Pump container

Abstract

The objective is to provide a pump container that can prevent the push-down head from being accidentally pressed down without using an overcap. [Solution] A pump container 1 having a container body, a mounting cap 20, a pump, a push-down head 40 and a cover, the pump container 1 having a rotation-preventing rib 24 provided on the mounting cap 20 that engages with a first vertical groove 43 provided on the push-down head 40, an operating ring 61 that is rotatable between a first position and a second position about an axis O, and a stopper piece 62 provided on the operating ring that can engage with a second vertical groove 63 provided on the push-down head 40, wherein when the operating ring 61 is in the first position the stopper piece 62 is positioned directly below the second vertical groove 63, and when the operating ring 61 is rotated to the second position the stopper piece 62 is shifted circumferentially relative to the second vertical groove 63.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pump container.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a pump container including a container body for containing contents, a mounting cap attached to the mouth of the container body, a pump body suspended and supported by the mounting cap, and a stem protruding upward from the top wall of the mounting cap, wherein the pump body is configured to perform a discharging operation when the stem is pushed down, and a discharging port for the contents and a pushing-down head attached to the upper end of the stem (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above-described conventional pump container, in order to prevent the pushing-down head from being accidentally pushed down and the contents from being discharged during distribution or when not in use, an overcap for covering the pushing-down head is detachably attached to the mounting cap.

[0005] Therefore, in the above-described conventional pump container, it is necessary to remove the overcap from the mounting cap during use, and there are problems such as the lack of a place to put the removed overcap or the risk of loss, and the handling of the overcap is complicated.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a pump container capable of preventing the pushing-down head from being accidentally pushed down without using an overcap. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The pump container of the present invention comprises a container body for containing contents, a mounting cap attached to the mouth of the container body, a pump body suspended and supported by the mounting cap and a stem protruding upward from the top wall of the mounting cap, configured such that the pump body discharges when the stem is pressed down, a push-down head having a discharge port for contents and attached to the upper end of the stem, and a cover attached to the outside of the mounting cap and covering a part of the periphery of the push-down head, wherein the pump container engages with a first vertical groove provided on the mounting cap and extending upward from the lower end of the push-down head, and rotates the push-down head The device comprises a rotation-stopping rib, an operating ring mounted on the outside of the mounting cap and the cover and rotatable between a first position and a second position circumferentially offset from the first position with respect to the axis of the stem, and a stopper piece provided in connection with the operating ring and capable of engaging with a second vertical groove provided on the push-down head that is circumferentially offset from the first vertical groove and extends upward from its lower end, wherein when the operating ring is in the first position, the stopper piece is positioned directly below the second vertical groove, and when the operating ring rotates to the second position, the stopper piece is circumferentially offset from the second vertical groove.

[0008] In the pump container of the present invention, it is preferable that the push-down head is provided with a pair of second vertical grooves symmetrically arranged on the axis, and the operating ring is provided with a pair of stopper pieces symmetrically arranged on the axis. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a pump container that can prevent the push-down head from being accidentally pushed down without using an overcap. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a front view of a pump container according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a front view of the upper part of the pump container with the cover removed. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the upper part of the pump container. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the operating ring from below. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the stopper projection, the overhang projection, and the ring-side projection. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the upper part of the pump container with the cover removed, when the operating ring is in the first position. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the second longitudinal groove and the stopper piece when the operating ring is in the first position. [Figure 8] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the upper part of the pump container with the cover removed, when the operating ring is in the second position. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the second longitudinal groove and the stopper piece when the operating ring is in the second position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0012] The pump container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 1 is capable of containing liquid contents and dispensing the contents in predetermined amounts.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the pump container 1 includes a container body 10, a mounting cap 20, a pump 30, a push-down head 40, and a cover 50.

[0014] In this embodiment, "up" and "down" mean up and down when the pump container 1 is in the upright posture shown in FIG. 1, and "circumferential direction" means the circumferential direction centered on the axis O of the pump container 1.

[0015] The container body 10 is a part for accommodating the content 2. In this embodiment, the container body 10 has a bottle shape having a bottomed cylindrical body portion 11 centered on the axis O, a shoulder portion 12 connected to the upper end of the body portion 11, and a cylindrical mouth portion 13 (see FIG. 2) centered on the axis O protruding upward from the inner peripheral edge of the shoulder portion 12. The outer diameter of the mouth portion 13 is smaller than that of the body portion 11 but is relatively large. That is, the container body 10 is a so-called wide-mouth bottle. The container body 10 may be made of a synthetic resin formed by blow molding, injection molding, etc., but is not limited thereto. As shown in FIG. 2, the inside of the container body 10 is an accommodation space 14, and the container body 10 can accommodate the content 2 in the accommodation space 14.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the mounting cap 20 has a cap shape (a slightly domed cylindrical shape centered on the axis O) having a top wall 21 and a peripheral wall 22, and is mounted on the mouth portion 13 of the container body 10. In this embodiment, the mounting cap 20 is an injection molded product of a synthetic resin material, and is mounted on the mouth portion 13 by screw connection and fixed to the mouth portion 13. Note that the mounting cap 20 is not limited to an injection molded product of a synthetic resin material, and may be configured to be mounted on the mouth portion 13 by other methods such as plugging. The top wall 21 has a disk shape centered on the axis O, and a through hole 21a is provided at the center thereof. As shown in FIG. 3, the peripheral wall 22 has a cylindrical shape centered on the axis O, and a pair of protruding portions 23 protruding radially outward centered on the axis O are integrally provided symmetrically with respect to the axis O on a part of the outer peripheral portion thereof.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 2, the pump 30 includes a pump body 31 suspended and supported by the mounting cap 20, and a stem 32 protruding upward from the top wall 21 of the mounting cap 20. Although not shown in detail, the pump body 31 includes members such as a cylinder and a piston, and is suspended and supported by the mounting cap 20 and disposed inside the container body 10. The stem 32 is cylindrical with the axis O as the center, the lower end side is disposed on the pump body 31, and protrudes upward from the top wall 21 through the through-hole 21a of the top wall 21. The pump 30 is configured such that when the stem 32 is pushed down, the pump body 31 performs a discharging operation. When the pushing-down of the stem 32 is released, the stem 32 returns to its original position by an elastic member (not shown). At this time, the pump body 31 performs a suction operation, and a new content 2 is filled into the accommodation space 14 from the inside of the pump body 31.

[0018] As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the push-down head 40 has a discharge port 41 for the content 2 and is attached to the upper end of the stem 32. In the present embodiment, the push-down head 40 has a cylindrical shape with a top and a peripheral wall 42 having a larger diameter than the stem 32 around the axis O and a smaller diameter than the through-hole 21a of the top wall 21. The discharge port 41 is provided on the peripheral wall 42 of the push-down head 40 and communicates with the stem 32 inside the peripheral wall 42.

[0019] When a push-down operation is performed to push the push-down head 40 downward, the stem 32 is pushed down together with the push-down head 40, and the pump body 31 performs a discharging operation. When the pump body 31 performs a discharging operation, the content 2 discharged from the pump body 31 is pumped to the push-down head 40 through the stem 32 and discharged from the discharge port 41. Thus, the pump container 1 is configured such that by performing a push-down operation on the push-down head 40, the content 2 is discharged in small portions of a predetermined amount from the discharge port 41.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the cover 50 is attached to the outside of the mounting cap 20 and covers a portion of the periphery of the push-down head 40. In this embodiment, the cover 50 has a shape comprising a pair of protrusions 51 arranged on both sides of the push-down head 40 and a valley-shaped portion 52 between the pair of protrusions 51. The cover 50 is attached to the outside of the peripheral wall 22 of the mounting cap 20 by undercut engagement at the cylindrical peripheral wall portion 53 below the protrusions 51 and the valley-shaped portion 52. A through hole 54 is provided in the center of the valley-shaped portion 52, and the push-down head 40 protrudes into the valley-shaped portion 52 through the through hole 54 and is positioned between the pair of protrusions 51. In this way, the cover 50 is configured to cover both sides of the push-down head 40 with the pair of protrusions 51. When in use, the user can easily press down the push-down head 40 by inserting their fingers along the valley-shaped portion 52.

[0021] The cover 50 is not limited to the above shape or configuration, as long as it can be attached to the outside of the mounting cap 20 and cover a portion of the area around the push-down head 40.

[0022] As shown in Figure 3, the peripheral wall portion 53 of the cover 50 is provided with a pair of notches 55 located below the corresponding protrusions 51. The circumferential width of each notch 55 is the same as the circumferential width of the corresponding overhang 23 of the mounting cap 20. When the cover 50 is mounted on the outside of the mounting cap 20, each notch 55 is fitted flush with the corresponding overhang 23. This prevents the cover 50 from rotating circumferentially relative to the mounting cap 20.

[0023] The mounting cap 20 is integrally provided with anti-rotation ribs 24. In this embodiment, the mounting cap 20 is provided with a pair of anti-rotation ribs 24 symmetrically arranged on either side of the axis O. Each pair of anti-rotation ribs 24 protrudes upward from the upper surface 21b of the top wall 21 of the mounting cap 20 and also protrudes radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the through hole 21a.

[0024] Corresponding to the pair of anti-rotation ribs 24, the circumferential wall 42 of the push-down head 40 is provided with a pair of first longitudinal grooves 43 symmetrically arranged on either side of the axis O. Note that only one of the first longitudinal grooves 43 is shown in Figure 3. Each of the pair of first longitudinal grooves 43 is formed on the push-down head 40, extending upward from its lower end 44, and its circumferential width is slightly wider than the circumferential width of the anti-rotation ribs 24. The corresponding anti-rotation ribs 24 engage with each of the pair of first longitudinal grooves 43. As a result, the push-down head 40 is prevented from rotating circumferentially relative to the mounting cap 20 by the pair of anti-rotation ribs 24.

[0025] In this embodiment, the mounting cap 20 is provided with a pair of anti-rotation ribs 24, and the push-down head 40 is provided with a pair of first vertical grooves 43 corresponding to the pair of anti-rotation ribs 24. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the mounting cap 20 may be provided with at least one anti-rotation rib 24, and the push-down head 40 may be provided with at least one first vertical groove 43 corresponding to the number of anti-rotation ribs 24.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pump container 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with a locking mechanism 60 to prevent the push-down head 40 from being accidentally pushed down without using an overcap. As shown in Figure 3, the locking mechanism 60 is configured to have an operating ring 61, a pair of stopper pieces 62, and a pair of second vertical grooves 63.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the operating ring 61 is cylindrical in shape with a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the peripheral wall 22 of the mounting cap 20 and the outer diameter of the peripheral wall portion 53 of the cover 50, and is mounted on the outside of the mounting cap 20 and the cover 50. The operating ring 61 is circumferentially rotatable with respect to the mounting cap 20 and the cover 50 between a first position (shown in Figures 6 and 7) and a second position (shown in Figures 8 and 9) that is circumferentially shifted from the first position, with respect to the axis O of the stem 32. More specifically, the operating ring 61 is in contact with the outer circumferential surfaces of a pair of protruding portions 23 of the mounting cap 20 and the outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall portion 53 of the cover 50 on its inner circumferential surface, thereby supporting the operating ring 61 so as to be rotatable with respect to the mounting cap 20 and the cover 50 with respect to the axis O.

[0028] Furthermore, since the push-down head 40 is prevented from rotating on the mounting cap 20 by the pair of first vertical grooves 43 being locked to the corresponding anti-rotation ribs 24, even if the operating ring 61 rotates relative to the mounting cap 20, the push-down head 40 will not rotate together with the operating ring 61.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, a circular ring body 64 centered on axis O is provided inside the operating ring 61. The ring body 64 is integrally connected to the operating ring 61 by a pair of connecting parts 65 that are provided symmetrically on either side of axis O. The pair of connecting parts 65 are each positioned in the circumferentially extending gap formed between the corresponding notch 55 and the protruding part 23 of the cover 50, and as the operating ring 61 rotates circumferentially relative to the mounting cap 20 and the cover 50, the pair of connecting parts 65 move along the gap.

[0030] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the upper portion of a pair of protruding parts 23 on the peripheral wall 22 of the mounting cap 20 is integrally provided with a pair of stopper protrusions 25 that are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction, and a pair of overhanging protrusions 26 that are circumferentially adjacent to the corresponding stopper protrusions 25.

[0031] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4, a pair of ring-side protrusions 66 (only one ring-side protrusion is shown in Figure 4) are integrally provided on the inner circumferential surface of the operating ring 61, each connected to the back surface of a pair of connecting portions 65. As shown in Figure 5, the pair of ring-side protrusions 66 are positioned between a corresponding pair of stopper protrusions 25. When the operating ring 61 is in the first position, as shown in Figure 5(a), the pair of ring-side protrusions 66 are held between one stopper protrusion 25 and one overhanging protrusion 26, respectively, and their movement in the circumferential direction is suppressed. When the operating ring 61 is in the second position, as shown in Figure 5(b), the pair of ring-side protrusions 66 are held between the other stopper protrusion 25 and the other overhanging protrusion 26, respectively, and their movement in the circumferential direction is suppressed. When the operating ring 61 moves circumferentially between the first and second positions, the ring-side protrusions 66 can overcome the overhanging protrusions 26. With this configuration, the operating ring 61 is movable in the circumferential direction between a first position and a second position, and is held in place once it has moved to either the first or second position.

[0032] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the pair of stopper pieces 62 are integrally connected symmetrically to each other on the inner circumferential surface of the ring body 64, with the axis O in between. That is, each of the pair of stopper pieces 62 is connected to the operating ring 61 via the ring body 64 and the connecting portion 65. Each stopper piece 62 is a rod-shaped piece with a rectangular cross-section and protrudes radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the ring body 64, centered on the axis O. The radially inward-facing tip portions of the pair of stopper pieces 62 extend radially inward beyond the outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 42 of the push-down head 40.

[0033] In this embodiment, a pair of stopper pieces 62 are provided on the operating ring 61, but the embodiment is not limited to this, and it is sufficient if the operating ring 61 is provided with at least one stopper piece 62.

[0034] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, a pair of second longitudinal grooves 63 are provided symmetrically on the circumferential wall 42 of the push-down head 40, with the axis O in between. Note that only one of the second longitudinal grooves 63 is shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3. In this embodiment, the pair of second longitudinal grooves 63 are each provided at a position offset by 90 degrees in the circumferential direction from the first longitudinal groove 43. The pair of second longitudinal grooves 63 are each formed on the push-down head 40, extending upward from its lower end 44, and their circumferential width is slightly wider than the circumferential width of the stopper piece 62. That is, the pair of stopper pieces 62 can be inserted into the corresponding second longitudinal groove 63 to engage with the second longitudinal groove 63.

[0035] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the locking mechanism 60 is configured such that when the operating ring 61 is in the first position, a pair of stopper pieces 62 are positioned directly below the corresponding second vertical groove 63. That is, when the operating ring 61 is in the first position, even if the push-down head 40 is pushed down, the pair of stopper pieces 62 corresponding to the pair of second vertical grooves 63 engage, preventing the lower end 44 of the push-down head 40 from contacting the pair of stopper pieces 62 and thus preventing the push-down head 40 from moving downward. Therefore, the user can set the operating ring 61 to the first position and push down the push-down head 40 to operate the pump body 31 and discharge the contents 2 from the discharge port 41.

[0036] On the other hand, the locking mechanism 60 can restrict the downward operation of the push-down head 40 of the pump container 1 when in use or when not in use by switching the operating ring 61 from the first position shown in Figures 6 and 7 to the second position shown in Figures 8 and 9. That is, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, when the operating ring 61 rotates from the first position to the second position relative to the mounting cap 20, the pair of stopper pieces 62 are shifted circumferentially relative to the second vertical groove 63 and are positioned directly below the lower end 44 of the push-down head 40. As a result, when the push-down head 40 is pushed down while the operating ring 61 is in the second position, the lower end 44 of the push-down head 40 comes into contact with the pair of stopper pieces 62, restricting the downward movement of the push-down head 40. Therefore, by switching the operating ring 61 from the first position shown in Figures 6 and 7 to the second position shown in Figures 8 and 9, the pump container 1 can prevent the push-down head 40 from being unexpectedly pushed down and the contents 2 from being discharged.

[0037] Thus, in the pump container 1 according to this embodiment, the operation of the push-down head 40 can be restricted by rotating the operating ring 61 from the first position shown in Figures 6 and 7 to the second position shown in Figures 8 and 9. Therefore, without using an overcap, it is possible to prevent the push-down head 40 from being unexpectedly pushed down and the contents 2 from being discharged with a simple operation of rotating the operating ring 61 from the first position to the second position.

[0038] Furthermore, in the pump container 1 according to this embodiment, the push-down head 40 is provided with a pair of second vertical grooves 63 symmetrically arranged on either side of the axis O, and the operating ring 61 is provided with a pair of stopper pieces 62 symmetrically arranged on either side of the axis O. As a result, when the operating ring 61 is in the second position, the lower end 44 of the push-down head 40 can be supported at two symmetrical locations on either side of the axis O by the pair of stopper pieces 62. This makes it possible to more reliably restrict the pushing operation of the push-down head 40.

[0039] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways without departing from its spirit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1 Pump container 2 Contents 10 Container body 11 Torso 12 Shoulder 13 Mouth 14 Containment space 20 Attachment cap 21 Ceiling Wall 21a Through hole 21b Top surface 22 Peripheral wall 23. Protruding section 24-turn stopper rib 25 Stopper protrusions 26 Overhanging protrusions 30 pumps 31 Pump body 32 Stem 40 Push-down head 41 Discharge port 42 Peripheral wall 43. First longitudinal groove 44 Bottom end 50 Covers 51 Protrusion 52 Valley part 53 Peripheral wall part 54 Through hole 55 Notches 60 Locking mechanism 61 Operating Ring 62 Stopper pieces 63. Second longitudinal groove 64 ring bodies 65 Connecting part 66 Ring-side protrusions O axis

Claims

1. The container body that holds the contents, The attachment cap is fitted to the mouth of the container body, A pump comprising a pump body suspended and supported by the aforementioned mounting cap, and a stem protruding upward from the top wall of the mounting cap, wherein the pump body is configured to discharge when the stem is pushed down, It has a discharge port for the contents, and a push-down head attached to the upper end of the stem, A pump container having a cover that is attached to the outside of the mounting cap and covers a part of the periphery of the push-down head, A rotation-preventing rib is provided on the mounting cap and engages with a first longitudinal groove provided on the pressing head that extends upward from the lower end, thereby preventing the pressing head from rotating. An operating ring is mounted on the outside of the mounting cap and the cover, and is rotatable between a first position and a second position that is circumferentially offset from the first position, with respect to the axis of the stem. It has a stopper piece provided in connection with the operating ring and capable of engaging with a second longitudinal groove provided on the push-down head extending upward from its lower end, A pump container characterized in that when the operating ring is in the first position, the stopper piece is located directly below the second vertical groove, and when the operating ring is rotated to the second position, the stopper piece is configured to shift circumferentially relative to the second vertical groove.

2. The push-down head is provided with a pair of the second vertical grooves arranged symmetrically across the axis, The pump container according to claim 1, wherein the operating ring is provided with a pair of stopper pieces arranged symmetrically across the axis.

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