초록

In an eye drops container, a barrel portion 2 in the form of a flexible hollow cylinder defines a dent portion 7 which can be gripped with two fingers.

대표청구항 ▼

1. In an eye drops container of the type having a flexible cylindrical barrel portion, which requires a pressing force of about 5.35 N to about 6.15 N for instilling a single drop of water from the container, the improvement comprising a container having at least one dent portion that can be gripped

1. In an eye drops container of the type having a flexible cylindrical barrel portion, which requires a pressing force of about 5.35 N to about 6.15 N for instilling a single drop of water from the container, the improvement comprising a container having at least one dent portion that can be gripped by two fingers positioned on said cylindrical barrel portion, said at least one dent portion rendering said pressing force required for instilling the single drop of water, wherein said pressing force is about 1.78 to about 3.34 N.2. The improved eye drops container according to claim 1, wherein the dent portion comprises flat or substantially flat gripping faces which are formed concave respectively at two peripheral portions of the barrel portion.3. The improved eye drops container according to claim 2, wherein the dent portion comprises curved concave gripping faces which are formed concave respectively at least two peripheral portions of the barrel portion, each gripping face being progressively closer to a central axis of the container body as the face extends toward the longitudinal center of the central axis.4. The improved eye drops container according to claim 1, wherein the container body having the barrel portion comprises a container body made of thermoplastic resin material which is filled with a solution simultaneously with its forming operation.5. The improved eye drops container according to claim 2, wherein the container body having the barrel portion comprises a container body made of thermoplastic resin material which is filled with a solution simultaneously with its forming operation.6. The improved eye drops container according to claim 3, wherein the container body having the barrel portion comprises a container body made of thermoplastic resin material which is filled with a solution simultaneously with its forming operation.7. The improved eye drops container according to claim 1, wherein said container is made by at least one of-blow molding and vacuum molding.8. The improved eye drops container according to claim 1, wherein the barrel portion has a height of 33.7 mm and a diameter of 19.6 mm.9. The improved eye drops container according to claim 1, wherein said dent portion is an oval portion having a height of 19.5 mm and a width of 13.3 mm.10. The improved eye drops container according to claim 1, wherein the barrel portion comprises a container body made of thermoplastic resin material.11. The improved eye drops container according to claim 10, wherein the thermoplastic resin material is at least one of polyethylene, polyethylene-polypropylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate and polycarbonate.12. The improved eye drops container according to claim 10, wherein the thermoplastic resin is polyethylene.13. The improved eye drops container according to claim 12, wherein the container weighs between 2.0 g and 2.4 g.14. The improved eye drops container according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical barrel portion further comprises a conical recess, with a depth of between 2 mm and 7 mm, having a progressively increasing inner diameter towards the instilling nozzle.15. The improved eye drops container according to claim 1, further comprising an instilling nozzle having a diameter of between 2 mm and 4 mm.16. The improved eye drops container according to claim 15, wherein the instilling nozzle includes an instilling nozzle hole having a diameter of between 0.1 mm and 0.8 mm for providing for the instillation of a solution therethrough.17. A container for eye drops, comprising:a one-piece elastically deformable plastic barrel portion having sidewalls having an outer surface and an inner surface, a first end and an opposite second end with the first end being a closed end, an axis extending from center of first end to center of second end, the sidewalls of the barrel portion having a first concave wall portion and an opposite second concave wall portion with each of the concave portions having an elliptical shape with an end of long axis of each of the concave portions adjacent and spaced from the first end of the barrel portion and extending toward the second end of the barrel portion, and second opposite end of the long axis of each of the concave portions adjacent to and spaced from the second end of the barrel portion and minor axis of the concave portions generally normal to the major axis of its respective concave portion, the inner surface of the sidewall at the first and second concave portions facing one another, and distance between the first and second concave portions increases as the distance from cross over of the major and minor axis of the concave portions along the major axis increases, and the distance between the inner surface of the sidewalls and the center axis remains substantially constant as the distance from the end of the major axis of the concave portions toward its respective end of the barrel portion decreases; and the second end of the barrel portion having an opening through which fluid passes when the first and second concave portions are moved toward one another. 18. The container for eye drops according to claim 17, wherein the concave portions are equidistant between the first and second ends of the barrel portion and pressing force to move one drop of water through the opening at the second end of the barrel portion when the first and second concave portions are moved toward one another is equal to the pressing force required to move one drop of water through an opening of a reference container having an aperture diameter of 2.9 mm, the reference container made of polyethylene having a total length of 56.4 mm, a barrel portion having a length of 33.7 mm, concave portions having a major axis of 19.5 mm and a minor axis of 13.3 mm, and a maximum depth from the outer surface of the sidewall of 1.6 mm, and a container weight in the range of 2.0 to 2.4 grams, and wherein the pressing force is in the range of about 2.10 to about 3.26N.19. A container for eye drops, comprising:a one-piece elastically deformable plastic barrel portion having sidewalls having an outer surface and an inner surface, a first end and an opposite second end with the first end being a closed end, an axis extending from center of first end to center of second end, the sidewalls of the barrel portion having a first concave wall portion and an opposite second concave wall portion with each of the concave portions having an elliptical shape with an end of long axis of each of the concave portions adjacent and spaced from the first end of the barrel portion and extending toward the second end of the barrel portion, and second opposite end of the long axis of each of the concave portions adjacent to and spaced from the second end of the barrel portion and minor axis of the concave portions generally normal to the major axis of its respective concave portion, the inner surface of the sidewall at the first and second concave portions facing one another, and distance between the first and second concave portions substantially constant as the distance from cross over of the major and minor axis of the concave portions along the major axis increases to a transition portion after which the distance between the concave portions increases as the distance along the major axis from the cross over increases, and the distance between the inner surface of the sidewalls and the center axis remains substantially constant as the distance from the end of the major axis of the concave portions toward its respective end of the barrel portion decreases; and the second end of the barrel portion having an opening through which fluid passes when the first and second concave portions are moved toward one another. 20. The container for eye drops according to claim 19, wherein the concave portions are equidistant between the first and second ends of the barrel portion and pressing force to move one drop of water through the opening at the second end of the barrel portion when the first and second concave portions are moved toward one another is equal to the pressing force required to move one drop of water through a reference container having an aperture diameter of 2.9 mm, the reference container made of polyethylene having a total length of 56.4 mm, a barrel portion having a length of 33.7 mm, the concave portions having a major axis of 19.5 mm and a minor axis of 13.3 mm and a maximum depth from the outer surface of the sidewall of 1.6 mm, and a container weight in the range of 2.0 to 2.4 grams, and wherein the pressing force is in the range of about 1.78 to about 3.34N.