Rotary dispensing container

Abstract

Provided is a rotary dispending container capable of preventing breakage of a solid core accommodated in a shaft cylinder due to an impact applied to the shaft cylinder. The rotary dispensing container is configured so as to comprise: a screw rod 9 that advances or retracts in a shaft cylinder 3 through the relative rotation of a front shaft 1 and a rear shaft 2; and a solid core 5 that moves in the axial direction in the front shaft depending on an advancing or retracting operation of the screw rod. The solid core is accommodated in a cylindrical holder 6, and a tip part of the holder is provided with a holder guide 7 having a plurality of projections 7b extending forward in the axial direction. Selection is made between a usable state in which the solid core is projected from the front shaft as the screw rod is advanced, and an accommodation state in which the solid core is retracted together with the holder and accommodated in the front shaft as the screw rod is retracted. In the accommodation state, a tip part of the solid core projecting from the holder is supported by the plurality of projections provided to the holder guide.

Description

Rotating dispenser

[0001] The present invention relates to a rotary dispenser container for use as a stick-shaped cosmetic container, writing implement, applicator, etc., which dispenses a stick-shaped member such as a stick-shaped cosmetic, a stick-shaped writing implement, or a stick-shaped applicator from the container.

[0002] Various cosmetic tools are available that contain, for example, a stick-shaped cosmetic product in a rotary dispenser, and dispense the required amount of the cosmetic product from the front end. Among these, solid-core eyeliners for applying cosmetic product to eyebrows and other areas have been proposed, in which the cross-section perpendicular to the axial direction of the solid core is elliptical or oblong. This allows the thickness of the line of cosmetic product applied at one time to be selected as desired by changing the orientation of the solid core.

[0003] Rotary dispensing containers that house solid lead eyeliners with an elliptical or oblong cross section like this are disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2. However, in the rotary dispensing containers disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the solid lead is configured to be dispensed in one direction, and therefore it is impossible to return the solid lead dispensed from the front end of the barrel by the dispensing operation back into the barrel.

[0004] Therefore, the present applicant has proposed a rotary dispensing container that can return a dispensed solid lead into the barrel, which is disclosed in Patent Document 3. The rotary dispensing container disclosed in Patent Document 3 is equipped with a threaded rod that moves forward or backward by rotating the rear barrel relative to the front barrel, and as the threaded rod moves forward, the solid lead is pushed by the threaded rod and dispensed from the front barrel. Also, as the threaded rod moves backward, the front end of the threaded rod pulls a holder that covers the outside of the solid lead, and the solid lead is returned into the front barrel together with the holder.

[0005] JP 2016-220916 A JP 2016-220917 A JP 2021-90729 A

[0006] However, many of the solid cores housed in this type of rotary dispensing container contain volatile components, and the above-mentioned solid core eyeliner also has the problem of hardening the solid core due to the evaporation of solvents, etc., leading to a decrease in functionality. Therefore, as a measure to prevent the evaporation of the solid core housed in the above-mentioned rotary dispensing container, it is effective to cover the outside of the solid core with a cylindrical holder, as described in Patent Document 3.

[0007] However, to return the drawn-out solid lead into the front barrel, the solid lead must be returned into the front barrel together with the holder, with a predetermined length of solid lead remaining drawn out from the front end of the cylindrical holder. As a result, the tip of the solid lead protruding from the holder is left floating without being supported within the front barrel, and if the barrel is subjected to an impact in this state, such as being dropped, the tip of the solid lead protruding from the holder will be subjected to the impact and break, causing a problem.

[0008] This invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned situation, and its main object is to provide a rotary dispensing container that can effectively prevent breakage of the solid core contained within the barrel due to impact applied to the barrel.

[0009] The rotary dispensing container according to the present invention, which has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, comprises a barrel in which a front barrel and a rear barrel are configured to be rotatable relative to each other, a threaded rod disposed at the rear of the barrel and adapted to move forward or backward within the barrel in response to the relative rotation of the front barrel and the rear barrel, and a rod-shaped member (solid core) disposed at the front of the barrel and adapted to move axially within the front barrel in response to the forward or backward movement of the threaded rod, wherein the rod-shaped member is housed in a holder which covers the outer periphery of the rod-shaped member, and the tip of the holder has a plurality of protrusions which extend axially forward, and A holder guide is provided in which protrusions are arranged circumferentially, and a plurality of guide grooves are formed along the inner peripheral surface of the tip barrel, which extend in the axial direction and into which the protrusions of the holder guide enter to allow the protrusions to slide axially; as the threaded rod moves forward, the rod-shaped member protrudes from the tip barrel, and as the threaded rod moves backward, the rod-shaped member retracts together with the holder and is housed within the tip barrel, and the tip of the rod-shaped member protruding from the holder is supported by the plurality of protrusions provided on the holder guide.

[0010] In this case, in a preferred embodiment, the rear axle is rotatably attached to the center axle which is attached to the front axle, thereby allowing the front axle and rear axle to rotate relative to each other, and a male thread formed on the threaded rod is screwed into a female thread formed on the center axle, and the threaded rod is formed with a flange which is movable in the axial direction within the rear axle and rotates the threaded rod in the same direction as the rear axle rotates.

[0011] Furthermore, it is desirable that a rib protruding in the axial direction is formed within the rear axle along the axial direction, that a flange portion formed on the threaded rod is movable axially along the rib, and that a portion of the flange portion abuts against the rib as the rear axle rotates, so that the threaded rod rotates in the same direction as the rear axle rotates.

[0012] Furthermore, a large diameter portion with an axial hole is formed at the front end of the threaded rod via a linearly shaped shaft body, and the large diameter portion causes the rod-shaped member to protrude from the front shaft as the threaded rod advances, and is configured so that as the threaded rod retracts, it comes into contact with the inside of the holder, performing a pulling action that retracts the holder together with the rod-shaped member.

[0013] According to the rotary dispensing container of this invention, the solid lead as a rod-shaped member is housed in a holder and is arranged so as to be able to protrude and retract from the front barrel as the threaded rod moves forward and backward. The tip of the holder is provided with a holder guide having multiple protrusions arranged circumferentially and extending axially forward. Therefore, when the rod-shaped member retracts together with the holder and is housed within the front barrel, the tip of the rod-shaped member protruding from the holder is supported by the multiple protrusions on the holder guide. This makes it possible to provide a rotary dispensing container that can effectively prevent breakage of the solid lead as a rod-shaped member housed within the barrel, even when subjected to an impact, such as a fall. Other effects of the rotary dispensing container of this invention will be described as appropriate in the detailed description of the invention below.

[0014] 2A , 2B , 2C , 2D , 2E , 2F , 2G , 2G , 2H ... 1 shows the individual configuration of the holder according to the first embodiment, with (A) being a top view, (B) being a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the axial direction of (A), (C) being a front view, and (D) being a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the axial direction of (C). 1 shows the state in which a holder guide is attached to the front end of the holder according to the first embodiment, with (A) being a top view, (B) being a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the axial direction of (A), (C) being a front view, and (D) being a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the axial direction of (C). 1 shows the state before the holder guide is attached to the holder according to the first embodiment, with (A) being a perspective view with the holder guide side facing forward, and (B) being a perspective view with the holder side facing forward. 1 shows the state in which ...

[0023] Figures 1A and 1B show the individual configuration of a holder guide according to the first embodiment, with (A) being a perspective view with the tip end side facing forward, (B) being a perspective view with the rear end side facing forward, (C) being a top view, (D) being a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the axial direction of (C), (E) being a front view, (F) being a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the axial direction of (E), (G) being a left side view, and (H) being a right side view.

[0024] Figures 1A and 1B show the individual configuration of a center shaft according to the first embodiment, with (A) being a perspective view with the tip end side facing forward, (B) being a perspective view with the rear end side facing forward, (C) being a top view, and (D) being a cross-sectional view along the axial direction.

[0025] Figures 1A and 1B show the individual configuration of a threaded rod according to the first embodiment, with (A) being a perspective view with the tip end side facing forward, (B) being a front view, (C) being a top view, and (D) being a cross-sectional view along the axial direction.12A and 12B show the individual configuration of the threaded body according to the first embodiment, where (A) is a perspective view with the tip end facing forward, (B) is a perspective view with the rear end facing forward, (C) is a front view, and (D) is a cross-sectional view along the axial direction. The individual configuration of the rear barrel according to the first embodiment is shown, where (A) is a cross-sectional view along the axial direction, and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line J-J in (A) as viewed in the direction of the arrow. The rotary dispensing container according to the second embodiment, excluding the cap, is shown, where (A) is an external view, and (B) is a cross-sectional view along the axial direction. The rotary dispensing container is shown in a state where its axis has been rotated 90 degrees relative to FIG. 12A, where (A) is an external view, and (B) is a cross-sectional view along the axial direction. The individual configuration of the front barrel according to the second embodiment is shown, where (A) is a top view, (B) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the axial direction of (A), (C) is a front view, (D) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the axial direction of (C), (E) is a left side view, and (F) is a right side view. 1 shows the individual configuration of a center axle according to a second embodiment, with (A) being a perspective view with the tip end side facing forward, (B) being a perspective view with the rear end side facing forward, (C) being a top view, and (D) being a cross-sectional view along the axial direction. 1 shows the individual configuration of a threaded rod according to a second embodiment, with (A) being a perspective view with the tip end side facing forward, (B) being a front view, (C) being a top view, (D) being a cross-sectional view along the axial direction, and (E) being a right side view. 1 shows the individual configuration of a rear axle according to a second embodiment, with (A) being a front view, (B) being a cross-sectional view along the axial direction, (C) being a left side view, and (D) being a cross-sectional view viewed in the direction of the arrows from line K-K shown in (B).

[0015] The rotary dispensing container according to the present invention will be described based on an embodiment of a cosmetic device that uses a solid-core eyeliner as the rod-shaped member contained within the container. In the following drawings, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals, but in some drawings, due to space limitations, reference numerals are assigned to representative parts, and the details will be described by referring to the reference numerals assigned to the drawings showing the individual product configurations.

[0016] First, a first embodiment of a rotary dispensing container according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11. In the rotary dispensing container of the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a rear barrel 2 formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom is attached to a front barrel 1 so as to be rotatable relative to the front barrel 1, thereby forming a barrel tube 3. Lead barrel 1 is formed with a cylindrical portion 1a followed by a small-diameter portion 1b whose diameter decreases toward the front. An opening 1c is provided at the tip of small-diameter portion 1b, through which a solid lead 5, a rod-shaped member described below, appears and retracts. A cap 4 formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom is attached axially to cover the small-diameter portion 1b of lead barrel 1, with the open end abutting against a cap attachment step 1d provided on lead barrel 1. With cap 4 attached, the rotary dispensing container appears as an elongated cylinder with a substantially uniform diameter along its length.

[0017] 2A and 2B show an external view and a cross-sectional view of the rotary dispenser container with the cap 4 removed. A rod-shaped solid core eyeliner 5 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the solid core 5) is housed within the front barrel 1. The solid core 5 is housed within a holder 6 that covers its outer periphery. The holder 6 is attached to its front end with a cylindrical base end 7a of a holder guide 7 in contact with the inside of the front barrel 1. The rear end of the holder 6 houses a piston 8 that contacts the inner surface of the holder 6 and slides axially along the holder 6's axis. The piston 8 is pushed by a threaded rod 9 to dispense the solid core 5 from the front end opening 1c of the front barrel 1. The piston 8 also functions as a seal, preventing the rear side of the solid core 5 from coming into contact with the atmosphere and volatilizing the solvent. This prevents the remaining portion of the solid core 5 from hardening, which can lead to a loss of performance.

[0018] The threaded rod 9 is disposed behind the solid lead 5 and piston 8, and this threaded rod 9 moves forward or backward within barrel tube 3 due to the relative rotation of rear barrel 2 with respect to front barrel 1. The forward or backward movement of this threaded rod 9 is affected by threaded body 11 disposed within rear barrel 2 and center shaft 12 press-fitted into the rear end of front barrel 1. The forward or backward movement of the threaded rod 9 will be explained in more detail in the explanation of the individual components of threaded body 11 and center shaft 12 below. In this embodiment, the cross sections perpendicular to the axial direction of the small diameter portion 1b, opening 1c, solid lead 5, holder 6, holder guide 7, piston 8, and the front half of threaded rod 9 in front barrel 1 each form an elliptical shape.

[0019] An annular elastic member (O-ring) 13 is attached along the outer periphery of the front end of the threaded rod 9, and when the threaded rod 9 moves forward, this O-ring 13 slides against the inner surface of the holder 6 and moves forward within the holder 6, and acts to push the solid lead 5 forward from the holder 6 via the piston 8 at the tip of the threaded rod 9. Furthermore, when the threaded rod 9 moves backward, the O-ring 13 presses against the inner surface of the holder 6 and operates to move the solid lead 5 backward together with the holder 6 within the front barrel 1.

[0020] 3 shows a partially broken away view of small diameter portion 1b of front barrel 1 of a rotary dispensing container. As mentioned above, holder guide 7 is attached to the tip of holder 6, which covers the outer periphery of solid lead 5. This holder guide 7 has multiple (four in this example) protrusions 7b extending axially forward from cylindrical base end 7a, each arranged circumferentially around base end 7a. Meanwhile, multiple (four in this example, the same number as protrusions 7b) guide grooves 1e are formed intermittently along the inner circumferential surface of front barrel 1 on the tip side, extending axially and into which the protrusions 7b of holder guide 7 enter to allow the protrusions 7b to slide axially.

[0021] Figures 4A to 11 show the individual components used in the rotary dispensing container shown in Figures 1 to 3, either individually or in pairs. The configuration of each component will be described below with reference to Figures 4A to 11. Figures 4A and 4B show the individual configuration of front barrel 1, which, as previously explained, has a cylindrical portion 1a at its rear end, and a small-diameter portion 1b, the cross section of which perpendicular to the axis is elliptical, formed forward of cylindrical portion 1a. An opening 1c is formed at the tip of small-diameter portion 1b, which supports solid lead 5 so that it can be protruded and retracted, and a cap attachment step 1d is formed between cylindrical portion 1a and small-diameter portion 1b.

[0022] 4B, a step 1f is formed from the inner surface of the small-diameter portion 1b toward the opening 1c, reducing the inner diameter. The base end 7a of the holder guide 7 attached to the front end of the holder 6 engages with this step 1f, functioning as a stopper that prevents the holder 6 from moving forward. Therefore, hereinafter, the step 1f will be referred to as the stopper. Furthermore, a plurality of guide grooves 1e are provided from the stopper 1f toward the distal opening 1c, receiving the respective protrusions 7b of the holder guide 7 and supporting the holder 6 so that it can move axially together with the holder 6.

[0023] An annular protrusion 1g is formed on the inner surface of the rear end opening of the cylindrical portion 1a, and this is used as a fitting portion when the center shaft 12, which will be described later, is attached by press-fitting. In addition, four long and short ribs 1h are formed at equal intervals along the axial direction on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 1a adjacent to the annular protrusion 1g. These long and short ribs 1h are used for axial alignment when the center shaft 12 is press-fitted into the cylindrical portion 1a.

[0024] Fig. 5A shows the individual configuration of holder 6 housed within front barrel 1, while Fig. 5B shows the state with holder guide 7 attached to the tip of holder 6. Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B are perspective views respectively showing the state before and after holder guide 7 is attached to the tip of holder 6. As already explained, this holder 6 has an elliptical cross section in the direction perpendicular to the axis, and a solid lead housing section 6a capable of housing a rod-shaped solid lead 5 is formed inside along the axial direction.

[0025] A protruding annular rib 6b is integrally molded with the holder 6 on the outer periphery of the front end of the holder 6. This annular rib 6b is formed to ensure a certain level of fitting strength when a holder guide 7, which will be described later, is attached to the front end of the holder 6. In addition, a short-shaft shaped cylindrical portion 6c having a groove 6d along the periphery is formed at the rear end of the holder 6.

[0026] FIG. 7 shows the individual configuration of the holder guide 7 attached to the front end of the holder 6. As already described, this holder guide 7 has four protrusions 7b extending axially forward from a cylindrical base end 7a, each of which is arranged circumferentially around the base end 7a. The elliptical base end 7a has parallel flat surfaces 7a1 formed above and below along the major axis of the ellipse. The front end of the holder 6 is inserted into an axial hole 7c formed in the base end 7a. The holder guide 7 is fitted and attached to the front end of the holder 6 with the front end of the holder 6 abutting against an annular step 7d (see FIGS. 7D and 7F) formed in the axial hole 7c.

[0027] An annular surface 7a2 perpendicular to the axis is formed in front of base end 7a, i.e., at the base of protrusion 7b. When this annular surface 7a2 is pushed by threaded rod 9 and moves forward together with holder 6 while housed within front barrel 1, it abuts against stopper 1f (see Figure 4B) formed within front barrel 1, acting to prevent holder 6 from moving forward. As a result, solid lead 5 housed within holder 6 is pushed by threaded rod 9 and piston 8 to move within holder 6 and be drawn out from opening 1c of front barrel 1.

[0028] Furthermore, the four protrusions 7b formed on the base end 7a are arranged along the elliptical shape of the base end 7a, and the outer surface of the tip side of each protrusion 7b forms a tapered surface 7b1 that slopes toward the axis. The inner surface of each protrusion 7b is formed along the elliptical circumferential surface of the solid lead 5 dispensed from the holder 6, forming a holding surface 7b2 for the solid lead 5. Therefore, the solid lead 5 protruding from the holder 6 is supported by the inner holding surface 7b2 of each protrusion 7b.

[0029] The solid core 5 loaded into the holder 6 contains a volatile component as an eyeliner, and examples thereof include volatile silicones (cyclopentasiloxane, methyl trimethicone, dimethicone, etc.), volatile hydrocarbons (isododecane, light isoparaffin, etc.), etc., and film-forming resins that dissolve in these solvents.

[0030] 8 shows the individual configuration of center shaft 12 that is attached by press fitting to the rear end of front shaft 1. Center shaft 12 has a threaded rod insertion hole 12a formed in its front end, and threaded rod insertion hole 12a is formed in a similar elliptical or rectangular shape so that an elliptical shaft body 9a formed in the front half of threaded rod 9, which will be described later, can be inserted therethrough.

[0031] Furthermore, from the front end to the rear end, center barrel 12 is formed, in this order, with a pair of circular protrusions 12b formed on both sides of the barrel toward the outside, a first annular rib 12c protruding in the circumferential direction, an O-ring mounting groove 12d, and a second annular rib 12e protruding in the circumferential direction. The pair of circular protrusions 12b are used to align front barrel 1 and center barrel 12 about the axis by being selectively inserted between four long and short ribs 1h formed inside cylindrical portion 1a of front barrel 1.

[0032] Furthermore, first annular rib 12c engages with annular protrusion 1g formed inside cylindrical portion 1a of front barrel 1, and acts to attach and fit center barrel 12 to the rear end of front barrel 1 by press fitting. Furthermore, O-ring 14 shown in Figures 2A and 2B is attached to O-ring attachment groove 12d, and O-ring 14 is configured to slide against the inner circumferential surface of rear barrel 2 in the direction of axial rotation. Furthermore, annular rib 12e that protrudes circumferentially near the rear end of center barrel 12 acts to prevent rear barrel 2, which is attached to the rear end of center barrel 12, from slipping out.

[0033] Figure 9 shows the structure of the threaded rod 9. The front half of this threaded rod 9 forms an elliptical shaft 9a with an elliptical cross section perpendicular to the axis, and an O-ring mounting groove 9b is formed at the tip. As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, an annular elastic member (O-ring) 13 is mounted in this mounting groove 9b. The rear half of the threaded rod 9 has a substantially circular cross section with male threads 9c formed along both the top and bottom surfaces, and flat surfaces 9d formed along both sides in the longitudinal direction.

[0034] Figure 10 shows the structure of the threaded body 11. The threaded body 11 is cylindrical and has a female thread 11a formed on the inner peripheral surface of the rear end. This female thread 11a is adapted to be threadedly mated with the male thread 9c of the threaded rod 9 shown in Figure 9. In addition, a plurality of anti-rotation ribs 11b are formed along the axial direction on the outer periphery of the front end of the threaded body 11, and these ribs 11b are formed at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0035] 11 shows the individual configuration of the rear axle 2, which is cylindrically formed with a closed rear end. A plurality of longitudinal ribs 2a are formed on the inner peripheral surface near the opening at the front end, at approximately equal intervals along the inner peripheral surface. When the threaded body 11 is inserted into the rear axle 2 with the rear end side, where the female thread 11a of the threaded body 11 is formed, as described above, as the head of the plurality of longitudinal ribs 2a, the anti-rotation ribs 11b of the threaded body 11 engage with the longitudinal ribs 2a inside the rear axle 2. This allows the threaded body 11 to be supported within the rear axle 2 in an anti-rotation state.

[0036] At a position closer to the front end opening than the positions of the multiple vertical ribs 2a, an annular rib 2b is formed so as to protrude from the inner circumferential surface. This annular rib 2b protruding from the inner circumferential surface rides over annular rib 12e formed on the rear end of center shaft 12 in the axial direction, thereby preventing center shaft 12 and rear barrel 2 from coming loose and connecting them so as to allow relative rotation. Note that the front end of center shaft 12 is press-fitted into front barrel 1, and as a result, front barrel 1 and rear barrel 2 are configured to be able to rotate relative to each other via center shaft 12.

[0037] In the rotary dispensing container of the first embodiment described above, to dispense solid lead 5 as a rod-shaped member from tip opening 1c of front barrel 1, rear barrel 2 is rotated clockwise relative to front barrel 1. This causes threaded body 11 inside rear barrel 2 to rotate in the same direction. Threaded rod 9 threaded onto this threaded body 11 has its front end elliptical shaft body 9a inserted into threaded rod insertion hole 12a of center barrel 12, preventing axial rotation, so threaded rod 9 advances as threaded body 11 rotates clockwise. Therefore, solid lead 5 advances together with holder 6 and holder guide 7 via piston 8, which is pushed by threaded rod 9.

[0038] Meanwhile, as solid lead 5, holder 6, and holder guide 7 move forward, annular surface 7a2 formed on holder guide 7 abuts against stopper 1f formed inside front barrel 1, preventing further advance. As a result, solid lead 5 inside holder 6 moves forward within holder 6 and holder guide 7 via piston 8 as threaded rod 9 moves forward, and the tip of solid lead 5 is dispensed from front end opening 1c of front barrel 1. Therefore, the user can apply makeup to their eyebrows and other areas using the solid lead eyeliner dispensed from the rotary dispenser.

[0039] After using the solid lead eyeliner, it is necessary to return solid lead 5 that has been unwound from front barrel 1 back into front barrel 1, and this rewinding operation involves rotating rear barrel 2 counterclockwise relative to front barrel 1. This causes threaded body 11 in rear barrel 2 to rotate in the same direction, and threaded rod 9, whose axial rotation is prevented by threaded rod insertion hole 12a in center barrel 12, retracts within barrel tube 3 as threaded body 11 rotates counterclockwise. As threaded rod 9 retracts, annular elastic member (O-ring) 13 attached to the tip of threaded rod 9 pulls holder 6 while being pressed against the inner surface of holder 6. Therefore, solid lead 5, whose tip has been unwound, retracts within front barrel 1 together with holder 6 and holder guide 7, and the tip of solid lead 5 is returned into front barrel 1.

[0040] Figure 3 shows the state in which the tip of solid lead 5, which has been unwound from front barrel 1, has been returned into front barrel 1 by the above-mentioned operation. As shown in Figure 3, solid lead 5, which has been returned into front barrel 1 and protrudes from the front end of holder 6, is supported and held by multiple (four) protrusions 7b provided on holder guide 7. Moreover, the inner surface of each protrusion 7b that supports solid lead 5 forms a holding surface 7b2 for solid lead 5 (see Figure 7) that follows the elliptical circumferential surface of solid lead 5 as it is fed out of holder 6.

[0041] As a result, the solid lead 5 protruding from the holder 6 can be supported without any gaps by the inner holding surfaces 7b2 of each protrusion 7b. Therefore, even if the container (barrel 3) is subjected to an impact, for example, by accidentally dropping the cosmetic tool, it is possible to provide a rotary dispenser that can effectively prevent problems such as cracking or breaking the solid lead 5 protruding from the holder 6.

[0042] Next, a second embodiment of a rotary dispensing container according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 12A to 16. In this second embodiment, the components used in the rotary dispensing container of the first embodiment, other than the front barrel 1, rear barrel 2, threaded rod 9, threaded body 11, and center barrel 12, are the same components used in the second embodiment as well. Therefore, in the following, the same components used in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted where appropriate, and the configuration of the new components used in the second embodiment will be mainly described.

[0043] In addition, in the second embodiment, a front barrel 21, a rear barrel 22, a threaded rod 23, and a center barrel 24 equipped with a threaded body, which will be described below, are used as equivalents to the front barrel 1, rear barrel 2, threaded rod 9, threaded body 11, and center barrel 12 used in the first embodiment.

[0044] 12A and 12B show the exterior configuration and axial cross-section of a rotary dispensing container according to the second embodiment, excluding the cap. In this rotary dispensing container according to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, rear barrel 22 is attached to front barrel 21 so as to be rotatable relative to it, thereby constituting barrel tube 3. Cap 4, which is formed in the shape of a closed-end tube shown in FIG. 1, is attached axially by abutting its open end against cap attachment step 21d on front barrel 21 so as to cover small-diameter portion 21b of front barrel 21. As a result, the rotary dispensing container with cap 4 attached appears to be an elongated cylinder with a substantially uniform diameter along its length.

[0045] Furthermore, the basic operation of rotating rear barrel 22 clockwise relative to front barrel 21, causing solid lead 5 as a rod-shaped member to be unwound from tip opening 21c of front barrel 21, and rotating rear barrel 22 counterclockwise relative to front barrel 21, causing solid lead 5 to be retracted into front barrel 21, is the same as in the first embodiment. Furthermore, holder 6, which houses solid lead 5 therein, is provided with a plurality of protrusions 7b that support solid lead 5 protruding from holder 6, and solid lead 5 is configured to be supported without gaps by holding surfaces 7b2 on the insides of each protrusion 7b, also the same as in the first embodiment.

[0046] On the other hand, the rotary dispensing container of the second embodiment has different features from the rotary dispensing container of the first embodiment in the mechanism for moving threaded rod 23 in the axial direction in response to relative rotation of rear barrel 22 with respect to front barrel 21, and the mechanism for connecting threaded rod 23 to holder 6. The following describes each of the new component parts used in the rotary dispensing container of the second embodiment with reference to Figures 13 to 16.

[0047] 13 shows the individual configuration of front barrel 21, which has cylindrical portion 21a at its rear end, and small-diameter portion 21b, whose cross section perpendicular to the axis is elliptical, formed forward of cylindrical portion 21a. Opening 21c is formed at the tip of small-diameter portion 21b, which supports solid lead 5 so that it can protrude and retract, and cap attachment step 21d is formed between cylindrical portion 21a and small-diameter portion 21b.

[0048] Immediately inside the opening 21c of the small diameter portion 21b, there are provided a plurality of (four in this embodiment) guide grooves 21e that receive the respective protrusions 7b of the holder guide 7 and support the holder 6 so that it can move axially together with the holder 6. A step 21f is formed at the front end of each of the plurality of guide grooves 21e by reducing the inner diameter toward the opening 21c. The tip of the protrusion 7b formed on the holder guide 7 abuts against this step 21f, and it functions as a stopper that prevents the holder 6 from moving forward. Therefore, in this embodiment, the step 21f is referred to as a stopper.

[0049] An annular locking ring 21g is formed on the inner surface of the rear end opening of cylindrical portion 21a, and this acts as a fitting portion when center shaft 24, which will be described later, is attached by press fitting. Furthermore, four ribs 21h are formed at approximately equal intervals along the inner circumference in the axial direction on the inner peripheral surface of cylindrical portion 21a at the rear side adjacent to annular locking ring 21g. A plurality of ribs 24a (eight in this embodiment) formed at equal intervals along the axial direction on the outer periphery of the front end of center shaft 24, which will be described later, fit relatively into these four ribs 21h, thereby preventing center shaft 24 from rotating relative to front barrel 21.

[0050] Figure 14 shows the individual configuration of center shaft 24, which is attached by press-fitting to the rear end of front barrel 21 described above. Center shaft 24 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and the outer periphery of its front end is formed with multiple (eight) ribs 24a, which are formed at equal intervals along the circumference and each extend in the axial direction. When these ribs 24a are inserted into the rear end of front barrel 21 as described above, they come into contact with four ribs 21h inside front barrel 21 and serve to prevent center shaft 24 from rotating relative to front barrel 21. In addition, a first annular rib 24b protruding outward, an O-ring mounting groove 24c, and a second annular rib 24d protruding outward are formed, in this order, on the outer circumferential surface of center shaft 24 toward the rear end.

[0051] First annular rib 24b is press-fit into locking ring 21g formed inside cylindrical portion 21a of front barrel 21, thereby fitting and attaching center barrel 24 to the rear end of front barrel 21. Furthermore, O-ring 14 shown in Figures 12A and 12B is attached to O-ring attachment groove 24c, and O-ring 14 is configured to slide against the inner circumferential surface of rear barrel 22 in the axial rotation direction. Furthermore, second annular rib 24d protruding in the circumferential direction of center barrel 24 acts as a retainer for rear barrel 22, which is attached to the rear end of center barrel 24.

[0052] Furthermore, a female screw 24e is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the rear end opening of the center shaft 24, and this female screw 24e is to be threadedly engaged with a male screw 23d formed on the threaded rod 23, which will be described later. That is, in this second embodiment, the threaded body 11, which is prepared as a separate component in the first embodiment, is provided integrally on the center shaft 24 side.

[0053] 15 shows the structure of the threaded rod 23. The threaded rod 23 comprises a linear shaft 23a whose front half has a circular cross section perpendicular to its axis, and a small, short large-diameter section 23b at its tip, which is slightly larger in diameter than the shaft 23a. An axial hole 23c is formed from the tip of the shaft 23a toward the rear, including the large-diameter section 23b. The axial hole 23c is provided to provide elasticity to the large-diameter section 23b.

[0054] The rear half of the threaded rod 23 has a larger diameter than the shaft 23a, and its cross section perpendicular to the shaft is substantially circular. Male threads 23d are formed along both the top and bottom surfaces, and flat surfaces 23e are formed along both side surfaces in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, a square flange 23f with rounded corners is integrally formed with the rear end of the threaded rod 23.

[0055] When the threaded rod 23 is inserted into the rear axle 22, this flange 23f is capable of moving in the axial direction and is engaged with a rib 22b (described later) molded along the axial direction inside the rear axle 22, so that the threaded rod 23 including the flange 23f undergoes a rotational movement in the same direction as the rear axle 22 rotates.

[0056] 16 shows the standalone configuration of rear barrel 22, which is formed into a cylindrical shape with a closed rear end. An annular rib 22a is formed on the inner circumferential surface slightly behind the front end opening. This annular rib 22a axially rides over second annular rib 24d that protrudes toward the outer periphery of center barrel 24, as described above, and acts to prevent rear barrel 22 from slipping out of center barrel 24. Rear barrel 22 is attached so as to be rotatable relative to center barrel 24, which is attached by being fitted to front barrel 21. This allows front barrel 21 and rear barrel 22 to rotate relative to each other via center barrel 24.

[0057] Four ribs 22b are formed at equal intervals along the inner circumferential surface of the rear half of the rear axle 22, rising from the inner circumferential surface toward the axis. Therefore, when the threaded rod 23 is inserted into the rear axle 22, the corners of the flange 23f fit between the ribs 22b. As already explained, this allows the threaded rod 23 to move axially within the rear axle 22, and also causes the threaded rod 23 to rotate in the same direction as the rear axle 22 as the rear axle 22 rotates.

[0058] In this embodiment, the flange 23f is configured in a square shape with rounded corners, but this depends on the shape of the interior of the rear axle 22 that accommodates the threaded rod 23. In short, the shape of the flange 23f can be selected to be an appropriate shape other than the illustrated example, as long as it allows axial movement within the rear axle 22, but acts so that the threaded rod 23 is also rotated in the same direction as the rear axle 22 rotates.

[0059] In the rotary dispensing container of the second embodiment equipped with the new components described above, to dispense solid lead 5 as a rod-shaped member from tip opening 21c of front barrel 21, rear barrel 22 is rotated clockwise relative to front barrel 21. As a result, threaded rod 23 inside rear barrel 22 rotates clockwise together with rear barrel 22 due to the action of flange 23f and other factors. At this time, male thread 23d of threaded rod 23 is threadedly engaged with female thread 24e of center barrel 24 attached to front barrel 21, and therefore, as threaded rod 23 rotates clockwise, threaded rod 23 advances. Therefore, large diameter portion 23b formed at the tip of threaded rod 23 abuts against piston 8 inside holder 6, and solid lead 5 advances together with holder 6 and holder guide 7 via piston 8.

[0060] Meanwhile, as solid lead 5, holder 6, and holder guide 7 move forward, the tip of protrusion 7b formed on holder guide 7 abuts against stopper 21f formed in front barrel 21, preventing further advancement. Note that Figures 12A and 12B show a state in which the tip of protrusion 7b formed on holder guide 7 abuts against stopper 21f formed in front barrel 21. As a result, solid lead 5 in holder 6 moves forward within holder 6 and holder guide 7 via piston 8 as threaded rod 23 moves forward, and the tip of solid lead 5 is dispensed from front end opening 21c of front barrel 21. Therefore, the user can apply makeup to eyebrows and the like using the solid lead eyeliner dispensed from the rotary dispenser.

[0061] After using the solid core eyeliner, it is necessary to return solid core 5 that has been unwound from front barrel 21 back into front barrel 21, and in this returning operation, rear barrel 22 is rotated leftward relative to front barrel 21. As a result, threaded rod 23 inside rear barrel 22 rotates leftward together with rear barrel 22 due to the action of flange 23f and the like. Then, threaded rod 23 retracts as male thread 23d that threads into female thread 24e of center barrel 24 rotates leftward.

[0062] As threaded rod 23 retracts, short large-diameter portion 23b formed at the tip of threaded rod 23 pulls holder 6 while in contact with the inner surface of holder 6. Therefore, solid lead 5, whose tip has been unwound, retracts within front barrel 1 together with holder 6 and holder guide 7, and the tip of solid lead 5 is returned into front barrel 1.

[0063] In this case, the outer diameter of the large diameter portion 23b is set to be slightly larger than the minor axis of the inner surface of the elliptical holder 6. Therefore, the large diameter portion 23b of the threaded rod 23 pulls the holder 6 while contacting the inner surface of the holder that faces it in the minor axis direction of the ellipse with a slight reaction force. As described above, the large diameter portion 23b is provided with the axial hole 23c, which gives the large diameter portion 23b elasticity, thereby suppressing variation in the reaction force when the large diameter portion 23b contacts the inner surface of the holder 6.

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the solid lead 5 protruding from the holder 6 that has been returned into the front barrel 21 can be supported without any gaps by the inner holding surfaces 7b2 of each protrusion 7b of the holder guide 7, so even if an impact is applied to the container (barrel tube 3), problems such as breakage of the solid lead 5 protruding from the holder 6 can be prevented.

[0065] The rotating dispensing container according to the present invention as described above can be used for a wide variety of purposes, including solid cosmetic products such as eyebrow pencils, eyeliners, and lip liners, writing implements such as colored pencils and pencils, and quasi-drugs for moisturizing the corners of the mouth, lips, etc., and can be used as a rotating dispensing container that can store these and be used as needed.

[0066] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Front barrel 1c Opening 1e Guide groove 2 Rear barrel 3 Barrel tube 4 Cap 5 Rod-shaped member (solid lead) 6 Holder 6a Solid lead storage section 7 Holder guide 7a Base end 7b Protrusion 7b1 Tapered surface 7b2 Solid lead holding surface 7c Shaft hole 8 Piston (sealing member) 9 Threaded rod 11 Threaded body 12 Center shaft 12a Threaded rod insertion hole 21 Front barrel 21c Opening 21e Guide groove 21f Step portion (stopper) 22 Rear barrel 22b Rib 23 Threaded rod 23a Shaft body 23b Large diameter portion 23c Shaft hole 23d Male thread 23f Flange portion 24 Center shaft 24e Female thread

Claims

1. A rotary dispensing container comprising: a barrel in which a front barrel and a rear barrel are configured to rotate relative to one another; a threaded rod disposed at the rear of the barrel and adapted to move forward or backward within the barrel in response to the relative rotation between the front barrel and the rear barrel; and a rod-shaped member disposed at the front of the barrel and adapted to move axially within the front barrel in response to the forward or backward movement of the threaded rod; wherein the rod-shaped member is contained within a holder which covers the outer periphery of the rod-shaped member, and the tip of the holder is provided with a holder guide having a number of protrusions extending axially forward and arranged along the circumferential direction, and the inner peripheral surface of the front barrel has a number of guide grooves which extend axially and into which the protrusions of the holder guide enter to slide the protrusions in the axial direction, a tip end of the rod-shaped member protruding from the holder being supported by a plurality of protrusions provided on the holder guide when the rod-shaped member protrudes from the front barrel as the threaded rod advances, and when the rod-shaped member retracts together with the holder and is housed within the front barrel as the threaded rod retracts.

2. The rotary dispensing container described in claim 1, characterized in that the rear shaft is rotatably attached to the center shaft attached to the front shaft, thereby allowing the front and rear shafts to rotate relative to one another, a male thread formed on the threaded rod is screwed into a female thread formed on the center shaft, and the threaded rod is formed with a flange portion that is axially movable within the rear shaft and rotates the threaded rod in the same direction as the rear shaft rotates.

3. A rotary dispensing container as described in claim 2, characterized in that a rib protruding in the axial direction is formed within the rear shaft along the axial direction, a flange portion formed on the threaded rod is movable in the axial direction along the rib, and when the rear shaft rotates, a part of the flange portion comes into contact with the rib, so that the threaded rod rotates in the same direction as the rear shaft rotates.

4. A rotary dispensing container as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a large diameter section with an axial hole is formed at the front end of the threaded rod via a straight-shaped shaft body, and that as the threaded rod advances, the large diameter section causes the rod-shaped member to protrude from the front shaft, and as the threaded rod retracts, the large diameter section comes into contact with the inside of the holder, performing a pulling action that retracts the holder together with the rod-shaped member.