Ejector

Abstract

We propose a dispenser that has a simple structure, excellent recyclability, and can stably atomize the liquid contents regardless of the pressure applied to the head. [Solution] In a dispenser 100 from which liquid contents are discharged in a mist from a spray nozzle 13a, the cylinder or cap 11 has an elastic piece 8c that extends upward and is elastically deformable away from the central axis O of the stem, the stem or head has a pressing part that contacts the inner surface of the elastic piece 8c and elastically deforms the elastic piece 8c away from the central axis O when the head is pressed toward the lower limit, the pressing part has an inclined part 9b that is located closer to the upper limit contact point P1 than the lower limit contact point P2 or at the same location as the upper limit contact point P1 and extends from below toward upward away from the central axis O.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a dispenser that discharges a content liquid in a mist form.

Background Art

[0002] As described in Patent Document 1, a dispenser that discharges a content liquid in a mist form has been known. This dispenser is a so-called pressure accumulation type dispenser, in which a small-diameter piston arranged inside a small-diameter cylinder is provided at the bottom, and a large-diameter piston arranged inside a large-diameter cylinder provided in the ejection head is provided at the top, and a piston member provided with an ejection valve at the tip, and a coil spring for biasing the piston member upward are provided.

[0003] When the ejection head is pressed and the inside of the small-diameter cylinder is pressurized, the content liquid is introduced into the large-diameter cylinder. When the liquid pressure reaches a predetermined pressure, the piston member descends relatively against the biasing force and the ejection valve opens, and the liquid in the small-diameter cylinder and the large-diameter cylinder is ejected from the ejection port of the ejection head. When the pressing force on the ejection head is released, the ejection head rises together with the stem by the biasing force of the coil spring, and the content liquid in the container is introduced into the small-diameter cylinder due to the decompression effect at that time.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The aforementioned discharger requires both a small-diameter piston and a large-diameter piston, resulting in a complex structure. Furthermore, although most of the components of this discharger are made of synthetic resin, the coil spring is made of metal, meaning that it cannot be recycled as a resin product in its current state after use.

[0006] Incidentally, Patent Document 2 describes a discharger in which an elastic piece is provided on the cap or head, and when the head is pressed, this elastic piece bends, and when the pressure on the head is released, the bent elastic piece returns to its original position, causing the head to return to its upper limit. In other words, by using this elastic piece instead of a coil spring, it may be possible to solve the recycling problem mentioned above. Therefore, the inventors of the present invention investigated a direct-pressure type discharger that uses an elastic piece like that in Patent Document 2 to return the pressed head to its upper limit, and also uses only a piston equivalent to the small-diameter piston mentioned above in order to simplify the structure. When the head was pressed down forcefully, such a direct-pressure type discharger was able to eject a mist similar to that ejected by a pressurized discharger. However, when the head was pressed down slowly with relatively little force, the ejected liquid contents sometimes did not become mist.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of these points, and aims to propose a dispenser that has a simple structure, excellent recyclability, and can stably atomize the liquid content regardless of the pressure applied to the head. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The discharger of the present invention comprises a cap fitted to the mouth of a container holding liquid contents, a cylinder into which the liquid contents contained in the container are introduced, a piston slidably in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder, and a stem having an inner passage leading to the cylinder, and a pump that pressurizes the inside of the cylinder and supplies the liquid contents to the inner passage when the piston is moved downward, and a head connected to the stem and having an internal passage leading to the inner passage, a spray mechanism for atomizing the liquid contents of the internal passage, and a spray nozzle, and when the head, which has been moved to its upper limit, is pressed toward its lower limit, the liquid contents in the cylinder pass through the inner passage, the internal passage, and the spray mechanism and are discharged in a mist from the spray nozzle, wherein the cylinder or the The cap has an elastic piece extending upward and elastically deformable away from the central axis of the stem, and the stem or the head has a pressing portion that contacts the inner surface of the elastic piece and elastically deforms the elastic piece away from the central axis when the head is pressed toward the lower limit, and the point where the pressing portion contacts the elastic piece when the head is at the upper limit is defined as the upper limit contact point, and the point where the pressing portion contacts the elastic piece when the head is at the lower limit is defined as the lower limit contact point, the pressing portion has an inclined portion that is located closer to the upper limit contact point than the lower limit contact point or at the same point as the upper limit contact point and extends from below toward upward away from the central axis. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The discharger of the present invention simplifies the structure because it eliminates the need for the pressure accumulation mechanism found in pressurized dischargers, which are commonly used to atomize liquid contents. Furthermore, since it uses an elastic piece provided on the cylinder or cap instead of the conventionally used metal coil spring, it can be recycled as a resin product after use. Moreover, even if the head is pressed slowly with relatively little force, the head is not pushed down by the aforementioned inclined section, and the head is rapidly pushed down only after the force applied to the head has increased to a certain extent, thus enabling the discharged liquid contents to be stably atomized. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a side view cross-sectional view showing the state in which the head of one embodiment of the discharger according to the present invention is at its upper limit. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the area around the elastic piece. [Figure 3] Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the discharger in a side view with the head at its lowest position. [Figure 4A] This figure shows a modified version of the discharger shown in Figure 1, and is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the elastic piece and the area around the pressing part when the head is in the upper limit position. [Figure 4B] This is a cross-sectional view from the side, showing the state in which the head is pushed down by a distance d along the central axis from the state shown in Figure 4A. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the discharger according to the present invention, the discharger 100, will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, the vertical direction refers to the direction along the central axis O (the central axis of the cylindrical body portion 7a, which will be described later), where the side where the pipe 4 is located is "down" and the side where the head body 12 is located is "up". The radial direction refers to the direction perpendicular to the central axis O in a plane perpendicular to the central axis O, and the circumferential direction refers to the direction of rotation around the central axis O in this plane.

[0012] The dispenser 100 of this embodiment is used by being attached to the mouth of a bottle-shaped container (not shown). The liquid to be dispensed by the dispenser 100 is, for example, a cosmetic (such as a lotion) or a medicinal solution.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the discharger 100 consists of a cylinder body 1, a valve member 2, a pipe 4, an internal member 5, a piston 6, a cylindrical member 7, an upper cylinder member 8, a pressing member 9, a packing 10, a cap 11, a head body 12, and a nozzle tip 13. Here, the cylinder body 1 and the upper cylinder member 8 are components that constitute a "cylinder" as defined herein, the cylinder body 1, the valve member 2, the internal member 5, the piston 6, the cylindrical member 7, and the upper cylinder member 8 are components that constitute a "pump" as defined herein, and the head body 12 and the nozzle tip 13 are components that constitute a "head" as defined herein. Of the above components, the valve member 2, the piston 6, and the packing 10 are made of elastic, soft synthetic resin (e.g., polyethylene (LDPE, HDPE, foamed PE)), while the other components are made of hard synthetic resin (e.g., polypropylene (PP), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyacetal (POM), polyketone (POK) resin, etc.). Each component of the discharger 100 is basically shaped around the central axis O. Figure 1 shows the head body 12 at its upper limit, and Figure 3 shows the head body 12 at its lower limit.

[0014] The cylinder body 1 comprises a bottom wall portion 1a which is disc-shaped and protrudes upward in the center, a cylindrical lower cylindrical wall portion 1b which rises from the outer edge of the bottom wall portion 1a, an intermediate wall 1c which extends radially outward from the upper part of the lower cylindrical wall portion 1b, a cylindrical upper cylindrical wall 1d which rises upward from the outer edge of the intermediate wall 1c, and a flange wall 1e which extends radially outward from the upper part of the upper cylindrical wall 1d. A through hole (suction port 1f) is provided in the protruding central part of the bottom wall portion 1a. A cylindrical retaining tube 1g which surrounds the suction port 1f and extends downward to hold the pipe 4 is provided on the lower surface of the bottom wall portion 1a. A through hole (vent 1h) is provided in the lower cylindrical wall portion 1b.

[0015] The valve member 2 includes a base portion 2a, a valve body portion 2b that covers the suction port 1f inside the base portion 2a and seats on the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 1a, and an elastically deformable connecting piece 2c that connects the base portion 2a and the valve body portion 2b. The valve member 2 functions as a check valve. When the inside of the cylinder main body 1 is in a decompressed state, the valve body portion 2b that has been closing the suction port 1f can separate from the bottom wall portion 1a to open the suction port 1f.

[0016] In this embodiment, the base portion 2a has a lid-shaped cylindrical form and has an opening (not shown) through which the content liquid passing through the suction port 1f passes. The base portion 2a is fitted and held on the inner peripheral surface of the lower cylindrical wall portion 1b, whereby the valve member 2 is held inside the cylinder main body 1.

[0017] The pipe 4 is hollow, and its upper end portion is inserted into the holding cylinder 1g and fitted and held therein.

[0018] The inner member 5 is disposed inside the cylinder main body 1 and is a member that moves up and down with respect to the cylinder main body 1. The inner member 5 includes a cylindrical connecting cylinder 5a and a bottom portion 5b that closes the lower end portion of the connecting cylinder 5a and extends radially outward. Further, a hole (communication port 5c) penetrating the connecting cylinder 5a is provided, and an annular portion 5d is provided on the upper surface of the bottom portion 5b at a position radially outside the connecting portion with the connecting cylinder 5a.

[0019] The piston 6 is inserted through the connecting cylinder 5a and disposed inside the cylinder main body 1. The piston 6 of this embodiment includes an annular base portion 6a. An outer sliding piece 6b extending upward and downward from the base portion 6a is provided at the outer edge portion of the base portion 6a. The outer sliding piece 6b is slidably and liquid-tightly abutted against the inner peripheral surface of the lower cylindrical wall portion 1b. And an inner sliding piece 6c extending upward and downward from the base portion 6a is provided at the inner edge portion of the base portion 6a. The lower portion of the inner sliding piece 6c is liquid-tightly abutted against the annular portion 5d, and the upper portion of the inner sliding piece 6c is slidably and liquid-tightly abutted against the inner peripheral surface of an enlarged diameter portion 7b (to be described later) of the cylindrical member 7.

[0020] The cylindrical member 7 is a member that is generally cylindrical. The cylindrical member 7 includes a cylindrical main body portion 7a having a cylindrical shape, and a diameter-expanded portion 7b that is connected to the lower end portion of the cylindrical main body portion 7a and has a larger diameter than the cylindrical main body portion 7a. When the connecting cylinder 5a is inserted into the cylindrical main body portion 7a, the two are fitted together, so that the inner member 5 and the cylindrical member 7 move integrally with respect to the cylinder body 1. An inner passage (inner passage T1) through which the content liquid from the cylinder body 1 passes is provided inside the connecting cylinder 5a and the cylindrical main body portion 7a, as will be described later. The connecting cylinder 5a and the cylindrical main body portion 7a correspond to the "stem" in this specification and the like.

[0021] The upper cylinder member 8 has a portion located outside the radial direction of the cylindrical main body portion 7a and a portion located outside the radial direction of the diameter-expanded portion 7b, and includes a cylindrical wall portion 8a that is fitted and held on the inner peripheral surface of the lower cylinder wall portion 1b, and a base wall portion 8b that extends radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall portion 8a. The base wall portion 8b is supported from below by the intermediate wall 1c in a state where the cylindrical wall portion 8a is fitted and held on the lower cylinder wall portion 1b.

[0022] Furthermore, the upper cylinder member 8 includes elastic pieces 8c that extend upward from the base wall portion 8b. In the present embodiment, a total of four elastic pieces 8c are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction around the central axis O as shown in FIG. 2. The elastic pieces 8c are elastically deformable toward the outside in the radial direction. The elastic pieces 8c shown by phantom lines in FIG. 1 indicate the state before the upper cylinder member 8 is assembled as the ejector 100 (the state where the elastic pieces 8c are not elastically deformed).

[0023] The elastic piece 8c of the present embodiment includes an elastic piece main body portion 8d having a plate shape. As shown by the phantom line in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 2, the lower portion of the elastic piece main body portion 8d extends upward from the base wall portion 8b, the intermediate portion in the vertical direction extends linearly inclined so as to approach the central axis O, and the upper portion extends in an arc shape so as to move away from the central axis O.

[0024] Furthermore, the elastic piece 8c is equipped with reinforcing ribs 8e that are narrower (shorter in circumferential length) than the elastic piece body 8d. In this embodiment, a pair of reinforcing ribs 8e are provided circumferentially spaced apart from the elastic piece body 8d, and they extend with a greater thickness (longer radial length) at the lower part and a thinner thickness at the middle and upper parts in the vertical direction.

[0025] The pressing member 9 includes a cylindrical holding cylinder 9a into which a cylindrical main body 7a is inserted and held by the cylindrical main body 7a. The outer circumferential surface of the holding cylinder 9a is provided with a first inclined portion 9b that extends linearly upward from the middle of the vertical direction on the outer circumferential surface of the holding cylinder 9a toward the radially outward direction. In this embodiment, the first inclined portion 9b corresponds to the "inclined portion" as described herein. The outer circumferential surface of the first inclined portion 9b is inclined at an angle α with respect to the central axis O. In this embodiment, the angle α in the first inclined portion 9b is 60°. The outer edge of the first inclined portion 9b is provided with a second inclined portion 9c that extends linearly upward toward the radially outward direction. The outer circumferential surface of the second inclined portion 9c is inclined at an angle β with respect to the central axis O. The angle β is set to be smaller than the angle α. In this embodiment, the angle β in the second inclined portion 9c is 10°. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the outer surfaces of the first inclined portion 9b and the second inclined portion 9c in this embodiment contact the elastic piece 8c, causing the elastic piece 8c to elastically deform in a direction away from the central axis O, and correspond to the "pressing portion" as described herein. A detailed explanation of how the elastic piece 8c bends due to the pressing member 9 will be given later.

[0026] The packing 10 is an annular plate shape and is inserted through the upper cylindrical wall 1d of the cylinder body 1 and fitted and held in place therewith. When the dispenser 100 is attached to a container (not shown), the packing 10 is sandwiched between the mouth of the container and the flange wall 1e. This prevents problems such as the contents spilling out of the mouth when the container is tipped over.

[0027] The cap 11 is disc-shaped and has a top wall 11a with a through hole in the center. The outer edge of the top wall 11a is provided with a cylindrical lower peripheral wall 11b that extends downward. The upper part of the inner peripheral surface of the lower peripheral wall 11b bulges radially inward, allowing the flange wall 1e to be fitted and held, thereby holding the cylinder body 1 in the cap 11. The inner peripheral surface of the cap 11 is also provided with a female threaded portion 11c that screws into a male threaded portion provided at the mouth of the container, and the cap 11 can be attached to the container by screwing the male threaded portion and the female threaded portion 11c together. The inner edge of the top wall 11a is provided with an upper peripheral wall 11d that surrounds the elastic piece 8c and extends upward.

[0028] The head body 12 is cylindrical and includes a cylindrical portion 12a that is inserted inside the cylindrical body portion 7a and fitted and held therein. The top of the cylindrical portion 12a is provided with a top portion 12b having a passage inside that leads to the cylindrical portion 12a. The top portion 12b is provided with a lateral passage that extends laterally from the side and connects to a passage provided inside the cylindrical portion 12a. Here, the passage provided inside the cylindrical portion 12a and the above-mentioned lateral passage are collectively referred to as the internal passage T2. The top portion 12b is also provided with a lateral annular fitting groove 12c that is located near the aforementioned lateral passage and fits and holds the nozzle tip 13.

[0029] The nozzle tip 13 has a shape in which a disc-shaped side portion is provided at the end of a portion that is generally horizontally cylindrical, and as shown in the figure, it is inserted into and held in the fitting groove 12c. A through hole (spray opening 13a) is provided in the disc-shaped side portion. When the nozzle tip 13 is attached to the fitting groove 12c, a spin channel is provided between the head body 12 and the nozzle tip 13 to cause the liquid contents from the internal passage T2 to swirl in a vortex, and the liquid contents that have passed through the spin channel are discharged in a mist form from the spray opening 13a. In this embodiment, the "spray mechanism" as described herein corresponds to the nozzle tip 13 and the surrounding portion of the head body 12 to which the nozzle tip 13 is attached.

[0030] Here, we will explain in detail how the elastic piece 8c bends due to the pressing member 9 described above. As shown in Figure 1, before the discharger 100 assembled with the above-described members presses the head body 12, the elastic piece 8c is in contact with the pressing member 9 and bends radially outward from the state shown by the dashed line before assembly, and the head body 12, biased by the elastic piece 8c, moves to its upper limit. Here, the point where the elastic piece 8c contacts the pressing member 9 when the head body 12 has moved to its upper limit is called the upper limit contact point P1. In this embodiment, when the head body 12 has moved to its upper limit, the upper part of the elastic piece body portion 8d (as described above, the part that extends in an arc shape away from the central axis O of the elastic piece body portion 8d) is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the first inclined portion 9b.

[0031] Figure 3 shows the state in which the pressed head body 12 has moved to its lower limit. Here, the point where the elastic piece 8c contacts the pressing member 9 when the head body 12 has moved to its lower limit is called the lower limit contact point P2. In this embodiment, when the head body 12 has moved to its lower limit, the middle part of the elastic piece body portion 8d (as described above, the part that extends in a linear inclination approaching the central axis O of the elastic piece body portion 8d in the state shown by the dashed line in Figure 1) is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the second inclined portion 9c.

[0032] Thus, the first inclined portion 9b is located closer to the upward limit contact point P1 than the downward limit contact point P2 (in this embodiment, it is located at the same location as the upward limit contact point P1), and the second inclined portion 9c is located closer to the downward limit contact point P2 than the upward limit contact point P1 (in this embodiment, it is located at the same location as the downward limit contact point P2).

[0033] To discharge the liquid contents from such a dispenser 100, the head body 12, which is located at the upper limit shown in Figure 1, is pressed downwards. As described above, the first inclined portion 9b is located closer to the upper limit contact point P1 than to the lower limit contact point P2 (in this embodiment, it is located at the same point as the upper limit contact point P1), so the elastic piece 8c contacts the first inclined portion 9b in the first half of the stroke length when the head body 12 moves from the upper limit to the lower limit. Here, since the first inclined portion 9b extends with an inclination away from the central axis O, a certain amount of force is required to press the head body 12 in order to bend the elastic piece 8c at the first inclined portion 9b. For this reason, even if the head body 12 located at the upper limit is pressed with a relatively weak force, the head body 12 will not be pushed down, and the head body 12 will be rapidly pushed down only after the pressing force added in the first half of the stroke length has increased to a certain extent. In this embodiment, the pressing member 9 is equipped with a second inclined portion 9c. When the head body 12 is pressed down, the elastic piece 8c, which is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the first inclined portion 9b, comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the second inclined portion 9c. However, as described above, the angle β of the outer circumferential surface of the second inclined portion 9c with respect to the central axis O is set to be smaller than the angle α of the outer circumferential surface of the first inclined portion 9b. Therefore, the speed at which the head body 12 is pressed down is not significantly reduced by the second inclined portion 9c.

[0034] When the head body 12 is pushed down, the cylindrical body portion 7a and the connecting cylinder 5a descend, and consequently the bottom portion 5b also descends, releasing the liquid-tight contact between the annular portion 5d and the lower part of the inner sliding piece 6c. Also, as the cylindrical member 7 descends together with the head body 12, the piston 6 also descends, pressurizing the inside of the lower cylindrical wall portion 1b. As a result, the liquid inside the lower cylindrical wall portion 1b is introduced into the inner passage T1 from the communication port 5c, and then discharged from the spray nozzle 13a after passing through the internal passage T2 and the spray mechanism described above. As described above, the head body 12 is rapidly pushed down after the pressing force applied in the first half of the stroke length has increased to a certain extent, so the liquid passing through the inner passage T1, the internal passage T2, and the spray mechanism flows at a fast flow rate regardless of the degree of pressure on the head body 12. Therefore, the liquid discharged from the spray nozzle 13a can be stably atomized.

[0035] In this embodiment, the first inclined portion 9b was located at the same position as the upward limit contact point P1, but as described above, it is sufficient for it to be located closer to the upward limit contact point P1 than to the downward limit contact point P2. This point will be explained with reference to Figures 4A and 4B, which show modified versions of the discharger 100.

[0036] Figure 4A is a partially enlarged view of the elastic piece 8c and pressing member 9 in the modified discharger 100 when the head body 12 is at its upper limit. The elastic piece 8c shown by the dashed line in Figure 4A represents the state before the cylinder upper member 8 is assembled as the modified discharger 100 (the state in which the elastic piece 8c is not elastically deformed). In this modified example, the parts corresponding to the "pressing part" in this specification are the outer circumferential surface of the retaining cylinder 9a, the outer circumferential surface of the first inclined part 9b, and the outer circumferential surface of the second inclined part 9c. As shown in Figure 4A, when the head body 12 is at its upper limit, the upper part of the elastic piece 8c is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the retaining cylinder 9a, and the upper limit contact point P1 is at the position shown. That is, the first inclined part 9b is located closer to the upper limit contact point P1 than to the lower limit contact point P2. In the state shown in Figure 4A, the elastic piece 8c is not in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the first inclined part 9b.

[0037] In this modified example, when the head body 12 is pressed and moves a distance d along the central axis from the state where the head body 12 is at its upper limit, as shown in Figure 4B, the upper part of the elastic piece 8c contacts the outer surface of the first inclined portion 9b. Note that the dashed lines in Figure 4B show the elastic piece 8c and the pressing member 9 in the state where the head body 12 is at its upper limit.

[0038] In this modified example as well, after the elastic piece 8c contacts the outer circumferential surface of the first inclined portion 9b, a certain amount of force is required to press the head body 12 in order to bend the elastic piece 8c. Therefore, the head body 12 is rapidly pushed down after the applied pressing force has increased to a certain extent. Consequently, similar to the dispenser 100 shown in Figure 1, this modified example also allows the liquid content to be discharged from the spray nozzle 13a to be stably atomized.

[0039] Here, regarding the angle α at which the first inclined portion 9b tilts with respect to the central axis O and the distance d by which the head body 12 moves, if the angle α is too small, the head body 12 may be pushed down before the force pressing on the head body 12 is sufficiently high. If the distance d is too large, the head body 12 may be slowly pushed down before the elastic piece 8c contacts the first inclined portion 9b. In these cases, the liquid contents may not be atomized to the intended properties. After repeated investigations by the inventors of this application, it was found that when the angle α is 45° or more and less than 90°, and the distance d is 0 mm or more and 1 mm or less, a mist with the intended properties can be stably discharged. Note that when the distance d is 0 mm, as shown in Figure 1, the elastic piece 8c contacts the outer circumferential surface of the first inclined portion 9b when the head body 12 is at its upper limit.

[0040] The pushed-down head body 12 moves to the lower limit shown in Figure 3, and the elastic piece 8c bends radially outward due to the first inclined portion 9b and the second inclined portion 9c of the pressing member 9. Note that a flexible elastic piece like the elastic piece 8c may lose its resilience due to sagging at its base if repeatedly bent, but in this embodiment, the elastic piece 8c has increased thickness at the bottom of the reinforcing rib 8e to increase the rigidity of this part, thus suppressing the effect of sagging.

[0041] Subsequently, when the pressure on the head body 12 is released, the elastic force of the elastic piece 8c, which had been elastically deformed, acts on the head body 12 via the pressing member 9 and the cylindrical member 7, and the head body 12, which had moved to its lower limit, begins to rise. In this embodiment, the elastic piece 8c is in contact with the second inclined portion 9c, which extends at an angle away from the central axis O, when the head body 12 is at its lower limit. That is, when the part of the elastic piece 8c that is in contact with the head body 12 is at its lower limit, the elastic force of the elastic piece 8c acts on that contacting part in a direction perpendicular to the central axis O. However, since the second inclined portion 9c is inclined away from the central axis O, the elastic force of the elastic piece 8c acting on the second inclined portion 9c also acts upward, allowing the head body 12 to rise stably.

[0042] In this embodiment, the second inclined portion 9c was located at the same location as the lower limit contact point P2, but as described above, it may be located closer to the lower limit contact point P2 than to the upper limit contact point P1. That is, for example, in the pressing member 9 shown in Figure 3, a portion extending vertically along the central axis O is provided on the upper part of the second inclined portion 9c, and when the head body 12 is at the lower limit, the elastic piece 8c contacts this vertically extending portion (i.e., the lower limit contact point P2 is at this vertically extending portion, and the second inclined portion 9c is located closer to the lower limit contact point P2 than to the upper limit contact point P1). In this case, when the head body 12, which had moved to the lower limit, begins to rise and the second inclined portion 9c contacts the elastic piece 8c, the effect of the elastic force of the elastic piece 8c acting upward can be obtained.

[0043] As the head body 12 rises, the cylindrical body portion 7a and the connecting cylinder 5a rise, and as a result, the annular portion 5d and the lower part of the inner sliding piece 6c come into liquid-tight contact again, and the piston 6 rises together with the internal member 5, causing the inside of the lower cylindrical wall portion 1b to be depressurized. This causes the valve body portion 2b to separate from the bottom wall portion 1a and the suction port 1f to open, allowing the contents of the container to be drawn into the lower cylindrical wall portion 1b through the pipe 4. Subsequently, when the head body 12 is pressed, the contents are discharged again in a mist from the spray port 13a.

[0044] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, this embodiment may be modified as follows.

[0045] For example, in this embodiment, the first inclined portion 9b and the second inclined portion 9c extend in a straight line away from the central axis O, but they may also extend while curving away from the central axis O.

[0046] In this embodiment, the elastic piece 8c was provided on the base wall portion 8b of the upper cylinder member 8, but it may also be provided on the intermediate wall 1c of the cylinder body 1. Alternatively, the cap 11 may have a portion extending from the inner edge of the top wall 11a along the inner surfaces of the lower cylinder wall portion 1b and the intermediate wall 1c, and the elastic piece 8c may be provided on this portion.

[0047] (Note) This specification discloses the following technologies in one aspect. The reference numerals listed below correspond to those used in the accompanying drawings, but are provided as examples only and are not intended to limit the inventions of this application.

[0048] (Technology 1) A cap (11) is attached to the mouth of the container that holds the liquid contents, A pump comprising cylinders (1, 8) into which the liquid contents contained in the container are introduced, a piston (6) that slidably contacts the inner circumferential surface of the cylinders (1, 8), and a stem (5a, 7a) having an inner passage (T1) leading to the cylinders (1, 8), wherein when the piston (6) is moved downward, the inside of the cylinders (1, 8) is pressurized and the liquid contents are supplied to the inner passage (T1), The head (12, 13) is connected to the stem (5a, 7a) and includes an internal passage (T2) connected to the inner passage (T1), a spray mechanism for atomizing the liquid contents of the internal passage (T2), and a spray nozzle (13a). In a discharger (100), when the heads (12, 13) that have moved to the upper limit are pressed toward the lower limit, the liquid contents in the cylinder (1, 8) pass through the inner passage (T1), the internal passage (T2), and the spray mechanism and are discharged in a mist from the spray nozzle (13a), The cylinder (1, 8) or the cap (11) has an elastic piece (8c) that extends upward and is elastically deformable away from the central axis (O) of the stem (5a, 7a), The stem (5a, 7a) or the head (12, 13) has a pressing portion (9a, 9b, 9c) that contacts the inner surface of the elastic piece (8c) and causes the elastic piece (8c) to be elastically deformed away from the central axis (O) when the head (12, 13) is pressed toward the lower limit. Discharger (100) wherein the upper limit contact point (P1) is defined as the point where the pressing portion (9a, 9b, 9c) contacts the elastic piece (8c) when the head (12, 13) is at the upper limit, and the lower limit contact point (P2) is defined as the point where the pressing portion (9a, 9b, 9c) contacts the elastic piece (8c) when the head (12, 13) is at the lower limit, the pressing portion (9a, 9b, 9c) has an inclined portion (9b) that is located closer to the upper limit contact point (P1) than the lower limit contact point (P2) or at the same location as the upper limit contact point (P1) and extends upward from below in a direction away from the central axis (O).

[0049] This technology eliminates the need for the pressure accumulation mechanism found in pressurized dispensers, which are commonly used to atomize liquid contents, thus simplifying the structure. Furthermore, because it uses an elastic piece attached to the cylinder or cap instead of the conventional metal coil spring, it can be recycled as a resin product after use. In addition, even if the head is initially pressed with relatively little force, the aforementioned inclined section prevents the head from being pushed down. The head is only rapidly pushed down after a certain amount of force has been applied, allowing the dispensed liquid contents to be atomized stably.

[0050] (Technology 2) The inclined portion (9b) extends linearly from below upward away from the central axis (O) and is inclined at an angle α with respect to the central axis (O), and contacts the elastic piece (8c) when the head (12, 13) moves a distance d from the upper limit along the central axis (O), The discharger (100) according to Technical 1, wherein the angle α is 45° or more and less than 90°, and the distance d is 0 mm or more and 1 mm or less.

[0051] This technology allows for the stable discharge of a mist with the desired properties when the head is pressed.

[0052] (Technology 3) The pressing portion (9a, 9b, 9c) is located closer to the lower limit contact point (P2) than the upper limit contact point (P1) or at the same location as the lower limit contact point (P2), and has a second inclined portion (9c) that extends linearly from below upward away from the central axis (O). The discharger (100) according to Technical Reference 2, wherein the angle β at which the second inclined portion (9c) is inclined with respect to the central axis (O) is smaller than the angle α.

[0053] This technology prevents the speed at which the head is rapidly pushed down during pressure from being significantly reduced by the second inclined section, and also allows the head to be raised stably from the lower limit to the upper limit.

[0054] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and unless otherwise specifically limited in the above description, various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the spirit of the present invention as described in the claims. For example, the configuration of the above-described embodiment can be added or deleted as appropriate, and the configuration of one embodiment can be provided in other embodiments. Furthermore, the effects in the above-described embodiment are merely illustrative of the effects that may result from the present invention. In other words, the effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described effects, and additional effects may also be produced in addition to the above-described effects. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0055] 1: Cylinder body (cylinder) 1a: Bottom wall part 1b: Lower cylinder wall part 1c: Intermediate wall 1d: Upper cylindrical wall 1e: Flange wall 1f: Inlet 1g: Holding tube 1h: Ventilation opening 2: Valve member 2a: base 2b: Valve body 2c: Connecting piece 4: Pipe 5: Internal components 5a: Connecting tube (stem) 5b: Bottom 5c: Communication port 5d: Annular section 6: Piston 6a: base 6b: Outer sliding piece 6c: Inner sliding piece 7: Cylindrical member 7a: Cylindrical main body (stem) 7b: Expanded diameter part 8: Upper cylinder component (cylinder) 8a: Cylindrical wall portion 8b: Base wall part 8c: Elastic piece 8d: Elastic piece main body 8e: Reinforcement ribs 9: Pressing member 9a: Retaining cylinder (pressing part) 9b: First inclined section (pressing section, inclined section) 9c: Second inclined section (pressing section) 10: Packing 11: Cap 11a: Ceiling wall 11b: Lower peripheral wall 11c: Female thread section 11d: Upper peripheral wall 12: Head body (head, spray mechanism) 12a: Cylindrical part 12b:Top 12c: Fitting groove 13: Nozzle tip (head, spray mechanism) 13a: Spray nozzle 100: Dispenser O: Central axis P1: Upper limit contact point P2: Lower limit contact point T1: Inner passage T2: Internal passage

Claims

1. A cap that is attached to the mouth of a container that holds the liquid contents, A pump comprising a cylinder into which the liquid contents contained in the container are introduced, a piston slidably in contact with the inner surface of the cylinder, and a stem having an inner passage leading to the cylinder, wherein when the piston is moved downward, the inside of the cylinder is pressurized and the liquid contents are supplied to the inner passage, The head comprises an internal passage connected to the stem and connected to the inner passage, a spray mechanism for atomizing the liquid inside the internal passage, and a spray nozzle. A discharger in which, when the head, which has moved to the upper limit, is pressed toward the lower limit, the liquid contents inside the cylinder pass through the inner passage, the internal passage, and the spray mechanism and are discharged in a mist from the spray nozzle, The cylinder or the cap has an elastic piece that extends upward and is elastically deformable away from the central axis of the stem, The stem or head has a pressing portion that contacts the inner surface of the elastic piece and, when the head is pressed toward the lower limit, elastically deforms the elastic piece toward the central axis, A discharger in which, when the head is at the upper limit and the pressing portion contacts the elastic piece, the upper limit contact point is defined as the point where the pressing portion contacts the elastic piece when the head is at the lower limit, and the lower limit contact point is defined as the point where the pressing portion contacts the elastic piece when the head is at the lower limit, the pressing portion has an inclined portion that is located closer to the upper limit contact point than the lower limit contact point or at the same point as the upper limit contact point, and extends from below upward in a direction away from the central axis.

2. The inclined portion extends linearly from below upward toward the central axis and is inclined at an angle α with respect to the central axis, and contacts the elastic piece when the head moves a distance d along the central axis from the upper limit. The discharger according to claim 1, wherein the angle α is 45° or more and less than 90°, and the distance d is 0 mm or more and 1 mm or less.

3. The pressing portion has a second inclined portion that is located closer to or at the same location as the lower limit contact point than the upper limit contact point, and extends linearly from below upward away from the central axis. The discharger according to claim 2, wherein the angle β at which the second inclined portion is tilted with respect to the central axis is smaller than the angle α.

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