Pouring-out instrument

Abstract

To provide a pouring-out instrument capable of taking in and out a pouring-out object easily and reversibly from a container to a measurement part or the measurement part to the container.SOLUTION: A gear pump 160 included in a pouring-out instrument 100 transfers a pouring-out object D held in a container 300 in an amount corresponding to a rotation amount of a pump case to a measurement part 130 via a tube part 120 and a pump chamber 153 when operation of rotating the pump case 150 in one direction of a clockwise direction and a counter-clockwise direction is performed, and transfers a pouring-out object held in the measurement part in an amount corresponding to a rotation amount of the pump case to the container via the pump chamber and the tube part when operation of rotating the pump case in the other direction of the clockwise direction and the counter-clockwise direction is performed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] There are pump containers, squeeze measuring containers, etc. that can easily weigh the contents (hereinafter referred to as "pouring objects"), and products using these containers are also generally widely known. In conventionally existing products, a measuring spoon or a measuring cap having a relatively simple structure is often adopted as a mechanism that enables weighing. However, when these structures are adopted, users may feel dissatisfaction with usability in that "an arbitrary amount cannot be weighed more accurately" or "the weighed amount cannot be readjusted when an excessive amount is accidentally dispensed."

[0003] In response to the above problems, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pump container configured such that a user can set the weighed amount.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the case of the pump container described in Patent Document 1, by setting the weighing amount during use, a desired amount of the object to be dispensed can be sucked up from the container. However, in the pump container described in Patent Document 1, the object to be dispensed sucked up from the container cannot be returned to the container again. Therefore, for example, even when it is desired to reduce the amount because an amount of the object to be dispensed more than the assumed amount has been sucked up, after the object to be dispensed has been once sucked up, such a demand cannot be sufficiently met. Therefore, it can be said that the pump container described in Patent Document 1 has room for further improvement in terms of usability.

[0006] The present invention has been made based on the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a dispensing device that can easily and reversibly transfer an object to be dispensed from a container to a measuring unit and from the measuring unit to the container.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The above object of the present invention is achieved by any one of the following means (1) to (4).

[0008] (1) A dispensing device that enables a metered dispensing of an object to be dispensed held in a container, a cap portion detachable from the container, a tube portion connected to the cap portion, a measuring unit capable of holding a predetermined amount of the object to be dispensed dispensed from the container via the tube portion, and a pump portion disposed between the cap portion and the measuring unit in the flow direction when the object to be dispensed is dispensed, and enabling reversible transfer of the object to be dispensed from the container to the measuring unit and from the measuring unit to the container. The pump portion is configured to be rotatable with respect to the cap portion, a pump case, is partitioned inside the pump case, and a pump chamber fluidly communicating with the flow path of the tube portion and the measuring unit, It has a gear pump disposed in the pump chamber, When an operation is performed to rotate the pump case in one direction of clockwise and counterclockwise, the gear pump transfers the object to be dispensed held in the container to the metering unit through the tube portion and the pump chamber by an amount corresponding to the rotation amount of the pump case, and when an operation is performed to rotate the pump case in the other direction of clockwise and counterclockwise, the gear pump transfers the object to be dispensed held in the metering unit to the container through the pump chamber and the tube portion by an amount corresponding to the rotation amount of the pump case. The dispensing instrument is configured as such.

[0009] (2) The pump unit includes an upper port through which the object to be dispensed can flow, and has an upper port plate disposed so as to partition between the metering unit and the pump chamber. The cap unit includes a lower port through which the object to be dispensed can flow, and has a lower port plate disposed so as to partition between the container and the pump chamber. The gear pump is installed on the pump case and has an internal gear that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the pump case, an external gear disposed inside the internal gear and rotating in a driven manner following the rotation of the internal gear, and a support shaft that rotatably supports the external gear between the upper port plate and the lower port plate. The dispensing instrument according to (1) above has these components.

[0010] (3) The lower port plate has a placement portion on which the bottom surface of the internal gear is placed, a tube connection portion to which the tube portion is connected, a sliding groove portion that is located on the outer peripheral side of the placement portion and into which the lower end portion of the pump case is slidably fitted, and a vertical wall portion that extends toward the upper port plate side so as to face the outer peripheral surface of the lower end portion of the pump case fitted into the sliding groove portion. The dispensing device according to (2) above, comprising a sealing portion disposed in the sliding groove portion for preventing the object to be dispensed from leaking to the outside through the sliding groove portion.

[0011] (4) The dispensing device according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the measuring portion has a holding amount indicating portion that enables visual confirmation of the holding amount of the object to be dispensed held in the measuring portion.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] When the dispensing device according to (1) above is operated such that the pump case is rotated in one direction of clockwise and counterclockwise, the object to be dispensed held in the container can be transferred to the measuring portion through the tube portion and the pump chamber by an amount corresponding to the rotation amount of the pump case. Further, when the dispensing device is operated such that the pump case is rotated in the other direction of clockwise and counterclockwise, the object to be dispensed held in the measuring portion can be returned to the container through the pump chamber and the tube portion by an amount corresponding to the rotation amount of the pump case. Therefore, the user can easily and reversibly take in and out the object to be dispensed from the container to the measuring portion and from the measuring portion to the container by a simple operation of rotating the pump case clockwise or counterclockwise.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] 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 redundant descriptions are omitted. The dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for convenience of explanation and may be different from the actual ratios.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the overall configuration of a dispensing product 10 according to the embodiment. FIGS. 2 to 5 are diagrams for explaining each part of the dispensing device 100 included in the dispensing product 10 according to the embodiment. FIGS. 6 to 9 are diagrams for explaining an operation example of the pump unit 140 of the dispensing device 100.

[0016] In the present embodiment, the configuration, functions, and effects of the dispensing device 100 are described through the dispensing product 10. The arrows Z1 - Z2 attached to each figure indicate the height direction (vertical direction) of the dispensing product 10, the arrows Y1 - Y2 indicate the width direction (left - right direction) of the dispensing product 10, and the arrows X1 - X2 indicate the depth direction (front - back direction) of the dispensing product 10. Note that the definitions of the directions regarding the dispensing device 100 are the same as those defined for the dispensing product 10.

[0017] (Dispensing Product 10) FIG. 1 shows a dispensing product 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The dispensing product 10 has a container 300 that holds a predetermined dispensing object D and a dispensing device 100 that is detachable from the container 300.

[0018] The dispensing product 10 is configured such that by performing an operation of rotating the pump case 150, which will be described later, by the user, the object D to be dispensed can be reversibly taken in and out between the container 300 and the metering unit 130.

[0019] (Container 300) The container 300 holds the object D to be dispensed inside thereof 310. Examples of the object D to be dispensed used in the present embodiment include known cleaning liquids (such as liquid detergents). However, the specific type and properties of the object D to be dispensed (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 is possible to reversibly transfer between the container 300 and the metering unit 130 in accordance with the operation of the gear pump 160, which will be described later.

[0020] Near the upper end of the container 300, a neck portion 320 is provided. The cap portion 110 provided in the dispensing instrument 100 can be detachably connected to the neck portion 320.

[0021] The mechanism for connecting the neck portion 320 and the cap portion 110 is not particularly limited. For example, it may include a screwing mechanism consisting of a first screw portion (male screw portion or female screw portion) provided on the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 320 and a second screw portion (female screw portion or male screw portion) provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cap portion 110 and configured to be screwable with the first screw portion, or a fitting type connection mechanism in which one member is fitted and fixed to the other member.

[0022] The material, volume, etc. of the container 300 can be arbitrarily determined according to the type of the object D to be dispensed accommodated inside the container 300 and the use of the dispensing product 10.

[0023] (Dispensing instrument 100) The dispensing device 100 is a device that enables the metered dispensing of the object D to be dispensed held in the container 300. The dispensing device 100 is configured as a device that enables the user to easily and reversibly perform "extraction (suction)" for taking out the object D to be dispensed held inside the container 300 to the measuring unit 130 and "return" for returning the object D taken out to the measuring unit 130 to the inside 310 of the container 300 at any timing.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the dispensing device 100 includes a cap portion 110 detachable from the container 300, a tube portion 120 connected to the cap portion 110, a measuring unit 130 capable of holding a predetermined amount of the object D to be dispensed discharged from the container 300 via the tube portion 120, and a pump unit 140.

[0025] The cap portion 110 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the neck portion 320 of the container 300. In a state where the neck portion 320 is received inside the cap portion 110, the cap portion 110 and the neck portion 320 can be detachably connected by a predetermined connection mechanism (not shown).

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3, the tube portion 120 can be configured, for example, as a known dip tube having a flow path 121 through which the object D to be dispensed can flow. As the dip tube, for example, one made of a known resin material such as low-density polyethylene can be used.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the measuring unit 130 holds the object D to be dispensed sucked up from the inside 310 of the container 300 as the gear pump 160 operates.

[0028] A space 131 having a predetermined volume for holding the object D to be dispensed is provided inside the measuring unit 130. The holdable amount (maximum hold amount) of the object D to be dispensed in the measuring unit 130 is set according to the volume of the space 131. The volume of the space 131 can be set to any size according to the use purpose of the dispensing product 10 and the like.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3, the space 131 of the measuring unit 130 communicates with the container 300 via the upper port 211 of the upper port plate 210 (see FIG. 4), the pump chamber 153 of the pump case 150, the lower port 221 of the lower port plate 220, and the tube portion 120 connected to the tube connection portion 224 of the lower port plate 220. When an operation of taking in and out the object D to be poured is performed between the measuring unit 130 and the container 300 as described later, the communication / non-communication state between the above-described respective components is appropriately switched in conjunction with the operation of the pump unit 140.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an openable and closable lid portion 135 that can shield the space 131 of the measuring unit 130 from the outside can be attached to the measuring unit 130.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the measuring unit 130 has a holding amount indicator portion 133 that enables visual confirmation of the holding amount of the object D to be poured held in the measuring unit 130.

[0032] The holding amount indicator portion 133 can be configured by, for example, uneven graduations formed on the inner peripheral surface of the measuring unit 130, linear markers, numbers, symbols, characters, combinations thereof, and the like. The user can easily grasp the holding amount of the object D to be poured by visually checking the holding amount indicator portion 133 while the object D to be poured is held in the measuring unit 130.

[0033] The metering unit 130 can be composed of, for example, a transparent (including translucent) member. By configuring it in this way, when a predetermined amount of the object D to be dispensed is transferred to the metering unit 130 with the lid unit 135 closing the metering unit 130, it is possible to easily visually grasp the holding amount of the object D held in the metering unit 130 while preventing the object D from leaking out of the metering unit 130. For the same reason as above, when the lid unit 135 is provided on the metering unit 130, the lid unit 135 is preferably composed of a transparent (including translucent) member. Further, the holding amount indicator unit 133 is preferably provided with a predetermined color or the like so that it can be clearly visually recognized from the outside of the metering unit 130 and the lid unit 135 with the lid unit 135 closed.

[0034] The pump unit 140 is disposed between the cap unit 110 and the metering unit 130 in the flow direction when the object D to be dispensed is dispensed.

[0035] The above-mentioned "flow direction when the object D to be dispensed is dispensed" means the vertical direction (the direction indicated by the arrows Z1 - Z2) of the dispensing product 10 from the container 300 to the metering unit 130 (or from the metering unit 130 to the container 300) in this embodiment. Note that the above-mentioned "flow direction" can be defined as the left - right direction from the container 300 to the metering unit 130 (or from the metering unit 130 to the container 300) when the dispensing product 10 is configured to have a horizontally placed structure, for example.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3, the pump unit 140 includes a pump case 150 configured to be rotatable with respect to the cap unit 110, a pump chamber 153 partitioned inside the pump case 150 and in fluid communication with the flow path 121 of the tube unit 120 and the metering unit 130, and a gear pump 160 disposed in the pump chamber 153.

[0037] When the gear pump 160 is operated to rotate the pump case 150 in one direction of clockwise and counterclockwise, the gear pump 160 drives a "suction operation" that transfers the object D to be dispensed held in the container 300 to the metering unit 130 through the tube portion 120 and the pump chamber 153 by an amount corresponding to the rotation amount of the pump case 150.

[0038] Further, when the gear pump 160 is operated to rotate the pump case 150 in the other direction of clockwise and counterclockwise, the gear pump 160 drives a "return operation" that transfers the object D to be dispensed held in the metering unit 130 to the container 300 through the pump chamber 153 and the tube portion 120 by an amount corresponding to the rotation amount of the pump case 150.

[0039] In the present embodiment, the above-mentioned "one direction" is the "clockwise direction", and the above-mentioned "other direction" is the "counterclockwise direction". Note that the dispensing device 100 can also be configured to have a product specification in which one direction is the "counterclockwise direction" and the other direction is the "clockwise direction".

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the pump unit 140 includes an upper port plate 210 that has an upper port 211 through which the object D to be dispensed can flow and is disposed so as to partition between the metering unit 130 and the pump chamber 153.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 to 9, the cap unit 110 includes a lower port plate 220 that has a lower port 221 through which the object D to be dispensed can flow and is disposed so as to partition between the container 300 and the pump chamber 153.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 to 9, the gear pump 160 is installed in the pump case 150 and includes an internal gear 170 that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the pump case 150, an external gear 180 that is disposed inside the internal gear 170 and rotates following the rotation of the internal gear 170, and a support shaft 190 that rotatably supports the external gear 180 between the upper port plate 210 and the lower port plate 220.

[0043] The pump chamber 153 is constituted by a partial region of a space (a space partitioned by the upper port plate 210 and the lower port plate 220) located inside the pump case 150.

[0044] An internal gear 170 is accommodated in the pump chamber 153. The internal gear 170 has an internal space 175 in which an external gear 180 and a support shaft 190 are arranged.

[0045] Each part of the discharging device 100 (excluding the tube part 120) can be constituted by, for example, an epoxy resin. However, each part of the discharging device 100 may be constituted by other resin materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, Teflon (registered trademark), etc., or may be constituted by a predetermined metal material.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the upper port 211 of the upper port plate 210 and the lower port 221 of the lower port plate 220 are arranged at different positions in the circumferential direction (rotation direction) of the pump case 150. The relative positional relationship between the upper port 211 and the lower port 221 is not particularly limited as long as the pulling-in and pushing-out of the object D to be discharged into and out of the pump chamber 153 can be realized in conjunction with the rotation of the gears 170 and 180. In FIG. 5, the illustration of the internal gear 170 is omitted in order to clearly show the position of the lower port 221.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 3, the internal space 175 of the internal gear 170 communicates with the upper port 211 (see FIG. 4) of the upper port plate 210 above the pump case 150 in the vertical direction (height direction) of the pump case 150. Further, the internal space 175 of the internal gear 170 communicates with the lower port 221 of the lower port plate 220 below the pump case 150. Therefore, when the gear pump 160 is operated and the "taking-out operation" and the "returning operation" are driven, the object D to be discharged is transferred through the internal space 175 of the internal gear 170 arranged in the pump chamber 153.

[0048] In this embodiment, as described above, a structure is adopted in which the object D to be dispensed is transferred between the container 300 and the measuring unit 130 through the internal space 175 of the internal gear 170 located in the pump chamber 153. However, the structure within the pump chamber 153 is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the dispensing device 100 may be configured to transfer the object D to be dispensed between the container 300 and the measuring unit 130 directly via the inside of the pump chamber 153 without passing through the internal space 175 of the internal gear 170.

[0049] In this embodiment, the gear pump 160 is configured to have the same function as a so-called "internal gear pump" including an internal gear (inner rotor) 170 and an external gear (outer rotor) 180.

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the internal gear 170 has a first tooth portion 171 protruding convexly toward the support shaft 190 side (inside) and a second tooth portion 172 recessed concavely toward the side spaced apart from the support shaft 190 side (outside).

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the external gear 180 has a first tooth portion 181 protruding convexly toward the side spaced apart from the support shaft 190 side (outside) and a second tooth portion 182 recessed concavely toward the support shaft 190 side (inside).

[0052] The tooth portions 171, 172, 181, and 182 of the internal gear 170 and the external gear 180 are configured with an arc tooth profile. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, when the internal gear 170 and the external gear 180 rotate, the gear pump 160 drives the "extraction operation" and the "return operation" of the object D to be dispensed through the respective ports 211 and 221 while causing the tooth portions 171, 172, 181, and 182 to contact and separate from each other in conjunction with the rotation of the respective gears 170 and 180.

[0053] In the metering device 100, the internal gear 170 is fixed (connected) to a rotatable pump case 150. Further, the internal gear 170 is directly installed on the pump case 150 in a state where it can rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the pump case 150. On the other hand, since the external gear 180 is disposed in the internal space 175 of the internal gear 170, it is not directly fixed (connected) to the pump case 150. Therefore, when the user grips and rotates the pump case 150 with a finger or the like, the operating force (rotational force) applied to the pump case 150 is transmitted only to the internal gear 170. When the internal gear 170 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the pump case 150, the external gear 180 disposed inside the internal gear 170 rotates following the rotation of the internal gear 170.

[0054] The internal gear 170 and the pump case 150 can be detachably fixed by a predetermined fitting portion 155 (see FIGS. 8 to 9). The fitting portions 155 can be arranged, for example, at different positions in the circumferential direction of the internal gear 170 and the pump case 150 with a plurality of (for example, three) spaced apart. Further, the fitting portion 155 can be constituted by, for example, a convex portion protruding from the pump case 150 toward the internal gear 170 side and a concave portion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the internal gear 170 configured to be able to fit the convex portion. Note that the fitting portion 155 is not particularly limited with respect to the specific structure and the like as long as it has a structure capable of fixing the pump case 150 and the internal gear 170 so that the internal gear 170 can be rotated in conjunction with the rotation of the pump case 150.

[0055] With the above structure, it becomes possible to install (or incorporate) the upper port plate 210 between the metering unit 130 and the internal gear 170 during manufacturing.

[0056] In this embodiment, the internal gear 170 and the external gear 180 are configured with an arc tooth profile. However, as long as the "extracting operation" and "returning operation" of the object D to be poured can be realized in conjunction with the rotation of each of the gears 170 and 180, the specific structure is not particularly limited. For example, the shape and the number of teeth of each of the gears 170 and 180 can be arbitrarily changed. As an example, each of the gears 170 and 180 can also be configured with a trochoid gear.

[0057] The dimensions and the suction force of each part of the pump unit 140 (pump case 150, internal gear 170, external gear 180) can be configured, for example, with the following specifications. Note that the following specifications are only an example and are not limited to such specifications.

[0058] The diameter (inner diameter) of the pump case 150 can be 50 mm. The inner blade diameter of the internal gear 170 can be 42 mm or 30 mm, and the number of teeth of the internal gear 170 can be 5 teeth. The outer blade diameter of the external gear 180 can be 30 mm or 24 mm, and the number of teeth of the external gear 180 can be 4 teeth. The height of each of the gears 170 and 180 can be 25 mm. By making each of the gears 170 and 180 an internal blade type gear pump (internal gear pump) having an arc tooth profile with the above dimensions, it becomes possible to suck up and return the object D to be poured of about 6 mL per rotation.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 3, the lower port plate 220 has a placement portion 223 on which the bottom surface 176 of the internal gear 170 is placed, a tube connection portion 224 to which the tube portion 120 is connected, a sliding groove portion 225 located on the outer peripheral side of the placement portion 223 and into which the lower end portion 156 of the pump case 150 is slidably fitted, a vertical wall portion 226 extending toward the upper port plate 210 side so as to face the outer peripheral surface of the lower end portion 156 of the pump case 150 fitted in the sliding groove portion 225, and a seal portion 227 disposed in the sliding groove portion 225 to prevent the object D to be poured from leaking to the outside through the sliding groove portion 225.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 3, the pump case 150 includes a base portion 151 in which a pump chamber 153 is formed inside. The base portion 151 is integrally formed with the metering portion 130 disposed on the upper side of the pump case 150.

[0061] The upper port plate 210 is disposed near the upper end portion of the base portion 151. The upper port plate 210 is disposed so as to cover the respective gears 170, 180, the support shaft 190, and the pump chamber 153 from above.

[0062] The upper port plate 210 is disposed in a state of being non-rotatable relative to the support shaft 190. Therefore, when the pump case 150 is rotated and the internal gear 170 and the external gear 180 rotate, the upper port plate 210 allows these rotations while being configured not to rotate itself.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 3, the lower port plate 220 is integrally formed with a cap portion 110 disposed on the lower side of the lower port plate 220.

[0064] The lower end portion 156 (the lower end portion of the base portion 151) of the pump case 150 can be disposed in the sliding groove portion 225 provided in the lower port plate 220. The pump case 150 is configured to be rotatable relative to the lower port plate 220 with the lower end portion 156 disposed in the sliding groove portion 225. Therefore, when the pump case 150 is assembled to the lower port plate 220, the rotation of the pump case 150 itself is not inhibited.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 3, the vertical wall portion 226 provided in the lower port plate 220 and the lower end portion 156 of the pump case 150 disposed in the sliding groove portion 225 can be connected via a plurality of sliding fitting portions 231, 232.

[0066] The sliding fitting portion 231 can be constituted by, for example, a convex portion protruding from the vertical wall portion 226 toward the lower end portion 156 side and a concave portion formed in the lower end portion 156 that can fit the convex portion. Further, the sliding fitting portion 232 can be constituted by, for example, a convex portion protruding from the lower end portion 156 toward the vertical wall portion 226 side and a concave portion formed in the vertical wall portion 226 that can fit the convex portion.

[0067] The tube connection portion 224 can be constituted by a fitting portion capable of fitting the upper end portion of the tube portion 120.

[0068] The upper port plate 210 has a communication passage 222 that fluidly communicates between the tube connection portion 224 and the lower port 221. The opening (upper end opening) of the tube portion 120 communicates with the lower port 221 via the communication passage 222 in a state where the tube portion 120 is fitted into the tube connection portion 224.

[0069] The seal portion 227 can be constituted by a sealing material disposed between the lower surface (bottom surface) of the lower end portion 156 and the sliding groove portion 225. As the sealing material, for example, a known material such as silicone grease can be used. By constituting the seal portion 227 with a sealing material having fluidity such as silicone grease, the sealing property in the sliding groove portion 225 can be maintained well without inhibiting the rotation (sliding) of the pump case 150 in the sliding groove portion 225.

[0070] Note that the seal portion 227 is not particularly limited in terms of specific configuration, arrangement, material, etc., as long as it can prevent the object D to be poured out from leaking from the connection portion between the members between the pump case 150 and the lower port plate 220. For example, the seal portion 227 can also be disposed at a position where the vertical wall portion 226 and the lower end portion 156 are disposed opposite to each other in the radial direction of the pump case 150.

[0071] Next, an operation example (extraction operation, return operation) of the gear pump 160 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0072] Figures 6 to 9 show examples of the operation of the gear pump 160. Note that Figures 6 to 9 correspond to cross-sectional views of the portion indicated by the arrow 5A-5A shown in Figure 3.

[0073] Figure 6 shows the state before the operation of rotating the pump case 150 (the initial state before the removal operation). In this state, the internal space 175 of the internal gear 170 disposed in the pump chamber 153 communicates with the inside 310 of the container 300 via the flow path 121 of the tube portion 120, the communication path 222, and the lower port 221 of the lower port plate 220.

[0074] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, when the user rotates the pump case 150 clockwise while gripping the pump case 150 with a finger or the like, the internal gear 170 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the pump case 150, and the external gear 180 rotates following the rotation of the internal gear 170.

[0075] When the gears 170 and 180 rotate clockwise, the pump unit 140 sucks up a predetermined amount of the object D to be dispensed corresponding to the rotation amounts of the gears 170 and 180 up to the internal space 175 of the internal gear 170 via the tube portion 120, the communication path 222, and the lower port 221.

[0076] As shown in Figure 8, when the gears 170 and 180 are further rotated, the lower port 221 is covered (blocked) by the bottom surface 176 (see Figure 3) of the internal gear 170. Thereby, the communication state between the lower port 221 and the internal space 175 of the internal gear 170 is blocked. When the gears 170 and 180 are further rotated after this state, only a predetermined amount of the object D to be dispensed held in the internal space 175 of the internal gear 170 can be transferred to the metering unit 130 via the upper port 211. Therefore, the user can transfer a predetermined amount of the object D corresponding to the rotation amount of the pump case 150 to the metering unit 130 by performing a simple operation of rotating the pump case 150 clockwise.

[0077] As shown in Fig. 9, when each of the gears 170 and 180 is further rotated, the internal space 175 of the internal gear 170 disposed within the pump chamber 153 communicates with the interior 310 of the container 300 via the flow path 121 of the tube portion 120, the communication path 222, and the lower port 221 of the lower port plate 220, returning to the state shown in Fig. 6. After reaching such a state, when the user further rotates the pump case 150, as described above, a predetermined amount of the object D to be dispensed can be sucked into the internal space 175 of the internal gear 170. In this way, by continuously rotating the pump case 150, the user can sequentially transfer a predetermined amount of the object D to be dispensed corresponding to the amount of rotation of the pump case 150 (the amount of rotation of each of the gears 170 and 180) to the metering unit 130.

[0078] When the user returns the object D to be dispensed sucked into the metering unit 130 to the container 300, the user rotates the pump case 150 counterclockwise. By performing such an operation, the gear pump 160 starts to transfer (pressure-feed) the object D to be dispensed from the metering unit 130 side to the container 300 side based on the same principle as when sucking up the object D to be dispensed from the container 300. That is, when the pump case 150 rotates counterclockwise, the gears 170 and 180 rotate counterclockwise in conjunction with the rotation of the pump case 150, and the object D to be dispensed held in the metering unit 130 is returned to the container 300 via the upper port 211 of the upper port plate 210, the internal space 175 of the internal gear 170, the lower port 221 of the lower port plate 220, the communication path 222, and the flow path 121 of the tube portion 120. Note that the transfer amount of the object D to be dispensed returned from the metering unit 130 to the container 300 is adjusted to a predetermined amount corresponding to the amount of rotation of each of the gears 170 and 180, in the same manner as when sucking up the object D to be dispensed from the container 300.

[0079] As described above, when the pumping case 150 is rotated clockwise, the object D to be dispensed held in the container 300 can be transferred to the measuring unit 130 through the tube portion 120 and the pump chamber 153 by an amount corresponding to the rotation amount of the pumping case 150. Further, when the pumping case 150 is rotated counterclockwise, the object D to be dispensed held in the measuring unit 130 can be returned to the container 300 through the pump chamber 153 and the tube portion 120 by an amount corresponding to the rotation amount of the pumping case 150. Therefore, the user can easily and reversibly take in and out the object D to be dispensed between the container 300 and the measuring unit 130 by a simple operation of rotating the pumping case 150 clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0080] In particular, for the dispensing device 100 according to the present embodiment, the user can reversibly take in and out the object D to be dispensed from the container 300 by manually rotating the pumping case 150 while holding it with a finger or the like. Therefore, a drive source (for example, a motor and a power source, etc.) for driving the operation of the pump unit 140 is not required. Therefore, it is possible to simplify the device configuration of the dispensing device 100 and suppress the manufacturing cost of the dispensing device 100.

[0081] Further, for the dispensing device 100, a drive mechanism for realizing the transfer of the object D to be dispensed by the pump unit 140 is realized by a mechanical configuration including an internal gear 170, an external gear 180, a support shaft 190, and the like. Therefore, the object D to be dispensed can be taken in and out more accurately and smoothly by the rotation operations of the respective gears 170 and 180 linked to the rotation operation of the pumping case 150.

[0082] In addition, the dispensing device 100 has a seal portion 227 that prevents the leakage of the object D to be dispensed from a sliding groove portion 225 where the lower end portion 156 of the pump case 150 is slidably disposed. Therefore, the dispensing device 100 can preferably prevent the object D to be dispensed from leaking to the outside through the sliding groove portion 225 while the operation of rotating the pump case 150 to take in and out the object D to be dispensed is being performed.

[0083] In addition, the dispensing device 100 has a holding amount indicator portion 133 that enables easy visual confirmation of the holding amount of the object D to be dispensed in the metering portion 130. Therefore, the user can easily confirm the holding amount of the object D to be dispensed sucked into the metering portion 130 by rotating the pump case 150, and thus the usability of the dispensing device 100 is further improved.

[0084] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

[0085] For example, the internal structure of the dispensing device described in the embodiment and the mechanism of the pump portion for driving the taking in and out of the object to be dispensed can be arbitrarily changed as long as they are configured to be able to suck up or return the object to be dispensed in conjunction with the rotation operation of the pump case. Also, the arrangement and shape of the members described in the specification can be arbitrarily changed as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0086] 10 Dispensing-type product 100 Dispensing device 110 Cap portion 120 Tube portion 130 Metering portion 133 Holding amount indicator portion 140 Pump portion 150 Pump case 153 Pump chamber 156 Lower end portion 160 Gear pump 170 Internal gear 175 Internal space 180 External gear 190 Support shaft 210 Upper port plate 211 Upper port 220 Lower port plate 221 Lower port 224 Tube connection part 225 Sliding groove part 226 Vertical wall part 227 Seal part 300 Container D Object to be poured

Claims

1. A dispensing device that enables metered dispensing of a dispensing object held in a container, a cap portion detachable from the container, a tube portion connected to the cap portion, a metering portion capable of holding a predetermined amount of the dispensing object dispensed from the container via the tube portion, In the flow direction when the dispensing object is dispensed, it is disposed between the cap portion and the metering portion, and enables reversible transfer of the dispensing object from the container to the metering portion and from the metering portion to the container, and has a pump portion, The pump portion is a pump case configured to be rotatable with respect to the cap portion, a pump chamber partitioned inside the pump case and in fluid communication with the flow path of the tube portion and the metering portion, and a gear pump disposed in the pump chamber. When the gear pump is operated to rotate the pump case in one direction of clockwise and counterclockwise, the dispensing object held in the container is transferred to the metering portion via the tube portion and the pump chamber by an amount corresponding to the rotation amount of the pump case, and when the pump case is operated to rotate in the other direction of clockwise and counterclockwise, the dispensing object held in the metering portion is transferred to the container via the pump chamber and the tube portion by an amount corresponding to the rotation amount of the pump case. A dispensing device configured as such.

2. The pump portion includes an upper port through which the dispensing object can flow, and has an upper port plate disposed so as to partition between the metering portion and the pump chamber, The cap portion includes a lower port through which the dispensing object can flow, and has a lower port plate disposed so as to partition between the container and the pump chamber, The gear pump is An internal gear that is installed in the pump case and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the pump case, An external gear that is disposed inside the internal gear and rotates driven by the rotation of the internal gear, A support shaft that rotatably supports the external gear between the upper port plate and the lower port plate, The pouring device according to claim 1.

3. The lower port plate, A placement portion on which the bottom surface of the internal gear is placed, A tube connection portion to which the tube portion is connected, A sliding groove portion that is located on the outer peripheral side of the placement portion and into which the lower end portion of the pump case is slidably fitted, A vertical wall portion that extends toward the upper port plate side so as to face the outer peripheral surface of the lower end portion of the pump case fitted in the sliding groove portion, A seal portion that is disposed in the sliding groove portion and prevents the object to be poured from leaking to the outside through the sliding groove portion, The pouring device according to claim 2.

4. The metering unit has a holding amount indicator unit that enables visual confirmation of the holding amount of the object to be poured held in the metering unit, The pouring device according to claim 1.

Images