JP7586642B2 - Drug dispensing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an ejection device for ejecting medicine.

Conventionally, there are known discharge devices that discharge a cleaning agent onto the inner surface of a toilet bowl, adhering it like a stamp. Patent Document 1 discloses a type of discharge device that discharges the cleaning agent in a syringe-like manner by pushing a member inserted from above downward into a cylindrical container that contains the cleaning agent. Patent Document 2 discloses a type of discharge device that discharges the cleaning agent in a squeeze-type manner by squeezing a squeezable container that contains the cleaning agent with the hand.

JP 2016-124596 A JP 2017-218234 A

However, the discharge device in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it has a large number of parts and is complicated to assemble. In addition, Patent Document 2 has a problem in that the amount of medicine discharged varies greatly depending on the amount of force used when squeezing, making it difficult to discharge a fixed amount of medicine. This problem is not limited to situations where the cleaning agent is applied to the inner surface of the toilet bowl like a stamp, but is also a problem in situations where any medicine is discharged and attached to any hard surface.

The present invention aims to provide a discharge device that can discharge a fixed amount of medicine at a time, despite its simple structure. Furthermore, if hard resin materials are not used for the main part of the container that holds the medicine, it is possible to provide an environmentally friendly discharge device that can discharge a fixed amount of medicine at a time, despite its simple structure, and that uses a reduced amount of resin material.

The drug ejection device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a container having a main body defining an internal space for containing the drug, and a discharge port disposed at the bottom of the main body, communicating with the internal space, and ejecting the drug. The main body has a compression section that can be compressed in the vertical direction. The container is configured such that when a downward force is applied to the main body while pressing the discharge port against a hard surface, the compression section is compressed in the vertical direction, ejecting the drug from the discharge port and adhering the drug to the hard surface.

The drug discharge device according to the second aspect of the present invention is the drug discharge device according to the first aspect, in which the compression section has a bellows structure.

The drug discharge device according to the third aspect of the present invention is the drug discharge device according to the second aspect, further comprising a cap that covers the discharge port. The cap is removably fixed to the container by fitting into the bellows structure.

The drug ejection device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a drug ejection device according to any one of the first to third aspects, in which the main body portion further has a non-compressed portion above the compressed portion. The non-compressed portion is configured not to be compressed in the vertical direction when a downward force is applied to the main body portion and the compressed portion is compressed in the vertical direction.

In accordance with the above viewpoint, when a downward force is applied to the main body of the container while pressing the discharge port against a hard surface, the compression portion included in the main body compresses in the vertical direction. As a result, the volume of the internal space of the main body decreases, and the medicine is pushed out of the internal space and discharged from the discharge port, adhering to the hard surface. Therefore, despite the simple structure, it is possible to discharge a fixed amount of medicine at a time. Furthermore, if a hard resin material is not used for the main part of the container, the amount of resin material used is reduced, making it environmentally friendly.

1 is a front view of a drug ejection device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a front view of the container and nozzle after compression. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the appearance of a drug adhered to a hard surface. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a method of using the discharge tool.

The following describes a drug ejection device according to one embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

<1. Overview of the discharge device>
Fig. 1 shows a front view of a drug ejection device 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the ejection device 100 has a container 1 in which a drug is stored, a nozzle 2 connected to the bottom of the container 1, and a cap 3 that covers the nozzle 2. In Fig. 1, the state inside the cap 3 is depicted as a cross-sectional view cut along a plane including the central axis A1 of the container 1. The ejection device 100 is an instrument that ejects a drug onto a hard surface and adheres it like a stamp. The drug in the container 1 is ejected from the nozzle 2 when the cap 3 is removed from the container 1.

In this description, unless otherwise specified, "upper (top surface)" and "lower (bottom surface)" are defined as shown in FIG. 1. However, the terms "upper" and "lower" do not limit the manner in which the ejection device 100 is used. For example, the nozzle 2 can be directed toward a vertical surface to deposit the medicine on the vertical surface.

In this embodiment, the discharge device 100 is configured for use in applying a chemical to the inner surface of a toilet bowl. The chemical is a gel-like adhesive having fluidity, and in this embodiment includes a cleaning agent for cleaning the toilet bowl. Other chemicals may include fragrances, disinfectants, deodorants, colorants, etc., as appropriate.

<2. Configuration of each part>
<2-1. Containers>
As shown in Fig. 1, the container 1 has a top surface 11, a cylindrical body 12 that is continuous with the outer periphery of the top surface 11 and extends downward from the outer periphery, a shoulder 13 that is continuous with the lower end edge of the body 12 and extends downward from the lower end edge, and a cylindrical neck 14 that is continuous with the lower end edge of the shoulder 13 and extends downward from the lower end edge. The top surface 11, the body 12, and the shoulder 13 constitute a main body 10 that defines an internal space S1 that contains a medicine. On the other hand, the neck 14 is disposed at the lower part of the main body 10 and constitutes an outlet part that ejects the medicine. Hereinafter, the neck 14 may be referred to as an outlet part 14. The outlet part 14 communicates with the internal space S1.

In this embodiment, the top surface 11 is circular, and the body 12 is cylindrical. However, the shapes of the top surface 11 and the body 12 are not limited to this, and for example, the top surface 11 can be elliptical or rectangular, and the body 12 can be elliptical or rectangular. The body 12 extends in the vertical direction with a central axis A1 that passes through the center (centroid) of the top surface 11 and is perpendicular to the top surface 11. The shoulder 13 is a funnel shape that narrows from top to bottom. Therefore, the outlet 14 is narrower than the body 12 due to the presence of the shoulder 13, and has a smaller cross-sectional area perpendicular to the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the outlet 14 is cylindrical, but is not limited to this, and can be, for example, elliptical or rectangular. The outlet 14 is configured coaxially with the body 12 and extends in the vertical direction along the central axis A1.

The body 12 has a compression section 121 that can be compressed in the vertical direction when a vertical force is applied to the main body 10. FIG. 2 is a front view of the container 1 and the nozzle 2 with the compression section 121 compressed. In FIG. 2, the state inside the nozzle 2 is depicted as a cross-sectional view cut along a plane including the central axis A1 of the container 1. In this embodiment, the compression section 121 is disposed near the discharge port 14, and more specifically, directly above the shoulder 13. The body 12 further has a non-compression section 122 above the compression section 121. The non-compression section 122 is configured not to be compressed in the vertical direction even when a vertical force is applied to the main body 10 and the compression section 121 is compressed in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the non-compression section 122 extends from directly below the top surface 11 to directly above the compression section 121.

The compressed portion 121 has a bellows structure. More specifically, the compressed portion 121 is a cylindrical member in which mountain folds and valley folds are alternately repeated in the vertical direction. Therefore, the compressed portion 121 has a large number of peaks 121a and valleys 121b, which are arranged alternately in the vertical direction. The valleys 121b have a smaller diameter than the peaks 121a. The peaks 121a protrude radially outward, and the valleys 121b are recessed radially inward. In this description, the radial and circumferential directions are set based on the central axis A1 unless otherwise specified. On the other hand, the non-compressed portion 122 is cylindrical with a smooth surface. The shoulder portion 13 is also funnel-shaped with a smooth surface.

The container 1 can be integrally constructed from the same material, or can be constructed by molding the components constituting the container 1 separately from the same or different materials and then connecting them. There are no particular limitations on the material that constitutes each part of the container 1. However, as a preferred example, each part of the container 1 can be constructed from a synthetic resin such as polyethylene, or it can be made of paper or metal such as aluminum. If it is made of paper, it is preferable to apply an appropriate coating to impart moisture resistance. In addition, as described below, a large force acts on the discharge port part 14 when the medicine is applied. Therefore, in order to ensure strength, it is preferable that the discharge port part 14 is thicker than the compression part 121 and is constructed from a hard material.

It is preferable that the compressed section 121 and the non-compressed section 122 are not made of a hard resin material, but rather of a soft, thin, flexible material made of resin or other materials. In this case, the amount of resin material used in the main parts of the container 1 is reduced, thereby reducing the environmental impact. Since the compressed section 121 is configured to be more easily compressed in the vertical direction than the non-compressed section 122, when a vertical force is applied to the main body section 10, the force is mainly absorbed by the compressed section 121. Therefore, even when the non-compressed section 122 is made of the above-mentioned soft packaging material, the non-compressed section 122 can be configured to still maintain its shape even when a vertical force is applied to the main body section 10.

<2-2. Nozzle>
FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the nozzle 2. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the nozzle 2 has a bottom surface portion 21 and a cylindrical side wall portion 22 that is continuous with the outer periphery of the bottom surface portion 21 and extends upward from the outer periphery. The bottom surface portion 21 has an opening 21a in the center. The nozzle 2 also has a cylindrical side wall portion 23 that is continuous with the outer periphery of the opening 21a of the bottom surface portion 21 and extends upward from the outer periphery, and a cylindrical side wall portion 24 that is disposed radially outwardly from the side wall portion 23 with a slight gap therebetween and extends upward from the bottom surface portion 21. An annular claw portion 25 that protrudes slightly radially inward is disposed on the upper end edge of the side wall portion 24. In this embodiment, the bottom surface portion 21 and the opening 21a are circular, the side walls 22 to 24 are cylindrical, and the claw portion 25 is annular.

The nozzle 2 is connected to the outlet 14. An annular claw portion 141 that protrudes radially outward is disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the outlet 14. In this embodiment, the claw portion 141 is annular. When the nozzle 2 is connected to the outlet 14, the side wall portions 23 and 24, the claw portion 25, the outlet 14, and the claw portion 141 are appropriately elastically deformed, and the lower portion of the outlet 14 is inserted into the gap between the side wall portions 23 and 24 together with the claw portion 141. After that, the claw portion 141 and the claw portion 25 are hooked together, so that the nozzle 2 is fixed to the outlet 14 and does not fall off the outlet 14 unintentionally. When the nozzle 2 is connected to the outlet 14, the opening 21a of the bottom portion 21 is aligned with the space S2 inside the outlet 14, and communicates with the internal space S1 through the space S2.

On the outer periphery of the bottom surface portion 21, a number of protrusions 26 extending downward are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. A number of gaps 26a are formed between these protrusions 26 at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. Therefore, the medicine pushed out from the internal space S1 and passing through the space S2 inside the outlet portion 14 spreads radially from the many gaps 26a between the protrusions 26 while contacting the inner surface of the toilet bowl. As a result, the medicine adheres to the inner surface of the toilet bowl in a radially spread manner, as shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, the medicine is formed into a flower-like pattern, and the inside of the toilet bowl can be beautifully decorated. As described above, the outlet portion 14 of the container 1 and the nozzle 2 work together to eject the medicine. Therefore, hereinafter, the outlet portion 14 and the nozzle 2 may be collectively referred to as the outlet portion 20.

The nozzle 2 can be integrally constructed from the same material, or can be constructed by molding the components constituting the nozzle 2 separately from the same or different materials and then connecting them. The material constituting each part of the nozzle 2 is not particularly limited. However, as a preferred example, each part of the nozzle 2 can be constructed from a synthetic resin such as polyethylene, or it can be made of paper or metal such as aluminum. If it is made of paper, it is preferable to apply an appropriate coating to impart moisture resistance. In addition, as described below, a large force acts on the nozzle 2 when applying the medicine. Therefore, in order to ensure strength, the nozzle 2 is preferably constructed from a thicker and harder material than the compressed part 121.

<2-3. Cap>
The cap 3 is a member for covering the discharge port 20 from the outside and closing the internal space S1 of the main body 10 from the external space. The cap 3 has a bottom surface 31 and a cylindrical side wall 32 that is continuous with the outer periphery of the bottom surface 31 and extends upward from the outer periphery. The upper end of the side wall 32 is open. In this embodiment, the bottom surface 31 is circular, and the side wall 32 is cylindrical.

The cap 3 is detachable from the container 1, and is removed when the discharge device 100 is in use, and is attached to cover the discharge port 20 when not in use. Therefore, the cap 3 can prevent the medicine from drying out when not in use. Also, by attaching the cap 3 to the container 1, the bottom surface 31 of the cap 3 can be placed on a horizontal surface to allow the container 1 to stand upright.

On the inner peripheral surface of the side wall portion 32, a number of ribs 33 extending in the circumferential direction are arranged in the vertical direction. These ribs 33 fit into the bellows structure of the compressed portion 121 of the container 1. More specifically, when the cap 3 is attached to the container 1, the side wall portion 32, the ribs 33, and the compressed portion 121 elastically deform appropriately, and these ribs 33 are received by the numerous valleys 121b included in the compressed portion 121. After that, these ribs 33 hook onto the numerous peaks 121a, so that the cap 3 is fixed to the container 1 and does not fall off the container 1 unintentionally. The intervals between the ribs 33 arranged in the vertical direction correspond to the intervals between the valleys 121b when the compressed portion 121 is not compressed (at its natural length).

The cap 3 is located in the center of the upper surface of the bottom surface portion 31 and has a cylindrical side wall portion 35 that stands upward. The opening at the upper end of the side wall portion 35 is closed by the top surface portion 36. When the cap 3 is attached to the container 1, the top surface portion 36 is aligned with the opening 21a of the bottom surface portion 21 of the nozzle 2. Therefore, when the cap 3 is attached to the container 1, the medicine does not leak out of the opening 21a and a large amount of medicine does not accumulate inside the cap 3.

The cap 3 can be integrally formed from the same material, or can be formed by molding the components constituting the cap 3 separately from the same or different materials and then connecting them. There are no particular limitations on the material constituting each part of the cap 3. However, as a preferred example, each part of the cap 3 can be made from a synthetic resin such as polyethylene, or it can be made from paper or a metal such as aluminum. If it is made from paper, it is preferable to apply an appropriate coating to impart moisture resistance. Also, in order to ensure strength, the cap 3 is preferably made from a hard material that is thicker than the compressed part 121 so that the container 1 can stand up using the cap 3 as a leg.

<3. How to use>
A typical method for ejecting a medicine using the ejection device 100 is as follows: A user first removes the cap 3 from the container 1 to expose the ejection outlet 20 (see FIG. 5(A)). In FIG. 5, the medicine is indicated by the hatched area.

Next, the user applies a downward force to the main body 10 of the container 1 while pressing the multiple protrusions 26 of the discharge port 20 against the inner surface of the toilet bowl (hereinafter referred to as the application operation). This causes the compression section 121 of the main body 10 to be compressed in the vertical direction (see FIG. 5(B)). At this time, the volume of the internal space S1 of the main body 10 decreases, and the medicine is pushed out of the internal space S1 and discharged from the discharge port 20. More specifically, the medicine is discharged radially from the discharge port 20 through the gaps 26a between the protrusions 26, and adheres to the inner surface of the toilet bowl in a flower-like pattern as shown in FIG. 4.

When the medicine is applied to the inner surface of the toilet bowl, the user releases the downward pressure applied to the main body 10. The compression section 121 then returns to its pre-compression length due to elastic force immediately thereafter or after a certain time (see FIG. 5(C)). If the compression section 121 does not naturally return to its pre-compression state or if it takes time to return, the main body 10 may be pulled vertically to manually restore the length of the compression section 121. When the length of the compression section 121 is restored and the volume of the internal space S1 is restored, the inside of the compression section 121 is usually filled with air inserted from the discharge port 20 side (see FIG. 5(C)). However, if the discharge port 20 is directed vertically downward (it is preferable to attach the cap 3 at this time), the medicine that was unevenly distributed at the top of the internal space S1 falls vertically downward due to gravity and fills the inside of the compression section 121 (see FIG. 5(D)). This makes it possible to apply the medicine again.

During the above application operation, the compression section 121 has a bellows structure, so that the amount of medicine ejected per application operation can be made constant. The length d1 to which the compression section 121 is compressed by the application operation corresponds to the amount of medicine to be applied to the inner surface of the toilet bowl with one stamp. In other words, with each application operation, the volume of the internal space S1 decreases by an amount corresponding to the length d1, and the same volume of medicine is ejected from the ejection port 20. As described above, the ejection device 100, despite its simple structure, allows for the ejection of a fixed amount of medicine.

In addition, in this embodiment, the compression section 121 is disposed near the discharge port 14. Therefore, after repeated application operations, it is possible to ensure that almost no medicine remains in the container 1. In other words, the amount of remaining medicine is reduced, and the medicine can be used up almost completely without being wasted.

In addition, even if the main body 10 of the container 1 cannot be maintained in a position where its central axis A1 is perpendicular to the hard surface when the discharge outlet 14 is pressed against a hard surface to perform the above application operation, the bellows structure of the compression section 121 absorbs the distortion of the position, allowing the drug to be properly attached to the hard surface. Furthermore, even if the discharge outlet 14 is about to slip on the hard surface when applying to a curved surface, the bellows structure of the compression section 121 absorbs the distortion of the position of the container 1, making it possible to perform the discharge operation while suppressing slippage.

When applying the medicine to the inner surface of the toilet bowl, the user may feel psychological resistance that their hand may touch the toilet bowl. In this regard, the above application operation can be performed by gripping the non-compressed portion 122 located at the top of the container 1. Therefore, the user's hand does not get too close to the inner surface of the toilet bowl, and the distance between the hand and the inner surface of the toilet bowl can be secured, so the user can overcome the above-mentioned psychological resistance.

4. Modifications
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the following modifications are possible. In addition, the gist of the following modifications can be combined as appropriate.

<4-1>
The hard surface to which the dispensing device 100 applies the medication is not limited to the inner surface of a toilet bowl. For example, the dispensing device 100 may be used to apply medication to the inner surface of a trash can.

<4-2>
The shape of the medicine discharged from the discharge port 20 does not have to be a floral pattern, and may be simply circular or rectangular. In this case, the opening 21a of the bottom surface 21 of the discharge port 20 may be simply circular or rectangular, and the protrusions 26 may be omitted. In addition, the protrusions 26 do not need to be arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, and may be appropriately set according to the desired shape of the medicine to be discharged. In addition, the discharge port 14 of the container 1 and the nozzle 2 may be integrally configured, rather than being separate parts.

<4-3>
The compression section 121 does not have to have a bellows structure. For example, the compression section 121 can be configured to be thinner than the non-compression section 122, so that when a downward force is applied to the main body 10, the non-compression section 122 is not compressed, but the compression section 121 is compressed.

Reference Signs List 100 Discharge tool 1 Container 10 Main body 121 Compressed part 122 Non-compressed part 14 Discharge port 2 Nozzle 3 Cap S1 Internal space

Claims (4)

A container having a main body defining an internal space for accommodating a medicine, and a discharge port disposed at a lower portion of the main body, communicating with the internal space, and discharging the medicine,
The main body portion has a compression portion that is compressible in the vertical direction,
The container is configured such that, when a downward force is applied to the main body portion while pressing the discharge port portion against a hard surface, the compression portion is compressed in the vertical direction, causing the medicine to be discharged from the discharge port portion and adhere to the hard surface,
A cap for covering the discharge port is further provided,
The cap is
A bottom portion and
A cylindrical side wall portion that is continuous with an outer periphery of the bottom surface portion and extends vertically upward from the outer periphery.
Drug dispensing device. The compression portion has a bellows structure.
A drug delivery device according to claim 1. The cap is removably fixed to the container by engaging with the bellows structure.
A drug delivery device according to claim 2. The main body portion further includes a non-compressed portion above the compressed portion,
The non-compressed portion is configured not to be compressed in the vertical direction when a downward force is applied to the main body portion and the compressed portion is compressed in the vertical direction.
A drug dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.