JP2010230628A - Tubular container - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tubular container having a seal stopper, capable of preventing the formation of a liquid membrane in the container opening when the seal stopper is removed. <P>SOLUTION: The seal stopper 12 for sealing the opening of the tubular container 10 has a layer structure including an upper layer 26 and a lower layer 28. The lower layer 28 has an arch-shaped base 42 and a tongue part 44 extending from the edge that is a string of the arch. A holding piece 24 of the seal stopper is pulled up for opening the seal stopper 12. While the base 42 remains in the edge 20 of the tubular container, the tongue part 44 is positioned within the opening plane together with the base 42. When the holding piece 24 is pulled up more, the base 42 begins to be removed and the tongue part 44 is simultaneously moved from the opening plane. The tip end of the tongue part 44 moves the most, and uneven force is applied to the liquid membrane to break it. Thus, the formation of the liquid membrane is prevented. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a container having a tube shape and containing a specimen, and more particularly to a tubular container in which an opening at one end of a tube shape is sealed with a seal plug.

  A container having a tubular shape with one end open and accommodating a specimen is known. In order to seal the opening at the open end of this tubular container, a type using a sealing stopper is known. One example of such a tubular container is a blood collection tube. A blood collection tube sealed with a seal plug is described in Patent Document 1 below.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-45262

  A tubular container containing a liquid sample such as blood and sealed with a seal plug may adhere to the inner surface of the seal plug due to vibration or tilting during transportation. Opening in this state may cause a liquid film at the opening of the container. When the sample is extracted by the dispenser or analyzer, this liquid film may be misrecognized as a liquid level and may cause a state in which the sample is not properly extracted.

  An object of this invention is to provide the tubular container which suppresses generation | occurrence | production of the liquid film of a container opening, when opening a sealing stopper.

  In the tubular container of the present invention, the opening is sealed with a seal stopper. The seal plug has two parts or layers. When the seal plug is peeled off and opened, it begins to be peeled off from one part, and the other part remains in the opening part. At this time, a part of the other remaining part protrudes into a partial opening formed by peeling off one part. Further, when the seal plug is peeled off, the remaining other part begins to be peeled off, and at this time, the tip of the protruding part of the other part is greatly separated from the opening surface. When the liquid film is formed, the liquid film is pulled up non-uniformly by the protruding portion, and is broken to suppress generation of the liquid film.

  The sealing plug of the tubular container has, on one side, a first layer and a second layer located below the first layer. The first layer covers the entire opening and opens at one place on the outer periphery. The second layer has a base that covers a part of the opening opposite to the side on which the grip piece is provided, and a position from the base toward the position where the grip piece is provided. Extending, spaced from the edge of the opening, and having a tongue not affixed to the first layer.

  When the gripping piece is pulled up and the sealing plug is peeled off, first, a partial opening is formed at the edge of the opening where the first layer is peeled off and the edge of the base of the second layer. Since the tongue provided on the base is not attached to the first layer, it remains in the plane defined by the base of the second layer, that is, in the opening surface of the container. When the gripping piece is further pulled up, the base portion of the second layer starts to be peeled off, and at this time, the tongue portion is separated from the opening surface together with the base portion. The tip of the tongue portion is farther away from the opening surface, whereby a force is applied to the liquid film formed in the partial opening in a non-uniform manner to break the liquid film.

  In another aspect, the tubular container seal stopper has a first layer and a second layer located below the first layer and having higher rigidity than the first layer, the first layer covering the entire opening, In addition, a grip piece to be gripped at the time of opening is provided at one location on the outer periphery, and the second layer covers a part of the opening on the side opposite to the side where the grip piece is provided, and a grip piece from the base. And has a tongue that is open and spaced apart.

  When the gripping piece is pulled up and the sealing plug is peeled off, first, a partial opening is formed at the edge of the opening where the first layer is peeled off and the edge of the base of the second layer. Since the second layer has higher rigidity than the first layer, the tongue provided on the base of the second layer remains in the plane defined by the base, that is, in the opening surface of the container. When the gripping piece is further pulled up, the base portion of the second layer starts to be peeled off, and at this time, the tongue portion is separated from the opening surface together with the base portion. The tip of the tongue portion is farther away from the opening surface, whereby a force is applied to the liquid film formed in the partial opening in a non-uniform manner to break the liquid film.

  In yet another aspect, the tubular container seal stopper has a first layer and a second layer located below the first layer, the first layer covering the entire opening and opening at one location on the outer periphery. The second layer has a base that covers a part of the opening on the side opposite to the side where the gripping piece is provided, and a position where the gripping piece is provided from the base. And an opening edge and a spaced-apart tongue. When opening the plug, lift the gripping piece and peel off the sealing plug from the edge of the opening. During the opening process, keep the tongue in the opening surface while the base of the second layer is in the opening surface. Further, as the base part is peeled off by removing the seal plug, the tongue part is also separated from the surface of the opening.

  When the tip of the tongue moves more greatly, a non-uniform force acts on the liquid film, which breaks and suppresses the generation of the liquid film.

  In still another aspect, the tubular container seal stopper has a first portion that covers only a portion of the opening, and a second portion that covers the remaining portion of the opening that is not covered by at least the first portion; The first portion is provided with a projecting piece extending from the first portion at a portion of the opening that is not covered by the first portion. When the plug is opened, the second portion is peeled off first. . Further, when the second portion is peeled off, the first portion is peeled off continuously.

  When the first part is peeled off, the tip of the protruding piece extending from the first part moves greatly from the opening surface, and a non-uniform force acts on the liquid film, which is broken and the generation of the liquid film is suppressed.

  In yet another aspect, the tubular container seal stopper has a first layer and a second layer that is stiffer than the first layer, the second layer having an arcuate base and a portion of the arc of the arc. Is attached to the edge of the opening, the first layer is located on the second layer, and is attached to the base of the second layer and the portion where the second layer of the edge of the opening is not attached. A tongue that covers the entire opening, has a protruding piece protruding from the edge of the opening at one of the edges, and the second layer protrudes from the bow-shaped chord portion of the base and does not reach the edge of the opening The protruding piece and the tongue are arranged in the radial direction of the container body.

  When the protruding piece is lifted and the seal is peeled off, a partial opening is first formed by the edge of the opening where the first layer is peeled off and the portion of the arcuate chord at the base of the second layer. Here the tongue projects from the bowed chord portion of the base of the second layer. At this time, it is located within the plane defined by the base, that is, within the opening surface of the tubular container. When the protruding piece is further pulled up, the base portion of the second layer starts to be peeled off, and at this time, the tongue portion is separated from the opening surface together with the base portion. The tip of the tongue portion is farther away from the opening surface, whereby a non-uniform force is applied to the liquid film formed in the partial opening and the liquid film is broken.

  In yet another aspect, the tubular container seal stopper has a generally circular upper and lower layer that overlaps each other and covers the opening, the lower layer comprising an arcuate base and an arcuate chord portion of the base. A lower layer first part having a protruding portion protruding, and a lower layer second part having a shape complementary to the lower layer first part and separated from the lower layer first part, wherein the lower layer first part is an upper layer The rigidity is higher, and a notch for separating these is provided at the boundary between the tongue and the second lower layer portion.

  When the protruding portion of the upper layer is pulled up to start peeling, a partial opening is first formed by the edge of the opening from which the first lower portion of the lower layer is peeled off and the bowed chord portion of the second lower portion. Here, the protruding portion protrudes from the bow-shaped string portion of the second lower layer portion. At this time, the projecting portion is located in a plane defined by the base of the lower second portion, that is, in the opening surface of the tubular container. When the protruding portion is further pulled up, the base portion of the second layer starts to be peeled off, and at this time, the protruding portion is separated from the opening surface together with the base portion. The tip of the protruding portion is farther away from the opening surface, whereby a nonuniform force is applied to the liquid film formed in the partial opening, and the liquid film is broken.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a blood collection tube will be described as an example of a seal plug type tubular container. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overview of a blood collection tube 10 and shows a state in which a seal plug 12 is stuck to an opening of a tube.

  The blood collection tube 10 has a circular tube shape and includes a main body 14 having a closed bottom portion and a tube opening portion 16 formed at an end of the main body 14 on the open side. The main body 14 and the pipe opening 16 are preferably formed integrally. The tube opening portion 16 has a substantially annular shape, and an inner periphery thereof defines a substantially circular opening 18. Moreover, the pipe opening part 16 has the end surface 20 used as the edge of the opening 18, and the seal stopper 12 is affixed on this end surface. Hereinafter, a surface defined as a plane including the opening 18, that is, a plane including the end surface 20 will be described as an opening surface. The seal plug 12 can be formed by cutting a resin, metal, or a deformable sheet in which these are laminated into a predetermined shape, and is affixed to the end surface 20 of the tube opening portion with an adhesive, and the blood collection tube 10 Is sealed. The shape of the seal plug 12 is such that a grip piece 24 extending outward in the radial direction is added to a circular portion 22 that is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the tube port portion 16. When opening the plug, the sealing plug 12 is peeled off by gripping the gripping piece 24 and pulling it upward or in the direction inclined to the opposite side from which the gripping piece is provided.

  2 and 3 are views showing the detailed structure of the seal plug 12. The sealing plug 12 is located in the opening surface and has two layers of an upper layer 26 and a lower layer 28. The lower layer 28 is located on the blood collection tube 10 side and is attached to the end face of the blood collection tube. The upper layer 26 forms a surface that can be seen from the outside. In the figure, the upper layer 26 and the lower layer 28 are shown with the thickness emphasized. The upper layer 26 covers the entire opening 18 and is provided with a portion 30 that protrudes outside the edge of the blood collection tube 10. The lower layer 28 has substantially the same outer shape as the upper layer 26 and is arranged in an overlapping manner. Similar to the upper layer 26, it has a portion 32 that protrudes from the edge of the blood collection tube 10, and the above-described gripping piece 24 is formed by the portions 30 and 32 that protrude from the upper layer and the lower layer. Further, the grip piece 24 may be formed by a protruding portion of either the upper layer or the lower layer. The lower layer 28 has two parts, a lower layer first part 34 and a lower layer second part 36.

  FIG. 3 shows the shape of the lower layer first portion 34. The lower first portion 34 includes a portion along the end face 20 of the blood collection tube 10, a contour base 42 having a portion crossing the opening 18, and a tongue 44 projecting from a portion of the base 42 across the contour opening. In this embodiment, the base portion 42 has an arcuate shape surrounded by an arc portion along the end surface 20 of the circular tube blood collection tube and a chord portion of the circular end surface 20. Here, the arcuate shape includes a case where it is smaller or larger than a semicircle. The tongue portion 44 does not reach the edge of the opening of the blood collection tube 10, that is, the end surface 20, and is disposed with a gap therebetween. The shape of the tongue portion 44 may be a flat bar shape with a rounded tip as in the illustrated example, or a shape with a sharpened tip. The tip may be sharpened by making the whole into a triangle.

  The lower layer second portion 36 has a shape complementary to the lower layer first portion 34. That is, the lower layer first portion 34 and the lower layer second portion 36 are supplemented to each other so that the other convex portion is formed in accordance with one convex portion, thereby forming the shape of the seal plug 12. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the shape of the lower layer second portion 36 is indicated by a contour line of the string 42 and the tongue portion 44 of the base portion 42 of the lower layer first portion and an alternate long and short dash line in the drawing. The tongue portion of the lower layer first portion 34 and the boundary between the lower layer second portion 36 are substantially separated by a cut 38, a slit, or the like. Even when the cut 38 is shallow and connected, it is easily separated by the cut 38 in the operation of opening the seal plug 12. Further, not only the outline of the tongue portion 44 but also the string portion of the base portion 42 may be provided with a notch for separation. Further, the cut of the string portion can be prevented from reaching the periphery of the seal plug 12. In this case, the specimen is prevented from leaking outside through the cut.

  The upper layer 26 and the lower layer 28 are integrated by a method such as sticking except for the tongue 44. The tongue portion 44 and the upper layer 26 may not be attached at all, or may be attached so weakly that only this portion is removed when the seal plug 12 is peeled off and opened. Further, the lower layer 28 may be only the lower layer first portion 34, and the upper layer 26 may be directly attached to the end surface 20 of the blood collection tube 10. Moreover, it is preferable that the lower layer first portion 34 has higher rigidity than the upper layer 26, so that the tongue portion 44 is easily maintained in the plane defined by the base portion 42. To provide a stiffness difference, the thickness or material can be different. For example, the upper layer 26 can be an aluminum foil, and the lower layer first portion 34 can be a resin plate.

  FIGS. 4 to 6 show a state in the middle of opening the seal plug 12. When opening the plug, the gripping piece 24 is pulled upward or in a direction inclined to the side opposite to the side where the gripping piece is provided (upper right direction in FIG. 5), and the seal plug 12 is peeled off from the end face 20. In the following description, the direction from the end where the grip piece 24 is provided to the opposite end along the diameter of the opening of the blood collection tube 10 is referred to as a peeling direction. 4 and 5 show a state where the base 42 has not been peeled off from the end face 20. The lower layer second portion 36 is pulled up together with the upper layer 26 and peeled off from the end face 20 of the blood collection tube. On the other hand, the entire arc-shaped edge portion of the base portion 42 of the lower first portion is still adhered to the end face 20, and the base portion 42 is located in the opening surface. Further, the tongue portion 44 extending from the base portion 42 is separated from the upper layer 26 and similarly remains in the opening surface. A notch 38 is provided so that the tongue 44 is separated from the first portion when the plug is opened. The notches 38 are provided along the strings of the base 34 and the periphery of the tongue 44. Further, it may be provided only around the tongue 44. By peeling off a part of the seal stopper 12, a partial opening 46 is opened in the blood collection tube 10, and a state in which the tongue 44 protrudes is formed there.

  When the gripping piece 24 is further lifted from the state of FIG. 5, the base 42 is also lifted together with the upper layer 26, and when the base 42 is lifted and the arcuate chord portion is lifted as shown in FIG. Is lifted from within the opening surface. At this time, the tip of the tongue 44 moves more greatly. In the case where a liquid film is stretched in the partial opening 46 shown in FIG. 4, a part of the liquid film is locally pulled up by this movement of the tongue 44, and a non-uniform force acts. The film cannot be maintained and is torn. Further, the gripping piece 24 is pulled up to completely peel off the sealing plug 12, and the plug opening operation is completed.

  As described above, when the gripping piece 24 is pulled up and moved in the peeling direction, the tongue 44 protrudes into the partial opening 46, and then the tip of the tongue moves more greatly upward. It is desirable that the tongue portion protrudes in the opposite direction in the direction along the peeling direction.

It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the blood-collecting tube as an example of the tubular container with a seal stopper. It is a figure which shows the cross-section of a seal stopper. It is the perspective view which abbreviate | omitted a part which shows the structure of a seal plug. It is a perspective view which shows the state in the middle of opening of the sealing stopper. It is sectional drawing which shows the state in the middle of opening of a sealing stopper. It is a figure which shows the state which the opening progressed from the state of FIG.

  10 Blood collection tube, 12 Seal plug, 18 Opening, 20 End surface (edge of opening), 24 Grip piece, 26 Upper layer, 28 Lower layer, 34 Lower layer first part, 36 Lower layer second part, 38 Cut, 42 Base part, 44 Tongue part , 46 Partial opening.

Claims (6)

A tubular container body having a tubular container body having an opening at one end, and a sealing plug that is attached to an edge of the opening and seals the opening;
The sealing plug has a first layer and a second layer located below the first layer;
The first layer has a gripping piece that covers the entire opening and is gripped at the time of opening at one place on the outer periphery,
The second layer has a base that covers a part of the opening opposite to the side on which the grip piece is provided, and extends from the base toward a position where the grip piece is provided. A tongue that is open and not adhered to the first layer;
Tubular container. A tubular container body having a tubular container body having an opening at one end, and a sealing plug that is attached to an edge of the opening and seals the opening;
The sealing plug has a first layer and a second layer located under the first layer and having higher rigidity than the first layer,
The first layer has a gripping piece that covers the entire opening and is gripped at the time of opening at one place on the outer periphery,
The second layer has a base that covers a part of the opening on the opposite side of the side on which the gripping piece is provided, and extends from the base to a position where the gripping piece is provided. An open tongue,
Tubular container. A tubular container body having a tubular container body having an opening at one end, and a sealing plug that is attached to an edge of the opening and seals the opening;
The sealing plug has a first layer and a second layer located below the first layer;
The first layer has a gripping piece that covers the entire opening and is gripped at the time of opening at one place on the outer periphery,
The second layer has a base that covers a part of the opening on the side opposite to the side on which the gripping piece is provided, and extends from the base toward a position on which the gripping piece is provided. An open tongue, and
When opening the plug, the sealing piece is peeled off from the edge of the opening by pulling up the gripping piece, and while the base of the second layer is in the plane of the opening in the opening process, the tongue is Maintained in the plane of the opening, and as the base is peeled off by further removing the sealing plug, the tongue also moves away from the opening.
Tubular container. A tubular container body having a tubular container body having an opening at one end, and a sealing plug that is attached to an edge of the opening and seals the opening;
The sealing plug is
A first portion that covers only a portion of the opening; and a second portion that covers the remaining portion of the opening that is not covered by at least the first portion;
The first part is provided with a protruding piece extending from the first part at a part of the opening that is not covered by the first part,
When opening the plug, the second part of the seal plug is peeled off first, and when the second part is peeled off, the first part is peeled off continuously.
Tubular container. A tubular container having a circular tubular container body having an opening at one end, and a sealing plug that is attached to an edge of the opening to seal the opening,
The sealing plug has a first layer and a second layer having higher rigidity than the first layer,
The second layer has an arcuate base, and an arcuate arc portion sticks to the edge of the opening;
The first layer is located on the second layer, and is attached to the base of the second layer and the portion where the second layer of the edge of the opening is not attached to cover the entire opening. A protruding piece that protrudes from the edge of the opening at one location of
Further, the second layer has a tongue protruding from the bow-shaped chord portion of the base and not reaching the edge of the opening;
The protruding piece and the tongue are arranged in the radial direction of the container body,
Tubular container. A tubular container having a circular tubular container body having an opening at one end, and a sealing plug that is attached to an edge of the opening to seal the opening,
The sealing plug covers the opening and has a substantially circular upper layer and a lower layer stacked on each other,
The lower layer includes a lower layer first portion having an arcuate base, a tongue protruding from the bow-shaped chord portion of the base, and a second portion having a shape complementary to the lower first portion. And
The lower layer first portion is more rigid than the upper layer,
At the boundary between the tongue and the second lower layer part, a notch for separating them is provided,
Tubular container.

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