JP2022176222A - Filling needle and filling device with the same, and soft container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a filling needle capable of preventing a backflow of contents and a filling device with the same, and provide a soft container.

SOLUTION: A filling needle 3 includes: a needle body 31 having a content flow path 33 extended in the central axis L2 direction in the inside thereof and an outlet 34 coming in communication with a downstream end of the content flow path 33 and opened laterally to the central axis L2 direction; and a closing part 32 for closing an end of the downstream side of the needle body 31, and provided with a direction-changing surface 36 for changing a direction of the flow of contents flowing through the content flow path 33 toward the outlet 34. The closing part 32 is integrated with the needle body 31. When the upstream side of the content flow path 33 is made an upper part, and the downstream side is made a lower part, the direction-changing surface 36 is tilted to be withdrawn toward the outlet 34, and the bottom edge 37 is positioned in the same height as the bottom edge 35 of the outlet 34.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

An embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a filling needle, a filling device including the same, and a soft container.

Flexible containers formed by heat-sealing resin films are widely used in the fields of pharmaceuticals, foods, cosmetics, and the like because of their high transport efficiency and low environmental load. As a filling device for filling contents into such a soft container, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, a suction pad that pulls the outer peripheral portion of a nozzle insertion space provided in the soft container in the thickness direction and a nozzle insertion space are provided. and a filling nozzle insertable inside the space. Further, instead of the filling nozzle, there is a device that inserts a filling needle into a port provided in the soft container and fills the inside of the soft container with the contents through the inserted filling needle.

JP 2017-24727 A

In the flexible container before it is filled with contents, since there is no gas inside, the resin films are in a state of sticking together due to static electricity or the like. When the content is filled through the filling needle in such a state, there is a problem that the filled content rebounds and flows back from the port.

The embodiments of the present disclosure have been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a filling needle capable of preventing backflow of contents, a filling device provided with the same, and a soft container.

A filling needle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a content channel extending in the axial direction, and a discharge port communicating with a downstream end of the content channel and opening laterally with respect to the axial direction. and a closure part provided with a direction changing surface that blocks the downstream end of the needle body and changes the direction of the content flowing through the content channel toward the discharge port. , wherein the closing portion is integrated with the needle body, and when the upstream side of the content flow path is the upper side and the downstream side is the lower side, the direction changing surface is lowered toward the discharge port. and its lower edge is positioned at the same height as the lower edge of the ejection port.

In the filling needle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is preferred that the turning surface is a continuous tapered surface or curved surface.

In the filling needle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the discharge port protrudes from an outer wall of the needle body on the side.

In the filling needle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the ejection ports are plural.

A filling needle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the outlet comprises a first outlet and a second outlet arranged opposite each other, and wherein the diverting surface comprises the content a first redirection surface for redirecting the flow of content flowing through the distribution channel toward the first outlet; and directing the flow of content flowing through the content channel toward the second outlet. It is preferred to have a second turning surface for turning.

Further, a filling device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a filling device that fills a soft container including a port and a storage chamber communicating with the port with contents inside the storage chamber through the port. and the filling needle described above, wherein the filling needle can be inserted through the port.

Further, a flexible container according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a flexible container including a port and a storage chamber communicating with the port, wherein the port includes a content flow path extending axially therein; A main body having a discharge port that communicates with a downstream end of a content channel and opens laterally with respect to the axial direction, and a content that closes the downstream end of the main body and flows through the content channel. a blocking part provided with a direction changing surface for changing the direction of the flow of the contents toward the discharge port, the blocking part being integrated with the main body so that the upstream side of the content channel is upward and the downstream side is is positioned downward, the direction changing surface is inclined downward toward the ejection port, and the lower edge thereof is positioned at the same height as the lower edge of the ejection port.

In the flexible container according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the direction changing surface is a continuous tapered surface or curved surface.

In the flexible container according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the discharge port protrudes from an outer wall of the main body on the side.

In the flexible container according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the discharge ports are plural.

In a flexible container according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the outlet has a first outlet and a second outlet arranged facing each other, and the diverting surface is configured to a first redirecting surface that redirects the flow of content flowing through the channel toward the first outlet; and a first redirecting surface that redirects the flow of content flowing through the content channel toward the second outlet. It is preferred to have a second turning surface that allows the .

In the flexible container according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the storage chamber has a pair of side surfaces, and the port is arranged such that the discharge port faces in a direction along the side surfaces.

According to the present disclosure, backflow of contents can be prevented.

It is a front view which shows a soft container. It is a perspective view showing a filling device concerning an embodiment. (a) is a front view showing a filling needle according to an embodiment, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of (a). (a) is a cross-sectional view for explaining the arrangement position of the ejection port when the content is filled, and (b) is a cross-sectional view for explaining the arrangement position of the ejection port when the content is filled. (a) is a front view showing a modification of the filling needle, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of (a). (a) is a front view showing a modification of the filling needle, and (b) is a sectional view taken along line CC of (a). (a) is a front view showing a modification of the filling needle, and (b) is a sectional view taken along line DD of (a). (a) is a front view showing a modification of the filling needle, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE of (a). (a) is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the filling needle, and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the filling needle. It is a front view which shows the soft container which concerns on embodiment. (a) is a front view showing a port, and (b) is a sectional view taken along line FF of (a). FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line GG of FIG. 10;

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereafter, embodiment of the filling apparatus which concerns on this invention with reference to drawings, a needle for filling, and a soft container is described. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

In the following description, the vertical and horizontal directions and positions of the flexible container are based on the state in which the flexible container is arranged with the port side facing upward and the opposite side facing downward. The top, bottom, left, and right directions and positions of the filling device and the filling needle correspond to the state of the above-described soft container, which is the filling destination, that is, the soft container with the side having the port facing upward and the opposite side facing downward. Based on the container.

<About soft containers>
Before describing the filling device and the filling needle, the structure of the flexible container will be described. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a soft container. As shown in FIG. 1, the flexible container 10 is a flexible bag for containing contents. The resin film is formed by heat-sealing (also referred to as heat-sealing) the peripheral edges of the resin film along the four sides so as to form a storage chamber 12 for storing the contents therein.

For this reason, a seal portion 11 surrounding the storage chamber 12 is formed along the four sides of the flexible container 10 . The seal portion 11 is divided into an upper seal portion 11a, a lower seal portion 11b, a left seal portion 11c, and a right seal portion 11d with respect to the storage chamber 12. As shown in FIG. The width of the upper seal portion 11a and the lower seal portion 11b is relatively large compared to the other seal portions. The accommodation chamber 12 has a pair of side surfaces 12L and 12R. One through hole 14 is provided in the upper seal portion 11a. The through-hole 14 has a circular shape and is positioned on the central axis L1 extending in the vertical direction of the flexible container 10 .

Materials used for the above-mentioned resin film include, for example, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene ( PE), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), cycloolefin polymer (COP), cycloolefin copolymer (COC), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), and the like.

As the contents filled in the flexible container 10, for example, food-related liquids and medical-related liquids are conceivable. Specifically, food-related liquids include beverages and seasonings. On the other hand, medical-related liquids include electrolyte infusions such as physiological saline, carbohydrate injections such as glucose, blood products, antibiotics, protein drugs such as antibodies, peptide drugs such as low-molecular-weight proteins and hormones, and nucleic acids. Pharmaceuticals, cell medicines, vaccines to prevent various infectious diseases, steroids, insulin, anticancer agents, proteolytic enzyme inhibitors, analgesics, antipyretic analgesics, anti-inflammatory agents, anesthetics, lipid emulsions, antihypertensives, vasodilators , electrolyte correction injections such as heparin sodium chloride and potassium lactate, vitamin preparations, contrast agents, and the like.

The flexible container 10 has two ports 13,13. The port 13 is formed in a cylindrical shape from a plastic material harder than the resin film forming the storage chamber 12, and is attached to the upper seal portion 11a. One end (that is, the lower end) of the port 13 is inserted through the upper seal portion 11 a and communicates with the inside of the housing chamber 12 , and the other end (that is, the upper end) is exposed to the outside and closed by the sealing plug 15 . is The two ports 13 , 13 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis L<b>1 of the flexible container 10 . One of the two ports 13, 13 may be used for filling contents and the other for discharging contents, or when two types of chemical solutions are to be filled, they may be used separately for filling each chemical solution.

The sealing plug 15 is formed larger than the outer diameter of the port 13 so as to protrude from the outer periphery of the port 13 . The sealing plug 15 is used to seal the port 13 after the content is filled into the storage chamber 12, and is not attached to the port 13 before the content is filled. In order to make the position of the sealing plug 15 relative to the port 13 easier to understand, FIG.

Also, the flexible container 10 does not necessarily have to have the sealing stopper 15 . As a sealing method in the case where the sealing plug 15 is not provided, there are a method of crushing the exposed end portion of the port 13 and heat sealing, a method of sealing the port 13 by inserting a plug, and the like.

<About the filling device>
The filling device will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the filling device according to the embodiment. A filling device 1 is a device for filling contents into a storage chamber 12 of a soft container 10, and is insertable through a fixing jig 2 for fixing the soft container 10 and a port 13 of the soft container 10. and is provided with a filling needle 3 for filling the inside of the storage chamber 12 with a content.

The fixing jig 2 consists of a flat base 21, two pillars 22 and 23 erected on the base 21, and an upper horizontal beam extending between the pillars 22 and 23 and parallel to the base 21. 24 and a lower crossbeam 25 . An engaging portion 26 that can be engaged with the through hole 14 provided in the soft container 10 is arranged at the central position of the upper lateral beam 24 . The engaging portion 26 is formed in a hook shape from a metal or resin material and is fixed to the upper lateral beam 24 by adhesion or the like. The soft container 10 is fixed in a suspended state to the fixing jig 2 by the engagement between the through hole 14 and the engaging portion 26 of the fixing jig 2 .

This fixing jig 2 is made of metal or resin. In the case of metal, it is preferable to use a soft resin material at least for the portion that contacts the soft container 10 in order to avoid damage to the soft container 10 .

<About filling needle>
FIG. 3(a) is a front view showing a filling needle according to an embodiment, and FIG. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3(a). The filling needle 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and communicates with the contents channel 33 extending in the direction of the central axis L2 inside and the downstream end (that is, the lower end) of the contents channel 33. A needle body 31 having a discharge port 34 that opens laterally with respect to the direction of the axis L2, and a content that closes the downstream end (that is, the lower end) of the needle body 31 and flows through the content channel 33. a closure portion 32 provided with a redirecting surface 36 for redirecting the flow of air toward an outlet 34 . Here, the direction of the center axis L2 refers to the direction in which the filling needle 3 extends (that is, the vertical direction), and the lateral direction refers to the radial direction of the filling needle 3 (that is, the horizontal direction).

The content channel 33 has, for example, a circular cross section, and preferably has a diameter of 0.05 mm to 1.5 mm, more preferably 0.4 mm to 1.0 mm. The discharge port 34 is provided, for example, on the side wall of the needle body 31, and has an elliptical shape with a long axis along the direction of the central axis L2. The ejection port 34 may have an elliptical shape, a circular shape, a rectangular shape, or the like with the short axis along the direction of the central axis L2.

The closing part 32 is integrated with the needle body 31 . Specifically, the closing portion 32 is integrally formed of the same resin material or metal material as the needle main body 31 . The direction change surface 36 is a tapered surface that slopes downward toward the discharge port 34 when the upstream side of the content flow path 33 is the upper side and the downstream side is the lower side. The inclination angle of the direction change surface 36 is, for example, 15° to 30° with respect to the central axis L2. Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, the lower edge 37 of the direction changing surface 36 is located at the same height as the lower edge 35 of the ejection port 34, and is between the lower edge 35 of the ejection port 34 and the lower edge 35 of the ejection port 34. As shown in FIG. connected without gaps.

<Filling method>
The filling method using the filling device 1 configured as described above includes a fixing step of fixing the soft container 10 to the fixing jig 2, a filling needle 3 inserted into the port 13 of the soft container 10, and a and a filling step of filling the interior of the storage chamber 12 with the content through the needle 3 .

First, in the fixing step, the through hole 14 is engaged with the engaging portion 26 of the fixing jig 2 with the upper seal portion 11a having the port 13 of the soft container 10 positioned above and the lower seal portion 11b positioned below. The flexible container 10 is fixed to the fixing jig 2 by moving the fixing jig 2 .

In the filling step following the fixing step, the filling needle 3 is inserted from the port 13 to a predetermined depth inside the storage chamber 12 , and the contents are filled into the storage chamber 12 through the filling needle 3 . Before filling the contents, the inside of the storage chamber 12 is first filled with gas such as air through the filling needle 3, or the sides 12L and 12R of the soft container 10 are separated from each other by a separation jig or the like. You can In this way, by separating the side surfaces 12L and 12R from each other, it is possible to suppress the sticking of the resin films forming the storage chamber 12 and prevent the content from rebounding due to the sticking of the resin films.

When the content is filled through the filling needle 3, it is preferable that the discharge port 34 of the filling needle 3 faces the side surfaces 12L and 12R of the storage chamber 12 during filling. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the filling needle 3 inserted through the port 13 and inserted into the storage chamber 12 is directed along the side surfaces 12L and 12R of the storage chamber 12 (see FIG. 4A). (a) in the horizontal direction), the discharge port 34 is arranged so as to face the right seal portion 11d of the flexible container 10, and the content is filled in this state. In this way, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 4(a), the contents are discharged into the space of the storage chamber 12, so compared to the case where the contents are discharged toward the side surfaces 12L and 12R, the side surface 12L is more likely to be discharged. , 12R, and the effect of preventing backflow of the contents can be expected.

Here, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the filling needle 3 inserted into the storage chamber 12 is positioned such that the discharge port 34 is in the direction along the side surfaces 12L and 12R of the storage chamber 12. The contents may be filled in a state in which it is arranged so as to face the left seal portion 11c. In this way, as compared with the case where the contents are discharged toward the side surfaces 12L and 12R, rebounding of the contents by the side surfaces 12L and 12R can be suppressed, and an effect of preventing backflow of the contents can be expected.

After the filling step is completed, the sealing plugs 15, 15 are used to seal the ports 13, 13 after the filling needle 3 has been withdrawn.

According to the filling device 1 of the present embodiment, the filling needle 3 has a discharge port 34 that opens laterally with respect to the direction of the central axis L2, and directs the flow of the content flowing through the content channel 33 to the discharge port 34. Since the closed portion 32 is provided with a direction-changing surface 36 that changes direction, it is possible to prevent backflow of the contents compared to the case where the contents are filled through a conventional cylindrical filling needle. can.

That is, the conventional filling needle has a cylindrical shape, and the discharge port communicates with the content channel in the direction of the central axis L2. Therefore, the contents discharged from the discharge port are discharged straight along the central axis L2 direction of the filling needle. When the resin films forming the flexible container stick to each other due to static electricity or the like, the discharged content is bounced back to the discharge port, and backflow of the content is likely to occur.

On the other hand, in the filling needle 3 of this embodiment, the discharge port 34 is provided on the side wall of the needle body 31 , and the direction changing surface 36 directs the flow of the contents flowing through the content channel 33 toward the discharge port 34 . Since it is converted, the content discharged from the discharge port 34 is discharged in the lateral direction of the central axis L2. Therefore, even if the contents bounce off the resin film, the amount of the contents returning to the ejection port 34 is reduced, so that the backflow of the contents can be prevented.

In addition, since the lower edge 37 of the direction change surface 36 is located at the same height as the lower edge 35 of the ejection port 34, the direction change surface 36 and the ejection port 34 can be connected without a step. Therefore, the contents smoothly flow to the discharge port 34 via the direction changing surface 36, so that the generation of turbulence caused by the step can be suppressed. Furthermore, by doing so, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of stagnation. That is, when there is a step, stagnation tends to occur, and the contents remain between the direction change surface 36 and the ejection port 34 . This affects quality as well as ensuring accurate filling quantities. In particular, when the filling amount is small such as several milliliters, it is difficult to secure the required filling amount if stagnation such as residual liquid occurs, and if old residual liquid is mixed, the quality is greatly affected. On the other hand, by using the filling needle 3 of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of stagnation, so it is possible to ensure both an accurate filling amount and quality.

Furthermore, since the closing portion 32 is integrally formed with the needle body 31, the manufacturing of the filling needle 3 is facilitated, and the manufacturing cost can be easily reduced.

<Modified Example of Filling Needle>
In addition, various modifications are conceivable for the filling needle of the present embodiment. For example, in the modification shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the ejection port 34A is formed by chamfering the corners of the needle main body 31 and the closing portion 32A. Therefore, the discharge port 34A is inclined with respect to the direction of the central axis L2 from the lower end portion of the side wall of the needle body 31 to the closing portion 32A. The direction changing surface 36A is a tapered surface that slopes downward toward the ejection port 34A, and the lower edge 37A thereof is positioned at the same height as the lower edge 35A of the ejection port 34A. As shown in FIG. 5B, in this case, the lower edge 37A of the direction changing surface 36A is at the same position as the lower edge 35A of the ejection port 34A.

According to the filling needle 3A having such a structure, the same effects as those of the filling needle 3 described above can be obtained.

Further, in the modification shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the direction change surface 36B is a continuous curved surface. The direction changing surface 36</b>B is, for example, a smoothly curved surface that slopes downward toward the ejection port 34 . A lower edge 37B of the direction changing surface 36B is positioned at the same height as the lower edge 35 of the ejection port 34, and is connected to the lower edge 35 of the ejection port 34 without any gap.

According to the filling needle 3B having such a structure, in addition to obtaining the same effect as the filling needle 3 described above, since the direction changing surface 36B is a continuous curved surface, the contents can be discharged more smoothly from the outlet. The direction can be changed toward 34, and the effect of suppressing the generation of turbulence can be further enhanced.

7A and 7B, the discharge port 34C protrudes from the outer wall of the needle body 31 on the side. Specifically, the discharge port 34</b>C is formed to protrude from the outer wall of the needle body 31 in the radial direction of the needle body 31 . The closing portion 32C protrudes from the outer wall of the needle main body 31 in accordance with the protrusion of the discharge port 34C. 36 C of direction change surfaces are continuous curved surfaces, and it inclines so that it may descend toward 34 C of discharge ports, and 37 C of lower edges of 36 C of direction change surfaces are located in the same height as 35 C of lower edges of 34 C of discharge ports. there is In this case, the lower edge 37C of the direction changing surface 36C is at the same position as the lower edge 35C of the ejection port 34C.

According to the filling needle 3C having such a structure, in addition to obtaining the same effect as the filling needle 3 described above, since the direction changing surface 36C is a continuous curved surface, the contents can be discharged more smoothly from the outlet. The direction can be changed toward 34C, and the effect of suppressing the generation of turbulence can be further enhanced.

Moreover, in the modification shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, there are a plurality of ejection openings (here, two). Specifically, the ejection port of the filling needle 3D has a first ejection port 34D and a second ejection port 34E arranged facing each other. The first ejection port 34D and the second ejection port 34E are formed in the side wall of the needle main body 31 at intervals of 180° along the circumferential direction of the filling needle 3D. On the other hand, the direction changing surface of the filling needle 3D includes a first direction changing surface 36D that changes the direction of the flow of the content flowing through the content channel toward the first discharge port 34D, and a first direction changing surface 36D that changes the direction of the content flowing through the content channel. and a second redirecting surface 36E that redirects the flow of air toward the second outlet 34E.

The first direction changing surface 36D is a tapered surface that slopes downward from the central axis L2 toward the first discharge port 34D. The lower edge 37D of the first direction change surface 36D is positioned at the same height as the lower edge 35D of the first ejection port 34D, and there is no gap between the lower edge 35D of the first ejection port 34D and the lower edge 35D of the first ejection port 34D. It is connected. The second direction changing surface 36E is a tapered surface that slopes downward from the central axis L2 toward the second ejection port 34E. The lower edge 37E of the second direction changing surface 36E is positioned at the same height as the lower edge 35E of the second outlet 34E, and there is no gap between the lower edge 35E of the second outlet 34E and the lower edge 35E of the second outlet 34E. It is connected.

According to the filling needle 3D having such a structure, in addition to obtaining the same effects as the filling needle 3 described above, since it has two ejection ports and two direction changing surfaces, the filling speed of the contents is increased. It is possible to shorten the filling time.

Moreover, in the modification shown in FIG. 9A, the bottom portion 32a of the closing portion 32 is formed in a convex spherical shape. According to the filling needle 3E having such a configuration, in addition to obtaining the same effect as the filling needle 3 described above, when inserting the filling needle 3E into the storage chamber 12 of the soft container 10, the resin It is possible to prevent the film from being damaged or punctured. As a result, damage to the flexible container 10 can be prevented, and contamination by foreign matter due to damage can be suppressed.

In the modification shown in FIG. 9(b), the bottom portion 32b of the closing portion 32 has a truncated cone shape whose diameter is reduced downward, and each corner portion is processed to have a curved surface portion. . According to the filling needle 3F having such a configuration, in addition to obtaining the same effect as the filling needle 3 described above, when inserting the filling needle 3F into the storage chamber 12 of the soft container 10, the resin It is possible to prevent the film from being damaged or punctured. As a result, damage to the flexible container 10 can be prevented, and contamination by foreign matter due to damage can be suppressed.

<Soft container>
Hereinafter, embodiments of the flexible container according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. FIG. The flexible container 40 here differs from the above-described soft container 10 in the structure of the port, but the rest of the structure is the same as the above-described soft container 10, so redundant description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 10 is a front view showing the soft container according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the flexible container 40 has two ports 41,41. The port 41 is made of a plastic material that is harder than the resin film forming the storage chamber 12, and is attached to the upper seal portion 11a. One end (that is, the lower end) of the port 41 is inserted through the upper seal portion 11 a and communicates with the interior of the housing chamber 12 , and the other end (that is, the upper end) is exposed to the outside and closed by the sealing plug 15 . is

As described above, the sealing plug 15 is used to seal the port 41 after the content is filled into the storage chamber 12, and is attached to the port 41 before the content is filled. However, in order to make the position of the sealing plug 15 relative to the port 41 easier to understand, FIG.

The two ports 41 , 41 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis L<b>1 extending in the vertical direction of the flexible container 40 . Of the two ports 41, 41, one may be used for filling contents and the other for discharging contents, or when two types of chemical solutions are to be filled, they may be used separately for filling each chemical solution. The port 41 is formed longer than the port 13 of the soft container 10 described above, and the portion inserted into the storage chamber 12 is longer than the port 13 .

FIG. 11(a) is a front view showing a port, and FIG. 11(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line FF of FIG. 11(a). The port 41 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and communicates with a content channel 44 extending in the direction of the central axis L3 and a downstream end (that is, a lower end) of the content channel 44, and communicates with the central axis L3. A body 42 having a discharge port 45 that opens laterally with respect to the direction, and a downstream end (that is, a lower end) of the body 42 that closes and discharges the flow of contents flowing through the contents channel 44 . and a closure portion 43 provided with a turning surface 47 for turning toward an outlet 45 . Here, the direction of the central axis L3 refers to the direction in which the port 41 extends (that is, the vertical direction), and the lateral direction refers to the radial direction of the port 41 (that is, the horizontal direction).

The content flow path 44 has, for example, a circular cross section. The discharge port 45 is provided, for example, on a side wall of the main body 42, and has an elliptical shape with a long axis along the direction of the central axis L3. The discharge port 45 may have an elliptical shape, a circular shape, a rectangular shape, or the like whose short axis is along the direction of the central axis L3.

The closing part 43 is integrated with the main body 42 . Specifically, the closing portion 43 is integrally formed of the same resin material as the main body 42 . When the upstream side of the contents channel 44 is oriented upward and the downstream side is oriented downward, in other words, when the upper seal portion 11a having the port 41 is oriented upward and the lower seal portion 11b is oriented downward, the direction change surface 47 is , and a tapered surface that slopes downward toward the discharge port 45 . The inclination angle of the direction change surface 47 is, for example, 15° to 30° with respect to the central axis L3. As shown in FIG. 11B, the lower edge 48 of the direction change surface 47 is positioned at the same height as the lower edge 46 of the ejection port 45, and there is a gap between the lower edge 46 of the ejection port 45 and the lower edge 46 of the ejection port 45. As shown in FIG. connected without

Here, the port 41 is preferably arranged so that the discharge port 45 faces the direction along the side surfaces 12L and 12R of the flexible container 40. As shown in FIG. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, one of the two ports 41, 41 is arranged so that its discharge port 45 faces the right seal portion 11d of the flexible container 10 in the direction along the side surfaces 12L, 12R of the flexible container 40. The other is arranged so that its discharge port 45 faces the left seal portion 11c in the direction along the side surfaces 12L and 12R of the soft container 40. As shown in FIG. In other words, the ejection ports 45 face each other. In this way, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 12, the contents are discharged into the space of the storage chamber 12, so compared to the case where the contents are discharged toward the side surfaces 12L and 12R, the side surfaces 12L and 12R can be used to The rebounding of the contents can be suppressed, and an effect of preventing the backflow of the contents can be expected.

When the soft container 40 configured in this way is filled with the content, unlike the soft container 10 described above, the content is directly filled through the port 41 without the filling needle 3 . For example, for the flexible container 40 fixed to the fixture 2, a pipe connected to a tank that stores the contents is connected to the upper end of the port 41, and the interior of the storage chamber 12 of the flexible container 40 is connected through the port 41. It is sufficient to fill the contents in the container.

According to the flexible container 40 of the present embodiment, the port 41 has a discharge port 45 that opens laterally with respect to the direction of the central axis L3 and directs the flow of contents flowing through the content channel 44 toward the discharge port 45. Since it has a blocking part 43 provided with a direction changing surface 47 for changing direction, the backflow of the contents is less than when filling the contents through the above-described cylindrical port 13 (hereinafter referred to as a normal port). can be prevented.

That is, since a normal port has a cylindrical shape, the discharge port communicates with the contents flow path in the direction of the central axis L3. Therefore, the contents discharged from the discharge port are discharged straight along the central axis L3 direction of the port. When the resin films forming the flexible container stick to each other due to static electricity or the like, the discharged content is bounced back to the discharge port, and backflow of the content is likely to occur.

On the other hand, in the port 41 of this embodiment, the discharge port 45 is provided on the side wall of the main body 42, and the direction changing surface 47 changes the direction of the flow of the content flowing through the content channel 44 toward the discharge port 45. , the contents discharged from the discharge port 45 are discharged in the lateral direction of the central axis L3. Therefore, even if the contents bounce off the resin film, the amount of the contents returning to the ejection port 45 is reduced, so that the backflow of the contents can be prevented.

In addition, since the lower edge 48 of the direction change surface 47 is positioned at the same height as the lower edge 46 of the ejection port 45, the direction change surface 47 and the ejection port 45 can be connected without a step. Therefore, the content smoothly flows to the discharge port 45 via the direction changing surface 47, so that the generation of turbulence caused by the step can be suppressed. Furthermore, by doing so, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of stagnation. That is, when there is a step, stagnation is likely to occur, and the contents remain between the direction change surface 47 and the ejection port 45 . This affects quality as well as ensuring accurate fill quantities. In particular, when the filling amount is small such as several milliliters, it is difficult to secure the required filling amount if stagnation such as residual liquid occurs, and if old residual liquid is mixed, the quality is greatly affected. By using the port 41 of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of stagnation, so it is possible to ensure both an accurate filling amount and quality.

In this embodiment, a discharge port 45 that opens both ports sideways in the direction of the central axis L3, and a direction changing surface that changes the direction of the flow of contents flowing through the content channel 44 toward the discharge port 45. For example, one of the two ports adopts the above-described structure for filling the contents, and the other is for discharging the contents, and a normal port is used. May be adopted.

In addition, for the port 41 of the soft container 40, each modified example of the filling needle described above can be applied. 5(a), (b) to FIG. 9(a), (b) are also applied to the port of the flexible container 40. FIG. Here, redundant description thereof will be omitted.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various designs can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention described in the claims. Changes can be made. For example, in the above-described embodiments, a flexible container having two ports was described, but the present invention is also applicable to a flexible container having one port.

1 filling device 2 fixing jigs 3, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, 3F filling needles 10, 40 soft container 11 sealing part 12 storage chambers 13, 41 port 15 sealing stopper 31 needle main body 32, 32A, 32C, 43 closed portions 32a, 32b bottom portions 33, 44 contents flow paths 34, 34A, 34C, 45 outlet 34D first outlet 34E second outlet 35, 35A, 35C, 35D, 35E, 37, 37A, 37B, 37C, 37D, 37E, 46, 48 Lower edge 36, 36A, 36B, 36C, 47 Turning surface 36D First turning surface 36E Second turning surface 42 Main bodies L1, L2, L3 Central axis

Claims (5)

A flexible container comprising a port and a storage chamber communicating with the port,
The port is
a main body having a content channel extending in the axial direction and a discharge port communicating with the downstream end of the content channel and opening laterally with respect to the axial direction;
a blocking part provided with a direction changing surface that blocks the downstream end of the main body and changes the direction of the flow of the content flowing through the content channel toward the discharge port;
has
The closing part is integrated with the main body,
Assuming that the upstream side of the content channel is the upper side and the downstream side is the lower side, the direction changing surface is inclined downward toward the discharge port, and the lower edge thereof is at the same height as the lower edge of the discharge port. located in
A flexible container, wherein the discharge port protrudes from an outer wall of the main body on the side. 2. The flexible container according to claim 1, wherein said direction changing surface is a continuous tapered surface or curved surface. 3. The flexible container according to claim 1, wherein said outlet is plural. The ejection port has a first ejection port and a second ejection port arranged facing each other,
The direction changing surface includes a first direction changing surface that changes the direction of the flow of contents flowing through the content channel toward the first discharge port, and a first direction changing surface that changes the direction of the flow of contents flowing through the content channel. 4. A flexible container according to claim 3, further comprising a second turning surface for turning toward two outlets. The storage chamber has a pair of side surfaces,
The flexible container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the port is arranged such that the discharge port faces in the direction along the side surface.

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