Liquid dispensers and liquid dispenser containers

Abstract

To provide a liquid dispenser and liquid dispenser container that are less prone to leakage during priming operations. [Solution] The liquid dispenser 1 comprises a mounting part 3 that can be attached to the container body 2, a cylinder 41 fixed to the mounting part 3, a piston 44 that can slide vertically inside the cylinder 41, a piston guide 45 that holds the piston 44 so that it can slide vertically, a stem 46 fixed to the piston guide 45 so that it can press the piston 44 downward together with the piston guide 45, and an air exchange hole A41 that penetrates the cylinder 41 radially. The air exchange hole A41 is located below the lowest end of the piston 44 when the piston 44 is at top dead center. The liquid dispenser container 100 comprises the liquid dispenser 1 and the container body 2.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid ejector and a liquid ejection container.

Background Art

[0002] Conventional liquid ejectors include a mounting portion that can be mounted on a container body, a cylinder fixed to the mounting portion, an annular piston that can slide vertically inside the cylinder, a piston guide that holds the annular piston slidable vertically, a stem fixed to the piston guide and capable of pressing the annular piston downward, and an air replacement hole that penetrates the cylinder in the radial direction at a position overlapping the annular piston in the initial state of the annular piston. Such a pump is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). When ejecting the content liquid, such a liquid ejector needs to perform priming (air bleeding) by performing an air strike of the piston.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] On the other hand, some liquids to be ejected from a liquid ejector, and thus a liquid ejection container, need to be stirred before use.

[0005] However, when a conventional liquid ejector, and thus a liquid ejection container, performs a priming operation (an air strike operation of the piston) after stirring a particularly volatile content liquid, for example, there is a risk of liquid leakage between the cylinder and the annular piston.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejector and a liquid ejection container that are less likely to cause liquid leakage during a priming operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) The liquid dispenser of the present invention comprises a mounting part that can be attached to a container body, a cylinder fixed to the mounting part, an annular piston that can slide vertically inside the cylinder, a piston guide that holds the annular piston so that it can slide vertically, a stem fixed to the piston guide and capable of pressing the annular piston downward together with the piston guide, and an air displacement hole that penetrates the cylinder radially, wherein the air displacement hole is positioned below the lowest end of the annular piston when the annular piston is at its top dead center.

[0008] (2) In the liquid ejector described in (1) above, the cylinder may be provided with a vertical groove on its outer surface that connects to the air exchange hole from a position above the air exchange hole.

[0009] (3) In the liquid ejector described in (2) above, the lower end of the vertical groove may be located below the upper end of the air exchange hole.

[0010] (4) In the liquid ejector described in (3) above, the lower end of the vertical groove may coincide with the lower end of the air exchange hole.

[0011] (5) In any one of the liquid ejectors described in (2) to (4) above, the cylinder may have an upper portion of its body that is thicker in the radial direction than the lower portion of its body, and the vertical groove may be located in the upper portion together with the air exchange hole.

[0012] (6) The liquid ejection container according to the present invention comprises a container body capable of containing liquid contents and a liquid ejector as described in any one of (1) to (5) above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a liquid dispenser and a liquid dispenser container that are less likely to leak during priming operations. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid ejection container, which is one embodiment of the present invention, and is shown in its initial state in which the annular piston is not in operation. [Figure 2] This is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a magnified view of region X in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the annular piston just before it is pushed down by the stem. [Figure 4] This is a plan view of the main part of the cylinder body, showing a portion of the upper section from the radially outer direction. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a liquid ejector and a liquid ejector container equipped with said liquid ejector, which are embodiments of the present invention, will be described.

[0016] In Figure 1, reference numeral 100 denotes a liquid ejection container according to one embodiment of the present invention. The liquid ejection container 100 comprises a liquid ejector 1, which is one embodiment of the present invention, and a container body 2 capable of containing liquid (content liquid) C.

[0017] The liquid dispenser 1 comprises a mounting part 3 that can be attached to the mouth 2a of the container body 2, a pump 4 fixed to the container body 2 by the mounting part 3 and capable of pumping liquid C, and a spray head 5 equipped with a nozzle A5 that sprays the liquid C pumped by the pump 4 to the outside.

[0018] The ejection head 5 can be used to drive the pump 4 disposed in the container body 2. The pump 4 can be operated by repeatedly depressing and releasing the ejection head 5. The ejection head 5 can eject the liquid C stored in the container body 2 forward through the ejection port A5. The liquid ejector 1 can be used to extract the liquid C (e.g., liquid foundation) stored in the container body 2.

[0019] Here, "up and down" is defined with reference to the extending direction of the central axis O1 of the liquid ejection container 100 (hereinafter also referred to as "axis O1"). The side where the bottom of the liquid ejection container 100 (the bottom of the container body 2, not shown in the figure) is located is the lower side, and the side where the ejection head 5 is located is the upper side. In the present disclosure, the central axis of the liquid ejector 1 is coaxial with the central axis of the liquid ejection container 100, that is, coaxial with the axis O1.

[0020] Also, the "front-back direction" refers to one of the directions orthogonal to the axis O1 (up-down direction). In FIG. 1, the front-back direction axis extending in the front-back direction is indicated by the reference numeral O2. Among the front-back directions, the "front side" refers to the side where the ejection port A5 of the ejection head 5 is located with reference to the axis O1, and the "rear side" refers to the side facing the ejection port A5 across the axis O1.

[0021] Furthermore, the "circumferential direction" refers to the circumferential direction around the axis. Also, the "radial direction" refers to the direction orthogonal to the axis. In particular, the "radial inner side" refers to the side closer to the axis in the radial direction, and the "radial outer side" refers to the side farther from the axis in the radial direction.

[0022] In the present disclosure, the mounting portion 3 includes a mounting cylinder 31 mounted on the mouth portion 2a of the container body 2, a cover cylinder 32 extending upward from the mounting cylinder 31, and an annular pressing portion 33 formed on the radially inner side of the cover cylinder 32. The pressing portion 33 presses the holding member 48 of the pump 4 from above. In the present disclosure, the mounting cylinder 31 is detachably mounted on the mouth portion 2a of the container body 2 by a screw structure. That is, in the present disclosure, the mounting portion 3 is detachably mounted on the mouth portion 2a of the container body 2. However, the mounting cylinder 31 can be detachably mounted on the mouth portion 2a by means other than the screw structure. The mounting portion 3 is, for example, a mounting portion made of synthetic resin injection-molded by using synthetic resin. However, in the present disclosure, the manufacturing method and material of the mounting portion 3 are not particularly limited.

[0023] The pump 4 includes a cylinder 41 fixed to the mounting portion 3, an introduction pipe 42 attached to the small-diameter cylindrical portion 41a of the cylinder 41, a check valve (suction valve) 43 that opens and closes an introduction port A1 formed inside the cylinder 41, an annular piston 44 slidable in the vertical direction inside the cylinder 41, a piston guide 45 that holds the annular piston 44 slidable in the vertical direction, a stem 46 that can press the annular piston 44 downward together with the piston guide 45 by being fixed to the piston guide 45, a spring 47 that biases the piston guide 45 and the stem 46 upward, a holding member 48 that holds the stem 46 in a slidable state from the radially outer side, and an air replacement hole A41 that penetrates the cylinder 41 in the radial direction.

[0024] Furthermore, in the present disclosure, the cylinder 41 has a vertical groove G41 on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder 41, which connects to the air replacement hole A41 from a position above the air replacement hole A41.

[0025] The cylinder 41 is arranged coaxially with axis O1. In this disclosure, the cylinder 41 comprises a small-diameter cylindrical portion 41a and a large-diameter cylindrical portion (body of the cylinder 41) 41b connected to the small-diameter cylindrical portion 41a. The large-diameter cylindrical portion 41b has a larger inner diameter (outer diameter) than the small-diameter cylindrical portion 41a. In this disclosure, the upper end of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 41b is formed by an annular flange 41c extending radially outward. The cylinder 41 is, for example, a cylinder made of synthetic resin that has been injection molded using synthetic resin. However, in this disclosure, the manufacturing method and materials of the cylinder 41 are not particularly limited.

[0026] In this disclosure, the large-diameter cylindrical portion 41b is further composed of a lower portion 41b1 and an upper portion 41b2. In this disclosure, the lower portion 41b1 is connected to the small-diameter cylindrical portion 41a. In this disclosure, the inner diameter (outer diameter) of the lower portion 41b1 is larger than the inner diameter (outer diameter) of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 41a. In addition, in this disclosure, the upper portion 41b2 includes an annular flange 41c and has a greater radial thickness than the lower portion 41b1. That is, in this disclosure, the radial thickness of the upper portion 41b2 is greater than the radial thickness of the lower portion 41b1.

[0027] The air exchange hole A41 functions to prevent the pressure in the containment space S2 of the container body 2 from becoming negative by facilitating the exchange of air between the containment space S2 of the container body 2 and the outside. In this disclosure, the air exchange hole A41 is located in the upper portion 41b2. The longitudinal groove G41 is located in the upper portion 41b2 together with the air exchange hole A41. In this disclosure, the longitudinal groove G41 extends downward from the outer circumferential surface of the upper portion 41b2, with the lower end surface of the annular flange 41c as the starting point.

[0028] In this disclosure, the container body 2 is a bottle container. The container body 2 is arranged coaxially with axis O1. In this disclosure, the container body 2 comprises a mouth portion 2a, a neck portion 2b connected to the mouth portion 2a, a shoulder portion 2c connected to the neck portion 2b, a body portion 2d connected to the shoulder portion 2c, and a bottom portion (not shown) that closes the lower end of the body portion 2d. Inside the container body 2, a storage space S2 capable of containing liquid C is formed. In this disclosure, the container body 2 can be, for example, a blow-molded synthetic resin container, a glass container, etc. However, in this disclosure, the manufacturing method and materials of the container body 2 are not particularly limited.

[0029] In this disclosure, an introduction passage R1 is formed inside the introduction pipe 42 fixed to the cylinder 41, through which the liquid C filled in the storage space S2 of the container body 2 is introduced. Furthermore, an internal passage R2 is formed in the small-diameter cylindrical portion 41a of the cylinder 41, which leads to the introduction passage R1 of the introduction pipe 42. Moreover, in this disclosure, the inlet A1 is a through hole that connects the internal passage R2 of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 41a to the internal space of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 41b.

[0030] The check valve 43 has a retaining portion 43a that holds the lower end of the spring 47. The retaining portion 43a has an opening A2 that allows the inlet A1 to pass into the inside of the cylinder 41 when the check valve 43 is opened. In this disclosure, the check valve 43 is a synthetic resin container that is injection molded using synthetic resin. However, in this disclosure, the manufacturing method and materials of the check valve 43 are not particularly limited.

[0031] The upper end of the spring 47 is positioned inside a slide cylinder 49 located below the piston guide 45. The slide cylinder 49 can slide vertically within the cylinder 41 together with the piston guide 45. The upper end of the spring 47 elastically supports the slide cylinder 49. In this way, the spring 47 elastically supports the piston guide 45 together with the annular piston 44 via the slide cylinder 49. The spring 47 is made of metal, but is not limited to being made of metal.

[0032] The piston guide 45 is arranged coaxially with the axis O1 together with the slide cylinder 49. The piston guide 45 slides vertically through the inner circumferential surface of the annular piston 44. An opening A3 is formed between the piston guide 45 and the slide cylinder 49, allowing the inside of the slide cylinder 49 to pass through to the annular piston 44. In this disclosure, the piston guide 45 is a synthetic resin container injection-molded together with the slide cylinder 49 using synthetic resin. However, the manufacturing method and materials of the piston guide 45 are not particularly limited in this disclosure.

[0033] The piston guide 45, together with the annular piston 44, forms a pump chamber S4 inside the cylinder 41 between itself and the check valve 43. Inside the piston guide 45, there is an internal passage R3 that is closed at the lower end of the piston guide 45. In addition, a radially penetrating communication hole A4 is formed in the lower part of the piston guide 45. The communication hole A4 allows the internal passage R3 to pass to the outside.

[0034] Here, Figure 2 shows an enlarged view of region X in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the piston guide 45 has a base portion 45b that protrudes radially outward from the lower part of the communication hole A4. The base portion 45b supports the annular piston 44 from below.

[0035] The annular piston 44 is arranged coaxially with axis O1. In this disclosure, the annular piston 44 comprises an outer cylinder 44a, an inner cylinder 44b, and a connecting portion 44c that connects the outer cylinder 44a and the inner cylinder 44b. In this disclosure, the connecting portion 44c connects the outer cylinder 44a and the inner cylinder 44b in the radial direction. In this disclosure, the annular piston 44 is a synthetic resin container that is injection molded using synthetic resin. However, in this disclosure, the manufacturing method and materials of the annular piston 44 are not particularly limited.

[0036] In this disclosure, the outer cylinder 44a of the annular piston 44 includes a lower annular end 44a1 located below the connecting portion 44c and an upper annular end 44a2 located above the connecting portion 44c. The lower annular end 44a1 and the upper annular end 44a2 are spaced apart in the vertical direction with respect to the connecting portion 44c. The lower annular end 44a1 and the upper annular end 44a2 are each annular ends that can slide vertically along the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 41. As a result, in this disclosure, the annular piston 44 slidably seals the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 41 in an annular manner around its entire circumference at two positions spaced apart in the vertical direction.

[0037] As shown in Figure 2, the air exchange hole A41 is positioned below the lowest end of the annular piston 44 when the annular piston 44 is at top dead center. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the air exchange hole A41 is positioned below the lower annular end 44a1 of the annular piston 44 in the initial state when the annular piston 44 is not operating. That is, as shown in Figure 2, when the annular piston 44 is at top dead center and not operating, the air exchange hole A41 is positioned in a location that is not covered by the lower annular end 44a1 of the annular piston 44 in the vertical direction.

[0038] Furthermore, in this disclosure, the inner cylinder 44b of the annular piston 44 includes a lower annular end 44b1 located below the connecting portion 44c and an upper annular end 44b2 located above the connecting portion 44c. The lower annular end 44b1 and the upper annular end 44b2 are spaced apart in the vertical direction with respect to the connecting portion 44c.

[0039] In this disclosure, the base portion 45b provided on the piston guide 45 supports the lower annular end portion 44b1 of the inner cylinder 44b of the annular piston 44 from below the lower annular end portion 44b1 of the annular piston 44 in the initial state of the annular piston 44 (when the pump 4 is not operated), as shown in Figure 2. As a result, in the initial state of the liquid ejector 1, communication between the portion of the cylinder 41 located below the annular piston 44 and the communication hole A4 is blocked.

[0040] On the other hand, Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of Figure 2, showing the state just before the annular piston 44 is pushed down by the stem 46. In this disclosure, when the piston guide 45 moves downward relative to the annular piston 44 and the base portion 45b moves downward away from the annular piston 44, the portion of the cylinder 41 located below the annular piston 44 communicates with the communication hole A4. As a result, the pump chamber S4 can access the internal passage R3 through the communication hole A4.

[0041] In other words, in this disclosure, the annular piston 44 and the piston guide 45 form an on-off valve (discharge valve) that can open and close the gap between the pump chamber S4 and the internal passage R3. In this disclosure, the on-off valve is composed of the lower annular end portion 44b1 of the inner cylinder 44b of the annular piston 44 and the base portion 45b of the piston guide 45.

[0042] As shown in Figure 1, the upper part of the piston guide 45 is fitted inside the stem 46. In this disclosure, the stem 46 is composed of a large-diameter cylindrical portion 46a and a small-diameter cylindrical portion 46b. The large-diameter cylindrical portion 46a has a larger inner diameter (outer diameter) than the small-diameter cylindrical portion 46b. Furthermore, a first pressure passage R4 is formed inside the stem 46. The first pressure passage R4 leads to an internal passage R3. However, as shown in Figure 2, in this disclosure, the inner circumferential surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 46a of the stem 46 is sealed around its entire circumference by an upper annular end portion 44b2 provided on the inner cylinder 44b of the annular piston 44, allowing it to slide vertically in an annular manner.

[0043] As shown in Figure 1, a discharge head 5 is attached to the stem 46. In this disclosure, the discharge head 5 includes a base 51 fixed to the upper end of the stem 46, a head body 52 slidably held by the base 51 and having a valve chamber S5 formed therein that leads to a discharge port A5 opening to the front, a shaft valve 53 positioned in the valve chamber S5 of the head body 52 in a state biased toward the discharge port A5, and a lever member 54 that moves the shaft valve 53 to the rear when the head body 52 is pushed down relative to the base 51.

[0044] In this disclosure, the base 51 includes a mounting cylinder 51a that is inserted inside the stem 46. The base 51 has a second pressure passage R5 that leads to a first pressure passage R4 of the stem 46. In this disclosure, the base 51 also includes a sliding cylinder 51b that stands upright on the upper side and is slidably fitted into a fluid passage 52c provided on the head body 52.

[0045] The head body 52, together with the liquid passage pipe 52c, comprises a top wall 52a and a cylindrical wall 52b hanging down from the top wall 52a. A nozzle A5 is located in the cylindrical wall 52b. In this disclosure, a nozzle 56 is provided in the cylindrical wall 52b. In this disclosure, the nozzle A5 opens at the front end of the nozzle 56. The nozzle 56, together with the head body 52, forms a valve chamber S5 that leads to a liquid passage R6 formed in the liquid passage pipe 52c. The valve chamber S5 is open to the outside through the nozzle A5.

[0046] The shaft valve 53 is housed inside the valve chamber S5 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction along the axis O2. In this disclosure, a spring 55 is positioned between the shaft valve 53 and the head body 52. ​​This biases the shaft valve 53 forward to close the nozzle A5.

[0047] The lever member 54 is supported so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction relative to the head body 52 via a support plate 57 located inside the head body 52. ​​The lever member 13 comprises a rotating part 54a that is rotatable in the front-rear direction relative to the head body 52, a first arm 54b that extends forward from the rotating part 54a and is mounted on the base 51, and a second arm 54c that extends upward from the rotating part 54a and is connected to the rear end of the shaft valve 53. As a result, when the head body 52 is pushed down relative to the base 51, the shaft valve 53 can be moved to the rear by the lever member 54 against the biasing force of the spring 55. This movement of the shaft valve 53 can open the nozzle A5.

[0048] In this disclosure, the ejection head 5 has a suck-back function that sucks the liquid in the flow path portion near the nozzle A5 upstream by using a shaft valve 53. However, the ejection head 5 is not limited to having a suck-back function. The ejection head 5 may have a head body 52 that does not have a shaft valve 53. In other words, the ejection head 5 is not limited to this embodiment as long as it can induce the operation of the pump 4 and eject the liquid C from the nozzle A5.

[0049] Incidentally, some of the liquids C dispensed by the liquid dispenser 1 require stirring before use. However, the inventors of the present invention have come to realize that when using conventional liquid dispensers, liquid C may leak from, for example, the gap between the stem 46 and the holding member 48 during the priming (air removal) stage, and that such leakage is particularly likely to occur with highly volatile liquids C, such as liquid foundation.

[0050] For example, if a liquid dispensing container using a conventional liquid dispenser is filled with a highly volatile liquid C and left unused for a long period of time (for example, from production to consumer use), liquid C may be stirred by shaking the liquid dispensing container, and then when priming is initiated by pressing down the dispensing head 5, liquid leakage may occur.

[0051] Therefore, the inventors of the present invention have diligently conducted tests and research and found that the cause of the problem lies in the fact that, in conventional liquid dispensers, the annular piston 44 covers the air exchange hole A41 formed in the cylinder 41 in the initial state when the annular piston 44 is not operating. For example, if the internal pressure of the container body increases due to the volatility of the liquid C, the inventors have confirmed that when the liquid dispenser is stirred in this state of increased internal pressure (for example, when a consumer uses it for the first time), the liquid C adheres to the upper periphery of the cylinder, causing the liquid C to flow back out and be ejected from the air exchange hole A41 formed around the upper periphery of the cylinder.

[0052] Therefore, as shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, the liquid ejector 1 has the air exchange hole A41 positioned below the lowest end of the annular piston 44 when the annular piston 44 is at top dead center. In other words, by keeping the air exchange hole A41 open at all times, the liquid ejector 1 makes it easier to take in the liquid C adhering to the air exchange hole A41 into the cylinder 41.

[0053] Figure 3 shows the state immediately after the start of priming (immediately after the start of pressing down the spray head 5) when priming is performed by repeatedly pressing down and releasing the spray head 5. As shown in Figure 3, with the liquid sprayer 1, immediately after the start of pressing down the spray head 5, when only the stem 46 is pressed down, the liquid C adhering to the air exchange hole A41 is drawn through the air exchange hole A41 by the negative pressure generated inside the cylinder 41, and as shown in Figure 3, is introduced into the internal passage R3 through the communication hole A4 from the gap formed between the annular piston 44 and the piston guide 45. As a result, immediately after the start of priming, the liquid C does not leak from between the stem 46 and the retaining member 48, or from between the mounting part 3 and the retaining member 48, by passing between the cylinder 41 and the annular piston 44.

[0054] In other words, with the liquid ejection container 100 using the liquid ejector 1, even if the container is filled with a highly volatile liquid C and left unused for a long period of time, and then priming is performed after stirring the liquid C, leakage that may occur due to priming is suppressed.

[0055] Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a liquid dispenser 1 and a liquid dispenser container 100 that are less likely to leak liquid during the priming operation.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cylinder 41 is provided with a longitudinal groove G41 on its outer circumferential surface that extends from a position above the air exchange hole A41 to the air exchange hole A41. In this disclosure, the longitudinal groove G41 extends downward from the lower surface of the annular flange 41c of the cylinder 41.

[0057] Figure 4 is a plan view of a key part of the upper portion 41b2 of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 41b of the cylinder 41, shown from the radially outer side. As shown in Figure 4, the groove width W of the longitudinal groove G41 is equal to the diameter φ of the air exchange hole A41. However, the relative sizes of the groove width W of the longitudinal groove G41 and the diameter φ of the air exchange hole A41 can be set as appropriate.

[0058] When the liquid C adhering to the air exchange hole A41 is drawn into the cylinder 41, there is a concern that if the liquid C is drawn in along with the air, for example, the liquid C may disperse in a mist-like form inside the cylinder 41. In this case, there is a concern that new liquid C may be blown out.

[0059] In contrast, according to this embodiment, by providing a vertical groove G41 leading to the air exchange hole A41, for example, as shown in Figure 3, the liquid C that has been scattered between the mouth 2a of the container body 2 and the large-diameter cylindrical portion 41b of the cylinder 41 due to the stirring of the liquid C can be guided to the air exchange hole A41. In this case, the liquid C adhering to the air exchange hole A41, along with the liquid C guided to the vertical groove G41, is drawn into the inside of the cylinder 41 without drawing in air. As a result, according to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the spillage of liquid C that may occur when liquid C draws air into the inside of the cylinder 41.

[0060] In particular, in order to suppress the drawing in of air, it is important to keep as much of the liquid C as possible in the gap formed between the mouth 2a of the container body 2 and the large-diameter cylindrical portion 41b of the cylinder 41. For example, if the area around the air exchange hole A41 is filled with liquid C during priming, the amount of air drawn in from the air exchange hole A41 can be reduced. For this reason, it is preferable to keep the gap between the mouth 2a of the container body 2 and the large-diameter cylindrical portion 41b of the cylinder 41 as free of air as possible. For this reason, as in this embodiment, if a vertical groove G41 connecting to the air exchange hole A41 is provided on the outer surface of the cylinder 41 from a position above the air exchange hole A41, after stirring the liquid C, the liquid C can be brought to a state close to filling the gap formed above the air exchange hole A41 (the gap between the mouth 2a of the container body 2 and the large-diameter cylindrical portion 41b of the cylinder 41), thereby suppressing the blowout of liquid C that may occur when liquid C draws air into the inside of the cylinder 41.

[0061] Furthermore, the vertical groove G41 only needs to overlap with at least a portion of the air exchange hole A41 in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the lower end Eg1 of the vertical groove G41 is located below the upper end Ea2 of the air exchange hole A41. In this case, the lower end Eg1 of the vertical groove G41 receives the liquid C that flows down through the vertical groove G41 at the height (vertical position) of the air exchange hole A41, thereby efficiently guiding the liquid C in the vertical groove G toward the liquid C in the air exchange hole A41. In this case, since the liquid C in the air exchange hole A41 is drawn into the cylinder 41 along with the liquid C in the vertical groove G, the drawing in of air that may occur when the liquid C is drawn into the cylinder 41 can be further suppressed.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lower end Eg1 of the vertical groove G41 coincides with the lower end Ea1 of the air exchange hole A41. In this case, more of the liquid C that flows down from the vertical groove G41 can be received at the location of the air exchange hole A41. For example, the liquid C that flows down from the vertical groove G41 can be guided to the entire cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path of the air exchange hole A41. In addition, by aligning the lower end Eg1 of the vertical groove G41 with the lower end Ea1 of the air exchange hole A41, the liquid C received at the lower end Eg1 of the vertical groove G41 can be guided to the air exchange hole A41 more effectively. In this case, the liquid C in the air exchange hole A41 is drawn into the cylinder 41, taking more of the liquid C from the vertical groove G with it, thus further suppressing the entrapment of air that may occur when the liquid C is drawn into the cylinder 41.

[0063] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upper portion 41b2 of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 41b of the cylinder 41 has a greater radial thickness than the lower portion 41b1 of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 41b, and the vertical groove G41 is located in the upper portion 41b2 together with the air exchange hole A41. In this case, as shown in Figure 2, because the radial thickness of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 41b is greater, the radial depth D of the vertical groove G41 can be made deeper compared to when the air exchange hole A41 and the vertical groove G41 are located in the upper portion 41b2 of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 41b. Therefore, in this case, more liquid C can be guided to the air exchange hole A41 through the vertical groove G41. In this case, the entrapment of air that may occur when the liquid C is drawn into the inside of the cylinder 41 can be further suppressed.

[0064] The above-described embodiments are exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified in various ways within the scope of the claims. For example, the discharge head is not limited to a direct-injection type. For example, a spray head or a foam head can be used as the discharge head, and the form of discharge of the liquid discharger is not limited. Furthermore, while the liquid C is preferably a liquid that requires stirring, especially a volatile liquid, the present invention can also be applied to liquids that do not require stirring or that are not highly volatile. In addition, the pump 4 is not limited to the above configuration, and other configurations can be used as long as it is operated by the downward pressure of the stem 46. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0065] 1: Liquid dispenser, 2: Container body, 2a: Mouth, 2b: Neck, 2c: Shoulder, 2d: Body, 3: Mounting part, 31: Mounting cylinder, 32: Cover cylinder, 33: Retaining part, 4: Pump, 41: Cylinder, 41a: Small diameter cylinder part, 41b: Large diameter cylinder part (body of cylinder), 41b1: Lower part, 41b2: Upper part, 41c: Annular flange, 42: Inlet pipe, 43: Check valve (suction valve), 43a: Holding part, 44: Annular piston, 44a: Outer cylinder, 44a1: Lower annular end, 44a2: Upper annular end, 44b: Inner cylinder, 44b1: Lower annular sliding part, 44b2: Upper annular sliding part, 44c: Connecting part, 45: Piston guide, 45b: Base, 46: Stem, 46a: Large diameter cylinder, 46b: Small diameter cylinder, 47: Spring, 48: Holding member, 49: Slide cylinder, 5: Discharge head, 51: Base, 51a: Mounting cylinder, 51b: Sliding cylinder, 52: Head body, 52a: Top wall, 52b: Cylinder wall, 52c: Liquid passage pipe, 53: Shaft valve, 54: Lever member, 54a: Rotating part, 54b: First arm, 54c: Second arm, 55: Spring, 56: Nozzle, 57: Support plate. 100: Liquid discharge container, A1: Inlet, A2: Opening, A3: Opening, A4: Communication hole, A5: Discharge port, A41: Air exchange hole, C: Liquid (contents), G41: Vertical groove, R1: Inlet passage, R2: Internal passage, R3: Internal passage, R4,: First pressure passage, R5: Second pressure passage, R6: Liquid passage, S2: Accommodation space, S4: Pump chamber, S5: Valve chamber

Claims

1. It comprises a mounting part that can be attached to the container body, a cylinder fixed to the mounting part, a piston that can slide vertically inside the cylinder, a piston guide that holds the piston so that it can slide vertically, a stem fixed to the piston guide so that it can press the piston downward together with the piston guide, and an air displacement hole that penetrates the cylinder radially. A liquid ejector in which the air displacement hole is located below the lowest end of the piston when the piston is at its top dead center.

2. The liquid ejector according to claim 1, wherein the cylinder is provided with a vertical groove on its outer circumferential surface that connects to the air exchange hole from a position above the air exchange hole.

3. The liquid ejector according to claim 2, wherein the lower end of the vertical groove is located below the upper end of the air exchange hole.

4. The liquid ejector according to claim 3, wherein the lower end of the vertical groove coincides with the lower end of the air exchange hole.

5. The liquid ejector according to claim 2, wherein the upper part of the cylinder body is thicker in the radial direction than the lower part of the body, and the vertical groove is located in the upper part together with the air exchange hole.

6. A liquid ejection container comprising a container body capable of holding liquid contents and a liquid ejector according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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