JP7166726B2 - container for granules - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a container for particulate matter.

2. Description of the Related Art There is known a container with a child resistance function that makes it difficult for children to take out the contents by requiring a special operation to take out the contents from the container body. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a screw-cap type child-resistant container. This container has a cap comprising a cap body and an exterior body, and the cap is screwed off from the mouth of the container body by a special operation of pushing down and rotating the exterior body.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-202906

However, there is a risk that the screw cap type child-resistant container as described above may lose the cap, and if the cap is lost, the child-resistant function cannot be obtained. In addition, since the contents of such a container are discharged directly from the mouth portion of the container body with the cap screwed off, it may be difficult to adjust the discharge amount.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a granular material container that can stably provide a child-resistant function and that facilitates adjustment of the discharge amount.

A granular material container according to one aspect of the present invention comprises:
a container body having a cylindrical opening leading to a space for containing granular materials;
a cap attached to the mouth,
The cap is
a hinge cap body that fits on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth and covers the upper end surface of the mouth;
a nozzle that is held by the hinge cap body so as to be able to move up and down and defines a discharge port for the granular material;
an inner plug sandwiched between the hinge cap main body and the upper end surface of the opening;
a lid body that is connected to the hinge cap body via a hinge and that can open and close the discharge port by rotating about the hinge;
The inner plug has a deformed portion defining a communication port communicating with the discharge port, and the deformed portion is pushed by the nozzle when pushed down by the lid when rotating in the direction of closing the discharge port. While being elastically deformed so as to contract the communication port by being pushed, the nozzle is restored and deformed by the upward movement of the nozzle when operated .

In the granular material container according to the present invention, the deformable portion may have a dome shape having an upper end that defines the communication port at least when the nozzle is positioned at the upper end of the lifting stroke.

In the granular material container according to the present invention, the inner plug may be made of rubber or elastomer and may be in close contact with both the hinge cap main body and the upper end surface of the opening.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the container for granular materials which can obtain a child-resistant function stably and can adjust a discharge amount easily can be provided.

1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a granular material container according to an embodiment of the present invention with a lid body closed; FIG. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state when the lid body is opened from the state shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state when the nozzle is lifted from the state shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the container is tilted from the state shown in FIG. 3 and the granular material is discharged. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an operation when the container is erected from the state shown in FIG. 4 and the lid is closed; 1. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state when the lid is opened from the state shown in FIG. 1 and the container is tilted without raising the nozzle. (a) is a perspective view showing the inner plug in the state shown in FIG. 1, and (b) is a perspective view showing the inner plug in the state shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a granular material container according to an embodiment of the present invention will be illustrated in detail.

As shown in FIG. 1 , a granular material container 1 (hereinafter also referred to as container 1 ) according to this embodiment has a container body 2 and a cap 3 . The cap 3 has a hinge cap main body 4 , a nozzle 5 , an inner plug 6 and a lid 7 . The lid body 7 is connected to the hinge cap main body 4 via hinges 8 . A hinge cap 9 is composed of the lid body 7 , the hinge 8 and the hinge cap main body 4 .

The hinge cap 9 and nozzle 5 are each made of synthetic resin, and the inner plug 6 is made of rubber or elastomer. The hinge cap 9, nozzle 5 and inner plug 6 are each formed as a single member by injection molding. The hinge cap 9, the nozzle 5, and the inner plug 6 are not limited to the materials, manufacturing methods, and member structures described above.

The container body 2 includes a cylindrical mouth portion 2a having a central axis O, a cylindrical body portion 2b connected to the lower end of the mouth portion 2a and having a larger diameter than the mouth portion 2a, and a bottom portion closing the lower end of the body portion 2b. 2c and. In this specification, the vertical direction means the direction along the central axis O of the mouth portion 2a, and the upward direction means the direction from the bottom portion 2c side toward the mouth portion 2a side (upward in FIG. 1 and the like). and downward is the opposite direction. A neck ring 10 protruding radially outward is provided at the lower end of the mouth portion 2a. Further, the vertical direction of the lid 7 means the vertical direction when the lid 7 is in the closed position where the discharge port 19 is closed as shown in FIG. 1, unless otherwise specified. It should be noted that the container body 2 is not limited to the bottle-like shape comprising the mouth portion 2a, the body portion 2b, and the bottom portion 2c.

The container main body 2 defines an accommodation space S inside thereof, and the accommodation space S accommodates spherical granular material C as a content. Particulate matter C may be, but is not limited to, a drug. The granular material C is preferably spherical, but is not limited to this, and may be disk-shaped, for example.

The container body 2 is made of synthetic resin. The container body 2 is formed as a single member by blow molding. It should be noted that the container body 2 is not limited to those based on the materials, manufacturing methods, and member configurations described above. For example, the container body 2 may be made of glass.

The outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 2a of the container body 2 is provided with a fitting portion 11 which is an annular convex portion centered on the central axis O to which the hinge cap body 4 is fitted. The hinge cap main body 4 has a cylindrical fitting tube 13 having a fitted portion 12 fitted with the fitting portion 11 on its inner peripheral surface. The fitted portion 12 is formed of an annular convex portion centered on the central axis O. As shown in FIG. The fitting portion 11 and the fitted portion 12 may be fitted to each other so that the hinge cap main body 4 is not easily separated from the mouth portion 2a, and the shapes thereof can be changed as appropriate. For example, one of the fitting portion 11 and the fitted portion 12 may be configured as a convex portion, and the other may be configured as a concave portion.

The upper end of the fitting cylinder 13 is integrally connected with the outer peripheral edge of the top wall 14 covering the upper end surface 2d of the mouth portion 2a. The ceiling wall 14 has an annular planar shape centered on the central axis O. As shown in FIG. An annular stepped portion 14a is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the top wall 14, the stepped portion 14a decreasing in diameter upward from the outer peripheral surface of the fitting cylinder 13 in a stepped manner. The inner peripheral edge of the top wall 14 is integrally connected with the lower end of a cylindrical guide tube 15 centered on the central axis O. As shown in FIG.

An outer peripheral edge 16a of an upper wall 16 of the inner plug 6 is held between the top wall 14 of the hinge cap body 4 and the upper end surface 2d of the mouth portion 2a. The upper wall 16 has an annular planar shape centered on the central axis O. As shown in FIG. An outer peripheral edge 16a of the upper wall 16 is in contact with both the hinge cap main body 4 and the upper end surface 2d of the mouth portion 2a over the entire circumference of the central axis O. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the outer peripheral edge 16a of the upper wall 16 functions as a packing that is in close contact with both the hinge cap main body 4 and the upper end surface 2d of the mouth portion 2a. The lower surface of the upper wall 16 is integrally connected with the upper end of a cylindrical insertion tube 17 centered on the central axis O. As shown in FIG. The outer peripheral surface of the insertion tube 17 is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the mouth portion 2a.

The outer peripheral edge of the deformation portion 18 is integrally connected to the inner peripheral edge of the upper wall 16 . As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7B, the deformed portion 18 has a dome shape with an upper end that defines an opening when the nozzle 5 is positioned at the upper end of the lifting stroke. An opening at the upper end of the deformation portion 18 is a circular communication port 20 that communicates with the discharge port 19 defined by the nozzle 5 . In addition, although the communication port 20 is preferably circular, it is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a regular polygonal shape.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7A, the deformation portion 18 is configured to be elastically deformed so as to contract the communication port 20 by being pushed by the descending nozzle 5 . That is, the deformation portion 18 is pushed by the descending nozzle 5 so as to reduce the inner diameter d1 of the communication port 20 as shown in FIG. 7(b) to the inner diameter d2 as shown in FIG. 7(a). It deforms elastically. In addition, the deformation portion 18 expands the inner diameter d2 of the communication port 20 as shown in FIG. 7A to the inner diameter d1 as shown in FIG. 7B by raising the nozzle 5 to the upper end of the elevation stroke. It is restored and deformed so as to let it. The inner diameter d1 is equal to or larger than the outer diameter of the granular material C, and the inner diameter d2 is smaller than the outer diameter of the granular material C. When the granular material C has a shape other than a spherical shape, the inner diameter d1 is equal to or larger than the diameter of the minimum circumscribed circle of the granular material C, and the inner diameter d2 is smaller than the diameter of the minimum circumscribed circle of the granular material C. .

As shown in FIG. 1, the nozzle 5 has a cylindrical discharge tube 21 centered on a central axis O having an upper end that defines a discharge port 19 for the granular material C. As shown in FIG. An inner peripheral edge of an annular top wall 22 centering on the central axis O is integrally connected to the outer peripheral surface of the upper portion of the discharge cylinder 21 . The top wall 22 is composed of an annular planar inner wall 22a and a frustoconical outer wall 22b positioned radially outwardly of the inner wall 22a.

An upper end of a double cylindrical guided portion 23 is integrally connected to a portion of the bottom surface of the top wall 22 slightly radially inward from the outer peripheral edge. The guided portion 23 is composed of an inner cylinder 23a centered on the central axis O, and an outer cylinder 23b located radially outside the inner cylinder 23a and concentric with the inner cylinder 23a. The outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 23 a is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the guide cylinder 15 . The inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 23 b is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the guide cylinder 15 . The nozzle 5 can move up and down relative to the hinge cap main body 4 by guiding the guided portion 23 to the guide tube 15 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the outer peripheral surface of the guide tube 15 is provided with a locking portion 24 that prevents the nozzle 5 from further rising when the nozzle 5 has risen to the upper end of the lifting stroke. The engaging portion 24 is formed of a stepped portion for engaging an engaged portion 25 which is an annular projection centered on the central axis O provided on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 23 b of the nozzle 5 . However, the shape of the locking portion 24 can be appropriately changed in accordance with the shape of the locked portion 25 . Alternatively, the locking portion 24 may be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the guide cylinder 15 and the locked portion 25 may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 23a. Further, the shape of the guided portion 23 is not limited to the double cylindrical shape, and may be a shape having only one of the inner cylinder 23a and the outer cylinder 23b, for example.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the nozzle 5 descends to the lower end of the elevation stroke, the bottom surface of the top wall 22 abuts against the upper end of the guide cylinder 15 to prevent the nozzle 5 from further descending. It is configured. The nozzle 5 is not limited to such a configuration. For example, when the nozzle 5 descends to the lower end of the elevation stroke, the lower end of the outer cylinder 23b abuts the upper surface of the top wall 14, thereby further lowering the nozzle 5. may be configured to prevent

In this manner, the nozzle 5 is held by the guide tube 15 of the hinge cap body 4 so as to be vertically movable between the upper end and the lower end of the lifting stroke. The guide cylinder 15 is provided with an annular convex portion 26 centered on the central axis O, which causes a click feeling to be generated by getting over the engaged portion 25 when the nozzle 5 descends to the lower end of the elevation stroke. there is The outer peripheral edge of the top wall 22 forms a protrusion 27 that protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 23b.

As shown in FIG. 5, the discharge cylinder 21 of the nozzle 5 is elastically deformed by the lower end of the discharge cylinder 21 pressing the upper surface of the deformable portion 18 downward when the nozzle 5 descends from the upper end of the upward/downward stroke. 3, while the communication port 20 is reduced, the lower end of the discharge cylinder 21 allows the deformation portion 18 to be restored and deformed when the nozzle 5 rises from the lower end of the lifting stroke as shown in FIG. In addition, in FIG. 5, the upper part of the nozzle 5 positioned at the upper end of the lifting stroke is indicated by a chain double-dashed line. Further, in FIG. 5, the deformed portion 18 when the nozzle 5 is positioned at the upper end of the lifting stroke is indicated by a chain double-dashed line. Further, in FIG. 3, the deformed portion 18 when the nozzle 5 is positioned at the lower end of the lifting stroke is indicated by a chain double-dashed line.

The cover 7 is configured to be able to open and close the discharge port 19 by rotating around the hinge 8 . As shown in FIG. 1, the lid 7 has a cylindrical peripheral wall 28 centered on the central axis O when the lid 7 is in the closed position where the discharge port 19 is closed. A lower end of the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 28 is configured to detachably engage with the annular stepped portion 14a when the lid body 7 is in the closed position. A projecting piece 29 is provided on the lower end of the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 28 at a position opposite to the hinge 8 across the central axis O. As shown in FIG. When the lid 7 is in the closed position, the projecting piece 29 is pushed up to release the engagement between the lower end of the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 28 and the annular stepped portion 14a, and the lid 7 is closed as shown in FIG. , the lid 7 can be rotated to the open position where the discharge port 19 is opened.

The upper end of the peripheral wall 28 is closed with a top wall 30 . The bottom surface of the top wall 30 is integrally connected with the upper end of a cylindrical seal cylinder 31 centered on the central axis O that is in close contact with the upper part of the inner peripheral surface of the discharge cylinder 21 . A cylindrical pressing tube 32 centered on the central axis O is provided radially outside the sealing tube 31 , and the upper end of the pressing tube 32 is integrally connected to the bottom surface of the top wall 30 . The lower end of the pressing cylinder 32 is in contact with the upper surface of the inner wall 22 a of the top wall 22 .

When the cover 7 rotates from the open position to the closed position, as shown in FIG. 5, the lower end of the pressing cylinder 32 pushes down the top wall 22, and the nozzle 5 is lowered to the lower end of the vertical stroke. It is configured to allow In this manner, the nozzle 5 has a pressed portion 33 that is pressed down by the lower end of the pressing tube 32 of the lid 7 that rotates in the direction to close the discharge port 19 . The pressed portion 33 is configured by a portion of the upper surface of the top wall 22 . In FIG. 5, a part of the lid body 7 when the lower end of the pressing cylinder 32 is in contact with the top wall 22 of the nozzle 5 located at the upper end of the lifting stroke is indicated by a chain double-dashed line.

The container 1 can store the granules C with the nozzle 5 at the lower end of the lifting stroke and the lid 7 closed as shown in FIG. At this time, the communication port 20 has an inner diameter d2 (see FIG. 7A). Therefore, in this state, even if the lid 7 is opened and the container 1 is tilted, as shown in FIG. Can not do it. Therefore, it is difficult for a child or the like who does not know the operating procedure for resolving this state to eject the granular material C. FIG. Thus, the container 1 can exhibit a child resistance function.

In order to discharge the granular material C, the user first opens the lid 7 as shown in FIG. Then, by pinching the projecting portion 27 of the nozzle 5 and pulling it up, the nozzle 5 can be easily lifted to the upper end of the lifting stroke as shown in FIG. Due to this upward movement of the nozzle 5, the deformation portion 18 is restored and deformed, and the diameter of the communication port 20 is expanded from the inner diameter d2 to the inner diameter d1 (see FIG. 7(b)). Therefore, when the container 1 is tilted, the granular material C passes through the communication port 20 and is discharged from the discharge port 19, as shown in FIG. At this time, the user can eject the granular material C from the ejection port 19 having a diameter smaller than that of the mouth portion 2a, so that the ejection amount can be easily adjusted.

When the discharge of the granular material C is finished, the user can erect the container 1 and close the lid 7 as shown in FIG. Due to this closing operation of the lid 7, the pressed portion 33 of the nozzle 5 is pushed down by the lid 7, and the nozzle 5 descends to the lower end of the lifting stroke. Further, the downward movement of the nozzle 5 causes the deformation portion 18 to elastically deform, and the diameter of the communication port 20 is reduced from the inner diameter d1 to the inner diameter d2. In this manner, the container 1 is in a state where the communication port 20 is reduced in diameter in association with the operation of closing the lid 7, and the child resistance function can be exhibited, so that the child resistance function can be exhibited stably.

The embodiment described above is merely an example of the embodiment of the present invention, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the invention.

In the above-described embodiment, the deformation portion 18 has a dome shape with an upper end that defines the communication port 18 . However, the deformation portion 18 is not limited to such a shape, and is elastically deformed so as to change the size of the communication port 18 by being pushed by the nozzle 5 descending while partitioning the communication port 18 . Any shape may be used as long as it is restored and deformed by rising. For example, the deformable portion 18 may have a shape that is elastically deformed so as to expand the communication port 18 when pushed by the descending nozzle 5 . In this case, the child resistance function can be activated by the operation of pulling up the nozzle 5, and the child resistance function can be canceled by the operation of pushing the nozzle 5 down.

In the above embodiment, the mouth portion 2a and the fitting tube 13 are cylindrical. However, the mouth portion 2a and the fitting tube 13 may have a tubular shape other than the cylindrical shape.

1 Granular Material Container 2 Container Body 2a Mouth 2b Body 2c Bottom 2d Upper End Face 3 Cap 4 Hinge Cap Body 5 Nozzle 6 Inner Plug 7 Lid 8 Hinge 9 Hinge Cap 10 Neck Ring 11 Fitting Part 12 Fitted Part 13 Fitting tube 14 Top wall 14a Annular step 15 Guide tube 16 Upper wall 16a Outer peripheral edge 17 Insertion tube 18 Deformed portion 19 Discharge port 20 Communication port 21 Discharge tube 22 Top wall 22a Inner wall 22b Outer wall 23 Guided portion 23a Inner cylinder 23b Outer cylinder 24 Locking portion 25 Locked portion 26 Convex portion 27 Protruding portion 28 Peripheral wall 29 Projecting piece 30 Top wall 31 Sealing cylinder 32 Pressing cylinder 33 Pressing portion O Central axis S Storage space C Granules d1, d2 inner diameter

Claims (3)

a container body having a cylindrical opening leading to a space for containing granular materials;
a cap attached to the mouth,
The cap is
a hinge cap body that fits on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth and covers the upper end surface of the mouth;
a nozzle that is held by the hinge cap body so as to be able to move up and down and defines a discharge port for the granular material;
an inner plug sandwiched between the hinge cap main body and the upper end surface of the opening;
a lid body that is connected to the hinge cap body via a hinge and that can open and close the discharge port by rotating about the hinge;
The inner plug has a deformed portion that defines a communication port communicating with the discharge port, and the deformed portion is pushed by the nozzle when pushed down by the lid when rotating in a direction to close the discharge port. The granular material container is elastically deformed so as to contract the communication port when the container is pressed, and is restored and deformed by the upward movement of the nozzle when operated . 2. The granular material container according to claim 1 , wherein the deformed portion is dome-shaped with an upper end defining the communication opening at least when the nozzle is positioned at the upper end of the lifting stroke. 3. The granular material container according to claim 1, wherein said inner plug is made of rubber or elastomer and is in close contact with both said hinge cap main body and said upper end face of said opening.

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