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 pump mechanism 20, a stem 22, a discharge head 23, an operation lever 24, a stopper member 30 that sets the operation lever a locking state and an unlocking state, and a support part 15. The stopper member 30 has an operation main surface 31, an operation side surface 32 having an opening part 32A, a regulating part 33, a widening part 34 and a sprig part 32B. The support part 15 has a locking protrusion 16 which is locked with a rotary shaft 15a of the operation lever 24 and a shaft part 13a of the stopper member 30. 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 pulling the stopper member 30 rearward so that the member separates from the support part 15, the operation lever is 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). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2019-98241 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] 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.

[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; 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 depressing 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 depressed when the operating lever is rotated in one direction, and to an unlocked state that allows the discharge head to be depressed 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 openings and connected to the main operation surface, a restricting portion provided to be able to fit onto the stem, an enlarged portion that rotatably supports the stem, and a spring portion that displaces a gap between the operation side surfaces and the enlarged portion; the support portion has a rotation shaft that rotatably supports the operating lever, a shaft portion that rotatably supports the stopper member, and a locking protrusion that is disposed within the opening, 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 it can switch from the unlocked state to the locked state when the stopper member is pulled rearward away from the support portion. In the first aspect of the present invention, when a dispensing operation is performed with the operating lever, the stopper provided on the mounting cap (11) rotates together with the stopper, preventing the device from unintentionally switching from the unlocked state to the locked state, allowing the dispensing operation to be continued. Also, when the operating side surface is pulled backward in the unlocked state, the spring portion elastically deforms, widening the gap between the operating side surface and the widened portion, allowing the device to smoothly return to the locked state while avoiding interference between the locking piece and the notched locking portion.

[0007] The second means of the present invention is the above-mentioned first means plus a means in which the switching prevention mechanism is composed of a locking piece extending from the rear end of the operating side to the front end within the opening, and a notched locking portion formed in the locking protrusion. With the above means, the switching prevention mechanism can be made simple in structure.

[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 present invention, when a discharge operation is performed using the operating lever, the stopper member is prevented from rotating together with the operating lever and unintentionally switching from an unlocked state to a locked state, so that the discharge operation can be continued. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a discharge container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a dispenser according to the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 1(a) is a side view of the discharge container showing a locked state, and FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 1(a) is a side view of the discharge container showing an unlocked state, and FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 5] 10A to 10C are side views of the discharge container showing the first operation procedure when returning to the locked state. [Figure 6] 6 is a side view of the discharge container showing the operation procedure following FIG. 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of a discharge container according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a discharger according to the present invention.

[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 2, a support portion 15 extending from the rear side surface is formed integrally with the middle cylinder portion 13, and convex shaft portions 13a are protruding from both the 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, and a convex rotation shaft 15a protrudes from the upper end of each side surface 15B, and a locking protrusion 16 protrudes from each side surface 15B. The locking protrusion 16 is located below the rotation shaft 15a, and a notched locking portion 16a is formed by cutting out a portion of the locking protrusion 16.

[0017] 1, 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 content liquid within the container body 2 from the lower end of the suction tube 21 through the stem 22 by gripping and releasing the operating lever 24 back and forth, and then discharge the content liquid 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. 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] 2, 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] 2, 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 the left and right sides of the main operation surface 31 and having a generally fan-like shape in a side view, and disposed opposite the outside of 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"; the opposite side is referred to as the "rear end") of the pair of operation side surfaces 32. A pair of widened portions 34 are connected to the lower ends of the pair of operation side surfaces 32, respectively, and are configured to rotatably support the stopper member 30 by widening the gap between them in the left-right direction. Each of the pair of widened portions 34 is formed with a shaft hole 35 into which the shaft portion 13a is inserted. Furthermore, a contact portion 31B is formed by cutting out a portion of the lower end of the main operation surface 31.

[0022] The operation side surface 32 is also formed with a large opening 32A. At the lower end of the opening 32A, an inverted U-shaped spring portion 32B is integrally formed. The spring portion 32B is capable of displacing the distance between the operation side surface 32 and the widened portion 34 by elastically deforming in the front-rear direction. A locking piece 32a having a substantially arc-shaped pointed end is also provided within the opening 32A. The locking piece 32a extends from the rear end (main operation surface 31) of the operation side surface 32 toward the front end. The locking piece 32a is configured to be flexible and deformable in the radial direction toward the shaft hole 35. A locking protrusion 16 protruding from the support portion 15 is provided in the opening 32A.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] Figure 3(a) is a side view of the discharge container showing the locked state, Figure 3(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 3(a), Figure 4(a) is a side view of the discharge container showing the unlocked state, Figure 4(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Figure 4(a), Figure 5 is a side view of the discharge container showing the first operating procedure when returning to the locked state, and Figure 6 is a side view of the discharge container showing the operating procedure following Figure 5.

[0026] As shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), the locked state is when the stopper member 30 is pushed up and the main operating surface 31 is rotated to the farthest side (counterclockwise) and comes into contact with or close to the support part 15, and as shown in Figures 4(a) and (b), the unlocked, non-locked state is when the stopper member 30 is pushed down and the main operating surface 31 is rotated to the farthest side (clockwise) and comes away from the support part 15.

[0027] 3(a), in the locked state, the semi-cylindrical portion 33A constituting the restricting portion 33 is fitted from the rear to the stem 22, and is sandwiched from above and below between the lower surface of the head rear portion 23C and the upper end of the upper cylindrical portion 14. This makes it impossible to press down the ejection head 23, and therefore restricts the ejection operation of the ejector 10.

[0028] When the upper end 31A of the stopper member 30 is pressed down in the locked state, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the stopper member 30 rotates clockwise in the other direction, causing the main operation surface 31 to move rearward away from the back surface 15A, and the abutment portion 31B provided at the lower 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. This allows the dispenser 10 to be set to an unlocked state in which the ejection head 23 can be pressed down. Therefore, the content liquid can be ejected by pulling the operating lever 24.

[0029] In addition, in the unlocked state, the tip of the locking piece 32a provided on the stopper member 30 locks into the notched locking portion 16a of the locking protrusion 16 formed on the support portion 15, restricting the stopper member 30 from rotating in one counterclockwise direction, and setting the dispenser 10 to an locked state that prevents it from switching to the locked state.

[0030] Therefore, when the operating lever is pulled to perform the discharge operation in the unlocked state, the stopper member 30 is rotated in the pushing back direction (one counterclockwise direction) together with the operating lever, preventing the device from unintentionally switching to the locked state and allowing the discharge operation to be continued. In this way, the locking piece 32a provided on the stopper member 30 and the notched locking portion 16a of the locking projection 16 protruding from 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 when in the unlocked state.

[0031] Next, to return the dispenser 10 from the unlocked state to the locked state, it is necessary to release the locking state between the locking piece 32a and the notched locking portion 16a that constitute the switching prevention mechanism A, and to set the stopper member 30 in an unlocked state that allows it to rotate in one direction (counterclockwise). To do this, as shown in Figure 5, the operating side surface 32 of the stopper member 30 is pinched from both sides and pulled backward. This causes the spring portion 32B to elastically deform, widening the gap between the operating side surface 32 and the widened portion 34, and the locking piece 32a moves backward away from the notched locking portion 16a, thereby setting the switching prevention mechanism A in an unlocked state.

[0032] 6, when the stopper member 30 is pushed up in one direction (counterclockwise) while being pulled backward, the locking piece 32a avoids interference with the notched locking portion 16a, slides over the upper side of the locking projection 16, and rotates while pushing up the stopper member 30. When the stopper member 30 is further rotated in one direction (counterclockwise), the semi-cylindrical portion 33A constituting the restricting portion 33 engages with the stem 22 from the rear, and the dispenser 10 can be smoothly returned to the locked state (see FIG. 3(a)).

[0033] 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.

[0034] For example, in the above embodiment, the upper end 31A of the stopper member 30 is used as a method for rotating the stopper member 30 in the other direction (clockwise direction) to change from a locked state to an unlocked state. However, the stopper member 30 may also be rotated by pinching the locking rib 38, which is provided at the front end of the operating side surface 32 and on the outer surface (both left and right outer surfaces) thereof, from both the left and right sides using, for example, the thumb and index finger, from both the left and right sides, or by pressing and holding the pair of operating side surfaces 32 with, for example, the pads of the thumb and index finger from both the left and right sides, respectively, to rotate the stopper member 30.

[0035] Furthermore, 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 spring portion 32B is described as having an inverted U-shape, but it may have other shapes such as an inverted V-shape or an M-shape.

[0037] 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]

[0038] 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]

[0039] 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 16: Locking protrusion 16a: Notch locking part 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: Upper end 31B: Contact part 32: Operation side 32A: Opening 32B: Spring part 32a: Locking piece 33: Regulation Department 33A: Half cylinder part 34: Widened section 35: Shaft hole 38: Locking rib A: Switching prevention mechanism 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) that, when the operating lever (24) is rotated in one direction, sets the operating lever (24) to a locked state that restricts the discharge head (23) from being pressed down, and, when the operating lever (24) is rotated in the other direction, sets the operating lever (24) to an unlocked state that allows the discharge head (23) to be pressed down; 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 an opening (32A) and connected to the main operation surface (31), a restricting portion (33) provided so as to be able to fit onto the stem (22), a widening portion (34) that rotatably supports the stem (22), and a spring portion (32B) that displaces the distance between the operation side surfaces (32) and the widening portion (34), 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 projection (16) that is disposed within the opening (32A), 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 discharger is characterized in that the switching prevention mechanism (A) can be switched from the unlocked state to the locked state when the stopper member (30) is pulled backward away from the support portion (15).

2. 2. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the switching prevention mechanism (A) is composed of a locking piece (32a) extending from the rear end of the operating side surface (32) toward the front end within the opening (32A) and a notched locking portion (16a) formed on the locking protrusion (16).

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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