Liquid application container

Abstract

To provide a liquid coating container that can ensure smooth and reliable dispensing operation.SOLUTION: Inside a cap 4 which can be attached to a liquid container 2 containing a coating liquid, a snap member 11 provided with a claw part 11c which pulls out a movable stopper in an axial direction by engaging with an engagement groove 8d which is formed on a circumferential surface of the movable stopper 8 with the cap attached to the liquid container and removing the cap. The snap member 11 has: a holder 11a which is attached to an inner surface of the cap; and flexible members 11b whose one ends are attached to the holder and extend in the axial direction; and claw parts 11c which are attached to the other ends of the respective flexible members. Units of the flexible member and claw part are arranged annularly with respect to the holder and evenly spaced in three or more locations. Each claw part 11c is formed to protrude toward the inner surface along the circumference.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an improvement of a liquid application container in which a movable plug is disposed at an opening of a container storing a coating liquid, and the coating liquid can be supplied to an application part by opening and closing the movable plug by moving it in the axial direction.

Background Art

[0002] For example, a coating liquid such as a hair tonic, a cosmetic liquid, or a cleaning liquid is stored in a container, and a movable plug is disposed at the opening of the container. By removing a cap covering the movable plug, the movable plug is pulled up, and a liquid application container is known in which a certain amount of the coating liquid in the container can be led out to an application part. According to this type of liquid application container, by pulling up the movable plug by removing the cap, the movable plug is opened and the container and the metering chamber are configured to communicate with each other. In this state, by introducing the coating liquid in the container into the metering chamber, it is possible to pour out the coating liquid measured in the metering chamber to a supply destination (coated part).

[0003] In this case, although the movable plug can be pulled up by removing the cap, when an engaged part provided on the movable plug side comes off from the cap, there is a problem that the movable plug is pushed down by the reaction force. As described above, when the movable plug is pushed down, the movable plug is in a state close to the closed valve, so that the normal flow of the coating liquid from the container to the metering chamber is bypassed. Therefore, the original function of the liquid application container cannot be achieved because the operation is not stable, such as not obtaining the required coating amount at one time.

[0004] Several proposals have been made to solve the above problems. In Patent Document 1, a cylindrical body is attached to the cap side, and the inner peripheral wall of the cylindrical body is mounted so as to surround a movable plug disposed at the opening of the container. And, on the inner peripheral wall of the cylindrical body, engaging portions to the movable plug disposed on the container side project at intervals along the axial direction, and the protruding dimension of this engaging portion with respect to the movable plug side is formed to gradually decrease toward the opening side of the cylindrical body.

[0005] According to this configuration, when removing the cap, the engaging portion on the cap side formed at the highest position engages with the annular lip formed at the tip of the movable plug, and the movable plug can be pulled out. And when the cap is finally removed, the lip will separate from the engaging portion of the cap formed at the lowest position, so it is explained that the reaction when the cap is separated can be reduced, thereby solving the problem of pushing down the movable plug.

[0006] Also, Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which a cylindrical body is attached to the cap side and the inner peripheral wall of the cylindrical body is attached so as to surround a movable plug disposed at the opening of the container. In this example, an engaging portion protruding in a T-shape is intermittently provided along the inner peripheral direction along the inner peripheral wall on the cap side.

[0007] According to this configuration, when removing the cap, the engaging portion with a wide width at the head portion of the T-shape engages with the annular lip formed at the tip of the movable plug, and the movable plug can be pulled out. And since the engaging portion with a narrow width at the tail end portion of the T-shape will finally separate from the lip of the movable plug, it is explained that the problem of pushing down the movable plug due to the reaction when the cap is separated is solved.

[0008] Patent Document 3 also discloses a configuration in which a cylindrical body is disposed on the cap side and the inner peripheral wall of the cylindrical body is attached so as to surround a movable plug disposed at the opening of the container. In this example, an engaging portion protruding in a T-shape is intermittently provided along the inner peripheral direction along the inner peripheral wall on the cap side, and the lengths on the tail end portion side of the T-shaped engaging portion are formed to be different in the circumferential direction.

[0009] According to this configuration, when removing the cap, the engaging portion with a wide width at the head portion of the T-shape engages with the annular lip formed at the tip of the movable plug, and the movable plug can be pulled out. And, since the lengths of the narrow engaging portions of the T-shaped tail end portion are different, the timing at which the lip of the movable plug separates from the engaging portion is dispersed. This is said to solve the problem of pushing down the movable plug by the reaction force when the cap is separated.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0010]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0011] By the way, according to the liquid application containers disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 to 3, in each case, a cylindrical body is arranged on the cap side, and an engaging portion for the movable plug arranged on the container side protrudes from the inner peripheral wall of the cylindrical body. According to this, since the engaging portion for the movable plug is formed along the inner peripheral wall surrounded by the cylindrical body, the degree of deformation of the engaging portion in the axial direction is small, and it is in a state where the engaging portion is formed on a rigid body so to speak. Therefore, even if the shape or the like of the engaging portion formed on the inner peripheral wall of the cylindrical body is contrived, it is fundamentally difficult to sufficiently absorb the reaction force applied to the movable plug side by the engaging portion when the movable plug separates from the engaging portion.

[0012] The present invention has been made paying attention to the above points, and with the removal of the cap, it is possible to reliably pull up the movable plug disposed on the container side, and at the moment when the cap is separated from the container side, it is possible to reliably absorb the reaction force applied to the pulled-up movable plug and suppress the return of the pulled-up movable plug. An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid application container. The main object of the present invention is to provide a liquid application container that can ensure a smooth and reliable discharge operation of the coating liquid.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0013] The liquid application container according to the present invention made to solve the above problems includes a liquid container for storing a coating liquid, a movable plug disposed at an opening of the liquid container and operable to open and close by moving in the axial direction to supply the coating liquid in the liquid container to an application part, and a cap that can be attached to the liquid container in a state of covering the movable plug. In the cap, a snap member having a claw portion that locks into a locking groove formed on the peripheral surface of the movable plug in a state where the cap is attached to the liquid container and pulls out the movable plug in the axial direction by removing the cap is disposed. The snap member includes a holder attached to the inner surface of the cap, a flexible member having one end thereof attached to the holder and extending in the axial direction, and the claw portion attached to the other end of each flexible member. The unit of the flexible member and the claw portion is arranged annularly and at equal intervals at three or more positions with respect to the holder, and each claw portion is formed to project toward the inner surface along the circumference.

[0014] In this case, preferably, a shell portion is provided that covers the periphery of the movable plug and forms a metering chamber for storing a predetermined amount of the coating liquid between the shell portion and the movable plug. As the movable plug moves in the axial direction, a sliding contact portion formed annularly on the movable plug is configured to come into contact with and slide along the inner diameter portion of the shell portion over the entire circumference. The sliding contact portion and the shell portion are formed of different materials.

[0015] In addition, the coating portion is attached to one end of the spring body, and a base end portion is formed at the other end of the spring body. The coating portion and the base end portion are integrally formed via the spring body to constitute a spring unit. The coating portion is arranged under the urging force that protrudes to the tip of the movable plug by the spring body, and it is desirable that the coating portion and the base end portion have a symmetrical shape.

[0016] Furthermore, it constitutes a part of the metering chamber, and a communication port is formed between the metering chamber and the liquid chamber of the liquid container. It has a plug member that opens and closes the communication port as the movable plug moves in the axial direction. A funnel-shaped recess is formed in the plug member, and a communication port that communicates the metering chamber and the liquid chamber of the liquid container is formed at the center of the recess. When the movable plug is facing upward, with the funnel-shaped recess as an inclined surface, it is desirable that the coating liquid in the metering chamber can be induced by its own weight through the communication port into the liquid chamber of the liquid container.

[0017] Also, in another preferred embodiment, the plug member fitted and attached to the opening of the liquid container is integrally provided with a flange portion that abuts against the tip opening edge of the liquid container. Thus, the plug member is positioned and attached to the opening of the liquid container. A overlapping portion of the tip opening edge of the liquid container and the outer cylinder portion that forms the flange portion of the plug member is inserted into the annular space formed between the inner fitting cylinder and the outer fitting cylinder of the shell portion. In this way, the liquid container, the plug member, and the shell portion are interconnected and assembled.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] According to the liquid coating container of this invention, by removing the cap attached to the liquid container, the claw portion of the snap member attached inside the cap locks into the locking groove formed on the circumferential surface of the movable plug, and the movable plug is pulled up in this locked state. In this case, since the claw portion of the snap member arranged on the cap side locks into the locking groove formed on the circumferential surface of the movable plug, the movable plug can be surely pulled up as the cap is removed. As a result, the coating liquid in the liquid container can be made available for supply to the coating portion.

[0019] On the other hand, since the claw portion for pulling up the movable plug is formed at the end of a flexible member extending in the axial direction, when the claw portion locked in the locking groove of the movable plug leaves the locking groove, the force for the claw portion to return inward (to the original position) is moderated by the action of the flexible member. Therefore, the flexible member can contribute to reliably reducing the reaction force for returning the pulled-up movable plug to the movable plug.

[0020] Moreover, since the unit of the flexible member and the claw portion is arranged annularly and at equal intervals at three or more positions with respect to the holder of the snap member, when the movable plug is pulled up, a pulling force can be applied uniformly along the axial direction to the movable plug. As a result, it is possible to provide a liquid application container that can ensure a smooth and reliable discharge operation.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] The liquid application container according to the present invention will be described based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. In the following figures, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the liquid application container, reference numerals are given to representative parts for convenience of the drawing, and for a more detailed configuration, reference numerals given to the drawings of each individual component constituting the liquid application container may be cited for explanation.

[0023] First, FIGS. 1 to 15 show the liquid application container of the first embodiment. Among them, FIGS. 1 and 2 show the external configuration thereof in perspective views. This liquid application container 1 includes a liquid container 2 for storing the coating liquid, a discharge unit 3 provided on the tip side of the liquid container 2, and a cap 4 that covers the discharge unit 3 and is detachably attached to the liquid container 2. In the present invention, the engagement method of the cap 4 to the liquid container 2 side is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, it is a screwing type. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, a screw groove 2a is formed on the circumferential surface of the tip side of the liquid container 2, and a ridge portion 4a (see FIG. 7) that screws into the screw groove 2a is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the corresponding cap 4.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, the liquid container 2 has a liquid chamber R1 capable of storing a large amount of the coating liquid, and an opening 2b is formed on the tip side thereof. A plug member 5 that constitutes a part of the discharge unit 3 is fitted into the opening 2b, and the discharge unit 3 is attached to the tip side of the liquid container 2 by fitting the plug member 5 into the opening 2b. A shell portion 6 is attached to the tip side in the axial direction with respect to the plug member 5 to form the outer shell of the discharge unit 3. Inside the connected plug member 5 and shell portion 6, a first movable plug 7 and a second movable plug 8 are axially connected and accommodated. These first movable plug 7 and second movable plug 8 form a movable plug that is axially movable.

[0025] In addition, a spring unit 9 is accommodated in the first movable plug 7 and the second movable plug 8. A valve portion 9b serving as an application portion is formed at the tip side of the spring unit 9, and the valve portion 9b is disposed in a state of protruding from the tip portion of the second movable plug 8. Furthermore, a bottomed cylindrical second cap body 4A is fitted and attached to the inner bottom portion on the top surface side of the cap 4. A snap member 11 is attached along the inner bottom portion of the second cap body 4A, and the cap 4 is attached to the liquid container 2 with a claw portion 11c (described later) formed on the snap member 11 being locked to a locking groove 8d (described later) formed on the second movable plug 8.

[0026] Figs. 4 to 8 sequentially show the state in which the movable plugs 7 and 8 of the discharge unit 3 are pulled up by a claw portion 11c (described later) formed on the snap member 11 when the cap 4 is removed from the liquid application container 1. This operation will be described later.

[0027] Fig. 9 shows the single-component configuration of the plug member 5. The plug member 5 is formed with a cylindrical body portion 5a that is fitted into the opening 2b of the liquid container 2 described above, and a connecting portion 5b to a shell portion 6 (described later) having a slightly smaller outer diameter than the cylindrical body portion 5a. Ring-shaped protrusions 5c and 5d are formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the cylindrical body portion 5a and the connecting portion 5b, respectively, and each is configured to function as a retaining means against the liquid container 2 and the shell portion 6.

[0028] A funnel-shaped recess 5e is formed on the tip side of the plug member 5, and a communication port 5f is formed at the center of the recess 5e. The communication port 5f communicates the liquid chamber R1 of the liquid container 2 with a metering chamber R2 for the coating liquid formed in the shell portion 6 (described later). Furthermore, a plurality of small protrusions 5g are intermittently formed near the communication port 5f in the recess 5e so as to surround the communication port 5f. The plurality of small protrusions 5g function as a cushion to relieve the impact when a stepped portion 7b of the first movable plug 7 hits when the first movable plug 7 described later retreats vigorously in the discharge unit 3.

[0029] Figure 10 shows the single-component structure of the shell part 6. At the rear end part of this shell part 6, an inner fitting cylinder 6a and an outer fitting cylinder 6b are formed in a double structure. By inserting the connecting part 5b of the plug member 5 described above into the inner fitting cylinder 6a, the shell part 6 is axially connected to the plug member 5. On the other hand, by inserting the tip opening edge 2c of the liquid container 2 into the annular gap between the inner fitting cylinder 6a and the outer fitting cylinder 6b, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the entire discharge unit 3 is attached to the opening 2b of the liquid container 2.

[0030] A dome part 6c is formed at the central part of the shell part 6, and a space serving as a metering chamber R2 capable of accommodating a predetermined amount of coating liquid is formed inside it. Further, a first inner diameter part 6d and a second inner diameter part 6e whose inner diameters are reduced stepwise are formed from the dome part 6c toward the tip side, and the second inner diameter part 6e supports the second movable plug 8 so as to be axially slidable. Also, an inward projection 6f that projects intermittently in the axial center direction is formed at a position close to the dome part 6c side of the first inner diameter part 6d. This serves to give a certain click feeling to the connected movable plugs 7 and 8 when the second movable plug 8 moves inside the shell part 6. Note that the projection 6f may be formed to project continuously.

[0031] Figure 11 shows the single-component structure of the first movable plug 7. This first movable plug 7 functions as a valve that controls whether to introduce the coating liquid in the liquid container 2 to the discharge unit 3 side. An annular first sliding contact part 7a whose diameter slightly expands toward the tip side is formed on the first movable plug 7. When the first movable plug 7 moves toward the tip side together with the second movable plug 8, this first sliding contact part 7a acts to contact and slide along the entire circumference of the first inner diameter part 6d of the shell part 6. Thereby, it acts to prevent the coating liquid stored in the metering chamber R2 from leaking between the first movable plug 7 and the shell part 6. Incidentally, it is desirable that the first sliding contact portion 7a of the first movable plug 7 and the shell portion 6 are formed of different materials, and the effects thereof will be described later.

[0032] At the central portion of the first movable plug 7, a stepped portion 7b that reduces the diameter is formed, and a second sliding contact portion 7c that slightly increases the diameter toward the rear side is formed in an annular shape from this stepped portion 7b. When the first movable plug 7 moves to the rear side together with the second movable plug 8, the second sliding contact portion 7c functions as a valve that contacts the communication port 5f of the plug member 5 over the entire circumference and closes the communication port 5f.

[0033] Therefore, when the first movable plug 7 moves forward toward the tip side, the second sliding contact portion 7c of the first movable plug 7 separates from the communication port 5f of the plug member 5 and the communication port 5f is opened, and the coating liquid from the liquid container 2 can be introduced into the metering chamber R2. At this time, since the first sliding contact portion 7a of the first movable plug 7 contacts the first inner diameter portion 6d of the shell portion 6, the coating liquid introduced into the metering chamber R2 is prevented from moving toward the second movable plug 8 side. On the other hand, when the first movable plug 7 moves backward toward the rear side, the second sliding contact portion 7c of the first movable plug 7 contacts the communication port 5f of the plug member 5 and closes the communication port 5f. At this time, since the first sliding contact portion 7a of the first movable plug 7 separates from the first inner diameter portion 6d of the shell portion 6, the coating liquid introduced into the metering chamber R2 can move toward the second movable plug 8 side.

[0034] Furthermore, a cross-shaped rib member 7d is provided from the stepped portion 7b of the first movable plug 7 toward the rear side. This rib member 7d is arranged in a state of being inserted into the opening 2b of the liquid container 2. And in the rib member 7d, plate ribs 7e stand upright radially in four directions from the axis of the rib member 7d, and the flow path of the coating liquid from the liquid container 2 is substantially divided into four in the circumferential direction.

[0035] Therefore, the space partitioned by the plate ribs 7e becomes a liquid flow path from the liquid container 2 to the discharge unit 3 side, and since the liquid flow path is divided in the circumferential direction by the cross-shaped rib member 7e, it is difficult to form a liquid film, and the flow of the coating liquid can be kept smooth. Even if a liquid film is formed in one of the divided flow paths, the coating liquid can be smoothly flowed toward the metering chamber R2 through the other flow paths. In addition, a bottomed axial hole 7g is formed in a columnar portion 7f surrounded by the first sliding contact portion 7a of the first movable plug 7. The base end portion 9d of a spring unit 9 described later is to be accommodated in this axial hole 7g.

[0036] FIG. 12 shows the single-component structure of the second movable plug 8. As described above, the second movable plug 8 is connected to the tip end side of the first movable plug 7 and moves integrally in the axial direction. On the rear end side of the second movable plug 8, a short-axis-shaped cylindrical portion 8a is formed, and following this cylindrical portion 8a, a large-diameter portion 8b having a slightly larger diameter is formed. A ring-shaped protrusion 8c is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 8a. The cylindrical portion 8a and the large-diameter portion 8b are inserted into an annular gap formed between the first sliding contact portion 7a and the columnar portion 7f formed on the first movable plug 7. At this time, by the ring-shaped protrusion 8c overcoming the ring-shaped protrusion formed on the columnar portion 7f of the first movable plug 7, the first and second movable plugs 7 and 8 can be joined by fitting.

[0037] On the other hand, on the tip end side of the second movable plug 8, an annular locking groove 8d is formed along its outer peripheral surface. This locking groove 8d is locked to a claw portion 11c of a snap member 11 described later disposed in the cap 4 and acts to be pulled out in the axial direction. And on the inner surface side of the second movable plug 8 provided with the locking groove 8d, its inner diameter is slightly reduced to form a coating liquid discharge hole 8e. Also, between the locking groove 8d and the large-diameter portion 8b, a cylindrical surface 8f having substantially the same diameter is formed along the axial direction, and this cylindrical surface 8f is supported so as to be axially slidable along a second inner diameter portion 6e formed in the shell portion 6.

[0038] Furthermore, in the latter half of the cylindrical surface 8f, a plurality of (for example, four as shown in the figure) coating liquid inflow holes 8g that are long in the axial direction are intermittently formed along the circumference. When the first movable plug 7 and the second movable plug 8 are retracted and the first sliding contact portion 7a of the first movable plug 7 separates from the first inner diameter portion 6d of the shell portion 6, these inflow holes 8g act to introduce the coating liquid from the metering chamber R2 in the shell portion 6 into the second movable plug 8.

[0039] FIG. 13 shows the single-piece configuration of the spring unit 9. In this spring unit 9, a coating portion 9b is attached to the tip side of a central spring body 9a formed in a meandering shape via a flange portion 9c, and a base end portion 9d is attached to the rear end side of the spring body 9a via a flange portion 9e, and these are integrally formed of a resin material. This spring unit 9 is housed inside the connected first movable plug 7 and second movable plug 8, and the tip portion of the valve portion 9b serving as the coating portion is arranged to protrude from the coating liquid discharge hole 8e of the second movable plug 8 by the biasing force of the spring body 9a. Also, the base end portion 9c on the rear end side is housed in a shaft hole 7g formed in the first movable plug 7.

[0040] Note that the coating portion 9b and the base end portion 9d are each formed so as to form a cross shape when viewed in the axial direction, and the unit of the coating portion 9b and the flange portion 9c and the unit of the base end portion 9d and the flange portion 9e are formed in a symmetric shape. Therefore, the coating portion 9b and the base end portion 9d can be used without distinction, which can contribute to simplifying parts management.

[0041] FIG. 14 shows the assembled state of the cap. As already described, a bottomed cylindrical second cap body 4A is fitted and attached to the inner bottom portion on the top surface side of the cap 4. A cylindrical portion 4b is integrally formed with the second cap body 4A on the inner bottom portion of the second cap body 4A. When the cap 4 is attached to the liquid container 2, the coating portion 9b is housed in the cylindrical portion 4b, and the end portion of the cylindrical portion 4b faces the tip portion of the second movable plug 8 and acts to set the movable plugs 7 and 8 in a retracted state. And a snap member 11 is attached to the inner bottom of the second cap body 4A so as to surround the cylindrical portion 4b.

[0042] FIG. 15 shows the single-piece configuration of the snap member 11. This snap member 11 includes an annular holder 11a disposed on the inner bottom surface of the second cap body 4A attached to the cap 4, flexible members 11b each having one end attached to the holder 11a and extending in the axial direction, and claw portions 11c attached to the other end portions of the flexible members 11b. And the units of the flexible members 11b and the claw portions 11c are arranged annularly and at equal intervals with respect to the holder 11a, and each claw portion 11c is formed to project toward the inner surface along the circumference.

[0043] Note that in the example shown in FIG. 15, five units of the flexible members 11b and the claw portions 11c are provided and arranged at equal intervals with respect to the holder 11a, and are integrally formed of a resin material together with the holder 11a. It is desirable that the units of the flexible members 11b and the claw portions 11c be formed at equal intervals at three or more locations. Also, a ring-shaped projection 11d is formed along the outer periphery of the annular holder 11a. This projection 11d prevents the snap member 11 from detaching from the second cap body 4A by fitting over a ring-shaped projection formed in the second cap body 4A.

[0044] FIGS. 3 to 8 sequentially show the state from loosening the screw of the cap 4 attached to the liquid container 2 to removing the cap 4 from the liquid container 2. As already described with reference to FIG. 3, it is the state where the cap 4 is attached to the liquid container 2. In this state, the second sliding contact portion 7c of the movable plug 7 closes the communication port 5f of the plug member 5. Therefore, the coating liquid in the liquid container 2 is prevented from flowing to the discharge unit 3 side.

[0045] Figure 4 shows a state in the process of removing the cap 4 by rotating the cap 4 from the liquid container 2. In this state, the movable plugs 7 and 8 are pulled upward by the claw portions 11c of the snap member 11, and the second sliding contact portion 7c of the movable plug 7 keeps the communication port 5f of the plug member 5 closed. At the same time, the first sliding contact portion 7a of the movable plug 7 contacts the first inner diameter portion 6d of the shell portion 6.

[0046] Figures 5 and 6 show a state immediately before the cap 4 is removed. In this state, the movable plugs 7 and 8 are further pulled upward. The second sliding contact portion 7c of the movable plug 7 opens the communication port 5f of the plug member 5. On the other hand, the first sliding contact portion 7a of the movable plug 7 contacts the first inner diameter portion 6d of the shell portion 6, and the large diameter portion 8b of the movable plug 8 is locked to the boundary portion between the first inner diameter portion 6d and the second inner diameter portion 6e of the shell portion 6. As a result, the pulling positions of the movable plugs 7 and 8 reach the uppermost part. In this state, since the protrusion 4a of the cap 4 comes off from the screw groove 2a of the liquid container 2, the cap 4 can be separated from the liquid container 2 as shown in Figure 7.

[0047] Therefore, by turning the discharge unit 3 downward in this state, the coating liquid in the liquid chamber R1 of the liquid container 2 flows into the metering chamber R2 formed in the discharge unit 3 through the communication port 5f of the plug member 5. As a result, the metering chamber R2 is filled with the coating liquid. In a state where the discharge unit 3 of the metering discharge container 1 is directed downward like this, when the valve portion 9b together with the movable plugs 7 and 8 is applied to the supply portion (coated surface) and pushed in, the movable plugs 7 and 8 will retreat and the second sliding contact portion 7c will close the communication port 5f.

[0048] That is, when the communication port 5f from the liquid container 2 is closed by the first movable plug 7, the coating liquid is metered by the metering chamber R2. Furthermore, when the valve portion 9b together with the movable plugs 7 and 8 is applied to the supply portion (coated surface) and pushed in, the coating liquid in the metering chamber R2 flows into the movable plugs 7 and 8 through the coating liquid inflow hole 8g. Then, by pushing the valve portion 9b against the movable plugs 7 and 8, the coating liquid in the movable plugs 7 and 8 is discharged onto the coated surface.

[0049] Figure 8 shows the state of the coating part (valve part 9b) at this time. Figure 8(A) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion indicated by arrow a-a in Figure 7, and Figure 8(B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion indicated by arrow b-b in Figure 7. As already described, the valve part 9b that constitutes the coating part has a cross-section perpendicular to the axis forming a cross shape, and a flange part 9c is arranged at the rear part thereof. And the valve part 9b is arranged so as to protrude from the coating liquid discharge hole 8e of the movable plug 8.

[0050] Therefore, when the valve part 9b is pushed into the coating liquid discharge hole 8e, a gap is generated between the flange part 9c located at the rear part of the valve part 9b and the coating liquid discharge hole 8e, and the coating liquid is discharged from this gap. Thereby, the coating liquid is discharged through four discharge holes formed along the axial direction between the valve part 9b having a cross-shaped cross-section and the coating liquid discharge hole 8e.

[0051] As described above, when the discharge of the coating liquid in the movable plugs 7 and 8 is completed and the cap 4 is put on and closed again, the claw part 11c on the cap 4 side is locked to the locking groove 8d of the second movable plug 8. And when the cap 4 is removed again, the movable plugs 7 and 8 are pulled up, and the flow path from the liquid chamber R1 of the liquid container 2 to the metering chamber R2 is opened, and the state becomes such that the coating liquid can be supplied to the metering chamber R2.

[0052] By the way, in this type of liquid coating container 1, as described at the beginning, there may occur a problem that the movable plugs 7 and 8 that have already been pulled up are pushed down by the reaction force at the moment when the cap 4 is removed from the liquid container 2. Therefore, according to the liquid coating container 1 according to the present invention that employs the snap member 11 described above, the reaction force for pushing down the movable plugs 7 and 8 can be surely reduced, and the operation thereof will be described below.

[0053] As shown in Figure 15, the snap member 11 adopts a configuration provided with a claw part 11c via a flexible member 11b with respect to the holder 11a. That is, the flexible member 11b is formed in a relatively thin band shape and is arranged along the axial direction with respect to the holder 11a. Therefore, as shown by the arrows X and Y in Fig. 15(C), when the snap member 11 pulls up the movable plugs 7 and 8 with the claw portions 11c, the force in the direction of arrow Y that acts can be made large. Further, when the cap 4 comes off from the liquid container 2 and the claw portions 11c return to their original state, the force (reaction force) in the direction of arrow X that acts is reduced and moderated by the action of the flexible member 11b with a thin wall thickness.

[0054] Therefore, when pulling up the movable plugs 7 and 8, the movable plugs 7 and 8 can be pulled up to the upper limit position by the force acting in the direction of arrow Y in Fig. 15(C). And when the claw portions 11c disengage from the locking grooves 8d of the movable plug 8 and return to their original state, the reaction force can be kept small, so the action of pushing down the pulled-up movable plugs 7 and 8 can be surely reduced.

[0055] Incidentally, according to the values obtained by analysis, it has been verified that the force (as the arrow Y) required to pull up the movable plugs 7 and 8 of the prototype liquid application container 1 is 10 N or more, and the pushing down of the movable plugs 7 and 8 does not occur if it is 4 N or less. According to the structural analysis of the prototype snap member 11, the force (the force acting as the arrow Y) when the claw portions 11c open and disengage from the locking grooves 8d of the movable plug 8 is 3.25 N per one claw portion 11c × 5 claw portions = 16.25 N... (Equation 1) The force (the force acting as the arrow X) that tries to return to the original state after the claw portions 11c disengage from the locking grooves 8d of the movable plug 8 is 0.8 N per one claw portion 11c × 5 claw portions = 4 N... (Equation 2) The results could be obtained.

[0056] Even from this analysis result, by using the snap member 11 having the above-described configuration, it is possible to surely pull up the movable plugs 7 and 8 along with the removal of the cap 4, and it is possible to provide a liquid application container that can surely reduce the reaction force that tries to return the pulled-up movable plugs 7 and 8.

[0057] Incidentally, in the snap member 11 used in this embodiment, units of the flexible member 11b and the claw portion 11c are arranged at equal intervals at five positions along the holder 11a. However, by arranging these units at equal intervals at three or more positions, when the movable plugs 7 and 8 are pulled up, a pulling force can be evenly applied along the axial direction to the movable plugs 7 and 8. As a result, it is possible to provide a liquid application container that can ensure smooth and reliable operation.

[0058] Most of the components constituting the liquid application container 1 described above can be formed of a resin material respectively. In this case, it is desirable that the first movable plug 7 having the first sliding contact portion 7a and the shell portion 6 are formed of different materials respectively. That is, the first sliding contact portion 7a acts so as to come into contact with and slide along the entire circumference of the first inner diameter portion 6d of the shell portion 6, thereby preventing the coating liquid stored in the metering chamber R2 from leaking between the first movable plug 7 and the shell portion 6.

[0059] In this case, the shell portion 6 is formed of, for example, polypropylene (PP), and the first movable plug 7 (the first sliding contact portion 7a) is desirably formed of, for example, polyethylene (PE) which is softer than the PP. According to this, the first sliding contact portion 7a of the movable plug 7 can slide while being flexibly deformed and adhered to the material forming the shell portion 6, and the problem that the coating liquid in the metering chamber R2 leaks from portions other than the application portion (valve portion 9b) at the tip and reduces the commercial value can be avoided.

[0060] Incidentally, in this embodiment, a funnel-shaped recess 5e is formed in the plug member 5, and a communication port 5f is formed at the center of the recess 5e. When the discharge unit 3 (movable plugs 7 and 8) is turned upward, the funnel-shaped recess 5e formed in the plug member 5 acts as an inclined surface to guide the coating liquid in the metering chamber R2 to the liquid chamber R2 of the liquid container 2 through the communication port 5f by its own weight.

[0061] According to this configuration, for example, in the state where the movable plugs 7 and 8 are pulled up as shown in FIG. 7, after the movable plugs 7 and 8 are turned downward and the coating liquid is introduced into the metering chamber R2, when the coating operation is stopped in this state and the liquid coating container 1 is placed on a table or the like, the coating liquid in the metering chamber R2 is quickly returned to the liquid chamber R1 of the liquid container 2 by the inclined surface of the recess 5e. Thereby, it is possible to avoid the problem that a small amount of coating liquid continues to remain in the metering chamber R2.

[0062] Next, FIGS. 16 to 19 show the liquid coating container of the second embodiment. FIG. 16 shows a cross-sectional view of the overall configuration of the liquid coating container 1 with the cap 4 attached. This corresponds to FIG. 3 showing the liquid coating container 1 of the first embodiment already described. FIG. 17 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the main part of the liquid coating container 1 shown in FIG. 16. In addition, the single-piece configurations of the plug member 5 and the shell portion 6 employed in the liquid coating container 1 of the second embodiment are shown in FIGS. 18 and 19. First, the configurations of these respective members will be described. In FIGS. 16 to 19, parts corresponding to the respective parts of the liquid coating container 1 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Therefore, detailed description and description of the functions and effects thereof are omitted. In the following, mainly the unique configuration of the liquid coating container 1 of the second embodiment and its functions and effects will be described.

[0063] In the plug member 5 employed in this second embodiment, as particularly shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 18(C), a cylindrical outer cylinder portion 5j is continuously formed flush with the cylinder portion 5a along the axial direction of the plug member 5. The cylinder portion 5a and the outer cylinder portion 5j are fitted and attached to the opening 2b of the liquid container 2. That is, the outer cylinder portion 5j is formed so as to surround the connecting portion 5b to the shell portion 6, and the inner fitting cylinder 6a of the shell portion 6 is configured to be fitted and supported by an annular groove 5k formed between the outer cylinder portion 5j and the connecting portion 5b. In addition, an annular flange portion 5m is integrally formed at the front end portion of the outer cylinder portion 5j so as to face outward, and by the flange portion 5m abutting against the tip opening edge 2c of the liquid container 2, the plug member 5 is axially positioned with respect to the liquid container 2.

[0064] On the other hand, the shell portion 6 shown in FIG. 19 employed in this liquid application container 1 has a double structure formed by an inner fitting cylinder 6a and an outer fitting cylinder 6b. In particular, the outer fitting cylinder 6b is formed longer toward the rear end portion side compared to the outer fitting cylinder 6b in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 10. According to this, since the outer fitting cylinder 6b of the shell portion 6 can contact along the opening peripheral surface of the liquid container 2 from the tip opening edge 2c of the liquid container 2 with a relatively long distance, it can contribute to stabilizing the attachment of the shell portion 6 to the liquid container 2. And by inserting the overlapping portion of the tip opening edge 2c of the liquid container 2 and the outer cylinder portion 5j of the plug member 5 into the annular space 6g formed between the inner fitting cylinder 6a and the outer fitting cylinder 6b of the shell portion 6, the shell portion 6 is attached to the liquid container 2 and the plug member 5.

[0065] The overall configuration of the liquid application container 1 of the second embodiment is shown in FIG. 16, but the cap 4 and the second cap body 4A side shown in this FIG. 16 are shown in a state rotated 90 degrees axially with respect to the state shown in FIG. 3. As shown in an enlarged manner in FIG. 17, the above-described flange portion 5m formed on the plug member 5 is locked to the tip opening edge 2c of the liquid container 2, and the plug member 5 is positioned and attached with respect to the liquid container 2. That is, the cylindrical body portion 5a and the outer cylinder portion 5j of the plug member 5 are inserted and fitted into the opening portion 2b of the liquid container 2, and by the flange portion 5m locking to the tip opening edge 2c of the liquid container 2, the axial positioning of the plug member 5 with respect to the liquid container 2 is performed.

[0066] Then, the inner fitting cylinder 6a of the shell part 6 is inserted into the annular groove 5k of the plug member 5, and the overlapping part of the tip opening edge 2c of the liquid container 2 and the outer cylinder part 5j of the plug member 5 is inserted into the annular space 6g formed between the inner fitting cylinder 6a and the outer fitting cylinder 6b of the shell part 6, so that the liquid container 2, the plug member 5, and the shell part 6 are interconnected and assembled. With this configuration, the mutual positional accuracy among the liquid container 2, the plug member 5, and the shell part 6 can be improved, so that the metering accuracy of the coating liquid by the metering chamber R2 formed in the shell part 6 can be improved.

[0067] Further, in this liquid coating container 1, as shown in FIG. 17, a first annular protrusion 2d and a second annular protrusion 2e that project annularly outward are formed above and below the vicinity of the opening edge 2c of the liquid container 2. The first annular protrusion 2d is in contact with the inner surface of the base end portion side of the outer fitting cylinder 6b of the shell part 6, and the second annular protrusion 2e is in contact with the inner surface of the rear opening of the outer fitting cylinder 6b. That is, in the liquid coating container 1 of the second embodiment, compared with the liquid coating container 1 of the first embodiment, the axial length dimension of the outer fitting cylinder 6b of the shell part 6 is formed to be longer, and at two positions of the first annular protrusion 2d and the second annular protrusion 2e formed at a predetermined distance near the opening edge 2c of the liquid container 2, the outer fitting cylinder 6b of the shell part 6 is configured to be supported. With this configuration, for example, when a so-called kinking is applied to the outer fitting cylinder 6b portion of the shell part 6 with the tip of a driver tool or the like, the problem that the shell part 6 is easily detached from the liquid container 2 is improved, and a liquid coating container with an improved mounting strength of the shell part 6 to the liquid container 2 can be provided.

[0068] Further, in the liquid coating container 1 shown in FIG. 16, for example, compared with the liquid coating container 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the length dimension of the locking groove 8d provided in the second movable plug 8 is set to be larger. Accordingly, the length dimensions of the coating portion 9b and the base end portion 9d in the spring unit 9 are increased respectively, and the axial length of the cylindrical portion 4b formed on the inner bottom portion of the second cap body 4A is reduced. According to the above-described configuration, in the state shown in Fig. 16 where the cap 4 is attached to the liquid container 2, the claw portion 11c of the snap member 11 disposed in the cap 4 reaches the position of the locking groove 8d of the second movable plug 8 with a margin. Therefore, when the cap 4 is removed from the liquid container 2, the movable plugs 7 and 8 can always be set in a state of being pulled up to the uppermost position by the locking action of the claw portion 11c of the snap member 11. As a result, it becomes possible to surely perform the metering operation of the coating liquid for filling the metering chamber R2 with the coating liquid in the liquid container 2, and the reliability of the metering operation of this type of liquid coating container 1 can be ensured.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0069] 1 Liquid coating container 2 Liquid container 2b Opening 2c Tip opening edge 2d First annular projection 2e Second annular projection 3 Discharge unit 4 Cap 4A Second cap body 5 Plug member 5a Cylindrical body portion 5b Connecting portion 5e Funnel-shaped recess 5f Communication port 5j Outer cylinder 5k Annular groove 5m Flange portion 6 Shell portion 6a Inner fitting cylinder 6b Outer fitting cylinder 6c Dome portion 6d First inner diameter portion 6e Second inner diameter portion 6g Annular space 7 First movable plug (movable plug) 7a First sliding contact portion 7c Second sliding contact portion 7d Rib member 7e Plate rib 8 Second movable plug (movable plug) 8d Locking groove 8e Coating liquid discharge hole 8g Coating Liquid Inflow Hole 9 Spring Unit 9a Spring Body 9b Coating Part (Valve Part) 9d Base End Part 11 Snap Member 11a Holder 11b Flexible Member 11c Claw Part R1 Liquid Chamber R2 Metering Chamber

Claims

1. A liquid container for containing a coating liquid, a movable plug disposed at an opening of the liquid container and configured to open and close by axial movement to supply the coating liquid in the liquid container to a coating portion, and a cap that can be attached to the liquid container while covering the movable plug, inside the cap, a snap member having a claw portion that is locked to a locking groove formed on the circumferential surface of the movable plug when the cap is attached to the liquid container, and the movable plug is axially pulled out by removing the cap is disposed, the snap member includes a holder attached to the inner surface of the cap, a flexible member having one end portion attached to the holder and extending in the axial direction, and the claw portion attached to the other end portion of the flexible member, the unit of the flexible member and the claw portion is arranged annularly with respect to the holder and at equal intervals at three or more positions, and each of the claw portions protrudes toward the inner surface along the circumference, the coating portion is attached to one end portion of a spring body, and a base end portion is formed at the other end portion of the spring body, and the coating portion and the base end portion are integrally formed via the spring body to constitute a spring unit, the coating portion is disposed under a biasing force that protrudes from the tip of the movable plug by the spring body, and the coating portion and the base end portion have a symmetrical shape, a liquid coating container characterized by that.

2. A liquid container for containing a coating liquid, a movable plug disposed at an opening of the liquid container and configured to open and close by axial movement to supply the coating liquid in the liquid container to a coating portion, and a cap that can be attached to the liquid container while covering the movable plug, inside the cap, a snap member having a claw portion that is locked to a locking groove formed on the circumferential surface of the movable plug when the cap is attached to the liquid container, and the movable plug is axially pulled out by removing the cap is disposed, the snap member includes a holder attached to the inner surface of the cap, a flexible member having one end portion attached to the holder and extending in the axial direction, and the claw portion attached to the other end portion of the flexible member, the unit of the flexible member and the claw portion is arranged annularly with respect to the holder and at equal intervals at three or more positions, and each of the claw portions protrudes toward the inner surface along the circumference, a shell portion that covers around the movable plug and forms a metering chamber for storing a predetermined amount of the coating liquid between the shell portion and the movable plug is provided, As the movable plug moves axially, a sliding contact portion formed annularly on the movable plug is configured to come into contact with and slide along the entire circumference of the inner diameter portion of the shell portion. The sliding contact portion and the shell portion are formed of different materials respectively. It has a plug member that forms part of the metering chamber, a communication port is formed between the metering chamber and the liquid chamber of the liquid container, and the communication port is opened and closed as the movable plug moves axially. A funnel-shaped recess is formed in the plug member, and a communication port that communicates the metering chamber and the liquid chamber of the liquid container is formed at the center of the recess. When the movable plug is facing upward, with the funnel-shaped recess as an inclined surface, the coating liquid in the metering chamber can be induced by its own weight through the communication port into the liquid chamber of the liquid container. The plug member fitted and attached to the opening of the liquid container is integrally provided with a flange portion that abuts against the tip opening edge of the liquid container, so that the plug member is positioned and attached to the opening of the liquid container. A liquid application container, characterized in that an overlapping portion between the tip opening edge of the liquid container and the outer cylinder portion forming the flange portion of the plug member is inserted into the annular space formed between the inner fitting cylinder and the outer fitting cylinder of the shell portion, whereby the liquid container, the plug member, and the shell portion are interconnected and assembled.

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