JP7542474B2 - A product consisting of a container and a spherical content - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a product consisting of a container and a spherical content.

A container containing a content is known, which has a spherical content and a container body that contains the content. In general, a container cap with a discharge hole is attached to the neck of the mouth through which the content is discharged. From the viewpoint of container operability, etc., a container cap consisting of multiple parts such as a part for fixing the container cap to the container and a part with a discharge hole has been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a container that has a container body that contains spherical objects, a mouth part provided in a part of the container body, and a cap with an outlet port for taking out the spherical objects from the mouth part, and a separation tube with multiple circular holes opened around the periphery is provided inside the mouth part. The separation tube separates the spherical objects in the container body, and the spherical objects can be taken out continuously one by one from the outlet port.

Patent Document 2 also describes a container for spherical objects, which includes a container body having a storage space for spherical contents and a discharge port with a diameter larger than the diameter of the contents, and a film body attached to the discharge port, the film body having an opening with an opening area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the maximum diameter part of the contents, and a slit extending radially outward from the inner peripheral edge of the opening. The film body has a slit, which allows it to be deformed to a size that allows the contents to pass through the opening.

Patent Document 3 also describes a granular material storage container that includes a main body having a storage space for storing granular material and an outlet port that communicates with the storage space, a lid that closes the outlet port, and a movable valve body that can move along a guide provided inside the main body, and the movable valve body is positioned at a predetermined position by placing the main body in an inverted position with the lid open, and is configured to hold a predetermined amount of granular material that is delivered from the storage space through the outlet port in a state that allows it to be picked up from the outside of the main body.

JP 2003-128107 A JP 2017-013840 A JP 2020-138777 A

From the viewpoint of ease of use and convenience when removing the contents, the container for spherical objects described in Patent Document 2 is designed so that the spherical objects contained therein can be removed one by one. On the other hand, if it is difficult to feel the sensation when removing the contents, operational errors are likely to occur when removing the contents, and it is difficult to obtain a sense of use associated with the removal operation. Patent Documents 1 to 3 do not disclose technology for obtaining a sense of sensation when removing the contents.

Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide a product consisting of a container and spherical contents, which allows the user to easily feel the sensation of removing the contents and provides a sense of use associated with the removal operation.

The present invention relates to a product comprising a container and a spherical content.
The container preferably comprises a container body which can be squeezable and a neck portion connected to the container body.
It is preferable that spherical contents are contained within the container body, and that the spherical contents are taken out through the neck portion by squeezing the container body.
The neck portion preferably has a membrane portion having a circular discharge port formed therein for discharging the spherical contents to the outside.
It is preferable that the diameter of the circular discharge port is smaller than the diameter of the spherical contents.
It is preferable that, with the spherical contents blocking the circular discharge port, the container body is squeezed and deformed to increase the internal pressure of the container body, thereby discharging the spherical contents from the circular discharge port.

The product of the present invention, which is made up of a container and a spherical content, provides an easy-to-understand response when removing the content, and a sense of use that accompanies the removal operation.

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing one embodiment of a product comprising a container and spherical contents according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the neck portion of the container shown in FIG. 1 and its vicinity, together with spherical contents. 3 is a plan view of the cap shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from below in FIG. 1 with the lid body in an open state. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the neck portion and the cap body shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 5(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views showing how spherical contents are discharged from the neck portion shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a view equivalent to FIG. 4, showing yet another embodiment of the product comprising a container and spherical contents of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 shows one embodiment of a product comprising a container and a spherical content of the present invention. Such a product is a squeeze container containing a content. Hereinafter, the squeeze container 1 (product) containing a content is also simply referred to as a container 1.
The container 1 of this embodiment is a tube container, and includes a container body 30 that contains the spherical contents 5. The container body 30 has a body portion 37 that is a cylindrical tube body made of synthetic resin, and an end seal portion 38 that is formed between the inner surfaces at one longitudinal end of the tube body by a known method such as heat fusion or ultrasonic waves, and a neck portion 31 is connected to the other longitudinal end of the tube body as described below.

The container body 30 in this embodiment is in the form of a squeezable tube. Alternatively, the container body 30 may be a blow molded body such as a squeezable blow bottle or blow tube.

The container body 30 of this embodiment has a shape that is long in one direction, and the longitudinal direction coincides with the discharge direction V in which the spherical contents 5 are discharged to the outside. In Figures 1 to 6, the discharge direction is represented by the symbol V. Also, the discharge direction V shown in Figure 1 coincides with the direction from top to bottom.

In this specification, "upper side" and "upper", as well as "lower side" and "lower" refer to the directions when the container 1 is in the state described below. As shown in Fig. 1, when the end seal portion 38 faces vertically upward and the central axes of the body portion 37 and the neck portion 31 are parallel to the vertical direction, the "upper side" and "upper" refer to the vertically upper side and vertically upper side, and the "lower side" and "lower" refer to the vertically lower side and vertically lower side. The "upper side" and "upper" refer to the container body 30 side of the neck portion 31, and the "lower side" and "lower" refer to the opposite side of the container body 30.
In addition, in this specification, the "end" is the container body 30 side in the neck portion 31, and the end seal portion 38 side in the container body 30. Conversely, the "tip" is the opposite side of the container body 30 in the neck portion 31, and the opposite side of the end seal portion 38 in the container body 30.

As shown in Figure 2, the container 1 has a neck portion forming member 34 at the end opposite the end seal portion 38 in the discharge direction V. The neck portion forming member 34 has a neck portion 31 through which the spherical contents 5 pass when they are taken out, and a truncated cone-shaped shoulder portion 33 formed between the neck portion 31 and the body portion 37. The neck portion 31 is connected to the container body 30 (not shown in Figure 2) via the shoulder portion 33.

The container body 30 can be deformed by squeezing, and the spherical contents 5 contained in the container body 30 can be taken out by grasping and pressing (squeezing) the body 37 with the hand. Specifically, by squeezing the body 37, the spherical contents 5 in the container body 30 can be discharged from the circular discharge port 12, which will be described later, via the neck portion 31.

From the viewpoint of facilitating deformation by squeezing and increasing the internal pressure of the container body 30, and allowing the container body 30 to more efficiently restore its shape after deformation, it is preferable that the container body 30 has the following physical properties.
The internal volume of the container body 30 is preferably 30 mL or more, more preferably 50 mL or more, and is preferably 600 mL or less, more preferably 500 mL or less, and is preferably 30 mL or more and 600 mL or less, more preferably 50 mL or more and 500 mL or less.

From the same viewpoint as above, the thickness of the material forming the container body 30 is preferably 0.3 mm or more, more preferably 0.5 mm or more, and is preferably 1.5 mm or less, more preferably 1.0 mm or less.

The neck portion 31 has a tip opening 32a through which the spherical contents 5 are discharged to the outside, and an end opening 32b that communicates with the container body 30 (see FIG. 4). The tip opening 32a and the end opening 32b face each other in the discharge direction V, and the space between these two openings 32a, 32b inside the neck portion 31 forms a passage through which the spherical contents 5 pass.
In this embodiment, the neck portion 31 has a screw thread on its outer circumferential surface. The screw thread on the neck portion 31 can be screwed into a screw thread on the inner circumferential surface of an inner tube portion 24 of the cap 2, which will be described later. This allows the cap 2 to be attached to the neck portion 31 in a detachable manner.

The container 1 is provided with a cap 2 on a neck portion 31. As shown in FIG. 2, the cap 2 of this embodiment is provided with a cap body 20 attached to the neck portion 31, and a lid body 27 connected to the cap body 20 via a hinge portion 25. The lid body 27 has a circular shape in a plan view, and is rotatably connected to the cap body 20 via the hinge portion 25. The lid body 27 of this embodiment opens and closes the tip opening 32a of the neck portion 31 and the circular discharge port 12 located there. FIG. 2 shows the lid body 27 in a closed state, and FIG. 3 shows the lid body 27 in an open state. For convenience of explanation, the lid body 27 is not shown in FIG. 4.
The hinge portion 25 is plate-shaped and is integrally formed with the cap body 20 and the lid body 27 .
A lid side cylinder portion 26 is formed in the center of the inner surface of the lid body 27. When the lid body 27 is closed, the lid side cylinder portion 26 protrudes from the inner surface of the lid body 27 toward the distal end in the discharge direction V (see FIG. 2).

The cap body 20 of this embodiment has a circular shape in plan view, as shown in FIG. 3. The cap body 20 has a circular body opening 20a located in the center in plan view, and a plate-shaped body top surface 21 formed on the outer periphery of the body opening 20a and having a smooth surface on the tip side. As shown in FIG. 4, the cap body 20 has a cylindrical inner tube 24 and an outer tube 23 that protrude to the end side on the back surface of the body top surface 21. The "back surface" refers to the surface on the container body 30 side in the discharge direction V. The outer tube 23 is arranged concentrically with the inner tube 24 at a distance. As shown in FIG. 4, the inner tube 24 is screwed to the neck portion 31 and arranged on the outer periphery of the neck portion 31. The inner peripheral surface of the inner tube 24 and the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 31 are each provided with unevenness (threaded threads) that screw them together. The cap body 20 is attached to the neck portion 31 by screwing the inner tube portion 24 and the neck portion 31 together. The outer tube portion 23 forms the outer peripheral surface of the cap body 20. In this embodiment, the cap body 20 is attached removably and can be refilled (refilled) with the contents.

The neck portion 31 has a membrane portion 10 on the tip side. As shown in FIG. 4, the membrane portion 10 in this embodiment covers the tip opening 32a side of the neck portion 31 so as to close the tip opening 32a. The membrane portion 10 has an area larger than the tip opening 32a, and while it covers the tip opening 32a, the peripheral portion protruding from the tip opening 32a covers part of the outer circumferential surface of the neck portion 31.

A circular discharge port 12 for discharging the spherical contents 5 to the outside is formed in the membrane body 10. The circular discharge port 12 is formed in the center of the membrane body 10 in a plan view. In a plan view of the neck portion 31, the center position of the circular discharge port 12 coincides with the position of the central axis of the neck portion 31, and the entire area of the circular discharge port 12 overlaps with the tip opening 32a.
The diameter L1 (see FIG. 4) of the circular discharge port 12 is smaller than the diameter L3 (see FIG. 4) of the tip opening 32a of the neck portion 31.

The membrane part 10 in this embodiment is fixed to the neck part 31 by the membrane fixing part 15 located on the tip side of the membrane part 10 in the discharge direction V. Specifically, the membrane part 10 is fixed in a state where it is sandwiched between the tip of the neck part 31 and the membrane fixing part 15 (see FIG. 4).
The membrane fixing part 15 is fixed so as to be able to fit onto the tip of the neck part 31, with the membrane part 10 sandwiched between it and the neck part 31. The membrane fixing part 15 has a circular opening in a plan view, and is arranged so that the opening overlaps the entire circular discharge port 12 of the membrane part 10 when fixed to the neck part 31. The membrane fixing part 15 and the membrane part 10 are arranged concentrically, with the membrane part 10 extending from the open end of the opening of the membrane fixing part 15 towards the center.

The opening diameter of the membrane fixing part 15 and the main body opening 20a of the cap body 20 is larger than the diameter L1 of the circular discharge port 12. From the viewpoint of more easily removing the spherical contents 5, it is preferable that the opening diameter of the membrane fixing part 15 and the main body opening 20a is larger than the spherical diameter L5 of the spherical contents 5.

The diameter L1 (see FIG. 4) of the circular discharge port 12 of the membrane portion 10 is smaller than the diameter L5 (see FIG. 5(a)) of the spherical contents 5. The diameter L1 of the circular discharge port 12 is the diameter of the spherical contents 5 before they pass through the circular discharge port 12. The "state before passing through the circular discharge port 12" does not include the state in which the spherical contents 5 are passing through the circular discharge port 12.
From the viewpoint of further improving the operability of removing the spherical contents 5 to the outside, the diameter L1 (see Figure 4) of the circular discharge port 12 is preferably 75% or more, more preferably 95% or more, and preferably 90% or less, more preferably 90% or less, and preferably 75% or more and 95% or less, and more preferably 80% or more and 90% or less, of the spherical diameter L5 (see Figure 5 (a)) of the spherical contents 5.

From the same viewpoint as above, the spherical diameter L5 of the spherical contents 5 (see FIG. 5(a)) is preferably 5 mm or more and 20 mm or less, more preferably 10 mm or more and 15 mm or less. Note that the spherical diameter of the spherical contents 5 refers to its minimum diameter.
The shape of the spherical contents 5 may be a substantially perfect sphere or an elliptical sphere. When the spherical contents 5 are elliptical spheres, the diameter of the cross section of the elliptical sphere in the short side direction (short axis direction) that has the largest diameter when viewed along its longitudinal direction (long axis direction) is defined as the spherical diameter of the spherical contents 5. In addition, it is preferable to provide an arrangement structure (guide) extending in the discharge direction V in the container 1, and adjust the direction of the discharged elliptical sphere so that the longitudinal direction of the elliptical sphere coincides with the discharge direction.

From the same viewpoint as above, it is preferable that the diameter L1 (see FIG. 4) of the circular discharge port 12 is smaller than the diameter L3 (see FIG. 4) of the tip opening 32a of the neck portion 31.
In this case, the diameter L1 (see Figure 4) of the circular discharge port 12 is preferably 50% or more, more preferably 60% or more, and preferably 90% or less, more preferably 80% or less, of the diameter L3 (see Figure 4) of the tip opening 32a of the neck portion 31.

As shown in Fig. 1, when the container 1 is tilted so that the neck portion 31 side faces downward, i.e. so that the circular discharge port 12 is located lower than the container body 30, the spherical contents 5 in the container 1 move and stop at the circular discharge port 12, blocking the circular discharge port 12. Fig. 5(a) shows the state in which the spherical contents 5 block the circular discharge port 12 in the container 1 of this embodiment.
As mentioned above, the diameter L1 of the circular discharge port 12 is smaller than the spherical diameter L5 of the spherical contents 5, so that the spherical contents 5 moving inside the neck portion 31 stop in a state where they are fitted into the circular discharge port 12 (see Figure 5 (a)).

When the container body 30 is squeezed to increase the internal pressure of the container body 30 while the spherical contents 5 are blocking the circular discharge port 12 in this manner, the spherical contents 5 are discharged from the circular discharge port 12 (see FIG. 5(b)). Specifically, the internal pressure of the squeezed container body 30 pushes the spherical contents 5 toward the tip of the neck portion 31, and the spherical contents 5 are discharged from the circular discharge port 12 to the outside of the container 1. After the spherical contents 5 are discharged, the circular discharge port 12 is unblocked, reducing the pressure inside the container body 30 and restoring the shape of the container body 30.

The container 1 of this embodiment squeezes and deforms the container body 30, and uses the rise in internal pressure in the container body 30 to remove the spherical contents 5, so the fluctuation in internal pressure in the container body 30 is easily conveyed to the user as a tactile sensation when removing the contents. This allows the spherical contents 5 to be reliably removed from the container 1, and operational errors are unlikely to occur. In addition, because the diameter L1 of the circular discharge port 12 is smaller than the spherical diameter L5 of the spherical contents 5, the spherical contents 5 can be removed one by one, and the tactile sensation is felt each time a spherical content 5 is removed, so the user can easily get a sense of use associated with the removal operation.

From the viewpoint of ensuring the above-mentioned effects and making it easier to obtain the sensory feedback described below, the maximum internal pressure of the squeezed container body 30 is preferably 0.5 kPa or more, more preferably 1 kPa or more, and also preferably 4 kPa or less, more preferably 3 kPa or less, and also preferably 0.5 kPa or more and 4 kPa or less, more preferably 1 kPa or more and 3 kPa or less. Such a maximum internal pressure is the maximum internal pressure at which the circular discharge port 12 can be blocked without the spherical contents 5 being discharged.

The maximum internal pressure is measured by the following method.
First, in the container 1, the spherical contents 5 are placed in a state where they are blocking the circular discharge port 12. The container 1 is set in a tabletop physical property measuring instrument (manufactured by Yamaden, model number TPU-2D). The container 1 is set in a state where the compression direction of the tabletop physical property measuring instrument and the discharge direction V are perpendicular to each other. The body 37 of the container body 30 is compressed using the tabletop physical property measuring instrument. The compression speed is 5 mm/sec. Compression is continued until the spherical contents 5 are discharged from the container 1, and the maximum internal pressure of the body 37 measured during the compression process is obtained. The above operation is repeated five times for the same container 1, and the average value is taken as the maximum internal pressure of the container body 30.

From the viewpoint of obtaining the above-mentioned tactile sensation more reliably, it is preferable that the internal pressure of the container body 30 is increased, thereby deforming at least one of the spherical contents 5 and the membrane portion 10, thereby ejecting the spherical contents 5. By deforming at least one of the spherical contents 5 and the membrane portion 10, the inside of the container body 30 becomes more airtight, and the internal pressure of the container body 30 becomes more susceptible to fluctuations. This can further improve the above-mentioned tactile sensation and usability.

From the viewpoint of further improving the response and usability, it is preferable that the sensory feedback generated by the discharge of the spherical contents 5 is provided to the user when the spherical contents 5 are discharged. The sensory feedback is feedback that appeals to the five senses of the user of the container 1 (the product of this embodiment). Specifically, it is a sensory stimulus given to the user when the spherical contents 5 are taken out of the container 1, and is mainly either an auditory or tactile sensory stimulus. For example, at least one of the sound and vibration generated when the spherical contents 5 pass through the circular discharge port 12 is given to the user as a sensory stimulus. When the sensory feedback is sound, the sensory feedback is provided to the user by the sound generated by the change in air pressure when the spherical contents 5 are discharged through the circular discharge port 12. Such a sound is not particularly limited, but is, for example, a sound such as "pop" that is generated when the blockage caused by the spherical contents 5 is released. Furthermore, if the sensory feedback is vibration, the membrane portion 10 and the container body 30 vibrate as the spherical contents 5 pass through the circular discharge port 12, and the vibration is transmitted to the user's hand, providing sensory feedback to the user. By perceiving such sensory feedback as sound or vibration, the user can feel more conscious of the completion of the operation of removing the spherical contents 5 to the outside, which makes it easier to evoke feelings such as a sense of accomplishment, elation, and comfort (exhilaration).

The membrane portion 10 of this embodiment has elasticity. Specifically, the membrane portion 10 is formed of an elastic film made of an elastic resin, and is elastically deformable in response to an external force. This allows the circular discharge port 12 in the membrane portion 10 to be deformed. That is, in the container 1 of this embodiment, the spherical contents 5 are discharged by the deformation of the membrane portion 10.
If the membrane part 10 has elasticity, it is easier to generate sound and vibration, which is preferable in that it can provide the user with more sensory feedback. In other words, the membrane part 10 vibrates due to the energy generated when the spherical contents 5 are discharged, and the sound and vibration are transmitted to the user.
Furthermore, when the membrane portion 10 has elasticity, it is easier to absorb vibrations. The vibrations generated during ejection attenuate quickly and are less likely to leave a lingering impression, so the vibrations fed back to the user are more likely to be recognized as a clear sensation. Similarly, it is easier to obtain a crisp "pop" sound without any lingering impression, providing feedback to the user with a more pleasant sensation.

The term "elastic" means that the elongation of the sample (membrane portion 10) at break, as measured by the following method, is 200% or more.
First, the chuck distance is set to 10 mm, and the sample taken out of the container 1 is attached to the chuck of a tensile tester (for example, Shimadzu Corporation, model "AUTOGRAPH AG-X"). Next, the sample is pulled at a pulling speed of 200 mm/min until the sample breaks, and the tensile strength (N) that changes with the pulling distance during the elongation process is measured. The maximum value of the tensile strength that changes with the pulling distance during this elongation process is the breaking strength, and the point at which this breaking strength is shown is the "break" of the elongation part. The distance between the chucks of the sample at this break is the elongation at break. "The elongation at break is 200% or more" means that the chuck distance of the sample at break is 200% or more of the chuck distance (10 mm) before elongation, that is, 20 mm or more.

The membrane portion 10 may have a constant thickness throughout the entire membrane portion 10, whether it is elastic or not, or may have a thickness that varies depending on the position. For example, the thickness may gradually increase or decrease radially outward or inward. Also, a part of the membrane portion 10 may have a thicker portion that is thicker than other parts.

From the viewpoint of making it easier to obtain sensory feedback, when the membrane body portion 10 has elasticity, the thickness of the membrane body portion 10 is preferably 0.1 mm or more, more preferably 0.3 mm or more, and is preferably 3.0 mm or less, more preferably 2.0 mm or less.
When the thickness of the membrane portion 10 varies depending on the position, it is preferable that the minimum thickness and maximum thickness of the membrane portion 10 are within the above-mentioned range.

From the viewpoint of making it easier to generate sound and vibration, if the membrane part 10 has elasticity, the membrane part 10 is preferably attached to the neck part 31 in a stretched state. The membrane part 10 of this embodiment is attached in a stretched state by being sandwiched between the membrane fixing part 15 and the neck part 31.
From the same viewpoint as above, it is preferable that the membrane fixing part 15 is formed of a non-elastic material. By fixing the elastically deformable membrane part 10 to the non-elastic membrane fixing part 15, it becomes easier to control the amount of expansion and contraction and the amount of deformation of the membrane part 10, and the membrane part 10 can be made to vibrate more easily. The non-elastic material is one whose elongation at break is less than 200% as described above.

In this embodiment, the membrane part 10 has a doughnut shape with a circular discharge port 12 formed in the center in a plan view. The membrane part 10 preferably has a shape that can maintain an airtight state inside the container body 30 during the process of increasing the internal pressure of the container body 30. For example, the shape of the membrane part 10 has a cylindrical wall that protrudes toward the distal end along the outer edge of the membrane part 10, and the inner circumference of the wall and the outer circumference of the tip opening 32a can be fitted together. This shape allows the membrane part 10 to be in close contact with the opening edge of the tip opening 32a, so that the airtight state inside the container body 30 can be maintained. This shape of the membrane part 10 is the shape in plan view when the membrane part 10 is attached to the neck part 31.

The membrane portion 10 of this embodiment does not have a notch extending radially outward from the opening edge that defines the circular discharge port 12 (see FIG. 3). This configuration is preferable from the viewpoint of making it easier to generate sensory feedback such as sound and vibration.

When the membrane portion 10 has elasticity, the spherical contents 5 may be deformable or may not be deformable. In either case, when the spherical contents 5 pass through the circular discharge port 12, the circular discharge port 12 is deformed by the elasticity of the membrane portion 10, so that the spherical contents 5 can be discharged to the outside.

With respect to the spherical contents 5, "deformable" means that the Young's modulus measured by the following method is 100 Pa or more, preferably 100 Pa or more, more preferably 1 kPa or more, and also preferably 100 kPa or less, more preferably 80 kPa or less, and also preferably 100 Pa or more and 100 kPa or less, more preferably 1 kPa or more and 80 kPa or less.
The Young's modulus of the spherical contents 5 is measured using a softness measuring device (manufactured by Tech Gihan Co., Ltd., model number YWS-5N-1). The measurement is performed by pressing an indenter against the measurement object (spherical contents 5) to compress the spherical contents 5. The compression speed is 1 mm/sec. The compression is performed until the change in the spherical contents 5 reaches 2 mm, and the Young's modulus of the spherical contents 5 measured during the compression process is obtained. The above operation is repeated five times for the same spherical contents 5, and the average value is taken as the Young's modulus of the spherical contents 5.

Examples of the form in which the spherical contents 5 are deformable include (a1) a solid having elasticity or flexibility, and (a2) a soft capsule filled with a powder, liquid, or solid as the contents.
Examples of the form of (a1) include foods such as confectionery such as gummies and tablet-type nutritional supplements, toys such as rubber balls, and air fresheners in which an aroma component is impregnated in a jelly ball made of a water-absorbent polymer (water-absorbent bead-type air fresheners).

Examples of the contents in (a2) include cosmetics such as lotion, milky lotion, beauty essence, sunscreen, and makeup remover; hair care products such as shampoo, conditioner, hair dye, hair styling agent, and hair growth agent; soaps such as body soap and hand soap; detergents such as food detergent and laundry detergent; oral cleansers such as toothpaste; fabric softeners, bleaches, fragrances such as aroma oils; liquid medicines such as bath additives and eye drops; supplements; cleaning agents for baths, toilets, and floors; liquid foods such as soups, sauces, and dressings; and powdered foods such as spices and powdered seasonings.
The soft capsule in (a2) can be formed from a water-soluble polymer, which may be one or more selected from the group consisting of pullulan, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, poly-γ-glutamic acid, modified corn starch, β-glucan, glucooligosaccharide, heparin, and keratosulfate mucopolysaccharides, cellulose, pectin, xylan, lignin, glucomannan, galacturonic acid, psyllium seed gum, tamarind seed gum, gum arabic, tragacanth gum, soybean water-soluble polysaccharides, alginic acid, carrageenan, laminaran, agar (agarose), fucoidan, methylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose natural polymers, partially saponified polyvinyl alcohol (when not used in combination with a crosslinking agent), low-saponified polyvinyl alcohol, and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), as well as polyethylene oxide and synthetic polymers of sodium polyacrylate.

Examples of forms in which the spherical contents 5 are not deformable include (b1) solids that have no elasticity or flexibility, and (b2) hard capsules filled with powder, liquid, solids, or semi-solids.

Examples of the form of (b1) include sweets such as candy and gum, tablets, foods such as supplements, toys such as toy guns, bath additives and detergents made by solidifying powder into spherical shapes, etc.
As the contents in (b2), those exemplified as the contents in (a2) can be used.
The hard capsule in (b2) can be made of gelatin, starch, agar, pullulan, cellulose, carrageenan, etc. Examples of the form of (b2) include tablets, foods such as supplements, medicines, etc. In addition to foods and medicines, examples of the form include gardening fertilizers and fish feeds in which fertilizers or feeds are encapsulated in the hard capsules.

Next, the materials used to form the components of the container 1 according to this embodiment will be described.
From the viewpoint of deformability due to squeezing, the container body 30 is preferably formed of a flexible resin such as polyolefin such as polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), etc. The container body 30 may be formed of a laminate or composite using one or more of these resin layers, and a barrier layer made of aluminum foil, a barrier resin, an adsorbent, etc.

As described above, the membrane portion 10 of this embodiment is formed from an elastic film made of an elastic resin. Examples of elastic resins include styrene-based elastomers such as SBS (styrene-butadiene-styrene), SIS (styrene-isoprene-styrene), SEBS (styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene), and SEPS (styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), olefin-based elastomers (ethylene-based α-olefin elastomers, propylene-based elastomers copolymerized with ethylene, butene, octene, etc.), polyester-based elastomers, polyurethane-based elastomers, and silicone rubber. One of these can be used alone, or two or more can be used in combination. From the viewpoint of obtaining the above-mentioned physical properties, silicone rubber is preferable as the material for forming the membrane portion 10.

Examples of non-elastic materials that form the membrane fixing portion 15 include polyolefins such as PE (polyethylene) and PP (polypropylene), polyesters such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), synthetic resins such as polyamide, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, and polylactic acid, and metals.

Materials that can be used to form the cap 2 include, but are not limited to, polyolefins such as PE (polyethylene) and PP (polypropylene), polyesters such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), polyamides, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, and synthetic resins such as polylactic acid.

Next, a method for manufacturing the container 1 of this embodiment will be described.
The container body 30 has a tube body constituting the barrel 37 and the like formed by extrusion molding of a synthetic resin. Alternatively, the container body 30 may be formed by rolling a sheet-like molded body into a cylindrical shape, stacking the stacked side edges, and fusing them together.

The container 1 is formed by integrally molding the container body 30 and the neck portion-forming member 34. Alternatively, the container 1 may be formed by joining the neck portion-forming member 34, which is molded separately from the body portion 37, to one end of the body portion 37.
The cap can also be manufactured by injection molding using a mold.

The content-filled squeeze container of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 5. Another embodiment of the content-filled squeeze container of the present invention will be described below. In the following, the other embodiment will be described mainly with respect to the components that differ from the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 5, and similar components will be given the same reference numerals and will not be described. For components that are not specifically described, the description of the embodiment shown in Figure 1 will be applied as appropriate.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the membrane body 10 is not located at the tip opening 32a, but is located more distal than the opening 32a. That is, the membrane body 10 in this embodiment is located between the tip opening 32a and the distal opening 32b in the discharge direction V. The neck portion 31 in this embodiment has an inner tube portion 35 that has a structure that is folded back from the main body tube portion 36 that forms the outer periphery of the neck portion 31 to the distal side in the discharge direction V at the tip opening 32a. Such an inner tube portion 35 protrudes toward the distal side in the discharge direction V, and the membrane body 10 is fixed along the protruding end.

1 to 5, the membrane portion 10 has elasticity, but the membrane portion 10 does not have to have elasticity. When the membrane portion 10 does not have elasticity, the container 1 contains deformable contents as spherical contents 5. The deformable contents are, for example, in the form of (a1) to (a3) described above.
In this case, since it is the spherical contents 5 that need to be deformed, the shape (shape) of the membrane portion 10 can be set more freely, and the tactile response, including sensory feedback, can be easily controlled.

When the membrane body portion 10 does not have elasticity, examples of the material for forming the membrane body portion 10 include polyolefins such as PE (polyethylene) and PP (polypropylene), polyesters such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), polyamides, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, and synthetic resins such as polylactic acid.

Although the present invention has been described above based on its preferred embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, the cap 2 is connected between the cap body 20 and the lid body 27 via the hinge portion 25, but the cap 2 may be one in which the cap body 20 and the lid body 27 are completely separable without the hinge portion 25. For example, the outer periphery of the cap body 20 may be fitted into the inner surface of the outer periphery of the lid body 27. In this case, when the lid body 27 is in a predetermined orientation, it is preferable that the contour of the lid body 27 is similar to the contour of the cap body 20. Examples of such a contour shape include a shape that includes multiple curved portions with different curvatures as described above, a shape that includes curved portions and straight portions, etc.

The membrane part 10 in the above-mentioned embodiment does not have a notch at the opening edge that defines the circular discharge port 12, but instead, the membrane part 10 may have one or more notches extending radially outward from the opening edge that defines the circular discharge port 12. In this case, the length from the center of the circular discharge port 12 to the tip of the notch is preferably shorter than 1/2 the spherical diameter of the spherical contents 5.
Furthermore, the product comprising the container of the present invention and spherical contents can be used as a toy or a refreshing item, in addition to being used as a container for storing spherical contents.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Container 10 Membrane portion 12 Circular discharge port 15 Membrane fixing portion 2 Cap 20 Cap body 20a Body opening 21 Body top surface 25 Hinge portion 27 Lid 30 Container body 31 Neck portion 32a Tip opening 32b End opening 33 Shoulder portion 34 Neck portion forming member 35 Inner tube portion 36 Body tube portion 37 Body portion 38 End seal portion V Discharge direction

Claims (4)

A product consisting of a container and a spherical content,
The container has a container body that can be deformed by squeezing and a neck part connected to the container body, the spherical contents are contained in the container body, and the spherical contents are taken out to the outside through the neck part by squeezing the container body,
the neck portion has a membrane portion having a circular discharge port formed therein for discharging the spherical contents to the outside,
The diameter of the circular outlet is smaller than the diameter of the spherical contents,
With the spherical contents blocking the circular discharge port, the container body is squeezed and deformed to increase the internal pressure of the container body, whereby the spherical contents are discharged from the circular discharge port;
A product comprising a container and a spherical content, the product being adapted to provide a user with sensory feedback caused by the expulsion of the spherical content when the spherical content is expelled . When the container is tilted so that the circular outlet is located below the container body, the spherical contents move and stop at the circular outlet, blocking the circular outlet;
A product consisting of a container and spherical contents as described in claim 1, wherein, with the spherical contents blocking the circular discharge outlet, the container body is squeezed and deformed to increase the internal pressure of the container body, thereby deforming at least one of the spherical contents and the membrane portion, thereby discharging the spherical contents. 3. A product comprising a container and a spherical content as described in claim 1 or 2 , wherein the sensory feedback is at least one of sound and vibration generated when the spherical content is discharged and passes through the circular discharge port. 4. A product comprising a container and a spherical content according to claim 1 , wherein the membrane portion has elasticity, and the circular discharge port is deformable by the elasticity of the membrane portion.

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