Ejector

Abstract

The ejector(1) has a structure in which the stop(130) is installed in a moving position. It can tilt between the limiting positions where the limiting part(135,136) touches, collides with, or is close to the engaged part. (120,100A) restricts movement downward of the discharge head (13) with, release position. The limiter, which moves from its restricted position to the rear, is separated from the part that is being hooked. The constricting mechanism allows for downward movement of the exhaust head and includes limiting and restrictive components. The finger (134c) which is positioned on the outer side of the left-right direction is pressed down on the part (16) and, the part is pressed down. The touch (138) will touch the press-down part at the time the stop is in the condition which is set at the limit position. And it touches or collides with the pressed part, or, at the time the stop is in a state where it is set at a limit position and The pressed part rotates downward around its axis (L). The pressed part is located at the rear end. Over the part which touches the part that touches the part that is touched, forming the part that is protruding (139) which protrudes downwards. The image selected is Image 1.

Description

Spreader

[0001] The present invention relates to a spreader. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-179795 filed in Japan on September 20, 2017, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-231173 filed in Japan on November 30, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Conventionally, a pump having a discharge head formed with a discharge hole that is disposed so as to be movable downward in an upwardly biased state and opens forward at the mouth of a container body in which contents are stored, a mounting cap for mounting the pump to the mouth of the container body, a support portion erected at the rear of the mounting cap, and a pressing member that is rotatably disposed around a rotation axis on the support portion and presses down the discharge head is provided. By rotating the pressing member downward around the rotation axis, a spreader that moves the discharge head downward and discharges the contents from the discharge hole is known. As this type of spreader, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1 below, a stopper that is disposed so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction and has a regulating portion that abuts or approaches from below the pressing member against the pressing member is provided. The stopper is disposed so as to be swingable between a regulating position where the regulating portion abuts or approaches the pressing member and restricts the downward movement of the discharge head, and a regulating release position where the regulating portion swings rearward from the regulating position, the regulating portion separates from the pressing member, and the downward movement of the discharge head is allowed. In the above configuration, when the stopper is positioned at the regulating release position and the pressing member is rotated downward around the rotation axis, the discharge head moves downward and the contents are discharged from the discharge hole.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-209319

[0004] However, in the conventional spreader, when a large force is applied to the pressing member to rotate the pressing member downward around the rotation axis, for example, when the stopper is positioned at the regulating position, the support portion may be deformed, and a force is applied from the pressing member to the stopper to swing the stopper rearward, and the stopper may unexpectedly shift from the regulating position to the regulating release position side.

[0005] Furthermore, if the dispenser is stored in a bag, for example, other items inside the bag may get caught on the dispenser's pressing member. In this state, if you try to pull out the other items or the dispenser from the bag, a large force that rotates the pressing member upward around the rotation axis may be unintentionally applied. Because the dispenser's pressing member and dispensing head are linked, the force applied to the pressing member may cause the dispensing head to be pulled away from the stem.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and aims to provide a discharger that can suppress the stopper, which is located in the restricted position, from unexpectedly shifting to the unrestricted position even when a large force is applied to the pressing member, for example, to rotate the pressing member downwards around the rotation axis.

[0007] Furthermore, the present invention aims to provide a discharger that can prevent the discharge head from being pulled out of the stem even when a large force is applied to the pressing member, for example, in an upward direction around the rotation axis.

[0008] A first aspect of the present invention is a discharger comprising: a pump having a discharge head that is disposed at the mouth of a container body containing contents so as to be movable downward in an upward biased state and having a discharge hole that opens toward the front; a mounting cap for attaching the pump to the mouth of the container body; a support part erected at the rear of the mounting cap; and a pressing member disposed at the support part so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis and pressing down the discharge head, wherein the discharger is configured to move the discharge head downward and discharge the contents from the discharge hole by rotating the pressing member downward about the rotation axis, and further comprising a stopper disposed so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction and having a regulating part that abuts against or approaches a locking part formed on at least one of the discharge head and the pressing member from below the locking part The stopper is swingably disposed between a restricting position in which the restricting portion abuts against or is close to the locked portion and restricts the downward movement of the discharge head, and a release position in which the restricting portion swings backward from the restricting position so that it moves away from the locked portion and allows the downward movement of the discharge head. The stopper comprises the restricting portion, a finger grip portion located outward from the pressing member in the left-right direction which is orthogonal in both the front-rear and up-down directions, and a contact portion that abuts the pressing member when the stopper is in the restricting position and contacts the pressing member, or when the pressing member rotates downward around the rotation axis while the stopper is in the restricting position. The pressing member has a restraining projection that protrudes downward in the portion located behind the contact portion to which the contact portion abuts.

[0009] According to the discharger of the first aspect of the present invention, since a restraining projection is formed on the pressing member, when the stopper is in the restricting position, and a large force is applied to the pressing member, for example, to rotate the pressing member downward around the axis of rotation, a rearward force is applied from the contact portion of the pressing member to the contacted portion of the stopper, causing the stopper to shift toward the release position. However, the contacted portion of the stopper contacts the restraining projection from behind the contacted portion, thereby locking the stopper to the restraining projection. This prevents the stopper, which is in the restricting position, from unexpectedly shifting toward the release position.

[0010] In the first embodiment described above, at least the rear end of the upper end surface of the contact portion of the pressing member that contacts the contact portion of the contact portion of the contact portion of the contact portion of the contact portion may gradually extend downward as it moves toward the rear.

[0011] In this case, at least the rear end of the upper surface of the contact portion of the stopper gradually extends downward as it moves towards the rear. Therefore, when the aforementioned large force is applied to the pressing member, even if the stopper tries to shift from the restricted position to the release position, a forward force is applied to the upper surface of the contact portion from the restraining projection of the pressing member, allowing the stopper to return to or remain in the restricted position.

[0012] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, at least a portion of the restraining projection may face the rear end of the upper end surface of the contacted portion when the stopper is in the regulating position.

[0013] In this case, at least a portion of the restraining projection faces the rear end of the upper end surface of the contacted portion when the stopper is in the restraining position. This makes it possible to reduce the front-rear distance between the upper end surface of the contacted portion and the restraining projection, and reliably prevents the stopper from shifting from the restraining position to the release position when the aforementioned large force is applied to the pressing member. At the same time, it is possible to effectively apply a forward force from the restraining projection of the pressing member to the upper end surface of the contacted portion.

[0014] A second aspect of the present invention provides a discharger comprising: a stem disposed at the mouth of a container body containing contents so as to be movable downward in an upward biased state, and a pump having a discharge head mounted on the stem and having a discharge hole that opens toward the front; a mounting cap for mounting the pump to the mouth of the container body; a support portion erected at the rear of the mounting cap; and a pressing member disposed at the support portion so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis and linked to the discharge head, wherein the discharger is configured to move the discharge head downward and discharge the contents from the discharge hole by rotating the pressing member downward around the rotation axis, and has an upward restricting portion that abuts against or approaches an upward locking portion formed on at least one of the discharge head and the pressing member from above the upward locking portion.

[0015] According to the second embodiment described above, if an upward pulling force is suddenly applied to the pressing member, the upward locking portion abuts against the upward restricting portion from below. This restricts the upward movement of the discharge head relative to the stem. As a result, even if a large force is applied to rotate the pressing member upward around the rotation axis, the discharge head will not be pulled out from the stem.

[0016] In the discharger according to the second aspect of the present invention, a stopper is provided which is pivotably disposed in the front-rear direction and has a downward restricting portion that contacts or approaches a downward locking portion formed on at least one of the discharge head and the pressing member from below the downward locking portion, wherein the stopper is pivotably disposed between a restricting position in which the downward restricting portion contacts or approaches the downward locking portion and restricts the downward movement of the discharge head, and an unrestricted position in which the stopper pivots rearward from the restricting position so that the downward restricting portion moves away from the downward locking portion and allows the downward movement of the discharge head. With this configuration, when the stopper is in the restricting position, the downward movement of the discharge head is restricted by the downward restricting portion contacting or approaching the downward locking portion. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the unintended discharge of contents. On the other hand, when the stopper is in the unrestricted position, the downward movement of the discharge head is allowed by rotating the pressing member downward around the rotation axis. This allows the contents to be discharged through the discharge hole.

[0017] In the discharger according to the second aspect of the present invention, the upward restricting portion may be formed in the stopper. With this configuration, by forming the upward restricting portion in the stopper, it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of parts and complexity of the structure.

[0018] In the discharger according to the second aspect of the present invention, the support portion includes a guide cylinder through which the stem is inserted so as to be movable downward, and the upward locking portion may be formed on the portion of the discharge head that protrudes upward from the guide cylinder. With this configuration, the upward locking portion can be formed regardless of the dimensions of the discharge head and the guide cylinder, for example, the degree of design freedom can be improved.

[0019] In the discharger according to the second aspect of the present invention, the support portion includes a guide cylinder through which the stem is inserted so as to be movable downward, and the upward locking portion may be formed on the portion of the discharge head located inside the guide cylinder. With this configuration, the upward movement of the discharge head can be restricted at the lower end of the mounting cylinder portion. This reliably prevents the discharge head from tipping over. Furthermore, since the upward restricting portion is not exposed to the outside, the aesthetic appearance can be improved.

[0020] According to the discharger of the first aspect of the present invention, even if a large force is applied to the pressing member, for example, to rotate the pressing member downwards around the rotation axis, it is possible to suppress the stopper, which is located in the restricting position, from unexpectedly shifting to the release position.

[0021] Furthermore, according to the discharger of the second aspect of the present invention, even if a large force is applied to the pressing member, for example, in an upward direction around the rotation axis, the discharge head can be prevented from being pulled out from the stem.

[0022] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the axial direction when viewed from the left and right of a discharger according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which an adapter for both upright and inverted use is attached and the stopper is in the restricting position. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the upper half of the discharger shown in Figure 1. This is a perspective view showing the discharger shown in Figure 1 with the pressing member removed. This is a partial cross-sectional view of the discharger shown in Figure 1 when viewed from the front. This is a figure showing the discharger according to the first embodiment, in which the stopper is moved to the release position from the state shown in Figure 2, and the pressing member is rotated downward to press down the discharge head. This is a perspective view showing the stopper of the discharger according to the first embodiment. This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Figure 4. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the lower half of the discharger shown in Figure 1. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the axial direction when viewed from the left and right of a discharger according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in which an adapter for both upright and inverted use is attached and the stopper is in the restricting position. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the upper half of the discharger shown in Figure 9. This is a perspective view showing the discharger shown in Figure 9 with the pressing member removed. This is a partial cross-sectional view of the discharger shown in Figure 9 when viewed from the front. This is a diagram showing a discharger according to the second embodiment, a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the state in which the stopper is positioned in the release position from the state shown in Figure 10, and the pressing member is rotated downward to press down the discharge head. This is a perspective view showing the stopper of the discharger according to the second embodiment. This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of Figure 10. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the discharger according to the third embodiment of the present invention. This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the discharger according to the third embodiment.

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the discharger according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] (First Embodiment) As shown in Figure 1, the dispenser 1 comprises a pump 14 having a discharge head 13 that is mounted on the mouth 3 of a container body 2 containing the contents, so as to be movable downward in an upward biased state, and having a discharge hole 13A that opens toward the front; a mounting cap 11 for mounting the pump 14 to the mouth 3 of the container body 2; a support part 15 erected on the rear of the mounting cap 11; and a pressing member 16 mounted on the support part 15 so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis L, which presses down the discharge head 13. In this dispenser 1, by rotating the pressing member 16 downward around the rotation axis L, the discharge head 13 moves downward and the contents are discharged from the discharge hole 13A. In the illustrated example, a forward and inverted adapter 200, which will be described later, is mounted on the dispenser 1.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the mounting cap 11 is formed in a top-cylindrical shape. The mounting cap 11 has an annular top wall portion 11a with an opening 11c in the center, and a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 11b extending downward from the outer peripheral edge of the top wall portion 11a. The inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall portion 11b has a female thread that screws onto a male thread formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 3 of the container body 2.

[0026] The pump 14 comprises a stem 12 that is movable downward, a coil spring 95 that biases the stem 12 upward, a discharge head 13 attached to the upper end of the stem 12, a cylindrical piston 41 that is linked to the up and down movement of the stem 12, a cylinder 42 in which the piston 41 is housed so as to be able to slide up and down, and a piston guide 43 that extends downward from the stem 12.

[0027] Here, the mounting cap 11, stem 12, piston 41, cylinder 42, and piston guide 43 are arranged so that their respective central axes lie on a common axis. Hereafter, this common axis will be referred to as the central axis O, and the direction along the central axis O will be referred to as the vertical direction. In a plan view from the vertical direction, the direction intersecting the central axis O will be referred to as the radial direction, and the direction revolving around the central axis O will be referred to as the circumferential direction. In a plan view, within the radial direction, the direction in which the discharge hole 13A of the discharge head 13 opens will be referred to as the front, the opposite direction will be referred to as the rear, and the direction perpendicular to both the vertical and front-back directions will be referred to as the left-right direction.

[0028] The stem 12 is erected on the mouth 3 of the container body 2 so as to be movable downward while biased upward. The inner and outer diameters of the lower part of the stem 12 are larger than the inner and outer diameters of the upper part of the stem 12. A tapered stepped cylindrical portion 12A is formed between the upper and lower parts of the stem 12. An elastic piece 25 is disposed between the stem 12 and the piston 41, to which a vertical compressive force is applied by the piston 41 and the stem 12 as the stem 12 and piston guide 43 move downward relative to the piston 41.

[0029] The elastic piece 25 is formed in a plate shape with its front and back surfaces facing radially and extending vertically. The elastic piece 25 is formed on the lower end opening edge of the stem 12 and is arranged in multiples (six in this embodiment) at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The elastic piece 25 is formed integrally with the stem 12. The multiple elastic pieces 25 are formed to be of the same shape and size as each other. The radial size (thickness) of the elastic piece 25 is thinner than the thickness of the stem 12. The stem 12 and the elastic piece 25 are made of a material that has a certain degree of rigidity, such as polypropylene, so that the elastic piece 25 deforms when a certain force is applied to it.

[0030] The discharge head 13 has a top-mounted cylindrical mounting section 31 attached to the upper end of the stem 12, and a cylindrical nozzle section 32 protruding forward from the mounting section 31. The mounting section 31 is fitted inside the stem 12. A first locking section 120 protruding rearward is formed at the upper end of the mounting section 31.

[0031] The first locking portion 120 is formed in a block shape having a pair of weight-reducing holes 121 that open in the left-right direction. The first locking portion 120 has an engaging projection 122 formed thereon to prevent the stopper 130, which will be described later, from moving from the restricted position to the released position. The engaging projection 122 protrudes downward from the rear end of the first locking portion 120. The lower end of the engaging projection 122 is located above the upper end of the stem 12. The rear of the engaging projection 122 has a slope 122a that gradually extends upward as it moves towards the rear.

[0032] At the upper end of the mounting cylinder portion 31, a pair of second locking portions 100A are formed, each projecting separately to the left and right. The second locking portions 100A are circular in shape when viewed from the left and right directions. As shown in Figure 3, the outer circumferential surface of the second locking portion 100A has a downward-facing flat surface 100A1 and an inclined surface 100A2 that faces diagonally downward and rearward. The flat surface 100A1 is formed at the lower end of the outer circumferential surface of the second locking portion 100A and is, for example, a flat surface perpendicular to the vertical direction. The inclined surface 100A2 is connected to the rear end of the flat surface 100A1 and gradually extends upward as it moves backward from the rear end of the flat surface 100A1.

[0033] As shown in Figure 2, the nozzle cylinder portion 32 contains a core rod 35 extending in the front-rear direction and a top-cylindrical tip 36 attached to the front end of the core rod 35. Multiple flow channel grooves 35A are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the core rod 35, extending in the front-rear direction and enabling the flow of the liquid contents between the core rod 35 and the inner circumferential surface of the nozzle cylinder portion 32. The tip 36 is arranged coaxially with the core rod 35 and has a cylindrical tip cylinder portion 37 into which the core rod 35 is fitted, and an end wall portion 38 provided at the front end of the tip cylinder portion 37.

[0034] The tip cylinder portion 37 is fitted into the nozzle cylinder portion 32. The end wall portion 38 abuts against the front end surface of the core rod 35. A spin channel 38A is formed on the rear surface of the end wall portion 38 that abuts against the front end surface of the core rod 35, communicating with the flow channel groove portion 35A of the core rod 35. A discharge hole 13A, which communicates with the spin channel 38A, opens forward in the central part of the end wall portion 38. The tip 36 can discharge the liquid contents in a mist. Furthermore, by changing the shape of the tip 36 and the nozzle tip, it is possible to discharge the liquid contents in a foamy or linear form. For example, by providing a foaming member such as a mesh at the nozzle tip of this embodiment, foamy discharge becomes possible.

[0035] The piston 41 comprises an outer cylinder piston 51 fitted into the cylinder 42 so as to be vertically slidable, an inner cylinder piston 52 positioned radially inside the outer cylinder piston 51 and surrounding the piston guide 43 from the radially outside, and an annular connecting portion 53 connecting the outer cylinder piston 51 and the inner cylinder piston 52. The outer cylinder piston 51, the inner cylinder piston 52, and the annular connecting portion 53 are each arranged coaxially with the central axis O. In the illustrated example, the outer cylinder piston 51, the inner cylinder piston 52, and the annular connecting portion 53 are formed as a single unit.

[0036] The lower end of the outer cylinder piston 51 is curved so as to gradually curve outward in the radial direction from top to bottom. The lower end of the outer cylinder piston 51 abuts the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 42 so as to be vertically movable. The lower end of the inner cylinder piston 52 is curved so as to gradually curve inward in the radial direction from top to bottom. It abuts the abutment portion 43E formed near the flange portion 43A of the piston guide 43, which will be described later. The upper end of the inner cylinder piston 52 is curved so as to gradually curve outward in the radial direction from bottom to top, and abuts the inner circumferential surface of the lower end of the stem 12 so as to be vertically movable.

[0037] On the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder piston 52, a tapered portion 52a is formed in the portion connected to the upper end of the annular connecting portion 53, gradually decreasing in diameter as it extends upward from the upper end of the annular connecting portion 53. The tapered portion 52a extends continuously around the entire circumference. However, the tapered portion 52a may extend intermittently around the entire circumference. The tapered portion 52a and the lower end of the elastic piece 25 face each other in the vertical direction.

[0038] The cylinder 42 is formed in a multi-stage cylindrical shape. The cylinder 42 includes an upper cylindrical portion 62 extending in the vertical direction, a lower cylindrical portion 63 extending downward from the lower end of the upper cylindrical portion 62 and having a smaller inner and outer diameter than the upper cylindrical portion 62, a small-diameter portion 64 extending downward from the lower end of the lower cylindrical portion 63 and having a smaller inner and outer diameter than the lower cylindrical portion 63, an annular stepped portion 65 connecting the lower end of the upper cylindrical portion 62 and the upper end of the lower cylindrical portion 63, and a connecting cylindrical portion 69 extending downward from the lower end of the small-diameter portion 64.

[0039] An air hole 62B is formed at the top of the upper cylindrical portion 62, connecting the inside and outside of the upper cylindrical portion 62. An annular support plate portion 61 is formed at the upper end of the upper cylindrical portion 62, projecting radially outward. The lower surface of the top wall portion 11a of the mounting cap 11 abuts against the outer circumference of the upper surface of the support plate portion 61. A first packing 66 is disposed between the support plate portion 61 and the upper opening edge of the mouth portion 3 of the container body 2. The circumferential wall portion 11b of the mounting cap 11 is screwed into the mouth portion 3, thereby fixing the support plate portion 61 and the first packing 66 between the top wall portion 11a of the mounting cap 11 and the mouth portion 3. These support plate portion 61, upper cylindrical portion 62, lower cylindrical portion 63, and small diameter portion 64 are arranged coaxially with the central axis O. The stepped portion 65 faces the outer cylinder piston 51 of the piston 41 in the vertical direction. When the piston 41 is in the lowered position as shown in Figure 5, the lower end of the outer cylinder piston 51 comes into contact with the upper surface of the stepped portion 65.

[0040] As shown in Figure 2, a vertical cylindrical portion 60 is formed on the upper surface of the support plate portion 61, extending upward and inserted through the opening 11c of the mounting cap 11. The outer and inner diameters of the vertical cylindrical portion 60 are larger than the outer and inner diameters of the upper cylindrical portion 62. The upper end opening edge of the vertical cylindrical portion 60 is located at the same position in the vertical direction as the stepped cylindrical portion 12A of the stem 12. The upper surface of the support plate portion 61 is located at the same position in the vertical direction as the upper end opening edge of the outer cylinder piston 51 of the piston 41. An annular second packing 56 is integrally disposed on the upper surface of the inner circumference of the support plate portion 61 located radially inward from the vertical cylindrical portion 60, and on the upper end opening edge of the outer cylinder piston 51.

[0041] The small-diameter section 64 has a straight cylindrical section 67 that extends straight downward from the lower end of the lower cylindrical section 63, and a tapered cylindrical section 68 in which the inner and outer diameters gradually decrease as it extends downward from the lower end of the straight cylindrical section 67. Inside the tapered cylindrical section 68, a valve body 44 is detachably disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the tapered cylindrical section 68. The valve body 44 is a so-called ball valve made of synthetic resin and formed into a spherical shape. By making the valve body 44 from synthetic resin, costs can be reduced, and there is no need to separate the valve body 44 when disposing of it. The valve body 44 may also be made of metal or the like. Furthermore, a check valve using various valve bodies instead of a ball valve may also be used.

[0042] A restricting projection 68A is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the tapered cylindrical portion 68, which gradually extends upward from the radially outer side towards the inner side. The inner diameter of the upper end of the restricting projection 68A is smaller than the outer diameter of the valve body 44. This restricts the valve body 44 from moving upward away from the restricting projection 68A. A gap is formed in the restricting projection 68A that divides its circumferential extension.

[0043] The piston guide 43 penetrates the inside of the piston 41 in the vertical direction. The piston guide 43 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with a circumferential cylindrical portion 43D and a bottom wall portion that extend downward from the stem 12. The bottom wall portion of the piston guide 43 is located below the inner cylinder piston 52 of the piston 41. An annular flange portion 43A is formed on the bottom wall portion that protrudes radially outward. A contact portion 43E is formed at the lower end of the circumferential cylindrical portion 43D of the piston guide 43, the outer diameter of which gradually decreases as it moves upward from the upper surface of the flange portion 43A. The lower end of the inner cylinder piston 52 of the piston 41 is in contact with this contact portion 43E.

[0044] A communication hole 43B for communicating the inside of the piston guide 43 with the inside of the cylinder 42 is formed in the circumferential cylindrical portion 43D of the piston guide 43. More specifically, the communication hole 43B is formed in the lower part of the circumferential cylindrical portion 43D. The communication hole 43B is arranged, for example, on both sides sandwiching the central axis O in the radial direction. The communication hole 43B is located above the contact portion 43E where the lower end portion of the inner cylinder piston 52 abuts. Thereby, the communication between the communication hole 43B and the upper cylinder portion 62 in the cylinder 42 is blocked.

[0045] A through hole 43C for communicating the inside of the piston guide 43 with the inside of the stem 12 is formed in the circumferential cylindrical portion 43D of the piston guide 43. More specifically, the through hole 43C is formed in the upper part of the circumferential cylindrical portion 43D. Similar to the communication hole 43B, the through hole 43C is arranged, for example, on both sides sandwiching the central axis O in the radial direction. The through hole 43C is arranged above the communication hole 43B and opens toward the inner peripheral surface in the stepped cylindrical portion 12A of the stem 12. By forming the communication hole 43B and the through hole 43C in the piston guide 43, it is possible to prevent the air from staying between the piston guide 43 and the piston 41, and between the piston guide 43 and the stem 12. The portion of the piston guide 43 located above the through hole 43C is fitted into the stem 12. Thereby, the piston guide 43 moves up and down integrally with the stem 12.

[0046] A guide protrusion 43F that protrudes downward and is externally fitted with a coil spring 95 is formed at the lower end portion of the piston guide 43. The guide protrusion 43F is configured by arranging a plurality of plate bodies whose front and back surfaces face the circumferential direction around the central axis O. The guide protrusion 43F is arranged from the lower part of the upper cylinder portion 62 to the upper part of the lower cylinder portion 63 in the cylinder 42. Among the coil springs 95, the upper end portion abuts against the lower surface of the flange portion 43A, and the lower end portion abuts against the upper end opening edge of the straight cylindrical portion 67 in the cylinder 42. Thereby, the piston guide 43 receives an upward biasing force from the coil spring 95.

[0047] The support portion 15 includes a roofed cylindrical surrounding cylinder portion 15a externally mounted on the standing cylinder portion 60 of the cylinder 42, a guide cylinder 15c extending upward from the top wall of the surrounding cylinder portion 15a, a pair of side wall portions 77 projecting rearward from the surrounding cylinder portion 15a and arranged at intervals in the left - right direction, and a rear wall portion 78 connecting the rear - end edges of the side wall portions 77 in the left - right direction.

[0048] The top wall of the surrounding cylinder portion 15a is formed in an annular shape, and the guide cylinder 15c is arranged at the inner peripheral edge portion of this top wall. The stem 12 is inserted into the guide cylinder 15c so as to be movable downward. On the lower surface of the top wall of the surrounding cylinder portion 15a, an inner hanging cylinder portion 15d through which the stem 12 is inserted inward and an outer hanging cylinder portion 15e arranged between the inner hanging cylinder portion 15d and the peripheral wall of the surrounding cylinder portion 15a are formed. The guide cylinder 15c, the inner hanging cylinder portion 15d, and the outer hanging cylinder portion 15e are arranged coaxially with the central axis O.

[0049] The lower - end portion of the peripheral wall of the surrounding cylinder portion 15a faces the top wall portion 11a of the mounting cap 11 in the vertical direction with a gap therebetween. The outer hanging cylinder portion 15e is fitted into the standing cylinder portion 60. The lower - end opening edge of the outer hanging cylinder portion 15e is pressed against the upper surface of the inner peripheral portion of the support plate portion 61 in the cylinder 42 via the second packing 56. The inner hanging cylinder portion 15d is externally mounted on the lower portion of the stem 12. The lower - end opening edge of the inner hanging cylinder portion 15d is pressed against the upper - end opening edge of the outer - cylinder piston 51 of the piston 41 via the second packing 56. The second packing 56 is externally fitted on the lower - end portion of the stem 12. The second packing 56 can block the communication between the outside - air introduction path R defined between the stem 12 and the guide cylinder 15c and the upper - space in the cylinder 42 located above the outer - cylinder piston 51 of the piston 41.

[0050] The side wall portion 77 gradually extends upward from the front to the rear. At the upper end of the side wall portion 77, a protruding piece 80 is formed, which is a semicircular projection that protrudes upward when viewed from the left or right direction. A cylindrical shaft 77A is provided protruding outward in the left and right directions from the protruding piece 80. The shaft 77A is positioned behind the stem 12. A virtual axis passing through the center of the shaft 77A and extending in the left and right directions becomes the rotation axis L of the pressing member 16. As a result, the rotation axis L is positioned behind the stem 12 and extends in the left and right directions. On the inner surface of the rear wall portion 78, a reinforcing wall 78a is formed, which protrudes upward and integrally connects the inner surfaces of the pair of side wall portions 77 and the protruding pieces 80 in the left and right directions.

[0051] The pressing member 16 is attached to the support portion 15 via a shaft 77A. This connects the pressing member 16 to the support portion 15 so that it can swing (rotate) around the rotation axis L. The pressing member 16 has a top plate portion 90 that covers the discharge head 13 from above, a front plate portion 91 that extends gradually downward from the front edge of the top plate portion 90 as it moves forward, and a pair of side plate portions 92 that extend downward from the left and right side edges of the top plate portion 90 and face each other in the left-right direction. The discharge head 13 is positioned in the internal space enclosed by the top plate portion 90 and the pair of side plate portions 92. The pair of side plate portions 92 are positioned to sandwich the discharge head 13 from the left and right directions.

[0052] The lower edge of the side plate portion 92 has a curved shape that protrudes upward when viewed from the left and right directions. The upper end of the lower edge of the side plate portion 92 is located behind the central axis O when viewed from the left and right directions. The top plate portion 90 has a smoothly curved shape that bulges upward, and its rear end abuts from above against the upper end of the rear wall portion 78 of the support portion 15. As a result, the pressing member 16 is restricted from rotating any further upward around the rotation axis L. A first through hole 93 is formed in the front part of the top plate portion 90, penetrating the top plate portion 90. This first through hole 93 is formed in the central part of the top plate portion 90 in the left-right direction and opens forward. As a result, the front part of the top plate portion 90 is divided into two parts in the left-right direction. The front plate portion 91 extends gradually downward from the front edge of the bifurcated top plate portion 90 toward the front.

[0053] The nozzle cylinder portion 32 of the discharge head 13 is inserted into the first through-hole 93. As a result, the nozzle cylinder portion 32 protrudes forward from the front plate portion 91 through the first through-hole 93, restricting the relative rotation of the pressing member 16 and the discharge head 13 around the central axis O. The lower part of the front plate portion 91 is a finger rest portion for gripping the fingertips.

[0054] The pair of side plates 92 of the pressing member 16 sandwich the upper parts of the pair of side walls 77 of the support portion 15 in the left-right direction. This restricts the relative rotation of the support portion 15 and the pressing member 16 around the central axis O. An axial hole 92A is formed on the inner surface of the rear side of the pair of side plates 92 through which the shaft 77A is inserted. As a result, the pressing member 16 is supported so that it can rotate around the shaft 77A, i.e., around the rotation axis L.

[0055] The pressing member 16 has an engagement groove 31A that engages with the second locking portion 100A of the discharge head 13. The engagement groove 31A is formed in a semicircular shape that opens downward at the lower end of the plate portion that protrudes inward in the left-right direction from the pair of side plate portions 92 of the pressing member 16. The second locking portion 100A is inserted into this engagement groove 31A. In the above configuration, when the pressing member 16 is rotated downward around the rotation axis L, the inner circumferential surface of the engagement groove 31A pushes the outer circumferential surface of the second locking portion 100A downward, causing the stem 12 and piston guide 43 to descend against the upward biasing force of the coil spring 95.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the discharger 1 is equipped with a stopper 130 that restricts the downward movement of the discharge head 13. The stopper 130 is arranged to swing in the front-rear direction around a shaft 131 parallel to the rotation axis L of the pressing member 16, and can be switched between a restricting position (the position shown in Figure 2) that restricts the downward movement of the discharge head 13, and an unrestricted position (the position shown in Figure 5) that swings backward around the shaft 131 from the restricting position and allows the downward movement of the discharge head 13. The positional relationships of the parts of the stopper 130 described below are those when the stopper 130 is in the restricting position.

[0057] As shown in Figure 6, the stopper 130 comprises a pair of stopper side walls 132 spaced apart in the left-right direction, a connecting wall 133 connecting the pair of stopper side walls 132, a shaft 131 disposed below the connecting wall 133 and connecting the pair of stopper side walls 132, a first restricting portion 135 projecting upward from the connecting wall 133, and a portion projecting forward from at least one of the stopper side walls 132 and the connecting wall 133. The device comprises a pair of left and right second restricting portions 136, a pair of stopper side wall portions 132 each projecting outward in the left and right directions, a grip portion 134 having a finger grip portion 134c located further outward in the left and right directions than the pressing member 16, and a contact portion 138 that contacts the pressing member 16 when the stopper 130 is in the restricting position, or when the pressing member 16 rotates downward around the rotation axis L while the stopper 130 is in the restricting position.

[0058] The pair of stopper side walls 132 are formed in a plate shape with their front and back surfaces facing left and right, and have a rectangular shape that is elongated vertically when viewed from the left and right directions. The connecting wall 133 is formed in a plate shape with its front and back surfaces facing front and back, and has a rectangular shape that is viewed from the front and back directions with one pair of sides extending horizontally and the other pair extending vertically. The upper end surface of the connecting wall 133 is flush with the upper end surface of the stopper side wall 132. The lower end of the connecting wall 133 is located above the lower end of the stopper side wall 132.

[0059] The shaft 131 is formed in the shape of a round rod extending in the left-right direction. The shaft 131 connects the lower ends of a pair of stopper side wall portions 132. As shown in Figure 2, the shaft 131 is fitted into a second support recess 82 formed in a pair of side wall portions 77 of the support portion 15 so as to be rotatable around its central axis. The second support recess 82 is located behind the stem 12. The stopper 130 is attached to the support portion 15 behind the stem 12 so as to be able to swing in the front-rear direction around the shaft 131.

[0060] The first restricting portion 135 is substantially rectangular in shape. The first restricting portion 135 extends upward from the upper end surface of the connecting wall portion 133. The first restricting portion 135 is located in the center of the connecting wall portion 133 in the left-right direction. The left-right dimension of the first restricting portion 135 is smaller than the left-right dimension of the connecting wall portion 133. The front-rear dimension of the first restricting portion 135 is substantially the same as the front-rear dimension of the connecting wall portion 133. On the front portion of the upper end surface of the first restricting portion 135, which is located in front of the rear end, an inclined surface 135a is formed that extends downward as it moves forward.

[0061] When the stopper 130 is in the restricted position shown in Figure 2, the first restricting portion 135 contacts or approaches the first locking portion 120 of the discharge head 13 from below the first locking portion 120. When the stopper 130 is in the restricted position, the upper end of the first restricting portion 135 engages with the engaging projection 122 from the front side of the engaging projection 122. When the stopper 130 is in the restricted position, the first restricting portion 135 contacts or approaches the lower surface of the first locking portion 120, and the lower end surface of the connecting wall portion 133 contacts or approaches the upper end opening edge 15f of the guide cylinder 15c. When the stopper 130 is in the release position shown in Figure 5, the first restricting portion 135 moves backward from the first locking portion 120.

[0062] As shown in Figure 6, the second restricting portion 136 protrudes forward integrally from the left-right ends of the connecting wall portion 133 and the stopper side wall portion 132. The second restricting portion 136 is formed in a plate shape with its front and back surfaces facing left and right. Of the second restricting portion 136, the lower end portion 136a protrudes forward from the upper portion located above the lower end portion 136a. Of the upper end surface 136b of the second restricting portion 136, the rear portion 136c is an inclined surface that gradually extends upward as it faces forward, and the front portion 136d is a flat surface perpendicular to the vertical direction. The rear end edge of the upper end surface 136b of the second restricting portion 136 is seamlessly connected to the upper end surface of the connecting wall portion 133. The vertical positions of the front portion 136d of the upper end surface 136b of the second restricting portion 136 and the rear end of the upper end surface of the first restricting portion 135 are equivalent to each other.

[0063] A C-shaped concave curved fitting surface 137, which opens forward when viewed from above, is integrally formed on the inner surfaces of the pair of second restricting portions 136 that face each other in the left-right direction, and on the front surface of the connecting wall portion 133 located between the pair of second restricting portions 136. The radius of the fitting surface 137 is approximately the same as the radius of the outer surface of the stem 12. When the stopper 130 is in the restricting position shown in Figure 2, the fitting surface 137 is positioned coaxially with the central axis O and fits onto the stem 12 from the rear.

[0064] A bulge 136e is formed at the front end of the lower end 136a of the second restricting portion 136, which bulges inward in the left-right direction. The distance between the pair of bulge portions 136e in the left-right direction is smaller than the outer diameter of the stem 12. As a result, when the fitting surface 137 is fitted onto the stem 12, and when the fitting surface 137 is removed from the stem 12, the bulge portions 136e of the second restricting portion 136 slide against the outer circumferential surface of the stem 12, causing each lower end 136a of the pair of second restricting portions 136 to elastically deform outward in the left-right direction and expand.

[0065] The second restricting portion 136 contacts or approaches the second locked portion 100A from below when the stopper 130 is in the restricting position shown in Figure 2. More specifically, as shown in Figure 3, when the stopper 130 is in the restricting position, the front portion 136d of the upper end surface 136b of the second restricting portion 136 contacts or approaches the flat surface 100A1 of the second locked portion 100A from below. At this time, the lower end surface of the second restricting portion 136 contacts or approaches the upper end opening edge 15f of the guide cylinder 15c. The second restricting portion 136 moves rearward from the second locked portion 100A when the stopper 130 is in the release position shown in Figure 5.

[0066] As described above, the stopper 130 is arranged to swing between a restricting position in which the first restricting portion 135 and the second restricting portion 136 are in contact with or close to the first locked portion 120 and the second locked portion 100A respectively, restricting the downward movement of the discharge head 13, and a release position in which the stopper swings backward from the restricting position, so that the first restricting portion 135 and the second restricting portion 136 are separated from the first locked portion 120 and the second locked portion 100A respectively, allowing the downward movement of the discharge head 13. In the illustrated example, even if a large force is applied to the pressing member 16 that rotates the pressing member 16 downward around the rotation axis L while the stopper 130 is in the restricting position, no force is applied from the first locked portion 120 and the second locked portion 100A to the first restricting portion 135 and the second restricting portion 136 that causes the stopper 130 to swing backward around the shaft 131.

[0067] As shown in Figure 6, the grip portion 134 comprises a first arm portion 134a extending outward in the left-right direction from the stopper side wall portion 132, a second arm portion 134b extending upward from the left-right outer end of the first arm portion 134a, and a finger rest portion 134c projecting upward from the upper end of the second arm portion 134b. As shown in Figure 4, the left-right outer end of the first arm portion 134a is located further outward in the left-right direction than the pressing member 16 (side plate portion 92). As a result, the second arm portion 134b and the finger rest portion 134c are located further outward in the left-right direction than the pressing member 16 (side plate portion 92). The front view shape of the finger rest portion 134c when viewed from the left-right direction is approximately circular. The front-rear central portions of the finger rest portion 134c and the second arm portion 134b are located at the same position in the front-rear direction. The outer diameter of the finger rest portion 134c is larger than the front-to-back dimension of the second arm portion 134b.

[0068] As shown in Figures 4, 6, and 7, the contact portion 138 is positioned between the stopper side wall portion 132 and the knob portion 134, and faces the downward-facing lower edge of the side plate portion 92 of the pressing member 16 from below the pressing member 16. In the illustrated example, the upper end surface 138c of the contact portion 138 is in contact with or close to the lower edge of the side plate portion 92 of the pressing member 16. The contact portion 138 is located behind the central axis O. In the illustrated example, when the stopper 130 is in the restricting position, and a large force is applied to the pressing member 16 that rotates the pressing member 16 downwards around the rotation axis L, a force is applied to the contact portion 138 from the side plate portion 92 of the pressing member 16 that causes the stopper 130 to swing backwards around the shaft 131.

[0069] The contact portion 138 is formed in a plate shape with its front and back surfaces facing the front-to-back direction, and when viewed from the front-to-back direction, it has a rectangular shape that is long in the vertical direction. The contact portion 138 is integrally connected to the outer surface of the stopper side wall portion 132 that faces outward in the left-to-right direction, the upper surface of the first arm portion 134a of the grip portion 134, the inner surface of the second arm portion 134b of the grip portion 134 that faces inward in the left-to-right direction, and the inner surface of the finger hook portion 134c of the grip portion 134 that faces inward in the left-to-right direction. The thickness (size in the front-to-back direction) of the contact portion 138 is thinner than the thickness of the first arm portion 134a and the second arm portion 134b. The contact portion 138 is positioned in the center of the front-to-back direction of both the stopper side wall portion 132 and the grip portion 134.

[0070] At least the rear end of the upper end surface 138c of the contact portion 138 gradually extends downward as it approaches the rear. In the illustrated example, the rear portion 138a of the upper end surface 138c of the contact portion 138 is an inclined surface that gradually extends downward as it approaches the rear, while the front portion 138b is a flat surface perpendicular to the vertical direction. The front portion 138b of the upper end surface 138c of the contact portion 138 is in contact with or close to the lower edge of the side plate portion 92 of the pressing member 16. The front edge of the upper end surface 138c of the contact portion 138 is formed as a curved surface with rounded corners.

[0071] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, a restraining projection 139 is formed on the pressing member 16 at a portion located behind the contact portion where the contacted portion 138 of the stopper 130 makes contact, projecting downward. In the illustrated example, the restraining projection 139 is formed on the lower edge of the side plate portion 92 of the pressing member 16. The restraining projection 139 is formed on the upper end of the lower edge of the side plate portion 92, located behind the central axis O. The restraining projection 139 approaches the contacted portion 138 from behind. The restraining projection 139 is formed in a curved shape that protrudes downward. The size of the restraining projection 139 in the front-rear direction is larger than the size of the contacted portion 138 in the front-rear direction. However, the size of the restraining projection 139 in the front-rear direction may be less than or equal to the size of the contacted portion 138 in the front-rear direction.

[0072] At least a portion of the restraining projection 139 faces the rear end of the upper end surface 138c of the contacted portion 138 in the vertical direction when the stopper 130 is in the restraining position. In the illustrated example, the front end 139a of the restraining projection 139, which extends gradually downward from front to rear, and the rear end 138a of the upper end surface 138c of the contacted portion 138 face each other in the vertical direction. The lower end of the restraining projection 139 and the rear end of the upper end surface 138c of the contacted portion 138 are at the same vertical position as each other. The lowest point of the restraining projection 139 is located behind the upper end surface 138c of the contacted portion 138.

[0073] As shown in Figure 8, the inverted / upright adapter 200 comprises a cylindrical main body portion 210. The main body portion 210 is arranged coaxially with the central axis O. The main body portion 210 has a cylindrical outer cylindrical member 211 fitted onto the cylinder 42, and an inner cylindrical member 212 fitted inside the outer cylindrical member 211. The upper end of a cylindrical pipe 213, whose lower end opening opens towards the inside of the container body 2, is fitted inside the lower end of the inner cylindrical member 212. These outer cylindrical member 211, inner cylindrical member 212, and pipe 213 are arranged coaxially with the central axis O.

[0074] The outer cylindrical member 211 has a cylindrical outer cylindrical portion 214 in which the straight cylindrical portion 67 of the cylinder 42 is fitted inside its upper end, a partition wall portion 215 disposed in the middle of the outer cylindrical portion 214 in the vertical direction and dividing the inside of the outer cylindrical portion 214 vertically, and a cylindrical connecting cylindrical portion 217 extending downward from the partition wall portion 215 and connected to the upper end of the inner cylindrical member 212.

[0075] A liquid passage hole 219 is formed in the partition wall portion 215, extending vertically. Of the upper end portion of the connecting cylinder portion 217, a portion of the outer peripheral surface is connected to the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion 214, while the outer peripheral surface of the other portion is spaced radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion 214. The outer cylinder member 211 has an inverted introduction hole 221 that integrally extends radially through the aforementioned portion of the connecting cylinder portion 217 and the outer cylinder portion 214. The inverted introduction hole 221 is provided so that the liquid contents of the container body 2 can be introduced into the connecting cylinder portion 217 when the discharger 1 is inverted.

[0076] The inner cylindrical member 212 has a cylindrical upper cylindrical portion 222 whose upper end is connected to the connecting cylindrical portion 217, a cylindrical lower cylindrical portion 223 which is disposed below the upper cylindrical portion 222 and whose lower end is located below the lower end of the outer cylindrical member 211, and a cylindrical connecting cylindrical portion 224 which connects the upper cylindrical portion 222 and the lower cylindrical portion 223.

[0077] The upper end of the upper cylindrical portion 222 is fitted onto the connecting cylindrical portion 217. A first flow path r1 for circulating the liquid is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the upper cylindrical portion 222 and the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical portion 214. This first flow path r1 communicates with the liquid passage hole 219. The lower end of the upper cylindrical portion 222 has a tapered shape, with the inner and outer diameters gradually decreasing as they go downwards. A spherical switching valve 225 is disposed inside the lower end of the upper cylindrical portion 222 so as to be able to move away from it in an upward direction. The switching valve 225 is made of a metal material.

[0078] A second flow path r2 for circulating the liquid is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the connecting cylinder portion 224 and the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder portion 214. This second flow path r2 is in communication with the first flow path r1. The connecting cylinder portion 224 has a connecting hole 226 that connects its interior to the second flow path r2. Multiple connecting holes 226 are formed in the connecting cylinder portion 224 at intervals in the circumferential direction. Here, the connecting holes 226, the second flow path r2, the first flow path r1, and the liquid passage hole 219 constitute a communication passage r3 that connects the upright inlet hole 229 and the inverted inlet hole 221 at the lower end of the inner cylinder member 212, and the lower end opening of the connecting cylinder portion 69 of the cylinder 42. The upright inlet hole 229 is located below the inverted inlet hole 221.

[0079] The lower cylindrical portion 223 is fitted into the lower end of the outer cylindrical member 211. The upper end of the pipe 213 is fitted into the lower cylindrical portion 223, and the lower end opening of the pipe 213 opens toward the bottom of the container body 2. The lower end opening of the pipe 213 and the upright introduction hole 229 are provided so that the liquid contents of the container body 2 can be introduced into the inner cylindrical member 212 when the dispenser 1 is upright. The liquid contents are introduced into the upright introduction hole 229 through the pipe 213.

[0080] Next, the method of using the discharger 1 configured as described above will be explained. When using the discharger 1, first, the stopper 130 is swung from the restricted position to the rearward release position so that the pressing member 16 and the discharge head 13 can move downward. Next, the pressing member 16 is rotated downward around the rotation axis L. At this time, for example, the fingertips are placed on the finger rest portion of the front plate portion 91 of the pressing member 16, and the pressing member 16 is rotated downward against the biasing force of the coil spring 95. When the pressing member 16 is rotated downward, the discharge head 13 moves downward, and with the valve body 44 closing the inside of the tapered cylindrical portion 68 of the cylinder 42, the stem 12 and piston guide 43 are pressed down against the cylinder 42.

[0081] When the stem 12 is pushed down together with the piston guide 43, the downward force applied to the stem 12 is transmitted to the piston 41 via the elastic piece 25, causing the piston 41 to move downward relative to the cylinder 42 as a single unit with the stem 12 and piston guide 43. As a result, the inside of the cylinder 42 is pressurized while the lower end of the inner cylinder piston 52 of the piston 41 remains blocked from communicating with the inside of the stem 12 and the inside of the cylinder 42. If the stem 12 is pushed down further in this state, the increased internal pressure of the cylinder 42 will prevent the piston 41 from moving downward, causing the stem 12 and piston guide 43 to move downward relative to the piston 41.

[0082] Therefore, the stem 12 and piston guide 43 move downward relative to the piston 41 while applying a vertical compressive force to the elastic piece 25 disposed between the stem 12 and the piston 41, causing the elastic piece 25 to elastically deform. At this time, the lower end of the inner cylinder piston 52 of the piston 41 moves upward away from the contact portion 43E of the piston guide 43, and a radial gap is formed between the lower end of the inner cylinder piston 52 and the outer circumferential surface of the piston guide 43. As a result, the communication hole 43B is opened to the inside of the cylinder 42 through this gap. Note that the internal pressure of the cylinder 42 will continue to rise until the communication hole 43B is opened to the inside of the cylinder 42.

[0083] As a result, the liquid inside the cylinder 42 flows into the piston guide 43 through the gap between the inner surface of the inner cylinder piston 52 and the outer surface of the piston guide 43, as well as through the communication hole 43B. The liquid inside the piston guide 43 then flows through the upper part of the stem 12 to the nozzle cylinder portion 32, and is discharged from the discharge hole 13A of the nozzle cylinder portion 32. As a result, the liquid contained in the container body 2 can be discharged to the outside through the discharge hole 13A.

[0084] Subsequently, when the operation of the pressing member 16 is released, the stem 12 and piston 41 return to their original position relative to the cylinder 42 based on the biasing force from the coil spring 95. At this time, negative pressure is created inside the cylinder 42, and this negative pressure acts on the valve body 44, opening the tapered cylindrical portion 68 and acting on the switching valve 225 shown in Figure 8 through the communication passage r3. As a result, when the discharger 1 is upright, the switching valve 225 maintains a state in which communication between the inverted inlet hole 221 and the communication passage r3 is blocked. Consequently, the liquid contents inside the container body 2 reach the lower end opening of the cylinder 42 through the upright inlet hole 229, the main body cylindrical portion 210, and the communication passage r3, and flow into the cylinder 42.

[0085] On the other hand, when the discharger 1 is inverted, the lower end opening of the pipe 213, which opens at the bottom of the container body 2, protrudes above the liquid surface of the contents inside the container body 2. Moreover, when the inverted inlet hole 221 is located in the contents inside the container body 2, the switching valve 225 is separated from the inner circumferential surface of the lower end of the upper cylindrical portion 222 by its own weight, and the inverted inlet hole 221 and the communication passage r3 are in communication through the inside of the main cylindrical portion 210. Therefore, negative pressure is generated inside the cylinder 42, causing the contents inside the container body 2 to reach the lower end opening of the cylinder 42 through the inverted inlet hole 221, the inside of the main cylindrical portion 210, and the communication passage r3, and flow into the cylinder 42.

[0086] Whether the discharger 1 is upright or inverted, when the discharge head 13, stem 12, and piston 41 are pressed together against the cylinder 42, the lower space located below the piston 41 within the cylinder 42 is pressurized, and the liquid contents in this lower space rise through the stem 12 and are discharged from the discharge hole 13A. During this process, the second packing 56 opens the lower end opening of the outside air intake passage R, connecting the outside air intake passage R with the upper space within the cylinder 42, and outside air is introduced into the upper space within the cylinder 42.

[0087] When the downward pressure on the discharge head 13, stem 12, and piston 41 is released and they are returned to their original upward position, a negative pressure is created in the lower space within the cylinder 42, and the liquid contents of the container body 2 are introduced into the lower space within the cylinder 42. During this process, the air in the upper space is introduced into the container body 2 through the air hole 62B, which creates communication between the upper space within the cylinder 42 and the inside of the container body 2.

[0088] Subsequently, when the stem 12 and piston 41 return to their original positions, the second packing 56 blocks communication between the outside air intake passage R and the upper space inside the cylinder 42, thereby blocking communication between the inside of the container body 2 and the outside through the outside air intake passage R. Since the second packing 56 is provided to block communication between the outside air intake passage R and the upper space inside the cylinder 42, even if the discharger 1 is inverted or otherwise causes the contents of the container body 2 to reach the upper space inside the cylinder 42, it is possible to prevent this contents from leaking to the outside through the outside air intake passage R.

[0089] As described above, according to the discharger 1 of this embodiment, since a restraining projection 139 is formed on the pressing member 16, when the stopper 130 is in the restricting position and a large force is applied to the pressing member 16, for example, to rotate the pressing member 16 downward around the rotation axis L, a rearward force is applied from the pressing member 16 to the contacted portion 138 of the stopper 130, and even if the stopper 130 tries to shift to the release position, the contacted portion 138 of the stopper 130 will come into contact with the restraining projection 139 from behind the contacted portion 138, thereby locking the stopper 130 into the restraining projection 139. This makes it possible to prevent the stopper 130, which is in the restricting position, from unexpectedly shifting to the release position.

[0090] Since at least the rear end of the upper end surface 138c of the contact portion 138 gradually extends downward as it moves towards the rear, even if the stopper 130 tries to shift from the restricted position to the release position when the aforementioned large force is applied to the pressing member 16, a forward force is applied to the upper end surface 138c of the contact portion 138 from the restraining projection 139 of the pressing member 16, allowing the stopper 130 to return to or remain in the restricted position. Furthermore, since at least the rear end of the upper end surface 138c of the contact portion 138 gradually extends downward as it moves towards the rear, as described above, when the stopper 130 tries to shift from the restricted position to the release position, the upper end surface 138c of the contact portion 138 is more likely to come into contact with the restraining projection 139, and the downward force applied from the restraining projection 139 to the upper end surface 138c of the contact portion 138 is more easily converted into a forward force.

[0091] Since at least a portion of the restraining projection 139 faces the rear end of the upper end surface 138c of the contacted portion 138 in the vertical direction when the stopper 130 is in the restraining position, it is possible to reduce the front-rear distance between the upper end surface 138c of the contacted portion 138 and the restraining projection 139. This ensures that when the aforementioned large force is applied to the pressing member 16, the stopper 130 does not shift from the restraining position to the release position, and a forward force from the restraining projection 139 of the pressing member 16 can be effectively applied to the upper end surface 138c of the contacted portion 138.

[0092] Furthermore, when the aforementioned large force is applied to the pressing member 16, if a forward force is applied from the restraining projection 139 of the pressing member 16 to the upper end surface 138c of the contact portion 138 of the stopper 130, the fitting surface 137 of the stopper 130 is pressed forward against the outer circumferential surface of the stem 12, and the stopper 130 is compressed vertically by the upper end opening edge 15f of the guide cylinder 15c and the lower end edge of the side plate portion 92 of the pressing member 16, thereby reliably preventing the stopper 130 from shifting from the restricted position to the rearward release position.

[0093] (Second Embodiment) Next, a discharger 1A according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, components similar to those in the first embodiment described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. In addition, in the description of the second embodiment, the drawings used in the description of the first embodiment may be referred to. As shown in Figures 9 to 13, the discharge head 13 of the discharger 1A according to this embodiment has a top-mounted cylindrical mounting cylinder portion 31 attached to the upper end of the stem 12, and a cylindrical nozzle cylinder portion 32 protruding forward from the mounting cylinder portion 31. The mounting cylinder portion 31 is fitted into the stem 12. An overhang portion 419 protruding backward is formed at the upper end of the mounting cylinder portion 31. A first locking portion 420 is formed at the upper end of the mounting cylinder portion 31, in the portion located below the overhang portion 419.

[0094] The rear end of the first locking portion 420 is formed with engaging projections 422a and 422b, which are used to prevent the stopper 430 (described later) from moving from a restricted position to an unlocked position. The engaging projection 422a protrudes upward from the first locking portion 420. The engaging projection 422b protrudes downward from the first locking portion 420. Each of the engaging projections 422a and 422b is shaped such that the amount of protrusion from the first locking portion 420 increases as it moves from both sides in the front-rear direction towards the center.

[0095] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the discharger 1A is equipped with a stopper 430 that restricts the downward movement of the discharge head 13. The stopper 430 is arranged to swing in the front-rear direction around a shaft 431 parallel to the rotation axis L of the pressing member 16, and can be switched between a restricting position (the position shown in Figure 10) that restricts the downward movement of the discharge head 13, and an unrestricted position (the position shown in Figure 13) that swings rearward around the shaft 431 from the restricting position and allows the downward movement of the discharge head 13. The positional relationships of the parts of the stopper 430 described below are those when the stopper 430 is in the restricting position.

[0096] As shown in Figure 14, the stopper 430 includes a pair of stopper side wall portions 432 arranged spaced apart in the left-right direction, a connecting wall portion 433 connecting the pair of stopper side wall portions 432, a shaft 431 disposed below the connecting wall portion 433 and connecting the pair of stopper side wall portions 432, a pair of left and right restricting portions 436 protruding forward from at least one of the stopper side wall portions 432 and the connecting wall portion 433, a grip portion 434 having a finger grip portion 434c that protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the pair of stopper side wall portions 432 and is located outside in the left-right direction of the pressing member 16, and a contact portion 438 that contacts the pressing member 16 when the stopper 430 is in the restricting position or when the pressing member 16 rotates downward around the rotation axis L while the stopper 430 is in the restricting position.

[0097] The pair of stopper side walls 432 are formed in a plate shape with their front and back surfaces facing left and right, and have a rectangular shape that is elongated vertically when viewed from the left and right directions. The connecting wall 433 is formed in a plate shape with its front and back surfaces facing front and rear, and has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front and rear directions, with one pair of sides extending horizontally and the other pair extending vertically. The portion of the upper end surface of the connecting wall 433 located in the center in the left and right directions constitutes the first downward restricting portion 435. In this embodiment, the first downward restricting portion 435 is an inclined surface that extends upward as it is directed towards the rear.

[0098] When the stopper 430 is in the restricted position shown in Figure 10, the first lowering restrictor 435 contacts or approaches the lower surface of the first locking portion 420 of the discharge head 13 (hereinafter referred to as the lowering locking portion 420a) from below the first locking portion 420. The rear end of the first lowering restrictor 435 engages with the engaging projection 422b from the front side when the stopper 430 is in the restricted position. When the stopper 430 is in the restricted position, the first lowering restrictor 435 contacts or approaches the lowering locking portion 420a, and the lower end surface of the connecting wall portion 433 contacts or approaches the upper end opening edge 15f of the guide cylinder 15c from above. When the stopper 430 is in the release position shown in Figure 13, the first lowering restrictor 435 moves rearward from the first locking portion 420.

[0099] As shown in Figure 14, the portions of the upper end surface of the connecting wall portion 433 located on both the left and right sides are flush with the upper end surface of the stopper side wall portion 432. The lower end of the connecting wall portion 433 is located above the lower end of the stopper side wall portion 432.

[0100] The shaft 431 is formed in the shape of a round rod extending in the left-right direction. The shaft 431 connects the lower ends of a pair of stopper side wall portions 432. As shown in Figure 10, the shaft 431 is fitted into a second support recess 82 formed in a pair of side wall portions 77 of the support portion 15 so as to be rotatable around its central axis. The second support recess 82 is located behind the stem 12. The stopper 430 is attached to the support portion 15 behind the stem 12 so as to be able to swing in the front-rear direction around the shaft 431.

[0101] As shown in Figure 14, the restricting portion 436 protrudes forward integrally from the left and right ends of the connecting wall portion 433 and the stopper side wall portion 432. The restricting portion 436 is formed in a plate shape with its front and back surfaces facing left and right. Of the restricting portion 436, the lower end portion 436a protrudes forward from the upper portion located above the lower end portion 436a. The upper end surface of the restricting portion 436 is a flat surface perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0102] A C-shaped concave curved fitting surface 437, which opens forward when viewed from above, is integrally formed on the inner surfaces of the pair of restricting portions 436 that face each other in the left-right direction, and on the front surface of the connecting wall portion 433 located between the pair of restricting portions 436. The radius of the fitting surface 437 is approximately the same as the radius of the outer surface of the stem 12. When the stopper 430 is in the restricting position shown in Figure 10, the fitting surface 437 is positioned coaxially with the central axis O and fits onto the stem 12 from the rear.

[0103] As shown in Figure 14, a bulge 436e is formed at the front end of the lower end 436a of the restricting portion 436, which bulges inward in the left-right direction. The distance between the pair of bulges 436e in the left-right direction is smaller than the outer diameter of the stem 12. As a result, when the fitting surface 437 is fitted onto the stem 12, and when the fitting surface 437 is removed from the stem 12, the bulges 436e of the restricting portion 436 slide against the outer circumferential surface of the stem 12, causing each lower end 436a of the pair of restricting portions 436 to elastically deform outward in the left-right direction and expand.

[0104] The restricting portion 436 contacts or approaches the second locked portion 100A from below when the stopper 430 is in the restricting position shown in Figure 10. More specifically, as shown in Figure 11, when the stopper 430 is in the restricting position, the upper end surface of the restricting portion 436 contacts or approaches the flat surface (lowering locking portion) 100A1 of the second locked portion 100A from below. That is, the upper end surface of the restricting portion 436 functions as a second lowering restricting portion 436c that contacts or approaches the flat surface 100A1 of the second locked portion 100A when the stopper 430 is in the restricting position shown in Figure 10. In the restricting position, the lower end surface of the restricting portion 436 contacts or approaches the upper end opening edge 15f of the guide cylinder 15c. The restricting portion 436 moves rearward from the second locking portion 100A when the stopper 430 is in the release position shown in Figure 13.

[0105] As described above, the stopper 430 is arranged to swing between a restricting position in which the first lowering restricting portion 435 and the second lowering restricting portion 436c are in contact with or close to the first locked portion 420 and the second locked portion 100A respectively, restricting the downward movement of the discharge head 13, and a release position in which the stopper swings backward from the restricting position, so that the first lowering restricting portion 435 and the second lowering restricting portion 436c are separated from the first locked portion 420 and the second locked portion 100A respectively, allowing the downward movement of the discharge head 13. In the illustrated example, even if a large force is applied to the pressing member 16 that rotates the pressing member 16 downward around the rotation axis L while the stopper 430 is in the restricting position, no force is applied from the first locked portion 420 and the second locked portion 100A to the first lowering restricting portion 435 and the second lowering restricting portion 436c that causes the stopper 430 to swing backward around the shaft 431.

[0106] As shown in Figure 14, the grip portion 434 comprises a first arm portion 434a extending outward in the left-right direction from the stopper side wall portion 432, a second arm portion 434b extending upward from the left-right outer end of the first arm portion 434a, and a finger rest portion 434c projecting upward from the upper end of the second arm portion 434b. As shown in Figure 12, the left-right outer end of the first arm portion 434a is located further outward in the left-right direction than the pressing member 16 (side plate portion 92). As a result, the second arm portion 434b and the finger rest portion 434c are located further outward in the left-right direction than the pressing member 16 (side plate portion 92). The front view shape of the finger rest portion 434c when viewed from the left-right direction is approximately circular. The front-rear central portions of the finger rest portion 434c and the second arm portion 434b are located at the same position in the front-rear direction. The outer diameter of the finger rest portion 434c is larger than the front-to-back dimension of the second arm portion 434b.

[0107] As shown in Figures 12, 14, and 15, the contact portion 438 is positioned between the stopper side wall portion 432 and the knob portion 434, and faces the downward-facing lower edge of the side plate portion 92 of the pressing member 16 from below the pressing member 16. In the illustrated example, the upper end surface 438c of the contact portion 438 is in contact with or close to the lower edge of the side plate portion 92 of the pressing member 16. The contact portion 438 is located behind the central axis O. In the illustrated example, when the stopper 430 is in the restricting position, and a large force is applied to the pressing member 16 that rotates the pressing member 16 downward around the rotation axis L, a force is applied to the contact portion 438 from the side plate portion 92 of the pressing member 16 that causes the stopper 430 to swing backward around the shaft 431.

[0108] The contact portion 438 is formed in a plate shape with its front and back surfaces facing the front-to-back direction, and when viewed from the front-to-back direction, it has a rectangular shape that is long in the vertical direction. The contact portion 438 is integrally connected to the outer surface of the stopper side wall portion 432 that faces outward in the left-to-right direction, the upper surface of the first arm portion 434a of the grip portion 434, the inner surface of the second arm portion 434b of the grip portion 434 that faces inward in the left-to-right direction, and the inner surface of the finger hook portion 434c of the grip portion 434 that faces inward in the left-to-right direction. The thickness (size in the front-to-back direction) of the contact portion 438 is thinner than the thickness of the first arm portion 434a and the second arm portion 434b. The contact portion 438 is positioned in the center of the front-to-back direction of both the stopper side wall portion 432 and the grip portion 434. Of the upper end surface 438c of the contact portion 438, both the front and rear ends are formed in a curved shape with rounded corners.

[0109] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, a protruding piece 440 projecting upward is formed on the upper end surface of the connecting wall portion 433. The protruding piece 440 is formed in an inverted U shape. The protruding piece 440 has a pair of vertically extending portions 441 and horizontally extending portions 442. The vertically extending portions 441 extend upward from a portion located outside the first downward restricting portion 435 in the left-right direction. The vertically extending portions 441 have a rectangular cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0110] The left and right extending portions 442 span the upper ends of the upper and lower extending portions 441. In this embodiment, the portion defined by the first downward restricting portion 435 and the protruding piece 440 is an insertion opening through which the first locking portion 420 is inserted.

[0111] The lower end surfaces of the left and right extending portions 442 function as upward restricting portions 445 that restrict the upward movement of the discharge head 13 relative to the stopper 430 when the stopper 430 is in the restricting position shown in Figure 10. The upward restricting portions 445 contact or approach the upper surface of the first locking portion 420 of the discharge head 13 (hereinafter referred to as the upward locking portion 420b) from above when the stopper 430 is in the restricting position shown in Figure 10. The rear end of the upward restricting portion 445 engages with the engaging projection 422a from the front side when the stopper 430 is in the restricting position. When the stopper 430 is in the restricting position, the upward restricting portion 445 contacts or approaches the upward locking portion 420b, and the lower surface of the protruding portion 419 contacts or approaches the upper end surfaces of the left and right extending portions 442 from above. The upward restricting portion 445 moves rearward from the first locking portion 420 when the stopper 430 is in the release position shown in Figure 13.

[0112] In this embodiment, the upward restricting portion 445 is a flat surface perpendicular to the vertical direction. However, the shape of the upward restricting portion 445 can be changed as appropriate.

[0113] Next, the method of using the discharger 1A configured as described above will be explained. When using the discharger 1A, first, the stopper 430 is swung from the restricted position to the rearward release position so that the pressing member 16 and the discharge head 13 can move downward. Next, the pressing member 16 is rotated downward around the rotation axis L. At this time, for example, while placing your fingertips on the finger rest portion of the front plate portion 91 of the pressing member 16, rotate the pressing member 16 downward against the biasing force of the coil spring 95. When the pressing member 16 is rotated downward, the discharge head 13 moves downward, and with the valve body 44 closing the inside of the tapered cylindrical portion 68 of the cylinder 42, the stem 12 and piston guide 43 are pressed down against the cylinder 42.

[0114] When the stem 12 is pushed down together with the piston guide 43, the downward force applied to the stem 12 is transmitted to the piston 41 via the elastic piece 25, causing the piston 41 to move downward relative to the cylinder 42 as a single unit with the stem 12 and piston guide 43. As a result, the inside of the cylinder 42 is pressurized while the lower end of the inner cylinder piston 52 of the piston 41 remains blocked from communicating with the inside of the stem 12 and the inside of the cylinder 42. If the stem 12 is pushed down further in this state, the increased internal pressure of the cylinder 42 will prevent the piston 41 from moving downward, causing the stem 12 and piston guide 43 to move downward relative to the piston 41.

[0115] Therefore, the stem 12 and piston guide 43 move downward relative to the piston 41 while applying a vertical compressive force to the elastic piece 25 disposed between the stem 12 and the piston 41, causing the elastic piece 25 to elastically deform. At this time, the lower end of the inner cylinder piston 52 of the piston 41 moves upward away from the contact portion 43E of the piston guide 43, and a radial gap is formed between the lower end of the inner cylinder piston 52 and the outer circumferential surface of the piston guide 43. As a result, the communication hole 43B is opened to the inside of the cylinder 42 through this gap. Note that the internal pressure of the cylinder 42 will continue to rise until the communication hole 43B is opened to the inside of the cylinder 42.

[0116] As a result, the liquid inside the cylinder 42 flows into the piston guide 43 through the gap between the inner surface of the inner cylinder piston 52 and the outer surface of the piston guide 43, as well as through the communication hole 43B. The liquid inside the piston guide 43 then flows through the upper part of the stem 12 to the nozzle cylinder portion 32, and is discharged from the discharge hole 13A of the nozzle cylinder portion 32. As a result, the liquid contained in the container body 2 can be discharged to the outside through the discharge hole 13A.

[0117] Subsequently, when the operation of the pressing member 16 is released, the stem 12 and piston 41 return to their original position relative to the cylinder 42 based on the biasing force from the coil spring 95. At this time, as the stem 12 returns to its original position upward, the discharge head 13 rises, pushing the pressing member 16 upward through the inner surface of the engagement groove 31A. As a result, the pressing member 16 rotates upward around the rotation axis L. Thus, in this embodiment, the discharge head 13 descends as the pressing member 16 moves downward, and the pressing member 16 moves upward as the discharge head 13 rises. In other words, the discharge head 13 and the pressing member 16 move up and down in conjunction with the movement of either one of them.

[0118] During the process of the stem 12 and piston 41 returning to their original position, a negative pressure is created inside the cylinder 42. This negative pressure acts on the valve body 44, opening the tapered cylindrical section 68 and acting on the switching valve 225 shown in Figure 8 through the communication passage r3. As a result, when the discharger 1A is upright, the switching valve 225 maintains a state in which communication between the inverted inlet 221 and the communication passage r3 is blocked. Consequently, the liquid contents inside the container body 2 reach the lower end opening of the cylinder 42 through the upright inlet 229, the main cylindrical section 210, and the communication passage r3, and flow into the cylinder 42.

[0119] On the other hand, when the discharger 1A is inverted, the lower end opening of the pipe 213, which opens at the bottom of the container body 2, protrudes above the liquid surface of the contents inside the container body 2. Moreover, when the inverted inlet hole 221 is located in the contents inside the container body 2, the switching valve 225 is separated from the inner circumferential surface of the lower end of the upper cylindrical portion 222 by its own weight, and the inverted inlet hole 221 and the communication passage r3 are in communication through the inside of the main cylindrical portion 210. Therefore, negative pressure is generated inside the cylinder 42, causing the contents inside the container body 2 to reach the lower end opening of the cylinder 42 through the inverted inlet hole 221, the inside of the main cylindrical portion 210, and the communication passage r3, and flow into the cylinder 42.

[0120] Whether the discharger 1A is upright or inverted, when the discharge head 13, stem 12, and piston 41 are pressed together against the cylinder 42, the lower space located below the piston 41 within the cylinder 42 is pressurized, and the liquid contents in this lower space rise through the stem 12 and are discharged from the discharge hole 13A. During this process, the second packing 56 opens the lower end opening of the outside air intake passage R, connecting the outside air intake passage R with the upper space within the cylinder 42, and outside air is introduced into the upper space within the cylinder 42.

[0121] When the downward pressure on the discharge head 13, stem 12, and piston 41 is released and they are returned to their original upward position, a negative pressure is created in the lower space within the cylinder 42, and the liquid contents of the container body 2 are introduced into the lower space within the cylinder 42. During this process, the air in the upper space is introduced into the container body 2 through the air hole 62B, which creates communication between the upper space within the cylinder 42 and the inside of the container body 2.

[0122] Subsequently, when the stem 12 and piston 41 return to their original positions, the second packing 56 blocks communication between the outside air intake passage R and the upper space inside the cylinder 42, thereby blocking communication between the inside of the container body 2 and the outside through the outside air intake passage R. Since the second packing 56 is provided to block communication between the outside air intake passage R and the upper space inside the cylinder 42, even if the discharger 1A is inverted or otherwise causes the contents of the container body 2 to reach the upper space inside the cylinder 42, it is possible to prevent this contents from leaking to the outside through the outside air intake passage R.

[0123] As described above, in this embodiment, in the restricted position, the discharge head 13 has an upward restricting portion 445 that abuts against or approaches the upward locking portion 420b formed on the discharge head 13 from above the upward locking portion 420b. With this configuration, if an upward pulling force is suddenly applied to the discharge head 13 via the pressing member 16, the upward locking portion 420b abuts against the upward restricting portion 445 from below the upward restricting portion 445. As a result, the upward movement of the discharge head 13 relative to the stem 12 can be restricted by the upward restricting portion 445. Consequently, even if a large force is applied to rotate the pressing member 16 upward around the rotation axis L, the discharge head 13 can be prevented from being pulled out of the stem 12. Note that "large force" refers to the force required for the pressing member 16 to move upward around the rotation axis L from the non-discharging state (Figure 10, etc.). Specifically, in this embodiment, the force applied is such that when the pressing member 16 attempts to rotate upward, the rear wall portion 78 deforms (plastic or elastically), releasing the restriction on the upward rotation of the pressing member 16 by the rear wall portion 78.

[0124] In this embodiment, the device is configured to include a stopper 430 that is pivotably disposed between a restricting position in which the downward restricting parts 435 and 436c contact or are close to the flat surface 100A1 and restrict the downward movement of the discharge head 13, and an unrestricted position in which the stopper 430 pivots backward from the restricting position so that the downward restricting parts 435 and 436c move away from the flat surface 100A1 and the downward movement of the discharge head 13 is permitted. With this configuration, when the stopper 430 is in the restricting position, the downward movement of the discharge head 13 is restricted by the downward restricting parts 435 and 436c contacting or being close to the flat surface 100A1. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the contents from being discharged unintentionally. On the other hand, when the stopper 430 is in the unrestricted position, the downward movement of the discharge head 13 is permitted by rotating the pressing member 16 downward around the rotation axis L. This allows the contents to be discharged through the discharge hole 13A.

[0125] In this embodiment, since the upward restricting portion 445 is formed in the stopper 430, an increase in the number of parts and complexity of the configuration can be suppressed.

[0126] In this embodiment, the upward locking portion 420b is formed on the portion of the discharge head 13 that protrudes upward from the guide cylinder 15c. With this configuration, the upward locking portion 420b can be formed regardless of the dimensions of the discharge head 13 or the guide cylinder 15c, thus improving design flexibility, for example.

[0127] In this embodiment, the lowering locking portion 420a and the rising locking portion 420b are integrally formed with the first locked portion 420. Therefore, the structure can be simplified compared to the case where the lowering locking portion and the rising locking portion are formed separately.

[0128] (Third Embodiment) Next, a discharger 1B according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, components similar to those in the first and second embodiments described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. As shown in Figures 16 and 17, in the discharge head 13 of the discharger 1B according to this embodiment, a stopper portion 300 that protrudes in the left-right direction is formed on the front of the mounting cylinder portion 31. The rear surface of the stopper portion 300 is formed as a flat surface perpendicular to the front-rear direction. At the regulated position, the front surface of the lower end portion 436a of the regulated portion 436 abuts against or is close to the rear surface of the stopper portion 300 from behind. In this embodiment, at the regulated position, the fitting surface 437 is fitted onto the mounting cylinder portion 31.

[0129] A restricting flange portion 302 is formed in the portion of the mounting cylinder 31 that is located above the stem 12 and inside the guide cylinder 15c, and which protrudes radially outward. The restricting flange portion 302 extends around the entire circumference of the mounting cylinder 31. Of the restricting flange portion 302, the portion that faces the connecting wall portion 433 in the vertical direction when the stopper 430 is in the restricting position functions as an upward locking portion 302a. The restricting flange portion 302 may also be formed in a portion of the circumferential direction (for example, the portion that faces the upward locking portion 302a in the vertical direction).

[0130] The connecting wall portion 433 of the stopper 430 is located between the first locked portion 420 and the restricting flange portion 302 in the restricted position. The upper end surface of the connecting wall portion 433 functions as a first downward restricting portion 435 that abuts against or approaches the downward locking portion 420a of the first locked portion 420 from below.

[0131] On the other hand, the lower end surfaces of the connecting wall portion 433 and the restricting portion 436 function as an upward restricting portion 310 that abuts against or approaches the upward locking portion 302a of the restricting flange portion 302 from above. In this embodiment, the upward restricting portion 310 abuts against or approaches the upper end opening edge of the guide cylinder 15c from above, in addition to the upward locking portion 302a. Note that the upward restricting portion 310 only needs to be formed on at least one of the connecting wall portion 433 and the restricting portion 436.

[0132] In this embodiment, since the upward restricting portion 310 is located inside the guide cylinder 15c, the upward movement of the discharge head 13 can be restricted at the lower end of the mounting cylinder portion 31. This reliably prevents the discharge head 13 from tipping over. Furthermore, since the upward restricting portion 310 is not exposed to the outside, the aesthetic appearance can be improved. Moreover, in this embodiment, by making the lower end surfaces of the connecting wall portion 433 and the restricting portion 436 the upward restricting portion 310, when the stopper 430 is in the restricting position (when the fitting surface 437 is fitted into the mounting cylinder portion 31), the upward restricting portion 310 faces the restricting flange portion 302 (upward locking portion 302a) from the rear to both the left and right sides with respect to the central axis O. That is, since the upward restricting portion 310 and the restricting flange portion 302 face each other so as to surround the mounting cylinder portion 31, even if a large force is applied to rotate the pressing member 16 upward around the rotation axis L, the discharge head 13 can be reliably prevented from being pulled out of the stem 12.

[0133] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from its spirit.

[0134] For example, in the above embodiment, a configuration was shown in which a locking portion is provided on the discharge head 13 that restricts the downward movement of the discharge head 13 by contacting or approaching the restricting portion of the stopper 130. However, the locking portion may be provided on the pressing member 16, or on both the discharge head 13 and the pressing member 16. In the above embodiment, a configuration was shown in which at least the rear end of the upper end surface 138c (438c) of the contact portion 138 (438) that contacts the contact portion of the pressing member 16 gradually extends downward as it moves towards the rear. However, this is not limited to this configuration, and may be appropriately modified, for example, by making the upper end surface 138c (438c) of the contact portion 138 (438) a flat surface perpendicular to the vertical direction over its entire area. In the above embodiment, at least a portion of the restraining projection 139 is shown to be vertically opposed to the rear end of the upper end surface 138c of the contacted portion 138 when the stopper 130 is in the restraining position. However, the restraining projection 139 may be positioned behind the upper end surface 138c of the contacted portion 138. The shape, size, and position of the restraining projection 139 are not limited to the above embodiment and may be changed as appropriate.

[0135] In the above embodiment, it was explained that when the stopper 130 is in the restricting position, it contacts the first locking portion 120 and the second locking portion 100A. However, the stopper 130 does not need to contact the first locking portion 120 and the second locking portion 100A; it only needs to be close to them, and even in this case, the downward movement of the discharge head 13 can be restricted. Also, the dischargers 1 (1A, 1B) do not need to be equipped with the forward / inverted adapter 200. In this case, the pipe 213 is attached to the lower end of the cylinder 42.

[0136] In the above embodiment, a configuration was shown in which a downward locking portion is provided on the discharge head 13, which restricts the downward movement of the discharge head 13 by contacting or approaching the downward restricting portion of the stopper 430. However, the downward locking portion may be provided on the pressing member 16, or on both the discharge head 13 and the pressing member 16. Similarly, the upward locking portion may be provided on the pressing member 16, or on both the discharge head 13 and the pressing member 16. In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the upward restricting portion is provided on the stopper 430 was described, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the upward restricting portion may be provided on the stem 12. Also, the upward restricting portion may be provided separately from the stem 12 and the stopper 430. In the above embodiment, the contact portion 438 was shown to have at least the rear end of the upper end surface 438c that the contact portion of the pressing member 16 contacts, which gradually extends downward as it moves towards the rear. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and may be modified as appropriate, for example, by making the upper end surface 438c of the contact portion 438 a flat surface perpendicular to the vertical direction over its entire area.

[0137] In the above embodiment, the stopper 430 is configured to include both an upward restricting section and a downward restricting section, but it is sufficient to have at least an upward restricting section.

[0138] Furthermore, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, the components in the above-described embodiments may be replaced with well-known components as appropriate, and the above-described modifications may be combined as appropriate.

[0139] The present invention can be used as a dispenser that is attached to the mouth of a container body containing contents and dispenses the contents from a discharge hole.

[0140] 1, 1A, 1B Discharger 2 Container body 3 Mouth 11 Mounting cap 12 Stem 13 Discharge head 13A Discharge hole 14 Pump 15 Support part 15c Guide cylinder 16 Pressing member 100A Second locking part (locking part) 100A1 Flat surface (downward locking part) 120 First locking part (locking part) 130 Stopper 134c Finger grip 135 First restricting part (restricting part) 136 Second restricting part (restricting part) 138 Contact part 138c Upper end surface of contact part 139 Restraining projection 302a Upward locking part 310, 445 Upward restricting part 420a Downward locking part 430 Stopper 435 First descent restriction section (descent restriction section) 436c Second descent restriction section (descent restriction section) L Rotation axis

Claims

1. The discharge device consists of a pump mounted at the mouth of the container body, allowing it to move downward under upward elastic force, a discharge head with a pre-formed discharge opening at the front, a fitting for attaching the pump to the container mouth, a support mounted behind the fitting, and a pressing element mounted on the support in a rotatable position around an axis for pressing down on the discharge head. The discharge head has a structure which...By rotating the downward-moving press piece around its axis, the ejection head moves downward, ejecting the contents from the ejection port. The ejection device consists of a stopper mounted in a pivoting position in the forward-backward direction, with a limiting section that touches or is close to the hooked section, which is formed on at least one side of the ejection head and the downward-moving press piece from the bottom of the hooked section. The stopper is mounted in a pivoting position between the limiting section, where the limiting section touches or is close to the hooked section, restricting the downward movement of the ejection head, and the limiting release position, which pivots from the limiting position backward. The limiting section is separated from the hooked section, allowing the downward movement of the ejection head. The stopper consists of the aforementioned limiting section and,The finger-locking part located on the outer side of the left-right direction, perpendicular to the two directions, namely the front-back and up-down directions, beyond the said downward pressing part, and, the touched part that will touch the said downward pressing part at the time when the stop is in the state located at the said limit position and touches the said downward pressing part, or;At the time that the stop is in the condition of being set at the limit position and the pusher rotates downward around its axis of rotation, the pusher, at the part located further back than the part that contacts the contacting part of the stop, forms a downward protruding projection.

2. The ejector specified in Reputation 1, in which the contacting part, at least one of the upper end surfaces that contacts the contacting part of the pusher, is gradually extended downward along its rearward approach.

3. The ejector specified in Reputation 2, in which at least one of the protruding parts, in the condition that the stop is set at the limit position, is opposite to the rear end of the upper end surface of the contacting part.

4. The ejector, consisting of, a pump with a rod mounted on the mouth of the body of the container in a downward moving state under an upward elastic force, and an ejection head fitted to the rod and forming an ejection port that forms an opening on the front side, and,The fitting cover is used to mount the pump onto the mouth of the container body, and the support is installed at the rear of the fitting cover, and the pressing element is positioned on the support in a rotatable position around an axis connected to the discharge head, having a structure which...By rotating the downward-moving press piece around the said axis of rotation, the ejection head is moved downward, causing the contents to be ejected from the ejection port, which is an ejection device with an upward restriction that touches or is in close contact with the upward-moving coupling, which is molded on at least one side of the ejection head and the downward-moving press piece from the top of the upward-moving coupling.

5. The ejection device specified in claim 4 consists of a stop mounted in a tilting position in the front-back direction, which has a downward movement restriction that touches or is in close contact with the downward-moving coupling, which is molded on at least one side of the ejection head and the downward-moving press piece from the bottom of the downward-moving coupling. The stop is mounted in a tilting position between the limiting position where the downward movement restriction touches or is in close contact with the downward-moving coupling, restricting the downward movement of the ejection head and,6. The release position of the limiting element, which moves backward from such limiting position, the downward movement limiting element is separated from the downward movement limiting element, allowing downward movement of the ejector head.

7. Any of the ejectors specified in Reputation 4 through Reputation 6, where such support contains a guide cylinder through which the rod is inserted in a downward movable position, the upward movement limiting element is formed at the part extending upward from the guide cylinder among the ejector heads.

8. Any of the ejectors specified in Reputation 4 through Reputation 6, where such support contains a guide cylinder through which the rod is inserted in a downward movable position, the upward movement limiting element is formed at the part located inside the guide cylinder among the ejector heads.