U.S. patent application number 10/575014 was filed with the patent office on 2007-02-08 for discharging container with filter.
Invention is credited to Hirokazu Mihashi, Masaru Otsuka, Yasuyuki Shiraishi, Mitsuo Tanaka.
Application Number | 20070028988 10/575014 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34419787 |
Filed Date | 2007-02-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070028988 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mihashi; Hirokazu ; et
al. |
February 8, 2007 |
Discharging container with filter
Abstract
A discharging container with a filter capable of sucking content
liquid remaining on the downstream side of the filter to the
upstream side of the filter, capable of accurately dripping the
content liquid while avoiding an air lock state, and manufacturable
at reduce cost, particularly in an instillation vial, comprising a
bottle formed by laminating an inner layer separable from an outer
layer on the inner surface of the outer layer and a plug body
fitted to the mouth part of the bottle. A discharging passage for
discharging the content liquid stored in the body part of the inner
layer is formed in the plug body, and the filter is installed in
the discharging passage. The inner layer has a restoring property
to expand so that a pressure difference between an internal
negative pressure and the atmospheric pressure is increased larger
than filtration resistance of the filter, a negative pressure is
produced in the inner layer by the recovering property of the inner
layer, and the liquid remaining on the secondary side of the filter
is sucked to the primary side of the filter.
Inventors: |
Mihashi; Hirokazu; (Osaka,
JP) ; Shiraishi; Yasuyuki; (Osaka, JP) ;
Otsuka; Masaru; (Aichi, JP) ; Tanaka; Mitsuo;
(Aichi, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FISHER, CHRISTEN & SABOL
1725 K STREET, N.W.
SUITE 1108
WASHINGTON
DC
20006
US
|
Family ID: |
34419787 |
Appl. No.: |
10/575014 |
Filed: |
September 17, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
September 17, 2004 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP04/13630 |
371 Date: |
August 7, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
139/383A |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61J 1/1456 20150501;
B65D 47/18 20130101; B65D 83/0055 20130101; B65D 47/40 20130101;
A61J 1/145 20150501; A61J 1/1468 20150501; B65D 47/2018 20130101;
B65D 23/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
139/383.00A |
International
Class: |
D03D 25/00 20060101
D03D025/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 9, 2003 |
JP |
2003351313 |
Claims
1. A discharging container with a filter comprising: a bottle which
is formed in a manner wherein an inner layer peelable from an outer
layer is formed on an inner surface of the outer layer; a plug body
placed on a mouth portion of the bottle; and a filter provided in a
discharging pass which is provided in the plug body for discharging
liquid kept in a body of the inner layer provided; wherein said
inner layer has a memory which expands the inner layer in a manner
wherein a difference between an inner negative pressure and an
ambient air is higher than a filtration resistance of the filter;
and wherein the negative pressure is caused by the memory of the
inner layer and by that liquid remained in a second side of the
filter is sucked into a primary side of the filter.
2. A discharging container with a filter as set forth in claim 1,
wherein said filter has hydrophilicity.
3. A discharging container with a filter as set forth in claim 1,
wherein said bottle does not have an outer layer.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a discharging container
with a filter, which is suitable for use as an aseptic
eyedropper.
Background Art
[0002] Regarding this kind of aseptic eyedropper, applicants of the
present invention had already proposed what is disclosed in the
following patent document 1.
[0003] Patent document 1: The Japanese Patent Laying-Open Gazette
No. 2001-114328.
[0004] This prior aseptic eyedropper has a bottle which contains a
squeezable outer layer with a laminated inner layer peelable from
the outer layer, and a plug body mounted onto the opening of the
bottle. The plug body has a discharging channel to discharge the
liquid kept in a body portion of the inner layer. There is a
distribution valve and a filter in the discharging channel, and
this distribution valve consists of a flange, a valve head, and a
connector sleeve, and is integrally molded from elastic materials
such as silicon rubber. The valve head has an orifice incised in a
crisscross manner on its center position; the connector sleeve has
a flexible structure, which has a relatively thin wall which can be
easily deformed. Consequently, when the outer layer is deformed by
squeezing and the pressure in the body portion of the inner layer
increases, the distribution valve is elastically deformed so as to
displace the valve head downstream and open the orifice at the same
time, so that the liquid flows down from the filter to the
downstream side and the content is dribbled. Also, when the
pressure in the body portion of the inner layer is eliminated, the
distribution valve is re-deformed so that the liquid staying in the
discharging channel is sucked back to the upperstream of the filter
by displacing the valve head to the upperstream with the orifice
closed. This prevents the possibility of the liquid in the body
portion being outerly contaminated.
[0005] Meanwhile, in the aforementioned prior aseptic eyedropper,
there is some amount of air from shipment, and this air will not
flow from the distribution valve to the downstream side of
discharging when the eyedropper is used in an ordinary manner.
However, if the body of the bottle is squeezed with the nozzle
turned upward, the air in the inner layer would flow, pushing up
the distribution valve and going in the space between the dividing
vale and the filter. With that, especially using a hydrophilic
filter, the air between the distribution valve and the filter is in
the state where it is sealed between them, the so-called "airlock"
because the air cannot go through the filter. There is the problem
that it is practically impossible to drop the liquid, since it
becomes more necessary to affect the higher pressure than the
bubble point of the filter in the body of the inner layer.
[0006] Also, because the distribution valve, which has the
abovementioned particular shape, is used, there is the problem that
the cost overrun of the container is incurred.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Consequently, the object of the present invention is to
provide a discharging container with a filter, which is able to
drop the content with precision by sucking back the liquid staying
in the downstream of the filter to the upperstream of the filter
without so-called "airlock", moreover, to enable cost
reduction.
[0008] In order to achieve the aforementioned object, the present
inventors have employed a technological feature as summarized
below.
[0009] In other words, the present invention is a discharging
container with a filter comprising a bottle which is formed in a
manner wherein an inner layer, peelable from an outer layer, is
formed on an inner surface of the outer layer, a plug body placed
on a mouth portion of the bottle, and a filter provided in a
discharging pass which is provided in the plug body for discharging
liquid kept in a body of the inner layer provided, wherein said
inner layer has a memory which expands the inner layer in a manner
wherein the difference between an inner negative pressure and the
ambient air is higher than the filtration resistance of the filter,
and wherein the negative pressure is caused by the memory of the
inner layer and by that liquid remained in a second side of the
filter is sucked into a primary side of the filter.
[0010] According to the present invention, by pushing the body of
the bottle, the inner layer is deformed, so that the liquid inside
is dropped from the body through the discharging pass. Also, by
stopping pushing the body of the bottle, the negative pressure is
caused by the memory of the inner layer and by that, liquid
remained in the second side (lower stream of discharging) of the
filter is sucked into the primary side (upper stream of
discharging) of the filter. Particularly, compared with the prior
arts, it is possible to achieve a cost reduction since the
aforementioned function can be achieved without using the
distribution valve in a specialized shape.
[0011] The discharging container with a filter of the present
invention is preferably formed wherein said filter has
hydrophilicity. By that, the liquid inside is filled in the filter,
so that it is possible to prevent the ambient air from entering the
upper stream side of the filter without fail. Also, the elastic
memory of the inner layer is preferably formed in a manner wherein
the difference between the inner pressure of the inner layer and
the ambient air is lower than the resistance, in which the air is
able to pass through the filter filled with the liquid inside. That
can prevent the air from entering in to the upper stream of the
filter more surely.
[0012] Also, in the present invention, it is preferable that the
body of the inner layer is made from synthetic resin, the average
thickness of the body is over 0.1 mm, more preferably, over 0.35
mm, and the average thickness of the body is less than 0.5 mm, more
preferably, less than 0.4 mm. By that, the inner layer can be
formed to have a desired elastic-memory.
[0013] Additionally, in the present invention, it is preferable to
adopt the composition in which the outer layer has an entry opening
to bring the outside air in between the outer layer and the inner
layer. By that, when pushing of the bottle is released, the ambient
air flows in through the entry opening and the pressure between the
outer layer and the inner layer becomes the ambient pressure, so
that the difference of the pressure between the upper stream of the
filter and the lower stream of the filter caused by the
elastic-memory of the inner layer can be in the desired range
without fail. It is possible to provide the distribution valve for
the entry opening, but it is also possible to form the entry
opening with an opening which is closed when the body of the bottle
is pushed.
[0014] Also, in the present invention, it is possible to form the
bottle, a so-called monolayer bottle, which does not have an outer
layer.
[0015] In the present invention, it is possible to provide a
discharging container with a filter, which is able to drop the
content with precision by sucking back the liquid staying in the
downstream of the filter to the upperstream of the filter without
so-called "airlock", moreover, to enable cost reduction. Likewise,
in eyedroppers of the prior arts, when the container refrigerated
is taken out from the chillroom to the outside, the inside
temperature of the container will be higher because of the room
temperature, the air in the container will expand, and the liquid
inside will ooze out. However, in the present invention, there is
no liquid reserved under the filter, so that the aforementioned
oozing will not occur.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 Scale-up longitudinal sectional view of the relevant
part of the eyedropper with a laminated film-peeling bottle of an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 Whole longitudinal sectional view of said
eyedropper;
[0018] FIG. 3(a) is a plane view and (b) is an elevated view, both
show the whole picture of the laminated film-peeling bottle of said
eyedropper;
[0019] FIG. 4 Lateral view of said laminating film-peeling
bottle;
[0020] FIG. 5 Cross sectional view taken along the plane A--A of
FIG. 3.
THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] With reference to the attached drawings, the present
invention will herein-after be described by way of an embodiment
thereof.
[0022] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an eyedropper as a laminated bottle
with an outer layer and an inner layer according to an embodiment
of the present invention. This eyedropper 10 has a laminated
film-peeling bottle 11, which is produced by blow molding from a
laminated parison and composed of the inner layer and the outer
layer, a plug body 12, which is fixed on a mouth portion 11a of the
bottle 11, and a protection cap 13. It is formed in a manner
whereby when a user detaches the cap 13, makes the laminated bottle
11 resupinate, and squeezes the body portion 11b by pushing, eye
drops (fluids) are dropped from a point nozzle part 15 through a
discharging pass inside of the plug body 12.
[0023] Said laminated bottle 11 has a laminated structure composed
of an outer layer bottle 1 (squeezing bottle) which composes the
outer layer and an inner layer bag 16 (fluids storing bag) which
composes the inner layer. In the aftermath of blow molding, both
the outer layer bottle 1 and the inner layer bag 16 have a
cylindrical mouth portion and a flat body portion from the cross
sectional view. The outer layer bottle 1 may be molded from a PET
(viz., polyethylene terephthalate), and PC (viz. polycarbonate) or
like synthetic resin. Additionally, the mouth portion of the bag 16
forms an opening for discharging liquid.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, the outer bottle 1 is formed
in a manner wherein a cylindrical mouth portion 4 is provided at an
upper end of a body portion 2, which is resiliently squeezable and
formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, through a shoulder
portion 3 whose diameter is getting smaller as it goes upwards. A
peripheral wall of the body portion 2 is constituted in a shape of
a long flat circle, in which the before-and-behind width is smaller
than the right-and-left width of the body portion 2, from a pair of
before and behind rigid wall parts 5 facing each other having a
specified distance and right and left flexible connecting wall
parts 6, which connect either side of edge parts of these rigid
wall parts 5. Each rigid wall part 5 (before-and-behind wall parts)
has a rectangular shape of which the long side is in an up and down
direction in a front view, and almost flat in a cross-section in a
vertical-section. However, it may be unnecessary to be perfectly
flat and it may be slightly curved. Each flexible connecting wall
part 6 (right-and-left wall parts) has an arc shape in which
longitudinal center portion projects toward a right-and-left
direction, and its curvature radius is smaller than the minor axis
of the body portion 2. Additionally, an upper end portion of each
rigid wall part 5 is connected to the shoulder portion 3 through an
upper flexible connecting part 7, and a lower end of each rigid
wall part 5 is connected to a bottom portion 2a of the body 2
through a lower flexible connecting part 8. Therefore, a periphery
of each rigid wall part 5 is surrounded only by said flexible parts
6, 7, and 8. Also before and behind rigid wall parts 5, the bottom
portion 2a, and the shoulder portion 3 are connected integrally
only by flexible parts 6, 7, and 8.
[0025] The upper flexible connecting part 7 and the lower flexible
connecting part 8 are located more outwardly than the rigid wall
part 5 in the direction of before and behind. Therefore, when the
bottle 1 is blow-molded from said plastic parison, the elongation
rate of the plastic becomes larger and each connecting part 7 and 8
is formed relatively thin-walled, so that the easily deformable
flexibility is applied to these connecting parts 7 and 8. While the
rigid wall part 5 is formed thick-walled, so that the
difficult-to-deform rigidity is applied to the wall part 5. It is
preferable to compose average wall thickness of these connecting
parts 7 and 8 to be thinner than half of the average wall thickness
of the rigid wall part 5.
[0026] Also, horizontal width of the body 2 of the squeeze bottle 1
is 1.5 times larger than the longitudinal width (i.e. the distance
between the outside surface of the before and behind rigid wall
parts 5), at the time of the blow molding. Also the elongation rate
of the plastic at the portion which forms right and left flexible
connecting wall parts 6, so that the average wall thickness of
right and left flexible connecting wall parts 6 is thinner than the
average wall thickness of the rigid wall part 5. Further, at the
stage of the parison for blow molding, it is possible to make the
thickness of the portion which forms the rigid wall part 5 thicker
than the thickness of the portion which forms the flexible
connecting part.
[0027] Since the outer layer bottle 1 is composed in the
aforementioned manner, when the before and behind rigid wall parts
5 are made close to each other till the distance between the center
portion of the top-to-bottom direction of the before and behind
rigid wall parts 5 becomes half by pressing the center portion with
two fingers, the right and left connecting parts 6 and the upper
and lower connecting parts 7 and 8 are deformed in their elastic
region in a manner wherein the upper and lower edges of the rigid
wall part 5 move following the said center.
[0028] In addition, an entry opening 17 for leading ambient air to
the room between the body portion of the bottle 2 and a body 16a of
the inner layer bag 16 is bored at the center portion of the both
top-to-bottom and right-to-left direction of the front side of the
rigid wall part 5 (front wall part) of the outer layer bottle 1 of
this embodiment. This entry opening 17 is formed from the opening
going through the outer layer bottle 1 from the inside to the
outside, and not bored on the inner layer bag 16. Additionally, a
circular formed concave part 18 whose diameter is larger than the
one of the entry opening 17 is formed on the center portion of the
both top-to-bottom and right-to-left of the rigid wall part 5. This
concave part 18 is formed in a manner wherein it is caved in the
bottle, and the diameter of which is approximately 5 mm.
Aforementioned entry opening 17 is formed in the concave part 18.
The entry opening 17 may be blocked by blocking the concave part 18
with a finger. The entry opening 17 doesn't have a check valve and
constantly remains open, and the dimensions of this opening are
approximately between 1 mm.sup.2 and 2 mm.sup.2.
[0029] Also an examination opening 19 which communicates with the
entry opening 17 through the room between the outer layer bottle 1
and the inner layer bag 16 is bored on a midway portion of the
top-to-bottom direction of a mouth portion 4. In the present
embodiment, two examination openings 19 are formed at the points
facing in the direction of the diameter. This examination opening
19 is also going through the outer layer bottle 1 from the inside
to the outside, and not bored on the inner layer bag 16. This
examination opening 19 is blocked up with a mouth 16a of the inner
layer bag 16 from inside, so that air between the outer and inner
layer 1 and 16 is prevented from going out from the examination
opening 19 during use of the eyedropper 10. To ensure this blocking
by the inner layer bag 16, in the present embodiment, the mouth 16a
of the inner layer bag 16 is pressed to the examination opening 19
by the after-mentioned inside plug 21. Thus, the examination
opening 19 is blocked up with the inner layer bag 16 and the inside
plug 21.
[0030] The average thickness of the mouth 16a of the inner layer
bag 16 is approximately 0.5 mm.
[0031] Also, the body 16b of the inner layer bag 16, depending on
the plastic materials used, may have approximately 0.35 to 0.4 mm
average thickness, and it easily shrinks as the liquid inside
decreases, however it also has an elastic-memory toward the
direction of expanding. This elastic-memory of the body 16b of the
inner layer bag 16 is set out in a manner wherein the difference
between the pressure in the inner layer bag 16 and the ambient
pressure is to be between 40 hPa and 60 hPa. Also the
elastic-memory of the body 16b is set out to be bigger than the
filtration resistance of the after-mentioned filter. Also, the body
16b of the inner layer bag 16 has the elastic-memory wherein the
body 16b is easily deformed under the pressure between 400 hPa and
600 hPa, which affects during the stage of the dropping by
squeezing.
[0032] Additionally, the center of a bottom portion of the bag 16
is fixed to the center of the bottom portion of the outer layer
bottle 1, so that the bottom portion of the bag 16 is prevented
from being lifted.
[0033] Aforementioned plug body 12 mainly includes an inside plug
21 fitted in the bottle mouth portion 4 and a nozzle cap 22 axially
connected to the inside plug 21 and fitted around the bottle mouth
portion 4.
[0034] The inside plug 21 is such that a first cylindrical portion
21a with its proximal end abutting against a distal end surface of
the bottle mouth portion 4, a flange 21c which is placed inwardly
in the direction of the diameter on the abutting point of said
first cylindrical portion 21a and the bottle mouth portion 4, and a
second cylindrical portion which extends from inside of this flange
21c to upstream side, are integrally molded. The second cylindrical
portion 21b is fitted in the bottle mouth portion 4 air tightly and
fluid tightly. Particularly in the present embodiment, the second
cylindrical portion 21b extends toward lower (upstream side) than
the examination opening 19, and aforementioned examination opening
19 is closed air tightly from inside with this second cylindrical
portion 21b.
[0035] The nozzle cap 22 is a generally cylindrical member, which
includes a top plate provided with the nozzle portion 15 at its
axially distal end, and they are integrally molded. The first
cylindrical portion 21a of the inside plug 21 is fitted in the
inner peripheral wall of the nozzle cap 22. The nozzle cap 22 has a
smaller diameter cylindrical portion provided in a distal outer
peripheral portion thereof with a step. The protection cap 13 is
threadingly fitted around the smaller diameter cylindrical
portion.
[0036] A filter 25 is provided in a lower surface of the top plate
of the nozzle cap 22. This filter 25 comprises a filtration film
25a and an inner liquid holding member 25b provided in the primary
side (upstream side) of the filter 25. Examples of the filter 25
include a hydrophilic porous planar film, a membrane filter, a
sintered filter and a hydrophobic porous planar film, all of which
are capable of preventing passage of pathogenic bacteria from a
downstream side (outside) to an upstream side (inside). As this
filtration film 25a, like such whose average diameter of the bore
is between 0.1 .mu.m and 0.3 .mu.m are preferably adopted. More
preferably, as the filtration film 25a, "Millipore Express Plus
membrane filter" manufactured by Millipore Co. is adopted. This
Millipore Express is like such of which the diameters of pores of
the primary side and the second side are different. The average
diameter of pores around a surface of the second side is
approximately 0.22 .mu.m and the diameter of pores becomes larger
as it goes to the primary side. As just described, by using the
filter wherein the diameter of pores around the surface of the
second side is as small as just to be able to filtrate bacteria and
becomes larger as it goes to the primary side, it is able to both
keep the aseptic condition of the inner layer and make filtering
resistance of the filtrations film smaller. The inner liquid
holding member 25b is made in a discotic shape from a silicone pad
or the like and the microscopic pores (the diameter of which is
from 10 m to 0.1 mm) on it are able to hold the liquid inside.
Additionally, a rim of this inner liquid holding member 25b may or
may not abut on the end of the first cylindrical portion 21a of the
inside plug 21. Also, it is not necessary to use said inner liquid
holding member 25b, in the case wherein the inner liquid holding
member is not used, it is preferable to provide a backup member
(backstay member) to a back side of the filtration film 25a to
prevent the filtration film 25a from being damaged.
[0037] The filtration resistance of the filter 25 is preferably
approximately between 10 hPa and 50 hPa and designed to be smaller
than the difference between a negative pressure in the inner room,
which is caused by the elastic-memory of the body 16a of the inner
layer bag 16 and the ambient pressure. This design is available by,
in concrete, molding multiples of laminated film-peeling bottles
which differ from each other in their inner layer body thickness,
carrying out the examination, and selecting the most preferable
thickness which is agreeable to the shape and size of the plastic
and the bottle used. Also, the filter 25 (in the present
embodiment, the whole of the filtration film and inner liquid
holding member) is provided in a manner wherein the pressure for
vacuuming the air from the lower side is between 689 hPa and 4826
hPa, and the resistance is higher than the difference between the
inner pressure of the inner bag 16 caused by the elastic memory of
the body 16b of the inner bag 16, and the ambient air pressure.
Additionally, the difference between the inner pressure of the
inner bag 16, caused by the elastic memory of the inner layer, is
smaller than the one at the bubble point of the filter 25 (and the
filtration film 25a).
[0038] In addition, a communicating channel 22a which communicates
with the nozzle part 15 is provided on the lower surface of the top
plate of the nozzle cap 22. The liquid inside flowing from the
filter 22 is provided to the nozzle part 15 through the
communicating channel 22a. This communicating channel 22a comprises
a first channel which radiates outwardly from the nozzle part 15 in
the basal plane view, and multiples of circular second channels
whose center is the nozzle part 15.
[0039] To discharge liquid inside from the nozzle part 15 in the
case using said eyedropper 10, the user makes the laminated bottle
11 resupinate, and squeezes the body portion 2 of the outer layer
bottle 1 by pushing in a manner wherein the entry opening 17 is
closed by a finger, so that the air between the inner and outer
layer 1 and 16 is supercharged and the inner layer bag 16 is
compressed. In this manner, by generating inner pressure in the
inner layer bag 16, the liquid inside is dropped from the nozzle 15
through the filter 25. After stopping pressing the bottle 11,
leaving the finger from the entry opening 17 lets in the ambient
air between the inner and outer layer 1 and 16 thorough the entry
opening 17. After that, the liquid staying inside of a pass in the
nozzle (i.e. a discharging pass point opening) is vacuumed to the
upper stream side of the filter 25 caused by the elastic-memory of
the inner layer bag 16. In addition, the liquid inside is sheltered
from the ambient air by the filter 25. In this case, if the
filtration film 25a of the filter 25 is composed of a hydrophilic
filter, it is possible to prevent the ambient air from entering
into the inner layer since the ambient air cannot pass through the
filter 25.
[0040] The present invention is never limited to the conformations
shown in the illustrated embodiment, but may be modified in any
appropriate manner or fashion, within the realm of the technical
ideas included in the claims.
[0041] The present invention is preferably used as an aseptic
eyedropper.
* * * * *