Dispenser

Abstract

To create a dispenser improved in the operability of a stopper member for switching over an operation lever to a locked or unlocked state.SOLUTION: A dispenser comprises a mount cap 11, a pump mechanism 20, a stem 22, a discharge head 23, an operation lever 24, a stopper member 30 for setting the operation lever into locked and unlocked states, and a support 15 having an insertion window 15c in a back face 15A and extending from the mount cap 11 to rotatably support the operation lever 24. The stopper member 30 is constructed with a base 34, a connection arm 32 continuously provided frontward of the base 34, a regulation part 33 for regulating the depression of the discharge head 23, an operation part 31 continuously provided at a rear end of the connection arm 32, and a stopper piece 31a projecting from an inner face of the operation part 31 and to be inserted into the insertion window 15c when a locked state comes from an unlocked state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

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

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

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

[0004] However, in the dispenser described in Patent Document 1, the stopper member is configured to swing within the narrow space between the stem and the support part, and is located in a hidden, difficult-to-operate position between the operating lever and the support part, so the stopper member needs to be small, and there is still room for improvement in the operability (usability) when locking and unlocking the stopper member.

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

[0006] Among the means for solving the above problems, the main means of the present invention is: a pump mechanism for sucking up the liquid content from the container body; a stem movable up and down relative to the pump mechanism; a discharge head connected to the upper end of the stem and discharging the liquid content sucked up through the stem forward; an operating lever for depressing the discharge head to drive the pump mechanism; a stopper member rotatably attached to the mounting cap and configured to set a locking state that restricts the discharge head from being pushed down when rotated in one direction and to set an unlocking state that allows the discharge head to be pushed down when rotated in the other direction; and a support portion having an insertion window portion on a rear surface and extending from the mounting cap for rotatably supporting the operating lever, The stopper member is characterized by having a pair of bases that are rotatably supported relative to the mounting cap, a pair of connecting arms that are connected to the front upper parts of the pair of bases and extend rearward, which is the opposite direction from the front, a regulating portion that is interposed between the front ends of the pair of connecting arms and that engages with the stem in the locked state to regulate the downward pushing of the ejection head, an operating portion that is connected to the rear ends of the pair of connecting arms via a connecting portion, and a stopper piece that protrudes from the inner surface of the operating portion and is inserted into the insertion window portion when the state changes from the unlocked state to the locked state. The main feature of the present invention is that when a dispensing operation is performed with the operating lever, the stopper member rotates together with the operating lever, preventing the stopper member from unintentionally switching from the unlocked state to the locked state, allowing the dispensing operation to be continued. Also, when the operating part is pushed up in the unlocked state, the operating part swings, allowing the stopper piece to easily enter the insertion window part and the stopper member to rotate in one direction, allowing the stopper member to smoothly return to the locked state.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is the addition of the above-mentioned main aspect of the present invention in that the tip of the stopper piece and the back surface of the support part form a switching prevention mechanism that prevents the stopper member from rotating in one direction and switching from the unlocked state to the locked state. In the above-mentioned means, the tip of the stopper piece functions as a tension rod when it abuts against the back surface of the support part, thereby reliably preventing the stopper member from rotating together and unintentionally switching from the unlocked state to the locked state.

[0008] Another means of the present invention is the above-mentioned main means of the present invention, plus a protrusion that can engage with the tip of the stopper piece near the insertion window on the back, and the tip of the stopper piece and the protrusion form a switching prevention mechanism that prevents the stopper member from rotating in one direction and switching from the unlocked state to the locked state. In the above-mentioned means, the tip of the stopper piece functions as a tension rod when engaged with the back surface of the support part, thereby more reliably preventing the stopper member from rotating together and unintentionally switching from the unlocked state to the locked state.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is to add to any of the above aspects that a slit is provided in a part of the connecting portion that connects the connecting arm and the operating portion. The above-mentioned means makes it easier for the operating part to swing, so that the abutment between the tip of the stopper piece that constitutes the switching prevention mechanism and the back surface, or the engagement between the tip of the stopper piece and the protrusion, can be easily released, and the stopper piece can be guided into the insertion window, making it possible to reliably and smoothly return to the locked state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] In the present invention, when a discharge operation is performed using the operating lever, the stopper member is prevented from rotating together with the operating lever and unintentionally switching from an unlocked state to a locked state, so that the discharge operation can be continued. Furthermore, when the operating part is pushed up in the unlocked state, the operating part swings, allowing the stopper piece to easily enter the insertion window portion and rotate to one side, thereby enabling the stopper member to be smoothly returned to the locked state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a dispenser showing an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a dispensing container (locked state) equipped with a dispenser. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a side view of the discharge container showing a state in the middle of transition from a locked state to an unlocked state. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are side views of the discharge container showing an example of a discharge operation in an unlocked state. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view showing the main part in FIG. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are side views of the discharge container showing an operation of returning the stopper member to a locked state. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view showing the main part in FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a dispenser showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view showing a dispenser container (locked state) equipped with the dispenser. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the discharge container 1 comprises a cylindrical container body 2 with a bottom for containing a liquid, and a discharger 10 detachably attached to the mouth portion 3 of the container body 2, and is made of a synthetic resin material or the like.

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

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

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

[0016] 2, a support portion 15 extends integrally from the rear side surface of the middle cylinder portion 13, and convex shaft portions 13a protrude from both the left and right side surfaces of the middle cylinder portion 13. The support portion 15 is configured with a back surface 15A that extends in an upwardly sloping manner and side surfaces 15B connected to the left and right sides, and convex rotation shafts 15a protrude from the upper ends of both side surfaces 15B. Furthermore, an insertion window portion 15c into which a stopper piece 31a (described later) is inserted is bored in the back surface 15A, and a protrusion portion 15d protrudes from a position near the top of the outer surface of the insertion window 15c.

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

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

[0019] 1, the discharge head 23 is configured to have a connecting portion 23B connected to the upper end of the stem 22, a nozzle portion 23A extending forward from the connecting portion 23B, and a head rear portion 23C protruding rearward from the connecting portion 23B. A flow path (not shown) is formed inside the nozzle portion 23A and communicates with the stem 22 via the connecting portion 23B.

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

[0021] 1, the stopper member 30 is integrally formed with a pair of bases 34 having a generally fan shape on both the left and right sides and supporting the entire stopper member 30 so that it can rotate, a pair of connecting arms 32 connected to the upper front sides of the pair of bases 34 and extending rearward in a generally arc shape, a restricting portion 33 interposed between the front ends (hereinafter referred to as the "front ends" (the opposite sides are referred to as the "rear ends")) of the pair of connecting arms 32, and an operating portion 31 having a generally roof tile shape connected to the rear ends of the pair of connecting arms 32 via a linking portion 32a. The operating portion 31 and the base 34 are connected via the pair of connecting arms 32, and there is no direct connection between the lower end of the operating portion 31 and the base 34.

[0022] A stopper piece 31a extending diagonally upward is integrally formed on the inner front surface of the operating part 31. The stopper piece 31a is rod-shaped and gradually becomes thinner from the base end on the inner surface toward the tip, with the tip side being formed to be flexible. A recess 31b is recessed into the inner surface of the operating part 31 at a position near the top of the base of the stopper piece 31a. A shaft hole 35 is formed in each of the pair of bases 34, penetrating in the left-right direction. Furthermore, a locking rib 38 extending from the base 34 is formed on each outer surface of the front end of the pair of connecting arms 32.

[0023] The restricting portion 33 is formed by a semi-cylindrical half-cylinder portion 33A that can be set to a locked state by fitting from the rear of the stem 22. In the locked state, the upper end of the semi-cylinder portion 33A that constitutes the restricting portion 33 abuts against the lower surface of the head rear portion 23C of the discharge head 23, and at the same time, the lower surface of the semi-cylinder portion 33A abuts against the upper end of the upper cylinder portion 14, thereby restricting the depression operation of the operating lever 24.

[0024] The stopper member 30 is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable in one direction (counterclockwise) and the other direction (clockwise) by sandwiching the middle cylinder portion 13 between a pair of bases 34 provided at the bottom of the pair of connecting arms 32, and inserting the shafts 13a on the middle cylinder portion 13 side into shaft holes 35 formed in each base 34. In this state, the operating part 31 is disposed at a position outside and rear of the support part 15, facing the back surface 15A (see FIG. 2).

[0025] Figure 3 is a side view of the discharge container showing a state in the middle of transitioning from a locked state to an unlocked state, Figure 4 is a side view of the discharge container showing an example of a discharge operation in an unlocked state, Figure 5 is a partially enlarged view showing the main parts in Figure 4, Figure 6 is a side view of the discharge container showing the operation of returning the stopper member to the locked state, and Figure 7 is a partially enlarged view showing the main parts in Figure 6.

[0026] 2, the locked state is when the stopper member 30 is rotated to the farthest side (counterclockwise) and the inner surface of the operating part 31 is in contact with or close to the rear surface 15A of the support part 15. Also, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the unlocked state is when the stopper member 30 is rotated to the farthest side (clockwise) and the operating part 31 is separated from the support part 15. The stopper member 30 can be transitioned from the locked state to the unlocked state by either pushing down the operating end 31A provided at the rear end of the operating part 31 or by rotating it in the other direction (clockwise) while gripping the locking rib 38. The stopper member 30 can be transitioned from the unlocked state to the locked state by pushing up the operating end 31A of the operating part 31, as will be described later.

[0027] 2, in the locked state, the stopper piece 31a is inserted into the insertion window 15c. The semi-cylindrical portion 33A constituting the restricting portion 33 is fitted onto the stem 22 from the rear, and is sandwiched vertically between the lower surface of the head rear portion 23C and the upper end of the upper cylindrical portion 14. This prevents the ejection head 23 from being pushed down, thereby restricting the ejection operation of the ejector 10.

[0028] In the locked state, when the operating end 31A provided at the rear end of the operating part 31 is pressed down or the stopper member 30 is rotated in the other direction (clockwise) while gripping the locking rib 38, the operating part 31 attempts to move rearward away from the back surface 15A. At this time, as shown in Figure 3, the tip of the stopper piece 31a comes into contact with the upper end of the insertion window 15c and moves while being flexibly deformed, attempting to come out rearward from the insertion window 15c.

[0029] When the stopper member 30 is rotated to the other end (clockwise) to the maximum extent, the abutment portion 31B provided at the lower end of the operating portion 31 abuts against the outer edge of the lower cylindrical portion 12 constituting the attachment cap 11, restricting further rotation in the other direction. At the same time, the semi-cylindrical portion 33A constituting the restricting portion 33 moves rearward away from the stem 22, allowing the stem 22 to move up and down. Therefore, the state of the dispenser 10 can be easily set to an unlocked state in which the ejection head 23 can be pressed down. In the unlocked state, as shown in Figure 4, the contents can be ejected by, for example, grasping the periphery of the lower tube portion 12 between the thumb and middle finger, and pulling the extended index finger backward while hooking it on the operating lever 24.

[0030] 5, in the unlocked state, the stopper piece 31a that has slipped rearward through the insertion window 15c is set in a state in which its tip contacts the back surface 15A of the support part 15. Furthermore, a protrusion 15d with which the tip of the stopper piece 31a can engage is formed on the back surface 15A and in a position near the top of the insertion window 15c. When the operation lever 24 is pulled to perform a discharge operation as shown in FIG. 4, even if the base of the thumb contacts the operation part 31, the tip of the stopper piece 31a contacts the back surface 15A or engages with the protrusion 15d, preventing the stopper member 30 from rotating in one direction (clockwise).

[0031] Therefore, when the operating lever 24 is pulled to perform the discharge operation in the unlocked state, the stopper member 30 is rotated in the pushing back direction (one counterclockwise direction) together with the operating lever 24, preventing the device from unintentionally switching to the locked state and allowing the discharge operation to be continued. In this way, the stopper piece 31a provided on the stopper member 30 and the back surface 15A of the support portion 15, or the stopper piece 31a and the protrusion portion 15d provided on the back surface 15A, constitute a switching prevention mechanism A that prevents the stopper member 30 from rotating to one side and switching to the locked state when in the unlocked state.

[0032] Next, to return the dispenser 10 from the unlocked state to the locked state, it is necessary to release the abutment between the stopper piece 31a constituting the switching prevention mechanism A and the back surface 15A, or release the engagement between the stopper piece 31a and the protrusion portion 15d, thereby allowing the stopper member 30 to rotate in one direction (counterclockwise). To do this, as shown in FIG. 6, the operating end 31A of the operating unit 31 is pushed up using, for example, a thumb. Since the lower end of the operating unit 31 is not directly connected to the base 34, the operating unit 31 operates according to the principle of leverage. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the operating unit 31 swings in one direction (counterclockwise) with the operating end 31A, to which a pushing force is applied, as the force point and the connecting portion 32a as the fulcrum. At the point of application, the tip of the stopper piece 31a disengages from the protrusion 15d, allowing the stopper piece 31a to easily enter the insertion window 15c. This allows the entire stopper member 30 to rotate in one direction (counterclockwise). When the stopper member 30 rotates in one direction (counterclockwise), the semi-cylindrical portion 33A of the restricting portion 33 engages with the stem 22 from the rear, allowing the dispenser 10 to easily return to the locked state (see FIG. 2).

[0033] Here, it is preferable to provide a slit 32b consisting of a small gap at the rear end of the pair of connecting arms 32 in a part of the connecting portion 32a connecting the pair of connecting arms 32 and the operating unit 31. With this configuration, the length of the connecting portion 32a connecting the operating unit 31 and the connecting arms 32 can be substantially shortened. Moreover, the width of the slit 32b changes so as to widen or narrow in response to the swinging of the operating unit 31. As a result, when the operating unit 31 is swung in the upward direction, the stopper member 30 smoothly rotates in one direction (counterclockwise) while narrowing the width of the slit 32b, thereby making it possible to more reliably and easily release the abutment between the stopper piece 31a and the back surface 15A or to release the engagement between the stopper piece 31a and the protrusion 15d.

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

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

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

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

[0038] 1:Discharge container 2: Container body 3: Mouth 10: Dispenser 11: Mounting cap 12: Lower cylinder part 13: Middle cylinder part 13a:Shaft part 14: Upper cylinder part 15: Support part 15A: Back 15B: Side 15a: Rotating axis 15c: Insertion window 15d:Protrusion 20: Pump mechanism 20A: Cylinder 21: Suction tube 22: Stem 23: Discharge head 23A: Nozzle part 23B:Connection part 23C: Rear of head 24: Control lever 24A: Side wall 24B: Window section 24a: Shaft hole 30: Stopper member 31:Operation unit 31A: Operation end 31B: Contact part 31a: Stopper piece 31b: recess 32: Connecting arm 32a: Connecting part 32b: Slit 33: Regulation Department 33A: Half cylinder part 34: Base 35: Shaft hole 38: Locking rib A: Switching prevention mechanism O: Container axis

Claims

1. a stem (22) provided so as to be movable up and down relative to the pump mechanism (20); a discharge head (23) connected to the upper end of the stem (22) and discharging the liquid content drawn up through the stem (22) forward; an operating lever (24) for pressing down the discharge head (23) to drive the pump mechanism (20); a stopper member (30) rotatably provided on the mounting cap (11) and configured to set a locking state that restricts the discharge head (23) from being pressed down when rotated in one direction and to set an unlocking state that allows the discharge head (23) to be pressed down when rotated in the other direction; and a support portion (15) having an insertion window portion (15c) on a rear surface (15A) and extending from the mounting cap (11) for rotatably supporting the operating lever (24), The stopper member (30) comprises a pair of bases (34) rotatably supported relative to the mounting cap (11), a pair of connecting arms (32) connected to the front upper portions of the pair of bases (34) and extending rearward, which is the opposite direction to the front, a regulating portion (33) interposed between the front ends of the pair of connecting arms (32) and engaging with the stem (22) in the locked state to regulate the downward pushing of the discharge head (23), an operating portion (31) connected to the rear ends of the pair of connecting arms (32) via a connecting portion (32a), and a stopper piece (31a) protruding from the inner surface of the operating portion (31) and inserted into the insertion window portion (15c) when the state changes from the unlocked state to the locked state.

2. 2. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the tip of the stopper piece (31a) and the back surface (15A) of the support portion (15) form a switching prevention mechanism (A) that prevents the stopper member (30) from rotating in one direction and switching from an unlocked state to a locked state.

3. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein a protrusion (15d) that can engage with the tip of the stopper piece (31a) is provided near the insertion window portion (15c) on the back surface (15A), and the tip of the stopper piece (31a) and the protrusion (15d) form a switching prevention mechanism (A) that prevents the stopper member (30) from rotating in one direction and switching from an unlocked state to a locked state.

4. 4. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein a slit (32b) is provided in a part of a connecting portion (32a) connecting the connecting arm (32) and the operating portion (31).

Images