JP7623388B2 - Double container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a container, a method for manufacturing the container, and a double container including the container.

A double container is known in which an inner container filled with a content is loaded replaceably into an expensive outer container, and when the content is used up, it is replaced with a new inner container (refill container) filled with the content, allowing the outer container to be used repeatedly.

As an example of such a refill container, Patent Document 1 proposes an inner container with a flange to facilitate engagement with the outer container.

Here, in the inner container of Cited Document 1, as shown in Figure 1, the flange (brim portion) F is attached to the bottle, and in order to realize this configuration, the flange F is also blow molded together with the bottle, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-301732

However, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, if the flange F provided on the inner container of Figure 1 is blow molded, the molding precision of the flange F is low, and there is a risk of misalignment at the flange F when the inner container is fitted with the outer container as shown in Figure 1.

Therefore, in consideration of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a container that can improve the molding accuracy of a flange that can be used to engage with an outer container.

In order to solve the above problems, a container according to one aspect of the present invention comprises:
A bottle body having a bottomed cylindrical shape and a shoulder portion with a central hole formed in the center of the upper surface;
a mouth portion extending upward from an edge portion of a central hole of the shoulder portion of the bottle body;
a flange extending outwardly from an outer periphery of the mouth and spaced from the shoulder;
The bottle body, the mouth portion, and the flange are integrally formed of resin,
At least a portion of the flange is larger than the shoulder when viewed from above.

According to one aspect, the precision of molding a flange in a container that can be used to engage with an outer container can be improved.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a double container including an inner container according to a conventional example. 13 is a manufacturing flowchart of an inner container according to a conventional example. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a manufacturing process for an inner container according to a conventional example. FIG. 1 is an external view of an example of a container according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a container according to the present invention. 3 is a manufacturing flow chart of a container according to the present invention. 4A to 4C are explanatory diagrams of a manufacturing process for a container according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a double container according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the double container according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of engagement between the inner container and the outer container of the double container according to the first embodiment. 5 is an explanatory diagram of engagement between the annular pressing member and the outer container of the double container according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the engagement between the mouth of the inner container of the double container according to the first embodiment, the inner plug, and the cap. FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the double container cap of the first embodiment of the present invention when used as a dispenser. FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a double container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of engagement between the inner container and the outer container of the double container according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is an exploded view of a double container according to a modified example of the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a double container according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a double container according to a third embodiment. 13 is an explanatory diagram of engagement between the inner container and the cylindrical fastening portion of the double container according to the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the engagement between the annular pressing member, the cylindrical fastening portion, and the outer container of the double container according to the third embodiment. FIG. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a double container according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a double container according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a cylindrical fastening portion of a double container according to a fourth embodiment.

Hereinafter, a description will be given of an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations may be omitted.

The present invention relates to a container, a method for manufacturing the container, and a double container including the container. The container is a self-supporting container made of resin. The outer container of the double container is made of glass, wood, resin, silicon, metal, etc.

The contents stored in the inner container held by the outer container of the double container of the present invention are liquid or powder substances such as cosmetics, perfumes, detergents, seasonings, etc. that are not for single use but are intended to be used in portions.

<Container>
Fig. 4 is an external view of an example of the container 1 according to the present invention. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the container 1 according to the present invention. The container 1 according to the present invention may be used alone, or may be used as an inner container (refill container) of a double container described later.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the container 1 of the present invention has a bottle body 10, a mouth portion 14, and a flange 17.

The bottle body (also called the bottle portion or storage portion) 10 is cylindrical with a bottom, having a bottom 11 and a body portion 12, and has a shoulder portion 13 with a central hole O1 formed in the center of the upper surface.

The mouth portion 14 is an upright tubular portion 15 that stands upward from the edge of the central hole O1 of the shoulder portion 13 of the bottle body 10, and a screw protrusion 16 is formed on the outer periphery of the upright tubular portion 15 of the mouth portion 14.

The flange (brim portion) 17 is an annular member that extends outward from the outer circumferential surface of the mouth portion 14. In this configuration, the flange 17 has a rib 19 provided on the underside of a flat ring plate 18.

In addition, in the container 1 of the present invention, the flange 17 is located below the screw projection 16 in the mouth portion 14 and is spaced upward from the shoulder portion 13 of the bottle body 10. At least a portion of the flange 17 is larger than the shoulder portion 13 when viewed from above. Figures 4 and 5 show a case in which the entire flange 17 is larger than the shoulder portion 13 when viewed from above.

In the container 1 of the present invention, the bottle body 10, the mouth portion 14, and the flange 17 are integrally formed from resin. The method for molding this container 1 from resin is described below.

<Container manufacturing method>
A method for manufacturing (molding) the container of Fig. 4 will be described with reference to Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. Fig. 5 is a manufacturing flow chart of the container 1 according to the present invention. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the manufacturing process of the container 1 according to the present invention.

In step S1, a bottomed parison (preform) is molded having the screw projections 16 of the mouth portion 14, the flange 17, and the bottomed bottle portion in a contracted state (see FIG. 7(a)). The bottomed parison is molded by injection molding. In detail, the bottomed cylindrical bottle body before expansion, the cylindrical mouth portion 14 with the screw projections 16 formed thereon, which has approximately the same outer diameter as the outer shape of the bottle body before expansion and is connected to the upper end of the bottle body, and the flange 17 extending outward from the outer periphery of the mouth portion 14 are integrally injection molded with resin.

In the case of the cold parison method, the bottomed parison is cooled over time after S1 (step S2), and the preformed bottomed parison is reheated just before being moved to the blow mold (step S3). In the case of the hot parison method, blowing is performed immediately after injection, so the process proceeds to the moving to the blow mold step S4 immediately after S1 without going through the cooling and reheating steps S2 and S3 shown by the dotted lines in Figure 6.

In step S4, the preformed bottomed parison is moved to the blow mold (Figure 7(b)).

In step S5, the mold is closed to sandwich the bottomed parison (Figure 7(c)). The mold used here is in close contact with the mouth portion 14 and flange 17 on which the screw projections 16 are formed when sandwiched, but the portion that will house the bottle is not in close contact at this point and is shaped to match the shape of the finished bottle body 10.

In this case, the mold is configured so that the width of the bottle body 10 is smaller than the outer diameter of the flange 17 when viewed from above. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when the flange 17 is annular and the bottle body 10 is cylindrical with a bottom, the mold is set so that the outer diameter of the shoulder portion 13 is smaller than the outer diameter of the flange 17. Note that the shape of the flange 17 is not limited to annular, and even in the case of other shapes such as polygonal or protruding, it is sufficient that the mold shape is set so that at least a part of the flange 17 is larger than the width of the bottle body 10, that is, when shown in a vertical cross-sectional view as shown in FIG. 7(d), a part of the flange 17 is longer in the horizontal direction than the shoulder portion 13.

In step S6, air is injected into the bottomed, cylindrical bottle body in a contracted state located at the bottom of the bottomed parison, and the contracted bottle body is blow-molded into an expanded bottle shape (FIG. 7(d)). More specifically, compressed air is blown into the bottle body before expansion through the central hole O1 of the mouth 14, expanding the bottle body so that it is separated from the flange 17 and a shoulder 13 is formed, forming the bottle body 10 as shown in FIG. 4.

After blow molding using the above mold, the shoulder portion 13 of the bottle body 10 is smaller than the outer shape of the flange 17 when viewed from above.

The container 1 formed as described above may be used alone, but may also be used as an inner container (refill container) within a double container as described below.

<First embodiment (double container)>
A double container according to a first embodiment including the container of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, the schematic configuration of the double container will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram of the double container according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In detail, Figure 8 is a half cross-sectional view of the double container, with the left side showing an external view and the right side showing a cross-sectional view. Figure 9 is an exploded view of the double container according to the first embodiment of Figure 8.

As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the double container 100 according to this embodiment has, as its main parts, an inner container 1, an outer container 2, and an annular pressing member 3. In addition, the double container 100 has, as its accessories, an inner plug 5 and a cap 6.

The inner container 1, which is the refill container inside the double container 100, has a configuration similar to that shown in Figures 4 and 5. Therefore, the inner container 1 has the same bottle body 10, mouth portion 14, and flange 17 as those described above, and the bottle body 10, mouth portion 14, and flange 17 are integrally formed from resin.

As described above, the inner container 1 is made of resin. The resin that makes up the inner container 1 is, for example, a polyester resin such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polybutylene terephthalate (PBS), polyacetal (POM), or polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or a biodegradable resin.

The outer container 2 is a bottomed, cylindrical, self-supporting container that houses the inner container (refill container) 1 and is the outer container of the double container. The outer container 2 has a bottom 21 (see FIG. 11(b)), an outer wall 22, a flange receiving portion 23, and an outer engagement portion 26.

The outer container 2 of the present invention is made of glass, wood, resin, silicon, metal, etc. In the case of resin, it is made of, for example, PP, PE, ABS, PBS, POM, PET, or polyester resin, biodegradable resin, etc., like the inner container 1 described above. In the case of wood, it includes, for example, coniferous wood such as cedar, cypress, and pine, and hardwood wood such as oak, walnut, black cherry, alder, and rubberwood, as well as bamboo.

The annular pressing member 3 is an upper cover that covers the upper part of the flange 17 and shoulder portion 13, and is a member that presses the upper surface of the flange 17 of the inner container 1 from above and has a through hole O3 through which the upper part of the mouth portion 14 of the inner container 1 is inserted. The annular pressing member 3 is made of resin such as PP, PE, ABS, PBS, POM, PET, or polyester resin, or biodegradable resin.

The inner plug 5 is a discharge adjustment part that sets the discharge outlet for an appropriate amount of discharge for the mouth portion 14. The inner plug 5 is formed of elastic rubber or resin (e.g., PP, PE).

The cap 6 is a mouth cover that covers the portion of the mouth 14 of the inner container 1 that is exposed above the annular pressing member 3. The cap 6 is made of resin such as PP, PE, ABS, PBS, POM, PET, or polyester-based resin, or biodegradable resin.

In addition, in the inner container 1 of this configuration, at least a portion of the flange 17 is larger than the shoulder portion 13 when viewed from above. With this configuration, the flange 17 is fixed to the outer container 2 when the inner container 1, which is a refill container, is housed in the outer container 2.

As an example of at least a portion of the flange 17 being larger than the shoulder portion 13 in top view, this example shows an example in which the entire flange is larger than the shoulder portion, such as a circular ring or a polygonal ring, but the flange may be a linear or thorn-shaped protrusion that protrudes outward, and in that case, only the protrusion portion may be larger in top view, with the other portions being smaller than the shoulder portion in top view. In other words, "the flange is larger than the shoulder portion at least in top view" includes cases where the entire shoulder portion is larger, and cases where only a portion of the shoulder portion is larger and the other portions are the same size or smaller.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, the annular pressing member 3 and the outer container 2 are engaged with each other in a state in which the flange 17 of any shape of the inner container 1 is sandwiched from above and below between the upper surface 31 of the annular pressing member 3 and the upper end of the outer wall 22 of the outer container 2.

Furthermore, all or part of the flange 17 of the inner container 1, which projects outward beyond the shoulder 13 of the bottle in a top view, serves as a fixing portion when the inner container 1 is placed in the outer container 2, and also serves as a rotation stopper for the inner container 1 relative to the outer container 2. Details of the structure and engagement of these members will be described later with reference to Figures 10 to 12.

Here, as shown in the exploded view of Figure 9, the content-storing container X, which is composed of the inner container 1 and the inner stopper 5, is a refill that can be replaced (removed and replaced) together with the contents for the outer container 2, the annular pressing member 3, and the cap 6, which are the housing part Y.

In this configuration example, the content-storing container X serving as a refill comprises an inner container 1 and an inner stopper 5. In that case, a temporary cap other than the cap 6 may be engaged with the mouth portion 14 during distribution. Alternatively, the cap 6 may also be a refill that is replaceable for the outer container 2 and the annular retaining member 3 together with the inner container 1 and the inner stopper 5.

On the other hand, the housing part Y has at least the outer container 2 and the annular pressing member 3. The housing part Y is reused even after replacing the refill. The cap 6 may also be part of the housing part Y. In this manner, in the double container 100 which can be disassembled, while the housing part Y includes at least the outer container 2 and the annular pressing member 3, at least the inner container 1 and the inner stopper 5 on the main body side can be made into a refill which can be replaced together with the contents. In other words, the empty content-storing container X can be replaced by a new refill of the same shape, and the housing part Y can be used repeatedly.

Next, the configuration and engagement of each member of the double container 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 12. Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram of the engagement between the inner container 1 and the outer container 2 of the double container 100 according to the first embodiment. In Figure 10, (a) is a bottom oblique view of the inner container 1, and (b) is a top oblique view of the outer container 2.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, the annular pressing member 3 and the outer container 2 are engaged with each other in a state in which the flange 17 of the inner container 1 is sandwiched from above and below between the upper surface 31 of the annular pressing member 3 and the upper end of the outer wall 22 of the outer container 2.

For this reason, the flange 17 of the inner container 1 has a refill-side fixing portion 19, and in order to achieve the above-mentioned engagement, a flange receiving portion 23 is provided at the upper end of the outer wall 22 of the outer container 2. Then, the refill-side fixing portion 19 of the flange 17 engages with the flange receiving portion 23 of the outer container 2, thereby fixing and holding the inner container 1, which serves as a refill, to the outer container 2.

In detail, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10(a), the flange 17 of the inner container 1 is provided with a plurality of ribs 19 protruding downward around the outer edge of the lower surface of the ring plate 18 as a refill side fixing portion.

As shown in FIG. 10(b), an inner ring 24 having a plurality of grooves 25 formed therein is provided as a flange receiving portion 23 at the upper end of the outer wall 22 of the outer container 2.

In this embodiment, multiple ribs 19 of the flange 17 fit into multiple grooves 25 of the outer container 2, thereby regulating the rotation and position of the inner container 1 relative to the outer container 2.

10(a) shows an example in which four ribs 19 (one not shown) are provided on the underside of the ring plate 18 as the multiple ribs 19 provided on the flange 17, but the number of ribs 19 as fixing parts for regulating rotation and position is not important as long as there is one or more. Also, the multiple ribs 19 extend in the radial direction of the ring plate 18, which is different from the circumferential direction, in order to regulate the rotation of the flange 17 relative to the flange receiving part 23.

10(b) shows an example in which twelve grooves 25 are provided as the plurality of grooves 25 in the flange receiving portion 23, but the number of grooves 25 may be one or more and may be any other number as long as it is the same number as or a multiple of the number of the plurality of ribs 19. If the number of grooves 25 in the flange receiving portion 23 is a multiple of the number of ribs 19 in the flange 17, the user can mate the grooves 25 with the ribs 19 with a smaller rotation angle during assembly.

Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram of the engagement between the annular pressing member 3 and the outer container 2 of the double container 100 in the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8 above, the annular pressing member 3 and the outer container 2 are engaged with each other in a state in which the flange 17 of the inner container 1 is sandwiched from above and below between the upper surface 31 of the annular pressing member 3 and the upper end of the outer wall 22 of the outer container 2.

11(b), the outer container 2 is provided with an outer engagement portion 26 around the upper end of the outer wall 22 as an engagement portion with the annular pressing member 3, and a helical screw protrusion 28 is provided on its outer surface. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 8, in the assembled state of the double container 100, the upper end of the outer wall 22 of the outer container 2 forms an upper end thin-walled portion 27 so that the peripheral wall 32 of the annular pressing member 3 of the outer container 2 is on approximately the same plane.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11(a), the annular pressing member 3 has a helical screw protrusion 33 on the inner surface of the peripheral wall 32 as an engagement portion with the outer container 2.

Then, with the flange 17 of the inner container 1 sandwiched between the underside of the upper surface 31 of the annular pressing member 3 and the flange receiving portion 23 near the upper end of the outer wall 22 of the outer container 2 from above and below, the helical screw protrusion 28 on the outer surface of the upper end of the outer wall 22 of the outer container 2 engages with the helical screw protrusion 33 on the peripheral wall 32 of the annular pressing member 3, thereby engaging the outer container 2 and the annular pressing member 3 while fixing the inner container 1.

In this way, once assembled by screwing together when the refill is attached, the annular retaining member 3 and the outer container 2 maintain their engaged state during normal use and cannot be disassembled.

In addition, in Figure 11, the outer container 2 and the annular pressing member 3 are shown to be engaged by a screw-type engagement, but the outer container 2 and the annular pressing member 3 may also be engaged by, for example, a fitting method in which the member overcomes a projection, or by other methods.

Regardless of which method is used, when attaching or detaching the cap 6 to the mouth 14 of the inner container 1, it is preferable that when a user grasps the outer wall 22 of the outer container 2 and the cap 6 and rotates the outer wall 22 and the cap 6 relative to one another, the annular retaining member 3 and the outer container 2 are engaged in a manner that restricts rotation to the extent that the annular retaining member 3 does not rotate together with the outer wall 22.

However, if the cap 6 is attached to the mouth 14 of the inner container 1 by a method other than rotation, such as screwing, for example, by simply placing it over the mouth or by pushing it up, the outer container 2 and the annular retaining member 3 do not need to be engaged in a manner that restricts rotation, and an engagement method that restricts only the vertical direction and does not restrict rotation (see Figure 16) may be used.

In the present invention, the flange 17 of the inner container 1 projects outward beyond the shoulder 13 and is spaced apart from the shoulder 13. Therefore, when assembling the double container 100, the flange 17 of the inner container 1 is joined from above and below and sandwiched between the annular pressing member 3 and the outer container 2, so the upper end side of the outer container 2 does not need to have a particularly complex shape. Therefore, a glass container, which is difficult to process, can be used as the outer container 2 of the double container 100.

Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram of the engagement between the mouth 14 of the inner container 1, the stopper 5, and the cap 6 of the double container 100 according to the first embodiment. In Figure 12, (a) is a top perspective view of the inner container 1, the stopper 5, and the cap 6 with the annular pressing member 3 fitted, and (b) is a bottom perspective view of the stopper 5 and the cap 6.

The inner plug 5 is a member that is fitted into the upper end of the mouth 14 of the inner container 1 to adjust the discharge volume. The inner plug 5 has a double-cylindrical shape with an upper surface, and has an upper wall 51 on the upper surface, an outer peripheral wall 53 which is the outer side surface, and an inner peripheral wall 54 which is the inner side surface.

A hole O5 is formed in the center of the upper wall 51 of the inside plug 5, penetrating in the vertical direction. The area around the hole O5 is recessed in a mortar shape (funnel shape) toward the hole O5, and abutment protrusion 52 is formed on the upper wall 51, protruding upward in an annular shape.

The upper end of the upright tubular section 15 of the mouth 14 of the inner container 1 is an upper thin-walled section 151 with a thin outer surface. When the inner plug 5 is attached to the mouth 14, the upper thin-walled section 151 of the mouth 14 is pressed and sandwiched between the elastic outer peripheral wall 53 and inner peripheral wall 54 of the inner plug 5, so that the inner plug 5 fits tightly to cover the central hole O1, which is a through hole of the mouth 14. When the inner plug 5 is fitted into the mouth 14, the hole O5 of the inner plug 5 becomes the discharge outlet of the double container 100.

12(a) and 12(b) are exploded views for explaining the positional relationship, and do not actually exist in the assembled state. Before the double container 100 is sold or before the refill container is sold, the inner stopper 5 is fitted into the upper end of the mouth 14 of the inner container 1 to form the content-storing container X.

Then, in assembling the content-storing container X and the housing portion Y, the inner container with the mouth portion fitted is attached to the outer container, and then the annular retaining member 3 is attached to the outer container 2 as shown in Figure 11.

In Figure 12(a), the outer container 2 is not shown in order to explain the positional relationship, but when the inner container 1, outer container 2, and annular pressing member 3 are assembled, the upper surface of the flange 17 abuts against the lower surface of the upper surface 31 of the annular pressing member 3, causing the mouth 14 of the inner container 1 to protrude from the inside of the through hole O3 in the upper surface 31. The cap 6 is attached so as to cover the portion of this mouth 14 that protrudes above the through hole O3 in the upper surface 31 of the annular pressing member 3.

The cap 6 is a mouth cover that can be attached and detached to fit tightly onto the mouth 14 and inner plug 5 of the inner container 1, and covers the portion of the mouth 14 that extends upward beyond the through hole O3 of the annular pressing member 3 from above and on the outer periphery.

The cap 6 is composed of a ceiling wall 61 and an outer wall 63. A protruding boss (also called a plug portion, sealing protrusion, or seal portion) 62 is provided at the center of the underside of the ceiling wall 61 so as to protrude downward. A helical screw protrusion 64 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the outer wall 63.

When the cap 6 is attached to the mouth portion 14, the boss 62 of the cap 6 forms a stopper structure when inserted into the hole portion O5 of the inner plug 5, and the cap 6 fits tightly around the mouth portion 14.

12 illustrates an example in which the stopper 5 is engaged with the upper end of the mouth 14, but the stopper 5 does not have to be provided. For example, when discharging a large amount of content per use or a highly viscous content, the content may be directly discharged from the central hole O1 at the upper end of the upright tubular portion 15 of the mouth 14. Alternatively, a ring-shaped upper surface with an appropriately sized hole may be provided during the molding stage of the inner container 1, allowing the content to be discharged directly from the mouth 14 in an adjusted amount without providing the stopper 5.

In addition, while Fig. 12 shows a configuration in which the mouth 14 of the inner container 1 and the cap 6 are screwed together, the mouth 14 of the inner container 1 and the cap 6 do not have to be screwed together. For example, they may be fitted together by climbing over a protrusion, or may be engaged using magnetic force.

Alternatively, the cap that is screwed into engagement may be a hinge cap. In the case of a hinge cap, the top surface or a part of the top surface can be opened and closed relative to the cap tube portion by a hinge, and the discharge port can be opened and closed when the cap tube portion is engaged with the mouth portion 14.

The mechanism for restricting rotation and position as shown in Fig. 10 is provided to prevent co-rotation when the cap 6 is rotated relative to the mouth 14 to open and close it. Therefore, if the engagement of the cap 6 with the mouth 14 is not a screw-fit engagement, or if the cap is configured not to rotate each time it is used, such as a hinge cap, the flange 17 only needs to be restricted in position relative to the flange receiving portion 23, and does not need to have a rotation prevention function such as a rib or groove.

(Example of a dispenser)
In the above Figures 8 to 12, an example is described in which an inner stopper 5 is provided as a discharge adjustment part of the double container 100, and a cap 6 that engages with the mouth 14 is provided as a mouth cover, but a dispenser 7 may be provided instead of the inner stopper 5 and the cap 6.

Figure 13 is an exploded view of the cap of the first embodiment when it is used as a dispenser. In this configuration, the cap 6 and the inner plug 5 are replaced with a dispenser 7, and the configuration is the same as that described above.

The dispenser 7 has a two-stage cylindrical shape, including a cylindrical portion 73 that covers the mouth portion 14, a suction tube 72, and a push portion 75. The push portion 75 is formed so that it can be pushed into the ceiling ring 71 at the upper end of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 73. The push portion 75 is formed with a discharge hole 76 for discharging the contents. Although not shown, the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 73 is provided with a screw projection that can engage with the screw projection 16 of the mouth portion 14, as in the inner peripheral surface of the cap 6 in FIG. 12(b).

Furthermore, although not shown, a fixed-amount dispensing mechanism that sucks up and dispenses a fixed amount is provided inside the tube portion 73 of the dispenser 7 and inside the push portion 75. When the push portion 75 is pushed against the ceiling ring 71, a fixed amount of the contents in the inner container 1 is sucked up by the suction tube 72 and discharged from the discharge hole 76.

In addition, in this configuration, although not shown, an outer cap may further be provided to cover the push portion 75 at the top of the dispenser 7.

In this configuration, the inner container 1 is provided as the content-storing container Xα that serves as a refill. In this case, a temporary cap separate from the dispenser 7 may be engaged with the mouth portion 14 at the distribution stage. Alternatively, the dispenser 7 may also be a replaceable refill for the outer container 2 and the annular pressing member 3 together with the inner container 1.

On the other hand, the housing part Yα has at least the outer container 2 and the annular pressing member 3. The housing part Yα is reused even after replacing the refill. The dispenser 7 may also be a reusable member of the housing part Yα.

The dispenser 7 shown in Fig. 12 is screwed into the mouth 14 of the inner container 1 during assembly, but after assembly, the dispenser 7 does not rotate relative to the mouth 14 each time it is used. Therefore, in a configuration in which the dispenser 7 is attached, the flange 17 only needs to be regulated in position relative to the flange receiving portion 23, and does not need to have a rotation prevention function such as the rib or groove shown in Fig. 10.

Second Embodiment
Next, a double container 200 according to a second embodiment including the container of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs.

Figure 14 is an exploded perspective view of a double container 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The double container 200 of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the shape of the flange 17A of the inner container 1A and the shape of the flange receiving portion 23A of the outer container 2A. As the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, only the differences will be described below.

Figure 15 is an explanatory diagram of the engagement between the inner container 1A and the outer container 2A of the double container 200 according to the second embodiment of Figure 14. In Figure 15, (a) is a top oblique view of the inner container 1A, and (b) is a top oblique view of the outer container 2A.

In this embodiment, too, the annular pressing member 3 and the outer container 2A are engaged with each other in a state in which the flange 17A, which is the refill side fixing portion of the inner container 1A, is sandwiched from above and below between the upper surface 31 of the annular pressing member 3 and the flange receiving portion 23A at the upper end of the outer wall 22 of the outer container 2A.

In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 15(a), the flange 17A of the inner container 1A has a polygonal outer shape when viewed from above, and serves as the refill-side fixing part. Therefore, the flange 17A is formed of a perforated polygonal plate 18A, and no ribs are provided.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 15(b), an inner abutment ring 24A having a polygonal cylindrical portion 25A formed on the upper side is provided as a flange receiving portion 23A at the upper end of the outer wall 22 of the outer container 2A.

In this embodiment, the outer shape of the polygonal perforated polygonal plate 18A of the flange 17A fits into the polygonal tubular portion 25A at the upper end of the outer wall 22 of the outer container 2A, thereby restricting the rotation and position of the inner container 1A relative to the outer container 2A. In addition, when the outer shape of the polygonal perforated polygonal plate 18A of the flange 17A fits into the polygonal tubular portion 25A, the outer edge of the lower surface of the perforated polygonal plate 18A is held by the inner abutment ring 24A.

In the double container 200 of this embodiment, the flange receiving portion 23A of the outer container 2A, which is the portion that engages with the inner container 1, is configured with a relatively simple shape compared to the groove portion 25. Therefore, even when the outer container 2A is molded from glass, it is not necessary to provide a fine groove portion on the outer container 2A side, and since the processed portion of the flange receiving portion 23A has a large shape, the strength of the entire outer container 2A can be increased.

15 shows an example of an octagon as an example of the polygonal outer shape of flange 17A, but the outer shape of flange 17A may be other polygonal shapes such as a triangle or a rectangle. Also, while an example of a polygon with sharp corners is shown for flange 17A in this configuration, this engagement configuration may be a polygon with rounded corners as long as rotation can be regulated. Furthermore, by devising the shape of the flange receiving portion 23A side, the shape of flange 17A may be a polypointed star such as a five-pointed star or a hexapointed star.

<Modification of the second embodiment>
Fig. 16 is an exploded view of a double container 200β according to a modified embodiment of the second embodiment of the present invention. The double container 200β shown in Fig. 16 uses a polygonal engagement between the inner container 1β and the outer container 2β as in the second embodiment, but is different in that the bottle body 10β below the mouth 14 of the inner container 1β, the outer shape of the outer container 2β, and the side shape of the annular pressing member 3β, i.e., the body parts of all the members, are square.

In addition, because the side shapes of these components are square, even if the engagement between the outer container 2β and the annular pressing member 3β is not a rotation-restricting engagement such as a screw engagement, rotation is restricted by the fit between the square tubes. Therefore, even if the cap 6 rotates when attaching or detaching it to or from the mouth 14 of the inner container 1β, the cap 6 can be attached or detached while gripping the outer container 2β without any special engagement in the circumferential direction, using only the simple anti-slip protrusions 28β, which are the vertical engagement parts, and without the outer container 2β and the annular pressing member 3β rotating together relative to the inner container 1β.

In addition, Figure 16 shows an example in which the top surface shape of the body of the member, which is the bottle body 10β below the mouth 14 of the inner container 1β, the outer shape of the outer container 2β, and the side shape of the annular pressing member 3β, is rectangular. However, as another configuration example of this modified example that does not have an engagement for preventing rotation, the top surface shape of the body of the member may be a polygon other than a circle, such as a triangle or pentagon, a polypointed star shape such as a pentagram or hexagram, or an ellipse or oval shape.

Third Embodiment
Next, a double container 300 according to a third embodiment including the container of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, the schematic configuration of the double container 300 will be described with reference to Figures 17 and 18. Figure 17 is an explanatory diagram of the double container 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In detail, Figure 17 is a half cross-sectional view of the double container 300, with the left side showing an external view and the right side showing a cross-sectional view. Figure 18 is an exploded see-through view of the double container 300 according to the third embodiment.

The double container 300 according to this embodiment has, as its main parts, an inner container 1, an outer container 2B, an annular pressing member 3, and a cylindrical fastening part 4. The double container 300 also has an inner stopper 5 and a cap 6 as its accessories.

As shown in Figure 18, the cylindrical fastening part 4 included in this embodiment is a cylindrical fastening member, and is a ring cover that is disposed between the underside of the flange 17 of the inner container 1 and the upper end of the outer wall of the outer container 2. Then, as shown in Figure 17, the annular pressing member 3 and the upper end of the cylindrical fastening part 4 are engaged with each other with the flange 17 of the inner container 1 sandwiched between them from above and below.

The tubular fastening portion 4 is made of resin such as PP, PE, ABS, PBS, POM, PET, or polyester-based resin, biodegradable resin, or elastic rubber.

In this embodiment, the housing part YB has at least the outer container 2B, the annular pressing member 3, and the cylindrical fastening part 4. The housing part YB is reused even after the refill is replaced. The cap 6 may be the housing part YB or may be a refill. In the disassemblable double container 300 of this embodiment, the housing part Y includes at least the outer container 2, the annular pressing member 3, and the cylindrical fastening part 4, while at least the inner container 1 and the inner stopper 5 on the main body side can be a refill that can be replaced together with the contents. In other words, the empty content storage container X can be replaced by a new refill of the same shape, and the housing part YB including the cylindrical fastening part 4 can be used repeatedly.

In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 17 and 18, the outer diameter of the outer tube 40 is equal at the top and bottom of the tubular fastening portion 4, and in the assembled state, the peripheral wall 32 of the annular pressing member 3 covers the entire outer periphery of the tubular fastening portion 4.

Next, the configuration of the cylindrical fastening portion 4 of the double container 300 according to the third embodiment and its engagement with other members will be described with reference to Figures 19 and 20. Note that a description of the configuration and shape similar to those of the first embodiment will be omitted.

Figure 19 is an explanatory diagram of the engagement between the inner container 1 and the cylindrical fastening portion 4 of the double container 300 according to the third embodiment. In Figure 19, (a) is a bottom oblique view of the inner container 1, and (b) is a top oblique view of the cylindrical fastening portion 4.

17, in this embodiment, the flange 17 of the inner container 1 is sandwiched between the lower surface of the upper surface 31 of the annular pressing member 3 and the upper end of the cylindrical fastening portion 4. Therefore, a refill side fixing portion is provided on the flange 17 of the inner container 1, and a flange fixing portion is provided on the upper end of the cylindrical fastening portion 4.

In detail, as shown in FIG. 19(a), the flange 17 of the inner container 1 of this embodiment is provided with a plurality of ribs 19 protruding downward around the outer edge of the lower surface of the ring plate 18 as a refill side fixing portion, similar to the first embodiment.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 19(b), in the tubular fastening portion 4 of this embodiment, an inner ring 42 having a plurality of grooves 43 formed therein is provided as a flange receiving portion 41 at the upper end of the outer tube 40.

In this embodiment, multiple ribs 19 of the flange 17 of the inner container 1 in Figure 19 (a) fit into multiple grooves 43 of the flange receiving portion 41 of the tubular fastening portion 4 shown in Figure 19 (b), thereby regulating the rotation and position of the inner container 1 relative to the tubular fastening portion 4.

19(a) shows an example in which four ribs 19 (one not shown) are provided on the underside of the ring plate 18 as the multiple ribs 19 provided on the flange 17, but the number of the multiple ribs 19 as the fixed parts for regulating the rotation and position can be any number as long as it is one or more. Also, in FIG. 19(b) shows an example in which a large number of grooves 43 are provided as the multiple grooves 43 in the flange receiving part 41, but the number of the multiple grooves 43 may be one or more and may be any other number as long as it is the same number or a multiple of the number of ribs 19. If the number of grooves 43 on the flange receiving part 41 is a multiple of the number of ribs 19 on the flange 17, the user can fit the grooves 43 and the ribs 19 together with a smaller rotation angle during assembly.

Figure 20 is an explanatory diagram of the engagement between the annular pressing member 3, the cylindrical fastening portion 4, and the outer container 2B of the double container 300 according to the third embodiment. In Figure 20, (a) is a bottom perspective view of the annular pressing member 3 and the cylindrical fastening portion 4, and (b) is a top perspective view of the outer container 2B.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 18, the annular pressing member 3 and the upper end of the tubular fastening portion 4 engage with each other in a state in which the flange 17 of the inner container 1 is sandwiched between the upper surface 31 of the annular pressing member 3 and the upper end of the tubular fastening portion 4 from above and below.

20(a), the tubular fastening portion 4 is provided with a helical screw projection 45 on the outer periphery of the outer tube 40 as an engagement portion with the annular pressing member 3. On the other hand, the annular pressing member 3 is provided with a helical screw projection 33 on the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 32 as an engagement portion with the tubular fastening portion 4.

As shown in Figure 18, the flange 17 of the inner container 1 is sandwiched from above and below between the upper surface 31 of the annular holding member 3 and the flange receiving portion 41 near the upper end of the outer tube 40 of the tubular fastening portion 4, and the helical screw projection 45 on the outer surface of the outer tube 40 of the tubular fastening portion 4 engages with the helical screw projection 33 on the peripheral wall 32 of the annular holding member 3, thereby engaging the tubular fastening portion 4 and the annular holding member 3 while fixing the inner container 1.

In this way, once assembled by screwing together when the refill is attached, the annular retaining member 3 and the tubular fastening portion 4 maintain their engaged state during normal use and cannot be disassembled.

As shown in Figures 19(b) and 20(a), the tubular fastening portion 4 has an inner tube 44 hanging down from the inner edge of the inner ring 42 and a plurality of band-shaped protrusions 46 extending vertically on the inner surface of the outer tube 40 as engagement portions with the outer container 2B.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 20(b), in the outer container 2B, the upper end of the outer wall 22 is a thin-walled portion 221, and a band-shaped groove portion 29 is formed in the thin-walled portion 221 as an engagement portion (fastening portion receiving portion) with the tubular fastening portion 4.

The belt-shaped protrusion 46 of the cylindrical fastening part 4 is fitted into the belt-shaped groove 29 of the outer container 2B to restrict relative movement in the rotational direction, while the position of the cylindrical fastening part 4 is restricted so as not to separate vertically from the outer container 2B. Possible methods for restricting the vertical position of the cylindrical fastening part 4 relative to the outer container 2B include (1) an undercut fitting type, (2) an adhesive type, and (3) an elastic fitting type.

(1) When positioning is restricted by an undercut fitting method, an annular ridge or intermittent linear ridge extending along the circumference, or two or more bump-shaped ridges are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the thin-walled portion 221 of the outer container 2B, and an undercut such as two or more ridges, annular ridges, or intermittent linear ridges is provided on the lower end of the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube 40 of the tubular fastening portion 4. Then, when engaging, the ridge (or ridge) on the tubular fastening portion 4 overcomes the ridge (or ridge) of the outer container 2B by being pushed in, thereby restricting the position of the tubular fastening portion 4 so that it does not separate from the outer container 2B in the vertical direction, and the tubular fastening portion 4 and the outer container 2B engage with each other.

(2) When positioning is controlled by adhesive, the thin-walled portion 221 of the outer container 2B is fitted into the band-shaped groove portion 29, and the thin-walled portion 221 is bonded with an adhesive to the inner circumferential surface of the outer tube 40 and the outer circumferential surface of the inner tube 44 of the cylindrical fastening portion 4 that sandwiches the thin-walled portion 221, thereby fixing the cylindrical fastening portion 4 to the outer container 2B. Note that when the cylindrical fastening portion 4 is fixed to the outer container 2B using methods (2) and (3), it is assumed that after fixing, it will not come off the outer container 2B even when replacing the refill.

(3) When the position is regulated by elastic fitting, the tubular fastening portion 4 is made of elastic rubber or the like, and the thin-walled portion 221 of the outer container 2B is pressed and sandwiched between the outer tube 40 and the inner tube 44 of the tubular fastening portion 4, whereby the tubular fastening portion 4 is fixed to the outer container 2B and its position in the vertical direction is regulated.

In this way, in the cylindrical fastening portion 4, whose position is restricted in the circumferential and vertical directions relative to the outer container 2B, the multiple grooves 43 engage with the rib 19, which is the refill side fixing portion of the flange 17A, and the inner container 1 is fixed and held to the outer container 2B via the cylindrical fastening portion 4.

In addition, in FIG. 20(a), the tubular fastening portion 4 and the annular retaining member 3 are shown to be engaged by a screw-threaded engagement, but the tubular fastening portion 4 and the annular retaining member 3 may also be engaged by, for example, a fitting method in which the fastening portion 4 overcomes a projection, or by other methods.

Regardless of which method is used, when attaching or detaching the cap 6 to the mouth 14 of the inner container 1, it is preferable that when a user grasps the outer wall 22 of the outer container 2B and the cap 6 and rotates the outer wall 22B and the cap 6 relative to one another, the annular retaining member 3, the tubular fastening portion 4, and the outer container 2B are engaged with their rotation restricted to the extent that the annular retaining member 3 does not rotate relative to the outer wall 22.

However, if the cap 6 is attached to the mouth 14 of the inner container 1 by a method other than rotation, such as screwing, for example, by simply placing it over the mouth, by a push-up method, or by a hinge cap, the outer container 2B and the annular retaining member 3 do not need to be engaged in a manner that restricts rotation, and an engagement method that restricts only the vertical direction and does not restrict rotation (see Figure 16) may be used.

In this embodiment, by providing the cylindrical fastening portion 4 in the double container 300, the flange receiving portion and the helical screw protrusion, which are complex in shape, can be provided on the cylindrical fastening portion 4 side, not on the outer container 2B. Therefore, even when the outer container 2B is molded from glass, for example, it is not necessary to provide the outer container 2B with small fragile parts, and the strength of the entire outer container 2B can be increased.

(Modification)
In this embodiment, the engagement between the flange shown in Figure 19 and the flange receiving portion of the tubular fastening portion that regulates rotation of the flange from below has been described as being performed in a similar manner to the engagement between the flange shown in Figure 10 and the flange receiving portion of the outer container. However, as a modified example of a double container having a tubular fastening portion, an engagement configuration using a polygon and a polygonal tube, as in Figure 15 of the second embodiment, may also be used.

In other words, the flange of the inner container has a polygonal outer shape when viewed from above, and the flange receiving portion at the upper end of the outer tube 40 of the tubular fastening portion 4 has a polygonal tubular shape, and the polygonal outer shape of the flange fits into the polygonal tubular shape at the upper end of the tubular portion of the tubular fastening portion, thereby restricting rotation of the inner container relative to the outer container.

Fourth Embodiment
Next, a double container 400 according to a fourth embodiment including the container of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, the schematic configuration of the double container 400 will be described with reference to Figures 21 and 22. Figure 21 is an explanatory diagram of the double container 400 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In detail, Figure 21 is a half cross-sectional view of the double container 400, with the left side showing an external view and the right side showing a cross-sectional view. Figure 22 is an exploded see-through view of the double container 400 according to the fourth embodiment.

In this embodiment, the components of the member are similar to those of the third embodiment, but the shape of the tubular fastening portion 4C differs from that of the tubular fastening portion 4 of the third embodiment.

In this embodiment, the cylindrical fastening portion 4C has, as an outer cylindrical portion, an upper small diameter tube 47 and a lower large diameter tube 48 having a larger diameter than the upper small diameter tube 47. In the assembled state shown in FIG. 22, the peripheral wall 32 of the annular pressing member 3 covers the outer periphery of the upper small diameter tube 47 of the cylindrical fastening portion 4C, and the lower large diameter tube 48 of the cylindrical fastening portion 4C is exposed to the outside.

The configuration of the cylindrical fastening portion 4C of this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 21 to 23. Figure 23 is an explanatory diagram of the cylindrical fastening portion 4C of the double container 400 according to the fourth embodiment. In Figure 23, (a) is a top oblique view of the cylindrical fastening portion 4C, and (b) is a bottom oblique view of the cylindrical fastening portion 4C.

23(a), in the cylindrical fastening portion 4C of this embodiment, a flange receiving portion 41C is provided on the upper part of the inner surface of the upper small diameter tube 47, and a helical screw projection 45C is provided on the outer surface. The flange receiving portion 41C also includes a ring 42C and a plurality of grooves 43 formed in the ring 42C, and an inner tube 44C hangs down from the inner peripheral edge of the ring 42C.

23(b), a band-shaped protrusion 46C for engaging with the outer container 2C is provided on the lower part of the inner surface of the lower large diameter tube 48. That is, in this embodiment, the band-shaped protrusion 46C of the cylindrical fastening part 4C is provided only on the inner surface of the lower large diameter tube 48, and is not provided on the upper small diameter tube 47. Therefore, in the cylindrical fastening part 4C, the helical screw protrusion 45C of the upper small diameter tube 47 and the upper large diameter tube 48C are provided in areas that do not overlap in the lateral direction.

Therefore, when forming the tubular fastening portion 4C, in a configuration in which the helical screw projection 45C and the band-shaped projection 46C are not formed on the same tubular portion, both the lower large diameter tube 48 and the upper small diameter tube 47 can be made thinner than in a configuration of the tubular fastening portion 4 in which the helical screw projection 45C and the band-shaped projection 46C are formed in areas that laterally overlap inside and outside the same tubular portion.

As a result, in the double container 400 using the cylindrical fastening portion 4C of this embodiment, the diameter of the side shape of the bottle body of the outer container 2C and the inner container 1C can be made narrower throughout the double container 400 than in the third embodiment.

Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the embodiment of the present invention described in the claims.

1, 1β, 1A, 1C Containers (inner containers, refill containers)
2, 2β, 2B, 2C Outer container 3, 3β, 3A Annular pressing member 4, 4C Cylindrical fastening portion 5 Inner plug 6 Cap 7 Dispenser 10, 10β Bottle body (bottle portion, storage portion)
11 Bottom portion 12 Body portion 13 Shoulder portion 14 Mouth portion 15 Upright tube portion 16 Spiral screw projection 17, 17A Flange (brim portion)
18 Ring plate 18A Perforated polygonal plate (refill side fixing part)
19 Multiple ribs (one or more ribs, refill side fixing portion)
21 Bottom 22 Outer wall 23, 23A Flange receiving portion 24 Inner ring 24A Inner abutment ring 25 Multiple grooves (one or more grooves, flange receiving portions)
25A: Polygonal tubular portion 26, 6A: Outer engagement portion 27, 27B: Upper end thin portion 28: Spiral screw protrusion 29: Band-shaped groove portion (receiving portion for fastening portion)
31 Upper surface 32 Peripheral wall 33 Helical screw projection 40 Outer circumferential tube 41 Flange receiving portion 42 Inner ring 43 Multiple grooves (one or more grooves, flange receiving portion)
44 Inner cylinder 45 Spiral screw projection 46 Band-shaped projection 100, 100α Double container 200, 200β Double container 300 Double container 400 Double container O1 Hole of inner container (central hole)
O2 Opening of outer container O3 Hole of annular pressing member O5 Hole of inner plug X, Xα Contents storage container (refill)
Y, Yα, YB housing part

Claims (4)

A refill container housed in an outer container,
A bottle body having a bottomed cylindrical shape and a shoulder portion with a central hole formed in the center of the upper surface;
a mouth portion extending upward from an edge portion of a central hole of the shoulder portion of the bottle body;
a flange extending outwardly from an outer periphery of the mouth and spaced from the shoulder;
The bottle body, the mouth portion, and the flange are integrally formed of resin,
a refill container, at least a portion of which is larger than the shoulder portion when viewed from above, and the flange is fixed to the outer container when the refill container is housed in the outer container;
A bottomed cylindrical outer container that houses the refill container;
a ring-shaped pressing member that presses the upper surface of the flange of the refill container from above and has a through hole through which the upper part of the mouth portion is inserted;
A cylindrical fastening portion is disposed between a lower surface of the flange of the refill container and an upper end of an outer wall of the outer container,
The annular pressing member and the upper end of the cylindrical fastening portion are engaged with each other in a state in which the flange of the refill container is sandwiched between the annular pressing member and the upper end of the cylindrical fastening portion,
The flange is provided with a refill side fixing portion,
A flange receiving portion is provided at an upper end of the cylindrical fastening portion,
The flange receiving portion of the cylindrical fastening portion, the position of which is restricted with respect to the outer container, engages with the refill side fixing portion of the flange, so that the refill container is fixed and held to the outer container via the cylindrical fastening portion.
Double container. The flange of the refill container is provided with one or more ribs protruding downward around the outer edge of the lower surface as the refill-side fixing portion,
The upper end of the cylindrical fastening portion is provided with one or more grooves as the flange receiving portion,
The one or more ribs of the flange are fitted into the one or more grooves of the cylindrical fastening portion, thereby restricting the rotation and position of the refill container relative to the cylindrical fastening portion.
The double container according to claim 1 . The double container according to claim 1 or 2 , further comprising a cap that, in an assembled state, can cover from above and from the outer circumferential side the portion of the mouth of the refill container that extends upward beyond the through hole of the annular pressing member. The double container according to claim 1 , wherein the outer container is made of glass.

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