Trigger-type liquid ejector

Abstract

To provide a trigger type liquid ejector which can suppress sticking of a liquid adhered to a nozzle part, and can stably eject the liquid.SOLUTION: A trigger type liquid ejector 1 comprises a nozzle member 3 in which an ejection hole 4 for ejecting a liquid forward is formed. The nozzle member 3 comprises: a nozzle part 130 with the ejection hole 4; a coating cylindrical part 140 of which a front end opens, and which surrounds a circumference of the nozzle part 130; a rotatable lid part 150 which is so connected to the coating cylindrical part 140 as to be rotatable around an axis extending in a cross direction, and moves between an open position where a front end opening 141 of the coating cylindrical part 140 opens and a closing position where the front end opening 141 is closed in the state of contacting a front end opening edge 142 of the coating cylindrical part 140; and a front wall part 160 which is located at a position that does not overlap with the ejection hole 4 in the cross direction, and contacts the rotatable lid part 150, which is positioned at the closing position, from the front.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a trigger-type liquid ejector.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a trigger-type liquid ejector that sucks up a liquid from inside a container body by operating a trigger part and ejects the liquid through an ejection hole. The trigger-type liquid ejector described in Patent Document 1 below includes a piston that moves back and forth as the trigger part moves, a cylinder whose interior is pressurized and depressurized as the piston moves and whose interior communicates with a vertical supply cylinder part, and a biasing member that is disposed inside the cylinder and biases the trigger part forward via the piston.

[0003] Furthermore, the trigger-type liquid ejector described in Patent Document 1 below includes a storage cylinder into which the liquid that has passed through the vertical supply cylinder part is supplied by moving the trigger part backward, and a storage plunger that is disposed inside the storage cylinder, moves toward one side in the axial direction as the liquid is supplied into the storage cylinder, and is biased toward the other side, enabling continuous ejection of the liquid.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the above-described trigger-type liquid ejector, the nozzle portion for ejecting the liquid is always exposed. If the liquid dries and adheres inside the nozzle portion or at the ejection holes of the nozzle portion, it may cause problems in liquid ejection. In particular, in a trigger-type liquid ejector capable of continuous ejection, if the liquid cannot be ejected due to adhesion of the liquid and the lever portion is operated, the liquid accumulates in the storage cylinder. When the adhesion of the liquid is eliminated in that state, there is a risk that an unexpected amount of liquid will be ejected.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a trigger-type liquid ejector that suppresses the adhesion of the liquid adhering to the nozzle portion and can stably eject the liquid.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] (1) The trigger-type liquid ejector according to the present invention includes an ejector body mounted on a container body in which a liquid is stored, and a nozzle member disposed on the front side of the ejector body and having ejection holes formed therein for ejecting the liquid forward. The ejector body has a vertical supply cylinder portion extending in the vertical direction for sucking up the liquid in the container body, and a trigger portion disposed in front of the vertical supply cylinder portion and movable rearward in a forward-biased state. The trigger mechanism includes a trigger mechanism for circulating the liquid from the inside of the vertical supply cylinder portion toward the ejection hole side by moving the trigger portion rearward. The nozzle member includes a nozzle portion having the ejection holes, a covering cylinder portion having an open front end and surrounding the periphery of the nozzle portion, and a rotating lid portion rotatably connected to the covering cylinder portion about an axis extending in the front-rear direction and moving between an open position for opening the front-end opening of the covering cylinder portion and a closing position for closing the front-end opening in contact with the edge of the front-end opening of the covering cylinder portion. The nozzle member further includes a front wall portion disposed at a position that does not overlap the ejection holes in the front-rear direction and abutting against the rotating lid portion located at the closing position from the front.

[0008] According to the trigger-type liquid ejector of the present invention, by operating the trigger part and moving it backward, the liquid can be circulated from within the vertical supply cylinder part toward the ejection hole side. Thereby, the liquid can be ejected outward through the ejection hole of the nozzle member. Incidentally, in the nozzle member, a nozzle part having an ejection hole is surrounded by a covering cylinder part whose front end is open. A rotating lid part is connected to the covering cylinder part, and the front end opening of the covering cylinder part can be opened and closed. When the rotating lid part is located at the closing position for closing the front end opening of the covering cylinder part, it abuts against the edge of the front end opening of the covering cylinder part and also abuts against a front wall part disposed in front. Thereby, the movement of the rotating lid part in the front-rear direction with respect to the front end opening of the covering cylinder part is restricted, and the sealing performance of the front end opening of the covering cylinder part by the rotating lid part can be enhanced. Therefore, it becomes difficult for outside air to enter from the gap between the rotating lid part and the front end opening of the covering cylinder part, and drying and sticking of the liquid adhering to the nozzle part can be suppressed. Further, since the front wall part is disposed at a position that does not overlap with the ejection hole in the front-rear direction, by moving the rotating lid part to the open position, the liquid can be ejected normally.

[0009] (2) A pressing part for pressing the rotating lid part backward may be formed on the front wall part.

[0010] In this case, since the rotating lid part located at the closing position is pressed against the edge of the front end opening of the covering cylinder part by the front wall part, the sealing performance of the front end opening of the covering cylinder part can be further enhanced.

[0011] (3) The rotating lid part may be provided with an interference part that abuts against the trigger part in the front-rear direction when located at the closing position, and a stopper for restricting the backward movement of the trigger part may be continuously provided.

[0012] In this case, a stopper is continuously provided on the rotating lid part, and the stopper also interferes with the trigger part in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the movement of the rotating lid part in the front-rear direction with respect to the front end opening of the covering cylinder part is restricted doubly by the front wall part, and the sealing performance of the front end opening of the covering cylinder part by the rotating lid part can be further enhanced. Also, during use, the rotating lid portion and the stopper will be rotated integrally. However, if this is done, the stopper will protrude greatly outward, and if one tries to store it in that state, it will be in the way. Therefore, the user will surely engage the stopper after use. As a result, it becomes customary to engage the stopper of the trigger portion during normal use, and at the same time, the front end opening of the coating cylinder portion can be closed.

[0013] (4) The nozzle portion may include a foaming cylinder portion that extends forward of the ejection hole. The foaming cylinder portion is formed on the peripheral wall portion of the foaming cylinder portion, and includes an outside air introduction hole that introduces outside air into the inside of the foaming cylinder portion, and a rod-shaped stirring portion that is disposed forward of the outside air introduction hole and extends from the inner peripheral surface of the front end opening of the foaming cylinder portion toward the center of the foaming cylinder portion.

[0014] In this case, it is possible to suppress drying and sticking of the liquid adhering to the outside air introduction hole and the stirring portion of the foaming cylinder portion that extends forward of the ejection hole. Thereby, good-quality foam can be ejected.

[0015] (5) The ejector body may include a storage cylinder into which the liquid that has passed through the vertical supply cylinder portion is supplied by the rearward movement of the trigger portion, and a storage plunger that is disposed movably in the axial direction along the central axis of the storage cylinder within the storage cylinder, and that moves toward one side in the axial direction as the liquid is supplied into the storage cylinder and is biased toward the other side.

[0016] In this case, it is possible to supply the liquid from the vertical supply cylinder portion into the storage cylinder and pressurize the inside of the storage cylinder. Therefore, it is possible to press the storage plunger toward one side in the axial direction against the biasing force toward the other side in the axial direction, and move the storage plunger toward one side in the axial direction while ejecting the liquid. Therefore, every time an operation of pulling the trigger portion is performed, the storage plunger can be moved toward one side in the axial direction, and the liquid can be ejected while storing (filling) the liquid in the storage cylinder. Incidentally, after filling the liquid into the storage cylinder, when the operation of the trigger part is stopped, the supply of the liquid into the storage cylinder through the vertical supply cylinder part stops, but the storage plunger starts to move back toward the other side in the axial direction. As a result, the liquid filled in the storage cylinder can be pushed out from the storage cylinder toward the ejection hole side and ejected from the ejection hole. Therefore, continuous ejection of the liquid becomes possible. When continuously ejecting the liquid in this way, by suppressing drying and sticking of the liquid adhering to the nozzle part, it is possible to prevent an unexpected amount of liquid from being ejected.

Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the trigger-type liquid ejector according to the present invention, sticking of the liquid adhering to the nozzle part is suppressed, and the liquid can be stably ejected.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the trigger-type liquid ejector according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a description will be given by taking an ejection container in which the trigger-type liquid ejector is attached to a container body as an example.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1, the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 of the present embodiment includes an ejector main body 2 attached to a container body A for storing liquid, a nozzle member 3 in which an ejection hole 4 for ejecting liquid is formed and which is attached to the ejector main body 2, and a cover body 5 covering the ejector main body 2 and the nozzle member 3. Note that each component of the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 is a molded product made of synthetic resin unless otherwise specified.

[0021] (Ejector main body) The ejector main body 2 mainly includes a vertical supply cylinder portion 10, a connection cylinder portion 20, a mounting cap 30, a storage cylinder 40, a storage plunger 50, a plunger biasing member 60, an injection cylinder portion 70, a trigger mechanism 80, a ball valve 90, and a storage valve 91.

[0022] In the present embodiment, the central axis of the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 is defined as axis O1. Along this axis O1, the side closer to the container body A is the lower side and the opposite side is the upper side, and the direction along axis O1 is the vertical direction. Also, in a plan view seen from the vertical direction, one direction intersecting axis O1 is the front-rear direction, and the direction orthogonal to both the vertical direction and the front-rear direction is the left-right direction.

[0023] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the central axis of the storage cylinder 40 is defined as axis O2. In the present embodiment, axis O2 extends in the front-rear direction. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the front-rear direction corresponds to the axial direction along the central axis of the storage cylinder 40. Note that in the present embodiment, the rear corresponds to one side in the axial direction along the central axis of the storage cylinder 40, and the front corresponds to the other side in the axial direction along the central axis of the storage cylinder 40. However, the axial direction along axis O2 does not necessarily coincide with the front-rear direction.

[0024] The vertical supply cylinder portion 10 extends in the vertical direction and has a function of sucking up the liquid in the container body A. The vertical supply cylinder portion 10 is attached to the container body A by the mounting cap 30. The upper part of a pipe 11 that extends in the vertical direction and sucks up the liquid from the container body A is fitted to the vertical supply cylinder portion 10.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, a connecting cylinder portion 20 extending forward is provided at the upper end portion of the vertical supply cylinder portion 10. The connecting cylinder portion 20 is formed in a cylindrical shape having an opening portion 21 opened in front of the ejector body 2 and communicates with the inside of the vertical supply cylinder portion 10. A closing plug 100 is attached to the opening portion 21 of the connecting cylinder portion 20 to close (seal) the opening portion 21.

[0026] Below the connecting cylinder portion 20 and above the mounting cap 30, a cylinder cylinder portion 110 is provided. The cylinder cylinder portion 110 protrudes forward from the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 and opens forward. A main cylinder 82 is fitted inside the cylinder cylinder portion 110. The main cylinder 82 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape having an opening at the front and a closed rear. The inside of the main cylinder 82 communicates with the inside of the vertical supply cylinder portion 10.

[0027] The storage cylinder 40 is disposed above the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 and the connecting cylinder portion 20. In this embodiment, the lower end portion of the storage cylinder 40 is integrally formed with the upper end portion of the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 and the upper end portion of the connecting cylinder portion 20. Inside the storage cylinder 40 (a storage space 40a described later), the liquid that has passed through the inside of the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 and the connecting cylinder portion 20 is supplied by the backward swing of the trigger portion 81. Specifically, a supply hole 41 communicating with the inside of the connecting cylinder portion 20 is formed in the lower portion of the front end portion of the storage cylinder 40. The supply hole 41 opens in a portion located behind the closing plug 100 described later. Thereby, the liquid that has passed through the inside of the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 and the connecting cylinder portion 20 can be supplied into the storage cylinder 40 through the supply hole 41.

[0028] The storage plunger 50 is disposed in the storage cylinder 40 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction along the axis O2. Thereby, the storage plunger 50 slides tightly in the front-rear direction inside the storage cylinder 40. The storage plunger 50 moves rearward as the liquid is supplied into the storage cylinder 40. The storage plunger 50 blocks the communication between the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 through the connection cylinder portion 20 and the ejection hole 4, and allows the communication between the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 through the connection cylinder portion 20 and the ejection hole 4 when it moves rearward. That is, the storage plunger 50 blocks the communication between the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 through the connection cylinder portion 20 and the ejection hole 4 (inside the injection cylinder portion 70) at the most forward position, and allows the communication between the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 through the connection cylinder portion 20 and the ejection hole 4 (inside the injection cylinder portion 70) when it moves rearward from the most forward position. In the storage cylinder 40, the space located in front of the storage plunger 50 functions as a storage space 40a.

[0029] The storage space 40a passes through the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 and the connection cylinder portion 20, and stores the liquid that has passed through the supply hole 41. The storage space 40a expands as the storage plunger 50 moves rearward due to the supply of the liquid. The storage space 40a is also communicable with the inside of the injection cylinder portion 70 described later.

[0030] The plunger biasing member 60 biases the storage plunger 50 forward. The plunger biasing member 60 is disposed rearward of the storage plunger 50 within the storage cylinder 40. The plunger biasing member 60 biases the storage plunger 50 forward in the initial state before the trigger portion 81 is operated. As a result, the storage plunger 50 is located at the most forward position. Note that the plunger biasing member 60 is a metal coil spring disposed coaxially with the axis O2. However, for example, a resin spring may be used as the plunger biasing member 60, or other elastic members may be used.

[0031] In the storage cylinder 40 and the storage plunger 50 configured as described above, it is possible to pressurize the liquid within the storage space 40a until the storage plunger 50 moves rearward. Thereafter, when the hydraulic pressure within the storage space 40a reaches a predetermined value, the storage plunger 50 moves rearward against the plunger biasing member 60. As a result, it is possible to supply the liquid within the storage space 40a to the ejection hole 4 side. Therefore, the storage plunger 50 can function as an accumulator valve.

[0032] The injection cylinder portion 70 extends forward from the storage cylinder 40. The injection cylinder portion 70 communicates with the inside of the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 through the inside of the storage cylinder 40 (storage space 40a) and the connection cylinder portion 20. As a result, the injection cylinder portion 70 can guide the liquid that has passed through the inside of the vertical supply cylinder portion 10, the connection cylinder portion 20, and the storage cylinder 40 (storage space 40a) to the ejection hole 4.

[0033] The trigger mechanism 80 includes a trigger portion 81, a main cylinder 82, a main piston 83, and a biasing member 84. The trigger mechanism 80 can cause the liquid to flow from within the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 through the connection cylinder portion 20 toward the ejection hole 4 side by the rearward swing of the trigger portion 81.

[0034] The trigger portion 81 is disposed in front of the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 so as to be movable rearward in a forward-biased state. The trigger portion 81 is formed to extend in the vertical direction and is disposed below the injection cylinder portion 70. The upper end portion of the trigger portion 81 is pivotally supported by the nozzle member 3 so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction, and the lower end portion is disposed in front of the main cylinder 82.

[0035] A stopper T is provided in the front-rear direction gap between the trigger portion 81 and the main cylinder 82. The stopper T regulates the rearward swing of the trigger portion 81 by abutting against each of the trigger portion 81 and the main cylinder 82. The structure of the stopper T will be described later.

[0036] The main piston 83 is disposed within the main cylinder 82 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The main piston 83 is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction in conjunction with the swinging of the trigger portion 81. Thereby, the interior of the main cylinder 82 is pressurized and depressurized as the main piston 83 moves in the front-rear direction. Note that the main piston 83 is formed in a toped cylindrical shape that opens rearward and is closed at the front.

[0037] The main piston 83 is biased forward via the trigger portion 81 by the biasing force of the biasing member 84. The main piston 83 moves rearward as the trigger portion 81 swings rearward and is pushed into the main cylinder 82. Note that the main piston 83 is positioned at the foremost position corresponding to when the trigger portion 81 is at the most forward swing position.

[0038] The biasing member 84 is, for example, a metal coil spring. The biasing member 84 is disposed coaxially with the main piston 83 and the main cylinder 82, and biases the trigger portion 81 to which the main piston 83 is connected forward. The biasing member 84 is disposed between the spring receiver 111 (spring receiver) attached to the front opening of the main cylinder 82 and the trigger portion 81. However, the material of the biasing member 84 is not limited to metal, and for example, a resin spring or the like may be employed.

[0039] The ball valve 90 and the storage valve 91 are provided within the vertical supply cylinder portion 10. The ball valve 90 shuts off the communication between the inside of the container body A through the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 and the inside of the main cylinder 82 during pressurization within the main cylinder 82, and allows the communication between the inside of the container body A through the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 and the inside of the main cylinder 82 by displacing upward during depressurization within the main cylinder 82, and is a check valve.

[0040] Above the ball valve 90, the storage valve 91 is disposed. The storage valve 91 allows the supply of liquid from within the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 into the storage cylinder 40 through the connection cylinder portion 20, and is a check valve that restricts the outflow of liquid from the storage cylinder 40 into the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 through the connection cylinder portion 20.

[0041] The cover body 5 is formed so as to cover at least the entire part of the vertical supply cylinder part 10 except the lower end part, the entire injection cylinder part 70, and the entire storage cylinder 40 from both sides and above in the left - right direction.

[0042] (Nozzle member) The nozzle member 3 is mainly engaged with the injection cylinder part 70 and assembled to the ejector body 2. The nozzle member 3 includes a mounting cylinder part 120 externally fitted to the injection cylinder part 70 from the front, a nozzle part 130 mounted on the front end part of the mounting cylinder part 120, a covering cylinder part 140 surrounding the periphery of the nozzle part 130, a rotating lid part 150 for opening and closing the front end of the covering cylinder part 140, and a front wall part 160 abutting against the rotating lid part 150 from the front. An ejection hole 4 that opens forward and ejects liquid forward is formed in the nozzle part 130.

[0043] In the trigger - type liquid ejector 1 configured as described above, the structure of the nozzle member 3 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting cylinder part 120 includes a relay cylinder part 121 extending forward and a guide shaft 122 located inside the relay cylinder part 121 and extending forward. In this embodiment, the coaxial central axis of the relay cylinder part 121 and the guide shaft 122 is defined as axis O3. Note that the axis O3 extends along the front - rear direction. In a front view seen from the direction of the axis O3, the direction intersecting the axis O3 is called the radial direction, and the direction orbiting around the axis O3 is called the circumferential direction.

[0045] The inside of the relay cylinder part 121 communicates with the inside of the injection cylinder part 70. A notch groove extending in the front - rear direction is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the guide shaft 122. A plurality of notch grooves are formed at intervals around the axis of the guide shaft 122. The nozzle section 130 includes a nozzle head 131 attached to the mounting cylinder section 120 from the front, and a nozzle cap 132 that covers the nozzle head 131. The nozzle head 131 and the nozzle cap 132 are formed in a toped cylindrical shape with the axis O3 as a common axis.

[0046] The nozzle head 131 is disposed in front of the guide shaft 122, and includes a nozzle wall section 131a in which ejection holes 4 are formed, and an outer fitting cylinder section 131b that extends back and forth from the outer peripheral edge of the nozzle wall section 131a and is externally fitted to the relay cylinder section 121 from the front. Note that the outer fitting cylinder section 131b is attached to the relay cylinder section 121 in a state where it is prevented from coming off forward.

[0047] A portion located inside the outer fitting cylinder section 131b that extends rearward from the nozzle wall section 131a has an inner cylinder section 131c that externally fits onto the guide shaft 122 protruding rearward. A notch groove extending along the front-rear direction is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder section 131c. The gap between the inner cylinder section 131c and the guide shaft 122 communicates between the inside of the relay cylinder section 121 and the ejection holes 4.

[0048] A portion located inside the outer fitting cylinder section 131b that extends forward from the nozzle wall section 131a has an outside air introduction cylinder section 131d protruding forward. The inside of the outside air introduction cylinder section 131d communicates with the inside of the inner cylinder section 131c via the ejection holes 4. Outside air introduction holes 134 for introducing outside air to the inside of the outside air introduction cylinder section 131d are formed in the peripheral wall section of the outside air introduction cylinder section 131d. The outside air introduction holes 134 penetrate the outside air introduction cylinder section 131d in the radial direction and are formed in a plurality at intervals in the circumferential direction. The portion of the outer fitting cylinder section 131b that extends forward from the nozzle wall section 131a and the outside air introduction cylinder section 131d are connected to each other by a thick wall section 131e that extends on both sides in the left-right direction. A communication flow path 131f that communicates the inside of the covering cylinder section 140 and the outside air introduction holes 134 is formed in the thick wall section 131e.

[0049] The nozzle cap 132 includes a cap outer wall 132a attached to the outer fitting cylinder portion 131b of the nozzle head 131, a stirring cylinder portion 132c disposed radially inward of the cap outer wall 132a, and an annular connecting portion 132b connecting the cap outer wall 132a and the stirring cylinder portion 132c. The cap outer wall 132a is formed in a toped cylindrical shape with an open rear end. The rear end portion of the cap outer wall 132a is attached in a state of being prevented from coming off forward with respect to the rear end opening edge of the outer fitting cylinder portion 131b.

[0050] The annular connecting portion 132b is continuously provided at a portion radially inward of the outer fitting cylinder portion 131b on the front top wall of the cap outer wall 132a. The rear end portion of the annular connecting portion 132b is inserted forward into the annular gap between the outer fitting cylinder portion 131b and the outside air introduction cylinder portion 131d. The stirring cylinder portion 132c is continuously provided radially inward of the annular connecting portion 132b and is connected to the front end portion of the outside air introduction cylinder portion 131d.

[0051] On the inner peripheral surface of the front end opening of the stirring cylinder portion 132c, rod-shaped stirring portions 135 extending toward the central axis O3 of the stirring cylinder portion 132c are provided. The stirring portions 135 extend radially inward of the stirring cylinder portion 132c and a plurality of them are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction. The above-described outside air introduction cylinder portion 131d and stirring cylinder portion 132c form a foaming cylinder portion 133 that extends forward of the ejection hole 4. In this embodiment, the outside air introduction cylinder portion 131d and the stirring cylinder portion 132c are separate bodies, but the outside air introduction cylinder portion 131d and the stirring cylinder portion 132c may be integrated.

[0052] In the foaming cylinder portion 133, when liquid is ejected from the ejection hole 4, the inside becomes negative pressure, and outside air is introduced into the inside of the foaming cylinder portion 133 from the outside air introduction hole 134. The outside air introduced into the inside of the foaming cylinder portion 133 mixes with the liquid ejected in a mist form and collides with the inner wall surface of the foaming cylinder portion 133 to foam the liquid. The foamed liquid further collides with the stirring portion 135 to become high-quality bubbles and is ejected from the foaming cylinder portion 133 to the outside.

[0053] The covering cylinder portion 140 is formed in a cylindrical shape centered on the axis O3, has a front end opening 141 with an open front end, and is mounted on the radially outer side of the cap outer wall 132a. The front end opening edge 142 of the covering cylinder portion 140 is disposed forward of the front end portion of the nozzle portion 130 (the stirring portion 135 of the nozzle cap 132).

[0054] On the inner peripheral surface of the covering cylinder portion 140, fitting protrusions 143 that fit into the cap outer wall 132a project radially inward. The fitting protrusions 143 are undercut-fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the cap outer wall 132a. At the top of the outer peripheral surface of the covering cylinder portion 140, bearing portions 144 project radially outward. The bearing portions 144 are provided in a pair at intervals in the front-rear direction, and both ends of the rotation shaft 153 of the rotating lid portion 150 are pivotally supported so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the front-rear direction.

[0055] That is, the rotating lid portion 150 is connected to the covering cylinder portion 140 at the bearing portions 144 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the front-rear direction. The rotating lid portion 150 includes a lid plate 151 that closably closes the front end opening 141 of the covering cylinder portion 140. The lid plate 151 is formed in a disk shape having a thickness in the front-rear direction. The outer diameter of the lid plate 151 is larger than the inner diameter (front end opening 141) of the covering cylinder portion 140, and is configured to be in contact with the front end opening edge 142 of the covering cylinder portion 140 over the entire circumference.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 3, the lid plate 151 includes a lid peripheral wall 152 that projects radially outward at a part of the outer peripheral edge. The lid peripheral wall 152 is formed in a semi-circular arc shape in a front view and is disposed on one side in the left-right direction of the lid plate 151 (the right side of the paper surface in FIG. 3). The lid peripheral wall 152 extends rearward from the outer peripheral edge of the lid plate 151, and its inner peripheral surface is in contact (opposed) to the outer peripheral surface of the covering cylinder portion 140. The above-described rotation shaft 153 is continuously provided at the upper end portion in the circumferential direction of the lid peripheral wall 152.

[0057] The pivoting lid portion 150 moves between the closed position shown in FIG. 3 and the open position shown in FIG. 4 about the pivot axis 153. When the pivoting lid portion 150 is in the closed position shown in FIG. 3, the lid plate 151 closes the front end opening 141 in a state of abutting against the front end opening edge 142 of the covering cylinder portion 140 as shown in FIG. 2. On the other hand, when the pivoting lid portion 150 is in the open position shown in FIG. 4, the lid plate 151 opens the front end opening 141 of the covering cylinder portion 140 and is disposed at a position that does not overlap the opening of the foaming cylinder portion 133 in the front-rear direction. That is, when the pivoting lid portion 150 is in the open position, the lid plate 151 is disposed at a position that does not overlap the ejection hole 4 in the front-rear direction.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 4, a rib 154 protrudes rearward on the surface of the lid plate 151 facing the rear. The rib 154 abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the covering cylinder portion 140 when the pivoting lid portion 150 is in the open position, and restricts the pivoting lid portion 150 from moving to the closed position due to its own weight. When the pivoting lid portion 150 is rotated from the open position to the closed position, the rib 154 moves over the front end opening edge 142 of the covering cylinder portion 140 and moves inside the covering cylinder portion 140. When the rib 154 moves over the front end opening edge 142 of the covering cylinder portion 140, a clicking feeling can be given to the user.

[0059] Further, the pivoting lid portion 150 is provided with a corner portion 155 that abuts against the locking portion 145 when in the open position shown in FIG. 4. The locking portion 145 protrudes from the top of the outer peripheral surface of the covering cylinder portion 140 and is disposed between a pair of bearing portions 144 spaced apart in the front-rear direction. The corner portion 155 is formed around the pivot axis 153 disposed between the pair of bearing portions 144, and prevents the pivoting lid portion 150 from rotating excessively beyond the open position by abutting against the locking portion 145.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 3, when the rotating lid portion 150 is in the closed position, the front wall portion 160 abuts against the lid plate 151 from the front. The front wall portion 160 is disposed at a position that does not overlap with the opening of the foaming cylinder portion 133 in the front-rear direction. That is, the front wall portion 160 is disposed at a position that does not overlap with the ejection hole 4 in the front-rear direction. The front wall portion 160 of the present embodiment is formed in an arc shape or a fan shape in a front view and is disposed on the other side in the left-right direction of the lid plate 151 (the left side of the paper surface in FIG. 3).

[0061] As shown in FIG. 2, a pressing portion 161 for pressing the rotating lid portion 150 backward is formed on the front wall portion 160. The pressing portion 161 is a surface facing the rear of the front wall portion 160 and abuts against the surface facing the front of the lid plate 151, pressing the outer peripheral edge of the lid plate 151 against the front end opening edge 142 of the covering cylinder portion 140. That is, the gap in the front-rear direction between the surface facing the rear of the front wall portion 160 (pressing portion 161) and the front end opening edge 142 of the covering cylinder portion 140 is slightly smaller than the thickness of the lid plate 151.

[0062] Thereby, when the lid plate 151 is inserted into the gap in the front-rear direction between the front wall portion 160 and the front end opening edge 142 of the covering cylinder portion 140, the front wall portion 160 is in a state of being elastically deformed forward instead of the lid plate 151, and an elastic restoring force is applied toward the rear. Note that the gap in the front-rear direction between the surface facing the rear of the front wall portion 160 (pressing portion 161) and the front end opening edge 142 of the covering cylinder portion 140 may be the same as the thickness of the lid plate 151 (a state of abutting without pressing). As shown in FIG. 3, a connecting wall 162 extending rearward is connected to the outer peripheral edge of the front wall portion 160. The connecting wall 162 connects the front wall portion 160 and the covering cylinder portion 140 in the front-rear direction. Depending on the material of the lid plate 151 (for example, a soft material such as an elastomer), it may be slightly compressed when inserted between the front wall portion 160 and the front end opening edge 142 of the covering cylinder portion 140.

[0063] When the swing cover portion 150 is in the closed position shown in FIG. 3, a stopper T that restricts the backward movement of the trigger portion 81 is continuously provided. The stopper T includes a lever portion 170 formed to extend downward from the lower outer peripheral surface of the lid peripheral wall 152, and an interference portion 171 that is continuously provided at the lower end of the lever portion 170, is bent in an L shape when viewed from the front, and is disposed behind the trigger portion 81.

[0064] The lever portion 170 is formed to wrap around from the front of the trigger portion 81 in the left - right direction. A part of the interference portion 171 enters the gap between the trigger portion 81 and the spring receiver 111 from the left - right direction and abuts against the rear of the trigger portion 81. Thereby, the lever portion 170 restricts the backward swing of the trigger portion 81. The gap in the front - rear direction between the surface facing the rear of the trigger portion 81 and the main cylinder 82 (the spring receiver 111 in this embodiment) is slightly smaller than the thickness of the interference portion 171 in the front - rear direction. That is, it has the same relationship as the relationship between the gap between the front wall portion 160 and the front - end opening edge 142 of the covering cylinder portion 140 and the thickness of the cover plate 151. Thereby, when the interference portion 171 abuts against the rear of the trigger portion 81, the swing cover portion 150 continuously provided with the stopper T by the trigger portion 81 is pressed backward. Therefore, a force is also applied backward to the cover plate 151 via the trigger portion 81, making it possible to seal more tightly between the cover plate 151 and the front - end opening edge 142 of the covering cylinder portion 140.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 3, the interference portion 171 is formed with an interference convex portion 172 that interferes with the trigger portion 81 when the rotating lid portion 150 moves between the closed position and the open position. The interference convex portion 172 projects forward from the surface facing the front of the interference portion 171. On the other hand, the trigger portion 81 includes a pair of left and right side walls 81a and a front wall 81b connecting between the pair of left and right side walls 81a. The interference convex portion 172 is disposed between the pair of left and right side walls 81a and interferes with one side (the right side of the paper in FIG. 3) of the pair of left and right side walls 81a. When the rotating lid portion 150 is rotated from the closed position to the open position, the interference convex portion 172 gets over one side of the pair of left and right side walls 81a and moves to the outside of the pair of left and right side walls 81a. When the interference convex portion 172 gets over one side of the pair of left and right side walls 81a, a click feeling can be given to the user.

[0066] (Operation of the trigger-type liquid ejector) Next, the case of using the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 configured as described above will be described. First, from the state shown in FIG. 3, the movement restriction of the trigger portion 81 by the stopper T is released. Specifically, by rotating the stopper T, the stopper T is detached from the gap between the trigger portion 81 and the spring receiver 111. Thereby, the restriction on the backward swing of the trigger portion 81 is released. Also, by the rotation operation of the stopper T, the rotating lid portion 150 connected to the stopper T also rotates, and the rotating lid portion 150 is detached from the gap between the covering cylinder portion 140 and the front wall portion 160 shown in FIG. 2. Thereby, the front end opening 141 of the covering cylinder portion 140 and the ejection hole 4 disposed inside thereof are opened.

[0067] Next, the trigger portion 81 is operated to be pulled backward against the biasing force of the biasing member 84 (see FIG. 1). It is assumed that by operating the trigger portion 81 a plurality of times, the inside of each part of the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 is filled with liquid and the liquid can be sucked up into the vertical supply cylinder portion 10.

[0068] When the trigger part 81 is operated to be pulled backward against the biasing force of the biasing member 84, the main piston 83 moves backward from the most forward position, and the inside of the main cylinder 82 is pressurized. As a result, the liquid in the main cylinder 82 is supplied to the vertical supply cylinder part 10. The liquid supplied to the vertical supply cylinder part 10 presses the ball valve 90 downward and pushes up the storage valve 91.

[0069] Thereby, the liquid in the vertical supply cylinder part 10 can be supplied to the storage space 40a of the storage cylinder 40 through the connection cylinder part 20 and the supply hole 41, and the storage space 40a can be pressurized. Therefore, along with the pressurization of the storage space 40a, the storage plunger 50 can be moved backward from the most forward position against the biasing force of the plunger biasing member 60, and the liquid can be stored (filled) in the storage space 40a. When the storage plunger 50 moves backward, the liquid in the storage space 40a with increased pressure can be guided to the ejection hole 4 through the ejection cylinder part 70. Thereby, the liquid can be ejected forward from the ejection hole 4.

[0070] As described above, every time the operation of pulling the trigger part 81 backward is performed, the liquid can be ejected from the ejection hole 4, and the storage plunger 50 can be moved backward to store the liquid in the storage space 40a.

[0071] Thereafter, when the trigger part 81 is released, the trigger part 81 moves forward by the elastic restoring force (biasing force) of the biasing member 84. Accordingly, the main piston 83 connected to the trigger part 81 also moves forward in the main cylinder 82. Therefore, the inside of the main cylinder 82 can be depressurized to a pressure lower than the pressure in the container body A, so that the ball valve 90 can be lifted while the storage valve 91 remains closed. Therefore, the liquid in the container body A can be sucked up into the vertical supply cylinder part 10 and introduced into the main cylinder 82. Thereby, it can be prepared for the next ejection.

[0072] When the operation directed toward the rear of the trigger unit 81 is stopped, although the supply of the liquid to the storage space 40a through the vertical supply cylinder unit 10 and the connection cylinder unit 20 is stopped, the storage plunger 50 begins to move forward toward the foremost position by the biasing force of the plunger biasing member 60. At this time, the outflow of the liquid from the storage space 40a into the vertical supply cylinder unit 10 is regulated by the storage valve 91.

[0073] Thereby, the liquid accumulated in the storage space 40a can be guided to the ejection hole 4 through the injection cylinder unit 70, and the liquid can be continuously ejected forward through the ejection hole 4. In this way, the liquid can be ejected not only when the operation of pulling the trigger unit 81 backward is performed, but also when the trigger unit 81 is not operated, and continuous ejection of the liquid can be performed.

[0074] As described above, according to the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 of the present embodiment, the liquid can be ejected not only when the operation of pulling the trigger unit 81 backward is performed, but also when the trigger unit 81 is not operated, and continuous ejection of the liquid can be performed. The upper end portion (fulcrum) of the trigger unit 81 is swingably supported by the nozzle member 3, and the main piston 83 is connected to the intermediate portion (action point) of the trigger unit 81. Therefore, by operating the lower end portion (effort point) of the trigger unit 81, for example, the main piston 83 can be efficiently moved by utilizing the so-called lever principle. Therefore, the operability of the trigger unit 81 can be improved.

[0075] Furthermore, according to the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, in the nozzle member 3, the nozzle portion 130 having the ejection hole 4 is surrounded by the covering cylinder portion 140 whose front end is open. A rotating lid portion 150 is connected to the covering cylinder portion 140, and the front end opening 141 of the covering cylinder portion 140 can be opened and closed. When the rotating lid portion 150 is positioned at the closing position for closing the front end opening 141 of the covering cylinder portion 140, it abuts against the front end opening edge 142 of the covering cylinder portion 140 and also abuts against the front wall portion 160 arranged in the front. Thereby, the movement of the rotating lid portion 150 in the front - rear direction with respect to the front end opening 141 of the covering cylinder portion 140 is restricted, and the sealing property of the front end opening 141 of the covering cylinder portion 140 by the rotating lid portion 150 can be enhanced. Therefore, it becomes difficult for outside air to enter from the gap between the rotating lid portion 150 and the front end opening 141 of the covering cylinder portion 140, and drying and solidification of the liquid adhering to the nozzle portion 130 can be suppressed. Further, since the front wall portion 160 is arranged at a position that does not overlap the ejection hole 4 in the front - rear direction, by moving the rotating lid portion 150 to the open position, the liquid can be ejected as usual.

[0076] As described above, the trigger - type liquid ejector 1 according to the present embodiment includes an ejector main body 2 attached to a container body A in which a liquid is stored, and a nozzle member 3 disposed on the front side of the ejector main body 2 and having an ejection hole 4 for ejecting the liquid forward. The ejector main body 2 includes a vertical supply cylinder portion 10 extending in the vertical direction for sucking up the liquid in the container body A, and a trigger portion 81 disposed in a forward - biasing state in front of the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 and movable rearward. By the rearward movement of the trigger portion 81, a trigger mechanism 80 for circulating the liquid from inside the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 toward the ejection hole 4 side is provided. The nozzle member 3 includes a nozzle portion 130 having the ejection hole 4, a covering cylinder portion 140 with an open front end that surrounds the periphery of the nozzle portion 130, and a rotating lid portion 150 that is rotatably connected to the covering cylinder portion 140 about an axis extending in the front - rear direction and moves between an open position for opening the front end opening 141 of the covering cylinder portion 140 and a closing position for closing the front end opening 141 while abutting against the front end opening edge 142 of the covering cylinder portion 140, and a front wall portion 160 that is disposed at a position that does not overlap the ejection hole 4 in the front - rear direction and abuts against the rotating lid portion 150 in the closed position from the front. According to this configuration, solidification of the liquid adhering to the nozzle portion 130 can be suppressed, and the liquid can be stably ejected.

[0077] In addition, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a pressing portion 161 for pressing the rotating lid portion 150 backward is formed on the front wall portion 160. According to this configuration, the rotating lid portion 150 located at the closing position is pressed against the front end opening edge 142 of the covering cylinder portion 140 by the front wall portion 160, so that the sealing performance of the front end opening 141 of the covering cylinder portion 140 can be further enhanced.

[0078] In addition, in the present embodiment, the rotating lid portion 150 is provided with an interference portion 171 that abuts against the trigger portion 81 in the front-rear direction when located at the closing position shown in FIG. 3, and a stopper T that restricts the backward movement of the trigger portion 81 is continuously provided. According to this configuration, the stopper T is continuously provided on the rotating lid portion 150, and the stopper T also interferes with the trigger portion 81 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the movement of the rotating lid portion 150 in the front-rear direction with respect to the front end opening 141 of the covering cylinder portion 140 is restricted doubly by the front wall portion 160, and the sealing performance of the front end opening 141 of the covering cylinder portion 140 by the rotating lid portion 150 can be further enhanced. In addition, the interference portion 171 includes an interference convex portion 172 that interferes with the trigger portion 81 and the stopper T when the rotating lid portion 150 moves between the closing position and the open position. For example, when the rotating lid portion 150 attempts to move from the closing position to the open position due to vibration, dropping, etc., the trigger portion 81 and the stopper T interfere with each other in the left-right direction, so that the rotation of the rotating lid portion 150 is restricted. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the front end opening 141 of the covering cylinder portion 140 from being opened unexpectedly. Also, during use, the rotating lid portion 150 and the stopper T will be rotated integrally. However, if so, as shown in FIG. 4, the stopper T will protrude greatly outward, and it will be in the way when trying to store it in that state. Therefore, the user will surely lock the stopper T after use. As a result, it becomes customary to lock the stopper T of the trigger portion 81 during normal use, and at the same time, the front end opening 141 of the covering cylinder portion 140 can be closed.

[0079] In addition, in the present embodiment, the nozzle unit 130 includes a foaming cylinder portion 133 that extends forward of the ejection hole 4. The foaming cylinder portion 133 is formed on the peripheral wall portion of the foaming cylinder portion 133, and has an external air introduction hole 134 that introduces external air into the inside of the foaming cylinder portion 133, and a rod-shaped stirring portion 135 that is disposed forward of the external air introduction hole 134 and extends from the inner peripheral surface of the front end opening 141 of the foaming cylinder portion 133 toward the center of the foaming cylinder portion 133. According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress drying and sticking of the liquid adhering to the external air introduction hole 134 and the stirring portion 135 of the foaming cylinder portion 133 that extends forward of the ejection hole 4. Thereby, high-quality bubbles can be ejected.

[0080] In addition, in the present embodiment, the ejector main body 2 includes a storage cylinder 40 into which the liquid that has passed through the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 is supplied by the rearward movement of the trigger portion 81, and a storage plunger 50 that is disposed in the storage cylinder 40 so as to be movable in the axial direction along the central axis of the storage cylinder 40, and moves toward one side in the axial direction as the liquid is supplied into the storage cylinder 40 and is biased toward the other side. According to this configuration, the liquid can be supplied from the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 into the storage cylinder 40 to pressurize the inside of the storage cylinder 40. Therefore, it is possible to press the storage plunger 50 toward one side in the axial direction against the biasing force toward the other side in the axial direction, and move the storage plunger 50 toward one side in the axial direction while ejecting the liquid. Therefore, every time an operation of pulling the trigger portion 81 is performed, the storage plunger 50 is moved toward one side in the axial direction, and the liquid can be ejected while storing (filling) the liquid in the storage cylinder 40. Note that after the liquid is filled into the storage cylinder 40 and the operation of the trigger portion 81 is stopped, the supply of the liquid into the storage cylinder 40 through the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 stops, but the storage plunger 50 starts to move back toward the other side in the axial direction. Thereby, the liquid filled in the storage cylinder 40 can be pushed out from the storage cylinder 40 toward the ejection hole 4 side and ejected from the ejection hole 4. Therefore, continuous ejection of the liquid becomes possible. When continuously ejecting a liquid in this manner, by suppressing the drying and sticking of the liquid adhering to the nozzle portion 130, it is possible to prevent an unexpected amount of liquid from being ejected.

[0081] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been explained. However, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. The embodiments and their modifications include, for example, those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those within the equivalent range.

[0082] For example, in the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the case where the stopper T is inserted below the main piston 83 to restrict the rearward movement of the trigger portion 81 has been described as an example. However, a configuration in which the stopper T is inserted above the main piston 83 to restrict the rearward movement of the trigger portion 81 may also be acceptable. In this case, when in the state shown in FIG. 4, the stopper T does not protrude significantly outward, so the usability during use is improved. However, in order to avoid forgetting to apply the stopper T (forgetting to close the rotating lid portion 150), it is preferable to make the stopper T longer as in the above-described embodiment. Further, when the stopper T is inserted above the main piston 83 to restrict the rearward movement of the trigger portion 81, if the trigger portion 81 is pulled forcibly, the lower end portion of the trigger portion 81 may be curved rearward, the main piston 83 may move slightly, and the liquid may be sucked up. In order to avoid this as well, it is preferable to make the stopper T longer as in the above-described embodiment.

[0083] In addition, without departing from the gist of the present invention, it is possible to appropriately replace the components in the above-described embodiment with well-known components.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0084] 1... Trigger-type liquid ejector, 2... Ejector body, 3... Nozzle member, 4... Ejection hole, 5... Cover body, 10... Vertical supply cylinder part, 11... Pipe, 20... Connection cylinder part, 21... Opening, 30... Mounting cap, 40... Storage cylinder, 40a... Storage space, 41... Supply hole, 50... Storage plunger, 60... Plunger biasing member, 70... Injection cylinder part, 80... Trigger mechanism, 81... Trigger part, 81a... Side wall, 81b... Front wall, 82... Main cylinder, 83... Main piston, 84... Biasing member, 90... Ball valve, 91... Storage valve, 100... Plug, 110... Cylinder barrel part, 120... Mounting barrel part, 121... Relay barrel part, 122... Guide shaft, 130... Nozzle part, 131... Nozzle head, 131a... Nozzle wall part, 131b... Outer fitting cylinder part, 131c... Inner cylinder part, 131d... Outer air introduction cylinder part, 131e... Thickness part, 131f... Communication flow path, 132... Nozzle cap, 132a... Cap outer wall, 132b... Annular connection part, 132c... Stirring cylinder part, 133... Foaming cylinder part, 134... Outer air introduction hole, 135... Stirring part, 140... Coating cylinder part, 141... Front end opening, 142... Front end opening edge, 143... Fitting projection, 144... Bearing part, 145... Locking part, 150... Rotating cover part, 151... Cover plate, 152... Cover peripheral wall, 153... Rotating shaft, 154... Rib, 155... Corner part, 160... Front wall part, 161... Pressing part, 162... Connection wall, 170... Lever part, 171... Interference part, 172... Interference projection, A... Container body, O1... Axis, O2... Axis, O3... Axis, T... Stopper

Claims

1. An ejector body mounted on a container body containing a liquid, and a nozzle member disposed on the front side of the ejector body and having an ejection hole for ejecting the liquid forward, The ejector body, includes a vertical supply cylinder portion that extends in the vertical direction and sucks up the liquid in the container body, and has a trigger portion disposed in front of the vertical supply cylinder portion so as to be movable rearward in a forward biasing state. By moving the trigger portion rearward, a trigger mechanism that causes the liquid to flow from inside the vertical supply cylinder portion toward the ejection hole side is provided, The nozzle member, includes a nozzle portion having the ejection hole, a covering cylinder portion having an open front end and surrounding the periphery of the nozzle portion, and a rotating lid portion that is rotatably connected to the covering cylinder portion about an axis extending in the front-rear direction and moves between an open position that opens the front end opening of the covering cylinder portion and a closed position that closes the front end opening while contacting the edge of the front end opening of the covering cylinder portion, and a front wall portion that is disposed at a position that does not overlap the ejection hole in the front-rear direction and contacts the rotating lid portion in the closed position from the front. A trigger-type liquid ejector.

2. The trigger-type liquid ejector according to claim 1, wherein a pressing portion that presses the rotating lid portion rearward is formed on the front wall portion.

3. The trigger-type liquid ejector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotating lid portion has an interference portion that contacts the trigger portion in the front-rear direction when in the closed position, and a stopper that restricts the rearward movement of the trigger portion is continuously provided.

4. The nozzle portion includes a foaming cylinder portion that extends forward of the ejection hole, The foaming cylinder portion, has an outside air introduction hole formed in the peripheral wall portion of the foaming cylinder portion and introducing outside air into the inside of the foaming cylinder portion, A trigger-type liquid ejector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a rod-shaped stirring portion disposed forward of the outside air introduction hole and extending from the inner peripheral surface of the front end opening of the bubble-forming cylinder portion toward the center of the bubble-forming cylinder portion.

5. The ejector body is a storage cylinder into which liquid that has passed through the vertical supply cylinder portion is supplied by the rearward movement of the trigger portion; a storage plunger disposed movably in the axial direction along the central axis of the storage cylinder in the storage cylinder, moving toward one side in the axial direction as the liquid is supplied into the storage cylinder, and being biased toward the other side, the trigger-type liquid ejector according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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