Discharge container

Abstract

To provide a dispensing container that is easy to dispense contents even when a body part is gripped by hand.SOLUTION: A dispensing container 1 has a synthetic resin container body 10 provided with a mouth portion 11 and a body portion 12 and a dispensing cap 20 mounted on the mouth portion 11. The body portion 12 is flat in shape having a pair of front walls 12a and a pair of side walls 12b that are narrower in width than the front walls 12a. One of the side walls 12b is integrally provided with a bulge 31 that is demarcated by an oval-shaped concave rib 30 and protrudes outwardly from the one side wall 12b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present invention relates to a discharge container. [[Background Art]]

[0002] Conventionally, as a container that stores a liquid such as a liquid detergent, a hair styling product or the like as a content liquid, a discharge container is known that includes a synthetic resin container body having a mouth portion and a body portion, and a discharge cap attached to the mouth portion, wherein the body portion has a flat shape including a pair of front wall portions and a pair of side wall portions narrower than the front wall portions (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). Such a discharge container is generally configured such that by squeezing (pressing) the body portion in the transverse direction to bring the relatively wide front wall portions close to each other, the content liquid stored in the container body can be discharged to the outside from the discharge port of the discharge cap. [[Prior Art Documents]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0003] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2021-123354 [[Patent Document 2]] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2021-133983 [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0004] However, in the conventional discharge container described above, it is difficult to squeeze the body portion in the transverse direction when the container is used by gripping the body portion by hand, and there is room for improvement in this respect.

[0005] The present invention has been developed to solve such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a discharge container that allows easy discharge of the content even when the body portion is gripped by hand. [[Means for Solving the Problem]]

[0006] The discharge container of the present invention comprises a container body made of synthetic resin having a mouth and a body, and a discharge cap attached to the mouth, wherein the body has a flattened shape having a pair of front wall portions and a pair of side wall portions narrower than the front wall portions, and one of the side wall portions is integrally provided with a bulge portion that is partitioned by an elliptical recessed rib and protrudes outward from the other side wall portion. Furthermore, the other side wall portion is provided with a recess that is recessed inward from the center in the vertical direction, so that when the body is held in the hand, the fingers are naturally positioned on the bulging portion, and the discharge cap is provided with a nozzle that extends laterally with respect to the axis, and a pipe that introduces the liquid contents stored in the container body into the nozzle. It is characterized by being present. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a dispensing container that makes it easy to dispense the contents even when the body is held in the hand. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a partially cutaway cross-sectional view of a discharge container according to one embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of the discharge cap portion of the discharge container shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the body portion of the container shown. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a front view of the body portion of the container. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is a side view of the body portion of the container shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The following describes in detail an example of a discharge container according to one embodiment of the present invention, with reference to the drawings.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the discharge container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a container body 10 and a discharge cap 20.

[0014] The container body 10 is, for example, a blow-molded product made of synthetic resin, and has a roughly bottle shape with a mouth portion 11 and a body portion 12. In this embodiment, the container body 10 is made of polypropylene.

[0015] The opening 11 is cylindrical with an axis O, and a male screw 11a is integrally provided on its outer surface. The body 12 is integrally connected to the lower end of the opening 11. The body 12 can store liquids such as liquid detergent or hair styling products inside.

[0016] In the claims and this embodiment, the vertical direction refers to the vertical direction when the discharge container 1 is in an upright position, as shown in Figure 1.

[0017] The discharge cap 20 discharges the liquid contents stored in the body 12 of the container body 10 to the outside when the body 12 of the container body 10 is squeezed (pressed).

[0018] As shown in Figure 2, the discharge cap 20 is equipped with a mounting cylinder portion 21, and is detachably attached to the opening portion 11 by screw-connecting the female thread 21a on the inner circumferential surface of the mounting cylinder portion 21 to the male thread 11a of the opening portion 11. The top wall portion 22 of the discharge cap 20 is provided with a nozzle 23 extending laterally with respect to the axis O, and the tip of the nozzle 23 is the discharge port 23a for the liquid contents. In this embodiment, the discharge port 23a is closed with an openable and closable lid 24, and the lid 24 is opened when discharging the liquid contents.

[0019] The lid 24 may be configured to open automatically when the liquid contents are dispensed due to the dispensing pressure. Alternatively, the lid 24 may not be provided at all.

[0020] A disk-shaped partition wall 25 is fitted and fixed to the inner side of the top wall 22, and a cylindrical portion 26 vertically penetrating through the partition wall 25 is integrally provided at the axial center of the partition wall 25. The upper end of the cylindrical portion 26 communicates with an introduction port 23b provided in the nozzle 23, and a pipe 27 for introducing the content liquid stored in the container body 10 into the inside of the cylindrical portion 26 is connected to the lower end of the cylindrical portion 26. Further, a ball-type check valve 28 is provided inside the cylindrical portion 26. The check valve 28 blocks the flow of the content liquid from the inside of the cylindrical portion 26 toward the pipe 27 side by abutting, from the upper side over the entire circumference, an annular valve seat 29 provided on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 26, and operates to separate upward from the valve seat 29 and allow the flow of the content liquid from the pipe 27 side into the inside of the cylindrical portion 26.

[0021] The nozzle 23 is provided with a return port 23c that opens downward on a side opposite to the discharge port 23a with respect to the introduction port 23b. Further, a through hole 25a that vertically penetrates the partition wall 25 and communicates the return port 23c with the internal space of the container body 10 is provided in a portion of the partition wall 25 below the return port 23c.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the cylindrical portion 26 is integrally provided with a pair of leg portions 26a with the axis O interposed therebetween, and a dome-shaped opening / closing body 26b integrally connected to the pair of leg portions 26a. The opening / closing body 26b closes the return port 23c from the lower side, and the pair of leg portions 26a are elastically deformed to allow the opening / closing body 26b to move downward and open the return port 23c.

[0023] When the body portion 12 is squeezed and the internal space of the body portion 12 is pressurized, the check valve 28 opens in a state where the return port 23c is closed by the opening / closing body 26b, and the content liquid stored inside the body portion 12 is sent to the nozzle 23 through the pipe 27 and the cylindrical portion 26, and discharged to the outside from the discharge port 23a. When the squeezing of the body portion 12 is released, the internal space of the body portion 12 is depressurized, so that the opening / closing body 26b is opened and the check valve 28 is closed, and external air together with the content liquid remaining inside the nozzle 23 is returned into the container body 10 through the return port 23c and the through hole 25a.

[0024] As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, in the discharge container 1 of this embodiment, the body 12 of the container body 10 has a flattened shape having a pair of front wall portions 12a and a pair of side wall portions 12b that are narrower than the front wall portions 12a. That is, the body 12 has a flattened shape in which the distance between the pair of front wall portions 12a (distance in the short direction) is narrower than the distance between the pair of side wall portions 12b (distance in the long direction).

[0025] The width of the front wall portion 12a refers to the width of the widest part of the front wall portion 12a in the left-right direction when viewed from the front wall portion 12a side of the container body 10 as shown in Figure 5, and the width of the side wall portion 12b refers to the width of the widest part of the side wall portion 12b in the left-right direction when viewed from the side wall portion 12b side of the container body 10 as shown in Figure 6.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1, 4, 5, and 6, the discharge container 1 has a flattened body portion 12, and one side wall portion 12b is integrally provided with a bulge portion 31 that is partitioned by an elliptical recessed rib 30 and protrudes outward from the one side wall portion 12b.

[0027] In this embodiment, one side wall portion 12b, on which the concave rib 30 and bulge portion 31 are provided, has a shape comprising an upper inclined portion 12c that slopes gradually away from the axis O from top to bottom, and a lower inclined portion 12d that is connected below the upper inclined portion 12c and slopes gradually approaching the axis O from top to bottom, with the concave rib 30 and bulge portion 31 being integrally provided on the upper inclined portion 12c.

[0028] The concave rib 30 has an elliptical shape with its major axis in the vertical direction and its minor axis in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in Figure 6), and is concave toward the inside of the container relative to the upper inclined portion 12c of the side wall portion 12b.

[0029] The bulging portion 31 has an elliptical dome shape with an outer shape that follows the recessed rib 30, and its vertical dimension is larger than its horizontal dimension. Inside the recessed rib 30, it bulges (protrudes) outward from the container relative to the upper inclined portion 12c of the side wall portion 12b. The bulging portion 31 can be elastically deformed inward from the container, i.e., in the longitudinal direction of the flattened body portion 12 (the direction approaching the other side wall portion 12b) when squeezed (pressed). Furthermore, the bulging portion 31 can automatically return to its original shape from the state in which it has been elastically deformed inward from the container by the squeeze due to the elastic force.

[0030] In the discharge container 1 having the above configuration, the bulge portion 31 can be easily squeezed with the fingers (especially the index and middle fingers) while holding the body portion 12 of the container body 10 with the hand. That is, since the bulge portion 31 is located on the side wall portion 12b where fingers can be easily positioned when the flat-shaped body portion 12 is held with the hand, the bulge portion 31 can be easily squeezed with the fingers while holding the body portion 12 of the container body 10 with the hand.

[0031] Furthermore, in the discharge container 1 having the above configuration, the bulge portion 31 is separated from the side wall portion 12b by an elliptical concave rib 30. Therefore, when the bulge portion 31 is squeezed, the concave rib 30 suppresses the elastic deformation of the side wall portion 12b together with the bulge portion 31, allowing only the bulge portion 31 to be effectively and easily elastically deformed or restored to its original shape.

[0032] Then, with the body portion 12 held in the hand, the bulging portion 31 is squeezed with the fingers, and as the bulging portion 31 elastically deforms inward due to the squeeze, the volume of the internal space of the container body 10 decreases, which pressurizes the internal space of the container body 10, causing the liquid contents stored inside the body portion 12 of the container body 10 to be discharged to the outside from the discharge port 23a of the nozzle 23 of the discharge cap 20.

[0033] After the liquid contents are discharged, the squeeze of the bulge section 31 is released, and the bulge section 31 returns to its original shape. At this time, negative pressure is generated inside the container body 10, but as described above, this negative pressure causes the opening / closing body 26b to open, and outside air is introduced into the container body 10 through the return port 23c and the through hole 25a along with the liquid contents remaining inside the nozzle 23, thereby relieving the negative pressure.

[0034] As described above, in the discharge container 1 of this embodiment, a bulge 31 is integrally provided on one side wall 12b of the flat-shaped body 12, which is partitioned by an elliptical recessed rib 30 and protrudes outward from the one side wall 12b. Therefore, by squeezing the bulge 31 while holding the body 12 in your hand, the contents can be easily discharged to the outside from the discharge port 23a of the nozzle 23.

[0035] Furthermore, in the discharge container 1 of this embodiment, the bulging portion 31 is partitioned from the side wall portion 12b by an elliptical recessed rib 30, and can quickly return to its original shape when the squeeze is released. Therefore, by rapidly repeating the squeezing and restoration of the bulging portion 31, the contents can be continuously discharged.

[0036] Furthermore, if the side wall portion 12b is not provided with recessed ribs 30 and bulging portions 31, and the liquid contents are discharged by squeezing the side wall portion 12b itself, the distance between the pair of front wall portions 12a will widen, increasing the internal volume of the container body 10, and there is a risk that the inside of the container body 10 will become negative pressure, causing the liquid contents to be sucked in. However, in the discharge container 1 of this embodiment, the bulging portion 31 is partitioned from the side wall portion 12b by elliptical recessed ribs 30, so that only the bulging portion 31 is squeezed and the side wall portion 12b is less likely to deform, thus suppressing the above-mentioned suction phenomenon.

[0037] The bulging portion 31 has a curved outer shape when viewed from the front, having an upper end portion 31a, a central portion 31b integrally connected to the lower end of the upper end portion 31a, and a lower end portion 31c integrally connected to the lower end of the central portion 31b. Preferably, the radius of the outer shape of the central portion 31b when viewed from the front is 150 to 250 mm, and the radii of the outer shapes of the upper end portion 31a and the lower end portion 31c are 15 to 25 mm, respectively.

[0038] With this configuration, the bulge portion 31 has high rigidity in the upper end portion 31a and the lower end portion 31c, while the central portion 31b is elastically deformable, thereby further improving the recovery of the bulge portion 31 when the squeeze is released.

[0039] Preferably, the dispensing container 1 has a recess 40 that is recessed inward, located above the vertical center of the other side wall portion 12b opposite to the side wall portion 12b where the recessed rib 30 and bulge portion 31 are provided. This configuration makes it easier to dispense the contents of the dispensing container 1 by allowing the fingers to naturally rest on the bulge portion 31 when the body portion 12 is held in the hand.

[0040] Preferably, the bulge portion 31 is large enough to occupy 50% or more of the area of ​​the side wall portion 12b. This makes it difficult for the pressing force applied to the bulge portion 31 during squeezing to be transmitted to the side wall portion 12b or the basic shape portion of the body portion 12, thereby suppressing a decrease in discharge performance or the suction phenomenon described above.

[0041] Furthermore, compared to a configuration in which a mechanical trigger-type dispensing device is attached to the mouth portion 11 of the container body 10, the dispensing container 1 of this embodiment can be made simpler, smaller, lighter, and have its manufacturing costs reduced.

[0042] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0043] For example, in the discharge container 1 of this embodiment, the container body 10 is a blow-molded product, but it may be formed by other manufacturing methods, such as injection molding.

[0044] Furthermore, although the discharge container 1 of this embodiment is made of polypropylene, it is not limited to this, and can also be made of other synthetic resin materials such as high-density polyethylene, medium-density polyethylene, or low-density polyethylene. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0045] 1 Discharge container 10 Container body 11 Mouth 11a Male thread 12 Torso 12a Front wall 12b Side wall section 12c Upper slope 12d Lower slope 20 Discharge caps 21 Mounting cylinder 21a Female thread 22 Top wall section 23 nozzles 23a Discharge port 23b Inlet 23c return port 24 Lid 25 Bulkhead 25a through hole 26 Cylindrical part 26a Legs 26b Opening / closing mechanism 27 pipes 28 Check valve 29 valve seats 30 concave ribs 31 Bulge 31a Upper end part 31b Central part 31c Lower end part 40 recess O axis

Claims

[Claim 1] A container body made of synthetic resin, comprising a mouth and a body, It has a discharge cap attached to the opening, The discharge container is flattened in shape, having a body that comprises a pair of front wall sections and a pair of side wall sections that are narrower than the front wall sections. One of the aforementioned side walls is integrally provided with a bulge that is partitioned by an elliptical recessed rib and protrudes outward from the aforementioned side wall. On the other side of the aforementioned side wall, above the vertical center, there is a recess that is recessed inward towards the container, and when the body is held in the hand, the fingers are naturally positioned on the bulging portion. The discharge container is characterized in that the discharge cap is provided with a nozzle extending laterally with respect to the axis and a pipe for introducing the liquid contents stored in the container body into the nozzle.

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