Foam dispensing container

Abstract

To provide a foam dispensing container capable of dispensing high-quality foam even when used at an angle.SOLUTION: A foam-dispensing container comprises a container body capable of containing liquid and air, and an attachment cap that can be attached to the mouth of the container body, wherein the attachment cap has a mixing chamber that mixes the liquid and air to generate foam, a liquid flow path that allows the liquid contained in the container body to flow into the mixing chamber, an air introduction hole that allows the air contained in the container body to flow into the mixing chamber, and a nozzle that can eject the foam generated in the mixing chamber forward, with multiple air introduction holes provided at intervals around the circumferential direction of the liquid flow path, and the air introduction holes being located rearward of the central axis of the container body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a foam dispensing container. [Background technology]

[0002] Foam dispensers capable of dispensing foam have been known for some time. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a foam liquid squeezer that mixes liquid that has passed from the inside of the container through the inside of a tube to a chamber with air that has passed from the inside of the container through a slit to the chamber, and dispenses the foam generated by the mixture from a stopper. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-198296 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, when a user uses a foam dispenser, it is assumed that the foam dispenser will be tilted in the direction of foam dispensing. However, with the foam squeezer described in Patent Document 1, when the foam squeezer is tilted in the direction of foam dispensing, there is a risk that the liquid contained inside the container will flow into the slit, which results in problems such as not being able to produce good quality foam or dispensing liquid instead of foam from the spout.

[0005] The present invention relates to a foam dispenser that can dispense high-quality foam even when the foam dispenser is used at an angle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The foam-dispensing container of the present invention is a foam-dispensing container comprising a container body capable of containing liquid and air, and an attachment cap that can be attached to the mouth of the container body, wherein the attachment cap has a mixing chamber that mixes liquid and air to generate foam, a liquid flow path that allows the liquid contained in the container body to flow into the mixing chamber, an air introduction hole that allows the air contained in the container body to flow into the mixing chamber, and a nozzle that can eject the foam generated in the mixing chamber forward, and wherein the air introduction holes are provided in multiple spaces circumferentially around the liquid flow path, and the air introduction holes are located rearward of the central axis of the container body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the foam dispensing container of the present invention, it is possible to dispense high-quality foam even when the foam dispensing container is used at an angle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a foam dispensing container according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the foam dispensing container according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the foam dispensing container according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the foam dispensing container according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a foam dispensing container according to the present embodiment taken along the vertical direction. [Figure 6] 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of the foam-dispensing container according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a holding member according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA' in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view showing a portion of the foam dispensing container according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10]These are reference diagrams showing the tilt range within which a foam-dispensing container can dispense high-quality foam. Figure 10(a) shows an example of a foam-dispensing container in which the air inlet hole is not located rearward of the central axis of the container body. Figure 10(b) shows an example of a foam-dispensing container in which the air inlet hole is located rearward of the central axis of the container body, but the central axis of the mouth is not located rearward of the central axis of the container body. Figure 10(c) shows an example of a foam-dispensing container related to this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Preferred embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the inventions according to the claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. Furthermore, in the present embodiments, the scale and dimensions of each component may be exaggerated, and some components may be omitted.

[0010] [Overall configuration of foam dispenser container] The foam-dispensing container 1 according to this embodiment is a foam-dispensing container used to foam and dispense a foaming liquid such as a foaming detergent or hair dye (hereinafter simply referred to as "liquid"), and is preferably a squeeze foamer container. Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 to 6, the foam-dispensing container 1 comprises a container body 10 capable of containing liquid and air, and an attachment cap 20 that can be attached to the opening 13 of the container body 10.

[0011] Hereinafter, in this specification, the direction from the container body 10 toward the attachment cap 20 (the side opposite the container body 10 when viewed from the attachment cap 20) will be described as "upward," and the opposite direction (the container body 10 side when viewed from the attachment cap 20) will be described as "downward." Also, in this specification, the direction in which foam is ejected from the nozzle 40 of the attachment cap 20 will be described as "forward," and the opposite direction will be described as "rearward." Furthermore, in this specification, directions perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-to-back direction will be described as "left-right directions."

[0012] [Container body configuration] 1 to 6, the container body 10 includes a bottom 11, a cylindrical body 12 extending upward from the periphery of the bottom 11, and a cylindrical mouth 13 extending upward from the upper end of the body 12, and is formed as a bottomed cylinder overall with only the upper end of the mouth 13 open. The container body 10 is also configured to be able to store liquid and air in a storage space 14 defined by the inner surface of the bottom 11 and the inner surface of the body 12.

[0013] The bottom 11 is formed in a generally elliptical shape with a front-to-back length greater than its left-to-right length. The body 12 is flexible enough to be deformed by a user's squeezing operation. The cross-sectional shape of the body 12 along the front-to-back direction is a generally elliptical ring shape with a front-to-back length greater than its left-to-right length.

[0014] That is, the container body 10 according to this embodiment has a flat shape as a whole, which has the advantage that the user of the foam dispensing container 1 can easily grip the container body 10.

[0015] The length L1 of the body 12 in the left-right direction is preferably 35 mm or more, more preferably 40 mm or more, and even more preferably 45 mm or more, from the viewpoint of ensuring a degree of deformation that allows foam to be dispensed by a squeezing operation. Also, the length L1 of the body 12 in the left-right direction is preferably 57 mm or less, more preferably 54 mm or less, and even more preferably 51 mm or less, from the viewpoint of making the container body 10 easy to grip.

[0016] From the viewpoint of reducing the amount of deformation required to dispense foam, the length L2 in the front-to-rear direction of the body 12 is preferably 100% or more, more preferably 120% or more, and even more preferably 140% or more of the length L1 in the left-to-right direction of the body 12. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of preventing the volume of the container body 10 from increasing and reducing the pressing force required for the squeezing operation, and from the viewpoint of ease of gripping the container body 10, the length L2 in the front-to-rear direction of the body 12 is preferably 180% or less, more preferably 170% or less, and even more preferably 160% or less of the length L1 in the left-to-right direction of the body 12.

[0017] That is, the length L2 of the body 12 in the front-rear direction is preferably 50 mm or more and 90 mm or less, more preferably 60 mm or more and 85 mm or less, and even more preferably 70 mm or more and 80 mm or less.

[0018] The length L1 of the trunk 12 in the left-right direction is the maximum length of the trunk 12 in the left-right direction when viewed from above (see FIG. 4). Similarly, the length L2 of the trunk 12 in the front-rear direction is the maximum length of the trunk 12 in the up-down direction when viewed from above (see FIG. 4).

[0019] The front end of the body 12 has a shape that curves forward in both a side view and a plan view (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

[0020] In a cross-sectional view along the vertical direction of the body 12 (see FIG. 5), the distance D between the apex P of the front end of the body 12 and the imaginary line VL connecting the upper and lower ends of the front end of the body 12 is preferably 14 mm or more, more preferably 17 mm or more, and even more preferably 20 mm or more, from the viewpoint of retaining the liquid contained inside the container body 10 and preventing the liquid from flowing into the air inlet hole 25 described below when the foam-dispensing container 1 is tilted forward. Furthermore, the distance D is preferably 40 mm or less, more preferably 35 mm or less, and even more preferably 30 mm or less, from the viewpoint of preventing the volume of the container body 10 from increasing and reducing the pressing force required for the squeezing operation.

[0021] The imaginary line VL is an imaginary line connecting the upper and lower ends of the outer surface of the front end of the body 12, and the separation distance D is a separation distance along a direction perpendicular to the imaginary line VL.

[0022] The rear end of the body 12 has a shape that curves backward in a plan view (see FIG. 4). Furthermore, the rear end of the body 12 has a constricted portion 12a that narrows forward in a side view (see FIG. 3). Specifically, the rear end of the body 12 has constricted portion 12a located in the vertical center, an upper rear end portion 12b that curves forward from the upper end of constricted portion 12a toward the rear end of the mouth 13, and a lower rear end portion 12c that extends substantially vertically from the lower end of constricted portion 12a toward the rear end of the bottom 11.

[0023] In a vertical cross-sectional view of body 12 (see FIG. 5), the radius of curvature of constricted portion 12a is preferably 30 mm or more, more preferably 45 mm or more, and even more preferably 60 mm or more, from the viewpoint of facilitating the squeezing operation. Furthermore, the radius of curvature of constricted portion 12a is preferably 130 mm or less, more preferably 115 mm or less, and even more preferably 100 mm or less, from the viewpoint of facilitating the gripping of container body 10.

[0024] The mouth portion 13 has a circular annular cross section in the front-to-rear direction. The outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 13 is provided with a screw thread 13a formed in a spiral shape along the circumferential direction. The length of the mouth portion 13 in the front-to-rear direction is shorter than the length L3 of the bottom portion 11 in the front-to-rear direction, and the central axis C1 of the mouth portion 13 is located rearward of the central axis C2 of the container body 10. The amount of eccentricity of the central axis C1 of the mouth portion 13 with respect to the central axis C2 of the container body 10 will be described later.

[0025] The front-to-rear length of the mouth 13 and the front-to-rear length L3 of the bottom 11 are the maximum lengths in the front-to-rear direction when viewed from the side or in a cross section along the vertical direction of the container body 10 (see Figures 3 and 5).

[0026] The container body 10 is preferably made of an elastic material that is both flexible enough to be deformed by a user's squeezing operation and has excellent restoring properties when an external force is removed. From this perspective, the container body 10 is preferably made of one or more materials selected from polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH). While the container body 10 is preferably formed by integral molding using the above-mentioned materials, the present invention is not limited thereto and the container body 10 may be formed using other known materials, or may be formed by integrating the bottom 11, body 12, and mouth 13, which are molded as separate members.

[0027] The amount of liquid contained in the container body 10 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of containing air together with the liquid and preventing the liquid contained in the container body 10 from flowing into the air inlet hole 25, it is preferable that the amount be 75% or less of the volume of the container body 10.

[0028] [Configuration of the mounting cap] As shown in Figures 1 to 8, the attachment cap 20 includes a cap body 30 that can be attached to the mouth portion 13 of the container body 10, a nozzle 40 that can be attached to the cap body 30, a holding member 50 that can be attached to the cap body 30, and a dip tube 60 that can be attached to the holding member 50.

[0029] The cap body 30 includes a top portion 31 and a cylindrical outer cylinder portion 32 extending downward from the periphery of the top portion 31, and is formed as a cylinder with an open bottom end as a whole.

[0030] The top 31 is formed in a perfect circular shape and has a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the mouth 13 of the container body 10. The top 31 also has a retaining hole 31a for holding the mesh member 70. The retaining hole 31a is a through-hole formed from the upper surface to the lower surface of the top 31, and is provided at a position where the central axis of the retaining hole 31a is rearward of the central axis of the top 31. Specifically, the retaining hole 31a is provided at a position where an air introduction hole 25, which will be described later, is located rearward of the central axis C2 of the container body 10 when the attachment cap 20 is attached to the container body 10. The top 31 is configured to hold the mesh member 70 by inserting the mesh member 70 into the retaining hole 31a.

[0031] Furthermore, the top 31 has an outside air introduction passage 31b that introduces outside air from the outside of the attachment cap 20 into the inside of the container body 10 when the attachment cap 20 is attached to the container body 10. The outside air introduction passage 31b is provided in the center of the top 31 in the left-right direction and forward of the central axis of the top 31. The outside air introduction passage 31b is a hole formed in a substantially L-shape, and is formed to extend from the front end of the top 31 to the underside.

[0032] In the foam dispensing container 1 according to this embodiment, the outside air introduction path 31b is provided at a position different from the nozzle 40, which has the advantage that bubbles do not adhere to the outside air introduction path 31b and outside air can be introduced smoothly.

[0033] The outer tube portion 32 is formed in a cylindrical shape and has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the mouth portion 13 of the container body 10. The cross section of the outer tube portion 32 along the front-to-rear direction is a perfect circular ring shape. The inner peripheral surface of the outer tube portion 32 is provided with a screw groove 32a that is spirally formed along the circumferential direction. The cap body 30 according to this embodiment is configured to be attached to the mouth portion 13 of the container body 10 by screwing the screw groove 32a provided on the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube portion 32 with the screw thread 13a provided on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 13.

[0034] The cap body 30 also has a cylindrical inner tube portion 33 extending downward from the underside of the top 31, a cylindrical ball accommodating portion 34 extending downward from the underside of the top 31, and a nozzle holding portion 35 provided on the upper surface of the top 31.

[0035] The inner cylinder portion 33 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending downward from the periphery of the retaining hole 31a, and has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the outer cylinder portion 32. That is, the inner cylinder portion 33 is provided in a position coaxial with the retaining hole 31a (a position where the central axis of the inner cylinder portion 33 is rearward of the central axis of the top portion 31). The inner cylinder portion 33 is configured to be able to house a portion of the mesh member 70, and is configured to hold the mesh member 70 together with the top portion 31.

[0036] Ball accommodating section 34 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending downward from the periphery of a hole that forms outside air introduction path 31b on the underside of top portion 31. That is, ball accommodating section 34 is provided at a position where the central axis of ball accommodating section 34 is forward of the central axis of top portion 31, and is in communication with outside air introduction path 31b.

[0037] The ball accommodating portion 34 also has a first seat portion 34a and a second seat portion 34b that can come into close contact with the ball valve 80. The ball accommodating portion 34 is configured to accommodate the ball valve 80 between the first seat portion 34a and the second seat portion 34b.

[0038] The first seat 34a is the upper end of the inner circumferential surface of the ball accommodating portion 34. The upper end of the inner circumferential surface of the ball accommodating portion 34 has a shape whose diameter expands downward from a hole that forms the outside air introduction path 31b on the underside of the top portion 31. The upper end of the inner circumferential surface of the ball accommodating portion 34 is formed into a curved surface that can come into close contact with the ball valve 80. The second seat 34b is formed into a curved surface that can come into close contact with the ball valve 80, and a plurality of second seats 34b (three in this embodiment) are provided at intervals around the circumferential direction of the ball accommodating portion 34. The first seat 34a and the second seat 34b each have a radius of curvature that is approximately the same as the radius of curvature of the ball valve 80.

[0039] The first seat 34a, the second seat 34b, and the ball valve 80 function as a first flow control mechanism 21 that allows the flow of fluid from the outside of the attachment cap 20 toward the inside of the container body 10 via the outside air introduction path 31b, and blocks the flow of fluid from the inside of the container body 10 toward the outside of the attachment cap 20 via the outside air introduction path 31b. Specifically, the first flow control mechanism 21 is configured so that the ball valve 80 is in close contact with the first seat 34a, thereby blocking the flow of fluid (liquid and air) from the inside of the container body 10 toward the outside of the attachment cap 20 via the outside air introduction path 31b. The first flow control mechanism 21 is also configured so that the ball valve 80 is separated from the first seat 34a, thereby allowing the flow of fluid (outside air) from the outside of the attachment cap 20 toward the inside of the container body 10 via the outside air introduction path 31b. The ball valve 80 may be any of various known valve bodies, such as a resin valve.

[0040] The nozzle holding portion 35 is provided at the center of the top 31 in the left-right direction, and is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction. That is, the nozzle holding portion 35 has a central axis that is perpendicular to the central axis of the top 31. The nozzle holding portion 35 has a communication hole 35a that communicates with the holding hole 31a of the top 31. The communication hole 35a is a hole that is formed in a substantially L-shape, and is formed to extend from the front end of the nozzle holding portion 35 to the holding hole 31a of the top 31.

[0041] A cylindrical fitting protrusion 35b extending forward from the periphery of the communication hole 35a is provided at the front end of the nozzle holding portion 35. The nozzle holding portion 35 is configured to hold the nozzle 40 by fitting the fitting protrusion 35b into a fitting recess 43 of the nozzle 40, which will be described later.

[0042] The nozzle 40 is configured to be able to eject foam generated in the mixing chamber 23 (described later) forward. Specifically, the nozzle 40 has a cylindrical nozzle front end portion 41 with open front and rear ends, a cylindrical nozzle rear end portion 42 extending rearward from the outer edge of the rear end side of the nozzle front end portion 41, and a fitting recess portion 43 that can fit into the fitting protrusion portion 35b of the nozzle holding portion 35.

[0043] The nozzle front end 41 has a shape in which the diameter decreases from the rear end to the front end. The nozzle front end 41 also has a discharge port 41a at its front end that can discharge foam generated in the mixing chamber 23 forward. The nozzle rear end 42 has an inner diameter that is larger than the inner diameter of the nozzle front end 41 and the outer diameter of the fitting protrusion 35b of the nozzle holding part 35. The nozzle rear end 42 also has an axial length that is the same as the axial length of the fitting protrusion 35b of the nozzle holding part 35.

[0044] The fitting recess 43 is formed by the rear surface of the nozzle front end 41 and the inner circumferential surface of the nozzle rear end 42. The nozzle 40 is configured to be attached to the cap body 30 by fitting the fitting recess 43 into the fitting protrusion 35b of the nozzle holding part 35.

[0045] The retaining member 50 has a valve seat portion 51 on which the ball valve 90 can be placed, an upper cylindrical portion 52 extending upward from the upper end of the valve seat portion 51, a lower cylindrical portion 53 extending downward from the lower end of the valve seat portion 51, and a support portion 54 extending radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the upper cylindrical portion 52.

[0046] The valve seat 51 is formed in a cylindrical shape with open upper and lower ends. The valve seat 51 has a shape in which the diameter decreases from the upper end to the lower end, and is configured so that the ball valve 90 can be placed on its inner surface. The inner surface of the valve seat 51 is formed in a curved shape that can be in close contact with the ball valve 90. Specifically, the inner surface of the valve seat 51 has approximately the same radius of curvature as the radius of curvature of the ball valve 90.

[0047] The valve seat 51 and the ball valve 90 function as a second flow control mechanism 22 that allows the flow of fluid from the inside of the container body 10 toward the mixing chamber 23, which will be described later, and blocks the flow of fluid from the mixing chamber 23 toward the inside of the container body 10. Specifically, the second flow control mechanism 22 is configured so that the ball valve 90 comes into close contact with the valve seat 51, thereby blocking the flow of fluid (liquid) from the mixing chamber 23 toward the inside of the container body 10. The second flow control mechanism 22 is also configured so that the ball valve 90 moves away from the valve seat 51, thereby allowing the flow of fluid from the inside of the container body 10 toward the mixing chamber 23, which will be described later.

[0048] The upper cylindrical portion 52 is formed in a cylindrical shape with open upper and lower ends. The upper cylindrical portion 52 has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the inner cylindrical portion 33 of the cap body 30. The holding member 50 is configured to be attached to the cap body 30 by fitting the upper cylindrical portion 52 into the inside of the inner cylindrical portion 33.

[0049] The inner circumferential surface of the upper cylindrical portion 52 has a shape in which the diameter decreases from the upper end to the lower end. The upper cylindrical portion 52 according to this embodiment has such a configuration, which has the advantage of being able to guide the ball valve 90 to the valve seat portion 51.

[0050] Groove portions 52a extending along the axial direction of the upper cylindrical portion 52 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the upper cylindrical portion 52. The groove portions 52a are formed by the outer peripheral surface of the upper cylindrical portion 52 being recessed in a U-shape toward the radially inner side of the upper cylindrical portion 52, and a plurality of groove portions 52a (eight in this embodiment) are provided at intervals around the circumference of the upper cylindrical portion 52.

[0051] The lower cylindrical portion 53 is formed in a cylindrical shape with open upper and lower ends. The holding member 50 is configured to hold the dip tube 60 by fitting the dip tube 60 inside the lower cylindrical portion 53.

[0052] The support portion 54 extends from the lower end of the outer circumferential surface of the upper tubular portion 52 toward the radially outer side of the upper tubular portion 52. Specifically, the support portion 54 is formed in a plate shape extending from an inner surface of the outer circumferential surface of the upper tubular portion 52, where the groove portion 52a is not provided, toward the radially outer side of the upper tubular portion 52. That is, a plurality of support portions 54 (the same number as the groove portions 52a, eight in this embodiment) are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the upper tubular portion 52. Furthermore, the support portions 54 are configured to support the inner tubular portion 33 of the cap body 30 when the holding member 50 is attached to the cap body 30.

[0053] The dip tube 60 is formed in a tubular shape with open upper and lower ends. The axial center of the dip tube 60 is bent forward and downward, and its lower end is long enough to reach the vicinity of the front end of the bottom 11 of the container body 10. Because the dip tube 60 according to this embodiment has this configuration, it has the advantage of being able to easily suck up liquid that has accumulated near the front end of the bottom 11 when the foam dispensing container 1 is tilted forward for use.

[0054] The dip tube 60 is configured to be attached to the holding member 50 by being fitted into the inside of the lower cylindrical portion 53 of the holding member 50 .

[0055] As shown in Figures 5, 6 and 8, the attachment cap 20 of this embodiment is equipped with a mixing chamber 23 that mixes liquid and air to generate foam, a liquid flow path 24 that allows the liquid contained in the container body 10 to flow into the mixing chamber 23, an air inlet hole 25 that allows the air contained in the container body 10 to flow into the mixing chamber 23, and a foam flow path 26 that supplies the foam generated in the mixing chamber 23 to the nozzle 40.

[0056] The mixing chamber 23 is a space defined by the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical portion 33 of the cap body 30, the upper end of the holding member 50, and the lower end of the mesh member 70. The central axis C3 of the mixing chamber 23 (i.e., the central axis of the inner cylindrical portion 33 and the holding member 50) is located rearward of the central axis C1 of the mouth portion 13. As described above, the central axis C1 of the mouth portion 13 is located rearward of the central axis C2 of the container body 10, and therefore the central axis C3 of the mixing chamber 23 is located rearward of the central axis C2 of the container body 10.

[0057] Here, the eccentricity E1 of the central axis C1 of the mouth portion 13 relative to the central axis C2 of the container body 10 is preferably 10% of the front-to-rear length L3 of the bottom portion 11, more preferably 13%, and even more preferably 15%, from the standpoint of preventing the liquid contained inside the container body 10 from flowing into the air inlet hole 25 when the foam-dispensing container 1 is tilted forward.

[0058] Furthermore, from the viewpoint of further enhancing the effect of preventing liquid from flowing into the air introduction hole 25, the eccentricity E2 of the central axis C3 of the mixing chamber 23 relative to the central axis C1 of the mouth portion 13 is preferably 5% of the front-to-rear length L3 of the bottom portion 11, more preferably 6%, and even more preferably 7%.

[0059] Therefore, the eccentricity E3 of the central axis C3 of the mixing chamber 23 relative to the central axis C2 of the container body 10 is preferably 15% of the front-to-rear length L3 of the bottom 11, more preferably 19%, and even more preferably 22%.

[0060] The liquid flow path 24 is made up of the internal space of the dip tube 60 , the internal space of the valve seat portion 51 of the holding member 50 , and the internal space of the upper cylindrical portion 52 of the holding member 50 .

[0061] The air introduction hole 25 is a hole defined by the groove 52a of the upper cylindrical portion 52 of the holding member 50 and the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical portion 33 of the cap body 30. Therefore, a plurality of air introduction holes 25 (eight in this embodiment) are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the liquid flow path 24 (see FIG. 8). In addition, the air introduction holes 25 are located rearward of the central axis C2 of the container body 10.

[0062] The foam flow path 26 is formed by the internal space of the mesh member 70 and the communication hole 35 a of the nozzle holding portion 35 of the cap body 30 .

[0063] As shown in Figure 9, the foam-dispensing container 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with a restricting portion 100 that restricts removal of the attachment cap 20 from the mouth 13 of the container body 10 when the attachment cap 20 is attached to the mouth 13. The restricting portion 100 has a pair of first container-side protrusions 101 provided at both left and right ends of the lower end of the outer peripheral surface of the mouth 13 of the container body 10, a pair of second container-side protrusions 102 provided adjacent to the first container-side protrusions 101 in the circumferential direction of the mouth 13, a container-side recess 103 formed between the first container-side protrusions 101 and the second container-side protrusions 102, and a pair of cap-side protrusions (not shown) formed at both left and right ends of the lower end of the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube portion 32 of the attachment cap 20. The regulating portion 100 is configured to regulate the removal of the attached cap 20 from the mouth portion 13 by engaging the container side recess 103 with the cap side protrusion when the attached cap 20 is attached to the mouth portion 13 of the container body 10.

[0064] [How to use the foam dispenser] First, the user holds the container body 10 so that the foam-dispensing container 1 is in an upright position. The upright position is a state in which the attachment cap 20 is positioned at the top and the container body 10 is positioned at the bottom, as shown in Figures 1, 3, and 5. Next, the user tilts the foam-dispensing container 1 forward and points the nozzle 40 toward a predetermined dispensing location.

[0065] In this state, when a squeeze operation (an operation of pressing the barrel 12 of the container body 10 toward the center in the left-right direction) is performed, the internal pressure of the container body 10 increases, and the ball valve 80 placed on the second seat portion 34b of the ball accommodating portion 34 of the cap body 30 comes into close contact with the first seat portion 34a, blocking the outside air introduction passage 31b.

[0066] Furthermore, ball valve 90 placed on valve seat 51 of holding member 50 moves away from valve seat 51, and mixing chamber 23 and liquid flow path 24 communicate with each other. Therefore, the liquid contained in container body 10 flows into mixing chamber 23 via liquid flow path 24. Furthermore, air contained in container body 10 flows into mixing chamber 23 via air inlet hole 25.

[0067] The mixing chamber 23 mixes the liquid and air that have flowed into the mixing chamber 23 to generate foam. The foam generated in the mixing chamber 23 passes through a mesh member 70 provided above the mixing chamber 23, becomes fine foam, is supplied to the nozzle 40 via the foam flow path 26, and is discharged from the discharge port 41 a of the nozzle 40.

[0068] After the predetermined amount of foam has been dispensed by the above squeezing operation, the user stops the squeezing operation and removes the external force on the container body 10. This causes the container body 10 to return to its original shape due to its own elasticity, and as a result, a negative pressure is created inside the container body 10. When the negative pressure is created inside the container body 10, the ball valve 80 moves away from the first seat 34a, opening the outside air introduction path 31b. This allows outside air to flow into the container body 10 via the outside air introduction path 31b. The ball valve 90 also moves toward the valve seat 51, closing the liquid flow path 24.

[0069] [Advantages of the foam dispensing container according to this embodiment] As such, the foam-dispensing container 1 of this embodiment is a foam-dispensing container 1 comprising a container body 10 capable of containing liquid and air, and an attachment cap 20 that can be attached to the mouth 13 of the container body 10, and the attachment cap 20 has a mixing chamber 23 that mixes the liquid and air to generate foam, a liquid flow path 24 that allows the liquid contained in the container body 10 to flow into the mixing chamber 23, an air introduction hole 25 that allows the air contained in the container body 10 to flow into the mixing chamber 23, and a nozzle 40 that can eject the foam generated in the mixing chamber 23 forward, and the air introduction holes 25 are provided in multiple spaces around the circumferential direction of the liquid flow path 24, and the air introduction holes 25 are located rearward of the central axis C2 of the container body 10.

[0070] According to a foam-dispensing container 1 having such a configuration, since the air inlet hole 25 is located rearward of the central axis C2 of the container body 10, there is an advantage in that when the foam-dispensing container 1 is tilted forward, the liquid contained inside the container body 10 can be prevented from flowing into the air inlet hole 25. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, a foam-dispensing container in which the air inlet hole 25 is located rearward of the central axis C2 of the container body 10 (see Figures 10(b) and 10(c)) has the advantage of being able to dispense high-quality foam over a wider tilt range than a foam-dispensing container in which the air inlet hole 25 is not located rearward of the central axis C2 of the container body 10 (see Figure 10(a)).

[0071] Furthermore, in the foam-dispensing container 1 according to this embodiment, multiple air inlet holes 25 are provided at intervals around the liquid flow path 24. For example, if a user tilts the foam-dispensing container 1 excessively, liquid will flow into the air inlet holes 25 located at the front, but not into the air inlet holes 25 located at the rear. Therefore, no liquid will be dispensed from the nozzle 40, and a poor quality foam, somewhere between liquid and good quality foam, will be dispensed. When such poor quality foam is dispensed, the user is likely to realize that they have tilted the foam-dispensing container 1 too far and will likely stop tilting the foam-dispensing container 1. Thus, the foam-dispensing container 1 according to this embodiment has the advantage of prompting the user to stop tilting the foam-dispensing container 1 if they tilt the foam-dispensing container 1 excessively.

[0072] In the foam-dispensing container 1 according to this embodiment, the length of the spout 13 in the front-to-rear direction is shorter than the length L3 of the bottom 11 of the container body 10 in the front-to-rear direction, and the central axis C1 of the spout 13 is located rearward of the central axis C2 of the container body 10. A foam-dispensing container 1 having such a configuration has the advantage of being able to better prevent the liquid contained inside the container body 10 from flowing into the air inlet hole 25 when the foam-dispensing container 1 is tilted forward (see FIG. 10(c)). That is, a foam-dispensing container 1 having such a configuration (see FIG. 10(a) and FIG. 10(b)) has the advantage of being able to dispense high-quality foam over a wider tilt range than a foam-dispensing container in which the central axis C1 of the spout 13 is not located rearward of the central axis C2 of the container body 10.

[0073] In the foam-dispensing container 1 according to this embodiment, the central axis C3 of the mixing chamber 23 is located rearward of the central axis C1 of the mouth 13. A foam-dispensing container 1 having such a configuration has the advantage that it is possible to further prevent the liquid contained inside the container body 10 from flowing into the air inlet hole 25 when the foam-dispensing container 1 is tilted forward.

[0074] In the foam-dispensing container 1 according to this embodiment, the front end of the barrel 12 of the container body 10 is curved forward in side view. With a foam-dispensing container 1 having this configuration, when the foam-dispensing container 1 is tilted forward, the liquid contained inside the container body 10 is stored at the front end of the barrel 12, which has the advantage of further preventing the liquid from flowing into the air inlet hole 25. Another advantage is that the tilt range over which the foam-dispensing container 1 can dispense high-quality foam is further widened.

[0075] In the foam-dispensing container 1 according to this embodiment, the barrel 12 of the container body 10 is formed such that, in a plan view, the length L2 in the front-to-rear direction is longer than the length L1 in the direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction (the left-to-right direction). A foam-dispensing container 1 having such a configuration has the advantage that the user can easily grip the container body 10.

[0076] In the foam-dispensing container 1 according to this embodiment, the rear end of the body 12 has a constricted portion 12a that is constricted forward in side view. Foam-dispensing container 1 with this configuration has the advantage that the user can easily grip the container body 10.

[0077] The foam-dispensing container 1 according to this embodiment has a restricting section 100 that restricts the removal of the attachment cap 20 from the mouth 13 of the container body 10 when the attachment cap 20 is attached to the mouth 13. A foam-dispensing container 1 having such a configuration has the advantage that the attachment cap 20 can be loosened, preventing the liquid contained inside the container body 10 from leaking when the foam-dispensing container 1 is tilted forward.

[0078] [Variations] The foam dispensing container according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the technical concept of the present invention.

[0079] In the above-described embodiment, the front-to-back length of the mouth portion 13 is described as being shorter than the front-to-back length L3 of the bottom portion 11, but this is not limited to this, and the front-to-back length of the mouth portion 13 and the front-to-back length L3 of the bottom portion 11 may be the same.

[0080] In the above-described embodiment, the central axis C1 of the mouth portion 13 is described as being located rearward of the central axis C2 of the container body 10, but this is not limited to this, and the central axis C1 of the mouth portion 13 may be located coaxially with the central axis C2 of the container body 10, or may be located forward of the central axis C2 of the container body 10.

[0081] In the above-described embodiment, the central axis C3 of the mixing chamber 23 is described as being located rearward of the central axis C1 of the mouth portion 13, but this is not limited thereto, and the central axis C3 may be located coaxially with the central axis C1 of the mouth portion 13, or may be located forward of the central axis C1 of the mouth portion 13.

[0082] In the above-described embodiment, the bottom 11 and the body 12 are described as being longer in the front-rear direction than in the left-right direction, but this is not limited to this and the front-rear and left-right lengths may be the same. Furthermore, the shape of the bottom 11 and the body 12 is not limited to being circular and may be rectangular.

[0083] In the above-described embodiment, the front end of the body 12 is described as being curved forward in side view, but this is not limited thereto and the body does not have to be curved forward. Similarly, the rear end of the body 12 is described as having a waist 12a that is narrowed forward in side view, but this is not limited thereto and the body does not have to have a waist 12a.

[0084] In the above-described embodiment, the foam discharging container 1 has been described as having the restricting portion 100, but the present invention is not limited to this and may not have the restricting portion 100.

[0085] The configuration of the container body 10 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various configurations can be adopted as long as the attachment cap 20 can be attached and the container can contain liquid and air. For example, the container body is not limited to a squeeze foamer container that can be squeezed, and various configurations can be adopted, such as a trigger-type foamer container with a built-in pump. Furthermore, the container body is not limited to a self-supporting configuration and may be a non-self-supporting configuration (e.g., a configuration formed in a hemispherical shape with a downward-facing bottom or a tubular configuration). Furthermore, the container body may be a container equipped with a volume-adjusting portion such as an elastically deformable bellows-type portion. In addition, the container body may be a pressurized container equipped with an air supply portion, such as an air pump, that can supply compressed air from the outside of the container body to the inside.

[0086] It is clear from the claims that the above-mentioned modifications are included within the scope of the present invention.

[0087] In relation to the above-described embodiment, the present invention further discloses the following foam dispensing container. <1> a container body capable of containing liquid and air; an attachment cap that can be attached to the opening of the container body; A foam dispensing container comprising: The mounting cap is a mixing chamber for mixing the liquid and air to generate foam; a liquid flow path that allows the liquid contained in the container body to flow into the mixing chamber; an air inlet hole for introducing air contained in the container body into the mixing chamber; a nozzle capable of ejecting the foam generated in the mixing chamber forward; and a plurality of the air introduction holes are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the liquid flow path, The air introduction hole is located rearward of the central axis of the container body. Foam dispensing container.

[0088] <2> The length of the mouth in the front-rear direction is shorter than the length of the bottom of the container body in the front-rear direction, The central axis of the mouth is located rearward of the central axis of the container body. The aforementioned <1> The foam discharging container described in <3> The central axis of the mixing chamber is located rearward of the central axis of the mouth portion. The aforementioned <1> or <2> The foam discharging container described in <4> The front end of the body of the container body is curved forward in side view. The aforementioned <1> ~ <3> A foam-discharging container according to any one of the preceding claims.

[0089] <5> The body of the container body is formed such that the length in the front-rear direction is longer than the length in the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction in a plan view. The aforementioned <1> ~ <4> A foam-discharging container according to any one of the preceding claims. <6> The rear end of the body has a narrowed portion that narrows forward in a side view. The aforementioned <5> The foam discharging container described in <7> a restricting portion that restricts removal of the attachment cap from the mouth portion when the attachment cap is attached to the mouth portion of the container body; The aforementioned <1> ~ <6> A foam-discharging container according to any one of the preceding claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1: Foam discharge container 10: Container body 11: Bottom 12: Torso 12a: Neck 12b: Upper rear end 12c: Lower rear end 13: Mouth 13a: Thread 14: Containment space 20: Mounting cap 21: First flow control mechanism 22: Second flow control mechanism 23:Mixing room 24: Liquid flow path 25: Air inlet 26:Bubble channel 30: Cap body 31:Top 31a: Holding hole 31b: Outside air intake path 32: Outer cylinder 32a: Thread groove 33: Inner cylinder 34: Ball storage section 34a: 1st seat 34b: 2nd seat 35: Nozzle holder 35a: Communication hole 35b: fitting protrusion 40: Nozzle 41: Front end of nozzle 41a:Discharge port 42: Rear end of nozzle 43: Fitting recess 50: Holding member 51: Valve seat 52: Upper cylinder part 52a:Groove 53: Lower cylinder part 54: Support part 60: Dip tube 70: Mesh material 80: Ball valve 90: Ball valve 100: Regulatory Department 101: First container side convex part 102: Second container side convex part 103: Container side recess

Claims

1. a container body capable of containing liquid and air; an attachment cap that can be attached to the opening of the container body; A foam dispensing container comprising: The mounting cap is a mixing chamber for mixing the liquid and air to generate foam; a liquid flow path that allows the liquid contained in the container body to flow into the mixing chamber; an air inlet hole for introducing air contained in the container body into the mixing chamber; a nozzle capable of ejecting the foam generated in the mixing chamber forward; and a plurality of the air introduction holes are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the liquid flow path, The air introduction hole is located rearward of the central axis of the container body. Foam dispensing container.

2. The length of the mouth in the front-rear direction is shorter than the length of the bottom of the container body in the front-rear direction, The central axis of the mouth is located rearward of the central axis of the container body. The foam dispensing container according to claim 1.

3. The central axis of the mixing chamber is located rearward of the central axis of the mouth portion. The foam dispensing container according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The front end of the body of the container body is curved forward in side view. The foam dispensing container according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The body of the container body is formed such that the length in the front-rear direction is longer than the length in the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction in a plan view. The foam dispensing container according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The rear end of the body has a narrowed portion that narrows forward in a side view. The foam dispensing container according to claim 5.

7. a restricting portion that restricts removal of the attachment cap from the mouth portion when the attachment cap is attached to the mouth portion of the container body; The foam dispensing container according to claim 1 or 2.

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