Applicator

Abstract

To provide an applicator in which multiple absorbers are arranged along an axial direction within a reservoir chamber, allowing easy control of the porosity of each absorber, reducing variation between products, and allowing each absorber to be easily incorporated.SOLUTION: An applicator 1 comprises: a storage chamber 5 provided in a main body 1A and storing a liquid; a reservoir chamber 3 capable of retaining the liquid flowing out of the storage chamber 5; a partition wall 10 that separates the storage chamber and the reservoir chamber; an applicator body 13 capable of applying the liquid stored in the storage chamber 5; a relay member 12 inserted through a through-hole of the partition wall 10 with a gap therebetween and configured to transfer the liquid stored in the storage chamber 5 toward the applicator body 13; and multiple absorbers arranged along the relay member 12 within the reservoir chamber 3. The multiple absorbers include a partition wall side absorber 20A, which is in contact with the partition wall 10 by pressure applied along the relay member 12 and thus has a reduced porosity, and an applicator body side absorber 20B, which has a higher porosity than the partition wall side absorber 20A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an applicator that can be applied to writing implements such as felt-tip pens and marking pens, cosmetic implements such as eyeliner, stamps, and drug application containers, and that can store and apply various liquids such as ink, lotion, perfume, and drug. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a direct-liquid type applicator (writing implement) that stores liquid such as ink or lotion as it is, rather than storing it in a state where it is absorbed in an occluding body such as a padding, and allows it to be applied as needed. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, a partition wall 10 that divides a reservoir chamber 3 and a reservoir chamber 5 is provided in a main body 1A of an applicator 1, and a through hole 10a through which a relay member 12 is inserted is formed in the partition wall 10. A predetermined gap is formed between the inner wall of the through hole 10a and the relay member 12 so that liquid is held by capillary force, and gas-liquid exchange is performed in this portion. In the reservoir chamber 3 between the partition wall 10 and the applicator body 13 provided at the tip of the relay member 12, a plurality of occluding bodies 20A, 20B are arranged in parallel along the axial direction so as to surround the relay member 12.

[0003] The occlusion bodies 20A and 20B installed in the reservoir chamber 3 are made of a porous material with entangled fibers so as to occlude liquid, with the occlusion body 20A having a low porosity (strong capillary force) being disposed on the partition wall 10 side, and the occlusion body 20B having a high porosity (low capillary force) being disposed on the tip end side. With this configuration, when the temperature rises, the liquid leaking from the storage chamber 5 can be occluded on the partition wall 10 side, and the liquid-rich state (liquid dripping) in the applicator 13 can be effectively suppressed.

[0004] In addition, by disposing the low-porosity occlusion body 20A so as to abut against the partition wall 10, it is possible to occlude the liquid leaked to the reservoir chamber 3 side, and when the temperature drops, it is possible to easily return the occluded liquid to the storage chamber 5 side. In other words, if a gap is generated between the partition wall 10 and the low-porosity occlusion body 20A, the liquid will be stored in the gap, making it difficult to return the liquid from the relay member 12 to the storage chamber 5 side.

[0005] The above-mentioned occluders 20A and 20B are made of a porous material in which many fibers are entangled, so that it is difficult to properly control the porosity. In other words, the porosity of the occluders to be arranged is not stable, so that the product (applicator) varies greatly. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a holder 10A having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the main body 1A is integrally formed with the partition wall 10 so as to reduce the porosity of the occluders 20A on the partition wall 10 side. One occluder 20 is arranged in the holder 10A, and the end side is pressed into the holder 10A so that the porosity of the occluders 20A on the partition wall side is reduced. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6736144 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the applicator (FIG. 10) disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the occluder fitted in the holder is compressed radially inward, so that the porosity of the occluder 20A on the partition wall side can be reduced, and the porosity can be easily reduced compared to the configuration shown in FIG. 9. However, when fitting the occluder 20 into the holder 10A, it is difficult to compress the occluder evenly in the radial direction to install it. In addition, the porosity of the installed occluder is not stable for each product or lot, and the inner diameter of the holder 10A integrally formed with the partition wall is set to a constant value, so that the porosity of the occluder abutting the partition wall cannot be flexibly adjusted.

[0008] The present invention aims to provide an applicator in which a partition is provided between a storage chamber and a reservoir chamber, and multiple occlusion bodies are provided axially within the reservoir chamber, in which the porosity of each occlusion body can be easily controlled, there is no variation between products, and each occlusion body can be easily incorporated, and to provide a method for manufacturing the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the applicator of the present invention comprises a main body, a storage chamber provided within the main body in which a liquid is stored, a reservoir chamber provided within the main body and capable of holding liquid flowing out from the storage chamber, a partition wall dividing the storage chamber from the reservoir chamber and having a through hole formed therein, an applicator body provided at an end of the main body and enabling application of the liquid stored in the storage chamber, a relay member that is inserted through a gap into the through hole of the partition wall and transfers the liquid contained in the storage chamber to the applicator body side, and a plurality of occlusion bodies arranged along the relay member within the reservoir chamber, wherein the plurality of occlusion bodies include a partition-side occlusion body that is in contact with the partition wall and has a lower porosity when a pressing force is applied along the relay member, and an applicator-side occlusion body that has a higher porosity than the partition-side occlusion body.

[0010] In the applicator having the above-mentioned configuration, a storage chamber in which liquid is stored and a reservoir chamber capable of holding liquid flowing out from the storage chamber are partitioned by a partition wall, and the liquid stored in the storage chamber is transferred to the applicator side via a relay member inserted into a through hole in the partition wall. A plurality of absorbing bodies that absorb liquid are arranged along the relay member in the reservoir chamber, and a partition-side absorbing body that abuts against the partition wall and has a reduced porosity due to the application of a pressing force along the relay member is arranged on the partition wall.

[0011] In the above-mentioned configuration, when the liquid flows out from the storage chamber side through the through hole to the reservoir chamber side due to an increase in temperature, etc., the liquid is absorbed into the partition wall side occluding body having a low porosity (strong capillary force), and it becomes possible to effectively suppress a liquid-rich state (liquid dripping) in the applicator. In this case, since the applicator side occluding body having a high porosity (weak capillary force) is disposed on the applicator side relative to the partition wall side occluding body, even if the liquid flows out from the partition wall side occluding body, it can be held by the applicator side occluding body, making it possible to more effectively suppress dripping.

[0012] In addition, since the partition wall-side occlusion body having a low porosity is disposed so as to abut against the partition wall, it is possible to easily return the occluded liquid to the storage chamber side. In other words, since there is no gap between the partition wall and the occlusion body having a low porosity, it is easy to return the liquid from the relay member to the storage chamber side.

[0013] Furthermore, the partition-side occlusion body with low porosity is set to have low porosity when it comes into contact with the partition wall by applying a pressing force along the relay member, so that the occlusion body can be easily assembled and the porosity can be easily controlled, and an applicator without variation between products can be obtained. That is, since the partition-side occlusion body is not different from the specifications of the applicator-side occlusion body, and one occlusion body is not fitted into the holder and compressed in the radial direction to reduce the porosity, there is no variation between products. In addition, proper control is possible, such as adjusting the porosity by adjusting the axial pressing force.

[0014] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a manufacturing method of an applicator according to the present invention relates to an applicator comprising a main body, a storage chamber provided within the main body in which a liquid is stored, a reservoir chamber provided within the main body and capable of holding liquid flowing out from the storage chamber, a partition wall dividing the storage chamber from the reservoir chamber and having a through hole formed therein, an applicator body provided at an end of the main body and capable of applying the liquid stored in the storage chamber, a relay member inserted through a gap into the through hole of the partition wall and transferring the liquid contained in the storage chamber to the applicator body side, and a plurality of occlusion bodies arranged along the relay member within the reservoir chamber, the manufacturing method of the applicator comprising the steps of: applying a pressing force in an axial direction along the relay member to at least one of the plurality of occlusion bodies so that a partition-side occlusion body abutting the partition wall and having a reduced porosity and an applicator-side occlusion body having a higher porosity are juxtaposed relative to the partition-side occlusion body.

[0015] In the above-mentioned manufacturing method, after placing a plurality of occlusion bodies in the reservoir chamber, it is possible to easily manufacture the applicator having the above-mentioned configuration by simply adding a step of pressing at least one of the occlusion bodies in the axial direction. In other words, since the porosity can be adjusted by simply applying a pressing force in the axial direction to the occlusion body disposed in the reservoir chamber, an assembly operation such as fitting the occlusion body into a holder is not required, and it is possible to easily manufacture an applicator whose porosity is easy to control. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, in an applicator having a partition installed between a storage chamber and a reservoir chamber, and having multiple occlusion bodies arranged along the axial direction within the reservoir chamber, it is possible to obtain an applicator in which the porosity of each occlusion body is easy to control, there is no variation from product to product, and each occlusion body can be easily incorporated, and a manufacturing method thereof. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a first embodiment of an applicator according to the present invention, and (a) to (c) are diagrams illustrating a manufacturing method thereof. [Diagram 2]FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a second embodiment of an applicator according to the present invention, where (a) to (c) are diagrams illustrating a manufacturing method thereof. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a third embodiment of an applicator according to the present invention, where (a) to (c) are diagrams illustrating a manufacturing method thereof. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a fourth embodiment of the applicator according to the present invention, where (a) to (c) are diagrams illustrating a manufacturing method thereof. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a fifth embodiment of the applicator according to the present invention, where (a) to (c) are diagrams illustrating a manufacturing method thereof. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a sixth embodiment of the applicator according to the present invention, where (a) to (c) are diagrams illustrating a manufacturing method thereof. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a seventh embodiment of the applicator according to the present invention, where (a) to (c) are diagrams illustrating a manufacturing method thereof. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an eighth embodiment of the applicator according to the present invention, where (a) to (c) are diagrams illustrating a manufacturing method thereof. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional applicator. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a conventional applicator. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a coating tool according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, the same components as those in the conventional applicator shown in Figs. 9 and 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment of the applicator. The applicator 1 of this embodiment includes a cylindrical barrel (main body) 1A having a hollow portion. The main body 1A includes a storage chamber 5 for storing liquid such as ink, cosmetic liquid, or medicine, and a reservoir chamber 3 capable of holding liquid flowing out from the storage chamber 5, and the storage chamber 5 and the reservoir chamber 3 are partitioned by a partition wall 10. A through hole 10a is formed in the center of the partition wall 10, and a relay member 12 is inserted through this through hole.

[0020] Between the inner wall of the through hole 10a and the relay member 12, a predetermined gap is formed so that the liquid is held by capillary force, and gas-liquid exchange is performed at this portion. In addition, an applicator (e.g., a brush member) 13 protruding in the axial direction from the tip of the main body 1A is provided at the tip of the relay member 12, and the applicator 13 is held in a holder 1a that is integrally formed with the tip of the main body 1A by reducing its diameter. The applicator 13 and the relay member 12 are in contact with each other, and the applicator 13 has a function of applying the liquid transported from the storage chamber 5 through the relay member 12 to an object such as paper or a human body. The applicator 13 and the relay member 12 may be integral, or may be configured to connect a separate applicator 13 to the relay member 12.

[0021] In the reservoir chamber 3 between the partition wall 10 and the applicator 13 provided at the tip of the relay member 12, a plurality of occlusion bodies are provided along the axial direction so as to surround the outer surface of the relay member 12. In this case, the occlusion body in contact with the partition wall 10 is referred to as the partition wall side occlusion body 20A, and the occlusion body disposed closer to the applicator body side than that is referred to as the applicator body side occlusion body 20B. Of these occlusion bodies, the partition wall side occlusion body 20A has the function of absorbing the liquid flowing out from the storage chamber 5.

[0022] The number of occlusion bodies installed in the reservoir chamber 3 may be two or more, and in this embodiment, two occlusion bodies are arranged. If three or more occlusion bodies are arranged, two or more applicator-side occlusion bodies 20B arranged on the applicator side are arranged in parallel in the axial direction with respect to the partition-side occlusion body 20A that abuts against the partition 10. In this embodiment, the partition-side occlusion body 20A and the applicator-side occlusion body 20B are in abutment in the axial direction, but they may be spaced apart in the axial direction.

[0023] A cap (not shown) for protecting applicator 13 is detachably press-fitted into holder 1a at the tip end of main body 1A. A cap-shaped tail plug 15 is attached to the rear end of main body 1A.

[0024] The main body 1A may have a circular cross section or a non-circular shape (polygonal shape, etc.). The tail plug 15 may be press-fitted and fixed to the main body 1A, or may be configured to be detachable, and has a function of filling and sealing the liquid inside the main body 1A from this part. If the liquid is filled from the tip side, the tail plug 15 may not be provided.

[0025] The holder 1a is formed with an atmosphere communication hole 1b extending in the axial direction and communicating with the outside air, and the atmosphere communication hole 1b communicates with the reservoir chamber 3 through the inside of the holder 1a. The holder 1a may be configured as a separate member from the main body 1A, and the applicator 13 may be held in the holder 1a and integrated with the main body 1A.

[0026] An elongated relay member 12 having a circular cross section is inserted into a through hole 10a formed in the center of the partition wall 10. The relay member 12 of this embodiment is inserted into the through hole 10a so that a gap is formed between the inner surface and the outer surface of the through hole 10a. The tip side of the relay member 12 is connected to the applicator 13, and the rear end side of the relay member 12 protrudes into the storage chamber 5.

[0027] The gap is formed to a degree that allows it to hold liquid by capillary force, and constitutes an air-liquid exchange section between the gap and the storage chamber 5 in which the liquid is stored. That is, the liquid held in the gap moves to the relay member 12 when the liquid is consumed on the applicator 13 side, and when the liquid in the gap is consumed, air flows in and enters the storage chamber 5, and the gap is filled with liquid again. For this reason, the gap has a function (air-liquid exchange function) of allowing the air consumed to flow into the storage chamber 5 when the liquid is consumed on the applicator side.

[0028] The gap formed between the outer surface of the relay member 12 and the inner surface of the through hole 10a may be appropriately adjusted according to the viscosity of the liquid stored in the storage chamber 5, and may be set to a level that does not allow the liquid to flow out. In addition, the gap may be formed by a configuration that allows gas-liquid exchange by contacting the relay member 12 at two or more points, for example, by inserting a relay member having a circular cross section into the through hole 10a with a polygonal or elliptical (non-circular cross section) cross section, and such a configuration makes it possible to easily position the relay member 12. Alternatively, the relay member 12 may be inserted into a circular through hole, and one or more slits may be formed along the axial direction on the outer surface of the relay member 12, or one or more slits may be formed on the edge of the through hole so as to extend in the radial direction, or one or more protrusions may be formed on the inner surface of the through hole so as to abut against the outer surface of the relay member 12.

[0029] The gas-liquid exchanger may be formed in any part of the partition wall 10. For example, the relay member 12 may be fitted into the partition wall 10 without any gap, and a through hole may be formed in the other part so that air can move to the storage chamber 5 side, or a gap may be formed between the outer periphery of the partition wall 10 and the inner surface of the main body 1A. In other words, as long as air can enter the storage chamber 5 side from the reservoir chamber 3 and the liquid corresponding to the expansion can be transferred to the applicator side through the relay member 12, the configuration of the gas-liquid exchanger can be appropriately modified.

[0030] The relay member 12 is formed as a porous rod-shaped member by converging and compressing a large number of fibers parallel to the axial direction, and the liquid is transferred along its outer surface and to the applicator 13 side by the internal capillary force. In this case, the relay member 12 may have a structure that transfers the liquid stored in the storage chamber 5 toward the applicator with good sensitivity by the capillary force, and the porosity is appropriately selected according to the viscosity of the liquid stored in the storage chamber. For example, it is preferable to use a low porosity for a low viscosity liquid, and a high porosity for a high viscosity liquid.

[0031] It should be noted that relay member 12 is not limited to a fibrous material as long as it functions to transfer the liquid contained in the storage chamber to applicator body 13. For example, it may be a molded product such as plastic, and may have a structure capable of holding the liquid along the axial direction by capillary force.

[0032] The partition-side occlusion body 20A and the applicator-side occlusion body 20B are made of a material capable of occluding liquid, and can be made of, for example, a porous material such as a fiber material (cotton, etc.). In this case, when the occlusion bodies 20A and 20B are made of a fiber material, the porosity varies widely depending on the degree of entanglement of the constituent fibers, so it is preferable to make them of urethane, which has a relatively stable porosity for each product. Since such urethane has water absorption and elasticity, it is easy to reduce the porosity by compressing it in the axial direction, as described later (the occlusion body in this embodiment is made of urethane).

[0033] Each of the occlusion bodies 20A, 20B has a shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the main body 1A, and if the shape of the main body 1A is cylindrical, it is preferable to configure it as a columnar shape having an outer diameter equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the main body 1A. That is, if the outer diameter of the occlusion bodies 20A, 20B is smaller than the inner diameter of the main body 1A, the pressing process described later becomes easier to perform, and when the occlusion bodies 20A, 20B are applied to the partition wall, they can expand radially with a compressive force acting in the axial direction and contact the inner surface of the main body 1A, and the arrangement position can be stabilized. In addition, by arranging the occlusion bodies 20A, 20B in the reservoir chamber 3, even if a large amount of liquid flows into the relay member 12, the liquid can be retained, preventing the application body 13 from becoming liquid-rich, and the liquid absorbed there can be returned to the relay member 12 (reused by application).

[0034] The occluders 20A and 20B are configured to have different porosities. In this case, by making the porosity of the partition-side occluder 20A low and the porosity of the applicator-side occluder 20B high, the liquid flowing out from the storage chamber 5 can be held by the partition-side occluder 20A and returned to the storage chamber side. That is, even if liquid flows out from the storage chamber due to factors such as an increase in temperature, it can be reliably held by the partition-side occluder 20A, which has a strong capillary force, to prevent liquid from becoming rich on the applicator side. In addition, when the temperature drops, the liquid held there is returned to the storage chamber 5 (relay member 12). Furthermore, when the liquid held in the partition-side occluder 20A becomes saturated, it can be held by the applicator-side occluder 20B, which has a weak capillary force, so that the amount of liquid stored can be increased.

[0035] However, when mass-producing the occluders 20A and 20B, it is difficult to keep the porosity constant due to factors such as the degree of fiber entanglement. Usually, the porosity of each occluder (occluder at the time of production) before assembly of the above-mentioned applicator is set to be higher than the porosity of the relay member 12 (capillary force of relay member 12≧capillary force of each occluder 20A, 20B), but there is an error of about ±15% from the designed porosity. In this way, if there is a large error in the porosity of the occluder, the relationship (capillary force of relay member 12≧capillary force in the gas-liquid exchange section≧capillary force of the partition side occluder 20A>capillary force of the applicator side occluder 20B) may not be satisfied, resulting in variation in the final product. For this reason, depending on the product, the applicator 13 may be in a liquid-rich state, or the supply of liquid to the applicator side may be insufficient, which may easily cause variation in quality.

[0036] In this embodiment, when manufacturing the applicator 1, the following configuration is adopted to control the porosity of the multiple occlusion bodies 20A, 20B, making it difficult for variation to occur between products and allowing each occlusion body to be easily assembled.

[0037] First, as shown in FIG. 1(a), the partition wall 10, the partition wall side occlusion body 20A, the applicator side occlusion body 20B, and the relay member 12 are assembled into the main body 1A. In this state, the partition wall side occlusion body 20A may be abutted against the partition wall 10 or may be spaced apart. In this case, the partition wall side occlusion body 20A and the applicator side occlusion body 20B are made of the same shape and porosity, thereby reducing the number of parts and facilitating assembly. In addition, it is possible to use occlusion bodies of the same specifications for different types of applicators, thereby reducing costs and facilitating assembly. In this embodiment, the partition wall side occlusion body 20A and the applicator side occlusion body 20B are made of urethane of the same specifications, and in this state, no compressive force is applied to each of the occlusion bodies 20A and 20B in the radial and axial directions.

[0038] Next, a pressing force is applied to each of the occlusion bodies 20A, 20B in the axial direction along the relay member 12 (pressing process), so that the partition-side occlusion body 20A, which abuts against the partition wall 10 and has a low porosity, and the applicator-side occlusion body 20B, which has a high porosity relative to the partition-side occlusion body 20B, are arranged side by side.

[0039] 1(b), in the pressing step of this embodiment, the applicator side of the relay member 12 is pressed in the axial direction (D1 direction) toward the partition wall side. In this case, the pressing may be performed by directly pressing the relay member 12 with a tool, or by pressing the applicator 13 to press the relay member 12. Alternatively, the holder 1a portion may be made detachable from the main body, and the applicator side occlusion body 20B may be directly pressed in the D1 direction after removing the holder 1a.

[0040] By this pressing in the axial direction (D1 direction), of the two occlusion bodies, the partition wall side occlusion body is pressed against the partition wall 10 and compressed in the axial direction. That is, the partition wall side occlusion body 20A, which has a low porosity in contact with the partition wall 10, and the applicator side occlusion body 20B, which has a higher porosity than the partition wall side occlusion body 20A, are arranged adjacent to each other. In this way, by applying a pressing force along the relay member 12, an applicator 1 is obtained that has the partition wall side occlusion body 20A, which has a low porosity in contact with the partition wall 10, and the applicator side occlusion body 20B, which has a higher porosity than the partition wall side occlusion body 20A.

[0041] By the above-mentioned pressing in the axial direction (D1 direction), the axial length L1 of the partition wall side occluder 20A becomes shorter than the axial length L2 of the applicator side occluder 20B. For example, assuming that the initial axial length of each of the two occluders before pressing is 6 mm, it is possible to make the axial length L1 of the partition wall side occluder 20A about 4 mm and the axial length L2 of the applicator side occluder 20B, which has a higher porosity, about 6 mm by applying a pressing force in the above-mentioned pressing process (such axial lengths L1 and L2 can be adjusted appropriately by changing the pressing force).

[0042] It is preferable that the relay member 12 and / or the main body 1A are provided with a pressing structure such that the axial length L1 of the partition wall side occluder 20A is shorter than the axial length L2 of the applicator side occluder 20B when a pressing force is applied along the relay member 12. In this case, the configuration and material of each occluder are not limited as long as the porosity of the partition wall side occluder 20A is lower than the porosity of the applicator side occluder 20B, and the axial length L1 of the partition wall side occluder 20A may be longer than the axial length L2 of the applicator side occluder 20B.

[0043] The pressing structure of this embodiment is provided on the surface of the relay member 12 and is configured with a step 30 that engages with the partition-side occlusion body 20A. The step 30 has a small diameter so as to contact the central region of the partition-side occlusion body 20A. That is, the outer diameter of the portion that engages with the applicator-side occlusion body 20B is large, and the outer diameter of the portion that engages with the partition-side occlusion body 20A is small. Such a step can be formed, for example, by processing the surface of the relay member 12 (such as centerless processing).

[0044] According to the pressing structure (step portion 30), when the applicator side of the relay member 12 is pressed in the D1 direction toward the partition wall side, the relay member 12 is displaced toward the partition wall 10, and the partition wall side occluder 20A can be strongly abutted against the partition wall 10 (compressed in the axial direction) via the step portion 30, and the porosity of the partition wall side occluder 20A can be easily made lower than the porosity of the applicator side occluder 20B. Note that the pressing structure may be configured to displace the applicator side occluder 20B toward the partition wall side, or as in this embodiment, the applicator side occluder 20B may be displaced toward the partition wall side together with the relay member 12.

[0045] In this embodiment, after the above-mentioned pressing step in the D1 direction, as shown in FIG. 1(c), the partition wall 10 is pressed in the axial direction (D2 direction) by a jig or the like to displace the partition wall 10 toward the application body. As described above, when the relay member 12 is pressed in the D1 direction, the partition wall side occlusion body 20A comes into contact with the partition wall 10 to restrict movement, the partition wall side of the partition wall side occlusion body 20A is crushed, and the porosity of the partition wall side portion is reduced when viewed in the axial direction. In this state, when the partition wall 10 is pressed in the D2 direction to displace the partition wall 10 toward the application body, the application body side of the partition wall side occlusion body 20A comes into contact with the step portion 30 and the application body side occlusion body 20B, and the entire partition wall 10 is uniformly compressed in the axial direction, and the porosity can be stabilized.

[0046] By pressing the partition 10 in the direction D2, the axial length L1 of the partition-side occlusion body 20A becomes shorter than the length shown in FIG. 1(b) (compressed from 4 mm to about 3 mm). In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1(c), a gap is provided between the applicator-side occluder 20B and the bottom 1c of the main body 1A, but the applicator-side occluder 20B may be in contact with the bottom 1c as long as the applicator-side occluder 20B is not compressed more than necessary. In addition, the pressing steps in the D1 direction and the D2 direction described above may be performed in only one of the directions as long as the porosity of the partition-side occluder 20A can be set lower than the porosity of the applicator-side occluder 20B, or pressing in the D1 direction may be performed after pressing in the D2 direction.

[0047] According to the applicator 1 described above, when liquid flows out from the storage chamber 5 side through the through hole 10a of the partition wall to the reservoir chamber 3 side due to an increase in temperature, etc., the liquid is absorbed in the partition wall side occluding body 20A with low porosity (strong capillary force), and it is possible to effectively suppress a liquid-rich state (liquid dripping) in the applicator 13. In this case, even if the liquid held in the partition wall side occluding body 20A becomes saturated, it can be held in the applicator side occluding body 20B, and it is possible to further effectively suppress dripping. In addition, since the partition wall side occluding body 20A with low porosity is arranged so as to abut against the partition wall 10, it is possible to easily return the absorbed liquid to the storage chamber 5 side.

[0048] Furthermore, since a pressing force is applied in a direction along the relay member 12 (D1 direction and / or D2 direction) to bring the partition wall side occluding body 20A into contact with the partition wall 10 (compressed in the axial direction) so that the porosity is set to be low, the work of incorporating the occluding body and the control of the porosity are facilitated, and an applicator without variation in each product can be obtained. Moreover, it is only necessary to appropriately adjust the pressing force according to the type, size, and use of the applicator, and even if the same specifications are used for the occluding body, the porosity can be easily adjusted, making it possible to easily manufacture the product and reduce costs.

[0049] Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the embodiment described below, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0050] 2(a) to (c) are diagrams showing a second embodiment of the applicator. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1(a) to 1(c), the pressing structure is constituted by a step portion 30 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the relay member 12. However, in the present embodiment, the pressing structure is constituted by a difference in the friction coefficient of the surface by surface-treating the outer peripheral surface of the relay member 12.

[0051] Specifically, this is achieved by carrying out a roughening treatment 31 that makes the coefficient of friction between the surface of the relay member 12 and the partition-side occluder 20A greater than the coefficient of friction between the surface of the relay member 12 and the applicator-side occluder 20B. This roughening treatment 31 can be achieved, for example, by roughly grinding the surface of the relay member 12 on the partition-side occluder 20A side to expose the fibers of that portion to make it uneven, or by coating the surface with a material having a high coefficient of friction.

[0052] By carrying out such surface roughening treatment 31, when relay member 12 is pressed in the axial direction, the movement resistance of partition-side occlusion body 20A is greater than that of applicator-side occlusion body 20B, so that partition-side occlusion body 20A moves integrally with relay member 12, thereby obtaining an applicator having the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment. Also, in a configuration in which the surface of relay member 12 is coated with a material having a high friction coefficient, the processing cost can be reduced compared to forming a step on the surface of relay member 12.

[0053] 3(a) to (c) are diagrams showing a third embodiment of the applicator. 1(a) to 1(c), the pressing structure is configured by forming a step on the outer circumferential surface of relay member 12, but in the present embodiment, an outer skin 32 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of relay member 12 on the applicator body side, and an edge of this outer skin 32 is made to abut against partition wall side occluder 20A. The outer skin 32 may have a structure that increases the thickness of the applicator body side occluder 20B portion, and can be configured by pressing a tubular member made of rubber, resin, or the like into relay member 12.

[0054] By forming such an outer skin 32, an applicator having the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment can be obtained. In addition, the liquid held in the applicator-side occluder 20B does not return to the relay member 12, and can be held as is, so that dripping of the applicator 13 can be effectively prevented. In addition, since the liquid cannot move from the relay member 12 to the applicator-side occluder 20B at room temperature, the application sensitivity is improved, and saturation of the entire occluder can be eliminated or delayed, so that dripping of the applicator can be effectively prevented.

[0055] 4(a) to (c) are diagrams showing a fourth embodiment of the applicator. The pressing structure of this embodiment is formed by a rib 33 that is provided on the inner surface of the main body 1A and engages with the partition-side occlusion body 20A. The ribs 33 are integrally formed on the inner surface of the main body 1A along the axial direction, and are formed at regular intervals in the circumferential direction, for example, at four locations at intervals of 90°.

[0056] As shown in Fig. 4(a), the edge of the rib 33 abuts against the partition-side occlusion body 20A, and when the relay member 12 is pressed in the direction of arrow D1 in this state, the partition-side occlusion body 20A and the applicator-side occlusion body 20B are displaced by the frictional force between them and the relay member 12, and the partition-side occlusion body 20A abuts against the partition 10. At this time, a gap is generated between the edge of the rib 33 and the partition-side occlusion body 20A, as shown in Fig. 4(b).

[0057] Then, as shown in Figure 4(c), by continuing to press the partition 10 in the direction of arrow D2 and displacing it toward the applicator body, the partition-side occlusion body 20A comes into contact with the edge of the rib 33 and is compressed evenly in the axial direction (having a lower porosity than the applicator-side occlusion body 20B). In this way, the pressing structure can be installed on the main body 1A side, and it is possible to obtain the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0058] The number of ribs 33 formed can be changed as appropriate. The ribs can be configured as annular flange structures protruding in the radial direction, other than the structure in which the ribs protrude in the radial direction at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0059] 5(a) to (c) are diagrams showing a fifth embodiment of the applicator. In this embodiment, the partition wall side occlusion body 20A' and the applicator side occlusion body 20B' have different specifications, and as in the above-described embodiment, the porosity of the partition wall side occlusion body 20A' is reduced by applying a pressing force in the axial direction.

[0060] Specifically, the partition wall side occluder 20A' is made of a material having a lower density or hardness than the applicator side occluder 20B', so that when a pressing force is applied in the D1 and D2 directions, the partition wall side occluder 20A' is more easily compressed (axial length L1<axial length L2). In this case, the amount of pressing, the pressing order, and the pressing direction (either one is acceptable) in the D1 and D2 directions may be set so that the porosity of the partition wall side occluder 20A' is lower than the porosity of the applicator side occluder 20B'. In addition, in such a configuration, the pressing structure described above may be used. Even with this configuration, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment.

[0061] 6(a) to (c) are diagrams showing a sixth embodiment of the applicator. In this embodiment, when a pushing operation is performed in at least one of the axial directions D1 and D2, the movement resistance is increased to compress the occluding body to a large extent. That is, the movement resistance of the partition-side occluding body 20A is configured to be greater than the movement resistance of the applicator-side occluding body 20B.

[0062] Specifically, the applicator-side storage body 20B is formed with a through hole 35 extending in the axial direction so that the relay member 12 can be inserted with some play, and the relay member 12 is fitted into the partition-side storage body 20A without any gap. For example, the outer diameter of the relay member 12 is φ2.5 mm, the inner diameter of the through hole 35 is φ2.6 mm, and the inner diameter of the through hole of the partition-side storage body 20A is φ2.5 mm. Alternatively, it is also possible to configure the partition-side storage body 20A so that the movement resistance is larger than the movement resistance of the applicator-side storage body 20B, for example, by configuring the outer diameter of the relay member 12 to φ2.5 mm, the inner diameter of the through hole 35 to φ2.5 mm, and the inner diameter of the through hole of the partition-side storage body 20A to φ2.45 mm.

[0063] According to this configuration, as shown in Figures 6(b) and (c), by pushing the relay member 12 in the D1 direction or pushing the partition 10 in the D2 direction to displace it toward the applicator body, the porosity of the partition wall side occlusion body 20A can be made lower than the porosity of the applicator body side occlusion body 20B.

[0064] 7(a) to (c) are diagrams showing a seventh embodiment of the applicator. In this embodiment, a thin plate material 40 having a thinner axial length (L1>T) than the partition wall side storage body 20A, higher hardness, and lower porosity is interposed between the partition wall side storage body 20A and the partition wall 10. That is, when a pressing force is applied in the D1 direction, the partition wall side storage body 20A is pressed against the partition wall 10 through the thin plate material 40 and is compressed, and when a pressing force is applied in the D2 direction, the partition wall 10 is displaced toward the application body and is compressed through the thin plate material 40. Therefore, as in the above embodiment, the porosity of the partition wall side storage body 20A<the porosity of the application body side storage body 20B is established by the pressing force in the axial direction, and the porosity of the thin plate material 40<the porosity of the partition wall side storage body 20A. Regarding the relationship between the porosity of the thin plate material 40 and the partition wall side occluder 20A, the porosity of the thin plate material 40 may be greater than the partition wall side occluder 20A, and it is sufficient that the porosity of both the thin plate material 40 and the partition wall side occluder 20A is lower than the porosity of the applicator side occluder 20B.

[0065] In such a configuration, the liquid flowing out of the storage chamber 5 first flows into the thin plate material 40, which has low porosity and is in contact with the gas-liquid exchange portion of the partition 10, and when this portion becomes saturated, it flows into the partition side occlusion body 20A, thereby more effectively preventing dripping of the liquid in the application body. The thin plate material 40 may be, for example, a felt material, which acts to hold the liquid flowing from the relay member 12 by spreading it in a direction (radial direction) perpendicular to the relay member 12. Therefore, it is possible to effectively hold low-viscosity liquids, such as alcohol-based liquids, in the thin plate material 40, suppress saturation in the partition-side occlusion body 20A, and further prevent dripping on the application body side.

[0066] 8(a) to (c) are diagrams showing an eighth embodiment of the applicator. The relay member of this embodiment is configured to include a partition-side relay member 12A and an applicator-side relay member 12B that are coaxially spaced apart from each other.

[0067] Specifically, the applicator side occlusion body 20B and the applicator side relay member 12B are assembled integrally into the main body 1A (FIG. 8(a)), and in this state, the partition wall 10, the partition wall occlusion body 20A, and the partition wall relay member 12A are assembled integrally into the main body 1A (FIG. 8(b)). The end 12B' of the applicator side relay member 12B protrudes from the applicator side occlusion body 20B toward the partition wall side, and the end 12A' of the partition wall side relay member 12A protrudes from the partition wall 10 into the storage chamber. In this case, the end 12A' of the partition wall side relay member 12A is integrated with the partition wall 10 and is held by a holder 45 having an air passage 45a so as to stabilize the holding state. In addition, a through hole 25 into which the end 12B' of the applicator side relay member 12B is fitted is formed in the center part of the partition wall side occlusion body 20A.

[0068] In this configuration, when the applicator side relay member 12B is pressed in the direction of the arrow D1 and then the partition 10 is pressed in the direction of the arrow D2, the partition side relay member 12A and the applicator side relay member 12B can be positioned on the same axis (FIG. 8(c)). At this time, the separation position (gap S) between the partition side relay member 12A and the applicator side relay member 12B is within the range of the partition side occluder 20A.

[0069] According to this configuration, the relay member is divided in the axial direction, so that dripping on the applicator side is unlikely to occur. In particular, for low-viscosity liquids such as alcohol-based liquids, the gap S in the relay member limits the transfer of the liquid to the applicator side, effectively preventing the applicator from becoming rich in liquid.

[0070] In the above-described configuration, similarly to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1, it is preferable to form a step portion 30 at the surface end portion of the outer circumferential surface of the applicator side relay member 12B. That is, by forming the step portion 30, the end portion 12B' of the applicator side relay member 12B constitutes a small diameter portion. This small diameter portion (end portion 12B') protrudes in the axial direction from the applicator side occluder 20B and is located inside the partition side occluder 20A.

[0071] By forming such a step portion 30, it is possible to reliably press the partition wall-side occlusion body 20A from both axial sides, thereby uniformly reducing the porosity of the partition wall-side occlusion body 20A.

[0072] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and can be modified in various ways. The present invention is characterized in that a pressing force is applied in the axial direction to the multiple occluders disposed in the reservoir chamber, the partition wall side occluder 20A is brought into contact with the partition wall 10, and the pressing force is adjusted so that the capillary force is smaller than that of the applicator side occluder 20B. Therefore, other structures are not particularly limited.

[0073] For example, the configurations of the gas-liquid exchange section, the partition wall, the coating body, etc. are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and can be modified in various ways. Also, the porosity of the partition wall side occlusion body 20A can be adjusted by changing the movement amount and movement speed of the relay member 12 and the partition wall 10, and the axial frictional force against each occlusion body.

[0074] In addition, the above-described embodiments may be implemented by replacing components of one embodiment with components of another embodiment, or by combining the components of the other embodiments. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments may be applied to various applicators, such as cosmetics such as eyeliner, writing implements, and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1 Applicator 1A Main Unit 3 Reservoir chamber 5 Storage chamber 10 Bulkhead 12 Intermediate parts 13 Applied body 20A Partition side storage body 20B Applicator side occlusion body

Claims

1. The main body, A storage chamber provided in the main body for storing a liquid; A reservoir chamber provided in the main body and capable of holding liquid flowing out from the storage chamber; A partition wall that divides the storage chamber and the reservoir chamber and has a through hole formed therein; an applicator provided at an end of the main body and capable of applying the liquid stored in the storage chamber; a relay member that is inserted through a gap into the through hole of the partition wall and transfers the liquid stored in the storage chamber to the application body; a plurality of storage bodies arranged along the relay member in the reservoir chamber; Equipped with the plurality of occlusion bodies include a partition-side occlusion body that is in contact with the partition and has a reduced porosity due to the application of a pressing force along the relay member, and an applicator-side occlusion body that has a higher porosity than the partition-side occlusion body.

2. 2. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the partition-side occlusion body and the applicator-side occlusion body are in contact with each other in the axial direction.

3. 3. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the partition-side occlusion body and the applicator-side occlusion body are configured to have the same shape and porosity.

4. 4. The applicator according to claim 3, wherein the partition-side occlusion body and the applicator-side occlusion body are made of urethane.

5. 3. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the axial length of the partition-side occlusion body is shorter than the axial length of the applicator-side occlusion body.

6. The applicator according to claim 5, characterized in that the relay member and / or the main body are provided with a pressing structure that makes the axial length of the partition side occlusion body shorter than the axial length of the applicator side occlusion body when a pressing force is applied along the relay member.

7. The applicator according to claim 6, wherein the pressing structure has a step portion provided on a surface of the relay member and adapted to engage with the partition-side occlusion body.

8. 7. The applicator according to claim 6, wherein the pressing structure has a rib provided on an inner surface of the main body and adapted to engage with the partition-side occlusion body.

9. The applicator according to claim 6, characterized in that the pressing structure is configured by performing a treatment to make the coefficient of friction between the surface of the relay member and the partition-side occlusion body greater than the coefficient of friction between the surface of the relay member and the applicator-side occlusion body.

10. 5. The applicator according to claim 4, wherein a thin plate material having a thinner axial length, higher hardness and lower porosity than the partition-side occlusion body is interposed between the partition-side occlusion body and the partition.

11. the relay member includes a partition-side relay member and an applicator-side relay member which are coaxially spaced apart from each other, 3. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein a separation position between the partition-side relay member and the applicator-side relay member is within the range of the partition-side occlusion body.

12. The applicator side relay member has a small diameter portion formed by forming a step portion at a surface end portion of an outer circumferential surface, The applicator according to claim 11, wherein the small diameter portion protrudes in the axial direction from the applicator-side occlusion body and is located inside the partition-side occlusion body.

13. The main body, A storage chamber provided in the main body for storing a liquid; A reservoir chamber provided in the main body and capable of holding liquid flowing out from the storage chamber; A partition wall that divides the storage chamber and the reservoir chamber and has a through hole formed therein; an applicator provided at an end of the main body and capable of applying the liquid stored in the storage chamber; a relay member that is inserted through a gap into the through hole of the partition wall and transfers the liquid stored in the storage chamber to the application body; a plurality of storage bodies arranged along the relay member in the reservoir chamber; A method for manufacturing an applicator comprising: a pressing step of applying a pressing force in an axial direction along the relay member to at least one of the plurality of occlusion bodies so that a partition-side occlusion body abutting the partition and having a reduced porosity is arranged in parallel with an applicator-side occlusion body having a higher porosity than the partition-side occlusion body.

14. The method for manufacturing an applicator according to claim 13, characterized in that the pressing step includes pressing at least one of the partition-side occlusion body and the applicator-side occlusion body in the axial direction so that the partition-side occlusion body and the applicator-side occlusion body abut in the axial direction.

15. The method for manufacturing an applicator according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the pressing step presses the partition side occluder and / or the applicator body side occluder so that the axial length of the partition side occluder becomes shorter than the axial length of the applicator body side occluder.

16. The method for manufacturing a sprayer according to claim 15, wherein the pressing step displaces at least one of the relay member and the applicator-side occlusion body toward the partition wall, thereby compressing the partition wall-side occlusion body into the partition wall.

17. The method for manufacturing an applicator according to claim 15, wherein the pressing step displaces the partition wall toward the applicator body.

18. the relay member includes an applicator-side relay member disposed in the applicator-side occlusion body and a partition-side relay member disposed in the partition-side occlusion body, the relay members being spaced apart from each other on the same axis, The method for manufacturing an applicator according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the pressing step presses the partition-side occlusion body toward the partition.

19. The method for manufacturing a sprayer according to claim 18, characterized in that the pressing step includes pressing at least one of the applicator-side occlusion body and the partition-side occlusion body in an axial direction.

20. The method for manufacturing an applicator according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the relay member and / or the main body are provided with a pressing structure that makes the axial length of the partition side occlusion body shorter than the axial length of the applicator side occlusion body during the pressing step.

21. The method for manufacturing an applicator according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the partition-side occlusion body and the applicator-side occlusion body have the same shape and porosity.

Images