the partition wall portion (14h). The seal edge portion (14a) has a polygonal flange portion (14c) corresponding to the outer peripheral wall portion (13b) of the lid and a circular cylindrical portion (14b) surrounding the case cylinder (1). The dispensing container (100) according to Technology 1, wherein the outer peripheral wall portion (13b) of the lid engages with the flange portion (14c) on the outside of the cylindrical portion (14b), and by this engagement, the lid body (13) holds the sealing body (14).

[0060] This technology allows for the separate formation of the lid body and the sealing body, and the lid body can be created by attaching the sealing body to the lid body. This enables the creation of dispensing containers that are highly mass-producible and easy to assemble. Furthermore, because the portion of the polygonal flange located on the outside of the cylindrical case can be held by the lid's protrusion, the internal space of the lid can be effectively utilized, reducing the overall size of the lid and simplifying the structure for holding the sealing body.

[0061] 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 configuration of the above-described embodiment can be added or deleted as appropriate, and the configuration of one embodiment can be provided in other embodiments. Furthermore, the effects in the above-described embodiment are merely illustrative of the effects that may result from the present invention. In other words, the effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described effects, and additional effects may also be produced in addition to the above-described effects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1: Case tube 1a: Case cylinder body 1b: Engagement convex part 1c: Stopper protrusion 1d: Gear section 1e: Engagement holding part 1f: Front end surface 1g: Front opening 2: Unit 3: Screw shaft member 3a: First male threaded portion 3b: Screw shaft 3c: Lower axis 3d: Unit side anti-rotation part 3e: Unit-side retaining part 4: Hollow screw member 4a: Inner hollow part 4b: Ceiling wall part 4c: First female thread section 4d: Second male thread section 4e: First slit (slit) 4f: Retaining engagement part 4g: Contact protrusion 5: Extruded member 5a: Outer hollow part 5b:Top wall part 5c: Seal part 5d: Second female thread section 5e: Second slit 5g: Guide protrusion 6: Movable cylindrical member 6a: Movable tube body 6b: First longitudinal groove 6c: Second longitudinal groove 6d: Through opening 6e: Weakened part 7: Ring-shaped 7a: Retaining engagement portion 7b:Protrusion 8:Operation unit 9: Connecting member 9a: Inner peripheral wall part 9b: Rotation prevention part on the operating section side 9c: Retaining part on the operating section side 9d: Connecting wall section 9e: First engaging portion of connecting member 9f: Second engaging part of connecting member 9h: Elastic piece 9j: Wheel stop 10: Main unit of the control panel 10a: Bottom wall part 10b: Outer wall 10c: Main body engagement part 11: Filling 11a: Inner tool body 11b: Flange section 11c: Holding part 12: Lid 13: Lid body 13a: Lid top wall 13b: Lid outer wall 13c: Holding part 13d: Lid vertical groove 13e: Lid protrusion 14: Seal 14a: Seal edge 14b: Cylindrical part 14c: Flange section 14d: Upper side groove 14e: Front sealing surface 14f: Peripheral sealing surface 14g:Inner groove 14h: Bulkhead part 14j: Thin wall part 100: Dispenser J: Jig O: Central axis S1: Containment space S2: Internal space T1: Internal ventilation channel T2: External ventilation channel

Claims

1. A case cylinder having a front opening, An extrusion member that slidably contacts the inner circumferential surface of the case cylinder and forms a housing space between itself and the case cylinder. An operating part is held in relation to the case cylinder so as to be rotatable around the central axis of the case cylinder, A dispensing container comprising a lid that covers the case cylinder and is detachably held by the operating part, wherein when the operating part is rotated relative to the case cylinder with the lid removed, the push member advances and the contents contained in the storage space are dispensed from the front opening, The lid is a dispensing container having a lid top wall portion located in front of the case cylinder, a lid outer peripheral wall portion surrounding the case cylinder and connected to the lid top wall portion, a sealing edge portion located inside the lid top wall portion and the lid outer peripheral wall portion and in contact with the case cylinder to seal the storage space, and a partition wall portion located between the lid top wall portion and the case cylinder, covering the front opening and connected to the sealing edge portion, and elastically deformable in a direction approaching or moving away from the lid top wall portion.

2. The dispensing container according to claim 1, having an external ventilation passage between the top wall portion of the lid and the sealing edge portion, and between the outer peripheral wall portion of the lid and the sealing edge portion, which allows the internal space partitioned by the top wall portion of the lid and the partition wall portion to pass through to the outside world.

3. The sealing edge has a front sealing surface that contacts the front end surface of the case cylinder and a circumferential sealing surface that contacts the outer circumferential surface of the case cylinder. The dispensing container according to claim 1, having an inner ventilation passage extending from the rear to the front end surface on at least one of the outer circumferential surface or the circumferential sealing surface of the case cylinder.

4. The case tube is cylindrical, and the outer circumferential wall of the lid is polygonal. The lid comprises a lid body having the lid top wall portion and the lid outer peripheral wall portion, and a sealing body having the sealing edge portion and the partition wall portion. The seal edge portion has a polygonal flange portion corresponding to the outer peripheral wall portion of the lid and a circular cylindrical portion surrounding the case cylinder. The dispensing container according to claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral wall portion of the lid has a lid projection that engages with the flange portion on the outside of the cylindrical portion and holds the sealing body with the lid body by this engagement.

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