JP2009261453A - Dripping nozzle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dripping nozzle which is excellent in productivity and quality, considers convenience and hygiene, and is suitable for applying eye drops. <P>SOLUTION: The dripping nozzle 11 which is engaged with a neck part 32 of a body 31 for containing liquid chemicals, and is integrally molded from a resin, is provided with a liquid storage chamber 12 and a partition 14 for closing a bottom part of the liquid storage chamber 12. An upper surface 18 and a lower surface 19 of the partition 14 are made flat, the thickness of the partition 14 is limited to 0.2-0.6 mm, and the partition 14 is irradiated with laser beam to form a communicating hole 15 with a diameter of 0.1-0.3 mm, so that a mold is simplified, and flowabilty of resin is not hindered when molding, and positioning errors are permitted when irradiating with laser beam, and appropriate flow resistance occurs by the communicating hole 15. Thus, convenience when used is excellent as well. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a dropping nozzle that is used for dropping a predetermined amount of a chemical solution and that is particularly suitable for eye drops.

  The eye drop container has a unique shape different from other liquid chemical containers in order to realize a function of supplying an appropriate amount of the liquid medicine to the eyeball, and an example thereof is shown in FIG. The main body shown in this figure includes a hollow portion that stores a chemical solution, and a neck portion that protrudes in a cylindrical shape is formed on the upper portion, and a dripping nozzle for discharging the chemical solution is fitted into the tip portion thereof. The dripping nozzle is an integral molding of polyethylene, one of the synthetic resins, and is entirely composed of a circular cross section, and has the function of sealing the main body and discharging the chemical solution to the outside. A tip surface formed of a smooth curve is formed, and when the chemical solution adhering to the surface reaches a predetermined amount, it overcomes the surface tension and falls by its own weight. In the center of the dropping nozzle, a liquid reservoir chamber and a communication hole are formed to supply a chemical solution to the tip surface. The liquid storage chamber has a function of temporarily storing a chemical solution in order to form a liquid droplet of a certain size, and has an inverted conical shape in which the cross-sectional diameter is narrowed downward. The communication hole has the function of supplying the chemical solution to the liquid storage chamber, but its cross-sectional area is reduced to increase the flow resistance of the chemical solution, so that the chemical solution is discharged at an unexpected timing such as when the eye dropper is pinched. To prevent you from doing.

Various technologies have been developed for the eye drop container. For example, Patent Document 1 described below is intended to allow a predetermined amount of drug solution to be dropped without depending on the inclination angle of the eye drop container, and is formed in a dome shape. In addition, a plurality of chemical liquid passages are provided on the upper side surface of the dropping nozzle. In addition, Patent Document 2 aims to eliminate a problem that the chemical solution remaining inside the inner plug is unexpectedly ejected to the outside during use, and is characterized in that a protrusion is provided in the middle of the flow path of the inner plug. The drop of the chemical solution is promoted by this protrusion. Next, Patent Document 3 aims to improve the safety and hygiene, as well as to keep the dose of the drug solution constant even after repeated use. The container body and the mouth are integrally molded, and the mouth A convex or flat droplet formation surface is formed at the tip, and a discharge pore is formed at the center of the droplet formation surface. The size of the droplet formation surface and pores is optimized. By doing so, an appropriate liquid droplet can be formed without the discharged chemical liquid remaining at the mouth end. It is described that laser light can also be used for processing the pores.
JP 2005-118536 A JP 2007-55659 A WO2004 / 006826 publication

  The communication holes formed in the dropping nozzle as shown in FIG. 5 are preferably narrowed in cross-section to the extent that it is not difficult to distribute the chemical solution in order to prevent inadvertent discharge of the chemical solution and to ensure hygiene inside the container. This communication hole is usually formed with a fine pin-shaped protrusion on the mold and molded integrally with the whole, but when such a protrusion is provided on the mold, deformation due to the pressure of the molten resin or repeated It is anticipated that there will be a breakage due to the use of this, and problems such as the communication holes not being formed correctly are expected.

  In order to solve this problem, after forming, a communication hole may be separately formed by means such as cutting. However, in this case, since the diameter of a tool such as a drill is extremely small, there is a possibility that normal work cannot be performed by bending or breaking. Therefore, as in Patent Document 3, processing using laser light is one option, but it is difficult to keep various conditions such as the size of the communication hole within a predetermined range simply by using laser light. And does not lead to quality improvement.

  The present invention has been developed on the basis of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a dripping nozzle that is excellent in productivity and quality, and that is suitable for eye drops in consideration of convenience and hygiene.

  The invention according to claim 1 for solving the above-mentioned problem is a resin dripping nozzle fitted into a neck portion of a container main body for containing a chemical solution, and is formed in an inverted conical shape in the axial direction from the center of the tip end surface. A liquid reservoir chamber, a partition wall that forms the bottom of the liquid reservoir chamber, and a communication hole that is formed in the partition wall and guides the chemical solution to the liquid reservoir chamber, and the upper and lower surfaces of the partition wall are orthogonal to the axis. Each of the partition walls is formed in a planar shape, and the thickness of the partition wall is 0.2 mm or more and 0.6 mm or less, and the communication hole is formed by laser light irradiation and has a diameter of 0.1 mm or more. The dropping nozzle is 0.3 mm or less.

  The dripping nozzle according to the present invention is basically the same as the conventional article shown in FIG. 5, and is inserted into the neck formed at the top of the main body so that the two are pressed together to seal the main body. To maintain. However, in the present invention, it is assumed that a synthetic resin such as polyethylene is used as a material of the dropping nozzle and is integrally molded using a mold. The dripping nozzle is also assumed to be concentrically formed with respect to an axis passing through the center, but it is not always necessary to make the whole concentric, and for example, a reinforcing rib or the like may be provided in the radial direction. I do not care. In addition, the top of the dropping nozzle is provided with a tip surface formed with a smooth curve, and a droplet having a predetermined volume can be formed. In this document, expressions such as “up” and “down” are based on the natural state with the neck of the main body facing up, and the line extending through the center of the main body up and down is defined as the axis.

  In addition to functioning as a flow path when the chemical solution in the main body is discharged to the outside, the liquid storage chamber has a function to store a certain amount of chemical solution. It quickly moves to the tip surface, and droplets of a predetermined volume are formed and fall within a short time. The liquid reservoir has an inverted conical shape whose sectional diameter decreases as it goes downward in consideration of the fluidity of the chemical solution, and its bottom is closed by a partition wall.

  The partition wall according to the present invention is premised on being formed simultaneously with the entire dropping nozzle, and is not separately integrated by bonding or the like. Therefore, the partition wall is integrated with the wall surface surrounding the liquid storage chamber, and a communication hole is formed at the center for supplying the chemical solution to the liquid storage chamber. However, the communication hole is not formed at the same time as the entire dropping nozzle, but is formed by separately irradiating a laser beam after forming, but its cross-sectional area is made small enough not to affect convenience, The flow resistance is secured. In addition, it is necessary for the partition walls to have a flat surface extending in a direction perpendicular to the axis on both the upper surface and the lower surface, and to have a uniform thickness.

  The thickness of the partition wall is limited to 0.2 mm or more and 0.6 mm or less. Accordingly, when the entire dropping nozzle is molded with a mold, the molten resin flows into the entire mold, preventing manufacturing defects, and also suppressing the output when irradiating laser light. If the partition wall thickness is larger than this range, it is necessary to increase the output of the laser beam. As a result, the area that receives heat is increased and burrs are easily generated, and the shape and size of the communication hole are also increased. Problems such as becoming uncertain arise. On the other hand, if the partition wall thickness is smaller than the above range, the inflow of the resin becomes insufficient, and molding defects tend to occur. In addition, about the thickness of a partition, if a range is further limited to 0.2 mm or more and 0.4 mm or less, formation of a communicating hole will become the best.

  Moreover, the diameter of the cross section of the communication hole formed in the partition is also limited to 0.1 mm or more and 0.3 mm or less. By adjusting the output of the irradiated laser beam and limiting the diameter of the communication hole in this way, the optimal flow resistance can be obtained, so that when the container body is pinched, the chemical solution will be inadvertently discharged. In addition, when the container body is consciously pressed, the chemical liquid gradually flows into the liquid storage chamber, and predetermined droplets can be reliably formed. In addition, since the inside of the container main body has fine communication holes, the container body is substantially isolated from the outside and is excellent in hygiene. Note that since the communication hole is formed by laser light, it is inevitable that the shape will vary, but the entire range from the upper surface to the lower surface of the partition wall needs to be within the above numerical range.

  In addition, in the present invention, the diameter of the upper surface of the partition wall (the bottom surface of the liquid reservoir) is preferably about 1 mm. As a result, the volume of the liquid storage chamber can be appropriately secured, and an error of about 0.5 mm in the horizontal direction can be allowed for the irradiation position of the laser beam when the communication hole is formed in the partition wall. Since the partition walls are flat on both the upper and lower surfaces as described above, there are no changes in the conditions such as the partition wall thickness and irradiation angle even when a certain amount of error occurs in the laser beam irradiation position. There is no change in the shape of the holes.

  In this way, by limiting the shape of the dripping nozzle, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defective products when integrally molding the resin, and the communication hole connecting the liquid reservoir chamber of the dripping nozzle and the main body can be reliably processed with laser light, Productivity and quality are improved.

  As in the first aspect of the present invention, the dropping nozzle manufactured by integral molding of the resin is provided with a liquid storage chamber and a partition wall, and the upper and lower surfaces of the partition wall are made flat to limit the thickness of the partition wall. In addition, by processing the communication hole having a predetermined diameter using a laser beam, it is not necessary to provide fine protrusions on the mold, so that molding defects can be suppressed, and productivity and quality are improved. In addition, by setting the lower limit of the partition wall thickness, the molten resin can flow smoothly into each part during molding to suppress molding defects, and by defining the upper limit of the partition wall thickness, a communication hole is formed. The output of the laser beam can be suppressed, smooth communication holes with few burrs are formed, and the quality is improved. In addition, when the communication hole is formed by making the upper and lower surfaces of the partition flat, even if an error in the laser light irradiation position is expected, the incident angle and the penetration distance are constant. There is no change in the shape of the holes, and the quality can be kept constant. Therefore, since a certain amount of error is allowed when irradiating laser light, maintenance and management of related apparatuses are easy and productivity is improved.

  In addition, by limiting the diameter of the communication hole, the flow resistance when the chemical solution passes through the communication hole can be optimized, and the chemical solution can be prevented from being inadvertently discharged when the container body is pinched, Moreover, when the container body is consciously pressed to drop the chemical solution, a predetermined amount of the chemical solution can be smoothly supplied to the liquid storage chamber or the tip surface, which is extremely convenient for use. Furthermore, the cross-sectional diameter of the communication hole is 0.3 mm at the maximum, no foreign matter or the like enters, the inside can be maintained substantially isolated from the outside, and the hygienic aspect is excellent.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a dripping nozzle 11 according to the present invention. FIG. 1 (A) is a longitudinal section of a central portion, and FIG. 1 (B) is an enlarged view of a periphery of a partition wall 14. The dripping nozzle 11 according to the present invention has the same basic configuration as the conventional one shown in FIG. 5 and is inserted into a cylindrical neck portion 32 formed on the upper portion of the main body 31 for storing a chemical solution. Used in an integrated state. The dripping nozzle 11 is made of low-density polyethylene as a raw material and integrally molded using a mold, and has a circular cross section with a virtual axis 20 passing through the center as a reference, and a disk-like shape on the side peripheral surface thereof The flange 16 is formed. The flange 16 has a function as a stopper when inserted into the neck portion 32, and the lower surface of the flange 16 and the upper surface of the neck portion 32 are in contact with each other. Further, the upper side of the flange 16 is formed in a generally conical shape, and the upper surface is a smooth hemispherical tip surface 13, and a predetermined amount of dripping is realized by adhering a chemical solution to this surface. On the lower side of the flange 16, the cylindrical body 21 inserted into the neck portion 32 extends downward, and an introduction surface 17 with a reduced outer diameter is provided near the tip so that the insertion into the neck portion 32 can be performed smoothly. Is formed.

  An inverted conical liquid reservoir 12 is formed from the center of the front end surface 13 downward as a chemical liquid flow path. The center of the liquid storage chamber 12 coincides with the axis 20, and the chemical solution can be quickly supplied to the distal end surface 13 by temporarily storing the chemical solution therein. The liquid storage chamber 12 is not completely inverted conical, and its bottom is closed by a flat partition wall 14. The partition wall 14 divides the main body 31 and the liquid reservoir chamber 12, but a communication hole 15 for allowing the chemical liquid to pass therethrough is formed. The communication hole 15 has a cross section that is significantly smaller than the diameter of the liquid reservoir 12 so that a predetermined flow resistance can be generated with respect to the chemical solution. Further, since the communication hole 15 has a small diameter and is difficult to be integrally molded, after molding, the laser beam is separately irradiated and the resin is locally melted and processed.

  FIG. 1B shows an enlarged shape around the partition wall 14. Since the liquid storage chamber 12 has an inverted conical shape, its bottom is necessarily circular, but its diameter is about 1 mm. As a result, the volume of the liquid storage chamber 12 can be secured, and even when an error occurs in the laser light irradiation position when the communication hole 15 is formed, it is not affected. In addition, the partition wall 14 is a flat surface in which both the upper surface 18 and the lower surface 19 always extend in a direction perpendicular to the axis 20. However, the flatness is not limited in numerical value, and it is only necessary to ensure general accuracy in manufacturing the mold. By making the partition wall 14 planar in this way, the thickness is inevitably uniform, and even if an error occurs in the irradiation position of the laser beam, various conditions such as output necessary for penetration are constant. Therefore, there is no difference in quality. Furthermore, the thickness of the partition 14 is 0.2 mm or more, and is limited to 0.6 mm or less. Thus, by making it 0.2 mm or more, there is no fear of inflow failure of the molten resin during molding, and productivity is improved. Moreover, by setting it as 0.6 mm or less, the output of the laser beam at the time of forming the communicating hole 15 can also be suppressed, the range affected by heat is reduced, and the occurrence of burrs and the like is small. It has been found through experiments by the inventors that the optimum thickness of the partition wall 14 is in the vicinity of 0.3 mm in the above range.

  About the communicating hole 15, the diameter is limited to 0.1 mm or more and 0.3 mm or less. As a result, an appropriate flow resistance is generated, so that the chemical liquid is not ejected by lightly pinching the main body 31 with a finger, and the chemical liquid protrudes for the first time when the main body 31 is intentionally pressed. In addition, it is difficult for foreign matter to pass through the communication hole 15, which is excellent in terms of hygiene. Since the communication hole 15 is processed with laser light, the cross section is not necessarily a perfect circle, and it is expected that the communication hole 15 is tapered when viewed from above and below, but both the maximum diameter and the minimum diameter are It suffices to be within this range.

  FIG. 2 shows a process of forming the communication hole 15. Thereafter, the dripping nozzle 11 formed by the mold is accommodated in the holder H in order to form the communication hole 15. The inner diameter of the holder H is matched with the cylindrical body 21 below the flange 16, and the dripping nozzle 11 is restrained when the flange 16 contacts the upper surface of the holder H. In this state, the holding tool H is moved and carried directly under the irradiation device S. After precise positioning, the laser beam L is irradiated for a certain period of time, whereby the communication hole 15 is formed. In the irradiation, it is inevitable that the position of the holder H causes a certain range of error due to wear of parts. However, in the present invention, both the upper surface 18 and the lower surface 19 of the partition wall 14 are flat, and if the error is within the assumption, the irradiation condition does not change, so there is no problem in the formation of the communication hole 15.

  FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the thickness of the partition wall 14 and the state of the communication hole 15 in a longitudinal section. FIG. 3A shows a case where the thickness of the partition wall 14 is appropriate, and FIG. This is a case where the thickness of is excessive. In FIG. 3A, since the partition wall 14 has a thickness of 0.2 mm or more and 0.6 mm or less, the communication hole 15 is completed in a short time by reaching the lower surface 19 even when irradiated with laser light. Therefore, the area affected by heat is small, the burr 25 formed in the periphery is extremely small, and the diameter of the communication hole 15 is not significantly different between the upper surface 18 and the lower surface 19. However, as shown in FIG. 3B, if the thickness of the partition wall 14 exceeds the limit value, the time required for forming the communication hole 15 becomes long, and particularly the vicinity of the upper surface 18 is greatly affected by heat. Will grow greatly. Therefore, there is a possibility that the peeled burrs may be mixed into the chemical solution, and the hole diameter near the upper surface 18 becomes excessive, the flow resistance against the chemical solution is lowered, and the usability is also deteriorated.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of the shape of the dropping nozzle 11, FIG. 4 (A) is a plan view thereof, FIG. 4 (B) is a BB cross section, FIG. 4 (C) is a CC cross section, 4 (D) is a bottom surface. The dripping nozzle 11 shown in this figure is different from the one shown in FIG. 1, and the bottom of the liquid reservoir 12 is located far below the flange 16. The diameter is about 1 mm as described above, and the conditions for forming the communication hole 15 are not changed. Further, the entire length of the liquid reservoir 12 extends, and two ribs 22 are disposed in the cylindrical body 21 to reinforce this. In addition, two rows of ridges 23 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 21 in order to increase friction when fitted into the main body 31.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the dripping nozzle by this invention, (A) has shown the whole center part, (B) has expanded the partition periphery. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the process of forming a communicating hole. The relationship between the thickness of the partition wall and the state of the communication hole is shown in a longitudinal section. (A) shows the case where the partition wall thickness is appropriate, and (B) shows the case where the partition wall thickness is excessive. The example of a shape of a dripping nozzle is shown, (A) is the top view, (B) is a BB sectional view, (C) is a CC sectional view, and (D) is a bottom view. The structure of the eyedrop container conventionally used is shown, (A) is the whole longitudinal cross-sectional view including a dripping nozzle and a cap besides a main body, (B) is the longitudinal cross-sectional view which expanded only the dripping nozzle. It is.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Dripping nozzle 12 Liquid storage chamber 13 Front end surface 14 Partition 15 Communication hole 16 Flange 17 Introduction surface 18 Upper surface 19 Lower surface 20 Axis 21 Cylindrical body 22 Rib 23 Projection 25 Burr 31 Main body 32 Neck part H Holder L Laser beam S

Claims (1)

A resin-made dripping nozzle (11) fitted into a neck (32) of a container body (31) for storing a chemical solution,
An inverted conical liquid reservoir chamber (12) formed in the direction of the axis (20) from the center of the tip surface (13), a partition wall (14) forming the bottom of the liquid reservoir chamber (12), and the partition wall (14 And a communication hole (15) for guiding the chemical liquid to the liquid storage chamber (12),
The upper and lower surfaces (18, 19) of the partition wall (14) are both planar in the direction orthogonal to the axis (20), and the thickness of the partition wall (14) is 0.2 mm or more and 0. The dropping nozzle is characterized in that it is 6 mm or less, and the communication hole (15) is formed by laser light irradiation and has a diameter of 0.1 mm or more and 0.3 mm or less.

Images