JP6460379B2 - Dripping nozzle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a dropping nozzle that is incorporated in an upper part of a container body in which an eye drop or the like is enclosed, and is responsible for dropping a chemical solution.

  A general eye drop container is composed of a container body that stores a chemical solution, a dripping nozzle that serves as an outlet for the chemical solution, a cap that protects the dripping nozzle, and the like, and a cylindrical neck is formed on the top of the container body. Incorporate a dripping nozzle. A very narrow flow path is formed inside and outside the dripping nozzle, and a semi-spherical or dome-shaped tip is formed at the discharge port at the end of the flow path to form a certain amount of liquid droplets. It is provided. At the time of use, the chemical liquid overflowing from the discharge port is accumulated at the tip due to the surface tension, but when the weight overcomes the surface tension due to the growth of the liquid droplet, the entire liquid droplet falls at once.

  As an example of the technology related to the present invention, the following patent document can be cited. Patent Document 1 discloses an inner plug that can prevent inhalation of foreign matters due to negative pressure after a chemical solution is dropped in a container filled with a chemical solution such as eye drops. This inner plug is characterized in that a flange portion is provided on the side peripheral surface of the nozzle portion where the chemical solution is dripped, and when the chemical solution is dripped, the flange portion is brought into contact with the corners of the eyes to separate the nozzle portion from the body. Can do. Therefore, at the time of instillation, if the pressure of the container is loosened, only air is sucked and foreign matter such as eyes are not sucked.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a nozzle structure that can prevent liquid leakage and dripping, and can smoothly form liquid droplets at any dropping angle. This nozzle structure is characterized in that a ring-shaped protrusion is formed on a nozzle fitted in the container body, and the ring-shaped protrusion prevents clogging and prevents dripping. In addition, the ring-shaped protrusion functions as a nucleus when the content liquid becomes a droplet, so that the liquid breakage is good, and droplets are easily formed regardless of the dropping angle, and the ring-shaped protrusion is the smooth starting point. The content liquid can be dripped in.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a nozzle for a chemical liquid container that can suppress a liquid droplet remaining at the tip after dropping the chemical liquid. In this nozzle, the tip surface is formed in a flat shape, and an annular ridge is formed on the outer edge of the nozzle tip, and a constriction due to a reduced diameter is provided immediately below the ridge. Due to the protrusions, the movement range of the chemical solution is limited to the tip surface, it is possible to suppress the residue after dripping, and it is not necessary to use a split mold when manufacturing the nozzle, and no burrs are generated. There is no hindrance.

JP 2002-321758 A JP 2004-196417 A WO2011 / 037174

  When the eye drop container is turned sideways, the chemical solution spreads thinly on the side peripheral surface of the dropping nozzle due to surface tension, and dripping starts at a position away from the discharge port, and there is a possibility that the chemical solution cannot be supplied into the eye. In addition, if chemicals remain in the dripping nozzle after use, this may adsorb suspended matter in the air and contaminate the vicinity, and moisture will evaporate over time, causing components to deposit on the surface, etc. There is a problem with hygiene. Therefore, it is preferable that the dripping nozzle can improve dripping property, minimize the influence of surface tension, and dripping the entire amount at once.

  The amount of the eye drop is determined so that the effect can be exhibited correctly. However, when performing instillation by oneself, in addition to being forced into an unnatural posture, it is difficult to grasp the position and inclination of the eye drop container, and the amount of dripping tends to fluctuate. In particular, it has been found that there is a large difference in the amount of dripping between the case where the eye drop container is turned sideways and the case where it is turned upside down. Therefore, in order to prevent fluctuations in the dripping amount, in addition to alerting the user, it is necessary to take measures to eliminate the influence of the posture during use.

  The present invention was developed on the basis of such circumstances, and has excellent liquidity during dripping, can suppress the remaining of chemicals, has little fluctuation in dripping amount due to posture, and can be used properly even when facing sideways The purpose is to provide a simple dripping nozzle.

The invention according to claim 1 for solving the above-mentioned problem is a dropping nozzle incorporated in a neck portion of a container main body for storing a chemical solution, the droplet rising in a mountain shape around the discharge port at the end of the flow path of the chemical solution And a root portion extending in a rod shape surrounding the flow path, and a liquid drain portion protruding in the outer peripheral direction is provided at the boundary between the dripping portion and the root portion. The vertical section of the section has a sharp wedge shape, and the top surface thereof is finished in a horizontal plane .

  The dripping nozzle is incorporated at the tip of the container main body in which the chemical solution is sealed, and plays a role of dripping the chemical solution to the outside. At the center of the dropping nozzle, a very narrow flow channel is formed. Discharge port. The container body can be of any shape and size, but a neck protruding in a cylindrical shape is provided at the top, and a dripping nozzle is incorporated there. The container body and the dripping nozzle ensure hermeticity by press-fitting or bonding.

  The drop forming part is located in the discharge port and its peripheral region, and is a mountain-shaped part where the discharge port rises most when viewed from a vertical cross section along the flow path and gradually descends as it is separated from it. As trapezoidal sections and hemispherical sections. In the case of a trapezoidal cross section, there is a slight horizontal portion at the outer edge of the discharge port, and the tip is inclined obliquely downward and toward the base. By raising the droplet forming portion in a mountain shape, the surface area is increased and the droplets are easily grown. In addition, when the dripping part of a trapezoidal section and a hemispherical section is compared, the trapezoidal section has a larger surface area.

  The root part is a part that secures the distance from the tip of the container body to the discharge port and prevents the chemical solution from adhering to the container body, etc. In consideration of time operability, etc., determine the specific shape and extension. Therefore, the root portion may be cylindrical or tapered. It is assumed that the chemical solution from the discharge port does not reach the side peripheral surface of the root portion.

The liquid cutting part plays a role of regulating the movement of the chemical solution, and is a disk-shaped part located at the boundary between the dripping part and the root part. Therefore, both the drop forming part and the root part adjacent to the liquid cutting part have a narrower vertical cross section than the liquid cutting part. Further, the longitudinal section of the liquid drainage portion has a wedge shape that tapers from the center (position where the flow path is located) toward the tip (outer peripheral side), and the tip is finished as sharp as possible. At the same time, the upper surface of the liquid drainage part is finished in a horizontal plane .

The liquid cutting part stops the chemical overflowing from the discharge port, and forms droplets on the drop forming part. Furthermore, by finishing the tip of the liquid cutting part into a wedge shape, the wetting phenomenon of the chemical liquid is cut off at this position, and the chemical liquid is prevented from flowing around to the back side (the base part), and a good liquid drainage can be obtained. In addition, by finishing the upper surface of the liquid drainage part in a horizontal plane , the chemical liquid is retained by the surface tension, and the chemical liquid is prevented from falling from the outer edge of the liquid drainage part.

  The invention described in claim 2 is for preventing excessive dripping of the chemical solution, and is characterized in that a restriction with a locally narrowed cross section is provided in the flow path. The dripping section and the liquid cutting section can perform their original functions when an appropriate amount of chemical liquid is supplied. It flows into the part and cannot perform its original function. Therefore, as in the present invention, it is preferable to increase the flow resistance by providing a restriction in the flow path, to suppress the flow rate of the chemical solution even when the container body is pressed strongly, and to exhibit the function of the liquid drainage part in various situations. .

  As in the first aspect of the present invention, the chemical solution flows out to the root portion by forming a mountain-shaped drop forming portion at the tip of the dropping nozzle and forming a brim-like liquid drainage portion at the lower outer edge thereof. Can be prevented, and the drug solution is properly dropped on the eyeball. Further, by forming the liquid drainage portion into a wedge shape, the wetting phenomenon of the chemical liquid can be surely stopped at its tip, effectively preventing back leakage and promoting the growth of droplets.

  Furthermore, when the container body is turned sideways, the chemical solution gathers near the tip of the protruding liquid drainage part and grows into a ball shape, which drops at once due to its own weight, so that the droplets do not grow excessively and the nozzle Residue of the chemical at the tip is suppressed. As a result, hygiene issues such as adsorption of suspended solids and deposition of components due to drying can be solved, and fluctuations in the amount of dripping are also suppressed, so that the effectiveness of the chemical solution is correctly demonstrated.

  As in the second aspect of the invention, excessive supply of the chemical solution is suppressed by providing a restriction in the flow path connecting the discharge port to the container body. For this reason, even when the container body is pressed strongly during dripping, the amount of the chemical that overflows from the discharge port is limited, and the dripping section and the liquid draining section perform their original functions and do not interfere with normal dripping operations. . Further, even when the container body is laid down carelessly, the chemical liquid can be prevented from leaking naturally.

It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the dripping nozzle by this invention, and the perspective view which shows the detail of a front-end | tip part. It is a side view which shows the process in which a droplet is formed with a dripping nozzle. It is a graph which shows a measurement result about the relationship between the angle of a dripping nozzle, and the quantity of the chemical | medical solution which remains in a dripping nozzle. The horizontal axis of the graph is the dropping angle indicating the posture of the dropping nozzle, the vertical axis is the residual amount of the chemical solution attached to the dropping nozzle, and the graph shows the measurement results of four types of dropping nozzles. It is a graph which shows a measurement result about the relationship between the protrusion length of a liquid cutting part, and the quantity of the chemical | medical solution which remains in a dripping nozzle. The horizontal axis of the graph is the dropping angle indicating the posture of the dropping nozzle, the vertical axis is the residual amount of the chemical solution attached to the dropping nozzle, and the graph shows the measurement results of four types of dropping nozzles. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the example of a shape of the dripping nozzle by this invention, and the perspective view which shows the detail of a front-end | tip part.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a dripping nozzle 11 according to the present invention. A cylindrical neck portion 32 is formed on an upper portion of a container main body 31 for storing a chemical solution, and the dripping nozzle 11 is fitted therein to provide a sealing property. It is secured. Both the container main body 31 and the dropping nozzle 11 are made of synthetic resin, and a male thread 33 for attaching a cap (not shown) is formed on the side peripheral surface of the neck portion 32.

  The dripping nozzle 11 has a columnar shape, with the flange 24 positioned substantially in the center as a boundary, the lower part is press-fitted into the neck 32, and the upper part protrudes to the outside. Of the portion protruding to the outside, the range assuming contact with the chemical solution is the dropping unit 21, the range not in contact with the chemical solution immediately below is the root portion 23, and further on the boundary between the dropping unit 21 and the root portion 23. A liquid draining portion 25 is provided. In addition, a very narrow flow path 22 that penetrates both ends is formed in the center of the dropping nozzle 11 to drop the chemical solution to the outside. The discharge port 20 is located at the center of the droplet forming unit 21 and attaches a chemical solution with surface tension to form a predetermined droplet.

  The drop forming unit 21 has a trapezoidal shape centered on the discharge port 20 as viewed from the vertical cross section, and is finished horizontally only in the vicinity of the outer edge of the discharge port 20. Has reached. By making the dripping part 21 into a trapezoidal shape, the surface area is increased as compared with a simple flat surface or a hemispherical surface, and the amount of the chemical solution attached by the surface tension is increased. In addition, at the entrance (lowermost part) of the flow path 22 that penetrates the dropping nozzle 11, a throttle 26 having a locally narrowed cross section is formed in order to suppress the flow rate of the chemical solution.

  The liquid draining part 25 regulates the flow range of the chemical liquid and prevents dropping at a position away from the discharge port 20, and also has a function of collecting the chemical liquid to grow the liquid droplet and promoting the dropping. However, the liquid drainage portion 25 is not a simple brim shape, but has a wedge shape with an upper portion as a horizontal surface 27 as shown in “A portion enlarged view”. Therefore, the back leakage phenomenon in which the chemical solution goes around the tip of the liquid cutting part 25 is prevented, and dripping proceeds more normally. In addition, since the horizontal surface 27 does not have any unevenness, the chemical solution cannot be stored, and the residual after dropping is also suppressed.

  The root portion 23 is a portion for securing a distance from the neck portion 32 to the discharge port 20, and corresponds to the small diameter of the dripping portion 21 and has a tapered shape. Further, the upper end of the root portion 23 has a smaller diameter than the outer edge of the liquid cutting portion 25, and a constriction is inevitably formed at this location. In addition, since the root part 23 does not participate in dripping of a chemical | medical solution, the extension, a shape, etc. can be decided freely based on the operativity at the time of dripping work, etc.

  FIG. 2 shows a process in which droplets are formed by the dropping nozzle 11. When the container main body 31 is turned to the side and the side surface is pressed with a finger or the like, a droplet is formed at the tip of the dropping nozzle 11 and when it grows sufficiently, gravity overcomes the surface tension and the whole falls. In the “dropping nozzle according to the present invention” shown in the upper part of the figure, the chemical solution adheres to the lower half of the dropping unit 21, which is dammed by the liquid draining unit 25, and spherical droplets grow up directly below.

  When the pressure on the container body 31 is stopped during the growth of the liquid droplet, the supply from the discharge port 20 is also stopped, the entire liquid droplet moves downward, hangs down like a tear from the tip of the liquid drainage portion 25, and at a stroke. Fall. It should be noted that when the chemical solution is accumulated at the tip of the liquid cutting part 25, the chemical solution adhering to the periphery is drawn in, so that the remaining amount is reduced. Further, by making the liquid drainage portion 25 have a sharp wedge shape, the contact with the droplet is limited to a narrow region, and the droplet does not grow excessively.

  On the other hand, in the “general dripping nozzle” shown in the lower part of the figure, the chemical solution diffuses throughout the lower part of the dripping nozzle and the droplet grows large, and the chemical solution near the surface of the dripping nozzle adheres without dropping. Continue to increase the residue. Further, the position where the liquid droplet falls may be far away from the discharge port, and there is a possibility that the chemical cannot be supplied into the eye. It should be noted that there is no clear difference in the amount of dropped chemical solution when the discharge port is directed directly below for both the “dropping nozzle according to the present invention” and the “general dropping nozzle”. Therefore, in this invention, the shape of the dripping part 21 or the liquid cutting part 25 is determined so that the change of the dripping amount by the attitude | position of the container main body 31 may become small.

  FIG. 3 is a graph showing measurement results regarding the relationship between the angle of the dropping nozzle and the amount of the chemical remaining in the dropping nozzle. The “drop angle” on the horizontal axis of the graph indicates the position of the drop nozzle. When the discharge port of the drop nozzle faces directly below, the drop angle is 90 degrees, and when the discharge port faces sideways, the drop angle is 0 degrees. It becomes. Next, the “residual amount after dropping” on the vertical axis of the graph is a result of slowly pressing the container body and dropping 10 drops, then wiping the dropping nozzle with absorbent paper and reading the increase in weight. The amount of the chemical solution attached to the nozzle is shown.

  In this experiment, in addition to the dropping nozzle according to the present invention, the measurement was performed using the general dropping nozzle shown in FIG. 3 and two products that are actually commercially available. In addition, as the chemical solution, 0.1% polysorbate aqueous solution is used, and measurement is performed five times for each dropping angle, and a graph is created based on the average value. In addition, consideration is also given to various conditions such as room temperature as much as possible.

  As shown in the graph of FIG. 3, when the dropping angles were 90 degrees and 45 degrees, none of the dropping nozzles could measure the residue. However, when the dropping nozzle is brought close to the horizontal and the dropping angle becomes 15 degrees, 1 mg to 3 mg of residue other than the dropping nozzle according to the present invention is generated. Further, when the dropping nozzle is directed to the side and the dropping angle is set to 0 degree, a general dropping nozzle has a residue exceeding 20 mg, and the remaining two commercial products have a residue of about 5 mg. On the other hand, the dripping nozzle according to the present invention did not reach 1 mg and was confirmed to have excellent characteristics with almost no residue.

  FIG. 4 is a graph showing the measurement results of the relationship between the protruding length of the liquid cutting part 25 and the amount of the chemical remaining in the dropping nozzle. In this measurement, a total of four types of dripping nozzles (projection lengths: 0.1 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, and 1.0 mm) with different projecting lengths of the liquid drainage portions 25 were manufactured, The chemical solution was dripped at an angle. In any of the dripping nozzles, shapes other than the protruding length of the liquid cutting part 25 are aligned. Further, various conditions relating to the measurement, such as “drop angle” on the horizontal axis of the graph, “residual amount after dropping” on the vertical axis of the graph, and the type of chemical solution, are the same as those in FIG.

  As shown in the graph of FIG. 4, no residue could be measured when the drop angle was in the range of 90 to 45 degrees. However, as the drop angle approaches horizontal, the residue appears. Further, it is possible to clearly grasp the tendency that the residual amount increases as the protruding length of the liquid drainage portion 25 increases. However, even when the protrusion length is 1.0 mm, the maximum residual amount is about 5 mg, which is equivalent to the commercial product (1) and the commercial product (2) in FIG.

  It is presumed that the relationship between the protruding length of the liquid cutting part 25 and the residual amount is based on the width of the horizontal plane 27. As the horizontal surface 27 becomes wider, the amount of the chemical liquid adhering to the horizontal surface 27 due to surface tension increases. However, even when the dropping angle becomes 0 degree, the chemical liquid continues to adhere without dropping, and the graph of FIG. The result is as follows. Therefore, in order to reduce the residual amount, it is preferable to suppress the protruding length of the liquid drainage portion 25 to the minimum necessary.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of the shape of the dropping nozzle 12 according to the present invention. In the present invention, it is an essential requirement to provide the liquid cutting part 25 in the dropping nozzle, but other parts can be freely determined to some extent, and the dripping part 21 may be hemispherical as shown in this figure. it can. Further, the root portion 23 can also be formed in a cylindrical shape having a constant diameter as shown in this figure. However, the skirt of the root portion 23 is widened for connection with the flange 24. In addition, the liquid draining portion 25 is sharper than that depicted in FIG. As described above, the amount of protrusion from the dropping unit 21 and the root part 23 and the angle of the tip of the liquid draining part 25 may be freely determined according to the purpose.

11 Dripping nozzle (base is tapered)
12 Dripping nozzle (the base is cylindrical)
20 Discharge port 21 Drop forming part 22 Flow path 23 Root part 24 Flange 25 Liquid draining part 26 Restriction 27 Horizontal surface 31 Container body 32 Neck part 33 Male thread

Claims (2)

A dripping nozzle (11 or 12) incorporated in the neck (32) of the container body (31) for storing the chemical solution,
Forming a drop forming part (21) protruding in a mountain shape around the discharge port (20) at the end of the chemical liquid flow path (22) and a root part (23) extending around the flow path (22) in a rod shape And
At the boundary between the dripping section (21) and the root section (23), a liquid cutting section (25) protruding in the outer peripheral direction is provided, and the vertical section of the liquid cutting section (25) has a sharp wedge. A dripping nozzle having a shape and having an upper surface finished in a horizontal plane (27) .   The dripping nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the flow path (22) is provided with a throttle (26) having a locally narrowed cross section.

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