JP7725926B2 - mixing container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a mixing container for mixing fluids or semi-fluids contained in multiple containers.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes a two-liquid mixing cap. This two-liquid mixing cap is configured so that the sealing wall of a sub-container containing an additive liquid is broken by the tip of a first cutter attached to the bottom wall of the inner tube of the cap body. The additive liquid flows down into the main container to which the cap is attached and is mixed with the liquid contained within the main container. The first cutter used here has a tapered cross shape at the top.

Patent No. 4031276

A cutting blade with a tapered cross-shaped upper end, like the first cutter, can penetrate and break the seal wall of the target, but it is difficult to break a wide area at once. As a result, there is a risk that the additive in the sub-container will flow down into the main container, preventing the content liquid in the main container from mixing reliably with the additive liquid.

A mixing container that solves the above problem comprises a container body having a cylindrical main body storage portion with a main body opening, and a lid member having a cylindrical lid storage portion with an outlet, wherein the outlet of the lid storage portion is blocked by a film when the second agent is stored in the lid storage portion, and when the main body storage portion stores the first agent, the lid storage portion is fitted into the main body opening from the side where the film is located, thereby blocking the main body opening with the lid member, and the main body storage portion has a protrusion for breaking the film, the protrusion extending from the inside of the main body storage portion toward the main body opening, and the tip surface of the protrusion extends in two directions that intersect with each other, and the plane including these two directions includes a plane that is parallel to the plane including the main body opening.

With this configuration, the tip surfaces extending in two intersecting directions break through the film, making it easier for the area of the film that breaks at once to expand when the lid housing is fitted. This improves mixing performance.

In the above-mentioned mixing container, the tip surface of the protruding piece may be configured to have a comb-like shape when viewed from a perspective facing the main body opening. With this configuration, the comb-shaped tip surface has a surface portion extending in one direction and another surface portion extending in a different direction, allowing the portion of the film that is broken at one time to be wider.

In the above-mentioned mixing container, the main body storage section comprises a cylindrical section with the main body opening and a rectangular cylindrical section located in the optical path of optical inspection, the rectangular cylindrical section comprising a first bottom of the main body storage section, the cylindrical section comprising a second bottom extending from the opening of the rectangular cylindrical section to the outside of the opening, the protruding piece comprising a first fracture wall and a second fracture wall, the first fracture wall standing on the second bottom section so as to follow the inner circumferential surface of the lid storage section, and the second fracture wall standing on the second bottom section so as to extend from the first fracture wall toward the inside of the cylindrical section.

With the above configuration, the first rupture wall has a shape that conforms to the inner circumferential surface of the lid accommodating portion, allowing the portion of the film that breaks at one time to spread along the inner circumferential surface of the lid accommodating portion. Because the second rupture wall extends from the first rupture wall toward the inside of the cylindrical portion, the portion of the film that breaks at one time can spread from the inner circumferential surface of the lid accommodating portion toward the inside of the lid accommodating portion. Furthermore, the tip surface of the protrusion can guide the second agent that flows out from the broken film toward the inside of the cylindrical portion and further toward the rectangular tubular portion. This also makes it easier to store the mixed agent in the rectangular tubular portion used for optical inspection.

In the above-described mixing container, the second bottom of the cylindrical portion may be configured to slope downward toward the opening of the rectangular cylindrical portion. With this configuration, the bottom of the cylindrical portion is sloped downward toward the opening of the rectangular cylindrical portion, allowing the second agent that flows out from the lid housing portion along the protruding piece to be efficiently guided into the rectangular cylindrical portion.

In the above-mentioned mixing container, the main body housing portion has a cylindrical main body peripheral wall into which the lid housing portion is fitted, and at least one of the inner peripheral surface of the main body peripheral wall and the outer peripheral surface of the lid housing portion, which are pressed against each other, may be configured to have a vent groove that releases air inside the main body housing portion to the outside when the lid housing portion is fitted inside the main body peripheral wall.

With the above configuration, the vent groove allows the air inside the main body housing to escape to the outside when the lid housing is fitted inside the main body peripheral wall. This allows the lid housing to be fitted smoothly inside the main body peripheral wall. Furthermore, the main body housing is prevented from becoming overpressurized when the lid housing is fitted inside the main body peripheral wall. This prevents the second agent from becoming difficult to flow out of the lid housing.

In the above-mentioned mixing container, the vent groove may be configured to extend from the main body opening to the bottom side of the main body storage compartment beyond the tip surface of the protruding piece. With this configuration, the vent groove allows internal air to escape to the outside even after the tip surface of the protruding piece breaks the film. This prevents an increase in internal pressure in the main body storage compartment even if the lid storage compartment is further fitted after the film breaks.

In the above-mentioned mixing container, the main body peripheral wall may be the main body inner peripheral wall, and the outer peripheral side of the main body inner peripheral wall may be provided with a main body outer peripheral wall that forms a double structure with the main body inner peripheral wall. The main body inner peripheral wall may be a peripheral wall into which the lid accommodating portion is fitted, and a groove that communicates with the main body accommodating portion via the vent groove may be provided between the main body inner peripheral wall and the main body outer peripheral wall when the lid accommodating portion is fitted into the main body inner peripheral wall.

With the above configuration, when the lid housing is fitted into the inner peripheral wall of the main body, the air inside the inner peripheral wall of the main body flows through the vent groove into the groove between the inner peripheral wall and the outer peripheral wall of the main body. Even if the first or second agent leaks out along with the internal air inside the main body housing, the leaked first or second agent accumulates in the groove. This allows the internal air inside the main body housing to escape, preventing an increase in internal pressure within the main body housing, while also preventing the first or second agent from leaking out of the main body housing.

The present invention improves the mixability of the first and second agents.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating how to use the mixing container. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mixing vessel shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the container body of the mixing container shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of FIG. 3 taken along line 4-4. 3 is a perspective view of the lid member of the mixing container shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from the front side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the lid member of the mixing container shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from the back side. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the mixing container shown in FIG. 2 in a state before the main body opening of the container body is closed with the lid member. FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view continuing from FIG. 7 and showing a state in which the main body opening of the container main body is closed with the lid member.

A mixing vessel to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[Diagnostic kit]
1 shows a diagnostic kit for in vitro diagnostic medicines that uses a mixing container to which the present invention is applied. This diagnostic kit includes a container 1, a nozzle cap 2 that closes the container 1, and a mixing container 3. The container 1 stores a first agent 6, such as a drug or physiological saline. The container 1 is closed with a film 1a, such as an aluminum seal, while the first agent 6 is stored. The nozzle cap 2 includes a cap portion 2a that closes the opening of the container 1 by screw action, and a nozzle portion 2b that protrudes from the cap portion 2a.

For testing, with film 1a removed, a sample such as blood or a nasopharyngeal swab is collected using a swab, and the swab is then immersed in first agent 6. The opening of container 1 is then closed with nozzle cap 2. The sample is then dropped into container 1, which contains first agent 6. The sample may be for testing water quality, bacteria, drugs, or food allergens.

The mixing container 3 includes a container body 11 into which the first agent 6a mixed with the specimen from the container 1 is poured, and a lid member 31 in which the second agent 7 is stored. The first agent 6a stored in the container 1 is poured into the container body 11 through the nozzle portion 2b. The container body 11 is attached to the optical inspection device 4 (see Figure 2) and placed in the optical path of the measurement light. The blank value of the first agent 6a is measured by irradiating the measurement light. The container body 11 is then removed from the optical inspection device 4. Then, as shown in Figure 2, the container body 11 is closed with the lid member 31, and at the same time, the second agent 7, such as a medicinal solution, stored in the lid member 31 flows down into the container body 11. This causes the first agent 6a and the second agent 7 to mix within the container body 11. The mixing container 3 is then reattached to the optical inspection device 4, and the characteristic value of the mixed agent 8 (see Figure 2) is measured by irradiating the measurement light.

[Mixing container]
As shown in FIG. 2, the mixing container 3 includes a container body 11 and a cover member 31 .
The first agent 6a is poured from the container 1 into the container body 11 while the container body 11 is not closed with the lid member 31. After the first agent 6a is poured, the container body 11 is closed with the lid member 31. The lid member 31 stores the second agent 7. When the container body 11 is closed with the lid member 31, the second agent 7 simultaneously flows down into the container body 11, and a mixture 8 in which the first agent 6a and the second agent 7 are mixed is produced.

The first agent 6a is poured into the container body 11 through the body opening 17, and then the container is closed with the lid member 31. Therefore, the container body 11 is equipped with a support piece 21 that functions as a support for allowing it to stand on its own and as a guide for attaching it to the attachment portion of the optical inspection device 4. Furthermore, the mixing container 3 is rocked to mix the first agent 6a and the second agent 7. Therefore, the lid member 31 is firmly attached to the container body 11 when it is closed to prevent the mixed agent 8 from leaking.

[Container body]
3 and 4, the container body 11 is a molded product made of a light-transmitting resin with excellent light-transmittance, such as acrylic resin, polystyrene, polycarbonate, or polypropylene, or a transparent resin, glass, etc. Note that it is sufficient that at least the width surface 15b of the rectangular tubular portion 15, onto which the measurement light described below is irradiated, is made of a light-transmitting material.

The container body 11 comprises an inner wall 12, which is the circumferential wall of the body, and an outer wall 13. The container body 11 is also divided into an upper and lower section, with the upper section comprising a cylindrical section 14 and the lower section comprising a rectangular tubular section 15. The upper section is formed by a double-wall structure consisting of the inner wall 12 and the outer wall 13. The cylindrical section 14 is a space formed inside the inner wall 12. The cylindrical section 14 and the rectangular tubular section 15 together form the body storage section 16.

The upper surface of the container body 11 is defined by a body opening 17. The body opening 17 is an opening formed inside the body outer wall 13. Of the body inner wall 12 and body outer wall 13 facing the body opening 17, the tip of the body inner wall 12 is located at a higher position than the tip of the body outer wall 13. Furthermore, a bottomed annular groove 18 is defined in the space between the body inner wall 12 and the body outer wall 13. The body outer wall 13 is a continuous outer wall extending from the upper to lower portions, with the upper portion having a cylindrical shape and the lower portion forming a rectangular tubular portion 15. The body outer wall 13 also has an inclined portion 22 between the upper and lower portions.

The tip of the main body outer wall 13 is provided with a pair of connecting pieces 19 at opposing positions for connecting the lid member 31. A pair of locking pieces 35 of the lid member 31 are inserted between the pair of connecting pieces 19, and the pair of locking pieces 35 are locked with the connecting pieces 19. As a result, the lid member 31 is integrated with the container main body 11 while closing the main body opening 17.

The lower portion of the main body outer wall 13 constitutes the rectangular tubular portion 15. The rectangular tubular portion 15 has opposing length surfaces 15a and opposing width surfaces 15b (see Figure 2). The pair of width surfaces 15b are located between the pair of length surfaces 15a and have a smaller area than the length surfaces 15a. Support pieces 21 are provided at each corner formed by the width surfaces 15b and length surfaces 15a. The support pieces 21 are perpendicular to the width surfaces 15b and extend in the vertical direction. The support pieces 21 protrude below the rectangular tubular portion 15 so as to form a gap below the bottom (first bottom) of the rectangular tubular portion 15. In other words, the lower ends of the four support pieces 21 form support legs and are the same height.

Of the opposing length surfaces 15a, one length surface 15a is provided with a positioning piece 21a. The positioning piece 21a is also a protrusion that extends vertically, and its lower end is at the same height as the lower end of the support piece 21. The support piece 21 also functions as a guide by engaging with a guide rail on the mounting portion when mounted to the mounting portion of the optical inspection device 4. The positioning piece 21a functions to determine the mounting position by engaging with a groove on the mounting portion, and also functions as a part to prevent incorrect insertion into the mounting portion. The pair of width surfaces 15b of the rectangular tubular portion 15 are the surfaces onto which the measurement light is irradiated when mounted to the mounting portion, so they do not have support pieces 21 or positioning pieces 21a and are made up of flat surfaces with excellent light translucency.

The boundary between the upper and lower parts of the outer wall 13 of the main body is a sloped section 22 that slopes downward from the outside to the inside. The inner surface of the sloped section 22, which is also the upper surface, forms the bottom (second bottom) of the cylindrical section 14. The opening surrounded by the inner surface of the sloped section 22 is the upper opening of the rectangular tubular section 15 and connects to the cylindrical section 14.

The container body 11 has an inner wall 12 extending vertically from the inner surface of the inclined portion 22, which defines a cylindrical portion 14. The inner surface of the inner wall 12 is provided with vent grooves 23, which are linear grooves with bottoms extending vertically. The vent grooves 23 are provided on the upper side of a pair of width faces 15b that define the rectangular tubular portion 15. Multiple vent grooves 23 are provided at opposing positions (two grooves per side in this embodiment). The upper ends of the vent grooves 23 are located at the upper end of the inner wall 12, and the lower ends of the vent grooves 23 are located at the base end of the inner wall 12. When the lid member 31 is closed off, the vent grooves 23 extend from the opening 17 to the bottom of the container storage section 16 beyond the tip surfaces of the protrusions 24. When the lid housing portion 36 of the lid member 31 is fitted into the cylindrical portion 14, the vent groove 23 releases compressed air from the main body housing portion 16 into the groove 18.

A pair of protrusions 24 are provided on the inclined portion 22, further inward from the main body inner peripheral wall 12. The pair of protrusions 24 are provided on the upper side of a pair of longitudinal faces 15a that make up the rectangular tubular portion 15. Each of the pair of protrusions 24 has a comb shape when viewed from a perspective facing the main body opening 17. Each protrusion 24 extends from the inclined portion 22 toward the main body opening 17 and has a first break wall 24a and a second break wall 24b.

The first fracture wall 24a is an arc-shaped wall that stands inward from the main body inner peripheral wall 12 and spaced apart from the main body inner peripheral wall 12 in the inclined portion 22 that constitutes the second bottom. The second fracture wall 24b stands in the inclined portion 22, extending linearly from the first fracture wall 24a toward the inside of the cylindrical portion 14. The tip surfaces of the first fracture wall 24a and the second fracture wall 24b extend in two mutually intersecting directions, and the plane containing these two directions includes a plane parallel to the plane containing the main body opening 17. In this embodiment, the tip surfaces are flush with each other. In other words, the tip surfaces of the first fracture wall 24a and the second fracture wall 24b are the same height.

The tips of the first breaking wall 24a and the second breaking wall 24b are lower in height than the tips of the main body inner peripheral wall 12 and the main body outer peripheral wall 13. In other words, the position of the tip faces of the protrusions 24 is closer to the main body opening 17 than the lower end of the vent groove 23. The lid cylindrical wall 33 that constitutes the lid accommodating portion 36 of the lid member 31 is inserted between the main body inner peripheral wall 12 and the pair of protrusions 24. The tip faces of the protrusions 24 are the parts of the main body accommodating portion 16 that first come into contact with the film 38 when the lid accommodating portion 36 is inserted through the main body opening 17, and are the parts that break the film 38.

Within the container body 11, the rectangular tubular portion 15 is located at the lowest position relative to the body opening 17. The rectangular tubular portion 15 is located below the cylindrical portion 14 and is a space that is continuous with the cylindrical portion 14. The bottom (first bottom) of the rectangular tubular portion 15 is also the bottom of the body storage portion 16. The bottom of the rectangular tubular portion 15 is located in the center between the pair of width sides 15b, and is configured with a curved surface that extends parallel to the pair of length sides 15a, with the deepest portion being the center of the bottom. The rectangular tubular portion 15 stores the first agent 6a injected from the container 1 when the lid member 31 is open to the body opening 17. Furthermore, when the body opening 17 is closed by the lid member 31, the second agent 7 that flows down from the lid storage portion 36 of the lid member 31 is injected. That is, a mixture 8 of the first agent 6a and the second agent 7 is stored inside the rectangular cylindrical portion 15.

The inclined portion 22 located between the cylindrical portion 14 and the rectangular tubular portion 15 forms the bottom (second bottom) of the cylindrical portion 14, making it easier for the second agent 7 to flow toward the rectangular tubular portion 15. The first agent 6a and the second agent 7 are mixed in the rectangular tubular portion 15. Furthermore, when the rectangular tubular portion 15 is attached to the attachment portion of the optical inspection device 4 with the first agent 6a or the mixed agent 8 stored therein, measurement light is irradiated onto the width surface 15b that forms the rectangular tubular portion 15. The rectangular tubular portion 15 is positioned in the optical path of the measurement light in the attachment portion.

[Cover member]
5 and 6, the lid member 31 includes a lid plate 32, a lid cylindrical wall 33, and an insertion wall 34, and closes the main body opening 17. The lid member 31 is a molded product made of the same resin material as the container body 11, glass, or the like.

The cover plate 32 is a circular plate with an outer diameter slightly larger than that of the main body outer wall 13. Opposite edges of the cover plate 32 are provided with a pair of locking pieces 35 that lock onto the connecting pieces 19 of the container body 11. The pair of locking pieces 35 have locking claws 35a that protrude outward at their tips. The pair of locking pieces 35 are inserted between the pair of connecting pieces 19 while bending slightly inward, and then elastically return to their original position, allowing the locking claws 35a to lock onto the connecting pieces 19.

The lid wall 33 is a cylindrical wall that fits inside the main body inner wall 12 of the container body 11. The inside of the lid wall 33 forms the lid storage compartment 36. The lid storage compartment 36 is a bottomed recess with the lid plate 32 as its bottom, and stores the second agent 7. The height of the lid wall 33 is set so that the end of the lid wall 33 is positioned slightly above the base end of the main body inner wall 12 when the lid member 31 closes the main body opening 17. The corners of the end of the lid wall 33 are provided with recesses 33a in the circumferential direction. The highest tip surface between the recesses 33a forms the adhesive surface for the film 38. The end of the lid wall 33 forms the outlet 37 for the second agent 7.

A film 38 that closes the outlet 37 is placed at the cylindrical end of the lid wall 33. The film 38 is an aluminum seal or a resin seal. The film 38 has a circular shape sufficient to close the outlet 37. Burrs may form on the outer edge of the film 38. When the lid wall 33 is fitted inside the main body inner wall 12, the burrs may become trapped between the outer surface of the lid wall 33 and the inner surface of the main body inner wall 12, hindering fitting. The recess 33a provides a relief for the burrs during fitting. This allows the lid wall 33 to fit inside the main body inner wall 12 even if there are burrs on the outer edge of the film 38.

The film 38 is fixed by heat welding, adhesive, or the like to the tip surface of the cylindrical lid wall 33, which is the cylindrical end and does not have the recess 33a formed therein. The film 38 is fixed with such strength that, even if it is broken by the protrusion 24, the fixed portion of the film 38 will not be pulled by the protrusion 24 and will not peel off.

An insertion wall 34 is erected on the back surface of the cover plate 32, on the outer periphery of the cylindrical cover wall 33, at a distance from the cylindrical cover wall 33. The insertion wall 34 is an annular wall that is lower than the cylindrical cover wall 33. The insertion wall 34 is inserted into the groove 18. When the cover member 31 closes the main body opening 17, the tip of the insertion wall 34 is at a height that is slightly lower than the tip of the protrusion 24. The height of the insertion wall 34 is also set so that the tip does not come into contact with the bottom of the groove 18.

The base end of the insertion wall 34 is a thick portion 34a that is thicker than the tip end (see Figure 7). That is, the outer diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the insertion wall 34 is shaped so that the thick portion 34a reduces the diameter from the base end to the tip end. This allows the insertion wall 34 to be press-fit into the groove 18. The thicker the thick portion 34a at the base end of the insertion wall 34 is, or the more it extends toward the tip end, the more difficult it is for the lid member 31 to come off the main body opening 17.

A bottomed lid annular groove 39 is formed between the lid cylindrical wall 33 and the insertion wall 34. When the lid member 31 closes the main body opening 17, the main body inner peripheral wall 12 is inserted into the lid annular groove 39. The tip of the main body inner peripheral wall 12 abuts against the bottom of the lid annular groove 39. In other words, the lid annular groove 39 prevents the lid member 31 from being pressed too hard against the container main body 11, resulting in damage and leakage of the first agent 6a, second agent 7, and mixed agent 8.

[Operation of the embodiment]
As shown in Figure 7, with the main body opening 17 of the container main body 11 open, the first agent 6a is poured from the container 1 into the container main body 11. When the first agent 6a is poured into the main body storage portion 16, it flows down the inner surface of the inclined portion 22 into the rectangular tubular portion 15 and is stored there. At this time, the container main body 11 may be held by hand or poured on a desk. The container main body 11 can be placed stably on a desk because the support pieces 21 function as support legs.

In in vitro diagnosis, the container body 11, with the first agent 6a stored therein, is first attached to the attachment portion of the optical inspection device 4. The rectangular cylindrical portion 15 of the container body 11 is the insertion end into the attachment portion. When attaching the container body 11, the support piece 21 engages with the guide rail of the attachment portion and the container body 11 is inserted. The positioning piece 21a engages with the groove of the attachment portion, so the container body 11 is positioned correctly in the attachment portion and attached.

In the mounting section, the rectangular cylindrical portion 15 is placed in the optical path of the measurement light, and the measurement light is irradiated onto the width surface 15b of the rectangular cylindrical portion 15. The optical inspection device 4 thereby measures the blank value of the first agent 6a.

The container body 11 is then removed from the attachment portion. Next, the lid member 31 is attached to the container body 11 so as to close the body opening 17. Specifically, the lid member 31 is pushed in with the lid housing portion 36, which is closed by the film 38, facing the insertion side, so that the lid housing portion 36 fits into the cylindrical portion 14 formed inside the body inner wall 12. Then, the first breaking wall 24a and the second breaking wall 24b first come into contact with the film 38, causing the film 38 to break. Because the tip surfaces of the first breaking wall 24a and the second breaking wall 24b extend in two directions that intersect with each other, a wider area of the film 38 is broken at one time.

Because the first breaking wall 24a has a shape that follows the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical lid wall 33 that constitutes the lid accommodating portion 36, the portion of the film 38 that breaks at one time can be spread along the inner circumferential surface of the lid accommodating portion 36. Because the second breaking wall 24b extends from the first breaking wall 24a toward the inside of the cylindrical portion 14, the portion of the film 38 that breaks at one time can be spread from the inner circumferential surface of the lid accommodating portion 36 toward the inside of the lid accommodating portion 36.

As shown in FIG. 8 , the lid member 31 is inserted until the tip of the main body inner peripheral wall 12 abuts the bottom of the lid annular groove 39. The cylindrical lid wall 33 is press-fit against the inside of the main body inner peripheral wall 12. Therefore, the internal pressure of the main body accommodating portion 16 increases as the cylindrical lid wall 33 is inserted. The vent groove 23 in the main body inner peripheral wall 12 allows the air inside the main body accommodating portion 16 to escape to the outside as the lid accommodating portion 36 is pressed against the inside of the cylindrical portion 14 and inserted. This allows the lid accommodating portion 36 to be smoothly inserted into the cylindrical portion 14. Furthermore, the pressure inside the main body accommodating portion 16 is prevented from increasing as the lid accommodating portion 36 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 14. This prevents the first agent 6a, second agent 7, and mixed agent 8 from easily flowing out of the lid accommodating portion 36. At this time, even if the first agent 6a, second agent 7, mixed agent 8, etc. leak out along with the internal air of the main body storage section 16, the leaked agents will collect in the groove 18.

The locking piece 35 of the lid member 31 is locked to the connecting piece 19 of the container body 11. This locks the state in which the lid member 31 closes the body opening 17.
The second agent 7 flowing out from the film 38 broken by the tip surface of the protrusion 24 can be guided by the first breaking wall 24a and the second breaking wall 24b toward the inside of the cylindrical portion 14 and further toward the rectangular tubular portion 15. This makes it easier to store the mixed agent 8 in the rectangular tubular portion 15 used for optical inspection.

Once the lid member 31 has been attached to the container body 11, the mixing container 3 is once again attached to the attachment section of the optical inspection device 4. At the attachment section, the rectangular cylindrical section 15 is then positioned in the optical path of the measurement light, and the measurement light is irradiated onto the width surface 15b of the rectangular cylindrical section 15. This allows the optical inspection device 4 to measure the characteristic values of the mixture.

[Effects of the embodiment]
The mixing vessel 3 as described above can provide the following effects.
(1) The tip surfaces of the protrusions 24 extending in two intersecting directions pierce the film 38, so that when the lid housing portion 36 is fitted, the area of the film 38 that is broken at once tends to expand. This improves mixability.

(2) The comb-shaped tip surface of the protrusion 24 has a surface portion extending in one direction and another surface portion extending in a different direction, which allows the area of the film 38 that is broken at one time to be expanded.

Furthermore, because the protrusion 24 has a comb shape and is not a cylindrical cutting blade like a puncher, a portion of the film 38 remains attached to the lid tube wall 33. This prevents the film 38 from falling into the mixture 8 in the rectangular tube portion 15 and interfering with the measurement.

(3) Because the first breaking wall 24a of the protruding piece 24 has a shape that conforms to the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical lid wall 33 that constitutes the lid storage portion 36, the portion of the film 38 that breaks at one time can be spread along the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical lid wall 33. Because the second breaking wall 24b extends from the first breaking wall 24a toward the inside of the cylindrical lid wall 33, the portion of the film 38 that breaks at one time can be spread from the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical lid wall 33 toward the inside of the cylindrical lid wall 33. Furthermore, the second agent 7 that flows out from the film 38 that has been broken by the tip surface of the protruding piece 24 can be guided by the protruding piece 24 toward the inside of the cylindrical portion 14 and further toward the rectangular cylindrical portion 15. This also makes it easier to store the mixed agent 8 in the rectangular cylindrical portion 15 used for optical inspection.

(4) The second bottom of the cylindrical portion 14, which is the inner surface of the inclined portion 22, is inclined downward toward the opening of the rectangular tubular portion 15. Therefore, the second agent 7 that flows out from the lid housing portion 36 along the protruding piece 24 can be efficiently guided into the rectangular tubular portion 15.

(5) The vent groove 23 allows the air inside the main body housing 16 to escape to the outside when the lid housing 36 is fitted while being pressed against the inside of the main body inner wall 12. This allows the lid housing 36 to be fitted smoothly inside the main body inner wall 12. It also prevents the main body housing 16 from becoming pressurized as the lid housing 36 is fitted inside the main body inner wall 12. This prevents the second agent 7 from becoming difficult to flow out of the lid housing 36.

(6) The vent groove 23 allows internal air to escape to the outside even after the tip surface of the protrusion 24 breaks the film 38. This prevents the internal pressure of the main body housing 16 from increasing even if the lid housing 36 is further fitted after the film 38 breaks. Furthermore, even if the second agent 7 tends to remain inside the lid housing 36 due to the surface tension of the second agent 7 or other factors, it also makes it easier for the second agent 7 to flow out into the main body housing 16.

(7) When the lid housing portion 36 is fitted into the main body inner peripheral wall 12, the air inside the main body inner peripheral wall 12 flows through the vent groove 23 into the annular groove 18 between the main body inner peripheral wall 12 and the main body outer peripheral wall 13. At this time, even if the first agent 6a or the second agent 7 leaks out along with the air inside the main body housing portion 16, the leaked medicinal substances and the like accumulate in the groove 18. This allows the air inside the main body housing portion 16 to escape, suppressing an increase in internal pressure in the main body housing portion 16, while also suppressing leakage of medicinal substances and the like from the main body housing portion 16.

The mixing vessel 3 can be further modified as follows.
The vent groove 23 may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical lid wall 33 that constitutes the lid accommodating portion 36. The vent groove 23 may be provided on both the inner peripheral surface of the main body inner peripheral wall 12 and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical lid wall 33, or on either one of them.

- The groove 18 does not have to be a continuous annular groove between the main body inner peripheral wall 12 and the main body outer peripheral wall 13. For example, the groove 18 may be configured as multiple concentric arc grooves arranged intermittently in the circumferential direction. In this case, it is sufficient that the grooves are arranged at least at a position corresponding to the upper end of the vent groove 23.

The outer circumferential wall 13 and the groove 18 may be omitted from the upper portion of the container body 11. In this case, the internal air and the like will be discharged to the outside through the vent groove 23.
If the height of the protrusion 24 is low, the lower end of the vent groove 23 may be located above the tip surface of the protrusion 24 .

- The vent groove 23 may be omitted. In this case, a through hole serving as a vent hole in place of the vent groove 23 may be provided in the lid plate 32 in the inner region of the lid cylindrical wall 33 and/or at the bottom of the lid annular groove 39.

- The inclined portion 22 may be omitted from the container body 11. In this case, the container body 11 will have a cylindrical shape. The upper part of the container body 11 may be constructed only by the inner circumferential wall 12 of the main body, rather than by a double-wall structure.

- In the protrusion 24, two or one second breakable walls 24b may extend from the first breakable wall 24a in a direction different from that of the first breakable wall 24a. Furthermore, four or more second breakable walls 24b may extend from the first breakable wall 24a in a direction different from that of the first breakable wall 24a.

- The first break wall 24a does not have to have an arc shape that follows the main body inner peripheral wall 12 or the lid cylindrical wall 33. For example, the first break wall 24a may have a straight or wavy shape. The second break wall 24b may have an arc shape or wavy shape instead of a straight line.

- The protrusion 24 does not have to be a plate of constant thickness from the base end to the tip. For example, the protrusion 24 may be thicker at the base end than at the tip, or may be thicker at the tip than at the base end, as long as the tip surface is flush.

- The tip surface of the protruding piece 24 may have a protrusion or a recess provided that the surface including these two directions extends in two mutually intersecting directions and includes a surface parallel to the surface including the main body opening 17.

- In Figure 1, instead of using the container 1, the first agent 6 can be stored in the container body 11 by closing the body opening 17 with a film, and when in use, the film can be peeled off and the specimen or the like can be added to the container body 11.

- The first agent 6 and the second agent 7 may be liquids or semi-fluids such as powders, gels, or granules.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3...Mixing container 6, 6a...First agent 7...Second agent 8...Mixed agent 11...Container body 12...Inner peripheral wall of body 13...Outer peripheral wall of body 14...Cylindrical portion 15...Rectangular cylindrical portion 16...Body storage portion 17...Body opening 18...Groove 21...Support piece 21a...Positioning piece 22...Inclined portion 23...Vent groove 24...Projecting piece 24a...First breaking wall 24b...Second breaking wall 31...Cover member 32...Cover plate 33...Cylindrical cover wall 34...Insertion wall 36...Cover storage portion 37...Outlet 38...Film 39...Annular cover groove

Claims (7)

a container body including a cylindrical body accommodating portion having a body opening;
a lid member having a cylindrical lid accommodating portion with an outlet,
the outlet of the lid housing portion is closed by a film in a state in which the second agent is housed therein;
When the main body housing portion houses the first agent, the lid housing portion is fitted into the main body opening from the side on which the film is disposed, whereby the main body opening is closed by the lid member,
the main body storage section includes a protrusion for breaking the film,
The protruding piece extends from inside the main body accommodating portion toward the main body opening,
a tip surface of the protruding piece extends in two directions intersecting each other, and a plane including the two directions includes a plane parallel to a plane including the main body opening;
The protrusion includes a first breaking wall and a second breaking wall,
The first breaking wall is an arc-shaped wall erected along the inner circumferential surface of the lid accommodating portion,
The second rupture wall is erected so as to extend from the first rupture wall toward the inside of the main body accommodating portion.
mixing container. 2. The mixing container according to claim 1, wherein the tip end surface of the protruding piece has a comb shape when viewed from a viewpoint facing the main body opening. the main body accommodating portion includes a cylindrical portion having the main body opening and a rectangular cylindrical portion positioned in an optical path for optical inspection;
the rectangular tubular portion includes a first bottom portion of the main body accommodating portion,
the cylindrical portion includes a second bottom portion extending from the opening of the rectangular tubular portion to the outside of the opening ,
The first breaking wall is erected at the second bottom portion so as to follow the inner peripheral surface of the lid accommodating portion,
The mixing vessel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second rupture wall is erected at the second bottom portion so as to extend from the first rupture wall toward the inside of the cylindrical portion. The mixing vessel according to claim 3 , wherein the second bottom of the cylindrical portion is inclined downward toward the opening of the rectangular tubular portion. the main body accommodating portion includes a cylindrical main body peripheral wall into which the lid accommodating portion is fitted,
5. The mixing container according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the inner peripheral surface of the main body peripheral wall and the outer peripheral surface of the lid accommodating portion, which are pressed against each other, has a vent groove that releases air inside the main body accommodating portion to the outside when the lid accommodating portion is fitted inside the main body peripheral wall. The mixing container according to claim 5 , wherein the vent groove extends from the main body opening to a position closer to the bottom of the main body accommodating portion than the tip end surface of the protruding piece. The main body peripheral wall is a main body inner peripheral wall,
The outer circumferential side of the main body inner circumferential wall is provided with a main body outer circumferential wall that forms a double structure with the main body inner circumferential wall,
the main body inner peripheral wall is a peripheral wall into which the lid accommodating portion is fitted,
The mixing container according to claim 5 or 6, wherein a groove is provided between the main body inner peripheral wall and the main body outer peripheral wall, the groove communicating with the main body accommodating portion via the vent groove when the lid accommodating portion is fitted onto the main body inner peripheral wall.