JP7634407B2 - Powder Dispensing Container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a powder dispensing container that dispenses powder contained in a container body from a dispensing outlet.

As a container for discharging powder such as cosmetics (e.g., baby powder, foundation, face powder, etc.) and foodstuffs such as seasonings (e.g., salt, pepper, etc.), for example, the powder discharging container disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. The powder discharging container disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured so that the powder contained in the container body can be discharged from the discharge port by a pump mechanism.

Valve atomizers, which are used for perfume bottles, etc., may also be used as powder dispensing containers. Valve atomizers have a discharge head connected to an insertion tube that is inserted into the container body, and one end of a Vernuit tube is connected to the mouth. The balloon-shaped part connected to the other end of the Vernuit tube is compressed and deformed to reduce the volume, so that air is compressed into the Vernuit tube, negative pressure is applied to the upper end of the insertion tube, and the contents are sucked in and sprayed from the mouth along with the airflow.

JP 2000-189858 A

The conventional powder discharge container described above has excellent operability, allowing an appropriate amount of powder contained in the container body to be discharged by simple operations such as pressing down the head or reducing the volume of the balloon-shaped portion. However, the powder discharge container disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that the mechanism for discharging powder, such as a pump mechanism, has a large number of parts, and the assembly labor is increased, resulting in high container costs. In addition, the powder discharge container disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a simple mechanism for discharging powder, but the balloon-shaped portion protrudes radially outward at the mouth and is bulky, resulting in poor portability and significant design constraints.

Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide a small, highly portable powder dispensing container that can dispense powder with a simple configuration.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the powder discharge container of the present invention comprises a container body having a storage space in which powder is stored, a lid body provided at the mouth of the container body and having a through hole penetrating in a thickness direction, a powder suction flow path having one end disposed within the storage space and the other end communicating with the through hole, a flow path section provided on the lid body, having a downstream flow path on the discharge port side and an upstream flow path on the inlet side, and having a communication section between the upstream flow path and the downstream flow path that communicates with the through hole, a pressurized air supply section having a volume-reducing deformable body that partitions an air storage space on the lid body that can accommodate a predetermined volume of air, and supplying pressurized air to the flow path section by reducing and deforming the volume-reducing deformable body, and an open/close valve provided at the inlet to close the inlet and open when the outside of the flow path section is under positive pressure, and applies negative pressure to the other end side of the powder suction passage, and the pressurized air supply unit is configured to block the flow of air between the air accommodating space and the outside when the volume-reduced deformable body is reduced in volume, and to allow the flow of air between the air accommodating space and the outside when the volume-reduced deformable body is restored to its original shape, and the pressurized air supply unit comprises an operation button that can be pressed in the axial direction of the container body, a pressurized air pin attached to the operation button, and an air hole that is provided in the volume-reduced deformable body and into which the pressurized air pin is inserted, and when the operation button is pressed, the pressurized air pin moves axially downward to close the air hole, blocking the flow of air between the air accommodating space and the outside and reducing and deforming the volume-reduced deformable body, and when the pressing of the operation button is released, the flow of air between the air accommodating space and the outside is allowed, restoring the volume-reduced deformable body to its original shape.

In the powder discharge container according to the present invention, it is preferable that the inlet has a smaller diameter than the upstream flow path.

In the powder discharge container according to the present invention, it is preferable that the diameter of the space between the upstream flow path and the downstream flow path is narrowed.

According to the powder discharge container of the present invention, by supplying pressurized air to the flow path provided on the lid by the pressurized air supply unit, negative pressure is applied to the powder suction flow path in the storage space of the container body by the Venturi effect, and powder is sucked from the storage space and discharged from the discharge port of the flow path together with the pressurized air. Therefore, unlike a pump mechanism, powder can be discharged with a simple configuration. In addition, since an air storage space is partitioned by a volume-reducing deformable body on the lid, and pressurized air is supplied to the flow path by reducing and deforming the volume-reducing deformable body, a bulky balloon-shaped member like that of a valve atomizer is not required, and the entire container can be configured compactly. Therefore, a powder discharge container that is small and highly portable can be provided.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a powder dispensing container according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view for explaining an internal structure of the powder dispensing container of FIG. 1 . 2A is a partial enlarged view of the powder dispensing container of FIG. 1 showing a state in which a volume-reducing deformable body has been deformed, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged view showing a powder flow path and a flow path portion. 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining the procedure for using the powder ejection container of FIG. 1, in which (a) shows the state in which the operation button is pressed from the initial position to the pressed position, and (b) shows the state in which the operation button returns from the pressed position to the initial position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a powder dispensing container according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a powder dispensing container 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
1, the powder discharge container 100 of this embodiment includes a container body ₁₀ having a storage space S1 for storing powder P (see FIG. 4), a cap body 20 detachably attached to the mouth portion 11 of the container body 10, a pressurized air supply unit 30 provided on the cap body 20, an overcap portion 40 detachably attached to the cap body 20 and covering the pressurized air supply unit 30, a powder suction flow path 50 provided in the storage space _S1 , and a flow path portion 60 provided on a lid body 22 covering the mouth portion 11 so that the flow path direction is approximately perpendicular to the powder suction flow path 50. The flow path portion 60 communicates with the powder suction flow path 50 via a through hole 22a. By pressing an operation button 31 provided on the pressurized air supply unit 30, pressurized air is passed from the inlet hole 61a (inlet) of the flow path unit 60 toward the outlet 62a, and at that time, negative pressure is applied to the powder suction flow path 50 via the through hole 22a, so that the powder P sucked in from the storage space _S1 is discharged from the outlet 62a together with the pressurized air.

Examples of the powder P as the content include cosmetics (e.g., baby powder, foundation, face powder, face wash powder, etc.), food such as seasonings (e.g., salt, pepper, granulated soup stock, wheat flour, potato starch, powdered sugar, food coloring, etc.), medicines (oral medicine, wound medicine, detergent, bleach, etc.), art supplies (silver powder, gold powder, etc.), etc., but the content is not particularly limited as long as it is an aggregate of particles with a particle diameter (volume average particle diameter _D50 ) of approximately 0.5 μm or more and 1 mm or less.

The configuration of the powder discharge container 100 is roughly as described above, but the configuration of each part will be specifically described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. The direction of the central axis O of the container body 10 is referred to as the axial direction, and when the powder discharge container 100 is placed in the upright position shown in Fig. 1, the direction of the side on which the cap body 20 is provided with respect to the container body 10 is referred to as "upper", and the direction of the bottom part 12 side of the container body 10 is referred to as "lower". Of course, "upper" and "lower" indicate relative positional relationships. Fig. 2 is a partial perspective view of the powder discharge container 100, Fig. 3(a) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state in which the volume-reducing deformation body 33 has been reduced in volume, and Fig. 3(b) is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of the flow path part 60.

As shown in Fig. 1, the container body 10 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and includes the mouth 11 and bottom 12, as well as a body 13 and a shoulder 14. The bottom 12 and body 13 define the storage space _S1 , and powder P (see Fig. 4) is stored in the storage space _S1 as the contents. The inner diameter of the body 13 is substantially constant, the mouth 11 is configured to have a smaller diameter than the body 13, and the mouth 11 and body 13 are connected by the shoulder 14. The mouth 11 is open, and a male screw portion 11a into which the cap body 20 is screwed is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the mouth 11.

The cap body 20 comprises, in order from the bottom to the top in the axial direction, a cylindrical mounting tube portion 21 that is detachably mounted to the mouth portion 11, a lid body 22 that forms the top wall of the mounting tube portion 21 and closes the mouth portion 11, and a holding tube portion 23 that is connected to the mounting tube portion 21 and holds the pressurized air supply portion 30.

The inner peripheral surface of the mounting tube 21 is provided with a female thread 21a that screws into the male thread 11a. The lid 22 is formed with a through hole 22a that penetrates in the thickness direction. An inner insertion tube 22b is provided that protrudes axially downward from the underside of the lid 22, and the outer peripheral surface of the inner insertion tube 22b is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the mouth 11. The underside of the lid 22 is provided with a suction tube holding tube 22c that extends downward from the periphery of the through hole 22a and into which the suction tube 51 that forms the powder suction flow passage 50 is pressed and held.

The holding tube 23 has a peripheral wall 23a connected to the mounting tube 21 at the outer edge of the lid 22, and the flow path 60 is disposed in an intermediate space _S2 surrounded by the lid 22 and the peripheral wall 23a. The upper end of the peripheral wall 23a is provided with an engagement portion 23b with which the lower end of a cover portion 35 of the pressurized air supply unit 30 described next is engaged. The intermediate space _S2 is connected to an air accommodation space _S3 described below.

The pressurized air supply unit 30 includes the above-mentioned operation button 31, a push pin 32 attached to the operation button 31, a volume-reducing deformation body 33 that is pushed down by the push pin 32, a sealing peripheral wall 34 that is connected to the volume-reducing deformation body 33 and is pressed against the peripheral wall 23a of the cap body 20, and a cover portion 35 that covers the components of the pressurized air supply unit 30 other than the operation surface of the operation button 31.

The operation button 31 is formed in a short cylinder shape with the operation surface as the top wall surface, and a protrusion 31a is provided below the peripheral wall surface, protruding outward in the circumferential direction. The push pin 32 is suspended axially downward from the back surface of the operation button 31. The push pin 32 has a rod-shaped portion 32a in the shape of a long round bar, and a seal portion 32b provided at the tip of the rod-shaped portion 32a. The seal portion 32b has a smaller diameter than the rod-shaped portion 32a, and the diameter between the rod-shaped portion 32a and the seal portion 32b gradually decreases from the rod-shaped portion 32a toward the seal portion 32b. The seal portion 32b also slightly decreases in diameter toward the tip, and the tip is rounded.

The volume-reducing deformable body 33 defines an air storage space _S3 capable of storing a predetermined volume of air on the lid body 22. In this embodiment, the volume-reducing deformable body 33 is formed in a hemispherical (dome-like) shape and defines the air storage space _S3 on the lid body ₂₂ and above the intermediate space S2. The volume-reducing deformable body 33 is deformable and is made of an elastic material such as rubber, silicon, elastomer, etc. that can be restored to its original shape after the volume-reducing deformation. An air hole 33a is formed at the top of the volume-reducing deformable body 33.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3(a), the push pin 32 is inserted into the air hole 33a of the volume-reducing deformable body 33. In the state shown in Figure 1, there is a very small gap between the air hole 33a and the outer circumferential surface of the seal portion 32b, and air is allowed to flow in and out between the air accommodation space _S3 and the outside through the gap. On the other hand, when the operation button 31 is pressed (see Figure 4(a)), as shown in Figure 3(a), the volume-reducing deformable body 33 is depressed by the push pin 32, and the air hole 33a and the outer circumferential surface of the seal portion 32b are brought into close contact with each other, and the air hole 33a is closed by the seal portion 32b. When the air hole 33a is closed by the seal portion 32b, the flow of air in and out between the air accommodation space _S3 and the outside through the air hole 33a is blocked.

The sealed peripheral wall 34 is made of the same elastic material as the volume-reducing body 33 and is molded integrally with the volume-reducing body 33. The lower end of the sealed peripheral wall 34 forms a connecting portion 34a that is connected to the outer circumferential end of the volume-reducing body 33, and the upper end side of the sealed peripheral wall 34 forms a flange portion 34b that protrudes radially outward. The flange portion 34b covers the upper end of the peripheral wall 23a. The flange portion 34b is disposed between the upper end of the peripheral wall 23a and a pressing portion 35d of the cover portion 35 described next, and is sandwiched between them. This seals the gap between the air accommodating space _S3 defined inside the volume-reducing body 33 and the peripheral wall 23a.

The cover portion 35 includes an annular top wall portion 35a, an upper peripheral wall portion 35b that is suspended from the outer edge of the top wall portion 35a, and a lower peripheral wall portion 35c that is connected to the upper peripheral wall portion 35b and is thinner than the upper peripheral wall portion 35b. The top wall portion 35a, the upper peripheral wall portion 35b, and the lower peripheral wall portion 35c form an approximately cylindrical shape. The inner peripheral surface side of the connecting portion between the upper peripheral wall portion 35b and the lower peripheral wall portion 35c has a step portion formed because the thicknesses of the upper peripheral wall portion 35b and the lower peripheral wall portion 35c are different. This step portion becomes the pressing portion 35d. In addition, the outer peripheral surface side of the connecting portion is provided with a locking portion 35e that protrudes in an annular shape radially outward. In addition, the lower end portion of the lower peripheral wall portion 35c becomes a fitting portion 35f that fits into the engagement portion 23b provided on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 23a of the cap body 20. The cover part 35 is attached to the cap body 20 by fitting the fitting part 35f into the engagement part 23b.

The operation button 31 is inserted into the opening of the top wall portion 35a, and in the initial position shown in FIG. 1, the protrusion 31a abuts against the inner surface of the top wall portion 35a. This restricts further upward axial movement of the operation button 31. When the operation button 31 is pressed, the protrusion 31a of the operation button 31 slides against the inner surface of the upper peripheral wall portion 35b and moves to the pressed position shown in FIG. 4(a). At the pressed position, the protrusion 31a abuts against the flange portion 34b of the sealing peripheral wall 34, restricting further downward axial movement of the operation button 31.

As shown in FIG. 1, the overcap portion 40 has a top wall 41 and a peripheral wall 42, and is configured as a cylindrical shape with a top. The lower end side of the peripheral wall 42 is provided with a locking portion 42a that detachably locks to the locking portion 35e provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cover portion 35.

Next, the powder suction flow path 50 and the flow path section 60 will be described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3(b). The powder suction flow path 50 is constituted by the suction tube 51 as described above. As shown in Figure 1, one end of the suction tube 51 is inserted into the storage space _S1 . The tip of the suction tube 51 has a shape that is cut at an angle, and is disposed adjacent to the bottom 12 of the container body 10. The other end of the suction tube 51 is held by the suction tube holding tube 22c. The suction tube 51 and the through hole 22a of the lid 22 are in communication with each other.

In this embodiment, the flow path section 60 has an outer shape that is elongated in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the powder suction flow path 50. The inflow end of the flow path section 60 is closed by an end face 61 having an inflow hole 61a (inlet port). The outflow end side of the flow path section 60 becomes the discharge port section 62, which is provided so as to protrude radially outward from the opening of the peripheral wall 23a of the holding tube section 23.

The inlet hole 61a is provided with a slit valve 63 (on-off valve). The slit valve 63 is an on-off valve that closes the inlet hole 61a and opens when the outside of the flow path portion 60, that is, the intermediate space _S2 surrounded by the cover body ₂₂ and the peripheral wall 23a, is at a positive pressure relative to the upstream flow path 70. More specifically, when there is no pressure difference between the intermediate space S2 and the upstream flow path 70, the inlet hole 61a is closed by the slit valve 63. That is, when the operation button 31 is not pressed, the slit valve 63 is closed. On the other hand, when the operation button 31 is pressed and pressurized air is supplied from the pressurized air supply unit 30 to the flow path portion 60 through the intermediate space _S2 , the intermediate space _S2 becomes a positive pressure relative to the upstream flow path 70, so that the slit valve 63 opens. When the pressing operation of the operation button 31 is released, the intermediate space _S2 becomes a negative pressure relative to the upstream flow path 70 in the process of the volume-reducing deformable body 33 returning to its original shape, and the slit valve 63 closes. When the intermediate space _S2 is pressurized and then released from the pressurization, the slit valve 63 closes automatically even if the intermediate space _S2 does not become negative pressure. Also, Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig. 4(b) show a state in which the slit valve 63 is closed, and Fig. 3(b) and Fig. 4(a) show a state in which the slit valve 63 is open.
The discharge port portion 62 is open and serves as a discharge port 62a for discharging the powder P to the outside.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3(b), the flow path section 60 has an upstream flow path 70 on the inlet 61a side, a downstream flow path 80 on the outlet 62a side, and a communication section 91 that is provided in an intermediate flow path 90 between the upstream flow path 70 and the downstream flow path 80 and communicates with a through hole 22a provided in the lid 22.

The upstream flow passage 70 is composed of a first air flow passage pipe 71 housed in the flow passage section 60. The outer diameter of the first air flow passage pipe 71 is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the flow passage section 60, and the inner peripheral surface of the flow passage section 60 and the outer peripheral surface of the first air flow passage pipe 71 are in close contact with each other. The inner diameter of the first air flow passage pipe 71 is also configured to be larger than the diameter of the inlet hole 61a. The first air flow passage pipe 71 is configured to be coaxial with the inlet hole 61a.

The downstream flow path 80 is composed of a powder discharge pipe 81 housed in the flow path section 60. Both ends of the powder discharge pipe 81 are open. The inner diameter of the powder discharge pipe 81 is smaller than the first air flow path pipe 71. On the other hand, the outer diameter of the powder discharge pipe 81 is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the flow path section 60, and the inner surface of the flow path section 60 and the outer surface of the powder discharge pipe 81 are in close contact with each other.

The intermediate flow passage 90 is composed of the above-mentioned communication section 91 and a second air flow passage pipe 92 whose inlet side is connected to the first air flow passage pipe 71. The inner diameter of the second air flow passage pipe 92 is smaller than the inner diameter of the first air flow passage pipe 71 and is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the powder discharge pipe 81. The outlet side of the second air flow passage pipe 92 is blocked by an end face 92b having an outlet hole 92a. The hole diameter of this outlet hole 92a is smaller than the inner diameter of the second air flow passage pipe 92 and is approximately equal to the hole diameter of the inlet hole 61a.

The outer diameter of the second air flow passage pipe 92 is smaller than the inner diameter of the flow passage section 60, and the second air flow passage pipe 92 is arranged so as to be coaxial with the first air flow passage pipe 71. Therefore, in the intermediate flow passage 90, a first gap 93 is provided between the inner peripheral surface of the flow passage section 60 and the outer peripheral surface of the second air flow passage pipe 92. The through hole 22a of the cover body 22 is located below the outer peripheral surface of the second air flow passage pipe 92. Therefore, the first gap 93 and the through hole 22a are communicated with each other. In addition, in the intermediate flow passage 90, a second gap 94 is provided between the end face 92b of the second air flow passage pipe 92 and the inlet of the downstream flow passage 80. The upstream side of the second gap 94 communicates with the second air flow passage pipe 92 via the outlet hole 92a, and the downstream side communicates with the powder discharge pipe 81. In this embodiment, the communication section 91 is constituted by the first gap 93 and the second gap 94.

Next, a method of using the powder dispensing container 100 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Note that some of the reference numerals are omitted in Figures 4(a) and 4(b).
When using the device, first, the overcap portion 40 is removed from the state shown in Fig. 1. Then, the operation button 31 is pressed axially downward from the initial position shown in Fig. 1 to the pressed position shown in Fig. 4(a). While the operation button 31 is pressed down to the pressed position, the volume-reducing deformation body 33 is deformed in a reduced size by the press pin 32. As the volume-reducing deformation of the volume-reducing deformation body 33 occurs, the air in the air accommodating space _S3 moves toward the intermediate space _S2 . Therefore, the intermediate space _S2 is pressurized and becomes a positive pressure relative to the inside of the flow path portion 60. Then, the slit valve 63 opens, and the pressurized air flows from the intermediate space _S2 into the flow path portion 60 through the inlet hole 61a.

The pressurized air that flows into the flow path section 60 from the inlet hole 61a passes through the first air flow path pipe 71 constituting the upstream flow path 70 shown in Figures 2 and 3, the second air flow path pipe 92 in the intermediate flow path 90, the outlet hole 92a, the second gap 94, and the powder discharge pipe 81 constituting the downstream flow path 80, in that order, and is sent out to the outside from the discharge port 62a.

In the pressurized air flow path formed by these, when the pressurized air flows from the intermediate space _S2 into the first air flow path pipe 71, the flow path is once narrowed by the inlet hole 61a, when the pressurized air flows from the first air flow path pipe 71 into the second air flow path pipe 92, the flow path is narrowed by the outlet hole 92a when the pressurized air flows from the second air flow path pipe 92 into the second gap 94. By narrowing the pressurized air flow path including the flow path part 60 in this way, the flow rate of the pressurized air increases in the narrowed part. The communication part 91 communicates with the powder suction flow path 50 through the through hole 22a. Therefore, when the pressurized air passes through the pressurized air flow path, a negative pressure acts on the other end side of the powder suction flow path 50 due to the so-called Venturi effect.

When negative pressure acts on the other end of the powder suction passage 50, the powder P in the storage space _S1 is sucked in by the powder suction passage 50. The powder P sucked in by the powder suction passage 50 passes through a powder passage (see arrow _Rp ) connecting the through hole 22a, the first gap 93, and the second gap 94 in the communication part 91. The powder P sent to the second gap 94 is sucked in by the airflow of the pressurized air from the second air flow passage pipe 92 side toward the powder discharge pipe 81 side in the second gap 94, passes through the powder discharge pipe 81 together with the pressurized air, and is discharged to the outside from the discharge port 62a. The direction of the mixing passage through which the powder P is discharged together with the pressurized air is indicated by the outline arrow R _a+p in FIG. 4(a).

On the other hand, when the pressing operation on the operation button 31 is released from the state shown in FIG. 4(a) to the state shown in FIG. 4(b), the operation button 31 moves axially upward from the pressed position to the initial position. When the pressing pin 32 moves axially upward with the movement of the operation button 31, a very small gap is generated between the air hole 33a and the seal portion 32b. Air flows from the outside into the air accommodating space _S3 through this gap, and the volume-reduced deformation body 33 returns to its original shape. Since the intermediate space _S2 is decompressed until the volume-reduced deformation body 33 returns to its original shape, the intermediate space _S2 becomes negative pressure relative to the flow path portion 60. When the intermediate space _S2 becomes negative pressure, the slit valve 63 provided in the inlet hole 61a closes to block the inlet hole 61a, preventing the powder P from flowing into the intermediate space _S2 from the flow path portion 60 side.

According to the powder discharge container 100 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the pressurized air supply unit 30 is configured to partition the air storage space _S3 on the lid body 22 by the volume-reducing and deforming body 33, and to supply the pressurized air to the flow path unit 60 provided on the lid body 22 by reducing and deforming the volume-reducing and deforming body 33. Therefore, since a bulky balloon-shaped member as in the conventional valve atomizer is not required, the entire container can be configured compactly. Therefore, it is possible to provide a powder discharge container 100 that is small and has excellent portability. Furthermore, since the number of members that must be considered in design, such as balloon-shaped members, is reduced, there are fewer constraints when designing the container, and it is easier to improve the design.

In addition, in the powder discharge container 100 of the above embodiment, the flow path portion 60 is narrowed in the middle, and the flow path portion 60 and the powder suction flow path 50 provided in the storage space _S1 of the container body 10 are connected by a communication portion 91 provided in the flow path portion 60. Therefore, when compressed air passes through the flow path portion 60, a negative pressure is applied to the other end side of the powder suction flow path 50 through the communication portion 91 due to the so-called Venturi effect, and the powder P can be sucked from the storage space _S1 . And, since the powder suction flow path 50 communicates with the powder discharge pipe 81 through the communication portion 91, the powder P can be discharged from the discharge port 62a together with the pressurized air. Therefore, unlike a pump mechanism, the powder P can be sucked from the storage space _S1 and discharged to the outside with a simple configuration. Therefore, the number of parts and the number of assembly steps can be reduced. Therefore, it is easy to reduce the cost of the entire container.

The powder dispensing container 100 of the above-described embodiment is merely one aspect of the present invention, and it goes without saying that it can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, the configuration of the flow path section 60 described in the above embodiment is merely one example. In this embodiment, the inlet hole 61a, the outlet hole 92a, etc. are used to narrow the flow path in the flow path section 60, but it is sufficient that a part of the flow path section 60 is narrowed in diameter, and the flow path through which the pressurized air passes is narrowed in diameter midway. For example, the flow path section 60 may be configured from a single tube such as a Venturi tube, and the flow path connecting the discharge port and the inlet may be gradually narrowed in diameter from the discharge port side toward the inlet side, and then gradually expanded in diameter.

In the above embodiment, the flow path section 60 is composed of the first air flow path pipe 71, the second air flow path pipe 92, the communication section 91, and the powder discharge pipe 81. However, as described above, the flow path section 60 has a reduced diameter midway through the flow path, and a part of the flow path section 60 serves as a communication section that communicates with the through hole 22a provided in the lid 22, so that negative pressure can be applied to the other end of the powder suction flow path 50 via the through hole 22a when the pressurized air passes through the flow path section 60.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a slit valve 63 is provided in the inlet hole 61a of the flow path section 60, but it is sufficient if a valve body capable of controlling the flow of pressurized air and powder P between the flow path section 60 through the inlet hole 61a (inlet port) and the outside of the inlet hole 61a is provided.

In the above embodiment, the volume-reducing body 33 is formed in a hemispherical shape using an elastically deformable material, but for example, the air storage space _S3 may be partitioned by a volume-reducing body having a bellows portion, and when the volume-reducing body is pressed down, the bellows portion is folded, so that the air in the air storage space _S3 is sent to the intermediate space _S2 . When the volume-reducing body has a bellows portion, the volume-reducing body may be made of PE or the like in addition to the elastic materials such as rubber listed above. In the above embodiment, the air storage space _S3 partitioned by the volume-reducing body 33 and the intermediate space _S2 between the air storage space _S3 and the inlet hole 61a of the flow path 60 are described separately for convenience, but the intermediate space _S2 may be included in the air storage space _S3 . The specific form of the volume-reducing body 33 and the manner of connection between the air storage space _S3 partitioned by the volume-reducing body 33 and the inlet hole 61a of the flow path 60 are not particularly limited.

In addition, the pressurized air supply unit 30 has an operation button 31, a push pin 32, and a cover unit 35, but the volume-reducing deformation body 33 may be configured to be directly pushed down by a finger or the like, and the configuration of the pressurized air supply unit 30 is not limited to the above embodiment.

In addition, although not specifically described in the above embodiment, for example, a mesh body may be provided to cover the discharge port 62a, or a mesh body may be provided inside the powder discharge pipe 81 or at the suction end of the powder discharge pipe 81, so that the powder P passes through the mesh body when it is discharged. The smaller the particle size of the individual particles that make up the powder P, the more likely the particles are to aggregate. In addition, the particles may adhere to each other due to the influence of atmospheric humidity, etc. In such a case, there is a risk that the powder P will be discharged in clumps. By providing a mesh body in the discharge flow path of the powder P, such as the discharge port 62a, and discharging the powder P to the outside through the mesh body, the powder P can be discharged from the discharge port 62a in the form of fine particles.

10: Container body 11: Mouth 11a: Male threaded portion 12: Bottom 13: Body 14: Shoulder 20: Cap body 21: Mounting tube 21a: Female threaded portion 22: Lid 22a: Through hole 22b: Insert tube 22c: Suction tube holding tube 23: Holding tube 23a: Circumferential wall 23b: Engagement portion 30: Pressurized air supply portion 31: Operation button 31a: Protrusion 32: Press pin 32a: Rod-shaped portion 32b: Sealing portion 33: Volume reduction deformation body 33a: Air hole 34: Sealing peripheral wall 34a: Connecting portion 34b: Flange portion 35: Cover portion 35a: Top wall portion 35b: Upper peripheral wall portion 35c: Lower peripheral wall portion 35d: Pressing portion 35e: Locking portion 35f: Fitting portion 40: Overcap portion 41: Top wall 42 : Peripheral wall 42a : Locking portion 50 : Powder suction flow passage 51 : Suction tube 60 : Flow passage portion 61 : End surface 61a : Inlet hole (inlet port)
62: Discharge port portion 62a: Discharge port 63: Slit valve 70: Upstream flow path 71: First air flow path pipe 80: Downstream flow path 81: Powder discharge pipe 90: Intermediate flow path 91: Communication portion 92: Second air flow path pipe 92a: Outlet hole 92b: End surface 93: First gap 94: Second gap 100: Powder discharge container O: Central axis P: Powder _S1 : Storage space _S2 : Intermediate space _S3 : Air storage space

Claims (3)

A container body having a storage space for storing powder;
A lid body provided at an opening of the container body and having a through hole penetrating in a thickness direction;
a powder suction flow path, one end of which is disposed within the accommodation space and the other end of which is in communication with the through hole;
a flow path portion provided on the lid body, the flow path portion having a downstream flow path on a discharge port side and an upstream flow path on an inlet side, the flow path portion having a communication portion between the upstream flow path and the downstream flow path that communicates with the through hole;
A pressurized air supply unit that has a volume-reducing and deformable body that defines an air storage space that can accommodate a predetermined volume of air on the lid body, and supplies pressurized air to the flow path unit by reducing and deforming the volume-reducing and deformable body;
an on-off valve provided at the inlet to close the inlet and to open when the outside of the flow path portion is under positive pressure;
Equipped with
a part of the flow path portion is narrowed in diameter, and when the pressurized air supplied from the pressurized air supply portion passes through the flow path portion, a negative pressure is applied to the other end side of the powder suction flow path through the communication portion;
The pressurized air supply unit is configured to block air from entering or exiting between the air accommodating space and the outside when the volume-reducing deformable body is volume-reduced and to allow air to enter or exit between the air accommodating space and the outside when the volume-reducing deformable body is restored to its original shape,
The pressurized air supply unit includes:
An operation button that can be depressed in the axial direction of the container body;
A push pin attached to the operation button;
an air hole provided in the volume-reducing deformable body and into which the pressing pin is inserted;
Equipped with
When the operation button is pressed, the push pin moves axially downward to close the air hole, blocking the flow of air between the air accommodating space and the outside and reducing the volume of the reduced-volume deformable body, and when the operation button is released, air is allowed to flow between the air accommodating space and the outside, restoring the reduced-volume deformable body to its original shape. The powder discharge container according to claim 1, wherein the inlet has a smaller diameter than the upstream flow path. The powder discharge container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the diameter of the space between the upstream flow path and the downstream flow path is reduced.

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