JP2020138744A - Refill container and lid - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a refill container and a lid by which refill can be carried out in a short time by smoothly replacing air during the refill when a main body container is refilled with content.SOLUTION: A container having a spout cylinder 20 includes at least two or more ribs (spout cylinder side surface ribs 30a) on a side surface of the spout cylinder, and at least one or more ribs (a shoulder part rib 30b) in a periphery of a root of the spout cylinder as a container shoulder part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a refill container and a lid, and relates to a refill container and a lid on the side of supplying contents such as powder and fluid to a main body container used daily.

Conventionally, from the viewpoint of resource saving and product price reduction, after consuming the contents of the main body container, the contents filled in the refill container are refilled into the main body container and the main body container is reused. ing.

As the refill container, a pouch bag, a tube, a thin bottle, or the like is used, and the consumer refills the contents into a predetermined main body container and uses it. There are two types of these refill containers: a type in which the consumer always holds the refill container and refills it, and a type in which the refill container is used upside down at the mouth of the main body container. In the former case, it is possible for the consumer to adjust the inclination of the refill container while checking the filling state of the contents by himself, but it takes time and effort to refill. On the other hand, the latter case is convenient and popular because the consumer does not need to hold the refill container during refilling.

However, if the refill container is used upside down, there is a risk of it falling over during refilling. In addition, the close contact between the mouth of the main container and the base of the pouring tube of the refill container makes ventilation difficult, and if refilling takes time or the contents are more viscous than water, surface tension, etc. May not be able to fill the contents well.

In order to avoid such a problem, the refill container is screwed into the main body container to prevent the container from tipping over during refilling (Patent Documents 1 and 2), and the injection nozzle of the refill container is used as the main body. Attempts have been made to easily make the refillable container self-supporting by inserting it into the inside of the mouth of the container (Patent Document 3).

However, as in Patent Documents 1 and 2, when the refill container is screwed into the main body container, the refill container and the main body container do not come off, but the vent is not secured. Therefore, when the refill container is refilled in an independent state. In some cases, the inflow rate of the contents slows down during refilling, and in the worst case, the inflow stops. In such a case, the consumer tries to promote the inflow of the contents by pushing the side surface of the refill container or the like. Then, if the content contains a surfactant or the like, the content foams, making refilling more difficult.

When the pouring nozzle of the refill container is inserted into the mouth of the main body container as in Patent Document 3, the refill container itself can easily stand on its own, but the refill container is substantially upright. Therefore, when the contents are fluid, the contents and air are not replaced smoothly during refilling, and the inflow amount of the contents at the time of refilling is not stable, and as a result, there is a risk that the main container will fall over. There is.

Therefore, attempts have been made to secure a ventilation path by providing a protrusion on the side surface of the insertion portion of the refill container (Patent Document 4) or by providing an elastically deformable vane portion around the insertion portion (Patent Document 5).

However, as in Patent Document 4, the effect can be expected when the shape of the insertion portion of the refill container is a conical shape with a large inclination, but when it is substantially cylindrical, the mouth portion of the main body container and the refill container are used. It is unavoidable that the vicinity of the base of the pouring cylinder is in close contact with each other, which makes ventilation difficult, and causes problems such as the contents not flowing in well on the way and refilling taking time.
Further, when an elastically deformable vane is provided around the insertion portion as in Patent Document 5, the vent is secured, but the elastically deformable vane is torn off during use depending on the method of use. Therefore, there was a risk of mixing in the main body container.

Patent Document 6 discloses a type of refill container in which an inner lid having a fragile portion is provided at the mouth of the refill container, the nozzle of the main body container is pierced, and the inner lid is opened for use. When the nozzle of the main body container is pierced, the inner lid is completely broken and separated, or it continues to exist around the mouth with a part connected to the mouth, but due to the inflow of contents It exists in a state of easy movement and is not intended to create a substantially spiral flow when the contents flow in.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-203542 JP-A-2014-213930 JP 2011-184060 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-119306 JP-A-2010-126220 JP-A-2004-99082

The present invention has been made in view of the above background technology, and when the contents are refilled into the main body container, the refilling container can be refilled in a short time by smoothly replacing the air during refilling. And the provision of lids is an issue.

The present inventor has solved the problems of the present invention by using the following means in order to achieve the above object.
In the first invention, in a container having a dispensing cylinder, at least two or more ribs (hereinafter, referred to as "pouring cylinder side ribs") are provided on the side surface of the dispensing cylinder, and the shoulder portion of the container is the above-mentioned note. A container provided with at least one or more ribs (hereinafter, referred to as "shoulder ribs") near the base of the discharge cylinder.
The second invention is a container of the first invention in which two or more shoulder ribs are provided, and the height of at least one shoulder rib is different from the height of the other shoulder ribs.
The third invention is the container according to the first invention or the second invention, in which at least one or more of the dispensing cylinder side rib and the shoulder rib are extended.
The fourth invention is the container according to any one of the first to third inventions, wherein a partition piece is further provided in the vicinity of the root opening of the dispenser when the root of the dispenser is viewed from the inside of the container.
The fifth to eighth inventions have the container of the first to fourth inventions as a lid.

According to the present invention, even when the content is a fluid, the content and air can be easily replaced, and the refilling operation can be performed in a short time.

Example of refilling procedure in the present invention (A) Refillable container of the present invention, (b) Lid of the present invention applied to any container Top BB cross-sectional view and AA cross-sectional view of the refill container or lid of the present invention Rib installation example 1 Rib installation example 2 Variation of partition piece Area to provide partition pieces Explanatory drawing of angle θ Explanatory drawing of the distance between the base of the spout tube and the partition piece Example of arrangement of shoulder ribs (same for lid top ribs) and partition pieces Example of sealing the injection tube Example of providing an upright wall Example of positional relationship between the notch 60a and the seal p

Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the examples. In each figure, the same reference numerals represent the same or equivalent components.
Further, since the refill container and the lid used in the present invention can be expected to have the same effect as long as they have the same structure, the refill container will be mainly described.

The type of refill container used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it does not hinder the independence at the time of refilling. It may be a tube container, a thin bottle container, or a thick bottle container. It may be appropriately selected depending on the type of contents. In the present invention, it is possible to refill the contents without pushing the side of the refill container, but when the contents are highly viscous, it is said that the material is flexible. It is preferable because it is easy to squeeze.

The contents contained in the refill container of the present invention are not particularly limited. It may be a fluid such as a lotion, a beauty essence, a milky lotion, a softener, a liquid detergent, or a solid substance such as granules, powder, or tablets. Although it can be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose, the present invention is particularly effective when the content is a fluid.

The spout of the spout cylinder of the refill container of the present invention can be sealed by any means as long as the contents do not flow out during transportation or the like. For example, it can be sealed with a seal, a screw lid, a sealing member with a pull ring, or the like.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of refilling using the refill container of the present invention. Any container can be used as the main body container 1 itself that is used on a daily basis. The sealed portion (not shown) of the spout of the refill container 10 of the present invention is opened, the tip of the spout tube (spout 40) of the refill container is inserted into the main body container port 5, and the refill container 10 is in an inverted state as it is. To. Due to the presence of the spout cylinder side rib 30a, the refill container 10 can be inverted while a certain space is secured between the inner diameter of the main body container mouth 5 and the outer diameter of the spout cylinder 20.

The size and inner diameter of the spout tube 20 of the present invention are not particularly limited. It can be adjusted as appropriate according to the dosage form of the contents. The height of the spout tube 20 of the present invention is not particularly limited. It may be set appropriately in relation to the shape of the main body container mouth 5 and the height of the mouth, but if the design is made higher than the height of the main body container mouth, the stringing phenomenon does not occur even if the content is viscous. Therefore, it is preferable.

The ribs of the present invention are provided at least two places on the side surface of the spout cylinder 20, and at least one place on the shoulder portion 70 of the container near the root of the spout cylinder 20. The rib provided on the side surface of the spout tube 20 is referred to as “spout tube side rib 30a” for convenience, and the rib provided on the container shoulder 70 near the base of the spout tube is referred to as “shoulder rib 30b”. When these structures are provided on the lid, the ribs provided on the side surface of the spout cylinder 20 of the lid are, for convenience, the "lid spout cylinder side rib 30c" and the lid top surface 80, and the lid spout cylinder. The rib provided near the root of 20 is referred to as "lid top rib 30d".
If the spout cylinder side rib 30a (the same applies to the lid spout cylinder side rib 30c) is provided, the inner diameter of the main body container mouth 5 and the pouring cylinder when the refill container 10 is inverted on the main body container mouth 5 Independence can be stabilized by keeping a constant distance from the outer diameter of 20.
It is preferable to provide at least two or more spout tube side ribs 30a (the same applies to the lid spout tube side rib 30c), and it is preferable to provide three spout tube side ribs 30a from the viewpoint of cost effectiveness.

It is preferable to provide at least one shoulder rib 30b (the same applies to the lid top rib 30d). When the refill container 10 is inverted on the main body container 1, it acts as a vent. Any method may be provided to achieve this purpose, but it is preferable to provide three or more locations radially from the peripheral end of the spout tube toward the outer circumference in a plan view because the inverted state is likely to be stabilized ( (See FIG. 4).

The positional relationship between the spout tube side rib 30a and the shoulder rib 30b (the same applies to the relationship between the lid spout tube side rib 30c and the lid top surface rib 30d) is not particularly limited. It may be extended or divided and arranged. When a plurality of ribs are provided, ribs arranged separately from the extended ribs may be provided. It is preferable to extend it in terms of cost and ease of molding.

The height h of the shoulder rib 30b of the present invention refers to the height of the shoulder rib 30b from the shoulder 70 (see FIG. 3). In the case of the height of the lid top surface rib 30d, it corresponds to the height of the lid top surface rib 30d from the lid top surface 80. Hereinafter, the height of the shoulder rib 30b and the height of the lid top surface rib 30d are simply referred to as the rib height h. The height h of these ribs is not particularly limited as long as ventilation can be easily performed, but when two or more shoulder ribs (the same applies to the lid top rib) are provided, at least one of them is the height of the other ribs. It is preferable that it is different from h. Specifically, if there are two locations, it means that the heights h of the two ribs are different. For example, if there are three locations, one location is 1 mm, the remaining two locations are 1.2 mm, if there are four locations, one location is 1 mm, the other three locations are 1.2 mm, or two locations are 2 mm. It is conceivable that the other two locations are 2.5 mm. That is, when three or more places are provided, the height of the rib may be two types. The difference in height may be such that when the refill container is inverted at the mouth of the main body container, it is self-supporting but slightly tilted, depending on the size and shape of the main body container and the refill container. Although it differs, it is preferably 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm, more preferably 1 mm to 2 mm, as a guide. Within this range, when the refill container is inverted at the mouth of the main body container, the refill container tilts slightly but does not fall, and air exchange at the time of refilling is smoothly performed, which is preferable.

The partition piece 50 of the present invention is provided inside the refill container and near the spout tube root mouth portion 21. It is provided for the purpose of smoothly filling the main body container 1 when the contents are refilled.
Although the principle is not clear, it is presumed that the presence of the partition piece 50 makes it easy for the contents to form a substantially spiral flow when the contents are refilled in the main container, which facilitates the refilling. However, it is not essential that the contents are filled in a substantially spiral shape.
The size, shape, strength, and placement location of the partition piece 50 can be appropriately changed depending on the type of contents, viscosity, and the like. For example, the partition piece 50 having a substantially plate shape (length 8 mm × width 15 mm) can be provided in a straight line or an arc shape. The strength of the partition piece 50 may be such that it is not deformed or swayed by the flow of the contents.

Regarding the relationship with the spout tube root port portion 21, it is preferable to provide the spout tube root port 21 at a certain distance from the outer circumference of the spout tube root port 21, although it depends on the inner diameter of the spout tube root port 21.
Specifically, the center of the spout tube root port 21 and both ends of the partition piece 50 are connected by a line, and the distance from the outer circumference of the spout tube root port 21 to the partition piece 50 (see FIGS. 9; d1 and d2). However, it is preferably provided at least 0.1 mm, preferably 0.2 mm or more apart. Although d1 and d2 may be the same (d1 = d2) or different (d1> d2, d1 <d2), it is better to provide them differently as shown in FIG. 6 (b). Is preferable because the contents tend to form a substantially spiral flow when refilling the main body container. In this case, the shorter distance may be at least 0.1 mm or more (for example, d1> d2 ≧ 0.1 mm).

However, if the partition piece 50 is provided too far from the outer circumference of the spout tube base mouth portion 21, its effect may not be expected. Therefore, preferably, concentric circles having 2/3 of the inner diameter of the container shoulder as the inner diameter. It is preferable to provide the container in a concentric region having an inner diameter of 1/3 of the inner diameter of the shoulder of the container (see FIG. 7). In other words, it is preferably provided in a region of 2/3 similar figures having the same center, preferably in a region of 1/3 similar figures.

Further, it is preferable that the partition piece 50 is provided in an arc shape rather than in a straight line shape. For example, the angle θ (see FIG. 8) formed by connecting the left end a of the partition piece 50, the center of the spout tube root opening portion 21 and the right end b of the partition piece 50 is preferably 25 ° or more and less than 180 °. More preferably, it is 30 ° or more and 120 ° or less. This range is preferable because the contents tend to form a substantially spiral flow.
When it is desired to set d1 and d2 to d1 ≠ d2, for example, after designing the partition piece 50 satisfying the above-mentioned angle θ on the premise that d1 = d2, one end of the partition piece 50 is at least 0.1 mm. The partition piece 50 is preferably provided at a distance of 0.2 mm or more and is provided in a concentric region having an inner diameter of 2/3 of the inner diameter of the container shoulder, and more preferably in a concentric region having an inner diameter of 1/3 of the inner diameter of the container shoulder. It may be provided so that the whole fits.

In the present invention, the upright wall 60 can be provided as an arbitrary configuration. When the upright wall 60 is provided, it is possible to help the refill container 10 become independent at the time of refilling. The upright wall 60 is provided on the outer periphery of the spout cylinder 20, and the diameter thereof is not limited as long as the size of the main body container mouth portion 5 to which the contents are refilled can be included in the upright wall.
When the upright wall 60 is provided, the notch 60a may be provided. It is preferable that the main body container mouth portion 5 is aligned with the cutout portion 60a because the tip of the spout cylinder 20 (spout port 40) can be easily inserted into the main body container mouth portion 5. Further, if there is a notch portion 60a, it becomes easy to insert a finger, so that it becomes easy to remove the sealing member.
One notch 60a is sufficient, but a plurality of notches 60a may be provided. Further, when a plurality of cutout portions 60a are provided, it is not necessary to make all the cutout portions 60a have the same shape, and different shapes may be used. It is preferable to use different shapes because it is easy to correspond to the shape of the mouth of an arbitrary main body container.

When sealing the tip of the spout cylinder (spout 40) with a seal p or the like, the orientation of the seal p may vary when the refill container is filled with the contents and sealed, and the notch portion The positions of the handle portion of the seal p and 60a may not be substantially aligned with each other, and the seal p may be difficult to peel off. In such a case, if there are a plurality of cutout portions, it is preferable that the positions of the cutout portion 60a and the handle portion of the seal are substantially aligned with each other (see FIG. 13).

Each part in the present invention may be individually produced and then bonded by an adhesive means, or may be integrally molded.

The lid 100 in the present invention basically also has the structure of the upper part of the refill container 10 described above. Therefore, when the present invention is used as the lid 100, the lid with the spout tube 20 may have the above-mentioned structure (see FIG. 2). Hereinafter, examples will be given based on the refill container 10, but the case where it is used as the lid 100 used for the refill container will not be described in detail individually, but it goes without saying that the same can be considered.

FIG. 2A shows a case where the refill container of the present invention is a tube container. This is an example in which three ribs are extended on the side surface of the dispensing cylinder and the shoulder of the container. It is also possible to mold this as a bottle container.
FIG. 2B is an example in which the upper part of the refill container is used as a lid. The lid and bottle container can be molded separately and screwed or fitted together for use.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB and a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA (part) of the upper part of the refill container or lid of the present invention. This is an example in which the side rib 30a of the spout tube and the shoulder rib 30b are extended and a partition piece 50 is provided near the base of the spout tube 20. “H” in the cross-sectional view taken along the line AA indicates the height of the shoulder rib or the lid top rib. Specifically, in the case of a container, it refers to the distance from the shoulder of the container to the upper end of the rib on the shoulder, and in the case of a lid, it refers to the distance from the top surface of the lid to the upper end of the rib on the lid.

FIG. 4 shows an arrangement example of the side rib 30a and the shoulder rib 30b of the dispensing cylinder. This example is an example in which the side rib 30a of the dispensing cylinder and the shoulder rib 30b are extended. Ribs are provided substantially radially around the spout tube.
FIG. 5 shows another arrangement example of the side rib 30a of the dispensing cylinder and the shoulder rib 30b. In (a), as in FIG. 4, the dispensing cylinder side rib 30a and the shoulder rib 30b are provided at three locations, respectively, but the dispensing cylinder side rib 30a and the shoulder rib 30b are provided independently instead of being extended. This is an example. (B) is an example in which the spout cylinder side ribs 30a are provided at two places and the shoulder ribs 30b are provided at one place on the side surface of the spout cylinder.
Considering the ease of integral molding and cost effectiveness, it is preferable to extend them in a radial pattern as shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a view of the refill container as viewed from the inside of the container at the base of the spout tube 21 (hereinafter, in order to avoid confusion when showing the refill container at the base of the spout 21 as viewed from the inside of the container). , Even if the spout tube 20 has a tapered shape, only the spout tube base port 21 is shown in the drawing). The partition piece 50 is provided near the spout tube root base port 21.
(A) is an example in which the substantially plate-shaped partition piece 50 is provided in an arc shape while maintaining a substantially constant distance (d1≈d2) from the outer circumference of the spout tube root mouth portion 21.
(B) is an example in which the substantially plate-shaped partition piece 50 is provided in an arc shape in the same manner as in (a), but the distance from one end of the partition piece 50 with respect to the distance from the outer circumference of the spout tube root mouth portion 21. This is an example in which the distance and the distance from the other end are different (d1> d2 or d1 <d2).
(C) is an example in which the substantially plate-shaped partition piece 50 is provided in a straight line (d1≈d2).

FIG. 10 is an example of the positional relationship between the shoulder rib 30b, the spout tube root mouth portion 21, and the partition piece 50. The positional relationship between the shoulder rib 30b, the spout tube root opening 21, and the partition piece 50 is arbitrary, but it is preferable to provide them as shown in FIG. 10 because the refilling time tends to be short.

FIG. 11 is an example of sealing the spout 40. (A) is an example of sealing with a seal, (b) is an example of providing a screw lid, and (c) is an example of providing a fragile portion and sealing and providing a pull ring. The sealing means can be appropriately selected according to the contents.

FIG. 12 is an example in which the upright wall 60 is provided. (A) is an example in which a notch 60a is provided in the upright wall 60, (b) is an example in which the upright wall 60 is provided, and (c) is an example in which the lid 100 is used as the lid 100. This is an example in which a notch 60a is provided in the upright wall 60.

According to the present invention, the contents and air can be easily replaced, and the refilling work can be performed in a short time. Therefore, a refill container for solids such as powder and granules, as well as liquids and viscous substances. Can be used as.

1 Main body container 5 Main body container Mouth 10 Refill container 100 Lid 20 Spout cylinder 21 Dispensing cylinder Base mouth 30a Spout cylinder Side rib 30b Shoulder rib 30c Lid spout cylinder Side rib 30d Lid top surface rib 40 Spout 50 Partition piece h Rib height 60 Standing wall 60a Notch 70 Shoulder 80 Lid top p-seal

Claims (8)

In a container with a pouring tube
At least two or more ribs (hereinafter referred to as "pouring cylinder side ribs") are provided on the side surface of the dispensing cylinder.
A container having at least one or more ribs (hereinafter referred to as "shoulder ribs") near the base of the dispensing cylinder, which is the shoulder of the container. The container according to claim 1, wherein two or more shoulder ribs are provided, and the height of at least one shoulder rib is different from the height of the other shoulder ribs. The container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one or more of the side ribs of the dispensing cylinder and the shoulder ribs are extended. When the base of the dispensing cylinder is viewed from the inside of the container,
The container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further provided with a partition piece in the vicinity of the root opening of the dispensing cylinder. In a lid with a pouring tube on the top
At least two or more ribs (hereinafter referred to as "lid dispensing cylinder side ribs") are provided on the side surface of the dispensing cylinder (hereinafter referred to as "lid dispensing cylinder").
A lid having a lid top surface and provided with at least one or more ribs (hereinafter, referred to as "lid top surface ribs") near the base of the lid ejection cylinder. The lid according to claim 5, wherein two or more lid top surface ribs are provided, and the height of at least one lid top surface rib is different from the height of the other lid top surface ribs. The lid according to claim 5 or 6, wherein at least one or more of the lid dispensing cylinder side rib and the lid top surface rib are extended. When the base of the lid dispenser is viewed from the direction corresponding to the inside of the container,
The lid according to any one of claims 5 to 7, further provided with a partition piece in the vicinity of the root opening of the lid dispensing cylinder.