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
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] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view showing a schematic configuration of
a nutritional supplement container according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
[FIG. 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the nutritional supplement
container as shown in FIG. 1.
[FIG. 3] 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.
[FIG. 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing a connection part constituting the cap
as shown in FIG. 3.
[FIG. 5] 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.
[FIG. 6] 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.
[FIG. 7A] 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.
[FIG. 7B] FIG. 7B is a partial cross-sectional conception diagram of FIG. 7A.
[FIG. 8] FIG. 8 is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 7B.
[FIG. 9A] 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.
[FIG. 9B] FIG. 9B is a partial cross-sectional conception diagram of FIG. 9A.
[FIG. 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional conception diagram of FIG. 9A.
[FIG. 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an example
of a cap according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.
[FIG. 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an example
of a cap according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.
[FIG. 13] 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.
[FIG. 14] FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view showing the nutritional supplement
container as shown in FIG. 13.
[FIG. 15] 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.
[FIG. 16] 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.
[FIG. 17A] 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.
[FIG. 17B] FIG. 17B is a partial cross-sectional conception diagram of FIG. 17A.
[FIG. 18] FIG. 18 is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 17A.
[FIG. 19A] 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.
[FIG. 19B] FIG. 19B is a partial cross-sectional conception diagram of FIG. 19A.
[FIG. 20A] 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.
[FIG. 20B] FIG. 20B is a partial cross-sectional conception diagram of FIG. 20A.
[FIG. 21] FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional conception diagram of FIG. 20A.
[FIG. 22] FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a transintestine nutrition
set used for a conventional transintestine nutritional treatment.
[FIG. 23] FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a transfusion set used
for a conventional intravenous nutritional treatment.
Description of the Invention
[0012] 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.
[0013] 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.
[0014] 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.
[0015] 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.
[0016] 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.
[0017] 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.
[0018] 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)
[0019] 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.
[0020] 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.
[0021] 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.
[0022] 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.
[0023] 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.
[0024] 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.
[0025] 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.
[0026] 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.
[0027] 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 sulfate of the
base part.
[0028] 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.
[0029] 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.
[0030] 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.
[0031] 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.
[0032] 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.
[0033] 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.
[0034] 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.
[0035] 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.
[0036] 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.
[0037] 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.
[0038] 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.
[0039] 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.
[0040] 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.
[0041] 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.
[0042] In this manner, the second mounted state is held in the present embodiment.
[0043] 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.
[0044] 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)
[0045] 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.
[0046] 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.
[0047] Examples of the material for the sealer 171 include isoprene rubber, butylene rubber,
thermoplastic elastomer and the like.
(Embodiment 3)
[0048] 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.
[0049] 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)
[0050] 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.
[0051] 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.
[0052] The bottle unit 41 is formed of a hard material just like the bottle unit 41 in Embodiment
1.
[0053] 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.
[0054] 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.
[0055] 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.
[0056] 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
42f 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.
[0057] 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.
[0058] 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.
[0059] 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.
[0060] 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.
[0061] 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.
[0062] 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.
[0063] 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).
[0064] 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.
[0065] 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.
[0066] In the present embodiment, the first mounted state is held in this manner.
[0067] 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.
[0068] 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.
[0069] 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 off, 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.
[0070] In this manner, the second mounted state is achieved in the present embodiment.
[0071] 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.
[0072] 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.
[0073] 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.
[0074] 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
[0075] 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.
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 any of claims 1 to 4, 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 any of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a sealer arranged on
the inner main surface of the top plate part.
7. The cap according to any of claims 1 to 6, 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 any of claims 1 to 7, 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 cylindrical 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 any of claims 1 to 8, which is mounted to the mouth part,
wherein the cap is mounted to the mouth part in the first mounted state.