Measuring container

Abstract

To create a measuring container capable accurately measuring by enabling capacity adjustment after once measuring with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A measuring container includes: a container body 10 which contains a content P and is constituted so as to be elastically deformed in a radial direction; a measuring part 20 which is provided at an opening end of the container body 10 and comprises a measurement chamber Q inside; and a pouring cap 30 which pours out the content P after measuring. A partition wall 22 for partitioning between the container body 10 and the measurement chamber Q is provided, and a pair of communication holes 26 for communicating between the container body 10 and the measurement chamber Q are provided at the partition wall 22, and further non-return valves 27 are formed at the pair of communication holes 26, respectively. One non-return valve 27 allows the communication from the container body 10 to the measurement chamber Q, and blocks the communication from the measurement chamber Q to the container body 10, and the other non-return valve 27 blocks the communication from the container body 10 to the measurement chamber Q, and allows the communication from the measurement chamber Q to the container body 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a measuring container that allows volume adjustment after initial measurement. [Background technology]

[0002] As a technology relating to a measuring container in which a measuring cap is attached to the neck of a squeeze bottle to measure, for example, Patent Document 1 listed below exists. The measuring container described in Patent Document 1 is used by pressing the body of the squeeze bottle, forcing the contents 30 up into the dispensing tube 140 through the suction pipe 400, and then dispensing the contents 30 from the dispensing hole 141 at the upper end of the dispensing tube 140 into the measuring tube portion 200 above the position of the dispensing hole 141 of the dispensing tube 140.The pressure on the body of the squeeze bottle is then released to allow the bottle to return to its original shape, and the excess contents in the measuring tube portion 200 are sucked out through the dispensing hole 141 of the dispensing tube 140 and returned to the bottle, thereby measuring the contents. When the outer surface of the dispensing tube 140 of the cap body 100 is slid against the inner surface of the peripheral wall 130 to move the measuring tube portion 200 upward, the distance between the dispensing hole 141 of the dispensing tube 140 and the bottom wall 210 of the measuring tube portion 200 becomes narrower, making it possible to reduce the amount of contents to be measured and to easily change the amount of contents. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-66956 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the measuring container described in Patent Document 1, if it is desired to adjust the volume after measuring the contents once in order to perform more accurate measurement, it is necessary to slide the outer surface of the dispensing tube 140 of the cap body 100 against the inner surface of the peripheral wall 130 to move the measuring tube portion 200 downward for adjustment. However, if such an operation is performed during measurement, there is a risk that the contents will spill from the measuring tube portion 200, making it difficult to perform accurate measurement. Furthermore, the measuring container described in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which many components are combined together, which makes it difficult to reduce costs and simplify the manufacturing process.

[0005] The present invention aims to solve the problems of the conventional technology described above by creating a measuring container that has a simple structure and allows the volume to be adjusted after a single measurement, thereby enabling more accurate measurement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Among the means for solving the above problems, the main means of the present invention is: A measuring container comprising a container body configured to accommodate contents and be elastically deformable, a measuring section provided at an open end of the container body and having a measuring chamber therein, and a dispensing cap for dispensing the contents after measuring, A partition wall is provided between the container body and the measuring chamber, and the partition wall With equal opening area a pair of communication holes communicating between the container body and the measuring chamber, and a check valve provided in each of the pair of communication holes, are integrally formed; One check valve is a check valve that allows communication from the container body to the measuring chamber and blocks communication from the measuring chamber to the container body, and the other check valve is a check valve that blocks communication from the container body to the measuring chamber and allows communication from the measuring chamber to the container body.

[0007] In the main means of the present invention, when the measuring container is in an inverted position and the container body is squeezed, the contents can be moved from the container body into the measuring chamber through one check valve and stored therein. When the container body is subsequently returned to the upright position and squeezed, air is sent from the container body into the measuring chamber through one check valve, and at the same time, the contents in the measuring chamber can be gradually moved toward the container body through the other check valve, thereby adjusting the volume.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is the addition of the main aspect of the present invention in that the pair of check valves are formed with a movable cover that can open and close the communication hole, and a single elastically deformable connecting piece that connects the movable cover and the communication hole. With the above-mentioned method, only one connection point with the communication hole is required, and the inclination angle of the movable lid can be increased to expand the area when open, making it possible to facilitate the movement of the contents within the communication hole. Furthermore, the pair of check valves can be formed integrally with the partition wall, which makes it easy to reduce costs and simplify the manufacturing process.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is any one of the above aspects, further comprising the addition of a feature that the pair of communication holes are formed to have equal opening areas. With the above means, during the capacity adjustment operation, the amount of air moving from the container body into the measuring chamber through one of the communication holes can be made equal to the amount of contents moving simultaneously from the measuring chamber into the container body through the other communication hole, thereby making the capacity adjustment operation easier. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] In the measuring container of the present invention, the volume can be adjusted after the initial measuring operation, so that the contents can be measured and dispensed more accurately. In addition, the partition wall between the container body and the measuring chamber can be simply configured with a pair of check valves that communicate in opposite directions, which reduces costs and simplifies the manufacturing process. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a measuring container according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the container before opening and when unused. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the measuring container showing an inverted state during the initial measuring operation. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the measuring container showing a state where a squeezing operation has been performed from the state shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the measuring container, showing the state where the measuring container has been returned from the state of FIG. 3 to the upright position. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the measuring container showing the volume adjustment operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The measuring container 1 of the present invention is a container for measuring a liquid content P. As shown in Fig. 1, the measuring container 1 is composed of a container body 10, a measuring part 20, and a dispensing cap 30, all of which are made of a synthetic resin material.

[0013] In the following description, the vertical direction along the container axis O of the container body 10 is referred to as the axial direction, and the direction perpendicular to the container axis O is referred to as the radial direction. In addition, within the axial direction, the direction (side) having the pouring cap 30 is referred to as the upper side (upper side), and the direction (side) having the container body 10 is referred to as the lower side (lower side).

[0014] First, the configuration of the measuring container 1 will be described. The container body 10 is a squeeze container having a cylindrical shape with a bottom and a body portion 11 that is elastically deformable in the radial direction, and a male screw 12 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the body portion 11 on the open end side. The measuring part 20 is configured to have an attachment part 21 that is screwed onto the upper end of the body part 11, and a measuring tube part 29 that is assembled and fixed to the attachment part 21. The inside of the measuring tube part 29 functions as a measuring chamber Q.

[0015] Mounting portion 21 has a partition wall 22 that is provided horizontally and separates the interior of measuring chamber Q from the interior of container body 10, a cylindrical lower outer peripheral wall 23 that hangs down from the outer peripheral end of partition wall 22, a cylindrical sealing portion 24 that hangs down inside of the lower outer peripheral wall 23, and a cylindrical upper outer peripheral wall 25 that stands on the outer peripheral portion of the upper surface side of partition wall 22. An internal thread 23a that engages with external thread 12 on container main body 10 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of lower outer peripheral wall 23, and engaging projections 25a are protruding from the outer peripheral surface of upper outer peripheral wall 25. In addition, a pair of communicating holes 26 that have equal opening areas and penetrate axially are formed in partition wall 22 at positions that are symmetrical about container axis O. A check valve 27 is formed in each of the pair of communicating holes 26. That is, a first check valve 27A is formed in one of the communication holes 26 (the left side in FIG. 1), and a short cylindrical guide tube 28 extending upward in the figure is protruding from the outer edge of the first check valve 27A. Similarly, a second check valve 27B is formed in the other communication hole 26 (the right side in FIG. 1), and a short cylindrical guide tube 28 extending downward in the figure is protruding from the outer edge of the first check valve 27A.

[0016] The pair of check valves 27 (first check valve 27A and second check valve 27B) are each formed as a single-point valve in which a movable lid 27b that can open and close the communication hole 26 is connected to the tip of a single elastically deformable connecting piece 27a that is connected to the inner circumferential surface of the communication hole 26. The first check valve 27A is configured so that the movable lid 27b can be opened and closed only toward the upper measuring chamber Q, with the connecting piece 27a as a fulcrum, while the second check valve 27B is configured so that the movable lid 27b can be opened and closed only toward the lower container body 10, with the connecting piece 27a as a fulcrum. Therefore, the first check valve 27A has the function of allowing communication from the container body 10 to the measuring chamber Q, but blocking communication from the measuring chamber Q to the container body 10. Conversely, the second check valve 27B has the function of blocking communication from the container body 10 to the measuring chamber Q, but allowing communication from the measuring chamber Q to the container body 10. In addition, both check valves 27 are configured so that communication is not permitted simply when the load of the contents acts on the movable lid 27b, i.e., so that they can maintain a closed state, and can transition to an open state in which communication is permitted when a greater pressure (internal pressure) is applied to the load of the contents.

[0017] In this way, by forming the pair of check valves 27 (first check valve 27A and second check valve 27B) as a single-point valve composed of connecting piece 27a and movable lid 27b, only one connection point with communication hole 26 is required, and the inclination angle of movable lid 27b can be increased to expand the flow area when open, which facilitates the movement of contents P within communication hole 26. Furthermore, since the pair of check valves 27 can be formed integrally with partition wall 22, it is possible to reduce costs and simplify the manufacturing process.

[0018] The measuring cylinder portion 29 is a cylindrical member made of a transparent or semi-transparent synthetic resin, and mainly includes a measuring portion main body 29A that forms the measuring chamber Q. A short cylindrical fitting portion 29B is provided at the lower end of the outer peripheral surface side of the measuring portion main body 29A, which is formed in an inverted L shape in cross section and which is assembled together with the lower end of the measuring portion main body 29A to the upper outer peripheral wall 25 of the attachment portion 21. A lower engaging protrusion 29a that engages with the engaged protrusion 25a on the upper outer peripheral wall 25 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion 29B. Furthermore, an attachment portion 29C having an upper engaging protrusion 29b to which the dispensing cap 30 is attached is provided upright at the upper end of the measuring portion main body 29A.

[0019] The dispensing cap 30 has a cap body 30A, a hinge 30B, and an upper lid 40, and the cap body 30A and the upper lid 40 are connected via the hinge 30B.

[0020] The cap body 30A is composed of a bottom wall 31 that seals the measuring chamber Q on the measuring section body 29A side, an inner tube 33 that fits into the attachment portion 29C of the measuring section body 29A that is erected on the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall 31, a roughly cylindrical dispensing tube 32 that extends from the upper end of the inner tube 33, a base 34 that is connected radially outward from the boundary between the dispensing tube 32 and the inner tube 33, an outer tube 35 that is hung down from the outer peripheral end of the base 34 and fits into the attachment portion 29C, and an outer wall portion 36 that is folded back and connected to the lower end of the outer tube 35, and a ring-shaped lid engagement portion 37 is formed on the upper surface of the base 34 that engages with the upper lid 40 to maintain a closed state.

[0021] A breakable thin weakened portion 31a is provided around the bottom wall 31, and defines a removable portion 31A that forms a spout 39 when the thin weakened portion 31a is broken. A pull ring 38 is provided on the hinge 30B side of the removal part 31A via a support pillar 38A. In addition, an annular fitting protrusion 35a is formed on the inner periphery of the outer cylinder 35. When the fitting part 29C on the measuring part main body 29A side is inserted between the outer periphery of the inner cylinder 33 and the inner periphery of the outer cylinder 35, the fitting protrusion 35a fits into the upper engagement protrusion 29b provided on the fitting part 29C.

[0022] The upper lid 40 is composed of a top wall 41 and a side wall 42 that hangs down from the periphery of the top wall 41, and a sealing tube 43 that fits into the inner surface of the dispensing tube 32 of the cap body 30A hangs down from the back surface of the top wall 41. A knob 44 is provided on the outer periphery of the side wall 42 opposite the hinge 30B, where the fingers can be placed when opening or closing the top cover 40. In addition, engagement portions 45 are provided on the inner periphery of the side wall 42, each extending over a predetermined arc range, to engage with the cover engagement portion 37 of the hinge cap body 30A.

[0023] Next, the effects of the measuring container 1 having the above-described structure will be described with reference to FIGS. To start using the measuring container 1, it is necessary to open the dispensing cap 30. To open the dispensing cap 30, the top cover 40 is rotated around the hinge 30B to open the cap, and then the pull ring 38 is pulled upward to pull up the removable portion 31A provided on the bottom wall 31 via the support 38A, breaking the thin-walled weakened portion 31a and separating the removable portion 31A from the bottom wall 31 to open the dispensing outlet 39.

[0024] (1) Initial weighing operation To perform the initial metering operation, the top lid 40 is returned to the closed position, and then the measuring container 1 is set in an inverted position (see FIG. 2) or an inverted tilted position with the dispensing cap 30 facing downward. Then, the contents P move toward the open end of the container body 10 and reach the surface of the partition wall 22 on the container body 10 side. In this state, the weight of the contents P in the container body 10 acts on the first check valve 27A, but the first check valve 27A does not open just by placing the measuring container 1 in the inverted position.

[0025] Next, as shown in FIG. 3, with the measuring container 1 in an inverted position, pressure is applied radially to the barrel 11 of the container body 10 to squeeze and deform it. This increases the internal pressure within the container body 10, opening the movable lid 27b that constitutes the first check valve 27A, and the first check valve 27A can be set to an open state that allows communication. This allows the contents P to move from inside the container body 10 into the measuring chamber Q through the communication hole 26 on the first check valve 27A side. At this time, the guide tube 28 protruding from the outer edge of the communication hole 26 on the first check valve 27A side functions as a guide, making it easier to move the contents P into the measuring chamber Q. At this time, the second check valve 27B remains in a state that blocks communication.

[0026] After confirming that the contents P have moved into the measuring chamber Q, the measuring container 1 is returned to its original upright position. The volume of the contents P in the measuring chamber Q can be visually confirmed through the transparent or translucent measuring unit main body 29A. It is preferable to provide a scale on the side of the measuring unit main body 29A, as this allows the volume of the contents P to be measured more accurately.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, when the pressure on the container body 10 is stopped and the measuring container 1 is returned to an upright position, the container body 10 returns to its original shape before the squeeze deformation, and the first check valve 27A returns to a closed state to block communication, allowing the contents P to be temporarily stored in the measuring chamber Q. In the above initial measuring operation, if the volume of the contents P stored in the measuring chamber Q matches the desired volume, the top lid 40 can be rotated to the open state, allowing the contents to be poured out from the pouring outlet 39. On the other hand, if the volume of the contents P stored in the measuring chamber Q is greater than the desired volume, it is advisable to continue with the volume adjustment operation to reduce the volume in the measuring chamber Q as described below.

[0028] (2) Capacity adjustment operation As shown in FIG. 5, to adjust the volume, the barrel 11 of the container body 10 is compressed radially in the upright position to squeeze and deform it. This increases the internal pressure of the container body 10, opening the movable lid 27b of the first check valve 27A. This allows air that has accumulated near the upper open end of the container body 10 to move into the measuring chamber Q through the communication hole 26 on the first check valve 27A side. This increases the internal pressure of the measuring chamber Q, and the air in the measuring chamber Q presses downward against the liquid level of the contents P stored therein. This opens the movable lid 27b of the second check valve 27B, allowing the second check valve 27B to be set to an open state that allows communication. This allows the contents P in the measuring section 20 to move into the container body 10 through the communication hole 26 on the second check valve 27B side.

[0029] Furthermore, the guide tubes 28 protruding from the outer edge of each communicating hole 26 function as guides, so that the guide tube 28 on the first check valve 27A side can facilitate the movement of air in the container body 10 into the measuring chamber Q, and the guide tube 28 on the second check valve 27B side can facilitate the movement of the contents P in the measuring chamber Q into the container body 10.

[0030] At this time, the amount of content P in the measuring section 20 that moves into the container body 10 can be adjusted according to the amount of pressure (squeezing amount) applied to the barrel 11 of the container body 10. Therefore, by adjusting the amount of squeezing applied to the container body 10, the volume in the measuring chamber Q can be gradually reduced and adjusted until it reaches the desired volume. Therefore, the content P can be measured more accurately than ever before.

[0031] Furthermore, since the pair of communication holes 26 are formed with the same opening area, during the capacity adjustment operation, the amount of air that moves from the container body 10 into the measuring chamber Q through one communication hole 26 and the amount of contents P that simultaneously moves from the measuring chamber Q into the container body 10 through the other communication hole 26 can be made equal to each other, making the capacity adjustment operation easier.

[0032] Then, as with the initial measuring operation described above, after the volume of the contents P stored in the measuring chamber Q reaches the desired volume, the top lid 40 can be rotated to the open state, allowing the contents to be dispensed from the dispensing outlet 39.

[0033] The configuration and effects of the present invention have been described above in accordance with the examples, but the present invention is not limited to the above examples. For example, the dispensing cap 30 has been described as a hinge cap in which the top lid 40 can be opened and closed freely via a hinge 30B attached to the cap body 30A, but it may also be a screw cap that opens and closes via a screw mechanism.

[0034] In addition, we have explained a configuration in which the dispensing cap 30 pulls the pull ring 38, thereby separating the removal portion 31A from the bottom wall 31 and opening the dispensing outlet 39, but if the dispensing cap is a screw cap as described above, such a configuration may not be necessary.

[0035] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the measuring section 20 is configured by assembling the attachment section 21 and the measuring tube section 29, which are formed separately from each other, but the attachment section 21 and the measuring tube section 29 may be configured to be integrally formed. Alternatively, the attachment section 21 may be configured to be integrally formed with the open end of the container body 10. [Industrial Applicability]

[0036] The present invention can expand the range of applications in the field of measuring containers to a wider range. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1 : Measuring container 10: Container body 11: Body 12: Male thread 20 : Measuring part 21: Mounting part 22 : Bulkhead 23 : Lower outer peripheral wall 23a: Female thread 24: Seal cylinder 25: Upper outer peripheral wall 25a: Engaged projection 26: Communication hole 27: Check valve 27A: First check valve 27B: Second check valve 27a: Connecting piece 27b: Movable lid 28: Guide tube 29: Measuring cylinder part 29A: Measuring unit body 29B: Fitting part 29C: Attached part 29a: Lower engagement protrusion 29b: Upper engagement protrusion 30: Dispensing cap 30A: Cap body 30B: Hinge 31: Bottom wall 31A: Removal part 31a: Thin weakened part 32: Pour tube 33: Inner cylinder 34 : Base 35: Outer cylinder 35a: Fitting protrusion 36 : External wall part 37: Lid engagement part 38: Pull Ring 38A : Post 39: Spout 40: Top lid 41: Top wall 42: Side wall 43 : Sealing tube 44: Knob 45: Joint O : container axis P : Contents Q: Measuring room

Claims

1. A measuring container comprising a container body (10) configured to accommodate contents (P) and be elastically deformable, a measuring section (20) provided at the open end of the container body (10) and having a measuring chamber (Q) therein, and a dispensing cap (30) for dispensing the contents (P) after measurement, A partition wall (22) is provided to separate the container body (10) from the measuring chamber (Q), and a pair of communication holes (26) having equal opening areas and communicating between the container body (10) and the measuring chamber (Q) and a check valve (27) provided in each of the pair of communication holes (26) are integrally formed with the partition wall (22), One check valve (27) is a check valve that allows communication from the container body (10) to the measuring chamber (Q) and blocks communication from the measuring chamber (Q) to the container body (10), and the other check valve (27) is a check valve that blocks communication from the container body (10) to the measuring chamber (Q) and allows communication from the measuring chamber (Q) to the container body (10).

2. A measuring container as described in claim 1, wherein the pair of check valves (27) are formed having a movable cover (27b) capable of opening and closing the communication hole (26), and a single elastically deformable connecting piece (27a) connecting the movable cover (27b) and the communication hole (26).

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