Measuring cap and container with measuring cap

Abstract

To propose a quantitative cap and a container with a quantitative cap that can notify a user that an operation is ready to a state where granules can be taken out.SOLUTION: A quantitative cap 2 of the present invention includes an ejection part 3k that is ejected by a discharge cylindrical part 4d when the discharge cylindrical part 4d is moved toward a mouth part 1c. When a container 1 is inverted and the discharge cylindrical part 4d is pressed against an object T, a closing wall part 3c is displaced from an initial posture to an inclination posture, and a particulate matter R in an internal space N passes through a first passage port H1 and is stored in a predetermined quantity between a second passage port H2 and the first passage port H1, and the ejection part 3k is ejected by the discharge cylindrical part 4d, and when the discharge cylinder part 4d is separated from the object T, the particulate matter R stored when the closing wall part 3c is displaced from the inclination posture to the initial posture passes through the second passage port H2 and is discharged from a discharge port 4e.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present invention relates to a metering cap capable of taking out a stored granular material in a fixed quantity, and a container with the metering cap. [[Background Art]]

[0002] A metering cap capable of taking out a predetermined number of granular materials from a container storing granular materials such as confectionery or pharmaceuticals, and a container with such a metering cap are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such a container with a metering cap, when a head is pressed against a palm or the like, a regulating piece is displaced radially outward by a slide cylinder that moves toward the inside of the container body, whereby the granular material in the container, whose movement has been blocked by the regulating piece, moves into a metering space. When the head is separated from the object, the slide cylinder moves back to its original position, the regulating piece returns, and the entry of new granular material into the metering space is blocked. Therefore, only the predetermined number of granular materials that have moved into the metering space when the head was pressed against the object are discharged onto the palm. [[Prior Art Documents]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0003] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Patent No. 6636824 [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0004] In the above-mentioned container with a metering cap, when pressing the head against a palm or the like to take out the granular material, if the pressing force is insufficient, the slide cylinder does not move to the intended position, and there is a risk that the granular material cannot move into the metering space while its movement remains blocked by the regulating piece. For this reason, there is a concern that a user may feel that the granular material cannot be taken out even though the user has moved the slide cylinder.

[0005] In view of these points, the present invention aims to provide a quantitative cap and a container with a quantitative cap that can inform the user that the granular material has been dispensed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to a quantitative cap that is attached to the mouth of a container and discharges a predetermined quantity of granular material contained in the internal space of the container, A discharge cylinder section having a cylindrical shape and an outlet at its tip for discharging the granular material, An elastic part that is elastically deformable in a direction along the central axis of the discharge cylinder and biases the discharge cylinder away from the opening when the discharge cylinder is moved toward the opening, Multiple closing wall portions are arranged around the central axis, each having a tip portion located near the central axis and a base portion located far from the central axis. When the discharge cylinder portion is moved toward the opening, the closing wall portion is pushed in by the discharge cylinder portion, elastically deformed, and displaced into a tilted position inclined around the base portion, while when the discharge cylinder portion is moved away from the opening, the closing wall portion displaces back to its initial position. A first passage opening is located between the internal space and the discharge opening, partitioned by a plurality of intermediate portions in the plurality of the closing wall portions, and is smaller than the outer diameter of the granular material when the closing wall portion is displaced to the initial position, and larger than the outer diameter of the granular material when the closing wall portion is displaced to the tilted position, A second passage opening is partitioned by a plurality of the tip portions of the plurality of the closing wall portions, located between the first passage opening and the discharge opening, and is larger than the outer diameter of the granular material when the closing wall portion is displaced to the initial position, and smaller than the outer diameter of the granular material when the closing wall portion is displaced to the tilted position, The discharge cylinder portion is moved toward the opening portion, and the discharge cylinder portion is flicked away by the discharge cylinder portion, The structure has a predetermined quantity of granular material that is passable through the discharge port and has an outer diameter that prevents it from passing through the first passage port when the closing wall portion is displaced to the initial position, When the container is inverted and the discharge cylinder is pressed against the object, the repelling portion is repelled by the discharge cylinder, and the closing wall portion is displaced from the initial position to the tilted position, causing the granular material in the internal space to pass through the first passage opening and be stored in a predetermined quantity between the second passage opening and the first passage opening. This is a quantitative cap in which, when the discharge pipe is moved away from the object, the closing wall is displaced from the tilted position to the initial position, and the stored granular material passes through the second passage opening and is discharged from the discharge opening.

[0007] The aforementioned quantitative cap is configured to include a head, The head has the discharge cylinder portion, the elastic portion, and the mounting portion which is attached to the opening portion. Preferably, the elastic portion is in the shape of an elastically deformable curved plate and connects the discharge cylinder portion and the mounting portion.

[0008] The aforementioned quantitative cap is composed of an inner stopper, The aforementioned stopper has a plurality of closing wall portions, a first passage opening, a second passage opening, a retractable portion, and an annular base portion centered on the central axis. Multiple of the aforementioned closing wall portions are connected to the base portion at intervals around the central axis, Preferably, the retractable portion is connected to the base between the circumferentially spaced closing wall portions.

[0009] The aforementioned stopper has multiple of the aforementioned release parts, Preferably, the multiple retractable portions are asymmetrical with respect to the central axis, and the base is provided with multiple closing wall portions between adjacent retractable portions.

[0010] The present invention also relates to a container with a quantitative cap, comprising any of the quantitative caps described above and the container. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the quantitative cap and container with quantitative cap of the present invention, when the discharge cylinder is pressed against an object, the granular material contained in the internal space of the container is stored in a predetermined quantity between the second and first passage openings, and when the discharge cylinder is moved away from the object, only the stored granular material is discharged from the discharge opening. Furthermore, when the discharge cylinder is pressed against an object, the flicking part is flicked by the discharge cylinder, generating sound and vibration, so the user can know that the operation has been performed to a state where the granular material can be dispensed by the sound and vibration generated. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a container with a quantitative cap according to the present invention, taken from the side with the container in an upright position. [Figure 2] Regarding the stopper shown in Figure 1, (a) is a plan view, (b) is a cross-sectional view along AA, and (c) is a bottom view. [Figure 3] This figure shows the container inverted with the discharge pipe in contact with the object. [Figure 4] This figure shows the state after the container has been pressed against the object, following the state shown in Figure 3. [Figure 5] This figure shows the state after releasing the pressure on the container that was being pressed against the object, following the state shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] This diagram shows the relationship between the discharge cylinder and the ejection part, where (a) shows the state before the discharge cylinder moves toward the opening, (b) shows the state when the discharge cylinder has started to move toward the opening, and (c) shows the state when the discharge cylinder has moved further toward the opening. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a metering cap and a container with a metering cap according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification and other documents, the vertical direction refers to a direction along the illustrated central axis O (the central axis of the discharge cylinder portion 4d described later). The radial direction is a direction orthogonal to the central axis O within a plane perpendicular to the central axis O, and the circumferential direction is a direction orbiting around the central axis O within this plane.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the container with a metering cap 100 of the present embodiment is composed of a container 1, a metering cap 2, and an overcap 5. The metering cap 2 is composed of an inner plug 3 and a head 4. As illustrated, each of these members is formed in a shape centered on the central axis O.

[0015] The container 1 includes a disc-shaped bottom portion 1a, a cylindrical body portion 1b connected to an outer edge of the bottom portion 1a, and a mouth portion 1c that has a smaller diameter than the body portion 1b, is cylindrical, and is connected to an upper end of the body portion 1b. An external thread portion 1d and an outward claw portion 1e are provided on an outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 1c. An internal space N is defined inside the container 1, and a particulate material R (see Figure 3) is accommodated in the internal space N. Although not illustrated, the particulate material R of the present embodiment is formed into a circular shape in a front view and an elliptical shape in a side view as shown in Figure 3.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, the inner plug 3 includes an annular base portion 3a centered on the central axis O. As shown in Figure 2(b), the base portion 3a of the present embodiment includes an annular plate-shaped portion extending in the horizontal direction and a cylindrical portion extending upward from an inner edge of the annular plate-shaped portion. A cylindrical sealing wall 3b extending downward is provided on a lower surface of the annular plate-shaped portion. The sealing wall 3b is a portion that comes into contact with an inner peripheral surface of the mouth portion 1c when the inner plug 3 is attached to the container 1 as shown in Figure 1.

[0017] Multiple closing wall portions 3c are provided on the radially inward side of the base portion 3a. The closing wall portions 3c are shaped to form a fan shape in plan view, as shown in Figure 2(a). Some of the closing wall portions 3c are shaped to be narrower in plan view, as shown in the figure. The inner plug 3 in this embodiment has a total of six closing wall portions 3c, which are arranged at equal intervals around the central axis O (in this embodiment, at intervals that result in an angle of 60° around the central axis O). Relatively large gaps are provided between the narrow closing wall portions 3c, and the retractable portions 3k, which will be described later, are arranged in these gaps.

[0018] Furthermore, in a side view, the closed wall portion 3c is shaped as shown in Figure 2(b), comprising an inner vertical plate wall 3d extending vertically inward in the radial direction, an inclined wall 3e that curves downward and slopes radially outward from the lower end of the inner vertical plate wall 3d, an outer vertical plate wall 3f extending upward from the outer edge of the inclined wall 3e, and a horizontal plate wall 3g extending radially outward from the upper end of the outer vertical plate wall 3f. A protrusion 3h projecting radially inward is provided at the point where the inner vertical plate wall 3d and the inclined wall 3e are connected, and a rib 3j connecting the inner vertical plate wall 3d, the inclined wall 3e, and the outer vertical plate wall 3f is provided on the upper surface of the inclined wall 3e. The part of the closed wall portion 3c where the inner vertical plate wall 3d is provided corresponds to the "tip portion" in this specification, the part where the horizontal plate wall 3g is provided corresponds to the "root portion" in this specification, and the part where the protrusion 3h is provided corresponds to the "intermediate portion" in this specification. The closing wall portion 3c is cantilevered to the base portion 3a by connecting the horizontal plate wall 3g to the cylindrical portion of the base portion 3a.

[0019] The closure wall 3c is normally in the initial position shown in Figure 2(b), but when the rib 3j is pressed, the part where the horizontal plate wall 3g connects to the base 3a undergoes elastic deformation, and it tilts and displaces into a tilted position, oscillating around this connecting part (see Figure 4). Here, the opening that is partitioned by multiple protrusions 3h in the multiple closure wall 3c and forms a circular shape in plan view is called the first passage opening H1, and the opening that is partitioned by the tips of multiple inner vertical plate walls 3d in the multiple closure wall 3c and forms a circular shape in plan view is called the second passage opening H2. When the closure wall 3c is in the initial position, the diameter of the first passage opening H1 is smaller than the diameter of the granular material R (the diameter of the circular shape in plan view), and the diameter of the second passage opening H2 is larger than the diameter of the granular material R. Furthermore, when the occluding wall 3c is in a tilted position, the diameter of the first passage opening H1 is larger than the diameter of the granular material R, and the diameter of the second passage opening H2 is smaller than the diameter of the granular material R.

[0020] The inner plug 3 is also equipped with a retractable portion 3k. The retractable portion 3k is shaped to be rectangular in plan view, as shown in Figure 2(a). In this embodiment, there are a total of two retractable portions 3k, each positioned in the gap between the narrowed closing wall portions 3c. That is, the two retractable portions 3k are positioned at an angle of 120° around the central axis O. In other words, the two retractable portions 3k in this embodiment are positioned asymmetrically with respect to the central axis O. Multiple closing wall portions 3c (two in this embodiment) are positioned between the two retractable portions 3k.

[0021] The retractable portion 3k has a rectangular shape even in a side view, as shown in Figure 2(b). The thickness of the retractable portion 3k is thinner than its width in a plan view, and it is elastically deformable in the vertical direction. An inclined surface 3m is provided on the lower surface of the radially inner end of the base portion 3a (see Figure 1). The radially outer end of the retractable portion 3k is connected to the cylindrical portion of the base portion 3a and is cantilevered to the base portion 3a.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the head 4 comprises a cylindrical wall 4a surrounding the upper part of the opening 1c, and an annular upper wall 4b extending radially inward from the upper end of the cylindrical wall 4a. An inward-facing claw portion 4c is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall 4a, and the head 4 can be attached to the opening 1c by engaging the inward-facing claw portion 4c with the outward-facing claw portion 1e. The cylindrical wall 4a, the upper wall 4b, and the inward-facing claw portion 4c correspond to the "attachment portion" in this specification. When the head 4 is attached to the opening 1c, the annular plate-shaped portion of the base 3a is sandwiched between the opening 1c and the upper wall 4b, so that the inner plug 3 can be held in the opening 1c.

[0023] The head 4 also includes a cylindrical discharge pipe section 4d located radially outward from the inner vertical plate wall 3d. An outlet 4e for discharging granular material R is provided at the top of the discharge pipe section 4d. A projection 4f is provided at the bottom of the discharge pipe section 4d, projecting radially outward.

[0024] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the head 4 is equipped with an elastic portion 4g that connects the radially inner end of the upper wall 4b to the vertically intermediate portion of the discharge cylinder portion 4d. The elastic portion 4g in this embodiment is a curved plate that bulges out to form a dome shape, as shown in the figure, and is elastically deformable in a direction along the central axis O. Therefore, the discharge cylinder portion 4d connected to the elastic portion 4g can move along the central axis O. Also, when the discharge cylinder portion 4d is moved toward the opening portion 1c, the discharge cylinder portion 4d is biased toward the opening portion 1c by the elastic portion 4g.

[0025] The overcap 5 has a lidded cylindrical shape and includes a top wall 5a that extends radially outward from its lower end, and an outer peripheral wall 5b that extends downward from the outer edge of the lower end of the top wall 5a and surrounds the cylindrical wall 4a and the opening 1c. The inner circumferential surface of the outer peripheral wall 5b is provided with a female threaded portion 5c, and the overcap 5 is attached to the opening 1c by screwing the female threaded portion 5c onto the male threaded portion 1d. The overcap 5 also has a rod-shaped portion 5d that extends downward from the lower surface of the top wall 5a.

[0026] To discharge granular material R from the container 100 with a quantitative cap in this configuration, the overcap 5 shown in Figure 1 is removed from the opening 1c. Then, as shown in Figure 3, the container 1 is inverted and the discharge cylinder 4d is brought into contact with the object T from which the granular material R is to be removed (for example, the palm of the hand). Note that the blocking wall 3c shown in Figure 3 is in its initial position. That is, since the diameter of the first passage opening H1 is smaller than the diameter of the granular material R, the granular material R contained in the internal space N cannot pass through the first passage opening H1 due to the blocking wall 3c.

[0027] Then, as shown in Figure 4, when the container 1 is pressed against the object T, the discharge pipe portion 4d moves toward the opening portion 1c due to the object T. At this time, the end portion of the discharge pipe portion 4d with the projection 4f comes into contact with the rib 3j and presses against the rib 3j, so the closing wall portion 3c, which was in the initial position, is displaced to a tilted position. When the closing wall portion 3c is displaced to a tilted position, the diameter of the first passage opening H1 becomes larger than the diameter of the granular material R, so the granular material R contained in the internal space N passes through the first passage opening H1. On the other hand, when the closing wall portion 3c is displaced to a tilted position, the diameter of the second passage opening H2 becomes smaller than the diameter of the granular material R, so a predetermined quantity (1 in this embodiment) of the granular material R is stored between the second passage opening H2 and the first passage opening H1. In this state, the elastic portion 4g is elastically deformed as shown in the figure.

[0028] As described above, the repelling portion 3k is separated from the end of the discharge cylinder portion 4d with the projection 4f, as shown in Figure 6(a), before the container 1 is pressed against the object T. When the container 1 is pressed against the object T and the discharge cylinder portion 4d moves toward the opening portion 1c, the projection 4f contacts the radially inner end of the repelling portion 3k, as shown in Figure 6(b), causing the repelling portion 3k to bend. As the discharge cylinder portion 4d moves further, the bent repelling portion 3k returns to its original position, as shown in Figure 6(c). In other words, the repelling portion 3k is repelled by the projection 4f when the discharge cylinder portion 4d moves toward the opening portion 1c and the closing wall portion 3c, which was in its initial position, is displaced to a tilted position, generating sound and vibration. Therefore, the user of the container with a quantitative cap 100 can know that the granular material R has been dispensed by the sound and vibration generated. Furthermore, since multiple repelling portions 3k are provided in this embodiment, the sound and vibration transmitted to the user can be made even louder.

[0029] Subsequently, when the force pressing the container 1 toward the object T is released, the discharge cylinder portion 4d moves away from the opening portion 1c due to the restoring force of the elastic portion 4g, as shown in Figure 5. As a result, the elastically deformed closing wall portion 3c is displaced from its tilted position back to its initial position, preventing the granular material R contained in the internal space N from passing through the first passage opening H1 again. Therefore, when the container 1 is lifted away from the object T, only the single granular material R that was stored between the second passage opening H2 and the first passage opening H1 is discharged from the discharge opening 4e.

[0030] Incidentally, when the discharge cylinder portion 4d moves away from the opening portion 1c, the projection 4f comes into contact with the retraction portion 3k. If the restoring force of the elastic portion 4g is not very large, the projection 4f may get caught on the retraction portion 3k, causing the discharge cylinder portion 4d to stop midway. However, the retraction portion 3k in this embodiment is provided with an inclined surface 3m, and when the discharge cylinder portion 4d moves away from the opening portion 1c, the projection 4f comes into contact with the inclined surface 3m, thus suppressing the occurrence of such problems.

[0031] Furthermore, after further investigation by the inventors, it was found that when multiple repelling portions 3k are provided as in this embodiment, if the repelling portions 3k are provided point-symmetrically with respect to the central axis O (for example, in the state shown in Figure 2(a), if two repelling portions 3k are arranged so that the angle with respect to the central axis O is 180°), when the projection 4f comes into contact with the repelling portion 3k, the repelling portions 3k evenly support the discharge cylinder portion 4d, which tends to cause the discharge cylinder portion 4d to stop midway. Also, if the repelling portions 3k are located close together and only one closing wall portion 3c is placed between adjacent repelling portions 3k, the repelling portions 3k placed close together strongly support the discharge cylinder portion 4d, which tends to cause the discharge cylinder portion 4d to stop midway. On the other hand, by arranging the ejection section 3k in this embodiment to be asymmetrical with respect to the central axis O, and by providing multiple closing wall sections 3c between adjacent ejection sections 3k, it was possible to eliminate the problem of the discharge cylinder section 4d tending to stop midway.

[0032] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and unless otherwise specifically limited in the above description, various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the spirit of the present invention as described in the claims. For example, the configurations of the embodiments described above can be added or deleted as appropriate, and the configuration of one embodiment can be provided in other embodiments. Furthermore, the effects in the embodiments described above are merely illustrative of the effects that may arise from the present invention, and do not mean that the effects of the present invention are limited to the effects described above.

[0033] For example, the number of discharge pipes 4d and ejection sections 3k is just one example and is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0034] Furthermore, the function of returning the discharge cylinder portion 4d to its initial position by the elastic portion 4g may be achieved by a separate component (for example, a metal coil spring) from the head 4. When a coil spring is used, a large elastic force can generally be obtained, so even if the number of spring portions 3k is increased further, the pushed-in discharge cylinder portion 4d can be reliably returned to its initial position.

[0035] Furthermore, the quantity of granular material R to be discharged is not limited to one; it can be set to two or more. To increase the quantity of granular material R, for example, the length of the inner vertical plate wall 3d in the closure wall section 3c can be extended, thereby increasing the distance between the second passage opening H2 and the first passage opening H1. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0036] 1: Container 1a: bottom 1b: Torso 1c: Mouth 1d: Male threaded part 1e: Outward-facing claw portion 2: Quantitative Cap 3: Inner stopper 3a: base 3b: Seal wall 3c: Obstruction wall 3D: Inner vertical panel wall 3e: Slanted wall 3F: Exterior vertical panel wall 3g:Horizontal wall 3h: protruding part 3j: Rib 3k: Playing section 3m: Slope 4: Head 4a: Cylindrical wall 4b: Upper wall 4c: Inward-facing claw portion 4d: Discharge cylinder part 4e: Outlet 4f: Protrusion 4g: Elastic part 5: Overcap 5a: Ceiling wall 5b: Outer wall 5c: Female thread section 5d: Rod-shaped part 100: Container with quantitative cap H1: First passage H2:Second passageway N: Internal space O: Central axis R: Particulate matter T: Object

Claims

1. A quantitative cap that is attached to the mouth of a container and discharges a predetermined quantity of granular material contained in the internal space of the container, A discharge cylinder section having a cylindrical shape and an outlet at its tip for discharging the granular material, An elastic part that is elastically deformable in a direction along the central axis of the discharge cylinder and biases the discharge cylinder away from the opening when the discharge cylinder is moved toward the opening, Multiple closing wall portions are arranged around the central axis, each having a tip portion located near the central axis and a base portion located far from the central axis. When the discharge cylinder portion is moved toward the opening, the closing wall portion is pushed in by the discharge cylinder portion, elastically deformed, and displaced into a tilted position inclined around the base portion, while when the discharge cylinder portion is moved away from the opening, the closing wall portion displaces back to its initial position. A first passage opening is located between the internal space and the discharge opening, partitioned by a plurality of intermediate portions in the plurality of the closing wall portions, and is smaller than the outer diameter of the granular material when the closing wall portion is displaced to the initial position, and larger than the outer diameter of the granular material when the closing wall portion is displaced to the tilted position, A second passage opening is partitioned by a plurality of the tip portions of the plurality of the closing wall portions, located between the first passage opening and the discharge opening, and is larger than the outer diameter of the granular material when the closing wall portion is displaced to the initial position, and smaller than the outer diameter of the granular material when the closing wall portion is displaced to the tilted position, The discharge cylinder portion is moved toward the opening portion, and the discharge cylinder portion is flicked away by the discharge cylinder portion, The structure has a predetermined quantity of granular material that is passable through the discharge port and has an outer diameter that prevents it from passing through the first passage port when the closing wall portion is displaced to the initial position, When the container is inverted and the discharge cylinder is pressed against the object, the repelling portion is repelled by the discharge cylinder, and the closing wall portion is displaced from the initial position to the tilted position, causing the granular material in the internal space to pass through the first passage opening and be stored in a predetermined quantity between the second passage opening and the first passage opening. A quantitative cap in which, when the discharge pipe is moved away from the object, the closing wall is displaced from the tilted position to the initial position, and the stored granular material passes through the second passage opening and is discharged from the discharge opening.

2. The aforementioned quantitative cap is configured to include a head, The head has the discharge cylinder portion, the elastic portion, and the mounting portion which is attached to the opening portion. The quantitative cap according to claim 1, wherein the elastic portion is in the shape of an elastically deformable curved plate and connects the discharge cylinder portion and the mounting portion.

3. The aforementioned quantitative cap is composed of an inner stopper, The aforementioned stopper has a plurality of closing wall portions, a first passage opening, a second passage opening, a retractable portion, and an annular base portion centered on the central axis. Multiple of the aforementioned closing wall portions are connected to the base portion at intervals around the central axis, The quantitative cap according to claim 1, wherein the repulsive portion is connected to the base portion between the circumferentially spaced closing wall portions.

4. The aforementioned stopper has multiple of the aforementioned release parts, The quantitative cap according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of the aforementioned retractable portions are asymmetrical with respect to the central axis, and the base portion is provided with a plurality of the aforementioned closing wall portions between adjacent retractable portions.

5. A container with a quantitative cap, comprising a quantitative cap according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and the container.

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