Trigger-type liquid sprayer

Abstract

To provide a trigger-type liquid sprayer configured to be able to prevent an urging member for urging a piston from contacting liquid.SOLUTION: A trigger-type liquid sprayer 1 comprises a sprayer main body 2 and a nozzle member 3 having a spraying hole 4. The sprayer main body 2 comprises a vertical supply cylindrical part 10 that sucks up liquid, and a trigger mechanism 20 that makes liquid flow toward the spraying hole 4 by backward movement of a trigger part 21. The trigger mechanism 20 comprises: a main piston 22 that moves back and forth accompanying movement of the trigger part 21; a main cylinder 23 whose inner part is compressed and decompressed accompanying movement of the main piston 22 and whose inner part is communicated with the inside of the vertical supply cylindrical part 10; a piston urging member 24 that is arranged inside the main cylinder 23 and urges the main piston 22 forward; and a covering member 110 that is arranged inside the main cylinder 23, covers the piston urging member 24 and is deformed accompanying movement of the main piston 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Trigger-type liquid ejectors are known that suck up liquid from a container by operating a trigger and eject the liquid through an ejection hole. The trigger-type liquid ejector described in Patent Document 1 below includes a piston that moves back and forth as the trigger moves, a cylinder whose interior is pressurized and depressurized as the piston moves and whose interior is connected to the vertical supply tube, and a biasing member that is located inside the cylinder and biases the piston forward. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-159841 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Trigger-type liquid sprayers are required to spray a variety of liquids, including mold removers containing hypochlorite used in bathrooms. However, depending on the type of liquid, the urging member may deteriorate when in contact with the liquid, causing the piston to move more slowly and the trigger to operate more slowly, or the liquid itself may change quality when in contact with the urging member.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a trigger-type liquid ejector that can prevent contact between the liquid and the biasing member that biases the piston. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) The trigger-type liquid ejector according to the present invention comprises an ejector body attached to a container body containing liquid, and a nozzle member disposed on the front side of the ejector body and having an ejection hole formed therein for ejecting liquid forward. The ejector body extends in the vertical direction and comprises a vertical supply tube section that sucks up the liquid in the container body, and a trigger mechanism having a trigger section disposed in front of the vertical supply tube section so as to be movable rearward in a forward-biased state, the trigger section causing liquid to flow from inside the vertical supply tube section toward the ejection hole by rearward movement of the trigger section. The trigger mechanism comprises a main piston that moves back and forth with the movement of the trigger section, a main cylinder whose interior is pressurized and depressurized with the movement of the main piston and whose interior is connected to the inside of the vertical supply tube section, a biasing member disposed inside the main cylinder and biasing the main piston forward, and a covering member disposed inside the main cylinder that covers the biasing member and deforms with the movement of the main piston.

[0007] In the trigger-type liquid jetting device according to the present invention, when the trigger mechanism is operated to move the trigger portion rearward, the main piston retracts, pressurizing the main cylinder and causing the liquid in the main cylinder to flow from the vertical supply tube portion toward the nozzle hole. This allows the liquid to be jetted forward through the nozzle hole of the nozzle member. Furthermore, when the operation of the trigger mechanism is stopped, a biasing member is provided in the main cylinder that biases the main piston forward, causing the main piston to advance together with the trigger portion, reducing the pressure in the main cylinder and allowing the liquid to be drawn up from the container. Here, the biasing member is covered with a covering member, so that it does not come into contact with the liquid drawn up into the main cylinder and react with it. This prevents deterioration of the biasing member and deterioration of the liquid.

[0008] (2) A guide tube extending in the front-to-rear direction is provided inside the main cylinder, and the main piston comprises a topped cylindrical piston body portion that opens to the rear, into which the guide tube is inserted, and that is closed at the front, an inner lip portion that is provided at the rear end of the piston body portion and that slides against the outer wall surface of the guide tube, and an outer lip portion that protrudes radially outward from the rear end of the piston body portion and that slides against the inner wall surface of the main cylinder, and a recess portion that forms a gap between the inner lip portion and the rear end of the outer wall surface of the guide tube is formed, and a liquid recovery flow path that connects the outer wall surface of the guide tube and the inner circumferential wall of the piston body portion, as well as the interior of the container body, may be formed inside the guide tube.

[0009] In this case, when the inner lip of the main piston reaches the recess in the guide tube, a small gap is formed between the inner lip and the recess. This gap connects the inside of the main cylinder to the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the piston body and the outer wall surface of the guide tube. This allows the inside of the main cylinder to communicate with the inside of the container body through a liquid recovery channel formed inside the guide tube, and any liquid remaining in the main cylinder is discharged into the container body via the liquid recovery channel, releasing the residual pressure in the main cylinder. In this structure, liquid flows around the inside of the main piston, making it easier for it to come into contact with the biasing member, so a covering member is provided to protect the biasing member.

[0010] (3) The covering member may be formed in a cylindrical shape with a closed rear end and an open front end, and the opening of the covering member may have a diameter that increases toward the front and is fitted into an inner peripheral wall of the piston main body.

[0011] In this case, the opening of the covering member widens like a trumpet as it moves forward and comes into contact with the inner surface of the piston main body, thereby sealing the opening of the covering member and preventing liquid from entering through the opening of the covering member.

[0012] (4) The biasing member may be a metal spring, and the ejector body may include a storage cylinder into which liquid that has passed through the vertical supply tube portion from the main cylinder is supplied as the trigger portion moves rearward; a storage plunger that is arranged in the storage cylinder so as to be movable in the axial direction along its central axis, and that moves toward one side of the axial direction as liquid is supplied into the storage cylinder and is biased toward the other side; a first check valve that blocks communication between the inside of the container body and the inside of the main cylinder through the vertical supply tube portion when the main cylinder is pressurized and allows communication between the inside of the container body and the inside of the main cylinder through the vertical supply tube portion when the main cylinder is depressurized; and a second check valve that allows communication between the inside of the storage cylinder and the inside of the main cylinder through the vertical supply tube portion when the main cylinder is pressurized and blocks communication between the inside of the storage cylinder and the inside of the main cylinder through the vertical supply tube portion when the main cylinder is depressurized.

[0013] In this case, using a metal spring as the biasing member can strengthen the suction of liquid into the main cylinder. Furthermore, the first and second check valves allow liquid to be supplied from the main cylinder through the vertical supply tube section into the storage cylinder, while the liquid is ejected through the ejection hole and the storage cylinder can be pressurized. Therefore, the storage plunger can be pressed toward one side in the axial direction against the forward bias, and the storage plunger can be moved toward one side in the axial direction while ejecting liquid. Therefore, each time the trigger is pulled, the storage plunger can be moved toward one side in the axial direction, allowing liquid to be ejected while storing (filling) the storage cylinder. Note that, after filling the storage cylinder with liquid, stopping the operation of the trigger stops the supply of liquid into the storage cylinder through the vertical supply tube section, but the storage plunger begins to return to its original position toward the other side in the axial direction. This allows the liquid filled in the storage cylinder to be pushed out of the storage cylinder toward the ejection hole and ejected from the ejection hole. Therefore, it is possible to perform continuous ejection of liquid. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the trigger-type liquid ejector of the present invention, it is possible to prevent contact between the liquid and the biasing member that biases the main piston. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a trigger-type liquid ejector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of a main cylinder according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a half-sectional view of a regulating member according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A trigger-type liquid ejector according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, a ejection container in which a trigger-type liquid ejector is attached to a container body will be exemplified.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 of this embodiment comprises an ejector body 2 that is attached to a container body A that contains liquid, a nozzle member 3 that is attached to the ejector body 2 and has ejection holes 4 for ejecting the liquid, and a cover member 5 that covers the ejector body 2 and the nozzle member 3. Unless otherwise specified, each component part of the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 is a molded product made of synthetic resin.

[0018] The ejector body 2 mainly includes a vertical supply tube portion 10 , a trigger mechanism 20 , a connecting tube portion 30 , a storage cylinder 40 , a storage plunger 50 , and an injection tube portion 60 . In the following description, the central axis of the vertical supply tube portion 10 is referred to as axis O1, the container body A side along this axis O1 is referred to as the lower side, the opposite side is referred to as the upper side, and the direction along axis O1 is referred to as the up-down direction. In addition, in a plan view seen from the up-down direction, a direction intersecting with axis O1 is referred to as the front-rear direction, and a direction perpendicular to both the up-down direction and the front-rear direction is referred to as the left-right direction.

[0019] Furthermore, the central axis of the storage cylinder 40 is defined as axis O2. In this embodiment, axis O2 extends in the front-to-rear direction. In this embodiment, the front-to-rear direction corresponds to the axial direction along the central axis of the storage cylinder 40. In this 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 have to coincide with the front-to-rear direction.

[0020] The vertical supply tube section 10 extends in the vertical direction and sucks up the liquid inside the container body A. The vertical supply tube section 10 is attached to the container body A by an attachment cap 11. The upper part of a pipe 12 that extends in the vertical direction and sucks up the liquid from the container body A is fitted into the vertical supply tube section 10. A first check valve 13 and a second check valve 14 are provided inside the vertical supply tube section 10 above the fitting position of the pipe 12.

[0021] The first check valve 13 blocks communication between the inside of the container body A and the inside of the main cylinder 23 through the inside of the vertical supply tube section 10 when the inside of the main cylinder 23 of the trigger mechanism 20 is pressurized, and by displacing upward when the inside of the main cylinder 23 is depressurized, allows communication between the inside of the container body A and the inside of the main cylinder 23 through the inside of the vertical supply tube section 10.

[0022] A second check valve 14 is disposed above the first check valve 13. The second check valve 14 allows the liquid to be supplied from the vertical supply tube portion 10 to the storage cylinder 40, and restricts the liquid from flowing out from the storage cylinder 40 into the vertical supply tube portion 10.

[0023] A cylinder tube portion 15 is provided on the front side of the vertical supply tube portion 10. The cylinder tube portion 15 protrudes forward from the vertical supply tube portion 10 and is open forward. A main cylinder 23 is fitted into the cylinder tube portion 15. The main cylinder 23 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom that is open forward and closed at the rear. A portion of the rear wall of the main cylinder 23 is in spatial communication with the first check valve 13 and the second check valve 14 inside the vertical supply tube portion 10.

[0024] The trigger mechanism 20 includes a trigger portion 21, a main piston 22, a main cylinder 23, and a piston biasing member 24 (biasing member). The trigger mechanism 20 is capable of circulating the liquid from inside the vertical supply tube portion 10 toward the ejection holes 4 by rearward movement of the trigger portion 21.

[0025] The trigger portion 21 is disposed in front of the vertical supply tube portion 10 in a forward biased state so as to be movable rearward. The trigger portion 21 is pivotally supported by the nozzle member 3 below the injection tube portion 60 so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction. The trigger portion 21 extends downward from the pivotal support position by the nozzle member 3, and is located in front of the main piston 22 and the main cylinder 23.

[0026] The main piston 22 is disposed inside the main cylinder 23 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The main piston 22 is movable in the front-rear direction in conjunction with the movement of the trigger portion 21. The interior of the main cylinder 23 is pressurized and depressurized as the main piston 22 moves in the front-rear direction. The main piston 22 is formed in a topped cylindrical shape that is open at the rear and closed at the front.

[0027] The main piston 22 is biased forward together with the trigger portion 21 by the biasing force of the piston biasing member 24. As the trigger portion 21 moves rearward, the main piston 22 moves backward and is pushed into the main cylinder 23. When the trigger portion 21 is in the forward-most swing position, the main piston 22 is located at the corresponding forward-most position.

[0028] The piston biasing member 24 is a metal spring. The piston biasing member 24 is disposed coaxially with the main piston 22 and the main cylinder 23, and biases the trigger portion 21 forward via the main piston 22. The piston biasing member 24 is disposed between the top wall of the main piston 22 and the bottom wall of the main cylinder 23.

[0029] The connecting tube portion 30 is disposed above the cylinder tube portion 15. The connecting tube portion 30 extends forward from the upper end of the vertical supply tube portion 10. The inside of the connecting tube portion 30 is connected to a position above the closed position of the second check valve 14 inside the vertical supply tube portion 10. A block plug 31 is fitted to the front end of the connecting tube portion 30. Liquid flowing forward inside the connecting tube portion 30 hits the block plug 31, changes direction upward, and flows into the storage cylinder 40 through the gap between the block plug 31 and the upper end of the connecting tube portion 30.

[0030] The storage cylinder 40 is disposed above the vertical supply tube portion 10 and the connecting tube portion 30. In this embodiment, the lower end of the storage cylinder 40 is integrally formed with the upper end of the vertical supply tube portion 10 and the upper end of the connecting tube portion 30. When the trigger portion 21 moves rearward, the liquid that has passed through the vertical supply tube portion 10 and the connecting tube portion 30 is supplied to the inside of the storage cylinder 40 (storage space 41).

[0031] The storage plunger 50 is disposed in the storage cylinder 40 so as to be movable in the front-to-rear direction along the axis O2. The storage plunger 50 slides in the front-to-rear direction within the storage cylinder 40. When the storage plunger 50 is at the forward-most position, it blocks communication between the interior of the vertical supply tube section 10 and the ejection hole 4 (inside the injection tube section 60). When the storage plunger 50 moves rearward from the forward-most position, it connects the interior of the vertical supply tube section 10 and the ejection hole 4 (inside the injection tube section 60). In the storage cylinder 40, the space located forward of the storage plunger 50 functions as a storage space 41.

[0032] The storage space 41 stores the liquid that has passed through the vertical supply tube portion 10. The storage space 41 expands as the storage plunger 50 moves rearward due to the supply of liquid. The storage plunger 50 moves rearward as liquid is supplied into the storage cylinder 40. The storage space 41 is in communication with the interior of the vertical supply tube portion 10 through the connecting tube portion 30. The storage space 41 can also be in communication with the interior of the injection tube portion 60. When the storage plunger 50 is in the forward-most position, the storage space 41 is cut off from communication with the interior of the injection tube portion 60. When the storage plunger 50 is retracted from the forward-most position, the storage space 41 is in communication with the interior of the injection tube portion 60.

[0033] A plunger biasing member 51 that biases the storage plunger 50 forward is provided within the storage cylinder 40. The plunger biasing member 51 is disposed behind the storage plunger 50 within the storage cylinder 40. In the initial state before the user operates the trigger portion 21, the plunger biasing member 51 biases the storage plunger 50 forward, causing the storage plunger 50 to be positioned at the frontmost position. The plunger biasing member 51 is a metal coil spring disposed coaxially with the axis O2. However, for example, a resin spring or other elastic members may be used as the plunger biasing member 51.

[0034] The liquid is pressurized in the storage space 41 of the storage cylinder 40 until the storage plunger 50 moves rearward. When the liquid pressure in the storage space 41 reaches a predetermined value, the storage plunger 50 moves rearward against the plunger biasing member 51. This makes it possible to supply the liquid in the storage space 41 to the ejection hole 4 side. The storage plunger 50 functions as a pressure accumulator valve.

[0035] The injection tube portion 60 extends forward from the storage cylinder 40. The injection tube portion 60 is in communication with the interior of the vertical supply tube portion 10 through the storage cylinder 40 (storage space 41) and the connecting tube portion 30. The injection tube portion 60 guides the liquid that has passed through the vertical supply tube portion 10, the connecting tube portion 30, and the storage cylinder 40 (storage space 41) to the ejection hole 4. A nozzle member 3 is fitted onto the injection tube portion 60 from the front. The nozzle member 3 is formed with an ejection hole 4 that opens forward and ejects the liquid forward.

[0036] The cover member 5 is formed to cover the entire vertical supply tube portion 10 except for the lower end portion, the entire injection tube portion 60, and the entire storage cylinder 40 from at least both left and right sides and above.

[0037] The trigger-type liquid ejector 1 having the above configuration includes a restricting member 100 that fits into the main cylinder 23 and restricts the main piston 22 from slipping out forward. The restricting member 100 includes a fitting flange 101 that fits into the main cylinder 23, an inner cylindrical portion 102 that is connected to the fitting flange 101 and inserted inside the main cylinder 23, and is disposed with a gap around the entire periphery of the inner wall surface of the main cylinder 23, and a restricting cylindrical portion 103 that protrudes rearward from the inner cylindrical portion 102.

[0038] 2, the main cylinder 23 is provided at its front end opening with an annular flange 23a that protrudes radially outward beyond the cylinder tubular portion 15. The flange 23a is formed with fitting holes 23b into which fitting pieces 104 of the fitting flange 101 fit. A plurality of fitting holes 23b (four fitting holes 23b at 90° intervals around the central axis of the main cylinder 23) are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the flange 23a. The fitting holes 23b are formed in an arc shape when viewed from the front.

[0039] As shown in the half-side cross-sectional view of Fig. 3, the restricting member 100 is formed with a plurality of fitting pieces 104 that protrude rearward from the outer peripheral edge of the fitting flange 101. The fitting pieces 104 are formed in an arrangement and number that corresponds to the above-mentioned fitting holes 23b. When the fitting pieces 104 are fitted into the fitting holes 23b, as shown in Fig. 1, the fitting flange 101 abuts from the front against the front-end opening edge of the main cylinder 23, which includes the front-facing surface of the flange 23a.

[0040] The inner cylindrical portion 102 extends rearward from the radially inner end edge of the fitting flange 101. The outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 102 is disposed with a gap therebetween relative to the entire circumference of the inner wall surface of the main cylinder 23. In other words, the inner cylindrical portion 102 is suspended from the fitting flange 101 and positioned in the front-to-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of grooves 107 extending in the front-to-rear direction are formed on the rear end side of the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 102. The pair of grooves 107 are formed to a fixed depth above and below the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 102.

[0041] The regulating cylindrical portion 103 protrudes rearward from the inner peripheral surface at the rear end of the inner cylindrical portion 102. The outer peripheral surface of the rear end of the regulating cylindrical portion 103 tapers in diameter toward the rear. The rear end surface of the regulating cylindrical portion 103 is flat and faces a lip connecting portion 22c of the main piston 22 (described later) in the front-rear direction. A plurality of reinforcing ribs 105 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction at a step on the outer peripheral side of the connection portion between the inner cylindrical portion 102 and the regulating cylindrical portion 103.

[0042] 1, the main cylinder 23 is a cylindrical cylinder with a bottom that opens forward and is provided with a cylindrical guide tube 25 that protrudes forward from the center of its rear wall. The guide tube 25 is formed as a cylindrical cylinder with a bottom that opens forward and is closed at the rear. The front end of the guide tube 25 is located rearward of the front end of the main cylinder 23.

[0043] The bottom of the guide tube 25 is formed in an annular shape, and the fitting tube portion 16 provided on the cylinder tube portion 15 is fitted inside. The front end of the fitting tube portion 16 protrudes into the guide tube 25. The guide tube 25 is disposed coaxially with the fitting tube portion 16. An annular recess 25a is formed on the outer circumferential surface at the rear end of the guide tube 25.

[0044] The main piston 22 comprises a piston body 22a that is open to the rear and has a guide tube 25 inserted therein, an inner lip 22b that is provided at the rear end of the piston body 22a and that slides against the outer wall surface of the guide tube 25, a lip connecting portion 22c that protrudes radially outward from the rear end of the piston body 22a, and a pair of front and rear outer lip portions 22d that are connected radially outward from the lip connecting portion 22c and that slide against the inner wall surface of the main cylinder 23.

[0045] The piston main body 22a is formed in a cylindrical shape with an open rear end and a closed front end. The inner diameter of the piston main body 22a is formed slightly larger than the outer diameter of the guide tube 25. The front end of the piston main body 22a is engaged with the trigger portion 21 by abutting against the trigger portion 21 from behind the trigger portion 21.

[0046] An annular inner lip portion 22b is formed at the rear end of the piston body portion 22a, protruding radially inward and in sliding contact with the outer wall surface of the guide tube 25. This ensures sealing between the inner lip portion 22b and the outer wall surface of the guide tube 25. The inner lip portion 22b reaches the recessed portion 25a when the main piston 22 is located at its rearmost position.

[0047] When the inner lip portion 22b reaches the recessed portion 25a of the guide tube 25, a small gap is formed between the inner lip portion 22b and the recessed portion 25a. Through this gap, the inside of the main cylinder 23 communicates with the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the piston main body portion 22a and the outer wall surface of the guide tube 25.

[0048] As a result, the inside of the main cylinder 23 communicates with the inside of the fitting cylindrical portion 16 through the inside of the guide cylinder 25. The fitting cylindrical portion 16 forms a liquid recovery passage S3 that communicates between the outer wall surface of the guide cylinder 25 and the inner peripheral wall of the piston main body 22a, as well as the inside of the container body A. The liquid recovery passage S3 communicates with the inside of the container body A via a gap that extends in the vertical direction between the cylinder cylindrical portion 15 and the vertical supply cylindrical portion 10.

[0049] The lip connecting portion 22c is formed in an annular shape that radially connects the inner lip portion 22b and the outer lip portion 22d. The front-facing surface of the lip connecting portion 22c is flat. The outer lip portions 22d are formed as a pair, front and rear, with their diameters increasing separately from the outer peripheral end of the lip connecting portion 22c toward the front and rear, respectively, and are in sliding contact with the inner wall surface of the main cylinder 23. This ensures sealing between the outer lip portion 22d and the inner wall surface of the main cylinder 23.

[0050] When the trigger part 21 is in the forward-most swing position, the main piston 22 is located at the corresponding forward-most position. At this time, the main piston 22 closes the first vent hole 23c formed in the main cylinder 23 between the pair of front and rear outer lip parts 22d. When the main piston 22 moves rearward by a predetermined amount from the forward-most position due to the rearward swing of the trigger part 21, the main piston 22 opens the first vent hole 23c.

[0051] As a result, the first vent hole 23c is open to the outside of the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 through the main cylinder 23. The first vent hole 23c is connected to the inside of the container body A via various gaps and various vent holes (first gap S1, second vent hole 15a, second gap S2, and third vent hole 10a), so that the inside of the container body A from which the liquid has been ejected can be replaced with air. The first gap S1 is an annular gap formed between the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder tubular portion 15 and the outer circumferential surface of the main cylinder 23. The second vent hole 15a is a through-hole formed in the peripheral wall of the cylinder tubular portion 15 and extends downward from the lower part of the first gap S1. The second gap S2 is a gap formed between the lower surface of the cylinder tubular portion 15 and the upper surface of the inner cylinder-side flange portion 10A of the vertical supply tubular portion 10 and is connected to the lower end of the second vent hole 15a. An attachment cap 11 is engaged with the outer peripheral end of the inner tube flange 10A. The third air vent 10a is a through-hole that passes through the inner tube flange 10A from top to bottom, and connects the second gap S2 to the inside of the container body A.

[0052] The trigger-type liquid ejector 1 having the above configuration also includes a covering member 110 that is disposed inside the main cylinder 23, covers the piston biasing member 24, and deforms as the main piston 22 moves. The covering member 110 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a closed rear end and an open front end. The peripheral wall of the covering member 110 has a bellows structure, and is configured to be able to expand and contract in the front-to-rear direction together with the piston biasing member 24. Note that the covering member 110 does not have to have a bellows structure as long as it is made of an elastomer or other material that is elastically deformable (resilient). The covering member 110 may also be able to deform as the trigger portion 21 is pulled (movement of the main piston 22) and restore its original shape due to the restoring deformation of the piston biasing member 24.

[0053] The front opening 111 of the covering member 110 expands in diameter toward the front and fits into the inner peripheral wall of the piston body 22a. The outer peripheral edge of the horn-shaped opening 111 of the covering member 110 abuts against the inner peripheral wall of the piston body 22a over the entire circumference, and the opening 111 of the covering member 110 is closed and tightly sealed by the piston body 22a.

[0054] A protrusion 112 that protrudes forward is formed on the rear bottom of the covering member 110. The protrusion 112 serves as a spring seat for the piston biasing member 24 (coil spring). The fitting cylinder portion 16 that abuts on the rear bottom of the covering member 110 has a slotted structure split into two halves, leaving a gap in the radial direction so as not to block the liquid recovery channel S3. In addition, a plurality of communication grooves 25b extending in the front-rear direction are formed in the inner peripheral wall of the guide cylinder 25 at intervals in the circumferential direction so as not to block the liquid recovery channel S3 even when the covering member 110 expands radially due to contraction.

[0055] (The action of the trigger-type liquid jet) Next, we will explain how to use the trigger-type liquid sprayer 1 configured as described above. It is assumed that by operating the trigger part 21 multiple times, liquid is filled into each part of the trigger-type liquid sprayer 1, and the liquid can be sucked up into the vertical supply tube part 10.

[0056] The user operates the trigger portion 21 by pulling it rearward against the biasing force of the piston biasing member 24. This causes the main piston 22 to move rearward from its forwardmost position, pressurizing the inside of the main cylinder 23. As a result, the liquid in the main cylinder 23 is supplied to the vertical supply tube portion 10. The liquid supplied to the vertical supply tube portion 10 then presses the first check valve 13 downward and pushes the second check valve 14 upward.

[0057] This allows the liquid in the vertical supply tube portion 10 to be supplied to the storage space 41 of the storage cylinder 40 through the connecting tube portion 30, thereby pressurizing the storage space 41. Therefore, as the storage space 41 is pressurized, the storage plunger 50 can be moved rearward from the most forward position against the biasing force of the plunger biasing member 51, allowing the liquid to be stored (filled) in the storage space 41.

[0058] By moving storage plunger 50 rearward, the pressurized liquid in storage space 41 can be guided through injection tube portion 60 to ejection hole 4. Then, the liquid can be ejected forward from ejection hole 4. In this way, each time trigger portion 21 is pulled rearward, liquid can be ejected from ejection hole 4, and storage plunger 50 can be moved rearward to store liquid in storage space 41.

[0059] Thereafter, when the trigger portion 21 is released, the main piston 22 moves forward in the main cylinder 23 due to the elastic restoring force (biasing force) of the piston biasing member 24, and the trigger portion 21 also moves forward in its restoration state. As a result, the pressure inside the main cylinder 23 can be reduced to a pressure lower than the pressure inside the container body A, and the first check valve 13 can be raised while the second check valve 14 remains closed. Therefore, the liquid inside the container body A can be sucked up into the vertical supply tube portion 10 and introduced into the main cylinder 23. This allows preparation for the next eruption.

[0060] When the rearward operation of the trigger portion 21 is stopped, the supply of liquid to the storage space 41 through the vertical supply tube portion 10 and the connecting tube portion 30 stops, but the storage plunger 50 begins to move forward toward the most forward position due to the biasing force of the plunger biasing member 51. At this time, the outflow of liquid from the storage space 41 into the vertical supply tube portion 10 is restricted by the second check valve 14.

[0061] This allows the liquid stored in the storage space 41 to be guided through the inside of the injection tube portion 60 to the ejection hole 4, and the liquid can be continuously ejected forward through the ejection hole 4. In this way, liquid can be ejected not only when the trigger portion 21 is pulled rearward, but also when the trigger portion 21 is not operated, and liquid can be ejected continuously.

[0062] In the trigger-type liquid sprayer 1 configured as described above, when the trigger mechanism 20 is operated to move the trigger portion 21 rearward, the main piston 22 retracts, pressurizing the main cylinder 23, causing the liquid in the main cylinder 23 to flow from the vertical supply tube portion 10 toward the nozzle holes 4. This allows the liquid to be sprayed forward through the nozzle holes 4 of the nozzle member 3. Furthermore, when the operation of the trigger mechanism 20 is stopped, the piston biasing member 24 that biases the main piston 22 forward is provided in the main cylinder 23, so the main piston 22 advances together with the trigger portion 21, reducing the pressure in the main cylinder 23 and allowing the liquid to be drawn up from the container body A. Here, because the piston biasing member 24 is covered with the covering member 110, it does not come into contact with the liquid drawn up into the main cylinder 23 and react with it. This prevents deterioration of the piston biasing member 24 and deterioration of the liquid.

[0063] As described above, the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 according to this embodiment comprises the ejector body 2 that is attached to the container body A containing the liquid, and the nozzle member 3 that is disposed on the front side of the ejector body 2 and has the ejection holes 4 formed therein that eject the liquid forward. The ejector body 2 extends in the vertical direction and has the vertical supply cylinder part 10 that sucks up the liquid in the container body A, and the trigger part 21 that is disposed in front of the vertical supply cylinder part 10 so as to be movable rearward in a forward biased state, and the movement of the trigger part 21 rearward ejects the liquid from inside the vertical supply cylinder part 10 toward the ejection holes 4. the trigger mechanism 20 includes a main piston 22 that moves back and forth with the movement of the trigger portion 21, a main cylinder 23 whose interior is pressurized and depressurized with the movement of the main piston 22 and whose interior is in communication with the inside of the vertical supply tube portion 10, a piston biasing member 24 that is arranged inside the main cylinder 23 and biases the main piston 22 forward, and a covering member 110 that is arranged inside the main cylinder 23 and covers the piston biasing member 24 and deforms with the movement of the main piston 22. According to the trigger type liquid ejector 1 having the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to prevent the piston biasing member 24 that biases the main piston 22 from coming into contact with the liquid.

[0064] In this embodiment, a guide tube 25 extending in the front-to-rear direction is provided inside the main cylinder 23, and the main piston 22 comprises a topped cylindrical piston body 22a that opens to the rear, into which the guide tube 25 is inserted, and which is closed at the front, an inner lip 22b that is provided at the rear end of the piston body 22a and comes into sliding contact with the outer wall surface of the guide tube 25, and an outer lip 22d that protrudes radially outward from the rear end of the piston body 22a and comes into sliding contact with the inner wall surface of the main cylinder 23, and a recess 25a that forms a gap between the inner lip 22b and the rear end of the outer wall of the guide tube 25 is formed, and a liquid recovery flow path S3 that connects the outer wall surface of the guide tube 25 and the inner circumferential wall of the piston body 22a, as well as the interior of the container body A, is formed inside the guide tube 25. With this configuration, when the inner lip portion 22b of the main piston 22 reaches the recessed portion 25a of the guide tube 25, a small gap is formed between the inner lip portion 22b and the recessed portion 25a. This gap connects the inside of the main cylinder 23 with the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the piston body 22a and the outer wall surface of the guide tube 25. As a result, the inside of the main cylinder 23 communicates with the inside of the container body A through the liquid recovery channel S3 formed inside the guide tube 25, and any liquid remaining in the main cylinder 23 is discharged into the container body A through the liquid recovery channel S3, thereby releasing the residual pressure in the main cylinder 23. With this structure, liquid flows around inside the main piston 22, making it easier for the liquid to come into contact with the piston biasing member 24. Therefore, the covering member 110 is provided to protect the piston biasing member 24.

[0065] In this embodiment, the covering member 110 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a closed rear end and an open front end, and the opening 111 of the covering member 110 expands in diameter toward the front and is fitted into the inner circumferential wall of the piston main body 22a. With this configuration, the opening 111 of the covering member 110 expands in a trumpet shape toward the front and comes into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the piston main body 22a, so that the opening 111 of the covering member 110 can be sealed and liquid can be prevented from entering through the opening 111 of the covering member 110.

[0066] In this embodiment, the piston biasing member 24 is a metal spring, and the ejector main body 2 includes a storage cylinder 40 into which liquid that has passed through the vertical supply tube portion 10 from the main cylinder 23 is supplied as the trigger portion 21 moves rearward, a storage plunger 50 that is disposed in the storage cylinder 40 so as to be movable in the axial direction along the central axis thereof, 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 when the main cylinder 23 is pressurized. The valve is provided with a first check valve 13 that blocks communication between the inside of the container body A and the inside of the main cylinder 23 through the inside of the vertical supply tube portion 10 and allows communication between the inside of the container body A and the inside of the main cylinder 23 through the inside of the vertical supply tube portion 10 when the inside of the main cylinder 23 is depressurized, and a second check valve 14 that allows communication between the inside of the storage cylinder 40 and the inside of the main cylinder 23 through the inside of the vertical supply tube portion 10 when the inside of the main cylinder 23 is pressurized and blocks communication between the inside of the storage cylinder 40 and the inside of the main cylinder 23 through the inside of the vertical supply tube portion 10 when the inside of the main cylinder 23 is depressurized. With this configuration, by using a metal spring as the piston biasing member 24, it is possible to strengthen the suction of liquid into the main cylinder 23. Furthermore, the first check valve 13 and the second check valve 14 allow liquid to be supplied from the main cylinder 23 into the storage cylinder 40 through the vertical supply tube portion 10 while the liquid is being ejected through the ejection hole 4, and the storage cylinder 40 can be pressurized. Therefore, the storage plunger 50 can be pressed toward one side in the axial direction against the forward bias, and the storage plunger 50 can be moved toward one side in the axial direction while ejecting liquid. Therefore, each time the trigger portion 21 is pulled, the storage plunger 50 can be moved toward one side in the axial direction, and the liquid can be ejected while storing (filling) the liquid in the storage cylinder 40. Note that, after filling the storage cylinder 40 with liquid, if the operation of the trigger portion 21 is stopped, the supply of liquid into the storage cylinder 40 through the vertical supply tube portion 10 stops, but the storage plunger 50 begins to move back toward the other side in the axial direction. This allows the liquid filled in the storage cylinder 40 to be pushed out from the storage cylinder 40 towards the ejection holes 4, and to be ejected from the ejection holes 4. Therefore, it is possible to perform continuous ejection of the liquid.

[0067] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0068] For example, the restricting cylindrical portion 103 shown in FIG. 1 may be configured to be spaced radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the outer lip portion 22d and to abut only against the lip connecting portion 22c. Furthermore, the restricting member 100 does not have to be ring-shaped.

[0069] Furthermore, the storage cylinder 40 and the storage plunger 50 may be omitted. The trigger-type liquid ejector 1 does not have to be designed for continuous ejection.

[0070] In addition, it is possible to replace the components in the above-described embodiments with well-known components as appropriate, without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1...Trigger-type liquid sprayer, 2...Sprayer body, 3...Nozzle member, 4...Spray hole, 5...Cover member, 10...Vertical supply cylinder portion, 10a...Third vent hole, 10A...Inner cylinder side flange portion, 11...Mounting cap, 12...Pipe, 13...First check valve, 14...Second check valve, 15...Cylinder cylinder portion, 15a...Second vent hole, 16...Fitting cylinder portion, 20...Trigger mechanism, 21...Trigger portion, 22...Main piston, 22a...Piston body portion, 22b...Inner lip portion, 22c...Lip connecting portion, 22d...Outer lip portion, 23...Main cylinder, 23a...Flange, 23b...Fitting hole, 23 c...first vent hole, 24...piston biasing member, 25...guide tube, 25a...recessed portion, 25b...communicating groove, 30...connecting tube portion, 31...blocking plug, 40...storage cylinder, 41...storage space, 50...storage plunger, 51...plunger biasing member, 60...injection tube portion, 100...regulating member, 101...fitting flange, 102...inner tube portion, 103...regulating tube portion, 104...fitting piece, 105...reinforcing rib, 107...groove portion, 110...covering member, 111...opening, 112...projection portion, A...container body, O1...axis, O2...axis, S1...first gap, S2...second gap, S3...liquid recovery flow path

Claims

1. an ejector body attached to a container containing a liquid; a nozzle member disposed on the front side of the ejector body and having an ejection hole formed therein for ejecting the liquid forward, The ejector body includes: a vertical supply tube portion extending in the vertical direction and sucking up the liquid in the container body; a trigger mechanism including a trigger portion disposed in front of the vertical supply tube portion and movable rearward in a forward biased state, the trigger portion moving rearward to cause the liquid to flow from inside the vertical supply tube portion toward the ejection hole, The trigger mechanism comprises: a main piston that moves back and forth in accordance with the movement of the trigger portion; a main cylinder whose interior is pressurized and depressurized in accordance with the movement of the main piston and whose interior is in communication with the vertical supply tube portion; a biasing member disposed inside the main cylinder and biasing the main piston forward; a covering member that is disposed inside the main cylinder, covers the biasing member, and has a bellows structure that deforms in accordance with movement of the main piston, A guide tube extending in the front-rear direction is provided inside the main cylinder, the main piston comprises: a piston body portion having a cylindrical shape with a top that is open at the rear and into which the guide tube is inserted and that is closed at the front; an inner lip portion provided at the rear end portion of the piston body portion and in sliding contact with an outer wall surface of the guide tube; and an outer lip portion protruding radially outward from the rear end portion of the piston body portion and in sliding contact with an inner wall surface of the main cylinder, a recessed portion is formed at a rear end of an outer wall surface of the guide tube, the recessed portion forming a gap between the inner lip portion and the outer wall surface of the guide tube; a liquid recovery flow path is formed inside the guide tube, the flow path connecting an outer wall surface of the guide tube and an inner circumferential wall of the piston main body, and the inside of the container body; The covering member is formed in a cylindrical shape with a closed rear end and an open front end, the opening of the covering member expands in diameter as it extends forward and is fitted into the inner circumferential wall of the piston body, A trigger-type liquid ejector, wherein a convex portion protruding forward is formed on the bottom of the covering member and receives the rear end of the biasing member.

2. the biasing member is a metal spring, The ejector body includes: a storage cylinder into which the liquid that has passed through the vertical supply tube portion from the main cylinder is supplied as the trigger portion moves rearward; a storage plunger disposed in the storage cylinder so as to be movable in an axial direction along a central axis thereof, and which moves toward one side of the axial direction and is biased toward the other side as liquid is supplied into the storage cylinder; a first check valve that blocks communication between the container body and the main cylinder through the vertical supply tube portion when the main cylinder is pressurized, and allows communication between the container body and the main cylinder through the vertical supply tube portion when the main cylinder is depressurized; 2. The trigger-type liquid ejector according to claim 1, further comprising: a second check valve that allows communication between the interior of the storage cylinder and the interior of the main cylinder through the interior of the vertical supply tube portion when the interior of the main cylinder is pressurized, and that blocks communication between the interior of the storage cylinder and the interior of the main cylinder through the interior of the vertical supply tube portion when the interior of the main cylinder is depressurized.

Images