Trigger-type liquid dispenser

Abstract

To provide a trigger type liquid ejector capable of suppressing the detachment of a trigger part from a main piston.SOLUTION: In the trigger-type liquid ejector according to the present aspect, the lateral protrusion 171 to be engaged with the lateral recess formed in the coupling part is provided in the portion of the trigger facing the coupling part in the left-right direction, and the trigger is provided with the upward protrusion that protrudes upward from the bottom wall and is engaged with the first coupling recess formed in the coupling part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Trigger-type liquid ejectors are known in which a sliding portion of a main piston slides rearward along the inner circumferential surface of a main cylinder as a trigger swings rearward, thereby ejecting liquid from an ejection hole. For example, in the trigger-type liquid ejector shown in Patent Document 1 below, a connecting protrusion (boss) formed on the trigger portion is inserted into a connecting hole formed in the front end of the main piston, thereby connecting the front end of the main piston to the trigger portion. Furthermore, a portion of the main piston located between the sliding portion and the trigger portion is inserted inside a cylindrical biasing member that biases the trigger portion forward. Therefore, the biasing member is provided outside the main cylinder and does not come into contact with the liquid. As a result, deterioration of the biasing member due to contact with the liquid is suppressed.

[0003] The trigger-type liquid ejector disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a storage cylinder and storage plunger that enable continuous ejection of liquid in addition to a main cylinder and main piston. Therefore, the biasing member is required to have a high spring constant, which tends to limit the material that can be used. In this case, depending on the type of liquid (e.g., hypochlorous acid), contact with the biasing member may cause deterioration of the biasing member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-98189 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the above-mentioned conventional trigger-type liquid sprayer, when an unexpected external force is applied forward to the trigger portion during product distribution, product display, etc., there is a risk that the connecting protrusion will come out of the connecting hole and the trigger portion will come off the front end of the main piston. If the trigger comes off the front end of the main piston, the trigger will try to return to its original position when the sudden forward external force is released, but in the process, the connecting protrusion that has come off the connecting hole will push the main piston from the front, which could cause the main piston to become stuck in a position further back than its original standby position (forward-most position).

[0006] Furthermore, if the trigger is operated while it is disengaged from the front end of the main piston, causing it to move rearward together with the main piston, the trigger will then be restored forward by the biasing member, but the main piston will not move forward and will remain in that position, which could result in the main piston remaining in a position further rearward than its forward-most position, as described above.

[0007] In this type of trigger-type liquid ejector, an inlet for an outside air introduction passage is opened on the inner circumferential surface of the main cylinder. The outside air introduction passage serves to introduce outside air into the container body as the liquid in the container body is supplied into the main cylinder. When the main piston is located at its forwardmost position, it closes the inlet for the outside air introduction passage. Therefore, if the main piston moves further rearward than the forward-most position as described above and remains in that position, the inlet port cannot be closed, which can lead to problems such as the liquid in the container leaking out of the inlet port through the outside air intake passage.

[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 prevent the trigger portion from coming off the main piston. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following aspects. A trigger-type liquid ejector according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a ejector body attached to a container body that contains liquid, and a nozzle member attached to the ejector body and having an ejection hole formed therein for ejecting liquid, wherein the ejector body extends in the vertical direction and has a vertical supply tube portion through which liquid in the container body flows, and a trigger portion disposed in front of the vertical supply tube portion so as to be able to swing rearward in a forwardly biased state about a rotation axis along the left-right direction, and wherein the rearward swing of the trigger portion causes liquid to flow from within the vertical supply tube portion toward the ejection hole, and a trigger mechanism extending in the front-rear direction, and a storage cylinder into which the liquid that has passed through the vertical supply tube portion is supplied by the rearward swing of the trigger portion, and a storage plunger that is movably disposed within the storage cylinder and that moves rearward in a forward-biased state as the liquid is supplied into the storage cylinder. The trigger mechanism includes a main cylinder formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom that opens forward and communicates with the interior of the vertical supply tube portion, a sliding portion that is in sliding contact with the inner surface of the main cylinder so as to be movable back and forth, a piston shaft portion that extends forward from the sliding portion, and a connecting rod provided at the front end of the piston shaft. a main piston having a sliding portion that moves rearward from a frontmost position as the trigger portion swings rearward to pressurize the inside of the main cylinder; a receiving member that is provided in a state in which the piston shaft portion passes through a portion of the ejector main body that is located forward of the sliding portion; and a biasing member that is provided between the trigger portion and the receiving member and biases the trigger portion forward, wherein the ejector main body has an inlet that opens to an inner circumferential surface of the main cylinder and is provided with an outside air inlet passage that introduces outside air into the container body through the inlet, and the inlet is provided between the main piston and the sliding portion. is located at the forwardmost position, the trigger opening is closed by the main piston, and is opened to the outside of the ejector body when the main piston swings rearward, and engaging portions that face each other in the left-right direction of the connecting portion and the trigger portion are provided with engaging portions that engage the connecting portion and the trigger portion in the front-to-rear direction, and one of the connecting portion and the trigger portion is formed with a connecting protrusion that protrudes to a first side in the up-down direction and engages in a connecting recess formed in the other of the connecting portion and the trigger portion in the front-to-rear direction.

[0010] According to this aspect, the trigger portion and the main piston are connected, so that the main piston can be moved back and forth in association with the back and forth movement of the trigger portion during the ejection operation. Moreover, in the trigger-type liquid ejector of this embodiment, the trigger and the main piston are connected to each other via a connecting protrusion and a connecting recess in addition to the engaging portion. With this configuration, even if an unexpected external force acts on the trigger while the main piston is in its forward-most position, displacing it further forward, for example, during product distribution or display, the trigger is unlikely to come off the main piston. In particular, in a configuration in which the trigger extends vertically, even if the engaging portions are disengaged due to torsional deformation of the trigger, the connecting protrusion and the connecting recess can maintain the connected state between the trigger and the main piston. This allows the connected state between the trigger and the main piston to be maintained even if an unexpected external force acts on the trigger while the main piston is in its forward-most position. This allows the main piston to remain appropriately in its forward-most position, allowing the main piston to operate with an appropriate stroke amount and maintaining a seal between the main cylinder to prevent liquid leakage. Furthermore, because the main piston can remain appropriately in its forward-most position, the sliding portion stably and appropriately closes the inlet port. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of liquid leakage, such as leakage of the liquid inside the container body to the outside through the inlet.

[0011] In the trigger-type liquid ejector according to the above aspect, it is preferable that the connecting protrusion has an abutment surface that comes into surface contact with the rearward-facing surface of the inner surface of the connecting recess when the trigger portion is in the forward-most position. According to this aspect, the engagement between the inner surface of the connecting recess and the connecting protrusion can be stabilized, which makes it easier to maintain a stable connection between the trigger portion and the main piston.

[0012] In the trigger-type liquid ejector according to the above aspect, it is preferable that the connecting recess is formed in the connecting portion, the main piston is formed in a cylindrical shape arranged coaxially with the axis of the main cylinder, and the connecting recess is formed in the connecting portion at a position that is point-symmetric about the axis. According to this aspect, by assembling the main piston so that one of the connecting recesses formed at point-symmetric positions faces the connecting protrusion in the up-down direction, it is possible to connect one of the connecting recesses to the connecting protrusion when assembling the trigger portion to the main piston. This makes it possible to assemble the main piston without having to worry about the up-down orientation of the main piston, thereby improving assembly ease. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the trigger portion from coming off the main piston. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [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] FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view of the main piston and its periphery shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the main piston shown in FIG. 2 has moved rearward from the foremost position in response to rearward swing of the trigger portion. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a jetting container in which a trigger-type liquid jetter 1 is attached to a container body A will be described as an example. The trigger-type liquid sprayer 1 shown in Figure 1 comprises a sprayer body 2 that is attached to a container body A that contains liquid, a nozzle member 3 that is attached to the sprayer body 2 and has an ejection hole 4 formed therein for ejecting the liquid, a stopper member 5 that is combined with the nozzle member 3 and is rotatable relative to the sprayer body 2, and a cover body 6 that covers the sprayer body 2. Unless otherwise specified, each component part of the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 is a molded product made of synthetic resin.

[0016] The ejector body 2 includes a vertical supply tube portion 10, a connecting tube portion 20, an attachment cap 30, a storage cylinder 40, a storage plunger 50, a biasing member 60, an injection tube portion 70, a trigger mechanism 80, a ball valve 90, a storage valve 91, and an outside air introduction passage 92.

[0017] In this embodiment, the central axis of the vertical supply tube portion 10 is defined as an axis O1, the container body A side along this axis O1 is defined as the lower side, the opposite side is defined as the upper side, and the direction along the axis O1 is defined as the up-down direction. In addition, in a plan view seen from the up-down direction, a direction intersecting the axis O1 is defined as the front-rear direction, and a direction perpendicular to both the up-down direction and the front-rear direction is defined as the left-right direction.

[0018] In this embodiment, the central axis of the storage cylinder 40 is defined as the axis O2. In this embodiment, the axis O2 extends in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the front-to-rear direction corresponds to the axial direction along the axis O2 of the storage cylinder 40. In this embodiment, the rear corresponds to one side of the axial direction along the axis O2 of the storage cylinder 40, and the front corresponds to the other side of the axial direction along the axis O2 of the storage cylinder 40. However, the axial direction along the axis O2 does not have to coincide with the front-to-rear direction.

[0019] The vertical supply tube section 10 extends in the vertical direction and functions to circulate the liquid inside the container body A. The vertical supply tube section 10 is formed in a double-cylinder shape having an outer tube and an inner tube, and is attached to the container body A by an attachment cap 30. The upper part of a pipe 11 that extends in the vertical direction and sucks up the liquid from the container body A is fitted into the vertical supply tube section 10.

[0020] A connecting tube 20 extending forward is provided at the upper end of the vertical supply tube 10. The connecting tube 20 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an opening that opens to the front of the ejector body 2, and communicates with the inside of the vertical supply tube 10. A blocking plug 100 is attached to the opening of the connecting tube 20 from the front to block the opening.

[0021] A cylinder tube portion 110 is provided below the connecting tube portion 20 and above the attachment cap 30. The cylinder tube portion 110 protrudes forward from the vertical supply tube portion 10 and opens forward. A second space S2 is provided between the cylinder tube portion 110 and the vertical supply tube portion 10. The main cylinder 82 is fitted into the cylinder tube portion 110. The main cylinder 82 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom that is open at the front and closed at the rear.

[0022] The central axis that passes through the center of the main cylinder 82 and extends in the front-to-rear direction is defined as axis O3. Furthermore, the direction that intersects with axis O3 as viewed from the front-to-rear direction is defined as the cylinder radial direction, and the direction that rotates around axis O3 as viewed from the front-to-rear direction is defined as the cylinder circumferential direction.

[0023] 2, the rear wall of the main cylinder 82 is formed with a piston guide 82a that protrudes forward from the center of the rear wall and a communication hole 82b that penetrates the rear wall in the front-to-rear direction. The piston guide 82a is disposed coaxially with the axis O3. In the illustrated example, the piston guide 82a is formed in a cylindrical shape, but this is not limited to this and may be formed in a solid cylindrical shape, for example. 1 and 2, the communication hole 82b is formed in a portion of the rear wall portion that is located above the piston guide 82a, so that the inside of the main cylinder 82 is in communication with the inside of the vertical supply tube portion 10 through the communication hole 82b.

[0024] The main cylinder 82 is formed with an inlet 82c that penetrates the main cylinder 82 in the cylinder diameter direction. The inlet 82c opens to the inner circumferential surface of the main cylinder 82 and communicates with a first space S1 defined between the outer circumferential surface of the main cylinder 82 and the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder tubular portion 110. The first space S1 extends continuously over the entire length in the cylinder circumferential direction. The cylinder tubular portion 110 is formed with a first communication hole 110a that communicates between the first space S1 and the second space S2. A second communication hole 10a that communicates between the second space S2 and the inside of the container body A is formed in the wall of the vertical supply tubular portion 10 that separates the second space S2 from the inside of the container body A.

[0025] The above-mentioned inlet 82c, first space S1, first communication hole 110a, second space S2 and second communication hole 10a form an outside air introduction passage 92 that introduces outside air into the container body A as the liquid in the container body A is supplied into the main cylinder 82.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1 , the storage cylinder 40 is disposed above the vertical supply tube section 10 and the connecting tube section 20. The storage cylinder 40 extends in the front-to-rear direction and is disposed so as to straddle the vertical supply tube section 10 in the front-to-rear direction. In the illustrated example, the storage cylinder 40 is disposed parallel to the connecting tube section 20 and the cylinder tube section 110. The lower end of the storage cylinder 40 is integrally formed with the upper end of the vertical supply tube section 10 and the upper end of the connecting tube section 20.

[0027] The liquid that has passed through the vertical supply tube portion 10 and the connecting tube portion 20 is supplied into the storage cylinder 40 by the rearward swing of the trigger portion 81. Specifically, a supply hole 41 that communicates with the inside of the connecting tube portion 20 is formed in the lower part of the front end of the storage cylinder 40. The supply hole 41 opens to a part that is located rearward of the blocking plug 100. This makes it possible to supply the liquid that has passed through the vertical supply tube portion 10 and the connecting tube portion 20 into the storage cylinder 40 through the supply hole 41.

[0028] The storage plunger 50 is disposed in the storage cylinder 40 so as to be movable in the front-to-rear direction along the axis O2. This allows the storage plunger 50 to slide tightly in the front-to-rear direction within the storage cylinder 40. The storage plunger 50 moves rearward as liquid is supplied into the storage cylinder 40. The storage plunger 50 blocks communication between the interior of the vertical supply cylinder 10 and the ejection holes 4 through the interior of the connecting cylinder 20, and allows communication between the interior of the vertical supply cylinder 10 and the ejection holes 4 through the interior of the connecting cylinder 20 when moved rearward.

[0029] Therefore, when the storage plunger 50 is in the forward most position, it blocks communication between the interior of the vertical supply cylinder 10 and the interior of the injection cylinder 70 through the interior of the connecting cylinder 20, and when it moves rearward from the forward most position, it allows communication with the ejection hole 4 through the interior of the injection cylinder 70. Note that in the storage cylinder 40, the space located forward of the storage plunger 50 functions as a storage space 40a.

[0030] The storage space 40a stores the liquid that passes through the vertical supply tube portion 10 and the connecting tube portion 20 and through the supply hole 41. The storage space 40a expands as the storage plunger 50 moves rearward due to the supply of liquid. The storage space 40a can also communicate with the inside of the injection tube portion 70.

[0031] The biasing member 60 biases the storage plunger 50 forward. The biasing member 60 is disposed rearward of the storage plunger 50 within the storage cylinder 40. In the initial state before the trigger portion 81 is operated, the biasing member 60 biases the storage plunger 50 forward. As a result, the storage plunger 50 is positioned at the frontmost position. The biasing member 60 is a metal coil spring disposed coaxially with the axis O2. However, for example, a resin spring or other elastic members may be used as the biasing member 60.

[0032] In the storage cylinder 40 and storage plunger 50 configured as described above, it is possible to pressurize the liquid in the storage space 40a until the storage plunger 50 moves rearward. Thereafter, when the liquid pressure in the storage space 40a reaches a predetermined value, the storage plunger 50 moves rearward against the biasing member 60. This makes it possible to send the liquid in the storage space 40a toward the ejection hole 4. Therefore, the storage plunger 50 can function as a pressure accumulator valve.

[0033] The injection tube portion 70 extends forward from the storage cylinder 40. The injection tube portion 70 is in communication with the interior of the vertical supply tube portion 10 through the storage cylinder 40 and the connecting tube portion 20. This allows the injection tube portion 70 to guide the liquid that has passed through the vertical supply tube portion 10, the connecting tube portion 20, and the storage cylinder 40 to the ejection hole 4.

[0034] The trigger mechanism 80 includes a trigger portion 81, a main cylinder 82, a main piston 83, a coil spring (biasing member according to the present invention) 84, and a receiving member 85. The trigger mechanism 80 is capable of causing the liquid to flow from inside the vertical supply tube portion 10 through the connecting tube portion 20 toward the nozzle hole 4 by the rearward swing of the trigger portion 81.

[0035] The trigger portion 81 is disposed in front of the vertical supply tube portion 10 so as to be movable rearward in a forward biased state. The trigger portion 81 is formed to extend in the vertical direction and is disposed below the injection tube portion 70. The upper end portion of the trigger portion 81 is supported by a relay member 120 (described later) so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction about a rotation axis M, and the lower end portion is disposed in front of the main cylinder 82. The trigger portion 81 will be described in detail later.

[0036] The main piston 83 is disposed inside the main cylinder 82 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The main piston 83 is movable in the front-rear direction in conjunction with the swing of the trigger portion 81. As a result, the inside of the main cylinder 82 is pressurized and depressurized as the main piston 83 moves in the front-rear direction. The main piston 83 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top that is open at the rear and closed at the front. The main piston 83 will be described in detail later.

[0037] 1 and 2, the receiving member 85 includes a receiving cylinder 85a fitted inside the main cylinder 82 from the front, an annular flange portion 85b protruding from the front end of the receiving cylinder 85a toward the outside in the radial direction of the main cylinder 82, and a connecting piece 85c extending rearward from the flange portion 85b and inserted from the front between the connecting cylinder portion 20 and the main cylinder 82. The entire receiving member 85 is combined integrally with the main cylinder 82. The main piston 83 is positioned at the frontmost position by the receiving cylinder 85a.

[0038] The coil spring 84 is made of, for example, metal and is formed to extend in the front-to-rear direction. The coil spring 84 is arranged to surround the main piston 83 from the outside in the cylinder radial direction. The coil spring 84 is arranged in a compressed state so that its rear end contacts the receiving cylinder 85a and its front end contacts the trigger portion 81. As a result, the coil spring 84 is arranged between the receiving member 85 and the trigger portion 81 and urges the trigger portion 81 forward.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 1, the ball valve 90 and the storage valve 91 are provided in the vertical supply tube portion 10. The ball valve 90 is a check valve that blocks communication between the inside of the container body A and the inside of the main cylinder 82 through the inside of the vertical supply tube section 10 when the inside of the main cylinder 82 is pressurized, and displaces upward when the inside of the main cylinder 82 is depressurized, thereby allowing communication between the inside of the container body A and the inside of the main cylinder 82 through the inside of the vertical supply tube section 10.

[0040] A storage valve 91 is disposed above the ball valve 90. The storage valve 91 is a check valve that allows the supply of liquid from the vertical supply tube portion 10 through the connecting tube portion 20 into the storage cylinder 40, and restricts the outflow of liquid from the storage cylinder 40 through the connecting tube portion 20 into the vertical supply tube portion 10.

[0041] The cover body 6 is formed to cover the entire vertical supply tube portion 10 except for the lower end portion, the entire injection tube portion 70, and the entire storage cylinder 40 from at least both left and right sides and above.

[0042] An intermediary member 120 that connects the injection tube portion 70 and the nozzle member 3 is attached to the injection tube portion 70. The intermediary member 120 is attached to the front of the injection tube portion 70. The intermediary member 120 includes a wall portion 121 that faces the injection tube portion 70 in front of the injection tube portion 70, a first intermediary tube portion 122 that extends rearward from the wall portion 121 and into which the injection tube portion 70 is fitted, a second intermediary tube portion 123 that extends forward from the wall portion 121, and a guide shaft 124 that is located inside the second intermediary tube portion 123 and extends forward from the wall portion 121. The interior of second relay tube portion 123 communicates with the interior of injection tube portion 70 through a communication hole formed in wall portion 121 .

[0043] The nozzle member 3 is attached to the second relay cylindrical portion 123. As a result, the nozzle member 3 is attached to the ejector body 2 via the relay member 120. The nozzle member 3 is disposed forward of the wall portion 121 of the relay member 120 and includes a nozzle wall portion 130 in which the ejection holes 4 are formed, and an outer fitting cylindrical portion 131 that extends rearward from the nozzle wall portion 130 and into which the second relay cylindrical portion 123 is fitted. An inner cylinder 132 into which the guide shaft 124 is fitted projects rearward from the nozzle wall 130. This allows the liquid to be guided to the nozzle hole 4 through the gap between the guide shaft 124 and the inner cylinder 132.

[0044] A stopper member 5 that restricts rearward swing of the trigger portion 81 is combined with the nozzle member 3. The stopper member 5 is rotatably attached to the outer fitting cylindrical portion 131 of the nozzle member 3, and has a stopper piece 5a that is positioned between the trigger portion 81 and the receiving member 85. As the stopper member 5 rotates, the stopper piece 5a is positioned rearward of the trigger portion 81 and is therefore movable between a restricting position where it restricts rearward movement of the trigger portion 81 and an allowing position where it is retracted from behind the trigger portion 81 and allows rearward movement of the trigger portion 81. However, the stopper member 5 is not essential and may not be provided.

[0045] In the trigger type liquid ejector 1 configured as described above, the main piston 83 and the trigger portion 81 will be described in more detail, and the relationship between them will be described.

[0046] 2, the main piston 83 is disposed coaxially with the axis O3 inside the main cylinder 82. The main piston 83 includes a piston body 140 having a piston shaft 142 formed in a cylindrical shape with a top that is open to the rear and closed to the front, and a connecting part 150 that extends forward from the front end of the piston body 140 (piston shaft 142).

[0047] The piston body 140 is supported by the piston guide 82a so as to be movable back and forth. A sliding portion (lip portion) 141 that protrudes outward in the cylinder radial direction is formed on a portion (rear end) of the piston shaft portion 142 that is located rearward of the receiving cylinder 85a. The sliding portion 141 is formed in an annular shape extending along the cylinder circumferential direction and is in close sliding contact with the inner circumferential surface of the main cylinder 82. As a result, the piston body 140 is in sliding contact with the inner circumferential surface of the main cylinder 82 via the sliding portion 141 so as to be movable back and forth.

[0048] The piston shaft 142, except for its rear end, protrudes forward through the inside of the receiving tube 85a. The front end of the piston shaft 142 is located forward of the receiving member 85 when the main piston 83 is located at its frontmost position as shown in Fig. 2, and is located inside the receiving tube 85a when the main piston 83 is pressed all the way into the main cylinder 82 as shown in Fig. 3. As a result, the front end of the piston shaft 142 is always located inside the coil spring 84. 2, when the main piston 83 is located at the frontmost position, the sliding part 141 closes the inlet port 82c of the outside air introduction passage, thereby blocking communication between the inside of the container body A and the outside of the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 through the outside air introduction passage 92.

[0049] 2 and 4, the connecting portion 150 protrudes forward from the piston shaft portion 142. The connecting portion 150 is formed in a stepped prism shape whose width in the left-right direction decreases toward the front. Specifically, the connecting portion 150 includes a base portion 200 and a protruding portion 201. The base portion 200 protrudes forward from the piston shaft portion 142. The base portion 200 is formed in the shape of a rectangular pillar that is smaller than the outer shape of the piston shaft portion 142 when viewed from the front. The protrusion 201 protrudes forward from the base 200 with its width in the left-right direction reduced relative to the base 200 .

[0050] The connecting portion 150 is formed with a lateral recess 210, a first connecting recess 211a, and a second connecting recess 211b. The lateral recesses 210 are formed at the rear end of the protruding portion 201 (at the boundary with the base portion 200). The lateral recesses 210 are formed separately on both the left and right sides of the protruding portion 201. In the following explanation, the lateral recesses 210 will be described in detail using one of the lateral recesses 210 as an example. Note that the lateral recesses 210 may penetrate the protruding portion 201 in the left-right direction.

[0051] The lateral recess 210 is a depression in the protruding portion 201 that opens outward in the left-right direction. The lateral recess 210 is formed in a semicircular shape that protrudes rearward when viewed left-right. Specifically, the rear end surface of the inner surface of the lateral recess 210 constitutes a forward pressing surface 210a that is formed in an arc shape that protrudes rearward. The front end surface of the inner surface of the lateral recess 210 constitutes a rear pressing surface 210b that extends linearly in the up-down direction. The front end surface of the base 200 is flush with the forward pressing surface 210a and constitutes a protruding surface 200a that protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the forward pressing surface 210a.

[0052] The first connecting recess 211a and the second connecting recess 211b are arranged on the connecting portion 150 so as to be point-symmetric about the axis O3. Specifically, the first connecting recess 211a is formed on the lower surface of the connecting portion 150. The second connecting recess 211b is formed on the upper surface of the connecting portion 150. The first connecting recess 211a and the second connecting recess 211b are arranged in the center of the connecting portion 150 in the front-rear direction, straddling the base 200 and the protruding portion 201 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the first connecting recess 211a and the second connecting recess 211b protrude on both the front and rear sides of the lateral recess 210 when viewed in the left-right direction.

[0053] The first connecting recess 211a is a depression that opens on the lower surface of the connecting portion 150. The first connecting recess 211a is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from below. The depth of the first connecting recess 211a gradually decreases toward the rear. Of the inner surfaces of the first connecting recess 211a, the front end surface forms an engagement surface 213 that extends linearly in the vertical direction. The engagement surface 213 is located forward of the rotation axis M when the main piston 83 is at its forward-most position.

[0054] One left-right end of the first connecting recess 211a is open on a surface facing one left-right side of the protruding portion 201. One left-right end of the first connecting recess 211a communicates with one of the lateral recesses 210 that is located on one left-right side. The other left-right end of the first connecting recess 211a is closed by the protruding portion 201.

[0055] The second connecting recess 211b is formed in a position point-symmetrical to the first connecting recess 211a and has the same shape and size as the first connecting recess 211a. The other left-right end of the second connecting recess 211b opens at a surface of the protruding portion 201 facing the other left-right side. The other left-right end of the second connecting recess 211b communicates with one of the lateral recesses 210 located on the other left-right side. One left-right end of the second connecting recess 211b is closed by the protruding portion 201. However, the first connecting recess 211a and the second connecting recess 211b may each penetrate the protruding portion 201 in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the first connecting recess 211a and the second connecting recess 211b do not have to communicate with the lateral recess 210.

[0056] A tapered portion 203 is formed at the front end of the protruding portion 201. The tapered portion 203 is disposed within the dimensional range of the lateral recess 210 in the up-down direction. The tapered portion 203 gradually reduces the width of the protruding portion 201 in the left-right direction as it extends forward.

[0057] 1 and 4, the trigger portion 81 is a portion that is gripped when performing a spraying operation, and can be hooked from the front with, for example, an index finger. The trigger portion 81 is disposed in front of the main piston 83. When the trigger portion 81 is in the forwardmost position, it extends so as to incline forward as it extends downward from the rotation axis M. The trigger portion 81 mainly includes a front plate portion 160 and a pair of side wall portions 161 extending rearward from the side edges of the front plate portion 160. As a result, the inside of the trigger portion 81 is open rearward.

[0058] The front plate portion 160 is disposed in front of the main piston 83 and includes a first front plate portion 163 that is inclined forward from top to bottom, and a second front plate portion 164 that is recessed rearward from the lower end of the first front plate portion 163 and then extends while gently curving forward as it extends downward. The trigger portion 81 can be hooked with a fingertip or the like by utilizing the recessed portion formed in the second front plate portion 164 that faces rearward.

[0059] 2 and 4, a through-hole 165 is formed in the first front plate portion 163, penetrating the first front plate portion 163 in the front-rear direction. The through-hole 165 is located in the center of the first front plate portion 163 in the left-right direction, and is formed in, for example, a rectangular shape when viewed from the front.

[0060] In the first front plate portion 163, an attachment tube portion 170 is formed on the opening edge of the through-hole 165. The attachment tube portion 170 is formed in a rectangular tube shape extending rearward from the first front plate portion 163. When the trigger portion 81 is in its forward-most position, the attachment tube portion 170 extends diagonally downward and rearward from the front plate portion 160. At least the connecting portion 150 of the main piston 83 enters the attachment tube portion 170 from the rear. The coil spring 84 is disposed so as to contact the rear end edge of the attachment tube portion 170 from the rear, while surrounding the main piston 83 from the outside in the cylinder radial direction. As a result, the trigger portion 81 is urged forward by the urging force (elastic restoring force) of the coil spring 84.

[0061] The connecting portion 150 is connected to the trigger portion 81 inside the mounting cylinder portion 170. Specifically, the mounting cylinder portion 170 is formed with a lateral protrusion 171 and an upward protrusion 172. The lateral protrusions 171 protrude into the mounting cylinder 170 from a pair of left and right side plate portions 175. Each lateral protrusion 171 is formed in a cylindrical shape. Each lateral protrusion 171 is fitted into one of the lateral recesses 210 that face each other in the left-right direction. This connects the trigger portion 81 and the main piston 83.

[0062] The upward protrusion 172 protrudes upward from the rear end of the bottom wall portion 176 of the mounting tube portion 170. The upward protrusion 172 extends upward from the bottom wall portion 176. In the illustrated example, the upward protrusion 172 extends diagonally rearward (in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the bottom wall portion 176 when viewed from the left and right). The upward protrusion 172 enters the first connecting recess 211a from below. The front surface of the upward protrusion 172 is close to or abuts against the engagement surface 213 of the first connecting recess 211a. By abutting against the engagement surface 213 of the first connecting recess 211a from behind, the upward protrusion 172 restricts the forward movement of the trigger portion 81 relative to the main piston 83. In the illustrated example, the portion of the front surface of the upward protrusion 172 that faces the engagement surface 213 of the first connecting recess 211a forms an abutment surface 172a that extends parallel to the engagement surface 213 when the trigger portion 81 is at the front-most position. The abutment surface 172a extends linearly in the up-down direction (vertical direction), allowing it to come into surface contact with the engagement surface 213.

[0063] As described above, the trigger portion 81 and the main piston 83 are integrally combined by the engagement between the lateral recesses 210 and the lateral protrusions 171 and the engagement between the first connecting recesses 211a and the upward protrusions 172, and they operate in conjunction with each other. As the trigger portion 81 swings rearward, the main piston 83 moves rearward and is pushed into the main cylinder 82, and as the trigger portion 81 swings forward, the main piston 83 returns to its original position forward and is positioned at the forward-most position. In this embodiment, the trigger portion 81 extends obliquely downward and forward with respect to the pivot axis M when in the forward-most position shown in FIG. 2, and extends obliquely downward and rearward with respect to the pivot axis M when in the rearmost position shown in FIG. 3. Therefore, the lateral protrusions 171 and the upward protrusions 172 pass through their lowest points as the trigger portion 81 moves from the forward-most position to the rearmost position.

[0064] Next, we will explain how to use the trigger-type liquid sprayer 1 configured as described above. It is assumed that each part of the trigger-type liquid sprayer 1 is filled with liquid and that the liquid can be sucked up into the vertical supply tube part 10.

[0065] 1, in the trigger-type liquid sprayer 1 of this embodiment, during product distribution, product display, etc., the stopper piece 5a is disposed at a restricting position between the trigger portion 81 and the receiving member 85, thereby restricting the rearward movement of the trigger portion 81. This prevents the trigger portion 81 from moving rearward unintentionally, thereby preventing the ejection or leakage of liquid. In addition, in the initial stage, the main piston 83 is located at the frontmost position, and the sliding portion 141 blocks the inlet port 82c.

[0066] When using the trigger-type liquid ejector 1, the stopper member 5 is rotated to move the stopper piece 5a from the restricting position to the allowing position where it is retracted from the trigger part 81. This allows the trigger part 81 to move backward.

[0067] Next, to spray liquid, the user places their hand around the mounting cap 30 and hooks their finger on the trigger portion 81. While gripping the trigger-type liquid sprayer 1, the user pulls the trigger portion 81 backward. At this time, because the main piston 83 is connected to the trigger portion 81 via the connecting portion 150, the lateral protrusion 171 of the trigger portion 81 pushes the front pressing surface 210a and the protruding surface 200a of the main piston 83 backward. This causes the trigger portion 81 and the main piston 83 to move backward. As a result, the inside of the main cylinder 82 is pressurized. Then, the liquid in the main cylinder 82 is supplied into the vertical supply tube portion 10. The liquid supplied into the vertical supply tube portion 10 presses the ball valve 90 downward and pushes the storage valve 91 upward. Then, the liquid in the vertical supply tube portion 10 is supplied into the storage cylinder 40 (storage space 40a) through the connecting tube portion 20. When liquid is supplied into the storage space 40a, the storage space 40a is pressurized, causing the storage plunger 50 to move rearward against the biasing force of the biasing member 60. As a result, the liquid is stored in the storage space 40a.

[0068] As the storage plunger 50 moves rearward, the storage space 40a and the inside of the injection tube portion 70 communicate with each other. This causes the liquid stored in the storage space 40a to flow through the injection tube portion 70 toward the ejection hole 4. The liquid then passes through the injection tube portion 70 and is ejected to the outside through the ejection hole 4. When the trigger portion 81 is released from its operation, the trigger portion 81 swings forward due to the biasing force (elastic restoring force) of the coil spring 84. At this time, the main piston 83 is connected to the trigger portion 81 via the connecting portion 150. For example, the lateral protrusion 171 of the trigger portion 81 pushes the rear pressing surface 210b of the main piston 83 forward. As a result, the main piston 83 returns to its original position in response to the forward swing of the trigger portion 81. As a result, the pressure inside the main cylinder 82 is reduced. This causes the ball valve 90 to float, and the inside of the container body A and the main cylinder 82 communicate with each other through the inside of the vertical supply tube portion 10. Meanwhile, the reservoir valve 91 blocks communication between the main cylinder 82 and the reservoir cylinder 40 through the vertical supply tube portion 10. As a result, the liquid in the container body A is sucked up into the vertical supply tube portion 10. The liquid that has flowed into the vertical supply tube portion 10 is introduced into the main cylinder 82, thereby preparing for the next spraying operation.

[0069] In a configuration including the storage cylinder 40 and the storage plunger 50 as in this embodiment, each time the trigger portion 81 is operated, a portion of the liquid supplied from the main cylinder 82 is ejected through the ejection hole 4, and a portion of the liquid is stored in the storage space 40a. Therefore, when the operation of the trigger portion 81 is stopped, the supply of liquid into the storage space 40a stops, but the storage plunger 50 moves forward due to the biasing force of the biasing member 60, so that the liquid stored in the storage space 40a is continuously supplied to the injection tube portion 70. This allows the liquid to be continuously ejected through the ejection hole 4.

[0070] When the main piston 83 moves rearward as the trigger portion 81 swings rearward, the sliding portion 141 moves rearward away from the inlet port 82c, thereby opening the inlet port 82c (see FIG. 3). Therefore, during the time it takes for the main piston 83 to move back from the rear to its forwardmost position, outside air can be introduced into the container body A through the inlet port 82c and the outside air introduction passage 92 as the liquid in the container body A is sucked up into the vertical supply tube portion 10. This prevents the container body A from becoming negative pressure due to the liquid being sucked up.

[0071] Here, in this embodiment, the portion of the trigger portion 81 (side plate portion 175) facing the connecting portion 150 in the left-right direction is provided with a lateral protrusion (engagement portion) 171 that engages within a lateral recess (engagement portion) 210 formed in the connecting portion 150, and the trigger portion 81 (bottom wall portion 176) is formed with an upward protrusion (connecting protrusion) 172 that protrudes upward (to the first side in the up-down direction) from the bottom wall portion 176 and engages within a first connecting recess 211a formed in the connecting portion 150. According to this configuration, the trigger portion 81 is connected to the main piston 83 via the lateral projection 171 and the upward projection 172. As a result, during the ejection operation, the main piston 83 can be moved back and forth as the trigger portion 81 moves back and forth. Moreover, in the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 of this embodiment, the trigger portion 81 and the main piston 83 are connected to each other via the first connecting recess 211a and the upward protrusion 172 in the up-down direction, in addition to the lateral recess 210 and the lateral protrusion 171 in the left-right direction. With this configuration, even if an unexpected external force that displaces the trigger portion 81 further forward is applied when the main piston 83 is in the forward-most position, for example, during product distribution or product display, the trigger portion 81 is unlikely to come off the main piston 83. In particular, in a configuration in which the trigger portion 81 extends in the up-down direction, even if the engagement between the lateral recess 210 and the lateral protrusion 171 is released due to torsional deformation of the trigger portion 81, the connection between the trigger portion 81 and the main piston 83 can be maintained by the engagement between the first connecting recess 211a and the upward protrusion 172. As a result, even if an unexpected external force that displaces the trigger 81 further forward is applied when the main piston 83 is at its forward-most position, the connection between the trigger 81 and the main piston 83 can be maintained. Therefore, the main piston 83 can be appropriately maintained at its forward-most position, the main piston 83 can be operated with an appropriate stroke amount, and the sealing between the main piston 83 and the main cylinder 82 can be maintained to prevent liquid leakage. Moreover, because the main piston 83 can be appropriately maintained at its forward-most position, the introduction port 82c is stably and appropriately closed by the sliding portion 141. Therefore, it is possible to prevent liquid leakage, such as leakage of liquid from the container A to the outside through the introduction port 82c.

[0072] In the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 of this embodiment, when the trigger portion 81 is in the rearmost position, it extends forward as it moves downward from the rotation axis M, and the upward protrusion 172 engages within the first connecting recess 211a of the connecting portion 150, which opens downward. With this configuration, if the trigger portion 81 is caused by an unexpected external force to move further forward from the forwardmost position, the upward protrusion 172 is displaced forward and upward around the rotation axis M as the trigger portion 81 moves forward. This increases the engagement allowance with the inner surface of the first connecting recess 211a as the trigger portion 81 moves forward. As a result, the connection between the trigger portion 81 and the main piston 83 can be made more reliable.

[0073] In the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 of this embodiment, the upward projection 172 has an abutment surface 172a that comes into surface contact with the engagement surface (rear-facing surface) 213 of the first connecting recess 211a when the trigger portion 81 is at the front-most position. This configuration stabilizes the engagement between the inner surface of the first connecting recess 211a and the upward protrusion 172. This makes it easier to maintain a stable connection between the trigger portion 81 and the main piston 83.

[0074] In the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 of this embodiment, the first connecting recess 211a and the second connecting recess (connecting recess) 211b are formed in the connecting portion 150 at positions that are point-symmetric about the axis O3. According to this configuration, by assembling the main piston 83 so that either the first connecting recess 211a or the second connecting recess 211b faces the upward protrusion 172, it is possible to connect either recess with the upward protrusion 172 when assembling the trigger portion 81 to the main piston 83. This makes it possible to assemble the main piston 83 without worrying about the up-down orientation of the main piston 83, thereby improving ease of assembly.

[0075] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Addition, omission, substitution, and other modifications of the configuration are possible within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. The present invention is not limited by the above description, but is limited only by the appended claims. In the above-described embodiment, the upward protrusion 172 protruding upward from the bottom wall 176 of the mounting tube portion 170 has been described as an example of the connecting protrusion, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The connecting protrusion may also protrude downward from the top wall of the mounting tube portion 170, for example. In the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which a plurality of first connecting recesses 211a and second connecting recesses 211b are provided as connecting recesses has been described, but a single connecting recess may be provided. Furthermore, when a plurality of connecting recesses are provided, the connecting recesses are not limited to being provided at positions that are point symmetric (two-fold symmetric), but may be provided at positions that are three-fold or more rotationally symmetric.

[0076] In the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which a connecting protrusion is provided on the trigger portion 81 and a connecting recess is provided on the main piston 83 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. A configuration in which a connecting recess is provided on the trigger portion 81 and a connecting protrusion is provided on the main piston 83 may also be used. Alternatively, the trigger portion 81 may be provided with a lateral recess 210, and the main piston 83 may be provided with a lateral protrusion 171. In the above-described embodiment, the upward protrusion 172 is provided as a connecting protrusion on the mounting tube portion 170 of the trigger portion 81, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The position of the connecting protrusion can be set to any position on the trigger portion 81. In the above-described embodiment, the upward protrusion 172 is always housed within the first connecting recess 211a, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The upward protrusion 172 may come out of the first connecting recess 211a as the trigger portion 81 swings back and forth during the ejection operation, as long as the upward protrusion 172 is configured to engage with the inner surface of the first connecting recess 211a when the trigger portion 81 attempts to move forward from the forward-most position.

[0077] In addition, within the scope of the spirit of the present invention, it is possible to replace the components in the above-described embodiments with well-known components as appropriate, and the above-described modified examples may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1: Trigger-type liquid sprayer 2: Squirt body 3: Nozzle material 4:Blowout hole 10: Vertical supply tube 40: Storage cylinder 50: Reservoir plunger 60: biasing member 80: Trigger mechanism 81: Trigger section 82: Main cylinder 82c: Entrance 83: Main piston 85: Supporting member 92: Fresh air intake passage 141: Sliding part 142: Piston shaft 150: Connection part 171: Lateral projection (engaging part) 172: Upward protrusion (connecting protrusion) 172a: Contact surface 210: Lateral recess (engagement portion) 211a: First connecting recess (connecting recess) 211b: Second connecting recess (connecting recess) A: Container body M: Rotation axis

Claims

1. an ejector body attached to a container body that contains 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 extending in a vertical direction and through which the liquid in the container body flows; a trigger mechanism including a trigger portion disposed in front of the vertical supply tube portion and swingable rearward around a rotation axis along the left-right direction in a forward biased state, the trigger portion swinging rearward to cause the liquid to flow from inside the vertical supply tube portion toward the ejection holes; a storage cylinder extending in the front-rear direction and into which the liquid that has passed through the vertical supply tube portion is supplied by rearward swing of the trigger portion; a storage plunger that is movably disposed within the storage cylinder and that moves rearward in a forward biased state as liquid is supplied into the storage cylinder; 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 having a sliding portion that is in sliding contact with an inner surface of the main cylinder so as to be movable back and forth, a piston shaft portion that extends forward from the sliding portion, and a connecting portion that is provided at a front end portion of the piston shaft, and that moves rearward from a forwardmost position as the trigger portion swings rearward to apply pressure to the inside of the main cylinder; a receiving member provided in a portion of the ejector main body located forward of the sliding portion, the receiving member having the piston shaft portion passing therethrough; a biasing member provided between the trigger portion and the receiving member and biasing the trigger portion forward, the ejector body has an inlet opening on an inner circumferential surface of the main cylinder, and is provided with an outside air introduction passage for introducing outside air into the container body through the inlet, the inlet is closed by the main piston when the main piston is located at the frontmost position, and is opened to the outside of the ejector body when the main piston swings rearward; An engaging portion is provided in a portion of the connecting portion and the trigger portion facing each other in the left-right direction, which engages the connecting portion and the trigger portion with each other in the front-rear direction, A trigger-type liquid ejector in which one of the connecting portion and the trigger portion has a connecting protrusion that protrudes to a first side in the vertical direction and engages in the front-to-back direction within a connecting recess formed in the other of the connecting portion and the trigger portion.

2. 2. The trigger-type liquid ejector according to claim 1, wherein the connecting protrusion has an abutment surface that comes into surface contact with a rearward-facing surface of the inner surface of the connecting recess when the trigger is at its forward-most position.

3. The connecting recess is formed in the connecting portion, The main piston is formed in a cylindrical shape and is arranged coaxially with the axis of the main cylinder, 3. The trigger-type liquid ejector according to claim 1, wherein the connecting recesses are formed in the connecting portion at positions that are point-symmetric about the axis.

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