Trigger-type liquid sprayer

Abstract

To provide a trigger-type liquid sprayer that does not leak liquid even when a load is applied to the trigger portion in the lateral direction due to wrapping or the like.SOLUTION: A trigger-type liquid sprayer 1 comprises: a vertical supply tube portion 10, which sucks up liquid in a container body A; and a trigger mechanism 20, which causes the liquid to circulate from inside the vertical supply tube portion 10 toward a spray hole 4 by rearward movement of a forward-biased trigger portion 21. The trigger portion 21 is formed with an opening 51 that opens forward; the sprayer body 2 is provided with a deformation control portion 70, which is inserted into the opening 51 at least when the trigger portion 21 is located at a forwardmost position to control deformation of the trigger portion 21 in a lateral direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

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. One such trigger-type liquid ejector, as shown in Patent Document 1 below, includes a ejector body that is attached to a container containing the liquid, and a nozzle part that has an ejection hole formed therein that ejects the liquid forward.

[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 introduces the liquid from the vertical supply tube into the injection tube and injects it from the injection tube toward the nozzle hole by moving a forward-biased trigger backward. The trigger mechanism includes a cylinder located behind the trigger, and a piston that pressurizes the inside of the cylinder as the trigger moves backward, supplying the liquid in the cylinder into the vertical supply tube. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-34982 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, electronic commerce (EC), where consumers order trigger-type liquid sprayers over the Internet, has been on the rise. In this case, the trigger-type liquid sprayers are wrapped in a warehouse or the like and shipped. To prevent damage to the product during transportation, the product is often wrapped in a horizontal position, for example, on a backing card. However, this wrapping method applies a load in the left-right direction to the trigger part of the product, which can cause the piston connected to the trigger part to become misaligned, breaking the seal between the piston and the cylinder and resulting in liquid leakage.

[0006] The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a trigger-type liquid ejector that does not leak liquid even when a load is applied to the trigger portion in the left-right direction due to wrapping, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) The trigger-type liquid ejector of the present invention comprises an ejector body that is attached to a container body containing liquid, and a nozzle member that is attached to the ejector body and has an ejection hole formed therein for ejecting the liquid. The ejector body comprises a vertical supply tube section that sucks up the liquid in the container body, and a trigger mechanism that causes the liquid to flow from within the vertical supply tube section toward the ejection hole side by moving a forward-biased trigger section rearward. The trigger section has an opening that opens forward, and the ejector body is provided with a deformation control section that is inserted into the opening at least when the trigger section is positioned at the forward-most position and that controls deformation of the trigger section in the left-right direction.

[0008] According to the trigger-type liquid ejector of the present invention, an opening that opens forward is provided in the trigger portion, and by inserting a deformation restricting portion into the opening, the trigger portion can be supported from the inside of the opening. Therefore, even if a load is applied to the trigger portion in the left-right direction, the left-right deformation of the trigger portion can be restricted. Therefore, the piston connected to the trigger portion does not become misaligned, and liquid leakage from between the piston and the cylinder can be prevented.

[0009] (2) The ejector body may include an injection tube portion extending forward from the vertical supply tube portion and a frame portion attached to the outside of the injection tube portion, and the deformation control portion may be provided on the frame portion.

[0010] In this case, since a deformation restricting portion is provided on the frame portion attached to the outside of the injection tube portion, the trigger portion can be operated in this state without removing the frame portion, and liquid can be sprayed out.

[0011] (3) The ejector body may include an injection tube portion extending forward from the vertical supply tube portion, and a cap portion removably attached to the outside of the injection tube portion and covering the nozzle member, and the deformation control portion may be provided on the cap portion.

[0012] In this case, the deformation restricting portion is provided on the cap portion detachably attached to the outside of the injection tube portion, and therefore the lid of the nozzle member cannot be opened, closed, or rotated unless the cap portion is removed, so the cap portion functions as a stopper to prevent unintended ejection of liquid. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the trigger type liquid ejector of the present invention, it is possible to provide a trigger type liquid ejector that does not leak liquid even when a load is applied to the trigger part in the left-right direction due to wrapping or the like. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1]1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a trigger-type liquid ejector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a side view of a trigger-type liquid ejector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a front view of a trigger-type liquid ejector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a side view of a trigger-type liquid ejector according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of a trigger-type liquid ejector according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A trigger-type liquid ejector according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0016] (First embodiment) 1, the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 according to this embodiment comprises an ejector body 2 that is attached to a container body A that contains liquid, and a nozzle member 3 that is attached to the ejector body 2 and has ejection holes 4 for ejecting the liquid. A cover member 5 is attached to the outside of the ejector body 2.

[0017] Examples of the liquid contained in the container body A include detergents for household use or dishes, deodorizers and air fresheners for use in the air or on clothes, disinfectant alcohol, and the like. Unless otherwise specified, each component part of the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 is a molded product made of synthetic resin such as olefin-based resin.

[0018] The ejector main body 2 mainly includes a vertical supply tube portion 10, a trigger mechanism 20, an injection tube portion 30, a switching valve 40, and a storage valve .

[0019] In the following description, the side of the container body A along the central axis O of the vertical supply tube portion 10 is referred to as the lower side, and the opposite side is referred to as the upper side, and the direction along the central axis O is referred to as the up-down direction. When viewed from the up-down direction, the direction intersecting the central axis O is referred to as the radial direction, and the direction circumferential around the central axis O is referred to as the circumferential direction. In the radial direction, the side where the nozzle member 3 is provided with respect to the ejector body 2 is referred to as the front side, and the opposite side is referred to as the rear side. In the radial direction, the direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction is referred to as the left-to-right direction.

[0020] The vertical supply tube 10 is formed in a topped cylindrical shape that extends vertically, and sucks up the liquid inside the container body A. The vertical supply tube 10 is provided with a flange 11 that is placed on the upper opening edge of the mouth of the container body A via a packing. The flange 11 is pressed down from above by a cap 12 that is attached (screwed) to the mouth of the container body A.

[0021] The upper part of a pipe 13 that extends vertically and sucks up liquid from inside the container body A is fitted inside the vertical supply tube part 10. A cylinder tube part 14 is provided on the front side of the vertical supply tube part 10. The cylinder tube part 14 protrudes forward from the vertical supply tube part 10 and is open forward.

[0022] The trigger mechanism 20 includes a trigger portion 21, a piston 22, a cylinder 23, and a biasing portion 24. The trigger mechanism 20 causes the liquid to flow from the vertical supply tube portion 10 through the injection tube portion 30 toward the ejection hole 4 side by moving the trigger portion 21 rearward.

[0023] The cylinder 23 is fitted and fixed in the cylinder tubular portion 14. The cylinder 23 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom that is open at the front and closed at the rear. A horizontal communication passage 18 is formed in the rear wall of the cylinder 23, which communicates between the interior of the cylinder 23 and the interior of the upper end of the vertical supply tubular portion 10 in the front-rear direction.

[0024] The piston 22 is fitted into the cylinder 23 so as to be movable back and forth. The piston 22 moves back and forth in conjunction with the back and forth movement of the trigger portion 21. The interior of the cylinder 23 is pressurized and depressurized as the piston 22 moves back and forth. The piston 22 is formed in a topped cylindrical shape that is open at the rear and closed at the front. The front end of the piston 22 is connected to the rear of the trigger portion 21. As the trigger portion 21 moves backward, the piston 22 retreats and is pushed into the cylinder 23.

[0025] Piston 22 is urged forward together with trigger portion 21 by the elastic restoring force (urging force) of urging portion 24. When trigger portion 21 is at its forward-most position, piston 22 is located at the corresponding forward-most position. Urging portion 24 is, for example, an elastic plate disposed between injection tube portion 30 and trigger portion 21, and urges trigger portion 21 forward.

[0026] The switching valve 40 is provided inside the vertical supply tube portion 10. The switching valve 40 switches between communication between the inside of the vertical supply tube portion 10 and the inside of the cylinder 23 through the horizontal connecting passage 18 and the inside of the container body A and the inside of the cylinder 23, depending on the pressure increase or decrease inside the cylinder 23. The switching valve 40 is a ball valve.

[0027] The switching valve 40 is disposed on a valve seat 41 formed on the inner circumferential surface of the vertical supply tube section 10 so as to be movable upward. The valve seat 41 is formed in an annular shape and disposed coaxially with the central axis O. The valve seat 41 extends downward from the inner circumferential surface of the vertical supply tube section 10 toward the inside in the radial direction. The switching valve 40 and the valve seat 41 are located below the horizontal connecting passage 18.

[0028] The storage valve 42 is disposed within the vertical supply tube section 10, above the switching valve 40 and the horizontal connecting passage 18. The storage valve 42 is a check valve that allows the supply of liquid from the vertical supply tube section 10 to the injection tube section 30, and prevents the liquid from flowing back from the injection tube section 30 into the cylinder 23. This allows the storage valve 42 to prevent the liquid (and outside air) from entering the cylinder 23 from the injection tube section 30 side when the pressure inside the cylinder 23 is reduced.

[0029] The storage valve 42 is provided at the lower end of a spring portion that extends downward from a base portion attached to the underside of the top wall portion of the vertical supply tube portion 10. The storage valve 42 is movable in the vertical direction by the spring portion, and when it moves upward against the bias of the spring portion, it allows the supply of liquid from inside the vertical supply tube portion 10 to inside the injection tube portion 30. A protrusion that protrudes downward is provided on the underside of the storage valve 42, which limits the upward movement of the switching valve 40 to a certain range and prevents the switching valve 40 from blocking the horizontal connecting passage 18.

[0030] The injection tube portion 30 is disposed above the cylinder tube portion 14 and extends forward from the upper end of the vertical supply tube portion 10. The injection tube portion 30 is formed integrally with the top wall of the vertical supply tube portion 10. The injection tube portion 30 is provided with a relay member 31 to which the nozzle member 3 can be attached. The relay member 31 is attached to the front end of the injection tube portion 30.

[0031] Nozzle member 3 is formed in the shape of a closed cylinder with a closed front end. An ejection hole 4 is formed at the front end of nozzle member 3, which ejects liquid forward. Nozzle member 3 is rotatably attached to relay member 31 in a state in which it is prevented from coming off forward. By rotating relative to relay member 31, nozzle member 3 can be switched between an open state that allows communication with the inside of injection tube portion 30 via relay member 31 and a closed state that blocks communication with the inside of injection tube portion 30 via relay member 31.

[0032] The trigger portion 21 is disposed in front of the piston 22 so as to be movable back and forth. The trigger portion 21 comprises a trigger body 50 and a pair of support pieces 60. The trigger body 50 is the part that is gripped when performing the ejection operation, and is hooked from the front by, for example, an index finger. The trigger body 50 comprises a front plate portion that gradually extends downward as it extends forward, and a pair of side plate portions that extend rearward from the left and right side edges of the front plate portion and face each other in the left-right direction.

[0033] An opening 51 that opens forward and penetrates the front plate in the front-rear direction is provided at the upper end of the trigger body 50. A connecting shaft 52 to which the piston 22 is connected is provided behind the opening 51. The connecting shaft 52 protrudes inward in the left-right direction from each of a pair of side plates of the trigger body 50. Spring receiving portions (not shown) that abut against the biasing portion 24 from the front are formed on the surfaces of the pair of side plates facing outward on the left and right.

[0034] A pair of support pieces 60 protrude upward from the upper end of trigger body 50. The pair of support pieces 60 are spaced apart in the left-right direction and are pivotally supported on both left-right sides of relay member 31 of injection tube portion 30. Specifically, the pair of support pieces 60 are respectively combined with a pair of lever support walls (not shown) formed on relay member 31 so as to be rotatable about pivot shaft 61. This allows trigger portion 21 to be rotated about pivot shaft 61 with the pair of support pieces 60 as fulcrums.

[0035] A frame 80 is attached to the outside of injection tube 30. Frame 80 is provided with a deformation restricting portion 70 that is inserted from the front into opening 51 of trigger 21. Deformation restricting portion 70 is inserted into opening 51 at least when trigger 21 is located at the frontmost position, and restricts deformation of trigger 21 in the left-right direction.

[0036] 2, frame 80 is attached to the front end of cover member 5, which covers the outside of injection tube 30. Frame 80 may also be attached directly to the outside of injection tube 30. Frame 80 includes a first portion 81 that straddles the upper side of injection tube 30 in the left-right direction behind nozzle member 3, and a second portion 82 that is connected to the lower end of first portion 81 and extends forward.

[0037] As shown in the front view of Figure 3, the second portion 82 of the frame portion 80 crosses in the left-right direction in front of the trigger portion 21. A deformation restricting portion 70 that protrudes toward the rear is provided in the left-right center of the second portion 82. The deformation restricting portion 70 is formed in the shape of a square pillar with an opening in the center. The deformation restricting portion 70 is located close to the left and right inner walls of the opening 51 of the trigger portion 21 with the minimum clearance required for insertion.

[0038] The frame portion 80 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front as shown in FIG. 3. The frame portion 80 is positioned so as not to interfere with the rotation of the nozzle member 3. This allows the nozzle member 3 to be rotated to switch between an open state and a closed state while the frame portion 80 is attached. Furthermore, the lid portion disposed in front of the ejection holes 4 of the nozzle member 3 can also be opened and closed while the frame portion 80 is attached. Furthermore, because the deformation restricting portion 70 extends in the front-rear direction, the trigger portion 21 can be pulled rearward while the frame portion 80 is attached.

[0039] Next, a case where the trigger type liquid ejector 1 configured as described above is used will be described. It is assumed that each part of the trigger type liquid ejector 1 is filled with liquid.

[0040] 1 is pulled rearward, the piston 22 moves rearward, and pressure is applied to the inside of the cylinder 23. At this time, the liquid in the cylinder 23 flows into the upper end of the vertical supply tube portion 10 through the horizontal communicating passage 18, and the liquid presses the switching valve 40 against the valve seat 41, thereby blocking communication between the inside of the cylinder 23 and the inside of the container body A through the horizontal communicating passage 18.

[0041] As a result, the liquid that has flowed into the upper end of the vertical supply tube section 10 is pressurized, and when the internal pressure in this section rises and exceeds a predetermined value, the storage valve 42 is elastically displaced upward, allowing communication between the vertical supply tube section 10 and the injection tube section 30. Then, the liquid in the vertical supply tube section 10 is ejected to the outside from the ejection hole 4 through the injection tube section 30. When the liquid is ejected, the pressure inside the vertical supply tube section 10 is released, and the storage valve 42 closes.

[0042] Thereafter, when the trigger portion 21 is restored forward by the biasing portion 24, the piston 22 is restored forward within the cylinder 23 in conjunction with the trigger portion 21. At this time, the pressure within the cylinder 23 is reduced to a pressure lower than the pressure within the container body A, and the switching valve 40 moves upward away from the valve seat 41. As a result, the liquid within the container body A is supplied into the cylinder 23 through the vertical supply tube portion 10 and the horizontal connecting passage 18. Then, the reduced pressure within the cylinder 23 is released, and the switching valve 40 drops downward and seats on the valve seat 41. This makes it possible to prepare for the next ejection of liquid.

[0043] As described above, with the trigger-type liquid sprayer 1 according to this embodiment, when the trigger portion 21 is operated and moves rearward, liquid is sucked up from within the container body A and then sprayed out through the nozzle holes 4 of the nozzle member 3 via the vertical supply tube portion 10. Here, the trigger portion 21 is formed with an opening 51 that opens forward, and the sprayer body 2 is provided with a deformation restricting portion 70 that is inserted into the opening 51 and restricts deformation of the trigger portion 21 in the left-right direction at least when the trigger portion 21 is located at the forward-most position.

[0044] In this way, by providing an opening 51 that opens forward in the trigger portion 21 and inserting the deformation restricting portion 70 into the opening 51, the trigger portion 21 can be supported from the inside of the opening 51. Therefore, even if a load is applied to the trigger portion 21 in the left-right direction, the deformation of the trigger portion 21 in the left-right direction can be restricted. Therefore, the piston 22 connected to the trigger portion 21 does not become misaligned, and leakage of fluid between the piston 22 and the cylinder 23 can be prevented.

[0045] Thus, the trigger-type liquid sprayer 1 according to this embodiment comprises a sprayer body 2 that is attached to a container body A containing liquid, and a nozzle member 3 that is attached to the sprayer body 2 and has a nozzle hole 4 through which the liquid is sprayed. The sprayer body 2 comprises a vertical supply tube 10 that sucks up the liquid from the container body A, and a trigger mechanism 20 that causes the liquid to flow from the vertical supply tube 10 toward the nozzle hole 4 by rearward movement of a forward-biased trigger part 21. The trigger part 21 has an opening 51 that opens forward, and the sprayer body 2 is provided with a deformation restricting part 70 that is inserted into the opening 51 and restricts deformation of the trigger part 21 in the left-right direction at least when the trigger part 21 is in the forward-most position. This configuration can prevent liquid leakage even when a left-right load is applied to the trigger part 21 by wrapping or the like.

[0046] Furthermore, the ejector main body 2 of this embodiment includes an injection tube portion 30 extending forward from the vertical supply tube portion 10, and a frame portion 80 attached to the outside of the injection tube portion 30, and the deformation restricting portion 70 is provided on the frame portion 80. According to this configuration, since the deformation restricting portion 70 is provided on the frame portion 80 attached to the outside of the injection tube portion 30, the trigger portion 21 can be operated in this state to eject liquid without removing the frame portion 80.

[0047] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the same or equivalent components as those in the above-described embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be simplified or omitted.

[0048] 4, the ejector main body 2 of the second embodiment includes a cap portion 90 that is detachably attached to the outside of the injection tube portion 30 and covers the nozzle member 3. The cap portion 90 is detachably attached to the front end portion of the cover member 5 that covers the outside of the injection tube portion 30. Note that the cap portion 90 may also be attached directly to the outside of the injection tube portion 30.

[0049] 5, the cap portion 90 is formed in a cylindrical shape that surrounds the outside of the nozzle member 3. A deformation restricting portion 70 is provided in the center of the lower part of the cap portion 90 in the left-right direction. The deformation restricting portion 70 is inserted into the opening 51 of the trigger portion 21 at least when the trigger portion 21 is located at the frontmost position.

[0050] In this state, even if an attempt is made to rotate the nozzle member 3, the deformation restricting portion 70 integrated with the cap portion 90 comes into contact with the inner walls in the left-right direction of the opening 51. Therefore, unless the cap portion 90 is removed, it is not possible to rotate the nozzle member 3 or open or close the lid portion in front of the nozzle member 3. In other words, the cap portion 90 acts as a stopper that prevents unintended spraying of liquid.

[0051] As described above, the ejector main body 2 of the second embodiment includes the injection tube portion 30 extending forward from the vertical supply tube portion 10, and the cap portion 90 that is detachably attached to the outside of the injection tube portion 30 and covers the nozzle member 3, and the deformation restricting portion 70 is provided on the cap portion 90. According to this configuration, since the deformation restricting portion 70 is provided on the cap portion 90 that is detachably attached to the outside of the injection tube portion 30, the lid portion of the nozzle member 3 cannot be opened, closed, or rotated unless the cap portion 90 is removed. Therefore, the cap portion 90 functions as a stopper that prevents unintended ejection of liquid.

[0052] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the deformation control part 70 is described as having a rectangular prism shape with an opening in the center, but the deformation control part 70 may be formed, for example, in a block or plate shape as long as it can contact the inner walls on the left and right sides of the opening 51 of the trigger part 21. Furthermore, for example, the configuration has been described in which the deformation restricting portion 70 restricts the left-right deformation of the trigger portion 21 when the trigger portion 21 is located at the frontmost position (when in a transported state), but the deformation restricting portion 70 may be extended rearward to restrict the left-right deformation of the trigger portion 21 even when the trigger portion 21 is located at the rearmost position. This makes it possible to prevent the trigger portion 21 from being pulled obliquely. Furthermore, for example, in the first embodiment, the trigger portion 21 can be operated with the frame portion 80 attached, but the trigger portion 21 may be operated after the frame portion 80 is removed.

[0054] In addition, it is possible to replace the components in the above-described embodiments with well-known components as appropriate, without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1 trigger-type liquid jet 2 Squirt body 3 Nozzle member 4 Spout hole 5 Cover member 10 Vertical supply tube 11 flange 12 Caps 13 Pipe 14 Cylinder tube 18 Horizontal passageway 20 Trigger mechanism 21 Trigger section 22 Piston 23 cylinders 24 energizing section 30 Injection cylinder part 31 Relay member 40 Switching valve 41 Valve seat 42 Reservoir valve 50 Trigger body 51 Opening 52 Connecting shaft 60 Support piece 61 Rotating shaft 70 Deformation control section 80 Frame 81 Part 1 82 Part 2 90 Cap part A Container body O center axis

Claims

1. an ejector body attached to a container containing a liquid; a nozzle member attached to the ejector body and having an ejection hole for ejecting the liquid; The ejector body includes: a vertical supply tube portion that sucks up the liquid in the container body; a trigger mechanism that causes the liquid to flow from the vertical supply tube portion toward the nozzle hole side by rearward movement of the forward-biased trigger portion, The trigger portion has an opening that opens forward, the ejector body is provided with a deformation restricting portion that is inserted into the opening and restricts deformation of the trigger portion in the left-right direction at least when the trigger portion is located at the frontmost position; Trigger-type liquid squirt.

2. The ejector body includes: an injection tube portion extending forward from the vertical supply tube portion; a frame portion attached to the outside of the injection tube portion, The deformation restricting portion is provided on the frame portion. The trigger-type liquid ejector according to claim 1 .

3. The ejector body includes: an injection tube portion extending forward from the vertical supply tube portion; a cap portion that is detachably attached to the outside of the injection tube portion and covers the nozzle member, The deformation restricting portion is provided on the cap portion. The trigger-type liquid ejector according to claim 1 .

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