Application container

Abstract

To provide an application container that facilitates application while keeping a compact size.SOLUTION: An application container 1 comprises: a container body 2 in which contents W are housed; an inside plug member 3 rotatably fitted to a mouth part 12 of the container body, and in which a discharge port 30 is formed; an application part 4 for applying the contents discharged through the discharge port, to an application object part; a movable member 5 to be moved up and down in association with rotation of the inside plug member with respect to the container body; and a cap member 6 capable of being attached / detached to / from the mouth part of the container body by being rotated around a container axis O with respect to the container body. The cap member comprises a second locking part 54 locked in a first locking part 45 formed in the inside plug member, in a circumferential direction. The movable member is moved up with respect to the container body by rotation of the inside plug member associated with detachment operation of the cap member. The application part is deformed or displaced in the direction of the container axis in association with up-and-down movement of the movable member with respect to the container body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] As this type of applicator container, for example, a cheek applicator container containing a cosmetic such as foundation as the contents is known. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a coating container that includes a container body that contains the contents to be applied to a coating target portion, a discharge member that is rotatably attached to the mouth of the container body and has a discharge hole through which the contents are discharged, an opening / closing member that has a plug portion that opens and closes the discharge hole, a coating member that applies the contents discharged from the discharge hole to the coating target portion, and an overcap that covers the coating member.

[0003] In this application container, the stopper part can be moved along the container axial direction in accordance with the rotation of the discharge member to open and close the discharge hole. Therefore, for example, by tilting the container body, the contents in the container body can be discharged through the discharge hole. This allows the contents to be applied to the application part by using the application member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-85031 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the conventional coating container, the discharge hole is opened and closed by the movement of the plug part accompanying the rotation of the discharge member, but the distance between the upper surface (coating surface) of the coating member and the container body along the container axial direction is a predetermined distance, so it is difficult to arbitrarily change the distance depending on the situation. Therefore, for example, when applying the contents to the cheek (the area to be applied) of the face, the fingertips holding the container body or the container body itself may come too close to the cheek, making it difficult to apply the contents, which leaves room for improvement.

[0006] In addition, if the gap between the upper surface (applying surface) of the applying member and the container body along the container axial direction is increased in advance in consideration of the above-mentioned improvements, the size (thickness) of the entire application container will increase, which will result in new problems such as making it difficult to store the application container compactly or to carry it around.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an application container that is easy to apply while maintaining a compact size. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) An applicator container according to the present invention includes a container body that accommodates a content to be applied to a part to be applied, an inner plug member that is rotatably attached to the inside of the mouth of the container body about a container axis and that has a discharge hole through which the content is discharged, an applicator that is combined with the inner plug member and applies the content discharged through the discharge hole to the part to be applied, a movable member that is disposed inside the mouth of the container body and that moves up and down along the container axis as the inner plug member rotates relative to the container body, and a cap member that is detachable from the mouth of the container body by rotating about the container axis relative to the container body, the cap member covering the applicator, and having a second locking portion that locks with a first locking portion formed on the inner plug member in a circumferential direction around the container axis, the movable member moves upward relative to the container body as the inner plug member rotates in association with an operation to remove the cap member, and the applicator deforms in the container axial direction as the movable member moves up and down relative to the container body. The application part is an elastic body that can expand and contract in the container axial direction, and is formed in a topped cylindrical shape with the application surface as a top surface, and the movable member has a push-up part that pushes up the top surface from below as the movable member moves upward, and the push-up part opens the discharge hole as the movable member moves upward, and closes the discharge hole as the movable member moves downward. It is characterized by:

[0009] According to the application container of the present invention, when applying the contents, the cap member attached to the mouth of the container body is rotated around the container axis to remove the cap member. During this operation of removing the cap member, the second locking portion of the cap member and the first locking portion of the inner plug member are locked in the circumferential direction, so that the inner plug member can be rotated around the container axis together with the cap member. This allows the movable member to move upward relative to the container body in conjunction with the rotation of the inner plug member. Therefore, the upward movement of the movable member can deform or displace the application portion upward. In this way, by removing the cap member from the mouth of the container body, the applicator part can be exposed in a state of being deformed or displaced upward. Therefore, the contents discharged through the discharge hole can be applied to the application part by tilting the container body, etc., using the applicator part. In particular, when applying the contents, the applicator part deforms or displaces upward, so that a large gap can be secured between the applicator part and the container body along the container axial direction. Therefore, even when applying the contents such as cosmetics to the cheek of the face (application part), the fingertips do not get in the way and the contents can be easily applied. Therefore, it is possible to make the applicator container easy to use.

[0010] On the other hand, when the cap member is attached to the mouth of the container body, the movable member can be moved downward relative to the container body as the inner plug member rotates, which is the opposite to the above case. Therefore, the downward movement of the movable member can deform or displace the applicator part downward. Therefore, the gap between the cap member and the container body in the container axial direction can be reduced by the amount of deformation or displacement of the applicator part. Therefore, the entire applicator container can be made compact, and storability and portability can be improved. Furthermore, since the movable member can be moved up and down in association with the rotation operation (attaching / detaching operation) of the cap member relative to the mouth of the container body, for example, the cap member can be removed and the movable member can be moved upward simultaneously in a series of operations. Therefore, for example, an unnecessary operation such as separately moving the movable member upward after removing the cap member can be omitted, and therefore the application container has excellent operability.

[0012] moreover As the movable member moves upward, the push-up portion actively pushes up the top surface of the applicator from below, so that the entire applicator can be expanded and deformed upward in a well-balanced manner. In particular, when the contents are applied to the application target portion, the push-up portion supports the top surface, which is the application surface, so that the contents can be applied stably and efficiently by utilizing the top surface of the applicator.

[0014] moreover When the application part is deformed or displaced upward by removing the cap member, the contents in the container body can be appropriately moved toward the application part through the discharge hole, so that application can be performed stably and appropriately. On the other hand, when the application part is deformed or displaced downward by attaching the cap member, the push-up part closes the discharge hole. Therefore, during storage, etc., it is possible to prevent the contents in the container body from moving toward the application part through the discharge hole, and storage, etc. can be performed while maintaining the quality of the contents.

[0015] ( 2 ) A replacement container pre-filled with the contents, the container body being detachable in the container axial direction from an internal unit including at least the inner stopper member, the application portion, and the movable member, and the replacement container may be positioned inside the container body by combining the internal unit with the container body.

[0016] In this case, after the content is used up, the internal unit and the container body can be detached and replaced with a new replacement container. Therefore, the application container can be continued to be used for only the cost of the replacement container, so that the running cost can be suppressed. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an application container that is easy to apply while maintaining a compact size. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment of an application container according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a half vertical sectional view showing a state in which a cap member of the application container shown in FIG. 1 has been removed. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a side view of the application container showing a modified example of the first embodiment, showing a state in which a cap member is removed. [Figure 4] 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which a container body and an internal unit of the application container shown in FIG. 3 are separated. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing a second embodiment of an application container according to the present invention. [Figure 6] 6 is a half vertical sectional view showing a state in which a cap member of the application container shown in FIG. 5 has been removed. [Figure 7] 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the container body and the internal unit of the application container shown in FIG. 5 are separated, and shows a state in which a replacement container is set on the bottom wall portion of the container body. FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is a half vertical sectional view showing a state in which the container body and the inner unit shown in FIG. 7 are combined. FIG. [Figure 9] 8 is a view showing a state in which an inner plug body constituting the inner unit shown in FIG. 7 has been separated and the applicator part has been removed. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] (First embodiment) Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a coating container according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the application container 1 of this embodiment comprises a container body 2 in which the contents W to be applied to a coated portion (not shown) is contained, an inner plug member 3 attached to the inside of the mouth portion 12 of the container body 2, an application portion 4 combined with the inner plug member 3, a movable member 5 arranged inside the mouth portion 12 of the container body 2, and a cap member 6 that can be attached and detached to the mouth portion 12 of the container body 2.

[0020] The contents W are not particularly limited, but may be, for example, powder-like cosmetics.

[0021] (Container body) The container body 2 has a bottom wall portion 10 and a peripheral wall portion 11, and is formed into a cylindrical shape with a bottom that is circular in cross section. In this embodiment, an axis passing through the center of the container body 2 is referred to as the container axis O, the cap member 6 side along the container axis O is referred to as the upper side, and the bottom wall portion 10 side is referred to as the lower side. Furthermore, in a plan view seen from the container axis O direction, a direction intersecting the container axis O is referred to as the radial direction, and a direction going around the container axis O is referred to as the circumferential direction.

[0022] The container body 2 is formed such that the peripheral wall portion 11 is thicker than the bottom wall portion 10. In the container body 2, a portion that protrudes upward from the upper end portion of the peripheral wall portion 11 forms a mouth portion 12. The mouth portion 12 of the container body 2 is formed so as to have a smaller outer diameter than the peripheral wall portion 11. A first male screw portion 13 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the mouth portion 12 of the container body 2. Furthermore, a locking hole 14 is formed at the upper end portion of the mouth portion 12 of the container body 2, which penetrates the mouth portion 12 in the radial direction and opens upward. In the illustrated example, four locking holes 14 are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction centered on the container axis O. However, the number of locking holes 14 is not limited to this case, and for example, only one locking hole may be formed, or a number other than four locking holes may be formed at intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0023] An inner screw tubular portion 20 is integrally assembled to the inside of the container body 2. The container body 2 and the inner screw tubular portion 20 are assembled together, for example, by plugging. The inner threaded cylindrical portion 20 has an inner peripheral wall 21 fitted inside the mouth portion 12 of the container body 2, and is disposed coaxially with the container axis O. The inner peripheral wall 21 is formed so that its upper end portion protrudes slightly upward beyond the upper end portion of the mouth portion 12 of the container body 2. Furthermore, a flange portion 22 protruding radially outward is formed at the upper end portion of the inner peripheral wall 21. In the illustrated example, the flange portion 22 is formed in an annular shape extending around the entire circumference of the inner peripheral wall 21. However, this is not limited to this case, and a plurality of flange portions 22 may be formed at intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0024] The flange 22 contacts from above with the upper opening edge of the mouth 12 of the container body 2. This allows the entire inner peripheral wall 21 to be assembled with the container body 2 without falling off downward. Furthermore, a locking protrusion 23 protruding downward is formed on the flange 22. Four locking protrusions 23 are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction around the container axis O, corresponding to the number of locking holes 14, and are each locked into the locking hole 14. As a result, the inner peripheral wall 21 is prevented from rotating by the circumferential engagement between the locking hole 14 and the locking protrusion 23. Therefore, the inner peripheral wall 21 is assembled to the container body 2 so as not to rotate. The lower end of the inner peripheral wall 21 is located above the bottom wall 10 of the container body 2.

[0025] Furthermore, the inner threaded cylindrical portion 20 is provided with an annular stopper wall 24 protruding radially inward from the lower end of the inner peripheral wall 21, and a guide tube 25 protruding upward from the inner peripheral edge of the stopper wall 24. Thus, the inner threaded cylindrical portion 20 is formed in a double cylindrical shape. The guide tube 25 is formed so that the position of its upper end is located slightly above the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 11 of the container body 2. Furthermore, a first female thread portion 26 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the inner peripheral wall 21 in a portion ranging from the middle portion in the vertical direction to the lower end portion.

[0026] (Inner plug component) The inner plug member 3 is attached to the inside of the mouth portion 12 of the container body 2 so as to be rotatable about the container axis O, and has a discharge hole 30 through which the content W is discharged. The inner plug member 3 comprises an inner plug body 31 arranged inside the upper end of the inner peripheral wall 21 of the inner threaded cylindrical portion 20, and a fixing ring 32 that sandwiches and fixes the application part 4 between the inner plug body 31 and the fixing ring 32, and is arranged coaxially with the container axis O.

[0027] The inside plug body 31 is assembled to the inside of the upper end portion of the inner peripheral wall 21 so as to be rotatable relative to the inner peripheral wall 21 . The plug body 31 comprises an outer tube 40 arranged inside the upper end of the inner peripheral wall 21, an annular intermediate ring 41 protruding radially inward from the lower end of the outer tube 40, an inner tube 42 protruding upward from the inner peripheral edge of the intermediate ring 41, a top wall 43 connected to the upper end of the inner tube 42 and covering the upper opening of the inner tube 42 from above, and an intermediate tube 44 protruding downward from the inner peripheral edge of the intermediate ring 41.

[0028] The outer tube 40 is in contact with the inside of the upper end portion of the inner peripheral wall 21, for example, with a predetermined frictional resistance. This allows the entire inside plug body 31 to rotate relative to the inner peripheral wall 21, while preventing displacement in the up-down direction. The lower end portion of the outer tube 40 is located above the first female thread portion 26 formed on the inner peripheral wall 21. Furthermore, a first upper rib (first locking portion according to the present invention) 45 protruding radially inward is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube 40. The first upper rib 45 is formed as a vertical rib extending over the entire length of the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube 40, and is formed at intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0029] The intermediate ring 41 is formed to a length such that it does not protrude radially inward beyond the stopper wall 24. The inner tube 42 is formed to protrude upward beyond the mouth portion 12 of the container body 2 and the upper end portion of the inner peripheral wall 21. The inner peripheral surface of the inner tube 42 is a flat sealing surface.

[0030] The top wall 43 has an outer peripheral edge that is connected to the upper end of the inner tube 42 over the entire circumference, and closes the upper end opening of the inner tube 42 from above. In the illustrated example, the top wall 43 is formed in a dome shape that bulges most upward at the center. However, the shape of the top wall 43 is not limited to this case, and it may be formed, for example, flat.

[0031] The top wall 43 is formed with a plurality of discharge holes 30 penetrating the top wall 43 in the vertical direction. The discharge holes 30 communicate with the inside of the container body 2, and allow the content W contained in the container body 2 to be discharged. The number and shape of the discharge holes 30 may be appropriately changed depending on, for example, the type of the contents W and the use of the application container 1. The multiple discharge holes 30 are arranged in a well-balanced manner over the entire surface of the top wall 43.

[0032] The intermediate tube 44 is formed so that its lower end is located between the inner peripheral wall 21 and the guide tube 25. A lower rib 46 that protrudes radially outward is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate tube 44. The lower rib 46 is formed as a vertical rib that extends over the entire length of the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate tube 44, and is formed at intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0033] The fixing ring 32 is formed so as to surround the inner tube 42 of the inside plug body 31 from the outside in the radial direction, and is in contact with the intermediate ring 41 from above. The fixing ring 32 is fixed to the inner tube 42 with the circumferential surface of the applicator part 4 sandwiched between the fixing ring 32 and the inner tube 42.

[0034] (Application part) The application part 4 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top, with the application surface being the top surface 4a, and is combined with the inner plug member 3 in a state where it is disposed coaxially with the container axis O. The applicator 4 is made of an elastic body and is formed so as to be deformable or displaceable at least in the vertical direction, specifically so as to be expandable and contractible. The applicator 4 covers the top wall 43 of the inner plug member 3 from above, and is fixed by having its peripheral surface sandwiched between the inner tube 42 of the inner plug member 3 and the fixing ring 32 over the entire circumference. As a result, the entire applicator 4 is integrally combined with the inner plug member 3.

[0035] The applicator 4 is, for example, a polyurethane porous elastic body having a plurality of pores (not shown), and the pores can be utilized to allow the contents to permeate and the contents to seep out to the outside. This allows the applicator 4 to apply the contents W to the application target portion by utilizing the pores.

[0036] The application part 4 undergoes expansion deformation so as to extend upward as the movable member 5 described below moves upward (see FIG. 2), and also undergoes contraction deformation as the movable member 5 moves downward, thereby returning to its initial state. When the cap member 6 is attached to the mouth portion 12 of the container body 2, the application part 4 is contracted and deformed so as to fit along the top wall 43 of the inner plug member 3, as shown in Fig. 1. At this time, there is almost no gap between the application part 4 and the top wall 43.

[0037] (Cap material) 1, the cap member 6 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top that covers the application part 4 from above, and is screwed onto the mouth part 12 of the container body 2. Therefore, the cap member 6 can be attached to and detached from the container body 2 by rotating the cap member 6 about the container axis O relative to the container body 2.

[0038] The cap member 6 comprises a cap peripheral wall 50 that surrounds the mouth 12 of the container body 2 from the radial outside, and a cap top wall 51 that is connected to the upper end of the cap peripheral wall 50 and covers the upper opening of the cap peripheral wall 50 from above, and is arranged coaxially with the container axis O. A second female thread portion 52 that screws into the first male thread portion 13 formed in the mouth portion 12 of the container body 2 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cap peripheral wall 50. In this way, the cap member 6 is screwed into the mouth portion 12 of the container body 2.

[0039] The cap top wall 51 is formed in a dome shape with the center part bulging most upward. However, the shape of the cap top wall 51 is not limited to this case. For example, if the top wall 43 of the inside plug member 3 is formed flat, the cap top wall 51 may be formed flat accordingly.

[0040] A linking tube portion 53 that protrudes downward is formed on the cap top wall 51. The linking tube portion 53 is formed so as to surround the applicator portion 4 from the outside in the radial direction. A second upper rib (second locking portion according to the present invention) 54 is formed on the lower end portion of the linking tube portion 53, which extends further downward and enters between the fixing ring 32 and the outer tube 40 of the inner plug member 3 from above. The lower end portion of the second upper rib 54 is in contact with or close to the intermediate ring 41 from above.

[0041] The second upper ribs 54 are formed as vertical ribs and are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. The second upper ribs 54 are engaged with the first upper ribs 45 formed on the outer tube 40 of the inside plug member 3 in the circumferential direction.

[0042] As a result, the inner plug member 3 rotates about the container axis O in association with the rotation of the cap member 6. In other words, when the cap member 6 is attached to the container body 2, the inner plug member 3 rotates in the same direction as the cap member 6 rotates. Furthermore, when the cap member 6 is removed from the container body 2, the inner plug member 3 rotates in the same direction as the cap member 6 rotates.

[0043] (movable parts) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the movable member 5 is disposed inside the mouth portion 12 of the container body 2, and moves up and down as the inner plug member 3 rotates relative to the container body 2. Specifically, the movable member 5 moves upward relative to the container body 2 due to the rotation of the inner plug member 3 accompanying the removal operation of the cap member 6 (see FIG. 2). Conversely, the movable member 5 moves downward relative to the container body 2 due to the rotation of the inner plug member 3 accompanying the attachment operation of the cap member 6 (see FIG. 1).

[0044] The movable member 5 comprises a movable cylinder 60 arranged between the inner peripheral wall 21 of the inner threaded cylindrical portion 20 and the intermediate cylinder 44, a ring-shaped flange wall 61 protruding radially inward from the lower end of the movable cylinder 60, a sliding cylinder 62 protruding upward from the inner peripheral edge of the flange wall 61, a sealing cylinder 63 protruding further upward from the upper end of the sliding cylinder 62 and arranged inside the inner tube 42 of the center plug member 3, and a ring-shaped push-up wall 64 protruding radially inward from the upper end of the sealing cylinder 63, and is arranged coaxially with the container axis O.

[0045] When the cap member 6 is attached, the movable cylinder 60 contacts the stopper wall 24 of the inner threaded cylinder portion 20 from above. This restricts the movable member 5 from moving further downward. A second male thread portion 65 that screws into the first female thread portion 26 formed on the inner peripheral wall 21 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the movable cylinder 60. Furthermore, a lower groove portion 67 that is recessed radially outward is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the movable cylinder 60. The lower groove portion 67 is formed as a vertical groove that extends over the entire length of the inner peripheral surface of the movable cylinder 60, and is formed in plurality at intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0046] The lower rib 46 formed on the intermediate tube 44 fits into the lower groove 67. As a result, the lower rib 46 and the lower groove 67 are engaged with each other in the circumferential direction. This allows the movable member 5 to rotate about the container axis O as the inner plug member 3 is rotated. At this time, since the second male thread portion 65 formed on the movable tube 60 is screwed into the first female thread portion 26, the movable member 5 can move up and down by the rotation accompanying the rotation of the inner plug member 3.

[0047] The slide cylinder 62 is in close proximity to or in contact with the guide cylinder 25 of the inner threaded cylinder portion 20 from the outside in the radial direction. This allows the movable member 5 to move vertically with good linearity while being smoothly guided in the container axis O direction by the slide cylinder 62. Furthermore, further upward movement of the movable member 5 is restricted by the upper end of the movable tube 60 contacting the intermediate ring 41 of the center plug member 3 from below, and the sliding tube 62 contacting the lower end of the inner tube 42 of the center plug member 3 from below (see Figure 2).

[0048] A lip portion 63a is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the sealing tube 63, which is in close contact with the inner surface (sealing surface) of the inner tube 42 of the inside plug member 3. This ensures a certain level of sealing ability between the sealing tube 63 and the inner tube 42. This prevents the contents W from entering between the sealing tube 63 and the inner tube 42.

[0049] The push-up wall 64 is disposed below the top wall 43 of the inside plug member 3 with a gap therebetween equivalent to the stroke of the movable member 5. Therefore, when the movable member 5 moves upward, the push-up wall 64 rises from below to a position close to the top wall 43 (see FIG. 2).

[0050] Furthermore, the movable member 5 of this embodiment further includes a push-up portion 70 that pushes up the top surface 4a of the applicator part 4 from below as the movable member 5 moves upward. The push-up section 70 includes a push-up plate 71 having a circular shape in a plan view and positioned above the top wall 43 of the inner plug member 3, and a plurality of support legs 72 extending downward from the push-up plate 71 and supported on the upper surface of the push-up wall 64, and is positioned coaxially with the container axis O.

[0051] The push-up plate 71 is disposed between the top wall 43 of the inner plug member 3 and the top surface 4a of the application part 4. The push-up plate 71 is formed to be curved in a vertical cross-sectional view so as to correspond to the shape of the top wall 43 of the inner plug member 3. A guide hole 73 that actively guides the contents W to the upper surface side of the push-up plate 71 is formed in the center of the push-up plate 71.

[0052] Furthermore, a guide groove (not shown) is formed on the upper surface of the push-up plate 71 to guide the contents W guided through the guide hole 73 evenly over the entire surface of the push-up plate 71. As the guide groove, for example, a groove formed radially around the container axis O can be mentioned. However, it is not limited to this case.

[0053] The multiple support legs 72 are arranged to pass through the multiple discharge holes 30 formed in the top wall 43 of the inner plug member 3. The support legs 72 are formed smaller than the size of the discharge holes 30, so that the support legs 72 themselves do not block the discharge holes 30.

[0054] The push-up portion 70 configured in this manner moves in accordance with the vertical movement of the movable member 5. Specifically, when the movable member 5 moves upward, as shown in Fig. 2, the push-up plate 71 moves upward so as to push up the top surface 4a of the applicator part 4 from below. This ensures that the applicator part 4 is expanded and deformed upward. At this time, the discharge hole 30 is in an open state, so that the contents W discharged from the discharge hole 30 can be moved toward the applicator part 4.

[0055] 1, when the movable member 5 moves downward, the push-up plate 71 moves downward so as to come into contact with the top wall 43 of the inner plug member 3. This causes the applicator part 4 to contract and deform. Moreover, the push-up plate 71 contacts the top wall 43 of the inner plug member 3 to block the discharge hole 30 from above. This makes it possible to prevent the content W in the container body 2 from moving toward the application part 4 through the discharge hole 30.

[0056] It should be noted that the push-up unit 70 does not need to be a separate unit from the application unit 4, and may be combined with the application unit 4 as an integral unit.

[0057] (Function of application container) A case where the application container 1 configured as above is used will be described. When applying the content W, the cap member 6 attached to the mouth portion 12 of the container body 2 is rotated around the container axis O to remove the cap member 6 as shown in FIG. During the removal operation of the cap member 6, the second upper rib 54 of the cap member 6 and the first upper rib 45 of the inner plug member 3 are engaged in the circumferential direction, so that the inner plug member 3 can be rotated around the container axis O together with the cap member 6. Furthermore, the lower rib 46 of the inner plug member 3 and the lower groove portion 67 of the movable member 5 are engaged in the circumferential direction, so that the movable member 5 can be rotated around the container as the inner plug member 3 is rotated.

[0058] Furthermore, since the second male thread portion 65 of the movable member 5 is screwed into the first female thread portion 26 of the inner threaded cylindrical portion 20, the movable member 5 moves upward relative to the container body 2 due to the rotation accompanying the rotation of the inner plug member 3. Note that the movable member 5 comes into contact with the inner plug member 3 from below, thereby restricting further upward movement of the movable member 5.

[0059] In this manner, by the operation of removing the cap member 6, as shown in Fig. 2, the movable member 5 can be moved upward relative to the container body 2 in conjunction with the rotation of the inner plug member 3. Furthermore, as the movable member 5 moves upward, the entire push-up part 70 moves upward accordingly. As a result, the push-up plate 71 moves away from the top wall 43 to open the discharge hole 30, and the push-up plate 71 pushes up the top surface 4a of the application part 4. As a result, the applicator part 4 can be expanded and deformed upward.

[0060] Therefore, by removing the cap member 6 from the mouth 12 of the container body 2, the application part 4 can be exposed in an expanded state facing upward. Therefore, by tilting the container body 2, the content W discharged through the discharge hole 30 can be applied to the application part by using the application part 4. In particular, when applying the contents W, the application portion 4 expands upward, thereby ensuring a large gap along the container axis O between the top surface 4a (application surface) of the application portion 4 and the container body 2. Therefore, even when applying the contents W such as cosmetics to the cheek (application area) of the face, the fingertips, the container body 2 itself, etc. do not get in the way, and the contents W can be easily applied. Therefore, the applicator container 1 can be made easy to use.

[0061] On the other hand, when the cap member 6 is attached to the mouth portion 12 of the container body 2, the movable member 5 can be moved downward relative to the container body 2 in conjunction with the rotation of the inner plug member 3, as shown in Fig. 1, in contrast to the above-mentioned case. Therefore, the downward movement of the movable member 5 causes the push-up plate 71 to move downward, so that the applicator part 4 can be contracted and deformed downward. Therefore, the applicator part 4 can be assembled in a state where the gap between the cap member 6 and the container body 2 in the direction of the container axis O is reduced by an amount corresponding to the contraction and deformation of the applicator part 4. Therefore, the entire applicator container 1 can be made compact, and storability and portability can be improved.

[0062] As described above, according to the applicator container 1 of this embodiment, the applicator part 4 can be expanded or contracted in the vertical direction as the cap member 6 is attached or detached. Therefore, for example, the applicator container 1 can be maintained in a compact size during product distribution, storage, etc. On the other hand, when used to apply the contents W, the applicator container 1 can be made easy to apply.

[0063] Furthermore, since the movable member 5 can be moved up and down in association with the rotation operation (attaching / detaching operation) of the cap member 6 relative to the mouth portion 12 of the container body 2, for example, the removal operation of the cap member 6 and the upward movement operation of the movable member 5 can be performed simultaneously in a series of operations. Therefore, for example, an unnecessary operation of separately moving the movable member 5 upward after removing the cap member 6 can be omitted, and therefore the applicator container 1 can be made excellent in operability.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the push-up portion 70 is provided, the push-up plate 71 actively pushes up the top surface 4a of the applicator 4 from below as the movable member 5 moves upward. Therefore, the entire applicator 4 can be expanded and deformed upward in a well-balanced manner. In particular, when the contents W is applied to the part to be applied, the push-up plate 71 is in a state of supporting the top surface 4a, which is the application surface, so that the contents W can be easily applied stably and efficiently by utilizing the top surface 4a of the applicator 4.

[0065] Furthermore, when the cap member 6 is removed and the applicator part 4 expands and deforms upward, the contents W in the container body 2 can be appropriately moved to the applicator part 4 side through the discharge hole 30, so that application can be performed stably and appropriately. On the other hand, when the application part 4 contracts and deforms downward due to the attachment of the cap member 6, the push-up plate 71 closes the discharge hole 30. Therefore, during storage or the like, it is possible to prevent the contents W in the container body 2 from moving toward the application part 4 through the discharge hole 30, and storage or the like can be performed while maintaining the quality of the contents W.

[0066] (Modification of the first embodiment) In the first embodiment, the container body 2 and the inner threaded cylindrical portion 20 may be configured to be easily separable. 3, a removal hole 80 that extends circumferentially longer than the locking hole 14 may be formed in the mouth 12 of the container body 2. This makes it easier to apply an external force that separates the mouth 12 of the container body 2 and the flange 22 of the inner threaded cylindrical portion 20 in the vertical direction by using the removal hole 80 with a larger circumferential width. For example, by inserting a coin or the like into the removal hole 80, it becomes easy to apply an external force that vertically separates the mouth portion 12 and the flange portion 22 of the inner screw tube portion 20. Therefore, it becomes possible to easily separate the container body 2 from the internal unit 90 as shown in FIG. The internal unit 90 is a unit of components arranged inside the container body 2, and includes at least the inner screw cylinder portion 20, the inner plug member 3, the applicator portion 4, the movable member 5, and the like.

[0067] In the case of such a configuration, for example, during the manufacturing stage, the container body 2 and the inner unit 90 can be separated from each other and the contents W can be filled in advance on the inner unit 90 side as shown in Fig. 4. After filling, a sealant 81 can be attached to the stopper wall 24 so as to seal the inside of the inner screw cylinder portion 20. This allows the container body 2 and the inner unit 90 to be combined while preventing the content W from spilling, which can lead to improved manufacturing efficiency.

[0068] Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the application container according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0069] 5, the application container 100 of the present embodiment includes a replacement container 101 pre-filled with a content W. The replacement container 101 is disposed inside the container body 2 by combining an internal unit 150 (described later) with the container body 2.

[0070] The inner threaded tubular portion 20 of this embodiment does not have the stopper wall 24 and the guide tube 25 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the inner threaded tubular portion 20 mainly has an inner peripheral wall 21 on which a first female thread portion 26 is formed. Note that although the container body 2 and the inner threaded tubular portion 20 of this embodiment are combined, for example, by plugging, they can be easily separated in the vertical direction.

[0071] (Inner plug component) The inside plug member 3 of this embodiment includes an inside plug body 31, a connecting tube 110, and a fixing ring 120. The inside plug body 31 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top, having an inner tube 42 and a top wall 43. The inside plug body 31 is disposed above the mouth portion 12 and the inner threaded cylindrical portion 20 of the container body 2, and is disposed coaxially with the container axis O. The inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 42 is made into a sealing surface, similarly to the first embodiment. An annular flange 42a is formed at the upper end of the inner cylinder 42 so as to protrude radially outward.

[0072] As in the first embodiment, the top wall 43 has an outer peripheral edge portion connected to the upper end portion of the inner cylinder 42 over the entire circumference, and closes the upper end opening of the inner cylinder 42 from above. Further, the top wall 43 has a plurality of discharge holes 30 formed therein.

[0073] The connecting tube 110 surrounds the lower end of the inner tube 42 from the outside in the radial direction, and is combined with the inner tube 42 by, for example, screw connection, so that it is fixed to the inner tube 42 in a state where it is positioned in the up-down direction. A first lower rib 111 that protrudes further downward is formed at the lower end of the connecting tube 110. The first lower ribs 111 are arranged radially inward from the inner peripheral wall 21, and are formed in plurality at intervals in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, a first intermediate rib 112 is formed at the upper end of the first lower rib 111 so as to protrude radially outward.

[0074] The fixing ring 120 includes an upper ring 121 that surrounds the connecting tube 110 from the outside in the radial direction, and a lower ring 122 that is disposed below the upper ring 121 and is formed integrally with the upper ring 121 . Upper ring 121 is, for example, fitted to connecting tube 110 and sandwiches the lower portion of the circumferential surface of applicator part 4 between itself and flange part 42 a of inner plug main body 31 . In this embodiment, applicator 4 is disposed so as to cover top wall 43 from above, and its peripheral surface wraps around flange 42a from the radially outer side. As described above, the lower portion of the peripheral surface of applicator 4 is sandwiched between flange 42a and upper ring 121. As a result, applicator 4 is integrally combined with inner plug member 3.

[0075] Upper ribs (first locking portions according to the present invention) 123 protruding radially outward are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the upper ring 121. The upper ribs 123 are formed as vertical ribs extending over the entire length of the outer circumferential surface of the upper ring 121, and are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0076] The lower ring 122 is in relatively rotatable contact with the inner peripheral surface of the upper end portion of the inner peripheral wall 21. Furthermore, a second intermediate rib 124 protruding radially inward is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the lower ring 122. The second intermediate rib 124 is formed as a vertical rib extending over the entire length of the inner peripheral surface of the lower ring 122, and is formed at intervals in the circumferential direction. The second intermediate rib 124 is engaged with the first intermediate rib 112 formed on the connecting tube 110 in the circumferential direction.

[0077] As a result, when the fixing ring 120 rotates around the container axis O, the first intermediate rib 112 and the second intermediate rib 124 engage with each other, causing the connecting tube 110 and the inner plug main body 31 to rotate together with the fixing ring 120. In other words, the entire inner plug member 3 is capable of rotating around the container axis O as a single unit.

[0078] (Cap material) The cap member 6 of this embodiment, like the first embodiment, is formed in a topped cylindrical shape that covers the application part 4 from above, and is screwed onto the mouth part 12 of the container body 2. Therefore, the cap member 6 is attached to and detached from the container body 2 by being rotated around the container axis O relative to the container body 2.

[0079] The linking tube portion 53 protruding downward from the cap top wall 51 is formed so as to surround the upper ring 121 of the fixing ring 120 from the radially outer side. The lower end portion of the linking tube portion 53 is adjacent to the upper end portion of the lower ring 122. An upper groove portion (second locking portion according to the present invention) 130 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the linking tube portion 53 so as to be recessed radially outward. The upper groove portion 130 is formed in a vertical groove shape, and a plurality of upper groove portions 130 are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction. An upper rib 123 formed on the fixing ring 120 fits into the upper groove portion 130. As a result, the upper rib 123 and the upper groove portion 130 are locked to each other in the circumferential direction.

[0080] As a result, the inner plug member 3 rotates about the container axis O in association with the rotation of the cap member 6. In other words, when the cap member 6 is attached to the container body 2, the inner plug member 3 rotates in the same direction as the cap member 6 rotates. Furthermore, when the cap member 6 is removed from the container body 2, the inner plug member 3 rotates in the same direction as the cap member 6 rotates.

[0081] (movable parts) The movable member 5 of this embodiment is disposed inside the mouth portion 12 of the container body 2, as in the first embodiment, and moves up and down as the inner plug member 3 rotates relative to the container body 2. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 6, the movable member 5 moves upward relative to the container body 2 due to the rotation of the inner plug member 3 accompanying the removal operation of the cap member 6. Conversely, as shown in Fig. 5, the movable member 5 moves downward relative to the container body 2 due to the rotation of the inner plug member 3 accompanying the attachment operation of the cap member 6.

[0082] The movable member 5 comprises a movable tube 140 arranged radially inward of the inner peripheral wall 21 of the inner threaded cylindrical portion 20, a sealing tube 141 protruding further upward from the upper end of the movable tube 140 and arranged radially inward of the inner tube 42 of the center plug member 3, and an annular push-up wall 142 protruding radially inward from the upper end of the sealing tube 141, and is arranged coaxially with the container axis O.

[0083] A second lower rib 143 that protrudes radially outward is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the movable cylinder 140. The second lower rib 143 is formed as a vertical rib extending over the entire length of the outer circumferential surface of the movable cylinder 140, and is formed at intervals in the circumferential direction. The second lower rib 143 is engaged with the first lower rib 111 formed on the inside plug main body 31 from the circumferential direction. Therefore, the movable member 5 rotates about the container axis O as the inside plug member 3 is rotated.

[0084] Furthermore, a second male thread portion 144 that screws into the first female thread portion 26 formed on the inner peripheral wall 21 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the second lower rib 143. This allows the movable member 5 to move up and down by rotation accompanying the rotation of the inner plug member 3.

[0085] A lip portion 141a is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the sealing tube 141, which is in close contact with the inner surface (sealing surface) of the inner tube 42 of the inside plug member 3. This ensures a certain level of sealing performance between the sealing tube 141 and the inner tube 42. This prevents the contents W from entering between the sealing tube 141 and the inner tube 42.

[0086] The push-up wall 142 is disposed below the top wall 43 of the inside plug member 3 with a gap therebetween equivalent to the stroke of the movable member 5. Therefore, when the movable member 5 moves upward, the push-up wall 142 rises from below to a position close to the top wall 43 (see FIG. 6). Furthermore, a puncture tube 145 protruding downward is formed coaxially with the container axis O on the inner peripheral edge of the push-up wall 142. The puncture tube 145 is formed so that the lower end opening edge is oblique to the container axis O in a vertical cross-sectional view. As a result, the lowermost part of the puncture tube 145 functions as a puncture protrusion 146. Incidentally, the movable member 5 of this embodiment has a push-up portion 70, similar to the first embodiment.

[0087] Of the application container 100 configured as described above, the components other than the container body 2 and the cap member 6 function as an internal unit 150 that is integrally combined.

[0088] (Replacement container) As shown in Fig. 5, the refill container 101 is made of thin-walled synthetic resin molded by, for example, extrusion blow molding, and is formed into a bottomed tubular shape having a mouth 102. The contents W are pre-filled inside the refill container 101. After the mouth 102 of the refill container 101 is filled with the contents W, it is sealed with a sealing material 103 such as an elastic film.

[0089] The replacement container 101 thus configured is placed on the bottom wall 10 of the container body 2 and is arranged coaxially with the container axis O. When the container body 2 of the replacement container 101 is assembled to the internal unit 150, the sealing material 103 of the replacement container 101 is broken by the puncture protrusion 146 of the puncture tube 145. This brings the replacement container 101 into an opened state, making the contents W available for use.

[0090] By assembling the container body 2 to the internal unit 150, the replacement container 101 is fitted, for example, inside the movable member 5 and moves up and down together with the movable member 5. Therefore, the puncture tube 145 is configured not to come out of the opening 102 after breaking the sealing material 103 (see FIG. 6).

[0091] (Function of application container) Even in the case of the application container 100 configured as described above, it is possible to achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment. That is, by performing the operation of removing the cap member 6, the upper groove portion 130 of the cap member 6 and the upper rib 123 of the inner plug member 3 are engaged in the circumferential direction, and the first intermediate rib 112 and the second intermediate rib 124 are engaged in the circumferential direction, so that the entire inner plug member 3 can be rotated around the container axis O together with the cap member 6. Furthermore, since the first lower rib 111 of the inner plug member 3 and the second lower rib 143 of the movable member 5 are engaged in the circumferential direction, the movable member 5 can be rotated around the container in conjunction with the rotation operation of the inner plug member 3.

[0092] Furthermore, since the second male thread portion 144 of the movable member 5 is screwed into the first female thread portion 26 of the inner threaded cylindrical portion 20, the movable member 5 moves upward relative to the container body 2 by rotation accompanying the rotation of the inner plug member 3. As the movable member 5 moves upward, the entire push-up portion 70 moves upward accordingly. As a result, as shown in Fig. 6, the push-up plate 71 moves away from the top wall 43 to open the discharge hole 30, and the push-up plate 71 pushes up the top surface 4a of the application part 4. As a result, the applicator part 4 can be expanded and deformed upward.

[0093] Therefore, by removing the cap member 6 from the mouth 12 of the container body 2, the application part 4 can be exposed in an expanded state facing upward. Therefore, by tilting the container body 2, the content W discharged through the discharge hole 30 can be applied to the application part by using the application part 4.

[0094] On the other hand, when the cap member 6 is attached to the mouth portion 12 of the container body 2, the movable member 5 can be moved downward relative to the container body 2 in conjunction with the rotation of the inner plug member 3, as shown in Fig. 5, which is the opposite of the above-mentioned case. Therefore, the downward movement of the movable member 5 causes the push-up plate 71 to move downward, so that the applicator part 4 can be contracted and deformed downward. Therefore, the applicator part 4 can be assembled in a state where the gap between the cap member 6 and the container body 2 in the direction of the container axis O is reduced by the amount of contraction and deformation of the applicator part 4. Therefore, the entire applicator container 100 can be made compact, and storability and portability can be improved.

[0095] (How to replace the replacement container) Next, a method for replacing the application container 100 of this embodiment with a new replacement container 101 after the content W has been used up will be briefly described. In this case, the cap member 6 is removed from the container body 2 as shown in Fig. 6. As a result, the movable member 5 and the replacement container 101 are moved upward. For this reason, the fixing ring 120 of the inner plug member 3 is forcibly rotated in the attachment direction of the cap member 6 using, for example, a fingertip or a tool. This allows the movable member 5 and the replacement container 101 to move downward and back to their original initial positions.

[0096] The container body 2 may be separated from the internal unit 150 before the movable member 5 and the replacement container 101 are moved downward, or the container body 2 may be separated after the movable member 5 and the replacement container 101 are moved downward. This allows the replacement container 101 to pop out downward from the movable member 5, so that the replacement container 101 can be removed while being held with fingertips or the like.

[0097] 7, a new replacement container 101 filled with the contents W is set on the bottom wall 10 of the container body 2. As in the above-mentioned case, the fixing ring 120 of the inner plug member 3 is forcibly rotated in the direction of removing the cap member 6 using a fingertip or a tool. This allows the movable member 5 to be moved upward to become the inner unit 150.

[0098] 8, the inner unit 150 and the container body 2 are combined into one by plugging or the like. This allows the new replacement container 101 to be accommodated inside the application container 100. However, at this stage, the sealing material 103 of the replacement container 101 is not broken.

[0099] Finally, the cap member 6 is attached to the mouth portion 12 of the container body 2. As a result, as shown in Fig. 5, the movable member 5 can be moved downward, and the puncture protrusion 146 of the puncture tube 145 can be used to break the sealant 103 of the replacement container 101. As a result, the replacement container 101 is in an opened state, and thereafter moves up and down together with the movable member 5. As a result, the replacement operation for the new replacement container 101 can be completed, and the application container 100 can be reused.

[0100] As described above, according to the application container 100 of this embodiment, after the content W is used up, the internal unit 150 and the container body 2 are detached, so that the application container 100 can be replaced with a new replacement container 101. Therefore, the application container 100 can be continuously used for only the cost of the replacement container 101, so that the application container 100 can be used while suppressing the running cost.

[0101] Furthermore, in the case of the application container 100 of the present embodiment, the application part 4 can be easily removed, and for example, the application part 4 can be washed or replaced as necessary. In this case, for example, as shown in Fig. 7, the internal unit 150 is separated from the container body 2, and the movable member 5 is moved upward. In this state, for example, using a fingertip or a tool, the inner plug body 31 in the inner plug member 3 is forcibly rotated around the container axis O relative to the connecting tube 110, the fixing ring 120, and the movable member 5. This allows the inner plug body 31 to be separated from the connecting tube 110, as shown in Fig. 9. Therefore, the applicator 4 that was sandwiched between the inner plug body 31 and the fixing ring 120 can be easily removed. As a result, the application part 4 can be washed or replaced as required.

[0102] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. In addition, modifications in each embodiment may be appropriately combined. Furthermore, this embodiment and its modifications include, for example, those that a person skilled in the art can easily imagine, those that are substantially the same, those within the scope of equivalents, and the like.

[0103] The replacement container 101 is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, a replacement container having a bottomed cylindrical shape may be formed by using injection molding, vacuum molding (thermoforming), or the like, and then filled with the contents W and sealed with a peelable sealing material such as an aluminum sheet. In this case, for example, after peeling off the sealant, the inner unit 150 and the container body 2 can be combined. Therefore, in this case, it is also possible to omit the configuration of the puncture tube 145 in the second embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 1, 100... Application container 2…Container body 3…Inner plug member 4…Applying part 4a…Top surface of application part (application surface) 5... Movable parts 6…Cap member 12... Mouth of container body 30…Discharge hole 45...First upper rib (first locking portion) 54...Second upper rib (second locking portion) 70…Push-up section 90, 150…Internal unit 101…Replacement container 123...Upper rib (first locking portion) 130...Upper groove portion (second locking portion)

Claims

1. A container body that contains a content to be applied to a coating target portion; an inner plug member that is rotatably attached to the inside of the mouth of the container body around the container axis and has a discharge hole through which the contents are discharged; an applicator that is combined with the inner plug member and applies the content discharged through the discharge hole to the application target portion; a movable member disposed inside the mouth of the container body and movable up and down along the container axis in accordance with the rotation of the inner plug member relative to the container body; a cap member that is detachable from the mouth of the container body by rotating around the container axis relative to the container body, the cap member covers the application portion and has a second locking portion that locks with a first locking portion formed on the inner plug member in a circumferential direction around the container axis, the movable member moves upward relative to the container body by rotation of the inner plug member accompanying the removal operation of the cap member, the applicator portion is deformed in the container axial direction in accordance with the vertical movement of the movable member relative to the container body, The application part is an elastic body that is expandable and contractible in the container axial direction, and is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top whose top surface is an application surface, the movable member includes a push-up portion that pushes up the top surface from below as the movable member moves upward; The application container, wherein the push-up portion opens the discharge hole by upward movement of the movable member and closes the discharge hole by downward movement of the movable member.

2. In the application container according to claim 1 , A replacement container is provided in which the content is pre-filled, the container body is detachable in the container axial direction from an internal unit including at least the inner plug member, the application part, and the movable member, The refill container is disposed inside the container body by combining the internal unit with the container body.

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