Patent Application
20230049399
The present invention relates to an application container.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-239267, filed Dec. 27, 2019, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In the related art, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a so-called roll-on type application container including an application ball is known.
The application container includes a container main body in which contents are accommodated, an inner plug mounted in a mouth part of the container main body, and a cap configured to cover the inner plug from above and screwed onto the mouth part detachably. When the cap is screwed onto the mouth part, the application ball of the inner plug is pushed against an inner annular seal part, and communication between the inside and the outside of the container main body passing through the inner plug is blocked.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2013-454948
In the application container in the related art, since a phenomenon in which the inner annular seal part is gradually plastically deformed while the cap is repeatedly attached and detached, i.e., a phenomenon called “setting,” occurs, and sealability when the cap is mounted may become unstable.
In the case of a configuration in which the cap is screwed onto the mouth part, the cap needs to be screwed on by a greater amount to secure sealability according to a level of the “setting” phenomenon. However, when the cap is not screwed on by a sufficiently greater amount, or when the cap is mounted on the mouth part through undercut fitting for the purpose of, for example, provision of a clean appearance for a product, an increase in operability, or the like, sealability may become unstable over time.
In consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, the present invention is directed to provide an application container in which sealability in mounting of a cap can be stably increased.
An application container of a first aspect of the present invention includes a container main body in which contents are accommodated; an inner plug mounted on a. mouth part of the container main body; and a cap configured to cover the inner plug from above and detachably mounted on a container body including the container main body and the inner plug, the inner plug includes: a holding cylinder section having a communication port configured to bring the inside and the outside of the container main body in communication with each other; and an application ball rotatably held in the holding cylinder section and a portion of which is exposed from above through the holding cylinder section, the holding cylinder section has: a holding cylinder main body configured to come into contact with the application ball from an outer side and an upper side in a radial direction; and a soft seal part held by the holding cylinder main body, formed of a material softer than the holding cylinder main body, and configured to come into contact with the application ball from below, the soft seal part has an annular shape extending around a center axis of the holding cylinder main body and is elastically deformable, and the application ball is pushed downward by the cap and pushed into the soft seal part as the cap is mounted on the container body.
According to the application container of the first aspect of the present invention, when the cap is mounted on the container body, the application ball is pushed downward by the cap and pressed against the soft seal part. Accordingly, communication of the communication port passing between the application ball and the soft seal part is blocked, and leakage of the contents from the inside to the outside of the container main body is suppressed.
According to the application container of the first aspect of the present invention, since the soft seal part is formed of a soft material such as an elastomer, rubber, or the like, that is elastically deformable, even when the cap is repeatedly attached and detached, the soft seal part is less likely to settle, and the so-called “setting” phenomenon is less likely to occur. Accordingly, seal ability in mounting of the cap is stably increased for a. long period of time.
In the above-mentioned application container of the first aspect, the application container according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a first locking section protruding outward from the container body in the radial direction; and a second locking section protruding inward from an inner circumferential surface of the cap in the radial direction and configured to come into contact with the first locking section to climb over the first locking section from below.
According to the application container of the second aspect of the present invention, the cap is detachably mounted on the container body through undercut fitting. In the present invention, since the soft seal part is less likely to be plastically deformed and the “setting” phenomenon is less likely to occur, even when the cap is mounted through undercut fitting, the scalability between the application ball and the soft seal part is appropriately maintained for a long period of time. Since the cap is attached and detached through undercut fitting, it is possible to provide a clean appearance for the product or increase the operability.
In the above-mentioned application container of the first or second aspect, according to the application container of a third aspect of the present invention, the holding cylinder main body and the soft seal part are formed integrally,
According to the application container of the third aspect of the present invention, the holding cylinder main body and the soft seal part are formed integrally through, for example, insert molding, two-color molding, or the like. For example, in comparison with the case in which the holding cylinder main body and the soft seal part are formed separately, according to the configuration, the configuration of the holding cylinder section can be simplified, the function of the holding cylinder section can be stabilized, the assembly process can be reduced to suppress complication of a manufacturing process, and manufacturing cost can be reduced.
In the application container of the first to third aspect, according to the application container of a fourth aspect of the present invention, the soft seal part is exposed through a surface of the holding cylinder section directed downward.
According to the application container of the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the soft seal part is exposed through the surface of the holding cylinder section directed downward, the soft seal part can be injection-molded from below the inner plug. It is possible to suppress restrictions on the molding of the soft seal part, facilitate the molding, and increase a degree of freedom of the molding.
According to the application container of the present invention, it is possible to stably increase sealability in mounting of the cap.
Hereinafter, an application container 10 of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in
The mouth part 1a and the cap 3 of the container main body 1 are disposed coaxially using a center axis O as a common axis.
In the embodiment, a direction in which the center axis O extends, i.e., a direction parallel to the center axis O, is referred to as an upward/downward direction. The upward/downward direction may also be called an axial direction. In the upward/downward direction, the mouth part 1a of the container main body 1 and a top wall 3a of the cap 3 are disposed at different positions. In the upward/downward direction, a direction from the mouth part 1a toward the top wall 3a is referred to as an upward direction, and a direction from the top wall 3a toward the mouth part 1a is referred to as a downward direction.
When seen in a plan view from the upward/downward direction, a direction perpendicular to the center axis O is referred to as a radial direction. In the radial direction, a direction toward the center axis O is referred to as inward in the radial direction, and a direction away from the center axis O is referred to as outward in the radial direction.
A direction around the center axis O is referred to as a circumferential direction.
As shown in
The mouth part 1a is formed in a cylindrical shape about the center axis O and extends in the upward/downward direction.
The shoulder section 1b is connected to a lower end portion of the mouth part 1a. The shoulder section 1b has a flange shape expanding outward from the lower end portion of the mouth part 1a in the radial direction.
The drum section 1c is connected to an outer end portion of the shoulder section 1b in the radial direction. The drum section 1c has a cylindrical shape extending in the upward/downward direction.
The bottom section 1e is connected to a lower end portion of the drum section 1c. The bottom section 1e has a disk shape expanding in a direction perpendicular to the center axis O.
As shown in
The inner plug 2 has a flange section 4, a seal cylinder section 5, a holding cylinder section 6, and an application ball 7. The flange section 4 and the seal cylinder section 5 are formed of a resin such as low density polyethylene or the like. The application ball 7 is formed of, for example, a ceramic.
The flange section 4 has an annular plate shape about the center axis O, and expands in a direction perpendicular to the center axis O. An outer circumferential section of the lower surface of the flange section 4 comes into contact with an upper end opening edge of the mouth part 1a.
The seal cylinder section 5 has a cylindrical shape about the center axis O, and extends in the upward/downward direction. The seal cylinder section 5 is hung on the lower surface of the flange section 4, and fitted into the mouth part 1a.
The holding cylinder section 6 has a cylindrical shape about the center axis O, and extends in the upward/downward direction. The holding cylinder section 6 has an intermediate portion located between an upper end portion and a lower end portion of the outer circumferential surface of the holding cylinder section 6 and connected to an inner circumferential section of the flange section 4. The holding cylinder section 6 has a minimum inner diameter at the lower end portion and a maximum inner diameter at an intermediate portion located between the upper end portion and the lower end portion.
The holding cylinder section 6 has a communication port 6a configured to bring the inside and the outside of the container main body 1 in communication with each other. The communication port 6a is constituted by an inner circumferential surface of the holding cylinder section 6, and opens upward and downward from the holding cylinder section 6.
The configuration of the holding cylinder section 6 other than the above-mentioned configuration will be described below separately.
The application ball 7 has a spherical shape about the center axis O. The application ball 7 is rotatably held in the holding cylinder section 6. The upper end portion of the application ball 7 protrudes upward from the upper end opening portion of the holding cylinder section 6. That is, the application ball 7 has a portion exposed from above the holding cylinder section 6. A diameter of the application ball 7, i.e,, an outer diameter, is greater than the inner diameter of the lower end opening portion of the holding cylinder section 6. The outer diameter of the application ball 7 is greater than the inner diameter of the upper end opening portion of the holding cylinder section 6. The application ball 7 is inserted into the holding cylinder section 6 by, for example, expanding the upper end opening portion of the holding cylinder section 6 through elastic deformation.
The holding cylinder section 6 has a holding cylinder main body 8 and a soft seal part 9.
The holding cylinder main body 8 is formed of a resin such as low density polyethylene or the like, and at least the upper end opening portion is elastically deformable. The holding cylinder main body 8 has a cylindrical shape about the center axis O, and extends in the upward/downward direction. That is, the center axis O is a center axis of the holding cylinder main body S. The lower end surface of the holding cylinder main body 8 configures an outer circumferential section of the surface of the holding cylinder section 6 directed downward. That is, the holding cylinder main body 8 is exposed through the surface of the holding cylinder section 6 directed downward.
An upper portion of the inner circumferential surface of the holding cylinder main body 8 faces the outer circumferential surface of the application ball 7 with a gap from an outer side and an upper side in the radial direction or comes into contact therewith. The holding cylinder main body 8 can come into contact with the application ball 7 from an outer side and an upper side in the radial direction,
The holding cylinder main body 8 has a first inner circumferential section 8a, a second inner circumferential section 8b, and a third inner circumferential section 8c. The first inner circumferential section 8a, the second inner circumferential section 8b, and the third inner circumferential section 8c are disposed at a lower side portion of the inner circumferential surface of the holding cylinder main body 8. Each of the first inner circumferential section 8a, the second inner circumferential section 8b, and the third inner circumferential section 8c has an annular shape about the center axis O.
The first inner circumferential section 8a is located on a lower end opening portion of the inner circumferential surface of the holding cylinder main body 8. That is, the first inner circumferential section 8a is a portion located at the lowermost side of the inner circumferential surface of the holding cylinder main body 8. The first inner circumferential section 8a is directed inward in the radial direction, and extends in the circumferential direction. The inner diameter of the first inner circumferential section 8a is smallest in the holding cylinder main body 8.
The second inner circumferential section 8b is a portion of the inner circumferential surface of the holding cylinder main body 8 located above the first inner circumferential section 8a. The second inner circumferential section 8b is directed inward in the radial direction, and extends in the circumferential direction. The inner diameter of the second inner circumferential section 8b is greater than the inner diameter of the first inner circumferential section 8a.
The third inner circumferential section 8c is a portion located between the first inner circumferential section 8a and the second inner circumferential section 8b of the inner circumferential surface of the holding cylinder main body 8. The third inner circumferential section 8c connects the upper end portion of the first inner circumferential section 8a and the lower end portion of the second inner circumferential section 8b. The third inner circumferential section 8c is directed upward and inward in the radial direction, and extends in the circumferential direction. In the embodiment, the third inner circumferential section 8c has a tapered surface shape with a diameter that is gradually reduced downward.
The soft seal part 9 is formed of, for example, an elastomer, rubber, or the like, which is softer than the material of the holding cylinder main body 8. The soft, seal part 9 has an annular shape extending around the center axis O, which is elastically deformable. The soft seal part 9 has a cylindrical shape about the center axis O, and extends in the upward/downward direction. The soft seal part 9 is disposed in the lower end portion of the holding cylinder main body 8, and held by the holding cylinder main body 8. The outer circumferential surface of the soft seal part 9 comes into close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the holding cylinder main body 8 with no gap. In the embodiment, the holding cylinder main body 8 and the soft seal part 9 are formed integrally through, for example, insert molding, two-color molding, or the like. The lower end surface of the soft seal part 9 configures an inner circumferential section in a surface of the holding cylinder section 6 directed downward. That is, the soft seal part 9 is exposed through the surface of the holding cylinder section 6 directed downward.
The upper end portion of the soft seal part 9 faces the outer circumferential surface of the application ball 7 with a gap from below or comes into contact therewith. The soft seal part 9 can come into contact with the application ball 7 from below
The soft seal part 9 has a first outer circumferential section 9a, a second outer circumferential section 9b, a third outer circumferential section 9c, and a seal protrusion 9d. Each of the first outer circumferential section 9a, the second outer circumferential section 9b, the third outer circumferential section 9c, and the seal protrusion 9d has an annular shape about the center axis O.
The first outer circumferential section 9a is located at a lower end portion of the outer circumferential surface of the soft seal part 9. The first outer circumferential section 9a is directed outward in the radial direction, and extends in the circumferential direction. The outer diameter of the first outer circumferential section 9a is smallest in the soft seal part 9. The first outer circumferential section 9a comes into close contact with the first inner circumferential section 8a of the holding cylinder main body 8.
The second outer circumferential section 9b is a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the soft seal part 9 located above the first outer circumferential section 9a. The second outer circumferential section 9b is located on an upper end portion in the outer circumferential surface of the soft seal part 9. The second outer circumferential section 9b is directed outward in the radial direction, and extends in the circumferential direction. The outer diameter of the second outer circumferential section 9b is greater than the outer diameter of the first outer circumferential section 9a. The outer diameter of the second outer circumferential section 9b is greatest in the soft seal part 9. The second outer circumferential section 9b comes into close contact with the second inner circumferential section 8b of the holding cylinder main body 8.
The third outer circumferential section 9c is a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the soft seal part 9 located between the first outer circumferential section 9a and the second outer circumferential section 9b. The third outer circumferential section 9c connects the upper end portion of the first outer circumferential section 9a and the lower end portion of the second outer circumferential section 9b. The third outer circumferential section 9c is directed downward and outward in the radial direction, and extends in the circumferential direction. In the embodiment, the third outer circumferential section 9c has a tapered surface shape with a diameter that is gradually reduced downward. The third outer circumferential section 9c comes into contact with the third inner circumferential section 8c of the holding cylinder main body 8. The third inner circumferential section 8c comes into contact with the third outer circumferential section 9c from below
The seal protrusion 9d protrudes upward from the upper end surface of the soil seal part 9. The seal protrusion 9d has a rib shape extending in the circumferential direction. The seal protrusion 9d can conic into contact with the lower end portion of the outer circumferential surface of the application ball 7 from below. The seal protrusion 9d comes into water-tight contact with the application ball 7 or faces the application ball 7 with a gap throughout the entire circumference in the circumferential direction. A thickness of the seal protrusion 9d in the radial direction is smaller than the thickness of the portion of the soft seal part 9 in the radial direction other than the seal protrusion 9d.
The cap 3 covers the inner plug 2 from above. The cap 3 has the top wall 3a, a circumferential wall 3b, a pushing cylinder 3c, and second locking sections 3d. That is, the application container 10 includes the second locking sections 3d.
The top wall 3a has a disk shape about the center axis O, and in the example shown, a disk shape curved to extend upward from above the center axis O toward an outer side in the radial direction.
The circumferential wall 3b is connected to an outer end portion of the top wall 3a in the radial direction. The circumferential wall 3b has a cylindrical shape extending in the upward/downward direction. The lower end opening edge of the circumferential wall 3b faces the shoulder section 1b of the container main body 1 with a gap in the upward/downward direction.
The pushing cylinder 3c has a cylindrical shape about the center axis O, and extends in the upward/downward direction. The pushing cylinder 3c is hung on the lower surface of the top wall 3a. The lower end opening portion of the pushing cylinder 3c comes into contact with the upper end portion of the outer circumferential surface of the application bail 7 from above.
The application ball 7 is pressed against the seal protrusion 9d while being pushed downward by the pushing cylinder 3c. That is, the application ball 7 is pushed downward by the cap 3 and pushed into the soft seal part 9 as the cap 3 is mounted on the mouth part 1a, i.e., the container body 11.
In addition, when the cap 3 is removed from the mouth part 1a, i.e., the container body 11, a state in which the application ball 7 is pushed into the soft seal part 9 is released, and the application ball 7 is separable upward from the soft seal part 9.
The second locking sections 3d protrude inward from the inner circumferential surface of the circumferential wall 3b, i.e., the inner circumferential surface of the cap 3 in the radial direction. The second locking sections 3d are a plurality of protrusions formed on the inner circumferential surface of the cap 3, which are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction. In the embodiment, three second locking sections 3d are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The second locking sections 3d come into contact with the first locking section 1d to climb over the first locking section id from below. That is, the second locking sections 3d are locked to the first locking section 1d through undercut fitting.
Next, an action when contents are applied to a material to be applied (that is not shown) using the application container 10 of the embodiment will be described.
First, as shown in
As shown in
When the application ball 7 is pressed against the material to be applied (that is not shown), the application ball 7 moves downward in the holding cylinder section 6 (i.e., upward in the vertical direction), the upper end portion inner surface of the holding cylinder main body 8 and the application ball 7 are separated and the seal is opened, the contents accumulated between the holding cylinder main body 8 and the application ball 7 flows to the outside of the holding cylinder section 6, and the contents are applied to the material to be applied.
Further, in a state in which the application ball 7 is pressed against the material to be applied, since the seal state by the seal protrusion 9d is maintained as the application ball 7 is pushed into the seal protrusion 9d, excessive outflow of the contents (i.e., more than a predetermined amount) is suppressed.
In the application container 10 of the embodiment described above, when the cap 3 is mounted on the container body 11, the application ball 7 is pushed downward by the cap 3, the soft seal part 9 is pressed. Accordingly, communication of the communication port 6a passing between the application ball 7 and the soft seal part 9 is blocked, and a leakage of the contents from the inside to the outside of the container main body 1 is suppressed.
According to the embodiment, since the soft seal part 9 is formed of a soft material such as an elastomer, rubber, or the like, that is elastically deformable, even when the cap 3 is repeatedly attached and detached, the soft seal part 9 is less likely to settle, and the so-called “setting” phenomenon is less likely to occur. Accordingly, the sealability when the cap 3 is attached is stably enhanced for a long period of time.
In addition, in the embodiment, the application container 10 includes the first locking section 1d, and the second locking sections 3d in contact with the first locking section 1d to climb over the first locking section 1d from below, in other words, the cap 3 is detachably mounted on the container body 11 through undercut fitting. Accordingly, in the embodiment, since the soft seal part 9 is less likely to be plastically deformed and the “setting” phenomenon is less likely to occur, even when the cap 3 is mounted through undercut fitting, the sealability between the application ball 7 and the soft seal part 9 is appropriately maintained over the long term. Since the cap 3 is attached and detached through undercut fitting, it is possible to provide a clean appearance to a product and enhance operability of the product.
In addition, in the embodiment, the holding cylinder main body 8 and the soft seal part 9 are formed integrally. Accordingly, for example, in comparison with the case in which the holding cylinder main body 8 and the soft seal part 9 are formed separately, the configuration of the holding cylinder section 6 can be simplified, the function of the holding cylinder section 6 can be stabilized, the assembly process can be reduced to suppress complication of the manufacturing process, and manufacturing cost can be reduced.
In addition, in the embodiment, the soft seal part 9 is exposed to a surface of the holding cylinder section 6 directed downward. Accordingly, the soft seal part 9 can be injection-molded from below the inner plug 2. For this reason, by suppressing the restriction on the molding of the soft seal part 9, it is possible to facilitate the molding and increase the degree of freedom of the molding.
In addition, in the embodiment, the third inner circumferential section 8c of the holding cylinder main body 8 comes into contact with the third outer circumferential section 9c of the soft seal part 9 from below.
Accordingly, the holding cylinder main body 8 with higher rigidity than the soft seal part 9 supports the application ball 7 via the soft seal part 9 from below. For this reason, the soft seal part 9 can stably support the application ball 7.
Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and for example, as described below, various modifications of the configuration may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
While the example in which the cap 3 is detachably mounted on the mouth part 1a in the above-mentioned embodiment, there is no limitation thereto. In particular, while not shown, for example, the inner plug 2 may have a mounting cylinder section surrounding the mouth part 1a from the outer side in the radial direction and extending in the upward/downward direction, and the cap 3 may be detachably mounted on the mounting cylinder section. Alternatively, the cap 3 may be detachably mounted on the drum section 1c. That is, the cap 3 is detachably mounted on any portion of the components of the container body 11. Then, the application ball 7 is pushed downward by the cap 3 and pushed into the soft seal part 9 when the cap 3 is mounted on the container body 11.
While the example in which the first locking section 1d protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the mouth part 1a in the radial direction has been exemplarily described in the above-mentioned embodiment, there is no limitation thereto. For example, the first locking section 1d may protrude outward from the outer circumferential surface of the mounting cylinder section of the inner plug 2 in the radial direction, or protrude outward from the outer circumferential surface of the drum section is in the radial direction. That is, the first locking section 1d protrudes outward from the container body 11 in the radial direction.
While the example in which the third inner circumferential section 8c has the tapered surface shape with the diameter that is gradually reduced downward and the third outer circumferential section 9c has the tapered surface shape with the diameter that is reduced downward has been exemplarily described in the above-mentioned embodiment, there is no limitation thereto. For example, the third inner circumferential section 8c may be a planar shape that expands in a direction perpendicular to the center axis O directed upward, and the third outer circumferential section 9c may be a planar shape that expands in a direction perpendicular to the center axis O directed downward.
In addition, the components of the above-mentioned embodiment may be appropriately substituted with known components without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and further, the above-mentioned embodiment and variants may be combined.
According to the application container of the present invention, it is possible to stably increase seal ability when the cap is mounted.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-239267 | Dec 2019 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2020/048037 | 12/22/2020 | WO |
