Discharge container

JP2025034819APending Publication Date: 2025-03-13YOSHINO KOGYOSHO CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2023141458
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-08-31
Publication Date
2025-03-13

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

【0012】 本発明によれば、部品の予期せぬ離脱を抑制することができる。

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Abstract

To suppress unexpected removal of parts.SOLUTION: A discharge container 10 includes a container body 11 having a mounting mouth part 28, a lower support part 12 arranged in the mounting mouth part 28, a cylinder 14 which is arranged in the lower support part 12 and has its inside communicable with the inside of the container body 11, and is elastically deformable in a vertical direction, and a push-down head 15 which is arranged in the cylinder 14 and has a discharge hole 49, wherein a guide cylinder 27 which extends upward and is arranged in the push-down head 15 is provided in the mounting mouth part 28, first engagement parts 27b and 27c projecting radially outward are provided on the upper end of the guide cylinder 27, the plurality of first engagement parts 27b and 27c are provided in a vertical direction, and a second engagement part 56a engageable with the first engagement parts 27b and 27c from below is provided on the lower end of the push-down head 15.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dispensing container. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, a discharge container described in Patent Document 1 below is known. This discharge container includes a container body that contains the contents and has an attachment opening, a lower support part that is arranged in the attachment opening, a cylinder that is arranged in the lower support part and whose inside can communicate with the container body and is elastically deformable in the vertical direction, and a push-down head that is arranged on the cylinder and has a discharge hole. The lower support part is fitted into the attachment opening, and the push-down head is fixed to the attachment opening via the cylinder and the lower support part. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-105724 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional discharge container described above, for example, when a strong force is applied due to the discharge container being dropped during use, the engagement between the lower support part and the mounting port part may come loose, causing the push-down head or the like to detach from the mounting port part.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a discharge container capable of suppressing unexpected detachment of parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means. <1> A discharge container according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a container body in which contents are accommodated and which has an attachment port, a lower support part arranged on the attachment port, a cylinder arranged on the lower support part, the interior of which can communicate with the container body and which is elastically deformable in the vertical direction, and a push-down head arranged on the cylinder and having a discharge hole, wherein the attachment port is provided with a guide tube which extends upward and is arranged within the push-down head, and an upper end of the guide tube is provided with a first locking part which protrudes radially outward, and the first locking parts are arranged in multiple parts in the vertical direction, and a lower end of the push-down head is provided with a second locking part which can be locked to the first locking part from below.

[0007] A second locking portion is provided at the bottom end of the press-down head. Therefore, the second locking portion locks onto the first locking portion from below, preventing the press-down head from coming off upward relative to the guide tube. As a result, it is possible to prevent the part from coming off unexpectedly when it is dropped, for example. Moreover, a plurality of first locking portions are provided in the vertical direction. Therefore, the second locking portion can be locked to a plurality of first locking portions. As a result, unexpected detachment of the component can be effectively prevented. This ensures the effect of preventing detachment of the component even if the protrusion amount of each first locking portion is reduced, for example. Here, when the protruding amount of the first locking portion is reduced as described above, the following effect is achieved. That is, when the press-down head is placed on the cylinder to assemble the discharge container, the second locking portion of the press-down head needs to climb over the first locking portion of the guide tube from above downward. In this case, when the protruding amount of the first locking portion is reduced, it becomes easier for the second locking portion to climb over the first locking portion. This makes it easier to assemble the discharge container.

[0008] <2> the above <1> In the discharge container related to the above, the first locking portion may be provided in two in the vertical direction, and a configuration may be adopted in which the radial protrusion amount of the upper first locking portion is greater than the radial protrusion amount of the lower first locking portion.

[0009] The radial protrusion amount of the upper first locking portion is greater than the radial protrusion amount of the lower first locking portion, thereby enhancing the effect of preventing the upper first locking portion from coming off.

[0010] <3> the above <2> In the discharge container related to the above, a configuration may be adopted in which, in a first state in which the second locking portion is located between the upper first locking portion and the lower first locking portion in the vertical direction, a vertical gap is provided between the upper first locking portion and the second locking portion, and in a second state in which the second locking portion is located below the lower first locking portion in the vertical direction, a vertical gap is provided between the lower first locking portion and the second locking portion.

[0011] In the first state, a vertical gap is provided between the upper first locking portion and the second locking portion. In the second state, a vertical gap is provided between the lower first locking portion and the second locking portion. This allows for vertical play to be provided between the first locking portion and the second locking portion in either the first state or the second state. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress unexpected detachment of a part. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an initial state of the discharge container according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of part II shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the push-down head of the discharge container shown in FIG. 1 is pushed down to a lowering end position. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which a push-down head of the discharge container shown in FIG. 3 has been restored to an upper end position. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a V portion shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, a discharge container 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The discharge container 10 discharges liquid contents stored therein. Each component of the discharge container 10 is made of, for example, synthetic resin. The discharge container 10 includes a container body 11, a lower support part 12, a pipe 13, a cylinder 14, a push-down head 15, a check valve 17, a poppet valve 18 (valve), and a stopper 19.

[0015] In this embodiment, the container body 11, the lower support part 12, the pipe 13, the cylinder 14, the push-down head 15, the check valve 17, the poppet valve 18, and the stopper 19 are arranged coaxially. The central axes of the container body 11, the lower support part 12, the pipe 13, the cylinder 14, the push-down head 15, the check valve 17, the poppet valve 18, and the stopper 19 are positioned on a common axis. Hereinafter, this common axis will be referred to as the container axis O. The direction of the container axis O will be referred to as the vertical direction, the push-down head 15 side along the vertical direction will be referred to as the upper side, and the container body 11 side along the vertical direction will be referred to as the lower side. When viewed from the vertical direction, the direction intersecting the container axis O will be referred to as the radial direction, and the direction going around the container axis O will be referred to as the circumferential direction.

[0016] In the following, the state of the discharge container 10 before operation is referred to as the initial state (first state). In the initial state, in the upright position of the discharge container 10, the cylinder 14 is in the most extended state, and the push-down head 15 is in the uppermost position. The initial state can also be said to be the state when the container is not in use. In the illustrated example, in the initial state, the descent of the push-down head 15 is restricted by the stopper 19.

[0017] The container body 11 contains the contents. The container body 11 includes a container body 21 and an attachment cap 22. The container body 21 is, for example, a single-layer container. The container body 21 has a bottomed cylindrical shape. The container body 21 includes an opening portion 21a. The attachment cap 22 is screwed onto the opening portion 21a.

[0018] The mounting cap 22 has a double cylindrical shape. The mounting cap 22 includes a first outer cylinder 23, a first inner cylinder 24, and a first connecting portion 25. The first outer cylinder 23 is screwed into the mouth portion 21a from the outside in the radial direction. The first inner tube 24 is disposed within the mouth portion 21a. A thick portion 24a is provided at the lower end of the first inner tube 24. The thick portion 24a is thicker than the portion of the first inner tube 24 above the thick portion 24a. The thick portion 24a protrudes radially inward. A sliding wall 24b is provided on the thick portion 24a. The sliding wall 24b protrudes upward from the inner peripheral edge of the thick portion 24a. The sliding wall 24b extends continuously around the entire circumference.

[0019] The first connecting portion 25 connects the upper end of the first outer cylinder 23 and the upper end of the first inner cylinder 24. The first connecting portion 25 is annular. In the illustrated example, the first connecting portion 25 is disposed on the upper end of the mouth portion 21a via a packing 26. A guide tube 27 is provided on the first connecting portion 25. The guide tube 27 is disposed coaxially with the container axis O. The guide tube 27 extends upward from the first connecting portion 25. The guide tube 27 is integrally formed with the mounting cap 22.

[0020] The guide tube 27 is provided with a guide groove 27a and first locking portions 27b and 27c. The guide groove 27a is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the guide tube 27. The guide tube 27 is provided with a plurality of guide grooves 27a spaced apart in the circumferential direction. Each guide groove 27a extends in the vertical direction. Each guide groove 27a is provided over the entire length of the guide tube 27 in the vertical direction. Each guide groove 27a opens upward.

[0021] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the first locking portions 27b, 27c are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the guide tube 27. The first locking portions 27b, 27c extend over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction. The first locking portions 27b, 27c are provided on the upper end of the guide tube 27. The first locking portions 27b, 27c protrude radially outward from the guide tube 27. The first locking portions 27b, 27c are protrusions (ridges).

[0022] A plurality of first locking portions 27b, 27c are provided in the vertical direction. In the illustrated example, two first locking portions 27b, 27c (more specifically, only two) are provided in the vertical direction. Hereinafter, the upper first locking portion 27b may also be referred to as the upper locking portion 27b, and the lower first locking portion 27c may also be referred to as the lower locking portion 27c.

[0023] The upper edge of the upper locking portion 27b is disposed at the same position in the vertical direction as the upper edge of the guide tube 27. The radial protrusion amount L1 of the upper locking portion 27b is greater than the radial protrusion amount L2 of the lower locking portion 27c. The upper locking portion 27b has an upper surface 27b1 and a lower surface 27b2. The upper surface 27b1 is an inclined surface that extends downward as it moves radially outward. The lower surface 27b2 is a flat surface that extends in a direction perpendicular to the container axis O.

[0024] The lower locking portion 27c has an upper surface 27c1 and a lower surface 27c2. The upper surface 27c1 is an inclined surface that extends downward as it moves radially outward. The lower surface 27c2 is an inclined surface that extends upward as it moves radially outward. The upper surface 27c1 is longer in the up-down direction than the lower surface 27c2, and the inclination of the upper surface 27c1 is gentler than the inclination of the lower surface 27c2.

[0025] 1, in this embodiment, the mouth portion 21a and the mounting cap 22 configure the mounting mouth portion 28. The inner circumferential surface of the mounting mouth portion 28 is the inner circumferential surface of the first inner tube 24. However, for example, the mounting cap 22 may not be present, in which case the inner circumferential surface of the mouth portion 21a may function as the inner circumferential surface of the mounting mouth portion 28.

[0026] The mounting port 28 is provided with a restricting portion 29. The restricting portion 29 restricts the lower support portion 12 from descending by contacting the lower support portion 12 from below. The restricting portion 29 protrudes radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the mounting port 28. The restricting portion 29 is integrally formed with the mounting cap 22.

[0027] The regulating portion 29 includes a flange 30 and a guide tube 31. The flange 30 extends radially inward from the lower end of the first inner tube 24. The flange 30 is annular. The guide tube 31 extends upward from the radially inner end of the flange 30. The guide tube 31 is disposed within the first inner tube 24. The upper end of the guide tube 31 is located lower than the upper end of the first inner tube 24.

[0028] The restricting portion 29 is provided with an air hole 32. The air hole 32 penetrates the restricting portion 29 in the up-down direction. A plurality of air holes 32 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. The air hole 32 is connected to a first groove 33. The first groove 33 is arranged on the inner peripheral surface of the first inner tube 24. The first groove 33 is, for example, a vertical groove. The first groove 33 extends upward from the radially outer end of the air hole 32. The lower end of the first groove 33 opens downward. The upper end of the first groove 33 is located lower than the upper end of the guide tube 31. In the illustrated example, the first groove 33 is provided in the thick portion 24a of the first inner tube 24. It is not necessary for the air hole 32 and the first groove 33 to be connected to each other.

[0029] The lower support part 12 supports the cylinder 14 from below. The lower support part 12 is arranged in the mounting port part 28. The lower support part 12 is arranged in the mounting port part 28 so as to be movable up and down relative to the mounting port part 28. The lower support part 12 is cylindrical. The inside of the lower support part 12 can communicate with the inside of the container body 11. The lower support part 12 includes a cup 34 and a flow path tube 35. The cup 34 and the flow path tube 35 are molded separately and are assembled together.

[0030] The cup 34 has a double cylindrical shape and includes a second outer cylinder 36, a second inner cylinder 37, and a second connecting portion 38. The lower end of the second outer cylinder 36 is disposed between the first inner cylinder 24 and the guide cylinder 31. The upper end of the second outer cylinder 36 is located higher than the upper end of the guide cylinder 31.

[0031] The second inner cylinder 37 is disposed within the guide cylinder 31. The second inner cylinder 37 is larger than the guide cylinder 31 in the up-down direction. The upper end of the second inner cylinder 37 is located above the upper end of the guide cylinder 31. The lower end of the second inner cylinder 37 is located below the lower end of the guide cylinder 31. In the illustrated example, an annular first valve seat 39 is provided in the center of the second inner cylinder 37 in the up-down direction. The first valve seat 39 is a valve seat for the check valve 17.

[0032] The second connecting portion 38 connects the upper end of the second outer cylinder 36 and the upper end of the second inner cylinder 37. The second connecting portion 38 is annular. In the illustrated example, the second connecting portion 38 faces the upper end of the guide cylinder 31 from above.

[0033] The flow passage tube 35 includes a lower tube 35b and an upper tube 35c. The lower tube 35b has a larger diameter than the upper tube 35c. The lower tube 35b is fitted into the cup 34. The upper tube 35c extends upward from the lower tube 35b. The upper tube 35c protrudes upward from the cup 34. A claw 40 is provided at the upper end of the upper tube 35c. The claw 40 protrudes radially inward. A flange 41 and a flow passage hole 35a are provided at the center in the vertical direction of the flow passage tube 35. The flange 41 extends radially outward from the upper end of the lower tube 35b. The flange 41 is located on the second connecting portion 38. The flow passage hole 35a penetrates the lower end of the upper tube 35c in the radial direction.

[0034] The pipe 13 extends downward from the lower support part 12. The pipe 13 communicates between the lower support part 12 and the inside of the container body 11. The upper end of the pipe 13 is fitted into the lower end of the second inner cylinder 37. The pipe 13 may be omitted.

[0035] The cylinder 14 is disposed on the lower support part 12. The cylinder 14 extends upward from the flange 41. In this embodiment, the cylinder 14 is integrally formed with the lower support part 12 (the flow path tube 35). However, the cylinder 14 may be formed separately from the lower support part 12 and assembled to the lower support part 12. The inside of the cylinder 14 can communicate with the inside of the container body 11. In this embodiment, the inside of the cylinder 14 communicates with the inside of the container body 11 through the inside of the lower support part 12 and the inside of the pipe 13.

[0036] The cylinder 14 is elastically deformable in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the cylinder 14 is bellows-shaped. From the viewpoint of restorability, the cylinder 14 is preferably a spiral bellows-shaped cylinder, but may be a simple bellows-shaped cylinder without a spiral. Here, when the cylinder 14 is a bellows-shaped cylinder in which the peaks 14a and the valleys 14b are alternately arranged in the vertical direction, the fact that the cylinder 14 is a spiral bellows-shaped cylinder means that the peaks 14a and the valleys 14b form a spiral that rotates around the container axis O. In addition, the shape of the cylinder 14 is not limited to a bellows-shaped cylinder, and other shapes that are elastically deformable in the vertical direction can be appropriately adopted as the shape of the cylinder 14.

[0037] The presser head 15 is disposed on the cylinder 14. The presser head 15 is supported from below by the cylinder 14. A guide tube 27 is disposed within the presser head 15. The presser head 15 includes a head main body 42, a first cylindrical body 43, and a second cylindrical body 54. The head main body 42, the first cylindrical body 43, and the second cylindrical body 54 are molded separately and then assembled together.

[0038] The head body 42 has a cylindrical shape with a top and includes a top wall portion 44, a peripheral wall portion 45, a relay cylinder 46, a nozzle cylinder 47, and a vertical rib 48. The relay tube 46 has a smaller diameter than the peripheral wall portion 45. The relay tube 46 extends downward from the top wall portion 44. The lower end of the relay tube 46 is located lower than the lower end of the peripheral wall portion 45. The nozzle tube 47 extends radially outward from the upper end of the relay tube 46. The nozzle tube 47 penetrates the peripheral wall portion 45 in the radial direction. The inside of the nozzle tube 47 is connected to the inside of the relay tube 46. Inside the tip of the nozzle tube 47 is a discharge hole 49. The discharge hole 49 is connected to the inside of the cylinder 14 through the inside of the nozzle tube 47 and the inside of the relay tube 46.

[0039] The vertical ribs 48 are provided inside the relay tube 46. The vertical ribs 48 protrude radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the relay tube 46. A plurality of vertical ribs 48 are provided in the relay tube 46 at positions that avoid the nozzle tube 47 in the circumferential direction. The upper ends of the vertical ribs 48 are continuous with the top wall portion 44. The lower ends of the vertical ribs 48 are located above the lower end of the relay tube 46.

[0040] The first cylindrical body 43 has a multi-tube shape. The first cylindrical body 43 includes a large diameter portion 55, a medium diameter portion 56, a small diameter portion 57, a third connecting portion 58, and a fourth connecting portion 59. The large diameter portion 55, the medium diameter portion 56, and the small diameter portion 57 are arranged coaxially. The medium diameter portion 56 is smaller in the up-down direction than the large diameter portion 55. The small diameter portion 57 is smaller in the up-down direction than the medium diameter portion 56. The third connecting portion 58 connects the large diameter portion 55 and the medium diameter portion 56. The third connecting portion 58 connects the upper ends of the large diameter portion 55 and the medium diameter portion 56 to each other. The fourth connecting portion 59 connects the medium diameter portion 56 and the small diameter portion 57. The fourth connecting portion 59 extends upward from the lower end of the medium diameter portion 56 toward the inside in the radial direction.

[0041] The medium diameter portion 56 is attached (fitted in the illustrated example) to the relay tube 46 from the radial outside. The large diameter portion 55 is attached to the peripheral wall portion 45. The upper end of the large diameter portion 55 is fitted into the lower end of the peripheral wall portion 45 from the radial inside. The lower end of the large diameter portion 55 is fitted into the upper end of the guide tube 27 from the radial outside.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a second locking portion 56a is provided at the lower end of the large diameter portion 55 (the lower end of the pressing head 15). The second locking portion 56a is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 55. The second locking portion 56a protrudes radially inward from the large diameter portion 55. The second locking portion 56a extends over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction. The second locking portion 56a is a protrusion (ridge). The second locking portion 56a has an upper surface 56a1 and a lower surface 56a2. The upper surface 56a1 is a flat surface extending in a direction perpendicular to the container axis O. The lower surface 56a2 is an inclined surface extending upward as it approaches the inside in the radial direction.

[0043] The second locking portion 56a can be locked to the first locking portions 27b and 27c from below. This restricts the upward movement of the presser head 15. The first locking portions 27b and 27c and the second locking portion 56a function, for example, to prevent the presser head 15 from coming off. In the initial state, the second locking portion 56a is located between the upper locking portion 27b and the lower locking portion 27c in the vertical direction. In the initial state, a vertical gap S1 is provided between the upper locking portion 27b and the second locking portion 56a. A lower surface 27b2 of the upper locking portion 27b and an upper surface 56a1 of the second locking portion 56a are spaced apart in the vertical direction.

[0044] The second cylindrical body 54 is attached (fitted in the illustrated example) to the medium diameter portion 56 from the outside in the radial direction. In this embodiment, the second cylindrical body 54 is molded integrally with the cylinder 14. However, the second cylindrical body 54 may be molded separately from the cylinder 14 and assembled to the cylinder 14. The lower end of the second cylindrical body 54 is connected to the upper end of the cylinder 14.

[0045] A guide protrusion 54a is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the second cylindrical body 54. The guide protrusion 54a is provided at the lower end of the second cylindrical body 54. A plurality of the guide protrusions 54a are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. Each guide protrusion 54a is arranged in a guide groove 27a. Each guide protrusion 54a moves up and down in the guide groove 27a.

[0046] In the push-down head 15, the inside of the small diameter portion 57 is a communication hole 60. The communication hole 60 communicates between the inside of the cylinder 14 and the inside of the discharge hole 49. The poppet valve 18 is arranged in the communication hole 60 so as to be movable up and down. The upper end of the small diameter portion 57 is a second valve seat 50 (valve seat). The second valve seat 50 is a valve seat for the poppet valve 18.

[0047] The stopper 19 regulates the descent of the press-down head 15. In this embodiment, the stopper 19 is a C-ring that is detachable from the guide tube 27. The stopper 19 is disposed between the lower end of the large diameter portion 55 and the upper surface of the first connecting portion 25. Note that the press head 15 may be held in the initial state, for example, by (1) being supported from below by the stopper 19. Also, for example, the press head 15 may be held in the initial state by (2) the second locking portion 56a of the press head 15 being supported from below by the lower locking portion 27c. Furthermore, for example, the press head 15 may be held in the initial state by both of (1) and (2) above.

[0048] The check valve 17 allows the contents to flow from inside the container body 11 into the cylinder 14. The check valve 17 regulates the contents to flow from inside the cylinder 14 into the container body 11. The check valve 17 is disposed in the lower support portion 12. The check valve 17 is seated removably on the first valve seat 39. The check valve 17 is, for example, a so-called three-point valve.

[0049] The poppet valve 18 switches between communication and blocking between the inside of the cylinder 14 and the discharge hole 49. The poppet valve 18 is disposed in the cylinder 14 so as to be movable up and down relative to the lower support portion 12 and the push-down head 15. As shown in Fig. 1, when the push-down head 15 is located at the uppermost position, the poppet valve 18 blocks communication between the inside of the cylinder 14 and the discharge hole 49. After the push-down head 15 descends from the uppermost position and a seal portion 53, which will be described later, allows communication between the inside of the container body 11 and the outside through an outside air introduction passage 51, the poppet valve 18 connects the inside of the cylinder 14 and the discharge hole 49.

[0050] The poppet valve 18 includes a cylindrical portion 61 and a shaft portion 62 . The cylindrical portion 61 is the upper end of the poppet valve 18. The cylindrical portion 61 is cylindrical with a bottom. The upper end of the cylindrical portion 61 has a larger diameter than a portion of the cylindrical portion 61 located below the upper end (hereinafter also referred to as a reduced diameter portion of the cylindrical portion 61). The upper end of the cylindrical portion 61 functions as the valve body 18a. The shaft-shaped portion 62 extends downward from the cylindrical portion 61. The lower end of the shaft-shaped portion 62 has a larger diameter than a portion of the shaft-shaped portion 62 located above the lower end (hereinafter also referred to as a reduced diameter portion of the shaft-shaped portion 62).

[0051] The valve body 18a of the poppet valve 18 is disposed within the lower end of the relay cylinder 46. The valve body 18a is seated from above on the second valve seat 50. The poppet valve 18 blocks communication between the inside of the nozzle cylinder 47 and the inside of the cylinder 14. The lower end of the poppet valve 18 (the lower end of the shaft-shaped portion 62) is disposed within the upper end of the flow passage tube 35. A claw 40 is engaged from above with the lower end of the poppet valve 18. This prevents the poppet valve 18 from slipping out upward from the flow passage tube 35. The lower end of the poppet valve 18 functions as a retaining portion 18b.

[0052] The poppet valve 18 is disposed in the communication hole 60 so as to be movable up and down. A suppression portion 60a is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the communication hole 60. The suppression portion 60a faces the outer peripheral surface of the poppet valve 18. The suppression portion 60a is preferably located close to the outer peripheral surface of the poppet valve 18, and may be configured to slightly abut against the outer peripheral surface so as to be slidable. The suppression portion 60a suppresses the inclination of the poppet valve 18 (valve body 18a) relative to the second valve seat 50. The suppression portion 60a guides the up and down movement of the poppet valve 18.

[0053] In this embodiment, the suppression portion 60a is a vertical rib provided on the inner circumferential surface of the communication hole 60. A plurality of suppression portions 60a (vertical ribs) are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction. The suppression portions 60a are radially opposed to the reduced diameter portion of the tubular portion 61. The suppression portions 60a are not limited to vertical ribs. For example, the inner circumferential surface of the communication hole 60 itself may function as the suppression portion 60a. In other words, the suppression portion 60a may be provided continuously on the inner circumferential surface of the communication hole 60. In this case, for example, a vertical rib may be provided on the reduced diameter portion of the tubular portion 61.

[0054] The suppression portion 60a is provided with an abutment portion 60b. As shown in Fig. 3, when the pressing head 15 is located at the lower end position, the abutment portion 60b abuts against the lower support portion 12 (the upper end of the flow path tube 35 in the illustrated example). In this embodiment, the abutment portion 60b is formed by the lower end of the suppression portion 60a.

[0055] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, an outside air introduction passage 51 is provided between the inner peripheral surface of the mounting port portion 28 and the outer peripheral surface of the lower support portion 12. The outside air introduction passage 51 communicates the inside of the container body 11 with the outside, and introduces outside air into the container body 11. In this embodiment, the outside air introduction passage 51 includes a second groove 52. The second groove 52 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lower support portion 12. The second groove 52 is, for example, a vertical groove. A plurality of second grooves 52 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. The second groove 52 opens upward. In this embodiment, the second groove 52 communicates with the first groove 33, so that the outside air introduction passage 51 communicates the inside of the container body 11 with the outside.

[0056] A seal portion 53 is provided on one of the inner peripheral surface of the mounting port portion 28 and the outer peripheral surface of the lower support portion 12, contacting the other and blocking the outside air introduction path 51. In this embodiment, the seal portion 53 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting port portion 28. The seal portion 53 protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the mounting port portion 28. The seal portion 53 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the lower support portion 12. In the illustrated example, the seal portion 53 is provided on the sliding wall 24b. When the pressing head 15 is located at the upper end position, the seal portion 53 blocks communication between the inside of the container body 11 and the outside through the outside air introduction path 51. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the seal portion 53 allows the communication when the pressing head 15 descends from the upper end position and the lower support portion 12 descends. The seal portion 53 switches between blocking and allowing the communication.

[0057] Next, a method of using the discharge container 10 will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, in the initial state of the discharge container 10, the push-down head 15 is located at the upper end position. At this time, the seal portion 53 blocks communication between the inside of the container body 11 and the outside through the outside air introduction path 51. Therefore, the contents in the container body 11 are prevented from leaking from the outside air introduction path 51. At this time, in this embodiment, the valve body 18a of the poppet valve 18 is seated on the second valve seat 50, and also blocks communication between the inside of the cylinder 14 and the discharge hole 49 through the communication hole 60. Therefore, leakage of the contents from the discharge hole 49 is also prevented.

[0058] When a user discharges the contents from the discharge container 10, the user, for example, removes the stopper 19 and then presses down the press head 15. At this time, the press head 15 descends from the ascending end position, and the lower surface 56a2 of the second locking portion 56a of the press head 15 comes into contact with the upper surface 27c1 of the lower locking portion 27c, and the second locking portion 56a climbs over the lower locking portion 27c. In addition, the lower support portion 12 descends, and the seal portion 53 allows communication between the inside of the container body 11 and the outside through the outside air introduction path 51. At this time, in this embodiment, when the seal portion 53 descends below the upper end of the first groove 33, the outside air introduction path 51 (the second groove 52) communicates with the first groove 33. This allows communication between the inside and outside of the container body 11 through the air hole 32, the first groove 33, the outside air introduction passage 51 (second groove 52), the space between the outer surface of the cylinder 14 and the inner surface of the guide tube 27, and the space between the outer surface of the guide tube 27 and the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion 45. At this time, in this embodiment, the cylinder 14 is not compressed, but may be compressed to some extent. Also, at this time, in this embodiment, the lower support part 12 descends until the descent is restricted by the restriction part 29.

[0059] After the descent of the lower support part 12 is restricted by the restricting part 29, the push-down head 15 further descends, and the cylinder 14 is elastically compressed between the push-down head 15 and the lower support part 12. At this time, the poppet valve 18 rises relative to the push-down head 15 while the movement of the poppet valve 18 is guided by the restricting part 60a. As a result, the valve body 18a of the poppet valve 18 moves away from the second valve seat 50, and the poppet valve 18 allows communication between the inside of the cylinder 14 and the discharge hole 49 through the communication hole 60. In other words, the poppet valve 18 opens, and the inside of the cylinder 14 and the discharge hole 49 communicate through the communication hole 60, the relay cylinder 46, and the nozzle cylinder 47. Meanwhile, the check valve 17 remains closed, and the internal pressure of the cylinder 14 increases. Therefore, when the cylinder 14 is filled with the contents, the contents in the cylinder 14 are sent to the discharge hole 49 and discharged from the discharge hole 49.

[0060] In this embodiment, the vertical rib 48 of the press-down head 15 comes into contact with the poppet valve 18 during the compression of the cylinder 14. When the user further presses down the press-down head 15 in this state, the poppet valve 18 descends together with the press-down head 15 as shown in FIG. 3. When the contact portion 60b comes into contact with the lower support portion 12 (the upper end of the flow passage tube 35) from above, the descent of the press-down head 15 is restricted. At this time, the press-down head 15 is located at the lower end position, and the cylinder 14 is in the most compressed state. When the press-down head 15 is located at the lower end position, instead of the contact portion 60b coming into contact with the lower support portion 12 from above, for example, the lower end of the peripheral wall portion 45 of the press-down head 15 may come into contact with the first connecting portion 25 of the mounting cap 22.

[0061] After discharging the contents, the user releases the depression of the push-down head 15. Then, the cylinder 14 expands due to its elastic restoring force. At this time, the push-down head 15 rises, and the poppet valve 18 descends relative to the push-down head 15 while the movement of the poppet valve 18 is guided by the suppressing portion 60a, so that the second valve seat 50 of the push-down head 15 engages with the valve body 18a of the poppet valve 18, and the valve body 18a seats on the second valve seat 50. As a result, the poppet valve 18 blocks communication between the inside of the cylinder 14 and the discharge hole 49 through the communication hole 60. When the cylinder 14 expands further, the internal pressure of the cylinder 14 decreases, and this negative pressure acts on the check valve 17 through the lower support portion 12, opening the check valve 17. As a result, the contents in the container body 11 are sucked into the cylinder 14 while outside air is sucked into the container body 11 through the outside air introduction passage 51 . In addition, if the cylinder 14 is not filled with the contents in the initial state, the contents are not discharged in the process of the operations up to this point, but at this timing the contents in the container body 11 are sucked into the cylinder 14, filling the cylinder 14 with the contents. Therefore, the contents are discharged the next time the operation is performed.

[0062] Here, when the pressing head 15 is displaced by the elastic restoring force of the cylinder 14, in the state where the lower support part 12 is located at the lower end position as shown in Fig. 4, the poppet valve 18 blocks communication between the inside of the cylinder 14 and the discharge hole 49 as described above, but the outside air introduction passage 51 remains open. Therefore, the inside of the container body 11 communicates with the outside through the outside air introduction passage 51. As shown in FIG. 4, the state in which the lower support part 12 is at the lower end position and the cylinder 14 is fully extended is called the normal state (second state). The normal state is different from the initial state. The normal state can also be said to be the state after the start of use. In the normal state, the pressing head 15 is located below the upper end position.

[0063] 4 and 5, in the normal state, the second locking portion 56a is located below the lower locking portion 27c. In the normal state, a vertical gap S2 is provided between the lower locking portion 27c and the second locking portion 56a. A lower surface 27c2 of the lower locking portion 27c and an upper surface 56a1 of the second locking portion 56a are spaced apart in the vertical direction.

[0064] For example, when the second locking portion 56a overcomes the lower locking portion 27c upward due to a compulsory external force applied to the press-down head 15 and the press-down head 15 is displaced to the upper end position, the seal portion 53 blocks communication between the inside of the container body 11 and the outside through the outside air introduction path 51. Examples of the compulsory external force applied to the press-down head 15 include an external force applied to the press-down head 15 by lifting the nozzle tube 47, and an external force applied to the press-down head 15 by mounting the stopper 19 between the mounting cap 22 and the press-down head 15. Such an external force is intentionally applied, for example, when it is necessary to block the outside air introduction path 51 again. Examples of such a case include a case where the discharge container 10 in use is carried around.

[0065] As described above, for example, from the viewpoint of convenience, the user may intentionally make the second locking portion 56a climb over (intentionally operate) the lower locking portion 27c. Therefore, the second locking portion 56a and the lower locking portion 27c are configured so that the second locking portion 56a can climb over the lower locking portion 27c from below. On the other hand, examples of compulsory external forces applied to the press-down head 15 include unintended external forces such as impact forces when dropped. In this embodiment, the second locking portion 56a and the lower locking portion 27c are configured so that the second locking portion 56a can get over the lower locking portion 27c from below, so that even such external forces can cause the second locking portion 56a to unintentionally get over the lower locking portion 27c.

[0066] If the second locking portion 56a were to only unintentionally ride over the lower locking portion 27c, it would be possible to form the second locking portion 56a and the lower locking portion 27c so that they could not be ridden over. However, in this embodiment, in order to intentionally have the second locking portion 56a ride over the lower locking portion 27c, the second locking portion 56a is configured to be able to ride over the lower locking portion 27c from below. In addition, for example, when the second locking portion 56a climbs over the lower locking portion 27c due to an unintended external force as described above, at least a part of the external force is absorbed by this climbing over. Therefore, even if the second locking portion 56a tries to climb over the upper locking portion 27b, the external force has already weakened by that time, and the second locking portion 56a is prevented from climbing over the upper locking portion 27b.

[0067] As described above, according to the discharge container 10 of this embodiment, the second locking portion 56a is provided at the lower end of the press-down head 15. Therefore, the second locking portion 56a locks with the first locking portions 27b and 27c from below, thereby preventing the press-down head 15 from coming off upward with respect to the guide tube 27. As a result, it is possible to prevent unexpected detachment of parts when, for example, the container is dropped.

[0068] Moreover, a plurality of first locking portions 27b, 27c are provided in the vertical direction. Therefore, the second locking portion 56a can be locked to the plurality of first locking portions 27b, 27c. As a result, unexpected detachment of the component can be effectively prevented. This ensures the effect of preventing detachment of the component even if the protruding amount of each of the first locking portions 27b, 27c is reduced.

[0069] Here, when the protruding amount of the first locking portions 27b, 27c is reduced as described above, the following effect is achieved. That is, when the push-down head 15 is disposed on the cylinder 14 to assemble the discharge container 10, it becomes necessary for the second locking portion 56a of the push-down head 15 to climb over the first locking portions 27b, 27c of the guide tube 27 from above to below. In this case, when the protruding amount of the first locking portions 27b, 27c is reduced, it becomes easier for the second locking portion 56a to climb over the first locking portions 27b, 27c. This makes it easier to assemble the discharge container 10.

[0070] The amount of radial projection of the upper locking portion 27b is greater than the amount of radial projection of the lower locking portion 27c, which enhances the effect of preventing the upper locking portion 27b from coming off.

[0071] In the first state, a vertical gap is provided between the upper locking portion 27b and the second locking portion 56a. In the second state, a vertical gap is provided between the lower locking portion 27c and the second locking portion 56a. This allows vertical play to be provided between the first locking portions 27b, 27c and the second locking portion 56a in both the first and second states.

[0072] Moreover, according to the dispensing container 10 of this embodiment, it is possible to take in outside air into the container body 11 when dispensing the contents. Also, since the poppet valve 18 moves up and down in the communication hole 60, it is possible to eliminate the need for a switching operation as in the conventional technology. Therefore, high operability is ensured. Here, the suppression portion 60a is provided on the push-down head 15. Therefore, when the poppet valve 18 moves up and down relative to the second valve seat 50, the poppet valve 18 (valve body 18a) is suppressed from tilting with respect to the second valve seat 50. This allows the poppet valve 18 to move smoothly within the communication hole 60, stabilizing the discharge of the contents.

[0073] When the push-down head 15 is at the uppermost position, the poppet valve 18 blocks communication between the inside of the cylinder 14 and the discharge hole 49. This makes it possible to prevent the content in the cylinder 14 from being inadvertently discharged from the discharge hole 49 when the push-down head 15 is at the uppermost position. After the push-down head 15 descends from the upper end position and the seal portion 53 allows communication between the inside of the container body 11 and the outside through the outside air introduction passage 51, the poppet valve 18 connects the inside of the cylinder 14 to the discharge hole 49. This can also prevent the poppet valve 18 from interfering with the discharge of the contents from the discharge hole 49.

[0074] The restricting portion 29 contacts the lower support portion 12 from below, thereby restricting the downward movement of the lower support portion 12. This makes it possible to reliably restrict the downward movement of the lower support portion 12.

[0075] In this embodiment, among the pressing forces required to lower the pressing head 15 from the upper end position to the lower end position, it is preferable that the pressing force required to compress the cylinder 14 from its most extended state to its most compressed state (hereinafter referred to as the first pressing force) is greater than the pressing force required to move the lower support portion 12 from a state in which the sealing portion 53 blocks the aforementioned communication to a state in which the sealing portion 53 allows the aforementioned communication (hereinafter referred to as the second pressing force).

[0076] In this case, when the user presses down the press-down head 15, it is possible to easily release the blockage of communication by the seal portion 53 before the cylinder 14 completes its compressive deformation. By releasing the blockage of communication by the seal portion 53 before the cylinder 14 completes its compressive deformation, even if the user releases the press-down head 15 before pressing it down to the lowering end position, when the contents in the container body 11 are sucked into the cylinder 14, the blockage of communication by the seal portion 53 is released and outside air is sucked into the container body 11 through the outside air introduction path 51.

[0077] Here, the first pressing force purely means the pressing force required to compress the cylinder 14 from the most extended state to the most compressed state. When actually used as the discharge container 10, when the pressing head 15 is pressed down to compress the cylinder 14 from the most extended state to the most compressed state, a part of the pressing force applied to the pressing head 15 is also used, for example, to lower the lower support part 12. However, the magnitude of the force used other than the compression of the cylinder 14 is not taken into consideration in the first pressing force. For example, the first pressing force can be measured by removing the pressing head 15, the cylinder 14, and the lower support part 12 as an integrated part from the discharge container 10 and pressing the pressing head 15 of this part with the lower support part 12 fixed. Similarly, the second pressing force purely means the pressing force required to move the lower support part 12 from a state in which the seal part 53 blocks communication to a state in which communication is permitted. The second pressing force can be measured, for example, by pressing down the pressing head 15 in a state where the cylinder 14 is replaced with another cylinder that is substantially incompressible in the vertical direction.

[0078] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0079] For example, some or all of the pipe 13, the check valve 17, and the restricting portion 29 may be omitted. The seal portion 53 may be provided on the outer circumferential surface of the lower support portion 12 , protrude radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the lower support portion 12 , and be in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the mounting port portion 28 . The outside air introduction passage 51, the seal portion 53, and the contact portion 60b may be omitted. The poppet valve 18, the stopper 19, the communication hole 60, and the suppression portion 60a may be omitted.

[0080] In addition, within the scope of the invention, the components in the above-described embodiments may be replaced with well-known components, and the above-described modified examples may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 10 Discharge container 11 Container body 12 Lower support part 14 cylinders 15 Pressing head 27 Guide tube 27b, 27c 1st locking part 28 Mounting opening 49 Discharge hole 56a Second locking part

Claims

1. A container body in which contents are accommodated and which has an attachment opening; A lower support portion disposed at the mounting port portion; a cylinder that is disposed in the lower support portion, the inside of which can communicate with the inside of the container body, and that is elastically deformable in the vertical direction; a press-down head disposed in the cylinder and having a discharge hole, The mounting opening is provided with a guide tube that extends upward and is disposed within the pressing head, A first engaging portion is provided at an upper end of the guide tube and protrudes radially outward. The first locking portion is provided in a plurality of positions in the up-down direction, A dispensing container, wherein a second locking portion that can be locked to the first locking portion from below is provided at a lower end of the push-down head.

2. The first locking portion is provided in two portions in the up-down direction, The discharge container according to claim 1 , wherein a radial protrusion amount of the upper first locking portion is greater than a radial protrusion amount of the lower first locking portion.

3. In a first state in which the second locking portion is located between the upper first locking portion and the lower first locking portion in the vertical direction, a gap is provided between the upper first locking portion and the second locking portion in the vertical direction, The discharge container according to claim 2, wherein in a second state in which the second locking portion is positioned below the lower first locking portion in the vertical direction, a vertical gap is provided between the lower first locking portion and the second locking portion.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Liquid dispenser

    JP2010105724A