Ejector

Abstract

To provide a discharger having a structure capable of reducing a metal material to be used.SOLUTION: There are provided a tank part 10 for temporarily storing content liquid, that is arranged above a mouth 2a of a container body 2 in which the content liquid is stored; a sucking-up cylinder 20 extending downward from the tank part side, inserted into the container body, capable of switching between communication and blockage with / from an inside of the tank part, according to increase / decrease of an inner pressure of the tank part; and a discharge cylinder 30 extending laterally from the tank part side, capable of switching between the communication and the blockage with / from the inside of the tank part, according to increase / decrease of the inner pressure of the tank part. The tank part is formed into a shape of topped-cylinder comprising a top wall 11, and a side wall 12 formed in an elastically deformable manner. A lever part 14 is provided at an upper end portion of the tank part. Part out of the side wall of the tank part becomes an easily deformable part 15 formed thinner than the other portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dispenser. [Background technology]

[0002] A dispenser described in Patent Document 1 listed below has been known for some time. This dispenser includes a tank section disposed above the mouth of a container body containing the liquid content and for temporarily storing the liquid content, a suction tube extending downward from the tank section side and inserted into the container body, which is switchable between communication with and blocking the interior of the tank section depending on whether the internal pressure of the tank section increases or decreases, a discharge tube extending laterally from the tank section side and which is switchable between communication with and blocking the interior of the tank section depending on whether the internal pressure of the tank section increases or decreases, a push-down head disposed on the tank section while being biased upward and movable downward, and a piston section disposed in the tank section and linked to the push-down head for moving up and down while in sliding contact with the inner circumferential surface of the tank section. In this dispenser, when the press-down head is pressed down and then released, the piston rises, creating a negative pressure inside the tank, connecting the tank and the suction tube, and the liquid content inside the container is supplied into the tank through the suction tube. When the press-down head is then pressed down, the piston descends, increasing the internal pressure of the tank, connecting the tank and the discharge tube, and the liquid content inside the tank is dispensed through the discharge tube. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-2230 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the dispenser described above, there is a demand for reducing the amount of metal material used in the dispenser, for example, for environmental reasons. However, in the dispenser described above, a metal coil spring is required to bias the press-down head and piston portion upward in order to return the lowered press-down head and piston portion to their upward position. This makes it difficult to sufficiently reduce the amount of metal material used in the dispenser.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser having a structure that allows for reduction in the amount of metal material used. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the dispenser of the present invention comprises a tank section disposed above the mouth of a container body containing the liquid contents and for temporarily storing the liquid contents; a suction tube extending downward from the tank section side and inserted into the container body, which is switchable between communication with and blocking off from the inside of the tank section depending on whether the internal pressure of the tank section increases or decreases; and a discharge tube extending laterally from the tank section side and which is switchable between communication with and blocking off from the inside of the tank section depending on whether the internal pressure of the tank section increases or decreases, wherein the tank section is formed in a topped cylindrical shape having a top wall and side walls formed to be elastically deformable, a lever section is provided at the upper end of the tank section, and a portion of the side walls of the tank section is an easily deformable portion that is formed thinner than other portions.

[0007] A portion of the side wall of the tank portion is an easily deformable portion that is thinner than the other portions, so when the lever portion is operated, for example, by pulling down the side wall of the tank portion toward the easily deformable portion and applying a compressive force in the vertical direction to the easily deformable portion, the easily deformable portion is easily bent and deformed so as to protrude toward the inside of the tank portion. This increases the internal pressure of the tank portion, connecting the tank portion to the discharge tube, and the content liquid in the tank portion is discharged through the discharge tube. When the lever portion is released, the side wall of the tank portion is restored to its original shape, creating a negative pressure inside the tank portion, connecting the tank portion to the suction tube, and the content liquid in the container is supplied into the tank portion through the suction tube. As a result, there is no need to provide a pressing head, a piston portion, and a metal coil spring as in the conventional case, and the amount of metal material used can be reduced, as well as the number of parts. Since there is no need to provide a piston portion that comes into sliding contact with the inner circumferential surface of the tank portion, even a liquid containing solid matter such as an abrasive can be smoothly discharged.

[0008] The easily deformable portion may have a vertical size that decreases with increasing distance from the central portion along the central axis of the tank portion.

[0009] Since the size of the easily deformable portion in the vertical direction decreases as it moves away from the central portion along the central axis of the tank portion, when the lever portion is operated by pulling it down toward the central portion of the easily deformable portion, the central portion of the easily deformable portion, which has the largest size in the vertical direction, is more likely to bend and deform so as to protrude toward the inside of the tank portion.

[0010] The circumferential ends of the easily deformable portion along the central axis of the tank portion may, when viewed from the front from the outside in the radial direction, exhibit a protruding curved shape toward the side away from the center of the easily deformable portion in the circumferential direction.

[0011] When viewed from the front from the outside in the radial direction, both circumferential ends of the easily deformable portion exhibit a protruding curve in the circumferential direction toward the side away from the center of the easily deformable portion, so when the lever portion is operated, such as by pulling it down toward the center of the easily deformable portion, the load generated at both circumferential ends of the easily deformable portion and in their vicinity can be reduced.

[0012] The lever portion may protrude upward from a central portion on the upper surface of the top wall of the tank portion, and the easily deformable portion may be provided over an angular range of 180° or more around the central axis of the tank portion.

[0013] The lever portion protrudes upward from the center of the upper surface of the top wall of the tank portion, and the easily deformable portion is provided over an angular range of 180° or more around the central axis of the tank portion.Therefore, when the lever portion is operated, such as by pulling it down toward the center of the easily deformable portion, the side wall of the tank portion can be elastically deformed over a wide range while stabilizing the deformed shape. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, the amount of metal material used in the dispenser can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a dispenser according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a view of the tank portion shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the left and right direction. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the tank section shown in FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, a dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 1, the dispenser 1 of this embodiment is attached to the opening 2a of a container body 2 that contains the liquid content. The dispenser 1 includes a tank portion 10, a suction tube 20, and a dispenser tube 30. All parts of the dispenser 1 are made of synthetic resin. The liquid contained in the container body 2 may be a liquid with a relatively low viscosity, such as water or a liquid beverage such as alcoholic beverage, but may also be a liquid containing a solid such as an abrasive.

[0018] The tank portion 10 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top, and the suction tube 20 is formed in a cylindrical shape, with the central axes of the tank portion 10 and the suction tube 20 being aligned on a common axis. Hereinafter, this common axis will be referred to as the axis (central axis) O, the side of the top wall 11 of the tank portion 10 along the axis O (the upper side in Fig. 1) will be referred to as the upper side, and the opposite side (the suction tube 20 side (the lower side in Fig. 1)) will be referred to as the lower side. Also, the direction along the axis O will be referred to as the vertical direction, the direction intersecting the axis O as viewed from the vertical direction will be referred to as the radial direction, and the direction around the axis O as viewed from the vertical direction will be referred to as the circumferential direction.

[0019] The liquid content is contained in the container body 2. The container body 2 is, for example, a glass bottle or a synthetic resin bottle. The mouth portion 2a of the container body 2 is formed in a cylindrical shape and disposed coaxially with the axis O. A male thread is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the mouth portion 2a. A cylindrical attachment cap 21 with a top and an annular top wall is screwed onto the mouth portion 2a.

[0020] The tank 10 is disposed above the mouth 2a of the container 2 and temporarily stores the liquid content to be dispensed. The tank 10 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top, having a top wall 11 and a side wall 12 formed to be elastically deformable.

[0021] The side wall 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape and disposed coaxially with the axis O. When viewed in the radial direction, the side wall 12 has a rectangular shape that is long in the up-down direction. The lower end of the side wall 12 is fitted into a closure 13 formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom. The closure 13 is disposed above the mouth 2a of the container body 2 and closes the lower end opening of the side wall 12. The lower end of the side wall 12 is formed in a double cylindrical shape, and the peripheral wall of the closure 13 is sandwiched in the radial direction.

[0022] A downwardly protruding fitting tubular portion 23 is provided on the bottom wall of the closure 13. The fitting tubular portion 23 is disposed coaxially with the axis O. The lower end of the fitting tubular portion 23 is fitted into an undercut in the top wall of the attachment cap 21. The lower opening edge of the fitting tubular portion 23 is positioned at the upper opening edge of the mouth portion 2a. A suction communication port 13a that communicates with the inside of the suction tube 20 is formed in the radial center of the bottom wall of the blocking body 13. A discharge communication port 13b that communicates with the inside of the discharge tube 30 is formed in the bottom wall of the blocking body 13 at a position spaced radially outward from the suction communication port 13a.

[0023] The suction tube 20 extends downward from the tank portion 10 side and is inserted into the container body 2, and is switched between communication with and blocking from the inside of the tank portion 10 depending on whether the internal pressure of the tank portion 10 increases or decreases. The suction tube 20 includes a connecting tube portion 24, a tube 25, and a suction valve 26.

[0024] The connecting tubular portion 24 extends downward from a portion of the bottom wall of the blocking body 13 that is located between the suction communication port 13a and the fitting tubular portion 23. The connecting tubular portion 24 is disposed coaxially with the axis O. The inside of the connecting tubular portion 24 communicates with the inside of the tank portion 10 through the suction communication port 13a. The upper part of the tube 25 is connected to the connecting tube part 24 , and the lower end opening of the tube 25 is located inside the bottom part of the container body 2 . The suction valve 26 is a check valve that stops the outflow of the content liquid from the tank portion 10 through the suction communication port 13a to the connecting cylindrical portion 24 (container body 2 side), and when negative pressure is created inside the tank portion 10, it opens the suction communication port 13a, connecting the inside of the tank portion 10 to the inside of the connecting cylindrical portion 24. The suction valve 26 is housed in a recess formed in the upper surface of the bottom wall of the closure body 13. The suction communication port 13a opens into the bottom surface of the recess. The suction valve 26 includes a fixing ring 26a fitted into the recess, a closing plate 26b arranged on the bottom surface of the recess so that it can be separated upward, and an elastic piece 26c that connects the fixing ring 26a and the closing plate 26b to each other.

[0025] The discharge tube 30 extends laterally from the tank portion 10 side, and switches between communication with and blocking from the inside of the tank portion 10 according to an increase or decrease in the internal pressure of the tank portion 10. The discharge tube 30 includes a protruding tube portion 31 , a nozzle tube portion 32 , and a discharge valve 33 .

[0026] Hereinafter, when viewed from the top-bottom direction, the radial direction on which the discharge tube 30 protrudes from the tank portion 10 side is referred to as the front, and the opposite side is referred to as the rear. When viewed from the top-bottom direction, the radial direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction is referred to as the left-to-right direction.

[0027] The protruding tubular portion 31 protrudes radially outward from the opening periphery of the discharge communication port 13b in the bottom wall of the blocking body 13, and communicates with the inside of the tank portion . The nozzle tube portion 32 is connected to the protruding tube portion 31. The nozzle tube portion 32 is undercut-fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the protruding tube portion 31. The tip of the nozzle tube portion 32 is bent downward. The nozzle tube portion 32 may extend straight over its entire length, or may be formed integrally with the protruding tube portion 31. The discharge valve 33 is a check valve that stops the inflow of the liquid contents and air from inside the discharge tube 30 into the tank portion 10, and when the internal pressure of the tank portion 10 rises, it opens the discharge communication port 13b, connecting the inside of the tank portion 10 with the inside of the discharge tube 30. The discharge valve 33 is disposed inside the protruding tube portion 31. The discharge valve 33 has a valve main body portion 33a that engages with a valve engaging portion 31a provided on the inner surface of the protruding tube portion 31, and a valve portion 33b that protrudes forward from the valve main body portion 33a and is in liquid-tight contact with the inner surface of the protruding tube portion 31 all around. The valve portion 33b is formed in a trumpet shape that widens in diameter toward the front, and is formed to be elastically expandable and contractible.

[0028] In this embodiment, a lever portion 14 is provided at the upper end of the tank portion 10, and a portion of the side wall 12 of the tank portion 10 forms an easily deformable portion 15 that is thinner than the other portions.

[0029] In the illustrated example, the lever portion 14 protrudes upward from the center of the upper surface of the top wall 11 of the tank portion 10. The lever portion 14 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom. The lever portion 14 may be provided at the upper end of the side wall 12 of the tank portion 10, or may be formed as a solid body.

[0030] The entire tank portion 10 and lever portion 14 are made of olefin resin. The easily deformable portion 15 is formed by recessing the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 12 to make it thin. The inner peripheral surface of the side wall 12 is continuous without any steps over the entire area including the easily deformable portion 15. The thickness of the easily deformable portion 15 is, for example, 0.4 mm or more and 0.8 mm or less. The thickness of the side wall 12 of the tank portion 10, excluding the easily deformable portion 15, is, for example, approximately 1.0 mm. The thickness of the top wall 11 of the tank portion 10 is thicker than the thickness of the side wall 12 of the tank portion 10. The easily deformable portion 15 may be formed by recessing the inner circumferential surface of the side wall 12 of the tank portion 10 to make it thin, or may be formed from a soft material such as elastomer by, for example, two-color molding. The easily deformable portion 15 may be a film that is used as an insert product when the tank portion 10 is injection molded.

[0031] The easily deformable portion 15 has a vertical size that decreases with increasing distance from the central portion along the circumferential direction. The circumferential central portion of the easily deformable portion 15 is located at the front end of the side wall 12 of the tank portion 10. Both circumferential end portions 15a of the easily deformable portion 15 are located at the vertical central portion of the side wall 12 of the tank portion 10. As shown in Fig. 2, both circumferential end portions 15a of the easily deformable portion 15 have a curved shape that protrudes toward the side away from the center of the easily deformable portion 15 in the circumferential direction when viewed from the front radially outside. In the illustrated example, both circumferential end portions 15a of the easily deformable portion 15 have a curved shape that protrudes toward the rear when viewed from the front radially outside. When viewed from the front radially outside, the radius of curvature of both circumferential end portions 15a of the easily deformable portion 15 is 1 mm or more and 4 mm or less (approximately 2 mm in the illustrated example).

[0032] The easily deformable portion 15 is provided on the side wall 12 of the tank portion 10 over an angular range of 180° or more and less than 360° around the axis O when viewed from the top-bottom direction.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 3, the upper edge 15b of the easily deformable portion 15 has a curved shape that protrudes upward when viewed from the front, and extends linearly downward from the front to the rear when viewed from the left and right, as shown in Fig. 2. The lower edge 15c of the easily deformable portion 15 has a curved shape that protrudes downward when viewed from the front, and extends linearly upward from the front to the rear when viewed from the left and right. The circumferential center of the easily deformable portion 15 is provided over the entire vertical area of ​​the portion of the side wall 12 of the tank portion 10 that is located between the upper end and the lower end. The vertical size of the circumferential center of the easily deformable portion 15 is smaller than the circumferential size of the easily deformable portion 15 itself.

[0034] Next, a method for discharging the content liquid using the above-mentioned dispenser 1 will be described.

[0035] As shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1 , when the lever portion 14 is pulled forward toward the circumferential center of the easily deformable portion 15, a portion of the side wall 12 of the tank portion 10 sandwiched between both circumferential ends 15a of the easily deformable portion 15 bends, and a vertical compressive force is applied to the easily deformable portion 15, causing the easily deformable portion 15 to bend and deform so as to protrude toward the inside of the tank portion 10. At this time, the internal pressure of the tank portion 10 increases, and the valve portion 33b contracts and deforms, moving away from the inner circumferential surface of the protruding tube portion 31, thereby connecting the inside of the tank portion 10 to the inside of the discharge tube 30 through the discharge communicating port 13b. As a result, the liquid temporarily stored in the tank portion 10 is discharged from the discharge tube 30. At this time, the increase in internal pressure of the tank portion 10 presses the closing plate 26b of the suction valve 26 against the upper surface of the bottom wall of the closing body 13, keeping the suction communicating port 13a closed. This prevents the liquid content in the tank portion 10 from flowing into the suction tube 20.

[0036] Thereafter, when the lever portion 14 is released and the side wall 12 of the tank portion 10 is deformed to restore its original shape, the internal pressure of the tank portion 10 becomes negative. This causes the closing plate 26b of the suction valve 26 to move upward away from the upper surface of the bottom wall of the closing body 13, opening the suction communication port 13a and supplying the liquid content in the container body 2 into the suction tube 20 and into the tank portion 10 through the suction communication port 13a. At this time, the negative pressure inside the tank portion 10 presses the valve portion 33b against the inner circumferential surface of the protruding tube portion 31, keeping communication between the inside of the tank portion 10 and the inside of the discharge tube 30 blocked through the discharge communication port 13b. This prevents the liquid content in the tank portion 10 from flowing into the discharge tube 30.

[0037] As described above, in the dispenser 1 according to this embodiment, a portion of the side wall 12 of the tank portion 10 forms the easily deformable portion 15, which is thinner than the other portions. Therefore, when the lever portion 14 is operated, for example, by pulling down the side wall 12 of the tank portion 10 toward the easily deformable portion 15, and a compressive force is applied to the easily deformable portion 15 in the vertical direction, the easily deformable portion 15 is easily bent and deformed so as to protrude toward the inside of the tank portion 10. This increases the internal pressure of the tank portion 10, connecting the tank portion 10 to the discharge tube 30, and the liquid content in the tank portion 10 is discharged through the discharge tube 30. When the lever portion 14 is released, the side wall 12 of the tank portion 10 is restored to its original shape, creating a negative pressure inside the tank portion 10, connecting the tank portion 10 to the suction tube 20, and the liquid content in the container body 2 is supplied into the tank portion 10 through the suction tube 20.

[0038] As a result, there is no need to provide a pressing head, a piston portion, and a metal coil spring as in the conventional case, and the amount of metal material used can be reduced, as well as the number of parts. Since there is no need to provide a piston portion that slides against the inner peripheral surface of the tank portion 10, even a liquid containing solid matter such as an abrasive can be smoothly discharged.

[0039] Since the size of the easily deformable portion 15 in the vertical direction decreases as it moves away from the central portion in the circumferential direction, when the lever portion 14 is operated, for example by pulling down toward the circumferential central portion of the easily deformable portion 15, the circumferential central portion of the easily deformable portion 15 which has the largest size in the vertical direction is easily bent and deformed so as to protrude toward the inside of the tank portion 10.

[0040] When viewed from the front from the outside in the radial direction, both circumferential ends 15a of the easily deformable portion 15 have a protruding curved shape toward the side in the circumferential direction that is away from the center of the easily deformable portion 15.Therefore, when the lever portion 14 is operated, such as by pulling it down toward the circumferential center of the easily deformable portion 15, the load generated at both circumferential ends 15a of the easily deformable portion 15 and in their vicinity can be reduced.

[0041] The lever portion 14 protrudes upward from the center of the upper surface of the top wall 11 of the tank portion 10, and the easily deformable portion 15 is provided over an angular range of 180° or more around the axis O. Therefore, when the lever portion 14 is operated, for example by pulling down the easily deformable portion 15 toward the center in the circumferential direction, the side wall 12 of the tank portion 10 can be elastically deformed over a wide range while stabilizing the deformed shape.

[0042] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like are also included within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0043] For example, the size of the easily deformable portion 15 in the up-down direction may be the same over the entire length in the circumferential direction. Both circumferential end portions 15a of the easily deformable portion 15 may be pointed rearward. The easily deformable portion 15 may be provided within an angular range of less than 180° around the axis O.

[0044] In addition, within the scope of the present invention, the components in the above-described embodiments may be replaced with well-known components as appropriate, and the above-described modified examples may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 Dispenser 2. Container body 2a Mouth 10 Tank section 11 Top wall 12 Side wall 14 Lever section 15 Easily deformable part 20 Suction tube 30 Discharge tube O axis line (center axis line)

Claims

1. a tank portion disposed above a mouth portion of a container body containing the liquid content and configured to temporarily contain the liquid content; a suction tube extending downward from the tank portion side, inserted into the container body, and switchable between communication with the inside of the tank portion and cutoff depending on an increase or decrease in the internal pressure of the tank portion; a discharge tube extending laterally from the tank portion side and capable of switching between communication with and blocking from the inside of the tank portion according to an increase or decrease in the internal pressure of the tank portion, The tank portion is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top wall and a side wall formed to be elastically deformable, A lever portion is provided at the upper end of the tank portion, A dispenser in which a portion of the side wall of the tank portion is an easily deformable portion that is formed thinner than other portions.

2. 2. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the easily deformable portion has a vertical size that decreases with increasing distance from the center portion along the central axis of the tank portion.

3. The dispenser according to claim 2, wherein both circumferential ends of the easily deformable portion along the central axis of the tank portion exhibit a protruding curved shape in the circumferential direction toward the side away from the center of the easily deformable portion when viewed from the front from the outside in the radial direction.

4. the lever portion protrudes upward from a center portion of an upper surface of the top wall of the tank portion, The dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the easily deformable portion is provided over an angular range of 180° or more around a central axis of the tank portion.

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