Discharging tool

Abstract

To provide a highly convenient discharging tool capable of reversibly switching among three states, that is, a lock state where operations of a trigger lever and a pressing part are restricted, a pump drive state where the operation of the pressing part is enabled, and a trigger lever drive state where the operation of the trigger lever is enabled.SOLUTION: A discharging tool 100 comprises a switching part 400 that can reversibly switch among three states, that is, a lock state S1 where depressing of a pressing part 230 and downward rotation of a trigger lever 300 are restricted, a pump drive state S2 where the depressing of the pressing part 230 is permitted, and a trigger lever drive state S3 where the downward rotation of the trigger lever is permitted, in accordance with the rotation position of a pump operation part 200 with respect to a cap 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a discharging device configured to be detachable from a container that holds a discharge target object.

Background Art

[0002] As an instrument used to take out the contents held in a container (hereinafter referred to as "discharge target object"), there are a trigger lever type discharging instrument that can be gripped and rotated by a user's finger or the like, and a pump type discharging instrument that sucks up and drops the discharge target object by operating a pressing part.

[0003] Generally, each of the above discharging instruments is classified according to the type of discharge target object. For example, when spraying a liquid such as a deodorant or a cleaning agent, a trigger lever type discharging instrument is used, and when taking out a certain amount of a liquid such as liquid soap or lotion, a pump type discharging instrument is used. Therefore, for example, hand soap, which is usually assumed to be operated by the user himself / herself, mainly uses a pump type, but when a parent wants to discharge it into a child's hand, it may be difficult to operate. Depending on the type of discharge target object, there may be a situation where it is difficult to use it in the desired usage method.

[0004] In response to the above problems, Patent Document 1 proposes a discharging instrument having both functions of a trigger lever type discharging instrument and a pump type discharging instrument.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The discharging device described in Patent Document 1 can eject the object to be discharged from the container by the user performing an operation of rotating the trigger lever, and can also suck up and discharge a predetermined amount of the object to be discharged from the container by the user pressing down the pressing portion. Therefore, according to the discharging device of Patent Document 1, the user does not need to separately own a trigger lever type discharging device and a pump type discharging device, and thus can enjoy the merits in terms of economy and convenience.

[0007] However, the discharging device of Patent Document 1 is not provided with a locking mechanism for regulating (restricting) the operation by the trigger lever and the operation by the pressing portion. Therefore, when the trigger lever and / or the pressing portion are operated during distribution or at a timing not desired by the user, there is a possibility that the object to be discharged is discharged unintentionally. Therefore, it can be said that the discharging device of Patent Document 1 has room for further improvement in terms of user convenience.

[0008] The present invention has been made based on the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a discharging device excellent in convenience that can reversibly switch between three states, namely, a locked state in which the operations of the trigger lever and the pressing portion are regulated, a pump driving state in which the operation of the pressing portion is possible, and a trigger lever driving state in which the operation of the trigger lever is possible, by a simple operation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] The above object of the present invention is achieved by any one of the following means (1) to (5).

[0010] (1) A discharging device configured to be detachable from a container that holds an object to be discharged, A cap portion configured to be detachable from the container, and A cylinder connected to the cap portion, a piston slidable along the extending direction of the cylinder and rotatably provided within the cylinder, a pressing portion connected to the piston and sucking up the object to be discharged into the cylinder by pushing down the piston along the extending direction of the cylinder with a pressing operation, and a discharging portion provided with a discharge port for discharging the object to be discharged sucked up by the piston to the outside of the container, and a pump operation portion configured to be rotatable with respect to the cap portion. A trigger lever supported by the cap portion and pushing down the piston along the extending direction of the cylinder by rotating downward with a gripping operation. A switching portion that enables reversible switching among three states: a locked state that restricts pushing down of the pressing portion and downward rotation of the trigger lever, a pump driving state that allows pushing down of the pressing portion, and a trigger lever driving state that allows downward rotation of the trigger lever, according to the rotational position of the pump operation portion with respect to the cap portion.

[0011] (2) The pump operation portion has an extending portion extending from the pressing portion toward the cap portion side. The switching portion A first stopper rib provided on the extending portion. A second stopper rib provided on the trigger lever. A hole portion formed in the trigger lever that allows rotation and vertical movement of the extending portion. A first discharge driving portion convex upward or concave downward provided on the extending portion. A second discharge driving portion concave upward or convex downward provided on the trigger lever and swingably abutted against the first discharge driving portion. The switching portion When the first stopper rib and the second stopper rib are arranged at positions overlapping in the vertical direction of the pump operation portion, it transitions to the locked state. When an operation is performed to rotate the pump operation unit in one direction, either clockwise or counterclockwise, from the locked state, and the first stopper rib and the second stopper rib are arranged at positions where they do not overlap in the vertical direction of the pump operation unit, and the first discharge driving unit and the second discharge driving unit are arranged at positions where they do not contact each other, the pump driving state is transitioned to. When an operation is performed to rotate the pump operation unit in the other direction, either clockwise or counterclockwise, with the trigger lever lifted upward in the pump driving state, and the first discharge driving unit and the second discharge driving unit are arranged at positions where they contact each other, the trigger lever driving state is transitioned to. The discharge device according to (1) above.

[0012] (3) The first stopper rib and the first discharge driving unit are arranged at positions orthogonal to the position where the discharge port is provided, based on the rotation direction of the pump operation unit. The second stopper rib and the second discharge driving unit are arranged at positions orthogonal to the major axis direction of the trigger lever, based on the rotation direction of the pump operation unit. The discharge port and the trigger lever are arranged at the same position, based on the rotation direction of the pump operation unit, in the locked state. The discharge device according to (2) above.

[0013] (4) Two of each of the first stopper rib and the second stopper rib are arranged at positions facing each other, based on the rotation direction of the pump operation unit. Two of each of the first discharge driving unit and the second discharge driving unit are arranged at positions facing each other, based on the rotation direction of the pump operation unit. The discharge device according to (2) or (3) above.

[0014] (5) The first stopper rib or the second stopper rib has a locking convex portion that restricts the rotation range of the other stopper rib with respect to one stopper rib in the locked state. The discharging device according to any one of (2) to (4) above.

Effect of the Invention

[0015] The discharging device according to (1) above has a switching unit that enables reversible switching between three states: a locked state in which the operations of the trigger lever and the pressing unit are restricted according to the rotational position of the pump operation unit with respect to the cap unit that is detachably configured on the container, a pump driving state in which the operation of the pressing unit is possible, and a trigger lever driving state in which the operation of the trigger lever is possible. The user can reversibly switch between the three states of the locked state, the pump driving state, and the trigger lever driving state by a simple operation of rotating the pump operation unit with respect to the cap unit. In addition, when the user restricts the discharging operation by the discharging device, by operating the switching unit to switch to the locked state, it is possible to prevent problems such as the pressing unit and the trigger lever being inadvertently operated and the discharge target being inadvertently discharged.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted. The dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for convenience of explanation and may be different from the actual ratios.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the overall configuration of the discharger 10 according to the embodiment. FIGS. 2 to 15 are drawings for explaining the configuration and operation examples of each part of the discharging device 100 provided in the discharger 10 according to the embodiment.

[0019] In this embodiment, the configuration, operation, effects, etc. of the discharging device 100 through the discharger 10 will be described. The arrows Z1-Z2 attached to each figure indicate the height direction (vertical direction) of the discharger 10, the arrows Y1-Y2 indicate the width direction (left and right direction) of the discharger 10, and the arrows X1-X2 indicate the depth direction (front and back direction) of the discharger 10. Note that the definitions of the respective directions regarding the discharging device 100 shall be the same as those of the above-described respective directions defined for the discharger 10.

[0020] (Discharger 10) FIG. 1 shows a discharger 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The discharger 10 includes a container 500 that holds a predetermined discharge object D, and a discharging device 100 that is detachable from the container 500.

[0021] As will be described later, when an operation of pushing down the pressing portion 230 or an operation of rotating the trigger lever 300 is performed, the discharger 10 is configured as a device that discharges the discharge object D held in the interior 520 of the container 500 from the discharge port 241 of the discharge portion 240.

[0022] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, in the pump drive state S2, the user can discharge the discharge object D from the discharge port 241 of the discharge portion 240 by pushing down the pressing portion 230. Further, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, in the trigger lever drive state S3, the user can discharge the discharge object D from the discharge port 241 of the discharge portion 240 by rotating the trigger lever 300.

[0023] (Container 500) The container 500 holds the object D to be discharged inside thereof 520. The object D to be discharged used in this embodiment is, for example, a liquid. When the discharging device 100 is used in the pump driving state S2, the above liquid is, for example, a liquid such as dishwashing detergent or body washing detergent (hand soap, body soap, shampoo, etc.), cosmetics, perfume, etc. Also, when the discharging device 100 is used in the trigger lever driving state S3, the above liquid is, for example, a liquid such as laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, household detergent, disinfectant, deodorant, etc. However, the specific type and properties of the object D to be discharged (for example, liquid, mixed fluid of liquid and gas, mixed fluid of liquid and solid, gel-like substance, etc.) are not particularly limited as long as it can be discharged from the discharge port 241 of the discharge part 240 in conjunction with the operation of the discharge mechanism including the cylinder 210 and the piston 220 described later.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, a mouth-neck part 510 is provided near the upper end part of the container 500. The cap part 110 provided in the discharging device 100 can be detachably connected to the mouth-neck part 510.

[0025] The mechanism for connecting the mouth-neck part 510 and the cap part 110 is not particularly limited. For example, a screwing mechanism including a first screw part (male screw part or female screw part) provided on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth-neck part 510 and a second screw part (female screw part or male screw part) provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cap part 110 and configured to be screwable with the first screw part, or a fitting type connection mechanism in which one member is fitted and fixed to the other member can be adopted.

[0026] The material, volume, etc. of the container 500 can be arbitrarily set according to the type of the object D to be discharged accommodated inside the container 500, the use of the discharger 10 (or the discharging device 100), etc.

[0027] (Discharging device 100) The discharging device 100 is configured to be reversibly switchable between three states: a locked state S1 that restricts the depression of the pressing part 230 and the rotation of the trigger lever 300 by operating a switching part 400 described later; a pump driving state S2 that allows the depression of the pressing part 230; and a trigger lever driving state S3 that allows the downward rotation of the trigger lever 300. The user can arbitrarily switch the operating state (operation state) of the discharging device 100 according to the application by operating the switching part 400 to switch between the three states S1, S2, and S3.

[0028] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 and briefly explaining, the discharging device 100 includes a cap part 110, a pump operation part 200, a trigger lever 300, and a switching part 400.

[0029] The cap part 110 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the mouth-neck part 510 of the container 500. When the mouth-neck part 510 is received inside the cap part 110, the cap part 110 and the mouth-neck part 510 can be detachably connected by a predetermined connection mechanism (not shown).

[0030] As shown in FIG. 15, near the lower end of a cylinder 210 arranged to penetrate the inside of the cap part 110, a tube connection part 217 to which a tube part 260 is connected is provided. The tube part 260 is partially inserted into the inside 520 of the container 500 (see FIG. 1) when the cap part 110 is connected to the container 500. The tube part 260 can be composed of, for example, a dip tube made of a known material and having a shape with a flow path through which the discharge target D can flow.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 15, the pump operation unit 200 includes a cylinder 210, a piston 220 that is slidable along the extending direction of the cylinder 210 and rotatably provided within the cylinder 210, a pressing unit 230 that is connected to the piston 220 and sucks the object D to be discharged into the cylinder 210 by pushing down the piston 220 along the extending direction of the cylinder 210 with an accompanying pressing operation, and a discharging unit 240 provided with a discharge port 241 for discharging the object D sucked up by the piston 220 to the outside of the container 500.

[0032] The pump operation unit 200 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the cap unit 110. When the pump operation unit 200 is rotated, each component member (such as the cylinder 210, the piston 220, the pressing unit 230, etc.) assembled to the pump operation unit 200 is configured to rotate integrally in conjunction with the rotation of the pump operation unit 200.

[0033] The pump operation unit 200 is a mechanical configuration for adding a discharging function of the "pump type (pump pressing type)" to the discharger 10.

[0034] The trigger lever 300 is supported by the cap unit 110 and is configured to push down the piston 220 along the extending direction of the cylinder 210 by rotating downward (toward the side approaching the container 500) with a gripping operation by a user's finger or the like.

[0035] The trigger lever 300 is a mechanical configuration for adding a discharging function of the "trigger lever type (lever rotation type)" to the discharger 10. Similar to a general trigger lever type discharger, when an operation of rotating the trigger lever 300 downward is performed, instead of an operation of pressing the pressing unit 230 provided in the pump operation unit 200, the operation of the piston 220 with respect to the cylinder 210 is driven to enable the discharge (ejection) of the object D to be discharged from the discharge port 241 of the discharging unit 240.

[0036] The discharge mechanism (such as cylinder 210 and piston 220) for discharging the object to be discharged D by operating the pump operation unit 200 and the trigger lever 300 will be described later. Note that the discharge mechanism for discharging the object to be discharged D can arbitrarily adopt a known structure and is not limited to the content described in this specification.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1, the trigger lever 300 is connected to a support portion 115 that extends obliquely upward from the outside of the cap portion 110. The trigger lever 300 is connected to the support portion 115 via a predetermined rotation axis 310 and is rotatable with respect to the rotation axis 310.

[0038] The switching unit 400 is configured to be able to switch the operating state (operation state) of the discharge device 100 according to the rotational position of the pump operation unit 200 with respect to the cap portion 110.

[0039] FIGS. 2 to 5 show the discharge device 100 in the locked state S1.

[0040] The locked state S1 is a state in which the operation of depressing the pressing portion 230 and the operation of rotating the trigger lever 300 downward are restricted (limited). By operating the switching unit 400 to set the discharge device 100 to the locked state S1, the user cannot depress the pressing portion 230 or rotate the trigger lever 300 downward. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the object to be discharged D from being inadvertently discharged due to the user accidentally operating the pressing portion 230 and the trigger lever 300 unintentionally.

[0041] FIGS. 6 to 10 show the discharge device 100 in the pump driving state S2.

[0042] The pump driving state S2 is a state that allows an operation of pushing down the pressing part 230. By operating the switching part 400 to set the discharging device 100 to the pump driving state S2, the user can perform an operation of pushing down the pressing part 230. By performing an operation of pushing down the pressing part 230, the user can discharge (drip) the object D to be discharged from the discharge port 241 of the discharging part 240.

[0043] Figs. 11 to 14 show the discharging device 100 in the trigger lever driving state S3.

[0044] The trigger lever driving state S3 is a state that allows an operation of rotating the trigger lever 300 downward. By operating the switching part 400 to set the discharging device 100 to the trigger lever driving state S3, the user can perform an operation of rotating the trigger lever 300. By performing an operation of rotating the trigger lever 300, the user can discharge (jet) the object D to be discharged from the discharge port 241 of the discharging part 240.

[0045] As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the pump operation part 200 further has an extending part 250 that extends from the pressing part 230 toward the cap part 110 side.

[0046] As shown in Figs. 3 and 13, the switching part 400 includes a first stopper rib 410 provided at a position on the lower end side of the extending part 250 (the position on the side where the cap part 110 is disposed), a second stopper rib 420 provided on the trigger lever 300, a hole part 430 formed on the trigger lever 300 and allowing rotation and vertical movement of the extending part 250, a first discharging driving part 440 that protrudes upward (or is recessed downward) provided on the extending part 250, and a second discharging driving part 450 that is recessed upward (or protrudes downward) and is swingably abutted against the first discharging driving part 440 provided on the trigger lever 300.

[0047] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the switching unit 400 is in a state where the trigger lever 300 is lowered and the first stopper rib 410 and the second stopper rib 420 are arranged at positions overlapping in the vertical direction (arrow Z1-Z2 direction) of the pump operation unit 200, it transitions to the locked state S1.

[0048] When the switching unit 400 is in a state where the trigger lever 300 is lowered and the first stopper rib 410 and the second stopper rib 420 overlap in the vertical direction of the pump operation unit 200, the ribs 410 and 420 are arranged at positions where they interfere with each other in the vertical direction of the pump operation unit 200. Therefore, the downward movement of the pressing unit 230 is restricted. As a result, the operation of pressing and pushing down the pressing unit 230 is restricted.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, when an operation of rotating the pump operation unit 200 in one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions is performed from the locked state S1 of the switching unit 400, and the first stopper rib 410 and the second stopper rib 420 are arranged at positions where they do not overlap in the vertical direction of the pump operation unit 200, and the first discharge driving unit 440 and the second discharge driving unit 450 are arranged at positions where they do not contact each other, it transitions to the pump driving state S2. In the present embodiment, the above one direction is defined as the "clockwise direction", and the operation of rotating the pump operation unit 200 in one direction is indicated by an arrow r1 in FIGS. 6 to 8.

[0050] When the switching unit 400 transitions from the locked state S1 to the pump driving state S2, the first stopper rib 410 and the second stopper rib 420 are arranged at positions where they do not overlap in the vertical direction of the pump operation unit 200. That is, the first stopper rib 410 and the second stopper rib 420 are arranged in a positional relationship where they do not interfere with each other. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the user can perform an operation of pressing and pushing down the pressing unit 230. By pressing the pressing unit 230, the user can drive the piston 220 in conjunction with the pushing down of the pressing unit 230. Thereby, the user can discharge the discharge target D from the discharge port 241 of the discharge unit 240. In the pump driving state S2, the first discharge driving unit 440 and the second discharge driving unit 450 are arranged in a positional relationship where they do not contact each other. Therefore, when the operation of pressing the pressing unit 230 is performed, it is possible to prevent the trigger lever 300 from being unintentionally driven by the first discharge driving unit 440 and the second discharge driving unit 450, and it is possible to prevent the trigger lever 300 from inhibiting the movement of the pressing unit 230.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, when the switching unit 400 is in a state where the trigger lever 300 is lifted upward (see FIG. 10) in the pump driving state S2, and an operation of rotating the pump operation unit 200 in the other direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) is performed and the first discharge driving unit 440 and the second discharge driving unit 450 are arranged at positions where they contact each other, the trigger lever driving state S3 is transitioned. In the present embodiment, the above other direction is defined as the "counterclockwise direction", and the operation of rotating the pump operation unit 200 in the other direction is indicated by an arrow r2 in FIGS. 11 and 12.

[0052] When the user transitions from the pump driving state S2 to the trigger lever driving state S3, as shown in FIG. 10, the user holds up the trigger lever 300 and rotates the pump operation unit 200 in another direction in this state. By performing such an operation, after rotating the pump operation unit 200 in another direction, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the first discharge driving unit 440 and the second discharge driving unit 450 can be arranged at positions overlapping in the vertical direction of the pump operation unit 200, and the trigger lever 300 can be arranged at the standby position when starting the discharge operation. After the user transitions from the pump driving state S2 to the trigger lever driving state S3, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the user can start the operation of discharging the discharge object D from the discharge port 241 of the discharge unit 240 by performing an operation of gripping the trigger lever 300 with a finger and rotating it downward.

[0053] When the user performs an operation of rotating the trigger lever 300 downward, with the second discharge driving unit 450 having a concave shape on the upper side abutting against the first discharge driving unit 440 having a convex shape on the upper side, the second discharge driving unit 450 integrally formed with the trigger lever 300 slides with respect to the first discharge driving unit 440. Thereby, by performing an operation of rotating the trigger lever 300 supported by the rotation shaft 310 downward, the piston 220 is driven via the extension portion 250 to which the first discharge driving unit 440 is connected. Thereby, the user can discharge the discharge object D from the discharge port 241 of the discharge unit 240.

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 3, 7, and 12, the first stopper rib 410 and the first discharge driving unit 440 are arranged at a position orthogonal to the position where the discharge port 241 is provided, based on the rotation direction of the pump operation unit 200. On the other hand, the second stopper rib 420 and the second discharge driving unit 450 are arranged at a position orthogonal to the major axis direction of the trigger lever 300, based on the rotation direction of the pump operation unit 200. That is, when the pressing unit 230 is viewed in plan, the first stopper rib 410 and the first discharge driving unit 440 are arranged with a 90° angle provided between them and the discharge port 241. On the other hand, the second stopper rib 420 and the second discharge driving unit 450 are arranged with a 90° angle provided between them and the trigger lever 300.

[0055] In the locked state S1 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and the trigger lever driving state S3 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the discharge port 241 and the trigger lever 300 are arranged at the same position, based on the rotation direction of the pump operation unit 200. Therefore, each of the ribs 410, 420 and each of the driving units 440, 450 are arranged with a 90° angle provided between them and the discharge port 241.

[0056] On the other hand, in the pump driving state S2 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the discharge port 241 and the trigger lever 300 are arranged with a 90° angle difference, based on the rotation direction of the pump operation unit 200. Therefore, the first stopper rib 410 and the first discharge driving unit 440 remain arranged with a 90° angle provided between them and the discharge port 241, but the second stopper rib 420 and the second discharge driving unit 450 are arranged with a 0° (or 180°) angle difference, so they do not interfere with each other.

[0057] As described above, in the discharging device 100, the first stopper rib 410 and the first discharging driving part 440 are provided on the pump operation part 200, and the second stopper rib 420 and the second discharging driving part 450 are provided on the trigger lever 300. Moreover, since the pump operation part 200 is rotatably installed, when transitioning from the locked state S1 to the pump driving state S2, it is possible to switch only by performing an operation of rotating the pump operation part 200 90° in the clockwise direction (one direction). Also, when transitioning from the pump driving state S2 to the trigger lever driving state S3, it is possible to switch each state only by performing an operation of rotating the pump operation part 200 90° in the counterclockwise direction (the other direction).

[0058] In the discharging device 100, two (one set) of each of the first stopper rib 410 and the second stopper rib 420 are arranged at positions facing each other with respect to the rotation axis of the pump operation part 200. Similarly, two (one set) of each of the first discharging driving part 440 and the second discharging driving part 450 are arranged at positions facing each other with respect to the rotation axis of the pump operation part 200. That is, each of the ribs 410, 420 and each of the driving parts 440, 450 are arranged in two at positions facing each other in the depth direction (the direction indicated by the arrow X1 - X2) of the discharging device 100 in the locked state S1 (positions having an angular difference of 180 degrees from each other in the rotation direction in plan view).

[0059] Since the discharging device 100 has the above-described configuration, in the locked state S1, the depression of the pressing part 230 can be more reliably restricted by the two first stopper ribs 410 and the two second stopper ribs 420. Further, in the trigger lever driving state S3, the discharging device 100 can stably drive the rotation of the trigger lever 300 by the two first discharging driving parts 440 and the two second discharging driving parts 450.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 5, in the locked state S1, the second stopper rib 420 has locking protrusions 425a and 425b that limit the rotation range of the first stopper rib 410 (the other stopper rib) with respect to the second stopper rib 420 (one stopper rib).

[0061] The first locking protrusion 425a provided on the second stopper rib 420 has a shape that protrudes toward the first stopper rib 410 side (upper side). The first locking protrusion 425a is disposed near the end of the second stopper rib 420 in the other direction (counterclockwise direction).

[0062] The second locking protrusion 425b provided on the second stopper rib 420 has a shape that protrudes toward the first stopper rib 410 side (upper side). The second locking protrusion 425b provided on the second stopper rib 420 is disposed near the end of the second stopper rib 420 in one direction (clockwise direction).

[0063] As shown in FIG. 5, the first stopper rib 410 is formed shorter than the second stopper rib 420 in the front-rear direction (arrow Y1 - Y2 direction). In the locked state S1 shown in FIG. 5 (when the first stopper rib 410 and the second stopper rib 420 are in an overlapping positional relationship in the vertical direction of the pump operation unit 200), the first locking protrusion 425a limits the rotation range of the first stopper rib 410 in the other direction (counterclockwise direction). Also, in the locked state S1, the second locking protrusion 425b limits the rotation range of the first stopper rib 410 in one direction (clockwise direction). Therefore, in the locked state S1, the rotation range of the extending portion 250 integrally provided with the first stopper rib 410 is limited by the first locking protrusion 425a and the second locking protrusion 425b, thereby also limiting the rotation range of the pump operation unit 200. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the locked state S1 from being released at an unintended timing not intended by the user.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 5, the second locking projection 425b can be formed smaller (lower) than the first locking projection 425a. With this configuration, when the user releases the locked state S1 and starts using the discharging device 100, by rotating the pump operation unit 200 in one direction so that the first stopper rib 410 gets over the second locking projection 425b, the locked state S1 can be quickly released and the pump driving state S2 can be transitioned to. Also, when transitioning from the pump driving state S2 to the locked state S1, it is possible to prevent the pump operation unit 200 from being overly rotated and passing through the locked state S1 and returning to the pump driving state S2.

[0065] Although an example in which the locking projections 425a and 425b are provided on the second stopper rib 420 has been shown, the locking projections 425a and 425b may be provided on the first stopper rib 410. Even in such a configuration, it is possible to exhibit the same effects as those described above.

[0066] Next, an operation example of the cylinder 210 and the piston 220 of the pump operation unit 200 (operation example when discharging the discharge target D) will be described.

[0067] FIG. 15 schematically shows the internal structure of the pump operation unit 200.

[0068] Below the pressing portion 230, an extending portion 250 connected to the cap portion 110 extends. Inside the extending portion 250, a piston rod 221 including a valve member 218 and a valve seat 219 for seating the valve member 218 is disposed. Below the piston rod 221, a sliding portion 223 driven by the piston rod 221 is disposed. The piston 220 is composed of the piston rod 221 and the sliding portion 223.

[0069] The sliding portion 223 of the piston 220 is biased upward by the spring member 215 in a state where the pressing portion 230 is not pressed (no-load state). The spring member 215 elastically supports the pressing portion 230 together with the piston rod 221 in the vertical direction.

[0070] The piston rod 221 is disposed in the cylinder 210 so as to be reciprocally movable in the vertical direction. Inside the piston rod 221, a flow path 221a through which the object D to be discharged can flow is formed.

[0071] When the object D to be discharged is sucked into the cylinder 210, the valve member 218 seats on the valve seat 219 and closes the flow path 221a. On the other hand, when the pressing portion 230 is pressed so as to discharge the object D to be discharged from the discharge port 241 of the discharge portion 240, the valve member 218 moves to the upper side from the valve seat 219 by the discharge pressure of the object D to be discharged and floats in the flow path 221a. Thereby, the flow path 221a can be opened.

[0072] With the pressing portion 230 pushed down to the lowermost end against the elastic force of the spring member 215, and when the pressing force applied to the pressing portion 230 is released from this state, the pressing portion 230 moves upward together with the piston rod 221 by the elastic force of the spring member 215 and returns to the initial position before the pressing portion 230 was pushed down. At this time, the check valve member 213 disposed in the cylinder 210 moves toward the pressing portion 230 side and opens the suction port 210a formed near the lower part of the cylinder 210. Thereby, the object D to be discharged in the container 500 is sucked into the cylinder 210.

[0073] When the user presses the pressing portion 230 again and pushes it downward, the suction port 210a is closed by the check valve member 213. At this time, the object D to be discharged sucked into the cylinder 210 is pressurized. At the same time, the valve member 218 floats above in the flow path 221a. The object D to be discharged sucked into the cylinder 210 is discharged to the outside from the discharge port 241 of the discharge portion 240 via the sliding portion between the check valve member 213 and the piston rod 221 and the flow path 221a.

[0074] In the above description, the procedure for driving the discharge operation of the discharge target D when the pressing portion 230 is operated was exemplified. However, in the present embodiment, when the trigger lever 300 is pushed downward, the discharge target D can be discharged to the outside in substantially the same procedure.

[0075] As described above, the discharge device 100 according to the present embodiment has a lock state S1 in which the operations of the trigger lever 300 and the pressing portion 230 are restricted, a pump driving state S2 in which the pressing portion 230 can be operated, and a trigger lever driving state S3 in which the trigger lever 300 can be operated, according to the rotational position of the pump operation portion 200 with respect to the cap portion 110 detachably configured in the container 500. The switching unit 400 enables reversible switching between the three states. When using the discharge device 100 configured as described above, the user can reversibly switch between the lock state S1, the pump driving state S2, and the trigger lever driving state S3 by a simple operation of rotating the pump operation portion 200 with respect to the cap portion 110. Further, when restricting the discharge operation by the discharge device 100, the user can operate the switching unit 400 to switch to the lock state S1, thereby preventing problems such as the pressing portion 230 and the trigger lever 300 being inadvertently operated and the discharge target D being inadvertently discharged.

[0076] <Modification Example> FIG. 16 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the discharge device 100A according to the modification example. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 12 of the above-described embodiment, and shows a state in which the discharge device 100A is in the trigger lever driving state S3.

[0077] In the above-described embodiment, the first ejection driving unit 440 is configured in a shape convex upward provided on the extending unit 250, and the second ejection driving unit 450 is configured in a shape concave upward provided on the trigger lever 300 (see FIG. 12). However, as long as the driving units 440 and 450 can be swingably abutted against each other and the piston 220 can be driven by the rotation toward the lower side of the trigger lever 300 in the trigger lever driving state S3, there is no particular limitation on the specific structure. For example, as in the modification shown in FIG. 16, the first ejection driving unit 440A may be configured in a shape concave downward, and the second ejection driving unit 450A may be configured in a shape convex downward that can be swingably abutted against the first ejection driving unit 440A. Even when the driving units 440A and 450A are configured in this way, the piston 220 can be smoothly driven by rotating the trigger lever 300 downward by the driving units 440A and 450A, similarly to the above-described embodiment.

[0078] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

[0079] For example, there is no particular limitation on the arrangement, shape, material, etc. of each member constituting the ejection device described in the embodiment and the modification, and it can be arbitrarily changed as long as the switching between the three states (lock state, pump driving state, trigger lever driving state) by the switching unit can be realized.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0080] 10 Ejector 100 Ejection device 100A Ejection device 110 Cap part 200 Pump operation part 210 Cylinder 220 Piston 230 Pressing part 240 Ejection part 241 Ejection port 250 Extending unit 260 Tube part 300 Trigger Lever 400 Switching Unit 410 First Stopper Rib 420 Second Stopper Rib 425a First Lock Projection 425b Second Lock Projection 430 Hole Portion 440 First Discharge Driving Unit 440A First Discharge Driving Unit 450 Second Discharge Driving Unit 450A Second Discharge Driving Unit 500 Container D Object to be Discharged S1 Locked State S2 Pump Driving State S3 Trigger Lever Driving State

Claims

1. A discharging device configured to be detachable from a container for holding a discharge object, a cap portion configured to be detachable from the container, a cylinder connected to the cap portion, a piston slidable along the extending direction of the cylinder and rotatably provided within the cylinder, a pressing portion connected to the piston and configured to suck the discharge object into the cylinder by pushing down the piston along the extending direction of the cylinder upon a pressing operation, and a discharging portion provided with a discharge port for discharging the discharge object sucked up by the piston to the outside of the container, and a pump operation portion configured to be rotatable with respect to the cap portion, a trigger lever supported by the cap portion and configured to push down the piston along the extending direction of the cylinder by rotating downward upon a gripping operation, a switching portion that enables reversible switching among three states: a locked state that restricts pushing down of the pressing portion and downward rotation of the trigger lever, a pump driving state that allows pushing down of the pressing portion, and a trigger lever driving state that allows downward rotation of the trigger lever, according to the rotational position of the pump operation portion with respect to the cap portion. A discharging device.

2. The pump operation portion has an extending portion extending from the pressing portion toward the cap portion side, The switching portion, a first stopper rib provided on the extending portion, a second stopper rib provided on the trigger lever, a hole portion formed in the trigger lever and enabling rotation and vertical movement of the extending portion, a first discharge driving portion convex upward or concave downward provided on the extending portion, a second discharge driving portion concave upward or convex downward provided on the trigger lever and swingably abutted against the first discharge driving portion, and has, The switching portion, When the first stopper rib and the second stopper rib are arranged at positions overlapping in the vertical direction of the pump operation unit, a transition to the locked state occurs. When an operation is performed to rotate the pump operation unit in one direction of clockwise or counterclockwise from the locked state, and the first stopper rib and the second stopper rib are arranged at positions not overlapping in the vertical direction of the pump operation unit, and the first discharge driving unit and the second discharge driving unit are arranged at positions where they do not contact each other, a transition to the pump driving state occurs. When an operation is performed to rotate the pump operation unit in the other direction of clockwise or counterclockwise with the trigger lever lifted upward in the pump driving state, and the first discharge driving unit and the second discharge driving unit are arranged at positions where they contact each other, a transition to the trigger lever driving state occurs. The discharge device according to claim 1.

3. The first stopper rib and the first discharge driving unit are arranged at positions orthogonal to the position where the discharge port is provided, based on the rotation direction of the pump operation unit. The second stopper rib and the second discharge driving unit are arranged at positions orthogonal to the major axis direction of the trigger lever, based on the rotation direction of the pump operation unit. The discharge port and the trigger lever are arranged at the same position, based on the rotation direction of the pump operation unit, in the locked state. The discharge device according to claim 2.

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