JP7545719B2 - Application container - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a cap that is attached to an application container, and the application container.

Various caps and application containers have been known in the past. JP 2011-120843 A describes a cosmetic tool with a cap. The cosmetic tool with a cap consists of a cap and a cosmetic tool. In the cosmetic tool with a cap, the cap and the cosmetic tool are fitted together so as to be freely attached and detached. An opening is formed at one end of the cap through which the cosmetic tool is inserted, and an inner plug made of a soft material is attached inside the cap.

The inner plug is tubular with a bottom. An annular protrusion is formed on the inner plug, and this annular protrusion engages with the inner surface of the cap, thereby engaging the inner plug inside the cap. The inner plug has an opening through which the cosmetic tool is inserted. The inner diameter of the inner plug increases from the bottom surface of the inner plug toward the opening. A protrusion is formed on the inner surface of the inner plug with which the outer surface of the inserted cosmetic tool comes into contact.

JP 2011-120843 A

In the above-mentioned cosmetic tool with cap, the cosmetic tool engages with the cap in a state where the outer surface of the cosmetic tool inserted into the opening of the inner plug is in contact with the convex portion of the inner plug. This ensures airtightness of the cosmetic tool. However, this cap is not compatible with application containers other than the above-mentioned cosmetic tool, so currently, application containers other than the cosmetic tool cannot be attached. Specifically, when attempting to attach an application container other than the cosmetic tool to this cap, the above-mentioned convex portion may not come into contact with the outer surface of the application container, making it impossible to ensure airtightness of the application container.

In addition, currently, coating containers are manufactured and distributed as a set of a cap and a container body to which the cap is attached. In this case, the cap must be manufactured at the same time as the container body, and as the variety of coating containers increases, a large number of container bodies and caps must be manufactured, which can cause problems such as increased manufacturing costs. Furthermore, even when only the container body needs to be replaced, both the container body and the cap must be discarded and both the container body and the cap must be purchased. This can lead to problems such as a large amount of discarded coating containers, which can have a negative impact on the environment and increase purchasing costs.

The present disclosure aims to provide a cap and an applicator container that can be fitted with multiple types of applicator containers and can ensure airtightness for each of the multiple types of applicator containers.

The application container according to the present disclosure comprises a bottomed cylindrical cap, a first container attached to the cap, and a second container attached to the cap, the inner surface of the cap having a first contact portion with which the outer surface of the first container contacts and a second contact portion with which the outer surface of the second container contacts , the second container being a container having a cosmetic material with a larger diameter than the cosmetic material in the first container, the second contact portion being located at a position farther from the bottom of the cap than the first contact portion, and the inner diameter of the second contact portion being larger than the inner diameter of the first contact portion.

The inner surface of the cap has a first contact portion with which the outer surface of the first container to be attached comes into contact, and a second contact portion with which the outer surface of the second container to be attached comes into contact. Therefore, both the first container and the second container can be attached. The inner surface of the cap has a first contact portion with which the outer surface of the first container comes into contact, and a second contact portion with which the outer surface of the second container comes into contact, so that airtightness can be ensured whether the first container or the second container is attached. In addition, the cap has a first contact portion and a second contact portion, and if the outer surface comes into contact with either the first contact portion or the second contact portion, airtightness of the first container and the second container can be ensured. Therefore, even if the variation of the application container increases, it is possible to ensure airtightness by attaching the cap to various application containers. Furthermore, when it is desired to replace the container body, there is no need to discard the cap, and this cap can be attached to a newly purchased application container, so that the cost of manufacturing and purchasing the cap can be reduced.

The cap may include a cylindrical outer cap with a bottom, and a cylindrical inner cap that is disposed inside the outer cap and has an opening facing the opposite side of the bottom surface of the outer cap, and the aforementioned inner surface may be provided on the inner cap. In this case, the cylindrical inner cap is disposed inside the outer cap, and the inner cap has an opening facing the opposite side of the bottom surface of the outer cap, and the inner surface of the inner cap is provided with a first contact portion that contacts the outer surface of the first container and a second contact portion that contacts the outer surface of the second container. In this way, by the inner cap having the first contact portion and the second contact portion, both the first container and the second container can be attached, and a normal cylindrical cap with a bottom can be used as the outer cap.

The first contact portion and the second contact portion may each be an annular protrusion that extends in the circumferential direction of the cap and protrudes from the inner surface. In this case, the first contact portion and the second contact portion are each annular protrusions that protrude from the inner surface, and each annular protrusion extends in the circumferential direction of the cap. Therefore, since the annular protrusions extending in the circumferential direction contact the outer surface of the first container and the outer surface of the second container, respectively, it is possible to more effectively ensure airtightness of each of the first container and the second container.

The cross-sectional shape of the first contact portion cut in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the cap and the cross-sectional shape of the second contact portion cut in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction may be circular. In this case, the first contact portion and the second contact portion can be brought into contact with the first container and the second container, respectively, whose cross-sectional shapes cut in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction are circular, and airtightness can be ensured for each of the first container and the second container, which have circular cross-sectional shapes.

The applicator container according to the present disclosure may include the above-mentioned cap and a container body to which the cap is attached. In this case, the cap of this applicator container has, on its inner surface, a first contact portion that contacts the outer surface of the first container and a second contact portion that contacts the outer surface of the second container, so that the same effect as the above-mentioned cap can be obtained. In other words, both the first container and the second container can be attached, and airtightness can be ensured regardless of whether the first container or the second container is attached, and the manufacturing and purchasing costs of the cap can be reduced.

According to the present disclosure, multiple types of application containers can be attached, and airtightness can be ensured for each of the multiple types of application containers.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing an application container including a cap and a first container according to the embodiment. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the application container shown in FIG. 1 along line AA. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an application container provided with a cap and a second container according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cap and the first container according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a cap and a second container according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the inner cap of the cap according to the embodiment. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the inner cap taken along line BB in FIG. 6. 1A is a side view showing a first piston of a first container, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. 1A is a side view showing a second piston of a second container, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of FIG.

Below, an embodiment of the cap and applicator container according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or corresponding elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

Figure 1 is a side view of an applicator container according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the applicator container of Figure 1 taken along line A-A. The applicator container according to this embodiment is, for example, an applicator container that applies a coating material. The "coating material" refers to something that is applied to a target portion to be coated. The "coating material" may be, for example, a cosmetic product, a cosmetic applicator such as a puff, sponge, tip, impregnated body, or brush, or a drawing material such as a brush or stationery. Below, an example will be described in which the applicator container according to this embodiment is a cosmetic container that holds a cosmetic product.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the application container 100 according to this embodiment is, for example, a pencil-shaped cosmetic dispenser that dispenses (pushes) cosmetic M contained therein by operation of a user. The cosmetic M is, for example, an eyeliner, eyebrow pencil, lip liner, lipstick, lip gloss, cosmetic stick, or concealer. The cosmetic M may be a rod-shaped material that contains a flexible material (for example, a semi-solid, soft, gelatinous, mousse-like, or a paste containing these).

For example, the cosmetic material M is composed of a highly volatile material. Furthermore, the cosmetic material M may be a thin rod-shaped object with an outer diameter of 1.5 mm or less, a general rod-shaped object with an outer diameter of 1.5 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less, or a thick rod-shaped object with an outer diameter of 4.0 mm or more. Figure 2 shows an example in which the pipe material P filled with cosmetic material M, which is an eyeliner or eyebrow, has an outer diameter of 1.5 mm.

The applicator container 100 comprises a cap 10 and a container body 1 (first container) to which the cap 10 is attached. The container body 1, which is an exemplary first container, comprises a front tube 2 having a pipe material P in which cosmetic material M is stored, a central tube 3 connected to and engaged with the front tube 2, and a tail plug 4 which is an operating tube connected to the side of the central tube 3 opposite the front tube 2 and engaged with the central tube 3 so as to be rotatable relative to the central tube 3. The applicator container 100 is ready for use when the cap 10 is removed and the central tube 3 and the tail plug 4 are rotated relative to each other in one direction to push out the cosmetic material M from the front tube 2.

In the following description, the direction in which the leading tube 2 is provided as viewed from the central tube 3 may be referred to as the front, and the direction in which the tail plug 4 is provided as viewed from the central tube 3 as the rear. The direction in which the cosmetic material M is dispensed may also be referred to as the front (forward direction), and the opposite direction as the rear (rear direction). However, these directions are for the convenience of description and do not limit the arrangement of parts, etc.

The front tube 2, central tube 3, and tail plug 4 are aligned, for example, along the axial direction of the container body 1. In this disclosure, the "axis" refers to the axis of the cylindrical body, and indicates the center line of the application container extending along the longitudinal direction of the application container. The "axial direction" refers to the longitudinal direction of the application container, and indicates the direction along the axis. The "radial direction" refers to the direction perpendicular to the axis, and the "circumferential direction" refers to the direction along a ring centered on the axis.

A push rod 5 is inserted inside the pipe material P inside the front tube 2, and pushes the cosmetic material M outward via a piston 20. The push rod 5 is arranged to extend in the axial direction inside a cylindrical anti-rotation member 6 located inside the front tube 2, a cylindrical ratchet member 7 located inside the central tube 3, and a cylindrical female screw member 8 located inside the tail plug 4.

The push rod 5 is biased backward by a spring member 9 disposed inside the ratchet member 7. The ratchet member 7 and the female screw member 8 constitute a ratchet mechanism R, which will be described later. The spring member 9 is, for example, a compression coil spring. The ratchet mechanism R allows relative rotation between the central tube 3 and the tail plug 4 in only one direction (for example, clockwise), and restricts relative rotation in the opposite direction (for example, counterclockwise).

The front tube 2 has an opening 2b for allowing the cosmetic material M contained in the pipe material P to emerge. Inside the front tube 2, a first storage area 2c is provided for storing the cosmetic material M, the pipe material P, and the piston 20, and a second storage area 2d is provided for storing the push rod 5 and the rotation stopper member 6. The pipe material P that stores the cosmetic material M and the piston 20 is disposed in the first storage area 2c.

The second storage area 2d is provided on the rear side of the first storage area 2c (opposite the opening 2b). For example, the inner diameter of the second storage area 2d is larger than the inner diameter of the first storage area 2c. Between the first storage area 2c and the second storage area 2d, an expanding diameter section 2f is formed, the diameter of which increases from the first storage area 2c toward the second storage area 2d. In the second storage area 2d, the pipe material P is disposed in front of the rotation stop member 6.

A sloped surface 2g is formed on the outer periphery of the front tube 2, tapering toward the front (opening 2b). Behind the sloped surface 2g, a protrusion 2h, a tapered surface 2j, and a flange 2k are formed for attaching the cap 10. The protrusion 2h, tapered surface 2j, and flange 2k are arranged in this order from front to rear.

The cap 10 abuts against the front surface of the flange 2k, and the central tube 3 abuts against the rear surface of the flange 2k. The leading tube 2 has a male screw 2p and an annular recess 2q behind the flange 2k. The male screw 2p is provided forward of the annular recess 2q. The male screw 2p is the part that screws into the central tube 3, and the leading tube 2 is attached to the central tube 3 by screwing the male screw 2p into the central tube 3. The annular recess 2q is the part where the O-ring G1 fits in, and the leading tube 2 is attached to the central tube 3 with the O-ring G1 fitted into the annular recess 2q.

The pipe material P has, for example, a stepped cylindrical shape. The material of the pipe material P is, for example, PET (polyethylene terephthalate). The cosmetic material M is pre-filled inside the pipe material P, and the cosmetic material M protruding from the front tube 2 is applied by pushing the filled cosmetic material M from the rear. The inner surface of the pipe material P is, for example, a smooth surface. In this case, the cosmetic material M can be smoothly pushed out of the pipe material P by the push rod 5.

The pipe material P has, for example, a first storage area P1 that stores the cosmetic material M and the piston 20, and a second storage area P2 into which the push rod 5 and a portion of the rotation stop member 6 enter. The diameter (outer diameter and inner diameter) of the second storage area P2 is larger than the diameter of the first storage area P1. Between the first storage area P1 and the second storage area P2, an expanding portion P3 is formed, which expands in diameter from the first storage area P1 toward the second storage area P2. In the second storage area P2, the push rod 5 passes inside the rotation stop member 6.

The push rod 5 has a rod-shaped portion 5b that pushes the cosmetic material M contained inside the pipe material P forward, and a protrusion 5c extending in the axial direction is formed on the outer surface of the rod-shaped portion 5b. The push rod 5 has, for example, multiple protrusions 5c that are arranged in a line along the circumferential direction of the push rod 5. Furthermore, the push rod 5 has an enlarged diameter portion 5d located on the rear side of the rod-shaped portion 5b, and a male screw 5f formed on the outer periphery of the enlarged diameter portion 5d.

The rod-shaped portion 5b is a portion that engages with the rotation stop member 6 in the circumferential direction, and by engaging the rod-shaped portion 5b with the rotation stop member 6 in the circumferential direction, the push rod 5 is allowed to move axially but not circumferentially relative to the rotation stop member 6. The enlarged diameter portion 5d is a portion that is enlarged in diameter on the rear side of the rod-shaped portion 5b, and constitutes, for example, the rear end of the push rod 5. The front surface of the enlarged diameter portion 5d corresponds to a portion that supports one end (rear end) of the spring member 9. The male screw 5f is a portion that screws into the female screw member 8, and constitutes one side of the screwing portion T that is constituted by the push rod 5 and the female screw member 8.

The rotation stop member 6 is, for example, a stepped cylindrical shape. The inner surface of the rotation stop member 6 is formed with a push rod insertion area 6b into which the push rod 5 is inserted, and an enlarged diameter hole portion 6d that opens to the rear side behind the push rod insertion area 6b. A protrusion 6c is formed on the inner surface of the push rod insertion area 6b. For example, the rotation stop member 6 has multiple protrusions 6c, and each protrusion 6c protrudes radially inward of the rotation stop member 6 and extends in the axial direction. The rod-shaped portion 5b of the push rod 5 engages with the protrusions 6c in the circumferential direction, and the engagement of the rod-shaped portion 5b with the protrusions 6c prevents the push rod 5 from rotating relative to the rotation stop member 6.

The enlarged diameter hole 6d is the portion into which the other end (front end) of the spring member 9 fits. The enlarged diameter hole 6d is the portion that supports the front end of the spring member 9. The spring member 9 is disposed so as to extend in the axial direction between the enlarged diameter portion 5d of the push rod 5 and the enlarged diameter hole 6d of the rotation stop member 6. The spring member 9 biases the push rod 5 rearward and biases the rotation stop member 6 forward.

The outer surface of the rotation stop member 6 is formed with, for example, an insertion portion 6f that is inserted into the pipe material P, a protrusion 6g located behind the insertion portion 6f, and a flange portion 6h located behind the protrusion 6g. The insertion portion 6f is the portion that is inserted into the pipe material P from the rear. The protrusion 6g extends in the axial direction on the outer surface of the rotation stop member 6. A plurality of protrusions 6g are formed along the circumferential direction of the rotation stop member 6. The protrusions 6g abut against the rear end of the front tube 2 and are the portions that engage with the ratchet member 7 in the circumferential direction when attached to the front tube 2.

The flange 6h is a portion that engages with the ratchet member 7 in the axial direction, and the front surface of the flange 6h abuts against the ratchet member 7, thereby engaging the rotation stop member 6 with the ratchet member 7 in the axial direction. In this way, the rotation stop member 6 engages with the ratchet member 7 in the axial direction, thereby preventing the rotation stop member 6 from falling off the ratchet member 7.

The ratchet member 7 is, for example, cylindrical and has a spring portion 7c with a slit 7b formed in the center in the axial direction. The ratchet member 7 includes a front cylinder portion 7d with which the rotation stop member 6 engages, the above-mentioned spring portion 7c, and a rear cylinder portion 7f with which the female screw member 8 engages. For example, the outer surface of the front cylinder portion 7d is formed with multiple ridges extending in the axial direction, and these ridges engage in the rotational direction with the knurling 3b formed on the inner surface of the central cylinder 3.

The inner surface of the front cylinder portion 7d is formed with multiple protrusions extending in the axial direction, and the multiple protrusions are arranged so as to be aligned along the circumferential direction of the ratchet member 7. The rotation stop member 6 is movable in the axial direction relative to the ratchet member 7, and when the rotation stop member 6 is positioned rearward, the above-mentioned protrusions of the front cylinder portion 7d circumferentially engage with the protrusions 6g of the rotation stop member 6. Then, when the rotation stop member 6 is positioned forward, the circumferential engagement between the protrusions of the ratchet member 7 and the protrusions 6g is released.

For example, the spring portion 7c is formed in a cylindrical shape. As described above, the spring portion 7c has a slit 7b. Therefore, the spring portion 7c is expandable and contractable in the axial direction, and constitutes an expandable resin spring. The rear cylinder portion 7f has second ratchet teeth 7g that engage with the first ratchet teeth 8b formed on the female screw member 8.

The second ratchet teeth 7g are formed, for example, at the rear end of the ratchet member 7. The first ratchet teeth 8b and the second ratchet teeth 7g constitute the ratchet mechanism R described above. The ratchet mechanism R allows the ratchet member 7 to rotate in one direction relative to the female screw member 8, and restricts rotation in the opposite direction to that one direction.

The female screw member 8 has, for example, a stepped cylindrical shape having an annular protrusion 8c on which the first ratchet teeth 8b are formed. The part of the female screw member 8 in front of the annular protrusion 8c is inserted into the ratchet member 7, and the part of the female screw member 8 behind the annular protrusion 8c is inserted into the tail plug 4.

The female screw member 8 has a female screw 8d that screws with the male screw 5f of the push rod 5, and a storage area 8f located in front of the female screw 8d on its inner circumference. The female screw 8d extends forward from the rear end of the female screw member 8 in a spiral shape, and the male screw 5f formed on the enlarged diameter portion 5d of the push rod 5 screws with it. The female screw 8d constitutes the other of the aforementioned screwing portion T. In other words, the female screw 8d and the male screw 5f of the push rod 5 constitute the screwing portion T.

A part of the push rod 5 and a part of the spring member 9 are accommodated in the accommodation area 8f. As described above, one end of the spring member 9 is supported by the push rod 5, and the other end of the spring member 9 is supported by the rotation stop member 6. The spring member 9 extends in the axial direction between the enlarged diameter portion 5d of the push rod 5 and the rotation stop member 6 inside the ratchet member 7 and inside the female screw member 8.

A tail plug 4 is provided behind the female screw member 8. The tail plug 4 is provided to close the opening 3c formed at the rear end of the central tube 3. The tail plug 4 has a cylindrical insertion portion 4b that is inserted into the central tube 3, and a cylindrical portion 4c that is located behind the insertion portion 4b. The outer diameter of the insertion portion 4b is smaller than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 4c, and for example, the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 4c is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the central tube 3. The tail plug 4 is rotatable relative to the central tube 3 in the circumferential direction, and functions as an operating tube that performs the cosmetic material M dispensing operation by rotating relative to the central tube 3.

The inner surface of the insertion portion 4b is provided with a housing area 4d that houses the female screw member 8. The outer surface of the insertion portion 4b is formed with an annular protrusion 4f that axially engages with an annular recess 3d formed on the inner surface of the central tube 3, and an annular recess 4g that houses an O-ring G2. The O-ring G2 housed in the annular recess 4g is provided to closely contact the inner surface of the central tube 3 and ensure airtightness inside the central tube 3.

The procedure for using the application container 100 (container body 1) configured as described above will now be described. First, the cap 10 is removed from the container body 1 (front tube 2), and the central tube 3 and tail plug 4 are rotated relative to one another in one direction. This causes the tail plug 4 and female screw member 8 to rotate synchronously, and the central tube 3, ratchet member 7, front tube 2, pipe material P, and push rod 5 to rotate synchronously, which causes the screwing action of the screwing part T to work, moving the push rod 5 forward relative to the female screw member 8. As the push rod 5 advances, it pushes the cosmetic material M inside the pipe material P forward, and the cosmetic material M protruding forward from the front tube 2 is applied to the area to be applied (e.g., the user's skin), and the cosmetic material M is ready for use.

As the push rod 5 advances, the spring member 9 gradually contracts. Furthermore, the ratchet mechanism R restricts relative rotation in the opposite direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the push rod 5 and the cosmetic M do not retract. Furthermore, when the front tube 2 is attached to the central tube 3, the protrusion 6g of the rotation stop member 6 is engaged with the protrusion formed on the inner surface of the ratchet member 7 in the circumferential direction, so that the rotation stop member 6 rotates synchronously with the ratchet member 7.

The above describes the container body 1 (first container) to which the cap 10 of the application container 100 is attached. As shown in FIG. 3, the cap 10 according to this embodiment can be attached not only to the container body 1, but also to, for example, a container body 31 (second container) different from the container body 1. In other words, the cap 10 can be attached to multiple types of container bodies.

Since part of the configuration of container body 31, which is an exemplary second container, overlaps with part of the configuration of container body 1, the description of the parts that overlap with container body 1 will be omitted below as appropriate by assigning the same reference numerals as above. Like container body 1, container body 31, for example, comprises a central tube 3, a tail plug 4, a push rod 5, a rotation stopper member 6, a ratchet member 7, a female screw member 8, and a spring member 9. In other words, the central tube 3, the tail plug 4, the push rod 5, the rotation stopper member 6, the ratchet member 7, the female screw member 8, and the spring member 9 are common parts between container body 1 and container body 31.

The container body 31 includes a cosmetic material N, a front tube 32, a pipe material Q, and a piston 40. The cosmetic material N, the front tube 32, the pipe material Q, and the piston 40 are different from the cosmetic material M, the front tube 2, the pipe material P, and the piston 20 of the container body 1, respectively. The cosmetic material N and the piston 40 are contained in the pipe material Q, which is contained in the front tube 32. Figure 3 shows an example in which the outer diameter of the pipe material Q filled with cosmetic material N, which is a lip liner, is 3.0 mm. For example, the cosmetic material N is made of a highly volatile material.

The front tube 32 housing the cosmetic N, the piston 40, and the pipe material Q may be a cartridge that is detachable from other parts of the container body 31. In this case, the front tube 32 housing the cosmetic N, the piston 40, and the pipe material Q can be removed from the central tube 3, and the front tube 2 housing the cosmetic M, the piston 20, and the pipe material P can be attached to the central tube 3, for example.

The leading tube 32 has an opening 32b for allowing the cosmetic N contained in the pipe material Q to emerge, and inside the leading tube 32 is a storage area 32c for storing the cosmetic N, the pipe material Q, and the piston 40. A part of the rotation stopper member 6 and a part of the push rod 5 are inserted behind the piston 40 in the storage area 32c. The inner diameter of the storage area 32c of the leading tube 32 is constant, for example, in the axial direction of the leading tube 32.

The pipe material Q has, for example, a cylindrical shape. The pipe material Q has a storage area Q1 that stores the cosmetic material N and the piston 40, and, for example, the inner diameter of the storage area Q1 is constant along the axial direction of the pipe material Q. A part (front part) of the rotation stop member 6 into which the push rod 5 is inserted is inserted behind the piston 40 in the storage area Q1.

The procedure for using the application container 100 including the container body 31 is, for example, the same as the procedure for using the container body 1 described above. That is, when the cap 10 is removed from the container body 31 (front tube 32) and the central tube 3 and tail plug 4 are rotated relative to one another in one direction, the screwing action of the screwing portion T is activated, causing the push rod 5 to advance against the female screw member 8, and the cosmetic N inside the pipe material Q is pushed forward. Then, the cosmetic N protruding forward from the front tube 32 is applied to the area to be applied, and the cosmetic N is ready for use.

As mentioned above, the cap 10 can be attached to multiple types of containers. Specifically, the cap 10 can be attached to multiple containers having multiple types of application materials with different outer diameters. For example, the cap 10 can be attached to both the container body 1 (front tube 2) having a thin-diameter cosmetic material M, and the container body 31 (front tube 32) having a thick-diameter cosmetic material N. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the cap 10 attached to the container body 1, and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the cap 10 attached to the container body 31.

As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, the cap 10 comprises a cylindrical outer cap 11 with a bottom and a cylindrical inner cap 12 having an opening 12b facing the opposite side of the bottom surface 11b of the outer cap 11.

For example, the outer cap 11 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom. At least one of the front tube 2 and the front tube 32 is inserted and attached to the outer cap 11. An annular recess 11d and an annular protrusion 11f are formed on the inner surface of the outer cap 11. As an example, the outer cap 11 is made of ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) resin. The inner cap 12 is made of, for example, an elastic material, and as an example, it is made of TPEE (polyester thermoplastic elastomer).

An annular convex portion 12c is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cap 12. The annular convex portion 12c passes over the annular convex portion 11f and fits into the annular concave portion 11d, thereby fixing the inner cap 12 to the outer cap 11. The inner cap 12 is provided, for example, to ensure airtightness of the cosmetic M or cosmetic N located inside the leading tube 2 or leading tube 32. The inner cap 12 has, for example, a cylindrical insertion portion 12d into which the leading tube 2 or leading tube 32 is inserted.

As described above, the inner cap 12 is disposed inside the outer cap 11. The inner diameter of the inner cap 12 (insertion portion 12d) becomes smaller as it moves away from the opening 12b. This allows the inner cap 12 to be molded easily and with high precision. Specifically, the inner cap 12 is, for example, cylindrical with a bottom, and the inner diameter of the inner cap 12 becomes smaller as it approaches the bottom portion 12f of the inner cap 12.

The inner cap 12 is held by the bottom 11c of the outer cap 11. The inner surface of the inner cap 12 is formed with a first contact portion 12g that contacts the outer surface 2r of the container body 1 (front tube 2) that is attached to the outer cap 11, and a second contact portion 12h that contacts the outer surface 32r of the container body 31 (front tube 32) that is attached to the outer cap 11.

Figure 6 is a side view of the inner cap 12. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 6. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the inner cap 12 has a stepped cylindrical shape. On the outer circumferential surface of the inner cap 12, the aforementioned annular convex portion 12c, annular convex portion 12j located closer to the opening 12b than the annular convex portion 12c, and an expanded diameter portion 12k that is expanded in diameter on the opening 12b side of the annular convex portion 12j are formed.

For example, only the annular protrusion 12c contacts the inner surface of the outer cap 11, and the annular protrusion 12j and the enlarged diameter portion 12k are provided to prevent rattling of the inner cap 12 inside the outer cap 11. The outer surface of the bottom portion 12f of the inner cap 12 is, for example, circular, and a recess 12p recessed in the axial direction of the inner cap 12 is formed in the center of the outer surface of the bottom portion 12f. For example, the annular protrusion 12c has an inclined surface 12q located on the front side and a top surface 12r located on the rear side of the inclined surface 12q. In addition, an inclined surface 12s is formed on the front side of the enlarged diameter portion 12k, which gradually inclines in the direction of decreasing diameter from the enlarged diameter portion 12k.

For example, the thickness of the inner cap 12 gradually increases from the opening 12b toward the bottom 12f. The first contact portion 12g is, for example, an annular protrusion extending in the circumferential direction of the inner cap 12 and protruding from the inner surface of the inner cap 12. As described above, the inner diameter of the cap 10 (inner cap 12) gradually decreases as it moves away from the opening 12b. Note that "the inner diameter of the cap gradually decreases as it moves away from the opening" is not limited to the case where the inner diameter of the cap decreases monotonically as it moves away from the opening, but also includes the case where a step in which the inner diameter changes is formed on the inner surface of the cap, and the case where the inner diameter of the cap decreases overall as it moves away from the opening but a portion in which the inner diameter increases is formed along the way. That is, a portion in which the inner diameter increases may be formed in a part of the portion in which the inner diameter "gradually decreases". In addition, "the inner diameter of the cap gradually decreases as it moves away from the opening" may indicate that the cross-sectional area of the internal space of the cap (e.g., the insertion portion 12d) gradually decreases as it moves away from the opening. The "inner diameter" is not limited to the diameter of a circular inner surface, but also includes, for example, the inner diameter of a non-circular hole. The "inner diameter of a non-circular hole" corresponds, for example, to the diameter of the inscribed circle of the hole.

For example, the cross-sectional shape of the first contact portion 12g cut on a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the inner cap 12 is circular. Also, the cross-sectional shape of the first contact portion 12g cut on a plane along the axial direction of the inner cap 12 is curved (as an example, an arc shape). Since the cross-sectional shape of the first contact portion 12g is curved in this manner, it is possible to mold the first contact portion 12g of the inner cap 12 with high precision.

The second contact portion 12h is, for example, an annular convex portion that extends in the circumferential direction of the inner cap 12 and protrudes from the inner surface of the inner cap 12, similar to the first contact portion 12g. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the second contact portion 12h cut on a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the inner cap 12 is circular, and the cross-sectional shape of the second contact portion 12h cut on a plane along the axial direction of the inner cap 12 is curved. Examples of the shapes of the first contact portion 12g and the second contact portion 12h have been described above. However, the shapes of the first contact portion 12g and the second contact portion 12h are not limited to the above examples.

For example, the inner surface of the inner cap 12 is formed with a first inclined surface 12t that inclines from the opening 12b so that the inner surface of the inner cap 12 narrows in diameter, a second contact portion 12h, a first protrusion 12v located between the second contact portion 12h and the first contact portion 12g, a second inclined surface 12x located between the first protrusion 12v and the first contact portion 12g, the first contact portion 12g, and a second protrusion 12w located on the bottom 12f side of the first contact portion 12g.

The first inclined surface 12t, the second contact portion 12h, the first protrusion 12v, the second inclined surface 12x, the first contact portion 12g, and the second protrusion 12w are aligned in this order along the axial direction of the inner cap 12. A space 12y is formed between the second protrusion 12w and the bottom portion 12f, and is interposed between the front tube 2 (or front tube 32) and the bottom portion 12f.

The above describes an example in which the first inclined surface 12t, the second contact portion 12h, the first protrusion 12v, the second inclined surface 12x, the first contact portion 12g, and the second protrusion 12w are formed on the inner surface of the inner cap 12. However, the number of inclined surfaces and protrusions formed on the inner surface of the inner cap 12 may be one or three or more, and is not particularly limited. In addition, the inner surface of the inner cap 12 does not necessarily need to have a protrusion formed thereon.

Next, an example of the piston of the container body according to this embodiment will be described. As described above, the cap 10 of this embodiment is attached to both the container body 1 having a thin-diameter cosmetic material M and the container body 31 having a thick-diameter cosmetic material N. The configurations of the pistons arranged inside the pipe material P (or pipe material Q) of the container body 1 and the container body 31 are different from each other. Below, the piston 20 of the container body 1 and the piston 40 of the container body 31 will each be described.

First, an exemplary piston 20 of a container body 1 having a small diameter cosmetic material M will be described with reference to Figs. 2, 8(a) and 8(b). The small diameter piston 20 is, for example, rod-shaped. A first recess 21 recessed in the longitudinal direction of the piston 20 is formed at one longitudinal end of the piston 20, and a second recess 22 recessed in the longitudinal direction of the piston 20 is formed at the other longitudinal end of the piston 20. The second recess 22 corresponds to the portion into which the push rod 5 is inserted.

For example, an annular protrusion 23 is formed on the outer surface of the piston 20. Specifically, a pair of annular protrusions 23 are formed aligned along the longitudinal direction of the piston 20. The annular protrusions 23 are the portions that come into contact with the inner surface of the pipe material P, and with the annular protrusions 23 in contact with the inner surface of the pipe material P, the piston 20 slides in the axial direction inside the pipe material P.

Next, an exemplary piston 40 of a container body 31 having a large diameter cosmetic N will be described with reference to FIG. 3, FIG. 9(a) and FIG. 9(b). The large diameter piston 40 has, for example, a bottomed tubular shape (as an example, a bottomed cylindrical shape). An annular protrusion 43 is formed on the outer surface of the piston 40, and for example, a pair of annular protrusions 43 are formed aligned along the longitudinal direction of the piston 40.

The piston 40 is formed with a recess 41 that is recessed in the axial direction of the piston 40 and into which the push rod 5 is inserted. The depth of the recess 41 is, for example, deeper than the depth of the second recess 22 of the piston 20 described above. Also, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the axial length of the cosmetic N in the container body 31 is shorter than the axial length of the cosmetic M in the container body 1. Therefore, the cosmetic N in the container body 31 is shorter than the cosmetic M in the container body 1, and the recess 41 is deeper than the second recess 22, so that the stroke amount of the push rod 5 is adjusted, making it possible to advance only the necessary amount of each of the cosmetic M and the cosmetic N.

Next, the effects of the cap 10 and the application container 100 according to this embodiment will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the inner surface of the cap 10 has a first contact portion 12g with which the outer surface 2r of the container body 1 to be attached contacts, and a second contact portion 12h with which the outer surface 32r of the container body 31 to be attached contacts. Therefore, both the container body 1 and the container body 31 can be attached. The inner surface of the cap 10 is provided with the first contact portion 12g with which the outer surface 2r of the container body 1 contacts, and the second contact portion 12h with which the outer surface 32r of the container body 31 contacts, so that airtightness can be ensured regardless of whether the container body 1 or the container body 31 is attached. In addition, the cap 10 has the first contact portion 12g and the second contact portion 12h, and if the outer surface contacts either the first contact portion 12g or the second contact portion 12h, the airtightness of the container body 1 and the container body 31 can be ensured. Therefore, even if the variety of application containers 100 (container bodies) increases, it is possible to attach the cap 10 to various application containers to ensure airtightness. Furthermore, there is no need to discard the cap 10 when replacing the container body 1 or the container body 31, and the cap 10 can be attached to a newly purchased container body, so the manufacturing and purchasing costs of the cap 10 can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the cap 10 may include a cylindrical outer cap 11 with a bottom, and a cylindrical inner cap 12 that is disposed inside the outer cap 11 and has an opening 12b facing the opposite side of the bottom surface 11b of the outer cap 11, and the inner surface described above may be provided on the inner cap 12. In this case, the cylindrical inner cap 12 is disposed inside the outer cap 11, and the inner cap 12 has an opening 12b facing the opposite side of the bottom surface 11b of the outer cap 11, and the inner surface of the inner cap 12 is provided with a first contact portion 12g with which the outer surface 2r of the container body 1 comes into contact, and a second contact portion 12h with which the outer surface 32r of the container body 31 comes into contact. In this way, since the inner cap 12 has the first contact portion 12g and the second contact portion 12h, both the container body 1 and the container body 31 can be attached, and a normal cylindrical outer cap with a bottom can be used as the outer cap 11.

In this embodiment, each of the first contact portion 12g and the second contact portion 12h is an annular protrusion that extends in the circumferential direction of the cap 10 and protrudes from the inner surface. Therefore, each of the first contact portion 12g and the second contact portion 12h is an annular protrusion that protrudes from the inner surface, and each annular protrusion extends in the circumferential direction of the cap 10. Therefore, the annular protrusions extending in the circumferential direction contact each of the outer surface 2r of the container body 1 and the outer surface 32r of the container body 31, so that the airtightness of each of the container bodies 1 and 31 can be ensured.

In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the first contact portion 12g cut in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the cap 10 and the cross-sectional shape of the second contact portion 12h cut in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction are circular. Therefore, the first contact portion 12g and the second contact portion 12h can be brought into contact with the container body 1 and the container body 31, respectively, whose cross-sectional shapes cut in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction are circular, and the airtightness of the container body 1 and the container body 31, each of which has a circular cross-sectional shape, can be ensured.

The application container 100 according to this embodiment includes a cap 10 and a container body 1 or a container body 31 to which the cap 10 is attached. Therefore, the cap 10 of the application container 100 has, on its inner surface, a first contact portion 12g with which the outer surface 2r of the container body 1 comes into contact and a second contact portion 12h with which the outer surface 32r of the container body 31 comes into contact, so that the same effect as the cap 10 described above can be obtained. In other words, both the container body 1 and the container body 31 can be attached, and airtightness can be ensured regardless of whether the container body 1 or the container body 31 is attached, and the manufacturing and purchasing costs of the cap 10 can be reduced.

The above describes the embodiments of the cap and applicator container according to the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications are possible without changing the gist of the claims. In other words, the shape, size, number, material, and arrangement of each part of the cap and applicator container can be modified as appropriate without departing from the gist of the above.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the cap 10 in which the inner cap 12 is separate from the outer cap 11 has been described. However, in the cap, the inner cap may be integrated with the outer cap. In this case, it is possible to make the cap into a single component. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the cosmetic material M and the cosmetic material N made of a highly volatile material have been described. However, the cosmetic material material does not have to contain a highly volatile material and is not particularly limited.

In the above embodiment, a cap 10 having a double structure including an outer cap 11 and an inner cap 12 has been described. However, the cap may have a single structure, or a triple or more layer structure. For example, the outer cap, rather than the inner cap, may have a first contact portion and a second contact portion on the inner surface.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the inner surface of the inner cap 12 includes the first inclined surface 12t, the second contact portion 12h, the first protrusion 12v, the second inclined surface 12x, the first contact portion 12g, and the second protrusion 12w. However, the shape of the inner surface of the inner cap is not limited to the above example and can be changed as appropriate. For example, the inner cap may include the first contact portion 12g and the second contact portion 12h, and the portion between the first contact portion 12g and the second contact portion 12h may be a flat surface.

In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the first contact portion 12g and the second contact portion 12h are each annular convex portions. However, the shapes of the first contact portion and the second contact portion are not limited to annular convex portions. For example, the first contact portion and the second contact portion may be formed as inclined surfaces that are inclined with respect to the axial direction.

In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the cross-sectional shape of the first contact portion 12g cut on a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the inner cap 12 and the cross-sectional shape of the second contact portion 12h cut on a plane perpendicular to the axial direction are circular. However, the cross-sectional shapes of the first contact portion and the second contact portion are not limited to circular shapes, and may be, for example, elliptical, oval, or polygonal, such as triangular, rectangular, or hexagonal.

In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the container body 1 and the container body 31 each include a central tube 3, a tail plug 4, a push rod 5, a rotation stopper member 6, a ratchet member 7, a female screw member 8, and a spring member 9. However, since the cap according to the present disclosure can be attached to various container bodies (first container and second container), the type and number of parts of the container body are not limited to the above example and can be changed as appropriate. The container body (first container and second container) may be a container that does not have a dispensing mechanism.

In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the application material was cosmetic material M or cosmetic material N. However, the type of cosmetic material is not particularly limited. Furthermore, the application material may be something other than a cosmetic material, and may be, for example, a drawing material such as a writing instrument or stationery. In this way, the cap and application container according to the present disclosure can be applied to a variety of things.

1...Container body (first container), 2...Front tube, 2b...Opening, 2c...First storage area, 2d...Second storage area, 2f...Expanded diameter portion, 2g...Inclined surface, 2h...Protrusion, 2j...Tapered surface, 2k...Flange portion, 2p...Male screw, 2q...Annular recess, 2r...Outer surface, 3...Central tube, 3b...Knurling, 3c...Opening, 3d...Annular recess, 4...Tail plug, 4b...Insertion portion, 4c...Tube portion, 4d...Storage area, 4f...Annular convex portion, 4g...Annular recess, 5...Push rod, 5b...Rod-shaped portion, 5c...Protrusion stud, 5d...expanded diameter portion, 5f...male screw, 6...rotation stop member, 6b...push rod insertion area, 6c...projection, 6d...expanded diameter hole portion, 6f...insertion portion, 6g...projection portion, 6h...flange portion, 7...ratchet member, 7b...slit, 7c...spring portion, 7d...front cylinder portion, 7f...rear cylinder portion, 7g...second ratchet tooth, 8...female screw member, 8b...first ratchet tooth, 8c...annular projection portion, 8d...female screw, 8f...accommodation area, 9...spring member, 10...cap, 11...outer cap, 11b...bottom, 11c...bottom, 11d...annular recess, 11f...annular protrusion, 12...inner cap, 12b...opening, 12c...annular protrusion, 12d...insertion part, 12f...bottom, 12g...first contact part, 12h...second contact part, 12j...annular protrusion, 12k...diameter enlarged part, 12p...recess, 12q...slanted surface, 1 2r... Top surface, 12s... Inclined surface, 12t... First inclined surface, 12v... First protrusion, 12w... Second protrusion, 12x... Second inclined surface, 12y... Space, 20... Piston, 21...first recess, 22...second recess, 23...annular protrusion, 31...container body (second container), 32...front tube, 32b...opening, 32c...storage area, 32r...outer surface, 40...piston, 41...recess, 43...annular protrusion, 100...application container, G1, G2...O-ring, M, N...cosmetic, P...pipe material, P1...first storage area, P2...second storage area, P3...expanded portion, Q...pipe material, Q1...storage area, R...ratchet mechanism, T...screwed portion.

Claims (4)

A cylindrical cap with a bottom;
A first container attached to the cap;
A second container attached to the cap;
Equipped with
The inner surface of the cap has a first contact portion with which the outer surface of the first container comes into contact and a second contact portion with which the outer surface of the second container comes into contact ,
the second container is a container having a cosmetic material with a larger diameter than the cosmetic material in the first container,
the second contact portion is provided at a position farther from a bottom portion of the cap than the first contact portion;
The inner diameter of the second contact portion is larger than the inner diameter of the first contact portion.
Coating container. The cap is
A cylindrical outer cap with a bottom;
a cylindrical inner cap disposed inside the outer cap and having an opening facing the opposite side to the bottom surface of the outer cap;
Contains
The inner surface is provided on the inner cap.
The application container according to claim 1 . Each of the first contact portion and the second contact portion is an annular protrusion extending in a circumferential direction of the cap and protruding from the inner surface.
The application container according to claim 1 or 2. A cross-sectional shape of the first contact portion taken along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the cap and a cross-sectional shape of the second contact portion taken along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the cap are circular.
The application container according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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