Upright and inverted pressurized sprayer and spraying method

Abstract

The present invention provides an upright and inverted pressurized sprayer that can prevent air from entering the flow path and can spray the liquid inside the container to the outside in both upright and inverted positions. [Solution] An inverted pressure-accumulating sprayer A comprising a container 1 for storing liquid, a pressure accumulation mechanism S attached to the container, and an inverted mechanism 5 attached to the pressure accumulation mechanism, wherein the liquid in the container is sprayed to the outside from the pressure accumulation mechanism via the inverted mechanism in both an upright and inverted state, wherein in the upright state, the liquid in the container flows through the hollow section 5a3 and the pipe section 5b2 and is sprayed to the outside from the pressure accumulation mechanism, and in the inverted state, the liquid in the container flows through the covered cylindrical section 5b1, the liquid reservoir cylinder section 5a1, the hollow section 5a3, and the pipe section 5b2 and is sprayed to the outside from the pressure accumulation mechanism.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pressure-accumulating sprayer, and more specifically relates to an upright-invertible pressure-accumulating sprayer capable of spraying in two states, an upright state and an inverted state, and a spraying method using the upright-invertible pressure-accumulating sprayer.

Background Art

[0002] Pressure-accumulating sprayers for spraying various liquids in a mist form are widely used. These devices mainly accumulate pressure on the liquid inside the container by manually pulling a rotatable trigger part, and spray the liquid to the outside.

[0003] Depending on the location where spraying is desired, such as a low place, it may be impossible or difficult to spray with the pressure-accumulating sprayer held in an upright state. However, there are many cases where spraying to low places is required, such as when spraying cleaning detergent.

[0004] To solve this problem, so-called upright-invertible sprayers that can perform spraying in either the upright state or the inverted state have been developed.

[0005] For example, the invention described in Patent Document 1 is a spraying device that is provided with a valve that selectively blocks a flow path in conjunction with the operation of a pumping unit, and is capable of inverted spraying.

[0006] Further, the invention described in Patent Document 2 is a dual-purpose upright and inverted trigger-type liquid ejection container, in which a suction passage branch part having a ball valve is attached to the bottom of the ejector, and the ejection cylinder is oriented downward.

[0007] In addition, in order to solve the problem of spraying failure caused by air entrainment, which is common to all pressure-accumulating sprayers, the applicant has developed a trigger-type sprayer capable of discharging air and excess liquid into the container by tilting the valve element of the first valve described in Patent Document 3.

Prior Art Documents

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6425763 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-93857 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6723062 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] In general, inverted and upright pressurized sprayers such as those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a ball-shaped valve body moves due to gravity to open and close the flow path, switching between an upright flow path and an inverted flow path. Therefore, in the case of a device with a mechanism that allows liquid to flow back into the container, as in Patent Document 3, when upright, the backflowing liquid causes the valve body to float, opening the liquid flow path when inverted. This allows air to enter the flow path, resulting in a problem where proper spraying is not possible. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] As a result of diligent research, the inventors have found that by providing a liquid reservoir cylinder for the valve body to move within, and by storing liquid in this liquid reservoir cylinder, it is possible to prevent air from entering the flow path. The present invention is based on this finding.

[0011] The present invention relates to an inverted pressure sprayer A comprising a container 1 for storing liquid, a pressure accumulation mechanism S attached to the container 1, and an inverted mechanism 5 attached to the pressure accumulation mechanism S, wherein the liquid in the container 1 is sprayed to the outside from the pressure accumulation mechanism S via the inverted mechanism 5 in both an upright and inverted state, and the inverted mechanism 5 has a bottom cover portion 5a located on the container side and a top cover portion 5b located on the pressure accumulation mechanism S side, and the top cover portion 5b has a lidded cylindrical portion 5b1 that opens on the container 1 side and a tubular portion 5b2 adjacent to the lidded cylindrical portion 5b1, and the bottle The cover portion 5a has a hollow portion 5a3 and a liquid reservoir cylinder portion 5a1 that communicates with the hollow portion 5a3 and has a valve body portion VB arranged inside. The liquid reservoir cylinder portion 5a1 is inserted into the covered cylindrical portion 5b1. In the upright position, the liquid in the container 1 flows through the hollow portion 5a3 and the pipe portion 5b2 and is sprayed to the outside from the pressure accumulation mechanism portion S. In the inverted position, the liquid in the container 1 flows through the covered cylindrical portion 5b1, the liquid reservoir cylinder portion 5a1, the hollow portion 5a3, and the pipe portion 5b2 and is sprayed to the outside from the pressure accumulation mechanism portion S. This is an upright and inverted pressure accumulating sprayer A.

[0012] The present invention relates to the above-described inverted pressure-accumulating sprayer A, wherein the ratio of the longitudinal length of the liquid reservoir cylinder 5a1 to the diameter of the valve body VB is in the range of 1:1 to 2.

[0013] In this invention, the top cover portion and the bottom cover portion are engaged, The top cover portion is located in the upright / inverted pressurized sprayer described in item 1 above, further comprising a receiving portion for housing the valve body portion in an inverted state.

[0014] The present invention relates to the above-described inverted pressure-accumulating sprayer A, wherein the distance between the liquid reservoir cylinder portion 5a1 and the receiving portion 5b1a is 1.5 to 3.5 mm, and the diameter of the valve body portion VB is 4 to 5.5 mm.

[0015] The present invention relates to the above-described upright and inverted pressure-accumulating sprayer A, wherein the lower side of the liquid reservoir cylinder 5a1 in the upright state is tapered to form a valve seat VS, a substantially spherical valve body VB is arranged inside the liquid reservoir cylinder 5a1 so as to be movable within it, and by switching between the upright and inverted states, the valve body VB moves between the valve seat VS and the receiving part 5b1a.

[0016] The present invention further comprises a tube 2 attached to the bottom cover portion 5a, and the pressure accumulation mechanism portion S comprises a trigger portion T, a piston cylinder 3 having a piston 3a that moves by the rotation of the trigger portion T, a first valve FV that opens and closes the space between the tube 1 and the piston cylinder 3, a nozzle portion N from which liquid is sprayed, a flow path portion 4 connecting the piston cylinder 3 and the nozzle portion N, a second valve SV that opens and closes the flow path portion 4, and a cap portion 7 that screws onto the container 1, and the inverted mechanism portion 5 caps the container 1 The above-described upright and inverted pressurized sprayer A is configured such that the nozzle portion 7 is positioned by screwing it in, and in the upright position, the liquid reservoir portion 5a1 is closed by the valve body portion VB, and the liquid drawn up from the tube 2 is sprayed from the nozzle portion N via the hollow portion 5a3 and the pipe portion 5b2, and in the inverted position, the liquid reservoir portion 5a1 is opened, and the liquid from the container 1 is sprayed from the nozzle portion N via the covered cylindrical portion 5b1, the liquid reservoir portion 5a1, the hollow portion 5a3, and the pipe portion 5b2.

[0017] The present invention relates to a spraying method using the inverted pressurized sprayer A described above, wherein in the upright position, by rotating the trigger part T with the container 1 below the pressurizing mechanism S, liquid flows from the container 1 to the hollow part 5a3 and the tube part 5b2 and is sprayed from the nozzle part N, and in the inverted position, by rotating the trigger part T with the container 1 above the pressurizing mechanism S, liquid flows from the container 1 to the covered cylindrical part 5b1, the liquid reservoir tube part 5a1, the hollow part 5a3, and the tube part 5b2 and is sprayed from the nozzle part N.

[0018] Furthermore, the present invention may also involve combining the above configurations as appropriate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] The present invention provides a forward / inverted pressure-accumulating sprayer A comprising a container 1 for storing liquid, a pressure accumulation mechanism S attached to the container 1, and a forward / inverted mechanism 5 attached to the pressure accumulation mechanism S, wherein the sprayer A sprays the liquid in the container 1 to the outside from the pressure accumulation mechanism S via the forward / inverted mechanism 5 in both upright and inverted states, and the forward / inverted mechanism 5 comprises a bottom cover portion 5a located on the container side and a top cover portion 5b located on the pressure accumulation mechanism S side. The top cover portion 5b is formed with a lidded cylindrical portion 5b1 that is open on the container 1 side and a tubular portion 5b2 adjacent to the lidded cylindrical portion 5b1, and the bottom cover portion 5a is formed with a hollow portion 5a3 and a liquid reservoir cylindrical portion 5a1 that is in communication with the hollow portion 5a3 and has a valve body portion VB arranged inside, so that when upright liquid is stored in the liquid reservoir cylindrical portion 5a1, it is possible to prevent air from being mixed in from the liquid flow path when inverted to the liquid flow path when upright. Therefore, even when switching between the upright and inverted positions, it is possible to properly spray the liquid inside container 1.

[0020] In the inverted pressurized sprayer A of the present invention, the ratio of the longitudinal length of the liquid reservoir cylinder 5a1 to the diameter of the valve body VB is in the range of 1:1 to 2, which allows a sufficient amount of liquid to be stored in the liquid reservoir cylinder 5a1, and prevents air from entering the flow path even if the valve body VB floats up due to liquid backflow. Therefore, even when switching between the upright and inverted positions, it is possible to properly spray the liquid inside container 1.

[0021] In the inverted and upright pressurized sprayer A of the present invention, the top cover portion 5b and the bottom cover portion 5a are engaged with each other, thereby positioning them relative to one another and ensuring a liquid flow path in both the upright and upside-down positions. The upright-inverted pressure-accumulation sprayer A of the present invention further includes a receiving portion 5b1a for accommodating the valve body portion VB in the inverted state on the top cover portion 5b, thereby making it possible to prevent the valve body portion VB from moving to an unintended position even in the inverted state. Therefore, even when the pressure-accumulation sprayer is repeatedly switched between the upright state and the inverted state, the liquid in the container 1 can be properly sprayed.

[0022] In the present invention, the distance between the liquid reservoir cylindrical portion 5a1 and the receiving portion 5b1a is 1.5 to 3.5 mm, and the diameter of the valve body portion VB is 4 to 5.5 mm, so that even when the valve body portion VB is accommodated in the receiving portion 5b1a, air pushed out from the receiving portion 5b1a is prevented from mixing into the liquid flow path, and the liquid in the container 1 can be properly sprayed.

[0023] In the upright-inverted pressure-accumulation sprayer A of the present invention, the lower side of the liquid reservoir cylindrical portion 5a1 in the upright state is tapered and reduced in diameter to form a valve seat portion VS, a substantially spherical valve body portion VB is disposed inside the liquid reservoir cylindrical portion 5a1 so as to be movable therein, and the valve body portion VB moves between the valve seat portion VS and the receiving portion 5b1a by switching between the upright state and the inverted state, whereby the liquid flow paths for the upright state and the inverted state can be reliably switched to spray the liquid appropriately.

[0024] In the upright-inverted pressure-accumulation sprayer A of the present invention, the upright-inverted mechanism portion 5 is positioned by screwing the cap portion 7 onto the container 1, so that the liquid flow path can be secured in either the upright state or the inverted state.

[0025] The inverted and upright pressurized sprayer A of the present invention is a spraying method using the inverted and upright pressurized sprayer A described above. In the upright position, by rotating the trigger part T with the container 1 below the pressurizing mechanism S, liquid flows from the container 1 to the hollow part 5a3 and the tube part 5b2 and is sprayed from the nozzle part N. In the inverted position, by rotating the trigger part T with the container 1 above the pressurizing mechanism S, liquid flows from the container 1 to the covered cylindrical part 5b1, the liquid reservoir tube part 5a1, the hollow part 5a3, and the tube part 5b2 and is sprayed from the nozzle part N. Thus, it is possible to spray the liquid inside the container 1 in both the upright and upside-down positions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0026] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an inverted and upright pressurized sprayer. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the inverted / upright mechanism in the upright position. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the inverted / upright mechanism in the upright position. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the inverted / upright mechanism in the upright position. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the inverted mechanism in the upright position. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the inverted mechanism in the upright position. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of liquid in an upright position. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of liquid in an inverted state. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as necessary. In the drawings, identical elements will be denoted by the same reference numeral, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, positional relationships such as up, down, left, and right shall be based on the positional relationships shown in the drawings. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios in drawings are not limited to those shown.

[0028] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an inverted pressure-accumulating sprayer A. Hereinafter, the state in which container 1 is at the bottom and the pressure accumulation mechanism S is at the top will be referred to as the upright state. Furthermore, the state in which container 1 is on the upper side and the pressure accumulation mechanism S is on the lower side is called the inverted state. Unless otherwise specified, the up and down directions refer to the upright state. The inverted and upright pressurized sprayer A of the present invention is attached to a container 1 that stores liquid, and is capable of spraying the liquid in the container 1 in both an upright and upside-down position. The inverted and upright pressurized sprayer A comprises a container 1, a pressurizing mechanism S attached to the container 1, and an inverted and upright mechanism 5 attached to the pressurizing mechanism S. The pressure accumulation mechanism S is a mechanism for applying pressure to the liquid and spraying it to the outside. The pressure accumulation mechanism S comprises a cylindrical tube 2, a piston cylinder 3 having a piston 3a that moves by the rotation of a trigger T, a first valve FV that opens and closes the space between the tube 2 and the piston cylinder 3, a nozzle N from which liquid is sprayed, a flow path 4 connecting the piston cylinder 3 and the nozzle N, and a second valve SV that opens and closes the flow path 4. The piston cylinder 3, first valve FV, second valve SV, nozzle section N, flow path section 4, second valve SV section, and inverted / reverse mechanism section 5 are attached to the base section and integrated together. Press-fit fitting is preferably used for attaching these to the base portion.

[0029] The lower end of the base is provided with a cap portion 7 used for attachment to the container 1, and the cap portion 7 is provided with a screw. In addition, the neck portion 1a of the container 1 is provided with a screw for screwing into the cap portion 7. Therefore, the pressure accumulation mechanism S and the container 1 can be attached and detached by screwing them together. Furthermore, the pressure accumulation mechanism S is positioned relative to the container 1 by screwing it in, thereby positioning the inverted mechanism 5, which will be described later, relative to the container. This makes it possible to ensure a liquid flow path in both the upright and inverted positions. With the base portion attached to container 1, tube 2 is inserted into container 1.

[0030] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the inverted / upright mechanism 5 in the upright position. The inverted mechanism 5 is attached to the lower side of the pressure accumulation mechanism S. The inverted mechanism 5 has a bottom cover portion 5a to which the tube 2 is attached, and a top cover portion 5b attached to the bottom cover portion 5a.

[0031] The bottom cover portion 5a has a protruding mounting portion 5a2 formed thereon for attaching the tube 2 that protrudes downward therefrom. The mounting portion 5a2 is cylindrical, and it is attached by inserting and fitting the tube 2 inside it. In other words, the mounting portion 5a2 has a smaller diameter than the tube 2, which allows the tube to be pressed into place. Furthermore, it is preferable that the volume of the mounting portion 5a2 be 26 ml or more.

[0032] By fitting and attaching tube 2 to mounting portion 5a2, the manufacturing time for the inverted pressurized sprayer A can be reduced. Furthermore, the tube 2 can be easily attached to and detached from the mounting part 5a2, making maintenance and replacement easy.

[0033] The volume of the mounting portion 5a2 is 26 mm³ m³ or more, which makes it possible to retain a sufficient amount of liquid in the tube 2 when it is inverted.

[0034] The bottom cover portion 5a has a hollow portion 5a3 formed inside it, which is a space. In the hollow section 5a3, the liquid flow path from tube 2 and the liquid flow path from top cover section 5b merge. In other words, in both the upright and inverted positions, the liquid from the container 1 is sprayed outwards from the nozzle through the hollow section 4a3. The hollow section 5a3 is positioned inside the neck section 1a of the container 1 when the pressurized sprayer is attached to the container 1.

[0035] Because the hollow portion 5a3 is located inside the neck portion 1a of the container 1, a sufficient amount of liquid can be retained inside the tube 2 when it is inverted. Therefore, it becomes possible to properly spray the liquid inside container 1 even when it is in an inverted position. Furthermore, as described above, this positional relationship is maintained by positioning the inverted mechanism 5 on the cap portion 7.

[0036] The bottom cover portion 5a has a liquid reservoir cylinder portion 5a1 formed therein, through which the substantially spherical valve body portion VB moves. The liquid reservoir section 5a1 is cylindrical in shape, and its upper end is open towards the inside of the top cover section 5b (the covered cylindrical section 5b1, which will be described later). Furthermore, the liquid reservoir cylinder portion 5a1 is in communication with the hollow portion 5a3 described above, located below it. Furthermore, the lower part of the liquid reservoir cylinder 5a1 tapers to form a valve seat VS for the valve body VB. The valve body VB is spherical and is positioned inside the liquid reservoir cylinder 5a1 so as to move within it. In the upright position, the valve body VB rests on the valve seat VS below the liquid reservoir cylinder 5a1, closing the covered cylindrical portion 5b1 and the hollow portion 5a3 of the top cover, which will be described later.

[0037] The top cover portion 5b is formed with a lidded cylindrical portion 5b1 that opens towards the container 1, and a tubular portion 5b2 adjacent to the lidded cylindrical portion 5b1. The covered cylindrical portion 5b1 is positioned such that the liquid reservoir cylinder portion 5a1 is inserted into it, and a receiving portion 5b1a is formed on the inside of the covered cylindrical portion 5b1 at a position corresponding to the liquid reservoir cylinder portion 5a1. The receiving portion 5b1a is for accommodating the valve body portion VB in an inverted state, as will be described later.

[0038] The pipe section 5b2 serves as a flow path connecting the hollow section of the bottom cover section 5a and the pressure accumulation mechanism section S. In other words, the inside of the bottom cover portion 5a branches into two from the mounting portion 5a2 side, one side which communicates with the pipe portion 5b2 and the other side which connects to the liquid reservoir cylinder portion 5a1. On the other hand, in the top cover section 5b, the inside of the covered cylindrical section 5b1 and the inside of the pipe section 5b2 are separated by a wall and are independent of each other. The two are in communication through the hollow section 5a3 of the bottom cover section 5a.

[0039] The bottom cover portion 5a and the top cover portion 5b are both made of resin and are attached by engagement. More specifically, they are attached to each other by sandwiching a part of the outer wall forming the hollow portion 5a3 between the outer walls of the two-layered pipe portion 5b2. At this time, the bottom cover portion 5a and the top cover portion 5b are provided with corresponding barbs, and they engage with each other to position them. As a result, both the bottom cover portion 5a and the top cover portion 5b are positioned relative to each other, making it possible to ensure a liquid flow path in both the upright and inverted positions.

[0040] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the inverted / upright mechanism 5 in the upright position. The liquid reservoir cylinder 5a1 is in a state where liquid is stored when it is in an upright position. In the case of a structure such as Patent Document 3, where liquid flows back from the piston cylinder 3, or when liquid flows back from the piston cylinder due to other factors, the backflowing liquid flows into the liquid reservoir cylinder 5a1 via the hollow section 5a3, pushing up the valve body VB.

[0041] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the inverted / upright mechanism 5 in the upright position. As shown in Figure 4, even if the valve body VB floats up due to backflow of liquid, the liquid reservoir cylinder 5a1 ensures that the receiving portion 5b1a side of the top cover 5b and the hollow portion 5a3 are sealed by the liquid in the liquid reservoir cylinder 5a1.

[0042] In this case, it is preferable that the ratio of the longitudinal length of the liquid reservoir cylinder to the diameter of the valve body is in the range of 1:1 to 2. This allows a sufficient amount of liquid to be stored in the liquid reservoir cylinder, and prevents air from entering the flow path even if the valve body floats up due to liquid backflow. Therefore, even when switching between the upright and inverted positions, it is possible to properly spray the liquid inside the container.

[0043] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the inverted mechanism 5 in an upright position. As described above, the top cover portion 5b has a receiving portion 5b1a that accommodates the valve body portion VB when in an inverted state. The receiving portion 5b1a is provided with ribs that face downward (i.e., upward in the inverted position) to prevent movement of the valve body portion VB, thereby preventing unexpected movement of the valve body portion VB. Furthermore, the ribs also function as guides when the valve body VB moves into the liquid reservoir cylinder 5a1 when the pressurized sprayer changes from an inverted to an upright position. In other words, by switching between the upright and inverted state of the inverted pressure-accumulating sprayer A, the valve body VB moves between the valve seat VS and the receiving part 5b1a.

[0044] The top cover portion 5b has a receiving portion 5b1a that accommodates the valve body portion VB when inverted, thereby preventing the valve body portion VB from moving to a position other than its predetermined location when inverted. Therefore, even if the pressurized sprayer A is repeatedly switched between an upright and inverted position, it is possible to properly spray the liquid inside container 1.

[0045] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the inverted mechanism 5 in an inverted state. Furthermore, the distance between the liquid reservoir cylinder portion 5a1 and the receiving portion 5b1a, that is, the distance between the upper end of the liquid reservoir cylinder portion (lower end in the inverted state) and the rib of the receiving portion 5b1a, is preferably 1.5 to 3.5 mm, and in this case, the diameter of the valve body portion VB is preferably 4 to 5.5 mm. When the upright / inverted pressurized sprayer A transitions from an upright position to an inverted position, air is discharged from the receiving section 5b1a. It is preferable that this air be discharged into container 1. If it enters the liquid reservoir cylinder 5a1, air will be mixed into the liquid flow path, which may prevent the liquid from being sprayed properly. By setting the distance between the liquid reservoir cylinder 5a1 and the receiving portion 5b1a, and the diameter of the valve body within the above range, it is possible to prevent air pushed out from the receiving portion from mixing into the liquid flow path even when the valve body is housed in the receiving portion, thereby enabling proper spraying of the liquid inside the container.

[0046] In a pressurized sprayer, when in an upright position, the liquid drawn up from the container 1 into the tube 2 flows through the bottom cover 5a, more specifically the mounting section 5a2, and the hollow section 5a3, and then flows into the piston cylinder 3 through the pipe section 5b2 of the top cover 5b.

[0047] In a pressurized sprayer, when in an inverted state, the liquid that flows from the container 1 into the covered cylindrical section 5b1 of the top cover section 5b flows through the bottom cover section 5a, more specifically the liquid reservoir cylinder section 5a1, and the hollow section 5a3 in that order, and then flows into the piston cylinder section 3 via the pipe section 5b2 of the top cover section 5b.

[0048] The following describes a spraying method using the pressurized sprayer of the present invention. Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of liquid in an upright position. The arrows indicate the direction of liquid flow. In the upright position, the end of tube 2 is immersed in the liquid inside container 1. Also, the piston cylinder 3 is filled with liquid. Furthermore, the valve body VB is placed on the valve seat VS of the liquid reservoir cylinder 5a1, closing the valve between the covered cylindrical part 5b1 and the hollow part 5a3.

[0049] When the trigger unit T is rotated, the piston 3a, which is linked to the trigger unit T, moves toward the fast valve FV. At this time, the first valve FV is closed, and the liquid inside the piston 3a, which has been pressurized by the movement of the piston 3a, flows into the flow path section 4.

[0050] The flow path section 4 is normally closed by the second valve SV. As liquid flows from piston 3a into flow path 4, the second valve SV is pushed upward and opens. As a result, the pressurized liquid is sprayed outwards from the nozzle N.

[0051] When the liquid in the flow path section 4 is sprayed to the outside through the nozzle, the liquid pressure in the flow path section 4 decreases, and the second valve SV moves downward due to its spring force and returns to its initial position. This closes the flow path section 4.

[0052] When the spraying is finished and the trigger unit T is released, the trigger unit T returns to its initial position due to a spring (not shown). As a result, the piston 3a, which is linked to the trigger unit T, moves away from the first valve FV, creating negative pressure inside the piston cylinder 3. As a result, the first valve FV opens, drawing the liquid in container 1 into the piston cylinder 3, and filling the piston cylinder 3 with liquid.

[0053] To elaborate on the flow of liquid into the piston cylinder 3, the liquid drawn up from the container 1 via the tube 2 flows into the hollow section 5a3 via the mounting section 5a2 and hollow section 5a3 of the bottom cover section 5a. At this time, the liquid reservoir cylinder portion 5a1 is closed by the valve body portion VB, preventing air from entering from the receiving portion 5b1a side of the top cover portion 5b. The liquid that flows into the hollow section 5a3 flows into the piston cylinder 3 via the pipe section 5b2 of the top cover section 5b.

[0054] The liquid reservoir cylinder 5a1 is filled with liquid. Therefore, even if liquid flows backward from the piston cylinder 3 to the inverted mechanism 5 and the valve body VB floats up due to the backward-flowing liquid, the liquid reservoir cylinder 5a1 is sealed by the liquid stored in the liquid reservoir cylinder 5a1, preventing air from entering from the receiving portion 5b1a side of the top cover 5b.

[0055] Furthermore, when the pressurized sprayer is not filled with liquid, such as during its first use, rotating the trigger T several times (a so-called "dry firing") will expel air from inside the piston 3a through the aforementioned path to the outside via the nozzle, drawing liquid from the container 1 into the piston 3a, thereby enabling the pressurized sprayer to be ready to spray.

[0056] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of liquid in an inverted state. The arrows indicate the direction of liquid flow. The following discussion of the up and down directions refers to the inverted state. On the other hand, in the inverted state, the end of tube 2 is not submerged in the liquid, and the liquid remaining inside tube 2 is stored at the bottom. Furthermore, the valve body VB moves to the receiving portion 5b1a due to gravity, and the liquid reservoir cylinder portion 5a1 is in an open state.

[0057] When the trigger part T is rotated at this time, the liquid pushed out from the piston cylinder 3 by the movement of the piston 3a flows into the flow path part 4, opening the second valve SV and being sprayed outwards from the nozzle part N, just as in the upright position described above. Similarly, the spray from the nozzle N causes the liquid pressure in the flow path 4 to decrease, and the second valve SV closes the flow path 4.

[0058] Even in the inverted position, the release of the trigger part T causes the trigger part T to return to its initial position, and in conjunction with this, the piston 3a moves, creating negative pressure inside the piston cylinder 3. This draws the liquid from container 1 into the piston cylinder 3.

[0059] The liquid inside container 1 is drawn from inside container 1 into the hollow section 5a3 via the covered cylindrical section 5b1 of the top cover section 5b. More specifically, the gap formed between the rib of the receiving portion 5b1a of the top cover portion 5b and the lower end of the liquid reservoir cylindrical portion 5a1 is the liquid intake port 6, and the liquid inside the container 1 flows from the liquid intake port 6 through the liquid reservoir cylindrical portion 5a1 into the hollow portion 5a3. As described above, the valve body VB is housed in the receiving portion 5b1a, and therefore the valve is open.

[0060] Furthermore, inside the bottom cover section 5a, liquid from the liquid reservoir section 5a1 flows into the hollow section 5a3 through the flow path opening 5a3a provided in the hollow section 5a3. At this time, liquid is stored in the lower part of the tube 2 that is in communication with the hollow section 5a3, and this serves to seal the area. Furthermore, liquid is similarly stored in the mounting portion 5a2, which has a larger diameter than tube 2. Therefore, the sealing effect is enhanced. These features prevent air from entering through tube 2 when spraying in an inverted position. As a result, spraying can be performed properly even when the device is inverted.

[0061] The liquid that flows into the hollow section 5a3 opens the first valve FV via the pipe section 5b2 of the top cover section 5b, and flows into the inside of the piston cylinder 3. As a result, the piston cylinder 3 is filled with liquid, and by rotating the trigger part T again, it becomes possible to spray.

[0062] In the spraying method of the present invention, the liquid flows as described above in both the upright and inverted states, making it possible to properly spray the liquid inside the container 1 from the nozzle to the outside in either state.

[0063] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

[0064] In this embodiment, the main components are all made of resin, but are not limited to this. For example, a portion of the second valve SV may be made of metal. This increases the spring force that closes the second valve SV, improving the pressure accumulation performance. [Industrial applicability]

[0065] The present invention can be widely used for spraying liquids in both household and industrial applications. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0066] A... Upright / Inverted Pressure Sprayer 1...container 1a...Neck section 2... Tubes S...Pressure accumulation mechanism section T...Trigger section 3. Piston Cylinder 3a...piston FV... First Valve N... Nozzle section 4. Flow channel section SV...Second valve 5... Normal inversion mechanism section 5a...Bottom cover section 5a1...Liquid reservoir cylinder VS...Valve seat part 5a2...Mounting part 5a3...Hollow part 5a3a...flow channel opening 5b...Top cover section 5b1...Cylinder with lid 5b1a...Reception part 5b2...Pipe section VB... Valve body 6. Liquid intake port 7. Cap section

Claims

1. It comprises a container for storing liquid, a pressure accumulation mechanism attached to the container, and a forward / inverting mechanism attached to the pressure accumulation mechanism, An upright and inverted pressurized sprayer that sprays the liquid inside the container to the outside from the pressurizing mechanism via the upright / inverted mechanism, in both upright and inverted positions. The aforementioned forward and inverted mechanism section It has a bottom cover portion located on the container side and a top cover portion located on the pressure accumulation mechanism side, The top cover portion is formed with a lidded cylindrical portion that is open on the container side, and a tubular portion adjacent to the lidded cylindrical portion. The bottom cover portion has a hollow section and a liquid reservoir cylinder portion that communicates with the hollow section and has a valve body portion arranged inside. The liquid reservoir section is inserted into the covered cylindrical section. In the upright position, the liquid in the container flows through the hollow section and the tube section and is sprayed to the outside from the pressure accumulation mechanism; and in the inverted position, the liquid in the container flows through the covered cylindrical section, the liquid reservoir section, the hollow section, and the tube section and is sprayed to the outside from the pressure accumulation mechanism.

2. The inverted upright pressurized sprayer according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the longitudinal length of the liquid reservoir cylinder to the diameter of the valve body is in the range of 1:1 to 2.

3. The top cover portion and the bottom cover portion are engaged with each other. The upright and inverted pressure-accumulating sprayer according to claim 1, wherein the top cover portion further comprises a receiving portion for accommodating the valve body portion in an inverted state.

4. The distance between the liquid reservoir cylinder and the receiving portion is 1.5 to 3.5 mm. The inverted upright pressurized sprayer according to claim 4, wherein the diameter of the valve body is 4 to 5.5 mm.

5. The lower part of the liquid reservoir cylinder, when in an upright position, tapers in diameter to form a valve seat. A substantially spherical valve body is arranged inside the liquid reservoir cylinder so as to be movable within it. The upright and inverted pressure-accumulating sprayer according to claim 3, wherein the valve body moves between the valve seat and the receiving portion by switching between an upright and an inverted state.

6. The bottom cover portion is further equipped with a tube, The aforementioned pressure accumulation mechanism, The trigger section, A piston cylinder having a piston that moves by the rotation of the trigger part, A first valve that opens and closes between the tube and the piston cylinder, The nozzle part from which the liquid is sprayed, A flow path section connecting the piston cylinder and the nozzle section, A second valve that opens and closes the flow path, A cap portion that screws onto the aforementioned container, Equipped with, The inverted / upright mechanism is positioned by screwing the cap portion onto the container. In the upright position, the liquid reservoir cylinder is closed by the valve body, and the liquid drawn up from the tube is sprayed from the nozzle through the hollow section and the pipe section. In the inverted state, the liquid reservoir cylinder is opened, and the liquid from the container is sprayed from the nozzle through the covered cylindrical part, the liquid reservoir cylinder, the hollow part, and the tubular part, as described in claim 1.

7. A spraying method using an inverted pressurized sprayer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, In the upright position, by rotating the trigger portion with the container lower than the pressure accumulation mechanism portion, liquid flows from the container to the hollow portion and the tube portion and is sprayed from the nozzle portion. In an inverted state, the trigger is rotated with the container positioned above the pressure accumulation mechanism, causing liquid to flow from the container to the covered cylindrical section, the liquid reservoir section, the hollow section, and the pipe section, and then sprayed from the nozzle section.

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