Water repellency agent container

Abstract

To provide a water repellency agent container which solves the storage stability problem of one-component type water repellency agent.SOLUTION: A water repellency agent container according to the present invention includes: a cartridge 4 which is filled with water repellency agent and has a discharge section 42 that has a discharge outlet 42h through which the filled water repellency agent is discharged; a container body 1 into which the cartridge 4 can be removably loaded; and a porous body 5 that has a contact surface 52 to be brought into contact with a target surface to which the water repellency agent is applied and is attached to the container body 1 so that a surface 53 on the opposite side to the contact surface 52 faces a portion 43 with a discharge port 42h in the discharge section when the cartridge 4 is loaded.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a water repellent container for storing a water repellent for use on vehicle window panes and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in vehicles such as automobiles, water repellents have been applied to glass surfaces such as windshields and mirrors in order to ensure visibility when driving in the rain. Specifically, silicone-based water repellents containing amino-modified polysiloxane as the main component (see, for example, Patent Document 1) and fluorine-based water repellents containing fluorosilane compounds as the main component (see, for example, Patent Document 2) have been proposed. Among these, fluorine-based water repellents have been widely available on the market in recent years, as they are excellent in water repellency and durability, and can also be imparted with oil repellency, which is useful for preventing oil films.

[0003] However, fluorine-based water repellents have problems such as a lack of storage stability, in that the performance of the product is significantly reduced when moisture is mixed into the product, and the performance of the product is also reduced over time due to the action of the catalyst component contained in the product. In response to this, a technology has been disclosed that can solve the problems of product storage stability and performance reduction due to moisture by storing the main component, a fluorosilane compound such as fluoroalkylsilane, and its catalyst component in separate containers and mixing them just before the application work of applying to the glass surface (see Patent Document 3). However, it is necessary to mix the two-component water repellent just before the application work and then spread it on the glass surface, which makes the application work complicated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-129248 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2001-115151 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2003-160361 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As a result, the issue of storage stability has been ignored, and one-component fluorine-based water repellents, in which all the components of the water repellent needed at the time of application are packed into a single container, have become mainstream. Although to varying degrees, silicone-based water repellents also have an inherent problem with the storage stability of the product.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a water repellent container which solves the storage stability problem of one-component water repellents. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The above object can be achieved by the present invention, which is described below. That is, the present invention provides a cartridge that is filled with a water repellent agent and includes a discharge part having a discharge port from which the filled water repellent agent is discharged; a container body into which the cartridge can be removably loaded; a porous body having a contact surface for contacting a target surface to which the water repellent is to be applied, the porous body being attached to the container body such that, when the cartridge is loaded, a surface opposite to the contact surface faces a portion of the discharge section having the discharge port; A water repellent container comprising:

[0008] In the present invention, the discharge section is a discharge pipe having an opening at one end thereof serving as the discharge port and an opening at the other end thereof located inside the cartridge; an intake pipe having an opening at one end thereof facing the outside of the cartridge and an opening at the other end thereof located inside the cartridge; Equipped with A position of an opening of the other end of the intake pipe may be farther from the discharge port than a position of an opening of the other end of the discharge pipe.

[0009] In the present invention, the container body has a partition plate interposed between the porous body and the discharge part and abutting against a portion of the discharge part having the discharge port, The partition plate may be provided with a communication hole communicating with the discharge port. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, a water repellent having storage stability concerns is filled into a cartridge, which is then removably loaded into the container body for use as a disposable item, and a new cartridge is used the next time the agent is used, thereby eliminating the storage stability problem associated with one-component water repellents. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view from above and front of a water repellent container according to a first embodiment which is an exemplary aspect of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] 1 is a longitudinal sectional front view of a water repellent container according to a first embodiment which is an exemplary aspect of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view of a water repellent container according to a first embodiment which is an exemplary aspect of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a water repellent agent container according to a first embodiment, which is an exemplary aspect of the present invention, viewed from above and at the front. [Diagram 5] 1 is a front view of only a container body extracted from a water repellent agent container according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a left side view showing only the container body extracted from the water repellent agent container according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a porous body-accommodating section and its periphery with a container body and a cartridge removed from the water repellent agent container according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the cartridge of the water repellent agent container according to the first embodiment with the inside plug removed. [Figure 9]1 is an enlarged side perspective view of a cartridge of a water repellent agent container according to a first embodiment, with an inside plug removed. FIG. [Figure 10] 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken from the front of a lower cover of the water repellent agent container according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11] 3 is a perspective see-through view of a lower cover of the water repellent agent container according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a perspective view from above the front of a water repellent container according to a second embodiment which is an exemplary aspect of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is an exploded view seen from above the front of a water repellent container according to a second embodiment which is an exemplary aspect of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of only the container body extracted from a water repellent agent container according to a second embodiment, viewed from above. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of a container body in a modified example; [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a container body in a modified example. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a container body in a modified example, viewed from below and in front. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of a water repellent agent container according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE DISCLOSURE Hereinafter, a water repellent container according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [First embodiment] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the water repellent container 10 according to the first embodiment as seen from above the front, Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view from the front, and Fig. 3 is a perspective see-through view drawn so as to see through the inside as seen from above the front. Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the water repellent container 10 according to this embodiment as seen from above the front. Although not shown in Fig. 1, a cartridge 4 is loaded inside.

[0013] In the drawings, the direction of the arrow x and its opposite direction represent the right-left direction, the direction of the arrow y and its opposite direction represent the rear-forward direction, and the direction of the arrow z and its opposite direction represent the up-down direction (hereinafter, the same applies to drawings that have the coordinate axes x, y, and z.) Note that these directions of up-down, left-right, front-back, and back are given for the sake of convenience of explanation, and have no relation to the directions when the water repellent container 10 is used or stored.

[0014] 1 to 4, the water repellent container 10 according to this embodiment includes a container body 1, a cap 2, a bottom cover 3, a cartridge 4, and a porous body 5. In this embodiment, the container body 1, the cap 2, and the bottom cover 3 are made of resin, the cartridge 4 is made of glass, and the porous body 5 is made of felt. As described later, suitable materials are selected for each of these, but the present invention is not limited to the materials of this embodiment.

[0015] Fig. 5 is a front view of only the container body 1 extracted from the water repellent agent container 10 according to this embodiment, and Fig. 6 is a left side view. As shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the container body 1 has a cartridge storage section 11, a porous body storage section 12, and a connecting section 13 that connects the cartridge storage section 11 and the porous body storage section 12.

[0016] The cartridge storage section 11 has a cylindrical section 11a with an elliptical cross section at the top, which splits into two at approximately the center in the vertical direction to form a pair of clip sections 11b. A pair of second protrusions 18 protruding in both the front and rear directions are provided on the cylindrical section 11a near an arch-shaped section 11d that splits into the pair of clip sections 11b at the bottom.

[0017] The pair of clip parts 11b have their curved concave inner surfaces facing each other, and the cartridge 4 is accommodated and loaded in the facing space. The pair of clip parts 11b sandwich the cartridge 4 by the elasticity of the resin. The pair of clip parts 11b have a pair of first protrusions 16 protruding in the facing direction on the facing inner surfaces of the pair of clip parts 11b.

[0018] The diameter of the cylindrical portion 11a narrows at a step portion 11c, and the connecting portion 13 is connected to the connecting portion 13. The connecting portion 13 has a flat, approximately triangular truncated pyramid shape that widens upward, and is connected to the porous body accommodating portion 12. There are no corners between the three side surfaces of the connecting portion 13, and the side surfaces are connected to each other by a gently sloping curved surface. The porous body accommodating portion 12 consists of a convex wall 12a in the shape of an approximately equilateral triangle that surrounds the porous body accommodating position 17, and a bottom portion 12b whose upper surface contacts the porous body 5.

[0019] Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the container body 1 showing the porous body storage section 12 and its periphery in an enlarged manner. In Fig. 7, the porous body 5 is not attached, but the cartridge 4 is attached. As shown in Fig. 7, there are no corners at the apexes of the substantially equilateral triangle in the convex wall 12a, and adjacent sides are connected by a gently curved surface. The inner surfaces of the convex walls 12a on each of these three sides are provided with protrusions 15 each having a series of multiple sharp protrusions (six in this embodiment).

[0020] The porous body storage section 12 is provided with a flange section 14 extending outward from the outer circumferential surface of the three protruding walls 12a, and the lower surfaces of the flange section 14 and the bottom surface section 12b are flush with each other. The flange section 14 is thinner than the bottom surface section 12b, so the lower surfaces are not flush with each other (see FIG. 5). A hole 19 is formed in the center of the bottom surface section 12b.

[0021] In the water repellent container 10 according to this embodiment, the porous body 5 is accommodated in the porous body accommodation section 12. The porous body 5 has a substantially equilateral triangular shape that is substantially the same shape as the inner peripheral surface of the convex wall 12a, and has a thickness greater than the height of the convex wall 12a. Therefore, when the porous body 5 is accommodated in the porous body accommodation section 12, the upper surface of the porous body 5 protrudes upward from the convex wall 12a, and becomes a contact surface 52 with the target surface (such as the glass surface of an automobile window) to which the water repellent is to be applied. In addition, as described later, a lower surface 53, which is the surface opposite to the contact surface 52, becomes a surface that faces (abuts or is close to) the discharge port 42h of the cartridge 4.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 4, the porous body 5 is fitted from above into the porous body storage section 12 of the container body 1 and stored in the porous body storage section 12. At this time, the protrusions 15 protruding from the inner surface of the convex wall 12a surround and protrude from three directions into the porous body 5, so that the porous body 5 is firmly held. Therefore, the porous body 5 does not easily fall off from the porous body storage section 12. However, since it is not completely fixed, the porous body 5 can be detached and replaced with a new one when its function is reduced due to deterioration or dirt, or as appropriate depending on the number of times or period of use.

[0023] A very thin through-hole 51 (about 1 mmφ to 10 mmφ) is provided in the center of the porous body 5. In the water repellent container 10 according to this embodiment, the porous body 5 is made of felt as described above, but any material suitable for applying the water repellent, such as sponge, woven fabric, or nonwoven fabric, can be appropriately selected.

[0024] In order to prevent the porous body 5 from being contaminated or damaged when not in use, or to prevent the water repellent agent impregnated in the porous body 5 from coming into contact with other objects and contaminating said other objects, the porous body accommodation section 12 in which the porous body 5 is accommodated can be entirely covered with a cap 2 as shown in Fig. 4. The cap 2 is made up of a top plate 21 having a substantially equilateral triangle shape and a side plate 22 standing upright downward from the edge of the top plate 21.

[0025] 4, the cap 2 is fitted onto the outside of the convex wall 12a from above to cover and seal the entire porous body storage section 12. At this time, if the shape of the inner surface of the side plate 22 is slightly smaller than the outer surface of the convex wall 12a, the cap 2 is tightly fitted, and the fixation of the cap 2 to the convex wall 12a is stable.

[0026] When the lower end of the side plate 22 comes into contact with the flange portion 14, the cap 2 does not advance any further downward. Therefore, a gap is maintained between the top plate 21 of the cap 2 and the contact surface 52 of the porous body 5, and deformation of the porous body 5 due to compression is prevented. The extension width of the flange portion 14 from the outer circumferential surface of the convex wall 12a and the thickness of the side plate 22 of the cap 2 are approximately equal as shown in Figures 1 to 3, so that the side plate 22 and the flange portion 14 are flush with each other when the cap 2 is attached.

[0027] 2, the cartridge 4 is composed of a cartridge body 41 and an inner plug (discharge part) 42, and when the cartridge 4 is distributed, stored, or traded alone or in a set of multiple cartridges 4, the spout 43 is further sealed with a lid (not shown). A male screw thread 44 is provided on the outer periphery of the spout 43, into which a lid (not shown) is screwed.

[0028] The cartridge body 41 is a glass bottle, and is preferably colored glass to suppress the effects of ultraviolet rays. If the cartridge body 41 is made of glass, it has a higher airtightness than a plastic container, and if the spout 43 is sealed with a lid (not shown), deterioration of the water repellent can be suppressed.

[0029] An inner plug 42 is fitted into the spout 43 of the cartridge 4. The inner plug 42 is made of elastic plastic such as polyvinyl chloride, and is a member provided to restrict the amount of water repellent agent discharged from the cartridge body 41 so that the agent is discharged little by little rather than in large quantities all at once.

[0030] Fig. 8 shows an enlarged plan view (viewed from above) of the inside plug 42, and Fig. 9 shows an enlarged side perspective view of the inside plug 42 as seen from the side. As shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, the inside plug 42 has a cylindrical inside plug main body 42b, an inside plug flange portion 42a extending outward in a disk shape at the upper end of the inside plug main body 42b, a bottom plate 42k that closes the opening at the lower end of the inside plug main body 42b, a discharge pipe (discharge piping) 42c standing upward from the center of the bottom plate 42k, and an air pipe (suction piping) 42d standing downward from the bottom plate 42k.

[0031] The inside plug body 42b has an outer diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the spout 43 of the cartridge 4, and is fixed by being pressed into the spout 43, and the inside plug 42 is attached. The discharge pipe 42c has an opening at one end which is an upper discharge port 42h that discharges the water repellent toward the outside, and an opening at the other end which is located inside the cartridge body 41 and is a lower inlet 42j that takes in the filled water repellent. The discharge pipe 42c communicates with the discharge port 42h and the inlet 42j, and a flow path 42e is formed between the inlet 42j and the discharge port 42h. The flow path 42e gradually narrows toward the inlet 42j near the inlet 42j, and the opening area of ​​the inlet 42j is smaller than that of the discharge port 42h.

[0032] Between the inside plug body 42b and the discharge pipe 42c is an annular space 42g. When the inside plug 42 is attached to the cartridge body 41, the air pipe 42d protrudes into the cartridge body 41, and communicates with a tip opening (an opening at the other end) 42m at the tip of the air pipe 42d and a base end opening 42n connected to the annular space 42g. The base end opening 42n, which corresponds to the "opening at one end" in the present invention, functions as an air intake port directed to the outside of the cartridge 4. In the air pipe 42d, an air passage 42f is formed between the tip opening 42m and the base end opening 42n. The air passage 42f gradually narrows from the base end opening 42n toward the tip opening 42m, and the tip opening 42m has a smaller opening area than the base end opening 42n.

[0033] When the cartridge 4 is turned upside down to use the water repellent, the water repellent filled in the cartridge body 41 tries to flow into the flow path 42e from the inlet 42j, which is located below the tip opening 42m and is subjected to a large water pressure. However, if the inner plug 42 only has a communication path through the discharge pipe 42c (from the inlet 42j to the flow path 42e to the discharge outlet 42h; hereinafter, referred to as the "water repellent communication path 42jeh"), the water repellent contained in the cartridge body 41 is not discharged because atmospheric pressure acts on the water repellent communication path 42jeh.

[0034] However, in the inside plug 42, an air communication passage (base end opening 42n to air passage 42f to tip opening 42m; hereinafter referred to as "air communication passage 42nfm") through an air pipe 42d is provided alongside the water repellent communication passage 42jeh. Therefore, atmospheric pressure acts on the air communication passage 42nfm to send air into the cartridge body 41, and in exchange, the water repellent is pushed out to the intake port 42j, flows into the flow path 42e, and is further discharged from the discharge port 42h. As described above, the water repellent filled in the cartridge body 41 is discharged smoothly and little by little from the discharge port 42h.

[0035] 4, after removing a lid (not shown), the cartridge 4 is inserted between the pair of clip parts 11b from below the container body 1. The width of the cartridge 4 in the left-right direction (x coordinate direction) is slightly smaller than the maximum width of the opposing surfaces of the pair of clip parts 11b, so that the cartridge 4 is smoothly inserted, but is larger than the distance between the apexes of the pair of second protrusions 18. Therefore, when the cartridge 4 passes between the pair of second protrusions 18, the pair of clip parts 11b bend and spread out due to their elasticity.

[0036] Then, at the position where the upper end of the spout 43 of the cartridge 4 emerges from the hole 19 toward the porous body housing position 17, the bottle shoulder 46 of the cartridge 4 comes into contact with the inner corner of the stepped portion 11c of the container body 1 and stops. At exactly this position, the bottle bottom 45 of the cartridge 4 finishes passing through the pair of second protrusions 18, the bending of the pair of clip portions 11b returns to its original state, and the distance between the apexes of the pair of second protrusions 18 also returns to its original state. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, both the left and right ends of the bottle bottom 45 of the cartridge 4 are locked by the pair of second protrusions 18.

[0037] 2, the upward movement of the cartridge 4 is restricted by the abutment between the bottle shoulder 46 and the step 11c, and the downward movement of the cartridge 4 is restricted by the engagement between the bottle bottom 45 and the pair of second protrusions 18. This restriction on the upward and downward movement allows the cartridge 4 to be held and loaded in the container body 1. Note that the upward and downward movement of the cartridge 4 does not have to be restricted completely, and it is acceptable for there to be a so-called play that allows some upward and downward movement.

[0038] 2 and 7, the inner plug 42 at the upper end of the cartridge 4 is exposed from the hole 19. A portion 43p having the discharge port 42h in the inner plug 42 is located substantially flush with the upper surface of the bottom portion 12b. Therefore, the lower surface 53 of the porous body 5 accommodated in the porous body accommodating portion 12 faces and abuts against the portion 43p having the discharge port 42h. Note that the lower surface 53 of the porous body 5 and the discharge port 42h do not necessarily have to abut against each other, and they may be spaced apart or close to each other.

[0039] 2, the discharge pipe 42c in the inner plug 42 of the cartridge 4 is connected to a through hole 51 provided in the porous body 5. Therefore, the flow path 42e in the inner plug 42 and the through hole 51 are in communication with each other.

[0040] When removing the cartridge 4 from the container body 1, the outer peripheral surface of the cartridge body 41 visible between the pair of clip parts 11b under the arch-shaped part 11d is pinched with fingers from the front and rear and pulled downward from the container body 1. When a force is applied to move the cartridge 4 downward from the container body 1, the pair of second protrusions 18 that engage the left and right ends of the bottle bottom 45 are pushed in the left and right directions, and the pair of clip parts 11b open. When the bottle bottom 45 passes over the pair of second protrusions 18, the cartridge 4 can be pulled downward from the container body 1 and removed from the container body 1. As described above, the water repellent container 10 according to this embodiment is designed so that the cartridge 4 can be loaded detachably from the container body 1.

[0041] Fig. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view from the front of the lower cover 3 of the water repellent agent container 10 according to this embodiment, and Fig. 11 is a perspective view drawn so as to be able to see through the inside. The lower cover 3 is composed of a cup-shaped cover main body 31 with an elliptical upper opening, and two plate-like ribs 32 rising from the bottom inside the cover main body 31.

[0042] The two ribs 32 are connected to the cover body 31 from the front surface to the bottom and rear surface of the cover body 31. These two ribs 32 are provided mainly to maintain the strength of the entire lower cover 3. In addition, a pair of locking holes 33 are drilled in the front and rear surfaces of the cover body 31 near the upper opening.

[0043] 4, the lower cover 3 is placed from below the container body 1 with the cartridge 4 attached, with its upper opening facing the cartridge storage section 11, so as to surround the outside of the pair of clip portions 11b. The shape of the inner circumference of the lower cover 3 is slightly larger than the shape of the outer circumference of the pair of clip portions 11b and the cylindrical portion 11a, so that the cartridge storage section 11 can be smoothly inserted into the lower cover 3.

[0044] When the edge of the upper opening of the lower cover 3 reaches a pair of first protrusions 16 provided on the cartridge storage section 11, the shape of the upper opening of the lower cover 3 changes and moves over the pair of first protrusions 16, and the lower cover 3 further moves upward. Then, when the position of the locking hole 33 provided in the lower cover 3 reaches the position of the first protrusions 16, the pair of first protrusions 16 fit into and are locked in the pair of locking holes 33. In this manner, the lower cover 3 is attached to the container body 1.

[0045] In this embodiment, when the cartridge 4 is attached to the container body 1, the upper end of the rib 32 is spaced apart from the bottle bottom 45 of the cartridge 4. However, if the rib 32 is extended further upward and abuts against the bottle bottom 45, the lower cover 3 can restrict the downward movement of the cartridge 4. Therefore, in this case, the cartridge 4 can be firmly held in the container body 1 together with the pair of second protrusions 18, and the cartridge 4 can also be held in the container body 1 without providing the pair of second protrusions 18. In the latter case, the cartridge 4 can be easily removed from the container body 1 by simply removing the lower cover 3, as described below.

[0046] When removing the bottom cover 3 from the container body 1, both ends (left and right ends) of the major axis of the circumferential surface of the cover body 31 are pinched with the fingers, the upper opening of the cover body 31 is deformed, and then the bottom cover 3 can be removed from the container body 1 by pulling it downward on the container body 1 as it is, without deforming the cover body 31, if the protrusion of the first convex portion 16 is suppressed very slightly.

[0047] 1, a user holding the assembled water repellent container 10 removes the cap 2 to expose the porous body 5. Before and after this, the user turns the water repellent container 10 upside down so that the exposed surface of the porous body 5 (the upper surface in FIGS. 1 to 4) faces downward, and the water repellent in the cartridge 4 is discharged from the discharge port 42h and allowed to soak into the porous body 5.

[0048] Since the discharge pipe 42c in the inner plug 42 of the cartridge 4 is connected to the through hole 51 provided in the porous body 5, the water repellent agent discharged from the discharge port 42h easily reaches the contact surface 52 of the porous body 5. Even if the porous body 5 does not have the through hole 51, the water repellent agent will reach the contact surface 52 if it is allowed to soak into the entire porous body 5, but it will take time until the water repellent agent is ready for use, so it is preferable that the through hole 51 is provided as in this embodiment.

[0049] While holding the container body 1 in the palm of the hand, the user supplies the water repellent by contacting the contact surface 52 of the porous body 5 with the target surface to which the water repellent is to be applied (such as the glass surface of an automobile window) and then rubbing the target surface evenly to spread and apply the water repellent. At this time, since the contact surface 52 of the porous body 5 is in the shape of a substantially equilateral triangle, the water repellent can be spread without stress, for example, to the four substantially right-angled corners of the glass surface of an automobile window.

[0050] That is, the corners of the surface to which the water repellent is applied, including the four corners of an automobile window, are approximately right angles or obtuse angles, and the contact surface 52 of the porous body 5, which has a substantially equilateral triangular shape with a smaller angle, can easily reach the corners and spread the water repellent without stress. Also, because the contact surface 52 of the porous body 5 is approximately equilateral triangular, all corners can be used in the same way, so even if the water repellent container 10 rotates during continued use, the work can be continued as it is without having to change hands.

[0051] After the water repellent has been applied, the water repellent container 10 may be covered with the cap 2 and the remaining water repellent may be stored for the next use. However, once opened and exposed to air, the water repellent deteriorates quickly, and if not used up immediately, the water repellent effect will be significantly reduced. Therefore, it is preferable that the cartridge 4 is filled with only the amount to be used once, or an amount with a slight margin. In other words, it is recommended that the cartridge 4 is used up once and replaced with a new cartridge 4 for the next use. Therefore, the water repellent container 10 according to this embodiment can solve the storage stability problem of one-component water repellent.

[0052] The glass surface area of ​​automobile windows varies greatly from small cars to large cars, or from small trucks to large trucks. Therefore, the amount of water repellent used per use also varies depending on the vehicle model. Therefore, it is possible to prepare cartridges 4 with different filling amounts for each vehicle model. For example, cartridges 4 with multiple filling amounts, such as a cartridge 4 filled to the full for large cars and a cartridge 4 filled halfway for small cars, can be prepared and sold on the premise of being used up.

[0053] In addition, multiple cartridges with different vertical lengths and different contents may be prepared. In this case, by providing the second protrusions 18 at vertical positions according to the length of each cartridge, a water repellent container dedicated to each cartridge can be made. Alternatively, by providing the second protrusions 18 with a smaller protruding height at all vertical positions according to the length of each cartridge, a water repellent container compatible with cartridges of all lengths can be made. In the latter case, the height of the ribs 32 can be adjusted to use the ribs 32 instead of the second protrusions 18 to hold the longest cartridge.

[0054] When multiple second convex portions 18 with smaller protruding heights are provided, the protruding heights can be gradually increased from the top (the ejection port 42h side of the cartridge 4) to the bottom (the bottle bottom 45 side of the cartridge 4), thereby effectively exerting the holding force of the cartridge 4 by the second convex portions 18.

[0055] In this embodiment, the cap 2 and the bottom cover 3 are optional components and are not essential. Even without the bottom cover 3, the cartridge 4 is removably loaded into the container body 1, and the user can apply the water repellent by gripping the container body 1.

[0056] [Second embodiment] Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing a water repellent agent container 60 according to the second embodiment, as seen from above the front. Fig. 13 is an exploded view of the water repellent agent container 60 according to this embodiment, as seen from above the front. In Figs. 12 and 13, as well as Fig. 14 described later, the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are used to designate the same components as those in the first embodiment, and a description of the same components will be omitted, with differences being mainly described below.

[0057] The water repellent agent container 60 according to the present embodiment differs from the water repellent agent container 10 according to the first embodiment in that it does not have the cap 2 and the bottom cover 3 and the structure of the container body 61 is simple. Fig. 14 is a perspective view of only the container body 61 extracted from the water repellent agent container 60 according to the present embodiment. As shown in Fig. 14, the container body 61 in the present embodiment has a cartridge attachment portion 63 and a porous body storage portion 62.

[0058] The porous body storage section 62 is a member having almost the same configuration and equivalent functions as the porous body storage section 12 in the container body 1 of the water repellent container 10 according to the first embodiment. Thus, the porous body storage section 62 is composed of a substantially equilateral triangular convex wall 62a surrounding the porous body storage position 67, a bottom surface portion 62b whose upper surface is in contact with the porous body 5, and a flange portion 64 whose lower surface is flush with the bottom surface portion 62b and extends outward from the outer circumferential surfaces of the three convex walls 62a. A hole 69 is formed in the center of the bottom surface portion 62b.

[0059] In the water repellent container 60 according to this embodiment, the porous body 5 is accommodated in the porous body accommodation section 62. However, the inner surface of each of the convex walls 62a in the porous body accommodation section 62 does not have a sharp protrusion such as the protrusion 15 in the first embodiment. Since the inner circumference of the three convex walls 62a is designed to be sufficiently larger than the outer circumference of the porous body 5, the porous body 5 is in a so-called squeeze-fit state, and is firmly held in the porous body accommodation position 67 even without a sharp protrusion. In addition, the porous body 5 may be fixed to the bottom portion 62b or the inner surface of the convex wall 62a with an adhesive. Of course, a sharp protrusion such as the protrusion 15 may be provided as in the first embodiment.

[0060] Unlike the cartridge storage section 11 in the container body 1 of the water repellent container 10 according to the first embodiment, the cartridge attachment section 63 is a cylindrical member erected downward from the lower surface of the bottom portion 62b. An internal thread 65 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cartridge attachment section 63. The external thread 44 provided on the spout 43 screws into this internal thread 65, so that the cartridge 4 can be detachably loaded into the container body 61. When attaching (loading) the cartridge 4 to the container body 61, the cartridge 4 is turned clockwise relative to the container body 61, and when removing it, the cartridge 4 is turned counterclockwise.

[0061] When the cartridge 4 is loaded into the container body 61, the upper end of the spout 43 of the cartridge 4 appears from the hole 69 toward the porous body housing position 67. Then, by housing the porous body 5 in the porous body housing portion 62, the water repellent container 60 shown in Fig. 12 is assembled. For ease of explanation, it has been described that the cartridge 4 is loaded into the container body 61 and then the porous body 5 is housed in the porous body housing portion 62. However, in consideration of the use of the cartridge 4, which contains only a one-time use amount of water repellent and is replaced each time, it is common to load the cartridge 4 into the container body 61 in which the porous body 5 is housed in the porous body housing portion 62.

[0062] While holding the cartridge 4 in the palm of the hand, the user supplies the water repellent by contacting the contact surface 52 of the porous body 5 with the target surface (such as the glass surface of an automobile window) to which the water repellent is to be applied, and then rubbing the target surface evenly to spread and apply the water repellent. At this time, as in the first embodiment, the water repellent can be spread without stress over, for example, the four roughly right-angled corners of the glass surface of an automobile window. With the water repellent container 10 according to this embodiment, the cartridge 4 can be held in the palm of the hand even without the lower cover 3 in the first embodiment, and therefore the water repellent can be applied without any problems.

[0063] As described in the first embodiment, it is desirable to remove the cartridge 4 from the container body 61 of the water repellent container 10 after applying the water repellent, and load a new cartridge 4 when using it next time. In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, multiple cartridges with different filling amounts in the cartridge 4 according to the area of ​​the vehicle or glass surface can be prepared and sold on the premise of disposing one by one. In this embodiment, multiple cartridges with different storage amounts and sizes can also be prepared and sold on the premise of disposing one by one. In this embodiment, since there is no bottom cover and the cartridge 4 is exposed, even if the cartridge body has a different size, the cartridge can be loaded into the container body 61 as long as the male screw thread of the spout is screwed into the female screw thread 65 on the inner peripheral surface of the cartridge mounting portion 63.

[0064] The first and second embodiments described above are merely representative examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. For example, the shapes and materials of each member are merely examples and can be selected from various options.

[0065] In addition, in the first and second embodiments, an example is given in which the portion of the cartridge 4 having the discharge port 42h (the upper end portion of the inner plug 42) is in direct contact with the porous body 5, but a structure (hereinafter referred to as a "water repellent amount adjustment structure") may be interposed between the two to further reduce the amount of water repellent discharged and adjust the amount supplied to the porous body 5.

[0066] [Variations] A modified example in which a water repellent amount adjustment structure is interposed will be described below. Fig. 15 is a front perspective view of a container body 71 in the modified example, Fig. 16 is a plan view of the container body 71 in the modified example, and Fig. 17 is a front perspective view of the container body 71 in the modified example, from below. Fig. 18 is a longitudinal sectional view of the essential parts of the container body 71 and its periphery of a water repellent container in which a porous body 5 is attached to the container body 71 shown in this modified example and a cartridge 4 is loaded. In Fig. 18, the AA cross section of the container body 71 in Fig. 16 appears.

[0067] The container body 71 shown in this modification is used in place of the container body 61 in the second embodiment. This modification can also be applied to the first embodiment by changing the structure of the porous body storage section 12 in the container body 1 to the structure of a porous body storage section 72 in this modification, which will be described later. Note that the same reference numerals as the respective members in the second embodiment are used to denote the same components as those in the water repellent container 10 in the second embodiment, and explanations thereof will be omitted, and differences will be mainly described below.

[0068] The porous body storage section 72 of the container body 71 in this modified example does not have the hole 69 provided in the bottom surface section 62b in the second embodiment. Therefore, the bottom surface section 72b is also present in the area (circular area indicated by reference numeral 79 in the figure) where the spout 43 of the cartridge 4 comes into contact from below. Hereinafter, this circular area 79 will be referred to as the "partition plate 79." The lower surface 53, which is the surface opposite the contact surface 52 of the porous body 5, and the spout 43, which is the area having the discharge port 42h of the cartridge 4, face each other via the partition plate 79.

[0069] 17 and 18, a very short cylindrical first protrusion 75 and a second protrusion 76 that is slightly longer and has a smaller diameter and is concentric with the first protrusion 75 are erected on the underside of the partition plate 79. As in the second embodiment, when the male thread 44 of the spout 43 is screwed into the female thread 65 of the cartridge mounting portion 63 to mount (load) the cartridge 4 into the container body 71, as shown in FIG. 18, the upper end of the inner plug body portion 42b fits onto the outside of the first protrusion 75, and the tip of the discharge pipe 42c fits into the inside of the second protrusion 76.

[0070] As shown in Fig. 18, the partition plate 79 is interposed between the porous body 5 and the inside plug (discharge portion) 42, and abuts against a portion (pouring spout 43) of the inside plug 42 that has the discharge port 42h. As shown in Fig. 18, the partition plate 79 is provided with a communication hole 77 that communicates with the discharge port 42h. Therefore, the communication hole 77 communicates with the water repellent agent communication passage 42jeh.

[0071] In this modification, the opening area of ​​the communication hole 77 is smaller than the opening area of ​​the discharge port 42h and is approximately the same as or smaller than the opening area of ​​the inlet port 42j. In view of the purpose of restricting the amount of water repellent discharged, it is preferable that the opening area of ​​the cross section of the discharge pipe (discharge piping) 42c is approximately the same as or smaller than the opening area of ​​the narrowest part (inlet port 42j in this modification), as in this modification.

[0072] Furthermore, the partition plate 79 is provided with three vents 78 so as to communicate with the annular space 42g of the inside plug 42 and the air pipe (intake piping) 42d. Therefore, the air communication passage 42nfm, the annular space 42g, and the vents 78 communicate with each other, and further, an air flow path is formed between the inside of the cartridge 4 and the outside of the water repellent container via the porous body 5. Although three vents 78 are provided in this modified example, the number of air passages may be two or less or four or more.

[0073] According to the water repellent amount adjustment structure of this modified example, the amount of water repellent discharged can be adjusted not only by the discharge pipe (discharge piping) 42c in the inner plug 42 of the cartridge 4, but also by controlling the opening area of ​​the discharge port 42h provided in the partition plate 79, so that the adjustment range of the discharge amount is wider, especially in the narrowing direction.

[0074] In the structure of the inner plug 42 of the cartridge 4, which limits the amount of water repellent discharged by sending a minute amount of air into the cartridge 4 from the air pipe 42d while discharging the water repellent from the discharge port 42h through the fine discharge pipe 42c, if the cross-sectional openings of the discharge pipe 42c or the air pipe 42d are made too small, the water repellent will be difficult to discharge or will not come out at all. Therefore, even if you try to adjust the amount of water repellent discharged only by the inner plug 42 of the cartridge 4, it may be difficult to suppress the amount of discharge to the desired very small amount.

[0075] In this regard, according to the water repellent amount adjustment structure of this modified example, the amount of water repellent ejected is adjusted using the communication hole 77 of the partition plate 79, which is a separate member from the inner plug 42 and is not greatly affected by the air pressure inside the cartridge 4, so that problems such as the water repellent agent becoming difficult to eject from the cartridge 4 or not ejecting at all are less likely to occur.

[0076] Furthermore, since the structure is such that the partition plate 79 is simply provided with a communication hole 77, rather than a pipe-shaped water repellent communication passage 42jeh like the inner plug 42, the opening area of ​​the hole is easy to control and clogging with the water repellent is less likely to occur.

[0077] In addition, those skilled in the art may implement various modifications according to conventionally known knowledge without departing from the gist of the present invention. As long as such modifications still provide the configuration of the water repellent container of the present invention, they are of course included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1,61: Container body, 2: Cap, 3: Lower cover, 4: Cartridge, 5: Porous body, 10, 60, 70: Water repellent container, 11: Cartridge storage section, 11a: cylindrical part, 11b: clip part, 11c: Step, 11d: Arched part, 12, 62: Porous body housing portion, 12a,62a: Convex wall, 12b, 62b, 72b: bottom part, 13: Connection part, 14,64: flange portion, 16: first convex portion, 17: Porous medium receiving position, 18: second convex portion, 19,69: Hole, 21: Top plate, 22: Side plate, 31: Cover body, 32: Rib, 33: locking hole, 41: Cartridge body, 42: inner plug (discharge part), 42a: inner plug flange portion, 42b: inner plug body, 42c: discharge pipe (discharge piping), 42d: Air pipe (intake piping), 42e: flow path, 42f: air passage, 42g: annular space, 42h: Discharge port, 42j: Intake port, 42k: bottom plate, 42m: Tip opening, 42n: base end opening (intake port), 42jeh: Water repellent passage, 42nfm: air passage, 43: spout (part having a discharge port), 44: Male thread, 45:Bottle bottom, 46: Bottle shoulder, 51: through hole, 52: Contact surface, 53: Bottom surface, 63: Cartridge mounting portion, 71: Container body, 77: Communication hole, 78: Vent, 79: Partition plate

Claims

1. a cartridge that is filled with a water repellent agent and includes a discharge part having a discharge port through which the water repellent agent is discharged; a container body into which the cartridge can be removably loaded; a porous body having a contact surface for contacting a target surface to which the water repellent is to be applied, the porous body being attached to the container body such that, when the cartridge is loaded, a surface opposite to the contact surface faces a portion of the discharge section having the discharge port; A water repellent container comprising:

2. The discharge portion is a discharge pipe having an opening at one end thereof serving as the discharge port and an opening at the other end thereof located inside the cartridge; an intake pipe having an opening at one end thereof facing the outside of the cartridge and an opening at the other end thereof located inside the cartridge; Equipped with The water repellent container according to claim 1 , wherein a position of the opening at the other end of the intake pipe is farther from the discharge port than a position of the opening at the other end of the discharge pipe.

3. the container body has a partition plate interposed between the porous body and the discharge part and abutting against a portion of the discharge part having the discharge port, The water repellent container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the partition plate is provided with a communication hole communicating with the discharge port.

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