JP2011046401A - Refill adapter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refill adapter used for a method for reducing load and improving efficiency of a refill operation while preventing liquid leakage or liquid dripping worried when a content in a container is refilled. <P>SOLUTION: The refill adapter, which refills the content into a repeatedly used container from the refilling container, includes: a body consisting of a content pipe and a pneumatic pipe; a refilling-container airtightly connecting mechanism for airtightly connecting the body and the refilling container; a repeatedly-used-container airtightly connecting mechanism for airtightly connecting the body and the repeatedly used container; a valve capable of opening and closing the content pipe of the body and the pneumatic pipe; and a locking mechanism in which only when the repeatedly-used-container airtightly connecting mechanism is under an airtight condition, the valve is allowed to be opened, and only when the valve is under an open condition, the repeatedly used container airtight mechanism is allowed to release airtightness. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to reducing the load and improving the efficiency of refilling liquid contents from a replenishing container to a reusable container. The refill adapter is used for transferring contents between containers made of paper, plastic or metal. Concerning.

  In general, in the case of products that use plastic containers as products, it is not the same container that is used for purchase, but for example, it is purchased in a container called a pouch that has been processed into a bag shape or a very thin plastic container. It is common practice to refill the product container and use the product repeatedly. This method makes it possible to reduce the weight of the container relative to the amount of use of the contents, and is useful for resource protection, waste reduction, and cost reduction.

  The shape of the pouch is changed so that the spout is processed into a long and narrow pipe shape and is repeatedly inserted into the mouth of the container for use. At that time, the operator supported the pouch bottom with one hand and the spout with the other hand, so he was constantly in tension to prevent the contents from spilling out of the container. In addition, when there is paralysis or numbness, it is difficult to maintain a certain posture without being able to support the elbows and wrists, and thus such refilling work is very difficult.

  The situation does not change even if the refilling container is a plastic container, and the refilling operation involves holding the two containers with one hand and tilting the refilling container gradually horizontally so that both mouth positions do not shift. It was necessary to make preparations that would not hinder spills during the transfer work.

  Originally, it would be preferable to use a tool such as a dropper, funnel, or kerosene pump for refilling. However, there is no change in the instability of work. For example, when using a funnel, there is a risk of spilling from the refill container. However, it was difficult to check the liquid level, so it was excessively poured out into the funnel and the treatment was troublesome.

  Therefore, recently, some ideas for refilling the contents have been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, the product container and the replenishing container are joined in a sealed state, and the replenishment-side seal member is repeatedly broken by the use-side nozzle so that the liquid can be leaked without monitoring. It is swearing that refilling without worry is possible. However, in the proposal, it is necessary to assume that the head space of the repeated use container is larger than the amount of replenisher. If this is not the case, this method will always spill the surplus. In the conventional refilling operation, there is always a danger of overflowing, and monitoring is carried out, so there were few accidents that overflowed even if the remaining amount of containers used repeatedly was large. In order to realize surveillance-free refilling, it will be necessary to devise measures that will not overflow in the unlikely event.

  However, the monitoring-free concept claimed in this proposal is a useful concept in order to promote refilling of a high-viscosity fluid that takes time to refill, for example. For example, it is well known that shampoo and dressing adhering to a container wall can be taken out by inverting the container. In this case, when comparing the pouch with the contents squeezed out and the molding container, the former tends to remain in a narrow space sandwiched between the films, whereas the latter causes the liquid on the wall to move according to gravity. Since there is nothing to prevent it, it can be said that it is advantageous for the refilling of the monitoring free that takes time.

It can be said that Patent Document 2 is positioned as a proposal that improves the above-described drawbacks of Patent Document 1. This is a proposal in which a nozzle is provided in the pouch and the valve is opened by repetitively inserting it into the dispensing nozzle on the container side, and the contents are replenished. . Although it has the advantage of being resealable, this proposal requires the refilling nozzle diameter to be larger than that of the refilled product container and is not suitable for monitoring free. Although the shape is devised so that a pouch can be put on it, it must be pulled out in case of a leak, and it will be exposed to danger such as returning and falling down.

  As described above, there is not yet a refilling container that can be resealed as a refillable container without the risk of leakage, and that has a function of stopping refilling at the proper position of the liquid level of the reusable container. Furthermore, at the time of refilling, the used container side must discharge air by the volume of the contents that flowed in. In that case, the air flows into the replenishment side by sealing both containers. At this time, the container vibrates in order to reverse the contents due to the pulsation of the air, and the container sometimes falls during refilling. In particular, when refilling is started, the position of the center of gravity is high, which is more dangerous. There was no means for automatically refilling the proper amount.

JP 2004-099082 A JP 2003-267403 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the drawbacks of such background art, and is used in a method that can reliably prevent leakage of liquid leakage that is a concern when refilling the contents of a container while reducing the burden and efficiency of refilling work. It is an object to provide a refillable adapter.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object in the present invention, first, in the invention of claim 1, in a refill adapter for refilling contents from a refill container into a container for repeated use, a main body comprising a content pipe and an air pipe, a main body and a refill The replenishment container security connection mechanism that secretly connects the container to the container, the repeated use container security connection mechanism that securely connects the main body and the reusable container, the valve that can open and close the contents piping and the air piping of the main body, and the repetitive use container secrecy Provided is a refill adapter having a locking mechanism that allows the valve to be opened only when the mechanism is in a secret state, and that allows the repeated use container secret mechanism to be declassified only when the valve is in an open state.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the refill adapter according to the first aspect, wherein a repetitive use container extension pipe comprising a content pipe and an air pipe is provided on the repetitive use container side from the refill container.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the refill adapter according to the first or second aspect, wherein an air pipe is extended from the main body to the replenishing container side.

  If the contents are refilled using the refill adapter according to claim 1, the refill container 2 having a detachable opening is attached to one side of the refill adapter 1, and the reusable container 3 is attached to the other side. It is possible to use a refilling method for preventing liquid leakage or dripping at the time of refilling by connecting the secret lines without gaps.

That is, when the connection between the container for use and the adapter is completed repeatedly by this method, the operation lock of the valve 121 is released, and the valve can be changed from closed to open. At this time,
The adapter rotation lock pin 142 is hooked so that the connection between the container and the adapter for repeated use is accidentally removed. Next, when the refilling operation is completed, the valve 121 is closed. By this operation, the adapter rotation lock pin 142 is released, and the container 3 and the refill adapter 1 can be separated by releasing the confidential state repeatedly. When the separation operation is started, the valve opening / closing lock pin 124 operates so that the valve cannot be opened.

  Therefore, by refilling the contents through the refill adapter 1 equipped with the operation mechanism as described above, there is no liquid leakage during the work, and the container to be used is connected to the refill adapter repeatedly so that the container can be removed. The work of holding has become much easier.

  Also, depending on the case, it is possible to unmanned the refilling work which takes time by leaving it in a combined state keeping a confidential state. Also, by avoiding repeated separation of containers during refilling of contents, it is possible to eliminate the risk of separation of bonds during refilling due to errors, so let's forget the progress of work by leaving it for a long time. Even now, I was able to continue the work that was interrupted with peace of mind.

  The invention according to claim 2 is a means for automatically stopping at an appropriate addition amount even when the replenishment amount of the repetitively used container 3 is less than the filling amount of the replenishing container 2. This is a phenomenon that occurs when a bottle filled with water is inverted and poured into a cup, and the discharge of water stops at the mouth position of the bottle. This phenomenon occurs when the water pressure applied to the mouth surface is the same both above and below. Although it is a well-known phenomenon, a new effect is produced by using this for refilling the contents.

  One is that monitoring at the time of refilling becomes unnecessary. Although the function of preventing liquid leakage and dripping and the function of leaving for a long time have already been given in claim 1, there still remains a concern of refilling more than necessary. This is the case, for example, when the refilling operation is inadvertently started even though a sufficient amount still remains in the repetitive use container 3, or when the repetitive use container 3 has a smaller capacity than the replenishing container 2. If you do not stop at the specified amount, the contents will spill as soon as you remove the refill adapter. Therefore, this function is useful for enhancing the function of claim 1.

  The invention of claim 3 assists quick and steady movement of the contents by separating the air piping, which is the movement path of the air remaining in the container 3 repeatedly used, from the contents piping, which is the piping of the contents. In addition, the object of the present invention is to prevent the container from tipping over due to the impact caused by the backflow of air to the contents.

  When the air pipe 7 is not provided, it is possible to prevent dripping of the liquid leakage by connecting the replenishing container 2 and the repeated use container 3, but the air that should be repeatedly excluded from the used container 3 during the refilling operation. Since it flows to the replenishing container 2 so as to flow backward with respect to the flow of the contents, and it flows intermittently as a pulsation, the combined container may fall over when the impact is large. There was also a risk of breakage of the contents of the refill adapter 1 due to falling and the contents being scattered, or in the case of glass. Further, when pulsation occurs, not only does the fall occur, but the contents of the replenishing container 2 do not descend smoothly. This is because a negative pressure acts on the end space of the refill container 2.

The negative pressure is relieved by the air that repeatedly flows back the contents from the use container 3, and the contents flow again. When the liquid level dropped, the negative pressure increased again. Therefore, it is possible to avoid such an inconvenient behavior by avoiding contact with the contents as much as possible after making the movement of the air from the repeated use container 3 different from the movement of the contents. . This is an unrecognized problem because the conventional refilling method firmly holds both containers. The content of claim 3 is also useful for enhancing the function of claim 1 as in claim 2.

  In particular, the contents pipe 6 and the air pipe 7 can be refilled smoothly without any pulsation by repeatedly extending in the direction of the container 3 to be used in the direction of the container 3 and provided with an automatic stop function without overfilling. It became possible to do. Accordingly, it is possible to completely refill the contents without monitoring, and it is possible to refill even highly viscous contents such as shampoos, dressings and edible oils.

The partial cross section front view explaining the refill adapter of the state before the start of refill, the container for replenishment, and the container for repeated use. The partial cross section front view explaining the state in the middle of the refill start of the refill adapter of FIG. The partial cross section front view explaining the front assembly of the refill adapter of FIG. The partial cross section side view explaining the side assembly of the refill adapter of FIG. The partial cross section front view of the structure of the cover ring of the refill adapter of FIG. The partial cross section side view of the refill adapter part except the cover ring of the refill adapter of FIG. The partial cross section front view explaining the structure of the main body cap used for refilling of the refill adapter of FIG. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional front view illustrating a state in which a repeated use container opening / closing lock of the refill adapter valve of FIG. 1 is activated. The partial cross section front view explaining the state by which the repeated use container opening / closing lock | rock of the valve | bulb of the refill adapter of FIG. 1 was cancelled | released. The partial cross section front view explaining the state by which the cover ring of the refill adapter of FIG. 1 was fixed. The fragmentary sectional front view explaining the state which the valve opening / closing lock | rock of the refill adapter of FIG. 1 acted. The partial cross section front view explaining the state by which the valve opening / closing lock | rock of the refill adapter of FIG. 1 was cancelled | released.

  The best embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

  An important feature of the present invention is the use of a refill adapter 1 for connecting the reusable container 3 and the replenishing container 2 in order to prevent leakage of liquid leakage during refilling. This eliminates bothering the position adjustment of both mouths as in the prior art, and also eliminates the need for preparation for liquid spillage, making it easy to refill. This helped people with disabilities to make refilling work easier. And by refilling only when the containers are connected and not leaking, it is possible to leave it for a long time and refill it, and forget that it was refilled. Even if this is the case, the contents cannot be separated unless the content valve 126 is closed, so that there is very little risk of a liquid leakage accident. On the other hand, a problem newly generated by combining the two has also emerged, but the present invention also proposes a countermeasure.

  One is a countermeasure when the amount of liquid to be refilled is too large. The present invention proposes a refill adapter that can automatically stop refilling when the liquid level reaches the vicinity of a predetermined filling line. This principle is established when the pressure applied to the liquid surface of the mouth of the replenishing container 2 is balanced. The behavior is as follows.

  First, at the time of refilling, the combined container is set up so that the replenishment container 2 is on top. While the liquid level of the replenishing container 2 gradually decreases during refilling, air flows back intermittently. This inflow of air occurs when the pressure in the foot space 21 generated at the bottom of the replenishing container 2 becomes negative. Since the replenishing side container 2 is inverted, the mouth is always filled with the contents and prevents air from flowing in, but when the internal negative pressure increases, air enters to push back the liquid. As a result, when the negative pressure approaches atmospheric pressure, the air inflow stops, and this is repeated alternately. When the liquid level of the repeated use container 3 reaches the lower end of the repeated use container extension pipe, which is the lower end of the contents pipe 6, the mouth is completely blocked, so that air cannot enter and the negative pressure applied to the foot space 21 When the downward pressure derived from the replenisher height and the headspace pressure of the repeated use container are balanced, the contents stop descending. As described above, it is preferable to automatically stop the replenishment container 2 in an inverted state. However, in addition to the structure in which the two are originally coupled, the contents pipe 6 is assembled to the refill adapter 1. But it produces this effect.

  The internal capacity of the replenishing container 2 is usually about 70 to 80% compared to that of the repetitive use container, but this is a capacity that is set to ensure safety so that it can be transferred at once. is there. However, when replenishing frequently or when a plurality of repetitive containers 3 are utilized, the capacity of the replenishing container 2 may exceed that of the repetitive containers 3. In that case, refilling works with the risk of liquid leakage and dripping, but the automatic stop function is effective when you want to avoid it.

  The second problem is the behavior of air entering against the flow during refilling. As described above, this operation is related to the fluctuation of the pressure balance on the mouth surface of the replenishing container 2. In addition, when the flow rate is large, the pressure fluctuation increases. When the air flows in, the outflow of the contents is blocked for a moment, so that an acceleration occurs in the flow of the fluid, and the replenishing container vibrates due to the impact load. If it is severe, it will fall. Naturally, refilling is not possible if the refill container is lying down like this.

  Therefore, the air pipe 7 is installed so that the refill container does not fall. This air pipe is a dedicated air pipe, and it does not block the outflow of the contents, and by immediately introducing air against the negative pressure inside the replenishing container, the pressure fluctuation inside the replenishing container is greatly reduced. The purpose was to make it smaller. As a result, the impact load that would cause the refilling container to fall over disappeared, and the outflow of the contents became smooth, resulting in the effect of shortening the refilling time.

  Although it is named as air piping 7, it is difficult to completely prevent the contents from entering. In the present application, one end of a pipe corresponding to an extension of the air pipe is fixed to the refill adapter 1 and is attached to the replenishing container 2 at the time of use. Therefore, it must be immersed in the contents at the time of mounting. Therefore, the contents enter the inner surface of the air pipe 7. Therefore, in order to minimize the intrusion amount, it is preferable to set the length of the pipe so that the free end of the air pipe 7 protrudes from the liquid surface when the refilling container 2 is inverted.

Based on the above contents, the structure of the refill adapter 1 and the refill work method will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the refill adapter 1. From the top, it is composed of four sets of a replenishing container connecting part 11, a switching valve 12, a cover ring 13, and a repeated use container connecting part 14. A sealing material such as packing can be attached to the connecting portion as necessary for confidential connection. The replenishing container connecting portion 11 has a function of attaching the replenishing container 2, preventing leakage of contents, providing confidentiality, and supporting the replenishing container 2 upside down. The replenishment container mounting method may be a screw type or a stopper type, and the liquid retaining method may be an inner ring stopper or a top packing stopper. The switching valve 12 manually opens and closes the flow path. The flow path is opened by matching the direction of the rotary flow path 122 with respect to the fixed flow path 121 of the air pipe and the content pipe. Operation is possible only when the switching valve is unlocked and the handle 123
To do. The switching valve 12 may be only the content valve 125 used for opening and closing the content piping to flow the content, or an air valve 126 that is a valve of the air piping for flowing back-flowing air may be provided if necessary. . In that case, since the volume of the moving content and the air is the same, it is desirable that the effective flow area of the valve flow path, that is, the content pipe, is set so that the flow rate becomes equal while compensating for energy loss due to viscosity and friction. . The repeated use container connection unit 14 manages the connection with the repeated use container 3 and the liquid leakage prevention function.

  The two connecting portions are connected via the casing of the switching valve 12, and these may have an integral structure or an assembled structure. It is desirable that the center axes of the two connection portions coincide with each other. However, if the center of gravity of the container is shifted with respect to the center of each connection portion, it is possible to shift the center axis to prevent falling. . The cover ring 13 is a component that includes a connection mechanism with the repeated use container 3 and a lock mechanism of the switching valve 12. The cover ring 13 is attached so as to cover the repeated use container connecting portion 14 from above, and is integrated with the repeated use container connecting portion 14 via a built-in pin.

  Next, the refilling procedure will be described with reference to FIG. First, the refill container 2 is set upright and the refill adapter 1 is installed. When both are assembled, they are inverted and assembled to the container 3 for repeated use. In FIG. 2, the main body cap 4 having the measuring nozzle 41 is attached to the container 3 for repeated use, and is connected thereto. When this connection is complete, the switching valve 12 can be operated, so the handle 123 is rotated to refill. Refill time varies depending on the contents.

  Since the content of low viscosity is instantaneously terminated, the refilling is often terminated in a monitoring state. Moreover, since the high viscosity content takes time, it may be desirable to leave it for a long time using an automatic stop mechanism. Accordingly, it is desirable to prepare a component configuration of the refill adapter 1 having specifications as required. After the refilling is finished, the valve is closed, and then the refilling adapter 1 and the used container 3 are separated. The replenishing container 2 can be stored as it is when the contents remain. Remove and discard if empty.

  Next, the operation of the lock mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. First, in a state where the cover ring 13 and the repeated use container connecting portion 14 are combined with the adapter rotation lock pin 142, the inner protruding portion of the lock pin is pushed downward in accordance with the slide groove 42 of the main body cap 4, and at this time, the main body cap 4 and the packing 5 sandwiched between the repeated use container connection portions 14 are compressed, and a liquid is sealed. FIG. 8 shows the positional relationship of the lock mechanism at this time. When the cover ring 13 is rotated to the right when reaching the lower limit, the adapter rotation lock pin 142 reaches the groove end point of the main body cap 4 and the refill adapter 1 stops rotating. FIG. 9 is described so far.

  When the cover ring 13 is further rotated from there, the lock pin is pushed inward by the action of the cam, inserted into the connection portion positioning groove 43 of the repeated use container 3, and coupled to the repeated use container 14. When the cover ring 13 is further rotated, the cover positioning pin 143 engages and stops. FIG. 10 is described so far.

  Between the time when the adapter rotation lock pin 142 is pushed out and before the cover ring 13 stops, the cover ring 13 is repeatedly rotated relative to the use container connecting portion 14 in the clockwise direction as viewed from above. On the other hand, the switching valve 12 is attached to the repeated use container connecting portion 14 and is provided with a valve opening / closing lock pin 124 that moves back and forth in the horizontal direction as the valve opens and closes. This tip is restricted in movement by a stopper 131 integral with the cover ring 13, and the switching valve 12 cannot be operated in a state where the valve opening / closing lock pin 124 cannot move. When it is combined with the container 3 repeatedly used and the cover ring 13 is advanced to the positioning portion, the through hole 132 provided in the stopper 131 and the central axis of the valve opening / closing lock pin 124 coincide with each other, and the switching valve 12 is opened / closed. Is possible. At this time, since the rotational movement of the cover ring 13 is limited, the refill adapter 1 cannot be removed unless the valve is closed. By doing in this way, the mechanism which enables valve opening / closing operation is implement | achieved only when the refill adapter 1 is mounted | worn.

  This mechanism can be a mechanism that can release one of the locks with a single button operation.

  The refill adapter 1 and the repeated use container 3 may be joined together with a screw, particularly a multi-head screw having a small rotation angle.

  In order to automatically stop the refilling operation in the vicinity of the 3rd line of the reusable container, the content pipe 6 is extended from the repetitive container connection part 14 of the refill adapter 1 to the vicinity of the refilling line, and a reusable container extension pipe is provided. The tip is the spout. The larger the inner diameter of the pipe, the faster the refilling speed. However, since the remaining amount from the liquid level to the switching valve 12 at the time of stoppage is repeatedly transferred to the use container 3, it is necessary to determine the pipe outlet position by calculating this amount in advance. is there.

  An air pipe 7 is provided to smoothly move the air, which is repeatedly excluded from the use container 3 as it is filled, to the replenishment container 2 in a closed system connected by the refill adapter 1. It is desirable that the tip protrudes from the liquid surface and is exposed to the air layer when inverted in consideration of the properties. In addition, when the air valve 126 is opened slightly earlier than the content valve 127, the content that has entered the air pipe 7 is first repeatedly transferred to the use container 3, and the switching valve 12 is further opened. By opening the, the contents and air flow in one way through the respective pipes, so there is no tumbling caused by pulsation, and it is possible to transfer smoothly.

  In addition, a simple check valve such as a reed valve is attached to the tip of the air pipe 7 so that when the tip is in the liquid, it remains closed because the fluid pressure exceeds atmospheric pressure. An object can be prevented from entering.

<Example 1>
An attempt was made to replenish the shampoo with a 400 ml replenishing container when 500 ml of the repetitively used container has a filling amount. 100 people transferred this one by one using the adapter of the specification of claim 1 and recorded the number of leaked liquids. For comparison, a transfer without an adapter was also performed. Liquid overflow was also measured when the liquid overflowed without an adapter. The results are shown in Table 1.

<Example 2>
In the case where 500 ml has a remaining amount of 200 ml in the container for repeated use of the stitch size, an attempt was made to replenish the shampoo with a 400 ml replenishing container. The container was a combination of both transparent and non-colored and opaque, and 100 people transferred it one by one using the adapter of the specification of claim 2, and recorded the number of leaks and the volume measurement. For comparison, a transfer without an adapter was also performed. The capacity measurement results are shown in Table 2 with the average value and standard deviation determined.

<Example 3>
An attempt was made to replenish the shampoo with a 400 ml replenishing container when 500 ml of the repetitively used container has a filling amount. Using this adapter of the specifications of Claims 1 and 3, 100 persons transferred each one and recorded the number of times the container had fallen. The results are shown in Table 3.

<Example 4>
When the remaining amount is 500 ml in a container for repeated use of 500 ml, the shampoo was refilled with a 400 ml replenishing container. 100 people transferred this one time using the adapter of the specification of Claim 4, and performed the filling time and capacity | capacitance measurement from the time of opening of a liquid leaking dripping and a switching valve to opening amount. For comparison, a transfer without an adapter was also performed. The filling time and capacity measurement results were rewritten to the average value and standard deviation, and the results are shown in Table 4.

  The table is as follows.

  The present invention is used for the operation of refilling contents from a replenishing container into a reusable container.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Refill adapter 2 ... Container for replenishment 3 ... Container for repeated use 4 ... Main body cap 5 ... Packing 6 ... Content piping 7 ... Air piping 8 ... Repeated use container extension piping 9 ... Vacuum pump 11 ... Replenishment container connection part 12 ... Switching valve 13 ... Cover ring 14 ... Repeated use container connection part 41 ... Metering nozzle 42 ... Slide groove 43 ... Connection part positioning groove 121 ... Fixed flow path 122 ... Rotating flow path 123 ... Handle 124 ... Valve open / close lock pin 125 ... Lock Pin guide 126 ... Content valve 127 ... Air valve 131 ... Stopper 132 ... Through hole 142 ... Adapter rotation lock pin 143 ... Cover positioning pin

Claims (3)

  In a refill adapter for refilling contents from a refill container into a reusable container, a main body composed of a content pipe and an air pipe, a refill container secure connection mechanism for secretly connecting the main body and the refill container, and a main body and a reusable container The container can be opened only when the repeated use container confidential connection mechanism, the valve that can open and close the contents piping and the air piping of the main body, and the repeated use container confidential mechanism are in a confidential state, and the valve is open. A refill adapter having a lock mechanism that can be declassified when the container confidential mechanism is used repeatedly only when   The refill adapter according to claim 1, wherein a repetitive use container extension pipe comprising a content pipe and an air pipe is provided on the repetitive use container side from the replenishment container.   The refill adapter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an air pipe is extended from the main body to the replenishing container.

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