JP5969924B2 - Container for liquid - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid container having improved operability for closing and opening.
This application claims the priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-020150 for which it applied to Japan on February 1, 2011, and uses the content here.

A general liquid container has a container body having a container for storing a content liquid and a spout for pouring out the content liquid, and a container body that covers the mouth and neck to open and close the spout. With a cap. And a cap can close a spout by screwing to a mouth neck part.
In particular, containers used for small-capacity products such as eye drop containers are generally manufactured with a small container body and a small outer diameter of the cap. In addition, from the viewpoint of design, what is made beautiful and smart by making the outer tube of the cap thin (that is, by reducing the diameter) and mirror-finishing the outer peripheral surface is widely favored.

  However, since such a cap has a small diameter and a mirror finish, it is easy for the user to slip during a turning operation in which the user holds and closes the cap. Therefore, there is a case where the cap is over-tightened beyond the appropriate opening / closing plug position so as to obtain a sense that the user is surely tightened, and it is sometimes difficult to open the cap at the time of use. Even if the mirror finish as described above is not applied, depending on the shape and material of the cap, it may be overtightened, and the same problem may occur.

  In addition, the material of the liquid container cap is generally a synthetic resin material such as polystyrene, polypropylene, etc., but depending on the type and concentration of the liquid component contained in the container, the method of use, the environment of use, etc. It was found that there were problems such as cracks in the cap. Specifically, when the cap is tightened with the content liquid adhering to the mouth and neck of the container body, if the cap is tightened too strongly, a strong stress is applied to the cap and mouth and neck. Further, it has been confirmed that when an environmental condition such as the ambient temperature exceeding 40 ° C. is applied, the cap cracks due to the interaction between the chemical component contained in the content liquid and the environmental condition.

  In this regard, as a conventional liquid container, a container capable of positioning the rotational position of the cap with respect to the container body at a predetermined position when the cap is screwed onto the mouth and neck of the container body has been proposed ( See Patent Document 1 below).

FIG. 12A to FIG. 12C are diagrams showing the configuration of such a conventional container, and the container shown in these figures includes a container body 1 shown in FIG. 12B and a cap 2 shown in FIG. 12A.
The container body 1 has a mouth / neck portion 3 formed on the upper portion thereof. The mouth / neck portion 3 is formed with a liquid extrusion port 4 accommodated therein, and a male screw portion 5 is formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof. Has been.
Further, an engaging piece 6 and a stopper 7 are formed below the mouth neck portion 3 of the container body 1 as shown in FIG. 12C.

  The cap 2 includes a threaded cylinder 8 inside. A female screw portion 9 is formed on the inner surface of the screwing tube 8, and a stopper rod 10 is formed on the lower end of the screwing tube 8. A plug 12 is formed on the lower surface of the top wall 11.

  In this container, the user screwes the cap 2 onto the mouth / neck portion 3 of the container body 1, and further rotates the cap 2 so that the plug 12 closes the extrusion port 4. At this time, the stopper rod 10 and the stopper 7 are arranged so that the cap 2 stops with respect to the container main body 1 so that the printing performed on the cap 2 and the printing on the surface of the container main body 1 are aligned. The rotation direction is positioned.

JP 2000-159247 A

In the containers shown in FIGS. 12A to 12C, the stopper 2 is provided to position the cap 2 in the rotational direction. However, as described above, this is performed to align the printing position. Therefore, the ease of opening of the cap 2 and the stress applied to the cap 2 and the mouth / neck portion 3 of the container body 1 in the screwing operation of the cap 2 are not taken into consideration.
That is, in this container, when the user puts the cap 2 on the neck and neck 3 and rotates it, the plug 12 is fitted into the extrusion port 4 and the extrusion port 4 is closed during the rotation operation. However, after the extrusion port 4 is closed, the cap 2 is rotated until the stopper rod 10 is engaged with the stopper 7 so that the printing of the container body 1 and the printing of the cap 2 are aligned. And the rotational torque transmitted from the fitted plug 12 to the wall near the extrusion port 4 increases. That is, the cap 2 is rotated beyond the proper closing position of the cap 2, and the frictional resistance between the male screw portion 5 of the mouth-and-neck portion 3 and the female screw portion 9 of the cap 2 is increased to increase the rotational torque. It will encourage you.
Therefore, the above-described conventional container does not sufficiently solve the problem that the cap 2 is rotated to a position where opening is difficult.

  Further, when the cap 2 is rotated, a large stress is applied to the top wall 11, the plug 12, the female screw portion 9, the mouth neck portion 3 of the container body 1, and the peripheral portion of the male screw portion 5. Therefore, even in this container, the problem of cracks in the cap 2 depending on the type and concentration of the content liquid component and the temperature conditions of the surrounding environment has not been sufficiently solved.

  As described above, none of the conventional containers can satisfactorily solve the problem that the cap can be cracked depending on the operability during closing and opening and the surrounding environment.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid container in which a cap is screwed onto a mouth / neck portion of a container body in view of the above-described problems in the container body, so that the cap can be easily operated during closing and opening. An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid container capable of preventing cracking and damage of the liquid and a product in which the liquid container is filled with liquid.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following aspects.
(1) According to a first aspect of the present invention, a container body having a mouth and neck portion having a spout provided at the tip and having a male screw portion formed on the outer peripheral surface, and a female screw screwed into the male screw portion A liquid container having a cap formed on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion, the cap having a projection that can be fitted into the spout and plugged into the spout, and the peripheral wall A locked portion located below the inner peripheral surface is provided, and when the cap is fitted and rotated on the container body, the locked portion abuts and can be overcome. After the first locking portion and the locked portion get over the first locking portion, the locked portion comes into contact to prevent further rotation in the tightening direction of the cap. And the second locking portion is configured such that when the locked portion abuts, the projection portion liquids the spout. It is a liquid container, characterized in that formed at a position plugging the.

(2) According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the liquid container according to the above (1),
The distance between the over-starting position of the first locking portion that can be overcome and the locking position of the second locking portion is such that the female screw portion is engaged from the engagement start end of the screw thread of the male screw portion. The liquid container is characterized by being formed to have a length that is equal to or less than a length at which the terminal end can come into contact.

(3) According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the liquid container according to (1) or (2),
The mouth neck is formed in a straight line along the center axis when the outer periphery of the male screw part is cross-sectionally viewed in a plane including the center axis of the mouth neck.
The top surface of the convex portion forming the female screw portion is formed in parallel to the contour line of the outer peripheral surface.

(4) According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the liquid container according to (3),
The length of the straight line portion in the contour line of the outer peripheral surface is at least the length of the top surface of the convex portion forming the female screw portion and / or the length between the centers of the convex portions of the adjacent female screw portions. This is a liquid container.

(5) According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the liquid container according to (3),
The liquid container is characterized in that the length of the straight portion in the contour line of the outer peripheral surface is at least the length between the centers of the convex portions of the adjacent female screw portions.

(6) According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the liquid container according to any one of (1) to (5),
The screw thread of the male screw part is formed to have a length that is less than or equal to one half of the entire circumferential length of the mouth and neck part,
The second locking portion is configured to move the locked portion within a circumferential region of the screw thread when the female screw portion of the cap is screwed into the screw thread of the male screw portion and rotated. It is formed in the position which abuts, It is a container for liquids characterized by the above-mentioned.

(7) According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the liquid container according to (6),
The thread container of the male screw part is a liquid container characterized in that it has a length that is less than or equal to one-half and less than or equal to one-twelfth of the entire circumferential length of the mouth-and-neck part.

(8) According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the liquid container according to the above (6) or (7),
The screw threads of the male screw part are formed to have a length that is less than or equal to one-half and less than or equal to one-eighth of the entire circumferential length of the mouth-and-neck part, and are opposite to each other with the central axis in between The liquid container is a multi-thread screw formed at a position on the side.

(9) According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the liquid container according to (8),
The liquid container, wherein the multi-thread screw is a double thread.

(10) According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the liquid container according to any one of (1) to (9), the rotation angle when the cap is opened and closed is 30 ° to 180 °. A container for liquid, characterized in that there is.

(11) An eleventh aspect of the present invention is the liquid container according to any one of (1) to (10), wherein the cap is made of polystyrene, polypropylene, acrylonitrile styrene copolymer resin, or ABS resin. A liquid container characterized by being formed of a material containing at least one of them.

(12) According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the liquid container according to any one of (1) to (10), the cap is made of polystyrene, polypropylene, acrylonitrile styrene copolymer resin, or ABS resin. A liquid container comprising: an inner tube formed of a material containing at least one of the above; and an outer tube formed of a metal material and closely covered with an outer surface of the inner tube. It is.

(13) A thirteenth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the liquid container according to any one of (1) to (12), the maximum outer diameter of the cap is 20 mmφ or less. A container for liquid.

(14) A fourteenth aspect of the present invention is the liquid container according to any one of (1) to (13), wherein the container body has a capacity of 35 ml or less. It is.

(15) According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the liquid container according to any one of (1) to (14), the container is used for storing and dispensing eye drops. This is a liquid container.

  According to the present invention relating to (1), when the container body is plugged, the protruding portion is formed at a position where the spout is plugged when the second locking portion comes into contact with the locked portion of the cap. Therefore, the protrusion does not increase the rotation operation torque caused by closing the spout until the locked portion comes into contact with the second locking portion. The opening operation which is the reverse operation can be easily performed with a slight force, and the cap can be easily closed and opened.

  In addition, since the torque does not increase due to the rotation operation until the locked portion comes into contact with the second locking portion, it is possible to prevent an excessive stress from being applied to the cap and the container body. Thus, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of damage such as cracks in these members.

  In addition, since the stress applied to the cap during cap tightening and opening / closing operations is eliminated, it is not affected by various components contained in the liquid composition contained, and problems such as cracks and breakage of the cap over time are also eliminated. There is an effect that can be done.

  According to the present invention relating to (2) above, the distance between the over-starting position of the first locking part that can be overcome and the locking position of the second locking part is such that the female screw part is the male screw part. The effect of (1) can be further enhanced because the screw thread is formed so as to be within a length that can be abutted from the engagement starting end of the screw thread to the engagement terminal end, that is, within the threading length. .

  According to the present invention according to (3) above, the outline of the outer peripheral surface above the mouth and neck of the container body is formed in a straight line, and the top surface of the convex part forming the female screw part of the cap is used as the outline. The parallel straight line prevents the cap's female threaded portion from being guided to the outer peripheral surface above the mouth / neck when the cap is put on the mouth / neck, preventing the cap from being screwed in an inclined state. Thus, there is an effect that the spout can be reliably closed in a liquid-tight state by the protrusion.

  According to the present invention according to the above (4) and (5), the length of the top surface of the convex portion forming the female screw portion of the cap is at least the length between the centers of the convex portions of the adjacent female screw portions. As a result, the effect (3) can be further enhanced. Further, the screwing of the screw parts on the cap side and the mouth / neck part side when the cap is mounted becomes smoother and can be smoothly rotated to a predetermined position.

  According to the present invention according to (6) above, the thread of the male screw part is formed in the circumferential direction of the mouth-and-neck part and has a length equal to or less than one half of the entire peripheral length, and the second locking part is When the female screw part of the cap is engaged with this screw thread and rotated, it is formed at a position where the locked part comes into contact within the length of the screw thread. Can be performed by a single twisting operation, and the closure and opening operations can be performed more easily.

  According to the present invention according to (7) above, the screw thread of the male screw part is formed in the circumferential direction of the mouth and neck part, having a length that is less than or equal to 1/2 and less than or equal to 1/12 of the entire circumference. The engaging portion of the cap is formed at a position where the locked portion abuts within the range of the length of the screw thread when the female screw portion of the cap is engaged with the screw thread and rotated. The effect of (6) can be further enhanced.

  According to the present invention according to (8), the screw thread of the male screw part is formed to have a length that is less than or equal to one-half or more than one-eighth of the total circumferential length of the mouth-and-neck part, and And a multi-threaded screw formed at positions opposite to each other with the central axis in between, and a second locking portion for rotating the cap by engaging the female screw portion of the cap with the screw thread. In this case, the effect of the above (7) can be further ensured because the portion to be locked comes into contact with the thread within the length of the thread.

  According to the present invention according to (9) above, in the present invention according to (8) above, even when the multi-thread screw is a double thread, for example, when applied to a small container having a large size constraint, The effects similar to those of the invention according to 8) can be achieved, and the options for containers used for products and the like can be expanded.

  According to the present invention according to (10), the opening and closing operations can be smoothly performed by setting the rotation angle when the cap is opened and closed to 30 ° to 180 °.

  According to the present invention according to the above (11), there is an effect that the cap of the liquid container can be formed of an inexpensive synthetic resin material with good moldability. In addition, about resin to be used, the mixture of these resin may be sufficient, and other components, such as a plasticizer required in the case of shaping | molding of a cap, may be contained suitably.

  According to the present invention according to (12), since the liquid container is composed of the inner tube made of synthetic resin and the outer tube made of metal, the surface of the outer tube can be mirror-finished, for example, and the cap Although it is easy to open and close, it is possible to obtain a liquid container having a beautiful appearance, a smart appearance, and a high-class feeling.

  According to the present invention according to (13), the cap can be easily capped with a slight force while the cap has a smart appearance with a maximum diameter of 20 mmφ or less. The opening operation, which is the reverse operation, can be easily performed with a slight force, and the cap can be easily closed and opened.

  According to the present invention according to (14), the cap body can be easily closed with a slight force while the container body is compact, and the opening operation, which is the reverse operation, can be easily performed with a slight force. The cap can be easily closed and opened.

  According to the present invention according to (15), since the torque does not increase due to the rotation operation until the locked portion comes into contact with the second locking portion, the cap and the container body In the case where the eye drops are contained and dispensed, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of damage such as cracks in these members. .

  Since the present invention does not have a complicated structure and can solve the above-described problems, it is particularly useful to apply to a container having a small container cap and a small diameter cap, such as an eye drop container.

It is a front view of the container for liquids shown as a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which looked at the principal part of the container for liquids shown as the 1st Embodiment of this invention from the front. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. It is a side view which shows the principal part of the container main body of the container for liquids shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4. FIG. 3 is a side view of a part of the main part of the liquid container shown as the first embodiment of the present invention in a cross-sectional view, showing a state where the locked portion is not in contact with the second locking portion. It is. It is sectional drawing which looked at the principal part of the container for liquid shown as the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is CC sectional view taken on the line of FIG. FIG. 7 is a side view of a part of the main part of the liquid container shown as the second embodiment of the present invention in a cross-sectional view, showing a state where the locked portion is not in contact with the second locking portion. It is. It is a top view of the cap of the container for liquid shown as the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the cap of the container for liquid shown as the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the conventional container, Comprising: It is a figure which shows the longitudinal cross-sectional view of a cap. It is a figure which shows the conventional container, Comprising: It is the side view which carried out the cross sectional view of the principal part of the container main body. It is a figure which shows the conventional container, Comprising: It is a top view of a container main body.

Hereinafter, a liquid container according to each embodiment of the present invention and a product in which the liquid container is filled with a liquid will be described with reference to the drawings with an example applied to an eye drop container.
FIG. 1 is an overall view of an eye drop container 21 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 6 show a main part of the eye drop container 21 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. .

  1 and 2 are views showing a state in which a container body 22 of an eye drop container 21 is covered with a cap 23, screwed and tightened, and the container body 22 is closed.

  The container body 22 includes a body portion 25 having an upper neck portion 24 formed at the upper end, and an inner plug 26 fitted to the mouth neck portion 24.

As shown in FIG. 1, the body portion 25 contains ophthalmic compositions such as eye drops (eye drops) and eye wash, liquid compositions such as contact lens care agents, nasal drops, external preparations, and cosmetics. Be contained.
In addition, the liquid container of the present embodiment can be applied to a gel-like or emulsion semi-solid composition as long as it is a dosage form that can adhere to the mouth-neck portion 24 and the cap 23 of the container body 22. .
In addition, the liquid composition usually includes additive components such as various medicinal components, fragrances, and surfactants in light of technical common sense and public information of those skilled in the art. Specific ingredients include: Over-the-counter drug manufacturing (import) approval standards 2000 version (supervised by the Pharmaceutical Affairs Research Committee), Pharmaceutical Additives Encyclopedia 2005 (edited by the Japan Pharmaceutical Additives Association), Quasi-drug Raw Material Standard 2006 (Pharmaceutical Daily) Examples of active ingredients and additives in various types of medicines, cosmetics, etc.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the mouth-and-neck portion 24 is a wall portion formed in a cylindrical shape, and includes a thick lower wall 27 and an upper wall 28 extending upward from the lower wall 27. .

The inner diameters of the lower wall 27 and the upper wall 28 are the same, and the outer diameter of the lower wall 27 and the upper wall 28 is smaller in the upper wall 28 than in the lower wall 27.
On the outer peripheral surface of the upper wall 28, a plurality of male screw portions 31 (in this embodiment, two screws 30 and 30) are continuously formed. Since the male screw part is continuously formed, when the cap is closed, the rotation operation becomes smoother until the locked part comes into contact with the second locking part.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the screw threads 30, 30 are formed to have a length that is approximately one half of the entire circumferential length of the mouth-and-neck portion 24, and the center of the mouth-and-neck portion 24. The section from the spout 40 to the threads 30 and 30 is set as wide as possible. Further, these screw threads 30 and 30 are formed at positions opposite to each other across the central axis S of the mouth-and-neck portion 24, and start points 30a and 30a at the same height are used as starting points of the central axis S. It is formed in a spiral shape so as to go around the periphery and reach the end points 30b and 30b.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the distance between the jump start position “a” of the first locking portion that can be crossed over and the locking position “b” of the second locking portion is such that the female screw portion 54 is the male screw portion. It is preferable that the threaded thread 30 is formed to have a length that can be abutted from the (engaged) start end 30a to the (engaged) end 30b.

  The mouth-and-neck portion 24 has the same inner and outer diameters except for the male screw portion 31 at any position in the central axis S direction. The upper portion of the male screw portion 31 in the mouth / neck portion 24 is set as wide as possible as described above, and serves as a guide surface 32 when the cap 23 is crowned. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2, the contour of the outer peripheral surface above the male screw portion 31 is parallel to the mouth / neck portion 24 along the center axis S when viewed in a cross section along the plane including the center axis S. It is straight.

  A first locking portion 33 and a second locking portion 34 are formed on the lower wall 27 of the mouth / neck portion 24.

The first locking portion 33 and the second locking portion 34 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lower wall 27.
As shown in FIG. 3, the first locking portion 33 is a resistor that abuts a locked portion 35 of the cap 23 (details of the cap 23 will be described later) to apply resistance when the cap 23 rotates. This is a bulging portion having an application surface 33a and a stopper opening surface 33b that prevents inadvertent opening of the cap 23 after the locked portion 35 gets over. The second locking portion 34 is a protrusion that prevents further rotation of the locked portion 35, that is, rotation in the tightening direction of the cap 23 when the locked portion 35 abuts. .

  Thus, the first locking portion 33, when viewed in plan, gradually bulges outward in the circumferential direction from the edge of the resistance applying surface 33a, passes through the maximum bulging portion, and then stops opening. In the surface 33b, the bulge height is gradually reduced to reach the end edge.

  Further, the second locking portion 34 is formed at a position where the above-described locked portion 35 is fitted from the first locking portion 33, and the first locking portion 33 bulges out. The receiving surface 34a that projects outward in the radial direction with a dimension larger than the height and that contacts the locked portion 35 is a surface that rises steeply along a virtual plane including the central axis S.

  When the cap 23 is screwed into the male screw portion 31 of the mouth / neck portion 24 and rotated, the second locking portion 34 has a length of the screw thread 30 in the circumferential direction of the mouth / neck portion 24. It is formed at a position where the locked portion 35 contacts at the end position in the direction. That is, the second locking portion 34 is covered within the circumferential region of the screw thread 30 when the female screw part 54 of the cap 23 is screwed into the screw thread 30 of the male screw part 31 and rotated. It is formed at a position where the locking portion 35 abuts.

As shown in FIG. 2, the inner plug 26 is a rod-shaped member having a circular cross section, a spout 40 is formed on the central axis S, and an annular projecting wall 41 is formed near the upper end of the outer peripheral surface. Has been.
And the annular engaging protrusions 42, 43, and 44 which can be elastically deformed are formed below the overhanging wall portion 41 on the outer peripheral surface. The overhanging wall portion 41 has an inclined surface whose peripheral surface gradually decreases in diameter from the lower end toward the upper end.

  The spout 40 has a spout 40a formed in the same diameter from the top end to the bottom vicinity, a throttling portion 40b in the vicinity of the bottom end continuous to the spout 40a, and the throttling portion 40b. It consists of an enlarged diameter portion 40c that opens downward.

  The outer peripheral surface of the upper end portion of the inner plug 26 is a smooth curved convex surface whose diameter gradually decreases toward the upper end.

  The inner plug 26 has a lower end press-fitted into the mouth / neck portion 24, the overhanging wall portion 41 abuts on the upper end surface of the mouth / neck portion 24, and the engagement protrusions 42, 43, 44 are elastically deformed. By being pressed against the inner surface of the mouth and neck portion 24, the inside of the mouth and neck portion 24 is fixed.

  In the above configuration, the container body 22 and the inner stopper 26 are generally formed of a synthetic resin material such as a polyolefin resin, a polystyrene resin, or a polyethylene resin. In particular, the container body 22 is preferably polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polyethylene or the like, and the inner plug is preferably polyethylene or the like in terms of ease of handling.

  In addition, the container body 22 of the eye drop container 21 in the present embodiment is appropriately selected depending on the contents, but is preferably applied to a small-capacity container that requires a more compact container structure. 50 mL or less is preferable, and 35 mL or less is more preferable.

  The cap 23 is a bottomed cylindrical member, and is composed of an inner tube 50 and an outer tube 51 that is fixed to the inner tube 50 by being crowned.

The inner tube 50 is formed of a synthetic resin material including at least one material of polystyrene, polypropylene, ABS resin, and acrylonitrile styrene copolymer (AS) resin.
The outer tube 51 is made of a metal material such as an alloy such as aluminum or tinplate. The outer tube 51 is a member for the purpose of decorating the cap 23 with metal or mirror-like luster, such as a so-called gold crown. It should be noted that the gold crown is not limited visually to only gold.

  The inner tube 50 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and includes a cylindrical side wall portion 52 and a top plate wall 53 that closes the upper end of the side wall portion 52. is there.

  The side wall portion 52 has a female screw portion 54 formed on the inner surface of the lower portion 52 a thereof, and the lowermost end of the lower portion 52 a is an inner diameter enlarged portion 55.

  The inner diameter enlarged portion 55 is formed with locked portions 35 and 35 projecting inward at positions facing each other with the central axis S therebetween.

  The lower part 52a of the side wall part 52 is formed in a taper shape so that the diameter gradually decreases as the outer peripheral surface thereof moves from the lower end to the upper end.

A top plate wall 53 that is recessed downward is formed on the upper portion 52 b of the side wall portion 52. A projecting portion 57 that projects downward and closes and opens the upper end portion of the spout 40 formed in the inner plug 26 of the container body 22 is formed at the central portion of the lower surface of the top plate wall 53.
The projection 57 is formed with a hole 57a that opens downward in the center thereof, so that the wall forming the projection 57 is easily elastically deformed.

  When the cap 23 is screwed onto the mouth-and-neck portion 24, the top surface 58a of each of the convex and concave portions 58 forming the female screw portion 54 is the central axis S when viewed in a plane including the central axis S. Is formed in parallel with the guide surface 32 of the mouth / neck portion 24 of the container body 22.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the outer tube 51 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape, and includes a cylindrical side wall portion 60 and a top plate wall 61.

  The side wall part 60 is formed in a tapered shape so that the outer diameter and the inner diameter gradually become smaller from the lower end toward the upper end.

  The outer tube 51 is manufactured integrally with the inner tube 50 by, for example, an outsert molding method, and a so-called mirror finish is applied to the outer surface.

When the outer diameter of the cap 23 is larger than 25 mmφ, the cap 23 is easily gripped by the user, so that there is no difficulty in its rotation. However, the cap 23 having an outer dimension of 25 mmφ or less is difficult to be gripped by the user and cannot be easily rotated, so that the user may apply an excessive force in order to obtain a secure tightening feeling. As a result, it becomes difficult for the cap 23 to perform the opening operation. Further, when the maximum outer diameter of the cap 23 is 25 mmφ or less, it is relatively easy to grip if the outer shape of the cap 23 is a flat shape, but the outer shape of the cap 23 has a substantially circular cross section such as a cylindrical shape or a truncated cone shape. As it gets closer, it is difficult to be gripped by the user and its rotation is not easy, so the same problem as described above is likely to occur.
Therefore, the maximum outer diameter dimension of the cap 23 is particularly preferably applied when the opening and closing of the cap 23 is 25 mmφ or less, and more preferably applied when the cap 23 is 20 mmφ or less. Further, in this case, the present embodiment is particularly preferably applied when the cap has a substantially circular cross section such as a cylindrical shape or a truncated cone shape.

  In the above configuration, when the user puts the cap 23 on the mouth / neck portion 24 and rotates the female screw portion 54 to the male screw portion 31, the projection 57 of the cap 23 is attached to the inner plug 26. The top end of the spout 40 is entered, and the spout 40 is closed liquid-tightly. At this time, the upper end surface of the inner plug 26 and the lower surface of the inner pipe 50 of the cap 23 are not in contact with each other, and only a space between the projection 57 and the spout 40 is applied with a space formed therebetween. By contacting, the spout 40 is closed with high liquid tightness.

On the other hand, when the protruding portion 57 enters the upper end portion of the spout 40, the first locking portion 33 abuts the locked portion 35 of the cap 23 until it gets over the first locking portion 33. Meanwhile, resistance is applied to the rotation of the cap 23 on the resistance applying surface 33a, and the user is made to perceive that the cap 23 is just before closing.
And after the to-be-latched part 35 gets over the largest bulging part of the 1st latching | locking part 33, the 1st latching | locking part 33 separates from the to-be-latched part 35, and rotation of the cap 23 is performed for a moment. Lighten. When the protrusion 57 closes the spout 40 in a liquid-tight manner, the second locking portion 34 of the mouth-and-neck portion 24 makes the locked portion 35 abut and the cap 23 is further rotated. stop. In this case, after the engagement between the locked portion 35 and the first locking portion 33 is released and the rotation of the cap 23 becomes light, the locked portion 35 and the second locking portion 34 are strongly contacted. In order to make contact, the user clearly perceives that the cap 23 is securely closed.

  As described above, the first locking portion 33 is formed at a position where the spout 40 is brought into contact with the locked portion 35 immediately before the spout 40 is plugged by the projection portion 57. After getting over, it is formed so as to eliminate the frictional resistance with the locked portion 35 immediately before coming into contact with the second locking portion 34. The second locking portion 34 of the mouth-and-neck portion 24 is formed at a position where the protrusion 57 closes the spout 40 in a liquid-tight manner when the locked portion 35 of the cap 23 abuts. Further, in the turning operation of the cap 23, a part of the female screw part 54 engages with the start end 30 a of the screw thread 30 of the male screw part 31, and a part of the female screw part 54 is near the end 30 b of the screw thread 30. To the second locking portion 34, the locked portion 35 contacts the second locking portion 34.

Next, a method of using the eye drop container 21 having the above configuration will be described.
First, when the container main body 22 is closed, the user puts the cap 23 on the mouth neck portion 24 and the inner plug 26 as shown in FIG. 6, and the female screw portion 54 is shown as a male screw as shown in FIG. Screw onto the part 31.

  In this case, when the shape of the mouth-and-neck portion 24 is viewed in a cross section along a plane including the central axis S, the outline of the guide surface 32 above the male screw portion 31 is along the central axis S (in the present embodiment, substantially The cap 23 is guided by the guide surface 32 because the top surface 58a of each convex portion 58 of the female screw portion 54 is arranged in a straight line parallel to the contour line. The axis is aligned with the axis (center axis S) of the mouth-and-neck portion 24, and the mouth-and-neck portion 24 is crowned. Further, when the cap 23 is covered with the container main body 22, the cap 23 is supported by the spout 40 and the screw threads 30, 30 formed at a position separated from the spout 40 (below the mouth-neck portion 24). The subsequent screw can be reliably screwed and closed without being inclined with respect to the mouth-and-neck portion 24.

  After the cap 23 is screwed to the mouth-and-neck portion 24, when the cap 23 is rotated in the tightening direction (clockwise direction), the female screw portion 54 is guided from the start end 30a of the screw thread 30 toward the end end 30b. In the middle, the locked portion 35 abuts on the first locking portion 33.

  Here, the user who rotates the cap 23 perceives that the cap 23 is in a position immediately before closing, that is, that the second locking portion 34 is refrained next by the contact. Can do. When the cap 23 is further rotated, the locked portion 35 gets over the first locking portion 33, and when the cap 23 gets over, the locked portion 35 comes into contact with the second locking portion 34. Here, further rotation of the locked portion 35 is prevented, and thus the cap 23 is prevented from being overtightened.

  On the other hand, the second locking portion 34 is formed at a position where the projection portion 57 of the cap 23 liquid-tightly closes the spout 40 when the locked portion 35 abuts. Is performed at the time of contact.

  Therefore, in this type of container, if the protrusion 57 closes the spout 40 after the protrusion 23 is closed in the rotation operation of the cap 23, the container 23 is overtightened by the load due to the closure of the protrusion 57. Inviting it will make it difficult to open the cap 23. On the other hand, in the eye drop container 21, since the liquid-tight closing is completed when the locked portion 35 comes into contact with the second locking portion 34, the cap 23 is closed at a position where opening is easy. Can be done easily.

  In the closing operation by the cap 23, only the frictional resistance between the male screw portion 31 and the female screw portion 54 is generated until the locked portion 35 tries to get over the first locking portion 33. Therefore, the operation can be performed with a slight force. In particular, since the male screw part 31 is two screw threads 30 and 30 located on the opposite side with the central axis S in between, the frictional resistance with the female screw part 54 is extremely small, and with a slight force. It can be rotated.

  Further, the screw thread 30 has a length that is approximately one half of the entire circumferential length of the mouth-and-neck portion 24, and the cap 23 is engaged when the cap 23 is rotated from the start end 30a to the vicinity of the end 30b. Since the stopper 35 comes into contact with the second locking part 34 and the closing is completed, the rotation angle of the cap 23 at the time of closing is 180 ° or less, and the cap 23 is so-called twisted (one click). Closing is possible, and the closing operation can be easily performed. The rotation angle is preferably 30 ° to 180 °, more preferably 45 ° to 180 °, and still more preferably 90 ° to 180 °.

  When the cap 23 is plugged as described above, the locked portion 35 engages with the opening stop surface 33b of the first locking portion 33, so that the cap 23 is inadvertently opened. There is no.

  In addition, when opening the spout 40, the user rotates the cap 23 in the direction opposite to the above. In this case, if the locked portion 35 of the cap 23 gets over the first locking portion 33, the frictional resistance between the male screw portion 31 and the female screw portion 54 is slight as described above, so that the opening operation is not performed. It can be done easily.

  Moreover, this opening operation can be easily performed with a single twist.

  Further, according to the eye drop container 21 having the above-described configuration, the cap 23 is constituted by the synthetic resin inner tube 50 and the metal outer tube 51, and the outer diameter of the cap 23 is formed to a small diameter of, for example, 25 mmφ or less. At the same time, the cap 23 can be easily opened and closed even when the outer tube surface is mirror-finished. Therefore, it is possible to provide an eye drop container 21 that is beautiful and smart in appearance, has a high-class feeling, and can be easily opened and closed.

  In the above embodiment, the second locking portion 34 is configured so that the cap 23 is engaged with the male screw portion 31 of the mouth / neck portion 24 and rotated in the circumferential direction of the mouth / neck portion 24. Although it is formed in the position where the to-be-latched part 35 contacts at the position of the end 30b in the length direction of the screw thread 30, it is not limited only to this configuration, and between the start end 30a and the end 30b of the screw thread 30. It may be formed. That is, for example, even if the male screw portion 31 is formed to have a length that is one half or more of the entire circumferential length of the mouth-and-neck portion 24, the second locking portion 34 has the entire circumferential length. What is necessary is just to be formed in the position which the to-be-latched part 35 contact | abuts within the length range of 1/2 to 1/12.

  FIGS. 7 to 11 are views showing a main part of the eye drop container 21A shown as the second embodiment of the present invention. In these drawings, the same parts as those in FIGS. 1 to 6 in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is the configuration of the cap 23A. That is, the cap 23A of the eye drop container 21A is integrally formed of synthetic resin as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, and does not include an outer tube like the cap 23 shown in FIG.

  The cap 23 </ b> A is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape, and includes a cylindrical side wall portion 70 and a top plate wall 71.

  The side wall portion 70 is formed in a tapered shape whose outer diameter and inner diameter gradually become smaller from the lower end toward the upper end, and the shape on the inner surface side is the same as the cap 23 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, locking grooves 72, 72... Extending from the upper end to the vicinity of the lower end are formed on the outer peripheral surface 70 a of the side wall portion 70. The locking grooves 72, 72,... Are formed by cutting the peripheral surface of the cap 23A from the upper end edge of the cap 23A to the vicinity of the lower end, and are arranged in an annular manner on the outer peripheral surface 70a. When the cap 23A is rotated, the cap 23A is engaged with a finger to prevent slipping.

  In this eye dropper container 21A, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment described above can be obtained, and the cap 23A can be formed of the above-mentioned general synthetic resin, and the structure is simple and inexpensive. There is an advantage that you can.

  In the above embodiment, the length of the screw thread 30 of the male screw portion 31 is set to approximately one half of the total circumferential length of the mouth-and-neck portion 24. It is not limited, but usually less than 1/2, preferably less than 1/2, more than 1/2, more preferably less than 1/2, more than 1/8, still more preferably less than 1/2. If the length is in the range of 1 / min or more, the cap can be twisted and closed at the time of opening and closing, and the cap can be reliably closed and opened.

Moreover, although the screw thread of the male screw part 30 in said embodiment was made into the double thread, it is not restricted to this, What is necessary is just a multiple thread.
When the number of threads is an even number, it is easier to process in consideration of the locking mechanism, and it is desirable that the number of threads is small from the viewpoint of downsizing the container.

  Moreover, although the male screw part 30 in said embodiment was formed continuously, it is not restricted to this.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, an example in which the liquid container is applied as the eye drop container 21 in which the effect of the present invention appears more remarkably has been described. However, the liquid container of the present invention is of course used for eye drops. Applications other than containers, such as containers for nasal sprays, contact lens cleaning solutions, cosmetics, and skin drugs, are also applicable.

  In the first embodiment, an example in which a cap having a double structure of the outer tube 51 and the inner tube 50 is applied as the cap 23 of the liquid container of the present invention has been described. For example, the cap does not have a double structure, and the outer surface of the cap made of a synthetic resin material is not decorated for the same decoration by vapor deposition of aluminum, etc., or for decoration that adds metal or specular gloss. Also, it can be applied to a liquid container having a cap that is not so good in operability in opening and closing the cap due to its shape and resin material, such as being formed in a small diameter or having a smooth surface.

  In the liquid container in which the cap is screwed onto the mouth and neck of the liquid container body of the present invention, the cap can be easily operated at the time of closing and opening, and the container is cracked or damaged due to overtightening of the container. Since the liquid container capable of preventing the liquid and the liquid container can be filled with the liquid, for example, it can be suitably used as a container for eye drops.

21 eye drops container (liquid container)
22 Container body 23 Cap 24 Port neck 30 Screw thread 31 Male screw part 32 Guide surface (Outer peripheral surface above male screw part)
33 first locking portion 34 second locking portion 35 locked portion 40 spout 54 female screw portion 57 protrusion 58a convex top surface S central axis

Claims (15)

A container body having a mouth and neck portion provided with a spout at the tip and having a male screw portion formed on the outer peripheral surface, and a female screw portion screwed into the male screw portion are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion. In a liquid container provided with a cap,
The cap is provided with a protrusion that can be fitted into the spout and can close the spout, and a locked portion that is located below the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall,
The container body has a first locking portion that can be moved over by the locked portion when the cap is fitted and rotated, and the locked portion is the first locking portion. A second locking portion is formed, which is engaged with the locked portion to prevent further rotation in the tightening direction of the cap,
The second locking portion is formed at a position where the projection portion liquid-tightly closes the spout when the locked portion abuts .
The mouth neck is formed in a straight line along the center axis when the outer periphery of the male screw part is cross-sectionally viewed in a plane including the center axis of the mouth neck.
The top surface of the convex portion forming the female screw portion is formed in parallel to the contour line of the outer peripheral surface,
The liquid container, wherein the length of the straight line portion in the contour line of the outer peripheral surface is at least the length between the centers of the convex portions of the adjacent female screw portions . A container body having a mouth and neck portion provided with a spout at the tip and having a male screw portion formed on the outer peripheral surface, and a female screw portion screwed into the male screw portion are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion. In a liquid container provided with a cap,
The cap is provided with a protrusion that can be fitted into the spout and can close the spout, and a locked portion that is located below the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall,
The container body has a first locking portion that can be moved over by the locked portion when the cap is fitted and rotated, and the locked portion is the first locking portion. A second locking portion is formed, which is engaged with the locked portion to prevent further rotation in the tightening direction of the cap,
The second locking portion is formed at a position where the projection portion liquid-tightly closes the spout when the locked portion abuts.
The screw thread of the male screw part is formed to have a length less than or equal to one half of the entire circumferential length of the mouth-and-neck part, and at positions opposite to each other with the central axis line in between. A multi-thread formed,
The second locking portion is formed at a position where the locked portion abuts in a range in which the female screw portion of the cap is guided from the start end of the screw thread of the male screw portion to the vicinity of the end.
The dimension of the maximum part of the outer diameter of the cap is 20 mmφ or less,
A container used to store and dispense eye drops
A container for liquid. An inner plug provided with a spout at the tip, a container main body having a mouth and neck portion in which the inner plug is fitted and a male screw portion is formed on the outer peripheral surface, and a female screwed into the male screw portion In a liquid container including a cap formed with a screw portion on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion,
The cap has a top plate wall, a projection that projects downward from the top plate wall and fits into the spout, and can plug the spout, and on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall, below the female screw. A formed locked portion is provided,
The container body has a first locking portion that can be moved over by the locked portion when the cap is fitted and rotated, and the locked portion is the first locking portion. A second locking portion is formed, which is engaged with the locked portion to prevent further rotation in the tightening direction of the cap,
In the second locking portion, when the locked portion abuts, the projection portion liquid-tightly closes the spout and the upper end surface of the inner plug does not contact the lower surface of the top plate wall. Formed in position,
A container used to store and dispense eye drops
A container for liquid. A container body having a mouth / neck portion provided with a spout at the tip and having a male screw portion formed on the outer peripheral surface, and a body portion having the mouth / neck portion formed at the upper end, and screwed into the male screw portion. In a liquid container including a female cap part and a cylindrical cap formed on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall part,
The cap is provided with a protrusion that can be fitted into the spout and can close the spout, and a locked portion formed below the female screw portion on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion. ,
The container body has a first locking portion that can be moved over by the locked portion when the cap is fitted and rotated, and the locked portion is the first locking portion. A second locking portion is formed, which is engaged with the locked portion to prevent further rotation in the tightening direction of the cap,
The second locking portion is configured such that, when the locked portion comes into contact, the projection portion liquid-tightly closes the spout, and a vertical gap is provided between the lower end of the cap and the trunk portion. Formed at the position where
A container used to store and dispense eye drops
A container for liquid. In the container for liquids as described in any one of Claim 2 to 4 ,
The mouth neck is formed in a straight line along the center axis when the outer periphery of the male screw part is cross-sectionally viewed in a plane including the center axis of the mouth neck.
The top surface of the convex part which forms the said female thread part is formed in parallel with the outline of the said outer peripheral surface, The container for liquids characterized by the above-mentioned. The liquid container according to claim 1 or 5 ,
The length of the straight line portion in the contour line of the outer peripheral surface is at least the length of the top surface of the convex portion forming the female screw portion, and / or at least between the centers of the convex portions of adjacent female screw portions. A liquid container characterized by its length. The liquid container according to claim 5 or 6 ,
The liquid container, wherein the length of the straight line portion in the contour line of the outer peripheral surface is at least the length between the centers of the convex portions of the adjacent female screw portions. The liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
Overcoming the start position of the first engaging portion capable of overcoming, the female screw portion is said to be locked portion from the beginning of the thread on the way guided towards the end of the male screw portion is the first The locking position of the second locking portion is formed at a position that contacts the locking portion. The locking position of the second locking portion is such that the female screw portion is moved to the male screw portion after the locked portion has climbed over the first locking portion. A liquid container , wherein the locked portion is formed at a position where the locked portion comes into contact with the second locking portion when guided from the start end to the vicinity of the end of the screw thread . The liquid container according to claim 1 , 3 or 4 ,
The screw thread of the male screw part is formed to have a length that is less than or equal to one half of the entire circumferential length of the mouth and neck part,
Said second locking portion, a female threaded portion of the cap said the engaged portion from the beginning of the thread to the extent guided to the near the end of the male screw portion is formed at a position abutting A container for liquid.   The liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a rotation angle when the cap is opened and closed is 30 ° or more and 180 ° or less. In the liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The liquid container, wherein the cap is made of a material containing at least one of polystyrene, polypropylene, acrylonitrile styrene copolymer resin, and ABS resin. The liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 11 ,
The cap includes an inner tube formed of a material containing at least one of polystyrene, polypropylene, acrylonitrile styrene copolymer resin, or ABS resin;
A liquid container, comprising: an outer tube formed of a metal material and crowned in close contact with the outer surface of the inner tube. The liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 12 ,
A container for liquid, wherein the volume of the container body is 35 ml or less. The liquid container according to claim 1 , 3 or 4 ,
A liquid container characterized in that the maximum dimension of the outer diameter of the cap is 20 mmφ or less. The liquid container according to claim 1 ,
A container for liquid, which is a container used for storing and dispensing eye drops.

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