Discharge pump and discharge container

Abstract

To provide a discharge pump and a discharge container capable of discharging a content into a foamy state, and which is compact and easy to use as a whole.SOLUTION: A discharge container includes: a mounting part 20 that attaches a discharge pump to a mouth part 11 of a container body 10 that stores a liquid content; a push down head 30 provided on the mounting part 20 so as to be able to push down toward the container body 10 side in an axial direction of the mouth part 11; a pump mechanism 40 that operates in accordance with a push down operation of the push down head 30; a discharge port part 50 having a discharge hole 51 for discharging the content delivered by the pump mechanism 40, and held to be displaceable between a first direction in which the discharge hole 51 is oriented along the axial direction with respect to the push down head 30 and a second direction that is transverse to the axis; and a foam making mechanism 60 that supplies air to the content discharged from the discharge port part 50 to make the content foamy.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a discharge pump that discharges contents contained in a container body using a pump mechanism, and a discharge container. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, a dispensing container has been proposed that includes a discharge port portion for dispensing the contents of the container body to the outside, a push-down head that holds the discharge port portion on the container body so that it can be pressed toward the container body, and a pump mechanism that operates in response to the push-down action of the push-down head, and the discharge port portion is arranged upward with respect to the central axial direction of the opening of the container body. In this dispensing container, a discharge head cover is provided on the push-down head. When the discharge head cover is pressed down with a hand or the like, the contents are discharged axially upward from the discharge port portion, allowing the contents to directly adhere to the hand that pressed down the discharge head cover.

[0003] In the discharge container disclosed in Patent Document 1, the discharge head cover is rotatable relative to the push-down head, and when the orientation of the discharge head cover is changed, the orientation of the discharge outlet portion is also changed. When the discharge cover is turned sideways, the discharge outlet portion also turns sideways. In this state, when the push-down head is pressed down, the discharge container can be used like a normal spray container.

[0004] It would be convenient if such a discharge container could be used as a container for discharging cosmetics, medicines, etc. onto the scalp or body, and the contents could be directly discharged by pressing the discharge head cover against the desired position.

[0005] However, the dispensing container disclosed in Patent Document 1 is intended to dispense the contents mainly in a liquid state. This is fine when dispensing the contents onto the palm of the hand, but when dispensing the liquid contents directly onto other parts of the body such as the scalp, the contents will not stay at the dispensing site but will drip down.

[0006] Therefore, it is conceivable to make the contents foam when discharging them, as in the foam discharge pump disclosed in Patent Document 2. If the contents can be discharged in foam form, it becomes easier to keep the contents at the discharge site, and the amount discharged per time can be ensured. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-041788 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-214116 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Incidentally, when dispensing the contents onto the scalp or the like, the container is held in the hand. As disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2, a foam discharge pump for foaming the contents is provided with cylinder members and piston members for liquid and air, respectively. It is also provided with an air-liquid mixing chamber for mixing the contents with air. Furthermore, when foaming the contents, the flow path also needs to be enlarged. For these reasons, foam discharge pumps tend to be large, and applying conventional foam discharge pumps to containers that are held in the hand tends to result in an overall large size.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a discharge pump and a discharge container that are compact overall and easy to use, and that can discharge the contents in foam form. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the discharge pump according to the present invention comprises: an attachment part attached to the mouth of a container body that contains liquid contents; a push-down head provided on the attachment part so as to be pushable toward the container body along the axial direction of the mouth part; a pump mechanism that operates in response to the push-down action of the push-down head; a discharge outlet part having a discharge hole for discharging the contents delivered by the pump mechanism, the discharge outlet part being held displaceable between a first orientation in which the discharge hole is oriented along the axial direction with respect to the push-down head, and a second orientation that intersects with the axial direction; and a foaming mechanism that supplies air to the contents discharged from the discharge outlet part to foam the contents. the discharge port portion has a discharge tube having the discharge hole at one end thereof, and a rotating tube provided at the other end thereof and communicating with the discharge tube, the flow path in the rotating tube is oriented to intersect with the flow path in the discharge tube, the rotating tube is rotatably disposed within the press-down head, and the rotating tube and the flow path of the pump mechanism are in communication with each other; It is characterized by:

[0011] In the discharge pump of the present invention, it is preferable that the foam-making mechanism comprises an insertion tube portion into which the discharge port portion is inserted, a mesh portion provided in the insertion tube portion and through which the contents discharged from the discharge hole pass, and an air introduction hole provided in the insertion tube portion between the discharge hole and the mesh portion.

[0012] In the discharge pump of the present invention, it is preferable that the discharge pump has a base end tube including the foam-making mechanism, and a cover portion connected to the base end tube and expanding in diameter toward the tip opening, and is provided with a discharge cover portion that is rotatably attached to the push-down head, and the discharge outlet portion is displaced between the first orientation and the second orientation as the discharge cover portion rotates, and the contents that have passed through the foam-making mechanism pass inside the cover portion and are discharged to the outside from the tip opening.

[0014] In the discharge pump according to the present invention, it is preferable that the container body has a storage space that stores the content and that reduces in volume as the content decreases.

[0015] In order to solve the above problem, a discharge container according to the present invention is characterized by including the discharge pump and the container body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] The discharge pump according to the present invention can be attached to the mouth of a container body via an attachment part. When the push-down head is pressed toward the container body along the axial direction of the mouth, the pump mechanism is activated and the contents in the container body are delivered to the discharge port part. In the discharge pump according to the present invention, the discharge port part is held so as to be movable between a first orientation in which the discharge holes are oriented along the axial direction relative to the push-down head, and a second orientation in which the discharge holes are oriented intersecting the axial direction. Furthermore, air is supplied to the contents discharged from the discharge port part by a foaming mechanism, and the contents are foamed and discharged to the outside. Therefore, the discharge pump according to the present invention, or a discharge container having the discharge pump attached to the container body, can discharge the foamed contents in different directions.

[0017] Furthermore, in the discharge pump according to the present invention, by locating the foaming mechanism downstream of the discharge hole instead of upstream of the discharge hole, the flow path from the pump mechanism to the discharge hole can be configured with a small diameter. Also, there is no need to locate a gas-liquid mixing chamber inside the container body or around the opening of the container body. These features make it easy to configure the discharge pump and the entire discharge container compact. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a discharge pump and a discharge container according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front. [Figure 2] 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the discharge pump and the discharge container shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the side. [Figure 3] 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining the internal configuration of the discharge pump shown in FIG. 1, where FIG. 2A is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the extrusion head, the discharge port portion, and the discharge cover portion, FIG. 2B is a diagram for explaining the foam-generating mechanism, and FIG. 2C is a diagram for explaining the flow path inside the discharge pump. [Figure 4] 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining the configuration and operation of the discharge cover part provided in the discharge pump shown in FIG. 1, where (a) shows the discharge cover part (and discharge outlet part) in a first orientation, and (b) shows the discharge cover part (and discharge outlet part) in a second orientation. [Figure 5] 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining the usage mode of the discharge pump shown in FIG. 1, in which (a) and (b) show a state in which the discharge cover part (and the discharge port part) are in a second orientation, and (c) shows a state in which the discharge cover part (and the discharge port part) are in a first orientation. [Figure 6] 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a usage mode of the discharge container shown in FIG. 1, showing a state where the discharge port portion is used in a second orientation. [Figure 7] 2 is a diagram for explaining a usage mode of the discharge container shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the discharge container is used with the discharge port portion facing a first direction and the discharge container in an inverted position. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a discharge pump and a discharge container according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are partial cross-sectional views of a discharge pump 100a according to the present embodiment and a discharge container 100 equipped with the discharge pump 100a, with Fig. 1 showing a state seen from the front and Fig. 2 showing a state seen from the side. As shown in Fig. 1, the discharge container 100 is equipped with a container body 10 and a discharge pump 100a.

[0020] The specific configurations of each part of the container body 10 and the discharge pump 100a will be described below. In this specification, "upper" and "lower" indicate relative positional relationships. When the container body 10 is placed in the upright position shown in FIG. 1 and the discharge pump 100a is attached to the mouth portion 11 of the container body 10, the side on which the container body 10 is located will be referred to as "lower" and the side on which the discharge cover portion 70 of the discharge pump 100a is located will be referred to as "upper." Furthermore, the "axial direction" refers to the axial direction of the central axis O of the mouth portion 11 of the container body 10. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the central axis O will be referred to as the radial direction, and the direction going around the central axis O will be referred to as the circumferential direction.

[0021] First, the container body 10 will be described. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the container body 10 includes a bottom 12, a body 13, a shoulder 14, and the mouth 11, which are integrally formed. In this embodiment, the body 13 has a shape that is narrowed inward at approximately the center in the axial direction, making it easy to grip with the hand. The mouth 11 has a smaller diameter than the body 13, and the mouth 11 and body 13 are connected by the shoulder 14. A male thread 11a is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth 11.

[0022] The container body 10 of this embodiment is configured as a delaminating container (delamination bottle) with a storage space S that reduces in volume as the contents decrease. More specifically, the container body 10 includes a relatively rigid outer container (outer layer) 10a and a flexible inner container (inner layer) 10b, with the inner container 10b releasably laminated to the inner surface of the outer container 10a. The bottom 12 of the container body 10 is provided with an outside air inlet 12a for introducing outside air between the outer container 10a and the inner container 10b. While FIG. 1 shows the outer container 10a and the inner container 10b in close contact with each other, as the contents decrease, the inner container 10b separates from the outer container 10a as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, thereby reducing the volume of the storage space S. By configuring the container body 10 as a delaminating container, the contents can be sucked from the container body 10 by a pump mechanism 40 (described later) and discharged through a discharge hole 51, even when the container body 10 is changed from the upright position shown in FIG. 1 to the inverted position shown in FIG. 7.

[0023] Here, delamination includes not only delamination from an adhered (pseudo-adhesive) state but also delamination from a tightly contacted (non-adhesive) state. Therefore, the delamination container may be, for example, a laminated parison formed by extrusion blow molding, in which the outer and inner layers are laminated together, and the outer and inner layers are in an adhered state immediately after molding. It may also be obtained by blow molding a laminated preform in which a preform for an inner container is laminated on a preform for an outer container by injection molding or the like. It may also be obtained by separately forming a preform for an outer container and a preform for an inner container, combining these into a double (inner and outer) combination, and then blow molding (biaxially stretched blow molding). It may also be a double container in which a bag-shaped inner container is placed inside an outer container. Furthermore, in the discharge container and discharge pump according to the present invention, the container body 10 is not limited to a delamination container in which the storage space S decreases as the content decreases, but may also be a normal single container.

[0024] In this embodiment, liquid contents are contained in the container body 10. Examples of the contents include cosmetics, medicines, various liquid detergents such as shampoo, conditioner, body soap, hand soap, facial cleanser, and dishwashing detergent, and seasonings such as soy sauce, but are not particularly limited as long as they are liquid.

[0025] Next, the discharge pump 100a will be described. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the discharge container 100 as viewed from the front, and Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the discharge container 100 as viewed from the side. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the discharge pump 100a includes an attachment part 20 attached to the mouth 11 of the container body 10, a push-down head 30 provided on the attachment part 20 so as to be pushable toward the container body 10 along the axial direction of the mouth 11, a pump mechanism 40 that operates in response to the push-down action of the push-down head 30, a discharge outlet part 50 having a discharge hole 51 for discharging the contents, and a discharge cover part 70 including a foaming mechanism 60 that supplies air to the contents discharged from the discharge outlet part 50 to foam the contents. As shown in Figs. 3(c) and 4 to 6, the discharge cover part 70 is rotatably attached to the push-down head 30.

[0026] In the discharge pump 100a, the discharge port part 50 is held relative to the press-down head 30 so as to be displaceable between a first orientation (FIGS. 1, 2, 3(a), (b), 4(a), 5(c), and 7) in which the discharge port 51 is oriented along the axial direction, and a second orientation (FIGS. 3(c), 4(b), 5(a), (b), and 6) in which the discharge port 51 is oriented approximately perpendicular to the axial direction. The discharge cover part 70 and the discharge port 51 are coaxial, and rotating the discharge cover part 70 also rotates the discharge port part 50, thereby displacing the orientation of the discharge port 51 between the first orientation and the second orientation. That is, in the discharge container 100 of this embodiment, the direction in which the contents are discharged can be switched by rotating the discharge cover part 70. The configuration of each part will be described in more detail below.

[0027] 1 and 2, the attachment part 20 includes a cap part 21 that is detachably attached to the mouth part 11, an outer cylinder 22 that covers the outside of the cap part 21, and a connecting part 23 that connects the cap part 21 and the outer cylinder 22. The cap part 21 and the outer cylinder 22 are arranged coaxially with the central axis O.

[0028] The cap portion 21 has a female thread 21a on its inner peripheral surface, which threads into a male thread 11a provided on the mouth portion 11. The top wall surface of the cap portion 21 is annular, and its central portion forms an insertion hole 21b into which the stem 42 of the pump mechanism 40 and the like are inserted. The top wall surface of the cap portion 21 covers the upper opening edge of the mouth portion 11.

[0029] The outer cylinder 22 comprises a lower outer cylinder 22a and an upper outer cylinder 22b, which are connected vertically in the axial direction. The outer cylinder 22 has a generally cylindrical shape as a whole. The lower end of the lower outer cylinder 22a is connected to the lower end of the cap portion 21 by the connecting portion 23. The lower outer cylinder 22a is disposed so as to surround the periphery of the outer peripheral surface of the cap portion 21, and the lower outer cylinder 22a has a length generally equal to the axial length of the cap portion 21. A press-down head 30 (the peripheral wall of a lower head portion 33, described later) is inserted axially movably into the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the lower outer cylinder 22a and the outer peripheral surface of the cap portion 21, forming a circumferential guide groove 24 for guiding the axial movement of the press-down head 30.

[0030] In this way, by configuring the axial length of lower outer cylinder 22a to be approximately equal to the axial length of cap portion 21 and connecting the lower end of lower outer cylinder 22a and the lower end of cap portion 21 by connecting portion 23, the guide depth of circumferential guide groove 24 can be approximately equal to the axial length of cap portion 21. Note that the axial length of lower outer cylinder 22a is preferably between 2 / 3 and 4 / 3 of the axial length of mouth portion 11 of container body 10. By ensuring a sufficient axial length of circumferential guide groove 24 in this way, rattle can be suppressed when push-down head 30 is pressed down, and push-down head 30 can move axially stably.

[0031] The upper outer cylinder 22b is disposed axially above the top wall surface of the cap portion 21. A guide groove 25 extending linearly in the axial direction is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the upper outer cylinder 22b. A protrusion 33a provided on the pressing head 30 is inserted into the guide groove 25 so as to be axially movable.

[0032] Next, we will explain the press-down head 30. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the press-down head 30 includes a holding base 31 that holds the stem 42 of the pump mechanism 40, an intermediate head 32 that houses and holds the holding base 31, a lower head 33 that is connected to the lower part of the intermediate head 32, an upper head 34 that is connected to the upper part of the intermediate head 32, a fitting tube 36 that communicates with the stem 42, and a flow path 37 that communicates with the fitting tube 36 and the discharge port 50.

[0033] The holding base 31 is fitted into and held within the lower head portion 33. A fitting insert 36 is provided on the top wall surface of the holding base 31 so as to penetrate through in the thickness direction. The lower end side of the fitting insert 36 is fitted into the inside of the stem 42.

[0034] The lower head portion 33, the intermediate head portion 32, and the upper head portion 34 are formed in a three-stage cylindrical shape, with the lower head portion 33 having the largest outer diameter, followed by the intermediate head portion 32 and the upper head portion 34. The holding base portion 31 is fitted inside the intermediate head portion 32.

[0035] As described above, the peripheral wall of the lower head portion 33 is inserted into the circumferential guide groove 24. A pair of protrusions 33a that protrude radially outward is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the lower head portion 33. The protrusions 33a are inserted into the guide grooves 25 as described above. Guided by these, the lower head portion 33 moves up and down in the axial direction inside the outer tube 22 of the mounting portion 20.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 1, the upper head portion 34 includes a peripheral wall portion 34a and a top wall portion 34b that covers the upper portion of the peripheral wall portion 34a. The peripheral wall portion 34a is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper head portion 34 is formed with a guide groove 34c. The discharge tube 52 of the discharge port portion 50 is inserted into this guide groove 34c, guiding the movement of the discharge port portion 50 when it moves between the first orientation and the second orientation. The top wall portion 34b is also provided with a standing wall 34d (FIG. 2) that stands upright from the groove end portion of the guide groove 34c. When the discharge port 51 is positioned in the first orientation, the discharge tube 52 of the discharge port portion 50 abuts against this standing wall 34d and is prevented from rotating. The peripheral wall portion 34a is also provided with a pair of pivot shafts 34e that protrude outward on both sides of the peripheral wall portion 34a when viewed from the front as shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 3(a), 4(a) and 4(b), the rotation shaft 34e is inserted into a bearing hole 71b formed in a side surface portion 71a of the attachment portion 71 of the discharge cover portion .

[0037] Next, the pump mechanism 40 will be described. A conventionally known pump mechanism 40 can be used as appropriate. In this embodiment, the pump mechanism 40 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is used as an example. The pump mechanism 40 shown in FIG. 1 includes a cylinder 41, a stem 42, a piston 43, a piston guide 44, and a coil spring 45. Note that some reference numerals related to the pump mechanism 40 are omitted in FIG. 2, and therefore the following description will mainly refer to FIG. 1.

[0038] The cylinder 41 hangs down from the mouth 11 to the inside of the container body 10. A mounting tube 41a extending downward is disposed at the lower end opening of the cylinder 41. A suction tube 41b for sucking up the contents contained in the container body 10 is inserted into the mounting tube 41a. The mounting tube 41a and the suction tube 41b are connected to each other, and the cylinder 41, the mounting tube 41a, and the suction tube 41b are each disposed coaxially with the central axis O. A suction valve portion 41c is disposed at the lower end of the cylinder 41. The suction valve portion 41c closes the lower end opening of the cylinder 41 when the inside of the cylinder 41 is in a pressurized state, and opens the lower end opening of the cylinder 41 when the inside of the cylinder 41 is in a depressurized state.

[0039] Furthermore, a flange portion 41d that protrudes radially outward is formed at the upper end of the cylinder 41. The flange portion 41d is disposed on the upper opening edge of the mouth portion 11 of the container body 10 via a packing 46, and the top wall surface of the cap portion 21 is disposed on the upper surface of the flange portion 41d. At this time, the inner container 10b of the container body 10 is sealed, and contact between the contents in the storage space S and the air is blocked.

[0040] The stem 42 is arranged to be movable up and down in the axial direction while being biased upward by a coil spring 45. The lower part of the stem 42 is located below the upper end opening of the cylinder 41. The upper part of the stem 42 is located above the upper end opening of the cylinder 41. The lower end of the stem 42 has a larger diameter than the other parts. The edge of the upper end opening of the stem 42 is located above the upper outer cylinder 22b of the mounting part 20.

[0041] The piston 43 is disposed at the lower end of the stem 42 and is housed in the cylinder 41 so as to be movable up and down in the axial direction in conjunction with the up and down movement of the stem 42. The piston 43 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is disposed coaxially with the central axis O.

[0042] The piston guide 44 is disposed coaxially with the central axis O. The upper part of the piston guide 44 is inserted into the inside of the stem 42. The lower part of the piston guide 44 is connected to the piston 43. A communicating hole 44a is formed in the lower part of the piston guide 44, penetrating in the radial direction. A base portion 44b that protrudes radially outward is formed in the piston guide 44 below the communicating hole 44a. The base portion 44b supports the piston 43 from below the piston 43. This blocks communication between the portion of the cylinder 41 located below the piston 43 and the communicating hole 44a. When the piston guide 44 moves downward relative to the piston 43 and the base portion 44b moves downward away from the piston 43, the portion of the cylinder 41 located below the piston 43 is connected to the communicating hole 44a.

[0043] The stem 42 is inserted inside the coil spring 45. The lower end of the coil spring 45 is supported by a lower support portion 47 disposed on the cylinder 41, and the upper end of the coil spring 45 is supported by an upper support portion 48 disposed on the upper part of the stem 42. The stem 42 and the coil spring 45 are held by the holding base portion 31 via the upper support portion 48.

[0044] Next, the discharge port portion 50 will be described with reference to Figures 1, 3(a), and 3(b). The discharge port portion 50 is configured as a spray nozzle that atomizes the liquid and discharges it from the discharge hole 51. Note that Figures 3(a) and 3(b) are identical views showing only the configuration in the vicinity of the discharge port portion 50 in Figure 1, but in Figure 3(b), the flow path of the contents at the discharge port portion 50 etc. is indicated by arrows A to E.

[0045] As shown in Figure 3(a), the discharge outlet portion 50 includes a discharge tube 52 having a discharge hole 51, a rotating tube 53 communicating with the discharge tube 52, and a sliding shaft portion 54 connected to the rotating tube 53 via a partition wall.

[0046] The central axis of the discharge tube 52 and the central axis of the rotating tube 53 are approximately perpendicular to each other. In the first orientation, the discharge tube 52 is coaxial with the central axis O of the opening 11, and the flow path inside the discharge tube 52 faces upward in the axial direction (see arrow E in Figure 3(b)). The central axis of the rotating tube 53 is approximately perpendicular to the axial direction, and the flow path inside the rotating tube 53 faces in a direction approximately perpendicular to the axial direction in both the first orientation and the second orientation (see arrow D in Figure 3(b)). The lower end of the discharge tube 52 communicates with the downstream end of the rotating tube 53. The flow path section 37 communicates with the upstream end of the rotating tube 53. The rotating tube 53 and the sliding shaft section 54 are arranged coaxially and linearly. Therefore, the rotating tube 53, the sliding shaft section 54, and the discharge tube 52 form an appearance resembling a T-pipe.

[0047] The rotating cylinder 53 is disposed within the press-down head 30 so as to be rotatable about the central axis of the rotating cylinder 53. As shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 4(a), etc., when the discharge cylinder 52 is disposed so that the discharge hole 51 faces a first direction, tilting the discharge cylinder 52 causes the rotating cylinder 53 to rotate within the press-down head 30, and as shown in FIGS. 3(c) and 4(b), etc., the discharge hole 51 faces a second direction. Conversely, when the discharge cylinder 52 is disposed so that the discharge hole 51 faces the second direction, pushing the discharge cylinder 52 upward in the axial direction causes the rotating cylinder 53 to rotate, and the discharge hole 51 faces a first direction. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3(c), the sliding shaft portion 54 is sandwiched between the sliding shaft holder 38 suspended from the top wall portion 34b of the press-down head 30 and rotatably held within the press-down head 30.

[0048] Next, the discharge cover part 70 will be described mainly with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 are side views showing the configuration of the vicinity of the discharge cover part 70 of the discharge container 100. Fig. 4(a) corresponds to Fig. 2, and Fig. 4(b) corresponds to Fig. 6. Figs. 5(a) and (b) correspond to Fig. 6, and Fig. 5(c) is a diagram showing the vicinity of the discharge cover part 70 when the discharge container 100 is in an inverted position, and corresponds to Fig. 7.

[0049] As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the discharge cover part 70 includes an attachment part 71, a base end tube 72, and a cover part 73. The attachment part 71 includes a top wall surface 71d having an insertion hole 71c (see Figures 2 and 3(a)) into which the discharge port part 50 is inserted, and the side part 71a extending vertically from the top wall surface 71d. A back part 71e is provided between the two side parts 71a.

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the side surface 71a has a bearing hole 71b, into which the pivot shaft 34e is inserted (see FIG. 3(a)). The discharge cover 70 is attached to the upper head 34 so as to be rotatable by approximately 90 degrees around the pivot shaft 34e from a first orientation shown in FIG. 4(a) to a second orientation shown in FIG. 4(b). When the attachment 71 is rotated to the second orientation, the end of the top wall 71d abuts against the top wall of the intermediate head 32, as shown in FIG. 4(b), restricting further rotation. As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the lower portion of the front side of the side surface 71a is cut out in an arc shape to prevent the front side of the side surface 71a from interfering with the top wall of the intermediate head 32 when the discharge cover 70 is rotated.

[0051] 5(a) and 5(b), in the second orientation, the back surface portion 71e is disposed axially above the top wall portion 34b of the upper head portion 34. In the second orientation, the back surface portion 71e functions as a pressing operation portion for pressing the press head 30 with a finger or the like.

[0052] 3(a) and 4(a), the base end tube 72 is erected on the top wall surface 71d of the mounting portion 71 and is provided so as to surround the insertion hole 71c. The discharge tube 52 of the discharge port portion 50 is inserted into the base end side of the base end tube 72 through the insertion hole 71c.

[0053] A cover portion 73 is provided adjacent to the upper end side of the base end tube 72. Furthermore, a mesh portion 61 is provided inside the base end tube 72, as shown in FIG.

[0054] 3(a), mesh portion 61 has a frame body 61a fitted inside base end tube 72 and a reticulated mesh surface 61b provided on frame body 61a, and allows the contents discharged from discharge hole 51 to pass through. Two air introduction holes 62 penetrating in the thickness direction are formed in the peripheral wall of base end tube 72. The base end tube 72, the mesh portion 61, and the air introduction holes 62 constitute the foam-forming mechanism 60 of the present invention. The function of the foam-forming mechanism 60 will be described later.

[0055] 3(a) and 4(a), the cover part 73 has a tip opening 73a that is coaxial with the base end tube 72, and is configured in a hood shape with a diameter that expands from the base end tube 72 side toward the tip opening 73a. With the discharge tube 52 inserted into the base end tube 72, the tip opening 73a becomes coaxial with the discharge hole 51. In the first orientation, the cover part 73 serves as a pressing operation part for pressing down the press-down head 30, and when the cover part 73 is pushed axially toward the container body 10, the press-down head 30 is pressed down in the axial direction.

[0056] (flow path) Next, referring to FIG. 3(b), the flow path of the contents in the discharge pump 100a will be described. The inserting tube 36 provided in the push-down head 30 communicates with the stem 42, forming a flow path directed upward in the axial direction, as shown in FIG. 3(b). This flow path is indicated by arrow A in FIG. 3(b). The inserting tube 36 and the rotating tube 53 of the discharge port 50 are connected by a flow path section 37. The flow path section 37 includes a first flow path through which the contents flow in a direction generally perpendicular to the axial direction, as indicated by arrow B in FIG. 3(b), a second flow path through which the contents flow upward in the axial direction, as indicated by arrow C, and a third flow path through which the contents flow in a direction generally perpendicular to the axial direction, different from the first flow path, as indicated by arrow D, forming a generally U-shaped flow path. As described above, the discharge port 50 has a generally L-shaped flow path formed by the rotating tube 53 and the discharge tube 52. That is, the discharge outlet portion 50 has a flow path within the rotating cylinder 53 that communicates with the third flow path of the flow path portion 37 indicated by arrow D in Figure 3(b), and a flow path within the discharge cylinder 52 through which the contents flow axially upward indicated by arrow E.

[0057] (foaming effect) Next, the operation of the foam-generating mechanism 60 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3(b) and 3(c). The pump mechanism 40 pumps the contents through the flow paths (arrows A to E) and sprays them from the discharge hole 51. The contents discharged from the discharge hole 51 then forcefully pass through the base tube 72 and the mesh section 61. Note that in FIG. 3(c), the flow of the liquid contents is indicated by straight lines. As the contents pass through the mesh section 61, a film of the liquid contents forms on the mesh of the mesh section 61. Meanwhile, as the contents pass through, a fluid flow occurs within the base tube 72. This creates a negative pressure within the base tube 72, causing air to flow into the base tube 72 through the air inlet 62. The contents and air mix, resulting in foamy contents being sprayed from the mesh section 61. The foamy contents that pass through the cover section 73 are then sprayed outward from the tip opening 73a.

[0058] Next, the operation of the discharge pump 100a will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 7. Note that some reference numerals are omitted in Figures 6 and 7.

[0059] (Second Orientation) First, operation in the second orientation will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 5, and 6. When the discharge cover portion 70 is rotated from the first orientation to the second orientation as shown in FIG. 5(a), the discharge tube 52 of the discharge port portion 50 also tilts from the first orientation to the second orientation as shown in FIG. 6, with the discharge hole 51 pointing in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axial direction. In this state, when the rear surface portion 71e of the mounting portion 71 is pressed axially with a finger or the like, the press-down head 30 is pressed down as shown in FIG. 5(b). When the press-down head 30 is pressed down, the stem 42 moves axially downward, activating the pump mechanism 40. As described with reference to FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the contents sucked up by the pump mechanism 40 pass through the flow path indicated by arrows A to E, which is formed by the stem 42, the insert tube 36, the flow path portion 37, the rotating tube 53, and the discharge tube 52, and are ejected from the discharge hole 51 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axial direction. At this time, as described above, the contents are foamed by the foaming mechanism 60 and pass through the mesh portion 61, the inside of the cover portion 73, and are sprayed out from the tip opening 73a (see Fig. 3(c) and Fig. 6).

[0060] As the contents are discharged to the outside, the amount of contents in the storage space S decreases, and the volume of the storage space S in the inner container 10b decreases, as shown in Fig. 6. When the volume of the storage space S decreases, the inner container 10b separates from the outer container 10a, creating a negative pressure between the outer container 10a and the inner container 10b. Therefore, outside air is introduced between the outer container 10a and the inner container 10b through the outside air inlet hole 12a provided in the bottom 12 of the container body 10.

[0061] (First Orientation) In the first orientation, for example, as shown in Fig. 5(c), the discharge container 100 is in an inverted position so that the discharge cover part 70 is positioned closer to the discharge surface A than the container body 10. When the tip opening 73a is pressed against the discharge surface A in this position, the discharge cover part 70 functions as a pressing operation part, and the pressing head 30 is pressed toward the container body 10. As a result, the stem 42 is pressed in the axial direction, the pump mechanism 40 is activated, and the foamed content is sprayed out through the tip opening 73a and adheres to the discharge surface A in the same manner as above.

[0062] 1, in the first orientation, the palm of a hand or the like may be pressed against the tip opening 73a while the discharge container 100 is in an upright position, and the discharge cover part 70 may be pressed down in the axial direction. In this case, as in the above case, the pressing head 30 is pressed into the container body 10, and the foamy contents are sprayed axially upward and adhere to the palm of a hand or the like.

[0063] According to the discharge pump 100a of the present embodiment described above, the discharge port portion 50 is held relative to the press-down head 30 so as to be displaceable between a first orientation in which the discharge holes 51 are arranged along the axial direction and a second orientation in which the discharge holes 51 are arranged in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axial direction, and when the press-down head 30 is pressed down, the direction in which the contents are discharged can be switched between the first orientation and the second orientation. At this time, air is supplied by the foam-making mechanism 60 to the contents discharged from the discharge port portion 50, and the contents are foamed and discharged to the outside. Therefore, according to the discharge pump 100a and the discharge container 100, the foamed contents can be discharged in different directions.

[0064] Furthermore, in the discharge pump 100a, instead of providing the foam-forming mechanism 60 upstream of the discharge hole 51, the foam-forming mechanism 60 is disposed downstream of the discharge hole 51, so that the flow path from the pump mechanism 40 to the discharge hole 51 can be configured with a small diameter similar to that of a pump mechanism for pumping a normal liquid. Also, in the discharge pump 100a, it is not necessary to provide a gas-liquid mixing chamber, an air cylinder or air piston for supplying air to the gas-liquid mixing chamber, inside the container body 10 or around the opening 11 of the container body 10. As a result, even a discharge pump and a discharge container that foam the contents and discharge them to the outside can be easily configured to be compact overall.

[0065] Furthermore, the discharge pump 100a is equipped with a discharge cover 70, which displaces the discharge port 50 between a first orientation and a second orientation as the discharge cover 70 rotates, allowing for easy switching of the discharge direction of the contents. Furthermore, the discharge cover 70 is provided with a cover 73, and in the first orientation, the discharge cover 70 is pressed against the discharge surface A to discharge the contents onto the discharge surface A. Therefore, the contents can be discharged in a foam form to a targeted location on the discharge surface A while maintaining the distance between the discharge hole 51 and the discharge surface A. Furthermore, if the contents are sprayed in liquid form from a position close to the scalp, body, etc., the force of the discharge can cause pain at the discharge site. However, because the discharge pump 100a discharges the contents in a foam form, the contents can be discharged in a pinpoint manner without causing pain at the discharge site.

[0066] Furthermore, because the tip opening 73a of the cover part 73 has a larger diameter than the base end side, pressure can be dispersed even when the cover part 73 is pressed against the skin, etc., making it less painful to press down the press-down head 30. Furthermore, the cover part 73 can prevent the contents from splashing outside the cover part 73.

[0067] Furthermore, the discharge pump 100a is configured with a discharge tube 52 having a discharge hole 51 and forming a flow path in the axially upward direction at the discharge outlet portion 50, and a rotating tube 53 that is connected to the discharge tube 52 and forms a flow path in a direction approximately perpendicular to the axial direction, and by holding the rotating tube 53 rotatably within the pressing head 30, the discharge outlet portion 50 can be easily displaced, and a compact configuration can be formed for switching the direction in which the contents are discharged within the pressing head 30.

[0068] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned discharge container 100, since the discharge pump 100a is attached to the container body 10 made of a delaminating container, the contents can be discharged even when the discharge container 100 is in an inverted position. As described above, the discharge pump 100a and the entire discharge container 100 can be configured compactly, and the opening 11 can be made small in diameter, which makes it easy to seal the opening 11 and to prevent the contents from coming into contact with air in the storage space S until the contents are discharged to the outside.

[0069] The present embodiment described above is merely one aspect of the discharge pump, discharge container, and foaming member according to the present invention, and the discharge pump, discharge container, and foaming member according to the present invention are not limited to the above embodiment, and can of course be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. In the above embodiment, the second orientation is a direction substantially perpendicular to the axial direction, but the second orientation is not particularly limited as long as it is a direction different from the first orientation and intersects the axial direction.

[0070] Furthermore, the specific configurations of the attachment unit 20, press-down head 30, pump mechanism 40, discharge port 50, foam-making mechanism 60, and discharge cover 70 described above can be modified as appropriate. For example, like the discharge tube 52 described in the above embodiment, the discharge port may be formed using a tubular member having a discharge hole 51, and the stem 42 of the pump mechanism 40 and the discharge port may be connected by a flexible tube or the like. The specific configurations of the discharge port and the way in which the discharge port is displaced in order to switch the direction in which the contents are discharged are not limited to those of the above embodiment.

[0071] Furthermore, the discharge container 100 and the discharge pump 100a can be made of various resin materials used as container packaging materials (for example, polypropylene resin (PP), polyethylene resin (PE) such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene resin (HDPE), polyethylene terephthalate resin (PET), etc.). The discharge pump 100a and the discharge container 100 may be made of a resin material into which an antibacterial agent has been kneaded, or the surface may be coated with an antibacterial coating, etc. Furthermore, the container body 10 (outer container 10a in the case of a double container such as a peelable laminate container) is not limited to being made of resin, but may also be made of glass, metal, etc.

[0072] The discharge cover part 70 may be made of the same material as the container body 10, etc., or may be made of a different material. If the discharge cover part 70 is made of a high-strength resin material such as polypropylene resin (PP), ABS resin, polyacetal resin (POM (polyoxymethylene resin)), polyethylene terephthalate resin (PET), or high-density polyethylene resin (HDPE), the thickness of each part of the discharge cover part 70 can be made thin while still providing durability that can withstand repeated pressing operations during use. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 10: Container body 10a: Outer container 10b: Inner container 11: Mouth 11a: Male thread 12: Bottom 12a: Outside air intake 13: Torso 14:Shoulder 20: Mounting part 21: Cap part 21a: Female thread 21b: Insertion hole 22: Outer cylinder 22a: Lower outer cylinder 22b: Upper outer cylinder 23: Continuous part 24: Guide groove 25: Guide groove 30: Pressing head 31: Holding base 32: Intermediate head section 33: Lower head part 33a: Convex part 34: Upper head part 34a: Peripheral wall part 34b: Ceiling wall part 34c: Guide slot 34d: Standing wall 34e: Rotating shaft 36: Fitting tube 37: Flow path section 38: Sliding shaft holder 40: Pump mechanism 41: Cylinder 41a: Mounting tube 41b: Suction cylinder 41c: Suction valve section 41d: Flange part 42: Stem 43: Piston 44: Piston guide 44a: Communication hole 44b: Base 45: Coil spring 46: Packing 47: Lower support part 48: Upper support part 50:Discharge port 51:Discharge hole 52:Discharge tube 53: Rotating tube 54: Sliding shaft 60: Foaming mechanism 61: Mesh section 61a:Frame body 61b: Mesh surface 62: Air inlet 70: Discharge cover part 71: Mounting part 71a: Side part 71b: Bearing hole 71c: Insertion hole 71d: Ceiling wall surface 71e: Back part 72: Proximal tube 73: Cover part 73a: Tip opening 100: Discharge container 100a: Discharge pump A:Discharge surface O: Central axis S: Storage space

Claims

1. an attachment part that is attached to the mouth of a container body that contains liquid contents; a push-down head provided on the mounting portion so as to be pushable toward the container body along the axial direction of the mouth portion; a pump mechanism that operates in response to the pressing action of the pressing head; a discharge port portion having a discharge hole for discharging the content delivered by the pump mechanism, the discharge port portion being held displaceably between a first orientation in which the discharge hole is oriented along the axial direction and a second orientation in which the discharge hole is oriented intersecting the axial direction with respect to the push-down head; a foaming mechanism that supplies air to the contents discharged from the discharge port to foam the contents; Equipped with the discharge port portion includes a discharge cylinder having the discharge hole at one end thereof, and a rotating cylinder provided at the other end thereof and communicating with the discharge cylinder, A discharge pump, wherein a flow path in the rotating cylinder is oriented to intersect with a flow path in the discharge cylinder, the rotating cylinder is rotatably disposed within the pressing head, and the flow paths of the rotating cylinder and the pump mechanism are connected to each other.

2. The foam-forming mechanism is an insertion tube portion into which the discharge port portion is inserted; a mesh portion provided in the insertion tube portion through which the contents discharged from the discharge hole pass; an air introduction hole provided in the insertion tube portion between the discharge hole and the mesh portion; The discharge pump of claim 1 , comprising:

3. a discharge cover part that includes a base end tube including the foam-forming mechanism and a cover part that is connected to the base end tube and expands in diameter toward a tip end opening, and that is rotatably attached to the press-down head; 3. The discharge pump of claim 1, wherein the discharge outlet portion is displaced between the first orientation and the second orientation as the discharge cover portion rotates, and the contents that have passed through the foam-making mechanism pass through the inside of the cover portion and are discharged to the outside from the tip opening.

4. 4. The discharge pump according to claim 1, wherein the container body has a storage space that stores the contents and that reduces in volume as the contents decrease.

5. A discharge container comprising the discharge pump according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and the container body.

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