US20110180566A1 - Spout and liquid container with spout - Google Patents
Spout and liquid container with spout Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20110180566A1 US20110180566A1 US13/122,653 US200913122653A US2011180566A1 US 20110180566 A1 US20110180566 A1 US 20110180566A1 US 200913122653 A US200913122653 A US 200913122653A US 2011180566 A1 US2011180566 A1 US 2011180566A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- spout
- tubular portion
- rib
- hole
- nutrient
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D47/00—Closures with filling and discharging, or with discharging, devices
- B65D47/04—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps
- B65D47/06—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps with pouring spouts or tubes; with discharge nozzles or passages
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61J—CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
- A61J1/00—Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes
- A61J1/05—Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes for collecting, storing or administering blood, plasma or medical fluids ; Infusion or perfusion containers
- A61J1/10—Bag-type containers
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61J—CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
- A61J1/00—Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes
- A61J1/14—Details; Accessories therefor
- A61J1/1475—Inlet or outlet ports
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61J—CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
- A61J1/00—Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes
- A61J1/14—Details; Accessories therefor
- A61J1/1475—Inlet or outlet ports
- A61J1/1481—Inlet or outlet ports with connection retaining means, e.g. thread or snap-fit
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61J—CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
- A61J7/00—Devices for administering medicines orally, e.g. spoons; Pill counting devices; Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine
- A61J7/0015—Devices specially adapted for taking medicines
- A61J7/0053—Syringes, pipettes or oral dispensers
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D5/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper
- B65D5/42—Details of containers or of foldable or erectable container blanks
- B65D5/64—Lids
- B65D5/643—Lids held in closed position by application of separate elements, e.g. clips, straps
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D83/00—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents
- B65D83/0005—Containers or packages provided with a piston or with a movable bottom or partition having approximately the same section as the container
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a spout for discharging contents filled in a liquid container and to a liquid container with the spout.
- Tube feeding is known as a treatment for those who cannot take meals by mouth.
- Tube feeding is a treatment where nutrition is sent directly to the body through a tube.
- a nutrient bag filled with a nutrient is used in tube feeding, and the nutrient supplied from the nutrient bag flows through a tube and is sent to the body.
- a supply system for sending the contents of a bag to the body through a tube also is utilized in transfusion for administering drug solutions.
- FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram showing one example of a nutrient supply system using a conventional nutrient bag and one example of a drug solution supply system using a conventional drug solution bag.
- a bag main body 101 of a nutrient bag 100 is filled with a nutrient.
- a tube 105 provided with a connecting portion 104 at its end is connected.
- a spout 102 is sealed with a liquid stopper cap 103 .
- the spout 102 and the end of the tube 105 can be connected to each other by removing the liquid stopper cap 103 .
- a bag main body 111 of a drug solution bag 110 is filled with a drug solution.
- the drug solution is taken from a drug solution bottle (not shown) through a tube (not shown) connected to a tube connector 112 .
- a needle 114 When administering the drug solution to the body, a needle 114 is inserted into a needle port 113 . Consequently, the drug solution can be sent to the body through a tube connected to the needle 114 .
- the connecting portion 104 is designed such that it is to be fitted to the spout 102 of the nutrient bag 100 . For this reason, the connecting portion 104 cannot be fitted to the needle port 113 of the drug solution bag 110 , so that the connecting portion 104 will not be connected to the drug solution bag 110 by mistake under normal conditions.
- the liquid stopper cap 103 is made of a soft material so that it easily can be attached to and removed from the spout 102 . Therefore, the needle 114 can be inserted into the liquid stopper cap 103 . In this case, the needle 114 penetrates the liquid stopper cap 103 and reaches inside the spout 102 . When such accidental insertion occurs, the nutrient will be administered through the transfusion line for supplying the drug solution, which raises the possibility of medical accidents.
- Patent document 1 proposes a connecting needle penetration prevention structure provided on a portion corresponding to the spout 102 .
- This connecting needle penetration prevention structure is a spiral member, an intermediate plate member, a mesh member or the like provided inside a tubular portion, and penetration of a connecting needle is prevented by means of these members.
- Patent document 1 JP 2007-39121 A
- the penetration prevention structure using a spiral member proposed in Patent document 1 is not a structure that stops penetration at the leading end of the tubular portion but is a structure where the entry of a connecting needle into the tubular portion to some extent is a prerequisite. Further, the penetration prevention structure using an intermediate plate member or a mesh member is likely to deform or be cracked when a connecting needle is pressed into it.
- the spout of the present invention is a spout that can be attached to a liquid container and through which contents filled in the liquid container are discharged.
- the spout includes: a tubular portion in which a through hole is formed and from a leading end of which the contents are discharged; and a rib that extends from an inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion towards a central axis side of the through hole. A hole surrounded by an edge of the extended rib is formed in a part where the rib is formed.
- the liquid container with a spout of the present invention includes the spout of the present invention.
- FIG. 1 A schematic view of a nutrient bag 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 2 An exploded perspective view of principal portions of the nutrient bag 1 shown in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 A cross-sectional view of a spout according to one embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 ( a ) a diagram showing a state where a spout 4 is attached to a port portion 3 .
- ( b ) a diagram showing a state where a liquid stopper cap 5 is attached to the spout 4 in ( a ).
- FIG. 5 A cross-sectional view taken in a vertical direction of FIG. 4( b ).
- FIG. 6 A diagram showing an exemplary state where a nutrient administering tube is connected to a tubular portion 9 of the spout 4 .
- FIG. 7 A perspective view of a spout according to one embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 8 A cross-sectional view taken in the central axis direction of the spout 4 shown in FIG. 7 .
- FIG. 9 A perspective view showing a state where a connecting needle 120 is entering the tubular portion 9 .
- FIG. 10 A cross-sectional view taken in the central axis direction of the tubular portion 9 in FIG. 9 .
- FIG. 11 A perspective view showing a state where the tip of the connecting needle 120 is in contact with a rib 20 .
- FIG. 12 A cross-sectional view taken on the line A-A in FIG. 11 .
- FIG. 13 A cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the rib 20 .
- FIG. 14 A cross-sectional view showing yet another embodiment of the rib 20 .
- FIG. 15 A schematic view of a nutrient bottle 30 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 16 An exploded perspective view of principal portions of the nutrient bottle 30 shown in FIG. 15 .
- FIG. 17 A magnified view of a tubular portion 41 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 18 A perspective view showing a state immediately before attaching a spout 33 to the bottle main body 31 in one embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 19 A perspective view showing a state immediately before attaching a connector 45 and a tube 46 to the spout 33 in one embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 20 A perspective view showing a state where the connection of the connector 45 and the tube 46 to the spout 33 is completed in one embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 21 A perspective view showing a state where the connecting needle 120 is entering a tubular portion 41 in one embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 22 A cross-sectional view taken in the central axis direction of the tubular portion 41 in FIG. 21 .
- FIG. 23 A perspective view showing a state where the tip of the connecting needle 120 is in contact with a rib 43 in one embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 24 A cross-sectional view taken on the line C-C in FIG. 23 .
- FIG. 25 A schematic view showing one example of a nutrient supply system using a conventional nutrient bag and one example of a drug solution supply system using a conventional drug solution bag.
- the structure for preventing accidental insertion is achieved by extending the rib from the inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion and forming a hole surrounded by the edge of the extended rib.
- an inclined surface that inclines in the leading end side of the tubular portion towards the central axis of the through hole preferably is formed on the rib on the leading end side of the tubular portion.
- an inclined surface that inclines in the leading end side of the tubular portion towards the central axis of the through hole preferably is formed on the rib on the base end side of the tubular portion.
- inclined surfaces that incline in the leading end side of the tubular portion towards the central axis of the through hole preferably are formed on the rib on the leading end side and the base end side of the tubular portion, respectively.
- the spout further includes a base that is attached to the liquid container, the tubular portion protrudes from the base, and the protruding dimension of the tubular portion from the base is 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less.
- the spout further includes an air-permeable filter.
- the liquid container is preferably a pouch-like bag or a bottle.
- the liquid container with a spout of the present invention includes a liquid stopper cap for sealing the spout, and when the liquid stopper cap is attached to the spout, the minimum distance between the leading end of the liquid stopper cap and the rib is 5 mm or less. Further, the minimum distance is more preferably 1 mm or less.
- This configuration allows the liquid stopper cap to come into contact with the rib before the tip of the connecting needle penetrates the liquid stopper cap. Thus, even if the connecting needle remains inserted, it is possible to prevent the contents of the bag from being discharged.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a nutrient bag 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
- a bag main body 2 as a liquid container is a part in which a nutrient is filled.
- a spout 4 is attached to a port portion 3 integral with the bag main body 2 .
- the spout 4 can be sealed by fitting a liquid stopper cap 5 thereto.
- the bag main body 2 is soft resin sheets formed into the form of a pouch.
- the bag main body 2 can be formed by, for example, laying a resin sheet on top of another resin sheet and heat welding the edge for bonding.
- An opening 10 through which the nutrient bag 1 is hung is formed at one end of the bag main body 2 .
- resin sheet materials include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polybutadiene, nylon, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA).
- PE polyethylene
- PP polypropylene
- PET polyethylene terephthalate
- PVC polyvinyl chloride
- EVA ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer
- Resin sheets may be laminated in two or more layers and the respective layers may be made of the same material or different materials from each other.
- FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of principal portions of the nutrient bag 1 .
- the port portion 3 is a cylindrical member with an opening 6 being formed inside.
- the port portion 3 is integral with the bag main body 2 , and the space forming the opening 6 and the space inside the bag main body 2 are connected to each other.
- the port portion 3 and the bag main body 2 can be bonded to each other by, for example, heat welding one end of the port portion 3 with the end being sandwiched between the two resin sheets.
- a male screw 7 to be is screwed into the spout 4 is formed on the outer edge of the port portion 3 .
- Examples of materials for the port portion 3 include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyacetal (POM), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polycarbonate (PC).
- PE polyethylene
- PP polypropylene
- POM polyacetal
- PET polyethylene terephthalate
- PC polycarbonate
- the spout 4 includes a cylinder portion 8 and a tubular portion 9 having a smaller diameter than the cylinder portion 8 .
- the inside of the tubular portion 9 is a through hole 12 .
- a tapered surface 11 that increases in diameter from the leading end of the tubular portion 9 towards the cylinder portion 8 is formed.
- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the spout 4 .
- the spout 4 is a hollow member and the space inside the cylinder portion 8 and the through hole 12 inside the tubular portion 9 are connected to each other.
- a female screw 14 is formed inside the cylinder portion 8 .
- the spout 4 can be attached to the port portion 3 by screwing the male screw 7 ( FIG. 2 ) of the port portion 3 into the female screw 14 .
- Examples of materials for the spout 4 include those mentioned as exemplary materials for the port member 3 .
- a liquid stopper cap 5 is a cylindrical member, which is open on the spout 4 side but is sealed on the opposite side.
- the liquid stopper cap 5 is for sealing the spout 4 to prevent the contents of the bag main body 2 from being discharged.
- the liquid stopper cap 5 is made of a material more flexible than that of the spout 4 , so that it can be attached to and detached from the tubular portion 9 .
- liquid stopper cap 5 examples include polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polybutadiene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ABS resin and elastomer.
- FIG. 4( a ) shows a state where the spout 4 is attached to the port portion 3 .
- FIG. 4( b ) shows a state where the liquid stopper cap 5 is attached to the spout 4 in FIG. 4( a ).
- FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken in the vertical direction of FIG. 4( b ). As shown in FIG. 5 , the liquid stopper cap 5 is plugged in so as to entirely encompass the tubular portion 9 of the spout 4 .
- the tapered surface 11 In the vicinity of the end of the tapered surface 11 on the cylinder portion 8 side, the tapered surface 11 has a larger outer diameter than the inner diameter of the liquid stopper cap 5 .
- the liquid stopper cap 5 when the liquid stopper cap 5 is attached to the spout 4 , the liquid stopper cap 5 partially comes into dose contact with the tapered surface 11 due to the liquid stopper cap 5 being elastically deformed. Consequently, the attachment of the liquid stopper cap 5 can be ensured.
- the leading end side of the tubular portion 9 is, between the two end sides of the tubular portion 9 , the side (lower side of FIG. 5 ) from which the contents of the bag main body 2 ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) are discharged.
- the base end side of the tubular portion 9 is the opposite side to the leading end side and is the side into which the contents of the bag main body 2 ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) flows, in other words, it is the bag main body 2 ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) side.
- a dimension A (the thickness of the rib 20 ) is 3.0 mm and a dimension B (the thickness of the center part of the liquid stopper cap 5 ) is 3.8 mm. Further, it is assumed that the inner diameter of the through hole 12 on the leading end side of the tubular portion 9 from the rib 20 is a dimension C, and the inner diameter of the through hole 12 on the base end side of the tubular portion 9 is a dimension E.
- the dimension C is 4.74 mm on the leading side of the tubular portion 9 and 4.85 mm on the base end side of the tubular portion 9
- the dimension E is 3.45 mm on the leading end side of the tubular portion 9 and 4.1 mm on the base end side of the tubular portion 9
- a dimension D (the minimum distance between the leading end of the tubular portion 9 and the rib 20 ) is 3.5 mm.
- the dimensions A to E each may be changed as needed within tolerance.
- the tolerance of each of the dimensions A, B and D is in the range of ⁇ 20% to +20% of the mentioned value.
- the tolerance of each of the dimensions C and E is in the range of ⁇ 10% to +10% of the mentioned value.
- the nutrient bag 1 is transported with the liquid stopper cap 5 being attached thereto.
- the liquid stopper cap 5 is removed as in FIG. 4( a ) and a nutrient administering tube is connected to the tubular portion 9 of the spout 4 .
- FIG. 6 shows an exemplary state where a nutrient administering tube is connected to the tubular portion 9 of the spout 4 .
- the spout 4 and the tube 15 are connected to each other through a connecting portion 16 provided at the end of the tube 15 .
- a hook (not shown) formed on the spout 4 is fitted to a recess (not shown) formed in the connecting portion 16 , for example.
- the nutrient in the bag main body 2 is to be administered to the body through the tube 15 .
- connection scheme of FIG. 6 is one example.
- the procedure of administering a nutrient using the nutrient bag 1 will be described more specifically.
- the nutrient bag 1 is in a state where the liquid stopper cap 5 is attached to the spout 4 as shown in FIG. 4( b ). From this state, the spout 4 is removed from the port portion 3 with the liquid stopper cap 5 remaining attached to the spout 4 . The spout 4 can be removed by rotating the spout 4 to loosen the screw.
- the opening 6 of the port portion 3 is exposed as shown in FIG. 2 .
- a nutrient is injected into the bag main body 2 through the opening 6 as an entrance.
- the spout 4 After injecting the nutrient into the bag main body 2 , the spout 4 is reattached to the port 3 to put it back in the state of FIG. 4( b ).
- the nutrient bag 1 is transported in this state Since a tube is not attached to the spout 4 in this state, a long tube does not get in the way of the transportation, and the nutrient bag 1 can be transported easily.
- the spout 4 is screwed into the port portion 3 and the spout 4 is sealed with the liquid stopper cap 5 .
- the nutrient bag 1 also can be placed laterally when being transported.
- the nutrient administering tube 15 is connected to the tubular portion 9 of the spout 4 as shown in FIG. 6 with the liquid stopper cap 5 being removed as in FIG. 4( a ). At this time, the spout 4 is brought to face upward to prevent leakage of the nutrient. After connecting the tube 15 , the nutrient bag 1 is hung on a hook through the opening 10 ( FIG. 1) . The nutrient is to be administered in this state.
- FIG. 25 shows one example of a nutrient supply system using the conventional nutrient bag 100 .
- FIG. 25 shows a conventional example where both the nutrient bag 100 and the drug solution bag 110 are used in combination.
- the nutrient bag 1 has the same appearance as the conventional nutrient bag 100 shown in FIG. 25 .
- the spout 4 of the nutrient bag 1 is structured to prevent such accidental insertion.
- a description will be given below.
- FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the spout 4 .
- FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken in the central axis direction of the spout 4 shown in FIG. 7 .
- the through hole 12 inside the tubular portion 9 of the spout 4 is provided with a rib 20 that narrows the inner diameter of the through hole 12 .
- the rib 20 extends from the inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion 9 towards the central axis 13 side of the through hole 12 .
- a hole 21 surrounded by the edge of the extended rib 20 is formed in the part where the rib 20 is formed.
- the area of the hole 21 is preferably in the range of 2 to 14 mm 2 , and more preferably 4 to 12 mm 2 .
- the spout 4 prevents accidental insertion of connecting needles. Since there is no room for inserting a connecting needle in the state after the connection of the tube 15 as in FIG. 6 , no accidental insertion occurs. In the states of FIGS. 4( b ) and 5 , however, there is a possibility of inserting a connecting needle for a bag other than the nutrient bag 1 into the liquid stopper cap 5 as a soft material.
- FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state where the connecting needle 120 is entering the tubular portion 9 .
- FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken in the central axis direction of the tubular portion 9 in FIG. 9 .
- the connecting needle 120 is for a bag other than the nutrient bag 1 .
- the connecting needle 120 corresponds to the connecting needle 114 for the drug solution bag 110 in the example shown in FIG. 25 .
- the tip of the connecting needle 120 is inserted in the hole 21 whose diameter is narrowed by the rib 20 .
- the liquid stopper cap 5 is not illustrated in FIG. 9
- the connecting needle 120 has penetrated the liquid stopper cap 5 as shown in FIG. 10 and is inserted in the hole 21 .
- a tip part 120 b of the connecting needle 120 increases in diameter towards a main body part 120 a. From one point between the tip part 120 b and the main body part 120 a, the diameter of the tip part 120 b becomes larger than the diameter of the hole 21 . Therefore, the tip part 120 b of the connecting needle 120 enters the hole 21 but the entry of the tip part 120 b is limited.
- the connecting needle 120 can only be inserted for a small distance, so that accidental insertion is likely to be noticed. In this case, the connecting needle 120 will be removed, so that accidental insertion is prevented.
- the hole 21 is surrounded by the edge of the rib 20 that extends from the inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion 9 . That is, since there is no other hole between the edge of the rib 20 and the inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion 9 , the rib 20 is a structure advantageous in preventing breakage and deformation.
- resin needles normally have a hole 121 with a large length.
- the hole 121 protrudes outside the liquid stopper cap 5 as shown in FIG. 10 .
- the nutrient leaks through the hole 121 on the outside of the liquid stopper cap 5 .
- accidental insertion is noticed, so that the connecting needle 120 will be removed and accidental insertion is prevented.
- the hole 121 protrudes outside the liquid stopper cap 5 more as the rib 20 is positioned closer to the leading end of the liquid stopper cap 5 .
- the minimum distance d between the leading end of the liquid stopper cap 5 and the rib 20 is set to be small in FIG. 5 .
- the leading end of the liquid stopper cap 5 is configured not to press the rib 20 , attachment of the liquid stopper cap 5 becomes easy.
- FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state where the tip of the connecting needle 120 is in contact with the rib 20 .
- FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken in the line A-A in FIG. 11 .
- the liquid stopper cap 5 is not illustrated in FIG. 11 , the tip of the connecting needle 120 has penetrated the liquid stopper cap 5 as shown in FIG. 12 and is in contact with the rib 20 . As shown in FIGS.
- an inclined surface 22 is formed on the rib 20 on the leading end side of the tubular portion 9 . This makes it hard for the tip of the connecting needle 120 that has come into contact with the rib 20 to enter the hole 21 .
- the inclined surface 22 is formed so as to surround the hole 21 .
- the inclined surface 22 is inclined in the leading end side of the tubular portion 9 towards the central axis 13 of the through hole 12 .
- the tip of the connecting needle 120 that has come into contact with the rib 20 as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 is guided by the inclined surface 22 and is likely to slip in the direction away from the hole 21 . For this reason, when the tip of the connecting needle 120 once comes into contact with the rib 20 , the connecting needle 120 is less likely to enter the hole 21 .
- the minimum distance d between the leading end of the liquid stopper cap 5 and the rib 20 is set to be small. This is also effective in the case where the tip of the connecting needle 120 does not enter the hole 21 but comes into contact with the rib 20 as in FIG. 12 .
- the tip of the connecting needle 120 has penetrated the liquid stopper cap 5 .
- the liquid stopper cap 5 is pressed by the connecting needle 120 and deforms elastically.
- the minimum distance d is small, the liquid stopper cap 5 comes into contact with the rib 20 before the tip of the connecting needle 120 penetrates the liquid stopper cap 5 .
- the minimum distance d between the leading end of the liquid stopper cap 5 and the rib 20 is preferably 5 mm or less, and more preferably 1 mm or less.
- FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the rib 20 .
- An inclined surface 23 is formed on the rib 20 on the base end side of the tubular portion 9 .
- the inclined surface 23 is formed so as to surround the hole 21 .
- the inclined surface 23 is inclined in the leading end side of the tubular portion 9 towards the central axis 13 of the through hole 12 .
- FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing yet another embodiment of the rib 20 .
- the configuration with the inclined surface 22 and that with the inclined surface 23 have been shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 , respectively.
- FIG. 14 shows a configuration with both the inclined surfaces 22 and 23 .
- the presence of the inclined surface 22 make it hard for the tip of the connecting needle 120 that has come into contact with the rib 20 to enter the hole 21 and the presence of the inclined surface 23 improves the flowability of a nutrient.
- the hole 21 has been described by taking a circular shape as an example, as long as the entry of the connecting needle 120 can be stopped, the shape is not limited to circular and may be polygonal, for example.
- inclined surfaces 22 and 23 each having a linear cross-section have been illustrated by way of example, they may have a curved cross-section or a cross-section composed of a combination of a line and a curve.
- the spout 4 may be attached directly to the bag main body 2 .
- the exemplary values of the sizes A to D in FIG. 5 and the exemplary value of the area of the hole 21 in FIG. 7 have been mentioned, they have been only mentioned by way of example and may be different values.
- FIG. 15 is a schematic view of a nutrient bottle 30 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.
- the nutrient bottle 30 is obtained by attaching a spout 33 to an outlet 32 of a hollow bottle main body 31 as a liquid container.
- the nutrient-filling bag main body 2 in Embodiment 1 is made of a soft material
- the nutrient-filling bottle main body 31 in the present embodiment is made of a hard material. Therefore, unless external force is particularly applied to the bottle main body 31 , the outside shape of the bottle main body 31 is retained.
- the bottle main body 31 in the present embodiment is pre-filled with a nutrient in the initial state.
- the hollow bottle main body 31 is formed of, for example, a resin material by blow molding.
- resin materials include polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinylchloride (PVC), and nylon.
- An opening 34 through which the nutrient bottle 30 is hung is formed in the bottom part of the bottle main body 31 .
- FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of principal portions of the nutrient bottle 30 .
- a male screw 34 to be screwed into the spout 33 is formed on the outer edge of the outlet 32 .
- the inside of the outlet 32 is a through hole 35 .
- a sealant 36 is attached to the through hole 35 , so that the opening of the outlet 32 is sealed.
- the sealant 36 is, for example, an aluminum foil, and an outer edge 36 a is bonded to an outer edge 32 a of the outlet 32 .
- the spout 33 includes a base portion 40 and a tubular portion 41 .
- the base portion 40 is a portion that is attached to the outlet 32 of the bottle main body 31 .
- a female screw (not shown) is formed inside the base portion 40 . By screwing the male screw 34 of the outlet 32 into the female screw, the spout 33 can be attached to the outlet 32 .
- the tubular portion 41 protrudes from the base portion 40 .
- the inside of the tubular portion 41 is a through hole 42 .
- a tapered surface 41 a that increases in diameter from the leading end of the tubular portion 41 towards the base portion 40 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the tubular portion 41 .
- Examples of materials for the spout 33 include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyacetal (POM), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polycarbonate (PC).
- PE polyethylene
- PP polypropylene
- POM polyacetal
- PET polyethylene terephthalate
- PC polycarbonate
- a filter 52 is attached to the spout 33 . Although the details will be described later with reference to FIG. 20 , air is drawn into the bottle main body 31 through the filter 52 when discharging the nutrient through the tubular portion 41 .
- FIG. 17 is a magnified view of the tubular portion 41 .
- the figure corresponds to the magnified view of the portion B in FIG. 16 .
- the through hole 42 inside the tubular portion 41 of the spout 33 is provided with a rib 43 that narrows the inner diameter of the through hole 42 .
- the rib 43 extends from the inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion 41 towards the central axis 44 side of the through hole 42 .
- a hole 45 surrounded by the edge of the extended rib 43 is formed in the part where the rib 43 is formed.
- the area of the hole 45 is preferably in the range of 2 to 14 mm 2 , and more preferably 4 to 12 mm 2 .
- the tubular portion 41 prevents accidental insertion of connecting needles. A description will be given later for this with reference to FIGS. 21 to 24 .
- the nutrient bottle 30 is transported in the state of FIG. 15 .
- a tube is not attached to the spout 33 in the state of FIG. 15 .
- a long tube does not get in the way of the transportation, and the nutrient bottle 30 can be transported easily.
- the protruding dimension h ( FIG. 15 ) of the tubular portion 41 from the base portion 40 , the more advantageous it is in transporting the nutrient bottle 30 alone.
- attachment of a tube to the tubular portion 41 becomes harder as the protruding dimension h becomes larger.
- the protruding dimension his preferably 10 mm or less, and more preferably 5 mm or less.
- the protruding dimension h is preferably 1 mm or more.
- the protruding dimension h is preferably 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less, and more preferably 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less.
- the outlet 32 of the bottle main body 31 is sealed with the sealant 36 ( FIG. 16 ), leakage of the contents of the bottle main body 31 is prevented.
- the nutrient bottle 30 can be oriented laterally when being transported.
- a connector 45 and a tube 46 ( FIG. 19 ) are attached to the spout 33 .
- the spout 33 is first removed from the bottle main body 31 . This is to remove partially or entirely the sealant 36 sealing the outlet 32 to allow discharge of the nutrient in the bottle main body 31 .
- FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a state immediately before attaching the now-removed spout 33 to the bottle main body 31 .
- the sealant 36 shown in FIG. 16 has been removed.
- the spout 33 is attached to the outlet 32 by screwing the male screw 34 of the outlet 32 into the female screw (not shown) inside the base portion 40 of the spout 33 .
- FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a state immediately before attaching the connector 45 and the tube 46 to the bottle main body 31 to which the spout 33 has been attached.
- the nutrient administering tube 46 is inserted in the connector 45 .
- the tube 46 has a certain length so as to administer the nutrient, only the tube 46 on the connector 45 side is partially illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20 for the sake of convenience.
- the tube 46 is made of a material softer than that of the spout 33 , and is attachable to and detachable from the tubular portion 41 .
- the connector 45 and the tube 46 are connected to the spout 33 .
- the connector 45 and the hooks 48 are engaged with each other. In this state, since convex portions (not shown) formed on the connector 45 engage in the lower side of the hooks 48 , the connector 45 is fixed to the spout 33 , thereby preventing the connector 45 from falling out.
- a flange (not shown) is formed at the end of the tube 46 , and the end of the connector 45 engages in the flange. As a result, the tube 46 is prevented from falling out of the connector 45 .
- the tube 46 is press fitted on the tubular portion 41 and also is engaged with the connector 45 fixed to the spout 33 . Consequently, the tube 46 is prevented from falling out.
- connection scheme of FIG. 19 is one example.
- FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a state where the connection of the connector 45 and the tube 46 to the spout 33 is completed.
- the sealant 36 FIG. 16
- the space inside the bottle main body 31 and the space inside the tube 46 are connected to each other. Therefore, in a state where the bottle main body 31 is hung on a hook through the opening 34 ( FIG. 15 ), in other words, in the state where the bottle main body 31 is upside down in FIG. 20 , it is possible to let the nutrient in the bottle main body 31 flow into the tube 46 , so that the nutrient can be administered.
- the nutrient when administering a nutrient from a pouch-like bag made of a soft material as in Embodiment 1, the nutrient is discharged while the bag deforms into the form of a sheet.
- the bottle main body 31 made of a hard material it is difficult for the bottle main body 31 made of a hard material to deform like the pouch-like bag.
- the air-permeable filter 52 is attached to the spout 33 according to the present embodiment.
- the filter 52 is a hydrophobic filter, so that air can pass through the filter but a liquid cannot.
- the spout 33 of the nutrient bottle 30 is structured to prevent such accidental insertion.
- a description will be given below.
- FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing a state where the connecting needle 120 is entering the tubular portion 41 .
- FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view taken in the central axis direction of the tubular portion 41 in FIG. 21 .
- the connecting needle 120 is not for being connected to the nutrient bottle 30 .
- the connecting needle 120 corresponds to the connecting needle 114 for the drug solution bag 110 in the example of FIG. 25 .
- the tip of the connecting needle 120 is inserted in the hole 45 whose diameter is narrowed by the rib 43 .
- the tip part 120 b of the connecting needle 120 increases in diameter towards the main body part 120 a.
- the diameter of the tip part 120 b becomes larger than the diameter of the hole 45 .
- the tip part 120 b of the connecting needle 120 enters the hole 45 but the entry of the tip part 120 b is limited.
- the connecting needle 120 only can be inserted for a small distance, so that accidental insertion is likely to be noticed. In this case, the connecting needle 120 will be removed, so that accidental insertion is prevented.
- a cap corresponding to the liquid stopper cap 5 ( FIG. 10 ) is not attached to the tubular portion 41 in the present embodiment. Therefore, when inserting the connecting needle 120 , it is possible visually to check the opening at the leading end of the tubular portion 41 . In this case, accidental insertion may be prevented as soon as the presence of the rib 43 is noticed.
- the hole 45 is surrounded by the edge of the rib 43 that extends from the inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion 41 . That is, since there is no other hole between the edge of the rib 43 and the inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion 41 , the rib 43 is a structure advantageous in preventing breakage and deformation.
- FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing a state where the tip of the connecting needle 120 is in contact with the rib 43 .
- FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view taken in the line C-C in FIG. 23 .
- an inclined surface 46 is formed on the rib 43 on the leading end side of the tubular portion 41 . This makes it hard for the tip of the connecting needle 120 that has come into contact with the rib 43 to enter the hole 45 .
- the inclined surface 46 is formed so as to surround the hole 45 .
- the inclined surface 46 is inclined in the leading end side of the tubular portion 41 towards the central axis 44 of the through hole 42 .
- the tip of the connecting needle 120 that has come into contact with the rib 43 as in FIGS. 23 and 24 is guided by the inclined surface 46 and is likely to slip in the direction away from the hole 45 .
- the connecting needle 120 is unlikely to enter the hole 45 .
- a configuration corresponding to the inclined surface 23 may be provided as in FIG. 13 of Embodiment 1 so as to improve the flowability of a nutrient to be discharged through the tubular portion 41 .
- configurations corresponding to the inclined surfaces 22 and 23 may be provided as in FIG. 14 of Embodiment 1 so as to make it hard for the tip of the connecting needle 120 to enter and to improve the flowability of a nutrient.
- tubular portion 41 protrudes from the base portion 40 of the spout 33
- tubular portion 41 may be formed inside the spout 33 so as not to protrude the tubular portion 41 from the base portion 40 .
- the attachment portions may have a different structure and different specifications.
- the tube 46 may simply be press fitted on the tubular portion 41 of the spout 33 .
- liquid container has been described by taking the pouch-like bag in Embodiment 1 and the hollow bottle in Embodiment 2 as examples, the bottle may be used in Embodiment 1 and the bag may be used in Embodiment 2.
- the spouts according to Embodiments 1 and 2 can prevent accidental insertion of connecting needles, bags and bottles to which the spouts are to be attached are not limited only to those for nutrients but also to those for other applications.
- the spout according to the present invention can prevent accidental insertion of connecting needles with more certainty, it is useful as, for example, a spout of a nutrient bag.
Abstract
A spout (4) that is attached to a pouch-like bag and through which the contents filled in the bag are discharged, the spout includes: a tubular portion (49) in which a through hole (12) is formed and from a leading end of which the contents are discharged; and a rib (20) that extends from the inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion (9) towards the central axis side (13) of the through hole (12). A hole (21) surrounded by the edge of the extended rib (20) is formed in the part where the rib (20) is formed. This configuration makes it easy to secure the strength of the rib (20) and is advantageous in preventing breakage and deformation of the rib (20). Thus, accidental insertion of connecting needles can be prevented with more certainty.
Description
- The present invention relates to a spout for discharging contents filled in a liquid container and to a liquid container with the spout.
- Tube feeding is known as a treatment for those who cannot take meals by mouth. Tube feeding is a treatment where nutrition is sent directly to the body through a tube. For example, a nutrient bag filled with a nutrient is used in tube feeding, and the nutrient supplied from the nutrient bag flows through a tube and is sent to the body. In this way, a supply system for sending the contents of a bag to the body through a tube also is utilized in transfusion for administering drug solutions.
-
FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram showing one example of a nutrient supply system using a conventional nutrient bag and one example of a drug solution supply system using a conventional drug solution bag. A bagmain body 101 of anutrient bag 100 is filled with a nutrient. To thenutrient bag 100, atube 105 provided with a connectingportion 104 at its end is connected. - In the state of
FIG. 25 , aspout 102 is sealed with aliquid stopper cap 103. Thespout 102 and the end of thetube 105 can be connected to each other by removing theliquid stopper cap 103. - On the other hand, a bag
main body 111 of adrug solution bag 110 is filled with a drug solution. The drug solution is taken from a drug solution bottle (not shown) through a tube (not shown) connected to atube connector 112. - When administering the drug solution to the body, a
needle 114 is inserted into aneedle port 113. Consequently, the drug solution can be sent to the body through a tube connected to theneedle 114. - Here, the connecting
portion 104 is designed such that it is to be fitted to thespout 102 of thenutrient bag 100. For this reason, the connectingportion 104 cannot be fitted to theneedle port 113 of thedrug solution bag 110, so that the connectingportion 104 will not be connected to thedrug solution bag 110 by mistake under normal conditions. - On the other hand, the
liquid stopper cap 103 is made of a soft material so that it easily can be attached to and removed from thespout 102. Therefore, theneedle 114 can be inserted into theliquid stopper cap 103. In this case, theneedle 114 penetrates theliquid stopper cap 103 and reaches inside thespout 102. When such accidental insertion occurs, the nutrient will be administered through the transfusion line for supplying the drug solution, which raises the possibility of medical accidents. - In order to prevent such accidental insertion, for example, Patent document 1 proposes a connecting needle penetration prevention structure provided on a portion corresponding to the
spout 102. This connecting needle penetration prevention structure is a spiral member, an intermediate plate member, a mesh member or the like provided inside a tubular portion, and penetration of a connecting needle is prevented by means of these members. - Patent document 1: JP 2007-39121 A
- However, the penetration prevention structure using a spiral member proposed in Patent document 1 is not a structure that stops penetration at the leading end of the tubular portion but is a structure where the entry of a connecting needle into the tubular portion to some extent is a prerequisite. Further, the penetration prevention structure using an intermediate plate member or a mesh member is likely to deform or be cracked when a connecting needle is pressed into it.
- With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a spout that can prevent accidental insertion of connecting needles with more certainty, and a liquid container with the spout.
- In order to achieve the above object, the spout of the present invention is a spout that can be attached to a liquid container and through which contents filled in the liquid container are discharged. The spout includes: a tubular portion in which a through hole is formed and from a leading end of which the contents are discharged; and a rib that extends from an inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion towards a central axis side of the through hole. A hole surrounded by an edge of the extended rib is formed in a part where the rib is formed.
- The liquid container with a spout of the present invention includes the spout of the present invention.
- According to the present invention, accidental insertion of connecting needles can be prevented with more certainty.
-
FIG. 1 A schematic view of a nutrient bag 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 2 An exploded perspective view of principal portions of the nutrient bag 1 shown inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 A cross-sectional view of a spout according to one embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 4 (a): a diagram showing a state where aspout 4 is attached to aport portion 3. (b): a diagram showing a state where aliquid stopper cap 5 is attached to thespout 4 in (a). -
FIG. 5 A cross-sectional view taken in a vertical direction ofFIG. 4( b). -
FIG. 6 A diagram showing an exemplary state where a nutrient administering tube is connected to atubular portion 9 of thespout 4. -
FIG. 7 A perspective view of a spout according to one embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 8 A cross-sectional view taken in the central axis direction of thespout 4 shown inFIG. 7 . -
FIG. 9 A perspective view showing a state where a connectingneedle 120 is entering thetubular portion 9. -
FIG. 10 A cross-sectional view taken in the central axis direction of thetubular portion 9 inFIG. 9 . -
FIG. 11 A perspective view showing a state where the tip of the connectingneedle 120 is in contact with arib 20. -
FIG. 12 A cross-sectional view taken on the line A-A inFIG. 11 . -
FIG. 13 A cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of therib 20. -
FIG. 14 A cross-sectional view showing yet another embodiment of therib 20. -
FIG. 15 A schematic view of anutrient bottle 30 according to one embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 16 An exploded perspective view of principal portions of thenutrient bottle 30 shown inFIG. 15 . -
FIG. 17 A magnified view of atubular portion 41 according to one embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 18 A perspective view showing a state immediately before attaching aspout 33 to the bottlemain body 31 in one embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 19 A perspective view showing a state immediately before attaching aconnector 45 and atube 46 to thespout 33 in one embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 20 A perspective view showing a state where the connection of theconnector 45 and thetube 46 to thespout 33 is completed in one embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 21 A perspective view showing a state where the connectingneedle 120 is entering atubular portion 41 in one embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 22 A cross-sectional view taken in the central axis direction of thetubular portion 41 inFIG. 21 . -
FIG. 23 A perspective view showing a state where the tip of the connectingneedle 120 is in contact with arib 43 in one embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 24 A cross-sectional view taken on the line C-C inFIG. 23 . -
FIG. 25 A schematic view showing one example of a nutrient supply system using a conventional nutrient bag and one example of a drug solution supply system using a conventional drug solution bag. - According to the present invention, the structure for preventing accidental insertion is achieved by extending the rib from the inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion and forming a hole surrounded by the edge of the extended rib. With this configuration, the strength of the rib can be secured easily, which is advantageous in preventing breakage and deformation of the rib. Thus, it is also possible to prevent accidental insertion of connecting needles with more certainty.
- In the spout of the present invention, an inclined surface that inclines in the leading end side of the tubular portion towards the central axis of the through hole preferably is formed on the rib on the leading end side of the tubular portion. With this configuration, the tip of a connecting needle that has come into contact with the rib is guided by the inclined surface and is likely to slip in the direction away from the hole. Thus, when the tip of the connecting needle first conies into contact with the rib, it is hard for the connecting needle to enter the hole. If the tip of the connecting needle does not enter the hole, the entry distance of the connecting needle is small, which is more advantageous in preventing accidental insertion.
- Further, an inclined surface that inclines in the leading end side of the tubular portion towards the central axis of the through hole preferably is formed on the rib on the base end side of the tubular portion. With this configuration, as a result of forming the inclined surface, a liquid in the bag flows along the inclined surface when it flows towards the leading end of the tubular portion. Thus, it is possible to improve the flowability.
- Further, inclined surfaces that incline in the leading end side of the tubular portion towards the central axis of the through hole preferably are formed on the rib on the leading end side and the base end side of the tubular portion, respectively. With this configuration, it is possible not only to make it hard for the tip of the connecting needle that has come into contact with the rib to enter the hole but also to improve the flowability of the liquid in the bag at the tubular portion.
- Further, it is preferable that the spout further includes a base that is attached to the liquid container, the tubular portion protrudes from the base, and the protruding dimension of the tubular portion from the base is 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less. With this configuration, when the spout is attached to the liquid container, it is not only advantageous in transporting the liquid container and in preventing breakage of the tubular portion but also advantageous in securing the airtightness between the tubular portion and a tube attached to the tubular portion.
- Further, it is preferable that the spout further includes an air-permeable filter. With this configuration, the liquid can be discharged easily from the liquid container.
- Further, the liquid container is preferably a pouch-like bag or a bottle.
- It is preferable that the liquid container with a spout of the present invention includes a liquid stopper cap for sealing the spout, and when the liquid stopper cap is attached to the spout, the minimum distance between the leading end of the liquid stopper cap and the rib is 5 mm or less. Further, the minimum distance is more preferably 1 mm or less.
- This configuration allows the liquid stopper cap to come into contact with the rib before the tip of the connecting needle penetrates the liquid stopper cap. Thus, even if the connecting needle remains inserted, it is possible to prevent the contents of the bag from being discharged.
- Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a nutrient bag 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. A bagmain body 2 as a liquid container is a part in which a nutrient is filled. Aspout 4 is attached to aport portion 3 integral with the bagmain body 2. Thespout 4 can be sealed by fitting aliquid stopper cap 5 thereto. - The bag
main body 2 is soft resin sheets formed into the form of a pouch. The bagmain body 2 can be formed by, for example, laying a resin sheet on top of another resin sheet and heat welding the edge for bonding. Anopening 10 through which the nutrient bag 1 is hung is formed at one end of the bagmain body 2. - Examples of resin sheet materials include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polybutadiene, nylon, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA). Resin sheets may be laminated in two or more layers and the respective layers may be made of the same material or different materials from each other.
-
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of principal portions of the nutrient bag 1. Theport portion 3 is a cylindrical member with anopening 6 being formed inside. Theport portion 3 is integral with the bagmain body 2, and the space forming theopening 6 and the space inside the bagmain body 2 are connected to each other. Theport portion 3 and the bagmain body 2 can be bonded to each other by, for example, heat welding one end of theport portion 3 with the end being sandwiched between the two resin sheets. Amale screw 7 to be is screwed into thespout 4 is formed on the outer edge of theport portion 3. - Examples of materials for the
port portion 3 include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyacetal (POM), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polycarbonate (PC). - The
spout 4 includes acylinder portion 8 and atubular portion 9 having a smaller diameter than thecylinder portion 8. The inside of thetubular portion 9 is a throughhole 12. On the outer circumferential surface of thetubular portion 9, atapered surface 11 that increases in diameter from the leading end of thetubular portion 9 towards thecylinder portion 8 is formed. -
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of thespout 4. Thespout 4 is a hollow member and the space inside thecylinder portion 8 and the throughhole 12 inside thetubular portion 9 are connected to each other. As shown inFIG. 3 , afemale screw 14 is formed inside thecylinder portion 8. Thespout 4 can be attached to theport portion 3 by screwing the male screw 7 (FIG. 2 ) of theport portion 3 into thefemale screw 14. Examples of materials for thespout 4 include those mentioned as exemplary materials for theport member 3. - In
FIG. 2 , aliquid stopper cap 5 is a cylindrical member, which is open on thespout 4 side but is sealed on the opposite side. Theliquid stopper cap 5 is for sealing thespout 4 to prevent the contents of the bagmain body 2 from being discharged. Theliquid stopper cap 5 is made of a material more flexible than that of thespout 4, so that it can be attached to and detached from thetubular portion 9. - Examples of materials for the
liquid stopper cap 5 include polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polybutadiene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ABS resin and elastomer. -
FIG. 4( a) shows a state where thespout 4 is attached to theport portion 3.FIG. 4( b) shows a state where theliquid stopper cap 5 is attached to thespout 4 inFIG. 4( a).FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken in the vertical direction ofFIG. 4( b). As shown inFIG. 5 , theliquid stopper cap 5 is plugged in so as to entirely encompass thetubular portion 9 of thespout 4. - In the vicinity of the end of the tapered
surface 11 on thecylinder portion 8 side, the taperedsurface 11 has a larger outer diameter than the inner diameter of theliquid stopper cap 5. As a result, when theliquid stopper cap 5 is attached to thespout 4, theliquid stopper cap 5 partially comes into dose contact with the taperedsurface 11 due to theliquid stopper cap 5 being elastically deformed. Consequently, the attachment of theliquid stopper cap 5 can be ensured. - Next, exemplary dimensions of each portion will be described with reference to
FIG. 5 . In the following description, the leading end side of thetubular portion 9 is, between the two end sides of thetubular portion 9, the side (lower side ofFIG. 5 ) from which the contents of the bag main body 2 (FIGS. 1 and 2 ) are discharged. The base end side of thetubular portion 9 is the opposite side to the leading end side and is the side into which the contents of the bag main body 2 (FIGS. 1 and 2 ) flows, in other words, it is the bag main body 2 (FIGS. 1 and 2 ) side. - As for the dimensions of each portion in
FIG. 5 , it can be assumed that a dimension A (the thickness of the rib 20) is 3.0 mm and a dimension B (the thickness of the center part of the liquid stopper cap 5) is 3.8 mm. Further, it is assumed that the inner diameter of the throughhole 12 on the leading end side of thetubular portion 9 from therib 20 is a dimension C, and the inner diameter of the throughhole 12 on the base end side of thetubular portion 9 is a dimension E. - In this case, it can be assumed that the dimension C is 4.74 mm on the leading side of the
tubular portion 9 and 4.85 mm on the base end side of thetubular portion 9, and the dimension E is 3.45 mm on the leading end side of thetubular portion 9 and 4.1 mm on the base end side of thetubular portion 9. Further, it can be assumed that a dimension D (the minimum distance between the leading end of thetubular portion 9 and the rib 20) is 3.5 mm. - The dimensions A to E each may be changed as needed within tolerance. The tolerance of each of the dimensions A, B and D is in the range of −20% to +20% of the mentioned value. The tolerance of each of the dimensions C and E is in the range of −10% to +10% of the mentioned value.
- As shown in
FIGS. 4( b) and 5, the nutrient bag 1 is transported with theliquid stopper cap 5 being attached thereto. When administering the nutrient, theliquid stopper cap 5 is removed as inFIG. 4( a) and a nutrient administering tube is connected to thetubular portion 9 of thespout 4. -
FIG. 6 shows an exemplary state where a nutrient administering tube is connected to thetubular portion 9 of thespout 4. InFIG. 6 , thespout 4 and thetube 15 are connected to each other through a connectingportion 16 provided at the end of thetube 15. To establish the connection, a hook (not shown) formed on thespout 4 is fitted to a recess (not shown) formed in the connectingportion 16, for example. In the state ofFIG. 6 , the nutrient in the bagmain body 2 is to be administered to the body through thetube 15. - Note that a variety of connection schemes can be used to connect the
spout 4 and thetube 15 to each other, and the connection scheme ofFIG. 6 is one example. - Hereinafter, the procedure of administering a nutrient using the nutrient bag 1 will be described more specifically. In the initial state prior to being filled with a nutrient, the nutrient bag 1 is in a state where the
liquid stopper cap 5 is attached to thespout 4 as shown inFIG. 4( b). From this state, thespout 4 is removed from theport portion 3 with theliquid stopper cap 5 remaining attached to thespout 4. Thespout 4 can be removed by rotating thespout 4 to loosen the screw. - In the state where the
spout 4 is removed from theport portion 3, theopening 6 of theport portion 3 is exposed as shown inFIG. 2 . A nutrient is injected into the bagmain body 2 through theopening 6 as an entrance. - After injecting the nutrient into the bag
main body 2, thespout 4 is reattached to theport 3 to put it back in the state ofFIG. 4( b). The nutrient bag 1 is transported in this state Since a tube is not attached to thespout 4 in this state, a long tube does not get in the way of the transportation, and the nutrient bag 1 can be transported easily. - Further, the
spout 4 is screwed into theport portion 3 and thespout 4 is sealed with theliquid stopper cap 5. As a result, leakage of the contents of the bagmain body 2 is prevented. Therefore, the nutrient bag 1 also can be placed laterally when being transported. - As for the nutrient bag 1 after being transported, the
nutrient administering tube 15 is connected to thetubular portion 9 of thespout 4 as shown inFIG. 6 with theliquid stopper cap 5 being removed as inFIG. 4( a). At this time, thespout 4 is brought to face upward to prevent leakage of the nutrient. After connecting thetube 15, the nutrient bag 1 is hung on a hook through the opening 10 (FIG. 1) . The nutrient is to be administered in this state. - As described above,
FIG. 25 shows one example of a nutrient supply system using theconventional nutrient bag 100.FIG. 25 shows a conventional example where both thenutrient bag 100 and thedrug solution bag 110 are used in combination. - In this case, there is a possibility of inserting a
needle 114 into theliquid stopper cap 103 of thenutrient bag 100, even through theneedle 114 is supposed to be inserted into thedrug solution bag 110. The nutrient bag 1 according to the present embodiment has the same appearance as theconventional nutrient bag 100 shown inFIG. 25 . - Therefore, even if the nutrient bag 1 according to the present embodiment is used in place of the
conventional nutrient bag 100 shown inFIG. 25 , there is a possibility of inserting theneedle 114 into theliquid stopper cap 5 of the nutrient bag 1 shown inFIG. 4( b), even though theneedle 114 is supposed to be inserted into thedrug solution bag 110. - The
spout 4 of the nutrient bag 1 according to the present embodiment is structured to prevent such accidental insertion. In this regard, a description will be given below. -
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of thespout 4.FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken in the central axis direction of thespout 4 shown inFIG. 7 . - The through
hole 12 inside thetubular portion 9 of thespout 4 is provided with arib 20 that narrows the inner diameter of the throughhole 12. Therib 20 extends from the inner circumferential surface of thetubular portion 9 towards thecentral axis 13 side of the throughhole 12. Ahole 21 surrounded by the edge of theextended rib 20 is formed in the part where therib 20 is formed. For example, the area of thehole 21 is preferably in the range of 2 to 14 mm2, and more preferably 4 to 12 mm2. - By means of the
rib 20 formed inside the throughhole 12, thespout 4 prevents accidental insertion of connecting needles. Since there is no room for inserting a connecting needle in the state after the connection of thetube 15 as inFIG. 6 , no accidental insertion occurs. In the states ofFIGS. 4( b) and 5, however, there is a possibility of inserting a connecting needle for a bag other than the nutrient bag 1 into theliquid stopper cap 5 as a soft material. -
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state where the connectingneedle 120 is entering thetubular portion 9.FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken in the central axis direction of thetubular portion 9 inFIG. 9 . InFIGS. 9 and 10 , the connectingneedle 120 is for a bag other than the nutrient bag 1. The connectingneedle 120 corresponds to the connectingneedle 114 for thedrug solution bag 110 in the example shown inFIG. 25 . - As shown in
FIG. 9 , the tip of the connectingneedle 120 is inserted in thehole 21 whose diameter is narrowed by therib 20. Although theliquid stopper cap 5 is not illustrated inFIG. 9 , the connectingneedle 120 has penetrated theliquid stopper cap 5 as shown inFIG. 10 and is inserted in thehole 21. - A
tip part 120 b of the connectingneedle 120 increases in diameter towards amain body part 120 a. From one point between thetip part 120 b and themain body part 120 a, the diameter of thetip part 120 b becomes larger than the diameter of thehole 21. Therefore, thetip part 120 b of the connectingneedle 120 enters thehole 21 but the entry of thetip part 120 b is limited. - That is, the connecting
needle 120 can only be inserted for a small distance, so that accidental insertion is likely to be noticed. In this case, the connectingneedle 120 will be removed, so that accidental insertion is prevented. - Further, the
hole 21 is surrounded by the edge of therib 20 that extends from the inner circumferential surface of thetubular portion 9. That is, since there is no other hole between the edge of therib 20 and the inner circumferential surface of thetubular portion 9, therib 20 is a structure advantageous in preventing breakage and deformation. - Here, resin needles normally have a
hole 121 with a large length. When the insertion distance of the connectingneedle 120 is small, thehole 121 protrudes outside theliquid stopper cap 5 as shown inFIG. 10 . In this state, even if the nutrient starts to flow into thehole 121, the nutrient leaks through thehole 121 on the outside of theliquid stopper cap 5. Also in this case, accidental insertion is noticed, so that the connectingneedle 120 will be removed and accidental insertion is prevented. - Further, as shown in
FIG. 10 , thehole 121 protrudes outside theliquid stopper cap 5 more as therib 20 is positioned closer to the leading end of theliquid stopper cap 5. For this reason, it is desirable that the minimum distance d between the leading end of theliquid stopper cap 5 and therib 20 is set to be small inFIG. 5 . In this case, if the leading end of theliquid stopper cap 5 is configured not to press therib 20, attachment of theliquid stopper cap 5 becomes easy. - Although the examples of
FIGS. 9 and 10 show that the tip of the connectingneedle 120 is in thehole 21, there may be a case where the tip of the connectingneedle 120 does not enter thehole 21 but comes into contact with therib 20.FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state where the tip of the connectingneedle 120 is in contact with therib 20.FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken in the line A-A inFIG. 11 . Although theliquid stopper cap 5 is not illustrated inFIG. 11 , the tip of the connectingneedle 120 has penetrated theliquid stopper cap 5 as shown inFIG. 12 and is in contact with therib 20. As shown inFIGS. 11 and 12 , when the tip of the connectingneedle 120 comes in contact with therib 20, the entry distance of the connectingneedle 120 becomes smaller in comparison with the case where the tip of the connectingneedle 120 enters thehole 21. Thus, it is advantageous in preventing accidental insertion. - In the examples of
FIGS. 11 and 12 , aninclined surface 22 is formed on therib 20 on the leading end side of thetubular portion 9. This makes it hard for the tip of the connectingneedle 120 that has come into contact with therib 20 to enter thehole 21. Theinclined surface 22 is formed so as to surround thehole 21. Theinclined surface 22 is inclined in the leading end side of thetubular portion 9 towards thecentral axis 13 of the throughhole 12. - As a result of forming the
inclined surface 22, the tip of the connectingneedle 120 that has come into contact with therib 20 as shown inFIGS. 11 and 12 is guided by theinclined surface 22 and is likely to slip in the direction away from thehole 21. For this reason, when the tip of the connectingneedle 120 once comes into contact with therib 20, the connectingneedle 120 is less likely to enter thehole 21. - Here, as described above, it is desirable that the minimum distance d between the leading end of the
liquid stopper cap 5 and therib 20 is set to be small. This is also effective in the case where the tip of the connectingneedle 120 does not enter thehole 21 but comes into contact with therib 20 as inFIG. 12 . - In the example of
FIG. 12 , the tip of the connectingneedle 120 has penetrated theliquid stopper cap 5. However, until being penetrated, theliquid stopper cap 5 is pressed by the connectingneedle 120 and deforms elastically. When the minimum distance d is small, theliquid stopper cap 5 comes into contact with therib 20 before the tip of the connectingneedle 120 penetrates theliquid stopper cap 5. - In this case, the contents of the bag main body are not discharged even if the connecting
needle 120 remains inserted. More specifically, the minimum distance d between the leading end of theliquid stopper cap 5 and therib 20 is preferably 5 mm or less, and more preferably 1 mm or less. -
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of therib 20. Aninclined surface 23 is formed on therib 20 on the base end side of thetubular portion 9. Theinclined surface 23 is formed so as to surround thehole 21. Theinclined surface 23 is inclined in the leading end side of thetubular portion 9 towards thecentral axis 13 of the throughhole 12. - With this configuration, when the nutrient in the bag main body 2 (
FIG. 1 ) flows towards the leading end of thetubular portion 9, the nutrient flows along theinclined surface 23 and enters thehole 21. That is, since the diameter of the throughhole 12 is narrowed by therib 20, the quantity of flow drops. However, as a result of forming theinclined surface 23, the flowability is improved. -
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing yet another embodiment of therib 20. As described above, the configuration with theinclined surface 22 and that with theinclined surface 23 have been shown inFIGS. 12 and 13 , respectively.FIG. 14 shows a configuration with both theinclined surfaces inclined surface 22 make it hard for the tip of the connectingneedle 120 that has come into contact with therib 20 to enter thehole 21 and the presence of theinclined surface 23 improves the flowability of a nutrient. - Although the
hole 21 has been described by taking a circular shape as an example, as long as the entry of the connectingneedle 120 can be stopped, the shape is not limited to circular and may be polygonal, for example. - Further, although the inclined surfaces 22 (
FIGS. 12 , 14) and 23 (FIGS. 13 , 14) each having a linear cross-section have been illustrated by way of example, they may have a curved cross-section or a cross-section composed of a combination of a line and a curve. - Further, the example where the
spout 4 is attached to the bagmain body 2 through theport portion 3 has been described, thespout 4 may be attached directly to the bagmain body 2. - Further, in the above-described embodiment, the exemplary values of the sizes A to D in
FIG. 5 and the exemplary value of the area of thehole 21 inFIG. 7 have been mentioned, they have been only mentioned by way of example and may be different values. - Hereinafter,
Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described.FIG. 15 is a schematic view of anutrient bottle 30 according toEmbodiment 2 of the present invention. Thenutrient bottle 30 is obtained by attaching aspout 33 to anoutlet 32 of a hollow bottlemain body 31 as a liquid container. - While the nutrient-filling bag
main body 2 in Embodiment 1 is made of a soft material, the nutrient-filling bottlemain body 31 in the present embodiment is made of a hard material. Therefore, unless external force is particularly applied to the bottlemain body 31, the outside shape of the bottlemain body 31 is retained. - Although the example where the bag
main body 2 is not filled with a nutrient in the initial state has been described in Embodiment 1, the bottlemain body 31 in the present embodiment is pre-filled with a nutrient in the initial state. - The hollow bottle
main body 31 is formed of, for example, a resin material by blow molding. Examples of resin materials include polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinylchloride (PVC), and nylon. - An
opening 34 through which thenutrient bottle 30 is hung is formed in the bottom part of the bottlemain body 31. -
FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of principal portions of thenutrient bottle 30. Amale screw 34 to be screwed into thespout 33 is formed on the outer edge of theoutlet 32. The inside of theoutlet 32 is a throughhole 35. Asealant 36 is attached to the throughhole 35, so that the opening of theoutlet 32 is sealed. Thesealant 36 is, for example, an aluminum foil, and anouter edge 36 a is bonded to anouter edge 32 a of theoutlet 32. - The
spout 33 includes abase portion 40 and atubular portion 41. Thebase portion 40 is a portion that is attached to theoutlet 32 of the bottlemain body 31. A female screw (not shown) is formed inside thebase portion 40. By screwing themale screw 34 of theoutlet 32 into the female screw, thespout 33 can be attached to theoutlet 32. - The
tubular portion 41 protrudes from thebase portion 40. The inside of thetubular portion 41 is a throughhole 42. A taperedsurface 41 a that increases in diameter from the leading end of thetubular portion 41 towards thebase portion 40 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of thetubular portion 41. - Examples of materials for the
spout 33 include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyacetal (POM), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polycarbonate (PC). - Further, a
filter 52 is attached to thespout 33. Although the details will be described later with reference toFIG. 20 , air is drawn into the bottlemain body 31 through thefilter 52 when discharging the nutrient through thetubular portion 41. -
FIG. 17 is a magnified view of thetubular portion 41. The figure corresponds to the magnified view of the portion B inFIG. 16 . The throughhole 42 inside thetubular portion 41 of thespout 33 is provided with arib 43 that narrows the inner diameter of the throughhole 42. Therib 43 extends from the inner circumferential surface of thetubular portion 41 towards thecentral axis 44 side of the throughhole 42. Ahole 45 surrounded by the edge of theextended rib 43 is formed in the part where therib 43 is formed. For example, the area of thehole 45 is preferably in the range of 2 to 14 mm2, and more preferably 4 to 12 mm2. - By means of the
rib 43 formed inside the throughhole 12, thetubular portion 41 prevents accidental insertion of connecting needles. A description will be given later for this with reference toFIGS. 21 to 24 . - Hereinafter, the procedure of administering a nutrient using the
nutrient bottle 30 will be described specifically. Thenutrient bottle 30 is transported in the state ofFIG. 15 . A tube is not attached to thespout 33 in the state ofFIG. 15 . Thus, a long tube does not get in the way of the transportation, and thenutrient bottle 30 can be transported easily. - The smaller the protruding dimension h (
FIG. 15 ) of thetubular portion 41 from thebase portion 40, the more advantageous it is in transporting thenutrient bottle 30 alone. In contrast, attachment of a tube to thetubular portion 41 becomes harder as the protruding dimension h becomes larger. Moreover, the possibility of breakage caused by bending of thetubular portion 41 increases. For these reasons, the protruding dimension his preferably 10 mm or less, and more preferably 5 mm or less. - On the other hand, when the protruding dimension his too small, the contact area between the
tubular portion 41 and a tube decreases, causing difficulty in ensuring the airtightness. Thus, the protruding dimension h is preferably 1 mm or more. For the reasons mentioned above, the protruding dimension h is preferably 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less, and more preferably 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less. - Further, since the
outlet 32 of the bottlemain body 31 is sealed with the sealant 36 (FIG. 16 ), leakage of the contents of the bottlemain body 31 is prevented. Thus, thenutrient bottle 30 can be oriented laterally when being transported. - After the
nutrient bottle 30 has been transported to a destination, aconnector 45 and a tube 46 (FIG. 19 ) are attached to thespout 33. When attaching them to thespout 33, thespout 33 is first removed from the bottlemain body 31. This is to remove partially or entirely thesealant 36 sealing theoutlet 32 to allow discharge of the nutrient in the bottlemain body 31. -
FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a state immediately before attaching the now-removedspout 33 to the bottlemain body 31. In the state of this figure, thesealant 36 shown inFIG. 16 has been removed. Thespout 33 is attached to theoutlet 32 by screwing themale screw 34 of theoutlet 32 into the female screw (not shown) inside thebase portion 40 of thespout 33. -
FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a state immediately before attaching theconnector 45 and thetube 46 to the bottlemain body 31 to which thespout 33 has been attached. Thenutrient administering tube 46 is inserted in theconnector 45. Although thetube 46 has a certain length so as to administer the nutrient, only thetube 46 on theconnector 45 side is partially illustrated inFIGS. 19 and 20 for the sake of convenience. Thetube 46 is made of a material softer than that of thespout 33, and is attachable to and detachable from thetubular portion 41. - By press fitting the
tubular portion 41 in the inner circumferential surface of thetube 46 and engaging theconnector 45 withhooks 48 provided on apedestal 47, theconnector 45 and thetube 46 are connected to thespout 33. By bringing theconnector 45 into contact with the surface of thebase portion 40 and rotating theconnector 45 to fit thehooks 48 intoopenings 49 formed in theconnector 45, theconnector 45 and thehooks 48 are engaged with each other. In this state, since convex portions (not shown) formed on theconnector 45 engage in the lower side of thehooks 48, theconnector 45 is fixed to thespout 33, thereby preventing theconnector 45 from falling out. - Meanwhile, a flange (not shown) is formed at the end of the
tube 46, and the end of theconnector 45 engages in the flange. As a result, thetube 46 is prevented from falling out of theconnector 45. - That is, in the state where the
connector 45 is fixed to thespout 33, thetube 46 is press fitted on thetubular portion 41 and also is engaged with theconnector 45 fixed to thespout 33. Consequently, thetube 46 is prevented from falling out. - Note that a variety of connection schemes can be used to connect the
spout 33 and thetube 46 to each other, and the connection scheme ofFIG. 19 is one example. -
FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a state where the connection of theconnector 45 and thetube 46 to thespout 33 is completed. As described above, the sealant 36 (FIG. 16 ) has been removed entirely or partially prior to attaching thespout 33. Thus, in the state ofFIG. 20 , the space inside the bottlemain body 31 and the space inside thetube 46 are connected to each other. Therefore, in a state where the bottlemain body 31 is hung on a hook through the opening 34 (FIG. 15 ), in other words, in the state where the bottlemain body 31 is upside down inFIG. 20 , it is possible to let the nutrient in the bottlemain body 31 flow into thetube 46, so that the nutrient can be administered. - Here, when administering a nutrient from a pouch-like bag made of a soft material as in Embodiment 1, the nutrient is discharged while the bag deforms into the form of a sheet. On the other hand, it is difficult for the bottle
main body 31 made of a hard material to deform like the pouch-like bag. To thespout 33 according to the present embodiment, the air-permeable filter 52 is attached. Thefilter 52 is a hydrophobic filter, so that air can pass through the filter but a liquid cannot. - When the nutrient is discharged from the bottle
main body 31, air is drawn into the bottlemain body 31 through thefilter 52 attached to thespout 33. This makes it easy to discharge the nutrient from the bottlemain body 31. - Next, when the
nutrient bottle 30 according to the present embodiment is used in place of theconventional nutrient bag 100 shown inFIG. 25 , since there is no room for inserting a connecting needle in the state after connecting thetube 46 to thespout 33 as shown inFIG. 20 , no accidental insertion occurs. Meanwhile, in the state before connecting thetube 46 as inFIG. 19 , there is a possibility of inserting theneedle 114 into thetubular portion 41, even though theneedle 114 is supposed to be inserted into thedrug solution bag 110. - Similarly to Embodiment 1, the
spout 33 of thenutrient bottle 30 according to the present embodiment is structured to prevent such accidental insertion. In this regard, a description will be given below. -
FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing a state where the connectingneedle 120 is entering thetubular portion 41.FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view taken in the central axis direction of thetubular portion 41 inFIG. 21 . InFIGS. 21 and 22 , the connectingneedle 120 is not for being connected to thenutrient bottle 30. The connectingneedle 120 corresponds to the connectingneedle 114 for thedrug solution bag 110 in the example ofFIG. 25 . - As shown in
FIGS. 21 and 22 , the tip of the connectingneedle 120 is inserted in thehole 45 whose diameter is narrowed by therib 43. Thetip part 120 b of the connectingneedle 120 increases in diameter towards themain body part 120 a. At one point between thetip part 120 b and themain body part 120 a, the diameter of thetip part 120 b becomes larger than the diameter of thehole 45. Thus, thetip part 120 b of the connectingneedle 120 enters thehole 45 but the entry of thetip part 120 b is limited. - That is, the connecting
needle 120 only can be inserted for a small distance, so that accidental insertion is likely to be noticed. In this case, the connectingneedle 120 will be removed, so that accidental insertion is prevented. - Further, unlike Embodiment 1, a cap corresponding to the liquid stopper cap 5 (
FIG. 10 ) is not attached to thetubular portion 41 in the present embodiment. Therefore, when inserting the connectingneedle 120, it is possible visually to check the opening at the leading end of thetubular portion 41. In this case, accidental insertion may be prevented as soon as the presence of therib 43 is noticed. - Further, the
hole 45 is surrounded by the edge of therib 43 that extends from the inner circumferential surface of thetubular portion 41. That is, since there is no other hole between the edge of therib 43 and the inner circumferential surface of thetubular portion 41, therib 43 is a structure advantageous in preventing breakage and deformation. - Although the examples of
FIGS. 21 and 22 show that the tip of the connectingneedle 120 is in thehole 45, there may be a case where the tip of the connectingneedle 120 does not enter thehole 45 but comes into contact with therib 43.FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing a state where the tip of the connectingneedle 120 is in contact with therib 43.FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view taken in the line C-C inFIG. 23 . - As shown in
FIGS. 23 and 24 , when the tip of the connectingneedle 120 comes in contact with therib 43, the entry distance of the connectingneedle 120 becomes smaller in comparison with the case where the tip of the connectingneedle 120 enters thehole 45. Thus, it is advantageous in preventing accidental insertion. - In the example of
FIGS. 23 and 24 , aninclined surface 46 is formed on therib 43 on the leading end side of thetubular portion 41. This makes it hard for the tip of the connectingneedle 120 that has come into contact with therib 43 to enter thehole 45. Theinclined surface 46 is formed so as to surround thehole 45. Theinclined surface 46 is inclined in the leading end side of thetubular portion 41 towards thecentral axis 44 of the throughhole 42. - As a result of forming the
inclined surface 46, the tip of the connectingneedle 120 that has come into contact with therib 43 as inFIGS. 23 and 24 is guided by theinclined surface 46 and is likely to slip in the direction away from thehole 45. Thus, when the tip of the connectingneedle 120 once comes into contact with therib 43, the connectingneedle 120 is unlikely to enter thehole 45. - Also in the present embodiment, a configuration corresponding to the
inclined surface 23 may be provided as inFIG. 13 of Embodiment 1 so as to improve the flowability of a nutrient to be discharged through thetubular portion 41. - Further, configurations corresponding to the
inclined surfaces FIG. 14 of Embodiment 1 so as to make it hard for the tip of the connectingneedle 120 to enter and to improve the flowability of a nutrient. - Further, the example where the
tubular portion 41 protrudes from thebase portion 40 of thespout 33 has been described, but thetubular portion 41 may be formed inside thespout 33 so as not to protrude thetubular portion 41 from thebase portion 40. - Further, although the example where the
connector 45 and thetube 46 as a soft material are attached to thespout 33 has been described, as long as a nutrient can be administered through thespout 33, the attachment portions may have a different structure and different specifications. For example, without using theconnector 45, thetube 46 may simply be press fitted on thetubular portion 41 of thespout 33. - Further, the liquid container has been described by taking the pouch-like bag in Embodiment 1 and the hollow bottle in
Embodiment 2 as examples, the bottle may be used in Embodiment 1 and the bag may be used inEmbodiment 2. - Further, as described above, since the spouts according to
Embodiments 1 and 2 can prevent accidental insertion of connecting needles, bags and bottles to which the spouts are to be attached are not limited only to those for nutrients but also to those for other applications. - As described above, since the spout according to the present invention can prevent accidental insertion of connecting needles with more certainty, it is useful as, for example, a spout of a nutrient bag.
- 1 nutrient bag
- 2 bag main body
- 4, 33 spout
- 5 liquid stopper cap
- 9, 41 tubular portion
- 12, 42 through hole
- 13, 44 central axis
- 20, 43 rib
- 21, 45 hole
- 22, 23, 46 inclined surface
- 30 nutrient bottle
- 31 bottle main body
- 40 base portion
- 52 filter
Claims (9)
1. A spout that can be attached to a liquid container and through which contents filled in the liquid container are discharged, the spout comprising:
a tubular portion in which a through hole is formed and from a leading end of which the contents are discharged; and
a rib that extends from an inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion towards a central axis side of the through hole,
wherein a hole surrounded by an edge of the rib is formed in a part where the rib is formed.
2. The spout according to claim 1 , wherein an inclined surface that inclines in the leading end side of the tubular portion towards the central axis of the through hole is formed on the rib on the leading end side of the tubular portion.
3. The spout according to claim 1 , wherein an inclined surface that inclines in the leading end side of the tubular portion towards the central axis of the through hole is formed on the rib on a base end side of the tubular portion.
4. The spout according to claim 1 , wherein inclined surfaces that incline in the leading end side of the tubular portion towards the central axis of the through hole are formed on the rib on the leading end side and a base end side of the tubular portion, respectively.
5. The spout according to claim 1 , further comprising a base that is attached to the liquid container,
wherein the tubular portion protrudes from the base, and a protruding dimension of the tubular portion from the base is 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less.
6. The spout according to claim 1 , further comprising an air-permeable filter.
7. The spout according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid container is a pouch-like bag or a bottle.
8. A liquid container with a spout comprising the spout according to claim 1 .
9. The liquid container according to claim 8 , further comprising a liquid stopper cap for sealing the spout,
wherein when the liquid stopper cap is attached to the spout, the minimum distance between a leading end of the liquid stopper cap and the rib is 5 mm or less.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2008-267826 | 2008-10-16 | ||
JP2008267826 | 2008-10-16 | ||
PCT/JP2009/067391 WO2010044353A1 (en) | 2008-10-16 | 2009-10-06 | Spout and liquid containing body with spout |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20110180566A1 true US20110180566A1 (en) | 2011-07-28 |
Family
ID=42106518
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/122,653 Abandoned US20110180566A1 (en) | 2008-10-16 | 2009-10-06 | Spout and liquid container with spout |
Country Status (6)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20110180566A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2354027A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP5310731B2 (en) |
KR (1) | KR101668500B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN102186736B (en) |
WO (1) | WO2010044353A1 (en) |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20110144596A1 (en) * | 2008-09-12 | 2011-06-16 | Jms Co., Ltd. | Spout and liquid container with spout |
US20130341354A1 (en) * | 2012-06-26 | 2013-12-26 | Gojo Industries, Inc. | Portable liquid dispenser |
US10814047B2 (en) | 2016-04-25 | 2020-10-27 | Allegiance Corporation | Fluid collection systems and methods of use |
US20210322271A1 (en) * | 2020-04-16 | 2021-10-21 | Scholle Ipn Corporation | Flexible container assembly and fitment assembly for a flexible container assembly |
USD944085S1 (en) * | 2018-01-08 | 2022-02-22 | Scholle Ipn Corporation | Connector |
Families Citing this family (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2012137286A1 (en) * | 2011-04-04 | 2012-10-11 | 株式会社ジェイ・エム・エス | Medical port, nutrient container using same and nutrient supply set |
WO2020037104A1 (en) * | 2018-08-17 | 2020-02-20 | Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation | System and method for storing pharmaceuticals or biological media |
KR102237059B1 (en) * | 2019-09-24 | 2021-04-08 | 신태섭 | Storage pack for experimental liquid |
WO2022076908A2 (en) | 2020-10-09 | 2022-04-14 | Icu Medical, Inc. | Fluid transfer device and method of use for same |
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- 2009-10-06 JP JP2010533874A patent/JP5310731B2/en active Active
- 2009-10-06 US US13/122,653 patent/US20110180566A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2009-10-06 EP EP09820531A patent/EP2354027A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2009-10-06 KR KR1020117010182A patent/KR101668500B1/en active IP Right Grant
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
KR101668500B1 (en) | 2016-10-21 |
CN102186736B (en) | 2012-11-28 |
WO2010044353A1 (en) | 2010-04-22 |
JPWO2010044353A1 (en) | 2012-03-15 |
CN102186736A (en) | 2011-09-14 |
JP5310731B2 (en) | 2013-10-09 |
KR20110070995A (en) | 2011-06-27 |
EP2354027A1 (en) | 2011-08-10 |
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Legal Events
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: JMS CO., LTD., JAPAN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:KOBASHI, YOSHIHIKO;KUNISHIGE, TAKAHIKO;SATO, YOSHINORI;SIGNING DATES FROM 20110221 TO 20110312;REEL/FRAME:026085/0892 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |