JP2011051657A - Flexible applicator vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an applicator vessel facilitating a discharge of a fluid in the inside and washing of the inside. <P>SOLUTION: The applicator vessel has a hollow body 1, a discharge opening 2, an inlet 3 and a cover 4. The hollow body 1 is made of a flexible material and contains a fluid. The discharge opening 2 is integrally formed with the hollow body 1 and extends outward from the hollow body 1. The fluid is discharged from the discharge opening 2 by pushing the hollow body 1. The cover 4 closes the inlet 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

      The present invention relates to a flexible applicator container, and more particularly to a flexible container having a discharge port similar to a rubber valve, a charging port, and a lid (detachable that can close the charging port with a snap hit). . Such a container is useful for containing a fluid (for example, used hereinafter as a generic term for a liquid or paste-like material). Examples of fluids are butters, pastes, sauces, paints, especially aqueous paints such as those used by children, flour products such as flour and talcom.

      The applicator container is also referred to as a “rubber valve”. A “rubber valve” is a container with a flexible wall that is integrally provided with an outlet in the form of a nozzle. The container has an outlet in combination with a rigid or flexible tube, which are conventionally known. The material forming the “rubber valve” has the elastic function of returning to its original shape when it is pressed. To fill the container with the fluid, the outlet is first squeezed into the fluid, the outlet is left in the fluid, and the container is finally released (stops pushing). This takes advantage of the elastic restoring force applied by the container material to draw liquid through the outlet and into the container. When the container is completely or partially filled with fluid, the fluid can be discharged again from the outlet by narrowing the container. These “rubber valves” are widely used in various applications in the home, medical or industrial fields.

      The disadvantage of the “rubber valve” is that it is difficult to fill the fluid when the viscosity of the fluid, especially the paste-like substance, is high with respect to the elastic recovery force of the material of the container because the fluid is sucked from the discharge port. It is. Another disadvantage is that it is difficult to clean after using it. The container has only a relatively narrow inlet and outlet, so that the recessed part inside the container is difficult to access by the cleaning means.

US Pat. No. 4,072,249 U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,879

      Patent Document 1 discloses a disposable container suitable for a small amount of fluid or a paste-like substance, for example, a pharmaceutical product. This container is formed of two hemispherical containers joined along the perimeter. One hemispherical container is formed of a flexible material, and the other hemispherical container has a discharge port. There is a pair of flanges around the circumference between the two hemispherical containers. The flange protrudes outward and functions as a support member that supports two fingers. The thumb pushes the flexible hemisphere (throttle) and pushes the fluid out of the outlet. The disadvantage of this container is that it is not refillable and cannot be reused.

      Patent Document 2 discloses a method of forming a cake in the form of a paste back. This container, when closed, has a dry mixture and when combined with water, becomes a pasty butter that forms a cake. This pasty butter is taken out from the outlet of the container. This type of container has a flexible cylindrical wall with a flat base at one end and an outlet at the other end. The outlet is closed with a threaded cover incorporating the outlet at its center. This discharge port is initially in a state where there is no hole and it is closed with a cap. The method of use is to first remove the lid, pour dry matter and water into the container, then close the lid and shake the container to mix the water and dry matter. Thereafter, the cap is removed, and the tip is cut with scissors or the like to form a discharge port. Thereafter, the paste-like mixture is discharged from the discharge port by narrowing the flexible wall of the container. When the contents are no longer used, the outlet is closed again with the cap.

      The major disadvantage of this container is that one end of the cylindrical wall is connected to the flat base wall, the other end is connected to the upper wall, a thread structure is formed on this upper wall, and a lid is connected thereto. As a result, the container cannot be pushed to the end. For this reason, all the fluid inside cannot be discharged from the discharge port. This is especially true for viscous fluids. In addition, the container cannot be cleaned because it cannot properly access the interior of the container. In particular, when a desired pasty fluid is produced in a container, the state of the material in the container cannot be examined.

      The applicator container of the present invention has a hollow body, a discharge port, and a lid. The hollow main body is made of a flexible material, and fluid enters the inside thereof. The discharge port is formed integrally with the hollow body and extends outward from the hollow body. By pushing the hollow body, the fluid is discharged from the discharge port. The hollow body has an input port at a location away from the discharge port. The lid closes the inlet.

      In this configuration, when the lid is removed from the inlet, whether it is a fluid, milk, paste, powder, or even a highly viscous fluid, they are agitated in the hollow body. While being able to inject. When the container is completely or partially filled and the lid is closed, the hollow body is squeezed to push out the substance contained therein and discharge it through the outlet. After use, the lid is removed again, and the inside of the hollow body can be easily accessed via the inlet, thus facilitating cleaning.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the container of the present invention further comprises a cap. The cap is detachably fitted to the discharge port, thereby forming an airtight structure that forms the discharge conduit.
As an option, the applicator container of the present invention has a group of nozzles. The nozzle group includes an inner passage and is detachably fitted to the discharge port, so that a communication between the discharge conduit of the discharge port and the inner passage of the nozzle is established when a cap is not used. Form a state.

      The lid, cap and nozzle are preferably made of a flexible material, but may be made of plastic or other rigid material. In one embodiment, the flexible material of the hollow body, the lid, the cap, and the nozzle is a material having an elastic function that can return to its original shape when it is squeezed. For example, an elastomer material selected from the group consisting of rubber, silicon, and platinum catalyst silicon. These are especially suitable for use in the kitchen in addition to other applications. In other embodiments, the hollow body is of a relatively large size for use as a pastry bag, only the hollow body is formed of an elastic material, such as an elastomer material, and the lid and nozzle are rigid materials, such as plastic. You may form with a material.

      For good operation of the applicator container, i.e. when it is squeezed, the hollow body can be elastically deformed correctly and at the same time keeping the lid airtight and ensuring a flow path through the outlet, The hollow body has two opposing portions connected by a surrounding thin line, and the discharge port is formed in alignment with the surrounding thin line. The inlet is formed in one of the two opposing portions, and the bottom surface is formed in the other. Thus, the applicator container pushes the lid (while ensuring complete airtightness) and pushes one of the two opposing parts and the bottom surface. Thus, the hollow body becomes flat and deforms around the surrounding thin line, so that two opposing portions of the hollow body can approach each other and push the material inside the container.

The expansion | deployment perspective view of the hollow main body which forms the applicator container by 1st Example of this invention, a lid | cover, a cap, and a nozzle. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the hollow main body which comprised the cap fitted in order to remove a lid | cover and to close | release a discharge port. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the hollow main body which comprises the nozzle which arrange | positioned the lid | cover and was fitted by the discharge port. FIG. 4 is a side view of the applicator container of FIG. The perspective view showing the hollow main body which forms an applicator container, and the some nozzle fitted to the discharge port. FIG. 6 is a side view of the applicator container of FIG. 5. FIG. 6 is a front view of the applicator container of FIG. 5.

      In FIG. 1, the flexible applicator container of the present invention according to the first embodiment has a hollow body 1. The hollow body 1 is configured to contain a fluid, and has an integrally formed discharge port 2 extending outward from the bottom, and a wide input port 3 formed away from the discharge port 2. The applicator container has a lid 4. The inlet 3 is closed with the lid 4. The hollow body 1 is formed of a flexible material, for example, a flexible material (for example, an elastomer) having an elastic function of returning to its original shape after being squeezed. This material is preferably made of rubber or silicon, more preferably silicon catalyzed by platinum. The hollow body 1 discharges the fluid from the discharge conduit 2 a of the discharge port 2 by pushing in the input port 3 that is closed by means of the lid 4. In this embodiment, the lid 4 is made of a flexible material, for example, an elastomer material such as rubber or silicon, and preferably the same material as the hollow body 1. However, it may be made of a hard material such as plastic.

      As an option, the applicator container has a cap 10. The cap 10 is detachably coupled to the discharge port 2 and constitutes an airtight structure with the discharge conduit 2a (FIG. 2). The applicator container has a nozzle 11. This nozzle 11 has an inner passage 11a and is detachably coupled to the discharge port 2 to ensure a flow passage between the discharge conduit 2a and the inner passage 11a of the nozzle 11 when the cap 10 is not used. (Figure 3). The applicator container of the present invention has a set of a plurality of nozzles 11, which have various shapes and dimensions and are configured for various applications. The cap 10 and nozzle 11 are made of a flexible material such as an elastomer such as rubber or silicone, but they may be made of a rigid material such as plastic.

      In the first embodiment, the discharge port 2 has an outer peripheral rib 2b. The outer peripheral rib 2b is formed at a predetermined distance from the free end. The cap 10 and the nozzle 11 have inner peripheral grooves 10a and 11b, respectively. These are formed by a sleeve-shaped portion that forms a snap hit with the discharge port 2 (tightly fit). In the snap hit, the outer peripheral rib 2b of the discharge port 2 is introduced into the inner peripheral groove 10a or 11b, and the cap 10 or the nozzle 11 is held on the discharge port 2. Further, when the hollow body 1 is squeezed with the inlet 3 closed by the lid 4, the pressure of the fluid widens the outlet 2, the outer peripheral rib 2 b of the outlet 2, the cap 10 or the nozzle 11. Strengthen the connection between the inner peripheral grooves 10a and 11b.

      As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the hollow body 1 is composed of two opposing portions 1a and 1b. These portions 1 a and 1 b are connected by a thin circumferential portion 5. The thin circumferential portion 5 is formed by thinning the wall of the hollow body 1. The discharge port 2 is formed in alignment with the thin circumferential portion 5. The insertion port 3 is formed in one opposing portion 1a. As an option, a bottom surface 6 is formed on the other facing portion 1b to hold the applicator container in a stable position on the support surface. In this embodiment, the discharge conduit 2a and the thin circumferential portion 5 of the discharge port 2 are on the first virtual surface P1, the input port 3 is on the second virtual surface P2, and the bottom surface 6 is the third virtual surface. P3. . In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the three virtual planes P1, P2, and P3 are parallel to each other. When the container is flattened, access to the recess inside the container is facilitated, and in particular the control of the fluid to be discharged is facilitated.

      If this flexible container is generated by two half parts and a molding core by a molding process, the inlet 3 becomes wider and it is easy to pull out the molded part from the core. become. In particular, the diameter of the central region (first imaginary plane P1) is not less than 1.5 times the diameter of the insertion port 3 (second imaginary plane P2).

      The peripheral length of the thin circumferential portion 5 is longer than that of the inlet 3 and longer than that of the bottom surface 6. Therefore, the opposed portions 1a and 1b of the hollow body 1 are formed by inclined walls. The inclined wall extends from the thin circumferential portion 5 to the inlet 3 and extends from the thin circumferential portion 5 to the bottom surface 6. In this embodiment, the thin circumferential portion 5, the inlet 3 and the bottom surface 6 have concentric, generally circular perimeters. When the hollow body 1 is flattened, the length from the inlet 3 to the bottom surface 6 becomes smaller than the diameter of the thin circumferential portion 5 (this is the maximum outer shape of the hollow body 1).

      Further, the inclined walls of the opposed portions 1 a and 1 b of the hollow body 1 increase in thickness from the thin circumferential portion 5 to the inlet 3 and the bottom surface 6. As a result, when the inlet 3 is closed with the lid 4, they are integrated with the lid 4 to form an inner space in the shape of a lentil. This inner space is substantially vertically symmetric with respect to the first virtual plane P1. The inner space of the hollow body 1 has a smooth bottom (or a bottom with a polished final finish), facilitating the flow of fluid in the direction of the discharge conduit 2a of the discharge port 2, and facilitating cleaning. . The lid 4 has a substantially flat shape and includes a grip tab 9. The grip tab 9 protrudes in the lateral direction to grip when the lid 4 is opened. The inner surface of the lid has a smooth or polished final finish to facilitate internal fluid flow in the direction of the discharge conduit 2a of the discharge port 2 and to facilitate cleaning.

      As shown in FIG. 3, the closing structure 8 around the opening is formed at the edge of the inlet 3, and the lid 4 has a closing structure 7 around the lid. The closing structure 7 corresponds to the closing structure 8. When a force is applied, the closing structure 7 is detachably coupled to the closing structure 8 and the inlet 3 is sealed. The closing structure 8 for the inlet 3 has a frustoconical surface 8c. The frustoconical surface 8c is formed between the opening inner peripheral edge 8a and the opening outer peripheral edge 8b. The closing structure 7 around the lid of the lid 4 has a conical portion 7c. The conical portion 7c contacts the frustoconical surface 8c. The conical portion 7c is formed between the inner lid peripheral projection 7a and the outer lid peripheral ridge 7b. The inner lid peripheral protrusion 7a is locked with the opening inner peripheral edge 8a, and the outer lid peripheral ridge 7b is locked with the opening outer peripheral edge 8b.

      The respective surrounding closure structures are joined by elastic deformation and are restored when the lid 4 is pressed against the edge of the inlet 3. The ratio of the thickness of the inclined walls of the facing portions 1a and 1b of the hollow body 1 facilitates the deformation control of the hollow body 1 while being pressed, and helps to keep the lid 4 airtight with respect to the inlet 3. . If the closing structure 7 around the lid of the lid 4 and the closing structure 8 around the opening of the opening 3 are also circular, the lid 4 can be arranged with gripping tabs 9 at any angular position. By pulling the grip tab 9, it can be easily removed.

      FIG. 2 shows the hollow body 1 without the lid 4. In this state, the inlet 3 is opened, and for example, fluid can be poured into the inner space of the hollow body 1. This operation is performed when the bottom surface 6 of the hollow body 1 is placed and stabilized on the support surface. Furthermore, a cap 10 can be arranged to close the discharge conduit 2a of the discharge port 2. This is to prevent spillage from the discharge port 2 when the fluid is introduced. When the viscosity of the fluid is high, the cap 10 can be omitted. A fluid is put into the hollow body 1, a lid 4 is arranged and the inlet 3 is closed. The hollow body 1 filled with fluid and closed with a lid can be stored and transported in a completely safe state until used as an applicator.

      FIG. 3 shows the hollow body 1 in a state in which a lid 4 is arranged to close the inlet 3 and a nozzle 11 coupled to the outlet 2 is provided. The nozzle 11 is arranged in place of the cap 10 in order to release the fluid from the applicator container containing the fluid. If the applicator container has a set of nozzles 11, the most suitable nozzle for the possible application can be selected. When the discharge port 2 has a structure suitable for a desired application, the nozzle 11 can be omitted.

      FIG. 4 shows the applicator container with the inlet 3 of the hollow body 1 closed by the lid 4 and the nozzle 11 coupled to the outlet 2. The applicator container is squeezed to eject fluid. A user moves the bottom surface 6 of the hollow body 1 with a thumb and the lid 4 with an index finger or vice versa to move the facing portions 1a and 1b of the hollow body 1 closer to each other. This will be bent around the thin circumferential portion 5. When the internal volume of the hollow body 1 is reduced, the fluid is forced to flow out through the discharge conduit 2 a of the discharge port 2 and the inner passage 11 a of the nozzle 11. By such driving, the lid can be accurately closed at any time (that is, the airtight connection between the lid 4 and the hollow body 1 can be accurately maintained).

      Further, when the discharge port 2 is formed so as to be aligned with the thin circumferential portion 5, the discharge port 2 is not deformed or changed in direction while being narrowed down. Thereby, the fluid can be ejected accurately and cautiously.

      5, 6 and 7 show an applicator container according to a second embodiment of the invention, which is similar to the first embodiment of FIGS. 1-4. However, it differs in the following points. The applicator container of the second embodiment is larger than that of the first embodiment, and the hollow body 1 can contain a sufficient amount of fluid so that it can be used as a pasty bag. The inlet 3 and the lid 4 of the hollow body 1 have a size proportional to that of the hollow body 1.

      Furthermore, the applicator container of the second embodiment has nozzle groups 11.1-11.6. These nozzle groups have various shapes that can be connected to the discharge port 2, but do not have a cap that closes the discharge port 2. For example, the nozzle groups 11.1-11.3 have smooth outlet orifices that each increase in size, while the nozzle groups 11.4-11.6 are notched so as to increase in size. With an output orifice. The discharge port 2 of the hollow body 1 and the nozzle groups 11.1 to 11.6 have a size proportional to that of the hollow body 1.

      In this second embodiment, only the hollow body 1 is made of an elastic material, for example an elastomer material selected from the group consisting of rubber and silicon. Further, for example, it is produced from silicon using a platinum catalyst. However, the lid 4 and the nozzle groups 11.1-11.6 are made of a rigid material, for example a plastic material, and as a matter of choice they are transparent or translucent.

      The discharge port 2 of the hollow body 1 has a discharge conduit 2a and a pair of protrusions 2c. They protrude from their opposing surfaces. One of the nozzle groups 11.1 to 11.6 has an inner passage 11a and a pair of orifices 11c on the opposite side. When any one of the nozzle groups 11.1 to 11.6 (for example, the nozzles 11 and 5 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7) is connected to the discharge port 2, the protruding portion 2c of the discharge port 2 becomes the nozzle group 11.1. -11.6 inserted into the orifice 11c to ensure coupling. The inner passages 11a of the nozzle groups 11.1 to 11.6 establish communication with the discharge conduit 2a of the discharge port 2.

      The hollow body 1 has a thin circumferential portion 5 and a bottom surface 6 on one side thereof facing the inlet 3. Similar to the first embodiment, the inlet 3 is in a virtual plane parallel to the thin circumferential portion 5. However, in the second embodiment, the bottom surface 6 is inclined with respect to the inlet 3 and the thin circumferential portion 5. Thus, the outlet 2 and its outlet conduit 2 a are in a virtual plane that is aligned with the bottom surface 6. These are inclined upward when the hollow body 1 is arranged on a horizontal plane as shown in FIGS.

      The lid 4 of the second embodiment has a grip tab 9. The grip tab 9 does not protrude to the side as in the first embodiment, but slightly protrudes from the remaining portion of the lid 4 (FIGS. 6 and 7).

      The above description relates to one embodiment of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can consider various modifications of the present invention, all of which are included in the technical scope of the present invention. The The numbers in parentheses described after the constituent elements of the claims correspond to the part numbers in the drawings, are attached for easy understanding of the invention, and are used for limiting the invention. Must not. In addition, the part numbers in the description and the claims are not necessarily the same even with the same number. This is for the reason described above. With respect to the term “or”, for example, “A or B” includes selecting “both A and B” as well as “A only” and “B only”. Unless stated otherwise, the number of devices or means may be singular or plural.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Hollow main body 1a, 1b Opposite part 2 Emission port 2a Emission conduit | pipe 2c Projection part 3 Inlet 4 Lid 5 Thin-walled circumferential part 6 Bottom surface 7 Closure structure 7a Inner peripheral projection part 7b Outer peripheral peripheral part 7c Conical shape part 8 Closure Structure 8a Inner peripheral edge 8b Outer peripheral edge 8c frustoconical surface 9 Grip tab 10 Cap 10a Inner peripheral groove 11 Nozzle 11.1-11.6 Nozzle group 11a Inner passage 11b Inner peripheral groove 11c Orifice P1 First virtual plane P2 Second Virtual plane P3 Third virtual plane

Claims (20)

(A) a hollow body (1);
The hollow body (1) is made of a flexible material, and fluid enters the inside thereof.
(B) the discharge port (2);
The discharge port (2) is formed integrally with the hollow body (1) and extends outward from the hollow body (1),
(C) having a lid (4),
By pushing the hollow body (1), the fluid is discharged from the discharge port (2),
The hollow body (1) has an inlet (3) at a location away from the outlet (2),
The said cover (4) closes the said inlet (3), The flexible applicator container characterized by the above-mentioned. The hollow body (1) consists of two opposing parts (1a, 1b),
The two opposing parts (1a, 1b) are connected by a thin circumferential part (5),
The discharge port (2) is formed in alignment with the thin circumferential portion (5),
The applicator container according to claim 1, wherein the charging port (3) is formed in one of the two opposing portions (1a, 1b). 3. Applicator container according to claim 2, characterized in that the hollow body (1) has a bottom surface (6) formed on the other of the facing parts (1a, 1b). The discharge conduit (2a) and the thin circumferential portion (5) of the discharge port (2) are in a first imaginary plane (P1) parallel to the bottom surface (6). The applicator container according to 2 or 3. The inlet (3) is in a second virtual plane (P2) parallel to the first virtual plane (P1),
The applicator container according to claim 4, wherein the bottom surface (6) lies on a third imaginary plane (P3) parallel to the first imaginary plane (P1) and the second imaginary plane (P2). The inlet (3) is in a second virtual plane (P2) parallel to the first virtual plane (P1),
The applicator container according to claim 4, wherein the bottom surface (6) lies on a third virtual surface (P3) inclined with respect to the first virtual surface (P1) and the second virtual surface (P2). . The thin circumferential portion (5) has a perimeter that is longer than the perimeter of the inlet (3) and the perimeter of the bottom surface (6);
Opposed portions (1a, 1b) of the hollow body (1) are formed on inclined walls,
The application according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the inclined wall extends from the thin circumferential portion (5) to the inlet (3) and the bottom surface (6), respectively. Container. The inclined walls of the facing portions (1a, 1b) are thickened from the thin circumferential portion (5) to the inlet (3) and the bottom surface (6), respectively. Applicator container. The circumference of the thin-walled circumferential portion (5), the circumference of the inlet (3), and the circumference of the bottom surface (6) are circular peripheries whose centers coincide with each other. The applicator container according to claim 8. The lid (4) has a closure structure (7) around it,
The closing structure (7) is detachably fitted with the corresponding closing structure (8) around the charging port (3). The corresponding closing structure (8) around the charging port (3) is The applicator container according to claim 1, wherein the applicator container is formed at an edge of the inlet (3). The corresponding closure structure (8) around the inlet (3) has a frustoconical surface (8c) forming an opening;
The frustoconical surface (8c) is disposed between an inner peripheral edge (8a) and an outer peripheral edge (8b);
The closure structure (7) has a conical part (7c),
The conical portion (7c) is disposed between the inner peripheral protrusion (7a) and the outer peripheral ridge portion (7b),
The conical portion (7c) abuts the frustoconical surface (8c);
The inner peripheral protrusion (7a) is locked to the inner peripheral edge (8a);
11. Applicator container according to claim 10, characterized in that the outer peripheral rim (7b) is locked to the outer peripheral edge (8b). 11. Applicator container according to claim 10, characterized in that the lid (4) is made of a flexible material. 11. Applicator container according to claim 10, characterized in that the lid (4) is made of a rigid material. 14. The applicator container according to any of claims 10-13, wherein the lid (4) comprises a gripping tab (9). It further has a cap (10),
The cap (10) is detachably fitted to the discharge port (2),
15. The applicator container according to claim 1, wherein an airtight structure is formed so as to form the discharge conduit (2a). A nozzle group (11, 11.1-11.6),
The nozzle group includes an inner passage (11a) and is detachably fitted to the discharge port (2).
Thus, when the cap (10) is not used, a communication state is formed between the discharge conduit (2a) of the discharge port (2) and the inner passage (11a) of the nozzle (11). 16. An applicator container according to any of claims 1-15. 17. Applicator container according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the cap (10) or the nozzle (11) is made of a flexible material. The applicator container according to claim 1, 12 or 17, wherein the flexible material has elasticity to return to an original shape after being squeezed. 19. The applicator container according to claim 18, wherein the elastic flexible material is an elastomer selected from the group consisting of rubber and silicon. The applicator container according to claim 16, wherein the nozzle group (11.1-11.6) is made of a rigid material.

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