Inverted foam ejector

Abstract

To provide an upright / inverted foam discharger that can prevent liquid leakage through air displacement holes opened in the cylinder peripheral wall of the air cylinder in an inverted state.MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM: An upright / inverted foam discharger includes an air cylinder 24 with a large diameter that is attached into a mouth neck 104 of a container 100, and a liquid cylinder 22 with a smaller diameter that hangs down from the air cylinder 24, with an air displacement hole being opened in a peripheral wall 24a of the air cylinder 24. An adapter 50 for upright and inverted use, including a liquid suction port 52 for upright use and a liquid suction port 54 for inverted use, is attached to the lower end of the liquid cylinder 22. Liquid leakage prevention means 60, which covers and blocks the air displacement hole h in an openable manner, is provided on the outside of the cylinder peripheral wall 24a.SOLUTION: SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a forward inverted foam dispenser, and more particularly to a forward inverted foam dispenser having a liquid cylinder and an air cylinder housed inside a container body, with an air displacement hole opened in the air cylinder. [Background technology]

[0002] Although not compatible with both forward and inverted operation, a small-diameter liquid cylinder is suspended from a large-diameter air cylinder attached via an attachment cap to the neck of the container, and an actuating member has an air piston that slides within the air cylinder and a liquid piston that slides within the liquid cylinder. When the actuating member descends, the liquid in the liquid cylinder and the air in the air cylinder are pressure-fed to a gas-liquid mixing section, and the mixture passes through a foaming section and is ejected from the nozzle head of the actuating member as foam (Patent Document 1). When the actuating member ascends, negative pressure is created in both cylinders, introducing outside air into the air cylinder and sucking the liquid from the container into the liquid cylinder. An air displacement hole is opened in the peripheral wall of the air cylinder. Furthermore, a forward and inverted adapter has been proposed that can be used in both forward and inverted positions by being attached to the pump mechanism of an upright pump container (Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2019-210005 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2022-27265 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a conventional foam dispenser equipped with an inverted forward / backward adapter is attached to a container, the inside of the container may become pressurized after the attached cap is attached to the mouth and neck of the container. Furthermore, the inside of the container may become pressurized due to an increase in the ambient temperature. When the pressurized container is turned upside down to dispense foam, the contents may leak into the air cylinder through the air displacement hole.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a foam dispenser for use in a normal inverted position that can prevent liquid leakage through an air displacement hole opened in the peripheral wall of an air cylinder when in an inverted position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first means comprises a cylinder member 20 having a liquid cylinder 22 suspended from an air cylinder 24 attached to the mouth and neck portion 104 of the container body 100; an actuating member 30 having a liquid piston 34 sliding in the liquid cylinder 22 and an air piston 40 sliding in the air cylinder 24 in conjunction with a push-down head 38 with a discharge nozzle n, and being biased upward; When the actuating member 30 descends, the liquid in the liquid cylinder 22 and the air in the air cylinder 24 are pressure-fed to the gas-liquid junction j, where they are mixed together and foamed in the foaming section f, and then discharged from the discharge nozzle n. An air replacement hole h is opened in the cylindrical wall 24a of the air cylinder 24, A foam dispenser for upright and inverted use is provided with an adapter for upright and inverted use (50) attached to the lower end of the liquid cylinder (22), the adapter having a liquid suction port (52) for upright use and a liquid suction port (54) for inverted use, A liquid leakage prevention means 60 is provided on the outside of the cylindrical peripheral wall 24a to cover and releasably close the air replacement hole h.

[0007] 1, a liquid cylinder 22 is suspended from an air cylinder 24 attached to the mouth and neck portion 104 of a container body 100. An air replacement hole h is opened in the cylindrical peripheral wall 24a of the air cylinder 24, and a normal / inverted adapter 50 having a liquid suction port 52 for use in the normal position and a liquid suction port 54 for use in the inverted position is attached to the lower end of the liquid cylinder 22. Further, on the outside of the cylindrical peripheral wall 24a, there is provided a liquid leakage prevention means 60 for covering and releasably closing the air replacement hole h opened in the cylindrical peripheral wall 24a of the air cylinder 24. This structure makes it possible to prevent liquid leakage through the air replacement hole h in the inverted state.

[0008] The second means includes the first means, and is provided on the cylindrical peripheral wall 24a with support means 26 for supporting the liquid leakage prevention means 60 so that it cannot fall off from the position covering the air replacement hole h.

[0009] In this means, as shown in FIG. 1, support means 26 for supporting the liquid leakage prevention means 60 so that the liquid leakage prevention means does not fall off from the position covering the air replacement hole h is provided on the cylindrical peripheral wall 24a. This structure can prevent liquid leakage due to the liquid leakage prevention means 60 falling off.

[0010] The third means includes the first means, and is formed with a direction adjusting means A between the cylindrical peripheral wall 24a and the liquid leakage prevention means 60 to regulate the circumferential position of the liquid leakage prevention means 60.

[0011] In this means, as shown in FIG. 3(B), a direction adjusting means A for regulating the circumferential position of the liquid leakage prevention means 60 is formed between the cylindrical peripheral wall 24a and the liquid leakage prevention means 60. This structure prevents the liquid leakage prevention means 60 from shifting laterally (circumferentially), and makes it possible to avoid interference with the air replacement function of the air replacement hole h due to such lateral shifting.

[0012] The fourth means includes the first means, and the liquid leakage prevention means 60 is a liquid leakage prevention ring fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the air cylinder 24, and a valve portion 64 is provided at a portion of the circumferential direction of this liquid leakage prevention ring to openably close the air replacement hole h.

[0013] In this means, as shown in FIG. 3(A), the liquid leakage prevention means 60 is a liquid leakage prevention ring fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the air cylinder 24. As shown in FIG. 3(B), a valve portion 64 for releasably closing the air replacement hole h is provided at a portion of the circumference of the liquid leakage prevention ring. According to this structure, the valve function of the valve portion 64 can appropriately prevent liquid leakage through the air replacement hole h.

[0014] The fifth means includes the first means, and the liquid leakage prevention means 60 is a liquid leakage prevention ring fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the air cylinder 24, a part of this liquid leakage prevention ring is formed into an easily deformable portion 62b that is elastically expandable and contractible in the circumferential direction, and the remaining part of the liquid leakage prevention ring 60 is formed into a cover band 62a for blocking the air replacement hole h.

[0015] In this means, as shown in Figures 6(B) and 6(C), the liquid leakage prevention means 60 is formed by forming a part of the liquid leakage prevention ring fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the air cylinder 24 into an easily deformable part 62b that is elastically expandable and contractible in the circumferential direction, and the remaining part of the liquid leakage prevention ring 60 into a cover band 62a for closing the air replacement hole h. According to this structure, the elastic force of the easily deformable portion 62b can effectively prevent liquid leakage through the air replacement hole h. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent liquid leakage through the air displacement hole opened in the cylindrical peripheral wall of the air cylinder in an inverted state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a foam dispenser for inverted use according to a first embodiment of the present invention, seen from the side. FIG. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the upper half of the foam dispenser shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3]This figure shows the configuration of the main part of the foam dispenser shown in Figure 1 (cylinder member equipped with a liquid leakage prevention means), where Figure (A) is a half cross-sectional view of the main part seen from the side, Figure (B) is a partial cross-sectional view seen from the direction III(B)-III(B) of Figure (A), and Figure (C) is a side view of the liquid leakage prevention means seen from the direction III(C) of Figure (A). [Figure 4] 4(A) is an explanatory diagram of the structure and function of the main part shown in FIG. 3(A), FIG. 4(A) is a cross section seen from the direction IV(A)-IV(A) in FIG. 3(A), FIG. 4(B) is an enlarged view of the part surrounded by the dashed line in FIG. 4(A), and FIG. 4(C) is a diagram showing the air replacement hole in an open state. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of a foam dispenser for inverted use according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 6 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the main part of the foam dispenser shown in FIG. 5, in which (A) is a cross-sectional view of the main part, (B) is a side view of the main part as seen from the VI(B)-VI(B) direction, and (C) is a diagram showing a modified example of the configuration of (B). BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0018] 1 to 4 show a foam dispenser for inverted use according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This inverted forward foam dispenser 1 is used by attaching it to a container body 100, and in this embodiment is made up of an attachment member 10, a cylinder member 20, an actuating member 30, an inverted forward adapter 50, and a leakage prevention means 60. However, the structure can be modified as needed. Each of these members can be made of, for example, synthetic resin or metal.

[0019] First, in this embodiment, the container body 100 has a mouth / neck portion 104 standing upright from a body portion 102, and a male thread portion 106 is attached to the outer surface of the mouth / neck portion 104.

[0020] The mounting member 10 has an inward flange 14 protruding from the upper end of the mounting tube 12 fitted onto the outer surface of the mouth / neck portion 104. Between this inward flange 14 and the mouth / neck portion 104, a flange portion 24b of an air cylinder 24, which will be described later, is sandwiched. The mounting cylinder 12 has an internal thread 13 formed on its inner surface, which is engaged with the external thread 106 . However, these structures can be modified as appropriate. 2, a retaining portion 16 that prevents the operating member 30 from being pulled out upward is provided on the inner periphery of the inward flange 14. The retaining portion 16 in the illustrated example has a small-diameter cylindrical portion 16a, a medium-diameter cylindrical portion 16b, and a large-diameter cylindrical portion 16c that hang down from an annular top wall 16d, and the lower end of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 16c is connected to the inner periphery of the inward flange 14.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the cylinder member 20 is configured by a large-diameter air cylinder 24 for installation in the mouth / neck portion 104 of the container body 100 and a liquid cylinder 22 having a smaller diameter suspended from the air cylinder 24 .

[0022] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a flange portion 24b is attached to the upper end of the cylindrical peripheral wall 24a of the air cylinder 24. Furthermore, an air replacement hole h is opened in the cylindrical wall 24a of the air cylinder 24. In this specification, the air replacement hole h refers to a vent hole for sucking air to restore the container body 100 when the inside of the container body 100 is in a negative pressure state. In the illustrated example, the air replacement hole h is located at a position where it is closed by an air piston 40, which will be described later, when the operating member 30 is at its upper limit position, as shown in Fig. 2. When the air piston 40 is lowered below the air replacement hole h (not shown), the interior of the air cylinder 24 and the interior of the container body 100 are connected above the air piston 40. In the present invention, a support rib 26 is provided on the outer surface of the cylindrical peripheral wall 24a for engaging (undercut engaging) with the lower end of a liquid leakage prevention ring 60, which will be described later. Furthermore, a direction alignment groove 28 is provided vertically at an appropriate position on the cylindrical peripheral wall 24a (on the opposite side of the air replacement hole h in the illustrated example). These structures will be described later.

[0023] In the illustrated example, the liquid cylinder 22 is suspended integrally from the air cylinder 24. However, the liquid cylinder 22 and the air cylinder 24 may be separate bodies. As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid cylinder 22 has an opening (liquid inlet 23) at the lower end, and the lower end is formed into a tapered valve seat 22a with a small diameter on the lower end side. Furthermore, a plurality of locking ribs 22b are provided on the inner surface of the lower portion of the liquid cylinder 22. A biasing member (coil spring or the like) c is interposed between these locking ribs 22b and a liquid piston 34 described below.

[0024] The actuating member 30 has a conventionally known structure and will be described briefly below. As shown in Figure 1, the actuating member 30 of this embodiment is composed of a poppet valve 32, a liquid piston 34, a piston guide 36, a push-down head 38, and an air piston 40, but the structure can be modified as needed. In this embodiment, the actuating member 30 has a liquid piston 34 fitted into the lower part of a hollow, vertically elongated piston guide 36. A liquid flow path (content flow path) is formed inside the piston guide 36 and the liquid piston 34. The liquid piston 34 has a cylindrical piston attached to the lower end of its vertical cylindrical part, which is in sliding contact with the liquid cylinder 22, and the vertical cylindrical part is fitted inside the piston guide 36. An air piston 40 that slides against the inner surface of the air cylinder 24 is fitted onto the outer surface of the upper portion of the piston guide 36 so as to be movable up and down. A push-down head 38 is fitted to the upper end of the piston guide 36, positioned above the air piston 40, and the upper half of a vertically elongated rod-shaped poppet valve 32 is fitted inside the liquid piston 34 so that it can be raised and lowered. The poppet valve 32 in the illustrated example has a plurality of locking projections 32a attached to the outer surface of its lower end, and its upper end is formed into a tapered valve body 32b with an upper larger diameter as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the tapered valve body 32b is fitted into the upper end of the vertical cylinder portion of the liquid piston . 1, the locking projection 32a is locked to the lower end of the biasing member c. As a result, the poppet valve 32 is capable of moving up and down between a state in which the locking projection 32a is locked to the lower end of the biasing member c as described above, and a state in which the lower end of the poppet valve 32 is in contact with the tapered valve seat 22a of the liquid cylinder 22 (not shown). The lower end of the poppet valve 32 and the tapered valve seat 22a form an upstream liquid check valve VL1, and the upper end (tapered valve body 32b) of the poppet valve 32 and the upper end of the liquid piston 34 form a midstream liquid check valve VL3. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, a downstream liquid check valve VL2, which is a ball valve, is formed inside the upper portion of the piston guide . As shown in FIG. 2, the air piston 40 has a cylindrical valve portion 40a connected to the outer surface of the piston guide 36 so as to be able to move up and down, a cylindrical piston 40b that slides on the inner surface of the air cylinder 24, and a partition wall 40c connected to the cylindrical valve portion 40a and the cylindrical piston 40b. A notch that serves as a valve hole is opened on the inner periphery of partition wall 40c, and an upstream air check valve VA1 is formed below this valve hole. This upstream air check valve VA1 is continuous with the outside via the gap between actuating member 30 and retaining portion 16. The lower end of the cylindrical valve portion 40a is in detachable contact with an annular protrusion 37 that protrudes from the outer surface of the piston guide 36. The lower end of the cylindrical valve portion 40a and the annular protrusion 37 form a downstream air check valve VA2. This downstream air check valve VA2 communicates with the air flow path Pa shown in Fig. 1. This air flow path Pa passes through the gap between the piston guide 36 and the cylindrical valve portion 40a, and the gap between the piston guide 36 and a stem 38b (described later), and continues to the junction with the liquid flow path inside the piston guide 36 (gas-liquid junction point j). The push-down head 38 has a stem 38b extending vertically from the center of a top plate 38a and an outer peripheral wall 38c extending from the peripheral edge of the top plate 38a, and a discharge nozzle n projecting outward from the upper interior of the stem through the outer peripheral wall 38c. The lower half of the stem 38b is fitted into the upper end of the piston guide 36. A foam portion f is disposed within the upper half of the stem 38b. The operation of the actuating member 30 will now be described. When the push-down head 38 is depressed to lower the actuating member 30, the liquid in the liquid cylinder 22 passes through the midstream liquid check valve VL3 and the downstream liquid check valve VL2, and the air in the air cylinder 24 passes through the downstream air check valve VA2. The liquid and air mixture is then pumped to the gas-liquid junction j and mixed with each other. The liquid and air mixture is then foamed in the foaming section f and discharged as foam from the discharge nozzle n. When the push-down head 38 is released, outside air is introduced into the air cylinder 24 through the upstream air check valve VA1, and the liquid in the container 100 is sucked into the liquid cylinder 22 through the upstream liquid check valve VL1. This suction creates a negative pressure in the container 100, and air, which replaces the sucked-up liquid, enters the container 100 from the air cylinder 24 through the air displacement hole h, causing the container 100 to return to its original position. The function of the leakage prevention means 60 during this process will be described later.

[0025] The inverted and normal adapter 50 is attached to the outer surface of the liquid cylinder 22 and has a liquid suction port 52 for use in the normal position and a liquid suction port 54 for use in the inverted position that communicate with the lower end opening (liquid inlet 23) of the liquid cylinder 22. The liquid suction port 54 for use when the container is in an inverted position is located on the upper side inside the container body 100, and the liquid suction port 52 for use when the container is in an upright position is located on the lower side inside the container body 100. A flow path switching mechanism 51 is formed at a branch point r where the flow path from the lower end opening of the liquid cylinder 22 to the liquid suction port 52 for upright position and the flow path to the liquid suction port 54 for inverted position branch off. This mechanism closes the flow path leading to the liquid suction port 54 for use in the upright position when the device is upright, and closes the flow path leading to the liquid suction port 52 for use in the upright position when the device is in the inverted position.

[0026] In this embodiment, the inverted normal adapter 50 is formed of an inner cylindrical member 50a, an outer cylindrical member 50b, and a communication member 50c, as shown in Figure 1. However, this structure can be modified as appropriate.

[0027] The outer cylindrical member 50b is fitted onto the outside of the inner cylindrical member 50a, and extends upward and downward from this fitting point. An upright position flow path P1 is formed inside the portion of the outer cylindrical member that extends downward from the fitting location (extension cylindrical portion 55), and an upright position liquid suction port 52 opens at the lower end of the extension cylindrical portion 55. In the illustrated example, the upper end of a suction pipe 58 is fitted into the extension cylindrical portion 55. Furthermore, the portion extending upward from the fitting location is a sleeve tube 56 that covers the outer surface of the liquid cylinder 22. A flow path P2 for use when inverted is formed between this sleeve tube 56 and the liquid cylinder 22, and is continuous with a liquid suction port 54 for use when inverted that opens at the upper end of the sleeve tube 56.

[0028] The inner cylindrical member 50a is fitted into the outer cylindrical member 50b. The upper end of the inner cylindrical member 50a is connected to the inverted flow path P2 via a connecting member 50c. The inner cylindrical member 50a is constricted in the vertical middle, and a through hole serving as a branch point r is formed at this constricted portion i. This branch point r and the liquid inlet 23 of the liquid cylinder 22 are connected by a common flow path Pc that passes through the gap between the inner cylindrical member 50a and the outer cylindrical member 50b. An upper ball valve 57A and a lower ball valve 57B are provided on both the top and bottom of the constricted portion i. The constricted portion i, upper ball valve 57A, and lower ball valve 57B form the flow path switching mechanism 51 described above. That is, when the device is in the upright position, the upper ball valve 57A seats at the throttle point, thereby blocking the passage leading to the inverted position flow path P2, and when the device is in the inverted position, the lower ball valve 57B seats at the throttle point, thereby blocking the passage leading to the upright position flow path P1.

[0029] The liquid leakage prevention means 60 has the role of covering the air replacement hole h and closing it so that it can be opened by creating a negative pressure inside the container body, and is arranged in an appropriate location outside the cylindrical peripheral wall 24a (in the illustrated example, the upper half of the cylindrical peripheral wall 24a). The phrase "openable in conjunction with the rise of the operating member" means that the air replacement hole can be opened by the negative pressure created inside the container due to the rise of the operating member. In other words, the air replacement hole is sealed when the inside of the container is pressurized, and is opened when the inside of the container is under negative pressure. In this embodiment, the liquid leakage prevention means 60 is a liquid leakage prevention ring fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the air cylinder 24 . The illustrated leakage prevention ring 60 is formed as a straight cylindrical body 62, and has enough elasticity to overcome the undercut on its outer surface (the aforementioned support rib 26) when fitted to the air cylinder 24 from below. A valve portion 64 is provided at a portion of the circumference of the liquid leakage prevention ring 60 to openably close the air replacement hole h. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3(C), a valve hole b is opened in a portion of the circumferential direction, and a valve portion 64 is supported along the outer circumferential surface of the air cylinder 24 via a plurality of (three in the illustrated example) elastic support pieces 65 protruding from the edge of this valve hole b, and this valve portion 64 closes the air replacement hole h. The structure of this valve portion 64 (a three-point valve type valve element) is an example of a valve structure that displaces outward in the cylindrical diameter direction of the air cylinder 24, and can be modified as appropriate. As shown in FIG. 2, a gap s, which is a displacement allowance for the valve portion 64, is provided between the valve portion 64 and the inner surface of the mouth / neck portion 104. It is desirable to design the diameter d2 of the valve portion 64 to be sufficiently larger than the diameter d1 of the air replacement hole h, as in the example shown in FIG. 3(C).

[0030] The support rib 26 mentioned above abuts against the lower edge of the leakage prevention ring 60. This abutment prevents the leakage prevention ring 60 from falling off from the position covering the air replacement hole h. The support rib 26 is a horizontal rib that extends horizontally when viewed from the side, and is formed around almost the entire circumference of the air cylinder 24 so as to be able to uniformly support the entire circumferential direction of the leakage prevention ring 60. In the illustrated example, the support rib 26 is formed as a plurality of horizontal ribs that are continuous in a dashed line, but it may also be formed as a single rib that is provided around the outer surface of the air cylinder 24. The support rib 26 is positioned so that the air replacement hole h is reliably covered by the valve portion 64 when the support rib 26 is in contact with the lower edge of the anti-leakage ring 60, as shown in FIG. 3(C), and preferably, as in the illustrated example, the air replacement hole h is located at the center of the valve portion 64 when viewed from the outside. The support rib 26 is a suitable example of a support means for supporting the leakage prevention ring 60, and any structure may be used as long as it can support the leakage prevention ring 60 appropriately.

[0031] The liquid leakage prevention ring 60 is a suitable example of a liquid leakage prevention means, and any form may be used as long as it can prevent liquid leakage from the air replacement hole h. That is, instead of a leakage prevention ring having a valve portion or a deformable portion described later, a sheet-like or film-like ring material that can be deformed by creating a negative pressure inside the container body may be used. Furthermore, as long as the structure can cover the air replacement hole h, it is not necessary to use a ring material, and it is also possible to use a structure in which a sheet-like or film-like member that can be deformed by creating a negative pressure inside the container body is fixed by adhesion, fitting, etc. Furthermore, instead of a straight cylindrical leak prevention ring, a structure can be used in which an elastic tapered wall portion projects downward and inward from the lower end of a cylindrical body that surrounds the periphery of the air cylinder with some play, and the tip of this wall portion is detachably pressed against the air cylinder below the air replacement hole. In this case, the cylindrical body can be supported by an appropriate method, for example, by fitting it to the inner surface of the mouth and neck portion. Also, for example, the sleeve tube 56 of the inverted forward adapter 50 may be integrally extended from the outer surface of the liquid cylinder 22, through the underside of the air cylinder 24, to the outer surface of the cylindrical wall 24a of the air cylinder 24, and this extended portion may cover the air replacement hole h. In this embodiment, the description of the valve portion 64 and the elastic support piece 65 is applied. Furthermore, when a support rib as a means for preventing detachment is applied to this embodiment, a means for engaging with the support rib 26 may be provided on the inner surface of the extension portion of the sleeve tube.

[0032] 3(A), in this embodiment, a direction alignment protrusion 66 is provided vertically at an appropriate position (on the opposite side of the valve portion 64 in the illustrated example) on the inner peripheral surface of the liquid leakage prevention ring 60. This direction alignment protrusion 66 is inserted into the direction alignment recessed groove 28 of the air cylinder 24, and the direction alignment protrusion 66 and the direction alignment recessed groove 28 form a direction alignment means A that regulates the circumferential position of the liquid leakage prevention means 60. Here, "regulating the circumferential position of the liquid leakage prevention means" means aligning the valve portion with the air replacement hole. In particular, it prevents the valve portion 64 from shifting from the position where the air replacement hole is formed, thereby preventing the air replacement hole from being exposed, thereby ensuring sufficient liquid leakage prevention function. The structure of this direction alignment means A can be modified as appropriate. For example, a direction alignment protrusion 66 may be provided on the outer surface of the cylindrical peripheral wall 24a of the air cylinder 24, and a direction alignment groove 28 may be provided on the inner surface of the anti-leakage ring 60. The alignment ridges and alignment grooves are examples of convex portions and concave portions that engage with each other, and the design can be modified as appropriate. 3(B), the width w2 of the alignment groove 28 is larger than the width w1 of the alignment rib 66. This structure allows the alignment rib 66 to fit (loosely fit) into the alignment groove 28 with some play. However, as long as the direction-aligning ridge 66 is held within the direction-aligning groove 28 , the design is such that the air replacement hole h is not exposed from the rear surface of the valve portion 64 . It is also possible to employ a structure in which there is no play between the direction alignment ridge and the direction alignment groove.

[0033] In the above configuration, in the state shown in Figure 2, the air replacement hole h is closed by the valve portion 64 of the liquid leakage prevention means 60, so even if the inside of the container body 100 is pressurized due to the ambient temperature or the like, or even if the container is in an inverted position, it is possible to prevent the contents in the container body 100 from leaking into the air cylinder 24 through the air replacement hole h. Furthermore, when the depression head 38 is pressed down to lower the operating member 30, the air piston 40 descends within the air cylinder 24 and the liquid piston 34 descends within the liquid cylinder 22, causing the gas-liquid mixture to foam and be discharged from the discharge nozzle, as described above. When the pressure is released, the air piston 40 and the liquid piston 34 rise, and the outside air is sucked into the air cylinder 24 and the liquid in the container body 100 into the liquid cylinder 22. When the pressure inside the container body 100 becomes negative due to this suction of the liquid, the valve portion 64 is displaced outward as shown by the arrow in FIG. 4(C), and the air replacement hole h is opened. As a result, the air inside the air cylinder 24 flows into the container body 100, as shown by the arrows, through the air replacement hole h and the gap g between the air cylinder 24 and the valve portion 64. When the pressure difference is thus eliminated, the elastic force of the elastic support piece 65 causes the valve portion 64 to return to its original position, and the air replacement hole h is closed again.

[0034] According to the above-described structure and operation, the provision of the liquid leakage prevention means 60 for releasably closing the air replacement hole h opened in the cylindrical wall of the air cylinder 24 makes it possible to prevent liquid leakage in the inverted state. Since the support means 26 for supporting the liquid leakage prevention means 60 is provided on the cylindrical peripheral wall 24a, it is possible to prevent the liquid leakage prevention means 60 from falling off and causing liquid leakage. Since the direction adjusting means A is formed between the cylindrical peripheral wall 24a and the liquid leakage prevention means 60, the liquid leakage prevention means 60 can be prevented from shifting in the lateral direction.

[0035] Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below, and in these descriptions, explanations of structures that are the same as those in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0036] 5 and 6 show a foam dispenser for inverted use according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the structure of the leakage prevention ring 60 in the configuration of the first embodiment is modified.

[0037] The leakage prevention ring 60 of this embodiment is formed as a valve member having an S-shaped valve shape. In this specification, the term "S-shaped valve shape" refers to a shape in which at least a portion of the circumferential direction is formed into an S-shaped spring that can expand and contract in the longitudinal direction. In the illustrated example, as shown in FIG. 6(A), a portion of the circumferential direction of the anti-leakage ring 60 is formed into an easily deformable portion 62b that is elastically expandable and contractible in the circumferential direction, and the remaining portion of the ring is formed into a cover band 62a for closing the air replacement hole h. 6(B) shows the configuration of the easily deformable portion 62b of this embodiment. The easily deformable portion 62b in the illustrated example is composed of one spring portion 68 and a pair of spring portions connected to both ends (connecting ends e) of the spring portion 68. The spring portion 68 is formed in an oval shape that is long in the circumferential direction and has a narrowed central portion in the longitudinal direction, and is formed so that when tension is applied in the circumferential direction, it can elastically deform from the shape shown by the imaginary lines in Figure 6(B) (the shape at the time of molding) to the shape shown by the solid lines in the same figure (the state when attached to the air cylinder 24). As a result, the air replacement hole h is sealed by the cover band 62a, preventing leakage of liquid from the air replacement hole h when the device is in an inverted state. The cover band 62a is a peripheral wall portion of the leakage prevention ring 60 that serves to close the air replacement hole h. In the illustrated example, the cover band 62a is designed to be longer in the circumferential direction than the easily deformable portion 62b. In the above configuration, when the liquid in the container body 100 is sucked up into the liquid cylinder 22 due to the rise of the operating member 30, the easily deformable portion 62b elastically stretches, creating a gap (not shown) between the air cylinder 24 and the cover band 62a, and opening the air replacement hole h. This allows the function of sucking air from the air cylinder 24 to replace the liquid sucked up into the liquid cylinder 22 to be achieved, as described above.

[0038] FIG. 6(C) shows a modified example of the deformable portion 62b, in which the spring portion 68 of the deformable portion 62b is formed in a wave shape.

[0039] According to the above configuration and action, a portion of the liquid leakage prevention ring, which is the liquid leakage prevention means 60, is formed into an easily deformable portion 62b that can elastically expand and contract in the circumferential direction, and therefore the elastic force of the easily deformable portion 62b can effectively prevent liquid leakage through the air replacement hole h. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1…Vertical inverted dispenser 10... Mounting member 12... Device tube 13... Female thread portion 14... Inward flange 16...Prevention portion 16a...Small diameter cylindrical portion 16b...Medium diameter cylindrical portion 16c...Large diameter cylindrical portion 16d...Circular top wall 20... Cylinder member 22... Liquid cylinder 22a... Tapered valve seat 22b... Locking rib 23...Liquid inlet 24...Air cylinder 24a...Cylinder peripheral wall 24b...Flange-shaped portion 26... Support rib (support means) 28... Direction alignment groove 30...operating member 32...poppet valve 32a...locking projection 32b...tapered valve body 34...Liquid piston 36...Piston guide 37...Annular protrusion 38... Pressing head 38a... Top plate 38b... Stem 38c... Outer wall 40...Air piston 40a...Cylindrical valve portion 40b...Cylindrical piston 40c...Bulkhead 50... forward inverted adapter 50a... inner cylindrical member 50b... outer cylindrical member 50c... connecting member 51...flow path switching mechanism 52...liquid suction port for upright position 54...liquid suction port for inverted position 55...Extension tube portion 56...Sleeve tube 57A...Upper ball valve 57B...Lower ball valve 58...Suction pipe 60...liquid leakage prevention means 62...cylindrical body 62a...cover band 62b...easily deformable portion 64... Valve portion 65... Elastic support piece 66... ​​Direction alignment protrusion 68... Spring portion 70... Arm portion 100...container body 102...body portion 104...mouth neck portion 106...male thread portion A...Direction adjusting means b...Valve hole c...Electrifying member e...Connecting end f...Bubble area g...Gap h...Air displacement hole i...Constricted area j...Gas-liquid merging point n...Discharge nozzle P1: Flow path for upright position P2: Flow path for inverted position Pa: Air flow path Pc: Common flow path r...branch point s...void VL1...Upstream liquid check valve VL2...Downstream liquid check valve VL3...Midstream liquid check valve VA1...Upstream air check valve VA2...Downstream air check valve

Claims

1. a cylinder member (20) having a liquid cylinder (22) suspended from an air cylinder (24) attached to the neck (104) of the container body (100); and an actuating member (30) having a liquid piston (34) that slides in the liquid cylinder (22) in conjunction with a push-down head (38) with a discharge nozzle (n) and an air piston (40) that slides in the air cylinder (24), and which is biased upward; When the actuating member (30) descends, the liquid in the liquid cylinder (22) and the air in the air cylinder (24) are pressure-fed to the gas-liquid merging point (j), where they are mixed together and foamed in the foaming section (f), and then discharged from the discharge nozzle (n). An air displacement hole (h) is opened in the cylindrical wall (24a) of the air cylinder (24), A foam dispenser for upright and inverted use is provided with an adapter for upright and inverted use (50) attached to the lower end of the liquid cylinder (22), the adapter having a liquid suction port for upright use (52) and a liquid suction port for inverted use (54), A liquid leakage prevention means (60) is provided on the outside of the cylindrical peripheral wall (24a) to cover and releasably close the air replacement hole (h).

2. 2. The inverted foam dispenser according to claim 1, wherein support means (26) for supporting the liquid leakage prevention means (60) so that it cannot fall off from the position covering the air displacement hole (h) is provided on the cylindrical peripheral wall (24a).

3. 2. The inverted foam dispenser according to claim 1, wherein a direction alignment means (A) is formed between the cylindrical peripheral wall (24a) and the liquid leakage prevention means (60) to regulate the circumferential position of the liquid leakage prevention means (60).

4. 2. The inverted foam dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the liquid leakage prevention means (60) is a liquid leakage prevention ring fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the air cylinder (24), and a valve portion (64) is provided on a portion of the circumference of the liquid leakage prevention ring to openably close the air replacement hole (h).

5. The inverted foam dispenser of claim 1, wherein the liquid leakage prevention means (60) is a liquid leakage prevention ring fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the air cylinder (24), a portion of the liquid leakage prevention ring is formed into an easily deformable portion (62b) that can elastically expand and contract in the circumferential direction, and the remaining portion of the liquid leakage prevention ring (60) is made into a cover band (62a) for closing the air displacement hole (h).

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