Trigger-type liquid ejector

Abstract

To provide a trigger type liquid sprayer which can foam a liquid and linearly and widely spray the foamed liquid.SOLUTION: A trigger type liquid sprayer 1 includes a nozzle member 3 in which a spray hole 4 is formed. The nozzle member 3 includes: a nozzle wall part 140 in which the spray hole 4 is formed; a recessed spin chamber 143 which is formed on a rear face side of the nozzle wall part 140, communicates with a rear end opening 4b of the spray hole 4, and swirls a liquid in a nozzle circumferential direction around a center axis of the spray hole 4; a spin groove 144 which extends outward from the spin chamber 143, and sends the liquid into the spin chamber 143; and a bubble forming cylinder part which extends frontward from the nozzle wall part 140 and is formed into a cylindrical shape. In the spray hole 4, at least a front end opening 4a shows an elliptical shape when viewed from a front and the back direction, a major axis L1 of the elliptical shape is inclined at an acute angle θ in a direction reverse to a spin direction M at which the liquid swirls in the spin chamber 143 in the nozzle circumferential direction with respect to a major axis L2 of a tip opening of the bubble forming cylinder part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] 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 is known. 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 that is pressurized and depressurized inside as the piston moves and whose inside 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 trigger-type liquid ejector, there is a demand for foaming the liquid and ejecting it linearly and widely.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a trigger-type liquid ejector capable of foaming a liquid and ejecting it linearly and widely.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] (1) The trigger-type liquid ejector according to the present invention includes an ejector body attached to a container body in which a liquid is stored, and a nozzle member attached to the ejector body and having an ejection hole for ejecting the liquid. The ejector body has a vertical supply cylinder portion for sucking up the liquid in the container body, and a trigger portion disposed so as to be movable rearward in a forward biasing state. The trigger mechanism includes a trigger mechanism that circulates 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 wall portion in which the ejection hole is formed, a concave spin chamber formed on the rear surface side of the nozzle wall portion, communicating with the rear end opening of the ejection hole and swirling the liquid in the circumferential direction of the nozzle along the central axis of the ejection hole, a spin groove extending outward from the spin chamber and feeding the liquid into the spin chamber, and a foaming cylinder portion formed in a cylindrical shape extending forward from the nozzle wall portion and having an outside air introduction hole for introducing outside air into the peripheral wall. The foaming cylinder portion has an internal space area that expands as it goes from the base end opening communicating with the ejection hole toward the tip opening that is open at the front, and at least the tip opening has a shape having a major axis and a minor axis when viewed from the front-rear direction. The ejection hole has at least a front end opening that has an elliptical shape when viewed from the front-rear direction. When viewed from the front-rear direction, the major axis of the elliptical shape is inclined at an acute angle in the reverse direction of the spin direction in which the liquid swirls in the spin chamber with respect to the major axis of the tip opening in the circumferential direction of the nozzle.

[0008] According to the trigger-type liquid ejector of the present invention, by operating the trigger portion and moving it rearward, the liquid can be circulated from the inside of the vertical supply cylinder portion toward the ejection hole side. Thereby, the liquid can be ejected outward through the ejection hole of the nozzle member. When the liquid is ejected from the ejection hole, the inside of the foaming cylinder portion becomes negative pressure, and outside air is introduced into the inside of the foaming cylinder portion through the outside air introduction hole. The outside air introduced into the inside of the foaming cylinder portion mixes with the liquid ejected in a mist form and collides with the inner wall surface of the foaming cylinder portion to foam the liquid.

[0009] Incidentally, in the nozzle member, the rear end opening of the ejection hole formed in the nozzle wall portion communicates with a spin chamber that swirls the liquid. The liquid is fed into the spin chamber from a spin groove extending outward. The liquid fed into the spin chamber travels from the rear end opening of the ejection hole toward the front end opening while swirling along the inner wall surface of the ejection hole. Here, at least the front end opening of the ejection hole has an elliptical shape when viewed in the front-rear direction, and when viewed in the front-rear direction, the major axis of the elliptical shape is acutely inclined in the reverse direction of the spin direction in which the liquid swirls in the spin chamber with respect to the major axis of the tip opening of the foaming cylinder portion in the nozzle circumferential direction. The liquid spreads radially at the front end opening of the ejection hole due to the centrifugal force of the spin. However, since the ejection angles of the liquid are different in the major axis direction and the minor axis direction of the elliptical shape, the liquid spreads linearly. Here, the liquid ejected from the major axis direction of the elliptical shape does not spread linearly as it is due to the centrifugal force, but contains a swirling component due to the spin, so it travels three-dimensionally while twisting with respect to the ejection hole. As a result, there is a difference between the major axis direction of the elliptical shape of the ejection hole and the direction in which the liquid is actually ejected linearly. In this regard, since the major axis of the elliptical shape of the ejection hole is acutely inclined in the reverse direction of the spin direction in which the liquid swirls in the spin chamber with respect to the major axis of the tip opening of the foaming cylinder portion in the nozzle circumferential direction, this difference is offset, and the liquid can be ejected widely along the major axis of the tip opening of the foaming cylinder portion. And since the major axis of the tip opening of the foaming cylinder portion coincides with the direction in which the liquid is actually ejected linearly, the collision between the liquid and the inner wall surface becomes substantially uniform, and high-quality linear bubbles can be ejected. Therefore, linear and wide bubbles can be ejected in any direction in which the major axis of the tip opening of the foaming cylinder portion extends. Furthermore, by sliding this trigger-type liquid ejector in the minor axis direction of the tip opening of the foaming cylinder portion, the bubbles can be spread over a wider range.

[0010] (2) The angle of the major axis of the elliptical shape with respect to the major axis of the tip opening may be 10 degrees or more and 45 degrees or less.

[0011] In this case, the angle of the major axis of the elliptical shape with respect to the major axis of the tip opening becomes appropriate, and the liquid can be ejected widely along the major axis of the tip opening of the foaming cylinder portion.

[0012] (3) The rear end opening of the ejection hole has a circular shape, and the ejection hole may change from the circular shape to the elliptical shape as it goes from the rear end opening to the front end opening.

[0013] In this case, since the shape of the inner wall surface of the ejection hole smoothly changes from a circular shape to an elliptical shape as it goes forward, the liquid can be ejected from the front end opening without killing the momentum of the liquid spin.

[0014] (4) The trigger mechanism may include a storage cylinder into which the liquid that has passed through the vertical supply cylinder part is supplied by the rearward movement of the trigger part, and a storage plunger that is disposed movably in the axial direction along the central axis of the storage cylinder in 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.

[0015] In this case, by operating the trigger part and moving it rearward, the liquid can be ejected outward through the ejection hole of the nozzle member. Moreover, the liquid can be supplied from the inside of the vertical supply cylinder part into the storage cylinder to pressurize the inside of the storage cylinder. Therefore, the storage plunger can be pressed toward one side in the axial direction against the biasing force toward the other side in the axial direction, and the storage plunger can be moved toward one side in the axial direction while ejecting the liquid. Therefore, every time the operation of pulling the trigger part is performed, the storage plunger is moved toward one side in the axial direction, and the liquid can be ejected while storing (filling) the liquid in the storage cylinder. Note that after the storage cylinder is filled with the liquid, 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. Thereby, the liquid filled in the storage cylinder can be pushed out from the inside of the storage cylinder toward the ejection hole side and ejected from the ejection hole. Therefore, continuous ejection of the liquid becomes possible. By sliding this trigger-type liquid ejector in the minor axis direction of the tip opening of the foaming cylinder portion, it is possible to spread the foam over a wider range while making the adhesion density of the foam more uniform.

Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the trigger-type liquid ejector of the present invention, a liquid can be foamed and linearly ejected widely.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] 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 spray container in which the trigger-type liquid ejector is attached to a container body will be described as an example.

[0019] 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 200 that stores a liquid, a nozzle member 3 in which an ejection hole 4 for ejecting the liquid is formed and that is attached to the ejector main body 2, and a cover body 5 that covers the ejector main body 2 and the nozzle member 3. In addition, each component of the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 is a molded product made of synthetic resin unless otherwise specified.

[0020] (Ejector Main Body) The injector 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.

[0021] 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 facing the container body 200 is the lower side, and the opposite side is the upper side. The direction along axis O1 is referred to as the vertical direction. Also, in a plan view seen from the vertical direction, one direction intersecting axis O1 is referred to as the front-rear direction, and the direction orthogonal to both the vertical direction and the front-rear direction is referred to as the left-right direction.

[0022] 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 of the axial direction along the central axis of the storage cylinder 40, and the front corresponds to the other side of 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.

[0023] The vertical supply cylinder portion 10 extends in the vertical direction and has a function of sucking up the liquid in the container body 200. The vertical supply cylinder portion 10 is attached to the container body 200 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 200 is fitted to the vertical supply cylinder portion 10.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, a connection cylinder portion 20 extending forward is provided at the upper end portion of the vertical supply cylinder portion 10. The connection cylinder portion 20 is formed in a cylindrical shape having an opening 21 that opens in the front of the injector body 2 and communicates with the inside of the vertical supply cylinder portion 10. A closing plug 100 is attached to the opening 21 of the connection cylinder portion 20 to close (seal) the opening 21.

[0025] Below the connection cylinder part 20 and above the mounting cap 30, a cylinder cylinder part 110 is provided. The cylinder cylinder part 110 protrudes forward from the vertical supply cylinder part 10 and opens forward. A main cylinder 82 is fitted inside the cylinder cylinder part 110. The main cylinder 82 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape that opens forward and is closed at the rear. The inside of the main cylinder 82 communicates with the inside of the vertical supply cylinder part 10.

[0026] The storage cylinder 40 is arranged above the vertical supply cylinder part 10 and the connection cylinder part 20. In this embodiment, the lower end part of the storage cylinder 40 is integrally formed with the upper end part of the vertical supply cylinder part 10 and the upper end part of the connection cylinder part 20. Inside the storage cylinder 40 (the storage space 40a described later), the liquid that has passed through the inside of the vertical supply cylinder part 10 and the connection cylinder part 20 is supplied by the backward swing of the trigger part 81. Specifically, a supply hole 41 that communicates with the inside of the connection cylinder part 20 is formed in the lower part of the front end part of the storage cylinder 40. The supply hole 41 opens in a part located behind the closing plug 100. Thereby, it is possible to supply the liquid that has passed through the inside of the vertical supply cylinder part 10 and the connection cylinder part 20 into the storage cylinder 40 through the supply hole 41.

[0027] The storage plunger 50 is arranged inside 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 backward as the liquid is supplied into the storage cylinder 40. The storage plunger 50 blocks the communication between the inside of the vertical supply cylinder part 10 through the connection cylinder part 20 and the ejection hole 4, and allows the communication between the inside of the vertical supply cylinder part 10 through the connection cylinder part 20 and the ejection hole 4 when it moves backward. That is, the storage plunger 50 blocks the communication between the inside of the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 passing 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 inside of the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 passing through the connection cylinder portion 20 and the ejection hole 4 (inside the injection cylinder portion 70) when moving backward 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.

[0028] The storage space 40a passes through the inside of 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 backward 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.

[0029] The plunger biasing member 60 biases the storage plunger 50 forward. The plunger biasing member 60 is disposed behind 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 operating the trigger portion 81. 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.

[0030] 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 backward. Thereafter, when the hydraulic pressure of the storage space 40a reaches a predetermined value, the storage plunger 50 moves backward against the plunger biasing member 60. As a result, the liquid in the storage space 40a can be supplied to the ejection hole 4 side. Therefore, the storage plunger 50 can function as a pressure accumulator valve.

[0031] The injection cylinder part 70 extends forward from the storage cylinder 40. The injection cylinder part 70 communicates with the inside of the vertical supply cylinder part 10 through the inside of the storage cylinder 40 (storage space 40a) and the connection cylinder part 20. Thereby, the injection cylinder part 70 can guide the liquid that has passed through the inside of the vertical supply cylinder part 10, the inside of the connection cylinder part 20, and the inside of the storage cylinder 40 (storage space 40a) to the ejection hole 4.

[0032] The trigger mechanism 80 includes a trigger part 81, a main cylinder 82, a main piston 83, and a biasing member 84. The trigger mechanism 80 can circulate the liquid from the inside of the vertical supply cylinder part 10 toward the ejection hole 4 side through the inside of the connection cylinder part 20 by the backward swing of the trigger part 81.

[0033] The trigger part 81 is arranged in front of the vertical supply cylinder part 10 so as to be movable backward in a forward-biased state. The trigger part 81 is formed to extend in the vertical direction and is arranged below the injection cylinder part 70. The upper end of the trigger part 81 is pivotally supported by the nozzle member 3 so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction, and the lower end is arranged in front of the main cylinder 82.

[0034] The main piston 83 is arranged inside the main cylinder 82 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The main piston 83 is movable in the front-rear direction in conjunction with the swing of the trigger part 81. Thereby, the inside 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 backward and is closed forward.

[0035] The main piston 83 is biased forward by the biasing force of the biasing member 84. The main piston 83 moves backward as the trigger part 81 swings backward and is pushed into the main cylinder 82. Note that the main piston 83 is located at the foremost position corresponding to when the trigger part 81 is at the foremost swing position.

[0036] 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 within the main cylinder 82 and biases the trigger portion 81 forward via the main piston 83. 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.

[0037] 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 200 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 200 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.

[0038] 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 through the connection cylinder portion 20 into the storage cylinder 40, and is a check valve that restricts the outflow of liquid from the storage cylinder 40 through the connection cylinder portion 20 into the vertical supply cylinder portion 10.

[0039] The cover body 5 is formed to cover at least the entire part of the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 except for the lower end portion, the entire injection cylinder portion 70, and the entire storage cylinder 40 from at least both sides and above in the left - right direction.

[0040] (Nozzle member) The nozzle member 3 is mainly engaged with the injection cylinder portion 70 and assembled to the ejector body 2. The nozzle member 3 includes a mounting cylinder portion 120 externally fitted to the injection cylinder portion 70 from the front, and a nozzle portion 130 mounted on the front end portion of the mounting cylinder portion 120. In the nozzle portion 130, an ejection hole 4 that opens forward and ejects liquid forward is formed.

[0041] The structure of the nozzle member 3 of the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 configured as described above will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting cylinder portion 120 includes a relay cylinder portion 121 that extends forward, and a guide shaft 122 that is located inside the relay cylinder portion 121 and extends forward. In the present embodiment, the coaxial central axis of the relay cylinder portion 121 and the guide shaft 122 is defined as the axis O3. Note that the axis O3 extends along the front-rear direction, and in a front view seen from the direction of the axis O3, the direction intersecting the axis O3 is referred to as the nozzle diameter direction, and the direction that circulates around the axis O3 is referred to as the nozzle circumferential direction.

[0043] On the outer peripheral surface of the guide shaft 122, a notch groove 123 that extends in the front-rear direction is formed. A plurality of notch grooves 123 are formed at intervals around the axis of the guide shaft 122. On the rear side of the guide shaft 122, a communication groove 124 that communicates the notch groove 123 with the inside of the relay cylinder portion 121 is formed. The communication groove 124 communicates with the rear end of the notch groove 123 and is formed from the outer peripheral surface of the guide shaft 122 to the rear surface.

[0044] The inside of the relay cylinder portion 121 communicates with the inside of the injection cylinder portion 70. On the outer peripheral surface of the relay cylinder portion 121, a fitting claw portion 125 into which the nozzle portion 130 is fitted is continuously provided. The nozzle portion 130 includes a head portion 131 mounted on the mounting cylinder portion 120 from the front, and a foaming cylinder portion 132 that extends forward from the head portion 131.

[0045] The head portion 131 is formed in a toped cylindrical shape with the axis O3 as the central axis. The head portion 131 is disposed in front of the guide shaft 122, and includes a nozzle wall portion 140 in which the ejection hole 4 is formed, and an outer fitting cylinder portion 141 that extends rearward from the outer peripheral edge of the nozzle wall portion 140 and is externally fitted to the relay cylinder portion 121 from the front. The ejection hole 4 is formed in the nozzle wall portion 140 while being arranged coaxially with the axis O3.

[0046] The externally fitted cylinder part 141 includes a first cylinder part 141a that is externally fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the relay cylinder part 121, and a second cylinder part 141b that is fitted in a state of being prevented from coming off forward with respect to the fitting claw part 125 of the relay cylinder part 121. The first cylinder part 141a has a diameter that gradually increases toward the rear. The second cylinder part 141b protrudes rearward from the inside of the stepped part of the first cylinder part 141a and is fitted to the fitting claw part 125.

[0047] A part located inside the second cylinder part 141b of the externally fitted cylinder part 141 has an inner cylinder part 142 that is externally fitted to the guide shaft 122 and protrudes rearward. Among the rear surfaces of the nozzle wall part 140, a part located inside the inner cylinder part 142 has a concave spin chamber 143 that communicates with the ejection hole 4 and swirls the liquid inside in the circumferential direction of the nozzle, and a spin groove 144 that extends from the spin chamber 143 toward the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder part 142 and feeds the liquid into the spin chamber 143.

[0048] The spin chamber 143 is formed so as to be recessed toward the front, and is formed in a circular shape in a plan view seen from the front-rear direction as shown in FIG. 4, view B in the direction of the arrow. The spin groove 144 is formed so as to extend in the tangential direction of the inner peripheral wall in the spin chamber 143, and feeds the liquid from the above-described notch groove 123 into the spin chamber 143. Thereby, spin that swirls in the circumferential direction of the nozzle can be applied to the liquid in the spin chamber 143, and the liquid with spin applied can be guided to the ejection hole 4.

[0049] The rear end opening 4b of the ejection hole 4 communicates with the center of the spin chamber 143. The rear end opening 4b of the ejection hole 4 has a circular shape with the axis O3 as the central axis when viewed from the front-rear direction. On the other hand, the front end opening 4a of the ejection hole 4 is larger than the rear end opening 4b and has an elliptical shape with the axis O3 as the central axis when viewed from the front-rear direction. That is, the ejection hole 4 changes from a circular shape to an elliptical shape from the rear end opening 4b toward the front end opening 4a.

[0050] The front end opening 4a (oval forming part), when viewed from the front-rear direction, has the major axis L1 of the oval shape inclined at an acute angle in the reverse direction of the spin direction M in which the liquid swirls in the spin chamber 143 with respect to the reference line L extending in the vertical direction among the nozzle circumferential directions. Specifically, the angle θ of the major axis L1 of the oval shape of the front end opening 4a with respect to the reference line L may be greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, preferably 10 degrees or more and 45 degrees or less.

[0051] Returning to FIG. 2, the foaming cylinder part 132 extending forward from the nozzle wall part 140 includes an outside air introduction cylinder part 150 connected to the nozzle wall part 140 and an expanding cylinder part 151 connected to the outside air introduction cylinder part 150 and having an internal space area that expands as it goes forward. The inside of the outside air introduction cylinder part 150 communicates with the inside of the inner cylinder part 142 through the ejection hole 4.

[0052] On the peripheral wall of the outside air introduction cylinder part 150, outside air introduction holes 152 for introducing outside air to the inside of the outside air introduction cylinder part 150 are formed. The outside air introduction holes 152 penetrate the outside air introduction cylinder part 150 in the radial direction and are formed in a plurality at intervals in the nozzle circumferential direction. In the present embodiment, a pair of outside air introduction holes 152 are formed in the left-right direction of the outside air introduction cylinder part 150.

[0053] The expanding cylinder part 151 has an internal space area that expands from the base end opening 153 communicating with the ejection hole 4 through the outside air introduction cylinder part 150 toward the tip opening 154 that is open at the front. As shown in the arrow-view A diagram of FIG. 3, the base end opening 153 of the expanding cylinder part 151 has a circular shape centered on the axis O3 when viewed from the front-rear direction.

[0054] On one hand, the tip opening 154 of the enlarged cylinder portion 151 is larger than the base opening 153 and, when viewed from the front-rear direction, presents an elliptical shape (second elliptical shape) with the axis O3 as the central axis. That is, the enlarged cylinder portion 151 changes from a circular shape to an elliptical shape as it goes from the tip opening 154 toward the enlarged cylinder portion 151. The tip opening 154 (second elliptical forming portion), when viewed from the front-rear direction, has the major axis L2 of the elliptical shape coinciding with the reference line L extending in the vertical direction. Note that the tip opening 154 only needs to present a shape including a major axis and a minor axis when viewed from the front-rear direction. The "shape including a major axis and a minor axis" can include not only an elliptical shape but also a rectangular shape, a rhombic shape, a long hole shape with both ends of the major axis direction being arcs, a substantially rectangular shape or a substantially rhombic shape with rounded corners, etc.

[0055] (Operation of the trigger-type liquid ejector) Next, the case of using the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 configured as described above will be explained. First, from the state shown in FIG. 1, 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 multiple times, the inside of each part of the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 is filled with liquid and the state is such that the liquid can be sucked up into the vertical supply cylinder portion 10.

[0056] When the trigger portion 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 portion 10. The liquid supplied to the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 presses the ball valve 90 downward and pushes up the storage valve 91.

[0057] As a result, the liquid in the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 can be supplied to the storage space 40a of the storage cylinder 40 through the connection cylinder portion 20 and the supply hole 41, and the storage space 40a can be pressurized. Therefore, as the storage space 40a is pressurized, the storage plunger 50 can be moved rearward from the foremost position against the biasing force of the plunger biasing member 60, and the liquid can be stored (filled) in the storage space 40a. As the storage plunger 50 moves rearward, the liquid in the storage space 40a with increased pressure can be guided to the ejection hole 4 through the injection cylinder portion 70. Thereby, the liquid can be ejected forward from the ejection hole 4.

[0058] As described above, every time an operation of pulling the trigger portion 81 rearward is performed, the liquid can be ejected from the ejection hole 4, and the storage plunger 50 can be moved rearward to store the liquid in the storage space 40a.

[0059] Thereafter, when the trigger portion 81 is released, the trigger portion 81 moves forward by the elastic restoring force (biasing force) of the biasing member 84. Accordingly, the main piston 83 connected to the trigger portion 81 also moves forward in the main cylinder 82. Therefore, the pressure in the main cylinder 82 can be reduced to a pressure lower than the pressure in the container body 200, so that the ball valve 90 can be lifted while the storage valve 91 remains closed. Therefore, the liquid in the container body 200 can be sucked up into the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 and introduced into the main cylinder 82. Thereby, it is possible to prepare for the next ejection.

[0060] When the operation of the trigger portion 81 toward the rear is stopped, although the supply of the liquid to the storage space 40a through the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 and the connection cylinder portion 20 stops, 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 portion 10 is regulated by the storage valve 91.

[0061] As a result, the liquid accumulated in the storage space 40a can be guided through the injection cylinder portion 70 to the ejection hole 4, 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 portion 81 backward is performed, but also when the trigger portion 81 is not operated, and continuous ejection of the liquid can be performed.

[0062] 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 portion 81 backward is performed, but also when the trigger portion 81 is not operated, and continuous ejection of the liquid can be performed. Note that the upper end portion (fulcrum) of the trigger portion 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 portion 81. Therefore, for example, by operating the lower end portion (effort point) of the trigger portion 81, the main piston 83 can be efficiently moved by utilizing the so-called lever principle. Therefore, the operability of the trigger portion 81 can be improved.

[0063] Furthermore, according to the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, in the nozzle member 3, the rear end opening 4b of the ejection hole 4 formed in the nozzle wall portion 140 communicates with the spin chamber 143 that swirls the liquid. The liquid is fed into the spin chamber 143 from a spin groove 144 extending outward. The liquid fed into the spin chamber 143 travels from the rear end opening 4b of the ejection hole 4 toward the front end opening 4a while swirling along the inner wall surface of the ejection hole 4. Here, at least the front end opening 4a of the ejection hole 4 has an elliptical shape when viewed in the front-rear direction, and when viewed in the front-rear direction, the major axis L1 of the elliptical shape is inclined at an acute angle θ in the reverse direction of the spin direction M in which the liquid swirls in the spin chamber 143 with respect to a reference line L extending in the vertical direction in the nozzle circumferential direction.

[0064] The liquid spreads radially at the front-end opening 4a of the ejection hole 4 due to the centrifugal force of the spin. However, since the ejection angles of the liquid are different in the major-axis direction and the minor-axis direction of the elliptical shape, the liquid spreads linearly. Here, the liquid ejected from the major-axis direction of the elliptical shape does not spread linearly as it is by the centrifugal force, but contains a swirling component due to the spin, so it advances three-dimensionally while twisting with respect to the ejection hole 4 (elliptical shape). As a result, there is a difference between the major-axis direction of the elliptical shape of the ejection hole 4 and the direction in which the liquid is actually ejected linearly. In this regard, the ejection hole 4 has the major axis L1 of the elliptical shape inclined at an acute angle θ in the reverse direction of the spin direction M in which the liquid swirls in the spin chamber 143, among the nozzle circumferential directions, with respect to the reference line L extending in the vertical direction. Thus, this difference is offset, and the liquid can be ejected widely in the vertical direction. And since the major axis L2 (reference line L) of the tip opening 154 of the foam-forming cylinder portion 132 coincides with the direction in which the liquid is actually ejected linearly, the collision between the liquid and the inner wall surface becomes substantially uniform, and high-quality linear bubbles can be ejected. Therefore, linear and wide bubbles can be ejected in any direction in which the major axis L2 of the tip opening 154 of the foam-forming cylinder portion 132 extends. Furthermore, by sliding this trigger-type liquid ejector 1 in the minor-axis direction (left-right direction in this embodiment) of the tip opening 154 of the foam-forming cylinder portion 132, the bubbles can be spread over a wider range.

[0065] 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 200 in which a liquid is stored, and a nozzle member 3 attached to the ejector main body 2 and having an ejection hole 4 formed therein for ejecting the liquid. The ejector main body 2 has a vertical supply cylinder portion 10 for sucking up the liquid in the container body 200, and a trigger portion 81 disposed so as to be movable rearward in a forward biasing state. The trigger mechanism 80 circulates the liquid from the inside of the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 toward the ejection hole 4 side by the rearward movement of the trigger portion 81. The nozzle member 3 includes a nozzle wall portion 140 in which the ejection hole 4 is formed, a concave spin chamber 143 formed on the rear surface side of the nozzle wall portion 140, communicating with the rear end opening 4b of the ejection hole 4 and swirling the liquid in the circumferential direction of the nozzle along the central axis of the ejection hole 4, a spin groove 144 extending outward from the spin chamber 143 and feeding the liquid into the spin chamber 143, and a foaming cylinder portion 132 formed in a cylindrical shape extending forward from the nozzle wall portion 140 and having an outside air introduction hole 152 formed in the peripheral wall for introducing outside air. The foaming cylinder portion 132 has an internal space area that expands as it goes from the base end opening 153 communicating with the ejection hole 4 to the tip opening 154 that is open at the front, and at least the tip opening 154 has a second elliptical shape (a shape having a major axis and a minor axis) when viewed from the front-rear direction. The ejection hole 4 has at least a front end opening 4a having an elliptical shape when viewed from the front-rear direction. When viewed from the front-rear direction, the major axis L1 of the elliptical shape is inclined at an acute angle θ in the direction opposite to the spin direction M in which the liquid swirls in the spin chamber 143 with respect to a reference line L (the major axis L2 of the tip opening 154) extending in the vertical direction. According to this configuration, a trigger-type liquid ejector 1 capable of linearly and widely ejecting bubbles in any direction in which the major axis L2 of the tip opening 154 of the foaming cylinder portion 132 extends can be obtained.

[0066] Also, in the present embodiment, the angle θ of the major axis L1 of the elliptical shape of the ejection hole 4 with respect to the reference line L is 10 degrees or more and 45 degrees or less. According to this configuration, the angle θ of the major axis L1 of the elliptical shape of the ejection hole 4 with respect to the reference line L is appropriate, and the liquid can be widely ejected in the vertical direction.

[0067] Further, in the present embodiment, the rear end opening 4b of the ejection hole 4 has a circular shape, and the ejection hole 4 changes from a circular shape to an elliptical shape as it extends from the rear end opening 4b toward the front end opening 4a. According to this configuration, since the shape of the inner wall surface of the ejection hole 4 smoothly changes from a circular shape to an elliptical shape toward the front, the liquid can be ejected from the front end opening 4a without reducing the momentum of the liquid spin.

[0068] Further, in the present embodiment, when the trigger portion 81 is moved rearward, a storage cylinder 40 into which the liquid that has passed through the vertical supply cylinder portion 10 is supplied, and a storage plunger 50 that is disposed in the storage cylinder 40 so as to be axially movable along the central axis of the storage cylinder 40 and that 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 are provided. According to this configuration, by operating the trigger portion 81 to move it rearward, the liquid can be ejected outward through the ejection hole 4 of the nozzle member 3. Moreover, 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, the storage plunger 50 can be pressed toward one side in the axial direction against the biasing force toward the other side in the axial direction, and the storage plunger 50 can be moved toward one side in the axial direction while ejecting the liquid. Therefore, every time the 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. After the storage cylinder 40 is filled with the liquid, when 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. As a result, 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. By sliding this trigger-type liquid ejector 1 in the minor axis direction (the left-right direction in the present embodiment) of the tip opening 154 of the foaming cylinder portion 132, the foam can be spread over a wider range while making the adhesion density of the foam more uniform.

[0069] 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.

[0070] For example, in the above embodiment, the ejection hole 4 changes from a circular shape to an elliptical shape as it goes from the rear end opening 4b to the front end opening 4a. However, it is sufficient that at least the front end opening 4a is elliptical. For example, it may change to an elliptical shape from an intermediate position in the longitudinal direction of the ejection hole 4. Similarly, in the above embodiment, the foaming cylinder portion 132 changes from a circular shape to an elliptical shape as it goes from the base end opening 153 of the expanding cylinder portion 151 to the tip opening 154. However, it is sufficient that at least the tip opening 154 is elliptical.

[0071] For example, in the above embodiment, the configuration in which the major axis L2 of the tip opening 154 of the foaming cylinder portion 132 extends in the vertical direction has been described. However, for example, the configuration in which the major axis L2 extends in the horizontal direction may also be acceptable. In this case, foam can be ejected widely in the horizontal direction. Also, the major axis L2 of the tip opening 154 of the foaming cylinder portion 132 may extend not only in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction but also in an oblique direction.

[0072] For example, in the above embodiment, the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 capable of continuous ejection has been exemplified. However, the present invention can also be applied to a normal trigger-type liquid ejector that does not include the storage cylinder 40 and the storage plunger 50.

[0073] In addition, within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention, it is possible to appropriately replace the components in the above embodiments with well-known components.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0074] 1... Trigger-type liquid ejector, 2... Ejector body, 3... Nozzle member, 4... Ejection hole, 4a... Front end opening, 4b... Rear end opening, 5... Cover body, 10... Vertical supply cylinder portion, 11... Pipe, 20... Connection cylinder portion, 21... Opening, 30... Mounting cap, 40... Storage cylinder, 40a... Storage space, 41... Supply hole, 50... Storage plunger, 60... Plunger biasing member, 70... Injection cylinder portion, 80... Trigger mechanism, 81... Trigger portion, 82... Main cylinder, 83... Main piston, 84... Biasing member, 90... Ball valve, 91... Storage valve, 100... Plug, 110... Cylinder barrel portion, 120... Mounting barrel portion, 121... Relay barrel portion, 122... Guide shaft, 123... Notch groove, 124... Communication groove, 125... Fitting claw portion, 130... Nozzle portion, 131... Head portion, 132... Foaming barrel portion, 140... Nozzle wall portion, 141... Outer fitting cylinder portion, 141a... First cylinder portion, 141b... Second cylinder portion, 142... Inner cylinder portion, 143... Spin chamber, 144... Spin groove, 150... Outside air introduction cylinder portion, 151... Enlarged cylinder portion, 152... Outside air introduction hole, 153... Base end opening, 154... Tip opening, 200... Container body, A... Arrow view, B... Arrow view, L... Reference line, L1... Long axis, L2... Long axis, M... Spin direction, O1... Axis, O2... Axis, O3... Axis, θ... Angle

Claims

1. An ejector body attached to a container body containing a liquid, and a nozzle member attached to the ejector body and having an ejection hole for ejecting the liquid, wherein the ejector body has a vertical supply cylinder portion for sucking up the liquid in the container body, and has a trigger portion disposed so as to be movable rearward in a forward biasing state, and a trigger mechanism for causing the liquid to flow from the inside of the vertical supply cylinder portion toward the ejection hole side by the rearward movement of the trigger portion, wherein the nozzle member has a nozzle wall portion in which the ejection hole is formed, a concave spin chamber formed on the rear surface side of the nozzle wall portion, communicating with the rear end opening of the ejection hole and swirling the liquid in the circumferential direction of the nozzle along the central axis of the ejection hole, a spin groove extending outward from the spin chamber and feeding the liquid into the spin chamber, and a foaming cylinder portion formed in a cylindrical shape extending forward from the nozzle wall portion and having an outside air introduction hole for introducing outside air into the peripheral wall, wherein the foaming cylinder portion has an internal space area that expands from the base end opening communicating with the ejection hole toward the tip opening that is open at the front, and at least the tip opening has a shape having a major axis and a minor axis when viewed from the front-rear direction, wherein the ejection hole has at least a front end opening that has an elliptical shape when viewed from the front-rear direction, a trigger-type liquid ejector in which, when viewed from the front-rear direction, the major axis of the elliptical shape is inclined at an acute angle in the reverse direction of the spin direction in which the liquid swirls in the spin chamber with respect to the major axis of the tip opening in the circumferential direction of the nozzle.

2. The trigger-type liquid ejector according to claim 1, wherein the angle of the major axis of the elliptical shape with respect to the major axis of the tip opening is 10 degrees or more and 45 degrees or less.

3. The rear end opening of the ejection hole has a circular shape, and the ejection hole changes from the circular shape to the elliptical shape from the rear end opening toward the front end opening. The trigger-type liquid ejector according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The trigger mechanism has 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 disposed in the storage cylinder so as to be movable in the axial direction along the central axis of 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 3.

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