Spouting container and mounting cap

Abstract

To provide a spouting container and mounting cap capable of stably mixing even medium to high viscosity liquids with air.SOLUTION: A spouting container, equipped with a container body capable of containing a liquid, has a mixing chamber for mixing the liquid and air, a spouting hole capable of spouting the liquid and air mixed in the mixing chamber, a liquid flow path supplying the liquid from inside the container body to the mixing chamber, an air flow path supplying air from inside the container body to the mixing chamber, and a pressure storage valve provided between the mixing chamber and the spouting hole.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a squirt container and a fitting cap. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a spray container having a spray hole capable of spraying a liquid, which mixes the liquid and air immediately before the spray hole and sprays the liquid in a mist state (Patent Document 1, etc.). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4877623 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with conventional ejection containers, when the liquid has medium to high viscosity, slowly pressing the container body containing the liquid causes the air to be ejected first, resulting in a problem that the liquid and air cannot be mixed stably.

[0005] The present invention relates to a spray container and an attachment cap that are capable of stably mixing even a liquid having a medium to high viscosity with air. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The ejection container of the present invention is a ejection container having a container body capable of containing a liquid, and is equipped with a mixing chamber for mixing liquid and air, an ejection hole capable of ejecting the liquid and air mixed in the mixing chamber, a liquid flow path for supplying liquid from inside the container body to the mixing chamber, an air flow path for supplying air from inside the container body to the mixing chamber, and a pressure accumulator valve provided between the mixing chamber and the ejection hole.

[0007] In addition, the attachment cap of the present invention is an attachment cap configured to be attached to a container body capable of containing a liquid, and is equipped with a mixing chamber for mixing liquid and air, an ejection hole capable of ejecting the liquid and air mixed in the mixing chamber, a liquid flow path for supplying liquid from inside the container body to the mixing chamber, an air flow path for supplying air from inside the container body to the mixing chamber, and a pressure accumulator valve provided between the mixing chamber and the ejection hole. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the ejection container and attachment cap of the present invention, even liquids having medium to high viscosity can be stably mixed with air. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a jetting container according to the embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the ejection container according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the ejection container according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of the attachment cap according to the embodiment; FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of the attachment cap according to the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the accumulator valve according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view showing a modified example of the orthogonal flow path according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view showing a modified example of the orthogonal flow path according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the flow control mechanism according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Preferred embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the inventions according to the claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. In addition, in the present embodiments, the scale and dimensions of each component may be exaggerated, and some components may be omitted.

[0011] [Overall configuration of the ejection vessel] The spray container 1 according to this embodiment is a spray container used for spraying a liquid such as a cleaning agent (hereinafter simply referred to as "liquid") in a mist state or for spraying a liquid in a foam state. Specifically, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the spray container 1 according to this embodiment includes a container body 10 capable of containing a liquid, and an attachment cap 20 attached to the container body 10. In this embodiment, the attachment cap 20 is configured to be detachable from the container body 10.

[0012] Hereinafter, in this specification, the direction from the container body 10 toward the attachment cap 20 (the side opposite the container body 10 when viewed from the attachment cap 20) will be described as "upper", and the opposite direction (the container body 10 side when viewed from the attachment cap 20) will be described as "lower". Furthermore, a state in which the attachment cap 20 is located above the container body 10 will be referred to as an "upright state", and a state in which the attachment cap 20 is turned upside down so that it is located below the container body 10 will be referred to as an "inverted state". Furthermore, a cross section along the vertical direction will be referred to as a "longitudinal cross section", and a cross section in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction will be referred to as a "horizontal cross section".

[0013] [Container body configuration] The container body 10 according to the present embodiment is a synthetic resin container formed by blow molding, for example, and is a squeeze container that can be deformed by a user's squeezing operation. Specifically, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the container body 10 includes a bottom 11, a tubular body 12 extending upward from the periphery of the bottom 11, and a cylindrical mouth 13 provided at the upper end and center of the body 12, and is formed as a bottomed tube with only the upper end of the mouth 13 open as a whole. The container body 10 according to the present embodiment is configured to be able to contain liquid in the internal space defined by the bottom 11 and the body 12.

[0014] The bottom 11 has an elliptical shape having a major axis and a minor axis. The bottom 11 has an outer diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the lower end of the body 12, and the body 12 extends upward from the upper surface of the bottom 11. That is, in this embodiment, the container body 10 has a raised bottom structure in which only the bottom 11 contacts the placement surface when placed on a placement surface such as a floor surface. In this way, since the container body 10 has a raised bottom structure, the deformation rate of the container body 10 during the squeezing operation (i.e., the amount of reduction in the volume of the container body 10) can be increased, which has the advantage of reducing the pressing force required for the squeezing operation and reducing the burden on the user.

[0015] The body 12 has an elliptical cylindrical shape in horizontal cross section having a major axis and a minor axis, and its upper end is curved upward and radially inward (i.e., toward the mouth 13). Since the horizontal cross section of the body 12 has an elliptical cylindrical shape, it has the advantage of making it easier to grip the container body 10. In addition, it has the advantage of reducing the burden on the user during squeezing operations, since liquid or foam can be sprayed with a small amount of deformation.

[0016] Moreover, the body 12 has flexibility that allows it to be deformed by a squeezing operation by the user. Specifically, in order to reduce the pressing force required for the squeezing operation and to reduce the burden on the user, the pressing force generated when a strain of 30 mm is applied from each of the short-axis end portions of the body 12 toward the center is preferably 140 N or less, more preferably 100 N or less, and even more preferably 60 N or less. In order to improve the restorability when an external force is removed from the body 12, the pressing force is preferably 20 N or more. The short-axis direction of the body 12 is the short-axis direction in a horizontal cross section of the body 12.

[0017] The mouth portion 13 has a perfect circular shape in horizontal cross section. A screw thread is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the mouth portion 13 in a spiral shape along the circumferential direction, and is configured so that a peripheral wall portion 37 of a first outer cylinder member 30 of the attachment cap 20 (described later) can be screwed thereto.

[0018] The liquid contained in the container body 10 is preferably a medium-viscosity liquid or a high-viscosity liquid from the viewpoint of stably mixing the medium-viscosity to high-viscosity liquid with air and stabilizing the mist and foaming of the liquid. However, the use of the ejection container 1 according to this embodiment is not limited to the use of ejecting a medium-viscosity liquid or a high-viscosity liquid, and it may be used for the use of ejecting a low-viscosity liquid. Therefore, the container body 10 may contain a low-viscosity liquid.

[0019] In this specification, a viscosity of less than 10 mPa·s is defined as "low viscosity," a viscosity of 10 mPa·s or more and less than 100 mPa·s is defined as "medium viscosity," and a viscosity of 100 mPa·s or more is defined as "high viscosity."

[0020] The material of the container body 10 is preferably an elastic material that is both flexible enough to be deformed by a user's squeezing operation and has excellent restoring ability when an external force is removed from the container body 10. From this viewpoint, the container body 10 is preferably made of one or more materials selected from polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH). In addition, the container body 10 is preferably formed by integral molding using the above-mentioned materials, but is not limited thereto, and may be configured such that the bottom 11, body 12, and mouth 13, which are molded as separate members, are integrated together.

[0021] The shape and material of the container body 10 are not limited to the above-mentioned configuration, and various known shapes and materials can be adopted.

[0022] [Configuration of the mounting cap] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the attachment cap 20 comprises a first outer tube member 30 attached to the mouth 13 of the container body 10, a second outer tube member 40 attached to the upper end of the first outer tube member 30 (the end opposite the container body 10), an inner tube member 50 provided inside the first outer tube member 30 and the second outer tube member 40, a lid member 60 provided at the upper end of the second outer tube member 40, a pressure accumulator valve 70 provided between the inner tube member 50 and the lid member 60, a retaining member 80 provided at the lower end (the end on the container body 10 side) of the first outer tube member 30, and a dip tube 90 held by the retaining member 80.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the first outer tube member 30 has a flat plate portion 31 formed in a flat plate shape, a pillar portion 32 extending upward from the upper surface of the flat plate portion 31, an upper small diameter cylindrical portion 33 extending upward from the upper surface of the pillar portion 32, an upper large diameter cylindrical portion 34 extending upward from the upper surface of the pillar portion 32, a lower small diameter cylindrical portion 35 extending downward from the lower surface of the flat plate portion 31, a lower large diameter cylindrical portion 36 extending downward from the lower surface of the flat plate portion 31, and a peripheral wall portion 37 extending downward from the outer edge of the flat plate portion 31.

[0024] The flat plate portion 31 is formed in a circular shape in horizontal cross section having a larger diameter than the mouth portion 13. The pillar portion 32 is formed in a cylindrical shape having a smaller diameter than the flat plate portion 31, and is provided at a position eccentric to the flat plate portion 31. In addition, the pillar portion 32 is formed by cutting out a part of the lower end portion, and is configured to form a space between the pillar portion 32 and the flat plate portion 31.

[0025] The upper small diameter cylinder portion 33 is formed in a cylindrical shape having an outer diameter smaller than the diameter of the column portion 32, and is formed extending upward from the center of the upper surface of the column portion 32. The upper large diameter cylinder portion 34 is formed in a cylindrical shape having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the upper small diameter cylinder portion 33, and is formed extending upward from the periphery of the upper surface of the column portion 32. The upper small diameter cylinder portion 33 and the upper large diameter cylinder portion 34 have approximately the same length in the axial direction (vertical direction). In addition, a screw groove formed in a spiral shape along the circumferential direction is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the upper large diameter cylinder portion 34, and is configured to be able to be screwed with the second outer cylinder member 40.

[0026] The lower small diameter cylinder portion 35 is formed in a cylindrical shape having the same axis as the upper small diameter cylinder portion 33. The lower small diameter cylinder portion 35 has an outer diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the upper small diameter cylinder portion 33, and has an inner diameter larger than the inner diameter of the upper small diameter cylinder portion 33. The lower large diameter cylinder portion 36 is formed in a cylindrical shape having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the lower small diameter cylinder portion 35, and has a length substantially half that of the lower small diameter cylinder portion 35 in the axial direction. The peripheral wall portion 37 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending downward from the outer edge of the flat plate portion 31, and has a length substantially equal to that of the mouth portion 13 in the axial direction. The inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 37 is formed with a screw groove formed in a spiral shape along the circumferential direction, and is configured to be screwed with a screw thread formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 13.

[0027] That is, in this embodiment, the first outer cylinder member 30 is detachably attached to the mouth portion 13 by screwing a screw groove formed on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 37 into a screw thread formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 13. The first outer cylinder member 30 may be attached to the mouth portion 13 in an undetachable manner, or may be integrated with the container body 10.

[0028] Moreover, the first outer tube member 30 according to this embodiment has an inner communication hole 38 that communicates the upper small diameter cylindrical portion 33 and the lower small diameter cylindrical portion 35, and an outer communication hole 39 formed from the upper surface of the column portion 32 to the lower surface of the flat plate portion 31. The inner communication hole 38 has the same diameter as the inner diameter of the upper small diameter cylindrical portion 33. A plurality of outer communication holes 39 are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction of the flat plate portion 31 and the column portion 32. In this embodiment, two outer communication holes 39 are formed at positions symmetrical with respect to the inner communication hole 38. The inner communication hole 38 and the outer communication hole 39 have approximately the same diameter.

[0029] In this embodiment, the first outer cylinder member 30 is formed by integral molding using materials such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyoxymethylene (POM). However, the configuration of the first outer cylinder member 30 is not limited to this, and may be configured, for example, by integrating a flat plate portion 31, a pillar portion 32, an upper small diameter cylinder portion 33, an upper large diameter cylinder portion 34, a lower small diameter cylinder portion 35, a lower large diameter cylinder portion 36, and a peripheral wall portion 37, which are molded as separate members. In addition, various other known materials and molding methods may be adopted.

[0030] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the second outer tube member 40 has a cylindrical upper tube portion 41 whose center portion at the upper end and lower end are open, and a cylindrical lower tube portion 42 extending downward from the inner circumferential surface at the lower end side of the upper tube portion 41.

[0031] The upper cylindrical portion 41 has an outer diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the upper large diameter cylindrical portion 34 of the first outer cylindrical member 30. In addition, the upper surface of the upper cylindrical portion 41 has a shape that matches the outer shape of the cover member 60. Specifically, the upper surface of the upper cylindrical portion 41 is formed in a stepped shape that slopes downward toward the radial center in a vertical cross section.

[0032] The lower cylindrical portion 42 has an inner diameter equal to the inner diameter of the upper cylindrical portion 41, and has approximately the same length in the axial direction as the upper large diameter cylindrical portion 34. In addition, a screw thread is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the lower cylindrical portion 42 in a spiral shape along the circumferential direction, and is configured to be able to screw into a screw groove formed on the inner circumferential surface of the upper large diameter cylindrical portion 34.

[0033] That is, in this embodiment, the second outer tubular member 40 is detachably attached to the first outer tubular member 30 by screwing a screw thread formed on the outer circumferential surface of the lower tubular portion 42 into a screw groove formed on the inner circumferential surface of the upper large diameter tubular portion 34. The second outer tubular member 40 may be attached to the first outer tubular member 30 in an undetachable manner, or may be integrated with the first outer tubular member 30.

[0034] In this embodiment, the second outer cylinder member 40 is formed by integral molding using materials such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyoxymethylene (POM). However, the configuration of the second outer cylinder member 40 is not limited to this, and may be configured, for example, by integrating an upper cylinder portion 41 and a lower cylinder portion 42 molded as separate members. Also, various other known materials and molding methods may be adopted.

[0035] 1 to 5, the inner cylinder member 50 has a top 51 and a cylindrical side wall 52 extending downward from the periphery of the top 51, and is generally formed in a topped cylindrical shape with an open lower end. The outer edges of the top 51 and the side wall 52 are formed in a square shape, and the portions adjacent to the inner circumferential surface of the second outer cylinder member 40 (i.e., the corners of the square) are formed in an arc shape that follows the inner circumferential surface of the second outer cylinder member 40.

[0036] An inflow hole 51a is formed in the center of the top 51, through which a fluid (liquid in this embodiment) that has flowed into the attachment cap 20 from inside the container body 10 flows into the mixing chamber 21 (described later). The inflow hole 51a is a circular hole formed penetrating the top 51 from the upper surface to the lower surface.

[0037] The inner cylinder member 50 also has a protruding portion 53 that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the top portion 51. In a horizontal cross section, the protruding portion 53 has a trapezoidal shape having long and short sides, and the long and short sides are curved toward the radial outside of the inflow hole 51a. A plurality of protruding portions 53 (four in this embodiment) are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the top portion 51, and each protruding portion 53 is provided so as to face another protruding portion 53 with the inflow hole 51a as a boundary. Specifically, each protruding portion 53 is provided so as to be symmetrical to the other protruding portion 53 with the inflow hole 51a as a boundary.

[0038] The inner cylinder member 50 having the above configuration is detachably attached to the first outer cylinder member 30 by fitting the upper small diameter cylinder portion 33 of the first outer cylinder member 30 into the internal space defined by the inner surface of the top portion 51 and the inner surface of the side wall portion 52. The inner cylinder member 50 may be attached to the first outer cylinder member 30 in an undetachable manner, or may be integrated with the first outer cylinder member 30.

[0039] In addition, in the mounting cap 20 of this embodiment, the inner tube member 50 is attached to the first outer tube member 30, and then the second outer tube member 40 is attached to the first outer tube member 30, so that the inner tube member 50 is positioned inside the first outer tube member 30 and the second outer tube member 40.

[0040] In this embodiment, the inner tube member 50 is formed by integral molding using materials such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyoxymethylene (POM). However, the configuration of the inner tube member 50 is not limited to this, and may be configured, for example, by integrating a top portion 51, a side wall portion 52, and a protruding portion 53 molded as separate members. Also, various other known materials and molding methods may be adopted.

[0041] As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the cover member 60 has a shape that matches the shape of the upper surface of the upper cylinder portion 41 of the second outer cylinder member 40, and is detachably attached to the second outer cylinder member 40 by fitting the cover member 60 into the upper surface of the upper cylinder portion 41 of the second outer cylinder member 40. In addition, an ejection hole 61 capable of ejecting the liquid and air mixed in the mixing chamber 21 described later is formed in the center of the cover member 60. The ejection hole 61 is a circular hole formed penetrating from the upper end to the lower end of the cover member 60. According to the mounting cap 20 of this embodiment, there is an advantage that the lid member 60 can prevent the pressure accumulator valve 70 from falling off.

[0042] In this embodiment, the lid member 60 is formed by integral molding using materials such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyoxymethylene (POM), etc. However, the configuration of the lid member 60 is not limited to this, and various known materials and molding methods may be adopted.

[0043] 3, 4, and 6, the accumulator valve 70 is provided between the mixing chamber 21 described below and the ejection hole 61 of the lid member 60. The accumulator valve 70 also has a base portion 71 having an opening 71a, and a bulging portion 72 that bulges from the periphery of the opening 71a of the base portion 71 toward the mixing chamber 21 side.

[0044] The base portion 71 is formed in a concave shape from the mixing chamber 21 side toward the ejection hole 61 side, and has a circular opening 71a in the center. In this embodiment, the opening area of ​​the opening 71a is set to 19 mm 2It is preferable that the thickness is 28 mm or more. 2 More preferably, it is 38 mm or more. 2 It is more preferable that the range of the liquid or foam to be sprayed and the size of the spray container 1 are suitable for use by the user, and from the viewpoint of increasing the convenience of using the spray container 1, it is preferable that the range of the liquid or foam to be sprayed and the size of the spray container 1 are suitable for use by the user. 2 Preferably less than 63 mm 2 More preferably, it is 50 mm or less. 2 It is even more preferable that:

[0045] The bulging portion 72 has an inclined portion 72a that is at least partially inclined from the periphery of the opening 71a of the base portion 71 toward the mixing chamber 21 and inward. In this embodiment, the bulging portion 72 has an extension portion 72b that extends vertically from the periphery of the opening 71a of the base portion 71 toward the mixing chamber 21, and an inclined portion 72a that inclined from the tip of the extension portion 72b toward the mixing chamber 21 and inward. In this way, since the pressure accumulating valve 70 has the inclined portion 72a, pressure is applied from the liquid and air mixed in the mixing chamber 21 not only to the piece portion 72d described later but also to the inclined portion 72a, which has the advantage of improving the pressure accumulating property of the pressure accumulating valve 70 (the property of opening at a predetermined pressure).

[0046] From the viewpoint of improving the pressure accumulation performance of the accumulator valve 70, the inclined portion 72a is preferably at least 30°, more preferably at least 35°, and even more preferably at least 40° relative to the base portion 71 (i.e., relative to the radial direction of the opening 71a). From the same viewpoint, the inclined portion 72a is preferably at most 60°, more preferably at most 55°, and even more preferably at most 50° relative to the base portion 71. Furthermore, the inclined portion 72a is most preferably at most 45° relative to the base portion 71.

[0047] In this embodiment, the bulge portion 72 has been described as having the extension portion 72b and the inclined portion 72a, but this is not limited to this. For example, the bulge portion 72 may be configured to not have the extension portion 72b, and the inclined portion 72a may incline from the peripheral edge of the opening 71a of the base portion 71 toward the mixing chamber 21 and inward, or the extension portion 72b may have the inclined portion 72a in the middle, or the extension portion 72b may not have the inclined portion 72a.

[0048] Moreover, the bulging portion 72 has a slit 72c at the apex of the bulging portion 72 (i.e., the lower end of the pressure accumulator valve 70) and a piece portion 72d formed by the slit 72c. The piece portion 72d is configured to be elastically deformable. In this embodiment, the bulging portion 72 has a plurality of slits 72c (two in this embodiment), and the slits 72c intersect with each other. Therefore, the bulging portion 72 has a plurality of pieces 72d (four in this embodiment). Specifically, the slits 72c are perpendicular to each other. In this way, since the plurality of slits 72c are perpendicular to each other, the sizes of the pieces 72d are equal, and there is an advantage that the liquid or foam ejected from the ejection hole 61 is ejected neatly in the ejection direction without being biased in a specific direction.

[0049] The length of the slit 72c is preferably 6 mm or less, more preferably 5.5 mm or less, and even more preferably 5 mm or less, from the viewpoint of increasing the pressure accumulation property of the accumulator valve 70. Moreover, the length of the slit 72c is preferably 2 mm or more, more preferably 2.5 mm or more, and even more preferably 3 mm or more, from the viewpoint of reducing the pressure required for the accumulator valve 70 to be in an open state and ejecting a predetermined amount of liquid or foam when the ejection container 1 is used.

[0050] The accumulator valve 70 having the above configuration is configured to open when a predetermined pressure is applied to the accumulator valve 70 from the liquid and air mixed in the mixing chamber 21. Specifically, the accumulator valve 70 is configured to open when the pressing force applied to the piece 72d by the liquid and air mixed in the mixing chamber 21 is greater than the elastic force of the piece 72d.

[0051] In this embodiment, at least the piece 72d of the accumulator valve 70 is preferably made of an elastic material that is elastically deformable in response to the pressing force of the liquid and air on the piece 72d, and it is more preferable that the entire accumulator valve 70 is made of an elastic material. From this viewpoint, the accumulator valve 70 is preferably made of one or more materials selected from silicone rubber, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH). The accumulator valve 70 is preferably formed by integral molding using the above-mentioned materials, but is not limited thereto. For example, only the piece 72d may be molded from the above-mentioned materials, or the base portion 71 and the bulge portion 72 molded as separate members may be integrated together.

[0052] 3 and 4, the holding member 80 is configured to be able to fit into the lower large diameter cylindrical portion 36 of the first outer tube member 30. That is, the holding member 80 has a shape and size that allows it to fit into the lower large diameter cylindrical portion 36. The holding member 80 also has a first through hole 81 into which the lower small diameter cylindrical portion 35 of the first outer tube member 30 is fitted, and a second through hole 82 into which the dip tube 90 is fitted.

[0053] The holding member 80 having the above configuration is detachably attached to the first outer tube member 30 by fitting the lower small diameter tube portion 35 of the first outer tube member 30 into the first through hole 81 while fitting inside the lower large diameter tube portion 36 of the first outer tube member 30. The holding member 80 is also configured to be able to hold the dip tube 90 by fitting the dip tube 90 into the second through hole 82. The holding member 80 may be configured to be attached non-detachably to the first outer tube member 30, or may be configured to be integrated with the first outer tube member 30.

[0054] In this embodiment, the holding member 80 is formed by integral molding using materials such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyoxymethylene (POM), etc. However, the configuration of the holding member 80 is not limited to this, and various other known materials and molding methods may be adopted.

[0055] 2 to 4, the dip tube 90 is formed in a tubular shape penetrating from the upper end to the lower end, and its upper end is fitted into the second through-hole 82 of the holding member 80. The dip tube 90 has a length such that its lower end reaches the vicinity of the bottom 11 of the container body 10. Note that the configuration of the dip tube 90 can employ various known configurations, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0056] Also, as shown in Figure 4, the attachment cap 20 of this embodiment has a flow control mechanism 100 that allows flow from the outside of the attachment cap 20 toward the inside of the container body 10, and prevents flow from the inside of the container body 10 toward the outside of the attachment cap 20.

[0057] The flow control mechanism 100 has a valve seat 101 and a valve element 102 that can be placed on the valve seat 101. The valve seat 101 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and is inserted into an insertion hole 31a formed in the flat plate portion 31 of the first outer cylinder member 30. The valve seat 101 also has an air introduction hole 101a that introduces air from the outside of the container body 10 (attachment cap 20) to the inside of the container body 10, a first seat portion 101b on which the valve element 102 is placed in the upright state, and a second seat portion 101c on which the valve element 102 is placed in the inverted state.

[0058] The air introduction hole 101a is a hole formed penetrating from the upper end to the lower end of the valve seat 101. The first seat portion 101b is formed protruding from the inner peripheral surface of the valve seat 101 radially inward of the valve seat 101, and has a curved inner surface with which the valve body 102 can closely contact. The second seat portion 101c is formed inclined from the upper end of the valve seat 101 radially inward of the valve seat 101, and has a curved inner surface with which the valve body 102 can closely contact. The inner surfaces of the first seat portion 101b and the second seat portion 101c have substantially the same radius of curvature as the radius of curvature of the valve body 102.

[0059] The valve body 102 is a ball valve, and is accommodated between the first seat portion 101b and the second seat portion 101c of the valve seat 101. The valve body 102 is configured to be able to open and close the air introduction hole 101a. Specifically, the valve body 102 is configured to block flow (flow of liquid and air) from the inside of the container body 10 toward the outside of the attachment cap 20 by being in close contact with the first seat portion 101b or the second seat portion 101c, and to allow flow (flow of air) from the outside of the attachment cap 20 toward the inside of the container body 10 by being separated from the first seat portion 101b or the second seat portion 101c.

[0060] In this embodiment, the valve seat 101 and the valve body 102 are formed by integral molding using materials such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyoxymethylene (POM), etc. However, the configurations of the valve seat 101 and the valve body 102 are not limited to this, and various other known materials and molding methods may be adopted, or the valve seat 101 may be configured to be integrated with the first outer cylinder member 30.

[0061] The mounting cap 20 having the above-described configuration has a mixing chamber 21 for mixing liquid and air, a liquid flow path 22 for supplying liquid from inside the container body 10 to the mixing chamber 21, and an air flow path 23 for supplying air from inside the container body 10 to the mixing chamber 21.

[0062] 4 and 5, in this embodiment, the space defined by the upper surface of the top portion 51 and the surface of the protruding portion 53 on the inlet hole 51a side functions as the mixing chamber 21. In addition, in this embodiment, the internal space of the lower small diameter cylindrical portion 35, the inner communication hole 38, the internal space of the upper small diameter cylindrical portion 33, the internal space of the inner cylindrical member 50, and the inlet hole 51a function as the liquid flow path 22. In addition, in this embodiment, the internal space of the dip tube 90, the second through hole 82, the space formed between the holding member 80 and the lower surface of the flat plate portion 31, the outer communication hole 39, the space formed between the inner surface of the second outer cylindrical member 40 and the outer surface of the inner cylindrical member 50, and the space formed between adjacent protruding portions 53 function as the air flow path 23.

[0063] In this embodiment, the flow path area at the outlet of the liquid flow path 22 is preferably 50% or more, more preferably 100% or more, and even more preferably 200% or more of the flow path area at the outlet of the air flow path 23 from the viewpoint of stably turning the liquid into mist or bubbles (hereinafter referred to as mist, etc.) and ejecting it. Moreover, from the same viewpoint, the flow path area at the outlet of the liquid flow path 22 is preferably 710% or less, more preferably 580% or less, and even more preferably 450% or less. Note that when there are multiple liquid flow paths 22, the total area of ​​the outlets of the liquid flow paths 22 is the flow path area. Similarly, when there are multiple air flow paths 23, the total area of ​​the outlets of the air flow paths 23 is the flow path area.

[0064] In the mounting cap 20 having the above configuration, the outlet of either the liquid flow path 22 or the air flow path 23 faces the pressure accumulator valve 70 via the mixing chamber 21. In this embodiment, the outlet of the liquid flow path 22 (i.e., the upper end of the inlet hole 51a) faces the pressure accumulator valve 70 via the mixing chamber 21.

[0065] Furthermore, from the viewpoint of suppressing liquid pooling around the accumulator valve 70, the distance between the outlet of the liquid flow path 22 or the air flow path 23 and the piece 72d is preferably 7 mm or less, more preferably 4 mm or less, and even more preferably 2 mm or less. Specifically, it is preferable that the distance between the outlet of the liquid flow path 22 or the outlet of the air flow path 23 that faces the accumulator valve 70 across the mixing chamber 21 and the piece 72d (the distance along the facing direction between the outlet of either the liquid flow path 22 or the air flow path 23 and the accumulator valve 70) is the above value. In this embodiment, the distance between the outlet of the liquid flow path 22 and the piece 72d has the above value.

[0066] 5, the other of the liquid flow path 22 and the air flow path 23 has an orthogonal flow path 24 that extends in a direction perpendicular to the opposing direction between the outlet of one of the liquid flow path 22 and the air flow path 23 and the accumulator valve 70, and reaches the mixing chamber 21. In this embodiment, the space formed between adjacent protruding portions 53 functions as the orthogonal flow path 24. That is, the air flow path 23 has the orthogonal flow path 24.

[0067] A plurality of orthogonal flow paths 24 (four in this embodiment) are provided, and at least two of the plurality of orthogonal flow paths 24 face each other across the mixing chamber 21. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, two of the four orthogonal flow paths 24 face each other across the mixing chamber 21, and the other two of the four orthogonal flow paths 24 face each other across the mixing chamber 21. Furthermore, two of the four orthogonal flow paths 24 and the other two are provided so as to be perpendicular to each other, forming a cross-shaped flow path as a whole.

[0068] 4, the other of the liquid flow path 22 and the air flow path 23 has a parallel flow path 25 that extends in the same direction as the opposing direction of the outlet of either the liquid flow path 22 or the air flow path 23 and the accumulator valve 70, and leads to the orthogonal flow path 24. In this embodiment, the outer communication hole 39 and the space formed between the inner surface of the second outer cylinder member 40 and the outer surface of the inner cylinder member 50 function as the parallel flow path 25. That is, the air flow path 23 has the parallel flow path 25. The parallel flow path 25 may be composed of only a straight flow path, or may be composed of a straight flow path and an inclined flow path. In this embodiment, the parallel flow path 25 is composed of a straight flow path and an inclined flow path.

[0069] [How to use the spray container] When using the jetting container 1 according to this embodiment, the user holds the container body 10 and points the mouth 13 downward (putting the jetting container 1 in an inverted state), and points the jetting hole 61 toward a predetermined jetting location. At this time, the valve body 102 is brought into close contact with the second seat portion 101c by its own weight, and the air introduction hole 101a is closed. In addition, the liquid contained inside the container body 10 flows into the liquid flow path 22 by its own weight, passes through the liquid flow path 22, and is supplied to the mixing chamber 21. In this state, when the body 12 of the container body 10 is pressed to perform a squeezing operation and the body 12 is deformed, the air inside the container body 10 flows into the air flow path 23 due to an increase in the internal pressure of the container body 10, and is supplied to the mixing chamber 21 through the air flow path 23.

[0070] The liquid supplied to the mixing chamber 21 is mixed with the air supplied to the mixing chamber 21 and presses the piece 72d of the pressure accumulator valve 70. Then, when the pressing force on the piece 72d by the liquid and air mixed in the mixing chamber 21 becomes greater than the elastic force of the piece 72d, the pressure accumulator valve 70 opens and the liquid is sprayed in a mist or the like state.

[0071] After a predetermined amount of liquid or foam has been sprayed by the above squeezing operation, the user stops pressing (squeezing) the container body 10, removes the external force on the container body 10, and turns the mouth 13 upward (putting the spray container 1 in an upright position). This causes the valve body 102 to move away from the second seat 101c due to its own weight, and the air introduction hole 101a is opened. Then, air is introduced into the container body 10 from the outside of the attachment cap 20, and the container body 10 is restored to its original state.

[0072] [Advantages of the jet container according to this embodiment] Thus, the spray container 1 of this embodiment is a spray container 1 comprising a container body 10 capable of containing liquid and an attachment cap 20 attached to the container body 10, and the attachment cap 20 comprises a mixing chamber 21 for mixing liquid and air, an ejection hole 61 capable of ejecting the liquid and air mixed in the mixing chamber 21, a liquid flow path 22 for supplying liquid from inside the container body 10 to the mixing chamber 21, an air flow path 23 for supplying air from inside the container body 10 to the mixing chamber 21, and a pressure accumulator valve 70 provided between the mixing chamber 21 and the ejection hole 61.

[0073] According to the ejection container 1 having such a configuration, when a predetermined pressure is applied to the pressure accumulator valve 70 from the liquid and air mixed in the mixing chamber 21, the pressure accumulator valve 70 opens, so that when the liquid has a medium to high viscosity, even if the container body 10 is pressed slowly, it is possible to prevent only the air from being ejected first, and there is an advantage that even a liquid with a medium to high viscosity can be stably mixed with air. Therefore, the liquid can be stably ejected as a mist or the like.

[0074] In addition, in the ejection container 1 according to this embodiment, the pressure accumulator valve 70 has a slit 72c and a piece 72d formed by the slit 72c, and the piece 72d is configured to be elastically deformable, and the pressure accumulator valve 70 is opened when the pressing force of the liquid and air mixed in the mixing chamber 21 on the piece 72d is greater than the elastic force of the piece 72d. According to the ejection container 1 having such a configuration, the pressure accumulator valve 70 is opened when the pressing force of the liquid and air mixed in the mixing chamber 21 on the piece 72d is greater than the elastic force of the piece 72d, so that when the liquid has a medium to high viscosity, even if the container body 10 is pressed slowly, it is possible to prevent only the air from being ejected first, and there is an advantage that even a liquid with a medium to high viscosity can be stably mixed with air. Therefore, the liquid can be stably ejected as a mist or the like.

[0075] Furthermore, in the ejection container 1 according to this embodiment, the accumulator valve 70 has a plurality of slits 72c, and the plurality of slits 72c intersect with one another. According to the ejection container 1 having such a configuration, a plurality of pieces 72d are formed by the plurality of slits 72c. This makes it possible to reduce the pressure required for the accumulator valve 70 to open while maintaining the pressure accumulator property (the property of opening at a predetermined pressure) of the accumulator valve 70, and thus has the advantage that it is possible to suppress liquid accumulation around the accumulator valve 70 while ejecting a medium to high viscosity liquid in a mist or the like.

[0076] Moreover, in the ejection container 1 according to this embodiment, the pressure accumulating valve 70 has a bulging portion 72 that bulges toward the mixing chamber 21, and the bulging portion 72 has a slit 72c and a piece portion 72d at the apex of the bulging portion 72. According to the ejection container 1 having such a configuration, the pressure applied to the piece portion 72d from the liquid and air mixed in the mixing chamber 21 is applied not only in the opposing direction of the mixing chamber 21 and the piece portion 72d, but also from a direction intersecting or perpendicular to the opposing direction, which has the advantage that the pressure accumulating ability of the pressure accumulating valve 70 can be improved.

[0077] Furthermore, in the ejection container 1 according to this embodiment, the outlet of either the liquid flow path 22 or the air flow path 23 faces the pressure accumulator valve 70 via the mixing chamber 21, and the other of the liquid flow path 22 or the air flow path 23 has an orthogonal flow path 24 that extends in a direction orthogonal to the opposing direction between the outlet of either the liquid flow path 22 or the air flow path 23 and the pressure accumulator valve 70 and reaches the mixing chamber 21. According to the ejection container 1 having such a configuration, either the liquid or the air and the other of the liquid or the air collide at a right angle, which has the advantage that the liquid can be easily turned into mist, etc.

[0078] Moreover, in the ejection container 1 according to this embodiment, a plurality of orthogonal flow paths 24 are provided. According to the ejection container 1 having such a configuration, the liquid or air flowing through each of the orthogonal flow paths 24 collides with each other, which has the advantage that it is easy to turn the liquid into mist, etc.

[0079] Furthermore, in the ejection container 1 according to this embodiment, at least two of the multiple orthogonal flow paths 24 face each other via the mixing chamber 21. The ejection container 1 having such a configuration has an advantage that the impact force when the liquid or air flowing through each orthogonal flow path 24 collides with each other is large, making it easier to turn the liquid into mist, etc.

[0080] Moreover, in the spray container 1 according to this embodiment, the attachment cap 20 further comprises a valve seat 101 and a valve body 102 that can be placed on the valve seat 101, the valve seat 101 has an air introduction hole 101a that introduces air from the outside of the container body 10 to the inside of the container body 10, and the valve body 102 is configured to be able to open and close the air introduction hole 101a. The spray container 1 having such a configuration has the advantage that it is possible to improve the restoring ability of the container body 10 when an external force is removed from the container body 10.

[0081] [Variations] The ejection container according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the technical concept of the present invention.

[0082] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the internal space of the lower small-diameter cylindrical portion 35, the inner communicating hole 38, the internal space of the upper small-diameter cylindrical portion 33, the internal space of the inner tube member 50, and the inlet hole 51a function as the liquid flow path 22, and the internal space of the dip tube 90, the second through hole 82, the space formed between the retaining member 80 and the lower surface of the flat portion 31, the outer communicating hole 39, the space formed between the inner surface of the second outer tube member 40 and the outer surface of the inner tube member 50, and the space formed between adjacent protrusions 53 function as the air flow path 23, but this is not limited to the above, and the positions of the liquid flow path 22 and the air flow path 23 may be reversed. In other words, the internal space of the lower small diameter cylindrical portion 35, the inner communicating hole 38, the internal space of the upper small diameter cylindrical portion 33, the internal space of the inner tube member 50, and the inlet hole 51a may function as air flow path 23, and the internal space of the dip tube 90, the second through hole 82, the space formed between the retaining member 80 and the lower surface of the flat portion 31, the outer communicating hole 39, the space formed between the inner surface of the second outer tube member 40 and the outer surface of the inner tube member 50, and the space formed between adjacent protrusions 53 may function as liquid flow path 22.

[0083] Further, in the above embodiment, the pressure accumulator valve 70 has been described as having a plurality of slits 72c, but this is not limiting, and the pressure accumulator valve 70 may have only one slit 72c.

[0084] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the accumulator valve 70 has the bulging portion 72 that bulges toward the mixing chamber 21, and the bulging portion 72 has the slit 72c and the piece portion 72d at the apex, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the accumulator valve 70 may not have the bulging portion 72, and the slit 72c and the piece portion 72d may be provided in the base portion 71. In this case, the base portion 71 may not have the opening 71a.

[0085] In the above embodiment, the other of the liquid flow path 22 and the air flow path 23 has the orthogonal flow path 24 extending in a direction perpendicular to the opposing direction of the outlet of either the liquid flow path 22 or the air flow path 23 and the accumulator valve 70 to reach the mixing chamber 21, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a swirl flow path 24' may be provided instead of the orthogonal flow path 24. In the above embodiment, the orthogonal flow path 24 is provided in the opposing direction of the outlet of either the liquid flow path 22 or the air flow path 23 and the accumulator valve 70, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, two orthogonal flow paths 24' may be provided in the opposing direction of the outlet of either the liquid flow path 22 or the air flow path 23 and the accumulator valve 70. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, two swirl flow paths 24' may be provided in the opposing direction of the outlet of either the liquid flow path 22 or the air flow path 23 and the accumulator valve 70.

[0086] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, a description has been given of a configuration in which a plurality of orthogonal flow paths 24 are provided, but this is not limited thereto, and a configuration in which only one orthogonal flow path 24 is provided may also be used. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, a description has been given of a configuration in which at least two of the multiple orthogonal flow paths 24 face each other across the mixing chamber 21, but this is not limited thereto, and a configuration in which the two flow paths do not face each other across the mixing chamber 21 may also be used.

[0087] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the mounting cap 20 is described as having only one flow control mechanism 100, but this is not limited to this, and the mounting cap 20 may be configured to have multiple flow control mechanisms 100, as shown in FIG. 9.

[0088] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the body 12 has been described as having an elliptical cylindrical shape in horizontal cross section having a major axis and a minor axis, but is not limited thereto, and for example, the horizontal cross section of the body 12 may be cylindrical. Furthermore, the body 12 may be provided with a bellows-like volume variable portion that is elastically deformable.

[0089] It is apparent from the claims that the above-mentioned modifications are included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1: Squirt container 10: Container body 11: Bottom 12: Torso 13: Mouth 20: Mounting cap 21:Mixing room 22: Liquid flow path 23: Air flow path 24:Cross channel 24': Swirling flow path 25: Parallel flow path 30: First outer cylinder member 31: Flat plate part 31a: Insertion hole 32:Column part 33: Upper small diameter cylinder 34: Upper large diameter cylinder 35: Lower small diameter cylinder part 36: Lower large diameter cylinder 37: Peripheral wall part 38: Inner communication hole 39:Outside communication hole 40: Second outer cylinder member 41: Upper cylinder part 42: Lower cylinder part 50: Inner cylinder member 51:Top 51a:Inflow hole 52: Side wall 53:Protrusion 60: Lid member 61:Blowout hole 70: Accumulator valve 71: Base part 71a:Aperture 72 :bulge 72a: Inclined part 72b: Extension part 72c: Slit 72d:Katabe 80: Retaining member 81: First through hole 82: Second through hole 90:Dip tube 100: Flow control mechanism 101: Valve seat 101a: Air inlet 101b: 1st seat 101c: 2nd seat 102: Valve body

Claims

1. A spray container having a container body capable of holding liquid, A mixing chamber for mixing liquid and air, A nozzle capable of ejecting the liquid and air mixed in the mixing chamber, A liquid channel for supplying liquid from inside the container body to the mixing chamber, An air passage for supplying air from inside the container body to the mixing chamber, A pressure accumulator valve is provided between the mixing chamber and the ejection hole. Equipped with Squirting container.

2. The pressure accumulator valve has a slit and a piece formed by the slit, The aforementioned piece is configured to be elastically deformable, The pressure accumulator valve opens when the pressing force on the piece by the liquid and air mixed in the mixing chamber is greater than the elastic force of the piece. The spray container according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned pressure accumulator valve has a plurality of slits, The aforementioned multiple slits intersect each other. The ejection container according to claim 2.

4. The pressure accumulator valve has a bulging portion that expands toward the mixing chamber side, The bulging portion has the slit and the piece at its apex. The spray container according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The pressure accumulator valve has a base portion having an opening, The bulging portion has an inclined portion that slopes at least a portion toward the mixing chamber side and inward from the opening periphery of the base portion, The area of ​​the opening in the base portion is 19 mm ２ 79mm or more ２ The following: The length of the slit is 2 mm or more and 6 mm or less. The ejection container according to claim 4.

6. The distance between the outlet of the liquid channel or the air channel and the piece is 7 mm or less. The spray container according to claim 2 or 3.

7. The outlet of either the liquid flow path or the air flow path faces the pressure accumulator valve via the mixing chamber. The other of the liquid flow path and the air flow path has an orthogonal flow path that extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the outlet of either the liquid flow path or the air flow path faces the pressure accumulator valve, and reaches the mixing chamber. A spray container according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. Multiple orthogonal flow channels are provided. The spray container according to claim 7.

9. At least two of the aforementioned orthogonal flow paths face each other via the mixing chamber. The ejection container according to claim 8.

10. The flow area at the outlet of the liquid flow path is 50% to 710% of the flow area at the outlet of the air flow path. A spray container according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

11. Further comprising a valve seat and a valve body that can be placed on the valve seat, The valve seat has an air inlet for introducing air from outside the container body into the inside of the container body. The valve body is configured to open and close the air intake hole. A spray container according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

12. The container body is a compression container. A spray container according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

13. A mounting cap configured to be attached to a container body capable of holding liquid, A mixing chamber for mixing liquid and air, A nozzle capable of ejecting the liquid and air mixed in the mixing chamber, A liquid channel for supplying liquid from inside the container body to the mixing chamber, An air passage for supplying air from inside the container body to the mixing chamber, A pressure accumulator valve is provided between the mixing chamber and the ejection hole. Equipped with Attachment cap.

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