Liquid ejector

Abstract

The present invention provides a liquid dispenser that can prevent the contents from unintentionally leaking to the outside from a source other than the discharge port when the liquid is dispensed under high pressure inside the container. [Solution] The liquid dispenser 100 according to the present disclosure comprises a mounting member 3 attached to the mouth portion C2 of a container body C, a cylinder 1 hanging downward from the mounting member 3, a stem 9 provided to be vertically movable relative to the cylinder 1, a ring member 6 surrounding the stem 9 from the radially outer side, a valve member 13 sealing the gap between the cylinder 1 and the stem 9, and a head portion 30 attached to the upper part of the stem 9 so as to be pressable. The outer surface of the stem 9 is provided with a plurality of circumferential grooves 9e extending in the circumferential direction and a stem longitudinal groove 9f extending in the vertical direction. The inner surface of the ring member 6 is provided with a ring longitudinal groove 6e extending in the vertical direction. The circumferential width of the ring longitudinal groove 6e is greater than the vertical width of each circumferential groove 9e, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the ring longitudinal groove 6e is greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​each circumferential groove 9e.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , ,

[0005] , ,

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a liquid ejector that is attached to the mouth of a container body and ejects the content liquid inside the container body to the outside.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional liquid ejector, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, there is known a liquid ejector including a mounting member attached to the mouth of a container body, a cylinder that hangs downward from this mounting member and is provided with an outside air introduction hole, a cylindrical stem provided so as to be vertically movable with respect to the cylinder, a valve member that seals the gap between the cylinder and the stem, and a head portion attached to the upper portion of the stem so as to be pressable.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the liquid ejector of Patent Document 1, when priming is performed to eject the content liquid in a state where the pressure inside the container body has risen due to storing the liquid ejector at a high temperature, when the expanded air inside the container body is discharged to the outside through the outside air introduction hole, the content liquid may also be discharged together with the air from other than the discharge hole unintentionally. Therefore, there is still room for improvement in this regard.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a liquid ejector capable of suppressing the unintentional leakage of the content liquid to the outside from other than the discharge hole when ejecting the content liquid in a state where the pressure inside the container body has increased.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the liquid ejector of this disclosure provides: [1] A mounting member that is attached to the mouth of the container body, A cylinder that hangs downward from the mounting member, the side of which is provided with an outside air intake hole for introducing outside air into the container body, and the cylinder A cylindrical stem is provided so as to be vertically movable relative to the cylinder, A ring member surrounds at least a portion of the stem that protrudes upward from the cylinder from the radially outer side, A valve member that seals the gap between the cylinder and the stem, wherein the valve member is a check valve that allows outside air to be introduced into the container body through the outside air inlet and suppresses leakage of the contents from the container body through the outside air inlet, A head portion is attached to the upper part of the stem so as to be pressurizable and has a nozzle for dispensing the liquid contents. Equipped with, The radially outer surface of the aforementioned stem is provided with a plurality of circumferential grooves extending in the circumferential direction and vertical grooves extending in the vertical direction of the stem. The radial inner surface of the ring member is provided with vertical grooves extending in the vertical direction. The circumferential width of the ring longitudinal groove is greater than the vertical width of each of the plurality of circumferential grooves. The cross-sectional area of ​​the ring's longitudinal groove, based on its horizontal cross-section, is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the multiple circumferential grooves, based on the cross-section perpendicular to the circumferential direction of each circumferential groove.

[0007] Furthermore, the liquid dispenser of this disclosure is [2] In the configuration described in [1] above, it is preferable that the vertical width of each of the plurality of circumferential grooves is 0.7 mm or less.

[0008] Furthermore, the liquid dispenser of this disclosure is [3] In the configuration described in [1] or [2] above, it is preferable that the stem longitudinal groove is not located below the valve member at the bottom dead center of the head portion.

[0009] Further, the liquid ejector of the present disclosure [4] In the configuration according to any one of [1] to [3] above, it is preferable that the valve member is fixed by the ring member that fits into the cylinder. [Advantages of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a liquid ejector that can suppress the unintentional leakage of the content liquid to the outside from other than the discharge hole when ejecting the content liquid in a state where the pressure in the container body has increased. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1A] It is a front cross-sectional view of a liquid ejector which is an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 1B] It is a detailed view of part A in FIG. 1A. [Figure 1C] It is an enlarged perspective view of the stem and the sub-cylinder in FIG. 1A. [Figure 2A] It is a front cross-sectional view showing a state where the cover member is removed from the state of FIG. 1A and the pressing member is pressed down to enable ejection of the content liquid. [Figure 2B] It is a detailed view of part B in FIG. 2A. [Figure 3] It is a front cross-sectional view showing a state where the head portion is further pressed to the bottom dead center from the state of FIG. 2A. [Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, a liquid ejector 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings (FIGS. 1A to 3).

[0013] In Figure 1A, reference numeral 1 denotes a cylinder having a flange 2 positioned at the upper end of the mouth C2 of the container body C via a packing PK, and hanging downward from the mounting member 3 (described later) through the inside of the mouth C2 of the container body C. The cylinder 1 comprises a bottomed cylindrical cylinder body 1a, a pressure relief portion 1b whose inner surface expands radially outward at a height below the central height of the cylinder body 1a, a valve seat 1e having a frustoconical side shape that narrows downward and on which the intake valve 10 is seated, a fitting cylinder portion 1f for fitting and fixing a pipe P that guides the contents of the container body C into the cylinder 1, and an outside air intake hole 1d and a pressure release hole 1c provided side by side at the top and bottom of the side of the cylinder body 1a. The cylinder body 1a also comprises an upper cylinder 1h positioned at the top, and a lower cylinder 1g connected to the lower end of the upper cylinder 1h, on which the first piston 11d slides, and which has a smaller inner diameter than the upper cylinder 1h. The pressure relief sections 1b are formed at multiple locations in the circumferential direction of the lower cylinder 1g. They are provided to improve liquid cutoff at the nozzle when the ejection of the liquid contents is finished by releasing the liquid pressure inside the cylinder 1 through the pressure relief sections 1b and pressure release holes 1c. Furthermore, by providing the pressure relief sections 1b, air inside the cylinder 1 can be recovered into the container body C during priming, enabling proper priming. In this embodiment, the outside air intake hole 1d is provided in the upper cylinder 1h and is provided to take in outside air into the container body C. That is, when the inside of the container body C becomes a negative pressure state, outside air is taken in through the outside air intake hole 1d.

[0014] In this specification, claims, and drawings, the vertical direction is defined as the side where the cover member 50 is located when the liquid dispenser 100 is attached to the container body C and in an upright position, as shown in Figure 1A, being upward, and the side where the container body C is located being downward. Furthermore, the radially outward direction is the direction away from the central axis O of the liquid dispenser 100 in Figure 1A along a straight line passing through the central axis O and perpendicular to the central axis O, and the radially inward direction is the direction toward the central axis O along the said straight line. Furthermore, the circumferential direction is the direction of rotation around the central axis O.

[0015] In this embodiment, the container body C is formed by performing extrusion blow molding of a synthetic resin material. Also, a glass container or the like can be used for the container body C.

[0016] Reference numeral 3 denotes a mounting member having a cylindrical peripheral wall 3a and a top wall 5b that fixes the flange 2 between the top wall 5b and the mouth portion C2, and an inner peripheral wall 5 rising from the upper surface of the top wall 5b and an outer peripheral wall 5a integrally provided on the outer side in the radial direction thereof. A fixing cylinder 4 that extends downward and presses the flange 2 from above is formed on the top wall 5b. The mounting member 3 has a screw portion 3S inside the peripheral wall 3a and is detachably mounted on the mouth portion C2 of the container body C. Instead of the screw portion 3S, an engaging protrusion protruding radially inward from the peripheral wall 3a may be provided so that it can be mounted on the container body C by caulking.

[0017] The head portion 30 of the liquid ejector 100 according to this embodiment includes a pressing member 8 and a nozzle tip 12 (nozzle). By pressing the pressing member 8, the content liquid stored in the cylinder 1 is pumped to the head portion 30.

[0018] The pressing member 8 includes an outer peripheral wall 8d, an inner peripheral wall 8e provided on the inner side in the radial direction of the outer peripheral wall 8d to form a recess 8a and fitting to the inner surface of the stem 9, and a nozzle housing portion 8c that houses the nozzle tip 12 inside. The pressing member 8 partitions and forms a space C1 in the recess 8a, and the content liquid is pumped through the space C1.

[0019] Reference numeral 9 denotes a stem that is displaced downward together with the plunger body 11 by the downward pressure of the pressing member 8. The stem 9 moves vertically in response to repeated downward and upward movement of the pressing member 8, and a sub-cylinder 7 integrally provided at the lower part of the stem 9 moves inside the upper cylinder 1h. In addition, an outlet A2 is formed at the upper end of the plunger body 11. As will be described later, the downward movement of the stem 9 and the subsequent plunger body 11 due to the downward movement of the pressing member 8 increases the pressure inside the cylinder 1, and the second piston 11g of the plunger body 11 has a larger pressure-receiving area than the first piston 11d, and this difference in pressure-receiving area causes the plunger body 11 to move further downward relative to the stem 9. As a result, the discharge valve 15, which consists of the contact portion 9b of the stem 9 and the inclined portion 11b of the plunger body 11, opens, and the liquid contents pumped from inside the cylinder 1 are discharged to the outside via the discharge valve 15, the outlet A2, and the discharge hole 12a.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1C, the stem 9 has multiple circumferential grooves 9e extending in the circumferential direction and a stem longitudinal groove 9f extending in the vertical direction on its radial outer surface at approximately the central height. In the illustrated example, five circumferential grooves 9e are formed at equal intervals in the vertical direction. The stem longitudinal groove 9f is provided at only one location in the circumferential direction.

[0021] As described later, when priming is performed to eject the contents when the pressure inside the container body C is high, the multiple circumferential grooves 9e can be used to hold and store the contents that would otherwise leak to the outside through the outside air intake hole 1d and the valve member 13, by utilizing capillary action. It is preferable to reduce the vertical width of each circumferential groove 9e and provide more circumferential grooves 9e. The vertical width of each circumferential groove 9e is preferably 0.7 mm or less. The stem vertical groove 9f guides the contents that have been temporarily held and stored in the multiple circumferential grooves 9e to a position directly above the valve member 13 via the stem vertical groove 9f by its own weight. With this configuration, when the pressure inside the container body C decreases, the stored contents can be returned to the container body C through the open valve member 13 and the outside air intake hole 1d.

[0022] The number of circumferential grooves 9e is not limited to five, but can be any number of two or more. Furthermore, the stem longitudinal groove 9f is not limited to being a single groove, but may be provided at multiple locations in the circumferential direction. The stem longitudinal groove 9f may be provided at positions corresponding to the circumferential positions of the outside air intake hole 1d and the ring longitudinal groove 6e described later.

[0023] In this embodiment, the sub-cylinder 7 is integrally molded to the lower part of the stem 9, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The stem 9 and the sub-cylinder 7 may be molded separately and then assembled together.

[0024] The stem 9 is a cylindrical member positioned radially outward from the upper part of the plunger body 11 and is provided to be vertically movable, forming the aforementioned discharge valve 15 between itself and the plunger body 11. As shown in Figures 1A and 1B, a contact portion 9b is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the lower end of the stem 9, and the contact portion 9b contacts the inclined portion 11b formed on the outer circumferential surface of the plunger body 11, thereby forming a discharge valve 15 that restricts the discharge of the liquid contents. The discharge valve 15 allows communication between the inside of the cylinder 1 and the nozzle due to the downward relative displacement of the plunger body 11 with respect to the stem 9.

[0025] As shown in Figures 1A and 1B, engaging ribs 9d are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the stem 9 above the discharge valve 15, intermittently arranged in the circumferential direction and projecting radially inward. The engaging ribs 9d engage with engaging projections 11a that project radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the plunger body 11, thereby restricting excessive downward relative displacement of the plunger body 11 with respect to the stem 9.

[0026] The upper end of the stem 9 is fixed to the pressing member 8 by fitting the outer surface of the inner wall 8e of the pressing member 8 into its inner surface.

[0027] A sub-cylinder 7, which can move vertically within the upper cylinder 1h, is integrally formed with the lower part of the stem 9. As shown in Figures 1A and 1B, the sub-cylinder 7 comprises a cylindrical portion 7a, an upper wall 7c that closes the upper end of the cylindrical portion 7a and is connected to the lower part of the stem 9, and an annular pressing portion 7c1 that protrudes upward from the radially outer edge of the upper wall 7c and clamps the valve member 13 (described later) between itself and the ring member 6. A contact portion 9b constituting the discharge valve 15 is provided in the region where the lower end of the stem 9 and the upper wall 7c are connected. As shown in Figure 1C, vertical ribs 7a1 extending vertically are intermittently provided on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 7a. In this embodiment, a small gap is provided between the outer surface of these vertical ribs 7a1 and the inner surface of the upper cylinder 1h. This configuration reduces the surface area of ​​the cylindrical portion 7a facing the upper cylinder 1h, and also provides a radial gap between it and the upper cylinder 1h. This reduces the sliding resistance between the sub-cylinder 7 and the cylinder 1 when the pressing member 8 is pressed down and the stem 9 is displaced downward. Alternatively, the outer surface of the vertical rib 7a1 may slide against the inner surface of the upper cylinder 1h.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1A, the plunger body 11 is a member that extends vertically within the cylinder 1 and comprises a cylindrical portion 11j at its upper end and a columnar portion 11h connected to the lower end of the cylindrical portion 11j. The upper end of the cylindrical portion 11j is provided with an engaging projection 11a that engages with the engaging rib 9d of the stem 9 to form a pair of engaging portions 17. Below the engaging projection 11a, a communication hole 11e is provided that connects the inside and outside of the cylindrical portion 11j. Below the communication hole 11e, an inclined portion 11b is provided that slopes radially outward toward downward and forms the valve seat of the discharge valve 15.

[0029] A columnar portion 11h is integrally formed at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 11j, hanging downward. A piston cylinder 11k is provided on the radially outer side of the columnar portion 11h. A second piston 11g is provided at the upper end of the piston cylinder 11k, and a first piston 11d is provided at the lower end of the piston cylinder 11k. The columnar portion 11h and the piston cylinder 11k are connected at their respective upper parts, and a second communication hole 11f is intermittently provided circumferentially at this connection point, connecting the inside and outside of the piston cylinder 11k. The plunger body 11 is biased upward by a spring S relative to the cylinder 1 and is provided to be vertically movable, standing upright from inside the cylinder 1.

[0030] In this embodiment, the engaging portion 17 is configured with engaging ribs 9d and engaging projections 11a on both the stem 9 and the plunger body 11, but the embodiment is not limited to this configuration. It is sufficient that the relative downward displacement of the plunger body 11 with respect to the stem 9 is restricted, and the projections may be provided on only one of the stem 9 or the plunger body 11.

[0031] Furthermore, the space between the columnar portion 11h and the piston cylinder 11k in the plunger body 11 and the space inside the stem 9 function as a liquid flow path L through which the pressurized liquid contents pass. The liquid flow path L is a flow path that starts from the compression space PS at the bottom of the cylinder 1, passes through the space between the columnar portion 11h and the piston cylinder 11k and the second communication hole 11f, goes through the discharge valve 15, and then passes through the communication hole 11e and the inside and outside of the stem 9 to the discharge port A2 and the space C1 of the pressing member 8. As will be described later, the liquid contents in the compression space PS of the compressed cylinder 1 are pressurized upward and sent to the discharge port 12a through this liquid flow path L.

[0032] A second piston 11g is provided at the upper part of the piston cylinder 11k of the plunger body 11, which slides against the inner surface of the sub-cylinder 7. A first piston 11d is provided at the lower part of the piston cylinder 11k, which slides against the inner surface of the lower cylinder 1g of the cylinder 1. In this embodiment, the first piston 11d and the second piston 11g are integrally formed.

[0033] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1A, the inner diameter of the sub-cylinder 7 is formed to be larger than the inner diameter of the lower cylinder 1g. With this configuration, when the pressure inside the cylinder 1 increases due to the pressing of the pressing member 8, the pressure-receiving area of ​​the second piston 11g is larger than the pressure-receiving area of ​​the first piston 11d, so the plunger body 11 moves downward due to the downward pressure received by the second piston 11g.

[0034] Furthermore, the space above the second piston 11g and the space below the first piston 11d are connected by a second communication hole 11f, as shown in Figure 1A. This ensures that the pressure inside the cylinder 1 is maintained at approximately the same level, and the compressed liquid inside the cylinder 1 is discharged from the discharge hole 12a via the aforementioned liquid flow path L.

[0035] Reference numeral 13 denotes a valve member that functions as a check valve to suppress leakage of the contents from inside the container body C through the outside air intake hole 1d. The valve member 13 is a substantially annular, thin-walled member that abuts against the outer surface of the stem 9 and opens when its inner circumference elastically deforms downward from a state in contact with the valve fixing flange 6b of the ring member 6 shown in Figures 1A and 1B (see Figure 1B).

[0036] As shown in Figure 1B, the valve member 13 is fixed to the cylinder 1 by being sandwiched between the sealing projection 1t of the cylinder 1 and the projection 6b1 that protrudes downward from the radially outer end of the valve fixing flange 6b of the ring member 6.

[0037] As shown in Figure 1B, the ring member 6 comprises a cylindrical wall portion 6a that surrounds the stem 9 from the radially outer side, a valve fixing flange 6b extending radially outward from the lower end of the cylindrical wall portion 6a, and a fitting peripheral wall 6c erected upward from the radially outer end of the valve fixing flange 6b. As shown in Figure 1B, the ring member 6 is fixed to the flange 2, i.e., the cylinder 1, by the outer circumferential surface of the fitting peripheral wall 6c fitting onto the inner surface of the flange 2, and by the fitting peripheral wall 6c being sandwiched from above and below between the top wall 5b and the sealing projection 1t.

[0038] As shown in Figure 1B, the valve member 13 is sandwiched between the sealing projection 1t and the projection 6b1 on its radially outer side. On the other hand, the radially inner side of the valve member 13 is sandwiched between the valve support projection 6b2 of the ring member 6 and the annular pressing portion 7c1 of the sub-cylinder 7 and is in contact with the stem 9 when the pressing member 8 shown in Figure 1A is not pressed. However, as shown in Figures 2A and 2B, pressing the pressing member 8 allows it to be displaced downward from the state in contact with the valve support projection 6b2. With this configuration, when negative pressure is generated inside the container body C, the lower region of the valve member 13 also becomes negative pressure through the space between the outside air intake hole 1d and the longitudinal rib 7a1. The radially inner end of the valve member 13 is displaced downward, creating a gap between it and the stem 9, so that outside air is introduced into the inside of the container body C from the outside through the outside air intake hole 1d.

[0039] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1A and 1B, a vertical ring groove 6e extending in the vertical direction is provided on the radially inner surface of the ring member 6. By providing the vertical ring groove 6e in approximately the entire height region of the ring member 6 facing the multiple circumferential grooves 9e on the stem 9 side, even when the liquid contents are held in the multiple circumferential grooves 9e and it is difficult for air to pass through the gap between the stem 9 and the ring member 6, air can be passed through the vertical ring groove 6e in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the container body C is under negative pressure due to the use of the liquid contents, air can be introduced into the container body C from the outside through the vertical ring groove 6e. Furthermore, when priming is performed to eject the liquid contents when the pressure inside the container body C is excessively high in a high-temperature environment, air inside the container body C can be discharged to the outside through the vertical ring groove 6e.

[0040] In this embodiment, it is preferable that the circumferential width of the ring longitudinal groove 6e is greater than the vertical width of each circumferential groove 9e of the stem 9. Furthermore, it is preferable that the cross-sectional area of ​​the ring longitudinal groove 6e by the horizontal cross-section is greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​the cross-section perpendicular to the circumferential direction of each circumferential groove 9e of the stem 9. With this configuration, even when the liquid content is held in multiple circumferential grooves 9e and it is difficult for air to pass through the gap between the stem 9 and the ring member 6, it is possible to make it easier for air to pass through the ring longitudinal groove 6e in the vertical direction.

[0041] In this embodiment, the ring longitudinal groove 6e is configured to be provided at only one location in the circumferential direction, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The ring longitudinal groove 6e may be provided at multiple locations in the circumferential direction. The ring longitudinal groove 6e may also be arranged in correspondence with the circumferential position of the stem longitudinal groove 9f and / or the outside air intake hole 1d.

[0042] Furthermore, as in the prior art (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-27265), when the contents are discharged with the container body C in an inverted position using an inverted adapter or the like, there is a possibility that the contents of the container body C may leak to the outside through the outside air intake hole 1d. However, in this embodiment, as described above, the valve member 13 that seals the inside of the container body C to the outside is fixed to the cylinder 1 by the ring member 6. With this configuration, when the contents are discharged by pressing the pressing member 8 with the container body C in an inverted position, the valve member 13 contacts the outer surface of the stem 9 to seal the inside of the container body C to the outside, and also contacts the lower end of the cylindrical wall portion 6a. As the valve member 13 operates in this manner, the inside of the container body C is sealed to the outside, thereby suppressing the leakage of the contents of the container body C to the outside through the outside air intake hole 1d.

[0043] Reference numeral 10 denotes an intake valve that opens and closes the intake port A1 formed at the lower end of the cylinder 1 in response to the vertical movement of the stem 9. In this embodiment, the intake valve 10 is configured as a ball valve.

[0044] The plunger body 11 is biased upward relative to the cylinder 1 by a spring S. The plunger body 11 is also movable up and down relative to the cylinder 1. By pressing the pressing member 8 of the head portion 30 attached above the plunger body 11, the stem 9 and the plunger body 11 move downward, and then the plunger body 11 moves downward due to the difference in the pressure-receiving area between the first piston 11d and the second piston 11g. When the plunger body 11 moves downward, it compresses the space below the first piston 11d in the cylinder 1 (compression space PS), increasing the pressure inside the cylinder 1.

[0045] A nozzle tip 12 (nozzle) is fitted onto the pressing member 8. The nozzle tip 12 has a discharge hole 12a formed therein for ejecting the liquid contents. This discharge hole 12a consists of a large diameter section and a small diameter section, which increases the flow velocity of the pressurized liquid contents and allows them to be ejected to the outside.

[0046] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1A, the liquid dispenser 100 is equipped with a cover member 50 that surrounds the head portion 30 from above and radially outward. The cover member 50 is equipped with a cylindrical peripheral wall 51 and a top wall 53 that closes the upper end of the peripheral wall 51, and is formed in a top-cylindrical shape. The cover member 50 is detachably attached to the mounting member 3 by fitting an engaging projection 5a1 provided on the outer surface of the outer peripheral wall 5a of the mounting member 3 into the inner surface of the lower end of the peripheral wall 51.

[0047] The components of the liquid dispenser 100 can be made from, for example, synthetic resin or metal.

[0048] In the liquid dispenser 100 having the configuration shown in Figure 1A, when a user uses the liquid contents, they first grasp the body of the container C with one hand and grasp the peripheral wall 51 of the cover member 50 with the other hand and pull the cover member 50 upward. This exposes the head portion 30 as shown in Figure 2A, making it possible to dispense the liquid contents.

[0049] Next, the user pushes down the pressing member 8 of the head portion 30 with the cover member 50 shown in Figure 2A removed. When the pressing member 8 is pushed down, the upper end of the stem 9, into which the inner circumferential wall 8e of the pressing member 8 is fitted, is pushed down, and the plunger body 11 is also pushed down, increasing the pressure in the compression space PS of the cylinder 1. Then, due to the difference in the pressure-receiving area of ​​the first piston 11d and the second piston 11g, the difference in the downward pressing force acting on the plunger body 11 and the difference in the upward pressing force causes the plunger body 11 to move further downward relative to the stem 9, and the discharge valve 15, consisting of a contact portion 9b and an inclined portion 11b, opens (see Figures 2A and 2B). In other words, the inner diameter of the sub-cylinder 7 is formed to be larger than the inner diameter of the lower cylinder 1g. In this configuration, when the pressure inside cylinder 1 increases, the pressure-receiving area of ​​the second piston 11g is larger than the pressure-receiving area of ​​the first piston 11d due to the downward pressure. As a result, the plunger body 11 moves downward due to the downward pressure on the second piston 11g. This compresses the space below the first piston 11d (compression space PS), increasing the pressure inside cylinder 1. The liquid inside cylinder 1 then passes through the liquid flow path L, including the second communication hole 11f, the discharge valve 15, and the communication hole 11e, and is discharged from the discharge hole 12a.

[0050] If the user presses the pressing member 8 further, the discharge valve 15 remains open and the plunger body 11 continues to descend relative to the stem 9. Eventually, the engaging projection 11a on the plunger body 11 contacts and engages with the engaging rib 9d on the stem 9. This restricts further downward relative movement of the plunger body 11 relative to the stem 9. Therefore, even if a downward pressing force is applied to the plunger body 11 by pressing the pressing member 8, the engaging projection 11a and the engaging rib 9d engage, preventing the plunger body 11 from being displaced excessively downward. As a result, even when the pressing member 8 is pressed down forcefully, the inconvenience of the plunger body 11 reaching the pressure relief section 1b earlier and the discharge volume being greatly reduced compared to when it is pressed down at a normal speed can be suppressed.

[0051] When the pressing member 8 is pushed down to the lower limit of its movable range, the first piston 11d of the plunger body 11 reaches a position where it covers the pressure relief portion 1b of the cylinder 1 (see Figure 3). As a result, the hydraulic pressure inside the cylinder 1 is released through the pressure relief portion 1b and the pressure release hole 1c. With the release of the hydraulic pressure inside the cylinder 1, the downward pushing force acting on the plunger body 11 is also released, and the plunger body 11 is displaced upward by the biasing force of the spring S, causing the contact portion 9b to seat on the inclined portion 11b and the discharge valve 15 to close. As a result, the ejection of the liquid contents from the discharge hole 12a of the nozzle tip 12 is stopped. In addition, because the hydraulic pressure inside the cylinder 1 is rapidly released, the ejection of the liquid contents can be stopped cleanly.

[0052] Furthermore, at the bottom dead center of the head portion 30 shown in Figure 3, the stem longitudinal groove 9f is positioned so as not to be located below the valve member 13. With this configuration, when positive pressure is applied below the valve member 13, the seal between the cylinder 1 and the stem 9 by the valve member 13 can always be maintained, regardless of the height position of the head portion 30. It is most preferable that the stem longitudinal groove 9f is located above the valve member 13 at the bottom dead center of the head portion 30.

[0053] When the user finishes using the liquid contents and stops pressing the pressing member 8, the plunger body 11, which had been displaced downwards within the cylinder 1, is biased upwards by the restoring force of the spring S and rises to the position shown in Figure 1A. As the plunger body 11 rises, the volume inside the cylinder 1 increases, creating negative pressure. The suction valve 10, which was seated on the valve seat 1e, rises and opens, and the liquid contents from the container body C are introduced into the cylinder 1 via the suction port A1 from the pipe P. This introduced liquid contents are pressurized within the compression space PS of the cylinder 1 by the next pressing of the pressing member 8, and are discharged from the discharge port 12a via the liquid flow path L, including the second communication hole 11f, the discharge valve 15, and the communication hole 11e.

[0054] As the liquid contents of the container body C are introduced into the cylinder 1 through the pipe P, the inside of the container body C becomes negatively pressurized. As described above, the area below the valve member 13 also becomes negatively pressurized through the space between the outside air inlet hole 1d and the vertical rib 7a1. This negative pressure causes the radially inner end of the valve member 13 to displace downward, creating a gap between it and the stem 9. As a result, the valve opens, and outside air is stably introduced into the container body C via the ring vertical groove 6e, the valve member 13, the space between the vertical rib 7a1 and the outside air inlet hole 1d.

[0055] Conventionally, when the liquid dispenser 100 is stored at high temperature and primed to dispense the liquid contents while the pressure inside the container body C has risen, the discharge channel remains blocked and the outside air intake channel is open for a while after the start of operation. As a result, when the expanded air inside the container body C is discharged to the outside through the outside air intake hole 1d, the liquid contents may also be unintentionally discharged along with the air. In this embodiment, when the expanded air inside the container body C is discharged to the outside via the outside air intake hole 1d and the valve member 13, the liquid contents that would otherwise leak to the outside along with the air can be held and stored in the multiple circumferential grooves 9e using capillary action. Therefore, leakage of the liquid contents from sources other than the discharge hole 12a, which the user did not intend, can be effectively suppressed. Even in this case, the expanded air inside the container body C can be discharged to the outside via the ring vertical groove 6e, so the excessive pressure rise inside the container body C can be effectively reduced.

[0056] As described above, this embodiment comprises a mounting member 3 attached to the mouth C2 of the container body C, a cylinder 1 hanging downward from the mounting member 3, the side of the cylinder 1 having an outside air intake hole 1d for introducing outside air into the container body C, a cylindrical stem 9 provided to be vertically movable relative to the cylinder 1, a ring member 6 surrounding at least a portion of the stem 9 that protrudes upward from the cylinder 1 from the radially outer side, and a valve member 13 that seals the gap between the cylinder 1 and the stem 9, the valve member 13 allowing outside air to be introduced into the container body C through the outside air intake hole 1d and allowing the contents to be introduced from inside the container body C through the outside air intake hole 1d The device comprises a valve member 13, which is a check valve that suppresses leakage, and a head portion 30 that is pushable onto the upper part of the stem 9 and has a nozzle (nozzle tip 12) for discharging the contents. The radial outer surface of the stem 9 is provided with a plurality of circumferential grooves 9e extending in the circumferential direction and a stem longitudinal groove 9f extending in the vertical direction. The radial inner surface of the ring member 6 is provided with a ring longitudinal groove 6e extending in the vertical direction. The circumferential width of the ring longitudinal groove 6e is greater than the vertical width of each of the plurality of circumferential grooves 9e, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the ring longitudinal groove 6e by the horizontal cross-section is greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​each of the plurality of circumferential grooves 9e by the cross-section perpendicular to the circumferential direction. With this configuration, when the liquid dispenser 100 is stored at high temperature and primed to dispense the liquid contents while the pressure inside the container body C has risen, the expanded air inside the container body C is discharged to the outside via the outside air intake hole 1d and the valve member 13. At the same time, the liquid contents that would otherwise leak out with the air can be held and stored in the multiple circumferential grooves 9e using capillary action. Therefore, leakage of the liquid contents from outlets other than the discharge hole 12a, which the user did not intend, can be effectively suppressed. In this case as well, the expanded air inside the container body C can be discharged to the outside via the ring vertical groove 6e, so that an excessive pressure rise inside the container body C can be effectively suppressed.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vertical width of each of the multiple circumferential grooves 9e is configured to be 0.7 mm or less. By adopting this configuration, a large number of circumferential grooves 9e can be provided in a limited area on the outer surface of the stem 9. Therefore, when the pressure inside the container body C increases, capillary action can be used more effectively to retain and store the liquid contents that would otherwise leak out to the outside in the circumferential grooves 9e.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the stem longitudinal groove 9f is configured so that it is not located below the valve member 13 at the bottom dead center of the head portion 30. By adopting this configuration, when positive pressure is applied below the valve member 13, the seal between the cylinder 1 and the stem 9 by the valve member 13 can always be maintained, regardless of the height position of the head portion 30.

[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the valve member 13 is configured to be fixed by a ring member 6 that fits into the cylinder 1. By adopting this configuration, two roles can be simultaneously achieved by adding only the ring member 6: securing an air passage between the container body C and the outside, and fixing the valve member 13 to the cylinder 1. Therefore, the problem of unintended leakage of the liquid contents can be solved while suppressing the manufacturing cost of the liquid dispenser 100 without increasing the number of parts.

[0060] The above-described embodiment represents only one form of the present disclosure, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the liquid dispenser 100 is pre-assembled into a unit, but according to the present disclosure, individual parts can be assembled to the container body C without pre-assembling them into a unit.

[0061] Furthermore, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown in Figure 1A, etc., and can be applied to other liquid dispensers 100 that allow air to be exchanged between the container body C and the outside through the outside air intake hole 1d and the space radially outside the stem 9.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first piston 11d and the second piston 11g are configured to be integrally formed, but the invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the first piston 11d and the second piston 11g may be configured to be included in separate parts.

[0063] Furthermore, in this embodiment, only the engaging ribs 9d constituting the engaging portion 17 are provided intermittently in the circumferential direction. However, the embodiment is not limited to this configuration, and both the engaging projection 11a and the engaging ribs 9d may be provided intermittently in the circumferential direction. Alternatively, only the engaging projection 11a may be provided intermittently in the circumferential direction. [Industrial applicability]

[0064] This disclosure can be used, for example, as a liquid dispenser 100 in the fields of cosmetics such as lotions and hair styling products, pharmaceuticals such as insect repellents, and beauty and health products. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0065] 1 cylinder 1a Cylinder body 1b Pressure relief section 1c Pressure release hole 1d Outside air intake vent 1e Valve seat 1f Fitting cylinder section 1g lower cylinder 1h Upper cylinder 1t seal protrusion 2 flanges 2a Fitting cylinder part 3 Mounting Member 3a Peripheral wall 3S threaded section 4 Fixed tube 5 Inner wall 5a Outer wall 5a1 Engagement protrusion 5b Ceiling wall 6 Ring Member 6a Cylinder wall 6b Valve fixing flange 6b1 Protrusion 6b2 Valve support projection 6c Mating peripheral wall 6e ring with vertical grooves 7 Subcylinder 7a Cylindrical part 7a1 Longitudinal ribs 7c upper wall 7c1 Annular pressing part 8 Pressing member 8a recess 8c Nozzle housing 8d outer wall 8e Inner wall 9 Stem 9b Contact part 9d Engaging Rib 9e Circumferential groove 9f Stem with longitudinal grooves 10 Intake valve 11 Plunger Body 11a Engagement protrusion 11b Inclined part (valve seat) 11d First piston 11e Communication hole 11f 2nd communication hole 11g 2nd piston 11h Columnar part 11j cylindrical part 11k piston cylinder 12 Nozzle Tips (Nozzles) 12a Discharge hole 13 Valve member 15. Discharge valve 17 Engaging part 30 Head section 40 Plunger Body 50 Cover component 51 Peripheral wall 53. Top Wall 100 liquid squirt A1 Inlet A2 outlet C Container body C1 space C2 Mouth L Liquid channel O center axis P Pipe PK packing PS Compressed Space S Spring

Claims

1. A mounting member that is attached to the mouth of the container body, A cylinder that hangs downward from the mounting member, the side of which is provided with an outside air intake hole for introducing outside air into the container body, and the cylinder A cylindrical stem is provided so as to be vertically movable relative to the cylinder, A ring member surrounds at least a portion of the stem that protrudes upward from the cylinder from the radially outer side, A valve member that seals the gap between the cylinder and the stem, wherein the valve member is a check valve that allows outside air to be introduced into the container body through the outside air inlet and suppresses leakage of the contents from the container body through the outside air inlet, A head portion is attached to the upper part of the stem so as to be pressurizable and has a nozzle for dispensing the liquid contents. Equipped with, The radially outer surface of the aforementioned stem is provided with a plurality of circumferential grooves extending in the circumferential direction and vertical grooves extending in the vertical direction of the stem. The radial inner surface of the ring member is provided with vertical grooves extending in the vertical direction. The circumferential width of the ring longitudinal groove is greater than the vertical width of each of the plurality of circumferential grooves. A liquid ejector in which the cross-sectional area of ​​the ring's longitudinal grooves, based on the horizontal cross-section, is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the plurality of circumferential grooves, based on the cross-section perpendicular to the circumferential direction of each circumferential groove.

2. The liquid ejector according to claim 1, wherein the vertical width of each of the plurality of circumferential grooves is 0.7 mm or less.

3. The liquid ejector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the longitudinal groove of the stem is not located below the valve member at the bottom dead center of the head portion.

4. The liquid ejector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the valve member is fixed by the ring member that fits into the cylinder.

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