Discharge device

Abstract

To increase the number of times of discharges of a content from a discharge device by operating a trigger lever one time.SOLUTION: A discharge device includes: an intermittent discharge unit 22; a piston guide 130; a piston 140; a discharge stem 150; a first biasing member 171; and a second biasing member 172. The intermittent discharge unit 22 has a first pressure chamber 110 therein. The piston 140 may move forward relative to the piston guide 130 to form an outflow passage 115 of a content of the first pressure chamber 110. When the piston guide 130 moves to a foremost position against a biasing force of the first biasing member 171, the piston 140 may move forward relative to the piston guide 130 against a biasing force of the second biasing member 172. An amount of the content discharged from the discharge stem 150 is larger than an amount of the content flowing into the first pressure chamber 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention relates to a dispenser. [Background technology]

[0002] A dispenser described in Patent Document 1 below has been known. This dispenser includes a stem that is biased upward and arranged to be freely movable downward, a dispenser head that is attached to the upper end of the stem and has a dispense hole for dispensing the contents, a trigger lever for pressing down the dispenser head, a cylindrical piston that moves in conjunction with the stem, and a cylinder that houses the piston so that it can slide up and down. When the trigger lever is pulled, the piston moves downward together with the stem, and the contents in the cylinder, which have been pressurized by the piston, are dispensed through the stem and from the dispense hole. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-13824 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Dispensers for dry shampoo and other products dispense their contents toward the scalp or skin. This allows the force of the contents as they are dispensed to provide a cleansing effect that removes dirt and a massaging effect. However, with conventional dispensers, the contents are dispensed only once with one operation of the trigger lever. This means that the trigger lever must be operated multiple times. This not only makes the operation difficult, but also increases the intervals between dispenses, which reduces the cleansing and massaging effects.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to increase the number of times fluid is discharged from a discharger with a single operation of a trigger lever. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention provides a discharge device comprising an intermittent discharge unit, a piston guide, a piston, a discharge stem, a first biasing member, and a second biasing member. The intermittent discharge unit has a first pressure chamber therein and a first inlet for fluid into the first pressure chamber. The piston guide is disposed in front of the first pressure chamber and is movable in the front-rear direction. The piston is disposed in front of the first pressure chamber and is movable in the front-rear direction, and can form an outlet path for fluid from the first pressure chamber by moving forward relative to the piston guide. The discharge stem is fixed to the piston guide and is movable in the front-rear direction, and discharges fluid flowing from the outlet path to the outside of the intermittent discharge unit. The first biasing member biases the discharge stem rearward relative to the intermittent discharge unit. The second biasing member biases the piston rearward relative to the intermittent discharge unit. Even when the piston guide moves all the way forward against the biasing force of the first biasing member, the piston can still move forward relative to the piston guide against the biasing force of the second biasing member. The amount of fluid discharged from the discharge stem is greater than the amount of fluid flowing into the first pressure chamber.

[0007] When the pressure in the first pressure chamber increases, the outlet path is opened and fluid is discharged. When the pressure in the first pressure chamber decreases, the outlet path is closed and fluid discharge stops. Because the amount of fluid discharged from the discharge stem is greater than the amount of fluid flowing into the first pressure chamber, the pressure in the first pressure chamber repeatedly increases and decreases. This causes fluid to be intermittently discharged from the discharge stem. This increases the number of times fluid is discharged from the dispenser with a single operation of the trigger lever.

[0008] A dispenser according to a second aspect of the present invention is the dispenser according to the first aspect, wherein the length of the second biasing member in the front-rear direction is longer than the length of the first biasing member in the front-rear direction. This allows the piston to move forward relative to the piston guide against the biasing force of the second biasing member, even when the piston guide moves to its most forward position against the biasing force of the first biasing member.

[0009] A third aspect of the present invention provides a dispenser according to the first or second aspect, comprising a head portion, a plunger, and a third biasing member. The head portion has a second pressure chamber therein, a second inlet for fluid into the second pressure chamber, and a communication port connecting the second pressure chamber to the first inlet. The plunger is disposed behind the second pressure chamber and is movable in the front-to-rear direction, moving forward to seal the communication port. The third biasing member biases the plunger forward relative to the head portion.

[0010] This allows fluid to be continuously supplied to the first pressure chamber not only while the trigger lever is being operated, but also while the trigger lever is temporarily stopped, thereby enabling fluid to be continuously and intermittently discharged with a single operation of the trigger lever.

[0011] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a dispenser according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the dispenser stem is capable of protruding outward from an opening at the front end of the intermittent dispenser unit. When the dispenser stem is moved to the rearmost position, the front end of the dispenser stem is at the same position as the opening of the case in the front-to-rear direction. As a result, when the dispenser is not in use, the dispenser stem does not protrude from the intermittent dispenser unit, thereby improving the convenience for users of the dispenser. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the dispenser of the present invention, the number of times fluid is dispensed with one operation of the trigger lever can be increased. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1A is an enlarged view of a main part (valve part) of a lower piston moving upward, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of a main part (valve part) of a lower piston moving downward, according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 5A to 5C are longitudinal cross-sectional views illustrating the operation of the intermittent discharge mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 5A to 5C are longitudinal cross-sectional views illustrating the operation of the intermittent discharge mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] 1 includes a pump section 3 that dispenses content from a cylindrical container body 2 with a bottom, an attachment cap 4 that attaches the pump section 3 to the opening 2a of the container body 2, a trigger lever 6 that connects to the pump section 3, and a support member 5 that supports the trigger lever 6. The pump section 3 includes a stem 10, a discharge head 20, a cylinder 30, a lower piston 40A, and an upper piston 40B.

[0016] The mounting cap 4, stem 10, cylinder 30, lower piston 40A, and upper piston 40B are arranged with their respective central axes positioned on a common axis. Hereinafter, this common axis will be referred to as the container axis O1, and the direction along the container axis O1 will be referred to as the vertical direction. Furthermore, in a plan view seen from the vertical direction, the direction intersecting the container axis O1 will be referred to as the radial direction, and the direction circumferential around the container axis O1 will be referred to as the circumferential direction.

[0017] The discharge head 20 extends along a central axis O2 that intersects with the container axis O1. Hereinafter, the direction in which the discharge head 20 extends in a plan view will be referred to as the front-rear direction, the side of the discharge holes 3a of the discharge head 20 along the front-rear direction will be referred to as the front, and the side of the discharge head 20 opposite the discharge holes 3a will be referred to as the rear. The direction perpendicular to both the up-down direction and the front-rear direction will be referred to as the left-right direction.

[0018] The attachment cap 4 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top and an opening in the center. The inner peripheral surface of the attachment cap 4 is formed with a female thread that screws into a male thread formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 2a of the container body 2.

[0019] The support member 5 is attached to the upper end of the cylinder 30 inserted into the opening of the attachment cap 4. The support member 5 includes a topped cylindrical surrounding cylinder portion 51 fitted onto the upper end of the cylinder 30, a guide cylinder 52 extending upward from the top wall of the surrounding cylinder portion 51, a pair of side wall portions 56 projecting rearward from the surrounding cylinder portion 51 and arranged with a gap in between in the left-right direction, and a rear wall portion 57 connecting the rear end edges of the side wall portions 56 to each other in the left-right direction.

[0020] The top wall of surrounding tube portion 51 is formed in a circular ring shape with an opening in the center, and guide tube 52 is connected to the inner peripheral edge of this top wall. Stem 10 is inserted into guide tube 52 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. On the underside of the top wall of surrounding tube portion 51, there are formed inner hanging tube portion 54, into which stem 10 is inserted, and outer hanging tube portion 55, which is disposed between inner hanging tube portion 54 and the peripheral wall of surrounding tube portion 51.

[0021] An opposing portion 51a is formed on the peripheral surface of the lower end portion of the peripheral wall of surrounding tube portion 51, and faces the top wall portion of attachment cap 4 in the vertical direction via a gap. Outer hanging tube portion 55 is fitted inside the upper end portion of cylinder 30. Inner hanging tube portion 54 is connected to guide tube 52.

[0022] The pair of side walls 56 extend gradually upward from the front to the rear. A shaft 58 protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the upper ends of the pair of side walls 56. The shaft 58 is disposed rearward of the stem 10. The shaft 58 serves as the pivot axis of the trigger lever 6. A reinforcing wall 59 protrudes upward from the inner surface of the rear wall 57 and connects the inner surfaces of the pair of side walls 56 together in the left-right direction.

[0023] The trigger lever 6 is attached to the support member 5 via a shaft 58. This connects the trigger lever 6 to the support member 5 so that it can swing about an axis extending in the left-right direction. The trigger lever 6 has a top plate 61 that covers the discharge head 20 from above, a front plate 62 that extends gradually downward as it moves forward from the front edge of the top plate 61, and a pair of side plate portions 63 that extend downward from the left and right side edges of the top plate 61 and face each other in the left-right direction.

[0024] The discharge head 20 is disposed in an internal space surrounded by the top plate 61 and a pair of side plate portions 63. The pair of side plate portions 63 are disposed so as to sandwich the discharge head 20 from the left and right. The top plate portion 61 has a smoothly curved shape that bulges upward, and its rear end portion abuts from above against the upper end portion of the rear wall portion 57 of the support member 5. This restricts the trigger lever 6 from swinging further upward around the shaft body 58.

[0025] An opening 64 is formed in the front portion of the top plate 61, penetrating the top plate 61. The opening 64 is formed in the center portion of the top plate 61 in the left-right direction and opens forward. This gives the front portion of the top plate 61 a bifurcated shape in the left-right direction. The front plate 62 extends gradually downward as it moves forward from the front end edge of the bifurcated top plate 61.

[0026] The discharge head 20 is inserted into the opening 64. The discharge head 20 protrudes forward from the front plate 62 through the opening 64. The pair of side plate portions 63 of the trigger lever 6 laterally sandwich the upper portions of the pair of side wall portions 56 of the support member 5. The lower portion of the front plate portion 62 serves as a finger hook portion for resting the fingertips.

[0027] The trigger lever 6 has a plate portion that projects inward in the left-right direction from the pair of side plate portions 63, and at the lower end thereof, an engagement groove that engages with the shaft portion 20a of the discharge head 20. In the above configuration, when the trigger lever 6 is swung downward around the shaft body 58, the trigger lever 6 pushes the shaft portion 20a of the discharge head 20 downward, and the stem 10 moves downward.

[0028] The stem 10 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction, and is provided inside the guide tube 52 so as to be movable downward while being biased upward. A cylindrical guide member 11 is fitted onto the stem 10 from below. The guide member 11 extends downward beyond the lower end of the stem 10. The guide member 11 is one of the components of the stem 10. Note that if the ejection head 20 is a separate part from the stem 10 and is attached to the upper end of the stem 10, the stem 10 and the guide member 11 may be formed integrally.

[0029] A communication hole 12 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of a guide member 11 that extends downward from the stem 10. The communication hole 12 communicates the inside of the stem 10 with the inside of the cylinder 30 through the inside of the guide member 11. A ring-shaped mounting groove 13 is formed on the peripheral surface of the lower end of the guide member 11, into which the lower piston 40A is attached.

[0030] The guide member 11 has a rod portion 14 that extends downward beyond the lower piston 40A. When the stem 10 is at its lowest position, the lower end of the rod portion 14 is located directly above the valve body 33 (described later). This prevents the valve body 33 from moving upwardly away from the restricting protrusion 31e.

[0031] A discharge head 20 having a discharge hole 3a formed therein is provided at the upper end of the stem 10. A shaft portion 20a protruding in the left-right direction is formed on the outside of the discharge head 20. A continuous supply mechanism 102 for continuously supplying the contents and an intermittent discharge mechanism 100 for intermittently discharging the contents (both of which will be described later) are provided inside the discharge head 20.

[0032] The stopper 70 is provided to be swingable around the rotation shaft 71 and restricts the downward movement of the discharge head 20. The stopper 70 is arranged to be movable between a restricting position where it restricts the downward movement of the discharge head 20 and a non-restricting position where it swings rearward around the rotation shaft 71 from the restricting position and allows the downward movement of the discharge head 20. Both left and right ends of the rotation shaft 71 are journaled by the surrounding cylinder portion 51.

[0033] The stopper 70 has a main operation surface 72, a pair of operation side surfaces 73 connected to the main operation surface 72, and a restricting plate portion 74 provided on the pair of operation side surfaces 73 so as to be interposable between the discharge head 20 and the guide tube 52. The pair of operation side surfaces 73 have a fan-shaped outline when viewed from the left and right, and the rotation shaft 71 is disposed at the central corner of the fan-shaped outline. The restricting plate portion 74 is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape with an open front side.

[0034] When the stopper 70 is brought close to the stem 10 to be in a locked state, the restricting plate portion 74 restricts the downward pushing of the discharge head 20. When the stopper 70 is moved away from the stem 10 to be in an unlocked state, the restriction on the downward pushing by the restricting plate portion 74 is released. With this configuration, the main operating surface 72 of the stopper 70 can be provided at a position outside (rear of) the support member 5, and the stopper 70 can be made large, resulting in a stopper 70 that is easy to operate.

[0035] The lower piston 40A is attached to the attachment groove 13 of the guide member 11 of the stem 10. The lower piston 40A includes a base 41A, a sliding portion 42A, a cylindrical seal portion 43A, and a spring receiving portion 44A. The base 41A is formed in a disk shape in a plan view and extends radially outward from the guide member 11.

[0036] The sliding portion 42A extends upward in a cylindrical shape from the outer periphery of the base portion 41A. The sliding portion 42A is formed in an inverted cone shape that increases in diameter and gradually decreases in thickness as it extends upward. The upper end of the sliding portion 42A is easily elastically deformed in the radial direction and abuts against the inner wall surface of the lower cylinder 30A (described below) so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. The sliding portion 42A forms a valve portion 80 (described below).

[0037] The cylindrical seal portion 43A extends upward in a cylindrical shape from the center of the upper surface of the base portion 41A. The inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical seal portion 43A is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 11. The spring receiving portion 44A is provided perpendicularly from the lower surface of the base portion 41A. A step is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the spring receiving portion 44A to receive the upper end of the coil spring 34.

[0038] The upper piston 40B is provided above the lower piston 40A on the stem 10. The upper piston 40B includes a connecting cylindrical portion 41B and a cylindrical sliding portion 42B. The connecting cylindrical portion 41B is formed in an annular shape extending radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the guide member 11.

[0039] The cylindrical sliding portion 42B is connected to the radially outer end of the connecting cylindrical portion 41B and extends vertically from that portion. The upper end of the cylindrical sliding portion 42B faces the lower end of the inner hanging cylindrical portion 54 in the vertical direction, with the seal member 50 sandwiched therebetween. The lower end of the cylindrical sliding portion 42B abuts against the inner wall surface of the upper cylinder 30B (described below) so as to be slidable vertically. The connecting cylindrical portion 41B is located above the communicating hole 12 on the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 11.

[0040] The cylinder 30 includes an outer cylindrical member 31 and an inner cylindrical member 32 assembled inside the outer cylindrical member 31. The outer cylindrical member 31 is formed in a multi-stage cylindrical shape. The outer cylindrical member 31 includes an upper cylindrical portion 31a extending in the vertical direction, a lower cylindrical portion 31b extending downward from the lower end of the upper cylindrical portion 31a and having smaller inner and outer diameters than the upper cylindrical portion 31a, and a connecting cylindrical portion 31c extending downward from the lower end of the lower cylindrical portion 31b and having smaller inner and outer diameters than the lower cylindrical portion 31b.

[0041] An inner cylindrical member 32 is fitted inside the upper cylindrical portion 31a. The lower end of the inner cylindrical member 32 abuts against the upper surface of the step between the upper cylindrical portion 31a and the lower cylindrical portion 31b. A first air hole 31g that connects the inside and outside of the upper cylindrical portion 31a is formed in the upper part of the upper cylindrical portion 31a. An annular support plate portion 31f that protrudes radially outward is formed in the upper end of the upper cylindrical portion 31a. The lower surface of the top wall portion of the attachment cap 4 abuts against the outer periphery of the upper surface of the support plate portion 31f.

[0042] A packing material 35 is disposed between the support plate portion 31f and the upper opening edge of the mouth portion 2a of the container body 2. The mouth portion attachment portion 11b of the attachment cap 4 is screwed onto the mouth portion 2a, whereby the support plate portion 31f and the packing material 35 are fixed between the top wall of the attachment cap 4 and the mouth portion 2a.

[0043] A coil spring 34 is disposed inside the lower cylindrical portion 31b. The upper end of the coil spring 34 extends from the lower cylindrical portion 31b into the upper cylindrical portion 31a and abuts against a spring bearing portion 44A of the lower piston 40A. As a result, the stem 10 receives an upward biasing force from the coil spring 34 via the lower piston 40A and the guide member 11.

[0044] A tapered valve seat 31d is formed at the lower end of the lower cylindrical portion 31b, with the inner diameter gradually decreasing as it extends downward. A valve element 33 is seated on the valve seat 31d so as to be removably positioned upward. The valve element 33 is a so-called ball valve formed in a spherical shape. Note that the valve element 33 may also be a check valve using various valve elements instead of a ball valve.

[0045] A restricting protrusion 31e is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the lower cylindrical portion 31b, extending gradually upward from the outer radial direction toward the inner radial direction. The inner diameter of the upper end of the restricting protrusion 31e is smaller than the outer diameter of the valve body 33, thereby restricting the valve body 33 from detaching upward from the restricting protrusion 31e. A gap is formed in the restricting protrusion 31e to interrupt its circumferential extension.

[0046] The connecting tube portion 31c communicates with the lower end of the lower tube portion 31b via the valve body 33. A pipe attachment 113 is attached to the connecting tube portion 31c. The pipe attachment 113 includes a pipe member 114 that extends to the vicinity of the bottom of the container body 2, and connects the lower end opening of the outer tube member 31 with the upper end opening of the pipe member 114. Note that a forward / inverted dual-purpose adapter (not shown) may be connected to the connecting tube portion 31c, which supplies the contents into the cylinder 30 when negative pressure is created inside the cylinder 30 when the dispenser 1 is in both the upright and inverted positions.

[0047] The inner cylinder member 32 includes a lower cylinder forming portion 32a, an upper cylinder forming portion 32b, a restricting portion 32c, a flange portion 32d, and an upright cylinder portion 32e. The lower cylinder forming portion 32a forms the lower end portion of the inner cylinder member 32. The lower cylinder forming portion 32a is formed in a cylindrical shape that extends in the vertical direction and is fitted inside the upper cylinder portion 31a of the outer cylinder member 31. Note that the first air hole 31g of the upper cylinder portion 31a is located above the fitting position of the lower cylinder forming portion 32a.

[0048] The lower cylinder-forming portion 32a forms the lower cylinder 30A that houses the lower piston 40A. An annular groove 32g that is recessed radially outward is formed in the lower part of the inner wall surface of the lower cylinder-forming portion 32a. When the stem 10 is positioned at the lowest position, the upper end of the sliding portion 42A of the lower piston 40A is positioned in the annular groove 32g.

[0049] The upper cylinder forming portion 32b extends upward from the upper end of the lower cylinder forming portion 32a. The upper cylinder forming portion 32b has smaller inner and outer diameters than the lower cylinder forming portion 32a. The upper cylinder forming portion 32b forms the upper cylinder 30B that houses the upper piston 40B.

[0050] A second air hole 32f is formed in the upper part of the upper cylinder-forming portion 32b, connecting the inside and outside of the upper cylinder-forming portion 32b. The second air hole 32f communicates with the first air hole 31g through a gap (annular space) between the upper cylinder-forming portion 32b and the upper cylindrical portion 31a on the outside of the upper cylinder-forming portion 32b. When the stem 10 is positioned at the uppermost position, the second air hole 32f is not blocked by the cylindrical sliding portion 42B of the upper piston 40B and is open.

[0051] The restricting portion 32c is formed in a cylindrical shape and is connected to the step between the lower cylinder forming portion 32a and the upper cylinder forming portion 32b. When the stem 10 is at the uppermost position, the lower end surface of the restricting portion 32c abuts against the upper end of the sliding portion 42A to restrict the upward movement of the lower piston 40A, which is biased upward by the coil spring 34. When the stem 10 is at the lowermost position, the upper end surface of the restricting portion 32c abuts against the lower end of the cylindrical sliding portion 42B to restrict the downward movement of the upper piston 40B.

[0052] The flange portion 32d protrudes radially outward from the upper end of the upper cylinder forming portion 32b and is disposed on the upper end opening edge of the upper tubular portion 31a. The flange portion 32d is fixed to the upper end opening edge of the upper tubular portion 31a by the surrounding tubular portion 51 of the support member 5. An upright tubular portion 32e extending upward is formed on the upper surface of the flange portion 32d. The upright tubular portion 32e forms the upper end of the cylinder 30. In other words, the surrounding tubular portion 51 is fitted on the outside of the upright tubular portion 32e, and the outer hanging tubular portion 55 is fitted inside the upright tubular portion 32e.

[0053] The inner tube member 32 is formed by an upper tube member 111 and a lower tube member 112. The upper tube member 111 forms the upper part of the inner tube member 32. The upper tube member 111 forms the above-mentioned upper cylinder forming portion 32b, flange portion 32d, and upright tube portion 32e. The lower tube member 112 forms the lower part of the inner tube member 32. The lower tube member 112 forms the above-mentioned lower cylinder forming portion 32a and restricting portion 32c. A fitting groove portion 112a into which the lower end portion of the upper tube member 111 fits is formed at the upper end of the lower tube member 112.

[0054] The discharger 1 having the above-described configuration is formed with a lower cylinder 30A that houses the lower piston 40A so that it can slide up and down, and an upper cylinder 30B that is connected to the upper end of the lower cylinder 30A, has an interior that is vertically connected to the interior of the lower cylinder 30A, has an inner diameter smaller than that of the lower cylinder 30A, and houses the upper piston 40B so that it can slide up and down.

[0055] A valve portion 80 is provided at a sliding portion 42A of the lower piston 40A with the lower cylinder 30A. When the stem 10 moves downward, the valve portion 80 elastically deforms radially inward, allowing communication between a space S1 below the lower piston 40A and a space S2 above inside the lower cylinder 30A. When the stem 10 moves upward, the valve portion 80 restores its original shape radially outward, blocking communication between the space S1 below the lower piston 40A and the space S2 above inside the lower cylinder 30A.

[0056] To operate the dispenser 1 having the above configuration, first, the stopper 70 is swung from the restricting position to the releasing position to allow the trigger lever 6 and stem 10 to move downward. Next, the trigger lever 6 is rotated downward around the shaft 58.

[0057] At this time, the trigger lever 6 is rotated downward while the fingertip is placed on the finger rest on the front plate 62 of the trigger lever 6. When the trigger lever 6 is rotated downward, the stem 10 moves downward against the biasing force. When the stem 10 moves downward, the inside of the cylinder 30 is pressurized with the valve body 33 seated on the valve seat 31d.

[0058] Specifically, when the trigger lever 6 is operated and the stem 10 moves downward against the force, the contents filled inside the upper cylinder 30B are pressurized by the upper piston 40B, and rise inside the stem 10 through the communicating hole 12 of the guide member 11 and are supplied into the discharge head 20.

[0059] When the stem 10 moves downward, the valve portion 80 elastically deforms radially inward, as shown in Fig. 2(b), allowing communication between the space S1 below the lower piston 40A and the space S2 above inside the lower cylinder 30A. As a result, the contents are discharged from inside the upper cylinder 30B, and the inside of the lower cylinder 30A, which is in vertical communication with the inside of the upper cylinder 30B, is filled with the contents from the space S1 below the lower piston 40A.

[0060] When the trigger lever 6 is released and the stem 10 is forced to move upward, the valve portion 80 deforms and restores its original shape, as shown in Figure 2(a), blocking communication between the space S1 below the lower piston 40A and the space S2 above it inside the lower cylinder 30A. As a result, the contents stored inside the lower cylinder 30A are pressurized by the lower piston 40A, which moves upward together with the stem 10.

[0061] 1, the volume inside the upper cylinder 30B increases due to the upper piston 40B moving upward together with the stem 10. However, because the inner diameter of the upper cylinder 30B is smaller than the inner diameter of the lower cylinder 30A, the decrease in the volume of the lower cylinder 30A is greater than the increase in the volume of the upper cylinder 30B. As a result, the content is supplied to the discharge head 20 through the stem 10 due to the difference between the volume (internal volume) of the lower cylinder 30A and the volume (internal volume) of the upper cylinder 30B. In other words, the inside of the lower cylinder 30A and the inside of the upper cylinder 30B are pressurized as a whole.

[0062] Then, when the trigger lever 6 connected to the stem 10 returns to its original position shown in Figure 1, the contents inside the upper cylinder 30B are pressurized and the contents are supplied to the discharge head 20 through the stem 10.

[0063] When the stem 10 is forced to move upward, negative pressure is created in the space S1 below the lower piston 40A, the valve body 33 moves upward away from the valve seat 31d, and the contents in the container body 2 are sucked up into the cylinder 30. During this time, the first air hole 31g, the second air hole 32f, and the gap between the stem 10 and the guide tube 52 are connected, allowing outside air to be drawn into the container body 2 and releasing the negative pressure inside the container body 2.

[0064] As described above, the dispenser 1 according to this embodiment not only dispenses the contents when the trigger lever 6 is operated, but also supplies the contents to the discharge head 20 when the trigger lever 6 returns to its original position. This makes it possible to increase the amount of contents supplied to the discharge head 20 with a single operation of the trigger lever 6.

[0065] The configuration of the ejection head 20 will now be described in detail. 3 and 4 are vertical cross-sectional views showing the operation of the intermittent discharge mechanism 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, the direction intersecting the central axis O2 of the discharge head 20, which passes through the center of the discharge hole 3a, is referred to as the radial direction, and the direction circumferentially around the central axis O2 is referred to as the circumferential direction. The components of the discharge head 20 are substantially axially symmetric with respect to the central axis O2.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 3, the ejection head 20 includes a continuous supply mechanism 102 and an intermittent ejection mechanism 100. The continuous supply mechanism 102 includes a head portion 23 , a plunger 160 , and a third biasing member 173 . The head portion 23 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The rear end of the head portion 23 is closed by the lid portion 24.

[0067] The plunger 160 is disposed inside the head portion 23 with its closed portion facing forward and its opening portion facing rearward. The plunger 160 has a seal portion 161 around the periphery of its rear end. The outer periphery of the seal portion 161 contacts the inner surface of the head portion 23. The plunger 160 is movable in the front-to-rear direction. The third biasing member 173 is, for example, a coil spring. The third biasing member 173 is disposed between the plunger 160 and the lid portion 24. The third biasing member 173 biases the plunger 160 forward relative to the lid portion 24 of the head portion 23.

[0068] A second pressure chamber 120 is formed inside the head portion 23, in front of the plunger 160. The plunger 160 is disposed behind the second pressure chamber 120. A second inlet 120b connects the second pressure chamber 120 to the stem 10. The contents (fluid) supplied from the stem 10 flow into the second pressure chamber 120 through the second inlet 120b. A communication port 120a is formed in front of the second pressure chamber 120. The communication port 120a is a small diameter portion on the inner periphery of the head portion 23. When the plunger 160 moves forward, the tip of the plunger 160 comes into contact with the communication port 120a, forming a seal and blocking the flow path of the contents.

[0069] When the contents are supplied from the stem 10 to the second pressure chamber 120, the pressure in the second pressure chamber 120 increases and exceeds the biasing force of the third biasing member 173. The plunger 160 moves rearward against the biasing force of the third biasing member 173. The plunger 160 moves away from the communication port 120a, and the communication port 120a opens. As a result, the contents that have flowed into the second pressure chamber 120 are supplied to the intermittent discharge mechanism 100.

[0070] After the trigger lever 6 is pulled, the supply of the content from the stem 10 to the second pressure chamber 120 temporarily stops until the trigger lever 6 begins to return to its original position after being released. At this time, the pressure in the second pressure chamber 120 decreases and falls below the biasing force of the third biasing member 173. The plunger 160 moves forward due to the biasing force of the third biasing member 173. The plunger 160 pushes the content stored in the second pressure chamber 120 toward the intermittent discharge mechanism 100.

[0071] The dispenser 1 has the continuous supply mechanism 102 described above, and thus can continuously supply the contents to the intermittent discharge mechanism 100 not only while the trigger lever 6 is reciprocating, but also while the trigger lever 6 is temporarily stopped. This allows the fluid to be continuously discharged with a single operation of the trigger lever 6.

[0072] The configuration of the intermittent discharge mechanism 100 will now be described in detail. The intermittent discharge mechanism 100 has an intermittent discharge unit 22, a piston guide 130, a piston 140, a discharge stem 150, a first biasing member 171, and a second biasing member 172. The components of the intermittent discharge mechanism 100 are arranged inside the intermittent discharge unit 22. The piston guide 130, the piston 140, and the discharge stem 150 are movable in the front-to-rear direction.

[0073] The intermittent discharge unit 22 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and has a main body portion 22a and a tip portion 22b. The main body 22a has a rear head fitting portion, a middle piston movable portion, and a front tip fitting portion. The rear end of the head fitting portion is connected to the head portion 23 of the continuous supply mechanism 102. A first pressure chamber 110 is formed inside the piston movable portion. A first inlet 110a is formed between the piston movable portion and the head fitting portion. The contents flow into the first pressure chamber 110 through the first inlet 110a. The tip portion 22b is formed in a bowl shape with an opening at the rear. The tip portion 22b fits into the tip fitting portion of the main body portion 22a via an undercut so as to cover the front opening of the main body portion 22a. An opening 22c is formed at the front end of the tip portion 22b.

[0074] The piston 140 is formed in a disk shape. The piston 140 is disposed in front of the first pressure chamber 110. The piston 140 has a seal portion 141, a through hole 142, and a cylindrical portion 143. The seal portion 141 is formed on the outer periphery of the piston 140. The outer periphery of the seal portion 141 abuts against the inner surface of the large diameter portion of the intermittent discharge unit 22. The through hole 142 is formed in the radial center of the piston 140. The through hole 142 penetrates the piston 140 in the front-rear direction. The cylindrical portion 143 extends forward from the periphery of the through hole 142.

[0075] The piston guide 130 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The piston guide 130 is disposed in front of the first pressure chamber 110. The piston guide 130 is disposed inside the through-hole 142 and cylindrical portion 143 of the piston 140. A flow path for the content is formed between the outer periphery of the piston guide 130 and the through-hole 142 and cylindrical portion 143 of the piston 140. The piston guide 130 has a small diameter portion 131 and a valve portion 132. The small diameter portion 131 is formed near the front end of the piston guide 130 and is disposed in front of the piston 140. The valve portion 132 is formed at the rear end of the piston guide 130 and is disposed rearward of the piston 140. The valve portion 132 has a conical shape whose diameter increases toward the rear. The valve portion 132 of the piston guide 130 abuts against the periphery of the through-hole 142 of the piston 140, sealing the through-hole 142 of the piston 140.

[0076] The discharge stem 150 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The inner periphery of the rear end of the discharge stem 150 contacts the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 143 of the piston 140, sealing the gap between them. The discharge stem 150 has a rib 151, a small diameter portion 152, and a spring bearing 153. The rib 151 is formed in the middle of the discharge stem 150 in the front-to-rear direction and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The rib 151 protrudes radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the discharge stem 150. The tip of the rib 151 abuts against the outer periphery of the piston guide 130. The ribs 151 are formed intermittently in the circumferential direction. A flow path for the content is formed between adjacent ribs 151 in the circumferential direction. The small diameter portion 152 of the discharge stem 150 is formed at the front end of the rib 151. The small diameter portion 152 of the discharge stem 150 fits into the small diameter portion 131 of the piston guide 130. This fixes the discharge stem 150 and the piston guide 130 in the front-to-rear direction. The spring bearing 153 protrudes radially outward from the outer periphery of the discharge stem 150.

[0077] The discharge stem 150 is disposed inside the opening 22c at the tip end 22b of the intermittent discharge unit 22. When the discharge stem 150 moves to the rearmost position, the front end of the discharge stem 150 is at the same position in the front-to-rear direction as the opening 22c at the front end of the intermittent discharge unit 22. The discharge stem 150 can move forward and protrude outward from the opening 22c at the front end of the intermittent discharge unit 22. The front end of the discharge stem 150 is the discharge hole 3a for the contents.

[0078] The first biasing member 171 is, for example, a coil spring. The first biasing member 171 is disposed between the tip end 22b of the intermittent discharge unit 22 and the spring bearing 153 of the discharge stem 150. The first biasing member 171 biases the discharge stem 150 rearward relative to the intermittent discharge unit 22.

[0079] The second urging member 172 is, for example, a coil spring. The second urging member 172 is disposed radially outward of the first urging member 171. The second urging member 172 is disposed between the tip end portion 22b of the intermittent discharge unit 22 and the piston 140. The second urging member 172 urges the piston 140 backward relative to the intermittent discharge unit 22. The second urging member 172 is longer than the first urging member 171.

[0080] The operation of the intermittent discharge mechanism 100 will now be described. Before the trigger lever 6 is operated, the pressure of the contents stored in the first pressure chamber 110 is low. The pressure in the first pressure chamber 110 is lower than the biasing force of the first biasing member 171 and the second biasing member 172. The discharge stem 150 and the piston guide 130 are moved rearward by the biasing force of the first biasing member 171 (see FIG. 1). The piston 140 is moved rearward by the biasing force of the second biasing member 172. The through-hole 142 of the piston 140 is closed by the valve portion 132 of the piston guide 130.

[0081] When the trigger lever 6 is operated, the contents flow into the first pressure chamber 110 from the first inlet 110a, and the pressure in the first pressure chamber 110 increases. The pressure in the first pressure chamber 110 exceeds the biasing force of the first biasing member 171 and the second biasing member 172. The piston guide 130 and the discharge stem 150 move forward against the biasing force of the first biasing member 171. The valve portion 132 of the piston guide 130 pushes the piston 140 forward. The piston 140 moves forward against the biasing force of the second biasing member 172.

[0082] The piston guide 130 and the discharge stem 150 move to their most forward positions. For example, the piston guide 130 and the discharge stem 150 move forward until the coil spring, which is the first biasing member 171, is fully compressed. The piston guide 130 and the discharge stem 150 may move forward until they come into contact with a stopper (not shown) formed on the intermittent discharge unit 22.

[0083] Even when piston guide 130 is in the most forward position, piston 140 can still move forward relative to piston guide 130. For example, even when the coil spring serving as first biasing member 171 is in the most compressed position, the coil spring serving as second biasing member 172 is not in the most compressed position. For example, the coil spring serving as second biasing member 172 is longer than the coil spring serving as first biasing member 171.

[0084] As shown in Figure 4, the piston 140 moves forward relative to the piston guide 130 and moves away from the valve portion 132 of the piston guide 130. An outflow path 115 for the contents is formed between the valve portion 132 of the piston guide 130 and the piston 140. The contents stored in the first pressure chamber 110 flow through the outflow path 115 and into the cylindrical portion 143 of the piston and the inside of the discharge stem 150. The contents pass between the ribs 151 of the discharge stem 150 and are discharged to the outside through the discharge hole 3a.

[0085] The amount of content discharged from the discharge stem 150 is greater than the amount of content flowing into the first pressure chamber 110. When the content is discharged from the discharge stem 150, the pressure in the first pressure chamber 110 decreases. The pressure in the first pressure chamber 110 falls below the biasing force of the second biasing member 172. The piston 140 moves rearward due to the biasing force of the second biasing member 172. The piston 140 abuts against the valve portion 132 of the piston guide 130, blocking the outflow path 115 for the content. The piston guide 130 and the discharge stem 150 move rearward due to the biasing force of the first biasing member 171.

[0086] As the content continues to flow into the first pressure chamber 110, the pressure in the first pressure chamber 110 rises again. The pressure in the first pressure chamber 110 exceeds the biasing force of the first biasing member 171 and the second biasing member 172. The piston guide 130 and the discharge stem 150 move forward again against the biasing force of the first biasing member 171. Even when the piston guide 130 has moved all the way forward, the piston 140 can still move forward relative to the piston guide 130. The piston 140 moves forward again against the biasing force of the second biasing member 172. This causes the piston 140 to move away from the valve portion 132 of the piston guide 130. As a result, the content in the first pressure chamber 110 passes through the outflow path 115 and is again discharged from the discharge hole 3a. By repeating the above operation, the contents are intermittently discharged from the discharge head 20.

[0087] As described above in detail, the dispenser 1 of this embodiment includes the intermittent discharge unit 22, the piston guide 130, the piston 140, the discharge stem 150, the first biasing member 171, and the second biasing member 172. The intermittent discharge unit 22 has a first pressure chamber 110 therein and a first inlet 110a for the contents into the first pressure chamber 110. The piston guide 130 is disposed in front of the first pressure chamber 110 and is movable in the front-rear direction. The piston 140 is disposed in front of the first pressure chamber 110 and is movable in the front-rear direction, and can form an outlet path 115 for the contents of the first pressure chamber 110 by moving forward relative to the piston guide 130. The discharge stem 150 is fixed to the piston guide 130 and is movable in the front-rear direction, and dispenses the contents flowing from the outlet path 115 to the outside of the intermittent discharge unit 22. The first biasing member 171 biases the discharge stem 150 rearward relative to the intermittent discharge unit 22. The second biasing member 172 biases the piston 140 rearward relative to the intermittent discharge unit 22. Even when the piston guide 130 moves to its forwardmost position against the biasing force of the first biasing member 171, the piston 140 can still move forward relative to the piston guide 130 against the biasing force of the second biasing member 172. The amount of content discharged from the discharge stem 150 is greater than the amount of content flowing into the first pressure chamber 110.

[0088] When the pressure in the first pressure chamber 110 increases, the outlet path 115 opens and the contents are discharged. When the pressure in the first pressure chamber 110 decreases, the outlet path 115 closes and the discharge of the contents stops. Because the amount of contents discharged from the discharge stem 150 is greater than the amount of contents flowing into the first pressure chamber 110, the pressure in the first pressure chamber 110 repeatedly increases and decreases. This causes the contents to be intermittently discharged from the discharge stem 150. Therefore, the number of times the contents are discharged from the dispenser 1 with a single operation of the trigger lever 6 can be increased.

[0089] The length of the second biasing member 172 in the front-rear direction is longer than the length of the first biasing member 171 in the front-rear direction. As a result, even when the piston guide 130 moves to the most forward position against the biasing force of the first biasing member 171, the piston 140 can move forward relative to the piston guide 130 against the biasing force of the second biasing member 172.

[0090] The dispenser 1 has a head portion 23, a plunger 160, and a third biasing member 173. The head portion 23 has a second pressure chamber 120 therein, a second inlet 120b for the contents to enter the second pressure chamber 120, and a communication port 120a that connects the second pressure chamber 120 to the first inlet 110a. The plunger 160 is disposed behind the second pressure chamber 120 and is movable in the front-to-rear direction, moving forward to seal the communication port 120a. The third biasing member 173 biases the plunger 160 forward relative to the head portion 23.

[0091] This allows fluid to be continuously supplied to the first pressure chamber 110 not only while the trigger lever 6 is being operated, but also while the trigger lever is temporarily stopped. Therefore, a single operation of the trigger lever 6 allows fluid to be continuously and intermittently ejected.

[0092] The discharge stem 150 can protrude outward from the opening 22c at the front end of the intermittent discharge unit 22. When the discharge stem 150 moves to the rearmost position, the front end of the discharge stem 150 is at the same position as the opening 22c of the intermittent discharge unit 22 in the front-to-rear direction. As a result, when the discharge device 1 is not in use, the discharge stem 150 does not protrude from the intermittent discharge unit 22. Therefore, the convenience of the discharge device 1 for the user can be improved.

[0093] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, it is possible to replace the components in the above-described embodiments with well-known components as appropriate, without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1 Dispenser 2 Container body 2a Mouth 3 Pump section 3a Discharge hole 4 Mounting cap 5 Support member 6 Trigger Lever 10 Stem 11 Guide member 11b Mouth attachment part 12 Communication hole 13 Mounting groove 14 Rod section 20 Discharge head 20a Shaft 22 Intermittent discharge unit 22a Main body 22b Tip 22c aperture 23 Head 24 Lid 30 cylinders 30A Lower Cylinder 30B Upper Cylinder 31 Outer cylinder member 31a Upper cylinder part 31b Lower cylinder part 31c Connecting tube 31d valve seat 31e Restriction protrusion 31f Support plate part 31g First air vent 32 Inner cylinder member 32a Lower cylinder forming part 32b Upper cylinder forming part 32c Regulatory Department 32d flange 32e Standing cylinder part 32f Second air vent 32g Annular groove 33 Valve body 34 Coil spring 35 Packing material 40A Lower Piston 40B Upper piston 41A base 41B Continuous cylinder part 42A sliding part 42B Cylindrical sliding part 43A Seal cylinder 44A Spring support 50 sealing material 51 Surrounding tube 51a Opposite part 52 Guide tube 54 Inner hanging cylinder part 55 Outer hanging tube part 56 Side wall 57 Rear wall 58 Shaft 59 Reinforced Wall 61 Top plate 62 Front plate part 63 Side plate part 64 Opening 70 Stopper 71 Rotation axis 72 Main operation surface 73 Operation aspects 74 Regulating plate 80 Valve section 100 Intermittent discharge mechanism 102 Continuous supply mechanism 110 First pressure chamber 110a 1st inlet 111 Upper cylinder member 112 Lower cylinder member 112a Fitting groove 115 Outflow channel 120 Second pressure chamber 120a Communication port 120b 2nd inlet 130 Piston guide 131 Small diameter section 132 Valve section 140 piston 141 Seal part 142 Through hole 143 Cylindrical part 150 Discharge stem 151 Ribs 152 Small diameter section 153 Spring holder 160 Plunger 161 Seal part 171 first biasing member 172 second biasing member 173 third biasing member O1 Container axis O2 center axis S1 space S2 space

Claims

1. an intermittent discharge unit having a first pressure chamber therein and a first inlet for fluid into the first pressure chamber; a piston guide disposed in front of the first pressure chamber and movable in a front-rear direction; a piston that is disposed in front of the first pressure chamber, is movable in a front-rear direction, and is capable of forming an outflow path for the fluid in the first pressure chamber by moving forward relative to the piston guide; a discharge stem fixed to the piston guide and movable in a forward and backward direction, for discharging the fluid flowing from the outflow passage to the outside of the intermittent discharge unit; a first biasing member that biases the discharge stem rearward relative to the intermittent discharge unit; a second biasing member that biases the piston rearward relative to the intermittent discharge unit, even when the piston guide moves to the most forward position against the biasing force of the first biasing member, the piston can move forward relative to the piston guide against the biasing force of the second biasing member, the amount of fluid discharged from the discharge stem is greater than the amount of fluid flowing into the first pressure chamber; Dispenser.

2. The length of the second biasing member in the front-rear direction is longer than the length of the first biasing member in the front-rear direction. The dispenser of claim 1 .

3. a head portion having a second pressure chamber therein, a second inlet for fluid into the second pressure chamber, and a communication port for connecting the second pressure chamber to the first inlet; a plunger disposed behind the second pressure chamber, movable in a front-rear direction, and moving forward to seal the communication port; a third biasing member that biases the plunger forward relative to the head portion, A dispenser according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the discharge stem is capable of protruding outward from an opening at the front end of the intermittent discharge unit; When the discharge stem moves to the rearmost position, the front end of the discharge stem is at the same position as the opening of the intermittent discharge unit in the front-rear direction. A dispenser according to claim 1 or 2.

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