U.S. patent application number 13/375700 was filed with the patent office on 2012-03-22 for cap and nutritional supplement container using the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to JMS CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Yoshihiko Kobashi, Takahiko Kunishige, Raita Uematsu.
Application Number | 20120067459 13/375700 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43297763 |
Filed Date | 2012-03-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120067459 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kunishige; Takahiko ; et
al. |
March 22, 2012 |
CAP AND NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT CONTAINER USING THE SAME
Abstract
A cap (13) to be mounted to a mouth part of a main container
unit of a nutritional supplement container (10) is provided for
flowing out a liquid substance filled in the main container unit.
The main container unit includes a thin film (16) that is attached
to the mouth part so as to seal the interior of the main container
unit. The cap can take a first mounted state and a second mounted
state with respect to the mouth part. In the first mounted state,
the mounted state of the cap with respect to the mouth part is held
in a state where an end surface of a hollow nozzle (22) of the cap
is located not in contact with the thin film or in contact with the
thin film but not pressing the thin film. In the second mounted
state, the mounted state of the cap with respect to the mouth part
is held in a state where the thin film is broken by the hollow
nozzle and the hollow nozzle is located inside the mouth part.
Inventors: |
Kunishige; Takahiko;
(Hiroshima, JP) ; Kobashi; Yoshihiko; (Hiroshima,
JP) ; Uematsu; Raita; (Hiroshima, JP) |
Assignee: |
JMS CO., LTD.
Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima
JP
|
Family ID: |
43297763 |
Appl. No.: |
13/375700 |
Filed: |
June 2, 2010 |
PCT Filed: |
June 2, 2010 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP2010/059374 |
371 Date: |
December 1, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
141/382 ;
220/378 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61J 9/005 20130101;
B65D 51/222 20130101; A61J 1/10 20130101; A61J 15/0069 20130101;
A61J 15/00 20130101; A61J 1/14 20130101; A61J 1/1475 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
141/382 ;
220/378 |
International
Class: |
B65B 1/04 20060101
B65B001/04; B65D 53/00 20060101 B65D053/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 4, 2009 |
JP |
2009-135266 |
Claims
1. A cap to be mounted to a mouth part of a main container unit of
a nutritional supplement container in order to deliver a liquid
substance filled in the main container unit, the main container
unit comprises a thin film that is attached to the mouth part so as
to seal the interior of the main container unit, the cap comprises:
a base part comprising a top panel part to block an opening of the
mouth part and a side wall part to surround an outer peripheral
surface of the mouth part at the time of mounting the cap to the
mouth part; a connection part that comprises a tubular part
protruding from an outer main surface of the top plate part and to
which a connector can be connected; and a hollow nozzle that
protrudes from an inner main surface of the top plate part and that
has a through hole in communication with a through hole of the
tubular part, the cap is allowed to take a first mounted state and
a second mounted state with respect to the mouth part, in the first
mounted state, the mounted state of the cap with respect to the
mouth part is held in a state where an end surface of the hollow
nozzle is located not in contact with the thin film or in contact
with the thin film but not pressing the thin film, and in the
second mounted state, the mounted state of the cap with respect to
the mouth part is held in a state where the thin film is broken by
the hollow nozzle and the hollow nozzle is located inside the mouth
part.
2. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the mouth part comprises a
distal cylindrical part having an outer peripheral surface on which
a male thread is formed, and a proximal cylindrical part having a
larger outer diameter in comparison with the distal cylindrical
part and having an outer peripheral surface on which a first
protrusion is formed, the side wall part of the cap comprises a
small-diameter cylindrical part facing the distal cylindrical part
in the second mounted state and having an inner peripheral surface
on which a female thread to be engaged with the male thread is
formed, and a large-diameter cylindrical part facing the proximal
cylindrical part in the second mounted state and having an inner
peripheral surface on which a second protrusion is formed, the
first mounted state is obtained by pushing the mouth part into the
cap so that the second protrusion surmounts the first protrusion,
and the second mounted state is obtained by puncturing the thin
film with the hollow nozzle while rotating the cap in the first
mounted state so as to engage the female thread with the male
thread and by rotating the cap to its rotational limit.
3. The cap for a container according to claim 2, wherein a slit is
formed on the large-diameter cylindrical part from the opening end
side of the cap toward the top plate part side.
4. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the mouth part has an
outer peripheral surface on which a male thread is formed, in the
cap, a notched part is formed on the side wall part, and a female
thread that can be engaged with the male thread in the second
mounted state is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the side
wall part at a position closer to the top plate part than the
notched part, and a third protrusion is formed on the inner
peripheral surface of the side wall part at a position farther from
the top plate part than the position at which the female thread is
formed, where the first mounted state is obtained by pushing the
mouth part into the cap so that the third protrusion surmounts the
male thread, and the second mounted state is obtained by puncturing
the thin film with the hollow nozzle while rotating the cap in the
first mounted state so as to engage the female thread with the male
thread and further rotating the cap to its rotational limit.
5. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the connection part
comprises further a seat part that is formed in the circumference
of the tubular part and a claw part that protrudes outward from the
outer peripheral surface of the seat part.
6. The cap according to claim 1, further comprising a sealer
arranged on the inner main surface of the top plate part.
7. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the top plate part has a
vent hole formed to penetrate in the thickness direction, and a
vent filter is attached to the top plate part so as to cover the
vent hole, so that in the second mounted state, air outside the
main container unit flows into the main container unit through the
vent filter.
8. The cap according to claim 1, further comprising a rib for
partitioning the through hole of the tubular part, the through hole
of the tubular part is partitioned into at least three by the rib
when viewing the tubular part from the distal side.
9. A nutritional supplement container comprising: a main container
unit comprising a mouth part; a liquid substance filled in the main
container unit; a thin film attached to the mouth part so as to
seal the interior of the main container unit; and the cap according
to claim 1, which is mounted to the mouth part, wherein the cap is
mounted to the mouth part in the first mounted state.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a cap to be mounted to a
mouth part from which a liquid substance filled in a main container
unit of a nutritional supplement container flows out, and a
nutritional supplement container having a main container unit to
which the cap is mounted.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] As parentenal methods of administering nutrition and
medicines to a patient, a transintestine nutritional treatment and
an intravenous nutritional treatment have been known. In the
transintestine nutritional treatment, liquid substances such as
nutrition, liquid food and medicines (in general called
"transintestine nutrition") are administered through a tube (in
general called "nasal tube") passed from a nasal cavity of a
patient to either his/her stomach or duodenum or through a tube (in
general called "PEG tube") that has been inserted into a gastric
fistula formed in the abdomen of a patient (a treatment for forming
a gastric fistula is called "Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy").
In the intravenous nutritional treatment, a liquid substance (in
general called "transfusion") containing a nutritional ingredient
such as glucose and a medicinal ingredient is administered through
a transfusion line (liquid delivery path) inserted into a vein of a
patient.
[0003] FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a
transintestine nutrition set used for a conventional transintestine
nutritional treatment. A main container unit 101 of a nutritional
supplement container 100 is filled with a nutritional supplement. A
thin film (not shown) is attached to a mouth part 102 from which
the nutritional supplement in the main container unit 101 flows
out, thereby sealing the interior of the main container unit 101.
When administering the nutritional supplement into a body, a
plastic connection needle 104 is used to prick a cap 105 mounted to
the mouth part so as to puncture the thin film. In this manner, the
nutritional supplement can be delivered into the body through a
tube connected to the connection needle 104.
[0004] FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a
transfusion set used for a conventional intravenous nutritional
treatment. A main bag unit 111 of a bag 110 is filled with a liquid
substance containing a nutritional ingredient and/or a medicinal
ingredient. When administering the liquid substance into a body, a
connection needle 114 is used to prick a port 113 for the
connection needle. In this manner, the liquid substance can be
delivered into the body through a tube connected to the connection
needle 114 (see Patent document 1).
PRIOR ART DOCUMENT
Patent Document
[0005] Patent document D1: JP 2000-176023
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Problem to be Solved by the Invention
[0006] As described above, in a conventional transintestine
nutritional treatment, similarly to an intravenous nutritional
treatment, a technique of delivering a nutritional supplement into
a body by pricking a connection object with a sharp-tipped
connection needle may be employed. In such a case, it is possible
to puncture the cap 105 with the connection needle 114. In this
case, the connection needle 114 may penetrate both the cap 105 and
the thin film to the interior of the mouth part 102. However, if
such an improper connection is carried out, a nutritional
supplement or the like to be supplied to a stomach or intestines
would be supplied by mistake to a vein, causing potential harm to
the patient.
[0007] The present invention provides a cap that solves the
above-mentioned problem of an improper connection and that can
provide a nutritional supplement container that can supply liquid
substances such as a nutritional supplement sanitarily in a simple
manner, and a nutritional supplement container using the cap.
Means for Solving Problem
[0008] A cap of the present invention is a cap to be mounted to a
mouth part of a main container unit of a nutritional supplement
container in order to deliver a liquid substance filled in the main
container unit. The main container unit includes a thin film that
is attached to the mouth part so as to seal the interior of the
main container unit. The cap includes: a base part including a top
panel part to block an opening of the mouth part and a side wall
part to surround an outer peripheral surface of the mouth part at
the time of mounting the cap to the mouth part; a connection part
that includes a tubular part protruding from an outer main surface
of the top plate part and to which a connector can be connected;
and a hollow nozzle that protrudes from an inner main surface of
the top plate part and that has a through hole in communication
with a through hole of the tubular part. The cap is allowed to take
a first mounted state and a second mounted state with respect to
the mouth part. In the first mounted state, the mounted state of
the cap with respect to the mouth part is held in a state where an
end surface of the hollow nozzle is located not in contact with the
thin film or in contact with the thin film but not pressing the
thin film, and in the second mounted state, the mounted state of
the cap with respect to the mouth part is held in a state where the
thin film is broken by the hollow nozzle and the hollow nozzle is
located inside the mouth part.
[0009] A nutritional supplement container of the present invention
includes: a main container unit including a mouth part; a liquid
substance filled in the main container unit; a thin film attached
to the mouth part so as to seal the interior of the main container
unit; and the cap according to the present invention, which is
mounted to the mouth part. The cap is mounted to the mouth part in
the first mounted state.
EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention provides a cap that solves the
above-mentioned problem of an improper connection (i.e., a liquid
delivery path for an intravenous nutritional treatment is connected
by mistake to a nutritional supplement container) and that can
provide a nutritional supplement container that can supply liquid
substances such as a nutritional supplement sanitarily in a simple
manner. The present invention provides also a nutritional
supplement container using the cap.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view showing a schematic
configuration of a nutritional supplement container according to
Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
[0012] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the
nutritional supplement container as shown in FIG. 1.
[0013] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing a schematic
configuration of an example of a cap of the present invention,
which constitutes the nutritional supplement container as shown in
FIG. 1.
[0014] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing a connection part
constituting the cap as shown in FIG. 3.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state just before a
connection of a liquid delivery path to the nutritional supplement
container as shown in FIG. 1.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state where the
liquid delivery path is connected to the nutritional supplement
container as shown in FIG. 1.
[0017] FIG. 7A is a plan view for explaining a first mounted state
of the cap as shown in FIG. 3 with respect to a mouth part as shown
in FIG. 2.
[0018] FIG. 7B is a partial cross-sectional conception diagram of
FIG. 7A.
[0019] FIG. 8 is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 7B.
[0020] FIG. 9A is a plan view for explaining a second mounted state
of the cap as shown in FIG. 3 with respect to the mouth part as
shown in FIG. 2.
[0021] FIG. 9B is a partial cross-sectional conception diagram of
FIG. 9A.
[0022] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional conception diagram of FIG.
9A.
[0023] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a schematic
configuration of an example of a cap according to Embodiment 2 of
the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a schematic
configuration of an example of a cap according to Embodiment 3 of
the present invention.
[0025] FIG. 13 is a partial perspective view showing a schematic
configuration of an example of a nutritional supplement container
according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view showing the
nutritional supplement container as shown in FIG. 13.
[0027] FIG. 15 is a schematic plan view showing, from the opening
end surface side, the mouth part of the nutritional supplement
container as shown in FIG. 14.
[0028] FIG. 16 is an enlarged perspective view showing a schematic
configuration of an example of a cap of the present invention,
which constitutes the nutritional supplement container as shown in
FIG. 13.
[0029] FIG. 17A is a plan view for explaining a first mounted state
of the cap as shown in FIG. 16 with respect to the mouth part as
shown in FIG. 14.
[0030] FIG. 17B is a partial cross-sectional conception diagram of
FIG. 17A.
[0031] FIG. 18 is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 17A.
[0032] FIG. 19A is a plan view for explaining a mounted state of
the cap as shown in FIG. 16 with respect to the mouth part as shown
in FIG. 14, in a transitional stage from the first mounted state to
the second mounted state.
[0033] FIG. 19B is a partial cross-sectional conception diagram of
FIG. 19A.
[0034] FIG. 20A is a plan view for explaining a second mounted
state of the cap as shown in FIG. 16 with respect to the mouth part
as shown in FIG. 14.
[0035] FIG. 20B is a partial cross-sectional conception diagram of
FIG. 20A.
[0036] FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional conception diagram of FIG.
20A.
[0037] FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a
transintestine nutrition set used for a conventional transintestine
nutritional treatment.
[0038] FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a
transfusion set used for a conventional intravenous nutritional
treatment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0039] In a preferred example of the cap in the present invention,
a mouth part of a main container unit includes a distal cylindrical
part having an outer peripheral surface on which a male thread is
formed, and a proximal cylindrical part having an outer diameter
larger than that of the distal cylindrical part and having an outer
peripheral surface on which a first protrusion is formed. The cap
has a small-diameter cylindrical part facing the distal cylindrical
part in the second mounted state and having an inner peripheral
surface on which a female thread to be engaged with the male thread
is formed, and a large-diameter cylindrical part facing the
proximal cylindrical part in the second mounted state and having an
inner peripheral surface on which a second protrusion is formed. In
this case, a first mounted state is obtained by pushing the mouth
part into the cap so that the second protrusion surmounts the first
protrusion, and the second mounted state is obtained by puncturing
the thin film with the hollow nozzle while rotating the cap in the
first mounted state so as to engage the female thread with the male
thread and by rotating the cap to its rotational limit.
[0040] It is preferable that a slit is formed on the large-diameter
cylindrical part from the opening end side of the cap toward the
top plate part side. In this case, the operation of pushing the
mouth part into the cap for making the second protrusion surmount
the first protrusion is carried out easily.
[0041] In a preferred example of the cap in the present invention,
the mouth part of the main container unit has the male thread
formed on the outer peripheral surface. With regard to the cap, a
notched part is formed on the side wall part. A female thread that
can be engaged with the male thread in the second mounted state is
formed on the inner peripheral surface of the side wall part at a
position closer to the top plate part than the notched part, and a
third protrusion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the
side wall part at a position farther from the top plate part than
the position at which the female thread is formed. And, the first
mounted state is obtained by pushing the mouth part into the cap so
that the third protrusion surmounts the male thread, and the second
mounted state is obtained by puncturing the thin film with the
hollow nozzle while rotating the cap in the first mounted state so
as to engage the female thread with the male thread and by further
rotating the cap to its rotational limit. In the thus configured
cap, it is easy to confirm that the third protrusion has surmounted
the male thread, and thus it is easy to confirm that the first
mounted state has been obtained.
[0042] In a preferred example of the cap in the present invention,
the connection part includes a seat part that is formed on the
circumference of the tubular part and a claw part that protrudes
outward from the outer peripheral surface of the seat part and that
may be engaged with a connector. In the thus configured cap,
accidental detachment of the connector from the tubular part can be
prevented with certainty.
[0043] In a preferred example of the cap in the present invention,
the cap includes further a sealer arranged on the inner main
surface of the top plate part of the cap. In the thus configured
cap, air-tightness between the cap and the mouth part in the second
mounted state can be improved.
[0044] In a preferred example of the cap in the present invention,
the top plate part of the cap has a vent hole formed to penetrate
in the thickness direction, and a vent filter is attached to the
top plate part so as to cover the vent hole. In the second mounted
state, air outside the main container unit flows into the main
container unit through the vent filter. In the thus configured cap,
in a case where the main container unit is made of a hard material,
during a supply of a nutritional supplement into a body, the liquid
substance can flow out continuously from the main container unit
without forming a hole, for example for ventilation, on the main
container unit by pricking the main container unit with a needle or
the like.
[0045] In a preferred example of the cap in the present invention,
a rib for partitioning the through hole of the tubular part is
provided, and the through hole of the tubular part is partitioned
into at least three by the rib when viewing the cylindrical part
from the distal side. In the thus configured cap, since intrusion
of the connection needle into the tubular part can be inhibited by
the rib, the risk of an improper connection can be prevented with
further certainty.
Embodiment 1
[0046] Hereinafter, an example of a cap of the present invention
and also an example of a nutritional supplement container of the
present invention using the cap are explained with reference to
FIGS. 1 to 10.
[0047] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view showing a schematic
configuration of an example of a nutritional supplement container
according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a
nutritional supplement container 10 includes a bottle unit 11 as
the main container unit, a liquid substance (not shown) containing
a nutritional supplement and filled in the bottle unit 11, and a
cap 13 mounted to the mouth part 12 (see FIG. 2) of the bottle unit
11. At the bottom of the bottle unit 11, a hanger (not shown) for
hanging the bottle unit 11 on a stand or the like is provided.
[0048] The bottle unit 11 is formed of a hard material for example.
Therefore, the external configuration is maintained unless external
force is applied. The bottle unit 11 is obtained by blow molding a
resin material, for example. Examples of the resin material include
polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl
chloride (PVC), nylon and the like.
[0049] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the
nutritional supplement container as shown in FIG. 1. The mouth part
12 includes a distal cylindrical part 12a and a proximal
cylindrical part 12b in this order when viewed from the distal
side. On the outer peripheral surface of the distal cylindrical
part 12a, a male thread 12c to be engaged with a female thread 19
(see FIG. 3) of the cap 13 is formed. The proximal cylindrical part
12b has an outer diameter larger than that of the distal
cylindrical part 12a. On the outer peripheral surface of the
proximal cylindrical part 12b, an annular first protrusion 12d is
formed.
[0050] To the mouth part 12, a thin film 16 is attached for
blocking the opening of the mouth part 12, thereby sealing the
interior of the bottle unit 11 with the thin film 16. As a result,
even when the bottle unit 11 to which the thin film 16 is attached
is turned so that the mouth part 12 is directed downward, the
liquid substance in the bottle unit 11 will not leak from the
bottle unit 11.
[0051] Examples of the material of the thin film 16 include an
aluminum foil, a laminated film formed of paper and an aluminum
foil, a resin film containing the same resin as that of the bottle
unit 11, and the like. The resin film may be a monolayer or a
laminate formed of a plurality of layers. In particular, a resin
film containing the same resin as that of the bottle unit 11 is
used preferably for the surface in contact with the bottle unit 11,
from the viewpoint of ensuring high adhesion of the thin film 16 to
the bottle unit 11 by thermal welding.
[0052] The thin film 16 may be adhered to an opening end surface
12f of the mouth part 12, and the rim part 16a may be adhered to
the outer peripheral surface in the vicinity of the opening end
surface 12f of the mouth part 12. Alternatively, the thin film 16
may be adhered only to the opening end surface 12f of the mouth
part 12. The method of adhering the thin film 16 to the mouth part
12 is selected suitably in accordance with the material of the thin
film 16, the material of the mouth part 12 and the like.
[0053] As shown in FIG. 2, the cap 13 includes a base part 23, a
connection part 21 and a hollow nozzle 22 (see FIG. 3). The base
part 23 denotes a part to be attached to the mouth part 12 of the
bottle unit 11. A through hole 22b of the hollow nozzle 22 is in
communication with a below-mentioned through hole 212 (see FIG. 4)
of a tubular part 21a of a base part 23. The base part 23 includes
a top plate part 17 and a side wall part 18. When the cap 13 is
mounted to the mouth part 12, the top plate 17 faces the opening of
the mouth part 12 so as to block the opening while the side wall
part 18 surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the mouth part
12.
[0054] As shown in FIG. 3, the side wall part 18 includes a
small-diameter cylindrical part 18a and a large-diameter
cylindrical part 18b. On the inner peripheral surface of the
small-diameter cylindrical part 18a, a female thread 19 to be
engaged with the male thread 12c is formed. On the inner peripheral
surface of the large-diameter cylindrical part 18b, a plurality of
second protrusions 24 are formed. The second protrusions 24 are
formed, for example, at a uniform spacing in the circumferential
direction on the inner peripheral surface in the vicinity of the
opening end surface of the base part.
[0055] As shown in FIG. 2, the connection part 21 includes a
tubular part 21a that protrudes from the outer main surface of the
top plate part 17, a seat part 21b formed on the circumference of
the tubular part 21a, and a claw part 21c that protrudes outward
from the outer peripheral surface of the seat part 21b. The seat
part 21b protrudes from the outer main surface of the top plate
part 17, while the upper surface is positioned lower than the
distal end surface of the tubular part 21a (i.e., the upper surface
is positioned closer to the outer main surface of the top plate
part 17). The other surface of the claw part 21c, which is opposite
to the top plate part 17, is in the same plane as the upper surface
of the seat part 21b.
[0056] As shown in FIG. 4, the distal outer peripheral surface of
the tubular part 21a includes a tapered surface 211 that increases
its diameter from the distal end of the tubular part 21a toward the
base part side. In the lumen of the tubular part 21a, a rib 213 for
partitioning the through hole 212 is provided, and the through hole
212 is partitioned into four by the rib 213. Namely, at the
position where the rib 213 is formed, the through hole 212 is
divided into four small holes 214.
[0057] FIG. 5 shows a state where a liquid delivery path 27 that
includes a connector 25 and a flexible tube 26 connected to the
connector 25 is about to be connected to the connection part 21.
FIG. 6 shows a state where the liquid delivery path 27 is connected
to the connection part 21. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the
connection part 21 is configured to be connected to the liquid
delivery path 27 including the connector 25. This configuration is
helpful for solving the problem of an improper connection as
specified below. That is, if a liquid delivery path for an
intravenous nutritional treatment was configured to deliver a
liquid substance into a body by simply pricking a sharp-tipped
connection needle into a connection object, the delivery path could
be connected by mistake to a nutritional supplement container 10 to
be used for a transintestine nutritional treatment. Furthermore,
when the connection part 21 has the rib 213 to partition the
through hole of the tubular part 21a as shown in FIG. 4, the
above-mentioned problem of an improper connection can be avoided
with further certainty.
[0058] Regarding the flexible tube 26 of the liquid delivery path
27, only limited areas of these components closer to the connector
25 are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, for the convenience in illustration.
After press-fitting the connector 25 in the tubular part 21a, the
connector 25 is rotated so that the claw part 21c is placed below
the opening part 25a formed in the connector 25. In this state,
since the claw part 21c engages with a convex (not shown) of the
connector 25 placed below the claw part 21c (in a region closer to
the outer main surface of the top plate part 17), the connector 25
is fixed to the connection part 21, and thus accidental detachment
of the connector 25 is prevented with certainty. The connection
between the connection part 21 and the connector 25 can be achieved
by any of known various connection mechanisms such as screwing,
fitting, engagement and the like, and it is not limited to the
example as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
[0059] In the top plate part 17, two vent holes 29 penetrating in
the thickness direction are formed, and a vent filter 28 (see FIG.
3) is attached to the inner main surface of the top plate part 17
so as to cover the vent holes 29. The vent filter 28 is surrounded
with an annular wall 28a provided on the inner main surface of the
top plate part 17. The vent filter 28 is a hydrophobic vent filter,
which transmits a gas but not a liquid. As the liquid substance
filled in the bottle unit 11 flows out from the mouth part 12, the
pressure inside the bottle unit 11 is lowered. In a case where the
bottle unit 11 is formed of a soft material, the bottle unit 11
will be deformed due to the outflow of the liquid substance, and
thereby the liquid substance will flow out continuously. However, a
bottle unit 11 formed of a hard material rarely will be deformed.
In the present embodiment, with the outflow of the liquid
substance, air will be drawn into the bottle unit 11 through the
vent filter 28. As a result, during a supply of a nutritional
supplement into the body, the liquid substance can flow out
continuously from the bottle unit 11 without formation of a hole,
for example for ventilation, in the bottle unit 11 by pricking the
bottle unit 11 with a needle or the like.
[0060] The vent filter 28 is not limited particularly in the
materials or the like as long as it is a known hydrophobic filter
used for a connection needle such as a bottle needle.
[0061] Next, the connected state of a cap 13 with respect to the
mouth part 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 10.
In FIGS. 7B and 9B, for the convenience in illustration, the thin
film 16 attached to the mouth part 12 of the bottle unit 11 so as
to seal the interior of the bottle unit 11 is not shown. In FIGS.
7B, 9B and 10B, the connection part 21, the hollow nozzle 22 and
the annular wall 28a surrounding the vent filter 28 are shown (but
not as cross-sectional views) even if they cannot be observed
visually, for the purpose of indicating their locations.
[0062] The cap 13 may take a first mounted state and a second
mounted state with respect to the mouth part 12. FIGS. 7A and 7B
show the cap 13 and the mouth part 12 in the first mounted state.
In the first mounted state, the mounted state of the cap 13 with
respect to the mouth part 12 is held so that the end surface 22a of
the hollow nozzle 22 is not in contact with the thin film.
[0063] The first mounted state is held in the following manner. The
maximal inner diameter R1 of the large-diameter cylindrical part
18b of the cap 13 at which the second protrusions 24 are formed is
greater than the maximal outer diameter of the distal cylindrical
part 12d of the mouth part 12, and slightly greater than the
maximal outer diameter of the proximal cylindrical part 12b at a
position closer to the proximal end side (opposite to the distal
side) than the position at which the annular first protrusion 12d
is formed. However, the maximal inner diameter R1 is slightly
smaller than the maximal outer diameter of the proximal cylindrical
part 12b at a position where the annular first protrusion 12d is
formed. Therefore, when the mouth part 12 is pushed into the cap 13
without rotating the cap 13, the second protrusions 24 surmount the
first protrusion 12d. Thereby, the cap 13 mounted to the mouth part
12 can be prevented from detaching accidentally from the mouth part
12.
[0064] The female thread 19 formed on the inner peripheral surface
of the small-diameter cylindrical part 18a has a shape to be
engaged with the male thread 12c formed on the outer peripheral
surface of the distal cylindrical part 12a. Therefore, even if the
cap 13 is applied with a force to press the inner main surface of
the top plate part 17 of the cap 13 toward the opening end surface
of the mouth part 12, as shown in FIG. 8, a surface 191 of the
female thread 19 to face the male thread 12c at the screw-starting
side collides with a surface 121 of the male thread 12c at the
screw-starting side, in a case where the cap 13 is not rotated with
respect to the mouth part 12. As a result, the cap 13 is prevented
from being further pushed toward the mouth part 12. Therefore, the
thin film will not be punctured by the hollow nozzle 22 unless the
cap 13 is rotated with respect to the mouth part 12.
[0065] In the present embodiment, the first mounted state is held
in this manner. In the first mounted state, the cap 13 may move up
and down with respect to the mouth part 12 as long as accidental
detachment of the cap 13 from the mouth part 12 can be prevented
and the thin film is not punctured by the hollow nozzle 22.
[0066] The second mounted state is achieved in the following
manner. The cap 13 in the first mounted state is rotated in the
direction indicated with the arrows in FIGS. 7A and 7B so as to
engage the female thread 19 with the male thread 12c. Accordingly,
in the first mounted state, the hollow nozzle 22, which has been
located not to be in contact with the thin film, namely, placed
outside the mouth part 12, approaches the thin film. Then, the
hollow nozzle 22 positioned outside the mouth part 12 enters the
mouth part 12, breaking the thin film 16 (see FIG. 2). Next, the
cap 13 is rotated to its rotational limit so that the second
mounted state as shown in FIGS. 9A to 10 is obtained. In the second
mounted state, the small-diameter cylindrical part 18a of the cap
faces the distal cylindrical part 12a, while the large-diameter
cylindrical part 18b faces the proximal cylindrical part 12b. Since
the thin film 16 is broken as shown in FIG. 10, when the bottle
unit 11 is turned so that its mouth part 12 is directed downward,
the hollow nozzle 22 and the vent filter 28 will be in contact with
the liquid substance.
[0067] The rotational limit of the cap 13 can be controlled for
example by use of the inner main surface of the top plate part 17
of the cap 13. That is, when the opening end surface 12f of the
mouth part 12 (see FIG. 2) contacts with the inner main surface of
the top plate part 17 of the cap 13, the cap 13 cannot be rotated
any more. As a result, a further rotation of the cap 13 is
prevented.
[0068] In the present embodiment, the length of the male thread 12c
varies depending on the types of the threads or the like, though it
is not limited particularly as long as the thin film 16 can be
broken by the hollow nozzle 22 so that both the hollow nozzle 22
and the vent filter 28 can contact with the liquid substance while
a part of the thin film 16 will not fall off, and as long as the
air-tightness between the cap 13 and the mouth part 12 can be
ensured by the engaging of the male thread 12c and the female
thread 19. In the example explained with reference to the attached
drawings for the present embodiment, the male thread is a
single-screw thread. The type of the thread is not limited to this
example, but a multiple-screw thread may be used, and there is no
particular limitation on the number of screws.
[0069] In this manner, the second mounted state is held in the
present embodiment.
[0070] The present embodiment is helpful to solve the problem of an
improper connection in which a liquid delivery path to be used for
an intravenous nutritional treatment is connected by mistake to a
container to be used for a transintestine nutritional treatment. In
addition, since the cap 13 can take both the first mounted state
and the second mounted state with respect to the mouth part 12, the
liquid substance in the bottle unit 11 can flow out without peeling
by hand a part or the whole of the thin film 16, or without making
holes in the thin film 16 with a finger for example. Therefore, a
liquid substance such as a nutritional supplement can be supplied
hygienically in a simple operation. At shipping, if the cap 13 is
mounted to the mouth part 12 in the first mounted state, the
operator can supply the liquid substance to a patient only by
connecting the liquid delivery path 27 to the connection part 21
and subsequently by rotating the cap 13 to its rotational
limit.
[0071] Examples of the material for the cap 13 include polyethylene
(PE), polypropylene (PP), polyacetal (POM), polyethylene
terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC) and the like.
Embodiment 2
[0072] Next, another example of a cap of the present invention, and
another example of a nutritional supplement container of the
present invention using the cap, will be described below with
reference to FIG. 11.
[0073] As shown in FIG. 11, it is preferable that the cap 13
includes further an annular sealer 171 arranged on the inner main
surface 17a of the top plate part 17. In a case where the cap 13 is
mounted to the mouth part 12 in a second mounted state, the sealer
171 is sandwiched between the inner main surface 17a of the top
plate part 17 and the opening end surface 12f (see FIG. 2) of the
mouth part 12, thereby improving the air-tightness between the cap
13 and the mouth part 12. This serves to prevent effectively the
liquid substance from leaking out from the gap between the cap 13
and the mouth part 12 during a supply of the liquid substance to a
patient. For the purpose of convenience in illustration, the sealer
171 is hatched in the drawing. The cap in the present embodiment is
configured identically to the cap in Embodiment 1 except that the
sealer 171 is provided, and the main container unit to which the
cap of the present embodiment is mounted is configured identically
to the container in Embodiment 1. Due to this reason, the common
components are not explained in detail in this embodiment.
[0074] Examples of the material for the sealer 171 include isoprene
rubber, butylene rubber, thermoplastic elastomer and the like.
Embodiment 3
[0075] Next, another example of the cap of the present invention,
and another example of the nutritional supplement container of the
present invention using the cap, will be described with reference
to FIG. 12.
[0076] As shown in FIG. 12, slits 181 may be formed in the
large-diameter cylindrical part 18b of the cap 13, from an opening
side end 13a of the cap 13 toward the top plate part 17. In this
case, the operation of pushing the mouth part 12 into the cap 13 so
that the second protrusions 24 surmount the first protrusion 12d
(see FIG. 2) can be carried out easily. The cap 13 of the present
embodiment is configured identically to the cap in Embodiment 1
except that the slits 181 are formed in the large-diameter
cylindrical part 18b, and the container to which the cap of the
present embodiment is mounted is configured identically to the
container in Embodiment 1. Due to this reason, the common
components are not explained in detail in this embodiment.
Embodiment 4
[0077] Next, another example of the cap of the present invention,
and another example of the nutritional supplement container of the
present invention using the cap, will be described with reference
to FIGS. 13-21.
[0078] FIG. 13 is a partial perspective view showing a schematic
configuration of an example of a nutritional supplement container
in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a nutritional
supplement container 40 includes a bottle unit 41 as the main
container unit, a liquid substance (not shown) containing a
nutritional supplement and filled in the bottle unit 41, and a cap
43 mounted to the mouth part 42 (see FIG. 14) of the bottle unit
41. At the bottom of the bottle unit 41, a hanger (not shown) for
hanging the bottle unit 41 on a stand or the like is provided.
[0079] The bottle unit 41 is formed of a hard material just like
the bottle unit 41 in Embodiment 1.
[0080] FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view showing a
nutritional supplement container as shown in FIG. 13. On the outer
peripheral surface of the mouth part 42 of the bottle unit 41, a
male thread 42c to be engaged with the female thread 49 of the cap
43 (see FIG. 16) is formed. The male thread 42c is a four-screw
thread and it includes a segment 421c, a segment 422c, a segment
423c and a segment 424c.
[0081] FIG. 15 is a plan view showing the mouth part 42 from the
opening end surface 42f side. As shown in FIG. 15, the segment
421c, the segment 422c, the segment 423c and the segment 424c are
formed so that the male thread 42 will be present at any positions
along the circumferential direction of the mouth part 42. The
above-mentioned segments may have areas overlapped with the
adjacent segments when the mouth part 42 is viewed from its open
end side.
[0082] As shown in FIG. 14, on the outer peripheral surface at the
proximal side of the mouth part 42, an annular protrusion 44 is
formed.
[0083] At the opening end of the mouth part 42, a thin film 46 is
attached for blocking the opening of the mouth part 42, so that the
interior of the bottle unit 41 is sealed with the thin film 46. The
material for the thin film 46 may be the same as that of the thin
film 16 in Embodiment 1. Adhesion of the thin film 46 to the mouth
part 42 can be carried out similarly to the case in Embodiment 1.
Its rim part 46a may be adhered to the outer peripheral surface in
the vicinity of an opening end surface 47f of the mouth part 42 and
to the opening end surface 42f. Alternatively, the thin film 46 may
be adhered only to the opening end surface 42f of the mouth part
42. The process for adhering thin film 46 to the mouth part 42 may
be the same as that in Embodiment 1.
[0084] As shown in FIG. 14, the cap 43 includes a base part 45, a
connection part 51 and a hollow nozzle 52 (see FIG. 16). The base
part 45 is a part to be attached to the mouth part 42 of the bottle
unit 41. The base part 45 includes a top plate part 47 and a side
wall part 48. When the cap 43 is mounted to the mouth part 42, the
top plate part 47 faces the opening of the mouth part 42 so as to
block the opening, and the side wall part 48 surrounds the outer
peripheral surface of the mouth part 42.
[0085] As shown in FIG. 16, in the side wall part 48, a pair of
notched parts 48a are formed. On the inner peripheral surface of
the side wall part 48, a female thread 49 that can be engaged with
the male thread 42c is formed at the position closer to the top
plate part 47 than the position where the notched parts 48a are
formed. The female thread 49 also is a four-screw thread. On the
other hand, on the inner peripheral surface of the side wall part
48, a plurality of third protrusions 54 are formed at the position
farther from the top plate part 47 than the position where the
female thread 49 is formed. The plural third protrusions 54 are
formed, for example, on the inner peripheral surface in the
vicinity of the opening end surface 43a of the base part 45, at
regular intervals in the circumferential direction. The number of
the third protrusions 54 is equal to the number of screws on the
male thread 42c. In the example as shown in FIG. 16, the number is
four.
[0086] As shown in FIG. 14, the connection part 51 includes a
tubular part 51a, a seat part 51b formed on the circumference of
the tubular part 51a, and a claw part 51c that protrudes outward
from the outer peripheral surface of the seat part 51b, and a rib
513 that partitions a through hole in the tubular part 51a,
similarly to the case in Embodiment 1. Though the seat part 51b
protrudes from the outer main surface of the top plate part 47, the
upper face is located lower than the distal end surface of the
tubular part 51a (i.e., located closer to the outer main surface of
the top plate part 47). The opposite surface of the claw part 51c
facing the top plate part 47 is in the same plane as the upper
surface of the seat part 51b.
[0087] In the present embodiment, since the connection part 51 is
identical to that in Embodiment 1, the connection between the
connection part 51 and the liquid delivery path is provided
similarly to Embodiment 1. Namely, the connection part 51 is
configured to be connectable to a liquid delivery path including a
connector. This configuration is helpful for solving the problem of
an improper connection. That is, if a liquid delivery path for an
intravenous nutritional treatment was configured to deliver a
nutritional supplement into a body by simply pricking a
sharp-tipped connection needle into a connection object, the
delivery path could be connected by mistake into a nutritional
supplement container to be used for a transintestine nutritional
treatment. Furthermore, as the connection part 51 is provided with
a rib 513 to partition the through hole of the tubular part 51a,
the above-mentioned problem of an improper connection can be
prevented with further certainty.
[0088] In the top plate part 47, a pair of vent holes 59
penetrating in the thickness direction are formed, and a vent
filter 58 (see FIG. 16) is attached to the inner main surface of
the top plate part 47 so as to cover the vent holes 59. The
material of the vent filter 58 may be the same as that of the vent
filter 28 in Embodiment 1.
[0089] Next, the connected state of the cap 43 with respect to the
mouth part 42 will be described with reference to FIGS. 17A to 21.
For the convenience in illustration, the thin film 46 that is
attached to the mouth part 42 of the main container unit 41 so as
to seal the main container unit 41 is not shown in FIGS. 17B, 19B
and 20B. In FIGS. 17B, 19B, 20B, and 21B, the connection part 51,
the hollow nozzle 52 and the annular wall 58a surrounding the vent
filter 58 are shown (but not as cross-sectional views) even if they
cannot be observed visually, for the purpose of indicating their
locations.
[0090] The cap 43 may take a first mounted state and a second
mounted state with respect to the mouth part 42. FIGS. 17A and 17B
show the cap 43 and the mouth part 42 in the first mounted state.
In the first mounted state, the mounted state of the cap 43 with
respect to the mouth part 42 is held so that the end surface of the
hollow nozzle 52 is not in contact with the thin film 46 (FIG.
14).
[0091] The first mounted state is held in the following manner. The
maximal inner diameter of the cap 43 at the position where the
third protrusions 54 are formed is slightly smaller than the
maximal outer diameter of the mouth part 42 at the position where
the male thread 42c is formed. However, the diameter of the
cylinder that includes the inner surface of a portion 48c of the
side wall part 48 arranged between adjacent notched parts 48a in
the circumferential direction and that includes a central axis 222
of the cap 43 as its central axis (see FIG. 16) is slightly larger
than the maximal outer diameter of the mouth part 42 at the
position where the male thread 42c is formed. Therefore, by pushing
the mouth part 42 into the cap 43 without rotating the cap 43, as
shown in FIG. 17B, the third protrusions 54 surmount the male
thread 42c. Thereby, accidental detachment of the cap 43 from the
mouth part 42 can be prevented.
[0092] The female thread 49 formed on the inner peripheral surface
of the side wall part 48 to be closer to the top plate part 47 than
the notched parts 48a has a shape to be engaged with the male
thread 42c formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth part
42. Therefore, even if the cap 43 is applied with a force to press
the inner main surface of the top plate part 47 of the cap 43
toward the opening end surface 42f of the mouth part 42, as shown
in FIG. 18, a surface 491 of the female thread 49 to face the male
thread 42c at the screw-starting side collides with a surface 421
of the male thread 42c at the screw-starting side, in a case where
the cap 43 is not rotated with respect to the mouth part 42. As a
result, the cap 43 is prevented from being further pushed toward
the mouth part 42. Therefore, the thin film will not be punctured
to be broken by the hollow nozzle 52.
[0093] In the present embodiment, the first mounted state is held
in this manner.
[0094] The second mounted state is held in the following manner.
The cap 43 in the first mounted state is rotated in the direction
indicated with the arrows in FIGS. 17A and 17B so as to engage the
female thread 49 with the male thread 42c. As a result of this
engaging, the hollow nozzle 52, which has been located not to be in
contact with the thin film, namely, placed outside the mouth part
42, approaches the thin film. Then, the hollow nozzle 42 enters the
mouth part 42, breaking the thin film 16. FIGS. 19A and 19B are
plan views for explaining the mounted state of the cap 43 with
respect to the mouth part 42 in a transitional stage from the first
mounted state to the second mounted state. Next, the cap 43 is
rotated to its rotational limit so that the second mounted state is
obtained (see FIGS. 20A, 20B and 21). Since the thin film 46 is
broken, when the bottle unit 41 is turned so that its mouth part 42
is directed downward, the hollow nozzle 52 and the vent filter 58
will contact with the liquid substance.
[0095] The rotational limit of the cap 43 can be controlled for
example by use of the inner main surface of the top plate part 47
of the cap 43. Alternatively, the annular protrusion 44 may be
formed at a predetermined position so that the rotational limit of
the cap 43 is controlled by the annular protrusion 44.
[0096] In the present embodiment, the lengths of the male thread
42c and the female thread 49 are not limited particularly as long
as the thin film 46 can be broken by the hollow nozzle 52 so that
both the hollow nozzle 52 and the vent filter 58 contact with the
liquid substance while a part of the thin film 46 will not fall of
and as long as the air-tightness between the cap 43 and the mouth
part 42 can be ensured by the engaging of the male thread 42c and
the female thread 49.
[0097] In this manner, the second mounted state is achieved in the
present embodiment.
[0098] Similarly to Embodiment 1, the present embodiment is helpful
to solve the problem of an improper connection that a liquid
delivery path to be used for an intravenous nutritional treatment
is connected improperly. In addition, a liquid substance such as a
nutritional supplement can be supplied hygienically in a simple
operation. At shipping, if the cap 43 has been mounted to the mouth
part 42 in the first mounted state, the operator can supply the
liquid substance to a patient only by connecting the liquid
delivery path to the connection part 51 and subsequently by
rotating the cap 43 to its rotational limit.
[0099] In the present embodiment, due to the reason as explained in
Embodiment 1, it is preferable that the cap 43 further includes an
annular sealer (not shown) arranged on the inner main surface of
the top plate part 47.
[0100] In the example explained in the present embodiment with
reference to the attached drawings, the male thread is a four-screw
thread. However, the thread is not limited to this example, and it
may be a multiple-screw thread other than the four-screw thread
Similarly, regarding the female thread, it may be a single-screw
thread in accordance with the male thread, or may be a
multiple-screw thread other than the four-screw thread.
[0101] In the liquid delivery path 27 as shown in FIG. 5, the
connector 25 and the flexible tube 26 are shown only partially for
the convenience in illustration. In fact, the liquid delivery path
to be connected to the cap in any of Embodiments 1-4 may include
any further components to be provided to a liquid delivery path to
be used for a conventionally-known transintestine nutritional
treatment, such as a flow controller for controlling the flow rate
of the liquid substance flowing in the flexible tube 26 by pressing
the flexible tube 26, an infusion cylinder 25, a connector that can
be connected to a nasal tube or the like fixed to a patient, and a
cover for the connector.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0102] The present invention can provide a cap for a nutritional
supplement container suitably used for a transintestine nutritional
treatment, and a nutritional supplement container using the
cap.
* * * * *