Dropper container

Abstract

To positively seal an upper-end opening of a dropper tube during standby.SOLUTION: A dropper container, including a container body W, an inner cap 50, a dropper tube 60, an outer cap 10, an actuation member 30 and an operation member 40, comprises a slide-cylinder portion 33 that is provided, in any one of the inner cap and the actuation member, extending vertically and forming a part of a partition for an actuation space S in communication with an upper-end opening of the dropper tube, a piston 80 that is provided in the other to expand / compress the actuation space by sliding over an inner or outer peripheral surface of the slide-cylinder portion with vertical movement of the actuation member relative to the inner cap so that the an actuation top wall 32 of the actuation member covers the upper-end opening of the dropper tube from above, and a seal material 101 that is provided between the lower face of the actuation top wall and the upper-end opening of the dropper tube, to be pressed downward by the lower face of the actuation top wall and seal the upper-end opening of the dropper tube, the seal material being formed of a material softer than a material forming the actuation member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dropper container. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, dropper containers having a dropper tube have been used, as shown in Patent Document 1. In the configuration of Patent Document 1, when the outer cap (lid cover) is rotated relative to the container body, the outer cap rises relative to the container body and the contents are sucked up into the dropper tube. Thereafter, the contents can be dispensed by pressing the operating part (push button) against the outer cap. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-33056 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The dropper container of Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in terms of reliably sealing the upper end opening of the dropper tube during standby.

[0005] The present invention provides a dropper container capable of reliably sealing the upper end opening of the dropper tube during standby. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] a dropper tube extending downward from the inner cap with a lower end opening located within the container body; an outer cap rotatably mounted on the inner cap about the container axis while being restricted from rotating about the container axis by a predetermined amount or more; an actuating member provided within the outer cap, the actuating member being restricted from rotating about the container axis relative to the outer cap and being movable up and down relative to the inner cap by rotating about the container axis relative to the inner cap; and an operating member attached to the actuating member and defining an expandable / contractable space between the actuating member and the operating member that communicates with the upper end opening of the dropper tube. One of the members is provided with a sliding cylindrical portion that extends in the vertical direction and forms part of a partition wall of an operating space that communicates with the upper end opening of the dropper tube, and the other of the inner cap and the operating member is provided with a piston that slides on the inner or outer circumferential surface of the sliding cylindrical portion to expand and contract the operating space as the operating member moves up and down relative to the inner cap. The operating member is formed in a topped cylindrical shape having an operating top wall and an operating circumferential wall. The operating top wall covers the upper end opening of the dropper tube from above, and a sealing material is provided between the lower surface of the operating top wall and the upper end opening of the dropper tube, the sealing material being pressed downward by the lower surface of the operating top wall to seal the upper end opening of the dropper tube, and the sealing material is made of a material softer than the material that forms the operating member.

[0007] According to the above aspect, when the outer cap is rotated loosely around the container axis relative to the container body, the outer cap rotates relative to the inner cap within a predetermined range. At this time, the actuating member, whose rotation relative to the outer cap is restricted, also rotates loosely around the container axis relative to the inner cap, causing it to rise. This causes the lower surface of the actuating top wall to move upward away from the seal, opening the upper end opening of the dropper tube. The piston and the sliding tube portion slide against each other, causing a negative pressure to develop within the actuating space as the volume of the actuating space increases. This also creates a negative pressure within the dropper tube, which is connected to the actuating space, allowing the contents of the container body to be drawn up through the lower end opening of the dropper tube. Because the increase in volume of the actuating space is determined by the relative vertical displacement of the piston and the sliding tube portion, rotating the outer cap a predetermined distance relative to the inner cap allows a substantially constant volume of the contents to be drawn into the dropper tube. When the outer cap is then further rotated, the outer cap and the inner cap rotate together relative to the container body, the inner cap is detached from the mouth of the container body, and the dropper tube is pulled out from within the container body. When the operating member is then operated to reduce the volume of the expandable / contractable space, air in the expandable / contractable space flows into the upper opening of the dropper tube through the operating space, and the content held in the dropper tube is expelled from the lower opening of the dropper tube.

[0008] A sealant is provided between the underside of the actuating top wall and the upper opening of the dropper tube, and is pressed downward by the underside of the actuating top wall to seal the upper opening of the dropper tube. The sealant is made of a material that is softer than the material that forms the actuating member, so that the upper opening of the dropper tube can be sealed when the sealant is compressed and deformed, and the upper opening of the dropper tube can be reliably sealed during standby.

[0009] Because the seal material is pressed downward by the underside of the actuating top wall to seal the upper end opening of the dropper tube, for example, a downwardly protruding sealing tube provided on the actuating top wall that fits into the upper end opening of the dropper tube can suppress an increase in internal pressure in the expansion / contraction space and the operating space when inserting the dropper tube into the container body and attaching the inner cap to the mouth, compared to sealing the upper end opening of the dropper tube by fitting the sealing tube into the upper end opening of the dropper tube. That is, since viscous contents tend to adhere to the sealing tube, during the process of inserting the dropper tube into the container body and attaching the inner cap to the mouth, the contents may block the upper end opening of the dropper tube before the sealing tube reaches the upper end opening of the dropper tube, which could easily increase the internal pressure in the expansion / contraction space and the operating space. Furthermore, when the actuating member is raised relative to the inner cap as described above while the expansion / contraction space and the operating space are pressurized, the amount of contents in the container body drawn into the dropper tube is less than the specified amount.

[0010] The sliding cylindrical portion may be formed on the lower surface of the actuating top wall, the piston may be provided in the inner cap, and the sealing material may be formed integrally with the piston.

[0011] Since the sealing material is formed integrally with the piston, an increase in the number of parts is prevented, and the upper end opening of the dropper tube can be reliably sealed during standby. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the above aspect of the present invention, the upper end opening of the dropper tube can be reliably sealed during standby. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a dropper container according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the outer cap and the like in FIG. 1 are rotated approximately 90 degrees to the loosening side, and the operating member and the actuating member are raised. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the main part of a dropper container according to a second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a main part of a dropper container according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, the dropper container of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the dropper container 1 includes a container body W, an outer cap 10, a gasket 20, an actuating member 30, an operating member 40, an inner cap 50, a dropper tube 60, a squeezing tube member 70, a piston 80, and a sliding member 90.

[0015] The container body W is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and the contents are accommodated in the container body W. A male screw portion is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion W1 of the container body W. The contents may be, for example, a medicinal liquid, a liquid cosmetic, etc. The components of the dropper container 1 in this embodiment are made of a resin material. The dropper container 1 in this embodiment does not have any metal parts such as a coil spring.

[0016] The outer cap 10, packing 20, actuating member 30, operating member 40, inner cap 50, dropper tube 60, piston 80, and sliding member 90 constitute a dropper assembly 1a that is detachably attached to the container body W.

[0017] (direction definition) The central axes of the container body W and the dropper tube 60 are located on a common axis. Hereinafter, this axis will be referred to as the container axis O, the direction along the container axis O will be referred to as the vertical direction, and along the vertical direction, the mouth W1 side of the container body W will be referred to as the upper side, and the bottom side of the container body W will be referred to as the lower side. The direction intersecting the container axis O as viewed from the vertical direction will be referred to as the radial direction, and the direction circumferential around the container axis O as viewed from the vertical direction will be referred to as the circumferential direction. One side along the circumferential direction may be referred to as the "loosening side X." When the operating member 30 is rotated toward the loosening side X relative to the inner cap 50, the operating member 30 rises relative to the inner cap 50, and when the inner cap 50 is rotated toward the loosening side X relative to the mouth portion W1, the inner cap 50 rises relative to the mouth portion W1. The other side along the circumferential direction may be referred to as the "fastening side Y." When the operating member 30 is rotated relative to the inner cap 50 toward the fastening side Y, the operating member 30 descends relative to the inner cap 50, and when the inner cap 50 is rotated relative to the opening portion W1 toward the fastening side Y, the inner cap 50 descends relative to the opening portion W1.

[0018] The inner cap 50 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top having an annular inner cap top wall 53 and an inner cap peripheral wall 51, and is disposed coaxially with the container axis O. The inner cap 50 is removably fitted to the mouth W1, and is attached to and detached from the mouth W1 as the inner cap 50 rotates about the container axis O. In the illustrated example, a female thread is formed on the inner surface of the inner cap peripheral wall 51, which screws into a male thread formed on the outer surface of the mouth W1.

[0019] The inner cap top wall 53 is formed with an externally threaded tube 54 and a retaining tube portion 57. The externally threaded tube 54 and the retaining tube portion 57 are arranged coaxially with the container axis O. The externally threaded tube 54 extends upward from the inner cap top wall 53, and has an external thread formed on its outer circumferential surface. The retaining tube portion 57 extends upward from the inner peripheral edge of the inner cap top wall 53. The lower end of the retaining tube portion 57 protrudes downward from the inner peripheral edge of the inner cap top wall 53. A plurality of inner restriction protrusions 51a protruding radially outward are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cap peripheral wall 51. The inner restriction protrusions 51a are formed as ridges extending in the up-down direction. Four inner restriction protrusions 51a are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0020] The piston 80 is provided in the inner cap 50. The piston 80 is formed in an annular shape and is fitted onto and fixed to the upper end of the retaining cylindrical portion 57. The piston 80 is formed with an annular sliding portion 81 that protrudes radially outward.

[0021] The actuating member 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top, having an actuating top wall 32 and an actuating peripheral wall 31, and is disposed coaxially with the axis O of the container. An internal thread portion that screws into the external thread portion of the external threaded tube 54 of the inner cap 50 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the actuating peripheral wall 31. As a result, the actuating member 30 moves up and down relative to the inner cap 50 by rotating around the container axis O relative to the inner cap 50. The actuating top wall 32 covers the upper end opening of the dropper tube 60 from above. The actuating top wall 32 is formed with a sealing projection 34, a sliding cylindrical portion 33, a plurality of air holes 32a, and a fixing groove 35.

[0022] The sealing projection 34 projects downward from the lower surface of the operating top wall 32, is formed in an annular shape extending in the circumferential direction, and is disposed coaxially with the container axis O. The radially inner end of the sealing projection 34 is located radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the upper end of the dropper tube 60, and the radially outer end of the sealing projection 34 is located radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the upper end of the dropper tube 60. The sealing projection 34 has a flat lower end surface facing downward. The radially inner end of the lower end surface of the sealing projection 34 is located radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the dropper tube 60, and the radially outer end of the lower end surface of the sealing projection 34 is located radially outward from the inner circumferential surface of the dropper tube 60. The sliding cylindrical portion 33 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the actuating top wall 32 and is inserted between the outer peripheral surface of the piston 80 and the inner peripheral surface of the male threaded cylinder 54 of the inner cap 50. The sliding cylindrical portion 33 forms part of the partition wall of the working space S, which communicates with the upper end opening of the dropper tube 60. In the illustrated example, the radially inner side of the sliding cylindrical portion 33 forms the working space S. A sliding contact portion 81 of the piston 80 abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the sliding cylindrical portion 33 so as to be airtight and slidable up and down. As a result, as the actuating member 30 moves up and down relative to the inner cap 50, the sliding contact portion 81 of the piston 80 slides on the inner peripheral surface of the sliding cylindrical portion 33, expanding and contracting the working space S. The working space S is the portion of the sliding cylindrical portion 33 located above the piston 80. The ventilation hole 32a passes through the operating top wall 32 in the vertical direction and opens into the operating space S. The ventilation hole 32a is located between the seal projection 34 and the inner peripheral surface of the sliding cylindrical portion 33. The fixing groove 35 is formed in a portion of the upper surface of the actuating top wall 32 that is positioned radially outward from the vent hole 32a, and extends continuously over the entire circumferential length.

[0023] The operating member 40 has an elastic membrane 41 and a fixing portion 42, and is made of a soft material such as rubber or elastomer. The fixing portion 42 is formed in an annular shape and is thicker than the elastic membrane 41. The fixing portion 42 is fitted into and fixed to the fixing groove 35 of the actuating member 30. The elastic membrane 41 bulges upward from the fixing portion 42 and covers the upper surface of the actuating top wall 32. As described above, operating member 40 is attached to actuating member 30, and defines, between actuating member 30 and operating member 30, an expansion / contraction space K that communicates with the upper end opening of dropper tube 60. The expansion / contraction space K communicates with the upper end opening of dropper tube 60 through vent hole 32a and operating space S.

[0024] The dropper tube 60 extends downward from the inner cap 50, with its lower opening located within the container body W. The upper end of the dropper tube 60 is fitted into the retaining tube portion 57 of the inner cap 50. The edges of the upper openings of the dropper tube 60 and the retaining tube portion 57 are located at the same vertical position. The upper opening of the dropper tube 60 can communicate with the working space S and the expansion / contraction space K. A flange portion 61 that protrudes radially outward is formed at the upper end of the dropper tube 60. The edge of the lower opening of the retaining tube portion 57 abuts against the upper surface of the flange portion 61.

[0025] The squeezing tube member 70 is fixed to the mouth portion W1, and the dropper tube 60 is inserted into the squeezing tube member 70. The squeezing tube member 70 is fitted into the mouth portion W1. The upper end portion 72 of the squeezing tube member 70 protrudes radially outward and is positioned on the upper opening edge of the mouth portion W1. A radial gap is provided between the inner circumferential surface of the squeezing tube member 70 and the outer circumferential surface of the dropper tube 60. The inner peripheral surface of the squeezing tube member 70 is formed with a squeezing projection 71 that protrudes radially inward and abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the dropper tube 60. The squeezing projection 71 is formed to be elastically deformable. The squeezing projection 71 extends over the entire circumferential length. The squeezing projection 71 has a plurality of through holes 73 that penetrate vertically and are spaced apart circumferentially.

[0026] The packing 20 is formed in an annular shape and is fitted and fixed onto the outside of the dropper tube 60. The upper surface of the radially inner portion of the packing 20 abuts against or is close to the lower surface of the flange portion 61 of the dropper tube 60. The radially outer portion of the packing 20 is compressed and deformed by being sandwiched in the vertical direction between the upper surface of the upper end portion 72 of the ironing tube member 70 and the lower surface of the inner cap top wall 53. A recess is formed on the upper surface of the radially outer portion of the packing 20, and a protrusion is formed on the lower surface located directly below the recess.

[0027] The outer cap 10 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top, and has an outer cap peripheral wall 11 and an outer cap top wall 12. The outer cap 10 is disposed coaxially with the axis O of the container. The outer cap top wall 12 is formed in an annular shape and presses against the upper surface of the fixing portion 42 of the operating member 40. The elastic membrane 41 of the operating member 40 is inserted into the outer cap top wall 12. The outer cap peripheral wall 11 surrounds the actuating member 30 and the inner cap 50 from the outside in the radial direction. The actuating member 30 is fitted into the outer cap peripheral wall 11 in a state in which its movement in the up and down direction is restricted.

[0028] A plurality of outer restriction protrusions 11a protruding radially inward are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cap peripheral wall 11. The outer restriction protrusions 11a are formed as ridges extending in the up-down direction. Two outer restriction protrusions 11a are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the two outer restriction protrusions 11a abut against or are close to the surfaces of the inner restriction protrusions 51a of the inner cap 50 that face the loosening side X in the circumferential direction. As a result, when the outer cap 10 is rotated toward the loosening side X along the circumferential direction, the outer restricting projection 11a moves toward the loosening side X along the circumferential direction, and the outer cap 10 rotates relative to the inner cap 50. Thereafter, when the outer restricting projection 11a abuts against a surface of another inner restricting projection 51a facing the tightening side Y along the circumferential direction, the rotational movement of the outer cap 10 relative to the inner cap 50 is restricted. In other words, the outer cap 10 is externally mounted on the inner cap 50 so as to be rotatable about the container axis O, with rotation about the container axis O of a predetermined amount or more being restricted.

[0029] 1, anti-rotation protrusions 13 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cap peripheral wall 11 and the outer peripheral surface of the actuating peripheral wall 31, respectively, to engage with each other in the circumferential direction and thereby restrict relative circumferential rotation of the outer cap 10 and the actuating member 30. The anti-rotation protrusions 13 are formed as ridges that protrude radially from the inner peripheral surface of the outer cap peripheral wall 11 and the outer peripheral surface of the actuating peripheral wall 31 and extend vertically. The anti-rotation protrusions 13 are located above the outer restricting protrusions 11a and the inner restricting protrusions 51a.

[0030] The sliding member 90 is provided between the inner peripheral surface of the outer cap peripheral wall 11 and the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion W1. The sliding member 90 is formed in an annular shape and is fitted into the outer cap peripheral wall 11 in a state in which its movement in the up and down directions is restricted. Here, the mouth portion W1 has an upper portion to which the inner cap peripheral wall 51 is screwed, and a lower portion that is located below the upper portion and has a larger outer diameter than the upper portion. The sliding member 90 is slidably fitted to the lower part of the mouth portion W1. In the process of rotating the outer cap 10 in the circumferential direction, the sliding member 90 slides on the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the mouth portion W1 both when the outer cap 10 rotates relative to the inner cap 50 and when the outer cap 10 rotates together with the inner cap 50. The sliding member 90 comprises an annular hard portion 91 fitted into the outer cap peripheral wall 11, and an annular soft portion 92 made of a material (e.g., an elastomer) softer than the hard portion 91 so as to be elastically deformable, and abutting against the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion W1 in an elastically deformed state.

[0031] In this embodiment, a sealant 101 is provided between the lower surface of the actuating top wall 32 and the upper end opening of the dropper tube 60, and is pressed downward by the lower surface of the actuating top wall 32 to seal the upper end opening of the dropper tube 60. The sealing material 101 is made of a material that is softer than the material that forms the operating member 30. The material that forms the sealing material 101 is, for example, an elastomer that is primarily made of polypropylene. The main material that forms the sealing material 101 is the same as the material that forms the operating member 30. The seal 101 is formed integrally with the piston 80. The seal 101 is formed in an annular shape and protrudes radially inward from the piston 80. The inner circumferential surface of the seal 101 extends radially inward from top to bottom. The seal 101 is disposed on the upper opening edges of the dropper tube 60 and the holding tube portion 57. A fitting protrusion 101a is formed on the radially inner end of the seal 101, protruding downward and fitting into the upper end of the dropper tube 60. The seal protrusion 34 of the operating top wall 32 presses against the upper surface of the seal 101.

[0032] Next, the operation of the dropper container 1 configured as above will be described.

[0033] When the outer cap 10 is rotated toward the loosening side X along the circumferential direction relative to the container body W, the anti-rotation protrusions 13 that engage with each other in the circumferential direction are formed separately on the inner circumferential surface of the outer cap peripheral wall 11 and the outer circumferential surface of the actuating peripheral wall 31, so that the actuating member 30 rotates together with the outer cap 10 relative to the container body W. At this time, the outer cap 10 rotates freely relative to the inner cap 50 until the outer restricting protrusion 11a of the outer cap 10 abuts against the surface of the inner restricting protrusion 51a of the inner cap 50 that faces the tightening side Y along the circumferential direction. As a result, the outer cap 10 and the actuating member 30 rotate relative to the inner cap 50 until the outer restricting protrusion 11a abuts against the surface of the inner restricting protrusion 51a that faces the tightening side Y along the circumferential direction.

[0034] When the actuating member 30 rotates toward the loosening side X relative to the inner cap 50, the actuating peripheral wall 31 of the actuating member 30 is threadedly engaged with the male threaded tube 54 of the inner cap 50. As shown in FIG. 3 , the actuating member 30, together with the outer cap 10 and the operating member 40, rises relative to the inner cap 50. At this time, the sealing projection 34 of the actuating member 30 moves upward away from the sealing material 101, opening the upper end opening of the dropper tube 60. Furthermore, the sliding tube portion 33 of the actuating member 30 rises while sliding against the sliding contact portion 81 of the piston 80, increasing the volume of the working space S and creating a negative pressure within the working space S. As a result, the contents within the container body W are drawn up through the lower end opening of the dropper tube 60. The amount of contents drawn up into the dropper tube 60 is determined by the amount of rise of the sliding tube portion 33 relative to the piston 80. Therefore, dropper container 1 can suck up a substantially fixed amount of the content into dropper tube 60. At this time, the screwed state between operating peripheral wall 31 and male threaded tube 54 of inner cap 50, and the fitted state of the lower part of mouth portion W1 into sliding member 90 are maintained.

[0035] When outer cap 10 is further rotated toward loosening side X along the circumferential direction relative to container body W from a state in which outer restricting projection 11a abuts against the surface of inner restricting projection 51a facing tightening side Y along the circumferential direction, inner cap 50 rotates together with outer cap 10. As a result, inner cap 50 rotates toward loosening side X along the circumferential direction relative to container body W, allowing dropper assembly 1a to be removed upward from container body W. When dropper assembly 1a is then pulled up relative to container body W, squeezing protrusion 71 formed on the inner peripheral surface of squeezing tube member 70 slides against the outer peripheral surface of dropper tube 60, thereby squeezing out any contents adhering to the outer peripheral surface of dropper tube 60.

[0036] After removing dropper assembly 1a from container body W, for example, if elastic membrane 41 of operating member 40 is pressed while gripping outer cap 10, elastic membrane 41 elastically deforms downward, reducing the volume of expandable / contractable space K. As a result, air in expandable / contractable space K flows into the upper opening of dropper tube 60 through vent hole 32a and operating space S, causing the content held in dropper tube 60 to be expelled from the lower opening of dropper tube 60.

[0037] When reattaching the dropper assembly 1a to the container body W, the outer cap 10 is rotated circumferentially toward the tightening side Y relative to the container body W, causing the outer cap 10 to rotate freely relative to the inner cap 50 until the outer restricting projection 11a abuts against the surface of the inner restricting projection 51a facing the loosening side X along the circumferential direction. As a result, the outer cap 10 and the actuating member 30 rotate and descend relative to the inner cap 50 until the outer restricting projection 11a abuts against the surface of the inner restricting projection 51a facing the loosening side X along the circumferential direction. At this time, the volume of the working space S decreases, but until the seal projection 34 of the actuating top wall 32 abuts against the seal material 101, air within the working space S flows into the dropper tube 60, suppressing an increase in the internal pressure of the working space S and the expansion / contraction space K.

[0038] Thereafter, when the outer cap 10 is further rotated toward the tightening side Y along the circumferential direction relative to the container body W, the outer regulating protrusion 11a abuts against the surface of the inner regulating protrusion 51a facing the loosening side X along the circumferential direction, and the inner cap 50 also rotates toward the tightening side Y along the circumferential direction relative to the container body W, and the dropper assembly 1a is attached to the container body W.

[0039] As described above, in dropper container 1 of the present embodiment, sealing material 101 is provided between the underside of actuating top wall 32 and the upper opening of dropper tube 60, and is pressed downward by the underside of actuating top wall 32 to seal the upper opening of dropper tube 60. Sealing material 101 is formed of a material softer than the material forming actuating member 30, and therefore, when sealing material 101 is compressed and deformed, it becomes possible to seal the upper opening of dropper tube 60, and the upper opening of dropper tube 60 can be reliably sealed during standby.

[0040] The upper opening of dropper tube 60 is sealed by sealing material 101 being pressed downward by the underside of actuating top wall 32. Therefore, compared to sealing the upper opening of dropper tube 60 by, for example, providing a sealing tube that protrudes downward from actuating top wall 32 and fitting the sealing tube into the upper opening of dropper tube 60, when dropper tube 60 is inserted into container body W and inner cap 50 is attached to mouth portion W1, it is possible to suppress an increase in the internal pressure of expansion / contraction space K and operating space S. That is, viscous contents tend to adhere to the sealing tube, and in the process of inserting the dropper tube 60 into the container body W and attaching the inner cap 50 to the mouth W1, the contents tend to block the upper opening of the dropper tube 60 before the sealing tube reaches the upper opening of the dropper tube 60, which tends to increase the internal pressure of the expansion / contraction space K and the working space S. Then, when the expansion / contraction space K and the working space S are pressurized, and the operating member 30 is raised relative to the inner cap 50 as described above, the amount of contents in the container body W drawn up into the dropper tube 60 becomes less than the specified amount.

[0041] Since the sealing material 101 is formed integrally with the piston 80, an increase in the number of parts can be prevented, and the upper end opening of the dropper tube 60 can be reliably sealed during standby.

[0042] Next, a dropper container 2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 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, with only the differences being described.

[0043] In the dropper container 2 of this embodiment, the sealing protrusion 34 is formed as a strip that protrudes downward from the underside of the operating top wall 32 and extends circumferentially. The lower end surface of the sealing protrusion 34 is formed as a downwardly protruding curved surface. The lower end surface of the sealing protrusion 34 is located radially outward from the inner circumferential surface of the dropper tube 60 and radially inward from the outer circumferential surface of the dropper tube 60. In other words, the entire lower end surface of the sealing protrusion 34 is located directly above the edge of the upper opening of the dropper tube 60. The dropper container 2 of this embodiment also provides the same effects as the dropper container 1 of the first embodiment.

[0044] Next, a dropper container 3 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the third embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted, with only the differences being described.

[0045] In the dropper container 3 of this embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the sealing protrusion 34 presses against the connecting portion between the upper surface and the inner peripheral surface of the sealing material 101. The outer peripheral surface of the sealing protrusion 34 extends radially inward as it extends downward, and presents a curved protrusion extending radially outward in a vertical cross section. The dropper container 3 of this embodiment also provides the same effects as the dropper container 1 of the first embodiment.

[0046] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0047] For example, the sliding cylindrical portion 33 may be provided on the inner cap 50, and the piston 80 may be provided on the actuating member 30, and as the actuating member 30 moves up and down relative to the inner cap 50, the piston 80 may slide on the outer surface of the sliding cylindrical portion 33. The actuating member 30 may not have the sealing projection 34 .

[0048] In addition, it is possible to replace the components in the above-described embodiments with well-known components as appropriate, and the above-described embodiments and variations may be combined as appropriate, without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1, 2, 3 Dropper 10 Outer cap 30 Actuating member 31 Operating wall 32 Working top wall 33 Sliding cylinder 40 Operating member 50 Inner Cap 60 Dropper tube 80 pistons 101 Sealing material K Expanding Space O Container axis S Working space W container body W1 Mouth

Claims

1. a cylindrical container body with a bottom that accommodates contents; an inner cap that is detachably attached to the mouth of the container body and that is attached to and detached from the mouth as the container rotates around the axis of the container; a dropper tube extending downward from the inner cap and having a lower end opening located within the container body; an outer cap attached to the inner cap so as to be rotatable about the container axis while being restricted from rotating about the container axis by a predetermined amount or more; an actuating member provided in the outer cap, the actuating member being restricted in its rotation about the container axis relative to the outer cap, and being movable up and down relative to the inner cap by rotating about the container axis relative to the inner cap; an operating member attached to the actuating member and defining an expansion / contraction space between the actuating member and the operating member, the expansion / contraction space communicating with an upper end opening of the dropper tube; a sliding cylindrical portion extending in a vertical direction and forming a part of a partition wall of an operating space communicating with an upper end opening of the dropper tube is provided on one of the inner cap and the operating member, and a piston sliding on an inner circumferential surface or an outer circumferential surface of the sliding cylindrical portion is provided on the other of the inner cap and the operating member to expand and contract the operating space as the operating member moves up and down relative to the inner cap; The actuating member is formed in a cylindrical shape having an actuating top wall and an actuating peripheral wall, the operating top wall covers the upper end opening of the dropper tube from above, a sealant is provided between a lower surface of the actuating top wall and an upper end opening of the dropper tube, the sealant being pressed downward by the lower surface of the actuating top wall to seal the upper end opening of the dropper tube; The sealing material is formed of a material softer than a material forming the operating member.

2. The sliding cylindrical portion is formed on the lower surface of the operating top wall, The piston is provided in the inner cap, 2. The dropper container according to claim 1, wherein the sealing material is integrally formed with the piston.

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