Trigger type liquid jet device

Abstract

To secure stable operability of a trigger section.SOLUTION: A trigger type liquid jet device includes a trigger section 61 having a pair of support pieces 66 protruding upward from an upper end of a trigger body and arranged at an interval in a width direction of the trigger body, and a rotary shaft section 68 formed in each of the support pieces. A relay member 80 is arranged outside in the width direction of the support pieces and has a pair of lever support pieces 87 into which the rotary shaft section is inserted and in which a support hole 88 for rotatably supporting the rotary shaft section is formed. A regulation member 160 is provided between the rotary shaft section and the support hole so as to regulate displacement toward the outside in the width direction of the lever support pieces with respect to the support pieces.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a trigger-type liquid ejector. [Background technology]

[0002] Trigger-type liquid ejectors are known that suck up liquid from a container by operating a trigger and eject the liquid through an ejection hole. Known examples of this type of trigger-type liquid ejector include a ejector body that is attached to a container body containing liquid, and a nozzle portion that has an ejection hole formed therein that ejects the liquid forward, as shown in Patent Document 1 below.

[0003] The ejector body includes a vertical supply tube that sucks up the liquid in the container body, an injection tube that extends forward from the vertical supply tube, and a trigger mechanism that ejects the liquid toward the nozzle through the vertical supply tube and the injection tube by rearward movement of the trigger. The trigger is biased forward by an elastic arm combined with the injection tube.

[0004] The trigger mechanism includes a cylinder and a piston housed inside the cylinder so that it can move in conjunction with the movement of the trigger. The piston pressurizes the cylinder by being pushed into the cylinder as the trigger moves rearward, and reduces the pressure inside the cylinder as it returns to its original position as the trigger moves forward due to forward bias. This allows the liquid in the cylinder to be sent to the ejection hole side through the vertical supply tube section and the injection tube section by pressurizing the cylinder, and also makes it possible to suck the liquid from inside the container into the cylinder by depressurizing the cylinder. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-34982 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the above-described conventional trigger-type liquid ejector, the trigger portion is rotatably supported by a relay member that connects the ejection tube portion and the nozzle portion. Specifically, the trigger portion has a pair of support pieces that protrude upward and are spaced apart in the left-right direction. The relay member has a pair of lever support pieces that are positioned outboard of the pair of support pieces in the left-right direction. The pair of lever support pieces rotatably support the pair of support pieces. This allows the trigger portion to be rotated in the front-rear direction around the pair of support pieces.

[0007] However, if an external force that shifts or twists the trigger laterally acts on the trigger during operation, the pair of support pieces will press the pair of lever support pieces outward in the left-right direction. As a result, with increased use, the pair of lever support pieces will be more likely to deform and open outward in the left-right direction. In particular, when the trigger is pulled diagonally backward, the pair of lever support pieces are more likely to deform. This can cause the pair of support pieces to become unstable, posing a challenge to stable operation of the trigger.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a trigger-type liquid ejector that can ensure stable operability of the trigger portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] (1) A trigger-type liquid ejector according to the present invention comprises a ejector body attached to a container body containing liquid, and a nozzle portion attached to the ejector body and having an ejection hole for ejecting liquid, the ejector body comprising a vertical supply tube portion for sucking up liquid from the container body, an ejection tube portion extending forward from the vertical supply tube portion and having an ejection opening portion for supplying liquid toward the ejection hole, a relay member connecting the ejection tube portion and the nozzle portion, and a trigger mechanism having a trigger portion arranged so as to be movable rearward while being biased forward by an elastic member, and causing liquid to flow from inside the vertical supply tube portion toward the ejection hole by the rearward movement of the trigger portion, the trigger portion being movable from above to below the relay member has a pair of lever support pieces that are arranged outward in the width direction of the trigger body and have support holes formed therein, through which the pivotal shafts are inserted and which rotatably support the pivotal shafts, and a restricting member is provided between the pivotal shafts and the support holes to restrict outward displacement of the pair of lever support pieces in the width direction relative to the pair of support pieces.

[0010] With the trigger-type liquid ejector according to the present invention, by operating the trigger and moving it backward against the biasing force of the elastic member, liquid can be supplied from the vertical supply tube into the injection tube and through the injection opening toward the injection hole, thereby ejecting the liquid outward through the injection hole. After the liquid has been ejected, when the trigger is released, the force of the elastic member (elastic restoring force) urges the trigger forward, causing it to return to its original position. This allows the liquid in the container to be sucked up into the vertical supply tube, preparing for the next ejection.

[0011] In particular, the pair of support pieces are disposed inside the pair of lever support pieces with the pivot shaft rotatably inserted into the support hole, so that the entire trigger can be displaced back and forth around the pivot shaft while being positioned in the width direction, allowing stable operation of the trigger when spraying liquid. Furthermore, a restricting member is provided between the pivot shaft and the support hole to restrict outward displacement of the lever support piece relative to the lever support piece in the width direction. Therefore, even if an external force that shifts laterally or twists the trigger piece acts on the trigger piece when the trigger is operated, causing the support piece to press the lever support piece outward, the lever support piece is restricted from displacing outward to open outward. If the lever support piece were to displace outward relative to the support piece in the width direction, there is a risk that the pivot shaft would come loose (disengage) from the support hole. In this regard, the provision of the restricting member prevents the pivot shaft from coming loose from the support hole, thereby improving durability. Therefore, the trigger can be operated stably, resulting in a trigger-type liquid ejector with improved operability.

[0012] (2) The regulating member includes a regulating groove formed to be recessed from the outer peripheral surface of the pivot shaft portion and extending along the circumferential direction of the pivot shaft portion, and a regulating rib formed to protrude from the inner peripheral surface of the support hole and disposed within the regulating groove, and the regulating groove is formed to extend along the circumferential direction over a certain length range corresponding to the movement range of the trigger portion, and may allow movement of the regulating rib along the regulating groove and regulate displacement of the regulating rib toward the outside in the width direction.

[0013] In this case, since the restricting rib is disposed within the restricting groove, the inner surface of the restricting groove can be used to restrict the restricting rib from displacing outward in the width direction. Therefore, the pair of lever support pieces can be restricted from displacing outward in the width direction relative to the pair of support pieces. In this way, the restricting member can be constructed by a simple method of simply forming the restricting groove and the restricting rib, eliminating the need to add new components, and making it easier to reduce the number of parts and the part costs.

[0014] Furthermore, the restriction groove is formed as a circumferential groove extending in the circumferential direction over a certain length range corresponding to the movement range (forward / backward swing range) of the trigger portion, and allows the restriction rib to move along the restriction groove. Therefore, the trigger portion can be stably operated with the restriction rib remaining disposed within the restriction groove. In particular, the restriction groove is formed as a circumferential groove rather than being formed around the entire circumference of the rotating shaft portion. If the restriction groove were formed in an annular shape around the entire circumference of the rotating shaft portion, it would be more likely to cause deterioration in the setting of the trigger portion and would more likely cause rattle of the rotating shaft portion within the support hole. In this regard, since the restricting groove is formed as a circumferential groove, the trigger part can be assembled so that the restricting rib fits into the restricting groove, making it easy to set the trigger part. Furthermore, since the outer peripheral surface where the restricting groove is not formed can be brought into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the support hole, rattle of the rotating shaft is less likely to occur.

[0015] (3) The trigger mechanism includes a main cylinder formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom that opens forward and communicates with the inside of the vertical supply tube portion, and a main piston arranged inside the main cylinder so as to be movable in conjunction with the movement of the trigger portion and urged forward by a forward force applied to the trigger portion, and the trigger portion may have a connecting shaft inserted into a connecting hole formed to penetrate the main piston in the width direction, and may be connected to the main piston via the connecting shaft.

[0016] In this case, by operating the trigger portion and moving it backward against the biasing force of the elastic member, the main piston can be used to pressurize the main cylinder, and the liquid in the main cylinder can be supplied into the vertical supply tube portion. This allows the liquid to be supplied from the vertical supply tube portion toward the nozzle hole, and the liquid can be sprayed out from the nozzle hole. Furthermore, after the liquid is sprayed, the main piston can be used to reduce the pressure inside the main cylinder in conjunction with the return movement of the trigger portion, so that the liquid in the container body can be sucked up into the vertical supply tube portion and introduced into the main cylinder. This makes it possible to prepare for the next spray.

[0017] In particular, since the connecting shaft of the trigger is inserted into a connecting hole formed to penetrate the main piston in the width direction, even if an external force that would cause the trigger to shift laterally in the width direction is applied when the trigger is operated, the external force can be prevented from being transmitted to the main piston via the connecting shaft. Therefore, for example, it is possible to make it difficult for the main piston to tilt within the main cylinder, and it is possible to maintain a seal between the main cylinder and the main piston. This makes it possible to provide a trigger-type liquid ejector with excellent ejection performance. Furthermore, even if an external force is applied to the trigger portion that causes it to shift sideways when it is operated, the trigger portion is configured to be less likely to come off the pair of lever support pieces, as mentioned above, so the trigger portion can be operated stably. In this way, a trigger-type liquid ejector can be provided that can appropriately exhibit both stable operability of the trigger portion and sealing performance between the main cylinder and the main piston. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a trigger-type liquid ejector that can ensure stable operability of the trigger portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1]1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a trigger-type liquid ejector according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view of a relay member and a trigger portion shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a perspective view of a relay member and a trigger portion, including a cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the relay board shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the trigger portion shown in FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a trigger-type liquid ejector according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a ejection container having a trigger-type liquid ejector attached to a container body will be described as an example.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 of this embodiment comprises an ejector body 2 that is attached to a container body A that contains liquid, a nozzle portion 3 that is attached to the ejector body 2 and has ejection holes 4 that eject the liquid, and a cover body 5 that covers the ejector body 2 and the nozzle portion 3. It should be noted that the cover body 5 is not shown in Fig. 2. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, each component part of the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 is a molded product made of synthetic resin.

[0022] (Ejector body) The ejector body 2 mainly includes a vertical supply tube portion 10, an injection tube portion 20, an attachment cap 30, a pressure accumulating member 40, a closing member 50, a trigger mechanism 60, and a ball valve 70.

[0023] In this embodiment, the central axis of the vertical supply tube portion 10 is defined as axis O1, the container body A side along this axis O1 is defined as the lower side, and the opposite side is defined as the upper side, and the direction along axis O1 is defined as the up-down direction. Furthermore, in a plan view seen from the up-down direction, a direction intersecting with axis O1 is defined as the front-rear direction L1, and a direction perpendicular to both the up-down direction and the front-rear direction L1 is defined as the left-right direction L2. The left-right direction L2 corresponds to the width direction of a trigger body 65, which will be described later. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the central axis of injection tube portion 20 is defined as axis O2. In this embodiment, axis O2 extends in the front-rear direction L1. Therefore, in this embodiment, front-rear direction L1 corresponds to the axial direction along the central axis of injection tube portion 20. However, the axial direction along axis O2 does not have to coincide with front-rear direction L1.

[0024] (Vertical supply tube) 1, the vertical supply tube portion 10 extends in the vertical direction and has the function of sucking up the liquid in the container body A. The vertical supply tube portion 10 mainly includes an outer tube 11 and an inner tube 12 fitted into the outer tube 11.

[0025] The outer tube 11 comprises a tube portion 11a into which the inner tube 12 is fitted, a connecting tube portion 11b arranged above the tube portion 11a and having a smaller diameter than the tube portion 11a, and a top wall portion 11c connecting the upper end of the tube portion 11a and the lower end of the connecting tube portion 11b.

[0026] The inner cylinder 12 is formed to extend in the vertical direction and is fitted inside the cylindrical portion 11a while being arranged coaxially with the axis O1. In this way, the inner cylinder 12 is combined integrally with the outer cylinder 11. The inner cylinder 12 has a flange portion 12a that is arranged on the upper opening edge of the mouth of the container body A via a packing. Furthermore, the upper part of a pipe 13 that extends in the vertical direction and sucks up liquid from the container body A is fitted inside the inner cylinder 12.

[0027] The vertical supply tube portion 10 configured as described above is attached (screwed) to the opening of the container body A by means of an attachment cap 30 that presses the flange portion 12a of the inner tube 12 from above.

[0028] (Injection cylinder part) Above the vertical supply tube 10, an injection tube 20 is disposed. The injection tube portion 20 is connected to the upper end of the connecting tube portion 11b of the vertical supply tube portion 10 and is formed to extend forward around the axis O2. The injection tube portion 20 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a front wall and an open rear end. A communication hole is formed in the front wall of the injection tube portion 20, penetrating the front wall in the front-to-rear direction L1. The inside of this communication hole forms an injection opening portion 21 that opens forward. The interior of the injection tube portion 20 is connected to the inside of the connecting tube portion 11b. Furthermore, a rear cylinder portion 22 is formed at the rear end of injection cylinder portion 20. Rear cylinder portion 22 is a part that constitutes injection cylinder portion 20.

[0029] A closing member 50 that closes rear cylinder portion 22 from the rear is attached to injection cylinder portion 20 configured as described above. As a result, the entire interior of injection cylinder portion 20 is closed by closing member 50.

[0030] (Accumulator member) The pressure accumulating member 40 is disposed within the injection tube portion 20 so as to be movable back and forth, and blocks communication between the interior of the vertical supply tube portion 10 and the ejection holes 4 through the injection tube portion 20. The pressure accumulating member 40 is formed in a rod shape extending in the front-rear direction L1, and abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the injection tube portion 20 in the front-rear direction L1, thereby blocking communication between the interior of the vertical supply tube portion 10 and the ejection holes 4 through the injection tube portion 20. The pressure accumulating member 40 moves rearward when the pressure within the injection tube portion 20 increases, thereby connecting the interior of the vertical supply tube portion 10 and the ejection holes 4 through the injection tube portion 20.

[0031] (Relay component) A relay member 80 that connects injection tube portion 20 and nozzle portion 3 is attached to injection tube portion 20. 1 to 3, relay member 80 is attached to injection tube portion 20 from the front. Relay member 80 is located forward of injection opening 21 of injection tube portion 20 and includes an opposing wall portion 81 disposed opposite injection opening 21, a first relay tube portion 82 extending rearward from opposing wall portion 81 and fitted onto the injection tube portion 20, a second relay tube portion 83 extending forward from opposing wall portion 81, and a guide shaft 84 located inside second relay tube portion 83 and extending forward from opposing wall portion 81.

[0032] The second relay tube portion 83 and the guide shaft 84 are disposed about an axis O3 that is eccentric downward with respect to the axis O2 of the injection tube portion 20. A communication hole 85 that communicates with the injection opening 21 of the injection tube portion 20 is formed in a portion of the opposing wall portion 81 that is located above the guide shaft 84 and inside the second relay tube portion 83. As a result, the interior of the second relay tube portion 83 communicates with the interior of the injection tube portion 20 through the communication hole 85 and the injection opening 21. A first switching groove 86 extending in the front-rear direction L1 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the guide shaft 84. A plurality of first switching grooves 86 are formed at intervals around the axis O3.

[0033] 2 and 3, a pair of lever support pieces 87 extending rearward are formed on portions of the opposing wall portion 81 located on both sides in the left-right direction L2 with the second relay tube portion 83 in between. The lever support pieces 87 are arranged with a gap between them and the second relay tube portion 83. A support hole 88 is formed in each of the pair of lever support pieces 87, penetrating the lever support piece 87 in the left-right direction L2. A center line penetrating the support hole 88 in the left-right direction L2 is defined as a rotation axis O4. A trigger portion 61, which will be described later, is capable of swinging in the front-rear direction L1 by rotating about the rotation axis O4.

[0034] (Trigger mechanism) 1, the trigger mechanism 60 includes a trigger portion 61, a main cylinder 62, and a main piston 63. The trigger mechanism 60 is capable of supplying liquid from the vertical supply tube portion 10 through the injection tube portion 20 toward the nozzle hole 4 by rearward swinging of the trigger portion 61.

[0035] The main cylinder 62 is fitted into the cylinder tubular portion 15. The main cylinder 62 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom that opens forward. The inside of the main cylinder 62 is connected to a portion of the outer cylinder 11 of the vertical supply tubular portion 10 that is located above the inner cylinder 12. The main piston 63 includes a piston shaft portion 90 arranged coaxially with the main cylinder 62 and a sliding cylindrical portion 91 formed integrally with the piston shaft portion 90 .

[0036] The piston shaft 90 includes a shaft main body 92 formed in a cylindrical shape, and a cylindrical slide tube 93 that extends rearward from the shaft main body 92 and opens rearward. A connecting hole 94 is formed in the shaft main body 92, penetrating the shaft main body 92 in the left-right direction L2. The connecting hole 94 is formed in an elliptical shape that is longer in the up-down direction than in the front-to-rear direction L1, for example, in a side view seen from the left-right direction L2. A connecting shaft 67, which will be described later and is formed in the trigger portion 61, is inserted into this connecting hole 94.

[0037] As a result, the entire main piston 63 is connected to the trigger portion 61, and moves rearward as the trigger portion 61 swings rearward, being pushed into the main cylinder 62. Therefore, the inside of the main cylinder 62 is pressurized and depressurized as the main piston 63 moves in the front-rear direction L1. The main piston 63, together with the trigger 61, is biased forward by the biasing force of the elastic arm 52, which will be described later. When the trigger 61 is in the forward-most swing position, the main piston 63 is located at the corresponding forward-most position.

[0038] The piston guide 62a formed on the main cylinder 62 is inserted into the slide cylinder 93 from the rear. The slide cylinder 93 has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the piston guide 62a. As a result, the inner peripheral surface of the slide cylinder 93 and the outer peripheral surface of the piston guide 62a face each other with a slight radial gap between them. Therefore, the entire main piston 63 is guided by the piston guide 62a and can move stably in the front-to-rear direction L1 in accordance with the swing of the trigger portion 61.

[0039] The sliding cylinder portion 91 is formed integrally with the slide cylinder 93 and is in sliding contact with the inner circumferential surface of the main cylinder 62. At both ends of the sliding cylinder portion 91 in the front-rear direction L1, tapered lip portions 91a are formed, the diameter of which gradually increases from the center in the front-rear direction L1 toward the front and rear. These lip portions 91a are in close sliding contact with the inner circumferential surface of the main cylinder 62. This ensures a certain level of sealing between the sliding cylinder portion 91 and the inner circumferential surface of the main cylinder 62.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the trigger portion 61 includes a trigger body 65 and a pair of support pieces 66, and is disposed in front of the main piston 63 so as to be movable back and forth. The trigger body 65 extends in a forward inclined manner from above to below in front of the main piston 63. The trigger body 65 is the part that is gripped when performing a spraying operation, and is hooked from the front with, for example, an index finger.

[0041] The trigger body 65 is formed with a connecting shaft 67 that extends along the left-right direction L2 and is inserted into the connecting hole 94. A pair of connecting shafts 67 are provided spaced apart in the left-right direction L2, and each is inserted into the connecting hole 94 from the outside in the left-right direction L2. This allows the main piston 63 to move in the front-rear direction L1 in conjunction with the operation of the trigger portion 61.

[0042] The pair of support pieces 66 are formed to protrude upward from the upper end of the trigger body 65, and are arranged at an interval in the left-right direction L2. The pair of support pieces 66 are positioned between the first relay tube portion 82 and the lever support piece 87 by inserting from below between them. As a result, the pair of support pieces 66 are positioned on both sides of the first relay tube portion 82 in the left-right direction L2 so as to sandwich the first relay tube portion 82 therebetween, and are positioned more inward than the pair of lever support pieces 87 in the left-right direction L2.

[0043] A rotation shaft 68 that protrudes outward in the left-right direction L2 is formed on each of the pair of support pieces 66. The rotation shaft 68 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is inserted into a support hole 88 from the inside in the left-right direction L2. As a result, the rotation shaft 68 is supported within the support hole 88 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis O4. Therefore, the entire trigger portion 61 can swing in the front-rear direction L1 by rotating about the rotation axis O4 with the rotation shaft 68 as a fulcrum.

[0044] The trigger body 65 is integrally formed with a protrusion 100 that protrudes forward beyond the front surface of the trigger body 65 and has a V-shape when viewed from the side. The protrusion 100 is formed at the upper end of the trigger body 65, and is formed so as to be located forward of the lower end of the elastic arm portion 52 and the main piston 63, which will be described later. Therefore, the protrusion 100 is disposed in front of an action area of ​​the trigger portion 61 where stress acts from at least the elastic arm portion 52 and the main piston 63. The protrusion 100 is formed so as to be wider in the width direction of the trigger body 65 (left-right direction L2) than the lower end of the trigger body 65, for example.

[0045] A through-hole 101 is formed at the upper end of the trigger body 65, penetrating the trigger body 65 in the front-rear direction L1. The through-hole 101 is formed vertically longer in the up-down direction than in the left-right direction L2, and a pair of through-holes 101 are formed with a gap in between in the left-right direction L2. As a result, three (plural) protrusions 100 are formed with a gap in between in the width direction of the trigger body 65. Of the three protrusions 100, two protrusions 100 located on both sides in the left-right direction L2 are designated as a first protrusion (outer protrusion) 110 and a second protrusion (outer protrusion) 120. Of the three protrusions 100, the protrusion 100 located more inward in the left-right direction L2 than the first protrusion 110 and the second protrusion 120 is designated as a third protrusion 130.

[0046] The first protrusion 110 and the second protrusion 120 are disposed below the pair of support pieces 66 and are disposed outward in the left-right direction L2 from the pair of support pieces 66. The third protrusion 130 is disposed below the pair of support pieces 66 and is disposed inward in the left-right direction L2 from the pair of support pieces 66.

[0047] The first protruding portion 110 and the second protruding portion 120 are formed to open upward and backward, so that the inside of the first protruding portion 110 and the second protruding portion 120 forms a storage space S (see FIG. 3) that is open upward and backward. When accommodated in the accommodation space S, the lower end of the elastic arm portion 52, which will be described later, contacts the inner wall surfaces of the first protrusion 110 and the second protrusion 120 from behind. Therefore, the elastic arm portion 52 biases the trigger portion 61 forward via the first protrusion 110 and the second protrusion 120. As a result, stress from the elastic arm portion 52 acts on the protrusion portion 100, which includes the first protrusion 110 and the second protrusion 120.

[0048] The connecting shaft 67 is formed on the side wall of the first protruding portion 110 and the side wall of the second protruding portion, respectively. As a result, stress from the main piston 63 acts on the protruding portion 100 including the first protruding portion 110 and the second protruding portion 120.

[0049] (ball valve) As shown in FIG. 1, the ball valve 70 is provided inside the inner cylinder 12 of the vertical supply cylinder portion 10. The ball valve 70 is disposed inside the upper end of the inner cylinder 12 and is removably seated in an annular tapered cylinder 71 that protrudes inward from the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylinder 12. The ball valve 70 serves as a check valve that blocks communication between the inside of the container body A and the inside of the main cylinder 62 through the inside of the vertical supply cylinder section 10 when the inside of the main cylinder 62 is pressurized, and moves upward and separates from the tapered cylinder 71 when the inside of the main cylinder 62 is depressurized, thereby allowing communication between the inside of the container body A and the inside of the main cylinder 62 through the inside of the vertical supply cylinder section 10.

[0050] In the illustrated example, a downwardly protruding retaining protrusion 72 is formed on the lower surface of the top wall portion 11c of the outer cylinder 11. The retaining protrusion 72 serves to restrict the amount of upward movement of the ball valve 70 when the ball valve 70 moves upward away from the tapered cylinder 71.

[0051] (Blocking member) 1, closing member 50 is assembled to rear cylinder portion 22 of injection cylinder portion 20 from the rear. As a result, closing member 50 closes injection cylinder portion 20 from the rear, with pressure accumulating member 40 confined inside injection cylinder portion 20. The blocking member 50 includes at least an elastic piece 51 that contacts the pressure accumulating member 40 from behind and positions the pressure accumulating member 40 in a state in which the injection opening 21 is blocked, and a pair of elastic arm portions (elastic members according to the present invention) 52 that urge the trigger portion 61 forward.

[0052] Closing member 50 includes closing wall 53 that contacts the rear open end of rear cylindrical portion 22 of injection cylindrical portion 20 from behind, and a fitting cylinder 54 that extends forward from closing wall 53 and is fitted inside rear cylindrical portion 22. Note that fitting cylinder 54 is fitted inside rear cylindrical portion 22 in a state where it is prevented from coming off rearward.

[0053] Closing wall 53 is provided with elastic piece 51 that urges pressure accumulating member 40 forward after it has moved rearward. Elastic piece 51 allows pressure accumulating member 40 to move rearward by elastically deforming due to an increase in pressure inside injection barrel portion 20, and urges pressure accumulating member 40 forward by elastically restoring deformation as the pressure inside injection barrel portion 20 decreases. In this embodiment, the elastic piece 51 positions the pressure accumulation member 40 so as to block the flow of liquid through the injection opening 21 until the pressure inside the injection tube portion 20 reaches a predetermined value, and when the pressure inside the injection tube portion 20 reaches or exceeds the predetermined value, it elastically deforms, connecting the injection opening 21 to the inside of the vertical supply tube portion 10.

[0054] The pair of elastic arm portions 52 are arranged on both sides of injection tube portion 20 in left-right direction L2. In a side view seen from the left-right direction L2, the pair of elastic arm portions 52 are elastically deformed to form an upwardly protruding arc, and the front end portions (lower end portions) are in contact with trigger portion 61 from behind. Specifically, as described above, the lower end portions of elastic arm portion 52 are in contact with the inner wall surfaces of first protrusion portion 110 and second protrusion portion 120 from behind in a state where they are accommodated in accommodation space S of first protrusion portion 110 and second protrusion portion 120 in trigger portion 61. In this way, elastic arm portion 52 biases trigger portion 61 forward. The elastic arm portion 52 may be elastically deformed and urge the trigger portion 61 forward only when the trigger portion 61 moves backward.

[0055] The entire closing member 50 including the elastic pieces 51 and the elastic arm portions 52 is integrally formed from synthetic resin. Examples of synthetic resins include olefin resins such as polypropylene (PP), polyacetal (POM), and polyketone (POK). Furthermore, the entire closure member 50 may be made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) that does not contain a copolymer component, which is a highly crystalline polyester resin, so-called homopolyethylene terephthalate (homoPET).

[0056] (Nozzle part) 1, the nozzle portion 3 is attached to the second relay cylindrical portion 83. As a result, the nozzle portion 3 is attached to the ejector main body 2 via the relay member 80. The nozzle portion 3 is disposed in front of the ejector main body 2 and protrudes forward beyond the relay member 80.

[0057] The nozzle portion 3 is disposed forward of the opposing wall portion 81 of the relay member 80 and includes a nozzle wall portion 140 in which the ejection holes 4 are formed, and an attachment tube portion 141 that extends rearward from the nozzle wall portion 140 and is fitted from the front onto the second relay tube portion 83. The interior of the second relay tube portion 83 can communicate with the interior of the injection tube portion 20 through a communication hole 85. The mounting cylinder part 141 is mounted rotatably about the axis O3 in a state where it is prevented from slipping out from the front of the second relay cylinder part 83. As a result, the nozzle part 3 is combined with the relay member 80 so as to be rotatable about the axis O3.

[0058] An inner cylinder 142, which is rotatably fitted onto the guide shaft 84, protrudes rearward from a portion of the nozzle wall 140 located inside the mounting cylinder 141. A second switching groove 143 extending along the front-to-rear direction L1 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylinder 142. Furthermore, a spin chamber 144, which is concave and can communicate with the first switching groove 86, is formed on the rear surface of the nozzle wall 140 located inside the inner cylinder 142.

[0059] The first switching groove 86 formed in the guide shaft 84 and the second switching groove 143 formed in the inner cylindrical portion 142 communicate with each other at a predetermined rotational position of the nozzle portion 3 about the axis O3, and are not in communication with each other at other rotational positions. When the first switching groove 86 and the second switching groove 143 communicate with each other, the ejection hole 4 and the inside of the second relay cylindrical portion 83 communicate with each other through the spin chamber 144, the first switching groove 86, and the second switching groove 143. Therefore, the nozzle portion 3 can be switched between an ejection-permitting state in which the ejection of liquid from the ejection hole 4 is permitted and an ejection-restricting state in which the ejection is restricted, as the nozzle portion 3 rotates around the axis O3.

[0060] Furthermore, a lid 150 that closes the ejection hole 4 from the front in an openable and closable manner is connected to the nozzle 3 via a hinge 151. The lid 150 rotates around the hinge 151, making it possible to switch the ejection mode of the ejected liquid (for example, between a foam-like ejection with a wide ejection angle and a foam-like ejection with a narrow ejection angle). However, the lid 150 is not essential and may not be provided.

[0061] (Cover body) As shown in FIG. 1, the cover body 5 is formed to cover the entire vertical supply tube 10 except for the lower end and the entire injection tube 20 from at least both sides in the left-right direction L2 and above.

[0062] (Regulatory member) In the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 configured as described above, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, a regulating member 160 is provided between the pivot shaft portion 68 formed on the pair of support pieces 66 in the trigger portion 61 and the support holes 88 formed on the pair of lever support pieces 87 in the relay member 80, to regulate the outward displacement of the lever support pieces 87 relative to the support pieces 66 in the left-right direction L2.

[0063] The regulating member 160 is formed so as to be recessed from the outer peripheral surface of the pivot shaft portion 68 and is provided with a regulating groove 161 extending along the circumferential direction of the pivot shaft portion 68, and a regulating rib 162 formed so as to protrude from the inner peripheral surface of the support hole 88 and arranged within the regulating groove 161.

[0064] The restriction groove 161 is formed as a circumferential groove extending along the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 68 over a certain length range so as to correspond to the movement range (swing range in the front-rear direction L1) of the trigger part 61. For example, the restriction groove 161 extends along the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 68 so as to be formed over an angular range of 90 degrees to 120 degrees about the rotation axis O4. In particular, the restriction groove 161 is formed so as not to open outward in the left-right direction L2. As a result, the restriction groove 161 has a first inner surface 161a facing inward in the left-right direction L2 and a pair of second inner surfaces 161b facing each other in the circumferential direction of the rotation shaft portion 68.

[0065] The restricting rib 162 is formed, for example, so as to protrude downward from an upper portion of the inner circumferential surface of the support hole 88, and enters the restricting groove 161 from above. This allows the restricting rib 162 to move along the restricting groove 161, and restricts its displacement outward in the left-right direction L2 by the first inner surface 161a of the restricting groove 161. Further movement of the restriction rib 162 along the restriction groove 161 is restricted by contact with the pair of second inner surfaces 161b.

[0066] In this way, since the pivot shaft portion 68 is inserted into the support hole 88 with the regulating rib 162 positioned within the regulating groove 161, it is possible to regulate the outward displacement of the lever support piece 87 relative to the support piece 66 in the left-right direction L2.

[0067] (The action of the trigger-type liquid jet) Next, we will explain how to use the trigger-type liquid sprayer 1 configured as described above. Note that by operating the trigger part 61 shown in Figure 1 multiple times, liquid is filled into each part of the trigger-type liquid sprayer 1, and the liquid is ready to be sucked up into the vertical supply tube part 10.

[0068] 1, pulling the trigger portion 61 backward against the biasing force of the elastic arm portion 52, as shown by arrow F in Fig. 1, causes the main piston 63 to move backward from its forwardmost position, pressurizing the inside of the main cylinder 62. This allows the liquid in the main cylinder 62 to be supplied into the vertical supply tube portion 10, and also presses the ball valve 70 downward, pressing it against the tapered tube 71. As a result, the liquid supplied into the vertical supply tube portion 10 can be supplied through the connecting tube portion 11b into the injection tube portion 20. At this time, since the communication between the injection opening portion 21 and the inside of the vertical supply tube portion 10 is blocked by the pressure accumulating member 40, the pressure inside the injection tube portion 20 can be increased.

[0069] When the pressure inside the injection tube portion 20 exceeds a predetermined value, the elastic piece 51 elastically deforms, and the pressure accumulating member 40 can be moved rearward against the bias of the elastic piece 51. This allows the injection opening 21 to communicate with the vertical supply tube portion 10. Therefore, the pressurized liquid can be forcefully injected from the injection tube portion 20 through the injection opening 21 into the second relay tube portion 83, and can also be ejected from the ejection hole 4 to the outside.

[0070] After the liquid is ejected, the supply of liquid from the main cylinder 62 through the vertical supply tube 10 to the injection tube 20 can be stopped by releasing the trigger 61. This reduces the pressure inside the injection tube 20, causing the elastic piece 51 to undergo elastic restoration deformation. This allows the elastic piece 51 to move the pressure accumulating member 40 forward in a restoration state. This allows the communication between the injection opening 21 and the vertical supply tube 10 to be blocked again, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0071] Furthermore, the trigger portion 61 is urged forward by the elastic restoring force of the elastic arm portion 52, causing the trigger portion 61 to move in a restoring manner. Therefore, the main piston 63 can be moved in a restoring manner forward in the main cylinder 62 in conjunction with the trigger portion 61. Therefore, the pressure inside the main cylinder 62 can be reduced to a pressure lower than the pressure inside the container body A, causing the ball valve 70 to rise and move away from the tapered cylinder 71. Therefore, the liquid in the container body A can be sucked up into the vertical supply tube portion 10 and introduced into the main cylinder 62. This makes it possible to prepare for the next ejection.

[0072] As described above, according to the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 of this embodiment, each time the trigger portion 61 is pulled rearward, liquid can be ejected from the ejection hole 4. In particular, since the pressure accumulating member 40 is provided, the pressure of the liquid ejected from the ejection hole 4 can be stabilized, and the liquid can be ejected in a desired form (for example, as a mist, etc.).

[0073] In particular, a pair of support pieces 66 protruding upward from the upper end of the trigger body 65 are disposed inside a pair of lever support pieces 87, with the pivot shaft 68 rotatably inserted into a support hole 88. This allows the entire trigger portion 61 to be displaced in the front-to-rear direction L1 about the pivot axis O4 while being positioned in the left-to-right direction L2. Therefore, the trigger portion 61 can be stably operated when spraying liquid.

[0074] Furthermore, a restricting member 160 is provided between the pivot shaft 68 and the support hole 88, restricting outward displacement of the pair of lever support pieces 87 relative to the pair of support pieces 66 in the left-right direction L2. Therefore, even if an external force that causes lateral displacement or twisting in the left-right direction L2 acts on the trigger 61 when the trigger 61 is operated, causing the support pieces 66 to press the lever support pieces 87 outward in the left-right direction L2, the outward displacement of the lever support pieces 87 can be restricted. If the lever support pieces 87 were to be displaced outward in the left-right direction L2 relative to the support pieces 66, there is a risk that the pivot shaft 68 will come off (disengage) from the support hole 88. In this regard, the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 of this embodiment is provided with the restricting member 160, which prevents the pivot shaft 68 from coming out of the support hole 88. Therefore, the trigger 61 can be operated stably, resulting in a trigger-type liquid ejector 1 with improved operability.

[0075] As described above, according to this embodiment, a trigger-type liquid ejector 1 is provided that can ensure stable operability of the trigger portion 61.

[0076] Furthermore, the restricting member 160 is configured using a restricting groove 161 formed in the pivot shaft portion 68 and a restricting rib 162 formed in the support hole 88. In particular, the restricting rib 162 is restricted from outward displacement in the left-right direction L2 by a first inner surface 161a of the restricting groove 161. Therefore, it is possible to restrict outward displacement of the lever support piece 87 relative to the support piece 66 in the left-right direction L2. In this way, the restricting member 160 can be configured by the simple method of only forming the restricting groove 161 and the restricting rib 162. Therefore, there is no need to add new components, etc., and it is easy to reduce the number of parts and the part costs.

[0077] Furthermore, the restriction groove 161 is formed as a circumferential groove, and allows the restriction rib 162 to move along the restriction groove 161. Therefore, the trigger portion 61 can be stably operated with the restriction rib 162 remaining disposed within the restriction groove 161. In particular, the restriction groove 161 is formed as a circumferential groove rather than being formed around the entire circumference of the pivot shaft portion 68. If the restriction groove 161 were formed in an annular shape around the entire circumference of the pivot shaft portion 68, this would likely lead to a deterioration in the setting ability of the trigger portion 61 and would also make it more likely that the pivot shaft portion 68 would wobble within the support hole 88. In this regard, because the restriction groove 161 is formed as a circumferential groove, the trigger portion 61 can be assembled so that the restriction rib 162 fits into the restriction groove 161, making it easy to set the trigger portion 61. Furthermore, the portion of the outer circumferential surface of the pivot shaft portion 68 where the restriction groove 161 is not formed can be brought into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the support hole 88, making it less likely that the pivot shaft portion 68 will rattle.

[0078] Furthermore, when the trigger portion 61 is operated, the restricting rib 162 comes into contact with the second inner surface 161b of the restricting groove 161, thereby restricting excessive forward and backward movement of the trigger portion 61. This also makes it easier to operate the trigger portion 61 appropriately.

[0079] Furthermore, the connecting shaft 67 of the trigger part 61 is inserted into a connecting hole 94 formed to penetrate the shaft body 92 of the main piston 63 in the left-right direction L2. Therefore, for example, even if an external force that shifts the trigger part 61 laterally in the left-right direction L2 is applied when the trigger part 61 is operated, this external force can be prevented from being transmitted to the main piston 63 via the connecting shaft 67. Therefore, for example, it is possible to make it difficult for the main piston 63 to tilt within the main cylinder 62, and it is possible to maintain a seal between the main cylinder 62 and the main piston 63. This allows for a trigger-type liquid ejector 1 with excellent ejection performance.

[0080] Furthermore, even if an external force that shifts the trigger portion 61 sideways is applied when the trigger portion 61 is operated, the trigger portion 61 is configured to be unlikely to come off the pair of lever support pieces 87, as described above, so the trigger portion 61 can be operated stably. In this way, the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 can be made to be capable of appropriately exhibiting both stable operability of the trigger portion 61 and sealing performance between the main cylinder 62 and the main piston 63.

[0081] Furthermore, when the trigger portion 61 is operated during the liquid ejection process described above, at least a stress caused by the biasing force from the elastic arm portion 52 and a stress from the main piston 63 act on the trigger portion 61 . 1 and 2, the trigger body 65 is provided with protrusions 100 (first protrusion 110, second protrusion 120, third protrusion 130) that protrude forward from the front surface of the trigger body 65 as they extend from top to bottom. Moreover, the protrusions 100 are disposed in front of an action area where stress from at least the elastic arm portion 52 and the main piston 63 acts. Therefore, even if stress is transmitted from the elastic arm portion 52 and the main piston 63 to the trigger body 65 when the trigger portion 61 is operated, the stress can be dispersed along the slope of the inclined surface of the protrusion portion 100, and the stress can be prevented from concentrating and acting locally (at one location).

[0082] Therefore, stress can be dispersed throughout the trigger portion 61, and unintended deformation or the like can be prevented from occurring in the trigger portion 61. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the amount of synthetic resin used in the entire product, thereby reducing the environmental impact, and to increase the overall length of the trigger portion 61, thereby improving the operability of the trigger portion 61, for example.

[0083] Furthermore, since the blocking member 50 and the elastic arm portion 52 are integrally formed, they can be handled as a single unit, which not only reduces the number of parts but also leads to lower costs.

[0084] Furthermore, according to the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 of this embodiment, the pressure accumulating member 40 is provided inside the ejection tube portion 20. Therefore, compared to the conventional case in which the pressure accumulating member 40 is provided inside the nozzle portion 3, the nozzle portion 3 can be made smaller and the structure can be simplified, and for example, bulkiness in the front-to-back direction L1, left-to-right direction L2, and up-down direction of the nozzle portion 3 can be easily reduced. Therefore, the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 as a whole can be made smaller. Furthermore, providing the pressure accumulating member 40 inside the injection tube portion 20 increases the degree of freedom in the structure of the nozzle portion 3. Therefore, as the trigger-type liquid ejector 1, for example, as in this embodiment, it is possible to easily employ a configuration in which, as the nozzle portion 3 rotates, switching is made between a jetting permitted state in which jetting from the ejection hole 4 is permitted and a jetting restricted state in which jetting is restricted.

[0085] Furthermore, because pressure accumulating member 40 is provided inside injection barrel 20, the internal volume of injection barrel 20 can be reduced without increasing the number of parts. This allows the pressure of the liquid inside injection barrel 20 to be quickly increased when trigger 61 is operated, reducing the number of times priming is required. Furthermore, since air is less likely to remain inside injection tube portion 20, variations in the amount of ejection that occur due to remaining air, dripping from ejection hole 4, and the like can be suppressed.

[0086] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The embodiments and their modifications include, for example, those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are equivalent.

[0087] For example, in the above embodiment, the restricting member 160 is configured by the restricting groove 161 formed in the pivot shaft portion 68 and the restricting rib 162 formed in the support hole 88, but the present invention is not limited to this. The restricting member 160 only needs to restrict the outward displacement of the pair of lever support pieces 87 relative to the pair of support pieces 66 in the left-right direction L2. For example, a restricting rib may be formed that protrudes radially outward from the outer end of the pivot shaft 68, and this restricting rib may be arranged further outward in the left-right direction L2 than the lever support piece 87 so that it functions as a restricting member. Even in this case, the restricting rib can be used to restrict the outward displacement of the lever support piece 87 in the left-right direction L2.

[0088] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was given in which the pressure accumulating member 40 is provided over the entire length of the injection tube portion 20, but this is not limited to this case, and for example, the pressure accumulating member 40 may be arranged only in a portion of the injection tube portion 20 in the front-to-rear direction L1. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a trigger-type liquid ejector 1 that ejects liquid forward from the ejection hole 4 was described, but this is not limited to this case, and the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 may also eject liquid in a direction other than forward, such as upward or leftward. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] A: Container body 1...Trigger-type liquid sprayer 2...Ejector body 3...Nozzle section 4…Blowout hole 10...Vertical supply tube 20...Injection cylinder part 21...Injection opening 52...Elastic arm portion (elastic member) 60...Trigger mechanism 61...Trigger section 62...Main cylinder 63...Main piston 65...Trigger body 66...Support piece 67...Connection shaft 68... Rotating shaft 80...Relay component 87...Lever support piece 88…Support hole 94...Connection hole 160...Regulatory member 161...Regulation groove 162...Regulation rib

Claims

1. an ejector body attached to a container containing a liquid; a nozzle portion attached to the ejector body and having an ejection hole for ejecting the liquid; The ejector body includes: a vertical supply tube portion for sucking up the liquid in the container body; an injection tube portion extending forward from the vertical supply tube portion and having an injection opening portion for supplying liquid toward the ejection hole; a relay member that connects the injection tube portion and the nozzle portion; a trigger mechanism having a trigger portion arranged to be movable rearward while being biased forward by an elastic member, and causing the liquid to flow from inside the vertical supply cylinder portion toward the ejection hole side by the rearward movement of the trigger portion, The trigger portion is a trigger body extending from above to below so as to incline forward; a pair of support pieces that protrude upward from an upper end of the trigger body and are spaced apart in the width direction of the trigger body; a pivot shaft portion formed on each of the pair of support pieces and protruding outward in the width direction, the relay member has a pair of lever support pieces that are disposed outward in the width direction from the pair of support pieces, and that have support holes formed therein through which the pivot shaft portion is inserted and that rotatably support the pivot shaft portion, A trigger-type liquid ejector characterized in that a regulating member is provided between the pivot shaft portion and the support hole to regulate the outward displacement of the pair of lever support pieces relative to the pair of support pieces in the width direction.

2. The trigger-type liquid ejector according to claim 1, The regulating member is a restriction groove formed to be recessed from an outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft portion and extending along a circumferential direction of the rotation shaft portion; a restriction rib formed to protrude from an inner peripheral surface of the support hole and disposed within the restriction groove, The regulating groove is formed to extend along the circumferential direction over a certain length range corresponding to the movement range of the trigger portion, and allows the regulating rib to move along the regulating groove while regulating the displacement of the regulating rib outward in the width direction.

3. The trigger-type liquid ejector according to claim 1 or 2, The trigger mechanism includes: a main cylinder formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom that opens forward and communicates with the inside of the vertical supply cylindrical portion; a main piston disposed inside the main cylinder so as to be movable in conjunction with movement of the trigger portion, and urged forward by a forward urging force on the trigger portion, a connecting shaft inserted into a connecting hole formed so as to penetrate the main piston in the width direction, and the trigger portion is connected to the main piston via the connecting shaft.

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