Pump-type dispenser

Abstract

To provide a pump-type dispenser that can discharge the contents in the same manner as conventional methods and is further excellent in recyclability.SOLUTION: A pump-type dispenser 100 includes: a pump driven by advancing and retreating movement of a stem 7a; and a head 12 that has a discharge opening 12d and is connected to a stem 7a. An extending portion 12e extending towards one of the head 12 and a cap 10 is provided on the other of the head 12 and the cap 10. The other of the head 12 and the cap 10 is equipped with: a plurality of elastic pieces 10e that bends due to the extending portion 12e when the head 12 is advanced towards the cap 10; and connecting parts 10n that connect circumferentially-adjacent elastic pieces 10e in the circumferential direction.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 that is connected to the stem; the liquid contents in the container are dispensed from the head's outlet by moving the head toward 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] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-31950 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, while most of the components of such pump-type dispensers are made of synthetic resin, the coil spring is made of metal. Therefore, when discarded after use, the pump-type dispenser cannot be recycled as a resin product in its current state. Furthermore, in general, in this type of pump-type dispenser, the components are firmly fixed to each other, for example, by fitting, to prevent them from coming apart during normal use. Therefore, it takes time and effort to disassemble the pump-type dispenser and separate the coil spring from the other components.

[0006] The present invention aims to solve these problems and to propose a pump-type dispenser that can dispense the liquid content in the same way as conventional dispensers and that is also highly recyclable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The pump-type dispenser of the present invention comprises a cap that is attached to the mouth of a container that contains the liquid contents, 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 that discharges the liquid contents to the outside and is connected to the stem, and in which the liquid contents in the container are discharged from the discharge port by moving the head toward the cap, one of the head and the cap is provided with an extension portion that extends toward the other of the head and the cap, and the other of the head and the cap is provided with a plurality of elastic pieces that are bent by the extension portion when the head is moved forward toward the cap, and a connecting portion that circumferentially connects adjacent elastic pieces to each other. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the pump-type dispenser of the present invention, when the head is moved toward the cap, the elastic piece can be deflected by the extension, and the deflection of the elastic piece also causes the connection part to elastically deform, so that the head can be returned to its initial position when the elastic piece and connection part are restored. Furthermore, because the above-mentioned elastic piece and extension part are used instead of a metal coil spring, there is no need to separate the metal parts after use, as was done with conventional pump-type dispensers, and the dispenser can be reused as a resin product as is, resulting in excellent recyclability.

[0009] The force required to return the head can be generated by both the elastic piece and the connecting portion, thereby reducing the restoring force required by the elastic piece compared to returning the head using only the elastic piece. While a flexible elastic piece is generally prone to sagging when attempting to achieve a large restoring force, the present invention reduces the restoring force generated by the elastic piece as described above, thereby reducing sagging compared to returning the head using only the elastic piece. Furthermore, while the force required to flex the elastic piece generally increases with the amount of flexure, the greater the desired restoring force, the greater the rate of increase in the force required to flex the elastic piece (the slope of the force increase). In other words, when an elastic piece requiring a large restoring force is used in a pump-type dispenser, the rate of increase in the force required to press the head increases, resulting in a poor user experience. Even with an elastic piece requiring a large restoring force, increasing the length of the elastic piece can reduce the rate of increase in the force required to press the head, but this would increase the overall length of the pump-type dispenser. On the other hand, according to the present invention, the restoring force exerted by the elastic piece is reduced as described above, so that the feeling of use can be maintained good and the pump-type dispenser does not become larger. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional side view showing a state before an elastic piece is deflected in an embodiment of a pump-type dispenser according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cap shown in FIG. [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cap shown in FIG. [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 is a side view of the cap shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the pump-type dispenser shown in FIG. 1 with the head pressed. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram (side view) relating to a modified example of the cap shown in FIG. [Figure 6A]1. FIG. 4 is a diagram (plan view) relating to a further modified example of the cap shown in FIG. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a side view of the cap shown in FIG. 6A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, a pump-type dispenser 100, one embodiment of a pump-type dispenser according to 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 on which the pipe 4 is located being referred to as "down" and the side on which the head 12 is located being referred to as "up." In this specification and the like, the movement of the head 12 moving downward when pressed will be described as the head 12 advancing, and the movement of the pressed head 12 returning upward will be described as the head 12 retreating. For this reason, in the following description, the above-mentioned up-down direction may also be referred to as the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the radial direction is the direction perpendicular to the central axis O within a plane perpendicular to the central axis O, and the circumferential direction is the direction circumferential around the central axis O within this plane.

[0012] 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 lotion), shampoo, body soap, hand soap, or facial cleanser.

[0013] 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 tubular member 7, a holder 8, a packing 9, a cap 10, a cover 11, a head 12, and a nozzle cover 13. The cylinder 1, the valve member 2, the internal member 5, the piston 6, the tubular member 7, and the holder 8 are components that constitute the "pump" in this specification. Of the above components, the valve member 2, the piston 6, and the packing 9 are made of a soft, elastic synthetic resin (e.g., polyethylene (LDPE), HDPE, or foamed PE)), while the other components are made of a hard synthetic resin (e.g., polypropylene (PP), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyacetal (POM), or polyketone (POK) resin). Each component of the pump-type dispenser 100 is essentially shaped around a central axis O.

[0014] Cylinder 1 has a disk-shaped bottom wall 1a with an upwardly protruding central portion, a cylindrical tube wall 1b rising from the outer edge of bottom wall 1a, and a flange wall 1c extending radially outward from the top of tube wall 1b. A through-hole (suction port 1d) is provided in the protruding central portion of bottom wall 1a. A cylindrical holding tube 1e is provided on the underside of bottom wall 1a, surrounding suction port 1d and extending downward to hold pipe 4. A through-hole (vent hole 1f) is provided in tube wall 1b.

[0015] The valve member 2 includes a base 2a, a valve body 2b that covers the suction port 1d inside the base 2a and sits 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 had been closing the suction port 1d moves away from the bottom wall 1a, opening the suction port 1d.

[0016] In this embodiment, the base 2a is cylindrical with a lid, with the central portion of the top surface protruding upward, 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, thereby holding the valve member 2 within the cylinder 1.

[0017] The pipe 4 is hollow, and its upper end is inserted into the holding cylinder 1e and is fitted and held therein.

[0018] 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 passes through it, and the top surface of the bottom portion 5b is provided with an annular portion 5d that is located radially outward of the connecting portion with the connecting tube 5a.

[0019] The piston 6 is inserted into the connecting tube 5a and disposed inside the cylinder 1. The piston 6 in 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 contacts the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall portion 1b. An inner sliding piece 6c extending upward and downward from the base 6a is provided on the inner edge of the base 6a. A lower part of the inner sliding piece 6c liquid-tightly contacts the annular portion 5d, and an upper part of the inner sliding piece 6c slidably and liquid-tightly contacts the inner circumferential surface of an expanded diameter portion 7b (described later) of the cylindrical member 7.

[0020] 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 stem 7a, the two are fitted together, and the internal member 5 and the tubular member 7 move integrally relative to the cylinder 1.

[0021] 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 equipped with a holder base 8a that is fitted and held on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall portion 1b. A flange 8b extending radially outward is provided at the upper end of the holder base 8a. The holder 8 prevents the internal member 5, piston 6, and cylindrical member 7 from slipping out of the cylinder 1.

[0022] The packing 9 is in the shape of an annular plate and is inserted into and fitted into the cylindrical wall 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 opening of the container and the flange wall 1c. This prevents problems such as the content liquid overflowing from the opening when the container is turned over, for example.

[0023] The cap 10 has a disk-shaped top wall 10a with a central through-hole. A cylindrical peripheral wall 10b extends downward from the outer edge of the top wall 10a. The upper portion of the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 10b bulges radially inward to fit and hold a flange wall 1c, thereby holding the cylinder 1 in the cap 10. The inner peripheral surface of the cap 10 is provided with a female threaded portion 10c that screws into a male threaded portion provided on the mouth of a container. The cap 10 can be attached to a container by screwing the male threaded portion and the female threaded portion 10c together. Furthermore, the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 10b is provided with anti-rotation recesses 10d extending vertically, as shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG. 1. Multiple anti-rotation recesses 10d are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0024] The cap 10 also includes an elastic piece 10e that extends upward from the upper surface of the top wall 10a and is elastically deformable radially inward (see FIGS. 1, 2, 3A, and 3B). The elastic piece 10e shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 1 illustrates the elastic piece 10e in a state before it is deflected (i.e., the elastic piece 10e is not in contact with an extension 12e, described later, before the cap 10 and the head 12 are combined). In this embodiment, a total of four elastic pieces 10e are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. As described later, the elastic piece 10e is elastically deformed in a direction approaching the central axis O by the head 12 that is pressed when the contents are dispensed, and when the pressing force on the head 12 is released, the elastic piece 10e returns to its original position by its restoring force.

[0025] The elastic piece 10e includes a plate-shaped elastic piece main body 10f and a reinforcing rib 10g that is narrower than the elastic piece main body 10f (having a shorter circumferential length than the elastic piece main body 10f). The reinforcing rib 10g is provided on both circumferential ends of the elastic piece main body 10f. The elastic piece main body 10f of this embodiment has an arc-shaped outer peripheral portion 10h that is arc-shaped (with a curvature radius Ra) as shown in FIG. 3A.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3B , the reinforcing rib 10g includes a rib root portion 10j located at the base of the reinforcing rib 10g, a rib gradually changing portion 10k whose thickness gradually decreases from the rib root portion 10j toward the tip of the reinforcing rib 10g, and a rib tip portion 10m extending from the rib gradually changing portion 10k toward the tip of the reinforcing rib 10g. As shown in the figure, the rib root portion 10j extends in the vertical direction, and the thickness (radial length) of the rib root portion 10j is approximately the same as the thickness of the elastic piece main body 10f. The rib tip portion 10m also extends in the vertical direction and is thinner than the rib root portion 10j. The rib gradually changing portion 10k extends from the rib root portion 10j toward the rib tip portion 10m in a curved manner so that its thickness gradually decreases. Note that the rib gradually changing portion 10k is not limited to extending in a curved manner, but may extend linearly. Furthermore, the gradually changing rib portion 10k is not limited to a portion whose thickness changes continuously, but may extend in a stepped manner in a side view and have a thickness that changes in stages.

[0027] The cap 10 also includes a connecting portion 10n that connects adjacent elastic pieces 10e in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting portion 10n in this embodiment is a strip-like portion extending in an arc and connecting the upper ends of adjacent elastic pieces 10e. The outer diameter from the central axis O to the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion 10n is substantially the same as the outer diameter from the central axis O to the outer peripheral surface of the elastic piece 10e. When the head 12 is moved to the uppermost position (rearmost position) as shown in FIG. 1, the connecting portion 10n is located above (rearward of) a contact portion 12f (described later). As shown in the figure, a pair of connecting portions 10n are provided on either side of the central axis O. That is, the cap 10 in this embodiment includes a pair of portions, each of which is composed of two adjacent elastic pieces 10e and one connecting portion 10n connecting them, on either side of the central axis O. The connecting portions 10n are not limited to those extending in an arc shape as described above, but may be those extending linearly to connect the elastic pieces 10e together in the circumferential direction, for example.

[0028] When the elastic pieces 10e bend toward the central axis O, the circumferential lengths of adjacent elastic pieces 10e at the connecting portions 10n become shorter. Therefore, when the head 12 is pressed and the elastic pieces 10e bend, the connecting portions 10n also elastically deform. Therefore, when the pressing force on the head 12 is released, the head 12 can be restored by the restoring forces of the elastic pieces 10e and the connecting portions 10n. In other words, the force required to restore the head 12 can be obtained from both the elastic pieces 10e and the connecting portions 10n, so the restoring force exerted by the elastic pieces 10e can be reduced compared to when the head 12 is restored using only the elastic pieces. Note that, while a flexible elastic piece is prone to sagging when attempting to achieve a large restoring force, providing the elastic pieces 10e and the connecting portions 10n as in this embodiment reduces the restoring force exerted by the elastic pieces 10e as described above, thereby suppressing sagging of the elastic pieces 10e compared to when the head is restored using only the elastic pieces. Furthermore, the force required to deflect an elastic piece generally increases in proportion to the amount of deflection of the elastic piece. Therefore, as the desired restoring force increases, the rate of increase in the force required to deflect the elastic piece (the slope of the force increase) also increases. Therefore, if an elastic piece requiring a large restoring force is used in a pump-type dispenser, the rate of increase in the force required to press the head increases, resulting in a poor user experience. Even with an elastic piece requiring a large restoring force, the rate of increase in the force required to press the head can be reduced by increasing the length of the elastic piece, but this would increase the overall length of the pump-type dispenser. On the other hand, according to this embodiment, the restoring force exerted by the elastic piece 10e is reduced as described above, thereby maintaining a good user experience and preventing the pump-type dispenser 100 from becoming larger.

[0029] Furthermore, flexible elastic pieces generally undergo settling and a decrease in their restoring ability when constantly bent with a relatively large force. In contrast, in this embodiment, the base side of the elastic piece 10e is thickened by the rib base portion 10j, while the tip side is thinner than the base side. Therefore, the tip side of the elastic piece 10e is easily bent and the base side of the elastic piece 10e is less likely to bend, thereby suppressing settling of the base side of the elastic piece 10e. In this embodiment, the restoring force exerted by the elastic piece 10e to return the head 12 is adjusted so that it is exerted mainly at the base side of the elastic piece 10e, including the thickness of the rib base portion 10j. To adjust the restoring force of the elastic piece 10e, for example, the thickness (radial length) of the reinforcing rib 10g or the width (circumferential length) of the reinforcing rib 10g can be changed from the state shown in FIG. 3B to the state shown in FIG. 5.

[0030] Furthermore, the top wall 10a is provided with an outer annular wall 10p located radially outward of the elastic piece 10e and protruding upward from the top surface of the top wall 10a, as shown in Fig. 1. The outer annular wall 10p in this embodiment is located directly above the outer edge of the flange wall 1c, as shown in Fig. 1, and extends in an arc shape in plan view with a gap at the location where the connecting portion 10n extends, as shown in Fig. 3B. The outer annular wall 10p may also be annular without this gap.

[0031] The top wall 10a is provided with a circular inner first annular wall 10q located radially inward of the elastic piece 10e and protruding upward from the upper surface of the top wall 10a. In this embodiment, the inner first annular wall 10q protrudes upward from the edge of a through hole provided in the center of the top wall 10a. The protrusion amount of the inner first annular wall 10q (the length from the upper surface of the top wall 10a to the upper end surface of the inner first annular wall 10q) is approximately the same as the protrusion amount of the outer annular wall 10p. Furthermore, the top wall 10a is provided with a circular inner second annular wall 10r located radially at the position where the inner first annular wall 10q is provided (directly below the inner first annular wall 10q) and protruding downward from the lower surface of the top wall 10a.

[0032] The outer annular wall 10p, the first inner annular wall 10q, and the second inner annular wall 10r described above primarily function to prevent the inclination of the elastic piece 10e from changing when the pump-type dispenser 100 is attached to a container (not shown). Specifically, when the female threaded portion 10c is tightly fastened to the male threaded portion of the container, a strong force is applied to the top wall 10a from the upper end surface of the container's mouth via the packing 9 and the flange wall 1c. When the fastening is weak, the force applied to the top wall 10a becomes weaker. Therefore, the force applied to the top wall 10a varies depending on the degree to which the female threaded portion 10c is fastened to the male threaded portion, which changes the inclination of the elastic piece 10e. In contrast, in this embodiment, the outer annular wall 10p, the first inner annular wall 10q, and the second inner annular wall 10r provided on the top wall 10a make the top wall 10a less likely to deform, thereby suppressing the change in the inclination of the elastic piece 10e.

[0033] The cover 11 includes a cylindrical cover peripheral wall 11a. The cover peripheral wall 11a surrounds the peripheral wall 10b and the elastic piece 10e. A retaining projection 11b protruding radially inward is provided at the lower end of the cover peripheral wall 11a and engaging with the lower end of the peripheral wall 10b. A vertically extending rib 11c is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cover peripheral wall 11a. The lower portion of the rib 11c engages with a rotation-retaining recess 10d (see the partial enlarged view in FIG. 1), thereby preventing the cover 11 from rotating and being held by the cap 10. 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 retaining projection 11b engages with the lower end of the peripheral wall 10b as described above, thereby preventing the cover 11 from being removed from the cap 10. An inward flange 11d extending radially inward is provided at the upper end of the cover peripheral wall 11a.

[0034] The head 12 is cylindrical and includes a tubular portion 12a into which the stem 7a is inserted and fitted. A top portion 12b having a passage therein that leads to the tubular portion 12a is provided at the top of the tubular portion 12a. A nozzle 12c, which is cylindrical and extends radially outward, is provided at the top portion 12b and leads to a passage provided inside the top portion 12b. A discharge port 12d through which the content liquid is discharged by the pump-type dispenser 100 is provided at the tip of the nozzle 12c.

[0035] The head 12 also includes an extension portion 12e extending downward from the top portion 12b and the nozzle 12c. In this embodiment, the extension portion 12e is cylindrical and centered on the central axis O. As shown in FIG. 1, the lower portion of the extension portion 12e is inclined so as to widen radially outward as it extends generally downward, and the inner edge of this inclined portion contacts the outer circumferential surface of the elastic piece 10e (elastic piece main body 10f). Here, the portion of the extension portion 12e that contacts the elastic piece 10e is referred to as the contact portion 12f. The inner circumferential surface of the extension portion 12e where the contact portion 12f is provided is referred to as the arc-shaped inner circumferential portion 12g, and the radius of curvature of the arc-shaped inner circumferential portion 12g is referred to as Rb. In this embodiment, the radius of curvature Ra of the arc-shaped outer circumferential portion 10h of the elastic piece 10e is set to be smaller than the radius of curvature Rb of the arc-shaped inner circumferential portion 12g.

[0036] Nozzle cover 13 includes cover body 13a that surrounds the outer periphery and tip of nozzle 12c. Cover body 13a is provided with cover holder 13b that is C-shaped in a plan view, and cover holder 13b is held by extension 12e by moving it laterally from the opening of this C-shaped portion toward extension 12e.

[0037] In the pump-type dispenser 100 constructed using such components, before the head 12 is pressed, as shown in Fig. 1, the contact portion 12f of the extension portion 12e contacts the elastic piece 10e, causing the elastic piece 10e to bend slightly radially inward and the connection portion 10n to be slightly elastically deformed in the circumferential direction, with the head 12 moving to its upper limit (retraction limit). In this embodiment, the elastic piece 10e is thicker on the base side due to the rib base portion 10j of the reinforcing rib 10g, but is thinner on the tip side than the base side. Therefore, before the head 12 is pressed, the tip side of the elastic piece 10e bends, while the base side of the elastic piece 10e is less likely to bend, as shown in Fig. 1. As described above, the elastic force of the elastic piece 10e of this embodiment for returning the head 12 is adjusted to be exerted mainly on the base side of the elastic piece 10e, including the thickness of the rib base portion 10j, and therefore it is possible to suppress the effects of settling while maintaining the function of returning the head 12. Furthermore, when the head 12 is in the uppermost position, the force acting on the tip side of the elastic piece 10e is small before pressing the head 12, and therefore it is possible to mitigate the effects of settling on the tip side of the elastic piece 10e, which remains bent as shown in FIG.

[0038] When the head 12 is pressed from above to lower the head 12 (to advance the head 12 toward the cap 10), the stem 7a is pushed down together with the head 12 (the stem 7a advances toward the cap 10 along the central axis O). As the stem 7a is pushed down, the bottom 5b also descends via the connecting tube 5a, releasing the liquid-tight contact between the annular portion 5d and the lower part of the inner sliding piece 6c. When the head 12 is further pushed down, the piston 6 also descends along with the tubular member 7 and internal member 5, pressurizing the interior of the cylinder 1. 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 tubular portion 12a, the passages provided inside the top portion 12b, and the inside of the nozzle 12c, and is discharged from the discharge port 12d to the outside. When the head 12 is pressed and the piston 6 descends 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.

[0039] Furthermore, when the head 12 is pressed down, the contact portion 12f of the extension portion 12e that contacts the elastic piece 10e applies a pressing force to the elastic piece 10e, causing the elastic piece 10e to bend radially inward as shown in Fig. 4. The reinforcing rib 10g of this embodiment has a gradually changing rib portion 10k (see Fig. 3B), and the thickness of the reinforcing rib 10g gradually changes toward the rib base portion 10j, so that there is no sudden change in resistance when a pressing force is applied to the head 12, resulting in excellent operability.

[0040] As the elastic piece 10e bends radially inward, the connection portion 10n elastically deforms in the circumferential direction. If the contact portion 12f passes the connection portion 10n while the head 12 is being pressed down, the resistance acting on the head 12 may suddenly change. However, in this embodiment, the height at which the connection portion 10n is located is higher (rearward) than the contact portion 12f of the extension portion 12e when the head 12 is moved to the upper limit (rear limit) as shown in FIG. 1, so that good operability can be maintained.

[0041] Furthermore, the radius of curvature Ra (see FIG. 3A) of the arc-shaped outer peripheral portion 10h of the elastic piece 10e is set to be smaller than the radius of curvature Rb (see FIG. 1) of the arc-shaped inner peripheral portion 12g. That is, compared to when the radii of curvature Ra and Rb are equal, the contact area between the contact portion 12f and the elastic piece 10e is reduced, and the sliding resistance when the head 12 is pressed down is reduced, so that excessive force is not required when pressing the head 12.

[0042] Thereafter, when the pressure on head 12 is released, the elastic force of elastic piece 10e and connecting piece 10n, which have been elastically deformed, acts on head 12, causing head 12 to begin to rise. As a result, annular portion 5d and the lower portion of inner sliding piece 6c once again come into liquid-tight contact, and piston 6 rises together with internal member 5, reducing the pressure inside cylinder 1. As a result, valve body portion 2b moves away from bottom wall portion 1a, opening suction port 1d and allowing the liquid content within the container to be sucked into cylinder 1 through pipe 4. If head 12 is then pressed, the liquid content will again be discharged from discharge port 12d.

[0043] While one embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to Figures 1 to 5, this embodiment may be modified as follows: For example, the pump described above is merely an example, and cases in which other types of pumps are used are also included in the present invention.

[0044] The number of elastic pieces 10e and their positions are not limited to those of the above-described embodiment and can be changed as appropriate. The number of reinforcing ribs 10g and their positions are also not limited to those of the above-described embodiment and can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the reinforcing ribs 10g may not have rib tips 10m, and the upper ends of the rib gradually changing portions 10k may be directly connected to the inner circumferential surface of the elastic piece main body 10f. The outer circumferential surface of the elastic piece main body 10f is not limited to being arc-shaped in plan view as in this embodiment, but may be, for example, linear in plan view. The extension portion 12e is not limited to being cylindrical, but may be, for example, rectangular. The number of connecting portions 10n can also be changed according to the number of elastic pieces 10e.

[0045] For example, the elastic pieces 10e and the connecting portions 10n may be changed as shown in Figures 6A and 6B. The cap 10A shown in Figures 6A and 6B has a total of six elastic pieces 10e arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. And a total of three connecting portions 10n are provided. In other words, the cap 10A has a total of three portions arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, each portion being made up of two circumferentially adjacent elastic pieces 10e and one connecting portion 10n connecting them.

[0046] Furthermore, after extensive research into the operability of the head 12 depending on the number of elastic pieces 10e and connecting portions 10n, it was found that the feel of use was superior when there were two elastic pieces 10e and one connecting portion 10n (the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B) compared to the three elastic pieces 10e and one connecting portion 10n (the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B). Further research into this point revealed that as the number of elastic pieces 10e decreases, the length of the connecting portion 10n increases, which reduces the rate of increase in the force required to press the head 12 and elastically deform the connecting portion 10n (the slope of the force increase). This results in a gradual increase in the resistance felt when applying pressure to the head 12, resulting in an excellent feel of use. In addition, when we investigated the case where there is a total of one section made up of two elastic pieces 10e and one connecting part 10n in order to increase the length of the connecting part 10n, we found that the contact between the elastic piece 10e and the extending part 12e becomes uneven in the circumferential direction, which tends to cause the head 12 to tilt and rise, and therefore there is a risk that the head 12 may not return to the upper limit (retraction limit). Therefore, it is preferable that there are a total of two sections made up of two elastic pieces 10e and one connecting part 10n (a total of four elastic pieces 10e and a total of two connecting parts 10n).

[0047] Furthermore, although the elastic piece 10e in the above-described embodiment bends toward the central axis O, it may also be bends away from the central axis O. In the above-described embodiment, the elastic piece 10e is provided on the cap 10 and the extension portion 12e is provided on the head 12, but the extension portion 12e may be provided on the cap 10 and the elastic piece 10e may be provided on the head 12.

[0048] (Addendum) In one aspect, the present specification discloses the following technology.

[0049] (Technology 1) A pump-type dispenser (100) comprising: a cap (10) to be attached to the mouth of a container that contains liquid; a pump that is held at the mouth by the cap (10) and is driven by the back and forth movement of a stem (7a); and a head (12) that has a discharge port (12d) for discharging the liquid to the outside and is connected to the stem (7a), wherein the liquid in the container is discharged from the discharge port (12d) by moving the head (12) toward the cap (10), an extension portion (12e) extending toward the other of the head (12) and the cap (10) is provided on either the head (12) or the cap (10); A pump-type discharger (100) is provided with a plurality of elastic pieces (10e) on either the head (12) or the cap (10), the elastic pieces (10e) being deflected by the extension portions (12e) when the head (12) is advanced toward the cap (10), and connecting portions (10n) circumferentially connecting adjacent elastic pieces (10e) to each other.

[0050] With this technology, when the head is pressed, the elastic piece is bent by the extension, and the bent elastic piece returns to its original position. Furthermore, because the elastic piece described above is used instead of a metal coil spring, there is no need to separate the metal parts after use, as is required with conventional pump-type dispensers. Furthermore, the resin parts can be reused as they are, resulting in excellent recyclability. Furthermore, the force required to return the head can be exerted by both the elastic piece and the connection part. Therefore, the restoring force exerted by the elastic piece can be reduced compared to when the head is returned using only the elastic piece. As a result, the elastic piece can be prevented from sagging compared to when the head is returned using only the elastic piece. This maintains a good usability and does not lead to an increase in the size of the pump-type dispenser.

[0051] (Technology 2) The pump-type discharger (100) according to Art 1, wherein the connection portion (10n) is located rearward of the portion where the extension portion (12e) contacts the elastic piece (10e) when the head (12) is moved to the most retracted position.

[0052] With this technology, the contact portion does not pass through the connection portion while the head is being pressed down, and therefore the resistance force acting on the head 12 does not change suddenly, so good operability can be maintained.

[0053] (Technology 3) The elastic piece (10e) includes an elastic piece main body (10f) and a reinforcing rib (10g) that is narrower than the elastic piece main body (10f), The pump-type discharger (100) according to Art 1, wherein the reinforcing rib (10g) has a rib root portion (10j) located on the root side of the reinforcing rib (10g), and a rib gradually changing portion (10k) whose thickness gradually decreases from the rib root portion (10j) toward the tip side of the reinforcing rib (10g).

[0054] With this technology, the base side of the elastic piece is thicker due to the rib base portion, while the tip side is thinner than the base side, so the tip side of the elastic piece is more flexible and the base side of the elastic piece is less flexible, thereby suppressing settling of the base side of the elastic piece.In addition, because the thickness of the reinforcing rib gradually changes toward the rib base portion due to the rib gradual change portion, there is no sudden change in resistance when applying pressure to the head, resulting in excellent operability.

[0055] (Technology 4) The pump-type discharger (100) according to Art 1, wherein the number of the elastic pieces (10e) is four and the number of the connecting portions (10n) is two.

[0056] This technology allows the resistance felt when applying pressure to the head to increase gradually, providing an excellent feel when using the club, and also allows the head to be returned to its retracted position stably.

[0057] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this specific embodiment, and unless otherwise limited in the above description, various modifications and variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the claims. For example, the configurations of the above-described embodiment may be added or deleted as appropriate, and the configurations of one embodiment may be incorporated into other embodiments. Furthermore, the effects of the above-described embodiment are merely examples of the effects that can be obtained from the present invention. In other words, the effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described effects, and additional effects may be obtained in addition to the above-described effects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 7a:Stem 10: Cap 10e: Elastic piece 10f: Elastic piece body 10g: Reinforcement rib 10j: Rib base 10k: Rib gradual change part 10n:Connection 11c: Rib 12: Head 12d: Discharge port 12e: Extension part 100: Pump type dispenser

Claims

1. A pump-type dispenser comprising: a cap attached to the mouth of a container that contains liquid; 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 that discharges the liquid to the outside and is connected to the stem, wherein the liquid in the container is discharged from the discharge port by moving the head toward the cap, an extension portion extending toward the other of the head and the cap is provided on one of the head and the cap; A pump-type dispenser in which the other of the head and the cap is provided with a plurality of elastic pieces that are deflected by the extension portion when the head is advanced toward the cap, and a connecting portion that circumferentially connects adjacent elastic pieces to each other.

2. 2. The pump-type dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portion is located rearward of a portion where the extending portion contacts the elastic piece when the head is moved to the most retracted position.

3. The elastic piece includes an elastic piece main body and a reinforcing rib that is narrower than the elastic piece main body, 2. The pump-type discharger according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing rib has a rib root portion located on the root side of the reinforcing rib and a rib gradual change portion whose thickness gradually decreases from the rib root portion toward the tip side of the reinforcing rib.

4. 2. The pump-type dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the number of said elastic pieces is four and the number of said connecting portions is two.

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