Discharger

Abstract

To provide a discharger in which operability of a stopper member that switches an operation lever between a locking state and an unlocking state is improved.SOLUTION: A discharger is provided with an attachment cap 11, a stem 22, a discharge head 23 and an operation lever 24, a stopper member 30 that sets the operation lever in a locking state and an unlocking state, and a support part 15. The stopper member 30 has an oscillation plate 37 which comprises an operation main surface 31, an operation side surface 32 having through-holes 36, a regulating part 33 and regulation holding parts 37b. The support part 15 has locking protrusions 15b which are locked with a rotary shaft 15a of the operation lever 24, a shaft part 13a of the stopper member 30 and the regulating holding part 37b. A switching prevention mechanism A that prevents the operation lever from switching from an unlocking state to a locking state is provided between the stopper member 30 and the support part 15. When the switching prevention mechanism A performs operation of pushing in the oscillation plate 37, locking of the regulating holding part 37b with the locking protrusions 15b is released to enable the operation lever to be switched from the unlocking state to the locking state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dispenser provided with a stopper member that restricts operation of an operating lever. [Background technology]

[0002] When an operating lever (trigger lever) is operated, a stem with a discharge head is depressed in conjunction with the operation, driving a pump mechanism, and the liquid contents are sucked up from the container body through the stem and then discharged from the discharge head. In this discharger, in order to prevent leakage of the liquid contents due to incorrect operation of the operating lever, a stopper member that restricts and releases the operating lever is swingably mounted relative to a second support recess formed in a pair of side walls of the support part, and is switchable between a locked state that restricts downward movement of the discharge head and an unlocked state that swings backward from the locked state to allow downward movement of the discharge head (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] However, in the dispenser described in Patent Document 1, the stopper member is configured to swing within the narrow space between the stem and the support part, and is located in a hidden, difficult-to-operate position between the operating lever and the support part, so the stopper member needs to be small, and there is still room for improvement in the operability (usability) when locking and unlocking the stopper member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2019-98241 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, an object of the present invention is to create a dispenser in which the operability of a stopper member for switching an operating lever between a locked state and an unlocked state is improved. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Among the means for solving the above problems, the first means of the present invention is: a pump mechanism for sucking up the liquid content from the container body (2); a stem provided so as to be movable up and down relative to the pump mechanism; a discharge head connected to the upper end of the stem and discharging the liquid content sucked up through the stem; an operating lever for pressing down the discharge head to drive the pump mechanism; a stopper member for setting the operating lever to a locked state that restricts the discharge head from being pressed down when the operating lever is rotated in one direction, and to an unlocked state that allows the discharge head to be pressed down when the operating lever is rotated in the other direction; and a support portion provided on the mounting cap for rotatably supporting the operating lever and the stopper member, the stopper member has a main operation surface, a pair of operation side surfaces having through holes and connected to the main operation surface, a restricting portion provided so as to be able to fit onto the stem, and a rocking plate having a restricting holding portion and connected so as to be able to rock within the through holes, the support portion has a rotation shaft that rotatably supports the operation lever, a shaft portion that rotatably supports the stopper member, and a locking protrusion that can be locked to the restricting holding portion in the unlocked state, the stopper member and the support portion are provided with a switching prevention mechanism that prevents the state from being switched from the unlocked state to the locked state when the operating lever is operated, The switching prevention mechanism is characterized in that when the rocking plate is pushed in, the engagement between the regulating holding portion and the locking protrusion is released, making it possible to switch from the unlocked state to the locked state. The first means of the present invention prevents the stopper member from rotating together with the operating lever when the discharge operation is performed, thereby preventing the stopper member from unintentionally switching from an unlocked state to a locked state, allowing the discharge operation to be performed continuously.

[0007] The second means of the present invention is the above-mentioned first means plus the means in which a gently sloping portion is formed on the inner surface of the oscillating plate, the portion being gradually thinner from the regulating and holding portion. With the above-mentioned means, when the stopper portion is rotated in the other direction (clockwise) to put it in the unlocked state, the gently sloping portion comes into contact with the locking protrusion and the front of the rocking plate is pushed open, so that the stopper member can automatically return to the locked state which prevents it from switching to the unlocked state.

[0008] A third aspect of the present invention is any one of the above aspects, further comprising the addition that the restricting portion is formed of a semi-cylindrical portion having a substantially semi-cylindrical shape. With the above means, the stem can be fitted from the rear, so that the locked state can be easily set. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] In the dispenser of the present invention, when a dispense operation is performed using the operating lever, the stopper member rotates along with the operating lever, preventing the stopper member from unintentionally switching from an unlocked state to a locked state, and allowing the dispense operation to be performed continuously, thereby improving the operability of the stopper member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a discharge container showing an unlocked state according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a side view of the discharge container showing a locked state. [Figure 3] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a dispenser according to the present invention; [Figure 4]2A and 2B are cross-sectional views taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, in which (a) is a cross-sectional view of the switch prevention mechanism showing the locked state, and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the operation when switching to the unlocked state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a side view of a discharge container showing an unlocked state as an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a side view of the same discharge container showing a locked state, Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a discharger according to the present invention, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 1, where (a) is a cross-sectional view of the switch prevention mechanism showing the locked state, and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the operation when switching to the unlocked state.

[0012] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the discharge container 1 comprises a cylindrical container body 2 with a bottom that contains a liquid, and a discharger 10 that is detachably attached to the mouth portion 3 of the container body 2, all of which are made of a predetermined synthetic resin material.

[0013] Discharger 10 includes an attachment cap 11, a pump mechanism 20, a suction tube 21, a stem 22, a discharge head 23, an operating lever 24, and a stopper member 30. Discharger 10 in this embodiment is a trigger-type liquid sprayer in which, by gripping operating lever 24, discharge head 23 is lowered and the liquid content is sprayed from the tip of nozzle portion 23A of discharge head 23. The liquid content contained in container body 2 may be, for example, a lotion, a cleanser, an alcohol-based disinfectant, etc., but is not limited to these.

[0014] In the following description, the direction in which the stem 22 extends along the container axis O is referred to as the up-down direction, with the container body 2 side in the up-down direction being referred to as the bottom, and the discharge head 23 side being referred to as the top. A direction perpendicular to the up-down direction is referred to as the front-rear direction, and a direction perpendicular to both the up-down direction and the front-rear direction is referred to as the left-right direction. In the front-rear direction, the side from which the content liquid is discharged from the tip of the discharge head 23 is referred to as the front, and the opposite side is referred to as the rear. Note that Figure 1 is a side view of the discharge container 1 as seen from the left, and corresponds to a view in which the container body 2 is broken away to show its internal structure.

[0015] The attachment cap 11 is formed by stacking a lower cylinder portion 12, a middle cylinder portion 13, and an upper cylinder portion 14, each having a different diameter, coaxially in the height direction. The middle cylinder portion 13 and the upper cylinder portion 14 are formed integrally and fitted onto a fitting cylinder at the upper end of the cylinder 20A. The lower cylinder portion 12, which has the largest diameter, is detachably attached to the container body 2 by screwing it onto the opening 3 of the container body 2.

[0016] As shown in Figure 3, a support portion 15 extending from the rear side surface is integrally formed with the middle cylinder portion 13, and convex shaft portions 13a are provided on both left and right side surfaces of the middle cylinder portion 13. The support portion 15 is configured with a back surface 15A that extends in an upwardly sloping manner and left and right side surfaces 15B, with convex rotation shafts 15a protruding from the upper ends of both side surfaces 15B and locking projections 15b protruding from the middle portions of both side surfaces 15B. The locking projections 15b are provided on a rotation locus L of a restricting holding portion 37b provided on a swing plate 37, which will be described later.

[0017] 1 and 2, the pump mechanism 20 is configured to include a cylinder 20A and a piston (not shown) disposed within the cylinder 20A. The pump mechanism 20 is configured to suck up the liquid content within the container body 2 from the lower end of the suction tube 21 through the stem 22 and further discharge it to the outside from the tip of the nozzle portion 23A of the discharge head 23 connected to the upper end of the stem 22 by performing a reciprocating operation by gripping and releasing the operating lever 24 in the forward and backward directions. The suction tube 21 extends downward from the cylinder 20A, and its lower end is located near the bottom of the container body 2.

[0018] The stem 22 extends upward from the cylinder 20A and protrudes upward through the lower cylindrical portion 12, middle cylindrical portion 13, and upper cylindrical portion 14 of the attachment cap 11. The lower portion of the stem 22 is connected to a piston (not shown) in the cylinder 20A, so that when the stem 22 descends, the piston also descends within the cylinder 20A. A biasing member (not shown) that biases the stem 22 and the piston upward is disposed within the cylinder 20A, and the stem 22 is configured to be able to move up and down integrally with the discharge head 23.

[0019] 3, the discharge head 23 is configured to have a connecting portion 23B connected to the upper end of the stem 22, a nozzle portion 23A extending forward from the connecting portion 23B, and a head rear portion 23C protruding rearward from the connecting portion 23B. A flow path (not shown) is formed inside the nozzle portion 23A, which communicates with the stem 22 via the connecting portion 23B.

[0020] The operating lever 24 has shaft holes 24a formed in the rear positions of the left and right side walls 24A, and is rotatably supported on the support part 15 via a rotation shaft 15a inserted into these shaft holes 24a. When the tip of the operating lever 24 is pulled rearward, the operating lever 24 rotates counterclockwise around the rotation shaft 15a, and at this time, a part of the operating lever 24 presses down on the nozzle part 23A, making it possible to press down the discharge head 23. The operating lever 24 is also formed with a window part 24B through which the nozzle part 23A of the discharge head 23 is inserted forward.

[0021] 3, the stopper member 30 is integrally formed with a main operation surface 31 disposed opposite the back surface 15A at a rear position outside the support portion 15, a pair of operation side surfaces 32 connected to both left and right sides of the main operation surface 31 and having a generally fan-like shape in side view and disposed opposite both side surfaces 15B of the support portion 15, and a restricting portion 33 provided at the front end (hereinafter referred to as the "front end") of the pair of operation side surfaces 32. A pair of widened portions 34 formed by widening the distance between the pair of operation side surfaces 32 in the left-right direction are connected to the lower ends of the pair of operation side surfaces 32, and each of the pair of widened portions 34 is formed with a shaft hole 35 into which the shaft portion 13a is inserted. A contact portion 31B is formed by cutting out a portion of the lower end of the main operation surface 31.

[0022] A roughly oval through-hole 36 is formed in the pair of operation side surfaces 32, and a long, plate-like swing plate 37 is disposed within this through-hole 36. The swing plate 37 is integrally connected to the inner edge of the through-hole 36 via support connectors 37a provided at two locations, upper and lower, and is capable of swinging left and right within the through-hole 36 with the upper and lower support connectors 37a as fulcrums.

[0023] 4(a) and 4(b), the rocking plate 37 has a thick-walled restrictor holding portion 37b formed at the front end of the support connecting portion 37a, and a gently sloping portion 37c formed on the inner surface of the rocking plate 37 so as to gradually become thinner from the restrictor holding portion 37b toward the rear, and an uneven portion 37d for preventing slippage is formed on the outer surface rearward of the support connecting portion 37a, and the rocking plate 37 protrudes outward from the operation side surface 32. The front end surface of the restrictor holding portion 37b is formed concave in side view (see FIG. 1).

[0024] The restricting portion 33 is integrally formed between (inside) the front ends of the pair of operation side surfaces 32. The restricting portion 33 is formed by a semi-cylindrical half-cylinder portion 33A that can be set to a locked state by fitting from the rear of the stem 22. In the locked state, the upper end of the semi-cylinder portion 33A that constitutes the restricting portion 33 abuts against the lower surface of the head rear portion 23C of the discharge head 23, and at the same time, the lower surface of the semi-cylinder portion 33A abuts against the upper end of the upper cylinder portion 14, thereby restricting the operation of pressing down the operation lever 24.

[0025] The stopper member 30 is supported so that it can rotate in one direction (counterclockwise) and the other direction (clockwise) by sandwiching the middle tube portion 13 on both the left and right sides with a pair of widening portions 34 provided at the bottom of a pair of operating side surfaces 32, and inserting the shaft portion 13a on the middle tube portion 13 side into the shaft hole 35 formed in each widening portion 34.

[0026] In the dispenser 10, the state in which the stopper member 30 is pushed down and the main operation surface 31 is rotated to the other end (clockwise) to the farthest position away from the support part 15 is the unlocked state (see FIG. 1), and the state in which the stopper member 30 is pushed up and the main operation surface 31 is rotated to the other end (counterclockwise) to the farthest position approaching the support part 15 is the locked state (see FIG. 2). The stopper member 30 can be pushed down by pushing down the upper end 31A, or by pushing down while gripping the operation side surface 32 or the locking rib 38. The stopper member 30 can also be pushed up by pushing down the swing plate 37 and pushing up together with the operation side surface 32, as will be described later.

[0027] 1, in the unlocked state, the main operating surface 31 of the stopper member 30 is spaced rearward from the rear surface 15A of the support part 15. The semi-cylindrical part 33A constituting the restricting part 33 is also spaced rearward from the stem 22. This allows the ejection head 23 to be pushed down, and therefore, the content liquid can be ejected by pulling the operating lever 24 to perform the ejection operation.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 and 4(a), in the unlocked state, the rocking plate 37 is positioned in front of the through hole 36, and the restricting holding portion 37b engages the locking protrusions 15b formed on both side surfaces 15B from the rear, so that the stopper member 30 is set in an engaged state that restricts it from rotating in one direction and prevents it from switching to the locked state.

[0029] Therefore, when the operating lever is pulled to perform the discharge operation as in the conventional case, the stopper member 30 is rotated in the pushing back direction (one counterclockwise direction) together with the operating lever, which prevents the stopper member 30 from unintentionally switching to the locked state, making it possible to continue the discharge operation. In this way, the restricting holding portion 37b provided on the rocking plate 37 and the locking protrusions 15b protruding from both side surfaces 15B of the support portion 15 constitute a switching prevention mechanism A that prevents the stopper member 30 from rotating to one side and switching to the locked state.

[0030] Next, to change the dispenser 10 from the unlocked state to the locked state, it is necessary to release the locking state of the swing plate 37 that constitutes the switching prevention mechanism A and set the stopper member 30 to an unlocked state where it can be rotated in one direction (counterclockwise). To do this, as shown in FIG. 4(b), on both operation side surfaces 32 of the stopper member 30, the rear concave-convex portions 37d are pinched from both sides and pushed into the through-holes 36 to swing the swing plate 37 in a V-shape, widening the opposing spacing of the front restricting and holding portions 37b and separating them from both side surfaces 15B of the support portion 15. This sets the swing plate 37 to an unlocked state where the restricting and holding portions 37b are separated from the locking projections 15b, allowing the stopper member 30 to rotate in one direction (counterclockwise), thereby switching to the locked state.

[0031] 2, in the locked state, the main operating surface 31 of the stopper member 30 is in contact with or in close proximity to the rear surface 15A of the support part 15. The semi-cylindrical part 33A constituting the restricting part 33 is fitted onto the stem 22 from the rear, and is sandwiched from above and below between the lower surface of the head rear part 23C and the upper end of the upper cylindrical part 14. This makes it impossible to press down the discharge head 23, making it possible to restrict the discharge operation of the dispenser 10.

[0032] 1, when the stopper member 30 is pressed down, the stopper member 30 rotates clockwise in the other direction, causing the main operation surface 31 to move rearward away from the rear surface 15A, and the abutment portion 31B provided at the bottom end of the main operation surface 31 abuts against the outer edge of the lower cylindrical portion 12 constituting the attachment cap 11, restricting further rotation in the other direction. At the same time, the semi-cylindrical portion 33A constituting the restricting portion 33 moves rearward away from the stem 22, allowing the stem 22 to move up and down. Therefore, the state of the dispenser 10 can be set to an unlocked state in which the ejection head 23 can be pressed down.

[0033] When the stopper member 30 rotates, the rocking plates 37 provided on each of the pair of operation side surfaces 32 of the stopper member 30 also rotate integrally. As shown in FIG. 2, the locking protrusions 15b protruding from both side surfaces 15B of the support portion 15 are located on the rotation trajectory L of the restricting holding portions 37b provided on the rocking plate 37. Therefore, when the stopper member 30 is rotated in the other direction (clockwise) to change from the locked state shown in FIG. 2 to the unlocked state shown in FIG. 1, in the switching prevention mechanism A, the gently inclined surfaces 37c provided on the inner surface of the rocking plate 37 come into contact with the locking protrusions 15b, and as the stopper member 30 rotates in the other direction, the rocking plate 37 is swung in a V-shape, pushing the front open. Then, the gently inclined surfaces 37c slide forward over the heads of the locking protrusions 15b, and the rocking plates 37 return from the V-shape to their original state in which they are parallel to each other. That is, when the switching prevention mechanism A is in the unlocked state (see FIGS. 2 and 4(b)), rotating the stopper member 30 in the other direction (clockwise) to change the dispenser 10 from the locked state to the unlocked state automatically returns the switching prevention mechanism A to the locked state (see FIGS. 1 and 4(a)). In the locked state, the locking projection 15b is held between the recessed restricting holding portion 37b and the arc-shaped end of the through-hole 36 (see FIGS. 1 and 4(a)).

[0034] The configuration and effects of the present invention have been described above in accordance with the examples, but the present invention is not limited to the above examples.

[0035] For example, in the above embodiment, the middle tube portion 13 and the upper tube portion 14 that constitute the mounting cap 11 are formed integrally, and the lower tube portion 12 is formed separately from these, but the lower tube portion 12, middle tube portion 13, and upper tube portion 14 may also be formed integrally.

[0036] In the above embodiment, the case where the container body 2 is made of a synthetic resin material has been described, but it may also be made of glass, metal, or the like. [Industrial Applicability]

[0037] The present invention can be used in a wider range of applications in the field of dispensers in which the content liquid is dispensed by operating an operating lever. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1:Discharge container 2: Container body 3: Mouth 10: Dispenser 11: Mounting cap 12: Lower cylinder part 13: Middle cylinder part 13a:Shaft part 14: Upper cylinder part 15: Support part 15A: Back 15B: Side 15a: Rotating axis 15b: Locking protrusion 20: Pump mechanism 20A: Cylinder 21: Suction tube 22: Stem 23: Discharge head 23A: Nozzle part 23B:Connection part 23C: Rear of head 24: Control lever 24A: Side wall 24B: Window section 24a: Shaft hole 30: Stopper member 31: Main operation surface 31A: Top 31B: When the connection 32: Operation side 33: Regulatory Department 33A: Half cylinder 34: widening part 35: shaft hole 36: Through hole 37: Swing board 37a: Support connection part 37b: Regulatory Maintenance Department 37c: Gentle slope 37d: Concave and convex part 38: tie stop リブ A: Cutting prevention mechanism L: Return trajectory O : container axis

Claims

1. a stem (22) provided so as to be movable up and down relative to the pump mechanism (20); a discharge head (23) connected to the upper end of the stem (22) and discharging the liquid content drawn up through the stem (22); an operating lever (24) for pressing down the discharge head (23) to drive the pump mechanism (20); a stopper member (30) for setting the operating lever (24) to a locked state that restricts the discharge head (23) from being pressed down when the operating lever (24) is rotated in one direction, and to an unlocked state that allows the discharge head (23) to be pressed down when the operating lever (24) is rotated in the other direction; and a support portion (15) provided on the mounting cap (11) for rotatably supporting the operating lever (24) and the stopper member (30), The stopper member (30) has a main operation surface (31), a pair of operation side surfaces (32) having through holes (36) and connected to the main operation surface (31), a restricting portion (33) provided so as to be able to fit onto the stem (22), and a swing plate (37) having a restricting holding portion (37b) and swingably connected within the through hole (36), The support portion (15) has a rotation shaft (15a) that rotatably supports the operating lever (24), a shaft portion (13a) that rotatably supports the stopper member (30), and a locking protrusion (15b) that can be locked to the restricting holding portion (37b) in the unlocked state, The stopper member (30) and the support portion (15) are provided with a switching prevention mechanism (A) that prevents the state from switching from the unlocked state to the locked state when the operating lever (24) is operated, The switch prevention mechanism (A) is characterized in that, when the rocking plate (37) is pushed in, the engagement between the regulating holding portion (37b) and the locking protrusion (15b) is released, thereby making it possible to switch from the unlocked state to the locked state.

2. 2. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the swing plate (37) is formed with a gentle slope (37c) which is gradually thinned from the restricting and holding portion (37b).

3. 3. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the restricting portion (33) is formed of a semi-cylindrical portion (33A) having a substantially semi-cylindrical shape.

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