Dispensing container
The dispensing container addresses the issue of residual contents by using a deformable inner container and multiple tubular holding members with sliding bodies to maintain pressure and enhance content flow paths, ensuring efficient dispensing and reducing residue.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2019217403
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2019-11-29
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-01
- Estimated Expiration
- 2039-11-29
AI Technical Summary
Existing dispensing containers fail to effectively dispense remaining contents when the container is nearly empty, leading to a significant amount of residue due to pressure loss and air escape through the dispensing hole.
A dispensing container design featuring a deformable inner container, an outer container with air intake holes, and a dispensing cap with multiple tubular holding members and sliding bodies that maintain the suck-back function, allowing for increased paths for content flow and reduced residue.
The design ensures efficient dispensing of remaining contents by maintaining pressure and utilizing multiple paths for content flow, reducing residue and improving user convenience.
Smart Images
Figure 0007777912000001 
Figure 0007777912000002 
Figure 0007777912000003
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a dispensing container. [Background technology]
[0002] For example, as shown in Patent Document 1, there is known a dispensing container equipped with a dispensing cap having a suck-back function that can suck up the liquid around the dispensing hole after the contents in the container body are dispensed by having a cylindrical storage portion in which a sliding body is slidably accommodated inside. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-159942 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] In the above-described dispensing container, when the remaining amount of contents in the container body becomes low, the opening of the cylindrical container portion on the container body side may become exposed to the contents when the container body is turned upside down, etc. In this case, when attempting to increase the pressure inside the container body by squeezing or deforming the container body to dispense the contents through the dispensing hole, the air inside the container body escapes from the cylindrical container portion to the dispensing hole, making it impossible to increase the pressure inside the container body. As a result, the dispensing valve that releasably closes the mouth of the container body cannot be opened, and the contents cannot be dispensed through the dispensing hole even if there is content remaining in the container body. Therefore, there is a problem that a relatively large amount of content tends to remain in the container body.
[0005] In view of the above circumstances, one aspect of the present invention has an object to provide a dispensing container that can reduce the amount of content remaining in the container body. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] One aspect of the dispensing container of the present invention comprises a container body including an inner container that shrinks and deforms as the contents are contained therein and as the contents decrease, and an outer container in which the inner container is housed; and a dispensing cap attached to the opening of the container body, wherein the outer container has an air intake hole formed between it and the inner container to draw in outside air, and the dispensing cap comprises a topped, cylindrical cap body having a top wall portion with a dispensing hole formed therein, a communication hole formed to connect the interior of the container body with the dispensing hole, an inner plug portion that closes the opening, a dispensing valve that releasably closes the communication hole, a cylindrical holding portion that extends in the direction of the central axis of the cap body, an end on the container body side that is an opening located inside the container body and whose interior is in communication with the dispensing hole, and a slider that is housed inside the cylindrical holding portion so as to be slidable in the direction of the central axis. a fitting cylindrical portion fitted inside the mouth portion; a plurality of the accommodating cylindrical portions and a plurality of the sliding bodies are provided, and the plurality of the accommodating cylindrical portions are arranged at positions different from the flow holes when viewed from the central axis direction. The opening is located on the opposite side of the container body side from the end of the fitting cylindrical portion on the container body side. It is characterized by:
[0007] According to one embodiment of the dispensing container of the present invention, a plurality of tubular holding members and sliding bodies are provided. Therefore, even if the tubular holding member is shortened in the direction of the central axis of the cap body, reducing the stroke of one sliding body, the plurality of sliding bodies move in the direction of the central axis within each tubular holding member, thereby maintaining the suck-back function favorably. This allows the opening of the tubular holding member on the container body side to be positioned closer to the container body while preventing a decrease in the suck-back function. Therefore, even if the dispensing container is inverted when the remaining amount of contents is low, the opening of the tubular holding member on the container body side is less likely to be exposed from the contents. This reduces the amount of contents remaining in the container body.
[0008] Furthermore, because the interior of the tubular housing is connected to the outlet, when discharging the contents, the contents can be dispensed from the outlet through multiple tubular housings. This increases the number of paths through which the contents can flow to the outlet by the number of tubular housings. Therefore, by providing multiple tubular housings, the amount of contents that can be dispensed from the outlet per unit time can be increased. Specifically, when the container body is suddenly squeezed, for example, and more contents than can pass through the outlet per unit time attempt to leave the container body, the contents that cannot pass through the outlet flow through the multiple tubular housings to the outlet. This increases the amount of contents that can be dispensed from the outlet per unit time. Furthermore, since the number of paths for the contents to flow to the spout hole is increased, the contents can be more easily sent to the spout hole when the container body is squeezed. This reduces the force pressing on the container body when the container body is squeezed. This makes it easier to squeeze the container body, improving convenience for users.
[0009] The plurality of cylindrical housing portions may be arranged at intervals along a circumferential direction centered on the flow hole. This configuration allows the distances from the flow holes to each of the cylindrical storage sections to be approximately the same. This prevents unevenness in the amount of content passing through each of the cylindrical storage sections when the content that cannot pass through the flow holes passes through the multiple cylindrical storage sections and flows to the spout hole. This allows the content to pass through each of the multiple cylindrical storage sections in an optimal manner, making it easier to optimally increase the amount of content that can be dispensed from the spout hole per unit time. [Effects of the Invention]
[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pouring container that can reduce the amount of content remaining in the container body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the dispensing container of this embodiment. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a view of a portion of the dispensing cap of this embodiment seen from below. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the dispensing container of this embodiment in an inverted state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0012] Hereinafter, a description will be given of a pouring container according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and can be modified as desired within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention. In addition, in the following drawings, the scale and number of each structure may differ from the scale and number of the actual structure in order to make each configuration easier to understand.
[0013] The dispensing container 1 of this embodiment includes a container body 4 in which the contents are accommodated, and a dispensing cap 2 attached to the opening 4a of the container body 4. The contents accommodated in the container body 4 are not particularly limited, but may be, for example, liquid contents. In this embodiment, the dispensing cap 2 and the container body 4 are arranged around a common axis.
[0014] Hereinafter, the common axis of the pouring cap 2 and the container body 4 will be referred to as the central axis O, and the central axis direction along the central axis O will be referred to as the up-down direction (Z-axis direction). The side (+Z side) on which the pouring cap 2 is located with respect to the container body 4 will be referred to as the upper side or upward, and the opposite side (-Z side) will be referred to as the lower side or downward. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the direction that intersects with the central axis O when viewed in the up-down direction will be simply referred to as the radial direction, and the direction going around the central axis O will be simply referred to as the circumferential direction.
[0015] The container body 4 to which the dispensing cap 2 of this embodiment is attached includes a highly flexible inner container 5 that shrinks (deforms) as the contents are accommodated and the inner container 5 is placed inside the outer container 6. Both the outer container 6 and the inner container 5 are made of polyethylene terephthalate resin (PET). Although not shown, the outer container 6 is made of a polyethylene terephthalate resin outer preform, and an inner preform for the inner container 5 is assembled inside the outer preform for the outer container 6, resulting in a double-walled container structure formed by blow molding. The container body 4 is formed by biaxial stretch blow molding, and is a delaminated container (delamination bottle) in which the inner container 5 is peelably laminated to the inner surface of the outer container 6. The outer container 6 is formed to be deformable by squeezing, and the inner container 5 shrinks (deforms) as the outer container 6 is squeezed. The container body 4 may be made of any synthetic resin, such as polyethylene, and the material is not limited.
[0016] The mouth 4a of the container body 4 is configured by stacking the mouth 5a of the inner container 5 and the mouth 6a of the outer container 6. A flange protruding radially outward is formed at the upper end of the mouth 5a of the inner container 5, and this flange is located at the upper opening edge of the mouth 6a of the outer container 6. The mouth 6a of the outer container 6 is formed with an air intake hole 8 for drawing outside air between the outer container 6 and the inner container 5. A plurality of air intake holes 8 are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction in the mouth 6a. A sealed portion 7 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of a portion of the mouth 6a of the outer container 6 located below the air intake hole 8, extending continuously around the entire periphery in the circumferential direction. The outer diameter of the sealed portion 7 is the largest among the outer diameters of the mouth 6a of the outer container 6.
[0017] As shown in Fig. 1, the dispensing cap 2 of this embodiment includes a cap body 20 that is attached to the mouth portion 4a of the container body 4, and a lid body 30 that is connected to the cap body 20 via a hinge portion 34. Fig. 1 shows the lid body 30 in a closed state. In the following description of the relative positional relationships of each part, unless otherwise specified, the description will be given for the case where the lid body 30 is in a closed state. The cap body 20 and the lid body 30 are cylindrical and arranged coaxially with a central axis O. 1 will be referred to as the front-rear direction, and the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction (Y-axis direction) will be referred to as the left-right direction. In the front-rear direction, the side on which the hinge part 34 is located with respect to the central axis O (-X side) will be referred to as the rear side or rear, and the opposite side (+X side) will be referred to as the front side or front.
[0018] The cap body 20 has a disk-shaped top wall portion 22 arranged coaxially with the central axis O, and a cylindrical mounting tube portion 21 extending downward from the outer circumferential edge of the top wall portion 22. The mounting tubular portion 21 of the cap body 20 is tightly fitted onto the mouth portion 4a of the container body 4. The lower end of the mounting tubular portion 21 forms a sealing portion 21b that is in airtight contact with the sealed portion 7 of the container body 4 over the entire circumferential direction. A plurality of communication grooves 21a are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction on the inner circumferential surface of the mounting tubular portion 21, extending in the vertical direction and connecting an outside air introduction hole 23 (described later) with the air intake hole 8. The mounting tubular portion 21 may also be screwed onto the mouth portion 4a.
[0019] The top wall portion 22 of the cap body 20 is located higher than the container body 4. A pouring hole 26 through which the contents are poured is formed in the top wall portion 22. The pouring hole 26 is provided in a position shifted forward with respect to the central axis O. The pouring hole 26 is provided in the center of the top wall portion 22 in the left-right direction. A pouring tube 19 that protrudes upward is formed on the periphery of the opening of the pouring hole 26 on the upper surface of the top wall portion 22. The upper end of the pouring tube 19 extends in a curved manner so that the inner and outer diameters increase as it extends upward, and the outer peripheral edge of the upper end opening edge 19a of the pouring tube 19 is pointed radially outward of the pouring tube 19.
[0020] An outside air introduction hole 23 that connects the outside of the cap body 20 to the intake hole 8 is formed in a portion of the top wall portion 22 that is located rearward of the spout hole 26. The outside air introduction hole 23 is provided, for example, in portions of the top wall portion 22 that are located on both sides of the center portion in the left-right direction in the circumferential direction. A hanging tube 24 is formed in a portion of the ceiling wall 22 that is located radially inward of the outside air introduction hole 23 and that protrudes downward and surrounds the lower end opening of the pouring hole 26 when viewed from below.
[0021] The lid 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top having a peripheral wall 31 and a top wall 32, and opens and closes the pouring hole 26. The top wall portion 32 is formed with a stopper portion 33 that protrudes downward and is tightly and detachably fitted into the dispensing tube 19. The stopper portion 33 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The top wall portion 32 is formed with an enclosing tube 17, inside which the dispensing tube 19 is inserted. The lower end opening edge of the enclosing tube 17 is close to the upper surface of the top wall portion 22 of the cap body 20. The vertical gap between the lower end opening edge of the enclosing tube 17 and the upper surface of the top wall portion 22 is smaller than the vertical gap between the upper end opening edge 19a of the dispensing tube 19 and the lower surface of the top wall portion 32.
[0022] The peripheral wall 31 is detachably fitted onto the upper end of the mounting cylinder 21 of the cap body 20. The peripheral wall 31 is connected to the mounting cylinder 21 via a hinge 34. This allows the lid body 30 to rotate up and down around the hinge 34, and this rotation causes the stopper 33 to be attached to and detached from the dispensing cylinder 19, opening and closing the dispensing hole 26. A finger hook 35 that protrudes forward is provided at the front end at the lower end of the peripheral wall 31.
[0023] The dispensing cap 2 further includes an inner plug portion 10 that closes the mouth portion 4a of the container body 4, and a valve member 60 attached to the inner plug portion 10. The inner plug portion 10 is fixed to the inside of the mounting tubular portion 21 of the cap body 20. The inner plug portion 10 has a base portion 11 that covers the upper opening of the mouth portion 4a of the container body 4, a fixed tubular portion 15 that extends upward from the base portion 11, a fitting tubular portion 16 that extends downward from the base portion 11, a storage tubular portion 12 that extends downward from the base portion 11 radially inward of the fitting tubular portion 16, and a slider 13 that is housed inside the storage tubular portion 12 so as to be slidable in the up and down direction. Note that, although the base portion 11 and the storage tubular portion 12 are integrally formed in the illustrated example, they may also be formed separately.
[0024] The base portion 11 has an annular outer base portion 11a disposed on the upper opening edge of the mouth portion 4a of the container body 4, an inner base portion 11b located radially inward of the outer base portion 11a, and a connecting tubular portion 11c extending in the vertical direction and connecting the radially inner end of the outer base portion 11a to the radially outer end of the inner base portion 11b. The inner base portion 11b is located higher than the outer base portion 11a.
[0025] The outer base portion 11a is formed with a rising tube portion 14 that protrudes upward and surrounds the connecting tube portion 11c from the outside in the radial direction. The rising tube portion 14 is located radially inward of the fixed tube portion 15. The upper opening edge of the rising tube portion 14 faces the lower opening edge of the hanging tube 24 of the cap body 20 in the vertical direction. A communication hole 11d that communicates between the outside air introduction hole 23 in the cap body 20 and the communication groove 21a is formed in the portion of the outer base portion 11a that rests on the upper opening edge of the mouth portion 4a of the container body 4.
[0026] A communication hole 11e that opens toward the inside of the container body 4 is formed in the inner base portion 11b. The communication hole 11e connects the interior of the container body 4 with the pouring hole 26. In this embodiment, the communication hole 11e connects the interior of the inner container 5 with the pouring hole 26. The communication hole 11e is, for example, a circular hole that is arranged coaxially with the central axis O. The entire communication hole 11e faces in the up-down direction a portion of the lower surface of the top wall portion 22 of the cap body 20 that is away from the pouring hole 26.
[0027] The fixed cylinder portion 15 extends upward from the outer peripheral edge portion of the outer base portion 11a. The fixed cylinder portion 15 is cylindrical and opens upward about the central axis O. The fixed cylinder portion 15 is fitted into and fixed to the inside of the upper end portion of the mounting cylinder portion 21 of the cap body 20. The upper end portion of the fixed cylinder portion 15 is located higher than the upper end portion of the rising cylinder portion 14. The upper end portion of the fixed cylinder portion 15 is in contact with the lower surface of the top wall portion 22. The above-mentioned communication hole 11d is formed across the lower part of the fixed cylinder portion 15 and the outer peripheral edge portion of the outer base portion 11a.
[0028] The fitting cylindrical portion 16 extends downward from the outer base portion 11a. The fitting cylindrical portion 16 is cylindrical and opens downward about the central axis O. The fitting cylindrical portion 16 is located radially inward of the fixed cylindrical portion 15 and radially outward of the rising cylindrical portion 14. The fitting cylindrical portion 16 is fitted into the inside of the mouth portion 4a of the container body 4. In this embodiment, the fitting cylindrical portion 16 is fitted into the inside of the mouth portion 5a of the inner container 5.
[0029] The accommodating tube portion 12 is formed in a tubular shape extending in the central axis direction (vertical direction) of the cap body 20. The accommodating tube portion 12 is, for example, cylindrical and open in both the vertical and horizontal directions. The accommodating tube portion 12 protrudes downward from a portion of the inner base portion 11b adjacent to the flow hole 11e. In the illustrated example, the accommodating tube portion 12 is provided radially offset from the central axis O, and a portion of it is integrated with the connecting tube portion 11c. The accommodating tube portion 12 penetrates the inner base portion 11b in the vertical direction. The upper opening of the accommodating tube portion 12 opens above the base portion 11.
[0030] The interior of the tubular accommodating portion 12 is a space into which the contents remaining above the base portion 11 are drawn, and is open in the vertical direction. A valve seat portion 12a is formed in the lower portion of the tubular accommodating portion 12, the diameter of which decreases toward the lower end. The end of the tubular accommodating portion 12 on the container body 4 side (lower side) is an opening 12b that opens downward and is located inside the container body 4. The opening 12b is located above the lower end of the tubular fitting portion 16. Note that the opening 12b may be located at the same position as the lower end of the tubular fitting portion 16 in the vertical direction, or may be located below the lower end of the tubular fitting portion 16. The inner diameter of the opening 12b is smaller than the diameter of the sliding body 13. The vertical dimension from the upper end of the tubular accommodating portion 12 to the lower end of the valve seat portion 12a is, for example, no more than twice the diameter of the sliding body 13.
[0031] The sliding body 13 is housed in the tubular accommodating portion 12 so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and is seated on the inner circumferential surface of the valve seat portion 12a so as to be movable upward. In the illustrated example, the sliding body 13 is a so-called ball valve formed in a spherical shape. The outer diameter of the sliding body 13 is smaller than the inner diameter of a portion of the tubular accommodating portion 12 that is located above the valve seat portion 12a. As a result, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1 , for example, when the sliding body 13 moves upward away from the valve seat portion 12a, a small gap is formed between the inner circumferential surface of the tubular accommodating portion 12 and the sliding body 13, allowing the contents or air to flow through the tubular accommodating portion 12.
[0032] When the dispensing container 1 is tilted or turned upside down to dispense the contents, the sliding body 13 moves due to its own weight in a direction away from the valve seat 12a, and when the dispensing container 1 is returned to its original upright position, the sliding body 13 moves due to its own weight in a direction toward the valve seat 12a. As a result, when the dispensing container 1 is returned to its original upright position after the contents have been dispensed, the contents remaining above the base 11 can be drawn into the interior of the tubular accommodating portion 12, and dripping can be prevented by the so-called suck-back effect. The maximum stroke that the sliding body 13 can move up and down within the tubular accommodating portion 12 is, for example, equal to or less than the diameter of the sliding body 13.
[0033] A plurality of accommodating cylindrical portions 12 and a plurality of sliding bodies 13 are provided. In this embodiment, two accommodating cylindrical portions 12 and two sliding bodies 13 are provided. One sliding body 13 is accommodated in each accommodating cylindrical portion 12. As shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of accommodating cylindrical portions 12 are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction centered on the flow hole 11e. In this embodiment, the circumferential direction centered on the flow hole 11e refers to the direction going around the central axis O. The plurality of accommodating cylindrical portions 12 are arranged, for example, at equal intervals around one circumference along the circumferential direction.
[0034] In this embodiment, the two accommodating cylinder portions 12 are arranged on either side of the communication hole 11e in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction). One accommodating cylinder portion 12 is provided in a portion of the inner base portion 11b that is located forward of the communication hole 11e. The other accommodating cylinder portion 12 is provided in a portion of the inner base portion 11b that is located rearward of the communication hole 11e. The shapes and sizes of the multiple accommodating cylinder portions 12 are, for example, the same as each other. The positions of the openings 12b in the multiple accommodating cylinder portions 12 in the up-down direction are, for example, the same as each other. The shapes and sizes of the multiple sliding bodies 13 are, for example, the same as each other.
[0035] 1, the valve member 60 is provided between the inner plug portion 10 and the top wall portion 22 of the cap body 20 in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the valve member 60 has a spout valve 40 and an air valve 50. Furthermore, a configuration may be adopted in which, for example, the size of the outside air inlet hole 23 is reduced, so that the air between the outer container 6 and the inner container 5 does not substantially flow out through the outside air inlet hole 23 when the outer container 6 is squeezed and deformed, without providing the air valve 50.
[0036] The spout valve 40 closes the communication hole 11e in an openable manner. In this way, the spout valve 40 switches between communication between the spout hole 26 and the inside of the inner container 5 through the communication hole 11e of the inner plug portion 10 and blockage of communication. The spout valve 40 is, for example, a three-point valve including a valve body 41 separably arranged on the upper surface of the inner base portion 11b, and multiple (three) elastic arms 42 connecting the valve body 41 and a cylindrical portion 51 of the air valve 50, which will be described later.
[0037] The valve body 41 has a circular shape when viewed from above, for example, and releasably closes the flow hole 11e. The valve body 41 does not seal the upper end opening of the tubular accommodating portion 12. Therefore, the interior of the tubular accommodating portion 12 is always open upward. As a result, the interior of the tubular accommodating portion 12 communicates with the spout hole 26 via the space between the top wall portion 22 of the cap body 20 and the inner plug portion 10 in the vertical direction.
[0038] When the internal pressure of the inner container 5 increases as the outer container 6 is squeezed, the elastic arm 42 elastically deforms, causing the valve body 41 to move upward away from the upper surface of the inner base portion 11b. As a result, when the outer container 6 is squeezed, the communication hole 11e is opened, connecting the pouring hole 26 to the inside of the inner container 5 and allowing the contents to be poured out through the pouring hole 26. The dispensing valve 40 may have any valve structure other than that described above as long as it can open the communication hole 11e when the outer container 6 is squeezed and deformed.
[0039] The air valve 50 has a cylindrical portion 51 whose lower end is fitted into the rising cylindrical portion 14 of the inner plug portion 10 and whose upper end is fitted into the hanging tube 24 of the cap body 20, and an elastically deformable annular valve body 52 that protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 51 and whose radial outer end is a free end.
[0040] The valve body 52 has its radially outer end in releasable contact with the underside of the top wall portion 22 of the cap body 20 over the entire circumferential direction, and closes the outside air introduction hole 23 so as to be releasable from below. The valve body 52 functions as a check valve that allows air to flow from the outside of the cap body 20 into the inside of the cap body 20 through the outside air introduction hole 23, and that regulates air flow from the inside of the cap body 20 to the outside of the cap body 20 through the outside air introduction hole 23. The air that flows into the inside of the cap body 20 from the outside through the outside air introduction hole 23 flows between the inner container 5 and the outer container 6 through the communication hole 11d of the inner plug portion 10, the communicating groove 21a of the cap body 20, and the air intake hole 8 of the outer container 6. In this embodiment, the spout valve 40 and the air valve 50 are configured to be integrally formed, but the spout valve 40 and the air valve 50 may be separate members.
[0041] To dispense the contents in the above configuration, first, the finger grip 35 is lifted or pushed up to rotate the lid 30 upward about the hinge 34, opening the dispensing hole 26. Then, for example, the dispensing container 1 is tilted or turned upside down, causing the outer container 6 to undergo squeeze deformation (elastic deformation). This causes the inner container 5 to deform together with the outer container 6, reducing its volume, and increasing the internal pressure of the inner container 5. Then, the elastic arm 42 of the dispensing valve 40 elastically deforms, causing the valve body 41 to move away from the upper surface of the inner base portion 11b, opening the communication hole 11e and connecting the dispensing hole 26 to the interior of the inner container 5. This allows the contents contained in the inner container 5 to be dispensed to the outside through the dispensing hole 26. At this time, the slider 13 in the cylindrical housing portion 12 moves away from the valve seat portion 12a, as shown in FIG. 3 . Note that FIG. 3 shows the dispensing container 1 turned upside down.
[0042] Thereafter, when the squeeze deformation of the container body 4 is stopped or released, the increase in the internal pressure of the inner container 5 stops or decreases, and the elastic arm 42 of the dispensing valve 40 returns to its original shape, causing the valve body 41 to seat on the upper surface of the inner base part 11b. This closes the flow hole 11e again, and the dispensing of the contents is stopped. Furthermore, by releasing the squeeze deformation of the container body 4, the outer container 6 begins to deform to its original shape, generating a negative pressure between the outer container 6 and the inner container 5. This negative pressure then acts on the air valve 50 through the intake hole 8, the communication groove 21a, and the communication hole 11d, causing the radially outer end of the valve body 52 to move downward from the underside of the top wall portion 22 and open the outside air introduction hole 23. This allows air to flow in from outside the cap body 20 through the outside air introduction hole 23, and this air flows between the inner container 5 and the outer container 6 through the communication hole 11d, the communication groove 21a, and the intake hole 8. As a result, even if the outer container 6 is deformed to restore its original shape, the inner container 5 can be separated from the inner surface of the outer container 6 and kept in the state of reduced volume deformation.
[0043] Furthermore, by returning the container body 4 to its upright position in accordance with the release of the squeeze deformation of the container body 4, the slider 13 inside the tubular accommodating portion 12 moves by its own weight in a direction approaching the valve seat portion 12a and seats on the valve seat portion 12a. As a result, even if the contents remain above the base portion 11, the suck-back effect caused by the movement of the slider 13 makes it possible to draw the remaining contents into the tubular accommodating portion 12. Therefore, the remaining contents are less likely to leak to the outside through the dispensing tube 19, and dripping can be suppressed. In addition, it is possible to use the increase in internal pressure of the inner container 5 to move the sliding body 13 inside the cylindrical storage portion 12 in a direction away from the valve seat portion 12a, so it is not necessarily necessary to tilt or turn the dispensing container 1 upside down when dispensing the contents.
[0044] 3, the opening 12b of the cylindrical accommodating portion 12 is exposed from the contents. That is, the opening 12b is exposed to the air inside the container body 4. The imaginary line IL is an imaginary line that is perpendicular to the vertical direction and passes through the same vertical position as the opening 12b of the cylindrical accommodating portion 12.
[0045] In this case, when the container body 4 is squeezed, the air inside the container body 4 escapes from the opening 12b of the tubular housing portion 12 to the spout hole 26, making it difficult for the pressure inside the container body 4 to increase. Therefore, even when the container body 4 is squeezed, the spout valve 40 may not be opened, and the contents may not be able to be poured out through the spout hole 26. Therefore, when the pouring container 1 is turned upside down, there are cases where the amount of contents remaining is such that the liquid level is at the position of the imaginary line IL, making it impossible to pour out the contents to the outside.
[0046] Therefore, in order to reduce the amount of content remaining in the container body 4, it is preferable to position the opening 12b of the tubular accommodating portion 12 as far up and down as possible on the opposite side of the container body 4, i.e., on the upper side in Fig. 1. In other words, when the dispensing container 1 is inverted as shown in Fig. 3, it is preferable to lower the position of the imaginary line IL as much as possible. However, in this case, the vertical dimension of the tubular accommodating portion 12 is likely to be shortened, and the vertical stroke of the sliding body 13 within the tubular accommodating portion 12 is likely to be reduced. As a result, there is a risk of the suck-back function being reduced.
[0047] In contrast, according to this embodiment, a plurality of tubular accommodating portions 12 and a plurality of sliding bodies 13 are provided. Therefore, even if the tubular accommodating portion 12 is shortened in the vertical direction and the vertical stroke of each sliding body 13 is reduced, the plurality of sliding bodies 13 move vertically within each tubular accommodating portion 12, thereby favorably maintaining the suck-back function. This makes it possible to position the opening 12b higher and lower the position of the imaginary line IL when the dispensing container 1 is inverted, while suppressing a decrease in the suck-back function. Therefore, even if the dispensing container 1 is inverted when the remaining amount of the contents is low, the opening 12b of the tubular accommodating portion 12 is less likely to be exposed from the contents. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of contents remaining in the container body 4.
[0048] In particular, in this embodiment, the vertical dimension from the upper end of the tubular accommodating portion 12 to the lower end of the valve seat portion 12a is equal to or less than twice the diameter of the sliding body 13. Therefore, it is easy to suitably reduce the vertical dimension of the tubular accommodating portion 12. This makes it easy to suitably position the opening 12b of the tubular accommodating portion 12 on the upper side, and it is possible to suitably lower the position of the imaginary line IL when the dispensing container 1 is inverted. Therefore, it is easy to suitably reduce the amount of content remaining in the container body 4. If it is possible to prevent dripping by the suck-back effect caused by the vertical movement of each sliding body 13 within each cylindrical housing portion 12, the vertical length of the cylindrical housing portion 12 may be shorter than that of the cylindrical housing portion 12 shown in Fig. 1. In this case, the opening 12b can be positioned higher, thereby further reducing the amount of content remaining in the container body 4.
[0049] Furthermore, because the interior of the tubular housing portion 12 is in communication with the outlet hole 26, when the contents are to be discharged, the sliding body 13 is separated from the valve seat portion 12a of the tubular housing portion 12, allowing the contents to be dispensed from the outlet hole 26 through the interiors of the multiple tubular housing portions 12. This allows the number of paths through which the contents can flow to the outlet hole 26 to be increased by the number of tubular housing portions 12. Therefore, by providing multiple tubular housing portions 12, the amount of contents that can be dispensed per unit time from the outlet hole 26 can be increased. Specifically, when the container body 4 is suddenly squeezed and deformed, for example, and more contents than can pass through the flow hole 11e attempt to leave the container body 4 per unit time, the contents that cannot pass through the flow hole 11e flow through the multiple tubular housing portions 12 to the outlet hole 26. This allows the amount of contents that can be dispensed per unit time from the outlet hole 26 to be increased. Furthermore, since the number of paths for the contents to flow to the spout hole 26 is increased, when the container body 4 is squeezed, the contents can be more easily sent to the spout hole 26. This reduces the force pressing on the container body 4 when the container body 4 is squeezed. This makes it easier to squeeze the container body 4, improving convenience for the user.
[0050] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the multiple tubular housing portions 12 are spaced apart in the circumferential direction around the through hole 11e. Therefore, the distance from the through hole 11e to each of the multiple tubular housing portions 12 can be made approximately the same. This prevents unevenness in the amount of content passing through each of the multiple tubular housing portions 12 when the content that cannot pass through the through hole 11e flows through the multiple tubular housing portions 12 and toward the dispensing hole 26. Therefore, the content can be passed through each of the multiple tubular housing portions 12 in an optimal manner, which makes it easy to optimally increase the amount of content that can be dispensed from the dispensing hole 26 per unit time.
[0051] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the following configurations may also be adopted. The number of accommodating cylindrical portions and the number of sliding bodies are not particularly limited. As long as a plurality of accommodating cylindrical portions and sliding bodies are provided, three or more of each may be provided. The arrangement of the plurality of accommodating cylindrical portions is not particularly limited. The shapes and sizes of the plurality of accommodating cylindrical portions may be different from each other. The vertical positions of the plurality of accommodating cylindrical portions at the opening on the container body side may be different from each other. The sliding body may have a structure other than a ball valve, as long as it is slidable up and down inside the cylindrical housing portion. The configurations described in this specification can be combined with each other within the scope of not being mutually inconsistent. [Explanation of symbols]
[0052] 1...Dispensing container, 2...Dispensing cap, 4...Container body, 4a...Mouth portion, 5...Inner container, 6...Outer container, 8...Air intake hole, 10...Inner plug portion, 11e...Circulation hole, 12...Containing cylindrical portion, 12b...Opening, 13...Sliding body, 14...Cylindrical portion, 20...Cap body, 22...Top wall portion, 26...Dispensing hole, 33...Plug portion, 40...Dispensing valve, O...Central axis
Claims
1. a container body including an inner container that shrinks and deforms as the contents are stored therein and the contents decrease, and an outer container in which the inner container is housed; A pouring cap attached to the opening of the container body; Equipped with an air intake hole is formed between the outer container and the inner container to draw in outside air; The dispensing cap is a cap body having a cylindrical shape with a top and a top wall portion formed with a pouring hole; an inner plug portion that closes the opening and that has a flow hole that connects the inside of the container body with the pouring hole; a pouring valve that releasably closes the flow hole; a cylindrical housing portion formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the central axis direction of the cap body, the end portion on the container body side being an opening portion located inside the container body, and the interior of the cylindrical housing portion communicating with the pouring hole; a sliding body accommodated inside the accommodating cylindrical portion so as to be slidable in the direction of the central axis; a fitting cylindrical portion fitted inside the mouth portion; Equipped with The housing cylinder portion and the sliding body are provided in plural, the plurality of accommodating cylindrical portions are disposed at positions different from the flow holes as viewed from the central axis direction, The pouring container is characterized in that the opening is located on the opposite side of the container body side from the end of the fitting cylindrical portion on the container body side.
2. The pouring container according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cylindrical housing portions are arranged at intervals along a circle having the flow hole as a center when viewed from the central axis direction.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Discharge cap
JP2016159942A
Cap
JP2018203369A
Double container
JP2019026348A
Discharge container
JP2019151404A