eye drop container stopper

Abstract

The present invention provides an inner stopper for an eye drop container that can improve the visibility of the spatial positional relationship of the nozzle's discharge opening to the eye, even when the eye drops are administered at an angle. [Solution] An inner stopper 1 for an eye drop container that contains a liquid medicine is attached to the mouth of the eye drop container, comprising a nozzle 2 having a discharge port 21a for dispensing the liquid medicine and an outer cylinder 3, wherein the nozzle 2 has a flange portion 22 that protrudes radially outward, and the outer cylinder 3 has a base portion 31 that fits into the mouth and an outer frame portion 32 that surrounds the outer circumference of the flange portion 22 of the nozzle 2, and the outer cylinder 3 is colored in a different color from the nozzle 2.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a middle stopper for an eye drop container used for dropping a liquid medicine into an eye.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an eye drop container has a middle stopper with a nozzle attached to the mouth of a container that stores a liquid medicine, and is configured such that the liquid medicine can be dropped from a discharge port at the tip of the nozzle. A device for enhancing the accuracy of eye drops by a user has also been proposed, for example, in Patent Document 1 below.

[0003] The middle stopper (nozzle) for an eye drop container disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a nozzle body having a discharge port and a flange portion having a flange recess that is recessed from an inner circumference toward an outer circumference. The nozzle body has a mark portion that is a structure inserted into the flange recess, and at least the color around the mark portion of the flange portion is configured to be different from the color of the mark portion. Thereby, the mark portion functions as a mark that can be visually recognized by the user only when the discharge port at the tip of the nozzle faces directly downward, and whether the entire flange portion faces directly downward, that is, whether the discharge port at the tip of the nozzle faces directly downward, can be easily confirmed based on whether the entire mark portion can be visually recognized, and liquid leakage due to oblique eye drops can be suppressed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, there are also not a few users who prefer to perform oblique eye drops without facing the discharge port at the tip of the nozzle directly downward, and prevention of liquid leakage during oblique eye drops can also be reduced by devising the shape of the tip of the nozzle or the like.

[0006] In the conventional eye drop container stopper described above, the nozzle's indicator is inserted into a flange recess located near the inner rim of the flange. Because the indicator is located close to the outer circumference of the nozzle, depending on the posture when applying eye drops at an angle, the indicator may be hidden by the nozzle and become invisible or difficult to see.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide an inner stopper for an eye drop container that can improve the visibility of the spatial positional relationship of the nozzle's discharge opening relative to the eye, even when eye drops are administered at an angle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to an inner stopper for an eye drop container, which is attached to the mouth of an eye drop container that contains a liquid medicine, and comprises a nozzle having a discharge port for dispensing the liquid medicine and an outer cylinder, wherein the nozzle has a flange portion that protrudes radially outward, the outer cylinder has a base portion that fits into the mouth and an outer frame portion that surrounds the outer circumference of the flange portion of the nozzle, and the outer cylinder is colored in a different color from the nozzle. With this configuration, the visual information of the three-dimensional structure of the nozzle having the flange portion and the structure of the outer frame portion surrounding the outer circumference of the flange portion, and the visual information of the color contrast between the outer frame portion at the outermost periphery and the flange portion, allows the user to more accurately grasp the spatial positional relationship of the nozzle's discharge port with respect to the eye, even when applying eye drops at an angle, thereby improving the accuracy of eye drop application.

[0009] The outer cylinder may have a support surface that supports the lower surface of the flange portion of the nozzle. The flange portion of the nozzle may be transparent or semi-transparent, allowing the color of the support surface of the outer cylinder to be visible from the tip side of the nozzle through the flange portion. This increases the amount of visual information available, as the color of the support surface can be seen through the transparent or semi-transparent flange portion, allowing the user to more intuitively determine the spatial position and angle of the discharge port relative to their eyes.

[0010] The support surface may be the end face of the base. For example, the support surface may be the tip face of the base. This allows the support surface to be constructed with a simple structure, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0011] The outer frame portion may have a notch in at least a part of its circumference, and the outer circumference of the flange portion may be provided with a protrusion that fits into the notch.

[0012] The upper surface of the flange portion may be provided with a recess in at least a portion of its circumferential direction. This allows the gate to be placed inside the recess when the nozzle is injection molded, thereby making the gate mark less noticeable and improving the appearance and marketability of the product.

[0013] Furthermore, the thin-walled portion at the bottom of the recess of the flange portion extends radially outward from the outer circumference of the flange portion, the outer frame portion has a notch in at least a part of its circumferential direction, and the radially outer end of the thin-walled portion may be fitted into the notch. This allows for improved appearance and marketability with a simple structure.

[0014] The base portion of the outer cylinder may be substantially cylindrical, and more preferably substantially cylindrical. The nozzle may further have a substantially cylindrical, and more preferably substantially cylindrical, main body portion. The flange portion is provided midway along the axial direction of the main body portion, and the base portion of the outer cylinder may be fitted onto the main body portion on the base end side of the flange portion. This allows for a stronger connection between the outer cylinder and the nozzle, and improves the strength of the outer frame portion by integrally providing the outer frame portion to the base portion.

[0015] The outer cylinder may be cylindrical in shape, and the nozzle's discharge port may be located on the axis of the outer cylinder. In this case, when the eye drops are applied at an angle, the outer frame of the outer cylinder appears elliptical to the user, and the discharge port is located on its axis, making it easier to recognize the spatial position of the discharge port relative to the eye.

[0016] The nozzle and the outer cylinder may be integrally formed by a two-color molding method. According to this, mass productivity can be improved. Note that after the nozzle and the outer cylinder are formed as separate members, the outer cylinder may be attached to the nozzle.

Effects of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, even during oblique eye drops, the visibility of the spatial positional relationship of the discharge port of the nozzle with respect to the eye can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view of the middle plug for an eye drop container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a front view of the middle plug. [Figure 3] It is a left side view of the middle plug. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B' of FIG. 3. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view showing how the middle plug looks from the user during oblique eye drops.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0020] Figs. 1 to 6 show a middle plug 1 for an eye drop container according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is attached to the mouth of an eye drop container (not shown) having an appropriate shape or structure for storing a chemical solution.

[0021] The middle plug 1 includes a nozzle 2 having a discharge port for discharging a chemical solution and an outer cylinder 3. The nozzle 2 and the outer cylinder 3 can be formed from an appropriate molding material, preferably by injection molding a resin material, and more preferably the nozzle 2 and the outer cylinder 3 can be integrally formed by a conventionally well-known two-color molding method.

[0022] The nozzle 2 has a substantially cylindrical main body portion 21 and a disc-shaped flange portion 22 that extends radially outward from the axial middle of the main body portion 21. The main body portion 21 is provided with a liquid discharge passage along its axis, and this discharge passage opens at the tip of the nozzle 2 to form a discharge port 21a. The discharge port 21a is located on the axis of the outer cylinder 3 and the outer frame portion 32.

[0023] The outer cylinder 3 has a base portion 31 that fits into the mouth of the eye drop container and an outer frame portion 32 that surrounds the outer circumference of the flange portion 22 of the nozzle 2. The base portion 31 of the outer cylinder 3 is fitted onto the main body portion 21 of the nozzle 2 on the base end side of the flange portion 22. In particular, in the illustrated embodiment, the base portion 31 of the outer cylinder 3 is in close contact with the outer circumference of the main body portion 21 of the nozzle 2 without any gaps, and no cavity opening into the eye drop container is formed between them, so the liquid medicine can be smoothly guided into the discharge path even when the remaining amount of liquid medicine is low. The outer frame portion 32 is integrally provided on the outer circumference side of the tip portion of the base portion 31, and the tip surface 31a of the base portion 31 is formed radially inward of the outer frame portion 32 so that it faces towards the tip side (upward in the figure).

[0024] The flange portion 22 of the nozzle 2 is fitted inside the outer frame portion 32, and the lower surface of the flange portion 22 is supported by the tip surface 31a (support surface) of the base portion 31. As a result, even if an attempt is made to push the tip of the nozzle 2 in while the inner stopper 1 is fitted into the mouth of the eye drop container, the nozzle 2 is prevented from being pushed in because the flange portion 22 is supported by the tip surface 31a. Furthermore, since the flange portion 22 of the nozzle 2 is fitted inside the outer frame portion 32 and the bottom surface of the flange portion 22 is covered by the tip surface 31a of the base portion 21, it is not possible to apply a large force to the bottom surface of the flange portion 22 in such a way that the nozzle 2 and the outer cylinder 3 are separated in the axial direction. Even if a large upward external force is applied to the lower outer edge of the outer frame portion 32, the entire inner stopper 1 will simply come out of the container mouth, and the nozzle 2 and the outer cylinder 3 will not separate.

[0025] The upper surface (tip side) of the flange portion 22 is provided with two recesses 22a in the circumferential direction, and more specifically, two recesses 22a opposite each other in the diametrical direction. The bottom of these recesses 22a is formed as a thin-walled portion 22b, which is thinner than the rest of the flange portion 22. The thin-walled portion 22b extends radially outward from the circular outer surface of the flange portion 22, maintaining approximately the same thickness, and forms a convex portion 23.

[0026] The outer frame portion 32 is provided with notches 32a corresponding to each protrusion 23, and each protrusion 23 is fitted into the corresponding notch 32a. The notches 32a may have any suitable shape and structure, but in the illustrated embodiment, they are made up of a roughly rectangular opening that is open upwards and penetrates radially.

[0027] As shown in Figure 6, the outer cylinder 3 is colored in a different color from the nozzle 2. When viewing the nozzle 2 and outer frame 32 from the nozzle tip side, the user can perceive a three-dimensional structure in which the nozzle 2, which is a different color from the outer frame 32, extends toward the tip along the axis of the outer frame 32.

[0028] The colors of the nozzle 2 and the outer cylinder 3 can be as appropriate, but for example, the nozzle 2 may be a white color, and the outer cylinder 3 may be a warm color such as orange or a cool color such as blue.

[0029] Preferably, the flange portion 22 of the nozzle 2 may be transparent or semi-transparent, so that the color of the support surface 31a of the outer cylinder 3 can be seen from the tip side of the nozzle 2 by passing through the flange portion 22. Figure 6 is a black and white image and therefore difficult to see, but the color of the support surface 31a of the outer cylinder 3 can be seen by the user when instilling eye drops by passing through the flange portion 22, and the accuracy of eye drop instillation can be improved by providing various visual information.

[0030] According to the eye drop container stopper 1 of this embodiment, based on visual information such as the three-dimensional structure of the nozzle 2 having a flange portion 22 with a permeable recess 22a, the structure of the outer frame portion 32 surrounding the outer circumference of the flange portion 22, and the contrast in color between the outer frame portion 32 at the outermost periphery and the flange portion 22, as shown in Figure 6, the user can more accurately grasp the spatial positional relationship and angle of the discharge opening 21a of the nozzle 2 with respect to the eye, even when applying eye drops at an angle, thereby improving the accuracy of eye drop application.

[0031] Furthermore, since the color of the support surface 31a can be seen through the transparent or translucent flange portion 22, the amount of visual information is further increased, allowing the user to more intuitively determine the spatial position and angle of the discharge port 21a relative to their eyes.

[0032] Furthermore, by forming gate marks and raised areas due to uneven wall thickness during injection molding within the recess 22a provided in the flange portion 22 of the nozzle 2, the gate marks are embedded within the recess 22a, making them less visible to the user. In addition, since the bottom of the recess 22a becomes a thin-walled portion 22b, the color transmittance of the support surface 31a is further increased in the recess 22a, which can be expected to have a decorative effect and further enhance visual information, thereby further improving the accuracy of eye drop application.

[0033] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified as appropriate. For example, the recess on the upper surface of the flange, the notch on the outer frame, and the protrusion on the flange do not need to be provided. Also, the recess on the upper surface of the flange may be provided in only one place in the circumferential direction, or in three or more places in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, the nozzle may be opaque. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0034] 1. Inner stopper for eye drop container 2 nozzles 21 Main body 21a Discharge port 22 Flange section 22a Recess 22b Thin wall part 23 Convex part 3. Outer cylinder 31 Base 31a Support surface 32 Outer frame 32a Notch

Claims

1. An inner stopper for an eye drop container, which is attached to the mouth of an eye drop container that contains a liquid medicine, The system comprises a nozzle having a discharge port for discharging the aforementioned chemical solution, and an outer cylinder. The nozzle has a flange portion that protrudes radially outward, The outer cylinder has a base portion that fits into the mouth portion and an outer frame portion that surrounds the outer circumference of the flange portion of the nozzle. The outer cylinder is colored in a different color from the nozzle. The base of the outer cylinder has a support surface that supports the lower surface of the flange portion of the nozzle. The flange portion of the nozzle is transparent or semi-transparent, and the lower surface of the flange portion is covered by the support surface of the base, thereby allowing the color of the support surface of the outer cylinder to be seen from the tip side of the nozzle through the flange portion. Inner stopper for eye drop containers.

2. In the inner stopper for an eye drop container according to claim 1, The inner stopper for an eye drop container is characterized in that the support surface is the end face of the base.

3. In the inner stopper for an eye drop container according to claim 1, The inner stopper for an eye drop container is characterized in that the outer frame portion has a notch in at least a part of its circumference, and the outer circumference of the flange portion is provided with a protrusion that fits into the notch.

4. In the inner stopper for an eye drop container according to claim 1, An inner stopper for an eye drop container, characterized in that a recess is provided on at least a portion of the upper surface of the flange portion in the circumferential direction.

5. In the inner stopper for an eye drop container according to claim 4, The thin-walled portion at the bottom of the recess of the flange portion extends radially outward from the outer circumference of the flange portion. The outer frame portion has a notch in at least a part of the circumferential direction, The radial outer end of the thin-walled portion is fitted into the notch. An inner stopper for eye drop containers characterized by the following features.

6. In the inner stopper for an eye drop container according to claim 1, The base of the outer cylinder is substantially cylindrical. The nozzle further comprises a substantially cylindrical body portion, the flange portion is provided midway along the axial direction of the body portion, and the base portion of the outer cylinder is fitted onto the body portion on the base end side of the flange portion, characterized in that the inner stopper for an eye drop container.

7. In the inner stopper for an eye drop container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, An inner stopper for an eye drop container, characterized in that the outer cylinder is cylindrical and the nozzle outlet is located on the axis of the outer cylinder.

8. In the inner stopper for an eye drop container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The inner stopper for an eye drop container is characterized in that the nozzle and the outer cylinder are integrally molded by a two-color molding method.

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