Pump-type discharger

Abstract

To provide a pump-type discharger capable of discharging a content liquid just as conventionally and exhibiting excellent recyclability.SOLUTION: A pump-type discharger 100 comprises: a pump driven by back-and-forth movement of a stem 7a; and a head 12 having an outlet 12d and connected to the stem 7a. An extension part 12e extended toward one of the head 12 and the cap is provided in one of the head 12 and the cap. An inner falling elastic piece 10e twisted in a direction where the extension part 12e comes into contact with an outer surface 10f to approach a center axis O when the head 12 is advanced toward the cap is provided in the other of the head 12 and the cap. The outer surface 10f of the inner falling elastic piece 10e inclines in a direction away from an inner surface 10j closer to a tip 10h from a base 10g with respect to a reference line BL extending in parallel with the center axis O with the base 10g as a start point.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] A known pump-type dispenser includes a cap that is attached to the mouth of a container, a pump that is held at the mouth by the cap and is driven by the back and forth movement of a stem, and a head connected to the stem, in which the liquid contents in the container are dispensed from the head's outlet by moving the head towards the cap (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] As shown in Patent Document 1, a coil spring is provided inside such a pump-type dispenser to return the head, which has been moved toward the cap, to its initial position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-31950 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in this type of pump type dispenser, most of the components are made of synthetic resin, but the coil spring is made of metal. Therefore, when it is discarded after use, it cannot be recycled as a resin product in this state. In addition, in general, in this type of pump type dispenser, the components are firmly fixed to each other, for example, by fitting, to prevent the components from coming off during normal use. Therefore, it is time-consuming to disassemble the pump type dispenser and separate the coil spring from the other components.

[0006] The present invention is aimed at solving such problems, and aims to propose a pump-type dispenser that is capable of discharging the content liquid in the same manner as conventional methods, and that also has excellent recyclability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a pump-type dispenser comprising a cap attached to the mouth of a container that contains a liquid content, a pump that is held at the mouth by the cap and is driven by the back and forth movement of a stem, and a head that has a discharge port for discharging the liquid content to the outside and is connected to the stem, the head being moved toward the cap to discharge the liquid content from the discharge port, An extension portion is provided on one of the head and the cap, the extension portion extending toward the other of the head and the cap, an inwardly collapsing elastic piece is provided on the other of the head and the cap, the extension contacting an outer circumferential surface and bending in a direction approaching a central axis of the stem when the head is advanced toward the cap; The outer peripheral surface of the inward-inclined elastic piece is inclined away from the inner peripheral surface of the inward-inclined elastic piece with respect to a reference line extending parallel to the central axis of the stem from the base portion of the inward-inclined elastic piece toward the tip portion of the inward-inclined elastic piece.

[0008] It is preferable that the angle at which the outer circumferential surface is inclined with respect to the reference line is greater than 0° and is equal to or smaller than 3°.

[0009] When the head is advanced toward the cap to the advance limit, a contact point where the extension portion comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface is defined as the advance limit contact point. It is preferable that the outer peripheral surface has an inclined surface that starts from an inflection point located within 1 to 3 mm rearward along the reference line from the forward movement limit contact point before the inward-inclined elastic piece is deflected by the extension portion, and that inclines in a direction approaching the inner peripheral surface as it moves from the inflection point toward the base portion.

[0010] The angle at which the inclined surface is inclined with respect to the outer circumferential surface is preferably not less than 2° and not more than 5°.

[0011] The present invention also provides a pump-type dispenser comprising: a cap attached to the mouth of a container that contains a liquid content; a pump that is held at the mouth by the cap and is driven by the back and forth movement of a stem; and a head connected to the stem and having a discharge port for discharging the liquid content to the outside, the head being moved toward the cap to discharge the liquid content from the discharge port, An extension portion is provided on one of the head and the cap, the extension portion extending toward the other of the head and the cap, an outwardly collapsing elastic piece is provided on the other of the head and the cap, the outwardly collapsing elastic piece being bent in a direction away from the central axis of the stem by contacting an inner circumferential surface of the extension portion when the head is advanced toward the cap; The inner surface of the outwardly-inclined elastic piece is also a pump-type discharger inclined in a direction away from the outer surface of the outwardly-inclined elastic piece with respect to a reference line extending parallel to the central axis of the stem from the base portion of the outwardly-inclined elastic piece toward the tip portion of the outwardly-inclined elastic piece.

[0012] It is preferable that the angle at which the inner circumferential surface is inclined with respect to the reference line is greater than 0° and equal to or less than 3°.

[0013] When the point where the extension portion comes into contact with the inner circumferential surface when the head is advanced toward the cap is defined as an advancement limit contact point, It is preferable that the inner surface has an inclined surface that starts from an inflection point located within 1 to 3 mm rearward along the reference line from the forward movement limit contact point before the outwardly-inclined elastic piece is deflected by the extension portion, and inclines in a direction approaching the outer surface as it moves from the inflection point toward the base portion.

[0014] The angle at which the inclined surface is inclined with respect to the inner circumferential surface is preferably not less than 2° and not more than 5°. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the pump-type dispenser of the present invention, when the head is moved toward the cap, the extension portion comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inward-inclined elastic piece, causing the inward-inclined elastic piece to bend in a direction approaching the central axis of the stem, and therefore, when the bent inward-inclined elastic piece returns to its original position, the head can be returned to its initial position.

[0016] Here, when a cap or head having an inwardly-inclined elastic piece is formed using a mold, the outer peripheral surface of the inwardly-inclined elastic piece is usually formed so as to be inclined toward the inner peripheral surface of the inwardly-inclined elastic piece from the base portion toward the tip portion (so as to have a draft angle with respect to the mold) with respect to a reference line (a reference line extending parallel to the central axis of the stem) that extends from the base portion as a starting point and parallel to the direction in which the mold moves during mold release, taking into consideration the ease of releasability from the mold. However, if the outer peripheral surface of the inwardly-inclined elastic piece is inclined in this direction, the contact between the extension portion and the outer peripheral surface of the inwardly-inclined elastic piece will gradually become stronger as the head is moved toward the cap, and the inclination angle of the inwardly-inclined elastic piece will become larger. On the other hand, the outer peripheral surface of the inwardly-inclined elastic piece in the present invention is inclined away from the inner peripheral surface of the inwardly-inclined elastic piece with respect to this reference line from the base portion toward the tip portion. That is, compared to an inwardly inclined elastic piece having an inclined outer peripheral surface so as to have a draft gradient, the inwardly inclined elastic piece of the present invention has a smaller angle of inclination toward the central axis of the stem as the head is moved toward the cap, so that the load applied to the inwardly inclined elastic piece is smaller. Here, when a resilient piece capable of bending such as an inwardly inclined elastic piece is repeatedly bent with a relatively large load, it may become worn and its restorability may decrease. However, as described above, the inwardly inclined elastic piece of the present invention has a smaller load when bending than an inwardly inclined elastic piece having an inclined outer peripheral surface so as to have a draft gradient, so that the effect of the wear can be suppressed. In addition, since the load when the inwardly inclined elastic piece is bent is smaller, excessive force is not required when pressing the head. In addition, according to the pump-type dispenser of the present invention, since the inwardly inclined elastic piece is used instead of a metal coil spring, there is no need to separate metal parts when disposing of the pump-type dispenser as in the conventional pump-type dispenser, and the pump-type dispenser can be reused as a resin product, so that the pump-type dispenser is excellent in recyclability.

[0017] The above-described effect can also be obtained in a pump-type dispenser of another embodiment of the present invention, in which the extension portion contacts the inner surface of the outwardly-inclined elastic piece, and this inner surface is inclined away from the outer surface of the outwardly-inclined elastic piece as it moves from the base portion to the tip portion, with respect to a reference line that extends parallel to the central axis of the stem from the base portion. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 4 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of the first embodiment of the pump type dispenser according to the present invention, showing a state before an inwardly inclined elastic piece is bent. FIG. [Figure 2A] 2 is a partial enlarged view of the inwardly collapsing elastic piece shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 2B] FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged view of an outwardly collapsing elastic piece according to another embodiment of the pump-type dispenser of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view seen from the side, showing a state in which the head is pressed from the state shown in FIG. 1 and the inwardly collapsing elastic pieces are bent. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cap shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a second embodiment of a pump-type dispenser according to the present invention, showing a state before an inwardly inclined elastic piece is bent. [Figure 6A] 6 is a partial enlarged view of the inwardly collapsing elastic piece shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a partially enlarged view of the periphery of the inclined surface shown in FIG. 6A. [Figure 7A] FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged view of an outwardly collapsing elastic piece according to another embodiment of the pump-type dispenser of the present invention. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a partially enlarged view of the periphery of the inclined surface shown in FIG. 7A. [Figure 8] 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view seen from the side, showing a state in which the head is pressed from the state shown in FIG. 5 and the inwardly collapsing elastic pieces are bent. [Figure 9] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the cap shown in FIG. 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, a pump type dispenser 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification and the like, the up-down direction refers to the direction along the illustrated central axis O (the central axis of the stem 7a described later), with the side where the pipe 4 is located being the "lower" side and the side where the head 12 is located being the "upper" side. The radial direction refers to the direction perpendicular to the central axis O in a plane perpendicular to the central axis O, and the circumferential direction refers to the direction rotating around the central axis O in this plane.

[0020] The pump type dispenser 100 of this embodiment is used by being attached to the mouth of a bottle-shaped container (not shown). The liquid content to be dispensed by the pump type dispenser 100 is, for example, a cosmetic product (such as a milky lotion or a toner), shampoo, body soap, hand soap, facial cleanser, etc.

[0021] The pump type dispenser 100 is composed of a cylinder 1, a valve member 2, a pipe 4, an internal member 5, a piston 6, a cylindrical member 7, a holder 8, a packing 9, a cap 10, a cover 11, a head 12, and a nozzle cover 13. Here, the cylinder 1, the valve member 2, the internal member 5, the piston 6, the cylindrical member 7, and the holder 8 are members constituting the "pump" in this specification. Among the above members, the valve member 2, the piston 6, and the packing 9 are formed of elastic soft synthetic resin (e.g., polyethylene (LDPE, HDPE, foamed PE)), and the other members are formed of hard synthetic resin (e.g., polypropylene (PP), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyacetal (POM), polyketone (POK) resin, etc.). Each member constituting the pump type dispenser 100 is basically formed in a shape centered on the central axis O.

[0022] The cylinder 1 has a disk-shaped bottom wall 1a with a central portion protruding upward, a cylindrical tube wall 1b standing from the outer edge of the bottom wall 1a, and a flange wall 1c extending radially outward from the upper portion of the tube wall 1b. A through hole (suction port 1d) is provided in the protruding central portion of the bottom wall 1a. A cylindrical holding tube 1e is provided on the lower surface of the bottom wall 1a, surrounding the suction port 1d and extending downward to hold the pipe 4. A through hole (vent hole 1f) is provided in the tube wall 1b.

[0023] The valve member 2 includes a base 2a, a valve body 2b that covers the suction port 1d and is seated on the upper surface of the bottom wall 1a, and an elastically deformable connecting piece 2c that connects the base 2a and the valve body 2b. The valve member 2 functions as a check valve, and when the pressure inside the cylinder 1 is reduced, the valve body 2b that has been closing the suction port 1d moves away from the bottom wall 1a to open the suction port 1d.

[0024] In this embodiment, the base 2a is cylindrical with a lid and has an opening (not shown) through which the liquid content passes after passing through the suction port 1d. The base 2a is fitted and held on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall portion 1b, whereby the valve member 2 is held within the cylinder 1.

[0025] The pipe 4 is hollow, and its upper end is inserted into and fitted into the holding cylinder 1e.

[0026] The internal member 5 is disposed inside the cylinder 1 and is a member that moves up and down relative to the cylinder 1. The internal member 5 includes a cylindrical connecting tube 5a and a bottom portion 5b that closes the lower end of the connecting tube 5a and extends radially outward. The connecting tube 5a is provided with a hole (communication port 5c) that penetrates it, and an annular portion 5d is provided on the upper surface of the bottom portion 5b, which is located radially outward from the connecting portion with the connecting tube 5a.

[0027] The piston 6 is inserted through the connecting tube 5a and disposed above the bottom 5b. The piston 6 of this embodiment has an annular base 6a. An outer sliding piece 6b extending upward and downward from the base 6a is provided on the outer edge of the base 6a. The outer sliding piece 6b slidably and liquid-tightly abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the tube wall 1b. An inner sliding piece 6c extending upward and downward from the base 6a is provided on the inner edge of the base 6a. The lower part of the inner sliding piece 6c slidably and liquid-tightly abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the annular portion 5d, and the upper part of the inner sliding piece 6c slidably and liquid-tightly abuts against the inner peripheral surface of a diameter-enlarged portion 7b of the cylindrical member 7, which will be described later.

[0028] The tubular member 7 is a member having an overall tubular shape. The tubular member 7 includes a cylindrical stem 7a and an expanded diameter portion 7b that is connected to the lower end of the stem 7a and has a larger diameter than the stem 7a. When the connecting tube 5a is inserted into the inside of the stem 7a, the two are fitted together, so that the internal member 5 and the tubular member 7 move together relative to the cylinder 1.

[0029] The holder 8 has a portion located radially outward of the stem 7a and a portion located radially outward of the expanded diameter portion 7b, and is provided with a holder base 8a that is fitted and held on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall portion 1b. A flange 8b extending radially outward is provided on the upper end of the holder base 8a. The holder 8 prevents the internal member 5, the piston 6, and the cylindrical member 7 from slipping out of the cylinder 1.

[0030] The packing 9 is in the shape of an annular plate, and is inserted into and fitted into the cylindrical wall portion 1b of the cylinder 1. When the pump type dispenser 100 is attached to a container (not shown), the packing 9 is sandwiched between the mouth of the container and the flange wall 1c. This prevents problems such as the content liquid spilling out of the mouth when the container is turned over, for example.

[0031] The cap 10 has a disk-shaped top wall 10a with a through hole in the center. A cylindrical peripheral wall 10b extending downward is provided on the outer edge of the top wall 10a. The upper part of the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 10b bulges radially inward to fit and hold the flange wall 1c, thereby holding the cylinder 1 in the cap 10. The inner peripheral surface of the cap 10 has a female threaded portion 10c that screws into a male threaded portion provided on the mouth of the container, and the cap 10 can be attached to the container by screwing the male threaded portion and the female threaded portion 10c together. The outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 10b has a rotation-stop recess 10d extending in the vertical direction, as shown in the partial enlarged view of FIG. 1. A plurality of rotation-stop recesses 10d are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0032] The cap 10 also includes plate-like inwardly inclined elastic pieces 10e that extend upward from the upper surface of the top wall 10a and are elastically deformable radially inward. In this embodiment, the inwardly inclined elastic pieces 10e are formed in an arc shape about the central axis O in a plan view, and a total of six of the inwardly inclined elastic pieces 10e are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction (see FIG. 4).

[0033] Here, the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2A. The outer peripheral surface 10f of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e is inclined in a direction away from the inner peripheral surface 10j of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e (diametrically outward) from the lower end (root portion 10g) connected to the top wall 10a to the reference line BL extending parallel to the central axis O. The cap 10 of this embodiment is formed by injection molding using a mold, and this mold is basically composed of an upper mold and a lower mold, one of which moves along the reference line BL relative to the other. That is, when the outer shape of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e is formed by the upper mold, the outer peripheral surface 10f is inclined in the direction of forcible removal relative to the upper mold. The length of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e (the length from the upper surface of the top wall 10a to the upper end surface of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e) is preferably 10 mm or more and 40 mm or less, in consideration of the elastic deformation toward the inside in the radial direction and preventing the size of the pump-type discharger 100 from becoming excessively large. In addition, the angle of inclination of the outer circumferential surface 10f with respect to the reference line BL is preferably more than 0° and 3° or less. Within this range, the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e can be released from the mold even if the inclination is in the direction of forced removal.

[0034] In the present embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the tip 10h of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e is inclined so as to decrease in diameter as it goes upward, and the inclination angle with respect to the reference line BL at this portion is 10° or more and 45° or less (about 15° in the present embodiment). In addition, the inner peripheral surface 10j of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e of the present embodiment extends in the direction of the draft gradient that is normally set when releasing from the mold, and specifically, it is inclined in the direction approaching the outer peripheral surface 10f (diametrically outward) as it goes from the lower end connected to the top wall 10a to the upper end. In addition, the inclination angle of the inner peripheral surface 10j with respect to the reference line BL is greater than 0° and less than 3° (about 1° in the present embodiment). The inner peripheral surface 10j may extend parallel to the reference line BL (the angle between the inner peripheral surface 10j and the reference line BL is 0°), or may be inclined at a larger angle than the draft gradient that is normally set.

[0035] The cover 11 has a cylindrical cover peripheral wall 11a. The cover peripheral wall 11a surrounds the peripheral wall 10b and the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e. A stopper protrusion 11b that protrudes radially inward and engages with the lower end of the peripheral wall 10b is provided at the lower end of the cover peripheral wall 11a. A rib 11c extending in the vertical direction is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cover peripheral wall 11a. The lower portion of the rib 11c engages with the rotation-stopper recess 10d, and the cover 11 is held in the cap 10 without rotating. The upper portion of the rib 11c protrudes radially inward more than the lower portion. The lower end surface of the upper portion contacts the upper surface of the top wall 10a, and the stopper protrusion 11b engages with the lower end of the peripheral wall 10b as described above, so that the cover 11 is held in the cap 10 without falling off. An inward flange 11d that extends radially inward is provided at the upper end of the cover peripheral wall 11a.

[0036] The head 12 is cylindrical and has a tubular portion 12a into which the stem 7a is inserted and fitted. The upper portion of the tubular portion 12a is provided with a top portion 12b whose upper surface is shaped to be concave downward and which has a passage inside that leads to the tubular portion 12a. The top portion 12b is provided with a nozzle 12c which is cylindrical and extends radially outward and leads to a passage provided inside the top portion 12b. The tip of the nozzle 12c is provided with a discharge port 12d through which the content liquid is discharged by the pump type discharger 100.

[0037] The head 12 also includes an extension portion 12e extending downward from the top portion 12b and the nozzle 12c. The extension portion 12e in this embodiment is cylindrical with its center on the central axis O. As shown in Fig. 1, the lower end (tip) of the extension portion 12e is inclined so as to narrow radially inward as it extends generally downward. Note that in Fig. 1, the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e stands up in the vertical direction, and the lower end of the extension portion 12e is illustrated as overlapping with the upper end of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e, but in reality, the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e is in a state of being slightly inclined radially inward so that this overlap is eliminated, and the head 12 moves to the upper limit (rear limit).

[0038] The nozzle cover 13 includes a cover body 13a that surrounds the outer periphery and tip of the nozzle 12c. The cover body 13a is provided with a cover holder 13b that is C-shaped in a plan view, and the cover holder 13b is held by the extension 12e by moving laterally from the opening of the C-shaped portion toward the extension 12e.

[0039] In the pump-type dispenser 100 constructed of such members, before the head 12 is pressed as shown in FIG. 1, the tip of the extension portion 12e is in contact with the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e, and the head 12 is in a raised state (the head 12 is retracted from the cap 10).

[0040] When the head 12 is pressed from above to lower the head 12 (the head 12 is advanced toward the cap 10), the stem 7a is pressed down together with the head 12 (the stem 7a moves toward the cap 10 along the central axis O). As the stem 7a is pressed down, the bottom 5b also descends via the connecting tube 5a, and the liquid-tight contact between the annular portion 5d and the lower portion of the inner sliding piece 6c is released. When the head 12 is pressed down further, the piston 6 also descends together with the cylindrical member 7 and the internal member 5, and the inside of the cylinder 1 is pressurized. As a result, the liquid in the cylinder 1 passes through the communication port 5c, passes through the connecting tube 5a, the stem 7a, the cylindrical portion 12a, the passage provided inside the top portion 12b, and the inside of the nozzle 12c, and is discharged from the discharge port 12d to the outside world. When the head 12 is pressed and the piston 6 is lowered below the vent hole 1f, the container (not shown) communicates with the outside world through the vent hole 1f. This prevents the pressure inside the container from becoming negative even if the liquid contained in the container decreases, preventing the container from being deformed or crushed.

[0041] When the head 12 is pressed down, the extension 12e moves downward while contacting the outer peripheral surface 10f of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e, so that the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e bends radially inward as shown in Fig. 3. However, if the outer peripheral surface 10f of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e is inclined toward the inner peripheral surface 10j from the base portion 10g toward the tip portion 10h so as to have a normal draft slope, the extension 12e and the outer peripheral surface 10f will come into increasingly strong contact with each other as the head 12 is pressed down, so that the angle at which the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e falls will increase. On the other hand, the outer peripheral surface 10f of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e of this embodiment is inclined away from the inner peripheral surface 10j from the base portion 10g toward the tip portion 10h. That is, in the present embodiment, compared to an inward-inclined elastic piece 10e whose outer peripheral surface 10f is inclined so as to have a normal draft slope, the angle at which the inward-inclined elastic piece 10e falls becomes smaller as the head 12 is pressed down, and therefore the load on the inward-inclined elastic piece 10e becomes smaller, thereby suppressing the effect of settling when repeatedly flexed. Also, because the load on the inward-inclined elastic piece 10e when it flexes becomes smaller, no excessive force is required when pressing the head 12.

[0042] Thereafter, when the pressure on the head 12 is released, the restoring force of the elastically deformed inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e acts on the head 12, causing the head 12 to start rising. As a result, the piston 6 rises together with the internal member 5 while the lower part of the inner sliding piece 6c comes into liquid-tight contact with the annular portion 5d again, reducing the pressure inside the cylinder 1. As a result, the valve body portion 2b moves away from the bottom wall portion 1a, opening the suction port 1d, and the liquid content in the container can be sucked into the cylinder 1 through the pipe 4.

[0043] In this way, the pump type dispenser 100 of this embodiment can return the head 12 after discharging the liquid content without using a metal coil spring, and can be used in the same way as a conventional pump type dispenser. Also, as described above, the effect of settling caused by repeatedly bending the inwardly collapsing elastic piece 10e can be suppressed, so that the problem of the head 12 becoming difficult to return to its original position during continuous use can be prevented.

[0044] The above-mentioned pump-type discharger 100 can obtain the same effect by using the outwardly inclined elastic piece 10k and the extending portion 12f shown in Fig. 2B instead of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e and the extending portion 12e shown in Fig. 2A. Note that, like the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e, the outwardly inclined elastic piece 10k is formed in an arc shape centered on the central axis O in a plan view, and a total of six of them are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0045] The inner peripheral surface 10m of the outwardly inclined elastic piece 10k shown in the figure is inclined in a direction away from the outer peripheral surface 10q of the outwardly inclined elastic piece 10k (inward in the radial direction) from the lower end (root portion 10n) connected to the top wall 10a to the reference line BL extending parallel to the central axis O. In other words, the inner peripheral surface 10m of the outwardly inclined elastic piece 10k is inclined in the direction of forced removal from the mold that forms it. The length of the outwardly inclined elastic piece 10k (the length from the upper surface of the top wall 10a to the upper end surface of the outwardly inclined elastic piece 10k) is preferably 10 mm or more and 40 mm or less, similar to the length of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e, and the angle of inclination of the inner peripheral surface 10m with respect to the reference line BL is preferably greater than 0° and less than 3°.

[0046] The inner peripheral surface of the tip 10p of the outwardly inclined elastic piece 10k is inclined so as to decrease in diameter as it goes upward, and the inclination angle with respect to the reference line BL at this portion is 10° to 45° (approximately 15° in this embodiment). The outer peripheral surface 10q of the outwardly inclined elastic piece 10k is inclined in a direction approaching the inner peripheral surface 10m (diametrically inward) as it goes from the lower end connected to the top wall 10a to the upper end, and the inclination angle of the outer peripheral surface 10q with respect to the reference line BL is greater than 0° and less than 3° (approximately 1° in this embodiment). The outer peripheral surface 10q may extend parallel to the reference line BL (the angle between the outer peripheral surface 10q and the reference line BL is 0°), or may be inclined at an angle greater than the normally set draft angle.

[0047] The extending portion 12f has a cylindrical shape centered on the central axis O, and the lower end (tip) of the extending portion 12e is inclined so as to narrow radially outward as it extends generally downward.

[0048] In the pump-type discharger 100 having such an outwardly inclined elastic piece 10k and an extending portion 12f, when the head 12 is pressed down, the extending portion 12f moves downward while contacting the inner peripheral surface 10m of the outwardly inclined elastic piece 10k, so that the outwardly inclined elastic piece 10k can be bent radially outward. Here, the inner peripheral surface 10m of the outwardly inclined elastic piece 10k is inclined in a direction away from the outer peripheral surface 10q from the base portion 10n toward the tip portion 10p. That is, in the outwardly inclined elastic piece 10k of this embodiment, compared to an outwardly inclined elastic piece 10k in which the inner peripheral surface 10m is inclined so as to have a normal draft slope, the angle at which the head 12 is inclined becomes smaller as the head 12 is pressed down, and therefore the load on the outwardly inclined elastic piece 10k is also smaller, so that the effect of settling when repeatedly bending can be suppressed. In addition, since the load when the outwardly inclined elastic piece 10k is bent is smaller, excessive force is not required when pressing the head 12.

[0049] Next, a pump type dispenser 100A according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 9. The pump type dispenser 100A differs from the above-mentioned pump type dispenser 100 mainly in the peripheral parts of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e and the extending part 12e. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences, and the parts having the same basic configuration as the pump type dispenser 100 will be denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings and detailed description will be omitted.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 5, the cap 10A of this embodiment includes a plate-shaped inwardly inclined elastic piece 10r that extends upward from the upper surface of the top wall 10a and is elastically deformable radially inward. Here, Fig. 5 shows the state of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10r when the head 12A is attached to the stem 7a and the head 12A is at the upper limit (rear limit), and Fig. 6A shows the state of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10r before the head 12A is attached to the stem 7a. When the head 12A is at the upper limit as shown in Fig. 5, the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10r is slightly inclined radially inward. In this embodiment, a total of six inwardly inclined elastic pieces 10r are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction as shown in Fig. 9.

[0051] 5 and 9, the inward-inclined elastic piece 10r has a pair of reinforcing ribs 10s, which are narrower (shorter in circumferential length) than the inward-inclined elastic piece 10r, at both circumferential ends on the radially inner side. As shown in the drawings, the thickness (radial length) of the reinforcing rib 10s at the base side is approximately the same as that of the inward-inclined elastic piece 10r, but the thickness gradually becomes thinner at the vertical middle portion and becomes thinner at the tip portion.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 5, the cap 10A includes an outer annular wall 10t located radially outward from the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10r, and an inner annular wall 10u located radially inward from the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10r. The outer annular wall 10t protrudes upward from the upper surface of the top wall 10a, and the inner annular wall 10u protrudes upward from the upper surface of the top wall 10a and downward from the lower surface. The outer annular wall 10t and the inner annular wall 10u increase the rigidity of the top wall 10a, so that the inclination of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10r can be prevented from changing when the pump-type dispenser 100A is attached to a container (not shown). That is, when the female thread portion 10c is strongly fastened to the male thread portion of the container, a strong force is applied to the top wall 10a from the upper end surface of the mouth of the container via the packing 9 and the flange wall 1c, and when the fastening is weak, the force applied to the top wall 10a is weak. Therefore, the force applied to the top wall 10a varies depending on the degree of fastening of the female thread portion 10c to the male thread portion, which changes the inclination of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10r. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the rigidity of the top wall 10a is increased by the outer annular wall 10t and the inner annular wall 10u, so that the top wall 10a is less likely to deform and the variation in the inclination of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10r can be suppressed. Note that the outer annular wall 10t and the inner annular wall 10u are omitted in FIG. 9.

[0053] The head 12A has an extension 12g extending downward from the top 12b and the nozzle 12c. In this embodiment, the extension 12g is cylindrical with its center on the central axis O, and the radially inner lower end (tip) of the extension 12g is inclined radially outward as it extends downward. As shown in FIG. 5, the extension 12g contacts the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10r at the upper end of this inclined portion. Hereinafter, the upper end of this inclined portion will be referred to as a contact portion 12h.

[0054] Here, the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10r of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 6A and 6B. The outer peripheral surface 10r1 of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10r is inclined in a direction away from the inner peripheral surface 10r4 of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10r (diametrically outward) from the lower end (root portion 10r2) connected to the top wall 10a to the reference line BL that extends parallel to the central axis O. This is similar to the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e shown in Fig. 2A, but the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10r further includes an inclined surface 10r5 on the outer peripheral surface 10r1. Note that, like the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10e described above, the length of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10r is preferably 10 mm or more and 40 mm or less, and the inclination angle of the outer peripheral surface 10r1 with respect to the reference line BL is preferably greater than 0° and less than 3°. The outer peripheral surface of the tip portion 10r3 is inclined so that its diameter decreases as it extends upward, and the angle of inclination with respect to the reference line BL at this portion is greater than 10° and less than 45° (approximately 15° in this embodiment), while the angle of inclination of the inner peripheral surface 10r4 with respect to the reference line BL is greater than 0° and less than 3° (approximately 1° in this embodiment).

[0055] The above-mentioned inclined surface 10r5 will be described. As shown in FIG. 8, when the head 12A is pushed down toward the cap 10A to the lower limit (advance limit), the contact portion 12h of the extension portion 12g contacts the outer peripheral surface 10r1 at the advance limit contact point P1. Here, in the diagrams shown in FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, which show the state before the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10r is bent by the extension portion 12g, the line L1 indicates the height at which the advance limit contact point P1 is located. The outer peripheral surface 10r1 has an inclined surface 10r5 that starts from an inflection point P2 located within a range of 1 to 3 mm upward (rearward) along the reference line BL from the line L1 where the advance limit contact point P1 is located, and inclines in a direction approaching the inner peripheral surface 10r4 as it moves from the inflection point P2 toward the base portion 10r2. Here, the angle at which the inclined surface 10r5 is inclined with respect to the outer peripheral surface 10r1 is angle θ. The inclined surface 10r5 extends from the line L1 to a second inflection point P3 located within a range of 1 to 3 mm downward (forward) along the reference line BL. The outer peripheral surface 10r1 extends substantially vertically along the reference line BL below the second inflection point P3.

[0056] However, after repeated investigations, the inventors of the present application found that when an operating part such as the head 12A is pressed to bend an elastic piece made of synthetic resin, the rate of increase in the resistance force transmitted to the finger or the like when pressed tends to be greater than when a metal coil spring is used as shown in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1. For this reason, even if the pressed operating part reaches its lower limit, some users may not notice it. In addition, because the rate of increase in the resistance force becomes greater, some users may stop pressing the operating part before it reaches its lower limit, which may cause the amount of the content to be discharged to vary.

[0057] On the other hand, in the pump type dispenser 100A of this embodiment, as the head 12A is pushed down, the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10r gradually tilts, and the resistance applied to the finger or the like pressing the head 12A gradually increases. However, when the contact part 12h passes the inflection point P2 and reaches the inclined surface 10r5, the rate of increase in the resistance felt up to that point decreases, so the user can perceive that the head 12A has reached its lowering limit. Therefore, according to the pump type dispenser 100A, it is easy to know that the intended operation is being performed, and the variation in the amount of the content dispensed can be suppressed. It was also confirmed that the pump type dispenser 100A also provides the same effects as those of the pump type dispenser 100 described above.

[0058] After further investigation into the inclined surface 10r5, the inventors of the present application found that when the angle θ of the inclined surface 10r5 relative to the outer peripheral surface 10r1 is between 2° and 5°, the feel of use is particularly excellent and the variation in the amount of content dispensed can be particularly suppressed.

[0059] The above-mentioned pump-type dispenser 100A can obtain the same effect by using the outwardly inclined elastic pieces 10v and the extension portion 12j shown in Fig. 7A instead of the inwardly inclined elastic pieces 10r and the extension portion 12g shown in Fig. 6A. Note that, like the inwardly inclined elastic pieces 10r, a total of six outwardly inclined elastic pieces 10v are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the cap 10A.

[0060] The inner peripheral surface 10v1 of the illustrated outwardly inclined elastic piece 10v is inclined in a direction away from the outer peripheral surface 10v4 of the outwardly inclined elastic piece 10v (inward in the radial direction) from the lower end (root portion 10v2) connected to the top wall 10a to the reference line BL extending parallel to the central axis O. In other words, the inner peripheral surface 10v1 of the outwardly inclined elastic piece 10v is inclined in the direction of forced removal from the mold that forms it. The length of the outwardly inclined elastic piece 10v (the length from the upper surface of the top wall 10a to the upper end surface of the outwardly inclined elastic piece 10v) is preferably 10 mm or more and 40 mm or less, similar to the length of the inwardly inclined elastic piece 10r, and the angle of inclination of the inner peripheral surface 10v1 with respect to the reference line BL is preferably greater than 0° and less than 3°. The inner surface of the tip 10v3 of the outwardly bending elastic piece 10v is inclined so that its diameter decreases as it approaches upward, and the angle of inclination with respect to the reference line BL at this portion is greater than 10° and less than 45° (approximately 15° in this embodiment), and the angle of inclination of the outer surface 10v4 with respect to the reference line BL is greater than 0° and less than 3° (approximately 1° in this embodiment).

[0061] The extending portion 12j is cylindrical and centered on the central axis O, and the lower end (tip) of the extending portion 12j is inclined radially inward as it extends downward. The upper end of the inclined portion of the extending portion 12j contacts the outwardly-inclined elastic piece 10v. Hereinafter, the upper end of the inclined portion is referred to as the contact portion 12k.

[0062] Here, the inclined surface 10v5 provided on the inner peripheral surface 10v1 will be described. The line L1 shown in FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B corresponds to the line L1 shown in FIG. 6A. That is, if the forward movement limit contact point P1 is the point where the contact portion 12k of the extension portion 12j contacts the inner peripheral surface 10v1 when the head 12A is pushed down to the lower limit (forward movement limit) toward the cap 10A, the line L1 indicates the height at which the forward movement limit contact point P1 is located. The inner peripheral surface 10v1 has an inclined surface 10v5 that starts from an inflection point P2 located within a range of 1 to 3 mm upward (rearward) along the reference line BL from the line L1 where the forward movement limit contact point P1 is located, and inclines in a direction approaching the outer peripheral surface 10v4 as it moves from the inflection point P2 toward the base portion 10v2. Here, the angle at which the inclined surface 10v5 is inclined with respect to the inner peripheral surface 10v1 is defined as an angle θ. The inclined surface 10v5 extends from the line L1 to a second inflection point P3 located within a range of 1 to 3 mm downward (forward) along the reference line BL. The inner peripheral surface 10v1 extends substantially vertically along the reference line BL below the second inflection point P3.

[0063] In the pump-type dispenser 100A having such an outwardly-inclined elastic piece 10v and an extending portion 12j, the outwardly-inclined elastic piece 10v gradually tilts as the head 12A is pressed down, and as a result, the resistance applied to the finger or the like pressing the head 12A gradually increases, but when the contact portion 12k passes the inflection point P2 and reaches the inclined surface 10v5, the rate of increase in the resistance felt up to that point decreases, so the user can perceive that the head 12A has reached its lowering limit. Therefore, in the pump-type dispenser 100A having the outwardly-inclined elastic piece 10v and the extending portion 12j, it is easy to know that the intended operation is being performed, and the variation in the amount of the content dispensed can be suppressed.

[0064] Further, after further consideration of the inclined surface 10v5, it was found that when the angle θ of the inclined surface 10v5 relative to the inner surface 10v1 was between 2° and 5°, the feel of use was particularly excellent and the variation in the amount of the contents dispensed was particularly suppressed.

[0065] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the spirit of the present invention described in the claims unless otherwise specifically limited in the above description. For example, the configuration of the above-mentioned embodiment can be appropriately added or deleted, and the configuration of one embodiment can be applied to another embodiment. Furthermore, the effects of the above-mentioned embodiment are merely examples of the effects resulting from the present invention, and do not mean that the effects of the present invention are limited to the above-mentioned effects.

[0066] For example, the pump described above is merely an example, and the present invention also includes cases where other types of pumps are adopted. The number of the inwardly inclined elastic pieces 10e and the outwardly inclined elastic pieces 10k is not limited to that in the above-described embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate. The inwardly inclined elastic pieces 10e and the outwardly inclined elastic pieces 10k are not limited to those having an arc shape in plan view as shown in the drawings, and may be, for example, linear in plan view. The extensions 12e and 12f are not limited to those having a cylindrical shape, and may be, for example, square tube shapes.

[0067] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the caps 10, 10A are provided with inward-leaning elastic pieces 10e, 10r and outward-leaning elastic pieces 10k, 10v, and the heads 12, 12A are provided with extensions 12e, 12f, 12g, 12j, but these may be interchanged and the heads 12, 12A may be provided with inward-leaning elastic pieces 10e, 10r and outward-leaning elastic pieces 10k, 10v, and the caps 10, 10A may be provided with extensions 12e, 12f, 12g, 12j. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1: Cylinder 1a: Bottom wall part 1b: Cylinder wall 1c: Flange wall 1d: Inlet port 1e: Holding cylinder 1F: Ventilation hole 2: Valve member 2a: Base 2b: Valve body part 2c: Connecting piece 4: Pipe 5: Internal parts 5a: Connecting tube 5b: Bottom 5c: Communication port 5d: Ring section 6: Piston 6a: Base 6b: Outer sliding piece 6c: Inner sliding piece 7: Cylindrical member 7a:Stem 7b: Expanded diameter part 8: Holder 8a: Holder base 8b: Flange 9: Packing 10, 10A: Cap 10a: Ceiling wall 10b: Peripheral wall 10c: Female thread 10d: Anti-rotation recess 10e: Inwardly collapsing elastic piece 10f: Outer surface (outer surface of inwardly inclined elastic piece) 10g: Base part (base part of inwardly leaning elastic piece) 10h: Tip (tip of inwardly inclined elastic piece) 10j: Inner surface (inner surface of inwardly inclined elastic piece) 10k: Outer falling elastic piece 10m: Inner surface (inner surface of the outer elastic piece) 10n: Base part (base part of outwardly inclined elastic piece) 10p: Tip (tip of the outwardly leaning elastic piece) 10q: Outer surface (outer surface of the outwardly inclined elastic piece) 10r: Inwardly collapsing elastic piece 10r1: Outer periphery (outer periphery of the inwardly inclined elastic piece) 10r2: Base part (base part of inwardly inclined elastic piece) 10r3: Tip (tip of inwardly inclined elastic piece) 10r4: Inner surface (inner surface of the inwardly inclined elastic piece) 10r5: Inclined surface 10s: Reinforcement rib 10t:Outer annular wall 10u: inner annular wall 10v: Outer bending elastic piece 10v1: Inner surface (inner surface of the outwardly inclined elastic piece) 10v2: Base part (base part of outwardly leaning elastic piece) 10v3: Tip (tip of the outwardly leaning elastic piece) 10v4: Outer surface (outer surface of the outwardly inclined elastic piece) 10v5: Inclined surface 11: Cover 11a: Cover peripheral wall 11b: Anti-slip protrusion 11c: Ribs 11d: Inward flange 12, 12A: Head 12a: Cylindrical part 12b:Top 12c: Nozzle 12d: Discharge port 12e: Extension part 12f: Extension part 12g: Extension part 12h: Contact part 12j:Extension part 12k: Contact part 13: Nozzle cover 13a: Cover body part 13b: Cover holding part 100, 100A: Pump type discharger BL: Reference line O: Central axis L1: Line P1: Forward limit contact point P2: Inflection point P3: 2nd inflection point

Claims

1. A pump-type dispenser comprising: a cap that is attached to the mouth of a container that contains a liquid content; a pump that is held at the mouth by the cap and is driven by the back and forth movement of a stem; and a head that has a discharge port for discharging the liquid content to the outside and is connected to the stem, the head being moved toward the cap to discharge the liquid content from the discharge port, An extension portion is provided on one of the head and the cap, the extension portion extending toward the other of the head and the cap, an inwardly collapsing elastic piece is provided on the other of the head and the cap, the extension contacting an outer circumferential surface and bending in a direction approaching a central axis of the stem when the head is advanced toward the cap; The outer peripheral surface of the inward-inclined elastic piece is inclined away from the inner peripheral surface of the inward-inclined elastic piece with respect to a reference line extending parallel to the central axis of the stem from the base portion of the inward-inclined elastic piece toward the tip portion of the inward-inclined elastic piece.

2. 2. The pump-type dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the angle of inclination of the outer circumferential surface with respect to the reference line is greater than 0° and is equal to or smaller than 3°.

3. When the head is advanced toward the cap to the advance limit, a contact point where the extension portion comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface is defined as the advance limit contact point.

2. The pump-type dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral surface has an inclined surface that starts from an inflection point located within a range of 1 to 3 mm rearward along the reference line from the forward movement limit contact point before the inward-inclined elastic piece is deflected by the extension portion, and inclines in a direction approaching the inner peripheral surface as it moves from the inflection point toward the base portion.

4. 4. The pump type discharger according to claim 3, wherein the inclined surface is inclined at an angle of 2 degrees or more and 5 degrees or less with respect to the outer circumferential surface.

5. A pump-type dispenser comprising: a cap that is attached to the mouth of a container that contains a liquid content; a pump that is held at the mouth by the cap and is driven by the back and forth movement of a stem; and a head that has a discharge port for discharging the liquid content to the outside and is connected to the stem, the head being moved toward the cap to discharge the liquid content from the discharge port, An extension portion is provided on one of the head and the cap, the extension portion extending toward the other of the head and the cap, an outwardly collapsing elastic piece is provided on the other of the head and the cap, the outwardly collapsing elastic piece being bent in a direction away from the central axis of the stem by contacting an inner circumferential surface of the extension portion when the head is advanced toward the cap; The inner surface of the outwardly-inclined elastic piece is inclined in a direction away from the outer surface of the outwardly-inclined elastic piece with respect to a reference line extending parallel to the central axis of the stem from the base portion of the outwardly-inclined elastic piece toward the tip portion of the outwardly-inclined elastic piece.

6. 6. The pump type discharger according to claim 5, wherein the angle of inclination of the inner circumferential surface with respect to the reference line is greater than 0° and is equal to or smaller than 3°.

7. When the point where the extension portion comes into contact with the inner circumferential surface when the head is advanced toward the cap is defined as an advancement limit contact point, The pump-type dispenser according to claim 5, wherein the inner circumferential surface has an inclined surface that starts from an inflection point located within a range of 1 to 3 mm rearward along the reference line from the forward limit contact point before the outwardly-inclined elastic piece is deflected by the extension portion, and inclines in a direction approaching the outer circumferential surface as it moves from the inflection point toward the base portion.

8. 8. The pump type discharger according to claim 7, wherein an angle of inclination of the inclined surface with respect to the inner circumferential surface is equal to or greater than 2 degrees and equal to or less than 5 degrees.

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