Outer container and double container

Abstract

The present invention provides an outer container that accommodates an inner container, the outer container facilitating, for example, transport of the inner container while maintaining the cleanliness of the inner container and the contents thereof, and delivery for handling the contents of the inner container.　The outer container includes: a tubular outer container body having an opening part provided at the upper end, a closed bottom part, and an internal space in which an inner container can be accommodated; and an outer container lid that is detachably attachable to an upper part of the outer container body and closes the opening part when attached to the upper part of the outer container body. The outer container lid has a holding part that, when the outer container lid is attached to the upper part of the outer container body in a state in which the inner container is accommodated in the internal space of the outer container body, can hold the inner container on the inner surface of a top surface portion of the outer container lid, and that, even after the outer container lid is detached from the upper part of the outer container body, can keep holding the inner container.

Description

Outer container and double container

[0001] The present invention relates to an outer container and a double container.

[0002] For example, small-capacity cylindrical containers called microtubes, mini-test tubes, centrifuge tubes, etc. are used in analysis, research, experiments, and tests in the fields of medicine, medicine, regenerative medicine, biochemistry, and molecular biology, as well as in experiments and tests using centrifuges (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Many of the contents of the small-capacity cylindrical containers listed above are required to have a high level of cleanliness, and therefore, it is desirable to handle the container and its contents carefully so as not to contaminate the outside of the container during use, including pouring the contents into the container, analyzing and testing the contents, and transporting the container for these purposes.

[0004] Furthermore, a technique has been proposed for an outer container that houses the above-mentioned container as an inner container so that the container can be transported while maintaining its cleanliness, in other words, a technique for a double container having a double structure. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a cell transport container as an outer container that includes a cylindrical container body that can house a microtube as an inner container, and a lid that can be detachably attached to the container body with the microtube housed in the container body.

[0005] JP 2003-130764 A JP 2017-35080 A

[0006] The present invention aims to provide an outer container for accommodating an inner container, which makes it easier to transport the inner container and to hand over the contents of the inner container for handling while maintaining the cleanliness of the inner container and its contents.The present invention also aims to provide a double container comprising the outer container and an inner container accommodated within the outer container.

[0007] The present invention provides an outer container comprising: a cylindrical outer container body having an opening at an upper end, a closed bottom, and an internal space capable of accommodating an inner container; and an outer container lid that is detachably attached to the top of the outer container body and closes the opening when attached to the top of the outer container body; wherein the outer container lid has a holding portion on the inner surface of the top part of the outer container lid that can hold the inner container when attached to the top of the outer container body with the inner container accommodated in the internal space of the outer container body, and that can maintain the holding of the inner container even when removed from the top of the outer container body.

[0008] The present invention also provides a double container comprising the inner container and the outer container that houses the inner container.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an outer container for accommodating an inner container, which makes it easier to transport the inner container and to hand over the contents of the inner container for handling while maintaining the cleanliness of the inner container and its contents. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a double container comprising the outer container and an inner container accommodated within the outer container.

[0010] 6A and 6B are schematic front views of an example of a double container according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which an inner container (shown by the dashed line in the figure) is housed inside an outer container according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6B is a schematic front view of an example of an inner container that can be used in the double container according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6C is a schematic front view of an example of an outer container body that can be used in the outer container according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6D is a perspective view of the outer container body shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 6E is a schematic perspective view of an example of an outer container lid that can be used in the outer container according to one embodiment of the present invention, from an angle viewing the outside. FIG. 6F is a schematic perspective view of the outer container lid shown in FIG. 5, from an angle viewing the inside. FIG. 6G is a schematic plan view of the inner side of the top surface of the outer container lid shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 6H is a partial enlarged view of the outer container lid shown in FIG. 7A. FIG. 6I is a schematic cross-sectional view of the outer container lid shown in FIG. 7A, taken along line SA-SA. FIG. 6I is a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the outer container lid, corresponding to FIG. 8. FIG. 6I is a schematic cross-sectional view of the double container shown in FIG. 1, corresponding to FIG. 8. FIG. 6I is an explanatory view of a method of using an outer container according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which an inner container is housed in the internal space of the outer container body. 1 is an explanatory view of a method of using an outer container according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which an outer container lid is attached to the top of the outer container body. 2 is an explanatory view of a method of using an outer container and a double container according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the outer container lid is removed from the top of the outer container body.

[0011] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Note that common components in the drawings will be given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations may be omitted.

[0012] 1 is a front view schematically illustrating an example of an outer container 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and an example of a double container 100 in which an inner container 50 (shown by the dashed line in the figure) is housed within the outer container 10. The outer container 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the "outer container 10") is a cylindrical container that houses the inner container 50. The double container 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the "double container 100") is a cylindrical container with a double structure that includes the inner container 50 and the outer container 10 that houses the inner container 50.

[0013] Since the outer container 10 houses the inner container 50, by using the outer container 10 or the double container 100, the inner container 50 can be transported housed in the outer container 10. Therefore, the inner container 50 can be easily transported or the contents of the inner container 50 can be handed over for handling while maintaining the cleanliness of the inner container 50 and its contents.

[0014] First, an example of the configuration of the inner container 50 housed in the outer container 10 will be described mainly with reference to Fig. 2, and also with reference to the outer container body 20 shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 2 is a front view schematically showing an example of the inner container 50 that can be used in the double container 100. Fig. 3 is a front view schematically showing an example of the outer container body 20 that can be used in the outer container 10. Fig. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing the outer container body 20 shown in Fig. 3.

[0015] The inner container 50 is accommodated in the internal space 23 of the outer container body 20, and is therefore a cylindrical container with a capacity smaller than that of the outer container 10. Examples of the cylindrical shape of the inner container 50 include a cylindrical shape in which the cross section perpendicular to the cylindrical axis is circular, a rectangular cylindrical shape in which the cross section is polygonal, and an elliptical cylindrical shape in which the cross section is elliptical. Of these, the cylindrical shape is preferred.

[0016] The inner container 50 may be, for example, a known container such as a centrifuge tube, a centrifugal tube, a Spitz tube, a conical tube, a mini test tube, a microtube, or a cryopreservation tube, or a commercially available product thereof. It is also possible to use an inner container 50 manufactured using a similar size, shape, material, etc. to these. For example, an inner container such as the "mini test tube" described in Patent Document 1 or the "microtube" described in Patent Document 2 may also be used. Furthermore, for example, the capacity of the inner container 50 is preferably approximately 500 to 5,000 μL. It is preferable that the inner container be sterilized by radiation such as gamma rays or electron beams.

[0017] The inner container 50 can include a cylindrical main body 60 and a lid 70. In this specification, to distinguish it from the outer container 10, the main body of the inner container will be referred to as the "inner container main body" and the lid of the inner container will be referred to as the "inner container lid." The inner container 50 is preferably an inner container 50 including the inner container main body 60 and the inner container lid 70 attached to the upper portion 64 of the inner container main body 60, but a sealed container without a lid, such as an ampoule, can also be used. The inner container main body 60 and the inner container lid 70 that constitute the inner container 50 may be formed into any shape that matches the shape of the inner container 50 described above (cylindrical, rectangular, elliptical, etc.).

[0018] The cylindrical inner container body 60 has an opening 61 at the top end, a closed bottom 62, and an internal space 63 capable of accommodating contents. The inner container lid 70 is detachably attached to the top 64 of the inner container body 60. When attached to the top 64 of the inner container body 60, the inner container lid 70 closes the opening 61 of the inner container body 60 and also forms the upper end 51 and top 54 of the inner container 50.

[0019] The inner container 50 is composed of an inner container body 60 and an inner container lid 70, which are separate bodies. Although not shown, an inner container may also be used in which a locking lid (inner container lid) is integrally connected to the inner container body 60 by a flexible connector provided at the top end of the upper part 64 of the inner container body 60, as is the case with common microtubes (see, for example, Figure 2 of Patent Document 1). The upper part 64 of the inner container body 60 and the inner container lid 70 can be attached in various ways, such as by fitting matching shapes together (fitting), by engaging geometric elements together (engagement), or by screwing together (screw engagement). Of these, screw engagement is preferred, and it is preferable that the upper part 64 of the inner container body 60 and the inner container lid 70 be screwed together.

[0020] The inner container body 60 is formed in a vertically elongated tubular shape (preferably a substantially cylindrical shape) with an opening 61 at the top end and a closed bottom 62 at the bottom end. The diameter (inner diameter) of the opening 61 of the inner container body 60 is preferably about 2 to 20 mm, more preferably about 5 to 15 mm, and the height h of the internal space 63 of the inner container body 60 is preferably about 20 to 100 mm.

[0021] The inner container body 60 has a trunk 65 between the opening 61 and the bottom 62. An external thread 64a for threading the inner container body 60 and the inner container lid 70 can be provided on the outer peripheral wall surface of the upper part 64 of the trunk 65 of the inner container body 60 on the opening 61 side. If the inner container lid 70 is attached to the upper part 64 of the inner container body 60 in a manner other than threading (for example, fitting or engagement), the inner container body 60 may have a configuration suitable for that manner.

[0022] The bottom 62 side of the inner container body 60 can be provided with a conical section 66 that tapers from the opening 61 side toward the tip, extending from the bottom of the barrel 65 to the bottom 62. This configuration makes it easy to use in a centrifuge and facilitates centrifugal separation of the contents of the inner container 50. The bottom 62 of the inner container body 60 is formed by the tip surface of the conical section 66. The inner container body 60 may be cylindrical without the conical section 66, or the bottom 62 of the inner container body 60 may be flat.

[0023] The inner container 50 preferably has a structure on the bottom 62 side of the inner container body 60 that allows the inner container 50 to stand on its own. As an example of such a structure, legs 52 can be provided on the bottom 62 side of the inner container body 60 so as to allow the inner container 50 to stand on its own. The legs 52 extend from the outer peripheral surface of the barrel 65 of the inner container body 60 toward the bottom 62 in the longitudinal direction of the inner container body 60 and further extend beyond the bottom 62, forming an annular sidewall. The tip of the legs 52 is located further forward than the bottom 62 of the inner container body 60. The tip surface of the legs 52 is formed in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the inner container 50. This allows the inner container 50 to stand on its own with the legs 52 facing downward.

[0024] The legs 52 that enable the inner container 50 to stand on its own are formed in an annular shape with a notch 53 (described later). The legs 52 may be formed in an annular shape without a notch 53, as in the "mini test tube" shown in FIG. 6 of Patent Document 1 and the "microtube" shown in FIG. 5 of Patent Document 2, for example, or may not be formed in an annular shape. For example, the legs 52 that enable the inner container 50 to stand on its own may be formed by side walls (not shown) that are formed radially around the cylindrical axis of the inner container 50. As another example of a configuration that enables the inner container 50 to stand on its own, a flat pedestal (not shown) may be provided on the bottom 62 of the inner container body 60 so as to enable the inner container 50 to stand on its own. The flat pedestal may be formed so that its horizontal center is coaxial with the cylindrical axis of the inner container 50.

[0025] The leg portions 52 may be provided with cutouts 53 that allow the bottom 62 of the inner container body 60 to be visible. In the inner container 50 shown in Fig. 2, the cutouts 53 are formed in two opposing locations on the leg portions 52 (side walls). The cutouts 53 allow the bottom 62 of the inner container body 60 to be seen, and if the inner container body 60 is made of a material that is transparent enough to allow the internal space 63 to be visible, the inside of the bottom 62 of the inner container body 60 can also be seen. The cutouts 53 may be formed in one location or in three or more locations. The leg portions 52 may be formed of cylindrical side walls with holes provided therein instead of the cutouts 53.

[0026] The inner container body 60 can be made of synthetic resin or glass, and is preferably made of the above-mentioned transparent synthetic resin. The inner container body 60 and the legs 52 are preferably integrally molded from synthetic resin.

[0027] Examples of synthetic resins that can be used to form the inner-container body 60 and the leg portions 52 include polyolefin resins such as high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, and polypropylene; cycloolefin resins such as polymers of cycloolefin monomers (cycloolefin polymers; COP) and copolymers of cycloolefin monomers with olefin monomers such as ethylene and propylene (cycloolefin copolymers; COC); polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate; polystyrene; polymethyl methacrylate; polycarbonate; polyamide resins; and polyvinyl chloride. One or more of these resins can be used. Among these, the cycloolefin resins having the above-mentioned visible transparency are preferred, and cycloolefin polymers (COP) are more preferred.

[0028] The inner-container lid 70 is detachably attached to the upper part 64 of the inner-container body 60. Furthermore, since the inner-container lid 70 easily seals the opening 61 of the inner-container body 60 when attached to the upper part 64 of the inner-container body 60, it is preferable that the inner-container lid 70 has a cylindrical peripheral wall part 72 and a top surface part 71 that closes one end of the peripheral wall part 72. When the inner-container lid 70 is attached to the upper part 64 of the inner-container body 60, the top surface part 71 of the inner-container lid 70 covers the opening 61 of the inner-container body 60 and forms the top surface of the inner container 50. In addition, at this time, the peripheral wall part 72 of the inner-container lid 70 covers the outer peripheral wall surface on the upper part 64 side of the inner-container body 60.

[0029] In order to screw the inner container body 60 and the inner container lid 70 together, an internal thread 72a having a shape corresponding to the external thread 64a formed on the upper part 64 of the inner container body 60 can be provided on the inner peripheral wall surface of the inner container lid 70 (the inner surface of the peripheral wall 72). When the inner container lid 70 is attached to the upper part 64 of the inner container body 60 in a manner other than screwing (for example, fitting or engagement), the inner container lid 70 may have a configuration suitable for that manner.

[0030] The inner-container lid 70 is preferably cylindrical, like the inner-container body 60. In this case, the top surface 71 of the inner-container lid 70 may be circular in plan view, or may be polygonal and close to a circle. The outer peripheral wall surface of the inner-container lid 70 (the outer surface of the peripheral wall 72) may be roughened or knurled (also called knurling). Examples of knurling include flat, twill, diagonal, and square.

[0031] The inner-container lid 70 is preferably made of synthetic resin. Examples of synthetic resins that can be used for the inner-container lid 70 include the same synthetic resins that can be used to form the inner-container body 60 and the leg portions 52 described above, and these may or may not be transparent. Furthermore, a seal made of rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer (see seal 73 in FIG. 10 , described later) can be provided on the inner surface of the top surface 71 of the inner-container lid 70. The seal can improve the sealing ability of the inner-container lid 70 against the opening 61 of the inner-container body 60.

[0032] Since the inner container 50 is housed in the outer container body 20, it can be transported and handed over for handling while maintaining a clean state. Therefore, the object (content) housed in the inner container 50 is preferably an object that requires or requires cleanliness. Examples of such contents include biological components and pharmaceutical preparations. Examples of biological components include human or animal tissues, cells, body fluids, endocrine fluids, fertilized and unfertilized eggs, microorganisms and viruses, frozen products thereof, and artificial biological components such as preserved materials and cultured cells containing such materials. Examples of pharmaceutical preparations include injections and liquid preparations to be supplied to humans or animals. Among these, a preferred embodiment of the inner container 50 is a biological component, and a preferred embodiment of the outer container 10 is a container for transporting the biological component housed in the inner container 50.

[0033] Next, an example of the configuration of the outer container 10 that houses the inner container 50 described above will be described with reference to the aforementioned FIGS. 3 and 4, as well as FIGS. 5 to 10. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of an example of an outer container lid 30 that can be used with the outer container 10, viewed from an angle looking toward the outside. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the outer container lid 30 shown in FIG. 5, viewed from an angle looking toward the inside. FIG. 7A is a schematic plan view of the inner side of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 7B is a partial enlarged view of region R of the outer container lid 30 shown in FIG. 7A. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the outer container lid 30 taken along line SA-SA shown in FIG. 7A. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 8, illustrating another embodiment of the outer container lid 30. FIG. 10 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 8, of the double container 100 shown in FIG. 1.

[0034] The outer container 10 is a cylindrical container having a larger capacity than the inner container 50 in order to accommodate the inner container 50 (see FIG. 1 ). Examples of the cylindrical shape of the outer container 10 include a cylindrical shape having a circular cross section perpendicular to the cylindrical axis, a rectangular cylindrical shape having a polygonal cross section, and an elliptical cylindrical shape having an elliptical cross section. Of these, the cylindrical shape is preferred.

[0035] The outer container 10 comprises a cylindrical main body 20 and a lid 30 (see FIG. 1 ). In this specification, to distinguish it from the inner container 50, the main body of the outer container 10 will be referred to as the "outer container main body," and the lid of the outer container will be referred to as the "outer container lid." As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the cylindrical outer container body 20 has an opening 21 at its upper end, a closed bottom 22, and an internal space 23 capable of accommodating the inner container 50. The outer container lid 30 shown in FIGS. 5 to 9 is detachably attached to the upper portion 24 of the outer container main body 20. When attached to the upper portion 24 of the outer container main body 20, the outer container lid 30 closes the opening 21 of the outer container main body 20 and constitutes the upper end of the outer container 10 and the double container 100.

[0036] The outer container body 20 and the outer container lid 30 are constructed as separate bodies. The upper part 24 of the outer container body 20 and the outer container lid 30 can be attached to each other by, for example, fitting, engaging, screwing, etc. Among these, screwing is preferred, and it is preferable that the upper part 24 of the outer container body 20 and the outer container lid 30 are screwed together.

[0037] The outer container body 20 is formed in a vertically elongated tubular shape (preferably a substantially cylindrical shape) with an opening 21 formed at the upper end and a closed bottom 22 formed at the lower end. The opening 21 of the outer container body 20 is preferably formed to a size that allows the inner container 50 to pass through so that the inner container 50 can be accommodated in the internal space 23 of the outer container body 20. The diameter (inner diameter) of the opening 21 of the outer container body 20 is preferably larger than the outer diameter of the upper end 51 and upper portion 54 of the inner container 50.

[0038] The internal space 23 of the outer container body 20 is large enough to accommodate the inner container 50, and is preferably large enough to accommodate the entire inner container 50. Furthermore, it is more preferable that the height of the internal space 23 is approximately the same as the height of the inner container 50. In other words, when the inner container 50 is accommodated in the internal space 23 of the outer container body 20, it is more preferable that the upper end 51 of the inner container 50 and the opening edge of the opening 21 of the outer container body 20 are at approximately the same height. Specifically, the difference in height from the opening edge of the opening 21 of the outer container body 20 to the upper end 51 of the inner container 50 is preferably 5 mm or less, and more preferably 2 mm or less.

[0039] The outer container body 20 has a body 25 between the opening 21 and the bottom 22. An external thread 24a for threading the outer container body 20 and the outer container lid 30 can be provided on the outer peripheral wall surface of the upper part 24 of the body 25 of the outer container body 20 on the opening 21 side. When the upper part 24 of the outer container body 20 and the outer container lid 30 are attached in a manner other than threading (for example, fitting or engagement), the outer container body 20 may have a configuration suitable for that manner.

[0040] The upper part 24 of the body part 25 of the outer container body 20 is preferably formed so that its inner diameter is the same as the inner diameter of the opening 21, and is formed so that its diameter (inner diameter and outer diameter) is relatively larger than that of the bottom part 22 side portion of the body part 25 of the outer container body 20. Therefore, it is preferable that the inner diameter of the bottom part 22 side portion of the outer container body 20 is smaller than the inner diameters of the opening 21 and the upper part 24 of the outer container body 20. With this configuration, it is easy to design the outer container body 20 in relation to the inner container 50 as follows.

[0041] 10, it is preferable that the inner diameter of the bottom 22 side portion of the outer container body 20 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the corresponding portion of the inner container 50 housed in the internal space 23 of the outer container body 20. This makes it possible to prevent the inner container 50 housed in the internal space 23 of the outer container body 20 from shifting relative to the internal space 23. It is also preferable that the inner diameter of the upper portion 24 of the outer container body 20 is relatively larger than the inner diameter of the bottom 22 side portion. This allows a gap G suitable for a holding portion 33 (described later) to be formed between the inner peripheral wall surface of the upper portion 24 of the outer container body 20 and the outer peripheral wall surface of the upper portion 54 (inner-container lid 70) of the inner container 50 when the inner container 50 is housed in the internal space 23 of the outer container body 20. １ From these viewpoints, with regard to the relationship between the internal space 23 of the outer container body 20 and the corresponding portions of the inner container 50 housed therein, the gap G between the inner peripheral wall surface of the bottom 22 side portion of the outer container body 20 and the outer peripheral wall surface of the corresponding portion of the inner container 50 is ２ (the difference between the inner diameter of the bottom 22 side of the outer container body 20 and the outer diameter of the inner container 50) is 0 mm < G ２ ≦5 mm is preferable, and 0 mm<G ２ It is more preferable that the gap G between the inner peripheral wall surface of the upper portion 24 of the outer container body 20 and the outer peripheral wall surface of the upper portion 54 (inner-container lid 70) of the inner container 50 is ≦3 mm. １ (difference between the inner diameter of the upper part 24 of the outer container body 20 and the outer diameter of the inner container 50) is 0 mm < G １ ≦5 mm is preferable, and 0 mm<G １ It is more preferable that the thickness is ≦3 mm.

[0042] The bottom 22 of the outer container body 20 is flat. The flat bottom 22 allows the outer container body 20 to be self-standing. Although not shown, the bottom 22 of the outer container body 20 may be conical, tapered from the opening 21 side toward the tip side (bottom 22 side), like the bottom 62 of the inner container body 60 described above. In this case, the outer container body 20 may be self-standing by providing a structure such as the legs 52 or pedestal that can be provided on the inner container body 60 described above on the conical bottom side of the outer container body 20.

[0043] The outer container body 20 does not need to be transparent, but is preferably made of a transparent synthetic resin or glass. Examples of synthetic resins include polyolefin resins such as high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, and polypropylene; cycloolefin resins such as cycloolefin polymer (COP) and cycloolefin copolymer (COC); polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate; polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate, polyamide resins, and polyvinyl chloride. One or more of these resins can be used. Among these, polyolefin resins are preferred because they can be molded inexpensively, and polypropylene is more preferred. It is also possible to select materials that are applicable to various known sterilization methods.

[0044] The outer container lid 30 is configured to be detachably attached to the upper part 24 of the outer container body 20. The outer container lid 30 preferably includes a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 32 and a top surface portion 31 that closes one end of the peripheral wall portion 32, since this facilitates sealing the opening 21 of the outer container body 20 when attached to the upper part 24 of the outer container body 20. When the outer container lid 30 is attached to the upper part 24 of the outer container body 20, the top surface portion 31 of the outer container lid 30 covers the opening 21 of the outer container body 20 to form the top surface of the outer container 10, and the peripheral wall portion 32 of the outer container lid 30 covers the outer peripheral wall surface on the upper part 24 side of the outer container body 20.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 6, the inner peripheral wall surface (inner surface of peripheral wall portion 32) of the outer container lid 30 can be provided with a female thread portion 32a having a shape corresponding to the male thread portion 24a (see Figs. 3 and 4) formed on the upper portion 24 of the outer container body 20 in order to threadably engage the outer container body 20 and the outer container lid 30. The outer container body 20 and the outer container lid 30 can be attached by placing the outer container lid 30 on the upper portion 24 of the outer container body 20 and rotating the outer container lid 30 in the closing rotation direction C shown in Fig. 7A. If the outer container lid 30 is attached to the upper portion 24 of the outer container body 20 in a manner other than threading (for example, fitting or engagement), the outer container lid 30 should have a configuration suitable for that manner.

[0046] 6 to 9 , the outer container lid 30 has a holding portion 33 on the inner surface 31 a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30 that can hold the inner container 50 when the outer container lid 30 is attached to the upper portion 24 of the outer container body 20 with the inner container 50 housed in the internal space 23 of the outer container body 20. This holding portion 33 is configured to be able to continue to hold the inner container 50 even when the outer container lid 30 is removed from the upper portion 24 of the outer container body 20.

[0047] Therefore, when the outer container lid 30, which is attached to the upper part 24 of the outer container body 20 while the inner container 50 is housed therein, is removed from the upper part 24 of the outer container body 20, the inner container 50 is attached to the outer container lid 30 by the holder 33 provided on the inner surface 31a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30 (see FIGS. 10 and 12). Therefore, the inner container 50 can be removed from the internal space 23 of the outer container body 20 simply by removing the outer container lid 30, making it even easier to hand over the inner container 50 in a clean state to a person who will handle the inner container 50 and its contents.

[0048] In one embodiment, the retaining portion 33 having the above-described function preferably has a fitting wall 34 formed in a circumferential wall shape on the inner surface 31a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30, the fitting wall 34 being capable of fitting with the upper end 51 of the inner container 50 at its inner periphery. When the outer container lid 30 is attached to the upper portion 24 of the outer container body 20 with the inner container 50 housed in the internal space 23 of the outer container body 20, the fitting wall 34 provided on the inner surface 31a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30 fits with the upper end 51 of the inner container 50 at its inner periphery. The fitting wall 34 shown in Figures 6 to 9 is formed in a ring shape in the circumferential direction on the inner surface 31a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30, but may also be divided into multiple parts in the circumferential direction so that it bends slightly when pressed by the upper end 51 of the inner container 50 to facilitate fitting with the upper end 51 of the inner container 50.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 10 , in a state where the inner container 50 is accommodated in the internal space 23 of the outer container body 20, a gap G is formed between the inner peripheral wall surface of the upper portion 24 of the outer container body 20 and the outer peripheral wall surface of the upper portion 54 (inner-container lid body 70) of the inner container 50 so that the fitting wall portion 34 can easily fit with the upper end portion 51 of the inner container 50.１ It is preferable that an annular gap is formed. １ When the outer container lid 30 is attached to the upper part 24 of the outer container body 20 in this state, the fitting wall 34 forms the gap G １ Fill the gap G １ and the upper end 51 of the inner container 50 (top surface 71 of the inner-container lid 70) can fit into the inner peripheral side of the fitting wall 34. This makes it easier for the fitting wall 34 and the upper end 51 of the inner container 50 to fit together. Furthermore, by being able to fix the upper end 51 of the inner container 50, it is possible to maintain the inner container 50 within the internal space 23.

[0050] To facilitate increasing the holding force of the retaining portion 33 having the fitting wall portion 34 on the inner container 50, the fitting wall portion 34 may be configured with multiple ribs 35 provided on its inner wall surface, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 10 . The multiple ribs 35 are integrally formed with the wall surface of the fitting wall portion 34. The multiple ribs 35 protrude from the inner wall surface of the fitting wall portion 34 and are provided at approximately equal intervals. While FIG. 7A shows 16 plate-shaped (quadratic prism-shaped) ribs, the shape and number of the ribs 35 can be determined appropriately depending on the size of the outer container lid 30, etc. The shape of the ribs 35, as viewed with the cylindrical axis direction of the outer container 10 as the height direction, may be, for example, a polygonal prism such as a triangular prism or a hexagonal prism, a hemispherical shape, a so-called teardrop shape, or the like. The number of ribs 35 may be, for example, approximately 6 to 20.

[0051] Furthermore, as described above, the provision of multiple ribs 35 on the inner wall surface of the fitting wall 34 of the outer container lid 30 tends to create resistance such that the ribs 35 on the fitting wall 34 of the outer container lid 30 and the upper end 51 of the inner container 50 get caught when rotating in the circumferential direction. Therefore, when the inner container lid 70 and the inner container body 60, and the outer container lid 30 and the outer container body 20 are both attached by screwing, the rotational resistance between the multiple ribs 35 on the outer container lid 30 and the inner container lid 70 can be made greater than the torque (rotational force) required to open the inner container lid 70. As a result, when removing the inner container 50 attached to the holding portion 33 of the outer container lid 30 from the outer container lid 30 that has been removed from the upper portion 24 of the outer container body 20, the inner container lid 70 can be removed by holding the inner container body 60 in place, for example, by holding the inner container lid 30 in the opening rotation direction of the inner container lid 70 (the same direction as the opening rotation direction O of the outer container lid 30). In this way, the inner container 50 can be opened without touching the inner container lid 70.

[0052] In order to increase the rotational resistance between the multiple ribs 35 of the outer container lid 30 and the inner container lid 70, it is preferable that the top surface 71 of the inner container lid 70 be formed in a polygonal shape when viewed in plan on its outer surface, or that the outer wall surface of the inner container lid 70 be roughened or knurled.

[0053] 7A and 7B, the rotational resistance between the plurality of ribs 35 of the outer container lid 30 and the inner container lid 70 can be further increased. Therefore, the plurality of ribs 35 are preferably provided at an angle in the opening direction of the outer container lid 30 so that the ribs 35 do not come into contact with each other. Specifically, in a plan view of the inner surface 31a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30, the plurality of ribs 35 are preferably inclined toward the opening rotation direction O of the outer container lid 30 rather than toward the direction from the base of the rib 35 on the inner wall surface of the fitting wall portion 34 toward the center of the inner surface 31a of the top surface 31. As shown in FIG. 7B, in the plan view, the angle θ formed by the center line L1 connecting the center of the inner surface 31a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30 to the base of the rib 35 and the imaginary line L2 parallel to the surface of the rib facing the center line L1 is １ is 0°<θ １<90°, preferably 10° to 60°, more preferably 15° to 45°.

[0054] To facilitate engagement of the fitting wall 34 with the upper end 51 of the inner container 50 by the ribs 35, it is preferable that the end of one side (top surface 31 side) of each rib 35 on the inner wall surface of the fitting wall 34 is in contact with and integral with the inner surface 31a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 9, the end of each rib 35 on the outer container body 20 side is oriented such that the angle θ formed between the cylindrical axis direction and the end face of that end of the rib 35 is 0°. ２ It is preferable that the angle θ ２ is preferably 40° to 80°, and more preferably 50° to 70°.

[0055] As described above, when the outer container lid 30 is removed from the upper part 24 of the outer container body 20, or when the outer container lid 30 removed from the upper part 24 of the outer container body 20 is rotated in the opening rotation direction O of the inner container lid 70 to remove the inner container lid 70, the rib 35 provided on the fitting wall 34 of the outer container lid 30 comes into contact with the upper end 51 of the inner container 50 and is deformed to a certain extent. To withstand this deformation, the material of the outer container lid 30 from which the rib 35 is formed preferably has a flexural modulus of elasticity of 100 to 2500 MPa. If the material of the outer container lid 30 has a flexural modulus of elasticity of 100 MPa or more, the deformed rib is likely to have sufficient repulsive force, which tends to increase the holding force of the rib 35 against the upper end 51 of the inner container 50. On the other hand, since the flexural modulus of the material of the outer container lid body 30 is 2500 MPa or less, deformation of the rib 35 as described above is permitted, making it easier to hold the upper end portion 51 of the inner container 50 and making the rib 35 less likely to break.

[0056] The configuration of the holding portion 33 (for example, the height and thickness of the fitting wall portion 34, the height, length, shape, and angle θ of the rib 35) １By appropriately determining one or a combination of two or more of the above, it is possible to adjust the strength with which the inner container 50 can be removed from the holding part 33 of the outer container lid 30 to a predetermined value. The strength with which the inner container 50 can be removed from the outer container lid 30 held by the holding part 33 when pulled in the axial direction of the inner container 50 is preferably about 2 to 20 N.

[0057] The outer container lid 30 is preferably made of synthetic resin or glass. From the viewpoint of easily maintaining the airtightness of the outer container body 20, it is more preferable that the material of the outer container lid 30 is different from the material of the outer container body 20. Specifically, it is preferable to select materials with a difference in hardness between the outer container lid 30 and the outer container body 20. Examples of synthetic resins that can be used as the material of the outer container lid 30 include the same synthetic resins that can be used to form the outer container body 20 described above, and they may or may not be transparent. Among synthetic resins, synthetic resins with a flexural modulus in the range of 100 to 2500 MPa are preferred. Among these, polyolefin resins are preferred because they can be molded inexpensively, can be sterilized by radiation, and increase the toughness of the ribs 35 described above, and high-density polyethylene is more preferred.

[0058] In the above description, the retaining portion 33 of the outer container lid 30 is an engaging wall portion 34 provided on the inner surface 31a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30, and the engaging wall portion 34 has a plurality of ribs 35 provided on the inner wall surface thereof, but the configuration is not limited to this. When the outer container lid 30 is attached to the outer container body 20, the retaining portion 33 can retain the inner container 50 housed in the outer container body 20 on the inner surface 31a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30, and can also maintain the retention of the inner container 50 when the outer container lid 30 is removed from the outer container body 20. Since it is sufficient for the retaining portion 33 to have this function, it can have the following configuration, although illustrations will be omitted.

[0059] For example, the fitting wall 34 of the holding part 33 may not be provided with the rib 35. In this case, for example, by employing a fitting wall 34 that bends slightly in the outer peripheral direction when the outer container lid 30 is attached to the outer container body 20 and the upper end 51 of the inner container 50 is pressed relatively with the inner container 50 housed in the outer container body 20, the elastic restoring force of the fitting wall 34 can be used to increase the holding force of the inner container 50 against the upper end 51.

[0060] Furthermore, the number of ribs 35 does not need to be multiple. For example, a ring-shaped rib may be provided on the inner wall surface of the fitting wall portion 34, and multiple ring-shaped ribs may be provided in the height direction of the fitting wall portion 34. The ring-shaped rib may be formed from the same material as the material of the remaining portion of the outer container lid 30, or may be formed from a different material. For example, the ring-shaped rib may be formed from a thermoplastic elastomer, and the outer container lid 30 may be molded with the remaining portion of the rib by two-color molding.

[0061] Furthermore, when the outer container lid 30 is attached to the outer container body 20 by fitting with the inner container 50 housed in the outer container body 20, it is also possible to employ a configuration in which the fitting also fits between the inner surface 31 a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30 and the inner container 50 housed in the outer container body 20. In this case, for example, a fitting recess can be provided on the outer surface of the top surface 71 of the inner container lid 70, and a fitting protrusion (retaining portion) that fits into the fitting recess can be provided on the inner surface 31 a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30. Alternatively, a fitting protrusion can be provided on the outer surface of the top surface 71 of the inner container lid 70, and a fitting recess (retaining portion) that fits into the fitting protrusion can be provided on the inner surface 31 a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30.

[0062] Furthermore, when the outer container lid 30 is attached to the outer container body 20 by fitting with the inner container 50 housed in the outer container body 20, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the inner surface 31a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30 and the inner container 50 housed in the outer container body 20 are joined together during the fitting. In this case, for example, a hook-and-loop fastener (either hook or loop) can be provided on the outer surface of the top surface 71 of the inner-container lid 70, and another hook-and-loop fastener (the other of hook and loop) that connects to it can be provided as a holding part on the inner surface 31a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30. Also, for example, an adhesive tape that can be joined to the outer surface of the top surface 71 of the inner-container lid 70 can be provided as a holding part on the inner surface 31a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30.

[0063] According to the outer container 10 and double container 100 of the present embodiment described above, by storing the inner container 50 inside the outer container 10, the inner container 50 can be transported and the contents of the inner container 50 can be handed over for handling while maintaining the cleanliness of the inner container 50. Furthermore, since the outer container 10 includes a retaining portion 33 provided on the inner surface 31a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30, when the outer container lid 30 attached to the outer container body 20 with the inner container 50 stored therein is removed from the outer container body 20, the inner container 50 is attached to the outer container lid 30 by the retaining portion 33. Therefore, the inner container 50 can be removed from the internal space 23 of the outer container body 20 simply by removing the outer container lid 30 from the outer container body 20, making it even easier to hand over the inner container 50 in a clean state to a person who will handle the inner container 50 and its contents.

[0064] Next, an example of a method of using the outer container 10 and double container 100 described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 12. FIG.

[0065] When the inner container 50 is placed in the outer container 10, first, as shown in Fig. 11A, the outer container lid 30 is removed from the outer container body 20, and the inner container 50 is placed in the internal space 23 of the outer container body 20. At this time, the inner container 50 may contain or not contain contents. Then, as shown in Fig. 11B, the outer container lid 30 is attached to the upper part 24 of the outer container body 20 with the inner container 50 placed in the internal space 23 of the outer container body 20. In a configuration in which a male thread portion 24a is provided on the outer peripheral wall surface of the upper part 24 of the outer container body 20 and a female thread portion 32a is provided on the inner peripheral wall surface of the outer container lid 30, the outer container lid 30 is rotated in the closing rotation direction C (see Fig. 7A) relative to the outer container body 20 to close the lid. In addition, for example, in the case where the outer container body 20 and the outer container lid body 30 are attached by fitting, the outer container lid body 30 is pressed relatively to the outer container body 20 to close the lid.

[0066] When the outer container lid 30 is closed on the outer container body 20, the inner container 50 is held to the outer container lid 30 by a holding portion 33 provided on the inner surface 31a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30. Specifically, a fitting wall portion 34 having a plurality of ribs 35 provided on the inner surface 31a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30 closes the gap G between the inner peripheral wall surface of the upper portion 24 of the outer container body 20 and the outer peripheral wall surface of the upper portion 54 of the inner container 50. １ and the upper end 51 of the inner container 50 fits into the inner periphery of the fitting wall portion 34 (see FIG. 10).

[0067] The double container 100 (see FIG. 1 ), which includes the outer container 10 in this state and the inner container 50 housed within the outer container 10, can be transported and handed over to a person or location that will handle the inner container 50 and its contents. Once the double container 100 has been handed over, the outer container lid 30 is removed from the top 24 of the outer container body 20 in order to handle the inner container 50 and its contents. At this time, as shown in FIG. 12 , the inner container 50 remains held to the outer container lid 30 by the holder 33 (see FIGS. 8 to 10 , etc.) provided on the inner surface 31 a of the top surface 31 of the outer container lid 30, and the inner container 50 follows the outer container lid 30 in an upright position, allowing the inner container 50 to be removed from the outer container body 20 without touching it with hands. Therefore, the outer container 10 and the double container 100 make it easier to transport the inner container 50 and hand over the contents of the inner container 50 for handling while maintaining the cleanliness of the inner container 50 and its contents.

[0068] As a method of delivery, for example, when a person A who handles the outer container 10 containing the inner container 50 delivers the inner container 50 to a person B who handles the inner container 50 and its contents, the following method can be adopted.

[0069] When person A removes the outer container lid 30 from the outer container body 20, the inner container 50 attached to the holder 33 of the outer container lid 30 is removed from the outer container body 20, and person A can hand over the inner container 50 to person B without touching it. Person B can receive the inner container 50, open the inner container lid 70, and remove the contents from the inner container body 60 or place the contents into the empty inner container body 60. This method reduces the risk of contaminating the inner container 50 or its contents.

[0070] Furthermore, when personnel A hands over the inner container 50 to personnel B, personnel A holds the outer container lid 30 with the inner container 50 attached, while personnel B holds the inner container body 60 and rotates the inner container body 60 in a direction that causes the inner container lid 70 and / or the outer container lid 30 to open relative to each other (see opening rotation direction O shown in FIG. 7A ), thereby opening the inner container lid 70. Personnel B can remove contents from the inner container body 60 with the inner container lid 70 open, or place contents into the empty inner container body 60. This method allows personnel B to retrieve or pour contents without touching the inner container lid 70, thereby reducing the number of steps required and preventing contamination.

[0071] Because the above-described usage method can be adopted, for example, when checking the mass change of the contents (sample) in the inner container 50, by holding the outer container lid 30 with the inner container 50 attached, it is possible to set the inner container 50 on a balance or the like without touching it. This reduces contamination and makes it easier to perform accurate measurements. Also, by holding the outer container lid 30 with the inner container 50 attached, it is possible to set the inner container 50 on a measuring instrument or the like without touching it, improving workability. Furthermore, even if the contents (sample) in the inner container 50 are thermally changed by human body temperature, by holding the outer container lid 30 with the inner container 50 attached, it is possible to handle the inner container 50 without touching it.

[0072] As described above, one embodiment of the present invention can have the following configurations: [1] An outer container comprising: a cylindrical outer container body having an opening at its upper end, a closed bottom, and an internal space capable of accommodating an inner container; and an outer container lid that is detachably attached to the top of the outer container body and closes the opening when attached to the top of the outer container body; wherein the outer container lid has a retaining portion on the inner surface of a top surface of the outer container lid that can hold the inner container when attached to the top of the outer container body with the inner container accommodated in the internal space of the outer container body, and that can maintain the retention of the inner container even when removed from the top of the outer container body. [2] The outer container described in [1] above, wherein the retaining portion is a wall-like portion provided circumferentially on the inner surface of the top surface of the outer container lid, and has an engaging wall portion on its inner circumferential side that can engage with the upper end of the inner container. [3] The outer container according to [2] above, wherein, when the inner container is housed in the internal space of the outer container body, a gap is formed between the inner peripheral wall surface of the upper part of the outer container body and the outer peripheral wall surface of the upper end part of the inner container, and the fitting wall portion fits into the gap when the outer container lid is attached to the upper part of the outer container body in the above state. [4] The outer container according to [2] or [3] above, wherein the fitting wall portion has a plurality of ribs provided on the inner wall surface of the fitting wall portion. [5] The outer container according to [4] above, wherein the outer container lid is attached to the upper part of the outer container body by screwing, and each of the plurality of ribs is inclined toward the opening rotation direction of the outer container lid body relative to the direction from the base of the rib on the inner wall surface of the fitting wall portion toward the center of the inner surface of the top surface of the outer container lid body in a plan view of the inner surface of the top surface of the outer container lid. [6] The outer container according to any one of [1] to [5] above, wherein the outer container body has a male thread portion provided on the outer peripheral wall surface of the upper part of the outer container body, the outer container lid has a female thread portion provided on the inner peripheral wall surface of the outer container lid, and the outer container body and the outer container lid are screwed together at the male thread portion and the female thread portion. [7] The outer container according to any one of [1] to [6] above, which is a container for transporting a biological component contained in the inner container.[8] A double container comprising the inner container and an outer container according to any one of [1] to [7] above that houses the inner container.

[0073] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 outer container 20 outer container body 21 opening 22 bottom 23 internal space 24 upper part 25 body 30 outer container lid 31 top surface 32 peripheral wall 33 holding part 34 fitting wall 35 rib 50 inner container 51 upper end 54 upper part 60 inner container body 70 inner container lid 100 double container G １ , G ２ gap

Claims

1. An outer container comprising: a cylindrical outer container body having an opening at its top end, a closed bottom, and an internal space capable of accommodating an inner container; and an outer container lid that is detachably attached to the top of the outer container body and closes the opening when attached to the top of the outer container body; wherein the outer container lid has a retaining portion on the inner surface of the top surface of the outer container lid that can hold the inner container when attached to the top of the outer container body with the inner container accommodated in the internal space of the outer container body, and that can maintain the retention of the inner container even when removed from the top of the outer container body.

2. An outer container as described in claim 1, wherein the retaining portion is provided in the form of a wall in the circumferential direction on the inner surface of the top surface of the outer container lid, and has an engaging wall portion on its inner circumferential side that can engage with the upper end of the inner container.

3. The outer container according to claim 2, wherein, when the inner container is housed in the internal space of the outer container body, a gap is formed between the inner peripheral wall surface of the upper part of the outer container body and the outer peripheral wall surface of the upper end part of the inner container, and the fitting wall portion fits into the gap when the outer container lid body is attached to the upper part of the outer container body in the above state.

4. The outer container according to claim 2, wherein the fitting wall portion has a plurality of ribs provided on its inner wall surface.

5. The outer container according to claim 4, wherein the outer container lid is attached to the upper part of the outer container main body by screwing, and each of the plurality of ribs is inclined in the opening rotation direction of the outer container lid rather than in the direction from the base of the rib on the inner wall surface of the fitting wall portion toward the center of the inner surface of the top surface portion in a plan view of the inner surface of the top surface portion of the outer container lid.

6. An outer container as described in claim 1, wherein the outer container body has a male threaded portion provided on the outer peripheral wall surface of the upper part of the outer container body, the outer container lid has a female threaded portion provided on the inner peripheral wall surface of the outer container lid, and the outer container body and the outer container lid are screwed together using the male threaded portion and the female threaded portion.

7. The outer container according to claim 1, which is a container for transporting biological components contained in the inner container.

8. A double container comprising the inner container and an outer container according to any one of claims 1 to 7 that houses the inner container.

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