Discharger

Abstract

To prevent content liquid from dripping from a nozzle hole even when used in an inverted position.SOLUTION: There is provided a discharger 1 which includes a liquid cylinder 11 having a liquid chamber R1 communicating with the inside of a container body 2, an air cylinder 12 having an air chamber R2, an operating tube 20 having a nozzle hole 21, a liquid piston 30 that pressurizes the inside of the liquid chamber in conjunction with downward movement of the operating tube, and an air piston 40 that pressurizes the air chamber in conjunction with downward movement of the operating tube, in which: a first check valve 70 that allows the content liquid to move from inside the container body toward the inside of the liquid chamber is provided in the liquid cylinder; a second check valve 80 that allows the content liquid to move from the inside of the liquid chamber toward a gas-liquid mixing chamber R3 is provided in the liquid piston; the operating tube, the liquid piston and the air piston move downward in unison while the liquid piston moves; and the operating tube and the air piston are allowed to move further downward after the liquid piston has finished moving within the liquid cylinder.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 below, dispensers are known that are attached to the mouth of a container containing a liquid content and dispense the liquid content in the form of foam. This dispenser includes a pump having a stem that can move downward in an upward biased state, and a push-down head that is attached to the upper end of the stem and has a nozzle hole. The pump includes a liquid cylinder that houses a liquid piston that moves in conjunction with the up and down movement of the stem, an air cylinder that houses an air piston that moves in conjunction with the up and down movement of the stem, and a foaming unit that mixes the content liquid from the liquid cylinder with the air from the air cylinder to foam the mixture. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-28639 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned conventional dispenser, after the depression head is depressed to dispense the foamy liquid content, there is a risk that the liquid content may drip from the nozzle hole. In particular, in a case where the dispenser is applied to an automatic dispenser that automatically dispenses the liquid content, the dispenser is placed in an inverted position so that the nozzle hole opens downward, and therefore, after the foamy liquid content is dispensed, the liquid content remaining in the nozzle hole is likely to drip down due to its own weight. In addition, it is often desirable to use the nozzle with the nozzle hole facing downwards, so that the foamy liquid content is received in the palm of the hand. Therefore, a solution to the above-mentioned problems is desired.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser in which the content liquid is less likely to drip from the nozzle hole even when used in an inverted position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) A dispenser according to the present invention comprises a liquid cylinder disposed above a mouth of a container body in which a liquid content is accommodated and having an internal liquid chamber communicating with the inside of the container body; an air cylinder disposed radially outside the liquid cylinder and having an air chamber therein; an operating tube having a nozzle hole for discharging the liquid content and disposed between the liquid cylinder and the air cylinder so as to be movable up and down; a liquid piston slidably contacting the inner circumferential surface of the operating tube and the inner circumferential surface of the liquid cylinder, respectively, pressurizing the liquid chamber in conjunction with the downward movement of the operating tube and the internally communicating with the nozzle hole; and an air piston slidably contacting the inner circumferential surface of the air cylinder and pressurizing the air chamber in conjunction with the downward movement of the operating tube. a gas-liquid mixing chamber for mixing air supplied from the air chamber with the liquid; a first check valve for allowing movement of the liquid from within the container body toward the liquid chamber and suppressing movement of the liquid from the liquid chamber into the container body; a second check valve for allowing movement of the liquid from the liquid chamber toward the gas-liquid mixing chamber and suppressing movement of the liquid from the gas-liquid mixing chamber into the liquid chamber; the control tube, the liquid piston and the air piston move downward as a unit while the liquid piston moves from the nozzle hole side toward the container body side, and the control tube and the air piston are capable of further moving downward after the liquid piston has finished moving a predetermined stroke amount within the liquid cylinder.

[0007] According to the dispenser of the present invention, when discharging the content liquid, the control cylinder is pushed in to move it downward toward the container body, whereby the liquid piston and the air piston can be moved in conjunction with the control cylinder. By pressurizing the liquid chamber by moving the liquid piston, the second check valve can be opened while keeping the first check valve closed. This allows the liquid content in the liquid chamber to be supplied toward the gas-liquid mixing chamber without backflowing into the container body. At the same time, the air chamber can be pressurized by moving the air piston, so air in the air chamber can be supplied to the gas-liquid mixing chamber. Therefore, the content liquid can be foamed by mixing the content liquid with air in the gas-liquid mixing chamber, and the foamed content liquid can be generated. As a result, the foamed content liquid can be discharged to the outside through the nozzle hole.

[0008] In the above-mentioned discharge process, by pushing in the control cylinder, the control cylinder, the liquid piston, and the air piston can be moved downward as a unit while the liquid piston moves from the nozzle hole side toward the container body side. When the liquid piston has moved a predetermined stroke amount in the liquid cylinder, further movement is restricted. In contrast, the control cylinder and the air piston are allowed to move further downward even after the movement of the liquid piston is restricted, so that the air piston can be moved further in conjunction with the movement of the control cylinder while keeping the position of the liquid piston unchanged. Therefore, only the air chamber can be further pressurized, and the air in the air chamber can be supplied to the gas-liquid mixing chamber.

[0009] Therefore, the residual liquid content remaining in the gas-liquid mixing chamber or the nozzle hole (the remaining liquid content that could not be discharged to the outside) can be discharged to the outside by using the air. This makes it possible to prevent the liquid content from dripping from the nozzle hole. In particular, even when the dispenser is used in an inverted position with the nozzle hole facing downward, the above-mentioned action and effect can be achieved. Therefore, even when the dispenser is in an inverted position, it can be used suitably as a dispenser in which the liquid content is unlikely to drip from the nozzle hole.

[0010] (2) The liquid piston is formed with a circulation hole for supplying the liquid content in the liquid chamber to the inside, and an air hole for supplying the air in the air chamber to the inside, and the circulation hole is formed so as to communicate with a space within the liquid piston that is located closer to the liquid chamber than the valve body of the second check valve, and the air hole is formed in a portion of the liquid piston that is located closer to the nozzle hole than the valve body of the second check valve, and may communicate with the gas-liquid mixing chamber.

[0011] In this case, when the liquid chamber is pressurized by the movement of the liquid piston, the liquid content in the liquid chamber can be caused to flow into the liquid piston through the flow hole. This allows the liquid content to be supplied into the gas-liquid mixing chamber while the valve body of the second check valve is open. Furthermore, when the air chamber is pressurized by the movement of the air piston, the air in the air chamber can be supplied into the gas-liquid mixing chamber through the air hole. This allows the liquid content and the air to be reliably mixed in the gas-liquid mixing chamber to produce bubbly liquid content. In particular, the air hole is formed in a portion of the liquid piston that is located closer to the nozzle hole than the valve body of the second check valve, and is therefore connected to the gas-liquid mixing chamber, so that even after the movement of the liquid piston is restricted, the air in the air chamber can be appropriately supplied to the gas-liquid mixing chamber through the air hole by the movement of the air piston. Therefore, the remaining liquid can be discharged to the outside using the air.

[0012] (3) An elastic member is provided between the liquid piston and the operating tube for biasing the operating tube upward so as to move the operating tube downward, and the elastic member may have a biasing force greater than the sliding resistance associated with the movement of the liquid piston.

[0013] In this case, the biasing force of the elastic member is greater than the sliding resistance caused by the movement of the liquid piston, so the elastic member is not elastically deformed while the liquid piston is moved by pushing in the control tube, and therefore the control tube, the liquid piston, and the air piston can be moved downward as a unit. On the other hand, after the liquid piston has moved a predetermined stroke amount and its movement is restricted, the control tube and the air piston can be moved further while elastically deforming the elastic member, thereby further pressurizing only the air chamber and supplying the air in the air chamber to the gas-liquid mixing chamber.

[0014] In particular, after the remaining liquid content is discharged to the outside by the movement of the air piston, the pressing operation of the control cylinder is released, whereby the elastic member can be deformed in an elastically restored state. Therefore, the control cylinder, the liquid piston, and the air piston can be restored to their original positions by the elastic deformation of the elastic member. Moreover, since the liquid piston can be moved back to its original position, for example, suddenly, relative to the liquid cylinder by the elastic deformation of the elastic member, a so-called suck-back effect can be exhibited. Therefore, even if the remaining liquid content cannot be fully discharged, the remaining liquid content can be drawn into the liquid piston or the air cylinder. This makes it even more difficult for the liquid content to drip from the nozzle hole.

[0015] (4) The air piston may be integrally formed with the lower end of the control cylinder.

[0016] In this case, since the control cylinder having the nozzle hole and the air piston are integrally formed, the components can be simplified and the number of parts can be reduced, thereby suppressing manufacturing costs. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the dispenser of the present invention, even when used in an upside-down position, the content liquid is unlikely to drip from the nozzle hole. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a dispenser according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the discharger shown in FIG. 1 is put in an inverted posture and then the operating cylinder is pressed down to an intermediate position. FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the operating cylinder has been further pressed down to an ejection position after being in the state shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which an attachment cap is attached to the dispenser shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a form in which the dispenser shown in FIG. 1 is applied to an automatic dispenser. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a dispenser according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the dispenser 1 of this embodiment has a cylinder 11 for liquid and a cylinder 12 for air, and is equipped with a cylinder body 10 that is attached to the mouth 3 of a container body 2 in which the content liquid W is contained, an operating tube 20 that has a nozzle hole 21 for discharging the content liquid W, a piston 30 for liquid, a piston 40 for air, and a foam-making section 50 that mixes the content liquid W with air to generate foamy content liquid W1 (see Figure 2).

[0020] Unless otherwise specified, each component of the dispenser 1 is a molded product made of a synthetic resin material. Furthermore, the content liquid W contained in the container body 2 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, liquid detergent, fabric softener, bleach, shampoo, body soap, hand soap, facial cleanser, cosmetics, etc. However, it is not limited to this case, and the content liquid W may be liquid seasoning or the like as long as it can be dispensed in a foam form.

[0021] In this embodiment, the cylinder body 10, the operating tube 20, the liquid piston 30, and the air piston 40 are arranged coaxially with the central axis (container axis O1) of the container body 2. Hereinafter, the operating tube 20 side along the container axis O1 will be referred to as the upper side, and the container body 2 side will be referred to as the lower side, and the direction along the container axis O1 will be referred to as the up-down direction. Furthermore, in a plan view seen from the up-down direction, the direction intersecting the container axis O1 will be referred to as the radial direction, and the direction going around the container axis O1 will be referred to as the circumferential direction.

[0022] (Container body) The container body 2 can be in various forms, such as a pouch, a bag-in-box, a double container (also called a delaminated container or a peelable laminated container), etc. A male screw portion 4 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the mouth portion 3 of the container body 2. In particular, when a pouch, bag-in-box, double-layered container, or the like is used as the container body 2, there is no need to replace the air inside the container body 2, so that it is possible to prevent, for example, outside air or moisture from entering the container body 2, which is hygienic. Furthermore, the quality of the content liquid W is easily maintained.

[0023] (Cylinder body) The cylinder body 10 comprises a liquid cylinder 11 arranged above the mouth 3 of the container body 2, an air cylinder 12 arranged to surround the liquid cylinder 11 from the radial outside, a ring-shaped blocking wall 13 radially connecting the lower end of the liquid cylinder 11 and the lower end of the air cylinder 12, and an attachment tube 14 extending downward from the blocking wall 13 and surrounding the mouth 3 of the container body 2 from the radial outside.

[0024] The blocking wall 13 is disposed on the upper opening edge of the mouth 3 of the container body 2 via an annular packing 15. A female thread 16 that screws into the male thread 4 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting tube 14. As a result, the entire cylinder body 10 is mounted to the mouth 3 of the container body 2 by threaded connection. However, the method of mounting the cylinder body 10 is not limited to screw connection, and it may be mounted by, for example, undercut fitting.

[0025] The liquid cylinder 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape that extends upward, and is formed so as to protrude above the air cylinder 12 . An annular lower valve seat portion 17 that protrudes radially inward is formed at the lower end of the liquid cylinder 11. The inside of the lower valve seat portion 17 functions as an inflow hole 18 through which the content liquid W flows in. The inside of the liquid cylinder 11 communicates with the inside of the container body 2 through the inflow hole 18 and serves as a liquid chamber R1 that stores the content liquid W. The inflow hole 18 is disposed coaxially with the container axis O1 and is formed, for example, in a circular shape in a plan view.

[0026] The air cylinder 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a larger diameter than the mouth portion 3 of the container body 2 and the mounting tube 14. The inside of the air cylinder 12 (the space surrounded by the liquid cylinder 11, the closing wall 13, and the liquid cylinder 11) functions as an air chamber R2.

[0027] Furthermore, a guide tube 19 is formed integrally with the upper end of the air cylinder 12 and protrudes further upward. The guide tube 19 is formed so as to protrude upward beyond the liquid cylinder 11, and is formed in a cylindrical shape with a larger diameter than the air cylinder 12. The upper end of the guide tube 19 is formed with an annular flange 19a that protrudes radially outward. In addition, the guide tube 19 does not need to protrude higher than the liquid cylinder 11; for example, it may be of approximately the same height as the liquid cylinder 11, or it may be formed so as to be lower than the liquid cylinder 11.

[0028] (operation tube) The operating tube 20 comprises a cylindrical operating tube main body 22 which surrounds the liquid cylinder 11 from the radial outside, a nozzle tube 23 which is formed integrally with the upper end of the operating tube main body 22 and extends further upward, and an annular operating flange piece 24 which protrudes radially outward from the upper end of the operating tube main body 22.

[0029] The control cylinder body 22 is disposed between the liquid cylinder 11 and the air cylinder 12 so as to be movable up and down, and surrounds the liquid cylinder 11 with an annular gap between it and the liquid cylinder 11. Therefore, the inside of the control cylinder body 22 communicates with the air chamber R2. The control cylinder body 22 is disposed so that its lower end is located at the same height as the connecting portion between the air cylinder 12 and the guide cylinder 19, and its upper end is located above the liquid cylinder 11. The nozzle cylinder 23 is formed in a cylindrical shape having a smaller diameter than the control cylinder main body 22, and opens upward. The inside of the nozzle cylinder 23 is formed as a nozzle hole 21 for discharging the foamy content liquid W1.

[0030] A guide portion 25 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the operating tube body 22, protruding radially outward and in contact with or close to the inner peripheral surface of the guide tube 19. The guide portion 25 is formed, for example, in an annular shape extending over the entire circumference of the operating tube body 22, and its outer peripheral edge moves along the inner peripheral surface of the guide tube 19, thereby playing a role in guiding the up and down movement of the operating tube 20. The guide portion 25 is not limited to being formed in an annular shape, and may be formed in a plurality of shapes spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, on the inner circumferential surface of the control tube body 22, a portion located above the liquid cylinder 11 is formed with an annular protrusion 26 that protrudes radially inward.

[0031] The operating tube 20 configured as described above can be operated by being pushed downward, for example, by utilizing the operating flange piece 24. Specifically, the operating tube 20 can be moved from a standby position (highest position) P1 shown in Fig. 1 to an intermediate position P2 shown in Fig. 2 and a discharge position (lowest position) P3 shown in Fig. 3 by pushing it toward the container body 2. Note that in Figs. 2 and 3, the dispenser 1 is in an inverted position with the nozzle hole 21 facing downward.

[0032] (Liquid piston) 1, the liquid piston 30 is disposed within the liquid cylinder 11 and the operation tube main body 22. The liquid piston 30 includes a liquid piston tube 31 having a bottom and an upwardly opening, and an upper sliding portion 32 and a lower sliding portion 33 formed integrally with the liquid piston tube 31.

[0033] The liquid piston cylinder 31 has a lower end where a bottom wall portion 34 is formed, which is disposed within the liquid cylinder 11, and an upper end located above the liquid cylinder 11, which is disposed within the operation cylinder body 22. As a result, the inside of the liquid cylinder 11 is in communication with the nozzle hole 21. The upper sliding part 32 is formed in an annular shape extending continuously in the circumferential direction at the upper end of the liquid piston cylinder 31, and is in slidable contact with the inner circumferential surface of the operation cylinder main body 22. In the illustrated example, the upper sliding part 32 includes a seal member 35 such as an O-ring, and is in close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the operation cylinder main body 22. The upper sliding portion 32 is not limited to including the seal member 35, but may be configured to include, for example, a lip portion or the like that comes into close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the control tube main body 22.

[0034] Furthermore, the upper sliding portion 32 is disposed above the protrusion 26 formed on the operation cylinder main body 22. The protrusion 26 contacts the upper sliding portion 32 from below.

[0035] The lower sliding part 33 is formed in an annular shape extending continuously in the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential surface of the liquid piston cylinder 31, and is in slidable contact with the inner circumferential surface of the liquid cylinder 11. In the illustrated example, the lower sliding part 33 includes a seal member 35 such as an O-ring, and is in tight contact with the inner circumferential surface of the liquid cylinder 11. The lower sliding portion 33 is not limited to including the seal member 35, but may be configured to include, for example, a lip portion or the like that comes into close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the liquid cylinder 11.

[0036] An air hole 36 that penetrates the liquid piston cylinder 31 in the radial direction is formed in a portion of the liquid piston cylinder 31 that is located above the lower sliding portion 33. As a result, the inside of the liquid piston 30 communicates with the air chamber R2 through the air hole 36. In particular, the air hole 36 is formed above a valve body 82 of a discharge valve 80, which will be described later, and communicates with a gas-liquid mixing chamber R3, which will be described later. Furthermore, a communication hole 37 that penetrates the liquid piston cylinder 31 in the radial direction is formed in a portion of the liquid piston cylinder 31 that is located between the lower sliding portion 33 and the bottom wall portion 34. As a result, the inside of the liquid piston 30 is further communicated with the inside of the liquid chamber R1 through the communication hole 37. In particular, the communication hole 37 is formed below a valve body 82 of a discharge valve 80, which will be described later, and communicates with a space located on the liquid chamber R1 side within the liquid piston 30. Furthermore, on the inner circumferential surface of the portion of the liquid piston cylinder 31 where the lower sliding portion 33 is formed, there is formed an annular upper valve seat portion 38 against which a valve body 82 of a discharge valve 80 described later abuts from above.

[0037] Between the liquid piston 30 and the operation cylinder 20 configured as described above, a coil spring (elastic member according to the present invention) 60 is provided which urges the operation cylinder 20 upward so as to move the operation cylinder 20 downward. The coil spring 60 is arranged coaxially with the container axis O1, and its lower end contacts the upper sliding portion 32 from above via the frame portion 81 described later, and its upper end contacts the connecting portion between the operating tube main body 22 and the nozzle tube 23 from below. The coil spring 60 is made of metal, but may be made of a material other than the coil spring 60 made of metal.

[0038] Since the coil spring 60 is provided, when the control tube 20 is pressed down, the pressing force acting on the control tube 20 can be transmitted to the liquid piston 30 via the coil spring 60. Therefore, the liquid piston 30 can be moved toward the intermediate position P2 in conjunction with the downward movement of the control tube 20 to pressurize the liquid chamber R1. This makes it possible to supply the liquid W in the liquid chamber R1 to the inside of the liquid piston 30 through the flow hole 37.

[0039] When the operating cylinder 20 is located at the standby position P1, the liquid piston 30 is located at the uppermost position relative to the liquid cylinder 11. When the operating cylinder 20 is located at the intermediate position P2, the liquid piston 30 is located at the lowermost position relative to the liquid cylinder 11 (see FIG. 2). Therefore, as the operating cylinder 20 moves from the standby position P1 to the intermediate position P2, the liquid piston 30 moves a predetermined stroke amount from the nozzle hole 21 side toward the container body 2 side. When the liquid piston 30 moves a predetermined stroke amount, the upper sliding portion 32 comes into contact from above with the upper end opening edge of the liquid cylinder 11. This restricts the liquid piston 30 from moving further downward.

[0040] A seal cylinder 39 is formed at the lower end of the liquid piston cylinder 31, protruding downward from the bottom wall portion 34. The seal cylinder 39 tightly engages with the inner circumferential surface of the liquid cylinder 11 when the liquid piston 30 moves a predetermined stroke amount (see FIG. 2). This makes it possible to use the seal cylinder 39 to seal the inside of the liquid chamber R1.

[0041] (Air piston) 1, the air piston 40 is integrally formed at the lower end of the control cylinder body 22. The air piston 40 includes an annular piston flange 41 formed so as to protrude radially outward from the lower end of the control cylinder body 22, and a sliding portion 42 extending downward from the outer circumferential edge of the piston flange 41 toward the outside in the radial direction.

[0042] The sliding portion 42 is formed in an annular shape extending continuously in the circumferential direction, and has a lip portion 43 that is in close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the air cylinder 12 so as to be capable of sliding against the inner circumferential surface.

[0043] When the control cylinder 20 is pressed down, the air piston 40 configured as described above can pressurize the air chamber R2 in conjunction with the downward movement of the control cylinder 20. This makes it possible to supply air from the air chamber R2 to the inside of the liquid piston 30 through the gap between the upper end opening edge of the liquid cylinder 11 and the liquid piston 30, and through the air hole 36.

[0044] Furthermore, after the liquid piston 30 has moved a predetermined stroke amount (see FIG. 2), the air piston 40 is capable of moving further toward the container body 2 (see FIG. 3). Therefore, when the control tube 20 is pressed down, it is possible to press down the control tube 20, the liquid piston 30 and the air piston 40 together until the liquid piston 30 moves a predetermined stroke amount from the nozzle hole 21 side toward the container body 2 side. In contrast, after the liquid piston 30 moves a predetermined stroke amount, it is possible to press down only the control tube 20 and the air piston 40 further.

[0045] The coil spring 60 has a biasing force (elastic restoring force) set to be greater than the sliding resistance caused by the movement of the liquid piston 30. Therefore, when the operating tube 20 is pushed down, it is possible to push down the operating tube 20, the liquid piston 30 and the air piston 40 together without elastically deforming the coil spring 60 until the liquid piston 30 moves a predetermined stroke amount from the nozzle hole 21 side toward the container body 2 side.

[0046] (Foam making department) The foam-making section 50 is positioned between the liquid piston 30 and the nozzle hole 21, and generates foamy content liquid W1 by mixing the content liquid W supplied from the liquid chamber R1 through the circulation hole 37 with air supplied from the air chamber R2 through the air hole 36.

[0047] The foaming section 50 includes a gas-liquid mixing chamber R3 that merges the content liquid W and the air and mixes them, and a foaming member 51 that foams the gas-liquid mixture mixed in the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3 to generate foamed content liquid W1. The space inside the liquid piston 30 that is located above the upper valve seat portion 38 is the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3.

[0048] The foaming member 51 includes two foaming elements 52 mounted inside the nozzle cylinder 23. The foaming elements 52 are mounted inside the nozzle cylinder 23 in a state where they are stacked vertically in two stages. The foaming elements 52 include a cylindrical body and a mesh member 52a stretched across one open end of the cylindrical body. Of the two foaming elements 52, the lower foaming element 52 is arranged so that the mesh member 52a faces downward, and the upper foaming element 52 is arranged so that the mesh member 52a faces upward.

[0049] Furthermore, a cylindrical support cylinder 55 is fitted inside the nozzle cylinder 23 to support from below the two foaming elements 52 stacked in two tiers, one above the other. The support cylinder 55 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter that changes in multiple steps, and is disposed coaxially with the container axis O1. The upper end of the support cylinder 55 is fitted inside the nozzle cylinder 23 to prevent the foaming element 52 from falling downward from the nozzle cylinder 23. The lower end of the support cylinder 55 extends downward and enters the inside of the liquid cylinder 11 from above. As a result, the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3 and the nozzle cylinder 23 communicate with each other through a long and narrow small space 56 formed inside the support cylinder 55.

[0050] (Suction valve) A suction valve (first check valve according to the present invention) 70 is provided within the liquid cylinder 11 to allow the movement of the content liquid W from within the container body 2 toward the liquid chamber R1, and to suppress the movement of the content liquid W from the liquid chamber R1 into the container body 2.

[0051] The suction valve 70 includes a cylindrical fitting member 71 with a top, a valve body 72, and a resilient arm 73 that is resiliently deformable. The fitting member 71 is fitted to the inside of the lower end of the liquid cylinder 11. A communication hole (not shown) that penetrates the top wall of the fitting member 71 from top to bottom is formed. This allows the content liquid W in the container body 2 to flow into the liquid chamber R1 through the inlet hole 18 and the communication hole. However, the fitting member 71 does not need to be formed in a topped cylindrical shape, and may be formed in, for example, a ring shape that fits inside the liquid cylinder 11.

[0052] The valve body 72 is formed, for example, in a circular shape in a plan view, and releasably blocks the inlet hole 18 by being seated on the lower valve seat portion 17 from above. The elastic arms 73 integrally connect the valve body 72 and the cylindrical portion of the fitting member 71, and are formed, for example, in a plurality of positions spaced apart in the circumferential direction. Therefore, the suction valve 70 of this embodiment is a multi-point valve (for example, a three-point valve) having a plurality of elastic arms 73. However, the suction valve 70 is not limited to a multi-point valve, and a known valve structure (check valve) may be appropriately adopted.

[0053] The elastic arms 73 are formed to extend, for example, in the circumferential direction to ensure appropriate springiness, and have their inner ends connected to the outer edge of the valve body 72 and their outer ends connected to the cylindrical portion of the fitting member 71. Therefore, the valve body 72 is elastically displaceable in the vertical direction in accordance with the elastic deformation of the multiple elastic arms 73.

[0054] (Discharge valve) A discharge valve (second check valve according to the present invention) 80 is provided within the liquid piston 30, which allows the movement of the content liquid W from the liquid chamber R1 toward the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3 (foam-making section 50) and suppresses the movement of the content liquid W from the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3 to the liquid chamber R1.

[0055] The discharge valve 80 comprises an annular frame portion 81 fitted inside the upper sliding portion 32, a valve body 82 seated on the upper valve seat portion 38 from above so as to be able to separate therefrom, and a coil-shaped connecting spring 83 connecting the frame portion 81 and the valve body 82. The frame body portion 81 is integrally combined with the liquid piston 30. As described above, the lower end portion of the coil spring 60 contacts the frame body portion 81 from above.

[0056] The connecting spring 83 is disposed coaxially with the container axis O1 while surrounding the support cylinder 55 from the outside in the radial direction, with an upper end integrally connected to the inner circumferential surface of the frame portion 81 and a lower end integrally connected to the valve body 82. The connecting spring 83 presses the valve body 82 against the upper valve seat portion 38 from above. As a result, the valve body 82 is seated on the upper valve seat portion 38 in a releasable manner.

[0057] (Cap material) As shown in FIG. 4, the dispenser 1 configured as described above is provided with a cap member 90 that covers the nozzle hole 21 from above during product distribution, storage, or the like. The cap member 90 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top, and is disposed coaxially with the container axis O1. The cap member 90 is removably attached to the flange portion 19a of the cylinder body 10 while covering the operation tube 20 from above. In the illustrated example, the cap member 90 is attached to the flange portion 19a by undercut fitting.

[0058] In particular, the cap member 90 has a push-down portion 91 that pushes down from above the guide portion 25 formed on the operation tube 20. In the illustrated example, the push-down portion 91 is formed in a cylindrical shape disposed inside the guide tube 19, and pushes down the entire guide portion 25. However, the push-down portion 91 is not limited to being cylindrical, and multiple push-down portions 91 may be formed at intervals in the circumferential direction. The push-down portion 91 pushes down the operation tube 20 to the intermediate position P2 so that the liquid piston 30 moves by a predetermined stroke amount. As a result, when the cap member 90 is attached, the seal tube 39 of the liquid piston 30 seals the liquid chamber R1.

[0059] (Ejector Action) Next, a case where the content liquid W is discharged using the discharger 1 configured as described above will be described. In the initial state, the cap member 90 shown in Fig. 4 is removed, and the control tube 20 is in the standby position P1 as shown in Fig. 1. Furthermore, the liquid W is stored in the liquid chamber R1, and the suction valve 70 and the discharge valve 80 are closed.

[0060] Furthermore, in the following description, as an example, a case will be described in which the dispenser 1 is used in an upside-down position with the nozzle hole 21 facing downward as shown in FIG. When discharging the liquid content W, the operating tube 20 is pushed in as shown by the arrow F in Fig. 2 while using the operating flange piece 24 etc., to move it toward the container body 2. This moves the liquid piston 30 in conjunction with the operating tube 20 to pressurize the liquid chamber R1, and moves the air piston 40 to pressurize the air chamber R2.

[0061] In particular, since the biasing force (elastic restoring force) of the coil spring 60 is greater than the sliding resistance associated with the movement of the liquid piston 30, the coil spring 60 is not elastically deformed as shown in Fig. 2 until the liquid piston 30 is moved a predetermined stroke amount from the nozzle hole 21 side toward the container body 2 side by pushing in the control tube 20. Therefore, the control tube 20, the liquid piston 30 and the air piston 40 can be moved integrally toward the container body 2 side by pushing in the control tube 20.

[0062] By pressurizing the liquid chamber R1 with the liquid piston 30, the suction valve 70 can be maintained in a closed state, so that the liquid W in the liquid chamber R1 can be supplied to the inside of the liquid piston 30 through the circulation hole 37. Therefore, the valve body 82 of the discharge valve 80 moves away from the upper valve seat portion 38 while elastically deforming the connecting spring 83 due to the pressure of the liquid W. This allows the discharge valve 80 to be opened, and liquid can be supplied into the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3.

[0063] At the same time, by pressurizing the air chamber R2 with the air piston 40, the air in the air chamber R2 can be supplied to the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3 located inside the liquid piston 30 through the air hole 36 as indicated by the arrow A in Fig. 2. Therefore, the foaming unit 50 can foam the content liquid W while mixing it with the air, thereby generating foamed content liquid W1. Specifically, the content liquid W and the air can be merged and mixed in the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3 to produce a gas-liquid mixture. The gas-liquid mixture flows toward the foaming element 52 through the small space 56 inside the support tube 55, and passes through the mesh members 52a of the foaming element 52 in sequence to become fine, predetermined bubbles. This produces the foamed content liquid W1, which can be discharged to the outside through the nozzle hole 21.

[0064] The discharge of the foamy content liquid W1 described above can be performed continuously while the control tube 20 is being pushed from the standby position P1 shown in Fig. 1 to the intermediate position P2 shown in Fig. 2. In addition, by pushing the control tube 20 to the intermediate position P2 shown in Fig. 2, the liquid piston 30 can be moved by a predetermined stroke amount. This makes it possible to restrict the liquid piston 30 from being pushed down any further. By further pushing the operating tube 20 to the intermediate position P2, the seal tube 39 seals the liquid chamber R1, stopping the supply of the liquid W from the liquid chamber R1. As a result, the valve body 82 of the discharge valve 80 is seated against the upper valve seat 38 due to the elastic restoring deformation of the connecting spring 83. Therefore, the discharge valve 80 can be closed.

[0065] On the other hand, even if the liquid piston 30 has moved a predetermined stroke amount, the control tube 20 and the air piston 40 can be further pushed toward the container body 2. Therefore, by further pushing the control tube 20 toward the container body 2, the air piston 40 can be further moved in conjunction with the movement of the control tube 20 while keeping the position of the liquid piston 30 as it is, as shown in FIG. At this time, the control cylinder 20 and the air piston 40 can be moved while elastically deforming the coil spring 60. Then, by the movement of the air piston 40, only the air chamber R2 can be further pressurized, and the air in the air chamber R2 can be supplied into the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3 through the air hole 36 as shown by the arrow A in FIG.

[0066] Therefore, the residual liquid W2 (the remainder of the liquid that could not be discharged to the outside) remaining in the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3, the support cylinder 55, the inside of the nozzle cylinder 23, the nozzle hole 21, etc. can be discharged to the outside by using the air supplied later. This makes it possible to prevent the liquid W from dripping from the nozzle hole 21. In particular, since the dispenser 1 is used in an inverted position with the nozzle hole 21 facing downward, it is possible to provide a high-quality dispenser 1 in which the liquid W is unlikely to drip.

[0067] As described above, according to the dispenser 1 of this embodiment, the dispenser 1 is one in which the content liquid W is unlikely to drip from the nozzle hole 21 even when used in an inverted position.

[0068] Furthermore, according to the dispenser 1 of this embodiment, after the remaining liquid content W2 is discharged to the outside by the movement of the air piston 40, the coil spring 60 can be elastically restored by releasing the pushing operation of the control tube 20. Therefore, the control tube 20 and the air piston 40 can be restored by the elastic restoration deformation of the coil spring 60, and can be returned from the discharge position P3 shown in FIG. 3 to the intermediate position P2 shown in FIG. 2. At this time, the protrusion 26 formed on the control tube body 22 presses against the upper sliding part 32 of the liquid piston 30 from the container body 2 side, so that the elastic restoring force of the coil spring 60 can be transmitted to the liquid piston 30. Therefore, the liquid piston 30 can be restored together with the control tube 20 and the air piston 40, and can be returned to the standby position P1 shown in Fig. 1. This makes it possible to prepare for the next discharge operation.

[0069] Furthermore, as the liquid piston 30 moves to its original position, the liquid chamber R1 can be made negative pressure, and the suction valve 70 can be opened. This allows the content liquid W to flow from the container body 2 into the liquid chamber R1 through the inlet hole 18 and be stored therein. Furthermore, as the air piston 40 moves to its original position, the air chamber R2 can be made negative pressure, and air can be supplied into the air chamber R2 through the nozzle hole 21. These also allow preparation for the next discharge operation.

[0070] Furthermore, the liquid piston 30 can be caused to rapidly return to its original position due to the elastic restoring deformation of the coil spring 60, so that a so-called suck-back effect can be exhibited. As a result, even if the remaining liquid W2 cannot be fully discharged, the remaining liquid W2 can be drawn into the liquid piston 30 or the air cylinder 12. This makes it even more difficult for the liquid W to drip from the nozzle hole 21. In particular, when the remaining liquid content W2 is drawn in, it is passed through the support tube 55, the interior of which is made into a small space 56, so that the suck-back effect can be exhibited prominently and the remaining liquid content W2 can be drawn in effectively.

[0071] Furthermore, when the operating tube 20 is pushed in, the movement of the operating tube 20 can be guided using the guide tube 19 and the guide portion 25, so that the operating tube 20 can be operated with a stable posture. Therefore, the tilt of the operating tube 20 can be suppressed, and the discharge operation can be performed smoothly with little resistance.

[0072] 4, for example, during product distribution or storage, the liquid piston 30 can be moved a predetermined stroke amount to seal the liquid chamber R1 using the seal tube 39. This makes it possible to prevent unintended leakage of the liquid W.

[0073] Furthermore, since the operating tube 20 having the nozzle hole 21 and the air piston 40 are integrally formed, the components can be simplified and the number of parts can be reduced, thereby suppressing manufacturing costs.

[0074] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. In addition, modifications in each embodiment may be appropriately combined. Furthermore, this embodiment and its modifications include, for example, those that a person skilled in the art can easily imagine, those that are substantially the same, those within the scope of equivalents, and the like.

[0075] For example, in the above embodiment, the ejector 1 is used in an inverted position with the nozzle hole 21 facing downwards, but this is not limited to this case, and the ejector 1 may also be used in an upright position with the nozzle hole 21 facing upwards. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case where the control tube 20 is manually operated has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, the dispenser 1 may be applied to an automatic dispenser in which the control tube 20 is mechanically pushed in using a movable part.

[0076] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the dispenser 1 may be applied to an automatic dispenser that includes a holding part 100 that holds the cylinder body 10 in an inverted position with the nozzle hole 21 facing downward, and a movable part 101 that holds the operating tube 20. The operation of the movable part 101 is controlled by a control part (not shown), and is operated, for example, based on an output signal from a proximity sensor (not shown). When a palm is brought close to the nozzle hole 21, the proximity sensor detects the palm and transmits an output signal to the control part. Based on the output signal, the control part operates the movable part 101 to move the control tube 20 upward. In this manner, the dispenser 1 can be operated using an automatic dispenser.

[0077] In particular, depending on the type and use of the automatic dispenser, the movable part 101 may be connected to the automatic dispenser body (not shown) via a rotatable pivot arm. In this case, the movable part 101 moves up and down along an arcuate path by pivoting the pivot arm. Even in such a case, the dispenser 1 of this embodiment guides the movement of the control tube 20 using the guide tube 19 and the guide part 25, so that the control tube 20 is unlikely to be tilted due to the movement of the movable part 101 along the arcuate path.

[0078] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, for example, in Fig. 1, a restricting member may be provided to prevent the liquid piston 30 and the air piston 40 from coming off upward from the cylinder body 10 having the liquid cylinder 11 and the air cylinder 12. The restricting member is preferably disposed, for example, above the uppermost position of the liquid piston 30 and the air piston 40, which is away from them in the coming off direction.

[0079] The present invention further includes the following aspects. <1> a liquid cylinder disposed above an opening of a container body in which a liquid is contained, the liquid cylinder having a liquid chamber therein that communicates with the inside of the container body; an air cylinder disposed so as to surround the liquid cylinder from the outside in the radial direction and having an air chamber therein; an operating cylinder having a nozzle hole for discharging the liquid content and disposed between the liquid cylinder and the air cylinder so as to be movable up and down; a liquid piston that is in slidable contact with an inner circumferential surface of the control tube and an inner circumferential surface of the liquid cylinder, and that pressurizes the liquid chamber in response to a downward movement of the control tube, and that has an interior that communicates with the nozzle hole; an air piston that is in slidable contact with an inner circumferential surface of the air cylinder and pressurizes the air chamber in conjunction with the downward movement of the operating tube; an air-liquid mixing chamber for mixing air supplied from the air chamber with the liquid supplied from the liquid chamber is provided between the liquid piston and the nozzle hole; a first check valve is provided in the liquid cylinder to allow the liquid to move from inside the container body toward the liquid chamber and to suppress the liquid from moving from the liquid chamber into the container body; a second check valve is provided in the liquid piston to allow the liquid to move from the liquid chamber toward the gas-liquid mixing chamber and to suppress the liquid from moving from the gas-liquid mixing chamber to the liquid chamber; the control cylinder, the liquid piston, and the air piston move downward together while the liquid piston moves from the nozzle hole side toward the container body side, A discharge device characterized in that the operating tube and the air piston are capable of further moving downward after the liquid piston has moved a predetermined stroke amount within the liquid cylinder. <2> <1> In the dispenser according to the present invention, The liquid piston is formed with a flow hole for supplying the liquid in the liquid chamber to the inside and an air hole for supplying the air in the air chamber to the inside, the flow hole is formed so as to communicate with a space within the liquid piston that is located closer to the liquid chamber than the valve body of the second check valve, the air hole is formed in a portion of the liquid piston that is located closer to the nozzle hole than the valve body of the second check valve, and is in communication with the gas-liquid mixing chamber. <3> <1> or <2> In the dispenser according to the present invention, an elastic member is provided between the liquid piston and the operating cylinder for biasing the operating cylinder upward so as to move the operating cylinder downward; The elastic member has a biasing force greater than a sliding resistance caused by the movement of the liquid piston. <4> <1> from <3> In the dispenser according to any one of the above items, The dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, The air piston is integrally formed with a lower end of the operating cylinder. <5> <1> from <4> In the dispenser according to any one of the above items, The air piston is provided with a guide tube that protrudes further upward from the air piston and has a larger diameter than the air piston, The operation tube is formed with a guide portion that protrudes radially outward and contacts an inner peripheral surface of the guide tube, The guide portion moves along an inner circumferential surface of the guide tube to guide the vertical movement of the control tube. <6> <1> from <5> In the dispenser according to any one of the above items, The liquid piston has a sealing cylinder that tightly engages with the inner surface of the liquid cylinder to seal the liquid chamber when the liquid piston has completed moving a predetermined stroke amount within the liquid cylinder. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] R1…liquid chamber R2…Air chamber R3…gas-liquid mixing chamber 1...Dispenser 2…Container body 3…Mouth of container body 11...Liquid cylinder 12...Air cylinder 20...Operation tube 21...Nozzle hole 30...Liquid piston 36…Air vent 37…Flow hole 40…Air piston 60...Coil spring (elastic member) 70...Suction valve (first check valve) 80...Discharge valve (second check valve)

Claims

1. a liquid cylinder disposed above an opening of a container body in which a liquid is contained, the liquid cylinder having a liquid chamber therein that communicates with the inside of the container body; an air cylinder disposed so as to surround the liquid cylinder from the outside in the radial direction and having an air chamber therein; an operating cylinder having a nozzle hole for discharging the liquid content and disposed between the liquid cylinder and the air cylinder so as to be movable up and down; a liquid piston that is in slidable contact with an inner circumferential surface of the control tube and an inner circumferential surface of the liquid cylinder, and that pressurizes the liquid chamber in response to a downward movement of the control tube, and that has an interior that communicates with the nozzle hole; an air piston that is in slidable contact with an inner circumferential surface of the air cylinder and pressurizes the air chamber in conjunction with the downward movement of the operating tube; an air-liquid mixing chamber for mixing air supplied from the air chamber with the liquid supplied from the liquid chamber is provided between the liquid piston and the nozzle hole; a first check valve is provided in the liquid cylinder to allow the liquid to move from inside the container body toward the liquid chamber and to suppress the liquid from moving from the liquid chamber into the container body; a second check valve is provided in the liquid piston to allow the liquid to move from the liquid chamber toward the gas-liquid mixing chamber and to suppress the liquid from moving from the gas-liquid mixing chamber to the liquid chamber; the control cylinder, the liquid piston, and the air piston move downward together while the liquid piston moves from the nozzle hole side toward the container body side, A discharge device characterized in that the operating tube and the air piston are capable of further moving downward after the liquid piston has moved a predetermined stroke amount within the liquid cylinder.

2. 2. The dispenser of claim 1, The liquid piston is formed with a flow hole for supplying the liquid in the liquid chamber to the inside and an air hole for supplying the air in the air chamber to the inside, the flow hole is formed so as to communicate with a space within the liquid piston that is located closer to the liquid chamber than the valve body of the second check valve, the air hole is formed in a portion of the liquid piston that is located closer to the nozzle hole than a valve body of the second check valve, and is in communication with the gas-liquid mixing chamber.

3. The dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, an elastic member is provided between the liquid piston and the operating cylinder for biasing the operating cylinder upward so as to move the operating cylinder downward; The elastic member has a biasing force greater than a sliding resistance caused by the movement of the liquid piston.

4. The dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, The air piston is integrally formed with a lower end of the operating cylinder.

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