Discharge container

Abstract

To provide a rod-shaped valve-type discharge container that can reduce the operating force. [Solution] A discharge container comprising a container body 3, a cylinder 9, an operating member 6 that moves up and down relative to the cylinder 9 to discharge contents 2 by sequentially passing them through a lower backflow suppression section 21, a pump chamber 20, and an upper backflow suppression section 23, and a rod-shaped valve body 7 that cooperates with a lower seating section 17 to form the lower backflow suppression section 21, wherein one of the operating member 6 and the rod-shaped valve body 7 has a protrusion 24, and the other of the operating member 6 and the rod-shaped valve body 7 has a sliding section 25 that slides the protrusion 24 due to the up and down movement of the operating member 6, and the diameter of the sliding section 25 changes in the vertical direction such that the downward movement of the operating member 6 relative to the cylinder 9 causes the rod-shaped valve body 7 to seat on the lower seating section 17 due to the sliding resistance between the protrusion 24 and the sliding section 25, and the sliding resistance decreases with further downward movement.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] A discharge container is known that has a container body, a cylinder held by the container body, an operating member that moves up and down with respect to the cylinder by an operation, and discharges the contents in the container body by sequentially passing through a lower backflow prevention portion, a pump chamber, and an upper backflow prevention portion, and a rod-shaped valve body that cooperates with a lower seating portion provided on the cylinder to form the lower backflow prevention portion. One of the operating member and the rod-shaped valve body has a convex portion, and the other of the operating member and the rod-shaped valve body has a sliding portion that slides the convex portion by the up and down movement of the operating member. The downward movement of the operating member with respect to the cylinder seats the rod-shaped valve body on the lower seating portion by the sliding resistance between the convex portion and the sliding portion (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 rod-shaped valve body type discharge container as described above, since it is necessary to seat the rod-shaped valve body on the lower seating portion by the sliding resistance between the operating member and the rod-shaped valve body when the operating member descends, the operating force required to lower the operating member tends to increase.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a rod-shaped valve body type discharge container capable of reducing the operating force.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is as follows.

[0007] [1] The container body and A cylinder held in the container body, An operating member that, by performing an upward and downward movement relative to the cylinder through operation, discharges the contents of the container body by sequentially passing them through the lower backflow suppression section, the pump chamber, and the upper backflow suppression section, It has a rod-shaped valve body that cooperates with a lower seat portion provided on the cylinder to form the lower backflow suppression portion, The operating member and the rod-shaped valve body have a protrusion, The other of the operating member and the rod-shaped valve body has a sliding portion that causes the protrusion to slide due to the upward and downward movement of the operating member. The diameter of the sliding portion changes vertically such that the downward movement of the operating member relative to the cylinder causes the rod-shaped valve body to seat on the lower seating portion due to the sliding resistance between the protrusion and the sliding portion, and the sliding resistance decreases with further downward movement.

[0008] [2] The rod-shaped valve body has the sliding portion, The discharge container according to [1], wherein the sliding portion has a stepped portion that decreases in diameter toward the downward direction.

[0009] [3] The discharge container according to [2], wherein the sliding portion has an upper stepped portion that expands in diameter downward, located below the convex portion and above the stepped portion in the initial position before the operating member descends relative to the cylinder.

[0010] [4] The operating member comprises a stem, a piston guide fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the stem, and an annular piston held by the stem and the piston guide so as to be able to move up and down, and which is slidable in the vertical direction relative to the cylinder. The discharge container according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the upper backflow suppression portion is formed by the piston and an upper seating portion provided on the piston guide for seating the piston. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a rod-shaped valve-type discharge container that can reduce the operating force. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a discharge container according to one embodiment of the present invention, with the operating member in its initial position. [Figure 2] This is a partially enlarged view of Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the state when the operating member is lowered from the state shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This is a partially enlarged view of Figure 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, in one embodiment of the present invention, the discharge container 1 includes a container body 3 for containing contents 2 and a discharger 4 attached to the container body 3. The discharger 4 includes a holding member 5 held by the container body 3, an operating member 6 that discharges the contents 2 by moving up and down relative to the holding member 5, a rod-shaped valve body 7, and a biasing member 8.

[0015] The retaining member 5 has a cylinder 9, a pipe 10, a retaining member 11, and a mounting cap 12. The operating member 6 has a stem 13, a piston guide 14, a piston 15, and a nozzle head 16. The container body 3, the rod-shaped valve body 7, the cylinder 9, the pipe 10, the retaining member 11, the mounting cap 12, the stem 13, the piston guide 14, the piston 15, and the nozzle head 16 are each made of, for example, resin and are integrally molded. Note that these members are not limited to integrally molded products, but may be constructed by assembling multiple members. The biasing member 8 is made of, for example, metal.

[0016] The container body 3 is formed by successively connecting a cylindrical mouth portion 3a, a body portion 3b, and a bottom portion (not shown) downward, and forms an internal space S for accommodating the liquid content 2 inside. Note that the mouth portion 3a may have a non-cylindrical tubular shape such as a square tubular shape. The content 2 is not particularly limited, and in this embodiment, it is a liquid. The type of the content 2 is not particularly limited, and in this embodiment, it is an oil-based cosmetic such as makeup remover.

[0017] The cylinder 9 has a cylindrical shape and is held by the mounting cap 12 at the mouth portion 3a. The cylinder 9 includes a flange-shaped clamping portion 9a clamped by the upper surface of the mouth portion 3a and the mounting cap 12, a main body cylinder 9b connected to the clamping portion 9a and centered on the central axis O, a step wall 9c connected to the main body cylinder 9b and forming an annular lower seating portion 17 on the upper surface, and a mounting cylinder 9d connected to the step wall 9c and having a smaller diameter than the main body cylinder 9b via the step wall 9c. The upper end of the pipe 10 is attached to the mounting cylinder 9d by fitting. Note that the configuration may be such that the pipe 10 is not provided. The mounting cap 12 is attached to the mouth portion 3a via a screw portion 18, but is not limited thereto, and may be attached via a locking structure other than the screw portion 18. A packing 19 is provided on the lower surface of the clamping portion 9a, but is not limited thereto.

[0018] For the sake of convenience of explanation, the direction along the central axis O of the cylinder 9 is referred to as the vertical direction, the direction from the bottom portion toward the mouth portion 3a along the central axis O is referred to as the upward direction, the opposite direction is referred to as the downward direction, the direction orthogonal to the central axis O is referred to as the radial direction, the direction around the central axis O is referred to as the circumferential direction, and the cross section including the central axis O is referred to as the longitudinal section.

[0019] The rod-shaped valve body 7 is disposed in the cylinder 9 so as to be able to move up and down. By seating on the lower seating portion 17 by descending, the backflow of the content 2 from the pump chamber 20 to the side of the internal space S of the container body 3 is suppressed. By separating from the lower seating portion 17 by ascending, the inflow of the content 2 from the side of the internal space S of the container body 3 into the pump chamber 20 is allowed. Thus, the rod-shaped valve body 7 cooperates with the lower seating portion 17 to form a lower backflow prevention portion 21.

[0020] The operating member 6 includes a cylindrical stem 13 centered on a central axis O, a piston guide 14 fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the stem 13, an annular piston 15 held by the stem 13 and the piston guide 14 so as to be able to move up and down and slide vertically relative to the main body cylinder 9b of the cylinder 9, and a nozzle head 16 attached to the upper end of the stem 13 and having a discharge port 16a. The piston guide 14 has a bottomed cylindrical hollow shaft portion 14a that opens only on the lower side in the vertical direction, and an extension portion 14b that extends radially outward from the lower part of the hollow shaft portion 14a.

[0021] An upper seating portion 22 is formed on the upper surface of the extension portion 14b, on which the piston 15 is seated. The upper seating portion 22 suppresses backflow of contents 2 into the pump chamber 20 from the discharge port 16a side by seating the piston 15 when it rises relative to the piston 15, and allows the contents 2 to flow out of the pump chamber 20 to the discharge port 16a side by separating the piston 15 when it descends relative to the piston 15. In this way, the upper seating portion 22 works in cooperation with the piston 15 to form an upper backflow suppression portion 23.

[0022] A pump chamber 20 is formed inside the cylinder 9, with a lower backflow suppression section 21 located at the lower end of the pump chamber 20 and an upper backflow suppression section 23 located at the upper end of the pump chamber 20. The pump chamber 20 expands and contracts as the operating member 6 moves up and down relative to the cylinder 9.

[0023] Multiple vertical ribs 9e, each projecting radially inward, are arranged circumferentially at the lower end of the inner circumferential surface of the main body cylinder 9b of the cylinder 9. The multiple vertical ribs 9e receive the lower end of a biasing member 8, which is composed of a compression spring that can expand and contract in the vertical direction. The extension 14b of the piston guide 14 receives the upper end of the biasing member 8.

[0024] The rod-shaped valve body 7 has a valve body portion 7a that can seat on the lower seat portion 17, a rod-shaped portion 7b that is centered on the central axis O and extends upward from the valve body portion 7a, and a plurality of protruding portions 7c that are arranged in the circumferential direction and each protrudes radially outward from the valve body portion 7a. The rod-shaped valve body 7 is vertically movable between an open position in which the plurality of protruding portions 7c abut against the lower end of the biasing member 8 and the valve body portion 7a is separated from the lower seat portion 17, and a seated position in which the valve body portion 7a is seated on the lower seat portion 17.

[0025] The operating member 6 moves up and down relative to the cylinder 9 between an initial position (the position shown in Figure 1) and a lower limit position (the position shown in Figure 3) by being pushed down against the nozzle head 16 against the biasing force of the biasing member 8. The retaining member 11 is attached to the upper end of the cylinder 9 and restricts the operating member 6 from coming out of the cylinder 9 beyond the initial position.

[0026] A protrusion 24 is provided intermittently in the circumferential direction at the lower end of the inner circumferential surface of the hollow shaft portion 14a of the piston guide 14. Furthermore, the outer circumferential surface of the rod portion 7b of the rod-shaped valve body 7 has a sliding portion 25 that slides against the protrusion 24 as the operating member 6 moves up and down. Here, the diameter of the sliding portion 25 changes in the vertical direction so that as the operating member 6 descends from its initial position relative to the cylinder 9, the sliding resistance between the protrusion 24 and the sliding portion 25 causes the rod-shaped valve body 7 to seat on the lower seat portion 17, and further descent reduces the sliding resistance. Specifically, the sliding portion 25 has a stepped portion 25a that decreases in diameter towards the bottom.

[0027] Therefore, by pressing down and releasing the operating member 6, the operating member 6 is moved up and down between the initial position and the lower limit position, allowing the contents 2 inside the container body 3 to pass sequentially through the lower backflow suppression section 21, the pump chamber 20, and the upper backflow suppression section 23 before being discharged from the discharge port 16a. Furthermore, the reduced sliding resistance due to the stepped section 25a reduces the operating force required for the pressing down operation. The operating member 6 discharges the contents 2 in a continuous flow, but is not limited to this; for example, it may be configured to discharge in a mist or foam.

[0028] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sliding portion 25 has an upper stepped portion 25b that expands in diameter downwards, located below the convex portion 24 and above the stepped portion 25a in the initial position before the operating member 6 descends relative to the cylinder 9. Therefore, even if the convex portion 24 undergoes plastic deformation in a direction that causes it to collapse due to contact with the rod portion 7b of the rod-shaped valve body 7 over time while the operating member 6 is in the initial position during distribution, storage, etc., the sliding resistance can be increased by causing the convex portion 24 to overcome the upper stepped portion 25b of the expanded diameter portion 25 downwards as the operating member 6 descends from the initial position relative to the cylinder 9, thereby allowing the rod-shaped valve body 7 to descend and enabling smooth discharge from the initial movement.

[0029] The materials used to form the piston guide 14 and the rod-shaped valve body 7 are not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the piston guide 14 be made of polyolefin such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and the rod-shaped valve body 7 be made of polyester such as polybutylene terephthalate.

[0030] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the embodiments described above can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0031] For example, the configuration is not limited to providing the protrusion 24 on the inner circumferential surface of the piston guide 14 and the sliding portion 25 on the outer circumferential surface of the rod-shaped valve body 7. For example, the configuration may be such that the protrusion 24 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the rod-shaped valve body 7 and the sliding portion 25 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the piston guide 14. Furthermore, the operating member 6 is not limited to a push-down head type having a nozzle head 16 that receives a push-down operation. For example, it may be configured as a trigger type having a trigger that receives a pulling operation to raise and lower the operating member 6 relative to the cylinder 9. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0032] 1 Discharge container 2 Contents 3. Container body 3a Mouth 3b Torso 4 Dispenser 5. Retaining member 6. Operating member 7. Rod-shaped valve body 7a Valve body 7b Rod-shaped part 7c protrusion 8. Biasing member 9 cylinders 9a Clamping part 9b Main body tube 9c step wall 9d Mounting tube 9e Vertical Rib 10 pipes 11 Retaining member 12. Mounting cap 13 Stem 14 Piston Guide 14a Hollow shaft part 14b Extension 15 pistons 16 Nozzle Heads 16a Discharge port 17 Lower seating area 18 Threaded part 19 Gasket 20 Pump Room 21 Lower backflow suppressor 22 Upper seating area 23 Upper backflow suppression part 24 Convex part 25 Sliding part 25a Stepped section 25b Upper step section O center axis S interior space

Claims

1. The container body and A cylinder held in the container body, An operating member that, by performing an upward and downward movement relative to the cylinder through operation, discharges the contents of the container body by sequentially passing them through the lower backflow suppression section, the pump chamber, and the upper backflow suppression section, It has a rod-shaped valve body that cooperates with a lower seat portion provided on the cylinder to form the lower backflow suppression portion, The operating member and the rod-shaped valve body have a protrusion, The other of the operating member and the rod-shaped valve body has a sliding portion that causes the protrusion to slide due to the upward and downward movement of the operating member. The diameter of the sliding portion changes vertically such that the downward movement of the operating member relative to the cylinder causes the rod-shaped valve body to seat on the lower seating portion due to the sliding resistance between the protrusion and the sliding portion, and the sliding resistance decreases with further downward movement.

2. The rod-shaped valve body has the sliding portion, The discharge container according to claim 1, wherein the sliding portion has a stepped portion that decreases in diameter toward the downward direction.

3. The discharge container according to claim 2, wherein the sliding portion has an upper stepped portion that expands in diameter downward, located below the convex portion and above the stepped portion in the initial position before the operating member descends relative to the cylinder.

4. The operating member comprises a stem, a piston guide fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the stem, and an annular piston held by the stem and the piston guide so as to be able to move up and down, and which is slidable in the vertical direction relative to the cylinder. The discharge container according to claim 1, wherein the upper backflow suppression portion is formed by the piston and an upper seating portion provided on the piston guide for seating the piston.

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