JP7686363B2 - Drug volatilizer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a chemical container used in a chemical volatilizer that volatilizes liquid chemicals such as air fresheners and deodorants, and to a chemical volatilizer equipped with the chemical container.

Chemical vaporizers that naturally vaporize liquid chemicals are widely used to eliminate unpleasant odors in spaces such as indoors and cars and to create comfortable spaces. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses this type of chemical vaporizer in which multiple rod-shaped vaporizers are inserted into a chemical container that contains liquid chemicals. In the chemical vaporizer of Patent Document 1, a portion of the lower end of each vaporizer is immersed in the liquid chemical, while a portion of the upper end of each vaporizer protrudes from the top opening of the chemical container, and the liquid chemicals in the chemical container are sucked up by each vaporizer and vaporized outside the chemical container, thereby exerting an aromatic effect, etc.

Pesticide vaporizers are often installed in places where people can see them, such as living rooms and entrances, and in recent years there has been a growing need for pesticide vaporizers that have a high interior design appeal. For this reason, natural materials such as rattan and plants, artificial flowers, and resin sticks are commonly used for vaporizers.

JP 2016-124603 A

In this type of chemical vaporizer, the volatilizer soaks up the liquid chemical, so it is placed upright in the chemical container while wet with the liquid chemical. However, if the surface of the volatilizer is wet, the volatilizers tend to stick together, and if multiple volatilizers stick together and become crowded, the surface area of the volatilizer decreases, reducing the amount of liquid chemical that is vaporized. In addition, the interior design value of the chemical vaporizer is compromised, so there is room for improvement.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a drug container and drug volatilizer that can prevent volatilizers from sticking together.

The drug container of the present invention is a drug container having an opening at the top for inserting a volatilizer and an internal storage space for a liquid drug, and is characterized in that it has a mouth portion having an inner wall surface that forms the opening, and the inner wall surface of the mouth portion is provided with a plurality of fitting portions along the circumferential direction into which the volatilizer inserted from the opening fits.

In the drug container of the present invention, it is preferable that the fitting portion is configured as a recess formed on the inner wall surface of the mouth portion.

In addition, in the drug container of the present invention, it is preferable that the fitting portion is configured as a recess between a pair of protrusions protruding from the inner wall surface of the mouth portion.

In addition, in the drug container of the present invention, it is preferable that the inner wall surface of the mouth portion has a polygonal shape in cross section, and the fitting portion is formed by the corners of the polygon.

In addition, in the drug container of the present invention, it is preferable that the fitting portions are provided with a circumferential gap between adjacent fitting portions and the inner wall surface of the mouth portion.

In addition, in the drug container of the present invention, it is preferable that the insertion portion is inclined so as to descend toward the opening.

In addition, in the drug container of the present invention, the inner wall surface of the mouth is preferably composed of a lower vertical surface and an upper inclined surface, and the inclined surface is preferably inclined downward toward the opening.

In addition, the drug container of the present invention preferably further comprises a top surface portion provided at the upper end of the mouth portion so as to surround the mouth portion, and the upper surface of the top surface portion is continuous with the inner wall surface of the mouth portion and is inclined downward toward the opening.

The drug volatilizer of the present invention is characterized by comprising a drug container having the above-mentioned configuration and a plurality of volatilizers inserted into the drug container.

According to the present invention, multiple fittings are provided along the circumferential direction on the inner wall surface of the mouth, and multiple volatilizers inserted into the medicine container from the opening of the mouth are each fitted into a fitting and then leaned against the inner wall surface of the mouth, whereby the fittings can suppress the movement of each volatilizer along the inner wall surface of the mouth. Therefore, even if the medicine container is moved or the volatilizers are touched by hand, for example, the volatilizers are restricted from moving along the inner wall surface of the mouth, so that the volatilizers can be suppressed from sticking together and becoming crowded, and a decrease in the amount of volatilization and a loss of interior design can be prevented.

FIG. 2 is an oblique view of a drug volatilizer according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the drug volatilizer of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a drug container according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a fitting portion (recess); 4 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a cross-sectional shape of a fitting portion (recess). FIG. 13 is a plan view of a cap having a modified fitting portion (recess). FIG. FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of a fitting portion (recess) of a modified example. 13 is a cross-sectional view that shows a schematic cross-sectional shape of a protrusion and a fitting portion (recess) of a modified example. FIG. A cross-sectional view showing a schematic illustration of the state in which the volatilizer fits into the fitting portion. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a volatilizer. A cross-sectional view showing a schematic cross section of a volatilizer when it absorbs a liquid drug. A cross-sectional view showing a cross section of a modified volatilizer when it absorbs liquid medicine. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a contact angle of a droplet. 13 is a plan view of a cap having a modified fitting portion (recess). FIG.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.

Figures 1 and 2 show a drug volatilizer 1 of this embodiment. The drug volatilizer 1 comprises a drug container 2 that contains liquid drug L, and multiple volatilizers 10 that are inserted into the drug container 2. A portion of the lower end of each of the multiple volatilizers 10 is immersed in the liquid drug L inside the drug container 2, while a portion of the upper end is exposed above the drug container 2. The drug volatilizer 1 exerts the medicinal effect of the liquid drug in the surrounding space in which the drug volatilizer 1 is installed by sucking up the liquid drug L in the drug container 2 with the multiple volatilizers 10 and volatilizing it outside the drug container 2.

The liquid medicine L has volatility (sustained release of medicinal effect) and exerts its medicinal effect by gradually volatilizing the medicine into the air. The liquid medicine L can be exemplified by, for example, an air freshener, a deodorant, an insect repellent, etc., but is not particularly limited thereto, and can contain fragrances, deodorant components, insect repellent components, colorants, etc., either alone or in combination, depending on the purpose of use. The solvent contained in the liquid medicine L is appropriately selected depending on the type of additive used, and can be a hydrophilic solvent, a lipophilic solvent, or a mixture thereof. When the liquid medicine L contains a fragrance, it is preferable that the solvent contains at least a lipophilic solvent in order to increase the fragrance intensity. For example, water or ethanol, or a mixture thereof can be used as the hydrophilic solvent. For example, glycol ether or isoparaffin-based solvent, or a mixture thereof can be used as the lipophilic solvent. In addition, the liquid medicine may contain a dissolving agent to solubilize the fragrance, deodorant component, insect repellent component, colorant, etc.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the drug container 2 is a bottomed container having an opening 50 at the top for inserting the volatilizer 10 and an internal storage space 30 for the liquid drug L. In this embodiment, the drug container 2 is composed of a container body 3 having the storage space 30 and a cap 4 having a cylindrical mouth portion 5 with an opening 50 and capable of being attached and detached to the container body 3.

The container body 3 may be transparent, translucent, or opaque, and may be colorless or colored. Note that translucency means that the transparency is not completely transparent, but has a degree of transparency that allows the interior to be seen. If the container body 3 is transparent or translucent, it is preferable because the interior of the container body 3 can be seen from the outside, and, for example, the remaining amount of liquid drug L in the container body 3 can be confirmed. The material of the container body 3 is not particularly limited, and can be, for example, glass, plastic, or ceramic, and an appropriate material is selected in consideration of aesthetics.

As shown in FIG. 3, the container body 3 has a neck 31, a shoulder 32 that is continuous with the lower end of the neck 31, a hollow body 33 that is continuous with the shoulder 32, and a bottom 34 that is continuous with the lower end of the body 33.

The neck 31 is cylindrical and has an inlet for the liquid medicine L. The neck 31 is also sized to allow the mouth 5 to pass through when the cap 4 is attached to the container body 3, and the opening 50 of the mouth 5 is positioned at the inlet of the neck 31, so that the volatilizer 10 inserted into the opening 50 is inserted into the container body 3.

The shoulder 32 has a flat upper surface 32A that is circular in plan view and larger than the neck 31, a side surface 32B that hangs down from the outer periphery of the upper surface 32A, and a flat lower surface 32C that is circular in plan view and connected to the lower end of the side surface 32B. The lower surface 32C is formed to a size that allows the outer peripheral wall 41 of the cap 4 to abut against the outer periphery when the cap 4 is attached to the container body 3.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the cap 4 has a top surface 40 that is circular in plan view, a cylindrical outer peripheral wall 41 that hangs down from the outer periphery of the top surface 40, and a cylindrical inner peripheral wall 42 that hangs down from the top surface 40 inside the outer peripheral wall 41. In this embodiment, the cap 4 also has a cylindrical mouth 5. An opening 50 for inserting the volatilizer 10 is opened in the center of the top surface 40, and the top surface 40 is provided at the upper end of the mouth 5 so as to surround the mouth 5.

The material of the cap 4 is not particularly limited and can be, for example, metal or plastic, with the material being selected appropriately taking aesthetics into consideration.

The top surface of the top surface 40 is connected to the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5. In this embodiment, the top surface 40 is inclined downward toward the opening 50, and the top surface of the top surface 40 is also inclined when it is connected to the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5.

The outer peripheral wall portion 41 has an inverted taper shape with an outer diameter that increases toward the bottom. When the cap 4 is attached to the container body 3, the lower end of the outer peripheral wall portion 41 abuts against the outer peripheral edge of the lower surface portion 32C of the shoulder portion 32 of the container body 3. This allows the neck portion 31 and shoulder portion 32 of the container body 3 to be covered and hidden.

The inner peripheral wall portion 42 is provided on the top surface portion 40 concentrically with the outer peripheral wall portion 41, and is lower in height than the outer peripheral wall portion 41. When the cap 4 is attached to the container body 3, the inner peripheral surface of the inner peripheral wall portion 42 abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 31 of the container body 3. This allows the cap 4 to be attached in an appropriately positioned state to the container body 3.

The mouth portion 5 is tubular with a predetermined thickness and has an opening 50 on the inside. The opening 50 is formed by the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5. In this embodiment, the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5 is composed of a lower vertical surface 51A extending in the up-down direction and an upper inclined surface 51B continuing to the vertical surface 51A, and the inclined surface 51B is continuing to the upper surface of the top surface portion 40. The inclined surface 51B is inclined downward toward the opening 50 at a steeper inclination angle than the upper surface of the top surface portion 40.

The inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5 has a plurality of fitting portions 6 provided along the circumferential direction at predetermined positions on the upper end side. As shown in Figures 1 to 4 and 6, the fitting portions 6 can be formed, for example, by recessing a portion of the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5. The recesses 52 have a predetermined width w, depth h, and length l.

The recess 52 may be provided so as to extend vertically on the vertical surface 51A of the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5, but in this embodiment, it is provided across the inclined surface 51B and vertical surface 51A of the inner wall surface 51, and is inclined downward toward the opening 50 at a steeper inclination angle than the inclined surface 51A, with the lower edge being located closer to the opening 50 than the upper edge. The volatilizer 10 inserted into the drug container 2 from the opening 50 is leaned against the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5 in an inclined state, but because the recess 52 is inclined, the volatilizer 10 can be leaned against the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5 with a wider range of the volatilizer 10 fitted into the recess 52.

The shape of the recess 52 is not particularly limited, and in this embodiment, it has a rectangular shape in cross section as shown in FIG. 7(a). However, it can have various shapes, such as a C-shape in cross section (FIG. 7(b)), a trapezoidal shape (FIG. 7(c)), an arc shape such as a semicircle (FIG. 7(d)), or a triangular shape (FIG. 7(e)).

In the illustrated example, the depth h of the recess 52 changes in the direction of length l, but the depth h may be constant in the direction of length l. In the illustrated example, the depth h of the recess 52 is deepest in the center in the direction of length l and gradually becomes shallower toward one side and the other side in the length direction, but the depth h may change in the direction of length l, for example by gradually becoming deeper or shallower toward one side in the direction of length l.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the fitting portion 6 can be formed by a recess 54 between a pair of protrusions 53 protruding from the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5. The protrusions 53 may be provided so as to extend vertically on the vertical surface 51A of the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5, or may be provided so as to extend obliquely on the inclined surface 51B. When the protrusions 53 are provided on the inclined surface 51B of the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5, the recess 54 is inclined along the inclined surface 51B, so that the volatilizer 10 inserted into the drug container 2 from the opening 50 can be leaned against the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5 with a wider range of the volatilizer 10 fitted into the recess 52. The recess 54 has a predetermined width w, depth h, and length l corresponding to the interval, height, and length of the protrusions 53.

The shape of the protrusion 53 is not particularly limited, and in the examples of Figures 8 and 9, it has a rectangular shape in cross section as shown in Figure 10(a), but it can have various shapes in cross section, such as a trapezoidal shape (Figure 10(b)), a shape with narrow ends (Figure 10(c)), a triangular shape (Figure 10(d)), a semicircular shape (Figure 10(e)), or a circular shape (Figure 10(f)).

In the illustrated example, the protrusion 53 has a constant height in the length direction (the direction of the length l of the recess 54), but the height may vary in the length direction. For example, the height may gradually decrease or increase toward one side in the length direction, or the height may be greatest in the center in the length direction and gradually decrease toward one and the other sides in the length direction. As a result, the depth h of the recess 54 also varies in the direction of length l.

The volatilizer 10 inserted from the opening 50 is leaned against the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5. The fitting portion 6 is a portion of the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5 into which the volatilizer 10 inserted from the opening 50 fits. In addition, the term "fitting" of the volatilizer 10 means that all or a part of the volatilizer 10 enters the inside of the fitting portion 6, and refers to a state in which, for example, as shown in Figures 11(a) to (e), all or a part of the volatilizer 10 enters the inside of the fitting portion 6 (recesses 52, 54) and the volatilizer 10 falls into the fitting portion 6 (recesses 52, 54), or, for example, as shown in Figure 11(f), a part of the volatilizer 10 fits snugly inside the fitting portion 6 (recess 52) and the volatilizer 10 is in close contact with the fitting portion 6, or, for example, as shown in Figures 11(g) to (j), a part of the volatilizer 10 is pinched inside the fitting portion 6 (recesses 52, 54) and both sides of the volatilizer 10 are pressed by the fitting portion 6 (recesses 52, 54), thereby restraining the volatilizer 10 against the fitting portion 6 (recesses 52, 54) and making it difficult for the volatilizer 10 to move along the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5. In this way, the multiple volatilizers 10 inserted through the opening 50 of the mouth 5 and leaned against the inner wall surface 51 each fit inside the insertion portion 6, restricting the multiple volatilizers 10 from moving along the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth 5, thereby preventing the volatilizers 10 from sticking together and becoming crowded together.

The width w of the recesses 52, 54 is not particularly limited and is appropriately set according to the thickness of the volatile body 10, but if the width is greater than or equal to the thickness of the volatile body 10, the volatile body 10 falls into the recesses 52, 54 or fits into them to hold the volatile body 10 in the recesses 52, 54, so that the effect of the present invention can be effectively exerted. For example, when the thickness of the volatile body 10 is 1.0 mm, the width w of the recesses 52, 54 is preferably 1.0 mm or more, more preferably 1.5 mm or more, and even more preferably 2.0 mm or more. On the other hand, if the width w of the recesses 52, 54 is too large, multiple volatile bodies 10 tend to enter inside one recess 52, 54, so when the thickness of the volatile body 10 is 1.0 mm, the width w of the recesses 52, 54 is preferably 4.0 mm or less, and more preferably 3.0 mm or less. The width w of the recesses 52, 54 refers to the opening width at the top position opposite the bottom of the recesses 52, 54.

The depth h of the recesses 52, 54 is not particularly limited and is appropriately set according to the thickness of the volatilizer 10, but if more than half of the thickness of the volatilizer 10 enters the inside of the recesses 52, 54, the volatilizer 10 is easily held in the recesses 52, 54, and the effect of the present invention can be effectively achieved. For example, when the thickness of the volatilizer 10 is 1.0 mm, the depth h of the recesses 52, 54 is preferably 0.5 mm or more, more preferably 1.0 mm or more, and even more preferably 2.0 mm or more. On the other hand, if the depth h of the recesses 52, 54 is too large, it is necessary to enlarge the opening 50 of the mouth portion 5, so when the thickness of the volatilizer 10 is 1.0 mm, the depth h of the recesses 52, 54 is preferably 5.0 mm or less, and more preferably 4.0 mm or less.

The length l of the recesses 52, 54 is not particularly limited, but a larger length is preferable because a larger portion of the volatilizer 10 enters the inside of the recesses 52, 54, and the recesses 52, 54 can effectively restrain the volatilizer 10 and make it difficult to move. For example, a length of 2.0 mm or more is preferable, 4.0 mm or more is more preferable, and 6.0 mm or more is even more preferable.

The cross-sectional shape of the recesses 52, 54 is not particularly limited, but if the width of the recesses 52, 54 is constant from the bottom to the top or the top is smaller than the bottom, as shown in Figures 7(a)-(c) and 10(a)-(c), the volatilizer 10 will not easily escape from the recesses 52, 54, and the effects of the present invention can be effectively achieved.

The recesses 52, 54 are preferably provided on the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5 with a gap s (shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 9) between adjacent recesses 52, 54 in the circumferential direction. By providing the gap s between adjacent recesses 52, 54, the volatilizer 10 is less likely to move to the adjacent recesses 52, 54, so that the volatilizer 10 can be more effectively prevented from sticking to each other and becoming dense. The gap (circumferential length) s between the recesses 52, 54 is preferably 1.0 mm or more, more preferably 2.0 mm or more, and even more preferably 3.0 mm or more. On the other hand, if the gap s between the recesses 52, 54 is too large, it is necessary to enlarge the opening 50 of the mouth portion 5, so the gap s between the recesses 52, 54 is preferably 6.0 mm or less, and more preferably 5.0 mm or less. It is not necessary to provide the gap s between adjacent recesses 52, 54, and the recesses 52, 54 may be provided continuously without the gap s in the circumferential direction.

The volatilizer 10 has a longitudinal shape, and in this embodiment, is rod-shaped. A longitudinal shape refers to a shape in which the length in one direction is sufficiently longer than the length in a direction perpendicular to the one direction. Note that the volatilizer 10 does not necessarily have to be rod-shaped, and may be, for example, a long, thin plate-like shape.

The length (longitudinal size) of the volatilizer 10 is not particularly limited, so long as its upper end protrudes from the opening 50 at the top of the drug container 2 and its lower end reaches the inner bottom surface of the bottom 34 of the drug container 2 (preferably the outer peripheral portion of the inner bottom surface), and although it depends on the size of the drug container 2, it can be, for example, 110 mm or more and 190 mm or less.

The thickness of the volatilizer 10 is not particularly limited, but a thinner thickness is preferable from the standpoint of design because the volatilizer 10 is less noticeable when viewed from the outside, while a thickness that is too thin makes the volatilizer 1 more likely to break. Therefore, a thickness of 1.0 mm to 4.0 mm is preferable. In addition, when the volatilizer 10 is thin and light, the volatilizer 10 is more easily movable, and the effect of the present invention is more easily achieved. The thickness of the volatilizer 10 can be defined as the diameter of a circle inscribed in the cross section of the volatilizer 10.

In a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, as shown in FIG. 12, the volatilizer 10 has a plurality of fine striated grooves 11 spaced apart in the circumferential direction on the outer periphery, which serve as a flow path through which the liquid medicine L is sucked up in the longitudinal direction so that the liquid medicine L can be sucked up by capillary action. The volatilizer 10 is composed of a shaft portion 12 and a plurality of ridges 13 that protrude from the outer periphery of the shaft portion 12 and extend in the longitudinal direction around the outer periphery of the shaft portion 12, and grooves 11 are present between adjacent ridges 13 in the circumferential direction. The outer shape of the cross section of the shaft portion 12 does not necessarily have to be circular, and can be various shapes such as an ellipse, a polygonal shape such as a triangle or a square. The shape of the ridges 13 (the shape of the grooves 11) is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, the plurality of ridges 13 extend radially from the center of the shaft portion 12. Therefore, the distance (circumferential length) between adjacent ridges 13 gradually increases toward the top 13A of the ridges 13; in other words, the width of the groove 11 gradually increases from the groove bottom 11A toward the external space.

The width W (width at the groove bottom 11A) of the groove 11 of the volatilizer 10 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.01 mm or more and 0.15 mm or less so that the liquid medicine L can be rapidly sucked up at room temperature. In addition, the depth H (height of the protrusion 13 from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 12) of the groove 11 of the volatilizer 10 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.1 mm or more and 1.0 mm or less because if the groove 11 is too deep, the protrusion 13 is more likely to break, while if the groove 11 is too shallow, less liquid medicine L can be sucked up.

As long as the volatilizer 10 can effectively suck up the liquid drug 2 by capillary action, it may have a flow path for other liquid drug L instead of or in addition to the multiple grooves 11. For example, by making the volatilizer 10 hollow, the cavity 14 extending in the longitudinal direction inside the volatilizer 10 can be used as a flow path for the liquid drug L. In this case, fine grooves may also be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the volatilizer 10.

The volatilizer 10 is preferably formed of a transparent material. The transparent material may be either colorless or colored. Since the volatilizer 10 is formed of a transparent material, the volatilizer 10 has optical transparency, and therefore light is less likely to be reflected or refracted at the boundary with the liquid medicine L in the liquid medicine L. Therefore, when the volatilizer 10 is viewed from the outside of the medicine container 2, the part of the volatilizer 10 immersed in the liquid medicine L does not appear to be greatly refracted, so that it is possible to suppress the part of the volatilizer 10 immersed in the liquid medicine L from appearing to be folded by the liquid surface of the liquid medicine L or appearing larger than it actually is. In addition, the multiple grooves 11 on the outer periphery increase the surface area that reflects light on the outer surface of the volatilizer 10, and the light is diffused, making it appear to sparkle as a whole. As a result, when the volatilizer 10 is viewed from the outside of the drug container 2, even if the part of the volatilizer 10 that is immersed in the liquid drug L appears to be somewhat bent, the impression is not that the many volatilizers 10 are cluttered inside the drug container 2, but rather that the many volatilizers 10 sparkle the drug container 2. Therefore, even if many volatilizers 10 are inserted into the drug container 2, the aesthetic appearance of the drug volatilizer 1 can be improved, and the interior of the drug volatilizer 1 can be enhanced. Furthermore, even if the liquid drug L is colored, the colored liquid drug L sucked up in each groove 11 is difficult to see because the volatilizer 10 sparkles. Therefore, the appearance of the volatilizer 10 does not change much from before the liquid drug L is sucked up, and the volatilizer 10 does not appear to be wet with the liquid drug L. In addition, if the volatilizer 10 is formed from a colorless and transparent material, the effect can be preferably exerted regardless of the color of the liquid drug L.

In addition, the volatilizer 10 can be made difficult to see in the liquid medicine L because the liquid medicine L passes through the groove 11 on the outer circumference and/or the cavity 14 inside, and the light is more transmitted through the liquid medicine L and is less likely to be reflected or refracted at the boundary with the liquid medicine L. Therefore, even if a large number of volatilizers 10 are inserted into the medicine container 2, the volatilizers 10 can be almost assimilated with the liquid medicine L, so that the inside of the medicine container 2 is not cluttered with a large number of volatilizers 10, and the aesthetics of the medicine volatilizer 1 can be further improved, and the interior of the medicine volatilizer 1 can be further improved. In addition, even if the liquid medicine L is colored, the volatilizer 10 becomes the same color as the external liquid medicine L due to the liquid medicine L passing through the groove 11 on the outer circumference and/or the cavity 14 inside, so that the volatilizer 10 becomes difficult to see in the liquid medicine L. Furthermore, if the volatilizer 10 is the same color or a similar color as the liquid medicine L, the volatilizer 10 can be made even less visible in the liquid medicine L. Note that similar colors refer to similar colors, and refer to colors that are adjacent or close to each other on the color wheel, and examples include blue and light blue, orange and yellow, and green and yellow-green.

In addition, it is preferable that the volatilizer 10 is formed of a material that has a high affinity with the liquid drug L. By forming the volatilizer 10 of a material that has a high affinity with the liquid drug L, when the liquid drug L is sucked up by each groove 11 of the volatilizer 10, the liquid drug L spreads so as to stick to the surface of the groove 11, and the area of contact of the liquid drug L with the surface of the groove 11 becomes large. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, when the liquid drug L is sucked up by each groove 11 of the volatilizer 10, the height of the liquid level of the liquid drug L is lower than the depth H of the groove 11 (the height of the protrusion 13), and the liquid level of the liquid drug L does not rise toward the external space side from the outer edge of the groove 11 (the top 13A of the protrusion 13). Therefore, even if the upper end portion of the volatilizer 10 exposed from the drug container 2 comes into contact with hands, clothes, curtains, etc., the tops 13A of the protrusions 13 come into contact with the hands, etc. first, making it difficult for the liquid drug L in the grooves 11 to adhere to the hands, etc., thereby preventing the hands, etc. from being soiled with the liquid drug L.

If the volatilizer 10 is made of a material with low affinity for the liquid drug L, when the liquid drug L is sucked up by each groove 11 of the volatilizer 10, the liquid drug L is repelled by the surface of the groove 11, and the contact area of the liquid drug L with the surface of the groove 11 becomes small. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, when the liquid drug L is sucked up by each groove 11 of the volatilizer 10, the height of the liquid level of the liquid drug L becomes higher than the height H of the protrusion 13, and the liquid level of the liquid drug L rises toward the external space side from the top 13A of the protrusion 13. Therefore, when the upper end part of the volatilizer 10 exposed from the drug container 2 touches the hand, clothes, curtain, etc., the liquid drug L in the groove 11 becomes likely to adhere to the hand, etc.

Materials with high affinity for the liquid drug L include materials with a contact angle α of the liquid drug L of 90° or less, preferably 70° or less, more preferably 50° or less, more preferably 30° or less, and even more preferably 10° or less, as shown in FIG. 15. This contact angle α can be measured by removing dirt from the surface of a thin plate B (size: 60 mm x 20 mm, thickness: about 5 mm) made of the material used for the volatilizer 10 and having a flat surface, depositing a droplet of about 6 μL of the liquid drug L on the surface of the thin plate B using, for example, a micropipette, and measuring the contact angle α of the droplet after 1000 ms using a contact angle meter (DropMaster 500, manufactured by Kyowa Interface Science Co., Ltd., measurement and analysis integrated software: FAMAS).

Materials that can be used to form the volatile body 10 described above include, for example, glass and transparent resins. Examples of transparent resins that can be preferably used include, for example, polycarbonate, acrylic resin, polypropylene, polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, vinylidene fluoride, polyamide, polystyrene, and vinyl chloride.

The volatilizer 10 can be formed by a general known molding method (e.g., extrusion molding for resin, draw molding for glass, etc.) using the material for forming the volatilizer 10 described above. The volatilizer 10 is preferably formed by extrusion molding or the like, and is preferably a dense body with no or almost no gaps or holes. As a result, the volatilizer 10 is not substantially impregnated with the liquid drug L, so that the volatilizer 10 does not retain an excessive amount of the liquid drug L. When the liquid drug L is exhausted from the drug container 2, the volatilizer 10 also immediately loses the liquid drug L that it retains, so that the end of use can be easily grasped. In addition, since the volatilizer 10 can eliminate any flow path through which the liquid drug L passes other than the groove 11 on the periphery and the cavity 14 inside, the suction speed of the liquid drug L by the volatilizer 10 can be maintained at a desired set speed.

The material of the volatilizer 10 is not particularly limited, and the volatilizer 10 may be formed from materials other than those mentioned above. For example, the volatilizer 10 may be formed from known materials that have traditionally been used for volatilizers 10, such as natural materials such as rattan and plants, and artificial flowers.

According to the above-described configuration of the drug container 2 and the drug volatilizer 1 using the drug container 2, multiple fitting portions 6 are provided along the circumferential direction on the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5. By placing multiple volatilizers 10 inserted into the drug container 2 from the opening 50 of the mouth portion 5 against the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5 while fitting each of them into the fitting portion 6, the fitting portions 6 can suppress the movement of each volatilizer 10 along the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5. Therefore, even if the drug container 2 is moved or the volatilizer 10 is touched by hand, for example, the volatilizer 10 is restricted from moving along the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5, so that the volatilizers 10 can be prevented from sticking together and becoming crowded.

In addition, by inclining the insertion portion 6 downward toward the opening 50, a wider range of the volatilization body 10 can be inserted into the insertion portion 6. Therefore, the insertion portion 6 can more effectively suppress the movement of each volatilization body 10 along the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5, and more effectively suppress the volatilization bodies 10 from sticking together and becoming crowded together.

In addition, the insertion portions 6 are provided on the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5 with a gap between adjacent insertion portions 6 in the circumferential direction, which makes it difficult for the volatilizer 10 to move to adjacent insertion portions 6. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent the volatilizers 10 from sticking together and becoming crowded together.

In addition, since the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5 includes an inclined surface 51B on the upper side, even if the liquid medicine L sucked up by the volatilizer 10 adheres to the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5, the liquid medicine L adhered along the inclined surface 51B can be guided from the opening 51 to the inside of the medicine container 2. In addition, since the upper surface of the top surface portion 40 of the cap 4 is inclined so as to descend toward the opening 50, even if the liquid medicine L from the volatilizer 10 drips onto the top surface portion 40 of the cap 4, the liquid medicine L dripped along the upper surface of the top surface portion 40 can be guided from the opening 51 to the inside of the medicine container 2. Therefore, since it is possible to prevent the liquid medicine L from adhering to the upper surface or outer peripheral surface of the medicine container 2, it is possible to prevent the liquid medicine L from dripping on the outer peripheral surface of the medicine container 2 and damaging household goods. Also, even if the hands, clothes, curtains, etc. touch the medicine container 2, the hands, etc. can be prevented from being stained by the liquid medicine L.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the fitting portion 6 is configured by a recess 52 formed on the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5, and a recess 54 between a pair of protrusions 53 protruding from the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5, but as long as the structure is such that the volatilizer 10 can be fitted into it, various other structures can be adopted. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5 may be formed into a polygonal shape in cross section, so that the fitting portion 6 is configured at the corners 55 of the polygonal inner wall surface 51. Even in this case, a part of the volatilizer 10 is sandwiched inside the fitting portion 6 (corners 55) and both sides of the volatilizer 10 are pressed by the fitting portion 6 (corners 55), so that the volatilizer 10 is restrained by the fitting portion 6 (corners 55) and is difficult to move along the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5. Therefore, the multiple volatilizers 10 inserted through the opening 50 of the mouth 5 and leaned against the inner wall surface 51 each fit inside the insertion portion 6 (corner 55), restricting the multiple volatilizers 10 from moving along the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth 5, thereby preventing the volatilizers 10 from sticking together and becoming crowded together.

The polygonal shape of the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5 is not particularly limited, but the smaller the internal angle of the corner 55, the more effective the corner 55 at restraining the volatilizer 10 and making it difficult to move, and is therefore preferable, for example, 150° or less, and more preferably 140° or less. On the other hand, if the internal angle of the corner 55 is too small, the number of corners 55 (insertion portions 6) that can be provided on the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5 will be reduced, so for example, 120° or more is preferable, and 130° or more is more preferable. Therefore, it is preferable that the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5 has a regular hexagonal shape (Figure 16(a)), a regular octagonal shape (Figure 16(b)), or a regular dodecagonal shape (Figure 16(c)) in a cross-sectional view.

The polygonal shape of the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5 has a side length that makes it more difficult for the volatilizers 10 to move to adjacent corners 55, and therefore more effectively prevents the volatilizers 10 from sticking together and crowding together. The side length is preferably 1.0 cm or more, more preferably 1.5 cm or more, and even more preferably 2.0 cm or more. On the other hand, if the side length is too large, it will be necessary to enlarge the opening 50 of the mouth portion 5, so the side length is preferably 4.0 cm or less, and more preferably 3.0 cm or less.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the inner wall surface 51 of the mouth portion 5 includes an inclined surface 51B on the upper side, but the inner wall surface 51 may be composed of only a vertical surface 51A.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the top surface of the top surface 40 of the cap 4 is inclined, but the top surface of the top surface 40 does not necessarily have to be inclined and may be horizontal.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the drug container 2 is composed of the container body 3 and the cap 4, and the cap 4 is provided with a mouth portion 5 having an opening 50 for inserting the volatilizer 10, but the drug container 2 may be composed of only the container body 3, in which case the neck portion 31 of the container body 3 serves as the mouth portion 5, and an insertion portion 6 can be formed on the inner wall surface of the neck portion 31.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Drug volatilizer 2 Drug container 5 Mouth 6 Fitting portion 10 Volatilizer 30 Storage space 40 Top surface 50 Opening 51 Inner wall surface 51A Vertical surface 51B Inclined surface 52 Recess 53 Protrusion 54 Recess 55 Corner L Liquid drug

Claims (6)

A medicine container having an opening at an upper portion for inserting a volatilizer and having a space for storing a liquid medicine therein;
A plurality of volatilizers inserted into the drug container through the opening;
A drug volatilizer comprising:
a mouth portion having an inner wall surface that defines the opening;
The inner wall surface of the mouth portion is composed of a lower vertical surface and an upper inclined surface, and the inclined surface is inclined so as to descend toward the opening,
A plurality of fitting portions into which the volatilizer inserted from the opening fits are provided along a circumferential direction on an inner wall surface of the mouth portion,
The insertion portion is configured by a recess formed on an inner wall surface of the mouth portion,
The fitting portion is provided across the inclined surface and the vertical surface of the inner wall surface of the mouth portion,
The fitting portion is inclined downward toward the opening at a steeper inclination angle than the inclined surface,
A drug volatilizer in which the insertion portion has a gap between itself and the volatilizer that fits into the insertion portion. A medicine container having an opening at an upper portion for inserting a volatilizer and having a space for storing a liquid medicine therein;
A plurality of volatilizers inserted into the drug container through the opening;
A drug volatilizer comprising:
The drug container includes a mouth portion having an inner wall surface that defines the opening,
A plurality of fitting portions into which the volatilizer inserted from the opening fits are provided along a circumferential direction on an inner wall surface of the mouth portion,
The plurality of fitting portions are provided at intervals in a circumferential direction of the inner wall surface of the mouth portion and adjacent fitting portions,
The fitting portion is formed by a recess between a pair of protrusions protruding from an inner wall surface of the mouth portion,
A drug volatilizer in which the height of the protrusion is highest at the center of the length of the protrusion and gradually decreases toward one side and the other side of the length of the protrusion. A medicine container having an opening at an upper portion for inserting a volatilizer and having a space for storing a liquid medicine therein;
A plurality of volatilizers inserted into the drug container through the opening;
A drug volatilizer comprising:
The drug container comprises a container body and a cap that is detachable from the container body,
The cap includes a cylindrical mouth portion having an inner wall surface that defines the opening, and a top surface portion that is provided at an upper end of the mouth portion so as to surround the mouth portion,
The inner wall surface of the mouth portion includes a vertical surface extending in the up-down direction,
A plurality of fitting portions into which the volatilizer inserted from the opening fits are provided along a circumferential direction on an inner wall surface of the mouth portion,
The insertion portion is configured by a recess formed on an inner wall surface of the mouth portion,
The upper surface of the top surface portion is continuous with the inner wall surface of the mouth portion and is inclined downward toward the opening,
The fitting portions are provided at intervals between adjacent fitting portions in a circumferential direction of an inner wall surface of the mouth portion,
A drug volatilizer, wherein the mouth portion is inserted into the inside of the cylindrical neck portion of the container body, and the vertical surface of the inner wall surface extends to the lower end of the neck portion. The drug volatilizer according to claim 1 , wherein the insertion portions are spaced apart from adjacent insertion portions in the circumferential direction of the inner wall surface of the mouth portion. The drug volatilizer according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the insertion portion is inclined so as to descend toward the opening. A drug volatilizer as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the inner wall surface of the mouth portion is composed of a lower vertical surface and an upper inclined surface, and the inclined surface is inclined downward as it approaches the opening .

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