Foaming dispenser

By integrating the guide tube and waterproof ring as a single unit with breaking burrs, the foam dispenser minimizes parts and resin usage while maintaining functionality, addressing the inefficiencies of existing designs.

JP2026021988APending Publication Date: 2026-02-12YOSHINO KOGYOSHO CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024123294
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-07-30
Publication Date
2026-02-12

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing foam dispensers have a high number of parts and require significant resin usage in their manufacturing process.

Method used

The foam dispenser integrates the guide tube portion and waterproof ring as a single unit, with breaking burrs on their surfaces to prevent liquid ingress into the air intake passage, reducing the number of parts and resin usage by molding them together.

Benefits of technology

This integration reduces the number of parts and resin consumption in the manufacturing process while effectively preventing liquid from entering the air cylinder.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To reduce the number of parts in a manufacturing process and to reduce the amount of resin used.SOLUTION: The pump 2 includes a liquid piston 15, an air piston 13, a liquid cylinder 16, an air cylinder 14, an R1 of a gas-liquid mixing chamber, and a foaming member 17. The pressing head 3 includes the mounting cylinder portion 30 disposed in the guide cylinder portion 22, the outer cylinder portion 31 covering the mounting cylinder portion 30 and the guide cylinder portion 22 from the outside in the radial direction, and the waterproof ring 33 fitted into the outer cylinder portion 31 and covering the guide cylinder portion 22 from the outside in the radial direction, and the air introduction path 6 is provided between the outer peripheral surface of at least one of the stem 10 and the mounting cylinder portion 30 and the inner peripheral surface of the guide cylinder portion 22. A breaking burr is provided on each of the outer peripheral surface of the guide cylinder part 22 and the inner peripheral surface of the waterproof ring 33, and the breaking burrs of the guide cylinder part 22 and the waterproof ring 33 are brought into contact with each other in a state where the push-down head 3 is positioned at the ascending end position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, foam dispensers such as those shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have been known. The foam dispenser includes, for example, a stem that is erected at the mouth of a container body while being biased upward and movable downward, a pump that has an attachment cap that is attached to the mouth, and a push-down head that is disposed at the upper end of the stem and has a nozzle hole formed therein. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6889070 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2022-546197 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In this type of foam dispenser, it is desirable to reduce the number of parts used in the manufacturing process and to reduce the amount of resin used.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has as its object to reduce the number of parts in the manufacturing process and the amount of resin used. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means. The foam dispenser according to the present invention is a foam dispenser comprising a pump having a stem that is erected at the mouth of a container body while being biased upward and movable downward, an attachment cap that is attached to the mouth, and a push-down head that is disposed at the upper end of the stem and has a nozzle hole formed therein, wherein the pump comprises a liquid piston and an air piston that are linked to the stem, a liquid cylinder in which the liquid piston is housed so as to be able to slide up and down, an air cylinder in which the air piston is housed so as to be able to slide up and down, an air-liquid mixing chamber that mixes the liquid from the liquid cylinder and the air from the air cylinder, and a foaming member that foams the gas-liquid mixture from the gas-liquid mixing chamber, and the attachment cap has a guide tube portion within which the stem is disposed, and the push-down head is attached to the stem and comprises a nozzle hole formed therein. The foam dispenser comprises an attachment tube portion arranged within the guide tube portion, an outer tube portion that covers the attachment tube portion and the guide tube portion from the radial outside, and a waterproof ring that is fitted into the outer tube portion and covers the guide tube portion from the radial outside, and an air introduction passage is provided between the outer peripheral surface of at least one of the stem and the attachment tube portion and the inner peripheral surface of the guide tube portion, which allows communication between the outside of the foam dispenser and the inside of the air cylinder through the outer peripheral surface of the guide tube portion and the inner peripheral surface of the waterproof ring, and a breaking burr is provided on each of the outer peripheral surface of the guide tube portion and the inner peripheral surface of the waterproof ring, and when the push-down head is positioned at the upper end position, the breaking burrs on the guide tube portion and the waterproof ring come into contact with each other, preventing liquid from flowing into the air introduction passage from outside the foam dispenser.

[0007] With this foam dispenser, when the push-down head is at the uppermost position, the broken burrs on the guide tube and waterproof ring come into contact with each other, preventing liquid from flowing into the air intake passage from outside the foam dispenser. This prevents liquid from flowing into the air cylinder through the air intake passage. Here, the outer peripheral surface of the guide tube portion and the inner peripheral surface of the waterproof ring are each provided with a breaking burr. Therefore, when manufacturing this foam dispenser, the guide tube portion and the waterproof ring are molded as a single unit, and when attaching the press-down head to the pump, for example, the waterproof ring is fitted to the outer tube portion and the connecting portion between the guide tube portion and the waterproof ring is broken, thereby manufacturing the foam dispenser. By molding the guide tube portion and the waterproof ring as a single unit as described above, the number of parts in the manufacturing process can be reduced and the amount of resin used can be reduced compared to, for example, molding the guide tube portion and the waterproof ring separately. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the number of parts in the manufacturing process can be reduced, and the amount of resin used can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a foam dispenser according to a first embodiment of the present invention, including a partial side view. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of part II shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 2A to 2C are diagrams showing a manufacturing process of the foam dispenser shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 4 is a diagram showing a manufacturing process of the foam dispenser shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the press-down head is further pressed in from the state shown in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a foam dispenser according to a second embodiment of the present invention, including a partial side view. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion VI shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion VIII shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A foam dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] (First embodiment) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the foam dispenser 1 of this embodiment includes a pump 2 having a stem 10 and a push-down head 3 disposed at the upper end of the stem 10.

[0012] In this embodiment, the axis passing through the center of the cross section of the container to which the pump 2 and push-down head 3 are attached is defined as the container axis O, and hereinafter, the push-down head 3 side is defined as the upper side and the pump 2 side is defined as the lower side along the container axis O. Also, the direction along the container axis O is defined as the up-down direction, the direction perpendicular to the container axis O in a plan view seen from the direction of the container axis O is defined as the radial direction, and the direction going around the container axis O is defined as the circumferential direction.

[0013] The pump 2 comprises the stem 10, which is erected in an upwardly biased state at the mouth A1 of the container A so as to be movable downward; an attachment cap 12 which is attached to the mouth A1 of the container A and has an insertion hole into which the stem 10 is inserted so as to be movable up and down; an air cylinder 14 which houses an air piston 13 connected to the push-down head 3 and the stem 10 and which is slidable up and down inside; a liquid cylinder 16 which houses a liquid piston 15 connected to the push-down head 3 and the stem 10 and which is slidable up and down inside; a gas-liquid mixing chamber R1 where the air from the air cylinder 14 and the liquid content from the liquid cylinder 16 join; and a foaming member 17 which foams the gas-liquid mixture mixed in the gas-liquid mixing chamber R1 and forms a predetermined foam.

[0014] The attachment cap 12 includes a top wall portion 20 having an insertion hole formed therein, a peripheral attachment wall portion 21 extending downward from the outer periphery of the top wall portion 20, and a guide tube portion 22 extending upward from the outer periphery of the insertion hole in the top wall portion 20. A thread is formed on the inner periphery of the peripheral attachment wall portion 21, and the attachment cap 12 is screwed onto the opening A1 of the container A using the thread. The stem 10 is disposed within the guide tube portion 22. As shown in FIG. 2 , a protrusion 22a is provided at the upper end of the guide tube portion 22. The protrusion 22a protrudes radially outward from the guide tube portion 22. The protrusion 22a is continuous around the entire periphery. The protrusion 22a becomes smaller in the vertical direction as it extends radially outward. The upper surface of the protrusion 22a is inclined downward as it extends radially outward. However, the configuration of the attachment cap 12 is not limited to this case, and for example, the attachment peripheral wall portion 21 may be attached by fitting into the mouth portion A1 of the container A through an undercut.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid cylinder 16 and the air cylinder 14 are each cylindrical, and in the illustrated example, the upper end opening of the liquid cylinder 16 and the lower end opening of the air cylinder 14 are integrally connected, so that the liquid cylinder 16 and the air cylinder 14 are formed as a single unit. More specifically, the air cylinder 14 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and the cylindrical liquid cylinder 16 is connected to the bottom surface of the air cylinder 14 in a state of communication with the inside of the air cylinder 14. In other words, the small-diameter liquid cylinder 16 is connected to the lower side of the large-diameter air cylinder 14. However, the liquid cylinder 16 and the air cylinder 14 may be constructed as separate bodies, and then connected together by, for example, locking them together.

[0016] The upper opening of the air cylinder 14 is fixed in close contact with the inner surfaces of the peripheral mounting wall 21 and the top wall 20 of the mounting cap 12. As a result, the liquid cylinder 16 and the air cylinder 14 are arranged inside the container A while hanging down from the mounting cap 12.

[0017] The press-down head 3 includes a mounting tube portion 30 extending downward and having the stem 10 fitted therein, an outer tube portion 31 extending downward and surrounding the mounting tube portion 30 from the radially outer side, a nozzle tube portion 32 having a nozzle hole 32a formed at its tip, and a waterproof ring 33 fitted into the outer tube portion 31 and covering the guide tube portion 22 from the radially outer side. In this embodiment, the waterproof ring 33 is separate from the other portions of the press-down head 3. The other portions are integrally molded and will hereinafter also be referred to as the head main body 3A. The waterproof ring 33 is assembled to the head main body 3A. The lower part of the mounting tube part 30 is attached to the stem 10 and is disposed within the guide tube part 22. The upper end opening of the mounting tube part 30 is connected to a base end opening formed at the base end of the nozzle tube part 32. The base end opening of the nozzle tube part 32 opens downward, and the mounting tube part 30 and the nozzle tube part 32 are connected to form an L-shape in vertical cross section.

[0018] The mounting tube portion 30 is inserted radially inside the guide tube portion 22 of the mounting cap 12 so as to be movable up and down. The inner diameter of the outer tube portion 31 is larger than the outer diameter of the guide tube portion 22, and the outer tube portion 31 covers the mounting tube portion 30 and the guide tube portion 22 from the outside in the radial direction. A waterproof ring 33 is fitted inside the outer tube portion 31. The waterproof ring 33 covers the guide tube portion 22 from the outside in the radial direction. When the press-down head 3 is pressed down, the inner peripheral surfaces of the outer tube portion 31 and the waterproof ring 33 face the outer peripheral surface of the guide tube portion 22 in the radial direction.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, a first protrusion 33a, a second protrusion 33b, and a third protrusion 33c are provided at the lower end of the waterproof ring 33. The first protrusion 33a protrudes radially inward from the waterproof ring 33. The first protrusion 33a is continuous around the entire circumferential direction. The second protrusion 33b protrudes radially inward from the first protrusion 33a. The second protrusion 33b is continuous around the entire circumferential direction. The second protrusion 33b is vertically smaller than the first protrusion 33a. The second protrusion 33b is provided at the lower end of the first protrusion 33a. The second protrusion 33b becomes smaller in the vertical direction as it extends radially inward. The upper surface of the second protrusion 33b is inclined downward as it extends radially inward. The third protrusion 33c protrudes radially outward from the waterproof ring 33. The third protrusion 33c is continuous around the entire circumferential direction. The third protrusion 33c is smaller than the first protrusion 33a in the vertical direction and larger than the second protrusion 33b in the vertical direction. The upper surface of the third protrusion 33c is in contact with the lower end surface of the outer tubular portion 31.

[0020] As will be described later, the guide tube portion 22 (attachment cap 12) and the waterproof ring 33 were originally molded as a single unit. During the manufacturing process of the foam dispenser 1, the portion between the guide tube portion 22 and the waterproof ring 33 (the connecting portion, the weakened portion 8 described later) breaks, and as a result, the guide tube portion 22 and the waterproof ring 33 are separated into two members. The outer peripheral surface of the guide tube portion 22 and the inner peripheral surface of the waterproof ring 33 are provided with fracture burrs 22x, 33x (fracture marks, fracture fragments), respectively. The fracture burrs 22x, 33x are, for example, burrs formed by the above-mentioned fracture. The fracture burr 22x of the guide tube portion 22 is provided on the protrusion 22a. The fracture burr 33x of the waterproof ring 33 is provided on the second protrusion 33b.

[0021] When the press-down head 3 is at its uppermost position, the breaking burrs 22x and 33x of the guide tube portion 22 and the waterproof ring 33 are in contact with each other. In this embodiment, the lower end of the protrusion 22a of the guide tube portion 22 and the second protrusion 33b of the waterproof ring 33 are positioned at the same position in the vertical direction. The contact between the breaking burrs 22x and 33x prevents, for example, liquid from flowing into the outer tube portion 31 from outside the foam dispenser 1.

[0022] 1, the foaming member 17 is disposed in an approximately central region in the vertical direction within the mounting tube portion 30 of the press-down head 3, and is located between the gas-liquid mixing chamber R1 and the nozzle hole 32a. The foaming member 17 includes a cylindrical casing 40 and two foaming elements 41 mounted within the casing 40.

[0023] The casing 40 is formed in a two-stage cylindrical shape with an upper large-diameter portion 40a and a lower small-diameter portion 40b. The large-diameter portion 40a is inserted and fixed inside the mounting tube portion 30, and the small-diameter portion 40b is fitted inside the upper end of the stem 10. A plurality of casing grooves 42 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter portion 40b, extending upward from its lower end to the outer bottom surface of the large-diameter portion 40a and then radially outward to open.

[0024] Each foam element 41 has a cylindrical body 41a and a mesh body 41b with a predetermined mesh formed on one open end of the cylindrical body 41a, and is attached to the inside of the large diameter portion 40a of the casing 40 in a state where they are stacked in two layers, one above the other. In this case, of the two foam elements 41, the foam element 41 located on the lower side in the casing 40 is arranged so that the mesh body 41b faces downward, and the foam element 41 located on the upper side in the casing 40 is arranged so that the mesh body 41b faces upward.

[0025] The air piston 13 is arranged airtightly within the air cylinder 14 so as to be able to slide up and down. The air piston 13 includes an outer cylinder 50 formed in a multi-stage cylindrical shape, an inner cylinder 51 arranged inside the outer cylinder 50, a top plate 53 connecting the upper end of the outer cylinder 50 to the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 51 and having an air hole 52 penetrating therethrough in the vertical direction, and a piston valve element 54 fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 51 to open and close the air hole 52. The air hole 52 can communicate with the outside of the foam dispenser 1 through an air introduction passage 6. The air introduction passage 6 is provided between the outer peripheral surface of at least one of the stem 10 and the mounting tube 30 and the inner peripheral surface of the guide tube 22. In this embodiment, the air introduction passage 6 is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the mounting tube 30 and the inner peripheral surface of the guide tube 22, but it may also be provided between the outer peripheral surface of the stem 10 and the inner peripheral surface of the guide tube 22. The air introduction passage 6 can communicate between the outside of the foam dispenser 1 and the air cylinder 14 through the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the guide tube portion 22 and the inner peripheral surface of the waterproof ring 33. The air introduction passage 6 is open on both the top and bottom sides. The upper end opening of the air introduction passage 6 opens into the outer tube portion 31. The lower end opening of the air introduction passage 6 opens to the air hole 52.

[0026] A portion of the stem 10 that is connected to the lower end of the upper end that is fitted into the mounting tube 30 is inserted into the inner tube 51 so as to be movable up and down. An upper sliding contact portion 51a that comes into sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the lower end of the mounting tube 30 is formed on the upper edge of the inner tube 51 around the entire circumference of the inner tube 51. An annular lower sliding contact portion 50a that comes into sliding contact with the inner surface of the air cylinder 14 is formed on the lower end of the outer tube 50. A gap S1 in the vertical direction is provided between the upper edge of the upper sliding contact portion 51a and the inner surface of the mounting tube portion 30. In addition, a gap is also provided between the lower end of the mounting tube portion 30 and the top plate portion 53.

[0027] The stem 10 protrudes downward from the lower end opening of the mounting tube portion 30 of the press-down head 3, and its upper end is fixed to a vertical rib formed on the lower end of the mounting tube portion 30.

[0028] Incidentally, a plurality of vertical grooves 30a extending in the vertical direction and opening downward are formed in the portion of the inner peripheral surface of the mounting tube 30 where the upper end of the stem 10 is fitted. These vertical grooves 30a radially straddle the edge of the upper end opening of the stem 10 and communicate with a plurality of casing grooves 42 formed in the casing 40 of the foam member 17 and also communicate with the gap S1. In addition, on the inner surface of the mounting tube portion 30, in the portion above the foam member 17, multiple vertical ribs 30b are formed which protrude radially inward from the inner surface of the mounting tube portion 30 and are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0029] On the inner peripheral surface of the stem 10, in a portion located between the liquid piston 15 and the foaming member 17, an annular valve seat 60 is provided to protrude radially inward, and a spherical check valve 61 is provided so as to be able to seat on and separate from this valve seat 60. Inside the stem 10, the space between the lower end of the small diameter portion 40b of the casing 40 in the foaming member 17 and the upper surface of the valve seat 60 forms a gas-liquid mixing chamber R1.

[0030] A plurality of stem grooves 10a extending in the vertical direction and communicating with the gap S1 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the stem 10 in a portion where the inner cylinder 51 of the air piston 13 is disposed. The stem grooves 10a, the vertical grooves 30a formed in the mounting tubular portion 30, the casing grooves 42 formed in the casing 40 of the foaming member 17, and the gap S1 constitute an air passage 5 communicating between the air cylinder 14 and the gas-liquid mixing chamber R1.

[0031] In addition, on the outer peripheral surface of the stem 10, at the portion where the lower ends of the multiple stem grooves 10a are located, a flange-shaped abutment portion 62 is formed that protrudes radially outward and abuts against the lower end of the inner tube 51 of the air piston 13 from below. This contact portion 62 is formed integrally with the stem 10, and in the standby state before the pressing head 3 is pressed down, the lower end of the inner cylinder 51 of the air piston 13 abuts against this contact portion 62.

[0032] The liquid piston 15 has an upper end which is a small-diameter cylindrical portion 15a which is inserted and fixed liquid-tightly inside the stem 10, and a lower end which is a large-diameter cylindrical portion 15b which protrudes downward from the lower end opening edge of the stem 10 and whose outer surface is almost flush with the outer surface of the stem 10.

[0033] Inside the liquid piston 15 and the liquid cylinder 16, there is provided a rod-shaped valve member 65, the upper end of which is an upper valve body 65a having a hollow inverted cone shape, and the lower end of which is a lower valve body (not shown) that can be seated on and separated from the lower end opening within the liquid cylinder 16.

[0034] The upper valve body 65a is a valve that switches between communication and blocking between the interior of the liquid cylinder 16 and the interior of the upper end of the stem 10. A coil spring 66 is disposed between the liquid piston 15 and the inner surface of the lower end of the liquid cylinder 16. The coil spring 66 supports the liquid piston 15 from below the large diameter cylindrical portion 15b in an upwardly biased state so as to be movable downward.

[0035] Next, a case where the foam dispenser 1 configured as described above is used will be described.

[0036] When the pressing head 3 is pressed down, the mounting tube portion 30 descends, and the foam member 17, stem 10, and liquid piston 15 move downward in response, and the coil spring 66 moves downward while being compressed and deformed in the vertical direction.

[0037] At this time, the air piston 13 does not move, and a gap is formed between the lower end of the inner tube 51 of the air piston 13 and the abutment portion 62 of the stem 10. Also, the gap S1 between the upper edge of the inner tube 51 of the air piston 13 and the inner surface of the mounting tube portion 30 becomes smaller. As a result, the inside of the air cylinder 14 and the inside of the gas-liquid mixing chamber R1 communicate with each other through the air passage 5. Furthermore, the lower valve body also moves downward as the liquid piston 15 moves downward. When this lower valve body seats on and closes the lower end opening of the liquid cylinder 16, the upper end of the liquid piston 15 moves downward away from the upper valve body 65a of the valve member 65, and the liquid cylinder 16 and the inside of the stem 10 communicate with each other.

[0038] When the push-down head 3 is further pressed down, the air piston 13 is also moved downward with the piston valve body 54 still closing the air hole 52, compressing the air in the lower chamber located below the air piston 13 in the air cylinder 14. As a result, the air in the lower chamber flows into the air passage 5 through the gap between the lower end of the inner cylinder 51 of the air piston 13 and the abutment portion 62 of the stem 10, and is transferred to the gas-liquid mixing chamber R1.

[0039] Furthermore, at this time, the liquid piston 15 moves downward with the lower valve body of the valve member 65 closing the lower end opening of the liquid cylinder 16, so that the liquid content in the liquid cylinder 16 rises and reaches the inside of the stem 10. Then, the liquid pressure in the liquid cylinder 16 acts on the check valve 61 seated on the valve seat 60 of the stem 10, causing the check valve 61 to move away from the valve seat 60, thereby transferring the liquid content in the liquid cylinder 16 into the gas-liquid mixing chamber R1.

[0040] As described above, the content liquid and air can be merged in the gas-liquid mixing chamber R1 to form a gas-liquid mixture. This gas-liquid mixture then flows from the small diameter portion 40b into the foaming member 17 and passes through the mesh members 41b of the two foaming elements 41, thereby forming a predetermined fine foam. Then, the foamed content liquid reaches the nozzle hole 32a of the press-down head 3. As a result, the foamed content liquid can be ejected to the outside through the nozzle hole 32a.

[0041] After dispensing is completed, when the push-down head 3 is released from its depressed position, the elastic restoring force of the coil spring 66 causes the push-down head 3, stem 10, and the air piston 13 and liquid piston 15 connected to the stem 10 to return to their upwardly biased states. Specifically, as the stem 10 rises, the lower end of the inner tube 51 of the air piston 13 abuts (seats) against the abutment 62, and the air piston 13 rises together with the stem 10. At this time, the internal volume of the air cylinder 14 increases, the pressure drops, and negative pressure is generated. This opens the piston valve element 54, and air is drawn into the air cylinder 14 through the air introduction passage 6 and the air hole 52. At this time, because the push-down head 3 has descended from its uppermost position, the broken burrs 22x and 33x are no longer in contact with each other, making it easier for air from outside the foam dispenser 1 to be introduced into the air introduction passage 6.

[0042] Next, a method for manufacturing the foam dispenser 1 described above will be described. First, the manufacturer forms the pump 2 and the head body 3A of the press-down head 3. The pump 2 is formed by molding multiple parts individually and then assembling these multiple parts. At this time, the waterproof ring 33 is integrated into the mounting cap 12 of the pump 2 (see Figure 3).

[0043] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3, the head main body 3A is brought close to the pump 2 from above, the mounting tube portion 30 of the head main body 3A is fitted onto the stem 10, and the waterproof ring 33 is fitted onto the outer tube portion 31. At this time, the guide tube portion 22 and the waterproof ring 33 are connected via the weakened portion 8. The weakened portion 8 is easily breakable and is formed, for example, by a thin portion. The weakened portion 8 may be provided continuously around the entire circumferential direction. The weakened portion 8 is provided between the protrusion 22a and the second protrusion 33b, and connects the protrusion 22a and the second protrusion 33b.

[0044] Thereafter, in the process of lowering the head body 3A relative to the attachment cap 12, the pressing force applied to the head body 3A is transmitted to the weakened portion 8 via the outer tube portion 31 and the waterproof ring 33. As a result, the weakened portion 8 is broken, and breaking burrs 22x and 33x are formed in the guide tube portion 22 and the waterproof ring 33, respectively.

[0045] However, when the weakened portion 8 is broken, the waterproof ring 33 may not be fully fitted into the outer tubular portion 31, and the waterproof ring 33 may be positioned relatively lower than the outer tubular portion 31, leaving a vertical gap between the third protrusion 33c and the lower end surface of the outer tubular portion 31. In such a case, in order to fully fit the waterproof ring 33 into the outer tubular portion 31, it is preferable to attach a jig 9 to the attachment cap 12 before lowering the press-down head 3 to the lowest position, as shown in FIG.

[0046] The jig 9 is detachably attached to the lower end of the guide tube portion 22. The jig 9 is, for example, a C-shaped ring in a plan view. The jig 9 is attached to the guide tube portion 22 from the radially outer side. In the illustrated example, the outer diameter of the jig 9 is larger than the outer diameter of the waterproof ring 33, and the inner diameter of the jig 9 is smaller than the inner diameter of the waterproof ring 33. The jig 9 is placed on the top wall portion 20. The vertical size of the jig 9 is equal to the vertical size between the press-down head 3 located at the lowermost position and the top wall portion 20.

[0047] If such a jig 9 is attached to the attachment cap 12 before the press-down head 3 is lowered to the lowest position, even if the waterproof ring 33 is not fully fitted into the outer tubular portion 31 and there is a vertical gap between the third protrusion 33c and the lower end face of the outer tubular portion 31, the waterproof ring 33 will be pushed up by the jig 9 when the press-down head 3 is machined to the lowest position. This allows the waterproof ring 33 to be fully fitted into the outer tubular portion 31.

[0048] As described above, with foam dispenser 1 according to this embodiment, when push-down head 3 is at the raised end position, rupture burrs 22x, 33x of guide tube portion 22 and waterproof ring 33 come into contact with each other, preventing liquid from flowing from outside foam dispenser 1 into air introduction passage 6. This prevents liquid from outside foam dispenser 1 from unintentionally flowing into air cylinder 14 through air introduction passage 6. Here, breaking burrs 22x, 33x are provided on the outer peripheral surface of guide tube portion 22 and the inner peripheral surface of waterproof ring 33. Therefore, when manufacturing this foam dispenser 1, guide tube portion 22 and waterproof ring 33 are molded integrally, and for example, when attaching push-down head 3 to pump 2, foam dispenser 1 can be manufactured by fitting waterproof ring 33 to outer tube portion 31 and breaking the connecting portion between guide tube portion 22 and waterproof ring 33. As described above, by molding the guide tube portion 22 and the waterproof ring 33 as a single unit, the number of parts in the manufacturing process can be reduced and the amount of resin used can be reduced compared to, for example, molding the guide tube portion 22 and the waterproof ring 33 separately.

[0049] (Second embodiment) Next, a foam dispenser according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted, with only the differences being described.

[0050] In the foam dispenser 1 according to the first embodiment, the shape of the second protrusion 33b of the press-down head 3 was uniform throughout the entire circumferential direction, but in the foam dispenser 1A according to this embodiment, the shape of the second protrusion 33b of the press-down head 3 varies depending on the circumferential position. In the foam dispenser 1A according to this embodiment, the second protrusion 33b has multiple bridge portions 33e and multiple thin-walled portions 33f. The bridge portions 33e and thin-walled portions 33f of the second protrusion 33b are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction.

[0051] The bridge portion 33e is smaller in the circumferential direction than the thin-walled portion 33f, larger in the radial direction than the thin-walled portion 33f, and larger in the up-down direction than the thin-walled portion 33f. The bridge portion 33e becomes smaller in the circumferential direction as it moves radially inward. The bridge portion 33e is connected to the guide tube portion 22 before the weakened portion 8 breaks, and a breaking burr 33x is provided at the tip of the bridge portion 33e.

[0052] The thin-walled portion 33f connects adjacent bridge portions 33e in the circumferential direction. The radially inner peripheral edge of the thin-walled portion 33f is spaced radially outward from the protrusion 22a of the guide tube portion 22 and, in the illustrated example, is not in contact with the protrusion 22a of the guide tube portion 22. A radial gap S2 is provided between the radially inner peripheral edge of the thin-walled portion 33f and the radially outer peripheral edge of the protrusion 22a. This gap S2 is preferably small enough to sufficiently prevent the inflow of liquid from outside the foam dispenser 1A. In this case, the tip of the thin-walled portion 33f may not have a breaking burr 33x, and the portion of the guide tube portion 22 corresponding to the thin-walled portion 33f may not have a breaking burr 22x.

[0053] 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.

[0054] For example, the manufacturing method of foam dispenser 1 is not limited to the above-described method. For example, foam dispenser 1 may be manufactured without using jig 9. For example, after mounting cap 12 and waterproof ring 33 are integrally molded, an operator may grasp mounting cap 12 and waterproof ring 33 individually and break the connection between them. Then, the operator may assemble waterproof ring 33 to head main body 3A, and then assemble press-down head 3 with waterproof ring 33 assembled to pump 2.

[0055] In addition, within the scope of the spirit of the present invention, the components in the above-described embodiments may be replaced with well-known components as appropriate, and the above-described modified examples may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1, 1A foam dispenser 2 pumps 3 Depressor head 6 Air intake passage 10 Stem 12 Mounting cap 13 Air piston 14 Air Cylinder 15 Liquid piston 16 Liquid cylinder 17 Foam materials 22 Guide tube 22x, 33x Breaking burrs 30 Mounting tube 31 Outer cylinder 32a Nozzle hole 33 Waterproof Ring A container A1 Mouth R1 Gas-liquid mixing chamber

Claims

[Claim 1] a pump having a stem that is erected at the mouth of the container body and is downwardly movable while being biased upward, and an attachment cap that is attached to the mouth; A foam dispenser comprising: a push-down head disposed at an upper end of the stem and having a nozzle hole formed therein; The pump a liquid piston and an air piston associated with the stem; a liquid cylinder in which the liquid piston is accommodated so as to be vertically slidable; an air cylinder in which the air piston is accommodated so as to be able to slide up and down; a gas-liquid mixing chamber for mixing the liquid from the liquid cylinder and the air from the air cylinder; a foaming member that foams the gas-liquid mixture from the gas-liquid mixing chamber, The mounting cap is a guide tube portion in which the stem is disposed, The pressing head an attachment tube portion attached to the stem and disposed within the guide tube portion; an outer cylindrical portion that covers the mounting cylindrical portion and the guide cylindrical portion from the outside in the radial direction; a waterproof ring fitted into the outer cylindrical portion and covering the guide cylindrical portion from the outside in the radial direction, An air introduction passage is provided between the outer peripheral surface of at least one of the stem and the mounting tube portion and the inner peripheral surface of the guide tube portion, which allows communication between the outside of the foam dispenser and the inside of the air cylinder through the space between the outer peripheral surface of the guide tube portion and the inner peripheral surface of the waterproof ring; a breaking burr is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the guide tube portion and the inner peripheral surface of the waterproof ring, A foam dispenser in which, when the pressing head is positioned at the uppermost position, the broken burrs of the guide tube portion and the waterproof ring come into contact with each other, preventing liquid from flowing into the air introduction path from outside the foam dispenser.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Discharge container

    JP2022546197A

  • Foam dispenser and foam dispenser container

    JP6889070B2